TNT Magazine / Issue 1539

February 25-March 3 2013 Issue 1539 tntmagazine.com

WIN!

TOP OF THE POP-UPS

A SEVEN-DAY SAILING TRIP FOR TWO AROUND GREECE!

A guide to secret dining in London

‘OLDBOY’ TO ‘STOKER’ Legendary director Park Chan-wook

ICE COOL IN CANADA We join the igloo raves in Montreal

R E V E F L A V I FEST

fests t s e b ’s 3 1 0 2 more at d n a n o e L f ings o Green Day, K

ISSUE 1539 / £1.95

+ START YOUR OWN POP-UP HOW TO FLAT HUNT GIGGLES IN GLASGOW AUSSIE VS BRITISH MEAT

9 772051 605008

39

PARCEL DELIVERY BOOK ONLINE NOW *Enter exclusive discount promo code: RPTNTMAG12

Perfect for small parcel deliveries Massive savings to AUS, NZ, USA, RSA & CAN Send gifts to loved ones Leading brand name couriers UK & Worldwide delivery

www.rapidparcel.com tel: 0800 0774 679

12

TNT EXCLUS

IVE

%

OFF

HOW IT WORKS: 1. Simply pack your items safely & securely 2. Measure & weigh the box 3. Visit www.rapidparcel.com/tntmag 4. Make your booking & save with our exclusive promo code* 5. Have the courier collect from your address Tip: Receive the cheapest price when courier collects from business address

Activate your discount via: www.rapidparcel.com/tntmag TNT_1538_02 2

14/02/2013 11:25:07

LAURA CHUBB EDITOR laura.chubb@tntmagazine.com

EDITOR’S LETTER This week’s issue is all about finding the party, whether that’s at Europe’s top music festivals (P66), going to an igloo rave in Canada (P72), or at Glasgow’s upcoming comedy fest (P56). Want to stay put in London? Check out our guide to the city’s secret dining scene, where great food is just one element of a night out in an alternate reality (P8). After all, you didn’t come to the Big Smoke to stay home with a cuppa, did you? Enjoy!

THIS WEEK

LONDONDIARY

4

LONDONNEWS

6

DRINK & EATS @TNT COMPETITIONS

14+15 16 18+54

SPOTTED

19

LONDON SOUND

20

CHATROOM SHARON ROONEY 23 LONDON SCENE

24

FEATURES

LONDON FOCUS

26

SURPRISE EATS

SPARE TIME

30

Theatrical pop-up dining is London’s fave new food craze – don’t miss our tips

LIFESTYLE

Photos: Quays of the Old Port of Montreal; Getty; Martin Parr

72

32-37

8

LIVING

36

PARK LIFE

CAREERS

32

MONEY

35

Cult director Park Chan-wook talks Stoker, his creepy new thriller with Aussie stars

NEWS & SPORT

38-48

TRAVEL

51-75

DIARY

52

NEWS

55

LATE DEALS

58

HOTSHOTS

61

TOP FIVE

62

TIPS & STUFF

64

SHORT BREAK

66

CLASSIFIEDS DESPERATELY SEEKING

76-105 106

POP-UP FOR PAY

26

26

32

Say no to bricks and mortar – our guide to make a business pop-up from nothing

HORSING AROUND

42

Aussie pollie warning about UK meat was a joke, but do Aussies and Kiwis care?

BEST EURO FESTS

66

Snow, desert, fortress or club, we find the best music festivals in Europe this year

WINTER WONDER

72

Montreal in Canada knows how to make bone-chilling cold and snow a total blast

8 TNTMAGAZINE.COM

TNT_1539_03 3

3

22/02/2013 17:09:58

Editorial Group editor Carol Driver Editor Laura Chubb Content editors: Sub/ Sport Michael Gadd Travel Helen Elfer Entertainment Alasdair Morton Web Oliver Jones Social media Dan Thorne Contributors Daisy Carrington; Charlotte Maguire

LONDONDIARY

follow us on

@tntmagazine

Love lessons: snigger with the Sex Guru

Design and production Head of design and production Jon Cooke Design / picture editor Patricia Montenegro Sales Commercial director David Alstin Sales manager Jaqui Ward Sales executive Nichole Davis Sales administrator Abby Nightingale marketing & events Marketing and events executive Phoebe Cherrill ACCOUNTS Margaret Roberts | Suzanne Welsh tnt MULTIMEDIA LTD CEO Kevin Ellis Chairman Ken Hurst Publisher TNT Multimedia Limited Distribution Emblem Direct Ltd Printed by Wyndeham Peterborough Limited News AAP SAPA NZPA Pictures Getty Images, TNT Images, Thinkstock TNT Magazine , 16 Brune St, London, E1 7NJ tntmagazine.com General enquiries Phone 020 7953 8469 Fax 020 7953 7957 Email enquiries@tntmagazine.com sales enquiries

Phone 020 7989 0567 Email sales@tntmagazine.com Where to get TNT

cover price: £1.95 where sold See tntmagazine.com/findtnt for pick-up points or tntmagazine.com/emag to read TNT online Subscriptions and Distribution Caroline Penn 01603 559004

Shhh... SECRET LONDON sex guru: sexological comedy show Leicester Square

The Sexological Comedy Show is part stand-up, part group therapy session, which takes sex and our anxieties about it and delivers an hour and a half show that is as much about laughing and sniggering as it is about teaching. So get ready to share. Austria’s most prominent sex guru looks to solve the battle of the sexes, once and for all. How do I get my girlfriend to have a threesome? Does my boyfriend notice when I fake an orgasm? The answers to these and more can be found within. Take note. £18

Fri & Sat, Mar 1-Apr 6, 9.30pm Leicester Square Theatre, WC2H 7BX

Leicester Square

leicestersquaretheatre.com

All thieves of TNT bins will be prosecuted.

lady rizo

falling: A part

high tech, low life doco

The lady in question is a mainstay on the Big Apple’s cabaret scene and brings her superb show – music, cabaret, an encounter behind a curtain with one brave and lucky punter – to the Soho Theatre to show why she is such a celebrated act. In a year in which cabaret in London is bigger than ever, she’s one not to miss.

Photographer Thomas ZanonLarcher is most well-known for his snaps of supermodels, particularly catching them at their most unguarded backstage. Here, however, he employs the ladies to act as if caught unawares in public spaces. It’s a jarring exhibition that straddles what is manufactured and what is real.

This fascinating documentary looks at the lives of two Chinese bloggers – Zola and Tiger Temple – and the risks they take in their fight to tell the untold stories from their homeland. A powerful portrait of a nation in flux and evolution, in which the future is within reach, but where the past still exacts a hold over the present.

Until Mar 9 (not Sun, Mon), 9.45pm W1D 3NE Tottenham Crt Rd sohotheatre.com

Until Mar 9, 10am-6pm SE1 9LR London Bridge thewappingprojectbankside.com

Feb 28, 7.15pm Dochouse, W6 9RL Hammersmith dochouse.org

£10+

TNT Magazine is printed on paper from sustainable forests. There is no business connection between the proprietors of this magazine and TNT Ltd, the worldwide transportation group. Copyright here and abroad of all original materials is held by TNT Magazine.

Reproduction in whole or part is forbidden, except with permission of the publishers.

Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office.

00 4

tntMagazine.com tntMagazine.com

FREE

£7

like us on

facebook.com/tntmag

Weather forecast: the Rain Room is closing this week

Represent your country

RAIN ROOM Barbican

Awesome tours Living in the UK, this is a dream come true – the ability to control the rain! This fantastic installation from Random International, which has had people queuing round the block to give it a go, closes this week. Rain Room puts you in the middle of a downpour without you getting wet – the rain falls around but not on you, as your movements control its fall. We wish we could take this out with us come summertime!

FREE

Weekend festivals

Until Mar 3, Mon-Sat, 9am-11pm. Sun, 12pm-11pm Barbican, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS Barbican barbican.org.uk

ALIEN REVOLUTION

STAND UP FOR SHELTER

Are we alone in the universe? If not, what shape would aliens take? And what would they make of us? These are the questions this new exhibition at the Royal Observatory considers through science (the how, what and why) and culture (sci-fi speculations and movies). More like ET and less like Alien we hope.

A top line-up of stand-up acts comes together for this show for the homelessness charity Shelter, including Aussie legend Tim Minchin, one-liner genius Jimmy Carr, word-play king Stewart Francis, impressionist Alistair McGowan and musos The Cuban Brothers, too. Enjoy the world class gags and dig deep.

Mar 1-Aug 2013, 10am-5pm SE10 8XJ Cutty Sark rmg.co.uk

Feb 27, 7.30pm Hammersmith Apollo, W6 9QH Hammersmith shelter.org.uk

Photos: Felix Clay

FREE

Weekly after match socials

£30

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

5

LONDONNEWS

follow us on

@tntmagazine

OLD VIC TUNNELS TO CLOSE FOREVER One of London’s best art spaces, The Old Vic Tunnels underneath Waterloo Station, will close forever on March 15.

The unique venue, a network of spooky underground tunnels, has hosted a number of successful theatre productions and art exhibitions since it opened three years ago.

No information was provided on why the venue was closing at the time TNT went to press, but there are rumours that trustees believed the venue did not make enough money.

I was being stupid.

My best mate is Jamaican Tube worker Martin Aitken attempts to make amends after being suspended for posting racist messages on Facebook

HYDE PARK GETS 21 WEMBLEY PITCHES Hyde Park has been given a welldeserved makeover after the abuse it suffered thanks to summer concerts and Olympic events last year.

The equivalent of 21 Wembley football pitches of turf will be laid across the park between the Serpentine and Speaker’s Corner, correcting damage caused by the footfall of punters attending 28 concerts hosted by the park in summer 2012.

A downpour during the Wireless festival in July is believed to have done the park’s grass the most mischief. It is understood that concert promoter Live Nation is picking up the £1.5m bill.

ON THE TUBE CIRCLE: No service between Edgware

Road and Hammersmith all weekend.

DISTRICT: No service between East Ham and Upminster all weekend.

HAMMERSMITH & CITY: No service

between Moorgate and Barking all wknd.

JUBILEE: No service between Stanmore

and West Hampstead all weekend.

METROPOLITAN: No service between

Harrow-on-the-Hill and Aldgate all wknd.

NORTHERN: No service between

Edgware and Camden Town until 0845 on Sunday.

6

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

Students asked to take coke King’s College London sends email invite to take part in research Hundreds of students have been sent an email inviting them to try cocaine as part of a study into the drug by King’s College London.

The project aims to develop a better understanding of how the Class A drug – taken by an estimated 700,000 people in Britain last year – affects the body.

The email reportedly invited undergrads and postgrads to “take part in a clinical study involving nasal administration of cocaine”. Rules stipulated that students who did take part should not normally use drugs recreationally. Students studying medicine or dentistry were also barred from taking part in the study.

It also appears that students who do take part will be paid for their services.

A copy of the email reproduced by The

Huffington Post read: “Reasonable financial compensation will be made for your time, effort and expenses incurred from completing the study.”

The scientists running the research will aim to investigate a range of physical effects on the body caused by cocaine use.

A spokesman for King’s College told the London Evening Standard: “All the relevant ethical approvals were received for this study. The study will be conducted under the highest level of medical supervision in a dedicated clinical research suite. Further information about the NHS ethical approval process, which was followed, is available on our website.”

One student tweeted after receiving the email: “You can’t be serious... can you?

Just checked my email. I...er...wow.”

THIS WEEK IN LONDON...

Gain a unique insight into London’s past at the Poster Art 150 exhibition, now on at the London Transport Museum.

Part of the celebrations to commemorate the Tube’s 150th anniversary, the show features 150 of the best posters commissioned for the Underground over more than a century.

Posters were designed for a range of purposes, from simply encouraging people to use the Tube more, positing it as a ‘trendy’ thing to do, to teaching etiquette underground (we reckon many of those posters would still come in handy today).

The posters also provide a feel for the times they were designed in, from the Sixties’ obsession with sci-fi to the days when Golders Green was considered a lush slice of suburbia.

More info and show times at ltmuseum.co.uk.

A cheeky design from 1987

Photos: © TfL from the London Transport Museum collection; Thinkstock

THIS WEEKEND’S CLOSURES/WORKS

Weird science: the “nasal administration” of cocaine in action. Students, take note

ANGLO PACIFIC SHIPPING & TAX 30th Anniversary OVER 500,000 SATISFIED CUSTOMERS HAVE ALREADY TRUSTED THEIR POSSESSIONS TO ANGLO PACIFIC, LONDON’S LEADING SHIPPERS EXCESS BAGGAGE > Free supply of tea cartons and bubble > Free delivery/collection within M25 > By sea/air/road worldwide > Money Back Guarantee HOUSEHOLD REMOVALS > Free home survey, no obligation > Packed by skilled professionals > Shared or exclusive containers > Motor car/bike specialist shippers TAX REBATES > Average refund £963 secured last year > Online Tax Pack, only 10% commission MONEY TRANSFERS > Competitive exchange rates FINANCIAL PROTECTION > Bonded by the British Association of Removers > Bonded by the Association of Tax Agents > FIDI Accredited International Mover

www.anglopacific.co.uk SO BEFORE YOU CHECK OUT OF EUROPE CHECK OUT ANGLO PACIFIC

FREEPHONE 0800 151 3511 Anglo Pacific International Plc, 5/9 Willen Field Road, Park Royal, London, NW10 7BQ Email: baggage@anglopacific.co.uk Hours: Mon-Fri 8.30am - 6.00pm Sat 9am-1pm

When art met food: The Art of Dining’s Alice Hodge (left) and chef Ellen Parr

Pop goes the diner London’s new wave of theatrical pop-up dining shows no signs of slowing down. Here are the experiences not to miss Words LAURA CHUBB Why go out to dinner in a boring old restaurant when you could be served a five-course feast in a surrealist casino?

Or go deep-sea dining in a submarine mess hall? All this and more has been brought to Londoners by Gingerline, the cult Kiwi-helmed outfit responsible for making immersive pop-up dining a trend set to take over the city in 2013.

“When you’ve got a captive audience, why not give them more than just dinner?” asks Suz Mountfort, the Christchurch-born co-founder of Gingerline. Along with friends Kerry and Syd, Mountfort has been doing just that, and changing the face of London’s foodie scene in the process.

Here’s how it works: guests book without knowing where or what they’ll be eating. An hour before dinner starts, they receive a text message telling them where to turn up, with only the guarantee that it’ll be a stop on the Overground, or ‘gingerline’. As punters make their way to the secret location, Mountfort and her team will be putting the finishing touches to whatever elaborate concept they’ve masterminded, using performance, bespoke artworks and interior design 8

tntMagazine.com

to create an alternate reality.

This ‘on the hoof’ approach comes with its pros and cons – Mountfort reveals that at one event held in a fancy dress shop, she spoiled the main course in their makeshift kitchen 20 minutes before the guests arrived. “We thought we had an oven with six burners, but didn’t realise until the night that only two worked,” she remembers. “But when no one knows what’s on the menu anyway, they can’t be disappointed if it changes at the last minute!”

Crushingly, Mountfort is packing up the project at the end of March to go travelling and then return to Sydney, where she lived for five years before moving to London. Her plans for the future are fluid: “Maybe we’ll set up a Gingerline thing over there, or there’s the opportunity to bring it back here later in the year,” she muses.

Still, the gap left by Mountfort and co. can be competently filled by The Art of Dining, which has been gathering legions of fans since first popping up 18 months ago. Set designer Alice Hodge and chef Ellen Parr also create theatrical dining experiences in different spaces; this month’s ‘Eat Your

Heart Out’ transported guests back to the Victorian era, with actors giving lessons in Victorian romance.

“We’ve nailed a good formula,” Hodge responds when asked why she thinks the enterprise has taken off so quickly. “There are interesting locations, theatrical set designs and amazing food, and we really invest ourselves in it. We’re not in it for a quick buck, and people appreciate that.” The project has become a full-time job, however. At the start, Hodge was working as a PA, but got so preoccupied with the event designs she outsourced her job to a friend, who emailed her work over at the end of each day. She’s since quit as a PA, which she admits makes a lot more sense ...

Does that whet your appetite for more quirky eats? Read on.

MORE POP-UP & IMMERSIVE DINING ›› Places are still available at Gingerline events on March 19-23 and March 27-29. 7pm. £50. gingerline.info Join The Art of Dining’s mailing list to receive details of the next pop-up. Tickets are £50. theartofdining.co.uk

GATHER UP YOUR FRIENDS FOR 2013!

GROUP DEALS FREE SPOT FOR GROUP ORGANISER*

Laugh it up: Gingerline’s surrealist casino dinner

7 DAYS FROM

£288

Theatrical: AoD create experiences in quirky spaces

SAIL CROATIA‘THE NUMBER 1

as voted by TNT readers

ADVENTURE OPERATOR’ • Premier boat upgrades for £60 on our Navigator Cruises (21-35s) • Explorer Cruises for young professionals and young at heart travellers • Free Upgrades for selected Apr & May dates • Special 5 Day Navigator Cruise on 01 Jul on our Premier Plus ship, Liberty!

• Exclusive excursions including rafting, off road buggies and kayaking Cruise around small islands. Swim everyday in another bay.

Experience amazing clubs and bars ‘til the early hours

Good deal: playing cards casino menu at Gingerline

See our website for details:

www.sail-croatia.com

DISAPPEARING DINING CLUB ACROSS LONDON

PORTUGUESE CONSPIRACY dALSTON

On the first Saturday of every month, there’s dinner and late-night dancing courtesy of this cracking supperclub – in a secret location, of course, and with DJs playing late into the night. Also try their intimate Back In 5 Minutes dining room, hidden behind Ante clothes shop at 224 Brick Lane. Booking essential.

This new supperclub launches on Thursday at furniture-shopcum-cafe L’Atelier Dalston, promising to “contaminate London with Portuguese contemporary culture” – its art, music, design and, most importantly, food and wine.

There’ll be five courses matched with vino.

£55

Next event March 2 Secret location TBC disappearingdiningclub.co.uk

£40

Feb 28, 7.30pm 31 Stoke Newington Rd, N16 8BJ Dalston Kingsland theportugueseconspiracy.com

PIPSDISH ISLINGTON The lease keeps getting extended on this pop-up restaurant set within an old Citroën garage – we assume because it’s so damn good. The space is sparsely decorated but that’s all part of the charm, and the £30 for three courses Sunday lunch deal – plus BYOB – is a steal.

Expect menus based around seasonal fare. Booking essential. £30

Thurs, 7.30pm; Fri & Sat, 7.45pm; Sun, 12.45pm 133B Upper Street, N1 1QP Angel; Highbury & Islington pipsdish.co.uk

BOOTLEG BANQUET EAST LONDON This sometime supperclub has been going for four years now, popping up sporadically to offer a four-course Italian-inspired menu by candlelight. It’s BYOB. £45

DEATH BY BURRITO SHOREDITCH Immersive dining outfit The Rebel Dining Society has popped up this Mexican grill and cocktail bar in east London watering hole Catch. No word on when it’ll be popping down again, but you’d be a fool to miss out on its experimental tequila cocktails and duck burritos, so be sure to pay a visit while you still can. You can get in without a reservation (in theory), but be prepared to share a booth with other diners as it gets packed. A meal with drinks should set you back about £25pp. £25

Mon-Sat, 5pm-10pm 22 Kingsland Road, E2 8DA Shoreditch High Street deathbyburrito.com

10

tntMagazine.com

March dates TBC Unit 6, The Huntingdon Estate, corner of Chance Street and Whitby, E1 6JU Liverpool Street pestleandmortarcatering. blogspot.co.uk

EAT THE WORLD EAST LONDON A series of thematic pop-up kitchens, with a different chef each week and accompanying music, guest speakers and digital installations at ‘experimental centre’ Lime Wharf. £55

March 6-8, 13-15 & 20-22, 6.30pm Vyner Street, E2 9DJ Bethnal Green Cambridge Heath limewharf.org

after hours dessert bloomsbury If you’ve got a sweet tooth, this is the pop-up supperclub for you. Appearing in coffee shops across the city now and then, you can try a three-course dessert menu for £20 or a dessert, coffee and petit four for a tenner. £10+

March 8-9 & 22-23, 8pm-11pm 40 Store St, WC1E 7DB Goodge Street afterhoursdessert.com

sugarhouse studios

STRATFORD

This regular Sunday event serves up two courses and a mystery movie for £15. The studios are currently closed for refurbishment, but join the mailing list for updates. £15

Sundays, 7pm 107 High Street, E15 2QQ Pudding Mill Lane sugarhousestudios.co.uk

THE FORAGERS AT DEAD DOLLS CLUB dalston While not strictly a pop-up, this is a meeting of minds borne of London’s pop-up movement.

The Foragers – or Gerald and George to their mums – cook wild food they’ve hunted and gathered, and are now the resident chefs at Dead Dolls Club (above), a former design studio turned pop-up experiential dining outfit that has now opened up a permanent space. It’s a ‘small plates designed to share’ deal, with the likes of pigeon kebab and BBQ sauce starting at £6.50. £13+

Wed & Thur, 6pm-12.30am; Fri & Sat, 5pm-3am; Sun, 1pm-11pm 428 Kingsland Road, E8 4AA Dalston Junction thedeaddollsclub.com

BACKYARD CINEMA shoreditch

THE ARTIST DINING ROOM bethnal green

This temporary secret cinema in the attic of Beach Blanket Babylon offers a limited number of deluxe meal tickets, bagging you a two-course meal and wine or beer before the screening at 8pm. The next three events are sold out, but you can join the mailing list to get updated on the next lot. £10+

£30 This rather highbrow dining club invites you to “engage with the ideas of a well-known artist through food”. The menu is designed bearing the “fundamental, social and intellectual content of the artist’s work” in mind, and the three-course meal is accompanied by a talk about the artist’s work. Er, eek.

Next dinner April 4, 7pm 1 Andrews Road, E8 4QL Bethnal Green guestprojects.com

Future screenings TBC 19-23 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Shoreditch High Street backyardcinema.co.uk

MILE HIGH west london These immersive dining events promise to whisk you away on a ‘city break’, welcoming you first to a ‘departure lounge’ with cocktails and canapes, before you’re taken to a themed dining room and a four-course meal. The first ‘break’ is Gothenburg, serving Scandinavian delights (think char-grilled elk) in a Swedish-inspired setting. £65

March 13-16 & 20-23, 7pm Secret location TBC dinemilehigh.com

SPIT AND ROast SHOREDITCH

BACKDOOR KITCHEN bermondsey

This awesome street food outfit is popping up in The Princess Alice pub until March. Best known for their tear-inducing buttermilk fried chicken, they also do a devastating line in pork belly and rotisserie chicken.

A ‘secret foodie extravaganza’, this perennially popular supperclub, run by ‘the chef and the slave’, offers five courses, a ‘secret dessert’ and good company in a cosy southeast London flat. Sign up to receive updates.

Thur-Sun, 6pm-11pm. Until March 40 Commercial Street, E1 6LP Aldgate East spitandroast.tumblr.com

Next date TBC Provided upon booking Bermondsey backdoor47.wordpress.com

pop up tuesday WESTMINSTER

BURGER MONDAY BAYSWATER

Hospitality students at Kingsway College create three different pop-up restaurants to feed the paying public. Menus range from ‘traditional’ to ‘technicolour’.

For one night only, this oyster bar will transform into a burger bar, only the burgers will contain – well, oysters. The price includes three courses and a glass of red, and sittings are limited to 90 minutes.

£7+

WIGWAMBAM! east london This heated rooftop wigwam at the Queen of Hoxton (above) is a regular winter pop-up offering a cosy setting for some outdoor BBQ action.

Fairylights and a fire pit will warm your cockles as you order up a feast of red meat, from whole lamb, hog roast and haunches of venison to wild boar sausages and burgers, all served with gravy and stuffing. Even better, you can wash it all down with a toasty tipple, namely their hot buttered rum. What are you waiting for? Get freaky in the tipi.

Photos: Emli Bendixen; Sophia Schorr-kon; Oleg Tolstoy; Organic Sounds; Dan Spinney; Addie Chinn

£5+

Mon-Sat, 5pm-10pm, until March 31 1-5 Curtain Road, EC2A 3JX Liverpool Street queenofhoxton.com

£30

March 5, 12 & 19, 6pm 76 Vincent Square, SW12 2PD Victoria popuptuesday.wix.com/ popuptuesday

£30

£36.50

March 25, from 6.30pm 8 Porchester Gardens, W2 4DB Bayswater lecafeanglais.co.uk

PORTSIDE PARLOUR east london Last but not least, we’ve selected a pop-up that, while it doesn’t include food, is simply too cool to exclude. Patrons enter this temporary rum club via, um, a toilet (above).

Pull the dunny chain and a super-sexy speakeasy will be revealed, with red leather sofas, candlelight, oil lamps and an inevitably achingly trendy clientele all crammed in. Angostura rum is the drink of choice (well, it’s not really a choice, cos it’s the only drink available). Slated to stay until May. £7+

Mon-Fri, 5pm til late; Sat-Sun, 4pm til late 63-65 Broadway Market, E8 4PH Haggerston portsideparlour.co.uk

tntMagazine.com

11

MYLONDON

Need to send money between UK and home?

alistair davis

Managing Director, Try Tag Rugby What baffles me about London is that the Olympics’ so-called sporting legacy doesn’t extend to floodlit sports pitches! There is an appalling shortage of them in inner London and a ton of people wanting them.

London’s best-kept secret is the south bank between Waterloo and London Bridge. There are tons of hidden pubs, bars and restaurants and so much history, some of it gruesome – such as Cross Bones, the prostitutes’ burial ground on Red Cross Street.

When I want to chill out I generally don’t get much further than the couch or gym. But if I’m looking to properly chill out, I get out of London and go travelling, ideally heading for a beach or mountain in Europe.

The most interesting person I’ve met is my colleague Phill Browne at Try Tag Rugby. His life would make a fantastic soap opera, or maybe a sitcom, but with very bad jokes! Strangely we’re both from Sydney, both worked for Travelex and Qantas at the same time there but only met here in London.

My favourite place for a drink is the Faltering Fullback at Finsbury Park, I can’t go past it. Hidden in the back streets, it has a quirky front bar, a massive back room for watching sport and a never-ending beer garden covered in greenery. The best place for a beer in London on a warm summer’s evening.

For when you’re hungover in London I still go back to my Aussie roots so head to Westfield for a Boost Juice and previously Oportos at Victoria before it shut down – though it had nothing on Oportos at Cronulla!

Reasons to use tntforex: » Great rates » No hidden bank fees » Faster transactions » Easy to use online systems » Safe, secure and fully compliant » Unrivalled customer service

r Cheapee than th banks*

My perfect weekend would be a romantic trip to Europe with my girlfriend or a dash to Ireland for a Tag Rugby festival! I love the proximity to Europe.

My biggest faux pas was whacking my head on the closing Tube train door whilst squeezing in on my way to my first day at my first job in London.

I subsequently forgot this happened, and spent the whole morning meeting my new colleagues with a big black mark across my forehead. A few people wondered if I followed some strange religion!

Five words that sum up London are ... opportunity, history, culture, fun and pubs!

0870-898 8996 tntforex.com *Source: 1st Contact survey of UK high street bank charges, April 2008.

trytagrugby.com 12

TNT_1539_012 12

tntMagazine.com

22/02/2013 16:45:57

LONDON’S BIGGEST FREE TRAVEL SHOW Saturday March 9 & Sunday March 10

Show Bar

S R A IN M E S | S L A E D 2 DAY SHOW | 50% E IN L N O E L B A IL A V A 7000 FREE TICKETS

REGISTER NOW

Business Design Centre Islington | N1 0QH Sat: 10am-6pm Sun: 10am-3.30pm Pre-register for one of 3500 FREE tickets every day. £2 after that online.

Limited places on the day so book now to avoid disappointment.

tnttravelshow.com

LONDONDRINKS

follow us on

THE 3 MONKEYS

@tntmagazine

Low-level lighting: Balham’s ace new bar

BAR

This recently opened cocktail bar on a side street in south London’s trendy Balham combines top cocktails with a chilled out party vibe. The low-level lighting, high-standing tables and some comfy and cosy booths make it great for both couples and larger groups. It also has karaoke in the Monkey Lounge – in association with London’s premier karaoke provider Lucky Voice – which can be hired out for parties, too.

THE GRUB Sharing platters are available from Tajine restaurant next door, including chicken skewers, grilled lamb kefta, and mechouia dip with coriander (all £7.50).

THE SCENE

With more than 75 cocktails on the menu you are spoiled for choice.

There are the regulars – Manhattan, margarita, etc – as well as premium cocktails and house specials. I try the Dark and Stormy (dark spiced rum, lime juice, ginger beer) and the Mexican Dusty & Spicy (tequila, Cointreau, cinnamon with a very spicy Tabasco kick), the former outstanding and serving as a ‘warm-up’ for the latter’s fiery onslaught. My partner opts for the less palette-burning Monkey’s Nuts, a Monkey Shoulder whisky sour, and the classic mojito. Both are stunning.

BILL PLEASE Cocktails are very reasonably priced here, from £7 upwards. There is also a two-for-one happy hour from 4pm-8pm during the week and all day on Sundays.

VERDICT Great cocktails, vibe and price – it’s a top venue for a big night out. AM BEHIND THE BAR

5 Fernlea Road, SW12 9RT

the3monkeysbar.co.uk

3 OF THE BEST WINTER PUB GARDENS

Balham

THE FLASK

THE WATER POET

THE GARDEN GATE

This 17th-century pub in cosy Highgate Village boasts one of London’s best beer gardens, with lots of flowers, foliage and fairy lights giving it a classic English country garden feel. Heaters keep it warm in winter.

The walled beer garden at the back of this Spitalfields boozer is huge, with a covered marquee on the decking and a generous peppering of gas heaters keeping things snug. Plus, they sell Little Creatures.

Right next to Hampstead Heath, this cute 19th-century drinking hole has a lovely green garden in which to sip on specialty brews, including offerings from Camden Town, Sierra Nevada and Brooklyn Brewery.

theflaskhighgate.com

waterpoet.co.uk

thegardengatehampstead.co.uk

LONDON’S BIGGEST FREE TRAVEL SHOW Show Bar

REGISTER NOW

2 DAY SHOW | 50% DEALS | SEMINARS | 7000 FREE TICKETS

Saturday March 9 & Sunday March 10 tnttravelshow.com 14

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

like us on

LONDONeats

facebook.com/tntmag

BITE SIZE

Deluxe: get spoiled Greek family style

TIPPLES WITH A TWIST Everyone seems to be talking about BYOC at the moment, a brand-new cocktail bar in Covent Garden with an innovative twist. The concept is this: bring your own bottle of spirit, pay £20 on the door and the bartender will mix your drinks for the duration of your two-hour sitting with the help of his fancy mixers trolley (think syrups, juices, spices, herbs, etc). It’s reservations only, of course, but well worth getting yourself on the list. byoc.co.uk

As greek as it gets rum revolution While we’re on bars that people can’t stop chattering about, the new Rum Shack underneath Soho’s Floridita is bringing Cuban vibes to the lives of gloom-shy Londoners this month. With palm trees, neon lighting, rum barrel tables and one of the most extensive rum selections in Europe, it’s sure to bring you some sunshine. floriditalondon.com

Photos: floriditalondon.com

cocktails for a cause Feel better about your Saturday night out and go drinking cocktails for a good cause at City eatery Cinnamon Kitchen’s adjoining bar, Anise, on March 9. There’ll be an auction, pink cocktails and live music, with a voluntary donation on the door going towards the efforts of organiser Jessica Parr, who is fundraising for Breast Cancer Care. The bar has recently undergone a swish refurbishment and offers spice-infused cocktails and bar snacks with an Indian twist (think Punjabi fish fingers). The event kicks off at 7.30pm – rock up, drink up, then give yourself a pat on the back.

GREEK

A short saunter from Earl’s Court tube, this modern but cosy restaurant has a distinct family vibe – the walls and menus are covered with photos of owner Dimitris Karonis and his loved ones. Though southwest London is never going to substitute the delights of a seafront taverna on a warm Greek island, As Greek As It Gets comes mighty close with its welcoming and friendly staff. The dining area is split over two levels with a balcony overlooking downstairs. The name may make it sound a little like a high street chain, but the food speaks for itself.

The grub As Mr Karonis assures us, the ingredients are sourced from his homeland while the family recipes are cooked by Greek chefs. For starters, mini mousakas are melt-in-the-mouth delicious and the feta cheese wrapped in filo with ouzo and honey are sensational. Garides Saganaki, an unusual mix of prawns, aniseed, feta and tomato is exceedingly tasty. The balls of lamb mince fried in bulgur wheat with yoghurt for dipping, known as Keftedes Pligouri, are also delightful. Beef slow-cooked in honey and red wine for four hours could well be one of the most decadent things you’ve ever tasted. The swordfish skewers with tartar sauce and rice is also excellent and authentic. For those not that keen on meat, there’s an aubergines with grilled tomato, feta and basil starter, or spinach with rice and feta as a main. And for the less adventurous, there’s burgers and BBQ chicken. Order from the a la carte menu, set menu (£15.90 for three courses) or platter options.

THE SCENE

Authentic wines and spirits from Greece include Imixiros red/white wine (£18 a bottle) and Agiorgitiko red wine (£29 a bottle); Mythos beer (£4.50 a bottle). Plus, Asahi draft for £5 a pint. Or get a bottle of Ouzo for £38.

Bill please Starters range from £1-£7.50; a chef’s selection platter of meze is £30; mains between £4.10 for a wrap and £14.95 for swordfish. verdict Exceptionally good service, value and quality, delivering incredibly indulgent Greek food with some real surprises – well worth a visit. dan thorne Behind the bar

cinnamon-kitchen.com/anise 233 Earl’s Court Road, Earl’s Court, SW5 9AH

asgreekasitgets.co.uk

Earl’s Court

tntMagazine.com

15

@TNT GET IT OFF YOUR TEXT

like us on

LETTER OF THE WEEK

Matchmakers: don’t say TNT never does anything for you dear readers

Text TNT and your message to

81707*

Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, Oscar Pistorius – Nike should start telling their athletes “Don’t Do It”

Ty

If Google’s glasses can’t make me dinner, I’ll keep the girlfriend

Dane

I’ve written a book, “101 Ways To Revive The High Street”. You can buy it from Monday morning on Kindle

Brooke

lottery: 1 in 200m chance you’ll chuck a sickie the next day. Alcohol: 1 in 5

Kerryn

A hot guy sidled up to me in the cinema and said, ‘is this taken?’ ‘no,” I replied, “it’s A Good Day To Die Hard”

Sharona

I’m devastated – I just discovered that my Lion Bar is 20 per cent tiger

Duncan

the new ps4 has a stack of fancy new social features on it. that’ll be handy for those who spend all day gaming

Reece

‘sa police bring out big guns in Oscar case’. his mouth must be watering

Jahn

At a job interview: “What’s your greatest weakness?” “Honesty.” “I don’t think honesty’s a weakness.”“You’re fucked!”

* Messages cost 25p each + standard network rate. 18+ bill payers only. Send STOP to end.

Number may show on bill. A2B 08700460138

16

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

EMAIL YOUR THOUGHTS TO LETTERS@TNTMAGAZINE.COM

Re: Letter of the week (TNT 1538): If TNT can bring people together and result in an engagement, perhaps it can help me in my quest for loving too?

This isn’t the usual ‘I like long walks on the beach’ and ‘I love puppies’ crap... I’m seeking a drop dead gorgeous babe to join my boyfriend and I for fun of the not-so PG kind! I can’t be the only girl from Down Under keen to make the most of crazy London life? YOLO! (Contact me via TNT) Mel, via email

IT’S TITS-TASTIC

Re: Page 3 must go (TNT 1538): Your man Alasdair Morton’s a massive wuss, so overcome with political correctness he has to denounce The Sun’s harmless fooling around.

It has been going for years and there are loads of mags and a thing called the interweb where naked pics can be found anyway, so why moan about this harmless bit of boobie fun?

Annie, via email

A-LEAGUE STAR

Re: Bradford’s Good news story (TNT 1538): Just wanted to say I really enjoyed the read about the young Australian football player Curtis Good, a product of the Melbourne Heart whose Bradford will have played in the League Cup final on Sunday.

His success reflects the A-League’s rapid growth in standard and popularity.

Keep up the good work.

Andrew Latham, via email

SHOTS NO SHOCK

Re: Fatal shooting in Las Vegas (tntmagazine.com): Hardly a month goes by without some shock-horror gun story from the US. When are they going to realise that allowing every crazed fool to have access to a firearm is only going to lead to violence and death?

They need to tighten their gun control laws, now. How everyone else can see this and the NRA ‘from my dead hand’ nuts can’t is totally beyond me.

Trish, via email

RUN FOR LIFE

Re: Danny Dyer’s new movie (tntmagazine.com): Run For Your Wife is monstrously awful! No wonder it didn’t even make £700 at the box office. Total pants! Pissed off that £15 of that was mine.

Ben Connolly, via email STOKER /26 FLAT HUNTING GUIDE /36

Mel wins a three-day tour of Ireland with Shamrocker shamrockeradventures.com

YOUR TWEETS

Tweet us @tntmagazine @Rammi @tntmagazine Totally just made myself your 12000th Facebook follower @skipaway2000 Re: Piglet on wheels, Chris P. Bacon, video: OMG CUTE OVERLOAD! @BearGrylls Re: Scott Heffield’s TNT Travel Show survival talk: Go Scott! Proud of you. You will love hearing from this man, Scott is a dude!

YOUR FACEBOOK Follow us on facebook.com/tntmag

Connie Levitsky: Re: Horsemeat scandal: In some countries, people eat guinea pigs. Other countries eat dogs. It’s no different than eating beef.

Tahly Ennis: Re: Guy who ate two jars of Vegemite: That’s not even hard! I LOVE Vegemite and reckon I could easily eat more.

Rebecca Clarke: Re: Banksy mural torn down: What a bunch of barefaced twats. Absolutely disgusting!!!

Photo: Thinkstock

Davie

facebook.com/tntmag

St Patrick’s Day

Party In association with

Date: Sunday 17th March 2013 Venue: Elk Bar, Fulham Time: 12noon till 12 Midnight Tickets: Free Entry Pre register: to claim a free Elk Irish Punch before 2pm

BEST DRESSED COMPETITION: GET YOUR IRISH ON! AND COME AS SOMETHING IRISH WIN: A TOP PRIZE FROM SHAMROCKER ADVENTURES

DJ & BAND ENTERTAINMENT - ST PATRICK’S BURGERS £3.50 GUINNESS | £4.95 IRISH COCKTAILS | £3.00 BABY GUINNESS SHOOTERS

tntmagazine.com/stpatricks StPats_2013_FP.indd 1

08/02/2013 17:23:41

LONDON’S BIGGEST HOW TO ENTER FREE TRAVEL SHOW WIN like us on

facebook.com/tntmag

follow us on

@tntmagazine

Go to tnttravelshow.com/vip. See webpage for terms andMarch conditions. will beMarch selected10 at random Saturday 9 Winners & Sunday

GO VIP

£100 PRE-LOADED MY TRAVEL CASH Only £15 each PREPAID MASTERCARD Get £100+ worth of goodies and vouchers

REGISTER

cent cashback on all purchases.

VIP BAG – WHAT’S IN IT? Limited offer - only 200 per day The cards also benefit from Chip & PIN protection, have no link to bank Win a £100THE and two GUIDE £50 TO MasterCard BLUFFER’S SKIING accounts, and can be used at over 32 50% OFF AT GUANABARA million merchants and any of the 1.9Multi-Currency cards with million ATMs worldwide that displaymytravelcash.com the A FREE CINNAMON BELLINI AT THE CINNAMON CLUB MasterCard acceptance mark. £5 OFF AT RIPLEY’S BELIEVE IT OR NOT! To be in with a chance of winning, simply buy a £15 TNT Travel Show £10 VOUCHER AT OLD SPITALFIELDS MARKET VIP bag, of which there are just 200 available on each day of the show, 20% OFF SPA TREATMENTS AT CAREYS MANOR HOTEL & SENSPA from tnttravelshow.com/vip.

With each bag, you’ll also secure VIP BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE BURRITO AT CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL fast-track entry to the TNT Travel Show.

Also inside are goodies worth more £20 TO SPEND IN SHAKA ZULU than £100. tnttravelshow.com/vip mytravelcash.com

*Some ATM providers may apply their own surcharges

The TNT Travel Show is teaming up with My Travel Cash Prepaid MasterCard® to offer three lucky winners the chance to win a Prepaid MasterCard Multi-Currency card.

The cards will be added at random to the TNT Travel Show VIP bags, with one lucky winner bagging £100 on Saturday, March 9, and two lucky winners each bagging £50 on Sunday, March 10.

The TNT Travel Show will be taking place at the Business Design Centre in Islington, N1 0QH. mytravelcash.com currency cards are a cheap alternative to using most credit or debit cards abroad. Customers benefit from no ATM withdrawal fees* and are also rewarded with one per

WIN £200

A FREE MOJITO AT ELK BAR

For full details

A FREE YES PEAS RECIPE BOOK £20 OFF A SPA BREAK TRIP

tnttravelshow.com/vip

PREVIOUS WINNERS TNT 1536: A PAIR OF TICKETS TO BILBAO BBK LIVE MUSIC FESTIVAL IN SPAIN: Sara Brooks; Garry Hawkins

18

CHANCE TO WIN A MASTERCARD MULTI-CURRENCY CARD

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

TNT_1539_Wins_VIP.indd 18

22/02/2013 17:25:47

Are you spotted in the circle?

WIN

Email us at marketing@ tntmagazine.com with ‘Spotted’ in the subject line. Email must include a photo of yourself!

You’ve won a 13-week UK subscription to TNT Magazine!

TNT Beauty & the geek party Belushi’s London Bridge Saturday, February 16 Photos by: Laura Court/ TNT More pics and tag yourself at facebook.com/tntmag

tntMagazine.com

TNT_1539_019 19

19

22/02/2013 16:05:06

LONDONSOUND

follow us on

@tntmagazine

One man band: Four Tet dances to his own beat

festival

watch

BILBAO BBK LIVE

FOUR TET Heaven, WC2N 6NG THURS, FEB 28 | DOORS AT 7PM | £15.50

This ace festie, on a hill overlooking the northern Spanish city of Bilbao, celebrates its eighth year with a great line-up. Headliners are electrokings Depeche Mode, southern rockers with the flaming loins Kings of Leon and San Fran punk rockers Green Day. There’s also Biffy Clyro, Editors, Fatboy Slim and more, including loads of ace homegrown acts. Top quality fun in the sun.

Kobetamendi Park, Bilbao, Spain.

Jul 11-13. £90 (including camping and booking fee)

Four Tet is an odd one to surmise, his own particular blend of musical magpieism taking him through hip-hop, indie, dance, funk, pop, you name it, which he then distills into his own abstract-ish live electronica. Danceable indie, or indie-ish dance, but more far-reaching than both of those sound. You follow?

The south London-born Tet, aka Kieran Hebden, started out in post-rock outfit Fridge, making a clutch of recordings, before then realising that there was more to music than just guitars and embarking on tearing up the template and genrebased approach for a style that was more ambitious and unexpected. How so? His first single as Tet, Thirtysixtwentyfive, was thus named because that is how many minutes and seconds it ran to. It wasn’t playlisted on Radio 1.

This ‘create what I want’ stance has stuck. So while he opened for Radiohead on their 2003 tour (forming a strong bond with Thom Yorke and the boys) and has remixed for the likes of alt-folk duo Tegan and Sara and tea cosy fan Badly Drawn Boy, he also likes to attempt the less conventional, such as performing an improvised gig, as he did in London and Paris in 2005 with jazz drummer Steve Reid.

Despite – or perhaps because of – his mantra, he’s put together a sterling career that’s seen him release a sixth album, Pink, last August, which was yet another post-rock-meets-electronica record that received universal critical acclaim.

Taking to the stage at Heaven you can guarantee he’ll delve into every corner of his impressive body of work, and the show will be totally captivating.

bilbaobbklive.com Embankment

20

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

heaven-live.co.uk

like us on

LONDONSOUND

facebook.com/tntmag

NEW BAND

of monsters and men GIG Mar 5-7. 7.30pm £16

Nu-folk has swiftly become a dirty word, but Icelandic alt-folk popsters show it shouldn’t be so. Debut My Head Is An Animal hit number three on the UK charts, and is laden with offbeat yet catchy-as-fuck kookiness that’s seen them line up this trilogy of west London shows. Sure to be all over the festival scene this summer.

Photos: Jason Evans

Shepherd’s Bush Empire W12 8TT Shepherd’s Bush o2shepherdsbushempire.co.uk

the date 1st birthday: tony humphries

electric minds: dimensions warm up

CLUB

CLUB

sat, mar 2. 9.30pm-5am £18+

sat, mar 2. 10pm-6am £12.50

“I like to stay two or three weeks ahead of the competition,” says house music legend Tony Humphries of his remarkable ability to stay ahead of the curve. He’s toured and held residencies the world over, worked with some of the biggest names in the biz, and plays a very special five-hour set here.

Electric Minds and Broken & Uneven teamed up for last year’s The Hydra, a series of 12 events staged across London, and they’re back for a new run of top parties in 2013. First up is house producer Motor City Drum Ensemble, with Efdemin and Dolan Bergin, at this Dimensions Festival warm-up event.

The Loft Studios 77-87 Scrubs Lane, NW10 6QU Kensal Green residentadvisor.net

A secret London location TBC residentadvisor.net

Moxafrica: fundrasing show

dj sneak album launch

melody’s echo chamber

GIG

CLUB

GIG

weds mar 6. 7pm £30

fri, mar 1. 10pm-7am £10+

tues, mar 5. 7.30pm £10

Rock critic and author Neil McCormick puts on this fundraising show in aid of Moxafrica, a charity supporting Africans with tuberculosis.

David Gray, Aussie Gabriella Cilmi and The Magic Numbers have all signed up, with special guests and the chance to win a pair of Bono’s sunglasses. Remember to give generously.

House pioneer DJ Sneak, who’s been defining and re-defining his genre for 15 years, plays this extra-special show to launch the album I’m A House Gangster. He began DJ-ing in 1983, has influenced everyone from Daft Punk to Armand Van Helden, and this is the only place outside of the summer fests to see him in London this year.

Parisian songstress Melody Prochet is a purveyor of blissed-out dreamy-pop sounds spiked with psychedelic retro flourishes and shoegaze’s laid-back cool. Her self-titled debut was released last autumn to critical fanfare when she played a show-stopping gig at Cargo. If you missed her then, don’t be a fool a second time.

Islington Assembly Hall Upper Street, N1 2UD Highbury & Islington assemblyhall.islington.gov.uk

Egg 200 York Way, N7 9AX egglondon.net

Scala 275-277 Pentonville Rd, N1 9NL King’s Cross scala-london.co.uk

King’s Cross

doldrums The buzz so far This 22-year-old Toronto native noise-and-beats maker (aka Aaron Stern) boasts a low-fi, genre-pilfering mash-up of sounds and attitudes. Debut Lesser Evil is influenced by his transient lifestyle – he’s lived in Montreal, New York and Baltimore, putting on parties and DJ-ing. “You need to be able to adapt to any setting – a dance club, a rock band, a kitchen, an art space,” he says. Pieced together on a smashed-up Macbook, Evil’s samples, beats and electronica is a diverse statement of intent.

The Critics say “An excellent debut” Supajam.com the plug Lesser Evil out Feb 25 on Souterrain Transmissions.

He plays Rough Trade East, Feb 26, 7pm. FREE. E1 6QL Aldgate East endlessdoldrums.com

tntMagazine.com

21

TNTPRESENTS

follow us on

@tntmagazine

Perfect match: hit the slopes by day and party by night at Snowbombing

st patrick’s day party with shamrocker Come to Elk Bar in Fulham on St Paddy’s Day for proper Irish craic!

snowbombing 2013 with tnt april 1-6, mayrhofen, austria

TNT Magazine is teaming up with Austria’s awesome Snowbombing 2013 festival to offer exclusive deals to readers. Combining the best of Mayrhofen with blue skies, black runs and white-hot parties, the week-long event on April 1-6 boasts perfect slopes by day and world-class entertainment by night. It’s going to be epic and almost certainly a sell-out.

But you could be staying less than 10 minutes’ walk from the main venues when you book our exclusive Snowbombing deal to stay at the TNT Village.

Dorm beds, including a Snowbombing wristband, start at £314pp, while double or twin rooms with a Snowbombing wristband are from £329pp.

To take advantage of our exclusive TNT Village offer and more on Snowbombing 2013, see

tntmagazine.com/snowbombing

snowbombing.com

There’s a live band and house DJ until late, sport on the big screen and Guinness at £3.50 a pint til 5pm, plus Baby Guinness shooters (£3), Irish cocktails (£4.95) and St Patrick’s burgers.

Entry is free and Shamrocker will be running giveaways all day with a special prize for the best-dressed, so come as something Irish. Pre-register online for a free drink on entry.

Elk Bar, Fulham, March 17, from 12pm 587-591 Fulham Rd, SW6 5UB tntmagazine.com/stpatricks

SAVE THE THE DATE: DATE: SAVE TNT travel show 2013

Register for London’s largest FREE two-day travel show, exclusively for 18 to 39s, on March 9 and 10!

There are only 3500 free tickets available per day so get in quick.

Business and Design Centre, Islington, March 9 and 10 52 Upper Street, N1 0QH tnttravelshow.com

Quality New Zealand T-shirts kiwitshirt.com

kiwitshirt.com

22

TNT_1539_022 22

tntMagazine.com

22/02/2013 16:07:42

like us on

CHATROOM

facebook.com/tntmag

Sharon Rooney

The 24-year-old Glaswegian on starring in E4’s hit show My Mad Fat Diary, and why stand-up is so much harder than acting INTERVIEW alasdair morton

How did you feel when you won the role of Rae Earl in My Mad Fat Diary?

All my auditions were in London with the casting director, Jane Ripley, and it was a long process.

I had to do four or five auditions. I couldn’t believe I’d got the part. Even now, I have to pinch myself that I’m actually playing Rae! How important was it that the show portrayed Rae’s journals and mental illness with honesty?

It was really important, and not just to me. I didn’t want someone who’s been through the struggles Rae has, or is currently going through it, to be thinking: “That’s not what it’s like.”

It was important to make Rae as real and believable as possible.

Do you feel a responsibility to how people react to the show?

It would be naive to say I didn’t, of course I do. The people who have tweeted me or sent messages have all been extremely kind. It’s been overwhelming. They feel Rae is someone to look up to. If she can get there, they can get there, too. Most importantly, the majority have said how they no longer feel alone.

Rae struggles with body image issues – are we too preoccupied with looks?

I think sometimes we can be. It’s nice to take pride in our appearance, but looks aren’t everything. It’s good to make the most of what you’ve got and accept yourself. Some things you can change, some things you can’t. Sometimes we forget our good parts and focus on the flaws.

We all have days where we think we look good, and days where we don’t. If I see someone when I’m out who looks great I’ll happily tell them!

A little compliment can make someone who’s feeling low get a little spring in their step.

Does TV promote an unhealthy idea of what ‘normal’ is to people of all ages?

That’s not for me to say, everyone looks different. Some people are naturally thin the same way some people are built bigger. We should be aspiring to be the best we can be so it would be unfair of me to say that. I do think sometimes there’s a false idea of how people look on TV and in magazines. I think it would

Breakout: new comedy-drama My Mad Fat Diary is honest and heart-warming be nice to see a range of sizes and people on TV and in magazines. Realistically, if you walk down the street you see so many different shapes, sizes, haircuts and styles, so it would be good to see that reflected on screen. Sometimes the things you think make you ‘not normal’ are what other people love the most.

How did you empathise with Rae? The beauty of Rae is that no matter who you are, you can empathise with her on some level.

Everyone’s been 16. It’s a hard age! There’s a lot of hormones flying around and Rae is dealing with that, but also her personal issues.

What was the most memorable day of filming on the show?

The rave was a brilliant day. It was [one of] the last days the gang [Rooney and her five co-stars] would be together on set before we finished, so it was a wicked time. We all had a great day and because we had a real DJ it was like a proper party! Everyone was on great form, and the extras were all lovely, too.

Being Glaswegian, how did you find Rae’s Lincolnshire accent?

I hate saying this, but I didn’t find it hard. I really like doing accents, in fact I think it’s easier to do an accent because it gives you that little bit more separation between yourself and the character.

You’re a stand-up as well as an actress.

How did you get started on stage?

My best friend’s a stand-up comedian and she got me involved. I’d sometimes do things on my own, but it was mostly together as a double act.

We had great fun and I’ve made some amazing friends on the Scottish comedy scene. It helps you laugh through the stressful times. I think it’s easier to do something that’s really sad, though, than to make a room full of people who don’t like you laugh. Stand-up is really hard!

The show’s Nineties Britpop soundtrack is great – what music was big for you as a 16-year-old?

The music’s brilliant, and I’m into a lot of it now.

When I was 16, I mostly listened to whatever was in the charts or whatever everyone else had on. And I was really into musical theatre.

You auditioned for Skins before. Do you feel not getting that was ‘meant to be’ so that you could do this show?

I wasn’t up for a particular role – it was a kind of open casting. If I hadn’t gone, I might not have met Jane [Ripley]. My gran always says: “What is for you, won’t go by you.” And I think I believe her in that.

My Mad Fat Diary – Series One is out on DVD February 25 through Channel Four DVD

tntMagazine.com

23

LONDONSCENE

follow us on

@tntmagazine

Gripping: Aussie actress Mia Wasikowska stars in Stoker

stoker FILM review by Alasdair Morton Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode | 15 | 98mins | Out March 1

broken city FILM Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe | 15 | 109 mins

“There are some wars you fight and some you walk away from – this is the fighting kind,” says Russell Crowe’s NY mayor in this big city drama. Crowe’s the slimy politician, while Mark Wahlberg’s a cop-turned-PI hired to investigate his wife in this conspiracy thriller from director Allen Hughes (half of directing duo The Hughes Brothers of From Hell and The Book Of Eli fame).

On general release Mar 1

24

tntMagazine.com

“We don’t need to be friends, we’re family,” Mia Wasikowska’s young India Stoker says to her exceedingly strange uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode) in Park Chan-wook’s fascinating thriller. It’s just as well. This family really can’t stand each other.

Filmmaker Park (who was behind cult flick Oldboy – we worry for the US remake) makes his English language debut with this warring family tale. Grief, guilt, rape, incest, murder – it delves into the most violent actions and darkest human emotions, and does so with a none-darker sense of humour through the spiky, charged script, penned by Prison Break’s Wentworth Miller.

The story is simple – Nicole Kidman’s widow is falling apart, and embarks on a reproachful relationship with Charlie, the long absent brother to her deceased husband, with Wasikowska the precocious daughter caught in the middle – but it is masterfully told. Park slots the pieces of the puzzle together superbly, displaying his technical superiority (sterling sound design, composition, recurring motifs) as motivations are revealed, actions concealed and back story unpacked.

Goode is manipulatively creepy and the largely Aussie cast equally excellent: Jackie Weaver continues to enjoy her latter years career blossom; Wasikowska matures with every performance; and Kidman is reliably superb as the wine-guzzling mater (we can’t remember the last time we saw her smile on screen, though).

It’s Park’s movie, however – he stamps his much celebrated style on Hollywood in what is a supremely fascinating and unrelenting thriller.

Good for: Seeing that there’s no such thing as happy families.

like us on

LONDONSCENE

facebook.com/tntmag

GIVE US A

mat ricardo’s london varieties

GIGGLE!

COMEDY

Award-winning vaudeville and cabaret supremo Mat Ricardo, the ‘Derren Brown of juggling’, leads this variety night featuring, among others, magician John Archer and comedians Kev Orkian and Omid Djalili, the likes of whom Ricardo will also be interviewing on stage. Show runs on the last Thursday of each month.

Leicester Square Theatre WC2H 7BX. Feb 28. £15 Leicester Square leicestersquaretheatre.com

extinction: not the end of the world

midnight tango

EXHIBITION

THEATRE

We’re always hearing about how many animals are becoming extinct every year – ‘Save the aardvark, there’s only 11 of them left in the whole world!’ This exhibition puts a positive spin on the removal of species from the planet, showing how it’s made way for new – and sometimes improved – critters and creatures.

TV’s Strictly fave Flavia Cacace and her partner Vincent Simone return with their slick two-hour, dialogue-free show in which a dark stranger attempts to lure Cacace away in a Buenos Aires bar. Accompanied by band Tango Siempre and a 10-strong ensemble, these dazzling dance champions show how it should be done.

Natural History Museum Cromwell Rd, SW7 5BD. Feb 8-Sep 8. £8 South Kensington nhm.ac.uk

Phoenix Theatre WC2H 0JP. Until Mar 2. £20+ Square midnighttango.co.uk

Leicester

kerrY godliman What will your set next week be all about?

Sarcasm, exaggeration, child rearing, planned engineering works, hens … it’s about all of the usual stuff, really.

Why is sarcasm known as the lowest form of wit?

I have no idea at all why it is considered the lowest form of wit.

It’s a national pastime here in the UK. We certainly think we’re good at it!

Photos: Jaap Buitendijk

What’s the best thing about being a stand-up comedian?

The short shifts.

hansel and gretel: witch hunters

great expectations

FILM

THEATRE

Hansel and Gretel (Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton) survive a witch attack as children and set about leading a life as bounty hunters, killing all the broom-stick-flyers they can find in this Underworld-styled reinvention of The Brothers Grimm tale. A dark comedy update, there’s machine gun crossbows, demonic-looking witches, and all manner of carnage.

Though cut to just over two hours, this stage version of Charles Dickens’ lengthy 1860s-set novel – about an orphan summoned to Satis House to play with Miss Haversham’s daughter – still takes a long time to generate dramatic momentum. The gothic, cobweb-draped set is atmospheric but it’s a workmanlike production.

On general release Feb 27

Vaudeville Theatre WC2R 0NH. Until Jun 1. £25 Charing Cross greatexpectationstheplay.com

Where was your first gig and how did it go?

It was in a pub in Islington. It went reasonably well, and was enough to get me hooked on stand-up from then on.

What’s the funniest thing you have ever seen?

My three-year-old dancing the robot.

Who is your all-time favourite comedy idol? Woody Allen.

Crack Comedy Wimbledon The Watershed, SW19 1SD. Mar 9. £11 South Wimbledon

crackcomedy.com

tntMagazine.com

25

In the family: Park, Wasikowska, Kidman and Goode pose at the London premiere of Stoker

Dark arts: director Park Chan-wook has made his career out of some seriously sinister flicks 26

TNT_1539_026 26

tntMagazine.com

22/02/2013 16:03:51

like us on

FILMFOCUS

facebook.com/tntmag

Stoking the family fires The director behind cult flick Oldboy, Park Chan-wook, makes his Hollywood debut with Aussie-starring mystery-thriller Stoker words alasdair morton

Park Chan-Wook is the man behind the Vengeance trilogy, characterised by its vicious violence and, shall we say, unhappy characters – anyone who’s seen Oldboy (and the scene in which the lead actor eats a live squid in particular) can vouch for its myriad desperate souls.

So when meeting the man in question to chat about his new movie, Stoker, a sinister Hitchcockian family mystery that features a roster of Aussie talent including Nicole Kidman and Mia Wasikowska, TNT is expecting to be intimidated. For him to be physically imposing maybe, or have a veiled threat lurking behind his eyes, perhaps … but how wrong could we be? Very, it turns out, as director Park is a warm, gregarious and thoroughly charming bloke, who speaks conscientiously about his new movie, and with a passion derived from being an all-out film fanatic.

Stoker, Park’s ninth film, is his first foray into Hollywood, and his first English language flick to boot. So why choose to make the move Statewards now, and why with this movie?

“My first impression was how quiet the script was and how it was not dialogue based – that was an advantage as my first English language film,” Park says of the screenplay written by Prison Break’s Wentworth Miller, but shopped to agents under a pseudonym. “But also how quietly frightening it was. To be quiet and frightening is rare to come across.”

Stoker tells of the titular family, comprising recently widowed mother Evie (Kidman), who’s dousing her grief in wine, and her estranged daughter India (Wasikowska). Their lives are thrown into disarray by the arrival of the mysterious Uncle Charlie (a deliciously creepy Matthew Goode), brother to the six-foot-under family head. Moving into the remote family homestead, Charlie’s relationships with both Evie and India develop in ways they shouldn’t, and with unexpected results. Violence bubbles to the fore while India’s sexuality blossoms with her 18th birthday imminent. Life, for the Stokers, won’t be quite the same again.

It’s a story that delves into murder, incest, rape and more as it unfolds so, for those familiar with Park’s work, it is easy to see why the script appealed.

Park began making movies in the early Nineties but it wasn’t until 2000’s JSA: Joint Security Area that he hit paydirt, critically and commercially. Inspired by a love of film – he’s worked variously as an art and film critic in his native South Korea – and of Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo especially, he

embarked on his Vengeance trilogy – 2002’s Sympathy For Mr Vengeance and 2005’s Lady Vengeance, as well as the 2003 Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix-winning global smash Oldboy, in which a man is released back into the world after 20 years of unexplained solitary captivity and sets about finding out who was responsible for his incarceration and why.

Oldboy, highly trumpeted by Quentin Tarantino among others, shares many similar thematic elements with Stoker

“

The script was quiet and frightening

”

– revenge, shady family relationships and especially Park’s stylised approach that sees him utilise visual motifs and sound as storytelling devices – and it was these that Park had set about working into the script once he signed on. ››

Hold still: Wasikowska and Park on set tntMagazine.com

TNT_1539_027 27

27

22/02/2013 16:03:54

Silence is golden: Park praised the classy, understated performances of the Stoker cast “I wanted the script to be one I could direct and make into my own,” he says, considering his words and responses with precision. “This process of tailoring the script was an imperative one and, because it’s an American film, I made sure there was nothing wrong with what I had written. I would write in Korean and then translate back into English and would then make sure with everyone – the cast, my wife – that due to the differences in language and custom nothing was inappropriate.”

The film has a gothic and yet timeless look despite being set in the contemporary US, and the cast comprised a decidedly Aussie contingent, too, with Wasikowska and Kidman joined by Animal Kingdom’s Jackie Weaver as Aunt Gwinnie, a family member who suspects Charlie’s intentions are less than admirable. Despite another sterling performance by Kidman, it is Wasikowska who shines most, with yet another career milestone as the precocious India.

“She’s an actress who’s not into overtly big expression,” Park says of the diminutive Canberra-born 23-year old. “She is restrained and that was the kind of actress needed to play the role. She appears quite closed off and there is a mystery about her, and she made a conscious decision only to show emotion when needed. Through this minimal approach she

28

TNT_1539_028 28

“

Kidman could have been very arrogant

”

vampire film Thirst, and was surprised to discover that Hollywood did not, as a rule, storyboard its movies, as this was a meticulous approach he himself had adopted after a producer told him it was how it was done in America.

Despite these differences, Stoker is a hybrid in many ways: it’s a distinctly US-set film, but one that displays Park’s now trademark visual and aural flourishes – a sequence where India rolls hard boiled eggs on the kitchen table sees the sound of cracking shells slowly build until it dominates the score, in classic ‘Park’ menacing fashion.

Up next, he’s producing fellow South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-Ho’s sci-fi thriller Snowpiercer, starring Chris Evans and Jamie Bell – it’s The Host director Bong’s English language debut – before returning home. His relationship with Hollywood is but a nascent one, but one both will benefit from – he gets a new audience for his work and Hollywood’s movie gene pool a shot in the arm. And hopefully, he can continue his Down Under ties, too. ❚ Stoker is out March 1 through Twentieth Century Fox. Turn to P24 for our review of the film.

Photos: Getty; Macall Polay; Tartan Films

Full-on: from Park’s breakthrough writer-director success Oldboy

expressed something much bigger.”

And what did he make of Kidman, an actress to whom he openly refers to as “a living legend”?

“I thought she could have been very arrogant or look down on other people and want to do things her own way,” he admits. “I didn’t know what to expect. But she was nothing like that.” Collaborative, painstaking and patient, Kidman was a director’s dream, Park says. “Her attitude was that she was going to set an example and she thought it was her job to satisfy the director, nothing more and nothing less.”

Moving across the Pacific saw Park forced to adapt to new approaches and processes. He had to shoot in 40 days as opposed to the 100 he’d taken for his last feature, the

tntMagazine.com

22/02/2013 16:03:57

15%

discount with this advert

You’ll find just what you need without blowing your budget at London’s newest contemporary, fun and funky hostel, Safestay at Elephant & Castle.

• Affordable prices • En-suite & standard accommodation • Sleeps 2 to 8 people T. +44 20 7703 8000 E. reception@safestay.co.uk

From

£18 per person per night

Follow us on twitter. Like us on Facebook

www.safestay.co.uk We’re at the TNT Travel Show, Come and Visit us on our Stand.

Camden, Pimlico and Waterloo - REGISTRATIONS NOW OPEN If you are looking for a fun alternative to the gym and keeping fit, a way to meet new people and reason for a week night social we have just the thing for you!

With something for everyone from beginners to pro netballers; both for Ladies and Mixed teams our venues are the perfect way to get on court!

Camden, Pimlico and Waterloo start the week commencing 18th March 2013.

Get in touch now if you are a single player, small group or team looking for a venue.

Give us a call at the office on 020 7828 1034 or contact claire@onenetball.com.

Proudly sponsored by

www.onenetball.com We are currently looking for umpires, please get in touch for further details tntMagazine.com

29

SPARETIME

follow us on

@tntmagazine

Tomb Raider

Post War Years: Galapagos

Game

A gritty origin story for everyone’s favourite gaming heroine. £37.99 play.com

CD

Fuzzy beats and indie electronica abound on the four-piece’s ace latest. £8.99 play.com

Persona 4: Golden Palma Violets: 180

PlayStation game

Enhanced and updated version of the classic role-player. £34.99 play.com

CD

The hotly-tipped debut from these scruffy south London indie rockers. £9.99 amazon.co.uk

Gigs and Tours Android app

Neil Daniels: AC/DC, The Early Years With Bon Scott

A quick and easy one-stop for all your ticket news and gig purchases.

FREE play.google.com

Book

The rock band’s life from 1974-80 is the focus of this detailed mini-biography. £8.96 amazon.co.uk

Roar Rampage App

Dinosaurs breaking and trashing stuff – which is never anything less than top fun! £0.69 itunes.apple.com

Christopher Brookmyre: Bedlam Book

A satirical action-adventure about being trapped in a video game forever. £14.99 waterstones.com

Bum Bag Gadget

A drinks cooler that makes you look like a hobo while keeping your beer frosty.

Drink up, dude! £5.95 thabto.co.uk

Paranormal Activity 4: Extended Edition DVD

Film four of the homefootage poltergeist shocker series. Scary stuff. £9.99 play.com

I Could Eat A Horse Gadget

Pasta measurer with an apt and timely equine twist. £7.95 red5.co.uk

On The Road DVD

Sam Riley and Garrett Hedlund star in this adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s hedonistic literary classic. £12.99 play.com

30

TNT_1539_030 30

App of the Week Kal Virtual trainer Android app

An app that comes loaded with 200 exercises, along with video demos, too, to make sure you hit your targets. £0.63 play.google.com

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

22/02/2013 12:53:22

THE GREATEST SHOW ON SNOW...

Party in an igloo, dance in a forest, lose your mind in the mountains…

With 650km of unadulterated piste and thousands of fancy dressed mischief makers Snowbombing is an action packed, snow-capped adventure of a lifetime!

Consider this your invite…

LIVE

FOREIGN BEGGARS. MS DYNAMITE. THE CUBAN BROTHERS. P MONEY. DUB PISTOLS

EXCLU PACKA SIVE GES!

DJS INCLUDING:

5 NIGHTS’ STAY IN SNOWBOMBING’S TNT VILLAGE + FESTIVAL WRISTBAND: ONLY £314 RETURN COACH TRAVEL FROM THE UK + ACCOMMODATION + WRISTBAND: ONLY £432 Accommodation to suit all depth pockets; from pensions and dorm beds for single travellers, to 4* spa luxury...

BOOK NOW: WWW.SNOWBOMBING.COM/TNT +44 (0) 845 33I 306I

LIFESTYLECAREERS

follow us on

@tntmagazine

Low overheads: Pop Up Fitness is cheap due to its low running costs

Making it pop Forget long-term brick and mortar, pop-ups are London’s trendiest new business model. Here’s how to start your own Words Daisy carrington Starting a business from scratch can be a chancy endeavour. For London’s budding entrepreneurs, pop-ups offer a short-term, risk-free taste of what’s involved. At the very least, they can help you build a reputation in your desired industry.

A mini start-up Compared to a full-time (and fullon) enterprise, pop-ups tend to offer more elasticity and lower overheads than traditional business models.

Budding designers can eschew renting a storefront, and can instead test drive their products over a long weekend.

Aspiring chefs can host monthly supper clubs in their home – an easier and cheaper alternative to investing in a restaurant.

32

tntMagazine.com

“More and more people are doing it, because it’s a lot easier, and a lot more flexible than opening up a permanent retail space,” notes Dan Calladine, the founder of the listings website London Pop-ups (londonpopups.com). “You don’t need to trade on a wet Tuesday, when no once fancies going out. You can just trade on a Friday night.”

James Ramsden, who launched his supperclub, The Secret Larder (jamesramsden.com/the-secret-larder), at the beginning of the pop-up trend, admits that “it’s hard work”. Still, he says: “It’s not nearly as hard as it would be running a 20-cover restaurant every day for lunch and dinner.”

Cathy Underwood, who launched Pop Up Fitness in Enfield’s Dugdale Centre (facebook.com/popupfitnessuk),

explains the temporary format is a lot more cost-effective than a long-term brick-and-mortar space. Pop Up Fitness set up in a renovated council-owned space that was going unused and, as a result, Underwood and her partner were able to get a discount on the hourly rate from the council.

“We don’t have the enormous expenditures that a Virgin or David Lloyd has,” she says. “They have huge overheads and need to pay taxes, and get the numbers in, whereas we don’t.

It’s very basic, and we don’t have lots of equipment, but we can charge £6 a class. People really appreciate that.”

Building a brand For businesses that are newly formed, setting up a short-lived space can be

like us on

facebook.com/tntmag

LIFESTYLECAREERS On the job Romy Westwood

Career Affordable Art Fair Director Age 33 Lives East London From Lancashire How did you get into your line of work?

I was a practicing artist and worked for the art fair part-time. An opportunity came up, and they were bonkers enough to offer me a proper job!

Photos: Pop Up Fitness; The Secret Larder, James Mitchell

Side order: The Secret Larder

What do you do day-to-day?

Chat to galleries and drink wine.

I wish! Honestly? Anything and everything, from negotiating with suppliers to building whopping great marquees on Hampstead Heath to clearing out the bins!

Need a venue? Try pop-up mall Boxpark

a good way to attract The key to success become a stand-alone plenty of publicity.

Location: Finding a short-term business.

“It gives you a brand location need not be daunting.

“A lot of people so people will look out Boxpark (boxpark.co.uk) is who do it seem to have for you,” Calladine London’s first pop-up mall, and other things going says, admitting a quirky often has spaces for rent, as on, either within the temporary venue makes does the Old Truman Brewery hospitality industry, or a better news story than (trumanbrewery.com). they’re paid writers. an ongoing boutique.

Design: Presentation is key. If you Many do this as an He adds that for a need help in this department, you extra thing that they pop-up to be successful, might want to call in a professional. do,” Calladine says. the concept should be Firms Hot Pickle (hotpickle.co.uk) “I do make a profit instantly recognisable. and Prop Studios (propstudios.co.uk) on it, but I couldn’t “It’s like a oneare both well-respected outfits. make a living off of it,” minute elevator pitch,” Payments: You’ll need to be Ramsden admits. “But he says. “It needs to organised, so set up a mobile till it is helpful to have capture the imagination, with AirPOS (airpointofsale.com). a separate, regular and do so quickly.” income.”

Ramsden adds he Getting started was spurred to start The Secret Larder both by his love of food and a desire to As is true in all professional ventures, network with foodie professionals. research is key.

“I was starting out as a journalist, “Go to as many supperclubs as and thought it would be a good shop possible and see what people are window for my work,” he says. doing,” advises Ramsden for his sphere.

Since launching, he has landed a Calladine recommends thumbing regular writing gig at The Guardian, through a copy of Pop Up Business and met his wife.

For Dummies. “It tells you everything “The people I’ve met through you need to know about The Secret Larder has been the most starting a poprewarding part of setting it up,” up, and puts NEXT WEEK Ramsden says. you in the Health: How to Though they can bring in some right mindset keep your holiday decent pocket change, the pop-up to do it,” hiccup-free model is rarely lucrative enough to he says.

What’s the most challenging part?

Creating a successful, fun event where visitors leave super happy having had a great day out and purchased their first piece of art.

What’s the most challenging?

The month before the fair I work all hours to make sure the event is successful, and deal with the demands of 100 galleries. affordableartfair.co.uk

How to... do a

..

skype interview Video interviews are becoming more commonplace. Make sure you avoid the common pitfalls.

• Eye contact is key in any

interview. As a result, make sure you give the camera, not the screen, your full attention.

• Close the door, turn off your

mobile and limit the chances of an interruption mid-interview.

• Presentation is key in any

interview. Dress up, do your make-up, and make sure the background is neat and distraction-free (clutter is a no-no).

tntMagazine.com

33

tntjobs.co.uk

Looking for your next job?

NEW JOBS ONLINE EVERY DAY

www.care24seven.com

JOB OF THE WEEK: Live In/Out Carers Location: Across London – Head Office Chiswick 020 8912 4642 Salary: Fair rates of pay available

Dynamic Care Company is recruiting experienced LIVE IN & OUT carers within London.

You are expected to provide care to the elderly in their own home. We are currently recruiting carers who can be dynamic and have good communication skills.

Work within the guidelines of the company policies e procedures.

CARE24SEVEN T: 020 8912 4642

Please forward your CV to max@care24seven.com

SILVERBACK EVENTS T: 0844 5617939 T: 07595021939 www.silverbackuk.com Silverback is a provider of premium support crew to production and AV companies within the event sector.

JOB OF THE WEEK: Crew Member Location: London (All Areas) Salary: £8.00 -15.00 per hour Silverback is looking for fit, intelligent, good communicators who can take direction from senior crewmen and clients. You need good social skills and impeccable punctuality and be prepared to work long & sometimes unsocial hours, Applicants must speak fluent English. Typical Duties: Loading / Unloading of vehicles, Rigging of AV equipment, Setting up and dismantling stage and set, Ensuring health & safety requirements are met, Liaising with clients in a professional manner.

Jason@silverbackuk.com | 07712 829348

KATHMANDU www.kathmandu.co.uk Kathmandu is an established international brand offering quality outdoor clothing and equipment for travel and adventure

JOB OF THE WEEK: 3IC and Sales Assistants Location: New store – Kensington High Street, London Salary: On application You will be selling excellent products by delivering excellent customer service in our exciting new store. We are looking for proactive individuals with superior communication skills who enjoy a challenge and strive for success. jobs@kathmandu.co.uk

CLAPHAM REMOVALS T: 020 7924 9922 www.claphamremovals.com

JOB OF THE WEEK: Operations Manager Location: London SW2 Salary: £competitive, dependent on experience.

Successful, established, and expanding professional removals business catering for both the domestic and commercial market.

Manage day-to-day business operations, organize daily schedule and workforce, convert enquiries into sales, and visit potential customers to quote for jobs.

Experience in operational management and sales desirable. Valid driving license is vital.

Lucy Moss | 020 7924 9922 | mail@claphamremovals.com

T: 0203 005 4963 www.beselectrecruit.co.uk

JOB OF THE WEEK: Office Furniture Fitters and Porters Location: London and the UK Salary: Per hour

Be Select is an agency who specialise in providing office furniture fitters and porters to the commercial relocation and furniture industry.

If you are physically fit and able to have a good time, then why not join our team of office furniture fitters and porters. You will have the opportunity to work in some of the most prestigious buildings in London, and travel the UK. Tools and CSCS are an advantage but not a necessity.

BE SELECT LTD

Please send CV and brief cover letter to joinus@beselectrecruit.co.uk

PE RECRUITMENT T: 08456 448829 www.perecruitment.co.uk

JOB OF THE WEEK: PE Teacher required In London Location: London Salary: £110 - 140 daily

PE Recruitment is here to find your ideal PE job in the UK with temporary and permanent PE jobs.

A PE Teacher is required at a London secondary school to start with them ASAP or at Easter. Are you a fully qualified PE teacher looking for PE work? Get in touch!

MCKANNA MEATS

JOB OF THE WEEK: Driver Location: Central London Salary: On application

T: 020 7242 7740 A traditional butchers shop in the heart of London.

Please send your CV to apply@perecruitment.co.uk or call 08456 448829

Reliable driver required for multi drop meat deliveries in Central London.

Must be over 25 and hold a clean drivers licence which has been valid for a minimum of 3 years. 6 days per week.

Call Ian on 020 7242 7740.

TNT_1539_034 34

22/02/2013 15:47:11

like us on

LIFESTYLEMONEY

facebook.com/tntmag

cash-SAVING TIPS

how you spend it!

Xxxxxxxxx

my budget, as I’m only spending £30 a week on accommodation.

Make scents Want to smell like Jared xxxxxxxxx Leto? He is the face Xxxxxxxxxxx of Hugo Boss’s newest cologne, Hugo Red. You xxxxxxxxx can get a sample for Xxxxxxxxxxx free by filling out your deets and registering at xxxxxxxxx the Hugo Boss website, Xxxxxxxxxxx fragrances.hugoboss.com.

In fact, you can choose xxxxxxxxx from a range of Hugo Xxxxxxxxxxx fragrances. Why stick to just one?

Photos: Getty

Budget BBC Who needs to interact socially when watching TV is so cheap? Especially now the BBC are having a sale on DVD box sets. Visit bbcshop.com and save up to 75 per cent on some of your favourite comedy and drama series. The sale runs while supplies last, so get clicking.

Discount cleaning The Body Shop has loads of deals on sample-sized products on their website, bodyshop.co.uk/outlet. For example, get five of their best-selling minis for £5 (that’s like getting five for the price of one), or three body butters for £15. Now there are no more excuses for skipping out on your morning shower.

Do you have any tips for saving money in London?

Drink at home before you go out. You’ll save a lot on your bar tab.

Your last big blow-out?

New Year’s Eve. I probably spent £150. Then again, I don’t really remember it.

Jack Franklin, 22 Job Hostel manager From Australia Lives Shoreditch

How do you budget?

Living in a hostel really helps me to save money and leave more room in

What non-essential items do you spend money on?

I probably spend an unnecessary amount of money on expensive food when eating out.

how THEY spend it!

Home improvements William and Kate spent £1m renovating their Kensington Palace home. With 20 rooms, they can fit in a big family.

❚ Harrison Ford spent £159,000 renovating his last home. He hired 110 Architect, who designed the Armani stores in Manhattan’s Chelsea.

Nesting: Will and Kate’s residence is baby ready

❚ When the Obamas first moved into the White House, they spent £63,000 decorating their digs. The girls apparently opted for bedroom murals depicting English gardens.

❚ Not one to skimp in the kitchen, when Nigella Lawson bought an old Chelsea gasworks in 2010, she dropped £500,000 installing a state of the art cooking space. ❚ Before moving out of her LA home last year, Jennifer Aniston gave it a £9.5m eco-makeover. She added solar panels and droughtresistant plants.

tntjobs.co.uk WICKED VISION T: 0203 195 1565 www.wickedvision.co.uk A young, vibrant, independently owned and operated toy and game company based in London.

JOB OF THE WEEK: Toy Demonstrator Location: Central London (Hamleys, Harrods & The Science Museum) Salary: Basic day rate plus commission You will be demonstrating and selling toys in London’s top shopping and tourist destinations. You will have a flair for sales, a passion for toys and excel at customer service. Energy and enthusiasm are essential!

Charles Williams | 0203 195 1565 | Charles@wickedvision.co.uk

tntMagazine.com

1539 FINAL Lifestyle Money.indd 35

35

22/02/2013 17:32:29

LIFESTYLEliving Home

Style .00

£18

Jonathan Adler bottle stopper Give peace a swig heals.co.uk

.50

£13

.75

£14

Finding a place to crash in London is something of an art.

Let TNT be your guide Getting a decent room in a not too crappy place/area should be easy, right? Wrong.

Sharehouse hunting in London is a bitch, as I knew too well and encountered again after my house got the better of me (a power cut when I was grossly hungover was the final straw) and I had to bail. It was always going to be a mission but, after choosing the place before on the people alone (they remain lovely but the house wasn’t for me), this time I vowed to do it right.

Know what you want

Joy of Ex pillow case Doublesided – for when he’s been a naughty boy culturelabel.com

.95

£28

Toy soldier book ends Your reading material’s never been so safe grahamandgreen.co.uk 36

tntMagazine.com

@tntmagazine

Share house hunt Words Michael gadd

Rory Dobner mug Crafted by one of the UK’s best artists – drink in the culture liberty.co.uk

follow us on

My first London house hunt was time wasting personified. I didn’t know where I wanted to live – everywhere had ups and downs – so ended up traipsing about looking at places I’d never bother with now. This time, having looked at dumps and places out of my league before, I knew what I wanted and used landmarks and criteria to break the list down. I wanted to be within 30 minutes of my fave pub, which happened to be convenient for mates and a short hop from work. I also didn’t want to live with hipsters, teens, or in a place without a living room. What I did want was a home with decent kitchen storage space, and within a 10-minute walk of the Tube – I didn’t mind which direction. I also conceded, as anyone with a budget must, that I would have to compromise somewhere along the line.

If you think about all of this stuff before you even start looking – same applies for those looking to fill a room – you’ll save everyone a lot of time.

Best flatmates: a happy household moves in Use a trusted avenue What we did before property websites was time-consuming chaos. Sites such as easyroommate.co.uk (“number one on the web”) and spareroom.co.uk (“the UK’s number one”), which I found most useful, are brilliant if you fully utilise their features, such as instant email alerts when a room within your criteria is posted.

Their search functions are logical – commute distance from Tubes, travel zones, number of bedrooms, etc – and they give you a chance to show your personality and get an idea of who is advertising a room, provided they’ve taken the time to say. You can use them for free, but the perks of paying a small fee – jumping the queue, basically – is worth it if you’re struggling. Gumtree or Craigslist can be fine, and are free, but aren’t as closely monitored or easy to navigate as the others.

You may get lucky with an old-fashioned “room for let” sign on a notice board, but be very wary of scams.

Be honest and specific My original Spareroom ad had the bare minimum detail and got a response it deserved, a stack of calls from pushy agents for dumps with no living room and where those who I’d be sharing with had no say in the process. Precisely what I didn’t want.

Then I posted a photo and injected a bit of detail, such as likes and dislikes, where I’m from and that I’m not going anywhere else soon, and specified ‘no agents’ and a preference to meet those I may be living

like us on

facebook.com/tntmag

LIFESTYLEliving bEWARE sCAMS WHAT ROOM? If moving to London from out of town, at least have someone see the place for you. Think how easy it would be to post an ad with pictures and info, then consider a crook doing it. Never pay a deposit until you’ve seen and confirmed tenancy and terms.

COVER YOUR ASS “Get everything in writing,” says London Letting Co agent Simon Gingell. “Keep a record of everything, from agreements made such as dates of moving in, costs, what’s included in ‘rent’.” Email yourself any info as soon as it’s exchanged, as if you get screwed, this could come in handy.

Photos: speedflatmating.co.uk; Thinkstock; Max Sendak

Superhero HQ: cartoon ads are effective with on inspection. The contacts flooded in.

And this time, the vast majority were from people with something close to what I was looking for.

But the best example of someone getting what they wanted from their ad was Max Sendak and his mates, who were looking to fill a room in Limehouse. It was cheap at £412pcm, so would be popular anyway, but their headline, “Billionaire vigilante seeks additional flatmate”, got extra attention. The rest of the ad was just as amusing, especially their most excellent graphic and superhero references (see illustration above). It also had good info about the three guys who lived there – selfdeprecating in a trendy kind of way. These guys were not my cup of tea at all, but from the ad alone I knew that – perfect result for both parties.

As suspected, Sendak got a cracking response: “We found five people we’d have gone for in the end – so the decision-making process was tough.” They also posted a normal ad, but the wacky one got 10 times the interest and from “people who were more our type”.

People matter more than place There’s no substitute for meeting those who you could share a roof with. A great option to get face to face with a stack of possible flatties is Speed Flatmating, from the Spareroom crew, who run events every week for specific areas or a big one for Zones 1 to 3. The name says it all, it’s speed

Meet ‘n’ greet: try speed flatmating dating for flatmates, and isn’t for everyone, especially those who aren’t great at meeting strangers or who are going to spend all their time at home locked in their room. But this works as a first step for many, such as two girls who went searching for two rooms and left with a new best friend who they found a flat with as a trio a week later. See the panel on the right for this week’s meet-ups.

If you go for the more conventional route, you must take advantage of every chance to extract info – emails, phone chats and when you inspect the place – in the nicest possible way. When there, casually ask if the sparkling inspection-ready kitchen is always like that or how the chores are split up – if it’s going to bother you later, find out if it exists now.

When I walked into the place I’m in now I had all the info, liked the look of it and could apply right then. I hope you have the same level of luck. Or as they say in rejection emails (not that I’ve ever received a rejection email, ahem), “all the best in your search”.

CHEQUES/WIRED FUNDS If someone asks you to or offers to pay money through a money transfer company such as Western Union, don’t. This is a common scam. Also, criminals like to overpay with a cheque and ask you to refund the difference, but you never see their money. Don’t send money until you’ve got theirs.

meet flatties Tickets are still available for these Speed Flatmating events.

West London: Tues, Feb 26. LaLa Brasserie, Hammersmith, W6 9DX. 7pm. Free.

London Zones 1 to 3: Wed, Feb 27. Ruby Blue, SW14 8QR. 7pm. £3 on door, £2 in advance.

Clapham: Wed, Feb 27. Gigalum, SW4 9DW. 7pm. Free.

Notting Hill/Chelsea/ Kensington: Thurs, Feb 28. The Bumpkin, W11 1EA. 7pm. Free. speedflatmating.co.uk tntMagazine.com

37

WORLDVIEW

follow us on

@tntmagazine

Tough guy: LA Beast

la beast necks two jars of vegemite united states

A thin layer on warm toast is the usual way to consume Vegemite. However, in a bid to prove how tough Americans are, the ‘LA Beast’ has eaten two jars in a YouTube clip that’s gone viral.

The Beast tells his viewers he wanted to “disprove the stereotype that Americans are not tough enough to eat the Australian national food”, before emptying the jars with a spoon and a surprisingly minimal amount of grimacing.

One of the 40,000-plus people to have viewed the video wasn’t impressed: “I grew up with Vegemite and I love it but that was a fucking retarded thing to do. We Aussies know better than to try that.” tweets of the week @SturdyAlex It worries me that we live in an age when little girls will grow up wishing to be Kate Middleton instead of Hilary Mantel @StephenAtHome What’s so bad about horsemeat? My staff gets catered horsemeat every day and none of them complain. Also, staff, you’re eating horsemeat @AngryBritain Two fucking hours and they’re not showing the console? Go fuck yourselves Sony #PS4

‘everyting irie, evertin cris’ united kingdom

It’s such an unusual occurence on the London Underground, a video of an amusing Victoria line Tube announcer has gone viral.

The man’s cool, friendly, laidback Caribbean attitude has proved popular with London commuters.

38

TNT_1539_038 38

Cheeky: more than 850 people shed their clothes for the inaugural Sydney Skinny – the first mass nude ocean swim in the city. The gentle 900-metre swim raised more than £100,000 for an upgrade project at Sydney Harbour National Park

In a clip posted on YouTube, the Underground guard can be heard saying: “This train is for all de Brixton crew. Service update, everyting irie, everyting cris. Chill out, kick back, no need let anybody cramp your style. Rastaman driver, take these beautiful people to their destination.”

He then goes on to make reference to Nineties hip hop legend MC Hammer as passengers exit the station smiling.

The video was shared on Facebook by William Baker, who commented “Victoria is officially London’s coolest station!”

Check out the full video on tntmagazine.com, it’s seriously easygoin’ .

woman revives pigeon with cpr australia

When an injured bird stopped breathing, Gail Daniell didn’t get into a flap – instead, she gave the sick pigeon mouth-to-mouth.

The volunteer with Fauna Rescue SA, a voluntary organisation that helps to care for sick animals, had been caring for the frail pigeon for four days.

“Denis just stopped breathing and I didn’t even think twice – I just started CPR,” Daniell, who has looked after more than 50 birds, said.

“I gave him probably three or four little breaths and pumped his chest a few times and he started to come back to life.”

That’s serious dedication.

tntMagazine.com

22/02/2013 14:40:06

like us on

WORLDVIEW

facebook.com/tntmag

THIS WEEK

IN NUMBERS 70

Per cent of women who have faked an orgasm to avoid hurting a partner’s feelings, according to a US study

Total number of people that applied for eight barista positions at a Nottingham branch of Costa Coffee

What a prick! Children of Poseidon in action

10

POSEIDON CHILDREN WANT JACKASS FAME

1701

Average weight, in pounds, lost by cheating women. Philandering men lost 6lbs, claims an online dating site

AUSTRALIA

Jumping naked on cacti, gluing their lips shut and setting each other on fire are some of the stunts carried out by a bunch of pranksters trying to become the next Jackass-like celebrities.

The Children of Poseidon are three mates from Perth whose videos of their wince-inducing, eye-watering stunts have gained a huge following on the internet.

Videos also feature the group launching themselves from shopping trollies, eating cat food and on one occasion, supergluing Daniel’s lips shut.

“Our mates love it, local people love what we do and obviously at first our families were a little concerned but they realise now we aren’t giving it up anytime soon,” Michael, 18, said.

SENIOR CITIZEN’S BINGO BUST-UP

Photos: YouTube; Getty

AUSTRALIA

A bingo game at a senior citizens centre exploded into a brawl, after two ladies got involved in an argument over Avon cleaning products.

Police officers in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, responded to a call describing “a bit of pushing and shoving” as two ladies becamed embroiled in a to-do.

One regular bingo player was upset that another woman had set up a stall selling Avon products, which apparently

Number, in words, women speak more than men in a day as a US university study reveals the chattier sex

“No, you’re the scrubber” isn’t really in the spirit of the thing. Officers broke up the brawl only to be interrupted later to find one of the women wanted to press charges against the other.

MUM OF NOISY KID TOLD TO LEAVE PLANE NEW ZEALAND

A passenger says she was “humiliated” after being asked to leave an Air New Zealand flight because her son refused to settle down.

Elena Volkova was travelling between Auckland and Christchurch, but when it came to trying to strap her two-yearold son into his seat, the young boy was refusing to comply.

Volkova claimed she wasn’t given enough time to settle her young child and “he was likely to settle as soon as we got going”.

But an airline spokesman said the problem was the child not being properly restrained in his seat and it was “unfair” to inconvenience other passengers.

13,000

QUOTE OF THE WEEK Hanging in mothballs Olivia NewtonJohn reveals where those iconic leather trousers are that she wore when she starred in Grease with John Travolta

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

39

TNT online is your one stop shop for breaking news, what’s on in London and awesome travel ideas.

Log on every day and get your fill.

You know you can’t get enough TNT Magazine so check out tntmagazine.com

E M O S E W A Y L TNTOTAL com this week

om TNTmagazine. e of the headlines fr

Here’s a tast

TNT CLASSICS TNTmagazine.com is the best place to catch up on news from Down Under, and have your say on TNT’s blog platform myTNT

CHECK OUT THE BEST OF TNT’S ICONIC QUEEN PICS Things The Queen Should Do… is a TNT institution and we’ve got them all at tntmagazine.com

tntmagazine.com/yeti COMPETITIONS

BLOGGING COMPETITION

HAVE YOU BEEN A WHERE IN THE WORLD STAR? Check out all the amazing places around the world TNT has found its way to with our brilliant readers

tntmagazine.com/apes

Calling all budding travel writers – win a trip to Oktoberfest with TNT’s blogging competition TWO READERS CAN WIN A CASE OF WINE WORTH £100

WIN A PLETHORA OF TNT MERCHANDISE ON OUR QUIZ

Plus a food and wine-pairing guide to ensure you know how to match the vino with your dinner

Take on TNT’s weekly news quiz and you could win yourself a goodie bag full of TNT merch

tntmagazine.com/wine

blogs.tnttravelshow.com

tntmagazine.com/quizit

MAGAZINE.COM TNT_1539_040 40

22/02/2013 16:51:57

TNT puts the world to rights

OURVIEW

COMMENT: MICHAEL GADD michael.gadd@tntmagazine.com

In the dock: the world has a view on Oscar Pistorius before the trial’s begun

Should public be charged with the work of judges?

Photo: Getty

Justice or jury makes a big difference to how a case is played out The law is an ass, but it’s also quite useful when someone allegedly, apparently, reportedly does something naughty – but who is charged with deciding their fate impacts massively on the case itself, as the circus in South Africa has shown.

But let’s start in London, where former Lib Dem MP Chris Huhne’s wife Vicky Pryce faced trial for copping his penalty points when he did 69mph in a 50mph zone. She’d been tried in front of a jury, who Mr Justice Sweeney dismissed after they asked a series of 10 questions which the judge said showed they had a “fundamental deficit in understanding” of its role.

They included, “What is reasonable doubt?” What? Do these people not watch TV? As I understand it, as not a lawyer but a potential dopey juror myself, they have to decide, based only on what they hear in court, if she’s guilty or not. It’s Justice Sweeney’s role to help them grasp this. If this jury doesn’t get the picture, what’s to say any of them have a clue? Now the whole affair is going to a time and resource-sucking retrial.

This is better than the alternative, though. In Pretoria, South Africa, where there aren’t juries, sports star Oscar Pistorius has spent since January 14 going through the media blender that’s allowed when there aren’t juries. As soon as a shred of news of the shooting of Reeva Steenkamp broke, every minute detail was reported. Now I love a headline, and even in tragic circumstances such as this it’s an addictive story with every element of the greatest Hollywood movie (minus the happy ending). Because judges are apparently ‘beyond prejudice’, the Saffa press (and amateur journos such as tweeters) aren’t bound by anything like the pesky Contempt of Court Act we have in the UK, which prevents the reporting of anything that creates a ‘substantial risk of serious prejudice’ – it’s much the same in Oz. In a bail hearing here we would have heard no more than the bare facts, none of the evidence we’ve heard so far. For many this trial is over before it’s begun – it hasn’t begun, by the way. What is in the public domain now, if wrong, will ruin a man’s life even more than it already has been. » Agree or disagree? Are court cases best decided by jurors? letters@tntmagazine.com

PRINCESS IS A DOLL, A BIT LESS SPINDLY Yes, that headline is a comment about Princess Catherine’s physical appearance. It could be interpreted several ways, but I’m basically saying that at the moment, she appears quite attractive (a doll) and not as slender (or spindly) as she’s seemed before.

I wanted to say she looks hot there, but was told, “That’s wrong, she’s pregnant!”

I think that’s wrong, but anything I say further will sound creepy.

There was outrage last week when Hilary Mantel, a writer of esteem, called her “a jointed doll on which certain rags were hung” and talked about “the spindles of

“

Mantel’s saying we should lay off Kate

”

her limbs” being “hand-turned and glossvarnished”. That was of course taken totally out of context. Mantel was saying how the media and public view Kate – as a doll, a product read and written about, not real – and that we should lay off a bit. She is right (take my well-intended comments as proof), if that’s what she really means.

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

41

‘We’re not horsing around’ Politician issues ‘tongue-in-cheek’ warning on UK food, but do Aussies and Kiwis care about the horsemeat scandal?

WORDS CAROL DRIVER

It’s not the first time a government has tried to cash-in on a major scandal. But at least the Office of the South Australian Government in London admits its humorous “open letter” was written “tongue-in-cheek”, despite some national media playing it straight. In the letter, the agent general calls on Aussies in the capital to ditch UK meat produce in favour of supplies from Down Under. Bill Muirhead writes: “From fish to fowl and from field to fork, we put our heart and soul into our food – in the figurative sense – and nothing more. Our food packs enough punch not to need the extra horsepower.”

Muirhead shamelessly urges expats to restrict consumption to guaranteed Australian-only sources “until the UK authorities are able to ensure integrity of supply”. The letter adds: “You will be concerned about, and unaccustomed to, the current issues which the UK authorities are attempting to resolve regarding proper oversight of the meat-processing supply chain.

“If you are worried about the quality and provenance of meat-based foodstuffs which you purchase/have purchased in the UK, our current advice is you should not consume them.”

Arguably the most important part of the letter comes at the end, with a plug for a leaflet publicising South Australian food companies that distribute in London, which happens to be available from its office in London.

Rather than a direct response to the furore over the horsemeat scandal that has rocked the UK, Matt Johnson, deputy agent general, said the businesses publicised in the leaflet are those the office works with closely for events.

“The letter was tongue-in-cheek,” he told TNT. “It was a playful reminder to the South Australian community that there are some products they’re used to and enjoy available here. There have been some issues in the UK and we wanted to get on the front foot with our community.”

So have any Aussies been in touch with the office to voice 42

TNT_1539_042 42

their concerns or to say they’re not eating UK meat products?

“No,” is Johnson’s reply. At least he’s honest.

No doubt, it’s a shrewd move. The scandal isn’t one Antipodeans are likely to encounter back home. It’s engulfed the UK and Ireland and is spreading across Europe. But it hasn’t hit Australia, where the meat industry is subject to tighter regulations. And New Zealand isn’t affected either. But maybe that’s got more to do with labelling (see box, right)?

Shevahn Telfser, a livestock lecturer at Charles Sturt University in New South Wales, said there is only a small chance horsemeat would make its way into Australian food.

“

Poms eat tonnes of processed foods. Yuk!

”

“As a general rule, horsemeat cannot enter our supply chain because Australia imports very little red meat and there are strict measures in place to ensure there is no mixing of processed products,” she said. Telfser added 26,000 tonnes of Aussie horsemeat is exported mostly to European markets for human consumption every year. But she said there was no chance of Aussies following suit, as horses “fall into the companion bracket, rather than production animals”.

As the horsemeat debacle canters on, with testing spreading to chilled or canned beef-based ready meals as well as steak, stock cubes and beef dripping, TNT reached out to its Antipodean readers to find out whether it’s changed their eating habits.

Sarah Elizabeth O’Donnell, an Aussie living in London, said: “I have no problem eating our neighing friends but it is the way they got into the ‘beef’ lasagne I care about;

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

22/02/2013 12:50:41

Cheap eats: (clockwise from left) tests in a laboratory in Germany; some Findus lasagnes contained horse; carcasses in a wholesaler

Photos: Getty

black market is dodgy and if they were put down in a way health regulations don’t approve then that could affect our consumption and health. All for strange meat on my plate, but I’d rather pay for the privilege.”

Peter Morris, also an Aussie living in the capital, said he’s going to the extreme of ordering meat from a specialist butcher in Scotland. “We have stopped buying any kind of processed meat from supermarkets. I do not expect to be buying any processed meat from a supermarket for a long time to come. I am even eying off the OXO cubes at the moment – not sure about them anymore.”

Clint Heine, a social media adviser for a charity who also runs the Facebook page Kiwis In London, described himself as a “militant carnivore”, but added he’ll always seek out produce from home. “I only buy Kiwi lamb and if I see any other NZ products, I will not hesitate to buy them ahead of others,” he said. “This scandal is realistically only affecting the cheapest of the cheap meats, so it wasn’t a surprise – if you’re paying £1 for eight burgers, don’t be surprised.”

Kiwi Sarah-Jane Taylor-Seres, a clinical team manager in occupational health, said Brits are notoriously unhealthy.

“I’ve been in London for seven months, and the first thing I learned about being here is the phenomenal amount of processed and pre-packaged foods the Poms eat. Yuk! “Lots of Aussies and Kiwis in London still cook, we’ll buy meat and veg and make a good, healthy meal. Maybe the Poms will finally get out a saucepan or a wok or something ... maybe, just maybe. There’s no chance of me eating horsemeat, I’m proud to be a Kiwi who can cook.”

Chelsea Cookson, a 24-year-old Kiwi working as a nanny in London, simply added: “I wouldn’t feed supermarket meat to my dog let alone to myself.”

Do you care about the horsemeat scandal? Has it affected what you eat? Send us your views: letters@tntmagazine.com

Do you know what you’re eating?

neigh horse here ... meat tests in nz Down Under may not have to worry about horsemeat contamination, but an investigation of products in New Zealand has thrown up some interesting results.

The New Zealand Herald DNA-tested eight different products that had been packaged in the country as well as in Australia and in the UK. Although none tested positive for horsemeat, it found Sizzlers sausages contained three types of meat despite only listing one in its ingredients.

The company said it complies with the Australian New Zealand Food Standards Code on labelling.

It’s because companies Down Under aren’t required to specify which animals are in a product, as long as they identify “meat”, which must mean meat products commonly eaten in NZ. Food campaigner Sue Kedgley told the paper: “It’s an absolutely appalling loophole ...

Manufacturers shouldn’t be trying to hide what is in their food, they should be honest with consumers.”

tntMagazine.com

TNT_1539_043 43

43

22/02/2013 12:50:50

SPORTNEWS

follow us on

@tntmagazine

Oval bound: Ricky Ponting

punter says surrey before the ashes cricket

Former Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting will play for two months at the Kia Oval this summer after signing with Surrey, in part as a replacement for South African captain Graeme Smith.

As if cricket fans weren’t spoiled enough this year, 38-year-old Punter’s stint in all forms of the game will coincide with the ICC Champions Trophy and the Ashes in England in June and July.

Ponting’s been in good form since playing his last Test in December, including a double-century for Tasmania.

“I’m really excited to be playing for Surrey,” he said about the announcement.

“They are a forward thinking and historic club – and play at one of the greatest grounds in the world. It hasn’t been the friendliest place for me but now it will be my home for two months this summer.”

Surrey team director Chris Adams described Ponting as “one of the greatest batsmen of the modern era”.

ovations put TAYLOR under pressure cricket

Ross Taylor is still feeling the pressure he felt as New Zealand captain, the title stripped from him which led to a break from the game, on his return.

Scores of 13, four, six and 22 were followed by an impressive century in the second ODI against England, a relieving innings ahead of the first Test on March 6 for the batsman who now gets a standing ovation every time he strides to the crease. ”Coming out in every game and getting a pretty amazing reception, it’s not normal,” he says. “And you do put extra pressure on yourself.”

44

TNT_1539_044 44

If the AFL pre-season’s passed you by, you may have missed the story of Ben Richmond, a 196cm giant Collingwood Magpies signed from the Australian Institute of Sport. Not abnormal ‘til you add he was playing basketball there. He’s smashed the Pies’ vertical leap record (78cm) and is a potential excitement machine come the March 31 season opener

black caviar’s now a living legend racing

The world’s best sprinter Black Caviar added the Australian Racing Hall of Fame to her honours at a gala ceremony – she is the second horse to make the list while still competing.

The six-year-old returned to racing in spectacular fashion recently by crushing the 25-year-old Flemington track record in a race named after her.

With 23 successive wins, including one last year at Royal Ascot, she’s the biggest turf star Down Under since Phar Lap. A likely future title for Cav will be the ‘Legend of the Turf’ gong given at the same ceremony in Melbourne to Carbine, the 1890 winner of the Melbourne Cup.

BIG WEEK FOR ...

Arsene Wenger’s head may not be on the chopping block, so reports said last week despite his side being pasted by Bayern Munich 3-1 in the Champions League, but he’s got a big test this week.

With the Gunners’ last chance at silverware for the year all but gone, the one and only prize the Frenchman’s lads and fans can hope for is the EPL top four and the millions that come with another tilt in Europe. And if they’re going to get there, they must beat Tottenham (Sun, 4pm), ahead of them in fourth, to get there.

tntMagazine.com

22/02/2013 12:56:35

like us on

SPORTNEWS

facebook.com/tntmag

QUOTES OF THE WEEK It’s a crap rule change.

Everyone likes to see it.

A shoulder charge is split second, so now we have to change our whole mindset defensively The best: Lionel Messi skips past Real Madrid’s defence

South Sydney and England star Sam Burgess on the RFL’s decision to follow the NRL in banning the armless tackle

PREVIEW SPOILED BY EL CLÁSICO COPA DEL REY BARCELONA V REAL MADRID

TUES, 7PM, SKY SPORTS 1 Other than NSW and Queensland in rugby league and Australia and England in cricket, the El Clásico – the name for any clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid – is probably the greatest sporting rivalry in the world.

Yes, even ahead of those opposing mobs from Manchester.

This week they go into the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final deadlocked after a 1-1 draw courtesy of goals from

Raphaël Varane (Real) and Cesc Fàbregas (Barca) at the Bernabéu in January.

It’s ridiculous to talk about key players, as FIFA decided these two teams comprised 10 of the best 11 players in the world last year, with ultra-superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo each joined by four of their teammates in the ‘world’s best’ side.

The winner of this tie will take on the winner of the one to be completed on Wednesday between Athletico Madrid (who had the 11th player in that side in Radamel Falcao) and Sevilla, who have their work cut out after going 2-1 down in the first leg.

THE CHAT | Gentleman Del stays in A-League

I never saw that result coming tonight, nil-nil, away, and we needed to win! We didn’t even get a goal…

A comment highlighting problems with talkback radio and leaving the ground early. Coventry fan Dan raged on BBC radio at his side’s effort. They won 2-0

We didn’t think it would be so easy Bayern Munich’s French star Frank Ribery taunts Arsenal after his side’s 3-1 first leg win in the Champions League

TV HIGHLIGHTS

Photos: Getty

FOOTBALL What does it mean to the A-League that Q Alessandro Del Piero has signed on for another season with Sydney FC? A lot – for starters, it means the Italian genius gets to A finish what he’s started at the club since his arrival at the start of this campaign. He’s the top scorer in the league and lifted Sydney off the bottom into finals contention. When a player of his quality says he’s coming to an emerging football nation to contribute to the game, you expect it to be a lie. Not this time. A-League boss Damien de Bohun says “he’s engaged people, been an absolute gentleman” and brought a “star element” to the code in Oz. Sydney invested AU$2m (£1.34m) a year into the former Juventus gun – money well spent.

Everton v Oldham Athletic FA Cup fifth round replay Tues, 7.45pm, ITV1

CRICKET India v Australia Day one of the second Test in Hyderabad Sat, 3.55am, Sky Sports 1

RUGBY UNION ‘Star element’: Del Piero

Waratahs v Rebels NSW and Melbourne in the Super 15s Fri, 8.40am, Sky Sports 2 TNTMAGAZINE.COM

TNT_1539_045 45

45

22/02/2013 12:56:39

Bucks ready to bite London Broncos enforcer Shane Rodney is loving life in the Big Smoke, but wants to match it on the field WORDS MICHAEL GADD

Playing for the Broncos suits Shane Rodney, though he was more at home on the back of a bull than a bucking horse as a kid in Tamworth, NSW. However, at 15, then a resident of Penrith, he got injured riding one of the four-legged brutes.

After that, his primary focus became beasts of the two-legged variety on the rugby league field.

That’s served him well, as what’s followed is an impressive career including two Premierships, first for his hometown Panthers and then – after a spate of injuries that required surgery to his ankle, spine and both shoulders – the Manly Sea Eagles. Just the 125 NRL games he played before signing to the London Broncos last year makes him a tough bastard compared to most. So, when TNT asks the forward how he’s been embracing London life over the past 12 months, we expect something along the lines of wearing a West Ham shirt to Millwall games, not sipping lattes in cafes, playing golf and “hanging out on the Thames”.

So, on your Boris bike you clichés, it turns out Rodney’s offfield persona, the guy whose spare time is spent enjoying the capital with his wife Jacquie and 17-month-old son Nash (and they have another on the way), couldn’t be further from the tough nut in the Broncos’ black strip every weekend.

“It’s a brilliant lifestyle here,” the 29-year-old says. “So different to back home. I love my coffee so we spend a lot of time in cafes, and I like to play a bit of golf with the other guys when we get a chance. Last summer there was a lot of hanging out on the Thames. There’s a great atmosphere when the sun comes out and everyone lines the banks, there’s nothing like it. Most time is taken up by our young bloke, which is great, and this is a top place for that.”

Rodney lobbed in London last January at the same time as fellow Aussies Michael Robertson and Chris Bailey, who he won the 2008 grand final with at Manly, and Craig Gower, captain of the Penrith side which won the 2003 premiership in his first full NRL season. The recruits are part of owner 46

TNT_1539_046 46

David Hughes’ bid to enhance the Broncos’ shot at success, but despite promise he’s yet to reap the rewards of his investment – though there was a sign of things to come when they made a surge at the end of last season, which included a miraculous 62-18 thrashing of eventual grand finalists Warrington.

Rodney says his side has wins in them and that good times are coming after a few tough losses already this year. And he sees no reason why his next trophy can’t be in London.

“That first one in Penrith was funny, there were a few of us in the same boat as newcomers to first grade and we went on a run at the end of the season and got there [to beat Sydney Roosters 18-6 in the grand final],” he recalls having

“

If we keep working, the wins will come

”

made his top-flight debut in round 20 of the previous year.

“It seemed so easy. You think they come all the time when it happens that quickly, but of course that’s not the reality.”

Before coming to London, Rodney sought counsel from his former skipper Gower, who was coming back to rugby league to finish his decorated career – a former NSW and Australian captain – after three years playing union in France for Bayonne and the Italian national side.

“He said there were great opportunities in London, and they were building a good squad,” Rodney says of the move he’d previously said he always wanted to make. “Michael [Robertson] came at the same time and Chris [Bailey] was here the year before, so it’s a good environment for me. And having Craig here is great. His leadership is second to none. He sets an example for everyone, the young guys especially.”

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

22/02/2013 16:06:37

Photos: Getty; London Broncos

Hair-raising: Shane Rodney says he got “carried away with Movember” and shaved off his epic beard only last week

The Broncos looked the goods in trial matches this year, accounting for Toulouse Olympique 34-0 in France and Super League side Catalan Dragons 26-22. But all the hard work and preparation under returned head coach Tony Rea, also an Aussie, is nothing without results on the park, Rodney admits.

“Everyone’s working really hard, so we’ve just got to stay strong and keep working hard, and the wins will come.”

Those victories will also hopefully bring with them the crowds the Broncos deserve in the capital, where rugby league comes a distant third to football and rugby union – the Broncos’ home ground is the home of union, a fortress for England and Harlequins in the Aviva Premiership.

For a bloke used to clubs in places where league is the centre of the universe, Manly and Penrith, London’s a culture shock Rodney says is mostly a blessing, but a bit of a curse.

“It’s a good thing as a player that you don’t hear about league much here at all,” he says. “I was talking to the guys from Melbourne [Storm] about it last week, who have a similar thing being in a city where AFL is number one. You quite enjoy coming home to not read about a bad game, whereas back [in Australia] it’s everywhere.

“At the same time, with football everywhere and union’s where we are, we struggle a bit with the fan base and don’t get much coverage to promote the side compared to the clubs up north where league is much bigger.”

It’s a shame for a competition that is hugely entertaining.

“A lot of emphasis is on attack here,” he says. “You can be on the wing, catch three passes and run five metres for a try and be man of the match. Back home it’s the guys making 50 tackles and a stack of hit-ups getting the rewards. But here it’s attack all the time. When people come they see for themselves how tough, fast and skilled it is.”

Broncos play Salford City this Friday and at home to Hull KR on Saturday, March 9, 6.15pm, at Twickenham Stoop.

For tickets visit londonbroncosrl.com

Crushing: Rodney busts through a Widnes tackle for the Broncos; and (top) scores a try for Manly

Leeds’ Ryan Hall gets away from St Helens’ Gary Wheeler in their match-up last year

giants set to butt heads st helens v leeds rhinos The Super League’s most cracking rivalry of the past decade reignites this weekend when St Helens host the Leeds Rhinos on Friday night at 8pm.

At least one of these two sides has been in every Super League grand final since 2004, with both teams facing off in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011.

Bizarrely, the last time Merseysiders St Helens won the big one was in 2006 – Leeds have won the premiership every year since 2007, except for 2010 when Wigan beat St Helens.

But when we look at the head-to-head between the two teams it’s St Helens who have the edge, winning four of the clubs’ last five clashes. This included a 46-6 thrashing of the eventual champions in March last year at Langtree Park, where they’ll meet this week, followed up by a slightly tighter 31-18 win away at Leeds’ home Headingly Carnegie.

tntMagazine.com

TNT_1539_047 47

47

22/02/2013 16:06:45

SPORTVIEW

TNT puts the world to rights

COMMENT: OLI JONES

oliver.jones@tntmagazine.com

Shamed: Aussie swimmers faced a press conference on Friday

Aussie swimming team scandal proves old stereotypes die hard Pathetic performances might banish oafish behaviour for good

» Agree or disagree? Does the ‘dream team’ reflect sporting culture? letters@tntmagazine.com 48

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

The news last week that Tottenham Hotspur fans had been attacked prior to their last-gasp triumph over a dismally anti-footballing Lyon team felt grimly familiar.

Three Spurs fans were left hospitalised after a reported 20 to 25 men in balaclavas attacked a bar where they’d been drinking.

Reports that the attackers were engaging in Nazi salutes towards fans of a club traditionally linked with North London’s Jewish community makes the whole event doubly depressing.

“

Racism is all but openly tolerated

”

But is it surprising? FIFA’s stance on racism is pathetically weak. It’s almost openly tolerated on the pitch.

Judging by their fines (£32,000 for monkey chants, £80,000 for Paddy Power underpants), it’s clearly a lower priority for FIFA than unauthorised advertising.

How can we begin to confront violence and racism off the pitch if FIFA steadfastly refuse to do anything on it?

Photo: Getty

As a Briton, there is a rather specific pleasure to be had watching any Australian sporting team under-performing. Especially one that has had the temerity to bill itself as “the dream team”. And at this summer’s Olympic Games the spades of glory enjoyed by Team GB was made all the sweeter by an apparently flummoxed Australian team blundering from one disappointment to the next.

However, Swimming Australia’s report into the failings of Australia’s swim team – who became emblematic of the nation’s wider sporting incompetence at London 2012 – wasn’t something to revel in, rather it made for uncomfortable reading. It told of a “toxic environment” for Australia’s swimmers, one of harassment, substance abuse and bullying.

“Things were managed quietly rather than brought to a head, and several examples of coaches passing over the responsibility for hard conversations were given,” said the report.

“Individual coaches had little interest in policing the culture or counselling swimmers.”

Several swimmers, including Nick D’Arcy, have come out to support the embattled Swimming Australia head coach Leigh Nugent, despite the revelations that male swimmers had been engaging in prank calls, door knocking and a “Stilnox (a prescription hypnotic) hazing ritual” in what the Courier Mail called (presumably without intending the homoerotic undertone) “a wild team bonding night” at a pre-Games camp in Manchester.

Frankly, I’m not sure how much this says about Australian coaching or sporting infrastructure. What it does is restate a sad well-worn truth. Mollycoddled sportsmen, who are constantly told how awesome they are, will fall into that most solipsistic of traps – they think if they’re winners, they can behave like pricks. It’s something experience has taught them all their lives. Ultimately that kind of behaviour is unsustainable with continued success. Hopefully this is an opportunity to instil a new ethos of professionalism and finally banish the oafish ‘tour’ culture so long synonymous with travelling sports teams.

BLOOD SPLIT IN FAN ATTACKS IS ON FIFA

#([FHVV%DJJDJH&R

([FHVV%DJJDJH&RPSDQ\

Moving people from home to home

EXCESS BAGGAGE SHIPPING TO

AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, SOUTH AFRICA

&

MORE...

Award winning service and 30 years of experience: i Packing boxes and materials supplied and delivered i Free deliveries/collections within the London M25 area i Collections/Deliveries to and from virtually anywhere in the world i Door to Door service to all major destinations including Australia, New Zealand, i Canada, USA & South Africa i Baggage, International Removals, Storage and Car Shipping i Fully bonded by BAR to give you financial protection i FIDI & FAIMISO accredited to assure you highest standards of quality

CALL 0800 524 4813 www.excess-baggage.com · sales@excess-baggage.com

tntMagazine.com

49

3VUKVU /LHK 6ɉJL! 4 Hannah Close, Great Central Way, London NW10 0UX. Tel: 020 8324 2057 Fax: 020 8324 2048 TNT_1539_049 49

TNT back page 02 indd 1

22/02/2013 17:02:56

14/11/2012 17:41

TNT Language School sponsored by

with

L ANGUAGE SCHOOL

Learn The Lingo courses, part of TNT’s Language School, are ideal for beginners or those who’d like to brush up on the basics

French & Spanish TUESDAY APRIL 30 Spanish @ 6:30pm

WEDNESDAY MAY 1

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL

Visit the TNT Language School stand...

Complete the quiz and you can win a FREE course for 2!

French @ 6:30pm

VENUE: YHA Holland Park Holland Walk, Kensington, London W8 7QU

COST: £75 £65 COURSES INCLUDE:  Five weeks of intensive sessions  Language Machine tutor  Language pack and reading materials

FOR INFO AND TO BOOK YOUR PLACE SEE tntmagazine.com/school

Places are limited, only 15 per course. Book early to avoid disappointment!

Early bird price of £65 available until March 26th (£75 after this date) TNT_1539_050 50

22/02/2013 15:39:23

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

HEAD OVER HEELS

Photos: Getty; seeglasgow.com; Last Tour International; Quays of the Old Port of Montreal

Dancers during their rehearsal in Taipei, preparing for the Taiwan International Festival of the Arts.

INSIDE

COMEDY CAPITAL /56

BEST OF THE FESTS /66

WINTER WONDERS /72

It’s a laugh a minute in Glasgow as TNT heads north to get a preview of the city’s upcoming chuckle fest.

Snow-covered slopes, remote desert dunes, a 17th-century fortress or epic clubs – you can party hard anywhere this festival season.

What do you do for entertainment when it’s -25ºC and the snow is at least a foot deep?

TNT finds plenty of answers in Montreal.

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

TNT_1539_051 51

51

22/02/2013 12:57:47

TRAVELDIARY Helen Elfer

follow us on

@tntmagazine

Lenten self-denial in full force at Starkbierzeit

TRAVEL EDITOR

MISGUIDED TOURS I’m all in favour of a good tour guide.

On various trips in the past I’ve been lucky enough to meet ones who have really gone above and beyond, scoring me free food, recommending brilliant bars, telling local legends with gusto and even supplying me with the most obscene of local swear words, just in case I’d need to bust some out during my holiday. By and large, they’re a brilliant bunch.

But, boy, are there some oddballs among their number. You’d imagine it would take a certian type of personality to be a tour guide: bubbly, competent, knowledgeable and eager to share insights into the locale. Yet I’d say an astonishing proportion are none of these things.

In fact, I’ve been taken ‘sightseeing’ by guides that were clearly ratarsed, bored, angry, in various states of undress, or just out-and-out liars.

A robe-wearing guide in Egypt spent the day solemnly pretending he lived a traditional Bedouin desert life. When pressed, he admitted he was really a Cairo businessman and just dressed up for tourists to make a bit of extra cash at the weekends.

Another time the guide on a Dubrovnik boat tour showed up to a posh restaurant reeking of booze, still barefoot and wearing just the teeny Speedos-and-T-shirt combo he’d been sporting all day.

Worst of all, a friend of mine got taken to see pandas in Sichuan twice because the guide had forgotten he’d already taken the group the day before. When reminded, he flew into a rage and insisted they all walk around the enclosure again anyway.

Still, at least having a guide with a few screws loose makes for a memorable experience ...

Had any crazy tour guide experiences? Write

Spring’s version of Oktoberfest is Germany’s best-kept secret. The Munich festival’s name translates to ‘Strong Beer Festival’ and no ale 1-17 served here has less than 7 per cent alcohol content. This is the only time of year these beers are available and the ceremonial keg tapping at the Paulaner-Keller brewery is so important it’s televised nationally.

MARCH

WHY: It might not be in the spirit of selfdenial but this boozy event is actually a Lenten tradition. Paulaner monks in the 17th century brewed thick doppelbock to help settle their rumbling tummies when they were fasting in the lead up to Easter and were only allowed to consume liquids.

FROZEN DEAD GUYS

US

After Bredo Morstoel died from a heart condition in 8-10 1989, his body was cryogenically frozen. It’s now kept in a shed on a hill in Colorado, packed with 1600lbs of dry ice. Every year people visit the site for this surreal fest which involves coffin races, polar plunges and frozen salmon tossing.

MARCH

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

germanbeerinstitute.com

BUTTER LAMP FEST

Tibet

Butter fingers welcome at this Buddhist fest, in which 8 yak butter is sculpted into works of art, and burned in hundreds of lamps that light up the streets.

MARCH

xzta.gov.cn/yww

OX CART FESTIVAL

Costa Rica

frozendeadguydays.org

HONEN MATSURI

Japan

Komaki’s fertility festival features the biggest dong 15 you’ll ever see. At 620lbs and 96 inches long, the wooden phallus is paraded down the streets to bring luck to couples trying for a baby.

MARCH

jnto.go.jp

52

DO IT BECAUSE: This is a chance to get stuck into a much less touristy beer event than Oktoberfest in Germany – the focus is firmly on the ales. Plus surely this is a much more enjoyable way to celebrate a Lenten tradition than, say, giving up chocolate ...

Staring at an ox’s rump all day every day can’t be much 9-11 fun. So ox cart drivers give themselves a break on this national holiday with a festival in San Antonio de Escazú. People give gifts to the drivers, and children in traditional dress stand on the back of old ox carts while the beasts themselves are paraded around the town.

MARCH

costaricatourism.co.cr

Photos: Getty

in and tell us at helen.elfer@tntmagazine.com

STARKBIERZEIT Germany

Croatia’s best party week > > > > > >

CROAT IA BOSNIA SLOVENIA GREECE M ONTENEGRO ALBANIA

Freestyle through Eastern Europe with local guides on the best itineraries.

Travel e for flere aders

• Small buses and small groups • Only local guides • Link up with other road trips or Sail Croatia

EXCLUSIVE SPECIALS > BOOK 10+ DAYS & SAVE 5% > CHOOSE FROM 5 ROUTES

Group hing pay not see

from

£19

9

for 3 day s

For detail

See our website for details:

St. Petersburg to Beijing

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

21 DAYS

8,515KM

£1,985

• Fully skippered 8-berth yachts • Travel solo or book an entire yacht for your friends • Breakfasts and lunches included • Amazing buggy riding and river rafting excursions • Sail from Split to Dubrovnik or Dubrovnik to Split from £599

www.medexperience.com/tnt

www.balkanroadtrip.com

THE Vodkatrain

s

Week-long Mediterranean yacht parties for 21 – 35s

THE HOLY COW

THE RUSKI HUSKI Moscow to Beijing

All over India

Ride the Indian rails to some of the most amazing and off the beaten track places.

12 to 43 DAYS

KM VARIES

FROM £495

Enjoy a tradional winter Trans Siberian/ Mongolian experience, boots and all!

17 DAYS

7,865KM

£1,425

w

om

18 - 3 5 ’s

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

.c

w

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

in

VO

Don’t just fly to Asia, experience the world along the way!

Atra DK

w.

vodkatra

in

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

tntMagazine.com

53

like us on

facebook.com/tntmag

follow us on

WIN

@tntmagazine

HOW TO ENTER

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

Sail Croatia & Greece on your own yacht!

A SAILING TRIP FOR 2 TO GREECE MedSailors is offering one TNT reader the chance to travel the Mediterranean’s picturesque and idyllic landscapes on board a sleek 50ft skippered yacht.

Swim, snorkel, sunbathe or learn how to sail on an unforgettable seven-day sailing holiday for two in the beautiful Greek Islands. From the Kolonna ruins in Aegina to the lavender and pine treestudded scenery of Perdika, you will discover the true culture and history of this iconic Aegean landscape.

Once in port our guests have the chance to party with the locals in Poros and enjoy authentic local Greek delicacies on the ancient waterfronts.

Afternoons are spent admiring golden

sunsets and the one you can’t miss is in Hydra – voted best sunset in the world!

This once-in-a-lifetime prize includes a sailing trip for two people in the 2013 season, with freshly prepared breakfasts and lunches included. Flights are not included. Dates for the sailing week are limited and will be agreed between MedSailors Ltd and the prizewinner.

WIN

MORE COMPETITIONS...

TOUR OF IRELAND

16

TNT SUBSCRIPTION

19

LONDON EYE DATE

40

CASE OF WINE

40

TOUR OF SCOTLAND

61

PHOTOGRAPHY COURSE

61

BATH/STONEHENGE TRIP

61

FLIGHT VOUCHERS

64

Enter at tntmagazine.com/competitions medsailors.com

PREVIOUS WINNERS TNT 1536: A PAIR OF TICKETS TO BILBAO BBK LIVE MUSIC FESTIVAL IN SPAIN: Sara Brooks; Garry Hawkins

54

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

TNT FINAL 1539_Wins_MedSailors_new.indd 54

22/02/2013 17:08:04

like us on

TRAVELNEWS

facebook.com/tntmag

palin’s top pick Acclaimed travel writer and TV funnyman Michael Palin has chosen the prehistoric chalk horse in Oxfordshire as his top pick for tourists in England. “The White Horse at Uffington is at the heart of a very fine walk, taking in not just the horse itself but the ancient hill fort of Uffington Castle, a stretch of the oldest road in the country and the hill on which, according to legend, St George slew the dragon,” he said. Palin is ambassador for Discovering Britain, a project which promotes British walking trails. He made his choice as a recommendation for those using Visit England’s new Facebook app, 101 Things To Do Before You Go Abroad.

Photo: Wikicommons

BA to cut costs It was only a matter of time before BA started feeling the pressure to compete with budget carriers, but the announcement that British Airways will offer customers ‘hand luggage only’ fares still comes as welcome news. The carrier has said it will offer a discount for those travelling with just hand luggage on five routes from London Gatwick to short-haul destinations in Europe, including Amsterdam, Dubrovnik, Jersey, Tunis and Turin. But it doesn’t have plans to go completely frills-free. A BA spokesman said: “All passengers still get features like on-board drinks and seat allocation.”

An eye for dubai Dubai is never short of a plan to do something bigger and better than the rest of the world, and the latest scheme is to build the world’s largest Ferris wheel. Called the ‘Dubai Eye’, the wheel is set to be to be completed in 2015 and will be a staggering 690ft tall – that’s almost 250ft taller than the London Eye. Developers have said they hope it will attract more than three million visitors a year once it’s completed. The Dubai Eye will be the focal point of a £1billion project called The Bluewaters Island, a man-made island for leisure and entertainment, slated to be completed by 2016.

Holiday in iraq?

Fancy a short break in sunny Baghdad?

Probably not, but if you are a particularly adventurous type, you can now catch a flight there from London, as Iraqi Airways has just restored air services to the UK. It has been 23 years since there was a regular connection between London and Iraq, as the service was stopped in 1990, when the Gulf War began.

But from March 5 onwards, Iraq’s national carrier will fly three times a week between Gatwick and Baghdad International. The service marks Iraq’s continuing rehabilitation and development after 20 years of violent conflict.

tntMagazine.com

55

Refl [Caption] ecting: the Clyde Arc bridge and Scottish Exhibition Centre by night

EAT, DRINK, SLEEP

Glasgow SCOTLAND

SCOTLAND

EDINBURGH Glasgow

GETTING THERE Fly from London Gatwick to Glasgow from £59 return with easyJet. easyjet.com

Crack-up: festival headliner Jimmy Carr

For a mix of old-world charm and affordable decadence, head to Glasgow’s oldest bar and restaurant, The Sloan. Afternoon tea from £10.95. sloansglasgow.com Open for breakfast, lunch and tea, trendy joint The Left Bank is your go-to place for hearty burgers, tapas-style dishes and breakfasts. Mains from £7.75. theleftbank.co.uk The Arches is one of the leading cultural venues in Europe, and hosts everything from Britain’s biggest club nights and bands to new theatre shows and art exhibitions. Pints from £3.50. thearches.co.uk Hip live music joint Nice N Sleazy offers a good range of beers and cheap spirits. It’s a haunt for well-known Glaswegian musos. Go there for some famous face spotting. Drinks from £2. nicensleazy.com McLay’s Guest House offers simple, cosy budget accommodation in the heart of the city. Single rooms from £21pn. mclays.com

Getting coned: pranksters give The Wellington Statue a hat 56

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

Just for laughs: a comedian gets the desired response

For a treat, Blythswood Square Hotel is Glasgow’s ultimate five-star luxury spa hotel.

Rooms start at £120pn. townhousecompany.com

UKTRIP

Comedy capital It’s a laugh a minute in Glasgow as we get a preview of the city’s upcoming chuckle fest

Photos: Alan Robertson (See Glasgow); Getty; TNT

WORDS KELLY GRIFFIN

It’s a Saturday night in Glasgow and the busy, neon-lit streets are pulsating with weekend revellers. My cohorts – a bunch of Londoners up for the weekend – and I make our way through the ‘smirr’ (which I learn is a Scottish term for mist-like rain, not to be confused with mizzle, which is mistlike drizzle) to the door of what was once an abandoned high school basement, now one of the city’s most popular venues: cult comedy club, The Stand.

Now in its 13th year, The Stand is an institution on the Scottish comedy scene where homegrown success stories such as Frankie Boyle and Kevin Bridges cut their teeth. Inside its cavernous, candle-lit space, we make our way past the rowdy crowd gathered around the bar, and grab what are the only remaining seats.

Living up to the stereotype of Glaswegians as friendly, hospitable folk with a terrific sense of humour, it’s not long before renowned local comedian and actor Raymond Mearns stops by for a quick hello – soon he’ll be hitting the stage to compere tonight’s show. The thing about Glaswegian audiences is, Mearns leans in and reveals: “They know when you’re not giving everything, and they’ll tell you. So you’ve always got to bring your best.”

A little later Mearns begins flexing his quick-witted improv muscles, bantering with those who’ve braved the front row. The first guy admits his job is a risk assessor at a hospital for the criminally insane. “Well, that must be an easy job, they’re all a risk!” Mearns shoots back. But it’s obvious the crowd do give as good as they get. When headliner Bennett Arron, a Jewish-Welsh comedian, asks who has been arrested, about a quarter of the crowd raise their hand, to which he sheepishly responds, “Oh well, that’s quite a bit more than I expected.”

It’s no surprise that Glaswegians make discerning audiences, as the vibrant, trendy city has a reputation for a rich creative scene that dates back centuries. For starters, it boasts one of the UK’s leading independent art schools, The Glasgow School of Art, from which almost 30 per cent of past Turner Prize nominees have graduated. In the Forties, Glasgow was nicknamed ‘Cinema City’ for boasting more than 130 cinemas which, back in the day, was more cinemas per capita than any other city in the world outside of the US. Plus there’s the legendary music scene, with bands including

Belle and Sebastian, Arab Strap, Mogwai, Primal Scream and Franz Ferdinand all calling the Clyde-side city home.

Back at The Stand, the venue’s owner and Scottish comedy stalwart Tommy Sheppard has pulled up a chair to tell us this is the tip of the iceberg, with the city set to become Europe’s laugh capital in March when the Glasgow Comedy Festival kicks off. Sheppard says the festival’s the “biggest event of its kind in Europe”, with a range of acts to suit all ages and tastes, from 75-year-old Dorothy Paul, who’s cracking up packed theatres, to more experimental shows, such as the

“

Glasgow crowds give as good as they get

”

late night comedy in the underground subway station at St Enoch.

Double Bafta-winning comic Billy Kirkwood will this year perform his gags in a tattoo parlour, which I joke could have permanent ramifications.

“Well, the guy doing that show in the tattoo parlour is threatening to get the Comedy Festival logo permanently tattooed on him,” Sheppard laughs.

Sheppard says there’s also a strong American showcase at this year’s fest, featuring Liza Treyger, Kyle Kinane and Dwayne Kennedy, backing up big-name headliners such as Jimmy Carr, Paul Merton, Sean Lock and Al Murray.

Judging by the hilarity on stage and off it tonight, the Glasgow Comedy Festival looks set to be one hell of an event, and what better way to get a glimpse into the city’s creative culture – and certainly its wicked sense of humour.

NEXT WEEK

The 2013 Glasgow Comedy Festival runs March 14-31 glasgowcomedyfestival.com The Stand hosts events seven nights a week thestand.co.uk

St Paddy’s Day: Where to get your drink on this year

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

57

LATEDEALS

follow us on

@tntmagazine

Two nights in Moscow costs £202pp with easyJet Holidays

DEAL OF THE WEEK madrid holiday

£167

A two-night break with easyJet Holidays (0843 1041000; easyjet.com).

Includes five-star, B&B accommodation at the Occidental Miguel Angel hotel. Departs London Luton on March 5.

< £250

58

tntMagazine.com

thailand A four-day sailing trip costs £420pp with Intrepid Travel (intrepidtravel.com; 0844 4998487). Includes twin berth accommodation on the yacht, all meals, excursions, and an experienced skipper.

Excludes flights. Book by March 15.

Departs Phuket on March 17. egypt An eight-night tour costs £399pp (save £60) with Encounters Travel (0800 0886002; encounterstravel.com). Includes four-star, sleeper train and felucca boat accommodation, some meals, Nile cruise and visits to the Great Pyramids and Sphinx. Excludes flights. Departs Cairo on March 16. lanzarote Seven nights costs £375pp with lowcostholidays.com (0800 1116271). Includes return flights and three-star, self-catering accommodation at THB Flora Hotel in Puerto del Carmen. Departs London Luton on March 21.

> £500 Turkey A seven-night stay costs £650pp (save £150) with Exclusive Escapes (0208 6053500; exclusiveescapes.co.uk). Includes direct return flights, four-star, B&B accommodation and a gulet cruise.

Departs London Stansted April 27.

Sharm El Sheikh A sevennight holiday costs £502pp with lowcostholidays.com (0800 1116271). Includes direct return flights and five-star, all-inclusive accommodation at the Iberotel Il Mercato hotel. Based on two people sharing. Departs London Gatwick on March 12. eastern Europe An 11-day tour is £649pp (save 35 per cent) with Travel Talk (0208 0998852; traveltalktours.com). Includes three-star accommodation, some meals and visits to Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia. Excludes flights. Book by February 28. Departs on May 12.

DAILY TRAVEL DEALS Go to tntmagazine.com/travel/latedeals where new travel deals are updated daily.

There are more than 30 deals live at any time. Also sign up for TNT’s weekly travel newsletter, which will be emailed to you every Wednesday with the most up-to-date deals and guides to over 170 destinations.

Sign up at tntmagazine.com/travelemail.

Money transfers Need to send money between Australia, New Zealand and the UK? You don’t need a bank to do it. We also do money transfers to South Africa.

Transfer fees from £1 For live transfer rates, visit tntforex.com or call 0870 898 8996

Exchange rates* 1.49 Australian dollar New Zealand dollar 1.83 South African rand 13.7 Polish złoty 4.83 Euro 1.15 US dollar 1.54 Canadian dollar 1.56 Hong Kong dollar 12 Swedish krona 9.78 Swiss franc 1.42 Singapore dollar 1.91 Why use tntforex?

n Great rates n No hidden bank fees n Faster transactions n Easy-to-use online systems n Safe, secure and fully compliant

n Unrivalled customer service * Transfer rates are as of February 19 2013. Please note that these are mid market rates in relation to GBP

Photos: Thinkstock

AnZAC DAY A five-day tour is £228pp (save 15 per cent) with Travel Talk (0208 0998852; traveltalktours.com). Includes fourand three-star accommodation, some meals, Dawn Service and national ceremonies. Excludes flights. Book by February 28. Departs Istanbul April 22. moscow A two-night stay costs £202pp with easyJet Holidays (0843 1041000; easyjet.com). Includes return flights and three-star, B&B accommodation at the Maxima Panorama. Departs London Gatwick on March 24. prague A two-night stay costs £94pp with easyJet Holidays (0843 1041000; easyjet.com/holidays).

Includes direct return flights and fourstar, B&B accommodation at the Aida Hotel. Departs London Stansted on March 13.

Paris A two-night stay costs £198pp with lowcostholidays.com (0800 1116271). Includes direct return flights and four-star, B&B accommodation at the Hotel Royal Elyseés. Departs from London Luton on March 19.

Costa Brava A seven-night break costs £194pp with easyJet Holidays (easyjet.com/holidays; 0843 1041000). Includes flights and four-star, all-inclusive accommodation at the HTOP Royal Sun Hotel. Departs London Southend on March 6.

£250 – £500

hot europe deals

TNT Contiki Feb 25-1.indd 1

20/02/2013 10:04

LONDON’S BIGGEST FREE TRAVEL SHOW Saturday March 9 & Sunday March 10

GO VIP + jump the queues

Only £15 each Get £100+ worth of goodies and vouchers Limited offer - only 200 per day

REGISTER

Win a £100 and two £50 MasterCard Multi-Currency cards with mytravelcash.com

WIN £200 For full details

tnttravelshow.com/vip

like us on

HOTSHOTS

facebook.com/tntmag

CHARLOTTE MAGUIRE Talks travel photography

WINNER

3-DAY TOUR OF SCOTLAND + PHOTOGRAPHY COURSE

WIN

Upload your images to tntmagazine.com/hotshots First prize is a three-day tour of Scotland for two worth £218 from Haggis Adventures (haggisadventures.com). Must be taken within three months of receiving prize letter. The runner-up wins a £60 photography course voucher from Nigel Wilson Photography (photographycourses.org.uk).

RUNNER-UP

WINNER

RUNNER-UP

WADI MUSA SUNSET, JORDAN Svatopluk Dolezal, Czech Republic

PEACEFUL MOMENT, JAIPUR, INDIA Michelle Gee, Canada WHY IT WORKS This image of a lone Indian woman at the Monkey Temple in Jaipur appears to capture a very personal moment as she stares into empty space, oblivious to the photographer. Although taken on a simple point and shoot camera, Michelle has captured a fantastic point in time, and what luck that the subject is so fabulously colour co-ordinated with her surroundings.

Soft, muted reds and yellows of the temple wall juxtapose brilliantly against the red and fuchsia pink of her clothing.

WHY IT WORKS The bright orange glow almost feels surreal as the viewer is drawn to the central horizon point of the sun. The barren, rocky panorama is complemented by the buildings of the town in the foreground, which take on similar tones to the amazing rocky landscape of the Petra mountains. Svatopluk’s captured a perfect balance in the composition with the crossroads aligned just below the setting sun. The dusty landscape’s colours mesh beautifully with the fiery sky behind it.

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

A TRIP FOR TWO TO BATH & STONEHENGE

WIN

Been somewhere good lately?

Send us a horizontal photo of yourself with a copy of TNT from anywhere around the world and, if we print it, you’ll win a trip for two to Bath and Stonehenge with Anderson Tours, valued at £104! » Email your pictures to ontheroad@ tntmagazine.com along with your name, where you’re from and where the photo was taken, or see tntmagazine.com/world.

Files must be at least 500Kb.

HOGMANAY LOONY DOOK, SCOTLAND Greg Richards-Riches, from Australia

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

61

TOP FIVE

1

skyscrapers

@tntmagazine

Burj Khalifa, uae

When did city landmarks start to get so, well, phallic? In many cities, it’s the bigger the better as far as iconic structures go, and so skyscrapers now dominate the skyline for pretty much all of the world’s leading cities.

Whatever symbolism you attach to them, there’s no disputing that Dubai’s Burj Khalifa is the tallest of them all, clocking in at a neck-craning 829.8m tall. It breaks all sorts of impressive records: the largest man-made skyscraper, largest structure and tallest freestanding building in the world.

Certainly it’s tough to hold these titles for very long – new feats of engineering mean there’s always a building being developed that aims to be taller than the last. Until 2010, the record was held by Taiwan’s Taipei 101, and before that, Malaysia’s Petronas Towers were the tallest in the world.

But it might turn out that the Burj Khalifa hangs on longer than most, as there are persistent rumours that inside its tip is a retractable spike, ready to be extended when need be. Only time will tell if this is true, but we wouldn’t be 62 00

follow us on

tntMagazine.com

the smallest bit surprised.

The Burj Khalifa set the UAE back an eye-watering £96 million, and architects modelled the building after the hymenocallis flower with three ‘petals’ arranged around a central core. An incredible 26,000 glass panels, each individually hand-cut, cover the exterior, and these reflect the bright UAE sunshine, catching the eye from miles around.

At present, the Burj Khalifa, which opened in January 2010, holds offices, apartments, restaurants and the superswanky Armani Hotel. There is also, of course, an observation deck, called At The Top. This is on the 124th level and gives 360-degree views of Dubai (tickets are £22 when booked in advance).

Since it’s quite a dusty city, there’s not always great visibility from the top, but augmented reality telescopes show the surrounding landscape both in real-time and with images saved earlier that show the view at different times of the day and in a variety of weather conditions. burjkhalifa.ae

like us on

xxxxxx skyscrapers

facebook.com/tntmag

TOP topFIVE five checking in

2

Taipei 101, Taiwan

The ex-tallest building in the world, Taipei 101 has – you guessed it – 101 floors, and stands at 508m tall.

The design is rich with symbolism, with its number of floors representing the renewal of time as the new century arrived when the tower was being built (although it was only completed in 2004). The main tower has eight segments of eight floors each, because in Chinese culture the number is associated with good fortune. taipei-101.com.tw

Photos: Thinkstock

4

commerzbank, Germany

This structure in Frankfurt was called the world’s first ecological skyscraper.

Standing at 300m tall, the building has a large triangular atrium that lets the sunshine in from three sides, meaning the building relies more on natural than artificial lighting – there’s also enviro-friendly ventilation.

There are nine ‘sky-gardens’ spaced throughout the tower, too, each with a different botanical theme, including Mediterranean, North American Pacific and Asian plants. commerzbank.com

3

empire state building, us

Peaceful retreat

It took only one year and 45 days to build, and even King Kong couldn’t tear down this New York icon.

The 443.2m tall building was erected in record time and completed in 1931.

Rather horribly, it has been the site of numerous suicides. An image of one lady, who jumped in 1947, was later used by Andy Warhol in his print entitled Suicide (Fallen Body). The structure is often floodlit in different colours to represent various events. esbnyc.com

5

CN Tower, Canada

The pointy needle-shaped, 553.3m tall CN Tower in Toronto attracts more than two million visitors each year.

It holds a revolving restaurant called 360, which takes a little over an hour to take a complete turn while you check out this beautiful city from on high. For a more daring visit, take the open-air EdgeWalk, where only a tether attached to an overhead rail stops visitors from plummeting down. WWF hosts an annual fundraising event in which people can climb its 1776 stairs for charity. cntower.ca

la rÉsidence phou vao Overview If you’re travelling around Laos and find yourself craving a little peace and quiet, Luang Prabang’s La Résidence Phou Vao is the place to go. It’s a boutique hotel about five minutes’ drive from the town centre and was one of the first luxury accommodation options built here. The hotel sits on top of Phou Vao hill, which translates to the ‘hill of kites’, and you can see the temple on Mount Phousi in the distance. It’s pricey, especially for the area, but you definitely get your money’s worth. wow factor The infinity pool is reason enough to come here.

The water looks as though it’s just about to spill down the hill, and by night it’s covered in floating candles – a real sight when you’re sitting around it on a balmy evening, putting away a beer or two. rooms Huge, airy rooms are decorated with polished wooden furniture and lots of traditional Laotian touches.

All suites have huge windows which look out onto the mountain, the pool or the lush gardens.

Bill please Doubles from £312pp, suites from £374pn.

residencephouvao.com

tntMagazine.com

63

TRAVELTIPS

follow us on

@tntmagazine

THE INSIDER

Need the sea? Enjoy the diverse coast of Istria, northern Croatia

UTE HOHN-BOWEN Executive Committee International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators

YOU ASKED FOR IT...

LAURA LINDSAY FROM LONELY PLANET

Q My mates and I are planning on doing Tomorrowland and Sziget Festival, and we have a week in between the two. We were thinking of visiting Cinque Terre, but heard it can be busy with tourists. Could you recommend anywhere else?

Wayne Darra, via email A This would be an ambitious plan, Wayne.

READERS’ TIPS ON FESTIVALS PARTY ON PAG Hideout Festival on the island of Pag, Croatia, is a fresh take on the dance music scene with the ultimate line-up, set in magnificent beauty.

RedRaw, via Facebook DOWN AND DIRTY I went to Download in Leicestershire on my own in 2010. The people were so awesome and the vibe was incredible.

Sarah Beedell, via Facebook 64

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

A LONELY PLANET GUIDE

WIN

Lonely Planet’s Laura Lindsay will give you the benefit of her infinite wisdom if you email a question to traveltips@tntmagazine.com.

If your question is answered, you’ll win a Lonely Planet guide of your choice.

This is a reader forum — TNT and Lonely Planet accepts no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone using the information

WIN

AIRPORT LOUNGE VOUCHERS WORTH £60

If your tip is printed, you’ll win vouchers (worth up to £60) for entry for two into one of No.1 Traveller’s airport lounges at Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted.

With complimentary food and drinks, free wi-fi and newspapers and magazines, your trip will get off to a flying start.

See No1Traveller.com Tweet your tip to @tntmagazine.com Email traveltips@tntmagazine.com Text TNT and your message to 81707* *Messages cost 25p each + standard network rate.

18+ billpayers only. Send STOP to end. Number may show on bill. A2B 08700460138

Photos: Thinkstock

Tomorrowland in Boom, Belgium, is over 800 miles from Sziget’s home in Budapest, Hungary.

Trying to also visit the popular coastal spot of Cinque Terre in northern Italy doubles the journey’s distance. Given that festivals are pretty exhausting, trying to manage this travelling, partying and sightseeing could leave you tapped out and you may end up not enjoying any of it.

The most direct route from Belgium to

Hungary goes straight through central Europe, passing no coastline. However, Hungary’s Lake Balaton is Europe’s largest freshwater lake (it is known as the Hungarian Sea it’s so big) and might work as an alternative.

Siófok on the southern edge of the lake is a popular party spot. Nagystrand is the main beach and there are often free concerts in the summer.

There is also a spa here (galerius-furdo.hu).

For a more relaxing time, the north shore is dotted with vineyards and pretty historical towns, such as Badacsony. You can get a train direct from the lake to Budapest – easy!

If you yearn for proper ocean spray and a lake won’t cut it, Croatia’s northern region of Istria is a good alternative. Easy to reach by train from Budapest (via Zagreb), Pula is the jumping off point for this varied stretch of coastline.

What makes Antarctica so special?

It is the last pristine place on Earth. It is the highest, driest continent in the world and it has a tremendous beauty.

What are the factors to consider when booking a trip?

The most important thing is the cruise ship. Those with less than 200 passengers can go to any landing site.

However, only 100 passengers are allowed ashore at one time, so, for me, smaller boats are still the best.

Is it a good idea to hold out for lastminute deals?

It’s a gamble. My advice would be to book early, because from what I’ve heard, the bookings are already strong for 2014.

Scanbalt Experience The expert on budget travel in Scandinavia, The Baltics and Russia

*remaining deposit should be paid in 30 days

Visit Stand 53 at the TNT Travel Show

Get a free vodka, win a visa free Russia tour and get great discounts!!!

Pay only ¤10 Euro deposit

and book already cheap trips to even lower prices!!!*

ROUND TRIPS 2013 State TNT as campaign code and get great discounts

Scandinavian Explorer 10 Days was ¤670 TNT 15% off

Copenhagen-Oslo-Bergen & Fjords-Stockholm-Helsinki This trip is the perfect combination of awesome Scandinavian cities with great nightlife and loads of history and stunning Scandinavian nature with great scenery and activities.

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!

Russian Explorer 9 days was ¤620 TNT 15% off Helsinki-St Petersburg-Novgorod-Moscow-Tallinn Bus and boat travel between sic fantastic cities!

Balalaika and Vodka 7 days was ¤350 TNT 10% off

Helsinki-St Petersburg-Tallinn Visa Free Russia visit and only travel with overnight ferries between four top cities!

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 and only travel with overnight ferries between four top cities!

Magic Lapland Easter 7 days was ¤425 TNT 15% off

Stockholm-Kiruna-Abisko-Narvik-Jokkmokk-Stockholm Have a Lapland Easter experience with reindeers, sauna, dogsledding, a drink in the ice hotel and much more!

Baltic Day Trips - Our Baltic Day trips are perfect to combination with our Baltic Backpacker bus or if you just having a short break in Riga or Tallinn.

Visit our website for more information about the day trips.

www.scanbaltexperience.com - info@scanbaltexperience.com TNT_1539_065 65

22/02/2013 15:39:57

[Caption] Dance in dunes: the Transahara festival

Festivals Europe

Clockwise: Bilbao BBK Live (and far left); La Tomatina; St Paddyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day; Berlin Fest [Caption] 66

tntMagazine.com

like us on

shortBREAK

facebook.com/tntmag

Best of the music fests Snow-covered slopes, remote desert dunes, a 17th-century fortress or epic clubs – you can party hard anywhere this festival season Words helen elfer

Long gone are the days when a music festival meant an endurance test of mud, rain, soggy tents and more mud.

This year, Europe’s best live extravaganzas can be found across a spread of incredible locations, so take your pick from these top events and mix your music with a little aprés-ski action, beach time or art galleries.

Bilbao BBK Live, Spain More dash than cash? Bilbao BBK has your name all over it.

The Spanish music fest is an absolute bargain, with three-day tickets just £85, including camping. The action all happens at night, so during the day you’re free to hit the beach, explore Bilbao’s dynamic arts scene or just start the boozing early. Now in its eighth year, the fest pulls in crowds of up to 40,000 and in addition to the four main stages, there are also two dance tents, a pop tent and a chill out area.

LINE-UP: Green Day, Kings of Leon and Depeche Mode are headlining. Fatboy Slim and Editors will also be performing.

WHEN: July 11-13.

BOOK: bilbaobbklive.com

This is definitely a fest with community spirit, too – last year a collective of artists arranged breakfast for 200 people in the middle of Rotterdam’s largest shopping street.

LINE-UP: AlunaGeorge, Daughter, Sinkane, TEEN and Jah Wobble & The Modern Jazz Ensemble.

WHEN: April 5-6.

BOOK: motelmozaique.nl

Berlin Festival, Germany Berliners know how to throw a good party, but this one is on a big scale by anyone’s standards. The two-dayer takes place on the decommissioned Tempelhof Airport’s airfield as well as the two hangars on-site until midnight, and then switches to Club Xberg, which is held at downtown’s Arena Berlin. During the day, the fest’s Art Village host workshops and exhibitions.

LINE-UP: Blur, Pet Shop Boys and Turbostaat are playing the main stage. DJ acts Justice and SebastiAn will be playing until the small hours at Club Xberg.

WHEN: September 6-7. ›› BOOK: berlinfestival.de

Snowbombing, Austria Be honest – do you prefer the après-ski action to any actual sport? Then this is the fest for you. Sure, you can spend your days skiing and snowboarding on the Austrian slopes of Mayrhofen if you like, but you’ll want to save most of your energy for the evenings, when there will be parties, concerts and DJs in various scenic Alpine settings – think an igloo, a forest clearing and plenty of mountainside cabins. Even better, TNT has teamed up with Snowbombing so that you can stay at our TNT Village, where a package that includes dorm beds and a wristband to the event costs just £314pp.

More at tntmagazine.com/snowbombing.

LINE-UP: Kasabian, Carl Cox, Example and Katy B. WHEN: April 1-6.

BOOK: snowbombing.com

Motel Mozaique, Netherlands Genuinely alternative artsy fests don’t come along very often, so snap up tickets to this Rotterdam event ASAP. Everything from gigs to theatre to art shows are on offer here, all of which take place in various venues across the city.

Paint the town: Berlin Festival’s Art Village

tntMagazine.com

67

Festivals 1973

2013

CEL

EBR

A

RS

2013

TOPDECK

AT I N G 4 0 Y E

Oktoberfest

From

4, 5, 6 & 7 Day Trips, Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany

£109 per person

19 Sept - 7 Oct 2013 With a reputation as one of the best social and cultural events in the world, a seemingly endless supply of beer-filled steins and the chance to meet like-minded travellers, this annual party in the Bavarian capital is the biggest knees-up on the planet.

La Tomatina 4 Day Trips, La Tomatina Valencia, Spain

From

£159 per person

26 - 29 Aug 2013 The town of Buñol in Spain is a quiet and quaint village, except for one day in August when it transforms to the world’s biggest food fight! Today it attracts 40,000 worldwide visitors who come to experience a one hour, 40 tonne tomato fight!

Spanish Sun and Fiestas N EW

Pamplona 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 Day Trips, Pamplona, Spain

12 Day Trip Spanish Sun & Fiestas Spain

£649 per person

27 June - 8 July 2013 Experience the San Fermin opening ceremony, run with the bulls, take part in our NEW Wine Battle and hit the beaches of San Sebastian.

From

£179 per person

4 - 15 July 2013

The San Fermin Festival is about much more than the runs themselves – with fireworks each evening and huge celebrations for the opening and closing ceremonies, it’s the ultimate Spanish Fiesta!

L8291 / Y2992

CALL 0845 257 5210

Open 8am-9pm

Queens Day 4 Day Trip, Queens Day Amsterdam, Netherlands

TRAVEL

Europe + North America + Egypt Middle East + Morocco + Africa + Australia New Zealand + Festivals £199 per person

28 April - 1 May 2013

Queen’s Day in Amsterdam is one of the fastest growing festivals in Europe. It seems that fun-seeking travellers have finally got wise to what the Dutch have known for years – that Queen’s Day is the biggest party of the year!

From

£279 per person

Edinburgh Tattoo 4 Day Trip, Edinburgh Fringe & Tattoo, Scotland 23-26 Aug 2013

There’s no better time to visit the wonderful Scottish city of Edinburgh than when it’s hosting both the Fringe Festival and the Royal Military Tattoo. Hit the streets to see theatre, comedy and dance performers.

Ascot 1 Day Trips Ascot, England

£75

per person

21 & 22 June 2013 There is no better reason to get dressed up and drink bubbly than to watch some of the world’s best horses race each other at Royal Ascot!

4 Day Amsterdam Easter Netherlands 29 March - 1 April 2013 Cycle the streets and canals of Amsterdam by day, and sample some of Europe’s best nightlife by night. World class museums, great shopping and entertainment galore.

4 Day Brugge Easter Belgium 29 March - 1 April 2013 Soak up the architecture and ambience, and be sure to sample delicious Belgian beers, chocolates and waffles!

Easter Trips from

£249 per person

4 Day Paris & Champagne France

from

£279

29 March - 1 April 2013 Explore unforgettable attractions and head for an included tour and tasting at a champagne house.

from

£299 per person

per person

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

69

Transahara, Morocco OK, it’s not in Europe, but we couldn’t resist sticking this one on the list anyway. How often do you get to party in the Sahara Desert? This five-day bash is a mish-mash of music, artists and cultural events, and there’s a real hippy traveller’s vibe to it – expect to see lots of whacked-out, be-dreadlocked soul-searchers enjoying the festivities. Only 1000 tickets are sold, as organisers are keen to reduce the negative impact on the surroundings, so book early.

LINE-UP: Psychedelic musos including U-Recken, AJJA and Perfect Stranger at the Nomad’s Tribe stage, Mathias Meyer and Anime K on the Morokoloko stage and Alien Rainforest and Smoke Sign on the Lunar stage.

WHEN: April 3-7.

BOOK: nomadstribe.com

classic culture Traditional festivals

Horizon, Bulgaria Picture heavy bass thumping out over the snowy slopes of Bulgaria to a crowd of mostly British, up-for-it electronica fans. That’s pretty much the scene at Horizon, which is held over six days in the ski resort of Bankso. This is another good one for those watching their budget – it’s one of Europe’s more affordable resorts for skiiers and beginners get discounts on lessons. As for the price of mountain-raving fuel – even that won’t set you back too much with a pint of beer anywhere costing just £2.

LINE-UP: Crazy P, Jackmaster, Mark E, Ben Pearce, Phaleah, Eliphino, Wookie, Dark Ski and Maribou State.

WHEN: March 23-29.

BOOK: togetherski.com

EXIT, Serbia This festival is drum and bass like you’ve never experienced it – while dancing in an old fortress on a hill, overlooking the Danube river. Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad plays host to hip-hop and dubstep as well as drum and bass DJs. During the day you can recharge your dancing batteries on the nearby sandy beaches.

LINE-UP: DJ Fresh Live, Friction & MC Linguistics, SKiSM, The Prototypes, Inspector Dubplate.

WHEN: July 10-14.

BOOK: exitfest.org ❚

Chug it: live large at Oktoberfest Had enough of that blasting bass to last you a lifetime?

Don’t discount Europe’s more traditional festivals, where you can soak up a little culture while you party…

Oktoberfest Glug it from pint glasses, bottles, tankards or steins bigger than your head – it doesn’t matter as long as you get the maximum quantity of the amber nectar down you during one of the world’s most popular drinking festivals.

WHEN: Munich’s Oktoberfest runs September 21-October 6. oktoberfest.de/en La tomatina The one time and place where it’s OK to waste 125,000kg of food: La Tomatina is one giant tomato fight, held every year in the Spanish city of Bunõl. Every inch of the streets and participants ends up covered in squishy tomato goo – it might not smell great but it’s definitely an experience.

WHEN: The last Wednesday of August (this year the 28th). spain.info/en St Patrick’s Day It’s up to you how much culture you take in on St Patrick’s Day. Wrap an Irish flag around your shoulders and then drink as much Guinness as you can, or get over to Dublin for the event and enjoy traditional Irish music and the People’s Parade, among other cultural festivities.

WHEN: St Patrick’s Day is March 17, but festivities in Dublin run March 14-18. stpatricksfestival.ie

70

tntMagazine.com

Photos: Getty; Stephen Flad

Jungle beats: go wild at the Horizon festival

Running of the bulls This long-standing event in Pamplona involves a hairraising chase where brave locals – and tourists – in traditional outfits run from the city centre to the bullrings, chased by a herd of bulls. It’s adrenaline-pumping stuff, even if you’re just a spectator.

WHEN: Daily between July 6-14. bullrunpamplona.com

Montreal CANADA

GETTING THERE Fly from London to Montreal from ÂŁ949 return with Air Canada. aircanada.com CANADA

USA

Cosy: believe it or not, the Snow Village is warmer than it looks

72

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

OTTAWA

Montreal

like us on

BIGTRIP

facebook.com/tntmag

Winter wonderland What do you do for entertainment when it’s -25ºC and the snow is at least a foot deep? TNT finds plenty of answers in Montreal Words helen elfer

WHEN TO GO: High season is June-September, when it’s warm Montreal is freezing. Through my hotel to the end of March, and is made up of a but humid. There are so many window, I can see the late January snow is series of huge igloos, which you can sleep, activities during winter that these at least a foot deep already and the sky’s a eat out, drink or dance in. blur of flakes falling on the road outside. The months are growing popular for After checking out a couple, we make tourism too. picturesque Old Town is covered in pristine, our way through a series of tunnels formed CURRENCY: £1 =1.55 CAD pure white powder. For the moment, the from densely packed snow before arriving (Canadian Dollars) scene is almost completely free of footprints in a huge dome – the Ice Restaurant. Pink, ACCOMMODATION: Le or car tracks – after all, who’d be mad green and blue lights illuminate the white Saint Suplice is the place to go for enough to actually go out in this weather? walls, and it all looks a bit like Superman’s a cosy, upmarket stay in Montreal’s icy Fortress of Solitude (except, thankfully, Plenty of people, apparently, because Old Town. The rooms are smart if there’s one thing I learn fast, it’s that with chaud cocktails, soups and hot sandwich Canadians don’t stop anything because of the and homely, with faux log fires wraps on offer). Tables and chairs are snow. They know how to ‘do’ winter properly crackling away in many of them made entirely out of ice cubes, lined with – perfect for when it’s freezing – as they well should, since the temperatures furry blankets. I take a seat with a little outside. Doubles start from £134pn. trepidation, but weirdly, it’s not actually here dip under -30ºC throughout the winter.

They dress properly for a start, in the kind of that cold. The room holds a surprising lesaintsulpice.com lightweight, hi-tech outerwear that looks as amount of warmth inside, and so out of SEE: tourisme-montreal.org though it would keep you warm on a chilly the wind and with the body heat of other day in outer space. So unlike Londoners, who wear Ugg diners, the temperature stays between -2ºC and -5ºC (that boots in the rain and count a hoodie under a biker jacket counts as positively balmy here). Next door in the Ice Bar, as a winter coat, you never see Montrealers shivering, even a small crowd is starting to get through a fair amount of when the wind is howling and they’re brushing snow from Jägermeister, which is served over an ice counter from their eyelashes. bottles displayed on carved ice shelves. In other words, with I pull on my thermal socks and decide I’m going to learn a hot meal and a bit of a booze jacket on, not only is this not how to have a good time, outdoors, in these inhuman excruciating, but this place is actually a total blast. conditions over the next few days – even if it kills me.

Take up winter sports Hang out in igloos The next day I meet Montrealer Ruby Roy, who’s sporting The first stage doesn’t go too well. I stagger into the hotel lobby in Montreal to meet my tour guide, wearing a couple of long-sleeved T-shirts, two jumpers, a cardigan, coat, scarf and heavy leather boots. I can hardly walk, but otherwise am feeling completely invincible. When I meet Hugo, I have difficulty raising one of my chubby arms to shake hands.

He looks concerned. “Didn’t you bring any proper winter clothes?” he asks. I laugh, but quickly realise he wasn’t joking as we step outside and the wind whistles right through my layers. Then wet snow soon starts seeping through my woolly hat. This is going to be an absolute nightmare, I think, as we bundle into a taxi – we’re off to have lunch in an igloo.

The Snow Village is open each year from January through

a huge, luxurious red velvet coat and, in true local style, managing to look both fabulously glamorous and nonchalant about the cold. “Montrealers like hockey, eating, cycling and arts, strictly in that order. If you don’t like hockey, we say, don’t come here,” she announces firmly. Hockey here of course means ice hockey, and gradually I start to understand the full extent of the national obsession with the game. They talk about ice hockey all the time, even when they’re not talking about ice hockey. “We say you’re ‘hanging up your skates’ when you retire and if someone tells you you’re ‘quick on your skates’ it means you’re witty,” Ruby says.

You’d have to pull a lot of strings (and shell out big bucks) to get tickets to see a big ice hockey game in Montreal, but ›› tntMagazine.com

73

Clockwise: Montreal’s Old Town; raving at Igloofest; a city jazz bar; and tobogganing on Bois de Liesse Photos: Mathieu Bichat; Andre Rider; Miguel Legault; Annick Vaillancourt; Quays of the Old Port of Montreal

there are plenty of other winter sports going on all the time throughout the city. One of the best and most scenic is the ice skating rink at the Old Port, where you can see the historic buildings of Old Montreal and the wide St Lawrence river.

This is an area which really shows its colonial past – the rink faces Bonsecours Market, which was designed by a British architect in 1844 and has a stately grandeur that reminds me of central London, while just behind, the cobbled streets and small, cosy cafes, jazz clubs and wine bars of the Old Town are oh-so Parisian. The ice rink stays open until 10pm at weekends, and each night is themed, so skaters swish round to the likes of Wham! if it’s Friday’s Eighties night, or possibly some thundering Beethoven if it’s a Classical Monday.

As for the infinitely less skilled (but equally fun) winter sport of tobogganing, that takes place on Bois de Liesse Nature Park where there are two hills dedicated just for whizzing down.

powdery snow and flinging it in all directions over the square. I decide to stay right where I am and to admire the views from near the car heater. The only unremarkable structure, Ruby says, is the plain black building called 500 Place d’Armes. However, she adds, with a glint in her eye: “That one is where the firemen come to practice sometimes – and then the whole square fills with women and, I can tell you, that’s definitely the only building anyone’s lookin’ at then...”

Avoid skyscrapers The main reason why there aren’t any skyscrapers in Montreal is that they create wind tunnels, which would make the gusts here just too ferocious. The evidence of this is plain in Place d’Armes, a square which I’m looking at from the comfort of Ruby’s car. She tells me this spot is famous partly because you can see examples of every one of Montreal’s architectural traditions standing shoulder to shoulder, including the Gothic spires of the Notre-Dame Basilica cathedral and the red sandstone of the renaissance New York Life building. But also, because of all these imposing buildings, it’s the coldest spot in Montreal.

I believe it: the wind is picking up sheets of the light, 74

tntMagazine.com

Idyllic: the ice rink by Bonsecours Market

Party at festivals Living up to its reputation as Canada’s ‘city of culture’, Montreal puts on festivals all year round. Huge winter event Montreal en Luminère is a cultural highlight, with theatre, gastronomy, dance and arts all on the programme. Tonight, however, I find myself at a far more low-brow event – it’s basically an enormous rave in bobble hats.

Igloofest is held over four weekends each winter and essentially involves 10,000 twenty-somethings, all dressed up in the most retro ski suits they can find, coming out to dance in the snow. The event’s production director Patrice Moïse explains: “Everyone wears the ugliest outdoor wear they can get their hands on – it’s become a bit of a challenge. “ There are two stages and plenty of bars to top up on Tia Maria, beer and Jägermeister, which seem to be the wintry tipples of choice here. When the headline DJ comes on,

“

It’s an enormous rave in bobble hats

”

the crowd starts going absolutely nuts, a sea of neon hats dancing, moshing and jostling. People are crowd-surfing, sitting on each other’s shoulders and some, despite the cold, are even tearing their tops off, warmed by the heat of the crowd and probably a few Jägerbombs too.

Moïse sums up the atmosphere perfectly: “The thing is, everyone gets pissed off with the cold in winter, but this gives you a chance to remember when you were a kid and you just loved going outside when it was snowing. Igloofest lets you do that again.”

So that’s how they manage to have fun in Montreal, when it’s -20ºC and seems like a constant blizzard for three months.

Take a tip from your five-year-old self, wrap up warm and, albeit in a grown up way, just get out there and play in it. ❚ NEXT WEEK Helen travelled with Tourism Montreal tourisme-montreal.org More on the Snow snowvillagecanada.com Village at

TNT’s Travel Show: Snap up the best deals

Sail Croatia & Greece on your own yacht!

7 days, 7 different locations.

Your own Skipper included BYO alcohol at no charge Daily breakfast and lunch Solo and group bookings Swim, snorkel and paddle board from your own yacht!

Learn to sail or work on your tan.

It’s up to you.

From £375 per person

FREE PREMIER YACHT UPGRADES AVAILABLE NOW www.medsailors.com

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

75

ADVENTURES IN COLOURFUL DESTINATIONS...

Africa

Morocco

W d gs awa e w d gs e!

mad M ra Đž tap!

ÂŁ219

toubkal trek

4 days

ÂŁ295

gorillas trekking

ÂŁ219

UBHIB[PVUF TVSĂśOH

EBZT

ÂŁ345

garden route

12 days

ÂŁ549

NBSSBLFDI CFZPOH

EBZT

ÂŁ495

falls to cape

22 days

ÂŁ699

TBIBSBO TBOET

EBZT

ÂŁ645

wildlife express

22 days

ÂŁ749

LBTCBIT DPBTU

EBZT

ÂŁ695

sensational south africa 22 days

ÂŁ799

DBNFMT TPVLT LBTCBIT EBZT

ÂŁ995

kenya to cape

Â&#x2021; 0DUUDNHFK PHGLQD Â&#x2021; VRXNV Â&#x2021; 7DQJLHU Â&#x2021; 6DKDUD FDPHO WUHN Â&#x2021; $WODV PRXQWDLQV Â&#x2021; 7RGUD *RUJHÂ&#x2021; $JDGLU FRDVWDO UHVRUW t 0VLBJNEFO TLJJOH t 4VSG Â&#x2021; 'HVHUW FDPS LQ 6DKDUD

Latin America

s u am ica - s got to ma u pic u!

6 days

43 days

t .BTBJ .BSB t -BLF /BLVSV t ,BNQBMB t

(PSJMMB USFLT t /JMF SBGUJOH t ;BO[JCBS t -BLF EARLY .BMBXJ 7JD 'BMMT t $IPCF t 0LBWBOHP %FMUB t /BNJCJB EVOFT t &UPTIB /BUJPOBM 1BSL BIRD SAVINGS & GROUP DISCOUNTS!

Jordan & beyond

V Pe a - 1 w 7 wĐž world!

ÂŁ580

wild costa rica

9 days

ÂŁ579

passage to petra

6 days

ÂŁ740

machu warrior

7 days

ÂŁ699

totally jordan

8 days

ÂŁ990

way to san jose

15 days

ÂŁ999

road to jordan

17 days

ÂŁ1170

QFSVWJBO QPODIP

EBZT

ÂŁ1349

road to jerusalem

11 days

-JNB t $V[DP t .BDIV 1JDDIV USFL 4VO (BUF t "NB[PO 3BJOGPSFTU t $PMDB $BOZPO t -BLF 5JUJDBDB t 4BO +PTF t "OUJHVB t -BLF "UJMBO t $PQBO 3VJOT

"NNBO t %FBE 4FB TXJNNJOH t 1FUSB t 8BEJ 3VN EFTFSU DBNQ t 1ZSBNJET t /JMF 'FMVDDDB 7BMMFZ PG UIF ,JOHT t $BJSP t 8BJMJOH 8BMM #FUIMFIBN t +FSVTBMFN

onthegotours.com/tnt 020 7371 1113 OTG GENERIC.indd 1 TNT_1539_076 76

21/02/2013 16:00:11

3

6

Head online for more details

Russia

ANZAC

A m t for l s d Kiw !

R aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s c ng - go nd red curta !

ÂŁ329

anzac digger

5 days

ÂŁ249

simply st peteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

4 days

ÂŁ599

anzac uncovered

6 days

ÂŁ299

mood for moscow

4 days

ÂŁ479

anzac smoko

8 days

ÂŁ449

vodka shot

9 days

ÂŁ649

anzac bonzer

11 days

ÂŁ499

helsinki to st peteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

9 days

ÂŁ899

anzac cobber

14 days

ÂŁ649

back in the ussr

9 days

ÂŁ849

QIBSBPIT BO[BD

EBZT

ÂŁ699

russian revolution

4U 1FUFSTCVSH t )FSNJUBHF t 7MBEJNJS .PTDPX t 3FE 4R t ,SFNMJO -FOJO T .BVTPMFVN t 4UBMJOT #VOLFS 1TLPW (PSLZ 1BSL t 9."4 /: UPVST

ZFBST &YQFSJFODF t ĂśOBODJBMMZ QSPUFDUFE 2VBMJUZ TUBS IPUFMT t "/;"$ &WF IPUFM PQUJPO "/;"$ &WF ##2 BU UIF $PWF t "/;"$ UPVST GPS BMM CVEHFUT t &YQFSJFODFE "/;"$ MPDBM HVJEFT

Egypt

TRAVEL

3

... UP to 30% OFF

14 days

VISA FREE TOURS AVAILABLE!

NUMBER #1 SPECIALISTS IN EGYPT!

Full world wĐž - Pyram s, N e d V y ngs!

ÂŁ299

pharaohs adventure

6 days

ÂŁ549

sand blaster

13 days

ÂŁ349

king tutankhamen

9 days

ÂŁ679

dunes and tombs

18 days

ÂŁ429

egypt uplugged

11 days

ÂŁ799

nile and siwa oasis

15 days

ÂŁ479

king ramses

14 days

ÂŁ879

ramses sunrise

11 days

-FHFOEBSZ &HZQUPMPHJTU UPVS HVJEFT t TUBS IPUFMT BOE EFTFSU DBNQT t /P MPDBM QBZNFOUT PS NBOEBUPSZ TJOHMF TVQQMFNFOUT -PUT PG NFBMT $PNQMJNFOUBSZ BJSQPSU USBOTGFST 'JOBODJBMMZ 1SPUFDUFE

3KRQH IRU EURFKXUH Â&#x2021; 2SHQ DP SP

68 North End Road, West Kensington, London W14 9EP TNT_1539_077 77

Guaranteed Weekly Departures!

5096

ABTA number W4479

14/12/2012 13:41 16:00:12 21/02/2013

GENUINE ADVENTURES DONE IN STYLE....

Southeast Asia V tnam, Cam a & La

China

Gr t W ls, For d n C s & T ra a W ors

8 days

ÂŁ579

china express

7 days

10 days

ÂŁ699

great wall & warriors

9 days

ÂŁ1279 journey to angkor wat 15 days

ÂŁ749

chinese checkers

11 days

ÂŁ1349 sampa, sampans & saigon 14 days

ÂŁ899

chinese new year

11 days

ÂŁ1179 vientiane to vietnam

17 days

ÂŁ1049 mandarin sunrise

ÂŁ2079 inside indochina

22 days

ÂŁ1099

ÂŁ799

legends of laos

ÂŁ989

very vietnam

)BMPOH #BZ t 7JFOUJBOF t )PJ "O t 7JFOUJBOF t -VBOH 1SBCBOH t "OHLPS 8BU

India & Nepal G n T g & H ayas

15 days

hutongs to hong kong 13 days

#FJKJOH t 4IBOHIBJ t 5FSSBDPUUB 8BSSJPST 1BOEBT t 4V[IPV

Croatia sailing

Fun Sun

ÂŁ549

taj express

8 days

ÂŁ329

sailing split

8 days

ÂŁ699

taj and tigers

9 days

ÂŁ389

cruise debronik

8 days

ÂŁ749

nepal encompassed

9 days

ÂŁ489

dalmatian discovery

8 days

ÂŁ879

annapurna panorama 13 days

ÂŁ639

adriatic eplorer

8 days

%FMIJ t +BJQVS t 5JHFST t 5BK .BIBM t 5IF 3BK t ,BUINBOEV t $IJUXBO

4BJM UIF CFBVUJGVM %BMNBUJBO DPBTU QMFOUZ PG UJNF UP TXJN SFMBY

onthegotours.com/tnt 020 7371 1113 OTG ANZAC MULTI.indd 1 TNT_1539_078 78

21/02/2013 16:00:15

3

6

Head online for details

Turkey

e c ng eĘŚ R aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s - go nd red curta !

TRAVEL

3

... UP TO 30%

Egypt

Pyram s, N e & V y ngs!

ÂŁ239

cruise the med

8 days

ÂŁ299

pharaohs adventure

6 days

ÂŁ299

city of sultans

4 days

ÂŁ349

king tutankhamen

9 days

ÂŁ299

galipolli & troy wkd

4 days

ÂŁ429

egypt uplugged

10 days

ÂŁ399

aegean explorer

7 days

ÂŁ479

king ramses

13 days

ÂŁ499

turkey unplugged

10 days

ÂŁ549

sand blaster

13 days

ÂŁ989

turkey discovered

14 days

ÂŁ679

dunes and tombs

18 days

Istanbul * Gallipoli * Troy * Ephesus * Pamukkale * Fethiye * Cappadocia

Legendary tour guides 4 & 5 star hotels and desert camps Complimentary airport transfers No compulsory single supplements No local payments

NUMBER 1 FOR EGYPT !

ANZAC DAY 2013

forget!

ÂŁ109

BO[BD FYQSFTT

EBZT

ÂŁ329

BO[BD EJHHFS

EBZT

ÂŁ479

BO[BD TNPLP

EBZT

ÂŁ649

BO[BD CPO[FS

EBZT

$BJSP t 1ZSBNJET t /JMF 7BMMFZ t /JMF 'FMVDDB t 7BMMFZ PG UIF ,JOHT 4JXB 0BTJT t "CV 4JNCFM BO[BD DPCCFS EBZT

ÂŁ899

XMAS & NEW YEAR TOURS STILL AVAILABLE !

0WFSOJHIU TMFFQFS USBJO t 9."4 /:& EFQBSUVSFT t %BIBC UIF 3FE 4FB -FHFOEBSZ UPVS HVJEFT t TUBS IPUFMT BOE EFTFSU DBNQT t $PNQMJNFOUBSZ BJSQPSU USBOTGFST EBZT ÂŁ849 QIBSBPIT BO[BD No compulsory single supplement No local payments

* 15 years Experience * Quality 4 star hotels "/;"$ &WF IPUFM PQUJPO "/;"$ &WF ##2 BU UIF $PWF "/;"$ UPVST GPS BMM CVEHFUT &YQFSJFODFE "/;"$ MPDBM HVJEFT 4VQQPSUJOH UIF $PNNPOXFBMUI 8BS (SBWFT $PNNJTTJPO

3KRQH IRU EURFKXUH Â&#x2021; 2SHQ DP SP

68 North End Road, West Kensington, London W14 9EP TNT_1539_079 79

5096

ABTA number W4479

14/12/2012 13:51 16:00:16 21/02/2013

plona, La Tom with FFT to Pam d lle ve tra ve ha “I al Rock! “ xt? - First Festiv ne re he W . st fe and Oktober

Egypt & Jordan

PYramIds & NILe saILINg!

Packages from

£259

Egyptian Express - 9 days

fr £259

Pyramids & Beaches -14 days

fr £359

Pyramids to Petra - 16 days

fr £879

ADVENTURE TOURS

GALLIPOLI 25th April The Dawn Service at ANZAC Cove is an amazing experience and will leave lasting memories. Also a great time to experience the diverse culture of Turkey fr £109 Tours from 2 - 14 days

TURKEY Best of Turkey - 10 days

fr £459

Coast to Cappadocia - 12 days

fr £509

Totally Turkey - 14 days

fr £599

Turkey & Egypt - 18 days

fr £699

Istanbul to the Red Sea - 23 days

fr £799

RUSSIA Vodka Shot - 6 days

fr £449

MOROCCO Marrakech & Beyond - 8 days

WESTERN FRONT

fr £549

Marrakech, Sahara & Surf - 11 days fr £749

COMING UP FOR 2013!

OKTOBERFEST Running of the Bulls

CROATIA fr £159

FFT- FEB2013 .indd TNT_1539_080 80 1

fr £369

ROYALASCOT

LA TOMATINA Tomato Fight

Sailing Split - 8 days

fr £149

Race days out

fr £79

The ANZAC’s suffered their biggest loss of lives in Belgium and France during WW1 and our visit is a poignant experience, including the Last Post at the Menin Gate and battlefield walks. fr £219 Tours 4 days

Full itineraries and tour information can be found on our website or by calling our office. First Festival Travel, 68 North End Rd, London W14 9EP Closest Tube: West Kensington

21/02/2013 16:00:19

ST PATRICK’s Day dubLIN LIN 15tH - 18tH marCH

ts

spo w e f t

las

£189

Watch Dublin turn in to a sea of Green as we join with the locals to celebrate Irish Style! And a trip to Dublin wouldnt be complete with out a trip to the Guinness Brewery! Choose our coach tour or meet us in Dublin

TRAVEL

Packages from

LAS FALLAS

VaLeNCIa 17tH - 20tH marCH

Packages from

£169

Spains biggest festival is a week of fireworks, street parties, parades and off course the gastronomic delights of Valencia. Join us for a four day experience like no other

QUEENS DAY

amsterdam 28tH aPrIL - 1st maY

Packages from

£159

Be prepared to be “oranged” as the Dutch go crazy celebrating their Queens Birthday. Street Parades and Parties, huge outdoor concerts, outdoor flea markets and much more. We have coach tours or accommodation only.

SAN FERMIN

PamPLONa 6tH - 14tH juLY

Packages from

£129

Running of the Bulls ! Join the locals for the opening day party which seems to go for days, then try you hand at being chased by bulls. You will be at Pamplona’s premier campsite for your stay with plenty of party nights and activities.

IBIZA - Pamps Crack On IbIza 8tH H - 12tH juLY

Packages from

£279

With over £150 of club entry, a booze cruise, and accommodation, this is too good to miss! Some say the island is a great place to recover from the madness of San Fermin, and some just want to kick start the summer.

n r 8 P n

TNT_1539_081 81

20/02/201321/02/2013 12:20:46 16:00:20

TNT_1539_082 82

21/02/2013 16:00:21

TRAVEL

TNT_1539_083 83

21/02/2013 16:00:21

TNT_1539_084 84

21/02/2013 16:00:22

TRAVEL

TNT_1539_085 85

21/02/2013 16:00:22

TNt

travel show

e e r f

e r o l p x e u o ,y r e v o c s i d we

&

e g n e h e ! n w o o h s t e s h t t o a d t e k o p o i b r r u t e to

E U L A V T S E B THE

p o r u e y for an

E P O R U E F O S R U TO

E R A WE

iews v e r r u see o d n a m ore.co l p x e t a exp o t o g . t for i d r o w e our k Eurdeonptes a e t t u l t o ' s n ab do spon pedition 98% of re blietnZts n a e p o r u E spond friend

of rmeend this to a 9o7u% ld recom

Europe ex pondentnsd

a frie res 10ou0ld%recoofmmend this to

friend this to a mmend o ec r ld wou

w

w

scape Euroopf eresEpthoisntodaefrnietnsd

10ou0ld%recommend

europe ult%imoaf treesdpthoisntodaefrnietnsd

10ou0ld recommen w

w

TNT_1539_086 86

21/02/2013 16:00:43

E

TRAVEL

5 1 & / 4 1 d n a t S Visit Stonehenge free r priZe draw e t n e and

! y a d i l o h a n i w & ours t n o i t E SApVto moda m o c c a B u itor share t i e t l p u m m co ing A r o Compar petit parable

re o l p x E Expat

com

£859 10 days £1115 s y a d 4 1 £1959 25 days

an Blitz Europaeys £449 10 d dition e p x E e Euro5pdays £629 1 Europe e t u l o s Ab days £999 24

No CoTm our

£1066 14 days £1585 24 days

48% 43% 49%

tours VE n o i t a SApto mod m o c c B a u r o ded t i d t e e b p n i com ng tw i r A a p r m o Co mpetit 9

re

xplo E t a p x E

scape E e p o r Eu ays £849 12 d Euro9pe e t a m i t Ul days £159 26

co

£1265 12 days £2999 28 days

£113 12 days

£2053 s y a d 2 2

33% 47%

me n the sa ture basedroe use a mix y not all lo mpanies var p e x r E a t d o ne anf tour. Expabetween c 16th Ju s o ie e r to p a e ty n Ju g on only. Itiner om 1st endino tels ange fr htly dep use h risoniers vary slig sA&B r ompam c o n it r pa et fo p d o m c o se c u ee s r r es re datween the thbedded tou epartu et in date. D s used b lore tw on thoatmmodatioitnh Expat Expur. le sa r s fo ther. Acc risons w parable to r u to pa ch com n o e comfo based o een each r ea rs. Thsa ay 2013 s betwth e me eir tou Februyrupto 4 day r all s visited is th 14th ly fo r n a ls o v e te ie d a n s and ho countr e but o f rison m Compaof departurrt bungaloewmajority o datesostels, reso ion but th at h r of tly in du sligh

m o c . e r o 232 5 l 4 p 9 3 x 7 expate 44 0 20

TNT_1539_087 87

21/02/2013 16:00:48

travel show

e r o l p x e u o ,y r e v o c s i d we

TNETt ONE

G E N O Y U B

e e r fTO EGYPT

e r u t n e v d M a O 9 DAYS FR nile r e r o l p x e M O t R F p S 10 DAY egy n o i t i d e p x e M O R t F 15 DAYS egyp

£319 £339 £345

TNT_1539_088 88

&

Man

WA

£5

n Cairo, i r u o t y , Cit ile yramidsxor, and the N P e h t f dfu, Lu tours o Guided, Kom-ombo, E Aswan

f Cairo, ea o r u o t S ids, City, Nile and Red m a r y P f the of the Kings tours oV d e d i alley u G Luxor, , n a w s A

£ M DE FRaO5* A R G P U CCA to FELUCRUISE BOAT NILE p

p for £99

, Kom

fu uxor, Ed L f o s e l emp swan, Tile and Red Sea A , o r i a ,N s, C Pyrami,dKarnak, Philae Ombo

YES!

These prices are

for 2 people!

21/02/2013 16:01:06

! y a d r u t a s every guaran

TRAVEL

T

s e r u t r a p e d d e e t

! y a d i l o h a n i w & Many

e l b a l i a v a s r u 00 more to

10 days

s g n i v a s t a e r g e mor

1 SAVE £

r e r o l p x e Y E K R £459 TU £100 ays d Y 4 1 E K R U T G £639 N I R T S E O H 9 S 3 £5 £800 s y a d r 0 1 e r o l 9 9 p 6 x £1 e s e v i 899mald

WAS

£559

SAVE

WAS

SAVE

WAS

£

90 SAVE £

r u o t g n i l i a s a i t m a o o 9 r c . c 0 e 6 r £ o 232 5 l 4 p 9 3 x 7 20 te

WAS

£699

8 days

expa

TNT_1539_089 89

44 0

21/02/2013 16:01:18

we

europe

FAVOURITE EAST EUROPE & FESTIVAL TOUR OPERATOR 2012

WiFi is available on the Hop-on Hop-off coach network

FLEXIBLE COACH NETWORK THROUGH EUROPE

BACKPACK EUROPE ON A BUDGET FLEX I B I L I TY

* F F O 20% £166

★ Start and finish anywhere on the network ★ Change your coach days as often as you like free of charge

★ Break up your journey to do one of our Adventures, Treks and Festivals

TO SAVE SUTPART fr. £335

VALU E

CHOIC E

PASSES on all 2013 departures. * Valid AR. Pay in full by 31 M Book by 3 MAR. ode ‘earlybird2013’ Enter promoc

★ Ideal for the budget traveller – spend your

★ Every second day coach service from MayOctober from Hostel Door to Hostel Door ★ Party with your bus-mates or do your own thing ★ 3 weeks to 6 months - you decide how to spend your time

cash how you want to

★ Awesome Guides on the coach, full of local tips and advice

★ Book your accommodation through MyTrip with no booking fees!

NEW FOR 2013 - ONE-WAY SAIL DEPARTING SPLIT OR ZADAR Includes the party haven of Zcre Beach - one of the most happening places in Dalmatia, attracting top DJs from around the world. Enjoy the mix of natural wonders, local food, wine and historic towns. With cheap flights in and out of Zadar this is a great option for those on a budget.

Croatia One-Way Sail Highlights & Inclusions LINK UPe an

to mak both One-Ways sailing days 14 ble ta et rg fo un ubrovnik t-D pli r-S Zada

DEPARTS SPLIT OR ZADAR NEW FOR 2013 (JUL & AUG) 8 DAYS FROM £519 DEPARTS SPLIT OR DUBROVNIK (MAY - OCT) 8 DAYS FROM £449

Croatia Island Hopper DEPARTS SPLIT (APR - OCT) 8 DAYS FROM £424 WATCH CLIPS

/BusaboutTV 08450 267 514

TNT_1539_090 90

www.busabout.com/earlybird

• Anchor up and jump off

the boat into the Adriatic

• Captain the Pirate • • • • • • •

Cruiser as it sails along the Dalmatian coast Orientation walks Boat Captain & local Crew English speaking Busabout Guide 7 nights accommodation on board (bedding included) 7 breakfasts and lunches Secluded swim stops Sunbathing on the deck

info@busabout.com

* F F 20%O £163 UP SAVE departures for er. on MAY & JUN pp TO

* Valid land Ho One-Way and Is Split/Dubrovnic AR. Pay in full by 31 MAR. M Book by 3 e ‘croatia2013’ Enter promocod

NEWS & VIEWS

/BUSABOUTeurope

FOLLOW US

@busabout 22/02/2013 13:29:21

5

FINA 2 WEE L KS OFFE RE 3 MAR NDS CH

BUSABOUT ADVENTURES 15% OFF* SAVE up to £124 E SAV UP TO 7 8 £ E SAV UP TO £44

r.

IBIZA ISLAND HOPPER 8 DAYS

NOW FROM £458 GREEK ISLAND FLEXI-HOPPER

9 DAYS TO 5 MONTHS

E SAV UP TO 2 3 £ E SAV UP TO £75

NOW FROM £217 (May, Jun & Sep departures only)

IBERIAN ADVENTURE

E SAV UP TO £77

7 DAYS

E SAV UP TO £75

SCANDI-BALTIC ADVENTURE 8 DAYS NOW FROM £407

E SAV UP TO £60

NOW FROM £395 E SAV UP TO 2 £1 4

ITALIAN ADVENTURE 3 DAYS

NOW FROM £157 SAIL TURKEY 8 DAYS

NOW FROM £254 TURKEY ADVENTURE

6 DAYS

NOW FROM £310

E SAV UP TO 5 7 £ E SAV UP TO 0 7 £

CLASSIC RHAPSODY TREK9 DAYS Prague to Split NOW FROM £463 RHAPSODY TREK 7 DAYS Prague to Budapest

NOW FROM £390 BOHEMIAN TREK 7 DAYS Split to Prague

NOW FROM £370

E SAV UP TO £84 E SAV UP TO 9 4 £ E SAV UP TO 5 7 £

4 DAYS £319 NOW £271

SAVE £48

DEPARTS LONDON 29 MARCH

Make the most of your long weekend and head over to the stunning French capital and party in style INCLUSIONS: Your fantastic Busabout Guide / Return coach & ferry from London to Paris / 3 nights accommodation / 3 breakfasts / Welcome dinner & drink / Bike tour & river cruise / Trip to Palace of Versailles with picnic lunch / Paris night tour by coach

11 DAYS

NOW FROM £679

15% OFF* SAVE up to £88 E SAV UP TO £88

EASTER IN PARIS, FRANCE

15% OFF*

EGYPTIAN ADVENTURE

EASTERN EUROPE

CLASSIC BALKAN 9 DAYS Istanbul to Split

NOW FROM £441 BALKAN TREK

5 DAYS Athens to Split

NOW FROM £259 OTTOMAN TREK

AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND

4 DAYS £299 NOW £254 DEPARTS LONDON 28 APRIL

15% OFEF£4*5

Everyone knows the Dutch love to SAV party but many still don’t realise to what extent the city of Amsterdam comes alive with the celebration of Queen’s Day.

INCLUSIONS: Your fantastic Busabout Guide / Return coach and ferry from London to Amsterdam / 3 nights accommodation / 3 breakfasts / 1 dinner / Orange party pack / Orientation walk of Red Light District Amsterdam / Countryside bike tour

7 DAYS Split to Istanbul

NOW FROM £390

* Valid on all 2013 departures. Book by 3 MAR. Pay in full by 31 MAR. Enter promocode ‘earlybird13’

#PASHTAG

*

3

TRAVEL

6

FAVOURITE EAST EUROPE & FESTIVAL TOUR OPERATOR 2012

Will you Pash or Dash?

WIN UP TO £2,000 WORTH OF EUROPEAN TRAVEL PLUS EXCLUSIVE DRINK PROMOS 7 PM, THURSDAY 28 FEB @WALKABOUTSHEBU 56 SHEPHERD’S BUSH GREEN CENTRAL LINE CHECK OUT facebook.com/BUSABOUTeurope/events #Pashtag page for more info

08450 267 514

TNT_1539_091 91

www.busabout.com/earlybird

info@busabout.com

NEWS & VIEWS

/BUSABOUTeurope

FOLLOW US

@busabout 22/02/2013 13:29:24

1973

2013

CEL

EBR

4 DAY OUT ANZAC Raid

£319

£240

Visits Ypres, Lille, The Somme, Villers-Bretonneux & Amiens.

23-26 Apr 2013

Visits Istanbul & Gallipoli.

5 DAY ANZAC Patrol

8 DAY ANZAC Sortie

£285

£450

22-26 Apr 2013

Visits Istanbul & Gallipoli.

Egypt

AT I N G 4 0 Y E

SOLD

3 DAY ANZAC Western Front 23-25 Apr 2013

A

RS

ANZAC

TOPDECK

14 DAY ANZAC Expedition 13-26 Apr 2013

£660

19-26 Apr 2013

Visits Istanbul, Ankara, Cappadocia, Konya, Antalya, Saklikent Gorge, Fethiye, Pamukkale, Kusadasi, Ephesus, Pergamon, Bergama, Troy and Gallipoli.

Visits Istanbul, Bursa, Kusadasi, Ephesus, Pergamon, Bergama, Troy and Gallipoli.

10 DAY Spirit of Egypt Dep. 24 March 2013

NOW

WAS £742

20%

£627

OFF

Includes US$270 food fund Favourite Big Tour Operator Favourite Ski/Winter Operator Favourite Tour Operator in Western Europe

19 DAY Ultimate Egypt Dep. 2 April 2013

NOW

WAS £763

£653

20% OFF

Includes US$345 food fund

L8291 / Y2992

TNT_1539_092 92

*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. The 7.5% ’Early Bird Discount’ is valid for new bookings paid in full between 29 Dec 2012 and 28 Feb 2013 only. The 7.5% ’Early Bird Discount’ applies exclusively to all EuroClub, EuroHotel, EuroCamping, Explorer & Winter trips listed in Topdeck’s 2013 Europe brochure. The’ Early Bird Discount’ can be combined up to a maximum of 17.5% with any one of our standard brochure discounts with the exception of the ‘Early Payment Option’. The discount does not apply to Food Fund, Sailing Fund, local payment or pre/post accommodation. Normal cancellation conditions apply.

Topdeck reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. The save up to amount is based on our Discover Europe trip in high season. For full terms and conditions please visit www.topdeck.travel

21/02/2013 16:01:37

%

20% OFF

Ski Trips Austria EuroClub

18 DAY Winter Getaway

8 DAY Ski Austria

Dep. 23 March 2013

Dep. 30 March 2013 FROM

TRAVEL

%

Europe in Winter

UP TO

Includes Paris, Rome, Salzburg, Prague, plus more!

£399

WAS £1250 NOW

What’s Included:

Snow bike pub crawl, traditional Austrian Xmas Dinner on Xmas week, PLUS MORE!

£1147

Includes £220 food fund

Europe Summer Sale

DON’T FORGET!

T TRAVEL SH3:3O0PWM VISIT US AT TH6PEM,TN SUN 10 MARCH 10AMSAT 9 MARCH 10AM-

N BUSINESS DESIGN CENTRE - ISLINGIZTOES! DISCOUNTS, COMPETITIONS & PR

HURRY DON’T MISS OUT!

Save up to £243*

catch us at

stand

4

FF 7.5% O Feb Ends 28th

Festivals in Europe 4 DAY Amsterdam Easter 29 March - 1 April 2013

£249

Amsterdam beckons on this amazing value Easter break. Canals, clogs, bikes, world class museums, the Red Light District… and did we mention the nightlife? Don’t let Easter go to waste – spend it with Topdeck in Europe’s party capital!

4 DAY Brugge Easter 29 March - 1 April 2013

£279

Beautiful Brugge is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe and has a wealth of eye-catching buildings.

Soak up the architecture and ambience, and be sure to sample delicious Belgian beers, chocolates and waffles!

4 DAY Las Fallas, Valencia 17-20 Mar 2013

£169

The people of Valencia celebrate their patron saint’s day and the passing of winter with a fiery party of ferocious proportions. Over 400 spectacular effigies are constructed for one reason – to be burnt to a cinder to welcome in the new Spring.

CALL 0845 257 5210

Open 8am-9pm

TNT_1539_093 93

21/02/2013 16:01:39

TRAVEL

Travelling to Europe on a Walkabout?

Cover valid throughout EU and other countries* Cover available for Campers including Vans Cover for periods ranging from 15 days to 1 year No permanent address needed, documents can be emailed Overseas driving licence acceptable *for more detailed information visit

hertsinsurance.com/walkabout 2U FDOO +,& WR GLVFXVV ﾃ？[LEOH FDU LQVXUDQFH for up to 12 months

0800 121 7421

Herts Insurance Consultants Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority No 309073

94

TNT_1539_094 94

tntMagazine.com

21/02/2013 16:01:41

SAVE UP TO £ 5

HIGHLAND FLING DAYS (MON ) £199 NOW £169 / STUDENTS NOW £161 *

DEPARTS EDINBURGH 8.30AM, 29 & 30 MAR ISLE OF SKYE, LOCH NESS & GLENCOE

Loch Ness, Isle of Skye & North West Highlands

INCLUDES: Your legendary local Guide / FREE Lonely Planet guidebook of Europe

SKYE HIGH DAYS (MON & FRI) £119 NOW £101 /STUDENTS NOW £98 *

EASTER IN WALES 3 DAYS £185

Isle of Skye, Loch Ness & Glencoe

DEPARTS LONDON 7.30AM, 30 MAR CARDIFF & BRECON BEACONS

3

* Valid on FEB, MAR & APR departures. Excludes 29, 30 MAR and 1 APR. Book by 3 MAR. Enter promocode ‘wintersale’

plus ENGLA N & WALE D S

HIGHLAND EASTER 3 DAYS £119 STUDENTS £115

10

EASTER COMPASS BUSTER DAYS DEPART 30 &31 MAR £429 NOW £365 /STUDENTS NOW £348 †

7

EASTER ISLAND EXPLORER DAYS DEPART 30 &31 MAR £299 NOW £254 /STUDENTS NOW £242 †

EDINBURGH FESTIVAL WEEKENDER DAYS (9 & 16 AUG) £199 NOW £169 †

3

5

CORNWALL CRUSADER DAYS (MAY - SEP ) £215 NOW £183 / STUDENTS NOW £174†

5

WELSH EXPLORER DAYS (MAY - SEP ) £215 NOW £183 / STUDENTS NOW £174 † † Book by 3 MAR Pay in full by 31 MAR. Enter promocode ‘EB2013’

TRAVEL

15% OFF EASTER 64 INCLUDES: Two nights twin share hotel accommodation with buffet breakfasts / FREE Entry into Big Pit / FREE Lonely Planet guidebook of Europe

FAVOURITE SCOTLAND TOUR OPERATOR 2012

PASSIONATE LOCAL SCOTTISH

GUARANTEED DEPARTURES

≥GUIDES

Certificate of Excellence

FREE

2012

Haggis Day Adventures

LONELY PLANET GUIDEBOOK

PREFERRED BY STA TRAVEL & FLIGHT CENTRE GLOBALLY

MULTI AWARD-WINNING FOLLOW US

NEWS & VIEWS /HAGGiSADVENTURES

@HAGGiStours

FAVOURITE IRELAND TOUR OPERATOR 2012

15% OFF

Our legendary St. Patrick’s packages have been designed to give you an amazing time discovering our stunning country plus the chance to party with us Irish!

SAVE UP TO £49 CELTIC ROCKER 5 DAYS (MONDAYS) £225 NOW £191 * (STUDENTS NOW £183 *)

BLARNEY CASTLE, CLIFFS OF MOHER, KILLARNEY, INIS MÓR/CONNEMARA Includes FREE entry to: Blarney Castle & Cliffs of Moher

CELTIC COMBO 9 DAYS £539

Departs Dublin 15 March

SOUTHERN ROCKER ALL IRELAND ROCKER 3 DAYS (FRIDAYS) EASTER 7 DAYS (APR - OCT) £129 NOW £110 * (STUDENTS NOW £106 *)

DEPARTURE 29 MAR

BLARNEY CASTLE, CLIFFS OF MOHER, GALWAY & DINGLE Includes FREE entry to: Blarney Castle & Cliffs of Moher

£329 NOW £280 (STUDENTS NOW £268) †

ST PATS PARTY 4 DAYS £199

Departs Dublin 16 March

ST PATS PARTY 4 DAYS £269

Departs London 15 March

GROUPS OF 4 - SAVE 5% GROUPS OF 10 - SAVE 10%

GIANT’S ROCKER 5 DAYS (MAY - SEP)

£225 NOW £191 (STUDENTS NOW £183)†

* Valid on FEB, MAR & APR departures (excludes Easter 29 MAR). Book by 3 MAR. Enter promocode ‘wintersale’. † Book by 3 MAR. Pay in full by 31 MAR. Enter promocode ‘EB2013’

FREE

LONELY PLANET GUIDE

TNT_1539_095 95

TEL: 08450 267 507 INFO@SHAMROCKERADVENTURES.COM

WWW.SHAMROCKERADVENTURES.COM

22/02/2013 13:30:22

z

TRAVEL

St Patrick’s Day £249

March 15-18 2013

WEEKEND BREAKS AND DAY TOURS ● Return coach from London

WEEKEND BREAKS

● City centre hostel accommodation

AMSTERDAM & BRUGGE from £179

● Free breakfast ● Pub crawl ● City walking tour ● Guinness storehouse tour ● St Patrick’s day parade

1st March. Return coach & ferry travel, sightseeing in Amsterdam & Brugge, 2 nights B&B hotel accommodation, visit to Cheese & Clog factory & Tour Manager.

10% off - enter discount code ‘clover’ when booking

PARIS BY EUROSTAR from £229 8th March. Return Eurostar & transfers, 2 nights B&B hotel accom, guided city sightseeing tour, plenty of free time & Tour Manager.

OVERNIGHT HILTON HOTEL OXFORD, STONEHENGE & BATH from

£99

Book now

16th March. Return luxury coach travel,one night 4 star bed, breakfast and dinner hotel accom, guided sightseeing tour of Oxford & Bath, plenty of free time & Tour Manager.

Time’s running out

www.gogombo.com info@gogombo.com

HOLLAND & BELGIUM from £179

22nd March. Return coach & ferry travel, sightseeing in Amsterdam & Brugge, 2 nights B&B hotel accommodation, visit to Cheese & Clog factory & Tour Manager.

Next Stop?

PARIS BY EUROSTAR from £309

CHEAPEST VACCINATIONS ONLINE VACCINATION SEARCH NO CONSULTATION FEE!

29th March. Return Eurostar & transfers, 2 nights B&B hotel accom, guided city sightseeing tour, plenty of free time & Tour Manager.

DAY TRIPS

Swapping the concrete jungle for the real thing?

1st Contact Travel Clinic can take care of all your travel health needs – with free advice plus vaccinations, tablets and accessories. Low prices, online vaccination search, same day appointments & free consultation.

Sat 2nd March - Cambridge from £35

£49 £49 from £55

Sun 3rd March - Isle of Wight from

Sat 9th March - York by Train from Sat 9th March - A day in Wales

PLUS Stonehenge & Bath EVERYDAY. From £49 with entrances to Stonehenge & the Roman Baths included!

LUXURY MINI COACH TOURS Want more of a personal experience?

Try one of our small group tours with no more than 15 passengers. We will pick you up from anywhere within Zone 1.

You choose the location for your convenience!

From just

£55pp -

Departing daily:

Windsor, Stonehenge & Salisbury | Oxford, Stratford & the Cotswolds

www.andersontours.co.uk or call 020 7436 9304 info@andersontours.co.uk 96

TNT_1539_096 96

www.1stcontact.com/clinic tntclinic@1stcontact.com Castlewood House, 77/91 New Oxford Street, London WC1A 1DG, Tottenham Court Road, direct: 020 7759 5437

Anderson Tours is fully bonded

by Client Trust Account

41400

Follow us @andersontours

0808 141 2324

1st Contact Travel Clinic is registered by the Care Quality Commission. Registration number: E010000632. 1st Contact Travel Clinic is a registered Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre by the National Travel Health Network and Centre. Registration number: UKYFVC2800.

tntMagazine.com

22/02/2013 11:46:57

TRAVEL

PADDY’S DAY THE PERFECT DUBLIN WEEKEND!  4 Days Hostel  3 Days Hotel  3 Days Hostel

15-18 MAR 16-18 MAR 16-18 MAR

£189 £189 £169

BOOK NOW FOR BEST PRICES!

ANZAC DAY

CATEGORY A & A+ BOATS AT UNBEATABLE PRICES!  7 NIGHTS JUN-SEP fr£379

JOIN OUR HIGHLY ACCLAIMED ANZAC TOURS

GALLIPOLI TOURS

 3 Day Tour 24-26 APR £199  4 Day Tour 23-26 APR fr£239  5 Day Tour 22-26 APR fr£279  8 Day Tours 20-27 APR or 22-29 APR  15/16 Day Tours 11-26 APR or 22 APR-6 MAY

AS FEATURED ON CHANNEL NINE!

fr£389 fr£589

WESTERN FRONT TOUR

CIAO ITALIA CHECK OUT THE BEST ITALY HAS TO OFFER!

 7 Days JUN-AUG £299 ✔ Rome ✔ Florence ✔ Cinque Terre ✔ Pisa ✔ Venice ✔ Milan

GREEK

ISLANDS

LA TOMATINA £149 fr£179 fr£379

£149 fr£799 £349 £399 £229

GREEK ISLANDS

GREEK ISLAND PARTY HOPPER  9 Days JUL-AUG £399 Tours start in Athens every Saturday ✔ Mykonos ✔ Ios ✔ Santorini ✔ Athens ✔ High speed ferries ✔ Breakfasts ✔ Fanatics Tour Rep ✔ Parties

OKTOBERFEST

PALIO SIENA ITALY’S CRAZY 350 YEAR OLD FESTIVAL  Hostel Package 14-17 AUG £149 ✔ Florence ✔ Pisa ✔ Siena ✔ Coach transfers  Palio + La Tomatina Odyssey 15-29 AUG

PAMPLONA THE INCREDIBLE RUNNING OF THE BULLS!  3 Days Pamps/San Seb Camping 4-15 JUL  Croatia Sailing + Pamps 29 JUN-8 JUL or 5-13 JUL  Barcelona + Pamplona Fiesta 2-8 JUL  Pamplona + Ibiza Combo 5-11 JUL  San Sebastian + Pamps 3-8 or 5-10 JUL  Coach Tours Depart 3 or 4 JUL fr£279  4 Day San Sebastian Hostel 5-8 JUL £269  4 Day Pamplona Hotel 5-8 JUL £339

WWI French & Belgian Battlefields + Anzac Day Services  Eurostar Tour 23-25 APR £299  Make Own Way 23-25 APR £279

THE WORLD’S BIGGEST FOOD FIGHT!  4 Days Beach Camping 26-29 AUG  4 Days Hostel/3 Days Hotel 26/27-29 AUG  Ibiza + La Tom Combos 24-29 AUG or 26 AUG-1 SEP  Barcelona & Italy Combo tours also available!

WE SAIL CROATIA’S BEST ISLANDS & ROUTE! ✔ Split ✔ Markaska ✔ Mljet ✔ Dubrovnik ✔ Korcula ✔ Vela Luca ✔ Hvar ✔ Bol ✔ Brac  CAT A+: JUN fr£469 JUL fr£469 AUG fr£469 SEP fr£399  CAT A: JUL fr£379 AUG fr£399 SEP fr£379

£989

BEERFEST IN MUNICH! 20 SEP-7 OCT  8 Days Prague & Buda Fest SAT-SAT  6 Days Coach Tours THU-TUE  4 Days Camping FRI-MON  4 Days Hostel FRI-MON  4 Days Hotel FRI-MON

£379 fr£209 fr£99 fr£179 fr£329

BOOK ONLINE NOW! www.thefanatics.com or call 0207 240 3223 COVENT GARDEN OFFICE 1st

TNT_1539_097 97

Floor, 15 New Row, Covent Garden, WC2N 4LD Mon - Fri 9am - 6pm

21/02/2013 16:01:51

TRAVEL

LONDON’S BIGGEST FREE TRAVEL SHOW Saturday March 9 & Sunday March 10

Show Bar

RS A IN M E S | S L A E D % 2 DAY SHOW | 50 NLINE O E L B A IL A V A S T E K 7000 FREE TIC

REGISTER NOW

Business Design Centre Islington | N1 0QH Sat: 10am-6pm Sun: 10am-3.30pm Pre-register for one of 3500 FREE tickets every day. £2 after that online.

Limited places on the day so book now to avoid disappointment.

tnttravelshow.com 98

TNT_1539_098 98

tntMagazine.com

21/02/2013 16:01:52

FREIGHT

ANGLO PACIFIC SHIPPING & TAX 30th Anniversary OVER 500,000 SATISFIED CUSTOMERS HAVE ALREADY TRUSTED THEIR POSSESSIONS TO ANGLO PACIFIC, LONDON’S LEADING SHIPPERS EXCESS BAGGAGE > Free supply of tea cartons and bubble > Free delivery/collection within M25 > By sea/air/road worldwide > Money Back Guarantee HOUSEHOLD REMOVALS > Free home survey, no obligation > Packed by skilled professionals > Shared or exclusive containers > Motor car/bike specialist shippers TAX REBATES > Average refund £963 secured last year > Online Tax Pack, only 10% commission MONEY TRANSFERS > Competitive exchange rates FINANCIAL PROTECTION > Bonded by the British Association of Removers > Bonded by the Association of Tax Agents > FIDI Accredited International Mover

www.anglopacific.co.uk SO BEFORE YOU CHECK OUT OF EUROPE CHECK OUT ANGLO PACIFIC

FREEPHONE 0800 085 0355 Anglo Pacific International Plc, 5/9 Willen Field Road, Park Royal, London, NW10 7BQ Email: baggage@anglopacific.co.uk Hours: Mon-Fri 8.30am - 6.00pm Sat 9am-1pm

tntMagazine.com

TNT_1539_099 99

99

21/02/2013 08:58:44

FREIGHT

Shipping your excess baggage?

DOUBLE

DISCOUNT DEAL

Trusted Shipping and Removals

SHIP YOUR GOODS HOME AND CLAIM YOUR TAX REFUND WITH US FOR A DOUBLE DISCOUNT*

Moving home? More stuff than you imagined? Fast, safe and affordable, 1st Contact’s shipping team offers a full international removal service, whether it’s one bag or an entire household. > FREE cartons and packing materials

> Excess Baggage Shipping to Aus/NZ/SA

> FREE collection and delivery in the London area

> International Removals

> FREE household quote with no obligation

> Storage & mini-moves

> Air and sea freight

> Nationwide collection & delivery

> TNT GOLDEN BACKPACK AWARD winner - Voted by you the TNT reader

Call Today for your free quote

0808 141 5520 42958

shipping@1stcontact.com www.1stcontact.com/shipping Conditions apply. An ATN of Anglo Pacific International PLC.

*

100 tntMagazine.com

TNT_1539_0100 100

21/02/2013 08:58:48

FREIGHT tntMagazine.com 101

TNT_1539_0101 101

21/02/2013 08:58:48

FREIGHT

’S OLDEST FREIGHT ADVERTISER – OVER 30 YEARS SERVICE

1st CHOICE for

EXCESS BAGGAGE

ONLINE PRICES 24/7

EXCESS BAGGAGE SPECIAL : DISCOUNTS O QUOTE PROM CODE ‘TNT’

TAX REBATES:

ONLINE PASpCecKial

ion 10% Commissur tax rebate Discount on yo ipment sh e ag & bagg

¸By Sea, Air & Express ¸FREE delivery & collection within M25 ¸FREE Cartons & Materials

OVERSEAS REMOVALS ¸Shared container or self packed removals for larger baggage shipments

Follow us on

¸Full container/Household removals ¸FREE Surveys

PERSONAL SHIPPING SERVICES 1-3 Pegasus Road, Croydon, Surrey CR9 4PS

FREEPHONE: 0800 988 3688 TEL: 03333 212 810

sales@p-s-s.co.uk | www.pssremovals.co.uk 102 tntMagazine.com

TNT_1539_0102 102

21/02/2013 08:58:50

classifieds To advertise call 020 7989 0567 or sales@tntmagazine.com

nannies | care | chefs/bar/catering | trades | general jobs | tax | visas nannies + Care

LIVE-IN & DAILY CARERS

Hampstead Nannies

JOBS READY TO GO!

Live In/Daily Nannies, Mother's Helps, Housekeepers, Mat Nurses Barkat House 116-118 Finchley Road London NW3 5HT Finchley Road

EARN £4760 IN 8 WEEKS!!!!

A major influx of new jobs means we have loads of live-in, weekend and daily assignments waiting to be filled. Register today and start work in less than a week!

Maximum support and top rates of pay, so try us first!!!

HOTS JOB

Tel: 020 7433 2525/26

HIGHGATE, N6 : Live-in carer reqd. ASAP HAMPSTEAD, NW3: Driver required for a GR8 lady ST JOHN’S WOOD: Live-in carer required for lovely

LONDON JOBS ALWAYS AVAILABLE! Rated Excellent

care à la carte caring since 1994

: 020 8202 1030

ARE YOU

JOB

POSITIONS AVAILABLE NOW FOR LIVE IN CARE AT £595 PER WEEK! DAILY WORK FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS TOO

HUNTING? Over 7,000 new jobs JOBS.CO.UK

Solving your recruitment problems! tntMagazine.com 103

TNT_1539_class2.indd 103

22/02/2013 13:18:18

classifieds

Care work

chefs/bar/CATERING

LIVE-IN CARERS REQUIRED

Multi award winning, Michelin starred restaurant requires

EARN UP TO £595.00 PER WEEK Nurses and experienced carers needed to join our friendly team to help make a difference in someone’s life - Self-employed. Experience not always essential - Flexible dates, fit travel plans around work - Client specific training - Great support from our experienced team

Please call: 020 7183 6686 www.trinityhomecare.co.uk Office located in Wimbledon

CHEF DE PARTIE WAITIng sTAFF

If you are interested in working with great food and in an energetic, friendly team please email us your CV For kitchen jobs email: mattchristmas@chezbruce.co.uk For front of house jobs email: ian@chezbruce.co.uk

We offer excellent rates of pay, but sound experience in similarly high class establishment is a must.

Trusted to care since 1996

chefs/bar/CATERING CHEF DE PARTIES - ONGOING TEMP / PERM Casual / Freelance Chef De Parties and above required for Fine Dining, Pop- Up Restaurants, 5 Star Hotels, VIP areas for Sporting Events, High End Event Caterers in and around London,

per hour

£9 - £15 depending on chef level & experience

Apply by CV sarah@heatlondon.com | malin@heatlondon.com

www.heatlondon.com | 0203 142 7117

30=, 05 16): Call Dee Cooper for immediate Bar/waiting live - in jobs across England & Scotland. Jobs in everyday for couples and singles plus great chef jobs too!

Call 01764 670001 or email dee@livein-jobs.demon.co.uk

Professional Chef de Parties required

for Event Catering companies within Central London. £9.00-£12.50 p/h. Weekly pay, flexible hours, 7 days p/w.

CV, Qual, Passport, Hyg Cert ess.

Tel: 0208 946 6342 or 0208 944 1609 Email: claire@claireschefs.com (Agy)

general employment

WORK TO LIVE!

EARN £1500 PER WEEK PLUS!

Come and sell advertising space over the phone in our friendly and fun Central London based publishing company/media sales house.

Strong sales experience essential as is a good speaking voice, great work ethic and the desire to earn a lot of money

JOBS.CO.UK

Solving your recruitment problems!

Contact Roy: 020 7454 7154 or 020 7454 7175 rglasspool@setform.com

104 tntMagazine.com

TNT_1539_class2.indd 104

22/02/2013 13:18:28

ADULT SERVICES

0208 577 7713 / 0207 439 2223 Full security service transport to and from work (and interview).

First class facilities.

Start immediately earn upto £1000 a day.

Call us 24hrs 7days a week.

www.toplondonescorts.com

Busy High Class Escort Agenc y Requires immediately

Drivers | Escorts (discreet) | Receptionists 24hrs 7 days, must have I.D. Be confident/have a friendly manner, be reliable and English speaking We operate all over the UK Big clientele, regular work, flexible shifts.

Cash paid daily, earn money start today.

Also we require central london flyers & leaflet droppers, clubs pubs hotels, cash paid daily.

classifieds

Top London Escorts

ADULT SERVICES

Call 07933 486229 for an interview

www.ladiesforlords.com Escort service London 24/7 Classy ladies with photos and details Book by email - £150ph

car hire

CHEAPEST CAR RENTALS IN LONDON.

Contact for escort work - Also see www.facetobookescorts.com

From £66 per week. www.thegaragecarrental.co.uk Phone 020 8681 2885

accommodation

Money Transfer

Need to send money between UK and home?

asons Good re tforex: tn e s u to

tes Great ra fees en bank No hidd ns ansactio s Faster tr e system use onlin nt Easy to complia and fully re cu rvice Safe, se se er om led cust Unrival

www.tntforex.com

r Cheapee than th banks*

The easy way to move your money

0870-898 8996

*Source: 1st Contact survey of UK high street bank charges, April 2008.

tntMagazine.com 105

TNT_1539_class2.indd 105

22/02/2013 13:18:37

DESPERATELYSEEKING

follow us on

@tntmagazine

Post your message at tntmagazine.com/seeking or email seeking@tntmagazine.com. Text TNT and your message to 81707* you, I squeeze you, I starve you.

You’d think my incessant abuse would scare you away, but you stay put, resolute and determined to fill the space (of my skirts) with your bubbly, baubly ways. Go away!

From Fatty DIRTY MOVIE: I am a well-built man looking for a job in the London adult industry. They call me El Burro.

Well, not yet. But they will.

If anyone’s got any tips on how to get into the business of getting sexy

emotions. If I catch you again I’ll call the police. Also, you should drink more water young man.

Beverley HOT TRAMP: Homeless man who plays guitar outside Tesco, when I chucked you a quid the other day and you looked up, I noticed under all that facial hair you’re actually pretty fit. I like your gravelly voice too. Stop playing long enough to chat to me next time? Calf-high boots

THINGS THE QUEEN SHOULD DO BEFORE SHE DIES

#518 Make off with a Banksy and modernise the decor at Buckingham Palace

on film or becoming a gentleman gigolo, post here next week. Ruff SUNNY SOUL: To the bloke working on the Victoria line Tube giving the easygoing shout outs and saying “everyting’s irie” – keep up the good work mate, it’s nice to see some smiles on the Underground. Vicky L GUNNING FOR YOU: Guy in the Arsenal shirt on Stroud Green Road last Thursday – I understand you were disappointed with the footie result, but taking a leak all over the pavement outside my house is no way to vent your

MEASURING UP: The pub outside Old Street station is a total rip-off. A white wine costs £5.50 and I’ve had shots that were bigger than the measure I was poured! If the barman wasn’t intimidatingly sexy, I’d have kicked off. Sal MUM’S THE WORD: Smash Pash, your mum can come to our place anytime. She’s cooked every night for a week, laughed when I came home shitfaced and then made me a sandwich. Also, the place is spotless and you’re acting like way less of a dick head than normal. Nice one. Eddie

BAD TIMING: DJ, a pleasant Saturday night dinner with friends isn’t the time to air all of your grievances about our friendship from a fucking decade ago. If I’ve gotten over it you should have too – and your assumption that your version of events is anything close to accuracy is laughable. Pull you head in and don’t deflect your negativity about your shitty life onto me. Marty OH, THE FLAME TREES: Whoever you were, I love you. We met at the bar, you had glimmering raven hair. I said I liked it. You looked at me like I planned to murder your firstborn. Then I said you remind me of Cold Chisel’s Flame Trees, to which you replied, I fucking love that song. First, you said “fuck” casually, then you loved Chisel. And then you were gone. Same bar next week? Simon LORD OF THE DANCE: Sweet bird boy: that dirty dancing sesh was a bit out of the blue, wasn’t it? Not sure what all that was about, but it was damn good fun all the same.

I’m loved up, but there’s no harm in a little bit of bump and grind, right?

Your housemate’s mate COUGAR ON CALL: To the 22-year-old I met at Craig Charles at Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes, I lied. I’m 27. That’s not too old, surely? Call me. J FRIENDS AGAIN?: Glamourpuss: just wanted to say I’m so happy you’re out of that married man phase and doing well for yourself. Let’s put that shitty email you sent me behind us and move on. Chebs

*Messages cost 25p each + standard network rate. 18+ bill payers only. Send STOP to end. Number may show on bill. A2B 08700460138

LONDON’S BIGGEST FREE TRAVEL SHOW Show Bar

REGISTER NOW

2 DAY SHOW | 50% DEALS | SEMINARS | 7000 FREE TICKETS

Saturday March 9 & Sunday March 10 tnttravelshow.com 106 TNTMAGAZINE.COM

Photos: Getty

YOGA BUM: We’re often next to each other at Bikram. You’re so fit, and I love that you’re confident enough to stretch out in nothing but those little shorts and sports bra. Thanks to you, the only part of me that’s limbered up over the months is my rubber neck. Maybe you could help me with some one-on-one sessions? Stiffy DEAR LUNCH: I am so sad I missed you today. I thought I’d feel younger, sexier and sleeker if I forwent you, but I was wrong. I felt queasy and irritable. I’ve taken you horribly for granted. I love you.

You always keep me on my toes.

One day you might be a spicy minx, another you could be warm and comforting. I won’t let it happen again. Yours, Little Miss Hungry BIRTHDAY BLUE: Thank you to Nicki and Gianni for the best birthday party ever. And sorry Mr Modena: despite your best gnome attempts, you did look more like a Smurf. And a very fierce, intimidating one at that. A+A DOUBLE TROUBLE: Comedy is supposed to be funny, doors are not supposed to be slammed. You are woeful at the former and a repeat offender for the latter. Sort it out, Tim. Or else you will be asked to shift on.

IN A PICKLE: To the chick who nicked my gherkin outside the kebab shop on Clapham High Street. I like your cheeky style and blonde dreads – see you same place, same time next Saturday night? Trev HEY BELLY: What do you want from me? I crunch you, I scrunch

#([FHVV%DJJDJH&R

([FHVV%DJJDJH&RPSDQ\

Moving people from home to home

EXCESS BAGGAGE SHIPPING TO

AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, SOUTH AFRICA

&

MORE...

Award winning service and 30 years of experience: i Packing boxes and materials supplied and delivered i Free deliveries/collections within the London M25 area i Collections/Deliveries to and from virtually anywhere in the world i Door to Door service to all major destinations including Australia, New Zealand, i Canada, USA & South Africa i Baggage, International Removals, Storage and Car Shipping i Fully bonded by BAR to give you financial protection i FIDI & FAIMISO accredited to assure you highest standards of quality

CALL 0800 524 4813 www.excess-baggage.com · sales@excess-baggage.com

3VUKVU /LHK 6ɉJL! 4 Hannah Close, Great Central Way, London NW10 0UX. Tel: 020 8324 2057 Fax: 020 8324 2048 TNT back page 02 indd 1

Untitled-7 3

14/11/2012 17:41 15/11/12 14:13:18

www.1stcontact.com/tnt

Your essential list of contacts

All the services you need for living and working in London Limited Companies & Accounting

0808 141 2262

Money Transfers

0808 141 2312

Tax Refunds

0808 141 2332

UK Immigration

0808 141 2254

UK Bank Accounts

0808 141 2307

Travel Clinic

0808 141 2266

Aus/NZ Migration

0808 141 2287

Shipping

0808 141 5520

Contractor Payroll

0808 141 2273

Financial, Migration and Tax Experts

www.1stcontact.com/tnt TNT GOLDEN BACKPACK AWARD winner - Voted by you the TNT reader

International Money Transfers Guaranteed to save you money and time! > Great exchange rates â&#x20AC;&#x201C; better than any banks > Faster transactions > Low transfer fees > Every 5th transfer free > Debit cards accepted online â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the rate you see is the rate you actually get!

1st TRANSFER FREE Receive your 1st transfer free of charge when you use this voucher code online:

1TNT4free 0808 141 2339 41367

www.1stcontactforex.com/show money@1stcontact.com *terms & conditions apply 1st Contact Money is a Money Service Business registered with Customs & Excise. Registration Number: 12148630.

41367_GB_TNT_fx_OBC_2012_new.indd 1 Untitled-7 1

12/11/2012 15:09 21/02/2013 17:27:17