Weybridge Life Magazine January 2013

WEYBRIDGE & ST GEORGE’S HILL LIFE

WEYBRIDGE LIFE & ST GEORGE’S HILL T H E

Q U A L I T Y

L I F E S T Y L E

MICHELIN STAR DRAKES, RIPLEY SURREY WINE SCHOOL, WINTER REDS

M A G A Z I N E

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REDUCE WRINKLES: DR FORRESTER, ESHER PORSCHE CAYENNE, DIESEL S

WWW.THELIFEMAGAZINES.COM THE QUALITY LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE JANUARY 2013

The beauty of Painshill Park Kath Clark and Chris Carr, Principal Gardeners of Painshill, tell the story of a 158 acre wonderland which was created, forgotten and then restored to its former glory.

LOCAL LIFE | HISTORY | EVENTS | WALKS | BEAUTY | HOME INTEREST

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Creating beautiful interiors from concept to completion

Welcome to our January issue...

Painshill’s magnificent Grade 1 listed 18th Century Georgian landscape was created in the naturalistic style between 1738 and 1773, and was the artistic vision of one English gentleman, the Hon. Charles Hamilton, 9th son and 14th child of the 6th Earl of Abercorn. A painter, plantsman and brilliantly imaginative designer, he dedicated his creative genius to the layout and composition of a landscape which was renowned in Europe at the time, and remains so today.

Charles Hamilton was educated at Westminster and Oxford and like most gentlemen of this period, Hamilton made two Grand Tours of Europe. This cultivated his great interest in the arts and he took up painting in order to capture on canvas his visions of idealised landscapes.

When you are as passionate about food as Steve Drake, chef proprietor of Drake’s in Ripley, it shows. Drake’s has been awarded Wine List of the Year in the 2013 Good Food Guide and for the ninth year running has been given a Michelin star and three AA Rosettes. In 2012 it was placed 38th in the Sunday Times 100 Best Restaurants – 40 places higher than in 2010.

What’s the best way to brighten up this gloomy time of the year? Well how about turning up the fire, dimming the lights and relaxing with a warming glass of something special? This is the time of the year to put aside those delicate wines and reach for something with real power. Two grape varieties made for the winter months are Syrah and Grenache. They both match brilliantly with seasonal foods such as stews, game and roasted meats. Jeremy Blood from Surrey Wine School recommends some GET THIS warming red wines to try this winter season.

EDITION ONLINE

This gives you just a small taste of exciting events & articles featured in this month’s issue...

Faye Manning

PUBLISHED BY THE FISH MEDIA GROUP LTD, THE RIDINGS, WOODFIELD LANE, ESSENDON, HERTS , AL9 6JJ.

0844 800 8439 www.lifemagazines.com EDITOR Faye Manning EDITOR ASSISTANT Katie Miller SUB EDITOR Alex Lux FASHION EDITOR Hazel Englander ACCOUNT MANAGERS Anita Hill, Lynsey Saker DESIGN & PRODUCTION Toni Perry ACCOUNTS/ADMIN Kathy Manning, Ken Fleet SALES James Marshall DIRECTORS Rory Smith, Patrick Smith

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FRUIT BY TESSA BENNETT £650 OILPAINTING, ENGLISH, C1940 DEALER, JOHN BARKES

SILVERED BRASS LAMP FRENCH1960S. DEALER, LEE WRIGHT ANTIQUES & DESIGN

ENGLISH SHELL-SHAPED CHAIR £1850 LATE C19TH,EBONISED LEGS DEALER, PUCKHABER DECORATIVE ANTIQUES

Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair

Battersea Evolution (The Marquee), Battersea Park, London SW11 WINTER EDITION, 22ND – 27TH JANUARY 2013 Foyer Display...

Putting on the Glitz: Silver Screen Style of the 1920s and 30s The Winter Decorative Fair in Battersea Park will be putting on the glitz as the Foyer display focuses on the fabulous Hollywood style of the inter- war years.

Glittering waterfall chandeliers, mirrored furniture, curvaceous sofas upholstered in luscious velvets and ‘hostess’ chairs in gleaming satin button-back upholstery will be set against a bold Art Deco backdrop of black, white and silver. Cocktail hour and all its appurtenances classic shakers, glasses and gleaming trays - will feature as will early airline travel, with vintage luggage and posters.

Hollywood interiors of William (Billy) Haines, which he created for the likes of Carol Lombard and Joan Crawford.

Stock for sale in the foyer display will be drawn from some of the 140 exhibitors taking part in the Fair that specialise in this look.

Visitors can banish the winter blues by finding a stunning statement accessory, a modern or contemporary painting, an elegant and original item of furniture, or find smaller collectable items at reasonable prices.

Luxury materials such as birds-eye maple, shagreen, leather, lacquer and parchment will highlight the elegant furnishings. The tone of the display will reference the glamorous black and white films of Fred & Ginger, the lavish interiors of S.S. Normandie and the famous

For more information and tickets Tickets are £10.00 including catalogue (which allows free return to Fair throughout the week) Organisers: Harvey (Management Services) Ltd Enquiries: +44 (0)20 7616 9327 Website: www.decorativefair.com

FRENCH CHAIRS £7800 ATTRIB.TO ANDRE ARBUS C1940 DEALER CARLISLE LONDON

FRENCH MERIDIENNE (DAY-BED) £5500 EARLY C19TH DEALER, BROWN RIGG

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Also in the Antique & Modern Jewellery auction An early 20th century diamond crescent brooch.

Estimate £2,200 - £2,800

Vintage & Modern Wrist Watches

Monday 21st January An 18k white gold automatic gentleman’s Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust wrist watch.

Estimate £10,000 - £15,000

Auction of Antique & Modern Jewellery Thursday 17th January at 11am From left to right

A brilliant-cut diamond single-stone ring, weighing 3.38cts.

Estimate £7,000 - £10,000 A platinum brilliant-cut diamond single-stone ring, weighing 2.42cts.

Estimate £10,000 - £15,000 An old-cut diamond single-stone ring, weighing 3.55cts.

Estimate £10,000 - £15,000

Coins & Medals

Monday 18th February Military General Service Medal 1793 – 1814, 3 clasps, Talavera, Busaco, Albuhera, awarded to Isaac Jones, 7th Foot.

Estimate £700 - £900

Visit www.fellows.co.uk/life for a complimentary catalogue Fellows Auctioneers | 19 Augusta Street | Birmingham B18 6JA | 0121 212 2131 London Office (Valuations By Appointment Only) | 2nd Floor |3 Queen Street | London W1J 5PA | 020 7127 4198

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The National Wedding Show 2013 22nd-24th FEBRUARY 2013 AT LONDON OLYMPIA The UK’s largest wedding spectacular The National Wedding Show, provides the ultimate inspiration for engaged couples nationwide planning their perfect day.

For those dreaming of a traditional fairytale wedding, seeking more of a cutting edge and contemporary affair, or even planning a destination wedding, The National Wedding Show is the ultimate shopping destination, with 250 wedding experts from stunning wedding gowns to show stopping flowers, leading photographers to bespoke accessories, delicious cakes to dream honeymoons and groomswear to mother of the bride.

The National Wedding Show’s glamorous Catwalk Show showcases the latest trends from the hottest designers, boutiques and high street brands including Suzanne Neville; Ian Stuart; Jenny Packham; Lusan Mandongus; Jesus Peiro; Justin Alexander, Ronald Joyce; Berketex Brides; Butterfly Vintage Brides; My Eden & Debenhams.

The show features the largest collection of wedding gowns, giving brides the opportunity to browse and choose from more styles than they could possibly imagine – from mainstream brands to couture designers there is something for every style, shape and budget.

With the incredible amount of choice on offer these days choosing the perfect cake can be a daunting experience for any bride. Luckily; the National Wedding Show brings together the best in cake designers offering ultimate inspiration from colourful cupcakes to traditional tiers. Choosing your wedding cake has never been easier. We’d go as far as to say … it’s a piece of cake!

With essential top tips, pamper treatments, live demonstrations, Inspiration Sessions for the bride and groom and even The Champagne Bar to toast to future happiness, there’s nothing quite like The National Wedding Show to capture the excitement of the big day and help make planning a wedding as straight forward and fun as possible.

The National Wedding Show are offering Life Magazine readers 20% off between 1st-31st January. All you need to do is enter the code LIFE13.

TO BOOK, VISIT WWW.NATIONALWEDDINGSHOW.CO.UK OR CALL THE TICKET HOTLINE ON 0844 581 1404.

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A Garden Room For All Seasons...

SPECIALISING IN BESPOKE GARDEN ROOMS ◆ BESPOKE TIMBER GARAGES BESPOKE TIMBER STABLES ◆ LANDSCAPING ◆ LIGHTING

Whatever your dream scheme for the perfect garden building, the experienced designers at Crown Pavilions can put it all together to create the ultimate outdoor room.

SPECIALISING IN BESPOKE GARDEN ROOMS BESPOKE TIMBER GARAGES BESPOKE TIMBER STABLES LANDSCAPING LIGHTING Tel 01491 612 820 Bring Email your ideas to life at enquiries@crownpavilions.com www.crownpavilions.com

www.crownpavilions.com or call 01491 612820

F E AT U R E

DINING WITH THE STARS...

FIVE MICHELIN STARRED CHEFS

One Night Only on 24th January 2013 at The Grade I listed Gibson Hall in the heart of the City of London

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he Bobby Moore Fund in partnership with Electrolux will present a gastronomic extravaganza which will be a must attend event for serious foodies. This is your chance to attend a one off charity dinner comprising of five exquisite courses each cooked by a different Michelin starred chef. Top chefs, led by two-Michelin-starred Daniel Clifford of Midsummer House Restaurant in Cambridge, will produce a culinary feast for just 250 guests in aid of the Bobby Moore Fund.

THE CONFIRMED LINE UP IS...

DANIEL CLIFFORD Chef patron and owner of two Michelin-starred Midsummer House, Cambridge ATUL KOCHHAR Chef patron of Michelin star Benares, Mayfair SIMON ROGAN Chef patron and owner of Michelin-starred L’Eclume in Cumbria & Roganic in London SIMON HULSTONE Head chef at Michelin starred restaurant The Elephant in Torquay JONRAY & PETER SANCHEZ Head chefs and owners of Michelin-star Casamia,Westbury on Trym.

Ticket holders can enjoy a Champagne reception, an exquisite five course meal cooked by Michelin starred chefs, with expertly selected wines to accompany each dish, with celebrity hosts and guests, There is an auction of exclusive money-can’t-buy packages and cooking experiences, with live entertainment. It’s a night not to be missed!

■ Prices start from £250 per ticket, with VIP tickets and Chef’s table tickets also available.

■ To book tickets, or to discuss sponsorship opportunities, please email: davina.yanful@cancer.org.uk Guests must be aged 18+ All money raised through the Bobby Moore Fund Dining with the Stars will go towards vital research into the causes, diagnosis and treatment of bowel cancer. Bobby Moore tragically died from bowel cancer in 1993 aged just 51. His wife, Stephanie Moore MBE, set up the Fund in partnership with Cancer Research UK to raise money for vital research into the disease. In the 19 years since Bobby died, the Fund has raised more than £18.5 million.

■ For more information visit www.bobbymoorefund.org Find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/officialbobbymoorefund For further information about Cancer Research UK’s work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 0300 123 1861 or visit www.cancerresearchuk.org. Follow us on Twitter <http://twitter.com/CR_UK> and Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/cancerresearchuk>

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F E AT U R E

Naturalistic style and beauty of Painshill Park Kath Clark and Chris Carr, Principal Gardeners of Painshill, tell the story of a 158 acre wonderland which was created, forgotten and then restored to its former glory.

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ainshill’s magnificent Grade 1 listed 18th Century Georgian landscape was created in the naturalistic style between 1738 and 1773, and was the artistic vision of one English gentleman, the Hon. Charles Hamilton, 9th son and 14th child of the 6th Earl of Abercorn. A painter, plantsman and brilliantly imaginative designer, he dedicated his creative genius to the layout and composition of a landscape which was renowned in Europe at the time, and remains so today.

Charles Hamilton was educated at Westminster and Oxford and like most gentlemen of this period, Hamilton made two Grand Tours of Europe. This cultivated his great interest in the arts and he took up painting in order to capture on canvas his visions of idealised landscapes.

Hamilton arrived at Painshill in 1738, fresh from two years spent in Rome and with a vision for a new type of garden with extraordinary views. With a head full of Italian romance and natural beauty, and a palette of plants

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seen on the Grand Tour, Hamilton was inspired to create planting schemes which moved over the years from the formal to the less formal.

His arrival at Painshill also co-incided with a massive expansion in trade and exploration, as the boundaries of the known world were being extended, with all sorts of extraordinary new discoveries being made. All this travel, exploration and trade overseas also brought many new plants into Britain. This increasing range was used to dramatic affect in the new style of gardens, and Hamilton was at the forefront of this innovation.

One of Hamilton’s main sources of ‘exotic’ plants for his new gardens was North America, fairly recently opened up for a trade in plants and seeds which became all the rage.

His contact was Peter Collinson, a Quaker draper and plantsman in North London, who had set up a seed box scheme with fellow Quaker and farmer cum naturalist John Bartram in Pennsylvania.

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Charles Hamilton joined the scheme and received his first box in 1748. A small box followed in 1751 with magnolias and cedars only, and then another full box in 1756. Collinson worked in partnership with Hamilton on the plantings of Henry Fox’s Holland Park in London, they met for dinner on more than one occasion and additional plants were exchanged outside the box scheme.

For the next 35 years, Hamilton designed gardens at Painshill that were among the earliest to reflect a trend away from geometric formality to a wilder, naturalistic style. His soft plantings of well-established and newly introduced and rare species – many from North America – were at the cutting edge of English landscape design. By planting new species and combining classical follies as emblems in a picturesque landscape, Hamilton changed the face of the English landscape forever.

When Charles Hamilton sold up and left Painshill in 1773, he left a legacy of planting, garden buildings and designed 1 6 J A N U A RY 2 0 1 3

landscapes which continued long after his departure, and inspired Thomas Jefferson and John Adams (2nd and 3rd presidents of the United States of America) to extol its virtues.

Following a number of new owners, but only a minimal impact on the overall design of the landscape, Painshill gradually slipped into decay and ruin by the 1960s. At this point, a campaign started by local historian David Taylor, and developed by Norman and Beryl Kitz at Painshill House, together with the newly formed Garden History Society, successfully ensured Painshill would not become the latest vanished landscape, but would be restored and given new life.

What makes Painshill truly remarkable today is that all you can see has been restored from the ground up. Since 1981, Painshill Park Trust has rescued and recreated much of Hamilton’s masterpiece from utter dereliction. Most of the follies in the Grade 1 listed landscape have been rebuilt

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or refurbished, including recent funding to enable the re-creation of the ‘Woollett’ and Five Arch Bridges, and to complete the restoration of the Grotto; a programme to recreate the Temple of Bacchus will follow when funding allows.

The landscape has been cleared and replanted with thousands of new trees and shrubs, using archives and archaeological excavations to recreate Hamilton’s plantings. Only plants which would have been available to Charles Hamilton during his time at Painshill have been used to bring the past alive for a new audience.

From a gardener perspective this brings challenges and new insights into the way plants perform in certain conditions and situations. There is always more to discover, and through practical experience and by research into plants and plantings from 18th century sources, the Landscape Team can continue to enhance the plantings and bring them ever

closer to how we feel they would have looked in Hamilton’s time.

As you can imagine, an enormous amount of research and horticultural expertise has gone into re-creating the landscape and garden features which Charles Hamilton designed and his gardeners executed in the mid-18th century. You can still walk through Charles Hamilton’s ornamental pleasure grounds to the east – with the Lake as the central feature – and explore wild and natural woodland to the west.

Thanks to a lot of hard work from a dedicated team of staff, volunteers, and generous donors, Painshill is now well on the way to full restoration.

Over 80,000 visitors a year come to discover the 158 acre wonderland with its mystical follies and historic plantings - including the John Bartram Heritage Collection of North American trees and shrubs (Plant Heritage, NCCPG). Painshill remains an international treasure.

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F E AT U R E

REALISING POTENTIAL ISL Surrey provides an “an outstanding quality of education” according to recent Ofsted inspection and accreditation reports.

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eaching at the school was especially commended by the Ofsted report: “Teaching and assessment are outstanding throughout the school. The staff is well qualified and their passion motivates pupils to achieve their full potential. They establish very positive working relationships in their classes based on mutual respect, enabling pupils to learn in a calm and purposeful atmosphere.”

The International Primary Curriculum (IPC) accreditation report awarded the school its highest level of accreditation, placing it amongst the top schools internationally and the only school in the UK accredited at this level.

ISL Surrey has recently completed the beginning of a two-phase construction project expanding the school. The Early Childhood wing (new classrooms and play areas), an ICT suite and a newly converted library were added to increase capacity as ISL Surrey.

Dr Jim Doran, Head of School, said, “We are thrilled with our new-look and enhanced facilities which will greatly benefit our students’ learning. Next year will see the beginning phase of the construction of new secondary school classrooms, science labs, a 450-seat theatre and gymnasium, drama and music studios, library, dining room and a design and technology workshop.”

The International School of London (ISL) Surrey currently accepts students from age 2 through 15.

The school offers an internationally

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recognised and respected curriculum with an embedded mother tongue programme, English as an Additional Language, and second language programmes. The school provides a highly innovative and academically rigorous International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme, adding one grade per year towards offering the IB Diploma by 2016. The school’s current MYP offers secondary students an exciting international curriculum which combines the developmental needs of adolescents with the requirements of the future. There is also an iPad technology programme.

ISL Surrey prides itself in its small school family atmosphere, and its low student/teacher ratio, allowing for differentiated instruction and individualised support. The school is situated on a 10 acre campus and located in a beautiful wooded area in Surrey, 35 minutes by train to London, with easy access to London airports. ISL Surrey offers limited bursaries for local students.

We are holding an International Baccalaureate (IB) Evening on Thursday 7 February, with a 7pm prompt start. Please book your place by 31 January on 01483 750409 or email mail@ islsurrey.org.

To make an appointment to visit at another time, please telephone 01483 750409 or email admissions@islsurrey.org.

For further information visit www.islsurrey.org.

F E AT U R E

The evolution of superb dining When you are as passionate about food as Steve Drake, chef proprietor of Drake’s in Ripley, it shows.

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t shows in the quality of the food served at his restaurant, appreciated by their growing number of regular customers, and, in turn, it is recognised by food guides and critics. Drake’s has been awarded Wine List of the Year in the 2013 Good Food Guide and for the ninth year running has been given a Michelin star and three AA Rosettes. In 2012 it was placed 38th in the Sunday Times 100 Best Restaurants – 40 places higher than in 2010.

Steve’s style of innovative, contemporary British food is constantly evolving and a recent fact-finding trip to Japan has provided a wealth of additional inspiration. Guests enjoy the unusual ingredients like Dorset wasabi and black garlic that feature on the menu alongside mushroom ‘soil’ and red cabbage ‘ketchup’.

The restaurant is privately owned by Steve and his wife Serina. A recent refit of the main restaurant interior has proved very popular, as has the oak panelled bar. The latest addition is a small boutique, where customers can purchase gifts and items of kitchenware and champagnes used in the restaurant.

Drake’s is a restaurant for all seasons; in winter months or when the weather dictates that the restaurant’s beautiful walled garden is not a viable option, the cosy bar is perfect for pre and post dinner drinks. Or on a summer’s day, when the garden is in full display, guests can take advantage of the lovely terrace.

Where possible, Steve sources ingredients locally, and likes to use produce at its peak of seasonal availability. In addition, the restaurant’s kitchen garden is now producing some of their herbs

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and vegetables, which are used for unique creative touches such as Sorrel mayonnaise or perhaps pea and mint ice cream.

“Creativity and simplicity of flavour” are two key elements of Steve’s food.

On Friday and Saturday evenings his legendary ‘Flavour Discovery’ or ‘Flavour Journey’ tasting menus are served – a great opportunity to try a varying range of dishes. The beauty of the six course Flavour Journey menu (and also the nine course Flavour Discovery menu) is that the menu is constantly evolving. Steve embraces and combines flavour and balance with the changing seasons, using the finest produce to surprise and delight his guests.

Diners can opt for the sommelier to select glasses of wine to match each course of the tasting menu or choose their own choice from the eclectic wine list, Drakes in open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday and lunch Wednesday to Saturday. In addition to the full a la carte, there is an excellent value set menu available at lunchtime.

The award-winning wine list at Drake’s is eclectic and sourced from smaller producers, many of them using biodynamic production methods. House wines start at just £18 a bottle and there is a wide range available by the glass, starting from £5.50.

Booking is recommended, especially at the weekend.

For more information about Drake’s Restaurant The Clock House, High Street, Ripley, Surrey, GU23 6AQ Call 01483 224777 or email info@drakesrestaurant.co.uk www.drakesrestaurant.co.uk

KITCHEN WARDROBE LOUNGE OFFICE MEDIA

Insight Showroom, Howe Lane Farm, White Waltham, Berkshire, SL6 3JP 0118 924 1605 info@lidacucina.co.uk

www.lidacucina.co.uk

Showroom open Monday to Friday 9.30am to 5.30pm (Saturday 10.00am to 4.30pm, Sundays and evenings by appointment)

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Winter Reds Jeremy Blood from Surrey Wine School recommends some warming red wines to try this winter season.

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hat’s the best way to brighten up this gloomy time of the year? Well how about turning up the fire, dimming the lights and relaxing with a warming glass of something special? This is the time of the year to put aside those delicate wines and reach for something with real power. Two grape varieties made for the winter months are syrah and grenache.

They both match brilliantly with seasonal foods such as stews, game and roasted meats.

Syrah as it is known in France, especially the Rhone Valley, is a grape that is rich in black pepper, spices, herbs and liquorice.

Outside of Europe the grape is more commonly known as Shiraz and is usually richer, with more powerful black fruit characteristics and chocolate flavour, so why not try: 2009, Aymura , Elqui Valley,Syrah, Chile- (Marks and Spencer, £11.99.

Perfect ripening conditions are found in Elqui Valley, the most northern part of the country where it is cool with exceptionally clear skies. Some maturing in American and French oak barrels.

A really complex wine.

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2011, False Bay, Shiraz, South Africa, - (The VineYard Dorking £6.99).

Superb value for a top quality wine grown on the Cape in Somerset West.

The wine has real elegance for a new world Shiraz and reminded me of a Rhone style wine.

Grenache produces high octane, spicy, peppery and gamey wines in its Rhone homeland. It is also widely grown in Spain where it is known as Garnacha.

Why not try this great value wine from Tesco: 2011, Finest Old Vine Garnacha, Spain, (Tesco £7.99). This wine is often reduced further and is a steal at any price, with classic flavours of black cherry and plum.

Drink with a lovely leg of lamb.

If you’d like to learn more, come along to Surrey Wine School’s Winter Reds tasting being held on Thursday 31 January 2013, 7pm9pm, Stepping Stones, Westhumble Street, Dorking, RH5 6BS. For more information about Surrey Wine School, visit www.surreywineschool.com, call 01306 898569 or 07436 072518

Sophie is in love with Ray and Contemporary Art. Ray is designed by Antonio Citterio. www.bebitalia.com

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The world’s oldest known bottle of

Courvoisier Cognac is now on sale at Harrods

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riced at £95,000, this rare and important bottle will excite cognac connoisseurs the world over. The Courvoisier & Curlier was bottled in 1789, the year the French Revolution began, by the two nephews of Felix Courvoisier, the Curlier brothers, making it a unique piece of history.

The 1789 Courvoisier & Curlier has been acquired by Harrods from the private Old Liquors Collection of Dutch seller Bay van der Bunt, which is currently the largest collection of historic spirits in the world. Since obtaining the vintage bottle from Sotheby’s, the cognac has been resting, untouched, in Mr van der Bunt’s cellar.

Following its purchase, the Courvoisier & Curlier will be on display to the public for six weeks in the Tasting Room of the Harrods Wine Shop, meaning customers can view the remarkably rare antique over the festive season. The 1789 Courvoisier & Curlier will be highly desirable, and sparks an interesting debate as to whether the precious liquid should ever be consumed.

1789 COURVOISIER & CURLIER IN-SITU AT HARRODS

MR BAY VAN DER BUNT WITH 1789 COURVOISIER & CURLIER

The sale of the Courvoisier & Curlier bottle coincides with the launch of L’Atelier de Courvoisier in Harrods. An explorative insight into Courvoisier’s renowned ageing cellar in Cognac, the event takes place exclusively in the Tasting Room of the Harrods Wine Shop on 5 – 8 December 2012. Guests attending L’Atelier de Courvoisier will be made privy to the rare bottle as part of a unique experience which will take them through the rich heritage of Courvoisier, thereby putting the importance of the 1789 cognac in perfect context.

In addition, cognac connoisseurs will have the opportunity to purchase a rare collection of Courvoisier from the Harrods Wine Shop, including: 1851 Courvoisier & Curlier Frères, Extra - £38,500 1884 Courvoisier, Fine Champagne - £24,500 1900 Courvoisier, Grande Fine Champagne - £12,500 1920 Courvoisier, Fine Champagne de Luxe - £9,500 www.courvoisier.com

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Sensuous Reveals

+MODO We don‘t just look at kitchens, we live and feel them. Our +MODO introduces sensuous emotions to the world of the kitchen, the interplay of open and closed elements places your favourite objects in stimulating open spaces. Hide and reveal as the mood takes you to keep the attention on your furniture and treasures. The kitchen is now the platform for a journey of constant discovery.

Poggenpohl Möbelwerk GmbH Poggenpohlstraße 1 D-32051 Herford Fon +49 (0) 5221 / 381 -0 Fax +49 (0) 5221 / 381 -321 info@poggenpohl.com www.poggenpohl.com

EXCLUSIVE POGGENPOHL KITCHEN DESIGN CENTRES Ascot 65 High Street SL5 7HP T-01344 624 829 l Guildford Willway House, Woodbridge Road GU1 1DX T-01483 566 444 l London NW3 477-481 Finchley Road NW3 6HS T-020 7794 7801 l London SE1 Newnham Terrace, Hercules Road SE1 7DR T-020 7902 5245 London SW1 107 Pimlico Road SW1W 8PH T-020 7730 7927 l London SW3 172 Brompton Road SW3 1HW T-020 7838 0588 London SW11 190-192 Lavender Hill SW11 5TQ T-020 7223 2026 l London W1 118 Wigmore Street W1U 3RT T-020 7224 1986 St Albans 100 London Road AL1 1NX T-01727 738111 l Worthing 28 Teville Road BN11 1UG T-01903 210101

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THE REGENT STREET

GIFT CARD The Regent Street Association is pleased to announce the launch of the Regent Street Gift Card, the first to be offered by a UK high street rather than a shopping mall.

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he Gift Card will be accepted in over one hundred stores, hotels and restaurants in and around Regent Street, including the Regent Street Food Quarters, Heddon Street and Swallow Street.

The Gift Card is a great way of solving those difficult gift purchases whether it is a corporate incentive or personal present. Accepted by Hamleys, Penhaligon’s, Burberry, Molton Brown, Gap, Uniqlo and many more, the Gift Card caters for everyone; a one stop shop in London’s renowned West End. Available to the public in any amount between £10 - £500, and corporate organisations in larger amounts, the Regent Street Gift Card,

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which is valid for one year, can be purchased from regentstreetonline. com or directly from the Regent Street Association offices.

The Regent Street Gift Card is being provided

by Store Financial, an international payment systems processor.

Stuart Green, Store Financial Managing Director says, ’We are delighted to be working with Regent Street on this incredibly exciting project. Known the world over as one of the best shopping destinations, providing a wonderful mix of luxury and leisure

in London’s West End, it is only fitting that a Gift Card can now be purchased as the perfect present for your friend or loved one, or as a fantastic reward or incentive for your employee.’

Jack Spade, Stone Island and Raffa.

The re-development of the Piccadilly end of Regent Street has seen the launch of Coach, Nespresso, Sebago, Ugg, Lotus, Brasserie Zédel and soon to open Café Royal.

The Regent Street Gift Card joins the recently launched Regent Street Shopping app, ‘Living Regent Street’ and the new edition of the Regent Street Guide.

The Regent Street Association, founded in 1925, is a membership organisation and represents all the shops, restaurants, hotels and offices in and around Regent Street.

The RSA organises the Christmas Lights, the Regent Street Festival and other traffic free events in Regent Street and promotes Regent Street to residents, visitors and those who work in the area.

Regent Street has recently seen the launch of the largest Burberry store in the world, as well as the new shops on Brewer Street, Woolrich, Wolsey,

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F E AT U R E

The Ultimate Luxury Chocolate Gift What do you do if you really want something special and just can’t find it? When all you yearn for is just the best of its kind in the world - and no-one seems to have produced it; at least not to the standard you desire?

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f you are Roy and Tracey Jones you initially scour the earth for a key ingredient and, when you have finally tracked it down, you create what you were looking for in the first place - the world’s finest luxury chocolate experience. “I wanted to buy a very special present for a very special person on a very special day - her 40th birthday,” explains Tracey. “Like me she is a chocoholic! I went to the top-end departments stores and even some of the little luxury chocolate boutiques but just could not find what I wanted. There is a lot of nice chocolate about, of course, but, I don’t know, there was always something missing. It was very frustrating and in the end I bought her something else entirely. ”That was the beginning but by no means the end of a two year journey which has reached a triumphant conclusion with the launch of ‘the Chocolate’ Roy and Tracey’s new business dedicated to producing ‘the best luxury chocolate experience in the world.’

What is it?

In its simplest form we are talking about an amazing ‘experience’. Handmade truffles using an award winning, secret recipe Italian chocolate, filled with champagne, flaked with edible 24-carat gold all enclosed within a bespoke handcrafted boutique box encrusted with more than 450 Swarovski Crystals inside and out. Also made by hand no two of these boxes will ever be the same.

The chocolate itself is 63% Toscano Black sourced from a tiny artisan chocolate maker based just outside historic Pisa. The cocoa beans are refined using a traditional granite stone mill and the result has been judged by the Academy of Chocolate as officially the best in the world. What experts call the ganache - basically the mixture of cocoa, cream and a variety of other ingredients to form what consumers think of as, well, the chocolate – that forms ‘the Chocolate’ is a closely guarded secret but Roy and Tracey are happy to confirm that there are several glasses of champagne added to the normal recipe. “As we make everything ourselves we can, of course, produce ‘the 2 8 J A N U A RY 2 0 1 3

Chocolate’ without alcohol if required,” commented Tracey.

You Eat the Gold?

It’s the world’s most expensive foodstuff and has been eaten for millennia.

Although the Ancient Egyptians believed it gave them immortality no such claims are made for ‘the Chocolate.’ (yet). However other authorities do claim that gold has many attributes when eaten, including generating a higher IQ, managing rheumatoid arthritis, developing mystic power and contributing to a long and healthy life. More seriously it is authorised for use in food products in both Europe and the USA. High quality chocolate also has its enthusiasts. They claim that chocolate with over 60% cocoa content (‘the Chocolate’ has 63%) reduces blood pressure, decreases the chance of both diabetes and heart attack, improves the memory and even eases a persistent cough amongst a plethora of other attributes. Be that as it may the fact remains that ‘the Chocolate’ has a fantastic taste that will exceed the expectations of the wildest choccie enthusiast. And the memory of the experience will last and last.

The Products Available online at www.the-chocolate.com and exclusively at Harrods, the Boutique Box contains 15 chocolates minimum and a weight of 200 grammes. It retails at £190 including postage and packing.

Delivery of this unique hand-made product is within five days or can be expressed for specific delivery date. The Bambina is a one chocolate box experience, which retails at £50 including postage and packing.

Available online and exclusively at Harrods For more information on the Chocolate visit www.the-chocolate.com

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EV E N TS

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Hampshire’s Finest Antiques Fair Celebrates Forty Years

he Petersfield Antiques Fair celebrates forty years as Hampshire’s leading art and antiques event when it returns to The Festival Hall from 1st - 3rd February 2013. Organised by Penman Fairs since 1998, this traditional antiques and fine art fair features superb paintings, period furniture and objets d’art from the past four hundred years. Buyers can make their purchases confident in the knowledge that exhibits are vetted for quality and authenticty by a panel of experts prior to going on sale.

Forty-three specialist dealers from across the country present a wide range of high quality fine art, sculpture, antiques and accessories at this popular event held at The Festival Hall in the centre of town. Among the many highlights will be a superb range of French sculptures by Antoine-Louis Barye, Luca Madrassi, Henri Levasseur, Emile Chatrousse and others from Garret & Hurst, the Sussex dealers specialising in bronzes. Hickmet Fine Art, also from Sussex, specialise in Art Nouveau and Art Deco sculpture and promise works by Josef Lorenzl, Otto Poertzel, Joseph Descomps, Ferdiand Preiss and Demetre Chiparus.

Paintings by well known 19th and early 20th century British watercolourists feature on the stand of Michael St John, a specilaist dealer from California, and Graham Bentley Fine Art from Kenilworth who also specialises in illustrative works, original etchings, drawings and woodcut prints.

Fine silver and jewellery are always popular. Plaza from Cheshire, Shapiro & Co. from Bond Street and Trivette from Shropshire offer a wide selection of classic, vintage and decorative pieces. The silver specialists include Schredds of Portobello with a range of piece, and S. & A. Marsh from London who have large centre-pieces, canteens of cutlery and decorative items. Elizabeth Nicolson from the Midlands offers smaller silver collectables.

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Among the ceramics specialists will be Catherine Hunt from Cheltenham, specialising in Chinese Blue & White, and Corrinne Soffe with 19th century English porcelain and scent bottles.

Period furniture is always popular. Yellow Lantern from Hove make a superb display of Georgian and Regency furniture, mirrors and candelabra; Sue Killinger from Great Missenden and Julia Harrington from Horsham offer many Georgian and Victorian small pieces and decorative items while Cantelo Antiques from the Isle of Wight specialise in Georgian and Victorian practical pieces. In other areas, Olde Time from Norfolk will be showing English and French carriage and mantel clocks, Richard Hoppe from Devon has rare scent bottles and 20th century glass, and Neville Contemporary Art shows modern paintings.

With such a wide range of exhibits there is something for everyone, from less than £20 for a Victorian silver spoon to more than £10,000 for the first oil paintings and original sculpture.

For more information contact Caroline Penman, Penman Fairs, Widdicombe, Bedford Place, Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 1LWU. Telephone 01825 744074 or email info@penman-fairs.co.uk Admission £3.00 Times Friday 1st February 10.30am-6.00pm

Saturday 2nd February 10.30am-6.00pm

Sunday 3rd February 10.30am-5.00pm Car Parking in adjacent pay and display car park and nearby supermarket carparks.

Restaurant for refreshments and light meals throughout the day. www.penman-fairs.co.uk

1st - 3rd February The Festival Hall behind the Town Hall,

Heath Road, Petersfield Hampshire GU31 4EA Surrounded by Pay & Display Parking. AA signposted.

Antiques & Fine Art for Interiors, Collections & Investment Friday & Saturday 10.30-6, Sunday 10.30-5. ÂŁ3 entry.

Complimentary E-Tickets and Details on www.penman-fairs.co.uk

This is your Complimentary Ticket for Two to the Antiques Fair, on any afternoon, from 2 pm Please bring this advert from the Life Magazine

F E AT U R E

CELEBRATE 150 YEARS of the world’s oldest underground railway

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hroughout 2013 London Transport Museum is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the world’s oldest Underground railway with a range of events that will include special exhibitions and displays, steam train runs, Friday Lates, talks, debates and special gift ranges.

including the surrealist photographer Man Ray’s ‘Keep London Going’, will appear alongside lesser-known gems. There will also be a rare chance to view letter-press posters from the late nineteenth century. Visitors will be able to choose their favourite in the Siemens Poster Vote.

The World’s First Underground The first journey on the world’s oldest Underground railway was made just after 1.00pm on 9 January 1863. It took 18 minutes to make the 3½ mile journey from Paddington Station to Farringdon and so began 150 years of remarkable engineering and design history. Museum displays highlight the key events and characters that helped transform London through the development of the Underground railway and look at the vital role transport will continue to play in the future.

Visitors can see the world’s first Underground steam and electric trains as well as the original artwork for the iconic London Tube map.

Poster Art 150 - London Underground’s Greatest Designs Focusing on iconic poster art that has been a feature of London Underground for much of its history, this exhibition will showcase 150 of the best designs chosen by an independent panel of experts.

Well-known posters, 3 2 J A N U A RY 2 0 1 3

Vehicles on the Move Enjoy the nostalgia of the golden age of steam during Museum events at different locations in and around London. There will be opportunities to enjoy the newly restored Metropolitan Steam Locomotive No. 1, which was built in 1898, and ride in the luxurious Metropolitan Jubilee Carriage No. 353, as well as the 1938 Art Deco Tube train - Sarah Siddons the 1920s electric locomotive.

And there’s more…

Special Behind-the-Scenes events at the Museum’s Depot at Acton in West London, Secret London events at the disused Aldwych Underground station, Friday Lates, debates, tours, Family Fun and mini Poster Parade displays. To make sure you don’t miss out visit www.ltmuseum.co.uk to find out more and Check out the Museum’s Covent Garden subscribe to the and online shop for specially commissioned 150th anniversary gifts.

Museum’s e-newsletter.

Look out for this limited edition Blueprint ceramics range based on the unique and iconic design heritage of the Underground. Other highlights include the Metropolitan glassware by LSA. www.ltmuseumshop.co.uk

The anniversary celebrations are sponsored by Cubic Transportation Systems, Siemens and WWCBS Outdoor.

M OTO R S

AUDI A3 SPORTBACK FIRST DRIVE

BY MATT KIMBERLEY

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udi made a big impact in this sector with the original A3, which started life as a three-door only model but the added practicality of the Sportback model really pushed it out to a wider audience. And over each generation it has raised the stakes in terms of cabin quality and driving dynamics to continue to set the benchmark. Now we’re on the third iteration, and with the threedoor version already proving to be a remarkably well-rounded and capable car, the Sportback promises much.

The extra pair of doors are very well integrated into the overall shape. The A3 is the perfect example of how Audi manages to evolve a design, keeping a clear visual link to the previous model but introducing some

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fresh elements. The nose is narrowed and looks more purposeful, the headlights have a more edgy appearance, in particular the strong lines produced by the LED elements.

The roof curves neatly into the rear, marked out by a pair of chrome roof rails and the way the tailgate slopes steeply away makes

the Sportback almost look like a mini-estate; certainly no bad thing. Like most modern cars it looks best on larger alloy wheel options, and it wears both sober metallics and more vibrant shades - even white - very well.

Of course the key thing you’re getting with the extra pair of doors is easier access to the rear, and with that option the A3 Sportback genuinely becomes a viable family car. You might hesitate to let sticky-fingered little ones aboard, given how plush the cabin is, but they certainly won’t grumble. Big kids have proper head and legroom too, and the third rear window rather than a thick pillar helps more light into the back of the cabin too. And its practical nature continues in the rear where there is 380 litres of boot space with the back seats in place, a full 1,220 litres with the seats folded.

M OTO R S

FACTS AT A GLANCE Audi A3 1.8 TFSI Sport S tronic £25,030 Engine 1.8-litre petrol

producing 178bhp

and 184lb.ft of torque Transmission Six-speed manual

gearbox driving

the front wheels Performance Top speed 144mph

0-62mph in 7.3 seconds Economy 50.4mpg combined Emissions 130g/km of CO2

All this is pretty much as you would expect, but in truth it’s when you get behind the wheel that you really see where the progress has been made. If you’ll excuse the tiniest bit of technobabble, the A3 is the first Audi to use the MQB architecture that will underpin several other Audis and other compact-sized cars in the Volkswagen Group. What that means is lots of money has been poured into developing this crucial element of the car - and they absolutely have to get it right.

The first thing you notice is that the A3 is remarkably quiet on the move. The diesel engines are hushed but you get the best experience in the petrol models, which at rest are virtually silent (even when the stop-start system hasn’t yet kicked in) and on the move you rarely

hear anything more than a controlled hum as it moves along. That goes a long way to making the Sportback a very comfortable car to spend time in.

The other significant element here is the ride quality. Even in sportier S line trim which has sports suspension and big alloy wheels, the A3 Sportback feels superbly controlled and comfortable, riding with the bumps without divorcing you from them altogether. So whether you’re simply cruising to your destination or having a bit of fun on a challenging road, it is extremely capable and feels like a car from the class above.

That certainly also goes for the cabin, which moves the game on yet again. There are

numerous options of course and various combinations of trim, but it almost feels like you’re sat in a luxury car rather than something that’s merely premium. The revised MMI system takes up less space and is a cinch to use without taking your eyes off the road, while the big colour screen is crisp and clear without being intrusive.

Maybe you thought Audis were attractive and even a bit flash, but not the kind of car bought by sensible people like you. Well consider yourself told otherwise; the A3 Sportback is practical, comfortable and efficient, and yet it still delivers plenty of luxury and the ‘want factor’ that you might feel a bit guilty about.

No need - you can buy one, know you’ve made a fine choice and be smug about it all at the same time.

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M OTO R S

1913 - 2013

100 YEARS OF ASTON MARTIN

ASTON MARTIN DBR 1/2 WORLD FAMOUS CAR GOES ON SALE FOR RECORD-BREAKING £20MILLION

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n Aston Martin regarded as one of the finest cars of all time, has been put up for sale. The Aston Martin DBR 1/2 is the company’s most successful race car having dominated motorsport in the late 1950s. It thrashed the Ferraris and Jaguars of its day and is the only Aston Martin to ever win Le Mans when it took the chequered flag in 1959.

The 1957 sports car has now come onto the market for the first time in 20 years. It is being sold by Ascotbased Talacrest for a staggering £20million – four times as much as any British car ever sold publicly.

“This DBR1 is the holy grail of motoring and is the most recognisable and valuable Aston Martin in history”

The only cars known to have fetched more than this are the Bugatti Type 57C and Ferrari 250 GTO - with these changing hands behind closed doors. And while there were 39 Ferrari 250 GTOs built, the green Aston Martin is one of just four cars to come out of the factory - and it’s the most successful of all of them.

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Built by Ted Cutting, the Aston Martin DBR 1/2 is fitted with a 3-litre engine which developed around 250bhp. The road-legal sports car triumphed at the 1957 Nürburgring 1,000km race, 1957 Spa Grand Prix and the Goodwood Tourist Trophy in both 1958 and 1959 when Stirling Moss drove to victory. And at Le Mans in 1959, with Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori behind the wheel, the car averaged 112.5mph over the 24-hour period in its finest moment.

It completed 323 laps of the track, thundering down the Mulsanne Straight at speeds in excess of 160mph. The three men behind the victory - Cutting, Shelby and Salvadori - all passed away this year within ten weeks of each other.

Aston Martin historian Brian Joscelyne described the sports car as a “revelation” and “astonishing”. Mr Joscelyne watched as the car stormed to victory at Le Mans from above the Aston Martin team’s pit lane. He said: “It is a joy whenever I see the car because it means so much to me. I watched it race in its heyday.

M OTO R S

It was at the top, top level of motorsport and is the most famous racing Aston Martin with the best record. “Unfortunately it is still the only Aston Martin to win at Le Mans. It handles so well and with the right drivers can slide around corners in spectacular fashion.

The road handling and brakes were brilliant.

“This is the model to have, it is an astonishing all round car. I am so admiring of the current owner and the way he has maintained the car. It is a joy to see and hear. I have the greatest admiration for Ted Cutting and his achievements and this was his piste de resistance.

In historic sports cars driving, this car has been a revelation”

A PROUD HISTORY The model is called the Aston Martin DBR1. The /2 denotes the second of four factory models. A fifth DBR1 was built for a private individual.

DBR stands for David Brown Racing, with David Brown the businessman who owned Aston Martin The £20 million Aston Martin DBR1/2 was a formidable race car during the late 1950s, winning a host of important races.

1957: Winner - Spa Sportscar Race - driven by Tony Brooks Winner - 1,000km Nürburgring Race - driven by Brooks and Noël CunninghamReid Winner - Spa Grand Prix - driven by Brooks 1958: Winner - Goodwood Tourist Trophy - driven by Stirling Moss and Brooks 1959: Winner - 24 Hours of Le Mans - driven by Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby Winner - Goodwood Tourist Trophy - driven by Moss, Shelby and Jack Fairman 1960: The car was sold to Major Ian Baillie - and as a privateer entrant the following results were achieved: Winner - Rouen Grand Prix - driven by Jack Fairman

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M OTO R S

FIRST DRIVE

PORSCHE CAYENNE DIESEL S

BY MATT KIMBERLEY

What an age we live in. Progress in the automotive world tends to occur in hundreds of incremental steps and only the occasional leap forward, and so it’s easy to lose sight of just how far things have come. And this Cayenne Diesel S is the perfect method with which to demonstrate.

The second generation Cayenne was the coming of age for Porsche’s SUV, answering the critics of the original car and earning respect even from those who saw such a vehicle as going against the sporting ethos of the brand. But the Cayenne has never been an ordinary SUV; it has always had proper Porsche genes running through it and with the latest model looking sharper and driving even better it makes unquestionable sense as a more practical proposition for people who have to have the Porsche shield on the front of their car.

However you might wonder if 3 8 J A N U A RY 2 0 1 3

there is any need for another engine option in the Cayenne. For a car that is more than likely going to be bought by the lucky few, it already offers a remarkably broad spread of powerplants. There’s the ‘entry-level’ V6 petrol, the V8 petrol in two outputs, the bonkers V8 turbos that also come in two outputs, the hybrid petrol and the existing diesel. There’s nothing wrong with the diesel offering either; it offers up 405lb. ft of torque and as a result can manage 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds, 137mph flat out and deliver 39.2mpg combined.

But the Porsche engineers seem to think that’s not enough and as a result have introduced the Diesel S. Just as with the petrol models, the ‘S’ might as well stand for significant - instead of the V6 oil burner, the Diesel S gets a new eight-cylinder twin turbo unit that Porsche claims is a unique offering in the segment.

F E AT U R E

Better still are the numbers it produces; with 382bhp it is a whisker behind the V8 petrol but it is the torque output that really slackens the jaw. A mammoth 626lb.ft of torque is available from just 2,000rpm, almost a whole 100lb.ft than the truly insane petrol Turbo S. With that much motive force under the bonnet it’s no wonder the Cayenne Diesel S is a rapid machine. It blasts to 62mph in a borderline absurd 5.7 seconds - 0.2 seconds faster than the V8 petrol Cayenne S and can hit 156mph. It’s hard to put these numbers out of your mind when you slide behind the wheel, but this is a diesel underneath it all and so is far less intimidating than you might expect.

Climb aboard and the familiar Cayenne cabin greets you with clear and logical displays. You get the proper SUV driving position so the view out is excellent, yet there’s still a sportscar feel; you are high up but surrounded by the cabin, and it certainly doesn’t feel top-heavy or ungainly. The driving position is superb and you grasp a proper Porsche steering wheel with a relatively thin rim, all of which helps to get you in the mood.

Fire up the Diesel S and it sounds a lot more V8 than diesel. There’s an appealing throb coming from the exhaust, blip the throttle and it grows to a proper sporty sound.

Select drive on the automatic transmission and the massive wave of torque makes pulling away as easy it could possibly be; this is a car that could be driven without ever using more than a tiny squeeze of the accelerator.

It’s such a flexible unit that

ordinary driving is utterly effortless, and with adjustable suspension that can be tweaked for maximum comfort the Cayenne Diesel S is a thoroughly relaxing car to drive. Big distances can be covered with ease with plenty of space for passengers and luggage. The 100-litre fuel tank may cost a bit to fill, but allows a theoretical range of over 700 miles.

But it would take a particularly dedicated individual to drive that far and not exploit the performance, so tempting is the amount of acceleration on offer. Regardless of speed or gear, apply a firm right foot to the accelerator and the Diesel S urges forward with no discernible effort, with the eight-speed automatic transmission marshalling all the forces superbly well whether you shift yourself or leave it to your own devices.

And it behaves just as a Porsche should when you arrive at a challenging bend. Of course this is not a lightweight car but the way it behaves when pressed is remarkable. It responds accurately to the driver’s demands, with good feedback through the steering, impressive balance and generally more composure than a car of this size should be capable of.

FACTS AT A GLANCE Porsche Cayenne Diesel S £58,243 Engine 4.2-litre diesel unit producing

382bhp and 626lb.ft of torque Transmission Eight-speed automatic driving all four wheels Performance Top speed 156mph, 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds Economy 34mpg combined Emissions 218g/km of CO2Economy

In many ways this is the most convincing car Porsche offers.

Not only does it deliver a generous slice of driving fun, it also brings comfort, practicality and even respectable economy into the equation. It’s still a Porsche so it’s no giveaway, but once on your driveway you’d be hard-pressed to find something as universally capable.

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FILM

FREEMAN DREADS HIS HOBBIT JOURNEY Martin Freeman is on the cusp of major league movie stardom, so you’d imagine he’d be feeling on top of the world about his good fortune. Not a bit of it.

By Susan Griffin

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he actor has been in the public eye in Britain for more than 10 years, and he laments: “People have been annoying me in restaurants for a long time, and now it’ll just be all over the world. Yippee.” Freeman, who shot to prominence as Tim in Ricky Gervais’s The Office, might not be embracing the fame game but he’s going to have to get used to it - and sharpish with the imminent release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in which he has the starring role of Bilbo Baggins.

Based on the 1937 fantasy novel by J.R.R Tolkien, it’s been painstakingly brought to life by the visionary director Peter Jackson. “I’m getting a glimpse of that external reaction to it now, the nearer the film gets to release,” says Freeman, a youthful-looking 41-year-old. “I mean that level of fame obviously is something very different to what most people will get to experience, but my life doesn’t feel any different yet.”

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Wearing a blue polo shirt and a black suit, Freeman comes across as friendly and thoughtful, if a little caustic at times.

That could simply be his sense of humour or perhaps a protective reflex given that he describes himself as “a very, very private person”.

So private that he doesn’t want to confirm how many children he has (a Google search reveals he has a son and daughter with his longterm partner Amanda Abbington). What he will say is that he that doesn’t want his kids to see him as anything other than their dad.

“I want to keep my children absolutely out of it until they’re of an age where they can decide,” he says. “Sometimes when I’m stopped in the street and I’m with my children, I always try and get them out of the picture and they’ll go, ‘Why don’t you want us?’ and I’m like, ‘No, I’m protecting you!’”

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You can understand he may be a little defensive, given that The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is just the first of three films from the team behind The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. The following movies, The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug and The Hobbit: There And Back Again, will be released in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

New and old faces pop up along the way. Andy Serkis returns as Gollum, while Sir Ian McKellen reprises his role as wizard Gandalf the Grey, who appears out of the blue to task Bilbo with his audacious plan. They’re soon joined by a band of 13 Dwarves led by the legendary Thorin Oakenshield (Spooks star Richard Armitage) and a host of other new faces.

Set in the fantastical Middle-earth, the tale begins 60 years before the events of The Lord Of The Rings, and sees a young Bilbo Baggins swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome Dragon Smaug (voiced by Freeman’s Sherlock costar Benedict Cumberbatch).

Together the eclectic group embarks on a journey that takes them from the comfortable safety of Hobbiton into the great unknown, through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins, Orcs and deadly Wargs. It’s the stuff of every child’s fantasy but Freeman admits he only read the novel two years ago.

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FILM

“I just didn’t grow up with it. I’m a fan now and see what it’s about but it just wasn’t in my universe then,” says the Hampshire-born actor. Since The Office, Freeman has appeared in a host of British films such as Love Actually, Nativity!, Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz. He also recently earned an Emmy and Bafta TV nomination for his role as Dr John Watson in Sherlock but he was far from a global ‘name’ when Peter Jackson cast him in the lead role.

That didn’t deter the director, who was so determined to hire Freeman that he rearranged the shooting schedule to allow the actor to leave the film set in New Zealand to film Sherlock in the UK. “I was truly shocked and pleased because I really wanted to play Bilbo, and that’s not the kind of offer that comes back,” says Freeman. “It showed they had such faith in me. They must have seen something in me that could play worry but with humour.” For

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that reason, Freeman says he didn’t feel too stressed in tackling such an iconic role. “I didn’t feel any pressure is the honest truth,” he says. “At least I didn’t feel Bilbo pressure but I felt the pressure that I always feel in that I want to be good.”

Describing his Hobbit alter ego, Freeman says: “The things that struck me about him suggested a certain timidity in many situations, a certain hesitancy in life, because his world is his home and Hobbiton and beyond that’s a bit scary.” In his own life, the actor says he’s not particularly adventurous. “Well, depending on the adventure. I mean I wouldn’t go into life and death [situations] really but nor would anyone unless you’re a moron,” he says.

“But I’m an actor and I’ve chosen a life where there’s no security, where there’s no wages, no pension - so for a start that’s braver than

FILM

those who go to work at the bank in my opinion.”

Freeman says the role was physically demanding from the beginning, not least because he had to cope with the flipper-like Hobbit feet. “I won’t miss them,” he says. “I’d have to shave my legs, talcum powder them, then they’d put an inner sole on and put this latex leg and foot over it.

It was a two-person job and took about a week to get used to.”

Given that the three movies were shot back-to-back over an epic 18 months, Freeman felt it was important to remain as fit as possible.

Extra time

And in that time he only returned twice to his home in London. “It didn’t take long to get away from the role but after that experience of being away, it’s like decompression,” he says.

Behind the scenes on The Hobbit I t took a team of 350 people to design and create a layered, multi-faceted and palpably real Middle-earth.

L ook out for Barry Humphries, best known for his comedic alter ego Dame Edna, as the hulking Goblin king.

F or the first time, Jackson used state-of-the-art digital cameras to record the action in 3D at an unprecedented 48 frames per second.

I n addition to playing Gollum, Andy Serkis served as Jackson’s second unit director throughout the shoot.

The original small-scale set for Bilbo’s home at Bag End should look familiar. It was pulled out of storage, restored and substantially enhanced for The Hobbit.

“Obviously Bilbo’s not a superhero so I wasn’t benchpressing 200 pounds every hour, but you do as an actor have to be healthy and ready,” he says.

“You’re away for so long in a completely different world figuratively and literally, you come back to your world and your home and it takes a while [to return to normality.]”

Ever grounded, he remains pragmatic about the future. “I try not to expect anything because there is no guarantee of anything at all,” he says. “I’ve been told before, ‘Your life’s going to change after this comes out’. No it didn’t, it didn’t change.

“Obviously this is a huge film but any premature expectation or patting on the back is a very dangerous thing to do because it can only come with disappointment.”

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F E AT U R E

Here’s looking at Hugh If you’ve been known to lather up and enjoy a good old sing-song in the bathroom, then you’re in good company.

BY SUSAN GRIFFIN

“I always sing in the shower,” says a smiling Hugh Jackman. “I sing most days of my life and the shower’s where I spend a good 10 minutes.” He showcases his vocal prowess in the much-anticipated movie adaptation of the long-running musical Les Miserables, playing the story’s protagonist, Jean Valjean.

“You follow him for a 20-year span, and throughout that time you see all the ups and downs, the pain and the ecstasy that life brings,” says Jackman, who puts in a tour de force performance as the reformed convict which has already garnered him a Golden Globe nomination.

“Valjean’s like a Hamlet; he’s one of those parts that you hope one day you’re going to get to play apart from in your bathroom.”

Although best known for his movie roles, notably as X-Men’s Wolverine,

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Jackman, 44, boasts an impressive theatrical background, having starred in productions such as Sunset Boulevard and Oklahoma. Only recently he performed a one-man show on Broadway. He even got to do a few song and dance numbers at the Academy Awards four years ago.

“All the things I’ve done leading up to [Les Miserables] whether it be on stage or in film, I feel came together in this role. It’s the role of a lifetime,” says the Australian native, looking ruggedly handsome in a blue jumper and dark trousers. “I’ve been in musical theatre for a number of years and I’ve done movies for a number of years, so there have been two sides of my career that’s felt slightly schizophrenic,” he explains.

“For a long time I’ve wanted to combine the two and I’d dreamt of being in a movie musical.” But the Emmy and Tony-award winning actor didn’t think a big screen adaptation of Les Miserables was possible.

F E AT U R E

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FILM

“It’s been around 27 years, it’s so iconic and the idea it could be made into a film wasn’t even on my radar,” he says of the production that’s been seen by more than 60 million people in 42 countries and 21 languages.

Then Jackman’s agent heard a potential movie was in the pipeline. “I immediately rang Cameron [Mackintosh, the theatre producer] and said, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got to do this’.

“Then I rang Tom Hooper and said, ‘I need a meeting’. I’ve never been so aggressive going for a part,” he says, grinning. The Oscar-winning director, fresh from his success with The King’s Speech, agreed to meet.

“I came into the room and I was like, ‘Mate, I’m so excited, I really want to audition for you’, and Tom went, ‘Woah!’” recalls Jackman, laughing.

“He hadn’t even signed on [to the film] yet but was thinking about it.

“Anyway, I auditioned for him about a month later and the rest is history.” The director has since described Jackman as “a genius at both acting and singing”, but he cringes at the mention of this.

“Good actors don’t know that stuff but it’s very kind of him to say that,” says Jackman, who has two adopted children - Oscar, 12 and Ava, seven - with his wife of 16 years, Deborra-Lee Furness.

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“I’ve certainly learnt from some incredible people. Theatre director Trevor Nunn, who I’ve done two musicals with, really taught me how to make a lyric of a song feel like dialogue, so it’s not just a pretty song any more.”

Based on the novel by Victor Hugo and set against the social and political upheavals of 19th century France, Les Miserables is an epic tale about broken dreams, unrequited love and a timeless testament to the endurance of the human spirit.

It begins with prisoner Valjean being released by Javert (Russell Crowe), an officer in charge of the convict workforce who tasks himself with hunting Valjean down when he later breaks his parole and vanishes.

“There’s the old adage that great actors make other actors look good, so trust me if you’re ever in a movie and you can get Russell opposite you it’s a good thing,” says Jackman, who credits his fellow Aussie co-star for mentoring him early in his career. Crowe also recommended Jackman as his replacement when he turned down the role of Wolverine.

“It was one of the great, most generous acts for me I could imagine,” says Jackman, who looked to his father, Chris, for inspiration in creating Valjean.

FILM

“My father’s quite a religious man but, like Valjean, wasn’t really religious growing up, and then when he was about 30 had some kind of an epiphany and was converted,” says Jackman, who’s talked openly about the fact it was left to his father to raise him and his four siblings when their mother walked out.

“I never heard him talk about religion,” says Jackman. “He said once, ‘Religion you talk about means nothing, religion that’s in your actions means everything’.”

Though Jackman’s bulked up for a series of action roles, the 6ft 2in star insists Les Miserables was one of the most physically demanding roles he’s ever undertaken - not least because Hooper wanted him to look unrecognisable in the opening scenes. “What you can do on film that you can’t do on stage, obviously, is show the expanse of time and Valjean’s an incredible internal, as well external, transformation,” says Jackman.

“He starts as a prisoner filled with hate and even though he’s strong, he’s emaciated with his head shaved and a long beard, so we just went for it and I lost a lot of weight.” Then the story moves on eight years and Valjean’s reinvented himself as a respected mayor and factory owner, which meant Jackman needed to put 15kgs back on. “That bit was fun,” he adds with a grin.

Unusually for a movie musical, the cast - which includes Anne Hathaway as factory worker turned prostitute Fantine, Eddie Redmayne as politically-minded student Marius and Amanda Seyfried as Valjean’s ward Cosette - sang live on set. For that reason Hooper insisted on an intense nine-week rehearsal period before the cameras started rolling.

“Normally on a film, rehearsals can be a little half-hearted but it wasn’t

like that. Tom was literally moving his chair to be three feet away from us and we did a lot of exploring, which made us really focused on set,” says Jackman. “I remember on day one of rehearsals, Russell said, ‘Man this is what you wait for, this is the feeling’, because we knew we were doing something that’s never been done before. It had that frisson in the air.” But while he enjoyed every minute of the experience, he admits he’s never had a role “require more of me, or take as much of an emotional commitment”.

It’s why he’d spend quiet evenings indulging in a new found passion for jigsaws, not only to wind down but to preserve his voice. “It’s not a sexy pastime but I really enjoyed it. I’d light a fire, do some pastoral mountain scene and find myself engrossed in it,” he reveals, before adding with a grin: “Not very rock ‘n’ roll, is it!”

Extra time - Les Miserables LES MISERABLES OPENED AT THE BARBICAN THEATRE ON OCTOBER 8, 1985.

IN 2006, IT SURPASSED CATS AS WORLD’S LONGEST-RUNNING MUSICAL. THE MOVIE RIGHTS WERE SOLD 25 YEARS AGO BUT THE OPTION LAPSED AND THE RIGHTS REVERTED TO CAMERON MACKINTOSH WHO AGREED THIS TIME ROUND, WITH THE ASSURANCE THE ACTORS WOULD SING LIVE. ANNE HATHAWAY FOLLOWS IN HER MOTHER’S FOOTSTEPS PLAYING THE TRAGIC HEROINE FANTINE. EDDIE REDMAYNE SANG HIS BIG SOLO NUMBER EMPTY CHAIRS AT EMPTY TABLES MORE THAN 20 TIMES TO ENSURE HE’D NAILED IT. LES MISERABLES IS ON GENERAL RELEASE IN CINEMAS FROM JANUARY 11

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H E A LT H & B E AU T Y

Welcome to the golden age...

Feel fabulous with Golden Secrets & The Tanning Shop, specialists in making you look good and feel great

before treatment

after treatment

G

olden Secrets and The Tanning Shop is situated in the heart of Ascot, Magdalena Atta-Motte says “we believe in giving our customers the best possible treatments, and our aim is to ensure that everyone leaves feeling fabulous, as well as satisfied” they are specialists with the latest cutting edge technology which allows the client to feel and look great without the use of needles or surgery.

One of their most sought after treatments is Eximia which is a comprehensive device using innovate technology that combines more treatments in one single session enabling the client to care after their body in a non-evasive and relaxing way, obtaining visable results from the very first session they have. With 22 body contouring programmes the skin will tighten, improve cellular regeneration, circulation and oxygenation, bringing a more slender, toned and slim body free from fat and imperfections.

Another very popular treatment is the IPL Hair Removal, state of the art and highly recommended on any part of the body, and

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before treatment

after treatment

benefits all skin types too. Using the IPL Advance Sysytem with a sophisticated sub zero intense cooling system, it will provide the client with a safe, gentle, pain free and highly effective result, after a recommended 6 sessions unwanted hair will have disappeared.

Magdalena is very passionate about what they do and welcomes you to talk though your requirements so that they can offer the best advice and service to you, one client who travels from London especially for their services says “ absolutely amazing! Magdalena is the best Beauty Technician I have personally ever met, her personal background and experience is outstanding, Eximia body contouring is fabulous and I got results”

For more information please call 01344 62717 or pay a visit to 3 High Street, Ascot, SL5 7JF info@goldensecrets.co.uk

H E A LT H & B E AU T Y Dr Peter Forrester Advocate of INTRAcel

A NEW ERA

IN FACIAL REJUVENATION Providing an effective and non-surgical way to reduce wrinkles and tighten facial skin is one of the greatest challenges in cosmetic medicine.

D

r Peter Forrester has until now remained sceptical about the ability of existing treatments to fully meet this challenge.

However, with INTRAcel he has found a way that really does work to tighten the previously difficult areas of jowls, neck, upper cheeks and lower eyelids.

specific skin layers can be selectively targeted with greater RF energy levels whilst leaving the outer skin undamaged, resulting in minimal downtime and a quick recovery. This is unlike laser treatments where the energy is delivered from the surface causing significant damage to the epidermis resulting in longer healing and downtime.

INTRAcel is a new device that cleverly combines two well-established techniques, micro-needling and radio-frequency (RF) skin tightening.

After the application of local anaesthetic cream, a grid of microneedles punctures the surface of the skin and delivers short burst of RF energy into the deeper layers.

A treatment session will usually take two hours including the time for the anaesthetic cream to take full effect. The treated skin will be a little red for 1-2 days but can be concealed with make-up.

Much of the age-related changes in skin result from the reduction in both quantity and quality of essential structural proteins, collagen and elastin. RF energy has been shown to stimulate the growth of fibroblast cells. These are the source of collagen and elastin, the building blocks of youthful and healthy skin. INTRAcelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s micro-needles are insulated right up to the tip and can operate at a variable depth. This means that

INTRAcel can: Improve the tone and texture of skin, producing a smoother and younger appearance.

Tighten the skin to reduce sagging, wrinkles and fine lines Improve stretch marks and scarring Improve acne scarring

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A toned and tightened effect will be noticeable immediately but the full effects will develop over subsequent weeks. A course of up to 3 treatments at 4-6 week intervals may be indicated following which improvements will continue to develop for up to a year as new collagen develops.

Dr Forrester is excited about the arrival of INTRAcel and believes that this heralds a new era in facial rejuvenation.

Special Offer Complimentary ZO by Zein Obagi professional skincare range to the value of ÂŁ212 with every course of INTRAcel booked in January or February - terms and conditions apply To include ZO Cleanser, ZO Toner, ZO Glycogent, ZO Melamix, ZO Brightenex

For a free consultation by appointment only telephone 01372 890 890 6 Esher Park Avenue Esher, Surrey KT10 9NP www.drforrester.co.uk enquiries@drforrester.co.uk

We think a child’s first check-up should last at least 40 years.

Your little one’s first dental appointment should be lots of fun. After all it’s a chance to give teddy a ride in our chair! We offer early orthodontics, fissure sealants and oral health education but most importantly a positive experience. So your child is happy to visit the dentist, which should keep their mouth healthy for decades to come.

Dr Paula Brennan BDS

Call 01932 70 1234 or visit us at wavedentalspa.com

Wave Dental Spa is a private practice established at Elmgrove House, Elmgrove Road, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 8NZ. General Dental Council Number 78311.

H E A LT H & B E AU T Y

Face up to winter T

BY LISA HAYNES

he holiday’s over and all that’s left is an empty wallet and bulging tummy. If you’ve got a bad case of the January blues, it’s likely that your skin has too. The party season has taken its toll, it’s the bleak midwinter and, to add to your skin’s woes, the central heating is blasting out. Book your face and body in for some New Year TLC that will keep your skin in great condition all the way through to spring.

Glacial glow Winter frosts bring more than just a rosy glow to your cheeks. Think Rudolphstyle red nose, uncomfortable dryness and flaking skin. When the weather is really biting cold, a moisturiser may not be enough. “Apply a serum beneath your daily moisturiser to give dull winter complexions an extra boost of hydration,”

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advises Bao-Tam Phan, pharmacist and Eau Thermale Avene spokesperson. “It’s also important to keep skin hydrated during the winter months by ensuring you drink water regularly.” When your skin is really tight, apply a mask overnight for an intensive treatment. If you can’t resist cranking up the heating, leave a bowl of water close to the radiator to put water back into the atmosphere, or snuggle up with a hot water bottle instead.

Stinging skin After a day shivering in the cold, a piping hot bath can feel like heaven but the contrast in temperatures can be hellish for your skin. For a more skin-friendly wash, go easy on the hot tap. “As nice as a long soak feels in freezing temperatures, the hot soapy water strips away the natural oils, making dry skin worse,” explains Steve Riley, pharmacist and Care

H E A LT H & B E AU T Y

spokesperson. “Use lukewarm water instead of hot when having baths or showers, and always make sure you carefully pat yourself dry instead of rubbing.” Your skin is at its most vulnerable straight after lathering up so apply a nourishing body lotion right away to maximise hydration levels. Try a sensitive formulation if you’re prone to irritation.

Chilly limbs Tucked away under five layers of clothing, it’s easy to forget about your arms and legs. “Skin that has been concealed away for months can become dry, dull and lacklustre,” says Paul Banwell, skin health expert. “The slowdown in cell renewal during the winter means that exfoliation is essential to bring it back to life.” Dry skin means that you have dry cell build-up. Exfoliate regularly to sweep away the dead cells and create the perfect smooth base for deep moisturisation. Aim to exfoliate your skin once or twice a week - it might feel like a chore now but you’ll be rewarded with fresh, radiant skin come spring.

Frosty fingers Unless you’re a market trader, ditch the fingerless gloves and give your digits a fighting chance by wearing protective gloves or mittens on cold, windy days. The skin on your hands has fewer oil glands than other parts of the body, which can lead to dry, chapped hands in winter. “Being constantly exposed to the elements, hands are particularly susceptible to dryness in cold, windy weather,” explains Andrew Saynor, Dove technical expert. “Carry hand cream with you in your bag for extra nourishment.”If your nails are unusually

dry and brittle, it’s because talons can also be affected by a drop in temperature. Ensure you don’t forget to rub hand lotion into your nails and nail beds to keep them soft.

Winter layering Just as we wouldn’t leave the house without layering clothes to protect against the elements, the same should apply to our winter skincare regime. Try adopting these skin insulating tips: Central heating may keep you toasty but the dry atmosphere can play havoc with your skin. Aim to apply moisturiser daily in the morning to quench dry skin.

Skin regeneration peaks when you’re fast asleep so apply a layer of intensive moisturiser or body butter before bed for overnight nourishment.

Give bed socks a soothing update by applying foot cream generously before bed. Don’t rub in and wear cotton socks overnight to soften your tootsies by morning.

Valentine’s Day isn’t far away so avoid chapped lips and keep them primed for pouting by carrying a repairing lip balm containing shea or cocoa butter with you. The sun might be missing but you still need the protection of an SPF. Try a clever UV protector with skin brightening properties to cheat a winter glow.

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H E A LT H & B E AU T Y

VELASHAPE

JeanGenie DROP A

JEAN SIZE

TREATMENT Brazilian Dermatologist Dr Ariel Haus was one of the first doctors to use VelaShape and is the UK spokesperson. Creator of the acclaimed VelaShape Brazilian Bottom treatment, he is proud to launch the new VelaShape Jean Genie treatment in his Harley Street clinic. his treatment will help you get back into your favourite jeans – remember the ones you relegated to the back of the wardrobe in the hope the ONE DAY you’d fit comfortably back into them? Thanks to the Jean Genie treatment you can now dust them off, for you can banish your muffin top, zip that fly with ease and forget about thigh strangulation after just 6 pain-free sessions.

3 Vacuum & Mechanical Massage: Massage mechanisms enable precise targeting of energy to the tissue improving the removal of cellular waste and toxins and smoothing out the skin.

tment Before trea

Not only will your jeans slide on effortlessly but you’ll look great peeling them off as well, for this ‘Jeanius’ treatment will tackle your cellulite, significantly improving the dreaded orange peel, whilst smoothing your skin and providing you with a sleeker more streamlined silhouette.

Here’s how the 3 simultaneous modes in the VelaShape II Jean Genie treatment go to work: 1 I nfrared light: This process stimulates collagen and firms and tightens skin to help improve contour.

2 B i-Polar Radio frequency: This deep dermal heating increases circulation to improve cellulite and enhance localised metabolism.

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After treatmen t

What’s the Ouch Factor?

You’ll feel it go to work heating and deeply massaging the skin. Many patients describe it as slightly uncomfortable but not painful and the power level can be controlled according to your wishes.

How many treatments do I need to see and feel a difference?

This is the million dollar question as it depends on your lifestyle and weight. We do however recommend a course of 6 for optimum results.

Dr Ariel Haus also specialises in: Crowtox Vital Carboxytherapy Laser treatments for the face and body Dr Ariel Haus, Ariel Haus Dermatology, 10 Harley Street, London W1 www.drhausdermatology.com 020 7467 1525

Wi

nn AW ing AR Bo D uti qu

e

Varicose Vein Treatments Weybridge Open Evening open Mon - Sat 9.30 - 5.30 267-269 Coombe Lane London SW20 0RH

Wednesday 6 February, 6.45pm for 7.00pm start

Tel: 020 8947 9797

Come along to one of our informative open evenings and hear our experienced vascular surgeon talking about the varicose and thread vein treatments available at Ashtead Hospital. We offer very competitive fixed prices together with the highest quality care and outcomes.

For the convenience of our patients living in the Weybridge area, the evening will be held in our well appointed satellite Consulting Rooms close to St George’s Hill in Weybridge. If you decide to go forward to treatment, your consultation will be in Weybridge and your treatment at our recently upgraded hospital in Ashtead.

FREE local parking

The evening is free and we serve refreshments.

To reserve your place please telephone:

01372 221 647 10-11 Horizon Business Village, 1 Brooklands Road, Weybridge KT13 0TJ Call for your FREE MAIL ORDER CATALOGUE 01273 835341 or visit us at: www.box2.co.uk

The only doctor led advanced skin, laser and beauty clinic in Putney

www.lsvascular.co.uk

Be party perfect with our special beauty packages...

During November and December Thursdays at Cosmedics Putney are party perfect package days...

• • • •

Have a boosting facial to give you the party glow...

Spice up your nails for that special occasion...

Be free from unwanted body hair...

Sort out those unruly eyebrows and eyelashes...

Our experienced therapists are offering all sorts of great combination packages and freebies. We specialise in Caci and murad facials to suit all skin types and offer a full beauty range including the amazing HD Brows treatments and pain free soprano laser hair removal. With great product gift ideas on offer aswell.

Please see our website or call us on 0208 246 4866.

We are pleased to announce that we now retail Murad, skinceuticals, Revitalash, HD Brows and now Caudalie.

The cosmedics skin doctors also offer a full range of non surgical cosmetic treatments for facial rejuvenation as well as the cosmetic removal of unwanted moles/skin tags and warts.

Booking conditions apply

0208 246 4866 | www.cosmedics.co.uk 4 Disraeli Road, Putney SW15 2DS

H E A LT H & B E AU T Y

HARLEY STREET

Prestigious Private Medical Excellence LONDON’S HARLEY STREET IS ARGUABLY ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS STREETS IN THE WORLD AND - UNLIKE OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY THAT ARE INEXTRICABLY LINKED WITH A CERTAIN TRADE – HARLEY STREET CONTINUES TO FLOURISH AS A CENTRE FOR PRIVATE MEDICAL EXCELLENCE. 5 6 J A N U A RY 2 0 1 3

H E A LT H & B E AU T Y

H

arley Street has always been an attractive address, and is one of the most famous streets in London.

While the number of bespoke tailors in Savile Row might be diminishing; and newspaper production has now moved away from Fleet Street, Harley Street continues to its long and well-earned prestigious reputation for private health care.

Harley Street enjoys a long-standing reputation as a centre of private medical excellence and the district around Harley Street is more often referred to as Medical London because it has several private hospitals within the vicinity and the largest concentration of medical proficiency in the world. All the latest technology and cutting edge medical expertise has been moved into the area, and not surprisingly Harley Street is a highly desirable location from which to practice.

Whatever type of medical expertise is required you can rest assured that Harley Street will have it covered, and is the first choice for exceptional private health treatment. Harley Street is popular with celebrities who attend highly acclaimed Harley Street doctors, for

various surgery, treatment and aesthetic enhancements. The area attracts top medical practitioners, dentists, psychiatrists and plastic surgeons providing first class care, each of whom require a licence from the Estate in order to practice. Harley Street is owned by the de Walden family and managed by the de Walden Estate.

Today, there are some 1,500 professional medical practitioners in and around the Harley Street area, offering a broad range of services from complementary medicine to cosmetic surgery and the range and quality of services available continues to expand as new treatments and new diagnostic techniques emerge.

Many of Harley Streets doctors and surgeons also work in the NHS and are attached to the London teaching hospitals. Several major private hospitals are situated in the area including The Harley Street Clinic, The London Clinic and the Royal family’s favourite; the King Edward VII’s Hospital, Sister Agnes.

Harley Street is located just north of Oxford

Street, and close to Marylebone High Street and the joys of Regents Park. In fact, the whole of the West End is accessible by foot and Harley Street is conveniently located for a number of quality hotels, restaurants and shops. The lively shopping Mecca known as Oxford Street, stretches for one and a half miles between Marble Arch on the West and Tottenham Court Road to the East, and boasts London’s longest row of department stores including large fashion department stores such as Selfridges and John Lewis.

Aside from private clinics, Harley Street is also home to the prestigious Queen’s College, an independent day school for girls between the ages of 11 and 18, and occupies four large houses on Harley Street, with Her Majesty the Queen their patron, it demonstrates it’s excellence in private education.

Harley Street is at the forefront in medical science and technology advancements and firmly on the map for medical excellence.

If you want the very best in skills, expertise and care then look no further than this illustrious address.

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H E A LT H & B E AU T Y

Detox your way into 2013

TOP

10 DETOX FOODS

Over-indulging on food and alcohol together with late nights over Christmas and New Year, can make you feel bloated, tired, or perhaps you have even put on a pound or two.

Here is our guide to eating the right foods and restore your healthy wellbeing...

Lemon Lemons are a staple of many detox diets, and there is good reason for this. Firstly, lemons are packed with antioxidant vitamin C, which is great for the skin and for fighting disease-forming free-radicals.

Furthermore, the citrus fruit has an alkaline effect on the body, meaning that it can help restore the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pH balance, benefitting the immune system. Try starting your day with hot water and a slice of lemon to help flush out toxins and cleanse your system.

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Ginger If too much fatty food or alcohol has caused problems for your digestive system, it may be worthwhile adding some ginger to your diet. Ginger is not only great for reducing feelings of nausea, but it can help improve digestion, beat bloating and reduce gas. In addition to this, ginger is high in antioxidants and is good for boosting the immune system. To give your digestion a helping hand, try sipping on ginger tea or adding some freshly grated ginger to a fruit or vegetable juice.

H E A LT H & B E AU T Y

Garlic Garlic has long been known for its heart benefits, however the pungent food is also good at detoxifying the body. Garlic is not only antiviral, antibacterial and antibiotic, but it contains a chemical called allicin which promotes the production of white blood cells and helps fight against toxins. Garlic is best eaten raw, so add some crushed garlic to a salad dressing to boost its flavour and your health at the same time.

Cabbage Many celebs have resorted to the cabbage soup diet to help lose weight and get in shape quickly before a big event, however cabbage is not only good for weight loss - it is also an excellent detoxifying food. Like most cruciferous vegetables (including broccoli and sprouts), cabbage contains a chemical called sulforaphane, which helps the body fight against toxins. Cabbage also supplies the body with glutathione; an antioxidant that helps improve the detoxifying function of the liver.

Artichoke If you have recently been overindulging in fatty foods and alcohol, adding some steamed globe artichoke leaves to your meals is a great way to help get your body back on track. Globe artichokes are packed with antioxidants and fibre and can also help the body digest fatty foods. On top of this, globe artichoke is renowned for its ability to stimulate and improve the functions of the liver - the body’s main toxin-fighting tool.

Fresh fruit Fresh fruits are high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre= and are also low in calories, making them an important part of a detox diet. If you’re after brighter eyes and skin, shinier hair and improved digestion, try boosting your intake of fruit and eating from a wide variety of different kinds. The good news is fruit is easy to add to your diet, so try starting your day with a fresh fruit salad or smoothie and snacking on pieces of fruit throughout the day.

Beetroot For those needing a quick health-boosting shot of nutrients, you can’t do much better than beetroot. Packed with magnesium, iron, and vitamin C, the vegetable has recently been hailed as a superfood due to its many reported health benefits. Not only is beetroot great for skin, hair and cholesterol levels, but it can also help support liver detoxification, making it an ultimate detox food. To enjoy its benefits, try adding raw beetroot to salads or sipping on some beetroot juice.

Brown rice If you want to cleanse your system and boost your health, it is a good idea to cut down on processed foods. Instead, try supplementing your diet with healthier whole grains such as brown rice, which is rich in many key detoxifying nutrients including B vitamins, magnesium, manganese and phosphorous. Brown rice is also high in fibre, which is good for cleansing the colon, and rich in selenium, which can help to protect the liver as well as improving the complexion.

Green tea While it’s not technically a food, no detox plan would be complete without regular consumption of essential liquids. Fluids are essential for keeping our organs healthy and helping to flush toxins from the body, and drinking green tea is a great way of boosting your intake.

Green tea is not only a good weight-loss drink, but it is extremely high in antioxidants. Research has also suggested that drinking green tea can protect the liver from diseases including fatty liver disease.

Watercress Like most green herbs and vegetables, watercress is an excellent health-booster and detox food. Firstly, watercress leaves are packed with many vital detoxifying nutrients, including several B vitamins, zinc, potassium, vitamin E and vitamin C. Secondly, watercress has natural diuretic properties, which can help to flush toxins out the body. To reap the benefits of this nutritious food, try adding a handful of watercress to salads, soups and sandwiches.

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H OUS E & GA R D E N

Ahead of the game...

The latest Lelievre collection of fabrics comes up trumps for players in the interiors game. Designed to meet the expectations of a discerning market these chameleon-like fabrics use strong manmade fibres to mimic the look and feel of natural fibres.

G

raphic styles will appeal to the residential as well as the contract market and are an obvious complement to previous collections. Exploring designs for both classical and contemporary atmospheres mean every one is a winner!

A fabric with two sides to its character, BACCARA close up has structured fibres which add textural interest to the surface of this contemporary damask, while from afar the background appears more or less dense with any gentle elegant movement.

In 7 soft luminous shades for windows and accessories A plain talking fabric CANASTA has a grain-like surface perfect for upholstery and unites the

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various pieces in the collection.

Natural tones, essential neutrals and rich vibrant colours fit with ease into all interior styles and the modern textural look gives an impression of horse hair or raffia.

COCAGNE boasts a stripe for curtains and upholstery with a light rhythm expressed in refreshing colours. The cottonlike feel belies the 100% polyester composition making it a truly tough contender. In 8 practical sparkling colours ideal for both country and city living As the name indicates, REVERSO is a reversible design of interwoven ribbons in a selection of contrasting colours. Coordinating with both the patterns and plains in previous collections it completes the graphic offering.

H OUS E & GA R D E N

TREFLE has an extra large motif in wide width. Constructed like a traditional damask, the design of this damask gives a sense of direction while matt reflection in the random filament design offers discrete modernity for contemporary curtains

For a light curtain with lining or used as a sheer BRISCOLA is in perfect harmony with the other fabrics. There is a fine reflecting thread criss-crossing the 5 sophisticated mineral shades.

The JOKER in the pack is a playful graphic design demonstrating our commitment to fine inflammable fabrics.

Every colourway displays the motif with 4 shaded tones on a light organza background MANILLE has abaca fibre in a fine voile with the feel of wool. The natural aspect of this fabric filters light for a subdued atmosphere. Wide width in 3 sophisticated neutrals Rounded fluidity for this woollike fabric, OLYMPIQUE gives a strong innovative character to both curtains and upholstery. The structure of the weaving adds texture and a suppleness perfect for contemporary fabrics. In a palette of 22 strong deep colours, this beautiful plain balances quality and price.

About LELIEVRE LELIEVRE have been producing fabrics, decorative accessories and designer collections for the home since 1914. Working hand in hand with interior designers, the design team use themes both traditional and contemporary in their collections with unique creativity and technical innovation. Four generations of this French family owned company have been driven by a desire for perfection in the manufacture and design of beautiful textiles.

Prices from £57.00 to £131.00 per meter For stockists readers should contact LELIEVRE on 0207 352 4798 www.lelievre.eu

LELIEVRE have been producing fabrics, decorative accessories and designer collections for the home since 1914. Working hand in hand with interior designers, the design team use themes both traditional and contemporary in their collections with unique creativity and technical innovation. Four generations of this French family owned company have been driven by a desire for perfection in the manufacture and design of beautiful textiles.

Prices from £57.00 per meter For stockists readers should contact LELIEVRE on 0207 352 4798 www.lelievre.eu J A N U A RY 2 0 1 3 6 1

H OUS E & GA R D E N

A BASEMENT COMPANY

WHO ARE GOOD NEIGHBOURS London is a densely populated place – almost 8 million of us in 700 square miles – so it’s not surprising that when we want to build, we risk upsetting the neighbours. It’s a problem that the construction industry, as much as anyone, is determined to address. And that’s why 1997 saw the introduction of the Considerate Constructors Scheme.

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f all construction sites were well managed, efficient, aware of environmental issues and – above all– were good neighbours, then we’d all feel much less aggrieved when we saw a Planning Application Notice appear, wrapped around a lamppost in our street.

The Considerate Constructors Scheme commits builders enrolled in the Scheme to enhance site appearance, respect the local community, protect the environment, and secure

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everyone’s safety, neighbours as well as workers. Considerate Constructors Scheme sites are identified as such on the hoardings. If neighbours or passers-by wish to comment, the name and telephone number of the Site Manager or Company contact is clearly displayed, alongside the freephone telephone number of the Scheme’s administration office.

Going back to those lamppostmounted notices of a Planning Application, one that creates

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plenty of trepidation is for a Basement Excavation or Extension. And not unnaturally – most of us would worry about large holes being dug in close proximity to our homes.

The Company has been creating underground living spaces for many years, and has an admirable track record of completed projects and satisfied customers, but even so it was surprised to find itself winning a Bronze Award from the Scheme.

Two projects were especially mentioned as contributing to this success, one of which was a Grade II* listed four storey terraced house in Elm Row, Hampstead, built around 1720 in brown brick with red brick dressings. In the 1920’s it was the home of DH Lawrence.

Elm Row is not exactly a busy thoroughfare, just a tiny turning off Heath Street, which made the work Cranbrook carried out specially sensitive for the site’s neighbours.

The other project in Reece Mews, is a late 19th century mews house in South Kensington. Like the Hampstead scheme, the house is literally cheek-by-jowl with its neighbours, one of which was the late Francis Bacon’s studio. Under the house, Cranbrook constructed a two-storey basement. The ability to work in tight residential areas, with difficult plant and vehicle access and with culturally sensitive buildings especially impressed the Scheme’s judges, who were looking for examples of “exceptional levels of consideration towards the public, the workforce and the environment”.

In its 28-year history Cranbrook Basements has generated lots of compliments for the schemes it has undertaken, many of which have been equally sensitive. There are many others underway at present. In Circus Road, NW8, a Grade II listed building is having a sub-basement constructed with an additional en-suite bedroom, a media room and a utility room. At Rodenhurst Road in SW4, the owners have elected to add a family room, a gym, shower room and a storage utility.

A media room, utility room, guest cloakroom, and en-suite bedroom are being added to a house in Burnsall Street, SW3.

Cranbrook Basements are sure that one reason it is winning an increasing number of ‘sensitive’ contracts like these, is its workforce. Unusually for a Construction Company it employs everyone who works on a project, from the initial Surveyor through all the building and finishing tradespeople.

According to Managing Director Kevin O’Connor, all 100+ of the Company’s employees want every project to be a success because it enhances its reputation and increases the chance of winning more work, to everyone’s benefit.

Cranbrook Basements can be contacted at 0800 525 883, or visited at www.cranbrook.co.uk

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H OUS E & GA R D E N SEGNO GLAM

New Year, New Kitchen

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o better time is there to undertake a new project than at the start of a new year. When January arrives we often re-evaluate the design of our homes and look at ways to improve the overall design. For many households, the kitchen plays a multifunctional role and acts as a central hub used not only as a space for cooking, but as a place to wine, dine and entertain. Whether you live in a large family household or a sleek, modern apartment, your kitchen will be a pivotal part of your home, used day in day out, so if there is one room you are looking to update, this should be it!

Priding itself on offering luxury, trend-setting designs, London Comprex understands that the tastes, needs, lifestyle and budget will be different for every household on an individual basis. This is why each of the kitchen ranges it offers can be tailored to suit your exact requirements by providing complete flexibility when it comes to choosing the colours, finishes, workspaces and storage to achieve your dream kitchen design.

With three established showrooms located in Battersea, Hampstead and Wigmore Street, London Comprex has been delivering its innovative designs to the capital since 2007 when it first opened the doors to its Battersea studio. Its most recently opened showroom located in Wigmore Street showcases its new, limited edition kitchen ‘Filo’, which is available in a selection of special finishes designed to give your kitchen a unique twist.

different textures and materials to create a kitchen with depth and interest.

For a contemporary look, partner wood finished and glossy or matt lacquered cabinets together. To suit the modern lifestyle, kitchens are increasingly becoming part of the living area in the home and having a balance of different materials works to merge the boundaries between functional and social space. To help make this transition more fluid, London Comprex offers full length cabinetry that looks more like a piece of furniture than a kitchen unit.

To achieve this look for 2013, each of London Comprex’s kitchen ranges is available in an infinite selection of finishes, with plenty of materials and colours to choose from to suit all tastes and budgets. With such a wide choice available it is possible to customise your kitchen and take a ‘mix and match’ approach with the cabinets you choose. If you do decide to combine wood finished and lacquered doors, you may want to take a look at London Comprex’s unique ‘cross grain’ finish, where the grain runs both vertically and horizontally on the door.

London Comprex offers a full range of consulting, design, survey, project management and fitting services to its customers, ensuring that the entire process is monitored every step of the way for a straightforward and fussfree installation.

London Comprex www.londoncomprex.co.uk info@londoncomprex.co.uk 0207 627 6106

Always at the forefront of cutting-edge designs, London Comprex offers the latest trends for 2013 and will provide you with a wow-factor kitchen to be proud of. One of the must-have kitchen designs for this year is combing

LINEA KITCHEN

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FORMA KITCHEN

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houSe&ga r den

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hodkin Jones

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he beauty of fine architectural moulding was the business of Herbert Hodkin of Hodkin & Jones in 1868 and from those fine beginnings for over 144 years the company have been associated with the design, manufacture and installation of quality fibrous plaster products still producing by hand now, as then.

The importance of Hodkin & Jones history is evident in the care, skill and craftsmanship given to each commission showing experience is paramount to achieve the service expected from their discerning clients. Many plaster manufacturers in the uK can be traced back to the company having worked or trained there before establishing their own companies.

Having over the years worked with architects, restoring fire damaged mouldings in theatres and halls, reinstating mouldings in great mansions and historical buildings to creating spectacular features like the acoustically designed rock wall effect for the Millennium Cardiff Theatre which won the coveted Plaisterers Trophy.

The FPDC Plaisterers awards are held in high esteem as one of the most prestigious competitions in the industry. Winning the trophy immediately classes you amongst the industries greatest, giving recognition from your clients and reassurance for potential customers about your standard of workmanship .

Hodkin & Jones “Simply Elegant” range of mouldings offers one of the most comprehensive ranges of fibrous plaster mouldings available.

With traditional elegant cornices from Georgian, Victorian, Gothic, Regent, and Art Deco periods through to the present day popular contemporary range.

Hodkin & Jones also offer a match to existing service for restoration to heritage or listed properties and have re created patterns from debris and previous photographs available to faithfully reproduce the original mouldings.

Typical projects include spiral staircases, swimming pool ceilings,

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and restoring ornate plaster mouldings to historical residential buildings.

Often Architects or interior designers have a need to use designs not available from standard ranges, which is where Hodkin & Jones offers their bespoke service. From drawings they are able to manufacture mouldings to the exact dimensions specified whether it is for a ceiling design to create a grand room or a new design created by the architect that is in keeping with the particular project they are working on.

Managing Director David Lewis stated in a Rolls Royce commemorative book “Archaeologist who have excavated locations such as Herculaneum and Pompeii have found designs that are exactly the same as ones we still make today. Plasterwork has a very, very long history going back thousands of years. The one aspect that is incorporated into the business from start to finish is quality” says David. “We have never lowered our standards, or substituted quality for cost but I would argue that we are the best”.

Hodkin Jones Ltd undertakes projects both nationwide and overseas. Many of the residential projects are based in London with contract managers and installers working here on a daily basis. Many of the projects are of a confidential nature due to either the building or the client so agreements are drawn up when requested ensuring no advertising is allowed unless with prior agreement with the client or their representative.

The companies website www.hodkin-jones.co.uk is very comprehensive showing the “Simply Elegant” range that is available.

There is also a gallery with images of previous projects which include Residential, Public Building, Hotels, Offices and Retail schemes.

For a free catalogue or to talk to one of their specialists about your requirements please call 01246 290890 or email sales@hodkin-jones. co.uk. The company is also happy to arrange visits from one of the technical contracts managers either on site or via the designer’s office to go through specific requirements. ■

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H OUS E & GA R D E N

GET STUFFED

BY THE EXPERTS!

Nestled between some small shops in Wimbledon you will find Stuff & Cover. A small, family run business started by Greg Whall in Balham 38 years ago.

Greg is an extremely skilled craftsman who values and understands the connection between you and your treasured piece of furniture. His skill and expertise is recreating, old worn, particularly period furniture into a thing of beauty once again.

Using trusted techniques and specialist tools he will painstakingly strip your furniture down to its original frame and bring out the uniques features you first fell in love with.

As a member of the AMUSF (Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers), a recognised trade organisation to promote best practise and standards of workmanship, you can be sure your furniture is in very safe hands.

Karen Millan Apart from restoring your furniture to its former glory, Stuff & 6 8 J A N U A RY 2 0 1 3

Cover also make furniture to order. From a small foot stool to huge sofas! Greg told us that a few years ago Karen Millanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s husband commissioned them to make a 20 foot, all beech framed, leather Chesterfield sofa which went to Switzerland.

Repairs on modern furniture are also undertaken and they also buy and sell period furniture.

Greg is proud to have been featured in The Evening Standard and 25 beautiful homes in Country Life magazine, as well as The Saturday Financial Times supplement. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t learn a skill like this overnight, so make sure you get stuffed by the experts!

FOR MORE INFORMATION Stuff & Cover 399 Durnsford Road, West Wimbledon, London SW19 8EE Telephone: 020 8947 4330 Email: info@stuffandcover.com www.stuffandcover.com

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SUPREME

QUALITY WITH OLD

FASHIONED

CRAFTSMANSHIP

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he London Door Company has been making high-quality front doors for Londoners for over thirty years. They have a reputation for solidity and reliability, and for all the traditional values that we associate with honest, oldfashioned craftsmanship. With showrooms in Battersea, south-east London and Surrey, a workshop in Wimbledon, and their own fleet of highly-experienced fitters, they are able to offer a complete service that includes design, glazing, painting and fitting.

In a modern world where the emphasis is so often on the shortterm, it’s a relief to find a British business that emphasises tradition and longevity. While others offer quick-fix solutions, the London Door Company designs bespoke, one-off doors for each of its clients that suit both the property and the location as well as the client’s own taste, and that are designed to last for a lifetime. Designers visit clients at their homes to discuss their needs, then provide them with a personalized quotation that includes a breakdown of costs and an agreed fitting date.

In case all of this seems somewhat old-fashioned, it’s worth noting that the design and pricing of the doors is done on a laptop, and that a specially-created software system provides accurate figures for each variation in design and size, for the type of timber and glass to be used, and for the many variations in locks and hardware available.

This marriage of the tried-and-tested with the new also applies to the manufacturing process, where proven methods used by joiners for hundreds of years are allied with modern timber processes that provide modified woods that match or exceed the durability, stability and beauty of the very best tropical hardwoods. They also have a highly informative website with dozens of photographs of doors on it.

Sustainability is an increasingly important issue for all of us, and the London Door Company is keen to emphasise its environmental credentials. Its timber is all from sustainable sources, and local manufacture limits transport costs and the subsequent environmental pollution. This emphasis on localism extends through to the local showrooms, where their door designers are based and where a fund of local knowledge about the area and its architecture guarantees that all new doors match to their area.

The London Door Company has a showroom in Surrey. Based in Belmont, between Cheam and Banstead, the Surrey branch has designed and fitted hundreds of specially-designed doors for local clients over the last three years. Open six days a week, and keen to show off its display of products, a visit to their Belmont showroom is a good starting point for a journey that may result in the best front door you will ever own.

For more information about The London Door Company Call 020 8643 7332 or visit www.londondoor.co.uk

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H OUS E & GA R D E N

LUKE THOMAS AT THE INTEGRA KITCHEN BY PEDINI

MANAGING DIRECTOR ROBERT WALKER

BRITAIN’S YOUNGEST HEAD CHEF, LUKE THOMAS, CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS WITH LIDA CUCINA AND ALEXANDER JAMES INTERIORS.

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hite Waltham, December 2012. Luxury Italian furniture specialist, Lida Cucina, and highly acclaimed design practice, Alexander James Interiors, presented their latest concepts for luxurious living on Thursday 13th December 2012 at their showrooms in White Waltham, Berkshire. Alongside cocktails and canapés, Luke Thomas, a rising star within the culinary world and Britain’s youngest head chef gave mouth-watering cooking demonstrations for their guests throughout the day.

As the only retailer in the UK offering Arrex kitchens, visitors to the Lida Cucina showroom can browse the latest models from this luxury Italian supplier, alongside leading appliance manufacturers including Siemens, Küppersbusch, Luce and Atag. Iconic brands such as Gaggenau, Miele and Sub-Zero are also available. The dedicated Pedini area is a popular stop-point for customers who demand the absolute best in contemporary cooking and entertaining kitchen design. This was added to the showroom in December 2011 and showcases several ranges including iconic Pedini curved models Dune and Integra.

The pre-Christmas celebration marks the first time that the two businesses, led by managing director, Robert Walker, have come together for a shared showroom event. The talented designers from AJI have styled the Lida Cucina showroom and also created the interior for Luke Thomas’s restaurant, Luke’s Dining Room, within boutique hotel ‘Sanctum on the Green’ in Cookham Dean in Berkshire.

Set within converted farm buildings, the Lida Cucina showroom is full of charm and character. Further exploration reveals bedroom furniture, wardrobes, dressing rooms, and living rooms, all from exclusive manufacturers to bring discerning Italian style and comfort into any contemporary home.

2012 has been eventful for Lida Cucina with latest developments bringing them ever closer to offering luxury solutions for the entire house. Multi-media company, Futurehome, was acquired by the group in September 2012 and gave demonstrations of their state-of-the-art audio, visual and control technology.

Products on display include a small Home Cinema, multi-room audio including ‘plaster in wall’ speakers and Scandia ‘drop’ speakers, HD video distribution, and Home Control by iPad. Towelrads is also a new introduction to the showroom. With innovative designs, and radiators that standalone in the home as sculptural works of art in addition to the practical function of providing efficient space heating.

Sales and Marketing Director, Michael Gianquitto, comments, “A luxurious and comfortable home can only be achieved through a combination of clever space planning, talented interior design and products, which are outstanding in their quality, design and function. The different parts of our business and growing list of collaborators bring these skills and products together to enable us to deliver stunning ‘whole house’ solutions for our customers.”

The Alexander James Group of companies now provides interior and architectural design services to property developers, private clients and hotel groups around the world. Working with some of the UK’s leading property developers, providing award winning showhouse interiors and furnishing solutions, and creating beautiful interiors for private clients. Alexander James has been featured by many publications and television programmes.

AVENA KITCHEN FROM ARREX IN CHAMPAGNE GOLD METALLIC LACQUER FINISH

EXAMPLE OF A RECENT RESIDENTIAL PROJECT IN COOKHAM BY ALEXANDER JAMES

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Adaptations Kitchens for living

53 - 57 High Street Cobham Surrey KT11 3DP T: 01932 584 940

354 West Barnes Lane Motspur Park Surrey KT3 6NB T: 0208 942 9868

www.adaptations.uk.com

come and be inspired â&#x20AC;Ś

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Get Growing!

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similar lines and be even more radical by suggesting that you can also add vegetable plants to your list of plants to grow. I am not suggesting for one minute that you should be planting the likes of Brussels Sprouts or lettuces everywhere, as I believe that there are some plants that are best kept hidden out of sight in a vegetable garden, if grown at all! Sorry Brussels!

Last month I diverged from my usual editorial, about plants which are decorative or structural, introducing you to the possibilities of creating a productive garden, by suggesting planting of fruit trees, which can reward you both with a heavy fruit bowl and provide decoration at the same time. This month I have decided to continue along

In keeping with our insatiable demand for the healthy and unusual products, selective growing of vegetables not only can provide interest but help improve our overall diet at the same time. I have to admit here that as a company Pantiles had moved away from selling seeds, although this was largely in response to the move towards selling our large specimen plants over the phone, with fewer and fewer visits being made to the nursery. With the re-launch of our website www. plantsforall.co.uk we have been able to re-introduce seeds as we are able to reach a much larger customer base than before. In line with our general aims we decided we were going to offer something

his time of year is ideal for planning the garden. Often the garden isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t very inviting, with the weather rarely dependable enough to put into action the many jobs that most are itching to do. Even when you are brave enough to start a project, early sunset often means that you often have more time to spend indoors than you would prefer. Rather than waste time sitting around watching last weeks repeats on the television, a bit of time planning what you intend to do in the garden now will reward you with a more organised and fruitful garden once the summer gets underway.

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a little special to our loyal customer base new and old. As a result we have teamed up with Franchi Seeds and their distributors Seeds of Italy to offer a range that you will not see in most standard garden centres.

This is where many of you will now start thinking that Italian Seed being produced abroad are unlikely to thrive in this country. You could not be further from the truth. Franchi Seeds are one of the few seeds companies that are still family run, even after 230 years! Their seed is produced largely by themselves (approx 90%), enabling them to be able to guarantee the quality. The company and their seed testing grounds are based in the Alpine region of Lombardia, so many of their varieties are hardier and better suited to the UK climate.

In the UK, vegetable gardening had been virtually reduced to the production of relatively mundane vegetables, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;greensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in their various forms carrots, cauliflowers and many other supermarket stables. However over the last decade things have started to change influenced by the supermarkets vying for large mark ups on the the vast range of vegetables rarely seen, as a result of their previous policies, combined with the TV Cooks & Chefs re-introducing us to plants we last saw in our childhood or when we were abroad. Chefs with an eye for presentation, as well as wanting to stimulate the taste

buds, regularly use plants that are not only decorative on the plate, but equally so in the garden.

Radicchio & Chicory comes in may shades of green and red to help supply interest in a garden border. Other plants such as carrot or beetroot may not be so decorative, but I would question anyone who says they are ugly. The real joy then comes at harvest time, when if you select the right varieties, you can end of with a plateful of multicoloured carrots, radish or beetroot, not just a feast to behold, but just think what they would cost to buy in the supermarket!

Another vegetable that can look very ornamental is the Swiss chard, looking a bit like rhubarb, their decorative stems and leaves are majestic enough to grace any dinner plate. Squashes, pumpkins and edible gourds, although not the prettiest of plants, will in the right place provide both interest and a bountiful harvest. For those of you wanting height to your garden select from the multitude of Italian beans with colours from the common greens through to reds. Purples and yellows.

A little food for thought! Happy Sowing. www.plantsforall.co.uk

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Poggenpohl Guildford

120 years of excellence celebrated with new look showroom Luxury kitchen manufacturer Poggenpohl has unveiled the renovation of its Guildford showroom with an evening of fine food and wine, set against a backdrop of high-tech German design.

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he company has completely revised the layout of its Surrey store; with seven new displays spread over 4,000ft2 and showcasing the best of Poggenpohl in a spacious, contemporary setting. Manager of the Guildford showroom Mike Harris says: “The changes we have made have brought the store to the forefront of design trends, but also show prospective customers the supreme practicality of our kitchens. Poggenpohl is a brand known for its minimalist design and exclusive detail, but actually precision engineering and long lasting quality are also our trademark and what make us stand out from the crowd.

“In refurbishing the store we have created a space befitting one of

the best known and best loved kitchen brands on the market.”

The redesign coincides with an auspicious event in the company’s history – its double diamond jubilee. Therefore, to celebrate 120 years of excellence in the kitchen industry – and to officially open the Guildford showroom – Poggenpohl hosted a Champagne reception and cookery demonstration there on 25th October which was sponsored by Louis Roederer – makers of the world famous Cristal champagne.

Exquisite dishes were created by Tante Marie Cordon Bleu Cookery, which is the oldest independent cookery school in the UK, founded in 1954. The chef worked in one of the showroom’s luxury kitchens, using the latest appliances from Gaggenau, Siemens, Miele, SubJ A N U A RY 2 0 1 3 7 7

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Zero and Wolf, and the audience was able to see firsthand how a Poggenpohl design fits perfectly into 21st century life.

Poggenpohl marketing director Robert Laurie says: “When people buy Poggenpohl they are buying into a lifestyle, it’s an aspirational product and clients expect high style and design. They are investing in more than just furniture; they are investing in their family life”.

“This larger showroom has an open-plan feel to it, with one display running into the next, giving an increased sense of space, and it 7 8 J A N U A RY 2 0 1 3

definitely portrays a Poggenpohl lifestyle.”

Internal alterations mean the kitchen studio now benefits from masses of natural daylight and the layout works with the architecture of the building – including the large vaulted ceiling and existing windows.

A variety of key design concepts are presented, ranging from the Modern Classic – a contemporary take on classic kitchen style – and the +Segmento – streamlined and handleless – to the Plusmodo,

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created in collaboration with celebrated artist and sculptor Jorge Pensi, and as shown above the +Artesio developed in conjunction with international architect Hadi Teherani.

Poggenpohl has shared premises in Guildford with prestigious bathroom brand CP Hart since 2002, with high-end bathroom furniture and brassware on the ground floor and the large kitchen studio above. Laurie comments: “We work with high design, beautifully made products for different areas of the home, so it’s natural that our clients will have an interest in both companies.”

For more information

Poggenpohl Guildford, Wilway House, Woodbridge Road, Guildford, Surrey GU1 1DX Call 01483 566 444.

www.poggenpohl.com J A N U A RY 2 0 1 3 7 9

F E AT U R E

City supper club style cabaret without going to the big smoke?

All the sparkle and glamour of the west end hits town as FlirtynotDirty cabaret continue to wow their audiences with their unique blend of old style vaudeville and variety with burlesque overtones to produce a fast paced rollickingly good time.The next show dates are 31st January 2013 & 22nd March 2013 at Jagz in Ascot & the last Friday in every month at Havana the Venue, Windsor.

The show is produced and choreographed by Miranda Llewellyn who in a former life high kicked her way across the Moulin Rouge stage in Paris. Amazing magicians,sultry singers flamboyant fire breathers, monocyclists, circus style tricks, boylesque , plus appearances from the B.A.D girls, Hells Belles, and a bevy of burlesque beauties to tease and please with absolutely no sleaze.

No two shows are ever the same with artistes and comperes lured from the bright lights of London to take part in these ever popular nights of frivolous fun , food and mayhem.

Come for dinner or just for the show, stay for the after show party, but above all come to have fun.

Wear whatever you dare, cocktail dresses, corsets, heels, suits ties, hats veils,and all your best bling, glamour is de rigeur for both ladies and gentlemen, and occasionally outstanding attire is rewarded with a prize.

(If you feel inspired by the show we teach beginners burlesque every Wednesday at Havanas at 7.30pm- love to see you there, plus classes in Richmond,Twickenham & Kingston) Tickets are available online at www.flirtynotdirty.com or if you need more information call 020 8977 0108.

Havana the Venue call 01753 832960 or visit www.havanawindsor.com

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Jagz call 01344878100 or visit www.jagz.co.uk

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T R AV E L

Marbella

Steals the spotlight for a weekend retreat WORDS RORY SMITH

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y boys weekend away, in typical male fashion, was rather hastily planned. We knew we wanted to relax and unwind, but also enjoy some good food and have plenty to keep us entertained. It was my friend who suggested a trip to Marbella. Only a short flight from the UK to Malaga and guaranteed good weather, even off-season, we struggled to find a reason not to go. It was decided; it was time to experience Southern Spain’s infamous golden mile.

Home all year round to the rich and famous, Marbella is not short of highend hotels and private villas, however few can beat the presitgious Marbella Club Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa. In 1946, Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe first acquired the estate and land, converted it into a private residence and by 1954 had transformed the plot into his dream excluisve small hotel.

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Maintaining a genuine delivery of spanish hospitality and decadent accomodation, the Marbella Club boasts two outdoor pools, an off-site equestrian centre, 10 floodlit tennis courts at its sister hotel and four restaurants - few resorts are quite so glamorous and well equipped for the active weekender.

The club’s reputation for fabulous dining is well deserved. As well as their famous Beach Club, which serves an incredible daily hot and cold buffet, there is also The Grill which is currently celebrating its 50th year as a culinary landmark. My friend and I almost wished we had taken our other halves as the gothic candlelit Grill has to be one of the most romantic spots in town! There is also the delightful Pool Bar and the MC Café serving Euro-Asian fusion cuisine for more casual dining. If however, you fancy experiencing what the quayside town of Puerto Banus has to offer, then

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you can never go wrong with the local tapas tavernas which provide a great view of the bobbing super yachts. The seafood is simply exquisite in this part of the world and the Serrano ham at the hotel’s Beach Club is too good to be missed.

Worth mentioning is the glamorous nightlife. It couldn’t have been easier to locate the after dinner party, as 200 metres down the beachfront is home to Puento Romano’s lavish nightspot, Suite. Acrobats, well dressed locals and cocktails are served up in style until the early hours.

Inbetween our indulgent feasts, we experienced one of the best facilites the resort has to offer; the golf course. Home to a magnificent 18-hole course designed by Dave Thomas the location certainly lives up to its reputation.

Challenging and perfectly maintained, the course offers stunning sea views and every hole is surrounded by an oasis of green, waterfalls and lakes. If you are more of a tennis enthusiast then the Marbella Club’s sister property, Puento Romano, will be your holy grail, with 10 floodlit outdoor tennis courts- eight clay, two hard courts, two padel courts and five tennis professionals on hand to help players improve their game. We had a hit one morning with one of the pros and enjoyed trying to recreate

Nadal’s clay court skills – quite unsuccesfully as it happens.

You can certainly pack a huge amount into a weekend and after all of the sports, sunbathing, dining and drinking, a trip to the beach front Thalasso Spa is a fantastic way to finish your holiday. Sadly, we ran out of time for a treatment but we made good use of the Thalasso saltwater pool and Turkish hammam which all guests are offered as standard.

Since the 1960s, Marbella has managed to combine a level of luxury and fun-in-the-sun that is rare to find so close to home. Throw in the first class service and fabulous food and a weekend at Marbella Club is hard to beat.

The hotel offers a ‘Golf, Set, Match’ package costing from 255 Euros per person per night (minimum recommended stay three nights) based on two people sharing a double room, including accommodation, golf, tennis and three hour spa treatment. Available until April 2013. Room rates during low season start from 299 Euros per room per night.

For reservations: 0034 95 282 2211 email: reservas@marbellaclub.com or visit www.marbellaclub.com

J A N U A RY 2 0 1 3 8 3

M O N EY

Bedroom Pawn!

When Emma Luxton and her fiancé wanted to decorate their new bedroom, they headed straight to Prestige Pawnbrokers in Weybridge for a quick, simple cash injection!

W

hen Emma Luxton 25 and her finance Sam Cox 27, decided to get married and buy their first home, the young couple found themselves in a slightly tricky situation, having bought the house they had borrowed so much that they couldn’t afford to decorate it.

‘We couldn’t borrow any more money as we both had loans and overdrafts’, explains Emma.

‘It was just bad timing really. I was due to inherit some family money but, it wouldn’t be released until July on my 25thbirthday. I wasn’t happy with having to live in the dreary surroundings.

Most of the house was okay, but the bedroom and bathroom were crying out for a revamp!’

Whilst out with a friend, Emma found the solution to her financial problems. ‘My friend told me that she had pawned her Hermes bag as a short term cash solution to fund her business whilst waiting for a payment to come through’. Emma discussed the idea with Sam and they decided this was a great short term cash solution.

The most valuable item they had was Emma’s engagement ring. ‘I felt sick at the whole idea

8 4 J A N U A RY 2 0 1 3

but after meeting the Prestige Pawnbrokers team they completely set my mind at ease and explained the whole process. We were able to borrow £4.5k against the ring and in return, all we had to do was pay the loan back after 7 months or the interest if we wanted to extend the loan for a further 7 months. My parents were furious but when I explained that no-one else would help and the ring would be safe until we paid the loan back, I think they sort of understood!’ laughs Emma.

With the cash available Emma was able to design the look of her new bedroom. I wanted to create a pretty cottage style bedroom which was in keeping with the Victorian period of the cottage but also put a contemporary spin on it!’

‘I came up with a gentle yellow and grey colour scheme and decided to make use of some things I already had’ says Emma. The first thing Emma and Sam did was enlist the help of a carpenter to build some new wardrobes. The couple chose a contemporary style bed and found the curtains they wanted at Hillary’s. To complete her cottage style bedroom she found a fabulous velvet tub chair from Oliver Bonas. ’The chair was my luxury buy’ laughs Emma.

With the room almost complete, Emma decided to add a little personal touch and bought a wall sticker. ‘I chose this one as it kind of sums up my feelings of being with Sam and how I want to feel every day when we wake up together!’ smiles Emma.

So next time the banks say no and you’ve exhausted your credit cards, it is worth bearing in mind that Prestige Pawnbrokers are there to help. Offering a short term, reasonable solution to your cashflow problems. Unlike many loan companies, there are no credit checks and the amount you can borrow is based on the value of your item. There are no monthly instalments, just one payment at the end of a 7 month period or you can renew the loan and just pay the interest. It’s not just jewellery they can help with either, Prestige offer loans against all sorts of assets including fine wines, watches and art as well as offering log book loans for prestigious cars.

For more information or for a valuation, contact Prestige Pawnbrokers 01932 859 880 or visit www.prestigepawnbrokers.co.uk

“Get an Instant Cash Loan Against Your Assets Today” Watches • Jewellery • Cars/Logbooks • Art • Antiques • Fine Wine Collectables • Property and Land

we also buy scrap gold CALL 01932 859 880 or bring your items to

Prestige Pawnbrokers 125 Queens Road, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 9UN www.prestigepawnbrokers.co.uk

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For a limited time we will pay half the VAT on all Olympic range indoor pools.

FA M I LY L AW

New Year, new relationship?

January sees spike in divorces

J

anuary is the busiest month of the year for family solicitors. We see and hear from more couples during the post festive month than we do in any other month of the year.

Christmas is supposed to be the “most wonderful time of the year” yet family solicitors are informed by clients that it is, in fact, more of a “make or break time of the year”.

The decision to end a marriage is certainly not one an individual takes lightly, so what is it about January that causes individuals to take that first, often daunting step, of seeking legal advice?

It would be simplistic to conclude that Christmas causes the breakdown of marriages but it certainly brings to the surface the problems which have been in existence often throughout the year.

Financial problems are also often the biggest cause of arguments in relationships. This is heightened in the New Year when the postChristmas bills start rolling in. Financial worries can add strain to an already fragile relationship.

It is not unusual for couples to disagree when it comes to budgeting over the Christmas period and arguments over spending often ensue.

It’s also not unusual for children to have unreasonable demands about the presents they expect to receive - both in terms of expense and sheer volume. To avoid dealing with disappointed faces on Christmas day, parents often succumb to pressures at the detriment

8 6 J A N U A RY 2 0 1 3

of their financial health. These cash woes can often expose cracks in even the most solid of relationships.

Although Christmas is a great opportunity to spend time with family, it appears you can have too much of a good thing. There is no other time of year in which a family spends day in; day out together in the family home and this can often heighten tension.

Couples may find that the preparation leading up to the big day, alongside the entertaining of family and friends and a vast increase in housework, means there is little time for them to enjoy each other’s company. The increased work load over this period is also rarely shared entirely equally between the parties. We hear complaints in January from unhappy spouses who have worked hard on ensuring Christmas goes smoothly without any assistance from their spouse.

An advert over Christmas from a leading supermarket has sparked complaints over alleged sexism when depicting that “behind every Christmas there is Mum”. Whilst this advert is clearly not applicable in all 21st Century families, it is an example of not only the amount of work involved over the Christmas period but also that in many cases, it’s expected that the work is carried out mainly by one party. If you then add in-laws to what can be an already stressful situation, it’s not hard to see how some can reach breaking point at Christmas.

Despite the stressful situations that can occur over the festive period, in many cases the problems are already there and the conclusion that the marriage has broken down has already been reached. Christmas can be seen as one last opportunity to spend time together as a family and individuals are often keen to give the children “one last Christmas”.

When this difficult decision is taken, it is important you get specialist advice at the earliest opportunity in relation to your children and financial matters.

At Slater & Gordon Lawyers, our dedicated, approachable team of family lawyers are here to help. We have the largest team of family solicitors in the UK and we will work effortlessly to find the right solution for you. If cost is a worry, don’t despair, we’ve recently introduced a fixed fee pricing structure so you can access the advice you need without breaking the bank.

For more information on the family services on offer at Slater & Gordon’s London practice please visit www.slatergordon. co.uk. To book a free initial consultation, call 0808 175 7902.

& Gordon got a “S later great outcome for me and for my children”

Divorce is difficult and so we do as much of the hard work on your behalf as we can.

Securing the best financial settlement and the best practical arrangements for your children is our priority.

You will have experts available to you who deal with complex financial cases involving business interests, pensions, property disputes and child maintenance.

We will work hard on your behalf to achieve the best result for you.

Slater & Gordon are the experts for all your personal legal needs.

We offer the first appointment free to help you assess your needs.

“My ex was difficult and unreasonable, my priority was to secure the best settlement and move on.”

Call us now on 0808 175 7902 or visit rjw.co.uk/onyoursidefamily Experts in Family Law, Inheritance & Welfare Services and Property Law. Slater & Gordon (UK) LLP (OC371153) is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

FA M I LY L AW

F

rom Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes to Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston, society today is obsessed with the fairy tale weddings, the seemingly exciting and passionate relationship, short lived, ending in a dramatic divorce. Sir Paul Coleridge, a leading High Court judge, argues it is now common for young people to take celebrity marriages as a model for their own, something he describes as “dangerously flawed”.

A report published by the Marriage Foundation interestingly revealed that after 10 years of marriage the divorce rate for celebrities is 40 per cent, double the national average.

Justice Coleridge insists that the celebrity experience and statistic is not something to be “admired and copied”. However, the reality is that marriage may end in divorce, for celebrity couples or otherwise, regardless of the intent behind the marriage. Divorce does not have to turn into epic, drawn-out battles over money and property, complete with bitter screaming matches and threats such as “I’ll take you to the cleaners!”

To avoid such bitterness, do not let emotion cloud the real issues.

It is essential to get good professional advice. When you are getting a divorce, you need all the help you can afford. To avoid paying more than you should or getting less than you deserve, choose carefully and select a professional with family law expertise to help advise you on the settlement and its consequences.

If you and your spouse can still talk but cannot agree, think about using a mediator to help you work out some of the details. The divorce process takes time, therefore do not be rushed. Be prepared to take as much time as necessary to plan your divorce as this is your opportunity for a new beginning.

A fairytale wedding?

In divorce, mixing money and emotions is like trying to mix oil and water. Divorce is emotional, but it is also a business negotiation.

Everyone wants their fair share, but money should not be used as

a weapon. A vindictive attitude will hinder your case and increase the cost of your divorce. If your marriage must end, make your divorce a success and create the second chance you both need.

If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact us on 01483 748500.

You must focus on what is important. Children are often the biggest issue along with money. When it comes to divorce, ignorance is not bliss. To the contrary, ignorance is dangerous and costly. Remember that this is your divorce, not anyone else’s.

While you will get advice from your solicitor, the decisions are yours to make. You may not look on your marriage as a success, but that does not mean your divorce can’t and won’t be.

Learn about your options so you can make smart decisions.

Personal & Business Law

Barlow Robbins is right here, in your world, helping you find your way through the wide range of issues you encounter in your lives.

Do please call us to talk through your situation and how we may help:

01483 562901 or email: enquiries@barlowrobbins.com

www.barlowrobbins.com

Uniquely designed to fit into existing timber frames or direct to brick or stone Accurately replicate your traditional style windows Available in over 200 RAL colours Installed by our own craftsmen Full consultation service

Conservation by design 01306 880 404 www.thwc.co.uk 1 West Street, Dorking, Surrey RH4 1BL

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PROPERTY LIFE T H E

L A T E S T

A N D

B E S T

S P O N S O R E D

P R O P E R T I E S

O N

T H E

M A R K E T

B Y

EATON PARK COBHAM, SURREY

Located within a prestigious private gated road in Cobham, this exclusive home boasts adaptable and elegant accommodation over three floors.

Available for rent ÂŁ12,950 per calendar month J A N U A RY 2 0 1 3 9 1

Cobham, Surrey A spectacular hidden gem, surrounded by woodlands and the renowned St George’s Hill.

Master bedroom suite • Four further bedrooms Bedroom six/staff accommodation • Five reception rooms • Kitchen/breakfast room Pantry • Conservatory • Detached garage Further outbuildings and storage • Mature formal gardens • Grounds measuring in excess of 1.25 acres • Views over the renowned St George’s Hill Golf Course • Approximately 7,268 sq ft / 675 sq m

Guide Price: £2,295,000 Freehold 01932 860 537

nathaniel.bracegirdle@sothebysrealty.co.uk

Cobham, Surrey A brand new luxury home positioned within a popular road in Cobham.

Master bedroom suite • Guest bedroom suite Three further bedrooms • Five bathrooms Open-plan drawing room/dining room/kitchen/ breakfast room • Study • Sitting room • Cinema/ games/family room • Garage • Landscaped gardens • Approximately 4,791 sq ft / 445 sq m

Guide Price: £2,175,000 Freehold

01932 860 537

nathaniel.bracegirdle@sothebysrealty.co.uk

Over 600 Offices in 46 Countries

sothebysrealty.co.uk

East Clandon, Surrey A beautifully restored and extended Grade II Listed farmhouse located in this peaceful village.

Five bedroom suites • Sixth bedroom suite above garage • Three reception rooms • Kitchen/breakfast room • Cinema room • Stables/gym /games room Grounds of approximately 4 acres with the opportunity to purchase a further 4 acres • Approximately 6,135 sq ft / 570 sq m

01932 860 537

nathaniel.bracegirdle@sothebysrealty.co.uk

Guide Price: £3,250,000 Freehold

Over 600 Offices in 46 Countries

sothebysrealty.co.uk

THE LETTING SPECIALISTS

Esher

£8,750 pcm

Newly renovated six bedroom detached family home with an outdoor swimming pool, backing on to the River Mole.

Esher, Surrey.

£11,500 per calendar month

Set in woodland gardens, this five bedroom property offers luxury living in one of the most prestigious roads in Surrey. The accommodation is arranged over two floors with an impressive entrance hall and a large kitchen breakfast room opening onto a family room. Decorated in neutral shades throughout and comprises; Entrance hall with sweeping staircase, Drawing Dining room,Esher, Family room, Study, Large kitchen breakfast room with orangery style dining area and doors to a£5,250 large reception room, Master Lowerroom, Green Road, Surrey. per calendar month bedroom suite, Guest suite, Family suite, Two further bedrooms, Family bathroom, Stunning gardens, Double garage .

A delightful five bedroom family house featuring direct views over Sandown race course. An early Victorian period property with a lovely walled rear garden offers a large ‘Country’ style kitchen/breakfast room, four receptions, three bathrooms, double garage and extensive parking. Decorated with a blend of original character features and modern renovations providing a stylish and comfortable family home.

01372 464474

70 High Street | Esher | Surrey | KTI0 9QS esher@chkmountford.co.uk | www.chkmountford.co.uk

www.chkmountford.co.uk

Cobham, Surrey.

£5,750 per calendar month

An imposing five bedroom detached family home located within a prime residential road and is very close to the American Community School in Cobham. Featuring a large kitchen/breakfast room, elegant Drawing room and a wonderful landscaped gardens with an outdoor heated pool.

Claygate, Surrey.

£4,500 per calendar month

Esher, Surrey. £7,950 calendar month A beautifully presented four bedroom/three bathroom detached family home featuring a bright open planper kitchen and family room. Located in one of the areas most exclusive Private roads and is within easy reach of Claygate Village and mainline station.

A new property exceptionalenjoys refinement and sophistication, blending the finest architectural characteristics of thea past with the very best of contemporary luxurious Thisofproperty an elevate position and wonderful mature lawned gardens with large terrace. living. Behind a gated private entrance enjoying exclusive lifestyle facilities including concierge, gym and leisure room, 24hr security and underground parking. This sumptuous new period townhouse comprises 2,800 sq ft with; four bedroom suites, private gardens, garaging and driveway parking. Features include; Crestron mood lighting system controlled by push button dimming controls, fully fitted spacious bespoke kitchen featuring stone work surfaces and a full range of Miele appliances, A truly elegant 18th century London Square Style Townhouse with twelve foot ceilings providing a desirable sense of splendour.

01372 464474

01372 464474

70 High Street | Esher | Surrey | KT10 9QS lettings@chkmountford.co.uk | www.chkmountford.co.uk 70 High Street | Esher | Surrey | KTI0 9QS esher@chkmountford.co.uk | www.chkmountford.co.uk

THE LETTING SPECIALISTS

Esher

£8,750 pcm

Newly renovated six bedroom detached family home with an outdoor swimming pool, backing on to the River Mole.

Esher, Surrey.

£9,250 per calendar month

A stunning three bedroom apartment offering spacious accommodation with luxurious fixtures and fittings and a state of the art kitchen and breakfast area with separate utility room, a master bedroom suite with dressing room and full bathroom, second bedroom suite and third bedroom with en suite. The apartment is decorated in various shades of taupe with Green a mix of wooden marble flooring, all with under floor heating. Designer curtains are provided to all of the large windows. property is located Lower Road, and Esher, Surrey. £5,250 per The calendar month in the prestigious ‘Princess Square’ development with private underground parking and gymnasium facilities. Gated development and concierge service.

A delightful five bedroom family house featuring direct views over Sandown race course. An early Victorian period property with a lovely walled rear garden offers a large ‘Country’ style kitchen/breakfast room, four receptions, three bathrooms, double garage and extensive parking. Decorated with a blend of original character features and modern renovations providing a stylish and comfortable family home.

01372 464474

70 High Street | Esher | Surrey | KTI0 9QS esher@chkmountford.co.uk | www.chkmountford.co.uk

P R O P E RT Y

EATON PARK L

COBHAM, SURREY

ocated within a prestigious private gated road in Cobham, this exclusive home boasts adaptable and elegant accommodation over three floors. The ground floor comprises four spacious reception rooms; a luxuriously equipped kitchen/breakfast room; cloakroom; separate utility room and a further cloakroom. There are four bedrooms to the first floor all with en suites. The grand master bedroom suite benefits from a large dressing room and en suite with a free-standing bath and separate shower. Off the dressing room area is a multi-purpose room which could be used as a gym/games room. The second floor comprises bedroom five with en suite and a large air-conditioned cinema room.

Available for rent ÂŁ12,950 per calendar month

Contact Amanda Dobbe at CHK Mountford 01372 464474 for further details.

9 8 J A N U A RY 2 0 1 3

Experience iPad mini at Solutions inc. iPad mini features a beautiful 7.9-inch display, fast and fluid performance, FaceTime HD and iSight cameras, ultra-fast wireless and up to 10 hours of battery life.1 And over 275,000 apps on the App Store made for iPad also work with iPad mini.2 So itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an iPad in every way, shape and slightly smaller form.

Visit Solutions inc.

Your local Apple expert. www.solutions-inc.co.uk | T 01483 576641 | E info@solutions-inc.co.uk | 27 Friary Street, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 4EH 1

Battery life varies by use and configuration. See www.apple.com/uk/batteries for more information. 2App count refers to the total number of apps worldwide. TM and Š 2012 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.

10 Leopold Court

A highly contemporary yet classic two bedroom penthouse apartment.

• Exceptional specification 1,071sqft apartment • Crestron multi-room home automation system • Gated development with concierge • Private underground parking and leisure facilities • Communal south facing gardens and grounds • Privileged location in Esher • Attractive investment opportunity

For more information please contact May Rahmani on 01372 460850, or email may.rahmani@royalton.co.uk

1816 – 2011

EshEr, surrEy

Guide price £875,000

www.princesssquare.com