1578

February 2014 Issue 1578 tntmagazine.com

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O I R T R E L T U B JOHN

ys, a w a e iv g e iz r p r fo 1 arch ttitude Come along on M e waals d e l n e a v a d tr n e a iv s m s u a ith a new alb seminars & m on tour w They’re back

+ JOHN THE CALIFORNIA BUTLER TRIO LOOP THECRACKING CALIFORNIA CROATIA LOOP ROMANCE CRACKINGON CROATIA A SHOESTRING FIND LOVE, MUSICAL NOW! BINGO

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THIS MONTH LONDON DIARY 6 YOUR LONDON

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FOOD 14

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DRINK 15 CHATROOM

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TRAVEL REVIEW

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DIARY 46 TOP 5: ROMANTIC 48 UK TRIP: LONDON

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EURO TRIP: SAN SEBASTIAN 56 FESTIVAL: KING’S DAY 60 GUIDE TO CROATIA 62 BIG TRIP: NORTH AFRICA

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WEEKENDER: PARIS

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TIPS 74 HOTSHOTS 76 LATE DEALS 78 SPORT

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SHOPPING 93 COUPLE’S WORKOUTS 94 ADMIN JOBS

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MONEY

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SPOTTED 102 DESPERATELY SEEKING 106 CLASSIFIEDS 103 4

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Prize giveaways, seminars & travel deals

JOHN BUTLER TRIO

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New album, new attitude

FIND LOVE, NOW!

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We tell you where to look

THE CALIFORNIA LOOP

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The new ultimate US road trip

CRACKING CROATIA It’s this year’s holiday hotspot

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EDITORIAL Editor Caroline Garnar Online Editor Vicky Anscombe TNT Australia Editorial Ian Armitage Contributors Michael Gadd l Rachael Getzels Emily Ray l Nina Bertok l Nina Ross l Sarah Tucker Nick Tebble l Heidi Fuller-Love EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES 0203 011 1066 ONLINE ENQUIRIES 0203 011 1068 To contact the various editorial departments via email please use the following email addresses: entertainment@tntmagazine.com lifestyle@tntmagazine.com sport@tntmagazine.com travel@tntmagazine.com SALES/MARKETING/EVENTS Sales manager Jaqui Ward PHONE 020 3137 5950 EMAIL jaqui.ward@tntmagazine.com Sales Executive Matt Syder PHONE 0207 9890491 EMAIL matt.syder@tntmagazine.com For all general enquiries please call 0207 989 0567 or email sales@tntmagazine.com DESIGN / PRODUCTION Head of design and production Lisa Ferron PHONE 01225 284107 EMAIL lisa.ferron@tntmagazine.com SUBSCRIPTIONS / DISTRIBUTION Manager Caroline Penn PHONE 01603 559004 EMAIL caroline.penn@tntmagazine.com ACCOUNTS Emma Overton EMAIL emma.overton@tntmagazine.com STARTRACK MEDIA LTD Directors Kevin Ellis, Ken Hurst Stuart Bidgood PUBLISHER Startrack Media Limited DISTRIBUTION Emblem Direct Ltd PRINTED BY Wyndeham Peterborough Limited NEWS AAP PICTURES Getty Images, TNT Images, Thinkstock TNT Magazine , 114 Coppergate House, 16 Brune Street, London E1 7NJ tntmagazine.com

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FROM THE EDITOR

I’ve got to be honest, I don’t give a crap about Valentine’s Day. But every year, in early February, I start to feel like I’m being watched by a giant pink teddy bear ready to snuggle me to death. My solution? Don’t fight it. Embrace Ted in a great big (bear) hug and enjoy the warmth.

So, if you’re coupled-up this Valentine’s Day, in this issue you can find out where to eat (p14), where to go on a romantic break on a budget (p48), what to wear on your date (p93), what to do with a weekend in Paris (p72) and how to stay together through blood, sweat and tears – literally (p94).

If you’re on your tod, but don’t want to be, see our feature on page 20, which tells you what sites you should be signing up to, what events you should be heading for, and how you should make sure you get what, or rather, who, you are looking for in time for Valentine’s Day... well next year’s at least.

Aside from all the mushy stuff, we talk to John Butler Trio frontman, Mr Butler himself, about why people can be total dicks, but maybe it’s not all their fault (p16); we go appropriately loopy – hugging trees, suspecting alien life and crying at the Grand Canyon – on the California loop (p50); we party like royalty for King’s Day in Amsterdam (p60) and we discover the other-worldly lands of North Africa (p66).

If you can’t bring yourself to read about all these great places because you don’t think you can afford to get away, don’t miss our travel show taking place March 1 at the Design Centre in Islington. We’ve teamed up with STA for the first time this year so it really is going to be bigger and better than ever, and you can get exclusive and unbeatable discounts on all sorts of tours around the world. Turn to page 27 for a sneaky preview on what to expect at the show.

I’ll see you there!

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Editor’s image by photsolutions.me

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THIS MONTH’S TOP PICKS REFUGEE BOY AT THE SOUTHBANK

CHINESE NEW YEAR PARTY February 5-11

February 11-13

Welcome in the Year of the Horse at The Drunken Monkey with celebrations including the traditional lion dance and an appearance by Chinese Elvis. Excellent.

Part of the Imagine Children’s Festival, this play follows the life of 14-yearold Alem who is stranded in London after an outbreak of civil war back home.

Times vary Shoreditch High Street, E1 6PJ Shoreditch High Street thedrunkenmonkey.co.uk

7.30pm Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX Waterloo southbankcentre.co.uk

FREE

£7.50+

FEBRUARY’S MUST-DO LUST AT KOKO February 15 Riding high on the success of last November’s Envy event, Lust is the next Seven Deadly Sins night, scheduled to coincide with St Valentine’s weekend.

Run by Housekeeping DJs the evening promises a spectacular production of theatricality and top tunes. £25

Seven Deadly Sins: Lust away at KOKO

11pm-5am Camden High Street, NW1 7JE koko.uk.com

Mornington Cresent

ALAIN DE BOTTON INTERVIEW

FLIRT LIKE A BOND GIRL

GEORGIAN BALL WITH BANQUET

PICK YOUR OWN NIGHT SAFARI

February 12

February 12

February 14

February 14

As part of the RGS’s ‘Discovering People’ season, which has seen interviewees such as Stephen Fry and Paul Theroux, BBC presenter Martine Croxall puts questions to best-selling author Alain de Botton in an attempt to uncover his philosophy of everyday life.

Pussy Galore, Honey Rider and Vesper Lynd – all Bond Girls who wielded their womanly charms and innuendo-filled names to great effect. This seminar draws inspiration from their techniques to show how anyone can get the man they want.

£35+ Here’s one for the romantics: don your most extravagant outfits for a night at the British Library. Baroque musicians and interactive performances accompany an epic banquet, while the ticket price includes entry to the new Georgians exhibition.

The Natural History Museum is putting on two very different tours for Valentine’s Day. The ‘Beautiful’ tour looks at life’s natural wonders, while the ‘Ugly’ tour, looks at its less blessed creatures. Tip: tell your sweetheart they come under the former category.

7pm-8.30pm Kensington Gore, SW7 2AR Knightsbridge rgs.org

7pm-9pm Archer Street, W1D 7AP Piccadilly Circus flirtology.co.uk

7.30pm Euston Road, NW1 2DB Euston bl.uk

7pm-10pm Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD South Kensington nhm.ac.uk

£7+

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LONDON’S BIGGEST FREE TRAVEL SHOW Business Design Centre Islington N1 0QH Saturday 1 March

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VODAFONE LONDON FASHION WEEKEND February 20-23

The weekend edition of London Fashion Week is open to Joe Public for a first-hand look at new British and international fashion trends. Pick up clothing from established and emerging designers, or even nab a coveted front-row seat for a glimpse of what could be in next season’s wardrobe.

Amanda Wakely and Julien MacDonald are just two of the big names with collections taking to the Somerset House catwalk. £20+

FF DEALS 1 DAY SHOW | 50% O ARS GIVEAWAYS | SEMIN ONLINE 1000 FREE TICKETS

Times vary The Strand, WC2R 1LA Temple londonfashionweekend.co.uk

LOVE IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM

BUG 41 AT THE BFI WITH DOC BROWN

February 14

February 28

It’s a well-known fact that they don’t do romance like they used to, so take a step back in time to Wartime Britain for some vintage inspiration.

Jitterbug away with the London Swing Dance Society and pen poetic love letters to your beau.

What do you get when you mix a selection of the hottest new music videos with an ex-battle rapper? Why, Bug 41, of course! Actor, comedian and recording artist Doc Brown keeps the seat warm for regular presenter Adam Buxton.

7pm-9pm King Charles Street, SW1A 2AQ Westminster iwm.org.uk

6.30pm and 8.45pm Belvedere Road, SE1 8XT Waterloo bfi.org.uk

Photos: Getty

£14+

£15+

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Story time: Ardal O’Hanlon treads the boards in The Weir

Laughter lines: Sarah Millican returns to the London stage

100BPM: An inventive date idea for Valentine’s day

COMEDY NIGHTS

EXHIBITIONS

THEATRE

SARAH MILLICAN’S HOME BIRD

100BPM

THE WEIR

FEBRUARY 28 / 6.30PM / £28.50

FEBRUARY 1-MARCH 16 / 12PM-6PM / Free

UNTIL APRIL 19 / 7.30PM / £10+

High-pitched Geordie Sarah Millican flies her ‘Home Bird’ show to the capital, with talk of domestic life and beloved ginger cat Chief Brody.

His first solo exhibition in London since 2008, British graphic artist Patrick Thomas’s work flaunts eye-catching bold heart ideograms.

London Hammersmith Apollo Queen Caroline Street, W6 9QH Hammersmith eventimapollo.com

Hang-Up Gallery Stoke Newington High Street, N16 7PB Rectory Road hanguppictures.com

Lonely locals tell their spooky tales to impress newcomer Valerie in this transfer of Josie Rourke’s perfectly cast revival of Conor McPherson’s award-winning 1997 drama.

TAKE THE MIKE

TIAN WEI

FEBRUARY 6 / 8PM / £5+

FEBRUARY 6-MARCH 29 / 12.30-5.30PM / Free

The monthly comedy club returns with a stellar crop of comedians, including Colin Manford (Jason’s younger brother) and Neil McFarlane.

The Bloomsbury gallery will be showcasing Tian Wei’s first UK solo exhibition, where English words are disguised as Chinese-esque characters.

Duchess of Cambridge Goldhawk Rd, W6 0XF Stamford Brook theduchessofcambridgepub.com

October Gallery Old Gloucester Street, WC1N 3AL Russell Square octobergallery.co.uk

WINE TASTING AND COMEDY NIGHT

FEBRUARY 13-MARCH 9 / 11AM-6.30PM / Free

IT JUST STOPPED

TV personality Ellie Taylor heads up a Valentine’s evening of mirth, preceded by a self-guided wine, spirits and champagne tasting experience.

A new and engaging exhibition from Rupert Newman, exploring the abstract via light installations, with sound design supplied by composer Sarah Warne.

UK premiere of Stephen Sewell’s allegorical play imagines what life would be like up on the 47th floor when everything just stops.

Vinopolis Bank End, SE1 9BU London Bridge vinopolis.co.uk

Cock N Bull Gallery Rivington Street, EC2A 3LX Old Street cocknbullgallery.com

FEBRUARY 14 / 4.30PM-11PM / £35

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TRIPPING THE LIGHT FANTASTIC

Wyndham’s Theatre Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0DA Leicester Square theweirlondon.co.uk

THE WHITE CARNATION UNTIL FEB 22 / 7.30PM / £20+

The sellout revival of R.C Sherriff’s supernatural drama moves to the West End where a wealthy businessman is forced to reassess his life.

Jermyn Street Theatre Jermyn Street, SW1Y 6ST Piccadilly Circus jermynstreettheatre.co.uk UNTIL MARCH 8 / 7.30PM / £14.50+

Orange Tree Theatre Clarence Street, TW9 2SA Richmond orangetreetheatre.co.uk

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CLUB NIGHTS

GIGS

NIGHT TRAIN

TAYLOR SWIFT

FEBRUARY 8 / 10PM-11AM / £20+

FEBRUARY 1-11 / 6.30PM / £30.50+

DJ giants Frankie ‘Godfather of House’ Knuckles and Lee Foss – credited with reinventing the genre of dance music for a modern audience – take to the decks for extended sets.

Love her or hate her, you can’t deny this country songstress has some seriously catchy tunes. Snap up tickets to see the American 24-year-old for when she rolls into London for five nights.

Egg London York Way, N7 9AP Caledonian Road & Barnsbury egglondon.net

VALENTINE’S TOGA PARTY FEBRUARY 14 / 6PM-2.30AM / £10 Climb out from beneath the sheets and, well, wrap them around you while embracing some of history’s greatest love stories. Toga attire is welcomed, while guests can tuck into limitededition Anthony and Cleopatra cocktail sharers.

BUNGA BUNGA Battersea Bridge Road, SW11 3BA Imperial Wharf bungabunga-london.com

LOVE GLOVE VALENTINE’S SPECIAL

WATCH THIS

The O2 Peninsula Square, SE10 0DX North Greenwich theo2.co.uk

LOS AMIGOS INVISIBLES FEBRUARY 7 / 11.30PM / £25

Over the last few years, these Venezuelan pop-rockers have bagged themselves a Latin Grammy, as well as multiple Grammy nominations. Now they’re back on European shores to promote their new album.

The Garage Highbury Crescent, N5 1RD Highbury & Islington mamacolive.com/thegarage

FEBRUARY 14 / 10PM / £5

DORIAN WOOD

A vinyl-only Valentine’s special with focus on everything from disco to acid. Sets are from

FEBRUARY 14 / 7:30PM / £20

LA artist Dorian Wood brings his emotionally

St Vincent: aka singer/songwriter Annie Clark resident Lovebox DJs Hot Blood, plus a ‘very special mystery guest’.

Photos: Getty

Canavan’s Peckham Pool Club Rye Lane, SE15 4NF Peckham Rye facebook.com/ CanavansPeckhamPoolClub

charged performances to a one-off London gig. Special performances come from the likes of Thomas Bresolin and Nicola Canavan.

Dalston Boys Club Boleyn Road, N16 8JG Dalston Kingsland guerrillazoo.com

ELECTRONIC LOCKDOWN

ST VINCENT

FEBRUARY 22 / 10.30PM-3AM / £5

FEBRUARY 20 / 7PM / £18.50

Part of the Vault Festival, which runs until March 8, the pop-up venue hidden beneath Waterloo Station features sets from London-based trio SolTek, while My Panda Shall Fly and Slugabed spin the decks in a second room.

Following on from her 2012 collaborative album with David Byrne, Annie Clark takes to the Brixton stage to perform her stage-nametitled new album.

The Vaults Leake Street, SE1 7NN Waterloo thevaultfestival.com

O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire Stockwell Road, SW9 9SL Shepherd’s Bush o2shepherdsbushempire.co.uk

SLUSH FESTS What better way to spend the good old feast of Saint Val than with a trip to the pictures with your object of interest? This year, Rooftop Film Club leads the way with three nights of romantic films. You can’t go too far wrong while watching the diminutive (but still incredibly attractive) Tom Cruise in Naval blockbuster Top Gun 1,000ft above Kensington High Street with a barbecue snack in one hand and a glass of your preferred tipple in the other. Not to be outdone, Prince Charles Cinema does a Valentine double, showing Audrey Hepburn’s classic Breakfast at TIffany’s, as well as a sing-a-long of Moulin Rouge (awesome singing voices not included). The Leicester Square cinema caters for those with an utter disdain for the day with a screening of anti-romance film My Bloody Valentine, where a Valentine’s Day bash goes awry thanks to a pesky killing spree.

Meanwhile, anyone who’s ever been forced to sit through a showing of Twilight can show their other half what a real vampire movie love story’s supposed to be like. The BFI hosts an exclusive preview of Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive, featuring Tom Hiddleston as a reclusive rockstar vampire in need of a haircut.

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YOURLONDON READER’S PIC OF THE MONTH

YOUR VIEW We ask our readers what they’ve been thinking about this month...

This month, I have been thinking about the worst dates that I’ve ever been on (or not been on as the case may be), and how, even as a 29-year-old woman, they still trouble me...

Our chum, we shall name her Purity to protect her identity, stayed over at our place in Norfolk where we had lashings of wine and cheese before heading to the local rub-a-dub-dub where we saw off a good quantity of wine and gin. Got back to our cottage very late and Purity was seen to bed in the ‘west wing’ (the oldest part of the house) by another friend, who was in a better condition. She came down in the morning and quizzed us as to what had happened to her on the way home. Had she fallen into any fences? Had she battled with any rakes? Had we fought her into bed? Of course the answer was no – she then showed us her wounds...Wooohhhhoooooooo!!!!

(TNT is guessing that’s supposed to be a ghostly sound effect). Karen Roseberry

STATUS UPDATE What’s been happening on Twitter this month...

We’ve been rubbing digital shoulders this week with highbrow politicians and the like, as Namik Tan, who is better known as the Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to the US, sent out a tweet promoting a very fine guide we wrote on Turkey. All the excitement went to our heads, we’re afraid, and we’re still waiting for our invite to the ambassador’s next party. Maybe a small box of round, nutty chocolates will help?

In other news, the TNT team were delighted when @elleellew agreed that Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham was hot stuff. ‘He is a very nice man, and easy on the eyes,’ @elleellew remarked sagely. If Lindsey happens to be reading this, TNT would like to request a signed still of him in the ‘Big Love’ music video. That’s not weird of us, right? Right?

Want to have your say or see your photo in print?

Email the online editor at vicky.anscombe@tntmagazine.com

UK Chauffeurdrive LTD Chauffeur driven for the price of a minicab!

To book call 020 8982 3630 or 07738 354490 E: wwcd@hotmail.co.uk www.Heathrowtransferuk.com 10

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Another young man of a similar ilk took me to Looney Tunes at The Dome in Tufnell Park and when ‘Pardon Me’ by Incubus came on, he said, “I just need to be alone for this song” and stood in the middle of the dancefloor, a fist over his heart, shaking his head in a rather worrying fashion.

I started seeing a brother of a school friend when I was 15, and upon arranging to meet at the cinema, I saw that he had not only brought a friend, but that they had spotted me, and they were running away.

He came back in the end after claiming he had been ‘nervous’ but the film was ruined for both of us, and I’m basically scarred for life. The dating game eh?

Jennifer Snell

SIGN UP NOW! Want TNT delivered to your inbox five days a week?

Of course you do! Visit tntmagazine.com to sign up and you can opt to receive any, or all, of the below: Monday: News & Sport – what’s happening in the world, plus all the big sports results and stories.

Tuesday: Jobs – whether you’re jobless and on the hunt, or just hate the place you’re at now, check out these job vacancies and TNT’s career advice.

Wednesday: Travel – We round-up the last-minute deals and travel news, as well as giving you an in-depth guide to our destination of the week.

Thursday: London Living – If you’ve just arrived or you’re planning your exit, this is your e-newsletter.

Friday: Entertainment – It’s the weekend! Woop! We tell you how to fill it, as well as the week ahead.

Photos: Supplied. Words: Vicky Anscombe

Airport transfer in a chauffeur driven Mercedes from London to Heathrow from only £39.

We are licensed by TFL, we specialise in airport transfer (Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, City airport and seaports).

All chauffeurs in suit & tie, complimentary newspaper and mineral water.

When I was 16, I met a boy at a Manic Street Preachers gig and was delighted when he asked me out. He picked a very precise spot near WHSmiths at Victoria Station to meet, and was a no show. Years later I discovered boys used this spot so they could see their unsuspecting dates in the cold light of day, and make their decision from the glass-fronted balcony of WHSmiths. Delightful.

MYLONDON TRYTHIS

LONDONINSIDER

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Musical Bingo Bingo has been the staple social outing for grannies the world over for many years now, and yet, in recent times, it’s taken London’s young, fun things by storm. So how do you make ‘two fat ladies’ appeal to the hipsters of the city? By swapping numbers with music, employing a crazy MC and getting joint winners to perform forfeits to win the prizes, apparently. This is what Musical Bingo has done, and it has created one of the most old-school fun nights in the city.

Feeling a little like I’d been transported into an ‘adultsonly’ area of a Butlins holiday camp, it didn’t take long for me to warm up to the MC who arrived in a shopping trolley and was dressed in a foil cape (to reflect the ‘space age’ theme of music for the first round, y’see). She soon had the crowd warmed up and ready to groove in their seats to the mixed-up tunes that you had to match with the songs on your bingo card.

It soon got even more interesting, though, as joint winners emerged from the crowds. Without enough amazing prizes to award everyone (we’re talking a multi-pack of Space Raiders and a trifle on ice here, so serious stuff), the contestants were brought onto the stage to fight for the prize in various ways: dance offs, trying to get an After Eight from their forehead to their mouth without using

their hands, and creating human pyramids – which all got inevitably funnier as the crowd got more and more drunk.

After a few rounds of bingo it’s time for an all-out party, all resulting in a seriously sore head at work the next day.

But it’s worth it for one of the more unique nights in the city.

Maybe those grannies are onto something after all...

By Caroline Garnar £8 per ticket, venue and dates vary. Next event is February 6 at Paradise,19 Kilburn Lane, Kensal Green musicalbingo.co.uk

MYLONDON When I want to chill out I... drink tea! I adore Yumchaa, a looseleaf tea brand that started life as a market stall in Camden and has grown to have four adorable little tea shops.

The most interesting person I’ve met in London is... A man called Phil, who owns a shed in the garden of the Wapping Project, complete with wood burner and mismatched furniture. He was very happy to offer samples of chocolates made by his beekeeper friend and to have a chat.

For when you’re hungover in London you can’t beat... A Bloody Mary. Bar Story, hidden under the railway arches of Peckham Rye station do one that is particularly hard to beat.

in Spitalfields, followed by a spot of record shopping in Brick Lane to pick up some bargains. Perhaps then a quick hop down to Bermondsey’s Spa Terminus market to pick up some goodies to make a tasty lunch, with maybe a film at Peckham Plex in the evening.

For Valentine’s Day I... Will be watching my boyfriend’s band play a gig somewhere in the wilds of Essex!

What I love most about London is... Despite how non-Londoners complain about how expensive London is, there is always such a wealth of free things to do.

Five words that sum up London are... Eccentric, foodie, colourful, homely, lively. thislittlehomeinpeckham.com facebook.com/ThisLittleHomeInPeckham

My favourite spot in London is... Nunhead Cemetary. This place is perfect for an afternoon wander, and once you get deep into the middle of the dense woodland it is really easy to forget you are in a city.

My perfect weekend would be... A leisurely breakfast at St John

ZOE SMITH BLOGGER AT THISLITTLEHOMEINPECKHAM.COM TNTMAGAZINE.COM

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XXXXXX

BITE SIZE

ROCK AND BOWL Taking XXXXX up residency inside the O2

Arena, Brooklyn Bowl brings a slice Xxxxxxxx of the Big Apple to its first outpost outside [web] the US. Not your usual 12-lane bowling alley, it features plush leather sofas, a stage for live music and disco XXXXX balls overhead. Meanwhile, hearty Xxxxxxxx American classics are prepared by Blue Ribbon [web] restaurant, including fried chicken and Cajun catfish. Let’s bowl!

XXXXX london.brooklynbowl.com Xxxxxxxx

DESSERTS WITH LOVE Great [web] British Bake Off winner John Whaite dons his apron once more to rustle up a range of desserts, from passion fruit meringue tartlet to a ‘Love Potion Number 9’ creation. Part of a three-course Valentine’s Day meal at the riverside Cutty Sark pub, oldwordly knick-knacks create an intimate setting for lovebirds. cuttysarkse10.co.uk

GAUCHO AFTERNOON TEA Argentine

The Argentines do two things very well: steak and the tango. But afternoon tea? Surely afternoon tea is reserved for the quintessentially English.

But, if you serve it in the Piccadilly branch of Gaucho, which has a heated outdoor terrace tucked away from, but still overlooking, the bustling Regent Street, Argentina and England seem like the perfect couple for a cuppa. Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday this year, but instead of squashing yourselves between doe-eyed couples on Friday night, we reckon you should venture out for an afternoon tea for two on Saturday. Plus, some of that Argentine passion could rub off on you...

THE GRUB You can opt for a cream tea, with scones, jam, cream and a selection of tea for £10 as well as buying individual patisseries for £4.95, but we recommend you go all out with the afternoon tea, which starts off with the warm and buttery scones before moving on to a two-tiered platter of sweet and savoury treats.

Classic British sarnies with a gourmet twist – smoked salmon, cucumber and cream cheese, and egg mayo, avocado and quail egg – are cheek to cheek with Argentinian specialities – a choripan, which is a sandwich of chorizo with chipotle chutney and sweet Romero pepper, and carpaccio and chimichurri nestled in a sweet brioche bun. Deliciously decadent. Then it’s on to not one, not two, but seven, yes seven desserts. At least this means there’s no fighting over who gets what as there is more than enough to share. Divvy up the chocolate profiterole, raspberry and custard eclair, alfajores biscuits, chocolate tartlet, Argentine chocolate cake, exotic fruit meringue and dulche de leche cheesecake, and you’ll soon be sweet for each other...

BEHIND THE BAR Choose from an aromatic selection of teas including lavender Earl Grey, jasmine silver needle and blood orange. You can also enjoy a glass of Bianchi sparkling wine for an extra £6 or Veuve Clicquot for £15.

BILL PLEASE Full afternoon tea is £30 per person.

VERDICT Romantic, more unique than dinner, and pretty damn delicious too.

THE SCENE

Photos: supplied

CHU ON THIS Aussies rejoice! Miss Chu – ‘the queen of rice paper rolls’ – is now feeding hungry mouths in London with its so tasty and yet so healthy food.

The Australian brand has recently launched a full menu in its tuckshop at 91 Whitechapel High Street. TNT was already a big fan and since the local branch opened we have sunk our teeth into tiger prawn and green mango rolls, steamed dumplings and beef and oxtail pho (Vietnamese noodle soup). Warming, delicious and free of food-guilt thanks to the fresh, mainly gluten-free ingredients. Miss Chu, it’s great to have you back. misschu.com.au

25 Swallow Street, W1B 4QR

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LiFestYLeMONEY LONDONDRINKS

how You spEnd iT

cash saVers THE SIGN OF THE DON BAR AND BISTRO

Dreams come brew keiSha herBert, 24 We all know that JoB Market researcher Upon stepping inside The Sign of the Don, I half expected the silhouetted pounding headache from FroM Leeds cloaked figure in the logo (the Don, we’d imagine) to lure us to the bar before too much cheap bubbly LiveS Bethnal Green disappearing down to the cellar with a sweep of his cloak.

Instead, we were the night before. Well greeted by your the super-friendly whimiscal place. this year dream of manager, who gave us a tour of this How do you budget?

Like stepping back in time, the warren of rooms across three floorsAfter includes a waking up hangover-free monthly expenses and can become a reality adding a bit to my savings, cellar, dating back more with than 200 years and originally belonging to the Sandeman 50% off a stellar bottle try to set family, a coved private dining area, a cosy bistro and, at the top, aIlow-lit barmyself a weekly of champagne. spending amount. It can be with walls coveredUsually in curved sherry barrel wood, a glass wall display of antique costing £29.75, difficult corkscrews and oldHeidsieck machinery parts used to lift and transport barrels from when the some weeks Blue Top is £15 a pop at companions. This place is somethingare busier than others, but Thames below as your dining special.

Asda. Or you can opt for a I always try to go with the BEHIND THE BAR The Sign of the Don specialises in sherry and port, as this is what the bottle of ‘I heart Prosecco’ cheapest options.

Sandeman brewed. This syrupy and potent liquid was perfect for warming for £9.99 family from Budgens, usTesco.com, up for dinner and, after make Rhythm & a whiskey cocktail or two, finishing us off Do to you haveusany tips for ready for bed.

Two words: delicious and drunk.

Booze or Londis. saving money in London?

is really good for getting discounts at restaurants.

THE SCENE

Last big blow-out?

I went to a second-hand clothes fair last month.

Instead of leaving with a few cheap bargains, I ended up spending a lot more money than I imagined! I spent the last week of that month on a very small budget.

What non-essential items do you spend money on?

Each month I get something new to refresh my wardrobe.

And if there’s a special occasion, that’s another excuse to hit the shops.

THE GRUB The bar menu is pub grub with a gourmet twist – quite literally I try towith takethe my own lunch a lobster Fighting into work tasty and chance bacon burger. Well presented and well cooked, which is justbut as I don’t always Theconsidering origins of you the will need to line your stomachs with gusto. manage that. A Taste Card well term ‘Boxing Day’ are BILL PLEASE Sandwiches and burgers from £7.50, sherry and port from £4. undecided, but we all VERDICT This place has a magical air to it – perfect for a blustery winter’s night.

Photos: supplied and Getty. Words: Rachael Getzels

know it’s due to the punches that are thrown 21 St Swithins Lane, EC4N 8AD as eager shoppers try to get the best deals on the first day of major nationwide sales. Oxford Street will be prime territory with up to 70% off all high street brands.

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The famous restaurant is offering 50% off its £55 set menu through December. Just try not to tussle with the professional outside, 3 OF THEpaps BEST waiting for a star spot.

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V-DAY TREATS

Bank

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Spend it like Beckham

You know when you buy a fancy new toy and don’t know where to keep it? David Beckham faced this conundrum when he bought a Miami football team for £16 million but couldn’t find a stadium for them. So he’s building one...

TEA FOR TWO First-date jitters? For some Dutch courage head to Bart’s London, where The Chelsea Rose sharing cocktail is served in a quirky teapot, fusing together the taste of Hendrick’s gin with berries, elderflower and cucumber. barts-london.com Beckham the big spender

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❚ Basketball team Chicago Sky never have a problem finding someone to sing the national anthem given HEART BAKER that former Destiny’s Child Bite-sized handcrafted member, Michelle Williams, cupcakes, diligently topped owns a share of the club. with iced hearts and soppy nothings are lovingly created ❚ Former basketball star Johnson was part of atMagic Hummingbird Bakery. a £1.2billion to buy the Award yourselfdeal bonus bankrupt LA Dodgers.

That’s girlfriend/boyfriend points if a hefty price a team with you manage tofor share these. no money. Sounds like he hummingbirdbakery.com may have missed a trick.

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CELEBINTERVIEW

Butler’s back And he’s had a change of heart about dicks. No he hasn’t come out, but he has come to a new way of thinking...

WORDS NINA BERTOK

They say the most effective way of treating a problem is by getting to the root of it and eliminating it from the inside out; John Butler of Australian indie-roots collective John Butler Trio completely agrees. Having spent the last 15 years cementing a reputation for strong social, political and environmental leanings through his music, Butler claims he’s come to learn a thing or two in the process – namely, that complaining about something only gets you so far. Taking a closer look at things and attempting to understand them first, however, is much more likely to lead to actual solutions.

“I’ve distanced myself from that very blunt sort of approach in my music,” Butler reveals. “You can get up on that stadium and talk about politics, the environment or whatever, but I’ve realised that can also start to seem to people as a bit pretentious and condescending. I’ve come to realise that talking about something more expansive and wide is a better way of looking at issues in the world. The other thing is, as you keep travelling down the road on your journey, you learn more about the path you’re taking, and I just didn’t want to keep writing the same song over and over again. Like, ‘Hey man, why are you ruining the world? You’re a dick!’ – I used to write songs like that back in the day, but there is only so much you can achieve with that approach. I’ve been about as poetic with that subject matter as I can be.”

With sixth album Flesh And Blood, Butler claims he is digging deeper under the layers of humanity and exploring what makes a person do certain things, rather than merely pointing out their faults and calling them out on their failings.

An intimate and raw affair, John Butler Trio’s new record comes as a result of some very important epiphanies.

“I’ve realised that it’s more important to ask why people do bad things in the first place instead of just criticising them when they do so,” the frontman says. “I’m less and less interested in just saying, ‘Oh, greedy people destroy society and the planet for their own needs and addictions’, and I’m a lot more interested in asking, ‘Well, why would human beings do that in the first place?’. Is it because they didn’t really get the love they needed growing up? Are they trying to fill a hole they could never fill through addiction to money? Maybe this politician is a dick because his dad didn’t treat him very well... I’d rather write a story about that because I think it’s more interesting, tangible and I think more people relate to that approach.”

It’s worked extremely well for fellow Australian artist Paul Kelly and American singer-songwriter Gillian Welch, both of whom have gone on to develop successful careers and loyal cult followings thanks to their raw and heartfelt lyrics. And while Butler is still very passionate about issues affecting Australian society, he claims he is now more focused on expressing his love for his country and concern about its future through poetry.

It feels like this is the “beginning for us ” “Just listen to Paul Kelly or Gillian Welch,” he suggests.

“The poetics and the songwriting there is just amazing. I can’t tell you how much I love the way these people can paint you a picture of this guy in jail over Christmas or something, but at the same time they’re really painting a much larger picture ››

Deep: John Butler Trio have been doing some thinking and have a new outlook on life TNTMAGAZINE.COM

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Newbie: Grant Gerathy (right) is JBT’s new drummer

about society and us as human beings. The more complex human stories are responsible for the reasons that we go to war, kill one another, commit fraud, violence, destroy the environment – you name it. With my songs, I would much rather start from the heart and work outward as opposed to starting from the bullet and working inward. For years and years I wrote songs the other way around.”

But it’s not all about war and destruction on Flesh And Blood – though the record delves into the darker side of human nature, it equally celebrates love, connectedness and the beautiful things in life. In a nutshell, it’s everything we’ve come to love about John Butler Trio, with the addition of more “open” lyrics, as well as the inclusion of a brand new group member.

“There is a lot of emotion on this record in general. There are songs inspired by things I’ve witnessed in my life, dealing with the positive things but also with experiencing depression.

As a human being, I’m definitely swayed by the subject of love and relationships, especially over the last 12 years because I’m married and I have a child. I’ve also worked with my brotherin-law [former drummer Nicky Bomba] for quite a while, so family has always been at the centre of my life.

“Nicky and I recorded three of my albums together but lately there has been a lot of momentum with his other band, Melbourne Ska Orchestra, and I’ve been watching that build over the last couple of years. Just before we kicked off Flesh And Blood, I told him it made no sense for him to concentrate on my band instead of his and I encouraged him to say ‘yes’ to all the opportunities that came his way.”

Meanwhile, Butler would take a metaphoric leap off the cliff and put faith and trust into the universe to take care of the next chapter of his own band. The universe was certainly listening because Butler landed on his feet quite nicely after coming into contact with drummer Grant Gerathy – a man he describes as the perfect fit for his band.

“Introducing Grant with all his funk and flavours to all our fans is a real thrill. I’m really looking forward to touring with him and doing this mighty European tour. I’m still 18

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taken aback that the audience continues to grow after 15 years. It’s incredible how passionate the fans are so far away out of Australia. In many ways, it feels like this is the beginning for us.”

Flesh and Blood by John Butler Trio hits shops February 3.

They are performing at Brixton Academy April 30. For tickets visit johnbutlertrio.seetickets.com

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Singletons, the countdown is on: here’s how to get yourself a date ready for Valentine’s Day and beyond...

WORDS CAROLINE GARNAR

You know those couples who just love to kiss on the escalator right in front of you? Times that by 100 and that’s how Valentine’s Day feels in London if you’re single. Tables for two, hearts and flowers, marriage proposals, blah blah blah. Even if all that stuff makes your toes curl, there’s no denying the love in the air come February 14.

If you’ve vowed not to spend another Valentine’s Day alone, you need to get out there and get yourself some dates under your belt (not literally, unless that’s all you want, of course). Luckily for you, there are plenty of ways to do this now, with online dating and singles events opening up a whole new world of ‘Hello stranger, fancy a drink?’.

Okay you may be a little late for this February 14 (asking someone you’ve just met out on a date on Valentine’s Day is 79% creepy), but when you’re just about to push that pashing couple down the escalator, you will be able to pause and think of that girl/guy you met online who liked your smile and collection of Star Wars figurines, and know that, next year, it could be you...

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR... FUN AND FLIRTATION The sites TINDER What makes it unique: It’s arguably the easiest and most addictive form of online dating. Swipe left if you don’t like the look of ’em, right if you do. It’s as simple as that.

Your profile: Sign in via Facebook and it will use your last four profile pictures (you can change these or upload more), your first name and age. You can add a line or two about yourself if you wish. Also, because it’s done through Facebook, you can see if you already have shared friends and interests with potential matches.

The best bit: It’s very private and the fact you can only message someone once you have both liked each other means you won’t get messages from people where the feeling isn’t, er, mutual, to put it politely.

The worst bit: It’s shallow. Based on looks, age and a few sentences alone, it’s perhaps not the best place to look for your soul mate.

The cost: Free gotinder.com

DOING SOMETHING What makes it unique: The focus of this site is the date idea. So even if you don’t spark with the person, you will hopefully at least enjoy the date. They arrange loads of cool events too.

Your profile: Select as many photos as you want, and share your name and area code. You can then choose to enter further details including your height, your job, and how boozy and active you are on a scale of one to nine. Rather than write a profile from scratch, you are asked to fill out a quirky form with questions such as, ‘If you were a biscuit what would you be?’ as well as being asked to tell your favourite joke and summarise your life in 4 ½ sentences.

Then comes the important bit: your date idea. You can come up with a new one whenever you wish to keep it interesting, and if you run out of inspiration, go to the ‘Date Ideas’ tab and steal a couple from there.

The best bit: It encourages people to actually meet, rather than just message back and forth indefinitely.

The worst bit: It shows when you log in and are online, plus people can see when you’ve looked at their profile: not good for people who are often bored at work or want to laugh at people’s pictures (not that anyone does that, we’re sure).

The cost: One month £29, three, £45, six, £65, a year £85.

TNT readers receive £10 off any plan by typing in the code ‘tntdating’. doingsomething.co.uk The events JUICY DATING What makes it unique: Rather than having a two-minute chat with each potential date in the room, you are led through exercises that encourage you to flirt and connect using movement, smell and touch. Think blindfolds, tickling each other with rose petals and feeding each other fruit.

The best bit: You don’t have to have the, ‘So, what do you do?’ chat 20 times over, and you get the chance to get up close and personal to anyone you’re attracted to.

The worst bit: You may also have to get up close and personal with someone you’re not attracted to. Awkward.

The cost: £25 single ticket, £40 for two, £60 for four.

See website for the next Juicy Dating event. ›› juicydating.org TNTMAGAZINE.COM

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Photos:Thinkstock

HAPPENING THIS MONTH ICE PARTY AT THE TOP OF THE SHARD What makes it unique: Er, it’s an ice party and it’s at the top of The Shard. Organised by Doingsomething.com, which has also held group date nights including ping-pong parties on top of the O2, pub yoga and a tour of London’s toilets (yep, seriously), the party will be held in an igloo on the 72nd floor of the iconic building, with vodka shots served in ice cups and “ice-themed music” (Vanilla Ice on loop, then?). Also, bring along a pair of woolly gloves and give one of them in; it will then be given to a random member of the opposite sex and you have to find it, meaning you’ve got a great ‘ice-breaker’, boom boom tish.

The best bit: Er, it’s an ice party and it’s at the top of The Shard. It’s also less intense than a speed-dating night as it’s basically just a cool (yep, another pun) party full of singletons.

The worst bit: You might get cold.

The cost: £30 February 12, 8pm doingsomething.com IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR... SOMETHING MORE SERIOUS The sites MY SINGLE FRIEND What makes it unique: You don’t write your profile, your mate does.

Your profile: Your friend does most of the work, which is great. Although be sure to choose carefully who writes it.

They need to have a good grasp of the English language, actually like you and, if they’re single, either be a member of the opposite sex or not as hot as you. You don’t want to lose your browsers to your mate do you? You can add a bit about yourself too, plus your info and as many pics as you want.

The best bit: Writing about yourself is like cutting your own hair – you could end up making yourself look really bad – so getting a mate to do it is great. Also, you can rope your single mates in and do it together.

The worst bit: Your crush could prefer your single mate...

The cost: One month £28, three £55, six £79. mysinglefriend.com LOVE STRUCK What makes it unique: Rather than asking you a bunch of questions, Lovestruck.com matches you based on

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PROFILE TIPS Photo: “Use two or three photos, not just one, and don’t just use mug shots – add context to your images,” says Matt Janes, founder of doingsomething.co.uk, adding, “Ask a woman for a second opinion on what your photos are saying about you.” Dating expert for eHarmony, Jenni Trent Hughes, agrees, “Have natural shots of yourself doing whatever you enjoy. Laughing with your friends, mountain climbing or eating cupcakes – anything that shows who you really are. Only use photos taken in the last year; it’s much better to show up and look better in person than just the opposite. It’s about putting across the person you are on a daily basis, not just on special occasions.”

What to say: For your basic information, Nana Wereko-Brobby who runs Social Concierge (socialconcierge.co.uk), a members’ dating, drinking and dining club in London, advises, “Make sure you fill in as much as possible. It gives a potential date more to work with, and a lot of people click off immediately if it looks like you can’t be bothered to complete the profile properly.”

For your main profile, experts agree it’s better to be specific than simply say, “I like going out, but also nights in on the sofa” – don’t we all?! eHarmony’s Trent Hughes suggest something like, “I am more likely to be found hiking in the Lake District than trawling the mall; dancing at Glastonbury than watching dancing on the telly.” Don’t be afraid to show your personality, and make it easy for people to know what to say if they want to get in touch with you. “The best profiles show a person’s sense of humour by including funny anecdotes or sarcasm,” says Lucy Reeves, co-founder of muddymatches.co.uk, which matches country-loving singletons. “Some people also find that a statement like, ‘I make the best brownies in the county’ works as it gives people the opportunity to say, ‘I think you’ll find that I make the best’ or to say ‘I love brownies, so that’s one tick already’.”

the kinds of people you’ve previously looked at and liked.

Your profile: You are encouraged to go a bit more indepth with your vital stats here to help with matches: eye colour, religion, income and style are all options, although you can opt for ‘would prefer not to say’. You then write about yourself and you can enter a witty one-liner and answer questions such as, ‘The celebrity I would compare myself to is...’ and ‘The last time I cried with laughter was...’. You can also suggest date ideas, which encourages people to meet up in real actual life.

The best bit: Searching for your type is easier as when you click on a profile, it suggests other people you might like too – like Amazon, but with people.

The worst bit: There are more restrictions for free members than with other sites. i.e. you can’t look at more than one photo and you aren’t told if someone ‘favourites’ you. It’s also pricier than most.

The cost: One month £39, three £65, six £99, one year £139.

Lovestruck.com The events WINE TASTING DATING What makes it unique: It combines wine tasting with a speed-dating night. Three ladies sit at each table and the men are each given two glasses of sample-size wine every 15 minutes to take to the next table. Tip for the dudes: try to be the first to get to the next table so you can offer your sample (the wine, we mean) to your favourite lady.

The best bit: You get to drink lots of wine, you learn something and it gives you something to talk about.

The worst bit: You might start slurring your words...

The cost: £39. See website for the next wine tasting event. grapevinesocial.com HAPPENING THIS MONTH SPEEDDATER VALENTINE’S PARTY What makes it unique: It’s a mash-up of classic dating nights: a lock and key party (you have to find the key that unlocks your lock or vice versa), a sweetheart match, where your love heart candy message will match another’s and you have to find it, an optional classic speed-dating area

MESSAGING TIPS What’s a good opener? First of all, says dating expert James Preece (jamespreece.co.uk), don’t be afraid to message first: “Be proactive. Don’t sit back and wait for the messages to come to you or you’ll only get contacted by the members nobody else wants. If you take control then you’ll boost your chances of meeting someone you are definitely interested in.”

As to what to say, he adds, “Try to avoid copying and pasting the same boring message over and over again. Keep it friendly, short and tell them why you think you’d be a good match. Asking them a question about something they wrote in their profile is a great way to start a conversation.”

Doingsomething’s Matt Janes advises against text speak and reminds you to check your spelling, while Social Concierge’s Nana Wereko-Brobby warns against emoticons: “There are over 300 emoticons in use today. Don’t use any of them. Not even ironically.”

Then what? “You don’t want to spend hours emailing back and forth,” says Preece. “ Instead, tell them you’d rather talk in person. You can do this after the third or fourth message, once you are both comfortable and in rapport.” Love Struck dating coach Hayley Quinn agrees, “Don’t get sucked into internet messaging back and forth with someone who won’t commit to meeting you in real life.”

If you don’t feel quite ready for a date, why not suggest a chat on the phone? “The phone is a much better medium for telling if you click than instant messaging, so get them off the chat and onto the phone quickly,” says Quinn.

And what should you do for the first date? “It’s a good idea to make the first meeting simple and potentially short,” says eHarmony’s Jenni Trent Hughes. “The proverbial ‘cup of coffee’ can’t be beaten. And if you click, then you can move on to somewhere else.”

and a photo wall where you can leave flirt messages to whoever you like the look of.

The best bit: You can try out lots of different ways of speed dating in one go!

The worst bit: If you’re a young ’un, the crowd may be a little old for you as it’s for 24-40-year-olds.

The cost: £24.95 including canapés.

February 15, 7pm speeddater.co.uk IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR... MARRIAGE AND BABIES The sites EHARMONY What makes it unique: eHarmony is more like an old-fashioned match-making service. You have to rate yourself against a crap-load of traits, statements, emotions, skills and interests as well as rate what you are like in a relationship, and they match you with people who have complementary answers.

Your profile: It’s a biggy. You’ve got three pages on which to share your innermost thoughts. From the one thing you are most passionate about to whether you want kids or not, and from your three best life skills to how your friends would describe you in five words.

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The best bit: If you’re not up for time wasters, this is the site for you. Only those seriously committed to the idea of finding ‘the one’ would sign up to eHarmony, and you can find out most deal-breakers or makers just by looking at their profile. Also, eHarmony’s available in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, so you can search for your future husband or wife back home too.

The worst bit: The questionnaires are intense, and pretty tricky to answer at times. Also you can’t see any photos until you’ve signed up – and it’s pricey.

The cost: One month £44.95, six £115, one year £120, two years £190. eharmony.co.uk The events EYE GAZING PARTY What makes it unique: You don’t speak, you just gaze into each other’s eyes. For two whole minutes.

There’s a social mixer afterwards so you can chat to anyone you felt a ‘connection’ with.

The best bit: It’s a great self-esteem exercise as you have to really step outside your comfort zone.

The worst bit: If you’re a shy type, it’s awkward as hell.

The cost: £10. See website for the next eye gazing event. meetup.com/EyeGazing DATING IN THE DARK What makes it unique: Quite the opposite to the above, you will have dinner with your date in the pitch black, getting to know each other without judging on looks, before being revealed to each other by candlelight over dessert.

The best bit: You don’t need to worry about getting spinach stuck in your teeth.

The worst bit: You find out that person you clicked with isn’t your type... or anyone else’s for that matter.

The cost: TBC, but tickets will include a five-course meal and wine. Email info@originaldating.com to register your interest.

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HOW TO IMPRESS A SPEED DATE Nana Wereko-Brobby, director at Social Concierge (socialconcierge.co.uk), a members’ dating, drinking and dining club in London, shares how to make those precious minutes count….

“The best thing to do is act like you’re happy to be there and treat it like a game. Once you sit down, pipe up a confident ‘hello’ and stick out your hand.

“Instead of asking what their hobbies are, ask a more specific question about what they’ve been up to during the week, which should help give you a clearer snapshot of their life. Once you’ve asked them a few things, pause for silence. You want to know that they’re interested in finding out about you to.

“If the chat went well, give them your card. It’s more direct than waiting around for the mingling after, and less embarrassing than logging on to a website after the event, when your memory may fail you.”

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WIN A LIMITED-EDITION RÉMY MARTIN VSOP BOTTLE DESIGNED BY ROBIN THICKE! TNT is giving one lucky reader the chance to win a limited-edition Rémy Martin VSOP bottle designed

by Robin Thicke.

To mark his second anniversary as Rémy Martin’s Global Ambassador, Robin has injected his bold and extravagant musical styling into the iconic VSOP bottle by transforming it with a limited-edition bold red wrap, hand-drawn musical motifs and his signature. And if that’s not enough, the winner will also receive dinner for two at a top London restaurant, a Rémy Martin cocktail gift set and a signed CD from the man himself!

The bottle is available for purchase at Selfridges stores across the UK for a limited time only (RRP: £44.99) Competition start date: February 1, 2014. Competition draw date: February 28, 2014. Prize must be redeemed by Monday March 31, 2014. See our website for t&c’s.

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Waitangi Pub Crawl There’s nothing like celebrating New Zealand’s National Day with a great big piss up.

Founder of Kiwis in London and Waitangi Pub Crawl stalwart, Clint Heine, tells us what to expect INTERVIEW CAROLINE GARNAR What is the Waitangi Pub Crawl in honour of?

The crawl is to commemorate and celebrate New Zealand’s National Day, know as Waitangi Day. The Treaty of Waitangi was signed on February 6, 1840. The Treaty made New Zealand a part of the British Empire, guaranteed Maori rights to their land and gave Maori the rights of British subjects. The pub crawl is always held on the closest Saturday to Waitangi Day. What are the orders of the day?

The crawl kicks off at 10am at the Pride of Paddington (W2 3BP) and follows the Circle Line down to Westminster for the Haka dance at 4pm. Many other Kiwis meet up along the route – Notting Hill Gate is always a popular meeting point for those not out of bed before 10am!

Why the Circle Line?

I have no idea why the Circle Line was chosen, but in the good-old days many Kiwis attempted and conquered the entire line. The math is simple: 36 stations = 36 pubs! However these days we mainly do the Paddington to Westminster route.

What sort of numbers have joined the crawl in previous years?

Much of this comes down to the weather.

I have participated in them all since 2004 and have seen numbers go from 4,000 to easily 10-11,000 strong.

Any funny stories from past crawls you care to share?

Every year there are the usual stories of general tomfoolery. I have seen a few streakers, the usual Bayswater cricket game where the police have been known to field, as well as some hilarious costumes.

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How do people generally respond to a mass of drunk Kiwis on the streets and, potentially even worse, on the tube?

Positively. The police advertise the event to all the shops along the route and we have a good relationship with them and TFL. Members of the public are left alone and we do our best to make sure they get right of passage on public walkways – although it does get crazy at Notting Hill Gate. The police said on TV last year that they’d rather thousands of drunk Kiwis on the streets than a hundred drunk English.

Do the bars know you’re coming and do they have any special drinks deals?

Every year we try to inform the pubs and

whenever we call them they are pretty well aware of the event and wish us well. Considering the numbers coming in, most do not put on specials for us until the after parties.

What other events does Kiwis in London like to get involved with?

Kiwis in London runs all sorts of events throughout the year. We have our monthly drinks that get more than 350 people attend each month. We also get behind music events such as Homelanz, and we host a killer Christmas party!

Our social page (facebook.com/LondonKiwis) organises groups to see shows, go on go-karting trips as well as ‘new to London’ meet ups and other smaller-scale events. We have got Kiwis (and Ozzies) covered!

The Waitangi Pub Crawl 2014 will be held on Saturday February 8. Kiwis in London will be at the after party at Old Speights Bar, known as Daly’s Wine Bar, where there will be cheap Kiwi beers, live Kiwi music and Kiwi food until very late.

Photos: Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Photo: Facebook

What’s the atmosphere like?

Awesome. There is no other way to put it.

Normally you’d be wondering how so many of us can drink and still be well behaved on a day like this, but the atmosphere is 99% brilliant and you find many locals getting caught up in it and wondering why they don’t have a National Day like ours!

So is fancy dress encouraged? What kind of outfits go down well?

Most people make an effort, either big or small.

We have seen the usual sheep, farmers, Kiwi icons, All Blacks... in the last couple of years we’ve seen a bunch of guys dress up in virtually nothing but whipped cream and kiwifruit!

LONDON’S BIGGEST FREE TRAVEL SHOW Saturday 1st March

EL powered by STA TRAV

Registration now open for myTNT VIP’s tntmagazine.com/vip

S R A N I M E S | S Y A W PRIZE GIVEA S L A E D L E V A R T MASSIVE Business Design Centre Islington N1 0QH

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That’s this year’s travel sorted Love to travel? Love to save money? Then you will love the STA/TNT Travel Show. It’s as simple as that The TNT Travel Show is London’s biggest free travel show.

Plus, this year we have teamed up with the world’s largest student and youth travel firm, STA, so it really will be bigger and better than ever.

So what can you expect? Well there will be ludicrously cheap deals from renowned travel companies, with some slashing their trip prices by 50%; there will be massive giveaways every hour (a sailing trip worth £550 over here please); travel essentials (money exchange, visa, insurance and shipping companies); and expert speakers who will be sharing their tips on how to write travel blogs, take awesome travel photographs, save money and travel safely. Oh, and there’s beer. Lots of beer.

Put simply, it’s everything you need to get your travel sorted for 2014. Bring your wallet as you will not just be looking, you’ll be booking. Don’t worry if you can’t afford it 28

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right now though: at many stands you can secure your dream holiday with just a £10 deposit.

The STA/TNT Travel Show is taking place on March 1 at the Business Design Centre in London. We are offering free tickets to the first 5000 people to register. Visit tnttravelshow.com to register and for more information.

The giveaways A lot of our exhibitors will be running exclusive competitions at their stands to win selected tours. Plus, at TNT’s Lucky Dip stand, you just need to fill in a form, take a dip and you could win one of these awesome prizes....

• A nine-day Felucca Odyssey Tour in Egypt with Travel Talk, worth £339. This trip is also up for bids at the TNT Auction.

traveltalktours.com • A sailing trip in Greece with Med Sailors, worth £520. This

trip is also up for bids at the TNT Auction. medsailors.com • Day trips to Oxford, Stratford-Upon-Avon and the Cotswolds with Anderson Tours, worth £55 each. Other Anderson Tours trip is up for bids at the TNT Auction. andersontours.co.uk

• A freestyle Europe Travel Flexi Trip with Busabout, worth £389. This trip is also up for bids at the TNT Auction. busabout.com

• An iPad mini, donated by 1st Contact. 1stcontact.com • A tea carton shipped to a destination of your choice with 1st Contact. 1stcontact.com There are loads more to be confirmed. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @tnttravelshow – we’ll be re-tweeting any exhibitor prizes as they emerge.

The TNT Travel Auction At the TNT Travel Auction some awesome items and trips will be up for bids, with all proceeds going to charity. So far the lots up for grabs include: • Two tickets for DGTL Festival in Amsterdam on April 19 and 20, 2014, worth €85 (£70) each. dgtlfestival.com

• A range of Unit Portables travel bags including a shoulder bag worth £60, an overnight bag worth £80 and a backpack worth £70. unitportables.com • Day trips to Windsor, Stonehenge and Salisbury with Anderson Tours, worth £65 each. Other Anderson Tours trip is up for grabs at TNT’s Lucky Dip stand.

andersontours.co.uk • A nine-day Felucca Odyssey Tour in Egypt with Travel Talk, worth £339. This trip is also up for grabs at TNT’s Lucky Dip stand. traveltalktours.com • A sailing trip in Greece with Med Sailors, worth £520.

This trip is also up for grabs at TNT’s Lucky Dip stand. medsailors.com

• A freestyle Europe Travel Flexi Trip with Busabout, worth £389. This trip is also up for grabs at TNT’s Lucky Dip stand. busabout.com There are loads more to be confirmed. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @tnttravelshow – we’ll be re-tweeting any exhibitor auction donations as they emerge.

tnttravelshow.com

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TRAVELSHOW The travel seminars Whether you need tips on how to survive on a shoestring or fancy yourself as the next big travel photographer, we have an exciting programme of speakers who are sure to inspire you. A new talk will begin each hour in the TNT Seminar Room, and STA will be bringing in some big names on the day. See tnttravelshow.com for the full schedule. Here’s a sample of what you can learn...

HOW TO... TAKE AMAZING TRAVEL PICS Nigel Wilson runs photography workshops on learning to use your SLR (properly!), taking night shots and travel photography. TNT has attended one of Nigel’s courses and can highly recommend it. He will change the way you capture images forever. photographycourses.org.uk At Nigel’s seminar you will learn...

• How to ‘make’ a photograph instead of just ‘taking’ one.

• Understanding the transformative power of light.

• The big three questions you should always be asking.

• How to ‘work’ a subject.

• How to avoid common travel photography mistakes.

HOW TO... WRITE A TRAVEL BLOG Zoë Dawes has been a travel blogger for many years. In 2011 she won ‘Britain’s Best Travel Blogger’ and she is a regular contributor for Visit Britain and Laterooms.com. She regularly gives talks on all aspects of blogging in the UK and overseas. She is tailoring her talk for beginners who want to keep an online travel journal to share with family and friends back home. thequirkytraveller.com In her talk Zoë will share...

• How to identify key elements to create a successful travel blog.

• How to identify your own blogging ‘voice’.

• How to tell a story and engage your audience.

• Top tips on using social media to share your message.

• Travel blogging dos and don’ts.

HOW TO... SURVIVE A CRAZY FESTIVAL Nic Cooper, known as ‘Coops’, is from Radical Travel, which owns Busabout, HAGGiS Adventures and Shamrocker.

Covering Europe’s top festivals, Coops is a seasoned pro and is at the TNT Travel Show to bestow his infinite wisdom on surviving a festival. Although some dangers, it appears, can’t be avoided: Coops tells us he once got a black eye at La Tomatina after being hit in the face by, wait for it.... a carrot. radicaltravel.com Coops will cover...

• The need-to-knows about the craziest festivals in Europe, including Pamplona, La Tomatina and Oktoberfest.

• The dos and don’ts on how to behave, as well as safety and local customs.

• Tips to get you through from opening day to the closing festival – particularly for epic fests such as Oktoberfest, which involves 16 days of solid drinking.

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HOW TO... SAVE MONEY ON YOUR TRAVELS Jared Jesner is the co-founder for WeSwap, a currency exchange site which enables travellers to swap currencies with each other, offering a better rate than if you bought it from a bank, at the airport, or put it on your card. An experienced traveller, Jared will also be sharing his other top money-saving tips.

Jared’s talk will cover...

• Remembering to pack your bag properly. Recent research

by WeSwap revealed that British holidaymakers have racked up a bill of more than £158.2 million in unnecessary card charges this year just from buying replacement items forgotten in the last-minute packing rush.

• How to budget your money wisely and realistically to avoid extra costs while travelling.

• Why you should get a Prepaid card, which you can top up, rather than use a credit or debit card.

• The importance of negotiating and comparing prices abroad – it ain’t play money y’know!

• How, if you find a friend abroad to exchange cash with, WeSwap won’t charge you any fees to simply swap your currencies online.

The exclusive deals These exhibitors have confirmed their ridiculously good offers exclusive to the STA/TNT Travel Show. There are loads more to be confirmed, and many are just revealing them on the day. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @tnttravelshow – we’ll be re-tweeting any exhibitor offers as they emerge.

1ST CONTACT Whether you’re opening a bank account, transferring money, applying for a visa, claiming a tax refund or shipping goods overseas, 1st Contact has got you covered. The company takes care of all your admin, letting you focus on the best bit: the fun stuff. At the Travel Show 1st Contact will be offering free international money transfers, a 9% reduced fee on tax refunds – the lowest in the market for TNT show visitors only – and a double discount deal on its tax refund and shipping service. 1stcontact.com CONTIKI Offering its biggest ever deals at the show, you can get exclusive discounts on more than 250 tours for 18-35-yearolds at Contiki’s stand. Offering lots of month-long crosscontinent tours, you can save up to 30% on its summer tours around Europe, Asia, USA and Latin America, as well as on its festival trips. contiki.com ENCOUNTERS TRAVEL You can get up to 50% off Encounters Travel tours at the show. Great for far-flung destinations, the company covers Africa and South America as well as Asia and the Middle East.

For the short-of-cash, it offers shoestring tours to Thailand,

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✔ Pamplona’s CLOSEST camp – Ezcaba ✔ Music, dancing, sangria, top facilities at our party camp ✔ Shuttles, breakfasts, t-shirts, exclusive parties & excursions ✔ 5, 6 or 7 day tours from just £279. BBK from £339. ✔ Bilbao BBK live/Pamps packages from £319 ✔ Accom packages from just £40 per night. ✔ Closing ceremony accom only specials now on sale ING OF THE ✔ Flying and transfer options THE BEST RUNN ARS! FOR BULLS TOURS

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TRAVELSHOW India and Nepal, with most expenses covered upfront, plus every booking contributes to worthwhile local projects. encounterstravel.com EXPAT EXPLORE This company is offering some seriously cool flash sales. Book your place on a seven-day European tour from £99, a one-day Christmas market trip for £1 or a 10-day tour of Turkey for £99, worth £535. First come first served and full payment is needed. If you miss out on these, you can still save 15% with a £10 deposit for European tours, or get up to 40% off Turkey tours with a 10% deposit. expatexplore.com MED SAILORS Take to the seas with Med Sailors and enjoy an exclusive 10% discount off sailing holidays in Croatia, Greece and Turkey. medsailors.com OASIS OVERLAND Among other offers, Oasis Overland is offering 20% off its new trips, launched to coincide with Anzac Day this April.

The 14-day London to Istanbul Trans Europe trip, the eightday tour of Western Turkey and the 21-day trip combining the two will all include Anzac Day at Gallipoli and the dawn service. It will also be offering a free spot on the 14-day tour to one lucky winner. oasisoverland.co.uk SPACESHIP RENTALS Be the first to view the brand-spanking new Volkswagen camping car as well as one of the Berta two-berth campervans at Spaceship Rentals’ stand. These newborns need names, and so the company is offering a three-day hire as a prize for the best one. Get your thinking caps on! spaceshipsrentals.co.uk STOKE TRAVEL Stoke Travel is perfectly suited to open-minded travellers, weirdos, villains and vagabonds from all corners of the globe, and provides cheap and frickin’ fun activities for travellers aged 18-40. Visit its stand and chances are the crew will be a little tipsy and only too happy to give you a TNT special of 2 for 1 on any Rolling Circus or Surf Camp San Sebastian purchase, plus if you sign up to take the plunge on any Stoke trip, they will give you a special TNT Show deal of free unlimited beer and sangria on any trip. stoketravel.com TRAVEL TALK TOURS This adventure tour company will be offering up to 50% off tours booked on the day with only a £10 deposit needed.

Offering specialised group tours for 18-39-year-olds across the Middle East, Europe and Mediterranean, particular highlights include the festival trips, which cover Anzac Day, La Tomatina and Oktoberfest, while the Croatia and Greece sailing tours offer sun and sea worshippers the ideal trip. traveltalktours.com 36

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Who else will be there?

These exhibitors will also be at the show, offering exclusive deals and competitions across the board...

ABSOLUTE AFRICA The Absolute Africa team has more than 30 years’ experience, having travelled solely in Africa since the late 1970s. Some of the activities they offer include tours of all the big game parks plus rhino or gorilla trekking, as well as trips out to Zanzibar Island and Kilimanjaro, the ‘roof of Africa’. absoluteafrica.com ACTIVITY YACHTING HOLIDAYS Activity Yachting specialises in sailing holidays across various Mediterranean hotspots, with hubs in Croatia and Turkey.

The Learn to Sail masterclass is a great way for beginners to get a skippering qualification, and is suitable for singles, couples or groups, with other options for everyone from novices to experienced sailors. activityyachting.com

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ANGLO PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL The UK’s largest international removals and shipping company, Anglo Pacific handles everything from cars to cutlery, ensuring belongings arrive safely at their destinations across the globe. The company sure has a lot of practice, with more than 30 years’ experience to its name. anglopacific.co.uk BACKPAX PUBLICATIONS A familiar sight in hostels across the UK, Backpax magazine is a pocket-sized free publication giving information about budget travel in Great Britain. Its website also publishes special offers, ideas on where to visit next and interviews with backpackers. backpaxmag.com CLINK HOSTELS A young, dynamic company, Clink Hostels is called as such because its flagship hostel is set in a 200-year-old courthouse.

Set in the heart of King’s Cross, it sleeps 500 guests and has an awesome basement bar. It also has a smaller sister property, Clink261, down the road. clinkhostels.com BUSABOUT A hop-on hop-off coach travel network designed exclusively for the independent and budget-conscience traveller, covering 34 destinations in nine countries. The Busabout Adventures and Festivals cover highlights across Europe, be it Italy and Spain, exploring Eastern Europe and North Africa or partying at Europe’s most famous festivals such as Pamplona and Oktoberfest. busabout.com THE DRAGON TRIP Provides backpacker tours and volunteer trips in China. Its Shanghai-based team are the true China specialists, and they

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TRAVELSHOW aim to provide the safest, most affordable and most fun experiences in the Real China. thedragontrip.com EARTHBOUND EXPEDITIONS Earthbound Expeditions specialises in South-East Asia travel, with more than 100 tours and treks available for travellers visiting countries including Nepal, Tibet, India, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. Charity treks can be arranged, as well as luxury travel experiences. The company also focuses on responsible travel in order to encourage respect for local cultures and the environment. enepaltrekking.co.uk EUROPE’S FAMOUS HOSTELS Europe’s Famous Hostels is an association of individually owned, independent hostels. The association was founded in 1995 and today includes 44 hostels, both in Europe and beyond. The stylish site provides inspiration for those deciding where to make their new dream destination, as well as special offers for those on a budget. famoushostels.com EXPLORE WORLDWIDE Small group adventure holidays, walking and trekking tours and polar voyages – all these and more are offered by Explore Worldwide, which offers more than 500 tours across 120 countries and all seven continents. Trips are available for both individuals and families, with tailor-made adventures for those wanting to get off the beaten track. explore.co.uk FANATICS This company is the one to go to if you want to join the party – wherever in the world it may be happening: from sports events, including the big games in football, rugby, cricket and tennis, to festivals such as Hogmany, the running of the bulls and Palio Siena. At the travel show Fanatics is offering exclusive deals across its summer festivals and tours. thefanatics.com HOAX HOSTEL HOAX, Liverpool’s first boutique five-star hostel, can be found in the heart of the lively Cavern quarter. Free continental breakfast, a secure 24-hour reception and free wi-fi are just some of the features making it so popular with travellers of all ages. Smaller dorms and private rooms are also available, all equipped with an en-suite. At the show, HOAX will be offering funky technology goody giveaways. hoaxliverpool.com ITALY ON A BUDGET TOURS Operating since 2007 from its Florence base, Italy on a Budget Tours offers events, day trips, tours and short breaks for students, solo travellers, backpackers and travellers on a budget and willing to learn, taste and see what the territory has to offer. Destinations include Tuscany, Cinque Terra, Rome and the Amalfi Coast. italyonabudgettours.com/en

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MACBACKPACKERS MacBackpackers has been running fun-filled, fully guided adventures around the Highlands of Scotland for more than 15 years. Aimed at young independent travellers aged between 18 and 35, the tours give an entertaining, informative and utterly unique view of Scotland. macbackpackers.com MED EXPERIENCE Experts on all things Mediterranean, the Med Experience organises trips for travellers interested in getting the most out of the region. Trips include a road trip through Bosnia, a cruise along the Croatian coast in a yacht flotilla, and a hop between Europe’s best electronic festivals. medexperience.com NOTTING HILL HOUSING Find a new home as well as your next holiday! Founded in 1963 as a response to severe poverty in West London, today Notting Hill Housing aims to provide affordable housing to a diverse range of customers. It has recently built new homes across the capital, from Barnet to Hammersmith, and has ambitious plans to build 1,200 more every year. nottinghillhousing.org.uk PADDYWAGON Paddywagon delights in showing guests the true Irish experience, from relaxing day trips in a green Mercedes, to week-long tours of the country. It was voted the ‘most fun tour company in the world’ by 900,000 Hostelworld travellers, and named ‘Best UK and Ireland tour operator’ at the TNT Golden Backpack Awards in 2011. paddywagontours.com PERSONAL SHIPPING SERVICES If you’re planning on leaving on a jet plane – and not returning – we doubt you’ll be able to cram all you’ve collected over the years into one suitcase. PSS International Removals is here to help shift all your gear back to where you came from safe and sound, and it specialises in moves to Australia and New Zealand. pssremovals.com PLUS HOSTELS PLUS Hostels offers budget accommodation across Europe.

Not your average hostels, PLUS sets the standard when it comes to facilities, boasting swimming pools, saunas, bars and restaurants, plus free wi-fi and private bathrooms in every room. The company was named best hostel chain in Eastern Europe by TNT readers in 2012. plushostels.com PROSPERO TEACHING Prospero Teaching is a well-established education recruitment company which has, since 2000, provided teachers with day-to-day, long-term and permanent work in

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Save on europe

3 WAYS TO GO Camping

Concept

Stretch your budget even further by sleeping under the stars in spacious tents complete with air mattresses.

We stay in some of Europe’s best campsites, with hot breakfasts served daily by our on road cooks.

from £52 per day

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Our mid-range option, Concept tours are all about clean, comfortable accommodation with all the facilities you’d need. You can even stay at our French Chateau as part of our Special Stopovers.

from £72 per day

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This is all about keeping it comfy every day you travel. Our hotels have excellent facilities and are well located.

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TRAVELSHOW schools across London and the UK. Last year it opened offices in Cardiff and Bristol, with another soon to be opening in Australia. prosperoteaching.com RADICAL TRAVEL A trio of fun and young tour companies make up Radical Travel: HAGGiS Adventures, Busabout and Shamrocker Adventures. The collective companies offer group and tailormade budget tours across Scotland, Ireland and the rest of Europe ensuring travellers don’t have to scrimp on culture and fun experiences. radicaltravel.com SCANBALT EXPERIENCE Scanbalt is a tour operator focusing on Scandinavia and the Eastern Europe region. Its tours are designed for adventurous people who appreciate independence, flexibility and time both on and off the beaten track. As well as more traditional tours to the Mediterranean and Ireland, travellers can also explore Lapland by dog-sled or snowmobile. scanbaltexperience.com SMART CITY HOSTELS Located just off the Royal Mile in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town, Smart City Hostels redefines the hostel experience.

With all of the city’s lively night scene on its doorstep, the award-winning five-star hostel has its own facilities including a bar and fully licensed restaurant, plus open mic and quiz nights to get travellers mingling. In this spirit, the team will be giving away bags, lighters and condoms at its stand. smartcityhostels.com

TOPDECK Topdeck’s passion is providing young explorers with unforgettable, hassle-free travel experiences across the globe. Founded 40 years ago after a young Aussie vet took the first group of Topdeckers from London to Morocco in a retired London double decker bus, it’s still going strong. topdeck.travel TREK AMERICA Trek America specialises in tours across North and Central America, as well as Canada. Mini adventures, budget lodging tours, camping and grand American trips are all catered for.

Travellers can explore the States in just three weeks – or even over an epic 80-day adventure! trekamerica.co.uk VODKATRAIN Vodkatrain provides accommodation, transport and transfers for those wanting to explore everywhere from Russia through to Kazakhstan and Vietnam. Vodkatrain is all about freedom and flexibility so everyone can decide what they want to see, eat and experience on their journey, paying local prices along the way. vodkatrain.com WICKED CAMPERS Wicked Campers lets travellers explore the world in the best way possible – via campervan! The van’s exterior is spraypainted in graffiti, so you’ll never lose it in a car park. The company has hubs in the UK, Italy, Germany, Spain and Amsterdam. wickedcampers.co.uk

SMART TEACHERS Located in Covent Garden, Smart Teachers is a boutique recruitment agency for teachers in the south-east, helping match staff to daily supply, long-term or permanent teaching roles. It also has offices across Australia, New Zealand and Canada, and provides help to newly qualified teachers, special needs and support staff. smartteachers.co.uk STA TRAVEL STA is the world’s largest travel company for students and young people, with special offers on flights, accommodation and trips all up for grabs. Founded in the ’70s, STA has since become a formidable name in the world of travel, making it a go-to for first timers and experienced travellers looking for destination inspiration. STA has joined forces with TNT this year for its travel show so expect some seriously amazing deals and offers. statravel.co.uk SUNDOWNERS OVERLAND With a focus on overland travel around Asia, Sundowners Overland offers trips around Mongolia, India and the famous Silk Road. Wanderlust addicts can take part in private or group guided tours, or go all out with a luxury journey. sundownersoverland.com 40

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NEED-TO-KNOW INFO The STA/TNT Travel Show is taking place on March 1, 2014, 9.30am–5.30pm, at the Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, Islington, London, N1 0QH. Be one of 5,000 to register at tnttravelshow.com to get in for free, otherwise it’s £2.50 for a fast-track ticket, which enters you into a draw to win a year’s free membership with myTNT, worth £50. Regular tickets are £2.50 on the door.

For £15, you can get a VIP ticket which gets you fasttrack entry and a VIP goody bag. tnttravelshow.com

THE VodkatraIn

sEE us at tHE TNT TravEl SHow FOR SOME GREAT EXPO SPECIALS!

St. Petersburg to Beijing

The classic Trans Mongolian journey. Experience three countries and travel over 8000km.

21 DAYS

8,515KM

£1,990

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• Travellers 18 to 35 years old • Pay local prices along the way • 12-43 day journeys

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• Visit unique destinations • Freedom and independence • Travel with the locals

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Email us today for a brochure: brochures@vodkatrain.com Be inspired by pictures, videos and reviews from our travellers: facebook.com/vodkatraintravel

Tours, day trips and festivals!

28 FEB

SkandaValeTemple

Disneyland Paris

19 JUNE

Ladies Day Ascot

Alton Towers

SKANDA VALE DAY TRIP from London to Carmarthen Wales (Skanda Vale Temple). This tour takes us to a beautiful Skande Vale Temple otherwise known as The Community of the Many Names of God located in the remote valley of Llanpumsaint Mountain, Carmarthen. West Wales.

DISNEYLAND PARIS – Eurodisney by coach - What can we say about Phoenix Tours’ convenient and fantastic value coach trips to Disneyland Paris that haven’t been said a hundred times before by delighted customers? Be thrilled by Mickey, Donald, Goofy and all the cast on a magical experience that will linger in the mind long after you’ve returned from a memorable trip to Disneyland by coach. Coach trips to Eurodisney at Disneyland Paris are the perfect treat for all ages. Relax on Phoenix Tours’ coach trips to Disneyland and watch out for our special deals to Eurodisney Paris, which are advertised only on this website. Keep checking back for the best deals.

LADIES DAY ASCOT - Want an excuse to don your gladdest rags? Book a Ladies Day tour with us! The Royal Meeting is a week long event combining tradition, with unmatched horse racing. The Gold Cup meeting - ‘Ladies Day’ is one of our most popular tours.

ALTON TOWERS - Phoenix Tours’ coach trips to Alton Towers from London are not to be missed. Enjoy a trip to the famous house and spectacular theme park with its awesome rides. Londoners and visitors taking our coaches to Alton Towers arrive relaxed and have plenty of time to delight at A. W. N. Pugin’s architectural masterpiece, which he later used as inspiration for his Victorian gothic reworking of the Houses of Parliament.

Get In Touch. Call us now on: + 44 (0) 20 7231 1118 Email us on: sales@phoenixtours.co.uk www.phoenixtours.co.uk

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Scanbalt Experience

Expert on budget travel in Scandinavia, Russia and The Baltics!

ROUND TRIPS 2014 STATE TNT AS CAMPAIGN CODE AND GET GREAT DISCOUNTS Baltic Easter Bunny 8 days was €380 TNT 15% OFF

Riga-Tallinn-St.Petersburg-Helsinki-Stockholm A perfect Easter trip with a Visa-Free Russia visit! Visit the Baltic and Scandinavian capitals,and spend 3 fantastic days in St.Petersburg!

Russia Explorer 10 days was €620 TNT 15% OFF

Helsinki-St.Petersburg-Novgorod-Moscow-Tallinn The best way to explore Russia – visit the two major cities – Moscow and St.Petersburg, as well as the hidded gem – historical Veliki Novgorod!

Baltic Explorer 7 days was €380 TNT 15% OFF

Tallinn-Riga-Curonian Spit- Vilnius Cool Baltic capitals, unique history, great nature, sandy beaches and excellent nightlife!

Sailing Mediterranean 8 days was €455-589 TNT 10% OFF

Sailing along magnificent Croatian coastline or around charming Greek islands!!

ANZAC & Anatolian Explorer 5-10 Days €359-549 TNT 15% OFF

Gallipoli-Kusadasi & Istanbul-Pamukkale-Cappadocia Take part in unique ANZAC Dawn Service & Explore the best of Turkey treasures!

Visit stand 47 at the TNT Travel Show Get a free vodka, win a free tour and get great discounts

Pay only 10 Euro deposit

and book already cheap trips at even lower prices !!!!!* *Remaining deposit to be paid in 30 days.

www.scanbaltexperience.com info@scanbaltexperience.com

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f

TRAVEL LATE DEALS | HOTSHOTS | TRAVEL TIPS | TOP FIVE | TOURS | BIG TRIP IMAGE OF THE MONTH

WHAT A GIZA The sun rises and illuminates one of the pyramids of Giza in Egypt, one of many other-worldly landscapes of North Africa.

See page 66 for our run-down of the rest

Photos: Getty and Thinkstock

INSIDE

ROAD TRIPPIN’ /50

SAN SEBASTIAN /56

ONE NIGHT IN PARIS /72

The California loop is the new US must-do, taking you to the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Joshua Tree National Park and more.

Uncover the classy side of Spain with sweeping beaches, surfing, unique tapas and wine served with, er, Coca Cola...

Whisking your lov-err away to the City of Lights for V-Day? Here’s what to do if you can tear yourself away from the boudoir...

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Peniche: The perfect surf

SURF’S UP IN PENICHE PORTUGAL

Catch some waves at the recently opened Surfers Lodge Peniche in Portugal. The high-end hostel is situated on one of the best surfing beaches in the world, Papoa Beach, which has also been host to the World Championship Tour since 2010.

As well as a first-class surf school for people of all abilities, there’s an all-organic restaurant, a roof-top pool and bar with a Jacuzzi as well as morning yoga. The 90-minute surf lessons take place twice a day and are headed by professional surfers.

Dorm rooms start at £32 a night. A week’s surf package plus accommodation, three meals a day and a massage costs £601. penichesurflodge.co.uk

PLAN A LOVERS’ TRYST IN THE LAKE DISTRICT UK

Treat your loved one to a week away in a secluded waterside cottage in the wilds of the Lake District.

With their oak beamed ceilings, woodburning fireplaces and luxurious double bedrooms, the charming cottages are the perfect romantic getaway. The Lake District has inspired many-a poet and young lover, and it’s sure to do the same for you as you wander through windswept hills, or sit under the moonlight next to the shimmering lakes. Some of the cottages line cobbled streets in quaint old-fashioned villages while others have private lake access and look out over the rolling hills.

For a three-day break over Valentine’s Day weekend, cottages start at £385. If you book after the 14th you can get a week’s rental from £355. lakelovers.co.uk 44

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Electric python: A worker puts the final touches to a snake-shaped lantern in Solo City, Indonesia. It is one of 12 animal lanterns symbolising the signs of the Chinese zodiac.

They were displayed in the city’s park on January 31 to celebrate the Chinese New Year and to welcome the Year of the Horse.

PARADISE ON EARTH - IT’S OFFICIAL THAILAND The top travel writers have spoken – and Krabi in Thailand is voted to have the best beaches in the world.

It’s an ongoing debate – where can you find paradise on earth? – but finally, a survey of the UK’s best-known travel writers will put all such arguments to rest.

Despite it’s unappealing name (crabs, anybody?) the white-sanded, palm-treelined turquoise-blue sea hints at perfection here more than anywhere else. Aside from chilling on the beach like it’s your job, Krabi is also a good base for exploring the lush jungle of the region and the limestone cliffs and caves. There are also nearby hot

springs and you can book rafting trips or island visits in the main town. So whether you’re looking for a honeymoon spot or you’re simply leaving on a jet plane, don’t forget this stop off. Flights to Bangkok start at £674. thaiairways.co.uk

ON A BICYCLE BUILT FOR TWO UK Sitting by a fire and gazing into your lover’s eyes doesn’t do it for everyone, so why not engage in something more active this Valentine’s Day? A travel company is offering star-crossed lovers a romantic cycling weekend away, through the hometown of Shakespeare where the ultimate in love stories was

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MAD WORLD KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED USA

Police in Connecticut are looking for a man who crashed his car into a petrol station and stole nothing more than a banana.

The shop’s security camera show a Ford Freestyle backing into the shop and breaking the glass doors. The man inside got out of his car, took a banana from the shelf, ate it, and then drove away.

Nothing else was taken and the man was gone before police arrived.

[Caption] Paradise: Life’s a beach in Krabi penned. Act out your own Romeo and Juliet en route (well, not the tragic part) on this couple’s tour through Stratford-uponAvon and the surrounding countryside, where you will be treated to some stunning views. Prices start at £266 for a two-day trip, which includes cycle hire and bed-andbreakfast accommodation. There are also four-day cycling routes and bookings are available all year round. If you really want a ‘bicycle built for two’ for you and your loved one, ask about tandems. We won’t judge, we promise (bleugh – sorry, that wasn’t us). compass-holidays.com

IT’S A SLIPPERY SLOPE

Photos: Thinkstock and gGtty

THE ALPS Desperate to go skiing while conditions are still good but don’t quite have the dosh? Here’s a secret we’ll share – you can save up to £200 on transport if you travel by coach.

Skiweek.com offers luxury coaches to all the airports that generally service the resorts. Given the price of a ski holiday, it’s not a bad idea if you need to save those pennies. The buses, with their plush leather seats and plenty of space for your gear, will whisk you from London, Victoria or Kent, through the French countryside to the mountains. The coaches’ journeys can be combined with the specialist ski packages in some of the most popular destinations.

A seven-day ski trip to Morzine with travel, accommodation and food included costs

TORTOISE BEATS RABBIT IN SKI-OFF CHINA

GoEuro: Save money on your European travels [Caption] £384 per person. Ski trips to Chamonix with everything included are going for £429 per person. skiweeks.com

MAKE BACKPACKING A BREEZE EUROPE If you’re planning a backpacking trip around Europe but don’t know where to begin, a new website has arrived that will answer your prayers.

Free-to-use site Goeuro.com allows you to compare air, rail and coach travel all across Europe. The site also allows you to include any location, including small towns and villages, showing the best transport route and cost based on price, travel time and convenience. All in all the revolutionary new site means you will only have to visit one website to plan your trip no matter how complicated, and you can save money in the process. Time to get searching we think! goeuro.com

A tortoise beat a rabbit in a ski competition for animals that was held in China.

Among other competitors were cats and dogs and ducks and roosters who raced each other on sledges for a gold medal.

But the most memorable race was the slow tortoise beating the hare (well, it’s close enough to a rabbit) on the slopes, making the words of that ancient Greek fable come true once and for all. Animal rights campaigners are calling for a ban on the race, while organisers say it’s “harmless fun”.

TOO MUCH SPICE ISN’T NICE SAYS EU DENMARK

Denmark’s cinnamon rolls have been found to violate EU limits, with officials saying that too much of the spice is being used.

Cinnamon levels in food are regulated by the EU because excessive intake can cause liver damage. Bakers in Denmark are being asked to reduce cinnamon content, but they argue that this will leave their pastries, which are a national delicacy, flavourless.

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TRAVELDIARY

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Go global: See acts from across the world at Penang World Music Festival

GET TRAINING Fraser Ewart-White, founder of powderwhite.com, tells us where to practise our wintersport skills for Sochi.

Courchevel: Originally built for the 1992 Olympics, the La Tania Stade is a demanding red run perfect for advanced skiers looking for a challenge. The ski-racing package from Powder White starts from £410 per person, including seven nights in fully catered accommodation, plus six hours of giant slalom training with an experienced ski-racing instructor.

Tignes: Aspiring freestyle skiers and boarders can practise their favourite tricks at the famous Le Snowpark.

Visitors might even pick up some tips from the professionals, as the expert line of the snowpark will serve as the Canadian slopestyle team’s HQ while they train for the Sochi Olympics.

Powder White offers seven nights from £140 per person based on six people sharing, while a one-day lift pass starts from £38 per adult.

La Plagne: Home to an Olympic bobsleigh track, visitors are offered the chance to race down the slopes by bobrafting, speed-luging or bob-racing while overlooking the views of Mont Blanc and the Beaufortian ranges.

Powder White offers seven nights at hotel Avenue Lodge from £500 per person based on two adults sharing.

PENANG WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL Malaysia After a brief three-year hiatus, Penang’s global festival returned in triumphant manner for the spring of 2013. Once again, this year looks 12-13 set to pull together a riotous mix of vivacious rhythms from both local and international artists. The two-day event also boasts an interactive element, with art and music workshops encouraging guests to get involved.

APR

WHERE: Penang, Malaysia WHY GO: An all-embracing and diverse pick of traditional and contemporary bands – just think of all the new music you’ll be able to introduce your friends to.

WHAT ELSE? When not busting your best moves, find time to soak up some rays at one

MARDI GRAS

One of the world’s most recognisable carnivals gets a 8-31 pop-tastic makeover, where stars including Robin Thicke and The Wanted join authentic New Orleans bands and Jules Verne-inspired floats over 20 select nights. From £844 per person for a seven-night stay.

The dusty plains of the Californian desert once 11-20 again play host to one of the most revered of American festivals, which this year is headlined by Muse, Arcade Fire, and OutKast. Make sure you also check out the view from the festival’s iconic Ferris wheel.

FEB-MAY

APR

coachella.com

ROSKILDE FESTIVAL

Copenhagen

The city’s old shipyard comes alive over the Easter 19-20 weekend with the sound of underground electronica playing across six stages. All this just a short ferry ride away from the main tourist attractions.

Those with an eclectic taste in music can head to 29-6 Denmark for a week-long bop to bands from across the globe, with festival profits going towards a selection of humanitarian projects.

dgtlfestival.com

JUNE-JULY

roskilde-festival.dk

Photos: supplied. Words: Emily Ray

Amsterdam APR

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COACHELLA

Indio, California

DGTL FESTIVAL

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penangworldmusic.gov.my

Universal Orlando Resort

universalorlando.co.uk

Adrenaline rush: Ski racing

of the island’s many beaches, take the cable car (or hike!) up Penang Hill for spectacular panoramic views and explore the coloniallyrich heritage of George Town.

HOW MUCH: Tickets currently cost £15.50 per day or just £26.50 for the weekend.

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Winter fun in Salzburg, Salzburg Castle behind.

fESTIvaLS & EvEntS

10% EUROpE Off

uP to

25% Off

In WIntER

4 Day Las Fallas pp

28 Feb 2014

Explorer 2 Mar 2014

aNZaC 4 Day AnZAC Raid 23 Apr 2014

£259

pp

WAS £995

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Visit Italy, Vatican City & San Marino

14 Day Winter Wonder EuroHotel

We also offer 5 Day, 8 Day & 14 Day aNZaC trips

16 Feb 2014

WAS £1290

MOROCCO & EgypT 8 Day Sahara Adventure

10 Day Spirit of Egypt

28 Feb 2014

9 Mar 2014

WAS £605

WAS £657

NOW

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NOW

£189

10 Day Winter Bravo Italia

£1161

£481

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Includes gB£110 Local payment

pp

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NORTH AmERICA

Visit 8 countries including France, Switzerland, Italy & Germany

Ski austria 15 Feb, 08 & 22 Mar 2014 pp

Hit the slopes in Kirchdorf Austria for an exciting week of ski & snowboarding fun.

9 Day vegas to the Coast 3 & 24 Feb 2014

WAS £1080

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8 Day Ski Austria

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£584

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21 Day Coast to Coast 18 Feb 2014 (ex LA only)

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Visit Vegas, San Fran & LA

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4 Day venice Carnival

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£152

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WAS £169

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17 Mar 2014

£1866 pp

Visit LA, Texas, New Orleans & NYC

TNT14_Feb

Call 0845 257 5210 Open 8am-9pm L8291 / Y2992

*Terms and conditions apply. Prices quoted are for specific departures only. all trips subject to availability. Discounts are off the base trip price only, and do not apply to food funds and local payments. Flights not included. Egypt trip price includes local payment based on $1 = £0.618, which must be paid locally in USD. For full terms and conditions please visit www.topdeck.travel

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ROMANCE ON A SHOESTRING Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day has arrived, and you know the consequences if you don’t pull out all the stops.

Whether you’re looking for something a little bit kinky (sex toys delivered to your door anybody?) or you want to keep it classic with moonlit walks and couples’ massages, we’ve rounded up the best budget stays with that little something extra. Forget those excuses fellas – roses and Champagne will be just a room service call away. And for all the ladies out there, you can kick last year’s corner shop chocolates to the curb. This year it’s going to be big.

1. PALAZZO SENECA, Italy Be treated like royalty in this romantic 16th-century castle nestled in the lush valley of Norcia in Umbria. This is the land of luxury food and magical vistas.

In the hills behind the hotel, pigs go hunting for the most expensive truffles in the world and olive groves dot the cliffs, which are showered in golden light as the sun sets. Palazzo Seneca, with its hand-carved four-poster beds, private rose-covered balconies and 48 00

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sweeping verandas will bring out the Casanova in you, so be prepared for things to get soppy.

All this will be helped along by the three-course candlelit dinner at the award-winning restaurant, which is included in the Valentine’s Package.

Also included is a treatment for two in the hotel’s Turkish baths. The spa also has a hydro-massage whirlpool and aromatherapy rooms. All sounding a bit much? Let’s not forget the ‘special surprise’ the owners promise those on a romantic getaway... to be revealed upon arrival.

Norcia is a gastronomic heaven with some of the best food Italy has to offer, so market-strolling beneath the craggy vine-covered cliffs will guarantee some tasty treats. You can also learn to make pasta by hand with the restaurant’s head chef, or you can opt to go on a truffle-hunting trip with sniffer pigs who know their gourmet from their goulash. Double rooms start at £124 a night. The Valentine’s Package costs £274 per person for two nights. pelazzoseneca.com

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MYHOTEL BRIGHTON, UK

LES ROCHES, France

Erotic delights are delivered right to your room at this boutique hotel.

For £145 a night you can enjoy a lot more than a luxury romp – sorry, we mean room – with kinky extras included. We’re talking a hamper with a vibrator, massage oil, satin blindfolds and 25 sexy assignments that will keep you busy all night long. And the good people at the hotel have even thrown in an energy-boosting breakfast for free. We think you’ll need it.

With panoramic views of Burgundy’s wine country, this castle hotel offers secluded luxury and plenty of grape nectar to get your juices flowing.

The rooms, which go for £115 a night, are large with marble fireplaces and private balconies. During the day you can warm up with wine tasting in the vineyards and at night you can settle down for a candlelit dinner at the gourmet restaurant or stroll through the gardens under the stars. Sigh.

myhotel.com

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lesroches-burgundy.com

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TOPFIVE MY EXPERIENCE

MARCUS NYLAND ON MYHOTEL BRIGHTON WHY DID YOU STAY AT THIS HOTEL?

We found out about it through word of mouth – the hotel is very popular with Londoners staying in Brighton for a weekend away, so after hearing so much about it we thought we’d give it a try.

WHAT WAS THE ATMOSPHERE LIKE?

Myhotel is very laid back – it has a genuinely relaxing ‘home away from home’ feel.

Photos: Supplied Words: Rachael Getzels

WHAT WAS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS?

BELLAMANE, Morocco

SEVEN HOTEL, Paris

There is no city more seductive than Marrakesh, where exotic spices waft through the night skies and sumptuous fabrics sway in the warm breeze.

This hotel has opulent suites with walk-in baths, a rooftop hanging garden and a luxurious courtyard pool.

There’s also a spa with traditional hammam treatments and couples’ massages. And in the evening you can enjoy a romantic cocktail in the bar under a majestic arched ceiling. Rooms begin at just £75 a night.

You’ll reach new heights on the illuminated floating beds at this hotel – seriously, the beds are built to create the illusion that they’re levitating (we’ll leave it to you to work out how) and rooms also have floating tubs separated from the king-size only by a glass screen.

Seven Hotel may not be in the best area of Paris, but its alluring fibre optic decor and suggestively themed boudoirs designed to make your imagination go wild will more than make up for it.

Rooms start at £124 a night.

bellamane.com

The hotel’s bar, Merkaba, is fantastic – it’s without question one of Brighton’s best cocktail bars. There’s so much choice and the team is incredibly enthusiastic.

The design is very funky with enormous fish tanks and crystals embedded in the walls.

WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS HOTEL TO COUPLES?

The hotel is perfect for a romantic weekend away – it’s about 15 minutes from the seafront and also close to the Royal Pavillion and the Theatre Royal. There are also plenty of nice restaurants on the hotel’s doorstep.

sevenhotelparis.com

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Californi(va)cation Forget Route 66. The ultimate US road trip for 2014 is the California loop. Sarah Tucker took a ride…

CELEB SPOTTING EN ROUTE TO SAN FRAN The only way to drive along the coastal route to San Francisco is in a convertible. I’m told Gordon Ramsey and David Beckham are taking their Harleys along the same route that day but, despite being on the look out, I don’t see them.

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An hour out of LA with my hire car, I stay a night at Ojai Golf and Country Club (ojairesort.com), where Hollywood celebrities escape, but only because anonymity is guaranteed.

Still no sign of Gordon or David.

Ojai is famous for its yoga festivals (ojairetreat.com) and bohemian chic hippy-dom. It’s a good place to horse ride the hills or improve my golf swing, and being one of the few towns in California people actually walk around, I take a walk along the high street full of cake and crystal shops.

The next morning, I decide to drive slightly inland, up in the mountains, where there is less traffic, then pass through Santa Cruz, the place where the iconic film The Lost Boys was

Photos: Sarah Tucker and Thinkstock

I’m about to embark on a rollercoaster of star-studded hotels, canyon camping and melodramatic landscapes.

Starting off in LA, I’m driving along the coast to San Francisco, then onto Yosemite, Death Valley, Vegas, Grand Canyon, Lake Havasu and Joshua Tree National Park. Fancy coming along?

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ROADTRIPPING

shot (the film that made vampires hip even before Buffy was born), and then on to Half Moon Bay, which produces more pumpkins than anywhere else in the world, and also where the film The Fog was filmed (the original with Jamie Lee Curtis).

I stay at Cameron’s Inn (cameronsinn.com), which has a double decker bus, London taxis and red post box in the car park. They are more English than the English here.

CITY OF ECCENTRICS I have a caffeine fix driving into San Francisco. The flyover into the city is so dramatic, with its glorious overview of the city, I nearly crash failing to concentrate on the road as I gaze out over the distinctive skyscraper horizon.

Parking in the city is akin to parking in any major city – difficult to impossible, so I park in the Union Street car park, which at least is central and safe. I stay at two hotels, Union Square Hotel (hotelunionsquare.com) – 1950s style and huge, with slightly altered-state staff, it has a floor that served alcohol during the Prohibition and was only reachable by those in the know. The entrance, all glass and with a mirrored bar, reminds me of the hotel bar in The Shining.

The next hotel is the Westin St Francis (westinstfrancis.com) just across the road, where actor Fatty Arbuckle famously held wild celebrity parties and where one of his girlfriends mysteriously died. The rooms are suite-size large, oozing the dated glamour of a bygone era when the city was full of extras and all women wore gloves and hats, rich or poor.

Book a visit to Alcatraz (alcatraztickets.com) three months before you take the trip, otherwise you won’t get in the demand is so high. But early booking is worth it. Alcatraz is diabolical and fascinating, the audio tour makes even the hardest to please shut up and listen as you hear about the attempted jail break, why inmate Al Capone was more popular than the then President and the real-life story of The Birdman.

Cycle over the Golden Gate bridge (goldengatebridge.org) because it’s a cool thing to do, although the bridge is not golden but ‘international orange’ (rust coloured). The Italian Quarter is wonderful. I eat an ice cream, browse the book shops and buy a Jack Karawak, and eat a garlic-infused pizza at The Stinking Rose (thestinkingrose.com). I take a safari (urbansafari.com) and then a Segway (electrictourcompany. com) tour to Pier 39, full of tourists and teenagers and smelly seals basking.

TREE HUGGING IN YOSEMITE

Photos: Sarah Tucker and Thinkstock

I join up with a group of eight 20- and 30-somethings in a VW van, travel to Yosemite National Park (yosemitepark.com) and camp. I hug the giant Secoia, some of which reach more than 25ft in diameter, only to be told touching the trees is prohibited because it rubs off the bark. The driver loses our keys so we get another van and I spot a bear with two cubs as we leave. I realise you need a week or two here not a day; the rock climbing is some of the best in the world, as are the trails.

COMING ALIVE IN DEATH VALLEY “You don’t want to break down in Death Valley,” Brian, our driver from Gracelands (who kept singing Elvis songs en

Bright lights: Catch a cabaret in Las Vegas route), warns us. The temperature reaches more than 123°C, a hot oven while we are there. The vast salt plains, the heat haze, the beautiful crystals mesmerize you into believing it’s not as hot as it is. Wear a hat, keep drinking water and be grateful you weren’t one of the original settlers who came and crossed this desert. I meet Don, a 60-year-old ranger with a braid who tells me he wouldn’t work anywhere else. “For a place called Death Valley, it’s the most I’ve ever felt alive,” he nods.

IN THE STEPS OF PRINCES IN LAS VEGAS Driving into Nevada, a surprisingly short drive from the Valley, is the original Dubai, or Disneyland for grown-ups, where rollercoaster rides are built into hotels and every building has a theme. Now trying to get rid of the gambling tag, Vegas is promoting itself as the clubbing capital of the world, pinching the DJs from Ibiza. I dance to DJ Pete Tong, who is standing an arm’s length away from me, in a gold bikini – me in the bikini, not him. He’s playing at the Encore Wynn resort (wynnlasvegas.com) where Prince Harry last year played about in the pool before he was filmed playing about in the pool room.

The faces of Britney Spears, the Osmonds, and the magician David Copperfield are plastered on posters everywhere. I watch the incredible acrobatics of the Cirque du Soleil (cirquedusoleil.com) and the hilarious jousting Excalibur show (excalibur.com) – tickets I get on the night, but most shows book in advance. During the day, I stroll the malls and people-watch and look at those sitting at the onearmed bandits, eyes glued to the lights and dead to anything else around them. ›› TNTMAGAZINE.COM

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Other-worldly: Death Valley Surreal beauty: Joshua Tree National Park

Water under the bridge? (The wrong) London Bridge in Lake Havasu THE GRANDEST OF CANYONS Next stop Arizona and the Canyon, which is so much more than grand. Brian, our enthusiastic 23-year-old tour guide, makes us all close our eyes (a lot of trust is needed here!) and hold hands, as we are led to a spectacular view out over this extraordinary place that geologists believe was fashioned by a vast river, the local Havasupai Indians believe was fashioned by God, and which I’ve always attributed to aliens.

On the count of three we open our eyes. The Canyon swallows up all thought like some emotional vacuum. It is simply too vast and overwhelmingly beautiful to take in, which is why so many visitors burst spontaneously into tears – as I did.

After a helicopter ride over the Canyon (US$250, papillon. com) – a stunning hour-long trip that seems to evaporate rapidly in the heat – I sit eating pizza in the quiet, watching the sunset form rainbows on the rocks below. We are camping nearby and need to get to bed early, before an eight-mile trek down the Bright Angel Trail in the morning. I get up at four in the morning to make the descent to the Indian Garden Campground, returning by 9.30am by which time it’s already over 90°C.

Tree-mendous: A Secoia at Yosemite National Park Tower Bridge, but what he got was a full-size brick and quite plain London Bridge designed in 1830 in the middle of a traditional American suburbia. Lake Havasu City resembles a surrealist painting where nothing belongs to anything else and visitors double take every view. I camp by the river, with a storm threatening, attempting to put up my tent in a wind that tries its best to rip the canvas from my hands into the water beyond. Lake Havasu is oddly hypnotic.

ALL TREES POINT TO JOSHUA TREE Back to California, and the final stop before returning to the yoga studios, breakfast bars and eternal sunshine of Santa Monica, I head to the Joshua Tree National Park (joshuatree. org) where astrologers and ornithologists flock for clear views of the stars and to watch out for more than 250 species of bird.

I stop off at the visitor centre which tells me about the gold mines discovered on the land as well as the wildlife living there, although I’m fascinated more by the skull-shape rocks and the distinctive three- and four-thousand fingered Joshua Trees pointing me home.

WEIRD AND WINDY LAKE HAVASU I leave the Canyon convinced aliens created the place, and arrive in Lake Havasu (golakehavasu.com) feeling this is where they settled. In the 1960s, wealthy oil-man Robert P McCulloch bought the then-London Bridge from the City of London, to attract more tourists to the city. He thought he was buying 52

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Intrepid Travel’s 12-day Wild Western USA tour visits LA, San Diego, Joshua Tree NP, Grand Canyon NP, Las Vegas, Death Valley, Yosemite NP and San Francisco, from £1,050pp including accommodation (mostly camping plus some hotels), travel by private minivan, National Park entry fees, and a local tour leader intrepidtravel.com

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All under one roof: The British Museum

The best of London UNITED KINGDOM

Tuck in: Broadway Market

Photos: Thinkstock, Getty

Silver service: The Wolseley

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UKTRIP

Capitalise on the capital You moved here for a reason: London is one of the coolest cities on the planet. Don’t forget to make the most of it while you’re here...

WORDS RACHAEL GETZELS

Even people who have lived in London their whole lives will tell you they’re always discovering new things. It’s just how the city rolls – from pop-ups that appear in random back alleys, to world-famous galleries that you still haven’t visited. It all adds up to a pretty much endless to-do list, and we’ve all got enough of them, so why not make it your mission to cross some things off this month?

To help you get started, we’ve compiled a bumper daylong itinerary that will suit everyone from city slickers who think they know best (but could do with a slight nudge) to those of you who are fresh off the boat and are looking for some tips beyond the standard travel guides.

10am-11am: Start the day in style with breakfast or brunch at The Wolseley. The gourmet morning menu won’t break the bank and you’ll have partaken in a true British tradition. Just don’t get too comfortable; doormen taking your coat is something you could get used to, but the day is young. thewolseley.com 11am-1pm: Just two stops from breakfast is Warren Street Station where your morning of culture continues. The British Museum is oft-forgotten, but there’s nowhere else on the planet that offers a more complete tour of the Ancient World, with the best mummies outside of Egypt and the Parthenon Marbles all under one (stunning) roof.

And let’s not forget its last exhibition, ‘Sex and Humour in Japanese Art,’ which turned staring at a wall-sized photo of a penis into an educational activity. britishmuseum.org 1pm-2pm: Just down the road at University College London (also a filming location for Gladiator and Batman Begins), you will find the creepy and wholly bizarre Grant Museum of Zoology. In this tiny space, pickled chimp’s heads and elephant hearts are crammed next to the bones of extinct species. You can even adopt a jar if you’re not too squeamish and owning 18 preserved moles is something you’ve always dreamed of. ucl.ac.uk/museums/zoology 2pm-3pm: Borough Market is arguably London’s bestknown outdoor lunch spot, but there are many more where that came from. Broadway Market in Bethnal Green

is strikingly located right on the canal and its lesser-known gourmet food stands are equally as good. Try the roast pork sandwich with crackling or dig into a Vietnamese banh mi as you watch decked-out canal boats (some are vintage clothing shops, others bookstores) drift by. broadwaymarket.co.uk

“ See walls of graffiti

and striking street art

”

3pm-7pm: You can easily while away a whole day in East London, and if you don’t live nearby you may not get there often. As you stroll towards Brick Lane, which is curry capital of London, you can dip in and out of galleries with out-there posters and dinky little gifts. On your travels you will also see walls full of graffiti and striking street art as well as great vintage stalls. Boxpark near Shoreditch Station has an everchanging collection of trendy clothing shops.

7pm-8pm: Curry is basically the national food of England, and luckily you’re in the right place. As you move away from the famous Brick Lane, the restaurants get even better.

Tayaabs in nearby Whitechapel has queues out the door, but we promise you won’t be disappointed. tayaabs.co.uk 8pm-10pm: East London is packed full of places to drink. And drink you will. There are pop-ups that mysteriously emerge each week, speakeasy cocktail bars hidden in basements and tons of old-time boozers where you’ll mix with locals. At Bar Kick in Shoreditch you can play table football as the night gets hazy. Nearby Redchurch Street is also a good strip for hitting the pints, with people flooding out into the road in what feels like a street party come summer. cafekick.co.uk 10pm onwards: The night is young and so are you. So hit the clubs. Dance the night away in cheap-and-cheerful Barrio East, or go for something a bit more grimy at XOYO. Lots of alternative but known names also gig at Village Underground. barrioeast.com, villageunderground.co.uk TNTMAGAZINE.COM

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San Sebastián SPAIN

Party time: Festivals such as Bilbao BBK are a big draw to the region

Up high: Monte Igueldo 56

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Beyond Anzac: Explore the pretty coastline of Gallipoli while you’re there

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Dip your toes in the San...

Superb architecture, a wealth of festivals, unique Basque tapas – no wonder San Sebastián’s the European Capital of Culture 2016 WORDS NICK TEBBLE

Think ‘Spanish beach’, and what might usually come to mind is a packed strip of sand blighted by high-rise hotels where the closest thing to culture is a tacky theme pub – but not in San Sebastián.

It backs onto magnificent buildings from the Belle Epoque, Baroque churches in elegant squares and Basque bars serving that tapas. Add festivals for jazz, film and local culture, and short hikes for great views, and this city has something for everyone – there’s even a beach for surfies.

By day, take in one of those beaches before strolling into the Old Town for churches, museums and galleries – not to mention shopping. When you need a rest, pop into a bar, and as you sip your wine or beer, help yourself to ‘pinxto’.

Served on a tray, this is tapas Basque-style, distinguished by toothpicks that skewer anything from fresh fish and squid to peppers and croquettes before lodging in a piece of bread.

San Sebastián is best explored on foot, but if you fancy transport – and this being the ‘Green’ Coast – go eco in the txita, that’s Basque for ‘chick’, a glorified rickshaw that operates as a bike-taxi service from June to September; or the Segway, an electric two-wheeler that can even be delivered to your hotel; and don’t forget the bicycle, available from Dbizi, the municipal bike rental service (€15/ day). A San Sebastián Card gives you several bus rides as well as discounts in museums, shops and restaurants (three days €8; five days €15). For taxis, bear in mind they can only be hired from designated ranks unless you phone for one.

Here are our highlights for San Sebastián…

Beaches With its sweeping view of the bay, Santa Clara island and those Belle Epoque buildings, Playa de la Concha is one of Europe’s best city beaches. You can hire umbrellas, tents and lounge chairs – the WC is free – while across the Rio Urumea at Playa de la Zurriola the hip and fit can do some surfing.

Parte Vieja The Old Town boasts two of the city’s finest churches: San Vicente and the Basilica of Santa Maria, one Gothic, the other Baroque; while a 16th-century Dominican convent now serves as the excellent San Telmo Museum of Basque Society and Citizenship (santelmomuseoa.com). There are high-end shops here too, ranging from designer goods to ethnic gear.

Festivals Whenever you’re there, you’re bound to get a fiesta. Major ones include San Sebastián Day on January 20, Carnaval in mid-February and Semana Grande in mid-August.

All celebrate Basque culture with not a little drinking.

The renowned International Film Festival takes place in

“

In Basque country, a bar is judged as much by its pinxtos as its booze

”

September, the International Jazz Festival back in July.

Nearby Bilbao also hosts the epic Bilbao BBK Music Festival, see the ‘Getting there’ box over the page for more info.

Nightlife No clubber should miss Bataplan, the coolest venue in town. Partying starts at 1pm, and if you get a pass at a bar beforehand, entry is free. One of those bars is Ondarra, blasting out block-rockin’ beats downstairs. For something more mellow, try bars Altxerri and Be Bop for blues and jazz.

Monte Igueldo After a hard night’s partying, clear your head by climbing this hill. If that’s too much, take the funicular railway. Either way, when you reach the top, you’ll get high all over again: on the spectacular view of city, beach and the bay that opens out into Biscay. Follow the Costa Verde eastwards and you’ll see the Pyrenees.

Where to eat BUDGET With its dish of the day only €9, you can’t beat La Zurri. On the waterfront, this seafood restaurant serves up simple Basque dishes and is popular with locals. It doesn’t accept credit cards, but you won’t need one (943 32 66 63).

MID-RANGE A traditional Basque restaurant near the city’s Aquarium, La Rampa offers fine fish and seafood as well as terrific views of the sea. Specialities include hake and TNTMAGAZINE.COM

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››

Pretty port: enjoy fresh seafood in San Sebastián

Street life: Amble through the picturesque streets

Catch a wave: At Playa de la Zurriola

Double whammy: Tie your trip in with Bilbao BBK festival

grilled cod steak to be washed down with local cider – and all brought by English-speaking waiters (restaurantelarampa.com).

LUXURY After Kyoto, San Sebastian boasts more Michelin stars per square metre than any city in the world. One reason is Mugaritz. Currently ranked the world’s fourth best, this three-star restaurant offers a personalised menu of approximately 20 dishes, the standout being chocolate cake with cold almond cream and cocoa bubbles. Book well in advance (mugaritz.com).

Where to party BUDGET In Basque country, a bar is judged as much by its pinxtos as its booze. The neighbourhood of Gros is now competing with the Old Town for top spot, so hang out with the locals in Bergara Bar and try kalimotxo, a local drink with an equal mix of wine and Cola (facebook.com/barbergara).

MID-RANGE Cider is a local speciality, so head for a sidreria – that’s ‘cider house’ in Basque – and have it served straight from the barrel. There are several in and around the city. Just three minutes from Playa Zurriola, Sidreria Intxaurrondo is a good place to start (sidreriaintxaurrondo.com).

LUXURY Right in the heart of the Old Town, on la Plaza de la Constitucion, at Astelena you’re paying for location. But it’s worth every euro as you tuck into some of the tastiest pinxtos in the city: from ‘Basque-Asian fusion’ to a foie-gras base. Nibble them with txakoli, the Basques’ own brand of sparkling white wine (restauranteastelena.com).

Where to stay BUDGET With loads of shared space – including two terraces, a room for watching DVDs and mixed-dorms – it’s no surprise 58

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to find a party atmosphere at Olga’s Place. Just a minute’s walk from Playa Zurriola, its clean rooms, free internet and friendly staff help make this the city’s number one hostel.

From £13pp/pn (Facebook.com/pages/Olgas-Place).

MID-RANGE Situated on Monte Igueldo, Hotel Avenida provides awesome views. There’s a pool, garden and gym, while all rooms have free wi-fi as well as a mini-bar and safe.

With Rekondo restaurant next door serving traditional dishes and some of the best Basque wine in the region, you’ll never want to come down. From £46pp/pn (hotelavenida.net).

LUXURY If you fancy mixing with the stars, head for Maria Cristina, an opulent Belle Epoque hotel across from Victoria Eugenia Theatre. It’s Brad Pitt’s favourite during the Film Festival, and once you’ve set eyes on its sumptuous decor, marble bathrooms and haute cuisine, it’ll be yours too. From £153pp/pn (hotel-mariacristina.com).

GETTING THERE From July 10-12 2014, the huge Bilbao BBK Festival is taking place, with Crystal Fighters, Shaka Ponk, Chet Faker and more taking to the stage. Bilbao is only a one-hour bus away from San Sebastián and it’s much cheaper to fly into: fly from London to Bilbao with Easyjet, starting from just £56.

San Sebastian Bilbao SPAIN

easyjet.com

FESTIVALGUIDE

KING’S DAY

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FESTIVAL GUIDE

KING’S DAY For a wacky weekend full of regal fun and frolics, you can’t beat Queen’s Day. Oops, sorry – that’s actually King’s Day since the inauguration of King WillemAlexander, Europe’s youngest monarch at 46, on April 30, 2013.

This wacky festival, which turns the streets of Holland’s cities into an orange-coloured orgy of raucous activity, started back in 1885. At the time Holland’s monarchy was a bit unpopular so the then-government dreamt up the idea of King’s Day – originally known as Princesses Day – to honour the birth of Wilhelmina, the royal who later ruled for 58 years and who is renowned for her role in inspiring the Dutch resistance during World War II. The first festival took place in the town of Utrecht, but other cities soon followed suit and in 1890, when Wilhelmina inherited the throne and Prinsessedag was renamed Koninginnedag, the right royal day was feted all over Holland.

Banned during the second world war, when Germany occupied the 00 60

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Netherlands, by the 1950s the newly revived festival was so popular it was awarded the status of national holiday.

There are King’s Day festivals all over Holland, but as the country’s capital, Amsterdam’s open-air fun, which attracts over a million visitors each year, is the biggest and craziest. For 24 hours, the whole of the city centre is closed to cars and trams, whilst streets, canals, parks and everywhere in between turn orange to honour the Dutch Royal family, the House of Orange-Nassau.

It’s an exciting time to be in this city famed for its nightlife and fun street life, so shine up the tiara, shove on your best ball gown, grab your sparkly wand and head out to join Amsterdammers enjoying the biggest street Dutch street party of the year.

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KING’S DAY

XXXXXX FESTIVALGUIDE TOP FIVE

Photos: Thinkstock Words: Heidi Fuller-Love Words: Heidi Fuller-Love. Photos: Getty

CHECKING IN

WHY AMSTERDAM?

WHAT TO EXPECT

Take one of Europe’s hippest party cities renowned for its extremely tolerant attitude (think coffee/cannabis shops and sex workers), then add 80,0000+ bikes, 2,500 houseboats, a few windmills, and countless cafes and clubs and you’ll understand why Amsterdam is the best place in Holland to celebrate King’s Day in partied-up style.

But when the last bit of orange bunting bites the dust, it’s worth lingering to explore this city which has been home to celebrities ranging from Vincent van Gogh, to Alex van Halen.

Lots of old quarters and historic streets will keep you strolling for miles, and there are plenty of canal tours, museums and live music venues to keep you busy.

The festivities kick off on King’s Night, the eve of the big day, with DJ street parties and live music in cafes and on canal boats decorated in carnival style.

After an hour or so of sleep, the city continues partying at around 11am with top bands at the Olympic Stadium, competing for attention with Loveland’s huge DJ line up and King’s Land’s four stages hosting some of the biggest names in the music business.

A bit later in the day, the crowds head for NDSM Wharf, where there’s live music and theatre, while others weave their way to the Alternative King’s Day at Undercurrent, where there’s stand-up comedy. Everyone ends up, though, at The Vrijmarkt, one of the world’s largest flea markets.

GET IN THE SPIRIT

WHAT ELSE?

To feel like you’re part of that royal vibe you’ll need to catch ‘orange madness’, a well-known festival phenomenon where revellers vie with each other to wear the most orange. That doesn’t just mean clothes and accessories, it means tinting all your body hair, including beards and eyebrows. And yes, we’re sure some match their cuffs and collar.

If you really want to get into the King’s Day spirit, you should set up your own stand in the Vrijmarket – apart from perishable food products and alcohol you can sell just about everything. And do remember that tickets for the major events and biggest bands sell out like hot Oliebollen, so you’ll need to make a plan in advance if you want to catch the top acts.

Alright it might be a tad touristy, but you can’t miss a canal tour to discover the city’s historic waterways that were classed by UNESCO in 2010. With its excellent and good-value bike rental system and kilometres of cycle tracks you’ll also want to explore the world’s most bike-friendly capital on two wheels, but watch out for tram lines because it’s easy to get your tyres stuck.

Finally, we know that you’ll want to hit one of those coffee shops, but don’t expect to see weed on the counter – you’ll be handed a menu to choose from. Pick of the best is Barneys, famed for the vanilla kush, or the Greenhouse with its cosy dens where you can kick back (or should that be blow back?) in total privacy.

THE FLYING PIG OVERVIEW With all that action going on outside, you’re not likely to do much sleeping during Amsterdam’s King’s Day festival so there’s no point in pushing the (canal) boat out when it comes to accommodation. Right next to the party-action-packed Vondelpark and a short stroll from Amsterdam’s museum district, the Flying Pig Uptown is a friendly hostel at the heart of the main festival area.

WOW FACTOR Completely refurbished a couple of years ago, this wacky hostel, which is always packed, has a strict under-35s policy making it a great place to meet other backpackers. There’s a wellequipped kitchen, an allhours bar that’s always busy, and if you’re looking for a more active way to explore the city, you can even borrow some in-line skates.

ROOMS This recently renovated hostel’s clean, spacious rooms include private doubles and dorms sleeping from four to 32 people, some come with queen-size beds.

BILL PLEASE From £15 a night for a bed.

Vossiusstraat 46, Amsterdam. flyingpig.nl

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Walled city: Dubrovnik

Memoirs of Croatia We discovered this stunning spot a while ago, but it’s fast becoming this year’s holiday hot spot, and no wonder... WORDS RACHAEL GETZELS Best for: Beaches THE DALMATION COAST: Croatia’s Dalmation coast has more than 1,200 islands, all with their own hidden bays and bright turquoise water. Most of the beaches on the Adriatic coast are rocky but it actually makes a welcome change from finding sand in your suitcase on the way home, and their beauty is truly unique. Some people cruise the islands by boat, which doesn’t have to break the bank. Most coastal towns offer day trips or weekend cruises to the islands including the lesser-known, uninhabited ones such as as Suzak, which is composed entirely of sand, or Nin, where you can cover your body in medicinal mud. Both are truly a treat for beach bums who want an uninterrupted tan. The islands of Split, Hvar and Brac are the poster models for Croatian beaches, but the scene is much more party-centric with waterside bars and pumping nightlife.

What else?

Kupari is an interesting stop-off during a trip down the coast. The island was once a holiday resort for the Yuguslav Peoples’ Army and was badly damaged during the war in 1991-1995. Now it’s a post-apocalyptic bay of bombed out hotels and abandoned luxury resorts. The whole island is frozen in time and it’s an eerie experience to explore the marble floor ballrooms that have been overtaken by vines.

The beaches however, are just as beautiful as ever, and many locals still visit the surreal site for their summer fix.

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FOOD TO TRY IN CROATIA Food in Croatia straddles two regions: the fresh seafood dishes of the Mediterranean and the hearty stews and dumplings of Central Europe. Along the coast you’ll mainly find fresh fish but also look out for Italian-inspired gnocchi and pasta in rich, meaty sauces.

Pršut Traditional dry-cured ham cut into thin slices that is often served alongside olives and cheese.

Crni rižot A must-try along the Dalmation Coast, this dark-coloured squid ink risotto has a distinctive flavour that is better than it sounds, and you won’t soon forget.

Tartufi Truffle mushrooms are generally considered a delicacy in most of the world but their abundance in Croatia means that they often grace a pasta dish – or are even put on top of omelettes at breakfast.

Pašticada A stew of beef marinated in red wine, garlic, rosemary and sage for 24 hours before it’s slow-cooked with rich plums, carrots, onions and cloves.

Fuži i pljukanci Homemade pasta often cooked in a rich game (or ox) sauce.

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A GUIDE TO CROATIA

Best for: Music PULA: Croatia has some of the best electronic music festivals on offer in some mind-blowing locations. Bass-heavy Outlook takes place in a 19th-century fort near Pula with music so loud and pumping that even the stone foundations shake.

Last year Talib Kweli played alongside hip-hop veterans The Pharcyde and Pharoah Monach. A few days later, Dimensions took centre stage, with a killer line-up of world music masters and alternative artists. But Pula isn’t the only festival hot spot: Unknown in Rovinj and Soundwave in Tisno are hot tickets and the 2014 line-ups are just beginning to leak.

What else?

There’s plenty of Roman architecture to admire in Pula, including an impressive amphitheatre in the centre, which is one of the largest (and best preserved) in the world.

Best for: Romance DUBROVNIK: Handsome Dubrovnik has fast-risen through the ranks to be considered one of the most romantic cities in the world alongside Paris and Venice. When you first set eyes on the ancient walled city it will take your breath away. Strolling hand-in-hand down the marble streets or watching the sun set over the glimmering Adriatic Sea from the 500-year-old walls will never cease to amaze. The pedestrian-only old town with its aristocratic piazza and Baroque architecture has dozens of top-notch restaurants with fresh seafood bought in daily. The city is also jampacked full of family owned jewellery shops adding to the sense of romance and luxury that pervades every corner.

What else?

Dubrovnik isn’t only a fairytale city – it also has pristine beaches (and some nudist bays) that you can enjoy by day.

Banje Beach is close to the old town, offering a dramatic backdrop against which to get your tan. Plat bay is 12km from the city, but it’s truly a hidden gem with complete privacy and a shallow, warm ocean for relaxed bathing.

Images: Thinkstock and Getty

Best for: Partying PAG: Croatia’s hottest island is giving Ibiza a run for its money as semi-naked party-goers wade through pools and DJs oversee jam-packed dance floors. The island’s party hub is Zrce Beach, which welcomes thousands of clubbers from around the world in summer. At the decadent Club Papaya the young and the beautiful shimmy in Jacuzzis as super-star international DJs spin major crowd-pleasers. Club Kalypso has straw huts, deck chairs and a volleyball pitch, and its summer line-up is a killer with 48-hour non-stop parties.

What else?

When the wild nights out become too much you can take a break in Pag’s old town where local festivals are still celebrated with vigour. You can also sample world-renowned Pag cheese during a dairy tour. The sheep’s milk recipe is centuries old and is unique due to the powerful Bura wind that sweeps sea salt from the Adriatic into the animals’ pasture, creating a rich and creamy cheese.

Row your boat: Stunning fishing villages abound It’s electrifying: Croatia holds some cracking electronic dance festivals

Looking back: Pula is home to one of the oldest Roman amphitheatres in the world

Best for: Diving MLJET: For people that need action during their beach holiday, Mljet is the perfect destination. The lush island has some of the best diving in the world – which they’ve TNTMAGAZINE.COM

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AN INSIDER’S GUIDE

Car free means care free: Dubrovnik’s streets are all pedestrianised

Anandel Heyl has sailed the blue waters of Croatia in a chartered boat, and knows a few more secrets besides...

Rafting: White water rafting on Cetina river was a real highlight for me. This is one of the most popular adventure activities in the area. The rapids of Cetina River are not difficult but it’s still fun and exciting and the scenery is breathtaking – waterfalls and caves, deep canyons and jungle-like vegetation lines the river’s edge. The four-hour tours usually include return bus transfer, an instructor and full equipment hire.

managed to mostly keep a secret thus far. The tranquil deep-blue sea here is alive with coral reefs and underwater caves, and the water is said to be some of the cleanest in the world. On diving trips you can visit the Odysseus Cave, where Ancient Greek legend has it the namesake hero was nursed back to health by the sea nymph, Calypso. You can also see a recently discovered 16th-century shipwreck, which has yielded thousands of ancient artefacts including bronze cannons.

Contact aquatica-miljet.hr for classes and expeditions.

What else?

The two salt water lakes on the island are exceptionally warm and known for their medicinal powers. You can also rent canoes or kayaks for the day which will allow you to visit the ruins of a 12th-century island monastery in the middle of the bigger ‘Great Lake.’

Holy moly: the island of Mljet

Gardens: A lot of visitors to Croatia visit the major cities and islands and tend to stay on the beaches. However, the botanical gardens in Croatia are stunning. About 15 miles from Dubrovnik is Trsteno, an old fishermen’s village with a long tradition in seafaring. It is host to one of the oldest and most beautiful arboretums in the whole region as the seamen would bring back exotic plants, bushes and trees from their world voyages and plant them in the gardens of the summer residence.

Food: On the cruise I took with Expat Explore (expatexplore.com), what really stood out was the food.

The chefs on board were amazing. Traditionally the Croats eat a lot of fish, soups and salads. What everyone loved was how simple the meals were, but super tasty... they don’t kill everything with sauces and dressings. It’s usually just a bit of olive oil and some spices.

Other tips: See the Diocletian’s Palace at night as it gives it a totally different feel to during the day. Also, Karlovak is a very good local beer!

GETTING THERE The major airports in Croatia are in Dubrovnik, Pula, Rijeka, Split, Zadar and Zagreb and most are served by budget airlines as well as Croatia’s own carrier.

CROATIA BOSNIA SERBIA ITALY GREECE

croatiaairlines.hr

GETTING AROUND Regular ferries, which are mostly operated by the company Jadrolinija, run between islands. There are few places you can’t get to by bus in mainland Croatia and the longer routes are serviced by modern, airconditioned coaches that stop at the many centrally located stations. Trains are slightly cheaper but they take longer and are generally less frequent. jadrolinija.hr

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Sail Croatia, Greece and Turkey on your own yacht

Spend seven days sailing the most breathtaking islands the Mediterranean has to offer.

Explore historic towns, relax on board your own yacht and have the time of your life at the best night spots. The perfect balance for the perfect holiday.

Skippered Sailing Holidays For 20 -35 Year Olds

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Cruise the Nile in a traditional felucca, Egypt 66

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It began in (North) Africa Magical medinas, desert oases, other-worldly landscapes, wonders of the world and fairytale forts. North Africa is spellbinding WORDS SARAH TUCKER

North Africa has some of the most exciting and exotic cultures and landscapes in the world. The region has an edgy energy – almost a breathless quality – about it: the intense, relentless heat; the surreal, mystical labyrinthine souks and medinas, some of which look so unearthly they have been used in films set in space (some Star Wars scenes were set in Tunisia); the ruins and temples scattered about the land like sweets waiting to be discovered afresh.

These places create shapes on the horizon; extraordinary landscapes that tell of a civilisation much more cultured than our own today. You will wonder if the pyramids of Giza or Abu Simbel were built by aliens as, according to the architects of today, we would have issue with creating buildings of this scale, design and quality today, even with our modern technology.

Then there’s the Red Sea; rich in tropical fish and coral and WWI wrecks; a stunning underworld, other-wordly kingdom, flocked to by divers wanting to learn or improve their skills while exploring the clearest, warmest and most fascinating of waters.

You don’t need to read books to learn about the history of Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, Sudan and Libya – just walk among the many archaeological sites and Seventh Wonders and stand and breathe it in, for a moment letting go of the iPad, camera or iPhone which renders you once removed from what’s in front of you. Simply look with your own eyes.

In Libya and Sudan alcohol is banned, and during Islamic holidays such as Ramadan, which is in July and/or August, it is not available in the other countries. Visas are required for Libya, Sudan and Algeria, and you are able to obtain a visa on arrival in Egypt (projectvisa.com).

Each country has made the news pages for civil war and political unrest over recent years, providing a living history for a region that has had its share of internal conflict through the ages, like a live volcano simmering. Keep this in mind when making a big trip to Northern Africa: check the government website gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice so you are fully prepared. Explore and enjoy but tread with care, confidence and always respect.

Tunisia Star Wars was filmed here among the rock buildings of Ksar Hadada, Ksar Ouled and Onk Jemal, which doubled as the fictitious land of Tatooine. The souks and medina of Tunis and Sousse will keep the shopaholic occupied. Take an empty suitcase for the silver jewellery, carpets, Nabeul pottery, leather slippers, copper plates, blankets and basketwork you will want to take home.

Explore the city of Carthage and the temples of Sidi Bou Said, Kairousan and Kerkuon. El Djem, Le Kaf and Dougga are like old storytellers waiting to speak to you as you walk their streets and around their walls. Go in spring and autumn when the season is mild, avoiding the heat of the summer and the cold and damp of the winter months.

What to do: Tour in the mornings before the midday heat makes sightseeing intolerable. The capital, Tunis, hosts a seventh-century medina, the Zaytuna Mosque, the perfume maker’s market at Souk el-Attarine, the Tourbet el-Bay mausoleum and the Bardo Museum. ››

Camel market, Sudan

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Go to Carthage just to say you’ve been there, although there are few remains on the site, but check out the Punic area of Byrsa, the ruins of the Antoninus Baths and the amphitheatre where the arena remains and children were sacrificed to the Gods.

For time at the beach, visit Sidi Bou Said, a white-walled town with bright-blue railings and patios full of flowers by the sea, or the island of Djerba, which has good beaches and the interesting souks of Houmt-Souk.

Food and drink: Tunisian staples – couscous, harissa and baklava – have made it onto the shelves of most English supermarkets and delicatessens. Other dishes such as brik – a snack of fried egg in a pasty with tuna or vegetables – kamounia – a thick meat stew seasoned with cumin and other spices – have yet to do so but are worth trying. Unsurprisingly the major cities have the widest range of restaurants. Try out Dar El Jeld (dareljeld.com) or El Ali (el-ali.com) in Tunis, Café Seles (cafeseles.info) or Una Storia (resto-tunisie.com/ restaurant-una-storia-della-vita-sousse) in Sousse.

Where to party: The tourists party in Hammamet. If you want to avoid tourists, check out Le Boeuf Sur Le Toit (leboeufsurletoit.com) in a suburb of Souka in Tunis, where the hip-happening locals go as well as travellers in the know.

The Café des Nattes (Sidi Bou Said) is an institution in Tunis, worth checking out.

Where to stay: Dars are the Tunisian answer to Morocco’s rhiads. Originally townhouses, contact direct and bargain rates as you would in the medina. Hotel Dar Said, six miles from Tunis-Carthage airport, is a lovely little hotel with character by the sea in the charming village of Sidi Bou Said. Prices start from £160 per night (hoteldarsaid.com).

For a fraction of the price but with the charm, La Chambre Bleue in Tunis offers a studio-sized room for £56 per night (lachambrebleue.net).

Egypt

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Pictures: Getty, Thinkstock

The Great Sphynx, Egypt

Whether you believe the Egyptians built the pyramids or aliens landed and built them for us, you will marvel at the ancient sights of the Pyramids of Giza, the Temples of Luxor, Abu Simbel and the Valley of the Kings.

What to do: Cruise the Nile in a traditional felucca (sailing boat) to get an overview of Egypt’s past on the most scenic route from Luxor to Aswan.

The Pyramids of Giza are within a stone’s throw of the south-western suburbs of Cairo, one of the Seven Wonders of the World; although the first wonder most visitors experience is how close the pyramids are to the city. The Great Pyramid of Khufu, the largest of the pyramids, is 139 metres tall. The head of the Great Sphinx is thought to be modelled on one of the three generations of pharaohs – Khafre, Khufu and Menkaure – all of whom are buried here.

Dive the Red Sea among the tropical fish, WW1 wrecks and colourful coral. Sharm el Sheikh, is the most touristy, Dahab and Hurghada the more bohemian. If you don’t dive, it’s a cost-effective place to learn to.

The UNESCO World Heritage site of Abu Simbel, the temple cave guarded by the statues of four gods, was built by Rameses II in the 13th century BC, dedicated to himself and his favourite wife Nefertari. He must have really loved her.

The spectacular and extraordinary Valley of the Kings in Luxor hosts 63 royal tombs and chambers decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology.

Food and drink: Kusahri, Egypt’s national dish is made up of pasta, tomato sauce, rice, lentils, caramelised onions, garlic and chickpeas. Halawa is made from sesame paste and

sometimes infused with pistachios, pine nuts and almonds.

Locals love Akher Sa’a (8 Shari‘ Al Alfy, Cairo Downtown, 02 2575 1668) and the Fish Market Americana boat (26 Shari’An Nil, Giza The Pyramids 02 3570 9693), where you can choose from the daily catch.

Where to party: Hurghada has more clubs and bars than Sharm el Sheikh – although you’ll find similar names. In Sharm el Sheikh, there is Pacha, Little Buddah, Hard Rock and Echo Temple, while in Hurghada you’ll find Ministry of Sound, Kandi, Calypso, Little Buddah and Hard Rock. Bars play lounge and Arabic music, and even host live rock bands.

Where to stay: Dahab Paradise (dahabparadise.com) on the Red Sea offers the best diving on your doorstep. Prices start from £37 for a single room. Or Albabenshal (uk.hotels.com/ ho361362/albabenshal-guest-house-siwa-egypt) in the Siwa Oasis is a beautiful mud brick hotel built into the walls of the town’s ancient citadel. From £24 for a single room.

Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia

MOROCCO Romancing couples make Morocco their own in April to early June, lounging on oversized cushions over the rooftop gardens of Marrakesh, Fes and Rabat. The names alone conjure images of exotic romance – Marrakesh, Fes, Tangier, Rabat and the omnipotent Casablanca where everyone goes in search of Humphrey Bogart or Ingrid Bergman, only to get their lines wrong. No one ever said “Play it again Sam”.

What to do: Visit the Jamaa el Fna in Marrakesh. Home of orange juice stalls and tables piled with snails as men shout at you and say, “Jamie came here – Sainsbury’s and Tesco ‘where every little helps’.”

In Fes, the oldest city in the country, is Fes el-Bali (the medina) which is a world heritage site. Hire a guide to take you round. What you spend on the guide you will save in time and energy and they will show you round the maze of streets to the important sites and the important sites only (although don’t get side tracked into shops they will get commission from).

Relax in Essaouira, a favourite haunt of Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix in the past, now of surfers and yogis. it’s also a fishing port and world heritage site.

Food and drink: Tagine with chicken, lamb, dried fruit, olives, vegetables and rice and Moroccan spices. Harira, a Berber soup is a popular appetiser made from tomatoes, flour, lentils, onion, Moroccan spices and chickpeas.

Try Al Fassia (02 443 4060, hipmarrakech.com/restaurantguide.php) in Marrakesh, Restaurante le Alizes in Essaouira and the Riad ed Ghalia (http://www.riadelghalia.com) in Fes, but do try to eat at the stalls in the medina where the theatre of people-watching is thrown in for free.

Where to party: Gamble at the Grand Casino of the upscale Hotel La Mamoin, or dance the night away at local discos in the district of Gueliz. In Morocco, keep in mind that a disco is the word for a Western club, and club is the place to view cabarets. Many discos play UK chart music. Also, females should go in groups, preferably with males.

Where to stay: Stay at the Rhiad Dar More (riad-dar-more. com), central in the Marrakech medina, chic and excellent value with prices starting from £40 per night. Or Dar Liouba (booking.com/Dar-Liouba) in Essaouira, a former Imam’s home converted into a charming bed and breakfast. From £40 per night.

Algeria Algeria is one of the highlights of North Africa but relatively unexplored compared to Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt. Check

Snakes and plates in the souks of Marrakesh out the Monument of Martyrs in Algeria’s atmospheric capital Algiers, delve into the winding alleys and grand boulevards of the famous kasbah and admire stunning Roman mosaics and ancient amphitheatres. Explore the incredible Roman ruins of Tipaza and Timgad, wind down through the High Atlas Mountains, and stroll about the small oasis town of Taghit.

What to do: Wander Algiers’ wide stately boulevards, admire shimmering ocean views and explore the winding narrow alleys of the kasbah. Stroll further back through history on a visit to Tipaza, a site of ancient Roman ruins complete with an amphitheatre and basilica. Drive on to Setif, stopping off en route at the world heritage site of Beni Hammad.

Admire the exquisite Roman mosaic of Dionysos, one of the most impressive mosaics in the world, which adorns the floor of the central court. Dramatically perched high above TNTMAGAZINE.COM

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the Oued Rhumal gorge and linked by a network of dizzying bridges, Constantine is a city perfectly suited to exploration on foot. Wander through the local kasbah, looking out for the embroidered goods for which the city is renowned, and finish the day taking in the sunset from any number of the cafe terraces boasting spectacular views.

Weave through stunning Atlas Mountain landscapes and isolated palm-lined villages to Balcon Rhoufi, where Berber dwellings are hewn into the canyon escarpments. Travel to Ghardaia and watch as the green mountainous landscape changes to the dry, desolate plains of the Saharan fringe.

Navigate the attractive red mud-brick walls and residences of Timimoun, head for its local market to browse the goods on offer and take in a striking horizon of sand dunes ringed around a motionless salt lake. Also meander about the smalltown sights of Taghit, one of Algeria’s most attractive towns.

Food and drink: La Maison de Couscous (kherdja.com/ detail-guide/5307-la-maison-du-couscous.html), brasserie des Facultes (brasserie-les-facultes.com) and Café Tontonville (7 Pl Port Said). Also try the Alger Bar in all Algiers and the steaming and bustling night market in Kafeng.

Where to party: In Algiers there are a couple of tourist hangouts – Zeralda, and Sidi Fredj – where clubs cater to party animals who want to let their hair down. Bear in mind, though, that much of Algeria’s nightlife is aimed at men, with women rather less visible in the clubs and bars.

Otherwise, try Rue Larbi M’Hidi, a pedestrianised area that’s quite popular with tourists. If you prefer something a little more sedate, some cinemas show foreign films.

Where to stay: Ibis Oran Les Falaises (ibis.com/falaise) and Best Western Hôtel Colombe (hostelworld.com) have rooms from £63 per night.

Sudan Travel around the towns of Karima and Morore, which have Egyptian archaeological sites. Take a trip to the town of Dongola or visit the port of Sudan for snorkelling, and go shopping at the popular open air markets known as souks.

What to do: Khartoum forms a three-town capital, made up of Omdurman, the old national capital, Khartoum North and Khartoum. The Omdurman camel market and the Arab souk are the main attractions, as well as the National Museum which contains archaeological treasures dating all the way back to 4,000BC. The Red Sea is one of Sudan’s main tourist attractions, with the richness of its reefs and fish showing what the sea around Egypt was like pre-package tourism. The busy Port Sudan, Suakin and the Arous Tourist Village 30 miles north of Port Sudan are good bases from which to explore the coast.

However, civil war and political instability prevent travellers from undertaking watersports at present, although there is normally great scope for them on the Rea Sea coast.

Erkowite, nearly 4,000 feet above sea level, is a stunning resort in the coastal mountains well known for its lushness.

Just north of Khartoum, the pyramids of Meroe are Sudan’s most iconic site. Unlike in Egypt, these brick-built and steepsided pyramids sprout in groups of 12 or more, and there are barely any tourists. The archaeological sites of Naga and Musawarat Es Sufra are also nearby.

In Gezira, take a trip along the Nile to the dam at Jebel Aulia, where the Nile is rich in fish and the sunset is spectacular. The main areas of archaeological interest in Sudan are beside the Nile north of Khartoum. They include Bajrawiya, El Kurru, Meroe, Musawarat, Naga and Nuri.

Food and drink: The staple diet is fool, a type of stewed bean, and dura, cooked maize or millet, both eaten with 70

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various vegetables. Black tea and coffee is drunk, and Karkaday, a tea made from hibiscus flowers, is also popular.

Where to party: Nightlife only exists in Khartoum and Omdurman, where there is a national theatre, open-air hotel entertainment, music hall and cinemas where Jackie Chan movies are screened. You can also knock at the doors of tea drinking clubs, enjoy concerts and musical shows in big hotels and entertaining displays of traditional folklore.

Where to stay: Stay at the value-for-money Assaha Hotel

The Pyramids of Meroe, Sudan

Diving in the Red Sea, Sudan and Egypt

in Khartoum (assaha-sudan.com/call_eng.htm), or German Guesthouse (germanguesthouse.com) for rooms less than £100 per night.

Libya Enough has been written about Libya’s troubles, less about the beauty and history of this incredible place.

Most of this country – 90% to be exact – is engulfed by the Sahara, creating vast sand masses the size of the UK. Best

known for its politics and leader Muammar al-Qaddafi, there is wealth far richer than the oil it produces – it is a living outdoor museum. The Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Spaniards, the Knights of St John of Malta, the Turkish, the Italians – they have all passed through Libya and all have left their footprint here.

Tripoli, Libya’s largest city and capital, hosts some of the best examples of Roman and Greek cities in the Mediterranean. It is not only the country’s principal seaport but has a wealth of museums including the Natural History Museum, the Archaeological Museum and the Ethnographic.

What to do: Arguably the most inspirational and exciting museums in Libya are to be found in the cities of Cyrene, Sabratha and the magnificent Leptis Magna. Each has stunning examples of Roman and Greek architecture that echo a history most of us have only seen in films or books. Towering columns, statues, temples, baths, markets, mosaics, paintings, cemeteries and awe-inspiring amphitheatres stand almost intact, while statues of gods and mythological animals look out over them.

Drive to the haunting oasis towns of Ghadarnes and Ghat, where you’ll find date palms, olive and orange trees framing lakes, fringed in turn by huge sand dunes. Discover the traditional architecture, folklore and art, as well as Roman and Libyan remains, at Ghadarnes and the old city, Ottoman Fort and traditional architecture of Ghat. Head on to the extinct volcanoes such as Waw al-Namus where black volcanic sand borders multi-coloured lakes. Trek even deeper into the desert and you’ll find one of the world’s finest open-air art galleries of prehistoric rock art in Jebel Acacus. A journey to Libya is a trip back in time.

Food and drink: There are four main ingredients of traditional Libyan food: olives (and olive oil), palm dates, grains and milk. In Libya people eat simple cuisines.

Some popular foods include soups, such as shurba, and unsweetened cakes, like bazeen. Try Sultan ahmet (foursquare.com) in Tripoli or Abiya Seafood restaurant (facebook.com/abiyarestaurant).

Where to stay: Try the Four Seasons 2, from £98 per night (fourseasons.com), Plasma Hotel from £110 per night (plasmahotel.net), or for bargain basement, Al Naher (alnaherhotel.com) has beds from £35 per night.

Leptis Magna, Libya TNTMAGAZINE.COM

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48HOURS

PARIS

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YOUR WEEKEND IN PARIS, FRANCE

Paris – or the City of Lights as it is known – has a reputation for being one of the most romantic and beautiful destinations in the world. And it would be hard to disagree as you wander the whimsical bridges of Canal SaintMartin or gawk at the glittery ChampsElysees, from the top of the iconic Arc de Triomphe...

DAY ONE Great Dame: Paris’s Notre Dame Wake up: Start the day with coffee and a croissant

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MORNING Start your day by getting your bearings.

A 38-second ride in Europe’s fastest elevator to the top of Montparnasse Tower will offer you spectacular views of Paris with the peaks of the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame leading your gaze. Once you come back to ground you won’t have to look very hard for a croissant as there are great bakeries all over. Moisan is particularly good and has a number of locations. Near the tower is the Montparnasse Cemetery where many famous writers and philosophers are buried, so you can take an informative stroll into the past, guidebook in hand.

AFTERNOON From Montparnasse head to the banks of the River Seine, stopping off along the way for steak-frites at one of the many classic Parisian cafes that spill out onto the pavement. Along the river banks you’ll see picture-perfect Paris in all its glory. There are also dozens of vintage book stalls, which are a treasure hunters dream. Paris’s most famous attractions are located here, with the Notre Dame, the Louvre and the Musee D’orsay perched along the banks – one or all are worth a visit, depending on your appetite for art.

If the weather is good don’t miss a boat-top tour of the Seine, which is a tourist must-do and can be combined with a romantic dinner on the softly lit decks. As you drift along the water you’ll be able to catch sight of all the major monuments, the historical buildings and the ornate bridges.

On board you can opt for a narrated tour or simply take in the scenes.

Bateaux Mouches is one of the biggest companies, with tours leaving from the Eiffel Tower (bateuxmouches.fr) or

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Bateaux Parisiens offers a great threecourse dinner (bateauxparisiens.com).

48HOURS Religious experience: Sacre Coeur

EVENING Pigalle is the centre of the unique Paris nightlife with glaring neon lights and a raunchy reputation. Full of mythic lesbian cabarets, 24-hour peep shows and historic mansionsturned debaucherous clubs, your night will see no end. Start in Hotel Amour with disco balls on the ceiling and Terry Richardson photos on the walls (hotelamourparis.fr). Next head to Carmen with its life-size birdcages and romantic statues throbbing alongside the all-night DJ sets. The club, which is in a former 19th-century mansion, also has an audacious cocktail list with absinthe concoctions or even some foie gras options (le-carmen.fr).

DAY TWO

Words: Rachael Getzels. Photos: Thinkstock and Getty

MORNING If you’ve been up all night, as we hope you have, then seize the day and grab breakfast in romantic Montmartre near Pigalle. Coquelit bakery is packed to the brim with freshly made bread and pastries that only the French know how to make, and its coffee will give you that kick you need. Next, stroll through the cobbled streets and manicured gardens of Montmartre until you get to the Sacre Coeur, which looks like it’s straight out of a fairytale on its perch high up on a hill. The Boulevard de Clichy at the bottom of the mound is full of kebab stands and sex shops, making for an interesting contrast with the church above.

AFTERNOON You’re not far from Canal Saint-Martin here, which appears in the whimsical French blockbuster Amelie. The recently gentrified area is now full of cute cafes and boutique shops, not to mention some great markets through the week. There are also lots of curious shops that specialise in just one thing, from olive oil to communist literature to piñatas. Along the way are also many quirky museums and galleries such as the Musee de l’Eventail which is devoted entirely to fans, showcasing at least 1,000 examples from the 18th and 19th century. If you fancy a break from French food try the experimental

pizza at The Pink Flamingo, with toppings such as figs, pistachios, goats’ cheese and honey – bizarrely named ‘The Brangelina’. We’re still not sure why (pinkflamingopizza.com). On your travels look out for streets with names such as ‘Passage du Desir’ and ‘Cite du Paradis,’ making up some of the whimsy and beauty of this area.

EVENING For your last night, treat yourself at a glammed-up Michelin-starred restaurant – you are in Paris after all and it’s all part of the experience.

But before that, be sure to take in the dimming city lights from atop the Arc de Triomphe, which stands tall as monument to those who died in the Napoleonic Wars. With 234 stairs to climb you will definitely build up an appetite for dinner.

Nearby there is Alain Ducasse’s flagship restaurant at the Plaza Athenee where you can enjoy a luxe meal like no other. It may be a big blow-out but you are in the culinary capital of the world and it could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (alainducasse.com). There are plenty of other slightly less OTT (but still fancy) bistros around the glittery Champs-Elysees shopping district. The art-deco Chez Savy has good food with foie gras made on site (chezsavy.com). A la carte prices are high but there is a set menu with three courses for £25.

Freedom: The view from the Arc de Triomphe

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BACK-UP YOUR DETAILS Photocopy your passport before you go on holiday and give a copy to your parents or a trusted friend. If you are unlucky and your passport gets stolen while on holiday, it would be easier to prove your identity and obtain a replacement passport quicker, as your parents or friend would have your full passport details to give you.

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City of water: Venice

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I really want to see Italy and travel Q around it by train. I have heard bad things about the trains though – for example, if they can’t be bothered to run they just don’t! How long do you think I will need to explore the country and where are the main stop-off points?

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GET ACTIVE Don’t get the Metro in Paris or the subway in New York. Walk. It’s almost impossible to orientate yourself when you’re underground and you miss out on so much.

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There is no better way to see continental Europe than by train, and this is no less true in Italy. I have travelled on Italian trains many times, and have found the service reliable, enjoyable, comfortable and convenient. Most of Italy’s major cities are connected by train and so it is possible to easily visit a number of the country’s major attractions in one trip. There are of course occasional delays, but this is no worse than travelling by train in Britain and definitely shouldn’t put you off your trip.

You can feasibly travel by train to see a number of the cities and highlights in a three-to-four week trip, depending on how long you allow in each city to enjoy the culture, food and architecture. I would suggest flying into an airport in the south, such as Naples, and then out of a city in the north, such as Venice. This will allow you to see the sights without the expense and time of heading back on yourself.

Start out with at least a week in southern Italy, exploring foodie Naples, indulging in some stylish sunbathing on the Amalfi Coast and be sure to explore fascinating, historical Pompeii. After spending a few days in Naples, take just over an hour’s train ride to Rome and explore its world-class sights. Next head to Florence, which is only a 90-minute train-ride away. You can then travel onto Venice by train in just two hours.

I would also recommend spending a few days in Florence and the surrounding area.

Take a day trip to Pisa by train and spend a few days in the stunning coastal villages of the Cinque Terre. Sample fabulous wines and gastronomic gems in Tuscany and take a stroll around UNESCO world heritage site Siena. Three to four weeks will enable you to visit these highlights at a leisurely pace.

You can book your tickets online through trenitalia.com (you’ll need to use Italian spellings for place names) or you may find it easier to book through English language agency, italiarail.com, which charges a small fee per booking. It is wise to buy long-distance train tickets in advance, partly because they could sell out but mainly because it is much cheaper. In Italy, rail passes are no longer economical as booking single tickets in advance generally works out cheaper.

SUITCASE STYLE Always make your suitcase stand out for easy detection at the airport. One quick and easy technique is to wrap a bright scarf round the handle.

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£250-£500 TUNISIA Seven nights all-inclusive accommodation at the 3-star Tour Khalef Hotel in Sousse, Tunisia from £246pp.

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SPORT NEWS | FEATURES | GAMES TO WATCH | VIEWPOINT IMAGE OF THE MONTH

BAT AND NINE TAILS Even when England pull themselves together things seemed to fall apart. They had Australia on the ropes in the second onedayer at the Gabba in Brisbane – the hosts were nine wickets down with 67 runs to get. Enter young James Faulkner (left), who smashed 69 not out to get the runs with three balls to spare. He was batting at number nine, but is hardly a tail-ender.

Photos: Getty

INSIDE

PROTEAS A STEP UP /82

ROOSTERS CROW /84

SOCHI SLOPE HOPES /86

The Ashes thrashing of England will be far from Australia captain Michael Clarke’s mind this month when they take on South Africa.

TNT chats to Anthony Minichello, captain of NRL Premiers the Sydney Roosters ahead of their World Club Challenge clash with Wigan.

We look at the athletes from Down Under who rightly have high hopes going into the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

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Import: Jess Waitapu

NZ AND OZ: ENGLAND’S COMING FOR YOU NETBALL Long gone are the days of England being whipped by world netball super powers Australia and New Zealand.

England last year even beat the Aussies in a full series for the first time and their domestic competition is ramping up too, with a host of international stars adding to their home talent – an ideal complement to the increased number of England stars playing in the ANZ Championships Down Under.

Among those in England for the 2014 ZEO Netball Superleague, which started January 26 and is broadcast on Sky Sports, is Loughborough Lightning’s New Zealand import Jess Waitapu. TNT caught up with the sharp shooter.

The gap has narrowed between netball’s best, New Zealand and Australia, and the rest of the world, especially England, of late – is this rise in quality reflected in the domestic competition? I think that the gap has really closed because of all the English players that have been playing in the ANZ competition now. A lot of them in the competition are rated as the top players in the world. They have some of the most amazing players. They are playing against that New Zealand and Australian style all the time, and they’re picking up on it and adjusting their game. I can see that when England do take on Australia, or take on New Zealand, they can now nullify the other team’s strengths.

How important are the international imports in each side? Are they major standouts or just complementing already strong squads? I do think that 82

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FLASHBACK... 2012 the Australians and New Zealanders who have come over, like myself, provide something different and different style of play, but it definitely strengthens already strong sides.

Who are some of the stars from other teams we should be looking out for?

Team Bath, who won last year, are obviously ones to look out for with centre Serena Guthrie. Sasha Corbin and the Surrey girls will be tough too.

With players of all netball nations pushing for Commonwealth Games selection ahead of Glasgow, does that add an extra dimension to any high level competition this year? I think it does. I think it’s going to be really important for all of those, especially the England girls, who are hoping to be selected. If they’re not on form then someone else will be.

Watch the ZEO Netball Superleague on Sky Sports or visit englandnetball.co.uk for where to catch a game live

Maybe the greatest Aussie sports story of all time, Steven Bradbury claiming gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics when his opponents fell over. Amazing that two years prior he broke his neck and was told he’d never take to the ice again.

UNDER THE PUMP New Zealand’s Chiefs begin their campaign for a third consecutive Super Rugby title away to fierce rivals the Crusaders on February 21 in what is shaping up as an epic 2014 competition. The Hamilton-based Chiefs beat the Brumbies 27-22 in last year’s final, with Aaron Cruden (pictured) kicking 17 points, and were rewarded for their expansive and entertaining style. They kick-off the 2014 season as favourites in the betting, narrowly ahead of the Crusaders and the Brumbies. This season also welcomes the return of South Africa’s Lions, the Johannesburgbased side, who beat the Southern Kings in the play-off for promotion last year.

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HIGHLIGHTS THIS MONTH

Six Nations champs: Wales’ Sam Warburton and Gethin Jenkins Speed demon: South Africa’s Dale Steyn

PREVIEW PROTEAS A BIG STEP UP FROM ENGLAND SOUTH AFRICA V AUSTRALIA

Photos: Getty

TESTS START FEB 12, 20 & MAR 1 The Ashes thrashing dealt to England will be far from Australia captain Michael Clarke’s mind this month when his side face a much tougher task – three Tests against world No.1 South Africa.

It wasn’t long ago that Australia were competing with the Proteas for that top spot in the ICC World Rankings, eventually going down 2-1 in the series in Oz. That loss started a downward spiral that included a 4-0 flogging in India and the 3-0 Ashes defeat in England.

While the Aussies have turned the ship around in big style with the 5-0 Ashes victory on home soil, Graeme Smith’s South Africans are a whole other story, with a lineup including some of the best pace bowlers in the world and some of the best batsmen.

AB De Villiers was the best from any country with the bat last year and Dale Steyn will go down as one of the all-time great quicks – he is in demon form but not even the topranked bowler in his team; that honour goes to Vernon Phillander.

After a one-sided series in Oz this will be a big ask for Clarke’s lads, and great for us with Sky Sports 2 showing play from 8.30am.

LET’S GET TRIVIAL | Time to NAB the Cup The AFL’s tradition of the pre-season cup ends this year with two practice matches for each club between February 12 and March 1.

It’s a shame as the NAB Cup, called various things over the years, acts as a bit of an indicator for the season to come. Often the team to lose the Cup has gone on to win the Premiership. In 2001 the Brisbane Lions – last year’s winners – lost the Cup final but went on to win three Premierships in a row from the following year (almost four after they lost the 2004 grand final). In 2005 the West Coast Eagles lost the Cup final but were 2006 Premiers. The same happened for losing 2006 and 2007 finalists, Geelong and Collingwood, who went on to win the next year’s GF. However, since the format change in the last two years, included half-length games with three teams playing two ‘lightning’ games in one night, no team has appeared in both finals.

Preview: Brisbane Lions celebrate their 2013 win

3 EPL FOOT: Man City v Chelsea 7 SUPER LEAGUE: Wigan v Huddersfield 7-23 WINTER OLYMPICS Sochi 8 PREM RUG: Harlequins v Wasps 8 SIX NATIONS: Ireland v Wales; Scotland v England 8 EPL FOOT: Liverpool v Arsenal 9 PREM RUG: Saracens v London Irish 9 SIX NATIONS: France v Italy 11 EPL FOOT: West Ham v Norwich 12 EPL FOOT: Arsenal v Man Utd 12 EPL FOOT: Fulham v Liverpool 12-16 CRIC TEST: South Africa v Australia 13 SUPER LEAGUE: Warrington v St Helens 15 PREM RUG: Harlequins vs Newcastle 18 UEFA CL FOOT: Bayer 04 v PSG 18 UEFA CL FOOT: Man City v Barcelona 19 UEFA CL FOOT: Arsenal v FC Bayern 20-24 CRIC TEST: South Africa v Australia 21 SUPER LEAGUE: Leeds v Warrington 21 6 NATIONS: Wales vs France 21 SUPER RUG: Crusaders vs Chiefs 22 WORLD CLUB CHALLENGE: Sydney Roosters v Wigan Warriors 22 SUPER LEAGUE: London v Salford 22 SIX NATIONS: England vs Ireland 22 SUPER RUG: Highlanders vs Blues; Brumbies vs Reds; Sharks vs Hurricanes 22 EPL FOOT: Chelsea v Everton 22 EPL FOOT: Crystal Palace v Man Utd 23 SUPER RUG: Waratahs v Western Force 25 UEFA CL FOOT: Olympiakos v Man Utd 26 UEFA CL FOOT: Galatasaray v Chelsea 26-MAR 2 CYCLING Track World Champs 28 SUPER RUG: Blues vs Crusaders MAR 1 PREM RUG: Harlequins vs Worcester MAR 1 SUPER RUG: Chiefs vs Highlanders; Waratahs vs Reds; Western Force vs Brumbies MAR 1-5 CRIC TEST: South Africa v Australia MAR 1 EPL FOOT: Fulham v Chelsea; Man Utd v Man City TNTMAGAZINE.COM

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Plenty to crow about Sydney Roosters’ skipper Anthony Minichello is intent on his team keeping their feet on the ground as they look to defend their NRL title and take down Wigan

Fan love: A burly fan celebrates the Roosters 2013 NRL Premiership victory with a smooch

WORDS MICHAEL GADD

Something had to change at the Sydney Roosters. Going into season 2013 the proud club had missed out on the final eight two seasons in a row.

The tricolours had made the grand final in 2010, losing to St George-Illawarra, but the 11th and 13th place finishes in 2011 and 2012 were nowhere near acceptable for such a proud club going into its 105th season. Anthony Minichello, the legendary club custodian and former NSW and Australia player, has been there for 15 of them.

The alteration they made was, predictably, to change the coach. Surprisingly, they went with Trent Robinson, a 35-year-old who had just two seasons in the Super League as a head coach with Catalans Dragons and a less than illustrious career as an NRL prop to his name.

It was genius in retrospect – in his first season they claimed the minor premiership and won the grand final.

Minichello said the change of face at the helm was key, but just as vital was the change in attitude after the departure of Brian Smith.

“Obviously we rebuilt the cultures at the start of the preseason [in 2013],” said Minichello, the 2014 club captain who toyed with the idea of retirement before signing on for one more year to defend their titles.

“We had new coaching staff come on board and we secured some pretty good players, but it’s the work ethic – that’s what it came down to in the end.

“We always trained to be a second-half team and be better at the end than when we started. In the end when we had to dig deep [in the 26-18 grand final win over Manly] it paid off.”

The influence of Robinson is undeniable, along with players including Sonny Bill Williams joining their ranks – the dual international has also signed for one more year before he goes back to rugby union.

Robinson was an assistant coach in charge of defence

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leading up to the 2010 final loss, so was already a popular figure at the Roosters before his work there and the fact he spoke French got him a call-up to the Dragons.

“When he was our assistant coach in 2010, a lot of people gravitated towards him then, so everyone knew he was going to be a career coach at some stage,” Minichello, 33, said. “He went over to France to coach Catalans and brought them from a bottom team to a top team, and we were lucky enough to secure him or the Roosters.”

“

It’ll be on our home ground so we can’t wait

”

“He brought the history back to the boys – what it means to be a Rooster – as a base of his philosophy. He brought a strong work ethic, the rule that nothing comes easy... he doesn’t let anyone off lightly and is pretty sharp when it comes to getting his message across.”

That’s his captain speaking; here are the numbers: The Catalans were last in the Super League in 2010, when the Roosters made the GF. In a single season he took the club to fourth and sixth, up there with English superpowers Leeds, Wigan and St Helens. We’ve covered what happened when he rocked up in Bondi.

Now we’ll find out how he handles being a front-runner as the Roosters go into season 2014 with a target on their back – keeping players’ feet firmly on the ground must be a priority. Minichello is hit foot soldier on that front.

“We can’t really worry about what’s been said in the media or the betting,” he says. “We’ve just got to focus on ourselves and what we do best – playing some good football. Every team

Clockwise: Sydney Anthony Emotional: WebberRoosters can becaptain excused Minichello; showing fearlessness under this desecration of the national flag the high his ball;decades’ toiling forservice Italy at the World Cup after to the sport each year gets better, and every team can beat another on their day in this competition, so we’ve got to get better too.

Our focus is just on every day at training at the moment.”

Their first major opponent of the season will be Wigan when they contest the World Challenge Cup for the first time in Australia for 20 years on February 22.

Wigan, while like the Roosters they had many players involved in the World Cup, will be coming off the back of their full pre-season in Miami and have had their first round Super League hit-out against Huddersfield (on February 7 before the rest of the teams kick off their season the following week).

The Roosters will still be a fortnight from their first round hit-out against fierce rivals South Sydney, who they beat in

Photos: Getty

WIGAN’S BOWEN OUT TO ANSWER CRITICS Matt Bowen has a point to prove when he lines up for the first time in Wigan Warriors colours against the Sydney Roosters at the Sydney Football Stadium on February 22.

He didn’t want to be finishing his career in any other colours than those of North Queensland Cowboys, but he was told his services would no longer be required after spending his entire 13-year professional career in Townsville.

Perfect timing though for the Super League champions, whose superstar fullback Sam Tomkins got signed to a world record deal to move to the NRL’s New Zealand Warriors for season 2014. Not everyday a world-class player comes on the market at the right time, but Bowen, even after nasty knee worries and the fact he’s getting

the final regular season round of last year to claim the minor premiership. But Minichello insists “there’ll be no excuses when it comes to game time”.

Respect for Wigan is assumed. They dominated the Super League last year and also won the Challenge Cup. Several of their number were also part of the England team, which pushed World Cup champions Australia all the way and were beaten with the final kick of the semi-final against New Zealand.

“I follow a bit of the Super League and Wigan have a rich history and a winning culture,” Minichello says. “They’ve been one of the most consistent teams over there and it’ll be the first time in ages we’ve had the Club Challenge out in Australia... and it’ll be on our home ground so we can’t wait.”

on in years, is exactly that.

“I want to go back and prove a few people wrong,’’ the former Queensland representative told the Sydney Morning Herald last month.

“I always wanted to play on. I would have played at the Cowboys another year and that would have been me. But I got told I wasn’t wanted, and [so] then I wanted to prove people wrong – that I still had something in the tank. I always wanted to finish my playing back at the club.’’

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High hopes for Sochi

A general view puts Australia one step from Cool Runnings when it comes to the Winter Olympics – how wrong it is

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ALEX PULLIN

SNOWBOARD CROSS If there’s a worldwide household name in the green and gold it’s Pullin. Better known as Chumpy, he’s a Red Bullsponsored gun from the foot of Mt Buller who competed in his first National Championships at 15 and has been on the international scene ever since.

Pullin’s the guy leading the field of flying maniacs in the main image above, as cool a customer as can be who’s the best in the world in his discipline and fronts a reggae band called Love Charli.

The 26-year-old will be competing in his second Olympics in Sochi, but plenty has changed since his last date with the five rings in his mad-cap match-race sport.

Pullin is a hundred times the pro he was in Vancouver 2010, where he set the fastest qualifying times but made tactical errors that saw him bow out in the first round of the final.

The experience steeled the fearless rider who’s since added savvy to his skills, and has picked up constant plaudits. He

went on to win the World Championships and World Cup series in 2011-12 and the 2012-13 season – a feat unmatched by any Aussie winter sportsperson.

Last year’s title was his reward for reaching a perfect seven finals in seven races and appearing on the podium in four of them – incredible numbers in such a cut-throat sport in which a single little stuff-up can be the difference between first and last.

The Olympics are a cloud hanging over this incredibly marketable athlete.

Words: Michael Gadd. Photos: Getty

While not synonymous with snow sports, Australia has been a fixture at the Winter Olympics since the first in 1936, missing only the post-World War II games in 1948.

In ‘36, ice hockey player Kenneth Kennedy was the sole competitor for the Aussies – in speed skating.

Though the captain of the British bobsleigh team, Frederick McEvoy – nickname ‘Suicide Freddie’ – was from St Kilda. He came fourth in the two and four-man events.

A lack of funding, resources and facilities meant Australia had minimal impact on winter sports until the 1990s. The first medal came in 1994’s 5,000m short track relay speed skating. The team’s Steven Bradbury famously went on to win his country’s first individual gold in the 1,000m in 2002, the same year Alisa Camplin started her winning streak – gold at the last three games.

Here are some of the stars who form Australia’s biggest ever Winter Olympics team at Sochi 2014 from February 7-23.

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TORAH BRIGHT

HALF-PIPE Bright is Australia’s queen of extreme who’s been at the precipice of her snowboarding disciplines since she turned pro aged 14.

She finished in the top five for the half-pipe in her first Olympics in 2006 and took gold at the last Games in Vancouver.

US-based Bright will be among the favourites for that event, but it’s not enough for her. She’s also gunning to become the first snowboarder to compete in three disciplines at the same Games, hoping to line up in the new slopestyle event in which she took bronze at last year’s world championships (though there’ll have

to be some withdrawals for that to happen) and snowboard cross, the same event as Pullin.

Bright’s 2010 Games were memorable for several reasons – she was her nation’s flag bearer for

LAURA PEEL

FREESTYLE AERIALS We could have singled out a number of aerial freestylers here but have gone for consistent 24-year-old Peel, who’s been on the world circuit since 2011, won her first World Cup event in 2012 and won silver at the Sochi test event last year.

Oz has defending Olympic champion Lydia Lassila here, who’s timing her run to perfection winning her first World Cup event in four years recently at Val St Come, with another Aussie Samantha Wells finishing fourth.

Then there’s Dave Morris in the men’s – he was ranked two in the world last year.

ANTON GRIMUS

SKI CROSS Anton Grimus, 22, looks like Ned Kelly and on his skis he’s like an outlaw on the run in his adopted discipline after switching from the more traditional alpine events.

Thierry Dusautoir When he made the change in 2010 he qualified second for the final on his first try at a World Cup, and in December 2012 made his first podium in Nakiska, Canada. Born into Mt Buller royalty – his dad owns a resort there – he’s worked his way through the ranks to be a top 12 athlete, and is definitely one to watch for the future.

starters and qualified number one in the half-pipe after getting over two concussions during training.

She crashed out in her first run in the final, but nailed her second go and took Australia’s fourth ever gold.

DALE BEGG-SMITH

MOGULS A fascinating character who ditched the Canadian ski programme to compete for Australia after the winter sport powerhouse demanded he spend more time training and less time making gazillions with his internet advertising business... as a teenager!

Now 28, and super rich, he’s competed at the past two Winter Olympics but went off the radar from 2010 until December, when he rocked up to a World Cup event in Finland and finished a lazy fifth. He won gold in Turin and silver in Vancouver. Basically, he’s a freak.

BRENDAN KERRY

FIGURE SKATING Aussie Winter Olympics’ history is too skinny to have dynasties, but the Kerry family is an impressive one even if 19-year-old Brendan is among the happy-to-beThierry Dusautoir there brigade.

He qualified by finishing eighth at the Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf, Germany, in September 2013 with a broken wrist after winning the Australian trials. His mum, Monica MacDonald, competed at the 1988 Calgary Olympics in ice dancing while his sister Chantelle – Australia’s rep at the inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games – narrowly missed out on selection.

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Worried? Security at Sochi

HOT. COOL. YOURS – AT THE RIGHT PRICE The corrupt, homophobic, terroristmagnet Games is how the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics will be remembered if the lead-up has been any sort of indication.

“Hot. Cool. Yours” is the bizarre slogan for the Games that will host 90 nations – 2,500 or more athletes – across 98 events. ‘Hot’? Well Sochi does have the warmest average temperature in Russia, with the mercury at a pleasant 17°C last February. ‘Cool’? There is no established ‘cred’ to the host city, with everything built from scratch, and see hot. And ‘Yours’? A Games steeped in corruption allegations, and on its way to being the most expensive Olympics of all time – estimates put the price at around US$60 billion? Hmm. If the Games have snuck up on you, here’s what the fuss is all about.

BALMY: It’s in a Black Sea beach resort town! Ice hockey, figure skating, speed skating and curling will take place in the ice dome at the Olympic Park across the street from Sochi’s pebbled beach front. The Krasnaya Polyana mountains

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hardly boast dependable snow and will rely big time on man-made snow.

MYSTERIOUS MONEY: “This is a festival of corruption,” said Boris Nemtsov, a Sochi-born opposition politician.

Nemtsov believes $25-30billion in Olympic funding has been spent, not for the Games, but through embezzlement.

BEHIND SCHEDULE: Putin cancelling Christmas for workers on the main Fisht Stadium has made a mockery of its August deadline: “I wanted to tell you, even though it is clear anyway: for you, the New Year will be on the last day of the Paralympic Games, March 17.”

APRES OLYMPICS: The Games will be a showcase for the newly created Rosa Khutor mountain resort, a ski holiday destination investors hope will compete with the French and Italian Alps, which rich Russians now prefer. Everything there is new and looks like it’s been bought in wholesale from mainstream French ski hubs.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: Sochi residents have copped the full brunt of the Olympics, with the upper echelon miffed at the construction ruining their palm-tree-lined Black Sea resort vista.

The others are being forced out.

NOT NO GAYS: Russia repealed the

“anti-gay propaganda” law, which makes it a criminal offence to claim gays and lesbians are ‘normal’. Putin recently promised the law won’t be applied in Sochi during the Games, and said gay people should feel welcome, but they banned a proposal for a gay-themed pavilion, Pride House, which was part of the London and Vancouver Olympics.

The US has thumbed its nose, with Brian Boitano and former tennis star Billie Jean King as their reps.

Still though, Putin maintains he will ensure Russia “stages the best Games festivities yet seen”. Let’s hope for the athletes he’s right.

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After that, VIPs will benefit from 2-4-1 savings on all membership prices.

£50 latedeals vouCher Sign up to become a myTNT VIP and you’ll receive an exclusive £50 discount off your next holiday with latedeals.co.uk. Looking for a last-minute break, head to this site which boasts fivestart experiences without the price tag.

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Go to tntmagazine.com/competitions. See webpage for terms and conditions. Winners will be selected at random.

WIN TWO TICKETS TO EVERY EGG LONDON SHOW THROUGHOUT MARCH TNT and Egg London are joining forces to give one lucky winner and a friend a chance to win tickets to every show in March!

Acts including Matthias Tanzmann, Leon, Pirupa, Andre Crom, Illario Alicante, wAFF and more are all confirmed to perform at London’s premier underground nightclub.

The prize includes two tickets to all the shows on Friday and Saturday in the March calendar. The prize can be used as many times as you wish so keep those dancing shoes polished!

Enter at tntmagazine.com/competitions www.egglondon.net

Competition start date: Feb 6 Competition draw date: Feb 15

PREVIOUS WINNERS WIN MEMBERSHIP TO 8TH DAY ADVENTURE: Mark Adkins, Coralie Pearson, Stephan Sopp, Samuel Guirado Borrego, Nancy Claxton WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS TO SEE BILLY ELLIOTT THE MUSICAL: Mike Day

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LIFESTYLE CAREERS | MONEY | LIVING | HEALTH & BEAUTY IMAGE OF THE MONTH

THE LOCK OF LOVE Each year around Valentine’s Day, couples ‘lock down’ their love by attaching a padlock to Brooklyn Bridge with their initials drawn on. Venice, St Petersburg and Paris also host this romantic tradition.

Photos: Getty and supplied

INSIDE

COUPLE WORKOUTS /94

IN ADMINISTRATION /88

SAVE ON RENT /100

Support each other’s exercise regimes with activities that encourage partnership – just don’t blame us for any barneys.

No, not TNT (again) – you. If you love nothing more than a great filing system then get a life, we mean, a job in admin.

If you search hard enough and make some compromises you can still find a decent place to live without breaking the bank. Promise.

LIFESTYLESTUFF

£16.99 THE HISTORY OF YOUR COUNTRY...

With pictures and everything! amazon.co.uk

£15.00

£34.99 MINI QUADROCOPTER What else fits in your palm and is fun to play with?... Maybe don’t answer that. revell.de/en

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Free ALWAYS KNOW WHERE THE PARTY’S ‘APP’ Find clubs and events near you, and buy tickets with Fixr. amazon.co.uk

£8.99

STICK YOUR PHONE WHERE... EVER YOU WANT

GET WIRED WITH ED ZEALOUS

A LITTLE REMINDER TO SHOW YOU CARE...

Go handsfree with a ‘goo.ey’ phone cover. gooeyskins.com

This debut album from the Irish band is electric. amazon.co.uk

Nothing says ‘I love you’ like a pink Post-It note. staples.co.uk

£6.99

£20.00 NEVER BE CUT OFF MID-SENTENCE AGA..

Follow Richard, who thinks as much as he parties. iofthesun.com

Keep your phone alive with this portable charger. sciencemuseumshop.co.uk

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FEELING HOMESICK?

See your home country like you never have before... amazon.co.uk

Photos: Supplied

RE-LIVE YOUR GAP-YEAR TRAVELS

£22.90

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GET SOME MCLOVIN’

DRESS FOR THE OCCASION

SHOW HER YOU’RE MAN ENOUGH

Show your girl you’re the burger to her chips. tshirtstoreonline.com/uk

This dress is perfect for your romantic meal together. closetclothing.co.uk

If you can rock pink, you will rock her world. marksandspencer.com

£25.00

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THE LOOK OF LOVE IS IN YOUR EYES

NEED WE SAY MORE?

“BECAUSE YOU ARE MY ANGEL”

Or at least down the side of your sunglasses. quayeyewear.com.au

Make not only his day, but his year, with these corkers. blueinc.co.uk

Use the line above and she’ll be your devil in the bedroom... anniehaakdesigns.com

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BOW DOWN AND KISS MY FEET

WEAR YOUR HEART ON YOUR HEAD

HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT

Be a Valentine’s goddess in these cute ballet pumps. marksandspencer.com

Keep your street cred intact and still show her you care. surfdome.com

Lace is sexy and elasticated – we want dessert y’know. bjornborg.com/uk

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LIFESTYLEHEALTH CLASS OF THE MONTH

TRX TRAINING I used to think a TRX training strap was a modernised version of one of those stretchy resistance bands you would see on retro infomercials; the ones modelled by men and women who have clearly used more than a piece of elastic to get that buff.

But TRX bands aren’t stretchy: they are more a portable tool that you can use to recreate pretty much any move you would see in a gym, outside of a gym.

Using your own body weight as resistance, it’s actually trickier than using a weight machine as, with the strap hanging from the ceiling, you have to stabalise your ‘wobble’, meaning you are constantly using your core muscles as well. You can also adjust your workout to suit your needs: quick movements of high reps will hit your cardio fix, while slower moves using more of your body weight will help with strength. In other words, it’s a way of covering all your bases on one spot and without a gym membership fee. TNT tried it out with TRX training pro Elizabeth Banks (eb-pt.com). Otherwise you can buy an at-home kit for £198 at trxtraining.com/uk or try a TRX suspension training class at your local gym. trxtraining.com/uk

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Sweat together, stay together Get each other’s hearts racing in and out of the bedroom with these couples workouts Gone are the days when you couldn’t bear to have a hair out of place when you met your loved one. Now it’s all about what you’re having for dinner, who put the last wash on, and who snores the loudest. But you could channel some of that routine in to something more productive and sweat it out together instead. Mounting evidence shows that couples who work out together, stay together. So with sweat patches no longer an issue, you can get down and dirty all over again with these couples classes that will keep you fighting fit well in to the New Year – and may well raise your heart rate for a few other couples activities as well.

Balance your boo Yoga: Straddles, bridges and butt raises will do wonders for your body – and your sex life – and yoga is fast becoming one of the most popular couples’ routines. The slow stretches will give you time to connect as you

Ying and yang: Balance each other out with couples yoga

stare into your partner’s eyes, and you can also use each other for balance, which may sound cheesy now, but when you’re bent over on one leg with your arm in the air and your neck careening over your toes, you’ll be thanking us. Creative Yoga London offers classes for lovers in which pairs physically (and emotionally) connect.

Details: For information on classes and price email rich@creativeyogalondon.co.uk. creativeyogalondon.co.uk

Spot each other Trampolining: ‘I will catch you when you fall’ goes the old romantic adage, so why not make it a reality? You and your partner can get bouncing on mini trampolines – or ‘trampettes’ – which will increase your heart rate and strengthen those thighs. You can even time your jumps so that your don’t lose each other’s gaze for a second. Awww. We think it might just put the spring in your

Disclaimer: England rarely gets this sunny

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Stay active: It worked for these two!

THE LOOK OF LOVE...

Get bedroom eyes... with this smokey eyeshadow £7 thebodyshop.co.uk

step – especially, lads, when you see her lady lumps jiggling. Jumping Fitness Britain offer classes with trained instructors who will tell you everything you need to know.

Details: Classes meet on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings in Islington. Eight sessions cost £64. jumpingfitnessbritain.com

Words: Rachael Getzels. Photos: Thinkstock and Facebook

Swing your Sally Swing dancing: This is actually one of the most intensive workouts you can do – and it’s made for couples. Not only will you work up a sweat as you shimmy and jitter bug up and down the leisure centre floor, but you’ll also have a chance to work on your rhythm, which will save some embarrasment in the future. London Swing Cats offers classes for beginners to intermediate and they have a discounted price for entering as a couple.

Details: Classes take place in Walthamstow on a Tuesday and Euston on a Wednesday and cost £30 per couple. londonswingcats.com

Bootcamp babes Bootcamp: This can be really tough, but if your loved one is there to mop up the tears, you’re bound to do better. Many trainers

recommend joining bootcamps as a couple because you can motivate each other (and kick each other out of bed in the morning).

Although it’s mainly blood, sweat and tears, you can keep the romance alive by training on Primrose Hill with it’s dramatic views of London – we’re warning you though, it may take your breath away.

Details: Sam Warrington Fitness offers classes on Primrose Hill as well as in Hyde Park and Highbury Fields. Weekly sessions cost £38 per month, and times are listed online. swfitnessgroup.co.uk

Unleash the beast Co-ed team sports: Have your weekly shouting match outdoors instead of while washing the dishes by joining a team sport.

You can save all that pent-up agression for the pitch, screaming as long and as loud as you want (and at your partner if need be) so that by time you return home the monster has been tamed. If you’re of an extremely competitive nature, however, we recommend that you join the same side.

Details: Meet-up websites list co-ed teams in London and there’s a huge range of sports (plus it’s free!). Try coed-recreational-sports. meetup.com/cities/gb/17/london/

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Smell simply sublime... with summer of love lotion £13 asos.com

Help smooth his skin... with this aftershave balm £4 marksandspencers.com TNTMAGAZINE.COM

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Do files make you smile? Get a job in admin

A pedantic passion Does a well organised spreadsheet make your heart race? Do you love a good Post-it note? Then these are the jobs for you...

If you’re punctual and precise (we know you people do exist) then we’ve got the job for you – the rest of you lazy lot, turn the page now.

In London, admin jobs abound and they’re straight-forward to get even if you don’t have experience. Though do note, turning up at the wrong office or forgetting the boss’s name will not lead to success. So brush up on your punctuality and punctuation and you should go down a treat.

Human Resources If you work in HR you’re the heart and soul of the company. The employees’ happiness depends on you; their pay depends on you; their job depends on you. Does Al in IT have BO? Fire his ass. We’re joking of course – that would be illegal – but you may be the 96

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one who has to tell him. What we’re trying to say is that with this job comes responsibility and dedication. People in HR organise salaries and benefits, recruitment and training (fancy team bonding on a Caribbean island? It’s worth a try). Almost every company has an HR department, which is great if you’re interested in a specific field.

Simplyhrjobs.co.uk has a very thorough list of jobs.

Qualifications and experience: Any office jobs you have had will be helpful but you don’t need qualifications – just show that you work well in a team, are friendly, dedicated and understand what the job entails.

Pay and hours: Salaries start at £21,000 and go up according to role. Part-time or flexi-time is possible, depending on company size.

Personal Assistant Being a PA can be pretty glamorous – it can also be pretty gruelling, depending on who you work for; but if you land a good gig, there are tons of perks. PAs work closely with senior managers and executives. They are in full charge of their boss’s diary, booking meetings, arranging travel (this is where the perks come in) and answering (or screening) calls and emails. They also sometimes do background research for reports or meetings and are often required to liaise with clients, which is a major plus if parties are involved. Site palondon. co.uk specialises in PA jobs.

Qualifications and experience: It’s important to have experience in admin as your employer will want to know you’re reliable and won’t doublebook her, or send the wrong present to

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ON THE JOB Kerry Bannigan CAREER CEO of Nolcha Fashion Week AGE 30 LIVES London FROM Corby, Northamptonshire How did you get into your line of work?

I moved to NYC after graduation and met a lot of people in fashion. I found there was a niche for independent brands showing their work during Fashion Week so we created Nolcha Fashion Week. Now it’s an award winning event at NY Fashion Week.

What do you do day-to-day?

My days vary but centre around working with the media, fashion designers and partner brands.

The most rewarding part of the job?

Bringing somebody’s vision of an event to life and the results it achieves for their business.

Don’t get your wires crossed: You’ve got to be a pro on the phone for these jobs

his ‘wife’ (ahem) and so on.

Pay and hours: Office hours usually apply but this can change during busy periods so you should be flexible.

Salaries start at £21,000 but they get very high, depending on experience.

Photos: Thinkstock. Words: Rachael Getzels

Receptionist Receptionists are the face of the company so make sure you go to the interview with a smile. The job includes manning the phones, ferrying guests to the correct spots and managing bookings. If you’re active, working at a gym is fun and you’ll likely be able to use the facilities. If you want a more refined role and you have some experience, top hotels are often recruiting. There are even niche receptionist jobs at schools or hospitals, which, if you have some experience or special interest, are a great option.

Qualifications and experience: You don’t need any formal qualifications but personality is key. You have to be friendly, happy to speak with anyone and articulate (no one likes a mumbler).

Pay and hours: Receptionists earn £15-19,000 a year and hours will match

opening times of the organisation. frontrecruitment.co.uk advertise just ‘front of house’ jobs.

Secretary Now this is for those true organisation hounds who get hernias when they see a number out of place or an unopened email. Many of your responsibilities will be similar to those of a PA, however, you’ll be working more generally for a company rather than a person – which can mean less pressure and more regular hours. Secretaries need to have good computer skills and they also need to keep the office running smoothly so it’s good to have a friendly face too. If you work in a finance environment your work will involve more Excel spreadsheets (some people will fist pump at this news) but there are low-key options too. Officeangels.com is a good start.

Qualifications and experience: It’s good to show that you have organisational skills through previous work, but specifics aren’t needed.

Pay and hours: Salaries begin at £17,000 and hours are usually 9-5.

And the most challenging?

The event world can be tiring and, no matter how well things are planned, things can go wrong. nolcha.com

HOW TO...

RUN TO WORK Most of us are so pressed for time, that it’s almost impossible to fit in a gym session, so why not run to work instead? Here are some top tips to ensure you don’t stink out the office.

• Bring a change of clothes: you

can’t be sitting at your desk in neon Lycra now, can you?

• Hide your shoes: you won’t

make any friends with smelly trainers under the desk so ask if your building has lockers or invest in a good gym bag.

• Drink water: it’s easy to forget

this at work, but fainting won’t help you get much work done.

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RECRUITMENT

To advertise call 020 7989 0567 or sales@tntmagazine.com

WATFORD based Steel Fabricator seeks an experienced estimator / draughtsman. Must be computer literate with good CAD skills. A minimum of 3 years experience in a managerial role within a structural Steel Fabrication business would be required. This is a busy role, requiring someone capable of assisting with all aspects of running a small engineering business. Salary negotiable.

For more information on the company please visit

www.pacificsteel.co.uk

Contact Matt McGivern on 01923 630 926 or email info@pacificsteel.co.uk

HAMPSTEAD NANNIES .

Professional Chef de Parties required for Event Catering companies within Central London. £9.00-12.50p/h. Weekly pay, flexible hours, 7 days p/w.

CV, Qual, Passport, Hyg Cert ess.

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Tel: 0208 946 6342 or 0208 944 1609 Email: Claire@claireschefs.com (Agy)

Hampstead Nannies is one of London’s most professional Nanny Agencies, run by trained personnel with a wealth of experience in all aspects of childcare and education.

We are acknowledged as being friendly, reliable and highly competent in placing qualified, experienced and reference checked Live In/Daily Nannies, Mother’s Helps, Housekeepers and Maternity Nurses.

Barkat House 116-118, Finchley Road, London NW3 5HT. Finchley Road Tel: 020 7433 2525/6.

www.hampsteadnannies.co.uk

A leading provider of wall, roof and landscaping innovations, Wienerberger was founded in Vienna in 1819.

Working on a global scale through 229 plants in 27 countries, Wienerberger’s presence in the UK is larger today than it has ever been and the company is continuing to innovate and lead the way in the industry.

Employing 150 people at its head office in Cheadle, 980 in the UK and has four showrooms, 11 factories and six distribution depots across the country, and manufactures in excess of 400 products including bricks, blocks, roof tiles and pavers for the homebuilding and renovation markets.

SITE LIAISON MANAGER - POROTHERM

BLOCK MASON - POROTHERM

EXPERIENCE: You will be required to have a detailed understanding of the whole building process through experience, training and preferably qualification; training will be given to enable this knowledge to be related directly to Porotherm. You must be a time served and qualified brick layer that has reached foreman or site manager level in either the house building or commercial construction industry who now seeks more variety and is quick to learn with a positive approach to work.

Ideally, applicants should possess the following attributes; excellent report writing skills, be motivating to others, reliable, tolerant, determined and be an empathic communicator.

Well-presented and business-like the role will require candidates to be sufficiently mobile, flexible to travel and keen to gain new experiences and responsibilities. It is essential that applicants can demonstrate the ability to get on with others and work as a team-player.

EXPERIENCE: The successful candidate will be required to have a detailed understanding of the block and brick building process, training will be given to enable this knowledge to be related directly to Porotherm. Be a time served and qualified brick layer in either the house building or commercial construction industry, be quick to learn and have a positive approach to your work.

Ideally, applicants should possess the following attributes; reliable, tolerant, determined and be an empathic communicator. The role will require candidates to be sufficiently mobile, flexible to travel and keen to gain new experiences and responsibilities. It is essential that applicants can demonstrate the ability to get on with others and work as a team-player.

JOB OUTLINE: We are currently seeking to recruit a Site Liaison Manager in our Porotherm team, working Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 5.00pm i.e. 40hrs per week.

The successful applicant will report directly to the Director of Sales – Porotherm.

Working as part of the Porotherm team you will conduct on and off site customer training, and demonstrations of the Porotherm system to all end users, and work closely with the Porotherm team and system distributors in terms of all site requirements. The successful candidate will need to technically explain the system and practically demonstrate the block laying process, so customers receive the optimum results. This will include: • Block laying, tool demonstration, speed optimisation • Involvement in materials scheduling and ordering • Waste reduction, cleanliness, weather protection • Cuttings, fixings, lintels & wall ties • Health & Safety

JOB OUTLINE: We are currently seeking to recruit a Block Mason in our Porotherm team, working Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 5.00pm i.e. 40hrs per week. The successful applicant will report directly to the Director of Sales – Porotherm.

Working as part of the Porotherm team you will conduct on and off site customer training, and demonstrations of the Porotherm system to all end users, and work closely with the Porotherm team and system distributors. The successful candidate will need to be able to technically explain the system and practically demonstrate the block laying process, so customers receive the optimum results.

This will include: • Block laying, tool demonstration, speed optimisation • Waste reduction, cleanliness, weather protection • Cuttings, fixings, lintels & wall ties • Health & Safety

APPLICATION: Applicants should submit a written application to the HR Department at Head Office (ukjobs@wienerberger.com) outlining what relevant experience and qualifications they have for the role and why they wish to be considered. Closing date February 14th 2014.

www.wienerberger.co.uk 98

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CASH-SAVING TIPS

HOW YOU SPEND IT! BRYCE KEANE, 29

GORGE GALORE If you’re looking for a good excuse to ditch the diet post-January we’ve got what you need – some serious money-saving deals at London restaurants.

Until February 11, Italian chain Carluccios is offering 2 for 1 on all mains (carluccios.com/vouchers) and the famous gourmet Indian, Cinnamon Sohoare is also making its food more accessible with five small dishes for just £10, (cinnamonsoho.com).

Photos: supplied and Getty

BOOZE ALERT Hallelujah! Bring a Bottle has arrived and it’s the answer to your prayers.

The free website compares grog deals at all major supermarkets so you can get the best bang for your buck. You can even sign up for email alerts when the price of your fave bottle hits rock bottom.

We just hope your behaviour doesn’t do the same (bringabottle.co.uk).

SHOW-STOPPING PRICES Theatre tickets that have been slashed by more than half can be yours up until February 13. With more than 50 shows on the books of getintolondontheatre.com and discounts on West End sell-outs such Mamma Mia!, Billy Elliot and Les Mis, this isn’t one to miss.

LIFESTYLEMONEY

JOB Co-founder of 3 Beards FROM Melbourne LIVES London How do you budget?

I make sure I regularly send chunks of money home to savings and investment funds in Australia where I can’t touch it. When I send money home I use online money site TransferWise to avoid bank fees.

Do you have any tips for saving money in London?

The biggest killer here is eating and drinking out, and the London lifestyle lends

itself to that so I try to do a big shop at the start of the week and cook a huge meal that’ll last several days.

What was your last big blow-out?

A trip home for a month at Christmas and New Year – I travelled around catching up with family and friends, which all adds up....

What non-essential items do you spend money on?

Mainly entertainment; my job involves a lot of going out, meeting people and networking – all of which is expensive in London.

HOW THEY SPEND IT! Kate’s hot wheels

Hitting the big 4-0 is a major milestone for all of us, but you wouldn’t expect a £20,000 vintage Porsche for the occasion. Unless you’re Kate Moss that is, who was ‘presented’ the iconic car (read: it was free. Sigh.)

❚ It’s one thing to get a

❚ You may talk the talk,

£20,000 car for your 40th, but quite another to get a £60,000 car for your 18th, as pop star Justin Bieber did.

Swiftly followed by a DUI.

but if you can’t walk the walk, it’s no use, as Kanye discovered when he clumsily crashed his £451,000 car into Kim Kardashian’s gate. D’oh!

❚ It’s rumoured that Jay-Z

Over the hill? Kate’ll just whizz down it in her new Porsche

drives the most expensive car in Hollywood since he’s been spotted cruising in a £5million Maybach Exelero.

We wonder if he’ll let daughter Blue Ivy drive it?

Well, maybe in a few years.

❚ A snap-happy admirer of a £547,000 custom-made car was shocked to come face-to-face with Black Eyed Peas’ Will.i.am as he took a photo of the parked vehicle. in Los Angeles.

t 020 7240 2403 info@smartteachers.co.uk

smartteachers.co.uk Teach. Travel. Be Smart.

Be a Smart Teacher.

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Mezzaluna cutting board Go pro with this herb chopping set. sainsburyshome.co.uk

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Live on the cheap London is the most expensive city in the world. Fact, people.

Here’s where to live if your money tree is refusing to grow...

According to a recent report, London is officially the most expensive city in the world. From the price of a beer to bus fare to the shoe boxes that people call home.

And, of course, rents continue to rise but salaries are staying the same; so what’s a gal (or guy) to do?

Well, we are here to tell you that there are areas of the capital where the rent is lower and you won’t be out in Timbuktu.

Yes, it may take you a whole (shock, horror) 10 minutes more to get to central London, but, y’know, deal with it. We spoke to estate agents from Black Katz, Your Move and Currell about the best places to look for wellpriced rentals. Then, when you find your perfect pad for a fraction(ish) of the usual price, you can go all Wolf of Wall Street and start throwing lobsters at people. Or at least some frozen prawns, anyway...

Walthamstow This area of north-east London comes up over and over again as one of the best places to rent – so we’re scratching our heads as to why the masses haven’t caught on.

Nevertheless they haven’t, so keep this on the down-low; we want you to be the first in. In Walthamstow you can get a place with spacious rooms for a decent price (by London standards, that is, but there’s nothing we can do about that). According to Shell Miah of Your Move, one bed flats in the area start at £120 a week, but you do have to search.

The area itself has a village feel with a local market, a high street and a few good bars

Watch out: You don’t want to be late on your rent

and restaurants, so you really can’t complain.

Miah added: “A lot of young people are moving to Walthamstow; it’s a nice area and the transport is good – only 20 minutes from central.” We think that sounds pretty good folks, so why not go for a snoop?

Westminister If this sounds like it’s out of left field, that’s because it is – and don’t start thinking flats in Hyde Park are going cheap; they’re not and they never will. However, Westminster has the unique trait of having extremely low council tax. You’ll be paying about half of what it costs in most boroughs, so the extra £700-800 you save every year could go towards your rent instead. Flats are more pricey given the location (Charing Cross is literally the most central point of the city) but again, the tax savings could make it worthwhile – and if living in the middle of the city is a priority, then this is where to do it. You won’t find anywhere here for less than £150 a week, but we’re telling you, a bit of tactical scrimping and saving and you might just land yourself a deal. And hey, with Big Ben right out your window you may be able to save on a clock. How’s that for clever thinking?

Willesdon For those of you who are all about the West Side (G homies), then Willesdon could be a good bet for you. This area is beginning to gather some buzz. It’s not quite there but, as you move Kilburn way, there’s a marked

LIFESTYLELIVING Believe it or not: Westminster has the cheapest council tax going!

TOP TIPS KEISHA HERBERT 24 Market researcher

“I leave home an hour earlier so I can walk to work and save some money on London’s expensive transport – I like to think some of the pennies saved go towards rent! Also, we only have electric heaters in our flat so I always wear an extra jumper so we don’t have to leave them on for so long as they’re quite expensive.”

WHERE TO STAY WHILE LOOKING We’ve given you a head start on where to look, but we can’t guarantee how long it will take. There are a number of hostels that take long-term guests in London if you need somewhere to stay during your hunt.

– It doesn’t get more central than this simple YHA hostel in Oxford Street. Beds start at £19 per night. yha.org.uk.

– Dover Castle Hostel in Borough has a flat share option for long-termers and their staff are full of advice. A room in a shared flat starts at £85 a week. dovercastlehostel.com

Photos: Thinkstock. Words: Rachael Getzels

– If you want something more quirky, check out Clink78 in King’s Cross, which used to be a jail in Dickens’ time. clinkhostels.com improvement with new cafes cropping up and some good pubs nearby (Paradise in Kensal Rise is a hidden gem). Willesden Green is nicer than Willesden Junction, but there is a difference in price. Nevertheless, Willesden is jammily located a few stops from Broad Street, plus the Jubilee Line is almost never late, which is a joyous rarity in London. Prices are around £120-140 per week for a one bed. But don’t forget, there’s always the option of a double up!

Just make sure your partner is cool with it...

Finsbury Park Finsbury Park has managed to dispel its somewhat rough image in the last few

years and coast off its great location and proximity to the Emirates Stadium (it helps that Arsenal are doing well this season).

Young urban professionals have been flocking here and families are beginning to move in, which is a good sign. There’s some good foreign cuisine here and, of course, you can always go to the trusty Faltering Fullback, which may be an Irish pub on the outside, but everyone knows is full of Aussie love on the inside. Finsbury Park has great buses to east and north London and the Piccadilly Line is speedy. A room in a rental house begins at £150 per week here.

Balham You might give Clapham a round of applause, but you should cheer for Balham too, as the two aren’t too dissimilar – although the latter is slightly cheaper.

(And yes, we did make a hilarious joke, but let’s not get off topic.) Balham has loads going for it. It’s a bit further out, but it’s fairly buzzing with good pubs, bars and restaurants, and they keep flooding in.

Sam Turley of Currell estate agents told us: “Brixton and Balham are sort of the new Clapham. The area is spreading out and there’s a lot going on – it’s definitely going in the direction of Clapham.” Which is great news, as Clapham is a regular hangout for Aussies anyway. This is also a great place to go for flat shares as it’s jammed full of young people (and antipodeans) so you’re likely to luck out. Sites such as spareroom. co.uk have great listings for Balham, and prices range from £155-200 per week.

ASHLEIGH JAMES 25 Medical student

“I live with friends in Bethnal Green, which is an area that has lots going on but rent is still relatively affordable – at least for now. I also have a part-time job with a catering company, which gives me a little extra to go towards rent or bills. It’s a zero-hour contract and really flexible, which means I can fit it around studying, seeing friends and exploring London!”

HARRIETTE HARRINGTON 25 Gallery Assistant

“I like to save money for living expenses by taking the bus around London rather than the tube, or by walking if I can. It’s a great way to save each week and good as a bit of exercise!

I also make sure that I take my rent out of my pay cheque each month and save it in a separate account to make sure I don’t spend it!”

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Are you desperately seeking someone or something? Email caroline.garnar@tntmagazine.com with your message

SAY WHAT?! phones will take over the world soon. our prime minister will be david camera-phone.

do you think it’s alright to eat cheese fromages ago?

Friends reunited: Lesley Taylor, nee McLaren, formerly of Boksburg and Port Elisabeth, please contact Garth via the Post Office Derby Western Australia. I have known Lesley since 1961 and I believe that she now lives in the UK. Garth Robertson Close encounter in the grocery section: Your hand brushed mine as we reached out for the last iceberg lettuce on the

tired one Sunday evening and came home to see the cat in the living room. I picked him up and gave him a stroke for a few minutes before realising, I don’t have a cat, who is this? If you’re missing a cat, give me a call. I might have it. Douglas Office crush: Matt, I’ve fancied you for ages but have never been drunk enough to admit it to your beautifully handsome and rugged face. I was that girl who thought

THINGS THE QUEEN SHOULD DO BEFORE SHE DIES the orgy was going well until the postman walked in.

what was the highlight of your day? being stuck in a lift for half an hour because it meant i didn’t have to answer my phone.

it’s pretty serious with my new fella. we literally never leave the bed. he’s called netflix.

exercise can be dangerous. squatting always means your special place is wide open.

You can’t call your mother-in-law ‘big tits’! at least not to her face.

does that say: ‘he carried out lifesaving bum surgery?’ is that even possible?

supermarket shelf. You let me have it, but that meant you ended up with some soggy watercress. I still feel bad – ‘lettuce’ know if you fancy joining me for a proper salad some time. Sandra Moggy mayhem: I was very

you said hello to her the other day when you walked into the lift.

(Sorry, I didn’t realise you were actually on the phone...). Charlotte New job: Thanks to everyone in the office for a great send-off last week. It’s been a great few years

Photos: Getty

106 TNTMAGAZINE.COM

Give Prince Philip a Valentine’s treat. My Queenie, you are in good shape!

working with you all, despite all the usual office drama! I will probably miss a good 20% of you. Rebecca Travel buddy: I’m a guy with a real zest for travel. I want to hike up Mount Rushmore, try shark cage diving in South Africa and kayak down the Grand Canal – all while trying out all the local pubs and clubs. Anyone fancy joining me on my adventures? Dave Morning lift: Lewis, you make every morning brighter with your awesome tea-making skills. Let me know if you lose your job any time soon and I’ll employ you as my very own barista. Jane Supernatural beings: We met each other on the ghost tour round our local area last Friday evening, and you very kindly gave me a hug at the end of the night because I had spent most of it terrified out of my skin. If you fancy some late-night activities of another kind, give me a shout. Holly Love is in the air: I’m looking for the right person to spend Valentine’s Day and, hopefully, the next 20-odd years of my life with.

Must be ginger, cuddly and fluffy.

And a cat. Malcolm Taxi service: Thanks to my parents for giving me a hand back to uni after the Christmas holidays. I know you were probably just eager to get rid of me, but I couldn’t have brought back all those toiletries without your help!

See you soon. Jasmine Paper boy: To the girl handing out newspapers at Liverpool Street station last Monday – the way you presented me with that paper got my heart racing. I don’t normally notice anyone that early in the morning, but you are out of this world. Let me know if you’re interested and I’ll buy you a cuppa next time. Ricky Get fit: I often see you running along the Thames on lunchtimes during the week, and I admire your dedication. I’m in need of someone to get me motivated to keep to my fitness goals – fancy giving it a go?

I’m the girl in the red beret. Amy

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