Issue 48 November 2015
Interview
Pete Goodrum Interviews… Roger Holden, Managing Partner at Hansells, the leading law firm.
It’s Panto time… Oh Yes it is! Meet the cast of Snow White which opens at the Theatre Royal December 15th
Motoring
We introduce the New Jeep Renegade
FINEMotors FINEhome FINEpeople FINEarts
PLUS
FINELIVING
Steve Browning introduces us to Food Design
NORWICH
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Dinner
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Return flight from Norwich airport to Friedrichshafen† Airport taxes and return transfer to the hotel 7 nights stay at the 3 star Hotel Sport, Klosters, with breakfast and 4-course dinner Excursion on Bernina Express line from Pontresina to Poschiavo Day excursion on the Glacier Express from Chur to Andermatt, visit to Lucerne and boat cruise on lake Free time in Poschiavo and St Moritz A local summer discount card for free use of ALL cable cars and rail line from Klosters to Davos and Filisur
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Departing Sunday 3 July 2016
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Return flight from Norwich airport to Naples† 7 nights stay at a choice of 3 or 4 star Sorrento-area hotels with breakfast and dinner Airport taxes and return transfer from the airport to your hotel Two full-day escorted excursions to Pompeii & Vesuvius, Positano, Amalfi & Ravello Entry to Amalfi Cathedral, Pompeii and Villa Rufolo Gardens in Ravello Optional excursions to Capri and Anacapri
INCLUDES £30PP DISCOUNT IF BOOKED BEFORE 31 DECEMBER 2015
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Departing Sunday 10 July 2016 Mountain pine air you could bottle and sell, glacier fresh beer, scented meadows, a history of music and mad kings, houses painted as optical illusions – discover alpine Austria with this Omega 8 day break including flights and transfers, excursions and 4 star hotel with dinner and breakfast. Return flight from Norwich airport to Friedrichshafen† 7 nights half board at the 4 star Sport Hotel, St Anton am Arlberg Airport taxes and return transfer from the airport to your hotel Excursions to Lindau and Lake Bodensee, Linderhof and Oberammergau Organised by Omega Holidays plc, ABTA V4782. ATOL Protected 6081. Single supplement applies. Subject to availability. †We have included a reasonable budget for your flights. Should the cost of these fall below or rise above this amount we will amend the holiday cost to reflect these changes and therefore the price may increase or decrease accordingly. The final price will be confirmed at the time of booking. The advertised prices are correct as of 28 September 2015. Price excludes £10 per adult Norwich Airport Development Fee payable at the airport.
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Trusted by local families since 1925 George Bush 93 Oak Street 01603 764157 St Stephens Square 01603 625495 321c Aylsham Road
01603 483060
04 | November 2015
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07
14
Issue 48 November 2015
INTERVIEW
Pete Goodrum Interviews… Roger Holden, Managing Partner at Hansells, the leading law firm.
It’s Panto time… Oh Yes it is! Meet the cast of Snow White Which opens at the Theatre Royal December 15th
MOTORING
We introduce the New Jeep Renegade
FINEMOTORS FINEHOME FINEPEOPLE FINEARTS
FINE people
PLUS
FINELIVING
FINE arts
Steve Browning introduces us to Food Design
NORWICH
Issue 48 Your community magazine Cover image courtesy of Theatre Royal Norwich
45
FINE Events
FINE living
FineCity Magazine would like to thank all those who have contributed to this issue. This includes but is not limited to: Pete Goodrum, Stephen Browning and Tony Cooper.
50
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2015 November | 05
Fine City Chorus Men of Norwich Fine City Chorus is a Norwich based male choir and we are looking for new singers to join the 30 existing members. You don’t need previous musical experience or be able to read music as help is always at hand to learn the songs. Many members had no musical background until they joined. We meet every Wednesday evening from 7.30pm at Lionwood Infant School , Telegraph Lane East , Norwich, NR1 4AN.
We always welcome any interested people to come and hear us rehearse. We sometimes sing at local fetes and events, depending on members’ availability as some of us are working whilst others are retired. Our ages range from 21 to mid 70s but we are all young at heart with a shared enjoyment of creating a lovely sound. We are a friendly bunch and have several social events throughout the year including
summer BBQ and a Christmas get together. The singing is arranged into four voice parts, bass singing the lower range of notes, leads singing the melody, tenors singing the higher notes and the baritones sing various levels to make up the full sound, this is called four part harmony. When you join our chorus, our more experienced members will help you find the part that best suits your voice and you are most comfortable with. We sing unaccompanied by any musical instrument this is known also as A’Capella style. The songs we sing cover wide variety including those by The Beatles, Neil Sedaka, Elton John and Adele. If you are interested in joining us or dropping in on our rehearsal. Then call Brian on 07795507421 or visit our website www.finecitychorus. org.uk or Facebook pages
Sean, our newest member, is 43 and always loved singing in the privacy of his lorry cab, driving around the country, but he had never sung in a choir until his partner persuaded him to have a go at a Karaoke in his local pub. A friend who was also a member of Fine City Chorus heard him and invited him to our rehearsals to hear us sing. Sean said “My only experience of barbershop up until then, was on an episode of The Simpsons. Once I’d heard the chorus in full flow I was hooked, I found the guys really welcoming they soon had me singing with them. My only regret is that I didn’t find them sooner. Singing with them gives me so much pleasure, I have even performed with them publically and it’s amazing to see the audiences reaction when they hear the richness of the harmonies created by nothing more than men singing. My mum heard me and she cried, she thought we were so good!”
Fine City Chorus Singing since 1975 If you are interested in coming along to one of our rehearsals or even possibly booking Fine City Chorus for your function, please do not hesitate contact us.
www.finecitychorus.org.uk
06 | November 2015
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Roger Holden Pete Goodrum meets Roger Holden, Managing Partner at Hansells - one of the city’s leading law firms.
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2015 November | 07
FINEPeople
W
e’re in The Assembly Rooms, late on a weekday afternoon. Strictly speaking we’re too late for tea and cakes but Roger Holden, literally, charms the staff into finding some. Roger Holden is very charming. He’s immaculately groomed too. The understated single breasted suit doesn’t try too hard. He’s in the middle of a demanding day, and it’s far from over. He arrived carrying his dinner jacket on a hanger because he has a photo session lined up here for early evening, as a prelude to his going on to the Norwich Philharmonic Society’s performance tonight, in his role as sponsor. He’s kindly fitted me in to all of this, and so we begin. Roger was born in Lincoln. He’s plainly still attached to it and says that, ‘It’s a lovely city. Every time I drive back and see the cathedral I realise just how special it is’. His father worked in the Lincoln City Council Architects Department and his mother was a librarian. It was, he says, a happy childhood. He was educated at North Kesteven Grammar School, and it was here that his love of sport developed. ‘I played junior rugby for Lincolnshire, junior county tennis - lots of tennis - and just about anything else I could’. After school it was Liverpool to study for his Law Degree, from where he went on to the Chester College of Law. He completed his legal training and his articles in Lincoln, with Andrew and Co, and moved straight to Norwich to join Hansells. ‘In a strange coincidence I was interviewed by the then senior partner, Harold Price, who’d lived in the same Lincolnshire village that I’d grown up in’. I ask what life was like for a newly qualified solicitor. He says that the law was different then. ‘You were expected to know a lot about a lot of different things. And there was a certain personal pride in being able to hold your own in court work, as well as
08 | November 2015
probate, property, divorce and everything else. Today it’s much more about niche specialisms’. Having reached the issue of specialising I ask him about the fact that he’s well known as the region’s leading expert on aviation law. Characteristically self effacing he says that, yes, he does know ‘quite a bit’ about it, and explains that the company had handled several clients in the sector. In fact they were involved with route licensing and the initial launch of Air Anglia, not to mention significant projects for KLM. Roger explains that the move into commercial law of this type was very much part of the development of Hansells, as the firm had become increasingly aware of the fact that some of the more traditional business was becoming less commercially viable. Nonetheless, it’s a fact that he personally is an expert and amongst his responsibilities is sitting on the Oversight Board for the East Anglian Air Ambulance. Aviation has by no means been his only sphere of operations though and, almost casually, he mentions that he has been involved with ‘a couple of murders’. Plainly there is the matter of confidentiality about much of what he’s done but, even allowing for that, Roger Holden is not one to expand on his achievements. There’s an innate modesty about him; he’s proud of the fact that he will take on challenges, and will tell you so. But as to the details of those accomplishments, he sees no need to brandish them.
feature by:
Pete Goodrum Writer, broadcaster @petegoodrum
www.finecity.co.uk
FINEPeople
In contrast, he talks volubly and passionately when we get on to the subject of Norwich. He is a member of the Norwich Heritage Economic and Regeneration Trust which he sees as vital in ‘looking after the city’s rich heritage’. As ever, he quickly adds praise for the entire team, describing them as a ‘great board of very able people’. He’s
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equally quick to point out that the Trust now run ‘the most successful heritage open days outside London’. He’s a patron of the Norwich and Norfolk Festival; corporately Hansells sponsor the Hostry Festival and, if more proof were needed of his commitment to Norwich, they also sponsor the season for The Norwich
Philharmonic Society who this year celebrate their 175th Anniversary. Which takes us to matters historical. Hansells are long established too, having been founded in Norwich in 1827. ‘We’ve always been proud to be part of the fabric of Norwich and Norfolk’, he says. ‘The Norwich office has always been in The
Close. Our Cromer office had the second telephone to be installed in the town!’. So what of the future? ‘The legal profession will change even more’, he says, ‘and it will be those who embrace change that will succeed. Consumers must not over pay for services, but they deserve expertise and it will be technology that allows legal firms to deliver it cost effectively’. It’s an answer from a man who has obviously thought it through. And it’s obvious why he has. As Managing Partner he is responsible for around 117 staff, their welfare and training, the reputation of the business, its growth and future development. He’s clear about his role. ‘Lawyers are best managed by lawyers’, is his summing up of his significant duties, which, with a winsome blend of humility and strategic awareness he sees as ‘custodial’. ‘We have to prepare for the next generation to take on whatever the future holds’. We drink our tea, and in truth digress slightly as we discover a mutual interest in certain things, not least of which is an abiding passion for the works of Leonard Cohen. I say ‘works’ but we have to agree that it’s not an unblemished output as both of us found his novel ‘Beautiful Losers’ totally impregnable. But, overall, we worship at the shrine, and Roger’s love of live music (yes, he’s seen Cohen ‘live’. I hide my envy!) takes us to his regular attendance at The Norwich and Norfolk Festival. ‘We love it. We go to everything we can. We go to Edinburgh for the Festival too’. The ‘we’ refers to him and his long term partner Amanda Sandland - Taylor who runs the highly successful ‘Newsmakers’ PR consultancy in Norwich. They live in what he describes as ‘a lovely Norfolk village’. Home life often centres around entertaining, and Roger is a keen cook. ‘I love it. It’s about the joy of seeing people enjoy good food, conversation and wine. However, I do not like people in my kitchen! It has to be just me - with my hundred or more cook books and Radio 5 on - for the sport’. Sport still figures large in his
2015 November | 09
FINEPeople life. He’s a keen Norwich City supporter, plays tennis when he has a chance and loves golf which he sees as ‘ a really great game for unwinding and thinking of nothing else for a while’. Drawing breath to check if we’ve missed anything he mentions that he was President of the Norfolk and Norwich Law Society. He was also Chairman of the Norwich Number 1 Round Table. ‘I think it helped frame a philosophy for me. It made me realise that you get back what you put in’. And then, in a considered approach to rounding up our talk he says something unexpected. ‘I’m a classic Gemini’. I hadn’t seen an astrological reference coming at all! He goes on to explain, ‘I like doing different things. I’m inquisitive. And I hate admitting that I can’t do something. I rise to a challenge’. Everything he’s said today would endorse that , and his preparedness to embrace change is further evidence. Somehow
though it all sits in something of a contrast to his demeanour. Urbane and articulate he’s sat facing me, never fidgeting or distracted, talking for an hour or more with consummate ease; in this room, in leather armchairs, we could be in a gentlemen’s club in St James. But we’re not. We’re in the Fine City. A place that Roger Holden plainly loves, and demonstrably works at protecting and promoting. We’re approaching his next engagement, which is that photo shoot prior to the Norwich Philharmonic Society’s performance this evening. He has to change and move on. Which is an interesting metaphor. He does have to move on, steering Hansells through the technological and legal developments that will determine its future. He will rise to the challenges, and he will adjust and adapt accordingly. And yet I hope he doesn’t, personally, change too much at all. It would be a
crime if this servant of the law stopped being who he is. And who he is can best be described as someone who is defined by duty, utterly professional about his practice and committed to this city. We wouldn’t want to lose any of that. It’s time to go. He greets the
photographer, moves into position and is ready for the camera. There’s no personal aggrandising about it. It’s part of the job, and it’s for the greater good. Earlier he’d said to me that he ‘didn’t take himself too seriously’. We should though. Roger Holden is a serious asset to Norwich.
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10 | November 2015
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Fakenham Makers Market
F
akenham Makers Market is entirely devoted to arts and crafts handmade by the stallholders and is committed to promoting handmade. The market runs once a month from March to December on the following 28 November and 12 December 2015. The 2016 dates are as follows: 19 March, 23 April, 28th May, 25th June, 23 July, 27 August, 24 September, 22 October, 26 November and 10 December. These dates have been
specifically chosen to coincide as much as possible with Fakenham Farmers Market and we try to help promote the Farmers Market alongside the Makers Market. There will be refreshments served at each market with all proceeds going to Fakenham Parish Church. Fakenham Makers Market supports Fakenham Barnardo’s Helpers Group. The group has a regular free stall at the market selling handmade items with all proceeds going to Barnardo’s.
Up Jumped The Mackerel Lucy Jacklin, artist based in Norfolk. Prints,Cards,Postcards and one off pieces mainly on a nautical theme. 01328 730508 iceniamber@aol.com or lusilla.jacklin527@gmail.com www.finecity.co.uk
2015 November | 11
FINEPLACES
The Pelican The Pelican Inn Tacolneston
T
he Pelican Inn is a traditional 16th Century pub and has been a family run establishment for 17 years. We have an adjoining restaurant and en-suite bed and breakfast accommodation as well as real ale bottle shop. We are located just 15 minutes south of the historical city of Norwich, in the quaint village of Tacolneston near Wymondham, south Norfolk. Our contemporary dining space offers covers for 40 people comfortably, and is suitable for intimate couples and larger parties of friends and families. We do not double book our tables; we truly believe if you are happy, you will no doubt return, and cramming people in at a quick pace is not our style ‘we are here for the long haul and therefore we hope you are too’. We offer an extensive menu with ‘pub classics’ dishes for those who love a hearty meal, like home made burgers, home made pies and stews through to locally reared organic produce, seasonal game, fresh fish and vegetarian dishes. The menu is priced between £10 and £16 per main meal dish. We also offer on Sunday a delicious roast with all the trimmings. We are very proud to say that our food hygiene as expected was 5/5 following a recent food hygiene inspection. Children are very welcome to dine in our restaurant before 7.30pm and high chairs are available upon request. Our restaurant has received numerous outstanding reviews, and is often fully booked, so it’s always best to contact us to make a reservation to avoid disappointment. As our restaurant is a beautiful large space we are also offering the room as a function room available for hire, for perhaps business breakfast meetings, birthday parties, or wedding receptions. Prices vary depending on date & time of event. We also have a large garden available for alfresco dining during summer months. In our bar we have a wide range of beverages to suit everyone, with an extensive wine list, 35 whiskeys, 11 gins and a number of other spirits. Not to mention real ales supporting local breweries on rotation. Look out for us in “CAMRA GOOD BEER GUIDE 2015”. Every week we have different deals on our beverages, for example “Gin of The Week” where we offer 50ml of a premium gin & tonic for only £6.50! And “Whiskey of The Week” 50ml for £6.50 also. We also have Friday Fizz offers with Prosecco for only £17.50 a bottle! Because of its 15 minute location from Norwich city, our rooms provide an ideal retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. With Wifi connection, TV and DVD players, tea and coffee making facilities and hairdryers in every room.
12 | November 2015
Adjoining the main pub and restaurant the rooms are within easy access to its facilities; with the added bonus of enough space to enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside and make your stay that little bit more personal if required. All residents have their own keys and ample free parking, to come and go as they please. Check in is from 6pm or available earlier by appointment & check out from 10am. We offer twin, double & kingsize rooms priced competitively between £60 - £95 a night including a classic English breakfast. With the festive season fast approaching we have our Christmas Party Menus available. 2 course meal - £19.95 & 3 course meal £24.95. For parties of 6-30 people.
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FINEPLACES
As you walk among the historic lanes and alleyways of Norwich, you may find yourself stumbling across Frank’s Bar. Located on Bedford Street, this café-bar certainly earns its place among the most creative and enjoyable independent eateries and bars in Norwich. With its central location, good food, top drinks and wonderful music you’d be a fool to give this place a miss. With autumn already upon us, Frank’s Bar have graced us with a new tasty menu that provides that joy and comfort needed as the long dark nights and cold winds take their toll. The new menu provides options for everyone whether you are a meat eater, vegetarian, vegan or in need of some gluten-free goodness. Their delectable vegan miso aubergine or mouth-watering confit duck leg are among my personal favourites but you really have to go and try it for yourself. Or, if like me, you sometimes find yourself struggling to pick that one perfect dish to order Frank’s Bar comes to the rescue with tapas. How can you go wrong with an array of tiger prawns and other little treats? We also love guys who try and support our local produce and Frank’s does exactly that so if you want a closer look for yourself head over to their website and take a sneak peak of their menu. With great food must come great drink and once again Frank’s Bar does not disappoint. Whether it be a quick cup of coffee with lunch or large G&T to de-stress after a busy day at work you’re covered. You can even request your own cocktails or grab a glass (or bottle) of wine. Drown yourself in your favourite spirits that that only tend to grace the homes drinks cabinet on your birthday. Oh and not forgetting those who still prefer a good old pint; draughts, bottled lager and beer galore! However, for Frank’s Bar they have a very special day: Sunday. For many Sunday brings nothing to the table apart from the fragmented memories of the night before and a pounding head or the reminder that once again the weekend is nearly at an end (or both). Luckily Frank’s bar has created the perfect remedy in which you can relax, recuperate and recover in time for the busy week ahead. The Sunday menu is served between 10 and 6 with a large variety on offer such as a full English breakfast (veggie option as well), bagels or lots of pancakes with even more maple syrup. If you fancy sticking around they also put a movie on for you all every Sunday with November’s films being dedicated to ‘Kick Ass Sisters’. If none of this has yet to persuade you to take a trip down Bedford Street then maybe this will. The Independent have named Frank’s Bar in their Top 50 Bars of the UK and they have even had a mention in The New York Times – amazing! So if you are still searching for that perfect laid back feel with great food, drinks and even films then Frank’s Bar is without a doubt the place for you. Go and check them out on their website or if you are a social media whizz then hit them up on either Facebook, Twitter or FEATURE BY: Instagram.
Emily Wilson GUEST WRITER
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Breakfast Club
Morning Gloriousness served 10.00am - 12.00pm
Locally made pastries, served warm (v) : - Croissant with home made jam £3.00 - Almond croissant £3.00 (n) - Pain au chocolat £3.00
American-style pancakes & maple syrup:
- Crispy free-range smoked bacon £6.00 - Cinnamon pecans & Greek yoghurt £6.00 (n) (v)
Anchovy soldiers & poached eggs £5.00
Soldiers of sourdough or granary toast with anchovy, parmesan & parsley butter (gf-a)
Oat porridge and rye breadcrumbs £4.50 With buttermilk and pomegranate seeds (v)
Two eggs cooked how you like
On granary or white sourdough £4.00 (v)
Nibbles
These nibbles are available all day
Smoked almonds - £3.50 (vn) (gf) Mixed olives with lemon & garlic - £3.00 (vn) (gf) Pomodorello sun-dried tomatoes - £3.00 (vn) (gf) Guindillas - hot pickled chillies - £3.00 (vn) (gf) Chilli-marinated anchovies - £3.50 (gf) Mini goats cheeses £3.00 (gf) Mixed flavoured breads, olive oil/butter - £3.00 (vn) Baked ciabatta croutes & hummus with either lemon & parsley dressing or chilli dressing £4.00 (vn)
Toasted free range bacon sandwich £5.00 Add a fried egg £6.00
Toast & butter with... £1.50 (v) Choose from jam, marmalade, marmite, or nutella (n) Breakfast extras:
- Harrisa roast tomatoes £1.00 (v) - Smoked free range bacon £2.00 - Black pudding £2.00 - Extra toast & butter £1.00
Gluten free toast instead of bread or as an extra side
Brunch
Served 10.00am - 3.00pm
Avocado on toast £5.50
With cherry tomatoes, sunflower seeds & olive oil on sourdough or granary cob (gf-a) (vn) Add a poached egg £6.50
Turkish eggs £5.50
Platters
For sharing, starters, or as a tasty main course
Frank’s Bar platter £4.50 for 1 person
Mixed breads, olives, hummus, oil & balsamic (vn)
add £1.50 for each extra person
Mezze platter £9.50
Roasted beetroot with whipped feta and dill, aubergine chermoula, moroccan carrot salad, labneh with pistachio, oregano & green olive dressing, crispy pitta strips, salad & guindillas (gf) (n) (v) (vn-a)
add grilled ox tongue to the mezze for £4.00
Tapas
A bowl of spinach and yoghurt, poached eggs, chilli butter & fresh dill with garlic sourdough (gf-a) (v)
- Butterbean, chorizo & black pudding stew £5.50 (gf)
Smoked haddock kedgeree £7.50
- Tiger prawns with feta & dill £5.50 (gf)
Chorizo, red peppers & kale with crispy fried egg £6.50
- Truffled new potato & chestnuts with sage & shallots £5.00 (gf) (v) (vn-a)
With green bean chutney and boiled eggs (gf)
On sourdough toast (gf-a)
Lentils, harissa roasted tomatoes, poached egg £6.50
Toasted sourdough, greek yoghurt & dukkah (gf-a) (n) (v) (Our lunch & evening menu is overleaf) Served 12pm - 3pm & 6pm - 10pm Tues - Fri, 12pm - 10pm on Saturday
- Pork belly with mojo picon £5.00 - Sauteed wild mushrooms & courgettes with aioli £4.50 (gf) (v) (vn-a) - Grilled ox tongue with salsa verde & grated egg £4.50 (gf) - Manchego & membrillo £4.50 (v) (gf)
2015 November | 13
Glyndebourne Presenting a trio of great operas to delight and enthral audiences of all ages, the Glyndebourne Tour returns to Norwich. Tony Cooper reports
O
n the road for its 47th consecutive year, the Glyndebourne Tour plays Norwich Theatre Royal from Tuesday to Saturday, 17th-21st November, with three diverse operas - two new productions transferring directly from this
14 | November 2015
year’s Glyndebourne Festival and an acclaimed revival of a Donizetti favourite. Plus Michael Grandage’s powerful five-star production of Britten’s Billy Budd will be screened at Norwich’s Cinema City - Sunday, 15th November, 7pm. An all-male piece, the opera focuses on the
tense and stifling atmosphere of life on board a British man-of-war during the Napoleonic Wars. The production was described by The Stage as ‘a masterpiece of emotional ambiguity’. And getting the week off to a flying start is a revival of an opulent period staging of
Donizetti’s Don Pasquale - an acclaimed production which was first seen on the 2011 Glyndebourne Tour. Directed by Mariame Clément (revival director: Paul Higgins) and conducted by Duncan Ward, the principal cast members are José Fardilha (Don Pasquale), John
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FINEARTS dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio), first seen at this year’s Glyndebourne Festival directed by David McVicar (revival director: Ian Rutherford), will be conducted by Christoph Altstaedt, who’s making his début with Glyndebourne in the same year that he made his début at the Salzburg Festival. Among the cast is the up-and-coming American tenor, Benjamin Bliss, currently a member of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera, New York. He takes on the role of Belmonte for the second performance (Saturday 21st) while the Romanian tenor, Tibor Szappanos, makes his Glyndebourne début in the same role (Wednesday 18th). Other members of the cast include Ana Maria Labin (Konstanze), Clive Bayley (Osmin), Rebecca Nelson (Blonde) and James Kryshak (Pedrillo). Entführung is a stirring tale of abduction, escape and forgiveness and is Mozart’s take on the glittering Orient and the work in which the 25-year-old composer is said to have found his mature voice. The opera - whose East/West clash and its surprising resolution defy all stereotypes while striking a startlingly-contemporary chord - tells the story of one man’s attempt to rescue his beloved from the harem of a Turkish despot and his fall to the mercy of his nemesis. Also transferring from this year’s festival is a new production of the first of Handel’s great English
Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail (photo: Richard Hubert Smith)
Brancy (Dr Malatesta), Tuomas Katajala (Ernesto) and Eliana Pretorian (Norina). Possessing a witty score combining graceful lyricism with rollicking comedy fuelled by the seductive rhythm of the waltz, the opera catches the sparkling essence of Donizetti’s
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tuneful tale of an old bachelor’s romantic delusions and the young lovers who outwit him. Pasquale, a man no longer in the first flush of youth, hopes to marry and produce an heir, being dissatisfied with the current holder of that position, his nephew Ernesto, who has had
the audacity to fall in love with Norina, an impoverished widow. The plot thicken, twists and turns as Pasquale’s supposed friend Dr Malatesta assists Ernesto and Norina in a complex and increasingly-vindictive deception. An elegant new production of Mozart’s Die Entführung aus
feature by:
Tony Cooper Writer tc@tony-cooper.co.uk
2015 November | 15
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oratorios, Saul, freely adapted from the Biblical First Book of Samuel. It’s a work of dramatic choruses, bravura solo singing and the famous ‘Dead March’, telling the well-known Biblical tale of the first King of Israel’s complicated relationship with his eventual successor, David, which evolves from admiration to envy and hatred and finally leads to Saul’s tragic demise. The drama’s also heightened by David’s friendship with Saul’s son, Jonathan, who Saul tries to enlist to destroy David. The excellence of the libretto and the power of Handel’s musical characterisation combine to make Saul, in the words of Handel scholar, Winton Dean, ‘one of the supreme masterpieces of dramatic art, comparable with the Oresteia and King Lear’. The work marked the company début of the brilliant and provocative Australian opera/theatre director, Barrie Kosky (revival director: Donna Stirrup), who delves deep into a score of heart-breaking beauty and intensity to create an associative dreamscape, a baroque nightmare world in which this mythical tale of a Lear-
16 | November 2015
like mad king and his crumbling family unfolds. The cast is headed by Henry Waddington playing opposite the South African countertenor Christopher Ainslie as David. Other cast members include Sarah Tynan (Merab), Anna Devin (Michal) and Benjamin
Hulett (Jonathan). All three main stage productions have a central role for the Glyndebourne Chorus, an ensemble which has gained for itself a well-earned reputation for showcasing the soloists of tomorrow. Previous Glyndebourne Chorus members
include such familiar names as Gerald Finley, Sarah Connolly and John Tomlinson. David Pickard, general director of Glyndebourne, said: ‘The Glyndebourne Tour was founded in 1968 to give more people a chance to see our world-class productions and
Britten’s Billy Budd (photo: Richard Hubert Smith)
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FINEARTS to provide a platform for some of the opera world’s most talented young singers. This year alongside an international cast of up-and-coming soloists, the Glyndebourne Chorus take a central role in all three productions providing rich opportunities for audiences across the country to watch the stars of tomorrow. It’s a diverse season which I hope will offer much to enjoy for audiences of all musical and theatrical tastes.’ Musical chairs! Sadly, after the Tour, David, who started his career at the Royal Opera House, will leave Glyndebourne after 14 years at the helm to take up the post of director of the BBC Proms, the world’s biggest classical music festival. He succeeds Roger Wright who’s in our midst heading up the Aldeburgh Festival. And without a shadow of doubt, Glyndebourne’s truly recognised on an international level as one of the great opera companies of the world, a reputation that stems from a passion for artistic excellence encapsulated in founder John
Christie’s insistence on doing ‘not the best we can do but the best that can be done anywhere’. John, who was married to the opera singer, Audrey Mildmay, founded the Glyndebourne Festival with her in 1934. And in 1968 the Glyndebourne Tour - an initiative of John’s son, George - was established to bring opera to new audiences across the country and create opportunities for talented young singers. Glyndebourne’s now under the direction of George’s son, Gus, who’s also married to an opera singer, Danielle de Niese, therefore following in the footsteps of his grandfather. The Glyndebourne Festival runs from May to August with a repertoire of six operas performed in a comfortable 1200-seat, horseshoe-shaped, opera house while the annual Glyndebourne Tour runs from October to December complemented by a widely-respected education programme active all-year round staging new work and delivering projects to enhance the understanding and enjoyment of opera to young people.
Collectively, the Festival and the Tour present about 120 performances annually to an audience of 150,000 with many more people experiencing Glyndebourne’s work through its rolling programme of cinema screenings and free on-line streamings. Glyndebourne has pioneered specialist recordings to share its work with a global audience through these channels and as part of this mission to reach new audiences also offers reduced-price tickets to the under-30s. Since its founding, Glyndebourne has remained financially independent and, whilst receiving valued Arts Council support for the Tour and education work, the Festival receives no public subsidy whatsoever. As a registered charity, the company’s work is funded by box office income, its loyal members and its generous supporters. Therefore, with its blend of exciting new talent, exceptionally high-production standards and ‘value-for-money’ ticket prices, Glyndebourne offers something
for everyone whether opera newcomers or old hands. Enjoy! Performance schedule: Donizetti’s Don Pasquale (sung in Italian with English supertitles): Tuesday 17th November (7.15pm) and Thursday 19th (2pm). Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail (sung in German with English supertitles): Wednesday 18th and Saturday 21st (7.15pm). Handel’s Saul (sung in English with English supertitles): Friday 20th (7.15pm). Britten’s Billy Budd: Norwich Cinema City, Sunday 15th (7pm).
Box office: 01603 630000. Ticket price range: £8 to £53. Discounts for under-18s, groups and schools; saver scheme available. www.theatreroyalnorwich. co.uk
Handel’s Saul (photo: Bill Cooper)
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2015 November | 17
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Glyndebourne Tour 2015 Trio of imaginative and exciting operas – November 17-21, 2015
G
lyndebourne’s 2015 visit to Norwich Theatre Royal will see three exciting and imaginative opera productions presented, all with stunning costumes, breath-taking music and performances from the next generation of opera stars. On stage from Tuesday to Saturday, November 17 to 21, will be Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail, and Handel’s Saul. First to be performed will be Don Pasquale, a favourite opera for many. Directed by Mariame Clément, this opulent period staging catches the sparkling essence of Donizetti’s tuneful tale of an old bachelor’s romantic delusions and the young lovers who outwit him. Pasquale, a man no longer in the first flush of youth, hopes 18 | November 2015
to marry and produce an heir, being dissatisfied with the current holder of that position, his nephew Ernesto, who has had the audacity to fall in love with Norina, an impoverished widow. The opera’s witty musical score combines graceful lyricism with rollicking comedy, all fueled by the seductive rhythm of the waltz. José Fardilha takes the role of Don Pasquale, while making his Glyndebourne and UK debut is American baritone John Brancy as Dr Malatesta, and Tuomas Katajala makes his Glyndebourne debut as Ernesto. Conductor Duncan Ward is also making his Tour debut. Don Pasquale is on stage on Tuesday, November 17, at 7.15pm, and again on Thursday, November 19, at 2pm. Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail will be performed
on Wednesday November 18, and Saturday, November 21, at 7.15pm. It tells the tale of the young Spanish nobleman Belmonte as he attempts to rescue his fiancé Konstanze from the harem of Pasha Selim, a Turkish despot. The opera’s humane and surprising resolution defies all stereotypes capturing a contemporary resonance in a story of cultural collision between East and West. Die Entführung is considered Mozart’s first fully mature opera and boasts some of his most spectacular vocal music. Transferring direct from Festival 2015, this elegant production is directed by world-renowned opera director David McVicar, and among the cast is the upand-coming American tenor Benjamin Bliss, who makes his European and Glyndebourne
debut in the role of Belmonte for the November 21 performance, while Tibor Szappanos makes his Glyndebourne debut as Belmonte on November 18, as does Rebecca Nelson as Blonde. And Handel’s Saul is on stage on Friday, November 20, at 7.15pm. Having wowed the critics during its Festival 2015 run, it is sure to delight Norfolk audiences. The opera features a musical score of heart-breaking beauty and intensity taking the audience into a nightmare world of madness and despair. The first of Handel’s great English oratorios, Saul is an evening of dramatic choruses, bravura solo singing and the www.finecity.co.uk
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famous ‘Dead March’, telling the well-known Biblical tale of the first King of Israel’s love and loathing for his eventual successor, David. It is the first Glyndebourne production directed by the brilliant Australian director Barrie Kosky and boasts Henry Waddington in the title role opposite the South African countertenor Christopher Ainslie as David. Among the cast is Sarah Tynan who makes her Glyndebourne debut and role debut as Merab. Benjamin Hulett who made his Festival debut as the High Priest in Saul, takes the role of Jonathan in his Tour debut.
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Listing: Glyndebourne runs from Tuesday 17-Saturday 21 November. Don Pasquale runs on Tues 17 (7.15pm) and Thurs 19 (2pm). Die Entführung aus dem Serail runs on Tues 18 & Sat 21 (7.15pm). Saul runs on Fri 20 (7.15pm). Tickets £8£53. Discounts for Under18s, Groups and Schools. Saver Scheme available. Supertitles. BOX OFFICE 01603 630000. For more info or to BOOK ONLINE www.theatreroyalnorwich. co.uk
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Snow White Dream Comes True For Norfolk’s Amie As Two More Panto Cast Confirmed – Dec 15-Jan 17
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hen Amie Howes sat in the auditorium at Norwich Theatre Royal watching shows, she always had the ambition of taking 20 | November 2015
to the stage for herself. Now her fairy-tale dream is set to become a reality this Christmas as she takes on the title role in Snow White. She will join the also-just
announced West End and touring theatre actor Bruce Graham as the latest additions to the cast for this year’s pantomime. Amie, who is Norfolk-bornand-bred, was a frequent visitor to the theatre while growing up and jumped at the chance when she was approached to take on the role of Snow White. A former pupil of Sprowston High School and a former student at the city-based Heather Millan School of Dance, it is the first major lead role for Amie who recently gained her BA (Hons) in Musical Theatre. She has already appeared in a number of productions including Kiss Me Kate, West Side Story, and a production of Cabaret directed by Graeme Henderson who played one of the Ugly Sisters in the Norwich Theatre Royal pantomime Cinderella in 2013-14. Meanwhile Bruce is taking on the role of Igor the Henchman in the show, which runs from December 15 to January 17. His CV features some of the best-known productions in musical theatre and saw him star in a host of hit West End shows including Me and My Girl, Follies, Phantom of the Opera, Cats and Sunset Boulevard. One of his performing specialities is the works of Gilbert and Sullivan. His first professional experience was with the D’oyly Carte and he also appeared in a number of productions for the world-famous Carl Rosa Company including The Gondoliers, The Pirates of Penzance, and The Mikado. And it is their music which brought him together with panto writer, director and star Richard Gauntlett as the two had worked together on tours for the Gilbert and Sullivan Company. Bruce has also appeared on film, radio and television, as well as taking to the stage throughout Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand in various productions. Joining Amie and Bruce in the cast is stage and TV favourite Jennifer Ellison who is playing the nasty Queen Evilynne. She shot to fame thanks to her
role as Emily Shadwick in the iconic Channel Four soap opera Brookside. From there, she enjoyed a successful theatrical career in the West End and on tour starring in the like of Chicago and Legally Blonde. Back by public demand will be Norwich panto favourites Richard Gauntlett and Ben Langley who wowed audiences in last year’s production. They will be playing Nurse Dorothy Dumpling and Muddles respectively, and they will once again be adding large dollops of fun and laughter to the show. John Bultitude, of Norwich Theatre Royal, said: “Amie’s path to panto is like a real-life fairy tale. We are so excited to welcome her to the cast and we are delighted she will have the chance to play the title role on home ground. “Add in the strong theatrical pedigree of Bruce, showbiz style and presence of Jennifer Ellison, the return of the ever-popular Richard Gauntlett and Ben Langley comedy double-act, and more cast still to be announced, and Snow White is poised to bring plenty of panto magic to audiences right over Christmas and into the New Year.”
Listing: Snow White, Tuesday December 15, 2015-Sunday January 17, 2016. Tickets £7£21.50. Discounts for Friends, Over-60s and Under-18s. Signed performances on Saturday 9 January at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Audio-described performances on Monday 4 January at 1pm, Friday 8 January at 7.30pm and Saturday 16 January at 2.30pm. Captioned performances on Sunday 10 January at 1pm and 5pm. To book, log onto www. theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk or call the box office on 01603 630000.
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Amie Howes Snow White – Dec 15-Jan 17
I
t is just like a real-life fairy tale. After watching the Norwich Theatre Royal pantomime for many years, Amie Howes is set to see her dream come true by stepping out on stage in the title role. She is set to play Snow White in this year’s festive spectacular and tells John Bultitude she cannot wait to start rehearsing. For Amie Howes, a festive visit to the Norwich Theatre Royal pantomime is as much a part of Christmas as turkey, tinsel and all the trimmings. But this year will see a very different commitment for Amie as she takes on the role of Snow White. She said: “I am excited and a little bit nervous. This is my first professional job out of drama school, but it is very exciting. “When I got the phone-call to say I had got the job, I couldn’t believe it. It was really surreal. The first place I went after I found out I got it was Thornton’s and I really wanted to say something to the man in the shop. I didn’t though.” And she says her friends and family cannot believe the news. “They think it is amazing. My mum was more excited than I was. She
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told me she is coming to every performance,” laughed Amie. So this Christmas and New Year will see Amie appear as part of a star cast which includes TV and stage favourite Jennifer Ellison who plays the wicked Queen Evilynne, panto stalwart Richard Gauntlet as Nurse Dorothy Dumpling, and Norfolkbased comedy entertainer Ben Langley as Muddles. And it marks the latest chapter in the life of a 21-year-old who started performing at a very young age. Amie explained: “As a little girl, I did ballet, tap and modern dancing although I gave it up quite early. I went through a phase of wanting to be a vet but then I found out you had to put animals down and thought I don’t want to do that.” So at the age of around 12, she decided to get back into performing again with the help of the team at the Norwich-based Heather Millan School of Dancing and Performing Arts. “I started off with singing and got into more skills. I ended up dancing or singing four nights a week. Heather is lovely. She taught me lots of things. If I didn’t go there, I wouldn’t have been as
involved in the performing arts and the industry. I wouldn’t have done A-Levels in Drama and Performing Studies and gone on to drama school,” said Amie. She also studied drama and dance at Sprowston High School where she appeared in a number of productions, with one of her favourites being the anarchic Return To The Forbidden Planet. “I was about 13 or 14. Those of us who were younger were doing the backing vocals. A friend and I had our own balcony to perform on, so we had the chance to create our own dances and acting pieces. It was fun,” said Amie. When she left school, Amie went on to study at the Arden School of Theatre in Manchester where she completed a degree in musical theatre. It also saw her work with Graeme Henderson, who played one of the Ugly Sisters in the 2013-14 Norwich Theatre Royal pantomime Cinderella opposite Sheila Ferguson. Amie recalled: “Graeme directed one of our shows Cabaret and he is a lovely person to work with. He is very precise and really knows what he is doing. We had to work really hard. I played one of the Kit Kat Girls. We were just panting off stage as it was so gruelling. We were exhausted, but in a good way.” Now her focus is on appearing in the pantomime although she
has career ambitions to see her name in lights in London’s theatre-land. “I would obviously love to be in musical in the West End. People ask me what my dream role is and I never know what to say. There are just so many,” said Amie. But she is very excited to be part of the Snow White company entertaining people right through the festive season. Amie said: “I have been to see the panto many times. It is a family tradition to see it every time. I think I have been every year since I was little. I love Snow White for obvious reasons and I love Cinderella as well. “All my family are also in Norwich, so it is nice to be at home over Christmas. There are places you go and it is really pretty. You are only 15 minutes from the countryside and you can go to a lovely rural pub. It is just great.” So personally and professionally, Amie is looking forward to her time in panto. In the words of Snow White, Mirror, mirror on the wall, Amie is the happiest of them all!
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Ben Langley Snow White – December 15-January 17
H
e is back. Norfolkbased comedian Ben Langley is set to entertain panto audiences with his knockabout humour, fantastic comedy timing and empathy for the second year in a row. Ben is set to play Muddles in the festive spectacular Snow White opposite a cast headed by TV and stage favourite Jennifer Ellison. John Bultitude caught up with him to find out more. Nothing phases Ben Langley. He still radiates 100 per cent energy and panto passion while clad in lederhosen topped with a fetching feather-topped Alpine hat. As we chat ahead of a panto photo-call (as his current garments are not his day-to-day garb), the popular performer’s enthusiasm for this year’s show Snow White is infectious. “I am very, very excited and overwhelmed by it all. I am so glad the Theatre Royal are having me back,” he said. He charmed adults and children alike as hapless pirate Starkey in last show’s production Peter Pan opposite panto writer, director and co-star Richard Gauntlett, stage and TV favourite Jennifer Ellison, and Norwich’s own Amie Howes, who takes on the title role. “It just all came together really well for that panto. I had some great moments and some lovely scenes. It is great to work with Richard for another year and carry on our great comic relationship” said Ben. This year, Ben is poised to play the perpetually confused Muddles, son of Richard’s panto Dame, Nurse Nellie, although he is sworn to secrecy about the precise plot of the show. “What I can say is that I will getting into all sorts of muddly situations. As always with the pantomime here in Norwich, the story will be given a bit of a twist. I can tell you it will be fun.” It is the latest project for Ben, who lives near Diss, who
22 | November 2015
is spending more time in his native Norfolk this year while his dancer wife works on some choreography projects. It also marks a bit of a break after his previous panto appearance and a UK tour of Ha Ha Hood, which he wrote, and also starred in alongside comedy favourites Su Pollard, and Cannon and Ball. “It means I have stepped into looking after my two wonderful children, doing some writing, a few gigs and of course getting ready for this wonderful panto season.” And that is not the only project on the horizon for Ben as he is also going to be a part of this year’s Seaside Special show on Cromer Pier which will see him do an 18-week run of shows at the North Norfolk resort. “I will be appearing there with a wonderful comic called Paul Eastwood. I have got to come up with something new for my act so I am going to create an upsidedown strait-jacket escape over the audience. I will have to be careful what I eat beforehand,” joked Ben. But spending time in the seaside resort over the summer is something he is very excited about. “We have very many happy family memories of time in Cromer on the beach. It is such a wonderful place,” said Ben. Variety plays a big part in Ben’s life. He cut his teeth spending 17 years as a street entertainer performing within the tough environment of the Covent Garden cobblestones. He has also worked extensively in the theatre world in a number of entertainment productions and has starred in well over a dozen pantomimes. His work has taken him all over the country but he is particularly excited that his next two major projects – Seaside Special and Snow White – are close to home. “One tries to work hard at raising your profile in the places you live and I am so lucky to have pulled off these two wonderful gigs,” said Ben.
And the more time he can spend in his local county, the happier he is. Ben said: “I love the Norfolk people. After all I am married to one. I love the county, the coast, the people, Norwich, and of course where we live near Diss. “When the sun shines, there is
nowhere else like it and it is also such a fantastic place to bring up children.” So with business and pleasure all happening in his favourite part of the world, it is no surprise that 2015 is the year of good news for this popular family entertainer.
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Bruce Graham Snow White – Dec 15-Jan 17
F
rom Gilbert and Sullivan comedy operas to glittering West End productions, Bruce Graham has done them all. But he has a special affection for panto and is set to tread the boards this year in the Norwich Theatre Royal’s festive production as Igor the Henchman. He tells John Bultitude about his love for family theatre, his long career and his memories of appearing in Norfolk. With a CV which features almost every genre of performance including musicals for some of the great theatrical impresarios, you would think Bruce Graham may get a little jaded when it comes to a new job. But not a bit of it. He cannot wait to tread the boards at
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Norwich Theatre Royal this Christmas and do the bidding of the evil Queen Evilynne, aka stage and TV favourite Jennifer Ellison, in this year’s glittering family pantomime Snow White. He said: “I am delighted to be in the cast. I have heard a lot about the Norwich pantomime from various people. I am a great mate of Richard Gauntlett who has been a part of it for years as writer, director and performer. A lot of my friends have been in it and have nothing but good things to say.” In fact, Bruce and Richard are no strangers to each other having spent the summer and autumn together performing as part of The National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company which tours a number of the composers’ works around the country each year.
So, as a much-in-demand perfomer, was Bruce always destined to have his name in lights? Absolutely, he said. “It was in the blood. My grandfather and his brother were both professional singers and my mother was a pianist and used to accompany them. Music was always around the house and I fell into singing, acting and performing. When I was about 14, I saw a professional show and really appreciated what went into it and the talent that was on show. I thought yeah, this is for me. This is how I want my life to go. “I can trace it back to a wet windy cold November night in Edinburgh. I worked for a little while with Scottish Opera but my first proper job was with the old D’Oyly Carte Opera Company with which I visited Norwich Theatre Royal twice, so I am no stranger to it.” Gilbert and Sullivan has been a major part of his performing career as he has also worked with the world-famous Carl Rosa Company which also showcases their work. Despite having a lot of their work on his CV, he is incredibly versatile having done films, a couple of television projects, grand opera, musicals, and starred in a number of West End shows. And London’s theatre-land holds particular affection with previous performing credits including Cats and Follies for Cameron Mackintosh, and productions for Andrew Lloyd Webber including Phantom of the Opera and Bruce’s personal favourite Sunset Boulevard. “It is a fantastic show. It is so faithful to the Billy Wilder movie. My wife bought me the video of it at the time and my jaw dropped at how faithfully the Adelphi stage recreated the entire Californian landscape you see in the film. I think it is brilliantly staged and designed, and is some of Lloyd Webber’s best work.” He is also looking forward to returning to Norwich both because of his great affection for the city and because it will bring back lots of memories. Bruce recalled: “The theatre is
wonderful. When I first came, Dick Condon was the manager. He was a Gilbert and Sullivan fan. I can remember a man came to the stage door selling cockles and whelks. I look back on my time in Norwich with fondness. “I was born and brought up in Edinburgh and I was rather spoilt with cities. Some cities on tour are a bit of a culture shock. Norwich isn’t, thanks to its beautiful cathedrals, market, wonderful shopping areas, and the theatre of course. It has a wonderful cultural life.” And of course, another great lure is being part of the panto, which also stars popular Norfolkbased entertainer Ben Langley. Bruce is promising people a fantastic fun-filled visit to Snow White. “People must come. It is one of the best pantos in the country and one of the last big independently produced pantos. Richard Gauntlett is a very able and witty man. He has written and directed in it and stars in it. You will really enjoy it. You must not stay away,” said Bruce. Praise indeed from a vastly experienced performer set to delight the young and young-atheart this panto season.
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Jennifer Ellison Snow White – Dec 15-Jan 17
F
rom Brookside via Chicago and Singin’ In The Rain to this year’s Norwich Theatre Royal pantomime, Jennifer Ellison remains showbiz hot property. She is set to play the sassy but stylish Queen Evilynne in Snow White over the festive period, and tells John Bultitude she cannot wait. This autumn is a busy time for Jennifer Ellison. She has her hit TV show Dancemums back on the small screen, a very busy schedule with her own college and dance school, and of course getting ready to star in this year’s Norwich Theatre Royal pantomime, as well as being a mum to three boys out of the spotlight. Despite this wealth of tasks, Jennifer remains level-headed and calm as she looks forward to being in the city this Christmas and admits she cannot wait to tread the boards. “I am really excited. I have never played Norwich before. I have played the Wicked Queen in panto before and I absolutely love it. The two together will make for a great Christmas,” said Jennifer “I just love playing the evil role. The reaction of children when you come on stage and when Snow White bites the apple is just incredible.” It will also mark her debut on stage at Norwich although she knows the city having rehearsed there for a UK tour of Calendar Girls. But her strong West End and touring theatre pedigree is a world away from her early years. As a child, dancing was her passion and she became a World champion in both ballet and modern dance at a very young age. Her prowess meant she acquired an agent and, at the age of 12, managed to get an audition for the hit Channel Four soap Brookside, which was 24 | November 2015
filmed in her native Merseyside. Jennifer admits being part of the series was an experience never to be forgotten and it helped shape her career. “It was incredible to grow up on screen, be part of a family unit and to have it filmed just around the corner from me in Liverpool. It was an honour. I am where I am today and I have achieved what I have achieved, thanks to Brookside. “I worked with some great actors and actresses. I was extremely lucky. Many of them have gone on to do great things like Ricky Tomlinson, Anna Friel and Sue Johnston.” From there, the acting roles came in thick and fast. At the age of 20, she got the lead role of Roxie Hart in Chicago which she revisited in London’s theatre-land several times as well as reprising the role on a UK tour. Jennifer said: “Roxie was a brilliant role. I loved every minute of it. It was something I really enjoyed doing. To be able to say you have done that role is incredible.” She also got the chance to work with Suffolk’s Ruthie Henshall, who has won critical acclaim and audience love for her interpretation of the Roxie role. Jennifer explained: “Ruthie Henshall is my idol. To go and play the role not long after her was fantastic. On the tenth anniversary, we ran the show with a different actress playing Roxie each time she came on. It was absolutely incredible to share the stage with Ruthie.” In addition, she has taken on lead roles in two other iconic productions Legally Blonde and Singin’ In The Rain as well as appearing in the movie version of Phantom Of The Opera. “I have been very fortunate. Theatre has been my main love and passion. To have that instant response from the audience is fantastic. I have been very lucky to play leading ladies in four West End
shows. I feel very privileged and very grateful,” said Jennifer. Although stage work has been a strong focus for Jennifer, she is no stranger to TV appearing in ITV’s Sunday evening hit Dancing On Ice and also braving kitchen rage in Hell’s Kitchen, which she preferred doing. “I think I enjoyed it more as I am a better cook than I am a skater, although I know I have been so lucky to do so many things,” she said. But was Jennifer scared about the legendary rages of Hell’s Kitchen host Gordon Ramsay? “Well, when I did ballet when I was young, I was taught by
Russian ballet teachers and they were a lot scarier than Gordon, so it was a case of if you did the work and worked hard, he rewarded you. I got my head down and worked hard and I think he saw that. Some others weren’t doing the same and that is why he screamed at them,” she recalled. And that strong grounding as a child has inspired her to equip the next generation of performers with the skills they need to succeed. She has set up Jelli Studios in her native Liverpool with nine separate spaces to teach young people a host of www.finecity.co.uk
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new skills as well as her recently opened Jelli Studios Theatre Arts College too. Jennifer says basing them in Merseyside was really important for her. “That’s exactly what happened to me. There are a lot of opportunities for people down South – especially in London – and I wanted to create a college that could rival the London colleges and was up there in standard rather than just a local college that anyone can get in,” she said. But with all this going, plus a forthcoming pantomime, you would think that was enough. www.finecity.co.uk
The hard work just keeps coming with Jennifer’s reality TV hit Dance Mums which sees young performers show off their skills aided and abetted by their mothers in a programme mixing tiaras, tutus and tantrums running right through the autumn until Christmas. And she also has a primetime ITV series starting in the New Year. At the time of chatting, she was sworn to secrecy about exactly what it will involve but she is promising it is one of the channel’s biggest commissions for 2016. If all that isn’t enough, she has
also got three young sons all under 6 to look after too, but will they follow her into the world of theatre too? “I think the eldest may follow me onto the stage. He is quite theatrical and dramatic. I think the younger two are more likely to go down the sports route,” she laughed. But the one thing they can all enjoy is the chance to see her starring in this year’s Norwich Theatre Royal pantomime opposite the likes of Richard Gauntlett, back for his 15th year in the city, and locally-based comic favourite Ben Langley. “The kids love it. Last time I did it,
my middle son was a bit young but my eldest loves it and gets really involved,” said Jennifer. “Being an actress and being in the West End, there are very limited things they can see. With panto, they can all enjoy it and all the family can come.” And that is her message to everyone set to see her in this year’s production of Snow White. Whatever your age, the entertainment of panto is for you. Oh yes, it is! 2015 November | 25
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Richard Gauntlett Snow White – Dec 15-Jan 17
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ust when you thought it was safe, he is back. Norwich Theatre Royal’s panto favourite Richard Gauntlett is returning to the cast of this year’s festive spectacular. And the stage sensation is set to resume his role of Dame donning a host of spectacular frocks in this year’s show Peter Pan. He tells John Bultitude about his globetrotting performing life, creating a pantomime from scratch, and why he is looking forward to wearing women’s clothes on stage again. When does he ever stop? Richard Gauntlett is one of those versatile entertainers who is always thinking of the next side-
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splitting gag or routine to wow the panto audience. He may be best known as the cheeky chappy or outrageous Dame in the theatre’s annual pantomime but he is also part of the creative pulse of the festive production. Richard writes and directs the show as well as stars in it, and as we chat in late Spring months before the December 15 opening night, he is already turning ideas over in his mind. He explained: “We have a synopsis and sets are being built so we are starting to know what we need and where we are going to go. It is evolving all the time.” And if you are expecting a carbon copy of other Snow White pantomimes around the country,
forget it. This one will have a host of unusual elements, although you will have to come and see it to find out what they are. Richard would not give too much away but said: “We are setting the story somewhere different and using some exciting methods of recreating the Snow White magic. “We are very lucky that our production manager Will Hill is so excited about pantomime. You will suggest ideas and get a wry smile but you know he will be working out in his mind how to bring them to the stage. Ninety-nine per cent of the time, he succeeds.” After the sheer size and spectacle of last year’s production Peter Pan with its flying, incredible effects and stunning costumes, that will take some work but Richard highlights the passion of his fellow members of the production team, along with Suffolk-based Scenic Projects who create the lavish sets. “They are incredible. We have been working with them for a few years now and the sets they have come up with are beautiful. They are brilliant. They are also based locally which is great. We like to work with people in the area if we can.” Panto is one of Richard’s great passions. Snow White will be the fifteenth he has been associated with in Norwich and that is just one arm of his performing CV. From cutting his teeth in the fiercely competitive Covent Garden where he first met panto co-star Ben Langley through lavish West End productions like Barnum to TV appearances in Doctor Who and even writing episodes of The Sooty Show, Richard will turn his hand to anything. And since he was last in Norwich for pantomime, he has been a busy man. One of his main jobs has been sharing his variety show with audiences worldwide. Richard explained: “I enjoy working on the cruise ships. They are very nice and we are treated very well. This year I have been to Australia, New Zealand and Vietnam. They are fantastic audiences and it is also great to work with a nine-piece
band which does not happen on land any more. It is nice to do a whole evening’s entertainment with those musicians and have the whole audience with you.” Although his passport is back in the drawer for the time being (oh yes, it is), pre-panto he is heading off on a three month tour with the National Gilbert and Sullivan Company where he has built a strong reputation with audiences for taking on the comic roles. “I am particularly excited this year because one of the shows we are doing is Patience which is one I have not done before, “said Richard. “Gilbert and Sullivan does not tour as much as it used to. There does seem to be a new audience for it and our last tour must have worked as we are going out on the road again. The comedy is timeless. The directors involved try to keep it traditional but also give it a 21st Century kick at the same time. The operas may be 120 years old but they still work.” Meanwhile his focus is still on panto and ever keen to attract as many people as possible to the show, he has a clear message for people planning to come along and see Snow White. “It is best to book early to make sure you get seats at the performance you want to see. Tickets for the busiest shows go very fast and we would hate the thought anyone missed out on seeing it.” And he confesses after two years of playing male characters Buttons and Smee on the Norwich panto stage, he is looking forward to stepping back into the Dame’s outrageous outfits. “I have missed it really. It is nice to run around in just one costume but I am bringing back some of my favourite Dame costumes for Snow White. There are also a lot that need to be made. It is very exciting.” With that, Richard is off again for a whispered conversation with Ben Langley about a possible comedy routine and then it is off for a chat with wardrobe about some more costume ideas. It does seem that when you are Norwich’s Mr Panto, the list of jobs to think about is never all Behind You, to coin a phrase!
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New Season Classic Musical, Top Stage Superstars and Family Favourites In New Line-Up
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classic musical by the team which brought Singin’ In The Rain to the Norwich Theatre Royal is heading to Norfolk. Chichester Festival Theatre’s highly-acclaimed production of Guys and Dolls will take to the stage on May 3-7, 2016, fresh from a run in the West End, and it heads a line-up of newlyannounced shows on their way
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to the city. First premiered on Broadway in 1950, Guys and Dolls tells the story of gambler Nathan Detroit who is running out of money while his fiancée Miss Adelaide is running out of patience waiting for him to propose marriage. Enter top gambler Sky Masterson, who cannot resist a bet, and straight-laced missionary Sarah Brown. Nathan sets Sky the wager of taking
Sarah to dinner and, in return, he will supply a dozen sinners for her mission. With the stakes set, Nathan must be on to a winner, or is he? Based on the colourful stories of American journalist Damon Runyon, it aims to capture the energy of post-World War Two America. It features a host of gamblers, hustlers and nightclub singers who made money in New York and boasts plenty of iconic Broadway numbers including My Time Of Day, Luck Be A Lady, and Sit Down You’re Rocking The Boat. A strong creative team will be bringing it to the stage. Director Gordon Greenberg has directed plays and musicals across America and Europe and is currently working on the stage adaptation of Tangled for Disney. Meanwhile the world-renowned Carlos Acosta is choreographing the production. Trained at the National Ballet School of Cuba, he has danced as a principal with the English National Ballet, the National Ballet of Cuba and the Houston Ballet, as well as being a principal guest artist with the Royal Ballet. He has
also staged a number of shows across Europe including a new production of Don Quixote for the Royal Ballet. The Chichester Festival Theatre has brought two previous musical smash hits to Norwich Theatre Royal – Barnum starring Brian Conley and Singin’ In The Rain starring Maxwell Caulfield. Meanwhile more casting for this year’s Norwich Theatre Royal pantomime has been confirmed. TV and West End favourite Jennifer Ellison is playing Queen Evilynne in Snow White, which runs from December 15 to January 17. She shot to fame playing Emily Shadwick in Brookside before forging a hugely successful stage career appearing in the likes of Chicago and Singin In The Rain and delighting audiences both in the West End and on tour. Jennifer is also seen on TV in the DanceMums TV series which follows the efforts of young dancers to seek success aided and abetted by their mothers in a show mixing tantrums, tutus and tiaras. Joining Jennifer as Snow White is former Sprowston High School
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FINEARTS pupil Amie Howes in her first major stage role after recently gaining her BA (Hons) in Musical Theatre. A frequent visitor to the theatre while growing up, she honed her performance skills at the city-based Heather Millan School of Dance and has already appeared in a number of productions including Kiss Me Kate, West Side Story, and a production of Cabaret directed by Graeme Henderson who played one of the Ugly Sisters in the Norwich Theatre Royal pantomime Cinderella in 2013-14. And touring theatre actor Bruce Graham is to take on the role of Igor the Henchman. His CV features some of the bestknown productions in musical theatre and saw him star in a host of hit West End shows including Me and My Girl, Follies, Phantom of the Opera, Cats and Sunset Boulevard, as well as the works of Gilbert and Sullivan. His first professional experience was with the D’Oyly Carte and he also appeared in a number of productions for the world-famous Carl Rosa Company including The Gondoliers, The Pirates of Penzance, and The Mikado. Making a return to the Theatre Royal stage from February 22-24 is New Jersey Nights. The show is a spectacular celebration of the music of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, and takes the audience on a nostalgic musical journey through the career of one of the biggest selling groups of all time. From the back street studio in New Jersey where it all began, this vibrant production includes all of The Four Seasons greatest hits, Including Sherry, Rag Doll, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Walk Like A Man and many more, it features an award-winning cast of singers, dancers and a rockin’ on-stage band. Family audiences can get ready for chaos and calamity on March 28 as one of CBBC’s most popular shows, Bear Behaving Badly, takes to the stage in its first ever nationwide live tour. The Jam Sandwiches and Ice Cream Tour will captivate children aged 4–12 and will feature Nev, Crazy Keith, Barney (who features via
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a pre-recorded video link), Aunt Barbara, Beatrice and angry pants Caretaker Mr. Prank in a brand new show that is full of adventure, mischief and mess. The interactive and vibrant production will encourage audiences to laugh along with Nev, boogie with Breatrice and sing along with Barney, while educating children about the benefits of healthy eating and leading an active lifestyle. Glen Davies (the original Mr. Prank) will reprise his role during the tour. The English National Ballet School will also entertain youngsters with their production of My First Ballet: Sleeping Beauty, from April 8-9. Suitable for children aged three upwards, a narrator will help the young audience follow the story with a shortened version of Tchaikovsky’s beautiful music – to give a perfect introduction to the world of ballet and a fantastic family day out. There will be more dance with a new and exciting musical adaptation of the acclaimed show Essence of Ireland when Ireland’s Call arrives on March 27. The story follows Sean
Dempsey who leaves his beloved Ireland for a new life in America and the show features a mix of original music and well-known songs, including Galway Girl, I Loved Her First, Tell Me Ma and Irish Rover, plus a fast tapping ensemble of dancers. Some more one-night shows are also poised to go on sale. One of British comedy’s favourite funny men Julian Clary will celebrate three decades tickling the nation’s funny bone with his brand new show The Joy Of Mincing on Sunday April 17. The author, TV and radio star, and self-confessed ‘national trinket’ will reminisce about his 30 years entertaining the nation. Comedian Sean Lock will also be entertaining with his quirky take on life when he brings his new stand-up show to Norwich on March 13. Audiences are invited to come and see what he’s ‘blithering on about this time’. Also returning by public demand on April 10 is acclaimed classical singer Russell Watson, fresh from his previous soldout visit to the Theatre Royal. Described by the New York Times as a performer “who sings
like Pavarotti and entertains the audience like Sinatra,” he will perform a mix of music crossing a wide range of genres which is likely to include tracks from his long-awaited new album. And a host of favourites from the golden age of pop music are set to join forces for the Solid Silver 60s Show on May 11. Heading the line-up will be Herman’s Hermits front-man Peter Noone who is known for a host of Top 40 hits including I’m Into Something Good and There’s A Kind Of Hush. Joining him in the show direct from the US will be Brian Hyland, who enjoyed huge Sixties success with pop hits including Sealed With A Kiss and Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini. Completing the exciting musical line-up will be Mike Berry, New Amen Corner, and The Merseybeats. Communications officer at Norwich Theatre Royal, Judy Foster said: “To have a smash hit musical like the high energy Guys and Dolls here is an exciting prospect for our audiences, and we are delighted to be offering some superb shorter runs and one-night shows with top class comedy, music and dance treats, while families with little ones will enjoy Bear Behaving Badly and the chance to introduce their children to ballet with English National Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty.”
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Picture This! Young Photographers To Exhibit At Norwich Theatre Royal
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team of Norfolk photography students are getting the chance to showcase their work at Norwich Theatre Royal. The venue’s gallery space around the Adnams Bar is used for displays of paintings and art pieces created by members of East Anglia’s creative community supported by Targetfollow. But now sixth formers from Hellesdon High School are set to take centre-stage with some of their best photographic work this autumn. The Year 12 and 13 students have been studying for their A Level in Photography and will be putting some of their coursework on display from September 29, with it staying on display there through the winter.
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The students were each encouraged to develop their own themes so they could explore areas which were of interest to them. The exhibits boast a wide variety of ideas and subjects ranging from the morals behind popular fairy tales to the portrayal of women in The Bible. Robert West, the school’s photography teacher, said: “The students have already exhibited their work at the school but it will be a great honour for them to display it at Norwich Theatre Royal where it will be seen by a far greater audience. “I am exceptionally proud of the work being displayed in the exhibition. The variety of work and the level of photographic skill on show is testament to the hard work demonstrated by all of the students involved.”
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An Inspector Calls J.B. Priestley’s classic thriller set to enthrall – December 1-5, 2015
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inner of 19 major international awards (more than any other play in history), director Stephen Daldry’s legendary production of J.B Priestley’s classic thriller An Inspector Calls returns to Norwich Theatre Royal this December to thrill with its chilling suspense. This tour marks 70 years since An Inspector Calls was first premiered in Moscow in 1945. Written at the end of the Second World War, but set before the First World War, its compelling and haunting story takes place over one evening and begins
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when the mysterious Inspector Goole calls unexpectedly on the prosperous Birling family home. Their peaceful dinner party is shattered by his investigations into the death of a young woman whom each of them in turn has exploited, and his startling revelations not only shatter the very foundations of their lives but also challenges the audience to examine their own consciences. The drama is one of Priestley’s best known works for the stage and considered to be one of the classics of mid-20th century English theatre. It has also been hailed as a scathing critique of
the hypocrisies of Victorian and Edwardian English society and as an expression of Priestley’s Socialist political principles. Stephen Daldry’s production is the longest running play revival in history and his visionary adaptation unites the 1912 setting with the time it was written in 1945, transferring the play to a dramatic cobblestone war-torn wasteland, where the Edwardian Birling family home looms precariously, suspended on stilts. The play’s dramatic and imaginative stage setting makes it a theatrical event which has now been enjoyed by in excess of three million theatregoers worldwide. The play arrives at Norwich Theatre Royal from December 1-5 with a strong cast headed up by Tim Woodward as Mr Birling and Liam Brennan as Inspector Goole, with Caroline Wildi (Mrs Birling), Matthew Douglas (Gerald Croft), Katherine Jack (Sheila Birling), Hamish Riddle (Eric Birling) and Diana Payne Myers (Edna). Tim Woodward, son of actor Edward Woodward, has extensive theatre, television and film credits to his name, including in the 1970s BBC drama Wings, the 1990s ITV soap opera Families and he portrayed Leonard ‘Nipper’ Read of Scotland Yard in the 2008 ITV adaptation of Jake Arnott’s crime novel He Kills Coppers. He also guest starred with his father Edward and son Sam as a London gangster family in a special storyline for The Bill in 2008, while his film credits include K19-The Widow Maker, Salome, Some Mother’s Son and The Europeans. Director Stephen Daldry has received Academy Award nominations for Best Director and/or Best Picture for his films The Reader (starring Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes), The Hours (starring Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore), Billy Elliot (starring Jamie Bell) and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (starring Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock). He won his first major directorial success in 1992 when his revival of An Inspector Calls
opened at the National Theatre to outstanding critical acclaim. Featuring Ian MacNeil’s ingenious designs, a sweeping score by Oscar-winning composer Stephen Warbeck (Shakespeare in Love) and atmospheric lighting by Rick Fisher, the production has received an unprecedented string of awards – a total of 19 major international awards - including the Olivier Award for Best Revival, Best Director and Best Designer, and the Tony Award on Broadway for Best Revival, Best Director and Best Lighting. It has played in the West End (including a 6-year run), on Broadway, across Australia, the United States, Japan and Europe and has currently completed seven major UK tours. A National Theatre production, An Inspector Calls is produced on tour by PW Productions Ltd, which is run by Norwich Theatre Royal chief executive Peter Wilson.
Listing: An Inspector Calls, Tuesday to Saturday, December 1-5, 2015. Eves 7.30pm, Mats Wed, Thur & Sat 2.30pm. Tickets £7-£24. – under threes free. BOX OFFICE 01603 630000. For more info or to BOOK ONLINE www. theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk
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Jennifer Grace Music
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ennifer Grace Music and Vocal Academy students are currently in rehearsals for their Christmas Production Showcase 2015. The show will take place on 6th December at Hellesdon Community Centre and starts at 2pm until 4.30pm. Tickets are available by calling or emailing Jennifer Grace Music and Vocal Academy. This year we have 36 talented students from all ages, the youngest is 4 and the oldest is in their 60’s from the shyest to the most confident they have all been working very hard. Over the past few weeks the vocal coaches have been sifting through the thousands of Christmas songs to find the right songs for their students to sing. This has been a hard task, they have chosen traditional to a few unheard of songs that will warm the hearts on any cold winter’s day!! We would like to congratulate Ethan Kemp Walker for auditioning for Bugsy Malone and landing the part of Dandy Dan, and to Eleanor Jenkins for getting the part of Maria in The Sound Of Music at the college she is www.finecity.co.uk
studying at. Ethan will be singing in our Christmas show too! In other news, a few of our students have been going out performing ‘live’ and wowing audiences. Lauren Li and Sammie Ashford were asked to perform at a charity event in Norwich at one of Norwich’s bigger hotels. This was Laurens first time performing live with piano backing from Sammie which got a great response from the audience. Lauren said she has the performing bug and didn’t want to stop! Another one of our students Poppy Castleton performed at Norwich City College on Friday to a packed audience, Poppy likes to sing Musical Theatre and has been doing very well in all her productions. Amy Morris one of students was asked to sing at an acoustic event held at The Cactus Café alongside other vocalists, she too had an amazing response from the audience and is growing in confidence each time she performs. Both Amy and Poppy along with 14 of our other students are currently studying RSL (Rock School Ltd) for their
Vocal Grades which they will be taking in February 2016. If you are interested in buying a ticket for our Christmas show or would like to join us here at our wonderful Academy for singing, piano, guitar, keyboard or drumming lessons or our singing club which meets on a
Wednesday evening from 6.30 til 8.00 or would like to take exams please check us out on www.jennifergracemusic.co.uk or find and like us on Facebook or Twitter. Our numbers are:UNIT: 01603 789366/MOB: 07712766715. 2015 November | 31
Jean Sibelius Norfolk-based travelling arts man, Tony Cooper, is hot on the trail of Finland’s most famous composer, Jean Sibelius
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ndeed, I am! And the trail started very early in the morning at London Stansted airport with Ryanair flying me to TamperePirkkala airport about 125 kilometres from the city of Lahti in southern Finland, home of the international Sibelius music festival. And getting to the airport proved unfussy. I travelled from Norwich Thorpe Station by Abellio Greater Anglia’s service to London Liverpool Street (www.abelliogreateranglia. co.uk) connecting me to the Stansted Express which runs direct services to Stansted airport every 15 minutes from Liverpool Street (www.stanstedexpress. com). Alternatively, one can travel
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from Norwich to Cambridge with Abellio Greater Anglia changing at Cambridge for direct services
feature by:
Tony Cooper Writer tc@tony-cooper.co.uk
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FINEARTS to Stansted airport. Normally, the festival (now in its 16th year) is held over a long weekend but as this year honours the 150th anniversary of this great composer’s birth, it was extended to one week. In view of this, perhaps one of Finland’s airports (I suppose, Helsinki) should now be renamed in honour of Sibelius. What a week of musicmaking it turned out to be! The programme focused on Sibelius’ most important orchestral works including the seven symphonies, the symphonic poem Kullervo, the violin concerto and Lemminkäinen. And the performance of Lemminkäinen by the Helsinki Philharmonic under their principal conductor emeritus Leif Segerstam (the festival’s opening concert) proved one of the highlights for me. Also known as The Four Legends, the work was originally conceived as a mythological opera, Veneen luominen (The Building of the Boat) on a scale matching those by Wagner but Sibelius thought about it and later changed his musical goals and it became an orchestral piece in four movements instead. Lemminkäinen - which can be considered a collection of symphonic poems - is based on the character Lemminkäinen from the Finnish national epic, The Kalevala, telling the story of a people from the very beginning of the world to the introduction of Christianity. It has been an important cultural inspiration for the Finnish people for centuries. The most well-known section, The Swan of Tuonela, is often heard as a separate item in the concert-hall and features a prominent cor anglais solo. But overall the music paints a gossamer transcendental image of a mystical swan swimming around Tuonela, the island of the dead, and Lemminkäinen has been given the task of killing the sacred swan but on the way he’s shot with a poisoned arrow and dies himself. The work has also inspired other musical genres and the 2007 album ‘Silent Waters’
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from Finnish heavy-metal band, Amorphis, focuses on the story of Lemminkäinen while the character is also the protagonist in Aleksandr Ptushko’s 1959 film, The Day the Earth Froze, in which the scenario traces the exploits of Lemminkainen as he woos the fair Annikki and battles the evil witch Louhi who kidnaps Annikki to compel her father to build for her a sampo, a magical device that creates salt, grain and gold therefore bringing good fortune to its holder. However, when Lemminkainen tries but fails to recover the sampo, Louhi steals the sun, plunging the world into frozen darkness. All very mystical and mysterious but so, too, was the Lahti Symphony Orchestra’s rendition of The Wood-Nymph (Skogsrået) under the baton of Osmo Vänskä, artistic director of the festival from 2000-08. The work - which jumped out of the programme featuring the 3rd and 4th
symphonies - is as dynamic as the score itself while Maestro Vänskä energised his charges like no other in a thrilling and electrifying performance. The scenario’s based on the Swedish poet Viktor Rydberg’s 1882 literary work of the same name and was first heard in April 1895 in Helsinki with Sibelius conducting. The history of the piece is very interesting, too. Never published, it gradually fell out of the repertoire with the exception of a performance in 1936. Six decades later, the manuscript was ‘rediscovered’ among the archives of the University of Helsinki Library and it fell to Maestro Vänskä giving the modern-day world première with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra in February 1996. A typical performance lasts just over 20 minutes making The WoodNymph the longest of Sibelius’ single-movement tone poems. And the fame of Sibelius
(like Beethoven, who was a big influence on the composer) rests upon his orchestral works, mainly his seven symphonies, not forgetting, of course, the violin concerto. A magnificent work! He also wrote several symphonic poems, too, the most important of which is his first major work, Kullervo, scored for soprano, baritone, male-voice choir and orchestra, which, thankfully, is enjoying a new lease of life. After performing Kullervo at the Proms, the BBC Symphony Orchestra repeated the programme in Lahti under their Finnish-born conductor Sakari Oramo featuring two brilliant soloists: the soprano Johanna Rusanen and the baritone Waltteri Torikka along with the male-voice Polytech choir. A monumental and exciting piece, Sibelius created in the work what is generally perceived as a ‘Finnish tone world’ and with the overtly-romantic piece, En saga
Osmo Vänskä and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra take a bow
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- another early work which also shared the same programme - it confirmed the composer’s position as the leading light of Finnish music. The orchestra stayed over for a further concert with Okko Kamu (current artistic director of the festival and his final festival) taking charge of an invigorating and engaging performance of the 2nd symphony while the dynamic young Russian violinist Sergei Malov delivered a technically-assured and exciting performance of the violin concerto, the only concerto that Sibelius wrote. One noteworthy feature of the work is the way in which an extended cadenza for the soloist takes on the role of the development section in the sonata-form first movement. The well-respected British musicologist, Donald Tovey, described the final movement as a ‘polonaise for polar bears’ but his remarks were tongue in cheek. He further added: ‘In the easier and looser concerto forms invented by Mendelssohn and Schumann, I’ve not met a more original, a more masterly and a more exhilarating work than Sibelius’ violin concerto.’ Paul Hughes, general manager of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, 34 | November 2015
was delighted that the orchestra took part in the festival in this special year celebrating Sibelius 150th anniversary. ‘It was a great honour for the BBC Symphony Orchestra to be invited to this year’s Lahti festival,’ he said. ‘The orchestra first visited the Nordic countries on a four-country tour in June 1956. They gave two concerts at the Helsinki Sibelius festival under the baton of Sir Malcolm Sargent on 10th and 11th June and the repertoire was all-Sibelius and included his 1st and 3rd symphonies and three historical scenes: Finlandia, Tapiola and En saga.
The orchestra and Sargent were entertained by Sibelius himself at his home in Järvenpää.’ To get all their fixtures and fittings to Lahti, the BBC truck driver had a marathon journey at the wheel that should be applauded as much as the orchestra was. His route took him via Denmark and then ferry from Stockholm to Turku while he returned to the UK by taking the ferry from Helsinki to Travemunde then trucking gently through Germany and home. An adventurous journey! And the Sibelius festival proved just as adventurous and
Lahti’s well-appointed Sibelius Hall - majestically located by Lake Vesijärvi - is definitely the place to hear the music of this great Finnish master. The hall’s exceptional in so many ways not just for the beauty of its architecture and picturesque setting but also for its acoustic properties as well while it’s adorably comfortable offering excellent sightlines throughout the building. Opened in winter 2000, it’s the largest wooden structure to be built in Finland for well over a century and salutes its glorious industrial past as the site was formerly occupied by a timber works. And traces of its former life are more than evident today such as the red-brick wall exterior of the old carpenters’ hall and carpenters’ workshop now occupied by swishy restaurants (I tasted reindeer here for the first time), lecture theatres and a stylish bar faced with treated birch-wood panels as well as three sauna rooms (you’ve read it right!) - a couple for performers and one for guests - while the elegantly-designed, wood-sealed, oval-shaped, 1250-seat concerthall comes wrapped by an impressive steel-and-glass frame thus completing a handsome trio of building materials. Nine massive wooden pylons support the foyer’s spacious wooden roof-span - appropriately named Forest Hall (Metsähalli) - connecting all of the public spaces tightly together while the ceiling boasts a myriad of tiny lights recreating the position of the stars at the time of Sibelius’ birth which are duly reflected on the surrounding glass walls. On the west side, a wonderful panoramic view of Lake Vesijärvi can be admired at any time of the day but the most magical, I feel, is at dusk and towards sunset. There are about 30 pieces of sculpture dotted about the building, too, created by Professor Mauno Hartman who was born in 1930 in Turku on the southwest coast of Finland, a city in which the young Sibelius regularly visited to spend time with his uncle Pehr (a seed merchant) who encouraged
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Natalie Chee, guest leader of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, at work
him to pursue a musical career. Hartman’s work comprise reliefs, paintings and collages but what stands out to the naked eye so clearly is his hefty wooden sculptures often made out of reclaimed material sourced from demolished buildings which he shapes and fashions by using the tools of his trade - chainsaw and axe. They’re thoughtprovoking pieces! And one last thought: Paul Simon wrote about the sound of silence in the early 1960s but Jean Sibelius thought about it much earlier in the early 1900s, in fact, while living at Ainola with his wife Aino and family in Järvenpää overlooking Lake Tuusula about 30 minutes’ drive from Helsinki. They lived at Ainola (named, by the way, after his wife) from 1904 until the end of their lives: Jean died in 1957; Aino in 1969. After their parents’ death, the couple’s daughters sold Ainola to the Finnish State in 1972. Currently, the house serves as a museum devoted to the composer and his work. Sibelius relished living at Ainola as it took him away from the hustle and bustle of the Finnish capital and gave him the peace of mind that he needed to activate his creative powers while other artistic families living in the neighbourhood provided a lively social circle. It was here that he walked and thought while churning over in his mind time and time again the themes and ideas for his compositions that would eventually produce a host of wonderful and inspiring works
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conjuring up and painting an abstract canvas of the sweeping and striking Finnish landscape of forest, water and wild cloudy skies - a landscape which is simply a joy to behold and one that Sibelius cherished so deeply and so much. After completing Tapiola in 1926 (his last major work), Sibelius lived for another 30 years. He started working on an 8th symphony but after becoming unhappy with its progress it vanished from his pen. He’s reputed to have burned the sketches at Ainola. True or false! Tick the box! However, the significance of Sibelius for the music not only of Finland but for the whole of Europe was encapsulated by Ralph Vaughan Williams - a regular visitor to Norwich attending meetings of the old Norfolk & Norwich Triennial Festival in St Andrew’s Hall who wrote in a letter to Sibelius: ‘You’ve lit a candle that will never go out.’ How right he was!
BBC Symphony Orchestra under Sakari Oramo taking their bow after performing Kullervo with The Polytech Choir
Next year’s Lahti Sibelius festival runs from 8th11th September featuring a trio of concerts by the Lahti Symphony Orchestra conducted by the orchestra’s new chief conductor as well as the festival’s new artistic director, Russian-born Dima Slobodeniouk. He studied in Finland and has lived in the country for the past two decades. Check out the programme by visiting www. sinfonialahti.fi
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James Franco and Chris O’Dowd, stars of the hit Broadway production Of Mice and Men.
Cinema City Special screenings at Cinema City this month focuses on drama, opera and ballet. Tony Cooper reports
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cademy Award nominee Benedict Cumberbatch (BBC’s Sherlock, The Imitation Game and Frankenstein at the National Theatre) takes on the title-role of Shakespeare’s great tragedy in the National Theatre’s wellreceived new production of Hamlet directed by Lyndsey Turner (Posh, Chimerica) being screened on Monday, 2nd November, 1.30pm. As a country arms itself for war, a family tears itself apart. Forced to avenge his father’s death but paralysed by the task ahead, Hamlet rages against the impossibility of his predicament, threatening both his sanity and the security of the state. The scenario of the 1971-made American romantic dark comedy Harold & Maude, directed by Hal Ashby (Monday, 2nd November, 8.30pm), surrounds a young man harbouring a death-wish and a 79-year-old enjoying life to the full and finding love along 36 | November 2015
the way. Deadpan rich boy Harold keeps staging elaborate suicide tableaux to get the attention of his mother but she keeps planning his future for him instead. Obsessed with the trappings of death, Harold freaks out his blind dates, modifies his new sports car to
The brilliant German coloratura soprano, Marlis Petersen, takes the title-role of Alban Berg’s opera, Lulu.
look like a hearse and attends funerals - where he meets the spirited Maude. An eccentric to the core, Maude lives exactly as she pleases with avid collecting and nude modelling among her many pursuits. To the disgust of Harold’s relatives and the befuddlement of his shrink, Harold falls in madly love with her. As lilting Cat Stevens tunes play on the soundtrack, Maude teaches Harold a valuable lesson about making the most of his time on earth. The film - which will be introduced by film expert, Chris Rodden - is inspired by the current exhibition at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Magnificent Obsessions: The Artist As Collector. Richard Wagner’s Tannhäuser (Tuesday, 3rd November, 1pm) comes direct from the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, with James Levine conducting this early masterpiece by Wagner returning to the Met’s stage after more than a decade. Today’s leading Wagnerian tenor, Johan Botha, takes on the daunting title-role of the young knight caught between true love and passion. The celebrated Dutch soprano, Eva-Maria Westbroek - who, incidentally, made her operatic début at the Aldeburgh Festival in
1994 as Mère Marie in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites - sings the role of Elisabeth adding another Wagner heroine to her growing Met repertoire after her acclaimed reading of Sieglinde in the Ring cycle. On the heels of his recent triumph in Parsifal, Peter Mattei sings Wolfram and Michelle DeYoung is the love goddess, Venus. Inspired by the famous jewellers on New York’s Fifth Avenue, Bolshoi: Jewels (12A) Sunday 8th November, 3pm - is a tribute to women and to the cities of Paris, New York and St Petersburg. Choreographed in 1967 in New York City, the ballet, with its jewel-like costumes,
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Tony Cooper Writer tc@tony-cooper.co.uk
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Ryoichi Hirano and Marianela Nuñez in Liam Scarlett's new production Ballet, Viscera.
celebrates the three cities and the three dance schools that forged the elegance, aesthetic and style of choreographer George Balanchine. ‘Emeralds’ was conceived as a poetic tribute to the French romantic school and ‘Rubies’ to the American tradition of Broadway musicals while ‘Diamonds’ honours the virtuosity of the classically-trained Russian dancers. A dance feast! Enjoy four short ballets in one evening (Thursday, 12th November, 7.15pm) in a quadruple bill from The Royal Ballet. Carlos Acosta focuses on the dramatic essentials of love, jealousy and revenge in his new production of Carmen and will also be dancing the lead role. Liam Scarlett has used Lowell Liebermann’s thrilling first piano concerto as the inspiration for his similarly audacious choreography in Viscera while Debussy’s evocative score is the inspiration for Jerome Robbins’ Afternoon of a Faun depicting two balletdancers absorbed by their own reflections in their magnetic attraction to each other. George Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky pas de deux uses a fragment of music composed for the 1877 production of Swan Lake for an eight-minute display of ballet bravura and masterful technique. Michael Grandage’s stunning production of Britten’s Billy Budd for the Glyndebourne Festival (Sunday, 15th November, 7pm) offers an insight into what life was like for seamen in the tense and stifling atmosphere on board a British man-of-war during the Napoleonic Wars. An all-male piece, this five-star production was described by The Stage
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for The Royal
as ‘a masterpiece of emotional ambiguity’. Mark Padmore is cast as Captain Vere while David Soar, Stephen Gadd and Darren Jeffery make up his trio of officers. Andrew Davis is in the pit with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Golden Globe winner and Academy Award nominee James Franco (127 Hours, Milk) and Tony Award nominee Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids, Girls) star in the hit Broadway production Of Mice And Men (Thursday, 19th November, 7pm) filmed on stage by National Theatre Live. This landmark revival of Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck’s play is a powerful portrait of the American spirit and a heartbreaking testament to the bonds of friendship. The play’s directed by Outer Critics’ Circles award winner Anna D. Shapiro and features Leighton Meester (Country Strong, Gossip Girl) and Tony
Award winner Jim Norton (The Seafarer). The production was nominated for two Tony Awards including Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for Chris O’Dowd. Acclaimed artist and director, William Kentridge (The Nose), applies his unique theatrical vision to Alban Berg’s opera Lulu - a wild journey of love, obsession and death - in a production by the Metropolitan Opera House, New York (Saturday, 21st November, 5.30pm; Monday, 23rd November, 1pm). The libretto was adapted by Berg himself from Frank Wedekind’s plays Erdgeist (Earth Spirit, 1895) and Die Büchse der Pandora (Pandora’s Box, 1904). Conducted by the Met’s famed music director, James Levine, the title-role falls to the brilliant German coloratura soprano, Marlis Petersen, who’s particularly known for her portrayal of Lulu. The worldrenowned American mezzosoprano, Susan Graham, joins a winning cast which also includes Daniel Brenna and Johan Reuter. The first season of the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company Live promises an exceptional series of plays broadcast to cinemas from London’s Garrick Theatre over the course of a year. The season begins with The Winter’s Tale on Thursday, 26th November 7.15pm, with further screenings on Monday, 7th December,
2.30pm and Thursday, 24th December, 2.30pm. Shakespeare’s timeless tragicomedy of obsession and redemption is re-imagined in a new production co-directed by Rob Ashford and Sir Kenneth Branagh following their triumphant staging of Macbeth in Manchester and Manhattan. King Leontes appears to have everything: power, wealth, a loving family and friends. But sexual jealousy sets in motion a chain of events with tragic consequences. The Winter’s Tale stars a remarkable group of actors featuring Dame Judi Dench as Paulina working alongside Tom Bateman (Florizel), Jessie Buckley (Perdita), Hadley Fraser (Polixenes), Miranda Raison (Hermione) and Sir Kenneth Branagh as Leontes.
Box office: 0871 902 5724 Online: www.picturehouses.com The Dining Rooms are open daily from 10am to 9pm (Sunday: 8pm) Reservations: 01603 623435 www.norwichdiningrooms. co.uk
Benedict Cumberbatch stars in the National Theatre’s production of Hamlet.
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The Adventure Of The East Cheam Retirement Home A brand new Sherlock Holmes tale in two parts - Narrated By John H Watson MD Part 1 An agitated young man rushes into Dr Watson’s surgery but flees before the good doctor can question him as to what might be the trouble. He leaves behind a notebook encased in pale blue leather; there is nothing in it save a Latin inscription ‘Spectemur Agendo’. What is it that ails him and what is the significance of the notebook with its mysterious message? There is only one thing for Dr Watson to do: take it to the single man in London who may be able to cast light on the puzzle – the world’s first and only consulting detective, the famous Mr Sherlock Holmes.
Holmes at Baker Street. Photo Stephen Browning
38 | November 2015
In all the many cases I have tried to faithfully record concerning my adventures with my friend, Sherlock Holmes, there was several, as I recall, which began with me bringing the initial facts to his attention. One such was the Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb, a case, like the one I am about to relate, that actually began in my surgery at Paddington. I was not at this time, in the early months of 1892, living in our famous rooms at 221B Baker Street, having recently been blissfully married and now the proud owner of a medical practice not too far from my former abode. When in Mrs
Hudson’s care at Baker Street, cases had come to us, more often than not, as a result of someone tugging the bell-string, and presenting Holmes with a set of mysterious facts that were sometimes interesting enough to gain his immediate attention. Often, however, especially as he became more and more famous, some of the ‘cases’ we heard in our cluttered sitting room were simply of insufficient interest to merit his energies and it fell to me to usher the crest-fallen would-be client down the stairs and out into the often inclement London fog. No amount of money was of consequence to Holmes in circumstances like this as he was prepared to act solely according to the interest a set of facts offered: indeed, sometimes he waived his fees altogether if the client did not have the wherewithal to pay and the case was original and taxing enough to challenge his legendary mental faculties. A case was especially magnetic to him if Scotland Yard had tried and failed to get to the bottom of it. At times I thought he could be unsympathetic, even cruel when his interest was not aroused, such as after hearing the pathetic tale of the two lost twins of Shropshire or the sadly mysterious circumstances surrounding Lady Ethel Pomage’s bigamous marriage, a case I was forced to solve under my own steam as I felt so strongly for the poor lady, and which I may one day commit to paper. I thought his comment on seeing a report of my success in the Times somewhat sniffy, even jealous: ‘So you’ve solved one on your own, old chap. Well done – one of the simpler deductions,
to be sure’. It did not help my fury nor ego when he added: ‘The culprit was, of course, the second gardener who turned out to be Lady Ethel’s long-lost son!’ ‘Really, Holmes, if you knew it all along, then why did you not tell me?’ ‘Boys must have their fun, my dear chap. Anyway, I wanted to see if you would get there in the end!’ Sometimes, I found the arrogance and insensitivity of the man almost insufferable. And yet there were times, many more of them, when I would gladly have done anything for him. To his credit, he did, during the period under discussion, solve two of his most famous and unusual cases, the Adventure of the Speckled Band and the Adventure of the Five Orange Pips, in both of which I was proud to have been of some little service. The adventure I am now about to relate began, according to my notes, in the spring of 1892 when the air was crisp and sweet with the promise of a fine summer to come. I had seen several clients in my Paddington surgery and was looking forward to my cherished morning tea break when, into my examination room and past my beloved wife who was at this time acting as my receptionist, rushed a very agitated young man of about eight and twenty. ‘Dr Watson, Oh Dr Watson, I am so sorry to trouble you, but you must see me…’ I looked at this well-dressed, obviously educated chap standing before my desk with my worried wife hovering behind,
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Steve Browning Writer @returningperson
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in the world. It is actually Many think that 221B Baker Street is the most famous address is a real person and a bank but receives letters from people who think Sherlock Holmes ss, these letters Nonethele old. still alive today. This would make him about 165 years my opinion, must have the are always replied to by a specially employed person who, in happiest job ever. Photo Stephen Browning
waiting, as we had so often discussed before, for my signal to call the police and have him removed. But I hesitated. He would have been handsome, with a shock of ginger hair and a moustache almost equal to my own (of which, I am, as my readers know, very proud), but for his truly pathetic countenance and the imploring look of a Springer Spaniel. He was dressed in a fine suit which was somewhat crumpled, his shirt showed signs of not having been changed for a day or more and his bright red and blue tie, which I recognized as belonging to the alumni of one of our great public schools, hung loosely down from his neck as if he had been clawing at it. ‘My dear Sir,’ I said,‘please take a seat. You must tell me what ails you. I am in no hurry this morning, until such time as I have to visit my good friend Sherlock Holmes later …’ “Ah, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes, yes...Oh absolutely’, he half screamed, staring wide-eyed like a madman around my surgery. I admit to alarm at this point. ‘My dear young man, before you have need of any medical services I may be able to provide, I think you have need of something more immediate and prosaic. I have some brandy in the adjoining room. Please wait here a moment and I shall fetch it!’ I quickly left the room, fetched the brandy bottle and two glasses, and returned. But when I entered the room, it was empty. I noticed that the French doors
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leading to the garden were wide open. Of my visitor and the preceding events there was no sign save one – on my desk was a leather-bound book of light blue colour. My wife, who had heard the commotion, rushed in and her gaze, too, fell on the volume. Tentatively she picked it up and flipped through it. ‘My dear, there is nothing in it at all. It appears to be brand new. Ah…hold on, written under today’s date there is something. What is it? Yes, it says ‘Spectemur Agendo. What on earth is that?’ ‘It is Latin, my darling’, I said, summoning up my Grammar School Classical Studies. It means something like ‘Let us be judged by our actions’. ‘Judging by HIS actions, I would say he is one test-tube short of a full medical set! What are we to do? There’s little point in chasing him, is there? He will have got clean away out of our back gate by now.’ ‘Well, that, anyhow, is easy. I am due to see Sherlock at noon. I shall take the book to him,’ I said, chuckling inside and more than a tad gratified to be able to take him another puzzle and so soon after the ‘Engineer’s Thumb’ case. ‘I think I might as well go immediately.’ My wife told me later that she was surprised, after all that had occurred, to see me leave shortly in fine spirits, apparently smiling to myself and quietly humming the chorus from La Boheme. ‘Well, Watson, what do YOU make of it?’ Holmes held the light blue notebook that I had just passed to him up to the light
of the window, better to get a good look. ‘Your medical practice seems to be a magnet for the confused and bewildered at the moment!’ I had found Holmes in excellent spirits, having spent the morning perusing the columns of the dailies, and just in the mood for a little deductive exercise. ‘Well, Holmes,’ I replied, very pleased that I had brought something of interest to the great man. ‘I can see that it is a notebook of some kind. It is light blue with strange mottled orangey marks on it. The paper is fine, slightly cream in colour with watermarks. Undoubtedly it is encased in the finest English calf. That it is expensive and probably manufactured by one of our famous publishing houses such as the Cambridge University Press is obvious and no surprise to me having seen its owner who appeared to be a man of taste and education, even in his febrile state. It has nothing in it save the Latin inscription. If I may make so bold, Holmes, I suggest an immediate advertisement in the personal columns of the Times suggesting that the owner come here tonight at 6.30 to collect it whereupon we shall quiz him and get to the bottom of this perplexing matter. Have I missed anything?’ ‘Everything of interest and
importance, dear chap! Don’t look so miffed – you have done as well as anyone. However, what about the leather? Sniff it. It smells of a barnyard, does it not? Of chickens and geese and yet there is also the tinge of heather and tree bark about it. And what do you make of the orangey marks bursting out onto the light blue? Both these things suggest it is leather of a particular kind – Elk, probably Asian, although the breed has been established in Argentina of late. I am thinking of writing a small treatise on leathers which would be of value to Scotland Yard in securing convictions. But I digress…You see, Elk leather is notorious in being difficult to successfully dye – the orange patches cannot be completely hidden by our present methods of colouring. Hence the look of the book. It was not, I suggest, made here but probably in Hong Kong as they have the capability which China does not and a thriving trade in Elk, both for leather and also in antler velvet which is much prized as a medical treatment for gout and other complaints – you should investigate it for your longsuffering patients, doctor! An introductory article in The Lancet might not go amiss! As to your suggestion that we advertise for
Holmes and Watson discuss a case, by illustrator Sidney Paget.
2015 November | 39
FINEARTS ‘Holmes gave me a sketch of events’ by Sidney Paget, the great illustrator of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s work and credited with giving Holes his famous deerstalker hat which never actually appears in the stories.
the owner, I feel that this might alert the sinister forces at work here.’ ‘You think there are dangerous criminals at the bottom of this?’ ‘Of course, my dear Watson. Consider the consternation of your young visitor this morning. And look at the motto ‘Spectemur Agendo’. We are dealing with strange and fantastic forces here. We must proceed with great care.’ ‘And so what do we do?’ ‘I need to telegraph my brother, Mycroft. Then there will be nothing of value that we can do until tomorrow morning. I suggest an exhilarating walk in Regents Park followed by an excellent early dinner at Rules in Charing Cross. Come, let us enjoy the beautiful spring day! I have one or two items to impart before you present the facts of our recent adventure at The Copper Beeches to your adoring literary public.’
The next morning I passed my practice over to my colleague, Dr Mann, something we both did frequently as it left us free to pursue other interests when necessary. I was feeling quite excited at the day in store. I had barely arrived at 221B at about 8 am when Holmes ushered me out into a waiting cab which rattled away to Trafalgar Square, and then up to Piccadilly Circus. ‘Sorry to rush you about, my dear fellow, but I think we have not a moment to lose. Let me explain.’ The cab swung into Shaftesbury Avenue. ‘And Mycroft’s telegram?’ I asked before he could begin. ‘Yes, well, as you have probably guessed,’ – which I hadn’t, but did my best to look like I had – ‘my telegram to Mycroft was to seek news of the importers of leather to this country from Asia. Mycroft, as I said before, IS the British Government when it suits him
This museum is usually packed but well worth a visit. It is not actually number 221B but just up the street. A friendly ‘policeman’ will shake your hand as you enter! Photo Stephen Browning
40 | November 2015
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FINEARTS Photo Stephen Browning
and he has access to all import licenses. In particular I wanted to find out about Elk skin and, to cut a long story short, exactly who had the right not just to make products from it but, more importantly for our purposes, who had the rights to sell them.’ ‘And?’ ‘Well, in brief, it is made into many things that are sold, but the stockists of notebooks number six. One is in Dublin, one in Edinburgh, one in Manchester and the remainder in London. Of these I have discounted those outside the capital as well as stockists at Farringdon and Victoria as the neighbourhoods are probably too rough for the likes of the chap you had the pleasure of meeting yesterday. He seems a nervous sort of fellow and I cannot see him shopping in those insalubrious locations. The most likely retailer is the one we are about to investigate.’ We passed the Royal Academy of Arts on our right. I noticed that they were putting on an exhibition of painting and drawing inspired by our illustrious Queen and Empire. We stopped at the entrance to the beautiful Burlington Arcade where Holmes paid off the cab. Wandering up, looking to left and right, Holmes, with a grin of satisfaction eventually said, ‘Well, here we are!’ We entered a most lovely
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small shop with curved glass windows and a display of leather and cloth-bound notebooks of all descriptions and colours. A small man, balding, with a heavily waxed moustache, stood behind the tiny counter and eyed us coldly. ‘Yes?’ he almost hissed. ‘Oh dear, Watson I fear we are not cut of the right cloth for this gentleman!’ said Holmes in a whisper. When he chose, Holmes was capable of immense charm and he used every ounce of it here. ‘Good-day, my good sir. I must compliment you on your most beautiful shop. The fact is that, we were at Rules Restaurant last evening – do you know it? I should imagine that a gentleman like yourself would, indeed – when I found upon our table a most beautiful notebook bound in Asian Elk skin which had obviously been left by a previous diner.’ The man behind the counter looked down his nose – ‘petit register de poche, I think you mean –’ ‘I found the man’s pretensions almost intolerable but Holmes carried on as if charmed. ‘Of course, a most exquisite petit register de poche. Well, there is only one place where this beautiful item could have been purchased and that is here. I am most keen to return it to the owner and I wondered if you would be kind enough to let me
have the address? Perhaps you could consult your sales ledger?’ ‘Now look here, you meddlesome busybody – yer face is familiar, do I knows you?’ The man’s accent had slipped now and he came true, talking with a distinct lilt from the East End. He looked from one of us to the other. ‘Yes, and you,’ he said looking at me. ‘I knows you, too. You are that pair wot’s always in the papers. Who is it? Blimey, I’ve got it – the famous Sherlock ‘olmes and Dr Watson. You are welcome, sirs, both of you! Why didn’t you say who you was? He rushed out and shook Holmes by the hand. ‘You ‘elped a mate of mine when he was in trouble, Mr ‘olmes. He was up for murder and you got ‘im off. Johnston Bull. ’ ‘Well, I managed to prove he was robbing the Greystone Bank in Bermondsey at the time of the supposed murder, if I remember, and he got 10 years,’ said Holmes smiling, ‘but I suppose that is better than the rope and many would regard such a fate as ‘getting off’! How is Johnston Bull?’ ‘Due out any time now, Sir? And mighty grateful to you! I am sorry to have been so snooty, gentlemen, but you won’t believe the riff raff we gets in ‘ere. Now, what can I do for the famous Mr ‘olmes and Dr Watson?’ Holmes explained that we needed the address of the buyer of the pale blue notebook which he produced.
‘Well, sir, I don’t want to knows why you wants it, but the fact that you do is good enough for me. Now, I cannot actually give you the address – against the law you see – but I can quite easily leave my purchase book open on the counter at …’ he shuffled through the pages … ‘exactly THIS page whilst I nip into the back to check an item of stock. I can do that, can’t I? And I shall be gone a couple of minutes’. His eyes twinkled and Holmes smiled back. The charm was on the other foot now and I too stood enjoying the scene with a huge grin on my face. ‘And if, when I return, you’s both gone, well, there we are. Nuffink to do with me, is it?’ With that, our newest fan nipped into the back room and out of the shop. As he went we could just hear, ‘And wait ‘till I tells old Johnston Bull how I ‘elped the great Sherlock ‘olmes. Blimey! Ho-ho!’ NEXT TIME: Holmes and Watson go under cover and Johnston Bull leads the charge in a very muddy battle as the secrets of the East Cheam Retirement Home are brought to light… A new book by Stephen Browning containing eight brand new tales of the world’s greatest detective will be published in 2016 under the title ‘Forever Sherlock’.
Norwich has its own very dapper Sherlock Holmes Go-Go Dragon, complete with carnation, pipe and dragon version of a deerstalker hat. Phot Stephen Browning
2015 November | 41
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What’s On At Maddermarket Here’s What’s Happening At Maddermarket This Month Write Club Sat 31 Oct - Sat 19 Dec 11.30am - 1.30pm For 8 Weeks Creative Writing Classes - 8 Week Course Struggling to find time to write or not sure how to get started? Looking to join a friendly community of fellow writers? This eight-week course, led by award-winning author Lynsey White, will give you the time, space, and support you need. Get stuck into an existing project or work from prompts and exercises. Share your work with the group, get written feedback from the tutor and - most importantly - enjoy a free coffee and cake! Saturdays 11.30am - 1.30pm Course starts on 31st October and concludes on 19th December (eight weeks). Tickets: Course Fee £80.00
The baker and his wife, in their desire to have a family, agree to first break the witch’s curse in return for a child. To do so they must procure certain items from the other characters - Red Riding Hood’s cloak, Rapunzel’s hair, Jack’s cow, and Cinderella’s slipper, and for a while, as Act One ends and all the characters realise their own wishes, they all live ‘happily-ever-after’. But a person’s actions have consequences and in order to get what they wanted all the characters have had to - lie a little - cheat a little - steal a little. In Act Two these actions come home to roost - with a vengeance. Tickets: £8 - £14
A Remembrance Concert
A Remembrance Concert - Featuring The Music Of Edward Elgar
Into The Woods By Stephen Sondheim Wed 04 Nov - Sat 07 Nov 7.30pm Wed/Thur/Fri/Sat & 2.30pm Sat Into The Woods is a tale about fairy-tale characters and their particular desires - Cinderella wants to go to the festival, the Sisters want to marry a prince, the Prince wants to find his love, Jack wants to be rich, the Baker’s wife wants a son, the Wolf wants Little Red Riding Hood - and the Witch - she wants her youth.
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Sun 08 November 7.00pm Programme: Pomp and Circumstance March No.1 Chanson de Matin Chanson de Nuit Sospiri (an Adagio for Strings) Cello Concerto in E Minor Enigma Variations For Remembrance Sunday, St. Gregory’s Orchestra focuses on Edward Elgar, England’s greatest composer, whose music evokes not only patriotism, but also poignancy and introspection. Conductor: Martin Wyatt Soloist: Mike Seabrook (Cello) St. Gregory’s Orchestra was formed in the autumn of 1986 by its conductor, Martin Wyatt, and for many years was based in the
Edith And Jessie
former St. Gregory’s Arts Centre in Pottergate. The orchestra now rehearses in St. Cuthbert’s Church, Sprowston, and aims to give three or four concerts each year. The repertoire is largely classical, with occasional forays into light opera and musicals. Tickets: £10 (£8 concessions)
Norwich Jazz Club Mon 09 November 8pm In The Redwell Bar Norwich Jazz Club has been established in the city as a place to hear great live jazz since 1989. Our programme continues to feature jazz to suit a wide range of tastes, from mainstream through to the most exciting contemporary projects, featuring local, national and international artists alike. Why not come down to the Maddermarket Redwell bar and enjoy good music, great conversation with friends and a jam with the trio. Tickets: £5 on the door
Edith And Jessie Thu 12 Nov - Sat 14 Nov 7.30pm Thur & Fri & 2.30pm Sat A new play by award-winning
author Adrian Drew Directed by Rob Morris Starring Susan Seddon, Angela Goymer, Mel Sessions and George Ambrose. In 1930, on a lakeside shore, something occurred that changed two lives for the next 40 years. Award-winning author Adrian Drew’s not-to-be-missed new comedy-drama combines laughter, tears and some surprises too, and is presented for just three special preview performances prior to a London production in 2016. Presented in the newlyrefurbished Emmerson Studio Theatre. Tickets: All Seats £6.00
Quiz And Chips Sat 14 November 6:00pm Doors, 7.00pm Fish And Chips, 7.30pm Quiz Join us for a fun evening of questions, fish and chips and fantastic cakes! Come with your own team of six people or come along and make up a team on the night. The winning team will receive tickets to a Maddermarket Theatre Company production! And for dessert... take part in the Bake Off! Bake a cake and
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FINEARTS the best cake will win a prize. Afterwards the cakes must all be eaten! Tickets are £10 for quiz with fish & chips (or veggie spring roll & chips) per person. £5 for quiz only. It’s a fun evening raising funds for the Maddermarket Theatre (registered charity). Doors open at 6:00pm - Fish and Chips at 7pm - Quiz starts approximately at 7.30pm Event takes place in the Maddermarket Redwell Theatre Bar. Limited number of tickets available, book now! Tickets: £10 Quiz/Fish And Chips (£5 Quiz Only) Per Person
Noel Coward - Live And Personal Wed 18 Nov - Sat 28 Nov 7.30pm Wednesday 18th November 12.30pm Saturday 28th November In the company of John Knowles. John Knowles brings the music and magic of Sir Noel Coward Star Quality
to the Maddermarket Theatre’s Redwell Bar with his show featuring the songs and writings of ‘the Master’. Coward’s wit, flair and musical imagination are on show in rare and previously unseen filmed performances of his tours in Australia and South Africa. Plus some rare television appearances that were recently part of the Coward Festival held at the British Film Institute on the South Bank, London. John sings some of Coward’s best-loved songs with the star accompanist of A Class Act, Annette Jude. John has a unique knowledge and understanding of this quintessentially English writer and performer. He manages the Noel Coward Society and is a consultant to the Noel Coward Estate. Presented in the Maddermarket Theatre’s Redwell Bar. Tickets: £5.00
Star Quality Thu 19 Nov - Sat 28 Nov 7.30pm 2.30pm Matinees On 21st And 28th November
Fresh Perspectives For Playwrights With Andrew Burton
By Noel Coward adapted by Christopher Luscome Directed by Peter Sowerbutts In his wickedly funny final play, Noel Coward takes us behind the scenes of a new West End production. Conjuring up an authentic backstage world of talent and treachery, Coward creates a gallery of unforgettable characters; temperamental leading lady, ruthless director, jaded old troupers and, caught somewhere between them all, innocent young playwright. From tentative first rehearsal to triumphant opening night, the clash of egos becomes increasingly and hilariously bloody. But what emerges from the mayhem is a startling evocation of that most elusive gift of all - star quality. Sponsored by Newsmakers. Tickets: £8 - £12
Fresh Perspectives For Playwrights With Andrew Burton Sun 22 November 11am 1.00pm Are you a playwright or aspiring playwright? Would you like to spend a relaxed Sunday morning in the company of likeminded people exploring how best to develop your writing career and craft? Andrew Burton leads this interactive talk, which will leave
Vintage And Retro Sale Rail Fri 20 November 1-5:30pm Tickets: FOC
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2015 November | 43
FINEARTS The Georgia Shackleton Trio
you buzzing with new ideas and fresh perspectives on what directions your playwriting career could take. Andrew has been supporting writers in the East of England for many years. He currently programmes playwriting workshops at the University of Essex’s Lakeside Theatre and facilitates a monthly book club at Farleigh Hospice in Chelmsford. Complimentary coffee and croissants served from 10.30am Tickets: £5.00 (£4.00 concessions)
The Georgia Shackleton Trio Sun 22 November 7.30pm With support act Dashwood, Wright and McGill The well-loved Georgia Shackleton Trio combine vocals, fiddle, guitar and mandolin to play a blend of old time, bluegrass and self penned material. They will be performing a very special acoustic show as part of The Shackleton Sessions. Accompanying herself on the fiddle, singer/songwriter Georgia Shackleton favours performing ‘wordy songs about other people’. She takes inspiration from places and faces, as well as the traditional, regional and early 20th century material she also performs. After studying the highly acclaimed Folk and Traditional music degree in Newcastle Georgia has performed in various line ups alongside an eclectic mix of fantastic musicians. Aaren has been playing guitar (amongst other things)
44 | November 2015
The Jungle Book
in numerous bands for years. Having frequented the British folk-festival circuit through his teens and twenties, whilst being brought up on a diet of Classic rock, folk music and heavy metal, his tastes are eclectic. This shows in his distinctive guitar style. Nic Zuppardi has numerous strings to his bow. Primarily a mandolin player, he also plays tenor banjo and tenor guitar, as well as a specialising in the American tradition of Sacred Harp singing. Half Italian, raised in Norwich, Nic met Georgia on the folk degree in Newcastle. Having played together in the past at sessions and in big bands, this is their first time playing together in a smaller band. Nic has a lot on the go, musically. Frequently gigging with UK’s premier clawhammer banjo player, Dan Walsh on Live Music Now projects, as well as local bluegrass band The Broadcut Drifters, and Triette; Swedish -
UK trio with roots in Swedish, Breton, French and music of The British Isles. With these acts Nic is frequently gigging over the water in Central Europe, Scandanavia and Ireland. Tickets: £11.75
The Jungle Book Mon 30 November 7.30pm Adapted for the stage by Stuart Paterson Directed by Pip Sessions Rudyard Kipling’s classic story of Mowgli, the boy raised in the jungle by a family of wolves. When the vengeful tiger, Shere Khan, swears to kill the little man cub, Baloo and Bagheera must teach him the Laws of the Jungle in order to survive. As Mowgli grows older, he is forced to decide whether he belongs to the animal kingdom or the world of men. Tickets: £6.00 (£5.00 concession)
Box Office Our box office is situated in the foyer area, opposite the coffee shop. Box Office opening hours Normal Open Hours Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm Saturday 10am - 5pm. On Show Days Monday to Saturday 10am - 7.30pm Sundays 5pm - 7.30pm Booking Tickets Tickets may be booked in person, by telephone or online. Box Office: 01603 620917 office@maddermarket.org www.maddermarket.co.uk
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Festive Fair Returns To The Assembly House If you’re after perfect presents and sensational stocking fillers, then head to The Assembly House Christmas Fair – a great place to find those gifts with a difference!
D
iaries at the ready – this year’s Assembly House Christmas Fair will take place on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th November and, as always, entry is free. This year’s event is the sixth-ever Christmas Fair at The Assembly House and it promises to be bigger and better than ever, with over 60 stands selling an array of fabulous festive goods. The Fair will be open from 10am to 5pm on the Saturday and from 11am to 4pm on the Sunday, but get there early if you can, as it gets www.finecity.co.uk
busy – and don’t forget to bring a shopping bag! The Assembly House makes the perfect backdrop for a Christmas Fair. This elegant, Grade I-listed Georgian building on Theatre Street in the heart of the city is always beautifully decorated, with the outline of the building lit up for the festive season and a giant Christmas tree in the courtyard glistening with attractive white lights. The inside of the building is always tastefully decorated, too, with the Grand Hall and two ballrooms – The Music Room
and The Noverre Ballroom – also boasting pretty Christmas trees. The restaurant also has a Christmas tree and is also very attractive, having undergone a major makeover several months ago. This welcoming place is perfect for a spot of lunch after all that shopping, or for indulgent festive afternoon tea. The Assembly House Christmas Fair has always had quite a following, thanks to its interesting mix of stalls. There is jewellery, of course – lots of lovely silver, gold, gems, beads and brooches as well as
contemporary costume jewellery, as well as everything from woodcraft, pottery, glassware, purses, bags, cushions and knitwear to hand-made Christmas baubles and a host of attractive textiles. This popular event is the perfect place to find presents for those people who are difficult to buy for, too, as there really is something for everyone, from clocks, chopping boards and candle holders to attractive Christmas hampers, tea towels, aprons and napkins. What’s more, The Assembly House has its own shop and gallery which will also be open on both days. The Noverre Shop & Gallery stocks all sorts of locallysourced jewellery, ceramics, glassware and knitwear, as well as a selection of lovely local books, brooches and badges and a wide selection of textile items by talented resident artist Lottie Day. Plus there’ll be etchings, prints and paintings on sale in the gallery, as well as a wide range of individual wrapping paper and cards. 2015 November | 45
FINEEVENTS Yuletide prizes thanks to the charity raffle in aid of Keeping Abreast (www.keepingabreast. org.uk). This national breast reconstruction charity started in Norwich and now has Support Groups around the country and, in addition to raffle tickets, they’ll also be selling merchandise, such as pens, key rings, pin badges, laynards and Christmas cards. What’s more, the restaurant and Café will stay open all day,
There are things for children, too, from lovely handmade wooden toys and name plates to hats and scarves and all sorts of lovely notebooks and other stationery. Plus you’ll find a selection of fabulous festive plants and gorgeous garden items in the Grand Hall where Sue Huckle’s Posh Plants stall will take centre stage. As you approach the building, you’ll find The Pavilion Quintet playing carols in the courtyard,
perfect for getting you into the Christmas mood. Listen to the lovely tunes, admire The Assembly House’s wonderful Christmas trees, and then have a wander round the numerous stalls; this is shopping as it should be! And don’t forget to treat yourselves to the range of festive food on sale from mulled wine, local beer and cider, fudge, sweets and mince pies to all sorts of chilli sauces and homemade preserves. Norfolk has a wide array of talented producers and their products make great Christmas gifts. Whether you’re after Christmas presents with a difference or some simple stocking fillers, The Assembly House Christmas Fair is well worth a visit, and you’ll also find a wide range of Christmas decorations and homeware, perfect for brightening up your home. Besides the wonderful goods on offer, there’ll also be the chance to win some lovely
so you can treat yourselves to a cup of tea and a slice of welldeserved cake at the end of a busy shopping session! The Assembly House is on Theatre Street, Norwich, NR2 1RQ. www.assemblyhousenorwich. co.uk. Also on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/ AssemblyHouseNorwich and on Twitter @Assembly_House.
ASSEMBLY HOUSE CHRISTMAS FAIR Saturday 28th November 10am to 5pm Sunday 29th November 11am to 4pm All welcome, entrance free Woodcraft Pottery Plants Clothes Jewellery Knitwear Crochet Beads Baubles Prints Preserves Festive Food & Drink Cards Soap Toiletries Christmas Decorations Toys Sweets Live carols and much more!
Restaurant open all day from 10am onwards. The Assembly House, Theatre Street, Norwich, NR2 1RQ 01603 626402 • www.assemblyhousenorwich.co.uk
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FINEEVENTS
The Norwich Match Play Darts Tournament 2016 Saturday, 2nd April 2016 from 6:00pm to 11:30pm
T
he Norwich Match Play Darts Tournament 2016 is the inaugural event in Norwich and brings some of the World’s biggest PDC darts stars to Norwich and Norfolk to play this tournament for the very first time. Although this is not an official PDC Match Play event it is an event sanctioned by the PDC, and an event that will capture the imagination of all Darts www.finecity.co.uk
enthusiasts in the UK - a Darts spectacular for Norwich that will become a Norwich landmark sports event for years to come. The Norwich Match Play Darts Tournament 2016 is sponsored by BIG DADDY PR & Marketing in Norwich and orgnaised and promoted by Lord Russell Baker of Little Moulton. The Quarter Final Draw will be made ‘live’ on BBC Radio Norfolk in March 2016 with
Eric Bristow and Keith Deller drawing numbered balls from the ‘seeded’ and ‘unseeded’ bags. Each ball will be numbered and numbers allocated from the BBC Radio Norfolk studio to ensure a fair draw. The doors to EPIC TV Studio’s open at 18:00 and there will be a dedicated VIP room for VIP guests to enjoy meeting and greeting the players and officals on the night with a light finger buffet. The bars
in EPIC TV Studio’s will be open for all other guests at 18:00, with the Darts tournament set to start at around 19:30. There will also be tickets sold with the prospect of two lucky winners to play either Eric Bristow and Keith Deller on stage in front of an audience exceeding 750 noisy and raptuous darts fans. Simply amazing! A ‘live’ auction will take place on the night with ome remarkable memorabilia on offer from the World of sport, plus raffle cards available to win some outstanding darts products from the some of the biggest names in the World of darts - sensational. Quite simply not an event to be missed, and early purchase of tickets is advised as this event is expected to be a sell-out. So don’t delay and purchase your tickets for the Norwich Match Play Darts Tournament today. 2015 November | 47
Christmas with Ollie’s Pet PAWtisserie Handmade gourmet treats for the discerning pet
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Deepdale Christmas Market
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Deepdale Market 60 Days and Counting … For the Festive Season to Begin
W
ith the lovely weather we’ve been enjoying at the beginning of October, it seems strange to be thinking forwards to Winter, but the Festive season is fast approaching and with it one of the North Norfolk Coast’s most popular Christmas events. Deepdale Christmas Market takes place on Friday 4th, Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th December at Dalegate Market in Burnham Deepdale – The official start to the festive season on the North Norfolk Coast. This year Deepdale Christmas Market will welcome over 100 local producers and artisans in large marquees around the Dalegate Market site and in St Mary’s Church. They’ll join the permanent shops of Dalegate Market, Deepdale Café and be joined by great street food, entertainment and charity stalls. The organisers of Deepdale 48 | November 2015
Christmas Market like to mix the old favourites with new choices each year, keeping the mix of stalls fresh. So you’ll find Lymn Bank Farm Cheese Co in their usual place outside One Stop Nature Shop, James Buttifant and his penguins in the Dalegate Tent, Pebbles Photography in the Walkway Tent and Bringing The Outside In in the Orchard Tent. New additions include BON Bakery, Jolly Smokehouse, Cushion Cottage, Gourmet Brownie, Lilac Nurseries, Happy Hats, Samuel Thomas Art and Polly Baker Textiles, to name but a few. “The jigsaw of stalls gets harder each year, as application numbers and the quality of those applications increase. We look for a broad mix of artisans and local producers, to give visitors a varied interesting mix. I’m personally looking forward to the Winbirri Norfolk Wine, and the eclectic characters from Asta Potteries.
However I know certain members of my family will be more interested in some of Dale’s lovely chocolate from The Chocolate Deli and Pixie Hall’s delicious handmade truffles.” said Jason Borthwick, one of the organisers. Now in its 7th year, Deepdale Christmas Market has been developing year on year. The biggest change for 2015, is the addition of Friday afternoon and evening, with the Market opening its doors at 2pm on Friday, with late night shopping until 8pm. The Market will then be open from 10am to 4pm on both Saturday and Sunday. There is also a new layout for the Walkway Tent, relieving the pressure along the walkway by The Hare & The Hen and offering more undercover stalls for visitors to enjoy. “Friday afternoon and evening was suggested to us by the stall holders, and we’re really pleased with how popular the
idea is. Many people have said they are excited to visit for the first time this year, because they have to work at the weekend and haven’t managed to visit in previous years. I’m looking forward to listening to Addison’s Uncle on Friday evening, as Jason and his family are big fans.” said Estelle Townshend, another of the organisers. As usual, its FREE Entry to the Deepdale Christmas Market. There’s also FREE Car Parking in the Deepdale Farm yard and on a couple of grass fields, just follow the signs in Burnham Deepdale. The Coasthopper bus service stops right on the doorstep, connecting with villages and towns along the coast and train services at King’s Lynn and Sheringham. The shops, stalls and entertainers look forward to welcoming visitors from 2pm on Friday 4th December for the Deepdale Christmas Market. What a great way to start the festive season. The full programme of the weekend can be found online at: www. deepdalechristmasmarket.co.uk www.finecity.co.uk
Katherine Barney I work in hand painted, colourfully intense, and ceramics; produced in my own Norfolk home and workshop, surrounded by gardens, family, chickens and dogs... and yes, I am lucky! Any of my ceramics can be commissioned. Why not give me a call to discuss your ideas? I’m happy to help with suggestions. I am showing at Burnham Deepdale.
Website: katherinebarneyartist.co.uk Tel: 01362 638589 Email: katherineb@greenbee.net
Call in for some Christmas cheer & bucketfuls of prezzies for all the family 7 Dalegate Market, Burnham Deepdale
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2015 November | 49
Lunchtime guests start to arrive.
Food Design Some of us cannot, quite literally, get enough of food! How to cook is everywhere on the media. Similarly, design in everything from the Mini to clothes to buildings like the Shard, is something the UK does very well and is part of all our lives. But put the two terms together? Food Design? What is that? Heading For London Today is an exciting one for me. As usual in autumn, I am heading for the country’s foremost Festival of Design, taking place in an old brewery building in Hanbury Street, near Liverpool Street Station in London. What is particularly appealing about the day ahead is that, at noon, I shall be one of just ten people experiencing ‘Eataipei 2015’. Taiwan is my second home, where I spend several months each year, ostensibly to write books helping young 50 | November 2015
professionals learn English. Secretly, however, one of my great joys is experiencing the food. Nowhere takes their eating more seriously. On almost every street you can find someone selling delicious noodles, rice, fresh vegetables and fruit in a bewildering array of tasty sauces. It may be an established restaurant or maybe the front room of someone’s house. It is all pretty amazing. I am really pleased, therefore, to find that Taiwanese food is making a splash at the design festival, and even more so as I
am shortly to taste, see and smell it in all its glory.
What Is Eataipei? Eataipei is a unique event to introduce Taipei to London through a series of food performances and exhibitions of outstanding contemporary Taiwanese design. This is ahead of one of next year’s not-to-bemissed events in Asia: Taiwan is hosting a mega cultural event having been appointed World Design Capital 2016. I arrive early and have a chat with designer Shika Tseng who tells me that I am about to experience an immersive and sensory exploration of Taipei, Taiwan’s capital city, through five exquisitely crafted dishes which explore Taipei’s history, landscape, people, lifestyle and future. It will involve taste, touch, sound and smell. There is a table, around which we stand, with ten settings situated in the middle of a vast exhibition hall. People cannot help coming
up and taking pictures. I have never eaten in public before. I remember learning at school that Louis XIV did this every day and I wondered how it must have felt, something I am about to find out. A young chap appears at the head of the table with a microphone and welcomes us all. He is to chat throughout the experience and introduces the first dish.
feature by:
Steve Browning Writer @returningperson
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FINELIVING
Dish 2 Mashed spinach-and-shallot mashed potato, with ham – countryside and buildings.
Dish 1 This is first presented as a sculpture.
Dish 1 This is called ‘Mixture of the Past’ and is a layered rice cake with chef’s special sauce. It is explained to us that the past residents of Taiwan Island - the Spanish, Dutch, British, Chinese and Americans - have all left their footprints and made Taiwan the multi-cultural society that it is today. This dish is a twist on the traditional turnip cake and takes its inspiration from a core sample of earth in which the layers of cultural, political influences are represented.
Dish 2 This is called ‘The Land Surrounded by the Mountains and the Sea’. It is spinachflavoured mashed potato with fried shallot, Jherico ham, coriander and seaweed broth. The chap with the microphone explains: ‘Volcanoes, basins, rivers, plains, oceans and beaches surround Taiwan. Within minutes of any major city you can be in the mountains, deep within a forest or you can arrive at the sea and sink your toes into the soft pink sand. Taiwanese people spend a lot of time hiking, surfing and exploring the natural environment. This dish formally presents the proximity of the city to the mountains and the sea.’ The presentation proceeds in stages – first there is the grass which is set alight to create a visual spectacle – and also produce a ‘leafy’ aroma – representing nature. Then the seaweed broth is poured around the mashed potato and ham to highlight the sea. Then all is brought together as the main
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DISH 3 Steamed buns and Squid ink presented as an artistic whole.
dish is placed on top of the flaming leaves.
Dish 3 This is a simple dish of soft steamed bun - Taiwan is famous for its wonderful steamed bread – and squid ink layered on top. A torch then softens the ink so that it runs down the bread. The reason? Taiwanese are often conservative in their habits and can seem very serious on first meeting. But melt their hearts and they reveal their warm, loving side. The squid ink melting indicates this process.
DISH 4 Noisy, delicious explosions in your mouth.
Dish 4 Here we have three teaspoons on which are: honey-soaked tapioca; Oolong tea foam and popping candy. You eat each of these from left to right and then drink the zesty lemonade with citrus peel. It is incredible as you try each of the products – your mouth becomes very ‘noisy’ and little ‘sparks’ go off on your tongue. The lemon drink is fabulously fresh and the feeling at the end is of a totally refreshed palate. It is explained that this dish is all about the energy of Taiwanese folk – in particular those in the creative hub that is the capital city, Taipei. It is designed to stimulate all the senses in your mouth.
Dish 5 The finale is spectacular both in sight, sound, action and taste. First the chef produces a tray of fruit pieces on wooden sticks. Alongside these are six fruit dips. There is also an empty metal
DISH 5 Chef plunges the fruit and dip into the nitrogen.
drinks bucket. The chef appears, to much applause, and pours a steamy, bubbly mixture from a flask into the bucket. This is liquid nitrogen. He then takes a fruit stick, dips it into one of the dips and immerses it into the liquid nitrogen for ten seconds. Then he repeats this process with two more dips. The result is a personalised fruit ice cream. This reflects the creative, multi-faceted nature of the island of Taiwan – everyone has multiple talents and reacts with other people to form
unique and wonderful bonds. We are paired up and all make our own ice cream. It tastes sensational. We also make bonds with each other as we laugh and create. If there is one thing I could not imagine I would ever do – apart from eating in public, and now there is an increasing crowd around our table, flashing away with their cameras – it has to be making my own food dish using liquid nitrogen! The whole experience is fabulous, but then, so is Taiwan.
2015 November | 51
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Crime And Conscientious Objectors In The Great War When we think of the Great War, our thoughts naturally go towards the deeds of the soldiers on the battlefield. Last month we featured those heroes from Norfolk who won the highest decoration for valour, the Victoria Cross. This month the focus turns nearer to home as we look at the courts and the often unsung work of the war tribunals. The Demon Drink It is fair to say that the Fine City had a reputation for fine drinking at the start of the Great War in 1914. It had been famous since Victorian times for beer production with at least 7 large breweries, such as Youngs, Crayshawe and Youngs, and Bullard’s, along with dozens of malt houses. This was very much a mixed blessing as it is estimated that the city had over 500 public houses, many of which were unlicensed, being nothing more than the front rooms of wretched houses in areas of the city such as Coslany
where poverty was rife. City magistrates continually ordered that such establishments, which found it easy to buy a barrel of ale from a brewery literally ‘up the road’ and sell it in an attempt to eke out a living, be closed down only for another to open up, often next door or nearby. It was felt morally necessary to offer help against the demon drink which was a significant problem and was one factor in the often poor physical condition of those offering themselves for recruitment to the Army. The Independent Order of Rechabites, Temperance
Many serving policemen were very willing to sign up and were welcomed as their work often kept them in a condition healthier than other professions. Many thousands of men signed on at St Andrew’s Hall, some, like the police, choosing to go to the battlefield in ‘pals units’. Such units involving Norwich and Norfolk policemen suffered appalling losses in France.
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Friendly Society, announced that it ‘admits Males and Females, Adults and Juveniles, to Membership’ and had the slogan ‘We Live in Deeds Not Words’. The United Kingdom Provident Institution claimed to be ‘The Best Office for Abstainers’. Drunkenness was a continual theme in the local courts of Norwich.
Busy Courts Of Law 1914 Meanwhile, normal city life continued. The court based at the Guildhall – now a café which still retains the magistrates’ elevated seating – was busy as usual. On 5 and 8 August the Eastern Daily Press reported the following cases: Alfred Harvey, a labourer, was charged with being drunk in charge of a child aged 5 in St Stephens Street. He was further charged with assaulting Police Constable Albert Robinson in the Market Place on the same day. Prisoner said he was very sorry. He had been in Navy and gone round the globe, and has met up with some old mates. Fined 5s. George White, 64, found drunk and incapable in London Street. Fined 2s. Alice White found guilty of using indecent language in St Swithin’s Alley. Fined 5s. William Lovett, 12, charged with using obscene language at Cattle Market. Fined 2s. Edward Smith, 45, labourer, was charged with being drunk
The Scales of Justice
whilst in charge of a horse and cart at St Benedict’s Street. Fined 10s with 5s 6d costs. Joseph Somerville, Horse Clipper, was charged with using threats against a woman in Norwich on 27 June. Complainant, a single woman, said prisoner had lodged with her close upon 3 years. About four o’clock in the afternoon she asked the lodger to leave the house whereupon he said he would not go for anybody and threatened to ‘push her face in ’. She no longer felt safe in her own house and was afraid the prisoner would murder her. Prisoner was bound over to keep the peace and ordered to pay 9s costs. Bertie Hagg, 63, pleaded guilty to riding a bicycle without light in Prince of Wales Road. Fined 2s. Ironically, as regards the last case, just a few months later, people would appear before the court for riding WITH lights around the city.
The Suffragettes The outbreak of war had done little to dampen the ardour of the suffragettes. The inconvenient
feature by:
Steve Browning Writer @returningperson
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FINELIVING spies. There was a widespread feeling that anyone of German descent should be rounded up and, if it was seen that a previous idea to send them to a ‘colony’ was unrealistic, then at least they should be kept under guard. One German guest house owner in Sheringham, by the name of Jacob Lichter, brought a court case against people who had booked into his establishment but failed to turn up after the war broke out. It was a great mistake on his part as Judge Mulligan of North Walsham County Court threw the case out, adding some scathing remarks about the absurdity of allowing Germans to run guest houses on the vulnerable Norfolk coast. He was far from alone, however, as the letters’ page of local newspapers makes plain – many hotel and guest house owners sought some form of compensation faced with probable ruin if the war lasted any length of time.
There was widespread distrust of Germans, although little of the venom that was directed at them elsewhere. Most people considered that they just needed to be kept under strict guard: here a group of Germans is being guarded by troops – probably the Essex Regiment – in Norwich Market Place.
matter of a war was not going to deflect their campaign. The Norwich Mercury ran an article in July which listed their deeds since the beginning of 1913. In that time they had set fire to 8 churches; exploded bombs in 6 churches; set fire to 36 houses; fired 22 cricket pavilions or other buildings of that type; tried to burn down 19 schools, railway stations and timber yards; and made 24 attempts to damage pictures in public galleries. None of this takes into account all the failed attempts in each category which are similar in number to those that actually occurred. The total cost of just the damage that was able to be insured was estimated to be £384,000.
Norwich Police And Pals’ Units In February 1915, John Gordon-Munn, Lord Mayor of Norwich, formed three Royal Engineer Field Companies which
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were ‘pals units’. These were the 207th, 208th and 209th field companies which went on to combine with the 34th Division of the British Army which subsequently suffered terrible casualties. Seven police officers signed up for the 208th. As part of the 34th Division, the men were in France by 15 January, 1916 and their first experience of battle was a bloodbath. The 34th Division lost 6, 811 men between July 1 and 5th, only three of the police ‘pals’ surviving the war and returning to duties in Norwich.
Fines For Showing A Light Norwich developed the most stringent regulations about lights of any city in the country. Many came to refer to the Fine City as ‘the city of dreadful night’. To begin with, police and magistrates were unwilling to prosecute people for breaking the lighting regulations. From March 1915, however, to the end of the war, the total number of people summoned for offences against the lighting regulations was 4,042 and the total amount of fines inflicted was £1,357 10s 7d
The Norfolk Appeal Tribunal The Norfolk Appeal Tribunal sat throughout the conflict.
Anti – German Sentiment Germans in Britain - and their businesses - were targeted. Prime Minister Asquith had to fight to prevent his family’s German governess being questioned. Many people – including, laughably, composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, were suspected of being German
Many men signed on at Britannia Barracks
Men who objected on whatever grounds to fight were often asked to serve in a non-combat role, such as in the medical or cooking sections. The following cases were reported in the Norfolk Chronicle of 21 April 1916. The Tribunal sat at Shirehall, the Earl of Kimberley presiding. Mr Walter Joseph appeared in support of the application of a Norwich pawnbroker and jeweller with several departments. Exemption was asked for a son, 19, who manages one of the departments. The chairman said a youth of 19 could not manage such a business as that. Mr Joseph said that if Pitt could manage the Empire at 21, this young man could manage a pawn broking business at 19. The tribunal decided that the youth must serve. The case of a young Quaker was adjourned for a fortnight in order to give him time to join the Friends’ Ambulance Unit. An appellant from Reepham said he refused to take any part in the destruction of human life. Appeal was dismissed. A Norwich clerk, single, 24, said he could not take human life. He was asked if he would resist a German advance. He said’ No’. Appeal dismissed. 1916 was a very busy year for the Tribunal. On 9 June it considered the following cases. A baker, appealing for his son, 19, single, said he was indispensable to the business and that they supplied bread to the Yarmouth Isolation Hospital. Lord Kimberley replied what an extraordinary thing it was that everyone had a contract with this hospital and that they must eat a very large amount of bread (laughter). It was quite impossible that the tribunal should let off boys of 19 or 20. Refused. A Costessey coal merchant, 35, single, appealing for an extension of the time allowed by the local tribunal, said that he had been in business for ten years and had accrued debts and needed to dispose of things. Lord Kimberley asked which was the more important – men to fight in the war or the coal merchant’s little business? Appeal was dismissed.
2015 November | 53
FINELIVING
Vats at Bullards Brewery around 1914.
On another occasion, on 14 July, a widow who operated two wherries appealed for her son, 19, who was the only man she had left, her other men having gone yachting and were not due to return until the autumn. Lord Kimberley remarked that she could not keep a boy of 19, and it was a disgrace that men should go and fiddle about in boats at this time. The boy was exempted only until 11 October. Final.
Norwich Police Court Norwich Police Court also continued to sit. The Norfolk Chronicle records the following in their edition of 20 September 1916. Arthur Lake of 1 Tuns Yard, Oak Street, charged with stealing six boxes of Gold Flake cigarettes value £1 6s 8d. Prisoner pleaded guilty saying he was very sorry for what he did. Sentence: one month’s hard labour. In 1917 it reported that, at Norwich Shirehall, Charles
Banham of Hellesdon, refuse collector, was summoned for stealing 81 lbs of crystallised sugar, 42 lbs rice, 79 lbs tea, 54 lbs ham, 16 lbs peas and 8 lbs tapioca to the total value of £17.16s, the property of the Army Canteen Committee. He was committed for trial. On 31 August, Rose Snelling of 36 Bell Road, was summoned for a breach of the lighting regulations at 9.25 pm on 23 August. The Chief Constable stated that since the summons was served he had found that the defendant’s husband had been killed in action. She was a woman in poor circumstances, and had 10 children. The Bench inflicted a fine of 1s. A week later saw Lucy Lincoln, widow, of 15 Ninham’s Court summoned by Elizabeth Tyrrell, neighbour: Complainant stated that last Wednesday morning defendant said she was dirty and smacked her face. The Bench found the defendant guilty and fined her 2s 6d.
Busy, bustling London Street on the eve of war.
Coming Home Again Those who survived returned to a city changed little from the one they had left, beautiful certainly but with crowded living conditions and poor sanitation. New housing estates came into being and attempts were made to do something
about the infamous Norwich Yards and other areas where housing was poor. It took two decades, however, to basically eradicate them and redevelop the area to a good standard. As the importance of health and recreation became politically important, a fine set of public
Many cases came to court from Hotel and Guest House owners on the coast, as here in Cromer. Businesses feared, with total justification, that they would be ruined if the war went on for any length of time. This was especially the case in 1914 as war broke out at the height of a busy summer and suddenly there were mass cancellations of bookings. The courts were not, on the whole, very sympathetic to the hotel owners’ plight.
Same scene along the Cromer coast as the picture above in
54 | November 2015
1914.
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FINELIVING parks came into being, the City Hall was built with a Fire Station and Weights and Measures Office nearby. Some people, notably the Norwich Society (formed in 1923), although
accepting the need for change, were concerned that much of value could be lost and vigilance was always going to be needed to protect the glories of the old city. The Norwich Society is still
very active today Naturally, the work of the war tribunals was wound up, but not without the personal thanks of Queen Alexandra: some of the officials had served since the
beginning of the conflict and received honours.
As well as developing a state-of-the-art tram network, Norwich engineers had, in 1913, finished erecting almost 1700 electric lights in the city. They all had to be switched off, which unfortunately led to an increase in burglary and assault. The local papers said that people should use the opportunity to stay indoors and read ‘higher’ literature and there was, as a matter of fact, an increase in the sale of books.
Norwich in the Great War by Stephen Browning is available for pre-order now. It will be released on 31 January 2016. It can be obtained from all the big online retailers – Amazon, Foyles, WH Smith, Blackwells etc as well as from your local bookshop. It is priced at £9.99.
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2015 November | 55
A
s the end of the year fast approaches, for me I feel it is only appropriate to mention this time last year where I found myself in a whirlwind of students desperately trying to find a student house for the next academic year. However, despite the hike in tuitions fees to £9000 a year, Britain’s universities are more in demand than ever. So for budding property investors, is student property the way to go? Norwich is home to many higher education services such as the UEA and Norwich University of the Arts. Its student population is expected to continue rising, therefore where intelligent young adults flock house prices and demand follow; a soaring demand for housing means high rental yields and capital appreciation. Nevertheless, if you
56 | November 2015
have watched comedies such as Fresh Meat then surely the images of cramped, unhygienic boozy students does not form an appealing prospect. On the other hand, investors are seeing something altogether much more attractive. According to a survey in June this year by the FTSE 250 company Unite Group, the stereotype students seen in Fresh Meat have long gone. This is largely due to the incurring £9000 fees. Students are more aware of the cost and in turn wish to come away with a good degree rather than three years of drunken mistakes. In the first five months of this year £4.2 billion was spent on student property or land on which to build them according to the property agent Savills. Additionally, any investment risk is reduced owing to the strength
of student numbers. However, it is wise to be aware of the impending risks. The biggest risks in this sector are first and foremost political. Savills believe the rhetoric around migration is unhelpful, especially with the attraction the UK has to international students. Similarly, the risks of a possible EU referendum are apparent; higher education students play a vital role in both local and national economies. It is important to keep these points in mind. On the contrary however, we believe strongly that if you bet in the right place there are returns to be had. Obviously that right place is Norwich, with its world class institutions of education and a budding student community it’s hard to resist. So to finish it off until next month, we’ve compiled some helpful top
tips on student properties! Invest in student housing in the immediate vicinity of the university. Students are less eager to agree to let your property if it means a long walk/ commute to their 9am lecture. Students are always looking to find something that is good value for money so no skimping. Most expect a fully furnished house with double rooms and more than one bathroom in larger properties. Don’t overlook oversea students. They are usually wealthier and are willing to pay top money for top locations. Also consider letting to postgrads – they can be more mature and may have more experience in renting property. Study the market! Pick locations such as Norwich where student population is expected to increase.
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2015 November | 59
FINEHomes
Posh Plants Autumn’s golden glory I always think autumn is a beautiful season. It seems the natural world is preparing for colder days to come. The colours are glorious as the countryside slowly slips towards winter. Wild creatures are looking well fed on available produce, busy foraging on nature’s larder, storing energy supplies for lean times. Working in the nursery involves lots of tidying and clearing up. It’s satisfying work as it means getting the plants in good shape to go through the winter ready to start all over again in the spring. Also, we finally get to grips with the weeds! One of the best plants for autumn colour is Acer ‘SangoKaku’. Well suited to small gardens the Coral Bark Maple gives a stunning seasonal display
of deeply cut leaves in a colour range of soft yellow, rust orange and pinky red. It’s ideal to grow in a large container in ericaceous compost, just remember to keep it well watered throughout the year. Acers like good light to produce good autumn colour, but with some dappled shade to protect emerging leaves in the spring. They don’t appreciate draughts, so position them in a sheltered area of the garden, or, if in a container place so there’s some protection from the wind. Here, in this courtyard garden, the acers and box balls are all in containers and all protected on three sides, they love it! We have company while at work in the form of an acrobatic squirrel who can be seen high up, about 20m, moving cautiously along an electric cable, this
seems terrifyingly high to me! Several times a day it goes back and forth above the nursery to a mature walnut tree across the road and on the return visit it always carries a large walnut crammed in it’s mouth! Somewhere it is filling a larder ready for the winter. I first noticed it a few years ago when a walnut fell from the sky landing too close for comfort! Looking down at me with a surprised look, the squirrel, with great agility, simply turned around and went back for another walnut! I for one welcome the dark nights, lighting the wood burner and enjoying a walnut or two with a glass of sloe gin! Frosty mornings, crisp sunny days and the prospect of snow to come! I hope the squirrel is keeping warm.
For more design and planting ideas contact… Sue Huckle Posh Plants Seven Acres Nursery East Tuddenham www.poshplants.com email: sue@poshplants.com 07703 347014
Posh Plants
topiary, plants, shrubs and trees to hire or buy
Sue Huckle is the inspiration behind many award winning gardens, offering a professional and creative approach to the art and science of garden design. At Seven Acres Nursery we have a range of lovely plants and containers for sale, as well as our beautiful collection of large topiary plants available to hire for weddings, parties and your workplace!
07703 347014 email: sue@poshplants.com website: www.poshplants.com
Posh Plants, Seven Acres Nursery, Common Road, East Tuddenham, NR20 3NF
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Contemporary, classic or chic modern
Kitchens and Interiors The kitchen is the heart of the home. That’s why at Graham Torbitt Kitchens and Interiors we provide quality craftsmanship, contemporary design, unique and fresh ideas to bring you the kitchen you desire. With over 25 years experience, let us put the heart back into your home.
Bespoke design and budget Creative solutions Integrity and expert advice Professional service Free consultation Inhouse at Premier Marble 3 Dewings Road, Rackheath, Norwich NR13 6PS
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ClarkBuild, For All Your Building Needs Chartered building company for whom no job is too small
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e provide professionalism and integrity, value for money, compliance with good building practice and with the proprietor/ director has been 35 years in business with a professional qualification. No job is too small for us. We offer bathroom and kitchen installation, loft conversions, renovations and extensions, as well as roofing, driveways, building maintenance and repair. At CLARKBUILD LTD we know you will receive a professional 62 | November 2015
and personal service for all your building, wet rooms and maintenance needs.
Please call us for a free quotation. T: 01953 601678 M: 07788 722151 mailbox@clarkbuild.co.uk Unit 15, Penfold Drive, Wymondham, Norfolk NR18 0WZ www.finecity.co.uk
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Trinity Stained Glass Christmas time is nearly upon us already. Struggling with ideas for unique and unusual Christmas gifts?
A
t Trinity Stained Glass they offer a wide range of hand crafted and original ideas from little individual angels which can be hung on a Christmas tree or in a window from only £4.50 each or 5 for £20. Something very special for loved ones which is popular at this time of year is a miniature stained glass panel with an image of a relative , ancestor or pet neatly placed into its own solid oak stand that it’s supplied with. These start at £198 each and both the glass and oak stand are made by hand in our workshop which trinity stained glass have been trading from for over 20 years on Ber Street in Norwich. Just bring in a photo and they can do the rest. They have one on display so you see the high standard of the end product. Or simply make your own stained glass gifts. Trinity stained glass sell starter kits from £98 which include all the tools, glass www.finecity.co.uk
and instruction and pattern books to produce your own. Don’t forget about preparation for Christmas. Repairs to your own stained glass windows or door panels so they are pristine and ready for festive visits from family and friends. Trinity stained glass can come out to you for free estimates or you can email details and photos and they can estimate from those. Come and visit this welcoming , family run shop to see the wide range of Christmas present ideas. They welcome browsers or you can discuss your own specifications and have something made that is individual to you.
Email trinitystainedglass@ btconnect.com wwwtrinitystainedglass@ btconnect.co.uk 103 Ber Street, Norwich, NR1 3EY 01603 622099 2015 November | 63
Jeep Renegade Italian job special report By Tim Barnes-Clay, Motoring Journalist
T
he Renegade is different. You see, it’s the first Jeep product to be produced exclusively outside of North America. It’s built in Melfi, Italy, alongside the related Fiat 500X, with which it shares its platform. Now, you’d think that might get some Jeep purists’ panties all bunched up. After all, one of the most notable reasons to buy a Jeep is the fact that it is designed, built, and
64 | November 2015
created in the United States – and it has been since the 1940s. But it seems most people are pretty cool about the change. That’s because, while it may look different, the conventional quality associated with the brand hasn’t been diluted. Yes, it may be astonishing or even disliked by a minority, but the decision to make the Renegade in Italy has served the car well. Let me explain: The somewhat extraordinary Renegade is Jeep’s debut into
the small sport utility vehicle (SUV) segment, and the Melfi Plant is, fittingly, no ordinary car factory. Over one billion Euros have been recently invested, making this one of Europe’s most innovative automotive manufacturing works. The highest production quality is achieved by implementing the technologies and best practices collected from parent company FCA, the Fiat-Chrysler amalgam. Indeed, the plant has been awarded a silver medal for World Class Manufacturing and currently has its eyes set on the gold. Inside, there is an eightthousand-strong workforce; five presses; two shearing machines and more robots than you can shake a stick at. There are 860 of them welding the basic bodywork together and fifty-four automatons in the paint shop. There are also 278 automatic screwing stations; and nearly four thousand workers in the final assembly shop. It’s only when the Renegade comes out at the end of the
production process that you realise how funky it is. The car is obviously aimed at youthful and adventurous car buyers – and the colours back that up. The yellow, orange, blue, red and green models I saw at Melfi looked like a bunch of skittles (the sweets, not the game) with a wheel at each corner. Yet, the overall appearance is rugged and hip, thanks to a combination of the brand’s classic styling cues. Features such as the seven slot
feature by:
Tim Barnes-Clay Writer @carwriteups
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FINEmotors
grille, round headlamps and trapezoidal wheel arches all blend with the fresh, modern look. Inside, the Jeep edges towards premium. Functional details crafted from high quality materials and innovative colours ensure the Renegade is likely to become a polished addition to your life. It’ll be a practical one too, courtesy of best-in-class interior space and clever, functional storage areas. Equipment has been designed to boost on-board comfort. Advanced tech includes a touchscreen for infotainment – and a range of options includes two lightweight panels known as ‘My Sky’. These can be easily removed and stowed in the boot for an open-air experience. There are different powertrain combinations, each of which offers a combination of efficiency and performance. The two MultiAir II petrol engines with a 1.6 and 1.4 capacity are nippy, then there’s a punchier pair of turbo diesels in either 1.6 or 2.0 litre guise. There are also five and six-speed manual gearboxes, a dual dry clutch transmission and a nine-speed automatic gearbox. Available with two or four-wheel drive the Renegade boasts two new, advanced 4x4 systems too: Jeep Active Drive and Jeep Active Drive Low. The up-to-the-minute 4x4 gadgetry supplies the proper amount of torque for any driving situation, ensuring safety even
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in the slipperiest conditions. The rear axle disconnect system seamlessly switches between two and four-wheel-drive to guarantee traction. The Jeep Renegade range has four trim levels: Sport, Longitude, Limited and Trailhawk. Although the Sport is the entry to the range, it features a high level of spec. Standard equipment includes a five-inch touchscreen with a DAB radio and Bluetooth plus auxiliary and USB connectors, a 3.5-inch electronic vehicle information centre, air-conditioning, electric parking brake and 16-inch aluminium wheels. The Longitude offers high levels of functionality and comfort. It does so by augmenting the Sport
model’s features with optional four-wheel drive, plus large car equipment such as cruise control, ambient LED lighting, a leather wrapped steering wheel and satellite navigation, as well as 17-inch aluminium wheels. The Limited tops the range in terms of tech and has 18inch aluminium wheels, dualzone climate control, heated front seats and steering wheel, leather upholstery, the segment leading seven-inch colour Thin Film Technology (TFT) electronic vehicle information centre, 6.5inch touchscreen with sat nav and Bluetooth, privacy glass, rear parking sensors and silver side roof rails, door mirrors and front grille.
The Trailhawk is the model with the most ability off-road, thanks to the Jeep active drive low and selec-terrain system with hill descent control and rock mode. It has all the key equipment from the Limited model and stands out as being the most capable Renegade of the lot. All models have airconditioning with Limited and above adding dual-zone climate control. The controls for this nestle in the lower part of the dashboard. Beneath it and directly below the USB, auxiliary inputs and 12-volt power outlet there’s a storage compartment complete with a mat moulded with the topography of Moab, a legendary off-road spot in Utah for Jeep enthusiasts. So, if you’re a bit bonkers; you’re addicted to merriment and you like bright colours, then the Jeep Renegade could well be for you. What’s more, you can take your family with you. ‘What’? I hear you cry. Yes, that’s right; this Jeep is good for your kids too. So enjoy having them about while they’re young because they’ll always remember mum or dad with that crazy cool Jeep – the car that no other parent in the neighbourhood was canny enough to buy. Sure, it may not be the same visual image you’re used to, but the Jeep emblem doesn’t tell untruths, this Renegade is built to serve – and in the nicest and most welcoming way possible.
2015 November | 65
All your unwanted textiles can be used again, no matter what condition they are in.
Recycle them at main recycling centres, many charity shops and textile banks or by using collection bags.
Find out more at www.norfolk.gov.uk/textiles or call 0344 800 8020
66 | November 2015
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Regional & City Airports Regional & City Airports completes deal to guarantee winter and summer sunshine flights for Norwich International Airport Regional & City Airports (RCA), the leading UK regional airport operator, has strengthened its strategic relationship with Flybe to introduce year-round scheduled holiday flights at Norwich Airport with seats available for booking from early November following the release of Flybe’s 2016 Summer schedule. The partnership, which involves significant investment from both parties, will see the return of scheduled sunshine flights to Norwich for the first time in almost a decade. Year round services from Norwich Airport to Alicante and Malaga will start in March 2016 in time for the Easter getaway, with the addition of Geneva expected later in 2016.
Sir Peter Rigby, Chairman and Founder of RCA owners Rigby Group, said: “Since taking ownership of Norwich Airport a year ago we have been firm on our commitment to invest in the future of the site. Today, with a milestone agreement guaranteeing the continued operation of scheduled winter and summer holiday routes from the airport, we have underlined that determination with some very concrete results. “I am confident that this announcement, which provides tangible proof of the exciting future facing Norwich, will be just first of many positive developments.” Andrew Bell, who heads up RCA (Regional and City Airports) the airport management division
of Rigby Group PLC and owners of Norwich, said: “This is a tremendously exciting time. For nine years the issue of reviving scheduled sunshine flights from Norwich has been the number one priority issue raised by our customers, and to see them return from 2016 will be hugely welcomed across the region.” Richard Pace, General Manager of NAL, commented: “Ever since Rigby Group acquired Norwich Airport it has been our stated aim to protect existing routes while establishing new ones, and today’s announcement underlines that commitment. Not
only does this partnership secure scheduled holiday flights from Norwich, but it also provides a firm foundation from which to build for future expansion.” The partnership will see one of Flybe’s Embraer 195 aircraft return to the skies, and planning is already underway to maximise its use by the airport. The initial destinations will be available for booking next month, and RCA plans to investigate the possibility of adding additional routes where there is sustainable demand. Please contact Judy Groves on 07850622488
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*T&C’s apply. Selected model only. Promotion valid 01.10.15 - 02.12.15. Sold as an agent for Euronics Limited.
All offers are subject to availability while stock last. All rights reserved. Delivery & Installation charges may apply. Free local delivery available on selected models only and selected stores. Exclusions and radius apply. See website for full details. Prices correct at time of print. Images used for illustration purposes only. Copyright Euronics 2015. E&EO September 2015
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2015 November | 67
Steam Trains to Santa The ever popular Santa Specials at Bure Valley Railway return this Christmas for the 25th year. The Santa Train departs from Wroxham Station and travels to Aylsham Station where Santa and his railway sleigh are there to welcome everybody. A visit to Santa in his Grotto with a personalised present for each child provides a memorable experience. Entertainment and festive refreshments for all the family add to the Christmas magic, before climbing aboard the Santa Train for the return journey to Wroxham. The complete Steam Trains to Santa experience takes
approximately three hours, including a named present for each child 12 and under and only costs £15.00 per person (adults and children). The Santa Specials this year are running weekends from 29th November and daily from 18th December, up to and including Christmas Eve. Booking is essential. For further information contact: Susan Munday, Bure Valley Railway, Aylsham Station, Norwich Road, Aylsham, Norfolk, NR11 6BW, Tel: 01263 733858 Website: www.bvrw.co.uk Email: marketing@bvrw.co.uk
BURE VALLEY RAILWAY STEAM TRAINS TO SANTA Return Steam Train from Wroxham to Santa’s Grotto at Aylsham Personal present for each child Children’s Entertainer Refreshments for all the family Experience takes approx 3 hours and costs £15 per person
November - December 2015 BOOK TODAY - 01263 733858 Norwich Road, Aylsham, Norfolk NR11 6BW
www.bvrw.co.uk
68 | November 2015
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Hair for People of Distinction Pod Style After 17 years in hairdressing, Kelly Bray has fulfilled her dream of opening her own salon, Pod, in south Norwich. She trained at Garner and City College Norwich, has been a hairdresser for 17 years. The salon was already being used as a hairdressing salon, but now Kelly has really put her own stamp on the place with an on trend orange and grey colour scheme, a smart reception desk thriftily made from upcycled scaffolding planks and a gorgeous fairground-style illuminated Pod sign specially commissioned from Argent and Sable. www.finecity.co.uk
When this little place came up, Kelly didn’t think twice, as she was so excited to finally open her own salon. Pod offers the full range of hairdressing services, including Cuts and Blow Dries for women and men, Colouring and Highlighting, including Ombre and Pastels, Extensions and perming. The salon also offers children’s hairdressing and will be running special family offers, and stocking a wide range of products including Vines Vintage for Men. Opening in September will be a nail bar, expanding the salon team and offering barbering and male grooming.
01603 623477 info@podstyle.co.uk Pod @PodStylenorwich Facebook “f ” Logo
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2015 November | 69
JTD 14111 Nicholsons Advert.qxp_Layout 1 07/01/2015 13:06 Page 1
If you need a will, Nicholsons make it easy... Making a Will is the only way to protect your family and assets for the future. Nicholsons specialise in Will writing, inheritance tax planning, Powers of Attorney and property trusts. We pride ourselves on making the whole process as easy as possible either by meeting in our office or visiting you in the comfort of your own home. If you are interested in discussing a Will or any other legal matter contact Ann-Marie Matthews on 01603 478567 or email amatthews@nicholsonslaw.com
Nicholsons Solicitors LLP, 97 Yarmouth Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR7 0HF
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How to deal with someone’s estate
* Excluding VAT
When a person dies, someone has to deal with their estate. This is called ‘administering the estate’ If the person who has died leaves a will, it will usually name one or more people to act as the executors of the will - that is, to administer their estate. If you are named as an executor of a will you may need to apply for a grant of probate. A grant of probate is an official document which the executors may need to administer the estate. It is issued by a section of the court known as the probate registry. If there is no will the process is more complicated. An application for a grant of letters of administration (an official document, issued by the court, which allows administrators to administer the estate) will need to be made. The person to whom letters of administration is granted is known as the administrator. The administrator is the person who has the legal right to deal with the affairs of the person who has died, and is determined by a set 70 | November 2015
order of priority. The administrator will usually be a close relative of the person who has died, if there is one. There may be more than one person who has an equal right to do this. Your solicitor will be able to provide you with information on the set order of priority. How to apply for a grant of probate or grant of letters of administration One option is to ask your solicitor to make an application on your behalf. Alternatively, you can apply for a grant in person at your local district probate registry. Is it expensive to use a Solicitor? At Nicholsons Solicitors we offer a fixed fee probate service starting from £500 plus VAT. If you would like to discuss a probate matter or any other legal issue contact AnnMarie Matthews on 01603 478567 or email amatthews@ nicholsonslaw.com www.finecity.co.uk
Flat Roof Problems? When you are looking for a company to replace your leaking flat roof you may find the following checklist useful: ■ Do you want a roof that you will probably never need to change again and which is maintenance free for a price which is comparable to felt? ■ Do you want a solid 25 year guarantee with additional insurance backing to protect you from the company going bust? ■ A company with proven experience and track record who can show photos of previous work and recommendations from some 700 or so previous customers. ■ Do you want to deal with the owner of the business and not a salesman and receive a discount if you are retired, ex forces or serving emergency services? ■ Do you want to be able to see what you are getting beforehand? if you score 5 out of 5 then give us a call. You can also visit our working displays at Wyevale Garden Centre, Blueboar Lane; Highway Nurseries at Framingham Pigot.
telephone: 01603 426512 info@flatroofnorfolk.co.uk www.finecity.co.uk
Norwich Airport Local Family Win A Trip Of A Lifetime To Visit Santa In Lapland Norwich International Airport is delighted to announce the winner of their Lapland competition featured within our Fly Norwich 2015 brochure. Entrants were required to answer a simple question to be entered in to the free prize draw for a chance to win an Ultimate Family Experience of a day trip to the wonderful winter-wonderland Lapland. Flying direct from Norwich on an exclusively chartered flight for a snowy adventure that includes sleigh rides, the chance to ride through the forest on a high-powered ‘ski-doo’ and a once-in-a-lifetime meeting with Santa Claus himself in his home high above the Arctic Circle, all courtesy of Newmarket Holidays. The lucky winner was Mr John Read, who was extremely excited when notified by telephone and has chosen to give this fantastic day trip to his son and family to enjoy this December. Amanda George, Regional Charter Manager for Newmarket Holidays commented “Newmarket Holidays has been offering trips to Lapland from Norwich since 2013. We were
delighted to support Norwich Airport and offer a Lapland competition within the airport’s 2015 brochure and we look forward to welcoming the winner’s family on our day trip this December.” Newmarket Holidays’ Lapland Santa Experience is exclusive to the specialist tour operator, with numbers strictly limited to ensure that every visitor to Pajala gets the chance to experience all that the centre has to offer. The trip includes return flights and transfers, the hire of full thermal clothing, all the activities and the Santa visit, as well as in-flight catering, two-course lunch and warming drinks throughout the day. There are only a handful of seats remaining on this year’s flight, for further information visit www.newmarketholidays.co.uk or call 01603 428700. Look out for our Fly Norwich 2016 brochure available from the airport and local travel agents during the first week of November. This comprehensive guide to all holidays and flights available from Norwich is a must have for planning your next trip from your local airport. 2015 November | 71
Sound Sleep Beds Local Family Run Bed Superstore selling quality beds and mattresses to the people of Norfolk and Suffolk
The Norfolk Boutique Follow us on Twitter @BoutiqueNorfolk
Follow us on Twitter @SoundSleepBeds
Bright Yellow Marketing Follow us on Twitter @socialmedianorw
The Why And The Who Of Social Media What, why, who, where - these are the questions that any business should ask themselves when starting out in social media. In other words: What am I going to talk about? Why am I using social media what do I want to achieve? Who do I want to engage with on social media? Where are those people? What social media platforms do they use? Today I’m going to talk about the “why” and the “who”. So, why are you using social media? Because everyone else is? Because you want more business? Because your customers are using it? Social Media works on so many levels - brand awareness, customer service, trust, likeability, PR ....but I’m guessing that most businesses would like
72 | November 2015
more business. If this is the case you need a strategy. You need to know WHO is your typical customer, what interests them, what they talk about, how they buy from you - and you need a good follow up system. Unless people can buy products direct from your website, social media is just the first step in bringing customers to you. Do you want people to visit your shop? If so, is your shop welcoming? Are your staff friendly? Do you want people to email you/ sign up for a newsletter? If so, what incentive is there for them to do so, and do you have automated follow up systems in place? Do you want people to phone
FineCity Magazine
St George’s Music Shop
FineCity Magazine is THE premier lifestyle magazine for the fine city of Norwich. Available for collection throughout the city centre. Also read online.
We are independent suppliers of printed sheet music and accessories. Need a reed or some rosin, some Bach or Boulez? Come to us!
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you? If so, is your telephone number shown on your bio? Do you include your telephone number in your social media updates? Do you tell people to phone you? When people phone you, do you have a carefully crafted script? Do you miss any phone calls? Even if people can buy direct from your website it is worth spending time looking at the analytics to see whether people are actually buying from you. There are lots of things that you can change on a website in order to get more sales. What I am trying to say is that using social media without knowing who you’re targeting, what you want to achieve, and how you are going to get there, is like writing a message in a bottle, throwing it into the sea and hoping someone in Uzbekistan reads it. If you would prefer a more targeted approach, then it’s worth asking these questions and coming up with a simple plan. If you need any help with this feel free to send me a tweet @ socialmedianorw or email sara@
brightyellowmarketing.com. I’m always happy to help with quick questions. I also run monthly meetings as part of Social Media Hub Norwich where you can come along and ask questions. Sara Greenfield Bright Yellow Marketing sara@brightyellowmarketing. com www.brightyellowmarketing. com @brightyellw @socialmedianorw @sarajgreenfield
feature by:
Sara Greenfield Guest Writer @sarajgreenfield
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Stunning, responsive websites from the creators of
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Shepherd’s Crook Shepherd’s Crook is extremely sumptuous with full-size double bed, freesat flatscreen TV, and fully equipped kitchen including fridge and dishwasher. And unlike a lot of shepherd’s huts, our WC and shower is truly en-suite - you don’t need to go outside! Based on the edge of Framlingham Suffolk Call Becky on 07778 381953 for availability.
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2015 November | 73
Come along and enjoy the fun!
Low cost sport and activity sessions for ages 11 to 25
Find out more about Satellite Clubs at www.activenorfolk.org/youth or call 01603 732333
Active Norfolk Get more active with Active Norfolk If you are between 11 and 25 years old and not very active, we’ve got a great way to help get you into sport. Active Norfolk Satellite Clubs are ideal for young people wanting to get involved in social sport but who are put off by more formal clubs. They are an easy and low cost way of getting involved in a sport, 74 | November 2015
plus with venues and different sports in and around Norwich there really is something for everyone. So if you would like to try something new please visit www.activenorfolk.org/youth to find a list of the clubs available in your area, or call us on 01603 732 333 www.finecity.co.uk
Improving your hearing in time for Christmas By Karen Finch RHAD FSHAA FRSA, Audiologist at The Hearing Care Centre There is nothing like the festive season with one social engagement after another. From the Christmas office party, drinks with friends and the buzz of the family gathering on the big day, December is a time for fun and social interaction. But is it? For those experiencing hearing loss, this can be something of an annual nightmare, causing a variety of communication issues! Imagine if you can, being unable to hear speech clearly because Christmas music is being played in the background or not being able to hear the excitement of children opening presents because they are all talking at once and you cannot separate the sounds clearly.
www.finecity.co.uk
Imagine dreading Christmas dinner on a large table with 15 other people because you won’t be able to hear what is being said around you. These are issues a normal hearing person doesn’t normally even consider. Over 119,000 people in Suffolk have a hearing loss but the number is far smaller for those who have sought professional help from their local audiologist. Hearing aids can make such a difference to someone’s quality of life at this time of year. Hearing aids are so much smaller and discreet than they ever used to be and packed full of amazing features that will help during the festive period. You may have thought that with so much noise at a party
or family dinner, hearing aids would just make things louder, but modern digital hearing aids aren’t simple sound amplifiers. They are designed to filter out all the unwanted noise - like the clanging of dishes in the kitchen or the background music - and help you focus on speech. Features such as directional microphones work to reduce the amount of noise allowed to enter your hearing aids. In noisy environments, like at a Christmas party, the system will work to pick up the least amount of noise. If the noise is located behind you, your directional microphones will adapt to pick up sound from in front of you and dampen noise from behind you. If you or someone you know is struggling with hearing problems, don’t struggle through another festive season not being able to join in and have fun. I urge you to book a hearing test now and find out what could be done to help you in time for Christmas. Karen Finch is the Managing
Director and lead audiologist at The Hearing Care Centre. The multi-award winning, family-run company has 20 centres across Suffolk and Norfolk. For more information visit www.hearingcarecentre.co.uk or call 01473 230330.
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