Lifestyle Sept Issue:Lifestyle
27/8/10
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YOUR FAVOURITE GLOSSY MAGAZINE FOR MERSEYSIDE
Lifestyle
September 2010
Monthly
WIN!!
A luxury weekend break at Thornton Hall with tickets to Fashion Week
News
Events
Phil Hodgkinson Young Director of the Year finalist
Fashion Music
Food
Business
EXCLUSIVE
LEE RYAN
Backstage at
Radio City Live
Delta Maid Liverpool popstar on her debut single
Lifestyle Sept Issue:Lifestyle
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Lifestyle Sept Issue:Lifestyle
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Lifestyle Editor’s Letter
GET NOTICED!!!!
Monthly
ADVERTISE IN LIFESTYLE MONTHLY MAGAZINE AND REACH OUT TO OUR LOYAL READERS
Where is the time going? I can’t believe we’ve hit September already. As predicted the summer weather was a let down, made worse by the fact I could have extended my summer holiday abroad but didn’t, due to my workload – big mistake! Next year I shall know better and stay abroad for the whole of the holidays. But no point in dwelling on what’s happened… especially when there is so much to look forward to in the coming months. The kids are back to school, I have more time on my hands to check out the new clubs and bars opening for the new season. The party invitations are flooding in, new outfits need to be chosen and there’s no better place to find them than at Liverpool Fashion Week hosted by Lifestyle Monthly magazine which takes place 19-23 October. We’ve sourced the best high street and independent fashion boutiques and designers to bring you a haven of fashion, beauty and accessories all under one roof for one fabulous week in October. We’re combining fashion with entertainment, beauty spa treatments courtesy of our sponsor, Thornton Hall Hotel and Spa, together with shopping for make up, jewellery, hair accessories and, of course, clothes, so book your tickets for the best event in the city this autumn. Visit www.lifestylemonthly.co.uk for ticket information – and the first 200 who reserve their tickets will automatically gain a free pass to our exclusive party at Kingdom on the Friday 17th of this month, which is to celebrate our fashion designers, models and sponsors. Lifestyle Monthly glides into Autumn with some exciting showbiz news from one of my favourite boy bands, Blue who are set to reunite. We chatted exclusively with Lee Ryan about their plans which comes at a time when he has released a new album. Other musical news – Liverpool singer, Delta Maid is expected to reach epic heights with her debut single and we have an exclusive interview with her as well. As we prepare to switch the heating back on, the temperature is rising in the Lifestyle Monthly office as we buzz with excitement over what’s coming up. Dare we begin the countdown to Christmas- with just over 12 weeks to go some of us need to plan (and budget!) Thank you, as always, to our loyal readers who have emailed so many lovely comments about our magazine, proving that we are, as always, the number one magazine for the region. Keep reading and we will continue to be the first to bring you the best in entertainment, music and lifestyle news. Amanda Moss Editor
Email: editor@lifestylemonthly.co.uk Phone: 0791 633 2469
www.lifestylemonthly.co.uk We have less than a % return on all our magazine distribution points across the region, making us the most well read free, glossy magazine.
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What can we do for your business: - Raise your profile - Hold a networking event on your behalf, invite guests and publish pictures on our social pages WHERE CAN YOU FIND US? We have the largest distribution of any free magazine across the region. Lifestyle Monthly is distributed in the larger supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsburys, ASDA, Morrisons), train stations including Liverpool Lime Street, Moorfields, Liverpool Central, throughout the business and financial district and door to door through Liverpool City Centre and Southport's Lord Street.
WE HAVE MORE FANS ON FACEBOOK THAN ANY OTHER LIVERPOOL MAGAZINE
editor@lifestylemonthly.co.uk
www.lifestylemonthly.co.uk phone
0151 280 0059
2 Barnhill Road, Liverpool, L15 5BE 4
Lifestyle
Monthly
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September 2010
Contents 33
8
26 Lee Ryan on
Delta Maid
& going it alone
Presenting, Acting
6 8
Lee Ryan
17 18
Mad About the Boys
Jade Ainsworth
Amanda Moss
Reporter
Ina Schmidt
Contributor
Jade Ainsworth
Sales Manager
Neil Woods
coming home to
Novotel’s Geniene Reese
Liverpool 22
Red Carpet
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Rick Vaughn Radio City’s top DJ and our celebrity columnist.
Wirral Kaleidoscope Restaurant reviews
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Delta Maid Celebrity Interview.
Mayur, The Place To Eat, Greek Taverna, Zeligs, and Lime Bar.
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Martyn Andrews The TV Presenter on coming home.
Phil Hodgkinson Young Director of the Years shares his business secrets.
Our fabulous fashionista columnist.
Editor
Liverpool
The latest from the peninsula.
We look at what’s going to be hot for the boys during fashion week.
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fresh talent
Martyn Andrews loves
Speaks to Lifestyle ahead of hosting the casting for Liverpool Fashion Week.
The Ex-Blue singer talks to Lifestyle Monthly bout acting, presenting and his solo career.
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from
15
News and events
TV presenter
Sales Executives
Danielle Freedman Lee Hagan Lynsey Corkhill
Freelance design
Damion Elson
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The Property Pro with Citylets Liverpool.
Designed by Core Design Group www.coredesigngroup.co.uk
Copyright: Panda Print Ltd. Lifestyle Monthly is a free monthly title. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of each publication. However the publisher does not accept liability for any loss or damage which may arise or result from errors or omissions in advertisement.
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News & Events
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THE CIRCUS WITH A PURPOSE COMES TO LIVERPOOL Circus Starr arrives in Liverpool on the 28th September 2010 to raise both smiles and money for Claire House Children’s Hospice.
Circus Starr’s unique ethos is to raise thousands of pounds for local charities from the advance sales of tickets to local businesses.These tickets can then be donated to local community groups who otherwise would not get the chance to enjoy the magic of circus. With this kind support from local businesses, in 2009 Circus Starr donated over £744,845 worth of tickets to UK communities.The circus is a magical mix of top flight acrobatics, breathtaking balancing and non-stop comedy. It’s laughter all the way with the hilarious antics of Duo Delbosq whose infectious style of physical comedy knows no boundaries of language or age when it comes to pure entertainment. The outstanding Argentinean Gaucho, as featured on the Paul O’Grady Show, with the famed Bolas Dance of Courage set to wow any audience.
On Tuesday 1st June 2010 Circus Starr was very proud to launch as a Social Enterprise and became a member of The Social Enterprise Coalition.This underpins what Circus Starr as a company has been doing for the last 23 years - raising the profiles of local and vital charities and donating tickets to these local communities, through the art of circus.
The circus will be in Liverpool, Pasture Farm Car Boot Site, Pasture Farm, with two shows at 4.45pm and 7pm.
Hollywood’s Marvel Productions has chosen England’s Northwest as the location to film some of its biggest scenes for the hotly anticipated superhero flick: Captain America: The First Avenger. This will be the first time that the film studio has filmed outside of the US. Marvel Productions, famous for X-Men, Fantastic Four and The Hulk, will use areas of Manchester’s Northern Quarter and Liverpool’s Stanley Dock this month - with filming in the region lasting approximately 2-3 weeks. The filming locations where organised in partnership with Vision+Media and Liverpool City Council’s Film Office, which in the last 12months alone helped bring blockbuster productions to the North West including Nowhere Boy, Sherlock Holmes and Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. It is estimated that combined they facilitated over 2,000 filming days in the region last year, which in turn contributed approximately £48m worth of inward investment to the region. Susan Williams, Drama Liaison Manager at Vision+Media comments: “We were approached in February by the locations manager who wanted 1940s New York streets to compliment locations already sourced in Liverpool. We suggested Manchester’s Northern Quarter to Marvel as its wide streets, towering buildings and pre-war architecture make the perfect backdrop for 1940s New York. Councillor Wendy Simon, Cabinet Member for Culture and Tourism at Liverpool City Council, said: ‘’This film is on an unprecedented scale a massive boost to the profile of our film industry. We’ve never hosted a production of this size before the length of time on location alone is going to have a huge impact on the economy of both cities.”
Aintree hold first helicopter wedding
BOY BAND Members Wanted
Property developer Anthony Lunt (26) and careworker Tina Lunt (24), from Fazakerley, decided to forgo the traditional wedding car arriving to their wedding reception at Aintree racecourse in a Robinson Helicopter.
O9 Management in association with Danny Morris are currently looking to put the next big boy band together Following their success with girl band B-Desire, o9 management alongside Danny Morris have decided to put together the next big boy band.
Anthony and Tina were married at St Nicholas church on Liverpool’s waterfront, then travelled to Liverpool John Lennon airport where they were picked up by the helicopter. The couple enjoyed a half hour flight over the city before landing at the Aintree Racecourse helipad, where they joined wedding guests at the Princess Royal stand. Anthony Lunt said: “The last few years have been quite difficult for us with Tina recently recovering from cancer, so we decided to pull out all the stops and celebrate our wedding in style. We booked one of the best suites at Aintree, with a great view of the racecourse and thought why not arrive in style. At first I was thinking of hiring a Rolls Royce Phantom but then decided to be a bit different and opted for a helicopter instead.” Home of the Grand National, Aintree is the UK’s most famous racecourse and one of the North West’s leading venues for weddings, conferences and exhibitions. For more information on Aintree Racecourse’s wedding facilities contact 0151 522 2922 or visit www.aintree.co.uk
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The Julio Troupe from Bulgaria returns with their thrilling acrobatics. Their springboard acrobatics will have people on the edge of their seats with excitement and the Russian Swing seems to enable them to defy gravity. In addition Tracy Jones brings grace, skill and sheer beauty to the world class line up with her International acclaimed Corde Lisse act.
CAPTAIN AMERICA COMES TO THE NORTH WEST
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Have you got what it takes to be part of the next Take That, Westlife or JLS? Are you male, aged between 16-24 and can sing and dance? If you are and you are willing to work and play hard visit www.o9events.com for details of our auditions. The band, still to be named, will be releasing their first single early in 2011 and o9 events already have several gigs lined up for them. Applications are being invited now and auditions will be held in Liverpool in September. For the 3 months after that the lads will be given vocal and dance training and will be rehearsing for their debut performance. Danny Morris, formally a member of X Factors Eton Road said "I was given an amazing opportunity by X Factor and I enjoyed every minute of it. We have given that opportunity to B-Desire and I now feel it's time to give the lads a chance too" Application forms can be found at www.o9events.com
SCOUSERS WATCH OUT - THE WIRRAL STRIKES BACK! Following in the footsteps of the smash hit show Brick Up the Mersey Tunnels, Bang On Top Productions have a new comedy play. After the phenomenal success of One Night In Istanbul in 2009 which holds the record of being “the fastest selling Liverpool Play of all time” and the subsequent return to the Liverpool Empire in 2010, Brick Up: The Wirral Strikes back premieres at the Liverpool Empire in September 2010 (7th – 18th). This hilarious show takes a tongue in cheek look at the recent economic downturn and the traditional rivalries between Liverpool and the Wirral. Book in person at the box office, online on www.liverpoolempire.org.uk or via telephone on 0844 847 2525
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Celebrity Interview
LEE RYAN Pop singer-songwriter, Lee Ryan, found fame with ‘90s boy band, Blue. He enjoyed three number one singles with the band before they split to pursue solo careers. Lifestyle Monthly caught up with him ahead of the release of his new album next month. In an interview with Amanda Moss
Hello Lee, are you trying to shed the boy band image now? I think I already have, Blue was a great experience for me but it was a long time ago. Since then I have done acting and modelling. But I always come back to the music. Tell us about your new single, Who Am I ? It’s a double a side with Secret Love. It’s a dance tune with a beautiful ballad and some remixes. Altogether I’m really pleased with it. How long have you worked on your new album? A long time, about four years. I wrote it all over a long period of time, it had to be just right. It was a long road for me as I want this to change people’s perceptions of me. I was 19 years old when I was in Blue and people saw me then as a kid having fun and being a bit wild. But I have grown up a lot since then, I have had to deal with a lot of things and I am more mature now. My whole life has been lived in through a goldfish bowl with people staring at me. This is me telling the world who I really am. What was it like making a guest appearance on Loose Women? Ha ha , those Loose Women are really scary! I like them a lot, they are cool, nice people. I don’t get to do a lot of live TV but I think it went well, they are really funny those women! You’ve been credited for doing some serious acting. Tell us about that. Well I trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School and the Italia Conti School of Theatre Arts so it shouldn’t have come as a surprise to people. I did a stint at the New Players Theatre in London with Natalie Casey and that was fun. I love acting, I have currently got a famous film director in the UK excited about a project that I have written. People don’t expect me to write they way I do – it’s a psychological horror and people are going to be shocked when they see it.
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I LOVE ACTING, I HAVE CURRENTLY GOT A FAMOUS FILM DIRECTOR IN THE UK EXCITED ABOUT A PROJECT THAT I HAVE WRITTEN. PEOPLE DON’T EXPECT ME TO WRITE THE WAY I DO – IT’S A PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR AND PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE SHOCKED WHEN THEY SEE IT.
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When did you get time to write a movie script? It took me about two or three weeks. I have always had the story in my head and when I sat down to write it, it just flowed. I am even more proud of it because I have suffered from dyslexia since I was a kid.
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What was your best experience with Blue? I don’t know, the whole thing was amazing. I was so young, just 17 and I ran with it. I had the time of my life. I was so carefree, enjoying making music and travelling the world. The whole time was just magic however one thing sticks in my mind and that was meeting Elton John and Stevie Wonder. It was like a dream come true. I was in Elton’s house looking through his wardrobe and he has got endless shelves of glasses and the most enormous music collection of CDs, vinyls and tapes that I have ever seen.
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Celebrity Interview
You have modelled for Dolce and Gabanna in 2005. Would you take it up full time? Ha ha no, it was just something I was asked to do but music is what I do best. I’ll leave all that modelling to Duncan. Is it true you’re marrying a fan? Yes and no. There were a lot of stories about my girlfriend sending me saucy pics and then me asking her out but that isn’t true. We did meet on Myspace though and that’s all I’m going to say as I am a very private person. I am not the type of person who goes looking for tabloid press attention but somehow they love to find me. I’m not gong to sell a story to the papers either if I think it will help me sell record. I’m just not like that, it’s not my style. Tell us about winning Celebrity Come Dive with Me. I love cooking and so when the producers asked me to go on it I jumped at the chance. I absolutely love being in the kitchen and can rustle up some good dishes. I cook everything except Indian.
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ASK THE EXPERT Do I need a Will? Why do I need to write a Will? For those many individuals who have made a will, the answer to this question is clear. It enables them to express their wishes and to ensure that their property and any other possessions are passed on to their chosen relatives and friends. A recent survey showed that 57% of Britons today do not have a will in place. It may be a case of not getting around to it, not knowing where to start, or not liking to think in any detail about death, but the complications caused by not making a will far outweigh the discomfort or inconvenience of making one. One reason why many individuals do not make wills is that they believe that there is no need for them to do so. In many cases, married couples will have a joint bank account or property which is held in both their names and which would automatically pass to the survivor regardless of what a will may say, so they don’t feel the need to bother. However, sometimes properties that are jointly owned do not pass in this way.
Doesn’t my spouse or partner automatically receive my estate when I die? Under intestacy laws, if you have not made a will then you should not assume that your spouse or civil partner will automatically get your estate when you die. If the estate apart from personal assets is worth less than £250,000, a spouse or civil partner will receive the whole amount and any children will receive nothing. Where there are children, then in addition to personal assets, a spouse or civil partner would receive £250,000 free of tax and half of the remainder would be shared between any children. The other half would provide an income for the survivor for the rest of his or her lifetime, the remainder of which will be passed on to the children afterwards. Where there are no children, the surviving spouse or civil partner would receive £450,000 and personal possessions and half of the remainder. The other half would pass to parents, if alive, or brothers and sisters. This does not cover the estimated one in six couples who are cohabiting, but are unmarried. Sometimes a person might want the partner that they are living with to benefit, but this is certainly not bound to happen if a will isn’t in place. With cohabiting couples, difficulties commonly arise where there is a property involved; namely whether the surviving partner continues to live in it or whether it should be sold and the sale proceeds divided.
What are the financial benefits of making a Will? The process of making a will is useful as it provides an opportunity for an individual to consider all that he or she owns and also other property and money that may form part of their estate on death, such as the benefit from a pension fund or the payment from a life policy.
Although no inheritance tax may be payable when one spouse dies, there may be a prospect of a considerable amount being paid following the second death and this should be planned while both spouses or civil partners are alive to ensure that your children are not unduly hit with Inheritance Tax.
What else should I consider when drawing up my Will? It is also important for the individual to consider who should deal with the administration of the will on their death. It may be the main beneficiary or perhaps you might feel it would be more appropriate to appoint someone else, such as a son or a daughter who might be appointed to assist an elderly parent. The individuals who are appointed to administer an estate in accordance with a will are known as the executors of the will and the powers that they have originate from the date of death. There are many matters which they can attend to from the date of death, which is vital at a time of great upset. Proving the will is the process known as probate. A grant of probate is the formal document which enables the executors to act as personal representatives and to act on behalf of the deceased in matters which the deceased could have acted on in his or her lifetime, such as closing bank accounts, selling investments and dealing with property. Without a will, a formal grant can still be made to personal representatives but they do not have the powers of an executor until the grant has been obtained. Without a will, an administrator might not even be the person whom the deceased would want to deal with the administration or may not even wish to take on the role.
I made a Will a few years ago…surely that will suffice? Those who have already made a will do need to keep it under regular review, as circumstances are bound to change over time. Bear in mind that a will, whenever it was made, is effective only from the date of death, which could be a considerable length of time from when it was made. Whilst it can be an unpleasant experience to discuss the consequences of death, the outcome should be that you are safe in the knowledge that there will be a smooth and orderly distribution of your estate on your death and that the right individuals become entitled to your various assets following the administration process. If a will is made without taking expert legal advice, the consequences could be devastating for your family and mistakes certainly cannot always be rectified. The need for professional advice from a solicitor with specialist experience in this area of law is essential.
For all aspects of Wills, Probate and Estate Planning, please contact Making a will also enables the individual to consider how liable their estate will be to Inheritance Tax. Inheritance Tax is usually paid on an estate worth in excess of £325,000 when somebody dies, but is sometimes payable on trusts or gifts made during someone’s lifetime or on death.
EAD Solicitors LLP John Leith, Partner 0151 735 1000 john.leith@eadsolicitors.co.uk www.eadsolicitors.co.uk
For further details contact us on
0151 735 1000 www.eadsolicitors.co.uk Head office: Prospect House, Columbus Quay, Liverpool, L3 4DB Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
•Wills and estate planning • Probate and administration • Trusts • Lasting powers of attorney • Property • Court of Protection • Advice to elderly clients • Personal taxation and inheritance tax • Lifetime discretionary trusts • Investment of trust funds • Inheritance disputes • Litigation for administration of estates • Deeds of family arrangement
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Fashion Blog
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Our fabulous
fashionista
Jade Ainsworth SHE’S FEISTY, FASHIONABLE AND FUN!!!
Hi guys and girls, another month has passed and I can’t believe its September already, the months are just going so fast lately. Before we know it, it will be Christmas again! I have had loads on over the past few weeks that I can barely keep up with myself! We all had such a fantastic time at the ladies luncheon and fashion show that I organised in Noble House, we started with an exceptional three course meal that I can honestly say was out of this world, it’s not often you go to a lunch or ball where you really enjoy the food. I normally end up having 3 bread rolls because there is nothing I like on the menu but there was something there for everybody and the service was fantastic. After the meal we went downstairs where my models put on an amazing show flaunting some beautiful
wedding dresses by The Wedding Rooms and Toni Spencer. Then we had a look at Mark Melia's current collection and Style Clinics latest offerings which were all out of this world! Finally we all enjoyed our favourite cocktails as we danced the night away. I’m really looking forward to my next one which will take place soon. And we will definitely be holding it in Noble House again; they looked after us, especially John so thanks guys! Oh I have so much to tell you, but I am going to save all the gossip over my new venture till next
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My gadget this month is the Cannon 5d camera; I have been spending a lot of time in a photography warehouse in Liverpool lately called Calumet. The staff are fab especially Dave he is so helpful so I treated my mum to this new camera and it’s fantastic! So all you pap’s best watch out!!!!!
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Earlier this week I was in Alma De Cuba shooting Mark Melia's new collection and what a talented individual he is! After so many years of designing such beautiful pieces he still takes my breath away with his new designs. I’ve got the Hollyoaks ball coming up at the Chester races so I’m spoilt for choice what one of his designs I am going to wear.
I took my usual fortnightly trip to the Elemis counter in John Lewis for a facial, I normally have the pro-collagen facial but Pamela my therapist recommended I have a tri – enzyme resurfacing facial and I can thoroughly recommend it. I feel like I have got brand new skin. All the Elemis power booster facials are on a 2 for 1 offer at the moment for £45 and there is a range you can choose from.
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month, but all you beautiful North West girls who have ever thought about pursuing a career in modelling stay tuned, I may have just the answer for you!
The Food Festival takes place on Sunday the 12th September in Sefton Park. Last Year Marco Pierre White wanted to kidnap my Jaz because she looked so cute. It’s a great day out if the weather is right plus Johnny O Connell will be there singing from 12.30pm. We are so lucky that our city has such exceptionally talented individuals.
Whilst in Liverpool city centre shopping I took my usual trip round Liverpool One and the Met Quarter and fell in love with these boots from KG by Kurt Geiger they are available in black and leopard and are priced at £150. I had a similar pair from last year’s collection and wore them to death! They are great for day or night so get yourself a pair before there gone!
£
Picture by Lynne Carville at Front Cover Studio
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As As the the Fashion Fashion Week Week team team prepared prepared to to hold hold the the castings castings for for models models at at the the beautiful beautiful Novotel Novotel in in Hanover Hanover street, street, Liverpool Liverpool One, One, we we caught caught up up with with Business Business Development Development Manager, Manager, Geniene Geniene Reese. Reese.
Bill Corris Photography bill.corris@btconnect.com 07941 778 385
So what does your job exactly entail? I am pro actively constantly seeking new business for the hotel either for rooms or meetings and events, as well as looking after current business and building relationships with new clients.
What gets you out of bed in the morning? I work for such a great company and I enjoy the buzz of not knowing what the day might entail, its always different and there's always so much going on. I love engaging with the guests at our weekly cocktail evenings as well
What is the best aspect of your job? Meeting new people and bringing people into the hotel to show them what an amazing product we have here as people are usually genuinely quite shocked at what we have to offer.
What is the last thing you think about at night? Probably what’s going on in my current book as that’s what I do last thing at night!
How do you describe the unique quality of the Novotel? The chic and contemporary design, the fantastic food on offer and all the mod con's of the hotel has made my job easy. As soon as people come in they're sold, although don’t tell that to my boss or I’ll be out of a job! In all seriousness, getting people in to see for themselves is key. The Apple Macs in reception, the X-box and Wii sport on the conference floor usually do the job of selling it for me! What is your proudest achievement? Being put up for a Downtown Liverpool Business Award for "Best Hotel" was quite an achievement as we only opened in November and many established hotels weren’t nominated. How did you get into marketing? I used to work in accounts at the Thistle Hotel group and I went to Hays recruitment to look for a promotional position and they suggested I'd be good in sales so I went to work for them! After that moving on to be sales and marketing manager at The Buzz Magazine, you could say it chose me as opposed to the other way round!
What is important to you about your work? Doing a good job, giving good customer service and creating a positive image about Novotel in Liverpool. It’s obviously working as we are ranked at 4th best hotel in Liverpool on www.tripadvisor.com and we're ranked 2nd for business! What is a typical day in your life? My alarm goes off, several snoozes and then ease into the day with a bath, my favourite tunes on in the car usually Paul Weller or Fleetwood Mac very loud. Then it’s emails and meetings and phone calls all day, I spend quite a few evenings at networking events, my friends have been neglected since I got this job! Why should people come to the Novotel? I'm here! Oh and its a beautifully chic hotel with a pool, gym and steam room and fantastic food!
Follow Geniene on facebook and twitter www.facebook.com/geniene1 or www.twitter.com/genienenovotel
Novotel Hotel, 40 Hanover street, Liverpool, L1 4LY, Ph 0871 663 7816
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Restaurant reviews
MAYUR 130 Duke Street L1 5AG
0151
709 9955
www.mayurrestaurant.co.uk
“Ooh,
this is fancy” exclaimed my 8 year old daughter as we entered into the majestic entrance of Mayur on Duke Street. Glossy tiled floor and sparkling chandeliers greeted us ( as well as a copy of Lifestyle Monthly on their reception desk). We took the family for an early dinner and the staff fussed around the children and made them feel special as we were ushered to a table by the window. Dangerous cutlery and glassware was quickly removed and we were presented with a plate of warm popadoms with a mixture of coriander, garlic and herb dip, mango chutney and spicy chopped onion. Children are generally fussy eaters so we were careful what we ordered as we wanted them to sample everything on this spectacular Indian menu. Attention to detail is everywhere, from the beautifully threaded menus to the sophisticated table presentation, to the way the staff are constantly cleaning work surfaces. It is always nice to see the chef in the kitchen area preparing the food from fresh, it instills confidence in the cooking and of course, the taste. The five star Mayur was opened by Aintree hospital consultant Dr Mashood Siddiqi three
years ago, in an attempt to educate people that Indian food is healthy, with many of the dishes cooked in a traditional Tandoori oven which is low in oils and fats. The restaurant's dedication to fine Indian food has paid off with it being nominated to Gordon Ramsey’s Best Restaurant 2010 and offers dishes such as lobster pepper fry and crab curry. As a huge fan of Indian food we ordered some onion bhajis (£4.50) to start. For mains we had a very spicy lamb rogan josh, (£12.95) from the gourmet selection we chose Anjeeri Vatakh, (£12.95) a dish well worth recommending. It's gorgeous sliced duck fillets in a sweet and sour fig and taramind gravy. Of course we had my stalwart, chicken korma, (£11.50) which was a little too hot for my palate and a a selection of steamed rice (£2.25) and pilau rice (£2.75). We also ordered a some plain garlic naan, (£2.15) together with deliciously sweet peshawari naan (£2.75) All the spices used at Mayur are freshly ground on th premises to ensure the fusion of tastes explode on your tongue when you eat their fantastic food. as far as Indian food goes, the Mayur is fine Indian dining at its very finest.
THE PLACE TO EAT
JOHN LEWIS department Store, Liverpool One A Place to Eat in John Lewis’s flagship Liverpool store offers everything you could want for a bite to eat. Simply laid out in various areas such as Cold (sandwiches) and snacks (soup, panini), a Creperie serving sweets and savouries, a Patisserie and Chef Selection of hot dishes such as thai chicken curry, beef burger with goats cheese and cajun wedge potatoes and lasagne. All the dishes are made from fresh ingredients on site and this really does make a difference to the taste. But then again this is John lewis and quality is their middle name. My family turned up to take sanctuary from the rain one day in August and it seemed that half of Liverpool One had the same idea. While it was packed the queues moved very smoothly and the staff dealt with everyone very efficiently and courteously. The dirty dishes from 18
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empty tables were swiftly cleared away to make room for hungry diners. The layout is very comfortable, a mixture of traditional tables and chairs combined with comfy leather loungers and low tables, all looking out of floor to ceiling windows onto Chevasse Park and beyond to the Albert Dock and River Mersey. The children’s selection is brilliant, it is a treat to get away from chicken nuggets and chips and find individually wrapped ham sandwiches with the crusts cut off. They can choose snacks such a fresh fruit, raisins, yoghurt and chocolate
biscuits- totally commendable that the little people are offered a choice as well. For babies there are jars of food and a warming up service. Our gang had the following: Lasagne which was as good as mine (£8.95) (and that’s hard to beat!) a delicious Aberdeen Angus beefburger in a ciabbatta bun with cheese and fresh salad, (£8.95), chicken and bacon pasta salad and a chocolate and banana crepe (£4.95). For desert we raided the patisserie which was a gold mine for sweet toothed people such as myself. We chose chocolate chip cookies the size of my head, a gorgeous Victoria sponge slice, custard tart, lemon drizzle cake and chocolate and cranberry cake. It seems a lot and it was, but we were able to take home what we couldn’t manage. The cakes are home made and taste like something our of grandma’s kitchen. No additives could be detected. The Place To Eat is as you would expect from John Lewis; thoroughly decent and delicious. I love it.
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Restaurant reviews
South Road is a hive of eateries, bars and shop close to Crosby Marina and beach. I have always had fond memories of this area since being a child. Greek Taverna is situated in in the heart of South Road and has a warm, friendly feeling as soon as you walk through the door. I am a huge fan of Greece, having visited the country many times and I return there because of the culture, people and food. The Greek Taverna certainly recreates this experience. The music, decor and fantastic staff were all very authentically Greek and with it being a warm summers night I felt like I was on holiday! Showing us to our table, our waiter was really attentive, friendly and made us feel really welcome. The menu offers an extensive selection of starters, main courses, vegetarian dishes, kebabs and deserts as you would expect.
We were given a selection of greek dips and freshly baked warm pitta bread, whilst we where deciding which mouth watering dishes to order. I had the prawn cocktail to start which is a favourite starter of mine, I was not disappointed! it was really fresh and tasty. My friend had the generous sized spicy lamb meatballs which was infused with mint and cooked in a tomato and wine sauce, accompanied with pitta bread. For mains I chose the chicken kebab, the meat had been marinated and charcoaled and was delicious. This was served with a fresh salad, rice, homemade chips and a selection dips. All cooked beautifully! My friend had the mixed grill and all the meat was cooked to his perfection. it consisted of chicken souvia, paidakia, pork kebab and lountza. This was accompanied with rice and again those lovely homemade chips. The well sized portions had us both full but that did not stop us sampling the deserts! Our waiter suggested the strawberry shortcake, and with
Zeligs is conveniently situated in the heart of Liverpool One. Up the main stairs by the entrance to John Lewis on the balcony, it provides one of the nicest views of Liverpool, overlooking the Hilton and Albert Dock.
me having such a sweet tooth this suited me perfectly! Presently so elegantly, I did not want to eat it! My friend is a chocoholic so inevitably he got the chocolate fudgecake, he gave it 10 out of 10 and certainly looked like he was satisfied with his choice. Overall it was good, honest Greek food and beautifully presently. I have been to many Greek restaurants in Merseyside and this is definitely by far the best in my opinion. I will no doubt return here soon for seconds! Call for a booking on
0151 293 3229 GREEK TAVERNA 46 South Road Waterloo Liverpool L22 5PE
ZELIGS 8 Thomas Steers Way Liverpool L1 8LW
www.zeligs.co.uk 0151 709 7097 The restaurant and cocktail bar is under new management but is well established now and still offers the same mouthwatering, authentic Italian food as before. Now catering for all occasions, from dinner dances for 300 people to small private parties or corporate events, there’s a menu to suit everyone. We went for lunch on a bustling August afternoon. There’s the standard restaurant menu or an express lunch menu for those on the go. For starters I chose the Pollo Caesar (£4.95), a generous sized grilled chicken fillet served with baby gem, anchovies, garlic croutes and parmesan while my colleague had the Gamberoni Piccanti (£6.95)- sautéed king prawns served on a toasted ciabatta with chilli butter and lemon.
For mains we tucked eagerly into a perfectly sized original lasagne (£9.95) and Zeligs Poppette (£9.95), their trademark meatball, mushroom, pancetta and smoked cheese pizza. There was no room for desert but a side order of garlic pizza, made on a little more than a wafer of dough, together with ice cold diet coke was the perfect accompaniment to a delicious meal. This is not the first time I have eaten here and it most certainly will not be the last. The service is excellent, if not a little too attentive, the décor is just divine, mixing opulent chandeliers, eclectic music with bare brick and exposed concrete ceilings. The open plan space is filled well. The atmosphere is as welcoming as the food is tasty.
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Congratulations on being a finalist for young director of the year what do you think your chances are of winning? I was nominated as a finalist previously in 2008 and was runner up so I am hoping to go one further this time, there are two other excellent finalists so I have a 1 in 3 chance of being successful.
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Young Director of the Year, Phil Hodgkinson, chats to Lifestyle Monthly about growing his business.
and in the 9 years since I set it up it has increased in turnover and profit. We have managed to increase turnover by more than 60% in the height of the recession and increase profitability as well, so that’s probably got quite a lot to do with it, maintaining and growing the business in a very difficult time for everybody in the country and continuing to expand it further.
Tell us about your company. Compass Costs. It is the largest
Why did you set it up? My background was working for personal injury solicitors, indeed my first senior management role was achieved at the age of 22. I was Head of Business Development and Personal Injury for a number of well known firms in the North West and ultimately I got to a point where I was making millions for other people but I felt that there was more to achieve on my own. I spotted a niche within the legal costs market place, in that solicitors are historically very average at recovering their own money. Since legal costs is a completely separate area of the law now and has developed fundamentally over the last 10 years and as it is a subject that is not covered within a Law degree, the expertise that we have at Compass are second to none in the UK or at any firm of solicitors which is why the niche that I initially saw has grown into such a successful business.
And your restaurant? Myself and my business partners decided to try our hands at something different and the business park where we are located in Prescot has a lovely lake in the middle of it, and there was nowhere for our staff to
What is the best advice anyone gave to you? There are two bits of advice that I would consider the best I have been given; the first one is that no matter how negative people are about what you intend to do, if you’re confident in achieving what you set out to achieve, be as single minded and determined as you need to be regardless of how many people try to knock you back. The second piece of advice was given to me by my first ever Manager when I was 19 years old and he simply told me to listen to people who have more experience than you and you will learn far more, which is exactly what I did.
Why do you think you have got so far? The business has been a success
independent legal services provider in the UK, we act for a nationwide panel of over 400 firms of solicitors, of all sizes recovering legal fees for them, also providing insurance and funding for them along with audit and training services. I set the business up in February 2002 and we now employ almost 100 people at our Head Office at Prescot and a smaller satellite office in Manchester. We have recently signed a very lucrative 3 year contract with the National Accident Helpline and we are at advanced stages of negotiation with 3 major insurance companies and work providers in the UK to finalise long term high value deals which will potentially more than double the size of the Company in 18 months. Turnover this year is predicted to grow from £5 million to £6.2 million and projected to grow in the following year to £8 million, ultimately the plans for the future are to float or sell the business.
or tender that I am working on is complete and I very much expect all of my Management Team and employees to have the same work ethic. I believe that you should lead from the top and if done properly your management and staff will adopt your own high standards.
eat and drink other than the sandwich vans who travelled onto the business park each day. As a result, we decided to open Lime Bar and Grill with a view to providing a service to the 1500 people on the business park. The restaurant has now been open for 20 months and is proving to be quite successful to the point where we have now opened a Delicatessen and Ice Cream Parlour next door. The restaurant hosts gourmet evenings every month and we have a fantastic Head Chef, an extensive tapas menu, an Italian food menu and a traditional British menu, all very successful with people on the business park during the day but also for families and locals in the early evenings and on weekends. We do a large amount of functions on the weekends also, weddings, christenings, birthday parties and so on, and have found that we get a lot of repeat custom from these events from people who are impressed with the standards of food and value for money.
What is your work ethic? I am quite impatient when it comes to work and a bit of a perfectionist; my philosophy is work hard and play hard. I believe in getting things right the first time and place a lot of importance in spending time in researching and considering matters before completing a job or task, it is very rare that I will leave the office until a job
What is the best thing about being your own boss? Quite simply not having to answer to anyone, and being able to have courage and confidence in your own convictions, and enjoying the feeling when something works.
How do you think other people perceive you as their boss? You would have to ask some of my staff, I suspect they would say that I am easy to get along with although quite demanding with high standards and I don’t suffer fools gladly. And probably also that it is usually best not to get on the wrong side of me, but I may be completely wrong and they may tell you that I am a bit of a pussy cat!
What would winning this award mean to you? It would be recognition for the 8 years of painful hard work that I have put into building the business along with my business partners. It would also be recognition for my wife and son who have had to put up with a lot of long hours, weekend working and stress on my part, they have certainly backed me all the way and if I were to win the award certainly 50% of it would be dedicated to them, and the other 50% to my hard work and unshakeable confidence that I would achieve what I set out to do, despite the negativity experienced along the journey.
www.compasscosts.com
0151 481 4469
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DELTA MAID So how did you get into music? I've listened to music since I can remember! With my mum and dad being great influences they exposed us to such an eclectic mix of different styles from early on and it really took great precedent in our lives. I got into country/blues because they loved it and it literally became ingrained in me. I've always sang and tried to play and then started writing my own stuff about five years ago which was the major catapult into where I am now. How do you describe your style? I like to describe my style as very "rootsy" - I don't say it's one specific genre as I guess it's an amalgamation of blues/country/soul/folk…all those influences rolled into one! How easy was it to be signed up? Thankfully for me it came fairly naturally, I didn't start gigging till quite late and the first gig I played was a charity gig at the Picket doing blues covers a few years back. I suppose it was then I got the bug for it and also a big wave of inspiration to write my own stuff. Myspace was the key mediator for me, I was spotted on there and then signed to a publishing company, the rest happened from there! What was it like recording at Parr Street Studios? Recording at Parr Street was great, it was so good to be heavily involved in the production side of things too. I felt so comfortable going through that journey in my own city. There's a lot of history in them walls and I feel privileged to be a part of it. Who are your musical icons I have so many musical icons it's hard to condense! I am a big country blues fan, with Rory Block being one of my biggest inspirations. I love all those old Delta Blues players. I'm inspired by artists such Patsy Cline and Hank Williams to Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles, that's to name but a few! Tell us about your debut single and when is it out SInce we're at the final mixing stage of the album we haven't deduced that very first single yet, but there's a good number of single stand outs that are going to be really hard to decide on! Hopefully there'll be a release early next year before the album…too excited for words! Will you be coming to Liverpool Fashion week and performing for us? I've never been to Liverpool Fashion Week, sounds immense! I'm there if the models can strut their stuff to some country blues! Who is the most famous person you have met who is now on your mobile phone That's a hard one, my friend was on Embarrassing Bodies a few weeks back, she's in my mobile if that counts?!
Wavertree born Delta Maid, has stormed into the charts with the release of her debut single, Broken Branches. The south Liverpool singer has been hailed as the new Patsy Cline with her country blues style and she spoke exclusively to Lifestyle Monthly magazine....
What is the worst thing you have done to get your own way I can't recall a specific event, but I suppose I've laid on those crocodile tears in my time! Any plans to tour and who with Since the album is almost there, the plan is now to gig, gig, gig! That's what I love doing the most, I can't wait to get on tour in the next few months and get out there. How do you feel about your future I feel very happy to be where I am at the minute and take each day in my stride, I can't wait until the album comes out and people can hear all the songs I've honed and worked on in the studio for a good while now. I'm excited by the album, I only hope people are just as excited as me! I'm so happy to be doing what I love. Where do you see yourself in 12 months? I guess my dream is to be doing a tour of my own, even if it's in little venues, you know you're doing something right when people just want to turn up to see you perform…
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SMOKING BEAUTY
BY MAKE UP ARTIST BRIJETTE’
To achieve striking smokey eyes there's a few tricks I recommend. Firstly if you're using a dark colour on your eyes? do your eye make up before your foundation, this way you can clean up any shadow that may fall on your cheeks or under your eyes without ruining any part of the make up. Also, using a nude colour on the lips will help your eyes stand out more.
what you have just done, once again blending just above the socket line and flicking it out slightly at the outside corner of the eye.
For this look start by using a dark cream shadow as a base. Using a cream base will give a stronger colour that will keep in place for a lot longer. Apply this to the entire lid, blending just above the socket line. Next, using a black eye shadow, go over
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For underneath the eye. Line the waterline with a black pencil liner... I recommend Kohl liners which smudge excellently. Then using a small brush, apply some black eye shadow to your lower lash line. Apply this slightly below also, rubbing back and forth helping to smudge the liner a little as you're doing this. Finally, apply a couple of coats of mascara to the lashes and 'hey presto!' perfect smokey eyes that will last from day to night.
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y r a i D s s e Fitn of the editor with her personal trainer
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WELL I HAVE DONE IT! I HAVE LOST 10% OF MY BODY FAT. WHEN I WAS WEIGHED BACK IN DECEMBER LAST YEAR LEWIS ADVISED MY THAT MY GOAL TARGET IS TO LOSE 17% SO I AM OVER HALF WAY THERE! Lewis is away building up his Elite empire and so his trustworthy and equally sadistic colleague, Kane has taken over as my personal trainer. If I thought I was getting off lightly with him I was to be very much mistaken. Back from holiday with a three week break I was told I would be eased gently into exercise. So we did rigorous lunges for an
hour.... the next day I couldn't walk and I groaned every time I had to go upstairs. As Jim from the Royle Family would say "Gentle, my arse!" For all the complaining though my body craves the exercise. Today we did circuit training with the dumbbells and I felt real pain through my muscles. Hopefully they will be doing some good. Press ups and ab planks continued the torture but as the sweat dripped off my face I thought about the tight stomach muscles I will have in a few months. My appetite has increased as my body craves more fuel, the trouble is I now have to programme myself to lose the sweets and eat regular meals. It's four months to reach my target.... can I do it? If you are looking to lose weight before Christmas then email me your stories... come on people, we can do it together. Let's spur each other on, email me at editor@lifestylemonthly.co.uk
Lewis
Bailey
Lewis Bailey guides you in the right direction
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Singer
Daryl Isaacs ensational soul and motown singer, Daryl Isaacs from South Liverpool, will be performing live at Fashion Week's pre party at Kingdom in Harrington Street, Liverpool on 17th September. The smooth crooner, with the amazing voice, recently performed at a cocktail party held by Lifestyle Monthly and wowed all the guests who thought an original cd of Lionel Richie was playing! He will once again showcase his exceptional voice in front of 300 people at Kingdom. Entry to this party is free but it's strictly guest list on a first come first serve basis and it's already filling up! The party kicks off at 9pm and will unveil our gorgeous models, designers and high street retailers who have signed up for Fashion Week in Liverpool. A few surprise twists are planned throughout the night. And of course our photographers will be there to snap away at the beautifully best dressed people on the night. Daryl is available to hire for all events, contact Lifestyle Monthly and we will pass on your details to him.
S
Performer
& friend of Lifestyle
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For guest list enquiries please email us: editor@lifestylemonthly.co.uk To book your tickets for Fashion week in Liverpool go to www.lifestylemonthly.co.uk
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www.coredesigngroup.co.uk
Thinking of
Starting a new business Then you will need the following
Logo design Website Print For all of your marketing and design needs contact us now on 0151 600 4724/4376
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