Didsbury Magazine Jun|Jul 2015

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publication JUNE/JULY 2015 • ISSUE 103

DIDSBURY ARTS FESTIVAL Highlights revealed!

BEACHWEAR for a sizzling hot summer Didsbury friends create

INSPIRED GOODBYES SETI RAD The Laser Queen

PEOPLE | FASHION | SHOPPING | BEAUTY | FOOD | TRAVEL | HEALTH | INTERIORS

Winter Ball 2015

In association with

Saturday 7 November from 6.30pm at The Midland Hotel Hosted by Key 103’s Darren Proctor Tables of ten £750 // Individual tickets £79 Dress Code // Glamorous // Black tie To book // 0161 445 2883

Sponsorship opportunities available e: salim@salutions.co.uk

Established 2002

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Swimsuit & Kaftan BIBA AT HOUSE OF FRASER

Kleber Magalhaes BEM BRASIL

Chelsea Norris and Ben Postma-Tonge Image: STEPHEN McGOWAN

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WELCOME

Editor’s letter

This is a trying time for most parents, with children revising for exams.

Personally, I can’t believe our 16 year-old has left school and will be going to college in September. How time flies!

We’ve been busy at Magazine HQ with lots of lovely launches, birthday parties and balls to attend. The following are definitely worth a visit...

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Artisan in Spinningfield’s unveiled its new adjoining cafe bar. During the day the cafe serves the full Artisan menu, but after 5pm it’s a bar, with a late licence until 2am at the weekend.

Another Living Ventures restaurant and bar, The Alchemist has now re-opened after its refurbishment and grand extension. They open first thing for coffee and breakfast, and on into the evening for dinner.

Chinese restaurant Tattu is Spinningfields newest addition.

Media City Image: JOHN BARRY

Upstairs, the lavish interiors are inspired by (you’ve guessed it) tattoos and body art, and a truly spectacular four-metre high cherry blossom tree that hangs over stylish, black booth seating. It’s a real tree that’s been dried, with cherry blossom petals hand-twined on to each branch of the huge centrepiece. Definitely worth a look, even if you’re not a lover of Chinese food!

The Next Autumn & Winter preview was as good as ever, with clothes starting to reach the stores in July.

Our next networking event ‘Meet me at The Met’ is on Wednesday 17 June, for more details email info@salutions.co.uk The Winter Ball is at The Midland Hotel on 7 November. Tickets are now on sale so call 0161 445 2883.

Enjoy - we’ll be back in August.

Beverley e: beverley@salutions.co.uk

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Established 2002

01 EDITOR’S LETTER News from the editor 05 / 06 / 07 / 09 / 11 / 13 / 14 NEWS What’s happening in your area?

EVERY ISSUE… 35­

17 CHARLOTTE’S DIARY Booths finally opens its doors 22 WOMEN’S FASHION Sizzling hot summer beachwear 94

76 ASK THE EXPERTS Rick Clayton, Consultant Gynaecologist Guy Kelland, Kellands Financial Planners Professor Sanjiv Jari, Consultant Knee & Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Surgeon

30 TRAVEL Jill Nash soaks up the sun in Bodrum 34 WE LOVE… These are a few of our favourite things

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53 HEALTH&WELLBEING Body Performance Training With Ben & Chelsea INTERIORS 60 Exceptionally beautiful British beds at Sofas & Stuff 62 Outdoor entertaining With pops of colour

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81 / 83 / 84 / 86 EDUCATION NEWS News from the schools 91 REVIEWS Music, books and films 92 WHAT’S ON Special events for summer evenings and sunny weekends

63 LADY MUCK Detox superfoods

65 TABLE FOR TWO With Dr Tariq Chauhan at Neighbourhood

70/71 DINING GUIDE Collage – The Radisson Blu Bella Italia – Didsbury Vineyard – West Didsbury Swadesh – Manchester Bianco Coffee Shop – Sale Cau Restaurant – Wilmslow 73 THE BUSINESS Positive PR by Vikas Shah

25 MEN’S FASHION Shorts for that laid back look

64 GARDENSTYLE The Nosey Season

69 FOOD REVIEW Malmaison, Manchester

94 GADGETS Cutting-edge gadget round-up

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96 MOTORS On the sixth day, God created van 60

& THE

Established 2002

REST…

18 DIDSBURY ARTS FESTIVAL Highlights revealed!

26 FIT FOR A PRINCESS Great gift ideas for little princesses 27 ROWAN HOBAN Just So Festival co-founder brings Festivals and families together 28 Saluto.tv Star in your own TV Spot

41 INTRODUCING Chelsea Norris and Ben Postma-Tonge

78 SUE ALDRIDGE CEO Altrincham & Sale Chamber of Commerce

COMPETITIONS 38 Enjoy a complete makeover at Hob Salon, Hale

54 INSPIRED GOODBYES Didsbury friends create Inspired Goodbyes

40 Win a treatment, haircut and haircolour at Sassoon Salon, Manchester

57 homes4U A peri peri good treat for tenants

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77 MONEYMATTERS With Kath Wilkinson Wealth Management Ltd

89 MICHAELA HULME Unearthing the past

49 ANNA JONES Physiotherapist, The Body Clinic

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67 KLEBER MAGALHAES A taste for success

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CONTRIBUTORS GROUP EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Beverley Uddin-Khandakar

ART DIRECTION & DESIGN www.twistedgifted.com

HEAD OF DIGITAL Philip Valentino

GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR Salim Uddin-Khandakar

CONTRIBUTORS Anne Britt, Catherine Reed, Fay Wertheimer, John Waddington, Oliver Chesher, Mark Kureishy, Dr Jill Nash, Helen Lawson, Alison Carter, Charlotte Batra and Catherine Saunders

PHOTOGRAPHY PR Shots, Bigstockphoto.com, Press Loft, Mike Browne and Stephen McGowan

GROUP RESOURCE DIRECTOR Joanne Price E: jo@salutions.co.uk Tel: 0161 445 2883 SALES Nigel Reed, Selma Horsefield

This Magazine is published six times a year by Salutions Limited.

The contents may not be reprinted or reproduced without prior written permission. The publishers are not liable for statements made and opinions expressed. While every care is taken, prices and details are subject to change and the publisher can take no responsibility for omissions and errors.

DISTRIBUTION Avanti

The Old Bank, 99 Palatine Road, Didsbury, Manchester M20 3JQ. Tel: 0161 445 2883 | E: info@salutions.co.uk visit us online www.salutions.co.uk 3

Choose Marilyn Stowe and her Cheshire team, part of the UK’s largest specialist family law firm

For details of our FREE Family Legal Advice Clinic call 01937 543904 or visit www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk

Marilyn Stowe is the senior partner at Stowe Family Law leading her handpicked team of talented lawyers at the UK’s largest specialist family law firm.

The firm has handled more than 12,000 divorce cases and also has a highly respected Wills, Tax, Trusts and Probate department.

Marilyn Stowe: ‘First Class’ for family law.

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Anthony Jones

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Kate Rayner

LOCAL NEWS Golden Days Garden Centre has improved so much under the management of Richard Ravenscroft that even the Prime Minister wanted to see!

Stephen Evans, owner and founder of Golden Days, said that he was very excited when the opportunity arose to appoint Richard as manager of the Cheadle branch of Golden Days. Richard (whose family started and grew the famous Bridgemere Garden World) has brought to Golden Days a wealth of knowledge about garden retailing and has transformed the Garden Centre into a gardeners’ paradise. Well it certainly impressed the Prime Minister, who visited Golden Days on Saturday morning recently.

Oh la la!

ALTRINCHAM ANNOUNCES ITS THIRD FRENCH FESTIVAL

Altrincham’s renowned French Festival is back bigger and better for 2015. On Saturday 11 July there will be a Bastille Day celebration at Bowdon Rugby Club, a ticketed evening event with a sit-down three-course French meal with drink, live entertainment and a spectacular firework display.

On Sunday 12 July the main event will be a free family celebration of French culture and food at Stamford Park. There will be a wide range of sumptuous French food and drink, as well as a range of entertainment

for children and families, including vintage French cars, French storytelling, a magician, a puppet show and a junior rugby tournament in celebration of the Rugby World Cup. There will also be boules, French cookery demonstrations, face-paining and craftwork.

Exhibitors will sell and promote a wide range of French products, including toiletries and giftware. The event will include a live three-hour concert with international and local artists for people to enjoy while having a picnic. There will be an art competition for A level and GCSE art students, and a raffle in aid of Marie Curie.

The event is being supported by a number of organisations and businesses, including the French Embassy and Alliance Française de Manchester.

The event is organised entirely by volunteers and French enthusiasts.

For more info visit www.altyfrenchfestival.co.uk www.facebook.com/AltyFrenchFest Twitter: @AltyFrenchFest

DIDSBURY OPEN GARDENS 2015 Dreaming of summer afternoons spent in the garden – or lots of gardens? events are such a big attraction.

Or is it a love of an English garden, good garden design, the wonderful perfume of summer blooms as you brush past them, or the tea and cakes? here’s no better way to Whatever the reason, all over spend an afternoon than the UK this summer, gardeners in a beautiful garden, and will open their gates and visitors as most of us are naturally will show up in their thousands. nosey, especially when other The icing on the cake, and people’s houses and gardens perhaps the best reason of are involved, this might all, will be the thousands of explain why open-garden pounds raised for good causes.

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On Sunday 14 June, Didsbury Open Gardens will see over 25 private and public gardens opening to raise money for charity, including St Ann’s Hospice.

if they would like to be part of this lovely community event, which is a highlight in the Didsbury calendar.”

Programmes will be available early May. You can get in touch with the organisers by emailing info@didsburyopengardens.org

“We’ve raised over £45,000 to date,” said event organiser Maria Stripling, “and we are always looking for new gardens Visit the website for news to open this year alongside and to see photos from 2014: past favourites. Local gardeners www.didsburyopengardens.org are encouraged to get in touch

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SILVER BUTTERFLIES LADIES’ LUNCH

Celebrities helped Beechwood celebrate its landmark 25th anniversary at this year’s ladies’ lunch and fashion show, which was the highest attended event to date.

Chelsea, Key 103 and Real Housewives Leanne and Tanya

Angela Gray, Fundraising Manager

The Silver Butterflies event at the Mere Golf Resort and Spa in Knutsford raised thousands of pounds for the cancer charity and saw more than 130 guests come through the doors, including soap star Sally Dynevor, who plays Sally Webster in Coronation Street.

She was joined by other soap actresses Morag Siller, Tricia Penrose and Jennifer James, along with Gaynor Morgan, the daughter of Manchester United legend Willie Morgan. Other attendees included reality stars of the moment from Real Housewives of Cheshire, Leanne Brown and Tanya Bardsley.

The day, which was hosted by Key 103 breakfast show presenter and Beechwood Cancer Care Centre ambassador, Chelsea Norris, included a three-course lunch, a fashion show from House of Fraser and exclusive shopping.

The highlights of the day were seeing cancer survivors strut their stuff on the catwalk as part of the fashion show, and an inspirational speech from one of those models, Sophia Lucop-Leech, whose words brought people to their feet for a standing oviation.

Sophia, whose husband Mark died in 2013, aged just 43, spoke about how Beechwoood’s family centre helped her and daughter Ava cope with their loss.

The 43-year-old said: “Mark and I didn’t know how we were going to tell Ava about his diagnosis, but Beechwood gave us those words and helped us with his journey, and since he has passed away the support has been invaluable.”

Angela Gray, Fundraising Manager for Beechwood, said there was not a dry eye after Sophia spoke: “Seeing the survivor models and hearing Sophia’s words was moving, inspirational and humbling. It shows just why Beechwood exists, how important its services are, and why we need to fundraise.

“This year, the lunch and fashion show was extra-special celebrating 25 years of care, and I would like to thank everyone who came, including all the lovely celebrities, volunteers and sponsors. Here’s to another 25 years of fantastic services.”

If you would like to get involved with fundraising or even choose Beechwood as your charity of the year for 2015, get in touch with the fundraising team on 0161 476 0384 or email fundraising@beechwoodcancercare.co.uk and they will send a special Silver Wing appeal pack out to you.

For further info on Beechwood visit www.beechwoodcancercare.co.uk or follow them on Twitter with #silverwing @beechwoodccc or make friends on Facebook.

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a Photo Benjamin Ealoveg

LOCaL NEwS

The Hallé is delighted to announce that its Music Director, Sir Mark Elder, has been nominated for election to be the next Chancellor of The University of Manchester.

Staff, registered alumni and members of the General Assembly have nominated Sir Mark alongside writer and broadcaster Lemn Sissay and former Cabinet minister Lord Peter Mandelson.

They will now face a vote by the same electorate to become the University’s next ceremonial figurehead.

The election of a new Chancellor comes following the end of the sevenyear tenure of the current Chancellor,

SIR MARK ELDER NOMINATED AS CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER Tom Bloxham MBE, the founder of Manchester-based property development company Urban Splash.

University President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, said: “The Chancellor presides over meetings of the University’s General Assembly and undertakes other ceremonial duties on behalf of the University, something Tom has done with great enthusiasm in his time as Chancellor.”

Sir Mark has been Music Director of the Hallé for 15 years and will continue his tenure with the Orchestra until at least 2020. Since his arrival, the Hallé has reasserted itself as a major creative

presence in Manchester, nationally and abroad.

Sir Mark said: “Manchester and the power of education: two dynamic forces that lie at the centre of my life. Were I to have the honour of being elected Chancellor of The University of Manchester, I would have a wonderful opportunity to draw these strands together. My professional life takes me all over the world and I have always taken enormous pride and pleasure from singing the praises of our great city. To continue to do so as Chancellor would be hugely exciting.”

DANCING FOR CHARITY Havana Fusion (Rachel McQuitty and Tara Meeks) held a Latin charity night at the Didsbury Lounge last month where band La Esencia provided fabulous live music, and DJ Martinez and DJ Royce of Latin Client entertained everyone until the early hours. There was lots of Salsa and Bachata dancing, which created a truly Latin feel!

Photos Danielle Sou

th

The Didsbury Lounge provided Cuban Tapas and a free Mojito for everyone. Over 100 people enjoyed the event and £1,500 was raised for Francis House. The next event is planned for the end of the summer. Check out www.facebook.com/ havanafusionmanchester for future events.

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ter + Partners Image: Nigel Young Fos

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ARTISAN CAFÉ BAR The lovely new Artisan Café Bar is now open, situated on the ground floor of Artisan Restaurant in Spinningfields Manchester. It has the capacity for 90 customers internally and 40 externally, and is open all day seven days a week, with food served from 12 noon to 5pm.

The full Artisan menu is available.

MAGGIE’S START CONSTRUCTION Cancer charity Maggie’s has started construction on its new Centre at The Christie. The Centre is being built in partnership with The Christie to provide additional support for people with cancer, and their family and friends across Greater Manchester.

The Centre, designed by Lord Norman Foster, who was born and raised in Manchester, will be Maggie’s 19th Centre across the UK, online and abroad, and is anticipated to be the charity's biggest and busiest Centre to date. On Wednesday 22 April construction of the Centre commenced with a very visual unveiling of the first of many 20-foot timber frames, which will form the main structure of the Centre. The frame was unveiled by the two principal donors to the Centre, who also buried a time capsule on-site.

Every year, 50,000 people are diagnosed with cancer across Greater Manchester, facing tough questions, exhausting treatment and difficult emotions that can range from anxiety to loneliness and isolation. These challenges affect not only those with cancer, but their family and friends too. Working in partnership with The Christie the new Maggie’s Centre will significantly enhance the cancer support already offered across the region.

Anthea Hassiakos, General Manager, said: “We’re delighted to finally open the new café bar. It will be the perfect place for people to enjoy a leisurely lunch or evening drinks watching the world go by, combined with the friendly and efficient service we pride ourselves on at Artisan. It’s another exciting dimension for our customers to enjoy.”

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS Manchester Bridge Club is one of Europe’s leading bridge clubs, and this year they have five of their leading players representing England in the World Championships in China, after qualifying in the European heats for this event. It is an amazing achievement to have so many players from one club representing England in a world championship. The players are Justin and Jason Hackett, representing England in the Open Teams Championships; Catherine Draper, representing England in the Women’s Teams; and Paul Hackett and John Holland, representing England in the Senior Teams.

Top image: Jason and Justin Hackett with Lord Mayor of Manchester Bottom image: John Holland,Catherine Draper and Paul Hackett with Lord Mayor of Manchester 9

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MANCHESTER FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL The 18th Manchester Food and Drink Festival will take place 10–21 September.

Festival organisers have today announced the principal activities and schedule that promise a fresh, revitalised programme. There will be a bigger range of exciting partners and experts, and a return to years gone by with a full Festival Fringe taking place in the city’s most exciting establishments to complement activity at The Hub on Albert Square.

This year’s MFDF Gala Dinner and Awards will take place at the stunning Manchester Cathedral. Also partnering the event for the very first time, Harvey Nichols will be providing dinner and are already busy curating a bespoke Manchester banquet for the occasion. Awards will be presented in 12 categories and businesses have been invited to nominate themselves.

Full details are available at foodanddrinkfestival.com The heart of the action, the Festival Hub, will remain at its

traditional home on Albert Square, and will continue to provide the specially built city centre food village that Mancunians have come to know and love. This year’s Hub will be bigger and better than ever, featuring its own specially created festival event space where master-classes, mini-fests, parties, demonstrations, banquets and more will be popping up throughout the Festival. Official Festival brewers Thwaites will be hosting the Pub at the Hub, and the 100 Greatest Beers Bar will be the best yet, sprawling out to host even more of the amazing local brewers Manchester is currently enjoying. The live music stage will be better than ever, and of course street food, wine and cocktails will be in abundance too. To participate in this year’s MFDF, email alexa@foodanddrinkfestival.com beth@foodanddrinkfestival.com lucy@foodanddrinkfestival.com

OVER 1,500 FUNDRAISERS GET RUNNING FOR THE CHRISTIE Over 1,500 Christie runners took part in the Morrisons Great Manchester Run to raise an estimated £300,000 for cancer patients.

The Christie had amazing celebrity support, with BBC Breakfast TV presenter Bill Turnbull, Real Housewives of Cheshire stars Lauren Smith and Leanne Brown, Shameless actor Ciaran Griffiths, former Heartbeat

actress Tricia Penrose, and actor Gary Damer all running for the charity. Big businesses were also keen to get involved, and Country Attire, Premier Textiles Ltd, JD Williams and the PA Network all put teams forward for The Christie.

The Christie Charitable Fund team in Manchester Central’s Charity Village made sure that every member of Team Christie was looked after before

and after the race. Team members performed some ninety massages, gave out more than 500 cups of tea and coffee, and provided over 3,000 sets of shoelaces.

More than sixty messages of support for the runners were written on the tribute wall. The charity has over 30,000 supporters who raised a record-breaking £14.8million last year.

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DIDSBURY’S NEW INDEPENDENT GYM SET UP BY LOCAL PERSONAL TRAINER Patrick Claffey, the owner of RXgym™ believes in providing his members with a personal touch. Patrick has over 15 years’ experience in the health and fitness industry, starting as a general assistant. Patrick grew up in the Didsbury area and graduated from the University of Salford with a BSc in Exercise and Health Science, gaining the ability to offer you a scientific approach. Patrick’s sporting

achievements are playing football for a professional club and competing for Trafford Athletic Club.

Patrick designed RXgym™ as a hybrid gym that offers the best of both traditional gym methods and CrossFit® the best functional training concept.

RXgym™ is different from other gyms as it offers its members a 30-minute personal training session each month.

The exercise classes and programmes

provided are coached using evidencebased methods. RXgym™ doesn’t just provide you with gym equipment – it also provides you with training as part of your membership.

Their purpose is for you to gain the results you're looking for. They do this through their exercise methods and prescribed exercise programmes.

Join in at www.RXgym.co.uk

INNSIDE MANCHESTER NOW OPEN Innside by Meliá, a pioneer of the design-led business hotel movement, has launched its first UK hotel in Manchester.

Innside seeks to blur the boundaries between business and lifestyle hotels and is Meliá Hotels International’s most successful city brand.

The 208-room hotel is located in the heart of Manchester in the centre of the vibrant First Street development. It overlooks HOME, the city's international centre for contemporary visual art, theatre and film, with its two theatres, five cinemas and art gallery.

Located minutes away from Manchester’s museum and shopping districts and with easy access to both Manchester’s train stations and Manchester Airport, the hotel is geared towards both business and leisure travellers.

THE MIDLAND

OPENS ITS FIRST LUXURY SPA Situated in the heart of Manchester, accessed from Mount Street, rises the City’s glamorous new spa – The Spa at The Midland a private city hideaway steeped in luxury where relaxation is taken seriously and stress immediately melts away.

The Spa at The Midland introduces a new concept in relaxation along, with the latest cutting-edge innovations in rapid-result beauty. There’s an exclusive 200-limit privileged gym membership and members will receive complimentary towels on each visit and be able to take advantage of privacy and individual training with the onsite personal trainers. Membership cards will also operate the latest Pulse gym equipment, with

integrated TV screens programmed to each individual member’s fitness requirements. A secluded Spa Café complements the spa and fitness experiences by serving a relaxed and healthy menu offering light meals, refreshments and beverages, including champagne for those special or indulgent occasions.

Free wi-fi in the Spa Café enables guests to keep in touch.

Opening on 13 June and now available for bookings.

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LOCAL MANCHESTER HAIRDRESSER RECOGNISED AS ONE OF UK’S TOP HAIR STYLISTS Shabaz Hussain, from leading hair salon HOB Salons in Manchester, has been recognised as one of the UK’s top professional hair stylists following his success at reaching the UK & Ireland Final for the Young Talent Category in the hairdressing industry’s most prestigious competition, the Wella Professionals TrendVision Award 2015.

Selected from over 900 entries at the initial photographic stage, Shabaz’s success sees him as one of only 36 UK hairdressers to reach this year’s UK & Ireland Final, making him one of the country’s most sought-after and in-demand professional hair stylists.

Created to discover and acknowledge the industry’s most skilled hair stylists and colourists, the competition focuses on all aspects of hair styling and colouring.

The annual four-stage competition commenced earlier this year with a photographic entry and Shabaz made it through to the Northern Regional Final, where he showcased his chosen trend on a live model in a dazzling evening show. Now, Shabaz will have time to prepare for the Wella Professionals TrendVision Award UK & Ireland Final, one of the industry’s biggest and most inspirational events. Due to take place in London in October, competitors will present in front of hundreds and be judged by the best in the industry for the opportunity to walk away with the ultimate accolade in hairdressing.

Should Shabaz be successful at the UK & Ireland Final, he will benefit from a dedicated mentoring programme, which will then see him taking part in the International TrendVision Award, due to take place in Berlin in November 2015.

Harley Street Hearing expertise comes to the north west Jessica Jane Stafford (actress and TV star) officially opened Cheadle’s new Lyric independent hearing centre, North West Hearing, and had her Lyric hearing aids checked while she was there. Jessica Jane has been wearing Lyrics – the only ‘fit and forget’ completely invisible hearing aid for the past three years.

Geraldine Daly, Dr Greg Nassar (Clinical Services Manager, Jessica Jane Stafford (Actress & model), Doug Henderson (Development Director; June Somekh (Councillor), Paul Checkley (Clinical Director), Morris Stemp (Musicians Union)

Channel 5 checks in at The Midland Hotel The Midland is a four-part documentary for Channel 5 produced by Chocolate Media, part of NBC Universal International Television Production.

The series will follow the ups and 14

She says: “It’s perfect for me because you can’t see it at all. Being an actress I have to wear my hair up a lot, and with constant close-ups and everything filmed in HD I didn’t really want to have a hearing aid that I have to keep taking out and putting back in again – I’d just lose it. I can now talk to people whether they are on my left or right side. “Since having my baby I feel confident that I will hear him crying at night when I’m asleep.

People shouldn’t be embarrassed about hearing loss, as it is much more common than you think. I’d recommend anyone who isn’t sure what to do to just call for a consultation at North West Hearing. I had mine fitted at Harley Street Hearing, their sister company. They understood my concerns and made me feel completely at ease. Make the call – it really could change your life.” www.info@nwhearing.co.uk

downs of Manchester’s most iconic hotel through the eyes of its staff.

For 111 years, Manchester’s Midland Hotel has been the place to stay.

It stands proudly as one of the city’s landmark buildings in the heart of the city centre. A triumph of Edwardian success, The Midland is where Mr Rolls met Mr Royce and decided to start

making prestigious cars. Welcoming an eclectic mix of patrons, The Midland has always been the hotel to see and be seen in. With guests including ladies that lunch, businessmen, wedding parties and football supporters, the army of staff at The Midland hear and see it all.

Watch out for it in June on Channel 5.

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Consultant Mr Fahad Attar from 52 Alderley Road, and Dr Noveen Zia

Mr Edward Yates, consultant; Mrs Jo Yates, radiologist; Mrs Lyndsey Richardson, consultant; Mr Steve Richardson, consultant; Mr David Murray from 52 Alderley Road; and Mrs Helen Murray

Dr Bode Williams and consultant Miss Bim Williams from 52 Alderley Road

Time for take-off as 52 Alderley Road celebrates its 1st Birthday at the Concorde Centre

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The north west’s leading consultants, nurses, GPs, practice managers, media, staff and partners attended 52 Alderley Road’s 1st Birthday Party at the Concorde Centre, Manchester Airport on Saturday 16 May. The event was a celebration and thank you to everyone involved in the success of the hospital over the past 12 months.

Almost £3,000 was raised on the evening through a raffle and auction for the local Children's Adventure Farm Trust charity which provides holidays and activities for terminally ill, disabled and disadvantaged children across the north west.

Sheryl Smith, General Manager at 52 Alderley Road, said: “We were

delighted to share the evening with so many people who have been integral to the development and growth of the hospital both internally and externally.

Over the past year, we have been focused on recruiting the best consultants, nurses and staff, installing state-of-theart equipment and developing our services to suit the needs of our patients.

“Our 1st Birthday Party was a celebration and thank you to everyone we have worked with for their continued support, and we look forward to building on our success over the next 12 months and beyond.”

Donna Young and consultant Miss Ladan Hajipour from 52 Alderley Road

Adrian Stokes and Tracey Hicklin from 52 Alderley Road

Julie Davis and Sue Allen from Washway Road Medical Practice in Sale, Ian Sadler from St John’s Medical Practice in Altrincham, guest, and Ipad Magician

Miss Natalie Scott and consultant Mr Mike Walton from 52 Alderley Road, and Dr John Rogers

Miss Alex Bellerby and Ben Dean from Wilmslow and Macclesfield Today

Mrs Caroline Johnson and consultant Mr Richard Johnson from 52 Alderley Road

Since 52 Alderley Road opened in summer 2014, there has been more than

£11million injected into the facility, services, equipment and ongoing staff training and development. The hospital has two Laminar Flow Operating Theatres, which help to reduce the risk of surgical infection, and will soon be opening a fully integrated Endoscopy Unit.

52 Alderley Road is also the first private provider in the north West to have a static 3T Tesla £1million MRI scanner. The new 3T MRI scanner enables us to offer an enhanced service across key areas, including orthopaedics, and provides our patients with access to a fully comprehensive diagnostic service under one roof.

Charlotte’s Diary How excited are we that Booths has finally opened its doors in Hale Barns after what seems like an eternity of delayed planning decisions, building works and horrid queues of traffic.I think I was taking the boys to primary school when the rumours started about it arriving.

The opening of the store reminded me of a recent radio comedy sketch where people were talking about the rumours of a new Asda supermarket opening on a local high street. Local residents expressed their concern about the change of character in the high street a supermarket would bring, until someone said they heard it was actually going to be a Waitrose. Fears quelled, alarm bells muted - oh well, that’s alright then.

Anyway it’s here – hurrah - and I was very lucky to be the plus one on my partner’s invite to the pre-launch opening. It was a lovely evening, with lots of local people trying the tasty food and having a good look at the selection on offer. We chatted to a lady about a range of potato wedges that would be stocked in the store.

So we are now proud owners of a Booths card and doing our best to navigate and understand the colour-coded car parking spaces. The good thing is that if you get it wrong you can go round and start again - it’s like a roundabout!

I am also quite enjoying having a look at exactly how quirky and unusual the stock is in Booths.

For the first time we can probably actually cook a Nigella recipe with all the ingredients she actually suggests rather than just making it up as we go along.

(As a non-cook, I have ruined many an evening meal by doing just that.)

So I’m looking forward to cooking something with banana shallots and roasted garlic at last!

Having met a few locals sampling the food on offer, I wondered whether that Real Cheshire Housewife Ampika, whose ‘salon’ is located just opposite the store, would be popping in for her lunchtime meal deal. Somehow I can’t see it. I’m sure she has a much more glamorous lunchtime routine that probably doesn’t involve being in Hale Barns at all.

She was effusive about the taste and quality, and I joked: “You sound like you grew them yourself.” “I did!” she replied.

“It’s my business. These are my potatoes.”

Blimey, they really are using local suppliers.

17

DIDSbury arTS FESTIvaL

Festival highlights revealed!

Saturday 20 – Sunday 28 June Didsbury Arts Festival is back next month with a packed programme of cultural goodies for all – and some big surprises in store!

Novelist Patrick Gale, comedian Jackie Hagan and jazz star Stuart McCallum will provide some highlights during the nine-day showcase of talent, now in its seventh year. With more than 100 artists involved in over eighty events and exhibitions (most of them free) at venues all over Didsbury, there will be something guaranteed to entertain festival-goers of all ages and tastes.

For the first time, DAF will feature a series of specially commissioned new works, embracing a diverse range of art forms: from animation, poetry and sound art, to new writing, sculpture and new music. Award-winning animators Emily and Anne invite you to get ‘lost in the woods’. Find out ‘what the dusk-eyed fox sees’ with writer Sean Burn, and experience the Vonnegut Collective’s unique sonic depiction of a lucid dream. All the works will have at their heart this year’s brand-new festival theme, In-between Places, celebrating Didsbury’s position as a vibrant suburb between town and country while exploring magical places of transition!

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In addition, daily highlights will represent a huge range of the arts, including music, theatre, dance and comedy, visual arts, crafts, writing and film. Soloists from the Hallé orchestra will be joining forces to raise funds for the Genesis Appeal with a charity concert on Friday 26 June. Don’t miss Stuart McCallum, appearing ahead of his headline slot at this year’s Manchester Jazz Festival. Discover the real-life story that inspired Patrick Gale’s latest novel, A Place Called Winter. Meet Alex Poots, artistic director of Manchester International Festival, before he heads off to new adventures in New York.

Said DAF Director, Daniel Williamson: “Welcome to Didsbury, an in-between place between river and railroad, neither city nor country, on the edge where the extraordinary is possible!

“A massive thank you to the entire festival team for their energy and hard work to get us here, and to our volunteers for their time and enthusiasm! I would also like to thank all our sponsors, funders and advertisers for their generosity.

“Finally, thank you to the people of Didsbury and beyond for all your support over the years. Long may it continue!

We very much hope you enjoy this year’s exciting festival offerings.”

Most events are free; some are ticketed.

Visit the DAF website at:

www.didsburyartsfestival.org All enquiries to: info@didsburyartsfestival.org

Join us outside Didsbury Library on Saturday 20 June (12 noon start) for the exciting opening events, including live music, entertainment and craft stalls, which will launch a weekend of alfresco fun for all the family! Step inside the whale’s mouth (if you dare!) for a unique theatre experience!

Enjoy a day of family fun at the Old Parsonage. Discover animated treasures past and present from local film company Cosgrove Hall. Enjoy live music on the streets, lunchtime recitals and art in people’s homes.

Add your voice to Sing Didsbury! led by choir master Stuart Overington – Didsbury’s answer to Gareth Malone!

Didsbury Art Festival audiences will be treated to an evening of tears and laughter with Jackie Hagan, an outspoken and hugely courageous comedian who has, despite being only 34 years of age, been through more than most of us in her lifetime.

Two years ago, Jackie was rushed into hospital with an agonising big toe. Four months later she was discharged with her leg amputated. Doctors were not sure what happened. A huge cluster of blood clots formed suddenly in a main artery due to a mystery spasm.

Jackie says she has now ‘embraced uncertainty and started to eat a bit more veg’. Currently busy with her UK tour, Jackie draws from this experience but also adds observations of everyday life that anyone can relate to.

The Skelmersdale-born, Manchesterbased comedian says her work is about optimism, coping with difficulty and loss. She says: “I’ve got a brilliant reaction from the audience, and people say the show is very funny even though it is quite a dark story. I guess I try to convey the idea that we can make our imperfections work for us and cope with whatever life throws at us.”

So it would be wrong to say that Jackie talks just about disability. Her solo shows, put together with puppets, special effects and a very glittery false leg that lights up, deal with all aspects of life. For DAF, Jackie will deliver a performance that is a slightly scaled down ‘bedroom version’ of her stage show, which requires four hours of preparation in terms of all the props!

The festival theme, ‘In between places’, is reflected at many different levels.

She adds: “In terms of art, I cannot be categorised easily. I now tend to say I am a theatre-maker. As a person, I am disabled but I do not feel it.”

Jackie Hagan –

the stump girl Jackie has always been into performing arts as a performance poet and standup comedian. She struck lucky when she won a prestigious commission from the National Rural Touring Forum and Manchester’s Contact Theatre in 2013 to create a solo show. This was literally weeks before being admitted to hospital.

She is now also known for her ‘Celebrity stumps’ – dressing up her stump as various celebrities. She takes advantage of her scar that looks like a mouth and draws around it. Her Twitter followers can then see the results online @jackiehagan and guess who it is – most recent creations include Marilyn Monroe and Harry Potter!

“My stump is a weird shape – you know the blonde out of Birds of Feather? It looks like her miserable gob!” Jackie says. “I want real people in real places to feel really human. I want to cut through all the artifice of adulthood and talk frankly and funny. There’s not enough time in life to bother with being precious about stuff.”

Got the picture? We are not talking about your normal stand-up comedian here. No wonder Jackie’s UK tour is entitled ‘Some people have too many legs’.

19

Emma Nawaz, Managing Director of Blackstone Solicitors, offers advice on buying and selling your property.

Emma Nawaz set up Blackstone Solicitors in Hale in 2010, to focus on commercial and property litigation. Last year she expanded their services further and launched a bespoke property section.

Over the past five years the firm have received a string of accolades, and been short-listed for the Trafford Business Awards 2015 Business of the year. Here we speak to Emma on issues relating to purchasing and selling a property: What should you expect from your conveyancing solicitors?

Expertise should be a given when appointing a law firm, but the difference with our firm is that we are truly passionate about your property transaction. We want to assist you to sell your property and release your money as quickly as possible.

If you are purchasing a home, we want to help you to move in as fast as possible with the minimum of stress. You won’t have to chase us for updates or to move matters along; we are a tenacious team that will complete the work as quickly as possible and will keep you fully informed every step of the way.

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How long does it take to purchase a property?

We recently exchanged within 24 hours of instruction with completion seven days later! We must admit this isn’t the normal way, but it can be done if that is what you and the other party would like. The normal period is approximately 28 days.

As long as both the seller and buyer have the same aim, this can easily be achieved.

Difficulties arise when both parties do not have the same deadline; we do our best to iron this out at the beginning through the estate agent and the other solicitors.

How do you speed up the process if you are a seller?

We recommend that you appoint your solicitor as early as possible in the process.

We will then make sure that you have all the forms relating to fixtures and fittings and other property information forms

you need to complete so that they are ready and waiting when an offer is accepted.

Collating information in respect of the property can greatly speed up the process; obtaining documents in respect of planning permissions, building regulations and any inspection checks carried out on the services, gas or electrics should be provided as early as possible during the transaction.

For further information on buying or selling a property please contact the experienced award-winning team at Blackstone Solicitors on 0161 929 0121.

Blackstone Solicitors Campaign House, 8 Cecil Road, Hale, Cheshire WA15 9PA www.blackstonesolicitorsltd.co.uk

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The arrival of Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana has seen everyone going a little bit baby mad, so we've decided to join in and give y ou five great gift ideas for the little princess in your life.

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‘Royal Baby’ Design Illuminated Canvas £69.95 www.notonthehighstreet.com

We Are Family...

Just So Festival co-founder Rowan Hoban brings festivals and families together Rudyard Lake provided the backdrop for their first site, and they named their festival after one of Kipling’s most enduring and beloved of works, the Just So Stories.

That was six years ago and now, after an inspired beginning that was only ever meant to be a one-off, their Wild Rumpus organisation is highly regarded as the very model of how to stage arts and music festivals that the whole family can enjoy. They may have been amateurs, powered by sheer enthusiasm and determination, but they were sufficiently aware to know that if their festival was to be a success, they would have to learn very quickly.

A Macclesfield reading group and the author of the much-loved Jungle Book provided the unlikely, but entirely appropriate, inspiration for one of Britain’s foremost family arts festivals.

When Didsbury native Rowan Hoban and Sarah Bird, from Sedgefield, County Durham, met up at the abovementioned club, their conversation turned to the dearth of music and arts festivals that successfully catered for families. Having both endured the anxiety and misery of trying to enjoy festivals that barely paid lip service to families with young children, and in lieu of anybody ever providing such an event, they decided to set up their own festival.

So, with no previous experience of anything remotely connected to such a task, and with a total of seven young children and two enthusiastic, but equally novice, husbands behind them, they embarked on their journey into the unknown. Staffordshire beauty spot

An enlightening consultation about the technicalities of providing power, water and loos for a projected audience of 500 prompted them to contract professional service providers. This was just as well, as 2,500 visitors eventually attended that first festival and laid the foundations for their continuing success.

Now headquartered in ‘Fleur’, a wondrously converted horsebox in the woodland grounds of beautiful Rode Hall Estate in Cheshire, Wild Rumpus have remained steadfastly true to their original intention of providing familycentred magical entertainment in the great outdoors. Their attendance figures have remained at manageable levels from both a comfort and safety aspect, which is well reflected by the number of returning visitors for each subsequent event they’ve managed.

Now also overseeing the Northern Festivals Network, they have expanded

their team to four, with the addition of two former volunteers, Cathryn Peach and Jen Scott. With a very busy summer ahead of them, this stunning example of a successful social enterprise is about to enrich many more families’ lives with their own inspiring brand of (Northern) Girl Power!

Go to wildrumpus.org.uk for more information on all their upcoming events.

The Big Wild Rumpus, a national day of celebration of the Maurice Sendak picture book, Where The Wild Things Are 13 June, Manchester Whitworth Gallery Dig the City festival, where curious characters take families on an urban adventure to discover the secret wilds of Manchester 6 August, St Ann’s Square, Manchester www.digthecity.co.uk The sixth year of the award-winning Just So Festival, a weekend-long festival of creativity aimed at children, young people and their families 21-23 August, Rode Hall, Cheshire

By Mark Kureishy

27

Saluto.tv Be Seen on the Screen and Star in Your own TV Spot with saluto.tv If you’ve always wanted to say, ‘lights... camera...action!, now’s your chance to direct and star in your very own personalised video message to a loved one, a friend or just about anyone you can think of! Forget boring old cards, texting and social media alerts...how cool would it be for you to say what you want on TV and amaze your family and friends? There, in their very own living rooms would be you on their TV screens, telling them just how much they mean to you! Now that’s what I call a greeting...! saluto.tv is a revolutionary new concept in TV that makes access to anyone’s TV screens* incredibly easy and affordable. This is a unique service that only we at saluto.tv can offer, so, apart from the X Factor auditions, where else can you step into the spotlight to say ‘Hi!’ to the world through their TV screens?

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A quick call to our professional and friendly team will help you decide which channel is right for you.

We can then book your guaranteed date and time slot for your personalized video message to be broadcast nationally.

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Now it’s time for the fun to begin and... ‘lights, camera...action’!

Simply use any digital device-smartphone, tablet, webcam or digital camera-to film your 24 second long video message. We have a fun and informative ‘How-To’ video on our website to guide you through the process and help you make the most of this exciting opportunity. Once you’ve ‘wrapped filming and the movie is in the can’, simply upload your video to us at saluto.tv where our editing team will get to work applying the finishing touches to your mini-masterpiece and ensuring its broadcast quality.

Cut! That’s it...all that remains for you to do is to unroll the red carpet, pop the corn, sit back with your chosen recipient and then watch their face light up as your personalized video message to them comes beaming out of their TV screen!

Fortunately, your blockbuster doesn’t come with a big Hollywood budget.

Starting from as little as £299 you can have your finished video on national TV; produce it with a group of friends and that breaks the cost down even more!

This is an incredibly small price to pay for access to a medium that plays such an influential and emotional role in all of our lives. A greeting card on the mantelpiece or a social media post simply can’t compare with the impact that TV has on our lives.

Here at saluto.tv we’re bringing a new way of reaching out to friends and families through television that continues to enrich our lives with unmissable moments. Now you, can be a part of your very own unmissable TV. Only TV has the ability to reach ‘everyone, everywhere’!

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Saluto.tv Competition –

Win a FREE TV Broadcast Win a free TV Broadcast of your personalised video message, saluto.tv’s unique and exciting service is about to be launched in the UK before a European and worldwide rollout. Let your loved ones know just how much they mean to you via a TV advert that you produce and will be broadcast nationally on a channel*, date and time of your choice.

Sending a personalized video greeting to your loved one or friends in the comfort of their own homes and, most excitingly of all, on their own TV screens will soon be ‘the way’ to connect.

To celebrate this innovative breakthrough in TV services we’re offering six lucky people, one for each of our categories, the chance to win a completely free broadcast of their very own messages.

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You must be aged 18 or over and all messages must be in English. The competition is open until midnight July 1st 2015. Any videos submitted after this will not be considered and all winners will be notified within 7 days of the closing date. Winning entries will be chosen entirely at the discretion of saluto.tv and will be broadcast on a date and time slot of your choice from August 7th 2015 onwards.

Good luck and remember: the more rehearsal you put into your personalized video message the better it will be on the night!

Go to www.saluto.tv for your chance to win one of six free broadcasts of your very own personalized video message. *saluto.tv is aired on Sky channels.

29

Travel

Turkish Jill Nash soaks up the sun in Bodrum at a secluded retreat, which boasts unspoilt views over the Aegean Sea and a sensuous spa.

Tucked into a serene cove with its own private beach, and around 45 minutes from Bodrum, the Kempinski Hotel Barbaros Bay is an extensive spa resort in a postcard-perfect setting.

The hotel consists of 149 rooms, 24 suites and 36 serviced residences, all with their own balconies and unparalleled views of the Aegean Sea. The accommodation is a unique modern blend of authentic Mediterranean architecture with contemporary European design.

For lounging and leisure, it offers a private blue-flagged sandy beach, an infinity pool and a splendid spa where a new kind of truly holistic experience is tailor-made to allow each guest to rejuvenate and energise.

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Turkish delighTs

delights The 5,500-square-metre Sanitas Spa (one of the largest in Turkey) is open plan and spacious in design, combining beautiful views of the Aegean Sea with facilities that provide a unique spa experience. Indulging in a Turkish bath (hammam) is a must, the ‘Shehrazat treatment’ (lasting 55 minutes) scrubs every pore of your skin, dousing you with buckets of water, while you lie on a hot marble slab, (and they even wash your hair). After finally being wrapped in towels you can relax with fresh tea and medjool dates.

Personal health consultation and wellness coaching is offered in addition to 14 indoor and two outdoor

treatment rooms as well as two Spa Cabanas on the beach. There are also Reiki, yoga and t’ai chi sessions, pregnancy programmes (the babymoon programme), a coiffeur and beauty salon, a fully equipped fitness centre, a sauna, a steam room and a private spa suite for daily rental, which includes a personal sauna and steam room.

During the summer months (June to September) the hotel operates at its highest capacity, meaning all services are open. However, spring and early autumn are wonderful times to visit for a quiet sunshine getaway.

There is plenty to do if you want to escape and explore – nearby Ephesus was once home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders In addition, there is a colour therapy of the Ancient World. You can charter room, and facilities for holistic healing, a traditional gulet for a day and drop as well as a spa chill-out lounge and anchor anywhere along the coast to vitamin bar, plus the special Purification take a dip in the turquoise sea. Bodrum programmes. They definitely have is the party capital of Turkey; so don’t everything covered. miss the nightlife, which doesn’t get started until very late.

To book visit www.kempinski.com or email reservations.barbaros@kempinski.com 31

I

f buying a property is generally considered to be one of the most stressful occasions in a person’s life, then how much more severe does this challenge become when delving into the foreign property market?

Certainly, the task becomes much more problematic and the margin of error gets wider, as distance, language and cultural differences come to the fore.

Oh! And that’s before the estate agents and builders have even clouded your thoughts! Of course, at the end of the process you will (hopefully!) walk out to your place in the sun and be reminded that it was worth all that prolonged pain. Or not!

Fortunately, for those interested in the Francophone property market, Guy Lavayssière now provides a service that can eliminate all the above problems and, what’s more, it won’t cost you a thing. It’s a simple concept and one that is financially risk-free for the client, which, in these ever-sceptical times, may seem too good to be true.

However, Guy Lavayssière provides a compelling and refreshing exception to that rule; sometimes it just is true.

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A cocktail or two, with an Anglo-French karaoke rendition of Endless Love thrown in for good measure, cemented the deal, and Guy and Janet embarked on their very modern European journey.

After Guy’s subsequent flying visits to Janet in Manchester they moved to Perpignan and then to Paris. Working for a number of huge multinational law firms, such as Linklaters and Herbert Smith, soon expanded Janet’s limited French into full fluency. From Paris they relocated to Nîmes, in the south of France, where they became further involved and experienced in the area’s property market. Nîmes also completed the cycle begun by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie on that fortuitously wet afternoon in Tenerife, for it was here that they married.

Now, with the call of Janet’s large family proving too much to resist, they are happily returned to the north west of England. Guy and Janet decided to utilise their vast experience, and the wide network of key estate agents and lawyers that has been securely built up over many years, in the property markets of France, Monaco and Mauritius.

Born in Aix-en Provence, Guy was soon immersed into the peripatetic lifestyle that would shape his future professional and family life. His father’s occupation as a helicopter pilot for a private airline saw the family move around France until finally settling in beautiful Perpignan. After completing his Business Studies course at college, Guy went into a sales role at Wella, the hair and cosmetics company. An opportunity in the early 90s to sell residential property in the Canary Islands for an American company set Guy on his professional path, and also led to his marriage to Manchester-born Janet.

As Guy observed, the French property market is singularly lacking in the dynamism and swift movement that has long been a trait of the UK market.

Concurrent with that is a huge surplus of desirable and financially attractive properties all over their three chosen markets. For Guy, the business plan was clear: I will bring the clients to the bountiful but dormant market; introduce them to the sellers and, most crucially of all, help them with their decision-making and choices at every stage of the process. Oh, and, I won’t charge my clients for this unique bespoke service: I’ll charge the estate agents instead.

A rare rainy day in Tenerife ensured a day off from selling houses for Guy and so, with time on his hands, he made his way to his local bar, where Janet was enjoying the last day of her holiday.

Their free service begins with a comprehensive questionnaire that focuses each client’s desired ambitions.

Location, type of property, purpose of use, investment or leisure are among

By Mark Kureishy

the many answers Guy and his team will seek from the client. This saves the client valuable time and money; equally, it enables Guy to focus on the target region and its corresponding portfolio of estate agents and properties.

With their extensive network of estate agents and surveyors, who in turn have access to local planners and builders, Lavayssière can eliminate the associated pains of buying in a foreign market. Guy and his team, all bilingual, guide the client through every step of the process until completion. So far, Guy’s company has realised more of its clients’ ambitions than not, but in every case the cost of Lavayssiere’s services has been borne by the respective estate agents and not the client.

Guy’s pragmatic outlook is backed up by a comprehensive depth of experience and wide-ranging network of key contacts in his chosen field of expertise. His refreshingly transparent candour about his business is matched by his infectious joie de vivre about all aspects of France and its culture, and the potential benefits it has to offer in the property market.

If you’re tempted by the allure of buying a property in France, Monaco or Mauritius, Guy and his international property finder company is an excellent place to start. Peace of mind is a scarce commodity in today’s sharp markets, and finding something that really ‘is what it says it is’ certainly eases those anxieties; Lavayssière International Property Finder achieves exactly that for their prospective buyers. Bonne chance, Guy, to you and your clients!

Go to www.lavayssiere.co.uk or call 07507 595 176 for more on buying property in France, Monaco or Mauritius.

Guy Lavayssière: Bringing La Belle Vie (for free!) to the international property market

Photograph: Mike Browne

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Lanolips Triple Buttermilk Body Balm Contains a triple concentration of Lanolips exclusive ultra-pure medical grade lanolin with milk extracts and vitamin E. This super rich treatment leaves skin looking and feeling like new. £13.99. www.lanolips.com/uk

OGX The reveal of coconut oil as 2015’s skin saviour and hair hero has skyrocketed the ingredient to the top of our lust list! This summer, get on the beauty bandwagon with new OGX Coconut Water, Coconut Oil and Coconut Milk Collections. All OGX products contain exotic, active Ingredients from around the world.

All products £6.99 from supermarkets.

Orla Kiely Orla has introduced three stunning new scents: Orange Rind, Sicilian Lemon and Lavender. Each one has been designed to compliment and shape your mood, whether you’re entertaining friends, unwinding in the bath or relaxing in the bedroom.

Candles £25, Diffusers £32.

Available at John Lewis, House of Fraser and Fenwick.

Clayspray Clayspray use the ancient purifying White Clay and combine it with refreshing Lavender to create the ultimate leg and foot Treatment Masque. The treatment targets dry and rough skin and is excellent at softening cuticles. The White Clay acts as an exfoliator when it is massaged into the skin, and allowed to dry. £30 www.clayspray.com 35

All hAil the lAser Queen Seti Rad’s laugh is infectious. We are sat in a local Didsbury haunt, The Didsbury Lounge, discussing the importance of laser treatments and Seti’s transition from mechanical engineer to laser expert. Others in the vicinity of our table turn to look and contemplate what could be so funny. While the conversation may not sound the most exciting, Seti has an endearing personality and an unbelievable wit. She is startlingly modest, and despite having known her for some time, it took an interview of direct questions to really find out about her Bachelors Degree in ‘Mechanical Engineering’ followed by the Masters in ‘physics and computing in medicine and biology’.

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So what led her to open Laser Chic, a laser clinic, in Didsbury?

There are certain things in life, as a woman, that we just know. The calories in a glass of red wine, that socks with sandals on a man is not a good look, and, although often taboo, that the removal of body hair is vital for a woman and often as important for a man. Seti sets it out in a simpler way.

“As a woman, hair removal is often annoying but something that has to be done, but what if there is another way.

A way to remove the hair completely, pain free, for life! No ‘panic dashes’ for a wax treatment the day before your weekend break. For men, it’s often even more important as they are unsure about hair removal – if after your appointments at Laser Chic you never have to think about it again, wouldn’t you have it done?”

So why Didsbury? and also what pushed Seti to move away from Engineering.

“I grew up in Cheadle having moved here when I was ten. I fell in love with the vibrancy of South Manchester.

I went on to study at both Manchester Met and Manchester University, funding both degrees myself. I realised very quickly after graduating, that although I love engineering, I wasn’t in love with the job I was doing.

I have always wanted to start my own business and laser treatment has always been viewed as something unaffordable. I wanted to find a way to build a niche clinic and offer this treatment that wasn’t currently readily available. I love that here on my own doorstep, South Manchester, there is an acceptance and a thrill of constant innovation.”

Seti’s aim is clear, I want to provide a service that allows men and women to become more confident in themselves.

Hair removal treatment shouldn’t just apply to the two weeks you have in the sun every year. My clients range from aged 18 to 55, are both male and female, and all have their own reasons for having the treatment. I myself am a devotee of laser hair removal. As a young woman, I saved money to ensure I could have this type of treatment.

I am thrilled with the results and it’s a feeling that can be canned. I am making it more affordable than ever to do this and I want to offer that feeling and this treatment to others.”

Laser Chic opened it’s doors on the 20th April this year. The clinic has been spared no expense, something that can be seen should you glance in passing by on the road. Extremely chic, and with the highest tech laser machines, Seti has gone to town to ensure her clients will receive not only the best possible treatments, but also in the most relaxing way.

She states that treatments with these new laser machines cut the time you spend in the chair by up to 50% and that could mean you only spend a short time in the clinic. Great for those who are looking to be on their way to their next appointment quickly?

Laser Chic provides not only hair removal, but also pigment removal, vascular removal for veins and skin tightening for the face as well as the body. Seti also aims to be up and running with zoom teeth whitening in the near future, a new innovative whitening process.

Other additions to the clinic will be Botox treatment, administered by a qualified Dentist. Seti works at the clinic full time – Tuesday to Saturday inclusive, and is currently growing her team – for more details on this give her a call. Her prices start from as little as £45 and she is always happy to offer a free consultation, nespresso and chat if you want to pop in.

So what for the future. Seti believes that this is just the beginning for Laser treatments and they will soon become the norm in terms of hair removal. Her plan is to open a second clinic as soon as possible and she will split her time between the two. My advice would be to get in and see her before world domination. She is the true asset to the Didsbury Laser Chic clinic.

For more information about Laser Chic contact Seti Rad on 0161 445 6349 or email info@laserchic.co.uk Laser Chic 41 Barlow Moor Road, Didsbury M20 6TW 0161 445 6349 www.laserchic.co.uk

Words: Kirsten Roberts

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Win a complete makeover Award-winning HOB Salons have taken their reputation for gorgeous cuts and incredible colour to the stunning surroundings of Hale, and opened the doors of their 25th salon to the eagerly awaiting public.

With salons in London, Hertfordshire, Essex, Leeds and now Manchester this five-star salon group are on hand to cater to your every haircare need. They have teamed up with us here at Hale and Bowdon Magazine to offer one lucky winner the chance to enjoy a complete makeover, including a colour, cut and luxury treatment, in their Hale salon.

Offering everything from complimentary consultations, hair-up and extension services, to innovative treatments from around the world, such as the Nano-Keratin smoothing treatment, HOB Salons are the place to be and be seen.

So what are you waiting for?

Enter now for your chance to win by simply answering the following question: Where have HOB opened their 25th salon? a) Leeds b) Hale c) Essex Email your answer to winner@salutions.co.uk with HOB competition in the subject field, or send a postcard to Salutions, The Old Bank, 99 Palatine Road, Didsbury, Manchester M20 3JQ. Closing date 30 June 2015 Manchester, Hale, 203 Ashley Road, Hale, Altrincham WA15 9SQ T: 0161 941 4777 | www.hobsalons.com

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Dedicated eye hospitals, personalised care

Keeping it in the family!

An entire Chorley family have all had vision correction surgery at Optegra Eye Hospital Manchester within the space of six months – after decades in glasses and contacts!

Roy Dixon (57) started wearing glasses 27 years ago and used lenses and glasses every day. He was struggling to read with either and was frustrated switching between the two.

His wife Jennifer (54) had worn glasses since the age of 16 and had a much stronger prescription.

She spotted an advert for Clarivu™ permanent lens exchange and thought it was too good to be true!

They went to an open evening at Optegra Eye Hospital Manchester in Didsbury to find out more.

Roy says: “We were shown around the hospital and met Mr Quah, who became our consultant. We found it reassuring to see the surroundings and, after an initial free consultation, discovered we were both suitable for Clarivu. We decided to go for it!

“It’s true that there was an element of competition – once we had surgery, our children realised what an issue their glasses had become.

And when Matthew booked in we knew it wouldn’t be long before Hannah followed suit!”

Optegra Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Mr Say Aun Quah, says: “I have treated many husbands and wives but this is the first time I have treated the entire family! Jennifer had the more complicated prescription, as well as astigmatism, so I was able to make her a special lens and the procedures were very successful.”

Roy can’t believe the improvement: “We have a deep red sofa at home and it looks amazing now, the colours are so much brighter! I can read clearly without glasses, as can Jennifer. We recently enjoyed a holiday in Mexico and I can’t tell you how brilliant it was to jump in and out of the pool without having to worry about lenses.”

Meanwhile, their son Matthew, 29, saw how successful the surgery had been for his parents. As a keen sportsman, playing badminton and football regularly, he too was eager to enjoy life without the glasses and lenses he had worn since his late teens. He booked in for laser eye surgery in September 2014 and is also now free of glasses and lenses.

Not to be outdone by the rest of the family, daughter Hannah, 27, decided that she too wanted laser surgery. She attended the Northern Ballet School followed by a two year stint travelling the world, dancing in stage productions and musicals aboard a cruise ship. This involved lots of heavy make-up which often irritated her eyes.

Now working as a Zumba instructor, Hannah was finding it difficult wearing lenses all the time as glasses whilst working were not possible. She booked in for laser eye surgery at Optegra Eye Hospital Manchester in December 2014.

Roy concludes: “We are all delighted to be glasses free – there’s only the dog left now!”

For a free vision correction consultation please visit optegra.com or call 0808 231 4225.

Optegra’s eye hospitals provide 5-star patient satisfaction through consultant-led expert teams dedicated only to eye care 39

the COlOur PrestiGe trenD rePOrt FrOM sAssOOn sAlOn Sassoon Salon introduces Colour Prestige: the ultimate holistic three-tier colour service.

The colour service is specifically designed for each guest, ensuring a perfect salon finish: Step 1: Bespoke Colour Step 2: Seal Colour Treatment Step 3: Home Colour Care You will leave the salon with every hair strand beautifully conditioned to ensure that your coloured hair is healthy looking hair.

BRUNETTE BEAUTY A cool brunette is confident and knows who she is – think Victoria Beckham and Natalie Portman. “Shine is key for brunettes,” adds Chloe. “It will instantly make hair look thicker and healthier.” For something more natural that shimmers and shines think of chestnut hues – effortless and understated.

Colour theory Healthiness with pure shine factor is key. To maintain your colour as long as possible use colour care products such as Sassoon Professional, Illuminating Colour and Illuminating Condition; it’ll lock in your colour for longer.

BOLDSTATEMENT REDS Red hues are multiseasonal. “Red is a great colour with a huge spectrum, from flame-haired goddesses to rose golds and burgundy,” says Chloe. If you have an olive skin tone, deep warm burgundies and ruby reds are great for your complexion. For paler skin tones hotter and more coppery tones are what you should opt for.

Colour theory Red signifies high-self-esteem; it’s youthful and makes your eyes pop.

BLONDE AMBITION Every blonde is unique and nothing beats the look and feel of freshly coloured blonde hair. Blonde hair adds radiance to the face and is full of optimism. “Blonde is timeless. I would always blend a bespoke combination of tones together to create a perfect shade that’s true to my client’s needs. For natural blondes, lighter and darker pieces through the hair will create effortless movement,” says Chloe Thompson, Senior Colour Director at Sassoon Salon Manchester.

Colour theory Luxurious blondes – soft, warm and healthy will appear more natural, lifting tired and dull hair.

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Give your hair a summer boost with help from the expert stylists at Sassoon Salon. Book your bespoke colour service and receive a £20 saving on your take-home colour care shampoo and conditioner rrp £38 | now £18

competitioncompetitioncompetitioncompetitioncompetition Win a complimentary haircut, colour and treatment at your Sassoon Salon, Manchester by simply answering the following question: Where is Sassoon Salon, Manchester? a) Marsden Street b) Deansgate c) Cathedral Street Email your answer to winner@salutions.co.uk with Sassoon Competition in the subject field, or send a postcard to Salutions, The Old Bank, 99 Palatine Road, Didsbury, Manchester M20 3JQ. Closing date 30 June 2015.

T&Cs Valid Monday to Sunday from 1 September 2015. This competition entitles you to a cut and/or colour service plus a bespoke treatment recommended by your stylist. Appointments subject to availability with selected stylists. Offer is not transferable.

SASSOON SALON 1 Marsden Street, Manchester M2 1HW T. 0161 827 7140. www.sassoon.com

Chelsea Norris and her fiancé Ben Postma-Tonge are fast becoming experts in healthy eating.

Chelsea is half of Key 103’s breakfast team ‘Mike and Chelsea’. She is also a patron for St Ann’s Hospice and Beechwood Cancer Care.

introducing Chelsea norris and Ben Postma-tonge Ben Postma-Tonge is a fitness coach for Body Performance Training, he is passionate about making a healthy diet easy to manage in even the busiest of lives.

So, how did you two meet?

We were introduced through a mutual friend. It was her birthday night out and neither of us was going to go - but she insisted. We got on straight away through our mutual love of power ballads!

How do you fit your healthy lifestyle into your busy lives and those early starts?

It's all about being organised and preparing in advance. We know we don't have a lot of time in the mornings so we plan, prepare and cook all our meals the night before. You become the King and Queen of Tupperware.

The next morning you simply pick up your tubs and away you go.

It must be hard to stick to the healthy diet when you are out at events etc.

How do you manage it?

There is always temptation, but it's a case of being disciplined. Nobody makes you drink the prosecco and eat the bread roll.

You need to ask yourself - will it take you a step closer or a step further away from where you want to be.

Do you fall out if one of you cheats?

No. Ben has this saying: “It's your body”. It’s annoying because he's right.

We usually have a cheat meal one night a week and share a pizza and a few drinks. We are not machines and have cravings like anyone else, but again you need to remember where you want to be. He also says: “You can lie to yourself and to me, but your body doesn't lie.”

It's so true.

Chelsea, you have done so well in losing weight and keeping it off. What have you changed in your diet?

I've changed everything! The Body Performance Plan takes out processed carbohydrates – things like chips, pizza, pasta and bread. What happens when you put bread and pasta in water? They swell, and that’s what happens in your tummy. I also drank too much. Alcohol is the devil for weight loss and I've restricted this. Ben has also made me enjoy the gym. I do a mixture of weights and high-intensity cardio, and have actually got to a point where I enjoy it. It makes me feel better about myself.

Ben, lots of people just want a ‘quickwin’ to drop those pounds. What do you recommend?

There are no quick fixes. If you want long-term results, you have to find long-term solutions. Quick fixes are normally going to hinder your results in the long run. What I advise at first is to take all processed foods out of your diet, eliminate all sugars, and get moving. I also recommend keeping a food diary. This gives you a good indication of what you are taking in and when.

So we’re really looking forward to reading your new Health and Wellbeing page. What can we expect to see?

We will cover different topics - Body Shape, The Best Way To Burn Fat, Shopping Lists, Food Preparation - and more!

We’ll show you how to live an everyday life but still get results. The idea is to show you that anyone can still achieve a goal and maintain it, while still living life.

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It’s time for Mudder Maker!

Virgin Active has partnered Tough Mudder to help members and competitors break new boundaries.

Tough Mudder is a 10 to 12-mile obstacle course designed to test mental and physical grit. It’s all about teamwork and camaraderie as opposed to finisher rankings. With Virgin Active’s inclusive approach to health and fitness, it’s the perfect partnership.

Launched in late May, Virgin Active Didsbury will be offering the Mudder Maker class. This has been designed in conjunction with Tough Mudder and will help competitors discover the inner strength, stamina and all-round determination that will help them conquer what’s known as the ‘toughest event on the planet’.

This 45-minute class will redefine obstacle training and is designed for all fitness levels. You will complete 11 obstacles, including the Swamp Crawl, Electroshock Therapy and Horse Power; these obstacles mimic the challenges of Tough Mudder events and will improve your stability, agility and strength. As teamwork is the key to any Tough Mudder event, you'll work in groups of three or four to take on the first nine obstacles before facing The Eliminator, which consists of the final two obstacles.

At Virgin Active Didsbury, we are continually innovating our offering to show people new ways they can challenge themselves and to help them discover new exercises. Why not come and try our fantastic new facilities for yourself? With a £1.1million refurbishment completed earlier this year, there really is something for everyone.

Virgin Active Didsbury 0161 249 5600

membership.didsbury@virginactive.co.uk 42

!

To advertise in our Aug/Sep issue call 0161 445 2883

Win a children’s birthday party to remember with Little BigHeads – Cheshire’s exclusive children’s hair salons Didsbury, Hale & Bowdon Magazines have teamed up with Little BigHeads to give readers the chance to win a stress-free children’s birthday party with the emphasis firmly on fun.

The themed parties are packed with fun activities, including hairstyling, face art, glitter nails and dressing up, followed by games, dancing and a traditional birthday tea. Little BigHeads believes in letting children be children so everything is age appropriate (for kids aged four to 11) and with staff on hand and exclusive use of the salon, parents can relax while their little ones enjoy the magical Little BigHeads experience.

For a chance to win, simply answer the following question: Where can you find a Little BigHeads salon?

A: Altrincham B: Didsbury C: Wilmslow For further information go to www.littlebigheads.co.uk 6 Hawthorn Lane, Wilmslow, 01625 548326 6 The Village Square, Bramhall, 0161 439 7953 Terms and conditions There is one party to be won and this can be taken at either the Wilmslow or Bramhall salons. The party must be taken on a Friday between 4-6pm and not in the school holidays. A maximum of eight children can attend each party. All parties include invites, sole use of the salon, pampering and craft activity, party hosts and food, plus a birthday gift for the child. Party bags and birthday cake are not included in the prize.

Dispelling the myths about karate making other adjustments in your eating habits and activity levels, your physical and mental fitness will improve steadily over time.

Karate is difficult.

As with anything else, the level of difficulty increases as you progress.

This progression helps develop concentration. Students have to clear their minds to fully concentrate on what they are learning. This is one of the reasons karate is ideal for de-stressing, and even relaxing, appealing to all age groups.

Martin Cockx has always been passionate about karate since starting this challenging pastime when he was a boy. Almost three years ago, after retiring from his business, Injury Lawyers 4U, he fulfilled a long-held dream and set up his own club. Hale Karate Club was born on 3 September 2012. The club now boasts almost 100 members, making it one of the largest karate clubs in the country, and helps teach ladies, gents, boys and girls aged 4 to 74!

Classes are held at The Grammar on Marlborough Road, Bowdon, with Ladies-only classes also taking place at Bowdon Hockey Club.

“There are a lot of misconceptions about karate,” says Martin. Here he deals with some of them.

You have to be athletic, strong and flexible to practice karate.

Definitely not the case. We have members of differing ages and fitness levels - all are welcome and will improve their agility and strength through regular training sessions. You don’t have to be fit to join, but by training regularly and

Karate is not for everyone.

Not true. Karate appeals to everybody.

Indeed at Hale Karate Club we have children and adults. Children thrive within the structured environment and their ability to concentrate never ceases to amaze me, whereas adults find karate brilliant for de-stressing and exercise.

Our Ladies-only karate classes have been a massive success. We have members in the club who are lawyers, doctors, teachers and secretaries – literally everyone is represented.

Karate makes you an expert in self-defence.

Karate is more about self-perfection than self-protection. While being fitter and more ‘aware’ of your surroundings will inevitably make you better able to take care of yourself, that is a by-product (albeit a useful one) of this fascinating art.

If you would like to find out more about the range of karate classes on offer at Hale Karate Club or would like to attend a free introductory lesson, see www.halekarateclub.co.uk or telephone Martin for a chat on 07753 244638.

We break bricks all the time!

This is my favourite! In Japanese, the skill of breaking bricks and boards is called ‘tameshwari’. It is only used occasionally as a test of mental and physical discipline. We don’t break bricks at Hale Karate Club!

Karate encourages youngsters to fight.

Quite the opposite actually. Karate helps youngsters to develop self-confidence and poise, making them less vulnerable to bullying (without them ever having to use the skills they learn). Karate can also assist children with special needs, and at Hale Karate Club we welcome all.

www.halekarateclub.co.uk 43

GET THE RIGHT DIAGNOSIS ON YOUR DOORSTEP

Imaging services in Wilmslow’s first private hospital X-RAY ~ MRI ~ ULTRASOUND ~ MAMMOGRAPHY

Call 01625 545 036 to make an appointment today 52 Alderley Road, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 1NY www.52alderleyroad.co.uk ~ Open 7 days a week, 7am–10pm

Sports injury medicine at The Wilmslow Hospital, 52 Alderley Road The Wilmslow Hospital at 52 Alderley Road is home to many of the region’s leading sports injury specialists, who are dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of sports injuries and musculoskeletal problems.

The experts at The Wilmslow Hospital work with national teams and sporting institutes, and consult numerous Premiership Football and rugby clubs.

The hospital is also the only private provider in the region to have a static 3T Tesla £1million MRI Scanner, which produces the highest-quality images and provides patients with a fully comprehensive diagnostic service under one roof.

Great Manchester Run sponsorship The Wilmslow Hospital was proud to be the official sponsor of Key 103, which was the media partner for this year’s Great Manchester Run on 10 May, and following the 10K race many sports-injury experts gave runners a free 15-minute mini-consultation at the hospital.

Professor Sanjiv Jari, Consultant Knee and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Surgeon at The Wilmslow Hospital, provided free mini-consultations post-race. Before the run he was invited into the Key 103 studios to give his expert advice to breakfast presenter Mike Toolan, who was running the race but had done minimum training.

Professor Jari also gave listeners tips on how to prepare and stay injury-free.

Professor Jari commented: “I was delighted to be asked onto the Key 103 breakfast show to share my sports medicine expertise with the presenters and listeners taking part in the Great Manchester Run. “As with all sporting activities, proper preparation and training are vital.

However, if you do suffer from a sports injury, especially a strain or sprain, there are a couple of key things you can do within the first 24 hours to help minimise the damage, and if symptoms persist you should always get checked out by a sports injury specialist.”

Professor Jari advises following the RICE principles (rest, ice, compression, elevate) for strains and sprains, which will help speed recovery.

COMPRESSION - Use compression when elevating a sprain or strain in early treatment. An easy way to compress the area of the injury is to wrap an ACE bandage around the swollen part. The wrap should be snug, but not cut off circulation.

ELEVATE - Keep your sprain or strain elevated - try to get it higher than your heart if possible. Elevate at night by placing pillows under your arm or leg.

Professor Jari concludes: “After a day or two of the above treatment, many sprains, strains or other injuries will begin to heal. However, if your pain or swelling does not decrease after 48 hours, make an appointment to see your GP or a sports injury expert.”

REST - The first 24-48 hours after the injury are considered a critical treatment period, and activities need to be curtailed.

ICE - When icing an injury, choose a cold pack, crushed ice or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a thin towel to provide cold to the injured area. An ice massage is another extremely effective way to direct cold to the injured tissue.

To make an appointment with Professor Sanjiv Jari at The Wilmslow Hospital, 52 Alderley Road please call 01625 545 036 47

Feel the benefits Sri Tea offers a selection of fourteen of the finest loose-leaf teas, each produced using only the highest quality, responsibly sourced and traditionally prepared leaves.

Ceylon teas are an excellent source of anti-oxidants and have been linked with the treatment of many conditions including diabetes, obesity and lethargy.

Only loose-leaf teas are used in our products as this allows the leaves to release their full aroma thus maximising their potential health benefits.

The finest loose leaf tea now being served here in the UK Order yours now just click www.sritea.co.uk or call 0191 551 7020

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The Body Clinic

Anna Jones

physiotherapist bio

I qualified as a physiotherapist in 2006 from St George’s University of London and initially worked in the NHS in East Lancashire for five years. There I gained a vast array of experience in various physiotherapy specialities, but I particularly enjoyed musculoskeletal outpatients and trauma orthopaedics. I also worked at a local rugby club treating a wide variety of sporting injuries and providing matchday assistance.

After the NHS I moved to London and began working in the private sector before returning to Manchester where I have worked in hydrotherapy and a private hospital’s orthopaedic and outpatient departments.

As a local girl who grew up in Dunham Massey and went to school in Manchester, joining the team at the Body Clinic has been fantastic. It is lovely to work at this village physiotherapy clinic where I meet old and new patients who benefit from this well-established and friendly practice. I treat patients with a variety of orthopaedic, sporting or chronic conditions.

I particularly enjoy treating spinal problems, assessing each person individually so we can build a picture together of how to help their back or neck pain, and I find it really rewarding when I am able to help patients return to their hobbies or work pain-free. I get great results for patients by using a variety of techniques, such as manual therapy, massage and exercise rehab.

I am also currently undertaking my Pilates training, a special area of interest that I find helps patients with back problems. I also like to empower patients to be in control of their neck or back conditions, such as by educating people about posture and helping them address this at work or home.

The Body Clinic 1 Victoria Road, Hale, Cheshire WA15 9AF www.bodyclinichale.co.uk 49

Upper Limb SUrgicaL SpeciaLiSTS

Len Funk Consultant Shoulder Surgeon T. 01625 545 071

mike Hayton Consultant Hand & Wrist Specialist T. 0845 838 7766

AddiCTEd To GoLF

‘Every sport evolves. Every sport gets bigger and more athletic, and you have to keep up.’

Tiger Woods

cY Ng Consultant Hand & Peripheral Nerve Surgeon T. 0161 495 7766

OrthTeam members are like any other group of people – there are some of us who are completely addicted to golf and others who think it’s ‘a good walk spoiled’.

matt ravenscroft Consultant Shoulder & Elbow Surgeon T. 0161 495 6803

Whatever our individual views, we all recognise that golf is not as risk-free as many would envisage. As Tiger Woods has noted, people wishing to achieve the highest level in their game are now training more regularly to ensure they are physically prepared. Training not only enhances performance but also prepares the body for the motion of the golf swing, which is formed from a number of complex but co-ordinated movements.

If unco-ordinated or badly delivered, these can result in injuries ranging from simple strains to significant trauma.

adam Watts Consultant Elbow, Hand & Upper Limb Surgeon T. 01625 545 073

‘I used to not really like going to the gym when I was playing tournaments because I'd be sore and stiff. But the more you keep doing it, the less soreness you have. And you actually start to enjoy it.’ rory mcilroy

Nick phillips Consultant Shoulder & Elbow Surgeon T. 0161 495 7745

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Gym work can help to enhance muscle strength and bone density but before a round of golf, simple dynamic stretches are more important for warming up muscles and preparing for the game.

Missing a warm-up may not only increase the risk of injury but also prevent a player from getting in the zone until the fourth or fifth holes.

Typical warm-up routines focus on squats and leg swings for the lower body, trunk rotation and side bends for the back, and rotator cuff and wrist stretches for the arms. The whole warm-up should take 10-15 minutes, with each stretch being held for several seconds.

Prevention of injury is far preferable to treatment, so in addition to better physical preparation for a round, it’s a good idea to take coaching advice from a golf professional.

To the practised golfer Ben Hogan’s comment rings true but to a novice it might sound like a recipe for disaster!

Unfortunately a poor golf swing can be the cause of many problems – because of the significant rotation in the trunk and high-speed shoulder movement that’s required. Back pain is the most commonly sustained problem among golfers, followed by shoulder, elbow and hand injuries, and knee pain.

Shoulder injuries vary according to age – younger golfers tend to suffer from muscle instability problems (repeated slipping or dislocation of the joint or the feeling of it being unstable), whereas for older golfers the main problems are arthritis and impingement (where a structure in the shoulder joint encroaches on the space of another structure). The treatment for young golfers is specialist rehabilitation – to strengthen core stability and correct problems with the muscles that position the shoulder blade on the rib cage – whilst for older golfers it’s usually a course of pain killers and antiinflammatory drugs plus physiotherapy.

Occasionally surgery is required in both cases.

In the elbow, the most commonly seen problem is in fact Tennis Elbow – pain is typically on the outside of the lead OrthTeam are a group of 12 superspecialist consultants who are highly experienced in the care and surgical management of people with orthopaedic problems associated with the shoulder, hand and arm, hip, knee, foot and ankle. The consultants’ superspecialist status has been gained as a result of intensive training and clinical experience in specialist centres of excellence both in the UK and abroad. it is rewarded by invitations to speak at international conferences and requests to treat elite athletes from a spectrum

arm (left for a right handed golfer) with Golfer's elbow seen more rarely and typically affecting the other arm.

Most elbow problems present as gradual onset pain for no obvious reason, although occasionally the player will report hitting the ball 'fat'. Initial treatment is a period of rest followed by physiotherapy strengthening exercises.

If the pain does not settle, an injection with platelet rich plasma (PRP) may alleviate the pain over a period of about 12 weeks. Steroid injections are not recommended because they are associated with high rates of recurrent pain and persistent symptoms. Surgery is not often required but when it is, a 'key-hole' or arthroscopic technique is favoured as it allows a more rapid return to play.

Hand and wrist injuries can include sprains, tendonitis and even fractures particularly of the hamate bone.

The latter presents as pain in the heel of the hand and occurs mainly as a result of hitting a club hard against the ground (either by accident or in a fit of frustration!). Sprains and tendonitis are treated through rest and physiotherapy but hamate fractures may require surgical treatment, and so an expert hand-and-wrist opinion is advised.

‘To be a top-class athlete, you have to train hard, you have to eat right, and you have to get enough rest. I feel the way golf is going nowadays, you have to treat yourself as an athlete.’ rory mcilroy of different sports. OrthTeam consultants treat a wide range of upper and lower limb problems, including those associated with long-term wear (eg. arthritis) and short-term acute sports-related injury.

Tel: 0800 328 2975 Fax: 0161 667 4499 emergency: 07732 247 247 email: info@orthteam.com www.orthteam.com Twitter: @OrthT

Sanjay anand Consultant Knee Surgeon T. 0161 495 6803

LOWer Limb SUrgicaL SpeciaLiSTS

‘Reverse every natural instinct and do the opposite of what you are inclined to do, and you will probably come very close to having a perfect golf swing.’ ben Hogan

Tim board Consultant Hip & Knee Surgeon T. 07713 451339

Jon borrill Consultant Knee Surgeon T. 0161 495 7726

Tim clough Consultant Foot & Ankle Surgeon T. 0161 495 7028

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Body Performance Training

Body Performance Training

Y

“okay, i've got two weeks before i go on holiday and i need to lose a stone fast!” Sound familiar?

Well I can tell you this: the quick-fix diet is becoming one of the most sortafter things to do to lose pounds fast, not only in the summer months but all year round.

Ben and Chelsea

Whether it's the juice-plus, herbal-life diet, or a calorie crash diet you go on to get the quick fix you desire, all will have repercussions on weight gain in the long term.

The long list of physical risks of crash dieting includes nutritional deficiency in the short term and weight gain following the programme, and this might slow the metabolism of the dieter. Anyone who uses an extreme programme that depletes nutrients might experience moodiness, depression, intense cravings and irritability. Clients and people close to me have also reported feeling tired and lethargic on crash diets.

Now aren't we trying to look for something to keep the weight/fat off for the long term without it having huge detrimental effects on our life and our social interaction? We need to find a lifestyle we can live by and not a diet that restricts us in our daily lives. We need to educate ourselves on what we should eat to optimise a loss of body fat. More importantly, we can take this knowledge with us wherever we go so that we always make the correct choices to take us one step closer to our goals, instead of making an uneducated decision that will take us one step further away.

The BPT plan recommends these foods as part of meals and snacks: This is why I say no to quick-fix, juice or crash diets, because we should not be looking for quick solutions for long-term problems but understand that finding a long-term solution for a short-term problem will get us much better results in the long run. All diets have an end point, but with better understanding of nutrition you will be amazed at the results you can achieve.

To conclude I will keep it very simple.

Successful weight loss is not about starving your body. It's about fuelling your body with correct nutrition. So throw away the quick fixes and faddy diets and just eat good wholesome foods.

To contact ben, email bodyperformancetraining@hotmail.co.uk For more information and lifestyle ideas head to www.facebook.com/bodyperformancetraining @benpostma on Twitter or @bodyperformancetraining on Instagram. coming to bury for one night only! Our previous event sold out!

Village Hotel bury. June 24th from 7-9pm Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/body-performance-trainingsummer-body-tickets-17070726001 £13 plus small booking fee

proteins = white fish, salmon, mackerel, lean white meats and lean choices of red meats Vegetables = all green veg (spinach, kale, broccoli) avocados, courgettes, tomatoes, beetroot, onions, cabbage, and all types of salad Fruit = lemon and limes, darkcoloured fruits such as blueberries (as well as all other types of berries), apples, melons, and grapefruit carbohydrates = quinoa, sweet potato, organic oats, and basmati rice Snacks = cottage cheese, goat’s cheese, cashews, almonds walnuts, total Greek yogurt, and 90% dark chocolate extras = spices and herbs, coconut oil, balsamic vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil Drinks = water, green and herbal teas, and black coffee

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You don’t give much thought to sympathy cards until you need one; then when you do, you’re faced with a limited and very similar selection.

You know the sort, old-fashioned flowers and words like ‘with sympathy’. After experiencing our own bereavements Sophia Lucop-Leech and i thought we could and should do better than this, which is why we created inspired Goodbyes.

Sophia’s husband died of lymphoma in May 2013, aged just 43. She and I were school mum friends with daughters in the same class. After Mark’s death we spent time talking together about grief and bereavement. I experienced a close death in my family in May 2000 when my 33-year-old brother was killed in a motorbike accident. This shared experience meant our conversations were very honest and we were not afraid to talk about the ramifications of grief, of which there are so many.

I was working as a freelance copywriter and Sophia had taken a career break from a demanding job in IT to look after Mark. She tried to return to work six months after his death and it proved to be just too difficult. Running the home, being there for her daughter and working until 7pm every night wasn’t sustainable. One day we were sitting with a cup of tea and she had a bright idea that we should do something to help other people going through bereavement.

54

What a light bulb moment that was for us both. Sophia handed in her notice and we set up office in her dining room and got to work.

We bought the domain name www.inspiredgoodbyes.co.uk and set about putting together our first product, Your Personal Goodbye. This is essentially a private message tube with a paper pack, pen and a sticker to seal the tube, all in a lovely natural cotton bag. The idea is family and friends come together and write a message to a loved one who has died. These messages are placed in the tube and sealed, so they go alongside them in the coffin, meaning that your words go with them. You also get a handmade pewter pin in the shape of the infinity symbol, to show that love lives on.

Nothing else like this exists and we spent months getting every element just right.

With my background as an advertising copywriter I was set the task of bringing some more original words to sympathy cards. ‘Thinking of you’, ‘with sympathy’ and ‘deepest condolences’ sound so removed from modern language. Our first range was designed to encourage people to share stories of the person who has died to give the family a happy memory to read. ‘Let me tell you something about your lovely mum’, for example; imagine getting a card with a warm and wonderful story of your mum written inside. This is much more personal than some of the cards available at the moment.

We also support two charities that do work we really admire. The Child Funeral Charity help families on benefits or a low income to pay for a child’s funeral. For them we created a range of six cards with very gentle words and designs to send to a bereaved parent. The most popular card says, ‘it’s not fair’, because it really isn’t. They receive 25p from every card of theirs we sell and the charity has no overheads, which means the money goes directly to a family who needs it.

Our other charity is Dying Matters, which operates under the umbrella of the National Council of Palliative Care.

Its mission is to encourage people to talk more openly about death, dying and bereavement – something we wholeheartedly support.

The cards we have designed for them use very honest words, such as ‘I don’t know what to say so I might not say much. I just want you to know I’m sorry’. Again, 25p from each card goes to help their brilliant work.

Back in August 2014 we won the Spark Stockport ‘Best New Business Idea’ competition and this gave us incredible free office space in the Stockport Business Innovation Centre. We also won the ’60 Second Pitch’ at a trade show called Spring Fair and we are waiting to hear if a major supermarket chain will stock our products from January next year. We have a lot going on but there is still a long way to go.

Our ultimate mission is to encourage retailers to put a ‘bereavement section’ in their stores.

Weddings and christenings are everywhere, but this major life event is seriously overlooked. We hope to change that. Watch this space.

We sell all our cards and gifts directly to people who need them through our website, www.inspiredgoodbyes.co.uk as well as to independent retailers, including the lovely Harriet & Dee in Didsbury. We also sell our products to funeral directors, independent celebrants and hospices that sell the cards to raise funds in their charity shops.

Helen Lawson Inspired Goodbyes

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OUR PassiOn...

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A PERi PERi good treat for tenants from Manchester’s leading residential property company, homes4u, have been saying thank you to new student tenants with their #chicken4u campaign.

Feedback from the happy renters on the day included:

The campaign, which started before Christmas, offered all student tenants who secured their accommodation before 31 March 2015 a free meal at Nando’s, giving each tenant a £20 gift card.

On 24 April, those entitled to the offer attended an event at homes4u’s city branch, where Barcelos, the Nando’s chicken mascot, made a guest appearance. Students collected their gift cards, had the opportunity for a photo with Barcelos and were also given Nando’s goody bags.

‘Love Nando’s; homes4u helped loads with our move – massive help.’

Alex Martin ‘Experience was easy and Nando’s was a great bonus.’

George ‘Good initiative to go with homes4u and shows it’s an established company.’

Lewis Craddock

The giveaway hasn’t ended yet. Students who collected their gift cards have been offered the chance to win an iPad mini 3 by uploading selfies of themselves enjoying their meal to Facebook and Twitter tagging in @homes4u #chicken4u.

Owner and managing Director carolyn mellor says: “Students are a really important part of our business and we were keen to give something back – to say thank you for using homes4u to find their next home. We were delighted to be able to join forces with Nando’s, another established name in the student world.

The response has been fantastic, with selfies posted online for the iPad competition within hours of its launch.”

This year marks homes4u’s 25th anniversary and they have a series of events lined up to celebrate. In June, homes4u are sponsoring a performance of Arnold Ridley’s ‘The Ghost Train’ at The Royal Exchange Theatre, and in July they will be

sponsoring a Maggies Water Garden at the 2015 RHS Flower Show at Tatton.

As a thank you, a number of Golden Tickets to these events will be sent to landlords and renters who have both bought and sold houses with us, and associates who have been involved with homes4u over the years. carolyn says: “We are proud to have been providing property services to the community for the past 25 years. In fact, some of our clients have been with us since we opened in 1990.

Customer service is really important to us, and we have customers who started as tenants and subsequently purchased property with us, in some cases even becoming landlords themselves.” if you are looking at buying, renting, selling or letting, homes4u can offer you an unrivalled, stress-free service.

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Domino Domino comes from my time when I collected 1950’s furniture, ceramics and rugs. Its sculptural form was typical of that decade, when designers began experimenting with new fluid forms and materials. And Domino? The 50's band the Domino's of course. From £714. brick Lane Archetypal and timeless. Granny almost certainly had one, and if she didn’t, she certainly should have. The simply curved headboard is a great “clothes horse” for most fabrics, although our preference is for simple pinstripes to coordinate with the hand studded nail head detailing.

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aldeburgh White Made from the English beech tree in our factory just outside Nottingham, then painted a serene off white that seems to go so well in bedrooms. We then spent what seemed like months on the structure and the fixings for this four-poster, as we had become obsessed with the task of making sure there was as little wobble as possible.

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Outdoor garland Lighting (Hallianna) Out There Interiors £85 www.outthereinteriors.com

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blue Light Up ice bucket The Glow Company £14.95 www.glow.co.uk

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Grow your own

STYLE I'm in a bad way – just back from the isle of Wight Festival and feeling very sorry for myself. i’m not sure my liver is ever going to talk to me again – or my armpits.

Time for a hot shower and a detox.

i

truly thought my festival days were over. No more wet-wipe-washes. No more hunt-the-tent. No more crowd-surfing. No more blackouts. I am a grown-up now – with an allotment.

I am also a doting godmother, one who takes her duties very seriously.

So when my beautiful 16-year-old goddaughter came to stay last month, excited at the prospect of her first music festival, I thought ‘bless’.

When she innocently asked where she could buy a padlock for her tent and whether she’d need a travel adaptor for her GHD straighteners, I just thought ‘lamb to the slaughter’ and knew I had to step in. So last Thursday, £500 lighter (I swear they charged me an OAP premium for my ticket) I set off, wellies, wet wipes and wig by my side.

I’ll be honest. Shadowing her for four days without being spotted was not easy. Even wearing a wig, a trilby and a pair of Jackie Ohh Ray-Bans. But I managed it. I chased off the druggies.

I moved on the mullets. I lit her weaving-way back to her unpadlocked tent. I left water and Frizz Ease every morning. But blending into the background did come at a cost – to my

liver and my waistline. Well, avoiding beer and burgers would have been a dead giveaway wouldn’t it?

Here I now lie in a very sorry state, desperately in need of that detox, so it’s time to reach for Rosemary Ferguson’s ‘Juice’ book, and my juicer.

This got me thinking. My liver is so often in need of help, goddaughter or no goddaughter, that I think it’s high time I started growing my very own detox kit. Many of the vegetables, fruit and herbs that feature in detox juices can be grown quite easily at home in the garden, or if short on space, on windowsills and balconies.

So I’ve decided to grow some juicing staples: parsley, mint, carrots, beetroots, cucumbers, kale, celery, fennel, spinach and blueberries.

As it’s a bit late in the season to sow from seed, I’m going to head to the local garden centre or www.vegetableplantsdirect.co.uk to buy some ‘plug’ plants (just grow-your-own speak for young plants) and grow them in an organic, peat-free compost, making sure to avoid those nasty insecticides that are not only bad for our health, but also that of our loveable bees.

By catherine Saunders. Follow Lady Muck on Twitter @LadymuckStyle

So if you’re like me and like the odd tipple, why not have a go at growing some of your own detox superfoods too? I promise you’ll be hooked in no time.

right, must dash – I need to dig out that wig again.

Just realised my niece is off to Glastonbury this month.

Foo Fighters here I come.

THE NoSEY SEASoN “Well at least you’re not opening your garden to the public this year,” said my friend Bron, dismayed as she surveyed the scene before her. Our new rescue dog Ted, presumably under the illusion that he originated from Australia, had been making strenuous attempts to burrow back down under.

The lawn and borders now had several deep craters excavated throughout and could have doubled as a Battle of the Somme remembrance setting as opposed to the desired beautiful cottage garden.

“Oh but we are opening the garden, for both Didsbury Open Gardens and the National Gardens Scheme,” I countered defiantly.

“You can’t!” she screeched. “It’ll never be ready! How long have you got?”

“Well, not long. The opening date is Sunday 7 June, from 12 noon till 5pm, and the gardens have to be ready by then – no buts. The Nosey Season is upon us!”

What I didn’t tell her is that my classes had taken a horrified delight in strolling around my garden the previous week wondering the same thing. Nerves were setting in.

But what I do know, after many years of fretting about it, is that any garden can be pulled together quite easily at the eleventh hour, especially if you already have a good background of planting in place. anne britt is a garden designer. For classes and design information contact her at annebritt@btinternet.com.

So here are a few tips for you to try in your own garden. You’ll be amazed at how much they improve the look: • Cut the grass and edge it. If the turf is dreadful, consider relaying it as it’s not expensive and can make a huge difference.

• Organise your pots. A few large ones that match (say all in terracotta) are better than a hotchpotch assortment of smaller sizes and different materials.

• Clip hedges, box balls, shrubs and topiary to crisp up your structure planting.

• Brush, weed and then wash all your patios and paths, scrubbing to bring them up like new.

• Identify any really dull areas in your garden and assess the prevailing conditions, eg. sun or shade. Arming yourself with this list, go out to a big • Refresh your boundary fences by nursery like Grasslands in Over Peover painting them, including concrete panels and buy a few plants that you like the and posts, in Cuprinol’s ‘Woodland Moss’ look of for each area and plant them – a lovely soft green that blends with as soon as you get home. planting.

• Give everything a really good watering.

• Paint any sheds and summerhouses, and possibly benches too, in a unifying • Reward yourself with a nice glass fresh colour. My current favourite is of wine sat in your lovely smart garden.

Farrow and Ball’s ‘Pavilion Grey’- a true Scandinavian grey. Or go for ‘Plummet’ I hope to see you in my own, hopefully if you like a darker grey. lovely garden here in Didsbury on Sunday 7 June. A £6 combined admission • Declutter the garden. You must be ticket to all seven amazing Didsbury NGS ruthless here. No broken pots, old seed gardens can be purchased on the door at trays, plants waiting to be planted, bits 68 Brooklawn Drive, Didsbury, M20 3GZ that ‘might come in useful’. They must on the day. For more information just go be planted, sorted or out! to www.ngs.org.uk go on, buy a ticket and enjoy being nosey this summer!

GardenStyle SponSored by bickham houSe providinG Quality care in later life www.bickhamhouse.co.uk | Green Walk, Bowdon, Altrincham WA14 2SN | Tel: 0161 928 2514

Table for two…

...with Dr Tariq Chauhan at Neighbourhood, Spinningfields The current parlous state of the NHS would seem to be uppermost in most people’s minds at present, and there appears to be no shortage of opinions on how best to resolve its seemingly inexorable challenges. The reasons for this are obvious: we have all benefited from it and can neither imagine nor desire its demise; therefore, we all have a strong emotional view on what should be done. My guest, Dr Tariq Chauhan, is well placed to inject some hard reality into this emotional topic.

Escaping a typical spring downpour we made ourselves comfortable in the chic urban environment of Neighbourhood, where Ashley and his team warmly welcomed us. As we savoured the ‘Big Green Olives’ and Harissa hummus, Tariq told me about his unusual medical career. After medical school in his native Pakistan, Tariq left Islamabad in the early 90s to complete his cardiothoracic training in Cambridge. He duly qualified and was extremely happy in his role as a successful surgeon. However, the birth of his daughter at the end of the decade highlighted his life-work imbalance and so, after much careful deliberation, he retrained as a GP. Switchbacks of this type are discouraged, and thus are extremely rare in the medical profession, but it was a price worth paying for Tariq as his family life has always taken priority.

Upon completion of his GP training Tariq made the move to Manchester and established himself as a GP in the city. He also took on the role of Medical Director for NHS Manchester, where he gathered a considerable amount of management experience. His spell there opened his eyes to the many and varied serious challenges the NHS faces in a city such as ours.

As we worked our way through a succulent rare steak with frites and chilli bean tacos, Tariq described how his

new primary care experience as a GP and his management duties elsewhere made him more aware of the gaps in the quality of care that patients were receiving. This was significant to him, as his prime motive to practise medicine had always been his desire to help his patients. Major problems were slowly surfacing within the NHS and it was becoming clear that significant changes would have to be made if the NHS was to continue to be the nation’s medical provider.

Tariq decided that he could do much better than many of the practices he’d observed and so, armed with a determination to improve the quality of his patients’ care, he decided to take one of the new opportunities that had arisen to meet the challenges of improving the NHS. He founded Beacon Medical Services Group Limited five years ago during the major reorganisation from Primary Care Trusts (PCT) to Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG): a hugely debated change that left many, both from within and outside the NHS, slightly baffled. Tariq, though, believes this repositioning will, ultimately, allow the NHS to return the patient to the centre of the relationship. Providing a more localised service for many small procedures previously only carried out in hospitals will, he asserts, not only

free up the hospitals, enabling them to carry out their more necessary secondary care duties, but also make patients’ clinical treatment more effective. As a private service provider for the NHS, Beacon provide a successful example of how this could work. They have excellent patient outcomes and currently reinvest all their operating surplus back into the business.

As we finished our coffees and thanked the kind people at Neighbourhood, Tariq reminded me that any change is rarely welcomed but it’s nearly always necessary and thus, inevitable. The NHS has already changed considerably and will, no doubt, further transform itself again.

Anxieties around the NHS will never fully disappear, but if the drivers of change share Dr Tariq Chauhan’s motivations, then I for one will perhaps not feel that anxiety as keenly as I once did.

Our thanks to Ashley Williams and his team at Neighbourhood Restaurant, Spinningfields for their gracious hospitality.

For reservations go to neighbourhoodrestaurant.co.uk or call 0161 832 6334

By Mark Kureishy

65

66

A taste for success The story behind the phenomenal success of the hugely popular Bem Brasil restaurant chain is in no small part down to the drive and enthusiasm of its Brazilian-born managing director, Kleber Magalhaes, who has brought the authentic taste of South American food to the north west.

Having started his entrepreneurial career at the tender age of nine when he first sold lollipops on the local beach during the school holidays, Kleber is clearly no stranger to the hard work and commitment required to ensure his business succeeds. Indeed, his career is characterised by his ability to seize opportunities and, with more than just a little dedication and tenacity, ensure his ventures turn into thriving enterprises.

His journey to the UK was via Rio de Janeiro and Toronto, Canada, where he worked in the construction industry.

Kleber worked as a building labourer when he arrived in the country in 1990, but when the recession hit he was forced to look for alternative employment.

Kleber said: “I did manage to find work in an Italian restaurant in Knutsford before being offered an assistant manager’s post in a wine bar in Altrincham. It was soon after that the idea of Bem Brasil started to take shape.”

Kleber was keen to introduce British diners to Brazil’s popular ‘Rodizio’ concept, where meat carvers (passadores) constantly bring freshly roasted meats from a charcoal barbecue. A vast array of delectable, mouthwatering meats are brought straight to the table, perfectly cooked and seasoned. Diners can help themselves to the hot and cold buffet to accompany their meat dishes and it

is all at one set price. Rodizios are provided at steakhouses called ‘Churracarias’ across Brazil.

Kleber commented: “Some did exist in London but we really did pioneer the way forward for this new dining experience in the remainder of the UK. Competition is now tough but I believe the simplicity, quality and value for money of Bem Brasil is why our restaurants have continued to thrive and grow in popularity.”

Kleber’s first restaurant opened in 2007 in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, with Deansgate, Altrincham, Liverpool and Leeds branches opening in steady succession. Bem Brasil is also a family

affair, with both Kleber’s son and daughter helping to drive the business forward. Though Kleber is cautious, he has set his sights on opening a branch in London in the not too distant future.

Kleber concludes: “I think my maternal grandparents first gave me an interest in the restaurant business. They were Italian and spent most of their working lives running bakeries, restaurants and guest houses in the Brazilian city of Saint Gabriel, where I was born.

What they taught me and what I have learned over the years is that to be successful in the restaurant business you need a lot of perseverance and, above all, passion.”

By Charlotte Batra

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68

FOOd REvIEW

The marvellous Malmaison of Manchester We’ve had a bit of a sunny spell in Manchester lately, so as I headed to the Malmaison Smoak Bar and Grill (a brooding, beautiful bar filled with rich fabrics and dark wood) I had a feeling it might be quieter than usual. Not so. It was Tuesday lunchtime and the place had a fantastic feel. Lots of suits doing business, yes, but also families, friends and ladies lunching.

The sunken bar seating was almost full and fabulous-looking cocktails were being created.

We were seated in the restaurant area and it was recommended that we too should start with a cocktail.

Too polite to refuse an offer like that we had two Valentine Rose cocktails complete with gorgeous edible flower. Now with a warm, woozy feeling it was time to order lunch.

My plus one chose creamy mushrooms on toast with truffle oil, and I went for scallops with spinach and chorizo. Such a pretty plate arrived in front of me with three scallops served in their shells. The subtle scallop was shaken up by piquant chorizo and the whole dish made me go quiet for seven minutes. A record. Both starters hit the spot.

The plus one ordered a chickpea and harissa burger served with fries, and we had extra salad on the side. I chose a fillet steak from the grill menu. After sampling the truffle oil from the starter mushrooms I was craving the aromatic flavour, so I asked for a plate of truffle mash potato. Superb. The steak was big and juicy and charred just enough on the outside.

The peppercorn sauce had real bite and I didn’t have to add a touch of seasoning to the place. The chickpea burger was a little dry, however, so the plus one ate half my truffle mash to make up for it.

Dessert is usually my least favourite of all three courses.

Not on this occasion. I had the pineapple carpaccio with coconut sorbet, orange zest and fresh red chilli. This plate was the envy of my plus one, who went for the cheese plate, and also the ladies sitting next to me. The most refreshing, delightful dish ever, this is real holiday food. It was absolutely perfect.

We moved, slowly because we were so full of mash and mushrooms, to the bar area to enjoy a good strong Americano. The bar was still rather busy and made for some fabulous people-watching. Hotel restaurants don’t always cut it for me. They can lack atmosphere and originality. Not so here. For a lunch that is that little bit special, whether it’s with friends or on your own, the Smoak Bar and Grill is a brilliant spot, even if I thought they’d made a spelling error when I first saw it.

Twitter: @ManchesterMal Facebook: Malmaison Hotels (we don’t have individual hotel accounts) generic Sales enquiries email: jabbott@malmaison.com Hotel bookings: reservations.manchester@malmaison.com 69

DINING GuIDe CollaGe aT The Radisson Blu

Bella ITalIa didsbury

Set among the backdrop of the runway lights, the contemporary collage restaurant is the ideal way to start your holiday early. Relax, sit back and enjoy one (or two) of our fantastic bespoke Manchester-themed cocktails designed by our very own mixologists.

We offer nothing but the finest locally sourced dishes with some real Northern favourites, including a wonderful range of 28-day dry-aged British steaks to be enjoyed at your leisure. Not to worry if you’re catching the red eye, our service is bespoke to you, designed to accommodate both the restless and the rest-easy for the ultimate dining experience. Be sure to take advantage of the superb panoramic views on offer with a table at the window. With personalised Yes I Can! service we aim to remove the pre-holiday anxieties and cure the post-holiday blues. Handmade canapés and free-flowing beverages are the perfect precursor to dinner. Our team in Little m Bar are on hand to assist with this. breakfast served from 5am Dinner service until 10pm Seven days a week available for private lunch functions.

www.radissonblu.co.uk/hotelmanchesterairport/restaurants-and-bars Collage at Radisson Blu Manchester Airport Chicago Avenue | Manchester M90 3RA Tel: 0161 490 5000 70

a bright and fun new look for bella italia at the parrs Wood complex Following a refurbishment Bella Italia has a great new menu. The restaurant is beautifully designed thanks to its new look, which is warm, inviting and features great experiences with the ‘Fabulous and Amazing Gelato Cart’ to make dining as a family or with friends easy, relaxed and memorable.

The family-friendly restaurant is part of Bella Italia’s ongoing expansion and refurbishment project, which has seen £170,000 invested in the local area.

Some twenty restaurants will be refurbished, and another 15 new sites will be opened across the country over the next year. With exposed brickwork, bright red chairs and colourful touches throughout the Didsbury restaurant, it offers a comfortable, fun and glamourous dining experience. It’s the perfect place for a business breakfast, a get-together with friends after work, or a meal out for the whole family.

General Manager Graham Wilcock commented: “The new Bella Italia is unrecognisable! Its crisp new design is invigorating and interesting and we hope it will excite and delight its diners.

My team and I are looking forward to welcoming customers through our doors and hearing the word ‘bellissimo’.” www.bellaitalia.co.uk/didsbury 6 Parrs Wood Entertainment Complex Wilmslow Road | Didsbury M20 5PG Bella Italia @Big_Bella Tel: 0161 445 8019

VINeYaRD West didsbury

a new licensed Turkish restaurant and winery in the heart of burton road, West Didsbury. It’s an inviting Turkish restaurant that aims for customers to feel relaxed and comfortable. The great décor and unique adornment of the restaurant contribute to a special atmosphere where anything feels possible, especially after a glass of chilled wine. The waiting staff are friendly and attentive and led by the ever-jolly manager. The experienced chef displays his worldly appreciation of flavour in the varied dishes on the menu. Vineyard select the most popular, best-quality Turkish dishes that they think superbly complement Turkish cuisine. Well, the only way to find out, is to go and visit them!

SpeciaL OFFer | Weekend Early Bird and Lunch Menu. Visit the website for reservations, bookings and menus.

‘Quote the magazine title and get 15% off your meal’

www.vineyardmed.co.uk Vineyard Restaurant and Winery 198 Burton Road | West Didsbury Manchester M20 1LH Tel: 0161 222 0984

To get your business featured contact the Sales Team on 0161 445 2883 or email info@salutions.co.uk

DINING GuIDe SWaDeSh ReSTauRaNT Bar and Function Room

BIaNCo Coffee ShoP Sale

Cau ReSTauRaNT Wilmslow

blink and you might miss it but bianco coffee Shop is definitely worth a visit.

A family run business in the heart of Sale, they pride themselves on rustic, homemade Italian fare. We chose to visit on a Sunday afternoon when they have live music adding to a very relaxed atmosphere. The coffee shop was full with a mix of families, ladies who lunch, with ice buckets filled with bottles of prosecco, as well as couples just enjoying a coffee and the Sunday papers.

The Swadesh and Sangam restaurant and bar group comprises five restaurants across manchester.

Swadesh and Sangam literally translate as ‘sophisticated flavours’. This ethos is behind our innovative menus, with the emphasis on refined yet creative Indian food and where heritage and tradition blend with modern cuisine. When you dine at the restaurants, you experience the serene ambience, delectable cuisine and legendary friendly service.

The menu is simple and focusses very much on the pizzas. Made to order and served on a wooden board, it was certainly one of the best pizza’s I have had. The pizza, live music and a glass of wine certainly made for a very pleasant couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon.

The space is also a perfect venue for parties, business lunches or events and well worth a look.

Swadesh Manchester also boasts a private function room, which is perfect for hosting your own events. The team have recently launched a fine selection of cocktails and mocktails to accompany their impressive champagne and wine selection. A perfectly designed canapé menu is available or we can tailor the menu to your needs.

Situated on Water Lane in Wilmslow stands caU sister of gaucho in manchester.

Apparently when CAU started the vision was to capture that spirit in a restaurant that would fit right into the heart of Palermo, Buenos Aires. CAU certainly brings Argentina to Cheshire serving mouth watering steaks, burgers and steak sandwiches accompanied by a tempting selection of more-ish favourites, each with a distinctive Buenos Aires twist.

Must try’s include the smoked haddock and manchego croquettes £6.95 (Flaked smoked haddock with creamy Spanish manchego cheese, served with caper mayo) and the twice cooked pork belly £13.95 (twice cooked for juicy succulence.

Served with a sweet corn purée and chargrilled onions).

The lunchtime buffet at Swadesh Manchester is served every day between 12 noon and 3pm. The grand buffet allows you to sample a wide range of mouthwatering dishes. It is an ideal treat if you are out for a relaxing day or simply looking for a quick business lunch.

CAU the perfect venue for sharing plates and a beer over lunch or savour one of their speciality cuts and a bottle of Malbecover dinner. Desserts include a legendary Corn Flake Ice Cream Sundae.

www.swadeshrestaurant.co.uk 98 Portland Street Manchester M1 4GX

www.biancouk.com Bianco Coffee Shop | 2 Hereford Street Sale | Cheshire M33 7XN

www.caurestaurants.com Cau Restaurant | 22-24 Water Lane Wilmslow | Cheshire SK9 5AA

Tel: 0161 236 1313

info@biancouk.com Tel: 0161 222 3611

Tel: 01625 535 195

To get your business featured contact the Sales Team on 0161 445 2883 or email info@salutions.co.uk

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RADISSON BLU HOTEL MANCHESTER AIRPORT Chicago Avenue, M90 3RA Manchester, United Kingdom T: +44 161 490 5000 reservations.manchester@radissonblu.com radissonblu.co.uk/hotel-manchesterairport Based on 2 course menu. Prices are per person. Bedrooms and drinks not included. Subject to availability.

TheBusiness My first business was very deeply involved in advertising and marketing. At the time (in the late 1990s) it was extremely hard to persuade gatekeepers (financial directors) that public relations, rather than being a cost, was an investment.

Luckily, things have moved on since then, and many businesses now realise that PR is an essential part of their business activity. However, with the acceptance of this has come a boom in PR agencies.

Positive PR What is PR anyway?

Public Relations is a complex area of marketing, and incorporates everything from managing press and media (what many think of as being the remit of PR), to events, investor relations, personal brand management, crisis communications and more. It’s also a very measurable part of marketing, and one which, if done right, can give significant return on investment.

For most SMEs, PR can be seen as being their ‘public voice’. Think of it as being the channel through which your business talks, via print publications, radio, internet sites or more. The fact is, many of the products and services featured in this very publication will have been there as a result of PR activity.

Lead positively It’s essential for businesses to lead their PR activities positively. It’s great to get agency input, but fundamentally it’s you as a business that needs to have a deep understanding of what you want from public relations activity, and why.

The vast majority of companies get into the habit of issuing quite dull press releases, ‘announcing the launch of our new widget…’, which misses the point.

For SMEs, PR is an opportunity to tell a story and put their message into the story of their market.

Where should you be heard?

The first thing to do is to understand where it’s important for you to be heard. Trade publications? Websites?

Blogs? Magazines? Think of what you and your customers would engage with!

Not all coverage is valuable! Example: ‘Dave’s High-performance Aerospace Valves’ as featured in Mother and Baby!

What should you be saying?

This is where the positivity comes in!

Before you start communicating your news, you should understand what the market is saying – what are the big topics and conversations? What are the big areas of positivity, good news and growth in the market? It’s critical that you insert your stories in this context, for example: ‘Dave’s high-performance Aerospace Valves announce new

engineering apprenticeships programme.’ It’s much easier to get stuck into the drama, politics and negativity of a market, but finding positive angles will make you memorable. It’s also crucial to humanise your business; find the personalities within your company who can become spokespeople and ambassadors for what you do.

How should you say it?

Using PR agencies is great, but make sure you get a gauge of their previous work and the skills of the team to make sure they resonate with you. If you choose to go it alone, don’t just ‘blast out’ releases, as chances are they’ll get deleted. Pick up the phone, or email and try and build those important personal relationships with the publications and outlets you want to be covered in!

Positive PR really works. For one of my own start-ups where marketing budget wasn’t easy to come by, we generated over £250,000 of editorial coverage in our first three months, and that’s great news!

Got a question? Email: vikas.shah@thoughtstrategy.com | www.thoughtstrategy.com

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Summer iS here!

With the elections now decided, it is a good time to reflect and review how these changes may affect your future financial plans.

New tax year As we are well into the new tax year, this is a good time to take a look at your budget planning and update this in line with your savings, investments and retirement objectives. Over the past two budgets, dramatic changes have been announced for ISAs and pensions. There is no doubt that the improved flexibility on pension withdrawal, post-age 55, will leave many with the need to reconsider their savings strategy.

Upon reviewing your financial plans it is essential to fully understand your personal financial situation and attitude to risk before embarking on any new investment strategy. There are many ways to help you streamline your plans, and cash-flow modelling is just one of the tools used by Kellands to further enable clients to understand their current and future monetary position by generating a graphical, financial planning forecast. When you review your mortgage, protection and all other financial plans, you should ascertain their appropriateness and assess if you could benefit from any savings in these areas.

It is important to research the entire marketplace to ensure that you are getting the best solution for your needs at the most competitive price. This is only possible to do with independent advice.

Kellands Chartered Financial Planners provide a full, independent advisory service for private and corporate clients. Advice includes tax planning, investments, pensions and mortgages.

Call the team on 0161 929 8838.

You may have noticed our Hale office on Victoria Road is currently undergoing a full make-over!

We are still hard at work with BUSINESS AS USUAL in our temporary office two doors away at 28 Victoria Road. All numbers and emails remain unchanged.

Kellands (Hale) Limited.

24 Victoria Road, Hale, Altrincham WA15 9AD

0161 929 8838 hale@kelland.co.uk www.kelland-hale.co.uk

The value of investments can go down as well as up. Past performance is no indicator of future returns.

This article is correct at the time of print, and does not constitute advice. Kellands (Hale) Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. It is your responsibility to ensure you keep up with the monthly payments on your mortgage, or your home may be at risk.

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AskTheExperts How common is ovarian cancer? Ovarian cancer affects some 7,000 women every year in the UK. During their lifetime approximately 1% of women will develop ovarian cancer, so it is a relatively rare cancer.

A new method of screening uses a computer program to predict the risk of ovarian cancer based on factors including age, the original level of the CA125, and how that level changed over time. This new testing method correctly diagnosed 86 per cent of women, while traditional methods would have found about half this number.

What symptoms should make me concerned about possible ovarian cancer? Ovarian cancer is rare in younger women. It tends to present at a later stage, but the symptoms of ovarian cancer can be very mild and easy to ignore. These might include abdominal pain or swelling, feeling full, loss of appetite, weight loss, or symptoms of pressure on your bladder. If these symptoms are occurring frequently and not settling, you should see your GP.

Can I withdraw my entire pension under the new pension freedoms?

Aged 55 or over and depending on your pension arrangement, yes. Serious consideration must be made beforehand. Any decision will impact on immediate and future income and taxation.

We strongly urge all individuals Guy Kelland of Kellands Chartered Financial seek specialist advice.

Why is it important to seek holistic financial advice?

The aim of holistic financial advice is to consider an individual's circumstances, objectives, their long term goals and then structure a plan to help achieve them.

Can I leave my pension savings to my family?

If your money remains invested in a pension, it can be passed on to your nominated beneficiary when you die, tax-free before 75, but potentially taxable after that. (Due to differing personal circumstances we would always advise you seek professional advice).

I get pain in both knees first thing in the morning, which usually eases off as the day goes on.

What could this be?

This could be due to an inflammatory joint condition, such as some type of arthritis, which can cause discomfort after periods of rest, such as getting up to walk after sleeping or resting in a chair. There are other, possible causes, but it would require a more complete assessment of your symptoms and examination findings by your GP or an Orthopaedic Surgeon.

Is it wise to go skiing if you have a history of knee problems?

It depends on what the knee problems are. Common problems with skiing include ligament injuries. These can be occasionally managed with braces, but usually would require the assessment of an Orthopaedic Surgeon, prior to the decision made to go skiing.

If the problems are due to wear and tear/ arthritis, then these could be addressed with a general strengthening programme. It is usually sensible, prior to skiing, whether you have knee problems or not, to undertake a general strength

and conditioning programme for your leg muscles in the 4 to 6 weeks prior to going skiing.

Mr Rick Clayton is a Consultant Gynaecologist at The Wilmslow Hospital, 52 Alderley Road.

Could screening tests be useful in detecting ovarian cancer early? There are large trials underway looking at the value of screening using ultrasound or blood tests (CA125 measurement).

Planners. Experts in financial planning.

Professor Sanjiv Jari BSc (Hons), MB ChB, FRCS (Eng), FRCS (Tr & Orth) Consultant Knee and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Surgeon

Does using a running machine cause less impact on your knees, than running on the road?

There is not a significant difference in impact between a running machine and the road. The only place where the impact can be reduced is either running in an Alter G machine, which reduces the load that goes through your leg, or alternatively, by running through water in a swimming pool which likewise, will reduce the load on the knees.

The advice given by our experts is in no way intended to replace professional advice and is only a guideline in response to individual reader comments.

Unfortunately, due to a high volume of queries, our experts are unable to engage in any direct correspondence.

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Advertising FeAture

MoneyMatters It’s Time For Action

Manchester-based Wealth Management expert Kath Wilkinson gives us the low down on Pension Freedom.

So what’s changed?

How can I take my pension?

The options for taking income are:

From April this year, the government has given people over the age of 55 the freedom to use their defined contribution pension how they like.

According to Chancellor George Osbourne, the new freedoms represent “the most radical change to how people can access their pensions in almost a century” People who value the security of an annuity can still purchase one, but those who want more control over their own finances can, instead, draw down their pensions as they see fit.

The changes mean greater flexibility in how they can use a pension to receive an income and pass on benefits to your family and others.

Flexi-access drawdown – This new option allows you to draw as much or as little from your pension as you like.

There is no upper limit on income, so you can take the entire fund if you wish.

It must be noted that taking income above a certain level may not be sustainable or tax efficient.

Uncrystallised funds pension lump sum (UFPLS) – There is a new option that allows you to take a one off payment or several lump sums directly from the pension fund itself.

Annuity – Annuities are not new and will remain the right choice for many people. You can normally choose an annuity to pay a level of income, or one that rises over time.

Why should I speak to a Financial Adviser about Pensions: As individuals now have greater control of their retirement planning, this comes with a greater responsibility to make the right decisions; to create the fund you need, to take your benefits in the most appropriate way, and enjoy the retirement you hope for.

Our responsibility is to ensure that clients receive the advice they need to steer the right course towards and through their retirement.

Clients want to know what they should do, not what they can do.

Wrong decisions could be irreversible.

Careful Planning and quality advice will be even more crucial for clients.

The value of an investment with St. James’s Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds selected and may fall as well as rise. You may get back less than you invested. The level and bases of taxation, and reliefs from taxation, can change at any time and are dependent on individual circumstances.

The Partner Practice 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 are set out on the Group’s website at: www.sjp.co.uk/ products. The title ‘Partner Practice’ is the marketing term used to describe St. James’s Place representatives.

For all your money matters, please contact: Kathryn L Wilkinson Wealth Management Ltd Partner Practice of St. James’s Place Wealth Management Email: kath.wilkinson@sjpp.co.uk | Mobile: 07973 779595 | Website: www.kathwilkinson.co.uk

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Businesses set to flourish as Altrincham’s fortunes start to turn As we have all seen, Altrincham town centre has gone through a bit of a transformation in the past 12 months. Widely acknowledged as having been hit hard by the recent recession, Altrincham is now beginning to see a change in the fortunes of small and large businesses located in the area, according to Sue Aldridge, Altrincham Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive.

A

ppointed CEO at the start of 2015, Sue has already begun to make her mark on the direction and vision for the local Chamber’s work and its priorities. She is clearly determined and passionate about working with the local community and local businesses to ensure Altrincham can once again be the thriving, vibrant, destination town it used to be.

“A key challenge for us now is to shake off Altrincham’s tag of having been hit hard by the recession,” says Sue. “It was, but the infrastructure is starting to take shape and the town centre is starting to turn a corner.

“I don’t think people realise just how much work has been and continues to be done to encourage businesses to invest in the area, and we are beginning to see some of this co-ordinated effort deliver results. Altrincham is attracting some excellent independent businesses thanks to the success of the Market Hall development.

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We must support and encourage these businesses so they can benefit from the additional investment, which includes the transport interchange, public realm and the new hospital development. It is time for us to start talking about Altrincham’s successes.”

Supporting start-up and small businesses through the work of Altrincham Chamber of Commerce is a key part of that success. Sue explains: “We have more than 250 members all with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in running successful businesses. We regularly host networking events, including breakfast events, and have reintroduced our popular ‘mixer’ evenings and introduced a new Business Academy, which will provide regular sessions on practical business issues that will help business stability as well as growth.”

The new Business Academy will offer members and nonmembers the chance to improve

their business skills by providing planned, topical sessions on key business skills, which will include social media marketing, recordkeeping and accounting, as well as offering a mentoring scheme providing one-to-one support and information.

Sue adds: “The Chamber is also an incredibly friendly and supportive business community that genuinely wants to help businesses. That can be invaluable to businesses just starting out or people thinking of launching a business.”

The new Business Academy’s monthly sessions will start in June, there is a nominal charge and open to non chamber members, and will be supported

by South Trafford College and Trafford Council.

Find out more by visiting www.altrinchamchamber.co.uk/ events.

By Charlotte Batra

Summer holidays, children and separated couples School holidays are just around the corner and for divorced or separated couples they can be a big headache, as it might be difficult not to see their children if they are with the other parent, and it can also be stressful for the kids.

Winter Ball 2015

Q How can I make my children’s holidays less stressful?

Plan ahead and don’t leave things till the last minute!

You might have only a little time with your children and you should make the most of it, so plan carefully and in advance for your perfect holidays.

Build in quality time with your children to make the most of your time with them. Usually, you will have them for only half of their holidays, so don’t make them feel tired and spend time relaxing in a park or reading a nice book.

Talk to your kids and let them have their say on how they would like to spend their time with you.

Q What information should I provide for my ex-partner?

Saturday 7 November from 6.30pm at The Midland Hotel Hosted by Key 103’s Darren Proctor Tables of ten £750 // Individual tickets £79 Dress Code // Glamorous // Black tie To book // 0161 445 2883

When travelling with your children give the other parent all the information or travel details such as time of the flights/trains, hotel addresses – you would like to be given this information if you were them, and the other parent has the right to know where their kids are.

To make the most of your time without them, stay busy while your children are away. Fill the time you usually spend with them by meeting friends, reading a book or enjoying a nice glass of wine on the patio. Time will pass quicker!

At WTB Solicitors we have one of the biggest family law teams in Manchester. Our team will guide you through your divorce and assure that everything goes smoothly. e team are accredited by the Law Society, and are members of Resolution, and we have the 2015 Lawyer of the Year (Pro Manchester Awards). www.wtbsolicitors.com 601 Stockport Road, Manchester M13 0RX 0161 885 5065

In association with

Sponsorship opportunities available e: salim@salutions.co.uk 79

The Ryleys New Bursary Scheme We are excited to let you know that The Ryleys is now offering a new bursary scheme for children starting in September 2015.

Places are available from Reception through to Year 5. We are proud to be a charitable organisation and each year we will offer a number of new parents assistance with school fees. No two families are the same and we invite you to talk to us so we can offer advice on how you can afford a place at The Ryleys.

Girls & Boys Preparatory School

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For further information contact The Ryleys on 01625 583241 Visit: theryleys.com

EDUCATION NEWS Stella Maris

I left Stella Maris, its contented children and staff, to the peal of church bells in the midday sun. For me, the tiny school’s feel-good factor and quasi-rural charm lingers on. Yet this Catholic Foundation status prep school, educating pupils of all faiths, lies a mere stone’s throw from the main Didsbury to Stockport Road.

Key to the appeal and success of Ofstedrated Stella Maris is its size. Here, small is beautiful. Led by years 5 and 6's teaching head Norah Johnson, her team of staff deliver individual academic and life-skills programmes to some 60 children aged three to 11, including a Johnson junior! Class sizes, averaging between ten and 12 pupils, vary according to intake. Children whose academic needs are not met in mainstream education and others requiring extra help thrive here.

Teachers, recalling disruptive inner-city

professional experiences, revel in being able to simply educate their pupils. No large establishment can provide such attention, teacher-pupil understanding or replicate the parent-teacher-pupil relationships forged in this educational gem.

For working parents, Stella Maris’s 8am drop-off service comes free of charge.

Lessons begin at 9am in classrooms around the timber and stone-vaulted hall – a music, arts, drama and sports twice-weekly place of assembly.

Early-years pupils, in uniform like their elders, are taught not to be ‘child-minded’ from entry; and to ensure all dietary requirements are adhered to, it’s packed lunches for all in the classroom. Stella Maris, opened by Stockport Convent in 1976 receives no government funding. By today’s prep-school standards, the £7,000 annual fee is more than reasonable.

Intent upon ‘success without stress’, energetic Mrs Johnson, who has worked at the school since 2007 and been in charge since 2013, says: “All our children proceed to their parents’ first choice of private or grammar school. However, it’s not just about passing exams. It’s about enjoying the learning journey, developing individuality and respecting others’ faiths, for which we gained an Ofsted ’outstanding’ accreditation. Alongside the academic, we focus on the arts, citizenship, community and sport. By working on children’s strengths and developing any weaknesses, we turn out happy, well-rounded, confident individuals who are prepared for their transition to larger schools and deeply mindful of their privilege.”

Moving to their schools of choice, the jubilant junior school-leavers praised teachers’ helpfulness and care, which ensures no child should ever feel excluded. Passionate and effervescent Mrs Johnson says: “Parents come here for the school's small numbers and something special, and that's what we deliver.” Look round Stella Maris School in Heaton Mersey, as it may be precisely what you want for your own child.

Visit www.StellaMarisSchool.co.uk

By Fay Wertheimer 81

STOCKPORT GRAMMAR SCHOOL An independent school for girls and boys from 3-18 years

FOUNDED IN 1487

Teaching that stretches and stimulates A friendly and caring environment Outstanding academic results Excellent facilities Over 200 extra-curricular activities Assistance with fees available at 11+ and 16+ (means tested) Extensive school bus routes School day tours available

Inspiring your Child National Schools Hockey Champions 2015 Tel: 0161 456 9000

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www.stockpor .stockportgrammar.co.uk tgrammar.co.uk

eduCAtiOn neWs

Cheadle Hulme School’s Question Time panel (left to right) Mark Hunter (Liberal Democrat), Martin Miller (Labour), Mr Nick Axon (Chair), Mary Robinson (Conservative), Shaun Hopkins (UKIP) and Old Waconian Drew Carswell (Above and Beyond).

QUESTION TIME AT CHEADLE HULME SCHOOL The NHS, the pros and cons of coalition government and what Westminster can do for young people were some of the hot topics debated at Cheadle Hulme School’s General Election Question Time.

A selection of the prospective parliamentary candidates standing in the Cheadle constituency in the forthcoming election took questions from a hall filled with over 150 students, parents, staff and Old Waconians (former pupils).

Mark Hunter (Liberal Democrat), Martin Miller (Labour), Mary Robinson (Conservative), Shaun Hopkins (UKIP) and Old Waconian Drew Carswell (Above and Beyond) were challenged with questions such as “What’s wrong with a coalition?”, “Doesn’t increased spending in the NHS treat the symptoms not the cause?” and “Is the economy booming?”

One of the political debate’s most stirring moments was when Old Waconian Sam Watson criticised Labour’s handling

of the financial crisis and proclaimed, “We can’t trust any of you!” to applause from the room. The Labour candidate’s response that Sam was wrong provoked further reaction from the audience, resulting in a tense exchange.

Head of History and Politics, Mr Nick Axon, who chaired the event, said: “This was an excellent opportunity for our students, many of whom are voting for the first time, to engage directly with the local candidates. It also offered parents the chance to air their own views and challenge those who will potentially represent them in Westminster.

“I’m really grateful to all the candidates for giving their time, and to the audience, who provided some very testing questions for the panel.”

DR ARIC SIGMAN ON THE OVERLOAD OF YOUNG PEOPLE’S SCREEN TIME Helen Jeys, Deputy Head and Pastoral Care Lead at Manchester High School 12-year-old Manchester High School for Girls for Girls, said: “Let’s face it; from pupil Amelia Fleming from Alderley Edge, Dr Aric Sigman, Manchester High School for Girls smartphones to iPads, laptops to virtual Deputy Head Mrs Helen Jeys, and 13-year-old environments, screens are here to stay.

Manchester High School for Girls pupil Tiffany They are part and parcel of young Agbobu from Droylsden people’s lives. and here at Manchester Renowned child health education High we fully encourage all our girls expert and psychologist Dr Aric Sigman to embrace the many positives that visited Manchester High School to advancing technology has to offer. warn pupils and parents about the effect that an overload of recreational “However, screen dependency is an screen time can have on the selfissue. We understand that our parents esteem and mental health of young can be locked in conflict on a number people. of fronts with their children: from homework and food, to suitable The negative effects that excessive TV clothing and what is an appropriate viewing and extended computer use bedtime. Among all that it can be very can have on physical fitness are well hard to find the energy to manage documented. Yet many parents are screen time as well. underestimating the dangerous consequences they can also have on “Dr Sigman’s talk provided our parents the emotional wellbeing and social with useful hints and tips; by speaking development of their child. directly to the girls we aim to raise their

awareness of what constitutes a healthy level of screen time. Hopefully, it will make mum and dad’s job a little bit easier!”

Dr Sigman commented: “There is a growing relationship between the amount of time young people spend watching screens every day and a range of physical, cognitive and educational problems. These include sleep deprivation and disorders, screen dependency, increases in body fat, as well as damage to their ability to concentrate, social interactions and performance at school.

“My visit to Manchester High School for Girls wasn’t about lecturing parents, or indeed their daughters. It was simply to present the facts about screen consumption and how to avoid future issues.”

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Fay Wertheimer meets North Cestrian Headmaster Lee Bergin

By September 2016, head teacher Lee Bergin will be offering North Cestrian’s quality education free of charge to local families previously unable to afford the fees. But until then his work is cut out collaborating with Altrincham Grammar School as they form a multi academy trust, masterminding the reinvention of his 254-intake independent as a state school.

1963 1975

Born in Manchester Hulme Grammar School, Oldham 1982-85 Hull University: BA Hons Geography and Economics 1986-07 Teacher in Bury, Darwen, Blackburn 2006 Head teacher’s qualification: NPQH 2007-13 Deputy and Acting Headmaster in Exeter independent 2013 Head teacher at North Cestrian Grammar School Married to health visitor Jayn for 25 years. Three children aged 19 to 24.

Hobbies: DIY, Music

Was teaching your childhood ambition?

Will free school status shift your school’s focus?

I was brought up to value education and see its power in transforming young lives. When at 18 I chose university over a Daily Mirror photojournalism apprenticeship, I learned life spins on a coin. In my second year, I volunteered to coach young slow readers and discovered teaching was for me.

It’ll place even greater emphasis on results. Twenty years ago, good character alone helped school-leavers find work. In this increasingly competitive, corporate and formulaic world, qualifications open doors, and strength of character helps you to cross the threshold.

What are your professional aims?

I hope that a careful balance of academy and culture will help develop ambitious, self-aware children, not just hungry for themselves, but sensitive to others and keen to serve them. I also believe in honesty and reality, and these are attributes I ensure are part of pupils’ aspirations.

Any tips for your pupils?

It’s a wide world out there. I find rejecting ideas out of sheer ignorance unacceptable, and hope by lifting blinkered, myopic horizons, children can acquire adaptability and resilience.

After all, alongside conventional education, there are long-term benefits from stepping outside the box. School trips, sports and artistic endeavours can change perceptions. To this day, I’ll never forget singing in a Mozart Requiem.

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Fay Wertheimer 2015

What are your dislikes?

Few people cannot tell right from wrong, and tribal behaviour highlights the difference between a team and a mob. Losing control, blaming drink and drugs for despicable, perhaps outof-character actions when part of a crowd, really concerns me.

How would you describe yourself?

I’m caring, committed, positive, forward-looking and grounded by my family and personal faith. I like roast beef, old-fashioned Manchester tart with custard, and prefer a cuppa to beer.

Do your parental and professional roles overlap?

A father’s loving bond with his children is unbreakable and markedly different from that with any pupils. My kids keep me on track saying “Dad, stop being a teacher!” whenever I stray into headmaster mode.

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The themed parties are packed with fun activities, including hairstyling, face art, glitter nails and dressing up, followed by games, dancing and a traditional birthday tea. Little BigHeads believes in letting children be children so everything is age appropriate (for kids aged four to 11) and with sta on hand and exclusive use of the salon, parents can relax while their little ones enjoy the magical Little BigHeads experience.

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6W -RKQÂśV 5RDG +HDWRQ 0HUVH\ 6WRFNSRUW 6. %5 must be taken on a Friday between 4-6pm and not in the school holidays. A maximum of eight children can attend each party. All parties include invites, sole use of the salon, pampering and craft activity, party hosts Registered Charitable Trust Number 505848 and food, plus a birthday gift for the child. Party bags and birthday cake are not included in the prize.

JUNIOR SWIMMERS THROUGH TO NATIONAL FINALS National swimming ďŹ nalists (left to right) Josh Chalk, Max Fisher, Jacob Atkinson and Charlie Bird.

Talented swimmers at Cheadle Hulme School are celebrating after qualifying for the National Schools’ Swimming Championships.

The four Junior School pupils will represent Cheadle Hulme School at the English Schools’ Swimming Association (ESSA) National Finals in SheďŹƒeld next month. QualiďŹ cation for the prestigious Finals came after the team competed in the North West Round of the ESSA Relay Championships, winning both the Medley and Freestyle Relays. The Year 5 and 6 boys’ achievement follows a record-breaking, 11 medal win for the School at the Association of Junior Independent Schools Swimming Gala at Darwin Leisure Centre.

HALE BARNS STUDENT SHINES AT PRESTIGIOUS AWARD EVENING Hale Barns resident Rahul Chopra was recognised for his outstanding academic achievements in the Abbey College Manchester ‘End of Year Awards Ceremony’ at the iconic Manchester Town Hall.

A-Level student Rahul received a Progress Award for his fantastic eorts in his Business, Economics and Geography classes. The evening recognised the achievements of the students who will be leaving the college this summer and looked back over the academic year, picking out various student highlights and rewarding some of their outstanding achievements.

Rahul, who has had oers to study International Business at Newcastle University and Liverpool University, said: “I am thrilled to have been noticed for my eorts. I put a lot of work into my studies and I cannot wait to pursue a prosperous career.â€?

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FROM STOCKPORT GRAMMAR

TO TEAM GB

Stockport Grammar School Fourth Year pupil and superb swimmer Maddie Crompton has been selected to represent Team GB in the European Championships in Azerbaijan. Swimming the 100m, 200m, 400m and relays, and competing in the 14–18 age group, she is one of the youngest participants in her category.

Training eight or nine times each week, Maddie combines her early morning swims with working hard on her academic studies.

She told us: “I would love to get to the Olympics one day. I like winning and really enjoy going away with the team. I’ve made friends with England swimmers from all around the country, so it’s really great seeing them at galas and competitions.” Maddie is pictured receiving her Young Sports Achiever of the Year award at the Stockport Sports Awards.

MBNA Cup Altrincham: Children from Altrincham College of Arts collect their winners’ trophy during the half-time interval at a recent Sale Sharks game

MANCHESTER SCHOOLS ADD BITE TO SHARKS’ TOUCH RUGBY TOURNAMENT More than fifty Manchester schoolchildren took part in a touch rugby competition with Sale Sharks Rugby Club and financial services company MBNA to celebrate graduating from a unique financial education programme.

Ten schools from across the north west, including Altrincham College of Arts, Newall Green High School, St Anne’s Academy, Phillips High School, and Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College, competed for the MBNA Cup at Sale’s Carrington training complex after completing Number Cruncherz – a free programme for Year 7 children that uses the power of rugby to teach young people more about money.

Each school that competed in the tournament was invited to watch Sale Sharks take on Harlequins at the AJ Bell Stadium at the end of April, and children from the winning school – Altrincham College of Arts – were presented with their medals on the pitch during the half-time interval.

Jonny Acheson, Sale Sharks Community Trust Manager, said: “This is the first year of the MBNA Cup touch rugby tournament and it’s a fantastic way for children to celebrate taking part in the Number Cruncherz programme.

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“All the schools involved this year played some great touch rugby, but importantly they all really enjoyed the rest of the programme, which aims to make money management easier for young people. It does that by combining the excitement of rugby with important financial literacy skills to create an enjoyable experience that we hope children will remember for a long time.

“These ten schools join a long list of others that we’ve helped to embed financial education into the curriculum and we’re thrilled that Number Cruncherz continues to be so popular with schools across the region.”

Number Cruncherz was developed by Sale Sharks, Chester-based MBNA and the UK's leading financial education charity pfeg (Personal Finance Education Group).

More than 2,000 children across the north west and North Wales have now graduated from the programme, following its launch in 2014.

Number Cruncherz is free for schools to join and anyone wanting more information or to get involved should email community@salesharks.com or call 0161 667 7518.

COMING SOON

An Evening with Boycott & Aggers Wednesday 24 June 7.30pm

COMING SOON

Muscle Shoals Legends An Evening with Dan Penn & Spooner Oldham Thursday 16 July 8.15pm

Two of the most prolific writers and musicians from Muscle Shoals’ Fame Studios perform the hits they created for Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, Otis Reading and more.

Box Office: 0161 907 9000 www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk

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INTERNATIONAL CAST TO STAR IN BOWDON FESTIVAL OPERA Tom Newall will conduct. The Bowdon Festival Chorus will appear again, comprising singers from the Halle choirs, RNCM juniors, local schools such as Altrincham Girls’ Grammar School and local choral societies.

Following on from the spectacular success of Tosca in 2014, Bowdon

Festival Opera is presenting a unique concert performance of Puccini’s opera Madama Butterfly for one night only in Bowdon on Saturday 27 June.

The principal roles are to be played by soloists from all over the UK and some flying in especially from Ireland.

Experienced singers such as Jayne Wilson, Bowdon Festival Artistic Director, taking the role of Madama Butterfly, and American Emily Howard Cobley, who has performed at the New York Metropolitan Opera House, will be supported by students from leading music institutions such as the RNCM, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the Dublin Conservatory of Music and Drama.

The event will take place in St Mary’s Church, Bowdon, which will be transformed for the night into an Opera House, with a special purpose built stage, complete with orchestra “pit” to house the Chamber Orchestra, members of the Piccadilly Symphony Orchestra.

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Bowdon Festival aims to offer young singers the opportunity to sing alongside experienced musicians – as well as offer the audience the chance to experience opera, possibly for the first time, at a modest price in the magical setting of St Mary’s. The Festival has already raised over £2,000 through holding a fundraising Opera Gala Night but is still actively seeking support for the production. Sponsorship opportunities are available!

The Festival is run entirely by volunteers and all funds raised support further Festival events and the annual Bowdon Youth Festival in February, one of the fastest growing Youth Festivals in the country Bowdon Festival chairman, Susan Sinagola commented “Bowdon Festival is now well established and we are delighted to be able to stage ambitious projects such as this. Local singers and Bowdon Youth Festival winners have the opportunity to work with stunning professionals. Last year we were almost turning people away on the night, so we encourage people to buy tickets early.”

The concert is on Saturday June 27 at St Mary’s Church, Bowdon at 7.30pm.

Tickets can purchased at Dawsons, Altrincham, Sealpoint, Hale or at Bowdon Parish Office.

More information on ticket purchasing and the Bowdon Festival at www.bowdonfestival.co.uk

Historian and genealogist Michala Hulme has recently published her first book offering readers a unique insight into the less savoury aspects of Greater Manchester’s history.

A Grim Almanac of Manchester comprises a plethora of fascinating true crime and social insight stories that are sure to please those with a slightly perverse interest in all that is grim and gory.

T

he book recounts tales of Manchester’s history of riots, assault, murder and crime, slums, disease, death and disaster, which have all been compiled using coroners inquests, newspaper clippings, death certificates and police reports from the past 500 years.

We caught up with 32-year-old Knutsford resident Michala to find out more. She commented: “Writing a history book has always been something I have wanted to do; I remember as a child I always had a macabre interest in cemeteries and Queen Victoria. While I was studying for my undergraduate degree I wrote about the origins of Philips Park Cemetery in Manchester, which inspired me to write my PHD thesis about death and the dead in Victorian Manchester.”

Unearthing

the past Michala is also a successful businesswoman, having run her own company, Unearth the Past, for the past decade, completing family trees for a range of high-profile clients. I asked Michala how she made the leap from businesswoman to up-and-coming author. She told us: “When I was studying I was close with an old neighbour of mine; she was very inspirational and used to leave me notes on my doorstep that she thought would be of interest. After she sadly passed away a few years ago her son asked me to attend her book launch where I met her publisher, The History Press. I discussed my ideas with them, sent them a synopsis of the book and was extremely pleased when they asked me to write it.”

Using her PHD thesis notes, Michala drafted her grim almanac over an intense period of seven months and

is now overjoyed to see her book in print.

She added: “It still hasn’t sunk in yet that I have written a book. Seeing it in print just goes to show that you really can do anything you want!”

The 70,000 word publication includes gruesome stories from the Great Flood of 1872, which saw dozens of bodies carried out of a graveyard and dumped across Manchester, as well as the chilling tale of the mysterious Mrs McCann, whose cake filled with arsenic poisoned the children of Ancoats.

Michala’s talents are endless, as illustrated on John Gilmore’s BBC Radio Lancashire show, where she acts as the programme’s official genealogist.

Michala has also written for Who Do you Think You Are Magazine, and has completed family trees for sport stars, singers and even a Hollywood actor.

A Grim Almanac of Manchester by Michala Hulme is available from all good bookstores and signed copies are on offer at www.michalahulme.com

by Alison Carter

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Reviews IIIII

By John Waddington

MUSIC James Taylor – Before This World James Taylor’s first album of new songs since 2002’s October Road is a rather subdued, mellow, folky affair, somewhat reminiscent of the classics of his 70s heyday.

The icon of laidback folksy Americana is said to have been worried he would never make another album of new work. Well if this is anything to go by, there’s plenty of music in the old dog yet.

•

Simply Red – Big Love

Leftfield – Alternative Light Source

What’s the most unfashionable band ever to have come out of Manchester? No, it’s Simply Red. Somehow Mick Hucknall’s merry band of blue-eyed soul men have never received the critical acclaim to complement their undeniable popular appeal. Well now they’re having another crack of the whip with their first album of original compositions since 1995. Good for them.

Also returning this month after a long absence are 90s dance stalwarts Leftfield. The last album from the pair was way back in 1999. So how are they sounding after all these years? Surprisingly good actually.

The bass heavy thump and clunk of classics like Phat Planet is all present and correct but the musical aesthetic has been subtly updated for post-dubstep ears.

FILMS

BOOKS

Minions Director: Kyle Balda, Pierre Coffin Those lovable little yellow minions from Despicable Me team up with a female villain voiced by Sandra Bullock. The minions find themselves living in Antarctica without a master, so two of the bravest henchmen venture forth to a villain convention, where they find Scarlett Overkill scheming to become the world’s first female supervillain!

Perfect.

Magic Mike XXL Director: Gregory Jacobs Channing Tatum returns for more outrageous fun as male stripper Magic Mike.

Three years after Magic Mike bade farewell to the world of stripping, the rest of the Kings of Tampa decide to follow suit. But before they throw in the towel, they coax Mike back for one last big eventful show in Myrtle Beach!

Ted 2

•

Gary Snyder - This Present Moment: New Poems. Still practising and honing his craft in his eighth decade, long after the beat scene that brought him notoriety has faded and vanished into history, beat writer Gary Snyder turns out a new collection of beautiful, thoughtful and often moving poems that show why he is quietly regarded as one of the greatest living American poets.

Nuruddin Farah - Hiding in Plain Sight This is a novel about grief and love, centred around the aftermath of a terrorist attack in Nairobi, in which logistics officer Aar is killed and his fashion photographer half-sister Bella is called upon to look after his children. When their absentee mother unexpectedly resurfaces, reasserting her maternal rights and bringing with her chaos and confusion, Bella must decide whether she is up to the task.

Galway Kinnnell - Black Light Set in Iran, this welcome reprint of this lost classic from 1966 tells the story of Jamshid, a quiet, simple carpet-mender, who one day commits a murder and is forced to flee. With this violent act his old life ends and a strange new existence begins. Galway Kinnell combines his gift for precise imagery with a storyteller’s skill in this journey across the Iranian desert.

Director: Seth MacFarlane Amanda Seyfried joins the cast for the world’s naughtiest teddy bears’ second fabulously vulgar adventure.

Best buddies John Bennett and pottymouthed Ted return in an eagerly anticipated sequel to the record-breaking comedy hit. Expect a whirlwind of crude but terribly effective gags.

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By Catherine Reed

IIIII

What’s

ON

Summer is here, which means there are lots of special events to keep you entertained on summer evenings and (hopefully) sunny weekends.

Come into the city on 14 June and enjoy a day celebrating everything Manchester, check out the original and new work at Manchester International Festival, or take in a fabulous musical like Wicked.

Chuckles of Oz

MUSICALS

Sunday 21 June 2pm Opera House The Chuckle Brothers venture into the Emerald City to meet all the familiar characters in a new version of the Wizard of Oz story. Obviously, no show involving The Chuckles would be complete without plenty of slapstick, special effects and audience participation.

Isabel’s Well

WICKED

Sunday 28 June The Lowry An enchanting story of a magical world at the bottom of a well, featuring puppets and music. Staged in The Lowry’s intimate studio setting, this is perfect for young children aged 3+.

3 June – 25 July The Lowry WICKED returns to Greater Manchester, this time to The Lowry, for eight more weeks on the final leg of its tour of the UK. It played to sell-out houses on its last visit to The Palace, and is a stunning, thrilling production packed with great songs, technical wizardry, fabulous sets and costumes. This is your last chance to see it outside London, so grab a ticket while you can.

Love Me Tender

FAMILY David Walliams’ Mr Stink Sunday 14 June 4pm Walkden Gardens, Sale An outdoor performance of David’s first book packed with fun, humour and a heartwarming message. Take something to sit on and don’t forget the picnic.

The Ministry of Science

Aliens Love Underpants 2–5 July The Lowry This is the world premiere of the live show based on the wonderfully zany and funny children’s book, Aliens Love Underpants. Suitable for everyone aged 3+.

20/21 June The Lowry Expect bangs and spills and flying everything! This is not your average science show and is a wonderful adventure for children aged 6+ who love science and for those who think they don’t!

Comedysportz 20 June and 11 July Sale Waterside All-ages, all-improvised show where two teams battle it out for laughs as players create quick-witted sketches, scenes and son. Very interactive and great fun.

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3–13 June Opera House Mica Paris stars in this feel-good musical set in small-town America in the 50s and featuring a guitar-playing, hip-swivelling stranger on a motorbike.

The show contains a whole host of Elvis hits, such as All Shook Up, Now or Never and Heartbreak Hotel. wonder.land 29 July – 12 August The Palace Theatre A musical inspired by Alice in Wonderland with music from Damon Albarn and directed by Rufus Norris. Part of Manchester International Festival, this new musical is designed by Rae Smith and centres on 12-year-old Aly, who escapes from her unhappy home and school life into an extraordinary online world where she can be who she wants to be.

BARNUM starring Brian Conley

Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 1/2 August Opera House Join Ben and Holly and all their friends from the BAFTA award-winning TV show live on stage in a beautiful story of elves and princesses, with games, songs and lots of fun.

4–8 August The Lowry Barnum is another spectacular stage musical making a return visit to the area. Brian Conley is brilliant as Phineus T Barnum, America’s greatest showman, in a show that is bursting with colour, energy and warmth.

Ordsall Hall Garden Party

EVENTS AND ExHIBITIONS Didsbury Festival and Parade Saturday 13 June Didsbury The Festival kicks off with a parade through the streets of Didsbury to Didsbury Park, where a host of stalls, food and drink, fairground attractions, performances and events are waiting.

It’s a super day for all the family – fingers crossed for sunshine this year!

Manchester Day Sunday 14 June Manchester City Centre Manchester Day is a celebration of everything that is great about the city.

As well as an amazing parade through the city featuring thousands of people and stunning structures, there are performances and activities in squares and open spaces across the city. The Parade usually starts in Liverpool Road and winds its colourful way through the streets to the finish in Exchange Square.

Go to manchesterday.co.uk for more details and timings.

Manchester International Festival 2–19 July Various venues The world’s first festival of original new work is back and as always there are plenty of exciting, wonderful and unusual events taking place in the city.

Highlights include wonder.land, a new musical penned by Festival regular Damon Albarn and Moira Buffini at The Palace Theatre, FKA Twigs at Old Granada Studios, Maxine Peake in The Skriker at The Royal Exchange and events featuring 10x10 and Bjork. For the younger MIF attenders, CBeebies’ Mr Tumble makes an appearance in a special show providing an opportunity for audiences to find out what makes Mr Tumble tick. For more information go to mif.co.uk

Sunday 12 July, 12 noon–4pm Ordsall Hall, Salford A great day out with stalls, arts and crafts activities, live music and performances within the grounds of Salford’s Grade 1 listed Tudor mansion house.

24/7 Festival 24-26 July Martin Harris Centre This year’s festival of new writing takes place across one weekend this year and all in one place, which is rather different for a festival that usually takes place in various venues. As always, it will be packed with dozens of new exciting plays offering opportunities for new and existing writers to have their work performed in front of a live audience in an exhilarating festival environment.

DRAMA Kafka’s Monkey 17–27 June HOME The 2009 sell-out production featuring Olivier Award-winner Kathryn Hunter comes to HOME following a hit world tour. This Young Vic production has received five-star reviews across the world, with The New York Times describing Kathryn Hunter’s performance as “the most physically remarkable I’ve ever seen on stage”.

The Skriker 1 July – 1 August Royal Exchange Theatre Maxine Peake plays the title role in this landmark revival of Caryl Churchill’s extraordinary collision of ancient fairy story and portrait of a fractured England. Co-commissioned by Manchester International Festival and directed by Sarah Frankcom, this new version features new music from Nico Muhly and Antony (Antony and the Johnsons).

DANCE Tree of Codes 2–10 July Opera House Choreographer Wayne McGregor combines with visual artist Olafur Eliasson and Mercury Prize-winner Jamie xx to create a contemporary ballet inspired by the book Tree of Codes as part of Manchester International Festival.

Inala 24/25 July Opera House The legendary Ladysmith Black Mambazo join forces with choreographer Mark Baldwin in a unique collaboration featuring dancers from The Royal Ballet and Rambert in a production that fuses South African and Western cultures live on stage. This is a spectacular show that sold out at Sadler’s Wells last year, and it promises to be an exciting and visually stunning event.

MUSIC Idina Menzel Tuesday 23 June O2 Apollo Taylor Swift Wednesday 24 June Manchester Arena Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons Friday 26 June Manchester Arena John Legend Saturday 27 June Manchester Arena Neil Diamond Thursday 9 July Manchester Arena

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Gadgets

Bring your home up to date with our cutting-edge gadget round-up t AirCraft PILOT MAX Robot

s Nest Protect Smoke Alarm

In the last issue we looked at the ever-so-clever learning thermostat from new hometech wizards Nest. This time we shine a light on the humble, but oh-so-important smoke alarm. For your money you get a photoelectric smoke sensor, carbon monoxide sensor, heat sensor, ambient light sensor, no less than three activity sensors, and humidity sensors. These all sync over wi-fi with an app, which then passes on helpful info to the homeowner.

Vacuum Cleaner Its official: we are slowly but surely entering into the‘futuristic’ home era so presciently predicted by the Jetsons back in 1962. We now have a fully functioning robot vacuum cleaner. Actually, a few are coming onto the market now, but this is the most advanced yet. It can be set to clean randomly, in a specified spot, or even programmed to clean different parts of the house on each day of the week.

Time to put your feet up. £319.99, iwantoneofthose.com

s Google Chromebook Pixel There are quite a few Chromebooks on the market now, and these generally low-cost net books make sense for anyone who is fully embracing the Google universe and staunchly resisting the Apple-sphere. This model has a significantly higher price tag than others in the range, at £799, but for that you get a slick aluminium chassis, 8GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and a 12.9-inch touchscreen.

£799, store.google.com

£89, allaboutelectrics.co.uk

By John Waddington

t Eve T1 Windows 8.1 tablet

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s Philips Fidelio M2L If you’ve got an iPhone or iPad, these audiophile headphones could be just what you’re looking for to extract the maximum quality from your audio files.

They come with a spanking new Apple Lightning connector rather than your bog standard analogue audio jack, so you can listen to uncompressed, high-quality audio to your heart’s content.

£200, amazon.co.uk

The tablet market may well be just about saturated at this point, but that hasn’t stopped new Finnish Start-up Eve from entering the fray with their very first product - the T1 Windows 8.1 tablet. As the name suggests, this slab runs Windows 8.1, which may be a bone of contention for some, but the respectable 2GB of RAM handles it with aplomb.

Build quality is also very good for a unit of this price.

s TDK TREK Flex

€159, eve-tech.com

£70, amazon.co.uk

Carving out its own small niche in the Bluetooth speaker market is the TDK TREK Flex. If you are the rugged, outdoors type who likes to chuck stuff in your bag and go, this is the speaker for you. The speaker enclosure offers resistance against shock with a grade of IK07, enough to survive short tumbles. It also boasts survivability against dust and large water splashes.

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95

mOtOring

On the sixth day, God created van Anyone who has had the misfortune of engaging me in conversation about cars will know that my dream garage is pretty much set in stone: the red Alfa, the green Land Rover, the black Porsche, and then this. In my top four perfect vehicles will always be the Volkswagen Transporter.

Now unveiling the sixth generation of the iconic T-series, Volkswagen can justifiably be proud that after 65 years and 12million vehicles its ‘light commercial’ is much more than a minibus or a van – it’s a legend.

Its versatility is what makes it special.

You could have one as a posh peoplecarrier, complete with full leather interior and fancy sound system.

Or you could have it as a support vehicle for extreme sports weekends, with room for muddy mountain bikes, tools and spares, camping gear and picnic food. Or perhaps you’d prefer the classic camper set-up, with a double bed and a tiny kitchen?

Most of my life I’ve dreamt of the

Cleanest You might think it impossible for monster horsepower and class-leading eco-credentials to coexist in the same vehicle.

Certainly most buyers who prioritise emissions and fuel efficiency aren’t in the market for a luxury seven-seater SUV, while those looking for a two-ton palace on wheels that can hurtle from 0-60 faster than some sports cars generally aren’t too bothered about how green it is.

96

By Oliver Chesher

pop-top camper conversion by coachbuilder Westfalia from the mid-80s.

However, the latest version offers a seriously tempting alternative; with modern safety features and even the choice of a Golf GTI engine, the Transporter might even make it into my top three.

and most powerful?

Volvo, however, is claiming something truly astonishing about its latest flagship XC90 T8 Twin Engine: power to compete with the big hitters such as the likes of Range Rover, combined with fuel economy and low emissions figures to put some of the tiniest hatchbacks to shame.

Its hybrid drive system combines a super-efficient two-litre combustion engine with an electric motor to deliver a combined power of 407 horsepower if you feel like really gunning it. Different settings allow you to choose your own balance between the two motors to give the option of incredibly clean performance: 49 g/km CO2, 134.5mpg and up to 26 miles of pure electric range. This means you could do an average daily commute or regular trips to the shops with zero fuel and zero emissions!

This level of innovation truly puts the XC90 T8 in a class of its own, and will make other SUV-drivers with their far thirstier but less powerful V8 engines feel rather outdated.

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