January 2013
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
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The Year Ahead Planning for 2013
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EATING OUT • SPORT WHAT’S ON • POLITICS MUSIC • REVIEWS ARTS CHOICE
The official American tartan – and a tartan on the Moon! Arts: Manet, LOLcats, and a trip to the Ashmolean
Free to Read in Print or On Screen Every issue of the magazine now available online... IN PRINT: Pick a copy up from (among other places): The US Embassy in London and US Consulates The United/Continental and Virgin clubhouses at Heathrow Hotels around the UK The American Museum in Britain (near Bath) Automat American Brasserie, Dover Street, Mayfair, London Sports Bar & Grill Marylebone and Victoria All the organizations listed in back of the magazine, and USAFE bases Get a copy delivered to your home or workplace, the only thing we’ll ask you to pay for is the post and packing – call us on +44 (0)1747 830520. ON SCREEN: Read The American on your mobile device or computer at www.theamerican.co.uk – Click on the front cover image for the current issue, or on the MAGAZINE tab where you can read back issues too.
US and UK Tax Preparation and Planning
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Each year we prepare both the US and UK tax returns for dozens of Americans residing in the UK. We use the same software and produce the same tax returns as the BIG Four Firms, at a fraction of the cost. We would be pleased to assist you with all of your US/UK tax matters. We have been preparing tax returns for US citizens in the UK for more than 20 years. We provide a personal service at a very reasonable cost. Please call us toll free today for assistance on: 0800 085 1537 or 020 8346 5237 or visit our website: www.americantaxonline.com 2
The American ®
Issue 717 – January 2013 PUBLISHED BY SP MEDIA FOR
Blue Edge Publishing Ltd.
Old Byre House, East Knoyle, Salisbury SP3 6AW, UK Telephone all departments: +44 (0)1747 830520 Publisher and Editor in Chief: Michael Burland michael@theamerican.co.uk Editor: Richard L Gale editor@theamerican.co.uk Please contact us with your news or article ideas Advertising & Promotions: Sabrina Sully, Commercial Director advertising@theamerican.co.uk Subscriptions: theamerican@blueedge.co.uk Section Editors Virginia E Schultz, Food & Drink virginia@theamerican.co.uk Mary Bailey, Social mary@theamerican.co.uk Richard L Gale, Arts richard@theamerican.co.uk Alison Holmes, Politics alison@theamerican.co.uk Jarlath O’Connell, Theater jarlath@theamerican.co.uk
©2013 Blue Edge Publishing Ltd. Printed by Advent Colour Ltd., 19 East Portway Industrial Estate, Andover, SP10 3LU www.advent-colour.co.uk ISSN 2045-5968 Cover Main Image: Hogmanay celebrations in Edinburgh (courtesy of Visit Scotland); Circular inset: Tartans by Houston Kiltmakers; Square inset: The Ashmolean Museum (© Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford)
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f this is your first time reading the magazine, welcome. 2013 is The American’s 37th year of publication and it’s always great to have new people coming on board with us. If you’re one of our subscribers, some of whom have been taking the magazine for decades, a warm hello to an old friend. Either way, we’d like to invite your participation in the magazine. The New Year is the perfect time to reflect on where we are, how we got here and where we want to go next. We can look back at 1976, when The American was invented as a ‘local newspaper for Americans in Britain’, the increase in the range and depth of our editorial content and other milestones like the change to a glossy magazine. But we are not complacent. We are the publication for all Americans in the UK – and the Brits who read it because of its American perspective. And we want you to help us. What do you like about it? What do you not like? What do you want us to write about in future? Do you read the digital edition (click on the MAGAZINE tab on the website)? Do you want an app for your mobile device? Tell us by emailing editor@theamerican.co.uk For now, I hope you enjoy our seasonal mix of serious articles, fun features, reviews and advice on UK living. A very Happy New Year to all our readers, and... Enjoy your magazine,
Michael Burland, Publisher michael@theamerican.co.uk
Among this month’s contributors
Baltimore-born and one-time Washingtonian Kosha Engler is a theater, radio and film actress who now lives in London with her British husband, baby boy and two cats.
Professor Nora Ann Colton is Dean of the Royal Docks Business School, University of East London. In this issue, she looks at the ethical advantages of Islamic banking.
John Tuccillo is Chief Economist of Florida Realtors. John writes that the recent depression in the US housing market may mean now is a great time to look at reinvesting back home.
Don’t forget The American online: www.theamerican.co.uk The entire contents of The American and www.theamerican.co.uk are protected by copyright and no part of it may be reproduced without written permission of the publishers. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information in The American is accurate, the editor and publishers cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions or any loss arising from reliance on it. The views and comments of contributors are not necessarily those of the publishers.
January 2013 1
The American • Issue 717 • January 2013
In This Issue... Regular Sections 4 News 12 Education 21 Wining & Dining 26 Music 29 Coffee Break 30 Arts Choice
34 45 46 52 56 65
Theater Reviews DriveTime Sports Diary Dates American Organizations The A-List
10 Old Long Since The history and meaning of New Year favorite Auld Lang Syne
42 Property
“The struggle comes from the overall economy – the housing market itself is in good shape”
11 In Memoriam Astronomy legend Sir Patrick Moore and American jazz great Dave Brubeck
12 Education: American v British Which school system is best for your child?
14 Ethical Banking
18 Shark Attack! James Carroll Jordan enjoys sun, sea, and spasms while shooting on location
20 The Britishisms Are Coming!
Islamic banking: Financial fad or a practical alternative to conventional banking?
In her latest My Word! column, Jeannine Wheeler looks at the phrases from over here that could catch on over there
16 Kickstart Your Writing Career
32 Ashmolean: Arts & Artifacts
Kosha Engler discovers a writer’s haven – perfect for getting published in 2013
Kathleen Lawton-Trask follows the thread to The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
4 News
Is now the time to be buying back in to American property... particularly in Florida?
46 Bowl Previews Notre Dame take on Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game
48 Winning Isn’t Everything NFL or English Premier League, patience wears thin quickly for losing coaches... or winners, writes Gary Jordan
49 Competition Win an ESPN Sports bag and a host of EPSN goodies in our latest competition
50 The Charismatic Enigma Josh Modaberi encounters the latest incarnation of wrestler Jeff Hardy
51 New Year’s Resolutions PHOTO © ANT CLAUSEN
Richard L Gale has suggestions for sports folk looking to turn over a new leaf
56 Tiffany Circle A women-only Red Cross organization founded by an American is the subject of this month’s Organization Focus
8 Tartans 12 Education PHOTO BELOW BY JOHN ZIMMERMAN / CIRQUE DU SOLEIL KOOZA
45 Winter Driving
32 The Ashmolean Museum © KIYOMIZU-SANNENZAKA MUSEUM, KYOTO
Cirque du Soleil: Kooza is amongst the shows crying out for your attention this January
38 Theater Previews
46 Bowl Previews © MICHAEL & SUSAN BENNETT
PHOTO ABOVE BY MARK MCEVOY
There’s an American tartan... and even one that went to the Moon
The American
New Theater Named After US Actor Sam Wanamaker The new indoor theater at Shakespeare’s Globe in London is to be named in honor of Sam Wanamaker. The American actor and director founded the organisation behind the Globe and was a pioneer in its construction. The Sam Wanamaker Theatre will be a Jacobean Archetype, with two tiers of galleried seating and a pit seating area, lit primarily by candles. Chair of the Architectural Research Group, Dr Farah KarimCooper, said the new theater “will allow us finally to achieve Sam’s mission to build both types of theaters Shakespeare worked in”. The space which the theater will inhabit was earmarked by Wanamaker in the early designs for the recreated Globe. Now, 14 years after the Globe’s opening, the indoor theater will provide an authentic complement to the outdoor stage. The first seasonal programme for the Sam Wanamaker Theatre is expected to begin in 2014. CGI interior from stage corner of The Sam Wanamaker Theatre. Design by Allies + Morrison
4 January 2013
NEWS
The Dwight D Eisenhower arrives from Wisconsin PHOTO © ANT CLAUSEN
Transatlantic A4 Loco Repatriated
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wo A4 steam locomotives from the US and Canada have been temporarily repatriated for display at the National Railway Museum in York. As part of the 75th anniversary of the most famous A4, Mallard, setting the world steam locomotive speed record, the Dwight D Eisenhower and the Dominion of Canada are to be displayed along with Mallard and three other Class A4 engines in a never-seen-before collection of all six surviving A4s. Mallard clocked 126mph to set the speed record in 1938, which still stands today. When diesel began to replace steam locomotives in the early 60s, the A4 fleet was reduced. The Dwight D Eisenhower was subsequently donated to the United States and displayed in the National Railroad Museum, Green Bay, Wisconsin, whilst the Dominion of Canada was donated to the Canadian Railroad Historical Association and exhibited at the Canadian Railway Museum in Quebec. In Fall 2012, both locomotives met in Halifax, Nova Scotia before being shipped across the Atlantic, landing at Liverpool Docks in October. The transatlantic locomotives are now on loan for two years.
Jacqueline D Frank, Executive Director of the National Railroad Museum in Wisconsin, said “We hope the British public enjoy the chance to see Dwight D Eisenhower, which although built in Doncaster, now occupies a special place in the hearts of the American people due to it being renamed after one of our presidents”. The locomotive has been on display at the museum’s workshop whilst undergoing cosmetic restoration, and you can see the Dwight D Eisenhower along with the Dominion of Canada, Mallard and the other surviving A4s throughout 2013 at the National Railway Museum, York, where a series of commemoratives events are set to take place.
The American
Americans Abroad Taxation (AAT) Proposal
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FATCA(TS) Ireland has become one of the first countries in the world to reach an agreement with the United States on FATCA. It has agreed a new Inter-governmental Agreement with the Unites States regarding the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), Irish Finance Minister, Michael Noonan, confirmed this week. Irish financial institutions can now avoid the need to enter an agreement with the IRS and instead report directly to the Irish Revenue authorities. Ireland is the number one hedge fund center in the world responsible for servicing more than 40% of the globe’s assets. “The main benefit for Irish financial institutions is the ability to avoid US withholding tax because Ireland has signed up to this Intergovernmental Agreement, a real coup. This gives the Irish financial services industry a huge competitive advantage over other countries which may not be able to reach the same agreement with the US because of banking secrecy laws", commented Ken Owens, former Chair of the Irish Funds Industry Association (IFIA).
6 January 2013
reform has been proposed to replace the current citizenshipbased taxation with residence-based taxation under which American residents overseas would pay taxes on a basis very similar to that applied to non-resident aliens, with US-source income withheld at source. UK-based attorney Geoffrey Morson presented the American Citizens Abroad (ACA) proposal at the IBC International Withholding Tax Summit in London. This would align US tax policy with that of virtually every other country on the planet and, ACA calculates, implementing the new proposal would dramatically improve tax receipts to the US Treasury and improve the US export picture. Morson, a veteran tax litigator and international tax planning specialist with extensive experience in representing clients in the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative, commented "Both ACA and I, as a tax professional, obviously advocate the most stringent observance of the tax laws. Nevertheless it is important that the double taxation and double filing issues be addressed so that overseas Americans can compete on a level playing field and sell US products to foreign buyers." Morson views current law as an export killer. "It is unrealistic to hope for a world class export economy when your tax system is telling the people needed to sell your products that they should
pack up their laptops, throw in the towel and just come home", he notes. "Since 91% of the tax filings submitted by overseas Americans result in no tax due, adoption of our proposal would permit a far more efficient use of both IRS and taxpayer resources", noted Jackie Bugnion, ACA's Tax Team Director. "Our tax code makes Americans too expensive to hire, so US and foreign firms understandably replace them with qualified professionals from other countries without income tax, FBAR or FATCA filing requirements and the immense legal and financial jeopardy they entail. How can you work effectively when FATCA prevents you from opening a bank account?" "A Better Way to Tax US Persons Abroad" is available for download at http://americansabroad.org/issues/ taxation/alternative-citizenshipbased-taxation/
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International student body Coeducational, day (3-18 yrs) & boarding (14-18 yrs) International Baccalaureate Diploma Advanced Placement Courses and American High School Diploma Settling-in programs for the whole family Scan this QR code to find out more about TASIS England.
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Coldharbour Lane, Thorpe, Surrey TW20 8TE Tel: 01932 582316 • Fax: 01932 564644 • ukadmissions@tasisengland.org www.tasisengland.org
The American
T
artan is a unique and quintessential symbol of Scottish national dress and indeed, culture. Scottish national dress has developed through centuries from a roughly woven plaid worn by Highlanders for battle to some of the highest quality traditional wear available today. Many traditions widely related to modern kilt wear can be traced back to the formation of the Highland Regiments, in spite of the fact that for nearly thirty years after the Battle of Culloden, at the ending of the Jacobite uprising of 1745, the wearing of tartan and playing of bagpipes was forbidden. Any Scotsman found to be in defiance of the Act of Proscription of the Highland Garb was to be imprisoned or even deported. In 1782 the Act was revoked by King George III, once again legalising the wearing of tartan in the Scottish Highlands, leading to renewed demand for tartan and Highland wear worldwide. Tartan is identifiable with the many struggles the Scots have faced and overcome, evoking feelings of pride, diligence, strength and bravery. The Scottish Tartans Authority estimates that Scots and their descendants number 40-60 million
The actual piece of MacBean tartan fabric taken to the Moon’s surface by Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean
8 January 2013
An American National tartan? One that made it to the Moon? Find out all about tartan in time for Burns’ Night people around the world and each clan or family name has its own tartan and clan crest. Many who do not have an individual clan or family tartan will find their family or clan name is descended from another, called a ‘sept’ name. In Scotland, a sept is often a family that is absorbed into a larger Scottish clan for mutual benefit. Septs have rights to wear clan tartans although they often have tartans of their own. You can do a search on kiltmakers.com to find out if your family name is affiliated to any other clan. Even if you can’t trace any clan ancestors, Americans can still wear a kilt. Ken MacDonald of Houston Kiltmakers has designed several unique tartans, most notably the American National Tartan which in 2006 was accepted by President George W. Bush on behalf of the American people. The President was presented with a kilt and a sash for the First Lady. Ken and his son Ewan are the 3rd and 4th generations to operate the family firm which has been in the same location over 100 years. Ken boasts over 30 years experience in the tartan industry and is one of
the leading authorities in Highland wear, tartans and tailoring. Working directly with the main Scottish tartan mills and sporran suppliers, he has an invaluable knowledge of the industry and is Vice Chairman of the Scottish Tartans Authority. The firm, which used to sell about six kilts a year, now does that many a day, half of them exported all over the world, particularly to the United States, often to customers who’ve never set foot in Scotland. Every tartan has variations of ancient, modern, hunting, dress and weathered colourings. Tartans must contain the same colours but different weavers will often use different shades, creating a rich aesthetic diversity. Scotland has many district, town, and clan tartans as well as a variety of national tartans including Scottish National, Flower of Scotland, Braveheart, Spirit of Scotland, Scotland the Brave, Monarch of the Glen, Spirit of Bannockburn, Millennium and Isle of Skye. Ken’s company has also designed St. Mirren, Scottish Heather and Bute Heather collections, Irish Districts, Irish National, Irish Blood, Welsh National, Cornish National, as well as Canadian and
The American
Houston Kiltmakers have worked from the same premises for over a hundred years
American tartans such as New York and American National. All these can be worn by anyone. If you want your own unique tartan, for family, association or club, Houston has come up to date with an app, on which you can choose your colors and design your own tartan. They’ll help ‘tweak’ it to make sure it works aesthetically and on the loom, then register it for you. The whole package, including weaving and making the kilt, can cost as little as £600 to £750 (tax free for export) – cheaper if more are made at the same time. Of course you can hire from Houston too. Modern fashion designers such as Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood have introduced tartan shirts, skirts and dresses to their catwalks, giving Highland wear a modern edge, and celebrities such as Kiefer Sutherland, Chris Noth, Billy Connolly, Sean Connery, Rihanna, Katherine Jenkins, Taylor Swift, Victoria Beckham and Emma Watson, to name only a few, have been seen wearing various tartan styles. Tartan is not only seen worldwide, it has literally been to the Moon and back. In 1969 the Lunar Module Pilot
Right: The American National tartan, designed by Ken MacDonald (above, with son, Ewan)
of Apollo 12, Alan Bean, took a cutting of the MacBean Tartan aboard with him. A small portion of the tartan was given to the Scottish Tartans Authority with Alan Bean’s note which reads, “This piece of MacBean tartan was flown to the Moon in our Apollo 12 Command Module ‘Yankee Clipper.’ It was then transferred to our Lunar Module Intrepid and was landed on the Moon, November 1969. I am entrusting this valuable piece of tartan history to your care. (Signed) Alan Bean, Lunar Module Pilot.” A piece of MacBean tartan has also been to the top of Mount Everest, the part of the Earth nearest to the Moon! Ken was invited to the
Apollo 12 Reunion in Glasgow in 2012 and has agreed to design an Apollo 12 tartan which will combine the designs of the MacBean, Gordon and Aberdeen tartans. H Thanks to Joanne Ferry for her help with this article.
January 2013 9
The American
Burns’ original Scots verse: Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And auld lang syne. [Chorus:] For auld lang syne, my jo, For auld lang syne, We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet, For auld lang syne And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp! And surely I’ll be mine! And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet, For auld lang syne.
Old Long Since... for old long since for long long ago for days gone by for old times for old times sake
[Chorus] We twa hae run about the braes And pu’d the gowans fine; But we’ve wander’d mony a weary foot Sin auld lang syne. [Chorus] We twa hae paidl’d i’ the burn, Frae mornin’ sun till dine; But seas between us braid hae roar’d Sin auld lang syne. [Chorus] And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere! And gie’s a hand o’ thine! And we’ll tak a right guid willy waught, For auld lang syne. [Chorus] You can see an original manuscript of Auld Lang Syne, if you’re ever near Bloomington, Indiana, at the permanent collection of The Lilly Library at Indiana University, and read Burns’ correspondence online at www.AuldLangSyne.org.uk
10 January 2013
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ike many people around the world, from Times Square to Tokyo, you have probably sung the Scottish song Auld Lang Syne at midnight on December 31, New Year’s Eve, or Hogmanay as the Scots call it. Or maybe you’ve sung it, arms crossed and shaking hands with your neighbors, on January 25 at the end of a Burns’ Night Supper, celebrating the birthday of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns, after a meal of haggis, neeps (turnips, or what the English know as swede) and tatties (potato) – Burns’ Ode to a Haggis is ritually recited to the haggis before it’s consumed. Probably the most sung song in the world after Happy Birthday, Auld Lang Syne was first penned in 1788 by Burns, the Ploughman Poet as he was called. It quickly became a Scots custom that soon spread to other parts of the British Isles. As Scots (not to mention English, Welsh and Irish people) emigrated around the world, they took the song with them. Auld Lang Syne is one of Scotland’s gifts to the world, recalling the love and kindness of days gone by, of friends,
relatives and loves, but in the fellowship of taking our neighbors’ hands, it also gives us a sense of belonging to take into the future, which is possibly why it is the finale to reunions, scout jamborees, graduations, conferences and just about any kind of large kindred gathering. Its origins lie in a traditional Scots folk song long predating Robert Burns himself. In 1711 James Watson published a ballad called Auld Lang Syne which has a very similar first verse and chorus and obviously has its roots in the same folk song. The phrase “Auld Lang Syne” is also used in similar poems by Robert Aytoun (1570–1638) and Allan Ramsay (1686–1757). Burns freely admitted this, when in 1788 he sent a copy of his song to the Scots Musical Museum with the comment, “The following song, an old song, of the olden times, and which has never been in print, nor even in manuscript until I took it down from an old man’s singing.” As well as making original compositions, Burns collected folk songs from across Scotland, often revising, extending or adapting them. He ended up responsible for about a third of the 600 songs in the whole collection, as well as making a considerable editorial contribution.
The American
“is not the Scotch phrase, “Auld lang syne,” exceedingly expressive? There is an old song and tune which has often thrilled through my soul. You know I am an enthusiast in old Scotch song. ...Should auld acquaintance be forgot? Light be the turf on the breast of the Heaven-inspired poet who composed this glorious fragment! There is more of the fire of native genius in it than in half a dozen of modern English Bacchanalians!” Some traditional singers still use Robert Burns’ original tune, which, whilst similar, is slower and more reflective (as used in the first Sex and the City movie), but Burns thought his original ‘mediocre’, and the publisher of the Scots Musical Museum suggested the one that we still use today. It was common to put new songs to whatever popular tune provided a good metrical fit. The tune continued to have a life of its own. In the United States, it was a popular accompaniment to antislavery poems such as William Lloyd Garrison’s I am an abolitionist! I glory in the name. Katharine Lee Bates’s poem America the Beautiful was often sung to this tune (among many others) before becoming inextricably linked with a composition by Samuel Ward. What is certain is that Burns, the great Scots dialect balladeer and poet, preserved this ancient Scottish song and through the Scottish diaspora, and later, record, radio and television, the world now sings in Scots dialect! H
In Memoriam SIR PATRICK MOORE, who passed away peacefully at his home in Selsey, West Sussex on Sunday, December 9, aged 89, was best known as the presenter of the world’s longest running television series, The Sky at Night, which started on 24 April 1957. His trademark monocle, eccentric dress and speech - the BBC claimed he spoke at over 300 words a minute – made him a television legend. Sir Patrick was also a highly accomplished astronomer. His specialty was the Moon, and it was his maps that the Russians and Americans used for both their early unmanned probes and the Apollo landings. At the height of the Cold War, he was perhaps the only person that both sides trusted. An accomplished musician, in his youth he met and accompanied Albert Einstein in a piano/violin duet. He also met Orville Wright, and through his work for NASA and his television programmes, knew all the American and Russian space pioneers, from Gagarin to Armstrong. He thus claimed to be the only person to have met the first man to fly, the first man in space, and the first man on the Moon. His pet hate was bureaucracy. One of his over 100 books, all written on his 1908 typewriter, was titled Bureaucrats and How To Annoy Them. His pet love was cats. A Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, and Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society, Sir Patrick did more to promote science amongst the young than perhaps anyone of his generation. Many of the world’s top scientists say it was Patrick who got them hooked. It is said he did
© CHARLES WALLACE
Often a fragment from some old ballad was transformed into a memorable love song or Scots poem. Burns’ first mention of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ is in a letter to a Mrs Dunlop, December 17, 1788:
more for astronomy than most of the Astronomers Royal in history. Not bad going, for someone who right to the end described himself as ‘an amateur’. – Charles Wallace, friend and producer of Sir Patrick’s authorised autobiography, The Astronomical Patrick Moore (www.movingimageco.com) DAVE BRUBECK passed away on December 5, 2012, a day before his 92nd birtday. Asked to name a piece of modern jazz music (rather than a musician), most people will say Take Five. Recorded in 1959, it was the first million-selling jazz disk and took Brubeck from the ranks of great West Coast jazzers to a household name, while retaining the cool, laid back sound that made his tricky time signatures seem natural. Brubeck’s father was a rancher, his mother a concert pianist, and his early career veered toward the farm. After a year’s veterinary training, a science teacher suggested he transfer to music. A music tutor steered him from the classics toward jazz, the true American idiom. With his Quartet, particularly saxophonist Paul Desmond, he made great jazz that was accessible to ordinary folk. They disbanded in 1967, but Brubeck continued to make music to the end. H
January 2013 11
The American
American v British
– Which type of school system is right for your child?
arents in the process of relocating to the UK face the potentially overwhelming task of choosing a school for their children. It is useful to consider both the American and British education systems in light of a child’s needs and each family’s unique situation – the anticipated length of the assignment, future relocations, and children’s ages. Timing affects the logistics of securing a school placement. Parents cannot apply for a place at a British state school without an address, and where you live does not necessarily open doors to your school of choice. Though you may be able to visit a local school before you apply, entrance is not guaranteed. Also, it is uncommon for private British schools to offer rolling admissions, whereas American international schools make admissions decisions as needed. Be aware, too, that the British system follows a National Curriculum, which entails testing in key years (ages 7, 11, 16, 18). British primary schools typically introduce reading, writing, and math concepts at an earlier age. For example, children are expected to enter year two (around age 6) knowing how to read. A good teacher will assist parents to help students catch up, but there’s no option to hold your child back, as British schools group students according to age. Similar to the American system, the British curriculum for younger students covers a broad range of subjects. At age 16, British students take exams (GCSEs) that determine their acceptance into the Sixth Form.
12 January 2013
During the ensuing two-year course of study, students focus on 3-4 subjects in preparation for A-level exams, which are externally graded and used in the university admissions process. This path might appeal to a student who prefers specialized study in particular subjects that he or she intends to pursue at university. The American-based curriculum, on the other hand, remains broad through the secondary level, and often includes Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs. Should you return to the US or transfer to another American international school, your child is more likely to experience continuity of curriculum. Additionally, an American school is likely to integrate university counseling, preparing students to attend university in the US and internationally. You will need to navigate this process yourself – from ACT and SAT testing to researching and applying to universities – if your child attends a British school. Maybe your family is excited about the move. You may only be here for a couple of years, your children are young, and you can’t wait to immerse
yourselves in all aspects of British life. In this case, one mother recommended, “Go for it!” However, if you’re feeling apprehensive or would like to minimize the number of changes that your child will have to cope with at once, an American international school may be a better fit. These schools are practiced at nurturing families in transition, and often have programs and resources in place for both parents and students that address the social, emotional, and practical aspects of relocation. Regardless of the education system you choose, no two schools are alike. It helps to visit prospective schools to gain a better sense of each one’s culture and strengths before you apply. During relocation, children take their cues from their parents. Remaining positive and pragmatic will help your family embrace the experience as an exciting learning opportunity. H Author Sarah Nikkel is the Advancement Associate for Giving at TASIS The American School in England, an international school, located in Surrey, for students ages 3-18.
PHOTO: MARK MCEVOY
P
The American
January 2013 13
The American
Ethical Banking I
n the aftermath of the global financial crisis, many questions have arisen about the practices of conventional banks. These questions have arisen from the perception that banks over-focused on their own bottom-line at the expense of their customers in the period leading up to the crisis. The securitization of debt coupled with the issuing of credit default swaps (CDS) not only left the banking sector shaken, but the core values of the implicit contract that society has with businesses, and particularly banks, breached. This contract is the understanding that banks and business are allowed to function freely as long as they serve the good of the public. Consequently, it is not surprising that many people in the US who have been burnt by the real estate drop, stock market collapse, or both, feel that the government has done too little to reform the banking sector. There are also those who feel
14 January 2013
Islamic banking: a financial fad or a practical alternative to conventional banking? Dr Nora Ann Colton explains that the taxpayer and Main Street have had to pay the price for greed on Wall Street and the likes. Yet, in spite of disappointment in the various institutions that we believe existed to serve us, most people have not felt they have any viable alternative for either their investment income or retail banking needs. However, in Britain, we are witnessing the development of a formative alternative – Islamic banks. Islamic banking is based on two main financial principles. Firstly, investment is to be made through interest-free financing. Secondly, the development of financial instruments is to be done on the basis of profit and loss sharing as well as sharing of risk. There is a wealth of information in the public domain which shows that Islamic banking is one of the fastest growing service sectors in the world. A report published in the Financial Times on May 13, 2010 indicated that there is rich potential in emerging markets for Islamic finance. Its industry consists of several hundred billion dollars and more than 300 financial institutions in and outside the Muslim world. Standard & Poor’s, the rating agency, estimates that the sukuk (deed) market has reached over $70 billion.
Islam is London’s largest and most significant minority religion, with 607,083 Muslims reported in the 2001 census in the Greater London area. Most Muslims are concentrated in the East London Boroughs of Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest. In England, 50% of Muslims live in London. They make up 3% of the UK population. According to the Financial Service Authority (FSA), there is also an estimated half a million regular Muslim visitors to the UK. Thus, London is the natural home in Europe for Islamic finance. However, the Muslim population is only one pool of customers for Islamic banks as there is also a growing number of non-Muslim customers who are taking out accounts since the fall-out of the financial crisis. It is estimated that in some Islamic banks, the non-Muslim customer base is as high as forty per cent. The reason that Islamic banks are seen as better places to store and invest your money is that Islamic banking is an asset based system – everything is backed by assets; consequently, the damaging exposure that many conventional banks experienced during the financial crisis were minimized in Islamic banks. There are also those who like the ethics of Islamic banks as they follow a set of principles that means they do not invest in alcohol, tobacco, pornography or in any form of gambling.
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The American
Professor Nora Ann Colton is Dean of the Royal Docks Business School, University of East London.
16 January 2013
Kickstart your writing career You know that book you were going to write (or was it a script?) – maybe it’s about time to start, writes Kosha Engler
W
elcome to 2013. I don’t know about you, but I love a New Year’s resolution. I love the planning, the excitement, the scent of possibility. Most of all, I love a focus. Something I can cling to when I feel lost. I even create a matching catchphrase every year. In 2012 I resolved to find the courage to put my writing out into the world. My catchphrase was ‘feel the fear and do it anyway.’ Of course, having the goal is only part of it. You’ve got to put in the time too. And that can be hard. Writing takes more time, self-belief and discipline than anything I have ever tried. But it’s so worth it. And what about you? Do you also have a burning passion to get your ideas onto the page? Is 2013 the year you’ll
finally write your novel, film script, stage play or children’s book? You may fantasize about taking a year’s sabbatical to somewhere exotic so you can write in the shade of palm trees as the sea laps at your feet. Or maybe just a week away would be enough to get you going – perhaps in a sun-drenched Tuscan villa covered in wisteria… But if that’s not likely, how about just one day? If you live in London and can free up a Sunday, then you
© EMF IMAGES
The main retail bank in Britain for Islamic compliance is the Islamic Bank of Britain which is a fully Sharia-compliant, stand alone, retail bank. There are also other banks that offer Islamic banking as an alternative account arrangement which are often referred to as ‘conventional banks with Islamic banking windows’. The FSA’s policy towards Islamic banks is “no obstacles, no special favours”. In the UK, Islamic banking is supported under the notion that it is innovative banking and that in a free market system there should be alternatives to conventional banking for customers of all types and wealth levels. Consequently, before deciding to put your income and wealth into a conventional bank that is located close to your postcode, it is worth checking out what is on offer in the Islamic banking sector as well. Some Westerners are put off by the use of Arabic names for different types of accounts and financial instruments, but it is not hard to learn what these various accounts are about. Furthermore, there are a number of UK universities that are offering postgraduate degrees in Islamic finance and banking which is not only a growing sector in terms of invested capital, but also employment opportunities. The Centre for Islamic Finance and Banking at the University of East London, located near Canary Wharf, has just such a course along with outreach programs, to educate people about this innovative approach to banking. H
The American
may want to try the Urban Writers Retreat, run by self proclaimed ‘Olympic-level procrastinator’ Charlie Haynes. For £40 you’ll get eight distraction-free hours to write, a supportive group atmosphere, lunch, refreshments and Charlie’s delicious homemade cake in a venue that’s a 10-minute walk from Liverpool Street Station. I had the pleasure of attending a one-day retreat in October. We were based at The Cube in Shoreditch, East London. It does not offer the luxurious surroundings of a swish private club like Soho House with plush seating, a roaring fire and an attractive waiter serving you dry Martinis. But you are there to write after all and The Cube is well-suited for that. It’s a modern, well-designed, two-level space with several areas to set yourself up, free wifi and plenty of plug points for laptops. The Cube website claims that “each zone in the space triggers a specific neurochemical that influences a specific type of feeling and thought process” which is supposed to aid productivity. I don’t know about that, but it was nice and quiet, and, crucially, free from distraction. With the exception of seats that felt a little hard after eight hours and a tiny kitchen that just coped with fifteen writers on a caffeine mission, I enjoyed it. And I indulged in Charlie’s homemade treats: lemon cake and spiced brownies. On my retreat, all the other writers were women, ranging in age from 20s-50s. There were a handful of regulars but most were newbies like me. Several people already wrote for a living as journalists, copy editors and academics, but wanted to transition to fiction. And there were people in non-writing careers who fancied a creative outlet. Kelly,
One of the writing areas within The Cube, regular haunt of the Urban Writers Retreat
an IT contracts negotiator from Denver was penning a romantic drama and a young GP called Kat was itching to capture her more characterful patients on paper. The group’s projects included novels, novellas, a children’s book, a memoir and even a dissertation on failure. Elizabeth, a mother of two, was rewriting a radio play at the request of BBC Writersroom. Charlie herself was 20,000 words into her novel and planned to make some good headway. Let me reiterate. The One Day Writing Retreat is not a writing class. There aren’t structured activities or guided writing exercises. You won’t read out your work or get feedback, unless you instigate this yourself during a break. It’s simply a quiet space to write where it’s pretty impossible to do anything else. Charlie facilitates, you put in the hard work. Still, Charlie is keen to help you make progress. Before the retreat she emailed us a goal-setting sheet so we could plan what we wanted to achieve and break it down into manageable chunks. On the day, we began at 10am with tea and introductions. It was exciting to hear what everyone was working on. For further inspiration Charlie brought a library of books such as Stephen King’s On Writing,
The Creative Writing Handbook by John Singleton and Mary Luckhurst and Robert McKee’s Story. To motivate the competitive among us, Charlie gave out word count horses so we could race each other to see who reaches the most by 6pm. I was writing an outline or I definitely would have joined in. Our winner was Catherine who achieved an astonishing 7300 words for her novella. Even the prolific Stephen King only manages 2000 a day! The competition was steep though, as everyone was admirably studious and most people met their goals. Personally, I found the rigorous thinking writing requires difficult to sustain all day. I like to break it up a bit more – write for a few hours, do some exercise or other mindless activity while my thoughts percolate, then come back fresh. But this isn’t always possible. And I suppose if you’re in the zone with a story then eight hours could seem like nothing. If you long for a peaceful place to write all day away from home then the One Day Writing Retreat is for you. If you need a bigger kick in the pants, Charlie also runs a four-week Get Writing! Online Bootcamp and a Residential Writing Retreat. Visit www.urbanwritersretreat.co.uk for details. H
January 2013 17
The American
SHARK ATTACK!
S
ometimes I really love my chosen career. Only a few weeks after my last job (Edinburgh Festival) – I got a flat out offer to go to sunny southern Spain and film for a few days on a yacht. It was one of those short re-enactment films that National Geographic makes – here a shark attack on two scuba divers by a great white off the California coast. Luckily I was playing the third guy who only drove the boat and stayed on it and fished. I thought I could handle that and said yes to my agent Lara. It was rainy and windy when I left Surrey, sunny and hot when I landed in Malaga three hours later. I looked like a real pillock wearing my jumper and winter coat as I walked out of the terminal, but didn’t mind at all. I just threw them in the back of the car, put on my shades and sat back and enjoyed the scenery as we drove up the coast. This was culture shock I could cope with.
18 January 2013
In this month’s Actor’s Corner, resident thesp James Carroll Jordan find himself in deep water. Well, cold water, anyway.
After checking into Hotel Bling (as my co-star Glenn named it because of all the mirrors) I headed to the pool. I found a lounger, ordered a snack and a beer, slathered myself in sun screen and lay back and sighed contentedly. I had the whole day off as we weren’t shooting until the next morning. I woke up surrounded by young German girls busily oiling their backs, legs and flat stomachs. I was soon the life of the party as they wanted to practice their English. The only problem was holding my stomach in whilst talking, making my voice rise to an unnatural pitch. Olga and Rulla didn’t seem to mind (I didn’t catch any other names as I am slightly hard of hearing). I was soon spending my per diem on drinks all around and having the time of my life. Then I made the mistake of taking a dip in the gigantic pool. I got up, manfully holding in my girth, sauntered over to the pool side and dove in with my best Lloyd Bridges Sea Hunt dive. It was FREEZING!!! At first I thought my heart had stopped! I struggled to the surface and heard someone screaming very loudly in a high pitched girlish voice. It was me! The gaggle of German oiled beauties were staring at me in deep alarm. When I stopped screaming, they realized I was okay and started laughing. I sloped out of the pool shivering like a wet
poodle and began briskly toweling life back into my body (discovering my sun burn) while the Spanish tiles under foot had me dancing from foot to foot until I leapt onto my lounger with a crash. It seems young German girls laugh at the slightest thing. I decided to make a quick retreat. After a warm bath and a long nap, my new buddy Glenn and I went to a fabulous seaside restaurant, and ate and drank ourselves silly. We had every tapas we could think of and finished the night with a huge steak served on steel platters. Next morning we were driven to the harbor where we shot a few easy scenes before boarding the yacht and heading along the coast to search for a calm bay so the guys (Glenn and Marcus) who had to do the swimming could shoot their scuba stuff. It was probably the cushiest gig I have had in years. I spent the next six hours sun bathing on the yacht, chatting and reading. My director, Jamie, shook me awake, yelling: “Wake up James!” It was time to shoot my scenes. The yacht definitely seemed to be rolling more than it was earlier. A lot more. We shot a few scenes of me fishing, casting my line, yelling back and forth to the divers. It was all going fine, but after a couple of hours, I began to feel a bit queasy, and it is not easy or fun acting when you feel queasy. In a short time, I was feeling
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downright sea sick, but tried to be butch and ignore it. To make matters worse, while filming a scene holding my deep sea fishing rod, a large set of waves hit the boat at a strange angle; I wrenched my back, and the darned old thing went into spasm, locked up tighter than a miser’s purse. Out went the butch attitude and in came the screaming sissy routine. I was in serious pain here. At first, the crew looked skeptical at me, but they soon realized I was in bad trouble. They led me into the cabin where I could only manage to lean pitifully against the back of a chair. Then I felt a pair of freezing cold wet hands on my back just where I was hurting most, and heard the heavy accent of our huge (German) medico/diving wrangler saying: “Vere does it hurt James?” I let out the highest shrieking scream imaginable and when I came back down to my feet I said: “Get those freezing hands off me!” He had just swum over from the camera boat and straight onto the yacht without bothering to dry off or anything. Jeez Louise!!! I made it back to the hotel and saw a doctor who said I had wrenched my back and that I was too fat! “Fat?!” I was fully aware of both those facts, but too miserable to ask why that had anything to do with things. He gave me some very strong Spanish knock out pills and I drifted off to La La land dreaming of oily German girls who turned into giant German divers with iceberg hands. Fortunately I awoke with no pain at all, finished shooting, and before I knew it I was landing back in England to the welcome sight of rain, wind and clouds. I never said it was an easy life being an actor! H
20 January 2013
By Jeannine Wheeler
The Britishisms are coming! The Britishisms are coming! T
here are always going to be those American newspaper columnists who feel compelled to flash their extensive vocabulary by peeling off a few little-known British expressions (most recently Maureen Dowd using gobsmacked in the New York Times). But are British expressions in the US really catching on? Author and University of Delaware Professor of English, Ben Yagoda calls them NOOBs – Not One Off Britishisms. Over the past 10 years, quite a few British expressions have made their way into the American lexicon. Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg described the NOOB phenomenon this way: “Adding a foreign word to your vocabulary is like adding foreign attire to your wardrobe. Sometimes you do it because it’s practical and sometimes just because you think it looks cool.” Should it be ‘cool’ for Americans to adopt the lingo of their British brethren – who have got some fantastically whimsical, erudite and sometimes downright crude words (numpty, chav, shag, flat, muppet, skint, gazumped, penultimate, to name just a few)? Or does it border on smug? Should Americans mess up at work and call it a cock up instead of a screw up? Is it all right for us to say it all went pear-shaped when we’re not talking about our bums in relation to our ‘apple-like’ abdomens – but instead a sure-fire failure? And is it really all right to say something was daft, when utterly stupid or screwy might do just as well? Downton Abbey might have
something to do with it, with Shirley MacLaine crossing the pond to join the modern Upstairs Downstairs that has taken the UK, the US and indeed the world by storm. Or could it be all those über cool Brits storming Hollywood: Charlie Hunnam in Sons of Anarchy (a Geordie) and Damian Lewis (an Etonian), aka US marine Nicholas Brody in Homeland? It wasn’t until Lewis collected his Emmy for Best Actor that many Americans even knew the ginger actor was a Brit! “I’m one of those pesky Brits; I apologise”, said Lewis, whose ancestors include a Lord Mayor of London and a former doctor to the Royal family. No doubt Lewis had the opportunity for a gap year – that year off before university to go travelling. With the cost of an American university at absurd levels, it’s easy to see why that Britishism has not entirely taken off in the States. For any American living and working here in the UK, it’s best to stick with the more practical Britishisms, including car park (parking lot), boot (trunk), petrol (gas), wiper blades (windshield wipers) and windscreen (windshield) – ensuring you and your vehicle stay safe and sound. But you will be caught out when you say tomato (rather than ‘ta motto’) or aluminum, rather than aluminium (rhymes with condominium) because that’s just not cricket, an expression not yet common on the other side of the pond. But who knows …a few more seasons of Downton Abbey and we just might swap ‘Hey, that ain’t fair!’ for that one. H
The American
WINING & DINING Reviews by Virginia E Schultz
Sette I
t was Jockey Frankie Dettori’s record-breaking seven wins in a row at Ascot in 1996 that gave Sette its name (sette being seven in Italian). Dettori had previously owned restaurants in partnership with Marco Pierre White, but when he opened Sette he teamed up with Chef Stefano Stecca, who previously worked at Zafferano and Osteria. My introduction to the restaurant was a long room with fascinating photos of Dettori’s riding career lining the walls. Having once owned a racehorse that always lost, my only claim to fame in the horse world is my trainer is now the Queen’s. Fortunately, she seems to be doing a better job than I did. After being seated at a small round table, we enjoyed a glass of Prosecco while we studied the menu. It didn’t take long to decide we had to have a selection of salami and cheese (£13) as well as melon, prosciutto and figs (£10). The prophet Muhammad once said, “If I should wish a fruit brought to paradise, it would certainly be the
fig.” I often buy prosciutto to enjoy at weekends, but with figs it is very much paradise in the mouth. Because we enjoyed the antipasti, we forgot watching our diet and ordered both the Gnocchi ragu with pistachios (£10) as well as the Tagliatelle with wild mushrooms and black truffle (£15). Both dishes were excellent, but the gnocchi so delicious I’m almost willing to work in the kitchen just to get the recipe. New York restaurants do
an exceptional job cooking Italian, but this was one dish they couldn’t improve on. Calves’ liver with pancetta, butter and sage (£18) is a favourite, but now came my first disappointment... there was too much sage. I know it’s healthy for you, but I didn’t need to have a year’s supply in one meal. However, the Beef Tagliata with rocket and parmesan (£22) was good, and the Fritto misto dell’ Adriatico (£18) was worth every calorie. Curiously, Italians make the best ice cream in the world, but their desserts are often disappointing and after all the food we devoured, we decided a selection of ice cream and sorbet was the perfect way to end our lunch... and it was. There is an interesting Italian wine list, but I decided one glass of red wine after the Prosecco would fill my needs. I don’t say this is the finest Italian food in London, but I wouldn’t hesitate to return.
4 Sydney Street, London SW3 6PP www.sette-restaurant.com Tel: 020 7352 3435
Tagliata of Scotch beef with rocket and parmesan
PHOTO: SOPHIE PATERAS
January 2013 21
The American
Trinity Dining Out at
TRINITY 4 The Polygon, Clapham Old Town, London SW4 OJG www.trinity-restaurant.co.uk
W
hen I lived in Clapham, a friend raved about a restaurant named Thyme that was recently opened by two young chefs named Adam Byatt and Adam Oates. By the time I got around to making reservations, it had become well known to celebrity foodies and reservations were difficult to get. The two young chefs were serving small grazing dishes, each a perfection in simplicity and flavour, and I must admit I was impressed. I recall having a cauliflower soup with a touch of truffle butter and the memory still lingers on my tongue.
22 January 2013
Sadly, they decided to move the restaurant to Covent Garden, and things didn’t go as hoped. After the restaurant was closed, the two Adams went their separate ways. Then recently I learned from Nelly Pateras that Byatt was again in Clapham, and winning back old customers as well as new. Shades of my youth, I must have eaten half the delicious homemade bread sopping up the pumpkin soup which was about the best I ever had. In fact, it was so good, if I still lived in Clapham I’d be stopping there at least once a week for this warming delight. Then there is the paper thin Scallop ceviche, chamomile pickle and charred cucumber, but even these exemplary dishes pale beside the ‘buttery’ Venison Wellington for two with parsnip purée I had a few days later. Nor, I might add, did my companion miss a spot when cleaning his plate to the last of the Home smoked Aylesbury duck with duck tongue fritters. Desserts are often an afterthought as far as I’m concerned, but
the Caramelised red pear, walnut ice cream and curd was too tempting to refuse. In fact, had a spider sat down beside me, I wouldn’t have been frightened away. Both times I’ve dined at Trinity, my companion had the Black Forest as dessert. No comment except to say my grandmother made far better. Our wines were beautifully selected for us. Although I write about wine, it’s sometimes wise to put the selection for the various dishes into another’s more capable hands. In today’s world a Rioja is not always the Rioja I knew when I first tasted it in Spain. As my wine teacher in California used to stress, “terroir, Virginie”. The menu is divided into 2, 3, 5 and 7 courses that go from £20 to £55, with wines extra. For the five and seven courses optional matched wines are offered at extra cost, and the price listed. Prices are definitely more reasonable than in many restaurants in London. What brought me back to Adam Byatt the second time when I lived in Clapham is what will have me return again.
December 2012 22
The American
Food Book Reviews William Yeoward’s American Bar
By Virginia E Schultz
By William Yeoward, Cico Books, Hardcover, 160 pages, £16.99/$24.95
Beetroot-Cured Salmon Gravadlax
How To Eat In
Cooking at Home for Family and Friends By Adam Byatt Bantam Press, Hardcover, 288 pages, £25 This is a cookbook I use, not just for special occasions, but every day. Most recipes are not overly complicated and are well explained. The Beef short rib and onion pie recipe made me forget all the shepherd pies I had in the past and the hummus dip makes you wonder why you bought this dipping sauce in the supermarket. Adam does advise preparation and buying the best of best, in season if possible.
Recipe: Beetroot-Cured Salmon Gravadlax Gravadlax was first made by Scandinavian fishermen who salted fish and buried it in the sand. This recipe is rather different but received my attention as I love beetroot, or red beets as we Americans call this vegetable. It is a 4 day process but will then keep in the refrigerator for 4 days – well worth the time and effort. 1 kg filleted side salmon 250 g caster sugar 250 g sea salt 250 g raw beetroot 1 large unwaxed orange 1 handful (10g) lemon verbena tea leaves ½ bunch dill
The term “American Bar” conjures up a world of glamour and romance that one never sees except in films from the late ’20s and ’30s. William Yeoward, whose range of crystal glasses are among the most beautiful in the world, has visited five of his favourite bars and selected cocktails from each that will please the senses and delight the taste buds. I’ve been trying these cocktails since I was given the book and each one proved a success. Among my favourites were “White Lady” and Vieux-Carré, which I hadn’t enjoyed since I was in New Orleans many years ago. Even if one isn’t interested in cocktails, Yeoward’s descriptions and comments make it enjoyable bedtime reading. Weigh the salmon accurately to check that you have the right quantity of sugar and salt for the cure. (I had my fishmonger do this). The sugar and salt combined in equal quantities should be 50% of the weight of the fish. Remove the pin bones from the salmon and score in 4 places to allow the cure to be absorbed. Wash, peel and roughly chop the beetroot. Peel the zest from the orange and reserve, then halve the fruit and squeeze the juice.
Method
Put the sugar and salt into a food processor. Add the beetroot (red beets), tea leaves and dill with the orange zest and juice, and blend to a fine pulp. Lay the salmon skin-down in a shallow ceramic dish and cover completely with the cure mixture. Cover the dish with clingfilm and leave the salmon to cure for 4 days in the refrigerator, turning the salmon and basting it with the cure mixture after two days. He suggests serving it with sourdough bread, caper berries and pickled beetroot. I prefer rye bread (not from a supermarket) and so did my guests the two times I made this.
Thomas Jefferson’s Crème Brûlée By Thomas J. Craughwell Quirk Books, Hardcover, 256 pages £13.99
This is a book I couldn’t put down, reading it until the early hours of the morning. Thomas Jefferson is one of the most interesting and controversial of our founding fathers. In 1784 Jefferson travelled to Paris, taking with him nine year old slave James Hemings, whom he wanted to master the art of French cooking. In exchange for James’ cooperation, Jefferson would grant him his freedom and thus began what the author describes as one of the strangest partnerships in United States history. While James apprenticed under master French chefs, Jefferson studied the cultivation of French crops, especially grapes for winemaking, so that they might be replicated in American agriculture. On their return home, the two men brought pasta, French fries, Champagne, macaroni and cheese, crème brûlée and many other treats unknown to Americans at the time. Craughwell not only offers the history of the two men’s culinary experience, but includes several of their favourite recipes. H
January 2013 23
The American
Cellar Talk By Virginia E Schultz
Argentine Wine
T
he Argentine wine industry is the fifth-largest producer of wine in the world. The Spanish brought wine cuttings to Santiago del Estero in 1557 and from there it spread to other parts of the country. When I lived there in the 1980s, Argentine winemakers were more interested in the quantity of wine sold than the quality, and one avoided drinking most of it. In the 1990s, however, winemakers began to realize if they wanted to export their wines they needed to improve the quality, and it is now the largest exporter of wine from South America. The Mendoza province produces more than 60 percent of the country’s wine and even exports a higher percentage. Where once I avoided serving guests an Argentinian wine, I now include it, especially if I’m using one of my Argentine recipes. The growing season usually lasts from budbreak in October to
WINE OF THE MONTH Boer & Brit, The General, Western Cape 2009 (About £10) This is one of the few South African reds I can pronounce. Not a super charged red, but the Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec with its plum and tobacco flavours blended in with the Beetroot gravadlax I offered with it. Drink now.
24 January 2013
harvest, sometime in April depending on the weather. Argentina, like Chile, is unique for the absence of phylloxera that has devastated vineyards around the world. The phylloxera louse is present in Argentine soil, but the damage is not significant enough to kill the vine, and the roots eventually return. As a result, most of the vineyards are planted on ungrafted rootstock, although there are producers who turn to grafted rootstock to provide better yield. Argentina’s highly rated Malbec wines originate from Mendoza’s high altitude wine regions and this region has attracted many notable foreign winemakers. It is Argentine vintner Nicolás Catena Zapata however, who is mainly credited for elevating the status of Argentine Malbec and the Mendoza region through serious experimentation into the effect of high altitude. In 1994, he was the first to plant a Malbec vineyard at almost 5,000 feet elevation and to develop a clonal selection of Argentine Malbec.
The popularity of Malbec can now be a problem, and I find I must be more careful when I buy a wine. I recently enjoyed Catena Zapata 2006 ($120) which was wonderful, but then we tasted another wine (far cheaper I might add), Trapiche 2007 ($48), which we found disappointing. As a friend brought the wine, I hadn’t known there was such a difference in price or that the year 2007 wasn’t the best, with hail and cool temperatures. Surprisingly, the Trivento 2008 ($15) which I opened, but didn’t taste until the next evening and had a lower rating, was boysenberry fruit and mouth filling. White wines are in the minority, but Torrontés, the country’s signature white varietal, has vastly improved, with many winemakers producing it in a fresher style by fermenting in stainless steel. When Malbecs are good, they are very good, but because I love Argentina and everything Argentine, I’d hate to go back to that era when it was too often hit or miss. H
The Best Fine Dining Italian Restaurant in Surrey A warm welcome to La Capanna, The fine dining Italian Restaurant in Cobham, Surrey. La Capanna is the perfect lunch and dinner venue for romantic occasions, socialising with friends, Sunday lunches, family celebrations, parties, weddings and for business lunches and corporate events (Private Rooms and seating up to 120). Our chefs serve Italian regional cuisine with a contemporary twist. The food is freshly cooked to order, our wine list extensive and our staff take pride in taking great care of you and your guests.
Special Offer in January Monday to Friday • Table d’Hôte Three-course Lunch or Dinner • £18.50
St Valentine’s at La Capanna Celebrate St Valentine’s Day in Style at La Capanna
Dinner 14th February 2013 Three Courses with Chocolates and a Rose for your Valentine
£55.00 La Capanna Restaurant – Address: 48 High Street, Cobham, Surrey KT11 3EF. Tel: 01932 862121.
www.lacapanna.co.uk Private Parking Available
The American
Joe Bonamassa
Reaping great reviews for his exciting shows and new album Afterglow, Joe’s in London in the Spring: March 26th London, Borderline; 27th London, Shepherd’s Bush Empire; 28th London, HMV Hammersmith Apollo; 30th London, Royal Albert Hall. www.jbonamassa.com
Muse
Nominated for two Grammy awards are Muse, the acceptable face of prog according to some, a darn good show say others. The band are in the running for the Best Rock Album and Best Rock Song categories. They’ll probably be available to attend the awards ceremony (at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 10th) as there’s a convenient gap in their current North American tour. Plan ahead to see them in the UK on May 22nd Coventry, Ricoh Stadium; 25th & 26th London, Emirates Stadium; June 1st Manchester, Etihad Stadium. www.muse.mu Muse
MUSIC
Old Crow Medicine Show
LIVE AND KICKING Old Crow Medicine Show
Originating in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and now based in Nashville, Tennessee, Old Crow Medicine Show has taken Americana and alt-country in a different direction to many artists. Instead of using old-school roots and adding rock sounds, the old time string band specializes in pre-World War II blues, bluegrass and folk (with some originals) all without the aid of electricity or horns. They were honored with a three night Grand Ole Opry residency, but if you missed them you can see them here: January 30th Dublin, Ireland, Vicar Street; 31st Belfast, Mandela Hall; February 1st Glasgow, Barrowland Ballroom; 2nd Manchester, HMV Ritz; 4th London, Shepherd’s Bush Empire. www.crowmedicine.com
Ron Sexsmith
“...My main objective is to try and stay out of the way of the song. I want to write songs that are good whether I’m singing them or not.” So says the Canadian singer-songwriter who suffers from huge self-doubt (as shown in Douglas Arrowsmith’s documentary about him, Love Shines). He needn’t fret. He’s lauded to the rafters by the likes of Paul McCartney, Elvis
26 January 2013
Costello and John Hiatt. Sexsmith will bring to London a special night of great songs, beautifully sung on January 16th (St Pancras Old Church) and March 7th (Royal Albert Hall). www.ronsexsmith.com
Willy Mason
A potted Willy Mason history: born in New York to two folk singers, a descendant of the philosopher William James (the brother of novelist Henry), raised in Martha’s Vineyard, worked with and opened for the likes of Mumford & Sons, Death Cab for Cutie, Ben Kweller, Radiohead and Norah Jones, now over here in March – a great opportunity to see a future big star in intimate venues. On January 14th Mason’s releasing an EP, Don’t Stop Now, in the US. It’s been a five year lay-off since his last album. Communion Records are pressing a 500-piece limited edition on 10” vinyl (available digitally for those without old tech) and you can download Restless Fugitive for free at his website. See Willy on March 3rd Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms; 4th Exeter, Phoenix; 5th Cardiff, Glee Club; 7th London, Koko; 8th Leeds, The Wardrobe; 9th Newcastle, Gateshead Old
The American
Town Hall; 10th Glasgow, Oran Mor; 12th Liverpool, The Kazimier; 13th Nottingham, Rescue Rooms; 14th Dublin, Ireland, Whelan’s; 15 Belfast, Limelight. www.willymason.net
The Flaming Lips
Just how did a bunch of Okies with a penchant for dressing as cuddly toys on stage and writing songs about rampaging robots, worms, giraffes and jelly ever expect to get so big? Just be glad they did. The influential music magazine Q named The Flaming Lips as one of the ‘50 Bands to See Before You Die’ because of elaborate live shows famed for extravagant costumes, balloons, puppets, video projections, complex stage light configurations, confetti and singer Wayne Coyne’s crowdsurfing man-sized plastic bubble. A rare treat for audiences this side of the pond will come when the Lips play two concerts at The Roundhouse in London, May 20th & 21st. www.flaminglips.com
Martha Wainwright
Did you miss the Divine Miss W’s English dates in December? Fear not – at least if you’re on the western fringes of the British Isles. After a quick trip over to California she’s back across
the water for Celtic Connections this month. January 28th Glasgow, BBC Radio 2 Show; 29th Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall; 30th Glasgow, BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards; February 1st Cork, Ireland, Opera House; 2nd Galway, Ireland, Roisin Dubh; 3rd Dublin, Ireland, Pepper Canister Church. www.marthawainwright.com
Slash feat. Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators In May 2012 Slash’s second solo album Apocalyptic Love was released, featuring band-mates Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators – it’s out on Dik Hayd International (Slash’s own label) in the States and Roadrunner Records in the UK. A sold out headline tour ensued over here in October 2012 and he’s subsequently toured Turkey, Eastern Europe, Russia, Scandinavia, Germany and the Netherlands. Missed all the action? Now there’s a last chance (at least for a while) to see the band up close in action at two smallish English dates: February 28th, Nottingham Arena; March 1st, Blackpool, Empress Ballroom. www.slashonline.com
Bonnie Raitt
She’s (gasp) a woman. She’s (gasp) white. She’s (groan) middle class. Perhaps it was something to do with playing alongside the likes of Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker when she was at an impressionable age, but Ms Raitt has the slide-guitar chops to stand comparison to any blues guitarist over the last few decades entirely on her own merits, not to mention a soulful voice and great songwriting ability. She has a new album – Slipstream – out and she’ll be playing songs from it along with some old favorites on her 2013 UK tour: June 9th Southend, Cliffs Pavilion; 11th Birmingham, Symphony Hall; 13th Manchester, O2 Apollo; 14th Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena; 15th Isle of Wight Festival; 21st Glasgow, Clyde Auditorium; 22nd Liverpool, Empire Theatre; 24th Newcastle, City Hall; 25th Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall; 27th London, Royal Albert Hall. www.bonnieraitt.com
Slash
Martha Wainwright PHOTO: YRREK
Bonnie Raitt PHOTO: BUZZ PERSON
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ALBUMS THEOF MONTH Joe Brown
The Ukulele Album Joe Brown Records/ Absolute/Universal Joe Brown is a British national treasure, but he’s also been known in the US since the ’50s as an influential rock and roll singer, an in-demand session guitarist and a stage and movie actor. At the age of 71 (he doesn’t look it – with his trademark ‘bog-brush’ haircut and chirpy manner he seems decades younger) he is still active in music, recording and touring. One of Joe’s passions is the ukulele – shared with George Harrison who, it’s said, he introduced to the instrument. For his 30th album Joe has taken a bunch of favorite songs, some associated with the instrument, some effective surprises. Among the first category are Hula Girl and George Formby’s When I’m Cleaning Windows (Formby was the British music hall variety star who sang risqué, double-entendre laden songs and played, actually, the banjolele – it’s the law in Britain that any ukulele-based activity must contain at least one Formby number). In the second group, ELO’s Mr Blue Sky, The Who’s Pinball Wizard and – masterfully – Motörhead’s The Ace Of Spades! But Joe treats the uke as a ‘proper’ instrument, not just for novelties, and a special treat is I’ll See You In Dreams. George Harrison’s widow Olivia asked Joe to play it at the former Beatle’s memorial concert; it was one of George’s favorites. The hard-working Joe starts a 34 date UK tour on February 20th – see www.joebrown.co.uk for details.
28 January 2013
PHOTO: FELIPE PAGANI
The American
Serafina Steer The Moths Are Real Stolen Recordings
Regular readers will know that The American has been championing this English rose, whose beautiful harpplaying and softly speak-sung voice are belied by lyrics that expose the worst, the best and most painful parts of life. We’re not alone – Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker called her previous album Change Is Good, Change Is Good “Probably my favourite album of the year so far” and was so entranced by her that he has produced The Moths Are Real. Has this made Serafina more accessible, easier to listen to, less magical? No, she’ll never be that, but his involvement has already gained her more airplay. If you get the chance, listen. And see her live, with special guests, at St Leonard’s Church, Shoreditch, London on January 24th.
Lynyrd Skynyrd Last of A Dyin’ Breed Roadrunner Records
Like Southern rock? You’ll love this! Sorry to come across like a bad TV advert, but that really is the perfect summary of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s 13th studio album. The band settled early on into a readily-identifiable soundscape – three electric six-strings up front, country-piano accents and proud Southern lyrics. It’s still there, despite an almost completely different lineup. Three of the original band were killed in a plane crash in 1977 including front man Ronnie Van Zant. Gary Rossington is the only surviving original, although Ronnie’s brother Johnny now handles lead vocal duties.
Helmed in the studio by Bob Marlette, who also produced Skynyrd’s last album God & Guns, some tunes vary slightly from the template. Home Grown has a crunchier riff and a swingier groove than most KS numbers, but on the other hand it sounds more generic, less like Skynyrd. Sometimes it pays to keep plowing the same old furrow. Don’t expect any surprises from the lyrics either. The title track offers: “keep on movin’ and rollin’ on; playin’ for keeps; playin’ and gamblin’ but Lord I’m free; saddle up baby, ride up close to me; an open highway’s all I’ll ever need; one horse towns and one night stands; I’m a Travelin’ Man; I hear that highway callin’...” But then again, sometimes the familiar, well played with conviction, is all you really need.
The American
Coffee Break QUIZ 1 Is January 1 the first day
of the Gregorian calendar or the Julian?
6 What is another name for
Twelfthtide?
7 Who was Gerald Ford’s
Vice President?
2 What is the nickname of
Pennsylvania?
8 Who is the current United
States Attorney General?
3 Who founded Wendy’s?
9 On which Hawaiian island
4 Who played Don Draper’s
wife, later Betty Francis, in TV series Mad Men?
is Honolulu?
10 Which of the Great Lakes
lies wholly within the US?
5 Ring-necked pheasants
The US state bird of which state?
11 Which of these states is
are a common sight in the UK countryside now. For which US state are they the official bird?
not in the US Midwest? Colorado, Iowa, Wisconsin?
12 Lake Michigan borders how many
US states: 3, 4 or 5?
13 Which of the following states was
once a monarchy: California, Texas, Hawaii?
5
14 Kansas City is in Kansas and which
6 4
other US state?
15 Who played Captain Benjamin
4 1
7
8 9
Franklin ‘Hawkeye’ Pierce in the film M*A*S*H*?
9 2
16 Which surname is shared by
5
3
Answers to Coffee Break Quiz & Sudoku on page 65
5 3 9 6
2
1 8 1
5 3
two US Presidents and a world heavyweight boxing champion?
6 7
Competition Winner
A pair of tickets to the Statoil Masters Tennis tournament at the Royal Albert Hall was won by Canan Mounir of London W1. (The correct answer was c: John McEnroe)
January 2013 29
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CHOICE The Northern Renaissance: Dürer to Holbein
The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace www.royalcollection.org.uk To April 2013
© ABIGAIL DAKER AND NEIL AYRES
LOLCAT - Teh Exhibishun
The Framers Gallery, 36 Windmill St. London W1T 2JT lolcatexhibishun.tumblr.com January 23 to February 15 Perhaps we can blame American, and until recently London resident, Kate Miltner for people contemplating the deeper cultural significance of LOLcats – the internet phenomenon of pictures of cats with badly spelled subtitles – for it was she who infamously wrote her MSc dissertation on LOLCats. But this exhibition (excuse the correct spelling) expands the felinesand-projected-thoughts brief to include the work of graphic designers, illustrators, photographers, animators and writers, with humor still to the fore, but with style and craft amplified beyond the simple online meme. The diversity of execution is impressive. 50% of all proceeds from commercial sales go to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. And if you still want to blame Kate Miltner, she’ll be the exhibishun’s special guest!
30 January 2013
This exhibition of art from the Royal Collection illustrates the extraordinary technical skill of artists working during a period of political and religious upheaval in Northern Europe.
With themes from mythology to morality, the more than 100 works include a strong presence by Dürer and Holbein, with a focus on Art in the Netherlands, in France and in the Holy Roman Empire, plus some fine examples of 16th Century armor.
Winter in America / Grim Street Third Floor Gallery, 102 Bute Street, Cardiff CF10 5AD, Wales www.thirdfloorgallery.com Winter in America: to 6 January 2013 Grim Street: to 27 January 2013
Cardiff gets three mentions in this month’s Arts Choice, but it is the sometimes overlooked Third Floor Gallery demanding your attention Left: Follower of Marinus van Reymerswaele, The Misers, 1548-51 ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST © 2012, HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II
Below: Justin Maxon, When The Spirit Moves © JUSTIN MAXON
The American
LAST CHANCE TO SEE... JMW Turner: The Davies Collection
National Museum Cardiff, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP To January 20
Above: Édouard Manet Interior at Arcachon, 1871, Oil on canvas PHOTO © STERLING AND FRANCINE CLARK ART INSTITUTE, WILLIAMSTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS, USA / MICHAEL AGEE
Right: Juergen Teller, Bjork and son, Iceland 1993 PHOTO © JUERGEN TELLER
here, with work by two photographers with an eye for stark reality: Justin Maxon examining the hardships of Chester, Pennsylvania, and Erin Trieb recording the journey of an American Afghanistan veteran returning home with the burden of depression and post-traumatic stress. Also at the Third Floor is Mark Cohen’s exhibition Grim Street, with its rust belt images of 1970s Pennsylvania, originally shown at MOMA back in the ’70s. Poor old Pennsylvania!
Manet: Portraying Life
Main Galleries, Burlington House Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD www.royalacademy.org.uk January 26 to April 14 The month’s big opening is a retrospective focusing on Édouard
Manet’s lush proto-impressionist portraiture, gathering paintings from across three continents. Over 50 works include portraits of his wife Suzanne, Antonin Proust, Émile Zola, and others, and give an insight into Parisian society of the time, as well as illustrating Manet’s breathtakingly direct style. The exhibition includes his celebrated Music in the Tuileries, Berthe Morisot, 1872, as well as The Railway, 1872.
One of the interesting arts stories of 2012 was the confirmation that three works in the possession of the National Museum of Wales previously deemed fake were confirmed by experts to be genuine landscapes by JMW Turner. The paintings were originally bequeathed to the Museum by Gwendoline and Margaret Davies in 1951, but removed from display in 1956. A new examination using modern methods, including X-Ray and pigment analysis, reassured the Museum of Turner’s hand in their creation, altering their value from thousands to millions of pounds. The three paintings, The Beacon Light, Off Margate and Margate Jetty, are presently on display with the Museum’s other four Turners in a dedicated exhibition for a limited time.
Juergen Teller: Woo
Institute of Contemporary Arts The Mall, London SW1Y 5AH www.ica.org.uk January 23 to March 17 Photographer Juergen Teller has a way of connecting with his subjects that is often humorous, always
JMW Turner, Margate Jetty, 1840 PHOTO COURTESY NATIONAL MUSEUM WALES
January 2013 31
The American Top: Teresa Margolles, Plancha, COURTESY NATIONAL MUSEUM WALES
Below: Paul Noble, Public Toilet © PAUL NOBLE / GAGOSIAN, LONDON
personal, with the levity of a family friend. Perhaps because of that, his compositions can sometimes seem no more than a social snap, were it not for the wit explicitly executed. On other occasions, such as in the image of oft-photographed, always sharply marketed songstress Bjork pictured here, he reaches beyond pop iconography to reveal true and genuine moments.
Turner Prize 2012
Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1P 4RG www.tate.org.uk To January 6 The Turner Prize appeared to have painted itself into a corner this year, with a shortlist that included the (deliberately) amateurish performance art rituals of Spartacus Chetwynd, the film-length documentary on RD Laing by Luke Fowler, the latest technically exact architectural folly from Paul Noble (who’s been playing the same tune for a while now) and a 20 minute film from video artist Elizabeth Price combining footage of a fatal Woolworths fire with images of church
32 January 2013
architecture... for some reason. Noble was so obviously the pick that the Turner jury must have been duty bound to go the other way and select Price. To make your own judgement, you’ll need to hurry to Tate Britain by January 6. As we can’t embed The Woolworth’s Choir of 1979, see left for a sample of Paul Noble’s Public Toilet.
Artes Mundi 5
National Museum Cardiff, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP www.museumwales.ac.uk To January 13 Back to Wales for the Artes Mundi prize for contemporary art: awarded every two years, paying a greater sum than the Turner, and with an international eye, and arguably producing a more coherent winner, with judges commending Teresa Margolles’ ”visceral power and urgency ... in confronting an on-going human tragedy”. Her works confront the human experience in northern Mexico, including violence and drug-related crime. For example, Plancha drips water used to cleanse dead bodies in a morgue onto hotplates. At least the context is accessible. The show of shortlisted works, including Margolles’, ends this month.
MUSEUM FOCUS
N
ewly renovated in 2009, the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford justifies a visit to the medieval town in its own right. With 39 new galleries, an education centre, and a rooftop restaurant justly known as one of the best in Oxford, it offers more than enough to see and do to fill a day trip, a weekend, or even several days. Located near the city centre (across from the famed Randolph Hotel) it’s an easy stop on any visit to Oxford. A teaching and research department of the University of Oxford, the museum benefits from the collections of the university’s Bodleian Library, often including rare illustrated books and manuscripts in its special exhibitions. The exhibitions themselves are clearly organized by the best of Oxford’s curators, combining interesting content with new information to offer a unique look at important periods, artists, and techniques. The recent renovation included six new galleries for the Museum’s internationally recognized collection of artifacts from Ancient Egypt and Nubia (Sudan). Two special exhibitions on very different aspects of the 19th Century will close this January:
Below: Peacock (detail) from the Threads of Silk and Gold exhibition © KIYOMIZU-SANNENZAKA MUSEUM, KYOTO
Ashmolean THE
© ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
The American
Art and Artifacts in Oxford
The Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2PH • www.ashmolean.org Edward Lear, Macaw
Threads of Silk and Gold: Ornamental Textiles from Meiji Japan To January 27
The first exhibition on Meiji textiles to be held outside Japan, Threads of Silk and Gold celebrates ornamental textiles from artists of the Meiji Era (1868-1912). These “paintings in silk thread” were especially popular to Western audiences, and art enthusiasts and tourists alike had Japanese screens or wall hangings in their homes, while World’s Fairs included examples of the techniques, and diplomatic missions from Japan offered screens as gifts to show off Japanese artistry. Victorian collectors were particularly taken with Japanese art depicting the natural world, as a relief from what they saw as the bleakness of the Western world. Textile artists capitalized on this affection, and many of the examples of embroidery are of animals or landscapes. Screens of a bird feeding her young and of monkeys grooming one another have the feel of natural history, while one of an ocelot carrying a dead macaw in its mouth
would have appealed to contemporary enthusiasts of Landseer. The exhibition is divided by technique, highlighting what different artists might do in a particular medium. The section on the oshie padded silk technique includes a very fine 4-fold ornamental screen depicting the four classes of Edo Japan. The 3-dimensional aspect of this method allows for great detail in the scenes of farmers grinding grain and samurais fighting. Meanwhile, two embroidered panels of landscapes (one of trees in autumn and one called Stormy Sea with Seagulls) change color according to the angle where light hits them, a feature that would not have been possible in a painting of the same subject.
Happy Birthday, Edward Lear: 200 Years of Nature and Nonsense Through January 6
The 19th Century master of both nonsense rhymes and illustration began his career as a draughtsman of rare birds and other natural history, and this exhibition draws a compelling
© ALEXANDER LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
line from the careful skills required for ornithological drawings to the beautiful studies and paintings Lear executed during his travels in Italy, Greece, Turkey and India. The very fine detail in his lithographs of birds early in the exhibition turns up again in his oil paintings of Jerusalem, Constantinople, and Beachy Head. The latter is a masterpiece of stark color and technique; as the exhibition notes tell us, Lear said of the painting, “It has been my aim to render [the subject] in its coldest and uncomfortliest phase.” An oil painting of Venice, meanwhile, renders its subject’s architecture in warm tones, with tiny but carefully-painted gulls skimming over a canal. No exhibition on Lear would be complete without a selection of his cartoons and other nonsense sketches. Parts of the nonsense alphabet he created for days-old Ruth Decie in 1862 are on display, as are self-portrait caricatures he made of himself with his beloved cat Foss. H – Kathleen Lawton-Trask
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Merrily We Roll Along THEATER REVIEWS
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by George Furth Menier Chocolate Factory Theatre, London SE1 • Reviewed by Jarlath O’Connell
A
work shines through as she locates the emotional heart of the piece and gives it great fluidity and pace. A wonderful example of how you should never judge a show simply on its first outing, it ran 16 performances on Broadway in 1981, and it has since had numerous successful stagings. Sondheim now admits that having too young a cast scuppered it first time out. If they’re too young, during the older section they can look like kids playing dress-up. Opening at a cocaine-fuelled party among the jaded LA movie set, our ambivalent hero, music composer turned film producer Franklin Shepard, asks what
n underrated gem from the oeuvre of Mr Sondheim, this tale of the disintegration of a trio of friendships across three decades is told in reverse chronology, a move that gives it real edge. It is brilliantly served in this intimate production at the Chocolate Factory. Sondheim and Furth revised the show for a landmark production at Leicester Haymarket in 1992 and the star of that production, Maria Friedman, now returns to direct. In the intervening years she has, of course, become our pre-eminent interpreter of Sondheim. Her close affinity for the Damian Humbley, Mark Umbers and Jenna Russell in Merrily We Roll Along © TRISTRAM KENTON
34 January 2013
went wrong? As the years roll back we see how his friendship with his song-writing partner, Charlie, breaks down over their divergent ambitions and the book grapples with the eternal chestnut of an artist “selling out”. We see the two and their best mate Mary struggle through the hungry years, where Franklin is distracted into an affair by Gussie, a rapacious Broadway star. They break up two marriages, but always on the sidelines there’s Mary, deadpan and wise and secretly carrying a candle for him. We share in the youthful exuberance of their early years, putting on satirical reviews in Greenwich Village dives, and we end up back at
the beginning, on the roof of their walk-up apartment watching the orbiting Sputnik, all three buzzing with hope. The genius of the piece is how a play about the sentimentality of friendship and not wanting friends to change, itself avoids easy sentiment. The reverse chronology achieves this by cutting against the grain of sentiment. The present frames the past and the past is always there. As for the music, it is sublime. Sondheim here displays his brilliance at writing any type of song – from killer ballads such as Good Thing Going, to poignant love songs like Not a Day Goes By, to devilishly clever satires such as The Blob (about New York’s critical cognoscenti), to vibrant quartet Opening Doors, to review sketches like Bobby and Jackie and Jack, which would do justice to Mike Nichols and Elaine May. He even sends up his lazy critics in the lyric “You need a song you can hum, you need a song that goes dum dum dum di dum”. Previous productions have grappled with how to make Franklin more sympathetic (as if we need a pill) and this one solves it simply by casting someone with astonishing movie star charisma in the lead. Mark Umbers is a scintillating talent and he makes Franklin’s unwittingly selfish use of those around him, and their slavish devotion, totally understandable. It anchors the piece. Jenna Russell is gloriously dry as Mary, and Damian Humbley sings divinely, especially the difficult breakdown number Franklin Shepard Inc. Josefina Gabrielle finds the vulnerability beneath the hard-bitten Gussie who quips “One day I made myself up and now I never change it”, and in the small but pivotal role of Beth, the first wife, Clare Foster is quietly moving. H
PHOTO: SIMON ANNAND
The American
The Sweet Smell ofSuccess Music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Crag Carnelia, book by John Guare Arcola Theatre, Dalston, London • Reviewed by Jarlath O’Connell
T
he Arcola Theatre in Dalston adds to its reputation for quality by presenting an astonishingly assured and beautifully staged UK premiere of Marvin Hamlisch’s musical adaptation of the great 1957 movie The Sweet Smell of Success. The original had memorable performances from Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis, and was hot stuff for the time, as it was an excoriating portrayal of a venal, all-powerful, right-wing gossip columnist JJ Hunsecker, loosely based on Walter Winchell. JJ plots with ambitious young press agent Sidney Falcone to ruin his sister’s relations with a young nightclub singer whom he deems to be inappropriate. JJ is a piece of work. He threatens a Senator with “JJ makes sure that people like you, who run the country, are living their lives the way they should”. In the age of the Leveson Inquiry this is bang up to
date and we can reflect that nothing much has changed when it comes to egomaniacal press figures spinning “slimy scandals and phoney patriotics”. John Lithgow (currently starring at the National Theatre) created the role of JJ on Broadway in 2002, under the direction of Nicholas Hytner, and won the Tony for it. Turning such a dark piece into a musical was a brave step for all concerned but the resulting book, by playwright John Guare, is tight and gripping and perfectly draws out the complexity in these characters. New York City was at its peak and king of it all was Winchell, whose column was read by 60 million readers. Like his pal J Edgar Hoover, he knew everyone and pulled all the strings. Such absolute power inevitably corrupted absolutely. David Bamber, more familiar playing ineffectual types, is totally convincing here as the snake-like
January 2013 35
The American
JJ, a man with seemingly unlimited power over everyone in the country except for his young sister Susan (Caroline Keiff ), for whom he has a creepy, incestuous obsession. The parasitic relationship of press agents to all powerful gossip columnists, historically at its height then, is wonderfully explored and Adrian der Gregorian brings great depth to the ambitious Sidney. Half enthralled to JJ and half disgusted, he soon falls foul of the crazed scheming and his decision to get back in with JJ, in a vain attempt to usurp him, ultimately poisons his friendship with Susan. Mehmet Ergen (the Acrola’s artistic director) stages the piece with a great fluency and sense for the period. There isn’t a weak link from Nathan M Wright’s slick choreography, especially in the number Dirt, to Mark Bailey’s glorious costumes. A fine cast illuminate
A David Bamber as JJ Hunsecker PHOTO: SIMON ANNAND
some great character parts and Rebecca Louis as JJ’s hardboiled secretary Madge, and Celia Graham as an alluring match girl Rita, stand out. Indeed Graham, who has a look of Susan Hayward, seems like she stepped off the silver screen. Hamlisch (who sadly died in August) delivers a sassy, jazz infused score that is rich and varied, and numbers like Got to get the Columns are perfectly integrated with the book. Carnelia’s lyrics are often not a match for him but it’s a score that brings 1950s New York vividly into focus. At the risk of repeating myself, with this, Steel Pier and Victor/Victoria, it is the London Fringe that is at the vanguard in musical theatre in London and is putting the West End to shame. H PHOTO: SIMON ANNAND
36 January 2013
nother show has come to the West End that piggy-backs itself on a performer’s music catalogue. The newest West End entry in this genre is The Bodyguard, based on the 1992 smash movie which starred Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, and includes several Whitney songs not in the movie. The musical of the movie follows the exact same plot: Superstar singer and actress Rachel Marron (played by American Heather Headley) and her young son need to be protected from a stalker (a creepy Mark Letheren), so a bodyguard is hired for her in the guise of Frank Farmer (Lloyd Owen). Marron initially feels that she doesn’t need a bodyguard, but she has not been made aware by her team that someone is stalking her. However, once she finds out that this stalker has been sending her obsessive and frightening letters, she embraces the idea of a bodyguard ...and falls for him as well. In the meantime, she has been nominated for two Oscars and needs to be seen out in public during this time. However, it seems like she is not safe anywhere, as the stalker knows which bar Frank took her to and where they went out of town to escape from him. Will their romance endure up to and after the Oscars ceremony? Will Rachel and her son and the rest of her crew be safe from the stalker? While the movie was able to convey this story very well, the stage version struggles to match it. The scenes between Rachel and Frank are stiff; their romance just isn’t very believable. Headley and Letheren don’t quite pull this off, though Owen is good in a bodyguard role that is mostly just to stand around (he does actually sing in one scene). The most dramatic and important
The American
THE
Bodyguard Screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan, book by Alex Dinelaris Adelphi Theatre, The Strand, London WC2R 0NS • Reviewed by Tim Baros
scene comes near the end of the show while Rachel is performing at the Oscars. It is not well choreographed, acted, nor believable, and could’ve been more explosive and surprising. Headley, a Tony and Grammy awardwinning actress and singer, doesn’t quite pull off the acting scenes. Yet when it comes to the musical portions of the show – wow! The stage is hers and hers alone. Headley belts out several of the songs made famous by the film, including I’m Every Woman, I Have Nothing, and the big hit I Will Always Love You, and while she doesn’t match Whitney Houston’s vocals, she makes the songs her own with a huge stage voice and commanding presence (including the amazing sequinned dresses she wears). Her song performances are the highlight of The Bodyguard. There are also very good supporting performances by Debbie Kurup who plays her sister and manager, and Letheren as the stalker. And while the theater-goer may think that the stage version of The Bodyguard is a tribute to the late Whitney Houston, it really isn’t, though her memory and voice will be in the back of your mind throughout this show. H
Right: Heather Headley as Rachel Marron Below: Lloyd Owen plays Frank Farmer PHOTOS: PAUL COLTAS
January 2013 37
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THEATER PREVIEWS Old Times Harold Pinter Theatre, Panton Street, London SW1Y 4DN www.oldtimestheplay.com January 12 – April 6 Kate, Deeley and Anna recall their younger days in London while trapped together in a country farmhouse, unearthing old feelings and tensions. So, three characters in a small space – a typical premise for a Pinter play, but notable here is that this production of Old Times is the first time a play by the master of the
Major league hoops: Cirque du Soleil bring Kooza to London this January PHOTO: CIRQUE DU SOLEIL KOOZA
38 January 2013
meaningful pause has been staged here since the theater was renamed in his honor. The production rises to the occasion with a cast that features Olivier and BAFTA-winning Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient, Gosford Park), who starred in Pinter’s Betrayal when it was at the Comedy Theatre, Rufus Sewell (recently in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Olivier nominated for Arcadia), and Lia Williams, a Pinter veteran having appeared in The Homecoming at the Comedy Theatre, The Room and Celebration (in New York), The Lover, The Collection and The Hothouse, while Pinter himself directed Lia in Oleanna with David Suchet. With direction from Ian Rickson, whose last production for The Royal Court, The Seagull, transferred to Broadway, it’s fair to say Old Times is in very safe hands.
Kristin Scott Thomas, Rufus Sewell and Lia Williams bring star appeal as well as Pinter credentials to Old Times at the Pinter Theatre PHOTO © JASON BELL, LOTHAR SCHMID H&K, SIMON ANNAND
Cirque du Soleil: Kooza Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AP cirquedusoleil.com/kooza January 5 to February 14 If some of this month’s theater openings seem like heavy weather for a new year, you could just enjoy the spectacle of Cirque du Soleil’s latest acrobatic offering. “Kooza is about human connection and the world of duality, good and bad,” says writer-director David Shiner, “The tone is fun and funny, light and open.“ Woven into the show is the story of The Innocent, a melancholy loner who enters the world of Kooza, created by The Trickster. The show has already played to 4 million theater-goers in North America and Japan, and begins its European tour in London. It is a return to the acrobatic and clowning traditions upon which Cirque was founded, though it promises the usual high Cirque devotion to lighting, costume and visual marvel. The show includes contortion, a hoops act, teeterboard, a unicycle duo, and standout high wire and wheel of death acts.
The American
No Quarter Royal Court Theatre Sloane Square, London SW1W 8AS www.royalcourttheatre.com January 11 to February 9 Fleeing a world he has rejected, Robin finds solace in his music and the sanctuary of his remote family home. But as his kingdom begins to crumble around him, how far will he go to save it and at what cost? Polly Stenham returns with an anarchic twist on the drawing room drama. Stars Tom Sturridge (The Boat That Rocked) as Robin, with Maureen Beattie (TV’s Casualty), Zoe Boyle (Downton Abbey), and Patrick Kennedy (Boardwalk Empire).
The Judas Kiss By David Hare Duke of York’s Theatre St Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4BG www.atgtickets.com January 9 - April 6 It is 1895 and The Importance of Being Earnest is a critical success. However, Anglo-Irish playwright Rupert Everett and Freddie Fox in The Judas Kiss, now transferring to the Duke of York’s Theatre PHOTO © MANUEL HARLAN
Oscar Wilde is about to suffer a terrible and very public fall from grace. The play focuses on two key moments – Wilde’s decision to face imprisonment in England rather than leave, and a betrayal upon his release two years later. This production, starring Rupert Everett as Oscar Wilde with Freddie Fox as Lord Alfred Douglas, is transferring to the West End from an acclaimed run at the Hampstead Theatre.
The Turn of the Screw By Henry James/Rebecca Lenkiewicz Almeida Theatre, Almeida Street, Islington, London N1 1TA www.almeida.co.uk January 18 – March 16 Henry James’ chilling gothic tale of possession and corrupted innocence takes to the stage in a new adaptation by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, with a very promising cast including Gemma Jones, Anna Madeley, and Laurence Belcher. Jones is an awardwinning veteran of TV and theater,
while Madeley will be familiar to many from Brideshead Revisited and In Bruges, and to Almeida regulars from Becky Shaw. However, the clincher for success may rest with Laurence Belcher, one of the hardest working young actors around, already with a CV that includes Little Dorrit, Doctor Who, X-Men: First Class, and playing Prince William in TV’s forthcoming Diana.
9 to 5 By Dolly Parton www.9to5themusical.co.uk On Tour until July
If you lovedLinda the 1980s McCartney: film 9 Life to 5,In Photograp or even if you haven’t seen it but (Taschen Books, £44.99) know the theme song, here’s a Even before met Paul McCartchance to catch the fullshe musical Lindanear Eastman was capturing version at aney, theater you. The theworkers world onturning film. Her story of three theshots in this booksexist rangeboss fromcontinues spontaneous fam tables on their portraits to studio sessions with its UK tour ily during January, visiting Stevie and Birmingham (DecWonder 17 to Jan 5),Michael Glas- Jackson well as artists Willem de Koongow (8-12),asLiverpool (14-19), Dublin and Gilbert and George. (21-26) anding Bromley (Jan 18 - Feb 2) One her sensitivity whether she’s with a castfeels including Ben Richards, photographing children, celebrities Jackie Clune and Bonnie Langford. animals or17 moments in everyday The show then visits more venues life. This and volume, from an between February July.selected H archive of over 200,000 pictures, wa produced in collaboration with Pau and their children and is a moving testament to a warm and talented woman who died far too young. – V
Messages from the Lorax By Shannon Guest (Gazelle Book Services Ltd, £29.99)
Subtitled Photographs of the Expres sion of Nature, this book is perfect f the sort of person who sees shapes in clouds, or, like my small daughte perceives animals in the artexing. This collection of photographs reveal elemental faces and shapes
January 2013 39
The American
BOOKS 365 Day-by-Day: New York Taschen, Hardcover, Multilingual Edition: English, French, & German 736 pages, £17.99 New York isn’t just a wonderful town, it’s a fabulous modern-gothic icon of human endeavour, the only heavyweight rival to London as the world’s premier city (arguably its successor). Its architecture, unlike London’s eclectic mix, bears a consistency and distinctiveness borne of shorter history, and yet is all the more fantastic for it, like something dreamt up by a single brilliant author. Even when grubby, its bustle and brickwork are unmistakable. At its zenith it is business and engineering poetry. London collects the world, New York assimilates it. If you can’t see black and white photos of New York
without hearing Gershwin, get ready for the Woody Allen voice over, as every one of the 365 spreads in this book (one for each day of the year, including notes on famous New Yorker birthdays) reflect the majesty of a city that still steams, hustles and rattles with an unquenchable energy. And not only are there 365 evocative portraits of the city and its people, but a glorious collection of quotes are scattered across its pages, from HG Wells (“To Europe, she was America. To America, she was the gateway of the earth. But to tell the
The main concourse at Grand Central Terminal, 1929 © COURTESY OF THE NEW YORK TRANSIT MUSEUM
40 January 2013
story of New York would be to write a social history of the world”) to Le Corbusier (“A hundred times have I thought New York is a catastrophe... it is a beautiful catastrophe”). If you’re from New York, you’ll want to head back; if you’re not from New York, you’ll wish you were. – RG
Bible By Gordon Campbell Oxford University Press, £16.99 / $24.95 In 1604 King James I summoned a conference to discuss the grievances of Puritan members of the Church of England. On day two the proposal was put forth that previous translations were “corrupt and not answerable to the truth of the original” and there should be a new translation. So began the task of 50 of England’s greatest scholars to accurately translate the bible which would be read in churches and thus had an impact on the English speaking world since. It is a story of politics as well as religion, talented translators, printer’s errors, both accidental and deliberate, of one of the most influential works ever published in the English language. It is the story of changing beliefs down the centuries, of fierce arguments over revisions of the text of this book which has known both adulation and deprecation. Campbell follows the twists and turns right up to the present day and believer or not, it is a fascinating journey. – VS
Fashion Designers A-Z Taschen, Hardcover in acrylic slipcase, choices of limited edition slipcase covers, Multilingual Edition: English, French and German, 654 pages, £250 Imagine a catwalk at the end of time, with a hundred of the greatest fashion designers gathered to prove to the Creator that covering our nakedness didn’t work out so bad after all, and you’re somewhere close to what this book contains. From Parisinfluenced Hollywood costumer Adrian to the geometry of architectturned-designer Zoran, via Armani, Blahnik, Chanel, Dior etc, this book is sumptuously illustrated, both in its couture photography, and in its stylized sketches of the designers themselves. Some of the full-page images may have you wondering why it’s taken until now to create high-def publishing – designs by Balenciaga, Lauren, McQueen, Rhodes and more, benefit massively from the fine art attention. I could just throw names at you Ab Fab style (“LaCroix, sweety”), but this book defies the labels, mesmerising you with the brocade and sequin artistry of it all. This opulent 654 page indulgence comes bound in a choice of patterned covers (Akris, Etro, McCartney, etc) featuring distinctive design patterns, and is not cheap. Then again, if any of the designs in this volume are part of your wardrobe already, you can probably afford to have this masterful fashion design ‘best of’ sitting on a shelf of your boudoir. Or better still, where everyone can see it. If you have money to waste, don’t waste it – buy this book instead. – RG Right: Alexander McQueen dress: multi-colored reptile patterned photo digital printed silk chiffon © 2012 THE MUSEUM AT THE FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
George Washington: Gentleman Warrior By Stephen Brumwell Quercus, Hardcover, 498 pages, £30 Time and political myth-making have given us a particular view of America’s First President: George Washington, the Gentleman Farmer, stirred from peaceful pursuits to liberate his people from a despotic foreign power. It’s not totally wrong, but it is certainly partial. Stephen Brumwell’s biography highlights Washington’s early days as an ambitious military officer, dashing and glamorous (despite later portraits of an elder with bad teeth) who fought – for Britain – against Native Americans and the French, written about in the English press and desperate for a King’s Commission. “I am a warrior”, Washington described himself many times. His career is traced through the lens of that self-image, as he becomes the leader and then President of the fledgling United States. Brumwell is an historian, but started as a journalist. This combination results in an exciting read with much background detail and good historical analysis. – MB
© 2010 BOB WILLOUGHBY
The American
Audrey Hepburn Photographs 1953 – 1966 By Bob Willoughby Taschen, Hardcover, Multilingual Edition: English, French & German, 280 pages, £44.99/$70. A collector’s edition in clamshell box, £650/$1000, numbered and signed by Willoughby has already sold out. In the 1950s, three women dominated the gossip columns. They were Jackie Kennedy, Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn. All three had a kind of charisma that few women have had since. Bob Willoughby, one of Hollywood’s greatest studio photographers, describes Hepburn as a forest creature who before one’s eyes could transform herself into a princess. Like Jackie Kennedy, her features were kind of helter skelter, yet, as I saw when I sat next to her table in a restaurant in The Carlyle Hotel in New York during the sixties, your eyes were drawn to her even before you realized who she was. Opening this book I found, like that morning at breakfast, her beauty still reached out to me. It is a photographer’s love affair with his camera on a woman who was part sprite, part human. – VS
January 2013 41
The American
Time To Buy Stateside PROPERTY
I
t’s a good time to look at buying property in the US, as a second home, a home to come back to, or an investment property to rent out. Over the next fifteen months there should be an upward movement in prices as Florida real estate is still particularly discounted from the crash. When you add in exchange rate values, property becomes even less expensive. Property values were worst hit in Florida, Nevada, Arizona and parts of California. Between 2000 and 2006, prices for residential property in Florida went up 149 percent. From 2006 to 2009 they fell by an average of 44 percent – some by 60 percent. It looks as if we over-reached on the upside, then over-corrected on the
42
John Tuccillo, Chief Economist of Florida Realtors, looks at the state of the Florida property market for investment, buying a holiday home, or even a permanent move downside. Now we’re struggling to reach trend again, but the struggle comes from the weakness in the overall economy – the housing market itself is in good shape. The question is at what rate, and when, will prices go up? Many investors in Florida are buying for the longer term, five to ten years, and are looking to rent the properties until then, taking their gain on the back end when prices rebound. Those folks – individuals with their own retirement accounts, corporate funds or investment clubs – have bought a lot of property at the lower end of the market. Now prices are moving upward as demand is concentrated against a smaller inventory base. Over the next fifteen months to two years, prices should move upward four to five percent, about where we have been historically. There’s a variety of statistics about the Florida market
at floridarealtors.org (click on the Research button). We’ve also seen strong demand in luxury housing, partly because the wealth that was wiped out in the financial crash of 2007-8 has largely been restored. The US stock market has come back smartly and a lot of folks whose portfolios were trashed but are healthy again, are diversifying into property. The middle sector still has to catch up, and the amateur
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The American
able in southern Florida - Naples, Miami, Fort Lauderdale. Interstate 4 cuts across the state from Tampa on the West Coast through Orlando, up to Daytona on the East Coast. The hardest hit areas were below I4 and that’s where the bargains are. North of I4 the markets were less vulnerable and the cycle was much milder, but there is still value to be had there. buyer is coming in later and buying upmarket. At the top of the market there was a feeding frenzy in which people thought that real estate prices would never go down. Of course they did, and the folks who got caught were those who got in late. That includes builders, who were as susceptible to over-optimism as individual households. There was a lot of bad reading of the market. Builders built properties that, by the time they finished, were not going to be sold. You could go into some housing developments and see the streets and street lights, maybe even a golf course with a clubhouse, surrounded by 100 or 200 lots, all plotted out with wooden stakes but no homes built. In others, the homes were finished but 50 percent had “For Sale” signs out front. These are the houses that were scarfed up by investor groups and are now being rented out. The timing has to be right, but so does the location. The entire state of Florida looks good, but there’s always demand where there’s water, so anywhere on the coast is good. Tampa has very low inventory so there’s upside potential there. Orlando was hit hard by foreclosures, so there’s investment potential there. And if you can afford it, there is a lot of condominium stock avail-
44 January 2013
How To Buy
As you probably know, there are differences between the American and British systems. Florida agents are licensed by the state, are trained and have to pass a test before they can practise. In the US, every real estate agent has access to every property in a given area, not just their own properties. You may not need a lawyer: in Florida most real estate licensees act as transaction brokers and can represent both buyer and seller. Once a contract is signed, it can be broken only for cause. If it is subject to a home inspection or financing the buyer can back out if the house has termites, or he is unable to get a mortgage, but other than things like that the deal will go
through. You can’t be gazumped in the US. Ask your realtor about the differences and what happens at each stage of the process. When you’ve decided which areas you are interested in (it’s a big state and you need to hone it down) find a realtor who specializes there. You can search on the internet or try www.fl.living.net. Check their credentials - you want someone who is active in the area and knows it well. Florida Realtors doesn’t recommend agents or brokers but our 63 local associations can supply a list of members in their area. Make contact with them and discuss your needs. Florida has no state income tax, and local sales taxes in Miami and Orlando are lower than those in New York or Chicago. Property taxes are, however, one of the main sources of revenue for counties and state. You’ll want to get a clear idea of what the taxation on your property will be when you own it. Florida also has some favorable exemptions for primary residences, so remember to tell your realtor if you are planning to relocate to Florida or just looking to invest, as it may affect your tax status. H
The American
DRIVETIME
Beat The Beast From The East A
t the time of writing a blast of icy wind is due to come roaring in from the Russian Steppes, heralding a cold harsh winter. Here’s The American’s advice on driving in snow and ice, with help from the Institute of Advanced Motorists and some Bob Dylan song titles.
Whatcha Gonna Do?
Before you get in the car, make sure it is safe to drive in the freezing conditions. Get it serviced, make sure all the fluids are topped up, check tire pressures and consider swapping to winter tires for the season. Prepare (or buy) an emergency kit for your car. Consider packing bottles of water, energy-giving foods including (depending on your taste and allergies) energy bars, raisins and dried fruits, nuts, chocolate and candy bars; shovel, windshield scraper; flashlight plus extra batteries, battery-powered radio, small candles and matches; warm hats, socks, gloves, scarves etc., blankets or sleeping bags, high-viz jackets or waistcoats, first aid kit and any medications you and your family need; tow chain or rope; road salt, sand or cat litter for traction on ice; booster cables; cell phone adapter. Store smaller items in the passenger compartment in case the trunk freezes shut. Avoid traveling at all, unless
completely necessary. Can you work remotely, or change your schedule? Don’t ignore police warnings or advice to avoid specific routes. And remember, Britain may be small but the weather here can vary hugely between areas and change rapidly.
If you gotta go...
Check www.theaa.com, the IAM’s website drivingadvice.org.uk, and other media for traffic updates and weather forecasts. Clean and clear your car’s windows so you have all-round visibility before you set off. Clear snow off the roof too. Start gently, avoid high revs. Stay in a higher gear to avoid skidding and maximise control. In a manual car try moving off in second gear. In snow, get the speed right – not too fast so you risk losing control, but not so slow that you lose momentum when it is needed. If you skid, take your foot off the pedals and steer. Only use the footbrake if you cannot steer out of trouble. Double or even triple your normal stopping distance. Do not rely on your brakes to be able to stop, it simply may not happen! Think ahead as you drive so you can keep moving, even if it is at walking pace.
Plan your journey around busier roads, they’re more likely to have been gritted. Slow down before you get to bends, braking round corners is a no-no. Slow down before starting descents, and don’t let speed build up – it’s much easier to keep it low than try and slow down once things get slippery. At journey’s end, try to stop and park where you don’t have to start uphill.
You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere
If the worst happens... Keep track of where you are so that you can tell the breakdown or emergency services your location. If you must leave your vehicle to phone for assistance, find a safe place to stand away from the traffic flow. If you have just lost control, the next driver could well do so in the same place. If you break down or have to pull over on a motorway or dual carriageway, it is always better to leave your vehicle and stand a short distance behind and to the safe side of it. Don’t stand in front of it if at all possible. Balancing the risks of a collision and hypothermia is something that depends entirely on your situation.
January 2013 45
The American
THE REST OF THE BOWLS Gildan New Mexico Bowl • Dec 15, 1 pm Nevada v Arizona Famous Idaho Potato Bowl • Dec 15, 4:30 pm Toleda v Utah State St. Petersburg Bowl • Dec 21, 7.30pm Central Florida v Ball State SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl • Dec 20, 8 pm BYU v San Diego State R+L Carriers Nw Orleans Bowl • Dec 22, noon East Carolina v Louisiana-Lafayette Sheraton Hawaii Bowl • Dec 24, 8 pm Fresno State v SMU Little Caesars Bowl • Dec 26, 7:30 pm Western Kentucky v Central Michigan Belk Bowl • Dec 27, 6.30 pm Cincinnati v Duke Independence Bowl • Dec 28, 2 pm Ohio v UL-Monroe Russell Athletic Bowl • Dec 28, 5.30 pm Rutgers v Virginia Tech Meineke Car Care Texas Bowl • Dec 28, 9 pm Minnesota v Texas Tech Armed Forces Bowl • Dec 29, 11.45 am Rice v Air Force Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl • Dec 29, 4 pm Navy v Arizona State Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl • Dec 29, 10.15 pm TCU v Michigan State Hyundai Sun Bowl • Dec 31, 2 pm USC v Georgia Tech AutoZone Liberty Bowl • Dec 31, 3:30 pm Iowa State v Tulsa Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl • Jan 1, noon Mississippi State v Northwestern Heart of Dallas Bowl • Jan 1, noon Purdue v Oklahoma State BBVA Compass Bowl • Jan 5, 1 pm Pittsburgh v Ole Miss GoDaddy.com Bowl, Jan 6, 9 pm Kent State v Arkansas State (All kickoffs Eastern Time)
46 January 2013
PREVIEW
T
he 35-game college bowl season will already be underway by the time you read these words, but this year’s selection of match-ups (all but one to be carried by ESPN in the UK) is notably backloaded, without the traditional snub for a BCS-buster – Northern Illinois’ 12-1 record and #16 ranking snuck them into an Orange Bowl pairing with FSU. We may gripe about the mediocrity of the stocking fillers, but from New Year’s Eve onwards, it’s time for some monster games.
The 10 Best Non-BCS Games MAACO Las Vegas Bowl • Dec 22, 3.30 pm
Music City Bowl • Dec 31, noon
A preview of their 2013 season opener. Huskies RB Bishop Sankey (15 TDs) upstaged QB Keith Price (18) in a balanced attack; if you’ve forgotten Price can fling it, you’ve forgotten the 2011 Alamo.
Vandy coach James Franklin is a confident man, and it’s rubbing off on the Commodores (8-4), no longer an SEC doormat. In his final game, Wolfpack QB Mike Glennon (30 TDs) offers a stiff test.
Washington v Boise State
NC State v Vanderbilt
Military Bowl • Dec 27, 3 pm
Chick Fil-A-Bowl • Dec 31, 7.30 pm
These are no headline acts, but #24 San Jose St boast QB David Fales, a JuCo transfer who put up 31 TDs and almost 3800 yards this year, losing to only Stanford and Utah St. One to watch for 2013.
Heck of a non-BCS bowl. Clemson QB Tajh Boyd (43 combined TDs) and WR DeAndre Hopkins (16 TDs) meet the stifling defense of LSU. LSU’s own offense has been no slouch in 2012.
San Jose State v Bowling Green
LSU v Clemson
Holiday Bowl • Dec 27, 9.45 pm
Capital One Bowl • Jan 1, 1 pm
Baylor QB Nick Florence (31 TDs passing), finally emerging RB Lache Seastrunk, and UCLA runner Johnathan Franklin (1700 yds) are three reasons to stay up late. Defense and venue favor UCLA.
Bulldogs junior QB Aaron Murray (3460 yards, 31 TDs) may think NFL if he bests the nation’s top pass defense. Georgia’s own defense? LB Jarvis Jones, DT John Jenkins, FS Bacarri Rambo...
Baylor v UCLA
Georgia v Nebraska
Pinstripe Bowl • Dec 29, 3.15 pm
Outback Bowl • Jan 1, 1 pm
Two reasons to check out these two 7-5 teams: back-in-form Geno Smith (4000 yards, 40 TDs) and Ryan Nassib (3600 yards and 24 TDs), two passers who could climb the pre-draft hype.
Michigan (8-4) hoped for more. Denard Robinson’s stats were curtailed by a QB share with Devin Gardner. The former visits his home state to face a top 10 ranked defense in his final game.
West Virginia v Syracuse
South Carolina v Michigan
Alamo Bowl • Dec 29, 6.45 pm
AT&T Cotton Bowl • Jan 4, 8 pm
Texas lost their way a little – won four, lost two, won four, lost two – changed QB from David Ash to Case McCoy, but are primed for a run in 2013. Beating the Beavers here would set the tone.
The one game we may not see: NFL prospect QB Landry Jones and mighty Oklahoma take on freshman phenom QB Johnny Manziel. A Fox broadcast, so presumably it’ll be on Sky, right?
Texas v Oregon State
Texas A&M v Oklahoma
The American
The Big Ones ROSE BOWL presented by Vizio • Jan 1, 5 pm
Wisconsin v Stanford
Discover BCS National Championship Game Notre Dame v Alabama
Jan 7 • 8.30 pm
The only eligible unbeaten plays an Alabama team magnetically attached to title games. As with last season, the Tide have shown themselves at least to be vulnerable (their one loss to Texas A&M and ‘Johnny Football’), but who’s seriously betting on a Nick Sabancoached team being unprepared for a national title game? The Fighting Irish will, of course, have had plenty of time to prepare – and by that, I mean they face the same problem as Big 10 champions and others have in the title game: no conference championship and a longer layoff between games, in this case from November 24 to January 7. Perhaps that’s part of why the SEC has won the past six BCS championship games. Or maybe it’s just the raw talent SEC teams can field. Bama have a future NFL starter at every layer of defense, including arguably the top strong safety prospect of the 2013 draft, Robert Lester, one of the best inside
Theo Riddick’s elusiveness will be called upon if Notre Dame is to beat Alabama PHOTO © MICHAEL & SUSAN BENNETT COURTESY OF NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS PUBLIC RELATIONS
linebackers, Nico Johnson, and a potential first round DT in Jesse Williams, while the offense includes unflappable QB AJ McCarron, unbeatable lineman Barrett Jones, and unstoppable backs Eddie Lacy and TJ Yeldon. The roster is flat-out intimidating. For total talent, Notre Dame can’t match Alabama. As far as results, the Irish can claim the No.1 defense in the land, but few casual football fans could name their 2012 defensive roster beyond Heisman invitee Manti Te’o, who leads the team in tackles and interceptions (7, for the second season in a row). However, he lost his TFL and sacks crown to DE Stephon Tuitt, and LB Prince Shembo is another gamechanger. Offensively, the Irish must rely on mismatches: converted WR Theo Riddick out of the backfield (where Cierre Wood also lurks with his 6.7 yard carry average), with TE Tyler Eifert their top receiving threat. Could Miami bear witness to a championship run that began over in Dublin? (All kickoff times ET)
Badgers ex-coach Bret Bielema is in Arkansas, and Wisconsin is here because unbeaten Ohio State and 8-4 Penn State are ineligible, but Barry Alvarez is coming out of coaching retirement for one game. Plus look at the running backs on show: Montee Ball (1730 yards, 21 TDs), Stepfan Taylor (1440 yards, 12 TDs). Pound that rock! DISCOVER ORANGE BOWL • Jan 1, 8.30 pm
Northern Illinois v Florida State
Led by QB Jordan Lynch (43 combined TDs), the Huskies are riding a 12-game winning streak and have averaged over 40 points per game over that span. FSU only allows 15 points per game. Last call for Gators QB EJ Manuel (22 TDs, + 3 rushing) to declare himself special before the draft. ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL • Jan 2, 8.30 pm
Louisville v Florida
Jeff Driskel may be the lowest-profile Gators QB in history. Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater (3450 yards, 25 TDs) will be a Heisman contender in 2013. But Florida’s pass defense and turnover margin (+17) could sneak another close one. TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL • Jan 3, 8.30 pm
Oregon v Kansas State
Except for November 17, when both teams fell to their only loss, this might have been the National Championship match-up. The Ducks have Kenjon Barner (22 TDs), De’Anthony Thomas (15 TDs), Marcus Mariota (34 TDs). K-State have Collin Klein and... more Collin Klein (37 combined TDs). H
January 2013 47
The American
Winning Isn’t Everything... NFL or English Premier League, patience wears thin quickly for losing coaches... or winners, writes Gary Jordan
E
verybody wants job security, whatever the line of work. The high octane world of professional sports is no different. But in a resultsdriven business, it’s a guarantee that if your losses outweigh your wins, you’ll be shown the door sooner rather than later. The “hot-seat” is one that most elite bosses suffer at some point in their careers. In some cases even winning doesn’t help. Take the recent firing of Chelsea FC manager Roberto Di Matteo: succeeding another high profile appointment (Andre Villas-Boas) by team owner Roman Abramovich, Di Matteo steered Chelsea in the right direction after some rudderless performances, claimed the English FA Cup, and ultimately Abramovich’s Holy Grail of the European Champions League. After agreeing terms for a contract during the summer, and a bright start to the domestic campaign, all seemed well. Then came a poor sequence of results which led to Chelsea’s elimination from this year’s Champions League at the group stages. No other club defending the trophy has gone out at this stage in the tournament’s history. Upon the team’s return from a 3-0 reverse at the hands of Juventus, Di Matteo was handed his pink slip, to be replaced hours later by another
48 January 2013
man who had rich fortunes in previous seasons in English football, only to be rewarded with the push. Rafa Benitez is now the latest man under the hard glare of the Russian oligarch, albeit until the end of this season. Short term contracts seem to be the Roman way until he finally gets his man Pep Guardiola, currently on self imposed gardening leave. The revolving door at the West London club has seen no less than nine men pass through it since the Russian took charge in 2003. Putting this in perspective, their main rivals on the field, Manchester United, have had nine managers since 1938. So we shouldn’t have been too surprised when Di Matteo was forced out. What was surprising was that it came before Mark Hughes’ sacking at EPL doormat Queens Park Rangers. For owners, it’s easy to assign blame to the manager when results aren’t going their way; after all, they’ve employed them to improve the club and turn them into winners. There are some who, it would seem, are not remotely near to having their seat warm, let alone it getting hot. Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United) and Arsene Wenger (Arsenal), are so established at their clubs, they are part of the furniture. Both have enjoyed incredible success that their bosses must see that it would
Would the McCaskeys have fired Lovie Smith (above) with the Bears at 7-1? Chelsea were in a similar position – third in the league – when owner Roman Abramovich sacked Roberto Di Matteo. A hot start turning cold is dangerous, but NFL coaches usually see season’s end. CHICAGO BEARS TEAM PHOTOGRAPHER BILL SMITH
be hard to replace them, if ever either of them decided to move on. There are lots of new young managers at mid-table clubs, looking to make a name for themselves. Now they too will be looking over their shoulders, knowing if they underachieve, another willing sacrificial lamb will step into their shoes. Echoes of this can be found in all sports, of course. The National Football League has a fair casualty rate of its own. The shorter season of sixteen games means it’s harder to turn a bad start into a winning season. The spotlight is shining bright on Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid who has enjoyed great years in a city that is historically tough on its sports teams. But after a rough year, his time seems over. A change of scenery is needed for him and the Eagles sideline. He’s too good a coach to just be forgotten and teams searching for a new playcaller will probably be headed by San Diego. Currently being coached by Norv Turner, the Chargers have blown hot
The American
College Coaching Carousel Axes fell, coaches jumped in college football. Notable moves: COLLEGE OUT Kentucky Joker Phillips Tennessee Derek Dooley Cincinnati Butch Jones Texas Tech Tom Tuberville Arkansas John L Smith Wisconsin Bret Bielema Auburn Gene Chizik Purdue Danny Hope California Jeff Tedford Colorado Jon Embree NC State Tom O’Brien Boston Coll. Frank Spaziani S. Florida Skip Holtz W. Kentucky Willie Taggart
IN Mark Stoops Butch Jones Tom Tuberville Kliff Kingsbury Bret Bielema (tba) Gus Malzahn Darrell Hazell Sonny Dykes Mike MacIntyre Dave Doeren Steve Addazio Willie Taggart Bobby Petrino
Sports News
PHOTO BY PHIL ELLSWORTH / ESPN IMAGES
and cold for years and need a new face. Reid would be a good fit there, although Oregon’s Chip Kelly may be poised for a switch to the pros. At press time, even Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears (8-4 and leading their division) had local beat writers questioning the heat in his seat after injuries tested early momentum. The ultimate survivor in the past few years has been Giants top man Tom Coughlin. A hard-nosed disciplinarian who learned to soften, gets his team on a run every time his head is on the chopping block, and they end up winning it all. When, inevitably, a team goes on a bad run, the buck stops at the man on the sideline. It’s nice when those winning moments and trophies come, but more often than not it’s short lived. Owners have the power in the game and they wield the axe. For most the chop is deserved. When you sit down on Sundays to watch football managers and coaches pace touchlines and sidelines, savor whatever job security you have. It’s probably better than theirs. H
Eagles, Riders in BBL Cup
The dynastic Newcastles Eagles will take on the League-leading Leicester Riders in the British Basketball League Cup Final, Sunday January 13 at the NIA in Birmingham. The Eagles, defending Cup and League champs, qualified by beating last year’s other finalists, the Plymouth Raiders, 190-181 over a two-game series. Leicester qualified with a dominating 165-115 series aggregate over the Sheffield Sharks. www.bbl.org.uk
ESPN Airs NBA in UK, Ireland
If you follow us on Twitter you’ll know that the NBA is back on TV in the UK and Ireland. After long negotiation, ESPN opened its coverage in early December. The new TV deal includes three live games each week during the regular season,
plus the All Star Game, 1st and 2nd Round NBA Playoff coverage, the Western Conference Finals, and NBA Finals. Alongside live coverage, ESPN will also show NBA Tonight and NBA Countdown, with action round-ups from around the league. For more, visit tv.espn.co.uk
Win ESPN Goodies Is your New Year’s resolution to QUESTION: What is get active? Here’s a great chance Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB to win an ESPN Sports Bag bulging Doug Martin’s nickname? with workout merchandise. To lay claim to a Sports Bag, Boot Bag, a) The Hustle Master Sports Towel, Water Bottle, Cap, T-Shirt, b) The Wrestle Monster Hoody, Thermal Top, Stress Toys, Football c) The Muscle Hamster Socks and more, just answer the question on the right and then email your answer, contact details (name, address & daytime phone number) to theamerican@blueedge.co.uk with ESPN COMPETITION in the subject line; or send a post card to: ESPN COMPETITION, The American, Old Byre House, Millbrook Lane, East Knoyle, Salisbury SP3 6AW, UK; to arrive by mid-day February 1. You must be 18 years old or over to enter this competition. Only one entry per person per draw. The editor’s decision is final. No cash alternative.
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Josh Modaberi encounters the latest incarnation of wrestler Jeff Hardy
PHOTO: TNA
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eff Hardy is one of the most recognisable names in professional wrestling, having competed in both the WWE and TNA, and holding a total of seven tag team titles and six world championships. ‘The Charismatic Enigma’ is known for his daredevil style, attracting fans from around the world to his high-flying wrestling. Jeff came through the ranks with his brother Matt (together known as the Hardy Boyz), and remembers making it to the big stage. “There were three or four years when we were nobodies, just being used for guys to beat us, and my thinking was ‘I’m going to do something so somebody up there remembers me’, and that first television show with Matt and I as a main tag team was the payoff. It was a huge moment for me; it was like ‘Wow, we’ve succeeded – now we’ve got this opportunity we have to
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make the best of it.’ From there it led to a great era of tag team wrestling with ourselves, the Dudley Boyz and Edge & Christian.” The three-way rivalry led to some memorable matches, including the famous TLC (table, ladders and chairs) matches. “They are legendary,” Hardy, 35, continues. “Watching them back, I just think these are so memorable, we have done so much, it is hard to stay creative, fresh and new. Anytime I go back and watch those TLC matches I always think how magical they were. Fans will talk about those matches for decades to come.” After a successful tag team career, Jeff pursued a singles career and marks out a match against The Undertaker that helped him become an established singles competitor. “He’s such a legend, star, role-model and was a massive influence on my career. To be able to go into a main event on Raw, tear the house down and tell such a good story, it really did a lot for me,” he says. “I’ve lived off taking an ass-whooping and coming back all the time to defy the odds, and I eventually earned his respect.” The grappler from Cameron, North Carolina ended 2011/12 by capturing the World Championship at TNA’s biggest PPV of the year, Bound for Glory.
“That night in Phoenix was glorious after my dark period of life. It was such an unusual atmosphere: they booed the hell out of me, but it was so exciting and to win was that big pay-off I had been waiting for. “The coolest thing about that night was I came back with the World Title and my wife and daughter were there when I got backstage. The first thing my two-year-old daughter said to me was, ‘Daddy’s a champion,’ and I didn’t even know she could say ‘champion’. That was so special to me.” TNA are back in the UK for their annual tour this January. Four episodes of flagship show Impact will be filmed in Manchester and London. Hardy, who missed last year’s tour, is excited to be heading back to the UK with the Championship around his waist. “I can’t wait, the fans in the UK always provide us with so much energy. The creatures of the night over in the UK can expect some special stuff with a cage match on each show.” And what does Jeff have in store for the remainder of 2013? “I’m setting another goal for myself for 2013 and that is at Bound for Glory – I want to perform a song from my band’s album live on the PPV.” H Tour Dates: Jan 21, Dublin National Stadium; Jan 23, Glasgow Braehead Arena; Jan 24, Nottingham Capital FM Arena; Jan 25, Manchester Arena; Jan 26, London Wembley Arena. Tickets for TNA’s Road to Lockdown 2013 UK Tour are available from www.gigsandtours.com or www.ticketmaster.co.uk
Resolutions New Year’s
FOR THE SPORTS INDUSTRY Some ‘Sideline’ suggestions by Richard L Gale
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h, the New Year. A time for renewal. A time for change. A time for paving the way with good intentions. Here are seventeen New Year’s resolutions sporting folk should be making... Are you an international openwheeled motor racing tour? Try not to plan your US race to take place in the same town on the same weekend as the Texas-OSU game. You’ve heard football is quite popular in Austin, yes? Are you are a sports franchise owner? Resist the temptation to rename your basketball franchise after a squat and ungainly bird, even if it is the state squawker. Penguins are fine on ice, but Pelicans in the paint? Really? Why not just call them the Dodos? At least there’s an irony value. Are you an American broadcaster heading to London in September? Try not making Ben Roethlisberger stand in front of the other Big Ben. Please. Oh, alright then. But before you come back in October, practice saying ‘Jaguars’: Jag-U-ars (the clue is in the spelling). Jag-oo-ars is acceptable if you can trace your Cornish ancestors, Jag-warrs is a little stubborn. Jag-wires is plain stupid (st-U-pid). WIll you be officiating a PackersSeahawks game in 2013? Why not learn what offensive pass interference is?
If you are thinking of an unlikely relaunch for a 1980s NFL rival (kinda) don’t announce anything on April 1. No really, the USFL is coming back. It isn’t a joke. Honestly. If you’re in charge of a nebulous bowl hoping to be taken seriously, don’t invite any team that punishes its own coach for heading you there. “We’re very proud to be associated with the Doohicky Tool Bowl. So proud, we just disowned the coach that led us here. Let us never speak of this again.” If you are a senior NFL executive, why not give LA a franchise this year, and stop teasing the Brits with talk of a London franchise? If you’re a TV executive working for a Fox affiliate in the UK, please check your pockets... you may find you have the Cotton Bowl there somewhere. If you are an NFL GM... Don’t give MIchael Vick lots of money. Are you a draft guru preparing for the 2013 draft? Try not talking up any of the 2013 quarterbacks so that we think they are the next Andrew Luck or RGIII. They are the next Cade McNown and Akili Smith and you know it. If you are in charge of NBA international marketing... try letting UK fans enjoy your product on TV during November (...same New Year resolution as 2011 and 2012, basically).
The pelican – far scarier than a hornet? PHOTO: JAKE N. CC-BY-1.0
Oakland Raiders’ New Year’s resolution? Buy a broom to sweep up all the new leaves you’ve turned over. If you own a Californian football franchise... ‘Fire Norv!’ (oh, you heard that advice already?) If you sell American-style pickups in the UK... team up with a company that sells American-style barbeques, go grab some cows and show Wembley what ‘tailgating’ really means. If you are an owner or commissioner of a North American ice hockey league, do not fritter away the career of Sidney Crosby in the belief that lockouts are as much a part of hockey as fighting and lobbing cephalopods onto the ice. Are you a Miami Dolphins staffer? Promise not to declare any of your receivers the next Wes Welker. You had the last one. You gave him to the Patriots, and we’re all still paying the consequences. You can’t be trusted. Are you a sports editor for The American magazine? Why not cover something other than football in 2013? Coming soon: Golf! Baseball! Hockey! Hoops! H
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Your Guide To The Month Ahead
See our full events listing online at www.theamerican.co.uk Get your event listed in The American – call us on +44 (0)1747 830520 or email details to editor@theamerican.co.uk Victorian Christmas at The Tower Tower of London, London EC3N 4AB www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon December 27 to 31
New Year’s Eve / Hogmanay Across the UK www.edinburghshogmanay.org December 31 New Year’s Eve is a massive celebration in Britain, with public and private parties everywhere. Particularly in Scotland, where it is called Hogmanay. Listed as one of the ’top 100 things to do before you die’, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party brings Princes Street and the Gardens alive with festivities, around 100,000 revellers gathering to bring in 2013 in style. One of the world’s biggest outdoor parties it includes candle-lit concerts, céilidhs and rock-bands.
Travel back in time to a Victorian Christmas at the Tower and experience the seasonal customs and festive traditions of a different age; with dance, food, games and costumes galore.
A Vintage New Year’s Eve Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX www.vintagefestival.co.uk December 31
IMAGE COURTESY OF VISIT SCOTLAND
An extravaganza of music, dance, dining and cocktails transforms the Southbank Centre into an authentic 1940s vintage experience to ring in the New Year.
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Out to Lunch Arts Festival Various, Belfast, Northern Ireland www.cqaf.com January 2-27 In its 8th year this boutique art festival offers music, comedy, theater and literature to venues across Belfast.
Perth Masters Curling Dewars Centre, Perth, Scotland www.perthmasters.com January 3-6 The Curling Champions Tour stops in Perth, with a draw of international curlers including US Olympic Bronze Medalist Pete Fenson.
Twelfth Night Bankside, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London www.thelionspart.co.uk January 6 An annual celebration of New Year offering a mix of seasonal customs and modern festivities. Events begin at 2:45pm.
London International Mime Festival 2013 Various, London www.mimelondon.com January 10-27
London New Year’s Day Parade 2013 London www.londonparade.co.uk January 1
Aerial acrobatics, illusion, art-circus, psychedelic puppetry, what else could it be but the 37th annual International Mime Festival? The festival of contemporary visual arts can be found across London, with venues including Barbican Theatre, Southbank Centre and Soho Theatre.
Celebrate the start of 2013 with London’s New Year’s Day Parade, featuring over 10,000 performers representing 20 countries. Starts at 11:45am, see website for route.
London Ice Sculpture Festival Canary Wharf, London www.londonicesculptingfestival.co.uk January 11-13
The American
There’s plenty of ice around, and someone’s putting it to good use. See spectacular ice sculptures at Canary Wharf.
Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival Whittlesey, Peterborough, PE7 1QQ www.strawbear.org.uk January 11-13 A custom dating back to the late 19th Century saw a local man dressed up in a bear costume made of straw. Now revived, the town of Whittlesey has made a festival of the occasion, with music, dancers and a host of activities.
The London Boat Show Excel Centre, One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL www.londonboatshow.com January 12-20 100s of boats and craft are on display, with plenty of nautical activities and suppliers available.
London Art Fair 2013 Business Design Centre, Islington N1 www.londonartfair.co.uk January 16-20 Celebrating 25 years of the London Art Fair, in 2013 over 100 UK and overseas galleries come together to display work from over 1,000 artists.
NBA London Live 2013 O2 Arena, London www.theo2.co.uk January 17 Three-time NBA Champions the Detroit Pistons take on two-time NBA Champions the New York Knicks featuring Carmelo Anthony, in this blockbuster NBA game right in the heart of London at the O2 Arena.
The London Bike Show Excel Centre, One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL www.thelondonbikeshow.co.uk January 17-20 All the latest clothing, equipment and accessories for cyclists.
Of Mice and Men Octagon Theatre, Howell Croft South, Bolton BL1 1SB
www.octagonbolton.co.uk 01204 520661 January 17 to February 16 David Thacker has already directed great American dramas including A Streetcar Named Desire and Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and now he tackles John Steinbeck’s tragic novel of loneliness and friendship and migrant workers during the Great Depression.
Mayfair Antiques & Fine Art Fair London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square, London W1K 6JP www.mayfairfair.com info@adfl.co.uk 01797 252030 January 10-13 The Antiques Dealers Fair Limited, organisers of boutique-sized antiques and fine art fairs, are delighted to add the London Marriott Grosvenor Square to their list of prestigious locations. The five-star hotel in the heart of Mayfair and the elegant Westminster Ballroom will be the perfect backdrop for this new event of distinction. Over forty specialist exhibitors will present a varied selection of high quality art and antiques, giving visitors the opportunity to browse and acquire the finest furniture, sculpture, silver, oil paintings and watercolours, jewellery, ceramics, maps and prints, glass, clocks, oriental carpets, textiles, islamic works of art, boxes, art pottery, books, watches, calling card cases and many other decorative and rare objects spanning the centuries. One of the star items for sale is a substantial vase by William De Morgan (pictured) in Persian colourway decorated with carnations. It’s described as unmarked, hole to base filled at the time of manufacture, ex Harriman Judd, 15 in. high, 10 in. wide, dated circa 1880s, £5,300 from AD Antiques. Tickets £10.
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The Creative Crafts Show Sandown Park Exhibition Centre, Esher, Surrey www.sccshows.co.uk January 17-19
This study by artist Nicola Green features iconic images from Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, and tells the inspiring story behind his election.
For all your papercraft, beading and stitching needs, the Creative Crafts Show offers a range of exhibitors dealing in arts and crafts. Shows also take place in Essex, Malvern, Belfast, Shepton Mallet and Manchester.
Paul Banks Various, UK www.bankspaulbanks.com January 21-24
In Seven Days by Nicola Green Walker Art Gallery, William Brown Street, Liverpool liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker January 19 to April 14
The English-American former lead singer of rock band Interpol stops over in the UK on a European tour, with venues including: 21st January, Glasgow, King Tuts; 22nd, Manchester, Sound Control; 24th, London, Camden, Koko.
Benny Goodman Orchestra Carnegie Hall Concert 75th Anniversary Cadogan Hall, 5 Sloane Terrace, London SW1 9DQ www.cadoganhall.com January 12 Bandleader and clarinetist Pete Long (Ronnie Scott’s Big Band, Echoes of Ellington and Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra) presents a superlative recreation of one of the greatest concerts in jazz history. The 16 musicians of ‘Pete Long and His Goodmen’ will recreate Benny Goodman’s famous Carnegie Hall concert which took place on January 16th, 1938. Benny’s line up that night included stars such as trumpeters Harry James and Ziggy Elman, drummer Gene Krupa and pianist Jess Stacy (who, it was said, stole the show with his great solo in Sing Sing Sing). It was also the first time ever that black and white jazz musicians appeared
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Nell Bryden Various, UK www.nellbryden.com January 21-31 The native New Yorker headlines a UK tour with gigs including: January 21st, Edinburgh, Voodoo Rooms; 22nd, Newcastle, Cluny 2; 24th, London, Roundhouse Studio; 25th, Bristol, Louisiana; 26th, Leeds, Brudenell Social Club; 27th, Birmingham, Hare and Hounds; 31st, Manchester, Ruby Lounge. You can also catch Nell supporting Jools Holland and Gary Barlow in December and the New Year,
Winter Decorative Fair Battersea Evolution (The Marquee), Battersea Park, London SW11 www.decorativefair.com January 22-27 The Winter Decorative Fair will be putting on the glitz with a Hollywood 1920s and ‘30s display, as well as an exquisite selection of antiques and decorative pieces to browse and buy.
National Winter Ales Festival 2013 Sheridan Suite, 371 Oldham Road, Manchester M40 8EA www.nwaf.org.uk January 23-26 together on the concert stage in the USA, with Lionel Hampton on vibes, Teddy Wilson on piano and stars of the Duke Ellington and Count Basie Orchestras making guest appearances. At the original concert, the musicians played without amplification and the wonderful acoustics of The Cadogan Hall make it possible for this anniversary concert to do likewise. Produced in association with Boisdale Music Management.
Over 300 British and foreign beers, real ales, ciders and perries available to try.
London A Cappella Festival Kings Place, 90 York Way, London, Greater London N1 9AG www.londonacappellafestival.co.uk January 24-26 Everything a capella, a festival dedicated to the art of unaccompanied singing. Be sure
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to catch Canadian sensations Retrocity amongst workshops, panel discussions and other star performers.
An installation by Manchester artist Chava Rosenzweig, exploring the impact of the Holocaust on second and third generation survivors.
Oxford University Botanic Garden Winter Lectures Said Business School, Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HP www.botanic-garden.ox.ac.uk January 24 to March 28
Up Helly Aa Galley Shed, St Sunniva Street, Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0HL www.uphellyaa.org 01595 693434 January 29
A series of lectures featuring all things horticultural. The first lecture, with Andrea Wulf, entitled ‘Founding Gardeners’, explores the lives of the founding fathers and how their attitude to gardens, plants and agriculture helped to shape America.
This traditional Viking fire festival features a torch-lit procession and culminates in the burning of a replica galley. Entertainment takes place around the village through the night.
Luxury Antiques Event in Mere The Mere Golf Resort & Spa, Chester Road, Mere, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 6LJ January 25-27 Around 30 specialist dealers and many special pieces are in Mere, Cheshire as the Antiques Fair returns to town. The Christie is the fair’s chosen charity.
Aviemore Sled Dog Rally Glenmore Forest Park, Scotland www.siberianhuskyclub.com January 26-27 Mushers from far and wide gather for this famous sled race around Loch Morlich in Scotland. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, 1000 sled dogs and 250 mushers are anticipated for this year’s rally. See website for spectator information.
Holocaust Memorial Day IWM North, The Quays, Trafford Wharf Road, Manchester M17 1TZ www.iwm.org.uk January 27
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo Various, UK www.trockadero.org January 29 to February 27 The popular ballet returns to the UK after 2 years with a nationwide tour stopping at: 29th-30th January, Salford Lowry; February 1st-2nd, Birmingham Hippodrome; 5th-6th, Canterbury Marlowe Theatre; 8th-9th, Nottingham Royal Concert Hall; 12nd-13th, Bradford Alhambra; 15th-16th, Brighton Dome; 19th-20th, Newcastle Theatre Royal; 22nd-23rd, Edinburgh Festival Theatre; 26th-27th, Belfast Grand Opera House.
Dinosaur Jr Various, UK www.dinosaurjr.com January 30 to February 3 The alternative rock band formed in Massachusetts, tours venues including: 30th January, Glasgow, Arches; 31st, Leeds University Stylus; 2nd February, Brighton, Concorde2; 3rd, Bristol, Fiddlers.
Robert Burns, by William Hole RSA
Burns Night Everywhere www.scotland.org January 25 Burns’ Supper celebrations take place across the globe. The life and work of Scotland’s greatest poet, Robert Burns, is traditionally celebrated each year on the January 25 and involves coming together to eat haggis, drink whisky, recite his work and don tartan for a céilidh.
Big Burns’ Supper Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway, DG1 1ET www.bigburnssupper.com 0800 689 9405 January 25-27 Big Burns Supper is Dumfries’s newest festival of contemporary arts, centred on Burns Night Celebrations. Dumfries is the official resting place of the national poet Robert Burns, and has the title for the World’s Biggest Burns’ Night Celebration.
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ORGANIZATION FOCUS
© AMANDA GEORGE (BRCS)
Tiffany Circle T
© AMERICAN RED CROSS
© LAYTON THOMPSON (BRC)
PHOTO COURTESY OF RED CROSS
he Tiffany Circle was founded in 2007 by American Red Cross President Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, as a woman-only membership. It brought together dynamic and active women to not only support the largest humanitarian organization in the world, but to get together members for fundraising events and Red Cross project visits as well as volunteering and networking activities. In the first three years over 500 women joined and contributed over $19 million to save countless lives. After this achievement in the States along with success in Canada, France and Mexico, the Red Cross in the UK have set up their own circle. Tiffany Circle members join a long line of women who have played a role in the British Red Cross since it was founded in 1870. Florence Nightingale was a member of the original committee and under her guidance, many Red Cross nurses were sent to help casualties of war. Today Red Cross nurses continue to put their lives at risk to aid others, whether it is helping those affected by severe weather, or assisting in the aftermath of disasters. As Laura Hinks, the Fundraising Communications Manager in the UK, emphasized when we met recently, the Red Cross helps people in a time of crisis without discrimination, regardless of ethnic origin, nationality or religion. Every year, hundreds of thousands of first aiders are trained to cope with emergencies, at work and in the home. First aid cover is also provided for public events and in disaster-prone
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Tiffany Circle British Red Cross 44 Moorsfields, London EC2Y 9AL Tel: 020 7877 7106 tiffany@redcross.org.uk redcross.org.uk/app areas, by staff trained in emergency response and ensuring relief supplies and resources are in place. The Tiffany Circle is named after windows produced by Tiffany Studios in 1917, for the American Red Cross headquarters in Washington, DC. The women in these windows (see left) personify virtues synonymous with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement: hope, mercy, charity, truth and fortitude. In the UK, Tiffany Circle was launched recently by British Red Cross supporter Angela Rippon and Red Cross nurse, Claire Bertschinger, who was the inspiration behind Band Aid following her work during the Ethiopian famine of 1984. Tiffany Circle chooses the projects it wants to help support. At the moment they have a number in South Africa and Mongolia, they also support war-affected youth in Sierra Leone and women in crisis in the UK. In the UK it also includes helping victims of domestic abuse and caring for the elderly at home. As a personal note, I might add, when I first came to London in the 1980s, becoming involved in Save the Baby opened the door to meeting people outside my small American group, many who still remain friends. H
The American
American ORGANIZATIONS
American Friends of the British Museum Mollie Norwich. The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. 020 7323 8590 www.britishmuseum.org
An index of useful resources in the UK
ESSENTIAL CONTACTS EMERGENCIES Fire, Police, Ambulance
TRANSPORTATION London Underground 020 7222 1234 www.tfl.gov.uk National Rail Enquiries 08457 4849 50 www.nationalrail.co.uk National Bus Service 0990 808080 www.nationalexpress.com
American Friends of the National Portrait Gallery Stacey Ogg and Charlotte Savery, Individual Giving Managers 020 7312 2444 individualgiving@npg.org.uk www.npg.org.uk/support/individual/ americanfriends.php
American Friends of the Almeida Theatre, Inc. Kenneth David Burrows, 950 Third Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10022, USA or Lizzie Stallybrass, Almeida Theatre, Almeida Street, London N1 1TA, UK www.almeida.co.uk/supportus/americansupport.aspx
001 100 155 153 151
American Friends of Chickenshed Theatre U.S. Office: c/o Chapel & York PMB293, 601 Penn Ave NW, Suite 900 S Bldg, Washington, DC 20004 UK Office: Chickenshed, Chase Side, Southgate, London N14 4PE 0208 351 6161 ext 240 AdamG@Chickenshed.org.uk http://www.chickenshed.org.uk/659/individual/ american-friends.html
For more details go to
www.theamerican.co.uk and click on Life In The UK
American Church in London Senior Pastor: Rev. John D’Elia. Music Director: Anthony Baldwin. Sunday School 9.45am Sunday Worship 11am, child care provided. 79a Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TD (Goodge St. tube station) Tel: 020 7580 2791/07771 642875 churchsecretary@amchurch.co.uk www.amchurch.co.uk
American Friends of the Lyric Theatre Ireland Crannóg House, 44 Stranmillis Embankment, Belfast, BT9 5FL, Northern Ireland Angela McCloskey info@americanfriendsofthelyric.com www.americanfriendsofthelyric.com/ americanfriends.html
American Red Cross RAF Mildenhall Tel: 01638 542107, After Hours 07031 15 2334 red.crossv3@mildenhall.af.mil
MEDICAL ADVICE LINE NHS Direct delivers 24-hour telephone and e-health information services, direct to the public. www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk 0845 4647
CIVIC & SERVICES
American Friends of the Jewish Museum London Stephen Goldman Tel. 020 7284 7363 stephen.goldman@jewishmuseum.org.uk www.jewishmuseum.org.uk/american-friends
American Citizens Abroad (ACA) The Voice of Americans Overseas, 5 Rue Liotard, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland +41.22.340.02.33 info.aca@gmail.com www.americansabroad.org
999 or 112 (NOT 911)
TELEPHONES Direct Dial Code, US & Canada Operator Assistance, UK Operator Assistance, Int. International Directory Assistance Telephone Repair
American Friends of the Donmar Inc. Stephanie Dittmer, Deputy Director of Development 020 7845 5810 sdittmer@donmarwarehouse.com www.donmarwarehouse.com/p46.html
American Institute of Architects Benjamin Franklin House, 36 Craven Street, London WC2N 5NF. Tel: 020 7930 9124 chapterexecutive@aiauk.org www.aiauk.org
Here are some crucial telephone numbers to know while you are in the UK.
American Friends of Contemporary Dance & Sadler’s Wells U.S. Office: Celia Rodrigues, Chair 222 Park Avenue South, 10A, New York, NY 10003 +1.917.539.9021 americanfriends@sadlerswells.com UK Office: 020 7863 8134 development@sadlerswells.com. American Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery Kathleen Bice, Development Officer, Members and Patrons 020 8299 8726 www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk/support_us/ american_friends.aspx
American Friends of ENO – English National Opera Denise Kaplan, American Friends Coordinator London Coliseum, St. Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4ES 0207 845 9331 Americanfriends@eno.org www.eno.org/support-us/individual-giving/ american-friends/american-friends.php
American Friends of the Philharmonia Orchestra, Inc. Jennifer Davies, Development Director jennifer.davies@philharmonia.co.uk www.philharmonia.co.uk/support/friends/afpo/ American Friends of the Royal Court Theatre U.S.: Laurie Beckelman, Beckelman and Capalino +1.212.616.5822 laurie@beckcap.com UK: Gaby Styles, Head of Development, Royal Court Theatre 020 7565 5060 gabystyles@royalcourttheatre.com or info@afrct.org
American Friends of the Royal Institution of Great Britain U.S.: c/o Chapel & York Limited, PMB #293, South Building Washington, DC 20004 UK: The Development Office, Royal Institution of Great Britain, 21 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4BS 020 7670 2991 kdodd@ri.ac.uk www.rigb.org American Friends of the Royal Society http://royalsociety.org/Overseas-Donations
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American Friends of St. Bartholomew the Great U.S.: John Eagleson 2925 Briarpark, Suite 600, Houston, TX 77042 UK: 20 7606 5171 admin@greatstbarts.com
American Friends of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust U.S.: John Chwat, President 625 Slaters Lane, Suite 103, Alexandria, VA 22314 +1. 703.684.7703 info@americanfriendsofsbt.org www.americanfriendsofsbt.org American Friends of the Victoria and Albert Museum, Inc. U.S.: Diana Seaton, Executive Director 61 Londonderry Drive, Greenwich, CT 06830 +1.203.536.4328 diana.seaton@afvam.org www.afvam.org UK: 020 7942 2149 American Friends of Wigmore Hall U.S.: c/o Chapel and York, 1000 N West Street Suite 1200, Wilmington DE 19801 UK: 020 7258 8220 mhosterweil@wigmore-hall.org.uk American Museum in Britain Director: Dr Richard Wendorf Claverton Manor, Bath BA2 7BD. 01225 460503. Fax 01225 469160 info@americanmuseum.org www.americanmuseum.org American Women Lawyers in London www.awll.org.uk info@awll.org.uk American Women’s Health Centre 214 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5QN. Obstetric, gynecological & infertility service. 020 7390 8433 www.awhc.co.uk Anglo American Medical Society Hon. Sec.: Dr. Edward Henderson, The Mill House, Whatlington, E. Sussex, TN33 0ND. 01424 775130. ed@themillhouse.eclipse.co.uk Association for Rescue at Sea The UK’s Royal National Lifeboat Association does not have an American Branch but if you wish to make a tax-efficient gift to the RNLI, contact AFRAS. Secretary: Mrs. Anne C. Kifer P.O. Box 565 Fish Creek, WI 54212, U.S.A. 00-1-920-743-5434 fax 00-1-920-743-5434 email: ackafras@aol.com Atlantic Council Director: Alan Lee Williams. 185 Tower Bridge Road, London SE1 2UF 0207 403 0640 or 0207 403 0740. Fax: 0207 403 0901 acuk@atlantic-council.org.uk
58 January 2013
Bethesda Baptist Church Kensington Place, London W8. 020 7221 7039 office@bethesdabaptist.org.uk
US Toll Free Tel:1-800-438- VOTE (8683). www.fvap.gov vote@fvap.ncr.gov
Friends of St Jude London Debbie Berger 07738 628126 debbie.berger@stjude.org www.friendsofstjude.org/london
Boy Scouts of America Mayflower District Field Executive: Wayne Wilcox 26 Shortlands Road, Kingston, Surrey KT2 6HD 020 8274 1429, 07788 702328 wpwilcox@gmail.com
Grampian Houston Association Secretary: Bill Neish 5 Cairncry Avenue, Aberdeen, AB16 5DS 01224-484720 wineish@sky.com
BritishAmerican Business Inc. 75 Brook Street, London, W1K 4AD. 020 7290 9888 www.babinc.org ukinfo@babinc.org British American-Canadian Associates Contact via The English Speaking Union esu@esu.org CARE International UK 10-13 Rushworth Street, London, SE1 0RB 020 7934 9334 www.careinternational.org info@careinternational.org Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 66-68 Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2PA 020 7584 7553 adcockmp@ldschurch.org https://lds.org.uk http://mormon.org Church of St. John the Evangelist Vicar: Reverend Stephen Mason. Assistant Priest: Reverend Mark Pudge. Assistant Curate: Reverend Deiniol Heywood. Hyde Park Crescent, London W2 2QD Tel: 020 7262 1732 www.stjohns-hydepark.com parishadmin@stjohns-hydepark.com Commonwealth Church Rev. Rod Anderson, PO Box 15027, London SE5 0YS www.savestmarks.com Democrats Abroad (UK) Marylebone Room, 229 Great Portland Street, International Student House, London W1W 5PN. Regular updates on events, chapters throughout the UK (and specific email addresses), and DAUK newsletters: www.democratsabroad.org.uk Register to vote and request an Absentee Ballot: www.votefromabroad.org Tel: 020 7724 9796 www.democratsabroad.org/group/united-kingdom Farm Street Church 114 Mount Street, Mayfair, London W1K 3AH Tel: 020 7493 7811 www.farmstreet.org.uk Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) Department of Defense, 1155 Defense Pentagon, Washington DC 20301-1155. Director: Ms. Polli K. Brunelli UK Toll Free Tel: 0800 028 8056
International Community Church (Interdenominational) Our Vision: “Everyone Mature in Christ” (Col. 1:28) Pastor: Rev. Dr. Barry K. Gaeddert Worship on Sundays: 10.30 am at Chertsey Hall, Heriot Road, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 9DR Active Youth programme. Church Office: 1st floor, Devonshire House, 60 Station Road, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 2AF. 01932 830295. churchoffice@icc-uk.org www.icc-uk.org Junior League of London President: Jennifer Crowl 9 Fitzmaurice Place, London W1J 5JD. Tel: 020 7499 8159 Fax: 020 7629 1996 jrleague@jll.org.uk www.jll.org.uk Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation 19 Angel Gate, City Road, London EC1V 2PT. Tel: 020 7713 2030. Fax: 020 7713 2031 info@jdrf.org.uk www.jdrf.org.uk Liberal Jewish Synagogue 28 St John’s Wood Road, London NW8 7HA Services 6.45pm Fridays and 11am on Saturdays except for first Friday each month when service is held at 7pm with a Chavurah Supper. Please bring non-meat food dish to share. 020 7286 5181 ljs@ljs.org Lions Club International Lakenheath & District 105EA, 15 Highfields Drive, Lakenheath, Suffolk IP27 9EH. Tel 01842 860752 www.lionsclubs.org Lutheran Services, St Anne’s Rev. Timothy Dearhamer. Lutheran Church, Gresham St, London EC2. Sun 11am-7pm. Tel. 020 7606 4986 Fax. 020 7600 8984 info@StAnnesLutheranChurch.org www.StAnnesLutheranChurch.org Methodist Central Hall Westminster, London SW1H 9NH Services every Sunday at 11am and 6.30pm.
The American
Bible study groups & Monday guilds also held. Tel: 020 7222 8010 www.methodist-central-hall.org.uk church@mchw.org.uk
North American Friends of Chawton House Library U.S. Office: 824 Roosevelt Trail, #130, Windham, ME 04062 +1.207 892 4358 UK Office: Chawton House Library, Chawton, Alton, Hampshire GU34 1SJ 01420 541010 www.chawton.org/support/nafchl5.html Republicans Abroad (UK) Chairman Dr. Thomas Grant chairman@republicansabroad-uk.org www.republicansabroad-uk.org Rotary Club of London 6 York Gate, London NW1 4QG. Tel. 020 7487 5429 Royal National Lifeboat Institution Head Office, West Quay Road, Poole BH15 1HZ 0845 045 6999 www.rnli.org.uk The Royal Oak Foundation Sean Sawyer, 35 West 35th Street #1200, New York NY 10001-2205, USA Tel 212- 480-2889 or (800) 913-6565 Fax (212)785-7234 ssawyer@royal-oak.org www.royal-oak.org St Andrew’s Lutheran Church Serving Americans since 1960. Whitby Road & Queens Walk, Ruislip, West London. (South Ruislip Tube Station). Services: 11 am 020 8845 4242 pastorvan43@hotmail.com www.standrewslutheran.co.uk Other Lutheran Churches in the UK www.lutheran.co.uk T.R.A.C.E. P.W. (The ‘original’ Transatlantic Children’s’ Enterprise reuniting children with G.I. father’s and their families) Membership Secretary: Norma Jean Clarke-McCloud 29 Connaught Avenue, Enfield EN1 3BE www.tracepw.org normajean78@hotmail.com United Nations Association, Westminster branch Chairman: David Wardrop 61 Sedlescombe Road, London SW6 1RE 0207 385 6738 info@unawestminster.org.uk www.unawestminster.org.uk www.wethepeoples.org.uk USA Girl Scouts Overseas – North Atlantic Stem Kaserne Bldg 1002, Postfach 610212 D-68232, Mannheim, Germany. +49 621 487 7025.
girlscouts@cmtymail.26asg.army.mil www.norags.com
SOCIAL American Club of Hertfordshire President: Lauryn Awbrey 63-65 New Road, Welwyn, Herts AL6 0AL 01582 624823 amclubherts@aol.com American Expats of the Northwest of England The Ruskin Rooms, Drury Lane, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 6HA. expatsnw@gmail.com American Friends of English Heritage 1307 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W. Washington DC 20036. 202-452-0928. c/o English Heritage, Attn: Simon Bergin, Keysign House, 429 Oxford Street, London W1R 2HD. 020 7973 3423 www.english-heritage.org.uk American Professional Women in London Rebecca Lammers 58 Shacklewell Road, London, N16 7TU 075 3393 5064 abwinlondon@gmail.com www.meetup.com/American-Business-Womenin-London www.facebook.com/groups/293890040710041 Twitter: @USAProWomenLDN American Society in London c/o The English Speaking Union 37 Charles Street, London W1J 5ED info@americansocietyuk.com 020 7539 3400 American Stamp Club of Great Britain Chapter 67 of the American Philatelic Society. Hon. Publicity Secretary: Stephen T. Taylor 5 Glenbuck Road, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 6BS. 020 8390 9357 American Womens Association of Bristol awabristol_membership@fawco.org American Women of Berkshire & Surrey P. O. Box 10, Virginia Water, Surrey GU25 4YP. www.awbs.org.uk awbscommonground@yahoo.co.uk American Women of Surrey PO Box 185, Cobham, Surrey KT11 3YJ. www.awsurrey.org American Women’s Association of Yorkshire The Chalet, Scarcroft Grange, Wetherby Road, Scarcroft, Leeds LS14 3HJ. 01224 744 224 Contact: Carol Di Peri The American Women’s Club of Dublin P.O. Box 2545, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 IRELAND www.awcd.net info@awcd.net
American Women’s Club of London 68 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3LQ. 020 7589 8292 awc@awclondon.org www.awclondon.org American Women’s Club of Central Scotland P.O. Box 231, 44-46 Morningside Road, Edinburgh, EH10 4BF info@awccs.org www.awccs.org American Women of South Wales 07866 190838 awsouthwales@fawco.org The Anglo-American Charity Limited Jeffrey Hedges, Director. 07968 513 631 info@anglo-americancharity.org Association of American Women in Ireland aawireland@fawco.org Association of American Women of Aberdeen PO Box 11952, Westhill, Aberdeen, AB13 0BW email via website www.awaaberdeen.org British Association of American Square Dance Zoe Bremer, 1 Burnwood Drive, Wollaton, Nottingham NG8 2DJ 0115 928 2896 rpmsquaredancing@aol.com www.uksquaredancing.com Canadians & Americans in Southern England 023 9241 3881 contactcase@casecommunity.com Canadian Womens Club 1 Grosvenor Square, London W1K 4AB Tues – Thurs 10.30-3.30 0207 258 6344 info@canadianwomenlondon.org www.canadianwomenlondon.org Chilterns American Women’s Club PO Box 445, Gerrards Cross, Bucks, SL9 8YU membership@cawc.co.uk www.cawc.co.uk Colonial Dames of America Chapter XI London. President Anne K Brewster: AnneBrewster@hotmail.com Daughters of the American Revolution – St James’s Chapter Mrs Natalie Ward, 01379 871422 nattyward@aol.com or UKDARStJames@aol.com http://mysite.verizon.net/jean.sutton/main.htm Daughters of the American Revolution – Walter Hines Page Chapter Diana Frances Diggines, Regent dardiana@hotmail.co.uk www.dar.org Daughters of the American Revolution – Washington Old Hall Chapter, North Yorkshire Mrs. Gloria Hassall, 01845 523-830
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Delta Kappa Gamma Society International Great Britain President: Mrs Sandra Blacker, 22 Manor Park, Tunbridge Wells www.deltakappagamma.net
North American Connection (West Midlands) PO Box 10543, Knowle, Solihull, West Midlands. B93 8ZY T: 0870 720 0663 info@naconnect.com www.naconnect.com
Delta Zeta International Sorority Alumna Club Mrs Sunny Eades, The Old Hall, Mavesyn Ridware, Nr. Rugeley, Staffordshire, WSI5 3QE. 01543 490 312 SunnyEades@aol.com
Kensington & Chelsea Men’s Club Contact: John Rickus 70 Flood Street, Chelsea, London SW3 5TE. (home): 020 7349 0680 (office): 020 7753 2253 johnrickus@aol.com Kensington & Chelsea Women’s Club President: Mary Narvell. Tel. 0142 693 3348 president@kcwc.org.uk Membership: 0207 863 7562 (ans service). membership@kcwc.org.uk New Neighbors Diana Parker, Rosemary Cottage, Rookshill, Rickmansworth, Herts WD3 4HZ. 01923 772185
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Air Force Sergeants Association European Division Timothy W. Litherland CMSgt, USAF (ret). Chapters at RAFs Alconbury, Croughton, Lakenheath, Menwith Hill and Mildenhall. tim_lith@msn.com www.afsadiv16.org American Legion London Post 1 Adjutant: Jim Pickett PO Box 5017, BATH, BA1 OPP Tel: 01225-426245 www.amlegionpost1london.org.uk info@amlegionpost1london.org.uk
Petroleum Women’s Club Contact: Nancy Ayres. Tel: 01923 711720 nanayrs@btopenworld.com
Friends of Benjamin Franklin House Director: Dr. Márcia Balisciano Benjamin Franklin House, 36 Craven St, London WC2N 5NF 0207 839 2006 www.benjaminfranklinhouse.org info@benjaminfranklinhouse.org
International American Duplicate Bridge Club Contact: Mary Marshall, 18 Palace Gardens Terrace, London W8 4RP. 020 7221 3708 www.ycbc.co.uk/american.htm
AFJROTC 073 Lakenheath High School. Tel: 01638 525603
Stars of Great Britain Chapter #45 Washington Jurisdiction Lakenheath, England sogb45@yahoo.com http://starsofgreatbritainchapter45.com
English-Speaking Union Director-General Peter Kyle Dartmouth House, 37 Charles Street, London W1J 5ED. Tel: 020 7529 1550 Fax: 0207 495 6108 esu@esu.org
High Twelve International, Inc. Local Contact – Arnold Page High Twelve Club 298, Secretary, Darrell C. Russell; 1, Wellington Close, West Row, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 8PH Telephone: 01638 715764 email: russelld130@btinternet.com.
MILITARY
Northwood Area Women’s Club c/o St John’s UR Church, Hallowell Road, Northwood, Middlesex HA6 1DN 01932-830295 info@northwoodareawomensclub.co.uk www.northwoodareawomensclub.co.uk
The East Anglia American Club 49 Horsham Close Haverhill, Suffolk CB9 7HN Tel: 01440 766 967 Email: eaacexpats@karej.co.uk
Hampstead Women’s Club President - Betsy Lynch. Tel: 020 7435 2226 email president@hwcinlondon.co.uk www.hwcinlondon.co.uk
Women’s Writers Network Cathy Smith, 23 Prospect Rd, London, NW2 2JU. 020 7794 5861 www.womenwriters.org.uk info@womenwriters.org.uk
Petroleum Women’s Club of Scotland pwcscotland@yahoo.co.uk www.pwcos.com Pilgrims of Great Britain Allington Castle, Maidstone, Kent M16 0NB. Tel. 01622 606404 Fax. 01622 606402 sec@pilgrimsociety.org
Propeller Club of the United States – London, England propellerclubhq.com St John’s Wood Women’s Club Box 185, 176 Finchley Road, London NW3 6BT membership@sjwwc.org www.sjwwc.org Thames Valley American Women’s Club Contact: Miriam Brewster PO Box 1687, Maidenhead, Berks SL6 8XT. 0208 751 8941 www.tvawc.com membership@tvawc.com UK Panhellenic Association Contact Susan Woolf, 10 Coniston Court, High St. Harrow on the Hill, Middlesex HA1 3LP. 020 8864 0294 susanrwoolf@hotmail.com United Kingdom Shrine OASIS Anglian Shrine Club Secretary: Charles A. Aldrich, 11 Burrow Drive, Lakenheath, Suffolk IP27 9EY 01842 860 650 mailto:caaldrich@btinterner.com W.E.B. DuBois Consistory #116 Northern Jurisdiction Valley of London, England, Orient of Europe Cell: 0776-873-8030 mjack36480@aol.com
Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association London Chapter Secretary: CW04, A.H. Cox, USN, Navcommunit Box 44, 7 North Audley Street, London W1Y 1WJ. 020 7409 4519/4184 www.afcea.org.uk london.sec@afcea.org.uk Bentwaters/Woodbridge Retirees’ Association President: Wylie Moore. 2 Coldfair Close, Knodishall, Saxmundham, Suffolk, IP17 1UN. 01728 830281 British Patton Historical Society Kenn Oultram 01606 891303 Brookwood American Cemetery (WW1) Brookwood, Woking, Surrey GU24 0BL 01483 473237 www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/bk.php Cambridge American Cemetery (WWII Cemetary) Superintendent: Mr. Bobby Bell. Asst. Superintendent: Mr. Tony Barclay. Coton, Cambridge CB23 7PH. 01954 210350 Commander in Chief, US Naval Forces Europe Naval Reserve Detachment 130, Recruiting Officer: LCDR Thomas D. Hardin, USNR-R. 020 7409 4259 (days) 020 8960 7395 (evenings). Eighth Air Force Historical Society UK Representative: Mr. Gordon Richards and Mrs Connie Richards 14 Pavenham Road, Oakley, Bedford MK43 7SY. 01234 823357. Friends of the Eighth Newsletter (FOTE News) Chairman: Mr. Ron Mackay.
The American
2nd Air Division Memorial Library The Forum, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 1AW 01603 774747 www.2ndair.org.uk 2admemorial.lib@norfolk.gov.uk
39b Thorley Hill, Bishops Stortford, Herts CM23 3NE. 01279 658619.
Joint RAF Mildenhall/Lakenheath Retiree Affairs Office Director: Col. John J. Valentine, USAF (Ret) Unit 8965, Box 30 RAF Mildenhall, Bury St. Edmonds, Suffolk, IP28 8NF Tel. (01638) 542039 rao@mildenhall.af.mil
USAF Retiree Activities Office Director: Paul G Gumbert, CMSgt (USAF), Ret 422 ABG/CVR Unit 5855, PSC 50, Box 3 RAF Croughton, Northants NN13 5XP Phone: 01280 708182 e-mail: 422abg.rao@croughton.af.mil
Marine Corps League Detachment 1088, London, England Commandant Mike Allen Creek Cottage, 2 Pednormead End, Old Chesham, Buckinghamshire HP5 2JS detachment1088@mcl-london-uk.org www.mcl-london-uk.org
USNA Alumni Association UK Chapter Pres: LCDR Tim Fox ’97, timfox97@hotmail.com Vice Pres: Miguel Sierra ’90, mrsierra@chevron.com Treas/Membership Coord: Bart O’Brien ’98, bartonobrien2@yahoo.com Secretary: Matt Horan ’87, matthoran@btinternet.com
Mildenhall Retirees Association President: Jack Kramer 6 Nunsgate, Thetford, Norfolk 1P24 3EL
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Commander: Ernest Paolucci 24, rue Gerbert, 75015 Paris, France 00 33 (0)1.42.50.96.34
Navy League of the United States, United Kingdom Council Council President: Steven G. Franck steven.franck@googlemail.com www.navyleague.org
Western UK Retiree Association President: R. Jim Barber, MSgt (USAF), Ret Phone: 01280 708182
Non-Commissioned Officers’ Association (NCOA) – The Heart of England Chapter Chairman: Ronald D.Welper. Pine Farm, Sharpe’s Corner, Lakenheath, Brandon, Suffolk 1P27 9LB. Thetford 861643. The Chapter Address: 513 MSSQ/SS, RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk.
EDUCATIONAL ACS International Schools ACS Cobham International School, Heywood, Portsmouth Road, Cobham, Surrey KT11 1BL 01932 867251
Society of American Military Engineers (UK) UK address: Box 763, USAFE Construction Directorate. 86 Blenheim Crescent, West Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 7HL London Post. President: W. Allan Clarke. Secretary: Capt. Gary Chesley. Membership Chairman, Mr. Jim Bizier. US Army Reserve 2nd Hospital Center 7 Lynton Close, Ely, Cambs, CB6 1DJ. Tel: 01353 2168 Commander: Major Glenda Day. US Air Force Recruiting Office RAF Mildenhall, 100 MSS/MSPRS, RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, 1P28 8NF. 01638 542290
Retired Affairs Office, RAF Alconbury Serving Central England POC: Rex Keegan Alt. POC: Mike Depasquale UK Postal Address: 423 SVS/RAO, Unit 5585, Box 100, RAF Alconbury, Huntingdon, Cambs PE28 4DA Office Hours: Tuesday and Friday, 10:30am–2:30pm 01480 84 3364/3557 Emergency Contact: 07986 887 905 RAO@Alconbury.af.mil
ACS Egham International School, Woodlee, London Road (A30), Egham, Surrey TW20 0HS. 01784 430800 ACS Hillingdon International School Hillingdon Court, 108 Vine Line, Hillingdon, Middlesex UB10 0BE. 01895 259771 www.acs-england.co.uk
AIU/London (formerly American College in London) 110 Marylebone High Street, London W1U 4RY. Tel 020 7467 5640 Fax 020 7935 8144 www.aiulondon.ac.ukadmissions@aiulondon.ac.uk Alconbury Middle/High School RAF Alconbury, Huntingdon, Cambs, PE17 1PJ, UK. www.alco-hs.eu.dodea.edu AlconburyHS.Principal@eu.dodea.edu American Institute for Foreign Study 37 Queensgate, London SW7 5HR 020 7581 7300 www.aifs.co.uk info@aifs.co.uk American School in London 1 Waverley Place, London NW8 0NP
Tel: 020 7449 1200 Fax: 020 7449 1350 www.asl.org admissions@asl.org
American School of Aberdeen Craigton Road, Cults, Aberdeen. 01224 861068 / 868927. Benjamin Franklin House 36 Craven Street, London WC2N 5NF. Tel 020 7839 2006 Fax 020 7930 9124 info@benjaminfranklinhouse.org
Boston University – London Graduate Programs Office 43 Harrington Gardens, London SW7 4JU. 020 7244 6255 www.bu.edu/london British American Educational Foundation Mrs. Carlton Colcord, 1 More’s Garden, 90 Cheyne Walk, London SW3. 020 7352 8288 www.baef.org anncolcord@compuserve.com BUNAC Student Exchange Employment Program Director: Callum Kennedy, 16 Bowling Green Lane, London EC1R 0QH. 020 7251 3472 www.bunac.org enquiries@bunac.org.uk Center Academy School Development Centre 92 St. John’s Hill, Battersea, London SW11 1SH. Tel 020 7738 2344 Fax 020 7738 9862 ukadmin@centeracademy.com Central Bureau for Educational Visits The British Council Director: Peter Upton 10 Spring Gardens, London SW1A 2BN 020 7389 4004 Wales 029 2039 7346, Scotland 0131 447 8024 centralbureau@britishcouncil.org Council on International Educational Exchange Dr. Michael Woolf, 52 Portland Street, London WIV 1JQ Tel 020 7478 2000 Fax 020 7734 7322 www.ciee.org contact@ciee.org Ditchley Foundation Ditchley Park, Enstone, Chipping Norton, Oxon OX7 4ER. Tel 01608 677346 Fax 1608 677399 www.ditchley.co.uk info@ditchley.co.uk European Council of International Schools Executive Director: Jean K Vahey Fourth Floor, 146 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 9TR Tel 020 7824 7040 www.ecis.org ecis@ecis.org European-Atlantic Group PO Box 37431, London N3 2XP 020 8632 9253 justinglass@btinternet.com www.eag.org.uk
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Florida State University London Study Centre Administrative Director: Kathleen Paul 99 Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3LH. Tel 020 7813 3233 Fax 020 7813 3270 www.international.fsu.edu/london/ intprog1@admin.fsu.edu Fordham University London Centre Academic Coordinator: Sabina Antal 23 Kensington Square, London W8 5HQ 020 7937 5023 londoncentre@fordham.edu www.fordham.edu Harlaxton College UK Campus, University of Evansville Harlaxton Manor, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG32 1AG. Grantham 4541 4761. Tel 01476 403000 Fax 01476 403030 harlaxton.ac.uk. Huron University USA in London 46-47 Russell Square, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 4JP Tel +44 (0) 20 7636 5667 Fax+44 (0) 20 7299 3297 folu@huron.ac.uk www.huron.ac.uk Institute for Study Abroad Butler University, 21 Pembridge Gardens, London W2 4EB 020 7792 8751 http://www.ifsa-butler.org/england-overview.html Institute for the Study of the Americas Director: Professor James Dunkerley. Tel 020 7862 8879 Fax 020 7862 8886 americas@sas.ac.uk www.americas.sas.ac.uk International School of Aberdeen 296 North Deeside Road, Milltimber, Aberdeen, AB13 0AB 01224 732267 www.isa.aberdeen.sch.uk admin@isa.aberdeen.sch.uk International School of London 139 Gunnersbury Avenue, London W3 8LG. 020 8992 5823. www.islondon.com mail@ISLondon.com International School of London in Surrey Old Woking Road, Woking GU22 8HY Tel +44 (0)1483 750409 Fax +44 (0)1483 730962 www.islsurrey.com mail@islsurrey.com Ithaca College London Centre 35 Harrington Gardens, London SW7. Tel. 020 7370 1166 www.ithaca.edu/london bsheasgreen@ithacalondon.co.uk Marymount International School, London Headmistress: Ms Sarah Gallagher George Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 7PE Tel: 020 8949 0571 info@marymountlondon.com www.marymountlondon.com
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Missouri London Study Abroad Program 32 Harrington Gardens, London SW7 4JU. 020 7373 7953. www.umsl.edu/services/abroad/universities/ molondon.html web_office@umsl.edu Regents American College Inner Circle, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4NS. 020 7486 9605. www.regents.ac.uk exrel@regents.ac.uk Richmond, The American International University in London Richmond Hill Campus,Queen’s Road Richmond-upon Thames TW10 6JP Tel: +44 20 8332 9000 Fax: +44 20 8332 1596 enroll@richmond.ac.uk www.richmond.ac.uk Schiller International University Royal Waterloo House, 51-55 Waterloo Road, London SE1 8TX. Tel. 020 7928 1372 www.schillerlondon.ac.uk admissions@schillerlondon.ac.uk Sotheby’s Institute of Art Postgraduate Art studies, plus day /evening courses 30 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3EE Tel: 0207 462 3232 www.sothebysinstitute.com info@sothebysinstitute.com Southbank International Schools Kensington and Hampstead campuses for 3-11 year olds; Westminster campuses for 11-18 year olds. Director of Admissions: MargaretAnne Khoury Tel: 020 7243 3803 Fax: 020 7727 3290 admissions@southbank.org www.southbank.org TASIS England, American School Coldharbour Lane, Thorpe, Nr. Egham, Surrey TW20 8TE. Tel: 01932 565252 Fax: 01932 564644 http://england.tasis.com ukadmissions@tasisengland.org University of Notre Dame London Program 1 Suffolk Street, London SW1Y 4HG 020 7484 7811 london@nd.edu http://www.nd.edu/~ndlondon/lup/future/ introduction.htm US-UK Fulbright Commission Dir. of Advisory Service: Lauren Welch 020 7498 4010 Dir. of Awards: Michael Scott-Kline, 020 7498 4014 Battersea Power Station, 188 Kirtling Street, London SW8 5BN www.fulbright.co.uk Warnborough University International Office, Friars House, London SE1 8HB. Tel 020 7922 1200 Fax: 020 7922 1201 www.warnborough.edu admin@warnborough.edu Webster Graduate Studies Center Regent’s College, Regent’s Park,
Inner Circle, London NW1 4NS, UK. Tel: 020 7487 7505 Fax: 020 7487 7425 www.webster.ac.uk webster@regents.ac.uk
Wickham Court School, Schiller International Layhams Road, West Wickham, Kent BR4 9HW. Tel 0208 777 2942 Fax 0208 777 4276 Wickham@schillerintschool.com www.wickhamcourt.org.uk Wroxton College Fairleigh Dickinson Univ.,Wroxton, Nr. Banbury, Oxfordshire OX15 6PX. Tel. 01295 730551 http://view.fdu.edu/default.aspx?id=326 admin@wroxton-college.ac.uk
ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS Alliant International University (formerly United States International University) England Chapter Alumni Association Chapter President: Eric CK Chan c/o Regents College London, Inner Circle, Regents Park, London, UK University: www.alliant.edu chane@regents.ac.uk Amherst College Bob Reichert RAreichert26b@aol.com Andover/Abbot Association of London Jeffrey Hedges ‘71, President 07968 513 631 hedgeslon@hotmail.com Association of MBAs Leo Stemp, Events Administrator Tel 020 7837 3375 (ext. 223) Fax 020-7278-3634 l.stemp@mba.org.uk Babson College Frank de Jongh Swemer, Correspondence W 020 7932 7514 babson.alumni@btinternet.com Barnard College Club Hiromi Stone, President. Tel. 0207 935 3981 barnardclubgb@yahoo.co.uk Berkeley Club of London Geoff Kertesz Email: berkeleyclublondon@gmail.com http://international.berkeley.edu/LondonClub Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ groups/223876564344656/ Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/BerkeleyClub-London-4186104 Boston College Alumni Club UK Craig Zematis, President +44 7717 878968 BCalumniclub@gmail.com www.alumniconnections.com/olc/pub/BTN/cpages/ chapters/home.jsp?chapter=41&org=BTN
The American
Boston University Alumni Association of the UK Will Straughn, Snr International Development Officer, University Development and Alumni Relations, 43 Harrington Gardens, Kensington, London SW7 4JU 020 7244 2908 020 7373 7411 bstraugh@bu.edu Brandeis Alumni Club of Great Britain Joan Bovarnick, President http://alumni.brandeis.edu office@alumni.brandeis.edu Brown University Club of the United Kingdom President: Tugba Erem Vice President: Caroline Cook Secretary: Pinar Emirdag Treasurer: Mikus Kins Events: Ramya Moothathu Communication: Patrick Attie Alumni Club & Liaison: Vanessa Van Hoof Former President: Ed Giberti edgibertiwgcuk@aol.com. Brown Club UK, Box 57100, London, EC1P 1RB contact@brownuk.org www.brownuk.org Bryn Mawr Club President: Lady Quinton. c/o Wendy Tiffin, 52 Lansdowne Gardens, London SW8 2EF. Wendy Tiffin, Secretary/Treasurer wendytif@ukgateway.net Claremont Colleges Alumni in London Hadley Beeman hadley_beeman@alumni.cmc.edu Colgate Club of London Stephen W Solomon ‘76, President 0207 349 0738 swsolomon@hotmail.com Columbia University Club of London Stephen Jansen, President london@alumniclubs.columbia.edu www.alumniclubs.columbia.edu/london Cornell Club of London Natalie Teich, President nmt4@cornell.edu www.alumni.cornell.edu/orgs/int/London Dartmouth College Club of London Sanjay Gupta, Officer Andrew Rotenberg, Officer sanjay.gupta.96@ alum.dartmouth.org andrew.l.rotenberg.92@alum.dartmouth.org www.dartmouth.org Delta Kappa Gamma Society International For information about the Society in Great Britain go to our website www.deltakappagamma.org/GB. There are links to all the USA and other international members’ sites. Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity London Alumni Chapter. Ashok Arora,
P O Box 1110, London W3 7ZB. 020 8423 8231 bertela@yahoo.com www.dspnet.org
NYU Alumni Club in London Jodi Ekelchik, President alumni.london@nyu.edu
Duke University Club of England Ms Robin Buck buckrobin@yahoo.com Tim Warmath timwarmath@yahoo.com Kate Bennett jkbennett@btinternet.com www.dukealumni.com/england
NYU STERN UK Alumni Club Matthieu Gervis, President sternukalumniclub@hotmail.com Ohio University UK & Ireland Frank Madden, 1 Riverway, Barry Avenue, Windsor, Berks. SL4 5JA. Tel 01753 855 360 Fax 01753 868 855 frank@madant.demon.co.uk
Emory University Alumni Chapter of the UK Matthew Williams, Chapter Leader 079 8451 4119 matthew.eric.williams@gmail.com www.alumni.emory.edu/chapters-and-groups/ chapters/international.html
Penn Alumni Club of the UK David Lapter Tel. 07957 146 470 david.lapter@alumni.upenn.edu
Georgetown Alumni Club Alexa Fernandez, President GeorgetownLondon@Yahoo.com
Penn State Alumni Association Penn State Alumni Association Ron Nowicki 0207 226 7681 pennstatelondon@yahoo.co.uk www.alumni.psu.edu
Gettysburg College Britt-Karin Oliver brittkarin@aol.com Harvard Business School Club of London www.hbsa.org.uk
Princeton Association (UK) Carol Rahn, President Jon Reades, Young Alumni carol.rahn@orange-ftgroup.com jon@reades.com www.alumni.princeton.edu
Harvard Club of Great Britain Brandon Bradkin, President president@hcuk.org www.hcuk.org Indiana University Alumni club of England Anastasia Tonello, President 020 7253 4855 iuinlondon@yahoo.com www.alumni.indiana.edu/clubs/england
Rice Alumni of London Kathy Wang Tel. 07912 560 177 kathyw@alumni.rice.edu
KKG London Alumnae Association emilymerrell@gmail.com
Skidmore College Alumni Club, London Peggy Holden Briggs ‘84, co-ordinator peggyhbriggs@gmail.com 07817 203611
LMU Alumni Club London (Loyola Marymount University) Kent Jancarik 07795 358 681 kent@jancarik.com Marymount University Alumni UK Chapter President: Mrs Suzanne Tapley, 35 Park Mansions, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7QT. Tel 020 7581 3742 MIT Club of Great Britain Yiting Shen Flat 8a, 36 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6PB Tel: 0789 179 3823 yshen@alum.mit.edu http://alumweb.mit.edu/clubs/uk/ Mount Holyoke Club of Britain Rachel L. Elwes, President rlelwes@yahoo.com Karen K. Bullivant Vice-President kkbullivant@alumnae.mtholyoke.edu www.mtholyoke.co.uk Notre Dame Club of London Hannah Gornik , Secretary ND_Club_London@yahoo.co.uk
Smith College Club of London Kathleen Merrill, President smithclubgb@googlemail.com http://alumnae.smith.edu
Stanford Business School Alumni Association (UK Chapter) Robby Arnold, President Lesley Anne Hunt, Events robby@blueyonder.co.uk lesley.hunt@blueyonder.co.uk www.stanfordalumni.org.uk Texas Tech Alumni Association – London Chapter David Mirmelli, Ferhat Guven, Bobby Brents president@texastechalumni.org.uk www.TexasTechAlumni.org.uk Texas Exes UK (UKTE) President: Carra Kane 7 Edith Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 8TW 0778 660 7534 carrakane@alumni.utexas.net www.fornogoodreason.com/UKTEMain.htm
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The American
Texas A&M Club London Ashley Lilly, Co-President Devin Howard, Co-President london@aggienetwork.com http://clubs.aggienetwork.com/londonamc/ The John Adams Society Contact: Muddassar Ahmed c/o Unitas Communications, Palmerston House, 80-86 Old Street, London EC1V 9AZ 0203 308 2358 johnadamssociety@unitascommunications.com www.johnadamssociety.co.uk Tufts - London Tufts Alliance Vikki Garth Londontuftsalliance@yahoo.com UK Dawgs of the University of Georgia Rangana Abdulla ukdawgs@hotmail.com UMass Alumni Club UK Julie Encarnacao, President (0)20 7007 3869 julesje32@gmail.com University of California Matthew Daines (Program Director) 17 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3JA 020 7079 0567 matthewdaines@californiahouse.org.uk University of Chicago UK Alumni Association President c/o Alumni Affairs and Development – Europe University of Chicago Booth School of Business Woolgate Exchange, 25 Basinghall Street, London EC2V 5HA Tel +44(0)20 7070 2245 Fax +44(0)20 7070 2250 www.ChicagoBooth.edu University of Illinois Alumni Club of the UK Amy Barklam, President 07796 193 466 amybarklam@msn.com University of North Carolina Alumni Club Brad Matthews, Club Leader 2 The Orchards, Hill View Road, Woking GU22 7LS brad.matthews@alumni.unc.edu http://alumni.unc.edu University of Michigan Alumni Association Regional Contact: Jessica Cobb, BA ’97 +44 (0) 788-784-0941 jesscobb@yahoo.com http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/umich_uk_alumni/
University of Rochester/Simon School UK Alumni Association Ms. Julie Bonne, Co-President 0118-956-5052 julie_bonne@yahoo.com University of Southern California, Alumni Club of London Jennifer Ladwig, President Chuck Cramer, Treasurer
64 January 2013
Southern Skirmish Association (SoSkan) Membership Secretary, Bob Isaac, 3 Hilliards Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 3TA email membership@soskan.co.uk
usclondon@gmail.com www.usclondonalumni.org
University of Virginia Alumni Club of London Kirsten Jellard, 020 7368 8473 londonuvaclub@yahoo.com http://members.aol.com/UKUVACLUB/UVA-london.htm
SPORTS
USNA Alumni Association, UK Chapter President: LCDR Greta Densham ‘00 (gretaj@mac.com) Vice President/Treasurer: Tim Fox ‘97 (timfox97@ hotmail.com) Secretary: Mike Smith ‘84 (Mike.Smith@polycom.com) Facebook Group - USNA Alumni Association, UK Chapter
Eagles Golf Society Sharon Croley c/o Eventful Services, 49 Hastings Road, Croydon, Surrey CRO 6PH sharoncroley@blueyonder.co.uk English Lacrosse The Belle Vue Centre, Pink Bank Lane, Longsight, Manchester M12 5GL 0161.227.3626 www.englishlacrosse.co.uk info@englishlacrosse.co.uk
Vassar College Club Sara Hebblethwaite, President 18 Redgrave Road, London, SW15 1PX +44 020 8788 6910 sara.hebblethwaite@virgin.net Warnborough Worldwide Alumni Association c/o International Office, Friars House, London SE1 8HB. Tel. 020 7922 1200 Fax. 020 7922 1201 http://www.wwaa.info/ admin@warnborough.edu Wellesley College Club Ana Ericksen, President. ana@ericksenuk.com Wharton Business School Club of the UK Yoav Kurtzbard, President Claire Watkins, Administrator 020-7447-8800 ykurtzbard@youngassoc.com cwatkins@youngassoc.com Williams Club of Great Britain Ethan Kline: ethankline@gmail.com Yale Club of London Joe Vittoria, President president@yale.org.uk Scott Fletcher, Events events@yale.org.uk Nick Baskey, Secretary secretary@yale.org.uk www.yale.org.uk Zeta Tau Alpha Alumnae Kristin Morgan. Tel: 07812 580949 kristinamorgan@gmail.com www.zetataualpha.org
ARTS North American Actors Association Chief Executive: Ms. Laurence Bouvard Americanactors@aol.com 07873 371 891
CIVIL WAR SOCIETIES American Civil War Round Table (UK) Sandra Bishop 5 Southdale, Chigwell, Essex IG7 5NN sandra-bishop@hotmail.com www.americancivilwar.org.uk
British Baseball Federation/ BaseballSoftballUK 5th Floor, Ariel House, 74a Charlotte Street, London W1T 4QJ. 020 7453 7055 British Morgan Horse Society 01942 886141 www.morganhorse.org.uk admin@morganhorse.org.uk Ice Hockey UK 19 Heather Avenue, Rise Park, Romford RM1 4SL Tel. 07917 194 264 Fax. 1708 725241 www.icehockeyuk.co.uk ihukoffice@yahoo.co.uk Herts Baseball Club Adult & Little League Baseball www.hertsbaseball.com LondonSports Instruction and competitive play in baseball, basketball and football (soccer), for boys and girls aged 4-15, newcomers or experienced players. Learn about and play sports in a safe, fun environment. We welcome children of all nationalities. www.londonsports.com vll@me.com London Warriors American Football Club Contact: Kevin LoPrimo info@londonwarriorsafc.co.uk www.londonwarriorsafc.co.uk Mildenhall EELS Swim Team International and local competitions for ages 6-19. Contact Coach Robin flv4@hotmail.com
Every effort is made to ensure that listings in the information guide are correct and current. If your entry requires amendments please notify us immediately. We rely on you to keep us informed. Telephone 01747 830520, Fax 01747 830691 or email us at theamerican@blueedge.co.uk. We would be pleased to receive news or short articles about your organisation for possible publication in The American.
The American
RESTAURANTS
Suppliers of quality products and services hand-picked for you ACCOUNTANCY & TAX
La Capanna The Finest Italian Food served in the loveliest of Surrey’s settings. 48 High Street, Cobham, Surrey KT11 3EF 01932 862 121 www.lacapanna.co.uk
GROCERY
BDO LLP The UK member firm of the world’s fifth largest accountancy organisation. 55 Baker Street, London W1U 7EU 020 7486 5888 info@bdo.co.uk www.bdo.uk.com
Lidgate Butchers Organic meats from a 150 year old business now run by the the fifth generation of the same family. 110 Holland Park Avenue, London W11 4UA Tel. 0207 727 8243 www.lidgates.com
Jaffe & Co., incorp. American Tax International Comprehensive tax preparation and compliance service for US expatriates in the UK and Europe. America House, 54 Hendon Lane, London N3 1TT 0800 085 1537 or 020 8346 5237 www.americantaxonline.com
LEGAL
Xerxes Associates LLP Fixed Fee US & UK Individual Tax Compliance, Consulting & Planning. Tel: +44(0)207 411 9026 Fax: +44(0)207 411 9051 www.xerxesllp.com
ANTIQUES & COLLECTABLES Stephen T Taylor Your American stamp dealer in Britain since 1995. 5 Glenbuck Road, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 6BS 020 8390 9357 info@stephentaylor.co.uk www.stephentaylor.co.uk
DRIVING INSTRUCTION Alison Driving School A well established, well known International Driving Instructor covering the area south and west of London, ideal for new drivers and for Americans who want to drive in the UK. www.femaledrivinginstructorinstaines.co.uk alisondrivingschool@yahoo.co.uk 01784 456 037, cell 07956 220389
EDUCATION Florida State University in UK Over 50 years of experience in international education. 99 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LA 020 7813 3223 www.international.fsu.edu
Kingsley Napley LLP Family lawyers with particular experience in dealing with cases involving Americans living here and abroad. 020 7814 1200 www.kingsleynapley.co.uk
MEDICAL & DENTAL
VIDEO / TELEVISION Jim Garnett - Cameraman 27 years’ experience in television, magazines and newspapers – Full professional gear in both NTSC [USA/Canada] and PAL formats. Used by ‘Entertainment Tonight’, CBC, CTV National, CTV Toronto, CTV Sports, Global TV and Channel Zero. Tel. 07930-100909 http://jimgarnettphotography.blogspot.co.uk
COUNSELLING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY Transitions Therapy Psychotherapy & Counselling for Expatriate Individuals, Couples, Families & Adolescents in the West End. London, England, United Kingdom 07557 261432 in the UK or 0044 7557 261432 from another country. Skype sessions available around the world. transitions_therapy@hotmail.com www.transitionstherapy.co.uk
The American Women’s Health Centre (AWHC) OB GYN Based in the West End of London, at the heart of medical excellence in Britain. Third Floor, 214 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5QN 020 7390 8433 info@AWHC.co.uk www.awhc.co.uk
To find out whether you’re eligible to advertise your products and services here, and for rates, call Sabrina Sully on +44 (0)1747 830520. You’ll reach Americans living in and visiting the UK as well as Britons who like American culture and products.
Coffee Break Answers
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1. Yes, both!; 2. ‘The Keystone State’; 3. Dave Thomas (as seen in Wendy’s ads for years); 4. January Jones; 5. South Dakota; 6. The 12th day after Christmas, Epiphany, 6th January; 7. Nelson Rockefeller; 8. Eric Holder; 9. Oahu; 10. Lake Michigan; 11. Colorado; 12. 4 - Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan; 13. Hawaii; 14. Missouri; 15. Donald Sutherland; 16. Johnson (Presidents Andrew Johnson and Lyndon B Johnson and boxer Jack Johnson, the ‘Galveston Giant’, who was champion from 1908 to 1915).
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