The American July-August 2016 Issue 752 by Blue Edge Publishing Ltd.

July - August 2016

THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE

Est. 1976

read more at ... www.theamerican.co.uk

EXPAT FINANCE WHAT’S ON TRAVEL HERITAGE EATING OUT POLITICS ARTS & REVIEWS AMERICAN SPORTS

NFL - who won the offseason? Sun and sand in Corfu

772045 596626

The Race is On PLUS: OUR EXCLUSIVE US/UK SOCIAL GROUPS GUIDE

Metro Bank is the Revolution in British Banking. Britain’s first new High Street bank in over 100 years offers banking focused on personal and business customers. Metro Bank provides unparalleled levels of service and convenience. Our customers are empowered to bank whenever and however they choose, in our convenient stores 7 days a week, by internet, mobile or by telephone – 24/7. Contact Alex Clayden American Banking Specialist +44 (0)7791 753 408 alex.clayden@metrobank.plc.uk

Metro Bank PLC. Registered in England and Wales. Company number: 6419578. Registered office: One Southampton Row, London, WC1B 5HA. We’re authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. ‘Metrobank’ is the registered trade mark of Metro Bank PLC. 982 M285 (06/16)

COMPS: Tickets to Blues Kitchen and 606 Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jazz on the Lawn

6 18 20 22

NEWS: Washington Portrait Surprise

26 28

in this issue...

DIARY: Edinburgh Festival - the US acts FINANCE: Foreign Exchange and Investing PROPERTY: Cleveland, more than industry and conventions COUNTRY SPORTS: UK Shooting Permits HUMOR: M&S Charms Miss Patricia

2 Welcome 4 A-List: Products & Services 6 News

31 34 37 42 55 64 70

12 Diary Dates 40 Arts Choice 44 Food & Drink

TRAVEL: Corfu Getaway HERITAGE: Stately Homes

EXPAT LIFE: Playwright Rachel Mariner FOODIES: US-style hotdogs in the UK MUSIC: OId guys outrock the kids POLITICS: US Election, the numbers speak

AMERICAN SPORTS: NFL Offseason Winners; EPL Soccer; Nic Roldan Polo star; USA Rugby Olympics; Fantasy Golf

55 Music & Theater Reviews 81 US Social Groups 88 Coffee Break Fun The American

Issue 752 July - August 2016 Single copy £3.80 inc. P&P Annual subscription £20 (UK) For free digital sub or free print copy pickup visit www.theamerican.co.uk and click on Magazine

o start this issue on a serious note, we’re aware that many US citizens in the UK are under the threat of deportation under the UK government’s Tier 2 migration regulations. The American is compiling a dossier to help fight these unfair cases. If you, or anyone you know, are affected by this, please tell us your story by emailing editor@theamerican.co.uk On a happier theme, this issue marks our 40th birthday (but in our hearts we’re still kids!). That’s right, The American was born on Independence Day back in the United States’ bicentennial year, 1976. I hope that this edition brings you our usual blend of helpful advice, great features, the best American sports coverage in Britain and a lot of fun, and of course, wishing you all a great July 4th. Stay safe. If you want to read the magazine regularly you can subscribe to the digital edition free, or get a print copy for the price of post & packing - it’s all at www.theamerican.co.uk/pr/TheAmericanMagazineOnline.php OK, commerical over! Enjoy your magazine,

M ichael Burland, Content Director michael@theamerican.co.uk

Among this issue’s contributors

Richard L Gale Violetta Varenkova Summer ain’t no quiet time for As the GOP convention heads football, with the Draft, free to Cleveland, a realtor tells us agency and more... Richard what her city’s really like, from looks at who’s been winning the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to the NFL offseason Slymans’ corned beef sandwich

Sir Robert Worcester Think you know what’s happening in the US presidential election? Let Kansas-born Sir Robert help you understand what’s really going on

Read The American online at 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.

The American

PUBLISHED BY SP MEDIA FOR

Blue Edge Publishing Ltd. Old Byre House, East Knoyle, Salisbury SP3 6AW, UK Tel: +44 (0)1747 830520

Departments: News, Article ideas, Press releases: editor@theamerican.co.uk Advertising & Promotions: advertising@theamerican.co.uk Subscriptions: theamerican@blueedge.co.uk The Team: Michael Burland, Content Director michael@theamerican.co.uk Sabrina Sully, Content Director & Community Contact sabrina@theamerican.co.uk Daniel Byway, Content Executive dan@theamerican.co.uk Virginia E Schultz, Food & Drink (USA) virginia@theamerican.co.uk Michael M Sandwick, Food & Drink (UK) mms@theamerican.co.uk Alison Holmes, Politics alison@theamerican.co.uk Jarlath O’Connell, Theater jarlath@theamerican.co.uk

©2016 Blue Edge Publishing Ltd. Printed in the UK www.ostrich-print.co.uk ISSN 2045-5968 Main Cover: Hillary Clinton ©Gage Skidmore; Square Inset: Corfu ©Sokoban; Circular Inset: Jalen Ramsey of the Jags ©Florida State U

@TheAmericanMag

ACCOUNTANCY & TAX Blick Rothenberg LLP

Winner of the 2015 “Best International and Expatriate Team” at the UK Taxation Awards. Leading tax practice with a highly respected client base and excellent reputation for providing high quality UK/US personal and corporate tax services with an international focus. 16 Great Queen Street, Covent Garden, London +44 (0)20 7486 0111 mark.abbs@blickrothenberg.com www.blickrothenberg.com Twitter @BlickRothenberg

H&R Block Expat Tax Services

Warrener Stewart

One H&R Block Way, Kansas City, MO 64105 USA 1-816-504-1665 expattax@hrblock.com http://hrblock.com/expats Our secure, remote service has a dedicated team which includes CPAs, enrolled agents, and tax attorneys, who focus on expat taxes and can handle all types of U.S. tax returns, including FATCA and FBAR.

Based in Fulham, we are Chartered Accountants and Chartered Tax Advisors providing a cost effective, bespoke service for US citizens with UK or US tax affairs. To arrange an initial free consultation contact

Humphrey & Co.

Ashleigh Molton on 020 7731 6163 or email amolton@warrenerstewart.com

ANTIQUES & COLLECTABLES

Based in Eastbourne and Brighton & Hove, we have been providing tax and business advice since 1928. Within our general practice, we also specialise in Expatriate Tax and US Taxation, providing comprehensive advice and quality service to US citizens living in the UK. For more information contact our Tax Director, Kevin Hancock: 7-9 The Avenue, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 3YA 01323 730631 khancock@humph.co.uk www.humph.co.uk

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

COUNSELLING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY

Rawlinson & Hunter

Bright ! Tax LLC

Bright!Tax is a leading US expat tax services provider for Americans living in the UK. Visit brighttax.com to learn more. +1.212.465.2528 http://brighttax.com inquiries@brighttax.com

Burton Sweet

Tax Return Preparation and compliance service for US Expatriates. Specialist in providing advice on UK/US Tax interaction. Affordable Fixed Fees. Prospect House, 5 May Lane, Dursley, GL11 4JH 01453 542483 Contact Rachel Finch rachel@burton-sweet.co.uk www.burton-sweet.co.uk Twitter @burtonsweet www.linkedin.com/company/burton-sweet

cleartaxation group

Professional and affordable clear tax advice provided by Enrolled Agents and UK Chartered Tax Advisers. Free initial consultation throughout the UK. We can manage all your US and UK tax affairs and their interaction. 0800 917 6765 taxhelp@cleartaxation.co.uk www.cleartaxation.com

The American

Anji Holland Hypnotherapy Comprehensive tax compliance and advisory service for US citizens living in the UK, particularly specialising in the interaction between UK and US taxes. Eighth Floor, 6 New Street Square, New Fetter Lane, London EC4A 3AQ +44 (0)20 7842 2000 www.rawlinson-hunter.com graeme.privett@rawlinson-hunter.com

For Stress, Anxiety, Depression Insomnia, Sleeping Disorders, IBS, Panic Attacks, Fears & Phobias, IVF, Natural Childbirth, OCD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Stop Smoking, Pain Control, Weight Management, Sport Motivation, Anger Management, and more Seymour Place, London W1 and Bath 07944 647 978 anji@hollandhypnotherapy.com www.hollandhypnotherapy.com

Tax & Accounting Hub

Professional service at affordable prices. Fixed fee U.S. Expatriate tax preparation service in London. Federal/ State, Foreign bank account/IRS audits response 152 Burford Wharf, 3 Cam Road, London, E15 2SS +44 (0)20 3286 6445. M: +44 (0)79 1439 3183 kader@taxandaccountinghub.com www.taxandaccountinghub.com

Tax Advisory Partnership

Tax Advisory Partnership provides a broad range of UK and US tax advice and compliances services to private clients both in the UK and abroad. Our highly experienced team are ready to help you. Please contact us for further information. Tel: +44 207 655 6959 info@tap-london.com www.taxadvisorypartnership.com

Expat Therapy London

Professional experienced psychotherapy in North and Central London.Trained in the U.S., registered in the U.K., and for the last 14 years I’ve worked in the U.S., Argentina, Cambodia and now London. In that time I’ve worked with many different types of issues ranging from: an unsure sense of what is really wrong, to depression/anxiety, to serious life crises, to sudden traumatic events as well as constant more pervasive traumas. 0792-846-3007 info@expattherapylondon.com http://expattherapylondon.com

EDUCATION

MEDICAL

Maseco Private Wealth

A-List Education

Expert wealth management advice, exceptional client service and a phenomenal client experience for Americans in the US and abroad, UK residents, as well as financial advisors, trustees and foundations. Burleigh House, 357 Strand, London WC2R 0HS +44 (0) 207 043 0455 enquiries@masecopw.com http://masecoprivatewealth.com

A-List offers specialist and highly customised US test preparation and admissions services for students and secondary schools all over the world via its offices in London, New York and Dubai. We can guide private clients through the entire process or just specific parts, including: tutoring for entrance exams (SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests, APs), selecting and visiting best-fit colleges, and crafting outstanding applications and college essays. A-List works with a number of leading UK schools providing US admissions support, SAT/ACT courses and teacher training. +44 (0)20 3004 8101 info.uk@alisteducation.com www.alisteducation.co.uk

Cigna Global specialise in health insurance policies for expats. Choose from three distinct levels of cover, with five optional additional benefits, including outpatient care, medical evacuation, and vision & dental care. Get a quote now! The Grosvenor Building, 72 Gordon Street, Glasgow, Scotland G13RS www.cignaglobal.com +44(0)1475 779161 From the US: 877.539.6295

Tanager Wealth Management LLP

Integrated financial and investment advice for US expats living in the UK provided by US expats. Global account consolidation, UK/US savings and retirement planning together with investment advice. Contact us for a no obligation meeting or telephone conversation. 020 7871 8440 www.tanagerwealth.com contact@tanagerwealth.com @tanagerwealth

American SAT & ACT Tuition

108 Medical Chambers 108 Medical Chambers is a leading Consultant led and delivered independent out-patient and diagnostic centre with clinical teams specialising in breast disease, dermatology, groins and hernia surgery, colo-rectal problems, sports injuries and thyroid and ENT problems. 0207 563 1234 info@108harleystreet.co.uk www.108harleystreet.co.uk

USA/UK Financial Concierge Ltd.

Personalised SAT and ACT tutoring, bespoke online courses, expert advice on both the college application process and interviews. 207 Regent Street, 3rd Floor London W1B 3HH +44 (0)20 7692 0766 Twitter: @elivonna www.AmericanSATACTtuition.com Elizabeth@AmericanSATtuition.com www.facebook.com/AmericanSAT

Independent US/UK compliant Financial and Investment Planning uniquely placed to assist US clients in navigating through the maze of investment options available in the UK. Contact Andrea Karpinski on 07905 828052 or email her andrea@usaukfinancialconcierge.co.uk

FINANCIAL ADVICE Aisa Professional

Cigna Healthcare

TRAVEL Peter Sommer Travels

LETTINGS Barton Wyatt A joint UK and US regulated company who specialise in pensions and offer cross border investment and financial advice using UK and US custodians. Unit 4, Fordbrook Business Centre, PEWSEY, Wiltshire, SN9 5NU + 44 (0) 1672 569111 info@aisagroup.org www.aisagroup.org

Award winning agents offering quality managed properties and house sales in Surrey & Berkshire. Comprehensive stress free service. NAEA, ARLA & NAR qualified staff. 01344 843000 homes@bartonwyatt.co.uk www.bartonwyatt.co.uk

Alconbury Trust LLC

Expert-led archaeological tours, cultural tours, gulet cruises and private charters in Turkey, Greece and Italy. One of the world’s ‘Top Ten Learning Holidays’ National Geographic Tel 01600 888 220 info@petersommer.com www.petersommer.com

VISAS & IMMIGRATION

US Visa Solutions - Law Office of Janice A. Flynn

MAIL & PARCELS We are a registered investment adviser specializing in UK pension transfer (QROPS) and investment solutions for US Nationals living abroad and British Nationals looking to relocate to the USA. 605 S Country Club Road, Lake Mary Florida, USA +1 (321) 363-1526 www.AlconburyTrust.com Sandy.King@AlconburyTrust.com (Alconbury Trust LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser in the State of Florida and Texas. Alconbury Trust is not a tax advisor or a Lawyer firm. The above is for education purposes only and not intended as a solicitation of sale. Securities offered through SEI and Vestra US Wealth)

US Global Mail

Mail & Parcel forwarding service for expats, international shoppers, businesses and travelers. US street address. Virtual Mailbox with mail scanning, bundling and up to 70% savings on international shipping rates. +1 281 596 8965 www.usglobalmail.com support@usglobalmail.com

US-licensed immigration lawyers advising on US citizenship, green cards, visa and US entry issues. Honest, straightforward advice and a high level of bespoke service. Third Floor, 6 & 7 Hatton Garden, London EC1N 8AD UK +44 (0)20 7092 6830 US +1 (312) 361-0581 Twitter: FlynnUSVisaLaw Janice@usvisasolutions.co.uk www.usvisasolutions.co.uk

The American

NEWS Sulgrave Surprise

‘Before’: Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of George Washington COURTESY SULGRAVE MANOR

A painting of the first President of the USA was recently sent for conservation by its owners, the Sulgrave Manor Trust. What they got back was a surprise. The Trust oversees the Tudor home of George Washington’s ancestors in the Northamptonshire village of Sulgrave, near Banbury. Conservator Valentine Walsh noted

that what seemed to be a solid dark background of the 18th-century portrait had a curtain in the top corners. She X-Rayed the painting to see what other details might lay below the murky overpaint. Removing the overlying layers revealed that portraitist Gilbert Stuart had originally painted a large column, swag curtains and sky with pink clouds behind Washington. Stuart was born in America, moved to England in 1775 to study under American painter Benjamin West, before returning to the USA. He made many portraits of Washington, including more than 70 called the “Athenaeum” series, one of which appears on the American onedollar bill. All show Washington’s head and shoulders against a plain dark background. The portrait will return to the Manor for its summer opening. The restoration, donated to the Manor in 1920 by American

Rediscovered Shakespeare First Folio goes on display at Globe Theatre

The American

‘After’: the same picture after conservation PHOTO BY NATHAN PORTLOCK-ALLAN PHOTOGRAPHY

banking heiress Miss Faith Moore and Sulgrave’s greatest treasure, was funded by the Walter Hines Page Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Friends of Sulgrave Manor. The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America is paying for further research and conservation prompted by these unexpected findings.

In the year of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death there is a unique opportunity to see a recently discovered First Folio of his plays. Found at Saint-Omer, France, it will be exhibited at Shakespeare’s Globe in London’s Bankside, for two months from July 4 to September 4. One of the rarest and most valuable books in the world, it was discovered in Saint-Omer’s library. Only around 230 copies of the 1623 First Folio (the first collected edition of Shakespeare’s plays) are still in existence. The Saint-Omer volume is notable for its scribbled stage directions, which offer valuable clues about how the plays were performed over the centuries.

Space Archaeology: Your Opportunity Dr Sarah Parcak calls herself a “space archaeologist.” Others compare her to Indiana Jones. However you describe her, the Egyptologist from University of Alabama at Birmingham is using a $1 million prize from TED (the nonprofit forum responsible for TED Talks) to help the next generation of explorers find lost cities armed only with a mobile phone app. And you could be one of them. Since 2005, Parcak has helped discover more than 3,100 archaeological settlements, thousands of tombs and no fewer than 17 previously unknown pyramids in Egypt alone, using imagery from NASA and other satellites, plus a Viking settlement in Canada constructed 500 years before Columbus which could rewrite history.

Now Parcak is looking to get everyone involved. With TED’s million dollars she’s developing an app to crowdsource finding lost cities. People can use their mobile phones to scan satellite images for telltale signs of human settlement: rectangular forms and changes to vegetation. When they find a promising site she will send archaeologists to the location. In return the archaeologists promise to “bring” app users to the site with a video connection through virtual platforms such as Skype, Snapchat or Periscope. The app is expected in summer or fall 2016. Parcak, originally from Bangor, Maine said: “It’s an exciting time to be an archaeologist.” Go to share.america.gov/willyou-help-find-next-lost-city and see if you can spot an ancient site.

New Minister for AIC London The American International Church, in Tottenham Court Road, London, has a new Minister. Rev. Jennifer Mills-Knutsen comes to London from St. Luke’s United Church in Jeffersonville, Indiana, a suburb of Louisville, Kentucky where she has been senior pastor since 2005. Jennifer holds a BA in History and English from James Madison University, VA and a Masters of Divinity from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA. She was ordained in 2001 in the Northern California-Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ. Prior to St. Luke’s, she managed a non-profit organization supporting the homeless in Berkeley while attending seminary, then became Assistant Pastor at the Old South Church in Boston. Jennifer and her husband, Josh, grew up in Virginia Beach. They were married in 1997 and have a nine-year-old son, Benjamin, whose favorite team is the Jacksonville Jaguars and favorite sport to play is baseball. They have lived in California, Massachusetts, Kentucky and Indiana. “I am excited by the opportunity to grow in faith together and help AIC serve as a beacon of God’s love in the heart of London,” Jennifer said.

The American

NEWS Memorial Day On May 29, under clear blue skies, a memorial was held at Brookwood American Cemetery, Surrey, to the memory of American war dead buried in this country. The Regent of St James Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, acted as MC and the Chapter, in conjunction with American Legion Post 1 London, provided refreshments. Vice Admiral James G. Foggo, III, Commander of the US 6th Fleet gave a personal and moving speech. Both of his grandfathers fought in WWI with the Canadian forces at Vimy Ridge on the Somme. The Queen’s envoy The Lord Lieutenant of Surrey was present as were uniformed members of the British and French Armies and representatives of The Royal British Legion, The Normandy Veterans Association and Le Souvenir Francais. The US Air Force band provided the music. Brookwood is administered by the American Battle Monuments Commission and expertly managed by Superintendent Craig Rahanian. Vice Admiral James G. Foggo, III PHOTO BY TONY MCCALLUM

Fairford B-52s Three US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress Bombers from Minot Air Force Base, ND, have made RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire their home for June as part of NATO led military training exercises in the Baltic region of Europe. The aircraft, arguably most famous for its role in the Vietnam War, is a regular visitor to Fairford, which is among only a few bases in the UK that can accommodate a plane of its size. With its 185 feet wing span the B-52 Stratofortress is an unmistakable sight over the British skies and the planes, which have been in service since the 1950s, require a 250-strong team of USAF personnel who have been deployed to Fairford to assist

The American

PHOTO ©ROBERT BYWAY

in everything from maintenance and navigation to weapons. Ahead of the deployment, US Strategic Command noted that this is the “third year in a row that strategic bombers have deployed to RAF Fairford”, with US Strategic Command Commander, Admiral Cecil D. Haney, stating that “Ensuring we can operate from strategic forward locations like RAF Fairford is integral to our collective defense capabilities and a more timely and coordinated response during crises.” With the B-52 Stratofortress scheduled to remain in operation until 2044, RAF Fairford’s long standing links with the US Air Force look set to continue.

Civil War Veteran Dedication You are invited to a double event related to the American Civil War in London, July 23rd. The first is the dedication of a gravestone (provided by the Veterans Administration) for John Davis, who served in the US Navy during the war. In 1910 Davis founded the London Branch of American Civil War Veterans, which aimed to secure Federal Pensions for destitute Civil War veterans living in the city’s slums.

USAF B-52 and crew at RAF Fairford

The second is the inauguration of the first overseas Camp of the Sons of Union Veterans, attended by the SUV’’s Commander in Chief. The ceremonies, arranged by Michael Hammerson, will be at Nunhead Cemetery, Linden Grove, London SE15 3LP. Mr Hammerson wrote a fascinating article in The American about Civil War veterans buried in the UK, which is at www.theamerican.co.uk, ‘Magazine’, and scroll down to October 2012. 

CMY

HOME OF THE CODEBREAKERS Once Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best Kept Secret, today Bletchley Park is a heritage site and vibrant tourist attraction. Open daily, visitors can explore the iconic WW2 Codebreaking Huts and Blocks and marvel at the astonishing achievements of the Codebreakers whose work helped shorten the war. For directions and more details visit: www.bletchleypark.org.uk

Saturday 16th July 2016 at The Blue Fin Building, London SE1 How do you decide which is the right school for your child? Save time, get independent advice and explore your options… Talk to 50 of the Top UK Boarding and International schools all on one day, including: ISL, ACS, TASIS, CATS, Taunton School, Mill Hill International, Marlborough College, Malvern School, Oundle, Rugby and Winchester.

Future Olympian?

Future Actor? Future Vet?

Future School? There are free seminars addressed by some of the best UK schools to help answer all the confusing issues, including: • UK Boarding school or local International? • Move your child at 11, 13 or 16 years old?

• IB, A Levels or Pre-U? • Tests and exam requirements all explained

Crepe City C

repe City is a very cool, nearly underground annual event specifically and myopically for the sneaker enthusiast. (That’s trainers to our Brit friends!) Predominantly male attendees from all backgrounds and varying parts of London queued for the privilege to spectate and purchase, patiently lining Brick Lane to enter the Truman Brewery where purveyors, collectors, traders, buyers, obsessives and sellers of all things sneaker displayed their wares. ‘Sneaker Heads’ came with hopes of laying eyes on or nabbing a rare pair of Back to the Future II Air Mags, which can cost around £25k, or Jordan Undefeated 4’s (only 15 pairs were ever made) or retro 1970’s Adidas Gazelles made in communist Yugoslavia. Your wallet needed to be Phat, as most all transactions were cash. £18 for tickets or a bit more for early VIP entry, Crepe City has been happening since 2009 and innovator and trend expert Morgan Weekes put the event together with fine attention to detail, choosing an intuitive DJ

What or where is Crepe City? Clue – it’s not about eating nor is it a place in France. Alex Kolton investigates

and just the right retailers. Morgan is a cool, level headed guy who has an encyclopedic knowledge of sneakers and is rather a legend on the scene. We witnessed his henchmen discovering a pair of fake Yeezy 750’s (Kanye West’s coveted brand costing from £600) and swiftly asking the stand to take them down. Trending on the scene were the NMDs by Adidas, and Sneaker pushers such as Solebeliever (www. solebeliever.com) offered limited editions and dead stock (new, unworn in original box) sneakers. Adam, an entrepreneurial North London kid from Mill Hill prep school was selling a pair of Nike Red Octobers he had purchased for £2,300 and hoped to re-sell for a steep profit. There was plenty for sale including accessories such as ropes, or laces to lay people, Jason Mark crepe shoe cleaner, Perspex boxes to protect your investments, and brands such as Supreme, Bape and Basement dominated. You could visit a pop up barber shop, Spin the Wheel for a fiver to win sneakers, have a mechanical bull ride

and you could have your trainers professionally cleaned up. Crepe City has an official partnership with the Japanese brand G-Shock and showcased a sought after American Stars and Stripes X A-Life watch inspired by American Artist Jasper John’s paintings of American flags in the 1950s. A Scottish shoe company called Hanon, apparently one to watch, launched a new shoe and Diadora offered a limited edition sneaker with just 50 pairs. The first sneakers were running shoes with spikes in the mid-1800s and the interest has never wavered. It is debatable but many agree the Nike Air Jordan Chicago created in 1984 for basketball legend Michael Jordan is the most iconic sneaker of all time. Crepe (pronounced Krep) is the hip hop slang for ‘fly’ trainers, and aside from the practicality of collecting sneakers, in many cases a well-chosen trainer can hold its value even after being worn. Just don’t toss the box out. Alex Kolton is an American expat voiceover actress and writer

The American

Selected for you

Find many more events at www.theamerican.co.uk American Museum in Britain Claverton Manor, Bath BA2 7BD americanmuseum.org The only museum outside the USA to showcase America’s decorative arts. Regular events, workshops and kids’ events, annual exhibitions, music concerts by Sarah McQuaid, Sean Taylor, 10 String Symphony and Seattle’s Massy Ferguson. Plus a special Independence Day Fair and BBQ (July 2nd).

Free beer for Americans! Independence Day at The Blues Kitchen The Blues Kitchen Shoreditch, 134-146 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3AR theblueskitchen.com/shoreditch July 4 On Monday July 4th The Blues Kitchen Shoreditch hosts their fourth annual Independence Day Celebration with a unique take on New York’s famous Coney Island hot dog eating contest. Hotdogs come courtesy of London street food favorites Big Apple Hot Dogs and entrance to the contest is free if you sign up in advance via the website. Don’t fancy taking part? Come along for brass bands playing live music all night, apple pie sundaes and free cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon for anyone with an American passport. 12

The American

British Library Eccles Centre Events British Library, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB www.bl.uk/eccles July 4: Hey! Ho! Let’s Go!: The Day the Ramones Ignited Punk - Ramones Manager Danny Fields looks at the moment the US collided with the UK and Punk was born. On July 4th 1976 the Ramones played their debut UK concert at London’s Roundhouse. July 5: The Sex Pistols and America - the story of the notorious band’s 1978 tour of the southern US, one of the more surreal moments in music history. Banned from the radio and venues at home, the rapidly disintegrating band played Memphis, Baton Rouge, San Antonio and Dallas, in a move calculated by manager Malcolm McLaren to generate maximum culture clash. Bob Gruen was a photographer on the tour and he is joined by US music specialist Brian Ward. July 4th - Aug 26: Summer Scholars programme - the latest research from the Eccles North Americas collections, open to the public.

Wimbledon Tennis London SW19 www.wimbledon.com June 27 to July 10 The world–famous tennis competition that the pros all want to win - have your strawberries and cream at the ready! Henley Royal Regatta Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire www.hrr.co.uk June 29 to July 3 A festival of rowing, with top international athletes, and (for most visitors) a pinnacle of the English social season. Check the strict dress code for some ‘Enclosure’ areas! Independence Celebrations in Ulster Ulster American Folk Park, 2 Mellon Rd, Omagh BT78 5QU www.nmni.com/uafp July 2 to 4 The Ulster American Folk Park transports visitors back in time to the American War of Independence, with live music, Punch and Judy shows and American games. Democrats Independence Day Picnic Portman Square, London W1 www.eventbrite.co.uk July 3 Democrats Abroad UK’s biggest event of the year with live music, supervised children’s activities, delicious American food and drink and more! Tickets can only be purchased by American citizens. Independence Day, Sulgrave Manor Sulgrave Manor, Sulgrave, Northants www.sulgravemanor.org.uk July 3 Battle re-enactments, an American BBQ, an exhibition of Native Indian artifacts and house tours at George Washington’s ancestral home. Benjamin Franklin House July 4th Benjamin Franklin House, 36 Craven Street, London WC2N 5NF www.benjaminfranklinhouse.org July 4 Enjoy cake and a glass of bubbly, and celebrate Independence Day in the only surviving home of one of the Founding Fathers of America.

A M ER I C AN TOUR GU ID E IN L O ND O N

YORK STAMP & COIN FAIR Grandstand, York Racecourse YO23 1EX July 15 – 16

COSTUME TOU

PRIVATE

Buying & Selling USA Stamps, Covers & Postal History

GROUP TOURS

HIRE ROYAL LONDON

©nikigorick

Explore London with a tour guide who brings history to life! Amber is an official badged guide for the City of London, Westminster and Camden. Fun walking tours for all ages! Book a tour for your family and friends: Supercalifragelistic! London’s only Mary Poppins themed costume tour Life and Times of Jane Austen’s Emma Lady Mary’s London - a “Downton” inspired walk Royal London and Changing of the Guard Graffiti and canal walking tours Private tours written to your interest and much, much more!

Stephen T. Taylor 5 Glenbuck Road Surbiton, Surrey KT6 6BS Phone: 020 8390 9357 Fax: 020 8390 2235 info@stephentaylor.co.uk www.stephentaylor.co.uk Your American Dealer in Britain

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020 7219 4114

Native American Pow Wow Bush Farm Bison Centre, West Knoyle, Wiltshire BA12 6AE www.bisonfarm.co.uk info@bisonfarm.co.uk 01747 830263 July 9 to 10 Experience Native American lifestyle, art & artefacts. The authentic Pow Wow usually has Native American visitors. Bush Farm is a real working farm owned by an English Lord who fell in love with the USA. It has real bison, which many Americans have never seen at home!

PopUp Painting popuppainting.com July 4 plus regular days Join PopUp Painting for a night of painting and wine inspired by the likes of Van Gogh, Banksy and Klimt! No experience is needed. You’ll be guided step by step by a practicing artist, but don’t feel like you have to follow along – it’s your canvas and you can paint whatever you like! PopUp Painting runs 25 to 30 events a month in bars, restaurants and workplaces across London (and soon in Brighton and Birmingham), so wherever you are and whatever you want to paint, we have something for you! Each event is themed with music, and your ticket includes all art supplies, artist guidance and you get to take your painting home with you at the end of the evening. Independence Day: Join PopUp Painting at Trafalgar Square on 4th July to Paint Starry Night Over New York! Celebrate Independence Day with a night of painting and prosecco. 14

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Thomas Nickell: UK Debut Cheltenham, Stratford-upon-Avon, London www.porteliotfestival.com July 9 to 16 17 year old New Yorker and Young Steinway Artist Thomas Nickell (above) has been called ‘The American Mozart’ by the Spanish press and ‘a genius’ by Italian music critics. He makes his UK debut on July 9th at Pittville Pump Rooms, Cheltenham; 10th ArtsHouse, Stratford-upon-Avon; 13th Vernon Ellis Foundation, London SW7; 16th Kings Place, London N1. The Great Yorkshire Fringe Parliament Street, York www.greatyorkshirefringe.com July 15 to August 1 Comedy, music, theater, cabaret and family events make up the Great Yorkshire Fringe - see an international array of stars including Canada’s Tom Stade and Scotland’s US born Jerry Sadowitz. Bristol Harbour Festival www.bristolharbourfestival.co.uk July 15 to 17 The Harbourside festival transforms Bristol into a patchwork of Maritime dance, music and theater events, celebrating the city’s Transatlantic nautical heritage! Country Life Future Schools Fair The Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London, SE1 0SU www.futureschoolsfair.com July 16 50 top UK Boarding and International schools, all in one place to talk to you, including: Winchester, Cheltenham Ladies College, Marlborough, Oundle, ISL, TASIS. Meet consultants, attend seminars. Tickets are FREE, but you need to register.

George Goodwin: Benjamin Franklin in London Pavilion Arts Centre, Buxton SK17 6XQ www.buxtonfestival.co.uk July 18 Historian George Goodwin presents an insight into Benjamin Franklin, his life in London and the city’s long lasting effect on the man who became one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Doggett’s Coat and Badge Race London www.doggettsrace.org.uk July 20 Held annually since 1715, rowers race between London Bridge and Cadogan Pier (Chelsea), with the winner receiving a crimson red coat with a silver arm badge. Southern Fried Festival Perth Concert Hall, Mill St, Perth PH1 5HZ www.horsecross.co.uk July 29 to 31 Mary Chapin Carpenter, Nick Lowe and Gretchen Peters headline a festival of roots, country, blues, bluegrass, gospel, soul, alternative country and more. RideLondon www.prudentialridelondon.co.uk July 30 to 31 A world-class festival of cycling for newcomers and professionals alike. See greats of the sport and take part yourself. Kids Week in The West End Various, London www.kidsweek.co.uk August 1 to 31 During August, kids aged 16 or under can see a fantastic selection of shows for free when accompanied by a paying adult. Wickham Festival Wickham , Near Fareham, Hampshire wickhamfestival.co.uk August 4 to 7 A bijou gem, limited tickets but a great folk-based, eclectic lineup including Eddi Reader, The Stranglers, Lindisfarne, Steeleye Span, Hayseed Dixie, The Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Oysterband, Chas & Dave, Kathryn Tickell, Trevor Horn, From The Jam, Slim Chance & Blazin’ Fiddles.

EMAIL INFOOTHEBLUESKITCHEN.COM TO FIND OUT MORE

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Palace Theatre, Shaftesbury Ave, London www.harrypottertheplay.com Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a new play by Jack Thorne, directed by John Tiffany. It’s the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first on stage. Previews have started already, and the official performances of Part One and Part Two are on July 30. Pictured (L-R) Harry Potter (Jamie Parker), Albus Potter (Sam Clemmett), Ginny Potter (Poppy Miller). Jazz on the Lawn at Fulham Palace Fulham Palace, Bishop’s Avenue, London SW6 6EA www.606club.co.uk/ fulhampalace2016.html July 29 to 30 Fulham Palace and the 606 Club are delighted to present “Jazz on the Lawn”, a summer weekend of live music taking place over two successive nights in the delightful setting of Fulham Palace. On Friday, the event features 8-piece Brazilian Funk, Latin, Ska & Soul band The Fontanas, who have been seen at numerous festivals & high-profile venues around the country including Bestival, Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party & BT London Live Victoria Park. Saturday, vocalist & trumpet player Georgina Jackson, the resident singer with Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra and featured artist with the BBC Big Band, leads her quintet in a sparkling evening of classic jazz & swing. This is a real “Summer Treat”, so bring a picnic, a bottle of wine and enjoy some great jazz under the stars. For more information and to book, visit the 606club.co.uk or call 0207 352 5953.

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Cowes Week Cowes, Isle of Wight PO31 www.aamcowesweek.co.uk August 6 to 13 A fantastic spectacle on the water as over 1,000 boats compete in the historic race. Mustang & Anything American Day Brooklands Museum, Brooklands Rd, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 www. brooklandsmuseum.com August 7 The venerable racetrack flies the stars and stripes with Mustangs, Dodges, Chryslers, Hot Rods & Customs and more. Bristol International Balloon Fiesta Ashton Court, Bristol www.bristolballoonfiesta.co.uk August 11 to 14 The largest event of its kind in Europe, with over 150 hot air balloons. Highland Games Various, Scotland Highland games are held across Scotland: The Ballater Games (www. ballaterhighlandgames.com) go back 140 years, the Cowal Highland Gathering (www.cowalgathering.com) claims to be the world’s largest and most spectacular. They sport heavy lift challenges as well as entertainment for the whole family.

The Great Dorset Steam Fair Tarrant Hinton, Dorset DT11 8HX www.gdsf.co.uk August 25 to 29 The leading steam engine and agricultural pursuits show in the world, widely regarded as the UK’s national heritage show. It covers over 600 acres with showman’s & working steam engines, heavy horses, classic cars and bikes, a funfair and live music. World Bogsnorkelling Champ’ships www.green-events.co.uk August 27 to 28 Competitors swim (or cycle!) two lengths of a 60 yard trench in a peat bog with flippers and snorkel. Notting Hill Carnival Notting Hill, West London W11 www.thenottinghillcarnival.com August 28 to 29 Held each August Bank Holiday since 1966, the Notting Hill Carnival is the largest festival celebration of its kind in Europe. Every year the streets of West London come alive, with the sounds and smells of Europe’s biggest street festival. Twenty miles of vibrant colorful costumes surround over 40 static sound systems, hundreds of Caribbean food stalls, over 40,000 volunteers and over 1 million Notting Hill carnival revellers.

ROYAL ALBERT HALL PRESENTS

TICKETS & INFORMATION: 606CLUB.CO.UK 0207 351 5175

JAZZ ON THE LAWN

at Fulham Palace presented by the 606 Club

THE FONTANAS FRIDAY 29 JULY 7:30PM :: £16

“Seriously Funky” BBC6 Music; “Wonderful Live” XFM

22 SEPTEMBER 2016

FILM WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA

Special pre-concert talk by David Arnold, composer Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra Conductor – Nicholas Dodd

GEORGINA JACKSON SATURDAY 30 JULY 7:30PM :: £16 “…a characterful force to be reckoned with” Jazzwise; “...a singer with a sassy, vibrant style” All About Jazz

Call: 020 7589 8212 royalalberthall.com

LIONEL RICHIE ALL THE HITS

WITH SPECIAL GUEST

CORINNE BAILEY RAE

NEXT MONTH SAT 2, SUN 3 & WED 6 JULY 2016

LONDON THE O2 FINAL TICKETS AVAILABLE

08448 24 48 24 | AXS.COM | TICKETMASTER.CO.UK Tickets sold subject to booking fee and promoters terms & conditions (details on request). Calls cost 7p per minute, plus your phone company's access charge. Disabled customers advised to book early.

/LIONELRICHIE

LIONELRICHIE.COM

@LIONELRICHIE

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Suzanne Lea Shepherd: Rapscallion Laughing Horse @ Cabaret Voltaire The New Yorker has performed across Asia, America and Europe, and was a featured comedian for Comedy Central Asia in 2015.

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Mrs Roosevelt Flies to London Assembly Hall Play exploring the public and hidden life of the ‘First Lady of the World’ including a dangerous trip to London in 1942 to see how the British - especially women - were coping with the war.

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Californians Dreamin’ C nova, India Buildings, Victoria St Comedic exploration of the subconscious narrative taking audience suggestions which fuel the action onstage by a college improv team from California.

Hacksaw Jim Duggan’s 2x4 Tour One-Man Comedy Show The Stand Comedy Club, 5 York Pl. Hacksaw Jim, an All American WWE icon and Hall of Famer, is now on the comedy circuit, complete with his famous 2 x 4!

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Bonita and Billie Holiday Assembly Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Pl, EH8 9SU Acclaimed Broadway star and NAACP Theater Awards winner Bonita Brisker tells the untold story of jazz singer Billie Holiday’s turbulent life, abusive relationships and addictions - as well as her triumphs - through personal narratives and Lady Day’s signature tunes including ‘Good Morning Heartache’, ‘Strange Fruit’ and ‘God Bless the Child’ as well as lesser known ‘deep cut’ songs. With live band.

Ada/Ava by Manual Cinema Underbelly Potterrow The Manual Cinema Theatre Group uses puppets and projections to tell the moving story of twins Ada and Ava.

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Chris Gethard: Career Suicide Pleasance Dome, Potterrow Chris (Broad City, The Office, Parks and Recreation) Gethard’s stand-up show that focuses on suicide, depression, alcoholism, you know, the funniest parts of life.

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Erin McGathy: Love you Loudly Gilded Balloon at the Counting House Erin (This Feels Terrible, Drunk History, Community) McGathy’s comedy show about love, guts, despair and wedding dresses covered in candy.

Intergalactic Nemesis: Twin Infinity – A Live Action Graphic Novel Pleasance Courtyard, 60 Pleasance The mega-space US and international hit show receives its UK Premiere! The year is 1942. Are you ready for the adventure? Live sound effects, voice acting, cinematic score, and over a thousand projected comic book panels combine in a one of a kind live extravaganza for the kid in everyone!

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24 Hours With Mary Lynn Rajskub Assembly George Square Studios Best known for playing Chloe O’Brian on the hit thriller 24, explore 24 hours in the life of Mary Lynn in this hilarious show!

Patrick Melton: My Least Favorite Everything Underbelly Med Quad, Teviot Pl. Patrick Melton (Comedy Central, VH1, Spike) feverishly deconstructs his frustrations with life, love and losing out.

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David Mills: Shame! Underbelly, George Square Sharp and hilarious pop culture rants from comedian David Mills.

All Aboard the Marriage Hearse Gilded Balloon, 13 Bristo Square Sean and Amy are your typical cohabiting, Catholic/Jewish, thirty-something couple living in Manhattan. After 4 years together, Amy wants to get married but Sean doesn’t believe in the institution. The game is on!

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THE AMERICANS ARE COMING! The largest festival of art in the world returns to Edinburgh, bringing international artists together for a special month of events, exhibitions talks and especially humor and performance. Here’s our selection of American acts at the Fringe Festival. There are tons more at www.theamerican.co.uk. Most shows are on from August 3 to 28, but not all, so for dates, prices and more details of your selected shows go to www.edfringe.com

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Macho Like Me

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The Gilded Ballon Author and documentary maker Helie Lee (known for her family memoirs Still Life with Rice and In The Absence of Sun) emigrated to the US from S. Korea when she was four. After a trip back to Asia she was seething about the way she was treated because of her gender and started a six month experiment to live as a man. She finds out men might not have it as easy as she first thought. Patrick Melton

Carmen High Spotlites, 22-26 George Street A powerful story about a popular mean girl who jokingly dates a high school outcast. A mash-up of hip hop, original pop songs, and music from Bizet’s opera. It’s Glee with an authentic edge. Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother in the Case of a Study in Blood Spotlites, 22-26 George Street Sherlock’s kidnapped, his father murdered his family under siege by shadowy adversaries looking to wipe out the bloodline. Mycroft recruits brash and brilliant American private detective Tyson Jackson to unravel the mystery. Fast-paced comedy using innovative techniques to get into the brain of the master detective. Bronston Jones – God Bless ‘Merica (Again) The Stand Comedy Club 2 A hit at the 2015 Fringe, America has changed a lot in a year, and Bronston Jones has a lot to talk about! Let Me Be Your Main Man Gilded Balloon, Teviot Row Hse Ever Mainard’s debut Edinburgh show tackles gender identity, modern feminism, bad luck and outlandish stories from her Texan upbringing.

Henry Rollins: Charmingly Obstinate Assembly George Square Gardens The legendary Black Flag frontman, author, Hollywood actor, Grammy Award winner and passionate and funny stream of social consciousness raconteur. The Amazing Bubble Man Underbelly, George Square Old favorite Louis Pearl brings his Amazing Bubble Feats back to Edinburgh. Whitton Frank in Out of Our Father’s House

Carnal Desire

Out of Our Father’s House Gilded Balloon, The Night Club A revealing look at the lives of six real-life leaders of the American women’s suffrage movement through the ages and their struggle for freedom and identity, drawn from their diaries, journals and letters. Starring Whitton Frank and directed by Marya Mazor. Poe’s Last Night Sweet Grassmarket, Grassmarket Hotel Enter the fascinating mind of Edgar Allan Poe. Share the horror of his last hours on the streets of Baltimore and hear his most revealing works come to life, including The Cask of Amontillado, The Raven and Alone. Stars David Crawford of George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. Daughter of a Garbage Man The Stand Comedy Club 5 & 6, York Place Maureen Langan ’addresses our Kardashian culture. Carnal Desire Pleasance Courtyard A humorous, tongue-in-cheek staged (and clothed!) reading of two original teleplays intended for premium cable adult programming written by Michael Horowitz (Burn Notice, Prison Break) under a nom-de-porn. Age 16+ The American

The Role of Foreign Exchange in Investing The financial implications explained by Andrea Solana

ealth management is the art of managing risk in an effort to optimise reward. For US citizens living in the UK, risk management needs to go beyond the classic issues of retirement planning involving how much money will be needed to retire, or at what age is retirement feasible. Expats need to also understand whether any foreign exchange risk lurks in their underlying portfolios. For expats who are settling overseas for the long run, foreign exchange risk is complex but highly manageable - if you know how to identify and then anticipate the hazards. There are three areas where US citizens are likely to take on risk without always understanding the pitfalls. This includes: (1) Planning investments in terms of your liabilities - Will future expenses be mostly in dollars, pounds, or a combination of currencies? (2) Being mindful of how to hold cash - Should your cash be held in dollars, euros or some other currency? (3) Not converting currency from one to another to make an investment decision due to exchange rate costs, subsequently ignoring the eventual underlying currency exposures of the investment made. We explore each of these in a bit more detail below and provide tips for US expats on how to take charge of foreign exchange risks.

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Maintain buying power by selecting the right currency now for fixed income investing. Traditional investment portfolios generally break down into three basic categories: fixed income, stocks, and cash. Each category plays a special role. Cash is important for emergencies; stocks are the growth engine, and fixed income investments should provide the basis for daily expenses after retirement or for mitigating the overall level of volatility in a portfolio. Foreign exchange risk in fixed income portfolios is singularly important to manage and you should consider having the right mix of dollar and pound-based fixed income investments. US citizens living overseas should look at matching the income from their investments to the local currency where they will be incurring most of their expenses. This will protect from exchange rate fluctuation. You don’t want to suddenly discover after decades of saving that the largest component of your portfolio is in dollars rather than the currency of your liabilities or vice versa. Pay attention to cash – is it in a local currency? Everyone needs to keep cash – or cash equivalents – on hand for emergencies. In our experience we sometimes find that globetrotting clients can be indifferent to the currency in which they hold cash. If you are living

in the UK and keep cash accounts in euros as well as dollars, then you are subjecting yourself to currency risk. This is true for cash equivalents, like US Treasury bills or money market funds. If you suddenly need £30,000 to replace your car, you don’t want to convert your cash from another currency. The foreign exchange market is vast – more than $5.3 trillion trades daily. But the price volatility is considerable. You could get lucky, and the currency you hold could strengthen. But in effect, you are playing roulette with your reserves. Don’t be afraid to change dollars to invest in US-based global stock funds. Stocks, real estate and commodities – these are the assets that can help to power growth in a nest egg. For many US investors living abroad, buying US-based funds is typically the most efficient way to build a globally diversified portfolio of real assets. Diversifying is critical: it helps to outweigh the true risk of currency fluctuation and keep the return engine of a portfolio humming. We have found that a number of investors hesitate to swap their pounds for dollars. They think that they will get killed on exchange rate costs. However, if your wealth adviser has correctly set up efficient foreign exchange banking services, those transaction rates should be trivial.

Investors also mistakenly assume that they are taking on dollar risk if they exchange pounds for dollars in order to invest in a US global stock fund. Buying US funds is often considered the most tax-efficient venue for expats and the investor needs to distinguish between the denomination of the investment and the true foreign risk exposure. The currency risk for a US person permanently living in the UK, buying a dollar denominated fund, that buys stocks in Europe, is the movement between the euro and pound - not the relationship between the US dollar and pound. If you exchange pounds to buy a dollar-based emerging market fund, then the foreign exchange risk is pound vs emerging market curren-

cies. There is no dollar risk. The dollar is merely a reporting currency. When it comes to stocks, the ups and downs of foreign exchange can indeed enhance or hurt returns in the short-run. Some managers may use fancy techniques to hedge – or protect - investors from the vagaries of the foreign exchange market. In the long-term, however, academic studies show that hedging isn’t all that effective when it comes to stocks. Global diversification is seen as the best friend for savers. When investors understand just where currency risk lies, they can make choices about how to manage that risk. A misunderstanding of these risks can result in investors not being able to achieve their goals.

Andrea Solana is Head of Advanced Planning at MASECO Private Wealth. Andrea graduated from University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce with a degree in Finance and Management, completed her MBA at Imperial College London and holds her US Series 65 license. If you would like a full copy of MASECO’s 39 Steps to Smart Living in the UK please visit www.masecopw.com. MASECO Private Wealth is not a qualified tax adviser and you should seek separate advice on your tax position with a suitably qualified tax adviser. MASECO LLP trading as MASECO Private Wealth is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate tax advice.

CLEVELAND COMES UP TRUMPS

This month the grand old city of Cleveland, Ohio hosts what could be the most colorful and controversial GOP national Convention in history. In truth, Cleveland is probably more renaissance city than grand old city and we talked to a local Realtor to get a feel for Cleveland life – 2016 style

ioletta Varenkova has lived in Cleveland for 19 years and the most recent 8 years she has involved herself in the local real estate market and has experienced firsthand the highs and lows of the recent financial crash and how it impacted the city and suburbs. Hello Violetta. Cleveland, Ohio presents an image to most people of a city that exists purely on the back of heavy industrial activity. You disagree with this? I do indeed disagree. Cleveland was certainly built with the sweat and muscles of hard working Ohians, but as the country (and the world) has changed – so has Cleveland. There is an industrial heritage for sure but modern day Cleveland is an eclectic mixture of corporate, industrial and high tech business.

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How has downtown Cleveland changed over the last decade? The biggest changes downtown have really come about in the last three to four years with the emergence of “urban living.” Downtown Cleveland really is a cool place to hang out these days and I think that if anyone had suggested that downtown Cleveland would ever be “cool” ten years ago, they would have been regarded as very optimistic! Urban regeneration has been kind to Cleveland and the city is continuing to benefit from inward investment. A popular t-shirt this summer has the slogan… “I liked Cleveland before it was cool.” Your business is real estate. How would you describe the current market and how has it changed from before the financial crash?

Ohio is well known as a conservative state and locally here in Cleveland that conservatism also exists in the real estate market. I know that nationally, prior to 2007 there were some markets that reached dizzying heights; where the real estate was excessively leveraged and where valuations had nothing to do with the underlying local economy. Not so, here in Cleveland. Property prices did rise in the run up to 2007 but those rises were steady and measured. Similarly, in all but the depressed of neighborhoods, when the fall came it was nothing like as dramatic as the collapse in prices seen elsewhere. Today the real estate market is very much back to normal albeit there is still an upwards price correction due in many of Cleveland’s cities as prices are still below where they should really be. Whilst

urban living is increasingly popular, the real estate market in Cleveland is measured in the suburbs rather than downtown. Second and third time home moving is back where it was prior to 2007 in terms of numbers and well presented houses in the $200,000 - $500,000 bracket are selling quickly. The low level, first time buyer market is still problematical because mortgages are still difficult to obtain for young people. That said, the cities that have houses in that $50,000 - $75,000 bracket are still popular with traditional first time buyers, albeit the new generation of home makers seem to be much more prepared to rent than to buy. There is considerable real estate investor activity in Cleveland at the moment, particularly targeting the $50,000 $75,000 properties that readily rent for $1,000 per month. Asset Managers, Funds and REITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s are buying up a lot of the vacant stock in bulk and capitalizing it in the rental market. So for anyone moving to Cleveland and looking to rent what are they going to get for their money?

You know that in the real estate world, location is everything and so it is quite difficult to say exactly what kind of home can be rented for a given amount of money but using some generalisationsâ&#x20AC;Ś Downtown, it is easily possible to find a nice one bedroom apartment for around $1,000 a month but then again, some nicer and more spacious loft style apartments with gym and other facilities can go for up to $4,000 a month. In the suburbs a classic cape cod with up to four bedrooms on a small lot in Parma can be found for $1,000 - $1,200 per month and even larger family homes on large half acre lots are available in the nicer neighborhoods on the East side for the same amount of money. There are also some truly beautiful and spacious homes to rent in the low density outer suburbs from $2,000 per month. For any Republicans who are visiting Cleveland for the first time in July what would you say are the best three things they can do whilst they are in town?

That is a tough one!... 1) Visit the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame right on the shoreline in downtown Cleveland. The amount of music memorabilia is astonishing. 2) Take a trip out to Ohio City (W25th) and pay a visit to the West Side Market. This part of the city epitomises the transformation from gloomy and depressing - to hip, cool and justâ&#x20AC;Ś great. 3) No trip to Cleveland would be complete without some delicious Ohio food and where else but the famous Slymans restaurant in Independence. Try the corned beef sandwich but make sure you are hungry before you go!

Violetta Varenkova is the Operations Manager for IIP Management. IIP Management is a leading property management company in NE Ohio, covering the Greater Cleveland Metropolitan Area as well as the city of Akron and its suburbs. IIP Management, 57 Alpha Park Drive, Cleveland OH 44143, USA Office: 440-261-4375 iipmgmt.us

Cleveland realtor Violetta Varenkova

The American

PROMOTION

Embassy Gardens T

he new American Embassy building, affectionately known in London as the ‘sugar cube,’ is fast becoming a reality as progress continues to be made on one of the capital’s newest landmarks. Situated in the heart of the Nine Elms regeneration zone, the 12 storey, $1 billion glass cube will be home to 1,000 staff and covers 45,000 square metres. With the building due to complete next year, hundreds of embassy workers will be looking to relocate to one of London’s largest new districts which will provide 18,000 new homes. JOHNS&CO, preferred agent of developers around the capital, is looking after the lease of more than 50 two bedroom apartments in Embassy Gardens, the centre piece and jewel in the crown of the Nine Elms rejuvenation programme. The apartments are all finished to an exceptionally high specification, but what sets them apart from

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neighbouring developments is the standard of the additional facilities available on-site. The range and quality is unrivalled with amenities including a state-of-the-art residents only health club and leisure complex, a cinema, an indoor/outdoor pool as well as a 24 hour hotelstyle concierge and valet service. In addition to the superb facilities, there is also a range of amenities that distinguish it from similar developments in the area. The 10,000 sq ft Waitrose store with internal sushi bar is a huge draw for residents in the area, as well as highlighting the quality of the development, in addition to an organic delicatessen and a range of independent bars, cafes and restaurants nearby. Apartments here are the perfect choice for workers relocating to the new embassy building. Rental prices remain pleasantly affordable and are in line with neighbouring products both in the immediate area and in the wider south west London

riverside developments, despite the fact that the facilities and amenities are of a different calibre. Furthermore, JOHNS&CO ensures the move in process is as seamless as possible and many of the apartments come fully furnished, further removing the stress and hassle from finding a new home. Renting at the development could also provide the perfect opportunity for some to ‘try before they buy.’ Long term leases are encouraged, thereby allowing residents the opportunity to get to know the area before deciding whether they would like to buy a more permanent base. JOHNS&CO looks after both sales and lettings at the development. Properties are available to buy and to rent through JOHNS&CO Nine Elms with prices starting at £950,000 or £600 per week for a two bedroom apartment. JOHNS&CO, 8 Ponton Road, Embassy Gardens, Nine Elms, London SW8 5BA +44 (0)20 7481 0600 http://johnsand.co/properties/embassygardens-sw8/

EXCLUSIVE NEW HOMES IN NINE ELMS, THE CITY, DOCKLANDS & CANARY WHARF SALES, LETTINGS & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

Contact JOHNS&CO to find out more about our large collection of apartments and houses to buy or rent in the most popular London developments including Embassy Gardens SW8, 21 Wapping Lane E1W, New Providence Wharf E14, London City Island E14 and Royal Wharf E16. T 0207 118 0200 | E info@johnsand.co | 70 Marsh Wall, Canary Wharf, London E14 9SL CANARY WHARF T 0207 118 0200

NEW PROVIDENCE WHARF T 0207 118 0343

WAPPING T 0207 118 0300

NINE ELMS T 0207 481 0600

www.johnsand.co

UK Shooting Permits

Shooting is impossible in the UK, especially with your own guns, right? Not so! Simon Thompson explains

ll Americans are familiar with their constitutional right to bear arms whilst in the US, however for those now located in the UK the prospect of using their own guns for sporting purposes may appear unrealistic, especially taking into account strict UK firearms laws. This thankfully is not the case and if you have ever had the desire to participate in that most quintessential of English pastimes, driven pheasant shooting or deer stalking utilising your own guns, then this is a perfectly viable proposition. Whether you would like to use your own guns in the UK or borrow someone else’s, here is a guide to acquiring the necessary permits. Visitors to the UK are permitted to possess shotguns and rifles during their visit under certain conditions. There are two types of permit issued by police forces to those visitors deemed suitable. The first is a visitor firearms permit which allows them to have in their possession a specific single action rifle or .22 caliber rimfire, and purchase, acquire or have in their possession certain ammunition. The second is a visitor’s shotgun permit which allows them to have in their possession, purchase or acquire, shotguns (subject to certain exemptions relating to shotguns with magazines). Shotgun ammunition may also be purchased. Applications for permits must be made by a sponsor resident in the UK and these would usually be a current UK certificate holder or registered firearms dealer. This is a

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straightforward process requiring a Form 107 to be completed by the sponsor accompanied by a copy of the applicant’s hunting licence or membership card of a shooting organisation to which they belong. Applications take about 2 months to process, cost £20 per person and are valid for up to one year. Permits will not be issued to any person whose possession of a firearm may present a danger to the public safety or to the peace, or if they are a prohibited person. They must also have a good reason for applying for a permit and this would normally be for game, clay pigeon shooting or deer stalking. Due to the complexity of firearms law in the UK it is advisable to seek professional advice if you are in any doubt. This article deals with visitors to the UK and does not cover the importation of firearms by those who reside here permanently. Once issued with your permit you are free to possess the specified guns in the UK and to enjoy your chosen sport in the beautiful English countryside.

Simon Thompson of Shoot Day Services is a former specialist police firearms officer, highly experienced in all matters relating to the legal possession of firearms and shotguns in the UK. He is happy to act as sponsor for all overseas visitor permit applications and is able to organise every aspect of your day’s sport to ensure a memorable shooting experience. Secure firearm storage is also available. For a full list of services please go to http://www.shootdayservices.co.uk

SUMMER LATES 2016

Explore the learned societies of Burlington House like never before (6.00 to 9.00 pm)! 24 June | 15 July | 26 August

WADDESDON MANOR Once the country home of the Rothschilds this Renaissance-style château houses one of the finest collections of French 18th century decorative arts in the world. The Victorian garden has a parterre, aviary, seasonal displays, walks, fountains and statuary and with shops and restaurants, Waddesdon makes a memorable day out for everyone.

For opening times and group rates 01296 653209 Deborah.read@waddesdon.org.uk www.waddesdon.org.uk Near Aylesbury Buckinghamshire HP18 0JH

Family friendly. Some activities may require booking.

FREE PUBLIC LECTURES & TOURS 23 August (1-2 pm): ‘Armour & the Afterlife: Knightly Effigies in England & Wales’ 20 September (1-2 pm): ‘A Copy of a Copy: Leek’s Replica of the Bayeux Tapestry’ 18 October (1-2 pm): ‘The Relics of Battle Abbey’

Enjoy coffee, biscuits, and a tour of our building and collections. Tours take place on the public lecture dates (above) and are £10.00 per person (10.30 am to 12 noon). Society of Antiquaries of London Find out more at www.sal.org.uk/events

SHOOT DAY SERVICES

Complete, bespoke shoot day organisation for overseas and UK clients

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Miss Patricia

M&S Charms One’s Pants Off

By now, everyone knows that consumer issues are a pet peeve around this house. You won’t believe me, but there are occasions when England, usually under fire for poor service, offers customer relations outshining that of any other country. Take this genuine exchange... 17th May, 2016 Dear Marks and Spencer, I can hardly believe that I am being forced to remind you that England is the standard bearer worldwide for preserving traditions: we still have the monarchy, bells are still rung by hand after 400 years, cheeses are still rolling downhill near the bee wearing contests. Once I believed there’d always be an England. Of all the traditions that are quintessentially British, the seasonal purchase of smalls at Marks and Sparks was one I believed forever secure. The first appearance of blushing cherry blossoms; the slimming for the holiday swim costume; the crunching of autumn leaves underfoot in the woodland walk; the fireside Christmas mince pie… all seasonal events prompting visits to Marks and Spencer for ‘basics’. But you have threatened these sacred British traditions. Specifically, I wish to draw your attention to something that you obviously thought I would not

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notice, but I DID! The elastic in my briefs is weaker than it used to be. This is an unacceptable slippage of standards at M&S, as well as of my underwear. All of Britain comes to M&S, (but perhaps no more!) for undergarments, and then sometimes lingers to purchase other clothes to hide them. Why else is this department called ‘lingerie’? My new briefs, with feeble elastic, have now a weaker grip of the upper thigh, producing VISIBLE bands on the backside of my body, which previously gave a deceptive but nonetheless pleasing appearance of smoothness. I hear you suggesting Pilates? Nay! I assure you the difference is in the briefs and not the bottom, and therefore the responsibility for this unpleasant sight about London is yours alone. Please mend your ways and your elastic, so that I need not sever our intimate relationship in future. Regards,

Miss Patricia

19th May, 2016 Dear Miss Patricia, With me also being a female I understand the importance of elastic Clearly it’s not fantastic!! And there’s possibly something wrong with the plastic. Would you be so kind If you didn’t mind Sending these in No one wants saggy knickers! Oh what a sin!! It could be our knickers are to blame We don’t need an unpleasant sight in London: Oh, the shame! We all deserve a Beyonce bum Flattered & perky & round like a plum. The address is below, Just so you know You need to put your name and address So we can see what’s gone wrong and make sure your knickers will impress. We’re really sorry this happened to you I hope you liked my poem too! Kind regards, Sophie Customer Service, Marks and Spencer

©ERIC WÜSTENHAGEN

20 May, 2016, Dear Ms Davies,

26 May, 2016

1st June, 2016

Dear Miss Patricia,

Dear Ms Powell,

Your prompt and stylish response inspires me with complete confidence that together, we’ll soon get to the bottom of this matter.

Thanks for sending your knickers to us after you had an email from Sophie. I hope you don’t mind me replying to you on her behalf.

I complete your request with some reluctance, mindful of the time a male roommate appeared at our mutual workplace wearing my underwear. I trust you have legitimate merchandising goals?

My poetry skills aren’t as strong as Sophie’s. I’d be lucky to think of one verse within an hour! I have no idea why they call it a pair of knickers. Maybe it’s because you need to put both legs in, like a pair of trousers?

As per your instructions, I have sent a knicker sample…double washed, of course, in anticipation of any common references by the illbred to ‘snail mail’. Why is it a ‘pair’ of knickers? They are not socks, eternally bent on separation. Enclosed please find one knicker.

I think every female will completely understand and this is something our lingerie team try to prevent. Unfortunately, as the label has been cut out, I’m not able to pass your comments directly to our supplier. But please be assured I’ve highlighted this with our lingerie team who will keep a closer eye on our knickers. [Oh, indeed?]

Regards,

Miss Patricia

Pictured right: Father Ted and pals also had a lingerie problem in the Channel 4 comedy series...

I’m afraid labels are the first thing to go after a purchase, for those as sensitive to untoward bulges as I. So I am especially appreciative both of your responses and kind forgiveness for the mutilation of my underwear. In fact, I’ve forgotten all about the elastic issue. Your charming customer service outweighs any possible complaint and naturally, Marks and Spencer has been completely forgiven with fealty restored. Regards,

Miss Patricia

I’ve arranged a refund for the knickers and this comes with my best wishes. Thanks again for getting in touch. It was lovely to hear from you. Yours Sincerely, Gemma Retail Customer Services, M&S

The American

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Corfu Getaway American expat and thespian Jim Jordan takes time out with his wife, actress Jan Hartley and the family to explore beautiful Corfu. For a change they don’t have to sing for their supper... PHOTO ©SOKOBAN

am sitting in Corfu airport waiting for my return flight to London and am feeling very satisfied and complete. My wife Jan Hartley has just finished touring in the Sound of Music playing the Mother Abbess. After playing every one horse town in England she felt a need for a holiday. Fortunately for the rest of the family she decided to drag us along. Whoopee! As the weather was the usual charming winds, rains and cold temperature of Britain, a five day getaway to Corfu was a god send. Particularly for me; an old hippie from California. When Jan mentioned this trip, it took me exactly three minutes to pack my trunks, snorkel, goggles and toothbrush and I was waiting at the front door with my tail wagging. Of course this brought hoots and derisive comments from the family as we didn’t depart for three days. Eventually we left the world of wet and cold and arrived on a lovely Greek island that was warm and inviting, as was our five star hotel Jan had booked. Now one has to take the star ratings with a grain of salt in Corfu, but it was just fine

with me, even with weak Wi-Fi and slightly tatty rooms. On arrival all rushed out to the pool, plopped down on loungers and proceeded to get seriously burned in less than two hours. This old hippie forgot what the sun could do to an unscreened body. After all, I had been living in England where one rarely sees the sun, and if you do, it is usually accompanied by freezing winds. But enough moaning about the weather in Jolly Old.... Let’s rave about the Med! We knew we were taking a chance booking the first week in April, but the Greek gods smiled on the Jordan family. Throughout our stay it was sunny, calm and perfect. Everything was. The food, the sea (warm enough to swim in) the sights and the local people. Unlike some countries (France for example) everyone was polite, helpful and cheerful. Who wouldn’t be living in this paradise? Of course I had to make sure I didn’t get caught by Jan gazing at the long haired lovelies that seems to be swarming everywhere. (I didn’t want a clip upside the head or be

labelled a perv by either Jan, Lacey or Charlie.) I achieved a fairly workable technique of wearing very dark wraparound shades and not moving my head at all, thus giving no indication as to where I was looking. I’m sure I’ve said this before in earlier articles, but in my mind and heart I am still twenty five years old. As long as I don’t catch sight of a mirror or glance into a window that shows the reflection of a sixty six year old geezer with a pot belly and bright red skin. To put it mildly, I was in hog heaven. I wanted nothing. Well, maybe something. The one thing I really yearned for was one of those large Greek oranges with the inch thick skin and very sweet taste. In ‘62 my mom took me to Athens and I discovered and devoured them by the bushel. Our first afternoon we checked out Corfu Town. Sure enough there they were beckoning me from the fruit stands like large orange bowling balls. In no time at all I was eating my way through three of them happily. It was especially nice having the kids along as they were quickly

The American

growing up and might soon be moving along with their lives to who knows where. What’s great about family holidays is the fact that we all had to hang with each other. The Wi-Fi was terrible in the hotel so they had no computers or cell phones to gaze at in their trance-like ways and more or less had to deal with us. Luckily there was a lot to keep us entertained about the hotel. Air hockey, pool, foosball and tenpin bowling. I even managed to hold my own in table tennis with Charlie. Strangely enough, Jan whipped the tar out of me. Did I mention my wife is very intense? And competitive? Well, she is. It might have been the four Greek lagers I downed just before the ping pong matches began that tipped the scales in her favor. Or the fact that she is better than me. Though I won’t admit that! Corfu Town was just a ten minute

Charlie, Jan and Lacey enjoy the Corfu heat

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bus ride and we visited often; buying all the tourist rubbish we could get our hands on. And of course we ate in all the fine restaurants. I tried to pick them from the menus outside, whilst Jan and Lacey seemed to pick them from the looks of the waiters. Bless... I didn’t mind. They enjoyed themselves flirting with the waiters, and I enjoyed the beer and food. On holiday, there should never be censoring I say. We didn’t just stay at the hotel beach and pool or Corfu Town. I managed to find out where a very cool sandy beach was and off we went. We practically had the beach to ourselves. There was a gaggle of teen girls who were sunbathing topless. There was an empty spot of sand nearby and I started to throw our towels down, but wouldn’t ya know it? Jan seemed to object to the spot I found and moved us miles

Center: Paleokastritsa beach, Corfu © HELEN PARKER

down the beach. Sugar! It seems there were some censors on this trip after all. The best laid plans of mice and men…. However, we had a wonderful time that afternoon. I even managed to talk Jan into the water. She usually never does that! It is the best thing getting all warm, sandy and itchy and then running into the water to refresh ourselves. The fun part for Jan and I was that we were finally on holiday in the Med and weren’t singing for our supper! Usually on our cruises that I have written about, we had to do three or four shows and rehearse etc., and weren’t able to properly relax. Well, not this trip. It was all peaches and cream for us. And a lot of beer for me! And a lot of relaxing for Jan and the kids. I just wish we had booked ten days instead of five. Next time!

Jim surveys the ancient architecture

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Stately Progress

Clockwise from right: Waddesdon Manor, a French Château in the heart of England PHOTO DEREK PELLING

There are few better opportunities to immerse yourself in British history than a visit to a Stately Home, writes Daniel M Byway

hether your interest is in architecture, horticulture, art and culture, social history (or simply keeping the kids happy), a trip to one of Britain’s many historic houses can be both educational and enjoyable. We’ve selected a few within easy reach of London that you can visit this Summer.

Waddesdon Manor

www.waddesdon.org.uk Aylesbury, Bucks HP18 0JH (Rail: London Marylebone to Aylesbury Vale Parkway, 1 hr 6 mins, plus local bus) Located just north of Oxford, Waddesdon Manor was built between 1874 and 1885 by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild. Inspired by the 16th Century French Château de Chambord, it’s a rare example of a French Château in the middle of the English countryside! Rothschild built the Manor for entertaining, and high profile guests included the future Edward VII and Queen Victoria. Today, the Manor offers a historic portrait of the Rothschild family, a glamorous example of aristocratic living of the age, and an array of gardens to explore. Also until October, the manor is hosting an exhibition on contemporary art, as ceramicist Kate Malone exhibits new works.

Kelmscott Manor

www.sal.org.uk/kelmscott-manor Kelmscott, Lechlade, Gloucestershire GL7 3HJ (Car from London: Approx 2 hrs 10 mins, via M40 or M4) Off the beaten track, the 17th Century Kelmscott Manor sits in

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an idyllic rural setting alongside the River Thames in the Cotswolds. The former retreat of artist, poet and novelist William Morris is a popular one for American visitors, as it reveals the quintessential English home. Upon first seeing the Manor in 1871, Morris is said to have declared it to be the ‘loveliest haunt of ancient peace’, and a ‘Heaven on Earth’ - perhaps Belinda

Syon Park’s Great Conservatory Historic four-poster bed at Kelmscott House

of parkland. The gardens are open all week long, whilst the house is open this Summer on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Built on the site of the Medieval Syon Abbey, Syon House has over 600 years of history, and spectacular classical interiors. 2016 marks the 300th anniversary of the birth of the landscape artist Lancelot “Capability” Brown, and as one of his first major commissions, the gardens at Syon Park are an ideal way to review Brown’s landscaping skill. Another landmark of the Park is the Great Conservatory, designed by Charles Fowler in the 1820s. Given its proximity to London, a wonderful opportunity to see a Capability Brown garden in all its glory without the travel.

Bletchley Park

Carlisle was a fan? For art lovers, Kelmscott Manor offers a wonderful insight into how an artist of world fame such as Morris shaped his personal space, and for those who love a good English Afternoon Tea, there’s a Tea Room too!

Syon Park

www.syonpark.co.uk Brent Lea, Brentford TW8 8JF (Rail: Underground or Overground to Gunnersbury, Ealing Broadway or Boston Manor) A perfect retreat for Gardenistas, Syon Park and Syon House, the London residence of the Duke of Northumberland, are set in 200 acres

www.bletchleypark.org.uk The Mansion, Bletchley Park, Sherwood Dr, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK3 6EB (Rail: London Euston to Bletchley, approx 36 to 52 mins) An altogether different historical proposition, Bletchley Park’s fame emanates from its role in the Second World War, where it became home to the British and American code breakers who broke the infamous German Enigma code. Although the now famous war time huts are the iconic backdrop of Bletchley, its Mansion dates back to the late 19th Century. Designed in a Victorian / Edwardian style, although it isn’t a quintessential Stately Home, its role in the protection of the State during the Second World War marks it as among Britain’s most historically

important buildings. Bletchley combines history with interactive exhibitions, which makes it a great venue for all of the family, especially when they host special vintage 1940s events!

Highclere Castle

www.highclerecastle.co.uk Highclere Park, Newbury, West Berkshire RG20 9RN (Car from London: Approx 1 hr 24, via M4) For those who watch Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle is the actual building used in the show. The Castle has a history dating back to the late 17th Century, and is as Stately as Stately Homes come. It is also a residence of the Earl of Carnavon – if the name sounds familiar, you’re probably remembering that the 5th Earl of Carnavon sponsored Howard Carter’s Egyptian dig which discovered the Tomb of Tutankhamun. Although as myth has it, the 5th Earl met an early end due to the Curse of Tutankhamun, we’re assuming this isn’t the reason for the Earl of Grantham’s ulcer in Downton Abbey … Highclere is a beautiful building with all the quintessential features of a luxurious Stately Home, and although tickets are often limited, a

stay at the nearby Vineyard Hotel in Newbury should see you right, as they have their own allocation!

Warwick Castle

www.warwick-castle.com Warwick CV34 4QU (Rail: London Marylebone to Warwick Station, approx 1 hour 45 mins) For families, Warwick Castle is a great day out. Although it’s a little more commercial than most Stately Homes, its combination of fun attractions including a scary Dungeon experience, live Birds of Prey shows, interactive exhibitions (and the opportunity of medieval Glamping …), along with the historic residence itself make it a full on day which should suit the whole family.

Tudor Palace, a Jacobean House, and a Georgian Mansion. Another attraction that caters for the whole family, Leeds Castle (which is nowhere near Leeds incidentally, it’s near Maidstone in Kent!), offers insightful historical exhibitions, the chance to walk and explore beautiful gardens, plenty of children’s activities and playgrounds, and an awful lot more.

Leeds Castle

www.leeds-castle.com Maidstone, Kent ME17 1PL (Car from London: Approx 1 hr 40 via A20, M20 /or Rail: London Victoria to Bearsted, 1 hr 2 mins, plus local bus). Last but certainly not least - especially when you consider that this property was once used by Henry VIII – Leeds Castle has 1000 years of history, having been used as a Norman stronghold, a Royal Castle, a

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MY EXPAT LIFE

Enjoy the Water Rachel Mariner, former Bill Clinton lawyer turned Bill Clinton playwright, crosses the Atlantic, and learns to love unfamiliar waters

he novelist David Foster Wallace told this story: Two young fish are swimming along one morning, and an old fish swims by. “Good morning, boys,” says the old fish, “Enjoy the water.” The two fish swim on; eventually one fish turns to the other and asks, “What the hell is water?” Wallace thought the job of a writer was to notice the water. Noticing the water may be the writer’s job, but it’s an expatriate’s inescapable fate. Or at least that’s what I can report as an expatriate in the UK since 2002. Growing up in Corning, New York, I thought the foreign exchange students were much more fascinating than anyone else. I was all modelUN and goosebumps-on-the-It’sA-Small-World ride at Disneyland. I became a Washington lawyer who specialized in the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act. I read the Economist every week. My mother is Welsh and her family lives in Britain. I married a Welsh man and moved to London. I really fancied myself an international sophisticate. But none of us know our own water. And it can be not fun to get to know it. When the Iraq War started in 2004, I got on a bus in North London and my American accent led to an onslaught from

another passenger: a woman yelled at me the length of Kilburn High Road about how the evil American press only reports on the number of American soldiers who die, when in fact they are over there killing tens of thousands of Iraqis. I’m ashamed to say that until that woman yelled at me on the bus, that fact had escaped my notice. Of course American lives are worth more than the lives of people from other countries, they’re American. So goes the (un)thinking subconscious of a woman who grew up believing that all Canadians had an inferiority complex because the United States was so much better. I got home and called my girlfriend in Philly. We only announce American dead on our news, I complained, that’s horrible. Of course we only count the Americans. This is Amer-

ica, she replied. Yikes. Americans can be kind of blind sometimes. Especially to their own exceptionalism. And yet I desperately miss the American restless energy to get things done and try things a new way and face barriers with optimism. That water is sweet. The British water is starched with duty, murky with apologies, bound in tradition. The need to do things a certain way. In all of Europe it seems to me there is a presumption of ‘no’ – that you’re not allowed, that you can’t go in there, that things don’t get done that way, that things are out of your control. And yet for all that the Brits are remarkable. The Irish write the best plays. London breeds the best actors and builds the finest sets. The British have the NHS and a respect for the eccentric. They have the Secret Garden Party and excellent traditions. Sunday roast! The Brits love to eat ‘proper’ food. Proper in that sentence means: unchanged for at least one hundred years. In America, part of a child’s birthday party is sitting in a circle and opening up all the presents in front of all the guests. The other children are treated to a real time unfiltered reaction to their present. British children aren’t allowed to

The American

Left: Rachel in activist mode, St Paul’s Cathedral. Right: Bob Paisley as ‘Bubba’ in Rachel ’s play Bill Clinton Hercules, recently shown at the Park Theatre, London

open their presents until their guests have gone home. Thank you notes later communicate the appropriate message. Somehow I think the Brits find it quite dangerous to have an actual emotional response. That is reserved only for your coconut milk. They say that Americans are peaches and Brits are coconuts. Americans have a soft skin, it’s easy to break through it: easy to chat to an American, easy to be invited to their home. Peaches have pits though and there is a hard pit in the center of an American you won’t break into, a secret self you will not know. Brits, on the other hand, are coconuts. It is almost impossible to get through their hard shell, their thresholds, their hearts and homes. If by some miracle you succeed, then you are in the wash, and you stay there, thrown in with their families in this creamy wash of gooseberry fool and blackened meat on Bank Holidays in perpetuity. Where your hard shell is: also part of the water. So are the Americans too reckless at birthday parties, or are Brits too fearful? Or really, is the whole point just to see the water?

Swimming to a new stream

Imagine a British playwright. She flies to Washington, DC and walks into a courtroom. She watches a jury trial. She’s entranced. She decides to move to Washington and do one herself. The lawyers all laugh at her. That’s what happened to me in reverse. I was a trial lawyer in Washington and decided to be a play-

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wright in London. Everything I had written in DC had been performed gorgeously, and I loved it. The way a play gets at the truth, what it tells us about justice in the world: man, something in that experience is unique in all the world. It’s the best. This almost sacred gathering. I don’t know if it’s pheromones or karmic energy, but there is something about being in a theater watching a play that is absolutely unbeatable – for the immersion, for the truth. About the highest job satisfaction a trial lawyer can have is a jury coming back in your favor. It is an awesome feeling. Oddly enough there is even a better feeling: sitting in the darkened house of a theater while your play is being performed and hearing people sigh in recognition. My first play was called Baby Love Time because at that stage in my life I didn’t have those three things. It was kind of lament of a workaholic lawyer. A thinly veiled version of myself wondered about all the hoop jumping, all the photocopying, all the late nights. As she did, the audience sighed, and the muscles around their eyes relaxed. That dumb moment of that dumb ten minute play competition was worth ten jury verdicts. What was inside me, being spoken by that character, was being recognized recognized and understood. It made me feel less alone. So when I fell in love with a Welshman living in London I quit my job and moved here. It just took fourteen years to get

to my ‘jury trial’ – my play. I did some other stuff, like get married, gave birth to children, served as general counsel to a wifi start-up and then continued working for the buyer, Swisscom. I organized Occupy Half Term along with Occupy London in that unbelievably magic October of 2011. I may be the only person to have successfully gathered half a dozen members of Anonymous and ‘forced’ them with my mom energy to submit to a question and answer period with children. I spent more than a year writing a sitcom season based on the wifi start-up and it went nowhere. I wrote plays that I needed to write, but weren’t quite ready for anyone to see. I have had London and Edinburgh for teachers. I haven’t taken a degree in writing for stage, I’ve just seen lots and lots of plays. I’ve been to lots and lots of plays. I feel that connection, I look for the water and I come back for more.

Rachel Mariner is an American expat playwright living in Cambridge, UK. Her plays have been produced and developed in Edinburgh, Belfast, Chicago, London, Washington and Kansas City. A reading of her play Wedding at Cana is available on Soundcloud via OneWheaton. She is currently working on a true courtroom drama with Jason Kuller called Kerching and a play about the birth of the Magna Carta called Treason. She has two children, a guitarplaying husband and a thirst for justice.

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House & Gardens H

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Welcome to one of england’s historic, hidden treasures

Just a short journey away from Heathrow is Syon Park, the London home of the Duke of Northumberland. The magnificent House and Gardens are set in 200 acres of parkland and Capability Brown designed gardens, which includes the Great Conservatory, lakes, restaurants, an indoor adventure playground and gift shop.

opening times

Whether it is as a heritage site, film location or as an exclusive hospitality venue, Syon Park continues to welcome, inform and fascinate its visitors.

Come and explore...

house: Open mid March to the end of October – Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday and Bank Holidays 11.00am – 5.00pm (last entry at 4.00pm) gardens: Open mid March to the end of October – Daily 10.30am – 5.00pm (last entry 4.00pm) syon Park general information: Estate Office Tel: 020 8560 0882

info@syonpark.co.uk www.syonpark.co.uk * see Ts and Cs on our website

David Hockney RA: 82 Portraits and 1 Still Life Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD July 2 to October 2 (pre-book tickets)

Georgia O’Keeffe, Black Mesa Landscape, New Mexico / Out Back of Marie’s ,1930 Oil on canvas mounted on board24 1/4 x 36 1/4 (61.6 x 92.1) ©GEORGIA O’KEEFFE MUSEUM. GEORGIA O’KEEFFE MUSEUM. GIFT OF THE BURNETT FOUNDATION

Georgia O’Keeffe

Tate Modern, Holland Street entrance, Bankside, London SE1 9TG July 6 to October 30 Marking the 100th anniversary of American artist Georgia O’Keeffe’s (1887 - 1986) New York debut, this retrospective presents over 100 of her works, and is the first exhibition of O’Keeffe’s works in the UK in over 20 years. Spanning six decades of her career, the exhibition charts the developments in O’Keeffe’s practice, from her earliest abstractions through to her late paintings, and explores the recurring themes within her work. Look out for her celebrated painting of a Jimson weed flower, loaned to Tate Modern from Crystal Bridges Museum of

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American Art in Arkansas. It is the most expensive painting sold at auction by a female artist. Most famous for her flower paintings, these make up only a fraction of her overall works. A recurrent theme is the study of nature; drawing from landscapes, leaves, rocks, shells and bones. In 1929, O’Keeffe made the first of many trips to northern New Mexico. Over the next twenty years she made almost annual trips to the area, relocating for up to six months at a time where she would camp out in harsh weather conditions and immerse herself in the landscape. David Hockney, Dagny Corcoran, 15-17 January, 2014 acrylic on canvas, 48” x 36” © DAVID HOCKNEY PHOTO: RICHARD SCHMIDT

Portraits from Hockney’s (b. 1937) life in Los Angeles, his connections to the art world and the people who have crossed his path over the last few years. His subjects, whom he invited to sit for him, include friends, family, acquaintances and staff. John Baldessari, Celia Birtwell, Dagny Corcoran, Larry Gagosian, Frank Gehry, Barry Humphries, David Juda and Lord Rothschild are all represented as well as Hockney’s siblings, John and Margaret. Each portrait was created in three days, or as Hockney says ‘a 20 hour exposure’. The portraits are painted on the same size canvas (48” x 36”), seated in the same chair against a neutral background. They provide a remarkable insight into the personality of the sitters, in addition to exploring Hockney’s own development working in the medium of acrylic.

DON’T MISS ... Mystics and Rationalists

Modern Art Oxford, 30 Pembroke St, Oxford OX1 1BP to August 19

William Eggleston, Untitled, c.1980 (Joe Strummer) ©EGGLESTON ARTISTIC TRUST

William Eggleston Portraits

National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin’s Place, London WC2H 0HE July 21 to October 23 American pioneering photographer William Eggleston (b. 1939) is widely credited with increasing recognition for color photography as a legitimate artistic medium to display in art galleries. This exhibition of over 100 of his works spans his career from the 1960s to the present, and is the most comprehensive exhibition of his work to date. Highlights of the exhibition include monumental prints of two legendary photographs first seen forty years ago: the artist’s uncle Adyn Schuyler Senior with his assistant Jasper Staples in Cassidy Bayou, Mississippi, and Devoe Money in Jackson, Mississippi, and a selection of neverbefore seen vintage black and white prints from the 1960s. Featuring people in diners, petrol stations and markets in and around the artist’s home in Memphis, Tennessee, they help illustrate Eggleston’s unique view of the world.

This is the third exhibition in KALEIDOSCOPE, the gallery’s 50th anniversary program, restaging moments of the gallery’s past by bringing art works from the gallery’s past exhibitions programme into a series of evolving thematic displays, which include new commissions and work by a new generation of artists. Inspired by the assertion of American artist Sol LeWitt (1928 -2007) that “conceptual artists are mystics rather than rationalists. They leap to conclusions which logic cannot reach”, and working with drawing and sculpture, video and animation, the artists included provide unorthodox insights into the world, ranging across intuitive, spiritual, linguistic and psychological, as well as logical approaches. Works by American artists Sol LeWitt, Dan Graham and Amy Sillman; Japanese artist Yoko Ono, Scottish artist Karla Black, French artist Daniel Buren, Irish artist Dorothy Cross, and Sudanese artist Ibrahim El-Salahi. Ibrahim El-Salahi, Untitled XII, 2001 Watercolour on paper IMAGE COURTESY OF VIGO GALLERY AND THE ARTIST PHOTO: JUSTIN PIPERGER

Scholar, Courtier, Magician: The Lost Library of John Dee

The Royal College of Physicians, 11 St Andrews Place, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4LE to July 29

Elements of Geometry, 1570 fol.313v-314r, diagrams PHOTO: JOHN CHASE © ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS

John Dee (1527–1609) was one of Tudor England’s most extraordinary and enigmatic figures. He served Elizabeth I at Court, and was known (and feared) as ‘the Queen’s Conjuror’. He lost his large library (long story). A Renaissance polymath, with interests in almost all branches of learning, he also advised navigators on trade routes to the ‘New World’, traveled throughout Europe and studied ancient history, astronomy, cryptography and math. He is also known for his passion for mystical subjects, including astrology, alchemy, the world of angels, and he is supposed to have foretold the future for the Queen using large jewels. This exhibition shows 70 books, many with his annotations and drawings, plus artefacts and paintings, including a portrait of Dee himself, looking uncannily like Professor Dumbledore.

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Abiye Cole Abiye Cole at work

Abiye Cole is a Londoner, but he’s almost an honorary American. Why? He makes some of the best US-style dogs in Blighty - Big Apple Hot Dogs!

ow living in Islington, North London, Abiye recalls that being the only mixed race child at primary school was tough at first, but he says “before long I became a bit of an Equaliser/Robin Hood figure, righting wrongs and protecting the bullied. I also became a mogul at marbles, by sourcing amazing marbles the kids had never seen before. I could hardly carry my ‘winnings’! I went to a private school in my teens and was popular with the kids, but not so much with the teachers.” What did you want to be when you grew up? “I never really had an answer to that question back then. To be honest I didn’t have an answer to it until just before I set up Big Apple Hot Dogs. The question was more what did I NOT want to be and the answer was - an employee. My first job was at Harrods, for the January sales, in the fine china department. I then had an expat job at an oil company. When I quit that, I vowed never, ever to have a boss again - no mat-

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ter what! After waking up and smelling the coffee, I realised a hot dog cart was the only business I could afford to set up with my last £2,000! I thought there might be enough of a market for an American-style hot dog cart in London, for me to make ends meet. I would have been in a lot of trouble if it hadn’t worked, but I am still amazed at how much it has taken off, all pretty much by word of mouth! Married, Single or Significant Other? I am married to the greatest woman I have ever met. She is a wonderful mother – we have 3 boys, Isaac (20) Ezra (10) and Jed (7) - and she writes a family blog (Babes About Town) and has the patience of a saint. What are you most proud of? I am proud that I have created such a great product and such a promising brand, doing things my own unorthodox way (without partners or investment). My new collaboration with Bluefields Group means that we can deliver packs of our amazing sausages to homes and

businesses around the country via www.bluefieldsathome.com freeing us all from the tyranny of the supermarkets. I am also proud to have been invited to a round table on food entrepreneurship at 10 Downing St. If all goes well with BAHD I will have built an enduring business that will provide lifelong employment for my boys, should they want to come into the family firm. That would make me proudest of all. What are your favorite restaurants in the UK and in the USA (apart from your own)? I have always loved Joe Allen in London (it made me very happy when they bought 400 Big Apple Hot Dogs for an event a year or so ago!). I adored Tiny’s on West Broadway when I finally returned to the Big Apple this Spring! What five people, living or dead, would you invite to dine with you there? David Bowie, Muhammad Ali, Oscar Wilde, Karen O and Kate Bush. What do you think is your best trait?

Abiye arriving for his appointment at No.10 Downing Street

Resourcefulness and problemsolving. And your most irritating habit? I am not shy of an opinion. If you were one of Jim Henson’s Muppets, which one would you be? I AM Animal and I have the underpants to prove it…! Err…. I mean I have underpants with Animal on them. What are the best/worst/funniest things about the British people? The way they can be polite yet very, very rude at the same time. The way they seem to be seen as very civilised and reserved, yet can really let their hair down! That they think they have never been invaded, yet are descended from hordes of Romans, Vikings, Normans and many, many more… The way they are actually quite modest about the enormous and enduring influence this tiny island has had on the world at large. Have your perceptions about Britain changed? I do think that living elsewhere for so long, enabled me to be better appreciate just how nice things are here and what a “green and pleasant land” it really is. I have no British blood, but am proud to be a Londoner. I think London is the model metropolis. It is by far the most integrated, safest, relaxed, major city I have been to, or can imagine. I think there is a wonderful level of

acceptance of differences in London, especially amongst the young where genuinely skin colour and sex, etc mostly isn’t noticed or seen as a barrier. I know it isn’t like that everywhere in London, but I feel it is spreading and will prevail. What could the British learn from the Americans – and vice versa? I think both countries continue to learn from each other and inspire each other. What book are you currently reading? Churchill by Roy Jenkins.

What one book would you recommend people to read? Not Churchill by Roy Jenkins…! Do you have a philosophy or motto in life? If you can’t set a good example, be a terrible warning. What are your ambitions? To, almost accidentally, turn Big Apple Hot Dogs into a major brand, all without borrowing any money. Finally, what’s the best thing about being Abiye Cole? A sense of freedom, fun and good fortune.

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Sauternes custard with Armagnac soaked prunes

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boulestin.com

BOULES TIN M

y grandfather, supposedly, named my mother Virginia, whose name I also share, after a visit to London in the 1920s when he met the author, Virginia Woolf, a member of the Bloomsbury Group, a circle of writers, artists and intellectuals. The original Boulestin, then known as the most expensive restaurant in London, opened in 1927 and closed its doors in 1943. When it reopened in 2013, I dined there with a friend and he, appropriately, came in a tweed jacket that once belonged to his father who, supposedly, wore it when he lunched there in the 1930s. Whether true or not, I don’t know, but it made a good story. It’s been almost two years since I dined there and again with the same friend. This new Boulestin is a short walk from the original and includes on the menu the 1927 version of the dishes served at the time. Food was important to the

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Bloomsbury group as noted in the letters exchanged between them. We sipped a glass of champagne while we studied the menu which didn’t seem historic, but then perhaps the food we eat now is not so different from the 1920s. I decided on ‘oeuf en gelee’ and my friend a fish soup. The ‘oeuf en glee’ was a glow of yolk with a touch of what I think was tarragon and about the best I ever had. His soup was bits and pieces of delicious fish with a ‘hint’ of garlic so strong that l made him decide not to return to the office that afternoon. From what I read about the Bloomsbury group, if they’d decided to take the afternoon off, garlic would not have been a reason. As I never cook liver at home, I ordered the liver and bacon served over thinly sliced potatoes and melting yellowish cooked onions. Delicious. My friend had steak that he wanted dark on the outside and red in the center. It came as he

Soupe de Poissons

5 St James’s Street, London SW1A 1EF

Reviewed by Virginia Schultz desired, I might add. For dessert I settled on vanilla ice cream, but my friend had Custard with Armagnac soaked prunes which our waiter assured us Virginia Woolf would have enjoyed. Frankly, next time I am having the same dessert. All in all, there was little change from two hundred and fifty pounds. It was expensive, but then eating in any major city anywhere does put a dent in one’s budget even in the States. Undoubtedly, Virginia Woolf could have afforded the meal which included champagne and a lovely bottle of French red wine. Would she have enjoyed the food and felt at home with the restaurant’s atmosphere? I think she would. Erratum: Gremlins in the May-June issue put the wrong address for The Arch hotel. The correct address is 50 Great Cumberland Place, London W1H 7FD www. thearchlondon.com - and a lovely place it is too!

The Adelphi Building 1-11 John Adam Street WC2N 6HT London

Bookings: 020 7321 6007 www.smithandwollensky.co.uk

Left: the Terrace Right: Cocktails

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www.brasserieblanc.com

Cheese souffle

9 Belvedere Road, London SE1 8YP

BRASSERIE BLANC I

usually equate dining on the South Bank with noisy crowds of people, rushing through a meal before dashing off to the National, BFI or one of the concert halls. At 7:30 however, after the pre-theater rush, Brasserie Blanc was an oasis of calm where the waiters were relaxed, attentive and served us at a leisurely pace. A good trick to remember if you want more South of France and less South of Bank! Brasserie Blanc is one of the affordable French chains. A bit more elegant than some, a bit pricier than others, it is classic French with no surprises. The owner is renowned Chef Raymond Blanc who has held two Michelin stars for over 30 years at the dining room of his manor house hotel, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire. It has to be said, there is no glimmer of these stars at Brasserie Blanc. Still, there is a hint of the inspiration Chef Blanc found at his mother’s table. An inspiration that has served him well. I started with an Eden Mist cock-

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tail (£6.25). Gin, elderflower, cucumber, lemon, cloudy apple and a splash of soda. Very refreshing. A Berry Burst mocktail (£3.75) of muddled blackberries, cranberry, lime and Fever Tree lemonade was a hit. And the berries weren’t confused at all. Boom – tish! A bisque-like fish soup (£6.50) was nicely flavored with fennel and came with the classic accompaniments: croutons, rouille and grated cheese. Sadly, it was lukewarm, spoiling an otherwise delicious starter. Quel dommage! Moules Mouclade (£6.90) was on the money! The briny broth, flavored with citrus, saffron and curry was like a trip to the sea. We soaked up every drop with good baguette and washed it down with a glass of Picpoul (£5.80/175ml). Citrus on the tongue and a buttery finish. Boeuf Bourguignon (£16.50) had a good sized piece of tender beef, lots of lardons, carrots and mushrooms but not enough wine. Without this distinguishing factor, the

Reviewed by Michael M Sandwick dish becomes beef stew which we enjoyed. It’s served with a mound of mash that could satiate even the healthiest of appetites. Roast Barbary Duck with citrus sauce (£18.50) was an excellent dish, though it pushes the boundary of the affordable category. It was a nice change to have both breast and thigh and lovely bits of orange peel enhanced the sauce. Served with an equally good potato dauphinoise. A fruity Pinot Noir (£10.95/250ml) with lots of berry and a dark, spicy Côtes du Rhône £9.90/250ml were both good wines. The big glasses were enough to get us through a main and a good, very reasonable cheese course. For dessert, a pistachio soufflé was light as a cloud. Sweet but not cloying and pared very well with dark chocolate ice cream. With this dish, I felt I got a little taste of Raymond Blanc’s heart and soul. I might save up for 2-3 years for the real deal in Oxford. UNLESS I GET AN INVITATION BEFORE THEN!

St Martin’s Courtyard, 23 Slingsby Place, London WC2E 9AB

SUDA

uda is the street version of its high-end cousin, Patara, in Soho. Its location in Covent Garden is hardly what you’d call low-brow, but the concept is affordable street food for sharing. Sharing: the mega trend of the mo. I love sharing. One for you…look over there…snatch. Two for me! The place is huge. 2 floors. Ground level is a bit austere. Dark walls, functional seating and little decoration. Neo warehouse. Upstairs is much brighter with floor to ceiling windows affording a bird’s-eye view of St Martin’s Courtyard, a foodie/shoppie hot spot. Although Suda doesn’t have the grace or charm of Patara, it does have the food. And at half the price. Likewise, service is prompt and efficient, but without refinement. The price of affordability. We skipped cocktails and went straight for a bottle of Viognier (£22). Not a lot of character, but perfectly drinkable and a good companion to the Asian flavors that followed. The four of us were so good at sharing the first bottle, we

www.suda-thai.com

Reviewed by Michael M Sandwick ordered a second! Tom Kha Hed (£5.75), gorgeous coconut soup was, according to my well-traveled guest, as good as one gets in Thailand. Pungent lemongrass and oyster mushrooms. Not the easiest for sharing, but we managed not to fight over it. Fish and prawn lollipops (£5.95) were a fun take on Thai fish and prawn cakes with sweet chili sauce. We each got our own, so no “licksies”! Steamed fish dumplings (£5.50) were unusual. The wrappers were quite thick, more like ravioli and the filling so savory, they didn’t need a dip. Calamari (£5.95) were fried in a very good batter. Darker and more flavorful than either the Chinese or Italian style and served with sweet chili. Excellent for sharing. Snatch…THREE for me! For mains we had the rice noodle classic, Pad Thai, with tofu (£9.95), vegetables in green curry (£9.25), sea bass in red curry (£13.50) and grilled giant king prawns with spicy dressing (£12.95) with one jasmine and one coconut

rice (£2.85/3.50). Everything was tasty, but nothing was piping hot. The giant shrimp weren’t really giant. They were butterflied and pressed flat to make them look bigger. Didn’t fool us! And pressing them did not enhance them in any way. In fact, they were drier, and more difficult to remove from the shell. The sea bass and the Pad Thai were both very good with ample portions. The green curry was exceptional. Hands down, the dish of the day. Beautifully balanced between sweet, savory and spicy. I couldn’t pull my “look over there” trick on this one. Two sorbets, blood orange and mango (£3.95) and banana fritters with vanilla ice cream (£4.95) were both good value for money. Good quality, good flavor. Sticky rice with mango and coconut ice cream was our favorite but cost a whopping £8.50. The mango, imported from Thailand, was good but didn’t justify such extravagance. Sliced for sharing, I managed to get FOUR for me!

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Churros con Chocolate

www.ibericarestaurants.com

Asparagus Toast

Units 5 – 6 Zig Zag Building, 68 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6SQ

IBÉRICA VICTORIA

Reviewed by Michael M Sandwick

was fluent in Spanish when I lived in California. That was 40 years ago, before I killed off half the brain cells in my cabeza! I don’t seem to have destroyed any cells in my stomach though, so I’m still pretty good at tapas. Now even more so, after stuffing myself full of them at Ibérica Victoria. The kitchen offered to order for me which I graciously accepted. Big mistake! I am now burdened, yet again, with the sin of gluttony. And I was just being polite! Michelin starred Chef Nacho Manzano and designer Lázaro RosaViolán have both paid homage to their native España with eloquence. Menzano adds modern expertise to the traditions of the Iberian Peninsula, catering to the ever more demanding London palate. Violán’s décor is two floors of Spanish eye candy. Fab lighting, leather, wood, ceramic tile, here a bull, there a bull…. Our favorite was his stairwell. An art installation of doors leading everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Me gusto mucho.

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Oh…a brain cell! The menu features tapas, an extensive range of cured meats, paella and ordered in advance, roast suckling pig. Too, there’s a posh range of g & t’s and an excellent selection of Spanish wines by the glass, “porron” and bottle. We shared a bottle of Boada, Pepe Yllera, 2012 at £33.50. A medium bodied tempranillo, with dark fruit and a touch of oak. Drinkable with fish, better with meat. The kitchen’s idea of dinner for two: toasted bread with tomato (£3), serrano ham croquettes (£6), seared cod with Vizcaína sauce (£7), grilled prawns with mushrooms and green garlic sauce (£8), octopus a la gallega with potatoes and pimento de la Vera (£9), twice cooked lamb, marinated cherry tomatoes and red peppers (£9), grilled Ibérico pork pluma in moruno marinade and baked aubergine (£9.50), Cecina (air-cured beef) (£10), and of course, a trio of Ibéricos (£22). Air cured ham is the pride of Spanish cuisine, and at least one of these

eponymous pigs is a must. All three had exquisite taste but different textures. The wild pig was a bit chewy, the Extremadura melted in my mouth. Manzano has a way with sauce. Moruno was a super Spanish BBQ sauce and the green garlic had great balance. Hands down favorite was the Vizcaína, a classic from the Biscay region made from sweet peppers - recipe in the next issue! Aerated raspberry cake (£5.50) was indeed like air. This sponge, which even looks like a sponge, was so light, I found it more interesting than successful. The berries and yogurt ice cream needed a more substantial partner. I usually find chestnut desserts a bit cloying, but chestnut crème caramel (£4.50) was surprisingly delicate and came with a wonderful dark chocolate ice cream. So good, I had to finish every drop, in spite of feeling like a stuffed Ibérico pig. And that might just have terminated a few stomach cells. Hasta la vista babies!

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Want authentic Kansas CityBBQ at your next gathering?

look no further.

Kansas City native, Michael Gratz, missed that succulent goodness so much that when he found himself living in London, he created Prairie Fire BBQ so you could enjoy the taste of “HOME” in your home.

Visit prairiefirebbq.com to cater your next event.

RECIPE

The Ultimate Spicy BBQ Chicken It’s BBQ season! We asked Michael Gratz, of Prairie Fire BBQ (www.prairiefirebbq.com), to share a foolproof BBQ recipe with us What You’ll Need Equipment:

Grill Tongs Charcoal Kitchen Shears Instant read thermometer 1 Whole Chicken

Ingredients for the Spice Rub: 1 Cup White Sugar ½ Cup Brown Sugar ½ Cup Course Salt ¼ Cup Smoked Paprika 2 Tbsp Black Pepper 2 Tbsp Celery Salt 2 Tbsp Onion Powder 2 Tbsp Granulated Garlic 2 Tbsp Chili Powder 1 Tbsp Cumin 1 Tbsp Coriander 1 Tbsp Mustard Powder 2 tsp Oregano 2 tsp Cayenne Powder 1 tsp Ginger Powder

Optional extra:

Prairie Fire BBQ sauce

Kansas City and St Louis native, I moved to London several A years ago with my family. I enjoyed the incredible diversity of the food in London, but still craved the BBQ that I grew up enjoying

every weekend – particularly during the summer. I decided to try my hand at street food trading and catering. As the only traditional Kansas City-style BBQ in London, it has truly been a dream come true for me to see my sauces and rubs stocked in the best butcher shops in London. Now I’m going to show you a super easy method on how to cook one of my favorite meats from the BBQ - chicken, with a little rub recipe to help elevate your BBQ bird:

Instructions

1. Spatchcock the chicken – Cut the back bone out and flatten the bird. Your butcher can do this for you. 2. At least 30 minutes before cooking, liberally rub the spice mix all over the bird and be sure to get it under the skin. 3. Once the coals are nice and hot and covered in grey ash, you’re ready to cook. 4. Build a two zone fire in the BBQ grill. This is done by scattering the charcoal on one side of the grill so there’s a hot side and cooler side. 5. Place the bird skin-side-up on the cooler side. Place the lid on the grill with the holes over the bird. 6. Cook until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the breast is 70 Celsius and 75 in the thickest part of the thigh. Should take about 1.5 hours. 7. For an added flavor boost, slather onto the chicken the BBQ sauce about five minutes before it has finished cooking.

Treacle tart and clotted cream

35 Spital Square, London E1 6DY

www.galvinrestaurants.com

A pint and a gourmet hot dog

Ga lv i n HOP

he Galvin brothers are siblings extraordinaire. Chris was the opening head Chef at The Wolseley and Jeff took on the role at Marco Pierre White’s 3 Michelin starred Oak Room. They have 5 restaurants in London, 2 in Edinburgh and 2 Michelin stars. In May they will open yet another restaurant at The Athenaeum when it completes a refurb. Still, they find time to run Galvin’s Chance, giving young, disadvantaged adults a chance to get into the hospitality business. It is a brilliant program, “galvinizing” those with neither training nor employment, and changing their lives. I just love that! The full Galvin range is beautifully presented at 35 Spital Square. The new pub is attached to Michelin starred Le Chapelle. Noise, beer and hot dogs in the one, degustation and elegance in the other. It seems the brothers needed to come back down to earth from their starry heights, and they have. The food is simple in the extreme. Even seasoning is kept to a minimum. The

emphasis is on good quality, well sourced ingredients with equally good, well informed service. First we sampled a glass of Pilsner Urquell. The original pilsner, it is unpasteurized, fresh, slightly tart, with a beautiful bitter finish. A pint and a gourmet hot dog is pick o’ the week at £15! The Galvins also have two eponymous wines on the menu: a Chardonnay from Bourgogne and a Grenache/Syrah blend from the Rhône valley, both at £9.60 a glass. The white was a great glass of wine. Citrus and apple with a buttery finish. This was particularly good with our smoked salmon starter (£10.50). The salmon had a beautiful smokiness and was only lightly salted. Served with rye toast and some cress. The lovely spice and hints of prune in the red wine lost out to an extraordinarily dry finish. A Malbec from Cahors (£6.80) was smoother, fruitier and easier to drink. Portobello mushrooms stuffed with a brie and herb crumb (£7) were well executed and ample, but

Reviewed by Michael M Sandwick

lacked wow factor, the brie offering little kick. An 8 oz Herdwick PDO Barnsley chop (£17) sounds a bit highfalutin for a pub menu. Herdwick: a pure breed of sheep. PDO: protected designation of origin, in this case, Cumbria. Barnsley chop: a double loin lamb chop. The point is, this meat is certified and fully traceable. A really good chop! Served with a silky smooth peppercorn sauce. I poured half on the meat and drank the rest. Spiced yoghurt marinated poussin (£15) was cooked to perfection. Tender, juicy and reminiscent of tandoori. A sticky medjool date pudding (£5) had a good balance of sweet and spice but could have been warmer. The Valrhona chocolate choux bun (£5) was a fab take on an éclair with the great taste of dark cocoa in the pastry and a super light cream. I’m nearly ready to convert to Galvinism. An invitation to review the new restaurant at The Athenaeum would clinch it!

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE CULINARY GEEK

Cellar Talk A Taste of Summer By Virginia E Schultz

o me, summer time is cocktail time. One of the fun days was going to Wimbledon and having a Pimm’s cup which somehow tasted better there than at home. Then there is the Mint Julep which I always have when I’m in New Orleans. At least once. I also enjoy Mai Tai, a drink created in 1944 by Victor “Trader

Margarita 2 lime wedges and kosher salt 2 oz’s blanco tequila 1/4 ounce Cointreau or another triple sec 3/4 oz fresh lime juice 1/4 oz simple syrup Ice In a cocktail shaker, combine the tequila, Cointreau, lime juice and simple syrup. Fill the shaker with ice and dance around the kitchen shaking this well. Strain into a glass and garnish with a lime wedge. Dancing is optional.

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Vic” Bergeron. Of course, mentioning Trader Vic dates me as it was one of the most popular restaurants in the 60s and where we often ended up after going to the theater. The most popular drink in the States is the Margarita, which is what I’m sipping while I write this column. Supposedly, it was invented in the 1930s by the manager of the Garci Crespo Hotel in Mexico whose girlfriend liked to have salt with her drinks. But then, when I’m serving drinks before a dinner party I serve potato chips or salty pretzels. And what is more refreshing on a summer evening than Sangria? It’s the perfect drink to make when you’re hosting a party as you can make a big batch ahead of time. The Spanish and the Portuguese served Sangria for centuries as I learned when I lived in Puerto Rico but it didn’t really become popular in the States until 1964 at the World’s Fair in New York.

Red Sangria (For 12 people)

A 750 ml bottle of Merlot 4 oz brandy 3 oz Simple Syrup 1 cup mixed chunks of seeded orange, lemon, and lime In a large pitcher, combine the wine, brandy, simple syrup and fruit. I sometimes add strawberries, but that’s optional.

Simple SimpleSyrup Syrup :: In Inaasauce saucepan pan

combine combine88ounces ouncesof ofwater waterand andone cup oneof cup sugar of sugar and bring and bring to a boil, to a stirring boil, stirring until ituntil dissolves. it dissolves. Let cool, Let put cool,this putinto thisainto bottle a bottle and place and in the place refrigerator. in the refrigerator. It’s good It’s for good about month. for about Formonth. a richerFor syrup, a richer I combine 4syrup, ounces I combine water with 4 ounces 1 cup of water Demerara with 1orcup rawofsugar. Demerara Simmering or rawwith asugar. mild heat Simmering it usually with dissolves a mild heat in about it usually three dissolves minutes. in about three minutes.

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Oldies Still Goldies The Isle of Wight Festival proves that experience counts

PHOTOS © CALLUM BAKER (THE WHO ON MAIN STAGE & QUEEN), SARA LINCOLN (IGGY POP & BOWIE TRIBUTE), DYLAN ROBERTS (ROGER DALTREY OF THE WHO)

estival crowds often boast ages from young guns to old fogies. This year that applied to the Isle of Wight Festival’s stages too. I can testify (this is the fifth decade in which I’ve seen them) that this wasn’t The Who’s finest-ever performance. How could it be, with Keith Moon and John Entwistle departed and still much missed despite brilliant performances by Zack Starkey and Pino Palladino? However it was poignant as Pete Townshend spoke to the crowd about the band’s history and their fallen comrades. It was ‘The Who retrospective‘ show but Townhend’s sharp wit couldn’t help but come through, telling the audience he could ‘see for miles’ to the fairground and “I’d much rather be on the fairground rides than be looking at your f***ing ugly mugs,” and that Jimi Hendrix, while an extraordinary guitarist, was “crap” when they both played at the Isle of Wight in 1970, due to ‘too much acid’. Favorites from ‘I Can’t Explain’ and ‘Substitute’ to ‘Who Are You’ and ‘My Generation’ mingled with instrumental sections from Tommy and Quadrophenia. Roger Daltrey, always one of rock’s most physical singers and now aged an unbelievable 72, had problems, reaching some of the

highest notes and loudest screams, but pointed the mic at the crowd who responded with a heartfelt “it’s only teenage wasteland” section from ‘Baba O’Reilly’. So, below-par? Not according to my 18 year old daughter who was knocked out by her first Who experience. The highest voltage performance of the weekend came from Iggy Pop. Meaning business from the first note – bare torsoed and flinging mic stand and chair across the main stage, he sounded strong and aggressive with his baritone voice, dispatching classics like ‘The Passenger’, ‘Lust for Life’, ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ and ‘Nightclubbing’ along with ‘Gardenia’, an instant classic from his recent (and last?) album. An extraordinary performance. Mr Pop is 69. There was even a charity fundraising tribute to David Bowie (died this year aged 69). Sunday saw Queen’s Brian May (68) and mere stripling Roger Taylor (66) crowd-pleasing along with ‘baby’ Adam Lambert taking Freddie Mercury’s irreplaceable spot. And the younger bands? Yes, there were plenty, and many were plenty good, but this year - and for some of them the last year – the old guard proved they can still rock.

The American

By William Shakespeare Shakespeare’s Globe UK open-air tour Reviewed by Sabrina Sully

©SABRINA SULLY

TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA T

here’s nothing more delightful on a beautiful summer’s evening than a picnic in beautiful grounds, preferably with a stately home in the background, watching an open-air play, and they pop up all over the UK, during the summer. Of course it’s always a bit of a gamble with the British weather, but that just adds a frisson of risk. You really have to try it! Shakespeare’s Globe have teamed up with the Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Company this summer to tour Two Gentleman of Verona, a cut above the usual outdoor fare. I caught it early in its run in the grounds of the English Heritage site, Wardour Castle, Wiltshire, as part of the Salisbury Festival. When we saw the set, we knew this wasn’t going to be a traditional velvet-and-hose production. In case you don’t know the plot, Valentine decides to leave Verona for the bright lights of Milan. His best friend Proteus won’t go with him as he is in love with Julia, who plays it cool toward him. Valentine falls in love with Sylvia, the Duke of Milan’s daughter, who is supposed to marry the rich but boorish Thurio, so Valentine and Sylvia decide to elope. Julia’s

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father Orsini, sends Proteus to Milan on an errand, where he too falls in love with Sylvia, so exposes the elopment plot, and Valentine is banished from Milan. He goes to the woods and becomes chief of a band of outlaws. Proteus woos Sylvia, unsuccessfully. Julia turns up in Milan dressed as a boy servant, and after a bit more plot, well, all’s well that ends well. Director Nick Bagnall and composer James Fortune conceived this as a music-led production, set in 1966. All the action takes place in, on top of, on the ladders of, or in front of, a 60s–looking abstract frame. Location changes are signified by costume change: dull, monochrome, beige, with staid unsexy Jim Reeves music for Verona; Swinging London, with Quincy Jones tracks and the theme from The Italian Job for the pop world of Milan; and Rock’n’Roll, Bob Dylan and Muddy Waters for the ‘darker’ scenes in the woods. All the actors play instruments and sing. In this version Valentine (Guy Hughes) plays a mean guitar, his friend Proteus (Dharmesh Patel), who looks like a young Dr Suresh from the TV series Heroes, dances, (and is a standout actor, as is the ultra-cool

Garry Cooper as the Duke/Antoni, and the Musician/Dog, Fred Thomas, deserves a special mention (not least for his musical virtuosity and dog impersonation). The quality of the acting is excellent by all. This play was of course originally turned into a rock musical back in ‘71, a Broadway hit that won Best Book and Best Musical Tonys and had Stockard Channing and Jeff Goldblum in the chorus! Its last revival was in 2005 by Public Theater, for their Shakespeare in the Park series at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. For me, this is Shakespeare-Lite, a fun and enjoyable production. I appreciated the music and dancing, even if the play got a little lost, or maybe I was distracted by my strawberries and cream. 

Further Dates: New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth July 13-16 Oxford Playhouse Plays Out, Bodleian Library, Oxford, July 19-31 Kneehigh’s Asylum, Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornwall Aug 24-28 Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond, Yorkshire Sept 1-4 Northcott Theatre, Exeter Sept 8 -11 Dundee Rep, Dundee Sept 14 – 16 Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, London Sept 20 – Oct 1 Liverpool Everyman Theatre Oct 5 -29

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Phaedra(s) Reviewed by Jarlath O’Connell

his is the first time the Barbican has co-commissioned a work with Paris’ Odéon-Théâtre de L’Europe and it is an ambitious undertaking. Controversial Polish director Krzysztof Warlikowski looks at the classic Phaedra story from three different perspectives with French screen legend Isabelle Huppert the common denominator. Still astonishingly lithe at 61 she retains that fragile, freckle-faced look and cool, enigmatic style which helped her dominate French cinema over the past 40 years. Never one to take half-measures, in this trilogy she is barely off stage over the course of 3hrs 40mins. You’ll be stretched, possibly bored and often mesmerised but you won’t easily forget this production. Phaedra of course was the daughter of the King of Crete who married Theseus but fell in love with his son Hippolytus, who rejected

The American

her. Angered she tells Theseus that Hippolytus raped her and he puts a curse on his son who then drowns. Racked by guilt she then kills herself. The myth inspired numerous dramas from Euripedes to Seneca and Racine to Tony Harrison and here we get three radical reinventions. The first and most challenging is by Franco-Lebanese writer Mouawad which confuses matters by fusing Phaedra with Aphrodite. Huppert sashays on in a blonde wig, belted trench coat and dark glasses, like some superannuated porn star recovering on the Côte d’Azur. She endures various agonies. The text explores alternate versions of desire and is framed by a wonderfully haunting live vocal in Arabic from Norah Krief. Warlikowski seamlessly merges video, design, and sound to great effect here. All the actors and mic’ed

and cinema and theater become one. We witness her love scenes with Hippolyte shot from above and projected onto a back wall and this greatly enhances the intimacy of the scene. Malgorzata Szczesniak’s single set deftly serves three totally contrasting plays. The second play takes place within a giant mirrored cube with gauze walls, inside which is a room resembling a sterile City penthouse or maybe an institution. Huppert is staggeringly beautiful and the screams which emanate from that small frame could stop a train. The voice is alternately rasping or sweet. It is an astonishingly physical performance and she wails, bleeds menstrual blood, fellates (when needs be) and rolls her shapely legs high in the air, all with the energy of a manic child. Astonishingly the second piece, which dates from 1996, is the most conventional yet it is from that

Left: Isabelle Huppert, Andrzej Chyra and Alex Descas Right: Isabelle Huppert and Gaël Kamilindi Below Right: Isabelle Huppert ALL PHOTOS ©PASCAL VICTOR/ARTCOMART

By Wajdi Mouawad, Sarah Kane and J M Coatzee A production of Odéon-Théâtre de L’Europe, Paris presented at the Barbican Theatre as part of LIFT 2016 (London International Festival of Theatre) Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk/theatre/home enfant terrible of British theater, Sarah Kane. The brilliant Gallic translation makes you understand why Kane is rated so much more highly over there. It repositions Phaedra like an episode of Hollyoaks gone bad. Hippolytus is sulking in his filthy room like the worst teenager you could imagine and he rejects his step-mother’s seduction not because of his piety but because he is disgusting and wallowing in self-hatred. This Phaedra is a bourgeois matron (the clothes are perfect) and Huppert’s is wonderfully caustic dialogue with the daughter Strophe (the excellent Agata Buzek) about how they might resolve this family difficulty has echoes of a daily soap. The third and weakest play is by South African, Booker Prize winning novelist, J M Coetzee. It centers on an academic Elizabeth Costello (the title of the original story) who is on a rather highbrow chat show giving a discourse on the relationship between gods and mortals, illustrated here with clips from the movies Frances and Theorem. Andrzej Chyra, who played Hippolyte in the second play, is perfect as the pompous interviewer. Half way through though Elizabeth transforms into Racine’s famous Phédre and we return to the tortured passions where we began. 

The American

By Lorraine Hansberry The National Theatre: Olivier, London SE1 Reviewed by Jarlath O’Connell

r is

PHOTO ©KIM SHEARD

Twist of Lemmon “Growing up, the one question I was asked more than any other was, what was it like to be Jack Lemmon’s son?” hese are the words Chris Lemmon speaks just before be becomes Jack Lemmon in this warm hearted one-man show. And, boy, does he become him. The physical resemblance is totally uncanny and Lemmon Jr. adds to it by taking on and amplifying all his father’s familiar fussiness and nervous twitches. The film historian David Thomson, never a fan, said of Lemmon that he was an “abject and ingratiating parody of himself”. This was unkind but it hid a kernel of truth in that too often the layers of mannerism got in the way of Lemmon’s performances, (particularly if the script was weak), despite him being a hugely skilled and meticulous actor. Told almost entirely in the voice of his father, this is an endearing and often touching ramble though Lemmon’s life, encompassing his comfortable Boston beginnings, his study of ‘War Services Sciences’ at Harvard

The American

which, he quips, was very useful in his later dealings with agents. We hear how he capitalized on the demand for actors in the early days of live TV drama in New York and soon got cast in Mister Roberts which won him his first Oscar and set him on his way. The impact of worldwide stardom is touched on as well as divorce from Cynthia (Chris’s mother), his struggle with alcoholism, mirroring his hit with Days of Wine and Roses and dwelling on the pain of the separations from his son. This is shaky ground, bordering on self-justification, as he talks about the ‘voices’ which encouraged him to give up custody of his son but he never makes clear exactly who these ‘voices’ were or what were the contrary arguments. It is clear their relationship was a very loving one however. But this isn’t a family drama, rather it’s an entertaining soufflé, so soon we move on to happier things, such as father and son’s shared love of golf, at the famous Pebble Beach resort. Running time is 2 hours 15 minutes,

Ja c k Le m o n w it m

is hh

St James Studio, 12 Palace Street London, SW1E 5JA Reviewed by Jarlath O’Connell whereas 90 minutes straight without an interval would have served it better. The golf anecdotes are repeated and outstay their welcome. Confessional stage shows by the offspring of legends can often repel (e.g. Lorna Luft) but this manages to tread that very fine line between enlightenment and embarrassment. It is well crafted and efficiently staged by Hugh Wooldridge, with cleverly chosen stills and video clips which beautifully illustrate the span of a great acting career. We hear about the glories and tortures of working with Marilyn and an extended section devoted to Walther Matthau who was as a brother to Lemmon. Chris, a talented pianist, also delivers some great standards associated with his father and two numbers he penned himself to break up the narrative. If you love Lemmon you’ll come away charmed. If you don’t know much about him you won’t get particularly fresh insights, nevertheless it is a warm bask in the glow of a great talent. 

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t its premiere in 1952 The Observer’s critic concluded that Hester Collyer, the heroine of Rattigan’s greatest play, who ditched a life of married respectability to hook up with a young war hero, “needed a good slap”. Thankfully times have changed but here, director, Carrie Cracknell, goes in another direction and offers us a feminist re-reading of the text where Hester is more sinned against than sinning. Imposing this more contemporary sensibility on the play totally unbalances the piece. Rattigan’s play is a portrait of erotic obsession and his sympathy for her plight clearly rings through. In the grim world of post-war London the consequences for any woman of straying from the path were profound but reframing this as a feminist text undercuts the core passion of the piece. This play was always more Williams than Ibsen. For it to work you need to understand her lust. Here Cracknell turns Freddy, the object of Hester’s devotion, from the usual romantic, feckless, drifter into a nasty bit of work, at times even menacing. Tom Burke presents him as a laddish RAF boor

The American

By Terence Rattigan National Theatre – Lyttelton, Upper Ground, London SE1 9PX Reviewed by Jarlath O’Connell and you do wonder why a woman this sharp would have hung round for more than a year after the sexual glow had subsided. The problem is compounded in Peter Sullivan’s casting as the jilted husband. Here Judge Sir William Collyer is no sexless dullard but rather a dashing gent with the urbane insouciance and tender entreaties of a George Sanders. Tom Scutt’s designs, Bergmanesque in their grey-green gloom, have to fill the cavernous Lyttleton stage and while his use of translucent walls cleverly illustrate the couple’s eternal lack of privacy, their sheer vastness makes it resemble more a faded mansion than a dreary little flat in Ladbroke Grove. She has to cover vast expanses of floor just to check on her frying egg. Helen McCrory, now at her prime, is the reason to see this however. She mines the depths of Hester’s despair perfectly as in her wry response to being told how ‘lucky’ she was that the gas meter ran out and she was rescued from her suicide bid. She embodies all the dark undercurrents of a woman who “married the first man who asked her and fell in love with the first man who gave her the

eye” as Freddy glibly puts it. She is surrounded by some excellent character studies too, from Marion Bailey as the busybody landlady, here more kindly than usual and Hubert Burton and Yolanda Kettle who triumph as the insufferable young couple upstairs. All perfect propriety and suffocating good sense. Nick Fletcher too shines as the kindly defrocked doctor, another tenant, who comes to her aid as much with philosophical apercus as with pills. He is a man with a past, a type always sympathetically treated in Rattigan. The emotional power of the piece of course stems from Rattigan’s own personal life when he was devastated at the suicide of his ex-lover, Kenny Morgan. Having tired of being the toy boy, Morgan fled a life of luxury for being holed up in a bedsit with a younger lover, in a relationship which went sour. Rattigan’s horror of being associated with a suicide, then illegal, is reflected here. Kenny Morgan is now the title of an acclaimed new play on the subject, by Mike Poulton, at Dalston’s Arcola Theatre. Perfect timing as a counterpoint to this welcome revival. 

Competitions Two great comps for you this time! And it couldn’t be easier to enter. Simply email theamerican@blueedge.co.uk with the competition name - BLUES KITCHEN or 606 CLUB - in the subject line, and your answer and contact details in the text. Check the deadline for entries carefully. Only one entry per person per draw. The editor’s decision is final. No cash alternative. You are responsible for any travel, accomodation or other expenses. (If an event is cancelled, The American accepts no liability and an alternative prize will be sought from the organisers.)

JAZZ ON THE LAWN

July 29th and 30th

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he wonderful folk at the 606 Club in Chelsea – The Jazz hang out in London – are hosting a special concert at Fulham Palace, featuring Brazilian Funk and Soul band The Fontanas, fronted by the wonderful US-born singer Kay Elizabeth, and Jazz sensation Georgina Jackson, a first rate jazz singer and trumpet player with exciting vocals. The 606 Club have kindly given us a pair of tickets for Jazz on the Lawn at Fulham Palace for one lucky reader.

QUESTION Before it moved to 90 Lots Road, Chelsea, the 606 Club was based at which London address? A) 606 Downing Street B) 606 King’s Road C) 606 Park Lane Deadline: July 21st

BLUES KITCHEN BBQ, Blues and Bourbon – three things we could all do with a little more of. Good thing then that The Blues Kitchen – The Blues hang out in London (probably) – are offering you the chance to gorge yourself silly on all three! They’re offering one lucky winner dinner & drinks for two at any one of their three venues in Brixton, Camden and Shoreditch. Check them out at theblueskitchen.com

QUESTION To be in with a chance of winning simply answer this question… Complete the name of this famous Blues song: One Bourbon, One Scotch, One … A) Beer B) Cider C) Chardonnay Deadline: August 30th

The American

This IS American Democracy Sir Robert Worcester, founder of MORI and polling guru, looks beyond the bluster at the real state of play

egular readers may recall that in the March-April issue of The American, in my article This Is Democracy?, I broke the American Presidential Election marathon into five phases. The first phase closed on the 1st of February in Iowa’s caucus, after a year and a half of electoral foreplay, the second phase was comparatively short, from Iowa to Super Tuesday, the third from then to the Conventions, the fourth to Labor Day at the beginning of September, and finally the nine weeks of the ‘hot’ campaign to election day, Tuesday, 2nd November. Having skipped the second, comparatively short but intensive, phase, I’d like now to comment on where we are now, with the parties’ candidates now ‘presumptive’, each, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton,

The American

having assembled enough delegates to make it well nigh impossible to be overtaken by their respective rivals, Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders. The elector state of play for the respective parties is at Tables 1 and 2. The two parties’ delegate selection process is of course very different, with the Democratic Party having a selected group of voting so-called ‘super delegates’ which CBS News defined as follows: “A ‘superdelegate’ falls into one of three categories: a major elected official, including senators and members of the House of Representatives; a notable member of the party, such as a current or former president or vice president; and some members of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

“Unlike the rest of the delegates -- who are pledged to certain candidates based on the outcomes of their state’s primaries or caucuses -superdelegates are unbound, meaning they can support any candidate they choose. They can also switch their support at any time, right up until the actual nomination at the convention. “President Obama and Vice President Biden are superdelegates. So are former President Bill Clinton, his vice president, Al Gore, and former Vice President Walter Mondale. There’s also former Sen. Chris Dodd, now the head of the Motion Picture Association of America and former DNC General Chair. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is because he’s a former DNC chairman.” Hillary Clinton holds a vast lead in superdelegates: 589 say they’ll support her, compared to Sanders’ 49, according to the latest figures from Realclearpolitics. They can change their minds, but this has not proved important in past elections, and won’t in my view challenge Hillary Clinton, despite the hopes of the lagging Sanders’ campaign. The Republicans do not have superdelegates.

History’s no guide in 2016

This election is a strange one. My first election was in 1948 (sic), as a Boy Scout in Kansas City, when I was 14, hired for a dollar I think it was, to act as a poll watcher. I’ve been interested in elections ever since. That’s 17 US elections, seven as a voter as an American citizen, none as a British citizen, as given the job I do I’ve taken a vow of not just silence about

Trump and Clinton differ over whether size matters PHOTOS © GAGE SKIDMORE

how I’d vote if I had a vote but not vote at all, following the lead of the late, great, George Gallup, founder of the modern polling method. Never in all those years have I seen a less enthusiastic, less ‘participative’ election, where despite the rallies on television, and Americans do really rally when they are keen on their candidates, as I’ve seen in American elections living in the midwest (Missouri and Nebraska), East Coast (Virginia and New Jersey) and of course in Britain, as a member of Democrats Abroad. But I don’t do and never have done political polling in the USA. The electoral system in America is first past the post, winner take all, no proportional representation, no weighted votes, relatively little fiddling the figures, at least not since about 100 years ago. It’s the electoral system of delegates that isn’t simple, as noted above. In Presidential elections it’s dead simple, you just pull the lever for the candidate you want to elect as President (paper ballots cast in polling booths are unknown to anyone under 35 I suspect, and in Oregon they’ve done away with polling booths for several elections). I’m not a big fan of Fox News, but their pollsters seem straight and so does the reporting of Dana Blanton, covering the latest poll for Fox News. Her view is based upon “landline and cellphone interviews with 1,004 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide and was conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) from June 5-8, 2016.” Blanton wrote: “Most voters feel the upcoming election matters more than ones in

the past. At the same time, majorities dislike the presumptive nominees -- and think they lack the integrity to hold the nation’s highest office. “Eighty-five percent say there’s more than usual at stake in this year’s presidential race, according to a Fox News poll released June 9. That’s up from 70 percent who felt that way in 2012. Clinton (83 percent) and Trump supporters (87 percent) are about equally likely to feel like there’s more at stake. “The new poll shows Hillary Clinton with a three-point edge over Donald Trump (42-39 percent) in a hypothetical matchup. That’s within the poll’s margin of error. “Clinton’s edge over Trump is due to a six-point drop in support for him rather than an increase for her. Trump was up by 45-42 percent three weeks ago (May 14-17, 2016). Since then, he lost three points among self-identified Republicans and 11 points among independents. “Clinton is ahead among blacks (+76), unmarried women (+34), women (+18), lower-income households (+14), and voters under age 30 (+13). Trump is preferred among

white evangelicals (+42), whites without a college degree (+25), whites (+16), men (+15), and independents (+5). “Voters were asked if there is a chance their candidate “could say or do something” that would make them change their mind before Election Day. More than 8-in-10 Clinton backers say there is no chance at all (57 percent) or only a small chance (24 percent). Sentiment is almost identical for Trump supporters: 57 percent say no chance and 23 percent say just a small chance. “Voters may be committed to their candidate, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re happy about it. Trump supporters are split between being happy to vote for him (51 percent) and holding their nose (48 percent). Clinton backers are more upbeat: 60 percent happy vs. 37 percent holding their nose. “For comparison, in March 2000, only one quarter of George W. Bush supporters (24 percent) and those backing Al Gore (25 percent) said they would have to hold their nose. “Both candidates have reason for optimism. Among just those

The American

State

Date

(1,237 Needed to Win)

Delegates

Trump

Cruz

Rubio

Kasich

2472

1542

559

165

161

California

Jun 7

172

Montana

Jun 7

New Jersey

Jun 7

New Mexico

Jun 7

South Dakota

Jun 7

Washington

Primary/Caucus

Delegate Allocation

Open/Closed

Primary

Winner Take All

Closed

Primary

Winner Take All

Open

Primary

Winner Take All

Open

Primary

Proportional

Closed

Primary

Winner Take All

Closed

May 24

Primary

Proportional

Closed

Oregon

May 17

Primary

Proportional

Closed

West Virginia

May 10

Primary

Direct Election

Open

Nebraska

May 10

Primary

Winner Take All

Closed

Indiana

May 03

Primary

Winner Take All

Open

Rhode Island

Apr 26

Primary

Proportional

Open

Pennsylvania

Apr 26

Primary

Winner Take All

Closed

Maryland

Apr 26

Primary

Winner Take All

Closed

Delaware

Apr 26

Primary

Winner Take All

Closed

Connecticut

Apr 26

Primary

Proportional

Closed

New York

Apr 19

Primary

Proportional

Closed

Wisconsin

Apr 05

Primary

Winner Take All

Open

North Dakota

Apr 1

Caucus

Unbound

Closed

Utah

Mar 22

Caucus

Proportional

Closed

Arizona

Mar 22

Primary

Winner Take All

Closed

American Samoa

Mar 22

Convention

Unbound

Open

Ohio

Mar 15

Primary

Winner Take All

Open

Northern Marianas

Mar 15

Caucus

Winner Take All

Closed

North Carolina

Mar 15

Primary

Proportional

Open

Missouri

Mar 15

Primary

Winner Take All

Open

Illinois

Mar 15

Primary

Winner Take All

Open

Florida

Mar 15

Primary

Winner Take All

Closed

District of Columbia

Mar 12

Convention

Proportional

Closed

Guam

Mar 12

Convention

Unbound

Closed

Wyoming1

Mar 12

Caucus

Unbound

Closed

Virgin Islands

Mar 10

Caucus

Winner Take All

Closed

Mississippi

Mar 8

Primary

Proportional

Open

Michigan

Mar 8

Primary

Proportional

Open

Idaho

Mar 8

Primary

Proportional

Closed

Hawaii

Mar 8

Caucus

Proportional

Closed

Puerto Rico

Mar 6

Primary

Proportional

Open

Maine

Mar 5

Caucus

Proportional

Closed

Louisiana

Mar 5

Primary

Proportional

Closed

Kentucky

Mar 5

Caucus

Proportional

Closed

Kansas

Mar 5

Caucus

Proportional

Closed

Colorado1

Mar 1

Caucus

Unbound

Closed

Virginia

Mar 1

Primary

Proportional

Open

Vermont

Mar 1

Primary

Proportional

Open

Texas

Mar 1

155

104

Primary

Proportional

Open

Tennessee

Mar 1

Primary

Proportional

Open

Oklahoma

Mar 1

Primary

Proportional

Closed

Minnesota

Mar 1

Caucus

Proportional

Open

Massachusetts

Mar 1

Primary

Proportional

Open

Georgia

Mar 1

Primary

Proportional

Open

Arkansas

Mar 1

Primary

Proportional

Open

Alaska

Mar 1

Caucus

Proportional

Closed

Alabama

Mar 1

Primary

Proportional

Open

Nevada

Feb 23

Caucus

Proportional

Closed

South Carolina

Feb 20

Primary

Winner Take All

Open

New Hampshire

Feb 9

Primary

Proportional

Open

Iowa

Feb 1

Caucus

Proportional

Closed

Colorado1: Delegate selection started with caucuses March 1st, culminated at the state convention on April 9th. Colorado Delegates can go to the national convention as unbound or bound to a candidate.

66 Wyoming1: The PrecinctAmerican caucuses on March 1st do not bind any delegates, but start a delegate selection process that culminated at the state convention April 14-16. Wyoming delegates can be bound or unbound.

State

<< Table 1, left: Republican Delegate Count Table 2, right: Democratic Delegate Count >>

“extremely” or “very” interested in the election, Trump is up by 45-41 percent. That’s because more Republicans (78 percent) than Democrats (67 percent) are interested. “On the other hand, far more see Clinton (69 percent) as qualified to be president than feel the same about Trump (47 percent). And more than twice as many think she is “very” qualified: 37 percent Clinton vs. 17 percent Trump. “Clinton’s attacks on Trump during her recent foreign policy speech seem to draw directly on sentiments expressed by voters in this poll,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News Poll with Democratic pollster Chris Anderson. “Voters have serious doubts that Trump is qualified and are concerned about his temperament.” “By wide margins Clinton is rated higher on having the knowledge (+33 points) and temperament (+27 points) to serve effectively as president. More voters also see her as likeable (+8 points). “Roughly 6-in-10 say Trump is not likeable (58 percent), and he does not have the knowledge (59 percent) or temperament (62 percent) for the job. “Majorities feel Clinton (54 percent) and Trump (58 percent) lack the integrity to be president. “Some 36 percent of Republicans and 22 percent of Trump supporters think he does not have the temperament to be president. “While many voters find their choices odorous, they see stark choices -- a knowledgeable, qualified candidate or one with the wrong temperament who will shake things up,” says Anderson. “Overall, however, voters view Trump and Clinton negatively. Fifty-eight percent have an unfavorable view of the GOP nominee, including 49 percent who view him “strongly” unfavorably. Clinton’s unfavorable is 56 percent. That includes 43 percent “strongly” unfavorable. “Those negatives could go higher given the name calling that’s already started. “Views are mixed over Clinton calling Trump ‘a fraud,’ as 43 percent think that’s an accurate characterization, while 50 percent disagree. By a 49-47 percent margin, voters agree with Trump’s ‘crooked Hillary’ nickname. “Do people want to hear more? Forty-seven percent say they’re more likely to change the channel when Trump comes on television, while 46 percent say turn up

Date

Delegates

Clinton

Sanders

(2,382 Needed to Win)

4763

2784

1877

Delegates Won Superdelegates

4051

2203

1828

-712

581

Delegate Open/ Closed Allocation

District of Columbia

June 14

20 (25)

Primary

Closed

California

June 7

475 (71)

269

206

Primary

Semi-closed

Montana

June 7

21 (6)

Primary

Open

New Jersey

June 7

126 (16)

Primary

Closed

North Dakota

June 7

18 (5)

Primary

Open

New Mexico

June 7

34 (9)

Primary

Closed

South Dakota

June 7

20 (5)

Primary

Semi-open

Puerto Rico

June 5

60 (7)

Primary

Open

Virgin Islands

June 4

7 (5)

Caucus

Closed

Oregon

May 17

61 (13)

Primary

Closed

Kentucky

May 17

55 (5)

Primary

Closed

West Virginia

May 10

29 (8)

Primary

Semi-closed

Guam

May 7

7 (5)

Caucus

Closed

Indiana

May 3

83 (9)

Primary

Open

Rhode Island

April 26

24 (9)

Primary

Semi-closed

Pennsylvania

April 26

189 (21)

106

Primary

Closed

Delaware

April 26

21 (10)

Primary

Closed

Connecticut

April 26

55 (15)

Primary

Closed

Maryland

April 26

95 (23)

Primary

Closed

New York

April 19

247 (44)

139

108

Primary

Closed

Wyoming

April 9

14 (4)

Caucus

Closed

Wisconsin

April 5

86 (10)

Primary

Open

Washington

March 26

101 (17)

Caucus

Open

Hawaii

March 26

25 (9)

Caucus

Semi-closed

Alaska

March 26

16 (4)

Caucus

Closed

Utah

March 22

33 (4)

Caucus

Semi-open

Idaho

March 22

23 (4)

Caucus

Open

Arizona

March 22

75 (10)

Primary

Closed

Ohio

March 15

143 (16)

Primary

Semi-open

North Carolina

March 15

107 (14)

Primary

Semi-closed

Missouri

March 15

71 (13)

Primary

Open

Illinois

March 15

156 (26)

Primary

Open

Florida

March 15

214 (32)

141

Primary

Closed

Northern Marianas

March 12

6 (5)

N/A

Michigan

March 8

130 (17)

Primary

Open

Mississippi

March 8

36 (5)

Primary

Open

Maine

March 6

25 (5)

Caucus

Closed

Kansas

March 5

33 (4)

Caucus

Closed

Nebraska

March 5

25 (5)

Caucus

Closed

Louisiana

March 5

51 (8)

Primary

Closed

Virginia

March 1

95 (15)

Primary

Open

Vermont

March 1

16 (10)

Primary

Open

Texas

March 1

222 (30)

147

Primary

Open

Tennessee

March 1

67 (9)

Primary

Open

Oklahoma

March 1

38 (4)

Primary

Semi-closed

Minnesota

March 1

77 (16)

Caucus

Open

Massachusetts

March 1

91 (25)

Primary

Semi-closed

Georgia

March 1

102 (14)

Primary

Open

March 1-8

13 (4)

Primary

Closed

Colorado

March 1

66 (13)

Caucus

Closed

Arkansas

March 1

32 (5)

Primary

Open

American Samoa

March 1

6 (4)

Caucus

Closed

Alabama

March 1

53 (7)

Primary

Open

South Carolina

February 27

53 (6)

Primary

Open

Nevada

February 20

35 (8)

Caucus

Closed

New Hampshire

February 9

24 (8)

Primary

Semi-closed

Iowa

February 1

44 (8)

Caucus

Semi-open

Democrats Abroad

the volume. For Clinton, 52 percent change the channel, while 41 percent turn it up.”

Does the rest of the world care?

In Britain recently, the election most people have had their eyes on is their EU refendum, not the interesting and to some fascinating American election, negative as that may be. However, some years ago my suspicion was confirmed when I found that during American elections more people in this country are interested in the election than are interested in British elections during our elections. More razzmatazz I’d guess in the US elections. In any case, there’s no doubt (see Table 3), that across the world, the clear runaway winner in the US election would be Hillary Clinton, globally by nearly five to one, and there’d be an all-time best result in any Democratic country I know of in Mexico, as there’s only one person in 100 in the Ipsos Global poll of some 25 countries, where the vote, eliminating don’t knows, would be 99 to 1 (and I’d guess that the 1 is the guy who’d get the contract for building the fence). The numbers speak for themselves, but to gain more insight on why, my colleagues in the USA found that Clinton would have a more positive impact on the world economy by 46% to Trump’s 14%, three to one, would have a more positive impact on global peace and security (Clinton 45% to Trump’s 9%). I’m not sure that the poll would do much for the Trump candidacy as it shows that the only countries that would favour Trump’s election over Clinton’s is China by a small margin, and Russia.

The American

Q. “The United States is electing a new President this year. If you had a vote in this election, would you vote for Republican candidate Donald Trump or Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton?”

Trump Clinton Don’t know

Decided Trump Clinton Clinton Lead

Mexico

88 %

11 %

89 %

99 %

98 %

Argentina

64 %

30 %

70 %

91 %

83 %

Spain

62 %

32 %

68 %

91 %

82 %

So. Korea

68 %

25 %

75 %

91 %

81 %

Belgium

74 %

18 %

82 %

10 %

90 %

80 %

Colombia

72 %

20 %

80 %

10 %

90 %

80 %

France

58 %

35 %

65 %

11 %

89 %

78 %

Chile

63 %

29 %

71 %

11 %

89 %

77 %

Germany

70 %

21 %

79 %

11 %

89 %

77 %

Sweden

11 %

77 %

12 %

88 %

13 %

88 %

75 %

Peru

10 %

69 %

21 %

79 %

13 %

87 %

75 %

Great Britain

11 %

64 %

25 %

75 %

15 %

85 %

71 %

Japan

52 %

39 %

61 %

15 %

85 %

70 %

Australia

12 %

54 %

34 %

66 %

18 %

82 %

64 %

Global

13 %

57 %

30 %

70 %

19 %

81 %

63 %

Turkey

13 %

57 %

30 %

70 %

19 %

81 %

63 %

Brazil

12 %

52 %

36 %

64 %

19 %

81 %

63 %

Italy

13 %

52 %

35 %

65 %

20 %

80 %

60 %

Canada

15 %

58 %

27 %

73 %

21 %

79 %

59 %

Hungary

12 %

41 %

47 %

53 %

23 %

77 %

55 %

So. Africa

17 %

57 %

26 %

74 %

23 %

77 %

54 %

Poland

17 %

46 %

37 %

63 %

27 %

73 %

46 %

India

27 %

48 %

25 %

75 %

36 %

64 %

28 %

USA

32 %

40 %

28 %

72 %

44 %

56 %

11 %

China

32 %

30 %

38 %

62 %

52 %

48 %

-3 %

Russia

28 %

12 %

60 %

40 %

70 %

30 %

-40 %

Source: Ipsos MORI

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THRIVING OAKLAND RAIDERS

Draft Highlights: R1 S Karl Joseph, WVU; R2 DE Jihad Ward, Illinois; R3 DE Shilique Calhoun, Mich St; R4 QB Connor Cook, Mich St. Veteran Gains: CB Sean Smith; S Reggie Nelson; LB Bruce Irvin, OL Kelechi Osemele. Losses: S Taylor Mays; OT Khalif Barnes; S Larry Asante. Retired: S Charles Woodson; DE Justin Tuck.

The Draft, free agency and more... Richard L Gale looks at who’s been winning the NFL offseason

he NFL offseason isn’t just about making moves, but making the right ones. Some teams glide across the terrain like Nureyev and Fonteyn; others flail and stagger like a drunk dad at a wedding disco. And a single offseason move can sometimes look like both at once.

Jalen Ramsey

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

Case in point: Brock Osweiler. With QB Peyton Manning bowing out, his Broncos understudy instead signed with Houston (4 years, $72m... for a player with just 7 starts?) when cap-conscious Denver balked. The Broncos tried to broker a deal to tempt Colin Kaepernick from San Francisco, but with the latter ambivalently remaining a 49er, Denver’s succession plan was reduced to buying Philadelphia retread Mark Sanchez. On draft night, a number of could-be No.1 picks – Ole Miss OT Laremy Tunsil, Ohio State OLB Joey Bosa and FSU DB Jalen Ramsey among them – waited while quarterbacks went 1 and 2, the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles trading up for Cal’s Jared Goff and North Dakota’s Carson Wentz respectively. While Tunsil’s slide was the jaw-dropping development (it coincided with bizarre internet footage of Tunsil seemingly enjoying a substance through a gasmask), Denver’s edge-of-seat predicament found round one resolution when they snagged Memphis’ rangey QB Paxton Lynch. Just the outcome they had planned all along... honest.

Charles Woodson called it quits, but Oakland is on the brink of a breakthrough. Free agency (Smith, Nelson) and the draft (Joseph) restocked the secondary. Irvin and R3 pass rusher Calhoun will contribute immediately. A deftly-delivered ‘pieces of the puzzle’ Spring. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS Draft Highlights: R1 DB Jalen Ramsey, FSU; R2 ILB Myles Jack, UCLA; R3 DE Yannick Ngakoue, Maryland; R4 DT Sheldon Day, Notre Dame. Veteran Gains: DL Malik Jackson; RB Chris Ivory; CB Prince Amukamara; OT Kelvin Beachum. Losses: C Stefen Wisniewski.

Ramsey was the plug’n’play best-in-draft. The rest of an ace rookie talent haul may have to work in, but in the meantime the Jags grabbed Jackson from the Broncos at his peak, Amukamara adds veteran savvy, Ivory is more than a utilitarian back, and Beachum will start. London will witness a team with serious growl this year. HOUSTON TEXANS Draft Highlights: R1 WR Will Fuller, Notre Dame; R2 C Nick Martin, Notre Dame; R3 WR Braxton Miller, Ohio St. Veteran Gains: QB Brock Osweiler; OG Jeff Allen; RB Lamar Miller; S Antonio Allen; C Tony Bergstrom. Losses: C Ben Jones; S Rahim Moore; WR Nate Washington; RB Arian Foster; QB T.J. Yates; QB Brian Hoyer; DE Jared Crick.

They overpaid for Osweiler, but the broken-in exBronco’s an upgrade on Hoyer, multi-threat RB Miller replaces oft-dinged Arian Foster, and the draft yielded two talented WRs and a starting center. Some offense at last... though it could still look awkward to begin. CHICAGO BEARS

Draft Highlights: R1 OLB Leonard Floyd, Georgia; R2 OG Cody Whitehair, Kan.St; R3 DE Jonathan Bullard, Florida; R4 S Deon Bush, Miami. Veteran Gains: LBs Danny Trevathan, Jerrell Freeman; S Omar Bolden; OLs Bobby Massie, Manuel Ramirez; DT Akiem Hicks; QB Brian Hoyer. Losses: RB Matt Forte; C Matt Slauson; S Antrel Rolle; OT Jermon Bushrod; TE Martellus Bennett; LB Shea McClellin.

Losing envigorating offensive coordinator Adam Gase and versatile Matt Forte, how did the Bears rank this high? By addressing their terrible LB situation threefold (R1 Floyd, Freeman, ex-Bronco Trevathan), resigning WR Alshon Jeffery, and averaging high at the draft. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS Draft Highlights: R1 DE Joey Bosa, Ohio St; R2 TE Hunter Henry, Ark.; R3 C Max Tuerk, USC; R4 ILB Joshua Perry, Ohio St; R5 ILB Jatavis Brown, Akron. Veteran Gains: WR Travis Benjamin; S Dwight Lowery; CB Casey Hayward; DT Brandon Mebane; C Matt Slauson. Losses: S Eric Weddle; TE Ladarius Green; WR Malcom Floyd; CB Patrick Robinson.

The draft goes deeper than we have space to show; Bosa could be an emotional key for the defense. Free agency was a mixed bag, but Ken Whisenhunt’s return as coordinator could recapture QB Philip Rivers’ best.

STRIVING

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Draft Highlights: R1 C Ryan Kelly, Alabama; R2 DB T.J. Green, Clemson; R3 OT Le’Raven Clark, Texas Tech; R4 DT Hassan Ridgeway, Texas. Veteran Gains: CB Patrick Robinson; QB Scott Tolzien. Losses: LB Jerrell Freeman; TE Coby Fleener; WR Andre Johnson; RB Ahmad Bradshaw; OLB Björn Werner; S Dwight Lowery; and numerous QBs.

BALTIMORE RAVENS

Baltimore didn’t make show-stopping free agency signings, didn’t wow the draft, yet across the board they improved the product. ACL complications for WR Breshad Perriman means the Ravens haven’t yet shrugged off last year’s injury jinx, but it’s a step forward. BUFFALO BILLS

Draft Highlights: R1 DE Shaq Lawson, Clemson; R2 LB Reggie Ragland, Alabama; R3 DT Adolphus Washington, Ohio St; R5 RB Jonathan Williams, Arkansas; R6 WR Kolby Listenbee, TCU. Veteran Gains: C Fernando Velasco; LB Zach Brown; CB Sterling Moore. Losses: DE Mario Williams; LB Nigel Bradham; S Bacarri Rambo.

All-in for defense! Coach Rex Ryan hired twin brother Rob as DC after a dismal spell in New Orleans. However, the draft was a masterclass in Ryan-brand defensive talent, with late steals, and important resignings on the O-line were nailed. The Bills now look set for Xs and Os. ARIZONA CARDINALS

Draft Highlights: R1 DT Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss; R3 CB Brandon Williams, Texas A&M; R4 C Evan Boehm, Missouri. Veteran Gains: OG Evan Mathis; S Tyvon Branch; DE Chandler Jones. Losses: OLB Dwight Freeney; S Rashad Johnson; OT Bobby Massie; CB Jerraud Powers.

A division-winner looking to go further, the Cards had a glaring lack of pass-rush last year. Enter ex-Patriot Jones and no.29 pick Nkemdiche (a steal), both results Arizona fans had no business expecting. The two Evans could both be pressed into starting OL action this year. NEW YORK GIANTS

Draft Highlights: R1 CB Eli Apple, Ohio St; R2 WR Sterling Shepard, Okla.; R3 S Darian Thompson, Boise St; R4 LB B.J. Goodson, Clemson; R5 RB Paul Perkins, UCLA; R6 TE Jerell Adams, South Carolina. Veteran Gains: DE Olivier Vernon; DT Damon Harrison; CB Janoris Jenkins; LBs Keenan Robinson, Kelvin Sheppard. Losses: DEs Robert Ayers, George Selvie; OL Geoff Schwartz; CB Prince Amukamara; WR Rueben Randle; DT Cullen Jenkins; S Brandon Meriweather.

Former offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo succeeded Tom Coughlin, but continuity didn’t equal complacency: defense saw an overhaul, including a restrengthening of a withered D-line, plus the secondary addressed twice in the first three picks of a useful draft class. TENNESSEE TITANS

Draft Highlights: R1 OT Jack Conklin, Mich St; R2 DE Kevin Dodd, Clemson; DT Austin Johnson, Penn St; RB Derrick Henry, Alabama. Veteran Gains: WR Rishard Matthews; S Rashad Johnson; C Ben Jones; LB Sean Spence; QB Matt Cassel; RB DeMarco Murray. Losses: LB Zach Brown; DT Mike Martin; S Michael Griffin.

Message loud and clear: the Titans are all about the run. They traded down for picks, and up for likely-RT Conklin, before two run-stuffers and a pure ball-carrier in

Can Ezekiel Elliott emulate ’90s bellcow Emmitt Smith in Dallas?

the second (having already acquired ex-Cowboy/Eagle Murray). It’s a major roster boost, even if new coach Mike Mularkey wasn’t an inspired appointment. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Draft Highlights: R1 CB Vernon Hargeaves, Florida; R2 DE Noah Spence, E Kentucky; K Roberto Aguayo, FSU. Veteran Gains: OG JR Sweezy, DE Robert Ayers; CBs Brent Grimes, Josh Robinson; LB Daryl Smith; P Bryan Anger. Losses: CBs Sterling Moore, Mike Jenkins; LBs Bruce Carter, Danny Lansanah; DT Da’Quan Bowers; OG Logan Mankins (retired).

Yes, they drafted a kicker in the second round, and they likely overpaid for ex-Seahawk Sweezy, but Hargreaves and Grimes make corner a sudden strength, RB Doug Martin signed a new contract, and the signing of Anger shouts of a team seeking the playoff-qualifying edge. MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Draft Highlights: R1 WR Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss; R2 CB Mackensie Alexander, Clemson; R4 OT Willie Beavers, W. Mich. Veteran Gains: OG Alex Boone; OT Andre Smith Jr; LB Travis Lewis; S Michael Griffin. Losses: WR Mike Wallace; CB Josh Robinson; LB Casey Matthews.

QB Teddy Bridgewater needs not just Treadwell, but a better line, and the Vikings made efforts, signing two notables in Boone and Smith. Squinting at their draft, you can see the talent, but it isn’t very ‘now’ for a team seeking to hold off the Packers for the divisional crown. DALLAS COWBOYS

Draft Highlights: R1 RB Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio St; R2 LB Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame; R3 DT Maliek Collins, Neb.; R4 DE Charles Tapper, Okla.; QB Dak Prescott, Miss St. Veteran Gains: DE Cedric Thornton; RB Alfred Morris; C Joe Looney. Losses: QB Matt Cassel; DE Greg Hardy.

Jaylon Smith is banked for 2017, Thornton only partially answers Hardy’s loss, and they passed up Jalen Ramsey and couldn’t trade up for QB Tony Romo’s eventual successor. It’s a simple equation: RBs Ezekiel Elliott + Alfred Morris + the Dallas line = resurgence.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

Draft Highlights: R1 OT Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame; R2 OLB, Kamalei Correa, Boise St; R3 DE Bronson Kaufusi, BYU; R4 CB Tavon Young, Temple; WR Chris Moore, Cincinnati; R6 RB Kenneth Dixon, La Tech. Veteran Gains: S Eric Weddle; TE Ben Watson; WR Mike Wallace; CB Jerraud Powers; RB Trent Richardson Losses: S Will Hill; OG Kelechi Osemele; DE Chris Canty.

The revolving door of Colts free agency also saw coaching changes below coach Chuck Pagano; in the end, the dizziness may not have upped their game much. The draft, at least, offers QB Andrew Luck a better O-line. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Draft Highlights: R1 QB Carson Wentz, ND St; R3 C Isaac Seumalo, Oregon St; R7 S Jalen Mills, LSU; DE Alex McCalister, Florida. Veteran Gains: S Rodney McLeod; G Brandon Brooks; QB Chase Daniel; CB Leodis McKelvin; WRs Chris Givens; Rueben Randle; OL Stefen Wisniewski. Losses: QB Mark Sanchez; CB Byron Maxwell; LBs Kiko Alonso, DeMeco Ryans; RB DeMarco Murray; S Walter Thurmond; DL Cedric Thornton.

Chip’s gone and Kelly’s heroes too, as Philly efficiently cleaned house, and did a fine job of finding players to suit Doug Pederson’s new regime. Confusingly, however, they (1) gave QB Sam Bradford an extension, (2) paid Chase Daniel a starter’s wage, and (3) traded up to grab North Dakota’s Wentz (admittedly a huge talent). WASHINGTON REDSKINS

Draft Highlights: R1 WR Josh Doctson, TCU; R2 S Su’a Cravens, USC; R3 CB Kendall Fuller, VTech. Veteran Gains: CB Josh Norman; DE Kendall Reyes; S David Bruton. Losses: DE Jason Hatcher; S Dashon Goldson; QB Robert Griffin III; NT Terrance Knighton; RB Alfred Morris.

Bye bye, RGIII. QB Kirk Cousins was given route-running stand-out Doctson but not a long-term contract (he was slapped with the one-year franchise tag) – even Washington seems cautious about investing stock in 2015’s result. Washington did, however, luck into Josh Norman, an unexpected cut by Carolina.

SURVIVING CINCINNATI BENGALS

Draft Highlights: R1 CB William Jackson III, Houston; R2 WR Tyler Boyd, Pittsburgh; R3 ILB Nick Vigil, Utah St; R4 DT Andrew Billings, Baylor. Veteran Gains: WR Brandon LaFell; S Taylor Mays; LB Karlos Dansby. Losses: LB A.J. Hawk; WR Mohamed Sanu; WR Marvin Jones; S Reggie Nelson; CB Leon Hall; OT Andre Smith Jr.

Cincy didn’t have time to catch breath. Leaking WRs and DBs, they delivered an adept draft to manage the damage, and resigned players such as OT Eric Winston and CB Adam Jones. Dansby was an important hire for cohesion. This wasn’t a step forward, but it was a good rally. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Draft Highlights: R2 DT Chris Jones, Miss St; R3 CB KeiVarae Russell, Notre Dame; R4 CB Eric Murray, Minnesota. Veteran Gains: OT Mitchell Schwartz. Losses: OGs Jeff Allen, Ben Grubbs; DBs Sean Smith, Husain Abdullah, Tyvon Branch; DT Mike DeVito; QB Chase Daniel .

They lost some significant talent, but retained enough: the resigning of Eric Berry, Tamba Hali, and the acquisition of Schwartz prevent things from unraveling. They’re going to ask a lot from their rookies in 2016.

The American

they selected Ifedi in the draft, they needed veteran help, and lost two OL starters. That’s no improvement.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Draft Highlights: R2 CB Cyrus Jones, Alabama; R3 OG Joe Thuney, NC St; QB Jacoby Brissett, NC St; DT Vincent Valentine, Neb; R4 WR Malcolm Mitchell, Georgia. Veteran Gains: RB Donald Brown; DT Terrance Knighton; TE Martellus Bennett; WR Nate Washington; DE Chris Long, LB Shea McClellin, OG Jonathan Cooper. Losses: DT Akiem Hicks; WR Brandon LaFell; LB Jerod Mayo, DE Chandler Jones; and many more.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Draft Highlights: R1 CB Artie Burns, Miami; R2 S Sean Davis, Maryland; R3 DT Javon Hargrave, S Caro St; R6 OLB Travis Feeney, Washington; R7 ILB Tyler Matakevich, Temple. Veteran Gains: OT Ryan Harris; TE Ladarius Green. Losses: TE Heath Miller; DT Steve McLendon; CBs Cortez Allen, Brandon Boykin; ILB Sean Spence; S Will Allen.

Bill Belichick buys in when he knows a veteran’s stock is low, dangles the NFL’s most desirable franchise, and another offseason is won... in all respects save Tom Brady being a step closer to serving that suspension.

The Steelers restock via the draft, and while we like the selections, we’re cool on the impact. Predictably docile in free agency (though Green could break out here), WR Martavis Bryant will be suspended for at least a year.

GREEN BAY PACKERS

Draft Highlights: R1 DT Kenny Clark, UCLA; R2 OT Jason Spriggs, Indiana; R3 OLB Kyler Fackrell, Utah St; R6 OT Kyle Murphy, Stanford. Veteran Gains: TE Jared Cook. Losses: CB Casey Hayward; NT B.J. Raji.

The Packers don’t really do free agency – it’s more ‘train and retain’. Best offseason changes are WR Jordy Nelson back to fitness and RB Eddie Lacy trimming down. MIAMI DOLPHINS

Draft Highlights: R1 OL Laremy Tunsil, Ole Miss; R2 CB Xavien Howard, Baylor; R3 RB Kenyan Drake, Alabama. Veteran Gains: OTs Jermon Bushrod, Sam Young; DEs Mario Williams, Andre Branch; DT Chris Jones; CB Byron Maxwell; LB Kiko Alonso. Losses: WR Greg Jennings; DEs Derrick Shelby, Olivier Vernon, Damontre Moore; LB Kelvin Sheppard; TE Brandon Williams; RB Lamar Miller; WR Rishard Matthews; CBs Brent Grimes, Brice McCain; S Louis Delmas; OG Shelley Smith.

Change isn’t always a good thing. Vernon, Matthews, Grimes, Shelby were wasteful losses. Rookie RB Drake is dangerous, but Miller was hardly spent. If new head coach Adam Gase is on a 3-year clock, Miami needs maturity from Tunsil, and resultant progress from QB Tannehill: retooling lines is becoming an annual ordeal. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Draft Highlights: R1 DT Sheldon Rankins, Louisville; R2 WR Michael Thomas, Ohio St; S Vonn Bell, Ohio St. Veteran Gains: TE Coby Fleener; LB James Laurinaitis; DT Nick Fairley; K Connor Barth. Losses: CB Brandon Browner; WR Marques Colston; OG Jahri Evans; TE Ben Watson.

A bare-cupboard defense gained names in free agency and the draft – Rankins, Fairley should kickstart the D-line – and removed DC Rob Ryan. There’s still much to do; Brees needs a new contract, and even with the veteran patches, the Saints feel one year from a reboot. CLEVELAND BROWNS

Draft Highlights: R1 WR Corey Coleman, Baylor; R2 DE Emmanuel Ogbah, Okla St; R3 DE Carl Nassib, Penn St; OT Shon Coleman, Auburn; QB Cody Kessler, QB, USC; R5 OT Spencer Drango, Baylor; R7 ILB Scooby Wright III, Arizona. Veteran Gains: QB Robert Griffin III; S Rahim Moore; LBs Justin Tuggle, Demario Davis; CB Eric Patterson. Losses: OT Mitchell Schwartz; S Donte Whitner; DE Randy Starks; C Alex Mack; LBs Karlos Dansby, Craig Robertson; WR Dwayne Bowe; QB Johnny Manziel.

The Browns cut Johnny Manziel, signed RGIII, and opted out of drafting a QB high. Coleman’s a great pick, and they found draft value late, but the talent keeps escaping at the back end of their contracts – Cleveland may never be the destination of choice. Ex-Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson is a positive hire as head coach, but it’s just another ‘year one’ in Cleveland.

The American

NEW YORK JETS

Jared Goff, new face of the LA Rams PHOTO COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

CAROLINA PANTHERS

Draft Highlights: R1 DT Vernon Butler, La. Tech; R2 S James Bradberry, Samford; R3 CB Daryl Worley, WVU. Veteran Gains: DL Paul Soliai. Losses: WR Jerricho Cotchery; CB Josh Norman; DE Jared Allen (ret.).

The offseason wasn’t perfect: with Norman, the Panthers essentially cut a player who maybe wanted to remain. However, they regain WR Kelvin Benjamin, who missed all last season. A 15-1 team hardly slipped. DETROIT LIONS

Draft Highlights: R1 OT Taylor Decker, Ohio St; R2 DT A’Shawn Robinson, Ala.; R3 C Graham Glasgow, Mich. Veteran Gains: WRs Marvin Jones, Andre Caldwell; RB Stevan Ridley; OG Geoff Schwartz; S Rafael Bush. Losses: WR Calvin Johnson; CB Rashean Mathis; RB Joique Bell.

You can’t watch Calvin Johnson retire and call it a good offseason. However, Jones will certainly dull the pain. Former Patriots scouting chief Bob Quinn became the Lions’ new GM and drafted for their needy lines. ATLANTA FALCONS

Draft Highlights: R1 S Keanu Neal, Florida; R2 ILB Deion Jones, LSU; R3 TE Austin Hooper, Stanford. Veteran Gains: C Alex Mack; DE Derrick Shelby; WR Mohamed Sanu; OLBs Courtney Upshaw, Sean Weatherspoon; QB Matt Schaub. Losses: S William Moore; DT Paul Soliai; OLB Justin Durant; WR Roddy White; C Gino Gradkowski; OT Jake Long.

Draft Highlights: R1 ILB Darron Lee, Ohio St; R2 Christian Hackenberg, QB, Penn St; R3 OLB Jordan Jenkins, OLB; R4 CB Juston Burris, NC State. Veteran Gains: RB Matt Forte; OT Ryan Clady; NT Steve McLendon; CB Darryl Morris; LB Bruce Carter. Losses: NT Damon Harrison; RBs Chris Ivory, Stevan Ridley; OT D’Brickashaw Ferguson (retired).

The Jets add Forte, Clady, but grade low because right now, QB is a self-inflicted distraction: Ryan Fitzpatrick is holding out, and the Jets used a Round 2 pick to draft a QB who hasn’t excelled since high school.

NOSEDIVING DENVER BRONCOS

Draft Highlights: R1 QB Paxton Lynch, Memphis; R2 DT Adam Gotsis, GTech; R3 S Justin Simmons, BC; R4 RB Devontae Booker, Utah. Veteran Gains: OTs Russell Okung, Donald Stephenson; QB Mark Sanchez, DL Jared Crick. Losses: QBs Brock Osweiler, Peyton Manning (retired); DE Malik Jackson; LB Danny Trevathan; OLs Evan Mathis, Ryan Clady; S David Bruton; TE Vernon Davis; WR Andre Caldwell.

The drafting of Lynch saved a dire situation, but they lost pieces on defense and on the O-line, CB Aqib Talib is recovering from a gunshot wound, and Von Miller’s holdout may become acrimonious. This is not the stuff that Super Bowl repeats are made of. LOS ANGELES RAMS

Draft Highlights: R1 QB Jared Goff, Cal; R4 TE Tyler Higbee, W Kentucky; WR Pharoh Cooper, S Caro. Veteran Gains: DT Dominique Easley; DE Quinton Coples. Losses: S Rodney McLeod; DT Nick Fairley; CB Janoris Jenkins; TE Jared Cook; DE Chris Long; LB James Laurinaitis.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

The Rams committed a lot to take Jared Goff, who went 14-23 in college. RB Todd Gurley will again pace the offense, but many other names departed, and the move to LA, while great news for the NFL, has to be a disruption for the franchise itself. Like the 1989 Cowboys, the record may get worse before it gets much better. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Marshawn Lynch is gone (we think), but the Seahawks will get by with a backfield combo of rookies and Thomas Rawls. The line is more of an issue, and while

Chip Kelly... 49ers... Blaine Gabbert or Colin Kaepernick (who requested a trade). No potential dysfunction here, then! Free agency was spookily quiet, so if Kelly and Kaepernick click, it’s still not a great or tailored roster. Buckner’s impact is likely to be immediate, however.

It was an utterly forgettable draft, but new contracts for Atlanta’s developing offensive line and the addition of Alex Mack could be reason enough for the Falcons not to fade down the stretch this year. Draft Highlights: R1 OT Germain Ifedi, Texas A&M; R2 DT Jarran Reed, Alabama; R3 RB C.J. Prosise, Notre Dame; R5 RB Alex Collins, Ark; R7 RB Zac Brooks, Clemson. Veteran Gains: DE Chris Clemons; CB Brandon Browner. Veteran Losses: LB Bruce Irvin; OT Russell Okung; DT Brandon Mebane, LS Clint Gresham, OG J.R. Sweezy, RB Marshawn Lynch.

Draft Highlights: R1 DT DeForest Buckner, Oregon; OG Joshua Garnett, Stanford; R3 CB Will Redmond, Miss St. Veteran Gains: OG Zane Beadles. Losses: WR Anquan Boldin; OG Alex Boone; RB Reggie Bush.

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PROFILE

ic Roldan is the Captain of the US Polo Team, he’s currently the leading American polo player with an impressive 8-goal handicap rating in the US and 7 in the UK. He’s the youngest player in the world to win the US Polo Open title - at age 15 - and has won matches on all five continents. Nic has many philanthropic activities and also has a burgeoning modeling career – not for nothing does his website (www.nicroldan.com) call him the face of American polo! Here’s Nic Roldan, in his own words. Where were you born? Buenos Aires, Argentina And raised? Wellington, FL, where I live now, but I always traveled all over as my dad was also a professional polo player. I’m a fourth generation polo player. What was your schooling like? Exceptional! A straight A student! ...no, not so much but I did have a

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great time at school. Sports were my thing, I played hockey, roller-hockey and golf at school to a pretty high level until polo totally took over. What did you want to be when you grew up? A rapper! What was your first job? My first and last, I’m still doing it; playing polo professionally! Actually my first real job was as a goal-judge aka “Flag-Wagger” at polo games being paid a couple of dollars a game. What would you have done if you hadn’t taken up the sport professionally? I was offered a hockeyscholarship. Aside of polo I also work in real estate, with my mother, we have flipped several properties and I really enjoy working with her remodeling properties. We love to bounce design ideas off each other. Her designs and style are unique and definitely inspired by her upbringing in Europe and by her travels. She loves to integrate old antiques into

PHOTO BY ROB BOWMAN

NIC ROLDAN AMERICAN POLO STAR her designs. My style has been a mix of contemporary and modern. We try to combine both styles together in addition to my house being a lofty masculine look and feel. With two of my close friends we formed an equestrian development company where we design and develop equestrian properties. What do you find enjoyable/exciting about polo? The speed, the adrenaline, the horses, the family aspect, the travel, what’s not to like? Married, Single or Significant Other? Girlfriend. Do you have children? One step at a time! But I spend a lot of time with my sister’s two sons Santos and Indio. Your favorite restaurants in the UK and in the USA? UK: Zuma in London, Comestibles in Midhurst, W. Sussex. USA: Park Avenue Wellington, FL and Imoto in Palm Beach, FL.

What five people, living or dead, would you invite to dine with you there? My mum, dad, sister, girlfriend and my PA, but if you’re looking for famous people, probably Mandela, Jesus, the Dalai Lama, Micheal Jordan and Jordan Spieth. If you could come back in another life who - or what - would you be? As one of my polo ponies, they have a great life and are looked after so well. Your most irritating habit? Saying “you know” a few too many times. What are the best/worst/funniest things about the British people? Their dry-humor. Have your perceptions about Britain changed since being here? It really is beautiful and the weather isn’t as bad as it is played out to be. How have British culture, lifestyle or people influenced you? It hasn’t! What could the British learn from the Americans – and vice versa? The British could learn to drive on the right side of the road!

would be Eminem’s first album, The Rolling Stones best hits and Coldplay’s A Head Full of Dreams.

Do you have a philosophy or motto in life? Live everyday like it’s your last.

If you were a politician, what would you do today to change the world? Cue my Miss Universe moment: “World Peace”! Also I’m an Ambassador to Brooke USA. I would like to improve the lives of working horses, donkeys and mules in some of the world’s poorest communities and with that the lives of the people who rely on them.

What are your ambitions? To increase awareness and participation for the sport at all levels, reach the highest accolade 10-goal status, play the Argentine Open, claim a second US Polo Open title, add more worldwide Polo trophies to my cabinet and help America reclaim the infamous Westchester Cup.

Who has been the guiding force in your life? My dad is my role model.

Finally, what’s the best thing about being Nic Roldan? I’ll let you know when I find out! 

American horsepower #2: Nic partners with Jeep UK to get around Britain: “It really is beautiful and the weather isn’t as bad as it is played out to be.”

What’s your favorite poem? The Horse by Ronald Duncan. What book are you reading? How Champions Think: In Sports and in Life by Dr. Bob Rotella. What would be on your ‘desert island iPod’? I love music, everything from pop to trance to classical, different things for different moods, it’s a universal language. Milky Chance, Bastille, 21 Pilots, Dr Dre… My top three records of all time

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Eagles Over Rio Gary Jordan looks at USA Rugby’s chances at the Rio Olympics

ugby makes a welcome return to the Olympics this summer, the first time the sport will be contested at the Games since 1924. In that year the game was played in the traditional format of 15 players per side, this time it will be played with the exciting and explosive Sevens style, something the USA are particularly good at and the Eagles will go to Rio with a realistic chance of a medal. Rugby Sevens is played at a full on pace, where bravery meets skill, and its sometimes unpredictable nature can often throw upsets as the form book gets ripped up. It is enjoyed worldwide with the popular World Series events around the globe. It is this competition that persuaded the members of the IOC (International Olympic Committee) that the Sevens was a winning formula, and the vote in October 2009 was won by a landside of 81 in favor, with just 8 against. Bernard Lapasset, Chairman of World Rugby said, “We are excited and honored to be joining the Olympic Games and I would like to thank the IOC members for believing in our Olympic vision and our values and recognizing that rugby sevens is a perfect fit for the Olympic Games.” So what exactly are the USA Eagles chances of coming away with

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a medal? Well, very high should they get the bounce of ball and certain players perform to the high standards they’ve set themselves.

USA Men’s Eagles

For the second year running the men’s team finished in sixth place overall in the World Series standings and achieved a third place on two tournament weekends, the second coming in London where they won last year. They managed to beat eventual overall champions Fiji in the 3rd place game to end the competitive year on a high. Qualification for Rio was secured in 2015 when they won the NACRA Series, beating Canada 21-5 in the final. Players to look out for are team captain Madison Hughes, Zack Test and Perry Baker. Hughes is the alltime leading point’s scorer and a mainstay in the team since 2013. His all round play made him the easy choice to be captain by Head Coach Mike Friday. Test has been in the Eagles setup since 2009 and is simply a try scoring machine with nearly 150 tries [equivalent to touchdowns, gridiron fans] in just over 70 World Series games. Baker has also had his fair share of scoring after he made the transition from American Football’s Arena Football League (AFL) where speed is king.

Head coach Mike Friday has a wealth of playing and coaching experience. He played for 15 different Rugby Union teams, most notably Wasps and Harlequins, before going on to be captain of the England Sevens teams. In his coaching he led England to a second and third place in the World Series before putting Kenya on the map with a fifth place in 2012/13. “The Olympics captures the imagination of the sporting public in America. If rugby can position itself and we can do well as an Olympic sport, then all of a sudden it will hit the eyes of so many more Americans” he said at the start of this year’s Series. The Men’s Olympic Sevens will take place August 9-11 at the Deodoro Sports Complex.

USA Women’s Eagles

Not to be outdone the Women’s team have also qualified for Rio. They ended their World Series season with a loss to tournament hosts France 22-19 in the Plate Final for a sixth place finish. Head coach Richard Walker has now just under two months to get his side fully prepared for the challenges ahead. Upon taking over in March 2016 it’s been a case of steadying the ship for Walker and the USA Director of Rugby Per-

Left: Rio de Janeiro

PHOTO ©SAMA093

formance Alex Magleby said of his appointment, “Richie is an obvious choice to move the team towards the goals laid out for Rio.” The result in France meant that the Women emulated the men in finishing sixth overall in the final standings, one down from the previous year. It was an inconsistent series, their strongest outing coming when they grabbed a fourth place in Brazil, which bodes well for the Olympics. Alev Kelter is the team’s all-time leading scorer and will be the main threat to the scoreboard again this summer, ably backed up by the speedy 22 year old Kristen Thomas. Victoria Folayan is one of the ‘veteran’ players in the squad and her qualities in the last tournament in France came to the fore, an all-round gifted athlete that will be needed to help guide the younger players through what will be a nervous time in the Olympics opening stages.

leading players across the world of rugby. He was attracted by its physicality and it wasn’t long before he was the first name on the team sheet for the USA after making his debut in 2009. Canada have stood in his - and the USA team’s - way

three times in major events recently so Chuck will be all out for the Gold medal this time. The Paralympic Wheelchair Rugby will take place September 14-18 at the Barra Complex.

The Women’s Olympic Sevens will take place August 6-8 at the Deodoro Sports Complex.

USA Wheelchair Rugby

Another medal chance comes in the form of Wheelchair Rugby in the Paralympics which will be held in Rio a month after the able bodied athletes finish their tournament. The USA took their place alongside seven other competing nations in Rio by winning a qualifying tournament in Paris this past April. They are currently ranked second in the world rankings behind Canada, which means they have been kept apart in the opening group stage, with USA headlining a four nation pool with Japan, Sweden and France providing the opposition. After making the switch from wheelchair basketball, Chuck Aoki has become one of the

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A Daily Fantasy Darren Kilfara succumbs to the lure of fantasy golf, and starts hate-watching

made my daily fantasy sports debut a few months ago. Some friends in an online discussion forum had created a weekly DraftKings golf competition, and it sounded like good and mostly harmless fun, so I asked if I could join in. Now, I’m through the looking glass. The way I watch the PGA Tour has changed – massively, and possibly irrevocably. DraftKings is by far the most popular website for daily fantasy golf competitions. Before each tour event, DraftKings assigns every golfer in the field a dollar value between roughly $5,000 and $13,000, and you get a budget of $50,000 with which to pick a lineup of six golfers. Each golfer scores points for you on every hole they play: 0.5 points for a par, minus-0.5 points for a bogey, minus-1 point for a double bogey or worse, 3 points for a birdie, and 8 points for an eagle. They also earn points based upon their final standing in the tournament – 30 points for a win, 20 for second, 18 for third, etc., down to

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1 point for finishing between 41st and 50th – and bonuses for stuff like making three birdies in a row, shooting a bogey-free round, and posting four rounds in the 60s.

In my league of online friends, eight people pony up a $5 entry fee ($10 for the big tournaments) each week, and the two with the most points win everyone else’s money after DraftKings takes its cut. I started playing in March, and for the first few weeks I used my years of accumulated golf knowledge, a sliver of additional research, and a large dollop of gut instinct to choose my lineups. I never finished in the top two; I led the Masters competition with 18 holes to go, thanks in

no small part to my bargain ($5,500) selection of Bernhard Langer, but as Langer faded on Sunday, so did my hopes of success. I thought DraftKings would enhance my enjoyment of golf on television, particularly on Thursdays and Fridays when the drama of Sunday feels so far away. Instead, I found myself hate-watching each tournament, rooting insanely hard against 90% of the field. The stakes – $5 entry, $25.20 top prize – weren’t large, but they existed, and I struggled to ignore them as I watched. And I found myself caring less if Jordan Spieth birdied his final two holes to force a Masters playoff than whether Hideki Matsuyama might overtake Matthew Fitzpatrick and cost me 2 points if Fitzpatrick slipped from a tie for sixth into a tie for seventh. This wasn’t fun. So for the RBC Heritage, the week after the Masters, I took a different tack: I went all in. I fired up an Excel spreadsheet, compiled lists of every Top 25 finish at Harbour

Below Left: Darren’s DraftKings Account Right: Darren’s spreadsheet life get’s complicated!

Town since 2010, plotted everyone’s last four Tour results, even charted wind and weather forecasts relative to morning and afternoon tee times on Thursday and Friday. And then I chose eight unique combinations of 18 different golfers and entered those lineups into eight competitions, mostly “Double Up” events in which the top 44% or so of entrants double their initial stake but also one $3 event with a much smaller percentage of prizewinners but big rewards for the winners, including a top prize of $100,000. My reasoning was twofold: first, spreading my bets would make it harder to know who to root for and against, and therefore easier to enjoy what I was watching. Second, it might be fun to impersonate an inveterate gambler in the name of investigative journalism. Everything started well: through two rounds at Harbour Town, one of my lineups in the $100,000 competition was in 143rd place out of nearly 100,000 entries, and sugarplum fairies were dancing in my head. But something funny happened: an illtimed bogey here, an ill-timed birdie there, and by Sunday evening all of my lineups together had won exactly my original total stake and no more. I tried again at the Texas Open the following week (12 lineups, 21 golfers), and again I broke exactly even. My research became more and more extensive: now I have a database of every golfer’s PGA Tour results (and some European Tour results) for the

past three months and their six-year track records at each event. But no matter how hard I work, I never win or lose no more than a few dollars. And I still have no top-two finishes within the original group that brought me down this ridiculous path. DraftKings has taught me several lessons about professional golf. One is that form is fickle: e.g., in the first seven events after the Masters, the previous results of each tournament winner were MC (missed cut), T14 (tied for 14th), T55, MC, T5, T54 and T18. Nobody stays hot forever, but golfers like James Hahn – eight MCs in a row followed by a win at Quail Hollow – can find form from nowhere. We’re firmly in the postTiger era now: there are no sure bets in golf anymore. Perhaps more importantly, I’ve learned to appreciate every golfer in each tournament. Jordan Spieth headlined the Colonial field and duly won in spectacular style, but Bronson Burgoon and Si Woo Kim and Hudson Swafford and Blayne Barber were there too – and when you study the form charts and see nothing but “MC” and “DNP” (did not play) in some rows, you really begin to fathom just how difficult it is to fashion a good PGA Tour career. I usually concentrate on and write about the best players in the world – their triumphs, their failures, their futures – and in that context I want Quail Hollow to showcase Rory or Rickie, or the next Rory or Rickie, not

a playoff between Hahn and Roberto Castro. But the PGA Tour is as much about the Hahns and Castros as it is the Rorys and Rickies, and DraftKings makes me realize that more than I ever thought I could. Still, fantasy golf annoys the hell out of me. The stats geek in me loves it, but the golfing purist in me detests it, and Dustin Johnson (whose charms are normally lost on me) finding the water on the 71st hole in Dallas – costing me at least $20 in the process – may be my most negatively ambivalent moment in golfing history. So this is what gambling addiction feels like, eh? I really hate golf sometimes.

US expat Darren Kilfara formerly worked for Golf Digest magazine and is the author of A Golfer’s Education (below), a memoir of his junior year abroad as a student-golfer at the University of St. Andrews. His latest book, a novel called Do You Want Total War?, is also now available online at Amazon and elsewhere.

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PHOTO COURTESY SWANSEA CITY FC

The Bucks Behind the EPL

Two Swansea City fans celebrate

by Daniel M Byway

he news broke early in June US is also becoming a key market EPL matches via NBC had grown by that Swansea City has become for English soccer. Reports from 150% - it’s predicted to rise further. This Summer also marks another the latest English Premier League October 2015 indicated that, in the (EPL) soccer team to benefit from preceding three years, the number pre-season of EPL teams competUS Investment, as American busi- of American viewers tuning in to ing Stateside (see table) a trend that seems to be growing year on nessmen Jason Levien and ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE year. Steve Kaplan take a majorInvestors US Franchise involvement Whilst the home-grown ity share at the Welsh club. Club Arsenal Stan Kroenke Los Angeles Rams (NFL), Denver Nuggets (NBA), US league, Major League Levien owns the MLS Colorado Avalanche (NHL), Colorado Rapids (MLS) Soccer, continues to gain soccer team DC United Liverpool John Henry Boston Red Sox (MLB), Roush Fenway Racing (NASCAR) established stars such as and Kaplan is co-executive Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL) David Villa and Andrea Pirlo, chairman of NBA’s Memphis Manchester Utd Avram & Joel Glazer Ellis Short the next big sport to become Grizzlies, but what brings Sunderland Jason Levien & Steve Kaplan DC United (MLS), Memphis Grizzlies (NBA) a staple of the US sporting them to the growing club of Swansea calendar could actually be American investors in Pre- ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Pre-Season Stateside Features Pre-Season North American Fixtures Date the English Premier League. mier League soccer squads? Club vs MLS All Stars (Avaya Stadium, California) July 29 Amongst much denial, the A hint comes in the 2016 Arsenal vs Chivas de Guadalajara (StubHub Center, Calfornia) July 31 rumours still persist of comDeloitte Football Money vs Liverpool (Rose Bowl, California) July 28 petitive EPL matches taking League report. Deloitte esti- Chelsea vs Real Madrid (Michigan Stadium, Michigan) July 30 place on American soil. It mates that Premier League vs AC Milan (US Bank Stadium, Minnesota) August 4 also looks likely that a Scotclubs’ revenues will grow by Crystal Palace vs Philadelphia Union (PPL Park, Philadelphia) July 14 vs Cincinnati (Nippert Stadium, Ohio) July 17 tish competitive fixture over 20% in the 2016/2017 vs Vancouver Whitecaps (BC Place, British Columbia) July 20 between Celtic and Dundee season, to over £4.3 billion, vs Paris Saint-Germain (Los Angeles) July 30 is on the verge of being fora figure no doubt helped by Leicester City vs Chelsea (Rose Bowl, California) July 28 mally announced to take the recent £5.14 billion TV Liverpool vs AC Milan (Levi’s Stadium, California) July 31 place at Philadelphia’s Linrights deal. vs Roma (Busch Stadium, Missouri) August 2 coln Financial Field. Perhaps Coupled with the grow- Stoke City vs Orlando City (Titan Soccer Complex, Florida) July 27 the British are indeed coming financial returns from Swansea City vs Charlotte Independence (Ramblewood Stadium, N Carolina) July 13 vs Richmond Kickers (City Stadium, Virginia) July 16 ing in the near future. investment in the EPL, the

West Ham

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vs Seattle Sounders (CenturyLink Field, Washington) vs Carolina Railhawks (WakeMed Soccer Park, N Carolina)

July 6 July 13

American SOCIAL GROUPS

American Friends of the Royal Institution 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 development@royalsociety.org 020 7451 2211

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Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 66-68 Exhibition Rd, 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. Hyde Park Crescent, London W2 2QD 020 7262 1732, parishadmin@stjohns-hydepark.com www.stjohns-hydepark.com Commonwealth Church Rev. Rod Anderson, PO Box 15027, London SE5 0YS commonwealthchurch.com Democrats Abroad (UK) Box 65, 22 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3JE www.democratsabroad.org.uk 020 7724 9796 www.democratsabroad.org/group/united-kingdom Register to vote: www.votefromabroad.org

Friends of Benjamin Franklin House Director: Dr. Márcia Balisciano 36 Craven St,London WC2N 5NF 0207 839 2006 www.benjaminfranklinhouse.org info@benjaminfranklinhouse.org

Rotary Great Britain and Ireland www.ribi.org, membership.rcol@gmail.com 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 212- 480-2889 or (800) 913-6565 ssawyer@royal-oak.org www.royal-oak.org St Andrew’s Lutheran Church Serving Americans since 1960. Whitby Road & Queens Walk, Ruislip, West London. Services: 11 am. 020 8845 4242 pastorvan43@hotmail.com www.standrewslutheran.co.uk, www.lutheran.co.uk T.R.A.C.E. P.W. Reuniting children with GI fathers and their families. Norma Jean Clarke-McCloud 29 Connaught Avenue, Enfield EN1 3BE normajean78@hotmail.com www.tracepw.org

Lions Club International Lakenheath & District 105EA, 15 Highfields Drive, Lakenheath, Suffolk IP27 9EH. Tel 01842 860752 www.lionsclubs.org

United Nations Association, Westminster Chairman: David Wardrop 61 Sedlescombe Road, London SW6 1RE 0207 385 6738 info@unawestminster.org.uk www.unawestminster.org.uk www.wethepeoples.org.uk

St Anne’s Lutheran Church stannes.stagnes@gmail.com www.stanneslutheranchurch.org.uk

USA Girl Scouts Overseas – North Atlantic gsmembership@usagso-na.org www.usagso-na.org

Methodist Central Hall Westminster, London SW1H 9NH 020 7654 3809, church@mchw.org.uk www.methodist-central-hall.org.uk

Farm Street Church 114 Mount Street, Mayfair, London W1K 3AH Tel: 020 7493 7811 www.farmstreet.org.uk

North Am. Friends of Chawton House Library US 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.chawtonhouse.org

Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) Department of Defense, 1155 Defense Pentagon, Washington DC 20301-1155. UK 0800 028 8056, US:1-800-438- VOTE (8683). www.fvap.gov vote@fvap.ncr.gov

Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner 5th Floor, Counting House, 53 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QN 0207 211 1500 info@oisc.gov.uk www.oisc.gov.uk

The American

Rotary Club of London 6 York Gate, London NW1 4QG. Tel. 020 7487 5429

SOCIAL American Club of Hertfordshire President: Kathy Morris Wood End, 29 Orchard Road, Tewin, Herts AL6 0HL 01438 798 389 hertsamerica@outlook.com American Expats of the Northwest of England The Ruskin Rooms, Drury Lane, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 6HA. expatsnw@gmail.com American Society in London Chairman Raymond A Colledge 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 AWBS International Women’s Club [formerly American Women of Berkshire & Surrey] PO Box 10, Virginia Water, Surrey GU25 4YP. www.awbs.org.uk info@awbs.org.uk American Women of Surrey PO Box 185, Cobham, Surrey KT11 3YJ. www.awsurrey.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’s Club of Dublin P.O. Box 2545, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 IRELAND www.awcd.net awcdmembers@gmail.com American Women’s Club of London 68 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3LQ. 020 7589 8292 awc@awclondon.org www.awclondon.org Americans in Bristol Tim Ellis 07572 342483 Twitter @americansinbris americansinbristol@yahoo.com www.facebook.com/groups/USEXPATSINBRISTOL Anglian Shrine Club Recorder: Allan David Warnes “Koloma House”, Warren Avenue, Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 8NP 01328 862001, 07860187333, VOIP 08714084364 Skype batman4499adw allan@allandavidwarnes.co.uk www.anglianshrineclub.co.uk 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 Clubs Patricia Connett-Woodcock, 87 Brabazon Road, Heston, Middlesex TW5 9LL, 020 8897 0723 tricia_baasdc@btinternet.com www.squaredancing.co.uk Canadians & Americans in Southern England 023 9241 3881 contactcase@casecommunity.com Canadian Women’s Club 1 Grosvenor Square, London W1K 4AB Tues–Thurs 10.30-3.30 0207 258 6344 info@canadianwomenlondon.org www.canadianwomenlondon.org CAWC Int’l (was Chilterns American Women’s Club) PO Box 445, Gerrards Cross, Bucks, SL9 8YU 07789 076238 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 (London) stjameschapter-nsdar.org regent@stjamesnsdar.org, UKDARStJames@aol.com Daughters of the American Revolution Walter Hines Page Chapter Diana Frances Diggines, Regent dardiana@hotmail.co.uk www.dar.org/national-society East Anglia American Club 49 Horsham Close, Haverhill, Suffolk CB9 7HN 01440 766 967 eaacexpats@karej.co.uk English-Speaking Union Director-General: Jane Easton Dartmouth House, 37 Charles Street, London W1J 5ED. Tel: 020 7529 1550 esu@esu.org

North American Connection (West Midlands) PO Box 10543, Knowle, Solihull, West Midlands. B93 8ZY 0870 720 0663 info@naconnect.com www.naconnect.com 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 Petroleum Women’s Club of London www.pwc-london.co.uk Petroleum Women’s Club of Scotland pwcscotland@yahoo.co.uk www.pwcos.com Pilgrims of Great Britain Allington Castle, Maidstone, Kent M16 0NB. 01622 606404 sec@pilgrimsociety.org Propeller Club of the United States, London propellerclubhq.com +1 703-691-2777 [USA]

Hampstead Women’s Club President - Betsy Lynch. Tel: 020 7435 2226 email president@hwcinlondon.co.uk www.hwcinlondon.co.uk

Royal Society of St George Enterprise House, 10 Church Hill, Loughton, Essex IG10 1LA. +44 (0) 20 3225 5011 info@royalsocietyofstgeorge.com www.royalsocietyofstgeorge.com

High Twelve International, Inc. Arnold Page High Twelve Club 298 Secretary, Darrell C. Russell 01638 715764 russelld130@btinternet.com

Order of the Eastern Star #45 Washington Jurisdiction District #9, RAF Lakenheath sogb45@yahoo.com elizabeth.jackson.tripod.com/sogb

Inter-Cultural Society of London Contact: Dr Kenneth Reed, 01753 892698, kjreed37@yahoo.co.uk ticsl.org

St John’s Wood Women’s Club membership@sjwwc.org www.sjwwc.org

kcwc (was Kensington & Chelsea Women’s Club) President: Anna Groot, president@kcwc.org.uk Membership: potential@kcwc.org.uk www.kcwc.org.uk Facebook /kcwc.kcwc Twitter @kcwc_womensclub

Thames Valley American Women’s Club PO Box 1687, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 8XT. 01628 632683 membership@tvawc.com www.tvawc.com

Knightsbridge Village info@knightsbridge-village.com www.knightsbridge-village.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

Limerick International Women’s Organisation www.limerickiwo.com limerickiwo@live.ie New Neighbours Diana Parker, Rosemary Cottage, Rookshill, Rickmansworth, Herts WD3 4HZ, 01923 772185 welcomeservicesinternational.com/index.php/finda-welcome-service-in-your-area/106-england/133new-neighbours-limited.html

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W.E.B. DuBois Consistory #116 Northern Jurisdiction, Valley of London, England, Orient of Europe, Cell: 0776-873-8030 mjack36480@aol.com

MILITARY 290 Foundation (UK Confederate Navy memorial) Ian Dewar, President, 2 Thompson Drive, Middleton on the Wolds, East Riding, Yorkshire YO25 9TX 01377 217 442 290admin@onetel.com sites.google.com/site/290foundation

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AFJROTC 073 Lakenheath High School. Tel: 01638 525603 Air Force Sergeants Association (AFSA) Chapters at RAFs Alconbury, Croughton, Lakenheath and Mildenhall. staff@hqafsa.org www.hqafsa.org American Legion London Post 1 Adjutant: Christopher Shea, 10 Ivel Bridge Road, Biggleswade, Befordshire SG18 0AB 07501-062-882 info@amlegionpost1london.org.uk www.amlegionpost1london.org.uk

Military Officers’ Association of America www.moaa.org msc@moaa.org

ACS International Schools ACS Cobham International School, Heywood, www.acs-england.co.uk

Bentwaters/Woodbridge Retirees’ Association President: Wylie Moore. 2 Coldfair Close, Knodishall, Saxmundham, Suffolk, IP17 1UN. 01728 830281

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.

Madingley American Cemetery Cambridge The American Battle Monuments Commission Madingley Road, Coton, Cambridge CB23 7PH 01954-210350 www.madingleyamericancemetery.info damian.lappin@madingleyamericancemetery.info

Eighth Air Force Historical Society Gordon Richards/Michelle Strefford UK Office, The Croft, 26 Chapelwent Road, Haverhill, Suffolk CB9 9SD, 01440 704014 www.8thafhs.org

Joint RAF Alconbury/Molesworth Retiree Affairs Office 423, ABG/RAO, Unit 5623, RAF Alconbury, Huntingdon, Cambs., PE28 4DE, rao@alconbury.af.mil 01480 843364 (Tues only 10:30-14:30) Joint RAF Mildenhall/Lakenheath Retiree Affairs Office Co-Directors Dick Good & Jack Kramer Unit 8965, Box 30, RAF Mildenhall, Bury St. Edmonds, Suffolk, IP28 8NF 01638 542039 rao1@us.af.mil

The American

AFJROTC 20021 Principal.AlconburyHS@eu.dodea.edu 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 020 7449 1200, www.asl.org admissions@asl.org American School of Aberdeen Craigton Road, Cults, Aberdeen. 01224 861068 / 868927.

US Air Force Recruiting Office Bldg 239 Room 139, RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk IP28 8NF 01638-54-4942/1566 phillip.guffa@mildenhall.af.mil

Commander in Chief, US Naval Forces Europe US Naval Forces Europe-Africa - US Sixth Fleet www.c6f.navy.mil, CNE-C6FPAO@eu.navy.mil

Friends of the Eighth Newsletter (FOTE News) Chairman: Ron Mackay, 90 Elton Road, Sandbach, Cheshire, CW11 3NF, 01270 767669

EDUCATIONAL

Navy League of the United States, United Kingdom Council Council President: Steven G. Franck steven.franck@googlemail.com www.navyleague.org Reserve Officers Association London Col. B.V. Balch, USAR, 72 Westmoreland Road, Barnes, London SW13 9RY memberservices@roa.org www.roa.org

Brookwood American Cemetery The American Battle Monuments Commission Superintendant: Craig Rahanian. 01483 473237 Brookwood, Woking, Surrey GU24 0BL www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/ brookwood-american-cemetery

Western UK Retiree Association President: R. Jim Barber, MSgt (USAF), Ret 01280 708182

American Overseas Memorial Day Association To remember & honor the memory of those who gave their lives in World Wars I & II, whose final resting places are in Europe. info@aomda.com, aomda.com

British Patton Historical Society Kenn Oultram 01606 891303

Marine Corps League London, UK Detachment. Founding Commandant Michael E Allen, Creek Cottage, 2 Pednormead End, Old Chesham, Buckinghamshire HP5 2JS mcllondon.1088@sky.com www.mcl-london-uk.org

Retired Affairs Office, RAF Alconbury Serving Central England POC: Rex Keegan Alt. POC: Mike Depasquale 423 SVS/RAO, Unit 5585, Box 100, RAF Alconbury, Huntingdon, Cambs PE28 4DA. 01480 84 3364/3557 Office Hours: Tuesday and Friday, 10:30am–2:30pm RAO@Alconbury.af.mil. Emergency no. 07986 887905

Benjamin Franklin House 36 Craven Street, London WC2N 5NF. 020 7839 2006 info@benjaminfranklinhouse.org

Boston University – London Graduate Programs Office 43 Harrington Gardens, London SW7 4JU. 020 7244 6255, www.bu.edu/london

2nd Air Division Memorial Library The Forum, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 1AW 01603 774747 www.2ndair.org.uk 2admemorial.lib@norfolk.gov.uk

British American Educational Foundation Laurel Zimmermann, Executive Director BAEF, 520 Summit Avenue, Oradell, NJ 07649 USA (201) 2614438 www.baef.org

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 01280 708182 422abg.rao@croughton.af.mil

BUNAC Student Exchange Intern in Britain Program - Asst. Director: Jill Tabuteau, Priory House, Wrights Lane, London W8 6TA 020 7251 3472 www.bunac.org iib@bunac.org.uk

US Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point) UK Chapter President: Allison Bennett, bennett.ac@gmail.com Facebook: Kings Point Alumni - London/United Kingdom

Butler University, Institute for Study Abroad 21 Pembridge Gardens, London W2 4EB 020 7792 8751 www.ifsa-butler.org/england-overview.html

USNA Alumni Association UK Chapter Pres: LCDR Tim Fox ’97, timfox97@hotmail.com Vice Pres: Miguel Sierra ’90, mrsierra@chevron.com M’ship: Bart O’Brien ’98, bartonobrien2@yahoo.com Secretary: Matt Horan ’87, matthoran@btinternet.com

Centre Academy London 92 St John’s Hill, Battersea, London SW11 1SH Tel: 02077382344, info@centreacademy.net www.centreacademy.net

Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Commander: Ernest Paolucci, 00 33 (0)1.42.50.96.34 24, rue Gerbert, 75015 Paris, France

Centre Academy East Anglia Church Rd, Brettenham, Ipswich, Suffolk IP7 7QR Tel: 01449736404 admin@centreacademy.net www.centreacademy.net

Central Bureau for Educational Visits Director: Peter Upton, The British Council , 10 Spring Gardens, London SW1A 2BN, 020 7389 4004. Wales 029 2039 7346. Scotland 0131 447 8024. centralbureau@britishcouncil.org

Institute for the Study of the Americas Director: Professor James Dunkerley. Tel 020 7862 8879 americas@sas.ac.uk www.americas.sas.ac.uk International School of Aberdeen 296 North Deeside Rd, Milltimber, Aberdeen, AB13 0AB 01224 732267 admin@isa.aberdeen.sch.uk www.isa.aberdeen.sch.uk

Council on International Educational Exchange Dr. Michael Woolf, 52 Portland Street, London WIV 1JQ Tel 020 7478 2000 www.ciee.org contact@ciee.org Ditchley Foundation Ditchley Park, Enstone, Chipping Norton, Oxon OX7 4ER Tel 01608 677346 www.ditchley.co.uk info@ditchley.co.uk

International School of London 139 Gunnersbury Avenue, London W3 8LG. 020 8992 5823 mail@ISLschools.org www.islschools.org

Dwight School London Formerly North London International School 6 Friem Barnet Lane, London N11 3LX 020 8920 0600 vrose@dwightlondon.org www.dwightlondon.org European Council of International Schools Executive Director: Jean K Vahey Fourth Floor, 146 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 9TR 020 7824 7040 www.ecis.org ecis@ecis.org

Florida State University London Study Centre Administrative Director: Kathleen Paul 99 Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3LH. 020 7813 3233 intprog1@admin.fsu.edu www.international.fsu.edu/london Fordham University London Centre Academic Coordinator: Sabina Antal 23 Kensington Square, London W8 5HQ 020 7937 5023 londoncentre@fordham.edu www.fordham.edu

Ithaca College London Centre 35 Harrington Gardens, London SW7. Tel. 020 7370 1166 www.ithaca.edu/london bsheasgreen@ithacalondon.co.uk

University of Notre Dame London Program 1 Suffolk Street, London SW1Y 4HG 020 7484 7811, london@nd.edu http://international.nd.edu/about/notre-dameglobal-gateways/london-global-gateway Warnborough University International Office, Friars House, London SE1 8HB. Tel 020 7922 1200 www.warnborough.edu admin@warnborough.edu

Missouri London Study Abroad Program 32 Harrington Gardens, London SW7 4JU. 020 7373 7953. web_office@umsl.edu www.umsl.edu/services/cis/

Webster Graduate Studies Center Regent’s College, Regent’s Park, Inner Circle, London NW1 4NS, UK. 020 7487 7505, webster@regents.ac.uk www.webster.ac.uk

Regent’s University London Inner Circle, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4NS. 020 7486 9605. www.regents.ac.uk exrel@regents.ac.uk

Wroxton College Study Abroad with Fairleigh Dickinson University, Wroxton, Nr. Banbury, Oxfordshire OX15 6PX 01295 730551, www.fdu.edu admin@wroxton-college.ac.uk

Fulbright (US-UK Educational) Commission Dir. of Advisory Service: Lauren Welch Battersea Power Station, 188 Kirtling Street, London SW8 5BN 020 7498 4010 www.fulbright.co.uk Halcyon London International School Co-educational International Baccalaureate (IB). 33 Seymour Place, London W1H 5AU +44 (0)20 7258 1169 hello@halcyonschool.com halcyonschool.com

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

Harlaxton College UK Campus, University of Evansville, Harlaxton Manor, Grantham, Lincs. NG32 1AG. 01476 403000 harlaxton.ac.uk.

Schiller International, Wickham Court School Layhams Road, West Wickham, Kent BR4 9HW. Tel 0208 777 2942 Wickham@schillerintschool.com www.wickhamcourt.org.uk

Hult International Business School Undergraduate: Hult House East, 35 Commercial Road London E1 1LD +44 (0)20 7636 5667 Graduate: Hult House, 37-38 John Street, London WC1N 2AT +44 (0) 20 7636 5667 Enrolment: 22 Chelsea Manor Street, London SW3 5RL +44 (0)207 341 8555 www.hult.edu/en/contact-us/

TASIS England, American School Coldharbour Lane, Thorpe, Nr. Egham, Surrey TW20 8TE. 01932 565252, england.tasis.com ukadmissions@tasisengland.org UKCISA - Council for International Education 9-17 St. Albans Place, London N1 0NX 020 7354 5210 www.ukcisa.org.uk

Richmond, The American International University in London Queen’s Road, Richmond-upon Thames TW10 6JP Tel: +44 20 8332 9000 enroll@richmond.ac.uk www.richmond.ac.uk

Syracuse University London Program Faraday House, 48-51 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AE, sulondon.syr.edu

International School of London in Surrey Old Woking Road, Woking GU22 8HY, 01483 750409, www.islsurrey.com mail@islsurrey.com

Marymount International School, London Headmistress: Ms Sarah Gallagher George Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 7PE 020 8949 0571 info@marymountlondon.com www.marymountlondon.com

European-Atlantic Group PO Box 37431, London N3 2XP 020 8632 9253 justinglass@btinternet.com www.eag.org.uk

Southbank International Schools Kensington and Hampstead for 3-11 year olds; Westminster campuses for 11-18 year olds. 020 7243 3803 admissions@southbank.org www.southbank.org

Sotheby’s Institute of Art Postgraduate Art studies, plus day /evening courses 30 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3EE Tel: 0207 462 3232, info@sothebysinstitute.com www.sothebysinstitute.com

ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS Regent’s American College & Alliant U Alumni (formerly United States International University) President: Eric CK Chan 020 7487 7599 chane@regents.ac.uk, alumni@regents.ac.uk c/o Regent’s University London, Inner Circle, Regent’s Park, London, UK. www.alliant.edu Amherst College Bob Reichert RAreichert26b@aol.com, alumni@amherst.edu www.amherst.edu/alumni Andover/Abbot Association of London Jeffrey Hedges ‘71, President 07968 513 631, hedgeslon@hotmail.com www.andover.edu/alumni Association of MBAs info@mbaworld.com, www.mbaworld.com

t.vifor@mbaworld.com

The American

Babson College Nico von Stackelberg ‘12 vonstack@gmail.com Ben McLeod M’97 bernard.mcleod@gmail.com babson.alumni@btinternet.com Barnard College Club Hiromi Stone, President. 0207 935 3981, barnardclubgb@yahoo.co.uk Berkeley Club of London Geoff Kertesz berkeleyclublondon@gmail.com http://international.berkeley.edu/LondonClub www.facebook.com groups/223876564344656/ www.linkedin.com/groups/Berkeley-ClubLondon-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 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

Dartmouth College Club of London alumni.dartmouth.edu www.dartmouth.org Delta Kappa Gamma Society International Sheila Roberts, Membership Chair 01580 761165, worsleyroberts@btinternet.com www.dkggb.org.uk

NYU Alumni Club in London Jodi Ekelchik, President alumni.london@nyu.edu alumni.nyu.edu

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 STERN UK Alumni Club www.stern.nyu.edu/portal-partners/alumni sternukalumniclub@hotmail.com fjrodrgo@yahoo.com

Delta Zeta International Sorority Alumna Club Sunny Eades 01543 490 312 SunnyEades@aol.com www.deltazeta.org

Ohio University Alumni UK & Ireland Frank Madden, 01753 855 360 frank@madant.demon.co.uk www.ohioalumni.org

Duke University Club of England rpalany@gmail.com, a.sagar@promemoriauk.com www.dukealumni.com/alumni-communities/ regional-programs/groups/london

Penn Alumni Club of the UK w ww.alumniconnections.com/olc/pub/UPN/cpages/ home.jsp?chapter=4&org=UPN pennalumniuk@gmail.com

Emory University Alumni Chapter of the UK Matthew Williams, Chapter Leader 079 8451 4119, matthew.eric.williams@gmail.com www.alumni.emory.edu

Penn State Alumni Association pennstatelondon@gmail.com www.alumni.psu.edu

Georgetown Alumni Club Alexa Fernandez, GeorgetownLondon@Yahoo.com UKHoyas@gmail.com , alumni.georgetown.edu

The London Association of Phi Beta Kappa phibetakappalondon@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=5117368 www.pbkldn.org Twitter: @phibetakappaldn

Gettysburg College Alumni London Britt-Karin Oliver, brittkarin@aol.com alumni@gettysburg.edu www.gettysburg.edu/alumni2

Brown University Club of the United Kingdom President: Tugba Erem. Communication: Patrick Attie Alumni Club & Liaison: Vanessa Van Hoof Brown Club UK, Box 57100, London, EC1P 1RB contact@brownuk.org www.brownuk.org

Harvard Business School Club of London admin@hbsa.org.ukwww.hbsa.org.uk

Bryn Mawr Club Lady Quinton, President. Wendy Tiffin, Secretary/Treasurer, 52 Lansdowne Gardens, London SW8 2EF wendytif@ukgateway.net

Indiana University Alumni club of England ukhoosiers@gmail.com www.alumni.indiana.edu/clubs/england

Claremont Colleges Alumni in London Hadley Beeman, hadley_beeman@alumni.cmc.edu

KKG London Alumnae Association londonalumni.kkg@gmail.com w ww.kappakappagamma.org

Colgate Club of London Stephen W Solomon ‘76, President 0207 349 0738 swsolomon@hotmail.com

LMU Loyola Marymount Alumni Club London Alumni Relations: heather.wells@lmu.edu 310.338.4574 http://alumni.lmu.edu

Columbia Business School Alumni Club of London 6 Petersham Mews, London SW7 5NR www.cbsclublondon.org londonadmin@gsb.columbia.edu

Marymount University Alumni UK Chapter President: Mrs Suzanne Tapley, 35 Park Mansions, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7QT. 020 7581 3742 www.marymount.edu/alumni

Columbia University Club of London london@alumniclubs.columbia.edu www.alumniclubs.columbia.edu/london

MIT Club of Great Britain reenan@alum.mit.edu greatbritain.alumclub.mit.edu

Cornell Club of London nmt4@cornell.edu www.alumni.cornell.edu/orgs/int/London

Mount Holyoke Club of Britain mhcbritain@gmail.com sites.alumnae.mtholyoke.edu/wp/ukclub

The American

Notre Dame Club of London ndlondon@alumni.nd.edu http://london.undclub.org/

Princeton Association (UK) membership@princeton.org.uk princeton.org.uk Rice Alumni of London Kathy Wang 07912 560 177 a lumni.rice.edu kathyw@alumni.rice.edu, suzanne.boue@rice.edu

Harvard Club of the United Kingdom president@hcuk.org, membership@hcuk.org www.hcuk.org

Skidmore College Alumni Club, London alumni.affairs@skidmore.edu w ww.skidmore.edu/alumni www.facebook.com/SkidmoreCollegeAlumni Smith College Club of London smithclubgb@gmail.com www.smithclubgb.org Stanford Business School Alumni Assn. UK alumni@gsb.stanford.edu alumni-gsb.stanford.edu/get/page/groups/ overview/?group_id=0038990048

Syracuse University Alumni UK SUalumniUK@syr.edu sulondon.syr.edu/about/sualumniuk.html www.facebook.com/SUajlumniUK Texas Tech Alumni Association - London Chapter Scott Dewar 077754 35877 sdewar2@gmail.com www.texastechalumni.org/chapters Texas Exes UK (UKTE) England: Carra Kane 0778 660 7534 carrakane@alumni.utexas.net Scotland: Corey Cripe coreycripe@gmail.com www.fornogoodreason.com/UKTEMain.htm

Texas A&M Club London london@aggienetwork.com www.aggienetwork.com/club-page/londn The John Adams Society johnadamssociety@gmail.com www.johnadamssociety.co.uk Tufts - London Tufts Alliance tuftsalumni.org Londontuftsalliance@yahoo.com UConn Alumni Association uconnalumni.com UnitedKingdom@UConnAlumni.com UMass Alumni Club UK President, Renu Singh, renu.singh@alumni.lse.ac.uk umassalumni.com University of California 020 7079 0567 london.universityofcalifornia.edu alumni@californiahouse.org.uk University of Chicago Alumni Association rupalyp@gmail.com, www.uchicagouk.org University of Chicago Booth Alumni Association President: hbunuan@chicagobooth.edu www.chicagobooth.edu/alumni/clubs/uk University of Colorado Alumni www.colorado.edu/alumni/connect/chapters-clubs/ london-forever-buffs-alumni-chapter Facebook: LondonForeverBuffs Email: contact via website University of Georgia Alumni Association Lee Hutchins lee67@uga.edu www.alumni.uga.edu/alumni/index.php/site/ chapters/london_chapter University of Illinois Alumni Club of the UK Amy Barklam BUS 1994, President, 07796 193 466 amybarklam@msn.com, alumni@uillinois.edu, illinoisalumni@uillinois.edu, uisalumni@uillinois.edu, uicalumni@uillinois.edu www.uialumninetwork.org University of Michigan Alumni Association 0788-784-0941, jesscobb@yahoo.com alumni.umich.edu University of North Carolina Alumni Club unclondoncochairs@googlegroups.com london.unc.alumnispaces.com, alumni.unc.edu University of Rochester/Simon School UK Alumni Association Julie Bonne, 0118-956-5052, julie_bonne@yahoo.com, alumni@rochester.edu www.rochester.edu/alumni

University of Southern California, USC Alumni Club of London Walter Ladwig, President usclondon@gmail.com uscalumnigroups.usc.edu/london/

University of Virginia Alumni Club of London uvaclubs.virginia.edu/group/uvaclub-of-london 020 7368 8473 , uvacluboflondon@gmail.com

US Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point) Alumni UK Chapter www.usmma.edu/alumni bennett.ac@gmail.com Facebook: Kings Point Alumni - London/United Kingdom USNA Alumni Association, UK Chapter President: Cdr Timothy W. (Tim) Fox ‘97, USNR timfox97@hotmail.com www.usna.com www.facebook.com/groups/USNAAlumniUK/ Vassar Club UK President: Andrew Solum ‘89 Treasurer Tris Barker’64 treasurer@vassarclubuk.org, 020 8467 0890 www.vassarclubuk.org Warnborough Worldwide Alumni Association 01227 762 107 www.wwaa.info/wwaa.htm admissions@warnborough.edu Washington University UK Alumni Club Steven Leof, steven@leof.co.uk alumni.wustl.edu/Community/Pages/London.aspx www.facebook.com/groups/WUSTLLondon www.linkedin.com/groups/Washington-Universityin-St-Louis-6966904 Wellesley College Club www.wellesley.edu/alumnae/groups/clubs/intlclubs/ wellesley_uk_club WCLondon@alum.wellesley.edu Wharton Alumni Club of the UK 020-7447-8800 www.whartonclubuk.net Williams Club of Great Britain Ethan Kline: ethankline@gmail.com, alumni. relations@williams.edu, alumni.williams.edu Yale Club of London President, president@yale.org.uk Secretary secretary@yale.org.uk www.yale.org.uk Zeta Tau Alpha Alumnae Kristin Morgan 07812 580949 kristinamorgan@gmail.com www.zetataualpha.org

CIVIL WAR SOCIETIES American Civil War Round Table (UK) American Civil War historical society Derek Young rebeldel55@icloud.com www.acwrt.org.uk Southern Skirmish Association (SoSkan) The oldest American Civil War Re-enacting Society outside the USA. www.soskan.co.uk membership@soskan.co.uk

ARTS American Actors UK 07873 371 891 admin@americanactorsuk.com www.americanactorsuk.com Savio(u)r Theatre Company Britain’s American theatre company www.saviourtheatrecompany.com

SPORTS English Lacrosse Wenlock Way, Manchester M12 5DH 0843 658 5006 info@englishlacrosse.co.uk www.englishlacrosse.co.uk British Baseball Federation / SoftballUK 5th Floor, Ariel House, 74a Charlotte Street, London W1T 4QJ 020 7453 7055 www.britishbaseball.org British Morgan Horse Society 01981 500488 admin@morganhorse.org.uk www.morganhorse.org.uk Ice Hockey UK 02920 263 441 ihukoffice@yahoo.co.uk www.icehockeyuk.co.uk Infinity Elite Cheerleading (founded by CAC) 077 9132 0115 infinityelite@yahoo.co.uk www.facebook.com/InfinityAllstars Herts Baseball Club Adult & Little League Baseball www.hertsbaseball.com Lakenheath Barracudas Swim Club Open to all military affiliated families. laken.barracudas@yahoo.com lakenheathbarracudas.com LondonSports American flag football, baseball, basketball and soccer, boys/girls, 4-15 all nationalities, new or experienced players. www.londonsports.com vll@me.com London Warriors American Football Club info@londonwarriorsafc.co.uk www.londonwarriorsafc.co.uk

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The American

Coffee Break

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QUIZ ➊

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international game of soccer (1872)? a) USA b) Germany c) Scotland ➏ What does the Olympic Games motto ‘Citius, Altius, Fortius’ mean?

➐ Aurora, Chandler, Legacy and Reka are all varieties

of which very American fruit?

It happened 50 years ago... ➑ August 5, 1966: Groundbreaking began on which iconic New York building? a) Woolworth Building b) Flat Iron Building c) World Trade Center

It happened 175 years ago...

➒ J uly 20, 1841: The Mercantile Agency, which used a

network of correspondents to provide reliable, objective credit information to subscribers, is founded in New York City . What is the Company’s current name?

Which musical instrument does Bill Clinton play to a very high standard? In which war was the Gatling gun first used?

➋ ➌ What are the colors of the Olympic rings? ➍ And what do the five rings represent? ➎ Which country played England in the first ever

It happened 200 years ago...

➓ July, 1816: Lord Byron, Mary Wollstonecraft God-

win, Percy Bysshe Shelley and John Polidori, gathered at the Villa Diodati by Lake Geneva in a rainy Switzerland, tell each other tales. Can you name one of their tales? And for an extra point, which one wrote it?

It happened 240 years ago... ⓫ July 2, 1776: The Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia’s State House, passed what far-reaching resolution? Quiz answers and Sudoku solution on page 89

The American

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QUIZ: 1. The Saxophone; 2. The American Civil War (by the Union Army); 3. Blue, black, red, yellow and green; 4. The five continents (Antartica isn’t included, North and South America are counted as one): Africa, America, Asia, Australia and Europe; 5. c) Scotland; 6. a) ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger’ – devised by a Frenchman for the first Modern Olympic Games started by a rich Frenchman, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, and held in Athens in 1896.; 7. Blueberry; 8. c) The World Trade Center; 9. It is the ancestor of Dun & Bradstreet; 10. Frankenstein ( Mary Shelley) and The Vampyre (Polidori); 11. American Independence – it was publicly SOLUTION announced two days later, on July 4.

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