LU E D X LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND
AUTUMN 18
INSIDE CARo EMERALD MARK ESHO midlands luxury show WEEKEND ESCAPES JEEP WRANGLER AW TRENDS FOR HIM & HER
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EDITOR’S LETTER. Wow what a summer! Yes, even we started to think summer had gone on too long but now, writing this sat at my desk overlooking a grey sky and with the tree leaves glistening with fresh rain, it does make you realise how lucky we were. I don’t think I’ve enjoyed so many barbecues before! And of course, if you’re grilling out (as the Americans say) then it would be tragic not to have a glass or two of chilled Sauvignon Blanc to wash it down with… So perhaps it’s all for the good that the nights have started to darken and that one of the things we look at this issue is tasty tipples that are strictly alcohol free – there’s no need for detoxing to be dreary after all!
We’ve also looked at some of this season’s key autumn trends for him and for her so there’s no reason to sacrifice warmth for your wardrobe. A big look for this season is bringing country into town so heritage checks, quilting and practical chic abound. We’ve even looked at hats for autumn so don’t dig out your best bobble until you’ve had a read! As usual we’ve got the best run down of what’s coming up in the county to make sure you don’t miss out on the very best of what the dark nights have to offer. We’ve even had a sneak peek at what’s coming up for Christmas – but more of that later, in our Winter issue out in late November. Until then enjoy open fires, falling leaves and fireworks, Best
Don’t worry though, we’re not that virtuous. We’ve some delicious recipes for one pot comfort food for you as well as our guide of where’s new to dine and our travel pages are the perfect place to dream away autumn’s rainy days; this issue we’re eating in Italy and exploring the lure of easy weekend sunshine breaks.
COVER IMAGE COURTESY OF DUNE
Closer to home we speak to local author Mark Esho, who’s autobiography has become an Amazon number one Bestseller, comedian Phil Jupitus ahead of his new live show at Loughborough Town Hall and we chat to the wonderfully talented Caro Emerald as she prepares to bring some sunshine, samba and shimmy to De Montfort Hall this October.
Jonathan Fraser Group Editor In Chief
WE CAN’T WAIT FOR...
Leicester Whisky Festival
We’re not sure if you can drink liquor in space but that’s not stopping the National Space Centre who are hosting the very first Leicester Whisky Festival on the 17th November. The galleries will be filled with the very best brands, experts and distillers, in an evening dedicated to the “water of life” with an optional array of masterclasses for those who want to delve deeper. Festival tickets are just £15 and include entry to the National Space Centre and food court (19:00 – 23:00), Limited edition festival branded Glencairn tasting glass, Festival Guide, samples from participating exhibitors, water stations, live music and Planetarium talks and demonstrations. Try not to drink too much and see stars!
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MADONNA
MICHELLE OBAMA FANTASTIC BEASTS
Madonna and Mirwais have followed up on the success of their former collaborations on albums Music, American Life and Confessions of a Dance Floor for an album of new music that Mother Music has been teasing via Instagram for over a year now. 2018’s last quarter should see the release of this in her 60th year – that’s right Madonna is 60 this year and what better way to celebrate it than with a new album?
WE MISS THE OBAMAS! Whilst we can’t help enjoy trying to decode hidden messages from Melania, Michelle is still our First Lady. Her memoir promises unerring honesty and lively wit as Michelle chronicles the experiences that have shaped her-from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago, her years as a working mother and her time spent at the world’s most famous address.
We cannot wait for another slice of wizarding wonder. Eddie Redmayne returns as Newt Scamander and is joined by a young Albus Dumbledore as they attempt to take down the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, (Johnny Depp) while facing new threats in a more divided wizarding world. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family.
CONTENTS.
TALK TO US MANAGING DIRECTOR Kevin Urquhart Kevin@fu-media.co.uk 07713 740 272 GROUP EDITOR IN CHIEF Jonathan Fraser Jon@fu-media.co.uk 0772 580 9654 DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER Lilith Hunt-Sheppard lilith@fu-media.co.uk 07975 970711 ACCOUNTS & ADMINISTRATION Carey York carey@fu-media.co.uk 0116 2533 445 DIGITAL CONTENT EXECUTIVE Francesca Arculeo Francesca@fu-media.co.uk 0116 2533 445 CARO EMERALD
08 AGENDA
Our personal picks of our favourite features, stories and products from around the county.
22 SPOTLIGHT
We talk to local author Mark Esho, ahead of the official launch his number one bestselling autobiography.
24 FOR HER
Autumn Trends abound, we got nuts for hats and look at how to turn back the clock.
28 FOR HIM
The High Street looks outdoors for Autumn influences and grooming makes a fresh start.
34 MOTORS
Making America Great Again? The new Jeep Wrangler is ringing the changes.
36 LIVING Mid Century Chic and Jewel Joy, just a couple of interior trends for Autumn 2018. 42 TRAVEL We look at the best city
breaks for Autumn and take a trip to Italy for a little Dolce Vita.
48 DINING Comfort cooking and detox drinking for the dark nights.
ADVERTISING SALES Donald Peden Donald@fu-media.co.uk 0116 2533 445 ADVERTISING SALES Helena Hughs Helena@fu-media.co.uk 0116 2533 445
52 DIARY What’s happening and
what’s happened in and around the county this Autumn and we talk to singer Caro Emerald.
62 BUSINESS The latest thinking
and topic led business advice from some of the city’s top business brains.
66 HOROSCOPES National treasure, sensational star gazer Russell Grant on what the future holds for us all this season.
Disclaimer: Copyright 69 & dluxe LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publishers. Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy in compiling this publication, the Publisher cannot accept responsibility for any inaccuracies, omissions, breach of copyright or otherwise since compilation. The Publisher cannot be held responsible for any material submitted to the publication, not excluding advertisements. The views expressed within this title are not necessarily the views of the Publisher. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply recommendation by the Publisher. © 69 Magazine Ltd 2018
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EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Georgia Wilkinson Georgia@fu-media.co.uk 0116 2533 445
DLUXE LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND 31 Rutland St, Leicester LE1 1RE TEL: 0116 2533 445
www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk info@fu-media.co.uk
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BABY it’s cold outside OK so it may not be in the minuses but after the amazing summer we’ve all enjoyed, anything with a single figure on the thermometer is making us go brrrrr! So best be prepared we say and invest in some seriously stylish heating! We love the contemporary Farringdon Catalyst Eco Woodburning stove from Arada Stoves which comes in small, medium and large sizes, making it a stylish solution for every home. The Farringdon range has the ability to burn at low levels for more than 10 hours and has a maximum output of 16kW. Prices start from £2485 at www.aradastoves.com We also love this contemporary take on the traditional hearth using the Tiffany collection of tiles from Gemini Tiles. Embracing industrial trends with three unique designs that evoke the organic surface of stone, these highly textured tile displaying combine built up layers to create a rustic stone-effect mosaic with the texture and character of natural stone with the practical ease of tiling. The range is available in three colours to choose from, crisp chalky White, the muted mid-tones of the Grey tile shown here and a dramatic Dark design. The range starts from £49.99 per m2 from www.ctdtiles.co.uk dluxe-magazine.co.uk 9
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VEGAN SOY CANDLES THAT CRACKLE WITH a clean burn Neil designed his range using vegan soy wax, blended with non-toxic essential oils and fragrance oils, creating the perfectly fragranced candle. The natural creamy colour of soy wax adds to the elegance of the product, and the addition of a wooden wick creates a wonderful soothing crackle as it burns. Since their launch earlier this year, Avanti Candles has expanded its range to also include beautiful wax melts and a collection of elegant reed diffusers, which release fragrance for up to three months and its fibre reeds do not need to be turned- perfect as I always end up making a mess when I do this! Prices start from just £7 for the wax melts and with luxurious fragrances including Red Rose & Oud, Raspberry & Peppercorn, and the stunning Tobacco & Vanilla, we’re sure Avanti Candles will soon become a household favourite. Handmade in the Midlands, Avanti Candles were created after company owner Neil became torn between his love for fragrance, and the damage massproduced candles were doing to his home and his health.
After researching that many shop-bought candles contain petroleum-based paraffin wax, which releases harmful black smoke and soot as it burns, they also consist of synthetic dyes and fragrances containing toxins and parabens.
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QUEEN VICTORIA ARTS CLUB TO OPEN IN CULTURAL QUARTER Guests to the club will all be welcomed by a maître d and the food served will be of a modern European style. The head chef, Steve Durham, has worked alongside Michelin starred chefs and is highly regarded within the industry. “Our emphasis will be on exceptional service and high-quality food. This is going to be a really accessible restaurant. I have a background in working in Michelin star and Rosette establishments, so it’s bringing all of that experience to the front of house service, while also making it more comfortable for diners,” added Cassie. An iconic building within the heart of Leicester’s Cultural Quarter has had new life breathed into it following a £650,000 restoration and renovation project. The Queen Victoria Arts Club is currently having its finishing touches before it opens its doors to diners in October. Business Owner Cassie Soulsby, who has won multiple high profile awards with her other venues and restaurants, said she had wanted to convert the Grade 2 listed Victorian Baroque property for some time, “Work started on converting the building and the flats above the restaurant 18 months ago, but the idea for the Queen Victoria Arts Club has been in the making for three years. The building had been a complete eye-sore, and 10 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
everyone had been campaigning for it to become something better, so it was important for me to help with that,” she added. The site itself, which was built for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee, has seen quite a dramatic transformation, having been derelict for many years, and Cassie and her team worked hard on the design of the restaurant which is on the ground and lower floors, to help it stay in keeping with the style and décor of the period. “One of the main things we wanted to do was add some light into the rooms, and so a number of windows were created, and this has made an incredible difference,” she added.
The main ground floor restaurant and bar area can accommodate 80 covers, while downstairs there is room for 50 alongside private meeting spaces and dining rooms. “This is a huge investment for me, but it is something I feel passionate about and it will be a great addition to the Cultural Quarter and to Leicestershire too,” she added. An exclusive members restaurant will be developed later this year, but more details on this will be released then. The public will be able to book from Thursday 18th October. To find out more visit www.queenvicleicester.com
In The Spotlight This stunning period residence extends over 4,500 square feet, offering six generous bedrooms and five tastefully designed and decorated reception rooms, all sitting on a 0.4 acre south facing plot. Built in the early 1930s in a traditional style, the property underwent extensive refurbishment and extensions in the late 2000s to bring this characterful home up to date and offer any potential purchaser a fine example of a period home. The house offers a wealth of original features throughout including solid oak parquet flooring, fireplaces, solid timber inset doors with lead and stained-glass detailing, a multitude of window styling including bay, arch and porthole windows, all of which are double glazed. Learn more about homes like this on pages 20-21
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“The other big thing that is very important is to see the drive in their eyes. I want to see that they actually live for the music.”
Ahead of her appearance at De Montfort Hall this October, Dutch mega star Caro Emerald talks about her new show, becoming a judge on a TV talent show and performing with Quincy Jones. On June 27th 2018, as part of a celebration of legendary producer Quincy Jones’ 85th Birthday, Dutch born singer Caro Emerald took to the O2, London to perform Honey Suckle Rose and smoky jazz standard ‘Misty’. Originally made famous by Sarah Vaughan back in 1964, it was a testament to the vocal abilities and prowess of Miss Emerald. “It was such an amazing experience,” remembers the audibly excited singer over the phone on an early summer morning. “I’m trying to find words to describe 12 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
it. I felt completely honoured to be part of such a high level event. Quincy is an amazing and fantastic guy and such a legend. The songs were really difficult and challenged me. It took me back to the roots of why I became a singer and sent me back to my studying days. When I returned home after the show in London I felt my blood course through my veins as I found this new inspiration.” For Caro, those studying days were spent at the Amsterdam Jazz Conservatory, the largest music academy in the Netherlands. But the jazz production of Quincy Jones or sultry vocals of Sarah Vaughan weren’t her earliest musical inspirations. For Caro it was the one and only Madonna. “I was 5 or 6 years old when I got my first album on cassette and I would
listen to it over and over again and practise in front of the mirror and dress up like her. I think every other girl did that in school but she really was a big influence on me.” Little did a 5 year old Caro know that she would go on to top the Dutch charts herself with her debut album ‘Deleted Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor’. Not only smashing any record Madonna had set, the album broke the record for most weeks consecutively at number one (27 weeks to be precise) beating the previous record of 26 weeks set by Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Almost 10 years on, Caro is still as blown away by this fact as she was back then. “I still feel the same,” she laughs. “There was so much happening, I came out of nowhere. I had never made music before and then I was on top of every
Caro
Emerald pop sound and Caro’s name was on the lips of the nation, with numerous national TV and radio appearances. Having released a handful of EPs since then Caro has continued to tour the country, selling out venues that homegrown artists would dream of. “I feel completely blessed to be one of those artists that can continue touring. I have a very loyal audience in the UK and I’m very happy of that. I think the way that we make the show is a full package that apparently my UK audience love.”
chart! I didn’t really know anything about numbers and statistics, I didn’t really know how to actually recognise my success!” Talking about breaking Michael Jackson’s record, you can still hear the surprise in her voice. “This is when I realised how phenomenally big it was. It doesn’t make sense, it still doesn’t for me! It’s Michael Jackson. It shows what a big influence this has had on the Dutch music industry. But Michael Jackson is bigger than anyone on the planet, it doesn’t feel like I beat him.” It wasn’t just in the Netherlands where Caro made a name for herself. Over in the UK ‘Deleted Scenes…’ went to number 4 in the UK charts, where it is certified gold, and her second album ‘The Shocking Miss Emerald’ topped the charts with her signature vintage-
Can returning fans expect any surprises on this brand new tour? “Definitely as we are always adding some surprises and some new material and arrangements. I do this with my fantastic (musical) team; David Schreurs and Jan van Wieringen. We all work together when we talk about visuals and creating the final set list. Our musical director and band leader Stephen Large is also a big part of this. We really work as a collective. We keep sending each other ideas and talk about these ideas and possibilities which, in the end, creates a beautiful show of the highest quality. What fans can expect is a fresh new look. It’s definitely going to be a dreamy atmosphere,” she says excitably. “We want to give a full experience to each person in the room, both visual and musical. Like you’re inside a movie and you get to dream away about stories that aren’t yours.” Caro gives off the aura of a confident artist, who over years of touring and performing has perfected her craft. But when pressed about new music, she keeps her cards a little closer to her chest. “There will definitely be
some stuff people haven’t heard before, I don’t know if they’ll be covers or actual new music. The other thing I can say is we ARE working on new music…” she tails off. Will that be released this year? “I can’t say when that will be. I’m not trying to be a tease,” she laughs, “but I can say we will release the music when it’s ready.!” Away from her own career Caro has also recently announced she will be a judge on a new televised Dutch talent competition called ‘The Talent Project’. “It’s very exciting! I haven’t done much TV apart from promoting my own music. I’ve been asked to be on other celebrity typed shows and I always decline because I feel like it’s not where I want to go. But this really suits me.” Before becoming a global music star, Caro worked as a singing teaching, and with her own experience is keen to “pass it on and work with new talent. It’s a new chapter in my life and career.” Caro doesn’t come across as the brutal Simon Cowell type but tells me the acts’ standards of musicality has to be exceptionally high. “The other big thing that is very important is to see the drive in their eyes. I want to see that they actually live for the music.” With Caro’s nonstop writing and increasingly ambitious and well received live shows, she’s clearly an artist herself who still has that desire and drive in her eyes. Caro Emerald will be at De Montfort Hall, Leicester on the 8th October. Find out more at www.demontforthall.co.uk dluxe-magazine.co.uk 13
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PArty Time at Hambleton Hall
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, so our attention is of course turning to where we should celebrate it! Overlooking Rutland Water, Hambleton Hall is one of Britain’s finest country house hotels and with crackling log fires, sumptuous decorations and traditional tree, it provides a truly festive setting for a country Christmas Party! We love the idea of ‘The Study’ – one of Hambleton’s fabulous private dining rooms that’s just the job for parties of 6 to 16 guests. Choose from starters such as Pan-fried fillet of Seabass with a bouillabaisse jus, Terrine of Carrot with star anise ice cream or Wild Mushroom raviolo with grappa before feasting on Roast Guinea Fowl with artichoke & sweet corn Madeira jus, Poached fillet of Turbot with leek, potato & watercress or Jacob’s Ladder, smoked potato, horseradish, red wine jus. You’ve been good all year so deserve your just desserts! Enjoy Tiramisu, Almond soufflé with quince ice cream or Terrine of Pear & Blackberry Caramel ice cream before relaxing with coffee and chocolates. The three-course party menu is available from Sunday to Thursday at £70.00 per person. At the end of the evening why not stay the night? Book two or more bedrooms on a Sunday to Thursday, to receive a special rate of £245.00 per night including breakfast, based on 2 people sharing a Standard double bedroom. To find out more or to book your party visit www.hambletonhall.com
City Laser and Skin Clinic CELEBRATES FIFTH BIRTHDAY City Laser and Skin Clinic, which is run with Dimple Verma at the helm (pictured), is celebrating its fifth birthday, along with its hundreds of clients that have had their lives transformed during this time. The popular clinic, based on Loseeby Lane in Leicester city centre, specialises in unique solutions for all skin treatments and skin conditions. From acne to pigmentation, laser hair removal, thread vein removal and advanced electrolysis, to more bespoke treatments - the clinic is the go-to for treatments that really do transform lives. Dimple, who is a trained and highly respected beauty and aesthetics practitioner in the city, said: “I really feel I’ve made a huge difference to people’s lives, and it’s incredibly satisfying to see. I don’t think some people really appreciate quite how much a condition can affect someone, from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) to extreme acne, it 14 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
really can cause major issues in people’s self esteem. So to be able to know we can step in and help is an incredible feeling.” She added: “We make sure we have all the very latest in technology and training in everything we do to make sure we achieve optimum results. We focus on providing a very personalised service with the best treatments and aftercare, and we ensure this is always delivered with kindness and compassion.” Dimple has been in the trade since 2012 and has a wealth of experience, qualifications and expertise to offer clients. “It just takes one consultation that can set people on the path to having their lives transformed, and we cannot wait for the next five years and more to help people on this journey,” she added. Find out more at www.citylaserskin.co.uk or call 0116 2425299.
Our commitment to value means that we match the prices of the high street competitors (this excludes online-only or mail order businesses). Service conditions must be comparable. See our ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ leaflet in our shops or online for details.
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LOOGABAROOGA RETURNS TO LOUGHBOROUGH Loughborough will again be home to the major Loogabarooga Festival of Incredible Illustrations and Brilliant Books this October with a range of literary events and shows for children and families across six days. The festival will also be celebrating 80 years of the Beano - the longest-running British children’s comic - with a major, themed exhibition. The festival is aimed at families who love books and illustrated literature, and will take place at venues around Loughborough from 18-23 October 2018. This year, some of the nation’s bestloved authors and illustrators will offer wacky workshops, splendid stories and hilarious live performances to bring the world of children’s literature to life. Charnwood Museum will be hosting a specially commissioned exhibition of Comic Art celebrating the Beano
with lots of special Beano workshops including Dennis the Menace and Minnie the Minx taking place throughout the festival. This year, a new Beauty and the Beast hand-painted book bench will be unveiled to join the nine other special benches located throughout the town, featuring some of the nation’s favourite Ladybird titles including Shopping with Mother, Cinderella and Bunnikins. Loogabarooga 2018 will also have an extended schools programme that combines organising authors and illustrators going into schools, as well as giving schools the opportunity to attend performances and workshops as part of the festival. For up to date information, the full programme of events and to book tickets, visit www.loogabarooga.com
BBC LEICESTER GETS FUNKY WITH Frank BBC Radio Leicester is turning up its funk levels with the launch of a new Sunday evening show with Leicester-born singer, producer and songwriter Frank Benbini, drummer and one third of the band Fun Lovin’ Criminals. The new show, which will run between 18:00-20:00 each week, will feature a selection of Frank’s favourite funk and rare groove tracks. Best known as one third of the international band Fun Lovin’ Criminals, who he met for the first time at Nottingham’s Rock City in 1996, Frank has enjoyed a musical career spanning over two decades. “I’m really excited to bring my tunes and tales from my years in the music biz to the listeners of BBC Radio Leicester. Growing up in the city, Leicester has always been a big part of my life and I can’t wait to bring some of the music that I love back to it.”
WE LOVE: REAL WINE GumS Mix the grape and the cane and enjoy the rich, complex and downright deliciously boozy flavour of luxury sweets made from ‘edible wine’ “A cheeky little number… Fleshy yet velvety textures with ripe plum and black cherry flavours and a soft finish!” Not the sort of description you’d normally associate with a pack of bon bons but these are no ordinary yummy gummies. Invented in the UK in 1909 by Charles Gordon Maynard - the son of a teetotal Methodist sweet-maker - the original pastilles merely name-checked fermented grape juice. It took another 100 years and a clutch of clever, opportunity-knocking Dutch confectioners before Real Wine Gums became a thing. And since these considerate candies are alcohol, gluten, fat, nut, gelatine, and lactose free, they can be enjoyed by absolutely everyone. Even Charles Riley Maynard, God rest your gummy soul. Real Wine Gums are available in a choice of flavours, Merlot, Chardonnay, Rose and Riesling from The Fowndry from £7.49 16 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
New Bariatric service. Nuffield Health Leicester Hospital.
Obesity rate in the UK are the highest in Europe and have increased dramatically over the past few years to such an extent that in excess of 20% of the population are now obese. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of many serious illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke as well as cancer. Further a BMI of 30 to 35 has been found to reduce life expectancy by an average of three years, whilst a BMI of over 40 reduced longevity by eight to ten years. Nuffield Health Leicester Hospital has developed a comprehensive weight loss programme which gives you access to the support you need on your road to success.
Teamed up with Nuffield Health Leicester Fitness and Wellbeing Gym you will also receive our flagship Recovery Plus Programme. Weight loss procedures are available from body mass index 27 upwards. Procedures available include; Gastric Balloon, Gastric Band, Gastric Sleeve, Gastrostomy, Gastric Bypass and Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty. Tim Shewbridge, Hospital Director, is delighted to introduce a unique new bariatric service at Nuffield Health Leicester hospital. Saying “We’re not just about the surgery. It’s about re-education, developing a healthier mind and enjoying the benefits of a healthier you for the long term. We are delighted to work with top consultants and offer our flagship recovery plus programme to offer a unique tailored made service”.
Meet the team
Christopher Sutton
David Exon
Prof David Bowrey
Gary Young
Mr Sutton is a Consultant General Surgeon at University Hospitals of Leicester.
David Exon was appointed as Consultant Upper GI & General Surgeon in Leicester in 2010.
Professor David Bowrey is a General surgeon specialising in Oesophagogastric and weight loss surgery.
Gary Young has been a registered Dietitian since 1988 specialising in the management of severe obesity and weight loss surgery.
Like to find out more? Book your appointment today. Call 0116 298 4752 or visit nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/Leicester
Nuffield Health Leicester Hospital Scraptoft Lane, Leicester LE5 1HY
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CALENDAR GIRLS AT DMH
Calendar Girls the Musical by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth is the award-winning production based on the true story of the Calendar Girls - a group of ordinary ladies who achieved something extraordinary. A true story of a group of ladies who decided to appear nude for a Women’s Institute calendar in order to raise funds to buy a settee for their local hospital, in memory of one of their husbands, and have to date raised almost £5million for Bloodwise. This musical comedy shows life in their Yorkshire village, how it happened, the effect on husbands, sons and daughters, and how a group of ordinary ladies achieved something extraordinary. This marvellous musical comedy which received fantastic five star reviews in London’s West End now comes to De Montfort Hall and stars Fern Britton as Marie, Anna-Jane Casey as Annie, Sara Crowe as Ruth, Karen Dunbar as Cora, Ruth Madoc as Jessie, Rebecca Storm as Chris and Denise Welch as Celia. Tim Firth said, “To be given a chance to revisit Calendar Girls The Musical is a unique opportunity. Gary [Barlow] and I have been working away and, as the great Stephen Sondheim said, ‘MUSICAL COMEDIES AREN’T WRITTEN, THEY ARE REWRITTEN’.” Gary Barlow added, “What a phenomenal new cast we have. Tim and I sat in - and indeed played - on the auditions and have been so lucky to have put together such talented ladies.” The Times described Calendar Girls the Musical as ‘pure gold’. Don’t miss your chance to see this glorious production straight from London’s West End. Calendar Girls is at De Montfort Hall from Tuesday 16th to Saturday 20th October. Tickets from £21 are available at the box office on 0116 233 3111 or demontforthall.co.uk 18 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
Tin and Tonic Ginspired A Leicestershire horsebox has been given a new lease of life as a mobile gin bar by local girl, Alice Brown, who decided to make her dream come true of owning her own bar. The Tin and Tonic mobile bar is finished in smart grey, midnight blue and coppers making it the perfect prop for a party. Whatsmore the bar serves a range of craft gins, paired with premium mixers and garnishes which complement the specific botanicals within each different blend. Alice commented “There are so many amazing gins out there, so we are on a mission to sample them all and find the best of the best! We’re in the midst of a gin boom so we like to think we are doing a public service, offering to bring it to our customers doorsteps!” In addition to gin, Tin & Tonic also serves a range of other beverages such as prosecco, beer and premium soft drinks for those who prefer an alternative tipple and are happy to produce a bespoke menu for customers events with drinks suited to their requirements. Alice is already looking to develop the business with the addition of a pop up bar for indoor events as well as an extension for the horsebox made from up-cycled materials, which will provide a seating area for customers. She will also be introducing gin tasting events later on in the year. www.tinandtonic.co.uk
Christmas Parties 2018
‘The Study’ – one of Hambleton’s fabulous private dining rooms is perfect for Christmas parties of 6 to 16 guests. We are offering parties a Special Limited Choice Menu, Sunday to Thursday, £70.00 per person for 3 courses. (£90 per person for 4 courses)
Hambleton Hall is one of Britain’s finest country house hotels,
overlooking Rutland Water the hotel provides the most wonderful setting for a Christmas Party. Log fires, a beautiful Christmas tree, sensational Christmas decorations and lovely bedrooms to rest your weary head.
At the end of the evening why not stay the night?
If you would like to stay after your Christmas Party and book two or more bedrooms on a Sunday to Thursday, we are offering a special rate of £245.00 per night, based on 2 people sharing one of our Standard double bedrooms, including full Hambleton breakfast & vat.
Pan fried fillet of Seabass with a bouillabaisse sauce Terrine of Carrot with star anise ice cream Wild Mushroom raviolo with a grappa flavoured sauce *** Best fish catch of the day *** Poached fillet of Turbot with leek, potato and watercress Roast Guinea Fowl with artichoke and sweet corn Madeira sauce Jacob’s Ladder, smoked potato, horseradish, red wine jus *** Tiramisu Almond soufflé with quince ice cream Terrine of Pear and Blackberry Caramel ice cream *** Coffee and chocolates All menus are subject to a discretionary service charge of 12.5%
HAMBLETON OAKHAM RUTLAND LE15 8TH T: 01572 756991 E: hotel@hambletonhall.com W: www.hambletonhall.com
Recently sold with Oliver Rayns‌
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Old Bakery Close, Ratby
Newmarket Street, Knighton
An extended five bedroom detached home with landscaped gardens
A brand new Davidsons home situated on a private development
A delightful two bedroom end Victorian terraced home
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Achieved 98% of the asking price
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Achieved 100% of the asking price
Holme Drive, Oadby
Plowman Close, Glenfield
Barnards Way, Kibworth
A detached house with scope for redevelopment on a lovely plot
A modernised three bedroom detached family home
A well designed three bedroom semi-detached David Wilson Home
Achieved 111% of the asking price
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Call 01162 960 940
We’re all different...
...buy, sell or rent a house with people who understand that.
We’re a Selling Agent Through and Through We pride ourselves on our ability to price your home at the correct figure and have achieved 90% or above of the asking price on our sales*. If you’re thinking of moving, please feel free to contact us for a free, no obligation and no pressure market appraisal of your home.
Contact us today on info@oliverrayns.com 01162 960 940
115 Clarendon Park Road Clarendon Park Leicester LE2 3AH
prices quoted exclude at theSales prevailing rate. Terms and Conditions apply. Residential Sales • Residential Lettings and Property *All Management • NewVAT Home • Land and Development Services
www.oliverrayns.com
SPOTLIGHT.
I CAN. I WILL
22 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
Leicestershire businessman Mark Esho has overcome adversity, bullying and a life changing disability to become a successful businessman. Dluxe Leicestershire spoke to Mark as his incredible book, I Can. I Will, becomes an Amazon Number 1 Bestseller. Mark’s been on an almost unbelievable journey to become a top businessman, and it his incredible spirit, drive and self-propelled determination which has pushed him to become the very best he can be - despite almost every obstacle being thrown in his path. In his thoughtprovoking and moving autobiography, Mark not only explores his upbringing and hard childhood - but also asks the question that if he knew what his life had in store for him, would he have chosen to be born. And despite every abuse, beating and suffering he has endured - his surprising yet motivational answer is “Yes”. The 56-year-old, who was born in Newbold Verdon and grew up in the county before being taken to Nigeria by his mother and father in their efforts to ‘cure’ him from polio, decided to release his life story after being persuaded by friends and family that others should know how his life changed overnight into what anyone would perceive as a living nightmare. “I was as a young, confident and adventurous boy who enjoyed riding my bike, living with my foster family in Leicester until one morning at the age of 5 I woke up in a cold sweat unable to walk” he’d contracted polio through no fault of his own, and for a reason which even baffled doctors. Doctors gave him just a 10% chance of life and Mark was left paralysed from the neck down, before slowly regaining movement. To this day, he still suffers from muscle damage and is unable to walk unaided. It was while he was at school he was mercilessly bullied, both by staff, fellow pupils and even his father, which lead him to have to work even harder to become a success.
“Life was very tough for me. However, it was with self-drive and the want to be financially independent that I pushed on, and even taught myself computer skills to set up my own business, as I spotted search engine optimisation in the infancy of the internet,” he said. Mark completed an MBA at De Montfort University in Leicester and set up three companies: Easy Internet Services, Easy Internet Solutions and property investment company Dreme within the city. Mark is also proud to have become a Rotary member in Leicester, inspired by the organisation’s role in starting and spearheading the campaign for a polio-free world.
“My father didn’t allow me to have a wheelchair as it showed a weakness, and this in turn caused further bullying””
“School was tough; very hard. I was sent from private to state schools and in between England and Nigeria, so my education was very broken up. I was either left to study on my own in classrooms as there was no provision for children with disabilities in those days, or I was forced to crawl from class to class. My father didn’t allow me to have a wheelchair as it showed a weakness, and this in turn caused further bullying”.
Mark said: “It was a hard decision to write this book and I thought long and hard about it before I made that step. But I also knew my story had to be told. Not only as an incredible affirmation on why the work to eradicate this awful disease should continue and as to why children should be immunised, but also to show people that they can survive almost everything and anything life throws at them”. He continues; “I thought that learning to walk again after polio would be my biggest challenge, but it was just the start of the terror my life became. From an abusive father, and horrendous beatings to bullying at school - I had to fight for everything. But, I survived and thrived to what I have become today.
I hope my book will raise awareness of the impact polio has had on people’s lives and continues to do so. I ask in my book if I would have chosen to live had I known I would have had a lifetime of pain and suffering. This is of course a very difficult question to ask, and answer. I have a wife and son, along with employees who depend on me. Life has been hard and it has thrown up a lot of problems, including bullying, racism and abuse. But I absolutely believe every fight I have had, including the polio and relearning to walk, has made me the man I am today, and much stronger for it. And my sense of purpose couldn’t be stronger.” The book can be purchased from Amazon for £12.99 visit www.iWillOrderNow.com To find out more about Mark visit www.markesho.com and for a video, www.iCaniWill.me.uk
dluxe-magazine.co.uk 23
HER STYLE. 1
GO WILD IN THE COUNTRY This season the look is much less granny chic, much more in too deep.
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NEUTRAL GEAR
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Kick saccharine shades into touch with the most muted trend of AW18. From Fendi to Dior, this season’s catwalk collections were awash with earth tones of toffee, sand, beige and tan. Warm in both colour and construction, the look is crafted from velvet, silk, suede and wool with gorgeous glimmers of copper, rose gold and bronze.
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1: Outfit by Hugo Boss. 2: Tweed Earrings £12 River Island. 3: Rosaline Coat £349, Hobbs. 3: Tartan Wide leg Trouser £40, River Island. 5: Simoone Boot, £180, Dune London. 6: Check Mini Skirt £45, Lipsy. 7. Bakerboy Cap £16, TopShop. 8: Balmain Tweed Bag £1420, Harvey Nichols. 9: Brow Fox Backpack £275, Kate Spade. 10: Tartan Boot £45, Marks and Spencers.
1: Gucci cross-body bag, £805. 2: Isabel Marant Filipo wool-blend coat, £890. 3: Stella McCartney wool and silk-blend jumper, £685. 4: Olivia Burton rose gold watch, £100. 5: Gianvito Rossi stretch-knit boots, £730. 6: Marc Jacobs Snapshot shoulder bag, £285. 7: Vince linen-blend culottes, £235. 8: RED Valentino ruffled jumper, £435. 9: Rick Owens biker jacket, £1,485. 10: Stella McCartney tigerintarsia wool-blend jumper, £545.
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1
HER STYLE.
WHERE DID YOU
GET THAT HAT The wind is starting to get chilly, the clouds are getting darker and the sun is getting shorter. Summer has officially left us and it’s time to wrap up for the coming winter season but is it possible to keep warm AND still look stylish in the cold weather? Fear not, your Fairy Clothes Mother is on hand with your winter fashion accessory forecast… If your grandma was anything like mine, telling me that if I didn’t wear a hat I’d loose 50% of my body heat through my head? I’m not sure if she was right or not, but wearing a hat throughout the winter is an essential for us Brits. Covering up is key to keeping warm. With the icy winds and freezing temperatures it as important to keep your head and ears toasty as it is any other part of your body. Winter hats come in many guises and will be made from warmer fabrics than summer hats, think wool, felt, fur and fleece. For those of you who instantly think “hats don’t suit me” luckily for you, I will also give you a bit of guidance on which hats are best suited to your needs and style. Here are my top styles that will keep you warm and stylish.
BOBBLE HAT
Always a popular hat choice for kids, now adults are getting in on the act too! A bobble hat is usually a knitted beanie hat with a ‘ball’ on top. My personal favourite have a fur pom pom on the top, I think I have one in black, grey and camel! A bobble hat suits most face shapes and can work well for a more casual occasion teamed with a knitted type scarf and gloves. Perfect for when the weather really does take a turn.
FEDORA
A fedora is a more structured winter hat with a brim which is most commonly made from wool and felt. The traditional fedora hat has a crease down the centre and is pinched at the front of the crown. This is probably my favourite style of winter hat as it is a little bit dressier than a beanie or bobble hat, in fact it can be really stylish when teamed with a sophisticated winter coat. My recent ones have come from Reiss, I’d go for neutral colours like taupe or navy.
FUR HAT
Fur hats are often associated with glamour and are popular with those looking for a more formal winter hat. Fur hats are not for the shy and retiring but are well suited to those with a rounder face shape. They are great for outdoor events in winter such as the races or a winter wedding.
FUR HEADBAND
Although technically not a hat, a fur headband is a popular choice for winter and can be easier to wear than a full fur hat. Fur headbands are well suited to those with a structured or round faces. My fur head band
Outfit By Lipsy
is in a honey colour from Helen Moore, I love them! Perfect for when you want to add a bit of practical glamour. If a hat still isn’t your thing then how about a thick woolly scarf? This is a must-have for winter which can be added to your jacket, jumper or coat for extra warmth when the winds are particularly strong and cold. They can brighten up your dark autumn winter wardrobe with ease as there are so many styles and colours to choose from. Scarves are very versatile and you can tie them or toss them over your shoulders different ways. The
easiest way to wear a scarf is to wrap it around your neck or drape it casually around your shoulders. It will provide you warmth and style, especially when you match it with winter hats and gloves. There are millions of videos on how to wear a scarf on youtube if all else fails! If you need some help mastering a stylish yet practical winter wardrobe, you know where to find me… Your Fairy Clothes Mother x Fax Fur Bobble £6.99 each Pavers Fedora £45 Hobbs Faux Fur Hat £42 and Faux Fur Headband £32 Both Helen Moore.
Working as a Buyer and Image Consultant for high street fashion chains as well as high end designers, including Amanda Wakeley, Cleo now runs her own personal styling and shopping service, helping real men and women to take control of their wardrobe. E: cleolacey@demi-couture.co.uk W: www.demi-couture.co.uk Facebook: Demi Couture Twitter: @cleolacey Instagram: DemiCoutureStylist 26 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
TURN
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Arm yourself with the best lotions and potions and give Mother Nature a helping hand with these skincare musthaves designed to fight back against the signs of ageing. From youth-boosting ingredients to wrinkle reducers, HELEN GOUGH reveals her anti-ageing arsenal.
AUTUMN HAIR TRENDS Summer has been a long one but autumn is finally upon us. Everyone’s hair has suffered some loss of condition this year with one of the hottest and longest summers we have seen for aeons in the UK. Deciding what to do with your hair next is a hot topic too. Sunlight can do some wonderful natural things to your hair so do you embrace the lighter hues or warm-up your look for the colder months ahead?? How do you translate beachy curls back to office chic, and is it time to get some structure back into your cut? For those who are choosing to rock the “just off the plane look” through autumn think of adding warmer sun kissed tones to your blonde. Choose a more glowing pallet of colour with soft gold tones even into rose, peach and pink. Team these tones with a clever placement around the face (lighter to give width and darker to frame) *Ryans tip: “If you loved it on holiday but hate it at home don’t be afraid of adding back your natural depth, leave out or add lightness in key areas and bring back the darker roots dragging them down for a really natural ‘Caroline Flack’ look. “ Brunettes really feel the heat in the sun, causing lift in reds and increased brassiness where it’s not wanted, however with some simple colour work you can be cool and shiny again! Condition without compromise (try Umberto Giannini Over Indulge for an intensive treatment) to accentuate the multi tones in your hair which gives the illusion of adding depth and also a subtle lift. Choose a semipermanent gloss, mocha’s for the deeper bases and coppers for mid to light browns to add a luminous glow. Think of it as adding lip-gloss for your hair, moisture and condition without the damage! With everyone copying celebrity styles its hard to be unique. Braver clients need to think shorter strong lines above shoulder with no angles and geometry. Sassy natural texture is key to most looks this season and by using texture dust (Umberto Giannini Powder Pouf!) and a little heat for a suggestion of a bend, your style will be on point. Pony tails are always a style winner, wearing them low and pulling some hair out around the face with some natural texture will be the trend for A/W 2018. Keep Weatherproof Curls in your handbag for touch-up’s and twirls. * Mindy’s Tip Still confused? For an in-depth personalised consultation free of charge, don’t hesitate to call the salon and meet with one of our specialists who will be happy to talk you through any colour or style transition. Find out more at www.umbertogiannini.com
La Mer’s The Renewal Oil, £170, is infused with Miracle Broth - the legendary sea-blend at the heart of La Mer – and sea-sourced actives to help renew and energise your skin.
For maximum results with minimal irritation, try Peter Thomas Roth’s Retinol Fusion PM, £52. It gently exfoliates while you sleep enhancing tone and texture. Infused with vitamins C and E, this moisturising formula suits all skin types.
Estée Lauder’s Revitalizing Supreme Global Anti-Ageing Crème, £63, answers your face’s changing needs with its highly effective, naturally based IntuiGen Technology™ designed to stimulate and revitalise your skin.
Designed for all skin types, Premier Cru The Cream, £90, from Caudalie, is enriched with hyaluronic acid and anti-ageing peptides to deliver visibly younger skin. It works to target wrinkles, dark spots and loss of firmness.
A triple-action flash radiance serum with an immediate lift effect; Rodial’s Pink Diamond Instant Lifting Serum, £120, is a powerful cocktail of agedefying enzymes, proteins and vitamin C to even tone and brighten the complexion.
Products featured are available from the Beauty Hall at Harvey Nichols Birmingham or online at harveynichols.com dluxe-magazine.co.uk 27
STYLE.
A Nip and Tuck to Cosmetic Surgery How many of us can confidently look in the bathroom mirror without wishing something was tighter, smoother or more pert? The minority of us, I bet, which is why so many people turn to cosmetic procedures to give them back some of that lost vitality and youthful looks that we all wished we’d been grateful for twenty years ago. One Leicester surgeon has launched a brand new website – www.my-cosmeticsurgery.com – which matches your cosmetic needs with the best, highest-qualified surgeons in the industry – meaning that you get the right results for you, on your doorstep. Dluxe LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND caught up with Mr Sankar to find out more… What is your area of specialism? Even though I am broadly trained in most of the plastic surgical procedures, I concentrate mostly in breast and body contouring procedures. I also specialise in non-surgical cosmetic treatments including laser treatments. Tell us about your new business venture My Cosmetic surgery clinic is a web portal that will bring well known cosmetic surgeons from around various part of the country under one roof. This will enable patients to choose the appropriate surgeon closer to their home, so that they can undergo safe cosmetic surgery procedures at their local private hospitals. What makes this idea so unique?
Tell us about you. I am a consultant Plastic & Cosmetic Surgeon. I am the lead Plastic Surgeon and the Founder of the Plastic Surgery department at Kettering General NHS Foundation Trust. I also undertake private work at Nuffield Hospital, Leicester; Woodland Hospital, Kettering and SK:N Clinic, Leicester. I have lived in Leicester for nearly 20 years. What do you do there? At the NHS, I carry out reconstructive surgery following breast cancer and skin cancer, along with minor plastic surgery procedures for children. In the private hospitals I carry out predominately cosmetic surgery procedures like breast enhancement, breast reductions, liposuctions, body lift, tummy tuck, face lift, nose jobs, mole and lump removal, anti-wrinkle treatments, skin rejuvenations and laser skin treatments. When did you qualify? I completed my undergraduation MBBS in 1989. After my training in general surgery and plastic surgery, I completed my plastic surgery FRCS in 2006. 28 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
The concept is not new but unique in that it brings together plastic surgeons who are highly trained, fellows of the Royal College of surgeons and who are also registered with GMC in the Plastic Surgery specialist register. The surgeons will be working closer to the patient’s home town and at their local private hospital. Patients can see the surgeon at the very next available appointment slot. What will it mean to someone looking for advice or finding the best surgeon for their area of concern? The portal will give them an opportunity to look for surgeons who are well qualified specialist in their local area. There will be a surgeon available in cases of complex issues and patients will benefit by getting opinions from more than one surgeon at any given time. If the surgeon is away and a patient needs urgent support, there will be someone available to support them What inspired you to launch this service? I have seen a number of patients going abroad for cosmetic surgery and comng back home with complications. No one wants to know or treat them, this is due to two factors: 1.
Unethical web marketing
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Cheaper prices
Through our web portal, patients will be provided safe and satisfactory surgical procedures according to their needs and their suitability. Our aim is to provide high quality procedures at affordable prices, nearer to home with the surgeon of their choice. What advice would you give people interested in finding a cosmetic surgeon? Look for an appropriately qualified surgeon by the web search or by ringing your local private hospital for advice. You can always ring us for advice. Make sure the surgeon is registered with GMC and in the specialist register for Plastic surgery. If possible speak to your GP or someone who has had cosmetic surgery. Never sign-up to have surgery at the very first consultation; make sure you have done your research on the procedure you are planning to undergo. I’d also advise that you request that the Surgeon send a copy of the letter to you with details of discussion. Finally, please try and avoid having surgery in a rush. That’s when corners are cut and bad decisions can be made. What are the most popular procedures you undertake? Breast augmentation, Breast reductions, Tummy Tuck, Liposuction. Body contouring procedures and Non-surgical cosmetic treatments and lasers. What are the main trends affecting the cosmetic surgery industry? Are they inspired by TV and celebrities? Nowadays, patients are influenced from what they see in social media like Instagram and Facebook. Peer pressure and celebrity endorsements. How do people get in touch if they’re interested? Patients can contact me directly by phoning or messaging me on 07974 686 133 or by Calling my PA Lara 07340557949 If you prefer you can email; cosmetic. plasticsurgeon@gmail.com or visit my website www.my-cosmeticsurgery.com
Breast Augmentation Breast Reduction Breast Uplift
Nose Reshaping Browlift Thread Lift Anti-Wrinkle
Abdominoplasty Arm Reduction Thigh Reduction
Upper Eyelid Reduction Lower Eyelid Reduction Face Lift Mini Face Lift
Treatments and Fillers Skin Lesions Skin Cancer Management
Labial Reduction Liposuction Laser Jet Bodyjet
www.my-cosmeticsurgery.com Call 07974686133 or email: cosmetic.plasticsurgeon@gmail.com
STYLE.
STREET STYLE THE DLUXE STYLE TEAM HAVE BEEN SEARCHING THE STREETS FOR THIS SEASON’S HOTTEST LOOKS.
While on the lookout, they’ve discovered the amazing PLUS app from Highcross Leicester, that helps you find your perfect outfit essentials or snap up that must have piece you’ve spotted anywhere simply by taking a quick pic! Solving your shopping dilemmas, the Style Seeker function matches your pic to the same or similar item available from the shopping centre meaning you’ll never miss out on the hottest looks – it’s great for those looking to colour match too! Try it for yourself - search for Highcross PLUS in your app store and scan our Street Style pics to steal our style!
AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD FOR FREE FROM THE ITUNES APP STORE AND GOOGLE PLAY STORE
Alex @ JOhn Lewis
I’ve really enjoyed spending time in Brighton this summer. My style icon is a classic Bridget Bardot and the last album I downloaded was Kids See Ghosts.
Charlene & abhishel @ all saints
A highlight of both of our summer’s has been the Notting Hill Carnival; what an atmosphere! As for style icons it would have to be Janet Jackson and Will Smith.
christie I had a great holiday in Great Yarmouth this year- my style icon is me and in five years time I want to be retired!
DOWNLOAD THE highcross PLUS APP FROM THE APP STORE OR GOOGLE PLAY 30 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
WIN
Win sim £100 High ply dow gift card cro nlo ente ss PLUS ad the r t a h p e usin g th compe p, and DLu e secret tition xeLP code LU
S
thomas @ luke
EMMA
I went across to Germany this summer - that was a definite highlight. At the moment I’m listening a lot to Bugzy Malone and as for my style icon? Lewis Hamilton.
My style icon is Rihanna. I’m listening alot to Stormzy at the moment and after holidaying in Turkey this summer I’d really like to move abroad.
LINFORD & OLIVIA @ Topman / TOPSHOP
RAVI
gabby
LINFORD: I went to an amazing wedding in Portugal this summer. My style icon is Liam Payne.
I got to see Beyonce this summer - I’m a singer so it was really inspiring. My style icon is Karl Willet.
I went across to Gran Canaria this summer and had an amazing time. The last album I downloaded was SZA and my style icon is Rihanna.
JO @ JOHN LEWIS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAULMORGAN.COM
In five years time I want to have moved and be living in Sitges, Spain. As for my style icon? David Beckham of course!
OLIVIA: The highlight of my summer was the Leeds Festival. I love Rihanna’s style.
FOR FREE AND SCAN THE PICTURES TO UNLOCK THIS SEASON’S STYLE SECRETS
dluxe-magazine.co.uk 31
HIS STYLE. 1
GREAT
OUTDOORS Great Outdoors- hiking boots and backpacks? Check. Brown in Town? Check. Tweeds and Checks? Check Check. 32 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
GROOMING:
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A FRESH START
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Over the summer your face accumulates a build-up of grime from suntan oil and sweat, so investing in a great cleanser is must. LISA PIDDINGTON reveals her essentials for squeaky clean skin. 4
1: Elemis deep cleanse facial wash, £22.50: The ultimate daily cleansing solution; this fast-acting gel formula contains spearmint, peppermint and oak bark in a milk protein base. It loosens and removes dirt and grime leaving skin squeaky clean and thoroughly refreshed.
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2: FOREO Luna™ 2 For Men, £169: Love your gadgets? Then this beauty’s for you! Utilising an enhanced T-Sonic™ facial-cleansing and anti-ageing system it’s designed for an even more effective cleanse that preps your skin for the smoothest shave. 6
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3: Skin Laundry Skin Purifying Cream Cleanser, £20: Containing a whole host of active ingredients – including aloe barbadensis leaf juice, meadowfoam seed oil and panthenol – it cleans and hydrates dry skin as it melts away dirt and impurities. This formula leaves skin clean, fresh and comfortable, but never dry.
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4: House 99 Purefectly Clean Face Wash, £17: This daily face wash cleanses, purifies and helps clear clogged pores. Its ultra-fresh effect leaves you feeling fresh, smooth and revitalised while the charcoal-enriched gel with peppermint extract is your sure-fire route to clearer looking skin.
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5: Pestle & Mortar Renew Cleanser, £34: Formulated with superoxide dismutase and papaya and mango enzymes, this lightweight cleansing gel leaves skin bright, hydrated and glowing. The fermented ingredients also ensure that it’s is effective for sensitive and dry skin too. 10
1. Beacon Quilted Coat, £99.95, Barbour. 2. Bobble Hat, £14, Burton. 3. Timbeland Boots £115 Dune. 4. Camo Blur Montana Bag, £39.99, Superdry. 5. Mustard Jumper, £16, F&F Tesco, 6. D Nobble Bobble Hat, £15, Dune. 7. Bakerboy Cap, £15, River Island, 8. Sand Shirt, £70, Luke 1977, 9. Quilted Gillet, £48, Next. 10. Hiking Boot, £85, Office.
6: Estée Lauder Nutritious MicroAlgae Cleansing Bar, £20: Raise the bar on your daily cleansing routine; crafted in Japan with a coldprocessed, nutrient-dense algae blend, it helps dissolve impurities and keep pores clear leaving you with a natural, healthy-looking glow.
dluxe-magazine.co.uk 33
HIS STYLE.
THE CASUALWEAR: EDIT 1
While dressing for work may be relatively easy – suit, check; white shirt, check; patterned tie, check – many men struggle with the idea of weekend casual. So rather than relying on those trusty sweat pants and well-worn tees, we asked the Menswear team from HARVEY NICHOLS BIRMINGHAM to reveal their new season must-haves. Think classic fits, deconstructed tailoring, fail-safe shades and comfort-first fabrics with a ‘wear me anywhere’ appeal. 5
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1: Belstaff Redenhall quilted shell jacket, £350. 2: Dsquared2 jogging trousers, £260. 3: Fendi Monster appliquéd backpack, £1,350. 4: Fendi Monster skate shoes, £535. 5: Givenchy Urban Street trainers, £450.6: Kenzo tiger-embroidered sweatshirt, £215. 7: Nudie Jeans Long John slim-leg jeans, £95. 8: Polo Ralph Lauren appliquéd T-shirt, £60. 9: Solid Homme mélange sweatshirt, £210. 10: Stone Island hooded sweatshirt, £230.
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FILL YOUR QUIET TIME WITH PITCH PERFECT SOUND One of my earliest childhood memories is of my father, laid down behind the sofa, headphones on and listening to the songs of his youth at full blast, no doubt desperately trying to block out the chaos of children around him. We all knew better than to disturb him during this ‘me time’ moment or to ever touch or tamper with his beloved headphones. The make of them? Denon, of course. One of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-quality home entertainment products, Denon, have launched a new set of supremely stylish, meticulously engineered headphones that I’m sure my Dad would have been adding to his Christmas list: the striking AH-D5200. Contemporarily crafted from carefully selected real woods and metals and incorporating proprietary 34 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
Denon technologies, the elegant new headphones draw on a 50-year legacy of class-leading headphone engineering to deliver exceptional sound either on the move or at home. Producing the purest possible sound, one that is both detailed and accurate, the AH-D5200 headphones use the natural acoustic properties of their zebrawood housing to help reduce unwanted resonances. The finest materials are used to cancel out unwanted distortion in the diaphragm including vibration-reducing engineering resin baffles and soft, compliant surround materials to deliver the cleanest sound possible. Perfect for that quiet moment… The AH-D5200 costs £549 and is available now through authorised Denon retailers.
THIS AUTUMN
FALL INTO A BOOK
But why wait? Sometimes, as he says, “there is no room for truth”; what’s needed is wisdom and compassion. A great read. In a similar vein Margareta Magnusson has written a thought provoking book entitled The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. Dostadning, or the art of death cleaning is a Swedish phenomenon by which the elderly and their families set their affairs in order. But when reading the book, we wondered why wait? With the complications and stresses of life, isn’t it all too often that we let things fester and remain unresolved. This delightful book may well provide the impetus for change. Which brings us to Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker. If ever there is a book for stress heads to read, then this is it. Walker, a neuroscientist, shows us how a good night’s sleep (this is what our grandmothers told us after all) can make us cleverer, more attractive (!), slimmer (!), happier and ultimately live longer. It’s a beautiful book; easy to read and one where you question why you did not know all of this stuff sooner.
Almost every expert on health and wellbeing talks about the need to find some time for ourselves. A quiet moment of peace and solitude. A moment or two to simply read a book. Not a contract nor a work report. But a moment to stop thinking about work, to relax and read. Whilst he is not offering you a Richard and Judy bookclub, Jason Hadden suggests a few, good books to see you through the Autumn... James Bond is the ultimate escape read: what more do you want from a great spy story? Anthony Horowitz has taken over the mantle yet again from the great Ian Fleming to create a rather good sequel to Casino Royale, called Forever and A Day. This is Bond at the very beginning where Bond earns his licence to kill. It’s fun, it’s exciting; well it's Bond isn’t it. And
from one great read to another. Harlan Coben offers us in Don’t Let Go, Detective Napoleon “Nap” Dumas (such great names!)in a murder mystery with romance, history and twist. Fifteen years ago, in a small-town, a teenage boy and girl were found dead. A suicide pact or murder? Well, that much is pretty obvious really. It’s a fun, easy to read escapist yarn. Waiting for the Last Bus by Richard Holloway The perfect book when reflecting on life, work and what it’s all about. Written by the former bishop of Edinburgh it considers old age as an opportunity for self-examination.
I have decided to leave you with two thrillers. The first is the great Belgian detective (he is not French) Hercule Poirot back in a new mystery written by Sophie Hannah entitled The Mystery of Three Quarters. It’s simply a beautiful read. Poirot returns home from lunch to find an angry woman waiting outside his front door, demanding to know why he has sent her a letter accusing her of the murder of Barnabas Pandy, a man she has neither heard of nor ever met.It a great yarn. And from one murder to another, The Death of Mrs Westaway by Ruth Ware is a real page turning thriller. Another letter and another murder. Seaside fortune tellers, turning up at a stranger’s funeral and looking for some fast cash. What more do you want from a novel? dluxe-magazine.co.uk 35
MOTORS.
GENERATION
As American as apple pie, the Jeep Wrangler has always been a symbol of adventure, style and rebellion. The new generation of the iconic Jeep Wrangler, launching this autumn, promises to keep true to this spirit whilst offering superior levels of comfort and better driving dynamics for a fresh chapter in the legendary history of the Jeep brand, a story which began in 1941.
Part of pop culture since, well, pop culture began, the Wrangler has been completely renewed while remaining true to its essence, offering legendary offroad capabilities, authentic Jeep styling and advanced technology features. The result is the most capable Wrangler ever. The fourth generation Jeep Wrangler is offered in three different trim levels: Sport, Sahara and Rubicon – all available in two- or four-door configuration, and in an all-new Overland pack, exclusively 36 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
on the Sahara version, ensuring a more up-scale appearance.
Depending on the trim, the range features two advanced four-wheel drive, active, on-demand full time systems - Command-Trac and Rock Trac, plus Tru-Lock electric front- and rear-axle lockers, Trac-Lok limited slip differential and electronic front sway-bar disconnect to rival the best from Range Rover. From the roughest terrain to more exclusive city streets, the Wrangler feels at home. The design has been subtly freshened whilst retaining traditional Jeep design cues: from the round headlights to the sevenslot grille; from the trapezoidal wheel arches to the visible hinges; from the folding windshield to the sport bar along with changes including a lowered beltline with larger windows offering
better outward visibility. There’s also more open-air freedom thanks to the removable doors and multiple open-air configurations hanks to hard top or soft top options enabling you to take your Jeep experience back to basics. The windshield is tilted to an optimal degree to improve aerodynamics and features a new four bolt design at the top of the windshield’s frame to allow the windshield to fold down quickly and easily. The new header bar now connects the A-pillars and remains in place even when the windshield is folded down. This allows the rear-view mirror to remain in place even when the windshield has been folded away. Features like the traditional folding windscreen make the Jeep Wrangler such a distinctive offering on today’s forecourts and Jeep are describing the
2WD and 4WD High range at speed up to 72km/h. In normal driving conditions, Command-Trac operates in two-wheel drive (2WD) and transfers 100 percent of engine torque to the rear axle but by shifting the dedicated lever to the 4WD High position, the driver can switch to four-wheel drive mode ideal when driving on slippery surfaces, such as sand, mud, snow or ice.
JEEP
Wrangler as the only authentic full openair 4x4 SUV available on the market. The all-new Jeep Wrangler offers various top combinations enabling customers to choose multiple configuration possibilities and open-air adventures. The all-new, easy-to-use Sky One-Touch power top lets occupants retract the full-length open canvas roof with a push of a button whilst a new Zipper-less soft top and a lighter and easy-to-use threepanel hard top offer the full open-air experience. Ensuring the Wrangler stays an authentic off roader has been important to Jeep. Engineered to master the most challenging off-road tracks, the Wrangler is the result of more than seventy-five years of leadership in the development of 4x4 systems. The new shift on the fly technology allows for shifting between
The Rock-Trac 4x4 system, fitted on Rubicon models, features a two-speed transfer case with 4.0:1 low-range gear ratio and front and rear heavy-duty next-generation Dana 44 axles and Tru-Lok electric front- and rear-axle lockers to tackle the most extreme offroad trails. The standard equipment also includes a front and rear axle ratio of 4.10 for the petrol models and 3.73 for the diesel versions, Tru-Lok electric front- and rear-axle lockers to tackle the most extreme off-road trails. Inside the Wrangler benefits from the high-level toys from parent company Fiat’s Alfa Romeo and Lancia parts bin as well the company’s Uconnect touchscreen infotainment system. There’s a higher level of quality on display than on previous models. As with the exterior, the interior combines design cues such as horizontal design and centre stack with high level finishes and 7 inch Led display panel that’s bolted into place with real bolts to highlight the tough construction methods. There’s also a host of clever storage solutions with durable mesh pockets that extend the entire length of the doors, cup holders and numerous phone storage areas. The glove box is now damped and, like the centre console, can be locked to safely secure valuables when the top is down. An under-floor storage area behind the rear seat provides room to secure small items out of sight. The interior is entirely washable and is even supplied with a protective rubber cover for the infotainment system screen, that allows easy clean up and complete peace of mind.
On the road, the suspension has been tuned to optimize on-road handling and ride comfort without sacrificing offroad capability and there are two new powertrains available; a new 2.2-litre MultiJet II turbo diesel engine and 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine delivering 272bhp both mates to an eight-speed automatic transmission. There’s also a host of safety equipment too including Blind-Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path detection, front and rear Park assist, rear backup camera with dynamic grid lines, electronic stability control (ESC) with ERM (Electronic Roll Mitigation). Prices for the new Jeep Wrangler are yet to be announced but the order book is said to be opening soon with Jeep UK apparently pushing for larger numbers due to prospective customer demand. Register your interest and find out more at www.jeep.co.uk dluxe-magazine.co.uk 37
LIVING.
autumn interior style
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MID-CENTURY MUSE The Mid-Century aesthetic never truly goes out of style, but in autumn, we’re anticipating that it will be especially big, since it immediately evokes a strong, classic style, while still being a perfect cosy palette to build on. Layering patterned, geometric rugs adds visual interest to the home while also upping comfort levels. And an easy way to get the look is to look for furniture that have strong lines, especially in brass and wood, such as an elegant coffee table or sofa.
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We’ll also see the quality of light change from the brightness of summer to the softer tones of autumn. Work with this and use warmer tones in the home, with tan and ochre being great options that will set the mood without being overwhelming.
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EMBRACE NATURE
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Summer may have been the season of all things tropical, with palm and leaf motifs dominating, but in autumn, natural elements and texture are still key towards creating an inviting and visually exciting atmosphere.
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Perennial plants offer a fresh, natural take as decor and table centrepieces. While green plants are always a fool-proof way to embrace an organic look, plants with red, brown and orange hues will lend a lovely, seasonal twist to your autumn display.
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And if you love the look of wallpaper - stick to it, just adapt. Green themes can still be front and centre, but in different tones. Swap out the brighter greens for a more lush, emerald take, or darker, moody florals. 14 15 12 16
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dluxe-magazine.co.uk 39
LIVING.
JEWEL JOY
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Add sophistication with glamorous jewel tones. Speaking of emerald - when applied to decor and furniture, jewel tones add a touch of elegance and cosiness to any room. Their more dramatic hues also make them ideal transitional shades for autumn. Colours like teal, eggplant and sapphire blue are having a major moment, and autumn is the perfect season to fully experiment with these shades. Not only do they introduce a bold pop of colour to the space, they also add depth and comfort.
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Metallic and glossy finishes play up the fun and elegance of these rich colours, offering a contrast and adding light to the space. 23 20 24
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GREY DAYS What’s new then we hear you say? Yes grey has become a staple of interior design over the last few years simply because it looks so darn good! A bit of dark grey paint makes everything look stylish; especially in ultra flat matte finishes. 26
The trend is evelving for 2018 into layering diferent shades of grey on top of each other. Tone and texture are dynamically linked and mixing up some chunky knit, rough hessian and shimmering silks is sure to give the look depth. Get painting. Again. 28
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27 29 1.Eden Table and Leon Chair from £249 Furniture Choice Ltd2. Gold Luxe Round Drinks Trolley, £218, www.audenza.com, 3. Scalloped Velvet Armchair, £835, www.audenza.com, 4. Bohemia Moroccan Pouffe Teal, £126, www.bohemiadesign.com. 5. Orion Geometric Tripod Table Lamp, Black And Copper, 49, Cult Furniture. 6. Bloomingville Geometric Glass Vase, Grey, £24, Cult Furniture. 7. Texture Multi Circle Art Print Framed Poster, Black and Blue, A2, £30, Cult Furniture. 8. Geometric Rectangular Cushion Cover – Mustard, £15, Dekoria.co.uk. 9. Deva Velvet Cushion in Orange, £59, Abode Living. 10. Deva Velvet Cushion in Navy, £59, Abode Living. 11. SEQUOIA CENTER TABLE, £POA, brabbu.com. 12. Gold Foil Palm Leaf Paper Plates, Pack of 8, £5.25, Candle & Cake Ltd. 13. Pineapple Rust Finish Candlestick, £19.99, Ian Snow Ltd. 14. The Forest Trees - Wall Art Print, £5, www.abstracthouse.com. 15. STAR Vintage Light Bulb Symbol, Price: £265.50, Alexander & Pearl. 16. Cult Living Penelope Accent Chair, Fabric Upholstered, Green Leaf, £129, Cult Furniture. 17. Cynthia Table Lamp With Emerald Blown Glass, £150 With With 30cm Tall Tapered Shade In Jade Taj Silk, £45, www.pooky.com. 18. Jewel Rug Sky Rose, £POA, Sonya Winner Studio. 19. Jewel Glass Vase, Amethyst £21.50, www.audenza.com. 20. Malachite Marble Cushion, £125, www.penelopehope. com. 22. Arthouse Teal Sequin Cushion, £18, ARTHOUSEEmail address: hollie@audenza.com, 23. Eichholtz Le Sereno Mirror, £890, Sweetpea & Willow. 24. Chapelle Bergère Armchair, £POA, www.oficinainglesa. com. 25. Agate Stone Bookends Teal Pair, £24.95, www.hurnandhurn.com. 26. Grey Mouse Lamp Laying, £63, Beaumonde, 27. Nude - Memento Mori Glass Skull Ornament Copper, £64, Hurn & Hurn. 28. Super Soft Reversible Throw - Earl Grey, £125, Tolly McRae, 29. Harrington Saloon Grey, £1305.25, Darlings of Chelsea. 30. Angled Desk Table Lamp - Matte Grey, £50, Hurn & Hurn
40 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
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TRAVEL.
The best autumn b IF IT ALREADY SEEMS LIKE YOUR SUMMER HOLIDAY WAS A DISTANT MEMORY, NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO START PLANNING YOUR NEXT GETAWAY. AUTUMN IS AN IDEAL TIME TO TAKE YOURSELF OFF FOR A MINI BREAK OR LONG WEEKEND AND MAKE THE MOST OF THE LAST FEW RAYS OF SUNSHINE. EUROPEAN CITY BREAKS ACROSS SPAIN AND GERMANY ARE ONLY A SHORT PLANE JOURNEY FROM BIRMINGHAM, OR IF YOU’D RATHER A BREAK SLIGHTLY FURTHER AFIELD, THE MIDDLE EAST HAS SOME GREAT OPTIONS. IF YOU’D LIKE TO STAY CLOSE TO HOME, EDINBURGH AND BELFAST ARE WORTH CONSIDERING FOR A UK BREAK.
SUN, SEA AND SANGRIA IN SPAIN MADRID
The summer heat in Madrid is intense, so a stay in Autumn might be more comfortable. Locals and tourists alike flock to the city’s public parks to enjoy the year-round sunny days. You can’t miss Retiro Park, a massive former royal garden that now has a boating lake and fountains. Foodies will revel in Madrid’s tapas culture. The La Latina neighbourhood is famous for its tapas bars, so plan to sample plates of patatas bravas and gambas al ajillo from as many as you can. It’s perfect for a culture-rich long weekend or a holiday, with lively atmosphere, food, music that goes long into the night.
PALMA
Mallorca is fondly termed ‘the star of the Mediterranean’. Palma, its capital, with its pavement cafes, boulevards and grand architecture is the jewel in the crown. Palma is a fabulous place for shopping with its many boutiques and shopping streets of Placa Mayor, Placa Mercat and Placa Cort-which without doubt is Palma de Mallorca’s greatest treasure. It is a 42dluxe-magazine.co.uk
delightful place for exploring the island’s many gold and white beaches. Also, Palma’s old town is an appealing maze of narrow streets that are a must to explore on foot. You could spend weeks in the city alone- and still discover the fresh joys that the city brings!
SPECIAL FEATURE
breaks
HANNOVER
Understated, but just as charming as the other German cities, Hannover offers a laid-back vibe much-loved by ramblers and cyclists who explore the meadowlands along the River Leine. Popular with culture vultures, the city has an impressive choice of theatres offering opera, musicals, ballets and cabaret shows. The exceptional Baroque Herrenhäuser Gärten, the constructed Lake Maschsee and the Eilenriede, Europe’s largest urban forest, are all close at hand- where the first appearances might knock you off your feet.
BERLIN
Since the fall of the wall, Berlin has fast become a cultural and creative centre of Europe. Autumn is a great time to visit thanks to the city’s many beautiful gardens and parks. With sights including the Reichstag, Alexanderplatz and Checkpoint Charlie, the central Mitte neighbourhood is a must-visit. Berlin is multicultural metropolis where locals follow the motto of ‘live and let live’ and emphasise on creative lifestyle where drinking is a religious rite. The vibrant culture, tangible history and the exotic food keeps the city alive at all times. If you’re visiting closer to Christmas, the Berliner Weihnachtszeit is one of the most famous Christmas markets and well worth a wander around to pick up some local gifts and delicacies.
SCENERY, HISTORY AND WHISKY IN THE UK CULTURE, ARTS AND BEER IN GERMANY MUNICH
Although best known for Oktoberfest, the Bavarian capital shouldn’t be ruled out as a city break destination worthy of a visit during the rest of the year too. Known as the ‘city of art and beer’, Munich boasts six major breweries meaning you can be sure to enjoy a good tankard at whatever time of day you fancy. Munich’s various quirks, make the city the place it is- whether it be the oompah band, the Bavarians outrageous dialect, the mad hat traditions of the Oktoberfest or the surfers on the Eisbach wave- when you are there you will surely discover the unpredictable aspect of Munich every day. For a slice of culture, visit Kunstareal, Munich’s art quarter, home to many museums and art galleries.
EDINBURGH
Edinburgh is a city perched atop Castle Rock and wrapped in rocky hills. The city is brimming with things to do and sights to visit. Head to Holyrood and venture up Arthur’s Seat before enjoying the view from Edinburgh Castle and whetting your whisky whistle on one of the city’s famous distillery tours. If you’re willing to push the boat out, book into the Balmoral for the night, Edinburgh’s luxury railway hotel, and dine in the Michelin-star restaurant. Edinburgh is a city that begs to be explored!
BELFAST
Named the best place to visit in 2018 by Lonely Planet, Belfast has undergone an incredible transformation in recent years so is well worth a visit if you haven’t ventured to Northern Ireland’s capital before. Voyage into the past when you visit Titanic Belfast and learn all about one of the world’s most iconic ships.
If you want to venture a little out of the city, The Giant’s Causeway is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a geological marvel made up of 40,000 interlocking rock columns created by an ancient volcanic eruption.
BEACHES, REEFS AND SPICES IN THE MIDDLE EAST MARSA ALAM
One of Egypt’s popular Red Sea destinations, offering miles of white sands, shimmering beaches and colour reefs. A perfect destination for divers, Marsa Alam has some of Egypt’s most unspoilt reefs with Elphinstone Reef being the best of the lot. Frequented with reef sharks, giant turtles and spinner dolphins, there’s a good chance you’ll see some of the marine wildlife.
DUBAI
Old Dubai is charming, especially the preserved narrow streets of Al Bastakiya, now known as the Al Fahidi Historical District. Near here is Dubai Creek, a vibrant area where the city began, full of street art, local cafes and colourful bazaars. The daring culture, extraordinary skylines, fashion, traditions and culture are opportunities that need to be explored if you are there! If you’re visiting for the first time, take in the view from the Burj Khalifa’s 124th floor observation deck, or visit the Jumeirah mosque, the most beautiful of all the mosques.
DOHA
From the sea to the desert and all that lies in between, there are lots of reasons to visit Doha. The largely wave-free coastline is a huge draw for families. Add into the mix its colourful coral reefs, salt pans bustling with wildlife, and postcard perfect islands, it’s easy to see why the Gulf is so tempting.
GETTING THERE
All destinations are directly accessible from Birmingham Airport from airlines including Qatar Airways, Emirates, Thomas Cook, Flybe, easyJet, Lufthansa, Ryanair and Jet2. Visit www.birminghamairport.co.uk for more travel inspiration and to see our full range of destinations.
TRAVEL.
DINING LA DOLCE VITA One of the great joys of traveling through Italy is discovering that it is, indeed, an idyllic destination. If you crave La Dolce Vita then the region of Toscana famed for its beauty, history, food and wine, should be on the bucket list of every foodie traveller writes Anita Champaneri. I underestimated its charm and beauty, “it can’t surely be like those photos in the glossy mags?’ But it really is. A destination that should be a romantic backdrop to many a movie love story. After a short flight from Birmingham to Pisa we were taken straight to La Bonnano Hotel, a central destination ideal for a sight-seeing base. Like most Italian provinces the province of Pisa has a strong food and wine heritage and we were on a mission to investigate them all. First stop was a traditional Tuscan lunch in the beautiful setting of the olive farm in Calci hosted by Christine Ruski whose olive oil business has been in the family since the 1700s. Red wine is a must, so there was a glass of Vino Rosso to be enjoyed at every opportunity. We had a traditional peasant meal of bread olive and tomatoes, some anti pasti and a to-die-for pannacotta that made everyone stop dead in their tracks with gasps of awe. After a tour of the olive oil making process and a visit to say hello to some friendly donkeys we headed to The Charterhouse, a former monastery, which was built in 1366 and is an impressive building with 150 rooms where the monks used to live in quiet solitude. It was also home to the Natural History Museum, which showcased an incredible display of stuffed animals and whale skeletons.
Pisa is also known for the beautiful villas along the Silk Road which are nestled in some fantastic scenery. We visited the Villa Alta, which occupies a wonderful panoramic position that overlooks Miracle Square and the sea. The insides are decorated in warm yellows with frescos adorning the walls. There are some wonderful stories behind these homes occupied by the rich, which the new owners are all too eager to tell. In particular, the love stories of the rich and ambitious. The Villa di Corliano had some even bigger stories to tell. Namely by an overbearing American woman trying to connect writer Mary Shelly and Dr Frank’s Kidney Stones! Don’t ask. It’s a beautiful building with high ceilings and impressive frescos, created by travelling artists of the time. Day two was one of my favourite days. We took a pit stop at Museo Piaggio, a museum created to highlight the legacy of the iconic Vespa scooter. Fans would love this unique collection of colourful and stylish two wheelers. But it wasn’t long before we had to scoot off to explore more breath-taking parts of Tuscan countryside. For great views of Tuscany, you need to head to the historic Castello dei Vicaro in Lari. The architecture has remained largely unchanged over the past four centuries and was the residence of the Vicario, the mayor. The views are magnificent, and you can see the entire valley of the River Arno for miles. Built on the hill of Lari, I’ve never seen anything like it, the scenery is spectacular and so utterly tranquil. Sat at the foot of the castle is the family run Martelli business, based on one of the most tranquil streets I have ever set foot on. If you have ever wondered how real pasta is made, the Martellis has been producing their own special brand since 1926. We were
taken through the process from wheat to dough, through a bronze cutter and then drying for 50 hours. Only family members work here and they are passionate about keeping up the tradition of pasta making from spaghetti to maccheroni and everything in between. They were very welcoming and we loved their yellow uniforms resembling Super Mario characters! Like most Italian provinces the province of Pisa has a strong food and wine heritage and the Torre a Cenaia Estate is one of the wine producing farms you can visit to taste some of its fine wines and beers. A picturesque estate covered in beautiful flowers we tried beer and sliced cheese and ham and took a horse carriage tour around the vast estate spotting wildlife along the way. Obviously a trip to Pisa must include the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The iconic building has actually got a bit straighter and is back to the angle it was when Galileo Galilei was dropping objects from the top to test the theory of gravity. We quickly climbed up to the top of the cylindrical building. Hard for the unfit but the impressive panorama of Pisa was a reward in itself. Next to the tower is the domed Baptistry, another grand monument with wonderful acoustics. Then there is the beautiful cathedral, with its impressive hall and 24 carat gold ceiling. Alongside this is the Monumental Cemetery, which has some marvellously graphic frescoes from Medieval times, including The Triumph of Death, depicting stories of heaven and hell to keep the populace in line. We learnt so much about Italian history here. After a visit to a working salt mine we ventured to the charming town of
Volterra which pre-dates Rome to about 7thcentury BC. It has an extraordinary medieval charm, all cobbled streets covered in scented blooms of jasmine. Here too you can enjoy some great views of the countryside. Lunch was at a traditional restaurant called Beppino, on the menu was wild boar tagliatelle, sautéed pork chops with rosemary potatoes finished with a poached pear. Dreamy. Then a stroll in the sunshine to The Fortezza Medicea, built on the highest point of the hill overlooking the town, was our next treat. From the outside it is an imposing structure and is currently a maximum security prison, with some parts open to tourists. We got to visit a small section accompanied by two guides which I didn’t realise until later were two current inmates! Then we took a short drive to the Caia Rossa estate in Riparbella, set in 15 hectares of beautiful organic vineyard and forest. This was the Italia you dream of … a beautiful sunset, the rolling hills of vineyards, the scent of rosemary, the sound of crickets from the forest… it was all so picture perfect. We learnt about their process of wine making from the resident French sommelier, Julian, and tried several varieties of wine, but it was over far too quickly. Our final day was as the Natural Park Migliarino San Rossore Massacuccoli which is one of the largest natural coastal parks in Europe. We took a horse drawn carriage taking in the wildlife, the sea and the sunshine. We potentially may have lost the tour guide’s dog but we did get comically chased by a wild boar too! Our terrific trip to Tuscany finished with our gang enjoying a gelato in the sunshine by the Leaning Tower amongst the bustling tourists. Bellisimo!
GETTING THERE Anita Champaneri travelled with Jet2.com which offers flights to Pisa from Birmingham Airport up to two times a week and also flies there from East Midlands, Leeds Bradford, Manchester and Newcastle. Fares with Jet2.com start at £49 one way or you can take a city escape with Jet2CityBreaks at the four-star Grand Hotel Bananno starting from £269 per person (based on three nights bed and breakfast, flights departing from Birmingham on July 12, 2018). To book flights visit jet2.com or for city breaks visit Jet2holidays.com/ city- breaks or call free on 0800 408 5599.
DINING.
COMFORT COOKING FOR AUTUMN Whether you’re having a bonfire party, family get together or just wanting to snuggle up with something warming this Autumn, these one pot wonders are the perfect thing.
Celery, Chorizo & Cannellini Bean Stew Serves 4-6 Ingredients:
One Pot Stovetop Mac And Cheese serves 4 Ingredients 50g butter 200g shallots, finely chopped 1-3 red chillies, chopped (to taste) 1 tbsp plain flour 400g macaroni
1 litre milk 250ml water (plus a little extra if necessary) salt and freshly ground black pepper 1-2 tsp dijon mustard (optional) 250-300g extra mature cheddar (to taste), plus extra to serve
Method: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat then add the shallots, cooking very gently for about 15 minutes until really soft but not coloured. Add the chilli and stir, cooking another minute. Stir through the flour, blending it well into the buttery shallots. Tip in the macaroni and stir well then pour in the milk and water. Season well with salt and pepper and stir through the mustard if you are using. Bring up to the boil then reduce the heat to a steady simmer. Cook for about 12-15 minutes, stirring often (just like making a risotto) until the pasta is tender and the sauce thickened. It will still be a little liquid at this stage but will thicken with resting. If it seems a little dry add a splash of extra water. Turn off the heat and allow the macaroni to rest and cool for 5 minutes. Scatter over the cheese, stirring until its melted and serve immediately. Resting the pasta before stirring through the cheese is an important step so don’t be tempted to skip it. If you add cheese to the too hot sauce you run the risk of it turning a little granular, which won’t effect the taste of you mac and cheese just the texture. 46 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
2 tbsp olive oil 6 shallots, sliced 250g chorizo, cut into 2cm slices 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tsp smoked paprika ½ head celery, each stalk cut into 3 pieces, plus a few leaves for garnish 1.5 litres chicken or vegetable stock 500g dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight in cold water 2 bay leaves Salt & freshly ground black pepper Small bunch flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped Method: Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sweat the shallots until soft and translucent but not coloured at all. Add the chorizo, turn up the heat a little and continue frying until the chorizo and shallots are lightly caramelized. Add the garlic, smoked paprika and celery and fry for a further minute before pouring in the stock. Finally add the drained beans and tuck in the bay leaves. Bring up to the boil and simmer steadily until the beans are soft and tender. This could take anything between an hour and an hour and a half depending on the dryness and age of the beans. Keep an eye on it and add a little cold water if it looks a bit dry at any stage. When the beans are cooked, stir through the flat leaf parsley and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve in deep bowls scattered with a few celery leaves.
DITCH THE DRINK Whether you’re the one in charge of the car keys or just fancy an abstemious night out, here’s the answer to what to drink when you’re not drinking. KATIE SAYERS reveals the most palatable tipples guaranteed to leave you hangover free.
3: Harvey Nichols raspberry and mint tonic water, £1.50: Created in the tiny Aberdeenshire’s parish of Pitsligo, there’s no artificial colours, flavours, sweeteners or preservatives. Tart berry fruit on the nose evokes summer scrumping, before leading to a crisp finish reminiscent of fresh mint tea.
SEED OF SOBRIETY Perhaps we’re past it but we’re weeping into our Woo Woos at the news that the average Millennial consumes just 5 units of alcohol a week – 9 units under the recommended allowance of 14. Once perceived as a rite of passage, getting smashed off a weekend is now considered, much like smoking, ‘uncool’. When we are drinking we’re reaching for something heritage with drinkers choosing to sip a craft beer in a microbrewery during a night of beard tweaking and YouTube watching rather than going out and getting mortal with the cast of Geordie Shore. Why Aye Canny Lass! So it should come as little surprise that the world’s first non-alcoholic distilled spirit has been launched. Available In three different botanically based flavours; Spice 94, Garden 108 and Grove 42, Seedlip has been championed by some of the most celebrated bartenders and Michelin starred Chefs around the globe so it can’t be all bad. What’s more it’s available locally at The Gadabout in Leicester so there’s no excuse not to give it a try sometime. Seedlip Spice 94 is a complex blend of aromatic, Jamaican All Spice Berry & Cardamom whilst Garden 108 offers a blend of hand-picked Peas & homegrown Hay and Grove 42 combines a zesty & complex blend of three types of orange & uplifting spice distillates. So maybe it is time to say to bin the bubbles and say hello to a life of never ending sobriety… sigh. www.seedlipdrinks.com
1: Fever-Tree Mediterranean tonic water, £1.75: Made with a blend of essential oils from a range of flowers, fruits and herbs from around the Mediterranean, with the highest quality quinine from the fever trees of the eastern Congo. 2: Harvey Nichols nonalcoholic sparkling Chardonnay, £10: This refreshing non-alcoholic sparkling wine is made by Maggie Beer from the juice of Chardonnay grapes. Best enjoyed chilled and served in a Champagne flute, it also makes a great alcohol-free spritzer with mineral water and crushed mint.
4: Rosemary Water sparkling water, £3.95: With just two ingredients – ethically sourced pure rosemary botanical extract and pure spring water – you’ll find no additives, sugar or artificial sweeteners. The aroma is most certainly fragrant, but the flavour is more subdued, resulting in a refreshing finish. 5: Seedlip Spice 94, £28.95: The world’s first distilled nonalcoholic spirit; this is an aromatic and earthy blend of copper-pot distillates, including allspice, cardamom and lemon. It is crafted in a similar manner to a gin, just without the alcohol, and has no added sugar or sweeteners. Perfect with tonic and a grapefruit twist.
6: Seedlip Garden 108, £28.95: The second release from Seedlip is a green and floral blend of handpicked peas and hay with spearmint, rosemary and thyme. Mix with bitter lemon or tonic; it’s the refreshing choice for a sinfree sip. 7: The London Essence Company rhubarb and cardamom soda water, £1.95: A precise blend of rhubarb and natural cardamom contributes to the rounded body and subtle vanilla aroma of this tasty soda. Cardamom distillate adds slightly spiced notes as the initial taste of sweet candied berries gives way to a dry finish. 8: Thomas & Evans No1, £3.95: Named after Mr William Thomas and Mr William Evans who produced non-alcoholic drinks during the growing temperance times of the 1880s, this captures the quality of their classic drinks for a new generation.
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DINING.
REVIEW: THE WHITE SWAN, SHAWELL
Us Leicestershire folk ‘aint half lucky you know. Within mere minutes we can be in the heart of a bustling city or in a peaceful and picturesque village which wouldn’t look out of place on top of a biscuit tin at Christmas (I grew up in the seventies!). Shawell is the latter, only 30 minutes from the city centre, and The White Swan sits just about in the middle. A traditional looking country pub from the outside and a comfortable foody haven inside, writes Lisa Delahoy. As soon as we entered, a couple of Mondays ago, a team of friendly staff welcomed us and directed us towards the bar (my reputation precedes me). There, a chalk board insisted we should try the Gabriel Boudier saffron gin with a Fever Tree Indian tonic and slice of orange. Who were we to argue? G&Ts in hand, we were guided into a large room with a high glass roof, oxblood red walls, urban/country art and tables full of chatting couples, friends, locals and regulars. We were all here to sample the new Lobster and Steak menu – I love this style of dining, I’m lazy, there was only one choice to be made and mine was medium rare! There was a gentle murmur, the lights 48 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
were soft and my nostrils twitched with anticipation as wafts escaped from the kitchen. Let the feast begin! Our waitress presented some bread and butter, not any old bread and butter you understand. This was homemade Irish soda bread and tiger bread in big chunks with pats of beef and maple syrup butter. The beef butter was salty and meaty and sat perfectly on the soda bread while the maple butter, when smeared over the tiger bread, proved sweet and comforting. Two plates arrived – A plump, savoury tempura tiger prawn balanced on top of a dollop of smooth avocado puree with a bitter frisee leaf and a sweet chilli drizzle. Our amuse-bouches not only woke up our taste buds but kicked them into gear, ready for the night ahead. Two glasses of the crisp, fruity New Zealand Sauvignon arrived to accompany the rest. The salmon and lobster ravioli swam into first place. A cluster of soft pillowy clouds of the freshest pasta loaded with a moussy mix of fish and seasoning, a sprig of tempura samphire, citrusy pickled fennel and a tangy balsamic confit tomato lined up ready for the waitress, who poured a rich and creamy shellfish bisque around the lot. Delicious. Next was the bavette steak, hand-cut fries and cafe de Paris butter. My steak was, of course, perfectly cooked, seasoned well and the butter sank into its beefy depths. The fries were a stack of crisp salty sticks which had to be
eaten with fingers resulting in lots of giggles, crunching and salty lip smacking – forks were redundant. When the sticky toffee pudding arrived the air filled with the aroma of syrupy toffee sauce and a rich buttery sponge. An absolute triumph of sweet and salt, treacle and rum accompanied by a subtle lavender ice cream on a chocolatey soil. Finally, for those of us with the stamina (I’ve been in training), the petit fours and coffee. Light and flavoursome, miniature pink peppercorn and matcha tea madeleines and salted caramels with a couple of decaf cappuccinos. We’re at that age where “caf” would keep us up until 5am! I do think you’d be extremely hard pushed to find a better meal for just £20 offering the same quality, service and surrounds. Drinks on top, of course, but what a deal.
Monday night is Steak and Lobster night. 3 courses £20
2 courses £15
The White Swan, Main Street, Shawell. Lutterworth, Leicestershire. LE17 6AG Tel. 01788 860 357 ww.whiteswanshawell.co.uk
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THE DIARY.
50 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
JUPLICITY
Is there anything Phill Jupitus hasn’t done? A DJ on BBC 6 Music, team captain on Never Mind The Buzzcocks, poet who supported Billy Bragg in the 1980s, TV and film actor, improv player, and musical star of Hairspray and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, he’s now returning to the live arena for a new stand-up tour, calling in at Loughborough Town Hall on the 19th October, in which he gets to be two people. “I have a lot of material to choose from for this tour,” says Phill about his punloving stand-up, poetry and music show, Juplicity. “The thing that really works for me is that I support myself as Porky The Poet, so he goes out and does 40 minutes to start the evening. Because of Buzzcocks and other jobs I was given, I let Porky and the poetry slide but after about a decade I came back to it and wrote new poems, often just chucking stuff out on Facebook for mates to read. Combined with the old poems, and factoring in chit-chat between them, I had about an hour of material.” With Porky’s poetry supporting the straight stand-up, he’s also got a proven track record of live music behind him from his time with the all-star Idiot Bastard Band. “The songs for this tour are now solid; all that comes from the time I was in the band with Neil Innes and Ade Edmondson. Because I’ve spent time away from touring stand-up, you get better at doing it by building the source material. For the autumn tour I’ll do two hours a night: 40 minutes poetry, quarter of an hour of songs, and the rest is stand-up.” In terms of the stand-up element, Juplicity will draw on his own life, one that Phill describes merrily as both ‘chaotic’ and ‘flaky’. “Sean Lock has a phrase, which was both inspiring and worrying, about comedians mining our own personalities for material and then in your head negotiating how much you keep back. Initially there was some resistance to me discussing things on stage about my family. One of my daughters, Molly, married her American girlfriend and emigrated there, so what you get is a starting point: gay marriage is a trope that’s very much in vogue at the minute and dovetails with what’s happening in the world with Trump and so on. As a comedian you are a person in a society within the world; all you have to do is look
at things and shift your camera angle. All comedians can do is put a wider lens on a situation so that it resonates with people.” As with many acts who take to the road for a lengthy period, the show that is conceived at the beginning might not exactly replicate the one which exists by the end. “What happens on the tour becomes added to the tour,” Phill insists. “It snowballs as it rolls down the hill of the dates. I wish I had the discipline of my comedy brothers and sisters and say ‘it’s about this!’ By the end, who knows, it could be about my love of the bridge work of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Still, that would do well in Bristol.”
“What happens on the tour becomes added to the tour” One of the trials for a comedian on the road is that endless turnaround of doing a gig, eating late, heading for the hotel, travelling the following day to the next town and repeating the process potentially for months. Phill Jupitus has worked out new routines which work better for him. “I’ve changed the tour pattern in that I now eat before the shows. I used to have lunch on the day of a show because for years I told myself that I liked the energy of being hungry: turns out, no I don’t, because you’re actually irritable. So before a show now, I have a proper knife and fork dinner, and it makes me feel like a new guy on stage. The other thing I try to do, depending on the actual geography, is travel to the next town after a gig, so I’ll wake up where I’m playing that night. Again, it’s a very different energy to what you’re doing because you’re in situ which also gives you stuff to talk about in the first ten minutes of the show. And wherever I am, I look for art galleries and museums, I’ve got a thing about record shops, bookshops, and second-hand tat shops where I might be able to find old badges.
Everywhere I go, I try to find those five things.” When Phill started off on his path in entertainment, he probably never thought he’d find himself on a stage, in lots of make-up, belting out a show tune. But that’s one of the paths he’s landed on, with large-scale touring productions such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Spamalot and Hairspray now nestling on his CV. “My agent phoned up and said, ‘there’s a casting director in the West End who wants to talk to you about being Count Fosco in The Woman In White’. I was like, ‘what! I don’t sing!’ ‘Well, they think you do’. Turns out they’d seen me do the intros round on Buzzcocks and felt I could hold a tune. So I took some training and auditioned and they said, ‘maybe not this time, but do you want to be Wilbur in Hairspray?’ I went to see it and even though I’m watching Mel Smith as Wilbur thinking, ‘yeah I could do that’, I kept looking at Michael Ball as Edna and thinking, ‘that looks like a lot of fun’.” As fate would have it, he was offered the part of Edna instead. “I was thrown into it, three months in a dress, wig and lipstick. I’d just come out of 6 Music and felt a bit adrift: ‘do I want to do stand-up again or this or that’, and then Hairspray comes along and then Spamalot comes along. As a stand-up, you don’t think, ‘this is it now’: there are always other options. That’s why there’s a little resentment about stand-ups because we’re so adaptable.” It’s hard to know exactly what’s down the next road for the ever-adaptable Mr Jupitus, but for now he’s enjoying the cut, thrust and edge-of-the-seat jeopardy that only live comedy can truly provide. “I think I’ve found a way of monetising a social dysfunction. I’ve always maintained that there’s something slightly wrong with arts and crafts types putting themselves in the most confrontational situation, which is standing in front of strangers and trying to get them onside.” Whether he’s dressed as a woman in a musical, performing poetry or doing personal stand-up, Phill Jupitus is keeping everyone on his side. www.loughboroughtownhall.co.uk dluxe-magazine.co.uk 51
THE DIARY.
THE ENGINE YARD OPENS AT BELVOIR CASTLE
September
Madama Butterfly
Memoirs Of An Asian Football Casual
26th Sept – 6th Oct at Curve Now a De Montfort University Lecturer, Memoirs of an Asian Football Casual tells the coming of age story of reformed Baby Squad member Riaz Khan.
Level 42
The popular Engine Yard retail development at Belvoir Castle was officially opened with a spectacular launch party, attended by actress and model Liz Hurley. The final retailers, including homewares specialist Margo and Plum, Jorge Artisan Foods, and the Duchess’ Gallery, as well as the luxury Belvoir Casa Spa, opened for business for the first time on Sunday. They join the existing venues which have all opened in the last few weeks to a great reception from the public including, the Idle Mole plant centre, chocolatier Cocoa Amore, premium coffee supplier Cherizena, Crafts4Kids, butcher and farm shop the Country Victualler, and The Fuel Tank café. Further plans are afoot for a country pursuits retailer stocking shooting supplies and fishing tackle, a gents’ outfitter, an antique furniture shop, and an intricately designed garden around the Engine Yard. The space will also host a ‘wellness wagon’, a restored gypsy caravan offering holistic therapies and treatments, such as palm reading and mindfulness, and the Fuel Tank café will welcome a range of pop up restaurants from leading chefs. www.engineyardbelvoir.com 52 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
6th October at Haymarket Theatre, Leicester After its successful season last year, Russian State Opera is back to delight you with an exquisite production of Madama Butterfly boasting beautiful sets and costumes which form the perfect setting for this emotional and heartbreaking story.
Xtreme Scream Park 2018
28th September – 31st October at Twinlakes Xtreme Scream Park located at Twinlakes Melton Mowbray has been voted no’1 Scream Park by Scarecon
4th October at De Montfort Hall The band are renowned for their seductive live performances and will treat audiences to hits including Digging Your Scene, It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way and their cover of Lesley Gore’s You Don’t Own Me which featured on the Dirty Dancing 1987 soundtrack.
OCTOBER
Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake
2nd - 6th October at Curve Retaining the iconic elements of the original production loved by millions around the world, Matthew Bourne and award-winning designers Lez Brotherston (Set & Costumes) and Paule Constable (Lighting) will create an exciting re-imagining of the classic production.
Cash & Carter Together
4th October at Melton Theatre ‘Cash & Carter, Together’ brings you an authentic recreation of the Johnny Cash live show, focusing on his unique collaborations with wife June Carter, and backed by a full band playing country, gospel and folk.
WHITE CHRISTMAS MADE AT CURVE IN ASSOCIATION WITH JAMIE WILSON
IRVING BERLINʼS
BASED UPON THE PARAMOUNT PICTURES FILM
WRITTEN FOR THE SCREEN BY NORMAN KRASNA, NORMAN PANAMA AND MELVIN FRANK
MUSIC AND LYRICS BY IRVING BERLIN
BOOK BY DAVID IVES AND PAUL BLAKE
ORIGINAL STAGE PRODUCTION DIRECTED BY WALTER BOBBIE PRESENTED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT WITH R&H THEATRICALS EUROPE DIRECTED BY SCENIC DESIGN BY
NIKOLAI FOSTER CHOREOGRAPHEDBY STEPHEN MEAR
VOCAL AND DANCE ORIGINAL RE-ORCHESTRATIONS BY LARRY BLANK ARRANGEMENTS BY BRUCE POMAHAC BY JASON CARR MICHAEL TAYLOR LIGHTING DESIGNBY MARK HENDERSON SOUND DESIGNBY TOM MARSHALL ORCHESTRATIONS
THE DIARY.
LEICESTER TIGERS BURLEIGHS GIN LAUNCH
Henning Wehn
Leicester Tigers players and fans celebrated the team’s recent home Gallagher Premiership win over Newcastle Falcons at an exclusive event in Leicester city centre, courtesy of club partner Burleighs. Tigers fans took over Hotel Street, Market Place Street as well as the Market Square at Burleighs 45 West, 45 St Martin’s and 45 Market Place bars following Tigers 49 – 33 victory. Tigers senior and development squads, as well as interim head coach Geordan Murphy and his coaching staff chatted to fans at the three venues, where supporters were able to collect their special edition Burleighs Leicester Tigers Gin bottles.
4th October at Loughborough Town Hall You couldn’t make it up; surely the German Comedy Ambassador Henning Wehn hasn’t bosched out yet another new show? And what’s he still doing here anyway? Well, his lack of transferable skills is what keeps him here and his belief that practise makes perfect is what keeps him going. This show is a much needed call to arms. Listen, everyone: stop pondering and hand-wringing. Instead get on your bike and put your face to the grindstone!
Tony Hadley
9th October at De Montfort Hall Following the announcement of his highly anticipated new solo album, Talking To The Moon, Tony Hadley will be touring this October. His first new studio album in a decade, Talking To The Moon signals a new chapter for the artist who defined a decade and much more.
East Midlands Food Festival
6th-7th October at The Cattle Market, Melton Mowbray Enjoy a whole host of live demonstrations in the Aga Rangemaster Cookery Theatre and roll up your sleeves and join in the activities in the popular Family, Food and Fun Zone.
Freeman
8th & 9th October @ Curve Inspired by the first man in America to plead Insanity as his defence, award-winning writer Camilla Whitehill and Strictly Arts examine the unspoken link between mental health and systemic racism.
Cilla The Musical
9th – 13th October at Curve Cilla – The Musical is a spectacular and heartwarming musical adaptation of the critically acclaimed ITV mini-series about Cilla Black, by BAFTA award winner, Jeff Pope (Philomena, Little Boy Blue).
As well as a free G&T token, fans were also able to have photos with the players, as well as sign autographs and merchandise.
Be Bop a Lula Caro Emerald
8th October at De Montfort Hall Following 5 star reviews and sold out shows across the board, the gorgeous and stylish Caro Emerald is back with a brand new live UK tour for 2018. 54 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
11th October at Haymarket Theatre, Leicester The West End smash hit comes to town starring five giants of rock’n’roll – Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, Billy Fury, Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison. . .
F est ive Celebrat ions 2 018
Christmas Party Nights £31.50 The story behind Leicester’s infamous Baby Squad is being brought to life in Curve’s latest new production; Memoirs of an Asian Football Casual, coming to Leicester from 26th September – 6th October 2018. We caught up with director Nikolai Foster and writer Riaz Khan to find out more.
So Nikolai what was Leicester’s Baby Squad? The Baby Squad were a gang of football hooligans who were allied to and supported Leicester City. When Leicester would play another team, the Baby Squad would work very hard to make sure the opposing team’s equivalent of the Baby Squad would feel very unwelcome in Leicester, which is the polite way of saying they would kick the shit out of each other. It was gang warfare built around your affiliation with a football club. The Baby Squad were not only known for their violence but also for their fashion sense and the clothes they wore. They took a real interest in style and the clothes they wore defined them as a gang. They had real pride in their appearance, in how they looked and how those clothes made them feel.
Riaz, the play is your account of growing up in the ‘80s in a strict Pakistani home in multi-cultural Leicester. What was it that drew you to be part of the casual gang culture? “For me and the other guys involved in the casual scene in Leicester, being part of a firm was always about escapism from the pressures of family, society and teenage life – you put on the clothes and became part of something but it obviously created a lot of trouble and people did get hurt.” The play explores the development of the hybrid youth culture of the time, which developed within a shocking culture of violence. Nikolai, do you think gang culture and youth culture have always gone hand in hand?
Christmas Residential Package From £280 per person
Festive Lunch Monday-Saturday (1st-22nd December) 2 course £14.95. 3 courses £17.50
Christmas Day Lunch £76.00 (Included in residential package) Children 6-11 years £38.00, under 6 £16.95 (Gift from Father Christmas for all children)
New Year’s Eve 1920’s Party Champagne canape reception 7 course dinner, Table magician, Resident D.J.
£85.00
I suppose generally speaking, yes they have. We recently presented GREASE, which is all about gang culture in America in the 1950s and that really was the beginning of youth culture. Suddenly teenagers had a bit of spare cash in their pockets, the country was becoming more affluent and young people had more freedom. In the case of GREASE, they started to define who they were, and they would move in packs with others who had similar taste in music and clothes.
Nikolai, what do you think audiences will take away with them from seeing the play? Riaz’s story is not only fascinating and makes for great theatre, but is also profoundly moving. Riaz is the first generation of his family to be born here in Leicester and the story is about the racism and horrendous abuse he suffered on a daily basis. Through the gang, he finds an identity but he also recognises that violence and life in the gang isn’t going to lead to a positive life. Through all of this journey and learning, he emerges transformed into a young Muslim and community leader, able to shape the future narrative and combat extremism. With the rise of nationalism and a general shift towards the right here in the West, his story and his past is so vitally important. Memoirs of an Asian Football Casual, is at Curve from 26th September – 6th October 2018 tickets are available now at www.curveonline.co.uk
Nr Oakham | Rutland LE15 8AB www.barnsdalehotel.co.uk
Tel: 01572 757901
DIARY.
KUKU CONNECTS THROUGH SUMMER SOIREES Simon Evans: Genius
KuKu Connect is one of Leicestershire’s top business networking services whose reputation for effectively connecting businesses in style has seen KuKu expand into Derbyshire and in Melton & Rutland with KuKu Connect Boutique. KuKu were hosted by Burleigh’s gin school, the Distiller’s Kitchen. Bruxelles played host for a cocktail garden party where the Nachural Entrepreneurship Awards were launched. In July KuKu went for a spot of cricket where Leicestershire County Cricket Club played host during a T20 match with the Leicestershire Foxes, then ending the summer at men’s grooming experts’ Everyman Barbers in August. October is KuKu Connect’s 2nd birthday, which is one of the most sought after invitations going. KuKu will celebrate across the region with an evening of business & luxury, hosted by Her Grace the Duchess of Rutland at the stunning Belvoir Castle. KuKu Connect has won a place in the heart of the business community for all the support given to local businesses and with charity organisations, so if you are a business then start connecting with KuKu. Attend a KuKu Connect Reception as a free guest: wwwkukuconnect.co.uk 56 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
11th October at Town Hall Loughborough Ever since he was a small boy, all Evans really wanted was to be recognised by the world as a man of genius. He has, until now, remained thwarted. The world seems increasingly indifferent to true genius of any kind, let alone Evans’. Endlessly distracted by the trivial, we allow the classical tools of grammar, logic and rhetoric to lie unregarded in the shed of consciousness, rusting to a picturesque hue that would actually look really great on Instagram. But which filter? Hmmm…
as Danny Boy, Carrickfergus and Shenandoah right through to more modern, contemporary acoustic music in the style of Ed Sheeran. You’ll be taken on a journey to the Celtic Otherworld, a mythological Heaven. When sinister elements threaten the paradise, the Queen of the Otherworld calls upon mortals, Emerald Storm, to save the mythical land from destruction. This is dance, singing and music at its best.
Soul II Soul
25th Oct at De Montfort Hall Iconic British band Soul II Soul are embarking on a landmark tour of the UK marking 30 years of hugely influential success, and paying tribute to their legendary debut album, Club Classics Vol 1.
Leicester Business Festival
Calendar Girls The Musical
16th – 20th Oct at De Montfort Hall Calendar Girls The Musical by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth is the award-winning production based on the true story of the Calendar Girls - a group of ordinary ladies who achieved something extraordinary. This marvellous musical comedy which received fantastic five star reviews in London’s West End now comes to De Montfort Hall.
Emerald Storm
25th Oct at Haymarket Theatre World class vocalists and stunning live instrumentalists also perform classic songs such
29th October – 9th November The region’s largest business event. With more than 10,000 attendees each year and over 150 events, the two week programme truly represents the prosperity, innovation and growth that shows Leicester and Leicestershire is the heart of UK Business.
NOVEMBER
Tom Allen: Absolutely
1st November at Town Hall, Loughborough Tom Allen’s unique style of sharp, acerbic wit and camp, riotous storytelling has seen
THIS SEASON AT THE WHITE SWAN The White Swan prides itself on serving its guests delightful, fresh food that is unforgettable in both its taste and aesthetic.
STEAK AND LOBSTER MONDAYS From September the White Swan will be opening every Monday with a new 3 Course evening set menu for £20 including lobster ravioli, steak & sticky toffee pudding!
AUTUMN WINE EVENINGS
PRIVATE CHEF
CHRISTMAS DINING
Our wine evenings, held by our wine supplier Lindsay Poole are as follows: 2nd August 2018Italian night 4th October 2018Bordeaux evening 6th December 2018Wines of Christmas
Private chef hire is now available, Rory & the team can put together a bespoke menu for you and your guests, to be served in the comfort of your own home and leave the washing up to us!
Keep an eye out for our Festive Menu (2 Courses £30, 3 Courses £35) available from 19th November. Book for a party of 10 people or more by 1st November & receive a bottle of Prosecco on us!
BOOK NOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT!
THE WHITE SWAN, MAIN STREET, SHAWELL. LE176AG TEL 01788 860357 www.whiteswanshawell.co.uk info@whiteswanshawell.co.uk
THE DIARY.
LUXURIOUS NEW INFINITY POOL AT RAGDALE HALL
him sell out shows all over the country. Due to phenomenal demand the tour has now been extended into the Autumn of 2018.
will put to Joanna questions from the audience that they’ve always wanted to ask, making the show a unique and hilarious night to remember.
Tabby McTat Les Miserables
Ragdale Hall is already one of our favourite Leicestershire locations so when we heard that the luxury health club and spa had opened a stunning new rooftop infinity pool overlooking our county’s gorgeous countryside then we had to pop along and see things for ourselves. We’re big fans of spa experiences here at dluxe LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND and Ragdale Hall is definitely one of the UK’s best. Despite it’s popularity the multimillion pound Thermal Spa and pools never feels crowded and remains a tranquil, magical space in which to unwind – our favourite place is the candle pool- we could spend all day in there alone however we did tear ourtselves away to try the new upstairs pool and were not left disappointed. The new pool is accessed via a new flight of stairs by the exercise pool which leads to a relaxing new seating area and indoor viewing terrace with the infinity pool in front. In built loungers are at the perfect height to allow you to lounge in the heated waters and enjoy the view beyond or the pool’s edge acts as a perfect resting place to chat and embrace the fresh country air.
3rd Nov – 24th Nov at Curve After nearly a decade since the last sell-out UK tour, Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed Broadway production of Boublil and Schönberg’s musical Les Misérables will open at Curve this November! This brilliant new staging has taken the world by storm and has been hailed “Les Mis for the 21st Century”. With scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo, the magnificent score of Les Misérables includes the songs; I Dreamed a Dream, On My Own, Bring Him Home, One Day More, Master Of The House and many more.
Prices start from £59 so why not visit ragdalehall.co.uk or call the friendly Reservations Team on 01664 433000 and find out which option is best for you. 58 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
Ross Noble
13th October at Loughborough Town Hall & 15th November at De Montfort Hall Ross Noble returns to dance around the stage spinning out all the nonsense in his head into a hilarious stand up show. At some point, he may wander into a shadowy part of the stage and look a bit shadowy.
How you choose to experience the sumptuous spa is completely up to you as there are around 13 different spa day experiences to choose from. From just a few hours to a full day, with or without treatments included and a choice of three course dining in the formal Dining Room or a lighter alternative in the Verandah Bar, you’re sure to find the perfect way to relax. Our favourite is perhaps the Evening Spa Experience, perfect for those with a hectic schedule! If you really want to get away from it all then why not indulge in a residential stay at Ragdale? Who wouldn’t want breakfast delivered to their room and to spend the entire time in a fluffy white robe? Packages vary so choose an arrival time to suit you, or opt for the package with your preferred inclusive treatments. You can also add in more treatments to your day, and enjoy additional treats like Ragdale’s Afternoon Tea or Champagne and canapes if you’re feeling really indulgent.
8th – 11th Nov at Curve Interwoven with original songs, Tabby McTat is the heart-warming tale of friendship and loyalty from the team behind Stick Man Live and Tiddler and Other Terrific Tales.
Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox
Joanna Lumley
6th Nov at De Montfort Hall Joanna will take audiences through her hilarious and interesting adventures from her incredible career spanning more than four decades, recounting some never heard before stories. She will also be joined on stage by friend and producer Clive Tulloh, who
26th November at De Montfort Hall Postmodern Jukebox is back.... back in Black & White! The band’s non-stop throwback carnival is on the road again with their Back in Black & White Tour. PMJ has always been about using modern media to turn back the clock to a time we always imagine in shades of black and white - simpler, more carefree, without so many mind-boggling devices and distractions, every one streaming in hi-def at any hour of the day!
BUSINESS.
THE A -Z APPROACH TO GETTING NEW CLIENTS The nine-hour flight from Seattle to London was monotonous, writes dluxe Business Editor Bart Dalton. Food, video, game, read, drink, video, try to sleep…repeat. I am not a great traveller to say the least. When will they create a teleporter so that I can just be there?
The funny thing is that I experience the same thing when it comes to building or expanding a business. People go through the same motions. They want to sell more so they start a marketing plan and then they make sure that they hire some more Business Development Managers and hire more staff as they expand build a large payroll. Most business owners would like to have a business teleporter to get them from point A to point Z without all of the hassles of getting new clients and going through the monotony of building a business brick by brick. So I went to the tool chest and gathered a number of Business Accelerators; I haven’t found the teleporter yet! Here are three things that are working for us and our clients right now. 1. You may have a face for radio but it’s time to make a movie. We are really into video. If you are on Linkedin or Facebook or any of the other social media channels right now then you know that videos are killing the proverbial radio stars right now. The algorithms on each of the platforms are really looking for you to create videos through their software. Note: you can import the video, but it doesn’t get you the ranking that you need or want as fast. When you are creating videos make them fast, fun and informational. They need to grab the attention of the viewer without the sound on. Use subtitles. Be real and have some fun. 60 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
2. A word is worth a 1000 pence.
Do you help your client through situations that they cannot do themselves, or that they don’t want to do themselves? Well its time to pick up your smartphone and record some of your thoughts. If you are not typically a person who likes doing too many things that involve thinking or effort then here is a trick to create a blog very rapidly. Record your voice on the phone or to cut out a step download a programme like Rev.com and automatically have your voice transcribed. Choose a topic that is very pertinent to you and your clients. Have some fun giving them the 5 min synopsis of why they need to pay attention. Then list out the problem. Follow it up with a solution that will take them back to a lot of time or giving you more work. Use your personality and get people on board. Once the recording is transcribed get your website team to post it up as a blog and if the recording is good enough and has decent recording quality. Let your voice and tone shine through in an audio down load of the information. If you want to get really tech geeked out then you should be able to go to a programme like lumen5 and build a slide show off the back of the blog and that will give you another video for your arsenal. 3. Chill out man. All of the tech in the world will give you too much information and lots of things that you can do all day long with no rest. So I have really found the need to make sure that I am centred when the world outside and inside is telling me that I could work one more hour. I have gone back to make sure that I can refocus the mind and make sure that I am running at a great pace without burn out. I have found these two apps to be very helpful when it comes to getting my head straight.
Headspace.com and Pacifica.com both of them do two things that really make sure that you are getting back to mental health basics. 1. 2.
Routine Giving you more YOU time.
Taking time out each day to reflect and realise what you have is an awesome thing. We do not do it enough. If you want to take it to the next level you can create a Meditation Room like Ax in Billions. I guess if it worked for him and his billionaire lifestyle then it might be ok for all of us mere mortals. Here is your extra. Create a morning routine that does not include everyone else’s news. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Stretch Breath Read Reflect Plan 3 things that you you will do to create success today.
Technology will take us to new places that we have never seen before. Not currently getting rid of the 9 hour flight from Seattle to London but with the tools that I have talked about in the article. If you have any questions about the article above or you have an idea I would love to hear from you. Email me at bdd@bartdaltonconsulting.com and look out for our Business tech conference on the 24th of October call Disruption 2018. It will be a fun look at Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and Autonomous Vehicles and how all these combined will bring about the next revolution. Have fun and safe business journeys ahead.
thousands RAISED at charity quiz
New LLEP CHAIR Over 30 Leicestershire businesses attended a charity quiz at Leicester Tigers’ Welford Road Stadium yesterday evening to support Warning Zone, a local charity that teaches children in life skills for staying safe on and offline in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. The quiz and curry night, sponsored by Bray & Bray Solicitors, raised almost £6,000 for Warning Zone. The interactive learning centre will use the money to fund the general maintenance and facilities at the charity. Pochin and Next Plc also supported the event, contributing towards the cost of food and raffle prizes for the evening. Amongst those in attendance at the quiz were Handelsbanken, Mattioli Woods, Glenfield Hospital, Cambridge & Counties, Andrew Granger & Co, Home Start, Menphys and Ideal Marketing Company. After 10 rounds were completed, the winners were named as The Woods (family), with a family team linked to warning Zone picking up the wooden spoon award. “What a great evening! To spend time with our neighbouring businesses whilst raising so much for the cause is fantastic.” explains Kelly Ferguson, a Personal Injury Associate solicitor at Bray & Bray. “We’d like to thank all of the local businesses that came to show their support for the charity. “Around 300 people attended the quiz, far greater numbers than we could have ever imagined. The money raised will help the staff and volunteers improve facilities and continue the invaluable work that they provide to thousands of local children and young people every year.” Warning Zone is located on Frog Island in Leicester city centre. As part of the project, trained professionals and volunteers educate young people on understanding risks and consequences, peer pressure, anti-social
behaviour, grooming, cyber-bullying and more. “We were delighted by the show of support for Warning Zone,” commented Richard Grudgings, Operations Manager at the charity who was also quiz master for the evening. “The quiz was hotly contested and we’d like to thank Bray & Bray, Next Plc and Pochin for their support.”
The Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership have appointed Kevin Harris, Partner at RSM UK as their new Chair. Kevin succeeds Nick Pulley, Regional Director at Santander Corporate Bank, who served as a board member for two years before becoming the LLEP Board Chair for the past four years. Nick said "Kevin has been a very valuable member of the LLEP board for over 3 years and is currently Vice Chair. He is well known and well connected in the Leicester and Leicestershire area and his interface with the business community will continue to be a great asset in this role. "Along with the existing board members and three new board members appointed in June, I know Kevin has the ability and leadership qualities to drive the LLEP onwards and upwards." Kevin said “I am delighted to be taking over as Chair of the LLEP at such an exciting time. The impact of global and domestic economic changes presents significant opportunities for Leicester and Leicestershire, given its strong entrepreneurial track record. “When combined with the diversity of the local population and its excellent central location, the city and county has much to shout about. An effective Local Industrial Strategy will be a key factor for success and I am looking forward to playing a significant role in the development and delivery of this, alongside other key initiatives.” Kevin Harris becomes LLEP Chair in addition to three new private sector LLEP board members recently announced; Chas Bishop, Chief Executive, The National Space Centre, Karen Smart, Managing Director, East Midlands Airport and Neil McGhee, Director, Sempervox. They complete the board of 15 members. dluxe-magazine.co.uk 61
BUSINESS.
Live like a millionaire at The Luxury Show
From racehorses to yachts, private member-only clubs to exotic holidays, this year’s Midlands Luxury show will be featuring some of the most exclusive and expensive items on offer from around the world. Visitors to the exclusive show, being held next month, will be given the opportunity to view and purchase some of the finest products and services that money can buy, and experience high-end living at its best. With high budgets and exclusive taste a must, The Midlands Luxury Show, which is in its third year will, once again, be taking place at Britain’s leading hotel, golf and spa resort, The Belfry, and will be showcasing the pinnacle of aspirational products and companies refined in luxury. Featuring over 45 exhibitors, along with exclusive entertainment from Elmhurst Ballet School, inspirational success speakers, a fashion show, fine wine and dining there is little excuse to not attend the popular show. For visitors with millions to spend, here are some of the top end products which will be there on the day, so you can blow your budget on some of the most luxurious items money can buy. Why not charter the most exclusive yacht in the world at £1,1 mil per week, embark on a unique two weeks cruise around Antarctica with visit to Falklands on board of a superyacht LEGEND at £400,000 a week , sail around the world on an 62 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
very special sailing catamaran at around £40,000 per week, hire the largest and most exclusive sailing yacht the world has even seen at £325,000 per week, all in a 5-star luxury, with your own highly professional crew and such facilities as helicopters, submarines, beach clubs, on board swimming pools or outdoor cinemas and private masseurs.
"The Midlands is the home to some of the luxury sector’s most incredible success stories" Enjoy the thrills of racehorse ownership with Oliver Greenall Racing who will be at the show. Shotgun Sally is the well-bred daughter of leading sire Milan and created a very good impression when winning her only start to date in an Irish Point To Point in April. She was a well-backed favourite which shows how much she is thought of, showing very good attitude when knuckling down to win by one length. Buying the horse and a whole season training will cost £50,000 plus VAT. Or how about a gold leaf cigar? The unique and luxurious Cuban Cigar has been given a dazzling facelift by Revolutionary Cigars. Their most exclusive Cigar package is the
Sir Francis Drake Cigar. The 24ct gold leaf finished Cigar is the peak of opulence, with a silky-smooth taste and medium strength, and are fit for a King. The Luxury Shows were founded by Amarjet Snehi, Managing Director of Equitrade Capital, alongside Andy Seger, owner of J&A Fine Art, and September’s show follows on from the success of the Cheshire show earlier this year. Other exhibitors over the two days will include D’Joya Fine Jewellery, Amplify, Rolls Royce Motor Cars Birmingham, Exclusive Cars, St James Place Wealth Management, Kitchen Gallery, Midlands Hot Tubs, CM Wines and Yamaha Grand Piano. Mr Snehi and Mr Seger said: “The Midlands is the home to some of the luxury sector’s most incredible success stories and these will be joined by exclusive and hand-picked superbrands from around the world. Already, we have some top names on the list to attend with some products costing hundreds of thousands of pounds, and it really is going to be oozing style and sophistication. Last year we showcased only the best of the very best in brands, and this again is the plan for September. We chose The Belfry as a location as it is not only a world-famous venue, but incredibly easily accessible from the whole of the Midlands and beyond.” To register your interest in attending the event, which starts at 10am on both days, visit www.theluxuryshow.co.uk
SPECIAL FEATURE
optimise your web presence with search marketing In 2018, your digital platforms are potentially the most cost effective ways to drive leads and sales, so building your business's presence online should be a fundamental part of your marketing. In this article, we are going to cover the 5 best ways to optimise your website in major search engines such as Google and Bing. Follow these, and you’ll be hitting those search engine top spots in no time. 1. KEYWORD OPPORTUNITIES & TARGETING The search terms you’d like to rank for in search engines may seem obvious, but how do you know whether your customers are actually searching them? When deciding what keywords will work, you’ll need a tool such as the Adword Keyword Tool or KeywordTool. They show how many times each month a customer searches a keyword, whilst recommending alternative keywords. Identify keywords with healthy search volumes that relate to your products and services and at this point, keep them realistic and specific to your services. Traditionally, the higher the search volume, the higher the competition. 2. FUNDAMENTAL SEO SIGNALS
signals for the search engines, such as Page Titles, Meta Descriptions and Headings. These should be consistent with the targeted key terms and most are easily adjusted in content management systems such as WordPress or Joomla. 3. BRAND MENTIONS - NAME, ADDRESS & PHONE NO. When it comes to SEO, you may have heard of ‘link building’. This is associated with the authority of your website and contributes to the performance of your site in major search engines. They are essentially like votes from other businesses websites. Getting quality votes from other websites can be a tricky and expensive endeavor, however, there are some good ways to do this fairly cost effectively. A NAP (Name, Address & Phone) reference is a form of link building that can help performance, especially locally. They are seen by Google and aligned with the name, address and phone number on your website. There’s some great automated tools available that will build these NAP references for you - check out Moz Local and Brightlocal. 4. BRAND BIDDING
The next step is to ensure that your website houses these keywords. You need to tell the search engines what each pages refers to, reflecting your keywords. If you offer ‘social media management’ services, you’ll need a page on your website about this. Ideally, you need a page for every target keyword, however you can group similar keywords on one page. Once you have identified which keywords to optimise on each page, you can start to think about the SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
We’ve talked about SEO and the simplest ways to improve your organic visibility. Second to this, there are the some easy ways of generating traffic via paid search such as Google Ads and Bing Ads. Most businesses will rank for their business name by default due to a relevant domain name and history - but not always. Often, their suppliers or even their competition will bid to rank for a businesses name. If you search your
businesses name on Google or Bing, you’ll be able to see if anyone is bidding on it. If so, they may be pinching traffic or selling your product through their website which will cost you more down the line. The easiest way to minimise this is to bid on your business name in Google Ads or Bing Ads. You should get a 10/10 quality score, meaning minimal costs and automatically ranking in position one. It’s worth noting that you can stop others bidding on it if you have a registered trademark and secondly, if you bidding on your brand name, you may see a reduction in branded organic traffic. 5. RE-TARGETING EXISTING TRAFFIC
Our final point is around retargeting those who have previously visited your website. When a potential customer visits, you can set a ‘cookie’ within their browser specific to their interaction on your website. This gathers information you can use to create and tailor content to re-engage them across third party websites. You may have seen this before where products follow you around websites encouraging you to return to the site and buy. For example, if a customer adds a product to the shopping basket but never completes the purchase, you can track and encourage them to return by using tools like Google Ads and Facebook. Usually, you can re-engage 5%+ of your audience this way, returning them and giving you another chance to sell your product or service and generate a sale or lead. Nick Rinylo is the managing director of Leicester based integrated digital marketing agency ASSISTED. and has been working within the digital marketing industry since 2007. Find out more at www.assisted.co.uk/ dluxe/ email info@assisted.co.uk or call 01788 288020 dluxe-magazine.co.uk 63
BUSINESS.
Leicester NEETs helped into work BY Freemasons Young people in Leicester not in employment, education or training (NEETS) are to be helped into work thanks to a £35,000 grant from the Freemasons. Around 250 young NEETs between the ages of 11-24, many of whom are also homeless, involved in substance misuse and crime, will be helped by TwentyTwenty through their Journey to Work programme over three years. These are young disadvantaged people who have failed at school, through being excluded or not being able to engage with mainstream education. They exist in a demoralised state, feeling neglected and without a meaningful future. Being able to come to TwentyTwenty they will gain not only the maths, English and employability skills they need to find and keep a good job, but also the vision and confidence to go out and get one. Young people who come to TwentyTwenty face a wide range of personal and social needs: poor physical and mental health, learning disabilities (many on the autistic spectrum), caring responsibilities (including teenage motherhood), lack of decent housing, family criminality, gross economic disadvantage, low level drug addiction and a complete lack of societal or family support.
Through intensive one to one support from a Journey to Work Coach and Tutor, the young people will undergo an eight month programme of education, life and work skills, work experience and counselling. These will prepare them for either work or further education, during which they will be supported by volunteer mentors. The grant from Leicestershire and Rutland Freemasons comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales. Mark Vyner, CEO from TwentyTwenty said: “We’re very grateful for this generous grant from Leicestershire and Rutland Freemasons, which will allow us to help hundreds of young people to turn their lives around and see a real reduction in the numbers of local people without jobs.” David Hagger from Leicestershire and Rutland Freemasons said: “We’re very pleased to be able to help TwentyTwenty who are doing outstanding work giving hope and practical help to young people who have had a terrible start in life, by breaking the cycle of worklessness.”
LEICESTER ONE OF THE UK’S Most Entrepreneurial Leicester has been announced as one of the UK’s most entrepreneurial cities thanks to its impressive business start up to population ratio. With over 9,700 companies launched this year, Instant Offices Entrepreneurial Index has shown the city making a significant contribution to entrepreneurialism in the UK beating cities such as Nottingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Bristol, Coventry Brighton, Leeds and Cardiff. Instant’s Entrepreneurial Index ranks the UK’s leading cities by analysing Companies House data and comparing average population in each city with the number of businesses launched there year on year. 64 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
4
ways your phone system can be used to assess business performance
Informed business decisions rely on having accurate, timely information to hand. Your finance, sales and support teams are probably already giving you this information, but does it give you the full picture about what is actually going on? One valuable source of insight to support these metrics is your business telephone system. By gaining access to valuable data about the use of your telephone system, you can accurately assess business performance in terms of customer service delivery, sales and potential areas of missed opportunity, which will all help with future strategic planning. Here are 4 ways your phone system can be used to assess your business performance: 1. HAVE CALLS BEEN ANSWERED? The ultimate goal for any business should be to ensure that all incoming calls are answered. This is obviously not possible ALL the time so
provisions should be made to service the calls which can’t be answered – with Voicemail for example. 2. HOW LONG UNTIL A CALL IS ANSWERED? Rather than putting calls through to a mailbox, some businesses may choose to put calls in a queue until someone is available to answer. Make sure the waiting time is kept to a minimum to avoid the call being abandoned. Being able to see these statistics in real time allows you to see a number of useful metrics including: • Average call waiting time • Call abandonment rates • Average call duration 3. HOW MANY CALLS WERE LOST? Potential business shouldn’t be lost because of a missed call. Call reporting tools can help you see which calls were abandoned/missed with telephone numbers so you can call back and follow up on the reason for their call.
4. HOW SUCCESSFUL ARE MARKETING CAMPAIGNS? The success of a marketing campaign will always come down to the number of leads that were generated. A good phone system will allow you to advertise different numbers (even if you’re not physically based there!) so you can portray a local presence or “tag” incoming calls using a specific code. The number of enquiries from these numbers/tags can then be used to calculate the overall success of the marketing campaign by giving a complete view of the responses and conversions. THINGS TO CONSIDER: Staying with your existing traditional phone system could be putting your business at a significant disadvantage. Without access to valuable call reporting facilities gained with alternative solutions, making effective operational decisions to improve business performance is much more difficult. By using a hosted (or Cloud based) phone system you can gain valuable insight about customer communications including: • Better planning for resource allocation • Assisting with budgeting for future peaks in demand • Improving the levels of customer service provided • Helping to understand marketing campaign success • Delivering additional insight that will help inform future business strategy If you would like to discuss how you could make improvements to your communications system, call Dalycom on 01509 410 410 to arrange a free consultation.
SEMINAR
Understanding Residential Care Fees & Powers of Attorney Free practical & legal advice With an ever increasing elderly population, it is vital to understand what the consequences would be if you had to move into nursing or residential care in the future and whether there are steps you can take now to protect yourself and your family. Nelsons Solicitors are holding a free seminar which will cover the key points to consider, including: • What will happen if I have to go into residential or nursing care? • Will my house have to be sold? • Can I protect my assets from care fees? • Lasting Powers of Attorney for Property and Financial Affairs
• Lasting Powers of Attorney for Health and Welfare • Advance Directives and Living Wills The seminar will take place on Wednesday 7th November from 10.00am until 11.30am at our Leicester office on New Walk. If you would like to book a place, please contact Zoe Sadler on
0800 024 1976 or email Zoe.Sadler@nelsonslaw.co.uk Further details can be found on our website www.nelsonslaw.co.uk
Nelsons Solicitors Limited Provincial House, 37 New Walk Leicester LE1 6TU
945_dluxe_mag_seminar_ad.indd 1
14/08/2018 12:31
HOROSCOPES.
Written in the Stars with CELEBRITY Astrologer Russell Grant To find out more or to arrange a personal reading, visit www.russellgrant.com
ARIES (March 21st-April 20th)
The New Moon on the 9th October puts strain on a close relationship. Just when you thought you were making a breakthrough with a romantic or business partner, an argument breaks out. Things are getting serious on the romantic front in early November. A supportive New Moon on the 7th November makes it a great time to let down your defences with someone who has demonstrated their loyalty. You might decide to move in together or even get engaged or married.
TAURUS (April 21st-May 21st)
The Full Moon on the 24th October invites you to enjoy some selfpampering. Instead of pouring all your energy into a close relationship, do something nice for yourself. An exciting opportunity to team up with a highly creative person will arrive on or around the 7th November. That's when an intensifying New Moon prompts you to take on a partner. Whether you're looking for love or want to form a business partnership, it's time to make your move.
GEMINI (May 22nd-June 21st)
On the 9th October, the New Moon puts you in the path of romance. Although the lure of a creative person is powerful, you should hesitate before getting involved in a serious relationship. On the 23rd November, the Full Moon tempts you to overhaul your look. Any changes you make should be temporary, as there is a good chance you won't like the results.
CANCER (June 22nd-July 23rd)
On the 25th, the Full Moon will create stress on the professional front. Someone you look up to and respect will ask for more than can be delivered. The Full Moon on the 24th October brings a group project to its successful conclusion. Much to your surprise, you'll be named most valuable player. If you're recovering from a bad breakup, it's time to return to the dating game. The New Moon on the 7th November will put you in the path of an attentive admirer who makes you excited to be alive.
LEO (July 24th-Aug 23rd)
It's better to stick with a position you know during the first half of September. The last thing you want is to go to all the trouble of changing jobs, only to discover you've landed in a far worse situation. The Full Moon on the 25th will make it hard for you to spread your wings and fly. Acquiring a skill will be more difficult than expected on the 9th October. That's when the New Moon puts you in the path of a relentless critic. A domestic matter will command your attention on or around the 7th November, courtesy of the New Moon. 66 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
VIRGO (Aug 24th-Sept 23rd)
On the 25th September, the Full Moon will create a rift in a close relationship. An argument over money and shared resources will cause you to reconsider this relationship. The New Moon attracts a moneymaking opportunity on the 9th October. Taking this job will limit your personal life. Launching a blog or podcast on the 7th November will attract fame and acclaim. That's when the New Moon will showcase your communication abilities. Being able to share your ideas with an adoring public will be a good use of this talent. If you've been thinking of taking up writing, this would be an ideal time to begin.
LIBRA (Sept 24th-Oct 23rd)
A rival will take credit for your hard work in early September. Don't let the deceptive New Moon cause you to let down your guard. If you submit work, do it to several people via email. The Full Moon on the 24th October brings a cheque and bonus that is much bigger than you expected. An appreciative client, customer or patient will throw in a bonus for your hard work. On the 23rd November, a Full Moon will create legal difficulties. It may be impossible to move forward with a business plan until you get official permission.
SCORPIO (Oct 24th-Nov 22nd)
The Full Moon on the 25th September brings the end to a demanding work assignment. It will be such a relief to get this project off your desk. The New Moon on the 9th October makes you yearn for privacy. Unfortunately, a relative or neighbour keeps trying to pry into your personal business. It would be wise to invest in some security equipment. On the 23rd November, a bonus or royalty payment will be less than you expected. Trying to recoup more money will be an exercise in futility. It's better to channel your energy into finding new sources of regular income.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23rd-Dec 21st)
The New Moon in September marks a professional opportunity. Look before you leap. The terms of this deal are extremely murky. The Full Moon on the 24th October is perfect for getting organised. Getting rid of clutter will make space for new energy in your life. Spend the first half of November resting and relaxing. On the 7th November, the New Moon will prompt you to withdraw from the party scene. Enjoying the peace and quiet of home will be therapeutic. Take this opportunity to read for pleasure, listen to music and spend time with your pets. Low key activities will prepare you for a busy Christmas season next month.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22nd-Jan 20th)
The terms of a legal deal will be extremely unfair. It may be best to settle and walk away from an exhausting fight. A professional opportunity will beckon on the 9th October, but think carefully before accepting it. A conflicted New Moon will force you to choose between having a wildly successful career and a comfortable home life. The New Moon on the 7th November is great for joining a sports team, political organisation or humanitarian group. Donating your time and energy to a meaningful cause will lift your spirits. You're tired of going from home to work and back again.
AQUARIUS (Jan 21st-Feb 19th)
An intimate relationship gets off to a rocky start in early September. If you catch someone near and dear to you in a lie, it's a red flag. The New Moon on the 9th October will bring an enticing opportunity to travel, study or write. Unfortunately, you won't be able to make the most of this chance. An expired passport or tight enrolment window will force you to postpone plans for another time. The Full Moon on the 23rd November warns you against taking risks. Confessing a crush or making an investment will result in a big disappointment.
PISCES (Feb 20th-Mar 20th)
Surprising news will reach your ears on the 24th October, when the Full Moon brings hidden information to light. It will be such a relief to know that a community matter has been successful resolved. On the 23rd November, family matters will weigh on your heart. Arguing about religion and politics with a relative creates stress. It may be best to put this relationship on hold, at least until tempers subside. To find out more or to arrange a personal reading, visit www.russellgrant.com
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