Places & Faces 98 May 2018

JANUARY 2018 / £3.50 WHERE SOLD MAY 2018 / £3.50 WHERE SOLD

The The magazine magazine for for

Norfolk & & Suffolk Suffolk Norfolk

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OVER PAGES OF WHAT’S ON —

2 SKODA

NEW CAR REVIEWS:

KODIAQ & HYUNDAI IONIQ

fabulous

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FESTIVALS

Fashion:

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POSH POLKA DOTS

MARTIN MARQUEZ —

DERREN BROWN

NOEL MELGALLAGHER C

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RICHARD BAINBRIDGE

Victoria Sponge —

COCKTAIL THE ROYAL YOU’VE SEEN THE LAST OF OASIS GREAT YARMOUTH RACES EARL GREY LADIES NIGHT

CELEBRITIES / FOOD / TRAVEL / FASHION / HOMES & GARDENS / THEATRE ISSUE № 94

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ISSUE № 98

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HIDEAWAY FOLD UP BEDS

VISIT OUR WEBSITE AND TAKE A LOOK AT OUR FANTASTIC NEW RANGE OF FOLDAWAY BEDS The Foldaway integrated wall bed system implements a European design to be fitted into a purpose built cabinet to create a stunning ‘Hideaway effect’.

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WELCOME

TO MAY’S PLACES&FACES®

M E E T T H E T E A M COLIN HUGGINS PUBLISHER

M: 07775 858862 E: colin@h2creativemedia.co.uk

DONNA TITCOMBE FASHION & BEAUTY EDITOR

E: donna@h2creativemedia.co.uk

ANDREW HIRST HEAD OF CLIENT SERVICES / STUDIO

T: 01502 725860 E: andrew@h2creativemedia.co.uk

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER

ROB FOSBROOK

E: rob@h2creativemedia.co.uk T: 01502 725876 M: 07780 430706 ACCOUNT MANAGER

SAMANTHA GARSTANG

E: samantha@h2creativemedia.co.uk T: 01502 725878 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE

JAMES PHILLIPSON

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CONTRIBUTORS

Helen Culliing, Katja Bainbridge, Madeleine Johson, Amy Deering, Jean Levy, Richard Batson, David Wakefield, Mark Nicholls, Kate Morfoot, Judy Foster, John Bultitude, Pete Goodrum, Ellen Mary, Nicholas Mobbs, Peter Clarke, Carl Lamb, Julian Gibbons, Eliza Miller, Jennifer Dwyer, Melanie Cook, Kayla Dunne, Hayley Philpott, Lucy Downing, Samantha Thompson, Julie Handforth Doidge, Paul Patterson, Benet Catty, Louisa Lay, Jack Jay.

WITH THE WARM WEATHER now finally here we hope you

enjoy this packed May issue. It’s going to be a busy and varied year ahead for Melanie C. But you would not expect anything else of the high voltage member of the Girl Power gang the Spice Girls. As Sporty Spice she found global fame as a singer - which has continued as a solo artist as she prepares to gig and release her eighth album two decades after the girl group took the music world by storm. But multi-talented Melanie Chisholm has also been an awardnominee stage star and is now gearing up for a new venture as a live event DJ. Richard Batson spent time chatting to Mel before she revisits Norfolk this summer in a new guise – presenting an evening of 1990s tracks to crowds at Great Yarmouth Racecourse’s Ladies Night in July.

Derren Brown is an English mentalist and illusionist.

Since his television debut with Derren Brown: Mind Control in 2000, he has produced many other shows for stage and television and he is now heading back to Norwich Theatre Royal with his brand new show Underground which runs from June 19th to June 23rd. As he makes his return to the city, he tells Places&Faces® what makes him happy, reflects on the future of magic entertainment and reveals he will be back on our TV screens soon.

Festival fever is upon us and this year there are some great events taking place around the two counties. Mark Nicholls rounds up some of the fabulous festivals lined up for Norfolk and Suffolk over the summer months, from music to comedy, food to maritime history, culture, arts and fun-packed parades, the summer festival season is upon us and ready to celebrate all that is best in Norfolk and Suffolk. Now in its 33rd year, the Bury Festival welcomes a star-studded programme for a world class celebration of culture. With 59 events across 14 venues in just 10 days the Festival offers award-winning music acts, street theatre, films and exhibitions and the Norfolk & Norwich Festival runs from 11th to 27th May and this year features over 100 World premiers, a major new art installation, unique concerts and large scale free outdoor events.

And if you are a keen traveller Kate Morfoot reviews Alphonse Island, a luxury private paradise destination with its unblemished white sand beaches and lagoons in the fabulous Seychelles located 400 km south west of the mainland Mahe.

And of course not to mention our regular features and columns that we know you really enjoy reading every month.

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CONTENTS

82

46

28

67

42

30 COVER STORY 42

Mel C

PERSONALITIES 46 48 50 114

Derren Brown Martin Marquwz Ten things: Freddie Mercury Five minutes with...

FASHION, BEAUTY & HEALTH 13

53 55 57

Spire Hospital: preparing for a colonoscopy Ladies Fashion: Posh polka dots Fake tans Cool and casual

WHAT’S ON 15 19 25 28 30 32

34 35 36 39 40

Mel Cook: Visit Norwich What’s on in May What to do with the kids Festival round up The Bury Festival The Norfolk and Norwich Festival Wild about the Wensum LitFest 2018 Local Books Suffolk Plant Show The Oliviers

MOTORS

100 Road Test: Skoda Kodiaq 102 Road Test: Hyundai Ioniq

59 TRAVEL 73 74 77 82

Staycations Our Travel Time round-up The Norfolk Broads Alphonse Island

FOOD AND DRINK 58 59 60 64 67

Cocktail time !!

Richard Bainbridge Food and wine from The Imperial Hotel Restaurant Review: Rocky Bottom Dining out around the world

FEATURES 87 89

Wedding transport Horsing around

HOMES AND GARDENS 63

90 94 97

Eric Bates: Handmade Kitchens Ellen Mary’s gardening tips for May Jarrold: Safari Style JHD Interior Design Tips

BUSINESS

107 Financial advice from Carl Lamb 109 Legal expert Julian Gibbons

SOCIAL SCENE 110

Out and About, and Caught on camera

09

The A-Class. Athletic at first sight.

Introducing the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. Its sharp, sporty looks and bold contemporary interior still defines the revived generation of Mercedes-Benz, and with five model lines and a choice of engines available it offers the perfect opportunity to reflect your true individuality.

Now with a larger media display, reversing camera with dynamic guidelines and CO2 emissions as low as 89 g/km, we understand the importance of detail.

Representative example A 180 d Sport Edition 48 monthly payments of*(Term of agreement) On-the-road price Customer deposit Retailer deposit contribution Manufacturer deposit contribution Optional final payment† Total amount of credit Total amount payable†† Option to purchase fee† Representative APR Fixed interest rate

£299 £21,932.42 £299 £1,113.21 £814.21 £9,650 £20,819.20 £25,125.21 £10 5.3% 5.12%

Official government fuel consumption figures in mpg (litres per 100km) for the GLC range: urban 26.2(10.8)-51.4(5.5), extra urban 40.9(6.9)-60.1(4.7), combined 34.0(8.3)-56.5(5.0). CO2 emissions 189-129 g/km. Prices, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions correct at time of production.

Whilst this offer is only available through Mercedes-Benz Finance, we do arrange finance behalf of other finance companies as well. Model featured is a Mercedes-Benz A 180 d Sport Edition at £21,932.42 on-the-road (on-the-road price includes VAT, delivery, 12 months’ Road Fund Licence, number plates, first registration fee and fuel). Specification imagery may show optional features. Content relating to finance is promoted by Mercedes- Benz Finance. Your Retailer may offer finance on behalf of other companies. *Finance offer based on an A 180 d Sport Edition on a Mercedes-Benz Agility Agreement, on 8,000 miles per annum. Vehicle condition, excess mileage and other charges apply. †Payable if you exercise the option to purchase the car. ††Includes optional purchase payment, purchase activation fee and Retailer deposit contribution. Orders/credit approvals on selected A-Class models, between 1 April and 30 June 2018, registered by 30 September 2018. Guarantees may be required. Offers cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Some combinations of features/options may not be available. Credit provided subject to status by Mercedes-Benz Finance, MK15 8BA. Prices, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions correct at time of production.

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz of Norwich Barker St, Norwich NR2 4TN 01603 751000 www.baronsgroup.co.uk/mercedes-benz

39-43 London Street, Norwich NR2 1HU - 01603 620638 enquiries@winsorbishop.co.uk - winsorbishop.co.uk

Women’s health in your time Spire Norwich Hospital provides a comprehensive, professional and personal service to private patients. We provide a full range of gynaecological services including treatments and procedures for: • Heavy or irregular periods • Menopause and HRT • PMT • Prolapse and urinary problems • Hysterectomy • Women’s health check-ups (including smears and colposcopy)

Old Watton Road, Colney, Norwich, NR4 7TD

For further information please contact us

01603 255 614 info@spirenorwich.com www.spirenorwich.com

HEALTH

COLONOSCOPY PR EPA R ATION

He l e n C u l l i n g o f S p i r e No r w i c h Ho s p i t a l d i s c u s s e s t h e s t e p s y o u w i l l need to take to prepare for a colonoscopy with Dr Simon Chan, Consultant Gastroenterologist at the Colney based private hospital.

T

he thought of a colonoscopy is likely to make anyone shudder. However the procedure could be lifesaving as it’s used as a method to detect possible signs of colon cancer. Dr Chan answers some common questions about the procedure.

First of all, what is a colonoscopy?

A colonoscopy is an examination of the lining of the colon (large bowel) using a thin flexible, tube-like telescope called a colonoscope.

This is carefully passed through the back passage and into the colon.

A colonoscopy is useful for finding out what is causing symptoms, or as a check-up for certain bowel conditions.

During the procedure, your doctor may take one or more biopsies (samples of the lining of the colon) for examination in a laboratory.

It’s also possible to remove polyps (small lumps of tissue that may be found on the colon lining). Colonoscopy is routinely done as an outpatient or day-case, with no overnight stay. It’s usually performed under sedation to help ensure that you are relaxed and comfortable during the procedure. After sedation, most people have very little memory of the test.

How should patients prepare for a colonoscopy?

For a doctor to perform a colonoscopy and see the lining of your colon, it has to be completely empty. If the preparation is not good enough polyps and lesions can be missed, it might take longer to perform the procedure or it might have to be rescheduled for another time.

If you normally take medication (e.g tablets for blood pressure), continue to take this as usual, unless your doctor specifically tells you not to. If you are unsure about taking your medication once the colonoscopy has been booked, then the patient should contact the hospital, or consultant’s secretary for advice.

What changes to your diet, if any, are advised before a colonoscopy?

Your diet before the colonoscopy is an integral part of the procedure.

A few days before the procedure, we recommend patients start eating a low-fibre diet, which will be easier to digest. White bread,

lean meats, well cooked vegetables are the kind of food you should be eating. Try to avoid whole grains, fatty foods, nuts and raw vegetables before the procedure.

The day before the colonoscopy you won’t be able to have any solid foods. You will be able to have clear liquids so stock up with broths, coffee, tea, soft drinks and clear juice (apple, pineapple).

Make sure you drink plenty of liquids before and after your bowel prep, as well as after the procedure.

What is ‘bowel prep’?

Your doctor will give you a laxative that you will have to take before your colonoscopy. The laxative will come with clear and detailed instructions on how to take it and when. Usually you will take it the evening or the afternoon before the procedure. Depending on the type of laxative, the effect can be powerful, so make sure you are close to a toilet and, if you work, book the day off, as you will need to be as comfortable as possible.

If you have children or elderly people under your care, ask a friend or family member for help as you will be indisposed for a while.

Also wear loose clothing and be near the toilet, as you will be more comfortable once the effect of the laxative kicks in.

Stock up with comfort products like moist and medicated wipes, creams and lotions prior to your prep. It will make the situation more comfortable for you.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION on colonoscopies and how to prepare for them, or to make a private appointment with Dr Simon Chan, Consultant Gastroenterologist contact one of the team members at Spire Norwich Hospital on 01603 255 614. Further details regarding Dr Simon Chan can be found on his consultant profile at www.spirenorwich.com All surgery carries an element of risk and the content of this page is provided for general information only. It should not be treated as a substitute for the professional medical advice of your doctor or other healthcare professional. www.facebook.com/spirenorwichhospital/

13

PROMOTION

Bradley Hatch Jewellers Celebrating 24 Years!

T

Bradley would like to say thank you for your continued support by having an anniversary sale!

here will be offers available up to 50% off marked prices, with at least 30% off every item in store including diamond rings, watches and our beautiful vintage pieces. .

HOW IT ALL BEGAN...

Bradley developed a fascination for fine jewellery as a boy when accompanying his father, an antiques dealer, to auctions all over the UK. Determined to one day set up a business of his own, Bradley worked hard learning his trade and finally achieved his ambition when he acquired the Wroxham premises.

THE SHOP...

Bradley continues to visit trade fairs regularly, searching for rare pieces overlooked by other jewellers. His personal approach ensures the Bradley Hatch treasure house is full of unique items not to be found elsewhere. Their

classic pearl sets, stunning vintage jewellery and exquisite eternity rings ensure life’s key moments are celebrated in an unforgettable way.

BESPOKE JEWELLERY...

If you prefer to purchase something unique to your story, their in house Master Craftsman will create a bespoke design.

His skills and experience enhance your original ideas to create a piece of jewellery so fine it surpasses all expectations. He can also redesign an existing piece, using original gems in a new way.

WEDDING AND OCCASION JEWELLERY...

For the finest selection of wedding and engagement rings in Norfolk, pay them a visit. Browse at your own pace and talk things through with their friendly, knowledgeable staff. Visitors who make a point of returning to the shop year on year do so because they receive the same warm welcome they experienced the first time. For nearly twenty five years, pride in continuity has ensured Bradley Hatch Jewellers gives customers the very best of Norfolk.

RESTORATION AND REPAIRS...

Bradley Hatch Jewellers takes great pleasure in restoring favourite items to their original sparkling condition. Their workshop offers a range of services, including redesigning heirlooms, repairing jewellery, watches and clocks and they also provide valuations for insurance and probate.

Join us on The May Bank Holiday with discounts up to 50% off 4th - 7th of May

Tunstead Road, Wroxham, Norfolk NR12 8QG Tel. 01603 782233 | sales@bradleyhatch.com | www.bradleyhatch.com

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VISITNORWICH

Norwich in May...

M a y i s w h e n w e s e e No r w i c h t r u l y b l o s s o m w i t h a m a z i n g a r t s a n d c u l t u r e, s a y s Me l a n i e C o o k o f Vi s i t No r w i c h .

WHEN MAY COMES around we are well on our way to warmer days. But it’s not just as we near summer that makes May a great month, it’s also the fact there are many superb cultural activities to enjoy.

At the end of March something wonderful happened at Norwich University of the Arts (NUA) – Hymn arrived. For those of you not familiar with Damien Hirst’s work, Hymn is a 20-foot high monumental anatomical sculpture, which has been installed on St George’s, on the campus of NUA. And it is here in Norwich until 29th July.

Coinciding with this bronze sculpture is an exhibition of Damien Hirst’s work at Houghton Hall (25 March – 15 July, tickets £18 - must be pre-booked at www. houghtonhall.com). Colour Space Paintings and Outdoor Sculptures sees many of Houghton’s art collection removed to be replaced in the State Rooms, with new works by Hirst. As with many of the exhibitions in Norwich and Norfolk, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity so take it while you can.

Both installations are quite a coup for Norwich and Norfolk. Hymn has only previously been shown in London, New York and Doha; the collection at Houghton has never been shown in public before and is a development of the iconic Spot Paintings, which are among the artist’s most recognised works.

Hirst’s work has always been controversial. But love him or hate him, it would be a travesty not to head down to NUA to take a look, in the flesh (excuse the pun), at a much talked about sculpture – Instagram is buzzing with posts of this incredible piece. It would also be madness not to view his other works, which include

outdoor pieces at Houghton (as mentioned previously) – this exhibition is part of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival programme.

Year after year Norfolk & Norwich Festival delivers a thrilling mix of international arts to large audiences – and none more so than their large-scale opening performance on Friday 11th May. An incredible parade is planned for the opening night, and be assured this is one free event not to be missed! Taking place in the Cathedral Quarter in Cathedral Close at 9pm, thousands will gather to see quite a spectacle. Transe Express arrives in town and with it comes carnivalesque drummers taking over the streets and living dolls on stilts to transform the city centre into an open-air opera house.

But it doesn’t end there: follow the parade on its 1km route along pavements in the City Centre - it will be an incredible atmosphere. The procession will finish with a stunning aerial performance, the likes many of us will not have witnessed before. This is a date for your diary for sure, plan an early dinner, gather up your friends and family, have a few drinks before it all starts – but whatever you do, do not plan to be anywhere else that night.

And if you love Trans Express you will probably love the internationally acclaimed UK circus company, Barely Methodical Troupe, who are headlining the Adnams Spiegeltent at the Festival this year with the world premiere of Shift, following their previous hits Bromance and Kin. The company have been garnering acclaim since their first show toured for over 18 months worldwide, drawing on the company’s background in circus, dance and parkour. Tickets between £15 and £22, dates 16 – 27 May.

Music is always a strong feature of the Festival, its roots going back to 1772 when a fundraising concert was held in Norwich Cathedral. The concert became an annual event and then in 1788 a four-day Grand Music Festival was presented. In 1824 the Norfolk & Norwich Triennial was founded, which continued for almost one hundred years presenting a programme of concerts in St Andrew’s Hall. In 1988 the Festival became an annual event. Over the last thirty years the Festival has established itself as the flagship arts festival for the East of England and one of the UK’s largest multi-art form festivals.

In 2018 music is still at the heart of their programming; co-curated by EFG London Jazz Festival producers Serious, this year’s line-up includes one of the world’s greatest groups Ladysmith Black Mambazo, fivetime Grammy Award winner Mary Chapin Carpenter, Ben Folds performing some of his best-loved songs with just a piano, Mercury Music Prize and South Bank Prize winner Talvin Singh presenting a brand new project featuring beatboxer Jason Singh, David McAlmont presenting ‘Billie Holiday at Carnegie Hall’, a concert inspired by Holiday’s legendary 1956 gig, and containing Almont’s interpretations of her most well known songs.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg with UK premieres, one-off spectaculars, a host of free events, literature and family fun.

For event details plus other things to do in Norwich go to www.visitnorwich.co.uk and for full performance information and to book go to www.nnfestival.org.uk

15

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Extra Hands Providers of Home Care in Norfolk

Norfolk Care Awards 2018 Winners We are a local award winning family run independent Home Care company, providing carers across Norfolk trained to the highest standards including Dementia Care. We offer a wide range of services within the home setting which are tailored to suit individual needs from personal care to shopping and companionship.

Our services can be arranged on either a short term or long term basis, we offer flexibility when organising care packages and can assure our customers that we will meet their requirements every step of the way.

If you or anyone you know may be interested in our services please do not hesitate to contact us on the numbers below or visit our website to find out more.

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TO US! #roarrdinosauradventure

Best Large Visitor Attraction of the Year

See our website for our special events throughout the year

S3302 Places and Faces KHH v1.qxp_Layout 1 11/03/2018 19:48 Page 1

musical discovery, learning, inter-cultural exchange, celebration

5th–8th July 2018, Bungay, Suffolk

World class live concerts, over 100 rhythm, song and dance workshops over three days, traders market, fine food and bar, therapy zone and children’s workshops Full event or weekend tickets includes workshop entrance, live performances camping, parking, showers & more

Relax in the country near the North Norfolk coast

***PLACES & FACES MAGAZINE READER OFFER *** Enter promotional code PAF2018 to get £10 off each ticket purchased online

for information and tickets visit www.wmwfestival.com

Mendlesham Street Fayre 38th Annual Fayre • BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY 7th MAY Amazing entertainment, stalls and fun fill activities for all the family Garden Brasserie Dinner, Sunday Lunch

Afternoon Tea Light bites, Afternoon Tea

The Farmers Arms Inn Real ales, good pub food, outside seating

The Fayre starts at 12noon and costs just £3.00 for adults, FREE for under 16, and FREE PARKING. All money raised goes to local charities, schools and the community projects.

SOUTH WOOTTON, KING’S LYNN, NORFOLK PE30 3HQ

Tel: 01553 675566 E: reception@knightshill.co.uk

www.knightshill.co.uk

Old Market Street, Mendlesham, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 5RT

THE MUSIC FESTIVAL FOR EVERYONE BL ACK WATER CO

UNTY

MAINLY MADNES

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with hits like Cuddly Toy, Family Man and My Generation AND the Singer with Mike and the Mechanics

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TRAGED MAMMAL NOT FISH • PALMERSTON • MY COCOON BEN SMITH & JIMMY BREWER • LISA REDFORD • THE BLUE SUEDERS DIFFERENTIAL • ALAN RONDEAU & MARTIN HARTUP • PETER TURRELL HUW EDDY & THE CARNIVAL • IZENGARD • SONRISA • LONGSHORE DRIFT Reepham Festival reserves the right to alter or amend the playlist without prior notice. +MORE TBC!!!!

11th -12th August

2 DAYS VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR TICKETS DETAILS AND MORE INFO...

OF GREA www.reephamfestival.co.uk MUSI T C

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Visit our independent boutique to see our fantastic range of Costume Jewellery and Hand Crafted Jewellery, Handbags and Accessories.

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M n ' O s t AY WHA IN

JARROLD LADIES DAY Save the date for one of the best days out this summer, as the Jarrold Ladies Day at Fakenham Racecourse returns for a second year on Sunday 3 June. Fashion, food and having a flutter – it has to be the annual Jarrold Ladies Day at Fakenham Racecourse.

A key date in the Norfolk calendar, the day gives you the chance to put on your best outfit and enjoy a day of horse racing and dining with friends. Now in its second year, Jarrold Ladies Day promises to be a fun day out, and along with the races there is the chance to be crowned the best dressed in three competitions running throughout the day.

Dress to impress and you could be selected by one of Jarrold’s styling scouts who will be looking out for the best dressed lady, best dressed couple and best hat.

Make the day even more special by booking a table at Weston’s Seafood Restaurant or enjoy private dining in the Firth Restaurant, or why not bring your own picnic and dine al fresco?

– Jarrold Ladies Day, Fakenham Racecourse Sunday 3 June. Gates open at 11am www.fakenhamracecourse.co.uk

THE RASPBERRY CANNOLI CABARET Mister Jack is launching the “The Raspberry Cannoli Cabaret” a New York, Italian-American club. Live music and live cabaret performance come together for an evening of spectacle, dancing, cocktails and so much more. The “Godfather of Swing”, Ray Gelato and The Giants will perform a sensational musical set supported by mesmerising dance, cabaret and burlesque performances. Escape to “The Raspberry Cannoli Cabaret” where style, big hair, hats, pizzazz, bling and happiness are compulsory.

– The Open Norwich Saturday 5 May | Age 18 + www.opennorwich.org.uk

NATIONAL WAITERS DAY The city centre is playing host to National Waiters Day. Teams from restaurants across the city will be racing each other whilst holding trays of drinks. The race will start at 10am from Guildhall and will feature teams from Benedicts, The Assembly Rooms and The Library.

It’s all for charity and all money raised will go to Hospitality Action.

– The Library Restaurant Tuesday 22 May www.thelibraryrestaurant.co.uk

RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT Ian Waite and Oti Mabuse, two of Strictly’s favourite dancers, with a high intensity night of Latin and Ballroom numbers. Oti is fondly remembered for her pairing with Danny Mac, and their perfect score of 40 in the Samba. Ian is a regular on our screens, with the spin-off programme on BBC 2, It Takes Two. They are both previous finalists on the hit BBC show.

A very limited number of tickets are available for an exclusive chance to meet Ian and Oti before the show for autographs and photos.

– Norwich Theatre Royal Sunday 20 May www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

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M n ' O AY s t A H W IN

THE JERSEY BOYS The internationally acclaimed stage sensation, Jersey Boys is working its way back to Norwich!

This smash hit musical has won 57 major awards worldwide, including the Olivier Award for Best New Musical. Jersey Boys tells the true life story of four boys from the wrong side of the tracks who wrote their own songs, invented their own unique sound, and sold 100 million records worldwide. Please be aware Jersey Boys contains genuine New Jersey language which may not be suitable for younger audiences.

– Norwich Theatre Royal Tue 5 June to Sat 16 June www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

HORNING BOAT SHOW 2018 The Fifth Horning Boat Show is to take place on Saturday 5 May 2018 starting at 10.00am until 5.00pm. Over 100 exhibitors take part in this Charity event raising funds for Local good causes.

There will also be attractions for all the family including Fashion Shows, Classic Cars, Entertainment and Fun for the Children. Entry to the show, is free and there will be Free parking at BeWilderwood with a shuttle bus to the show. A great day out for all the family.

– Horning Boat Show Saturday 5 May www.horningboatshow.co.uk

ACOSTA DANZA Following an exceptional career as a ballet star, international dance icon Carlos Acosta launches his brand new company, Acosta Danza. Based in Havana, the company is made up of the best dancers Cuba has to offer, who have trained in both ballet and contemporary dance styles. They will perform new and existing pieces by Cuban choreographers who have rarely been seen outside the country, and commission new pieces from international choreographers who will take inspiration from their iconic nation.

For their UK tour, in which Acosta himself makes a guest appearance, they will perform works by Cuban choreographer Marianela Boán, UK-based Jorge Crecis, Spanish dance-maker Goyo Montero, New York City Ballet resident choreographer Justin Peck and Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui.

– Norwich Theatre Royal | Thursday 31 May and Friday 1 June www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

AN EVENING WITH ROY HUDD OBE Comic actor, walking encyclopaedia on all things to do with Music Hall and star of radio’s longest-running comedy series, Radio 2’s satirical swipe at current affairs, The News Huddlines.

Sixty years in show business Debbie Hudd interviews as only she dares, and digs out some of the stories, song and anecdotes from Roy’s long career. From variety, musicals, pantomime, stage, radio and television – Roy will tell all about his extensive career and will spill the beans on the legendary names he loves and admires. The evening is a wonderful opportunity to be entertained by one of our best loved entertainers.

– Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds Sunday 27 May www.theatreroyal.org 20

KATHLEEN TURNER FINDING MY VOICE Fane Productions present twotime Tony Award nominee and two-time Golden Globe Award winner, Kathleen Turner, in her debut cabaret, appropriately titled ‘Finding My Voice’.

Lending her trademark husky alto to classic tunes from the American songbook, Kathleen interweaves songs including ‘Let’s Fall in Love’, ‘I’d Rather be Sailing’, ‘On the Street Where You Live’, ‘Every Time We Say Goodbye’ and many more, with stories from her remarkable life and career. Accompanied by Mark Janas, the show is directed by Andy Gale.

Her filmography includes such classics as Body Heat, Romancing the Stone, Jewel of the Nile and War of the Roses, as well as her star turn on TV in Friends.

– The Apex, Bury St Edmunds Wednesday 9 May www.theapex.co.uk

THE CHURCHFITTERS The Churchfitters is a folk band like no other. A double bass made out of a saucepan. Heart-wrenching vocals accompanied by a musical saw. Foot-stompingly fast fiddle mixed with infectious funkrock rhythms. And traditional tunes reinvigorated with mesmerising jazz sax. The three virtuoso musicians from England and France strut their stuff on a stage that bristles with instruments – adding flute, banjo, dulcimer, tin whistle, guitar, ukulele, electric hub-cap bassbouzouki and a sack full of percussion to their ensemble. And let’s not forget the unique ‘bing-bong’ machine made out of hack-saw blades.

– Corn Hall Diss Friday 1 June www.thecornhall.co.uk

WORLD MUSIC WORKSHOP FESTIVAL The World Music Workshop Festival is all about musical discovery, learning and inter-cultural exhange.

It presents over 120 participatory workshops in singing, music and dance across nine venues with a stunning line-up of artists from around the world.

Live concert performances, children’s workshops, relaxation zones and much more all go into making this event truly unique in the Suffolk festival calendar.

– The World Music Workshop Festival Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 July www.wmwfestival.com

HEATHER SMALL It has been 25 years since Heather Small, ‘The Voice & Face of M People’, burst onto the music scene. After over 11 million record sales and 1994 and 1995 Brit award winners, Heather Small is embarking on her nationwide “How Can I love You More” Tour, which will be a 25th Anniversary Celebration of the music of Heather Small & M People, featuring all the hits – ‘Moving On Up’, ‘One Night in Heaven’, ‘Search For A Hero’, ‘Renaissance’, ‘Open Your Heart’, ‘Testify’, ‘Dreaming’, ‘Angel St’ and the anthemic ‘Proud‘. Heather’s rich and distinctive voice has earned her a reputation for being one of Britain’s most accomplished soul divas.

– Ipswich Regent Saturday 12 May apps.ipswich.gov.uk

Your Wildest Dreams plus his solo worldwide hit with the timeless Forever Autumn from the The War of the Worlds.

Plus special guest Mike Dawes – Norwich Theatre Royal Monday 28 May www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

THE LIFE AND RHYMES OF BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH He’s back with his first tour in eight years, to coincide with his remarkable autobiography, The Life And Rhymes Of Benjamin Zephaniah.

In a compelling and inspiring show, Zephaniah will explain how he fought injustice and discrimination to lead a remarkable life, while sharing a selection of favourite stories and poems.

He befriended Nelson Mandela, fought in the 1980s race riots and recorded radical and relevant reggae music with Bob Marley’s former band.

–

The Apex Bury St Edmunds Wednesday 23 May www.theapex.co.uk Norwich Playhouse Saturday 2 June www.norwichplayhouse.co.uk

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WHAT’S ON

The Legendary Voice of The Moody Blues Legendary singer-songwriter, Justin Hayward, arrives in Norwich performing songs from his recent albums as well as Moody Blues favourites. As the driving force behind The Moody Blues, Justin penned classics like Nights in White Satin, New Horizons, Question, The Voice and

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WHAt's On MAY IN

DANNY BAKER GOOD TIME CHARLIE’S BACK! My fellow Vaudevillians, following the extraordinary success of the Cradle to Grave tour I was asked to reconsider my initial statement that I would never undertake such a venture again. The applause of the public can be a seductive narcotic and weaker souls than I would be tempted to repeat the thrills harvested during that ‘uproarious whirligig of joy’ simply to bolster their already outsized egos. After much reflection I have decided that I cannot allow such rampant narcissism to cloud my judgment. I said ‘one farewell’ tour’ and I meant ‘one farewell tour’. There will be no more. Therefore I am pleased to announce that, to mark this momentous decision, I will be embarking on a nationwide, high-principled, peppy series of one-night-stands calling at dozens of theatres around the country starting in May 2018. These exhibitions will be startling, high kicking, fresh, eruptive and often under three hours long. On this, once again, you have my word. To help me mark the festivities I will be joined on some nights by both Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan – two of the nicest dogs I have ever owned. I hope people will understand my resolve never to tour again and also why these upcoming performances are absolutely necessary to mark such a declaration. I hope you can once more attend to help celebrate my iron will in this matter and on the night reflect that, even in these fickle times, there are still men who will hold fast to their principles. I am that man. So vote for me. Sorry, not ‘vote’, I meant ‘come and see’. It will be almost certainly your last chance. To quote the philosopher Slocombe, “I am unanimous in that’. Now raise the curtain, pour the drinks, play the music - because here we go again…

– Ipswich Regent | Thursday 10 May www.apps.ipswich.gov.uk

HENRY BLOFELD: 78 RETIRED Voice of Test Match Special, journalist, novelist, oenophile, bon viveur, collector, quintessential Englishman and national treasure; Henry Blofeld is hanging up his best touring (red) trousers for good, but not before one final lap of the country! He boasts some of the finest stories from on and off the pitch, as well as unrivalled anecdotes from the world of journalism and through-the-keyhole tales of the glitz and glamour of celebrity life. So, “my dear old things!” join Blowers for one final night of inimitable hilarity and story-telling as he takes to the road for 78 and Out: The Henry Blofeld Farewell Tour.

– The Maddermarket Theatre Norwich Friday 4 & Saturday 5 May www.maddermarket.co.uk

Princess Theatre Hunstanton Sunday 13 May www.thelittleboxoffice.com

THE MAGIC OF THE BEATLES If you’re looking for an authentic, lively dose of ‘Beatlemania’ then you need to look no further! The Magic of The Beatles is one of the UK’s leading Beatles tribute shows who play to ecstatic sell-out audiences all over the world. The stars of this lavish production not only look and sound like John, Paul, George and Ringo, they also generate the same incredible excitement and unique sense of humour too. The world class performers use authentic guitars and amps to ensure every note is just the way you remember.

– Marina Theatre Lowestoft Friday 25 May www.marinatheatre.co.uk

KOSMOS ENSEMBLE An inspirational combination of Tango, Gypsy, Balkan and Japanese music. Prepare to be intoxicated by entrancing dance rhythms, soulful improvisation and gypsy passion delivered with inimitable panache and virtuoso technique. Referencing classical composers including Brahms and Dvorak, with fearless improvisation and impeccable technique.

All three members of Kosmos are soloists in their own right and have recorded concertos with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, English Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Nova to critical acclaim. Harriet MacKenzie (violin), Meg Hamilton (viola), Milos Milivojevic (accordion).

– The Apex Theatre Bury St Edmunds Thursday 24 May www.theapex.co.uk

RICHARD DIGANCE Richard resumes as normal after his Golden Anniversary celebrations doing what he loves best, telling stories, playing the guitar and singing songs.

This year there’s a whole new show having shaken off the nostalgic trip of 50 years last year.

With a BAFTA Nomination and Gold Award recipient from The British Academy of Composers, 4,000 live shows, 62 British tours, 14 books, 3 stage plays, 32 albums and nearly 4 million YouTube hits, need we say more?

– The Maddermarket Theatre Norwich Thursday 17 May www.maddermarket.co.uk

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Het DrakenNest ‘unieke belevenis’

WHAT’S ON - KIDS

T o t A H W he T h t i W DO

KIds

With the summer now officially here there is so much to do and see in Norfolk & Suffolk when it comes to planning your next adventure. Here are a few suggestions that are well worth considering.

If the weather is good then a trip to the beach makes for a relatively inexpensive day out with the family and take in the fresh sea air and the beautiful Norfolk and Suffolk coasts. In the hot summer months you walk on unspoiled sand and let the kids build sand castles, paddle in the shallow waves or even walk the dog. Take along a picnic and a blanket and have a relaxing family day... and don’t forget to pack the suntan cream.

Great Yarmouth is famous for its Golden Mile, but the Greater Yarmouth coastline stretches along 15 miles of beautiful sandy beach, past sand dunes and seaside amusements, taking in donkey rides and bouncy castles from Winterton in the north to Hopton in the South.

Amazona Zoo

Amazona Zoo in Cromer is a unique and fun day out for the whole family. It’s home to over 200 animals from tropical South America, including jaguars, monkeys, peccaries, otters, owls, macaws, parrots, capuchins, spiders, snakes, flamingos, rheas, guinea pigs, iguanas, caimans, pumas and tapirs.

Families will love exploring the Amazona in Cromer, set in secluded grounds on the north Norfolk coast.

The zoo is committed to helping visitors discover nature and provide education on conservation issues. Highlights include a Feline Forest with ocelot, pumas and jaguar; a tropical house with spectacled caiman, anaconda snake and iguanas, as well as, Chilean flamingos and South American wildfowl. In addition, discover Amazon parrots, macaws, squirrel monkeys, red-legged seriema and Geoffroy’s spider monkeys.

For the under 12’s there’s also a large, well-equipped, indoor soft play area, ‘Jungle Tumbles’, with slides, ropes, bridges, tunnels and interactive toys, as well as comfortable seating for parents.

Outside there’s an expansive well-equipped play area, Rainforest Springs, and there are two large jumping pillows for hours of Braziliant bouncing fun!

The zoo is owned by the Cabbell-Manners family.

On Saturday 23rd June 2018 Amazona Zoo will be celebrating their 10th Birthday with a Teddy Bears Picnic! See the news page on their website for more details. www.amazonazoo.co.uk

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We ARE O

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it’sss Braziliant!

Explore the Amazona in Cromer Amazona Zoo Rainforest logo

outdoor play

South American Animal Adventure

dventure

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After 65 Million years they are back!

Meet Professor Pos silFossil and help excavate a fossil...

Braziliant value: Admission still at 2014 prices!!

stay with us at

Come face to face with a animatron ic dinosaurs...

cromercamping.com check website for opening times

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out our

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Hall Road, Cromer NR27 9JG Tel. 01263 510741 Facebook.com/AmazonaZoo

@AmazonaZoo

amazonazoo.co.uk

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WHAT’S ON - KIDS

Pleasurewood Hills

If you are looking at somewhere that offers fun for all the family whatever the age then Pleasurewood Hills is a firm family favourite to consider.

If you’re looking for live entertainment then look no further than our fantastic shows including our classic Sea Lion and Parrot shows which will amaze and delight the whole family.

If you’re an adrenaline junkie the Thrill Rides are the ones for you! Take a ride on Wipeout, the only Vekoma Boomerang coaster in the UK, enjoy the views from the top of the Jolly Roger which stands at over 60 feet and see whether you can stay dry on Timber Falls.

You will be able to hear the shrieks for miles around as the logs go on a turbulent white water ride in Timber Falls. Prepare to get wet as the freshly cut logs rocket down and watch out for the splash from passing log boats. The drops are fairly high but it’s a great ride for smaller thrill seekers and remember - We did warn you that you’d get wet!

New for summer 2018 Pleasurewood Hills are excited to announce that a brand new soft play area and sensory room is being added to the parks attractions.

Woody’s Club House will have plenty of places to run, jump and climb and has been designed to be the perfect place for children to burn off excess energy.

The Mad Hatter and Alice have brought an exciting, interactive dining experience to Pleasurewood Hills and want you to join them! Be transported to Wonderland as you enjoy a delicious afternoon tea with plenty of cakes, sandwiches and lots of treats to eat and drink. www.pleasurewoodhills.com

Africa Alive

Africa Alive is set in 100 acres of stunning Suffolk countryside and also offers the chance to spot a wide range of British wildlife. Bird lovers can also enjoy spotting native species from the New “Waders Lake” boardwalk or see some African feathered friends in the new Woodland Walk.

The spectacular centrepiece of this beautiful park is the “Plains of Africa” the perfect place to spot five species of African savannah animals, including the graceful giraffe and heavyweight rhinos. During the summer months there is even the chance to get up close to these magnificent creatures with the parks “Plains of Africa” experience.

You can enjoy a bird’s eye view of the magnificent Lions from the viewing point “Lookout Lodge” and visit “Lemur Encounters” which offers you the chance to get right in with the action as you walk through the lemurs enclosure. The park is also home to some other amazing primates including Bushbabies, King Colobus monkeys and the rare golden-bellied Mangabeys.

You can also climb aboard the “Safari Roadtrain” for an entertaining journey around the park.

The park also offers great indoor and outdoor adventure play areas as well as restaurants, free car parking, disabled facilities and a gift shop.

In 1968 Banham Zoo was founded and in 1992 Africa Alive (Formerly Suffolk Wildlife Park) was purchased. The founding of The Zoological Society of East Anglia (ZSEA) puts the park in public ownership through charitable status, so rewarding the people of East Anglia and those visiting Norfolk and Suffolk too. www.africa-alive.co.uk

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OUT THERE FESTIVAL

| MAY 2018

FEStivAls Mark Nicholls rounds up some of the fabulous festivals lined up for NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK over the summer months.

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oldest Northumbrian folk songs to life again; circus company, and the Barely Methodical Troupe headline the Adnams Spiegeltent. Also appearing is Mary Chapin Carpenter and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Visit: www.nnfestival.org.uk

Norfolk and Norwich Festival May 11-27 With a programme spanning performance, theatre, music, visual arts, literature, circus, outdoor and family, the festival showcases renowned international artists from across the globe alongside the best local Norfolk and UK talent. World premieres include Mercury Music Prize winner Talvin Singh at Norwich Cathedral; Norwich, Ely and Peterborough Cathedral Choirs combining to perform the premiere of BBC Young Composer Of The Year Alex Woolf’s new piece; Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening bringing the

Bury St Edmunds Festival - May 18-27 With 59 events across 13 venues and now in its 33rd year, the programme offers 10 days of cultural excellence.

Performers include Jools Holland & His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra featuring Marc Almond, chart toppers UB40, singer-songwriter Gilbert O’Sullivan and The Tap Pack. Opera star Sir Willard White joins the Brodsky Quartet for an exclusive concert while wine expert Oz Clarke invites audiences to join him for an evening of wine tasting in the company of the Armonico Consort. For the full programme see www.buryfestival.co.uk

Crab and Lobster Festival - May 19-20 Lively celebration with Cromer and Sheringham joining together to create a friendly weekend festival promoting local seafaring heritage with a range of events including a traditional seaside variety concert and showcasing the finest seafoods with local restaurants, chefs, and food producers taking part. Visit www.crabandlobsterfestival.co.uk

LEO SAYER - HOLT FESTIVAL

F

rom music to comedy, food to maritime history, culture, arts and fun-packed parades, the summer festival season is upon us and ready to celebrate all that is best in Norfolk and Suffolk.

Some are long established, while others - though relative newcomers are already becoming a mainstay of the summer calendar. Major events such as the Latitude Festival, which has gained national and international acclaim with stunning headline acts, rub shoulders with smaller arts and food festivals that help showcase all that is best about this region. Here are a few of the finest to add to your calendars for summer 2018:

FESTIVALS

Southwold Arts Festival - June 23-30 Featuring more than 30 events, the festival enters its fifth year with a bill that includes music, comedy, art and drama. Following the opening parade and street event, the week begins with rhythm and blues giant Georgie Fame; and continues with ‘Piano Circus’ providing an evening of classical and contemporary music with six pianists, plus talks from BBC and Royal Correspondent Michael Cole and actor Terry Molloy. Other highlights include a talk by Andy McConnell from the ‘Antiques Roadshow’, an evening of comedy with the legendary Barry Cryer and a finale on June 30 with the internationally renowned soul and gospel music singer, Mica Paris. For information visit: www.southwoldartsfestival.co.uk Circus 250 in Norwich and Great Yarmouth - July 6-15 A year-long nationwide festival marking the 250th anniversary of the first circus, the main focus will fall on the six designated ‘Cities of Circus’, with Norwich and Great Yarmouth jointly selected for celebratory events. In June Seachange Arts in Great Yarmouth will present a procession led by a trio of artist-created circus elephants as part of Great Yarmouth Carnival and Festa Fiesta. July will find all manner of circus celebrations in Norwich, launched with a parade featuring a herd of life-size elephant puppets, acrobats, jugglers and performers on July 6. The highlight will be Chapelfield Summer Circus, hosting contemporary circus shows from around the world between July 10-15. For more information visit: www.circusnorwich.co.uk King’s Lynn Festival - July 15-28 World-famous orchestras will open and close the 68th King’s Lynn Festival. The Festival will welcome the Hallé Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Big Band with singer Claire Martin, guitarist Craig Ogden teaming up with jazz

JOOLS HOLLAND - BURY FESTIVAL / PHOTO: MARY MCCARTNEY

Latitude - July 12-15 Headliners at Henham Park, Southwold include The Killers, Alt J, Solange, Harry Hill and Bridget Christie, alongside Rag ‘n Bone Man, The Vaccines and The Charlatans. Meanwhile, the Lake Stage curated by BBC Radio 1’s Huw Stephens introduces “g-folk” creator Hak Baker and in the Comedy Arena, QI comes to Latitude for the first time with Sandi Toksvig and Alan Davies. Visit www.latitudefestival.com Dereham Blues Festival - July 12-15 Four days of blues in the central Norfolk market town opens with Georgie Fame at the Memorial Hall and a stunning line-up of bands over the weekend at a range of local venues. See www.derehambluesfestival.org.uk Holt Festival - 21-29 July Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Holt Festival brings eight days of outstanding theatre, music, comedy, film, literature, exhibitions, children’s and visual art events to the picturesque North Norfolk Georgian town. Big names include Jasper Carrott, chart-topper Leo Sayer and former Liberal Democrats leader Lord Paddy Ashdown.

The classical music programme is headed

by Italian classical piano megastar Gloria Campaner, with further household names being announced in the near future.

Visit www.holtfestival.org North Norfolk Food and Drink Festival September 1-2 Taking place in the grounds of Holkham Hall, stallholders, food concessions and sponsors will gather to celebrate local food and drink. Produce on sale includes ales, fresh meat and poultry, local seafood, vegetables, local honey, fruit, ice cream, cheese, fresh juices, cakes, puddings and tarts and much more. Visit www.holkham. co.uk/event/north-norfolk-food-and-drinkfestival-2018

Sundown Festival, Norwich August 31-September 2 Taking place at the Royal Norfolk Showground, across an array of stages, headliners include Shawn Mendes and Clean Bandit. See www.sundownfestival.co.uk Great Yarmouth Maritime Festival, September 8-9 A weekend of fantastic maritime events on South Quay with ships to go aboard, shanty folk music, street theatre, exhibitions and demonstrations for visitors to explore. More details to be announced in due course.

Visit www.great-yarmouth.co.uk/maritimefestival/ Out There Festival, Great Yarmouth, September 15–16 The Out There International Festival of Circus & Street Arts features outdoor performances and events along the seafront, in town centre streets and parks, with acrobatics and wonderful walkabout acts, to dazzling large scale promenade parades.

A full international line up will be revealed in early summer.

See www.seachangearts.org.uk and www.outtherefestival.com GORILLA CIRCUS - OUT THERE FESTIVAL

CASUS HEAD TRAPEZE

singer Jacqui Dankworth, and impersonator Alistair McGowan whose career has taken a new direction as a pianist. There will be a special treat for Strictly Come Dancing fans when 2017 finalist Giovanni Pernice ends his 56-date national tour at the festival.

Classical music provides the cornerstones of the programme with leading names from the classical music world, British folk singer Eddi Reader, and Los Pacaminos with Paul Young also appear. For more information visit www.kingslynnfestival.org.uk

| MAY 2018

The Bury

l A v i t s E F 2018

N

ow in its 33rd year, the Bury

Festival welcomes a star-studded programme for a world class celebration of culture. With 59 events across 14 venues in just 10 days the Festival offers award-winning music acts, street theatre, films and exhibitions.

During this year’s festival the picturesque setting of Nowton Park welcomes chart toppers from across the decades, in a collaboration with OEP Live!. Kicking off the alfresco concerts will be national treasure, pianist, bandleader and broadcaster, Jools Holland with his world-famous Rhythm and Blues Orchestra and special guests, including Soft Cell’s Marc Almond.

Legendary musician, Gilbert O’Sullivan, will be celebrating five decades in the music industry with a special matinee concert. A perfect excuse to grab your picnic basket and enjoy a sparkling afternoon of classics such as ‘Alone Again Naturally’, ‘Nothing Rhymed’, ‘Clair Matrimony’ and ‘Get Down’, as well as songs from his forthcoming album.

To round off the Festival in style, Bury St Edmunds welcomes Grammy and Brit award-nominated UB40. With over 50 hit singles in the UK and over 70 million

30

records sold worldwide they have become one of the worlds most successful reggae bands and will make for a sensational evening of 80s classics.

With a line-up full of firm music favourites there is guaranteed to be something to suite all tastes from the vocal stylings of Berlin’s Ute Lemper, to the South Africa’s Grammy awardwinning Ladysmith Black Mambazo (the stars of Paul Simon’s multi-million selling ‘Graceland’ album), and the stunning

TAP PACK

Academy of Ancient Music.

One of the world’s leading wine experts, and much-loved TV personality, Oz Clarke invites audiences to join him for an evening of wine tasting in the company of the Armonico Consort who will be playing appropriate music to accompany each wine selected.

Celebrating local talent is an exciting collaboration between one of the most prolific entertainers of the past 30 years, Aled Jones, and the young talent of Bury St Edmunds’ Voice Squad as well as performances from the St Edmundsbury Singers, The Edmund Octet and Suffolk Philharmonic Orchestra.

Music is not the only art form on display. In the abundance of brilliant acts, literary legend and one of Britain’s most remarkable poets Benjamin Zephaniah returns to the stage with his first tour in eight years, the hilarious Roger McGough will be setting his wit and wordplay to the musical sound of Little Machine and direct from Sadler’s Wells the festival welcomes The Tap Pack for a cocktail of high-energy tap dancing entertainment.

To mark 100 years of women’s suffrage the Abbeygate Cinema are holding a film festival celebrating strong and

BURYSOUND AUDIENCE Photo by EMMA WINTERS

This year the festival will run for 10 days between Friday 18 – Sunday 27 May. Tickets are now on sale with festival brochures available from The Apex and other locations in Bury St Edmunds. A full line-up of events can also be found online at www.buryfestival.co.uk

inspiring female characters on screen and behind the camera. This very special collection of films will include powerful stories and portrayals to mark the Vote 100 anniversary. The series of 10 films includes the 1964 children’s classic Mary Poppins, Nora Ephron’s Silkwood, the 1983 true story of nuclear whistleblower Karen Silkwood, and the 2016 inspiring story of three African American female NASA mathematicians, Hidden Figures.

With the setting of a charming market town the festival takes to the streets again this year with a series of festival walks exploring the local history and iconic sites of the town with events for both

young and old explorers from a hysterical family trail to a discovery of Bury at War. The Festival will also welcome a host of amazing street performers to delight visitors to the town.

Bury Festival Director, Nick Wells, commented “We are delighted with the line-up for the Bury Festival 2018, which once again combines star names with local and regional talent, young and old.

Bury St Edmunds is a vibrant town with plenty of arts and entertainment on offer throughout the year and the festival draws a lot of that together in a wonderful concentration and celebration of activity.

It has been a joy to put together.”

UTE LEMPER

MAC & EDEN

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| MAY 2018

k l O The Norf h C i & NOrw l A v i t s FE 2018 T

OVER 10 WORLD PREMIERES, A MAJOR NEW ART INSTALLATION, UNIQUE CONCERTS AND LARGE-SCALE FREE OUTDOOR EVENTS

he 2018 Norfolk & Norwich Festival runs from 11th to 27th May. The programme, which spans performance, theatre, music, visual arts, literature, circus, outdoor and family events, includes world and UK premieres, one-off spectaculars, and a host of free events across the Festival.

The Festival will showcase renowned international artists from across the globe and countries as widespread as Syria, Australia and India, alongside the best local Norfolk and UK talent presented across the county, from Norwich city centre and Great Yarmouth to Wells-next-the-Sea. Daniel Brine, Festival Director said: “The Festival is a wonderful time to celebrate our city and county, to bring communities together to experience great art and performance, and to welcome artists and visitors from across the UK and around the world. Our programme is broad and rich and we’re proud to be presenting world premieres alongside celebrated productions not previously seen in Norfolk. This year the Festival has been put together by all of our team. My predecessor, William Galinsky, laid the foundations with major commissions and partnerships and the team, along with our principal programming partners Britten Sinfonia, Serious and

32

Writers’ Centre Norwich has given flesh and life to the programme. I’ve joined as we put the finishing touches in place and I have quickly immersed myself in the excitement and challenge of delivering one of the UK’s most dynamic arts festivals.”

World premieres include: Mercury Music Prize winner and pioneer of Asian Underground music Talvin Singh at Norwich Cathedral; Norwich, Ely and Peterborough Cathedral Choirs combining for a concert to perform the premiere of BBC Young Composer Of The Year Alex Woolf’s new piece; a durational choral

piece from The Voice Project; Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening bring the oldest Northumbrian folk songs to life again; the internationally acclaimed circus company, Barely Methodical Troupe headline the Adnams Spiegeltent with Shift; Improbable present The Paper Man, inspired by the unexplained The 2018 Festival will see multiple world premieres in performance.

Improbable will present the world premiere of The Paper Man, exploring what we do when fascism comes to town and inspired by the unexplained death of

NORFOLK & NORWICH FESTIVAL Austrian football star Matthias Sindelar in 1939, who humiliated the Nazi regime by refusing to throw a match. The production follows the middle-aged, white British, Football addict-in-recovery and Improbable co-founder, Lee Simpson in his search for answers.

The internationally acclaimed UK circus company, Barely Methodical Troupe headline the Adnams Spiegeltent with the world premiere of Shift following their previous hits Bromance and Kin. The company have been garnering acclaim since their first show toured for over 18 months worldwide drawing on the company’s background in circus, dance and parkour.

The Isle of Brimsker presented by Frozen Light is a new multi-sensory story from specialists in making theatre for audiences with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities about a lighthouse keeper and a runaway.

Provisional Figures is a new piece of theatre from award-winning Portuguese film and theatre director Marco Martins, inspired by the 10,000 Portuguese immigrants arriving in Great Yarmouth in the mid-2000s. Presented in Great Yarmouth the show will be accompanied by a celebration of Portuguese culture, food and drink.

Other performance highlights include: cabaret sensation Le Gateau Chocolat’s personal tribute to his musical heroes, Icons; Forced Entertainment’s comical, absurd and acclaimed Real Magic; plus, as part of the City of Literature programme, Rosy Carrick’s mixed media time travel show Passionate Machine; tour de force of the live literature circuit Hannah Silva’s Talk in a Bit; Jack Dean’s protest show Nuketown; Tim Clare and Mark Grist’s Voted Out which uses state-of-the-art voting technology to give the audience the power of choice

The dance programme for 2018 includes the return of world-renowned choreographer Hofesh Shechter with his heart-stopping Grand Finale, animated by six musicians live on stage, Gandini Juggling’s new show Sigma blending juggling and classical Indian dance and multimedia projections and inclusive dance companies Stopgap and Flex, who bring two free shows to outdoor spaces. There’s also the return of the ever-popular audience led Ragroof Tea Dances to The Adnams Spiegeltent.

The Free Outdoor Programme at the Festival brings world-class performances from across Europe to Norwich’s parks and open spaces completely free of charge.

This year’s Festival will open with Transe Express as carnivalesque drummers take over the streets of the city and larger than life singing dolls on stilts transform Norwich into a fantastical open air opera house.

The parade will move through the streets of the city and culminate in a spectacular aerial finale.

Other programme highlights this year include Marco Barotti’s robotic woodpeckers popping up across the city and transforming mobile signals into beats tapped out onto the city’s architecture and Wayfaring, a large scale world premiere from And Now: inspired by the ancient routes of the Icknield Way, taking place on Wells Beach with illumination, music and performance in a huge free celebration.

Alongside multiple events for families in the Free Outdoor Programme, Britten Sinfonia will present Alice through the Looking Glass and Kid Carpet and the Noisy Animals will take younger audiences on a silly and lively journey about going on holiday. Plus there are free storytelling, dancing and music events for Early Years in the Spiegeltent. _ The Norfolk & Norwich Festival runs from Friday 11th May to Sunday 27th May www.nnfestival.org.uk

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| MAY 2018

PENSTHORPE NATURAL PARK

Wild About The Wensum Photo by PAUL CARTER

TV presenter, author and naturalist, Nick Baker, is

set to open The Pensthorpe Conservation Trust’s* annual community event Wild About the Wensum on Saturday 12th May 2018.

Intrepid explorer and natural history expert Nick, who has famously presented Weird Creatures (C5), The Really Wild Show (BBC One) and Springwatch Unsprung (BBC Two), will officially open the event, meet members of the public and even host a bug hunt for kids!

Wild About the Wensum, now in its twelfth year, is a special one-day event held by the Pensthorpe Conservation Trust with the sole focus on encouraging people of all ages, especially families who often don’t get the chance to be outdoors, to enjoy the beautiful Wensum Valley, within which Pensthorpe Natural Park is located.

This year’s theme ‘Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow’ takes a look at the plight of the Hare in the English landscape and celebrates Norfolk as one of the last strongholds for Hares in Britain.

Local wildlife groups and nature charities such as the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Wensum Alliance and Norfolk Bee Keepers Association will be in attendance plus there will be a special trail to follow and free ‘hands-on’ nature activities to try.

Deb Jordan, co-owner of Pensthorpe Natural Park comments: “We are thrilled that Nick Baker, someone as passionate about the natural world as we are, will be joining us for our community day. Nick shares our enthusiasm for re-engaging with nature and nothing encapsulates our desire to inspire our visitors more than Wild About the Wensum.

“We want to encourage all generations to get outdoors and embrace the delights of nature – it’s accessible to all!”

Nick Baker comments: “Pensthorpe not only boasts a fabulous location within Norfolk’s environment-rich Wensum Valley but it is a great example of an attraction with a cause - keen to do nothing more than encourage visitors to reconnect with the outdoors. It’s an ethos which is very close to my heart and I look forward to joining them and being part of the event.”

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Nick will be hosting a meet and greet in the picnic area at 10am, officially open Wild About the Wensum at 11am, run an interactive bug hunt for children at 2pm, and at 3pm will host a book signing and talk entitled ‘how to make a naturalist’.

As part of his day at Pensthorpe, Nick will also be invited to judge an art and photography competition, which 39 local primary and junior schools have been invited to take part in.

As the event is aimed at families and those in the local community, Pensthorpe reduce admission prices to a nominal fee of £2 per person for tickets booked online in advance, and £3 per person on the day. Under 3’s are free.

Please note there will be an additional charge to access indoor play area Hootz House.

To book tickets or for more information about Pensthorpe visit pensthorpe.com

LitFest

LITFEST 2018

2018

Litfest 2018 is a brand new literary festival to develop

Westacre Theatre into a rounded arts centre, and also to fill a void in the offering available in West Norfolk. They are keen to make this initial series of events so successful that they can justifiably seek Arts Council funding for the festival’s future sustainability going forwards from 2019. There are three weekend groupings of dates within the overall Litfest across the Summer: • Friday 18 to Sunday 20 May • Saturday 23 to Sunday 24 June • Sunday 2, Friday 7 and Saturday 8 September All the contributing authors have strong Norfolk connections with some (like Peter Wilson as ex-CEO of Theatre Royal Norwich and Dame Stella Rimington DCB who was the first woman Director General of MI5) being well known names

internationally. So, as well as being an amazing new idea culturally, its highlights have newsworthy elements too.

Litfest launches on 18 May with Peter Wilson reciting the haunting ‘Four Quartets’, a quintessentially modernist poetic work by the great Anglo-American T S Eliot.

Published in 32 languages and 51 countries, Sophie Hannah is a best-selling writer of Psychological Crime Fiction. On 19 May she will reveal the intrigues of her relationship with Hercule Poirot in ‘The Monogram Murders’ and ‘The Closed Casket’ and may just divulge to the audience at Westacre Theatre what the future holds for the Belgian detective in her next book ‘The Mystery of Three Quarters’ due to be released on 23 August.

On 20 May, Dame Stella Rimington DCB who became the first female Director General of MI5 will share tales of her career with the Security Services and explain how it has provided the inspiration for her several novels set in the world of intelligence and counter-terrorism. Her next book ‘Moscow Sleeper’ launches this year.

Theatre Group Three’s Company will perform a literary tour of Norfolk called ‘Brecks to Broads’. On 23 June Irma Fowler, Lesley Mardle and Leah Spencer take to the Westacre Theatre stage for a journey ranging from David Copperfield on Yarmouth beach to the whaling ships frequenting the port at King’s Lynn.

24 June presents an opportunity to meet two local authors.

Charlotte Paton gives a detailed insight into Norfolk artist Walter Dexter and Frederick Rolfe who was better known as King of the Norfolk Poachers. Sharing the bill with a contrasting topic is Will Stebbings recounting tales of West Norfolk in the 1960s and 1970s.

All these wide-ranging events offer hospitality to make for convivial occasions in the scenic setting of East Anglia’s only all-year-round rural theatre.

Online booking by visiting www.westacretheatre.com at any time or by calling the Box Office during normal business hours on 01760 755800.

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| MAY 2018

LOCAl booKs

Places&Faces ® recommended round-up of local reads

GrEAtth Yarmou WALl The

This Wall, as it stands today, to many it may appear as just the remains of an old wall. In terms of cost, labour and time, it is the biggest undertaking Great Yarmouth has, and will ever, endure.

After surviving around 700 years, today its greatest enemy is ignorance of its compelling history. This book attempts to illustrate the importance of what remains, and why it should be preserved.

Basically, as a Yarmouth man I’ve always been curious about the history of the wall, that we all take for granted. It all started from one illustration, my original intention was to reproduce one of the missing gates, if only to see how it would look today had it survived, and now after 10 years I suppose you could say I got carried away. I decided on the NorthGate. Recreating a gate from an old illustration and a little imagination was not good enough. If I wanted accuracy I would have to research.

I searched and bought every available antiquarian book on Yarmouth I could find. This didn’t come cheap, but I thought what the hell, I wanted to produce a book for the town from the heart, not the pocket.

I walked the wall endlessly taking notes, and measurements, it was in my research I discovered areas of the wall that just did not make sense, and curiously never questioned by some of Yarmouth’s great history authors.

(Swinden, Manship, Damet, Parkin and Palmer) But in their defence these authors made transcripts of old Yarmouth records, they didn’t 36

research the wall in depth.

So, naively I took up the challenge to solve these curious areas of the wall, and found myself well and truly hooked.

The most fascinating thing about this wall is the secrets it still hides - and there are many, still staring us in the face. Recreating the North Gate and connecting wall proved this. Strange angles that made no sense, and a different quality in the building of the wall, all have good reasons behind them, finding the reason was challenging.

It was these questions that made me realise every new discovery frequently contradicts a previous conclusion. I was not only discovering a wall, I was unfolding time, a seven hundred year old arthritic flint dinosaur, complete with layers of sticking plasters.

Without going into great detail, my biggest discoveries and thesis are the lost 1349 plague pit and its 7000 bodies (not the smaller later one found in Sainsbury’s car park). Also, my theory of how the wall reshaped the town and consequently produced the Yarmouth rows. These are all revealed in Volume two.

LOCAL BOOKS

Sue Welfare lives and works deep in the heart

The Great Wall of Yarmouth

190 pages containing facts about the medieval wall of Yarmouth Including never before seen illustrations of how the wall and gates looked, and how they would appear today had they survived.

Written and illustrated by Paul B. Patterson Volume 1 published by Murage - £18.95

of rural Norfolk, writing as Sue Welfare, Gemma Fox and Kate Lawson.

After over twenty years of writing romantic comedy, in 2015 Sue’s debut thriller, Next of Kin, hit the bookshelves to stunning reviews for a chilling masterpiece from a newcomer in domestic noir and psychological thrillers.

Between moving house, raising a family, falling in love with Phil, singing in a choir, walking the dogs, working in the garden, taking endless photos and cooking Sue/Gemma/Kate is also a scriptwriter and artist, originating and developing a soap opera for BBC Radio Norfolk, along with a pantomime for the town where she lives (Downham Market) and creating stunning work for a number of art galleries.

On a cold, dark February morning, Chris and Leah Hills do that thing most of us do on a long journey, stop at a service station and grab a coffee, taking a break from a long journey to stretch their legs, in fact it was a similar trip that gave author, Sue Welfare, the idea for Losing Leah. After a career writing romantic comedy Sue was looking for a change of direction and decided it was finally the moment to go back to her first love, thrillers.

Chris and Leah Hills are Mr and Mrs Average, the kind of couple you wouldn’t give a second glance if you passed them on the street. In an isolated service station a stone’s throw from the Welsh Borders Leah grabs her coat and heads inside. The weather is terrible. She’s cold. They’ve stopped at the Hoden Gap services before and the coffee is always good. Chris locks the car and follows Leah inside to order their drinks.

The queue for coffee is short, which is perfect as Chris has no plans to linger. They’re on their way to their holiday cottage and there are things he needs to sort out when they get there.

His drink arrives. The minutes pass. Everything tells him that Leah won’t be long; she’s not one to hang around or shop. Chris starts to pace, feeling the first flutter of annoyance. Where has she got to? He watches the faces, trying to see her in the crowd.

He waits and he waits, but Leah doesn’t come back.

When Sergeant Mel Daley and her boss, Detective Inspector Harry Baker, arrive to begin a search for the missing woman, their investigation calls everything into question. Is she alive?

Did she leave the service station with someone else? Did Leah ever even leave Norfolk? While her husband becomes more frantic, the two detectives begin to unravel a tangle of dark secrets from the past.

An ordinary day, an ordinary couple, a terrible secret. Perfect for fans of Robert Galbraith and Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train.

LOSING LEAH is published as an e-book and paperback by Mirror Books. Order from Amazon or MirrorCollection.co.uk / 0845 143 0001 (lines open Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm).

37

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A GREAT DAY OUT FOR

GARDENERS AND THEIR FAMILIES This is the eighteenth year of this well-loved specialist plant fair which offers a popular mix of specialist nurseries, conservation organisations and artisan stalls selling every from salvias and clematis to handmade soaps and vintage French collectables.

There will be familiar and new nursery exhibitions, including The Place for Plants, Rose Cottage Bulbs and the Southwold Flower Company. Plant enthusiasts will be tempted by an exciting range of alpines, ferns, shrubs and trees. The Suffolk Plant heritage stall is packed with rare and unusual plants, some of which are not available elsewhere and all grown by the Group’s propagation team. National Collections from Suffolk and further afield will be on display, including Iris (Cedric Morris introductions) and Dianthus (Malmaison).

Garden accessories for sale include antique garden tools, modern sculpture and garden furniture.

Children will have fun in their own Marquee with craft activities, a plant quiz and free goodie bags.

The first 800 visitors to claim a free plant will receive Penstemon ‘Drinkstone Red’, an unusual garden plant raised specially for the fair.

The Garden Marquee will host a programme of practical workshops on a wide range of gardening subjects.

Visitors can enjoy the Grade 1 listed gardens of Helmingham Hall with walled kitchen garden, herbaceous borders, roses and ancient deer park.

Live music, a dance tent, homemade lunches and teas as well as a range of food stalls and artisan snacks help to make this a great day out for gardeners and their families.

Lady Xa Tollemache who has won gold medals at Chelsea for her garden designs, will be taking a group of visitors around the Helmingham Hall gardens. This is a unique opportunity for a guided tour of Helmingham with an expert. Numbers for this tour are strictly limited, so early booking is advisable. The tour will be at midday on 27 May during the Plant Fair. Tickets cost £10 each.

Admission including entry into the Grade 1 Listed gardens is £7 for adults and children are FREE! Tickets can be bought on the gate (please note that credit/debit cards cannot be accepted on the gate on the day), on the day or in advance by calling: 01473 890799.

Suffolk Plant Heritage Specialist and Artisan Market at Helmingham Hall. Sunday May 27 2018 10.00am - 4pm. Helmingham hall is 9 miles NE of Ipswich on the B1077. Post code IP14 6EF www.suffolkplants.org.uk and www.helmingham.com 39

| MAY 2018

40

WEST END REVIEW

TOP SHOWS CELEBRATED AT

THE OLIVIERS Benet Catty looks back at an impressive year on the London Theatre Scene

T

he recent Olivier Awards, presented in an impressivelyproduced ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall (highlights of which can be found on YouTube), is a good opportunity to survey what has been perhaps the strongest year in the London theatre scene for over a decade.

The big winner of the year was Hamilton, as it should have been.

Hamilton, as reported here in the spring, is unarguably the best musical of the 21st Century and deserves to be on any list of the greatest musicals ever, such is the density of plot and characterization, the ambition of its dramatic telling, and the innovation of its musical treatment. It is the

most nominated show in the history of the Olivier Awards, with thirteen nominations of which it won seven.

It added awards for Best Musical, Choreographer, Lighting, Sound, Music, Leading Actor (Giles Terera as Aaron Burr, the Judas to Hamilton’s Jesus), and Supporting Actor (Michael Jibson as George III) to its numerous Broadway awards, the Grammy for its cast album, and the Pulitzer Prize.

Hamilton was against a lot of other tremendous musical productions which, in other years, could have expected a sweep of prizes. Girl from the North Country, the Conor McPherson musical play weaving in largely-obscure songs by Bob Dylan, won awards for Sheila Atim and Shirley Henderson. An American in Paris, the classiest show in London last year, was rightly awarded for its dazzling set design by Bob Crowley and 59 Productions. Follies, the National’s triumphant revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical, won best musical revival and best costumes, in both cases beating the dazzling showbiz celebration that is 42nd Street, which equally deserved the choreography award, and remains one of the most glamorous nights out, now starring Lulu.

No prizes, sadly, for Everybody’s Talking about Jamie, the popular British musical based on the true story of a teenage transvestite, which has made the career of its star John McCrea. Nothing, either, for Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein, by all accounts a much better production here than the Broadway original but which couldn’t beat the stiff competition from other quarters.

The straight play categories were also hotly contested, although straight plays have had a more mixed year, to my mind, than musicals. Jez Butterworth’s The Ferryman won Best Play and Best Director for Sam Mendes, whose marshalling of a huge cast reminded us of his theatrical skills after so much time in recent years focusing on blowing things up for James Bond. Laura Donnelly also won for Best Supporting Actress. The original London cast are soon to open on Broadway.

Both of James Graham’s London plays were nominated for awards this year, with Labour of Love (which

starred Tamsin Greig) winning him his first Olivier. Ink, his play about the beginnings of The Sun newspaper, was stuck uncomfortably between popular entertainment and serious art but none the less won Bertie Carvel his second Olivier (having been the original Trunchbull in Matilda) for his performance as Rupert Murdoch.

Graham’s new play Quiz, about the coughing major scandal on Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, is now running in London.

As well as Follies, the National Theatre also scored two other huge hits this year. Network, Lee Hall’s adaptation of the classic 70s film; and Angels in America, Tony Kushner’s 2-part 8-hour epic which is a strong contender for the greatest play of the last half century. Network, extravagantly over-produced by Ivo Van Hove was event theatre, complete with video wall, constant under-scoring, audience members eating dinner on stage and various presentational magic tricks. It was wonderful entertainment, but amidst all the gimmicks it was Bryan Cranston’s face which made the evening special and which won him the Olivier for Best Actor. Angels, now on Broadway, was a more mixed picture than expected: the stronger part one was under-designed and over-acted by some of the cast; the second play finding the style and scale more successfully. Nathan Lane, the Broadway star, was the dazzler performance although it’s Andrew Garfield’s performance in the key role of Prior Walter that wowed the critics and Denise Gough’s that won the Olivier. The production won best revival.

It’s hard to imagine a theatrical year with more high-quality highappeal shows opening in such quick succession. Many top shows - Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, for instance went home with no awards at all, such was the competition.

With many of the big hits (Hamilton, Jamie, The Ferryman) still running alongside the big hit of last year (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) and the perennial icons of Phantom and Les Miserables, anyone wanting to treat themselves to a show every month would have no trouble finding something special every time. And that’s rarely been as possible as now.

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| MAY 2018

/

LADIES t h g i N Spice Girl Melanie C is ready to wow racegoers with a 90s music DJ session at the Great Yarmouth Racecourse

It’s going to be a busy and varied year ahead for Melanie C. But you would not expect anything else of the high voltage member of the Girl Power gang the Spice Girls.

And, as she chats, she reveals one very special practice session. “It’s my daughter’s ninth birthday so it will be Disco DJ Mummy at the decks – one of my warm-ups for Great Yarmouth.”

As Sporty Spice she found global fame as a singer – which has continued as a solo artist as she prepares to gig and release her eighth album two decades after the girl group took the music world by storm.

The racecourse event songs will be a 1990s set. “It’s probably what people would expect of me. It is such a great decade of music. We can cross from pop and dance to R&B and Brit pop. Lots of music people are going to love to hear and get up and have a great time.

But multi-talented Melanie Chisholm has also been an award-nominee stage star and is now gearing up for a new venture as a live event DJ. It will see her revisit Norfolk this summer in a new guise – presenting an evening of 1990s tracks to crowds at Great Yarmouth Racecourse’s Ladies Night on Wednesday July 18.

“It seems like a very natural progression to make,” she explains. “Everything I have done is music based.

Music is my first love. I love to perform. I have always loved listening and dancing to music. It is nice to have slightly different role and hopefully getting everyone else dancing.

“I will probably be popping up doing a few quiet gigs to cut my teeth before getting up to you guys in Great Yarmouth. “

42

“There is an enormous choice so we can get a really interesting set. And it would be rude not to include the Spice Girls.”

Melanie has just begun recording the new album – which she aims to release late summer, with a couple of singles from it before that.

“I am keeping my cards close to my chest about the style. I was very proud of my last album Version of Me but this one feels different and people will find it surprising,” she says.

Her musical roots dig deep into her childhood on Merseyside, where her mum and stepfather were both musicians so she was “brought up on it.”

M

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW a

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There is an enormous choice so we can get a really interesting set. And it would be rude not to include the Spice Girls.

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MAY

BOX OFFICE: (01603) 63 00 00 Mon 30 Apr-Tues 1 May DANIEL O’DONNELL Easy-listening singing superstar £10 - £45

Tues 15 May GRAND FINALE* Hofesh Shechter’s ambitious new dance £8 - £26

Thur 3-Sat 5 May ENGLISH TOURING OPERA Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, Puccini’s Il Tabarro & Gianni Schicchi £10 - £37.50

Wed 16 May LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO* Joyful, powerful vocal music £8 - £32

Sun 6 May LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! Stella School of Dance £10 - £18.50 Tues 8 -Sat 12 May THIS HOUSE Biting and criticallyacclaimed drama of 1970s politics £8 - £28.50

Thur 17 May MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER* Award-winning singer songwriter £8 - £32

Fri 18 May MISHA GLENNY: MCMAFIA Renowned investigative journalist with international crime expose £10 - £18.50 Sat 19 May BEN FOLDS* Multi-platinum-selling singer songwriter £8 - £28 Sun 20 May IAN WAITE & OTI MABUSI Strictly favourites £10 - £26.50 Fri 25-Sat 26 May CINDERELLA IN HOLLYWOOD English Youth Ballet £10 - £23.50

Sun 13 May JIMMY CARR Greatest Hits tour £10 - £28.50

Sun 27 May BEETHOVEN SYMPHONIES 4 & 5* Britten Sinfonia with Thomas Ades £8 - £34 Monday 28 May JUSTIN HAYWARD The voice of The Moody Blues £10 - £38.50 Tues 29 May NILS LOFGREN Legendary E Street Band guitarist £10 - £35.50 Thur 31 May-Fri 1 June ACOSTA DANZA Carlos Acosta’s new Cuban dance company £10 - £39.50

*

THIS HOUSE

Book online: www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk THEATRE STREET, NORWICH NR2 1RL

| MAY 2018

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

Melanie says: “I spent my childhood listening to mum’s music - Beatles, Stones, Motown, lots of Stevie Wonder, and Gladys Knight. I am a child of the 80s so when I asked for my first cassettes it was bands like Wham! I loved Madonna and Michael Jackson.”

Melanie has also made day trips to the area “though not as often as I would have liked, because it is a very beautiful part of the world.”

“I like any style. We live in a world when so many genres merge and you don’t have to belong to a tribe any more and can have a bit of everything.”

“It’s always a fun day – I have been to races and just had an absolute blast. It’s a great day out and nice to be part of the entertainment afterwards.”

Great Yarmouth won’t be her first gig in Norfolk.

She has performed in Norwich as a solo artist, and with Jools Holland.

Looking back over her career highlights she is proud of her two solo number ones, and an Olivier best actress nomination for her role as Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers, which she “never expected in a million years.”

She has also performed at racecourses before Chepstow with Jools and solo at Ascot – but never as a DJ.

The Spice Girls memories are topped by their appearance at the 2012 London Olympics closing ceremony singing from taxi cabs. “It was so exciting and magical because of the setting, and knowing we were being watched by billions all over the world as well as seeing the new social media going into meltdown.”

And she is also proud of the Girl Power legacy left behind by the Spice Girls – whose feisty songs played a part in empowering women.

“We meet people who are now all grown up and they say such positive things about being a fan when they were younger,” Melanie says.

“It gave them confidence, they didn’t feel they had to fit in. It was cool to be different and an individual. We hear lovely stories of people inspired to try and achieve their goals.

“Girl Power still resonates today. We have 100 years since women won the vote plus a lot going on about gender equality. We have a generation of young girls, a lot of whom were Spice Girls fans who feel proactive – hopefully we were a part of that.”

Melanie C is at Great Yarmouth Racecourse on Wednesday July 18. Tickets for Great Yarmouth Ladies Night are available at www.greatyarmouth-racecourse. co.uk or call 01493 842527.

Ladies Night, which last year featured Radio 2 DJ Sara Cox, is one of 23 fixtures at Great Yarmouth this season running from April 24 to October 23 and including the flagship Eastern Festival from September 18-20. The course is one of 16 run

by Arena Racing Company (ARC) the largest racecourse operator in the UK.

Melanie C will DJ at this summer’s Great Yarmouth Races Ladies Night on Wednesday 18 July

GREAT YARMOUTH RACECOURSE www.greatyarmouth-racecourse.co.uk

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| MAY 2018

Underground D E R R E N B R O W N H

e is back. Derren

Brown is heading back to Norwich Theatre Royal with his brand new show Underground on June 19-23.

As he makes his return to the city, he tells Places&Faces® what makes him happy, reflects on the future of magic entertainment and reveals he will be back on our TV screens soon.

First question Derren. For those who haven’t seen Underground yet, what can they expect?

It began as a show to take abroad for people who hadn’t seen me. It is made up of all the best bits of the previous tours put together to form a new show with its own stand-alone integrity. The result, everyone felt, was such a strong show that we decided to tour it here.

The material has been re-envisioned and re-worked (and by its nature is different from night to night anyway).

People who come after having seen those previous shows are telling me they are being caught out and surprised again, which is great to hear.

Ha - no not at all. Though I started off as a live performer, so I suppose it’s always been my first love. Any sort of magic is always better live than on TV so I’ve let the television work move into a very different area while keeping the mind-reading and so on for the stage.

I’ve worked with the same couple of guys - Andy Nyman and Andrew O’Connor - for almost all of the shows, which is invaluable.

We really understand what goes

You’ve gone on record as saying Underground has been the most rewarding show you’ve created. Can you tell us why?

Firstly it’s all the best material.

So nothing feels like filler: it’s the absolute favourite routines, been picked from 15 years of touring. That’s a great starting point. Then I get to re-work them as the performer I am now. For some of them that’s 15 years on. But perhaps above all I have worked this in more than any previous show.

I took a different production of it out to NYC, and have performed it pretty much every night for ten months: It has reached a point of total comfort for me, where everything that could have gone wrong has gone wrong, every possibility has been explored, and it’s a total delight to go out and enjoy night after night.

2018 will mark the 15th year that you’ve consecutively toured with a live show. When you started out in 2003, did you ever imagine you would establish this genuine and durable bond with the British theatre-going public?

46

DERREN BROWN

Tuesday 19-Saturday 23 June at 7.30pm and Saturday matinee at 2.30pm.

Tickets £10-£45. Discounts for Friends. www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

CELEBRITY

into a show and how to work together to make it happen. And how to make it over-deliver: to give you more than you expect. It’s been huge fun for us all to go back through the material, choose our favourites, and re-work them into a new and coherent show. We each have our own strengths and somehow they all come together to make a big bundle of joy.

In 2019, you’re planning to tour America with Derren Brown Secret.

Does this mean we won’t be seeing you perform in the UK that year?

Quite possibly. Might be a bit much to do both in one year. But home is where the heart is and so on, so I won’t be gone for long.

Your Secret show was a big success in New York, but why did you wait this long before taking a stage show abroad? And why do you think the time is right now?

There are all sorts of grown-up considerations involved in getting a show together, on or off Broadway. You have to have investors and new producers and whatnot. It takes a while. I’ve barely done anything in the US over the years as I wanted to make sure I did it properly and in a way that was enjoyable.

Going the stage route seemed to be the most fun option: I’ve always enjoyed stage more than TV. Talks had been going on between the grown-ups for some time and then one day it all came together. The weather was nice, it’s an extraordinary city, and I made some new friends. It was a delight.

You haven’t done a TV special for a while. Is there something in the pipeline?

Yes - for Netflix. They are showing

Miracle and The Push - two of my C4 shows - and right now I am making a brand new special for them. That’s been another interesting change - away from terrestrial TV into quite a different world. Channel 4 has been wonderful to me over the years and I hope we’ll do more together in the future: at the moment this is very exciting too.

Do you still have that desire to shock audiences?

I’ve never aimed to shock for shock’s sake - such a thing isn’t that shocking at all. I try to find a strong dramatic hook, a good intelligent reason for doing it, and not pull any punches. Some of the shows have been ‘noisier’ than others: after ending the world for poor Steven in Apocalypse, I had a group of OAPs steal a painting from a gallery. So I try to stay interesting, make strong dramatic work, and let the shows grow up with me as my own interests change. I think that’s the best anyone can do.

The advantage of travelling so much has been the opportunity to focus on one of your abiding passions – street photography. How did you get started on that and tell us about the book you have coming out?

Ah yes! This has been a passion for a few years now. Street photography is a kind of candid photography, out and about on the street, and has its own noble historical niche. When you’re well-known you get used to keeping your head down without even knowing you’re doing it: taking pictures has kept me more engaged. Plus I get bored and glum if I don’t have a creative project to work on: a camera is such a portable thing and keeps you very present and on your toes. I love it. A book with a bunch of my pictures and some words I’ve written about it should be coming out soon. Current title is Meet The People With Love.

Although your career has seen you go beyond the boundaries of conventional magic and pave the way for a new generation of performers, are you still a magician at heart?

I’m not sure. I never want to show people tricks in real life. It’s

a strangely childish preoccupation.

Occasionally I see a great magic show the last one was Derek DelGuadio’s In and Of Itself, a magic show of sorts in New York, and I get excited to be part of that world. But the things that used to delight me - card tricks and so on tend to leave me cold nowadays. So I’m not sure where I’m at with it all. I’m just following my nose through it all and letting it take me wherever seems enjoyable.

Do you think the future of magicinspired entertainment is in safe hands?

I’m sure. More than anything we need to experience surprise when we watch magicians of any sort, so the performers who just offer minor variations of whomever is in vogue at the time won’t ever quite cut it. But every now and then someone comes along with a genuinely original vision and it’s all rather exciting again. There’ll always be new physics or technology we don’t quite understand that will prove to be a rich source of magical premises. At one point the new science of electricity was almost exclusively used by magicians for demonstrations. Next it’ll be quantum physics: it’s already used as a catch-all for The Law of Attraction and other New Age nonsense, because it sounds impressive and is sufficiently misunderstood. I’m sure a future wave of magi will find their home there.

Finally, you’ve inspired a lot of people with your book Happy but what truly makes you happy?

Well, writing the book made me very happy. I think I’m at my happiest engaged in a project like that. Reading and writing for hours on my own makes me feel very good. Especially as I tend to do it most when I’m on tour, so I get to then go out and show off on stage for a couple of hours after being tucked away working. A big source of happiness is having meaning, and immersion in a creative project certainly offers that. And being outward- rather than inwardlooking: letting your sense of self spread out and connect with others - or at least something outside yourself. I feel that strongly when I’ve been reading the right sort of book and then I step out into the street and feel all warm and gooey towards everyone. That’s the best feeling. It’s important for us to find our own ways of getting lost in something bigger than ourselves: that’s how we find meaning, and we are meaning-seeking creatures.

47

Photograph by JOHAN PERSSON

| MAY 2018

F

rom his role as head barman Gino Primirola in TV’s glamorous five-star Hotel Babylon, to playing Billy Elliot’s dad on stage, Martin Marquez is an actor who slips easily between theatre and film or television work.

He’s appeared in everything from The Bill (where he played DS Danny Pearce), Doc Martin, EastEnders, Benidorm and The Crown to the 2012 Oscar-winning movie of Les Misérables. But the stage remains his first love and he has trodden the boards for the National Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe and the Young Vic in productions ranging from Husbands & Sons, Anything Goes, Mother Courage & Her Children, Much Ado About Nothing and The Iceman Cometh.

He is thrilled to be currently appearing in the National Theatre’s UK tour of criticallyacclaimed political thriller This House, which heads to Norwich Theatre Royal from May 8-12. Set in the Westminster hung parliament of 1974 to 1979, it throws a light on the behind-the-scenes political machinations of the opposing Labour and Tory whips’ offices as Labour desperately tries to hold on to power.

“I’ve always said it and I say it now even more, if theatre paid as well as TV and film I would happily do theatre only, whereas if it was the other way round I wouldn’t. I want to do theatre. It’s why I became an actor,” Martin said.

“I love the rehearsal process. I love putting it on in front of an audience, especially if I’m doing comedy, and having some form of control over it each night in terms of pacing it. That’s the thrill for me, the buzz, and that’s very difficult to get on TV and film which is set a few times and then that’s it. You can’t really hone it on TV and film. But by the end of the tour, This House will be so good. I’m enjoying it now but by the end of the tour it will be so slick.”

This House is written by playwright, television writer and one-time actor James Graham. A biting, energetic and humorous production, it strips politics down to the practical realities of those behind the scenes who roll up their sleeves, and on occasion bend the rules, to manoeuvre a diverse and conflicting chorus of MPs through the lobbies to register their crucial votes as a government battles to maintain power.

The fast-paced action is played out in the opposing whips’ offices and in the chamber, 48

where tough talk is interspersed with razorsharp wit and smatterings of 1970s music from a lively onstage band. The set gives a real feel of the battle across the despatch boxes with its green benches and wood panelling, and even the office chairs display the Westminster portcullis symbol.

Martin plays Labour Chief Whip Bob Mellish – the no-nonsense son of a docker who represented Bermondsey in the London borough of Southwark. He was an ‘old school’ Labour MP and loyal to Harold Wilson who was Prime Minister from 1974-76. When Harold Wilson resigned in 1976, Jim Callaghan defeated Roy Jenkins and Michael Foot for the leadership of the Labour Party. Bob had supported Michael Foot, but he disliked Jim Callaghan so much that he resigned from the cabinet.

Martin said: “The play has been written

by James Graham with quite a bit of artistic licence. As I started to research my particular character Bob Mellish, it became clear that what he had written was a version of him. Bob was from Bermondsey. He was certainly very political. His dad was a docker and would have been involved in the dockers’ strikes [of 1899 and 1912]. So when Bob was 16, he went straight into working in the docks and was in the offices working for the trades unions.

“Throughout his career he did a lot for hospitals because they had helped his mum and he was very grateful for that. I think, rather sadly, by the time it got to the stage where he parted company with the whips’ office because he didn’t get on with Jim Callaghan, if it had been Michael Foot who had won the leadership then he would have been in still. Then the politics of Labour moved and it didn’t suit him, so he actually left the Labour Party a bit unceremoniously, which is a shame because he was a really good man and a good father.”

Both Bob and his fellow MPs are a colourful bunch and Martin said: “You don’t get particularly characterful politicians any more. You get a couple and they are made fun of like Boris Johnson. I think he would fit in the 70s. But generally speaking they are all clean and very careful about what they say and how they say it. I think it’s a bit of a shame, but I do think an element of passion will come through into politics again through the younger generation – I’m hopeful.”

Most of the cast paid a visit to the House of Commons in the run-up to rehearsals. “I couldn’t go to Parliament, but most of the cast did. I had been before so I knew the feel of it - there’s an element of school to it,” Martin said.

He was aged ten to 14 during the period in which the play is set. “I do remember that time a little bit, the music references and I knew about Jeremy Thorpe. I knew the Prime Minster was changing at the time, but I don’t remember a hung parliament. So it is informative. It was a really interesting tense time for politics, and all these other things are going on in the background.

There’s a referendum on going in or staying out of Europe and there’s chaos and a hung parliament, and that’s very topical.”

He finds the tactics used by the whips interesting as they endeavour to get what they refer to as the ‘odds and sods’ to vote with them. “I’m sure they don’t use the same tactics now, but there was talk of physical bullying. Isn’t it strange - you are going back 30 to 40 years and you would have thought by 2018 it would have been a thing of the past, but we are still struggling with it?”

So do audiences need a political understanding to enjoy the play? Martin thinks not: “Younger generations who don’t know that period have really enjoyed it because it is about characters, it’s about humanity – it’s about people and how they cope and how they deal with it.”

With 19 actors in the cast, the action moves quickly and energetically. “When the votes are called there’s only a short time to get everyone thorough the lobbies, and it’s not about getting everyone to tick a box.

They have to come down the stairs and physically go through the lobbies. If they don’t want to vote because they don’t agree, then the whips have to go and chase them and bring them down. As a result of that energy, it is very funny. It’s interesting the different laughs we get in different venues,” Martin said.

He is a man who likes his comedy. Born to a Spanish father and English mother and raised in Coventry, Martin worked as a personal trainer and a barman before becoming an actor. He and his brother, John, who acted alongside him in Hotel Babylon and also in Doc Martin, are known as The Brothers Marquez and have performed their much acclaimed comedy theatre show at Edinburgh and the Soho Theatre in London; while the comedy genes continue in his daughter, Ramona Marquez, who played the endearing Karen Brockman in the awardwinning BBC sitcom Outnumbered.

Martin also gets to show off his singing talent in This House too with a David Bowie number performed in the second half with the live band.

While he enjoys touring, Norwich is the one venue on the This House UK Tour tour schedule that he has never visited. “It’s been put on the map with Alan Partridge hasn’t it?” he jokes, but then reveals that he nearly became a student in the city. “I nearly went to the UEA to study English and American Literature as it had a very good course for that. So I envisaged myself being in Norwich, but it didn’t happen.”

CELEBRITY

From head barman to political bruiser Judy Foster speaks to

MARTIN MARQUEZ

THIS HOUSE

Tuesday to Saturday, 8-12 May, 2018, 7.30pm nightly with 2.30pm matinees on Thursday & Saturday.

Tickets £8-£28.50. Discounts for Friends & Corporate Club, Over-60s, Under-18s and Groups. Captioned performance on Thursday 10 May at 2.30pm. Onstage seating at £21 per person is available for each performance but limited to 18 people per show please call the box office for more information www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk 49

| MAY 2018

Flamboyant yet private Freddie Mercury was something of an enigma. He was born in what is now known as Tanzania, then the Sultanate of Zanzibar. A British citizen he came to the UK when his family fled the 1964 Zanzibar Revolution.

He graduated in Art and Graphic Design from Ealing Art College, held down a job at Heathrow Airport and ran a second hand clothes stall on Kensington Market.

Freddie’s personal life was complicated. His romantic relationship with long term girl friend Mary Austin ended in 1976, but he thought of her as his best friend and ‘common law wife’ until the end. He left his house to her.

Freddie died in November 1991. His friend Dave Clark of the Dave Clark Five was with him. He passed away in the evening of the 24th.

In the early hours of the 25th the media were full of the news. By the 27th a Zoroastrian priest had conducted his funeral service. Thing had always moved quickly in Freddie’s life. So they did in death. There will always be unanswered questions and mysteries about him, but here are ten things you quite possibly didn’t know about Freddie Mercury.

4

AND THEN...

In April 1970 Freddie met a couple of chaps who had been in another short lived band called Smile. They were Brian May and Roger Taylor. By the time they’d met John Deacon they had a band. There were some reservations on the part of the management company but Freddie was insistent. The new band would be called ‘Queen’.

5

FREDDIE, KENNY, AND THE BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY THING.

In 1974 Freddie was a guest on Kenny Everett’s Capital Radio Breakfast Show.

They got on famously. The following year Freddie visited Kenny, and took with him an advance copy of a record called ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. Everett was initially worried that, at over six minutes, the single was too long for radio stations to play. When he heard it he was enthralled. Capital not accepting the track didn’t stop Kenny. Constantly referring on air to a record that ‘he had but couldn’t play’ he broadcast the single ‘accidentally’. ‘Oops’ he would say, ‘my finger slipped’. Indeed!

On one day he played Bohemian Rhapsody ‘accidentally’ 36 times. At Capital Radio the switchboard was jammed. People were demanding to know when the record was going to be released. Kenny’s friendship with Freddie had ‘accidentally’ propelled ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ towards legendary status.

6

AND THERE WAS ANOTHER ACCIDENT… which in truth Freddie

probably regretted. On December 1st 1976 Freddie went to the dentist. He wasn’t a regular attender; this was his first appointment in fifteen years. The overdue visit made him sufficiently uncomfortable to cancel the band’s scheduled appearance on that

50

1

He was born, on September 5th 1946, as Farrokh Bulsara. It was when he was at St. Peter’s, a Mumbai boarding school for boys, that he started to call himself Fred, or Freddie, Bulsara. In 1970 he legally changed his full name to Freddie Mercury.

2

3

LIVERPOOL!

It’s sometimes overlooked now but Freddie’s first forays into the British scene took him to Liverpool. It was a bit later than Beatlemania but, in 1969, in the legendary centre of pop, Freddie joined local band Ibex, who would go on to rename themselves Wreckage. Living in a flat over a pub our hero worked at the gigs and the dates but Wreckage were not destined for the big time. Neither was Sour Milk Sea, the next outfit that Freddie took up with. By the start of 1970 they too were consigned to the long list of ‘might have beens’.

AND ANOTHER ONE! Freddie’s

famous use of what’s become known as the ‘bottomless mic’ was the result of another accident. Fairly early on in Queen’s touring days, and half way through a show, Mr Mercury’s mic stand snapped in half. Undaunted, he carried on. He liked the way it looked, so he kept on doing it for the rest of his performing career.

8

THE MUSIC BEGINS.

In 1959. At the age of 12, and still at St. Peter’s, Freddie formed a band. ‘The Hectics’ played cover versions of Little Richard - and Cliff Richard! Friends from the time recall what he was obviously an innate talent. Freddie had an uncanny ability ‘to listen to the radio and replay what he heard on piano.’

evening’s episode of the talk show ‘Today’.

They’d been due there to promote their new album, ‘A Day at the Races’. Anxious not to miss any promotional opportunity their label, EMI, sent instead their new signing; a band called The Sex Pistols.

Somewhat ‘relaxed’ by copious amounts of free drink The Sex Pistols found themselves faced by a (legend has it, equally ‘relaxed’) confrontational host in Bill Grundy. He goaded them. They retaliated with obscene language. Within minutes The Sex Pistols were catapulted into notoriety. The ‘establishment’ Grundy who had sought to show them up had effectively launched their careers and wrecked his own. Simultaneously, the gap between the punk ethos and the rock star world of Queen was defined in a moment... and all because Freddie Mercury went to the dentist.

7

THE NAME.

THAT VOICE. Freddie Mercury’s vocal

range extended from bass low F (F2) to soprano high F (F6). He could reach tenor high F (F5). It was a voice that

caused interest. In 2016 Professor Christian Herbst led a research team who wanted to explore its appeal. They studied ‘vocal samples’ from ‘23 commercially available Queen Recordings, his solo work, and a series of interviews of the late artist’. They also used ‘an endoscopic video camera to study a rock singer brought in to imitate Mercury’s singing voice’.

9

FREDDIE AND THE CATS. Not the

name of a band, but an important part of Freddie’s personal life. He loved his cats and at one point had ten. He wrote songs for them. He had their portraits painted.

And when he was on tour he ‘phoned his cats.

Every day.

10

THE MAN KNEW HOW TO PARTY!

On September 5th 1987 Freddie Mercury celebrated his 41st birthday.

There were 700 guests. Held at the Pikes Hotel on Ibizia the party has been described as ‘the most incredible example of excess the Mediterranean island had ever seen.. .’ The original cake collapsed and was replaced with a sponge showing the notes to ‘Barcelona’. It was two metres long. When the bill for the party was presented to Queen’s manager it included the cost for broken wine glasses…… 232 of them.

10

TEN THINGS

P ET E G OOD RUM’S mo n th l y l oo k a t s om e o f t h e l e s s e r kn ow n fa ct s o f ro ck a n d po p…

ThiMniggs ht You not Know AbOut:

FREDDIE MERCURY 51

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INGR EDIEN TS: (MAK ES ONE) • 25ml Earl Grey Syrup

• 25ml Gin

• 15ml Shot Orange Blossom Water

ing • Top up with Nyetimber (Or any other white sparkl you might fancy or have in your fridge)

TO MAKE THE EARL GREY SYRU P • 2 Tbsp of Loose Earl Grey Tea (We use Blue Lady from Wilkinson’s in Norwich)

• 200g White Sugar • 200ml Water

heat on a Put all the ingredients into a sauce pan and medium heat until simmering. allow to cool Once simmering remove from the heat and lid or a bowl a with tub plastic a into er transf slightly, then with the and cling film and allow to cool fully in the fridge lid on so the syrup infuses. le.

Strain the syrup through a sieve into a little bott

TO MAKE THE COCK TAIL

Grey Syrup, In a cocktail shaker with ice, pour in the Earl Gin and Orange Blossom Water and shake for approximately 10 seconds.

Strain into a coupe glass or a glass of your choice (A vintage tea cup would also look nice!)

Top up with Nyetimber to add a little sparkle. h with Garnish with an edible flower or you could garnis s to hand. orange zest if you don’t have any edible flower

58

COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH

T H E ROYA L E A R L GR E Y

We are in the month of May and the event of the year is fast approaching, no I don’t mean the FA Cup Final I’m talking about the Royal Wedding!

It will be taking place on Saturday 19th May in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, as with many other Royal events the whole country (as well as many others) are buzzing with excitement!Neighbourhoods up and down the UK will be hanging the bunting, finding every chair in the house to line up along the tressel tables and constructing the gazebos in preparation for the inevitable British weather.

The tables will be laden with cucumber sandwiches, scones, tea cakes, trifles and of course a tipple or two ready to celebrate with the neighbours.

For a very British cocktail combine the Royal Family’s love of a good brew with English Sparkling wine and a touch of gin perfect for sipping whilst the celebrations are in full swing and you’re all listening to the rain patter on the gazebo!

Photography by KATJA BAINBRIDGE

Restaurant Manager at Benedicts Restaurant in Norwich www.restaurantbenedicts.com info@restaurantbenedicts.com or call 01603 926080

Photography by KATJA BAINBRIDGE

Maddy Johnson

RECIPE

Richard Bainbridge

V IC T OR I A SP ONGE

is the chef proprietor of Benedicts Restaurant in Norwich www.restaurantbenedicts.com info@restaurantbenedicts.com or call 01603 926080

May to me is the start of summer, with May Day celebrations, the Maypole, Village Fetes and the days getting warmer. A staple at all village fetes is the ‘Bake Off’ competition where the nerves are high and you can cut the tensions between families and friends with a knife. The Victoria Sponge is the nemesis of so many with its iconic layers of jam and buttercream and lighter than air sponge. This cake represents everything

that is British like our ever lasting hope for long warm Summers. So if you want to be a contender, a marvel to family and friends at your next village fete then this is the recipe for you. My little twist is to use a Genoise sponge as it is quick, easy, light and tastes delicious!

So “Here-here” to the Royal Wedding, “Here-here” to British Summer time and “Here-here” to the ever victorious Victoria sponge cake!

FOR THE SPON GE INGR EDIEN TS: • 250g Plain Flour

• 8 Medium Eggs

• 250g Caster Sugar

• 60g Salted Butter (Melted)

Pre heat oven to 190°c Place eggs and sugar into a Kenwood bowl and whisk for about 12 minutes or until it has doubled in size and leaves a thick ribbon trail. Lightly sift the flour into the bowl and delicately fold in with a plastic spatula, then add the melted butter.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, once cooked remove from the oven onto a cooling rack covered with a cloth.

FO R TH E BU TT ER CR EA M IC IN G IN GR ED IEN TS : • 140g Butter (Soften

• 280g Icing Sugar

ed)

• 1-2 Tbsp Milk Beat the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add half of the icing sugar and beat until smooth.

Add the remaining icing sugar and one tablespoon of the milk and beat the mixture until cre amy and smooth then beat in the res t of the milk.

For the Jam Homemade is always best but if not I recommend Bo nne Maman Strawberry Jam.

TO ASSE MBLE

Slice your sponge into thirds spreading the jam on one layer then the buttercream on top and repeat on another layer leaving one without for the top layer.

Garnish with fresh raspberries and dust the top with icing sugar.

59

| MAY 2018

STEM GINGER

Now that the summer evenings are on their way Peter Clarke head chef of the Imperial Hotel cooks up a delicious dessert to impress your guests this May

60

CITRUS SAUCE GRATED DARK CHOCOLATE AND BERRIES

Photography by MALCOLM HIRST

e k a c e Chees

ta, polenta, sant, whitepolen lklkphea leg,white Confititleg, Breas sant,Conf phea Norfo ofNorfo tof BreastSTEM GINGER CHEESECAKE jus berry black a nuts jus Berries berry and , ,hazle a black and black nutsand hazle es berries Citrus Sauce, Grated Dark Chocolate blackberri SIX METHOD IENTS SIX SERVES INGRED IENTS Breast of SERVES Norfolk INGRED

ee ter Pe Clar arkke Peter Clark terCl Pe head chef utive exec e head executiv head chef utive exec ofofthe the ELEL RIAL HOTEL IMPE LHOT IMPERIA HOT RIAL IMPE chef head outh e executiv Yarm t th Grea Yarmou inin Great Yarmouth in Great

Peter Clarke

RECIPE RECIPE RECIPE RECIPE

pheasant, Confit leg, white polenta,

fridgefat, to set for at pepper least 3 hours but ideally Whiz the digestive biscuits up in a food and salt duck • •Thyme, pepper t legs and salt pheasan 44 and duck fat, t breasts •blackberries ,add hazlenuts and aThyme, blackberry jus legsin pheasan and t breasts overnight. processor and the butter,t put a pheasan •4 4pheasan Oil For the citrus sauce, place everything into cheesecake mould or ring and bake for 4• • each ries Oil • •3 blackber each SIX ries 3 blackber INGREDIENTS a medium saucepan and bring to the minutesSERVES in an oven at 1800c. Once they come the onon cut and peeled carrots sized heritage 3 • the cut and peeled s • 3 heritage roasted • •40g s cool and then transfer to hazelnut boil. carrots Continue to boil at a lower heat until out ofhazelnut the oven let roasted 40g

• 4 pheasant breasts and 4 pheasant legs

. . and pepper lozenges into • slant Thyme, duck fat, salt lozenges into slant

the sauce is of thick syrup consistency. Place fridgeflour( until quick they are cold. Meanwhile place cook) • •6 6ozozpolenta cook) flour( quick polenta with sieved and pureed Oil • 3 blackberries eachcream in a bowl and whisk to •• • blackber 12 in aries bowl and reserve for serving withbut do not the double sieved and pureed ries blackber 12 n n bowl place the cream1tbsp ofrefrigerate. parmesa grated ofsoft ozoz • •2.5 water parmesa To serve place the grated peaks.

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of the citrus sauce to the berries per portion

milk 12 blackberries pureed and sieved ofof a pint •• •Half shoots pea milk and distribute neatly on thewith plate. Drizzle •• •25g stem ginger and incorporate until pint Half shoots 2.5 oz a ofchopped grated parmesan pea 25g of the 1tbsp ofyour water citrus sauce around the plate. Grate the evenly distributed.

Place the whipped double erer butt oz •• •4 IMPERIAL HOTEL butt oz 1.54 pints of water chocolate the plate on top of the cream into the cream cheese and fold • 2 pint beef stock over reduced to 1/2and a pint in Great Yarmouth cheesecake and enjoy. together.

Half a pint of milkFill the moulds up and place in the INGREDIENTS MAKES SIX INDIVIDUAL •METHOD • 25g pea shootsa trying pan on capable if taking 4 METHOD put Next aa inin place and put a trying pan on capable if taking 4 thyme and Next fat duck place •Take 4 ozthe butt er and thyme and fat duck the Take and add 1 tbsp of oil, heat up

• 150g digestive biscuits • 50g butter • 200ml double cream • 400g full fat cream cheese • 4tbsp ginger syrup • 8 pieces stem ginger pieces in syrup finely chopped Citrus sauce • 2 lemons juice and zest • 3 oranges juice and zest • 1 lime juice and zest • 1oz sugar

To Serve • 4 raspberries, 4 blueberries and 2 blackberries per portion and grated dark chocolate

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t tchefs ofofbrillian • •AAteam chefs brillian team A team of brilliant chefs list wine •Superb wine Superb •Superb wine list list here atmosp ck Laid-ba •Laid-back here atmosp ck • Laid-baatmosphere perfect restaurant for dinner or

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www.cafecru.co.uk www.cafecru.co.uk

www.cafecru.co.uk

- 2pm 12.30 Sunday Sunday 12.30 - 2pm - 2pm 12.30 Sunday - 10pm 6.30 - Saturday Monday Monday - Saturday 6.30 - 10pm - 10pm 6.30 - Saturday Monday daily. is isopen TheThe Terrace is open daily.

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59 61 5959

THE HOURGL ASS

BAR & RESTAURANT Sculthorpe, Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 9QD

The Hourglass is situated in the Village of Sculthorpe a mile away from the market town of Fakenham.

This village pub was transformed in 2007 into a contemporary open plan restaurant which serves both lunch and dinner, offering traditional cuisine with the odd modern twist.

SUNDAY LUNCH from £12.95

Served between 12.30pm and 3pm MKTP&F18

SPECIAL OFFER Book a table for Sunday Lunch before 31st August to receive a ‘2 for 1’ Golf green fee voucher (Cut out this advertisement and hand to the Brasserie team to receive your voucher) Office use, please return to Marketing Team

Book your table on 01603 759393 or online: www.barnham-broom.co.uk BRASSERIE AT BARNHAM BROOM, HONINGHAM ROAD, NORWICH, NORFOLK NR9 4DD

0 1 3 28 8 5 6 74 4

WWW.THEHOUR-GLASS.CO.UK

SAVOUR

EVERY MOMENT

With our delicious frozen meals and desserts, prepared by award-winning chefs and delivered free by your local team, you’ve more time to enjoy doing the things you love.

For your free brochure visit wiltshirefarmfoods.com or call

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OVER 300 DELICIOUS DISHES FREE FRIENDLY DELIVERY TRUSTED LOCAL SERVICE

WFF070 Local Press A5L v2.indd 1

19/01/2018 12:08

ADVERTORIAL

Bespoke & Handmade Eric Bates and Sons Ltd is an independent family run business specialising in bespoke handmade kitchens, interiors and furniture a l l m a n u f a c t u r e d i n o u r f a c t o r y i n Ho v e t o n , No r f o l k .

S

o what makes us different?

Firstly, everything is customer lead. From your initial enquiry that may come through our website or from a visit to our beautiful kitchen and interiors showroom on Station Business Park, time is taken to get to know you, your likes and dislikes, how you see your project developing and how you want your room to function in your day-to-day life.

Building this relationship is at the core of what you can expect from Eric Bates and Sons.

Secondly, quality is key. Materials used to build the furniture are researched thoroughly and quality controlled to ensure that only the best is good enough. You will be made aware of the best materials available to ensure the highest quality end product that will give many years’ service. We also work closely with suppliers of other items used such as appliances, sinks and taps, granite or other worktops to ensure that our standards are equalled in all arears of the project.

Thirdly, our service. We manage all areas of your project in-house, if you wish we can project manage everything for you including contractors for any minor building work, plastering, plumbing and electrical work. Our fitters are trained by us ensuring that our high standards of craftsmanship continue throughout the entire project.

We can scribe your units to walls, ceilings, coving and skirting board to create a seamless finish in any room regardless of the age or style of property.

And finally, our after sales service. We want you to always love your room and to ensure this we will return after a six-week settling-in period and check all doors and drawers are running smoothly. We will also inspect the finish and make any adjustments necessary. We pride ourselves on the longevity of our furniture and are happy to assist in the future with any issues that may occur.

The standards that we set ourselves are applied to all our furniture, be it kitchen units, fitted wardrobes, vanity units, beds, dining tables or occasional furniture. Our reputation is built on everything you have read and we would welcome the opportunity to work with you on your next project, large or small.

Our showroom is open Monday to Saturday 10am – 4pm at Unit 2 Station Business Park, Horning Road West, Hoveton, NR12 8QJ. No appointment is necessary and we look forward to seeing you…

63

| MAY 2018

y k c o R s m o t t o B

Mark Nicholls enjoys the seafood flavours of the Norfolk coast at

RESTAURANT REVIEW

S

ummer lunchtime by the coast; for me,

it has to be a crab salad.

Some may describe it as a combination made in heaven, but what us is certain is that it is a treat perfectly sourced and served in Norfolk.

I stopped by Rocky Bottoms, a cosy crab and lobster café near West Runton owned and run by Ali and Richard Matthews, for a spot of lunch on a warm spring day to savour one of Norfolk’s finest foods.

With provenance of food of the utmost importance nowadays, another big plus for RBs – as it is known – is that the food served up by owner Ali and her staff will have been freshly-caught hours earlier by Richard, who has been fishing for crab and lobster off the North Norfolk coast for the best part of 40 years.

It is with this in mind that I took my seat in their eaterie, a sturdy little building with its own history.

Originally a brick kiln dating from the 1800s, it closed down in the mid-20th century and was later used as agricultural storage until it became derelict. Discovered by Richard and Ali a few years ago, it was revived and transformed into a restaurant in May 2015 to quickly become one of the more popular seafood spots along the North Norfolk coastline.

Rocky Bottoms has tables inside as well as dining al fresco, from where you can gaze out over the sea and the source of the food on your plate.

The menu is simple, yet varied, and sticks enthusiastically to its fresh seafood ethos, with crab and lobster the basis of the signature dishes.

When it comes to dining on the coast, I feel very loyal to crab and duly ordered the excellent Weybourne King Crab Salad with buttered chive new potatoes and homemade lemon mayo (£14). Not only was it deliciously tasty, the accompanying salad was lovely and fresh and with an irresistible dressing.

I had started with the pan friend garlic king prawns for £7.50, which is also available as a main course at £12.95.

Fellow diners were tucking in to grilled half lobsters, either with garlic butter or Thai style (£19), while other options included fish cakes; crab, garlic and chilli linguine; beer battered cod; and ‘Tart of the Catch’.

There’s also a specials menu with dishes such as salmon and king prawn laksa; king prawn, crab and samphire tart; or a warm salad of roasted beetroot, braised fennel and smoke sea trout.

There are light lunches, sandwiches – such as the lovely whole crab sandwich or posh fish finger ciabatta – and a children’s menu as well as desserts, including lemon cheese cake and Rocky’s sticky toffee pudding.

With a range of soft and hot drinks, diners have the option to bring in their own alcohol at £2.50 per person with glasses provided.

Richard’s fishing boat, the Anna-Gail, is a traditional doubleended crab boat and one of the few remaining traditional fishing boats on local waters today.

On return from fishing, Richard boils the crabs and lobsters and Ali dresses them ready for the table, with head chef James Fitzpatrick working alongside sous chefs, trainee manager Joseph Gasse-Coope and a team of waitresses.

RBs also provides a number of other local businesses with Weybourne crabs and lobsters and the restaurant also has a takeaway service with customers often dropping in for a fresh crab to take home.

The takeaway seafood counter is open from 10am daily and dining at Rocky Bottoms from 12noon to 5pm and until 8pm on Friday and Saturday evenings when surf and turf (with a 6oz steak) is available between 6-8pm.

With the restaurant overlooking the sea, the philosophy is of serving up fresh crab and lobsters for customers that love to “eat, drink and enjoy the view” in a true (lobster) pot to plate experience.

And as the weather warms, what better taste of summer in Norfolk is there than eating crab and lobster caught freshly offshore a few miles away.

For more information: Rocky Bottoms, Cromer Road, West Runton, Norfolk, NR27 9QA. To book, call 01263 837359 and visit www.rockybottoms.co.uk for more information.

65

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DINING OUT AROUND THE WORLD

| MAY 2018

World

DINING OUT AROUND THE

The diversity in dining opportunities in Norfolk & Suffolk mean that you could eat around the world and try something new every week of the year.

F

rom traditional African stews to the best modern British cuisine and street food style eating, our two counties have plenty to shout about.

Norfolk and Suffolk both offer a fantastic array of eateries from fine dining experiences and traditional pubs to farm cafe’s and tea rooms, taste wonderful local produce from this region of culinary excellence.

Both counties are famous for enjoying a good night out and the quality of the restaurants is bound to be an important aspect for foodies alike. Both counties have a great deal to offer when it comes to food from Chinese to Greek and Italian to Thai, Indian to Vietnamese as well as pub classics like Fish and Chips and a good old Sunday Roast.

We have a wonderful array of cosmopolitan restaurants in both counties which goes to show how the British palate is now thoroughly stimulated with a huge range of tastes from around the world.

Norfolk proudly boasts two Michelin-starred restaurants Morston Hall in Holt and Neptune in Hunstanton, but did you know there are 26 other eateries in the county which have received recognition from Michelin? A number of these restaurants feature in a section of the guide which is known as Bib Gourmand and highlights eateries that offer “exceptional good food at moderate prices” and to qualify they have to serve menu items below a set price.

Suffolk also boasts a wide range of fine dining options, from classis English pubs serving homemade pub classics, light-bites and traditional Sunday roasts to fine dining restaurants. Suffolk may not be blessed with Michelin stars but when it comes to great eating places and cooking with fresh local ingredients they can compete with anyone.

Anyone seeking delicious, high quality, a la Carte French cuisine in beautiful and interesting locations in Suffolk

are in for a real treat with the following three restaurants.

The Mariners Restaurant in Ipswich, The Maison Bleue Restaurant in the heart of the beautiful and historic town of Bury St Edmunds and The Great House Restaurant & Hotel in Laveneham which has been owned and run by Martine and Regis Crepy since 1985 Cosmo brings an authentic tour of the world’s most loved dishes to Norwich. The restaurant is conveniently located in London Street just a short walk away from intu Chapelfield shopping centre, Norwich Cathedral and Norwich Theatre Royal, making it the perfect pit stop.

Cosmo’s authentic world kitchen was inspired by some of the best five star hotels in the world and brought world cuisine together under one roof elevating the buffet concept to new levels.

The restaurant serves up more than 150 dishes from around the world including China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Mongolia, Singapore, Vietnam, England and India. Examples of dishes include sushi, sweet and sour pork, pizza, salmon fillet in black bean sauce and Chicken Korma. For dessert you can enjoy bite sized morsels of homemade cakes, comforting puddings, creamy profiteroles, fresh fruit and gelato galore.

For just one fixed price you can experience eight live cooking stations and take your pick from over 150 dishes.

If you enjoy Indian cuisine then you will love Planet Spice.

You can be assured of a warm welcome at Planet Spice and be greeted by relaxed and comfortable surroundings, tempted by an unrivalled range of authentic and imaginative dishes, which are prepared by the restaurants caring chef using only the highest quality ingredients.

Established in 2010 in a picturesque village of Ormesby St. Margaret, in the heart of the Norfolk Broads, Plant Spice 67

CLOSEST BAR & RESTAURANT TO THE QUAY 2 MINUTES FROM TOWN CENTRE. Family and dog friendly with sunny beer garden pizza collection available.

See oakfired.co.uk for menu Open Monday to Saturday 12-2.30 pm & 5-9.30 pm and Sunday 12-5.30pm

Oakfired at Royal Oak 35 Ravensmere, Beccles, NR34 9DH | 00502 770000

Olive Garden RESTAURANT Mediterranean & Greek Dining We have our very own function room available for hire Availability for up to 50 people with set menus tailor made

01493 444 779

68 High Street, Gorleston, NR31 6RQ

www.olivegardengorleston.co.uk

DINING OUT AROUND THE WORLD brings to you a new concept in culinary fare.

At Planet Spice their approach is for healthy eating. No food additives are used in their dishes. Indeed most of the herbs and spices they use in their kitchen are natural and organic, and are freshly ground to maintain natural flavours and aromas with all dishes being made fresh to order to suit your taste.

If Mediterranean style dishes are your taste then you will love The Olive Garden restaurant in Gorleston, friendly service, relaxed atmosphere and at the same time capturing the essence of Cyprus.

The chef’s father grew up in a small village in Cyprus and absorbed a real passion for food from a very young age.

His father’s love of bringing people together to enjoy a meal certainly rubbed off. The ethos at The Olive Garden is to use locally sourced produce, prepared using authentic recipes.

Specialties include Greek and Cypriot food as both senior chefs originate from the beautiful island of Cyprus.

The Olive Garden Restaurant was established in Great Yarmouth in 200 then moved to its current location on Gorleston High Street in 2016.

The new premises offer a larger capacity, a private dining room and much improved customer parking facilities. Well worth a visit.

If you like Thai cuisine then the Crawfish Thai Restaurant near Fakenham is a must for you as they prepare their dishes with the finest ingredients obtained from Thailand.

On the menu you will find seasoned Kaffir lime leaves, Thai basil, Pandun leaf and other essential Thai ingredients. The combination of classical Thai authentic seasoning combined

with fresh local produce gives the chefs the freedom to create an extraordinary array of distinctive dishes, from the pleasantly mild to the intensely spicy. So no matter what your palate is, their dishes are freshly cooked just to your liking.

Built in 1833 The Crawfish Inn located on the main Fakenham to Holt Road (A148) is the only public house in Thursford Village. As a Free House they have a wide range of drinks to suit your taste from local cask Ales to a popular range of draught beers.

A recent newspaper review on The Copper Smokehouse at Oulton Broad headed up the article “A meat spectacular that will leave your taste buds dancing for joy” With a headline like that it will come as no surprise that the menu is loaded with meat, meat and then more meat, however they also cater well for vegetarians. For those meat lovers amongst you the portions are on the rather large size.

A 6oz surf and turf is priced at £18 and an 8oz Sirloin or Rib Eye is priced at £19.The sharing Combo for two is a popular

choice - the meat range on the menu includes sliced brisket, barbecue ribs, pulled pork, smoked sausage, burnt ends, chicken wings, beans, fries, corn and slaw and is priced at £18 per person. The reviews on The Copper Smokehouse are good, so we would say this is well worth a visit at some point soon.

Formerly the UK’s first public subscription library, this wonderful listed building is now home to the Library Restaurant in Guildhall Hill, Norwich. Boasting a plethora of fantastic food, cocktails and wine, and the Library’s codirectors Nigel & Jayne Raffles’ biggest project to date.

This stunning building is rich with historic features and boasts a large lounge, bar and brasserie. There is also an outside courtyard, perfect for alfresco dining, where food is cooked on a specially imported, wood fired grill.

The a La Carte menu offers a variety of beautifully presented dishes to satisfy every palate. Many menu items are cooked on a specially imported wood-fired grill and feature quality local produce from across Norfolk.

The menu includes succulent locally sourced hand cut steaks, homemade and wood grilled burgers, pan fried sea trout to vegetarian dishes including baked Vietnamese eggs with toasted peanuts and crispy baked shallots.

When it comes to a good old fashioned traditional British meal then you will have to go a long way to beat fish and chips. It is the undisputed National dish of Great Britain, instantly recognisable the World over... hence the saying “As British as fish and Chips”. The origins of Fish and Chips appear to be around the mid 19th century, closely associated with the industrial revolution, which lead to many changes in Britain including the British palate. Its popularity has never really changed and is still a hugely popular original and affordable takeaway.

Fishers of Hunstanton are a proud family run restaurant with a great reputation for serving freshly caught local fish.

When you visit their restaurant you can be assured you will be greeted with a warm friendly welcome from the staff and family, and award winning fish and chips ready and waiting for you.

Over the course of 40 years Fishers of Hunstanton have built a reputation for providing excellent fresh food for both their takeaway and restaurant customers.

69

S3302 Places and Faces LSA v1.qxp_Layout 1 11/03/2018 19:49 Page 1

Relax and unwind on the North Norfolk coast

OPEN AT 12 POTTERGATE IN THE NORWICH LANES, TOFUREI IS A RELAXING VEGAN COFFEE SHOP AND ‘GRAB ‘N’ GO’ Showcasing output from the UK’s first shop based micro soya dairy and our unique vegan deli-counter with soysages, burgers as well as tofu.

Le Strange Brasserie Dinner, Sunday Lunch

Oak Bar

Ancient Mariner

Light bites, Afternoon Tea

Real ales, good pub food, outside seating

GOLF COURSE ROAD, OLD HUNSTANTON, NORFOLK, PE36 6JJ

Tel: 01485 534 411 E: reception@lestrangearms.co.uk

www.lestrangearms.co.uk

The New Forge is located on the Norwich road just outside Aylsham town centre next to the Garden Centre.

English & Thai menus available Also Carvery Roast on Sundays - 12-3pm

Free samples usually available for you to try before you buy.

You’ll also find our tofu and tofu products on the menu in a number of fine establishments in and around Norwich.

12 POTTERGATE, NORWICH, NR2 1DS 01603 627717 · TOFUREI.CO.UK

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Easters is a family run fruit, vegetable & dairy wholesaler operating in the heart of Norwich city-centre.

Our bespoke hand-prepared vegetable service is unique and we are committed to supplying local produce in all categories and whenever possible. Our customers choose us because we supply good quality fresh products and provide a reliable and unbeatable service.

EASTERS OF NORWICH, 156-158 NORTHUMBERLAND ST, NORWICH, NORFOLK, NR2 4EE ¡ 01603 622890

| MAY 2018 THE ASSEMBLY HOUSE Designed by architect Thomas Ivory in 1754, no expense was spared in the construction of The Assembly House and while historians view it as one of the most important buildings in Norwich, Some would simply describe it as the most beautiful venue in Norfolk.

The Grade I-listed splendour of the House is evident from the moment you approach the sweeping driveway and, once inside, there is romance hidden around every corner. From the sparkling chandeliers that make evenings glitter to the gorgeous gardens where you can sip ice-cold drinks or comforting hot chocolates, the 11 luxury bedrooms packed with sumptuous details to the glamorous dining room where they serve Afternoon Tea, their aim is to exceed your expectations every time you visit. www.assemblyhousenorwich.co.uk

Staycation

BOUNDARY FARM GLAMPING On site, two luxury safari tents have real beds, hot running water and are comfortably furnished to sleep up to 5 guests. It’s only a short drive to the beautiful coastal villages of Aldeburgh and Southwold.

It is in a peaceful setting with wide open views over fields and woods and, as there are only two safari tents on site, you have a lovely feeling of privacy and space.

Each of the two luxury Safari tents sleep up to 5 guest and are south facing for maximum sun.

The interiors are comfortably furnished and well laid out so you can make the most of the indoor and outdoor living space. They have a fully equipped kitchen and a cosy woodburner to take the chill off during the cooler months.

Inside there are proper beds with all the bedding you need plus a private shower with hot running water and separate flushing loo at the rear of the safari tent so no need to share facilities with anyone, it’s all there. A touch of luxury in rural surroundings is available here! www.boundaryfarm.co.uk WILD LUXURY GLAMPING IN NORTH NORFOLK Wild Luxury, the original UK wild glamping company is exactly what you would expect in North Norfolk’s beautiful open unspoilt countryside with all the creature comforts you enjoy at home. As a family-owned business they pride themselves on offering guests an amazing stay in beautifully wild places. Their luxury VIP safari lodges are fantastically spacious and fully equipped with great kitchens, warm ranges, comfortable bedrooms, flushing loos and power showers and can sleep between 6 and 10 guests. Many families have been returning year-on-year since they opened in 2011. www.wildluxury.co.uk

THE GREAT HOUSE , LAVENHAM This highly renowned restaurant-withrooms delights its guests with award-winning modern French cuisine and a handful of beautifully designed five-star bedrooms.

Experience award-winning French cuisine, The Great House offers an exquisite dining experience. General Manager Thierry Pennec and Executive Chef, Guillaume Dericq have a

philosophy about food: ‘Colour, balance and contrast. Honest flavours that truly express the ingredients, simple, traditional cooking with a modern approach. Food does not need to be an expression of fashion but, rather, a tasteful and unpretentious expression of flavours, characterised by the availability of seasonal ingredients’. www.greathouse.co.uk

MORSTON HALL It is located 2 miles from Blakeney on the North Norfolk coast. Morston Hall has won great praises from regional and national press, including East Anglia Small Hotel of the Year, for its outstanding cuisine and high standard of accommodation.

All rooms are ensuite, most with flat screen, freeview televisions and some with tilevision in the bathrooms, all have tea/coffee making facilities. Prices are on a per person basis and include our set dinner menu (changing daily) with coffee and homemade chocolates and a full English breakfast. www.morstonhall.com 73

| MAY 2018

Travel

HOTEL CALA DI VOLPE, PORTO CERVO, COSTA SMERALDA SARDINIA Lying on the most strikingly romantic stretch of the Costa Smeralda, Cala Di Volpe hotel resembles a charming fishing village, with its picturesque Sardinian houses and landing stage jutting out into a sea of translucent turquoise, emerald green and deepest azure. Each of the 100 sea-view rooms and 21 suites pays tribute to Sardinia’s unique artistry and natural beauty. The minimal chic decor is inspired by traditional Sardinian workmanship. And for an even more exclusive ambience, the Presidential Suite, with three bedrooms, two lounges, a steam bath, one private heated swimming pool and a stunning view of the emerald bay. In 1976 Bar Pontile was the setting for the movie 007, The Spy Who Loved Me with Roger Moore and Barbara Bach. After so many years, there are still many of James Bond fans who come seeking the suite of the most famous spy in the world with an airy lounge that is very popular amongst hotel guests and a space for exclusive events such as Porto Cervo Fashion Week. www.caladivolpe.com INVERDOORN GAME RESERVE AND IZIBA SAFARI LODGE Sprawling across 10,000 hectares in the Ceres Karoo, Inverdoorn Game Reserve and Iziba Safari Lodge is situated two and a half hours from Cape Town. The reserve is home to an abundance of wildlife, including the Big Five and offers thrilling safaris and the best luxury accommodation. As a conservation stronghold, Inverdoorn strives to save threatened species and return animals to their natural habitat. This is evident from the rescue stories of animals that now roam free on the reserve. In 2012, Inverdoorn introduced elephants into the reserve, marking it as a Big Five destination. Inverdoorn Game Reserve and Iziba Safari Lodge offer guests complete relaxation in stylish accommodation, designed to complement the arid beauty of the Karoo. It is the perfect setting for a safari destination, with a tranquil ambiance which allows guests to unwind and take in the wonders of nature.

Whichever luxury accommodation option you choose, be it a Guest House, Chalet, Luxury Chalet or the Ambassador Suite, excellent service and comfort are guaranteed.. www.inverdoorn.com

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TRAVEL

SIX SENSES NINH VAN BAY VIETNAM Arriving at Cam Ranh International Airport (NHA), it takes 60-minutes by car to the resort’s lounge, from where you will set out on the next leg of your transfer, which is a 20-minute boat ride to Six Senses Ninh Van Bay The resort boasts beachfront and over water villas, as well as villas nestled into the island’s rock formations, a stunning feature for this multi-awardwinning resort. Choose to join an excursion or make use of the resort’s facilities and wide variety of sporting equipment; There are many excellent times and opportunities to visit, Ninh Van Bay, depending on what you would like to see and experience. If you are a passionate scuba diver the best time is between February and October when the visibility is the best. March to November is ideal for sailing and hiking due to good weather conditions.

The restaurants at Six Senses Ninh Van Bay serve international and local favourites with East meets West specialties. They provide ample space for lounging on daybeds with drinks from the wine cave, or healthy fresh juices and favourite libations from the bar. Nha Trang is fortunate to be supplied fresh organic produce grown in the temperate climate of Dalat, which is 3-hours away. This is complemented by the best local seafood, including lobsters, king prawns and fish caught fresh every day. www.sixsenses.com

HOTEL SARATOGA, HAVANA The Hotel is situated just inside the historical centre of the electric and sensual city of Havana. The Saratoga was one of Havana’s most stylish establishments of its time. Notorious since the 1930’s as a favorite haunt of artists and socialites from all over the world, for its superb cuisine, the open air entertainments held in its pavement arcade, and the concerts given there by such renowned musicians as the Anacaona Orchestra.

Nowadays Saratoga has been recreated behind the original façade. It combines exquisite style and sense of place as well as state of the art technology. The Saratoga has all the amenities one would wish for in an exclusive city center hotel, including a stunning rooftop pool. The hotel has 96 rooms including 7 suites and various junior suites, and is managed to an international 5-star standard. www.hotel-saratoga.com

Destination

EXPERIENCE TIMELESS INDULGENCE IN THE SHADE OF TABLE MOUNTAIN Set in the vibrant heart of Cape Town, this luxury hotel and spa offers easy access to all that’s happening in this dynamic city. Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel has long been regarded as one of the city’s top five star hotels. It offers the perfect combination of leafy tranquillity and contemporary buzz. Whether dining on exotic Cape cuisine, soaking up the sun or exploring the buzzing streets, your time here promises endless memories to cherish. Follow in the footsteps of Winston Churchill, John Lennon and Nelson Mandela with a stay in this iconic retreat. Pad out onto the balcony of your deluxe room to soak in the sunshine with a signature cocktail.

Wander down a path lined with rose bushes to your idyllic Victorian cottage. Inside, a wealth of exquisite details beckon. Picture four-poster beds, Venetian mirrors and cosy fireplaces, Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel is brimming with old-world charm.

Indulge in a feast of seasonal specialities at Planet Restaurant, from summer salads to winter beef wellington. Take time over an afternoon tea layered with tempting sandwiches and sweets. Or go light with delicious poolside snacks at Oasis Bistro. Boasting some of the best restaurants and bars in Cape Town, a stay at Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel is foodie heaven. www.belmond.com

75

Visit our vibrant colleccon of outdoor sculpture in the heart of the Norfolk Broads

24 Norwich Road Wroxham NR12 8RX www.riversideartandglass.co.uk | 01603 784000

River Trips and Day Boat Hire in the Broads National Park

Relax and unwind on one of our river trips.

Discover stunning scenery and wildlife around every bend as you listen to the Skipper’s live commentary.

Trips available from 24 March to 31 October.

Or perhaps you’d prefer to be captain?

Hire one of our day boats and explore the Broads your own way.

Call us on 01603 782207 and we’ll help you arrange the perfect day out.

One day on the Broads is never enough!

Why not book one of fabulous holiday cruisers or waterside holiday homes Visit www.broads.co.uk or call 01603 782207 to request a brochure.

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| MAY 2018

NORFOLK BROADS

NOrfolk brOADs Peace and tranqu illity

The NOrfolk Brand wildlife in abundance Oads has it al l!

History of the Norfolk Broads

The Norfolk Broads is a man-made struc ture created due to the peat digging which took place throughout the mi ddle ages. Peat was a source that was highly depe ndent on for fuel thr oughout these times, which is why people would dig down into the Earth in ord er to extract the pr oduct.

Eventually, these pit s which were create d and still used to extract peat began to fill wi th water due to the rise in sea levels and were ab andoned because of this.

Once they started fi lling with water, the y then proceeded to flood until finally cre ating the Broads as we kn ow them today. Th e area of Norfolk Broads is historical due to the information and wa ys which we have kn owledge on, showing us how the Broads were cre ated as well as symbols of historical agricultur e such as numerous wind mills which have no w been restored, still stand ing today.

77

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| MAY 2018

NORFOLK BROADS

See the Norfolk Broads by bOat There are so many options when it comes to

enjoying the Broads but a great way to see the broads is to hire a self-drive day boat by the hour up to a full day and numerous boat trips to choose from, on which you can sit back, relax and let the crew do the work.

Perfect for those taking to the water for the first time or novices, day boats can be hired from many locations around the Broads, including Wroxham, Horning, Hickling and Oulton Broads.

Be your own skipper for the day and take your crew on an adventure! with hires available from one to eight hours you can spend as much or as little time cruising as you like.

Many are powered by diesel although there are also electric boats for hire. There are also numerous places in the Broads where you can hire canoes.

And if you really want to see the Broads at their best, then by boat is the only way.

HIPPERSONS OF BECCLES Day boats can be hired from Hippersons at Gillingham Dam, Beccles for any period of time up to a whole day, 9.15am to 4:45pm.

They are called Otter, Heron, Grebe, Teal, Bittern and Catchalot, all apart from Heron are electric, making for quiet and easy cruising. They take a crew of between 4 and 7 people. Dogs are permitted but a large dog may count as one crew member.

Each boat is licensed so you can explore the local broads from Geldeston Lock upriver or down to Oulton Broad depending on the amount of time you have.vThe cost is £20 an hour or £100 for the whole day. Fishing is permitted from boats when the engine is not running, this is to ensure the line does not get caught in the propeller. www.hippersons.co.uk

Wildlife on the Norfolk BrOads The Broads National Park is the

largest wetland area in the UK and one of the most important in Europe, and it’s a haven for birds and all kinds of wildlife. Indeed, there are more rare species in the Broads than anywhere else in Britain. You can see grebes, herons, kingfishers, owls hunting for food and if you’re lucky you might catch a glimpse of the rare bittern.

You might also see the rare swallowtail butterfly, which is found nowhere else in the UK, and these days it’s not unusual to spot an otter poking its whiskered snout out of the water.

79

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e l b i d e r inc ISLAND | MAY 2018

Kate Morfoot, leading travel writer from www.LoveToEatToTravel.com discovers the incredible

Alphonse Island in the Seychelles

A

lphonse Island is a luxury private paradise destination in the Seychelles located 400km south-west of the mainland Mahé.

With unblemished white sand beaches, lagoons and sea flats; it is the perfect place to relax and explore or to take part in the many activities it has to offer.

To travel there you take a private charter flight, just an hour’s flight from Mahé which is arranged by the Blue Safari Alphonse Island reservations team.

On our approach to the island we could see the alluring island surrounded by emerald blue Indian Ocean. The Beechcraft 1900D aircraft landed on a concrete strip and pulled up outside the welcome area. We were met by the welcoming Alphonse family and offered fresh coconut in the open air bar by the sea. You soon realise that you’ve arrived in a luxury paradise!

There are 22 Beach Bungalows and five beach suites available. Apart from the guests the island is mainly inhabited by enthusiastic staff all on hand to make sure your stay is special.

Our resting place for five days was our Beach Bungalow and it had all that you would expect of a paradise haven. It was right next to the sea and being just 16 metres away there was no excuse for

82

TRAVEL

not having an early morning swim, unless of course you fancied the sunken bath instead or a refreshing outdoor shower! The bathroom was also spacious and included double sinks and an endless supply of L’Occitaine products.

Our air conditioned bedroom was spacious with a large and very comfortable bed. Tea and coffee making facilities were provided as well as a well-stocked fridge and fresh milk. The deluxe accommodation is authentic and fits well in its location. I wasn’t surprised that there wasn’t a television or internet available in the accommodation, their ethos is to enable you to switch off and ‘step into another world’ for your holiday. You can of course find Wi-Fi if in the common areas. An outer island sanctuary has been created where you can forget about the outside world and immerse yourself in nature, relaxation or whatever ticks your box.

There are many advantages to Alphonse where organised activities for couples and families are available. You can do as little or as much as you wish during your stay. You may want to take advantage of the new Azure Spa, swim in the pool, play tennis or snooker or throw yourself into the experience-led activities offered. You can choose from an exciting programme that

includes snorkelling and diving to joining a nature safari. On the safari you will learn about the island’s conservation work including giant tortoise and turtle nesting programmes.

On the top of my ‘to do’ list was to try scuba diving again and having not done this for twelve years I enrolled on a PADI Scuba Diving Program with Bryon, one of the dive professionals. Diving here is unique in terms of its remoteness, small dive team numbers and vibrant colourful coral. It has to be said the variety of fish and diversity of marine life is breath taking.

Diving in the emerald seas of the Indian Ocean through schools of brightly coloured fish in the warmest clearest waters you feel you are in another world.

I saw an endless amount of dazzling sea life including the star - a Hawksbill Turtle and an assortment of other fish including eagle rays, unicorn and emperor angelfish, permit fish, emerald parrot fish, sissortail sergeant, a sleeping nurse shark, oriental sweetlips, shoals of humpback red snapper. There are 30 excellent dive sites and it is not uncommon on a dive where you can spot schools of dogtooth tuna, chevron barracudas and various species of shark. There are high and expansive vibrant coral walls where you can discover pink, orange and white sea fans and whip corals.

Non divers will also appreciate the abundant colourful sea life. We spent much of our time snorkelling at the House Reef where there are century’s old porites and Goniastrea coral. We found eagle rays, large groups of bluefin trevally and surgeonfish. The team offers guided snorkelling excursions at Alphonse or to the nearby islands of St Francois and Bijoutier.

We enjoyed a 45 minute speed boat ride with Sam Balderson to St Francois Atoll where we were to learn about its wildlife and ecosystem from him.

On arrival you realise that this hike is like no other, you start walking along the beach watching magical pairs of fairy terns soaring in the air; you wander through forests to see hundreds of red crabs scuttling along the 83

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TRAVEL ground. Passing through flooded I jumped in with my snorkel and basins of Mangrove trees then on to mask to watch the amazing shoal in reef flats where you will see shoals front of me while another twenty or of fish, rays and lemon sharks. You more swam past me. For me it was will see frigate birds gliding on the a dream come true to swim with my thermals and basking in the trees and favourite mammals!

Seychelles’ large concentrations of In the evenings, everyone gathers in waders including whimbrel, ruddy the central dining and bar area where turnstone and grey plover. Interestingly, you can socialise and swap stories large numbers of hawksbill and the about your experiences while having a endangered green turtles nest here. coconut cocktail or a delicious Seybrew A visit by boat nearer to Alphonse beer. Dining experiences are varied lies the ‘jewel in the crown’, that is the with lunch on the beach side or dinner small and pretty island of Bijoutier, under the stars eating Creole inspired meaning jeweller. Just one hectare in food including catch of the day which size, this island paradise is only habited could be wahoo, job fish, red snapper, by visiting turtles and birds. Bijoutier is grouper or yellow fin tuna and of course, not only a spectacular looking paradise BBQ grills. Over fifty per cent of their island it is also an important nesting site vegetables and delicious salad crops are for turtles home grown on the island.

The Island Conservation Society A short bike ride away is the new (ICS) monitor and look after the and fun Beach Bar with a cool reggae conservation programmes on Bijoutier vibe serving cocktails and beers from as well as St Francois and of course 3pm to 6pm. Here you can relax and Alphonse Island itself. sunbathe on the pristine beach. Equally The magic and excitement that is it’s a beautiful place to view the sunset generated on a holiday on Alphonse is and spot turtles swimming past. The broadened by the fact that every day Alphonse team arranges ‘Sundowners’ is different. With so much on offer with drinks and tapas each week for a you can take home memories for life, chance to get to know them and to meet whether it is catching your dream fish, the other guests. trying a new hobby, such as Stand Up The best way to get around the island Paddle Boarding or learning about the is by bicycle. We took an Island Cycle island’s giant tortoises or simply watching turtles in the sea and spotting amazing bird life.

During our time on Alphonse How to Book Alphonse Island we felt privileged to snorkel A 7 Night Package in a Beach Bungalow from with two beautiful hawksbill US$6000 per person includes: Accommodation turtles. It’s a mind blowing and / Flight Mahe / Alphonse / Mahe / three meals unforgettable experience to meet per day and communal excursions. these incredible creatures in Tel: +248 422 9700 / +248 422 9030 their natural environment.

Skype: reservations@alphonse-island.com On the island excursions to www.alphonse-island.com St Francois (around a 45 minute Email: reservations@alphonse-island.com speed boat ride) or Bijoutier (This excludes direct flights from British Airways (around 25 minutes) there is also to Mahe or with Emirates to Mahe via Dubai). an opportunity to see dolphins.

On our boat ride back from For more information about Bijoutier, we were lucky enough the Seychelles contact: to encounter a shoal of spinner Seychelles Tourist Office, 130-132 Buckingham dolphins, the boat stopped and Palace Road, SW1W 9SA London I was given the chance to swim Tel: 0207 730 0700 with them. seychelles@uksto.co.uk

-

www.seychelles.travel

Tour to learn more about the island.

It has an impressive conservation programme. You can visit the wedgetailed shearwaters nesting colony and the baby tortoise area, also visit the extensive kitchen garden with its banana trees. It was interesting to learn more about the history of the island and visiting the former prison and small cemetery. The island also arranges beach clean-ups where guests can do their bit in ensuring the island is pristine and kept clear of plastic and bottles that are sadly being washed up from other parts of the world.

The Alphonse Group is famous for some of the best fly fishing; it has a world-wide reputation for both bone fishing and deep sea fishing. For the first time I tried my hand at fly fishing.

After a few practice attempts I did very well, apart from one cast when I managed to hook my neck (luckily it was a barbless hook). After being unhooked, I had a few more casts with the help of my co-fisherwoman Jordyn and caught a beautiful tomato grouper Balderson which we hastily returned back to the sea.

Our final excursion from our paradise get-away was the much heralded Reef Flats Lunch which took place just off St Francois. Our boat dropped us off and we waded through the crystal clear waters to reach the sand flats where the staff had prepared a delicious BBQ lunch of grilled fish, meat and salad all waiting for us in a truly sublime setting.

Other boats arrived to join us with a deep sea fishing party making a party of around 30 of us having lunch in a surreal and remarkable location.

If you are looking for an unforgettable experience or a romantic get-away on an idyllic island, Alphonse exceeded our expectations.

I didn’t win any prizes for catching a fish, but I know I have had some amazing and unforgettable life experiences, let’s just say, I’m hooked on Alphonse!

85

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Wedding

WEDDING TRANSPORT

| MAY 2018

TRANSPORT How you choose to make your entrance as a bride and how you choose to get your guests from the ceremony venue to the reception will have an impact and make a difference to both your schedule and your budget.

O

ne of the most popular cars for weddings and engagements is a beautiful chauffer driven Rolls Royce with its undeniable charm and larger than life presence, it is no wonder why it’s so in demand.

If that isn’t for you then you may want to consider a Bentley, a horse drawn carriage or vintage double Decker bus?

The romance and charm of a vintage wedding car make them a popular choice with couples the world over, especially with those having a traditional or classic themed wedding. Vintage cars are beautiful and full of character, so make full use of your wedding car by including it in the wedding photos. If possible have it parked against a beautiful backdrop and have your group photos taken next to it. Make sure you have a number of photographs taken with it, and that your groom has at least one photo taken behind the wheel.

Vintage car shots can look great in black and white or sepia, so discuss possibilities with your wedding photographer beforehand.

A beautiful horse drawn Landau wedding carriage will help ensure a truly memorable wedding day. There is something so special about the arrival of the bride at the ceremony venue, and similarly the arrival of the bride and groom at the reception that can provide the most beautiful photographs. Throw in some confetti, an elegant horse drawn carriage and a good photographer and your photographs will prove timeless Planning for your wedding transport arrangements can prove a minefield. With so many options out there it’s important that you find a company and a car which meets all your requirements.

Here are some helpful tips you might find useful.

1. Check timings Decide the exact times that you will require wedding transport for.

If you are having a church service, you’ll need the transport to take you to the venue and for photo opportunities once you arrive. Even couples who are hosting the ceremony and reception in the same venue might wish to hire a wedding car for an hour or two to have some private time with one another during the big day.

2. Theme it Choose a wedding car that suits the theme of your day. Classic cars are a popular choice because they suit all types of wedding. Knights Wedding Cars offer a selection of vintage models which match a traditional wedding perfectly. Cars can also be dressed to suit your colour scheme with ribbons and flowers as part of the package.

3. Service provision Find out whether your chosen car company offers a chauffeur service. This will avoid the stress of finding a driver or asking friends or family members to step in – unless they want to, of course.

4. Look locally Local firms are best placed to provide you with a personable and reliable service. Their drivers will know the areas (and wedding venues) the best, so take a look at the providers in your area when finding one that is reputable. Most venues will even be able to recommend a few local firms, so consult with them first and foremost.

5. Check availability Wedding car companies can get booked up months in advance (especially during peak season), so it is always best to prioritise your transport to ensure you can secure the booking. Once you have found a business that can cater to all your needs, don’t hesitate to give them a call for a quote and begin the conversation.

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From beginners to advanced riders, groups also welcome.

Tel: 01502 572257

Pakefield Riding School Carlton Road Lowestoft Suffolk NR33 0ND

www.pakefieldridingschool.co.uk

EQUESTRIAN

HORSING AROUND Places & Faces looks at the joy of riding.

If you love horses and are looking for a pastime that

will keep you fit in the great outdoors, horse riding is for you.

It’s a rewarding and exciting sport that can be enjoyed by all ages. However, finding somewhere to ride, especially for the first time, can be a bit daunting. A good place to start is to find a British Horse Society (BHS) approved centre, visit www.bhs.org.uk for more details. The British Horse Society can help you find somewhere to learn safely and effectively where you can be sure that all necessary standards have been met. As a charity, the overarching purpose of all that they do is to improve the lives of horses and want a world where every horse is properly protected and cared for.

Each BHS Approved Centre has been inspected by a highly experienced representative of The British Horse Society, who will have looked carefully at the level of instruction available to clients, the on-site facilities and equipment, and the standards of safety, horse care and management.

The scheme includes more than 600 riding establishments across the UK and Ireland, so wherever you live, there will be somewhere that you can experience riding close at hand.

Choosing a BHS Approved Centre means that you can be assured that it is safe and well run, so you can just relax and enjoy the ride.

But you can also make sure the riding school suits you personally by paying a visit. Are the riding areas properly enclosed and safe, are the stables in good condition? Do the horses seem happy and friendly?

What to look for in a riding school • The right type of horse or pony – the school needs to have a variety of horses to cater for the type of rider they specialise in teaching. For a beginner, the horses and ponies need to be steady and experienced.

• The right equipment – tack should be in good condition and clean.

• Safe riding areas for lessons – properly enclosed with a safe surface and well maintained.

• Friendly atmosphere, patient and knowledgeable instructors offering a good standard of instruction. Ask about the qualifications of the instructors and which instructors teach beginner riders.

• Even if you do not know much about horses, you will be able to judge if they are nervous and highly strung, or quiet and relaxed. Watching a lesson is another excellent guide to the standard of school.

Pakefield Riding School is one of the oldest

and best known horse riding centres and stables in East Anglia. Pleasantly situated close to the countryside and Pakefield beach, they offer a wide range of activities to novices, experienced and advanced equestrian enthusiasts.

The School offers BHS Qualified Instructors and 25 well mannered horses and ponies suitable for all ages and abilities and is recognised and approved by the British Horse Society, Association of British Riding Schools and Riding for the Disabled.

Pakefield Riding School offers a variety of activities and classes for all levels of horse riding ability - from novice to advanced and from children through to the much more experienced riders.

The School has a variety of pony and horses for all ages and abilities - from the delightful ponies all the way to our Lusitano, Lipizzaner and Andalusian specialist horses for the more advanced riders.

The riding school has 6 BHS qualified instructors and up to 30 well mannered horses and ponies suitable for all ages and stages.

Facilities at Pakefield Riding School include thirty loose boxes, an indoor school, floodlit sanded ménage, jumping paddock, car park for patrons, and even heated club house and tack room, which will all ensure a fantastic horse riding experience. www.pakefieldridingschool.co.uk

GWC is a small friendly family run yard in the

quiet village of Wingfield on the Norfolk/Suffolk Border who prides themselves on their ability to tailor services to the specific needs of every client and their horse/s. They only offer full livery not DIY livery They have an onsite feed and animal supplies shop selling a good range of bedding, fodder and feed so no need to shop elsewhere helping you save both time and money.

All year round individual turnout (subject to no extreme weather conditions) is available with horses out 24 hours from May to October.

GWC also organise on site equestrian events and activities throughout the year which are for every level of horse or pony owner, from the happy hacker to the more advanced rider. Everyone is welcome at GWC and they look forward to welcoming all standards of riders at their events in 2018. www.pottersfeedstore.com

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| MAY 2018

MAY Gardening Our gardening writer Ellen Mary brings Places&Faces® readers more useful tips

T

he month when us

gardeners are busy sowing seeds, thinning out seedlings and potting on like crazy as the lawn suddenly needs more mowing and the dawn chorus wakes us up to remind us the garden awaits. May is generally warmer but still keep an eye on the weather for potential late frosts. It’s a fantastic month for watching garden wildlife, since everything is awake and busy enjoying sunnier days and colourful flowers.

GARDEN & FLOWERS

provides gardening design consultancy, advice and beginner gardening courses at: www.ellenmarygardening.co.uk

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Whatever size garden, balcony or patio you have planting up a pretty hanging basket can make all of the difference.

Include some slow release fertiliser and make sure the soil doesn’t totally dry out and keep them protected until all risk of frost has passed. There are some gorgeous varieties of trailing plants, why not try some double Petunia Tumbelina in greens and lilacs or purple and pink Petunia with bright yellow Bidens ‘Goldita’ for a stand out basket.

There is lots of planting to be done so as long as the soil isn’t too wet, Dahlias can be planted outside, along with

Gladioli. Both look amazing in a vase, so if you have enough space to plant just a few more simply for cutting, it’s well worth it. Try Gladioli ‘Green Star’ with ‘Princess Anne’ for a striking mix of bright colours.

It’s time to get on top of the weeds.

They will be growing in your garden, allotment and even pop up in your containers and pots. As the Summer draws closer, if you don’t control them now it will be much harder in the months to come. Hand weeding is the best way to ensure the roots are completely lifted but otherwise a hoe around your plants will help to do the trick. If you are unfortunate enough to have any particularly nasty weeds, then its time to get digging!

FRUIT & VEGETABLES

If you’ve forced any Rhubarb by excluding light from the crown, you should now be able to harvest the first of those delicious stems. You will need to sharply pull them away and chop them up fresh for a tasty rhubarb and banana crumble. Always rotate the crowns which are forced each year to allow each to rejuvenate for following years.

GARDENING

If you have Broad Beans and Potatoes growing, its time to draw up the soil around the growing stems. For Broad Beans use a hoe to place soil around the stems for extra support. Potatoes need ‘earthing up’ as the foliage grows to exclude light from the potatoes beneath and support the rapid growth. This can also help prevent disease.

Make sure you are prepared for your climbing beans by using bamboo canes for runner beans and twigs or sticks for peas. The tendrils on pea plants will find their way around the twigs to give them the support they need and those Runner Beans will grow tall so bamboo canes tied together at the top in a wigwam style is a great apace saving way to support them. Although there are some very elaborate structures out so keep an eye on your allotment neighbour!

WILDLIFE GARDENING

Towards the end of May fledglings will be leaving their nests. Its fantastic watching them find their wings with their parents keeping a close watch.

Sometimes it may seem like the fledgling cant fly, but generally it is

not wise to interfere as the parents are usually around to give encouragement.

Ensure the food you leave out for birds at this time of year is small enough for them to swallow to avoid choking.

Pond plants bring so much to garden wildlife and thats without them also looking beautiful. Gently clear away any weeds and think about planting not just in the water, but on the higher shelves and around the edges. This will give plenty of shade, hiding places and food to insects and amphibians. To keep the water fresh oxygenating plants such as the native Hornwort or Water violet and try pollinating plants like Mentha aquatica and Potentilla palustris.

When thinking about new plants for your garden, look out for single flowers which are much easier for insects to get to the pollen. Different insects are attracted to different plants which helps pollination so consider a variety of plants that provide food, shelter and breeding areas. Single flowering Dahlias such as ‘Chocolate Sundae’ and ‘Bishop of York’ are easy for insects to find and provide stunning colours for any garden in containers or borders.

GARDENING PRODUCT OF THE MONTH –

If you want to get on with sowing, try the Seedcell range of little cardboard pods that contain seeds and just need to be popped in the ground. Very easy and no waste. From courgettes to cucumbers and peas to pumpkins, there are plenty of options starting at only £3.49 www.seedcell.co.uk

W H AT ’ S O N –

North Norfolk is the place to be in May! You can find the Plant Lovers Day and The Stody Lodge Big Gay Out on Saturday 26th May and be immersed in brightly coloured Azaleas, Rhododendrons and lots of amazing plant nurseries showing off their goods. Visit both for a super flowery day out. www.stodyestate.co.uk www.creakeabbey.co.uk

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Stair-lift, care home or Carepod?

A Carepod is a comfortable, single-level modular home for people who are elderly, disabled, infirm or vulnerable. A Carepod can be sited in the garden of property belonging to a family member, friend or carer. With hi-specification insulation, efficient underfloor heating and optional features like voice control and online monitoring, it’s the modern, hitech version of the ‘granny annexe’. A Carepod is a really viable option for balancing the desire to retain independence, yet closeness to loved ones, with the conservation of life-savings that might otherwise be eroded by alternative means of care provision.

Visit www.carepods.co.uk for more information.

Modular Works Ltd Burlingham Business Centre, Main Road North Burlingham, Norwich NR13 4TA

e: info@carepods.co.uk t: 01603 715656

www.carepods.co.uk

Carepods® is a Registered Trademark of Modular Works Ltd.

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| MAY 2018

Ssao fgaoordi

Animal head vases from £35

94

HAYLEY & JENNIFER are homeware buyers – Jarrold, 1-11 London Street, Norwich, NR2 1AL www.jarrold.co.uk The Granary, 5 Bedford Street, Norwich, NR2 1AL www.thegranary.co.uk

INTERIORS

The tropical trend for spring and summer has bred a new take on the safari look for your home.

Are you brave enough to get the look?

Asks Jarrold home buyers Hayley Philpot and Jennifer Dwyer.

Along with spring’s love of bringing plants and greenery into your home, the tropical vibe has sounded its drum to the animals in the jungle. We predicted this trend back in January and now lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, zebras, rhinos and monkeys are on everything from vases and cushions, to mugs and coat hooks this summer.

The look offers a style for your home that has more bite than the flouncy, pretty flamingo trend of the past few years (which, incidentally, is still going strong). Wood, ceramic, cast iron and metal creates a more pared down monochrome neutral tone against the backdrop of green, instead of the brashness of bright colour. Create a statement by placing a set of three vases or ornaments together, or pick one item to bring a subtle element of surprise to a room.

Malini

Basilico cushion £45

Parlane George Giraffe £14.95

London Ornaments

Parlane Elephant, Zebra, Lion ornament £99.95

Elephant Sitting £6

Parlane Natural Wood Rhino Rataxes £175

All items available from Jarrold, floor 2 or The Granary, Bedford Street, Norwich 95

SPRING SPECIAL OFFERS Massive savings & big brand special offers The Number One Choice for Beds and Advice Choose from a superb selection of divan-sets & mattresses, fabric upholstered bases & headboards, wooden & metal bedframes all from classic traditional to the latest contemporary styles Disposal service available and free delivery Come and visit the bed experts today at: Curtis Road, Norwich NR6 6RB Tel: 01603 483636 22 Ber Street, Norwich, NR1 3EJ Tel: 01603 768260 Cowper Road, Dereham, Norfolk NR19 2DA Tel: 01362 690498 Osier Road, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 1TA Tel: 01284 700846 Greyfriars Road, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP32 7DX Tel: 01284 723723 Western Way, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3SP Tel: 01284 247090

INTERIORS

Julie Handforth Doidge Proprietor / Interior designer at JHD Interiors in Norwich www.jhd-interiors.co.uk jhdinteriors@gmail.com or call 01603 722 385

H A PPY HOL I DAY DE SIGNS This month our Resident interior design expert is getting ready for the holiday season.

O

ne trend I’ve noticed,

in the last few years especially, is that rather than the traditional two weeks in the sun, more and more people are choosing to forget worrying about the weather, zip up their cagoule and get out and explore what Britain has to offer – often with their own mobile holiday home in tow.

As holidaymakers discover the joy of the staycation, I’ve worked on numerous projects to refurbish static and touring caravans, motorhomes and – as you might expect with the beautiful Broads and coast right here on our doorstep – boats.

In this hyper-connected age, where we’re glued to our smartphone screens 24/7, I can really appreciate the appeal of the back to basics holiday where you can truly switch off and the freedom of hitting the open road.

Whether people have a vintage original VW camper van which is in need of some TLC or someone wants to put their own stamp on a prestyled and furnished interior that they perhaps find a little dull and functional, made to measure upgrades are one of our specialities.

Often the older models of caravan and camper van are sound, but look tired and dated and I love breathing new life into them. Replacement foam is often called for in the seating areas, and we hold a stock of various densities to ensure everyone is sitting – and sleeping – comfortably.

We can also custom make Venetian, roller, vertical and Roman blinds, which can be fully installed by our trained fitters.

We find that many caravan and camper van owners love to add a twist of nostalgia inspired by the holidays they enjoyed as a child – such as Cath Kidston-style vintage florals. Even the orange, brown and olive green colour schemes of the 70s are making a comeback.

Or you can go super modern – with our huge selection of fabrics to choose from, when it comes to furnishings, curtains, blinds and pelmets there really is no limit.

97

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g KODIAQ n i K | MAY 2018

SKODA further boosted its range last year with the launch of the brand’s first seven-seater, the Kodiaq, and now, says David Wakefield, there is a new luxury range-topper.

S

koda moved forward into another motoring chapter with the launch of the Kodiaq – the marque’s first seven-seat SUV – last year.

Now the range has been topped off by the launch of the new luxury L&K version at the Geneva Motor Show.

The special equipment package is named after the company founders Laurin and Klement,and includes a chrome grille, 19 inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery and piano-black decorative trim. It also brings new engines - a 1.5 litre TSI unit outputting 150 hp, and a boosted 2.0 TSI version which now has 190 hp under the bonnet. The latest generation 7-speed DSG for petrol engines and the 2.0 TDI engine with 150 hp are also making their debut.

A subtle ‘Laurin & Klement’ logo can be found on the seats as well as on the trim strips of the instrument panel, which features black piano lacquer accents.

The logo can also be seen on the home screen of the infotainment system. The standard equipment also includes an electrically adjustable driver’s seat including memory function, door sills, which bear the Kodiaq model logo, aluminium pedals, textile floor mats, a rain sensor, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, ambient lighting and the Canton sound system.

While the Kodiaq (also available in five-seat form)

100

dealer details

Simpsons Skoda

Suffolk Skoda, Suffolk Rd, Great Yarmouth, NR31 0LN www.simpsonsskoda.com

Facts at a glance Skoda Kodiaq SE 1.4 TSI seven seater Price: £24,925 | Top speed: 117 mph | Acceleration (0-62) 10.8 seconds Consumption: Urban: 37.2 mpg; Extra Urban: 52.3 mpg; Combined: 45.6 mpg | Emissions: 141 g/km

MOTORING

is just 40mm longer than the Octavia, it offers a larger-than-average interior for the SUV segment. Interior length is 1,793mm, elbow room is 1,527mm in the front and 1,510mm in the rear.

Headroom is 1,020mm in the front and 1,014mm in the rear. Rear legroom measures up to 104 mm. The middle seat row can be folded 60:40, features individually adjustable backrests and can slide lengthways by 180mm as standard. The third row of seats can be folded neatly into the floor space to create a larger load area.

And with a volume of 720 to 2,065 litres (5-seater with the rear seats folded down), the Kodiaq offers the largest boot within its class. The car also features a number of Skoda’s Simply Clever features designed to make life on board even easier. These include a new door-edge protection system that deploys automatically when opening the door. When shutting the door, the trim folds itself back in.

In total, more than 30 Simply Clever features have been integrated into the new Kodiaq, seven of which are completely new. Škoda Connect is divided into two categories; Infotainment Online and Care Connect. The former provides live journey information and real-time navigation details, while the latter delivers remote access as well as assistance.

Driver assistance systems include new-tobrand systems such as Trailer Assist and Area View. The latter uses wide-angle surround-view cameras located around the car to create a virtual, top-down view and 180-degree images to the front and rear.

Other systems include Front Assist - including City Emergency Brake (standard on all models), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Lane Assist, Blind Spot Detect and Rear Traffic Alert. Safety systems include Driver Alert, Emergency Assist (DSG only), Crew Protect Assist, Multi-Collision Brake and Travel Assist with Traffic Sign Recognition.

The Kodiaq offers a choice of five engines; three petrol and two diesel (plus those featured in the L&K range). Power outputs range from 125PS to 190PS, with customers able to choose between two or four-wheel drive and manual or DSG transmissions. All engines feature Stop-Start system, brake energy recovery and a powerful thermomanagement system that contributes to low consumption.

The Kodiaq is available in 24 different variants. The range comprises three familiar trims; S, SE and SE L along with a new Edition grade that celebrates the arrival of the brand’s first ever seven-seater SUV. All models in the range are equipped with LED daytime running lights, alloy wheels, leather multifunction steering wheel and air-conditioning. Front Assist, DAB digital radio, touchscreen infotainment systems and SmartLink are also standard across the line-up.

Prices correct at time of going to press.

101

| MAY 2018

ADVANCED FE ATURES

Beautiful design Most car drivers are happy with one powertrain, but David Wakefield has been finding out about A CAR THAT HAS THREE!

I

t’s not often that a car maker can claim a world first – but Hyundai’s Plug-in Hybrid is the third and final variant of the IONIQ line-up, and offers three electrified powertrains within one body type.

The car went on sale in the UK last year, and prices start at £20,885 on the road for the lead-in Premium 1.6 GDi model.

The Plug-in Hybrid offers up to 39 miles of pure electric driving with a total range of 680 miles. It combines a 105 PS 1.6-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine and a 61 PS high-efficiency electric motor, driven through a six-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). The combined system output is 141 PS. Ultra-low CO2 emissions of just 26g/km means it attracts zero-rate VED in the first year and offers a low BIK (Benefit In Kind) rate of just nine per cent for 2017/18.

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dealer details

SLM Hyundai East Anglia

Delft Way, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 6BB | 01603 480077 www.slm.dingles.co.uk

MOTORING

A POD Point 7kw home charger costs £300, including installation (see later in article).

The model is also available in Premium and Premium SE specification. The former offers a high level of standard equipment, including: 16” alloy wheels, Bluetooth, Apple Car Play and Android Auto, Smart Cruise Control and an 8-inch integrated satellite navigation unit.

Unique to the IONIQ Plug-in Hybrid variant, the navigation system features state-of-theart ECO-DAS technology. ECO-DAS has predictive energy management that optimises the battery charge and discharge, as well as a coasting guide for the driver, instructing them when to lift off the throttle to use less fuel.

Further highlights of Premium specification include: heated front seats and steering wheel, LED headlights and rear combination lamps, wireless smartphone charging, and a Rear Parking Assist System with Rear View Camera. Standard safety features include

Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS) and individual Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

For drivers seeking even greater comfort and convenience, IONIQ Plug-in Hybrid Premium SE trim starts from £26,795 including PICG (Plug In Car Grant). The step up adds leather seat facings, front seat ventilation, rear seat heating and an electrically-adjustable driver’s seat with memory function. Premium SE also includes alloy pedals, rain-sensing wipers, Blind Spot Detection and Front Park Assist.

The IONIQ Plug-in Hybrid is available in Polar White as standard, or with a choice of six metallic colours; Phantom Black, Platinum Silver, Iron Grey, Demitasse Brown, Marina Blue and Phoenix Orange. The lava stone interior trim features blue accents throughout the cabin and control surfaces.

Hyundai Motor UK previously named POD Point as its preferred charging partner, and a 7kW wall box can be supplied and installed at the customer’s home for £300, which includes standard installation. The Plug-In Hybrid is available as standard with the Type 2 connector and an ICCB Charging Cable which allows the car to be plugged in to a domestic three-pin outlet when no dedicated charging points are available.

All IONIQ models come with Hyundai’s industry-leading 5 Year Unlimited Mileage Warranty package, with the additional high voltage battery cover of eight years / 125,000 miles.

A panel of fleet industry experts has named the Hyundai IONIQ as the ‘Best Green Technology’ for businesses. Judges of the 2017 BusinessCar Fleet Technology Awards – the ‘Techies’ – said the choice of three electrified powertrains for fleets was the most significant factor in giving it the top prize.

Prices correct at time of going to press.

103

THE HEIGHT OF EXCITEMENT * 0% APR MAZDA CONDITIONAL SALE WITH 50% DEPOSIT

ALL-NEW M{ZD{ CX-5

M{ZD{ CX-3 Book a test driveº today – visit www.wrights-mazda.co.uk

WRIGHTS MAZDA – NORWICH 101 Cromer Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR6 6XW Tel: 01603 427011

WRIGHTS MAZDA – BECCLES Common Lane North, Beccles, Suffolk NR34 9BL Tel: 01502 713885

The official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the Mazda range: Urban 28.0 (10.1) - 65.7 (4.3). Extra Urban 51.4 (5.5) - 80.7 (3.5).

Combined 39.2 (7.2) - 74.3 (3.8). CO 2 emissions (g/km) 167 - 99.

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 availability for vehicles registered between 03.04.18 and 30.06.18 at participating dealers. T&C apply. *0% APR Mazda Conditional Sale available on all Mazda CX-3 and all-new Mazda CX-5 models.

Finance subject to status. 18s or over. Guarantee may be required. Mazda Financial Services RH1 1SR. Models shown: Mazda CX-3 120ps 2WD Sport Nav, OTR from £21,095. All-new Mazda CX-5 150ps 2WD Sport Nav Diesel, OTR from £29,095. All models shown feature optional Metallic paint: Mazda CX-3 Ceramic Metallic Paint (£550), all-new Mazda CX-5 Soul Red Crystal paint (£800). 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. Calls to 0844/0845 numbers will be charged at 7 pence per minute plus your standard network charge.

Wrights Motor Ltd, trading as Wrights Mazda is a credit broker not a lender for this financial promotion. We can introduce you to a limited number of carefully selected finance providers and may receive a commission from them for the introduction.

Get to grips with the All-New Fiesta Active, equipped with selectable driving modes and rugged SUV-inspired body styling. Bespoke interior finishes, alloys and a raised ride height complete a distinct new look.

To find out more visit Ludham Garage - Ludham

High Street Ludham,Norfolk, NR29 5QQ 01692 678215 Official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the All-New Fiesta Active range: urban 38.1-70.6 (7.4-4.0), extra urban 60.1-83.0 (4.7-3.4), combined 49.5-78.4 (5.7-3.6).

Official CO2 emissions 129-96g/km.

The mpg figures quoted are sourced from official EU-regulated test results (EU Directive and Regulation 715/2007), are provided for comparability purposes and may not reflect your actual driving experience.

shades of spring !

See our new season collection

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

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

WORKPLACE PENSIONS: M E E T I N G YO U R CHANGING NEEDS MANY EMPLOYERS ARE NOW HITTING THE THREE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF SETTING UP THEIR WORKPLACE PENSION SCHEMES. THIS MILESTONE BRINGS WITH IT A RANGE OF RESPONSIBILITIES. CARL LAMB LOOKS AT WHAT IS INVOLVED.

WORKPLACE PENSIONS are firmly embedded in businesses throughout the UK with employees now committed to building personal pension funds throughout their working lives. This April saw the next stage in the gradual increase to minimum contribution levels for both employers and employees which will make greater inroads into take-home pay and employer budgets.

It has been an interesting process to watch the roll-out of workplace pensions to small and medium-sized businesses.

For many, it has proved a real challenge. The selection of a scheme in the first place was one hurdle to overcome and there will be employers who have found that their chosen provider and scheme falls short of their expectations. Those who selected the more basic functionality of NEST and multi-employer schemes may have found that support for their scheme has been in short supply and that the choices on offer to their staff members are more limited than they had envisaged.

The result of this dissatisfaction has been a real desire in many businesses to review the scheme they have in place.

The three-year anniversary of the starting date for a workplace pension scheme is the perfect time to take a step back and review your scheme, the options it gives your

employees and the administrative functionality it provides.

At this anniversary, as an employer, you must meet a number of specific obligations. Firstly you must re-enrol those members of your staff who opted out of the scheme when you set it up. Even if you know that they will still want to opt out, you must go through the re-enrolment process and they must actively opt out again. You must carry out an assessment of your workers to determine their eligibility and entitlements and re-enrol any staff affected. In addition, you must write to any staff you are re-enrolling within six weeks of the re-enrolment date, explaining that they have been reenrolled and detailing their options.

Your next task at the three-year point is to check that your scheme still meets the rules and to complete a redeclaration that your scheme is compliant. This may not be as straightforward as it sounds even if you have made no changes to your scheme. Some of the rules have changed since the early days of auto-enrolment: for example, a limit has been put on the amount that the fund provider can charge to manage the scheme’s default investment fund(s).

This charge cap has been set at 0.75%. Any schemes set up before this change in the rules may no longer be compliant if they involve a default investment fund that carries a higher charge.

Reviewing your scheme is an area where the support of a financial adviser can be invaluable. An adviser will assess if your existing scheme is still fit for purpose and may carry out an audit to make sure that you are still complying with workplace pension rules. If the adviser identifies problems with the existing scheme, he or she will help you explore alternative options and potential new providers.

If requested by the employer, an adviser may also provide employee education sessions to ensure that your staff understand the choices available to them within the parameters of the scheme. In addition, the adviser can be engaged to provide one-to-one advice to some or all of your staff members. This advice can be limited to questions about the workplace pension scheme alone, or opened up to explore their entire financial circumstances.

At Almary Green, we provide a range of employer support services to help you with both the re-enrolment and redeclaration processes and will carry out a review of your workplace pension to ensure it still meets your needs.

Carl Lamb

Almary Green Chartered Financial Planners www.almarygreen.com | 01603 706740

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

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LEGAL ADVICE

R E GU L AT ION R E GU L AT ION R E GU L AT ION LEGAL EXPERT JULIAN GIBBONS TAKES A LOOK AT LEGAL REGULATIONS

IMAGINE IF YOU WILL that you have employed a builder to

build you an extension. This is in itself quite a complex task as various building and planning regulations have to be complied with, along with regulations governing electricity, possibly gas and insulation of the new part of the property.

As is quite common you pay some money up front. The builder then either never starts the work or leaves half way through. He disappears or goes bankrupt and your cash is lost. What do you do? How about going to all the other builders in the area, if not the country and asking them to chip in and pay you back what you have lost. Is that likely to every happen? Probably not!

And yet, this is exactly what happens if your solicitor goes bust, disappears or spends your money on himself. Each year every solicitor who wants a practising certificate pays in to what is know as the compensation fund, which pays out to the victims of dishonest solicitors who have lost their money. The requirement to in effect insure yourself against your own dishonesty is something which characterises what are sometimes called the liberal professions, such as law and accountancy. Solicitors also pay huge premiums for indemnity insurance; again the size of the premium is determined by the profession as a whole, which in turn is affected by the tendency to blame the solicitor whenever anything goes wrong. Most people think that is probably a good idea; some may think it should extend to other occupations like your builder (though that is very unlikely to happen).

Yet pause for a second and ask the basic question of why solicitors, to use their example, have this imposed on them. Traditionally of course solicitors had a standing in the community, a public reputation, which needed to be preserved. They also had certain privileges, such as

doing conveyancing and probate and in practice were the only realistic port of call if you wanted a will. They have the exclusive right to conduct litigation for you, so you have to go to them if you want to employ anyone to sue on your behalf (though you can of course act for yourself ).

Insurance and compensation funds maintained confidence in the profession. The evidence now is that neither of these things contributes much to public confidence in the legal profession.

Today, the standing, rights and privileges of solicitors are indeed difficult to see. Others apart from solicitors can convey houses and many firms are reduced to conveyancing or claims factories, paying for the privilege of doing the work whilst non lawyer middlemen, largely unregulated, farm the clients and take their cut for doing little. Will writing is not even regulated at all, with often unqualified will writers doing a good job of selling their services to the public on the basis that they are cheaper and just as good as solicitors; often they are neither, but the public only find out after the event and after the bill is paid. To cap it all, the Institute of Chartered Accountants is making a bid to be approved to provide just about any type of legal work.

As a regulate profession solicitors are clearly over regulated. Not only do solicitors, barristers, licensed conveyancers, notaries and legal executives each have their own regulator but there is a super-regulator, the Legal Service Board, who regulates the regulators! You really couldn’t make it up. There is even more. Though other professions have complaints mechanisms, the legal profession has the Legal Ombudsman (LeO), who is for ever trying to extend its remit. If it had its way it could look at legal complaints no matter how long ago the matter occurred. As it is it can look at complaints about things which happened six years ago. It would like too to be able to investigate complaints from people who were never clients of the lawyer. To cope with this frenzy of complaints investigating its budget has risen to £14m a year, which is an increase of 14% on the previous year. Most of us would I am sure love to be able to earn or charge an extra 14% in a year! Who pays for all this are of course the various legal professions.

Solicitors, to recap, pay to be regulated, pay for their regulator to be regulated, pay to allow people to complain about them (without by the way being entitled to charge for their time no matter how spurious the claim) and pay when another solicitor is dishonest or incompetent. Being heavily regulated when you have a legal exclusivity to do certain types of work would be understandable. Being heavily regulated when others will not be on the same level playing field is both unfair and plain mad. Who would be a lawyer?

Julian Gibbons Norton Peskett Solicitors www.nortonpeskett.co.uk | 01493 849200

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Social Scene

Places & Faces® gets out and about to enjoy this months social scene

SOMERLEYTON HALL & GARDENS LADIES LIFEBOAT GUILD: PEARLS AND AFTERNOON TEA A fantastic afternoon was had by all of the ladies of the Ladies Lifeboat Guild, with guest speaker and pearl expert Maria Pennington. Afternoon tea was provided by the Ladies Guild and enjoyed by all, raising funds in aid of the RNLI. Photography by MALCOLM HIRST

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SAINSBURY CENTRE FOR VISUAL ARTS

SUPERSTRUCTURES: THE NEW ARCHITECTURE 1960–1990 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, the first public building designed by the world-renowned architect Norman Foster. In celebration, the Sainsbury Centre launched a major exhibition to shine a light on developments in architecture from the 1960s to the 1990s. SUPERSTRUCTURES tells the story of architecture’s fascination in the post-World War Two decades with new technology, lightweight structures, pioneering building techniques and innovative engineering solutions.

Photography by ANDI SAPEY

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| MAY 2018 the boats we build to their final operational areas.

At what age did you discover your affinity with boats?

I was at sea with my Dad on his fishing boat before I could walk. My first repairs to my Dad’s boat were carried out at the age of 11.

Sadly, due to a bad storm he lost one and its hard now to imagine the pain this must have caused as they could not afford insurance. This led to a massive push to buy a replacement boat needing several repairs, which I am proud to have assisted with.

ALAN GOODCHILD Managing director of Goodchild Marine Services, based at Burgh Castle, which is celebrating its 40th year of business.

You founded Goodchild Marine four decades ago at the tender age of 19, how did it come about?

Having worked at a hire fleet boatyard, I completed my apprenticeship building traditional wooden craft and had an ambition to build the best quality boats with the latest materials and methods available at that time.

Naturally at such a young age I could have not achieved my ambitions without the wonderful support of my parents, who provided practical assistance when needed. Dad offering a helping hand and running errands and mum donning her overalls to assist with painting.

What sort of work do you undertake?

Any specialist craft that presents a challenge in design and performance, from small dinghies up to 28-metre offshore commercial craft. We also take an active approach to work on historic craft and repairs. One very exciting project was to convert a lovely old timber gentleman’s launch to the latest hybrid propulsion system.

We squeezed all this technology into the existing timber joinery units to avoid taking away any of the original features.

On the other end of the spectrum we build resin infused punts for operation in Cambridge and offer specialist repairs to the latest RNLI

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lifeboats. We have also just delivered three ORC 17m Pilot boats to the Port of Liverpool.

Tell us about the day to day workings of the business.

We have a very dedicated and skilled workforce, who are very receptive to new technologies and methodologies. No two days are alike. Every job is bespoke and designed to each client’s exact requirements and this is our motivation.

One of my most rewarding outcomes is producing high-speed heavy weather offshore craft, making significant fuel savings for the operators.

We are currently developing what we think will be the UK’s first Hybrid Pilot vessel, as ports serving major cities are becoming much more aware of their environmental impacts and this is proving an immensely exciting project.

Your talent and expertise has seen you collaborate with designers and boat builders all over the world, how do you continue to innovate?

I go to bed with a problem on my mind and often wake up with an extremely good solution.

I then discuss this with the knowledgeable people in my business and industry to form a commercial end product. We don’t limit our work to the UK. We build specialist dredgers in Italy and work very closely with a naval architect in France. I don’t speak another language so trying to relay a true Norfolk accent can have its challenges too!

Describe some of your biggest professional achievements.

Building my first timber fishing boat in a rented converted piggery. Attempting to grow a beard to combat the constant criticism of being ‘too young’ for working on my own in this industry, and then successfully introducing my first pilot boat into a very competitive market at the age of 22.

I later went on to qualify as a commercial yacht master, allowing me to deliver most of

What is the secret behind the company’s longevity?

Many irons in the fire and never dismissing an opportunity, be it small or large. The philosophy of the company is there is no one large cog, but many small cogs that make it work. We never have an ‘ I’ in our team.

We never rest on our laurels, but always try to seek out innovative ideas. One such product is our unique Man Overboard Recovery System developed to lift casualties horizontally to reduce the risks of cardiac arrest. These have been supplied to many port authorities as far afield as Australia.

If you could own any boat what would it be?

I always joke and say if I had enough money I would own a super yacht. My wife however would not join me (so perhaps another good reason for owning one!)

But I am extremely lucky having a sailing dinghy, motor boat and the odd canoe or three, which I get immense enjoyment from.

You also have a keen passion for aviation, tell us more.

Having a commercial yacht master ticket and many sea hours I enjoy the thrill of navigation, which has spilled over into aviation. Flying is a fantastic privilege and introduces a third dimension to navigating, which I enjoy, following a trial lesson my wife bought me over 20 years ago.

I am chairman of Seething Flying Club, which introduces and qualifies young people into the world of aviation. This I am very proud of and its wonderful seeing such dedicated young people studying hard to become the next generation of pilots.

Reveal something about yourself that people don’t know.

Cooking and grocery shopping is a challenge too far. I did try to cook once during a ‘men’s day’ where our wives disappear and leave us to prepare the evening meal. I was asked to cook the onions for a curry- the difficulty was I forgot to turn the cooker on. My culinary skills shall remain limited to beans on toast (proving adequate cooking instructions are on the tin!).

I also enjoy watching films and I am immensely proud of my family, especially my grandchildren.

Favourite meal and in which restaurant.

Has to be the Thai restaurant in Norwich where I also proposed to my wife Sue. I guess I could say it was the most expensive meal of my life.

Describe yourself in five words.

Determined, Honest, Hardworking, Loyal, Focussed.

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Norwich Audi Meridian Way Norwich NR7 0TA 01603 709200 www.robinsonsaudi.co.uk Official fuel consumption figures for the Audi Q2 Sport 1.0 TFSI 116PS manual in mpg (l/100km): Urban 45.6 (6.2), Extra Urban 62.8 (4.5), Combined 55.4 (5.1). CO2 emissions: 117g/km. Fuel consumption and CO2 figures are obtained under standardised EU test conditions (Directive 93/116/EEC). This allows a direct comparison between different manufacturer models but may not represent the actual fuel consumption achieved in ‘real world’ driving conditions. Optional wheels may affect emissions and fuel consumption figures. Image shown for illustration purposes only. More information is available on the Audi website at www.audi.co.uk and at www.dft.gov.uk/vca Robinsons Autoservices Limited trading as Norwich Audi is a broker and not a lender and can introduce you to a limited number of lenders, who may pay us for introducing you to them. *At the end of the agreement there are three options: i) pay the optional final payment and own the vehicle; ii) return the vehicle: subject to excess mileage and fair wear and tear, charges may apply; or iii) replace: part exchange the vehicle.

With Solutions Personal Contract Plan. 18s+. Subject to availability and status. T&Cs apply. Offer available when ordered by 1 July 2018 from participating Centres. Indemnities may be required.

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