Places&Faces Magazine – Issue 57 – December 2014

N EW

VISIT NORWICH COLUMN

CANAPÉS

with Franck Pontais

win!

TAKE A PARTY OF SIX OUT FOR DINNER IN NORWICH

celebrities | food | travel | fashion | homes & gardens | theatre ISSUE 57 www.placesandfaces.co.uk

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

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

WWW.WOODLANDHOLIDAYPARK.CO.UK

CHRISTMAS WISH FABULOUS GIFT IDEAS AND FESTIVE FUN!

NESPRESSO krups citiz coffee machine with aeroccino £199

RITUALS ayurveda gift set £28.50

FALLEN FRUITS deer coat hook £15

PRODUCED IN

NORFOLK

BEST YEARS knitted medium t-rex £15

SIA set of three tealight holders £12.50

DOLCE MOMENTO handmade Brazilian chocolates, box of 8 £7.50, box of 10 £11, box of 20 £20

FOR

HIM

TED BAKER lilita black gem cross body clutch £89

LONDON STREET, NORWICH 01603 660661 JARROLD.CO.UK

WHITE STUFF fairisle bootie £27.50

BENTLEY for men intense 100ml £69.50

WELCOME

MEET THE TEAM COLIN HUGGINS Managing Director

E colin@h2creativemedia.co.uk

EDITOR’S LETTER

EMMA OUTTEN

SARAH HARDY

T 01493 742091 M 07775 858862

Assistant Editor

sarah@h2creativemedia.co.uk

E emma@h2creativemedia.co.uk

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CONTRIBUTORS Franck Pontais, Nick Mobbs, Andrew Florides, Roger Hickman, Andy Newman Associates, Richard Barr, Julian Gibbons, Carl Lamb, Victor Ling, Rory James, Sam Matthews, Ellen Mary, Simon Wainwright, Hayley Philpot, Jennifer Read, Kevin Bunting, Matt Kimberley, Diana Irving, Mark Nicholls, Benet Catty, Vicky Dearden, Newsmakers PR.

SEE ALL OF OUR SOCIETY PHOTOS AT OUR WEBSITE placesandfaces.co.uk follow us on twitter @placesandfaces and facebook

WELCOME to our December issue, packed with suggestions on how to celebrate this special time of year.

We have lots of gift ideas from luxurious lingerie to fine fragrances, bottles of fizz and gardening goodies.

Leading Norfolk chef Richard Hughes will get you out of a tight spot with his handy tips on surviving the festive period and he also talks about his new book, School Dinners, which is packed with great recipes.

And our regular columnist Franck Pontais hosts a very special Places&Faces® party, with delicious canapés which were much enjoyed by all. And, having seen Franck in action, I’m very impressed so if you’re planning a dinner party, Franck is your man!

There are also ideas on how to enjoy yourself this season, with a comprehensive round-up of Christmas shows on offer in our region and our usual What’s On spread which includes some lovely Christmas fairs and carol services. We are also delighted to welcome Melanie Cook from VisitNorwich as a new columnist. She’s providing an insider’s view as to what’s happening in the fine city this month!

Our food writer Andy Newman reviews Pamela’s in Great Yarmouth and also finds out where all the Morston mussels have gone – and no, it is not in my tummy although they are rather tasty!

As ever, we’ve been chatting to celebrities and doesn’t Cheryl Fernandez-Versini scrub up well? She is certainly one of our most glamorous cover stars in recent times. She’s talking about her latest album, the X Factor and plans to tour next year. And another pop princess, Rita Ora, chats about getting into the movies as well as appearing as a mentor on The Voice UK. So, make sure you take time out from all that shopping and cooking and put your feet up to enjoy this month’s issue. And do remember that a year’s subscription to Places&Faces® is the ultimate present!

Happy reading!

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

| DECEMBER 2014

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Franck Pontais prepares a simply stunning cocktail party, with canapés to die-for!

Celebrities

10 Top Norfolk chef Richard Hughes gets us

ready for Christmas as he shares a few essential dos and don’ts in the kitchen 17 Find out more about jazzy Norfolk band, the Doggett Brothers

Booze is always a welcome present and Emma Outten is just the girl to help you choose a fancy tipple!

Fashion & Beauty

23 Luxurious underwear is the perfect Christmas gift 27 It’s the time of year to treat yourself to a sensuous scent

Andy Newman has alarming news about the future of Morston mussels while Roger Hickman serves up a classic mussel dish

What’s On

28 Our regular monthly round-up of the best

events in our region this month 37 What’s happening in the fine city this month?

Read our new VisitNorwich column

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38 Benet Catty enjoys running away to the circus

Homes & Gardens

40 This month’s property is perfect for a golfer –

find out why!

44 Our homes writers spread a lot of festive cheer

as they show us how to decorate our houses in time for Christmas

34

Oh yes it is! It is time to take in a Christmas show or two!

Food & Drink

54 Lobster, always regarded as a treat, is on the menu at the Imperial Hotel in Great Yarmouth 59 Sam Matthews looks at traditional Christmas drinks, including Egg Nog! 72 Andy Newman samples Pamela’s in Great Yarmouth where the cocktails are as good as the food!

Travel

74 Mark Nicholls heads north of the border for

a trip on the Caledonian Canal 76 Diana Irving tries out afternoon tea at a very

regal London hotel

THIS MONTH’S

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

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1

2

Ellen Mary tells us how to look after our gardens and their wildlife as winter takes hold

COMPETITION Our competition this month is the chance to win a dinner for six at Le Bistro in Norwich

BEST CHRISTMAS DAY EVENT The Christmas Day swims at Cromer, Hunstanton, Mundesley and

Business

Overstrand are great fun, especially if you go in fancy dress! Ok, it

David Hunter, boss of Fakenham Racecourse

BEST LONDON EVENT

Motoring

Hyde Park Wonderland, a feast of everything associated with

90 Experience the new Seat Leon Xperience

games, shows – and masses of food. Children love it. Visit

with Matt Kimberley

www.hydeparkwinterwonderland.com.

Regulars

BEST SANTA SPOTTING

may be freezing but… Check your local press for full details.

82 Emma Outten enjoys a day at the races with

the big day and a bit more, runs until January 4. Expect funfairs,

20 Here kitty, kitty – Richard Barr is desperately

There are lots of great places to see the great man but I love what

seeking Maximus 98 Our High Society pages kick off with an anniversary party for Lowestoft-based developer Wellington Construction 104 Caught on Camera this month features the work of Norwich photographer Steve Denby 106 Spend five minutes with Ben Langley from Diss who plays Starkey in Peter Pan at this year’s Theatre Royal panto

North Norfolk Railway does. They transform Weybourne station into Santaland and that’s where you meet Father Christmas. Trains run from December 6 to 24 between Sheringham and Weybourne and look out for the sherry and mince pies! Visit www.nnrailway.co.uk for more.

BEST CONCERT Enjoy a feast of Christmas music with Norwich Cathedral Choir on December 12 at Norwich Cathedral. The festive celebration includes carols for the choir and audience. Call 01603 630000 or visit www.cathedral.org.uk.

Cover Story

BEST BOOK

12 Cheryl Fernandez-Versini tells everyone all

The annual Michelin Eating Out in Pubs and Inns 2015 lists 580 of

about her new album, appearing on the X Factor and a possible Girls Aloud reunion

the best dining pubs in Britain and Ireland. In our area the Westleton Crown and the Gunton Arms are featured so you know they find the goodies! Priced at £13.99, it is now on sale.

BEST MOVIE The Battle of the Five Armies brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, so beautifully played by Martin Freeman, in The Hobbit series by JRR Tolkien. Look out for the usual stellar cast which includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Ian McKellen, James Nesbitt and Orlando Bloom.

BEST PRESSIE We are big fans of the talented Andrew Ruffhead, a Burnham Market based artist. His latest coastal map, of his home area, is now on sale at £37 and would be a great, quirky gift. Visit www.fish-and-ships.com for a look at his work.

1. The Battle of the Five Armies 2. Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

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| DECEMBER 2014

SCHOOL DINNERS AFTER W INNING T H E INAU GU RAL B RIT ISH CO O K E RY SCHOOL O F T H E YE AR AWARD, T H E RE WAS NOT H ING ELSE FO R IT – RIC H ARD H U GH E S NE E D E D TO B RING OUT A SCHOO L D INNE RS CO O K B O O K . AND J U ST IN T IM E FOR CHRISTM AS TO O ! E M M A O U T T E N RE P O RTS

B

eating 250 other cookery schools across the country and winning the inaugural British Cookery School of the Year award a couple of years ago, was just the catalyst Richard Hughes needed to bring out a new book.

Richard, who is both the man behind the eponymous Richard Hughes Cookery School and chef proprietor of The Lavender House in Brundall, near Norwich, explains: ‘For years, our customers had been asking whether or not we had a book of the Cookery School’s recipes, so winning was the final prompt for us to get on with writing one!

‘It contains all the favourite recipes from the last few years - this year seemed like the best time to write School Dinners because next year we will be using all-new recipes in our classes.’

What he doesn’t know about cooking is probably not worth knowing. ‘I’ve been cooking professionally for almost 38 years now and it’s still as much hard work as it was in those early days, but I love it.’

He makes the point: ‘Finding and opening The Lavender House was really when it all began for me.’ It was back in 2002 that Richard spotted the ‘for sale’ sign outside the former Old Beams restaurant in Brundall. ‘It all started when I spotted that ‘for sale’ sign, so yes, it was a pretty important and momentous day! The Lavender House is still my core business and I don’t let anything take me away from making sure it has the attention it needs - in fact, we’re about to refurbish the restaurant for 2015. It never stops!’

Richard, who launched his book at Jarrold’s in Norwich last month with the help of a cookery demonstration, explained how his cookery school had come about: ‘The Richard Hughes Cookery School started from the popularity of demonstrations.

I realised that the next step was to get people in my kitchen, cooking for themselves. We had the refit and now every single

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Saturday morning we have eight people in our professional kitchen learning a whole range of skills, from bakery to game, fresh fish to sauces.’

He added: ‘It’s been hugely popular and right now people are snapping up next year’s courses as Christmas presents - you’d be astonished at how many wives and partners buy their other half the Men Only class which runs in January!’

Are there any more books planned? ‘I’m also planning on writing a book about my career at some point, a bit of a kitchen confidential. But I think that particular project will be a real labour of love, so until the 28-hour day is invented, I think it might be a few years before I’m knocking at a publisher’s door with my warts-and-all confessional!’

INTERVIEW

RICHARD HUGHES

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There are already

hundreds of reasons to visit Great Yarmouth Town Centre

But now there’s another reason

Spend

£10

or more at a participating

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Visit GYTCP.co.uk for details

INTERVIEW

RICHARD HUGHES CH R ISTMAS Q &A WHAT’S YOUR TOP TIP FOR BEATING STRESS IN THE KITCHEN ON CHRISTMAS DAY?

Keep saying the Christmas Day mantra over and over to yourself until it feels like the truth or until you are led away to have a lie-down in a darkened room: This is just a glorified Sunday Roast. This is just a glorified Sunday Roast. Note: this mantra is far more effective if every time you utter it you have a very large glug of wine.

These salmon muffins are easy to whip up quickly if unexpected guests arrive or if you want to bring the vol-au-vent kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

Personally, I have enough trouble with expected guests, let alone unexpected ones, but an unexpected guest bearing a bottle should never be turned away.

WHAT WOULD BE SERVED AT YOUR PERFECT CHRISTMAS DINNER?

If I was cooking, it’d be cheese on toast followed by Parma Violets and one of those big net stockings of Christmas chocolate. We work every shift from December 1 to December 26 and by the time it gets to Christmas Day night we’re on our very last legs! The very last thing I’d want to do is come home and cook Christmas dinner. If someone else had cooked, though, I’d obviously have the full works with turkey and all the trimmings - Christmas isn’t Christmas without turkey.

It’s actually the only day of the year when the restaurant does serve turkey - the rest of the year The Lavender House is a turkey-free zone.

SPROUTS: YES OR NO?

Pre-heat oven to Gas Mark 4/180C Makes six to 10 small muffins INGREDIENTS:

300g plain flour, sifted 2 tsps baking powder 2 tbsps capers, drained and chopped 2 tbsps flat leaf parsley, finely chopped 200ml skimmed milk 2 tbsps olive oil 1 large egg, beaten 100g smoked salmon 100g cream cheese METHOD:

1. Grease a mini muffin tin.

2. Place the flour, baking powder, capers, parsley, skimmed milk, olive oil, chopped smoked salmon and egg into a large bowl. Mix together until evenly combined.

3. Spoon the mixture into the mini muffin tins, filling three-quarters of the way up.

4. Add a spoon of cream cheese and top with the remaining muffin mixture.

5. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and well risen.

6. Allow to cool.

7. When completely cool, remove from the tins and serve.

Yes - obviously! They’re as much a part of Christmas as bored kids on Boxing Day. Blanch them and then fry them in butter with some bacon and chestnuts (the sprouts, not the children!). Lovely.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BEST EVER CHRISTMAS PRESENT?

When I was 13, my mum and dad took me to Clarks Music Shop in Wisbech the week before Christmas to choose a guitar. I’d wanted one for ages and it was torture to choose one and then have to wait until December 25 to actually play it. It was a second-hand red electric guitar that cost £25 which was a lot of money in those days. Owning that guitar sparked a lifelong love of guitars - I still have it today, along with six others that I look at far more than I play. I had a new Gretsch Jim Dandy guitar for my birthday and I’m already desperate for another. I’m just a frustrated rock star, really.

WHAT WOULD YOU MOST LIKE FOR CHRISTMAS?

Another guitar. A ukulele. But most of all, a lie-in and then a few days off. We’re planning to take the whole family to the Great Yarmouth Hippodrome Christmas Spectacular circus between Christmas and New Year which I’m really looking forward to. It’ll be the first time my grandsons have been and the first time we’ve attempted a full-scale family outing with every generation. I’d like to round it off with The Great Yarmouth Imperial Hotel’s classic ham and cheese pancakes - I started my culinary career there, so it’s always nice to go back.

DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS?

SCHOOL DINNERS, Richard

Hughes, £12.50, available from Jarrold’s, good booksellers and www.richardhughescookeryschool.co.uk

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I want to work harder when I’m at work so that I can have more time off. We’ve just moved into a new house in Norwich and we’re having quite a lot of work done, so it’d be nice to finish off the house, go abroad for a few days and keep improving the restaurant. We’re having a refit in January, though, so perhaps my resolution should be not to hover over the decorators too much offering them ‘handy hints’!

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| DECEMBER 2014

CHERYL

I still always get really nervous and anxious for my people, you know, more than anything else it is an adrenaline filled Saturday and Sunday for your act so it’s a bit crazy

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CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

CHERYL

CHERY L I S BAC K ON T HE X FACTO R WITH A WH O LE NEW SURNA M E AND OUT LOOK O N LIFE. PLACE S&FACES® GETS THE LOW D OW N ON T H E LOVE LY MR S FER NANDE Z-VER SI NI AS THE T V S HOW RE AC HE S ITS CO NCLU SIO N

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t’s almost as if she’s never been away, as the beautiful Cheryl Fernandez-Versini graces our primetime TV screens once more as a judge on The X Factor.

We just can’t seem to get enough of the 31-year-old Newcastle lass. And this time round she has a new surname and a new album, as well as being back in her old seat on The X Factor judging panel.

So what’s it like being back? ‘This is my fourth series but I have been away for four years,’ says Cheryl (perhaps now is not the time to mention her short-lived stint on the American version!).

‘But I still always get really nervous and anxious for my people, you know, more than anything else it is an adrenaline filled Saturday and Sunday for your act so it’s a bit crazy but yeah, I enjoy it more because I know what to expect.’

As ever, all eyes are on what Cheryl is wearing each weekend. Not that she takes much notice of what people think, unless ‘one of them wants to call me Kermit the Frog.’

The ‘one’ in question was the one and only Simon Cowell.

Cheryl says: ‘I love the dress, it was a nod to the 80s, and the most important thing is that my girl sings well, not what I’m wearing.’

Her latest single, I Don’t Care (which she performed on the show recently) is quite a departure from the previous single, Crazy Stupid Love, and both come from her album, Only Human, which was released last month. She says of the album: ‘Only Human is a record that says ‘Have fun, we’re only human, fight on when things go bad because it’s going to be fine again’.’

Her debut single, Crazy Stupid Love, from this album not only soared straight to number one with over 100,000 copies sold, but made chart history when Cheryl became only the third woman in British history to have four solo number ones, so Only Human continues the canon of Cheryl’s successful solo singing career, which already includes two chart topping albums.

She says of her albums: ‘The first album was a brand new experience for me. Despite having seven years of experience, I felt like I had none.’ But she says: ‘I’ll always have a special place for 3 Words.’

Then there was the second album, Messy Little Raindrops. ‘I was literally on the floor,’ reflects CHERYL’S new album, Cheryl, ‘I hadn’t been very Only Human, is out now well; I was going through (Polydor).

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personal stuff so it wasn’t me at my best. My last record, A Million Lights, I absolutely love. I toured that album and I had the best time.’

On Only Human, Cheryl has worked with newcomers along with more established names like Wayne Wilkins - who worked with Cheryl on Fight for This Love, Sia and Cheryl’s former band mate Nicola Roberts.

Cheryl had risen to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality television show Popstars: The Rivals on ITV. Her solo sound is a lot less pop these days as Only Human demonstrates: ‘There are also a couple of R&B sounding songs,’ although she adds: ‘Obviously I’ve been in Girls Aloud for 10 years, and pop has been a big part of my career and my life and it’s important.’

There’s also some EDM (Electronic Dance Music) on the album, Only Human. It doesn’t come as a surprise, considering the circles she moves in nowadays. Cheryl says: ‘I did work with Calvin on the last album, we did Call My Name, and I obviously worked with Will.i.am, who has been a massive influence over my solo career.’

Interestingly, the first track on the album opens up with a philosopher, Alan Watt. Did she have a favourite track on the album? ‘I change my mind all the time; for a while it was Throw Back, and then it was, Coming Up For Air.’ And listen out for a bonus track on the deluxe version.

‘There is a song from me and [Liam] Payne from One Direction.’

She sees The X Factor as an extension of what she does, helping others have the opportunity she’s had, and doesn’t have to look far for success stories, like hers, as she lists: ‘If you look at One Direction and Cher Lloyd, people like that Ella Henderson – people who have come from the X Factor.’

She herself hopes to tour next year. ‘Maybe after Christmas when the craziness with X Factor dies down, then we will get into that.’

On The Jonathan Ross Show recently, Cheryl and fellow judge Mel B discussed the idea of a Spice Girls Vs Girls Aloud X Factor. ‘I would love that to happen,’ says Cheryl, ‘I mean I’m guessing I’m gonna have to get on Cowell’s case a little bit more. But I think it would be fun, don’t you?’

So who’s got the biggest back catalogue: The Spice Girls or Girls Aloud, who were a girl group from 2002 to 2013? ‘Well, we were around for 10 years; they were around for a few, so we may have a couple more hits than them.

‘We had a really strong fan base that grew up with us over 10 years, who were maybe eight or nine when we started and 18/19 when we split up, you know.’

Earlier this year she married French businessman JeanBernard Fernandez-Versini (she was previously married to footballer Ashley Cole) and Cheryl sounds in a very happy place. ‘I’m very happy with life in general thank you very much for asking,’ she laughs.

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INTERVIEW

THE DOGGETT BROTHERS

BAND OF BROTHERS N O R FO LK-B AS E D B AND T H E DO G G E T T B ROT H E RS HAVE H I T ALL T H E RIG H T NOT E S T H IS YE AR. E MMA O U T T EN C ATCH E S U P WIT H G O RLE STO N G U ITARIST G RE G DOGGETT

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or an up-and-coming band, it doesn’t get much better than winning album of the week on JazzFM followed by a sell-out gig at the world-famous Jazz Café in London.

And that’s exactly what happened to The Doggett Brothers, made up of Greg and Carl Doggett, who grew up in Gorleston and went to Cliff Park School, plus four others.

They won album of the week for their record, Daylight (which coincided with a live session for the radio station back in January).

The sound of The Doggett Brothers is influenced by Jamiroquai and they have worked with singers from Incognito, Cool Million and The West Coast Soulstars, but most importantly, Greg and Carl are very proud of where they are from, and want to inspire others locally.

THE DOGGETT BROTHERS ARE CLEARLY NOT JUST BROTHERS AS THERE’S A ‘SISTER’ IN THERE TOO! CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHO THE ‘ACTUAL’ DOGGETT BROTHERS ARE?

The Doggett Brothers as a band is a collective of musicians that record and perform a mix of Neo Soul, funk, break beat, jazz, house and dance music. Aside from us, current members of the band are Ben Race (bass guitar) Laura Jackson (lead vocalist), Andrew Nimmo (saxophone, flute and synths) and Matt Keane (keys). Carl and I grew up in a very musical household. There are four years between us - Carl started learning drums first (taught by my dad, Alan). I then quickly picked up the guitar shortly after. Ben (the bass player) and I went to school together and have known each other since we were three years old. Laura lives in Malta, Andrew in Portugal and Matt in Ipswich.

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR INFLUENCES?

Our dad Alan was a jazz drummer and had a reputation as a top drummer on the scene in the 60s. He put Carl and me on to such artists as Weather Report, Chick Corea and The Average White Band. Our uncle John also put us onto musicians such as John McLaughlin.

ALBUM OF THE WEEK ON JAZZFM MUST HAVE BEEN A HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR YEAR?

That was a real high. We went to London to record a live session at JazzFM and to be interviewed in the same place that Earth Wind and Fire were interviewed the week before. We felt really proud to receive this award.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE PLAYING PIZZA EXPRESS IN SOHO AND THE JAZZ CAFÉ IN LONDON?

We have done the Jazz Café twice now and sold it out the second time. The Pizza Express was also an incredible experience - such an atmosphere.

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR YOUR SINGLE, COLOURS?

I wanted to capture the feel of summer and a kind of soulful house feel you would possibly hear on a Hedkandi compilation. We had just started working with Laura and I thought it would suit her voice well.

WHAT WAS SUPPORTING ALEXANDER O’NEAL LIKE?

It was surreal I can tell you that. He sounds exactly the same on tracks like Saturday Love and Criticise as he did in the 80s. That 80s feel good and boogie sound is a big influence on us so playing with him and his backing band was fantastic.

SO WHAT’S IT LIKE BEING IN A BAND WITH YOUR BROTHER?

Honestly? A nightmare at times! Carl and I bounce off each other and together we are completely unstoppable, both as a team and as musicians on stage together - we get on best when we are both playing on stage!

HOW DID GROWING UP IN GORLESTON INFLUENCE YOU MUSICALLY?

Carl and I were playing pubs in Yarmouth and Gorleston when we were very young, performing Jamiroquai and Erykah Badu covers - we would get asked by locals to play Thin Lizzy and ZZ Top but we weren’t really that interested. I moved to Leeds to study a degree in Jazz in 2003.

WHAT PLANS HAVE YOU GOT FOR 2015?

We are back at the Jazz Café in Camden on January 2 and our next single, Lover, is due out early January. Now that we have the support of an independent label behind us, it will help us in pushing out quality releases next year. The publishing side of things also means that you may hear our music on an advert or two next year.

If anyone would like to know more, The Doggett Brothers are on Facebook, Soundcloud and Twitter. The single Colours and album Daylight are available on iTunes.

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| DECEMBER 2014

Educating

18

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

RITA ORA

Rita Ora talks to Vicky Dearden about her experience so far as the new mentor on The Voice UK, what we can expect from her acting debut in the Fifty Shades of Grey movie, the latest on her upcoming second album plus what she wants for Christmas!

I

T’S BEEN A BUSY 2014 FOR RITA ORA and it looks like getting a whole lot busier in 2015.

The 23-year-old pop star has been working hard on her second album, which is due for release in the New Year, plus she makes her acting debut soon in the much-anticipated movie version of the best-selling book Fifty Shades of Grey.

Rita also signed up as a coach on The Voice UK in September and has been busy filming the BBC One show alongside fellow music stars Will.i.am, Sir Tom Jones and Ricky Wilson.

The singer – who split with Scottish DJ/producer Calvin Harris in June – tells us about her plans for Christmas plus how she is hoping to get flower arranging lessons as a present and a dog!

WHAT HAS THE VOICE UK BEEN LIKE SO FAR?

The Voice has been incredible, I mean all I can say is it’s one of the funnest things I’ve ever done so make sure you check it out because it’s going to be great. The talent is immense.

IS IT QUITE CHALLENGING TO CRITIQUE PEOPLE AT TIMES?

WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW MUSIC?

Well, as I’m part of The Voice UK, I’ve worked more with Will.i.am who also worked on my first album, so that’s exciting. And also I’ve done things with people I’ve handpicked like Major Lazer, DJ Mustard and Prince. I wanted to pay my respects to people that I love so, for example, being a part of anything with Prince was incredible.

WHAT WAS THE WHOLE BAND AID EXPERIENCE LIKE?

I was the first to record my lines as I had to get back to Salford for The Voice UK. It was great, and of course, I hope the single will raise a lot of money. With social media, downloads, everything, it is going a bit mad. I was just really, really pleased to be part of it.

WHAT IS CHRISTMAS LIKE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD?

Well I’m actually from Albania so for us it’s just an excuse for all the family to get together. And, for me, I take it really seriously because it’s the one day I can just wake up and not put make-up on, eat what I like, act a fool - you know that’s the great thing about Christmas. You can just do whatever you want for the day. It’s all about family, so we eat dinner, talk a lot of nonsense and drink a lot of wine!

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO BUY AT CHRISTMAS?

In the beginning it was difficult as I know that I’m only a 23-year-old girl on my second album. So, for me, it was the approach that was important. I didn’t want the contestants to think that I was a Miss Know It All. I wanted them to think that I was a friend that they could ask questions.

It was really important for me to come across as a girl who was just giving a helping hand instead of a girl who was telling somebody what to do.

But I loved it. I learned a lot about my instincts, to trust in my gut. It brought me back to trusting myself again, which was awesome.

Well, I like to have real trees and to decorate them. But I’m not a good wrapper so don’t expect too much!

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY WILL BE COMING OUT SOON – IT SOUNDS LIKE IT’S GOING TO BE THE SORT OF MOVIE THAT PEOPLE WILL EITHER LOVE OR HATE?

FLOWER ARRANGING?

Everyone is going to have their own opinions. But it was such a great cameo for me to be involved in. And, even though I’m only in it a little, it has already started to open up a lot of doors for me.

AND ARE YOU A COOK?

No! I can’t cook! I’m a good cook liar - I’m good at pretending that I cooked a certain dish!

WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR XMAS?

I really want a dog so let’s see who listens to that! And I would really like to know how to set flowers, you know, like go to a flower class.

I’d like to learn how to arrange flowers. I don’t know why I’d like that but I really do.

AND LOTS OF DOGS?

And a doggie!

CAN YOU TELL US MORE?

I think there will definitely be more film roles. People have been calling a lot. But, for me at the moment, my focus is my album which comes out in January and the single which features somebody really exciting.

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THE VOICE UK is due to start on BBC1 in the New Year.

Fifty Shades of Grey is due to be released on February 14.

Keep an eye on www.ritaora.com for more news on Rita.

19

| DECEMBER 2014

OUR R IC HA R D IS SE A R C HIN G FO R HIS LOST C AT, M A XIM US – A ND LE AV IN G N O STON E UN T UR NE D

THIS STORY DOES NOT HAVE AN ENDING, AND MAY NEVER HAVE AN ENDING. It is the

tale of a quest for a cat. We have a happy family of cats – brother and sister Sebastian and Missy, along with Missy’s children: Runty, Monty, Mr Susan, Saoirse, Tabitha and Maximus. There is also Little Grey Kitty, but she does not feature in this story.

Missy’s children were the result of what was no doubt an exciting night out. When the time came for giving birth Missy got into difficulties and, in the tradition of all our animals, she chose a weekend to require the services of a vet. Runty (so called because he was the runt of the litter – he also has literary skills: see P&F March 2014) got stuck on the way out and Missy had to have an emergency caesarean section. Because of the traumatic birth (we were advised to expect the worst – but predictions were wrong and they all survived), the kittens were given a great deal of attention and in doing so they found their ways into our hearts. When it came to finding them new homes, we had a distinct lack of resolve.

The result is that six years on we have six fully grown kittens who provide calm and comfort by draping themselves over any available flat surface in the house (particularly if it is a cardboard box). Or had.

The cats are mainly indoor cats. They have an outside run to which they access through a cat flap in the cellar of the house. Very occasionally we put on their collars (with loud bells to alert the wildlife) and they are allowed as a treat to go into the outside world. There for an hour or two they stalk the ducks unsuccessfully and occasionally return with the less cerebrally gifted among the rodent world.

September 17 was one such occasion. An hour later all but one were back. Maximus, a

20

A LOOK AT LIFE

RICHARD BARR

A friend of a friend lost her cat when it was released inadvertently by a cattery.

After four months the cat was spotted in the wild. It then took several hours, many tins of tuna and some deep scratches to catch her.

big gentle silver and black tabby, did not come back. We were not unduly worried. He would occasionally stay out the night and return early the following day.

The following day came but Maximus did not. By the end of the day we started gently calling for him and looking in sheds and dark corners.

By the next day we had become concerned. He had never stayed out this long. We began to put up posters in the street and talk to the neighbours. I scoured the verges, fearing that he had been hit by a car.

Then there seemed some good news. We had a call that a cat answering his description had been seen in a street a few hundred yards away. I knocked on a few doors, and very soon a little group of us was shouting: ‘Here, puss puss puss, come puss puss,’ and shaking a bag of dried food.

The effect was instant: from various vantage points several cats emerged in response, their tails in the air, but none was Maximus.

And that has been our experience for much of the past month: a few sightings but never the boy himself.

We have traipsed miles, flooded the village (Bacton) with leaflets and posters and even advertised in the press. We have recorded his microchip as ‘lost’, notified local vets and registered him on every missing cat website we can think of. He has featured prominently on Facebook.

We also began to learn the psychology of missing cats. Outside the home cats rapidly revert to a feral state. They will soon no longer come when called. They have to be trapped or lured. That did not stop us driving up and down lanes, criss-crossing fields and walking for miles day and night – still calling out his name.

We had a trickle of calls, even one from 15 miles away which sent me scurrying to the other side of Aylsham, but to no avail.

Many told us of their sad cat loss stories. So many cats disappear, never to be seen again, leaving their owners for ever wondering if they had been shut in a shed or caught in a wildlife snare. And there were also tales of cats that had been found and reunited with their owners after months, cats that had apparently travelled long distances by themselves and then returned – and even cats that

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ended up with two owners because they had decided to divide their time between two households.

One morning a text message came from a man in the village who thought that Maximus had been in his garden. When he saw the photographs he said he was sure, and agreed for us to set up a cage in his garden.

Some years ago we had the idea of trapping the fox that killed our chickens. We got as far as buying a live fox trap, but never caught a fox. However it was effective in catching a cat after the Walcott floods.

The kind man allowed us to install the trap and a wildlife camera. The camera captured a video of a cat that looked remarkably similar to Maximus. The face was thinner (not surprising as he had been on the run for three weeks), but the markings seemed identical. We ramped up our efforts to entice him into the trap.

We laid out a ‘kitty buffet’ consisting of his favourite food – topped with prawns. We changed it frequently to ensure it was fresh. Every two hours (even through the night) I have been checking the trap to make sure that no cat was being held against its will.

The camera filmed the same tabby cat showing interest in the buffet, but he never got far enough in to trigger the door mechanism. Other cats were less cautious. I have had to release several indignant neighbourhood cats – and one hedgehog.

A friend of a friend lost her cat when it was released inadvertently by a cattery. After four months the cat was spotted in the wild. It then took several hours, many tins of tuna and some deep scratches to catch her.

It looks as though we are in for a long haul then. I guess I will have to give up sleeping for a few months. And if you are reading this and see a cat that looks like the photograph, do feel free to email me: Richard@richardbarr.org. Fingers crossed that he is not now in Land’s End or Lanzarote.

21

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27

| DECEMBER 2014

The festive season is upon us, so look no further for how to get some seasonal cheer at the end of the year

BAKE TV baker Paul Hollywood is setting up his kitchen on the Norwich Theatre Royal stage on December 8. Paul Hollywood Live – Get Your Bake On! will see the housewives’ favourite demonstrating recipes, revealing the secrets of being a TV chef and taking the audience on a journey through his life in baking. Call 01603 630000 or visit www. theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk.

YOUTH THEATRE The Norwich Theatre Royal Youth Company presents Oh What A Lovely War at The Garage on the city’s Chapelfield North from December 3 to 6. This powerful story of the reality of life in the trenches mixes songs and sketches which were popular at the time of The First World War with pictures and film footage shot in the thick of the conflict. Visit www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk.

SHAKESPEARE Richard III will be brought to the stage by the Norwich Theatre Royal Studio Theatre Company from December 11 to 13 at The Garage on Chapelfield North to help mark the 450th anniversary of the Bard’s birth. This production is directed by David Lambert, the Norwich Theatre Royal arts course director. Visit www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk.

CHRISTMAS Beautiful decorations, twinkling lights, music, storytelling, Christmas crafts, mulled wine and Father Christmas - just a few of our favourite things that make ‘A Blickling Christmas’. On December 6, 7, 13 and 14, visit the traditional Christmas market in the courtyard; on December 20 and 21 the marquee will be packed with family entertainment. Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk.

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FAIRHAVEN Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden has a couple of festive events: visit Father Christmas in his magical Woodland Garden on December 6 and 7 – when you can follow the trail through the trees to meet reindeer Comet and Blitzen; or go on a Boxing Day Walk on December 26, and enjoy a tour of the garden with Head Gardener Ian Guest. Call 01603 270449 or visit www.fairhavengarden.co.uk.​

CHOIR Norfolk’s internationally renowned Voice Project Choir will perform three Christmas concerts in one of Norwich’s best known and iconic buildings, City Hall, on December 5. Lost & Found will see the choir’s 100-plus voices joined by soloists for promenade performances that will animate the extraordinary building, exploring little known and seldom seen areas.

Visit www.voiceproject.co.uk.

WHAT’S ON

MONTHLY ROUND UP

CONCERT Acclaimed Singer/Songwriter Lisa Redford makes a long-awaited return to her home city of Norwich to play a special headlining acoustic show at The Bicycle Shop in Norwich on December 10. Lisa has had a busy year promoting her latest release The Sweetest Dream, a compilation of acoustic Americana tinged love songs. Visit www.ueaticketbookings.co.uk.

WREATH WORKSHOP Join the Head Gardener at Ickworth Hall’s festive wreath making workshop on December 11 and 12. Watch a demonstration and then make your own wreath for your front door. Materials will be provided – but bring your own secateurs and gloves! Indulge yourself with morning coffee and pastries, a two-course lunch and afternoon tea and cake. Call 0844 249 1895.

MARKET Dalegate Market holds its ever popular Deepdale Christmas Market on December 6 and 7. This year there will be some 90 stalls offering a fabulous selection of presents, decorations, food and drink - a huge gathering of independent traders offering unique products, and the perfect excuse to visit the beautiful north Norfolk Coast.

Visit www.deepdalechristmasmarket.co.uk.

TASTINGS Woodforde’s Norfolk Ales in Woodbastwick will be offering the opportunity for members of the public to look behind-the-scenes as it opens its brewery doors on December 6 and 7, for a weekend of beer and wine tastings, brewery tours and Christmas gift inspiration from local food and drink producers.

Visit www.woodfordes.co.uk.

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TRIBUTE NIGHTS The Cliff Hotel in Gorleston is holding a trio of Tribute Christmas Party Nights this month: Olly & the Ivy (an Olly Murs tribute night) on December 4, Christmas Buble (Michael Buble) on December 17 and Dolly & the Ivy (Dolly Parton) on December 21. Each night includes a twocourse meal and after party. Call 01493 662179.

COMEDY Get into the Christmas Spirit at Loddon Mill Arts on December 19 with a fabulous night of festive comedy by some fantastic award winning comedians: Johnny Kats, Zahra Barri, Paul Ricketts and headlined by Tim Clark. The evening, with fully licensed bar, will conclude with an after show party to celebrate Loddon Mill Arts fifth anniversary!

Visit www.loddonmillarts.co.uk

CRAFT FAIR Christmas is coming to Hoveton Hall Estate, with a Christmas Craft Fair and Children’s Santa Trail on December 13 and 14. There will be a magical Santa Trail through the gardens and grounds to meet Father Christmas, and a festive Craft Fair in the Stable Yard next to the Hall.

Visit www.hovetonhallestate.co.uk.

HOLKHAM The stunning Palladian hall at Holkham Hall will be beautifully bedecked, ready for the start of celebrations in the Marble Hall on the evening of December 5, when one of East Anglia’s most talented singing ensembles, The Upper Octave, will perform a magical evening of music from opera to classical and popular songs.

Visit www.holkham.co.uk.

MOTOWN Enjoy the Magic of Soul and Motown at a One Night Special at Potters Resort on December 2. The night includes accommodation, a five course evening meal, a midnight dish, breakfast, live evening entertainment, and a huge selection of sports and leisure facilities. Visit www.pottersholidays.com or call 0333 3207 497.

MEDIEVAL MARKET You know Christmas really is just round the corner when Dragon Hall’s shopping treat, The Medieval Christmas Market, takes place, on December 6 and 7. The annual medieval themed Christmas market features costumed traders from around the UK and Europe; live music, licensed bar and refreshments. Call 01603 663922 or visit www.dragonhall.org.

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Curtain up!

PANTOMIME SEASON IS UPON US – OH NO IT ISN’T, OH YES IT IS! EMMA OUTTEN ROUNDS UP THE CHRISTMAS SHOWS ON OFFER IN THIS PART OF THE REGION

NORWICH THEATRE ROYAL PETER PAN December 18 to January 18 An all-star cast will bring the classic story of the boy who never grew up to the Norwich Theatre Royal stage this Christmas, with the family pantomime Peter Pan. Heading the cast will be Kevin ‘Curly Watts’ Kennedy as the evil Captain Hook, CBeebies favourite Sid Sloane as the ship’s cook Aunt Delilah, plus Cromer Pier favourite and the writer of Ha Ha Holmes, Ben Langley, as troublesome pirate Starkey. Call 01603 630000 or visit www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk THE MADDERMARKET THEATRE, NORWICH THE BORROWERS December 19 to January 3 Following the success of their last two Christmas shows, The Snow Queen and The Railway Children, the Maddermarket Theatre presents The Borrowers, written by Mary Norton in 1952.

An adventurous, heart-warming Christmas treat for children aged six and above, it is the wonderful story of the ‘tiny’ Clock family, who live beneath the floorboards of a large Victorian house and borrow from the big people above to survive.

The one danger that lurks above the tiny family is being seen by the ‘human beans’, so when a boy staying in the house discovers their presence their lives change forever as they are forced to face the dangers of the outside world. Call 01603 620917 or visit www.maddermarket.co.uk

CINDERELLA IPSWICH REGENT December 20 to January 3 Polish those glass slippers, dust off that pumpkin and get ready to have a ball, as the most magical pantomime of them all, Cinderella, is coming to Ipswich Regent. Starring singing and acting legend Maureen Nolan as Fairy Godmother, Lee Latchford-Evans from STEPS as Prince Charming, Gabrielle Green, ‘Katrina’ from CBBC’s Wolfblood, as Cinderella and Nick Wymer, ‘Mr Tubb’ from CITV’s My Phone Genie, as Baron Hardup. Call 01473 433100 or visit www.ipswichregent.com KING’S LYNN CORN EXCHANGE SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS December 5 to 31 The star performer in this year’s production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is Sue Holderness, in the role of the Wicked Queen - Narcissia. She is best known for her role as Marlene in Britain’s best loved sitcom Only Fools and Horses, which she played from 1984 until the final episode in 2003. Returning for a second year, after proving a big hit with audiences, is KLFM’s popular Breakfast show host Adam Newstead who will be taking to the stage as Herman The Henchman. Call 01553 764864 or visit www.kingslynncornexchange.co.uk SHERINGHAM LITTLE THEATRE ROBIN HOOD December 12 to January 3 Following the unprecedented success of last year’s Snow White, West-End star Killian Donnelly has penned a new script based on the classic tale of Robin Hood. Killian is giving this classic tale a modern twist, transforming it into a hilarious spectacle for all ages. And it’s welcome back to wonderful dame Russel Hicken as he creates the role of Nanny Polly Ticks! The professional cast will also be joined by local young people. Call 01263 822347 or visit www.sheringhamlittletheatre.com

Snow White at King’s Lynn Corn Exchange

34

WHAT’S ON

CHRISTMAS SHOWS

Hippodrome Thursford Christmas Spectacular THE CROMER PIER CHRISTMAS SHOW Until December 27 Look no further for festive family fun with comedy, music, dance and a touch of magic.

Cromer Pier welcomes back resident star of the show, Olly Day, who will be joined by special guest Lyn Paul of The New Seekers and Blood Brothers fame. Joining them will be comedy magician Benson and male vocalist Eddie Bushell. Plus the Seaside Special Dancers will complete the line-up, for what promises will be a real Christmas cracker! Call 01263 512495 or visit www.cromer-pier.com

Cromer Pier Christmas Show

THEATRE ROYAL BURY ST EDMUNDS CINDERELLA Until January 11 The Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds is slipping on its glass slipper for a winter of festive magic in the form of Cinderella. Expect to be sprinkled with sparkle and magic this year as pumpkins, mice and fairy godmothers fill the theatre with festive fun and fairy dust. The traditional family pantomime, by Peter Duncan, is directed by Karen Simpson and designed by Rebecca Lee. Call 01284 769505 or visit www.theatreroyal.org

MARINA THEATRE SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS December 16 to January 3 Following the enormous success of Cinderella, the Marina Theatre has once again teamed up with award winning producers, Paul Holman Associates, to present the east coast’s biggest family pantomime, Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs. It will star international vocalist and former Blood Brothers lead, Denise Nolan, ITV Superstar finalist, Jon Moses and Britain’s Got Talent impressionist, Phil Green. Call 01502 533200 or visit www.marinatheatre.co.uk Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

ST GEORGE’S THEATRE GREAT YARMOUTH ALADDIN December 20 to January 4 Following the success of 2013’s Jack and the Beanstalk, St George’s Theatre proudly presents another professional pantomime, the wonderful story of Aladdin. Join Great Yarmouth’s favourite panto team as they return in this all fun family panto, full of laughs and mayhem!

As it’s an in house production all profits go to St George’s Theatre Trust which operates the theatre throughout the year.

Call 01493 331484 or visit www.stgeorgestheatre.com PAVILION THEATRE GORLESTON SNOW WHITE December 10 to January 4 OhYesItIz Productions will be performing the fun-filled family pantomime Snow White this year. With award-winning actor Des Barrit and renowned broadcaster and presenter Helen McDermott at the helm (as the image in the mirror), OhYesItIz prides itself on the values of tradition and quality when it comes to pantomime.

The show will also star Yasmin Soraya Cocca as Snow White, Mike Coleman, and Georgia Whyte. Call 01493 662832 or visit www.gorlestonpavilion.co.uk THE THURSFORD CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR Until December 23 Now in its 38th year, it has become what is thought to be the biggest Christmas show in Britain, if not Europe, and now boasts a cast of 130 and is put together over eight months on a budget of some £4m. The show is a three-hour fast moving celebration of the festive season featuring an eclectic fusion of the seasonal and sacred with famous chart topping pop favourites being sung alongside tradition carols. Call 01328 878477 or visit www.thursford.com

HIPPODROME CIRCUS 2014 CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR CIRCUS AND WATER SHOW December 13 to January 11 East Anglia’s mini Albert Hall has it all at this time of year: circus magic with the spirit of Christmas thrown in for good measure. The historic Hippodrome is Britain’s only surviving total circus building, built in 1903 by the legendary circus showman George Gilbert, and throughout the century the intimate arena played host to an incredible variety of entertainment. There will be a special Gala New Year’s Eve show on December 31, to round the year off nicely.

Call 01493 844172 or visit www.hippodromecircus.co.uk POTTERS RESORT THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR December 7 Marvel at Potters Theatre Company’s new 2014 Christmas Spectacular, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year at Potters Resort on a Christmas Show One Night Special. This includes Potters biggest brass band to date, performing a swing section, as well as entertaining guests on their way to dinner. Plus, from carol singing to Christmas quizzes, there will be lots of festive cheer at Potters Resort in the lead up to Christmas. Call 0333 3207 497 or visit www.pottersholidays.com

Peter Pan at Norwich Theatre Royal 35

BRAND NEW FLEET J

UST ARRIVE D

Come racing at

Sunday 21st December (First race at 1.00pm) 20 1 5 RAC ES CA L E N DA R Thursday 1st January, 12.30pm New Year’s Day Tuesday 13th January, 1.00pm Thursday 22nd January, 1.30pm

TRY GO KARTING AT ELLOUGH PARK RACE CIRCUIT Step out of the norm, leave the mundane behind.

Experience outdoor karting on our 1100m British Championship Circuit in 390cc karts.

Friday 13th February, 1.30pm Monday 2nd March, 2.00pm Friday 13th March, 2.20pm Silver Cup Day Monday 6th April, 2.00pm Easter Monday Tuesday 5th May, 2.20pm Sunday 31st May, 2.00pm Ladies Day, Big C Charity Day Friday 9th October, 2.00pm Wednesday 28th October, 1.30pm

CHRISTMAS PARTY EVENTS

Book Now Catering & Meeting Room Packages Available on Request

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

Tuesday 17th November, 1.00pm Sunday 20th December, 1.00pm Christmas Meeting

Please note, all race times are subject to change

Admission from £10 per adult · 17 years old and under accompanied by an adult FREE

Fakenham Racecourse Ltd, The Racecourse, Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 7NY t 01328 862388 f 01328 855908 info@fakenhamracecourse.co.uk www.fakenhamracecourse.co.uk

WHAT’S ON

VISITNORWICH

NORWICH: A MAJESTIC C H R I S T M A S C A P I TA L IN THE FIRST OF A NEW SERIES, MELANIE COOK OF VISITNORWICH GIVES AN INSIDER’S VIEW ON THE CITY’S FESTIVE EVENTS

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ORWICH IS A BEAUTIFULLY PRESERVED MEDIEVAL CITY with enviable majestic buildings: 33 medieval churches, two cathedrals and a Norman castle.

At Christmas, its beauty is enhanced by festive lights made up of filigree star-ball suspensions and cool blue up-lighters strung through trees and draped across pedestrian areas in Norwich Lanes, Timberhill and Gentleman’s Walk.

The city’s seasonal shopping experience is blessed with Christmas markets and festive food and drink. Don’t miss the annual Medieval Christmas Fayre at Dragon Hall (December 6-7) complete with costumed characters and German inspired food and drink and the Christmas Nostalgia Fair (December 13) presented by The Norwich Fleamarket in St Andrew’s Hall, a salute to Norwich’s flourishing vintage scene.

New this year is the NORWICHRISTMAS Real Christmas Tree Trail, designed to take visitors and shoppers across the city into delightful districts such as the Norwich Lanes and the Cathedral Quarter. It is here where eager shoppers will find an array of independent businesses selling tempting Norfolk made items, art, books, antiques, jewellery and fashion as well as cosy cafés and restaurants. One of the most charming places is The Britons Arms in Elm Hill. This 15th century thatched coffee house and restaurant greets you at the door with the comforting fragrance of homemade cakes fused with the aroma of coffee and real wood from the open fire.

Wrap up warm and enjoy the trail around the city. There are 30 beautifully adorned trees to see, all decked out in the theme of the 12 Days of Christmas. The trees will be a festive feature piece in many of Norwich’s iconic buildings such as Marble Hall, the Royal Arcade and the Assembly House as well as popular high street shopping haunts – intu Chapelfield, Castle Mall and John Lewis.

Winter food and drink is just as important to us as shopping at this time of the year. The colder months are the perfect excuse to indulge in hearty fayre and fine beverages. Norwich Market, the largest six-day a-week

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permanent market in the country, is the perfect place to shop for artisan products such as cheese from north Norfolk, home-made chutney, ale and bread in addition to all the delicious necessary ingredients we use for cooking.

The market is the hub of the city providing local shoppers with fresh fish and meat from the area as well as personal advice for how to prepare dishes, including all the usual good-natured banter you’d expect from a thriving market!

A real treat and a great way to catch up with friends and family is Festive Afternoon Tea at the Assembly House.

This resplendent Georgian building is the perfect setting to relax in and enjoy seasonal finger sandwiches of roasted local turkey, stuffing and cranberry followed by cakes and pastries (£32 for two or £17.50 per person).

Norwich is a hugely cultural destination, therefore shows, performances, exhibitions and concerts form an important role in the celebrations across the city. Evening entertainment at Norwich Theatre Royal, The Playhouse and Norwich Puppet Theatre includes music, plays and, of course, panto! The Theatre Royal is still one of only a handful of large venues who write, produce and perform their own production annually. Peter Pan is running from December 18 to January 18, 2015.

Strangers’ Hall, The Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell, Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery, The Gallery at Norwich University of the Arts and the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts are places to discover treasures from Norfolk if you are looking for things to do during the day. These fascinating venues tell their stories through interactive displays, exhibits and special events. This year enjoy: Christmas Long Ago at Strangers’ Hall; 50s Fashion at the Museum of Norwich; John Wonnacott and John Lessore: The Life Room and the City at Norwich Castle and REALITY: Modern & Contemporary British Painting at the Sainsbury Centre.

On a more light-hearted note, man’s best friend is not forgotten. At The Forum, back by popular demand, find Santa’s Grotto for Dogs (December 13). In association with the Mid-Norfolk RSPCA, have your pampered pooch pictured with Santa!

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| DECEMBER 2014

T H E H I T C I R C U S S H OW L A S O I R E E R E T U R N S TO LO N D O N F O R A N OT H E R AW E - I N S P I R I N G , J AW - D R O P P I N G A N D D OW N R I G H T U N M I SSA B L E C H R I ST M AS S E A S O N . B E N E T C AT T Y R E P O R T S

I

t is a paradox that despite being Europe’s cultural capital, there can sometimes appear to be a lack of straight-forward ‘entertainment’ to be found in London.

What do you do if you don’t fancy the theatre but do want something live; if you want something escapist but not childish; or spectacular but not touristy?

This Christmas the answer is La Soirée, the international hit circus spectacular that is now celebrating ten years since it began at the Edinburgh Festival with a residency on the Southbank. It plays in a specially constructed circus tent, to be found amidst the Winter Wonderland of Christmas trees, lights and bars under the shadow of the London Eye. Before this wondrous two hours, some of us thought that circus was an art form that existed in only really two forms: Cirque De Soleil and Everyone Else. But the brilliant former is a Vegas spectacular for which you need to remortgage your house

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to buy a ticket and the latter is the kind of old-fashioned throwback that surely hasn’t changed for centuries. La Soirée kills that presumption stone dead.

The gimmick of La Soirée (and its creative producer Brett Haylock) is to be resolutely traditional in content but completely contemporary in style. As you take your seat the music is every circus brass band tune you’ve ever heard but once the show gets going people are doing acrobatics and contortions to eardrum-busting dance and rock numbers.

No act lasts more than about five minutes. They come on, they do their thing and even before we’ve had time to applaud they’ve vanished and the next act has bounded on to the stage.

And, crucially, the show is adult (there are a couple of strip teases and burlesque routines) without being rude and sexy without ever being sexual, appealing to a general audience without that meaning ‘families with kids’. It would take a

WEST END REVIEW

LA SOIRÉE

LA SOIRÉE runs at the

Southbank Centre until January 11. Call 0844 847 991.

prude or a sourpuss of the first magnitude not to be awestruck by the fizz and pop and fun of a show that is more than the sum of its considerable parts.

In a bill consisting of a dozen or more acts, it feels unfair to single any out for special mention and any highlights are down to personal preference.

If you like posh city types in pinstripe suits doing one-handed handstands on each other’s heads then The English Gents are probably going to do it for you.

If you’re a chiropractor then Jonathan Burns, a contortionist who bends his way through a tennis racket while dressed like a fugitive from Wayne’s World, will probably be the first among equals.

If you nurse fantasies about someone doing a strip tease while suspended upside down in mid air then Tanya Gagne will do the trick.

And if you’re erotically minded, the reading of a Mills and Boon story by a John Waters lookalike in a bow tie (absolutely hilarious Asher Treleaven) will take you to heaven and back.

I’ve rarely heard an audience laugh so hard so much.

Others, meanwhile, will be eager to see the legendary Hanky Panky routine from Ursula Martinez in which she makes a

small red hanky disappear and re-appear from increasingly unusual places in the midst of a strip tease.

All of this is topped and tailed with the giant sad clown Puddles Pity Party singing Hallelujah (pleasing in its incongruity at the end of the show).

But one shouldn’t forget Scotty The Blue Bunny bursting a huge balloon with his tightly lycra’d bottom, or David and Fofo making ping pong balls dance with their mouths, or juggler Marcus Monroe whose wit is as sharp as the knives he juggles just meters from the audience. One can only assume Health and Safety make exemptions for circus acts.

La Soirée is one of those rare evenings out - in London or anywhere else - that it’s impossible to imagine anyone not having a great time at. Office parties, first dates, anniversaries or an escape by oneself, all would be wonderfully fulfilled by La Soirée.

It runs in London until January but, with 10 years, four continents, 14 countries and numerous awards behind it, we can be pretty sure that in a wider sense, La Soirée is here to stay.

IF YOU’RE IN LONDON over

Christmas and looking for big shows to see as a treat: THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT TIME is the best play; THE 39 STEPS is the best comedy; DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS is the best musical comedy; MISS SAIGON is the best weepy; LES MISÉRABLES is the best longrunner; THE LION KING is the best family show; and MATILDA is the best treat.

For many of those shows, the best thing to do is check www. tkts.co.uk where you can buy the best seats (in person) in Leicester Square for a good discount; otherwise www.lovetheatre.com is a reliable online ticket agent but otherwise it is generally wise to book online from the theatre.

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39

| DECEMBER 2014

Top Hole!

A MOD E RN S PACI OU S FAMILY H O ME I N A B R OADLAND VI LLAGE NEAR NORW I CH HAS SA R AH H AR DY WANTI NG TO MOVE I N!

Guide Price – £535,000

B

rundall has always been a popular choice for families, offering a village atmosphere yet also easy access to Norwich and the coast. The village railway station simply furthers its appeal and that’s before we mention the rather good local primary school, too.

This month’s property of the month is on the outskirts of the village and thus offers delightful views over the surrounding

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countryside. It is based on the site of an old Boulton and Paul pavilion for a former golf links course. A timber building with a corrugated iron roof, the pavilion closed in 1915 and at some point, most likely between the wars, was converted into a home.

Although basic, it remained as a private dwelling until 1999 when the current owners bought the land. They were looking for a project in or around Brundall and the combination of glorious views and an exciting challenge proved too much to resist – especially as one half of the partnership was a building surveyor!

‘We originally intended to renovate the building but felt it was too far gone and there was potential for so much more here,’ they say.

The house, accessed off a private road, has been built to a high standard around a steel core frame. The owner has a fascinating DVD showing the original pavilion coming down and the house going up – something the new owner will no doubt be keen to view.

This versatile property is light and airy, with high ceilings and, as the pictures show, plenty of that vital storage space which is a real favourite of mine! The garden room is the owners’ favourite spot and they spend more time here than

PROPERTY OF THE MONTH

THE GOLF HOUSE, BRUNDALL

ESTATE AGENT

Fine and Country 7 Bank Plain, Norwich, Norfolk NR2 4SF Call 01603 221888 or visit www.fineandcountry.com

anywhere else, enjoying the sun and views throughout the day.

The dining room was originally a garden room but they now use it for dinner parties and family gatherings as their table can seat 12 and the room has a family area for anyone with young children or teens.

Two of the four bedrooms can be found upstairs, one of which opens on to a generous dressing room that would make a brilliant nursery which could also accommodate a shower room. There’s a very spacious, luxurious bathroom shared between the upstairs bedrooms with a sliding door to divide the space: ‘One person can have a long bath with the door shut and the other part of the bathroom can still be used – everyone has their privacy,’ explain the owners.

They happily admit to a love of entertaining and have designed the house so they can open up the rooms to create the perfect environment for parties. They have easily hosted 30-40 people. The dining room has double doors onto the sitting room so you can move through after dinner for drinks by the fire.

In summer guests spill out into the garden after eating – or the owners cook outside on the barbecue for al-fresco dining.

The views are a huge part of the attraction. ‘The farmer grows different crops in the fields each year so there’s always

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something new to see. We love to watch the work going on and find that we’re very aware of the seasons as the outlook changes throughout the year.’

They continue: ‘From our balcony you can look over the developing golf course so that will be fantastic for the new owners – even if you don’t play you can enjoy the lovely outlook.’

FACT FILE

• Four bedrooms including master bedroom suite • Three bathrooms/shower rooms • Three receptions • There is the possibility of incorporating an annexe within the main home • Double garage with planning permission for conversion to annexe; plus planning for a new double garage • Edge of village situation with views out over adjoining farmland

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THE METICULOUS MOVERS

We’re home!

Ollands have now offically moved.

We’re all un-packed in our lovely new premises in Stratton Strawless and ready to get cracking.

BESPOKE RESIDENTIAL MOVES

Contact us to find out more

STORAGE BUSINESS & COMMERCIAL NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL ANTIQUES & FINE ART

Woodland Farm Shortthorn Rd, Stratton Strawless Norwich, NR10 5NU

E: enquiries@ollands.com T: +44 (0) 1603 754 735 F: +44 (0) 1603 754 308

www.ollands.com

We wish you a Merry Christmas...

Bespoke and unrivalled.

! d e r i p s n i BTaeke a look at our great ore

t s in n io t c e l e S t if G Christmas Contact us now for a brochure or visit our showroom at:

Station Business Park, Horning Road West, Hoveton, Norwich, Norfolk NR12 8QJ, England.

T: 01603 781771 E: info@ebsfurniture.co.uk

Handmade in Norfolk

Follow us on Facebook.

www.batesfurniture.co.uk

| DECEMBER 2014

Walton & Co Two Tree embroidered table runner £18 This simple design won’t dominate the table and can be dressed up or down, and will blend well with any style of tableware and cutlery. Runners do just add a little something to the dressed table and finish off the look perfectly.

Design Ideas Penguins set of 12 small £10, large £4 each, extra large £11 each In the 80s in the USA, a brother and sister at college were passionate about creative design that was also fun. Now they have a very successful business but insist on continuing the fun element. This is quite obvious from their designs and a good example of this philosophy is this cute penguin range. Who can look at them without smiling? They are adorable.

CHRISTMAS! IT’S THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN O U R H O M E S W R I T E R S H AY L E Y P H I L P OT A N D J E N N I F E R R E A D R E A L LY L E T T H E I R H A I R D OW N . H E R E A R E A F E W O F T H E I R FAVO U R I T E T H I N G S

C

HRISTMAS HAS GOT TO BE the most exciting time of the year in the home. A chance to transform a conventional environment into a magical fairyland with sparkling lights, winter floristry, berries, and lots and lots of glitter. The atmosphere crackles when the whole family join together to decorate the home, especially if young ones are involved.

As well as the more traditional decorations, why not try something quirky and different to highlight your home, and cause a stir when your guests arrive. Living areas, bedrooms, staircases and halls can all be festooned in equal measure and don’t be afraid – it’s a time when ‘over-the-top’ is perfectly fine but make sure you do it in style!

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Emma Bridgewater Christmas Joy 1.2 pint mug £19.95 8.5 inch plate £19.95 Traditional red and green sing out from this simple, almost naïve design inspired by the rhythmic, repeating patterns of traditional spongeware.

Any tea, coffee or chocolate will taste even better when served in this cheery mug, and that mince pie will look right at home on the pretty plate.

Both guaranteed to put you in the festive mood.

Dishwasher and microwave safe and made in the UK.

INTERIORS

CHRISTMAS INTERIORS

Walton & Co Robin and Noel cushion £25 each How to transform any sofa into a Christmas feature in an instant. Simply add one or both of these gorgeous cushions. They are both 30cm x 30cm and feather-filled. Robin - in his boots -has a pretty scalloped edge and Noel has the sweetest miniature bells all around. Also, who wouldn’t want to find one of these under the tree?

Emma Bridgewater Snowstorm Stamp set of 2 mini candles £27.50 Nothing creates an atmosphere quite like a flickering candle and this cleverly repeated design is so appealing - in bright blue with delightful images of robin and reindeer. These earthenware mugs are made in England and will sit happily on any occasional table, mantelpiece or coffee table, or even a kitchen window sill to tell the outside world how much you are enjoying the festive season. They’re double the value, as they start a new life as mini mugs when the candles are no more. Dishwasher and microwave safe.

Biederlack Bocasa Christmas Stag throw £30 Brighten up any room with this vibrant throw featuring pairs of white reindeer on a bright red background.

Super soft and snugly, it is made of sumptuous microfibre with a fine velour trim. Made in Germany, there are many more luxurious designs on offer and for convenience, they are machine washable, 140 x 180cm. It makes a great gift, too.

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

Winterflora natural cone and red berry wreath small £10, medium £15 Talking of front doors, here is the smartest and most natural looking wreath you could find with just enough colour and decoration. They give a signal to passers-by that ‘this house is celebrating Christmas in style’.

Design Ideas Reindeer from £3 How cool are these stylised animals? Such a clever design and so simple. They really are a great example of a smart, contemporary Christmas accessory for those who frown on the traditional baubles and glitter. Create a herd or simply place one in a strategic position.

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The Kitchen Shop

Showroom Open: Monday - Friday 9am - 4.30pm

Saturday 9.30am - Midday

Appointments Always Available.

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

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

Lowestoft

Low Barn, Weston, Beccles

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

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

Offers in excess of £350,000

Offers in excess of £500,000

PROPERTY

FUTURE TRENDS

Property

Prospects

THIS MONTH PROPERTY EXPERT OLIVER HURREN W O N D E R S W H AT 2015 WILL HOLD FOR HOUSE BUYERS

OLIVER HURREN YOUR MOVE OLIVER JAMES WWW.YOUR-MOVE.CO.UK 01493 600005

W

HAT WILL 2015 requirements this is only going to make BRING FOR things harder. But anyone who has been THE PROPERTY in negative equity since the Credit Crunch MARKET? Well, should not have to worry anymore. Their as we come to the deposit should be safe with house prices end of a year that during 2014 reaching and exceeding the has seen some house values grow by 7.8 2007 peak, setting new records. per cent - the biggest leap since 2007- I We are in the hands of the Bank of believe that prices are getting ahead of England’s Financial Policy Committee who themselves. can, to a large extent, control the housing With that in mind, we may see a small market. It could increase the loan to value dip next year which would be the first ratios or force banks to hold more capital since 2011. If prices do fall, I think they against mortgages, especially if they feel will be modest and should not be worried the market is rising too fast. about too much. It will not be a crash, Most of their decisions will be focused at just a correction to sort out any runaway the London market as the rest of England property prices. follows that trend. We call it the ripple The Bank of England is expected to effect as from where we live, when London increase interest rates next year which will house prices increase or decrease then the also cool housing market growth. Although same normally happens to us. rises are expected to be gradual, with The Government, with its Help To Buy rates remaining much lower than before Scheme, has displayed much confidence the financial crisis, prospective buyers that the UK housing market will continue are likely to be startled by the first such to grow. increase. This will lead to many purchasers Despite all the negative signs and maybe holding off from buying and will lead to a possible slow down for a year or a small lower prices, dip, the housing too. market will The worry grow steadily we may see a small dip is when for many years next year which would calculating to come, maybe be the first since 2011. If even a small even a decade. rise in the base Some years prices do fall, I think they rate which has could be more will be modest and should been stuck at rapid than not be worried about a record low others but I can of 0.5 per cent see an average too much. It will not be a for more than of two or three crash, just a correction five years. In per cent a year to sort out any runaway September being easily property prices.

2008, the achieved. month when Some sources US investment predict by 2018 bank Lehman Brothers collapsed, the UK house prices will have risen by as much as interest rates were running at five per cent.

20 per cent. This might be a nationwide Over the next couple of years, even if the statistic but don’t forget the ripple effect. base rate rises to two or three per cent, it Overall your money, whether in your remains a very low figure. own home or as an investment, is in a With the mortgage eligibility criteria safe place. becoming tougher and high deposit

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

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Where to find us:

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Fruit baskets, hampers & veg boxes made to order

EASY PARKING & EASY LOADING

TEL: 01692 580226 FARM SHOP & PLANT CENTRE Wayford Nurseries, Stalham, NR12 9LJ Open Daily 8am-6pm; Sat 8am-5pm; Sun 10am-4pm

www.agmeale.co.uk

F r e s h Christmas trees, pot grown & sawn Super selection of planted arrangements individually made

We have excellent fresh produce always on sale

Red and white main crop potatoes £4.50 PER 25KG SACK, 3 SACKS

JUST £10!

CHRISTMAS LOUND PLANT CENTRE AT

Yarmouth

Inspirational gifts for gardeners Beautifully created HAMPERS made on site to suit all tastes & pockets... don’t forget the wild birds, we’ve got hampers for them as well!

HOLLY WREATHS, homemade & individually decorated

Super selection of HOUSE PLANTS

Our usual huge choice of SEASONAL INTEREST PLANTS to bring colour & winter wonder to your garden.

Wonderful selection of CHRISTMAS TREES, cut or pot grown

We sell and exchange NATIONAL GARDEN GIFT TOKENS.

This Winter’s Opening Times

Monday - Saturday 9am to 4.30pm Sunday 10am to 4pm

Hopton

Jay Lane Lound Plant Centre just 300 yards off the A12

A12

Lowestoft

COFFEE SHOP

Jay Lane, Lound NR32 5LH

Tel: 01502 731431

OPEN MONDAYSATURDAY 9-5PM SUNDAY 10.30-5PM BANK HOLIDAYS 9-5PM

FULLY BESPOKE HANDMADE KITCHENS, BEDROOMS, OFFICES, BATHROOMS & FREE STANDING FURNITURE

Suppliers and installers of granite, quartz and solid timber worktops FROM DESIGN TO INSTALLATION

Earsham Hall, Earsham, Bungay, Suffolk, NR35 2AN 路 Tel 01986 893420 路 Mobile 07876 395197 info@earshamhallkitchensandinteriors.co.uk 路 www.earshamhallkitchensandinteriors.co.uk

| DECEMBER 2014

Our gardening writer Ellen Mary tells us how to look after our garden and its wildlife as winter takes hold

D

ecember brings with it cold, wet and windy weather but whilst the fire is burning and festive decorations are up, there is something comforting about being inside this month. Take some time out to review the past year whilst drinking a hot chocolate by the fireplace and browse seed catalogues in preparation for next spring. Enjoy Christmas with a satisfaction that your garden has been in good hands this year and will be even better in 2015 and don’t forget to hang up some mistletoe and place your Poinsettia in pride of place!

Garden and Flowers There is so much in the garden that can be used for Christmas decorations. Brightly coloured stems and berries can make beautiful colours in clear vases. Why not try making your own garland from materials found in your garden? Add a few bows or baubles to give it an extra festive feeling. If you don’t have anything in the garden, wrap up and take a walk in the countryside, collecting beautiful pieces with colour and texture to sprinkle with glitter.

Now is a really great time to get pruning so get your gloves on and attack your apple and pear trees (unless they are trained up a wall for example). Also acers, birches and vines can be pruned during December. If you do this before Christmas, you should avoid sap bleeding which can cause damage later.

Place your containers with bedding plants in a sheltered spot close together which can help to protect them from frost damage, make sure your greenhouse is well insulated with bubble wrap or use a heater to keep your plants at the temperature they need and make sure you have a supply of horticultural fleece should you need to cover over any external pots and plants.

Try not to walk on your lawn especially during a heavy frost or snow to avoid damaging the grass beneath. Make sure your grass has been spiked with a garden fork which will improve drainage and aeration. If we have a warm winter you may be able to continue mowing on a long cut setting but otherwise, allow the grass to grow a little longer than usual which will protect it over the cold months.

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GARDENING

JOBS FOR THE MONTH

Fruit and Vegetables You should be harvesting the last of the leeks, parsnips, cabbage and sprouts. Young sprouts are so tasty, but leaving them until after the first frost gives them an extra flavour which is perfect for shredding and frying with bacon and walnuts for Christmas lunch.

As soon as you have harvested your remaining vegetables, it will be time to dig in lots of well rotted manure or any other organic matter to your soil. If you have your own compost, dig it into the bottom of a trench and allow the worms to redistribute it which will improve your soil over the winter months, ready for planting next spring.

Draw up a plan of where you planted your fruit and vegetables this year to ensure good crop rotation for the following growing season. This will prevent pests and diseases. If you don’t have an allotment or space in your garden for fruit and vegetables, there are so many which can be grown in containers including dwarf fruit trees which can be ordered at this time of the year.

Wildlife Gardening Whilst we make sure there are no larger chunks of food available for birds over spring and summer, it is fine at this time of year. The breeding season is over and our garden birds will enjoy the variety of fat balls, seeds, kitchen crumbs and raisins.

Urban gardens are attractive to birds during cold weather because of the warmth in inner cities, rather than the exposed countryside. By hanging up some bird feeders and putting out a bird bath you will be amazed at how many birds soon find your offerings. If you hang the feeders over paved areas, they can easily be swept clear of seeds. Make sure the food and water are topped up frequently, kept clean and free from ice. If you are limited of space, there are many available which can be attached to windows, balconies and sills.

Shrubs and trees that produce berries such as cotoneaster and pyracantha will provide a good source of food for birds in your garden at this time of year. Red and orange berries are particularly attractive to birds so make sure you leave them as a natural food source for birds and other wildlife.

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

Gardening Product of the Month It has to be a Christmas tree this month! The Courtyard at Hellesdon Barns, near Norwich, has a Tree for Life Scheme where you can buy a living, potted tree and enjoy the magical festive atmosphere in the shops.

Visit www.thecourtyardgardencentre.co.uk for more.

Available from Ellen Mary’s website.

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Give it a go

ace to visit and is a stunning pl RSPB Minsmere ric time to view he tifully atmosp e winter is a beau ws, rare wildlif ith stunning vie t the reserve. W ea gr ply a odlands it is sim and amazing wo ery day apart ev s en op It l. strol place to take a 25 and 26. from December

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Kitchen Sense of Harleston

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

(Directions: Turn Tiliabend.

CourtTurn left just (Follow Wendover road until youleft getinto to the at end of Stratstans premises) before RWD garage.

Look for our JHD ‘pink’ sign!)

Telephone 01603 722385 | Email jhdinteriors@btinternet.com Website www.jhdinteriors.co.uk

Biomass

RHI Renewable Heat Incentive

By having renewable heat technologies installed in your property, not only could you reduce your fuel bills considerably, you may also be eligible for annual payments with the Renewable Heat Incentive which in most cases exceeds the cost of the installation! This includes Biomass Boilers, Heat Pumps & Solar Thermal Systems.

The RHI is a UK Government scheme to encourage commercial and domestic properties to uptake renewable heat technologies. This will be a significant contribution to help lower the CO2 emissions and meet the government’s target in the year 2020.

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

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

NORFOLK SPA AND LEISURE

A NEW NORFOLK FIRM IS DETERMINED TO P U T S O M E F U N B AC K I N TO O U R L I V E S ! S A R A H H A R DY F I N D S O U T M O R E A B O U T T H E WO R L D O F H OT T U B S

H

usband and wife team, Robert and Anita Burton, have just launched their first business together, selling hot tubs. Norfolk Spa and Leisure sees the couple, helped

by Heath Dicks and Julia Carter, offer a wide variety of hot tubs, for two to eight people, and for both indoor and outdoor use.

Anita explains: ‘Hot tubs offer so much fun, for all different ages.

The health benefits are well known, too. They are good for people with arthritis; they help with circulation and are obviously brilliant for relaxation and as a stress buster!’

The couple really practise what they preach and use their hot tub three times a week – throughout the year. ‘We love it,’ says Robert. ‘All my best decisions have been made in it; we planned our wedding from there!’

Anita carries on: ‘It is a place where you can actually talk, swap your news and catch up with what everyone has been doing.’

The company, based in rural splendour in Hevingham, just north of Norwich, will boast a new showroom where three very different

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hot tubs will be on display for people to look at and try out. ‘And we are planning another one outside,’ says Robert, with Anita adding: ‘Nothing beats actually seeing a hot tub in action – and having a sit in one!’

The company specialises in the Artesian range from America and the hot tubs offer lots of added extras such as mood lighting and music systems.

Customer service is very high on the couple’s agenda, with site visits an important part of what they offer. ‘People can look on our website and come to the showroom but we also visit the potential site. We can iron out just about any problem – hot tubs are very easy to install, with very little mess,’ says Robert.

He continues: ‘They are very easy to run and much cheaper than they used to be. And they are more energy efficient as they are so well insulated. We offer servicing and maintenance contracts so can provide all the information and help that you need.’

Prices start at around £3000 and the company also sells preowned hot tubs, too. They plan to attend county shows and garden shows next year.

SHOWROOM APPOINTMENTS must be pre-booked. The showroom is at 20 Brick Kiln Road, Hevingham, Norwich, call 01603 754005, visit www.norfolkspaandleisure.co.uk for more.

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| DECEMBER 2014

Lobster Claus TH IS MONTH SIM ON WA IN W R IGHT , EXECU T IVE HE A D C HE F OF TH E IMPERIA L HOT E L IN GR E AT YARMOUTH , PR E PA R E S A ST UN N IN G LOBSTER D ISH, PE R FE C T FOR T HE PART Y S EAS ON

SERVES 4

*

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6 tbsps of olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 cups of Arborio rice 1 cup of white wine 4 cups plus ½ cup of fish stock, heated 300g of shiitake mushrooms, sliced 12oz of cooked lobster meat (tail and claw) 4oz of Parmesan cheese, grated 2oz of butter, diced 1 cup of fresh peas Pea tendrils

Picture by BARKERS PHOTOGRAPHIC, GORLESTON, www.barkersphotos.co.uk

Ingredients

RECIPE

IMPERIAL HOTEL

Lobster Risotto with Shiitake Mushrooms, Peas and Pea Tendrils

Method 1. Heat 3 tbsps of olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft. Stir in the Arborio rice until it turns clear then add the wine and cook out.

2. Add 2 cups of heated stock at a time for a total of 4 cups and cook until al dente. If you run out of stock and need to add more liquid, use a little water. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. In a frying pan heat the remaining oil and fry the shiitake mushrooms, add the risotto with remaining 1/2 cup of fish stock, along with the lobster meat, peas, Parmesan cheese and butter, stirring gently to incorporate, until heated through.

4. Transfer the risotto into the centre of a bowl and garnish with pea tendrils.

Wine Choice

2012 Louis Jadot, Chardonnay, Burgundy, France NICK MOBBS, DIRECTOR AND WINE EXPERT AT THE IMPERIAL HOTEL, SAYS: SIMON’S LOBSTER RISOTTO is always very well received when we serve it at the Imperial Hotel. The flavours in the rice and the delicate taste of the lobster need a wine with some acidity and a small amount of structure.

The wine I have chosen is the 2012 Louis Jadot, Chardonnay, from Burgundy. But please do not be put off by the grape type Chardonnay! Despite its reputation, it actually makes some of the finest white wines in the world.

Louis Jadot is a negociant, which means the producer buys his grapes from farmers whose holdings of land are too small to operate a winery. The majority of the fruit comes from the Cote D’Or, where part of the blend is vinified and aged in oak, with the balance in stainless steel.

The wine is a great introduction to the delights of white Burgundy without leaving a big hole in your wallet. It has a delicate creaminess typical of white Burgundy and a judicious amount of oak, thus creating a wine which is beautifully balanced and perfect for our lobster risotto.

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

www.cafecru.co.uk

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

Party On! Our French chef Franck Pontais creates jaw droppingly beautiful canapés for a Places&Faces® cocktail party. Just add Champagne!

S

O YOU WANT TO HOLD A PARTY BUT don’t fancy

doing all the hard work yourself? Or maybe you are just not that confident in the kitchen? Well, hiring a private chef is your answer. One of our regular columnists, Franck Pontais, specialises in creating wonderful dinner parties and atmospheric cocktail gatherings.

Born in Paris in 1972, he left school at 14 to become a butcher’s apprentice before studying at a leading culinary school where he learnt all about the great French tradition of the Traiteur, the art of creating perfect gourmet food in mini portions!

In 1996 he moved to Britain to join top people’s store Harrod’s as they wanted to expand their Traiteur counter and he was also head hunted by Selfridge’s to do a similar task in their food department.

Then it was on to the world of outside catering, often producing the food for fabulous parties for the stars, including Stella McCartney’s wedding and a James Bond film premiere!

In 2005, he set up his own food and catering company, Food Creation, in our region and also found time to produce his own cook book, Verrines and Terrines, which is packed with recipes and gorgeous photography. Franck also travels the world as a private chef for leading celebrities and businessmen and stages regular cookery demonstrations at food festivals and events.

His dishes are always eye catching, use the best ingredients and naturally taste fantastic. They provide a great talking point and your guests cannot help but be impressed as you simply have to serve the booze!

We staged a cocktail party for the local business community and supporters of the magazine where Franck and his team prepared a wide selection of gorgeous canapés. As guests chatted and sipped Champagne, his dishes were thoroughly enjoyed – and quickly disappeared!

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www.andrewflorides.co.uk

Photography by ANDREW FLORIDES,

| DECEMBER 2014

FRANCK PONTAIS

PARTIES

Here is his menu: Mini couscous tagine with slow cooked lamb, fresh mint and coriander Mini salmon and cream cheese rolls on muffin toast with smoked trout Yellow pepper tarte tatin with goat’s cheese and honey, red wine syrup and rock salt Slow cooked pork belly and red onion compote serve with a potato and lentils mash, duxelle of wild mushrooms Chorizo sausage and broad beans casserole served in roasted cups of butternut squash Floating islands on vanilla custard with a drizzle of caramel and roasted flake almond Chocolate and orange mousse piped on a spoon, clementine comfit, chocolate shard and orange sugar

TURN TO our High Society section for a picture special on the party.

LET OUR FRENCH CHEF cook for your private dinner parties, and for those who really enjoy cooking, he also offers master classes, for all abilities, in your own home. More information is available at www.franckpontais.com

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Floating islands MAKES 6 TO 8 CANAPÉS INGREDIENTS 6 medium eggs 1 litre of semi skimmed milk 200g of caster sugar 60g of flaked almonds 1 tsp of vanilla essence 1 pinch of table salt

CRÈME ANGLAISE METHOD 1. To make the custard, boil the milk in a saucepan with the vanilla essence 2. Whisk 6 egg yolks with 100g sugar and gradually pour over the boiling milk, stirring all the time.

3. Return to the saucepan and thicken over a low heat, stirring with a spatula. The cream is ready when it coats the spatula.

4. Pour into a bowl, cover and cool.

THE ISLANDS METHOD 1. W hisk the 6 egg whites with a pinch of salt until firm. Then add in 20g of sugar.

2. Boil a large volume of water and turn down the heat to simmer.

3. Gently spoon out a large tablespoon of the egg whites and drop in the water – one per person.

4. Poach for 1 minute on each side and leave aside on a kitchen paper to drain for 1 minute.

5. Fill the ramequin/small dishes with the Crème Anglaise, adding gently the cooked egg white in the middle.

6. Heat 80g of sugar in a saucepan, stir when it starts to melt and turn into a caramel.

7. Drizzle the caramel over the ‘island’ and sprinkle some toasted flaked almonds.

8. Serve and enjoy.

Mini salmon and cream cheese rolls on muffin toast with smoked trout MAKES 10 TO 12 CANAPÉS INGREDIENTS 150g of smoked salmon 1 fillet of smoked trout 100g of cream cheese 1 muffin Half a lemon zest 1 pinch of ground nutmeg 2 pinches of table salt 1 pinch of ground white pepper Black fish roe, to garnish Coriander or dill, to garnish

METHOD 1. Slice the muffin into fine strips, 4 to 5 cm long and 4 to 5 mm thick.

2. Toast the bread in a hot oven and put to one side.

3. In bowl, mix the cream cheese with the salt, pepper, nutmeg and lemon zest.

4. Lay some cling film on the work top and place the slices of smoked salmon on it, forming a strip.

5. Using a piping bag, pipe the cream cheese on top of the salmon.

6. Roll up the cling film with the salmon inside, to form a long, thin, sausage shape. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

7. Slice the smoked trout into regular pieces and reserve.

8. Cut the roll of salmon into 4cm long pieces, remove the cling film and place each pieces on the toast.

9. Put the smoked trout on top of the salmon pieces and garnish with the dill/coriander and the black fish roe.

10. Serve and enjoy.

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menus

FO NO 5 R W co C B ur H O se R O ta IS K sti T IN ng M G m A en S u !

2/3 COURSE LUNCH OR DINNER JU JOUR With seasonal daily changing dishes

À LA CARTE

Signature dishes carefully selected by Chef Patron Daniel Smith

TASTING MENU Savour the whole dining experience with 7 courses

SUNDAY LUNCH Featuring our popular ‘Roast Fillet of Beef’

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

WINE

CHRISTMAS DRINKS

E G G N O G , A N YO N E ?

Our wine writer Sam Matthews looks at some of the traditional drinks enjoyed at Christmas and isn’t too sure about some of them

I

T’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN. If you know anyone who works in catering, you probably won’t see them until Boxing Day and when you do see them – be prepared. Like me, they will have been flat-out working six days a week and very long days, making everyone else’s Christmas as fantastic as it can be but it might be at the expense of their own!

A few years ago, I travelled to my parents’ home at around 7pm after the Assembly House Christmas Day lunch service, to have a lovely dinner presented to me when I got there. I’m always a very hungry man, but fatigue took over and that was the first time I had literally fallen asleep with a knife and fork in my hands!

If I’m lucky enough to get one day off a week during this build-up to Christmas, it’s usually spent dozing on the sofa, popping numerous headache pills and knocking back a few glasses of red. But – and here’s a counterintuitive festive moment - NEVER EVER mulled wine.

Now our drinking habits tend to change around the festive period and we can lose all sense when choosing what to drink whilst sitting around the fire or tucking into some dry, expensive turkey. We even get that really nice bottle of Rioja we just bought at the supermarket (we all spend that little more at this time of year) put it in a saucepan, add loads of potent spices, boil it senseless and drain its original flavours with some cheap orange juice. Then, when we realise it doesn’t taste very nice, we can add more sugar than you’d find in a six litre pack of Coca Cola! I was once given a glass of mulled wine for breakfast one year! I have never wanted my usual double shot cappuccino more.

Now, whilst I’m not a fan of mulled wine, I do enjoy a mulled cider, a drink that, in my

opinion, is improved by a bit of spice and warmth. After all, apple and cinnamon is a classic combination. Using very similar spices to those in mulled wine, you start with a much less expensive ingredient and get a very good result. A shot of inexpensive rum only adds to the warming splendour as you sip away.

Maybe it’s just the time of year that fuels our bravery to experiment. Families and friends get together and, over the conversation because they haven’t had time to catch up over the year, just want something different to drink to enhance the occasion. That cold lager or hoppy local ale doesn’t do the same trick it does in the other 11 months of the year, nor does the glass of dry white or rich South American red.

Another theory is tradition: we all have those little things that make our own Christmas special. In our family, my mother always makes sausage rolls near to Christmas Day, and, despite their lack of seasoning (sorry mum), it becomes a competition between me and my brother as to who can eat the most! It’s the same story with our festive tipples. For a three day period, there is a bottle of Baileys open in dad’s drinks cabinet. We had mint Baileys last year, it was mind blowing in all the wrong ways, and only on Christmas Eve, would my sister ask the question: ‘How do you make Egg Nog?’ We wouldn’t dream of drinking any of these things at other times of the year.

I love the fact that we broaden our drinking horizons, whether that’s bizarrely boiling and spicing our favourite drink, or reaching to the back of the dusty drinks cabinet.

Enjoy it whatever you do and I’ll see you on Boxing Day. I’ll be that bloke slumped in the corner trying to keep my eyes open long enough for a festive dri………… Zzzzzzzzzzzz.

SAM MATTHEWS is Food & Beverage Manager at The Assembly House, Norwich. www.assemblyhousenorwich.co.uk

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59

Special offer!

NEW YEAR & BEYOND ONLY £59 Two people sharing

Stay any night between 27 December to 4 January

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

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

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

Table D’Hote Menu

3 courses £15.50 | 2 courses £13.00

ALBATROS Café, Restaurant, Bar, Music Venue and speciality Bed & Breakfast

Christmas dining with a difference z z Come and try our chefs seasonal daily specials available right throughout the Christmas and New Year period. (closed Christmas day)

OPEN: 12 noon until late

ADDRESS: Quayside, Wells-next-Sea, NR23 1AT

TELEPHONE: 07979 087228

THE ALBATROS IS A TRADITIONAL Dutch cargo ship from 1899. Instead of sailing the high seas she is now permanently moored alongside The Quay in Wells and used as a Dutch style cafe, bar, restaurant, music venue and B&B, offering one of the most entertaining ways to spend a couple of hours (or a couple of nights) on the North Norfolk coast. The restaurant serves an extensive choice of sweet and savoury Dutch pancakes and other Dutch specialities for lunch and dinner. Guests can sit below deck in the cosy bar area or outside on the main deck with fantastic views over harbour and marshes. It’s a great place to experience something a bit different!

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

LARGE FREE CAR PARK

North Drive, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR30 1EG

01493 844568

www.burlington-hotel.co.uk

www.albatroswells.co.uk For Accommodation,

Tea up before tee off!

Sprowston Manor, A Marriott Hotel & Country Club Why not take advantage of our wonderful Winter Society Days this year?

Warm up this winter with a coffee and bacon roll followed by 18 holes of golf on our free draining course where we never use winter tees or greens!

From only £19.95 per person Please call 01603 254290 for more information Subject to availability, booking is essential

NEW YEAR’S PROGRAMME Celebrate New Year’s Eve with us for £39.50pp

Gala Buffet 8pm-1am Music from 8pm with our resident DJ Bubbly at midnight to toast the arrival of 2015 Hot savoury nibbles at 1am.

Two nights for £195pp Celebrate in style on 30th and 31st December, including scones and tea, breakfast, drinks, three course meal, buffet and disco with overnight accommodation

SATURDAY 7TH FEBRUARY

A glass of bubbly on arrival, two course meal, psychic show with Gary Dakin and after party 7pm-late! Tickets £19.95 per person

Follow us online for the latest updates and offers! www.thecliffhotel.co.uk

Thecliffhotel

CliffHotelGlstn

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

THROWERS OF LUDHAM ...More than just a village store.

Stocked with over 50 types of cheese, 9 varieties of olives and ham on the bone.

Why not give Throwers deli a visit? Many other local goodies in store including Letheringsett Watermill flour, local milk, How Hill honey, Lakenham Creamery ice cream, Brays pork pies, paté and much, much more.

Order your Ham and Hampers now for Christmas.

Planning a Christmas night out?

Then celebrate with us at Chameleon House Restaurant!

Our festive menu is available for lunch & dinner from 1st to 24th December

01692 678248

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

2 courses £21.50 / 3 courses £26.50

Celebrate Xmas Day with us!

Prosecco & canapes on arrival, followed by a 4 course meal finishing with coffee and mini eccles cakes

£70 per adult / £28 per child up to 12 years (2 courses for children)

Boutique hotel and restaurant

Bookings essential. Numbers limited. Please call for full details.

Open New Year’s Eve for dinner from 6.30pm Daily throughout December Coffees/elevenses & light lunches 10.30am to 2.30pm (Tues-Sat)

Dinner 6.30pm to 9.30pm (Mon–Sat) Sunday lunch 12.30pm to 3.30pm

Special January offer Stay in one of our stunning bedrooms from £119 per room per couple, including breakfast and VAT. Available for stays Sunday to Thursday from 4th January until 12th February 2015.

Please quote Places&Faces magazine when booking.

3 Redenhall Road, Harleston, Norfolk, IP20 9EN

01379 852243 | www.duffyleban.co.uk

Tuddenham Mill · High Street · Tuddenham · Nr Newmarket · Suffolk · IP28 6SQ info@tuddenhammill.co.uk · www.tuddenhammill.co.uk · 01638 713552

LUST LIST

FESTIVE DRINK

LUST LIST

1. Grant’s Signature Reserve, £17.49, available from all leading supermarkets and off licences.

2. Bollinger Special Cuvée Champagne Jeroboam, £250, John Lewis 3. Cockburn’s Vintage 2003 Port In Box, £40, John Lewis 4. Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel engraved bottle, £47, www.whiskyshop.com 5. Pomme Pom apple spirit, £37.99, available from all Adnams shops and www.adnams.co.uk 6. Koko Kanu coconut rum, £19.99 available from Amazon, Selfridges, The Whisky Exchange, The Drink Shop, The Whisky Club, Cheap Stockists and Drinks Direct 7. Tinsel Toes, £2.50, Woodforde’s Brewery Shop 8. Mauldons Brewery Bah Humbug (Christmas Ale), £2.29, available in selected East of England Co-op stores in Suffolk

IT’S THE TIME OF YEAR TO RAISE A GLASS OF FESTIVE CHEER! EMMA OUTTEN SAYS: ‘HAPPY CHRISTMAS!’

No. 02 No. 03

No. 01

No. 04 No. 07

No. 06

No. 05 No. 08

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| DECEMBER 2014

T H AT S O M E W H E R E S P E C I A L CARLTON M ANOR I N C ARLTO N CO LVI LLE , NEAR LOWE STO FT, IS FAST BE COM I NG A K EY PLAY ER I N TH E R EGIO N’ S FO O DI E SCENE . HE RE E XE CU T I V E H E AD CH E F JUSTIN R OSS O FFE R S U S A FE ST I V E D I S H TH AT I S SU R E TO I MPR ESS

S

et in its own landscaped gardens, Carlton Manor is a friendly hotel with a growing reputation for first class cuisine. Immediately elegant, the 19th century manor house retains many of its original features such as large fireplaces, ceiling roses, chandeliers and picture rails.

The recently refurbished hotel, a popular venue for weddings, has 18 bedrooms, including three in a new extension called the Mauree Suite. Here is where many weddings are held, allowing the party to have their own bar, dance floor, garden, conservatory, DJ booth and dining area. It is also equipped with the latest sound system.

It has been owned by local businessman Dee Mauree for the last two years and he is determined to create an award winning hotel with a relaxed feel, popular with both locals and holidaymakers.

Food is at the heart of what the hotel offers. There is a highly popular carvery and food is also served in the Brasserie, a stylish part of the hotel where dishes range from slow roasted belly of pork to rib eye steak, plus lots of fish options. Delicious. The Bar and Brasserie also boasts its own terrace, kitted out with top 64

quality wicker tables and chairs which must be a perfect spot in the better weather. Or just wrap up warm and enjoy the fresh air!

And there are further public areas, with comfy sofas and wingbacked armchairs where guests can relax with a frothy coffee, cup of tea or something stronger.

Emphasis is now being placed on fine dining, with a new restaurant being created in the Carlton Room, currently one of the hotel’s function rooms, in the spring.

Executive head chef Justin Ross, who has worked at Dunston Hall Hotel, near Norwich, is keen to use as many local suppliers and ingredients as possible, with meat coming from Cleveley’s butchers in Halesworth and World of Fish in Lowestoft.

Future plans include the development of a music pavilion for live performances, an improved play area for children, more bedrooms and a beer festival in May. General manager Helen Geere explains: ‘We have a young team and we are all very keen. We have lots planned for the festive period and it is already looking busy.’

The hotel is staging several events over Christmas including party nights, Christmas Day lunches, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day lunches, a New Year’s Eve Celebration Dinner and a New Year’s Eve party Night and private dining options.

ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT

CARLTON MANOR

MUSHROOM DUXELLE

FOR THE WELLINGTON

20g of Savoy cabbage 3 new potatoes, cooked 3 chestnuts, cooked Splash of olive oil Salt and pepper to season

1. Seal the pork tenderloin in a frying pan until golden on both sides.

2. Remove the pork from the pan and leave to cool. In the same pan, fry off the mushroom, garlic, onion and thyme in the red wine. Cook until all the ingredients are softened.

3. P ut the mushroom and onion mix into the food processor and blend into a coarse paste, lightly season with salt and pepper and leave to cool.

4. Once all ingredients have cooled, lay out puff pastry sheet on to a piece of greaseproof paper. Spread the mushroom mix evenly over the pastry, wrap the pork tenderloin with the pancake and place in the centre of the pastry.

5. Roll one side of the pastry over tenderloin then continue to roll until all of the pork is concealed in the pastry. Then seal with the beaten egg. Fold both ends underneath to encase the pork entirely in the pastry, brush the outside with the remaining beaten egg.

6. Place on baking sheet with greaseproof paper, lightly season the outside of pastry and bake for 25 minutes at 185ºC.

WELLINGTON

FOR THE JUS

1 large field mushroom 10g of red onion 1 garlic clove 1 sprig of thyme Splash of red wine Salt and pepper to season GARNISH

200g of pork tenderloin 100g sheet of puff pastry 1 pancake 1 beaten egg CRANBERRY AND MADEIRA JUS

100ml of Madeira 50g of dried cranberries 200ml of beef gravy Salt and pepper to season

Place the Madeira and dried cranberries into a saucepan, bring to the boil and reduce by half. Add the beef gravy and then season if needed.

FOR THE GARNISH

1. T rim the new potatoes into cubes or slices if preferred. Sauté in a hot frying pan until golden brown on either side.

2. Finely slice the cabbage and chestnuts and sauté both in a splash of olive oil. Lightly season to taste.

Your dish is now ready to assemble so enjoy!

CARLTON MANOR, Chapel Road, Carlton Colville, Suffolk,

tel 01502 560567, visit www.carltonmanorhotel.com Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

65

| DECEMBER 2014

Bon

COMPETITION

LE BISTRO

APPÉTIT!

DINNER À DEUX IS ALL VERY LOVELY, BUT THE NEWLY REOPENED LE BISTRO RESTAURANT IN THE HEART OF THE FINE CITY OF NORWICH IS OFFERING DINNER FOR SIX PEOPLE IN OUR LATEST COMPETITION!

L

e Bistro in Norwich is a perfectly placed restaurant to watch the world go by right in the city centre especially if you’re lucky enough to reserve one of the window tables!

Although Le Bistro has been a restaurant in the centre of Norwich for more than 40 years, there are many who would not even know it was there.

And yet above and beyond the staircase entrance at 2a Exchange Street, the first floor restaurant affords an intimate setting for lunch or dinner, with unique views over The Marketplace and The Walk.

Le Bistro changed hands a few months ago when Mike Jones purchased the restaurant from its original owner who retired, and embarked on a refurbishment programme that replaced the kitchens and recruited a new chef to head up the food. New Head Chef is Dominic Aslett who has worked for Michelin star and Rosette standard kitchens including the much lauded Gunton Arms, where he was one of the original start-up team.

It has reopened as a city centre seafood restaurant, first and foremost.

Le Bistro uses local suppliers, as well as Scottish suppliers for salmon. Scallops come from the Island Shellfish Company whose half shell queen scallops are a specialty (and one of the Isle of Man’s finest exports). Each Half Shell Queen Scallop is hand prepared with the meat and roe left on the shell.

Without doubt, Le Bistro aims to set new standards of food in the city centre where all plates of food will be produced using locally sourced ingredients wherever possible, and where the chefs

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will be producing their own stocks, jus, bread, ice cream and even cold smoking their own salmon after it is delivered fresh from the Scottish lochs.

As well as the specialist fish menu, however, there’s a range of seasonal meat, game, offal and vegetarian dishes.

All the game meat comes from local game dealers based in Norfolk, and Aubrey Allen, who recently won a National Meat Buyer of the Year award for ‘Ethical Sourcing and Animal Welfare’, is the main supplier of meat.

Plus they source all their vegetables from Norfolk farms and use seasonal produce at all times.

Specialised ice cream desserts such as Cornflake Sundae may prove to be a favourite after devouring a whole roasted plaice with potted brown shrimps with potato dumplings and samphire.

Le Bistro is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Sundays up until Christmas, and is looking to soon offer afternoon tea between 3pm and 5pm, where you can grab a window seat and indulge in a home baked scone with coffee or tea and, watch the world go by in the heart of our fine city.

What’s more, Mike says: ‘The restaurant will soon service double the covers when we open restaurant number two on the second floor.’

Incidentally, the very first customer was a gentleman who had used the restaurant over many years, and was more than pleased to visit again, before going on to the Theatre Royal for his evening’s entertainment. So what are you waiting for? Get the New Year off to a tasty start by entering our competition!

To enter our competition, simply answer the following question: Q: WHICH FOOD DOES LE BISTRO SPECIALISE IN? There are two ways of entering.

You can answer this question and send your entry to competitions@ h2creativemedia.co.uk. Remember to include your answer, name, address, email and a daytime telephone number.

Or, if you’re into social media, you can go to our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ placesandfacesmagazine and like and share the competition. It’s that simple!

The prize is dinner for six, with a bottle of wine, available from Tuesday to Thursday. The prize must be used by the end of January, entrants must be over 18 and all other drinks must be paid for separately.

Normal Places&Faces® competition rules apply and the editor’s decision is final. See our website for more details.

The closing date is December 31 2014 when a winner will be selected at random.

| DECEMBER 2014

MUSSEL MEN

THIS MONTH, FOOD WRITER ANDY NEWMAN INVESTIGATES WHY NORFOLK FACES LOSING ONE OF ITS ICONIC FOODSTUFFS – AND TOP CHEF ROGER HICKMAN GIVES US A SIMPLE RECIPE WHICH SHOWCASES WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT

PICTURES BY ANDY NEWMAN ASSOCIATES, NORWICH

R

egular readers of this column will know that it is all about celebrating the best of our county’s food and drink. They will also know that it is a constant frustration that, although Norfolk produces some of the best food in the country, its reputation does not reflect this – there are almost no foodstuffs which are nationally recognised as belonging to Norfolk.

Perhaps the only exception to this – aside from Turkey Twizzlers, and the less we talk about them the better – are Morston mussels. So anyone who is concerned about what is on their plate should be alarmed to learn that no Morston mussels have been harvested since November 2013 – and unless urgent action is taken, we could be set to lose this most Norfolk of foods entirely.

Morston mussels are one of the few Norfolk foodstuffs whose name is protected by law. Harvested only from a 104 acre area of estuary between Blakeney and Morston, just four mussel farmers hold licences from the Crown Estate to produce Morston mussels.

It is the unique topography of the estuary which gives rise to the fleshy, succulent mussels found here. A huge volume of water flows over the bi-valves, bringing plentiful food, and ensuring they are underwater, even at low tide.

That water is also very clean, fed as it is by two chalk rivers, the Stiffkey and the Glaven. The result is a mussel which has

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very low contamination levels, and much more meat, and it is for this that the Morston mussel has found a national reputation.

To find out why this Norfolk treasure is in danger, I visited the Cley home of Mark Randell, a long-time Morston mussel fisherman, whose 20-year-old son Henry is following in the family tradition. Also present is another of the licence-holders, 61 year-old John Dowsing, who first started harvesting the mussels in 1970.

Growing mussels is hard work. Tiny 10mm mussels are seeded in the harbour in the spring and early summer, and have to be looked after for two years before they can be harvested.

Seeding means laying the young mussels on the stony bottom of the harbour, a surface they can cling onto. For each month they grow, they create an inch of ‘mussel mud’, which the fishermen remove to allow a free flow of water – and hence food – across the mussel beds.

But three years ago, a disastrous change in conditions started alarming the mussel fishermen. In 2011, vast amounts of sand started being washed into the harbour, swamping the mussel beds, and covering the stony beds on which the next crop could be seeded.

In one year, Mark lost 80 per cent of his crop, with threequarters buried, and the rest washed away, unable to cling to the shifting sands on the bottom of the harbour. And every year since, the harbour has continued to become clogged with sand,

NORFOLK PRODUCE

MUSSELS

RECIPE

Roger Hickman’s mussels in stout SERVES FOUR

to the extent that by autumn 2014, there were no mussels at all being grown anywhere in the estuary.

The men are frustrated more than angry at what has happened. The change in conditions coincided with the granting of a dredging licence in Wells harbour, four miles to the west of Morston. Two hundred thousand tonnes of sand were removed and dumped in the sea to the east of Wells, and dredging continues under the terms of a 20 year licence.

And yet, remarkably, Mark, John and the other fishermen – despite the fact that their livelihoods have been destroyed - are prepared to remain open-minded about the cause of the disaster. Their frustration lies in seemingly neverending obstacles put in the way of analysing the problem by statutory bodies.

In 2013, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), part of DEFRA, agreed to carry out sand sampling to see where the invading sand was coming from; but as soon as the project started, it stopped, with CEFAS citing budget issues.

Despite the North Norfolk Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG) stepping in to provide budget, somehow CEFAS didn’t take samples from Wells, so no proven link can be made.

‘We can’t prove it one way or the other,’ says Mark. ‘We are trying to keep an open mind. We just want to find out why Blakeney harbour is filling up with sand.’

Anyone who cares about our local food should not accept this situation. We need to get to the bottom of why we face losing one of our iconic foodstuffs, before it is too late. Even if the sand started retreating right now, it would be at least five years before we had a ready supply of Morston mussels on our plate.

For John and Mark, it is already too late. John has taken early retirement, whilst Mark has found a job in farm management.

It is a tragic, unacceptable situation. Four small-scale fisherman cannot take on the might of government and vested interests and hope to win. But with an election just months away, and politicians facing the prospect of losing their own jobs, maybe people power could persuade the authorities at least to take a serious look at the causes. If you care about Norfolk’s food, you know what to do.

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INGREDIENTS 2kg mussels 1 tbsp rapeseed oil a leek 3 banana shallots 500ml stout a splash of cream the juice of one lime a handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

1. C lean the mussels, pulling out the beards, removing any barnacles, and making sure they are closed. Give any that are open a sharp tap with the back of a knife; any that do not close should be discarded. Put the mussels into a dry container. Immersing them in fresh water will drown them.

2. C hop the leek and the shallots into fine dice. Heat the oil in a pan over a low to medium heat, and soften the leeks and shallots – you are looking for them to be translucent, not coloured. Now turn up the heat, and put in the mussels, followed by the stout.

3. P ut the lid on and leave for five minutes. Remove the mussels, discarding any that have not opened. Reduce the cooking liquor by a half, and then add the cream, and return the mussels to the pan.

4. S queeze in the lime juice, and scatter over the flat leaf parsley.

Serve with brown bread made with black treacle.

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

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| DECEMBER 2014

ANDY NEWMAN IS BUZZED THROUGH A DOOR WHICH FOODIES IN NORFOLK HAVE BEEN WAITING TO REOPEN FOR FIVE YEARS

T

HE FIRST THING THAT STRIKES YOU about Pamela’s in Great Yarmouth is the fact that you have to buzz to be let in.

But behind a rather anonymous front door is a real surprise: you enter into a lavish reception area before being led to a stunning bar/lounge with a sparkling black granite floor, original art, crystal chandeliers, plush velvet sofas and furnishings. Much effort and investment has clearly gone into creating this space, and it gives a highly classy first impression.

Pamela’s has been reopened by Mimi Sanders, who first bought this historic building in 2001 and has transformed it from stables and a hayloft into an elegant restaurant, cocktail bar and lounge.

In the stunning bar, cocktails are the star feature, prepared by barmen who have trained with top London mixologists.

Complimentary nibbles including an amuse-bouche of stilton arancini with pine cone essence got our appetites raging, and we were happy to be led to our table in the upstairs dining room.

Upstairs has more of the wow factor as the restaurant has original exposed brickwork and wooden beams, with a shining theatre-style open kitchen at one end, an additional bar at the other with more original art and elegantly laid out tables.

Despite the glitz of the surroundings , you feel you can relax as everyone is very open and friendly.

The dinner menu offers just the right amount of choice, with around half a dozen dishes on offer for each section – starters, mains and desserts. The pricing is simple: two courses for £29 or three courses for £35 – very well priced considering the quality of ingredients on offer.

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The menu changes and evolves constantly , reflecting fresh produce and seasonal favourites and the dishes are beautifully presented by the talented and multi skilled team of chefs.

The tone was set by an excellent bread basket, with a variety of breads all made on the premises including a seaweed brown bread, and a beetroot and parmesan focaccia which was recommended by our waitress, and with good reason – it was delicious.

My starter was billed as wild mushroom open ravioli with Sauvignon Blanc velouté and Masia El Altet pure white truffle oil. It was interestingly built up of several layers of the thinnest pasta, lending a welcome delicacy.

My wife had what would have been my first choice starter: potted pig’s cheeks and pea custard terrine, served with sultana and walnut crisp bread. Pig’s cheeks and pea custard are very of the moment, but that doesn’t always guarantee that the dish will be a success. This was, however, excellent, with the cheeks nestling in the bottom of a glass dish having a loose, moist texture, and the pea custard on top bringing spectacular colour and a classic flavour combination.

I chose a very autumnal main course: pheasant, wrapped in bacon with sage and Armagnac soaked prunes stuffing. Alongside was a particularly successful pear and port braised red cabbage, along with piped herb mash and a rich jus from the pan. It was nice to see proper game chips served with the bird, in this case made from parsnips, lending a sweetness which complemented the pheasant – and that delicious red cabbage – perfectly.

On my wife’s plate was roasted cod fillet, served with a slightly piquant tomato frito sauce, chorizo sautéed new potatoes and roasted baby root vegetables. The balance of flavours was well managed, with the tomato sauce keeping what was quite a large chunk of fish moist.

RESTAURANT REVIEW

PAMELA’S, GREAT YARMOUTH

It is good to see that Pamela’s doors are once again open, and it is already welcoming back fans and attracting new ones. A social membership and loyalty cards, tapas bar, afternoon teas, sushi evenings, a wine and supper club, DJ set nights and cocktail making classes are all part of future plans. So Pamela’s looks set to resume its place in Norfolk’s gastronomic scene.

With generous portions, we both could have stopped there, but duty called, so we bravely marched on to pudding - a tonka bean crème brulée served with a sharp lemon sorbet and cinnamon plum fritters. The brulée was served in the French way, brought to the table flaming rather than hardened with the more usual blowtorch, and was all the better for it.

My wife chose the chocolate fondant cheesecake, served with a refreshing mango sorbet, several different jus and syrups on the plate, together with raspberries decorated with edible gold and silver leaf - it certainly looked spectacular.

We rounded the meal off with organic Columbian coffee, served in a cafetiere, and petit fours; a generous plateful with macaroons, mini éclairs, mini fruit tarts and tiny pistachio cakes at £4.

It is worth mentioning that complimentary, secure onsite parking is provided for restaurant guests. The dress code is smart casual and dinner reservations are advisable.

PAMELA’S, Wellington Road, Great Yarmouth, NR30 3JJ; opens for dinner Tuesday to Saturday; tel: 01493 331000 Email: info@pamelasrestaurant.co.uk

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| DECEMBER 2014

M A R K N I C H O L L S B OA R D S A C O N V E R T E D B A R G E F O R A W E E K C R U I S I N G C OA S T-TO C OA S T O N T H E C A L E D O N I A N C A N A L I N S C OT L A N D

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TRAVEL

I

SCOTLAND T IS A MERE 70 OR SO MILES from

Inverness in the east to Fort William in the west, a journey that can be covered in 90 minutes by road.

But sailing ‘coast-to-coast’ through this wonderful landscape aboard a converted barge along the Caledonian Canal is a far more appealing mode of transport.

The 200-tonne Ros Crana takes six days to negotiate the waterway that divides Scotland in two, offering a refreshing dimension to the spectacular terrain of the Great Glen.

Guests aboard the former industrial barge can simply sit back and enjoy the scenery from the comfort of the vessel, or take part in a whole range of activities - from walking, cycling, sailing or canoeing – as well as absorbing the long and fascinating history of this part of the world.

Most, however, find a comfortable balance between the two.

The journey for me began at the Muirtown Basin on the outskirts of Inverness, picking up the barge on a Saturday afternoon after a comfortable night heading north aboard the Caledonian Sleeper train from Euston.

Negotiating the four locks that raised the red, green and yellow painted barge to the level of the canal, we set off for the west coast.

The Ros Crana is operated by Caledonian Discovery and is a sister barge to Fingal (although in the Celtic mythology from which the vessels take their names Ros Crana was actually Fingal’s wife).

With six two-berth en-suite cabins, a saloon and dining and bar area with breakfast, lunch and dinner freshly-cooked in the galley, it has a crew of four.

During the day, guests can be shipped ashore aboard an inflatable rib with cycles or walking boots to follow a route along the lochside or canal towpath, or stay aboard and breathe in the view as Ros Crana makes her way majestically along the canal, which also flows through Loch Ness, Loch Oich and Loch Lochy.

What offered an added dimension was the knowledge of the crew, not only in activities such as canoeing and sailing but also in the history they re-told of the Great Glen, from the presence of the Picts and the 4,000-year-old crannogs (manmade islands) they created in lochs, inter-Clan skirmishes, to the battles between the English and Scots and the role fortifications such as Urquhart Castle played through to the Jacobite rebellions.

Running along the southern side of the Great Glen, for example, is General Wade’s road, a supply route used by Redcoats against the Scots, while between Fort Augustus and the western end of the route is a dis-used railway line. Built in the early part of the 20th century to ferry wealthy English holiday makers into the heart of the glen, it’s course and the road are now popular with hikers.

The canal, constructed between 1800 and 1822, exploits a seismic fault to create a waterway across Scotland. While the lochs made a natural passage, it is the stretches of man-made canal and the lock systems that are such a feat of engineering – the Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

five steps at Fort Augustus at the end of Loch Ness, pairs of lochs here and there and then the immense Neptune’s Staircase (the UK’s longest lock rise) at Banavie near Fort William.

All the locks are hydraulically powered today but when built, had to be opened manually. For the larger locks this took a team of six men making 15 turns of the capstan to open each gate. At Fort Augustus, so arduous was the work that a full-time musician was appointed to jolly the men along, adding cheerful rhythm and momentum to the task.

The locks link the differing heights of the natural lochs, which all have their own character from the ‘deep, dark and dank’ Loch Ness to the shallower serene beauty of Loch Oich and the bleaker terrain surrounding Loch Lochy.

The route was constructed to allow ships ease of passage from east to west or vice versa without having to sail around the top of Scotland.

Today, yachts and pleasure cruisers sail along the canal along with converted barges such as Ros Crana.

Dave Roberts, Ros Crana’s experienced skipper, explains: ‘The whole stretch of the Great Glen and the canal is full of history. It is a long, linear community of the people that live and work on her, the lock keepers and villagers.

‘Boats have been going up and down the waterway from Inverness to Fort William and back for nearly 200 years from fishing vessels cutting from one coast to the other to famous pleasure steamers such as Gondolier. And we are doing the same. We are part of that history.’

Catching the Night Sleeper from Euston is ideal for such a break as the train splits into three heading to Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William.

As a result you can take the overnight sleeper to Inverness for the start of the break and pick it up in Fort William a week later, or vice versa depending which end of the route you choose to start your cruise from.

With their two vessels, Caledonian Discovery run themed cruises that focus on walking the Great Glen where Fingal becomes a floating base every night, to the Classic Cruise which I took aboard Ros Crana with a range of activities. There is the flexibility for guests to be as active or sedentary as they wish.

There are castles and waterfalls – such as Foyers Falls which inspired the Scottish bard Robert Burns to pen a line or two – loch-side pubs and hotels to visit for a tot of whisky or afternoon tea and trails to follow.

And it was a Burns ceremony that rounded off the cruise with Ben Nevis providing the backdrop.

With the crew dressed in kilts, the final meal of haggis, neeps and tatties was ceremoniously served with Skipper Dave ‘addressing the haggis’ - a true Highland treat to round off a fascinating Scottish canal adventure.

TRAVEL INFORMATION

Mark Nicholls travelled the Caledonian Canal aboard Caledonian Discovery’s Ros Crana. Week-long cruises, inclusive of meals and all activities, start at £875. For more information, visit www.caledonian-discovery.co.uk or call 01397 772167.

The Caledonian Sleeper runs nightly (except Saturday) to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness, tickets start at £136.20 for a return journey in a two berth carriage and £339.50 for a First Class berth including breakfast.

There are a limited number of Bargain Berths available from £19 to £49. For more information visit www.scotrail. co.uk/caledoniansleeper Norwich to London with Abellio Greater Anglia: www.abelliogreateranglia.co.uk

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| DECEMBER 2014

A Right Royal Treat D I A N A I R V I N G A N D H E R FA M I LY C H E C K O U T A FA M I LY F R I E N D LY H OT E L I N C E N T R A L LO N D O N W H I C H DOESN’T COMPROMISE ON LUXURY

T

he Rubens Hotel stands majestically just opposite the Royal Mews and a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace and the Royal Parks. Thus it is commands a fabulous location and is perfect for sight seeing – and Knightsbridge isn’t too far, either, with Harrod’s calling your name.

The four-star hotel, part of the Red Carnation chain of very individual places, is as luxurious as its location indicates. Plush and lush – the interior designers have really let their imaginations run riot so this is the perfect place to return to after a hard day of exploring our capital city and its wonderful heritage.

It starts the moment the liveried footmen greet you and gently open the doors for you to sashay through the lobby with its shiny marble floor.

The public rooms include the Cavalry Bar which is kitted out

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with military artefacts, recalling key historical events from the Empire days, and is the spot for a glass of champers or a wee whisky, bottled especially for the hotel in Speyside. And The Library Restaurant, a two-star AA establishment, offers fine dining at its best – how does its signature Dover Sole dish with chive and butter sauce sound?

The Palace Lounge adjoins the bar and boasts panoramic views of The Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s stables. This is a great vantage point from which to spot the passing pageantry, and enjoy afternoon tea, something the hotel is justly famous for. It is a scrumptious affair, with the list of possible teas quite astonishing! There is the traditional Earl Grey, Assam and Darjeeling but the Oriental ones sounded most exotic. Long Jing Green, for example. I went for a herbal infusion, peppermint, to wash down all those marvellous sweet treats!

SHORT BREAK

LONDON

But what of the food? Well, apart from numerous finger sandwiches, all very dainty, you can add in a chocolate éclair, a berry tartlet, a rhubarb cupcake , a blackcurrant and violet macaroon and a honey and bee pollen meringue. Feeling full? I hope not as you also have a choice of scone: raisin; buttermilk; white chocolate and lavender; savoury cracked black pepper and parmesan; and wholemeal orange, honey and currant! Wow! Feeling full? I hope not as the finale is a rather chunky sausage roll!

If you are lucky enough to be staying overnight, the bedrooms are as beautifully designed as the rest of the hotel, with gorgeous richly embroidered fabrics, plump pillows, fluffy bathrobes, posh toiletries and more! And kitted out with antique furniture and classy art.

Unlike many central London hotels, this one is first class for families, especially those with youngish children. There’s a dedicated ‘director of fun’ John who will organise all manner of excursions and there is a special children’s menu including tasty mocktails and, at the end of the day, a special turndown treat is also offered to all children, with cookies, hot milk, a bubble bath full of toys and they even have their own mini bathrobes and slippers.

They offer cookery sessions with the hotel’s chefs, and my daughter made some very yummy cupcakes which disappeared quick!

So for a real bolthole which puts families first and is in a great position – it is a 15 minute walk to Westminster Abbey, Downing Street and Trafalgar Square – the Rubens is worth considering.

And, if you’re a theatre lover, two hugely popular musicals are just around the corner – Wicked and Billy Elliot.

THE RUBENS AT THE PALACE, 39 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 0PS, Tel 020 7834 6600, Visit www.rubenshotel.com.

Cook Book Beatrice Tollman, President and founder of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection, has published a cookbook that is her memoir of A Life in Food. This book is a celebration of recipes that have either been passed down in the family or discovered while travelling, and all have been perfected from her own personal experience and expertise in the kitchen.

The book costs £25 and all the proceeds will go to Bea Tollman’s favourite charities - Starlight Children’s Foundation and The Tick Tock Club (Great Ormond Street) in the UK.

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FESTIVE PROPOSALS

‘TIS THE SEASON

TO PROPOSE The bells may be ringing out at Christmas time, but it’s also the perfect time to get the ring out and propose to the one you love! Emma Outten looks at the perfect places to propose at this time of year

I

t is for good reason that Christmas Eve has been voted the most romantic time of year to propose.

Valentine’s Day comes a close second, of course, but did you know Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve are not far behind? And, if you ignore Halloween (really?!), so are New Years Day and Boxing Day. Although the wedding season traditionally runs throughout the summer months it seems the winter is when proposals reach their peak. Romance is very much in the air during the festive season,

with Christmas time being the busiest time of year for people getting down on one knee.

There are all sorts of ways to propose at Christmas time. The Christmas gift proposal is a traditional way to pop the question during the holiday. Or, since Christmas is a family holiday, you may want to include close relatives in the marriage proposal. Or you could write an original marriage proposal poem, have a Christmas Gift Treasure Hunt, or do the classic Christmas Ornament Proposal!

The possibilities are endless.

NEW YORK - how about the top of Rockefeller Center, which affords a bit more privacy than the Empire State Building, or a romantic carriage ride around Central Park? Cosy blankets provided!

REYKJAVIK - try the Ice Hotel. At a temperature of -5 degrees Celsius, there’s nothing else for it but to use body heat for warmth! The Northern Light suite at the hotel has an ice and light installation and an artistic celebration of the Aurora Borealis.

PARIS - confirm Paris’s reputation as the city of love by proposing at the top of the Eiffel Tower, with spectacular views of the city.

If you love the city but haven’t got a head for heights, why not set the tower as the backdrop by popping the question at nearby Trocadero Park.

VIENNA - imagine you are a member of the Austrian Royal Family at Le Grand Bal at Hofburg Palace.

VENICE - glide under the Venetian bridges, through the windy canals of Venice. If it was good enough for the recent nuptials of George and Amal Clooney, then it’s good enough for you!

PRAGUE - the 13th century Charles Bridge is magical in midwinter.

Lined with baroque statues and protected by three bridge towers, visit this walkway at night for a more peaceful moment.

MONACO - the legendary Casino De Monte Carlo provides the perfect location for a NYE proposal; followed by a trip to Jimmy’z, one of the world’s legendary nightclubs, to celebrate.

CLEY WINDMILL – Visit England has listed it as one of the best places to propose in the country! Now a hotel with an intimate little restaurant and comfy rooms, the mill tower looks out across the reed beds and salt creeks.

BANFF – how about a private sleigh ride or helicopter ride during a romantic stay in a Canadian lodge at winter-time?

CROMER PIER – there’s something lovely about Cromer at this time of year. Why else would there by fireworks at the end of the Pier on New Year’s Day? A walk to the end of the pier could lead to the start of a new life together.

SYDNEY - Sydney is a great New Year’s Eve destination – think of all those fireworks over Sydney Harbour Bridge and you’ve got the perfect backdrop to your proposal!

LONDON EYE, LONDON - lift that special someone off their feet and propose high in the sky on the London Eye – the largest observation wheel in the world.

RIO DE JANEIRO - Copacabana beach is transformed for New Year’s Eve. Propose as an international DJ plays, carnival Samba moves along the beach and a big Brazilian star rustles up some excitement.

THE ORIENT EXPRESS, NORTHERN BELLE - New Year’s Eve on the Orient Express involves a round trip whizzing through Britain’s prettiest scenery, a five course meal, and a magician on board.

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

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A series of exhibitions showcasing some of our favourite local artists 22nd - 30th November David Dane: Broadland scenes in original oil paintings and giclee prints.

CHRISTMAS SHOP NOW OPEN!

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

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

CHRISTMAS EVENT WEEKEND – 6TH & 7TH DECEMBER Join us for lots of Festive Fun! See instore, our facebook page or website for full timetable of events

6th - 18th January Stephen Mole: Stunning Norfolk scenes captured in photographs.

20th January - 1st February South Walsham Art Group; A collection of work by local artists.

3rd - 15th February Liz Reed; Acrylic collection of local landscapes and floral subjects.

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HORSES (AND HOUND) THI S M ONT H FAK E NH A M R ACECO U R SE I S H AVI NG A ME E T TH E S U NDAY BE FORE CH R ISTMAS FO R TH E FIR ST TI ME .

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BUSINESS PROFILE

F

DAVID HUNTER

or someone who was allergic to ponies as a little boy, David Hunter has certainly managed to carve a career around the magnificent beasts.

David is the Chief Executive of Fakenham Racecourse, and yet, sitting in his office, with dog Kipling sleeping in the corner, he recalls: ‘I was brought up with horses and ponies in Somerset but I was allergic to ponies.’

He stopped riding at the age of 10 but, when he joined the army at 18, his allergy had fortuitously disappeared.

David was a British Army Cavalry Officer for 10 years, and a highlight of that decade was spending a year at the École Nationale d’Equitation in Saumur, France.

In 1993 he left the army and was appointed Director of Equine Welfare for the International League for the Protection of Horses (now known as World Horse Welfare), based in Snetterton, a role he occupied for five years. It was a timely move to Norfolk, as he says: ‘My wife and I had just started a family,’ (children, Hannah, Max, and Celia, are now aged 21, 20 and 14, respectively).

However, he was then made redundant. But all was not lost, as he says: ‘Within a couple of months the role at Fakenham came up and I applied for it and I came here.’

It was a full-time role to begin with, although it is part-time nowadays as David was appointed Performance Manager to the British para-equestrian dressage squad in 2002, and since then the team has been unbeaten at Championship level, collecting gold medals in the London Paralympic Games. He recalls: ‘For the London Paralympic Games I was massively honoured to have been asked to give an oath at the opening ceremony on behalf of all of the trainers and coaches from all the nations competing.’

He muses: ‘There’s no one else who runs a racecourse and an international equestrian team,’ he notes, before adding: ‘The two complement each other well.’

The British Paralympic equestrian team takes up his time more in the summer, whereas the racecourse is more of a winter venue: ‘We start racing at the end of October, and our racing season goes from the end of October to the end of May/beginning of June,’ says David.

The next race meeting is on December 21, swiftly followed by a meet on January 1. The December date is a new meeting for the racecourse. ‘It’s the last Sunday before Christmas so we hope it will be a good day.’

They will then have 10 days to prepare for the New Year’s Day meet, during which time around 15 local casual staff will be busy repairing the ground etc, as David comments: ‘When 20 horses go round on soft ground it looks like a potato field once it’s over.’

The number of race meets has increased during his tenure: ‘We had six race meets running when I started, which is too few for the asset really, so we’ve been steadily trying to increase the number of fixtures and this year it’s been very successful.’

And he adds: ‘Next year we’ve got the fixtures spaced out to a greater degree; in the 2015 calendar year we will actually have 13 fixtures.’

He’s been at Fakenham for 16 years: ‘1998 seems a long time ago. The ethos and atmosphere and quirkiness haven’t changed; the racecourse itself hasn’t changed.’

However, the facilities have changed. ‘We built a new grandstand in 2002, The Prince of Wales Stand, and it’s a great asset.’

And he adds: ‘Next year we’ve got, for us, an ambitious project.’ It includes a new jockeys’ medical room, a revamped changing room, a new weighing room and a much-extended owners and trainers’ bar. ‘It’s about a £300,000 project,’ says David.

As well as the racing, Fakenham Racecourse is also home to a caravan/camping site. ‘We run a very busy and successful touring and caravan site, all year round, so that’s much busier in the summer.

‘The caravan site is a very successful secondary business.’

Plus The Prince of Wales Stand serves as a venue for business events and so forth, on non-race days.

David says of Fakenham itself: ‘We have a very, very close relationship with the town and are hugely proud of Norfolk north Norfolk in particular.

‘The underlying philosophy of the racecourse is what is good for the racecourse must be good for Fakenham town and the surrounding area.’

And he adds: ‘I’m passionate about Fakenham as a town – I love it and I live in it now (and have for four years).

He continues: ‘We employ a large number of local people.

The core staff for the racecourse is small - there’s about nine of us - but we employ up to 120 people on race days.’ Local companies are called in, for example, ‘for selling food on the hoof, as it were.’

David is rightly proud that the racecourse received the Gold Standard Award, from the Racecourse Owners Association, in 2010.

It is oft-described as quaint and quirky. ‘I’m completely and utterly proud of being quaint and quirky and traditional,’ he says, before adding, ‘but that doesn’t mean to say one is quaint in how one is pushing forward the business.’

Was he also somewhat quirky? David, who turns 51 this month, adds: ‘Yeah I think I probably am a bit quirky and I’m happy about that!’

Fakenham does different in another way, too. ‘We are one of only two courses, Newton Abbott being the other one, who do not charge an entry fee to the owners to enter their horses to run at Fakenham,’ explains David.

He adds: ‘The biggest income generator for racing is the sale of our racing media rights to the bookmaking industry.’

Horses brought him to Norfolk and he sounds very settled here: ‘I left the army 21 years ago or thereabouts and I’ve managed to put a bit of bread and water on the table for my family and myself through horses and equestrianism ever since so I’m a very, very lucky person.’

Almary Green Investments Ltd

Advising clients throughout East Anglia Tel: 01603 706740

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

www.almarygreen.com 83

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1

06/11/2013

12:38

Caring For

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

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

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WEALTH MANAGEMENT

PENSIONS

Your

Pension in Your HANDS THIS MONTH CARL LAMB A DV I S E S P E O P L E TO R E A L LY TA K E C H A R G E O F T H E I R OW N PENSIONS

CARL LAMB ALMARY GREEN INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVISERS WWW.ALMARYGREEN.COM 01603 706740

T

HERE IS A SPECIFIC TYPE OF PENSION SCHEME AVAILABLE to those who want to take hands-on control of their pension savings. Known as ‘self-invested’ schemes, they include Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs) for individuals and Small Self-Administered Schemes (SSASs) for businesses. They allow the investor to select what investments are held by the pension fund and to change their portfolio as and when required. They are designed for those who want to be proactive about their pension savings and who have some understanding of the investment market and its associated risks.

A self-invested pension is still subject to pension rules – ie you cannot access it personally until you reach the minimum retirement age – but it does allow you to make your own choices about how the fund is invested.

The good thing about self-invested schemes is that they can be used to hold a wider range of assets within the fund than a standard personal pension plan, including commercial property or land. Of course, the ideal SIPP or SSAS will hold a range of assets, giving a balanced portfolio and spreading any risk. Typical investment elements will include cash and deposits, fixed interest securities or bonds, equities and property. However, you can’t buy items such as a yacht or sports car with your pension fund, even if you believe they will appreciate in value. HM Revenue & Customs will classify such assets as ‘Tangible Moveable Property’ and will apply a tax charge of at least 55 per cent – and so assets of this type are not permitted by scheme trustees and administrators.

For business owners, there may be a real advantage in setting up a SIPP or SSAS and using it to purchase the business premises.

Once funds have been transferred to the new scheme, they can be used to buy your premises. It’s also possible for the SIPP/SSAS

to take out a mortgage to cover any shortfall on the property price, although this is limited to 50 per cent of the value of the pension fund (for example, if you put £100,000 into a SIPP/SSAS, you can borrow a further £50,000). You, as a business, would then pay a fair market rent to the pension fund, which can then be invested in other selected investment vehicles. It’s worth noting that residential property isn’t allowed in a selfinvested pension fund.

The downside of a property investment as your pension fund is that you may find it difficult to turn it into cash when needed. If, for example, when you come to retire, you want to take your tax-free cash lump sum of 25 per cent of your fund, you are unlikely to be able (or indeed want) to sell off 25 per cent of your business premises. It’s therefore important to consider including a range of investments in your fund that can be turned into retirement income or capital at the right time. You must remember that the purpose of your SIPP or SSAS is to provide for your retirement: investment in commercial property involves considerable costs and will not generate a guaranteed return.

There are a number of SIPP plans out there from insurance companies that will only offer a limited range of investment choices within the plan. However, these are often little more than an enhanced – and more expensive – personal pension plan and they do not offer the option to invest in specific buildings or land.

All SIPPs carry a set of charges to the investor which will impact on the overall value of the pension fund. As a result, self-invested schemes are generally only suitable for those with larger pension funds – perhaps those whose value is £100,000 or more.

I strongly recommend that anyone who is interested in the concept of a self-invested pension gets advice to ensure that they understand the choices available to them and that the type of plan they select is suitable for their specific circumstances.

For independent advice, contact Almary Green on 01603 706740 or email carl.lamb@almarygreen.com.

Please remember that the advice here is generic and we recommend that you get individual personalised advice.

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

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

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

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

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LEGAL

ADVERSARIAL SYSTEM

Modern

TIMES THIS MONTH JULIAN GIBBONS COMMENTS ON THE PROS AND CONS OF THE L E G A L SYST E M ’ S A P PA R E N T M O D E R N I S AT I O N

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T

HERE WAS A TIME WHEN LAWYERS demonstrating their knowledge and culture would quote the odd bit of Latin to their clients. It was not unusual to hear and read what were sometimes quite obscure phrases, particularly from the lips and pens of learned counsel.

Then along came Lord Woolf, who modernised civil procedure and abolished what he thought of as the old, archaic and indeed everything thought of as putting a barrier between lawyers and the public.

However, have we now moved the other way? Just recently, I had to look up an expression used in an article in the solicitors’ publication, the Law Society’s Gazette. The article was headed: ‘Judges must be brave about hot-tubbing’. It was not immediately apparent, at least to me, what this was about.

Of course I know what a hot tub is! But how did this involve judges? Was this some strange sexual deviancy outed by the popular press?

No. In fact, this is about a novel practice which challenges one of the most basic of elements of our civil procedure, namely the way in which witnesses, in this case expert witnesses, give their evidence.

In English civil trials, the person on whom the burden of proof lies goes first. This is usually the Claimant (who used to be called the Plaintiff – another thing changed by Lord Woolf).

The Claimant’s advocate may make a short opening speech and then he calls the Claimant and the Claimant’s witnesses, one by one, to give their evidence and to be cross examined. This process may include the evidence of an expert witness.

Then the Defendant has his go, following the same procedure. At the end of it all the parties have final submissions, and then the judge makes his decision.

The problem with this process, called the adversarial system, is that to work at its best the parties need to be legally represented. Trials where one or both parties are unrepresented can last much longer. So where does hot-tubbing fit in?

The official name for this is ‘concurrent evidence’. This means that the judge will not hear from experts in turn, but preside at a joint session, chaired by the judge, where the experts give evidence effectively at the

same time. The theory behind this is that it will shorten the length of trials and enable the judge chairing a well managed session to get to the nub of the issues between the parties where there is disagreement. This seems to make a lot of sense, particularly as what studies there have been seem to show positive results. Experts can challenge each other and debate points at a much more technical level than where advocates are asking questions in turn, often without fully understanding all the technical issues.

Yet the take up for this is small. Parties do not argue for it and judges are not making orders for it to happen. Just why is that?

The problem appears to be that few lawyers, whether judges or advocates, have experience of or are comfortable with a process which makes a trial more inquisitorial than adversarial. This role is not one judges in England are trained for. This may be the way such things are dealt with in France or Spain, but our traditions are different!

The reality is that things in this country will change. Fewer and fewer people are able to afford the cost of an advocate; courts are becoming choked with cases with unrepresented parties and delays are growing. Judges are inevitably having to move from a role akin to impartial umpire and take the case and the parties by the scruff of the neck (metaphorically at least).

Anyone who has gone through a small claim in the county court (and the limit now for small claims is £10,000) will know that the trial, if it happens, is far removed from the sort of thing portrayed on TV. Everyone sits around the table and, even where a party is legally represented, the advocate is often relegated to the back row, with the judge asking most of the questions and getting to the basic facts of the case.

We can expect more of this. The traditional role for advocacy in the civil courts has already changed dramatically over the last few years, with less talking and more paperwork; with limits on cross-examination, statements standing for the parties’ main evidence and written submissions. This will continue. It does, of course, ultimately transfer some of the cost of making a claim to the state, which pays for the courts and judges.

How much the government will continue to be prepared to pay is the big question.

Trials where one or both parties are unrepresented can last much longer. So where does hot-tubbing fit in?

87

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TAX

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

It’s

Christmas

Time!

KEVIN BUNTING URGES ALL E M P L OY E R S TO P L AY FAT H E R C H R I S T M A S TO T H E I R S TA F F THIS YEAR!

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A

S THIS IS THE CHRISTMAS ISSUE, I thought I’d mention two tax free ideas which employers can consider for their staff.

Often, in a tough economic cycle, staff attach more value long term to tangible items than employers might think.

Party allowance

For employers with a large team of staff this can be a valuable benefit and can even allow staff to get involved with the organisation of it to add more kudos to the benefit.

Festive gift

HM Revenue and Customs allows an exemption from income tax / national insurance on the provision of a small gift to employees.

There is no lower limit on the value of a gift but in my experience it should not exceed £50 per employee. There is no cap on the number of employees who can benefit from the gift so it is available to small and large employers.

The intention behind the rule is to allow employers to provide say a hamper, wine or turkey to employees and not account for any income tax / national insurance. The nature of the gift can be anything and it is possible to apply to HMRC for agreement the gifts provided are trivial and therefore have

Yes, the tax system does offer a tax exemption for employers to entertain their staff! There is no taxable benefit on the employee, no national insurance charge and in addition the employer can claim tax relief for the cost.

The annual amount is £150 per employee and, if not used, the amount is wasted. The allowance can be spread over more than one event but often I’ve seen employers use it on one function to provide a more memorable experience for staff.

Whilst there are criteria to fulfil the important one is to ensure the party is open to all employees. Those who have businesses at Yes, the tax system does offer different locations can a tax exemption for employers look at each location to entertain their staff ! in isolation. What the legislation is trying to There is no taxable benefit stop is say directors on the employee, no national only being invited to insurance charge and in a social event and addition the employer can qualifying for the relief. claim tax relief for the cost.

Another important point is don’t exceed the annual £150 threshold. If the cost no tax, NIC or reporting requirements. per head comes out at £151 the whole The gift should be an item and not amount becomes taxable and the something which can be considered employer will not get tax relief for the cash like a department store voucher. cost. For the purposes of the tax relief, Whilst the amount may seem small, the cost per head of a party covers the a cash payment of £86 would need VAT inclusive: to be made to a higher rate taxpayer to provide £50 after paying tax. In (a) party or function, and addition, the employer would have a £12 (b) transport or accommodation national insurance charge so effectively incidentally provided for persons providing the gift is broadly similar to a attending it £100 cash bonus – thus a gift is half the cost.

It is possible to invite a guest (let’s say employee and their spouse) and the To all the readers have a lovely total cost per employee is calculated by Christmas and thanks for reading my dividing the total cost by the number of articles. people present at the function.

Disclaimer: Please note that this article is provided for your information only.

While every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy, information contained herein may not be comprehensive and you should not act upon it without seeking professional advice.

89

| DECEMBER 2014

A NEW XPERIENCE A F L E S H E D - O U T L E O N E S TAT E I T M AY B E , B U T T H E N E W L E O N X P E R I E N C E I S WO R T H M O R E T H A N T H E S U M O F I T S PA R T S , W R I T E S M AT T K I M B E R L E Y

W

HAT’S NEW? What you’re looking at is a

Leon ST – that’s the estate – with taller suspension, bigger wheels and tyres, some bodywork extras and a unique interior trim style. There’s also four-wheel drive that activates only when you need it.

Inside, you get a higher-quality ambiance with some lovely orange stitching unique to the Xperience, as well as new door trim, a bulkier centre console to accommodate the rearward drive shaft, and, crucially, an upgraded media interface.

LOOKS AND IMAGE

That the Xperience is more rough and ready than the ST is obvious. It’s an ST that’s been to the gym a few times and grown a healthy layer of designer stubble. The image is more premium, then. It’s not just an estate; it’s a lifestyle statement. Seat expects a large number of buyers to be keen on triathlons, surfing and all sorts of other forms of self-torture.

90

CASTLEGATE SEAT Jupiter Road Mile Cross Lane Norwich NR6 6SU Tel 01603 480200 www.castlegateseat.co.uk

SPACE AND PRACTICALITY

There’s no doubt the new flagship Leon has got plenty of room for gear. Clever engineering in the four-wheel drive system means that it takes up none of the boot space, leaving a mammoth 587 litres to play with – and that’s with the seats still in place.

The door pockets are deep and broad enough to swallow discarded drinks bottles and the like, and the centre storage bin between the two front seats has a couple of special recesses for coins or keys.

A space-saver spare wheel is an option that most adventurehungry types will want to add, but those luscious alloy wheels are not the ideal choice for cutting a swathe through the countryside, unless you like lots of repair bills.

BEHIND THE WHEEL

Aside from the trim upgrades, the most important and most obvious change is the new, higher-resolution screen. It comes with improved sat-nav graphics that simulate a 3D effect, create

MOTORING

SEAT LEON XPERIENCE

FACTS AT A GLANCE Seat Leon Xperience SE Technology 2.0 TDI 184, from £28,870 Engine: 2.0-litre diesel unit producing 181bhp and 276lb/ft Transmission: Six-speed twin-clutch automatic driving all four wheels Performance: Top speed 139mph, 0-62mph in 7.1 seconds Economy: 57.6mpg combined Emissions: 129g/km of CO2

sharper details and leave you a whole lot more satisfied. It’s all still based on the old flawed navigation software, but it’s still a big improvement.

The drive is one that mirrors the ST’s, in that it’s not as nimble as the hatchback but it’s easy to strike up a comfortable rhythm along a twisty road. An initial choice of two 2.0-litre diesels is a shame for fans of the sweeter TSI petrols, but they suit the car pretty well.

Overall, it’s exactly the sort of car that won’t bore you, won’t grow old too soon and will do the job you ask of it with no fuss.

Three years on a finance deal should fly by.

WHO WOULD BUY ONE?

Active types who want the world to know they won’t settle for any old two-wheel drive estate will like the sharp-faced and rough-stuff-ready Xperience. It’s far from utilitarian, so buyers will need to bear its carpets and leathers in mind if they’re planning on filling it with mud every weekend, but as a lifestyle statement it stands alone in the class.

THIS CAR SUMMED UP IN A SINGLE WORD:

Confident.

IF THIS CAR WAS AN... ACTOR:

As the flagship non-Cupra Leon, the Xperience is on the pricey side compared to the humbler hatchbacks and even the ST. You do get a very impressive all-rounder for your cash, though, and that four-wheel drive could be priceless if your circumstances are right – or wrong – when winter comes. The best value model is the entry-level SE, as long as you don’t mind switching your own lights and windscreen wipers on.

Subscribe online at www.placesandfaces.co.uk

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91

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

°Prices & offers apply to retail sales of qualifying Citroën models ordered & delivered 01/07-30/09/14 & include VAT, delivery to dealer & number plates, Government Registration Fee & 12 months’ graduated vehicle excise duty. Black/metallic/pearlescent paint optional at extra cost. Elect 4 Personal Lease rentals shown apply to New Citroën C4 Cactus PureTech 75 manual Touch - New Citroën C4 Cactus e-HDi 92 ETG6 Flair respectively. Model(s) shown New Citroën C4 Cactus PureTech 82 manual Flair from £205 per month.

One significant advance rental will be required, which varies by model, followed by 46 monthly rentals at the rates shown & a significant optional final rental. Excess mileage charges may apply if the agreed annual mileage is exceeded. Payment of the optional final rental extends the rental term (this does not transfer title of the vehicle) & requires an annual rental equivalent to one months’ rental. Finance subject to status. Written quotations available on request from Citroën Financial Services, Quadrant House, Princess Way, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1QA, UK. Over 18s only. A guarantee may be required. Offers & specification correct at time of going to press from participating Dealers. Terms & conditions apply. Please ask us for details. Subject to stock availability.

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

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A leap forward in reverse

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Pertwee Back The new & Ford Focus Limited can find even the most elusive spot, then assist you to park in it, whether it’s parallelNorfolk, or even reverse Gapton Hall Road, Great Yarmouth, NR31 parking.

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Official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the Ford Focus range: urban 32.1-65.7 (8.8-4.3), extra urban 49.6-83.1 (5.7-3.4), combined 41.5-74.3 (6.8-3.8). Official C02 emissions 159-98g/km.

The mpg figures quoted are sourced from official EU-regulated test results (EU Directive and Regulation 692/2008), are provided for comparability purposes and may not reflect your actual driving experience.

Active Park Assist is standard on Titanium X and available as an optional extra on Zetec, Zetec S and Titanium.

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*Reduction equivalent to VAT element of RRP. VAT is still applicable and will appear on the invoice. Offer available on current ŠKODA Fabia retail orders placed by 31st December 2014, subject to availability. Offer excludes ŠKODA Fabia Hatch SE 1.2 12V 69PS model with metallic paint and spare steel wheel £9,595 OTR and New Generation ŠKODA Fabia models. Prices and specifications are accurate at time of print. Offer may be varied or withdrawn at any time and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Participating retailers only.

Official fuel consumption in mpg (litres/100km) for the ŠKODA Fabia range: Urban 36.7 (7.7) to 68.9 (4.1), Extra Urban 54.3 (5.2) to 94.2 (3.0), Combined 45.6 (6.2) to 83.1 (3.4). CO2 emissions 148 to 88g/km. Standard EU test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results.

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Official Government Test Environmental Data. Fuel consumption figures mpg (litres/100km) and CO 2 emissions (g/km). Vauxhall Corsa Excite: # Urban: 44.1 (6.4), Extra-urban: (4.3), Combined: (5.1). CO 2 emissions: 120g/km.

Official Government Test Environmental65.7 Data. Fuel consumption figures55.4 mpg (litres/100km) and CO2 emissions (g/km). Vauxhall Corsa Excite: Urban: 44.1 (6.4), Extra-urban: 65.7 (4.3), Combined: 55.4

*Offer (5.1). subjectCO2 to availability at participating Retailers only. Personal Contract Purchase. Finance subject to status, Terms and Conditions apply. Applicants must be 18 years or over. Finance by Vauxhall Finance, PO Box 6666, Cardiff, CF15 7YT. Offer includes Vauxhall Contribution. emissions: 120g/km.# Customer deposit shown after deduction of Vauxhall Contribution. At the end of the agreement there are three options: i) Retain the vehicle: Pay the optional final payment to own the vehicle, Corsa Excite 3dr 1.0 £3,450, ii) Return the vehicle, or iii) Replace: Part Exchange the vehicle, where *Offer equity issubject available.to Weavailability can introduceatyou to a limited number of finance providers, commission may be received.Finance ‡First yearsubject insurance available on Corsa only. All drivers have heldmust a validbe full 18 UK licence minimum of 1 year. policies are underwritten by participating Retailers only.

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Finance byAll Vauxhall Finance, Ageas Insurance Other insurance specific Terms and includes Conditions Vauxhall apply. The offer will cover theCustomer full premiumdeposit for driversshown aged between (motor policy only). Only available through Insurance.

Drivers aged 18-20 a contribution to their and must PO Box Ltd. 6666, Cardiff, CF15 7YT. Offer Contribution. after 21-75 deduction of Vauxhall Contribution.

AtVauxhall the end of the agreement therewill aremake three options: of i) £99 Retain thepremium vehicle: agree to the the fittingoptional of a telematics to the car: months, your policy willExcite be reviewed you drive ii) well, we willthe return part of this The policy mayExchange be cancelledthe for consistently poor driving.

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Allyour drivers must have heldParticipating a valid fullRetailers UK licence for aapply minimum ofindividuals, 1 year. AllVauxhall policies are underwritten 1-24 (purchase only excluding B2B supported units). All other customers are excluded. Offers available on orders or registrations between 8 October and 15 December 2014. #Official EU-regulated test data are provided for comparison purposes and actual performance will depend on

by Ageas Insurance Ltd. Other insurance specific Terms and Conditions apply. The offer will cover the full premium for drivers aged between 21-75 (motor policy only). Only available through Vauxhall Insurance. driving style, road conditions and other non-technical factors.

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Drivers aged 18-20 will make a contribution of £99 to their premium and must agree to the fitting of a telematics box to the car: every 3 months, your policy will be reviewed and if you drive well, we will return part of this to you. The policy may be cancelled for consistently poor driving. Only available through ingenie. ˆ£500 inc VAT free fuel only available on Corsa Excite. £500 will be supplied via pre-paid debit card.

Purchase only, cannot be used to withdraw cash. Refer to www.vauxhall.co.uk/offers or contact your local Retailer for details. Participating Retailers only. Offers apply to private individuals, Vauxhall Partners and small businesses 1-24 (purchase only excluding B2B supported units). All other customers are excluded. Offers available on orders or registrations between 8 October and 15 December 2014. #Official EUregulated test data are provided for comparison purposes and actual performance will depend on driving style, road conditions and other non-technical factors.

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Brian Routledge, Richard Sullivan and Mike Davies

James Denny, Malcolm Dixon, Vince Douglas and Martin Aust

Greg Dodds, Sue Howes and Laura Handford

Tracey Hughes, Paul Pitcher, Nicola Curle and Alan Cole

Wellington Construction, Anniversary Party, Norwich

Ed Mumford-Smith and Andrew Haigh

More than 100 guests joined Lowestoft-based developer Wellington Construction at Norwich’s Assembly House to celebrate the firm’s 25th anniversary. Leading lights from the region’s commercial development, affordable housing, construction and heritage building restoration sectors heard how Wellington Construction has grown from small beginnings into one of East Anglia’s development success stories, before founding directors Philip Oldman and Paul Ollington, together with managing director Paul Pitcher, cut a spectacular cake which depicted several of the buildings the company has built over the years.

Photos by ANDY

Mark Bellamy, James Ollington, David Attridge, Jason Laughland and Elizabeth Ley

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Ann Basey, Jean Williams, Sandra Edmonds and Jean Green

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Kevin Squires, Kelly Elliff and Darren Arnup

Almary Green Awards The Hostry, Norwich Cathedral

Sandy and Mick Lines

Philanthropic Norfolk businessman, Carl Lamb, of financial advice firm, Almary Green, has given away over £10,000 to 16 charities across Norfolk.

Carl set up the Almary Green Trust Fund four years ago to celebrate the firm’s tenth anniversary.

Successful applicants include Musical Keys (£1,089), The Bridge (£429.94) and Link-up, Breckland’s Talking Newspaper for the Blind (£975). The presentation evening was held in The Hostry at Norwich Cathedral. Guests enjoyed Champagne and canapés followed by the cheque presentations.

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Sarah Hardy and Franck Pontais

Franck Pontais, Michael McLnerney, Benjamin Turner

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Places&Faces® Cocktail Party Around 30 guests enjoyed Champagne and canapés at a private party hosted by Places&Faces® for clients and columnists. Guests were treated to a selection of both sweet and savoury canapés prepared by Franck Pontais and his team.

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Phil and Fay Thompson

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Re-opening of Francis Wain’s flagship store in King’s Lynn Francis Wain Jewellers has reopened its flagship store in King’s Lynn, following an extensive refurbishment. The refit incorporates increased display space with an extension, including a Champagne lounge on the first floor – for those clients requiring a more personalised service.

Richard and Kirsty Mallet

Stephanie and Brian Cunningham

Fiona and Michael King

Donne, Isa and Ian Kidson

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Seasonal Tasting Evening at The Ingham Swan Chef Patron at The Ingham Swan, Daniel Smith, and his team were delighted to be joined by friends and business associates for a Seasonal Tasting Evening; an intimate event showcasing the very best of the fabulous dishes which will feature this festive season on their five-course Christmas Taster Menu. Guests enjoyed mingling and sampling a wide selection of seasonal dishes.

Peter Howe and Ian Masters

Rupert Atkinson, David Jenkins and Maxine Atkinson

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Val and Jeff Applegate

Joanne and Percy Rowe

Helen Cordingley and Peter Bird

Trevor and Christine Webb, Roy and Ron Calton

Jennifer George, Roger Holden Gemma Hambright

Norfolk Bowls Association Men’s Awards Luncheon, Holiday Inn Norwich North

Lynda Schug and Stephen Williams

Norfolk’s award-winning bowls players basked in the limelight at the annual Norfolk Bowls Association trophy luncheon. More than 30 trophies and awards were presented by president John Ottaway and guests from sponsors of 11 years’ standing, Hansells Solicitors and Financial Advisers. They included the firm’s managing partner Roger Holden, senior partner Hugh Lansdell, Helen Cordingley, Jennifer George, Gemma Hambright and Angela Ireland. Bowls England guests included national board member Jeff Applegate and Suffolk general secretary Percy Rowe.

Photos and words by DANIELLE

Anne Read, John George and Lynda Naunton

Brian Howes and Sue Gooch

John Ottaway and Vera Cook

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Sylvia Knights and Keith Parker Nicky Stainton and Carol Wiles

Launch of The Waveney Valley Food and Drink Festival, Harleston

Tom Mead

Local dignitaries, media colleagues and Festival participants attended the official launch of the Waveney Valley Food and Drink Festival supported

by Adnams at their Kitchen and Cellar Store in Harleston. Attendees heard how the Festival helps to raise the profile of the Waveney Valley, encouraging tourism at a traditionally quieter time of year and bringing together local producers, instilling pride in the area in which they live and work. The event served as a showcase of the food, drink and hospitality on offer in the Waveney Valley. Wine tasting and local food tasters were offered.

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| DECEMBER 2014

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PHOTOGRAPHY

NORFOLK

CAUGHT ON CAMERA Norwich-based photographer Steve Denby celebrates 10 years in the business this month! We love this wintry scene at St Benet’s Abbey on the Norfolk Broads.

See more of Steve’s work at www.stevedenby.co.uk and www.monostreetlight.com

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| DECEMBER 2014

5

MINUTES

WITH

Ben Langley Norfolk comic Ben Langley stars in this year’s Norwich Theatre Royal panto, Peter Pan. He tells us about exploring the county with his family, his love of the Snails and a certain trip to the cinema with Cannon and Ball!

The multi-talented Ben Langley is joining the cast of this year’s Norwich Theatre Royal pantomime Peter Pan playing the pirate Starkey. Ben, who lives near Diss, is no stranger to local audiences appearing in his popular Ha Ha shows all over the region as well as bringing his comedy talent to the Cromer Pier Seaside Special show.

Describe your job to us I am a comedy writer, a comedy performer, an actor, a variety act… and just an idiot, really.

Are you Norfolk born and bred?

I was born in Bristol in 1974. I met my wife Sarah doing pantomime together, and we fell in love. She is the person who brought me to Norfolk. You know what they say - a dancer is for life, not just for Christmas What’s your ideal day out in the area?

We are a family so we visit a number of parks in the county like Diss, Burston, Long Stratton, and we like to visit Chapelfield Gardens when we are shopping in Norwich. We try to make a visit 50 per cent visiting the shops and 50 per cent having fun with the children in the park. We are also big fans of the Dinosaur Park and love visiting the coast. My eldest son Elwood, who is four, loves the sea. We go to Gorleston, Sea Palling, and Cromer of course, which brings back lots of memories of my time in the summer show at the Pier.

Which iconic Norfolk characters do you most admire and why?

I suppose the most iconic Norfolk character for me is my father in law Beverley Spratt who is a councillor and one of the good guys. He puts roundabouts in, makes things safer and cares about the environment.

What’s your favourite pub in Norfolk and what do you like to drink there?

I have got a couple. One is close to where I live and is The Crown at Burston, and I drink Budvar there. There is also a great pub in Tacolneston called the Pelican. They have some great guest ales there and I like to try those.

Where do you like to eat out in Norfolk and why? And what do you order?

Over Christmas, I have to say, I will probably eat at Kemp’s Restaurant at Norwich Theatre Royal. I love the new look in there and there is a great choice of food.

What do you miss most when you leave the region?

I miss everything about the region. I also worry I have left the gas on so I have to rush back. As I live in the countryside, I miss

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the stillness and going for a walk with the boys, Elwood and Loxley, across the stubble. I adore the Norfolk countryside.

What are you reading at the moment?

I am reading Jekyll and Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson because I am constantly searching for the next subject for my Ha Ha shows. I have to say I am not sure whether it will be suitable for adapting for one of my shows so I am also looking at the horror elements of it. I might just create a silly horror story for my next show.

Would you prefer a day on the Broads or a day at Yarmouth’s Pleasure Beach? Why? We often go to Yarmouth Pleasure Beach because Elwood likes the Snails. In our family, a visit there is a must. I do love the Broads but my wife doesn’t like boats, which is odd as she has worked on cruise ships all her life.

Opera, musical, drama or movie - which would you prefer to watch? And what was the last production/show you saw?

I like all of these for different reasons. I was actually lucky enough to be in an opera with Placido Domingo in Covent Garden directed by Franco Zefferelli. I played a clown in Il Pagliacci and that started my interest in it. I was asked to play a spear carrier for the Kirov Ballet which I also did. I can say to people that I can’t sing but was in an opera, and I can’t dance and was in a ballet. The last time I went to the cinema was with Cannon and Ball who starred in my show Ha Ha Hood, and we went to see Rise of The Planet of the Apes. Tommy Cannon is just so dry and said he didn’t want to see a film about a talking monkey, but ended up really enjoying it. I don’t really rush to the theatre because it is nice to have a rest from it when you are not working but I like to see friends who are in shows.

Sum up Norfolk in three words Rural, charming and beautiful.

Sum up yourself in three words Rural, charming and beautiful… I mean energetic, versatile and smiley!

PETER PAN runs at the Theatre Royal, Norwich, from December 18 to January 18. Call 01603 630000 or visit www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk for more.

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