Your Town Your Choice : Issue 35

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YOUR TOWN YOUR CHOICE

BRINGING POSITIVE NEWS TO POSITIVE PEOPLE

YOURTOWNYOURCHOICE

Independent News Ltd Independent News Limited is fast expanding to become the leading publisher of free, quality regional newspapers and magazines.

"We aim to bring positive news to all our readers plus profits to all our advertisers,�

says Chairman Duncan Williams.

INDEPENDENT NEWS LIMITED 94 NEW BOND STREET, LONDON UNITED KINGDOM, W1S 1SJ

Tel: 0871 234 1991 Fax: 0871 234 1992 editorial@independentlocals.com

www.IndependentLocals.com Registered in England and Wales. Company No. 06735182

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Your Town Your Choice magazine is committed to bringing you positive news and a diverse range of news and features... ...A great example of a positive project is ‘I Have a Choice’, a collaboration between Choice FM and Barclaycard that helps young people who are not in education or employment to explore the music industry.

This month is our fashion issue with reports from London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2011 and other fashion brands which we feel that you will enjoy.

London Fashion Week is an important event in the fashion calendar and as Somerset House is its backdrop it also shows off some of London’s wonderful architecture.

As the sun is starting to shine again, we look forward to the summer and polo season with our report on The Gaucho Polo at the O2 in February. Polo is becoming more and more accessible and with events such as MINT Polo in Park, which aims to bring polo to the masses these events are a great chance to introduce you to a sport you may not have tried or watched before as well as having a great day out with the family.

Also we bring you the exhilarating sport of free running. The Red Bull Art of

Motion event took place on the Southbank and offered a breathtaking display of aerial acrobatics as the competitor’s defied gravity and concrete to put on a truly phenomenal display.

Steven Maclean also investigates Britain’s love affair with the French Riviera and what makes it such a desirable holiday location.

Exploring the history of Britain’s holidaying on the Cote d’Azur, this article offers up an interesting insight into the area.

With the Royal Wedding just around the corner we have a fun quiz for you to see how much you really know about the bride to be, Kate Middleton and the other Royals.

I hope that you enjoy our current issue and if you have a positive news story that you would like us to report about, please get in touch.

Yours faithfully,

Jennifer Sutcliffe Editor jas@ytyc.co.uk

CONTENTS 7

Right Royal Brain Teaser

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Gaucho Polo

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London Fashion Week 2011

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MiH Jeans

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The French Riviera

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Film Review - Eyes of Laura Mars

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I Have a Choice

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Pistol Panties

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Red Bull’s Art of Motion

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10 interesting fashion quotes

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True Stories - Patsy McKie

THE YTYC MAGAZINE OFFICE 41 EDITH GROVE CHELSEA LONDON SW10 0LB Tel: FAX:

0871 2341991 0871 2341992 EDITOR Jennifer Sutcliffe

E-mail editor@yourtownyourchoice.com PUBLISHER Independent News Ltd

SALES Linda English Sonia Edwards Scott Clancy Andrew Pescud DESIGN Stef Hayes stef@hotbeddesign.co.uk ISSN 1758-1842

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Brain Teaser A short quiz compiled by James Murphy 1. Which of these schools did Prince William attend? a.) Eton b.) Worth c.) King Edward's

6. What is the title held by Queen Elizabeth II's husband, Phillip? a.) Duke of Edinburgh b.) Your lord and master c.) Protector of the colonies

2. Which of these careers once had Kate Middleton's Mother within its ranks? a.) Dental nurse b.) Journalist c.) Air Hostess

7. Who played Queen Elizabeth II in the 2006 film , 'The Queen'? a.) Judi Dench b.) Glenda Jackson c.) Helen Mirren

3. HRH Duke of York, Prince Andrew, flew combat helicopters in which major conflict?: a.) The Falklands b.) The Gulf c.) The Balkans

a.) Prince William b.) Prince Edward c.) Prince Charles

(Answers can be found on Page 30)

8. Who is first in line to succeed Queen Elizabeth II?

4. Prince Edward once launched a tv show for charity. What was it was called? a.) It's a blast! b.) What a wally! c.) It's a Knockout!

5. How many years has Queen Elizabeth II reigned for? a.) 25 b.) 59 c.) 40 www.ytyc.co.uk

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An exhilerating event enjoyed by a crowd of 8,000

Four International rge Teams Conve r on The O2 fo st ir F ’s ld r o W e Th Indoor Arena ch Polo Test Mat

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By Jennifer Sutcliffe

Teams

EF Chris H G BANK TEAM ENGLAN yde (9, D: Cap Tim Bo Max C t) wn (6) harlton (5) Adolfo CAMINO REAL TEAM A Casaba RGENTI l (6) NA: N Oscar M acho Figuera s (7, Ca ancini pt) (6) CITY A.M Chris C . TEAM rawford S COTLA (4) ND: Ja Howard mie Le Hard y (7, C Smith apt) (6) MANTIS Sipho G RO UP TEA Spilsbu M SOUTH ry (5) AFRIC S Terence elby William A: son (7, Spilsbu Capt) ry (5) Tom M TEAM O eacher X (2, Cap FORD: t) Max Tom M ayou (2 Kirchhoff (1 ) ) TEAM C Alex R AMBR IDGE: ose 0 Jeremy James Hepb urn 0 Allen (3 ,Capt) C ELEBRI (In TY P Kenny aid of British OLO TEAM Logan F & Mike orces Found ation) Bush & Charl otte Ch ell vs Liz McC ristodo larnon ulou

YOURTOWNYOURCHOICE The World’s first Indoor Arena Polo Tournament took place at the O2 Arena on 24th February 2011.

Exhilarating matches captivated the crowd and with the teams containing world class players the spectators were guaranteed matches of the highest quality.

Over 10,000 spectators packed London’s O2 arena to cheer on the four international teams that took part in the gladiatorial tournament.

The first match was between Oxford and Cambridge University.

The skill of the players promises that the England team will be strong in the future with this fledging talent. Cambridge was victorious in the end winning 13 v 10.

For the early evening match between City A.M Scotland and Mantis Group South Africa, fans of Scottish captain Jamie Le Hardy continued to chant his name throughout the warmup to entertain the crowd. As soon as the ball went into play, the arena thundered with the sound of hooves as Mantis Group Team South Africa charged toward the goal, scoring twice within the first few minutes. However, City A.M Team Scotland fought back furiously as Le Hardy clinched the final goal in the final 30 seconds of the match. Scotland won the match 14 v 11.

A special celebrity match took place at half time, which saw the likes of Former International Rugby player Kenny Logan and BBC presenter Mike Bushell take on Atomic Kitten starlet Liz McClarnon and socialite Charlotte Christodoulou. All four celebrities, who had been training hard for the past three months, wooed the cheering crowd with their newfound skills in aid of The British Forces Foundation.

The Gaucho International Polo and Ralph Lauren Ambassador, Nacho Figueras commented: “Polo is growing so quickly now and the introduction of such a great tournament to the UK during the winter offseason is a welcome addition. Arena polo is such an exciting form of the game and it will be truly special to play it at such an iconic venue in front of so many supporters.”

HPA Chairman of the Arena Committee / Chairman of the International Arena Committee Captain Michael Amoore commented: “The Gaucho International Polo is the culmination of an incredible arena season. I’ve spent a number of weeks discussing the squads with my relevant counterparts and am pleased to have selected an England Squad that will rival a strong Argentine team. Like many others in the polo community I cannot wait to see how The O2 arena transforms into the host venue for the world’s first internationals in an indoor polo arena.”

The Gaucho Polo tournament was a resounding success and I highly recommend that you visit next year. This summer you can also see spectacular polo action at Polo In the Park, Hurlingham Club, London 3rd/4th/5th June 2011. For more details about this event visit www.polointheparklondon.com.

Also this summer is the British Beach Polo Championships, 8th-9th July 2011 at Sandbanks in Poole. For more information visit www.sandpolo.com.

In the final match of the evening, you could sense the excitement from the crowd as the players from EFG Bank Team England and Camino Real Team Argentina entered the arena. From the outset, Camino Real Team Argentina put England on the back foot by taking the lead by 3 goals. However EFG Bank Team England slowly began to close the gap in the second chukka thanks to a fantastic penalty by captain Chris Hyde. By the last chukka it was neck and neck between both teams. However a long distance shot

by England number two, Tim Bown, put EFG Bank Team England in the lead. In the final 30 seconds of the match, Chris Hyde secured the victory with a fantastic goal, which clinched The Churchill Cup. The final score was England 17, Argentina 16.

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- by Jennifer Sutcliffe.

LONDON FASHION WEEK AUTUMN/ WINTER 2011 has drawn to close and after seeing over 25 shows I am fashioned out! There was a plethora of amazing clothes on offer and my new favourite designer is Georgia Hardinge who showed a stunning collection at Vauxhall Fashion Scout.

GEORGIA HARDINGE GEORGIA HARDINGE was this year’s Merit Award winner. The widely acclaimed Merit Award is chosen by a panel of industry experts and gives the winner a fully sponsored catwalk show and exhibition space at Vauxhall Fashion Scout during London and Paris fashion weeks. Georgia said about receiving the award, “I am honoured to have been chosen.

Vauxhall Fashion Scout has been wonderful advocated of my brand since day one. It is a fantastic experience to now be given the opportunity to do my first stand-alone show.”

Charlie Le Mindu provided the usual shock factor, with blood adorning his models and little else in some occasions!

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TODD LYNN JOHN ROCHA, a stalwart in the fashion world provided us with yet another fantastic show as did TODD LYNN who offered textures and stunning colours for his collection. Todd Lynn’s collection was inspired by revolt from the French revolution of the 18th century to disorder in today’s global climate. A neat, eroded shoulder builds a clean torso silhouette, darted to emphasis poise and movement, and this was echoed in the knee detail on the trousers. Collars shrouded the body as well as rising to the cheekbones, veiling the profile of the face.

BERNARD CHANDRAN The new designers are the ones to watch with BERNARD CHANDRAN offering a medley of colours; it is nice to see something other than black to get us through the winter months.

Bernard’s collection virtually brought the future into the current. Known for his sharp cuts and innovative silhouettes, we saw a new refinement in his cuts. The silhouettes were structured with nipped in waistlines.

The sleeves were inspired by sportswear but were given a chic treatment. Embellishments were strongly evident and zips were also present in a revolutionary method.

Innovative sci-fi inspired 3-D buttons adorned the clothes along with futuristic peplums. The palette was bold, red, orange, pink, electric blue and solid black.

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BELLE SAUVAGE BELLE SAUVAGE is another designer to watch and her first model came out with a hat the size of a coffee table! Virginia Ferreira and Christian Neuman are the audacious design duo behind Belle Sauvage. Luxurious silks, leather, French lace and crepe de chine were revived using a vicious colour palette ranging from gold, silver and black to muted shades of greys and blues. The season’s prints reflected the fragmented yet continuous self-similar geometric shapes which had been layered with spiritual imagery to create strikingly engaging visuals.

MARIOS SCHWAB MARIOS SCHWAB’S collection deliberated ornamentation and the connection between craftsmen and heritage. Marios incorporated adornment in intricate framed patters, cutting through rich layers of wool and leather. The pure and symbolic nature of a pearl necklace organically formed twisting drapes from the core of the dresses, which became an integral part of the silhouette rather than a status accessory. The classic combination of black and pearl coalesced with vibrant lacquer shades. Vivid teal and mustard completed a rich spectrum on tones for the collection.

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MADE IN HEAVEN JEANS was started in 1969 by the godfather of the current owner Chloe Lonsdale. Chloe studied design at Central St Martin’s and then went on to work at Nicole Fahri. She has always had a love of denim and grew up surrounded by the brand. She approached her godfather in 2006 and received his blessing from him to take over the brand. Chloe’s mother modelled for the brand in the 1970’s and continues to be a muse.

Chloe’s inspiration for the brand is focussed on the products and that the clothes are of beautiful quality and are sexy. She said: “The jeans transcend fashion styles and shouldn’t date. For example we have the Marrakesh jean which is wide leg and is the original cut as it was in the 1970’s, we have had five times as many orders for this jean in the past six months.”

By Jennifer Sutcliffe The emblem of MiH jeans is the dove which originates from the 1970’s. Chloe said: “This is a point of difference from other jean brands and it has always marked us apart.”

The main focus of Made in Heaven is jeans but there are always collection pieces of shirts, tees and jackets that complement the jeans. There is a maximum of 150 for the collection pieces and some only have a run of 20.

MiH has a strong celebrity following with Claudia Schiffer, Kate Bosworth and Rachel Weisz all wearing the brand.

The photographs show the Spring/Summer 2011 collection which is available now. MiH Jeans is stocked in Harrods, Trilogy and is available online at ASOS, net-a-porter and the MiH website, www.mih-jeans.com.

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h c n e r F e T h a healthy Br

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by Steven Maclean Ever since first gaining popularity amongst Britain's upper-classes as a winter health resort in the late 18th century, the French Riviera has been one of the UK holidaymaker's favourite muses.

Since then, long haul travel and the increased accessibility of previously closed nations have provided increased competition for vacationer’s affections, but France still ranks second only to Spain as a holiday destination according to government statistics. Despite the impact of a global recession, France received almost ten million visits from Brits in 2009, with many of them flocking to the south-east coast. But what is it that makes the French Riviera so popular with us?

Of course, France's proximity to England plays a large part in it's popularity, making it a viable option for short weekend breaks as well as for longer visits, but the Riviera is the area of France furthest away from us - and perhaps The Cote d'Azure ought to be as fond of us as we are it.

Up until the latter part of the 18th century when it became popular with wealthy visitors from across the channel, the region was largely impoverished, with fishing, olive farming and the production of flowers for perfume its biggest industries. The virtues of the region's Mediterranean winter climate were first highlighted by the novelist Tobias Smollett, who wrote about Nice in 'Travels through France and Italy' after visiting in 1763 when it was still part of the Kingdom of Sardinia. Around the same time, a Scottish doctor called John Brown was becoming wellknown for prescribing 'climato-therapy', a change in climate which he believed could help various diseases,

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a r e i v i R

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n o i t a x i f ritish including tuberculosis. Paul Gonnet wrote that as a result in this new trend Nice became "a colony of pale and listless English women and listless sons of nobility near death".

In those days there was no central heating or medicine, as we now know it, so the offer of warmer climes and the prospect of a boost to health were a big draw. Later, when rail made the Riviera accessible to people all over Europe, tourists began to flock, and by 1874 Nice had foreign enclaves of up to 25,000 people - most of whom were British.

However, it wasn't until the mid 19th century that French and British entrepreneurs started cashing in on the Riviera as a tourist destination, as opposed to a form of travel medication. But when Prince Charles III of Monaco built a casino, he still called it a health spa to avoid upsetting the church. Although the venture ended in failure, it led to the expansion of gambling and casino building in the area. With steam ships ferrying visitors from Nice to Monaco, thousands of visitors started arriving, doubling the population of Monaco and persuading Charles III to name Monte Carlo after himself.

The French Riviera had become the playground of the wealthy, with King Edward VII, Queen Victoria and other British and Russian aristocrats making it their homes from home. And by the mid 20th century famous artists and writers such as Pablo Picasso and Aldous Huxley had immortalised the area in their work, making it ever more popular.

So what is it that keeps us going back now we have centrally heated houses and the NHS to keep us well?

Obviously, there is the alluring beauty of the coast, and the weather is divine during summer and pleasant in winter, but there is more, too. Many of us are self-proclaimed Francophiles, despite an often expounded rivalry between our two nations, and the influence of our southern neighbours is perhaps most obvious in our appreciation for the finer things.

French cooking is still regarded as the world's best,

and the Provencal cuisine - with it's strong Italian influences - is famous the world over. Then there is the glitz of St. Tropez and Monaco, the Cannes Film Festival and classical French fashion taste.

One area of French style that has boomed in popularity of late is the classical interior design, so much so that many of us try to recreate the look back at home. Annie Sloan, a successful artist, designer and author, advocates bringing the French Riviera's beautiful outdoors indoors in her advice on interior design; "Leafy palm-tree fronds, dotty yellow mimosa, purple and pink bougainvillaea and other colourful plants are the backdrop to both the region and this vibrant, fresh design style. It features lots of greens, as well as other natural colours and strong architectural shapes. These need to be integrated into interiors, so don't be shy of colours and shapes with big impact."

Mark Hodson, a former travel writer for The Sunday Times and cofounder and editor of 101 Holidays, thinks some of the old factors that first won it a place in our hearts still apply; "Despite the over-commercialisation of a few wellknown spots, there are many more unspoilt and authentic towns and villages, particularly if you venture just a few miles inland.

And there are constants: the quality of the light which inspired Matisse and the Impressionists - is magical, and the climate - particularly away from the peak summer months - feels restorative and lifeenhancing. What's more, travelling to the Riviera has got easier, now that Eurostar runs direct trains from London."

Whether it’s the beautiful scenery, café culture, food, glamour, healthy climate or simply its accessibility, the UK’s love affair with the French Riviera has survived over two centuries; and there isn’t much sign of it being replaced in our hearts by a new foreign mistress anytime soon.

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Movie Review

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by Steven Maclean The long-standing bond between film and fashion is never more obvious than during awards season. At the Oscars, elegant actresses in the iconic designs of fashion's biggest names showcase the symbiotic relationship between the two industries.

The fashion world has always been an influence on Hollywood, and vice versa, but occasionally a film takes the link a step further, using fashion as its backdrop, sometimes to other, more grisly themes, as is the case with Irvin Kershner’s 1978 cult thriller: Eyes Of Laura Mars.

Money. Glamour. Beauty. Art. Fame. This is the world inhabited by Laura Mars; a leading New York fashion photographer with a penchant for stylised violence. But when the dark, kinky vogue defining her art invades her dreams, the line between art and reality begins to blur, and her

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picture perfect life starts to resemble the imagery of her portfolio.

Laura Mars (Faye Dunaway) is shaken by a nightmare of her friend and editor being murdered. A dream that she sees from the killer’s point-of-view.

When her psychic visions become premonitions – also remotely viewing gallery owner Elaine (Rose Gregorio) being stabbed from a few blocks away she becomes a suspect in the case led by the young and mysterious detective Lt. John Neville (Tommy Lee Jones).

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The two have met before, when Neville attended Laura’s previous exhibition incognito, criticizing the explicit nature of her work, which bears a striking resemblance to crime scene photos from unsolved murders. Disturbed by the similarity, Laura tells Neville she began seeing violent images at around the same time of the killings, images she incorporated into her work.

Neville appears to believe Laura, and offers her emotional support as the plot becomes a ‘whodunit’ with her ex-con driver Tommy Ludlow (Brad Dourif), agent Donald Phelps (Rene Auberjonois), and ex-husband Michael (Raúl Juliá) all depicted as creepy, possible villains.

As the film progresses, Laura’s murderous visions continue to become realities as her friends and colleagues are picked off by the as yet unknown killer. To help her through the trauma she turns increasingly to Lt. Neville, until the two finally become romantically involved despite the unsettling circumstances and absurdity of their relationship.

Eerie During murder sequences Eyes Of Laura Mars takes on a Hitchcockian feel, using sound and voyeuristic shots to create suspense, while the eerie undertone to the hustle and bustle of New York is reminiscent of David Lynch’s work in Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive. This film was clearly an early inspiration for Basic Instinct; there's the post modern theme of life imitating art, imitating life; powerful, creative women portraying sex and violence in their work, lust between a detective and his suspect, and even ice-picks used as murder weapons. There are also nods back in time from Darren Aronofsky’s latest work Black Swan, with the protagonist of that film also experiencing psychological breakdown in a world where imagery is everything.

The movie’s strengths are it’s casting and acting performances. Raúl Juliá convinces as Laura’s brooding ex-husband, Brad Dourif gives an excellent performance as her obsessive and jittery driver, and Rene Auberjonois’ character adds a touch of humour and eccentricity while Tommy Lee Jones showed his now famous icy composure to anchor the film nicely in his first major role.

Producer Jon Peters bought John Carpenter’s screenplay (Carpenter was unhappy with the film after David Zelag Goodman changed the ending) intending to cast his muse at the time, Barbra

Streisand, as Laura. But when Streisand decided not to take the role because of "the kinky nature of the story", Dunaway was cast instead, with Streisand singing the theme song ‘Prisoner’.

Dunaway does well to portray Laura as vulnerable despite her stature, capturing the increasing neurotic anxiety of a woman experiencing

freighting hallucinations while trying to cope with the extreme pressure of her job. But you never quite become emotionally involved enough to stop thinking of her as a disconnected elitist without concern for the consequences of her controversial artwork.

Critical While more recent films set within a fictional world of fashion such as ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ or ‘Zoolander’ take light-hearted comical views of their environments, and ‘Coco Before Chanel’ offers a dramatic if unsympathetic historical account, Eyes Of Laura Mars frames the fashion industry more critically, questioning its motives and ethics to suggest an uglier core beneath the chic exterior of New York life in the fast lane.

Impressively, Kershner manages to convince us of this world of loose morals where sex and violence go hand in hand using relatively little violence or gore.

This is a clever, idea heavy film with questions raised by its characters about misogyny in the fashion industry and the censorship and morality of art. Laura herself argues that rather than glamourising violence, her art attracts attention to it, and the conclusion of the film – which provides an ample twist due to Goodman’s rewriting – seems to agree with her.

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By Jennifer Sutcliffe

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Barclaycard and Choice FM help young people discover their music potential.

Barclaycard Unwind and Choice FM, part of Global Radio, have announced their partnership to provide 900 young people with their first step toward a career in the music industry.

Music Potential is a programme that is aimed at 16-25 year olds who are not in employment or education. They will be provided with a chance to learn from the best in the industry with free workshops on music production, mixing, film making and vocal skills.

‘I Have a Choice’ is run by Global Radio’s youth project which was set up in February 2010. I went down to the RichMix studios in Shoreditch to see project taking place. I was struck by the overwhelming enthusiasm of all the participants, everyone that I spoke to said how much they were enjoying the scheme and that it was really worthwhile.

Ide, 23 heard about the scheme through word of mouth and he came with a group of people. He said, “I like the music industry and it’s not an easy industry to get into, I like producing and I also like the business side.”

Leanne, 17, from Enfield, heard about the project on the radio and signed up online. She said, “I like sound engineering and I hope to get a job in the industry. I am really enjoying the project.”

Help Barclaycard’s partnership with Choice FM builds upon its community programmes which aim to give a helping hand to lone parents, charities, disadvantaged individuals and people who are between jobs. Since it launched in 2000, Barclaycard’s Community Gifts programme has donated over £1.5 million to projects with lasting local benefits. To date, more than 500 organisations and 50,000 individuals have benefitted from their funding.

Louise Guedes, Community Manager for Barclaycard comments: “We’re passionate about people and we’re passionate about music.

Barclaycard Unwide provides an exclusive world of music for Barclaycard customers and we’re keen to extend this to help the next generation of talent discover their potential with behind the scenes training in the music industry.

Dalton Long, Managing Director of Global Radio Charities and Communities, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Barclaycard Unwind’s Music Potential.

Global Radio sincerely believes in helping young people to unleash their potential, gain skills and confidence and in some cases, to enhance their chances for education and training.”

Music Potential supports Banking on Brighter Futures, Barclay’s flagship community investment programme, which draws on Barclays expertise and skills as a financial services organisation to help disadvantaged people achieve financial independence and security.

Become a member of I Have A Choice – Music Potential Facebook page and to find out more about Barclaycard’s community programmes visit www.barclaycard.com/wesupport/community.

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by Jennifer Sutcliffe

Pistol Panties is the brainchild of the designer Deborah Fleming who wanted to bring glamour and excitement to the swimwear market.

Deborah has a large celebrity following and her designs are worn by Claudia Schiffer, Kelly Osbourne, Mariah Carey and Kelly Brook to name a few.

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eborah envisages that you can wear her designs on the beach as well as with a pair of heels to the disco! For her latest collection Deborah took her inspiration from Studio 54 and wanted to put its ethos and vintage glamour into the swimwear.

The fabrics, prints and cuts are very much inspired by the 1970’s.

Deborah said: “As a swimsuit or bikini is only covering five percent of your body it should be glamorous.”

And glamorous it is. For the Spring/Summer 2011 collection the fabric is from Switzerland and has a silk like feel to it. Kate Moss, in a campaign for Vogue Sunglasses, wore a red piece that is one of Deborah’s designs.

Deborah’s sizes go up to a size 16 so they cater for the curvy girls and with the beautiful ruffle detailing on some of the bikini bottoms and cut outs in the swimsuits they extenuate the womanly figure.

tol Panties ation visit the Pis For more inform istolpanties.com w.p ww te bsi we

The prices are £90-110 and £120-200 for the high end range. Pistol Panties is stocked in Selfridges and the Pistol Panties shop in Notting Hill, London and it is also available online at ASOS.com and also on the Pistol Panties website.

Deborah also designs lingerie and her Disco range is available exclusively at John Lewis where briefs are £18 and bras are £32.

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By Jennifer Sutcliffe

FREE running fans at the Royal National Theatre on London’s South Bank on 20th March were lucky enough to witness the world’s most talented free runners competing at the top of their game in Red Bull’s Art of Motion free running competition.

Tim Shieff (pictured) from the UK put on a dramatic and entrancing display of free running which had the crowd of 8,000 going wild and it proved too good for the rest of the field as he took the honour of winning the prestigious competition in this free flowing art form.

Red Bull Art of Motion was a one-off event that saw 25 of the world’s best free runners leap and flip their way across the multi-leveled building as they went head-to-head in the first competition of its kind in the United Kingdom.

Not only were fans treated to some of the most talented free runners in the world twisting, flipping and jumping down the specially designed, heart stopping course; they also got to witness YouTube sensation Danny MacAskill, traverse the same course on his street trials bike. Trials legend MacAskill, has gained notoriety for his incredible stunts and he definitely didn’t disappoint fans last night with yet another stunning display of skill.

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The dramatic outdoor spectacular saw Tim Shieff, Ryan Doyle and ten other athletes push their bodies to the limit and reach the final at the National Theatre. A panel of four judges, who are among the world’s best known exponents of parkour, decided that Tim Shieff was the best athlete on the night.

The competitors were judged on their creativity, execution, flow, and technical difficulty.

UK Red Bull Art of Motion Champion 2011, Tim Shieff said after his victory: “I feel ecstatic to have won the first Red Bull Art of Motion competition to be held in the UK, I’ve competed at similar events in other countries and the London crowd finally helped me to win on home turf.”

Free running is a form of urban acrobatics, in which athletes perform tricks using the obstacles in the environment around them. Incorporating elements of parkour, the free runners will pull off gymnastic moves, such as flips and spins, as they navigate their way across a designated course, which will offer them plenty of opportunity to attempt heart-stopping stunts.

During the first round of the competition, each of the competitors has 80 seconds to freestyle across the course, showing-off on and utilising several different obstacles and features.

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10 interesting

1. “I don't know who invented the high heel, but all men owe him a lot.” - Marilyn Monroe

2. “Fashion is made to become unfashionable.” - Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel uickly for y die too q e th d an rn ina Ballard s are bo em.” – Bett 3. “Fashion th ve lo to learn anyone to

4. "Fashion fades, style is eternal".

- Yves Saint Laurent

5. "Be sure w hat you want and be sure about yourse lf. Fa it's about good shion is not just beauty, attitude. You have to believe in your self and be st rong".

- Adriana Lim a

8. "Fashion is merely a form of ugliness so un bearable that we are compelle d to alter it ev ery six months". - Osc ar Wilde

9. “You can't pretend that everybody likes Versace. It would be boring. It's better to create a reaction than to create no reaction.

That's dangerous.” - Donatella Versace

d t be boring an ly rule is don' ort to on sh he o “T to is .

10 u go. Life yo r ve re he w dress cute ris Hilton blend in.” - Pa

6. "Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-itsafers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary".

- Cecil Beaton

I clothes. 't design n uren a o L d h "I . lp 7 ms". - Ra a re d n desig www.ytyc.co.uk

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True stories

by Jennifer Sutcliffe TEN years ago my life changed dramatically through the death of my son, who was shot in Hulme, Manchester. Dorrie was a vibrant lad with a caring heart and an undying loyalty to his friends. In fact, his death really opened my eyes to how much he was loved by the people around him. One friend paid this tribute: 'He cared more for me than my dad ever did.'

Till the fatal shooting, my life - work, church, family - was ticking by nicely. I raised six kids who were all doing well in university, sport and their careers. When Dorrie was growing up, he was a much-appreciated pupil at school, with good reports that commented especially on his character. Dorrie, who had never been in trouble with the police in his life, became the centre of a police enquiry through his death.

lose one “You do not without of your kids a purpose...”

You do not raise kids without purpose and I am convinced you do not lose one of your kids without purpose either. For me, my pain and my faith became a window into the community. After his death, my house was filled with young people, parents and elderly people who live in the neighbourhood.

Some time later I met with a group of around 15 mothers whose children had been a victim of gang shootings or other violent acts, and 'Mothers Against Violence' was born.

Our deepest desire is to put something back into the community. This aim has brought me before great men, including MPs and the Prime Minister. We are advising the Government on gun and knife crime legislation. We come alongside grieving and concerned parents. We go into schools and

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by Rob Purbeck

Patsy McKie, vowed to put something back into the community following her son’s brutal murder break the taboo about gangs and violence.

We need to talk, and much more important, we need to listen.

Nelson Mandela said: “When women begin to take an active part, no power on earth can stop us from achieving freedom in our lifetime.'

There is an enormous strength when people come together to join their vision, talent and energy in their aim to transform a part of the hurting society in which we live. Heaven help us if we become apathetic to the violence, numb to the pain, and deaf to the cry of the youth around us.

Ten years on from the day my son died, my life has changed dramatically. The loss we feel in our family has given me compassion for young men. I have such a sense of purpose and feel I was born to make a difference.

In many cities, Birmingham, London, Leeds, Huddersfield and Nottingham, mothers have become an active part of this struggle, with a steadfast commitment to see change come into our family and community life.

Local media is very important to us. It gives us a constant opportunity to give an account of the hope we have.for the community. That hope has shaped me. It also has the potential to shape other individuals and even the whole community for good.

• Patsie McKie Mothers Against Violence

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YOURTOWNYOURCHOICE

ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ (from p.7) 1: a, 2: c, 3: a, 4: c, 5: b, 6: a, 7: c, 8: c

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