CALIBRE Quarterly #9

T H E L I F E S T Y L E M A G A Z I N E F O R T H E M AT U R E M O D E R N M A N C A L I B R E Q U A R T E R LY . C O M

V innieJones

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WATER OF LIFE

» Predictions for Euro 2016 » Football’s

Golden Years » ‘That’ Picture of Gazza

SUMMER DRINKS

REAL LIFE SURVIVAL

A Twist of Class

with Discovery Channel’s Ed Stafford

Continental Drift

BENTLEY GT V8 T S est

Road

IDENTITY CRISIS?

Are men losing their traditional identity? featuring Rick Wakeman

FUTURE SOUNDS Next-Gen audio equipment

AVRO VULCAN

A TICKET TO AFRICA KENYAN SAFARI EXPERIENCE

Final flight over the Falklands

FASHION

Fear & Clothing in Las Vegas

196 PA G E S

» Culture

» Food & Drink

» Lifestyle

» Health

» Technology » Travel » Money

» Motoring

Also in this issue...

PENSION PAIN! Lies, damn lies & statistics

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Publisher James Hurst Editor-in-Chief Barnaby Dracup Editorial Assistant Josh Stephenson Senior Designer Thomas Plumstead Photographer Al Richardson

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elcome to the ninth issue of CALIBRE Quarterly magazine. In this issue we talk to none other than Vinnie Jones about his career, his history with Gazza and, of course, football (p.32). Now into his fifth decade, he is showing no signs of losing the fighting spirit that shot him to fame all those years ago.

Mr Jones gives us some great insights into his predictions for the Euro 2016 tournament and, in particular, his old team Wales, who will be playing England for the first time at a major tournament 136 years after the sides first met.

Mr Jones also bemoans the influx of foreign managers who will not be visiting the non-league teams at any time soon to scout for rising talent, which is, of course, how he and Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy got their big break – and look where they are now.

We have recently launched a newly styled feature, The CALIBRE Debate, on Facebook (p.52). You can see the results inside this issue and if you want to be part of the debate, please head over and like our Facebook page at facebook.com/ CALIBREQuarterly and leave your comments.

This issue we posed the question, ‘Are men losing their traditional identity in modern society?’ Our Facebook followers had some heartfelt comments to make and, if you are not a Facebook fan, you can visit our own website at calibrequarterly.com to participate in our online poll on the subject or email us at editor@calibrequarterly.com.

Elsewhere, in this issue’s Road Test (p.18) we take the beautiful Bentley Continental GT V8 S Convertible out for a spin in the countryside. And what a car it is: elegant, luxurious and stylish and all backed up by some thoroughbred pedigree power and superb handling.

We have an interview with explorer, Ed Stafford, in The Big Idea (p.98), where he gives some inspiration and insights to those of us who have a craving for adventure.

Whether you are an armchair adventurer, like an active holiday, or just enjoy exploring new places, you can live vicariously through Mr Stafford. For his current Discovery Channel show, Marooned with Ed Stafford, he was dropped off, naked and with no equipment, on a desert island and left to fend for himself. Bear Grylls eat your heart out.

This year CALIBRE is pleased to announce its partnership with the UK Game Fair, to be held at Stoneleigh Park on 22-24 July 2016 (ukgamefair.com). We will be sponsoring the UK Game Fair’s VIP area – where you will be able to enjoy a taste of the CALIBRE lifestyle in the great British countryside!

Back to the issue at hand: as usual, this edition is teeming with £1000s in prize competitions, which we will be regularly posting on our social media channels – so do not miss out!

Barnaby Dracup editor@calibrequarterly.com

Production Controller Jennifer Harland Web Developer Seth Havens Contributors Pip Gale, Mark Williams, Iris Ellmann, Valerie Lewis, Rick Wakeman, Lee Robertson, Gina Miller, Al Richardson, Adam Jacot de Boinod, Adrian Hailwood, Graham Clarke, Jonathan Falconer, Joshua Williams, Selena Barr, David Bowers, Simon Smith, Richard Wagstaff, Bill Feeney, Ellie Mears Head of New Media Partnerships James Smith Media Sales Executives Dave Edmondson, Jim Ellis Accounts Manager Melanie Feliciano Administration Ashish Bhalsod Marketing Consultant Kevin Lavery Public Relations Palamedes With thanks to Vinnie Jones, Bentley Motorcars UK, Alasdair Akass, our Facebook followers Special thanks to Daniel Creedon, Teddy Page @ The Brooklyn Brothers Cover Image Mark Stenning and Hyundai Motor UK Subscriptions Intermedia Printing Cliffe Enterprise Newsstand Distribution COMAG Promotional Distribution Gold Key Media Stock Images istockphoto.com, Thinkstock.com, REX Features

EDITOR’S

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Calibre Quarterly is an independent magazine published by Hurst Media Company Ltd. hurstmediacompany.co.uk Tel: 0203 478 6017 Email: info@calibrequarterly.com Registered Address: 56a Haverstock Hill, London, NW3 2HB Company Reg:08375910 CALIBRE Quarterly is published by Hurst Media Company. Every care is taken in compiling the contents of the publication but the publishers assume no responsibility in the effect arising therefrom. Readers are advised to seek professional advice before acting on any information which is contained in the publication. Hurst Media Company do not accept any liability for views expressed, pictures used, or claims made by advertisers. All prices correct at time of going to press. All views expressed within are solely those of the advertisers, writers or sources interviewed. They do not necessarily represent the opinions of Hurst Media Company or CALIBRE Quarterly.

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CONTENTS

Contents COVER STORY

We talk to the mean machine himself, Vinnie Jones.

32

32

Cover Star

44

Cultural Observations

85

Playing Away

We fall in love with the Bentley Continental GT V8 S Convertible

Take a whistlestop tour of the best golf resorts across Europe

168

SKIer’s Guide

180

Fighting Fit

Shooting & Fluting: Why not sample the shooting set’s champagne lifestyle?

98

Go Explore!

The ancient art of Tai Chi could be the remedy to all your aches and pains

Explorer, Ed Stafford, talks about life, the Amazon and danger

154

Fear & Clothing

189

Charity Corner

163

Homes & Gardens

194

Exhaust Pipe

8

The fashion of Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas

Be King of the Grill with this handy round-up of the best BBQs

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Pursuing Independent Paths helps young adults to grow

Adam Jacot vents about the effects of gentrification on his beloved Notting Hill

Vinnie Jones talks football, acting, fighting and family

Unusual words and phrases from around the world

The CALIBRE Debate Are men losing their traditional roles in modern society?

55

Rick Wakeman

111

Defenders of Our Isles

124

Vinyl Renaissance

133

Lost Empire of Time

141

Comic Collecting

148

Watching the Detectives

170

Military History

192

Crossword

LIFESTYLE

Road Test

£599 Mountfield Lawnmower p.4 £900 iRobot Vacuum Cleaner p.31 £500 Luxury Weekend in France p.75 £500 Pride of Britain Vouchers p.97 £225 Box of BBQ Meats p.109 £280 Napoleon Grill p.161 £239 Webb Multi Tool p.164 £449 Fountain Pen p.192

CULTURE

52

18

WIN!

Everyone’s favourite grumpy old man has his say on the debate

By land, sea and air they defended Ol’ Blighty in WWII

The non-stop vinyl resurgence is showing no signs of slowing down

English watchmaking has a long and fascinating history

Hollywood superhero films have sent comic prices soaring

A look at the indelible impact film noir has made on cinema

The final flight of the Avro Vulcan in the Falklands campaign

Test your knowledge with the CALIBRE crossword

NO 9 TRAVEL

10

A Ticket to Africa

46

Spanish Flyers

92

Lord of The Manor

Experience the magic of safari with a conservation trip in Kenya

76

Bored of beach holidays? Then grab a gun and head to Spain

Live like a Lord for the weekend in these opulent UK retreats

FOOD & DRINK

67

Water Of Life

104

Restaurant Review

106

Chef Interview & Recipe

158

A selection of exquisite cocktail recipes for summer!

Fitzrovia’s Archipelago specialises in exotic meats and treats

In The Frame: we weigh up the pros and cons of digital vs analogue film.

Rising star of the exotic cooking world, Daniel Creedon, chats to CALIBRE

MONEY

Cellar Selection

59

Gina Miller

65

Pensions Q&A

Summer sup’ with these delicious desert island selections

67

TECHNOLOGY Hedge Funds: Lies, damned lies and statistics

Our pensions expert answers your questions

72

Second Sense

177

Economic Eye

Purchasing a second property requires careful consideration

The uncertainty surrounding the pound is set to continue

26

Taste Of Tech

76

In The Frame

119

Audiophile

Our round-up of the latest easy-to-use technology for technophobes

Analogue vs digital: Does the revival of film mean we should ditch our digital cameras?

Future sounds: What does the audio industry have for us in the near future?

| calibrequarterly.com 9

TRAVEL

Did you know?

A good gauge of a male lion’s age is the darkness of his mane. The darker the mane, the older the lion

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OUT OF AFRICA •

“Only the thin fabric of my luxurious tent separates me from a richness of wildlife for which I am completely unprepared”

TRAVEL

Image: Charlie Grieves-Cook

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commerce everywhere and the kind of rickety development common in P TR L ERIEN developing countries.

A V E As we travel along the Mombasa Road, heading for our transfer, we pass makeshift offices clad in corrugated iron and flagged with handpainted signs. Young men hang around at junctions, presumably waiting for offers of work.

Wilson Airport is small and busy, tourists being ushered here and there as each bush fl ight is readied for take-off. We were flying in a 13-seat Cessna Caravan with Safarilink, one of Kenya's most experienced airlines. There is an illusion of chaos, cheerfully enforced by the pilot’s joke that he is flying to Amboseli this morning (while glancing in his mirror to see if everyone headed for Maasai Mara is paying attention).

Then we are airborne, clearing the runway to head west directly over Nairobi National Park – of the high-rise development taking place.

Kenya is looking verdant, the short rains of November having arrived and greened the Rift Valley.

The emerald landscape is dotted with homesteads and red-dirt ribbons of road, which become more sparse as we near the border with Tanzania. Then we begin the descent and, as we near the ground, we can see the magnificent

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But I did not go to Africa. It would be precisely 54 years, to the day, from the moment mum persuaded me to accept a bird book in place of my dream that, eventually, my wish was fulfi lled.

As a former British colony, Kenya is among the more Brit-friendly of the African nations, what with driving on the left and offering everything from road signs to food in plain English. Thus, there is something comforting about leaving Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport after a gruelling eight-hour fl ight, and heading to Wilson Airport, the jumping-off point for most safaris.

Even the outskirts of Nairobi are buzzing with activity, with evidence of

Mark Williams realises a childhood dream and urges everyone to experience one of the planet’s greatest spectacles

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A DV E N T U R E BE C KON S

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he dead of the night, the Milky Way is a bright smear across the black sky, and the Maasai Mara is coming alive. It is hard to sleep on your fi rst night in this wild land. I lie awake on my bed, hands behind my head, listening to the song of the Mara. The hiss of cicadas and crickets, and the rhythmic chirps of tiny frogs are a canvas of sound against which a hippo grunts in the river and, distantly, a male lion stakes his claim to a kill, or perhaps his pride, with a roar.

Only the thin fabric of my luxurious tent separates me from a richness of wildlife for which I am completely unprepared. That a leopard stalks the camp and the resident hippo will soon be munching the grass just metres from my head does not bother me. But then the bush babies begin calling...

It was on my fourth birthday that I demanded to go on safari. I had asked mum for ‘a ticket to Africa’. I was one of those kids who, Packhamesque, collected animal skulls, so asking for a ticket to Africa was the least bizarre of many wildlife-related presents I asked mum to buy. I once requested ‘a dag for dagging tigers’ (daggers clearly dag, just as pokers poke). That said I doubt I had the skills, aged three or four, to take down a big cat armed only with a knife!

My Africa obsession saw me reading every book written by Gerald Durrell – I was particularly thrilled by stories of his animal collecting trips – and trawling bookshops for books by environmental pioneers such as Armand and Michaela Denis. I had View-Master wheels showing African animals in 3D, and among the books I read was Gorillas Were My Neighbours, which was actually written by a most unneighbourly man who mostly shot them.

Mark Williams Mark has over 30 years experience as a professional journalist in the automotive and countrysports industries thewideangle.net

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TRAVEL and acacia trees were thronging with the birds that eat them. Spectacular landlubber kingfishers perched on high branches awaited their meal, and sunset-yellow weaver birds were busy building their intricate nests.

Porini Mara Camp nestles next to a small Africa river, surrounded by this intoxicating magic.

Germany Nairobi Our accommodation was a tent with two double beds, and a level of luxury well into the glamping leagues. The food they conjured up in this remote place was fi rst-class, and I now know it is impossible to beat a ‘sundowner’, supped while gathered around a log fi re. However, a real treat had been arranged for the following morning.

If you do not ‘do’ mornings you will have to change your ways, because the dawn game drive is absolutely essential if you are to have any chance of seeing what everyone visits this part of Africa » FLIGHTS for; the big cats. That is an exaggeration. If you 9 hours each want to see lions asleep, you can go any time, but way. Kenyathen you might as well see them in a zoo. Along airways.com with most cats, lions are crepuscular – they hunt operates daily mainly at dawn and dusk. When the sun rises, it fl ights from reveals the remains of the night’s kills, the lions THE HUNT BEGINS Heathrow. replete and lingering over the scraps. Once the sun When we left Nairobi, our group had been feeling Economy return is in the sky, the pride will move off and flop down jaded from the after effects of the night fl ight. fl ight prices together in a shady patch. The remains of the kill However, we were now literally on the edge of our to Nairobi start are gone within the hour, scavenged by hyenas, seats as the 4x4 lurched across the landscape, at £722.45 vultures and jackals. revealing an endless tapestry of animals: impala, » ACTIVITIES Our fi rst dawn game drive was spectacular. We Thomson's gazelle, hartebeeste, Grant's gazelle, Contact the climbed into the 4x4s long before the sun had eland, giraffe, warthog... they were all before us.

Kenya Tourism kissed the horizon and began methodically We could even smell them.

Board on 020 scouring the landscape for lions. If they are in view This may be a simple transfer to Porini Mara 7593 1731 or visit – even half a mile away – the Maasai will spot Camp but it is also a game drive, and the Maasai magicalkenya. them. However, they also guides reveal huge com spend much of their time knowledge as they point » CURRENCY & RATES watching the antelope, looking out each species. The for changes in behaviour that Approx. £1 rains had released suggest a lion is nearby. It may to 146 KES clouds of insects which seem odd, but if a prey species depend on this lush spots a lion, it will stop and windfall, and the scrub stare, for it knows that if it can see the lion and the lion knows it has been seen, there is actually little danger. Antelope, whose lives depend on their V NG-HA TRA EL powers of observation, have evolved brilliant eyesight.

It was short P T R a surprisingly L ERIEN V E were alongside a time beforeA we dead wildebeest beneath an acacia bush, but nary a lion in sight. Instead, a spotted hyena was audibly crunching through bone and sinew, a jackal warily eyeing up his chance to snatch a bite. Vultures loafed around like bald men in brown overcoats, but the hyena’s feast did not last long.

Across the grassland ran a huge Human development male lion, focused on the hyena. encroaches on to The hyena spotted him quickly, Berlin

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Image: Bryanpereira.com

wildebeest, which graze right up to the edge of the landing strip.

A week earlier, I had been wondering if we would get lucky and see a few animals. Now, aboard one of Gamewatchers Safari’s open-backed Land Cruisers, heading for Porini Mara Camp, it is clearly difficult not to run them over! Teeming with game, the park makes Longleat look like a wasteland in comparison. It is a truly stunning sight to behold.

Our guides are Maasai men, and the driver is the Porini Mara Camp manager, Jimmy. Bouncing over the rust-red rocks and quartz in the track, he suddenly slows to a crawl, and points ahead as a small herd unhurriedly makes way for us: “Zebra crossing,” he quips, and we enjoy the fi rst laugh of a great many to come.

Maasai, such as Jimmy, staff all of Porini’s camps. Ol Kinyei, where we were going, is where they belong, but they now lease the land back to the Ol Kinyei Conservancy, to tourists and, ultimately, to the animals which also belong there.

the African plains.

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UP CLOSE ON YOUR ADVENTURE A vast expanse stretches before you. You are enthralled by the beauty of the savannah, which is revealed in every single conceivable shade of brown and green. A silhouette of thousands of gnus, antelope and zebras migrating can be seen in the blazing sun.

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TRAVEL but carried on feeding, every mouthful worth the risk. He very nearly miscalculated, as the lion suddenly sprinted and was a whisker away from killing the hyena. Moments later a lioness arrived at the scene, rather selfishly rebuffed by the male, but nestling down next to him nonetheless. God loves a trier, I suppose.

“The male is Leshan. The female, Nenkome, is collared,” Jimmy explained. “The tracking collar was put on about two years ago and is due to fall off automatically any time now.” Seconds later the lioness jumped up and looked down at something on the ground. It was the most incredible coincidence. The collar had just fallen off !

We were told the rather savage backstory later.

Nenkome is a pride-less female who had got lucky earlier in the year, and had two cubs. Leshan, a lone male, found the cubs and killed them both – we found one of the tiny corpses. But Nenkome would be a mum again soon; no sooner were her cubs dead than she would come into oestrus, and Leshan would father her next litter. It is the way of lions.

grazing looked fairly good but the hard fact is that the herdsmen will sometimes take their cattle into the conservancies and the reserve to fi nd better.

Inevitably, this brings them into confl ict with » Gamewatchers predators; the very thing the conservancies set out Safaris offers a 12 to avoid in the fi rst place. days safari and Porini Lion Camp sits almost dead centre of the beach package Olare Motorogi Conservancy, next to a fairly with fi rst night at substantial river which throngs with hippo. We Nairobi Tented arrived at lunchtime, and sat down in the shade of Camp, two nights a tree for a swift meal. As we ate, we were joined at Porini Mara by two parrots, who began munching the tree’s Camp, two nights green fruits and discarding chunks which landed at Porini Lion among the crockery with a thump. Jake GrievesCamp, (porini.

Cook, co-owner of Gamewatchers Safaris (porini. com) two nights at com) and champion of conservancies, idly picked a Amboseli Serena chewed chunk out of a plate and threw it away, Safari Lodge only to be reeling in pain moments later. (serenahotels.com) “God that stuff ’s strong,” he exclaimed, and four nights at massaging his watering eye. The fruit of the Msambweni pepper-bark tree is as Beach House fiercely spicy as wasabi; (msambweniwe nibbled a young leaf beach-house.com) to check, and according from £3,050 per to Jake, a slice is a great person, fulladdition to a Bloody board. Price Mary in place of includes domestic tabasco. East Africa is a fl ights on treasure trove of spices and Safarilink cures, Jake says, used for (flysafarilink.com) centuries by the Maasai for safari activities everything from purgatives and conservation to deodorant. fees.

We set out on an Tel: 07901 396513 afternoon game drive which gamewatchers.com sparkled with wildlife just like the others. Before darkness began to seep through the skies, we chanced upon the pride’s dominant male. He looked V grumpy. He sauntered imperiously between NG-HA TRA EL the 4x4s which had gathered around him, his massive bulk and cold, staring eyes a P T R there is reminder that, out here, L real danger ERIEN AVE for the foolish or unwary. That said, we still decamped from the vehicles an hour later as dark clouds sent grey streaks of rain to the horizon, and enjoyed a gin sundowner as we watched neon lightning flash above the distant mountaintops.

After the following morning’s game drive, which caught up with a cheetah and her two cubs, we breakfasted on a riverbank looking down on a herd of hippo, then left for a fl ight to Amboseli – the doyen of Kenya’s elephant reserves, where we would enjoy the sumptuous creature comforts of the Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge.

It was at Amboseli that we had our fi rst visit from conservation royalty – Will Travers of the Born Free Foundation (bornfree.org.uk). Will is the son of Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna – a couple introduced to lions by starring in a

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There are few experiences to beat breakfast in the bush. Aboard the Land Cruisers, we toiled up a nearby hill to its summit, where a herd of female impala lazily eyed us up as our Maasai crew began assembling garden furniture, draping a tablecloth over a table on which a complete hot breakfast was laid out. It felt reassuringly traditional, and I imagined a group of khaki-clad travellers up here, the men in pith helmets and the ladies wafting in chiffon.

Below us, the vast swath of the mara stretched out to the distant mountains like a jade carpet and the whinnying of zebra carried on the warm breeze as we ate. From this vantage point, we could just make out the incongruous angular forms of settlements on the edge of the conservancy. Soon, we would be en route to Porini Lion Camp and seeing them up close. We found more lions in the mid-morning heat, sleeping under a thicket of orange-leaf croton bushes, which are strangely repellent to insects and give the lions relief from the fl ies. We drove within metres of huge lionesses, which barely stirred as we passed.

The journey to the Lion Camp took us along the northern boundary of Naiboisho Conservancy, past small, fenced farms. Occasionally, we passed flocks of cattle tended by young men, and goats tended by boys who waved as we passed. The

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“Before darkness began to seep through the skies, we chanced upon the pride’s dominant male.

He looked grumpy”

| calibrequarterly.com 15

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TRAVEL

B U I LT T O L A S T

These bomas were ingenious in their simplicity, the fence posts made from Kenya’s waste plastic, the gate from flattened oil drums, the hinges made from wornout ‘100,000-mile shoes’: these are home-made fl ip flops which are, themselves, recycled from car tyres. On the way back to our lodge across the parched savannah, our guide got a radio call which led us along the surfaced game trails (there is no off-roading allowed) to Amboseli swamp, where two elephant herds were meeting noisily.

One dowager tusker was leading her tiny infant through deep swamp mud and he clung to her tail with his trunk, squealing in alarm. As mum hauled herself up out of the gloop and on to the roadside, the newborn’s two teenage sisters heard his cries and came over and helped him up, shoving him up the backside with their trunks.

The old matriarch glanced back as if to say they were being a bit soft on him.

Amboseli is rigorously operated: it is closed after dark to prevent elephant poaching - a practice rife across Africa. These incredible animals will be afforded protection only if tourists come and see them. A perfect excuse for any wildlife lover.

The fi nal leg of our Kenyan odyssey was another fl ight and a drive to our villas at Diani Beach. Our route took us along shack-lined roads thrumming with trade, past big supermarkets, and among cars which were better than mine (though not for long, on these roads). There is poverty, certainly, and a few begging refugees, but no suffering that I saw.

Msambweni villagers had a special trading post at the villas, and waited patiently all day, every day for us to buy something. The choice was mainly printed cotton and giftware. I haggled the price of a couple of headscarves but, when I returned with the correct money in dollars, the second trader seemed peeved that I had not selected some of his stock. I quickly explained, standing there in my trainers and trunks, that I had brought no more money.

Then he looked down at my near-new training shoes, and I bartered them instead.

Despite the many incredible sights and experiences that I had encountered during my time on this amazing continent, I will never forget that fi rst night at Porini Mara Camp, partly because it was the fi rst, but also because of the large bush babies that lived in the trees right outside my tent. I had assumed bush babies were named for their heart-meltingly lovely eyes. They are not. They are so named because, like babies, they scream almost incessantly after dark. They sound like rhythmic newborns, starting with a few low-key, panting cries, then building to a crescendo of milk-curdling screams that carry through the African night.

At the time, I was mildly irritated by those calls.

Now, as I gaze into the tedious grey of a British ‘summer’, I yearn to hear them again.

NG-HA

Image: Bryanpereira.com

TWO YEARS AGO, after the Nairobi shopping mall attack by Islamists, the Foreign Office effectively killed safari tourism from the UK. It issued a travel ‘advisory’ about terrorism, which has almost all been confi ned to the northern, Somalian border country, and the amber light for Kenya caused all the big tour companies to pull out of the country altogether.

The effect was absolutely devastating: coastal resorts like the

lovely Diani Beach area and Malindi laid off thousands of hotel workers, and some hotels closed. Safari tourism also suffered quite badly, to the extent that some conservancies could have trouble paying their leases to the Maasai. Without an income for the Maasai, the Maasai suffer and, with fewer people out on the reserves, the poachers get the upper hand.

David Cameron has now intervened and the Foreign Office has lifted its blanket advisory and focused on the border region alone. But huge damage

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fi lm, and then so captivated by them they devoted their lives to conserving them. The Foundation has long realised that, to give lions the winning hand in the perpetual confl ict with herdsmen, you have to work with the humans fi rst. We went to see one of Born Free Foundation’s lion-proof ‘bomas’ – the circular homesteads into which the herdsmen’s cattle and goats are brought each night for their protection.

EN

RI V hasAalready been done, in a move which played into the terrorists’ hands.

The advice was, and still is, nonsensical, as the attacks in Paris – which played out while I was in Kenya – proved. These murderous lunatics can pop up anywhere.

Travelling to Nairobi and onwards to the game reserves is safer than braving the traffic of European roads.

So, go and feel smug that you are doing your bit for one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on the planet.

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BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT V8 S CONVERTIBLE ENGINE: 4-litre twin-turbo V8 POWER: 500bhp TOP SPEED: 187mph 0-60mph in 4.7secs SUSPENSION: Selflevelling air suspension GEARBOX 8-speed automatic FUEL ECONOMY 35.3mpg

Continental ROAD TEST

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LIFESTYLE

All the comfort of a Grand Tourer with the thrill of a sports car

The Continental GT V8 S is a modern classic styled for the new crowd, says Barnaby Dracup

T

Drift

o build a fast car, a good car, the best in its class,” were the committal words of Walter Owen Bentley, the founder of Bentley Motors, with the first car to bear his name pulling out of New Street Mews, London, in 1919.

Now located in Crewe, and owned by Volkswagen AG since 1998, the words of Mr Bentley’s idealism continue to guide Bentley Motors’ company ethos and direction, as they pursue both luxury and performance, of which their Continental GT V8 S Convertible is a prime example.

Like most heritage marques, Bentley the brand has proved perennially popular and resilient to the changing fortunes of time, but has seen its fair share of ownership changes, with Rolls-Royce buying it from the receivers in 1931 and subsequently selling it on to Vickers Plc in 1980, when Rolls-Royce themselves became bankrupt. In 1998, Vickers then sold Rolls-Royce Motors to the Volkswagen Group, who paid £430 million. After acquiring the business, Volkswagen spent a further £500 million to modernise the Crewe factory and increase production capacity: there are now around 3,500 staff working at Crewe.

The modern business of Bentley sees them sold via franchised dealers worldwide, with China currently representing one of the largest markets for this classic British motoring brand.

While the majority of Bentley cars are assembled at the Crewe factory, a small number of the Continental Flying Spur models are assembled at their factory in Dresden, Germany, with bodies for the Continental being produced in Zwickau, an hour’s drive west.

Although the Continental is by no means new, Bentley have released variants to keep the model fresh and appealing to all corners of the market and, ignoring the recent history of their | calibrequarterly.com 19

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LIFESTYLE present owners, Bentley are trumpeting about their environmental commitments and the fact that developing the car’s new powertrain has yielded a 40% improvement in fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions. The car is capable of travelling over 500 miles on a single tank of fuel.

With that in mind, this sporty soft-top, with its rumbling V8 engine, is perhaps the ‘sensible’ pick of the Continental bunch, in that it combines hi-tech cylinder deactivation technology, effectively turning the V8 into a V4 during cruising to improve fuel economy, with, well, a large dose of fun still attached.

INSIDE THE RIDE

infinite number of adjustable elements: an inbuilt air vent blows warm air around your neck should it get chilly when you have the top down. There are even a wide selection of back massaging options! The only issue here might be the seat controls themselves, which are positioned low on the door-side of the seat, impossible to see when driving, but they soon become familiar to handle after some experience.

At a push this two-door Grand Tourer will seat four passengers but it quickly becomes a squeeze if you have to move the front seats back much at all.

Boot space is listed as 9.8 cubic feet or 60 litres, depending on whether you are filling it with luggage or champagne I suppose, but in literal terms there

The transmission of the V8 S cuts acceleration times by ensuring the engine is always at the ideal speed for peak torque delivery before changes, and also features what Bentley refer to as ‘block shifting’ technology – capable of shifting directly from (for example) eighth to fourth gear – for instantaneous response and acceleration. As part of the homage to its sportier ‘S’ leanings, for those wishing to take over from the automatic transmission there are two large gear shift paddles on either side of the steering wheel where the indicators should be – the indicators themselves are located lower down.

The cockpit itself is spacious, decked out in soft aniline leather with sports steering wheel and dials.

A Breitling clock sits neatly in the centre of the dash.

The seats are really quite excellent, with a seemingly

The leather interior and sports finish reveals the car’s true nature.

Bentley’s Electronic Stability Control works quietly in the background, without compromising the 500bhps of excitement. | calibrequarterly.com 21

LIFESTYLE

is not much room for more than a couple of reasonable holdalls – so you will have to leave the kids at home and chuck your bags on the backseat.

One thing about the interior that felt slightly out-of-kilter with the Bentley persona was the use of carbon graphite panelling on the dash and centre console, but I suppose this is the ‘sporty’ version of the Continental GT and one must consider it is aimed at the new money, dahling. However, despite this, it is a truly stunning car in the looks department, and attracted more than a few open-mouthed stares.

On opening the boot, you can see the large silver block of the flushly built-in Naim audio system, which comes complete with iPhone connector, CD changer and memory stick slots in the glovebox and centre console respectively. As one would expect from a car of this class the in-car audio is second-tonone and is officially recorded as the ‘900W, 11-speaker Naim option’ on the tech-spec document.

This system, from Wiltshire-based Naim Audio, is something to behold and creates a clear, precise and balanced listening experience with the roof up. With the roof down, and in full fettle, you could easily pull into an empty field and start charging for tickets.

SPORTY NUMBER •

“Under hard acceleration the V8 brings to mind my previous dalliances with Spitfires”

But anyway, let us not become mired in the cosmetics, the real point of this car is the beast beneath the bonnet. Upon pressing the ubiquitous ‘start/stop’ button, the engine suddenly jumps to life like an amphetamised lion.

Just ticking-over it sounds wonderful, but under hard acceleration, slipping silkily up through the gears, the V8 brings to mind my previous dalliances with Spitfires, de Havillands and other World War II flying stock – stirring stuff. This makes it particularly enjoyable with the roof down – I must admit I gave it a good boot when going through a tunnel, just to hear the V8 thundering back at me.

Rather amusingly, ‘distinctive V8 growl’ is listed as an official tech-spec bullet point on Bentley’s

CONFLICTING EMOTIONS

Whilst the interior is finished to the highest possible spec as one would imagine, the Continental’s centre console and infotainment screen seem a bit dated, a little low-definition in comparison with some others, and the touchscreen control surface was certainly not as responsive or as intuitive as one would come to expect from such modern technology.

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The built-in sunglasses case in graphite finish feels a little ‘new money’.

The Chelsea Workshop EST 1977

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For Sale 1953 RHD Bentley Geneva Show Car - UK registered, Chassis number BC20A - Recent engine, brakes,suspension and clutch overhaul.

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1953 RHD Bentley Geneva Show Car

Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud 111 Mulliner Parkward 2 door coupe - Only 79,000 miles from new - The cars has been known to us since 1980 - Finished in Claret with beige hide - P.A.S - Electric windows Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud 111

TECHNOLOGY TASTE OF TECH

Tech for Technophobes Here we showcase some of the most userfriendly technology around, whether for yourself or the luddite in your life

DORO 8030 THE UBIQUITOUS MOBILE phone is no longer merely a phone, but something more akin to a small computer in your pocket. Of course, increased features come with increased complexity and while your iPhone may be able to book you a shuttle to the moon, it is useless if you do not know how to access it.

That is where Doro come in: priding themselves in making intuitive, easy-touse phones that are still packed with all the modern features. You can access the Internet, check your emails, capture special moments on camera, access all the apps and services you would expect from a regular Android platform smartphone, just in a simpler format.

Âť Such is the simplicity of operating the Doro 8030, that just a few minutes after booting it up, we were shooting pictures, sending messages and streaming music.

Recommended as a fi rst smartphone, or for anyone who does not care for fiddly devices.

Where to buy: doro.co.uk Price: ÂŁ180

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TECHNOLOGY

FUJI INSTAX MINI CAMERA THERE HAS BEEN a noticeable upwards curve of interest in analogue technology in recent years as more of us return to the simple pleasure of holding a physical photo in our hands.

The Fuji INSTAX mini camera has all the trappings you would expect of a digital camera, but delivered in a more user-friendly way.

Just like the classic Polaroid cameras of the 1980s you load the Instax with fi lm slides, which the camera then spits out once you have taken your photograph. You can then hold them in your hand, watch the results develop, and even stick them straight in your scrapbook if you wish.

Âť There are few things more

Did you know?

100,000 mobile phones are dropped down the toilet in Britain every year

annoying than losing priceless memories from your digital phone or camera. This Fuji instant camera is far more than just a nostalgia trip: it offers top-notch results that you can instantly hold in your hand.

Where to buy: fujifilm.eu Price: ÂŁ124.99

| calibrequarterly.com 27

At last A smartphone designed for beginners!

Action based interface Loud and clear sound

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And to make sure you are connected when you need it most, we are pairing your new Doro 8030 with an Anywhere SIM card which uniquely uses the signal from O2, EE or Vodafone wherever you go in the UK. Why have just one network when you can have three?

Working with the actions you want, you will be able to discover new things, use Google Maps, view pictures and send messages in seconds, even if you are new to smartphones.

Tool for remote assistance

And when charging in the included cradle, the 8030 can be used as an FM radio, an alarm clock or even a digital photo frame!

In addition, the unique My Doro Manager tool allows you to access helpful tutorials, find recommended apps and get support from your friends and family, using their own smartphones or tablets wherever they are.

The Anywhere Pay as You Go SIM card offers a flat rate of 10p per call, 5p per text and 10p per megabyte of data used – whether you are in this country or abroad. This unique feature of roaming in the UK, using O2, EE and Vodafone, means you are safely connected most of the time. Say goodbye to ’not’ spots. Perfect for those living in rural areas.

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TECHNOLOGY

The easy-to-use Breezie interface is perfect for technophobes

BREEZIE TABLET THE DESKTOP COMPUTER is slowly becoming a thing of the past, as more and more of us switch to tablets. Of course, this is not much use to someone who has only just discovered how to get rid of the infernal paperclip helper on Microsoft Word!

Fortunately, a Samsung tablet with a Breezie interface solves all that confusion and removes the unnecessary clutter. Pre-loaded with all the apps and options that one might need this is very much a tablet designed with simplicity at its heart.

» With the tech know-how of

Samsung and the simple interface from Breezie, this is a great combination for anyone looking to get started in the world of tablet computing.

Where to buy: breezie.com Price: £329

PEBBLE TIME

Pebble are a simple introduction to smartwatches

THE PROBLEM WITH smartwatches is that they are sometimes a little too smart for their own good. It is all very well putting the power of a small computer on your wrist, but when you cannot even make it tell the time, then it is safe to say your old Rolex will not be getting the boot anytime soon.

Pebble do not fall into that trap.

Pioneers of the smartwatch movement back in 2012, their newest model, the Pebble Time, is as streamlined and simple an experience you could hope for in a smartwatch.

» Compatible with all major

smartphones and with a simple, clean design this is the smartwatch for anyone who prides functionality above branding. A great fi rst step into wearable technology.

Where to buy: pebble.com Price: £149.99

| calibrequarterly.com 29

TAKING ON A TABLET IS EASY Step by step guide means there is nothing to fear about using devices

O

ne of the greatest things about touchscreen tablets such as the iPad, Hudl, Galaxy Tab and the rest is how easy they make it to stay in touch. You can use Skype to make video phone calls (which are usually free), send emails, even attach photos to send to family and friends miles away, all at the touch of a screen.

With a tablet, you can browse the web or watch TV online, play games or read ebooks, too – and even borrow ebooks from the local library without leaving your armchair. These gadgets are much more convenient than a cumbersome desktop computer and a lot of people find them easier to use.

But there’s a flip side – if you’re not sure how to use this technology, you can feel left behind. Even if you have a device that can do all these things, you might not find it all plain sailing. That’s because these tablets hardly ever come with a proper manual. That’s where our new guide comes in. It doesn’t assume you are an expert or a ‘techie’ and it explains things step by step.

The guide is published by The Helpful Book Company and the author Tim Wakeling has helped thousands get to grips with their touchscreen, PC and laptop since he set up the company 10 years ago. Wakeling explains things in

plain English for the less technical, with plenty of illustrations showing what the screen will look like and where you’ll need to tap it.

Anyone who’s struggled with a tablet will find it’s not so hard, once explained simply.

There are separate books for the Apple iPad and for Android-based tablets such as the Kindle Fire, Hudl, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Sony Xperia and the Nexus range.

An information pack helps explain how to tell which version a customer has, to make sure they buy the right book. The books are available direct from the publisher.

For your FREE information pack call 01229 777 606

CALLING ALL iPAD OR ANDROID TABLET OWNERS...

If you ever find your tablet frustrating, aren’t quite sure how to do things or just think you might not be getting all you should from it, read on...

TableTs are becoming hugely popular. And no wonder - they’re lighter and easier to carry around than a PC. You can sit in a comfy armchair and browse the web or even video call your family around the world.

They’re easier to use than PCs in lots of ways, too.

But there’s a catch. In fact, two.

can only get at it if you already know how to use the thing!

And when you do get at it, it’s usually written assuming you already know how to use it - which makes it a bit pointless.

That’s why I’ve written these books: iPads One Step at a Time and Android Tablets One Step at a Time (ideal for all Android tablets)

caTch number 1: They’re different from PCs. So if you already know how to use a PC, you have to start again.

plain english - ThaT’s noT all...

They explain how to use the device, in plain simple language, with pictures of the screen showing exactly where to tap or slide your fingers. No jargon! only half The sTory...

That’s only half the story, but I don’t have room to explain what I mean by that here. So I’ve put together full information on the books - who they’re for, what they cover and so on.

What’s more, the books also come with a small free gift – no room to explain that here, either!

if i ran The world...

If I ran the world, these devices would come with a proper manual.

But when they do come with a manual, it’s on the device, so you

“beTTer Than whsmiTh’s besT”?

As soon as these books came out, I started getting comments like...

“Thank you for producing such a

don’T buy now, do This insTead Anyway, don’t buy now. Instead, you can find out the full details about what’s covered, who they’re ideal for and what you might be missing out on, then decide. Just ask for a free information pack.

Quick and easy To geT yours Why not ring or write off for the full information now? There’s no obligation at all. Discover what the

call, email or posT The coupon Ring Louize, Simone, Emma or Jess on 01229 777606 or send the coupon below to 13B Devonshire Road Estate, Millom, Cumbria, LA18 4JS. Or email your name and postal address to us at: CB@helpfulbooks.co.uk You don’t even need to know which type of tablet you have: the infopack will explain how to tell.There’s no obligation, no cost. You have nothing to lose so why not do it now, while you think of it? Best not risk losing the details, reply to ask for your free infopack today.

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caTch number 2 (the big one!): There are lots of important features that are “hidden”. There’s no button for them, Saying “click here”. And you simply can’t work it out. You need to know to slide the screen from the left, or drag the thingy-me-bob to the right.

Someone needs to tell you these things – it’s just not possible to work it out as you wouldn’t even know they’re there!

superb book – it is really helping me. I had bought one (a book) in W H Smiths a short while ago and couldn’t get on with it at all!” - J.S. and “I am delighted with the new book on tablets, so many things I didn’t understand before, being of the ‘retired brigade’ it’s a great help.” – Doreen Wadsworth

books will do for you and about your free gift that comes with them. (And don’t worry, we won’t pass your address to anyone else.)

Post to The Helpful Book Co, 13B Devonshire Rd Est, Millom, Cumbria, LA18 4JS or call 01229 777606

TECHNOLOGY

Simpler mapping means less confusion when driving

TOMTOM GO 51 SURELY IT IS time to retire that old, battered AA roadmap from the backseat of your car for good? It may have seen you through some tough journeys, but can it give you live traffic updates and speed camera alerts? TomTom prides itself on offering all the features that come with high-end satnavs, but without the fiddly interface that can be a distraction when driving. Type in an address and let TomTom do the rest.

» This TomTom is packed full of

features including traffic updates, maps from across the world and voice control for an obscenely low price. Essential.

Where to buy: tomtom.com Price: £149.99

A soundbar offers incredible sound out of the box

YAMAHA YAS-203 WHY ARE SURROUND sound systems so complicated? The set-up process alone is off-putting enough for most of us and that is without even mentioning the multitude of wires and cables buggering up your feng shui.

A good soundbar can solve all those problems and the highly recommended Yamaha YAS-203 is the pick of the lot.

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| calibrequarterly.com 31

COVER STORY

SHOOTING STRAIGHT

It’s not about your day. It’s about the present, the here and now. You can’t be looking back all the time CALIBRE sits down with Vinnie Jones to discuss his latest acting endeavours, his predictions for Euro 2016 and ‘that’ picture of him and Gazza WORDS:

Josh Stephenson Mark Stenning

PHOTOGRAPHY:

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At 52, Vinnie is showing no sign of slowing down

| calibrequarterly.com 33

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CULTURE

As a former Wales captain you must be excited to see how your old team get on this summer?

“I’m very excited – it’s a big one for all Welsh fans – I was previously captain of the side and we should have got there with the team that we had. It was a great squad when you think we had the likes of Dean Saunders, Mark Hughes, Ian y Stadium.

Rush and Ryan Giggs, all at the Fans invade the pitch after the 1977 British Home Championship at Wemble same time. It’s a big disappointment that we couldn’t get to a major tournament.

Who else do you see doing well “However, when it comes to this summer? tournaments you need two things: “I try to keep it simple and focus on you need great players and a bit of the home nations – my home roots. luck. What makes qualifying It will be interesting to see how different is that it is over ten games England get on with all the young and so a good team will always kids coming through. Will Gareth come through in the end.

Bale carry on his form from Spain, or will he “All teams need that great leader on the pitch. fall down on the big stage? It’s also a great So, in my day, the Dutch would have a player like opportunity for some of the other players to take Johan Cruyff and he would be able to guide his the shine away from the big-name players and to teams through. make a name for themselves out there.”

“Wales have Gareth Bale, and when you have that kind of player in the team, everyone else has to do How is your own busy schedule looking their best to rise to his level and also to rise to throughout the summer? the occasion.”

“Throughout June and July I will be hosting the Hyundai FanDome and what that will be is me on a big screen pumping up some excitement for the big The England vs Wales game in particular looks matches. We’ve been doing a lot of fi lming with rather tasty. How do you see that one panning celebrations, voice clips and a big image of me out for the teams? projected around the arena.

“Ooh there’s going to be a lot of passion. A lot of “So, for instance, say that someone gets tackled passion. I think this is probably the most exciting and it looks like a nasty challenge, I’ll appear and match between the home nations for years and go, ‘Ooh that’s a red card, ref!’ and we’ll try and get years. Going back to when Scotland played the crowd involved. I will have been there in England and the fans ran onto the pitch and person for the opening match, there will be 1,000 jumped on the goalposts. It’s absolutely huge! free tickets available and the only way to get them “Wales have a lot to prove here, this is their time is online at Ticketmaster.co.uk/HyundaiFanDome.” to shine after a long time spent away from the major spotlight.

“Chris Coleman is a good mate of mine and I was It has been the year of the underdog, in thrilled when he got the job. He’s a real man’s man, particular, with Leicester City winning the Premier a true gentleman and tough as they come. All those League. Do you see a lot of parallels with them and things combined, and that’s why they have got when you were at Wimbledon? where they are.

“Yeah, I think there are a lot of parallels between “Like I said before, you need good players and us, especially between me and Jamie Vardy, with good luck. They are there now and I can’t wait to us both coming up from non-league to play at the see how they get on.” highest level.

Image: Colorsport/REX

There’s going to be a lot of passion. I think this is probably the most exciting match between the home nations for years!

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CULTURE

the league and us winning the “I’m absolutely over the FA Cup. moon for what they have “We have seen lots of teams achieved. You could see try and fail to accomplish that across the world that people over the years — plenty of were cheering them on to do underdogs who came far and it – you get the naysayers then fi zzled out at the last who will say it’s a fluke just minute — but both of us like they did with us – but managed to keep going and they’ve proved them wrong that’s down to team spirit. and I could not be happier “Don’t get me wrong, our about it. achievement is on a smaller “I remember there was a scale as the FA Cup is won over time that we were in the top fewer games, while Leicester five of the old Division One, have done it over a full season.” around Christmas, and all the commotion it caused at the time – people were What was it about the squad flabbergasted that a team at Wimbledon and Leicester like ours was doing so well. that makes everything click?

Of course, we then went on “We were like a family — a true Vinnie holds the FA Cup after Wimbledon’s 1988 win. to win the FA Cup and brotherhood. On the training people took notice and ground the team gelled and we started to think, ‘Actually, this genuinely got on. You will hear lot can play some football’. in interviews how players will say, “People get blinded to the small ‘Oh they’re a great bunch of lads teams doing well — but if you and we all like each other’ and most work hard and have that inner of the time that is bulls**t and they belief — that’s what can take you hate each other, but with us it was to the title. Believing you can win, genuinely true. and thinking you can win, are two “For example, one weekend one of very different things and it is belief that the players was building a patio in his garden and Leicester had. all the squad came over to give him a hand. So, his “I watched them on television prior to the big wife comes out and asks if we want a crate of beer win from L.A., in the early hours of the morning, while we were helping him out. Later on we got a and you could just see that confidence oozing from curry in and spent the evening on this patio that the players.” we had helped him build together.

“I don’t think Leicester would do that nowadays, as football has moved on since those days, but Where do you think the Wimbledon FA Cup win that’s what it was to us — a brotherhood. ranks in underdog achievements in football?

“When you look at Leicester and the way they “I think it’s up there over the last 25 years or so of played to get to the top of the league, I can English football. When people look back and think guarantee it was no fluke. See how they all moved of these stories, I think there will be two notable together, how they closed the opponent down ones and those are going to be Leicester winning

Believing you can win, and thinking you can win, are two very different things and it is belief that Leicester had

HYUNDAI FANDOME

Image: Colorsport/REX

» Hyundai Motor UK will offer fans an experience like never before this summer with the Hyundai FanDome for EURO 2016 – a world fi rst multisensory 360° immersive fan experience set in the heart of London.

The innovative Hyundai FanDome will host up to 45,000 fans across 45 games of EURO 2016 and offer a one-of-a-kind, live-edited cinematic experience that reacts in real-time to the action in each match.

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FanDome offers a 360° experience.

Fans will be immersed in ‘Football Heaven’ – a stylised world of football for all the family, featuring renowned actor and former Wales international player, Vinnie Jones. Vinnie will welcome fans on the big screens and build excitement throughout matches.

The Hyundai FanDome will have broadcast matches from the first group stage match on Friday 10th June to the final, to be held on Sunday 10th July.

Fans from across the country are encouraged to apply for free tickets via Ticketmaster.co.uk/HyundaiFanDome

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CULTURE

quality they brought to the game.

“Non-league football is a tough place to learn the game but it sets you on the right track and gives you that passion, heart and desire to go on and succeed.

“So, I respect Nigel Pearson and what he has achieved. I didn’t like him too much when I played against him — we had a couple of altercations on the pitch — but he deserves his accolades. Ranieri has done a great job, but it was Nigel that set them going and he deserves to be remembered for what he did.”

Do you still have that same passion for football as you have grown older?

“I think that I have retired gracefully from it all — too many players hang role. acting major first Jone’s Vinnie Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels was on to it and don’t give it up. You see former players on TV and they are going on about how much better the players are today and who is the from all the pitch. That is a team best of all time and that really gives that is playing for each other. me the hump. I remember that we Jamie Vardy has had an incredible had flair players in my day, but season but he could not have done they’d turn up, get kicked about and it alone. He needed players to be then leave. That’s just how it was. I looking for that ball over the top mean we had players like Bryan and dragging defences out of Robson, who would have thrived in any age, but position. All of this has been key to their success.” even he had to do the dirty stuff.

“Not many of these players on TV could play in There are rumours that you are being lined up today’s game — it’s too fast and skillful. Plus, if to play Nigel Pearson in a biopic of Jamie Vardy’s there’s anything approaching a strong wind, life. Is there any truth to that? everyone fl ies for about four feet!”

“I’ve been approached and I’ve said that I’m interested, but there’s still a long way to go before that goes into production or anything comes from Do you think football has changed for the it. I would like to do it though.” better since your day?

“All depends on the era that you grew up in, really.

Kids won’t remember now — they won’t have a clue You mentioned that yourself and Jamie Vardy who I am or even who some of the greats were both came up from non-league football. Do you from 25 years ago, but that’s just the changing think there is still going to be the opportunity for times. It’s all a matter of perspective. that in the future?

“In fact, do you want to know one of my biggest “You always hope it can happen but it is getting hates? People saying that it was better in their day. harder and harder in the modern age. I will tell It’s not about your day. It’s about the present, the you this though: it is no fluke that that an English here and now. You can’t be looking back all manager like Nigel Pearson signed an English the time.” footballer from the non-league, as I can guarantee you that wouldn’t happen with a foreign manager.

Is a foreign manager going to be driving to see You made your fi rst fi lm appearance in Lock, Wealdstone vs Stevenage on a cold, wet, Saturday Stock & Two Smoking Barrels. Do you remember afternoon scouting for raw talent? I don’t think so. being nervous?

“As long as there are the Pearson and the “Yeah, I was nervous that fi rst day. Although I Bassett-type managers in the game, then we will didn’t make it to my fi rst day as I was sat in a jail get a story like Jamie Vardy’s happening again. cell in St. Alban’s waiting to be released, on what “Non-league football has been proven to be a was meant to be my fi rst-ever day of fi lming! place where great players can be found. Just look at “I was released by my second though, and while I Ian Wright, John Barnes, Stuart Pearce; all of them was nervous I just dealt with it the same way I have came from non-league football and look at the always done: just take it one day at a time.”

Image: Moviestore/REX

I was sat in a jail cell in St. Alban’s waiting to be released, on what was meant to be my first day of filming!

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