La di da - Issue 1

I SS U E 1 se p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3

A da mned fine read for No rther n H i g h So c i ety

ÂŁ5 WHERE SOLD

THE GREAT, THE GOOD, THE GLORIOU S

Curtsey for

ISSU E 1 sept e m b e r 20 13

McQueen Fa s hi on roya lt y f or a u t u mn

Fashion get foxy

Ferrari Dino

Re d hot h unt i ng

hand b ui lt i n th e N orth

At home with Lord and Lady Howard

V12 VANTAGE

V12 VANTAGE S

Fabulous People

Inroducing Ms Frankii Wilde Model & Burlesque Performer

Iconic bu rlesq u e p erform er and the d riv i n g force behin d th e cel eb rat ed Headline Ho n eys B u rl esq u e show, Fran ki i W i l de h as always been art i st i c an d stu d ied G raph i c Desi gn an d photography at C l evel an d College of A rt an d Desi gn . “ I’m very cre at i ve an d this e nvironm en t al l owed me to th rive an d research so man y a rt form s t o form my in spirati on . B u rl esq u e i s more of an art p erform an ce than a d an ce. It i s a creat i ve ou tlet an d I t h i n k w h en women come t o m y cl asses i t gives women t h e con fi den ce to be a wom an an d t o b e glamorou s. E ach rou t i n e need s to be research ed becau se you h ave t o fi n d t h e emotion th at you w an t t o convey on s t age.

www.fra nk i i wi lde.co.u k i nfo @ fra nk i i wi ld e.co.u k www.he a d li ne ho ney s .co.u k i nfo @ he a d li ne ho ney s .co.u k

T h e V eg a s by Da m a ris at L ingerie by Ann ette w ww. li ngerie byannette. co m Tel: 0 1 9 1 3 7 0 9 9 6 0

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We made this...

J us t a fe w o f o u r fan tasti c contr ib utor s. Meet o ur househ old, t h e y’ r e a ll roya l ly ta len ted…

K i n g Ge orge The name’s Bond, George Bond. Our 00 fabulous of the interiors world went undercover for us and got the inside scoop on a top secret Gentlemen’s club. A regular on TV, he was resident designer on ITV’s Better Homes show for over five years, and during this time became one of the most respected and highly sought-after designers in the UK.

Q ue e n o f b us i n e ss Award winning journalist Deborah Johnson is ex Deputy Business Editor of the Northern Echo and has interviewed some of the top entrepreneurs and CEO’s in the country. She brings her expert take on business to our pages and will be featuring some of the UK’s biggest names in a series of insightful interviews with the region’s movers and shakers.

Pr i nc e a m on g s t p r i n ce s Our motoring columnist, Graham Courtney is the Formula 1 Correspondent for TalkSport. He also regularly provides car road tests and reviews to magazines and radio stations all over the country and has his own sports and classic car magazine Autoh! He also happens to be a damn fine gentleman at the top of his game. www.autoh.co.uk

Po nt e la n d Pr i n c e ss Sarah Louise Robertson has every iconic global superstar on speed dial and is Entertainment Editor for OK Hot Stars Magazine and Star

Magazine. Hailing from royal Ponteland, she will be heading up our entertainment columns and giving our readers the inside skinny on all of the top names.

Fas hion p rince ss Immensely talented 22 year old Lauren Elise Sutcliffe has provided the illustrations for this issue and is our resident fashion illustrator. Illustration has helped her overcome the difficulties she has faced in her life and nothing makes her happier than to make others smile when they see her work. She makes us smile a lot. She studied Fashion Journalism at Sunderland University, and art, fashion and textiles at Newcastle College for three years and we are delighted that we can showcase her talents.

F ir s t L a dy of F e atu res Jo Dunbar has worked at a senior level on some of the top national woman’s magazines and still writes regularly for Glamour Magazine and Handbag.com. Her first mission for us was to go seek out the finest gins known to humanity. She didn’t let us down.

Societ y p rince ss Our gorgeous Society Editor Helen Storey is a model and part time fitness trainer. She is a regular on the North party circuit and regularly rubs shoulders with her celebrity friends when she is not holidaying in Monaco, Las Vegas and the South of France. She will be reporting on the most september

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prestigious parties and gaining us exclusive access to the lives of the uber fabulous.

F ir s t la dy o f p i ct u r e s Award winning photographer Jade Turnbull is also a model in her own right and is the entrepreneur behind the website Di Alta Classe. Her fashion photography has been featured in magazines and books and her work has recently been featured in Vogue Italia. Check out her fantastic images on www.jadephotography-online.com

T he m ak i n g o f t h e f ro n t cov e r Royal thanks go to Stunning location Auckland Castle Tel: 01388 743 750 www.aucklandcastle.org MODEL Lia Sundin, Models By Annette Tel: 0191 370 9960 www.modelsbyannette.co.uk make up Jo Leversuch Tel: 07815 835 211 www.makeupbyjo.co.uk HAIR JAMES REID Tel: 01325 483 333 www.bepremierehair.co.uk STYLING Liz Lamb

A Right Royal Birth.

W

elcome to La Di Da! A new magazine for the great, the good and the gloriously fashionable of Northern High Society.

We're going to write about some amazing people leading really interesting lives as well as providing some serious eye candy for the forward-thinking fashion conscious connoisseur.

La Di Da has a dream line up of super talented, award winning journalists, many of whom have worked on high profile publications, alongside some incredibly talented photographers and designers.

Our manifesto is to create a magazine that is the equal of any in London or New York, both in design and content, because we think the North deserves only the very best.

We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we have enjoyed making it!

Chin chin,

Linda and Liz

Li nda Ja ne WE S TPHA L Editor in Chief Contact Li nda: you r maj@ la di da . co.uk Li z Lamb Ed itor a n d Style Di re c tor Contact l iz: q ueen IE@ la dida . co.uk

Pr i vi le g e Clu b Access all a reas

B ecome L a D i Da Social it es

Want to see some more? Email us at subscriptions@ladida.co.uk and we will make sure you get a little dose of La Di Da coming through your door on a regular basis. We’re offering a special introductory rate of just £18 for 6 issues which includes free membership to the privilege club with a host of VIP treatments from major brands.

Don’t forget to like our facebook page and follow us on instagram and twitter for some seriously good offers and competitions and all the latest trend info.

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LaDiDaMagazine LaDiDaMag

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The devil is in the detail

jo

LEVERSUCH

PROFESSIONAL MAKE-UP ARTIST www.makeupbyjo.co.uk • jo@makeupbyjo.co.uk • 07815 835211 Ah_tests.indd 36

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ISSUE 1

sep te m b er 2 0 1 3

65 Go North.

10 At home with Lord

32 Heir apparent.

La Di Da pays a visit to historic Carlton Towers.

Meet hairdresser to the stars, entrepreneur, artist, Adee Phelan, our new exclusive columnist. He’s fine and fabulous.

and Lady Howards.

13 Diamonds to Newcastle.

Forget Newcastle coal dahlings, it’s all about a different kind of rock now.

Adam Smith leaves the Ritz for rural Yorkshire. La Di Da finds him cooking up a storm for the locals...

71 The Aston Martin V12

34 Marco Pierre White

Vantage S gets put through its paces by the team at AutOH! magazine.

devises a special menu for La Di Da.

58 Urban dandies.

William Hunt talks trilbys and their northern line.

63 Game Gal. Our Champagne and Wine Editor Angela Metcalf gives us her top tips for fabulous game pairings.

66 Posh Nosh

14 Ferrari Dino, made in Co Durham.

We visit God’s Country for supper...

Italian design, Durham know how.

18 Hunting gets

seriously foxy.

Follow the fashion pack.

23 Cake and Shoot.

Shotguns and cake, what’s not to love.

26 Meeting the

establishment.

Liz Lamb chats with Chairman Angus Cundey from iconic tailors Henry Poole, on the eve of their Bowes Museum exhibition.

We get an insight into the daily life of uber famous entrepreneur and fundraiser Graham Wylie.

80 Paris Dahlings?

Catharine Hewitson writes about her love affair with Paris.

92 Our Society Editor

Helen Storey gives us an inside glimpse into her fabulous life.

98 Meet sunny, our new columnist, rock 'n roll

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The hottest A/W looks from McQueen et al.

dog and friend to the stars...

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A damned fine read for N orthern High Society

Society wedding.

A sneak peak at an uber fabulous fairytale Yorkshire wedding.

Editor in Chief Linda Jane Westphal Editor and style director Liz Lamb Design and publishing Curious 12 | info@curious12.com | Tel: 01388 743 751

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La Di Da gets sporty and we talk golf with Lee Westwood. september

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74 Wylie’s World.

All contents copyright ©2013 La Di Da. All rights reserved. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility can be accepted for inaccuracies, howsoever caused. No liability can be accepted for illustrations, artwork, advertising or photographic material while in transmission or with the publisher or with their agents. All information is correct at time of going to print.

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Fabulous People

Rock , n Roll blonde. september

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WORDS LIZ LAMB

F

Fabulous People

rom partying with J-Lo to hanging out with celebs in LA, Lucy Ratcliffe knows how to rock’n’roll.

Her life has been a flurry of flashbulbs, catwalks and cocktails ever since she was crowned Britain’s Next Top Model a few years ago.

From treading the runaways in Paris and Milan to gracing the cover of many a fashion magazine, Lucy has come a long way since her days growing up in the sleepy seaside town of Whitley Bay. Though life has been less about modelling and more about motherhood of late.

The 28-year-old, who dates fashion entrepreneur Amal Guessous, recently gave birth to her second child Isabella.

Not that you can tell. Lucy still has a figure to provoke eye-watering envy and despite meeting her when she is make-up free and sleep-deprived, the catwalk model looks sensational.

Her focus, besides looking after Isabella and her big brother Tiger, two, is still very much fashion having joined forces with Amal to help run A&G, a rock’n’roll couture store in Knightsbridge.

“We have quite a few celebrities who come into the boutique,” says Lucy. “Amal is friends with Naomi Campbell so she comes in whenever she is in town and we get a lot of the Chelsea footballers in and Ronnie Wood has visited too.”

It’s through her boyfriend’s friendship with Naomi

Campbell, that Lucy found herself partying with J-Lo, Dr Dre, Grace Jones, Marc Jacobs and Princesses’ Eugenie and Beatrice.

“It was so bizarre,” laughs Lucy. “It was Naomi’s 40th birthday and she flew us out to the South of France and there were all these A-listers at her party.

“It was just before Tiger was born and I was seven months pregnant. I couldn’t drink but I had so much fun.

It was fantastic.”

As well as the boutique, there is also a sunglasses range, a new jewellery collaboration with fashion house Balmain, and plans to expand into Japan, China, Russia and the South of France.

“I take care of everything to do with the shop,” says the model. “Amal loves to brainstorm ideas with me. I bring in high fashion elements and we mix it with his style. The fashion line is very rock’n’roll and edgy.”

Celebrity fans of the A&G label, which has been stocked in Harrods, include Samuel L Jackson, Usher, Seal, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone, Naomi Campbell and the late Michael Jackson.

The couture collection includes high-end leather pieces, cashmere tops, gold and silver jewellery and statement T-shirts.

Lucy has even turned her talents to designing. “Cher actually wore one of my tops for her shows in Las Vegas.”

A & G , Wa lton Stree t, K ni ghtsbr i d ge, Lond on www. a ma lguess ous . co.u k september

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High Society

E D I TOR LIZ L AMB s p en d s a n even in g i n t h e compan y of Lo r d a n d Lady Fit z a l a n - Howa r d at t h eir North Yo r ks hi r e ho m e.

S H E f i n ds a dow nto - ea rt h co u pl e com mi t t ed to the su rvi va l o f thei r Vi c to ri a n goth ic s tat e ly h o use.

At home with the

Howards.

“W

e got terribly pissed and I couldn’t remember a single thing about the place,” laughs Lady Emma Fitzalan-Howard as she recalls her first date with her husband.

She had been invited to the imposing Carlton Towers for a shooting weekend and ended up falling in love with her future husband, Lord Gerald Fitzalan-Howard, brother of the Duke of Norfolk whose seat is september

the historic Arundel Castle.

“We’d met earlier at a wedding in Surrey and he invited me up to Carlton Towers for the weekend,” recalls Lady Emma.

“I arrived on the Friday night and we got so drunk, so pissed, that I couldn’t remember him showing me around the place, so he had to do it all again the next day.

“Life has been more or less like that ever since,” laughs the petite 52-yearold, who looks at least 10 years younger.

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The couple fell in love at Carlton Towers, a 16-bedroomed stately home nestled in 1000 acres of land in North Yorkshire close to the East Riding of Yorkshire border.

Gerald was flash when they first met.

He drove a Maserati, always wore a bow tie and walked grandly with a stick.

They married here in the winter of 1990 in a lavish ceremony attended by 320 guests. Lord Gerald’s father was Major General Miles Francis Stapleton Fitzalan-Howard, the 17th Duke of

High Society

I t was gh as tly, It was so, so depre ssing.

The kitchen was rat infested. We had thi s lovely flat and a lovely life in London, we had no friends up here

Norfolk, who also inherited the Barony of Beaumont and the Barony Howard of Glossop.

“He hoovered up titles,” laughs Lord Gerald.

The Duke’s mother Mona, Gerald’s grandmother, was a British peeress and a Stapleton, whose lineage can be traced back to the village of Stapleton, near Darlington.

Gerald inherited Carlton, where his grandparents lived and raised their eight children, who all had names beginning with M, and his elder brother inherited the Duke of Norfolk title and a castle.

It has been their home for over two decades and is where they raised their children Arthur, 22, Florence, 20 and Grace, 18, who have since left for the bright lights of London but occasionally return when they are need in rest, recuperation and a hug from mum!

“When Emma and I married in 1990 we had a lovely flat in London but we thought we’d go up to Carlton and make a go of it,” he says.

“We arrived on a cold November night, after our Alfa Romeo had broken down, as they do, with Arthur, who was two months old, crying his eyes out in the back.”

The family were in for a shock. The house had fallen into disrepair and there was a monumental amount of work needed to transform it into a home.

“It was ghastly,” admits Lady Emma.

“It was so, so depressing. The kitchen was rat infested. We had this lovely flat and a lovely life in London, we had no friends up here and I just though what have I done.

“There was some sort of train club using the property for meetings. I’d be in my room with a small baby and then these train-spotting weirdos with their train sets would be walking past the window.

“I thought what’s going on. I thought I was in some sort of parallel universe.

I was in North Yorkshire with lots of train buffs!

top, c arlto n tow e rs in no rt h yo rks h ire a n d a bove, a lu x u ry bathro o m des igned by l ady h owa rd

“But we decided to make a go of it and we have not stopped since.”

The Fitzalan-Howard’s family motto is “Mieux Sera” meaning ‘It will be better’ and it was. They set about repairing the house which is now a beautiful property with large bedrooms showcasing antique four-poster beds, modern bathrooms with free-standing baths and a fabulous Venetian dining room inspired by the Merchant of Venice. september

They recently opened Lusso, a spa treatment room, to complement the events they offer. Guests can also indulge in traditional country pursuits such as tench fishing on the 11 acre Carlton Lake and game and clay pigeon shooting around the estate or partake in the famous ‘High Pheasant’ clay shoot just off the Baroness’ Tower.

With the phenomenal costs of running such a property-Lord Gerald refuses to

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reveal how much his bills are-they have turned their inheritance into a business, opening up the home for weddings, shooting parties and corporate events.

“We love it when there is a wedding on,” says Lady Emma. “We’re here peering out of our dining room window to get a glimpse of the bride.

“Or I’ll be in the bathroom brushing my teeth, getting ready for bed, and I can hear

High Society

L e f t, LORD a n d l a dy howa r d a n d A bove, LORD a n d l a dy howard with their three ch ild re n

Two of t he s tun n i n g b ed rooms at c arlton tow e rs

Michael Jackson being played upstairs so then we’re bopping around the bedroom. I love it.”

The couple live in their own enclosed wing of the house, the original Manor House, which has its own lounge, kitchen, bedrooms and a private chapel.

“You must excuse the mess,” says Her Grace, as we enter the dining room, where the table is piled high

with crockery, clothes and other paraphernalia.

“Gerald’s mother died recently and I have been sorting out lots of stuff.

“That’s the Ebay pile,” she says as she points to a mound of children’s clothes, with not a hint of irony.

Lord and Lady Gerald are dog lovers and are constantly followed from room to room by their two black Labradors

and a Jack Russell called Sprout.

There is a moose’s head on the wall which they have affectionately christened Bernard. “It’s all very Fawlty Towers,” laughs Lady Emma, as she shouts at Sprout, who is barking for attention, to shut up.

Despite the splendour of Carlton Towers, the Lord and Lady, have managed to en-capture a homely feel.

Even in the public areas there are plenty of personal touches. Beautiful portraits of various ancestors adorn the walls and family photographs of their daughters with The Queen and Princess Diana line the sideboards.

There are even pictures of Lord Gerald’s father, a Roman Catholic, with the Pope.

In the Lord and Lady’s private lounge their is a pile of military attire. Lord Gerald grabs a historic military coat and hat and proceeds to put it on.

Lady Emma says: “We’ve been invited to a fancy dress party and the theme is military or national dress so Gerald’s been digging out all his father and grandfather’s stuff.” No need for fancy dress hire in this household.

The Lord and Lady are intensely proud of their rich heritage. They recall the time the house was used as a film location for A Handful of Dust, based on the Evelyn Waugh novel of the same name, which starred Kristen Scott Thomas, Dame Judi Dench and Anjelica Huston.

The 17th Duke of Norfolk appeared fleetingly in the movie. Lord Gerald recalls: “They said to my father would he like to be in the film. He said marvellous.

“They said, there is a part of a gardener, would you like to play that Your Grace, come down to wardrobe and we’ll kit you out.

“My father said no way. He went upstairs to his bedroom and came down in his gardening gear and his own Tweed jacket.

“You can see him in the film doffing his cap after Anjelica Huston lands in a plane in the grounds. They kept telling him not to do it but he carried on regardless.

“In the film you can just see him in the background about to doff his cap and then they cut him out,” laughs the Lord.

“He was a lovely man, my father.”

C arlton Towers , Carlton, North Yor k sh ir e. Te l: 01405 861 662 c a r ltontow e r s. co.u k Wi t h D ow nton Abb ey returning to TV sc r ee n s this a utumn , guests a re in vite d to t rav el bac k to a byg o n e ‘ Downton’ era, by tak ing adva n tage of a n exc lusiv e use pa rty at Ca r lto n Tow er s f rom jus t £ 2 9 5 pe r p e rson. Base d on 1 0 peopl e it in c ludes c ha mpag ne on a r riva l, lu n c h, af te rnoo n t e a , a f ou r cou r se d i n n er, luxurious be droom s for a ll gues ts, exc lusi ve use of the ho use a nd d e di c ate d house sta ff a n d a Yor kshir e b re a kfa s t. september

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City Scene WORDS LIZ LAMB

Diamonds and thri11s.

O

pulent surroundings, fabulous champagne and beautiful diamonds-welcome to the decadent world of the Thrill Room.

Relax on velvet-covered seats or hang out at the champagne bar as you eye up £60,000 diamond rings and other truly-tempting gems.

It’s all on offer at the Thrill Room, a new shopping concept for the North brought to you by luxury jewellers ROX. The retailer is opening its first store outside of Scotland in October and is heading to the new Monument Mall development in Newcastle.

“We’ve been looking to open a store in England for some time now and when the opportunity came up on the corner of Monument Mall, we jumped at it,” explains Kyron Keogh, MD of ROX. “We have transformed the space into a spectacular dual level store which has its

own Thrill Room, complete with a luxurious champagne bar.

“We offer our customers a VIP experience from the moment they step through the door and the Thrill Room is the absolute essence of that.

“Our customers can come in and relax in style with a glass of fine champagne as they browse our stunning selection of diamonds, each piece handpicked for its own unique beauty.

“We have a beautiful range of diamond engagement rings and our Thrill Room has also been very popular with couples getting engaged in ROX with a glass of bubbly to celebrate.

“The Thrill Room also doubles up as a fantastic event space and over the years we have hosted exclusive events for our VIP customers headlined by charttopping stars including Emeli Sande and Labrinth.

“We are all about diamonds and thrills.”

So La Di Da! See you at the bar! september

ABOV E , ROX H a lo D i a m o nd Ri nG , £ 6 0 , 0 0 0

T h e T hr ill Ro o m at ROX Edinbu rg h. ROX has pro m i sed t hat t h e Ne wc a s tle T hr ill Ro o m will b e jus t as lux ur io us a n d o p ule n t

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Feature

Hand built in the

North.

Mee t t h e i co n ic Fer r a r i Di no, mad e i n Co u n t y Dur ham…

Words Linda Jane WESTPHAL

D

ismantling a toilet cistern at the age of four to see exactly how it worked signalled young Chris Paddon’s fascination with engineering. Even his mother’s dismay when, on pulling the chain, she then flooded the bathroom, didn’t damp his passion for trying to make his own improvements.

In his twenties Chris spent every spare hour working on a variety of cars until at the age of 30 he took on his first kit car.

“It was possibly an early midlife crisis,” he jokes, “but the truth is I wanted an open top car that I could ‘play’ with. I felt proficient enough to take on a build and I had the space to do it. I researched the market and then choose a kit at the budget end of the

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market called a Robin Hood that took about a year to build.”

However, when his son came along in 2009, he realised that this wasn’t the right car for the planned father and son trips out and in 2011 he headed down to the kit car show at Stoneleigh to start to look for a new project. His shopping list included a car that had a roof, ideally a convertible, and that he would be able to build on to an existing car to remove the complexity of the Individual Vehicle Approval process.

“There were several kits that looked tempting, but the JH classics DGT stood out as a car that looked astonishing,” says Chris. “The DGT is based on an MR2 MK2, which carries many design traits of the original Dino 246 GT, including the curved rear window. It’s almost as if Akio Yoshida,

Feature

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Feature

In gr e d ie nts f o r a Din o Ki t Car John Hurst (JH Classics) www.jhclassics.com Tel: 01278 661 316 John Hurst (Auto Refinish) Tel: 01207 581 600 Paul Woods (Woodsport) www.woodsport.org Tel: 0191 3770 962

who designed the MR2 MK2, had penned the design Dino. I just loved the whole concept.”

The owner of JH Classics, John Hurst, chatted to Chris about the basic build process at the show. He had just started manufacturing Kit cars after a number of years out of the industry, pursuing other interests. He was mainly offering turn key cars, built by himself in his workshops in Somerset and had priced up a home build car, but hadn’t sold any as it was brand new to the market.

Even though he liked John and his approach instantly, Chris was meticulous in his research including a trip to Somerset to visit John at his premises, and research articles in the motoring press before committing to the build.

The Kit required to complete the conversion was split into several packages to make it easier to purchase in sections rather than all at once. Main panels, including

doors, boot, engine cover boot, hinges and fixings were £5150, wheels £2200, Bright work, bumpers and chrome trims £2100 and lights and ancillaries £600.

In addition, John offers a complete replica interior for around £3,500.

“It’s been challenging but really enjoyable and John has taken on many of the modifications and feedback I have given him so it has worked out really well for both of us,” says Chris.

“My son loves his trips out in the Dino and whilst it will never be an original Dino 246, it is a sympathetic replica of an iconic car, which is in the top 10 most desirable cars in the world and it certainly gets a lot of positive attention wherever we go, which is lovely and really gratifying,” he adds.

Chris now regularly attends the kit shows with John and his team to talk to prospective buyers. He talks us through his build process.

Fi n i s h ed Fe rra r i Pi c t u r e s J a de P hoto gra p hy w w w. j a de photo graphy- o n li ne. co m Before S hots C hr is Pa ddon

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Feature

H ow to m a ke a F e rra r i Di no Once the kit was ordered, I purchased a 1999 MR2 targa for the donor car. The dismantling involved removing the bolt on panels, including wings, bumpers, lights bonnet and boot and a little fettling to get the car ready to receive the new bodywork. I then moved onto trial fitting the parts to the donor car before moving onto fitting the panels, working from the back of the car, then onto the doors and finally the front clam shell. The most important element was the alignment of the body, matching the swage lines and panel gaps. As most production cars have quite large tolerances, the kit is manufactured to allow for this and requires work to complete the final alignments.

Once the main body was on the car, it was a case of working round the car, panel by panel rubbing down to spot the highs and lows and applying fibreglass fillers to build up where required. I was then put in contact with another John Hurst, who runs Auto Refinish in Consett. They had experience of restoration work, having completed finishes on cars used for TV programmes. Before the car was ready to go for final preparation and paint, I worked round trial fitting all of the lights, bumpers and wheels to ensure the final fit was as easy as possible and wouldn’t need to disturb the paint. I also took the opportunity to tidy up the engine bay, which included spraying the plenum chambers in red crackle paint to add the Italian touch.

Once with Auto Refinish, I realised that there is an art to prepping a car for painting. Over the course of the next two months, Nigel, who was the main guy working on my car, worked over each panel, sanding, filling and smoothing out every imperfection and working through every panel gap to get them as parallel as possible. Once complete, the car was primed in a polyester high build primer then guide coated and rubbed down again to a smooth finish. Then on with the grey primer and guide coated again and rubbed down to a glass like finish. The car was rolled into the paint booth to have its coat of Ferrari Rosso Corsa 300 applied. As the car couldn’t be baked due to it being fibreglass, it was left to stand for two weeks to allow the paint to harden.

Over the next few months I refitted the interior, with new carpets, steering wheel and gear stick, then on with the lights and the bright work and then the car was ready for its MOT, which it passed with flying colours.

On the drive back from MOT, I noticed a dreaded sign coming from the back of the car – a steady plume of white smoke from the exhaust could only be one thing… a blown head gasket. After pricing up the parts, it worked out more cost effective to replace the whole engine, which I sourced from Paul Woods at Woodsport. It took three days to change the engine, including changing the fuel rails, clutch, gearbox and wiring. The whole process was straightforward, with the engine dropping out of the bottom of the car, having removed the suspension, engine mountings and coolant pipes etc.

As the paint was so fresh, I needed to be extra careful.

Unfortunately there where a few little marks that Autofinish corrected to bring it back to show standard and the car was as good as new. september

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Fashion

september

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Fashion

F ox Hu nt i ng Defin it io n: A s po rt i n wh i ch h u n te rs f o llow a pac k of h o u n d s i n p u r sui t o f a f ox

Tally

ho september

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Fashion

the toast...

the chase... september

20

the evade...

2013

Fashion

the capture...

A Big Splendid Thank You to the great, the good, the glorious Party scene Frankii wears red dress with shoulder detailing £359 Love Niche 1920s style sequin dress £175 Love Niche Long black dress with bead detailing on collar £195 Love Niche All other dresses from a selection at John Lewis, Newcastle Suits by Affleck and Moffat, Darlington Tel: 01325 380 168

STOCKISTS Love Niche, 21 Clayton Street, Newcastle Tel: 0191 261515 www.love-niche.com John Lewis, Eldon Square, Newcastle Tel: 0844 693 1749 vwww.johnlewis.com Affleck and Moffat, Duke Street, Darlington 01325 380168 www.affleckandmoffat.co.uk Riding accessories Farmway, Gainford 01325 504 600 www.farmway.co.uk

september

CREDITS Shoot director: Linda Jane Westphal Styling: Liz Lamb assisted by Rio Beadie Photography: Jade Photography www.jadephotography-online.com Make Up: Make-Up by Jo Leversuch assisted by Carmen.

Hair: Vintage Tinsel.

Location: Middleton Lodge, Middleton Tyas, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL10 6NJ Tel: 01325 377 977 www.middletonlodge.co.uk

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Models Models by Annette www.modelsbyannette.co.uk Tel: 0191 370 9660 Frankii Wilde, Lia Sundin, Amber Von Tassel and Adam Hassan Thanks to the amazing hunters and their horses for agreeing to model for us and being such good sports Lisa Halpin, Rachel Kidd, Carly Glasper, Freddie Crawford, Laura Ritchie, Rachael Lupton, Matthew Sell and Jessica Allison.

Fashion

the party... september

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Fashion

september

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Feature

The establishment.

A S AV I L E Row suit is THE ultimate wardrob e must-h ave for the s o phis t ic ated gentleman.

LIZ L AMB c hats to Henry Pool e, t he wo r ld’ s most famous tailor.

26 W

orn by aristocracy, film stars, politicians, emperors and the globe’s wealthiest men, a Henry Poole garment is the definition of male elegance.

You won’t find ready-to-wear or made to measure offerings at 15 Savile Row. A Henry Poole & Co suit is pure bespoke: measured, cut, fitted, sewn and finished entirely by hand in a process that involves three fittings and over 60 hours of man power.

Established in 1806, the tailoring business is still run by the seventh generation of the Poole family. The company is so prestigious that it is credited with having founded Savile Row itself and paving the way for a new generation of tailors.

All suits-whether they are livery destined for Buckingham Palace or a Churchill pinstripe for the boardroom-are created in the workshops below the store, continuing a long-standing tradition of British craftsmanship and quality.

The company is steeped in history. Henry Poole created suits for Napoleon III before the Queen’s Royal warrant as Court Tailor to the sovereign was conferred in 1869. It still endures today.

It was thanks to Queen Victoria’s son, King Edward VII, that Henry Poole owed its reputation as a leader of fashion.

Henry’s Mayfair premises became a hub for the swells who surrounded Prince Bertie and ‘Old Pooley’s’ was the only place for gentlemen of quality to be seen partaking of the great man’s claret and cigars at 3.30pm.

Angus Cundey is chairman of the business and greatgrandson of Samuel Cundey, the cousin of Henry Poole, who took over the running of the tailors in 1876 following the death of Henry, who had no children.

Feature

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M

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“It’s an incredible heritage,” says Angus. “We are very lucky.

We were the first tailor to set up shop in Savile Row and we like to call ourselves the founders of Savile Row. “We hold many Royal Warrants and are specialists in military uniforms. My grandfather really built the business up quite considerably and opened up branches in Paris, Berlin and Vienna.

“I have a son and he works very hard for the business in America. He is the seventh generation.”

Henry Poole & Co also created the dinner suit-later christened The Tuxedo in America. Famous customers include Sir Winston Churchill, Emperor Hirohito of Japan, Charles Dickens and Prince von Bismarck. Their Royal warrants include King George V, the Shah of Persia, Queen Victoria, King Amadeous I of Spain, The Imperial Household of Japan and Queen Elizabeth II. Angus is intensely proud that Henry Poole is continuing the tradition of bespoke tailoring as well as supporting British manufacturing.

“Over 90% of the cloths that we use come from mills in Huddersfield and Somerset,” says Angus. “We are very proud that we use British mills. The best cloth in the

world is still made in this country.”

Angus had dreams of flying planes in the RAF but decided on a career as a tailor when his old headmaster enquired why he wasn’t joining the family firm, the most famous tailors in the world.

“I thought about what the headmaster said and I thought I’d be a fool not to,” says the chairman. “I asked my father if there was a place for me at Henry Poole. He replied, of course, and sent me off to Paris where I learnt how to sew at a couture house.”

For the first time ever in the North East, Henry Poole will be staging an exhibition of tailoring at the Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, County Durham.

The partnership with the museum came about after Angus, who was staying with friends in York, visited Bowes and saw a painting of Emperor Napoleon dressed in a uniform created by none other than Henry Poole.

“I could not believe it when I saw this magnificent French Chateau that is Bowes Museum,” explains Angus. “Then I walked into the room and saw the painting of Napoleon.

When it was suggested we should do an exhibition there I said yes instantly. It is such a fantastic setting.”

He n ry P o ol e & Co Founde r of Sav il e Row: The Art of Bes poke Ta ilor in g a n d Wool C loth , opens at Bowes Museum on Septemb er 21.

Visi t www.b owes museum. org .uk september

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promotion

Winning words...

Ra m a n Se h g a l a n d h i s awa r d w inn i n g te a m .

A su n n y p er s o nal ity was alr e ady ge tt i ng R am an S e h gal n ot i ce d bu t i t wasn ’t un til he conquer ed h is language fe ars that h is ma r ke ti n g business r eally took o f F...

A

s a child Raman Sehgal was chatty and sociable with lots of friends, always destined to be popular in any line of work he choose to go into. But friends and family would probably have struggled to predict an award winning marketing and PR business that specialised in written and visual communications.

“I wasn’t a very good writer,” he admits, “but over the years working in PR I have learnt to love it. I love writing blogs, creating new content, putting ideas into words and my confidence has really grown and this has really informed my business.”

Raman fell into PR with a job at a city centre PR agency following a spell working in the brand marketing team at Heinz in London but it wasn’t until the Northumbria

marketing graduate went to college at Gateshead as a mature student to study English language that his love affair with language began.

“I was surrounded by all these 15 and 16 year olds in the class and I was 25 but I didn’t care,” he says. “It just gave me a passion for how language could be used to communicate and I love that about my business. We love our clients and feel it’s a real privilege to get to tell their stories.

The key to being passionate about their clients’ businesses is to be selective, says Raman. “We choose who we work with quite carefully and then match them to an account handler who is really experienced in that field and that helps to create a really strong relationship which makes it an enjoyable and positive experience on both sides.”

The passion has clearly paid off. His agency Ramarketing has won three CIPR awards (including ‘Outstanding Small Consultancy’) and doubled the amount of clients this year

alone. But the fact that Raman and his team are most proud of is the longevity of their client relationships in a notoriously fickle industry. The Newcastle based agency recently celebrated its four year anniversary with its clients, including the first five which continue to use its services.

“First and foremost, I think people like working with us.

That may sound a little soft but being able to build close and genuine relationships with our clients has helped us build an incredible level of loyalty. Furthermore, the relationship survives and gets even stronger when things don’t go to plan. And any agency that claims every campaign goes to plan is telling porkies,” he says.

“The only stories we tell are those of our clients and that level of trust between us and our clients is why we love what we do and why we are able to make a genuine difference to their business.”

For mor e i nf ormat i on con tac t r A ma r k e t i n g on 0191 211 1936 or check out www.rama r ke tin g pr . com | www. twitte r . com/ r a ma r ke t ingp r september

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Desolate North East?

NOT R U DDy like ly ! Our r eg ion is a c elebrat ion of bea uty wi th d r a mati c coa s t l i n es, bustl ing cities, stu nning co untrysid e, h e ritag e, his tory a n d d own r i g ht su p er - fa b u lo u sness ‌it ’s La Di Da dahling!

Thanks to www.northumberlandtourism.org.uk, www.visitcountydurham.org, www.newcastlegateshead.com, www.thisismiddlesbrough.com

september

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32

La Di Da meets c e l e b r i ty ha i r dr esse r and S e cr e t Mi ll i ona i r e Ad ee P he la n .

W HERE H ot e l Ind i g o, F e nkl e St r ee t, Ne wca s t l e NE 1 5 XU WH AT W E ATE Af t e r n o o n t e a — a select io n of fing er sa ndwiches, a ss o rt ment of pa str ies, c akes an d s co n es w i t h c lot te d c r e am an d fr u it p reserves (a nd sp ecia l ly-cre ated C rown cookies esp ec ially f o r La Di Da) . Fro m £ 1 5 .9 5 per perso n w w w.hotel indi g onewca stl e.co.uk

A

WH AT W E DR A N K c up s o f t ea a nd miner a l water (very u n-ro ck’n ’roll!)

shaved head, tattoo-covered arms and bleached jeans, Adee Phelan is not your typical millionaire.

He candidly admits he can barely read or write and struggles with figures.

Yet he is a hugely-successful hairdresser who gave Beckham his infamous mohawk during the 2002 World Cup. He has a chain of salons, a hair range, a TV career and a passion for giving people a chance in life.

Not to mention Adee’s Little Black Book full of celebrity clients and friends-Liza Minnelli, Marco Pierre White, Piers Morgan, Girls Aloud and Erin O’Connor, to name a few.

He has even cut some Royal hair but confidentiality agreements prevent him from revealing who.

This summer Adee opened up his first Newcastle salon, a move which has created much-needed jobs in a trouble-hit economy.

The hairdresser has also pledged to help the city’s youngsters by launching the Adee Phelan Academy and giving them a head start in hairdressing.

“The academy is about getting people into work,” he says. “I want to get young people off the street and into work. It is a Government-funded project that will help over a 100 young people.”

It was this desire to help others that saw the 40-year-old giveaway thousands of pounds on Channel 4’s Secret Millionaire programme when he went undercover on one of the country’s most deprived estates.

Adee has had his own battles in life. He has suffered from severe depression and had dalliances with drink and drugs before turning his life around.

Today, the former British Hairdresser of the Year’s empire is thriving. As well as salons in London, Birmingham, Bath and Manchester the business is set to grow with a flagship store in St Martin’s Lane, London, and new electrical range.

The brand will also go global for the first time with the opening of a salon in the uber-trendy Meatpacking district of Manhattan, New York.

For Adee, customer service is imperative and so is style.

His Newcastle salon is a vision of splendour with 13 pianos and dozens of pieces of art including a vast steel sculpture of an Angel suspended from the ceiling - being held down by arms from the floor by artist Ray Lonsdale.

“You always have to give good customer service because that is what people will remember,” says the businessman. “Whenever I open a salon I am always hands-on. Sometimes I call up reception and pretend to be a customer. It’s simple things like saying ’ How may I help you’, not how can I help you. I’m a bit of a stickler for detail like that.

“If anyone says ‘how can I help you’ more than three times they’re in serious trouble. It’s in their contract. It may seem anal and over the top but I truly believe in great service and my salons are run very professionally.

He adds: “I may not look like your average entrepreneur, but when I walk into a salon I want someone to say how MAY I help you. It’s those little things, those tiny intricacies, which make all the difference.”

Adee P h el a n w it h E dito r L iz Lam b

Adee will be writing a regular column for La Di Da. Read his musings on life, fashion, celebrity and art in future editions.

A d ee Ph e l a n, A rc h 4, Wes tgat e Roa d, Ne wc a s t le , N E 1 1SA .

Ca ll 019 1 261 5450 www. a dee p he l a n. co.u k

T h e s a lo n is offe r i n g L a Di Da r e a de r s 30% o ff thei r firs t visi t to the Ne wca s tl e s a lo n .

Ple a se s how th is a rti cl e to r e cei ve you r disco u n t.

I f a nyone says ‘how c an I help yo u’ more than three time s they’ RE a re IN S ERIOUS TROU BLE. It’ s in their contract. I t m ay seem over the top b u t I truly be lieve in great service and my salons a re ru n very professionally

Adee ’ s M o haw k c r eatio n fo r Bec kha m o n t h e fro n t cover o f G Q, the af te rno o n te a of f e r i ng at H otel I ndigo september

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, Marco s

a d i d la

menu.

Starter

Pe a an d H a m Soup A fresh vibrant soup with a sharp colour, bursting with flavours and fragrant herbs. Very English, traditional served with very fresh crusty bread. Local Ham Hock, slowly braised with root vegetables rosemary thyme and bay leaf for six hours in water, take the ham out the stock flake the meat down, stock is the base of the soup, drop fresh peas into the stock, touch of double cream blitzed till smooth.

H E loves s ho ot i n g a n d f i shi n g a n d h a s a lo n g - love a ffa i r wi t h the co untrysi d e.

S o wh o b etter than M arco Pier re Wh ite to c reate our ve ry - own L a Di Da din ner part y m en u.

T he acc l a i med c hef ca ught his fi rs t fish at eig ht a n d d ev e lo ped a lov e of s h o oti n g wh il e growing up o n a Leed s coun cil estat e.

To day, t h e Yo r k shir eman s p en ds h a lf h is tim e in the co u n t ry, the othe r ha lf i n Lo n d o n a nd en j oys salmo n fis hi n g , p hea san t a n d part r i dg e sho otin g a n d s ta l ki n g ro e deer .

We a s k ed M a rco to c re ate an e xc lusi ve din ner pa rty men u t h at wa s v ery L a Di Da !

Mains

Be lly P ork M arco P olo w i th butter b eans Marco Polo is a sauce with local honey, star anise, cinnamon, coriander seeds. Infuse the honey with the spices to create a sweet, fragrant and delicately spicy aroma combined with a red wine sauce (takes two days to make). The Belly Pork is slow roasted with bay leaf, thyme, garlic, root vegetables in a homemade chicken stock for three hours. The butter bean cassoulet is made with double cream infused with herbs, the butter beans, diced root vegetables and crispy pancetta. This is a rustic dish bursting with flavour and texture.

Dessert

C ambr id g e Bu rnt Cr e am All about the satisfaction of breaking the hard outer caramel shell and the discovery of the soft creme anglais custard centre and melt in your mouth homemade shortbread biscuits.

Follow the menu with a triple espresso coffee-perfect for those who like to stay up very late!

T h e M arco Pie rr e Wh i te St e a kho use i n Ne wc a s tl e ha s jus t b ee n awa r d e d a n AA Ro set t e .

Pa ul Ame r , He a d Ch ef, sa id : “ To b e a gr eat ch ef yo u h ave to have passion. Passion for food and passion for yo u r c r a ft. ” september

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City Scene

Boutique

unique.

U Words LIZ LAMB

HavetoLove recently launched its own jewellery line and there are plans for a dress collection next Spring.

They also offer a bespoke service that allows Kate to visit customers in their home and offer style advice and update them on the latest must-have looks.

“It’s really popular amongst women who don’t have time to shop such as professionals and busy mums,” explains Kate.

“It’s great to be able to offer a VIP service for clients who are time poor.”

PDATE your autumn/winter wardrobe with uber-cool label Hunt No More.

The Australian fashion brand is now being stocked at HavetoLove and includes separates such as marbled tees, twilight sky leggings and gold bar jumpers and frocks.

HavetoLove is owned by super-stylish Kate Walton who opened the shop six years ago after completing a degree in fashion marketing and has enjoyed a brief foray as a handbag designer.

The designer store has been named as one of Britain’s Best Boutiques by Vogue and has become a popular haunt for fashionistas.

Other labels include Victoria Beckham’s dvb label, Malene Birger, Stylestalker and MiH jeans.

“We have people coming from all over to buy Victoria Beckham,” says 32-year-old Kate.

H av e toLov e , 3 H aw t horn Roa d, G osf orth , Ne wc as t l e N E 3 4D E , T EL: 0191 213 1155 www. have to love. co m

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a/w fashion

S ASH AY i n to A u tu m n lo o k in g s tyli sh and ub e r-cool in McQu ee n, Mo s c h in o or W E STWOOD. Mi x wi th a Lulu Guinness hand bag and m ake lik e a c at wa lk q uee n

T H IS PAGE , Pers p e x red lip s clu tch bag £ 2 4 5 by Lulu G uinn e ss at Fe nwi c k

OPPOS ITE , Fra nk ii w e a rs f lo ra l dr e ss by Ale x a nde r M cQ ueen £ 6 5 0 at Cru ise

september

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Fashion

september

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Fashion

38

Fashion OPPOS ITE , L i a w e a r s Pa ul S mit h f lo ral d re ss £ 2 6 0 wit h D i a ne Vo n F u rs te nberg p ink c lu tc h bag £ 2 7 5 , both Fen wi c k th is page , Li a w e ar s blue & blac k Ale x a nde r M cQ u een d re ss £ 7 9 5 a nd bl ac k heel s wit h s tuds £ 4 7 5 by Alex ande r M cQu ee n , b ot h at Cr u i s e .

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Fashion

TH I S PAG E , Li a w e ar s bl ac k lac e d re ss by M o s c hi no £ 3 9 9 and Pe rs p e x red lip s clu tc h bag £ 2 4 5 by Lu lu G uinness, b ot h at Fen w i c k OPPOS IT E , A mb e r w e a r s b l ac k f lor al V ivie nn e Wes t wo od d re ss £ 3 9 5 a nd LK Benn ett to rtois es hell bag £ 1 9 5 , both Fe n wi c k

september

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Fashion

a/w fashion styling Style Director Liz Lamb assisted by Rio Beadie

photography Jade Photography www.jadephotography-online.com

makeup Make-up by Jo Leversuch www.makeupbyJo.co.uk Tel: 07815 835 211 hair Sami Nash at Vintage Tinsel www.tinseltiara.co.uk

location Middleton Lodge, Middleton Tyas, Richmond, North Yorkshire www.middletonlodge.co.uk Tel: 01325 377 977

models Frankii Wilde, Lia Sundin, Amber Von Tassel supplied by Models by Annette www.modelsbyannette.co.uk Tel: 0191 370 9660 stockists Cruise, 15-17 Princess Square, Newcastle www.cruisefashion.co.uk Tel: 0191 260 2601 Fenwick, 39 Northumberland Street, Newcastle Tel: 0191 232 5100

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2013

Fashion

print.

Priestess

of

WORDS LIZ LAMB

and exhibitors to showcase her talent.

“The response to my collection from not only the fashion world but the art world, has been overwhelming,” she reveals.

After leaving school, Amanda studied art at Queen Elizabeth sixth form, in Darlington, before winning a place at the prestigious Central Saint Martins in London.

Her stunning final collection of hand drawn black and white portraits took over a staggering 300 hours to draw of contemporary icons including supermodel Kate Moss.

Her inspiration came from looking at Renaissance paintings and religious iconography of Northern European art.

Integrated textured prints, laser cut lace and jewels with Swarovski-sponsored crystals engineered within the print to create an illusionary effect. Challenging use of fabrics normally found in luxury jets and the backdrop on film-sets were also used.

w w w. a m a nda ha r r iss on . com

H

ER prints were a sell-out at Liberty and she’s plied her trade for some of the world’s biggest design houses. All hail, Amanda Harrisson, fashion’s new high priestess.

John Galliano, Balmain, Alexander McQueen, Bruce Oldfield and our very own Gareth Pugh.

Durham-born designer Amanda Harrisson has worked for them all despite only being 23.

Now she is set for style stardom herself. The print graduate’s designs sold out within days of going on display at Liberty of London.

The former Wolsingham Comprehensive student is currently working with a well-known couture designer and has received requests from fashion magazines

september

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2013

Fashion

Guys n Dolls

opera

party

Du bb e d Barb ie Boy by p laygro und bull ies for h is love o f m aki ng outfi ts for h is Barb ie d oll s, d esigner Phil Wood h ead had th e la st laugh wh en his coll ect ion for h is new brand Buckl ey was th e toa st of Newcastle Fashion Week.

To c elebrat e, we ask ed a v ery sp ec ial team to mod el h is mo st p op ular d esigns.....

high life

ballroom

holiday chic

september

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2013

little black dress

shopping

Fashion

Buckley bespoke.

All clothes by buckley www.facebook.com/buckleybridalwear

Barbie shOot Photography David Hill Photography www.davidhillphotography.net Barbies kindly supplied by Poppy Heslop, aged 5

fashion shoot Photography by Stan Seaton Photography www.stanseatonphotography.co.uk make up Jo Leversuch www.makeupbyjo.co.uk hair Dianne Minnes Hair Stylist Tel: 07584 193 319 location Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham www.bowesmuseum.org.uk

CLOCKW IS E , FROM TOP LE FT

decadent w h ite ivo ry ta ff eta an d lac e dress wo rn wit h a ta ilo red j ack et a nd de co rated w it h p earls

swish ha n d k e rc h ie f h e m j ers e y dr ess i n g re y

smart eto n s t ri pe ta ilo red jac k et and m atc h in g p enc il s ki rt

tailored pale g r e y wo ol coat

september

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Fashion

CLOCKW ISE , FROM ABOVE

innovative tartan three-way c ap e

style bl ack an d w h ite gi ng h a m taf f eta fl a m enco s tyle d ress

power dressing batwing d ress w it h ove r -si zed collar

body con hig h co ll ar ed p e n c il d r e ss i n g r ey

september

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2013

Society Wedding

Photography Joe Dodsworth www.joedodsworth.co.uk Words Liz Lamb

A LOV E o f danc e bro u gh t Han nah Bat eman and Kenny Tindall to geth er. Th is summ er th e ball et da n cers t ied th e knot in a b ea utiful stately h om e c eremony a fter a 12 y ea r rom ance.

THE BRIDE Hannah Bateman, 31, of Leeds, lead soloist with Northern Ballet THE GROOM Kenny Tindall, 32, of Leeds, principal dancer with Northern Ballet and a choreographer who has worked with companies such as Hamburg Ballet LOVE STORY Hannah and Kenny both attended the Central School of Ballet in London at the same time but didn’t meet until Hannah landed her first job working for a ballet company in Israel, where Kenny also worked. They met in 1999, became a couple in 2001 and were engaged in 2011.

THE PROPOSAL Kenny proposed on holiday in Sri Lanka after arranging a private dining experience on the beach. “It was a very romantic proposal,” says Hannah. “He did very well. I was shocked as I had no idea he was going to do it.”

THE WEDDING VENUE Allerton Castle in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, an elegant gothic revival stately home www.allertoncastle.co.uk. “We wanted a wedding day with a sense of occasion and we wanted a sense of theatricality to it,” explains Hannah. “Being on stage we know how important a setting is and the atmosphere. I fell in love with Allerton Castle.”

THE DRESS Lady Astor by Jenny Packham from The White Room, Sheffield.

“Jenny Packham dresses are so beautiful and elegant. The fabric and cut was amazing,” says Hannah.

THE SHOES “I got some glittery, impractical shoes,” laughs the bride. She chose Christian Louboutin heels from Selfridges in Manchester. “I bought them before I got anything else,” she says.

JEWELLERY Hannah says “I don’t wear much jewellery as we have to take

Dancing in the moonlight. september

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2013

Society Wedding

everything off for work so I just wore a silver bracelet Kenny bought me for my 21st birthday.”

MAKE UP “Hannah chose Make Up By Jo, run by Jo Leversuch, to do her make-up for the big day. “I wear lots of make-up for stage performances so I had a few ideas of what I wanted. I went for a Natalie Portman type-look. Jo filled me with confidence and made the whole process simple and easy.”

Jo says “I advised Hannah on skincare and primers that could help support her skin whilst wearing stage make-up and how to start a beauty regime leading up to the wedding. Hannah has a look of Natalie Portman with delicate features, strong cheekbones and dark brown eyes so we decided on strong smoky eyes and to contour her amazing cheekbones.”

THE BOUQUET Hannah’s mum used to work at the Royal Horticultural Society gardens so she created a bouquet filled with roses, gypsophilia, chrysanthemums and eucalyptus.

BRIDESMAIDS The three bridesmaids wore sapphire blue dresses by Dessy.

GROOM’S ATTIRE Tartan trousers and waistcoat with black shirt and tie from Vivienne Westwood. Kenny chose tartan to reflect his Scottish roots.

THE BIG DAY The couple had the reception and the ceremony at Allerton Castle.

“It was brilliant”, recalls Hannah. “It was a really surreal experience. The feeling on my wedding day was not something I had ever experienced before. I have experienced real highs on stage but this was something different. All the people we loved were in one place. If you’re lucky enough to find someone you want to spend your life with and to be congratulated on that was bizarre but lovely. Normally people congratulate me on a show. It was fantastic.”

THE CAKE 120 cupcakes from M&S. THE PHOTOGRAPHER Joe Dodsworth www.joedodsworth.co.uk THE EVENING RECEPTION Guests were entertained by a band and fireworks. They also had a photo booth. The couple chose an acoustic version of 500 miles by The Proclaimers as the song for their first dance.

“We debated about whether to do a first dance at all,” says the bride. “I think people expected us to do a choreographed dance number but we dance all day every day so that would not have felt special to us.”

THE HONEYMOON Two weeks in Singapore and Thailand.

september

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2013

Beauty

Wa n t to kn ow w hat the professional s r eally use to cr eat e th o se a ma zi n g f l awl ess lo o ks? Li n da J an e WESTP HAL took a sneak p ee k in side o u r b e au t y ed’ s b at h roo m to get th e insi de sk inny….

Photography This PAGE: Jade Photography www.jadephotography-online.com OPPOSITE PAGE: Jade Angus, GASP Photography www.gaspphotography.co.uk

S

tep inside La Di Da Beauty Editor’s Jo Leversuch’s uber stylish apartment on the border of North Yorks, and you get the measure of the woman it belongs to.

Fashionable, understated and with exquisite vintage touches, this is the Jo Leversuch brand brought to life. Every corner of the sumptuous interiors is redolent of good taste. Oh, and did we say it smelt heavenly?

We think we’ve developed a girl crush.

Who better then than our little Ms Fabulous to advise on the latest make up brands and the absolute classics needed to channel your inner glossy fashionista?

Jo is an ex fashion buyer and professional make up artist trained by iconic US make up queen Ariane Poole. Her work is regularly featured in national magazines and campaigns and she has advised a host of celebrities including fashion icon Victoria Beckham.

She is also a regular on leading fashion shows including Graduate Fashion Week and Estee Lauder Breast Cancer Fashion Show so knows about creating high fashion fabulous looks under pressure. With such a diverse portfolio, it’s no wonder that she has products galore. In fact, forget the walk in wardrobe, she has a room devoted just to make up, we’re in cosmetics heaven.

However, whether it’s a high fashion look for a social occasion, smokey eyes for a fabulous ball or just a high groomed natural look, she has her trusted beauty basics that she always relies on. She talks us through her ‘must haves’

Queen.

Beauty

september

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2013

Beauty

Jo’ s Be a u ty Bi bl e Steamcream Handmade in UK and the eco limited edition tins are made in Japan. This lightweight freshly handmade cream uses high quality natural ingredients which provides a long lasting hydration to my skin. I love using this cream on my hands and body as well as it just smells divine.

skin looking fresh all day. The second item I have used for many years is the tinted moisturiser. This tinted moisturiser gives me the SPF 20 protection I need with a sheer coverage which leaves my skin feeling healthy and glowing.You can apply the tinted moisturiser using your fingertips but I prefer to use a foundation brush.

Eve Lom

Ariane Poole make-up

I have used Eve Lom for nearly 10 years and the products are pure luxury for the skin. The multi award winning cleanser which is multi purpose is one of the “must have products for the skin”. All of Eve Lom products are simple but effective skincare which leaves my skin glowing and feeling perfectly cleansed and nourished.

My two favourite items from Ariane Poole are the concealers. The first concealer, the Mineral Illuminator Pen. This lightweight light reflecting concealer click pen is perfect for under the eyes and also can be used around the lips and fine lines you would like to soften.

The second concealer Conceal and Contour Palette is a multi purpose concealer which can be used on blemishes, high colouring, uneven complexion and any imperfections. Both these products are so easy to use and again these are always in my make-up bag.

Laura Mercier I use two products for my skin base from Laura Mercier. The first the Foundation Primer Radiance creates a invisible veil to my skin which leaves my

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Luscious lips Clinique Chubby Stick moisturising lip colour. My favourite colour is Chunky Cherry. The lipstick which looks like a large crayon is so easy to use and I love the sheer finish it leaves on the lips.

Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Move. This lipgloss leaves my lips full and glossy and I don’t get that sticky feeling with the lipgloss.

Laura Mercier Lip glace in Pink Tuille. An easy colour to wear and leaves the lips feeling moisturised and the lip glace tastes so good as well!!

Bobbi Brown Bobbi Brown long wear cream eyeshadows are so easy to use. I use my fingertips to apply on the eyelids if I want to have a sheer look to the colour or if I wish to apply a stronger smoky eye effect to the eyes, i use a brush to build the colour to a more intense look.

You will be spoilt for choice, my favourite colours are beach bronze and velvet plum.

posh pants.

Lu xurio us linger i e is essent ial in La D i Da lan d a nd we a d o re Ta llula h L ove, a N o r th Eas t brand that i s go ing t o be HU G E . H ow d o we k now ? We l l thi s p a r t ic ula r L ave nd e r bra a nd k ni cke rs s e t w as f l ow n to t he S t a t e s fo r a s ho o t with Car i ne Ro i tfe l d , the exEd it o r - in-C hief of Pa r is Vogue, fo r he r CR Fas hi o n B o o k .

A nd who t o o k t he p ho t ographs fo r the s ho o t? No ne o t he r t ha n t he m ig ht y To m Fo rd hi ms e l f.

T he L a D i D a s t y le d ire c t or came ove r al l fai nt at thi s news a nd ha d t o be bro ug ht ro und by s m e l l i ng s al ts (o r t he L a D i D a ve rs io n- a ro ma of Mas o n’s gi n!)

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Riding Column

Prince C ha r le s s trode straight up to M r Kai and gave him a rub on the no se, before asking me a voll ey of que stions about him; did I ride him on the be ach? Did I hunt?

With the Percy?

Neigh bother.

Wi n s to n C hu rch i ll famo usly said : ‘ There is som ethi ng abo ut t h e o u tside of a ho r se that is good for the inside o f a man’ – a n d a g ir l, says PR co n su ltant Cla ire Thorb u rn.

I

t’s fair to say that no two days of my work are the same.

I could be buzzing around in the background of a caravan park street party celebrating the Royal Wedding at 5am in the morning, whipping up enthusiasm among bleary-eyed revellers as live TV cameras roll. Or sitting on the famous red sofa of BBC Breakfast in Manchester’s Medic City as spokesperson for the nation’s leading Armed Forces charity.

But one thing links all my days. It has a shoe fetish to rival Imelda Marcos with more made-to-measure leather wear than a haute couture design house. I’m talking about my horse, here – or more accurately my three horses.

Come 6am, I am staggering around in wellies – often – I am ashamed to admit to it, in my pyjamas - dishing out breakfasts to appreciative horses and mucking out before my working day begins. It’s a far cry from the supposedly glamorous world of media and PR. I have a gentle but ongoing dialogue with my bookkeeper about whether my horses are a taxable expense.

“But I do use them to network,” I say petulantly, as Cally removes an equine invoice with a steely look, eyebrow raised,

dropping it into my personal tray.

“And some of my best ideas come to me when I’m riding,” I counter. And this is true. I have lost track of the times I sit down at my desk, hit play on the answerphone and listen to a garbled message from myself, barely audible for the gale shrieking in the background, as I pant elusive phrases that have just hit me or mad-cap ideas as I’m riding on a wind-blasted beach.

Horses do have a way of breaking down barriers in all works of life. I have been at functions and not known another soul at the table.Yet when the subject of horses is mentioned, the conversation crackles with a shared interest and enthusiasm.

Mr Kai, my faithful hunter, led the supermodel Jodie Kidd along Bamburgh Beach during filming for the BBC ONE magazine programme, Country Tracks. He’s starred in many a picture shoot and was invited to star in Martin Clunes’ Horse Power series. september

It was Mr Kai accompanied my Other Half and I to meet His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales who was visiting our village. Prince Charles strode straight up to Mr Kai and gave him a rub on the nose, before asking me a volley of questions about him; did I ride him on the beach?

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Did I hunt? With the Percy? Do they still have those LETHAL Percy Specials.

I do hunt with the Percy, one of the oldest packs in the country and the Percy Specials Prince Charles referred to – a mix of whisky and cherry brandy - are still lethal.

In days gone by, the quarry was a fox. But today’s hounds follow a trail set by a quad bike ‘fox’ towing a scented rag.

For me, the joy about hunting is being on my horse and riding through some of the most magnificent countryside imaginable.

Riding cross-country to hounds opens up a whole new world. Countryside that is so familiar from the road is completely different atop a horse, seen from the middle of a moor or among a forest, you’ve only ever driven past.You learn how the countryside is linked by fields and big open spaces.You learn where the jumps are – scary walls that I shut my eyes to jump over – but where you let a whoop of joy out as you gallop away intact on the other side!

“Look, I’ve jumped that fence, and that one, oh and that wall, but I fell off after it,” I like to give a running commentary to my long suffering Other Half as we drive along.

September is the time of year when work to get your horse fit for hunting starts in earnest. With lots of fast work, hill country to climb and roads to trot along, horses have to be fit to do their job safely and happily.

But this year, I’m going to be doing something a little different.

Having ridden for over 30 years with a leg on each side of my horse, I’m about to pick up the reins of a new challenge. And that’s learning to ride side saddle. What’s more, I will channel my inner Lady Mary of Downton Abbey and take to the hunting field aside.

To kick start my side saddle adventures, I’ve a lesson booked on a mechanical horse, so this lady is not for turning. And if she does, it will be sideways on a horse.

Claire Thorburn is director of Impact PR & Marketing www.impactpr-m.co.uk Read about Claire’s first experience ‘aside’ in the next issue.

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Fashion

My style.

Photography Jade Photography www.jadephotography-online.com LOCATION HOTEL INDIGO, NEWCASTLE

N am e :

Alok Loomba Ag e: 33 Job t i tl e: Partner, Real Estate, Sintons

Describe your 9-5 style: Generally, I’m quite a smartly-dressed person and prefer the ‘dressy’ look both in and out of work. I try my best to look very polished and up-to-date. I have been described as a bit of a trailblazer when it comes to ‘business casual’! This is not a very popular look in the North East professional market however I am determined that’s the way we need to go.

I do wear suits for work quite a lot of the time – I have a lot of meetings which dictate that I wear a suit, and certain clients do expect their lawyer to be dressed in a suit. I do, however, always try to put my own stamp on the ‘professional’ dress code, and have my own distinct style. I think this is my creative side coming out. I am a big fan of Hugo Boss suits, but equally I find suits from Marks and Spencer are often very well cut and nicely tailored – I like their Autograph and Occasions ranges. I am quite fastidious when it comes to properly fitting clothes so I often buy off the rack and then have them tailored to my exact fit. I do have some made-to-measure custom-made suits, which I have made in India and these are sent over to me by family.

I am a huge fan of what I call ‘business

9-5

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casual’ – I think I am probably the only person in Newcastle who wears this, but I am determined that it will catch on.

For me, ‘business casual’ is perhaps a shirt with a blazer and chinos and is an outfit you can wear to a range of occasions. It always involves some tailoring which makes it smart enough for business. A lot of my work involves attending informal meetings, site meetings or sometimes even social engagements with clients, so this look really works for me. My shirts are always from Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren or sometimes Jaeger London – they are very good quality and a crisp, well-made shirt in whatever situation always looks smart.

To me, shoes are more important than anything else and I fully endorse the saying that ‘the Shoes make the man.’ I believe if you indulge in nothing else, make certain you have a fabulous pair of shoes. I usually wear brogues or Oxfords and don’t mind spending money on them. They are an investment, and if you look after them properly, a good pair of shoes can last you a lifetime. I buy my shoes from Church’s or Oliver Sweeney.

They are extremely well made.

Although they are not readily available up here, I know what fits me and suits me, so I can get them on line at Mr Porter (I am big fan of this site) and also when I travel.

Describe your evening/weekend wear: Outside of work, during the day my style is still quite smart – I’d probably describe my look as ‘preppy’ American with a touch of Italian thrown in the mix! I absolutely do not do trainers (boat shoes and loafers are my limit) – it’s just not my look. And I’m probably getting a bit too old now to pull off anything too casual. So my typical outfit would be something like an Oxford

Fashion

are very smart. I am fan of Dolce and Gabanna jeans. They are often more tailored than other brands so look a bit smarter. It’s worth spending money on a good pair of jeans – it’s very important they fit well. On top I usually wear a shirt with an interesting detail or fabric, that makes it a bit smarter than a plain shirt and a blazer or, sometimes, if I’m really going for it then a leather jacket.

Favourite high street store: I am a big fan of Reiss. Their tailoring is excellent and they do ‘smart casual’ very

well, which is difficult to pull off in menswear. I tend to mix something from the high street with something designer, which is an excellent way to create a really high end look that doesn’t break the bank.

Favourite designer store in the North East: I must confess to not doing a lot of my designer shopping in the region, and I buy most of my things from the internet or when I go on holiday to the States.

But in Newcastle, I do like Cruise and Jules B, they carry an excellent range from a number of high end designers.

Business casual

shirt or polo shirt with a pair of light coloured chinos, with deck shoes or loafers and a sweater or cardigan or casual jacket.

However, Saturday night is a different matter, and that is the time to get dressed up and make an effort - we live in Newcastle after all. Dressing up is par for the course in this town. When I’m out and about locally, I will generally go out into Newcastle or Jesmond, and have drinks at the usual top Newcastle hot spots like Livello, House of Smith or As You Like It. I will probably wear some smart chinos – I do wear jeans, but only occasionally and as long as they september

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Going out 2013

Interview

Af t e r t h e e y es o f th e wo r ld h ad b ee n on h i m i n h is lat es t nar rowly fai l e d q uest to la n d g o lf’s gr eat est p ri z e, the op en ch am pion sh i p, lee w es t wood c h ose n orth umb er la n d’s close h o use as the p lac e to tak e stock o f a pa i n f u l n ea r -m i ss. Bu t whe n lad ida’s Neil Farrington ca ugh t u p w i th wes t woo d, at th e o pen in g of the latest clo se ho use co ur se to b ea r his n a me , h e f ou n d the fo r m er wo r ld no 1’s m ood a s su nny and tranqui l a s t he se t t i n g i n ty neda le. . .

Lee

Westwood.

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B

ARELY a day after narrowly missing out on golf ’s greatest prize, Westwood pitched up in the Northumberland countryside.

Having gone so close to winning a first “major” title – the hallowed Open Championship – at Muirfield, many players might have put off promotional commitments in favour of rest and reflection.

Not Westwood, however. Not when his commitment as “attached Tour

Interview

proud to be associated with somewhere like this - a magnificent hotel, great golf courses and good people. I love it.”

Graham Wylie, the man who transformed Close House from a decaying university sports ground, is in no doubt that Westwood’s tie to the place is much more than financial.

“With other players, I guess you might worry they would look to put off commitments like this so soon after what was a draining weekend, but there’s no such worry with Lee,” says Wylie.

“A really key thing with Lee is that he enjoys meeting people.

Nowhere else strikes a better balance between high-quality hotel and high-quality golf to suit all players.

“The Filly course is now a great challenge for all handicappers. Scott {course designer Scott McPherson} has created something which – like the Colt course here - still blends perfectly into its natural setting but is a huge improvement on the course that was there before. It’s not a ‘bomb it off the tee’ course, but every hole makes you think. It’s really subtly done, with fantastic cross-bunkering in particular, and it’s certainly no pushover – I lost a couple of balls out there today.

Lee , above, w it h t he ryde r c u p and lef t, p e rf ec ti n g h i s g a m e at clo se ho u s e

professional” – or star ambassador to you and me-at Close House, the luxury hotel and golf club, is more than simply promotional.

The 40-year-old, who lives in Florida, was in the North to mark the opening of the hotel’s newly redesigned Lee Westwood Filly Course.

“This is as good a place as I can think of to come to after what was obviously a big week. No matter what I’m doing at Close House, I feel I can relax here,” says Westwood.

“That’s not just because the hotel is fantastic and the setting is great, but because of the people – and I’m not just talking about the staff here when I say that.

“The folk up here in the North East are incredibly warm, welcoming and relaxed. I feel at ease here, whatever the circumstances, and that’s massively important to me.

“I love coming here, whenever it is. I’m

“And the other important thing which helps explain why he is still so approachable and friendly at a time when others might disappear into their shell is he genuinely enjoys being here.

“You can see him relax while he’s with us. So much so that Close House is effectively a UK base for him now he has moved to Florida.”

To prove that point, Westwood’s family were due to join him in Northumberland the day after he sat down with LaDiDa. Westwood said: “I’m looking to unwind here.”

If all that isn’t recommendation enough for Close House, Westwood is in no doubt of the nationwide stature of what is still a relatively young resort.

A man who was at the heart of Europe’s Ryder Cup victories at The Belfry in 2002 and Celtic Manor in 2010 said: “For me, Close House is as good a golf destination as there is in this country. september

“The other thing to say is that the new course is in unbelievable condition, which is a tribute to its location as well as Scott’s work and the staff here. It’s gloriously lush, despite the weather we’ve been having.

“When I compare it with the conditions we’ve just had at Muirfield, which was baked hard well, there might have been a different outcome there had it been more like here.

“Conditions there were about as difficult as you could imagine – they made it a very tough test.

“But back here, you still have the Colt, which is a genuinely outstanding private members-style golf course and VERY tough.”

“Other destinations might have more history – like The Belfry, for example, but the hotel there is showing its age and the courses there (which include the Brabazon, famous for hosting four Ryder Cups) are very heavily used;

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again, unlike here with the Colt.”

To be favourably compared with probably the most iconic golf venue in England is some testament to the efforts of Wylie in creating a golfing des res in a region which has been regarded by too many aficionados of the game as merely a gateway to its crown jewel courses further north.

Westwood said: “I’d like to think golfers from further south will now look to stop off and stay and play here rather than just travel through the North East to get to Scotland and places like St Andrews and Muirfield.”

That would be further vindication for Wylie, who explained: “I wanted to create a special hotel and an equally special golf experience, and with the Colt remaining effectively a private members course and the new Filly course a brilliant, fun but high-quality test for all golfers, I think we’ve struck the right balance to deliver that experience.

“It gives me huge satisfaction to know that after working with us to develop Close House into the place you see today, Lee is as happy to spend time here, and bring his family here, as he is to put his name to the courses he helped to shape.”

Greater satisfaction still would be for more elite golfers to beat a path to the Colt course – for a European Tour event.

It is 11 years since the North East – at Slaley Hall - hosted the last of six tournaments on the regular tour, although the same venue also accommodated the PGA Seniors Championship between 2008 and 2012.

“I firmly believe there is the potential to bring tour events here – maybe beginning with a European Seniors Tour event,” saysWestwood.

“There’s still space to extend a few holes on the Colt if length is seen as an issue, although I’m not sure it would be.

Quality-wise, this place is already right up there.”

Wylie is similarly positive – but also realistic – about Close House’s tournament pulling power.

“Having just been to Muirfield for The Open and seen the sheer scale of the hotel operation alone up there, I know we won’t be hosting an event on anything like that scale,” he said. “I believe one of the key strengths of what we have here is the relative intimacy of the accommodation, and I wouldn’t want to lose that.

“But I can certainly see us hosting a Tour event, which would be a great boost to North East golf and to the region in general.”

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Interview

A NORTHE RN E R w i t h a pa ssi on f or fa s h ion a nd a ll thin gs go l f, Wi l li am Hunt h a s dressed t he likes of Robert De Niro, Tom Cruise , Davi d Be ckh am and the Manch es ter Unit ed sq ua d.

The Sav il e Row tai lor c hats to LIZ LA MB a bout ma king th e f ro n t pag es , THOSE Un i on Jack trousers a nd the se x a p pea l of a Wil l i am Hun t sui t.

Northern

pride.“I

F you can’t get laid in one of our suits, then something’s wrong,” laughs William Hunt.

Such is the appeal of one of his carefully-crafted suits that Hunt believes they can do wonders for the sex appeal of just about anyone.

“Women love men in suits, it’s a fact,” says the fashion designer. “I once had a guy come in the shop in Savile Row with his girlfriend.

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Interview

“He came out of the dressing room in one of our suits and she went straight up to him, cupped his nether regions in her hands, and demanded he take her home.

“That’s the power of a suit. Women find men in suits sexy. William Hunt is all

He opened his first store in King’s Road, Chelsea to great success and in 1998 headed to Savile Row to sell his fiercely masculine designs to celebrities, influential businessman and some of the UK’s top sportsmen.

Though, the designer became well-

stuffy golf officials but it earned Poulter and Hunt notoriety on every front page in Britain.

“I had no idea who Ian Poulter was, admits Hunt. “He called me up and asked me to make him some trousers for the British Open.

trousers at the Open were all over the newspapers, it was mad.”

Though his tailoring business is still going strong, Hunt has turned his attentions to making golf wear sexy after taking up the sport in 2003.

He also hosts the William Hunt Trilby Tour, a major golf tournament for amateurs, which is screened on Sky Sports. This year’s final in August, was held at Rockliffe Hall, near Hurworth, County Durham.

IF yo u c a n’t get la id in one of our suits, then something’ s wrong

Willi am Hun t w it h J a m e s A rc h er , P syc h e Se n i o r S a le s a dvis o r

about sexy clothes for the ordinary guy.”

Suits have made him his fortune. Born in Manchester, Hunt became a professional footballer at 18 before swapping the pitch for the design table and launching his own clothing label.

known in the fashion world, it wasn’t until he dressed a certain golfer called Ian Poulter in Union Jack trousers for the British Open, that he became front page news.

The trousers caused outrage among september

“So I made him some trousers from Union Jack fabric I had lying around in the studio. When he saw them the poor lad went pale but I told him that was all I’d got.

“The photograph of him in those

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“The tour came about as a bit of fun,” says the designer. “We thought it would be fun if we all got dressed up in our gear got together and played golf.

We had the idea to dress the staff in William Hunt.

“We set up a little website and 100 people signed up to it straight away. We had £25 grand to put on this golf event.

“Then I was given a contact for someone at Sky, I called him up and went to see him that day. I walked into his office and there he is dressed in a William Hunt suit.

“He said Sky wanted to produce the show. That was seven years ago and the rest is history.”

The Trilby Tour holds regional championships across the UK and attracts two million viewers on Sky Sports.

“I get to go to wonderful places like Rockliffe Hall,” says Hunt. “I love it so much they’d have to get the bailiffs to evict me.

“It has the wow factor.”

Hunt has a love affair with the North East. He sells his designs at Psyche, in Middlesbrough, and has been friends with owner Steve Cochrane for two decades.

“I’ve known Steve for 20 years. He is a fantastic guy. I don’t think I know anyone who works as hard as him. I don’t think he sleeps,” laughs Hunt.

“I went to visit him and he offered me a concession in Psyche. That was two years ago and I’ve never looked back.”

William Hunt is available at Psyche, Middlesbrough, Flannels in Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool and at 41 Savile Row, London.

You can always t el l a m an by t h e w at ch h e we a rs . B e s ure t o im p re ss wit h t his Hugo Boss watch with croc st rap £299. 99 Psych e, M id d le s bro ug h www. p s yc he. co. uk

O range tar t an l apt o p bag, £ 2 7 5 , at Ho us e of Fras e r Look dapper in t h ese C h arl i e brogu es, £110 by J Sh oes, available from a ran ge of q u al i t y stockists in the N ort h an d at www.jshoes.com

hotlist.

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Food

The secret caviar king.

Photography Jade Photography www.jadephotography-online.com

Fo r a b usi n ess that su ppl ies d i r e ctly to i n te r n at i o nal royalty, A- li st cele brities, world fa m o us h otels a n d hig h net-worth ind ivid uals, C a s p i a n C av iar mainta i ns a high ly d iscree t p ro fi le.

Busi ness Ed ito r Deb o rah J o hnson fi nds o ut more….

G

oogle ‘caviar’ and Caspian will be one of the first you’ll see. But with such a high profile - and even higher value client list, Caspian does not need to try to appeal to the masses. The very mention of clients is one that makes Angus CollingwoodCameron, a director of Caspian Caviar who is based in the North East smile – he is clearly asked this all too often.

His answer is brief, yet insightful. “Our client list is extremely closely guarded – but as lists go, I would say it is quite top end. We like to refer to ‘private clients’ rather than ‘customers’ and not all our clients prefix their names with Mr or Mrs,” he says.

While it is the ‘London set’ who are frequently cited as being the main consumers of caviar, CollingwoodCameron says that Caspian’s client base does not reflect that.

“It is often said that 80 per cent of the UK’s caviar market is within the M25, but our client spread does not reflect that. The North East is a region where we have many customers, and we have taken orders from well up into Scotland to the far reaches of Cornwall, and we also deliver across the EU” he says.

“People tend to think that to buy the finest caviar, they will have to travel to London to buy directly from the likes of Harrods or Fortnum’s, but the growth of the internet has enabled us to take orders and supply to wherever we are required.”

Alongside the caviar, which is all legally sourced and adheres to CITES regulations, the business also sells a range of the finest truffles, foie gras and boutique vodkas.

Clearly a man who knows the caviar market inside out, Harrow-educated Collingwood-Cameron

personally travels around Europe to source suppliers and test their produce. He is exacting and uncompromising in his standards - he will visit only certain countries, and currently sources caviar from four farms in western Europe.

“The distinction with us is that we see ourselves as a caviar business which does some fine food, where as there are many fine food businesses that also sell some caviar,” says Collingwood-Cameron, who runs the venture alongside Gloucestershire-based business partner Suzanne Shepherd. “It is vital to our business that every tin of caviar that we sell is as good as the last one, so I need to have the utmost confidence in our suppliers.

Collingwood-Cameron, a resident of rural Northumberland with a wife and three daughters, is well-known across the North East of England, but not necessarily for his caviar.

He was North East director of the Country Land and Business Association for seven years, is currently lead consultant for the Northern Farmers and Landowners Group and has a rural consultancy role with leading Newcastle law firm Sintons, and enjoys a high profile across the rural and farming community in particular.

“Caviar is much more than just another food product.

There is an excitement and romance which makes it a totally unique eating experience. But price does not always reflect quality – the most expensive is not necessarily the best. Although we stock what we believe to be the finest caviar available, we also believe it to be the most reasonably priced legal caviar in Europe.”

www. c a s p ia n c avia r . co. uk september

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TH E F I N E S T CAV I ARS

beluga

caspian Caviar stocks one of the finest Beluga caviars available. It is from Huso Huso/Baerii hybrid stock and the eggs are dark grey in colour, 3 - 3.5mm in diameter and have a fine creamy taste, with a hint of walnut.

osciestra

Oscietra Caviar is one of the famous Caspian caviars and comes from the Oscietra Sturgeon. The eggs are about 2- 3mm diameter with a colour varying from a rich golden brown to dark tobacco brown, and has a mellow nutty flavour.

sibirskye

The Sibirskye comes from the same Siberian sturgeon that are also used to produce Sturia. It also comes from the same farm in Italy that produces Caspian Caviar’s highly-acclaimed Oscietra and although less well-known, Sibirskye is equal in its popularity to those who have tried it.

caspian gold

A rare form of caviar which is harvested from albino sturgeon, its golden hue lights up any table and will provide a real talking point, as will its fantastic taste.

Drink

G a m e , S e t a n d M atch An g e la M etcal f E C hampagn e an d Wine Ed itor There is something about the earthy, almost primitive flavours of game meat that evokes winter nights, roaring fires and long, leisurely dinners with friends and, of course, the odd bottle to complete the picture.

A wonderful wine partner for most game birds is Pinot Noir, the grape of Red Burgundy. Pinot Noir should have a velvety character and lots of soft, raspberry fruit. Some of the best also have - to put it politely - a very distinctive ‘farmyard’ aroma that adds delicious complexity. By the way this set of flavours also works particularly well with any recipe using wild mushrooms.

I really like to partner game with a wine that is itself a bit on the wild side: full of vivid, unexpected flavours and made from unusual grape varieties. Portugal and Italy are masters of such characterful wines, while Lebanese wines can excel.

Often the accompaniment to a dish can influence the choice of wine to serve. Traditional berry sauces or really rich game stocks call for a fruit-packed wine that is not too tannic. Australian shiraz fits the bill perfectly, but South Africa and Chile are reliable sources of other really punchy, intensely flavoured wines including Grenache, Merlot, Zinfandel and Pinotage.

Pheasant

Nuits Saint Georges A really delicious wine, full of sweet fruit and savoury spice. Although this could be happily (and hedonistically) be drunk on its own, a really fine pheasant dish would be the perfect foil.

Roe Deer (Buck)

Valpolicella Ripasso Tasting more like an Amarone. Big bouncy and a real traffic stopper. Full bodied but with surprising freshness. Great with venison casserole.

Hare (shooting)

Macedos, Pinga do Torto Traditional Portugese winemaking brought bang up to date. So the grape might still be trodden in foot in granite troughs but the result is deeply fruited and compelling and has more than enough guts to avoid being dominated by the hare.

Common Snipe

Couly Duthiel, Chinon ‘Gravieres’ This is a juicy and delicious expression of Cabernet Franc, and is a treat with more delicate game

Duck and Goose Partridge Jacky Janodet, Moulin a Vent Our favourite producer in all Beaujolais. This really tastes more like red burgundy and thanks to the luscious Gamay Noir, this is perfect with duck and goose – unless your goose is an old one, in which case roast it for several hours next to a brick then throw the goose away and eat the brick!

Fallow (buck)

Chateau Fleurus St Emilion Soft gentle tannins and bags of fruit. Solid, with dark currant and briar notes backed by flint and iron hints and a lingering maduro tobacco note on the gutsy finish.

Grouse

Niepoort Drink Me This Douro packs plenty of ripe herby fruit and a juicy rich palate to make it a most appealing red from this region. Dominated by Touriga Nacional, this is fruity and luscious with a backbone of fine tannins.

Comte Armande Volnay This wine has always been better known with artists than with gastronomes. Certainly this is not a macho wine, it is rounded, velevety and above all sensual. This wine merits serving with fine, feathered game which is not overpowering.

Red Deer Stag

Ribero del Duero Tempranillo Reserva A self-assured and delicious red from Robera del Duero – black fruit and spice flavours with oh so smooth tannins, ideal with roast haunch.

Woodcock

Chilean Pinot Noir Choose one which is delicate and elegant with ripe berries and cassis, combining with subtle sweet spice. This is light and round with velvety tannins. An ideal accompaniment to this bird- now all you have to do is put its beak where the sun doesn’t shine.

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First Lady of

fizz.

We tak e o u r dr i n k terr ibly ser i ous ly at La Di Da. S o wh o b e t te r th an Le wis & Coop e r ’s accla im e d dr i n k s e x pe rt, Angela Metca l fe, to be o ur C h a mpagne a n d Wi ne Ed i tor . Li n da Ja n e WESTP H A L catch es u p with h e r f or a dri n k ie and a ch at...

S

tep off the busy streets of market town Northallerton, wind your way past the heaving shelves of willy wonkaesque gourmet delights to the back of acclaimed deli Lewis & Cooper and there, in her natural habitat, surrounded by delicious wines, fabulous fizzes and glorious real ales, is

Angela Metcalfe.

Modest and understated, she makes little of an achievement the rest of us would be shouting about and which the region should be suitably proud. Earlier this year, she joined an elite band of Champagne experts after successfully completing a week-long course, in the French region that is home to the famous fizz.

Originally founded in 1957, the Champagne Academy represents the most famous producers of Champagne and its most coveted enterprise is the annual, invitation-only training course for just 16 enthusiasts from around the world in the hospitality and drinks trade. This year Angela passed the stringent assessments with flying colours. She joins the specialist ranks of just 600 academics worldwide.

Over the coming issues Angela or winebitch, as the twitterati know her, will be sharing her expertise on the most fabulous champagnes. But first we get her lowdown on game matching wines.

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2013

Food

th e devo ns h i re a rm s , adam s mit h an d ON E o f his dishes

Putting on the Ritz.

A CH E F f ro m th e Ri tz w i th d r eam s o f a Mi ch e l i n Star h a s l ef t b e h i n d t h e gl i tz a n d g la mour of th e ico nic Lond on h ote l for a n ew rol e in r u r a l Yor k s hi r e .

ED I TOR Li z L amb was one o f the fi r st di ne rs to sam p le h is Ch ef’ s Men u.

H

E barely looks like he is out of school but baby-faced chef Adam Smith has already racked up six years of sweat and grease in a hotel kitchen.

A famous one at that. He started at The Ritz London aged just 19 where until recently he was overseeing a team of 60 to produce food for the many offerings at the 5 star establishment.

Now aged 26, he has decamped with his family to the much quieter terrain of North Yorkshire to take up a new post as Head Chef of Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel on Bolton Abbey estate.

A Young Chef of the Year, a gold medal winner in the Culinary World Cup and a 2012 Roux Scholar, Adam comes highly recommended.

Renowned chef Michel Roux Senior is a fan. “Adam is already a star but he is

going to be one of the top leaders in our industry. He is the man to watch,” he says.

The former Premier Sous chef also receives high praise from Jon William, his boss at The Ritz, who claims he is ‘without a doubt the very, very best chef who has ever cooked in my kitchen and I really, really do rate him.”

The accolades continue with Roger Olsson, the ex-head chef at Pierre De Terre, stating Smith was the most naturally talented chef he had ever come across and a ‘Michelin Starred certainty.’

It is thanks to Simon Rhatigan, the MD of the Devonshire Hotels Group, that North Yorkshire has a new culinary king in town.

He appointed the young chef after joining the hotel in May following his departure from The Feversham Arms, in Helmsley, and has ambitious plans to expand the venue, increase the spa facilities and offer the finest dining experience in Yorkshire.

For Smith, it is all about the food. The chef, who grew up on a Birmingham september

council estate and started out washing pots in a pub, believes in classical cooking.

He wants dishes to truly taste of the ingredients of which they are composed and he is a strong advocate of using locally-sourced ingredients, where possible, which are cooked and prepared with little fuss and great skill.

Those all-important ingredients are aplenty at The Burlington. The vegetables and herbs come from the kitchen garden while the meat and game is from the estate and the fish is fresh from Hartlepool.

The Head Chef may have left behind bustling Piccadilly for the sleepy valleys of Bolton Abbey, but he hasn’t looked back and it is easy to see why.

The Bolton Abbey estate, owned by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, is simply breath-taking, with wooded walks, rolling hills, open moorland and picturesque villages.

It also has a rich heritage and is a popular destination for tourists, shooting parties, ramblers and outdoor enthusiasts.

If the Country Hotel also hopes to add serious foodies to the list then it won’t

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be long till it has them in their droves.

Smith’s culinary skills are outstanding.

We dined on the Chef ’s Menu, a surprise tasting menu, which featured delights such as terrine of goose liver, smoked sweetbread, sautéed langoustines and roast grouse.

I loved the apple and lovage jelly with cucumber and fennel pollen, our first dish of the night. The lightness of the jelly alongside the refreshing elements of the cucumber and the fennel made this a fantastic way to prepare your palette for the next eight courses.

Another highlight was the grouse. It was exceptional, delicious and tender, with smoked parsnip and bilberries providing the perfect accompaniments The desserts were also divine. We dined on raspberry and sauternes jelly followed by Amedei chocolate ganache or what I referred to as heaven on a plate.

I cannot fault any of the dishes, each and every one was simply superb, hugely enjoyable and perfectly presented.

In fact, I have been wracking my brain to find at least one fault as surely no meal is ever truly perfect but alas I cannot find one. Roux and co were right!

T he Bu r l in gton Res taura nt at T h e De von s hi r e Ar ms Coun try House Hot el & S pa , B olto n A bb e y, Sk ipton , North Yor ks hi re, BD 23 6 A J .

Tel: 01756 710441 www. th ed e vons hi re a rm s. co. u k 2013

Food

Yo r ks h i re ha s a ste lla r rep utation for fantas ti c ingr ed ients, fi n e d in i n g a n d a wa r m welco m e. Cath Ar i n e Hewitson sam p les som e o f th e fab u lo us f oodie e x p e rien c es G o d’s Co untry has to o ffer….

nosh.

Posh

Photography Middleton Lodge Supper Club, Gasp Photography www.gaspphotography.co.uk

M idd l e ton Lodg e S upp er Clu b Mi dd l e to n T ya s , N orth York s

N

estled away amongst lush woodland in the lovely village of Middleton Tyas, North Yorkshire, is Middleton Lodge; a seventeenbedroom Georgian Palladian mansion framed with wisteria and surrounded by hot pink rhododendera.

And on exclusive evenings at the lodge the Allison family welcome their guests to experience a candle-lit - almost clandestine - dinner at its Cellar Door Supper Club.

My partner and I visited on a warm summer evening, and lodge owner James showed us around before a private party got underway. The doors were swung open onto the lawns and a row of coupes were lined

perusing Head Chef Robert Taylor's menu. Then it was down to the mysterious cellar room...

There are two chambers, each with original exposed brickwork and flagstones: the first with a bar and tan leather booths, and the next with a cosy set-up of dining tables where we took a seat looking onto a stage area.

We were presented with a selection of breads pumpkin and onion seed, and tomato - and to start I chose the potted Whitby crab with a creamy avocado purée, topped with apple strips and tomato jelly cubes for added tang. Michael opted for the smoked haddock

up on the bar alongside champagne bottles ready to be popped for a special occasion. With the beautiful backdrop of the Cleveland hills it's a perfect place to make a toast.

On Supper Club nights, doors open at around 6pm for drinks in the House bar, a cosy little room with wingback chairs and an enviable collection of travel books. I enjoyed a lovely, crisp Pinot Grigio, and Michael a pint of locally-brewed ale 'The Usual' while

Ta s t i n g N otes For more information about Middleton Lodge’s future Cellar Door Supper Clubs, visit www.middletonlodge.co.uk or email sue@middletonlodge.co.uk

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and leek risotto with a perfectly cooked poached egg with oozing yolk; its creaminess offset by a salty parmesan wafer.

For mains I went for the slow-cooked belly of pork with sweet glazed carrots, potato, creamed cabbage and a sage and onion jus. The pork was sweet and moist, and the potato was particularly tasty. Michael chose the ballotine of chicken with little mounds of parsley mash, roasted baby shallots, celeriac purée and creamed chicken jus; a dish he thought was a perfect light choice after his sumptuous starter.

Portion-wise, I was beginning to think we couldn't manage a dessert, but eyeing up our neighbouring table's sticky toffee pudding, we changed our minds.

We shared a lemon crème brûlée which was rich and eggy. On the side came a lemon shortbread biscuit, and the most intense, and utterly delicious raspberry sorbet; a perfect summer palate cleanser to finish on.

Throughout the meal, musician Val Boyers provided relaxed acoustic entertainment (we loved her rendition of Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’) and the ambience was great. The service was excellent: friendly, attentive and informed about the menu, and the venue itself is fabulous.

Food

We n sl e ydale He ifer Wes t Wi t to n , Yo rksh i r e

T

he Yorkshire Dales have always been special to me: it’s where I’ve spent many a weekend as a child having picnics at Castle Bolton, slurping on ice cream at Hawes and splashing in the river at Aysgarth Falls. But even after all of those trips I had never stopped at West Witton, a charming village on the A684.

This time though, rather than zooming through to another destination, my partner Michael and I stopped to visit The Wensleydale Heifer, a pretty whitewashed pub with restaurant and fishbar and a reputation for amazing seafood.

We were booked to dine in the restaurant but it was such a lovely evening that we opted for a spot of al fresco dining on the garden terrace. Our bottle of Rotari Metodo Classico - an Italian sparkling rosé - was perfect for the summer weather and came with tasty tuna and anchovy canapés.

There are so many delicious options on offer at the Heifer - we must have done five rounds of the menu before selecting the House Speciality tasting platter to start (minimum two persons). With an eye-catching and truly mouth-watering array of mini dishes, it’s the best way to try a little bit of all of the Heifer’s stunning appetisers.

We started with a delectable demi-tasse of rich lobster bisque, then came duck confit rolls, chicken liver parfait with white truffle butter, gravalax, Whitby crab tians, blue cheese and walnut salad with poached pear, panko-crusted goats cheese fritters, the meatiest of Thai-curried prawns, and the best Irish oysters I’ve ever tasted!

For mains I chose from the specials menu; succulent Whitby lobster served in the half shell with chorizo, seared calamari, crispy paprika squid and a tomato and oregano butter, with thin fries and salad. Michael also chose lobster - a Heifer speciality - and his was presented three ways: Thermidor with king scallop, a little copper pan of lobster, prawn and fennel fish pie and a crispy breaded claw with tomato and onion salsa on the side.

For dessert we shared the chocolate assiette, comprised of mini servings of white chocolate crème brûlée, chocolate tart, black forest teardrop, chocolate fondant and an outstanding peanut fudge.

We sat out on the terrace until midnight, toasting a wonderful meal in a wonderful part of the world.

We’ll definitely be returning to try out the restaurant area, and to work our way through the rest of the fantastic menu.

Tasting N otes

Champagne room

I

f there’s a hotel room that is just made for team La Di Da, it’s the bijou Champagne Room at The Wensleydale Heifer in West Witton.

The only boutique hotel in the Yorkshire Dales and winner of the AA’s Funkiest B&B Award 2011-2012, The Wensleydale Heifer offers luxurious themed guest rooms alongside its equally brilliant seafood restaurant and fish bar.

With black baroque-style furniture and chandelier, deep wine-coloured accessories and a gilt feature wall, the deluxe Champagne room is utterly fabulous. There’s a champagne fridge with a selection of the finest fizzes, from a classic Brut through to Dom Perignon and Cristal. We went midway with a half bottle of Veuve Clicquot to sip in the hotel room while getting ready for our meal next door. There’s also the hotel’s new resident’s garden where you can sip your chosen bubbly.

We loved the luxurious finishes throughout: the super-comfy Egyptian linen sheets, a plush black velvet wingback chair, Laurent Perrier paraphernalia, and the little gifts were a sweet touch - we had a piece of chocolate cake each on our arrival and Loveheart sweets on our pillows before bedtime.

West Witton, North Yorkshire, DL8 4LS Tel: 01969 622 322 www.wensleydaleheifer.co.uk

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Drink

A refreshing

change.

Ne wc astl e ’ s lates t place -to-b e - see n p ro mi ses a w ho l e new exp erienc e.

L

words Jo Dunbar

et’s be honest, we’re all fans of a cheeky G&T and it’s clear that gin is having its moment in the drinks spotlight. Luckily, the wise folk behind High Bridge’s newest addition, Pleased to Meet You, are embracing the trend wholeheartedly and encouraging gin drinking on Tyneside. It would be rude to turn down such an offer so La Di Da pulled up a bar stool and perused the drinks menu.

With over 70 varieties of gin on offer, the new independent venue sets itself apart from the influx of chain bar and restaurants on nearby Grey Street.

Instead, you’re encouraged to sample a gin you may not otherwise taste – there’s no Gordon’s on offer here! If gin isn’t your tipple of choice, pick from the 50 whiskies in stock, a range of local ales and an impressive wine list.

We loved the Prohibition-era style décor, exposed

brick, copper piping and huge glass doors. The low lighting, plentiful seating and cool music makes this a very welcome addition to Newcastle’s collection of drinkeries and offers something new and interesting to an already busy bar scene.

There’s no doubt that a refreshing G&T is perfect for late summer drinkers but you can expect to be supping the spirit as the nights draw in, too. Deputy Manager Amy revealed that, soon, sloe gin season will be upon us followed by some very festive mulled gins.

According to Amy, General Manager Tom Proud is an encyclopaedia of spirits and it’s his knowledge that has guided Pleased to Meet You’s stock of gins.

While customers are encouraged to try different blends of gins, Amy admits that several gins are becoming very popular. She lists the unique Hendricks (served with tonic and cucumber), the minty flavored G-Vine and herb and rosemary-infused Gin Mare as three of the most popular. We also sampled the sweeter Edinburgh variety, which has proved popular with september

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non-gin drinkers who can choose from either a raspberry or elderflower infused drink.

As we’ve all learnt, drinking on an empty stomach isn’t advisable and, thankfully, Pleased to Meet You isn’t a booze-only bar. The restaurant food is definitely worth visiting too: From grazing platters to share to proper, generously portioned dinners, the variety on the menu is mouthwatering. Popular choices included pulled pork (either in a salad or a sandwich) and the deconstructed kedgeree was a fabulous twist on a classic dish. Pudding is also a must: the decadent coffee and donuts is large enough to share and the freshly baked brownies are begging to be tried.

Gin and food pairing also forms part of the dining experience at Pleased to Meet You. As Amy explains, ‘We want to educate people about the gin culture – it’s about enjoying the drinks and trying something new.’

Indeed, the bar’s staff are more than happy to listen to your drinks preferences and advise and recommend – sometimes even coming up with a bespoke cocktail.

P l e ase d to m ee t yo u, 41-45 Hig h B ri d ge , Ne wc astle u p o n T yne N E 1 1E W Tel: 0191 3 40 5137 www. ptmy- n ewc a st l e . co. uk

So m e th i n g to sip on The team at Pleased to Meet You certainly know their spirits so they recommended a few gins to whet the whistle: Amy explains, ‘People are very patriotic in their gin choices so we recommend Jack Cains gins – which are brewed locally in Heddon on the Wall.’

Another British choice is Sipsmith: a homegrown brand making a big impact on the bar and keen to push a revival of London gins.

London Dry gin began its life in the capital and its delicate balance of six botanicals has made it a firm favourite among gin drinkers.

Motors

Dear santa. I d like... . . . a n y o f th ese l i ttl e b ea u t ies sat o n the dr ive f or C h ristma s please.

WORDS GRAHAM COURTNEY

T h e f low o f n ew c ar s co n ti n ues at pace… a n d w h at a pace so m e of th em wi l l r e ac h to o. T her e is s o me se r io us mach in ery a p pe a r i n g at your lo cal de a l e r sh ips over th e co mi n g mo nth s. He re’s a se l e c t i on of sto c k ing fil l e r s t hat ar e due to a r ri v e ov er the co min g m on t h s .

A l fa Romeo 4 C Is the prettiest car you’ve ever seen? The Alfa Romeo 4C Launch Edition will cost £52,000. It will be a rare bit of metal; only 400 are being built for ALL of Europe.You can have it in red or white but they all have the same 1750cc turbocharged petrol engine with a 4.5-second 0-62mph time and a top speed of 155mph.

Power goes to the rear wheels. Don’t be fooled by the photo; this is a pocket rocket, reminiscent of the Lotus Exige. It is slightly shorter, slightly wider but much lower than the Alfa Mito. Order books are open. Form an orderly queue.

Mas er ati Ghibli

M ercedes G LA

Here’s something to drag you out of your cosy BMW 5 Series. This Maserati finally broke cover in April at the Shanghai motorshow and, shock horror, you can get a diesel version. The penny has finally dropped at Maserati that if they want to sell a few cars, they’d better start giving people what they want. There’ll also be a pair of V6 petrol engines. All come with an 8-speed auto box. Prices are likely to start in the £50,000 bracket. Handsome isn’t it?

Mercedes needed a competitor for the Range Rover Evoque / Audi Q3 / BMW X1 etc. Here it is. Price for the GLA will start at around £25,000. Entry level models are likely to have front wheel drive only. Spend more and you get 4x4. All models come with an auto ‘box. There are 4 engine choices; 1.6 and 2.1 diesel (there are two power levels in the latter diesel) and a 2.0 petrol. Mercedes reckon that three quarters of buyers will go for a 4x4 diesel version.

Suspension set up is softer than the A Class saloon which is a tad firm.

F err a ri L aF err ari Got £1million spare? This is Ferrari’s replacement for the Enzo and is their latest shot in the war against McLaren. 499 cars will be built over the next two years and, here’s a surprise, there are still some available to order. Power comes from a mighty 6262cc V12 mated to a pair of electric motors which use the KERS system found in their F1 cars. Who’d have though it....a Ferrari hybrid. Performance is shattering; 0-60mph is under 3 seconds; 0-120 is around 7 seconds; 0-180 about 15 seconds. Top speed, says Ferrari, is over 217mph. In other words, LaFerrari is Maranello’s fastest-ever road car. september

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Pe u geot RCZ R This is Peugeot’s most powerful production car…ever.

Okay, it’s a dead ringer for the Audi TT, but it’s different in its own way. Power comes from a 1.6 litre turbocharged 270bhp engine. 0-50 takes around 5.5 seconds. The engine is extremely flexible, giving a 50-70mph overtaking time of just over 6 seconds in top (6th) gear. It’s likely to cost in the region of £30,000.

Motors

Aston.

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Advantage

T h e As to n M a rt i n V 1 2 Vantag e S, is the fastest pro ducti on As ton e ver . 2 0 5mp h an d 0 - 60 in 3.9 se co n ds. Wow. Th e g uys at AutOh ! m ag az in e hav e been for a spi n.

T

Motors

ipping the scales at £138,000, this Vantage S is only slightly more expensive (£2000 actually) than the outgoing standard V12 model.

But is the extra dosh worth it?

Well, the short answer is yes. The engine has been given a bit more power, now churning out 565bhp, but the big change is that you can select what sort of ride you fancy.You can choose between Sport, Track and Normal.

Flicking between the 3 settings alters the damper settings, the throttle response, the gear ratios and the sound you get from the exhaust mode. Sport is apparently the same as the standard ride from the current V12.

The 6-speed manual gearbox and clutch pedal have been despatched to the skip.

A 7-speed manual automatic takes its place. Gears are selected by using paddles behind the steering wheel.

There are some new design touches outside. There’s a new wider grille and deeper rear bumper. Inside, there’seven more carbonfibre than before. The place is awash with leather.

To drive, the V12 S is breathtaking. We mere mortals won’t get within a hundred miles of using all of the car’s talents, but it’s sort of nice to know that they’re there.

Most of the time of course, the car will spend its time dashing along the motorway. This is a brilliant GT in the classic Grand Tourer mould.

I can’t think of anything nicer than setting off from home, turning south,

once yo u get pas t all of the figures, the de sign cues, the luxury and the DNA that ooze s from every pore, you end up with a piece of ty pically British craftsman ship

In other words, Aston Martin has attempted, successfully, to make this more of an everyday sort of car whilst still allowing the opportunity to use every ounce of the available performance. In a nutshell, Normal mode gives you a more compliant ride, Sport sharpens up everything, and Track unleashes the horses to make this the quickest ‘standard’ Aston yet. The latter two settings also give the steering greater weight and feel. september

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and heading down to the Côte d’Azur.

But, once you get past all of the figures, the design cues, the luxury and the DNA that oozes from every pore, you end up with a piece of typically British craftsmanship that has been brought bang up to date. It is a stunning visual and mechanical marvel that is a joy to drive and a joy to be seen in.

The Aston Martin V12 Vantage S really shouts that you’ve ‘arrived’

BUSINESS legal advice

DIVORCE

WHAT TO DO, AND WHAT NOT TO DO. Coming to a decision to file for divorce is rarely easy, especially where children are concerned.

Here, specialist divorce and family lawyer Katharine Lowthian, Partner and Head of Family Law at Newcastle law firm Sintons, offers her ten do’s and don’ts for those looking to extricate themselves from an unhappy marriage or relationship.

Be Prepared

The Children

Work out what your income is, then work out what

Don’t discuss the details of the divorce with your

you and your partner’s financial needs are, and

children. Don’t question them about the activities

those of any children. Prepare a list of your assets, a

of your ex or use them to pass on messages. Above

schedule of your debts and obtain valuations of any

all don’t ask them to choose between you. Don’t

pensions that you and your spouse have.

pay maintenance late but do ensure that if you have agreed contact that you stick to the arrangements.

Listen to your Lawyer

Ask yourself how your children will remember their

If you are paying for good advice – listen! Take it on

parents’ divorce. Will they admire the way you’ve

board even if you do not accept it. Your lawyer is

conducted it – or will they be scarred for life?

under a duty to advise you but will then represent you in accordance with your wishes (within reason!).

Helping Yourself

You must feel that your lawyer is on your side. Don’t

Be very careful indeed about investigating for

take legal advice from friends – everyone’s divorce is completely different.

yourself the financial dealings of your spouse.

Katharine Lowthian is one of the region’s

There may be criminal penalties if you attempt to

best-known and most highly-rated

read their messages or hack into their computer.

Listen, Negotiate and Compromise

specialist divorce and family lawyers. She

Even if your spouse leaves financial documents

Most divorce cases settle after a time, because

has over 25 years of experience in dealing

lying around, the divorce legal rules are very strict

people will start listening and negotiating – leading

with high-value settlements in divorce, and

as to what you can do about that. You must take

to a compromise that is satisfactory to both parties.

her clients include entrepreneurs, sports

legal advice before taking any action which may

people, doctors, dentists, surgeons and

incriminate you.

Keep an eye on the Costs

fellow lawyers.

Don’t spend hundreds of pounds arguing over minor

Be Patient

items. Ask for monthly statements of costs from

It takes a little while to be extricated from a

your lawyer so you can budget as you go along.

marriage or a long relationship. If you have been

The matrimonial team at Sintons can offer a fixed

married for 30 years, it is unrealistic to expect that

fee, as well as regular updates on costs, to help you

you will be divorced within two or three months. It

manage your outgoings.

may take you or your spouse a long time to accept the breakdown of the marriage or relationship

Use the Experts

especially if there are children involved.

Use mediation for children issues, counsellors and therapists if you need it to cope with your divorce

Divorce with Dignity

and a good divorce lawyer for financial issues. Don’t

Above all, keep a cool head and, tempting though

act for yourself – even experienced divorce lawyers

it may be, do not cause any damage to the

hire other divorce lawyers to represent them.

property of your spouse or their new partner, or send abusive messages. Your actions may come

Be Realistic

back to haunt you!

Very often the best that can be done in divorce and financial settlements is to limit financial

in association with

damage. Two households cannot exist at the same level of financial comfort as one unless you

For specialist divorce and family law advice,

are wealthy to start with. The cloth must be cut

contact Katharine Lowthian at Sintons on 0191 226

according to your means.

7911 or katharine.lowthian@sintons.co.uk

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G o l f. . .

In ass o ci ati o n wit h. . .

THESE st unning imag es sh ow j u st w h at Close House h a s to offer. A mazing views, tranquil surroundings, fir st-class facilities and the World’s only L ee Westwood g olf courses.

G ol f in a ss oc iat i on w i th John G l en d i n n i n g , 36, He a d o f Gol f, at Close Ho use Hot el a n d Golf

W

e are proud to have Lee Westwood on board.

Not only is he a top golfer but Lee is respected inside and outside the sport. He really is second-to-none.

Here at Close House we cater for all abilities from beginners to advanced players. Individual private tuition is offered with Jonathan Lupton, Head PGA Professional, Sally Hinton, PGA Professional or Tim Cockill, PGA Qualified Professional. We also offer Complete Analysis Packages using cutting edge technology, previously only offered to elite squad amateurs and tour professions, to assess your game.

If you want to improve your game we can devise a Performance Coaching Plan to help improve your technique and on-course performance.

The Close House Academy and Driving Range is open to golfers of all age and abilities and has designated tuition bays, custom fit suite, practice bays, a specialist shot game area and a café. It’s the perfect place to perfect your game before playing the beautifully presented Colt or Filly courses.

The views are spectacular. One of the great features of the Colt course is the further around you get the better the views are.

To find out more about the Academy call 01661 852 255.

Close House holds regular competitions for members. At our most recent event we had pop-up bars at different holes across the golf course. It was brilliant fun.

The golf team also organise social events which are very popular. We have a member’s Christmas party and a themed New Year’s Eve party. Last year’s theme was Heaven and Hell but this year it’s Studio 54.

For more information on the different membership packages we offer visit 01661 852 953.

We offer a range of memberships including a new Corporate Associate Member aimed at small companies.

We also have individual memberships and full corporate membership. Our corporate partners are Heineken, Barclays Wealth, TSG, Sintons Law, UBS, Pyeroy, Nichol Associates, KPMG, MIll Volvo, Collingwood Insurance, UPS, Wellstream, Speedflex, St. James’s Place Wealth Management, Meldrum Construction Services and Lloyd Newcastle.

We also offer spouse membership as well as running a children’s summer camp.

We want to be the best course in the North of England and we want everyone to enjoy the fantastic

Fashion has come a long way in the golf world and our golf shop now offers a whole host of design-led separates for both men and women.

Our dress code is a collared T-shirt, no blue denim jeans, tailored shorts and golf shoes.You can find everything you need to wear on the courses in our shop.

We stock all-weather clothes and have a great selection of skorts, hats and accessories for female golfers.

We stock brands such as Galvin Green, Golfino, Hugo Boss, Ping and Lyle & Scott. There are waterproofs, pullovers, T-shirts in a variety of designs and colours, trousers, golf shoes and bags. We also have our own Close House branded products including leather belts and caps.

You can find everything you need all under one roof.

facilities here whether you are member or a visitor.

C LOS E HOUS E HOT E L & G OL F, Heddo n o n t he Wall , Newc as tle up o n Ty n e N E 15 0H T T el: 0 1 6 6 1 8 5 2 2 5 5 EN QUIRIE S @CLOS E HOUSE.co.uk www.c lo se h ous e . co. uk september

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Interview

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Interview

, Wylie s

world.

M ULTI - m i llio n air e G r a h a m W yli e talk s to L IZ LA MB abo u t ra isi n g mon e y f or ch i ld hea rt patients a n d w hy reti rement d o esn’t mean r elaxat ion.

D

ISCOVERING his daughter had a life-threatening heart condition was devastating for successful businessman Graham Wylie and his glamorous wife Andrea.

It’s a moment in time that will stay with the couple forever and one that fuels his ambitions to raise £1m to help other child heart patients just like his daughter Kiera whose life was saved by surgeons.

With a little help from his famous friends like Ant and Dec, Alan Shearer and Lee Westwood, he has launched the fundraising drive for the Children’s Heart Unit Fund (Chuf) at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.

“If it was not for the Freeman than Kiera would not be here today,” says the businessman, who founded Sage in Newcastle in 1981 with two others.

“If Kiera was in this room now with her twin sister they’d be running around all over the place and you wouldn’t know which one was the heart patient and which one wasn’t.

“Kiera is only different in so far as she has a scar on her chest and one day she will know something was wrong with her but apart from that you wouldn’t know.”

Graham and Andrea discovered they were expecting twins at Andrea’s 20 week scan which also revealed that Kiera had a heart defect.

“They took us down a corridor to a room that had four chairs, a table and a box of tissues. We knew then there was bad news to come,” reveals Graham.

I f Kier a was in thi s room now with her twin sister they’d be r unning arou nd all over the place and you woul dn’t know which one was the heart patient and which one wasn’t

“They told us one of our little girls had a heart defect. It was devastating.

“Andrea lasted 38 weeks in her pregnancy and when Kiera and Zahra were born, we were allowed to hold Kiera for 30 seconds before she was whisked away. She was operated on at two days old.

“It was agonising but we had another daughter we had to stay sane for. At six months Kiera became ill and if we had not been in the hospital at the time she would have died. They had 25 minutes to get her on life support.

“When she was two she had a nine hour operation. She hasn’t been back since and is doing great now.

“I’ve been giving money to charity all my life but this experience is a real driving force behind raising funds for CHUF and to help others.”

Graham built up Sage after leaving september

university where he studied computer science and statistics. He began developing Sage accounts in his second year.

He says: “I would go to university dressed in a tie and jacket while everyone else was in T-shirts and jeans.

When I finished a lecture I’d be off down to the Quayside for a business meeting.

“My first job while at uni was as a computer programmer then I started to develop Sage accounts.

“When I finished my third year I knew I had a job at the end, not many students can say that.”

The businessman stayed at Sage for 26 years before retiring.

“By the time I retired we were employing 6,000 people. It got so big it

Kie ra , z ha ra a n d edie

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outgrew me and it was time to hand the baton to someone else,” he says.

“I retired on the Friday and started a new business on the Monday. I love working.”

Graham set up IT giant TSG and invested heavily in property-he owns Gosforth Shopping Centre, Close House Hotel and other commercial properties and has also invested in IT companies in America.

His latest venture is Speedflex, a health and fitness business, which he hopes will revolutionise the industry.

“The greatest thing is anyone can use it from 14-year-old’s to 80-year-old women,” he says.

For more information on CHUF and how to donate visit www.chuf.org.uk

Health

Doctor “Y Beautiful.

He wa s vot e d Hott es t Cos metic Su rgeon 2013 by th e Good S u rg eo n ’ s Gui de, has co untless high p rofi le c elebr i ties and ha s b een d ub b ed ‘ th e Pic asso of Botox’. K aren Wi lson tak es a lo o k … .

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ou have to take pride in your appearance,” says the 31-year-old, with a cheeky smirk. “You wouldn't go to a dentist with bad teeth.”

A highly qualified aesthetic doctor, clients appreciate his background in plastic surgery and advanced facial rejuvenation techniques learnt on Harley Street, as well as his calm bedside manner from treating NHS accident victims at the RVI. He's also known for turning away people who don't need any work, will suggest therapy if he suspects serious body image issues and wants more regulation to stop unqualified operators.

The London born doctor, also known as TJ, chose Newcastle as “a place to make a name for myself ” with his young and funky high end brand that's even

Health

Photography Nicole Gardiner Nicolegardinerphotography@gmail.com

spawned a fashion range.

Of all the non surgical procedures he offers, lip augmentation is the most popular. “I've done quite a few models who have gone on to have campaigns.

People have seen their lips and found out they were done by me,” he says. “It's something that can either be done very badly or very well.”

“There's always a small danger that when you put something foreign into somebody, they could have a reaction,” he continues. “It could also be someone injecting the wrong type of filler or in the wrong way. I've had to re-do lips done by people with very little experience.”

He also offers a non surgical nose job, which lasts nine to 12 months, whereby dips and deformities of the cartilage can be corrected with filler.

Dr Esho's signature treatment 'Le Beau Touch' is a bespoke combination of Botox and dermal fillers to achieve a liquid facelift, which takes a lot of skill

You have to tak e pride in your appearance,” says the 31-ye ar-old, with a cheek y s mirk.

“You wouldn’t go to a dentist with bad teeth.” september

and costs upwards of £1,000.

“Some people will say 'Dr Esho freeze me!' They don't care about having facial expressions,” he admits. “Others want a more natural look so I always split the dose over two weeks and follow up with a top up if they need it. Friends will just think they look fresher but won't be able to put their finger on it.”

Lots of stressed-out male office workers are also getting 'Bro-tox'. Most popular are treatments for sunken eyes or Botox injected into the armpits to stop them excessively sweating on holiday and six months beyond. “You can wear a nice light expensive designer shirt and not have to worry about massive sweat marks on them,” he says.

Having identified two major peaks during the year - the “pre Marbella burst” and the “New Year, New You”

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spate of divorcees wanting a fresh start - Dr Esho is linking up with The Rich List and Quintessentially concierge service to launch five-star holiday packages onboard a 'botox boat' in Dubai.

He'll also be one of the first in the North to offer the ‘vampire facelift’. A favourite of Kim Kardashian, the ghoulish sounding procedure involves blood being extracted then re-injected into a patient to plump out unsightly lines and wrinkles.

“We use a plasma rich protein which is activated by the patient’s own blood and causes an inflammatory response that fills in the problem areas,” he says. “The results can be very dramatic. However we need to do further checks to make sure it's not something that's going to damage my reputation.”

Beauty

La Di Da spas.

Wa n t to know w her e all th e fab ulo us p eop le go for th eir R& R? We a s k e d two o f o u r edito rs to shar e som e of th eir favo ur ite p lac es and tr e atm e n ts …

Jo Leversuch

T h e Sc a r l e t

D

uring my week’s holiday at the stunning and fabulously relaxing hotel, The Scarlet at Mawgan Porth, near Padstow in picturesque Cornwall, I decided I needed some treatments to get me into the full relaxed holiday mode.

As I spent most of my time on my feet as a make-up artist I decided to try the Tri Dosha leg and foot massage called Padabayana and to also add another treatment as I had a family wedding to attend, the Tri Dosha Rejuventating facial called Shilajia Mumiyo.

Before the treatments I spent 20 minutes in the outside hot tub which overlooks the beach at Mawgan Porth to really begin a couple of hours of pure relaxation.

The beautiful skincare and body products used during the treatment were by Tri Dosha created by Sunita Passi as a result of being inspired by her grandfather who practices Ayurvedic treatments in India. The facial began with warm towels and gentle exfoliating to the face before the soft poultices filled with herbs used in a unison motion on the face. By stimulating the marma points with the massage it helped reduce the facial tension leaving my skin bright and nourished.

Moving down to my lower leg and feet. The massage began on the lower leg followed by manipulating of marma points on the sole of my feet. I truly felt relaxed.

After the treatment I was gently guided to a dim lit deep relaxation The Scarlet, Mawgan room with hanging cocoon-like Porth, Cornwall, TR8 pods swinging from the ceiling with 4DQ, Tel: 01637 861 800 cosy blankets and pillows to fall www.thescarlethotel.co.uk asleep and thoroughly relax. My face was rejuvenated and I felt like I was walking on air!

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Catharine Hewitson

He a d l a m H a l l H ot e l

H

eadlam Hall’s luxury spa, surrounded by rolling County Durham countryside, is an idyllic retreat and perfect place to relax and unwind.Voted Spa of the Year 2012 at the Thalgo Excellence Awards, Headlam has a 14m pool, outdoor hydrotherapy tub, sauna and steam rooms and a lounger area looking onto the pretty gardens that make the estate such a romantic locale.

There are also five treatment rooms with an extensive treatment menu: I tried the Oxygen Defence facial which promises to bring skin back to life with rejuvenating algae and Headlam Hall, Headlam, peptide-based Thalgo products. First County Durham DL2 my face was cleansed, exfoliated and 3HA (01325) 730238 toned, then a Moisture Quenching www.headlamhall.co.uk Mask applied. Next was a relaxing forehead and eye massage with a collagen-based concentrate, which magically smoothed away fine lines on my forehead. I was then given a scalp and hand massage, then spritzed and moisturised, leaving my skin plumped, revived, and a much smoother base for longer-lasting makeup.

My expecting sister, Fiona, chose the Ultimate Rose Pregnancy Massage which comes highly recommended for mums-to-be. Using rose-based Aromatherapy Associates products she was given a gentle body massage, then Renewing Rose Massage and Body Oil was smoothed onto her bump to keep skin supple. Next was a scalp massage and cleansing, toning and moisturising with more products from the luxurious Renewing Rose line.

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Ne wca s tl e SHOPPING: Label lovers are spoilt for choice in Newcastle. Fenwick, Cruise and Vivienne Westwood are just a short stroll from each other-perfect when you are sporting this season’s super-heels!

We headed to Cruise first where we fell in love with the A/W handbag range. Choose from Victoria Beckham, Gucci, Saint Laurent or Givenchy, to name a few.

Fenwick’s French Salon boasts some impressive pieces to keep you warm this winter including an amazing knit cardigan from Armani (£895). New in-store this season is a fabulous range of handbags by DVF. Vivienne Westwood, on Hood Street, is a must for fashionistas. Choose from a stunning selection of separates or treat yourself to an amazing

frock such as VW’s Halton dress in fuchsia (£370).

There’s a wide range of accessories too including bags sporting the iconic VW globe logo, purses in vibrant red and tartan and an array of jewellery and scarves.

Lunch: There was no chance of a table at Café 21 in Fenwick so we headed to Strada in Eldon Square. We dined on Insalate Spinachi (£8.95) and Strada Seabass (£13.75). All dishes are cooked fresh to order, tasted delicious and were well presented. Our friendly waiter offered us a shot of limencello each to refresh our palatte. Great place with a fun atmosphere. Service was swift-just what you need on a shopping trip.

Check in: We headed to Hotel Indigo, in Fenkle Street, laden with shopping bags. Elisia, the friendly

receptionist, checked us into a gorgeous room with a fully stocked mini-bar and a balcony with a great view of the city. We’d hardly had time to unpack before George Liddle, the hotel’s food and drink manager, had sent up a complimentary bottle of champers. A few quaffs of bubbly and a quick change we headed out for drinks.

COCKTAILS: Indigo’s bar has a great range of cocktails. We sampled liquorice all sorts, a raspberry mojito and a passion fruit mojito. All of them were delicious.

DINNER: We headed to the Marco Pierre White restaurant where we dined on 16 oz T boned steak (£28.75) served with onion rings and real chips in beef dripping and served with béarnaise sauce. The steak was fantastic quality (it’s aged for 28 days). My friend had roast rump of lamb, a la dijonnaise, pomme dauphinoise (£17.75). The meat was delicious.

Desserts included sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce (£6.25). Service couldn’t be faulted.

About town.

E D I TOR L i z La mb sa mpl es award -winning cocktail s, p o sh af te rn oon t ea a n d lu x u ry pamper treats o n a girl ie w eek end in the r eg ion.

N orthu mb e rland The next day we decided to head out of the city and spend a chilled out day in Northumberland.

PAMPER: Our first stop was Hexham where we headed to Transcend (St Mary’s Chare) for a pamper treat. The hair and beauty salon is housed in an old church and has a hair salon downstairs with a beauty room above. We felt instantly relaxed when we were shown into the candle-lit relaxation room which featured stylish tree wallpaper and comfortable beds.

After the therapist examined my skin and decided what areas we needed to target, I chose the Espa Skin Radiance facial (£50 for 60 minutes). My skin was cleansed and exfoliated before the therapist gave me a pressure point and

drainage massage using replenishing face oil, which was selected specifically for my complexion. A skin radiance mask was applied which helps to get rid of dead skin and has enzymes to promote radiance. The mask was left on for 10-15 minutes while I was given a neck, shoulder and Oriental head massage. Lift & firm eye moisturiser and skin radiance moisturiser was applied to my face to complete the treatment.

My skin was positively glowing and I felt amazing.

I met up with my friend in the relaxation room. She tried out a Hydrating Body Wrap (£75 for 90 mins). As she had recently suffered a whiplash injury the therapist tailor-made the treatment to her needs and offered a relaxing back and scalp massage.

After our treatments we headed downstairs to the hair salon for a wash and blow dry. We both thought it was a brilliant idea to have a beauty room and hair salon together so that you never have to leave after a

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beauty treatment looking like you have an oil slick in your hair.You can just nip downstairs, have your hair washed and styled and leave looking fabulous.

AFTERNOON TEA: All this pampering left us with an appetite so we decided to treat ourselves to afternoon tea at Close House Hotel and Golf, Heddon-on-the-Wall.

You couldn’t ask for more stunning surroundings to enjoy champagne, cake and gossip with the girls. We enjoyed a sumptuous afternoon tea which consisted of sandwiches-sweet cured smoked salmon & horseradish, cucumber, cream cheese and chives, honey roast ham and egg mayonnaise and cress. We matched champagne with cake and feasted on Blackberry Bakewell, Strawberry pannacotta, lemon drizzle cake and our very own La Di Da brownie.

Champagne afternoon tea at Close House is priced £25.50 pp.

Travel

FA SH I ON , gl am ou r , ro m a nce a nd cha m p er s, w hat ’s not to lov e abou t Paris? Tr avel E dito r Cath arin e He witson sli p s o n h er J i mm y C ho o s an d says Au Revo ir to r ainy B l i g ht y a nd Bon jo ur da hl i ng to Pa r is ....

Fro m hi gh fa sh io n to fa ncy fo o d, t h e Fre nch ca p i ta l is syno nym ous w it h st yl e.

Wit h i ts fas h i o na bl e i nha bita nts , cl a ssi c a rch ite ctur e a nd c hic bo ut i q ues e v e n t he ca k es in pat isser ie shop w indow s have an el e gan c e t hat isn’t ea sily f o und back ho m e i n t he UK .

Ex p lo r i n g i ts cobbl ed side- st reets a nd sm a rt, t ree-l in ed bou l e var d s uncov er s st yle a nd so p hist ication at ev ery turn an d i t ’ s e as y to see w hy visito rs fa l l h e a d over heel s w i t h its ro m an t i c c har m . And t hat ’s exact ly w hat ha p pened to m e o n my f i r s t t r i p to Pa r is as a n eig h teen-yea r -o l d st u dent.

Th e ro se – t i n t e d sp ectacl es went on: ev eryt hi ng was so p retty an d al lu r i n g, and unquestio na bly el eg a nt. Th e t rip was fi ll ed wi t h al l o f t h e usua l cliché s: cl im bing up to t he to p of t h e E iffe l Towe r , e ating Nutel l a cr ê pes l ike t hey w er e g oi ng o ut o f fa sh i o n an d wo nd er ing h ow m y pa rt-t ime su p er ma r ket job mig ht fund a Cha nel bag .

S i n c e t h e n , my t r ip s hav e becom e sl i g ht ly less to ur istic , an d mo r e o f a quest to fi nd so me of Pa r is’ b est p l aces f or sh o p pi n g, si ghtseei ng , d in ing ou t a nd ind ulg ing in so m e o f th e m os t d el ic ious ca kes yo u co ul d ever im agin e.

He r e ’ s a sel ect ion o f so me o f m y favo ur it e fi nds.

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Travel

shop

visit

Situated in the hip Marais neighbourhood, MERCI is a not-for-profit design concept store with brands such as Isabel Marant, Aesop and Liberty. Check out the dinky little Fiat 500 in the cobbled courtyard.

(111, Boulevard Beaumarchais, 75003, merci-merci.com) COLETTE is arguably Paris’s most trendy boutique where the bling-bling set peruse the racks alongside the city’s hipperthan-hip crowd. A temple of cool, if you want to be seen then this is the place to go.Versace, Hermes and Yves St Laurent are also closeby (213 rue Saint-Honore www.colette.fr).

If you can’t resist the latest beauty products SEPHORA is like heaven on earth. The huge flagship store houses hundreds of beauty brands and has in-house nail, make-up, hair and brow bars.

(70-72, avenue des Champs-Élysées, 75008 sephora.fr) Take the Métro to the Marché aux Puces de St-Ouen to scour the warren of antique stalls which sell everything from furniture and home-wares to costume jewellery and taxidermy. When you uncover a hidden vintage gem, you can say: ‘This thing? Oh, I just picked it upfrom a flea market in Paris.

(Métro: Porte de Clignancourt marcheauxpuces-saintouen.com).

Avoid the crowds at the Louvre and head to the MUSEE de la Mode et Textile right next door, showcasing beautiful costumes from Dior,Valentino and Elsa Schiaparelli (107, rue de Rivoli, 75001.lesartsdecoratifs.fr).

indulge Master pâtissier, PIERRE HERME sees his creations as works of art; so much so that he releases collections in line with Paris Fashion Week. His jewelcoloured mini macarons in mouth-watering flavours such as passion fruit and caramel and sea-salt are an indulgent treat.(72, rue Bonaparte, 75006 pierreherme.com).

Before your trip, schedule in a 30-minute beauty treatment at the ANNICK GOUTAL Beauty Institute. I came away from their marshmallow pink treatment room feeling completely relaxed, revived and smelling of roses, the institute’s signature scent.(14, rue de Castiglione, 75001 annickgoutal.com).

eat Skip the hotel breakfast and head to Rue Montorgueil to grab a sweet or savoury treat from the oldest pâtissier-traiteur in town STOHRER. The tarte au chocolat is to die for. (51, rue Montorgueil, 75002 stohrer.fr).

Try canteen-style dining at the turn-of-thecentury brasserie, BOUILLON CHARTIER. It has a wide selection of classic French fare such as snails, roast pork and steak tartare (7, rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 75009 bouillon-chartier.com).

Embrace the trend for relaxed, convivial and rustic dining at the hip BAR A VINS. Share a platter of charcuterie and a good bottle of red with your travel companion, but save the chocolate pot with olive oil and sea salt for yourself.Vins Frenchie (6, rue du Nil, 75002, frenchie-restaurant.com.)

drink Mingle with the beautiful people in the lounge at HOTEL COSTES and enjoy the world’s finest champagnes. The five-star hotel is a favourite haunt of the Paris fashion set.

Listen to the sounds of Madonna’s favourite DJ and party the night away in style.You never know you might get to see Her Maj too. (239 rue St Honore, near Place Vendome, hotelcostes.com) No trip to Paris is complete without a stop-off at a class literary café for a coffee or champagne. CAFÉ de FLORE is a great place to indulge in one of my favourite holiday past-times: people-watching. Grab a pavement table and spend an hour or so watching stylish Parisiennes going about their business in the chic Saint-Germain neighbourhood (172,

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boulevard de Saint-Germain 75006, www.cafedeflore.fr) LE Café MARLY in the grounds of the Louvre is a chic and romantic spot to grab a cocktail at aperitif hour. Apparently the price of a drink also includes a language lesson: my (rather handsome) waiter cheekily wouldn’t accept my order until I cobbled it together in broken French (93, rue de Rivoli, 75001 beaumarly.com).

stay Probably the most famous hotel in the world, THE RITZ (15, Place Vendome, 75001 Paris) oozes glamour, charm and five-star fanciness. Follow in the footsteps of Coco Chanel and book one of their luxurious suites, indulge in a spa treatment, dine with Paris hoi polloi in the restaurant then dance the night away in the The Ritz’s very own nightclub.

Bed down at the Philippe Starck-designed MAMA SHELTER. The rooms are like a home away from home, with an iMac, microwave and free movies on demand (109 rue de Bagnolet, 75020 mamashelter.com) If you’ve indulged in too much champers at Hotel Costes and need a place to sleep off the fizz, then the ultra-glam surroundings continue in the bedrooms.

Standard double rooms are from €600 per night. (239-241, rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 hotelcostes.com.

For more stylish places to visit around the world check out Catharine Hewitson’s travel blog, Travel Notes, at www.catharinehewitson.com

F rom high fashion to fancy food, the French c apital is synonymous with styl e

Travel

W

HETHER you’re jetting off to the Emirates on business or pleasure make sure you stay at the new kid on the block-the stunningly beautiful St Regis Hotel.

With jaw-dropping views over the Arabian Gulf, the hotel brand takes its latest offering to new heights with the ultimate in splendour and sophistication.

The St Regis Abu Dhabi has 283 guestrooms, including 55 suites, a magnificent ballroom, elegant boardroom and Gentlemen’s Club-style library bar.

It is also home to the first Gary Rhodes restaurant in the Emirates. The legendary chef has unveiled Rhodes 44 offering a contemporary menu ideal for sharing.

Guests can dine in the colourful september

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Travel

I f yo u l ik e a room with a view, then book the Abu Dhabi Su ite.

It’s between the two Nation Tow ers and h as an amazing 360º view

restaurant, eat alfresco in the spacious private garden overlooking the Corniche or dine in private in their own dining room complete with lounge and fireplace.

If you like a room with a view, then book the Abu Dhabi Suite. It’s high on the skybridge between the two Nation Towers and has an amazing 360 degree view.

The St Regis Butler Service is complimentary for very room in the hotel and offers a discreet and truly bespoke service.

You can also relax and unwind in the Remede Spa where guest can enjoy champagne and truffles while indulging in customised treatments.

Go on treat yourself, you deserve it!

St Regis Hotel Abu Dhabi, Nation Towers, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates www.stregisabudhabi.com

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Society

S h o p p e r s i n Ne wc a s tl e w i ll hav e walk e d along H ood Str ee t h u n dr e d s o f ti m es w i t ho ut real isin g they’v e pa ssed the city’ s only p r i vate me mb e rs club .

Acc l a i me d int erio r design er and m e mber Ge org e Bond re v eal s wh at go es on b e h i n d t he do o rs at N o 1 1 …

, gentlemen s club The secret

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B

Society

ehind a discreet door simply marked No. 11, the Northern Counties Club has to be one of my favourite places.

It's a hidden gem where I love to take clients and friends from out of town and it's great for business. I'm sure it helped seal the deal for my new signature furniture range when I took a very impressed Swedish colleague there recently for a meeting in their boardroom.

There's a misconception that private members clubs are stuffy elitist institutions full of retired right-wing colonels twiddling their moustaches and corpulent barristers having three hour lunches washed down with port! Well that couldn't be further from the truth.

The club is a welcoming retreat for men and women from all walks of life, where first names are favoured over Sir or Madam and two thirds of members are under 40. It has a progressive and forward-thinking ethos and countless social events such as wine tastings, theatre nights, business networking events and fine dining evenings. During Wimbledon this year, there was a great atmosphere with champagne and strawberries in the TV room.

Founded by local businessmen in 1829, it's one of the world's oldest private members clubs. It was originally located at Eldon Square (on the spot that's now Waitrose), but re-located to Hood Street in 1972. The building, previously The Tyne Hotel, was totally remodelled to accommodate all the original furniture.

At one point there were four private members clubs in Newcastle - including the Union Club which is now the Union Rooms near Central Station but they fell out of favour in the 60s and 70s.

I joined around seven years ago after being taken there by a wealth manager from Dickinson Dees and was later invited to a Christmas party by property entrepreneur Peter Cussins. I was really impressed by the club's facilities which include a bar, dining room, private function rooms, meeting rooms and eight en suite bedrooms for overnight accommodation. Members pay from £60 per room, which is great for the city centre, and there's a reciprocal agreement with 50 other private members clubs around the world including 12 in London such as The

Carlton Club, Landsdowne Club and the East India Club.

Some people join for the prestige, others like the social life and networking opportunities, but for me it's the friendliness of the place.

Manager David Devennie, a former hotelier with DeVere, always offers a warm welcome. The staff know what table I prefer and what I like to drink (usually water although there's a wine cellar heaving with fine wine and port!).

Although I'm not brave enough to join the large club table, where everyone dines together, many people feel comfortable arriving alone and always end up chatting to other members.

Since head chef Paul Kirby arrived, the food has been excellent too.

If you fancy joining the club, you need to be proposed and seconded by two existing members but I don't remember an occasion when anyone was turned

down. Even if you don't know anyone at the club, David is happy to give prospective members a tour and introduce them to a few members who may help them.

Although the club has never been aggressively marketed, it's managed to grow from 300 to 500 members in recent years despite being kept under the radar. It just shows that word of mouth is often the best way to grow organically.

Annual membership fees may be less than you think too - ranging from just £68 for under 25s to £575 for over 40s like me! There's also an entrance fee of £125 for all new members, which is waived for sons and daughters of existing members and those under 30.

Although I don't use the club as much as I'd like, I've got a list of friends who are eager to go so I'll be planning my next visit very soon.

TH E WORLD’ S TOP PRI VAT E M EMBER S CLU B S Set in 42 acres bordering the Thames in Fulham The Hurlingham Club is possibly the poshest private members club in London.

Dating back to 1867, the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) was an early pigeon shooting patron, but these days it’s more about polo events and grand prix parties with members such as Tamara Ecclestone and numerous Royals. Fancy joining? There’s a 10 year waiting list so you might have a long wait.

Set in the heart of Mayfair, just off Berkeley Square, the Lansdowne Club is known for its distinctive Art Deco interior as it was established in 1935. Open to both sexes from the start, it’s been a regular haunt of broadcaster Richard Dimbleby, TV presenter and gastronome Loyd Grossman and fashion designer Paul Smith.

Not all private members clubs have an ancient heritage. Residence, a sophisticated haven in Dublin which opened just four years ago, is a case in point. It already has an award winning restaurant, Forty One, which is praised for its seafood and desserts. If you’re often in Dublin on business it’s well worth joining as its £495 per year for overseas members compared to £700 for those in Ireland.

With past members including presidents Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, The Metropolitan Club in New York is one of the oldest and most exclusive private members clubs in the city. Formal dress is still required to this day.

With a lobby decorated by Damien Hirst, rooftop open-air pool, spa, cinema and several terrace bars, Soho House in Berlin has a Bauhaus design having been a Jewish department store in the 1920s.

Members tend to come from the worlds of media, entertainment, fashion and art such as film director Wim Wenders.

The Rand Club in Johannesburg originated at the centre of the biggest gold field in the world in the second half of the 19th Century. A cosmopolitan melting pot, it features a magnificent stained glass dome that was restored after a fire in 2005.

Ge orge B on d In t e ri or Desi g n on T E L: 0191 2817 799, ema il en quiries@ g eorg eb on d. tv or visit www. ge orge bo nd. t v. september

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Property

Bond

street.

T

Wi t h a co n tacts b o o k that ’s b ulg ing at the seams, inte ri or desi gn e r Ge orge B o n d sh ows n o signs of slow ing d own at 60. He gives La Di Da a tou r of his su m p t u ous n ew ho me in Ne wca stle ….

o say that George Bond has extravagant tastes is something of an understatement.

His light and spacious threebedroom apartment in one of Newcastle’s most sought after suburbs boasts gold woven silk and seagrass wallpaper by Jab, and an oil painting he could’ve bought the place with.

The property in Montagu Court, which measures an impressive 2,100 sq ft, has been home to George and his civil partner Bryan Coombs since March.

Best known for his five year stint on ITV’s Better Homes till 2005, George has designed interiors for Bianca Jagger, Michael Owen and many others he won’t name. Although the glitzy parties and globe trotting have been a blast, the last three-and-a-half years have been far from fun since a freak accident prompted George and Bryan’s move to a more suitable property for Bryan.

With a terrace that overlooks the Town Moor, George and Bryan’s home is certainly impressive. “This is a night time apartment,” says George.”The lighting changes and the whole place just glows.”

At the heart of their home is the

open-plan lounge/dining room on two levels. The lounge features traditional sofas covered in silk velvet to give a more modern touch and a rich antique Persian carpet.

Taking pride of place is a 1730 portrait

by Irish artist Christopher Fry, which George bought 28 years ago and has had sunken into the mirrored wall by the raised dining area.

“At that time we were on the skins of our backsides as we’d bought the most expensive house in Jesmond, and we spent the same amount of money again renovating it,” says George, who fell in love with the portrait but couldn’t afford the £2,000 price tag until the antiques dealer persuaded him to pay monthly.

september

When George had it valued last year it was worth even more. “I could’ve bought this apartment with it!,” he laughs.

The ingenious mirrored wall makes the room appear much larger and reflects the beautiful views of the Town Moor.

“It’s a different scene in winter and summer,” says George.

With a bedroom and en suite bathroom apiece, George’s room features oriental pictures and has been adorned with twisted roping to emphasise the cornicing and archways.

Handmade solid wood units with granite worktops by DM Design have transformed the cramped kitchen.

Rather than full height cabinetry, he has opted for European three-quarter

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heights which create a sense of space.

Although he took two years out after Bryan’s accident while his protege Ray Watkin ‘kept the whole thing going’, George has recently moved to new business premises in Newcastle’s Brandling Village, staff numbers have increased to five and Ray’s been made a full partner.

‘Things are going so well I have to stop and pinch myself,” says George.

He’s also working on a luxury George Bond Home Collection with a Swedish firm that makes bespoke bedrooms and kitchens, and has been asked by a Persian carpet manufacturer to design a new range.

The last person given that privilege was the late German designer Ziegler, who sold one of his carpets to Madonna for £130,000. “The Iranian Government are flying me out to Tehran in Autumn so I can understand the process of how they’re made,” he says. “They’ve been doing it for 2,000 years so it’s not going to happen overnight. They’re a work of art and I feel very privileged that I’ve been asked to do this.”

George’s mantra is always to make the client happy. So when he takes Bryan his tea in the morning, opens the curtains and hears him pontificate on how lucky they are to live there, he knows he’s done a good job.

Property

Mr Des Res. Lo o ki n g fo r the pe rfect hom e ? Yo u’ll want Duncan Young o n sp ee d d i a l th e n .

Ka r e n W i lso n sp eak s to o ne of the North ’ s b est known ag ents a b ou t t h e cr èm e de la c r èm e o f th e North ern p rop erty scen e …

A

s one of the region’s foremost movers and shakers in the property market, Duncan Young’s estate agency is best summed up as an ‘exclusive dating service’ matching the great and good with uber fabulous houses.

“It's like going to a Savile Row tailor,” says the 48-year-old, who shook up the North East property market when he launched Sanderson Young 14 years ago. “If you want the perfect house in the right location with all the bells and whistles, you've got to know who can source that for you.”

With over 900 properties for sale, plus another 25 discreet 'off market' homes and 200-ish homeowners in the wings who'd consider a move should the twin factors of time and price align, Duncan is certainly the man to unearth your dream home.

A candid, open and gregarious type, he's fond of rugby and foreign holidays but never switches his phone off so clients can reach him 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In a career spanning almost 30 years, he's overseen land deals up to £20m and property transactions up to £7m. He's watched some areas improve (Ashbrooke in Sunderland, Washington, Chesterle-Street, Heaton and the West End of Newcastle) and some, arguably, going slightly downhill such as Jesmond which “no longer holds the edge”.

He loved his first job at Glover Humble & Partners, a Northumberland estate agency where partners Andrew Bell and Simon Brierley taught him the ropes alongside a two year diploma in estate management. He then moved to Gosforth where his boss surveyor Peter Bell became the most significant influence on his career. It was here he met wife Alison (his former boss's personal assistant) who now runs the Sanderson Young website.

By the late 80s, his career was going from strength to strength and he known as 'Mr North', as he covered Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Cumbria, Lancashire and North Yorkshire advising estate agents on the sale of upmarket properties, and had the best performing area outside London.

In January 1999 he established Sanderson Young with six staff and 30 houses.

“A few months before I left I'd shown the board some images for how the rather staid marketing could change, with granite style backgrounds and professional photos,” he says.

“They were shocked and didn't like it at all. It was too exclusive and niche for them and didn't tick the corporate boxes. When I launched the

company I used a lot of those images. We did a teaser ad campaign and within days the phone was ringing off the hook. It had instant success and we grew phenomenally.”

Within three to four years Sanderson Young had grown from a turnover of £150,000 to around £3m. Before long there were offices in Ponteland, Newcastle Quayside, Alnwick, Gosforth and London, with 80 staff and 1,000 properties.

Carried along by the regeneration wave on Newcastle's Quayside, it was an exciting time as the agency cornered the market for new homes and apartments, as well as launching its rare! brand for high end exclusive homes.

But in 2007 business “fell off a cliff ” as the property slump hit. “I remember well losing half a million pounds in four or five months,” recalls Duncan. “I couldn't get rid of my costs as quickly as my turnover was falling. It was extremely brutal and a big lesson in anybody's career.

“We haven't had any one year where we've made a loss but we've borderline broken even for a number of years. If it wasn't for four or five big deals associated with land and development in 2008 and 2009, we wouldn't have been able to shore up the significant reductions in turnover from residential sales. Luckily we had enough assets and good relationships behind the company to get through it, and replacing second home sales with lettings has also helped.”

Duncan is optimistic about a recovery. “We've hardly had any new homes work over the last five years but we now have people who want to build again,” he says. “There are some exciting times ahead.”

He's expecting to sell 600 to 1,000 new homes next year including 74 units at a Cussins Homes site in Alnwick and the first phase of up to 300 properties at The Malings in Newcastle's Ouseburn district, a joint venture between Igloo and Carillion. Also in the pipeline are several niche developments in Gosforth Jesmond, Seaton Delaval, Low Fell and Boldon.

For those in any doubt about the green shoots, Duncan cites the example of a new instruction in Gosforth that had 35 viewings in five days, and reveals how a 1930s semi attracted 28 viewings in 10 days before a bidding war with 12 offers at the asking price or more. It was on the market for £20,000 more than the last one of its type as well.

“We didn't under price it,” he says. “It's just the fact that demand has gone beyond supply in certain hotspots.”

And if Mr North, the king of the luxe property scene, thinks the signs are there that the market is picking up, we’re very much inclined to believe him.

I t’ s l ik e going to a S avile Row tai lor, If yo u want the perfect house in the right location w ith all the bells and whistles, you’ve got to know who can sou rce that for you september

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Property

Pr o pert y of t he Season

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hese stunning images showcase The Millington Grange Estate, York, which could be yours for ÂŁ12m.

Millington Grange, situated 15 miles from York city centre, is a large rural estate encompassing 781.57 acres on the Yorkshire Wolds and comprises of The Grange, the principal property, High College Farm and Cold Skin Farm.

The Grange is a stunning six-bedroomed property, built in 2004, and features a large sitting room, conference room, library, three garages and leisure facilities including an indoor swimming pool, sauna and gym.

The property also has a summer house and a garden house.

Both farms have well-equipped livestock facilities and are home to the award-winning Millington Herd, a pedigree herd of Limousin Cattle.

The estate also offers an established high bird pheasant shoot with dramatic dales, pasture land and game crops providing a spectacular backdrop for the sport.

T h e Mi ll in gton Gr a n g e E s tat e, Yor k, is f or s a le wi t h Ca rte r Jon as, 83 Mi c kle g ate, York.

Ca ll 01904 597 039 or v isit www. r ig htmove . co.u k f or m ore de ta il s

Arts & Culture

Jabberwocky Wonderland.

C

T h e Man Who Th ou gh t Th e M oon Wou ld Fa ll O ut O f T h e S ky Pe rfo rm ed by T h e L ette r Ro o m will take p lac e at Th e Fo rum

ULTURE lovers can experience trendy urban London as part of a new festival of theatre.

The Internationally-acclaimed Battersea Arts Centre is heading north to deliver an exciting programme of events with local theatre producers.

It will be the first time ever that Battersea has held a

festival of this kind and they have chosen Darlington as the North East location.

Jabberwocky Market, named after a character in Lewis Carroll’s Through The Looking Glass, will feature a host of theatre productions over three days in October.

La Di Da has teamed up with Luxi Ltd, the producers of Jabberwocky Market, to offer theatre lovers a VIP experience at the festival.

Highlights of the event, which takes place at three different locations throughout the town, include:

R ECR E AT I ON O F TR E NDY U RBAN LONDON A bazaar of theatre, music, innovative performance, street food and drinks at The Forum, Darlington, where East London will be recreated at the town’s main music venue. Think cocktails in jam jars, unique performances and market stalls selling unusual wares.

MO U TH OP E N, S TORY JU MP O U T by POLARB EAR Polarbear makes things up; stories, jokes, adventures – a master maker-upper. But where did it all begin?

Mouth Open, Story Jump Out is a children’s show about the moment that started it all, and how one little decision set off a chain reaction that changed his life forever. International assassins, secret codes, dog eating boa constrictors and much more fill the hole left when a father disappears and a boy discovers a talent for telling tales

POP U P TH E ATR E AND DANCE P E R FORMANC ES I N DARLI NGTON TOWN CE NTRE From September 19, Jabberywocky Market will take over Darlington’s indoor market with short performances amongst the fruit and veg stalls by local artists and theatre groups. There will be showcases every day to highlight the upcoming festival.

PAP E R C I N E MA’S ODYSS E Y A highly original take on Homer’s epic tale, The Paper Cinema’s Odyssey sees intricate, handillustrated puppets manipulated in real time and projected onto the sail of Odysseus’ boat to create a unique silent movie.

F es t ival- go e r s can k ee p u p to date on w h at i s h app e n in g at J a b be r wock y Market, wh i ch ta kes place from O c tober 3-6, w w w. j a b berwock y mark et.org. uk or on twitte r at @Ja b bM a r ke t or at t he Jabb ery wock y Ma r ket Fac eb ook pag e . september

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David Jubb, Artistic Director at Battersea Arts Centre, said: “We are thrilled to be bringing shows to Darlington and finding such an appetite for working with us to invent the future of theatre.

“We are really looking forward to meeting audiences in October and working with Luxi to bring wonderful theatre to places it would otherwise not visit, and of course to see the great performance that’s being made in the north.”

Darlington-born theatre producer, Caroline Pearce, who had worked with Theatre Royal in Newcastle and at Sadler’s Wells Theatre said: “We are so lucky to have been able to take part in this project, and have been working really hard to make it happen. “The festival builds on everything that we know how to do, and care about - bringing the very best theatre and culture, working with inspiring and brilliant artists and presenting it on the doorsteps of people in Darlington.

Organisations and venues in the town have been so receptive to all the ideas, and we are really sure that the first event will be a huge success.”

T I CK E T I N FORMAT I ON Standard Day Tickets are £14.50, and Concessions are £11.00.

Jabberwocky Thursday and Sunday include Premier Tickets, in association with La Di Da which will offer a VIP experience to ticket holders for just £28.

Tickets will be available from Darlington Civic Theatre box office Tel: 01325 486 555, from The Forum Tel: 01325 363 135, online from www.jabberwocky.brownpapertickets. com and in person from the Indoor Market from 19th September.

Arts & Culture

High fashion to the

hills.

T

HE sleepy hills of Teesdale are not where you’d expect to find fashionistas intent on seeking out a style fix.

Yet each week wellheeled ladies and smartly-dressed gents are descending on the rural town of Barnard Castle to feast their eyes on fashion archives from some of the world’s best known creative forces.

Famed fashion photographer Tim Walker, who has a penchant for shooting supermodels at favoured locations in Northumberland, was the subject of the recent Dreamscapes exhibition, curated by Greville Worthington, at Bowes Museum, a beautiful French chateau house nestled in the countryside.

Th e V ivie nn e We s t woo d sho es t hat Naom i C amp b ell was w ear ing w h en s he topp led over on t he catwal k. ©V ivie n n e Westwood

It is not the first time high fashion has come to the hills. The museum has also played host to Vivienne Westwood’s Shoes exhibition, which featured the skyscraper heels that caused Naomi Campbell to tumble on the catwalk, and showcased hats by acclaimed milliner Stephen Jones.

This month two new fashion-focused exhibitions come to town with the opening of Laura Ashley: The Romantic Heroine alongside Henry Poole & Co: The Art of Bespoke Tailoring and Wool Cloth.

Plans are also afoot to bring another major high fashion event to the Bowes, though the move is strictly top secret at the moment.

“I can’t possible tell you who it is,” smiles Joanna Hashagen, Keeper of

Fashion and Textiles who has been in intense negotiations to bring the exhibition to the North East.

“It would be fantastic for Bowes if it happens, amazing. We have such a great setting here. “We had some international journalists over to visit from Paris and they couldn’t believe it when they saw the museum and the countryside. They thought it was beautiful.

It is Joanna who is responsible for attracting this new breed of stylish visitors through the museum doors.

“We officially opened the gallery in 2010 and Vivienne Westwood was the show that launched it for us,” says Joanna.

“It is what I had been planning for many years. We wanted to do something that was state of the art and pushed

boundaries and we were able to get funding for it.

“It’s wonderful. We have won regional and national awards and people are really appreciating what we are doing.

“What’s wonderful now is that people are approaching us now to ask if they can exhibit here.

Before Bowes, Joanna worked at the Gallery of Costume in Manchester, the city where she had read the History of Art at university.

“I was going to change the world when I was there but things changed,” says the curator. She moved to Bowes when a full-time position became available.

“We had a little fashion collection but I knew I wanted to do something big, do something significant and that’s when our gallery here opened its doors.”

J oa nna H a s hage n

S a r a F ree m a n a n d E m m a A s hley ( da ug hte r o f L a u ra A s hley) p h otog ra p hed i n L au r a A sh le y dr e ss es , l ate1960s. ©L au ra A s hle y Ltd.

A tux ed o jac k et f ro m t h e Henry Po o le arc hive s

T h e L au ra As h l e y exh ib i t i on r un s f rom Se pt e mb er 21 to Ja n ua ry 5 2014.

For more in for mation visit www. b owes museu m. org .uk september

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Arts & Culture

ŠT im Walker, Dr eamsc a p e s at Th e B ow e s M u s e u m

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w ith soc i al i t e , mod e l a n d fi tness tra ine r H e l e n Sto r e Y photography Idene Roozbayani www.idene.co.uk Make up Marie at ND Make Up Artists TEL: 07766 014 823 www.ndmakeupartists.co.uk

Society

I t ’ s b ee n a h e c t ic fe w mo nth s o f part ies , pa m pe r in g, sho pp i n g a n d g olf. Yes , yo u read t h at cor r ec tly, g o lf!

I

’m usually more likely to be found swigging bubbles at the bar than swinging a golf club but it was for a worthwhile cause; the Children’s Heart Unit Fund, who helped my gorgeous niece Kiera.

I caddied Dec Donnelly, who along with sidekick Ant, joined other celebrities at Close House to raise much-needed funds.

When I saw what I had to wear I nearly

cried-a very unflattering white boiler suit on one of the hottest days of the year. Never one to succumb to a fashion faux-paux I swiftly located some scissors and snipped off the arms to reveal a far more fashion-ready outfit. I got a beautiful tan that day.

I had great fun on the course. Dec was gorgeous, fun and cheeky and really friendly. It was more like talking to a friend than a celebrity.

In fact at the party afterwards, when we’d all consumed a few glasses of fizz, he grabbed hold of my leg and started playing it like a guitar. It was hilarious.

I found myself sitting next to Lee Westwood at the evening do and chatted away to him all night. He was really down to earth - just a genuinely nice guy. Lee also signed my cap and that was auctioned off too..

I also rubbed shoulders with a pop star when I bumped into Tom from Keane on the golf course. I asked him what he was playing like, to which he replied, ‘I’m playing howlers’ and laughed.

I got chatting to Strictly Come Dancing’s Anton du Beke. He was amazing, so funny. I said to him when Bruce leaves Strictly, he had to take over and he told me he’d love to, dahling!

I witnessed a horrible accident at this year’s TT. One of the bike’s went straight into a crowd of people, it was awful and there were emergency services everywhere. Racing was postponed for about five hours. I did get to visit the pits and meet some riders later.

I love my horse Stripe. His race name is Newton’s Cradle and he was in the retired racehorse parade before Northumberland Plate at Newcastle Racecourse. We got a great reaction from the crowds which was fantastic and afterwards I went for champagne in my brother-in-law Graham’s box.

Holidays are so important for relaxation and with a hectic lifestyle I love to take a few days break. This summer I jetted off to a villa in Majorca where I went shopping in Palma and soaked up the sun.

I also went away for the weekend to the new Close House retreat in Windermere with my sister Andrea to celebrate our mum’s 65th birthday. We had great fun and dined out at the Michelin starred restaurant at Holbeck Ghyll country house hotel. We dined on the veranda overlooking the lake, it was amazing. Beautiful food and excellent service.

Cruise is one of my favourite place’s to shop and I have modelled for the designer store a few times. I fell in love with the D&G floral dress (£2,700) I wore for a La Di Da fashion shoot-it was so elegant and the Alexander McQueen clutch bag with skull was to die for. My fave outfit though was a Victoria Beckham LBD (£1850) which I wore with some Gucci black peep toe shoes-a bargain for £464 in the sale. I’m hoping someone might buy me them for Christmas!

I also found time to go out with the girls. We headed to Tup Tup Palace and joined Adee Phelan for a glass of champers or two in the VIP lounge. Adee’s new salon in Newcastle is amazing-there are works of art everywhere and pianos, it’s fantastic.

I love it! september

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H E L E N ’S Be aut y Se crets I use L’Occitane almond oil (£32 at John Lewis) just before a flight. It smells beautiful and stops my skin getting dehydrated.

Rapid lash serum (£41) is fantastic. I noticed a difference after three weeks. My lashes were noticeable longer and thicker.

I’ve recently discovered Mac foundation for face and body (£27 Fenwick). You put a little 20p size of foundation in your palm and run it over your legs. It’s like wearing tights and gives a flawless look.

I’ve used all the expensive skin creams such as La Prairie but now I only use Olay as I have sensitive skin and it doesn’t bring me out in spots.

S te phe n Rank i n, Ki m Rank i n and Al l an Rank i n

A d e e P he la n a nd J o hn B e re s fo rd L e s Fr izze ll a nd D o d d ie We ir C l ai re B arb er an d Li z L am b

D e cl an D o nne l l y and S arah Ro be r t s o n G o rd o n M unc ha ll a nd E m m a Munc ha ll

B ri an Ai t k i n and E l i sa Ai t k i n Liz Lamb, Decl an Don n el l y and Sara h Rob ert son

Society

HAV E A H E ART CHAR I TY GOLF DAY AND EVENING. AT CLO SE HO USE HOTEL & GOL F. Pau l i n e S i evew ri gh t , An drea W yl i e an d J ack i e B oyl an an d S u e Grah am

J en n ifer De Cast ro an d Mike O dysseas

The worlds of entertainment, golf and business collided at Close House to raise money for the Children’s Heart Unit Fund.

Guests included Ant and Dec, Anton Du Beke and Clare Balding. The evening entertainment included a performance by Liberty X singer Michelle Heaton and an impromptu set by Tom Chaplin, lead singer with Keane.

Mic he lle H e a t o n, Matt Hud s o n a nd Chr is t ine He ato n

Ro n Brow n, S o ni a Brow n, And re a T ho m ps o n and G e of f Tho nps o n

Carol H arri s an d Dean H arri s

A nt ho ny M c Pa r t lin a nd D e c la n D o nne lly

Steph en Meena gh an an d E lain e Dodds

C hr i s Re nt o n and P hi l Re nto n

Su san Jackson an d Lorraine Embl et on

S arah Rob ert son an d A n t on du B eke

Liz L a m b, A la n S he a re r a nd S a ra h Ro be r t s o n september

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J ef f S o ut he r n and K a ley S o ut he r n

C hr is D y s o n, J e nni P ut t uc k a nd B a r ney Put t uc k

W illiam and Rock l i ffe St aff

D avy Cuthbe r ts o n, And rew Ve r i ty, N i ck Ho l me s , War w i ck Br i nd l e and Pe te N ew to n

W i l l i am an d S eb Carm i ch ael -b row n

Pa ul Wa lke r a nd N ic k H o lm e s

Su san an d David Hill Society

W I LL I AM H U NT TR I LBY TOU R .

Vau gha n E van s, Reb ecca E van s, Si n dy Carm i ch ael -b row n an d B arry E van s

Ric ha rd Fra n ci s , Ian Le ni han a nd S im o n Hud d

AT ROCK L IFFE H A L L HOTE L .

Amateur golfers competed in the final of the William Hunt Trilby Tour which was televised on Sky Sports.

Guests included retired English footballer Teddy Sheringham. Staff at Rockliffe Hall joined in the fun, including MD Nick Holmes, by donning the obligatory trilby hat.

Ian Le ni han, Wi l l i am Hunt and Te d d y S he r i ngham

D av id Hi l l and S t eve Hinc h cl i f fe

Steve Hin chcl i ffe an d David Hill

Neil Riddell

Tedd y S he r ing ha m

M ar tyn S t ubbi ngs S e b Ca r m ic ha e l- brown a nd M a r t y n S t ubbing s

Lou ise P hillips september

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B arry Sp eker OB E an d Faga Sp eker

D av id S t o rey, Je nny Co at e s , To ny Co a t e s a n d Ad am Mund ay

Camille Mon cur an d Bobbie Mon cur M a r k W int e r a nd S a ra h W illia m s

Cari ad Rob ert s an d E m m a H al l i n gt on Lau ra Wes t an d Joanne Mit ch el l

D awn S im p s o n, J a ne t R ic ha rd s o n, M e liss a H o r be r r y a nd To nia C rawfo rd

Society

HOT E L I ND I GO’S FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY.

Claire Barber an d Ad ee Ph elan

D a nie lle Ha ns o n and C hr i s Anke rs

Hotel Indigo in Newcastle celebrated its first birthday party with plenty of fizz and canapes. Guests included former Newcastle United captain Bobbie Moncur.

GM of Hotel Indigo, Adam Munday said: “It was great to mark the occasion with a party. Everyone had a great time.”

Ki m Wal ke r, Ant o ni a C l i f fo rd , Vi ct o r i a Ro ught and S e re na Rams ey

A nge la Cur t is a nd V ikki Bla ke G eorge Li ddl e a n d K at e G i l l

Pa ul B la ke a nd S im o n Cur t is september

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And rew Wo o d and C hr i s t i ne Bal fo rd

Showbiz

Sup e r - s ty li sh S a r a h Ro bertson always h a s the h ottest ti ck e t i n town . F rom red car p et glamo ur wi th Tom C ruise to party ing wi th Par is Hilton , o ur E n t ertain ment E ditor w i ll br ing yo u all lates t gossip f rom Lon don .

W

elcome

to my new column giving you the insider info into celebrity shenanigans after dark.

Summer in London is always my busiest season and so far it’s not just the weather that has been scorching!

The season kicked off royally with a delightful trip to watch the English Polo Team versus Argentina at the HPA Gaucho International Polo held at the O2 arena.

Stars including Denise Van Outen and Made In Chelsea’s Ashley James flocked to watch handsome men in breeches ride around before partying with Strictly Come Dancing stars Vincent and Flavia and enjoying lots of champers at the Players After-Party.

More champagne was quaffed at the Gucci Chime For Change after-party following Beyonce’s electric performance at Twickenham Stadium. A- list couple Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively were joined at the exclusive event by Freida Pinto where a stunning Freida told us she was trying not to enjoy the amazing cakes on offer. That’s how celebs stay so slim!

Guests also received a lovely goody bag filled with Gucci perfumes.

I enjoyed a fabulous breakfast at private members club Little House in Mayfair where top designer Roland Mouret gave an inspiring talk about fashion.

The Gallic genius behind the ‘Moon dress’ made famous by fellow designer Victoria Beckham, told me how he doesn’t help her design her clothes but still acts as a mentor to her now if she needs advice.

I tried not to swoon when seeing the handsome Bradley Cooper at the Hangover Three premiere, but my favourite showbiz party of the year is the Glamour Women Of The Year awards, and there were A-Listers aplenty from VB herself who brought her family sadly without David, to The Saturdays. I caught up with an excited Una Healy who told me she loved my dress from Coast and revealed she couldn’t wait to become an aunty again when bandmate Frankie Sandford has her baby. And no summer season would be complete without a trip to the West End. I managed to pin down Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville at the musical Spamalot and try to prise details about the fourth series of the hit ITV show but all he would reveal is that it’s going to be “another big emotional rollercoaster with lots of thrills and spills!”

I was also lucky enough to be invited onto the set of Mr Selfridge. Actor Jeremy Piven was absolutely charming and I sat in his chair and watched them filming Till next time.

my favourite show biz party of the year is the Glamour Women Of The Year awards , and there were A-Listers aplenty fro m VB hersel f who bro ught her fa mily sadly witho ut David

Sarah with Hugh

Sarah on the set of Mr Selfridge, with Jeremy Piven Sarah with fashion designer Roland Mouret september

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Sa r a h Ro be rts on is Fe atu r es Ed itor of S ta r M aga zi n e

Introducing Sunshine

t h e roc k ’n’ rol l d og g ie .

ILLUSTRATION SIMON DONALD

M

Y name is Sunshine, but you can call me Sunny. I was born on 30th October, 2012 in Northumberland. One day when I was eight weeks old a blonde lady arrived, scooped me up and that was the start of my rock 'n' roll life.

She was recovering from breast cancer when she came to get me and so I try to look after her the best I can by making her laugh mainly.

She's not a bad old stick, although I bet she wished she was as thin as one. Tee Hee! We live in the centre of London, but we come back home quite often to visit my Grandad and Grandma in Newcastle.

My mummy is 'something' in the music industry but I'm not quite sure what. It’s dangerous for a dog this industry - I sniffed in the wrong place in a recording studio last week and I was up for 24 hours barking!

I have a girlfriend called Elsa and we are planning on having a family by Christmas.

Mummy has organised an engagement party for us but I'm not getting married, I'm far too young (and I've got a little pup in Scotland with my name on - talk about a dog with two tails!).

I will share the photos of the festivities with you after I have 'vetted' them (see what I did there).

Hanging around the rock 'n' roll industry I have developed my musical tastes; my favourites are The Who and Paul Weller and I've been patted by both of them.

My theme tune is 'Do Anything You Want to Do' by Eddie and the Hot Rods, it makes me want to be really naughty and kick over my water bowl!

My friend rock legend Roger Daltrey CBE, no less, won 'Man of the Year' at the GQ Awards this month; I hope I look as good as him when I'm that age (which will be 10 in dog years - yes dear readers, he is almost 70)!

I won an award myself last week actually, 'Best In Show'. Former MP Lembit Öpik was one of the judges and one contestants bit him on his meat and two veg,

although he refused to press charges for the unprovoked canine carnage! That ended up in the press too... drama seems to follow me around!

Lots of people like to sing songs with ‘Sunshine’ in the title to me, I'm putting a playlist together which I will share with you all soon but I’d love to hear your suggestions.

Mummy is very organic and she feeds me yummy food from Lily's Kitchen; I get a boiled egg for breakfast on Sundays and a raw carrot every day, though I also like eating spiders.

The lovely Joe McElderry came to visit me when I was little. We ended up in the press because I seemed more interested in the Paul Weller poster - it wasn't true there was a spider I wanted to eat near there!

As we live on the Southbank we often go for walks around there. Soho is my spot though, I love it. I will often be found reclining on the roof terrace of Sanctum Soho Hotel, or in the hot tub. My mummy's cousin Mark owns it, he is a character.

I loved it when a drunk reality star came over and pawed me so I pawed them right back, the dirty devils! I hate it when they pull my tail, my mummy tells them off. She can be a tough old boot sometimes, especially when she catches me in her handbag!

Hope you like the drawings of me... one is by mummy’s best friend Simon Donald.

He started Viz with his brother Chris. He used to draw Sid the Sexist!

That's all for now folks.

Be lucky

Yo u can fol low me on Twitte r or be my frien d on Face b oo k: www.t w itter.com/ro c kn roll su n n y / www.face b ook. com/ roc kn ro l lsunny september

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2013

Posh Pooch

G org e o us Da rc e y s t r i k e s a p o s e T h e two -y e ar -o ld H u n g ar i a n V i z s l a i s fu ll o f li fe a n d love s a s p ot o f m o delling. H a n d - rear ed f ro m birth af ter th e deat h of he r mot h er , ou r d o ggy cove r gir l love s eve ry t hin g a nd eve ryo ne . An d we love h er!

PHOTO Sarah Caldecott Photography, sarahcaldecott@hotmail.co.uk

september

99

2013

COME AND EXPERIENCE THE WORLD’S ONLY LEE WESTWOOD GOLF COURSES ONLY AT CLOSE HOUSE

Close House is an 18th century mansion house set in stunning Northumberland countryside, less than 8 miles from Newcastle. With the recent opening of the world’s only Lee Westwood golf courses, The Lee Westwood Colt and The Lee Westwood Filly course, now is the perfect time to visit us.

Lee Westwood has been involved in the design and renovation of the two stunning 18 hole golf courses to further enhance their already enviable reputation and less than a year after opening, the Lee Westwood Colt Course has already been awarded a top 100 golf course status in England. Our golfers can enjoy the state-of-the-art floodlit driving range and tuition from PGA Professionals, as well as the No.19 clubhouse and golf shop.

Find out for yourself why Lee Westwood chooses to play golf at Close House.

Stay and Play packages are available. For further information contact the golf team on: 01661 85 22 55 or email golf@closehouse.co.uk

www.closehouse.co.uk When I visit the club, it’s like a home from home. I have been asked to be attached to a number of clubs but Close House has something different, something special.

Lee Westwood

CLOSE HOUSE HOTEL & GOLF, HEDDON ON THE WALL, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, NE15 0HT TELEPHONE 01661 85 22 55 ENQUIRIES@CLOSEHOUSE.CO.UK WWW.CLOSEHOUSE.CO.UK When travelling to Close House using a SAT NAV please use NE41 8BL