Places&Faces Magazine – Issue 56 – November 2014 by Countrywide Publications

November 2014 | £2.95 where sold

THE Magazine for

Christmas

party dresses, high heels & handbags

Norfolk & North Suffolk The Dordogne

C’est magnifique!

inside britain’s greenest building

– here in Norwich

E at in g o u t in Dunwich, Harleston and Stoke Holy Cross

win!

visit norfolk’s

A private brewery tour, real ales and a christmas hamper

award winning vineyard

center parcs at elveden is

Love Christmas shopping even more Late nights and shopping are a match made in heaven. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re open â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;til 7pm throughout November (9pm on Thursdays). Except Sundays 11am - 5pm

*Limited availability - call our holiday booking line on 01263 576022 or visit our website at www.woodlandholidaypark.co.uk for more information and to book.

Woodland Holiday Park Trimingham, Norfolk NR11 8QJ Tel: 01263 576022 Email: info@woodland-park.co.uk

WWW.WOODLANDHOLIDAYPARK.CO.UK

EMMA BRIDGEWATER Christmas joy 1/2pt mug £19.95, 8.5inch plate £19.95

MICHAEL KORS watch £209

STEIFF Elmar 40cm jointed bear £60

RITUALS ayurveda gift set £28.50

TED BAKER lilita black gem cross body clutch £89

PARLANE ‘All I want’ bottle 16cm £4 ‘Make a wish’ bottle 26.5cm £10

Mug Cakes - 40 Speedy Cakes To Make In A Mug Mima Sinclair RRP £8.99 £7.99

BENTLEY for men intense 100ml £69.50

MONTBLANC extreme business card holder £110, urban walker extreme cufflinks £230

IN STORE • ONLINE • MOBILE LONDON STREET, NORWICH 01603 660661 JARROLD.CO.UK

WELCOME

MEET THE TEAM

Editor’s Letter

Colin Huggins Managing Director t 01493 742091 m 07775 858862

Sarah Hardy

E colin@h2creativemedia.co.uk

sarah@h2creativemedia.co.uk

EMMA OUTTEN Assistant Editor E emma@h2creativemedia.co.uk

Design Senior Designer: Elliott Mowle BA elliott@h2creativemedia.co.uk

Designer: Ashley Coomer ashley@h2creativemedia.co.uk

Senior Designer: Matt Custance BA matt@h2creativemedia.co.uk

Designer: John Kemp john@h2creativemedia.co.uk

Advertising Account Manager: Jo Taylor jo@h2creativemedia.co.uk T 01493 742251 | M 07584 493455

H2 Creative Digital: Paula Hodds paula@h2creativedigital.co.uk T 01493 742090 | M 07765 886189

Account Manager: Shaun Coomer shaun@h2creativemedia.co.uk T 01493 742066 | M 07584 162023

Sales Executive (motoring): Alan Styles alan@h2creativemedia.co.uk M 07928 713029

Account Manager: Phil Nicholls phil@h2creativemedia.co.uk T 01493 742136 | M 07780 430706

Contributors Franck Pontais, Nick Mobbs, Andrew Florides, Roger Hickman, Andy Newman Associates, Richard Barr, Julian Gibbons, Carl Lamb, Victor Ling, Rory James, Sam Matthews, Ellen Mary, Simon Wainwright, Hayley Philpot, Jungle PR, Jennifer Read, James Spicer, Steve Docwra, Neil Orford, Matt Kimberley, Iain Dooley, Richard Balls, Snappers Photography. Front cover image: Matt Frost

See all of our Society Photos at our website placesandfaces.co.uk follow us on twitter @placesandfaces and facebook

WelcomE to our November issue which is getting us in the mood for Christmas. We’ve got the dresses, the bags and the shoes to ensure you’ll ready for the party season! Maybe we should have included a few cocktail recipes, too, and the inevitable hangover cures! Celebrity-wise, we have a chat with Kevin Kennedy, best known as Curly Watts in Coronation Street, my favourite soap. He’s one of the stars of the Theatre Royal’s panto, Peter Pan, this year which promises to be as big and bold as ever. And Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle arrives in our region this month, to pass on a few tips to all our aspiring young athletes. Emma Outten talks to author John Boyne who penned the powerful The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. He’s teaching at the UEA and has a new book out, while Norwich’s Richard Balls, a well respected music writer, tells us about his latest book, Be Stiff: The Stiff Records Story. Rock and roll! Food starts to take centre stage at this time of year, doesn’t it? Simon Wainwright at the Imperial Hotel in Great Yarmouth offers us lamb while Franck Pontais has a hearty soup, with a typically French twist to it, and Andy Newman visits an award winning vineyard just outside Norwich. Who would have thought it?! James Spicer hooks up with Stephen Duffield who is now running the Chameleon House in Harleston while Andy Newman tries out Stoke Mill, near Norwich, which has a noble history and a fine looking future. And I head to the Ship Inn at Dunwich, well, there’s got to be a few perks, hasn’t there, and have a night next to the sea. Pure bliss! And that’s before I mention the food! That little area – Southwold, Walberswick and Dunwich - is so perfect and long may it remain so! Don’t forget the first ever Places&Faces® concert with the very soulful Steve Brookstein who plays the Assembly House in Norwich on November 20. It promises to be a really fun night, the chance to chill out, hear some wonderful music and meet the Places and Faces team, of course. And do enter this month’s competition which is the chance to win a private brewery tour, a selection of ales and a Christmas hamper from Woodforde’s Brewery. Happy reading

12 ISSUES F O R £ 24 General enquiries call Jane on 01493 742088 or visit our website at www.placesand faces.co.uk/magazine-subscribe

Published by

Printers

Online

H2Creative Media Limited, Beacon Innovation Centre, Beacon Park, Gorleston, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR31 7RA, 01493 446639

Micropress, Fountain Way, Reydon Business Park, Reydon, Suffolk IP18 6DH

www.placesandfaces.co.uk www.h2creativemedia.co.uk

Terms & Conditions Copyright on all content is with H2Creative Media Limited. Reproduction in part or whole is forbidden without the express permission of the publishers. All prices, events and times were correct at the time of print, and you are encouraged to contact the businesses and venue prior to making bookings. All expressions and opinions demonstrated within the publication, are those of the Editor including contributors. Places&Faces® is a registered Trade Mark of H2Creative Media Limited.

| November 2014

Kevin Kennedy, Norman ‘Curly’ Watts in Coronation Street, comes to the Norwich Theatre Royal panto this year – oh, yes he does!

Celebrities

16 John Boyne, author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, is promoting his latest book – and teaching - in Norwich this month

Fashion & Beauty

Norwich writer Richard Balls tells us about his latest book, a history of Stiff Records

24 Bring on the bling – it is time to buy a new party dress 27 The perfect accessories: high heels and handbags – see our selection 29 Our beauty pages are all about the latest foundations to hit the market

What’s On

Simon Wainwright at the Imperial Hotel in Great Yarmouth just wants us to slam in the lamb

32 Our monthly events guide tells us about

the best activities taking place in the region in November

Homes & Gardens

38 Norwich is set to be home to Britain’s greenest

commercial building. Sarah Hardy looks around The Enterprise Centre at the University of East Anglia 44 Head to the country for interiors inspiration this month as our homes writers can’t get enough of tweed, faux fur and tartan 48 Our gardening writer Ellen Mary isn’t slowing down despite the cold weather

It’s a classic – read our review of Phantom of the Opera which celebrates 28 years in the West End

Food & Drink

57 Sam Matthews is vigilant when it comes to serving wine at the right temperature 58 Andy Newman visits an award winning vineyard near Norwich while Roger Hickman uses one of its wines to create a delicious dish 62 James Spicer heads to Harleston to try out the Chameleon House with its award winning chef, Stephen Duffield 66 Andy Newman is impressed by both the surroundings and the food at Stoke Mill, near Norwich 68 Sarah Hardy tucks in at the Ship Inn in Dunwich, a perfect seaside pub where doggies are always welcome!

this month’s

Editor’s Choice Editor Sarah Hardy picks out the best events and activities this month…

Our French chef Franck Pontais adds fresh cockles to a tempting pea soup for hearty supper dish

competition Our competition this month is the chance to win a private brewery tour, a selection of ales and a Christmas hamper from Woodforde’s. Cheers!

Best Horse Racing There are two race meetings at Fakenham Racecourse this month

Business

– November 6 and 18. The first race is at 1pm. Wrap up warm!

managing director of Center Parcs in Elveden which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year

Best Author

Motoring

2001 to 2007, is in conversation with Professor Chris Bigsby on

90 Matt Kimberley road tests the new Citroen

biographies of Shelley and Coleridge and his most recent novel is

C4 Cactus which has some very original design features! 94 Iain Dooley checks out the new Renault Twingo, which has the engine in its boot

Falling Upwards. Visit www.ueaticketbookings.co.uk for more.

Regulars

bursts into life on November 8 and runs until December 23. The

More details at www.fakenhamracecourse.co.uk.

76 Emma Outten interviews James Barrett,

22 It is man vs machine for Richard Barr this month 97 Our High Society pages kick off with a charity

ball for Breakthrough Breast Cancer 104 Photographer Steve Docwra captures Norwich Cathedral in all its glory 106 Spend five minutes with bridal boutique owner Anna Hare who has, not unsurprisingly, a real love of shopping

Richard Holmes, professor of biographical studies at the UEA from November 26 as part of the UEA Literary Festival. His works include

Best Show The annual extravagance that is the Thursford Christmas Spectacular north Norfolk show, involving more than 100 dancers, musicians and singers, attracts visitors from all over the country. Visit www.thursford.com.

Best shopping The Norfolk Festive Craft, Gift and Food Show takes place at the Norfolk Showground, on the outskirts of Norwich, on November 15 and 16. It’s the place to start your Christmas shopping! Visit www.aztecevents.co.uk for more.

Best Festival

Cover Story

The Southwold Literary Festival, Ways With Words, takes place in the gorgeous seaside town from November 6-10. Those taking part

12 Gymnast Beth Tweddle

include Melvyn Bragg, Anthony Horowitz, Charles Spencer, Alan

jumps into Norfolk

Johnson, and Esther Freud. Visit www.wayswithwords.co.uk for more.

Best West End Opening Former Bond babe Gemma Arterton stars in Made in Dagenham, a new musical opening at the Adelphi Theatre on November 5. Based on a true story and the hit movie, it tells of Rita, a factory worker from Essex who, in 1968, fights for women’s rights – especially equal pay. Visit www.madeindagenhamthemusical.com for more.

Best Movie The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 is based on Suzanne Collins’ hit books. Jennifer Lawrence returns as Katniss Everdeen and watch out for Norwich’s Sam Claflin, too. It is the old tale of good versus evil but what a journey! It opens on November 21.

1. Melvyn Bragg 2. The Thursford Christmas Spectacular

| november 2014

F r o m s oap favo u r it e to pi r at e c h i e f, K e v in K e nn e dy h a s e nj oy e d a lo ng ca r e e r in t h e acting w o r l d . But it h a s n â&#x20AC;&#x2122; t b e e n w it h o ut it s p r o b l e m s , a s h e t e l l s S a r a h H a r dy

Celebrity interview

kevin kennedy

s the loveable supermarket boss Norman ‘Curly’ Watts in Coronation Street, a part he

of topical jokes – and that one big scene where everything goes crazy! ‘And the theatre staff are very friendly and the city is played for 20 years, Kevin Kennedy lovely, I’ve already hired an apartment about 15 minutes’ was one of the most recognised faces walk away from the theatre so the children can come and on television. He had, as he freely stay once they break up from school.’ admits, the world at his feet, but it all He says: ‘I don’t know Norwich so well, yet, I have been became too much. to watch my team, Manchester City, play a couple of times Much has been written about his battle with drink and at Carrow Road but I’m looking forward to getting to know drugs in the tabloid press and Kevin has also written his it better.’ own autobiography, The Street To Recovery, where he tells Recently he has been starring in Ben Elton’s We Will of drinking up to a bottle of vodka a day and taking cocaine. Rock You in London as the ageing hippy Pop, and also Everything came crashing down when he collapsed on set enjoyed a spell as the Child Catcher and Caractacus Potts in in 1998 and ended up in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. hospital and then in rehab. Apart from his acting He has been clean for work, Kevin also runs, I don’t know Norwich so well, 16 years but never under with his wife, herself estimates the pull of a former addict, too, yet, I have been to watch my addiction, saying; ‘It is one Addiction Management team, Manchester City, play day at a time, I know that UK, a company devoted a couple of times at Carrow I won’t have a drink today to helping those with but I don’t think too far problems. He gives talks, Road but I’m looking forward ahead, I don’t put pressure offers advice and support to getting to know it better on myself.’ and is very keen on trying Now Kevin, who is in to keep people in the his mid 50s, and married workplace. ‘Employers to Clare with two children, Katie May and Grace, is looking need to know what to look out for and what help they can forward to spending Christmas in Norfolk as he is starring offer,’ he says. in Peter Pan as Captain Hook. ‘I’m really looking forward As part of this, the couple has just opened a non alcoholic to playing a baddie, it is so much more fun. It is hard being bar in their hometown of Brighton. ‘We’re hoping to nice all the time, being evil comes quite easily! provide a safe place for people in recovery to go to eat, ‘I think my Hook will be a cross between Johnny Depp’s drink and socialise. We want them to be able to come for an Captain Jack and Terry Thomas’ Hook from the 1950s.’ evening, sing karaoke or listen to a band. I just want to get The Peter Pan production will be Kevin’s seventh people well,’ he says. pantomime, and he says that he loves festive shows because And finally, you have to ask – will we ever see him back they help inspire the next generation of audiences, actors on The Street? and theatre professionals. ‘I am very proud of what we achieved with Curly,’ says ‘I can’t think of a better job to do over Christmas because Kevin. ‘I had some great story lines - the love triangle with all the kids have such a great time,’ he adds. Raquel and Des Barnes - and then the supermarket fun with About the Peter Pan story in particular, he says: ‘First and Reg, I was lucky.’ foremost it’s a beautiful story, it’s fun and it’s exciting and Kevin has made no secret of the fact that he would relish there’s everything in it for children, there’s pirates, there’s a return, saying: ‘It is a rumour that crops up every three princesses, fairies and crocodiles - and Captain Hook!’ months or so. I would love to go back, it was my family for Kevin who was born in Manchester but now lives in many, many years. So if they can think of a storyline, I’ll Brighton, was keen to come to the Theatre Royal be there.’ because of its reputation, saying: ‘It does such good work, and Richard Gauntlett has produced some incredible shows over the years. He always puts some sort of spin on them, with plenty

Peter Pan runs at the

Theatre Royal, Norwich, from December 18 to January 18. Call 01603 630000.

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

Also starring in this year’s Norwich Theatre Royal production of Peter Pan is CBeebies presenter Sid Sloane, who will play the Dame, and Cromer Pier favourite Ben Langley, who will play pirate Starkey. The show is being written and directed by Theatre Royal pantomime stalwart Richard Gauntlett who will also play Smee.

| november 2014

Coming On a nd

Leap s Bounds

B e t h T w e dd l e i s B r i ta i n â&#x20AC;&#x2122; s m o s t s u c c e s s f u l e v e r f e m a l e gy m n a s t a n d, s i n c e r e t i r i n g , i s d e t e r m i n e d to g e t m o r e c h i l d r e n i n vo lv e d i n t h e s p o r t. S h e c o m e s to N o r f o l k n e x t m o n t h to i n s p i r e t h e n e x t g e n e r at i o n o f O ly m p i a n s

celebrity interview

eth Tweddle’s impressive achievements include being an Olympic Bronze medallist, a triple World Champion, a six-time European Champion, a Commonwealth Champion and seven-times consecutive National Champion. She has competed at three Olympic Games; Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012 - where she won Bronze in the Uneven Bars. Since starting out at the age of seven, Beth has helped to reinvent British gymnastics and her achievements place her in the ‘greatest of all time’ category within her sport. Her medals haul started at the 2002 Commonwealth Games where she collected Gold and two Silvers. Over the next decade she would go on to win over 20 more Gold medals, competing all over the World in major Championships. In 2007, Beth, who was born in South Africa and grew up in Cheshire, also found time to graduate from Liverpool John Moores University with 2:1 in Sports Science and subsequently was accepted to study Physiotherapy at the University of Liverpool, which she deferred to allow her to fully concentrate on training for the 2012 Games. In 2010, the 29-year-old was included in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List, and received an MBE for her success, commitment and dedication to gymnastics. Following her Olympic success, Beth took a break from competitive gymnastics, taking part in the 2013 series of

ITV’s Dancing on Ice, which she won with skating partner Daniel Whiston. Beth has since retired from competitive gymnastics but is very much involved with her beloved sport, as a director and ambassador of Total Gymnastics. Beth and fellow Olympian, Steve Parry, set up the company to provide the opportunity for as many children as possible to take up gymnastics, within schools, leisure centres and gymnastics clubs to help develop the sport around the country. She answers a few of our questions: Do you know us well in Norfolk and Suffolk? I have been to Norfolk and Suffolk a few times and I’ve always enjoyed my visits. I’m visiting the Framtastics Gym Club in Framingham Earl, near Norwich, next month, and I’m really looking forward to meeting the children and coaches there. Do you miss the thrill of taking part in competitive sport? I think I will always miss the competitive side of gymnastics. That was what I enjoyed most about gymnastics but I also know how much hard work goes in behind the scenes to be out there competing, which I don’t miss! What has been your biggest achievement to date? I don’t think I can pick one but obviously the London 2012 Olympics will always have a special place in my heart. That’s where I achieved my dream of an Olympic medal but without the results prior to London that wouldn’t have been possible. Which do you prefer – live TV work (commentating) or the more fun shows like Tumble? I enjoy the variety that comes with television work. It was great working with the guys on Tumble but I have also loved being out in China with the BBC Sport team covering the gymnastics, too.

Beth tweddle

Who is your sporting icon – alive or dead! I have always admired Dame Kelly Holmes and Paula Radcliffe. They had so many injuries throughout their careers but still achieved amazing results. What do you have lined up for Christmas? It will be my first Christmas for as long as I can remember that I will be completely off with no work/training commitments, so I’m looking forward to spending it with family and friends and just chilling out. What’s the next big sporting event you’re covering? I have just been in China covering the World Gymnastics Championships and then I will be in Glasgow for the Gymnastics World Cup in December. In October 2015 the World Championships will be in Glasgow, too. I’m really looking forward to covering that and the atmosphere should be amazing for Team GB. How much fun was Dancing on Ice and do you still skate? I loved Dancing on Ice and was really lucky to get on so well with both of my partners. It was a challenge but one that I really needed post 2012. I really love skating and I still get to a rink when I have time. How do you spend your free time? I am away so much that most of my free time is spent catching up with family and friends, which mostly involves shopping or a trip to the theatre. You’re looking very well – what’s your secret?! Thank you. I don’t know, I still do exercise and eat well so there isn’t a huge secret I’m afraid! Tell us about Total Gymnastics and Gym Stars – do you love working with little ones? Now that I’m not involved in gymnastics at a competitive level, my passion is inspiring the younger generation and giving them the opportunity to try the sport that I love. They might love it, they might hate it but at least they’ve tried it. Gymstars is mainly body awareness and the basics of gymnastics. We start children from the age of two and the main purpose is for them to have fun with it. We also run Beth Tweddle Academies, which is for an hour or two a week after school, allowing children to have a go at gymnastics on their doorstep - we work out of school sports halls or leisure centres, so it is the grassroots level of the sport. It’s not just about finding the next world-beater; if the children walk out of the gym with a smile on their face then I feel like I’ve achieved something. Why should children do gymnastics – total fitness, fun, competitive or…? Gymnastics is great on so many levels, fitness, flexibility, body awareness, making new friends, trying something new, and most of all having fun.

Beth visits Framingham Earl Community Sports Centre in an event organised by Framtastics Gymnastics on December 3. Tickets are available from the centre between 9am and 1pm each Saturday or via email treasurer@framearlgym.co.uk. It is hoped that money raised will help buy additional equipment for the club. Businesses interested in supporting the evening are asked to contact the club treasurer Jo Francis: treasurer@framearlgym.co.uk. If you have an aspiring gymnast who would like to join the club then contact Rachel Perry: coach@framearlgym.co.uk. Visit www.bethtweddle.co.uk for more information.

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

Exclusive

Places&Faces offer available with a Harley Street trained professional

VHS transfers Usual price - £14.99

Exclusive price - £7.99

Cine Transfers of 50ft

Portraits for Generations

For a beautiful way to indulge yourself…

Usual price - £29.99

Exclusive price - £17.99 Valid until 31st December 2014

Get the family together for the all important mantel piece photo. We can suit any style, be it more alternative or traditional, we can come up with something to be perfect in your home.

Beach Clinic is the place for Botox injections, lip fillers, facial light peels, liquid face lifts, threat vein and skin tag removal. Laser Lipo fat reducing treatment also available – guaranteed to drop a dress size!

We can produce lots of different framed prints and even photo gifts, so give us a ring to book your family in for a photo shoot. It would make a great gift, so why not ask for a personalised voucher.

CHRISTMAS IS NOT TOO FAR AWAY NOW! BE ACH CL I N IC

Beach House, Beach Rd, Gorleston NR31 6DQ Telephone: 01493 603102 / 07810 272640

www.beachclinic.co.uk

4 LOWESTOFT ROAD, GORLESTON, GREAT YARMOUTH, NORFOLK, NR31 6LY TEL: 01493 888222 WWW.BARKERSPHOTOS.CO.UK

Frame Workshop and Gallery 22, St Nicolas Street, Ipswich IP1 1TJ 01473 400692

www.djpaulallen-weddingservices.co.uk

With Parameters

Inner Smile

Pears with Jug & Leaves

Sarah Baddon Price RECOLLECTION 5th November - 6th Devember 2014 Monday - Saturday 10.00am - 4.30pm

Private View Friday 7th November 6.30 - 8.30 www.sarahbaddonprice.com studio@sarahbaddonprice.com

For a Wedding Disco with a real difference. Using large projection screens, hundreds of music videos are mixed with your own photos and images - to make every event individual & unique.

Contact Paul today: 07889 667 966

NOVEMBER BOX OFFICE: (01603) 63 00 00

Tues 28 Oct – Sat 1 Nov JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT Lloyd Daniels (X Factor), Danielle Hope (Over the Rainbow), Matt Lapinskas (EastEnders) star in favourite family musical. £6.50 - £27.50 Sun 2 November JOHN MAYALL The Godfather of British blues £6.50 - £29.50 Mon 3 November THE MODERN ALCHEMIST Spectacular science £5.50 - £8

Thur 6 – Fri 7 November RAMBERT World class contemporary dance £5.50 - £23 Sun 9 November NORFOLK SCHOOLS PROJECT Local schoolchildren perform their own operas Free Tues 11 – Sat 15 November GLYNDEBOURNE TOUR Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera, Verdi’s La traviata, Britten’s The Turn of the Screw £6.50 - £52

Wed 19 – Sat 22 November LORD OF THE FLIES Matthew Bourne’s new dance adaptation of William Golding’s classic novel – raw, intense and thrilling £6.50 - £28 Mon 24 – Sat 29 November ONE MAN TWO GUVNORS Norman Pace, Emma Barton star in hilarious smash-hit National Theatre comedy £6.50 - £26

One Man Two Guvnors

Tues 4 November JETHRO Cornish comedy legend £5.50 - £19.50

Book online: www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk T H E AT R E ST R E E T, N O RW I C H N R 2 1 R L

| november 2014

THE BOY I S BAC K Internationally acclaim ed author John Boyne is teaching at the University of east Ang lia this autum n, 20 years after joining the MA in Creative Writing course. Em m a Outten chats to him b efore he launches his latest b ook in Norwich

John continues: ‘To have the opportunity to spend a wo decades after novelist John Boyne few more months there again, doing something I really began mastering his writing skills enjoy - talking about writing and working with young, at the UEA, life has come full circle. aspiring writers - was an offer I couldn’t really turn down. For this semester, the internationally ‘The business of sitting down for 10/11 weeks and acclaimed author is back in Norwich reading all this new work, analysing it, finding things as a tutor on the MA in Creative to talk about in class and talking about writing, actually Writing (Prose Fiction). makes for a better experience for a writer.’ Back in 1994, he was attracted to the course for The day we spoke he was in Dublin because it was his obvious reasons. ‘Even then it had a great reputation,’ partner’s 40th birthday the following day, although he he says from his home in Dublin. ‘One of my teachers assures me: ‘Most of the autumn I’m spending at UEA, on at Trinity College, where I was an undergrad, had campus, pretending I’m a student again.’ And, no doubt, recommended it to me and of course I knew who frequenting Norwich’s fine pubs and restaurants (he’d Malcolm Bradbury was and it seemed like a good idea.’ already paid a visit to The Murderers, when we spoke). He recalls: ‘I was quite young, only 22; I went in maybe And while he’s here, he will be spending an evening in quite cocky, thinking that I was great, but what I realised the book department at Jarrold’s to launch his new book, on the course was that most of my writing was imitating A History of Loneliness. writers that I liked and ‘I’ve been in Jarrold’s I needed to find my own many times. I don’t think voice.’ I was quite young, only 22; I went I’ve ever done a book This is not the first time in maybe quite cocky, thinking signing in there - I’ve John has been back. ‘Ten that I was great, but what I really just been in there as years ago I was a writing a shopper - but the books fellow for a term as well.’ realised on the course was that manager of Jarrold’s, He comments: ‘There is most of my writing was imitating Chris Rushby, used to be a reason I keep returning writers that I liked and I needed my boss many years ago.’ there and it’s because I’ve He explains: ‘I spent always had such positive to find my own voice. seven years working in memories of Norwich.’ Waterstones when I was Although he notes: ‘One trying to get my writing career off the ground and one of thing I would say is on the two occasions I’ve been there those years was in London and we both worked in head for an extended period in the past, on both occasions office, so it will be nice to see him again.’ Norwich got relegated from the Premier League!’ (He’s And he adds: ‘The last time I was in Jarrold’s their hoping the opposite will hold true this time).

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

John BoyNe

An Evening with John Boyne takes place at Jarrold’s in Norwich on November 18. Visit www.jarrold.co.uk or call 01603 660661. His latest book, A History of Loneliness, is published by Doubleday.

book department was really quite fancy - I don’t remember it being quite so fancy 20 years ago!’ The History of Loneliness, a brave book about the Irish Catholic Church, has already become a top 10 bestseller. John says: ‘I haven’t written about Ireland in the past and the subject matter I’m taking on is a contentious one but it’s one I think that Irish fiction has ignored for some odd reason over the years - which is strange considering it’s been one of the big new stories over the past 10 years.’ It’s taken John 15 years (and 12 novels) to write about his home country, and the novel tackles blind dogma and moral courage, and the dark places where the two can meet. It is with good reason John has been described as one of the most searching chroniclers of his generation. He is best known for international bestseller, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, which has sold more than five million copies worldwide and was made into Miramax feature film. The story focuses on Bruno, a nine-year-old boy

growing up during the Second World War in Berlin, and a Jewish boy he spots the other side of a camp’s wire fence. ‘I had the idea for the book only a couple of days before I started writing it,’ says John. ‘I had been quite a student of Holocaust related literature for many years. ‘It’s a very simple idea, of two boys at a fence talking, and then it kind of took me over and I felt I knew how to tell the story. If you’re going to write about the Holocaust you need to find a fresh approach and I just thought ‘this is the way in’. The 2006 novel was aimed at younger readers, as John says: ‘I move back and forth, writing books for adults and writing books for young people. My most recent young people’s book, Stay Where You Are and Then Leave came out in paperback in July.’ A couple of his books have a strong East Anglian influence. ‘The Absolutist, my last but one adult novel, is set in Norwich and in fact my last novel, This House Is Haunted, is entirely set in Norwich so there’s two in a row there.’ Are there anymore to come? ‘Possibly,’ replies John. ‘Outside of the cities of London and Dublin it’s kind of my default city for stories just because I know it so well.’ He is hoping that his creative writing students will join him in Jarrold’s this month. ‘They’d better come, otherwise they’ll be trouble!’

Stills from the 2009 film adaptation of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

| november 2014

d r o Reccess A

c u S

Norwich music writer Richard Balls tells us the story behind his latest book – the history of Stiff Records

mong the pictures I Blu-Tacked to my bedroom door as a pop-obsessed teenager was one of Lene Lovich. I had carefully cut it out of Look-In and it was a really good one. Pigtails emerged from a jumble of colourful ribbons, just like I’d seen her on Top Of The Pops performing Lucky Number. ‘Why on earth have you put up a picture of that ghastly woman?’ commented my mum. I liked Lene even more after that. I had a special box for my singles to keep them from being damaged. I generally looked after my things, especially when they had anything to do with pop music. When I bought a special six-pack of Madness singles that folded out, I hung it proudly on the wall. A couple of them got warped in the sun and were hard to play after that. But the fact these slices of vinyl had come in a limited edition package made them even more special and alerted me to the label Madness were on. Stiff Records.

Fast forward more than 30 years and Lene Lovich is perched on my sofa. I’m writing a book about Stiff and she calls round for an interview after visiting her daughter, who is living in Norwich. We chat for two hours or so about her childhood, her early days as an art student and musician, and her spell with the label on which she shot to stardom. ‘I totally loved it because I felt that at last there was a home for me and there were people who would take me for what I was,’ she said. Stiff, like Lene, had a strong visual identity and it completely got what so many young pop fans wanted as the 70s petered out in grey Britain. Instead of the boring plain paper covers the major labels delivered their product in, Stiff created iconic, picture sleeves, coloured vinyl and picture discs. To launch the Be Stiff tour of 1978, for which five artists trundled around the country on a specially liveried train, five albums were released on the same day, each pressed in a different colour. Lene’s was red.

Book

stiff records

But what really made Stiff (the word for an industry flop) probably the only record company with a loyal following of its own, were its imaginative marketing offensives. Guerrilla-style PR stunts. Posters and music press adverts that made a virtue of Ian Dury and Wreckless Eric being rejects. And memorable slogans like If They’re Dead We’ll Sign ‘Em and If It Ain’t Stiff, It Ain’t Worth A ****! Stiff blazed a trail from 1976 to 1987, releasing the UK’s first ever punk single, creating the future template for the industry and capturing the zeitgeist. It also gave some of pop’s most uniquely talented artists their initial leg-up. Elvis Costello and Ian Dury were square pegs who didn’t fit any the industry’s predictable categories. One was a serious-looking nerd in NHS specks and the other a growling pub rocker with a gammy leg. Stiff not only gave these underdogs the chance no one else would give them, but helped turn them into household names. This was a story that cried out to be written, I figured. I’d written an article about Stiff for Hot Press magazine when I was working as a journalist in Dublin in the 90s and realised its potential as a subject. But it was Ian Dury I ended up writing a book about, a massive project that led me to interview some of those from the Stiff story. Sex & Drugs & Rock ‘n’ Roll was published in 2000 and by then I had moved back to Norfolk, joining the Eastern Daily Press as its public affairs correspondent Only three years ago did I start punting around the idea of a Stiff book to publishers and it was picked up by Soundcheck Books. The hard work then began in earnest, tracking down and interviewing not only artists who made the label famous, but people who worked behind the scenes as press officers, pluggers and managers. Skype was a godsend, enabling me to get contributions from people in America, Ibiza, Spain and all over the UK. Some other interviews were carried out in person in a variety of situations. There is something surreal about finding yourself being driven erratically across London by Jona Lewie (of Stop The Cavalry fame) in search of a Lene Lovich gig (we eventually got there just as it finished). Other unforeseen events included completing an interview with Rat Scabies, legendary drummer with punk band The Damned, on a train, and trying to help Pogues front man, Shane MacGowan extricate himself from a toilet cubicle. A charming lunch with Ed Tudor Pole from Tenpole Tudor and a pint with Graham Parker were other highlights and it’s not every day Wreckless Eric calls round for the evening. It is the eye-witness accounts of these and other colourful characters that I’ve based my book about Stiff on, which, in tribute to its inventive marketing, is being made available in five different colour covers.

Stiff ’s Big Ten 1. Ian Dury & The Blockheads - Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick #1 (1979) 2. D ave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin - It’s My Party #1 (1981) 3. Madness - House of Fun #1 (1982) 4. Madness - Wings Of A Dove #2 (1983) 5. Belle Stars - Sign Of The Times #3 (1983) 6. Lene Lovich - Lucky Number #3 (1979) 7. Jona Lewie - Stop The Cavalry #3 (1980)

If It Ain’t Stiff, It Ain’t Worth A ****!

8. Madness - My Girl #3 (1980) 9. I an Dury & The Blockheads - Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 3 #3 (1979)

Shane MacGowan with Richard Balls

10. Madness - Baggy Trousers #3 (1980)

Be Stiff: The Stiff Records Story is available online and from all good bookstores.

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

THE EVENING IS SPONSORED BY

The winner of the first series of the X Factor in 2004 comes to

THE ASSEMBLY HOUSE NORWICH on NOVEMBER 20TH for an evening of Soul Classics from his new album

WITH SUPPORT FROM EILEEN HUNTER ACC L A I M E D JAZZ SINGER

STEVE BROOKST SINGS SONGS FROM HIS NEW ALBUM

FORGOTTEN

TICKETS £17 EACH IN ADVANCE, AVAILABLE FROM THE NORWICH THEATRE ROYAL BOX OFFICE: 01603 598688 DOORS OPEN 7PM

“BRILLIANT!” S I R TO M J O N E S “WONDERFUL. A REAL VOICE – T H E R E A L D E A L” SIR MICHAEL PA R K I N S O N

TEIN MAN

Steve was the original winner of The X Factor in 2004 with a record six million votes in one night. Steve will be performing tracks from his new album “Forgotten Man” and will be supported on the evening by his wife Eileen Hunter and his very talented band. His debut single, a cover version of Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds,” reached number one in the charts. Steve went on to score a number one debut album and single. However, just 12 weeks after his debut album Heart & Soul went to number one, a fall out with Simon Cowell saw Brookstein leaving the label. In 2006, he independently released his second album, 40,000 Things and went on to work with his wife, Eileen Hunter, on her debut album which was signed by Jazz FM. Forgotten Man is his first album in 7 years and was funded by fans. It contains a mix of classic soul tracks originally recorded by acts such as The Spinners, The Temptations, and The Stylistics, as well as originals. Tickets are selling fast and limited in number so please book early to avoid disappointment!

| november 2014

Machines That Talk Ou r R i c ha r d te l ls us that he far prefers t he hum an to uc h to ove r-clever technology. Yo u’r e not sur p r ise d, a r e you?

‘Wotcha!’ said the waste bin as I walked past it.

‘Wotcha!’ it said again. I bent down to look at it – and then it flipped up its lid and hit me on the nose. Ungrateful machine. At about the same time, in Great Yarmouth, a little pied wagtail was looking down from the rafters of a well known supermarket watching humans and machines behaving badly. And many thousand feet above me and the wagtail, an Airbus A320 was chatting to my son Nick (see P&F November 2012). One of the utterances a pilot dreads is: ‘Woop woop, pull up, woop woop pull up,’ – as they get near a mountain. He has never heard that during a flight and hopes he never will, but the plane does regularly call him a retard. These days I yearn for a real human voice spoken by a living, breathing human being, but before I begin my rant, let me just nudge Scotland out of the way. I hope you were all relieved, as I was, that despite the efforts of Messrs Salmond and co, we remain the United Kingdom. I am a quarter Scottish and half American. If Scotland had become an independent nation I would have become a foreigner in my own land, clinging onto the only part of me (probably my left leg) that remained English. But one thing, one small thing, that I would have rejoiced about if Scotland had up-sticks and left – was the all pervasive robotic Scottish accent which, it is claimed, has a charm that is lacking in a Birmingham or – dare I say it – Norfolk accent. Not for me though. I have a particular dislike of British Telecom’s ‘voice’ which talks soothingly in a lowland Scottish lilt to me whenever I try to report a fault. She sounds warm and helpful, but you soon find that she has limited powers of conversation. Deviate just a little from the replies she expects, and she begins to falter and starts huffing and saying that she cannot understand me and would I like to press # on my phone? She does not wince when I begin to scream at her that I just want my broadband to work at faster than a snail’s pace. All she can think of is: ‘Right, let’s try something different’ – and she delivers more of the same. I have the same issue with the automatic voice that tells you train times. True, it is not Scottish, but it is just as stupid. If I want a train from North Walsham to, say, London Liverpool Street, like as not it will respond: ‘Right – is that Horsham to Liverpool?’ ‘No!’ I bellow, so it offers Watlington to Llandudno, or Walthamstowe to llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Let no one say that my difficulty with robotic machines arises because (a) I am becoming senile and/or (b) I have a plum in my mouth.

I have been tested and still have all my marbles, and I had a plumectomy when I was younger. Some mechanical voices do not even try to be cheerful. Our local hospital, being modern (and one of those Private Finance Initiatives that makes for luxury now and impossible debt later) has lifts that talk. Let me take you into the behind-the-scenes process of selection of the ‘voice’ that guides you to the right floor.

A Look At Life

Richard Barr

I have a particular dislike of British Telecom’s ‘voice’ which talks soothingly in a lowland Scottish lilt to me whenever I try to report a fault. She sounds warm and helpful, but you soon find that she has limited powers of conversation.

Cut to the auditions room in Acne Lifts Inc. It has been a long hard day. The interviewer is becoming frustrated and exhausted. Only two candidates remain. Interviewer: ‘Thank you Mrs Sparrow, would you please say slowly the following: ‘doors closing, doors opening, going up, going down, first floor, second floor.’’ Mrs Sparrow chirps the words brightly and enthusiastically. The interviewer shakes his head and announces: ‘Next.’ Mr Don Key ambles in. That is too kind a word: he lopes in, head down, shoulders hunched, feet plodding. He intones the words with such misery that there is concern that

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

he will survive to the end of the audition. The interviewer jumps to his feet and claps his hands. He thumps Mr Don Key on the back (nearly knocking him over) and tells him that it is a splendid performance – just the job. And that explains why those who visit our local hospital may go into the lifts feeling well, but when they emerge a few floors higher they have been exposed to such gloom that they are in desperate need of a hospital bed, or at the very least antidepressants. The pied wagtail in the rafters of the supermarket was sad to leave. He so enjoyed the sight of the customers going red in the face when they argued with the self service (or self serving) checkout machines which ordered them to put their bags on the stand, then accused them of not scanning their purchases. No wonder he did not want to leave. Standing outside in the cold waiting for similar entertainment from motorists berating traffic wardens was going to be much less fun. Higher up, my son brought his Airbus smoothly down onto the tarmac, but not before it had counted down 50-40-30-20 feet and then on landing commented ‘retard’. But this was not an insult to a diligent pilot. All the plane was trying to say was: ‘Move the lever to idle.’ Shame. A plane that insults its pilots shows some spirit! We are now the proud owners of a rubbish bin that lifts its lid with a grinding noise that sounds like ‘wotcha’ when you go near it. It does not, after all, talk, so I should not have insulted it on the pages of Places&Faces®. All the same it still did not need to bop me on the nose. It may not be able to talk to me, but I was certainly able to talk to it, words that are unprintable here, and it also has a slight dent in its stainless steel base where I kicked it. You cannot let machines take over, certainly if they argue with you.

| november 2014

01. 02.

Let’s Get This Party Started! It’s the party time of year so you need to invest in a sexy little frock. Here’s Sarah Hardy’s choice

09.

Fashion

Party Dresses

03.

05.

1. Pied a Terre blue ombre sequin dress, £145, House of Fraser, Intu Chapelfield | 2. Somerset by Alice Temperley deco black lace dress, £120, John Lewis | 3. Pearce II Fionda dress, £200, Debenhams | 4. Severine dress, £199, Monsoon, Intu Chapelfield | 5. Mint Velvet Nikki print layered dress, £109, John Lewis | 6. Anna Scott dress, £110, Scarlet, Guildhall Hill, Norwich | 7. Twiggy emerald green dress, £59, Marks and Spencer | 8. John Lewis bird print silk dress, £89, John Lewis | 9. Lace Sleeve dress, £60, The Vestry, visit www.vestryonline.com

08.

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

07.

06.

T I M E

T H E

E N J O Y

For Business

Gaming Floor

Restaurant and Bars

Highly-equipped conference rooms suitable for up to 60 people, at very competitive rates. The ideal location for your team meeting or event.

There’s something for everybody on our gaming floor… grab a drink from the bar or try your hand at Roulette, Blackjack or our Jackpot slot machines.

Our fine dining experience is one to savour, with beautiful views of our gardens. Whether it’s a meal for two or a large celebration, we can cater for all.

P O K E R

E V E N T S

S U N D A Y

L U N C H

L I V E

Grosvenor Casino, Marine Parade, Great Yarmouth, NR30 3JG · Tel: 01493 850444 · www.grosvenorcasinos.com www.facebook .com/grosvenorcasinogreatyarmouth

@ G C G r e a t Ya r m o u t h

T H E

E N T E R T A I N M E N T

keepitfun.rank.com Over 18s only. Photo ID is required. www.gambleaware.co.uk

Lust list

bags and shoes

Lust list

High Heels Handbags

Got the dress? Well, you need the perfect shoes and bags, too. Here’s a look at some of the most sparkling on offer for the festive season

06 1. LK Bennett Eliza clutch bag, £225, Jarrold’s 2. Metal black clutch bag, £35, John Lewis 3. Ecage Cut Out bag, £55, Dune, Intu Chapelfield 4. Lexi Hardcase clutch bag, £45, Accessorize, Intu Chapelfield 5. Salvation sandals, £65, Office, Intu Chapelfield 6. Paca bag, £23, Jones The Bootmaker, Intu Chapelfield 7. Mint Velvet Emma asymmetric clutch bag, £89, John Lewis 8. Vintage blue Art Deco shell clutch bag, £38, It’s Vintage Darling, www.itsvintagedarling.com 9. Alanya silver shoes, £89, Monsoon, Intu Chapelfield 10. Untold grey waterdrop clutch, £45, House of Fraser, Intu Chapelfield

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

Christmas opening hours Monday 22nd 9 - 5.30 Tuesday 23rd 9 - 5.30 Christmas Eve 9 - 1 Christmas Day closed Boxing Day closed Saturday 27th closed Monday 29th closed Tuesday 30th closed New Year’s Eve 1 - 3 Tuesday 6th January usual business resumes

Girls! Treat yourself in time for Christmas

Bookings for Balmain hair extensions now being taken, call for details Volume, thickening and problem solving from just £160, Lengthening £260-£375 Payment plans available

BWELL GYM 7 B E S S E M E R WAY H A R F R E YS I N D E ST G R E AT YA R M O U T H NR31 0LX

01493 602260

BEAUTY HAIR

Eyelashes & Eyebrow Tinting Massage Waxing Facials

Womens, Mens & Childrens Cuts Highlights Colour Sets

NAILS Acrylic Nail Extensions Orly FX Gel Nails Manicures & Pedicures

NOVEMBER OFFER from the Hair Base

As a thank you to our lovely customers, if you introduce us to a new client we will give you a special offer of

HALF PRICE COLOUR

treatment* during November

Call for details or ask at the salon quoting “Places & Faces” Dormer House Carr Lane Poringland Norwich NR14 7LT Tel: 01508 494913

LIKE US ON FOR SPECIAL OFFERS

www.facebook.com/lucinis

www.lucinishairandbeauty.co.uk

The Hair Base

Call 01493 441550 or book online at

www.thehairbasesalon.co.uk 173 High Street, Gorleston, NR31 6RG Monday 9-4pm · Tuesday & Thursday 9-6pm Wednesday & Friday 9-8pm · Sat 9-4.30pm *Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. t&c’s apply.

Beauty

Foundations No. 01

No. 02

Laying the Right Foundations

No. 03

The perfect complexion is all about the perfect base. Sarah Hardy checks out new generation foundations which offer lasting coverage

No. 07

TREAT OF THE MONTH

No. 06

The Hair Studio, Potters Leisure Resort, Hopton, tel 01502 735100 Abbie Henwood opened her first salon in the summer and offers a very friendly, professional service. I had a cut and colour (well, you have to hide the grey) and was very pleased with the results. She uses the Bed Head range of goodies from Tigi to create your own hair ‘prescription’ so there really is attention to detail. Recommended. Sarah Hardy

NEW

PRODUCT OF THE MONTH

Limited Edition Body Wash Collection, £15.95, Green People, visit www.greenpeople.co.uk Made with the finest organic products, these two body washes are filled with festive yumminess. One is red mandarin and ho wood while t’other is ginger and lemongrass so you can’t help but feel ready for Christmas!

No. 05

Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide, £34, Jarrold’s Origins Plantscriptive Anti-Ageing Foundation, £29.50, John Lewis DiorSkin Star Fluid Foundation, £32, Debenhams Sisley Phyto Teint Expert Foundation, £79, John Lewis Bare Minerals, BareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation, £26, Aphrodite Beauty Studio, Potters Leisure Resort, Hopton, tel 01502 734343 6. Smash Box Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Hydrating Foundation, £27.50, www.smashbox.co.uk 7. YSL Fusion Foundation, £30.50, Debenhams 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

No. 04

Highway t e n i r Wo W nde rlan d garden & leisure

This

November and

December s

and rass B

Shopping s a m t s i r Ch

Santa’s Reindeer

h Santa Breakfast wit

01508 494665 general.enquiries@roysonline.co.uk highwaygardenandleisure.co.uk

Kid’ s En terta inme nt Bou ncy Cas tle

selected dates please see our website for details

% 25 L

EE TO S F THE O E N MOR LECTIO COL IT US VIS AY TOD

T 24

O FF

Santa’s Grot

LIMITED OFFER UNTIL CHRISTMAS

on our remaining 18ct cocktail jewellery and selected silver as we make space for our new sonkai range

18ct yellow gold and citrine 16.16ct and diamond total 0.71ct - £2375 Sale Price £1781

18ct yellow gold and cognac quartz 8.35ct and diamond total 0.89ct - £2999 Sale Price £2249

18ct yellow gold and amethyst 13.87ct and diamond total 0.70ct - £2500 Sale Price £1875

www.sonkai.co.uk | 01603 625533 | Sonkai, 14-16 Dove Street, Norwich, NR2 1DE

Love Christmas Love Pensthorpe Pensthorpe Natural Park www.pensthorpe.com Open from 10am | Fakenham NR21 0LN

| NOVEMBER 2014

What’s On BONFIRE CELEBRATIONS Experience Ickworth Lives Living History days which tells the real stories of the people who lived and worked there in the 30s, with special Bonfire celebrations on November 9. Call 01284 735270 or visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/Ickworth.

The festive season is almost upon us, but not quite! November still has much to keep us entertained in the meantime

GIG Singer songwriter Example, one of the headliners of Sundown Festival last year, comes to Norwich UEA on November 18. His new single, 10 Million People, was released last month and is taken from his top ten album, Live Life Living. Visit www.ueaticketbookings.co.uk.

CONCERT The Norfolk Composers’ November Concert takes place at St Lawrence Centre for the Arts in South Walsham on November 22. The concert’s title is Notes Tremendous Immortal Fire and the programme will provide a musical reflection and commemoration of both 1914 and music’s patron saint. Visit www.norfolkcomposers.co.uk. ART Enjoy some Magic Moments at Fairhaven Garden – with fleeting images of Broadland captured by David Dane in original oils and giclée prints - from November 22 to 30. David has been one of Broadland’s best-known artists for more than 40 years, and in the 80s and 90s took the Broads worldwide with a series of prints. Call 01603 270449 or visit www.fairhavengarden.co.uk.

ANNIVERSARY PRODUCTION Crude Apache Theatre’s 20th anniversary production of Macbeth at Dragon Hall – the same show they performed for their first public performance in Norwich Castle in 1994 – takes place from November 5 to 8, then 11 to 15. This is a completely new production but many of the original cast are still involved today. Call 01603 663922 or visit www.dragonhall.org.

ONE-MAN SHOW A fantastic one-man play called Clamber up the Crucifix comes to Sheringham Little Theatre on November 7. The play begins at the end of World War One and involves one actor playing five different roles, in a gritty and emotional reminder of what life was like for millions of young men a century ago. Visit www.sheringhamlittletheatre.com.

MAGIC Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee, two of the UK’s favourite entertainers, are taking to the road again this autumn with another fantastic evening of their favourite magic tricks and brand new illusions never performed in public before. They will be heading to St George’s Theatre in Great Yarmouth on November 14 and Hunstanton’s Princess Theatre on November 21. Visit www.stgeorgestheatre.com or www.princesshunstanton.co.uk.

WHAT’S ON

MONTHLY ROUND UP

COMEDY One of comedy’s elder statesmen and all-round arty mischief-maker Mark Thomas brings his comedy of betrayal, the true story of how Britain’s biggest arms manufacturer (BAE Systems) came to spy on a comedian, to Norwich Playhouse on November 28 and 29. It comes after a total sell-out Edinburgh Fringe run once again. Call 01603 598598 or visit www.norwichplayhouse.co.uk.

FESTIVE FLOWERS Norfolk’s gardening expert, Alan Gray, returns to Norwich Cathedral on November 27 to provide more inspiration for ways to decorate your home, with his Festive Flower Demonstration. Alan is the owner and designer of East Ruston Old Vicarage Gardens in north-east Norfolk and a member of the Cathedral Flower Guild. Call 01603 218450 or visit www.cathedral.org.uk. SHOW Fireballs and spectacular science stunts are on the cards when The Modern Alchemist heads to Norwich Theatre Royal to prove chemistry can be cool on November 3. The exciting show aims to echo the work of medieval alchemists who entertained their royal masters with exciting experiments. Call 01603 630000 or visit www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk.

FIREWORKS Potters Fireworks Weekender takes place on November 7 and it is set to be explosive! The three day, two night break is a family weekend celebrating Guy Fawkes night with the best variety entertainment from Potters Theatre Company, and a spectacular Grand Cliff Top Fireworks Display filling the Norfolk night sky. Visit www.pottersholidays.com or call 0333 3207 497. Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

ARTS AND CRAFTS Now into its fourth year, the November North Norfolk Arts and Crafts Fair at Swanton Novers Village Hall has become the ONLY Arts and Crafts Fair that many of its participants will be showcasing their work at, and takes place on November 15. Competition for one of its 20 tables is high, with tables already now also booked for 2015’s fair! Visit www.northnorfolkartsandcrafts.org. CHRISTMAS Celebrate the start of the Christmas season in Norwich at the Christmas Switch On, on November 20. Expect festive entertainment, a lantern parade from Norwich Cathedral to The Forum, followed by the Christmas lights switch on itself. Visit www.norwich.gov.uk.

THEATRE A one man adaptation of Dickens’ classic novel, A Christmas Carol, comes to the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds on November 16. Clive Francis reprises his acclaimed RSC performance as the misanthropic Ebenezer Scrooge, inspired by Dickens’ first reading and performance of A Christmas Carol on at Birmingham Town Hall. Call 01284 769505 or visit www.theatreroyal.org.

COMEDY Sony Award winner, Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee, Chortle Award winner and star of Radio 4 and BBC 2, Tom Wrigglesworth, brings his highly acclaimed total sell-out 2013 Edinburgh Fringe show, Utterly at Odds With The Universe, back to the Norwich Arts Centre on November 18. Visit www.norwichartscentre.co.uk. EXHIBITION The Norwich 20 Group, of Norfolk artists, continues its 70th anniversary with an exhibition at Anteros from November 21 until mid January 2015. The group originally had 20 members, but now has more than 80 across Norfolk, Visit www.norwich20group.co.uk.

DANCE A Lyrical Dance Concert performed by Gillie Kleiman alongside Eleanor Sikorski and launches its national tour at Norwich Arts Centre on November 5. Gillie and Eleanor take lyrics of chart hits by everyone from Mariah Carey to Jay Z and dance them out. Call 01603 660352 or visit www.norwichartscentre.co.uk.

east anglian art sale preview Tuesday 11 November, 9am to 7pm Wednesday 12 November, 9am to 4pm

venue St Michael’s Church, Church Hill Reepham, NR10 4JW

enquiries 01603 871443 norfolk@bonhams.com

edward seago, rws (British, 1910-1974) ‘Norfolk landscape - Summer’ (detail) £18,000 - 25,000 auctions Tuesday 18 November, 2pm Tuesday 25 November, 2pm Knightsbridge, London

bonhams.com/norfolk

LOWESTOFT’S NEWEST ART GALLERY, EXHIBITION SPACE

and coffee lounge

Coco n t u Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th December Father Christmas arrives at 11am

New Exhibition space new young Lowestoft talent

Jodie Rafferty

November’s Featured Artist Welcome to my Nightmare Exhibition runs from: Sun 9th to Sun 23rd November

Take a wander through our woodland garden

Coco n t u

This month it’s Jodie Rafferty’s turn with her powerful and disturbing portrayal of dominance versus compliance as seen through the eyes of a young person with Aspergers and Body Dismorphic Disorder.

Elves workshop ~ craft activities

Coco n t u

Every month The Coconut Loft devotes one of it’s galleries to supporting local artists with something to say via the medium of art. Every month The Coconut Loft removes it’s nice, safe pictures and features an edgy Urban Art theme to get people thinking and talking.

Meet Reindeer; Comet & Blitzen Ticket only event

Don’t miss the Christmas lights@4.30pm Find us at NR13 6DZ Telephone:

01603 270449 For more information please

8 Waterloo Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 OAA

call in and see us, or visit

www.thecoconutloft.co.uk

our website www.fairhavengarden.co.uk

Book & Ephemera Sale 20th & 21st November

Children’s & Illustrated, Modern First Editions, Literature, Antiquarian General History, Art Architecture & Collecting, Natural History, Field & Other Sports, Travel, Topography & Local Interest, Ephemera, Postcards and Antiquarian Maps & Prints

Evelyn Waugh Black Mischief, 1st edn Estimate: £400-500 Realised: £480

Aldous Huxley

Brave New World, 1st edn

Estimate: £600-800 Realised: £880

Peter Henry Emerson, On English Lagoons, Estimate: £4500-5000 Realised: £4900

Sir Ernest Shackleton South, 1st edn Estimate: £600-800 Realised: £700

H.C. Trery Sketches in Lowestoft 1852 Estimate: £500-600 Realised: £1450

Viewing: Wednesday 19th November 9am-7.30pm Thursday 20th November 8.30am-10am (General Viewing) Thursday 20th November 10am-4pm (Ephemera only) Friday 21st November 8.30am-11am

Aylsham Salerooms, Palmers Lane, Aylsham Norfolk NR11 6JA

01263 733195

salerooms@keysauctions.co.uk

keysauctions.co.uk

| november 2014

Unmasking a Classic Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been running in the West End for almost 30 years and is still packing them in. Sarah Hardy finds out what all the fuss is about The Phantom of the Opera

West End Review

The Phantom of the Opera

Sarah Hardy travelled to London with Abellio Greater Anglia, visit www.abelliogreateranglia.co.uk

hantom offers something unusual. Sure it is one of those shows you simply have to see, along with say The Mousetrap and Les Misérables, but it is a little bit different to your usual West End smash hit. It may well be one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s greatest successes but couldn’t, in all honesty, be any less like Cats, Joseph or Starlight Express if it tried! Since it burst on to the scene in 1986, with Michael Crawford as the Phantom and Sarah Brightman as his protégée, the young and innocent Christine, it has now been seen, it is believed, by 140 million people around the globe. Impressive! As the title might indicate, it is more operatic in its make up than other West End musicals; if you’re a lover of the bump and grind musicals, with little plot, currently doing the rounds, this is not for you. There are no cheesy jukebox hits to hum along to, and certainly no cheap gags. Rather, it is a touching yet genuinely unnerving telling of that most ancient of tragic tales – beauty and the beast. Based on a novel by Gaston Leroux, it tells of a mysterious Phantom who haunts the Paris Opera House. Appalled by his own appearance and feared by all, he wears a mask. Unloved since birth, we feel his isolation and never doubt the love he holds for Christine – despite his desire to dominate her. Coached in secret by the Phantom, we know trouble is brewing as Christine, a rising star at the Opera House, wrestles with her conflicting feelings for the Phantom. So there’s passion aplenty and the staging, all billowing white dresses, masses of candles and a seemingly never-ending mist, all add to the sense of foreboding. Ohh, unrequited love! The set, by the late Maria Bjornson, vividly recreates the Opera House in Paris, from its backstage to its roof and right down to the catacombs where the Phantom makes his lair. And the lighting, by Andrew Bridge, adds to the uneasy atmosphere. Telly magician Paul Daniels helped create some of the illusions

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

– yes, just how does the Phantom seem to pop up here, there and everywhere? So there is plenty to keep you on your toes. Whilst the storyline, often simply lacking in many modern musicals, is strong, surely it is the music that really sets this show apart. Reaching tremendous operatic heights, legendary numbers such as All I Ask Of You, The Music of the Night and, of course, the signature tune, set hearts soaring and convey, as music so often does, exactly what someone is feeling far more effectively than mere words. For me, the highlight is Masquerade, a real big production number, which sees the story coming to a climax, with all characters on stage and much mounting tension, and the costumes are fab, too. While the show and not its actors are the stars, the current leading duo are, as you would expect, outstanding. Geronimo Rauch from Argentina is the tormented yet manipulative Phantom while Harriet Jones is the naïve Christine. But what of that chandelier – such a central part of the show and, if you’ve read any reviews, you’ll just be waiting for its appearance. Well, appear it does and what a fright it gives us all. I will say no more but be ready for a huge crystal chandelier to plunge downwards very near you at some point! The theatre also adds to this intense atmosphere. Charming and intimate, it was built in 1897 and is the capital’s second oldest theatre. A larger theatre just wouldn’t suit this slightly claustrophobic piece. We all feel that we, too, are trapped backstage with the Phantom about to spring up behind us! I saw the show with a fellow mum and our teenage daughters and all ages thoroughly enjoyed its passion and that evocative music. Just like the rest of the audience we were on our feet at the finale as there’s nothing like a tale of doomed love to set your own heart a-thumping!

The Phantom of the Opera runs at Her Majesty’s

Theatre, Haymarket, London, tel 0844 412 2707, visit www.thephantomoftheopera.com for more.

| november 2014

I t i s s e t to b e B r i ta i n ’ s g r e e n e s t commercial building and it is right h e r e i n N o r w i c h . S a r a h H a rdy d o n s h e r h a r d h at a n d s t e e l-to e d b o ot s to lo o k a r o u n d T h e E n t e r p r i s e C e n t r e at t h e University of East Anglia

t was first thought of in 2008 and work on the £11.6m building began last year. Now The Enterprise Centre, an ultra modern business hub, looks set to open its doors in May next year. It is revolutionary in both its design and intent, aiming to be the greenest commercial building in Britain, one of Europe’s most sustainable buildings, and to offer students, academics and entrepreneurs flexible, attractive working surroundings – with all the latest mod cons, of course. By placing academics and commercial users side by side, it is hoped to encourage students to work with businesses and be motivated to start their own enterprises. The new development is being run by the Adapt Low Carbon Group, based at Norwich Research Park, and is financed by a mixture of European and government funding. Investment in the new building is part of wider investment in

Norwich Research Park to create and support new companies and jobs based on world-leading bioscience. The 4,000sqm building, right opposite the SportsPark, will include teaching rooms, a 300-seat lecture theatre, exhibition space, and a business ‘hatchery’ where low-carbon firms can grow. But what of the design? It is certainly an attractive building and incorporates all the latest cutting edge techniques with traditional sustainable methods such as the use of thatch on its roof. The building is light and airy, has fabulous open spaces, views over the parkland, a café for the public is planned and there’s a first floor courtyard garden. It really looks like a dream place to work, especially as really flexible working arrangements are available – hot desking, for example – as well as free business advice and support. Indeed, 35 businesses have already expressed an interest in moving in – and who can blame them!

Property of the month

The Enterprise Centre

The Enterprise Centre Facts • Aims to create more than 250 jobs. • Will provide free support to more than 600 businesses. • Companies will have access to funding as well as workspace and mentoring. • Reeds from Woodbastwick in Norfolk and Saxmundham in Suffolk were used for thatching. • 58 tonnes of newspaper was used to insulate the building. • It has 480 square metres of solar panels. • Rain water is used for flushing the toilets. • It uses 98pc recycled steel to reinforce its foundations. • Innovative ‘cassette’ technique has been used to thatch walls. • Will have less than a quarter of the carbon impact of a normal building. If you are interested in finding out more about what The Enterprise Centre might be able to offer, call Martin Sleeuw on 01603 591416 or visit www.theenterprisecentre.uea.ac.uk.

The aim from the outset was to design a unique, striking and welcoming Enterprise Centre, which acts as a demonstration of low carbon innovation and renewable materials Speaking at the topping out ceremony, Dr John French, project director and chief executive of the Adapt Low Carbon Group, says: ‘It’s fantastic to have reached this milestone in developing UK’s greenest commercial building. Working from the foundations up, the Enterprise Centre is redefining low carbon sustainable construction in every aspect of the development. ‘The building celebrates the area’s great natural landscapes of rolling fields and trees, and it embraces its natural resources using Corsican timber from Thetford Forest and reed from Norfolk and Suffolk creating ‘East Anglia in building’.’ Ben Humphries, associate director at Architype, the architects for the project, adds: ‘The aim from the outset was to design a unique, striking and welcoming Enterprise Centre, which acts as a demonstration of low carbon innovation and renewable materials, dynamically announces the entrance to the university and also elegantly interfaces with the historic Earlham Park context.’ Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

Two outstanding coastal properties by the agent who gets results www.your-move.co.uk

Find your local Your Move branch… 154 London Road, North Lowestoft 01502 342001 168/169 High Street, Gorleston, Great Yarmouth 01493 600005 · 26-28 New Market, Beccles 01502 273333

Lowestoft

Low Barn, Weston, Beccles

This stunning detatched property has the benefit of four good sized bedrooms, 18 x 10’ 8” lounge, sitting room, 17’ x 10’ dining room, kitchen, study, playroom and a wood burner with raised brick hearth.

A superb five bedroomed barn conversion with large double garage and attached field features. Includes two en-suite bedrooms, 25’ 10” x 12’ 10” lounge with double doors to rear aspect, woodburner with brick surround, study/dining room, utility room, family room/games room, high spec. 14’ x 13’ kitchen, must be seen.

Offers in excess of £365,000

£570,000

Property

moving

Moving

On M

Oliver Hurren p r ov i d e s a f e w helpful tips on h o w to h av e a stress free m ov e !

Oliver hurren Your Move Oliver James www.your-move.co.uk 01493 600005

ovin g is of arrival and crew size. You should always stressful have an office or depot address for the enough company and it is worth visiting it before wi thout, your big day. having to worry about In terms of cost, a good rule of thumb is the removal process. to think about paying a percentage of the How do you find a good quality removal value of your contents to have everything company who will minimise the risks to protected, insured and professionally your treasured belongings and not raise transported. Once you start adding up your stress levels during the move? the value of everything in your home, it is First, pick a company who is a member surprising how much your belongings could of the British Association of Removers be worth - most home contents insurance (BAR). They adhere to a minimum standard policies use figures of around £30,000 to of conduct for membership approved by £40,000. Trading Standards. This covers legal aspects Other factors that you need to take into such as ensuring vehicles are licensed, account with quotes are if the crew are protection for your deposit and offering packing your belongings for you and how free arbitration in the event of something far the van or vans will have to travel as going wrong. more time and fuel cost will need to be An obvious warning sign is a company added. Long distance moves might have to which does not invest in its fleet. A poor take into account overnight stays to comply maintained or unsuitable van may not just with driving regulations as UK drivers have be a hazard on the road, but may also to have a 45 minute break every four and a damage your belongings. If they have an half hours. accident and they are in breach of their If you want to move quickly and in one insurance conditions, then you may not day, then the only way to do this is to have be covered. more crew members to help thus putting up Staffing is very important as companies the cost. The time of year is also important may not directly employ their removal as moves during school holidays and men and simply hire in casual labour as weekends will command peak prices. and when they need it. If staff are not If your estate agent has a floor plan permanently employed, once they have of your new home, then use it to tell the done the job and moved on, there’s no removal company where you want your comeback. If they are not professionals then furniture. Removal companies often provide possessions stickers or may not be colour coding Moving also provides well treated schemes to help when being this. Moving also an ideal opportunity to loaded and provides an ideal dejunk as there’s no point unloaded, or be opportunity to paying for items to be well packed for dejunk as there’s transportation. no point paying transported when you Always have for items to be don’t really want them. a contract transported with your when you don’t chosen firm, and never agree cash or a really want them. And don’t forget to cheap verbal deal which may leave you check and empty your loft and sheds for unprotected. If you are let down on your belongings plus remember to eat up the moving day, remember that you might contents of your freezer in the weeks before jeopardise the day for the rest of the chain your move! of homeowners. The contract should state how many days the move will take, the time Good luck!

For any professional advice, please feel free to contact Oliver on 01493 600005 or 01502 534998.

Biomass

RHI Renewable Heat Incentive

By having renewable heat technologies installed in your property, not only could you reduce your fuel bills considerably, you may also be eligible for annual payments with the Renewable Heat Incentive which in most cases exceeds the cost of the installation! This includes Biomass Boilers, Heat Pumps & Solar Thermal Systems. The RHI is a UK Government scheme to encourage commercial and domestic properties to uptake renewable heat technologies. This will be a significant contribution to help lower the CO2 emissions and meet the government’s target in the year 2020.

Call us for more information or to arrange a free survey to see how much you could be saving & earning.

Log Gasification Boilers

Solar PV

Thermal stores

Ground source heat

Air source heat pumps

APS Energy Solutions can answer all your questions

01473 719950 info@apsenergysolutions.co.uk www.apsenergysolutions.co.uk

Working for our community all year round

Brandon Lewis M E M B E R of PA R L I A M E N T for G R E AT YA R M O U T H

Get in touch – I’d love to hear from you

www.brandonlewis.co office@brandonlewis.co 01493 652928 Brandon Lewis MP @BrandonLewis

THE METICULOUS MOVERS

We’re on the move! Ollands is upping sticks to a new home! Don’t worry it’s our speciality.

BESPOKE RESIDENTIAL MOVES

Our new premises are close by and will help us improve our excellent service still further. Please contact us if you’d like to know more.

Watch this space

STORAGE BUSINESS & COMMERCIAL NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL ANTIQUES & FINE ART

The Mill, Holt Road Horsford, Norwich Norfolk NR10 3DD

E: enquiries@ollands.com T: +44 (0) 1603 898 679 F: +44 (0) 1603 710 200

www.ollands.com

| November 2014

Cosy Country Ou r h o m e s w r it e r s Hay l e y P h i l p ot an d J e nnif e r R e a d h e a d to t h e c o unt r y f o r t h e l at e s t int e r i o r t r e n d s

hen the cold winter wind blows and temperatures fall, our home becomes a toasty haven of warmth where we can close the curtains, turn up the heat, and snuggle up on a cosy sofa or chair. A popular current interiors trend can provide exactly this – the country house/hunting lodge look. No doubt those lucky enough to own the real thing will already have the tweed and tartan trimmings, the stag’s head on the wall and the roaring fire. However, there’s no reason why we can’t recreate this ambience in our own homes, whatever size and style they may be. Tweed furniture is all the rage, as is tartan bedding and faux fur accessories. Simply add in the occasional deer or pheasant image, and the scene is set.

Fallen Fruits deer coat hook £15 Wow, what a showstopper this is! Such a handsome creature and so useful a gorgeous metal wall coat hook that will give any home a hunting lodge feel. You may want to give him a name too!

Hayley & Jennifer are homeware buyers at Jarrold’s Jarrold’s, 1-11 London Street, Norwich, NR2 1AL www.jarrold.co.uk The Granary, 5 Bedford Street, Norwich, NR2 1AL www.thegranary.co.uk

Helena Springfield Lomond brushed cotton bedding set £25, cushion £17.50, throw £45 The entire experience in one bedding set! In deep, rich green and navy tartan and with a stag’s head design, this 100 per cent brushed cotton bedding feels wonderfully soft and warm, and the cushion and throw add that vital finishing touch. Throws are more than simply functional. They are style makers that can add pattern, colour and warmth to any room.

Voyage Maison Iona Check cushion from £52 The soft heather shades of this stylish cushion really does epitomise the Highlands of Scotland. Beautifully piped, the gentle blues, lavenders and soft pinks mingle to produce the prettiest of tartan-like pattern. Filled with high grade feathers they are guaranteed to keep their perfect shape.

Anorak Kissing Stags tray £18 Monochrome silhouettes of the hearty stag decorate this simple but stunning kitchen or patio accessory. Ideal for those who prefer a clean and simple look and the very on-trend black and white interior.

Tetrad Dunmore wing chair in Harris Tweed was £1,250 Home Sale £939 Made from Hebridean tweed, this cosy wrap-around style armchair looks so inviting but also offers great lumbar support. With a good book, it becomes the perfect fireside companion.

This theme doesn’t have to be

restricted solely to the bedroom or living room. The kitchen, dining room and hallway can also benefit from these clever and interesting additions. As soon as you step over the threshold, the careful positioning of a key item can create an atmosphere that really echoes the mood and style you have chosen.

INTERIORS

winter warmers

Tetrad Bowmore midi sofa in Harris Tweed was £1,999 Home Sale £1350 A perfect example, with tweed made in the Outer Hebrides from 100 per cent pure new wool and warm to the touch. The addition of leather trim and beautifully carved antique-style feet makes this stylish sofa an ideal size for the smaller sitting room. Tweed and country check cushions complete the look.

Gift republic wild animals mug £8 Going shooting or to the races? Look no further for these perfect additions to your picnic hamper. In practical enamel, and decorated with countryside animals, they will certainly catch the eye of the shooting party or at the finishing line.

Lexington Classic check wool throw £149 An absolute staple of the country house style is the classic check woollen blanket or throw. Over the knees on a chilly night, across the bed for an added layer, or simply draped over a sofa or armchair for added interest- it can be such a useful highlight item. This is a beautiful softtouch fringed throw in pure wool from the company that is inspired by the New England style, 130cm x 170cm.

Bedeck Embrace faux fur throw £95, faux fur cushion £30 These snuggly arctic grey accessories are just what you need on a cold winter’s night. They add an immediate feeling of warmth and texture to any room, as well as that little hint of luxury.

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

PV, thermal & biomass

Government incentives available

Save up to

www.greenhomeenergyso We offer friendly advice on www.greenhomeenergysolutions.co.uk info@ greenhomeenergyso Biomass, Solar PV and Solar Thermal installations from the return on info@greenhomeenergysolutions.co.uk Wesmallest are proud regional investment domestic to thepartners largest of ETA & PV, thermal & biomass

Up to

40% on your heating costs

0 7

20%

Renewable energy

Government Renewable Heatcommercial Incentive (RHI) is currently application. operational for commercial systems and expected to We are proud regional partners of ETA & Hertz Biomass boilers

We also offer advice on RHI/FIT applications to complete design and build packages. We only use top quality products with outstanding performances.

Government Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is currently operational for commercial systems and expected to be announced for Domestic applications for Summer 2013. GHES007 Going Green ad 330x270.indd 1

GHES007 Going Green ad 330x270.indd 1

Green Home Energy Solutions is a leading renewable energy supplier in East Anglia with a proven record of quality installations and unparalleled customer satisfaction.

Reduced business fuel bills

Come and see us at the Norfolk show Stand 287

Call now for a free no-obligation consultation!

01603 713816 www.greenhomeenergysolutions.co.uk info@greenhomeenergysolutions.co.uk

Proud partners of ETA Biomass Boilers

Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) currently operational for commercial systems. Expected to be announced for Domestic applications for Summer 2013.

Kitchen Sense of Harleston For Quality Fitted Kitchens and Appliances

KITCHEN SENSE COMMON SENSE

Need a new Oil Tank? With over 50 years experience in the Oil industry, our professional and friendly service has made us East Anglia’s No.1 Tank Supplier and Installer. REPLACEMENT OIL TANKS

62 London Road, Harleston, Norfolk IP20 9BZ Tel: 01379 852592 Fax: 01379 854411 staff@kitchen-sense.co.uk | www.kitchen-sense.co.uk

•

Replacement tanks in plastic or steel, in stock now.

•

Full installation service by our own fully-trained staff.

•

Your old tank taken away and your oil transferred.

•

Anti-theft protection devices to make your oil secure.

We cover the Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex area. Work carried out by OFTEC approved Engineers

Call 01362 687144

www.tankreplacementservices.co.uk Church Farm, Station Rd, Wendling, Dereham, NR19 2NE l info@tankreplacement.co.uk

Don’t just heat a room Bring it to life Heat your special little room for as little as £1 per night*. With pay as you go you can be sure there will be no chilling energy bills.

Put some

in your life

Manhattan Stove

£229.99 includes 15 kg butane gas cylinder

Norwich Calor Centre The Livestock Market, Hall Road, Norwich, NR4 6EQ

01603 452692 *Based on a 15kg Butane cylinder burning for 3 hours at 33 pence per hour and heater on the lowest heat setting. Package includes Manhattan heater, 15kg butane gas cylinder and cylinder refill agreement. Offer excludes deliverycharge. Offers end 31/03/2015 and are subject to availability and change. Calor Gas Ltd , Athena House, Athena Drive, Tachbrook Park, Warwick CV34 6RL.

| NOVEMBER 2014

No Slacking!

Our gardening writer Ellen Mary doesn’t intend to slow down in the colder months

ovember is the month where we all turn up the central heating and close our curtains to keep warm. Dark mornings, with increasing wind and rain, start the lead up to the depths of winter. But don’t think that just because it’s getting cold and the garden isn’t in its full glory, that there is anything less to do. Our tender plants need protecting, deciduous trees and shrubs need planting, wildlife needs our help and we should be thinking ahead to next spring. So grab your coat and wellies and get in the garden for the last of the clear up!

Garden and Flowers If you have patio containers now is a good time to lift them onto bricks or pot feet if you can, to prevent waterlogging. Also, to ensure your plants and bulbs don’t suffer in the frost or snow, insulate your pots and containers with bubble wrap. It works really well and is a great way to recycle packaging. Rejuvenate your hanging baskets by planting some trailing ivy around the edges with winter bedding plants like cyclamen or heathers in the middle. These will give you some lovely colour to smile at when the rest of the garden isn’t looking quite so colourful. You will already have most of your spring bulbs planted, but now is a great time to plant tulip bulbs. There are so many colours and types to choose from that you can make a beautiful display both in borders and containers. It is also a fantastic time to plant roses, before the ground gets too frozen. Plant them out as soon as you receive them and make sure the ground has well-rotted manure forked in first to provide plenty of nutrients.

Gardening

Jobs for November

Fruit and Vegetables During the quieter months why not turn your hand to growing your own mushrooms? It’s much easier than you think and there are many mushroom growing kits on the market. And while there are several different varieties, you just can’t beat a white cap button mushroom. There is plenty of preparation to be done to ensure that you are ready to go next year when the frosts clear and your new seedlings are ready to be planted out. Dig lots of organic matter into the soil or, if you want to keep the weeds at bay and give your soil some nutrients, try sowing some green manure which can simply be dug into the soil when it’s time for planting next year. Now is also the time to sow broad beans. Cover them over with some horticultural fleece or a cloche to protect them from the elements as well as the birds.

Wildlife Gardening Try not to cut back everything - rather enjoy leaving some to nature and to help wildlife. Hydrangeas and the remains of sedum not only look fabulous but also provide shelter for over-wintering insects. Verbena and teasel make great hiding places for insects, while their seeds will help the birds in the cold months ahead as well as adding a little winter interest to your garden. It’s really quite amazing how many insects will enjoy the leftovers of your garden, which will do wonders to increase the biodiversity of your space. Before you light any bonfires, check what you are using to ensure that you do not disturb hibernating creatures, which desperately need shelter. And look around the area to ensure there is nothing nearby which might get scared. Make sure your bird baths, feeders and boxes are clean and full of supplies. If ever there was a time to help our feathered friends, heading into winter is it. They need strength and energy to survive and we can help them by making seed fat balls and other goodies available. Why not have a go at making your own fat balls from a mix of crumbs and fat? Don’t forget that clean water is also essential.

Ellen Mary Gardening provides no jargon, easy to follow gardening advice, along with a range of colourful gardening products at: www.ellenmarygardening.co.uk

Gardening Product of the Month There’s no need to forget where you planted your bulbs or scattered your seeds, and accidentally dig them up! These decorative markers can be written on in permanent marker or used as an aide-mémoire for your plants and bulbs. Tulip and Daisy Zinc plant markers, £7.95 Available from Ellen Mary’s website.

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

Give it a go

th Broad on orious Ranwor Take a trip to gl to a free tween 1 to 5pm November 23 be you how to ing rkshop show iding introductory wo Valley and prov es in the Bure ds, identifying tre lan od wo y of the basic ecolog ant pl an insight into to en wh t, plan trees, what to rd co re ds. to w lan ho es and wood nage existing tre and how to ma 598333. ntial on 01603 Booking is esse

Advice tailored for you Leathes Prior is one of East Anglia’s leading law firms providing a full range of services for corporate, public sector and individual clients. ‘Outstanding, ethical and excellent value for money’. Legal 500 2014

Dispute Resolution Personal Injury Employment Franchising Family Property Corporate Commerical Private Crime Wills and Estate Planning Business Regulation and Defence

‘Response times are the best and industry knowledge is first class’ Legal 500 2014

www.leathesprior.co.uk | 74 The Close Norwich NR1 4DR info@leathesprior.co.uk | 01603 610911

NEW & USED HOT TUBS

CHRISTMAS SHOP NOW OPEN!

EXCLUSIVE NORFOLK DEALER FOR ARTESIAN SPAS SERVICING PARTS MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS ACCESSORIES

VIEW BY APPOINTMENT ONLY Norfolk Spa & Leisure, Norwich, Norfolk Phone: 01603 754005 / 07850 885526 / 07779 800900 info@norfolkspaandleisure.co.uk • sales@norfolkspaandleisure.co.uk www.norfolkspaandleisure.co.uk

Full of decorations, gifts and homewares to inspire you for the festive season

Other great gift ideas for the Home and Garden throughout the garden centre, plus extended Clothing Department, along with all your winter gardening requirements

CHRISTMAS EVENT WEEKEND – 6TH & 7TH DECEMBER Join us for lots of Festive Fun! See instore, our facebook page or website for full timetable of events Christmas Lunches, Festive Afternoon Teas and Hot Chocolate & Cookies plus Storytelling with Father & Mother Christmas available in the Greenhouse Coffee Shop on certain dates throughout December ALL PRE-BOOKABLE ON 01493 751079

You can find us 2 miles from Acle, on the Acle to Reedham Road Acle Road, Moulton St Mary, NR13 3AP Tel: 01493 750458 email: info@moultonnurseries.co.uk Opening times: Monday to Saturday 8.30am - 5.00pm Sunday 10.00am - 4.00pm

www.moultonnurseries.co.uk

| november 2014

Slam in the Lamb! Simon Wainwright, executive chef of the Imperial Hotel in Great Yarmouth, has a tasty lamb dish, with plenty of fresh herbs, for us to enjoy this month

SE R VES 4

Ingredients

For the Lamb 4 chumps of lamb 2tbsp of olive oil 1 egg white (lightly whisked) 1 glove of garlic Sprig of thyme Sprig of rosemary Small bunch of parsley 2 slices of dried white bread (crust removed)

Picture by Barkers Photographic, Gorleston, www.barkersphotos.co.uk

For the Goatsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Cheese Mash 800g Maris Piper potatoes 100ml of double cream 100ml of milk 70g of butter 70g of goatsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cheese Salt and pepper

For the Mint Yoghurt 3tbsp of Greek yoghurt 6 mint leaves (shredded) Salt and pepper

For the Basil Oil 175ml of extra virgin olive oil 30g of basil

recipe

imperial hotel

Herb Baked Chump of Lamb With Creamy Goats’ Cheese Mash and Mint Yoghurt Basil Oil Method 1. First remove the fat and sinew from the lamb, season with salt and pepper. 2. Fry in a hot pan in a little olive oil until golden brown. Place on roasting tray. 3. Make the herb crust by placing garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, bread, salt and pepper into a food processor. Mix until a fine green crumb is achieved. 4. Brush the top of the lamb with the egg white and then immediately dip into the herbs. 5. Place in an 180oC oven for 15 minutes. Leave to stand for 10 minutes before serving. 6. To make the mash, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until soft, drain well and pass through a sieve or ricer. 7. Meanwhile boil the cream and butter and beat into the potato a little at a time. 8. Finally add the goats’ cheese and adjust the consistency with hot milk. Season with salt and pepper. 9. For the minted yoghurt, mix together the mint and yoghurt. Thin down with a little water if needed. 10. For the basil oil, place the oil and basil into food processor and liquidise for 1 minute. Store in a squeezy bottle. 11. To serve, slice the lamb into four pieces, serve on top of a spoonful of mash, then drizzle the basil oil and yoghurt over the meat to complete the dish.

Wine Choice

2012 Nero di Troia, Tufarello, Puglia, Italy Nick Mobbs, director and wine expert at the Imperial Hotel, says: This wine is made by Alberto Antonini from the Nero di Troia grape that is grown around Canosa di Puglia. The name attests to its Greek origins (Troy), and where it takes its name from. The grapes are grown in a 30-hectare vineyard with bush-trained vines which give fruit of outstanding quality. Alberto uses just a little oak on the wine to emphasise and preserve the fruit. The 2012 harvest in Puglia was very good. Summer was sunny, dry and warm with many days in the mid to upper 30°Cs. The warm weather caused the earliest harvest on record with very high ripeness levels across all vineyards. Grapes were in excellent condition. The large harvest finished at the end of September. Deep dark red in colour with a dark purple core, this is a wine bursting with blueberry fruit and spice on the nose. There is a touch of sour cherry on the palate, boosted by powerful blackberry and dark plums and a chunky, fruit-packed finish.

• A team of brilliant chefs • Superb wine list • Laid-back atmosphere The perfect restaurant for dinner or Sunday lunch. At the Imperial Hotel, North Drive, Gt Yarmouth, NR30 1EQ. To book call 01493 842000

www.cafecru.co.uk

Sunday 12.30 - 2pm Monday - Saturday 6.30 - 10pm The Terrace is open daily. For opening times & menu go to imperialhotel.co.uk

Special offer!

Autumn Weekend break £59 Two people sharing

Any Friday, Saturday or Sunday until 22 December

Restaurant open from 6pm, Monday to Saturday Book a table online!

Take the festive reigns and gather your friends, family or colleagues for a meal they wont forget. See our website for festive inspiration and menus.

made

28-30 Camperdown, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR30 3JB www.andoverhouse.co.uk · 01493 843490 · bookings@andoverhouse.co.uk

se font

Andover House 56.indd 1

17/10/2014 14:40

Stay

Play

LOCAL

LOCAL Party Nights

4th

DEC

OLLY & THE IVY

2 course meal, Olly Murs Tribute & after party £26.95 per person

17th DEC

CHRISTMAS PARTY NIGHTS Sunday - Wednesday £26.95 per person Thursday - Saturday £29.95 per person

Tribute Christmas

CHRISTMAS BUBLÉ

2 course meal, Michael Bublé Tribute & after party £26.95 per person

s 21

DEC

DOLLY & THE IVY

2 course meal, Dolly Parton Tribute & after party £26.95 per person

Enjoy a one night stay in a double deluxe room for two people...

Quote “stay local “ upon booking

Only

£30 per person*

STAY AND PLAY LOCAL Attend any one of our events on the left and enjoy a one night stay in a superb double deluxe room for two people for only £30 per person* PLUS a bottle of wine on arrival in your room. Quote “stay and play local” upon booking

* Single supplement applies

Thecliffhotel

CliffHotelGlstn

Book your tickets on 01493 662179 · Cliff Hill, Gorleston-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth, NR31 6DH

Recipe

FRANCK PONTAIS

F r e s h ly Co o k e d Co ckle s and P e a P otag e Serves Four Ingredients

www.andrewflorides.co.uk

Photography by ANDREW FLORIDES,

700g of cockles 450g of frozen peas 50g of double cream 300ml of fish stock 300g of cooked beetroot 2 shallots A sprig of fresh thyme 100ml of white wine 30g of butter 20g of olive oil Seasoning Scarlet cress, to garnish

This month our French chef Franck Pontais serves up a hearty soup as winter approaches

Method 1. Peel and chop the shallots finely. 2. Melt the butter in a saucepan with the

Let our French chef cook for your private dinner parties, and for those who really enjoy cooking, he also offers master classes, for all abilities, in your own home. More information is available at www.franckpontais.com Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

olive oil. 3. Once melted, add the clean cockles and the thyme, and cook for 1 minute before adding the white wine and fish stock. 4. Cover the saucepan and cook for a further 5 minutes. 5. Meanwhile, peel and dice the cooked beetroot, season well and reserve. 6. Once cooked, pass the cockles through a sieve and keep the fish stock.

7. Cook the frozen peas in salty boiling water, drain and place in a bowl. 8. Using a hand blender, blitz the peas into a puree, slowly adding the hot fish stock. 9. Season the puree (which should be fine, and almost liquid), and pour a small ladle full on the bottom of each plate. 10. Arrange the cockles on top of the puree with the diced cooked beetroot. 11. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with the Scarlet cress to finish.

Experience Authentic

Italian Cuisine this Christmas

w e N

s a m t s i r h C u n e M

THROWERS OF LUDHAM ...More than just a village store. Stocked with over 50 types of cheese, 9 varieties of olives and ham on the bone. Why not give Throwers deli a visit? Many other local goodies in store including Letheringsett Watermill flour, local milk, How Hill honey, Lakenham Creamery ice cream, Brays pork pies, paté and much, much more. Order your Ham and Hampers now for Christmas.

Indulge in our New Christmas menu, including Parma ham, basil & parmesan stuffed pork fillet, spinach & ricotta cannelloni, wild mushroom & roast pepper calzone.

2 courses £17.95 add a 3rd course for £3.95

01692 678248

www.throwers.co.uk Find us on the A1062 between Wroxham and Potter Heigham.

Compliment your meal with seasonal mulled wine or select from our wide range of hand selected Italian beers, wines and coffees.

Large parties welcome. Book early to avoid disappointment!

Table D’Hote Menu

3 courses £15.50 | 2 courses £13.00

Giardino Restaurant & Bar, Sparrows Nest Gardens, Lowestoft Telephone: 01502 562755 www.yummylowestoft.co.uk

· Accommodation · Weddings · Parties · · Evening Meals · Sunday Luncheons · Bar Snacks ·

LARGE FREE CAR PARK

North Drive, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR30 1EG

01493 844568

www.burlington-hotel.co.uk For Accommodation,

WINE

temperatures

F e e lin g t h e H e at ? This month our wine writer Sam Matthews is quite resolute that wine must be served at the right temperature…

ast week at The Assembly House, my front of house staff were scrambling for as many large champagne buckets, bags of ice, and odd bottles of house wine at the back of the main fridge as they could find. Just before a packed-out pre-theatre dinner service with over 80 people turning up for three courses and a glass of something nice before the theatre, our wine fridge decided it wasn’t our friend anymore. Thankfully, with our fast and efficient pretheatre menu the wine choices are slightly more limited for that all-important speed of service. Our guests want lovely food and drink but there’s a show to get to after all. That still meant quickly plunging all the white and rosé options into icy cold water as quickly as possible in order to get them to the right temperature in time. But how important is it, really, to have the correct temperature for the right wine? Was our 10 minute panic worth it? I was in Malta recently on a short break to attend a good friend’s wedding, (I was amazed by the current quality of Maltese wine, by the way, but that’s for another day) but I struggled to buy a glass of wine that was served at the correct temperature. This, of course, must be more difficult out there with all the fridges and chillers having to work that little bit harder in temperatures averaging over 30 degrees each day. Warm Chardonnay is not my favourite! Likewise, back here, it’s not always easy in restaurants to get the wine chilled to the optimum temperature at just the right moment. In many restaurants, the wine fridges are located in the main kitchen – naturally a very hot environment. In our kitchen at the Assembly House, it rarely drops below 30 degrees, so our fridges have to work that much harder than

your appliance at home. However, these are not excuses. If you’re paying good money for your favourite glass of vino, it really should be at the correct temperature. Simple rule of thumb is - whites and rosés at a normal household fridge temperature, anything between about 1 – 8 degrees Celsius and reds at room temperature, anything between about 12 – 20 degrees Celsius. But some establishments take it further; I’ve known top end restaurants that have different fridges for their white wine depending on grape variety. For example a crisp Chilean Sauvignon is better at the colder end of the chilling spectrum than, say, a Burgundy Chardonnay. For the professional market, you can get specialist wine fridges which are controlled to the nearest point-one of a degree. They’re designed for chilling whites, rosés and fizz and also creating the perfect, ambient atmosphere for the richest of reds. Some reds of course, can be better with a bit of fridge time on them. Two grapes that most benefit are Gamay, the grape used in famous French appellations Beaujolais and Fleurie and Pinot Noir. Don’t let any caterer tell you any different. At some stage in our careers, we have all plunged a bottle of white into icy water in a desperate attempt to get it chilled after finding it in the back of the cellar. Likewise we have all left that bottle of red slightly closer to the chef’s hot plate than we should in order to take that winter chill off it after it has been sitting in the store shed. As a customer, you have the right to have your preferred wine at the correct temperature, and when you are paying good money, you shouldn’t settle for anything less. So the next time that glass of white is served to your table without that reassuring hint of condensation on the outside of the bottle, send it back!

Sam Matthews is Food & Beverage Manager at The Assembly House, Norwich. www.assemblyhousenorwich.co.uk Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

| november 2014

Lee Dyer

Gr a p e

This month, food writer Andy Newman heads to Surlingham, near Norwich, where he finds East Anglia’s award-winning vineyard, while top Norfolk chef Roger Hickman opens a bottle to use in a stunning starter

Pictures by ANDY NEWMAN ASSOCIATES, NORWICH

lthough it was the Romans who first planted vineyards in England, it is only in the last 20 years or so that wines made from home-grown grapes have started to be taken seriously. For most people, it is the counties of the south coast which will be synonymous with English wine; however, more recently it is East Anglia which is becoming the star producer, and nowhere demonstrates that better than a vineyard which only came into existence in 2007: Winbirri, at Surlingham, just outside Norwich. It is generally accepted in winemaking circles that any vineyard needs 10 years to reach its peak. The fact, then, that Winbirri, where most of the vines are no more than four years old, was chosen as one of the very best English wines at this year’s UK Vineyard Association national awards – picking up five medals in the process – suggests that Norfolk winemaking has a strong future. I meet 36-year-old Lee Dyer in the oldest of Winbirri’s three vineyards, in the corner of which sits a smart new building which houses an impressive modern winery. Lee grew up on the family farm, which was mostly given over to growing salad leaves. As young people often do, Lee got wanderlust, and set off travelling, eventually settling in Thailand for 18 months. When he finally came home, he found a curiosity in the corner of one of his dad’s fields: 200 vines, from which his dad Stephen was making wine for the family’s own consumption. ‘My initial reaction was ‘what on earth are you doing’,’ laughs Lee. ‘Norfolk winemaking was really in the doldrums, and I thought it was a lost cause.’

But the truth was more complex, and was eventually found in a glass (in vino veritas indeed). When he tasted his dad’s wine he immediately saw the potential, so much so that the second year saw another 1,500 vines planted: 500 Seyval Blanc, then popular as an easy-ripening grape in England, and 500 each of Solaris, a citrusy off-dry white grape, and Regent, a red varietal. Lee realised that making quality wine was going to take more knowledge and skills than he possessed, so he enrolled at Plumpton College in East Sussex, an offshoot of Brighton University, and acknowledged as the font of knowledge for English wine production. It was all something of a revelation for Lee, who by his own admission was ‘not really a wine drinker’. Armed with his newfound expertise, he took over from his dad in 2010, just in time to pick and vinify those 1500 new vines. In the four years since his first harvest, Lee has presided over very rapid growth: first, 17,500 more vines planted on a new 9½ acre site across the road in 2010; and then in 2011, another 18,500 vines in a 13 ½ acre site. From those initial 200 vines, Winbirri is now cultivating around 40,000, a staggering growth-rate. That has enabled a wider variety of grapes to be grown, including Sauvignon Blanc, the Champagne grapes Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, Bacchus (the grape sometimes called England’s Sauvignon Blanc), and the red varietals Dornfelder and Rondo. All of this requires a huge effort at harvest time, much of which comes from local volunteer labour, who are rewarded with food and wine. ‘It would actually be cheaper to pay people, but we love the fact that local people want to get involved, and they end up being ambassadors for our product,’ says Lee.

Norfolk Produce

wine

RECIPE

Roger Hickman’s rabbit terrine with Winbirri soaked golden raisins and rainbow carrot salad serves FOUR

Of course, with such an expansion in the vineyard, the original winery was soon outgrown, and it is a measure of how seriously the Dyers are taking this venture that in 2012 they sunk more than £500,000 in a new winery, complete with temperature-controlled stainless steel fermentation tanks, and racks lined with hugely expensive American oak barrels to age the red wines, which need replacing every three years. So how come a Norfolk vineyard – and it is not alone in the county – can compete with the more established wine industry in the home counties? ‘People think it’s hotter in the south, but we have more hours of sunshine and less rainfall than they do – especially in September during the harvest, which is the vital time,’ explains Lee. Much has been made of the influence of climate change on England’s ability to compete with continental Europe, but Lee puts it more down to science, and better viticulture skills. ‘New breeds of grapes are being developed for cooler climates, and the level of knowledge about caring for vines and winemaking in England has grown enormously,’ he says. As any winemaker knows, the road to wine knowledge is littered with empty bottles, and for a former non winedrinker, Lee now brings an expert’s palate to the task. It is this constant discovery which has made Winbirri a labour of love. ‘Wine is an endless learning curve. There isn’t enough time in the world for one person to know everything about wine.’ If Norfolk continues to produce wine of this quality, I suspect there will be quite a few more diligent students amongst the county’s wine enthusiasts who are willing to join the class.

Winbirri wines are available from Waitrose in Norwich, Wymondham, North Walsham and Swaffham, as well as independent retailers such as Bakers & Larners, Jarrold’s and Le Chateau in Norwich. They are served in many Norfolk restaurants, including Roger Hickman’s Restaurant, the Black Boys at Aylsham, Titchwell Manor and the Ship at South Walsham. The wines can also be bought direct from the vineyard by appointment; more details at www.winbirri.com.

INGREDIENTS 6 rabbit legs, duck fat, wholegrain mustard, a bottle of Winbirri Solaris wine, 8 small purple carrots, 8 baby yellow carrots, 6 large carrots, a splash of carrot juice, a squeeze of lemon juice, 100ml white wine vinegar, 50g sugar, a pinch of thyme, a knob of butter, a handful of golden raisins, 12 slices of Iberico ham, a handful of toasted flaked almonds Put the rabbit legs into a small roasting tray, and cover with melted duck fat. Bake slowly at 130°C for 2 1/2 hours. Allow to cool, then shred the meat from the bones. Season with the wholegrain mustard, and then put into a terrine tin, put a plate on top and then several weights, so that the terrine is pressed. Refrigerate. Peel and trim the yellow carrots, then blanche for 5-6 minutes, and refresh in iced water. Peel two of the large carrots, then slice with a mandolin to create very thin, flat strips. Put the vinegar, sugar and thyme, and 100ml of water into a pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, and put in the carrot strips. Leave to cool, by which time your strips will be lightly pickled. Chop three more of the large carrots really finely, and put in a pan with a little salt. Cover with Solaris wine, and then reduce until all of the liquid has gone. Now cover again with carrot juice, and repeat. Check the seasoning, add a little lemon juice, and then blitz to create a puree, and pass through a sieve to ensure it is really smooth. Peel and trim the purple carrots, and roast in a pan on the hob with a knob of butter for about 10 minutes. Grate the final large carrot, lay on a tray and bake in the oven at 160°C until golden. Turn off the heat, open the oven door, and allow to completely dry out, much as you would a meringue pavlova. Blitz the dried carrot and pass it through a fine sieve to create carrot ash. Meanwhile, put the raisins in some more Solaris in a pan with a generous pinch of sugar, bring to the boil and then turn off the heat. The raisins will puff up and absorb the delicious wine. Now it is just a case of building up the salad from the various constituent parts. Serve with a slice of terrine decorated with a few wine-soaked raisins, and garnish with the Iberico ham and a few salad leaves.

Roger Hickman is chef-proprietor at Roger Hickman's Restaurant in Upper St Giles, Norwich. More details at www.rogerhickmansrestaurant.com. Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

Dabs ‘n’ Crabs Dabs ‘n’ Crabs is a local fishmongers, run by Tracey Wrightson and her family. It is located in Scratby, on the main road, between Caister on Sea and Hemsby. The business has been trading for the past seven years and prides itself on the variety and freshness of its fish.

The shop stocks a large range of fresh fish, smoked fish and shellfish. It also has a selection of frozen seafood. All products are locally sourced wherever possible, with the added advantage of Tracey’s father being a local fisherman, so his catch can be delivered directly from his boat to the shop. You can also find Tracey at Lowestoft fish market every morning, selecting and buying the fish for display in the counter that same day. Christmas time is a wonderful time to include fish on the menu. Dabs ‘n’ Crabs can supply local cod, skate, herring, mussels and much more, including luxurious sides of hot smoked salmon, lobsters, prawns, scallops and all varieties of shellfish and smoked fish. To order your Christmas fayre, please drop by or call us on the number below. Tel (01493) 731305 Find us on yell.com Hemsby Road, Scratby, Gt Yarmouth NR29 3PQ

Christmas Spa and Shopping Event at Sprowston Manor, A Marriott Hotel & Country Club The perfect event for socialising, pampering, tips and advice, as well as magical gifts for yourself, your friends and your family. Wednesday 12th November 2014 – 5pm – 8pm & Saturday 15th November 2014 – 10am – 1pm This includes: - Entry to one of the event dates - £35 voucher to redeem at the event or redeem as a 30 minute treatment in November - £10 treatment voucher valid January – March 2015 - Mulled wine & mince pies - Jessica file & polish and hot stone treatment tasters - Facial massage techniques demonstration - Christmas gift sets from Decleor, Mii, Jessica & St Tropez - Several gift ideas starting from £9.50 Please call 01603 254 222 to book your space!

menus

FO NO 5 R W co C B ur H O se R O ta IS K sti T IN ng M G m A en S u ! 2/3 COURSE LUNCH OR DINNER JU JOUR With seasonal daily changing dishes

À LA CARTE

Signature dishes carefully selected by Chef Patron Daniel Smith

TASTING MENU Savour the whole dining experience with 7 courses

SUNDAY LUNCH Featuring our popular ‘Roast Fillet of Beef’

Find us at The Ingham Swan, Sea Palling Road, Ingham, NR12 9AB 01692 581099 · www.theinghamswan.co.uk · info@theinghamswan.co.uk

| november 2014

A Full House James Spicer tracks down an awardwinning chef starting to make waves in a Norfolk market town

There is no better way of learning one’s trade than to do so with a master of it. I will always remember the advice (and criticism) I took from my peers in over half a century of working in the print media, and like to think I emerged all the better for it. It must be the same in cookery. Some have a natural flair for it but this doesn’t make you into an instant Michel Roux.

Stephen Duffield, who now runs the kitchen at Chameleon House Restaurant, in Harleston, obviously does have the flair, but it took several years of training with Roger Mobbs, the renowned chef/ patron at the Imperial Hotel in Great Yarmouth, for this to emerge (another ‘graduate’ of the Imperial kitchen was Richard Hughes, who runs the Lavender House in Brundall). Stephen began by washing dishes and ended up representing the UK in the prestigious Chaine des Rotisseurs competition in Spain; he has picked up several other awards over the years, too. After leaving the Imperial, he helped set up the Metfield Café at Snape Maltings before being invited to Somerleyton Hall to run its catering operations for wedding receptions, corporate events, dinners, conferences and shooting parties. He, with wife Sharon, operating as their joint company Duffy & LeBan, took over Chameleon House Restaurant earlier this year, and have been pleased at the reception they have received from locals. The couple met at the Imperial, where Sharon eventually became head receptionist and duty manager. And over the years they have become quite a team, with Sharon now handling front of house at the restaurant. Mercifully, Chameleon House Restaurant is easy to find on Harleston’s one-way system, and one is immediately struck by its charm and elegance. A Georgian frontage, with two immense picture windows, packages a Tudor interior which, on an autumn evening just starting to take on a chilly note, was immediately warm and welcoming. And what a bonus to find our table next to the woodburner! Equally warm was Sharon’s greeting and, after a chat, we perused a menu that is compact, while offering plenty of variety, while taking welcoming sips of a nicely chilled South African Chenin Blanc from a reasonably-priced wine list.

Restaurant review

Chameleon House RestauRant

Chameleon House restaurant, Redenhall Road, Harleston IP20 9EN. Call 01379 852243 or visit www.duffyleban. co.uk

We were not surprised, knowing of Stephen’s background, to find imaginative elements to all the dishes. My wife’s starter choice, for example, was Jerusalem Artichokes, roasted, served with Colston Basset Stilton, peashoot salad and a walnut dressing (£6.95). I invariably steer my starter choice towards a terrine, should one be available, and was delighted to see a pressed beef and bacon example (also £6.95) – a combination that immediately sent the tastebuds into action. A terrine is the perfect mix of texture and flavour, and the latter in this was intense; the accompanying piccalilli and spiced damsons proved the perfect foil with their sharp tastes. It was one of the best starters I have had in many a year. Also on the starter list were cod cakes with picked samphire, Caesar Salad, chicken liver parfait and wild mushroom soup. I should add at this point that the restaurant was just about full and quite buzzy, and we noticed many of the patrons were opting for the sirloin steak dish, with its appetising accompanying dishes of handcut chips! We selected slightly more modest fare, though, with my wife choosing the pan-roasted chicken breast, served with grilled fennel, mushroom, olive oil mash and tarragon jus (£15.50). She immediately recognised the jump in quality from our usual supermarket-bought chicken to this locally-produced bird with its succulent texture. Equally delicious was my confit of Suffolk duck leg, served with braised peas, Little Gem lettuce and two plump Toulouse sausages

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

(£16). This also came with a side dish of baby baked potatoes, which we shared. As well as the steak, the menu featured two fish mains (battered cod fillet and smoked haddock), and a saffron risotto as a veggie option. We can rarely manage a pudding after two satisfying dishes, but, as all the best critics say, we decided that we should ‘in the interests of research’ share one! We chose the lightest, the coconut pannacotta, with mango puree and passion fruit (£6.50) and once again enjoyed the perfectly matched flavours that only top chefs can manage. The puddings list was headed by the almost threatening Dark Chocolate Nemesis, with butterscotch sauce and honeycomb ice cream; but others on a tempting list included Trinity Burnt Cream with cat’s tongue biscuit, brioche bread and butter pudding, and Alburgh ice cream, plus a cheese board with some nice-sounding accompaniments. The restaurant is open Tuesday to Saturday, for ‘Elevenses’ and lunch, 10.30am to 2.30pm; Wednesday to Saturday, dinner, 6.30 to 9.30pm; and Sunday, for traditional lunch, 12.30 - 3.30pm. On the evidence of our meal, I do hope that as many as possible venture out to Harleston to try Chameleon House Restaurant. They won’t, I assure them, be disappointed.

Click on johnlewis.com today, collect in WaitroseNorwich tomorrow

Your local branch

Branch location

WaitroseNorwich Sun: Eaton Centre, Church Lane Mon: Eaton, Norwich, NR4 6NU Tue: Tel: 01603 458114 waitrose.com/norwich

Wed: Thur: Fri: Sat:

10:00 - 16:00 08:00 - 20:00 08:00 - 20:00 08:00 - 20:00 08:00 - 20:00 08:00 - 21:00 08:00 - 20:00

Services and facilities Shopping Services

Customer Facilities

Waitrose Entertaining Quick Check/Quick Pay

Pay Phone Lottery Counter Cash Point Cafe Waitrose Car Park Parent/child Parking Customer Toilets

Other Services Glass Loan Fish Kettle Loan Boots pharmacy

Food Counters & Ranges Fish Cheese Delicatessen Rotisserie Meat Bakery Salad Bar

Competition

Woodforde’s

Raise Your

Glass This month’s competition is the chance to win a private brewery tour for 12 people and award-winning ales from one of Norfolk’s leading breweries, Woodforde’s!

hat better way to welcome the arrival of the festive season than with a pint or two of delicious Norfolk ale? To celebrate local food and drink at its best, Places&Faces® has teamed up with Woodforde’s Norfolk Ales to offer one lucky winner a private brewery tour for a group of 12, a mixed case of 12 beers and a mini-Christmas hamper! Recently awarded Brewery of the Year by the Good Pub Guide 2015, Woodforde’s has been producing beers for more than 30 years, including two Champion Beers of Britain: Wherry and Norfolk NOG. The tour takes you behind the scenes at the brewery in Woodbastwick and shows you how the award-winning ale is made. You’ll also see the special local ingredients which are selected and used in every pint, from the varieties of Maris Otter malted barley which is grown and malted locally, to the aromatic full-flower hops which are blended to create the depth of flavour in each exquisite brew. The winner will have the opportunity to taste the beers first-hand with a 12-bottle mixed case of Woodforde’s beers, including ales such as Wherry, Bure Gold, Nelson’s Revenge, NOG, Sundew and Once Bittern. And to get you in the Christmas mood, accompany the beers with the mini Woodforde’s Christmas hamper containing a jar of the excellent Boxing Day Chutney with Norfolk NIP, made by award-winning local chutney producer Jubberwacky, a spicy Christmas jelly and a Christmas pud packed with delicious Norfolk NOG!

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

To be in with a chance of winning this scrumptious prize, answer the following question: Q: Which award has Woodforde’s recently been given by The Good Pub Guide? There are two ways of entering. You can answer this question and email your answer to competitions@h2creativemedia.co.uk Remember to include your answer, name, address, email and a daytime telephone number. Or, if you’re into social media, you can go to our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ placesandfacesmagazine and like and share the competition. It is that simple. The brewery tour must be taken in January or February 2015, at a date to be agreed between the winner and the brewery (any weekday at 7pm). All 12 people must be booked onto the same tour on the same date. The hamper and mixed case of beers should be collected from the brewery shop in Woodbastwick and must be collected before Christmas 2014. Normal Places&Faces® competition rules apply and the editor’s decision is final. See our website for

full details. The closing date is November 30 2014 when a winner will be selected at random.

| november 2014

Hi s t o r y I n T h e M a kin g Andy Newman finds a historic Norfolk building still contributing to the county’s food heritage in its new guise as a fine dining restaurant

toke Mill, just south of Norwich, is one of the most important buildings in Norfolk’s food history – and now it is once again claiming its place in the county’s gastronomic tradition. It is as a fine dining destination that it is earning plaudits today, but the Mill has an illustrious place in the county’s food history. It was exactly 200 years ago, in 1814, when James Colman and his son Jeremiah started producing mustard here, making the mill one of the most important food heritage buildings in the UK. Colman’s growth meant that in 1862 it moved to the Carrow works in Norwich, and although milling carried on here for another century, in 1963 the machinery was sold off, and it looked like the mill was destined for decline. That this did not happen is down to the Iaccarino family, who bought the building in 1969. Rio Iaccarino, father of current owner Ludo, opened a restaurant which enjoyed a burgeoning reputation in the 1970s, although in more recent years it is fair to say that it hadn’t really kept up with changing gastronomic trends. Sadly, Rio passed away last year, leaving Ludo facing the dilemma of how to restore the Mill to its former glory. As often happens in times of adversity, it was a happy coincidence which brought about the catalyst for change. Ludo met Andy Rudd, who had worked at a number of Norfolk’s top restaurants (Adlard’s, The Merchant House, The Wildebeest), as well as in some of London’s top kitchens (Le Gavroche and Gordon Ramsay included). Andy was looking for a landmark restaurant where he could head

up his own kitchen, and the Mill was perfect. The pair set about transforming the historic building into a restaurant more in keeping with the ‘contemporary fine dining’ style they wanted to offer. The transformation is a huge success. Although the exterior has changed little, inside the designers have cleverly combined the original cast iron pillars and wooden beams with a stripped-back look, with pine floors, muted colours and simple decorations. The effect is light and airy, with a nice feeling of space. We went one Thursday evening, and were pleasantly surprised to see a good number of fellow diners – already The Mill’s reputation is translating into popularity. After a glass of Prosecco and some delicious canapés consisting of pastry cones filled with a chicken and wholegrain mustard mousse and a sundried tomato mousse, we were shown to our table, where cheese straws and a small hessian bag containing freshly-made bread rolls awaited.

Restaurant review

Stoke Mill

There is a dinner menu du jour at £17.95 for two courses or £19.95 for three courses, but we were too tempted by the dishes on the à la carte menu, and so plumped to go down that route. My starter was a clever take on a Scotch egg, with a soft-cooked quail’s egg surrounded with salt cod, decorated with two waferthin slices of chorizo, all on a red pepper sauce (£7.50). It was beautifully balanced, no mean feat on a plate containing so many robust flavours. My wife’s starter was more delicate: truffled creamed goat’s cheese and a brie beignet served with candied hazelnuts and figs (£6.95). Again, the management of the flavours was top-notch, with the sweetness of the nuts contrasting with the acidity of the cheese and the earthiness of the truffles. Mains were more hearty. A generous piece of halibut was served on a saffron, tomato, prawn, squid and Norfolk chorizo paella (£19.95). Again, with so many big flavours, managing the balance

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

was the challenge, one which the kitchen had nailed. My own main course was Gressingham breast of duck with pak choi, butternut squash, wild mushrooms and a spiced berry jus (£18.95). A real autumnal dish for a foggy October evening, this was also a hearty and generous plateful. Duck breast is so difficult to serve, as one person’s perfectly pink is another’s too rare. I always think asking for an individual’s cooking preference, as you would with steak, is a good idea. The wine list is carefully chosen by Harper Wells, and the white Rioja we chose (£28.50) complemented all our dishes very well. Despite the generous portions, your reviewers are nothing if not diligent in their work, and thinking of our readers (honest!), we moved onto desserts. Now that Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood have made us all baking experts, serving a chocolate fondant must be a real challenge. Happily, mine was textbook – holding its shape, but oozing rich, unctuous chocolate sauce when you cut into it. A salted caramel ice cream was the perfect foil (£7.95). My wife enjoyed a more delicate vanilla crème brûlée, which was served with a refreshing elderflower sorbet, fresh raspberries and an almond sponge (£6.95). In the 1970s, Rio Iaccarino turned Stoke Mill into a renowned foodie destination; he would be very proud to see his son Ludo, together with gifted chef Andy Rudd, doing the same for the place once again. Stoke Mill’s place in Norfolk’s food heritage is assured.

Stoke Mill Contemporary Fine Dining Stoke Holy Cross, Tel: 01508 493337 www.stokemill.co.uk

| november 2014

S a r a h H a rdy a n d h e r h u s b a n d are masters of the seas as they visit the Ship Inn in Dunwich for supper, real ale, a n d s to r i e s o f THE PAST

s you stand on the shingle beach at Dunwich in the driving rain, you cannot help but feel a bit like Kate Winslet in Titanic. The waves crash around you, the skies are swirling and nature is, without a doubt, the boss. Breathe in all that fresh air. This part of the world, the Suffolk Heritage Coast, is special. Unspoilt, untamed and achingly beautiful, it is the perfect spot for some ‘away from it all’ time. Dunwich is as good as it gets. Now just a small, unassuming place (and if you know some of the other more ritzy, secondhome kind of places in the area, you’ll know what I mean!), it basically boasts a pub, a church, a little museum and a few houses. But it has the most fascinating history – one that is almost hard to believe. Back in the 13th century it had 4000 inhabitants and was one of the major ports of East Anglia. But a fierce storm raged through the place in 1286, washing countless homes and about nine churches into the sea. Three further surges followed, and soon Dunwich was almost entirely lost to the sea, with just a tiny fraction of it remaining. Try to seek out the ruins of a 13th century Franciscan priory, Greyfriars, as you explore but be warned - legend has it that, on a quiet day, you can still hear the church bells tolling beneath the waves. So, although much smaller than it once was, Dunwich is a charming place that borders on one of the most beautiful landscapes in Suffolk: Dunwich Heath. This precious Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, along with Dunwich Forest and Dingle Marshes, is the perfect place for walkers, cyclists and nature enthusiasts.

Short Break

The Ship Inn, Dunwich

Any visit to Dunwich needs a trip to the Ship Inn, the village pub for as long as anyone can remember. And what a place it is – history and atmosphere just ooze out of every corner. It’s made up of several buildings and spans different periods from Tudor through to the present day. It is exactly the sort of higgledy piggledy place you’d want to find in such a remote spot next to the sea. You can almost picture a few smugglers from yesterday planning their next illicit exploits in the now buzzy bar complete with its darts board, real ales and wood burner. Add in another little room, a larger dining room, a conservatory, a courtyard garden and still further seating in both the large back garden and yet more space out the front, and you can choose your spot to suit your mood. Heritage paint colours, original features such as pamment tiles and masses of oak panelling, plus a nautical theme throughout all add to the ‘traditional’ feeling without being too obvious. The head chef, Sam Hanison, who has worked in many of the region’s top pubs including The Walpole Arms and also worked as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s private chef, uses local suppliers such as Blythburgh Pork, Mrs Temple Cheeses and Bramfield Meats. General Manager Matthew Goodwin adds: ‘We have a local fisherman, Tony Scrivener, who provides us with his morning catch – today we had some lovely sole. And Sam’s brother Charlie provides us with our salads and soft fruits.’ Everything is prepared on the premises, with Matthew describing the food as modern British, saying that classics such as fish and chips, and ham, egg and chips are served - but with a little something extra added. ‘We’re not a gastropub, we pride ourselves on being honest – on offering simple food, cooked well.’ We’d walked in the prettily named Dingle Marshes, spotting the Dartmoor ponies who have recently been allowed to roam freely, in order to work up a decent appetite for our evening meal. As I sipped (honest – no glugging) a stiff Adnams gin and my husband started on the Adnams bitter, we examined the menu in front of the aforementioned wood burner.

Starters include a twice baked Binham Blue soufflé, a hot smoked salmon pate and a local haddock gratin although I opted for a Blythburgh pork terrine with home made picked courgettes, celeriac slaw and toasted granary bread at £6.25. It was good and chunky and got the taste buds working. Next I tried one of the signature dishes, fish pie at £12.95 which was just right for a blustery evening by the sea. The accompanying side dish of veggies was great, too, and disappeared at the double. My husband had the tomato and red lentil soup at £4.95 which was warm and welcoming, with just a hint of spice, and followed it up with pan-fried Dunwich Dover sole, served with baby broad beans, North Sea shrimps and other tasty bits and pieces at £15.95. It was much enjoyed, all the more for knowing it was fresh that morning. Other options included slow cooked pork belly with a date and apple puree, creamy mash, roast caraway carrots, buttered spring greens and rich pork gravy at £13.95, and a butternut squash and roasted red onion and sage risotto with local crème fraiche and crispy fried kale at £12. Desserts ranged from a rich chocolate and coffee pot, summer berries and crème fraîche to a sticky toffee pudding although I went for a lemon and rhubarb posset with vanilla shortbread which was sublime – the rhubarb really cut through the creamy lemon. Husband deliberated over the cheese board which looked great but admitted defeat. Well, there’s always a next time, I reminded him. We were lucky enough to stay overnight. The Ship has 15 bedrooms in all: nine in the main building, four in the former stable block and two garden rooms. We bagged a garden room which overlooked the apple trees in the pub’s extensive grounds and provided very comfy accommodation. And a great brekkie, too. This is a genuinely friendly place, perfect for lovers of the outdoors and for those with dogs as they are welcomed everywhere! A big woof to that!

The Ship Inn, Dunwich, call 01728 648219,

visit www.shipatdunwich.co.uk

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

| november 2014

F o o d Gl o ri o u s F o o d ! F o o d ta k e s c e n t r e s tag e at this time of year as we all l i k e to t r e at o u r s e lv e s a n d o u r fa m i l i e s . B u t r at h e r t h a n s l av e i n t h e k i tc h e n , h e a d o u t to o n e o f o u r g r e at r e s ta u r a n t s , s ay s S a r a h H a rdy

orfolk is a serious player when it comes to fabulous restaurants. Whether you want a cosy country pub, with log fires and masses of original features, or an a la carte establishment for something a bit posh, you are spoilt for choice. It’s the time of year when groups of friends head out on an office party or you might want to get the whole family together for a great reunion. The prospect of cooking for more than about eight people fills most of us with fear so it really is the time to book yourself a table somewhere nice. Let someone else do all that shopping, not to mention the washing up, and it is, of course, a wonderful chance to try something new. Local specialities, especially goose, mussels, fish and turkey all feature strongly on the region’s gourmet table and it is always worthwhile supporting small businesses in our area. Just look back at all Andy Newman’s great features this year on our region’s producers and you will be amazed at the variety of food and drink they offer, from chocolate to wine, cheese, pork and more. Most eateries push the boat out at this time of year and offer great Christmas menus at very reasonable prices. I can never quite resist the turkey option, the only time of year I eat this bird, and my husband is a huge fan of Christmas pudding – I think he likes all the added brandy! Certainly eating out is more relaxed and all different generations with their varying tastes are catered for. You might fancy sushi but your great aunt will be looking for the cottage pie! And don’t forget the children, they like their own selection of dishes, too. Just don’t forget the mince pies!

IT’s GoInG to Be a

InK eat Dr

CHrisTMas!

relaX

WinTer Menu

DeCeMBer specIals

niBBles

sTarter

Garlic Bread 3.10

Leek & Potato Soup with Chunky Bread & Butter 4.90

Garlic Bread with Cheese 3.40

Smoked Salmon & Lemon Risotto with Cucumber Ribbons 5.50

Selection of Warmed Breads with Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar 3.80 Marinated Olives 3.40

Duck Liver Paté with French Toast & Red Onion Marmalade 5.50

to BeGin

Baked Figs & Goat’s Cheese with Rocket, Cashew Nuts & a Balsamic Reduction 4.90

Homemade Soup, served with Chunky Bread & Butter (see specials board) 4.90 Thai Prawn Cakes accompanied by Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce 5.80 Kiln Roasted Smoked Salmon Florentine Pot with Crusty Bread 5.50 Ricotta, Parma Ham & Butternut Squash Salad with Basil Pesto 4.90 ‘70s Style Prawn Cocktail with Brown Bread & Butter 5.50 Baked Camembert & Suffolk Chutney served with Crackers 5.50

MaIns Traditional Roast Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing, Chipolata & Bacon Roll, Roast Potatoes 9.90 Panfried Fillet of Seabass with Crushed Potatoes, Crayfish & Saffron Butter Sauce 14.90 Pheasant, Wild Mushroom & Bacon Pie with a Creamy Mash Topping 13.90

MaIn CoUrse seleCTIon

Leek, Chestnut & Ricotta Strudel, Buttered New Potatoes & a Port Sauce 10.90

Chargrilled Sirloin Steak with Brandy & Green peppercorn Sauce, Tomatoes, Peas & Handcut Chips 17.90

BlUe Boar PuDDInGs

Pork Steak with Stilton Crust, Creamy Mash, Broccoli, Apple Puree & Cider Sauce 13.90

Traditional Christmas Pudding with Brandy Sauce 5.50

Roast Corn Fed Chicked Breast with Wild Mushroom & Madeira Sauce, Dauphinoise Potato & Baby Carrots 14.90

Mincemeat & Almond Tart with Pouring Cream 5.50

Chargrilled Swordfish with Coconut Chilli & Lime Sauce, Pak Choi, Basmati & Wild Rice 13.90 Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie topped with Celeriac Mash & served with Peas & Pods 10.90 Beer Battered Cod served with Hand Cut Chips & Mushy Peas 9.90 Caesar Salad – Chargrilled Cajun Chicken Breast, Gem Lettuce, Sunblush Tomatoes, Croutons & Parmesan Shavings 9.90 Blue Boar Burger served in a Brioche Bun topped with Gruyére Cheese & Streaky Bacon with Salad & Hand Cut Chips 9.90

Chocolat Roulade filled with Cranberries & Chocolate Ganache 5.50 Mulled Wine Panna Cotta with a Winter Berry Compote 5.50 Assiette of Parravani Ices 5.50 Selection of Brie, Stilton & Applewood Smoked Cheddar served with Crackers & Suffolk Chutney 7.20 A pre-order is required for tables of 10 or more, together with a £10 non-refundable deposit per person at least 1 week prior to your booking. Thank you.

Breaded Scampi served with Salad & Hand Cut Chips 9.90

For reservations please call us on 01502 572160

Oulton Street, Oulton Village, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 3BB | www.blueboaroulton.co.uk

2014

THURSDAY 11th DECEMBER Sprowston Manor, Norwich Pamper Session or Golf Day followed by Christmas Dinner & Party in the evening Contact Martine on 01493 446534 with the names for your golf team Rooms and Spa Packages are available to book via Sprowston Manor call 01603 254222 and quote “EEEGR” for a reduced rate Revellers book now: www.eeegr.com/events

GOLF DAY SPONSORS

Christmas Party Nights At Yarmouth Stadium Looking for a fantastic Christmas Party venue? After the fun of the racing, the track lights dim, guests can enjoy an evening in our Raceview Restaurant or Executive Lounges and be invited to stay and party with our DJ until 1am.

Racing Dining Disco

December at the Raceview Restaurant Date

Price

Offer

Mon 1st

£17.99

Starter & main course (No disco)

Wed 3rd

£17.99

Starter & main course (No disco)

Fri 5th

£26.99

Starter, main course & disco until 1am

Sat 6th

£27.99

Starter, main course & disco until 1am

Mon 8th

£17.99

Starter & main course (No disco)

Wed 10th

Afternoon Meeting, please call for further information

Fri 12th

£29.99

Starter, main course, dessert & disco until 1am

Sat 13th

£32.99

Starter, main course, dessert & disco until 1am

Mon 15th

£17.99

Starter & main course (No disco)

Wed 17th

£17.99

Starter & main course (No disco)

Fri 19th

£29.99

Starter, main course, dessert & disco until 1am

Sat 20th

£32.99

Starter, main course, dessert & disco until 1am

Mon 22nd

£17.99

Starter & main course (No disco)

Fri 26th

£24.99

Boxing Day Brunch

Sat 27th

£24.99

Festive Special - 4 for the price of 3 Starter & main course (£18.75)

Mon 29th

£12.99

Main course only

Enjoy the festivities in our Party Lounges!

Book Now! 01493 720343

Mon & Wed £18.99

Gold Buffet

Fri & Sat

Gold Buffet

£31.99

Frankincense Upgrade only £5 per head!

Includes upgraded buffet with hot choice and a bottle of wine per 5 guests.

Yarmouth Road, Caister-on-Sea Norfolk NR30 5TE 01493 720343 www.yarmouthstadium.co.uk

Wine Cellar THE WINE CELLAR is a piece of gourmet heaven born from an ethos of gorgeous wine, great food, and generous service.

Tucked away in the heart of Norwich, just a few steps away from the vibrant Market Place, a beautiful courtyard steeped in history is the setting for this charming hidden gem that has so much more to offer than just fantastic fine dining. Ambient and chilled, The Wine Cellar is the perfect place to mingle and socialise. Ideal for a sophisticated, lazy lunch or a wallet friendly supper.

www.winecellarnorwich.co.uk | 01603 886100 Guildhall Hill, 8 Woburn Court, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 1JG

TRY GO KARTING AT ELLOUGH PARK RACE CIRCUIT Step out of the norm, leave the mundane behind. Experience outdoor karting on our 1100m British Championship Circuit in 390cc karts.

CHRISTMAS PARTY EVENTS

Book Now Catering & Meeting Room Packages Available on Request

GIFT VOUCHERS AVAILABLE Benacre Road, Ellough, Near Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 7XD Tel: 01502 717718 www.elloughparkraceway.co.uk

| november 2014

Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;est La Vi e! T wo w e e k s i n t h e D o r d o g n e â&#x20AC;&#x201C; y e s p l e a s e , s ays S a r a h H a r dy a s s h e a n d h e r fa m i ly ta k e t h e f e r r y a n d c a r to t h i s m o s t b e a u t i f u l pa r t o f F r a n c e f o r t h e i r a n n u a l b r e a k

Above: Jardins Du Manoir Main Image: Rocamadour

h av e t o a d m i t that I don’t know France that well. Paris, I’m okay with and bits of Normandy, but the rest of it is a mystery. In my day, you didn’t nip across the English Channel, you flew to Greece and hopped around the islands or checked out the Costas in Spain. But now my nearest and dearest, a husband and two teenage children, don’t like flying so France has become a serious option for our main summer holiday. Himself doesn’t mind driving and, by taking the car, we get to pack up all those essentials such as golf clubs, tennis racquets, footballs and so on. France is a such a huge country – which always takes me by surprise – and can offer just about everything from the glitz of St Tropez to pristine Alpine resorts. I quite fancied Brittany, the pink granite coast and all that, but the climate – well, you might as well stay in Britain. We settled on the Dordogne for a couple of reasons. We really liked the look of the resort – more of that later, the weather isn’t quite as burning hot as further south in August so you can enjoy tennis, football, volleyball and so on and it is a ‘doable’ drive from the ferry ports. The ferry journey gets you in the mood – our Portsmouth to Caen crossing took about five to six hours and, with the addition of our own cabin, saw us all doing our own thing. I indulged in a kip in the berth, some were on deck sunning themselves while others caught the latest movie. So time passes rather quickly, especially for us on the way back as we were runners up in the pub quiz! The roads are good and fast in France and you get to see the changing landscape as you head south. I’m not sure if there is an official region called the Dordogne, rather it is a select area, made up of three regions, a bit like the Peak District takes the best bits (in my opinion, of course) of Derbyshire, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire! It is, without a doubt, a stunningly beautiful region, dominated by the majestic river, which sweeps through lush countryside and the most charming medieval villages and towns. It has a rich history, with castles from the 12th century dotting the landscape and, when you add in those fields and fields of sunflowers, your heart cannot help but soar. We were based at the Souillac Golf and Country Club which suited us very well indeed. At the club house there is a bar, restaurant, tennis courts, swimming pool and loungers, football pitches, plus table tennis tables and a lovely terrace where I liked to sit and watch all those sporty people over a Grand Café, some sort of frothy coffee. There are about seven little hamlets tucked around the 18-hole golf course, each with about eight lodges and an exclusive pool. And boy, did I like my lodge. It helped that it was surrounded by

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

Travel

France glorious flowers – French lavender really does knock the socks off our stuff, but it was also very well equipped and kitted out in a lovely rustic style. It was an upside down house so the bedrooms were on the ground floor which meant we kept nice and cool at night; and it left the upstairs as one big open plan area. Best of all was the huge first floor terrace where you looked out over all that countryside, spotting the odd deer, sipping cheap but tasty wine, and generally getting rid of a year’s worth of tension! It was immediately relaxing, with our days alternating between sunbathing and sporty activities (ok, just sunbathing for me), and sight-seeing trips. I love Martel, a quirky little place with masses of alley ways, a fine central square and about nine churches; Sarlat is seriously interesting with the biggest street market imaginable on a Saturday and plenty more to explore, and Rocamadour is well, probably beyond description: it has been a place of pilgrimage since medieval times, with people visiting the Black Madonna for her supposed amazing abilities. But it is the setting, hewn into the rock face, which gets the jaw dropping and the camera clicking. If you need a change from all that culture, horse riding is another popular activity along with cycling but we opted for a day’s canoeing on that rather magnificent river. Fortunately we were going with the flow of the river and it was a great way to see yet more of the countryside and eye up some rather splendid riverside homes! The French do live well, they take their food and wine very seriously and the daily markets are the place to source your evening supper. Add in all those croissants, pains au chocolat and endless loaves of bread and it’s easy to overdo it especially as the wine is so reasonably priced. Oh, don’t forget all the cheese, too. And when you don’t fancy cooking, eating out is a way of life, and the daily specials, three courses for between about £15 and £25, always offer a few surprises and get you eating what you wouldn’t cook yourself. Fois gras is the real regional speciality, along with duck confit and lots of walnut-based desserts. But my favourite meal was masses of fresh crusty bread, cheeses, pâtés, big fat juicy tomatoes, melon, sliced avocado, and salami, eaten on our deck in the dappled sunshine. And, if I close my eyes, I can just about remember it!

Sarah Hardy travelled with Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth to Caen. Visit www.brittanyferries.co.uk Souillac Country Club Souillac, visit www.souillaccountryclub.co.uk

| november 2014

The man at t h e c e n t e r As Center Parc s E lv e d e n Fo r est c el ebrates 25 successful y e ars E m m a O u t ten goes to meet Ja mes Barrett, Ge n e ral M an ag e r of one of the most popular sh o rt b re ak d est i n ations in the UK

ho of us hasn’t driven down the A11 and enjoyed a short break at Center Parcs Elveden Forest over the past quarter of a century? As one of the largest tourist destinations in Suffolk, Center Parcs has attracted 10 million guests over the past 25 years. James Barrett has been General Manager for the best part of the past decade. He joined in 2005, having previously worked with international brewer Scottish and Newcastle Plc (a

company which became the new owners of Center Parcs the same year Elveden Forest opened, in 1989). During his time there, James worked in China, South Africa, USA as well as Europe and the UK, and it was during his travels when he first came across the Center Parcs brand: ‘I was working in Germany and I got involved with a Center Parcs there which was called Bispinger Heide, near Hamburg.’ Nowadays his world centres on Suffolk. The 44-year-old lives near Newmarket with wife Nicci and children Harry, nine, and Siena, seven, and works at the 400-acre forest site. ‘There’s not many of my friends who can say they come to work in a forest

BUSINESS PROFILE

JAMES BARRETT

we’re all very lucky to enjoy really high occupancy.’ He says every day,’ says James. ‘It’s that which has kept me here for of the family market: ‘the cake is large enough for everyone nine years.’ to have a slice of it.’ And he continues: ‘What excites me every day when I ‘All four - or indeed five now - are all broadly similar but come to work is motivating 1400 staff to be able to give great each one has probably got something about it which is quite service.’ He is also a very visible General Manager to the unique. He comments: ‘Elveden has got its own unique 4500 resident guests who come on each break. features. The majority of staff members live in the local areas of ‘The biggest thing is it is flat and when you’ve got families Brandon and Thetford and 18 of whom have been working with young children it makes such a difference that they are there since day one. able to cycle around in a flat, car-free environment.’ James adds: ‘We have a significant impact in the local area James prefers running around the village, as one of his – we use more than 200 local suppliers and when you look interests is marathon running. ‘I’m waiting eagerly to hear at the wages we pay to local staff and the money we put into about the 2015 London Marathon. I’ve run the London suppliers’ pockets then the multiplier effect we reckon is Marathon twice and have done so on both occasions for the about £20m a year into the local economy.’ Center Parcs’ charities. He arrived three years after the Village suffered the fire of ‘Before all the guests are up and venturing out for their 2002, and a year after his arrival, equity firm The Blackstone activities of the day, it’s a lovely time of the day to run round Group acquired Center Parcs. ‘It would be fair to say that among the pine trees.’ although Elveden is 25 years old the last eight years under The activities at Center Parcs are certainly worth a Blackstone have arguably been the most exciting period of mention – there’s more than 100 to choose from. So does Center Parcs’ history because of the sheer transformation he practice what he preaches and holiday at Center Parcs? that’s happened to the business,’ says James. ‘You’d think I’d have enough of it, but I do! My kids love it. First and foremost there’s been continued investment ‘Although my wife into accommodation, with New Style says I never switch Exclusive lodges and Center Parcs’ off, it’s terrific because first ever Spa Suites, offering guests a We have a significant impact my kids enjoy it so luxurious spa break with private access in the local area – we use more much. Harry loves to Aqua Sana Spa. doing paintballing and Elveden Forest was also the first of the than 200 local suppliers and laser combat and my Center Parcs Villages to open the Water when you look at the wages we daughter enjoys doing Cable Ski and in 2012, a new £4 million pay to local staff and the money pottery. family water ride, Tropical Cyclone ‘It’s one of the few was launched, which joins two awardwe put into suppliers’ pockets times I can display winning water-rides together in a worldthen the multiplier effect we my culinary skills so first. This was followed with a new reckon is about £20m a year actually there’s nothing family warm water pool, Venture Cove, into the local economy more I like doing than opened as part of the ongoing investment being in the lodge and into the Subtropical Swimming Paradise having the opportunity facilities. James asserts: ‘I believe it’s the to BBQ outside and share some time together.’ (Never mind best family pool in the country.’ the fact there’s a choice of 13 restaurants, bars and cafes to However, there’s a new kid on the block: Center Parcs’ choose from!). fifth Village, Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire, opened in June. There were reports in September that the owners had ‘Obviously there’s a little bit of jealousy that there’s a shiny drafted in City bankers to prepare a sale or flotation of new toy an hour and a half down the road that one of my Center Parcs. colleague general managers has got to play with!’ But James ‘There is some talk I gather,’ says James, although he adds: says Elveden has had its best ever summer: ‘We’ve had 98 per ‘I’m sure other owners will relish the opportunity to get their cent occupancy,’ (whereas annual occupancy runs at 97 per hands on Center Parcs. I’ll wait and see what comes. I’m cent, on average). quite happy to stay here for the foreseeable future.’ He says: ‘There isn’t a ‘best’ Center Parcs, I don’t think –

Almary Green Investments Ltd

Advising clients throughout East Anglia Tel: 01603 706740

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

www.almarygreen.com 77

We are delighted to offer our personal, professional and prompt service… … for all your property transactions, wills, family and other legal matters.

www.hkbwiltshires.co.uk

21 Hall Quay, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR30 1HN 01493 855 676 13 Surrey Street, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR32 1LJ 01502 582 338

For more information please call us or email us on info@hkbw.co.uk

S329 Almary Green Faces and Places Monthly Ad ARTWORK.pdf

06/11/2013

12:38

Caring For

Your Finances • Choose the right investments • Plan ahead for retirement • Provide disaster protection for your family • Secure your inheritance for your loved ones • Save tax on savings and gifts • Fund care fees, if and when needed

Almary Green Investments Ltd, Greenfields House,10 Meridian Way, Meridian Business Park, Norwich NR7 0TA Tel: 01603 706740 Email: enquiries@almarygreen.com

www.carefeeplanningnorfolk.co.uk www.carefeeplanningsuffolk.co.uk

www.almarygreen.com

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Planning for the Future

the financial

Generation

GAME I t ’ s a s a d fac t t h at m a n y o f u s w i l l n ot t h i n k about financial planning until o u r m at u r e y e a r s – b u t, to u s e the old cliché, it is something t h at s h o u l d b e considered from c r a d l e to g r av e , s ay s C a r l L a m b

Carl Lamb Almary Green Independent Financial Advisers www.almarygreen.com 01603 706740

hildren have pension opportuni ties that can provide a valuable starting point for future financial security. Starting a pension for a new born child may sound extreme, but it will certainly stand the child in good stead. Pensions are taxefficient: even though the child may not be a taxpayer, he or she will benefit from tax relief on contributions into the fund up to a maximum gross contribution of £3600 per year (including the tax relief). Contributions can be made into the fund by parents, grandparents and others and with the potential for investment growth can result in a strong foundation for a future retirement fund even before the grown-up child’s working life starts. Other efficient savings routes are available for children too. The Junior ISA (JISA) is available to those who are under 18 and is similar to the adult version. It can take the form of either a Cash ISA or a Stocks and Shares ISA. The current JISA limit is £4000 per year. Another possibility is a Children’s Bond from National Savings (NS&I) which can be bought for a minimum investment of £25. Parents and grandparents often come to us to discuss planning for school or university fees. The solution will vary depending on the family’s circumstances but in many cases the best route forward is to build a balanced investment portfolio aimed to deliver the required amount at the time it will be needed. Accessibility and timing will be important parts of the discussion – your child can’t delay his or her schooling while you wait for a bond to mature, for example.

One’s middle years are, hopefully, the years of accumulation when savings grow and pension benefits are accrued. However, the turbulence of the stock markets over the past decade may have made investors nervous and cash investments such as savings accounts have been equally unattractive with low interest rates. An Independent Financial Adviser will help you understand the terms and the risks of the different types of investment on offer and can help you ensure that your planning is efficient in terms of tax liabilities. Later life is a time for enjoying the grandchildren and, ideally, a long and happy retirement. The Chancellor made radical changes to the pension income picture in his Budget in spring this year and many who were expecting to simply purchase an annuity may wish to rethink their strategy. Annuities will, however, still have a place in the market – particularly for those with health issues. Nonetheless, the proposed new rules have certainly opened up new possibilities and advice will be critical to ensure a sustainable income stream throughout your retirement. Average age expectancies have increased substantially but, sadly, so has the expectation that large numbers of us will, at some stage, end up in long term care. Funding care fees is a topic that is still widely misunderstood: for example, the Government’s planned cap applies to the cost of ‘personal care’ only, as distinct from ‘hotel’ costs – food, accommodation and activities. Hotel costs are estimated at around £12,000 per year and none of this will count towards the cap. If a family member is in need of care, I strongly recommend talking to a specialist financial adviser about the options available.

For independent advice, contact Almary Green on 01603 706740 or email carl.lamb@almarygreen.com. Please remember that the advice here is generic and we recommend that you get individual personalised advice.

The value of an investment and the income from it could go down as well as up. The return at the end of the investment period is not guaranteed and you may get back less than you originally invested. The tax treatment of investments depends on individual circumstances and is subject to change.

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE NUMBERS

An innovative and forward thinking firm of chartered accountants, which has been helping families preserve and grow their wealth for over 150 years. For a free consultation contact: Kevin Bunting | 01493 335100 | k.bunting@lovewell-blake.co.uk

www.lovewell-blake.co.uk

Your local legal experts For you • • • • •

Buying and selling your home Re-mortgages and transfers of equity Wills and powers of attorney Court of protection Family and children matters

• • • • •

Criminal matters Personal injury claims Civil matters Notarial services Care home fees

• Equity release and lifetime mortgages • NHS continuing healthcare • Trusts and deceased estates

For your business • Commercial property • Employment matters

• Partnerships and licensing • Company formations

• Agricultural law • Planning and regulatory issues

For more information contact your local office: Lowestoft 148 London Rd North

T: 01502 533000

Beccles Exchange Square

T: 01502 718700

Gorleston 66a Bells Rd

T: 01493 652204

E: enquire@nortonpeskett.co.uk

Great Yarmouth 141 King Street

T: 01493 849200

Halesworth 52 Thoroughfare

T: 01986 872513

W: qualitysolicitors.com/nortonpeskett

No hidden costs • Direct lawyer contact • Free first advice • Same day response

Legal

Wills

W AWill Where

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Julian Gibbons u r g e s u s to e n s u r e t h at w e h av e a p r o p e r ly p r e pa r e d w i l l to av o i d fa m i ly r ows !

JULIAN GIBBONS NORTON PESKETT SOLICITORS www.NORTONPESKETT.CO.UK 01493 849200

hen the Legal Legal Services Board, with many anticipating Services Act its abolition in the new parliament next year. 2007 came The fact that the wills market remains into being, unregulated does not mean that the it laid down certain problems have gone away. The latest types of legal piece of legislation, the Inheritance and work which could only be done by lawyers. Trusteesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Powers Act 2014, changes the This, in practice, mirrored pretty much the rules on inheritance. Where a person dies position under the previous rules. Things like after October 1 2014 with a spouse but no conveyancing and probate were even before children, then he or she will inherit the whole the Act reserved activities which could only estate. This is a radical change from the be carried out for payment by a qualified current system, where parents and siblings lawyer. In fact, the bit of the work in the can inherit on intestacy. The perils of either case of conveyancing is the drawing up of not having a will or failing to update it were the deed of transfer, which is, these days, a brought home relatively recently when a printed form. In the case of probate, it is the husband, who had been separated from his actual probate application itself, so there is wife for over 20 years, but never divorced, nothing stopping an unqualified person from received a windfall inheritance when the administering the estate, provided a lawyer wife died, having never updated her will. The prepares and files the probate application. latest changes potentially cause even greater This is the reality of what happens in many injustice to family members, leaving them cases, and at least some companies offering with either no claim or one which will often probate services use a tame solicitor to be expensive and problematic to pursue file the paperwork (often they do not even through the courts. prepare it). None of this stops people doing One of the biggest areas for error is in their own conveyancing and probate, as the the tax-efficient structuring of the will. Here, restriction is on being paid to do it. there is no substitute for experience on the The 2007 Act gives the government power part of the will writer. House price and stock to add legal activities, that means, to make market inflation can often take an estate from activities regulated where they were not below the Inheritance Tax threshold to being before. One surprising omission from the list well above it by the time of death. This sort of of activities in the 2007 Act was will writing. asset inflation needs to be taken into account. The unregulated nature of this activity Testators need the correct advice. On a has been controversial, with a number of number of occasions I have seen wills drawn horror stories which cut the of wills being spouse out One of the biggest areas for badly drawn, almost entirely, ineffective or leave him or error is in the tax-efficient and clients her a relatively structuring of the will. being charged paltry share, Here, there is no substitute thousands of after a lifetime of pounds for work contribution to for experience on the part which should at the household, of the will writer. most attract a children and few hundred. business. Unfortunately, research showed that some Such a will is bound to be challenged by solicitors were as bad as unqualified will Inheritance proceedings. Beneficiaries will be writers when it came to drawing wills. The at loggerheads and the estate will be reduced Society now operates a specialist panel for by the substantial costs such claims entail. solicitors who wish to promote their special The need for robust advice in such cases is skills in the area of probate and wills. In an critical and the testator needs to realise that attempt to improve the quality of wills, the all that cutting his or her spouse out will do Law Society and the Solicitors Regulation is produce a drawn out court case which is Authority pushed the legal professionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s likely to harm the very people he or she is overarching regulator, the Legal Services trying to benefit. Board, to petition the government to make Unqualified will writers are not a low cost will writing a regulated activity. alternative to solicitors. Their charges for Much to the surprise of all, the government producing what turns out to be a very bad refused. The reason for this is not clear, will can greatly exceed those which would though it suddenly seems to have lost its have been charged by a local solicitor. In taste for regulating the legal services market any event, the peace of mind must surely be in general. Certainly, there has for some time worth it. been a question mark over the future of the

Wealth Management

Talking Tourism! This month neil orford offers a dv i c e to t h o s e i n t h e h o l i day business, one of t h e k e y s e c to r s of our region’s economy

Neil Orford LOVEWELL BLAKE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS www.lovewell-blake.co.uk 01493 335100

Tourism

ovember might seem a strange time to be talking about tourism – but for Norfolk’s many businesses in the sector, this is the time of year when important investment decisions are being taken, decisions which will have a huge impact on the financial wellbeing of many people in the county. Tourism is Norfolk’s biggest employer, and its most important business sector. It contributes something like £2.8 billion to the local economy, and supports more than 54,000 jobs. It is not just those running attractions and hotels who are in the tourism business. Thousands of small firms are directly or indirectly involved, together with landowners, investors and service companies. This is something which affects the prosperity of most of us. I was reminded of this on a recent visit to a holiday park in north Norfolk. On a sunny September Friday, it was still busy with visitors, many of them retired people and ‘emptynesters’ taking advantage of that period in late summer when children are back at school. Holiday parks are an extremely important part of the jigsaw when it comes to our county’s tourism industry, making up the largest portion of the accommodation market. By its nature, this is an investmentheavy type of enterprise, and also one which is often a family-run business – so inevitably it becomes one where the personal finance element overlaps with the ‘pure’ business decisions. Investing in a successful holiday park requires a wide range of skills, and whether you come at it from an agricultural background (as many do), with experience of running a tourism business, or as an investor, you will face

a plethora of issues you will need to resolve in order to prosper. One common issue is the challenge of running a family business, which many of Norfolk’s holiday parks are – often having emerged from family farms. In many ways, family businesses are great structures to build a business of this type, offering mutual support and the ability to plan for the long term. But they do add another factor to be taken into account when taking decisions within the business: the personal finances of family members who are reliant on their livelihoods on its success. Often the current generation’s retirement income is tied up in the continued prosperity of the holiday park. In effect, it becomes both a business and a pension plan, and it is important

In effect, it becomes both a business and a pension plan, and it is important to recognise this when planning for the future. The retiring generation needs to be able to take out of the business what they need in a way which the business can afford. to recognise this when planning for the future. The retiring generation needs to be able to take out of the business what they need in a way which the business can afford. Tourism is a thriving and dynamic sector which is particularly strong in Norfolk, so it is an attractive investment – and the holiday parks sector is a growing part of that opportunity. But like any investment, you need to go into it with your eyes open, and with the benefit of good, specialist advice. Building on its strong pedigree in the sector, Lovewell Blake has recently created a specialist Holiday Parks Team to offer expert advice to individuals, families and companies investing and running holiday park businesses.

For more information, visit www.lovewell-blake.co.uk/specialisms/holiday-parks

Disclaimer: Please note that this article is provided for your information only. While every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy, information contained herein may not be comprehensive and you should not act upon it without seeking professional advice.

| november 2014

The R e s t o r at i o n Team G r e at Ya r m o u t h h a s a s t u n n i n g n e w gallery which sells distinctive a r t wo r k a n d b e a u t i f u l ly r e s to r e d f u r n i t u r e . S a r a h H a rdy v i s i t s Hermes the Gallery

reat Yarmouth’s historic quarter has just got a little bit more interesting! Hermes the Gallery in the gorgeous 19th century Victoria Arcade opened its doors in the summer and wow, what a great addition to this quirky part of town. The gallery, part of the Grade Two Listed Arcade, has an industrial feel, is very loft like, with the original windows, complete with stained glass, allowing in masses of light. Run by local businessman Konstaninos Pantazis, who clearly has an eye for all things artistic, the gallery specialises in selling restored furniture. And, believe me, not just any old restored furniture. Their pieces have the X factor and some. There are Rococo-style sofas with the most luscious black velvet fabric, wing-backed armchairs in crushed red velvet and boudoir chairs with ritzy leopard-print seats.

So, these are statement pieces, perfect for someone who wants to add a bit of zing to their home, to own something that isn’t just from one of our High Street furniture retailers. Manager Claire Bradley adds: ‘Yes, we do offer something a little bit different and they are certainly built to last.’ Equally, I thought, the dramatic pieces are great for an office space. I could really see a hair salon or a design studio having one of their sofas in their reception and people thinking they had really arrived somewhere both smart and trendy! Claire explains: ‘We visit antique fairs and auctions and are always looking for interesting pieces. At present we use two specialist upholstery companies that offer a very bespoke service.’ She continues: ‘People can choose their own fabric, too, so their new piece of furniture ties in with their colour schemes at home.’

Advertising Feature

Hermes the Gallery

She adds that people also contact the gallery with individual items. ‘Sometimes people want us to look at pieces that they have inherited, to either buy them or for advice on restoration. We always say to people to get in touch, we will help all we can.’ Claire is also keen to hire out some of the gallery’s eyecatching pieces. ‘I can really imagine one of our sofas being used at a wedding, as a great place for people to sit and have their photographs taken. And I can see our chairs being used for the bridal party’s top table – they would certainly be a talking point. ‘I can also see items being useful at wedding fairs so there are lots of opportunities.’ The gallery also sells artwork, specialising in limited edition artists’ prints from the likes of urban artist Charles UzzellEdwards, better known as Pure Evil, and London-based William Blanchard whose Sex Pistols pictures are terrific! ‘We frame them,’ says Claire, adding that the gallery also sells decorative mirrors which are very popular. Certainly the gallery has a laid back feel to it and is a great place to look for that something special for your home. And, while nothing beats visiting this stylish place and soaking it all up, you can also check out their website to see what’s on offer.

Hermes the Gallery,

Victoria Arcade, Great Yarmouth, tel 01493 842169, visit www.hermesthegallery.co.uk

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

| november 2014

Winter k Motoring

As winter approaches, we need to think about the way we drive. James Spicer offers some handy tips

kqq

f f s f l f slq r f l s r r

e’re lucky in the UK not to have the harsh winters of, say, Scandinavia; but it’s a season that can take its toll on motorists and their machines even if we don’t have huge snow falls. What we do have, in plenty, are cold spells, with morning frosts and icy roads. These give the most difficult driving conditions of the year, but there is much we can do to make things easier on ourselves. Let’s start with the obvious ones. What is the most common source of winter problems? A flat battery, perhaps? Winter puts extra strain on our batteries, with lights, heaters, heated screens and wipers hitting them hard. So avoid running these more than is necessary; turn the heater fan down when warm, and switch off the heated rear screen once it is clear. And if you are able to do so, give your battery an overnight trickle charge to boost it up. The other winter essential is antifreeze. Most service plans will cover this, but if you have to put it in yourself make sure that it’s right for your car and get the mix right – it needs to be 50/50 antifreeze and water, which can cope up to –34 oC.

Make sure you can see the way ahead (and behind). Keep your windscreen and windows clear, and remember that it is an offence to drive with obscured vision. Ensure your windscreen is clean on

the inside, too, to stop it misting up. Low winter sun can dazzle a driver if the screen is not clean. Take time when setting out to do these things, and, if there is snow, clear it from the roof as it can easily fall onto the screen and temporarily blind you. Check your windscreen wipers and make sure they don’t need replacing. Make sure they are in the ‘off’ position when parked; if you don’t, and the blades freeze to the screen, you could damage them, or the wiper motor, when you switch on the ignition. Top up your windscreen washer fluid, and treat with a suitable additive to prevent freezing. Your garage or local stockist will happily advise. Check that all your lights are working, and keep the light covers clean. And don’t forget the number plates, which shouldn’t be obscured. Remember that you are obliged to use dipped headlights in reduced visibility. You can also use high intensity fog lights, but remember to switch them off when the fog clears to avoid dazzling other motorists. Tyres: So important when roads get wet and slippery. The tread should be at least 3mm for winter motoring, and certainly no less than 2mm. There is a motoring myth that lowering tyre pressures will give extra grip. It won’t, but what it will give is less stability.

Motoring

“

winter driving

Put safety at the top of your list.

“

s q llff ssrrsrl l

qk q

So, having made sure that your car is fit for the road, are you? The winter driving technique has to be different, and one of the most important aspects is time. Try to leave plenty of it, both for your journey, and before setting off. On a frosty morning it is hazardous, and probably dangerous, to jump into the car and drive straight off. DON’T drive off before clearing your screens and windows inside and out. Driving along with a tiny hole cleared in the screen is not to be recommended (see previous info about obscured vision). Plan your route, particularly if there is snow about. Try to stick to main roads which will probably have been cleared and gritted. Avoid hills if possible; but, if you can’t, leave plenty of room between you and the car in front. Put safety at the top of your list. If the roads are bad, don’t try to hurry. If you are late for work, or an appointment, that will be understood. Keep your distance, don’t brake suddenly, and try to maintain traction if you can. Be gentle on the accelerator, and stay in the highest gear possible to avoid wheel spin. If you are embarking on a long journey in wintry conditions, make sure you have essentials like food and a hot drink, your mobile phone, a blanket and a warm coat – just in case you get held up, or, horror of horrors, break down. Also, while the snow lasts, some old sacks and a shovel in the boot will help with traction if you do get stuck. The most valuable tip of all is to use your common sense. Take care, leave plenty of time and be aware of what’s going on around you.

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

Thurlow Nunn, we are not just the dealer for 0% APR on every new Vauxhall, we are also the name that has a history of excellence and trust for over 130 years. 95% of our customers were completely satisfied with their Thurlow Nunn experience. Why not take a look at the big dealer that’s local to you?

we refuse

DELIVERY MILEAGE

Vauxhall Astra Excite

• Choice of Colours • Delivery Miles • LIST PRICE £17,790

SAVE £5,791

Against cost when new

beatenon

Representative Example: Cash Price Deposit

to be

Interest Charges

£11,799 £939.41 £10,859.59 £1,080.41

NORWICH NORTH 83/93 Mile Cross Lane, Norwich, Norfolk NR6 6TX Tel: 01603 513 224

www.thurlownunn.co.uk

Amount of Credit

Find us on: Facebook

First Payment

58 Monthly Payments

Final Payment

£348

£199

£348

Total Amount Payable

Borrowing Rate

Representative

£13,177.41

1.99%

4.9%

NORWICH SOUTH 591 Hall Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 6AS Tel: 01603 513 225

@Thurlownunn

Proud to Sponsor

Thurlow Nunn League EASTERN COUNTIES FOOTBALL LEAGUE

All calls to Thurlow Nunn are charged at 5p per minute from BT land lines.

Finance subject to status. Terms and conditions apply. You will not own the vehicle until all payments are made. 18s and over. Guarantee / indemnity may be required. Vehicles shown for illustration purposes only.

THE ALL-NEW SX4

S-CROSS FROM ONLY

£14,995*

You name it, the SX4 S-Cross has it. A spacious cabin and bag-gobbling boot. The reassuring safety of ALLGRIP 4-wheel Drive¹. Even class-leading fuel economy. Once you see it, you’ll have to have it all.

Request a Test Drive today: suzuki.co.uk/mrking

M R King & Sons

Horn Hill Lowestoft Suﬀolk NR33 0PX 01502 525425

Official Fuel Consumption Figures for the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross range mpg (litres/100km) and CO 2 emissions (g/km): Urban 39.7-55.3 (7.1-5.1), Extra Urban 55.3-76.3 (5.1-3.7), Combined 47.8-67.2 (5.9-4.2), CO 2 emissions 135-110 g/km. The above fuel consumption figures are based on an EU test for comparative purposes only and may not reflect real driving results. *Model shown: SX4 S-Cross 1.6 SZ5 available from £19,749. SX4 S-Cross range - SX4 S-Cross 1.6 SZ3 Manual available at £14,999 to SX4 S-Cross 1.6 DDiS SZ5 ALLGRIP Manual available at £23,549. The features referred to in this advertisement and all specifications and equipment may vary depending on engine, transmission and model grade. All prices and specifications correct at time of going to print. On the road price valid from 1st September 2013 to 31st December 2013. Model shown - SX4 S-Cross 1.6 SZ5 Manual (metallic paint £430). ¹ALL GRIP 4-wheel Drive only available on 1.6 petrol SZ5 and DDiS SZ-T & SZ5 models.

INTRODUCING THE NEW

FORD TOURNEO CONNECT

Zetec diesel engine with metallic paint

From £16,775!

Further £750 off (Deposit Allowance)

Pertwee & Back Limited

Gapton Hall Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR31 0NJ 01493 664151

www.pertwee-and-back.co.uk

Official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the Ford Kuga range: urban 27.7-44.8 (10.2-6.3), extra urban 44.8-60.1 (6.3-4.7), combined 36.7-53.3 (7.7-5.3). Official CO2 emissions 139-179g/km. Retail only. Metallic paint extra cost. Vehicle shown for illustration purposes only. This supersedes all previously advertised manufacturer’s promotions. Details correct at time of going to print. Subject to availability. Contact us for terms and conditions. Applies to new vehicles, contracted between 06.10.2014 and 31.12.2014 and registered between 06.10.2014 and 31.12.2014. Where savings are shown, advertised prices are calculated by deducting the saving from the manufacturer’s recommended OTR price. Finance subject to status. Deposit allowance only available with Ford Credit. Finance subject to status.

Norfolk’s Premier Accident Repair Centre P R O U D LY W O R K I N G W I T H L O C A L M A N U FA C T U R E R S

16-20 Concorde Road Norwich | NR6 6BN 01603 410777 www.the-bodycentre.co.uk

Protect your investment, whether it be vehicle refinishing or major accident damage

http://www.facebook /TheBodycentreLtd

The place where you will find a team of dedicated professionals waiting to help you get back on the road in a replacement vehicle whether it’s a fault or non fault accident

BODY AND PAINT CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

| november 2014

A C ac t u s R e a dy T o Blo o m E v e r p i c k e d u p a c a r pa r k b u m p a n d c u r s e d yo u r l u c k ? T h e b r i l l i a n t n e w C i t r o e n C 4 C ac t u s m i g h t j u s t b e t h e c a r f o r yo u , s ays M at t K i m b e r l e y

hat’s new? As breaths of fresh air go, the

Cactus is like a lung-full of West Scotland’s finest in the middle of rush-hour London. It’s a car designed to fit into real-world lifestyles where you need lots of places to store bits and pieces, where touch-screens are as second nature as a second scoop of ice cream and where people always manage to open their doors into your paintwork. The Cactus is built to take life’s little trials in its stride with a radical re-think.

Looks and image

That’s why you’ll find those curious and distinctive coloured panels along the sides. These ‘AirBump’ air-filled blocks are scratch-resistant and a bit bouncy, so errant supermarket trolleys and swinging coat zips won’t leave a mark. The same material is on the boot and in a few other places too, helping to avoid any ugly and expensive bodywork damage. 90

The Cactus is the first truly honest Citroen for years. It’s a bit mad cap but not so much so as to be off-putting. The controls are where you’d expect them, the pedals do what they should and the wheels aren’t made out of cheese. It’s simply very good at the everyday biffabout thing, and there’s no doubt a lot of people will be very taken by that. Space and practicality

The Cactus has a great character garnish to go with its healthy dollop of practicality. There are door pockets aplenty and a panoramic glass roof to give a more spacious-feeling cabin, and it’s fair to say that there’s enough rear legroom for adults. A really nice touch is the ‘suitcase-style’ interior detailing on the door pulls and glove box. It adds a sense of travel adventure, but there’s loads of room inside the glove-case to add substance to the style.

Motoring

Citroen C4 Cactus

FACTS AT A GLANCE Citroen C4 Cactus 1.2 PureTech 110, circa £15,790. Range Price: £12,990–£18,195 Engine: 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol unit producing 108bhp and 151lb/ft of torque Transmission: Five-speed manual driving the front wheels Performance: Top speed 117mph, 0-62mph in 9.3 seconds Economy: 61.4mpg combined Emissions: From 105g/km of CO2

Behind the wheel

Who would buy one?

Citroen openly admits the Cactus is built to a price. That’s half the point; realistic ownership costs. With that in mind it’s amazing how quietly the 1.2-litre 110-horsepower petrol version bimbles around town. At 30mph in the fourth of five gears, the loudest thing is the air conditioning fan, which itself is only lightly breathing away in the background. There’s nothing remarkable about the way it drives. The soft, chunky seats are unusual these days and very comfortable, the steering is quite slow and unthreatening, and the ride is very smooth over good surfaces and undulating bumps. It’s worse over sharp bumps, mind you, where the suspension crashes unexpectedly and noisily, but on the whole the driving experience is that of a car you’d never regret buying or dislike owning. It feels a bit like a loyal family pet.

The brilliant news is that this won’t just appeal to budget-led buyers who hate looking after their cars. It’s a damn fine everyday car with some great quirks and an unusual look, so parents looking for something livelier-looking to put on the drive will love it; as will people bored with the same old hatchback crowd. This car summed up in a single word:

Unconventional If this car was a…:

Fashion revolution it would be the miniskirt. Among a sea of relative boredom it dares to be different, and while it’ll raise a few eyebrows, it turns heads and creates big smiles.

Value for money

In terms of raw space there’s more for your money out there. But ‘value’ cars tend to be a bit soulless and that always counts against them. The Cactus definitely has more of a character and a charm that can’t entirely be priced up. In terms of providing family-friendly transport that you’re not afraid to see bumped around now and again, what could be better? There could be clever finance deals on the cards, too, if the UK follows suit with Spain’s ‘pay as you drive’ mileage-based finance scheme.

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

Duff Morgan - Norwich Whiffler Road Norwich NR3 2AZ Tel: 01603 775477 Duff Morgan - King’s Lynn 49 Bergen Way North Lynn Industrial Estate King’s Lynn PE30 2JG Tel: 01553 770144 www.duffmorgan.citroen.co.uk

www.citroen.co.uk

NEW CITROËN C4 CACTUS

£125 - £249

PER MONTH ON PERSONAL LEASE°

DUFF MORGAN 01603 775477 WHIFFLER ROAD, NORWICH, NORFOLK, NR3 2AZ www.duffmorgan.citroen.co.uk

DUFF MORGAN KING’S LYNN 01553 770144 49 BERGEN WAY, KING’S LYNN, NORFOLK, PE30 2JG www.duffmorgankingslynn.citroen.co.uk

°Prices & offers apply to retail sales of qualifying Citroën models ordered & delivered 01/07-30/09/14 & include VAT, delivery to dealer & number plates, Government Registration Fee & 12 months’ graduated vehicle excise duty. Black/metallic/pearlescent paint optional at extra cost. Elect 4 Personal Lease rentals shown apply to New Citroën C4 Cactus PureTech 75 manual Touch - New Citroën C4 Cactus e-HDi 92 ETG6 Flair respectively. Model(s) shown New Citroën C4 Cactus PureTech 82 manual Flair from £205 per month. One significant advance rental will be required, which varies by model, followed by 46 monthly rentals at the rates shown & a significant optional final rental. Excess mileage charges may apply if the agreed annual mileage is exceeded. Payment of the optional final rental extends the rental term (this does not transfer title of the vehicle) & requires an annual rental equivalent to one months’ rental. Finance subject to status. Written quotations available on request from Citroën Financial Services, Quadrant House, Princess Way, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1QA, UK. Over 18s only. A guarantee may be required. Offers & specification correct at time of going to press from participating Dealers. Terms & conditions apply. Please ask us for details. Subject to stock availability.

Official Government fuel consumption figures (Range): Urban cycle, Extra urban, Combined (litres per 100km/mpg) & CO2 emissions (g/km); Highest: New Citroën C4 Cactus PureTech 110 S&S manual Feel 5.8/48.7, 4/70.6, 4.7/60.1, 107. Lowest: New Citroën C4 Cactus BlueHDi 100 manual Touch 3.5/80.7, 2.9/97.4, 3.1/91.1, 82. MPG figures are achieved under official EU test conditions, intended as a guide for comparative purposes only, and may not reflect actual on-the-road driving conditions.

Everything you want in a car for less

FORD B-MAX Zetec 1.0 EcoBoost 100PS

• • • • • £

Adjustable load floor in luggage compartment for easy loading of cargo Deflation Detection System (DDS) for detection of low tyre pressure Driver’s seat with manual height adjust Fold-flat front passenger seat One hand one motion fold-flat rear seats

495 ADVANCE PAYMENT

FORD New Kuga Titanium 2.0 TDCi FWD 6-speed Manual FORD NEW C-MAX Titanium 1.6 Duratorq TDCi

• • • • • • •

‘Quickclear’ heated windscreen Auto front wipers Auto headlights Cruise Control with Speed Limiter Ford Easy Fuel Keyless start Remote/powered child rear door locks

• • • • • £

Cruise control with Active speed limiter F o rd SY N C w i t h E m e rge n c y Assistance Keyless Start Partial leather trim Roll Stability Control

895 ADVANCE PAYMENT

245 ADVANCE PAYMENT

Ludham Garage Ltd High Street, Ludham, Norfolk, NR29 5QQ 01692 678 215

O cial fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) Ford Car range: urban 52.3 - 42.8 (5.4-6.6), extra urban 68.9 - 60.1 (4.1-4.7), combined 61.4 - 53.3 (4.6-5.3). O cial CO2 emission 139.0-119.0g/km. Vehicle shown is the Ford . This programme is subject to the standard conditions of the Motability 3-year Contract Hire Scheme. Full written details and quotations available on request from a Ford Authorised participating dealer or Motability Operations Limited. Under the scheme the vehicles are leased from Motability Operations Limited (Registered Company No. 1373876), City Gate House, 22 Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HB. Free rear parking sensors will be included on all new Ford cars, with the exception of Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy which will be supplied with front and rear free parking sensors, contracted through the Motability Scheme by a Ford Authorised Dealer. Where such sensors are not already included as standard, no cash alternative is available. Applications must be received and accepted between 01/ 10/2014 and 31/ 12 /2014 by Motability Operations Limited.

www.ludhamgarage.co.uk

www.renault.co.uk

All-New Renault

RED BY 31st DECEMBER FROM £99 PER MONTH WHEN ORDE REPRESENTATIVE EXAMPLE:

48 monthly payments of

£99

Total amount of credit

£7,640

Option to purchase fee

£149

Fixed interest rate p.a.

Customer deposit

£2,355

Finance facility fee

£99

Total amount payable

£11,647

6.9% APR representative

Cash price

£9,995

Optional final payment

£4,292

Duration (months)

5.87%

MITCHELLS LOWESTOFT

50-58 LONG ROAD, LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK NR33 9DQ TEL 0844 875 9626 WWW.MITCHELLSRENAULT.CO.UK The official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for All-New Renault Twingo SCe 70 is: urban 50.44 (5.6); extra-urban 72.43 (3.9); combined 62.77 (4.5). The official CO2 emissions are 105g/km. EU Directive and Regulation 692/2008 test environment figures. Fuel consumption and CO2 may vary with driving styles, road conditions and other factors.

Terms and exclusions apply. 4+ package available to non-business customers on new Renault vehicles. Warranty 4 years/100,000 miles and routine servicing 4 years/48,000 miles (whichever comes first). Servicing package available to Renault Selections customers only; alternatively can be purchased for just £299. Visit renault.co.uk/4plus for full details. Finance provided by RCI Financial Services Limited, PO Box 149, Watford WD17 1FJ. Subject to status. Guarantees and indemnities may be required. You must be at least 18 and a UK resident (excluding the Isle of Man and Channel Islands). Terms and conditions apply. Our dealership introduces customers to a limited number of financial providers including RCI Financial Services Ltd. Offer based on 6,000 miles pa, excess mileage 8p per mile inc VAT. Offers cannot be used with other schemes or finance offers and are available on featured new vehicles when ordered by 31 December 2014 and registered by 31 March 2015. Car shown with optional Powder Blue paint at £225.

DEFY CONVENTION

0% APR* REPRESENTATIVE

ZERO DEPOSIT

ALL THE CAR YOU WANT FOR LESS THAN YOU THOUGHT

Available on Mazda Personal Contract Purchase Book a test driveº today, call us on 01603 427011 or 01502 713885

Wrights Mazda 101 Cromer Road, Norwich NR6 6XW. Tel: 01603 427011 | Common Lane North, Beccles NR34 9BL. Tel: 01502 713885 Visit our website at: www.wrights-mazda.co.uk

The official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the all-new Mazda3 range: Urban 37.7 (7.5) – 60.1 (4.7). Extra Urban 58.9 (4.8) – 80.7 (3.5). Combined 48.7 (5.8) – 72.4 (3.9). CO2 emissions (g/km) 135 – 104. The mpg figures quoted are sourced from official EU-regulated test results obtained through laboratory testing. These are provided for comparability purposes only and may not reflect your actual driving results. Retail sales only, subject to vehicle availability for vehicles registered between 01.10.14 and 31.12.14 at participating dealers. T&C apply. *0% APR finance available on all all-new Mazda3 models over 24, 30, 36 or 42 months. You will not own the vehicle until all payments are made. Finance subject to status, 18s or over. Guarantee/indemnity may be required. Mazda Financial Services RH1 1SR. Model shown: All-new Mazda3 120ps Sport Nav, OTR from £20,195. Model shown features optional Soul Red Metallic paint (£660). OTR price includes VAT, number plates, delivery, 12 months’ road fund licence, first registration fee, 3 year or 60,000 mile warranty and 3 years’ European Roadside Assistance. ºTest drives subject to applicant status and availability. Details correct at time of going to print. Not available in conjunction with any other offer unless specified. We can introduce you to a limited number of carefully selected fi nance providers. We may receive a commission from them for the introduction.

| november 2014

Back to the Future

French car maker Renault bucks the city car trend with its latest generation Twingo - making it back to front with the engine in the boot in a bid to create more space inside for passengers. Iain Dooley reports What’s new? Renault’s latest generation Twingo is all back to front: the engine’s in the boot and drive goes to the rear wheels. Confused? You shouldn’t be, as the French firm’s logic is surprisingly sound. This new Twingo might buck convention in city car circles, but the upshot to everything not being where it should be is a more spacious cabin and improved refinement. The French firm has a long and largely successful history when it comes to small cars. Right from the start the first-gen Twingo nailed it in terms of space, ease of use, affordability and fun to drive attributes. With this more polished approach, Renault hopes this third-gen car can do the business 20-odd years later. Looks and image Short but tall is the new black when it comes to city cars these days. The Twingo is no different; it’s lofty stance yet compact footprint allow it to squeeze into some seriously tight spaces, yet afford occupants a good amount of cabin space and comfort. And then there’s the name - don’t underestimate the power of the

Twingo brand. Historically the cars have benefited from a large take up in mainland Europe and, predictably, you’re tripping over them in France. Space and practicality There’s a reason why the Twingo’s engine is in the boot, and it isn’t to excite keen drivers. No, the logic behind the rear engine and rear-wheel drive layout was to liberate more cabin space. And it’s no gimmick, as Renault’s engineers have shaved 10cm off the previous car’s length yet have been able to extend this car’s wheelbase by 12cm to ensure this five-door car is a genuine fourseater - just. Furthermore, you can fold the rear seats plus, if you pick the right option, fold the front passenger seat forwards to liberate a whopping 2.3 metres of load space. Try doing that in an average supermini. Behind the wheel With no engine up front, the Twingo’s modest fascia is less bulky than normal. This in turn boosts forward visibility. And with no front

Motoring

Twingo

FACTS AT A GLANCE Model Renault Twingo Dynamique TCe 90 £11,695. Twingo range from £9495 to £11,695

Engine 0.9-litre petrol engine producing 90bhp and 99lb/ft of torque

Transmission Five-speed manual driving the rear wheels

Performance Top speed 103mph, 0-62mph in 10.8 seconds

Economy 65.7mpg

Emissions 99g/km of CO2 All prices correct at time of going to press

driveshafts present, the car’s turning circle is smaller than anything else in its class. What the Twingo is not is a tail-happy hooligan, as Renault’s engineers have set the car up to be refined, benign and ease to drive. The result is a car with a decent ride, slick manual gear change and accurate steering. Like the car, engine choice is equally compact. The flagship 0.9-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol motor also powers the Clio, but for the Twingo this 90 horsepower motor has been modified so it fits under the boot floor. The result is a punchy response and ample power, even for modest motorway trips. The engine fitted to all bar the top trim is a 70 horsepower non turbo 1.0-litre unit, which delivers an equally refined performance at low speeds but does need to be pedalled harder out of town. Value for money This latest generation Twingo is no hair shirt econo-box, so don’t expect Tata Nano rock bottom prices. You’re looking at 11-and-a-bit thousand pounds for the high power model, although this does come with enough kit to embarrass a supermini from the class above. In reality the more popular 70 horsepower cars strike a better balance of affordability and luxury, with all the safety basics covered plus DAB radio and mid range models adding air-con for a shade under 10 grand. Who would buy one? Want a small city car but fancy something a little left field? If so, Renault’s Twingo might do the trick. The car’s unconventional rear engine layout has more to do with liberating extra cabin space than replicating the antics of Porsche’s 911, and it’s this logical approach to practicality that should have savvy buyers beating a path to the dealerships. This car summed up in a single word Idiosyncratic. If this car was a spaceship… …it would be a mini TARDIS - bigger on the inside than the outside.

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

Dealer Details Mitchells Lowestoft Long Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 9DQ. Call 0844 875 9626 www.mitchellsrenault.co.uk

CAR OF THE MONTH GREAT YARMOUTH COACHWORKS CAR SALES

Established since 1950

£6,495 (59) VAUXHALL ZAFIRA EXCLUSIVE 7 SEATER 29,000 miles · Alloys · Tinted Windows · A/C · E/M · E/W · CD · PAS

Here at Great Yarmouth Coachworks we offer everything for the motorist in the Norfolk and North Suffolk area of East Anglia. Sales of quality vehicles Servicing and repairs

MOT testing Towbar fitting

www.gyccarsales.co.uk | 01493 843835

15 Queens Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR30 3HT

KIRKLEY RUN TYRES & WHEELS Huge Discounts on all major brands * *

All tyre prices include:

• Fitting • Balancing • New Valve • VAT & Casing Disposal

Tyres Batteries Brakes Exhausts Alloy Wheels

No hidden extras The price we say is the price you pay! *With FREE accidental damage cover

H A D

L A R G E

B U M P O R

S M A L L ?

We get you back on the road, fast! Minor to major work. Insurance work undertaken. Courtesy car for non-fault accident. Let us take the stress from you.

www.kirkleytyresandwheels.co.uk KIRKLEY RUN SERVICE STATION LOWESTOFT 01502 565529

SOUTHTOWN RD SERVICE STATION GT YARMOUTH 01493 600432

SOUTH QUAY SERVICE STATION GT YARMOUTH 01493 857099

Rainbow Resprays

EST. 1990

Estcourt Road, Gt Yarmouth, NR30 4JH 07899 778683 · 01493 852176

page sponsored by

high society

Jade Tustin and Lily Middleton

Christine and Wayne Gasson

Kim Robertson, Paula Allan, Sue Hellman and Tracey Riches

Philip and Shona Seago

Andy Smith, Carolin Boothby, Steve Boothby and Alison Smith

Breakthrough Breast Cancer Transforming Gillingham Village Hall into a pink palace for the night, Breakthrough Beccles, an official group of the national charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer, held its annual ball. Friends and family danced the night away, fuelled by a curry supper, and with the help of an auction and a raffle, raised over ÂŁ4000 for this worthy cause!

Sonia and Rod Barker

Marianne Knights and Grace Balls

Kim Robertson and Paula Allan

Kathy Judd, Sue Hellman and Lucy Hurren

Kerry Folkes, Anwen Andrews and Benita Ogg

SUBSCRIBE 1 2 I SSUES FO R £ 2 4

Kaiah Rush and Hannah Parsons

Never miss a copy of Places&Faces®, subscribe now, 12 issues for only £24 posted to your home, visit www.placesandfaces.co.uk/magazine-subscribe

Eleanor Spilling and Leisha Wise

Emma Keal and Tessa Dewing

Sheridan Smith, Mel Cook and John Higginbottom

Aaron Riches, Evie Warren and Daisy Bonham

Norwich Fashion Week 2014 Documentary Screening Event

Tamsyn Morgans and Kerry Curl

Ahead of Norwich Fashion Week 2015, a documentary screening and networking evening took place at Fusion, the Forum, Norwich, to encourage sponsorship and involvement for next year. The documentary was produced by students from City College which highlighted the success of the event from previous years and was shown to all the VIP guests. Kate Morfoot, MD of Jungle PR, and Emma Harrowing, Chair of Norwich Fashion Week, opened the event with speeches detailing plans and information on how people can get involved in Norwich Fashion Week 2015, which aims to be the biggest year yet. Photos and words by Jungle

Duane Price, Emmanuel Greffier and Samantha Clifford

Hannah Jeffries and Martha Jones

Emily Hardesty and Hayley Fligg

Rachel Stevenson and Stewart Doherty

Jolene Clark, Heidi Secker and Hannah Knight

Catherine Holton-Farrow and Charlotte Disney

Paul McCarthy and Rebecca Downie

page sponsored by

high society

William Shailer and Sam Elwin

Freddie Dunthorne and Chloe Hodgkinson

Don and Morag Spruce and Barbara and Ashley Elwin

Jeffrey and Julia Dunthorne

Georgia Casey, Rachel Glenn, Danny Casey and Ele Casey

The Bodycentre Charity Cricket Match The Bodycentre Ltd has been the sponsor of Poringland Wanderers FC and Brooke Cricket Club (community teams) for many years. Each year, after the loss of the founder of The Bodycentre Kevin Elwin to cancer in 2010, a game is played between the two clubs in his memory. All proceeds raised are given to Donna Elwinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chosen charity which is Cancer Research.

John Culling and Sue Brennan

Sophie Elwin and Lewis Bilham

John Overton and Godfrey Bancroft

Kim Noble and Conrad Moore

Neil and Denyse Mantle

Amber Noble, Ronan Parke and Eve Noble

Robert Bates and Julia Buckland

Louis Woodgate and Donna Elwin

SUBSCRIBE 1 2 I SSUES FO R £ 2 4

Never miss a copy of Places&Faces®, subscribe now, 12 issues for only £24 posted to your home, visit www.placesandfaces.co.uk/magazine-subscribe

Cheryl and Roger Stevens

Jayne and Graham Evans

Izzy Kenworthy and Sophie Kennedy

Julie Willwitch, Claire Whitby, Graham Bates and Kara Bates

Eric, James and Graham Bates

Reopening Celebration, Eric Bates and Sons, Hoveton

Vivian Aldridge and Becki Mathews

Olivia Hovey, Thomas Young and Sarah Hovey

Martin and Carol Newman

A celebration evening took place at Eric Bates and Sons kitchen and furniture showrooms in Hoveton. It was to mark the full reopening of the workshops after a devastating fire in August 2013. Managing director Graham Bates gave a speech of thanks and appreciation to his team, and guests were shown around the fabulous workshops with craftsmen in action. Chef Jon Gay gave delicious cooking demonstrations, music was supplied by Paul Hill and catering was by HV Graves. Photos by snappers

photography of stalham

Rachel and Harry Buxton

Darren, Richard and Nicky Gotts

Pat Savage and Carol Southorn

Christine, Josie and Alan Bates

Quintus Van Tonder and Fanak Zandi

page sponsored by

high society

Patricia Shepperdson and Jean Hammond

Amanda Geitner, Paul Greenhalgh and Chris Stevens

Megan and Jennifer Frosdick

Rosalie Hans, Nikki Grout and Charlotte Stace

Emrys Parry, Calvin Winner and John Kiki

Private View of REALITY – Modern and Contemporary British Painting

Thierry Morel and Mary Brady

Felicity Withers and Peter Evans

Nania Taite, Penelope Lucas and Kate Portman

Contributing artists, Trustees, friends and members of the Sainsbury Centre gathered to celebrate the launch of blockbuster exhibition, REALITY, at The Sainsbury Centre for Creative Arts, which runs until March 1 2015. Professor Paul Greenhalgh, Director of the Sainsbury Centre, welcomed guests with Chief Curator, Amanda Geitner and Chris Stevens exhibiting artist and curator, who thanked the curatorial team and contributing artists. Guests were then invited to view the paintings on show. Photos and words by Jungle

Margaret Mawson and David Ellis

Paul Zuckerman and Jeremy Hardie

Lynn Peplow and Paul Eden

Cara, Chris and Zoe Stevens

SUBSCRIBE 1 2 I SSUES FO R £ 2 4

Never miss a copy of Places&Faces®, subscribe now, 12 issues for only £24 posted to your home, visit www.placesandfaces.co.uk/magazine-subscribe

Kate Southerland, Claire Medd and Paul Medd

Norman Lamb MP and Lucy Downing

Paul Williams and Nick Harding

Visit North Norfolk Autumn Networking Event

John Pugh and Jose Socao

Trevor Eady and Robert Young

Martin Sanders and Melanie Howard

Visit North Norfolk held its popular tourism networking event hosted by its brand manager, Lucy Downing and Cromer Pier. Restaurateurs, hotel owners, shops and other businesses from North Norfolk who work together to promote the area as a leading tourist destination attended. Norman Lamb MP opened the event and after some informative presentations, it was rounded off by the an excellent performance of the Best of End of Cromer Pier Show. Photos and words by Jungle

Kate Morfoot and Jo Artherton

Paul Timewell and Diane Smith

Shaun Sanderson and Daron Clack

Chris Graveling and Bernard Ducker

Tom Fitzpatrick and Sheila Oxtoby

page sponsored by

high society

Peter and Christine Jay

Natacha Lacey and Amy Obrien

Richard and Neil Burwood

John White, Laurence Gage and Ben Jay

Ben Jay and John Rodgers

Launch Party at The Kitchen Shop, Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth based business partners John Rodgers and Ben Jay unveiled their new kitchen showroom at The Kitchen Shop with a party for around 50 people. Guests enjoyed drinks and canapĂŠs and the chance to view several hi tech working kitchens by leading British brands, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Chippendale, both exclusive to The Kitchen Shop in the area.

Michelle and Lekon Oliwo

Clive and Sharnie Hodson

Claire Beckett and Emma Vaughan

Tracey Dimascio and Emma Vaughan

Keith and Carol Doxey

Cynthia Christophi and Katrina Kelly

Emma Hurell and John Rodgers

Ellie and Eileen Burwood

| November 2014

104

photography

Norfolk

Caught on Camera For more than 900 years Norwich Cathedral has dominated the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skyline. Photographer Steve Docwra captures this iconic building in the early evening sunlight. Visit www.stevedocwra.co.uk for more.

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

105

| November 2014

m inut e s

w it h

Anna Hare She’ll help you find your perfect wedding dress so it’s not surprising that bridal boutique owner Anna Hare just loves shopping!

Describe your job to us I own Pure, a bridal boutique in the heart of the historic Norwich Lanes. It’s been 10 years since I opened the doors and so much has happened. I have such a great team and we’re always evolving and improving the shop on Lower Goat Lane. It is very special to me; it is our forever shop, and I never tire of the feeling of pride I have each time I walk through the door. It’s such a privilege to become a part of the preparations of what will usually be one of the most important days in a person’s life. And it goes without saying that I just love the dresses! Are you Norfolk born and bred? I was born in Seething, a small village about eight miles south east of Norwich. Although I have moved around over the years, I moved back to the village around nine years ago. I love it there; there is a real sense of community and it is a beautiful place to live. What’s your ideal day out in the area? It’s a cliché but I would have to say shopping! It is by far my favourite pastime and although I should probably say something more cultured, such as walking on one of Norfolk’s beautiful beaches, which I also love, nothing quite beats the buzz of finding that perfect little something, be it for myself, my home or my family. Which iconic Norfolk characters do you most admire and why? I find Stephen Fry fascinating, I love QI, he’s such an incredibly intelligent man, it never ceases to amaze me just how much he actually knows! He’s eloquent, funny and not afraid to speak from the heart and it seems to me, a very warm and caring man. What’s your favourite pub in Norfolk and what do you like to drink there? I had to think long and hard on this question as I have lots of favourite pubs, for lots of different reasons. But in the end it has to come down to my ‘local’, The King’s Head in Brooke. It’s not only a great pub with lots of familiar faces, but the food there is lovely and I think it’s great how the relatively new owners have really breathed new life into the place. Where do you like to eat out in Norfolk and why? And what do you order? I love Tatler’s, the newly refurbished Sugar Beat, Zaks and the Unthank Arms in Norwich. I often end up having fish, but I love food generally and am always a sucker for a chocolate brownie if there is one on the menu!

106

What do you miss most when you leave the region? My family, friends and my home! Another cliché, but I’m incredibly close to my parents and see them almost every day. I find myself appreciating them more and more as time ticks on. The type of parent I am is defined by my own upbringing; it scares me sometimes when I hear myself come out with a phrase that my mum would have said to me 40 odd years ago! What are you reading at the moment? The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed out of the Window and Disappeared. It’s not my usual type of book at all, but it is easy reading and entertaining, although a little odd! Would you prefer a day on the Broads or a day at Yarmouth’s Pleasure Beach? Why? Gosh, these questions are really tough, my daughter would make me choose the Pleasure Beach as she loves it there, and so do I as I’m a big kid at heart, but lazing on a cruiser on a Sunday, dropping into the Water’s Edge at Bramerton for lunch and generally whiling away the hours sounds very appealing right now! Opera, musical, drama or movie - which would you prefer to watch? And what was the last production/show you saw? I love the theatre and am going to see The Commitments in London which I’m so excited about as it’s a really iconic movie for me and provided the soundtrack to my early 20s which was such a great time of my life. The last live show I saw was the panto at Norwich’s Theatre Royal. It’s a family tradition and one we all just embrace and love and look forward to every Christmas. Sum up Norfolk in three words Beautiful, tranquil, home Sum up yourself in three words Busy, independent, happy

MORE INFORMATION Pure Brides Boutique, Lower Goat Lane, Norwich. Call 01603 625000

Int ern IN et P ST ric OR es E

The Audi

Get winterproofed. When temperatures drop, even the fittest can benefit from added protection. Our complimentary winter health check, for example, covers essentials like brakes and battery. We can fit winter tyres that can reduce your stopping distance in the cold. And even give you 20% off selected winter car accessories.* So you won’t just survive this winter, you’ll thrive. It’s all part of the Audi Difference. Visit us to find out more or go to audi.co.uk/winter

Norwich Audi 17 Meridian Way Norwich Norfolk NR7 0TA 01603 709200 www.norwich.audi.co.uk *Only available on the following Audi Accessories: rubber mats, load liners, ice scraper, winter screen wash, de-icer, cabriolet care kit, ski and snowboard holder. Subject to status and availability. Offer available on purchases made before 1 January 2015 and can be varied or withdrawn at any time. Terms and conditions apply. For more information please see audi.co.uk/winter or visit us to find out more. No animals were harmed during the making of this advertisement.