February issue 2017 (issue 53)

Birmingham g n i liv

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February 2017

BAKE-OFF’S

ALI IMDAD

HOW TO RUN A MARATHON

RADIO STARS DAN & NAOMI

WEDDING STYLE SPECIAL

THE HAMSTER

RICHARD HAMMOND TALKS LOCAL HEROES AND LIFE AFTER TOP GEAR

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EDITOR’S VIEW Ah, love… there’s nothing quite like it for making the world go round. And for me personally, there’s a lot of it flying around the Johns family just now

veryone lays claim to the credit for Valentine’s Day. The Romans are said to have kicked the whole thing off with their feast day in honour of Saint Valentinus. The French, of course, chip in with Paris as the capital city for lovers. Here in Blighty, we have our claim to fame – in fact right here in Brum – by producing the first Valentine’s chocolates. All those heartshaped boxes of chocs, they were first created by Richard Cadbury in Bournville in 1861.

Ah, love… there’s nothing quite like it for making the world go round. For me personally, there’s a lot of it flying around the Johns family just now. Valentine’s always takes me back to my own engagement and wedding (both admittedly in December). I popped the question to Mrs J at Claridge’s Hotel after watching the breathtakingly beautiful Christmas Nutcracker at the Royal Ballet Covent Garden.

This year, there’s even more good vibes on the scene because in just a few weeks I’m going to become a granddad for the first time – to twin girls no less! Now that is exciting, delightful, memorable… and all the other lovely adjectives you care to use. Currently, I’m being asked the tricky question of what I want to be called.

Grandad (erm?), grandpa (no way José), gramps (you cannot be serious!). Maybe I’ll go for Mandarin, po-po, or Filipino, lo-lo… Hehe!

Valentine’s Day is when the Big WYMM (Will You Marry Me?) question gets popped most often. So, while I reminisce my way down my own lovers’ lane, our style experts have been busy seeking out all the new season trends in wedding gowns, shoes, accessories and so on. Perfect reading for all you new romantics out there.

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David Johns

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Editor: David Johns david@brumliving.co.uk

Features editor: Shelley Carter shelley@brumliving.co.uk Designer: Tracy Duffy

Contributors: Rob Price, Sue Cooke, Lisa Melvin, Rose Gallagher, Hywel Davies

Account manager: Jane Morris jane@brumliving.co.uk Photography: David Morphew, Andrew Llewellyn Publishing director: Jonathan Carter

Rock Hopper Media Limited Burleigh House, 23 Tagwell Road, Droitwich WR9 7BN tel 01905 771110 © Rock Hopper Media Ltd. Birmingham Living is published monthly by Rock Hopper Media Ltd and printed by Buxton Press. Views and opinions expressed by authors and services and products offered by advertisers are not specifically endorsed by Rock Hopper Media Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part of the contents of Birmingham Living without written permission is strictly prohibited.

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Cover image: Richard Hammond

visit www.brumliving.co.uk @brum_living

february 2017

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When you have finished with this magazine please recycle it

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INSIDE

Highlights

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Richard Hammond The Hamster talks helicopter heroes, the great outdoors and The Grand Tour Ali Imdad Baking his way to the top – from fish pie at uni to the Bake Off tent, and beyond Jamie Desogus Why carrots in bolognese get the head chef of Harborne Kitchen banging pans around Cheers to Valentine’s Day! Our wine expert Rob Price gets all romantic with this month’s top tipple picks Wedding Special Our edit of the new season’s bridalwear trends, plus coolest looks for guys too Health If you do run-run, Ironman and world recordholder Hywel Davies gives his marathon tips

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CONTENTS

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Best of the Rest

23 58 60 64 70 78 82 february 2017

Food & Drink Our critics sample Lobster Peninsular, plus news of foodie openings and offerings Motoring Sue Cooke tests the very rapid Audi SQ7 – first to bear the S sports badge Young, Gifted and Brummie Talented fashion designer Rhys Ellis is turning coffee capsules into fashion gold Spotlight on Business Company to Watch – Kaido, plus news and views from the business community Social Scene The pages that picture who’s been out and about networking in Birmingham this month Shows, Arts, Gigs and More What’s on, where and when – all you need to know about the entertainment scene In The City Free Radio’s Dan Kelly & Naomi Kent on life in Brum – including the best place to eat chicken!

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NEWS

g n i livTODAY

ROCK LEGEND’S CITY SONG Black Sabbath rock legend Tony Iommi has ‘given something back’ to his home city by writing a song for Birmingham Cathedral. The lead guitarist worked with the Dean of Birmingham, the Very Rev Catherine Ogle, on the five-minute acoustic arrangement, called How Good It Is, which celebrates peace, harmony and the cathedral’s role in the heart of the city. The song features Tony playing guitar with lyrics inspired by Psalm 133 performed by the cathedral choir.

Bringing you the brightest and most colourful stories from across the city each month

CHARLIE’S NEW HONOUR The co-founder of charity Cure Leukaemia, Prof Charlie Craddock, has received an honorary doctorate degree from Birmingham City University. Prof Craddock co-founded the charity in 2003 to allow quicker access to new treatments for patients with blood cancer. He is director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant Unit at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and professor of haemato-oncology at the University of Birmingham.

STRINGS PRIZE LAUNCHES £57M CENTRE Young violists from around the world are coming to Birmingham to take part in a prestigious international competition. The Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition will be the first major competition to take place in Birmingham Conservatoire’s new £57million home, being built in Eastside. Hosted with the British Viola Society and Birmingham Music Service, the competition in November is named after acclaimed South African violist, Cecil Aronowitz.

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CIRQUE DU BRUM Cirque du Soleil is bringing a world premiere to Birmingham – it’s first-ever UK arena tour of its signature production Varekai. The criticallyacclaimed show, featuring new acts yet to be seen in the UK, will visit the Genting Arena from 1 to 5 March.

Varekai is set deep within a forest at the summit of a volcano and pays tribute to the nomadic soul, spirit and art of the circus tradition.

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NEWS

FEDERICA’S AN ACE IN THE PACK A Birmingham casino worker has been named as one of the best dealers in the UK. Federica Butera, 23, from Genting International Casino, Resorts World, was runner-up in the national final of the company’s Dealer of the Year competition. The 23-year-old said: “Having my skills put under such close scrutiny was nerve-wracking, but I was able to show the judges what I can really do.”

YOU BIG SOFTIE PHIL… What’s all this? EastEnders’ Phil Mitchell going all soft on wildlife?

Actor Steve McFadden took time off from the TV soap – and his busy panto schedule at Birmingham Hippodrome – to make friends with Molokai, a giant green sea turtle at the National Sea Life Centre. The centre’s Chris Coventry said: “Steve and his family had a great time visiting and loved our 360 degree Ocean Tunnel, the only one in the UK.”

MAKE A DATE WITH 3D-REX

TOM’S KITCHEN

KRACKER! Dinosaurs are set to invade Birmingham. Dinosaurs in the Wild – a unique, live adventure combining theatre, theme park fun and the very latest scientific research – will launch at the NEC in June. Using stateof-the-art 3D movie effects, animatronics and sound systems, the new 70-minute adventure will transport families back over 60 million years by time machine to witness dinosaurs close-up. Gulp!

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The Mailbox has added some extra flavour to its menu with the opening of the first Tom’s Kitchen outside London.

Founded by renowned chef Tom Aikens, the chain has four restaurants and three delis across the capital, and is promising some new recipes exclusive to Birmingham. Speaking at the launch, Tom hailed Birmingham as a “vibrant and bustling city with a thriving food scene”.

See Social Scene page 70.

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NEWS

COLE’S SEA VIDEO CATCHES ON An eight-year-old Walsall boy became an Internet video star to help save the world’s oceans from plastic pollution.

Cole Turner-Hollyhomes was so alarmed by what he discovered about the impact plastic pollution has on the seas and its creatures, he decided to raise funds for Sea Life Trust marine charity. He posted a video about his mission on forums and the Cooper & Jordan Primary School pupil raised more than £200 within 24 hours.

OKA’S BIG DEBUT Luxury furniture and home accessories retailer OKA is opening its first Midlands store in Edgbaston Village.

The store in Harborne Road will add to the growing choice of retail, restaurants and bars that are creating a place to shop and socialise. OKA’s founding director Annabel Astor, pictured, said: “We are delighted to be opening our fourteenth store and to be working with Calthorpe Estates on this exciting new project.”

CBSO BOSS ‘HUMBLED’ BY OBE

IN BRIEF

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra’s chief executive Stephen Maddock has received an OBE for his services to music in the West Midlands. Stephen, who joined the CBSO in 1999, said he was “astonished and humbled” by the honour. In his 17 years at the CBSO he has enhanced the orchestra’s world-class tradition of artistic excellence, expanded its reach and impact and strengthened its finances.

HOME FRONT Affordable homes provider Midland Heart was named as a finalist in this year’s Housing Innovation awards for its a proactive solution to address the impact of Universal Credit by introducing a new phone dialler system.

FOOD AID

SELFRIDGES ‘TAKE OVER’ Talented fashion business and promotion students from Birmingham City University have ‘taken over’ Selfridges for a term as they learn about retail design. The students were given the unique opportunity to work with the creative and management team at the Birmingham store to complete their module on visual merchandising and retail design. Students were set the challenge to explore the current shift within retail environments.

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BETTER SCHOOLS APP A Birmingham start-up has created a pioneering new private social network that allows staff and students to communicate more efficiently, safely and securely. Innovation Birmingham Campusbased WAMBIZ, partnered with St Michael’s Church of England High School and West Midlands Police to launch the Safebook 4 Schools app. The platform also automates several processes, helping to save the school time and money.

Stallholders from Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market worked with Birmingham City Council to help more than 2,500 needy families by donating unwanted food to local charities via a food bank at Holford Drive Community Sports Hub.

LOVE LINES Local award-winning jewellery designer and retailer Fabulous has launched a new collection in time for Valentine’s Day. Called My Token Of Love, the collection is inspired by Love Tokens given by sweethearts in Victorian days.

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NEWS

JUMBO ENCOUNTER Elephants never forget – and shoppers were certainly in for a memorable encounter when they came face to face with this one in Coventry. The threemetre-long elephant puppet operated by a team of actors roamed West Orchards Shopping Centre, the Lower Precinct and Belgrade Square to promote the Running Wild production at Belgrade Theatre. The show supported the Born Free Foundation’s global elephant conservation projects.

NAME THAT STATION

Get ready to be confused! Bosses at Birmingham’s Midland Metro say trams no longer call at Snow Hill… but passengers needn’t worry as the trams do still stop there – it’s just that it has been renamed St Chads! The stop was moved a few yards from Snow Hill when the tram service was extended through the city centre. The new name is the brainchild of Transport for West Midlands who say that the Think you can ‘do’ Shakespeare? The Royal Shakespeare main stop for Snow Hill station is now at Bull Street.

Company is offering amateur and professional theatre groups, schools and colleges the opportunity to put on a play at The Dell, its open air performance space on the banks of the River Avon. Two performance slots are available on Saturdays and Sundays between Saturday 3 June and Sunday 27 August. Closing date for applications is Monday 6 March, www.rsc.org.uk/thedell

YOUR CHANCE TO GET IN ON THE ACT

GLYNN HUNTS TOP YOUNG CHEF The search is on to find the young chef who can cook the best oriental food in Britain.

Leading oriental grocer, Birmingham’s Wing Yip, has launched its fifth Young Chef of the Year competition. The final in April will feature a live cookoff at University College Birmingham, judged by top food experts including Birmingham’s own Michelinstarred Glynn Purnell, pictured.

Winning prize is a trip to Hong Kong with work experience in the city’s top eateries.

CANON’S FAREWELL The man who has been at the heart of Birmingham’s musical life for more than 30 years is retiring. A series of celebrations and performances will include a farewell concert on Saturday 22 July for Birmingham Cathedral’s director of music Canon Marcus Huxley.

“Canon Huxley’s work represents an outstanding contribution to the generations of singers and musicians who have been trained by him,’ said the Dean of Birmingham, the Very Rev Catherine Ogle.

GOT ANY NEWS? Email your news and pictures to editor@brumliving.co.uk 10 birmingham living

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COVER STORY

SATISFIED CUSTOMER During a quick pitstop from filming The Grand Tour,

Richard Hammond talks to David Johns about life after Top Gear, jet-powered rocket cars, a love of camping – and heroes in the sky

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COVER STORY

ichard Hammond calls it ‘customer feedback’.

Well he would, wouldn’t he? “Whenever we use a service, it’s always a good idea to tell people what we think of the experience,” he says. “And if it’s positive, the people providing the service like to hear that their customers are happy and that they have done a good job.”

This being the Hamster, and one third of the irreverent Clarkson, May and Hammond triumvirate, Richard isn’t talking about how rapid Amazon delivered his parcel, or how easy it was to switch energy suppliers, or to deal with his bank.

This customer feedback is of the ultimate kind… about saving lives. And specifically, saving his life.

Just over 10 years ago, Richard was knocking at the Pearly Gates after a high-speed test track accident saw the jet-powered car he was piloting while filming for BBC Top Gear crash at nearly 300mph. Flipped upside down and buried in the grass beside the track, Richard was eventually extricated and airlifted to hospital by air ambulance. Suffering serious head injuries he was in a coma for two weeks and his family and friends feared he would never recover.

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Screened online by Amazon Prime, the series has been reported as having a £160million budget for 36 hour-long episodes, which works out at more than £4million a pop! Which all sounds a bit excessive until you see Clarkson and May blow up Hammond’s caravan with a rocket launcher! So that’s where the money goes…

Richard describes the show as a ‘huge camping expedition’ as The Grand Tour team travels the globe to drive, test and generally muck about with and destroy every conceivable type of vehicle. The enterprise suits Richard down to the ground because he says he has always ‘loved the great outdoors’. He remembers that as a teenager he would set off into the countryside with his border collie for weeks at a time, hiking the hills during the day and camping at night. Since then he’s made and slept in bivouacs on moors and mountains, in the Amazon rainforest and high in the Canadian Rockies. He’s also camped on the Arctic ice, lying in the midnight sun, listening to the sea ice shift beneath him at night at minus 50C.

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£4million a pop sounds a bit excessive until you see Clarkson blow up Hammond’s caravan with a rocket launcher

STUCK IN AN IGLOO As we all know, he did – and Richard is in no doubt as to the reason why. “Without the brave crew of the air ambulance getting to me and getting me to hospital so quickly, I wouldn’t be here today. So, I’m sure glad they were around.” To this day, the celebrity presenter never misses the opportunity to talk about and promote the air ambulance cause – which is why he was speaking to me just hours before flying out to Dubai to film for the new Grand Tour series.

In case you’ve been stuck in an igloo in a snowstorm somewhere in the Arctic, The Grand Tour is Top Gear reborn, sort of, only different, more extreme, and without the BBC.

february 2017

Unforgettable experiences. But a deadly 300mph crash isn’t something anyone would want to remember however. Fortunately, you could say, Richard doesn’t recall a whole lot about his megaaccident in 2006. “I was spark unconscious,” he says.

What he has never forgotten is the debt he owes to air ambulance ‘heroes’.

“It’s a weird thing, but almost all the time the air ambulance crews deal with victims in the most dire, serious situations and then once they have delivered them to hospital they probably will never see them again. I’m lucky, I’ve had cause to meet lots of different air ambulance crews around the country,

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COVER STORY

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Without the air ambulance crew I wouldn’t be

here today. So, I’m sure glad they were around

presenting awards such as The Pride of Britain Awards. And they are all, without exception, very keen to hear from people who they have helped.

Keen to talk to satisfied customers if you like. I’m more than happy to do that.”

>> HAMSTER IN SHORT I Richard is nicknamed The Hamster due his short stature.

He’s 5ft 7ins. (Jeremy Clarkson is 6ft 5ins)

I Brylcreem once ranked Richard’s barnet as the best haircut on TV. I After his accident, Richard developed a taste for celery which he

Richard’s horror crash was near York so his lifesavers were from Yorkshire Air Ambulance. But as a Solihull-born lad who now lives in Ross-onWye, Herefordshire, he devotes as much time and support as he can to championing Midlands Air Ambulance. Both Richard and his wife Mindy are ambassadors to the charity, supporting both national and local fund-raising and awareness. Mindy’s godson was airlifted to Birmingham Children's Hospital by Midlands Air Ambulance after a lifethreatening equestrian accident.

previously hated.

I Publicity in the days following his accident helped raised £250,000 for the air ambulance charity.

I Richard sparked controversy in December for a comment in The Grand Tour in which he appeared to link eating ice cream with being gay.

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COUNTRY FILE Jobe was knocked unconscious after he was struck a big blow to the right side of his head by a horse.

Placed in a coma to stop seizures, doctors at Rosson-Wye Community Hospital feared the worst for

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COVER STORY

Jobe and he was airlifted by Midlands Air Ambulance 60 miles to Birmingham for emergency treatment. The specialist care helped Jobe make a full recovery.

Richard said: “Midlands Air Ambulance service is entirely funded by public and charitable donations and receives no Government or National Lottery funding. So, it is vitally important for the public to support their local air ambulance service. These crews are the real definition of heroes. When you live in the countryside you find that country people have a way of coming together and doing things to help each other and the community as a whole. This is what we do with the air ambulance. It’s a vital part of the local, regional and national community. It’s not overstating it to say that I, and many, many thousands of others, owe our lives to them.” I

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FEATURE

SWEET DREAMS Baker, businessman and witty tweet maker Ali Imdad gives Shelley Carter the lowdown on Bake Off, Brum and burying a few ghosts to rest in that tent li Imdad baked his way into the hearts of Great British Bake Off fans on series 4 of the hit show and while he didn’t win – he came ninth – it was the beginning of a career in food he’d never dreamed of. His established Ladypool Road dessert parlour, Artisan, opened 18 months ago and is thriving – so much so that Ali has launched high-end pop-up patisserie Cocoa in the Bullring which opened in December cannily timed to coincide with his stint on the GBBO Christmas special.

The combination of a degree in business management and marketing teamed with the exposure from GBBO is proving a success. Ali’s already contemplating larger premises for Cocoa plus there’s a restaurant on the horizon too. Having started cooking out of necessity when he moved to Leicester to study, it quickly became a hobby for Ali. “I started making chicken pie and fish pie first of all then moved on to cupcakes,” he said. Necessity soon became pleasure and Ali found his baking feet.

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“It was nothing more than a hobby until I entered Bake Off on a whim and got accepted. I’d never wanted to be on TV – that wasn’t the motivation and I didn’t know what to expect.”

DAUNTING The application process was tougher than you might expect with several rounds, interviews, challenges and even a chat with a psychotherapist!

Filming was a bit alien initially for Ali who’d never been in front of a camera. He explained: “Filming the first episode was daunting. The cameras are in your face, but I quickly got used to it and as I focused more on baking the cameras and the producers just blurred into the background.”

The programme sounds as idyllic and wholesome as you might imagine and while the producers did ‘television-y’ things, Ali said of the experience: “It’s just an honest, innocent, family-friendly show and everyone involved was so lovely. Mary Berry is even

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FEATURE

Bake Off was the beginning of a career in

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food Ali never dreamed of. Dessert parlour Artisan opened 18 months ago and Ali has launched patisserie Cocoa in the Bullring

nicer than you see on TV. She is sometimes encouraged to be more critical, but she’s just really lovely.”

Largely disappointed with his performance in the tent, Ali was thrilled to get the call up for the Christmas special in 2016. He thought he could ‘lay a few ghosts to rest’. “To be only one of eight people to be called up was great,” he said.

“It wasn’t daunting this time, so I just enjoyed the experience and it was great to get to bake with Norman and Mary Anne.

“I don’t think I did that well first time round, so it was good to go back and do better. I’ve got closure now!” Many fans took to social media outraged that he didn’t win typically saying he

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FEATURE

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Mary Berry is even nicer than you see on

TV. She is sometimes encouraged to be more critical, but she’s just really lovely

was robbed which he’s flattered by but more importantly he got the ultimate seal of approval from Paul Hollywood – his signature handshake.

Before Ali opened Artisan he was working out of his mum’s kitchen in Saltley. Once he’d found the right premises the business really took off, appealing to the sweet teeth of Brum although customers have been known to travel from as far afield as Manchester.

RESTAURANT The desserts aren’t cheap – that’s not what it’s about. Ali spends hours baking every day with is growing team and everything is handmade with top notch ingredients. Cocoa is a high-end affair because Ali felt there was nothing like it in the city.

He explained: “High-end pastry houses are

ALI’S SIGNATURE BAKES At Artisan try the Emperor cheesecake with green tea and vanilla and at Cocoa tuck into the elegant pina colada tart.

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everywhere in London and doing well, but there wasn’t a single one in Birmingham.”

Aside from that, Ali’s impressed and excited by his home town’s burgeoning food scene. He said: “Go back five years and the city was full of chains and that was it. Now we've got thriving independents and a great street food scene. People like the Original Patty Men are doing great things. Digbeth Dining Club is hugely supportive of independents and the scene is getting stronger and stronger.”

Ali’s vision for his restaurant is an American Diner with a twist. “People know I can bake, but I can really cook too. I like the idea of fusing an American diner with flavours from Muslim countries such as the flavours of Malaysia.”

If you follow Ali on Twitter you’ll know his feed is a mixture of wonderfully inviting snaps of his creations, funny observations, a smattering of politics and a place where he confronts racist attitudes of which he experiences around the city more than we ever imagined. He shuts it down with witty retorts and good humour.

Mourning the Bake Off ’s move from the Beeb and the departure of the magic making trio Sue, Mel and Mary, Ali’s sure it won’t have the same charm and warmth, but he’ll be watching all the same. Won’t we all. I

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FOOD & DRINK

JAMIE DESOGUS Whatever you do, don’t serve the head chef and proprietor of Harborne Kitchen chunky carrots in a bolognese – he might just get all mardy and start banging pots and pans around!

Tell us about your cooking Our style at Harborne Kitchen is best described as modern British. By that I mean that our food is based around a classical level of training but incorporates modern techniques. Cooking with the seasons is very important to me, if it grows in this country then we only use it in season, if something never grows in this country then the rule doesn’t apply – this helps a lot with desserts!

How did you become a chef?

I studied music production, so my cooking for a living is a happy accident. I worked part-time while studying and got some solid basic training from Kevin Wilde at La Brasserie in Kidderminster. I left to join a band in London – when that came to an end I thought let’s have a proper go in a kitchen and went to work at Petrus in London under Mark Askew. It was quite a shock to the system but it taught me a lot very quickly!

What do you eat when at home?

My wife Sophie does most of the cooking, I am a terrible home cook – I get all mardy and start banging pots

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and pans around at home. Sophie is a fabulous cook. She cooks with love and everything she touches seems to work!

My favourite would be slow-cooked lamb shoulder with swede, turnips and kale.

Who’s the best chef in the world and why? And who’s the best in Brum?

Is there such a thing as the best chef? I wouldn’t like to pigeonhole any names into a certain category. Some of my biggest influences have changed over the years – right now I can’t see past the Roca brothers – so that’s two chefs I guess. I was lucky enough to eat at El Celler de Can Roca in Spain [one of the world’s top 50 best restaurants] last year. It was without doubt the best meal I have had – but the atmosphere played its part too. We’re lucky to have a great mix of fantastic chefs in Brum. If I want a great steak then I’ll go to Fiesta Del Asado, if I want decadence then I would go to Adam’s, if I want cutting edge then I would go to Carters.

Is the customer always right?

Yes – until they ask for salt.

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CHEF’S CORNER

Share a cooking tip Brine your meats and fish – you will see a huge difference immediately.

What was your favourite food as a kid?

My nonna’s pasta. Culurgiones – a Sardinian flour pasta made with potato, garlic, pecorino and mint. Perfect potato puffs served with a pork rib and beef shin ragu. She made them on special occasions and would start at four in the morning just to get them done for up to 15 of us!

Food heaven and food hell?

Heaven is cheese – all of them! Hell is chunky carrots in a bolognese.

What’s the most unusual thing you’ve eaten?

Cazu Marzu – it’s cheese from Sardinia, where I have some family. It translates to ‘rotten cheese’ which says it all.

Despite the maggots, it is quite nice though!

If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?

A drummer

What do you recommend from this evening’s menu?

The fallow deer, with chocolate and our own coffee blend made by Quarter Horse coffee for us. I

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JAMIE’S DUCK LIVER PARFAIT, YORKSHIRE RHUBARB, BUTTERMILK & CHAMOMILE Ingredients:

I 400g duck liver (pre soak in milk) I 30ml brandy

I 75ml madeira I 75ml port I 100g diced shallot

I 1 garlic clove I 5 free range eggs

I 400g unsalted butter (melted) I Salt to taste

Method: Preheat oven to 120. Reduce the madeira, brandy and port with the shallots and garlic until it is reduced by half which will remove the bitterness from the alcohol. Add the livers (no milk) into a blender and add one egg at a time for five minutes until smooth. Then add the melted butter a little at a time while still blending slowly. Taste the mixture (do not swallow) to correct seasoning.

Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a lined terrine mould and cover with foil, place into a deep oven tray and fill with warm water until two-thirds of the way up the terrine. Now cover the oven tray with foil too.

Cook for 45 minutes and using a temperature probe check the temperature has reached above 70C for a minimum of two minutes. Then cool the terrine in an ice bath in the fridge – it is important to chill the terrine within 90 minutes. Serve with warm Brioche and poached Yorkshire rhubarb.

Harborne Kitchen 175-179 High Street, Harborne, B17 9QE. Tel: 0121 439 9150 www.harbornekitchen.com

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RESTAURANT REVIEW

LOBSTER PENINSULA Lobster Peninsula House, 74 John Bright St, Birmingham B1 1BN. Tel: 0121 643 8886 peninsulalobster.com obster Peninsula entered the city’s restaurant scene at the end of last year with a swanky launch party and much social media noise.

Cue a million snaps of extravagant looking lobster dishes from eager diners.

We should say from the get-go that we’ve always found lobster a bit overrated, but in the name of art (sort of) we headed for the restaurant’s plush redcarpeted entrance to give it a whirl. The interior was a brilliant surprise. What I thought would be over-thetop and flashy thanks to the red carpet was actually super stylish, pared back and charming with lots of natural materials and great lighting.

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STAR OF THE SHOW Menu-wise the lobster theme is pushed to the max, however there’s a lot to satisfy a non-lover too like a half pint of mussels with nuggets of chorizo running through a fantastic sauce that was so good we wanted to slurp it from the bowl. Burgers, ribs and grilled chicken feature too, but I’m not sure there’s much to satisfy a vegetarian aside from a grilled portabello mushrooms and a superfood salad.

The unquestionable star of the show was lobster chowder. Rich, velvety and packed with flavour this starter could have been lunch in its own right with a

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hunk of warm bread and a chilled glass of Gavi.

While on the subject of wine, there’s a cracking selection and although we didn’t sample the cocktails, a quick chat with the knowledgeable bartender convinced us to pop back another time to work our way through the list.

We’re the sort of diners turned off by massive plates of food and it has to be said, the surf and turf was mammoth. There’s no doubt everything on the plate was brilliantly cooked but there was just so much of it. The steak was perfect as were the juicy prawns, garlic butter and crunchy fries. It didn’t need the half a lobster at all.

Crayfish and lobster scampi arrived at the table to gasps it was so vast. The tempura battered fish which is presumably technically difficult to get right, was really delicious with light crisp batter encasing beautifully soft, juicy shellfish. Served with perfect fries and a zingy tartare sauce it was great, just too big. We ate plenty, but hardly made a dent.

Despite our gripes about portion size, there’s a really nice energy about Lobster Peninsula. The key ingredients of attentive service, good vibes and great food are in action and once word’s out we reckon getting a table might be a struggle. I

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NIBBLES and

SHORTS

Birmingham has a lively and buzzing bar and restaurant scene. Here, we present our insider guide to what’s going on in your city’s eateries and drinking dens MORE HURRY FOR A CURRY Indian has always been a favourite in these parts – and 2016 was no exception with more bookings placed at Indian restaurants than any other cuisine, according to leading restaurant bookings service Quandoo. Pushkar topped the Q list as the most popular restaurant in Birmingham. Other restaurants in the top five are the Kings Head gastro pub, Mediterranean favourite Amantia and Indian stars Praza and the Horseshoe Bar.

FIGHTING TALK The Fighting Cocks, Moseley has taken the wraps off a new-look menu after finishing a major refurbishment. The newly-decorated pub is filled with modern design notes, balanced with Grade II listed original features including a red brick and stone frontage, beautiful Dutch gables and stunning stained glass windows.

STARRY STARRY NIGHT The team from Simon Rogan’s award-winning Cumbrian restaurant l'Enclume took over the kitchen for a Guest Chef Dinner at Michelinstarred Simpsons, Edgbaston. L'Enclume has held two Michelin stars since 2012 and top spot in the Good Food Guide for four years running. It was the first time that the team had cooked in Birmingham. Further guest dinners are planned at Simpsons in 2017.

PLENTY BREWING A new branch of the Indian Brewery Company has opened in Snow Hill on the site of the previous Brewsmiths coffee shop. As well their own house beers, there’s a range of guest beers on tap and in bottle, plus we recommend you sample the very tasty breakfasts and Indian street food, all served up from the open plan kitchen.

ANDY’S TOP 100 BILLING Waters Restaurant at Resorts World Birmingham is the only eatery in the West Midlands to be named in Opentable’s new top 100 listing. The guide is produced from over 465,000 customer reviews submitted by verified diners for more than 5,600 restaurants across the UK. Chef patron Andy Waters said: “We are extremely proud of this, especially as we have only been open for 12 months.”

IT’S A WRAP AT THE LAB A healthy fast food concept serving uniquely created dishes in flour tortillas or salad bowls has opened at Great Western Arcade.

Called WrapLab, it offers a range of nutritious, delicious fillings created by award-winning chef Steve Love. The menu includes classics such as Chicken Caesar Salad and the Tex Mex or more daring choices like the Hot Dog Experiment and Bang Bang Chicken.

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SEASON'S EATINGS

HOT CHOCOLATE Sensual, seductive, sexy… here’s the perfect recipe to spice up your Valentine’s Day hocolate has long been associated with love. And the reason isn’t just a load of mumbo-jumbo from the past, there’s science too. Chocolate contains a chemical called phenylethylamine which releases pleasure endorphins in the brain. And when your head is telling you to have fun, your heart is bound to follow! Make these foxy little fondants and you’ll see what we mean…

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SEDUCTIVE CHOCOLATE FONDANTS Ingredients I I I I

300g dark chocolate I 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 5 eggs I 170g sugar 255g flour I 1½ teaspoons baking powder Pinch of salt I Ice cream to serve

Method Pre-heat oven to 165°C/325° F gas mark 4 then lightly coat a 12-cup muffin tin with vegetable oil. Melt the chocolate and butter in a large bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. (Make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water.) Remove from heat.

In another large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour, baking powder and salt then mix in the chocolate mixture with a spoon until well blended. Divide the batter evenly into the muffin tin and bake until the cakes have just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for five minutes. Serve warm with your favourite ice cream.

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FOOD & DRINK

LOVE

IS IN THE AIR Rob Price goes all romantic in his search for the best wines to woo by…

know we all love wine and with dry January behind us – no I didn’t stay dry for long! – we turn our attention to our true love and Valentine’s Day. Rather than roses, (so last year), how about a lovely bottle of red wine to show how much you love your partner.

You should be happy Valentine’s Day is only once year.

Originally back in classic Greek mythology, there were 11 Valentine days! Eros, the Greek God of love, had a lot of ‘love’ to go around and he couldn’t afford to disappoint his many admirers. He obviously used wine to help him with all his obligations on these special days, and of course Eros had help from a wine expert, called Dionysus. He was the Greek God of wine.

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PLAY THE FIELD Legend has it that he was usually accompanied by a throng of Satyrs and Mainades (female devotees), so I guess Eros had a friend to party with! In ancient Rome, Dionysus was also worshipped, better known as Bacchus, and thus the word Bacchanalia, a festival attended by both men and women that was marked by a sense of debauchery and scandal. Sounds great…

Now, you should be faithful with your partner, but you must play the field with wine. So, thrust off those (wine) inhibitions and seek out a wine to woo your lover. Let’s

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go with some unusual varieties that will impress, delight and help with your conquest.

Of course, we should start with Bacchus because as well as a Roman god it is also a grape variety that is grown in England. Both Camal Valley and Chapel Down, two excellent English wineries, make a pleasing dry white, crisp and refreshing, from this very splendid grape.

Keeping with Greek theme, another interesting dry flinty white wine is Robola. It hails from the Greek island of Cephalonia (Kefalonia) and when you’re next on holiday there plan a visit to the Robola winery where you can taste some excellent examples and see how it is made.

An ancient variety, as old as Eros himself, is Chasselas.

It’s grown around the world but only really hitting its peak in Switzerland. Chasselas is another white that is excellent at reflecting its terroir, (i.e. the soil makes a difference to how it tastes). One for the skiing trip I think.

But as red is the colour of love, I am picking four seductive red wines to tempt you this Valentines Day. I Birmingham Wine School is an independent wine education company that offers fun, informal wine tasting events and Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) courses in Birmingham, Sutton Coldfield, Warwick and Milton Keynes. For more information, contact Rob Price on 0121 270 7359 or visit www.birminghamwineschool.com.

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FOOD & DRINK

ROB’S

4

TO LOVE

TOURIGA NACIONAL

This is Portugal’s finest grape and generally found in better Port, but it also makes excellent dry red wine, and one of the very best examples is Quinta do Crasto. Smokey and spicy, this is a powerful red that could be cellared. GP Brands sell the 2011 vintage for £40.55.

CABERNET FRANC Now, I know this grape is not that unusual and almost always plays only a supporting part. But when it takes the star role, in the right hands, it is makes the most wonderful of red wines. Hungary makes fantastic Cabernet Franc, and Mephisto Wine Merchants have Malatinszky’s 2009 Noblesse Cabernet Franc available for £25. A stunning complex red that is also so fresh and elegant.

AGLIANICO This southern Italian grape also has the capability of stardom. Best from Aglianico del Vulture in Basilicata. Tannico have the excellent 2009 Basilisco for £25. Complex, mellow, and again so fresh.

GRACIANO Another grape that normally only figures as part of the blend, this time in many Riojas. But it has the talent to be the lead character and in Beronia 2011 Rioja it has the solo part. Harmonious rich and wonderfully balanced. Henning’s sell for £15.

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COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH

THE PROUD COCKEREL This cheeky cocktail welcomes in the Chinese New Year – and is just perfect for all you lovers out there too

e’ve just celebrated Chinese New Year (28 January) and to welcome in the Year of the Rooster the talented mixologists at Chung Ying Central have developed this cheeky little number. With a heady mix of vodka, Baileys and gingerbread syrup it also works rather well for Valentine’s Day.

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Ingredients:

I 25ml Stolichnaya Vodka I 25ml Baileys I 50ml Half and Half I 25ml Gingerbread Syrup

Method: Shake with ice and strain into Martini Glass Garnish with a crushed cinnamon stick sprinkled on the top Chung Ying Central, 126 Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 3AP. Tel: 0121 400 0888 www.chungying.co.uk

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REGAL CHARM Chelsea dress £395, Phase Eight, Resorts World

WEDDING DAY

Let’s face it, your wedding dress is the most important fashion purchase you’ll ever make. No pressure then! Here’s our guide to getting it right.

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STYLE

FINE LINES Salvador gown, The Wedding Club, Edgbaston

ridal designers will treat you like royalty from consultation to final fitting, so embrace your inner goddess. Be clear about your vision and WINTER NUPTIALS don’t be afraid to say you don’t like something. It should Feather shrug £50, be collaborative. Shop around confidently before you Debenhams, commit and choose a designer you like and that gets The Fort Shopping Park your style. You’ll see a lot of one another.

Most designers need six months notice, so respect this, but if you’re planning a speedier wedding ask the question, just don’t assume.

RING THE CHANGES

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HIGH STREET

Embellished double ring £3, Primark, The Fort Shopping Park

The High Street has upped its bridal game so, if you’re on a budget and happy to forgo the personal touch, checkout some off-the-peg options. If you’re not a sweeping gown type of girl try a body skimming silk jumpsuit or a sharp tuxedo for an edgy vibe. Remember you want to look like the best version of yourself not like someone your other half doesn’t recognise.

SWEEPING LINES Savannah bridal gown £420, Debenhams, The Fort Shopping Park

SIGNIFICANT SMALLS Word of warning, don’t leave underwear to the last minute. It needs to be practical as well as gorgeous.

Once you know the cut of your gown, go and visit a specialist like Sipsy Lingerie in Solihull. They stock a wide collection of top brands and will measure and fit you perfectly.

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PRETTY PERFECT Jimmy Choo Rosa satin heeled sandal £695, Selfridges, Bullring

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STYLE

HEAVENLY HEELS Once your outfit is sorted, choose some killer heels. Nothing ruins a stunning gown like a comfy heel – you know the ones. Rock a Sophia Webster or Jimmy Choo pump instead. Dune has some fantastic examples on the High Street that won’t break the bank too.

FLOWER POWER Julietta dress £269, Invitation Collection at Hobbs, Grand Central

LOCAL TALENT It’s a nice touch to wear a family heirloom on your big day, but failing that choose timeless accessories wisely. We urge you to make the most of the world-class talent on your doorstep and get down to the Jewellery Quarter. The likes of Magnus & Bella, Fei Liu, Alice Stewart and James Newman are worth a look. Very different in terms of design and technique, they are masters at what they do.

Finally… try everything on together well in advance to avoid any last minute wobbles and most of all, enjoy! I VINTAGE VIBE Springfield maxi dress £225, Pretty Eccentric www.prettyeccentric.co.uk

WELL-HEELED Sophia Webster Rosalind crystal-embellished heeled sandals £395, Selfridges, Bullring

SHAPE UP White fish tail skirt £45, River Island, The Fort Shopping Park

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STYLE

BOHO CHIC Moon gown, The Wedding Club, Edgbaston

TERRIFIC TUBE Jimmy Choo Trinket glitter tube clutch £595, Harvey Nichols, Mailbox

THINK SILVER Silver strappy heeled sandals £32.99, New Look, The Fort Shopping Park

BLUSHING BRIDE Harper plunge bra £30, Boux Avenue, Bullring

SUPER CHIC Galvan silk satin gown £845, Harvey Nichols, Mailbox

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PEEPO

ARM CANDY

Dolly shoe £75, Dune, Bullring

Monica Vinader Riva wave 18ct rose-gold vermeil pavé diamond cuff £395, Selfridges, Bullring

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STYLE

FRILLS AND NO SPILLS Boka Akasu £850, People Tree

ACE LACE Willow bridal dress £199, Monsoon at Debenhams, Bullring

TOP OF THE TOPS Roland Mouret wool crepe top £450, Harvey Nichols, Mailbox

SMOOTH LINES Reger by Janet Reger body £34, Debenhams, Bullring

YOU ROCK Valentino Rockstud leather courts £650, Selfridges, Bullring

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STYLE

HEAD PIECE Emily London headpiece £535, Harvey Nichols, Mailbox

BOW DOWN Morgan sandal £115, Dune, Bullring

TWINKLE TOES Manolo Blahnik ivory satin pumps £765, Harvey Nichols, Mailbox

ON THE FRINGE Fringe cotton dress £139, Longline Linton tweed jacket £329, The White Company, Grand Central

MAKING WAVES Fearne gown by Sassi Holford sassiholford.com

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BEAUTY

INSIDE OUT Rose Gallagher reveals her top five supplements to support your beauty regime

hether you want fuller hair or more energy, you can work towards it with the right supplement. I’ve selected a handful of my favourites that’ll support your health and beauty regime from inside out while boosting vitality.

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Viviscal Hair Growth Programme 30 Tablets, £29.99 from Holland and Barrett

Lola’s Apothecary Rainbows and Whirlwinds Energising Tea, from £12 at lolasapothecary.com

Starting the day with an uplifting boost of tea can be a healthy choice if you choose the right blend. This invigorating tea from Lola’s Apothecary, a fairly new brand with roots in London and Devon, is flavoursome and fills you with life for the day ahead.

For fuller, thicker hair, I haven’t tried a supplement as powerful as this one from Viviscal. Widely renowned among beauty editors as the best in the industry, these capsules will leave your hair looking fuller and subsequently longer in a couple of weeks.

NYR Organic Berry Complex, £22 from Neal’s Yard Remedies

For glowing skin, I like to mix some of this into my breakfast cereal in the mornings. It’s a step that both adds flavour and also enhances my skin from the inside out, a step that takes minimum effort and works without me even realising it.

Manuka Doctor Active Manuka Honey, from £19.99 at Holland and Barrett

One of nature’s most powerful antioxidants, my whole family enjoy using honey in our cooking to aid a healthy body.

Holland and Barrett Complete B Vitamin B-Complex, from £6.99 at Holland and Barrett

Since adding these supplements to my daily routine, I have seen a huge uplift in my energy levels. From being able to get up with ease to finding myself less sluggish through the day, this is definitely something to consider if you lead a busy lifestyle.

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STYLE FOR MEN

MAKE ROOM FOR THE GROOM Phillips head screw lapel pin or tie tack £110, Edge Only edgeonly.com

WELL GROOMED Whether you’re planning to say ‘I do’ barefoot on a beach or sporting a bespoke suit in a cathedral, we’ve pulled together some ideas to get you started

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STYLE FOR MEN BIG DAY GREY Grey double breasted wool fleck blazer £159, Steel & Jelly, Grand Central SHOE RELIGION Church’s monk-strap shoes £375, Harvey Nichols, Mailbox IN THE NAVY Indigo cotton linen jacket £265, Jigsaw, Cannon St

BE SQUARE Tom Ford Contrast graphic silk pocket square £120, Selfridges, Bullring

tyle for grooms has most definitely relaxed in recent years with many foregoing formality and ditching the tie completely. Coloured suits are still popular and footwear ranges from the traditional dress shoe – checkout Church’s - to a more relaxed loafer or even sandals on the beach. Personally we think that your impending nuptials are an ideal excuse to buy the best suit you can afford – one that’s wearable way beyond your wedding day. We like the Pal Zileri pinstripe pictured and check out locals Clements and Church, CHECK MATE Tweeting Tailor Adrian Barrows or Tim Nash at Norton and Racing Green checked waistcoat £45, Townsend for the bespoke treatment. I

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CLASSIC TAN Magnus boot £110, Dune, Bullring

Debenhams, The Fort Shopping Park

PERFECT PINSTRIPE Pal Zileri pinstriped wool suit £1,305, Harvey Nichols, Mailbox

BLUE SUEDE Bhatti brogue £69.99, Office, Bullring

TRADITIONAL THREE PIECE Regular 100s Glencheck suit jacket £275, Jaeger, House of Fraser, Solihull

THE TIES HAVE IT Eton silk tie £75, Harvey Nichols, Mailbox

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HEALTH

MARATHON EFFORT This year sees the first-ever Birmingham International Marathon. Ironman and

ultra-fit champion Hywel Davies has some tips on how best to navigate the 26.2 miles f you were going to sit an exam tomorrow, you wouldn’t spend one night trying to learn everything about the subject and expect to be at your best. Likewise, preparing to run a marathon involves planning your training progressively and being consistent so that it becomes a habit and enjoyable journey towards your key event.

Here’s my 10 tips for reaching the start – and the finish – line!

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1: Give yourself at least 20 weeks to train No matter what your starting point, breaking your training up into four or five monthly blocks will give you a new focus and motivation. If you are a complete beginner, then the build-up can be longer.

Spend more time building up the ‘base’ miles where you are slowly training your body to run slowly for increasing distances.

2: Learn to run slow The biggest mistake people make is in trying to run fast too often. Up to 80 per cent of your running should be slower than your marathon pace and should feel easy. This means you recover quicker, and progress with less injury and cope with longer runs.

3: Set goals Setting milestones for each month or week keeps you motivated. This may be something to complete, such as running four times in a week, over 30 miles

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in a week, etc. They can also be performance goals such as a time for a park run, 10k or training run. Be realistic though and don’t set goals that are too high.

4: More is not always better Running more miles sounds like a great way to improve but there are runners who achieve well at marathons on less than 30 miles a week and some that run well over 100. You must progress slowly each week. A good rule is 10 per cent per week. This can be 10 per cent more distance, or time or added onto your longest run.

5: Be patient Training for a marathon takes time. The improvements are small daily amounts and by working in monthly blocks it may be three or four weeks before you see any changes in your fitness.

6: Mix it up There are lots of things that you can change in your training to make it more enjoyable – the venue (off road, parks, footpaths, track), type of training session (intervals, run/walk, progressive pace), who you run with and when, different distractions (music, audiobooks, podcasts, conversations).

As you get towards eight weeks out from the marathon, you will need to increase the speed work so be creative with treadmills, track, hill climbs and stair runs.

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HEALTH

7: Set yourself challenges The more you can overcome challenges during training, the stronger you will get mentally on marathon day. There are things you can do to ‘toughen’ you up – run when its raining, run all the hills, run laps that pass your house pushing harder each time to the end of a road, run into headwinds.

8: Rest and recover well Rest is as important as training, especially as you get closer to the race. Don’t make the mistake of spending all day travelling or on your feet the day before. Make sure you eat properly, drink lots of water and get regular sports massages.

9: Get comfortable kit You will be spending a long time running, so clothing has to feel comfortable. Socks, vests, thermals, gloves, hats and even rucksacks and headphones have to sit comfortably so they are not an excuse to stop. Try before you buy and borrow from others to test.

10: Make it an experience Although you may have entered a big race, try to involve people who have been part of the journey. This could be a weekend in the host city, or a day of shopping or having a celebratory meal AFTER the event. As you invest so much effort and time into this, make the whole race weekend an experience, even if the run itself does not go exactly to plan. I Hywel Davies is a multi-world record holder and multiple European and British age group triathlon champion, UK Double Ironman record-holder and five-time UK Ultrafit champion. For a full training plan contact him at www.tribecoaching.co.uk twitter @tribe_coaching

The inaugural Birmingham International Marathon is on Sunday 15 October. Starting at Alexander Stadium, the home of British athletics, the course will take in a number of Brum’s most iconic landmarks before finishing at Millennium Point. Full details at www.greatrun.org

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BEAUTY SLEEP Get ready to give your bedroom a spring wake-up call and create the stylish, calming retreat of your dreams

SCANDI VIBE Furniture and accessories from Next www.next.com

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HOMES

CRISP SHEETS Furniture and accessories from Houseology www.houseology.com

plethora of recent sleep studies tell us we’re not getting enough and then bombard us with the health problems that a lack of zzzzz can cause.

We’re doing our best people! No caffeine after lunch, banning screens in the bedroom, a regular night-time routine… the list goes on. How about giving your bedroom an overhaul and creating the sanctuary you’ve always dreamed of? After all, it’s potentially good for your health. In fact, you’ll probably live longer. We made that last bit up, but you get the drift.

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OLD SCHOOL GLAMOUR Furniture and accessories from Leekes, Coventry www.leekes.co.uk

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HOMES

ALL ABOUT THE BASE The mattress is king, so don’t scrimp. Go for pocket sprung, latex or memory foam. They all have different qualities and densities, so trying them out is a must. Open spring is the cheapest option, but the least comfortable. You get what you pay for.

BLACK OUT Invest in some heavy lined curtains or blinds. It might be dark in the mornings for now but in a few weeks you’ll kick yourself. They’re more expensive than ready-made lighter versions, but worth it. As well as keeping the room at optimum darkness, bespoke gives you the creative freedom to go mad with pattern and colour. Check-out the wonderful selection of fabric at Guthrie and Ghani in Moseley or John Lewis at Grand Central.

BE PRACTICAL Know how much and what sort of storage you need before you go shopping otherwise you’ll fall for that antique wardrobe that’s too short for your long dresses when what you actually need is five deep drawers, three rails and a shoe rack. Make a list and shop wisely.

Sweet dreams! I

MOROCCAN MAGIC Furniture and accessories from Homesense www.homesense.com

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HOMES

HIGH SHINE Bardolino Truffle Oak with gloss pearl basalt feature finish by Classic Interiors www.classicinteriors.co.uk

TRUE BLUE Accessories and lighting from Debenhams www.debenhams.com

CALMING INFLUENCE Furniture and accessories from Amara www.amara.com

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NEW ENGLAND Furniture and accessories from Cookes, Erdington www.cookesfurniture.co.uk

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HOMES RIGHT LIGHTS Pendant chandelier light, £320, available from Debenhams at The Fort Shopping Park

SIMPLE STYLE Wooden table with blue drawer £49.99, HomeSense

FINISHING

TOUCHES

GREY DAY RV Astley Appignano bench £357, Houseology

Once you’ve got your bedroom in order, invest in some gorgeous accessories to polish the look HOT STUFF Butterfly by Matthew Williamson Mustard throw £100, Debenhams, The Fort Shopping Park

MIRROR MIRROR Abella Cheval mirror with drawer £285, Cookes Furniture, Erdington

DRESS UP Margot dressing table £395, Oliver Bonas, New St Station

PAISLEY DAYS Gant Ker West paisley duvet cover double £125, Amara

BEST CHEST Fleur chest £475, Next, The Fort Shopping Park

HANGING SPACE Authentic Models Grand hotel rack £765, Houseology

RAZZLE TASSLE Flow tassle cushion £34, Oliver Bonas, New St Station

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AUCTIONS

STONED IN LOVE

Diamonds, sapphires, rubies and more… the history of the engagement ring dates back more than 700 years

fter the festive period from Christmas to New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day is the most popular time for people to pop the question.

From as far back as the ancient civilisations of Greece and Egypt, people have given tokens of their affection in the shape of rings. After all, what good would a proposal be without a ring to seal the deal?

The earliest examples that we have of engagement rings are quite different from what you think of today.

Known as amatory, or posey rings, early engagement or wedding rings were often gold bands inscribed with words of love and decorated with floral motifs. Posey rings take their name from the 'poesy' or motto engraved around the band, and they become more valuable and collectable today. Midlands’ auctioneers Fellows sold an example inscribed ‘je adore’ (I love you in French) dated to the 1400’s for more than £2,000.

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PRINCESS DIANA With the discovery of diamonds in Brazil at the beginning of the 18th century, these precious stones became popular with the Georgians. King George III presented Queen Charlotte with a diamond solitaire engagement ring in 1761, proving the love of diamonds was a growing trend.

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Queen Victoria’s love of diamonds led to a revolution in diamond rings. The discovery of the stones in South Africa in the late 19th century made diamonds accessible to the masses. They were often paired with sapphires and rubies – an enduring style made popular in the Eighties by Princess Diana and more recently by the Duchess of Cambridge. A cluster ring is the perfect style engagement ring for a traditional but timeless piece.

The modern classic engagement ring styles were popularised by companies such as De Beers with their Diamonds are Forever campaigns. In America, Tiffany are probably best known for their single stone diamond rings. When buying a named piece such as Tiffany, you will be buying into the name as well as the ring… so expect a price to match!

The fact that these rings are timeless classics is part of their appeal. At auction you’re going to be buying a pre-loved piece but there is no limit on age.

What’s to say that a piece bought today won’t be a prized antique of the future? I

For more information on jewellery auctions contact Fellows Auctioneers www.fellows.co.uk

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From only £25

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HOMES

Hot Properties City centre chic, country crackers and a glorious Georgian masterpiece feature in this month’s pick of homes for sale

PERIOD PIECE Wellington Road, Edgbaston Guide price: £1.795million Agent: Knight Frank, tel: 01789 868329 This Grade II listed period property comes with mature garden and grounds extending up to 2.3 acres. The master suite features a separate dressing room and en-suite bathroom. There’s a further five bedrooms, recently refitted kitchen leading to the breakfast room and a separate one-bedroom coach house and double garage.

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HOMES

SQUARE DEAL

St Paul’s House, St Paul’s Square Guide price: £625,000 Agent: Maguire Jackson, tel 0121 634 1520 A lovely two-bedroom penthouse apartment overlooking one of our favourite squares. This cool pad benefits from a large open plan kitchen/living area, two double bedrooms and two bathrooms. Includes an allocated secure parking space.

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BRICKS&BITS

SHOW HOME’S GREEN LIGHT CALA Homes’ new gated community in Barnt Green was launched with the Winchester show home available to view. The Green, part of CALA’s Foxhills development, includes a number of five bedroom homes ranging from £1million to £1.2million. The homes are two miles from Junction 2 of the M42 – making for an easy commute to Birmingham city centre.

APRIL DATE AT THE MANOR

TERRACE TREAT Avonvale, Luddington Guide price: £1.95million Agent: Fine and Country, tel: 01926 455950 This family home includes six bedrooms, an orangery and triple garage with annex. There’s also a glorious rear terrace that overlooks the lovely gardens and provides great views over the river and fields beyond.

Taylor Wimpey’s new development, Wheatfield Manor in Codsall, is under construction with the first plots due to be released for sale in April. A variety of homes will be available including a collection of high-spec detached houses ideal for families. The Help To Buy scheme is an option. Full details at Taylor Wimpey’s website.

CINDY TAKES CHINA ROLE Business executive Cindy Wang has joined Century 21 Bigwood in Birmingham. Cindy, who was born in China but has lived in Birmingham for 15 years, has been recruited for her skills in fielding inquiries from the city’s large Chinese community and also in liaising with investors from mainland China. Cindy is a fluent Mandarin speaker.

From the industry’s movers and shakers to the latest groundbreaking developments… email your property news and pictures to shelley@brumliving.co.uk

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SIX OF THE BEST Queensway House, Birmingham Guide price: From £275,000 Agent: Maguire Jackson, tel 0121 634 1520 Just a stone’s throw from Snow Hill Station, Birmingham’s business district and the Jewellery Quarter, Queensway House is home to six stunning loftstyle city centre apartments that are beautifully designed.

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GEORGIAN GREAT Churchover, Rugby Guide price: Offers over £3million Agent: Fine and Country, tel: 01926 455950 A stunning six-bedroom 18th century, Grade II listed country house with Georgian sandstone elevations that overlook approximately 69 acres of spectacular parkland. Includes five bathrooms, four-car garage, tennis court, media room, gym, sauna… you get the picture!

Don’t miss Property of the Week on our Facebook page every Thursday www.facebook.com/bhamliving

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MOTORING

SHARING THE DRIVING The rapid new Audi SQ7 is so good it literally drives itself – as Sue Cooke discovered when it took her for a spin! was going to start this article by saying that I drove the Audi SQ7 this week, but it’s perhaps more truthful to say that I shared the driving, which might sound slightly alarming! The large SUV has a system called Traffic Jam Assist which enables the car to take over the steering on roads that have well-defined markings.

So while on motorways, being in charge of the steering wheel became a bit of a tussle to gain the upper hand. I always won, but it’s a learning step for new owners on the route to fully-piloted driving.

Audi says the system works at speeds of up to 36mph and is intended to ease the strain of driving in slowmoving congestion.

As someone who always likes to be in control I can’t say I was completely at ease with it. However it is a fantastic example of the innovative and thoughtprovoking show cars that have become an Audi trademark. The company is currently piloting a Q7 with Artificial Intelligence and deep neural networks.

Initially the car will be trained by a human driver to understand instructions and then the system will interpret and act as the situation requires!

The SQ7 is the first to bear the Audi ‘S’ (sports) badge and is the world’s first series production car to

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consign turbo lag to history. Excuse a little technology, but a new e-compressor provides low-load support to the two exhaust-driven turbochargers, bolstering the eight-cylinder diesel engine, to ensure breath taking acceleration. The unmistakable sonorous V8 engine burbles on start-up which increases in volume on acceleration and delivers superb power, particularly when exiting a curve.

FACTS AT A GLANCE:

DYNAMIC HANDLING

Model: Audi SQ7

From highly comfortable cruising on long distances to dynamic handling on a winding country lane, the SQ7 encompasses it all and the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system provides surety on wet slippery roads. Apart from the resonating engine sound, styling calls for that second look, with four rectangular exhaust tailpipes and roof edge spoiler.

Price: £95,160 otr with options Engine: V8 TDI quattro tiptronic (435 PS) Performance: 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 155mph CO2 emissions: 190g/km Combined fuel consumption: 39.2mpg on 20-inch alloys

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Each headlight is split up into 30 individual lightemitting diodes which illuminate the road superbly without blinding oncoming traffic and there is an entertaining light show on start-up.

The quality interior has an optional third row of seats which can be lowered electronically into the floor. An optional lighting package which can be adjusted over a range of 32 colours gives a warm glow. As well as voice control the driver can enter characters on a large touchpad or perform multifinger gestures to zoom in on the map, for example.

I have to say I had a sense of pride at its presence on my drive and while it is large the 24 driverassistance systems help ease manoeuvrability and parking. They include 360 degree cameras, a trailer manoeuvre assist, night vision assistant, Audi active lane assist, Audi side assist and camera-based

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recognition of traffic signs. Audi also offers a Q7 e-tron quattro plug-in hybrid with a potential range of 820 miles, including up to 34 miles of purely battery-powered driving, courtesy of a hybrid drive system which mates a 3.0-litre TDI combustion engine with a powerful electric motor.

The Audi SQ7, the flagship model of the Q7 family, is the most powerful and fastest diesel SUV on the market which has a price tag well above my price range, but for one short week it was delightful to drive a car that provides a taste of what our automotive future has to offer. I

SHOWROOM: Birmingham Audi, 780 Stratford Road, Shirley, B90 4BQ. Tel: 0121 7465500 www.listers.co.uk

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YOUNG, GIFTED & BRUMMIE

RHYS ELLIS

From Kings Norton to Shoreditch via Milan and Amsterdam, the talented young designer is turning a looming environmental disaster into fashion gold ow many coffee pods do you go through in a day?

We reckon at Brum Living Towers we consign at least 30 of the little blighters to landfill every single day and we’re not alone. Cue talented designer Rhys Ellis whose stunning work transforms the nuisance material to catwalk chic with striking results. His eureka moment came in Milan where drinking coffee is like breathing, and now the fashion world is starting to sit up and take notice.

Lucky enough to bag free studio space at super cool Gallery Six at the Old Truman Brewery in London, Rhys is working on a new collection that will feature wearable day-to-day pieces to be sold through retailers as well as his signature couture style. There are roughly 6,000 pods in each dress. Each pod is treated and manipulated by hand then attached to a mesh structure allowing Rhys to mould the garments. It sounds pretty technical and quite a feat of engineering as well as clever design. The structural quality means it’s no surprise to learn that Alexander McQueen is one of Rhys’s heroes.

Not always into fashion or saving the planet, football was Rhys’s jam throughout his teens which he played to a high standard even training with the Great Britain Olympic squad

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until a nasty injury spelled the end. While he was completing a foundation course in sculpture and textiles at Birmingham City University and wondering what to do with his life, one of Rhys’s tutors suggested fashion design which struck a chord. He took her sound advice and embarked on a BA in Fashion Design at BCU. As part of his course Rhys spent a year in Milan which cemented his career path. “I mixed with loads of people from the creative industry including architects and interior designers which was phenomenal,” he said. He learned from a highly respected 74-year-old tailor who had ‘trained Armani before he became Armani’ if you see what we mean.

It was important for Rhys to get this traditional tailoring experience. He explained: “I wanted to be able to make clothes not just draw them for someone else to make.”

BUZZING WITH IDEAS With this grounding under his belt, Rhys then went to train with someone at the other end of the design spectrum, Iris Vanherpen in Amsterdam. Iris’s designs are futuristic and she’s hugely into technology, so it couldn’t have been more different and Rhys came back buzzing with ideas. He began networking with hotels, schools and universities mooting the idea of taking their used coffee pods off their hands.

Rhys has found the fashion world to be utterly supportive. “I’d heard bad things about this industry, but I haven’t experienced any of it. Whether that’s down to the environmental thing I’m not sure.” He’s referring to things like being offered free studio space which is a huge bonus and means he’s in the heart of a creative hub in an accessible part of town allowing him to get up and running without the financial pressure of renting in the capital.

The first collection took five months with influences including art, sea creatures and history. A number of pieces from the Spring/Summer 17 collection will be displayed at Selfridges Birmingham for the next couple of months as part of the store’s Material World project. For Rhys who worked at the iconic store as a student it’s incredible to have his creations on show. “It makes me so proud to see my work on display in my home city.” I

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GROWING PLACES

WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES Local schoolchildren have been treated to confidence-boosting workshops led by author, motivational speaker and founder of Little Bird, Alison Delaney. More than 2,000 children across the UK have so far benefitted from the Little Bird Project, which uses Alison’s book Little Chick Has Lunch On The Moon and an accompanying Dreams Workshop to boost children’s confidence and reinforce the message that anything’s possible.

SCHOOL REPOR T BOOK FAN: A happy pupil post-workshop

Birmingham Livin g is committed to highlighting the best of our sc hools and college s.

Here’s our round-up of the la test stand-out ne ws and events

TOP TEAM: Dr Gulia and Avantika

DATE WITH THE PM Six-year-old Avantika Sharma joined Prime Minister Theresa May on a trip to a technology summit in India. The Hallfield School pupil travelled to Delhi with her mother, Birmingham University lecturer Dr Kiran Gulia, who was taking part in the UK-India meeting. Avantika said of her trip: “I saw lots of amazing machines. My favourite was a robot – maybe it was from Star Wars!”

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FIRST PLACE SPEAKS VOLUMES Moreton Hall intermediate team has qualified for the regional finals of the national Rotary Youth Speaks competition. The team – Cordelia Harpin, Charlotte Brown and Emma Vivan – spoke convincingly on the topic of Today’s Technology, impressing the judging panel and taking first place. The Year 9 girls will now compete in next month’s regional finals.

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TASTE OF BRAZIL Brazilian restaurant Viva Brazil raised more than £2,000 for local charity Help Harry Help Others (HHHO) – and to celebrate opened its doors to a class of 30 children from Harry’s old school, Oasis Academy Blakenhale Junior. The pupils discovered lots about Brazilian history and sampled some of the chefs’ dishes.

Harry’s mother Georgie Moseley, who founded HHHO, also attended the visit at the Bennetts Hill restaurant.

TUCKING IN: Georgie Moseley with Oasis Academy pupils

YOUTH BOOST FOR FORGOTTEN SPORT

NEXT STOP WIMBLEDON? Cameron Holland is all set for a smashing time after being selected for national development by the Lawn Tennis Association. The 11-year-old, who plays for Edgbaston Priory and Solihull School, is one of 16 children from across the Midlands to be picked by the LTA. Cameron, who will join the under-13 national squad, said: “I love playing tennis and I’m looking forward to improving with more coaching.”

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A group of children from Coventry have scooped top spot in a regional Gaelic football league in their very first season of playing the sport. The Four Masters Gaelic Club’s under-10 team topped the Warwickshire County League beating six well-established sides.

Although the Four Masters Gaelic Club was founded in 1955, player numbers had dwindled in recent years prompting them to approach local primary school St. Peter’s and Paul’s about setting up afterschool coaching.

OBE FOR ARK HEAD David Gould, the recently retired principal of Ark St Alban’s Academy, has received an OBE for his services to education. In a career spanning nearly five decades, he has taught in schools across the West Midlands. He became principal of Ark St Alban’s in 2005 – a school that he transformed from one of the worst performing in the country to one of the best.

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ing livBUSINESS

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KAIDO The award-winning health and wellbeing start-up begins an

exciting year by taking its innovative digital offering to market

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COMPANY TO WATCH

ealth is on everyone’s mind right now. At a personal level, with a new year come lots of promises to get healthier, fitter. On the national scene, the over-stretched NHS is always in the headlines. Health is also the focus of entrepreneur Richard Westman – only he has a very different take on how to make us all feel better. And he’s turning it into an exciting and unique business proposition.

Richard is the founder of Kaido, a digital health and well-being platform which promotes learning and best practice. By using smart technology the Innovation Birmingham Campus-based start-up accesses world-leading expertise to empower individuals and communities to make educated lifestyle choices. Which in short means giving everyone the tools to get healthier, fitter, more efficient and generally feel better about themselves.

At the start of an exciting year, Kaido is about to go to market selling digital packages to corporates to improve the health of their workforces and to health care and pharmaceutical companies. “The packages are a web-based solution which allows companies to set health challenges to their staff. The aim would be for individuals to take responsibility for improving their health, which in turn of course increases efficiency for the business and retention of staff, because they feel happier and better at work,” explained Richard.

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ELITE SPORTSMEN Solihull-born Richard opted to start the business after spending eight years working with elite sportsmen and women at the highest level as an exercise physiologist. Still only 24, he has worked at Leicester Tigers and Worcester Warriors rugby clubs as well as the Lawn Tennis Association. “I got to the point that I felt I wanted to develop from the day-today routine of professional clubs and set myself a new challenge,” he said.

Richard met and formed a working relationship with a number of other like-minded sports health experts (a physical fitness specialist at Manchester City FC, sports nutritionist/sports psychologist from British Gymnastics, St Mary’s University, Twickenham and English Institute of Sport). “Then after a meeting with one of the parents of a lad at Worcester Warriors, who had his own IT business, I decided to go for it.”

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KAIDO TEAM: Founder Richard Westman, chief technology officer Mick Westman, sales and marketing Ben Buckley and lead developer Karl Barber

Kaido has since been winning plenty of accolades and awards. It successfully secured £50,000 of investment from Creative England’s Interactive Health Care Programme to market-test and accelerate the launch of the new online platform. A further £50,000 was awarded from the SME Innovation Fund – a joint venture set up

by West Midlands Academic Health Science Network and Mercia Fund Management. Last month, Kaido was crowned one of only seven winners at the EIT Health UK-Ireland Headstart/Proof-of-Concept Awards. The prize carried a further £50,000 of funding.

MICROSOFT PARTNER Kaido has also become a UK-managed partner of global tech giant Microsoft – one of only four UK startups to take part in the IoT & Data Innovation Programme which provides free training, networking opportunities and coaching to promising UK start-ups and innovators. It has been working with Microsoft to develop an artificial intelligence ‘health-bot’.

The company is one of 20 start-ups currently on Innovation Birmingham's Serendip Smart City Incubator, a programme which co-locates promising start-up businesses with large commercial partners at its new iCentrum building.

Richard said: “2016 was a very exciting year for Kaido. We have the ideal foundations and support services in place to grow into the national and international marketspace. In a society where time and resources are becoming increasingly scarce, Kaido believes people need to be encouraged and enabled to take responsibility for their own wellbeing. This starts with the interaction and daily motivation to make a positive change, and ends with a user sharing their knowledge to promote opportunity and help others start their own personal journey.” I

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PHYSICAL FIRST Expertise from professional sport is being transferred to the high street with the opening of Physiyolates, a physiotherapy, yoga and Pilates clinic in Knowle, Solihull.

Husband and wife team Paul and Paula Rastrick previously worked with the first team squad at Aston Villa and have also looked after international-standard athletes across a range of sports. The duo has created an integrated clinic which offers a holistic approach to health, wellbeing and performance. More details www.physiyolates.co.uk

BUSINESS MORE FLYING VISITS NEWS

Fancy a lovely summer break in Cornwall? Flybe is increasing the number of flights on five of its 12 routes from Cornwall Airport Newquay – including the service to Birmingham. The airline’s Newquay to Birmingham route will operate up to nine times weekly this summer. Flybe has also announced increases on a number of other routes this summer, including Manchester, TAKING OFF: Al Titterington, MD at Belfast City, Glasgow and Leeds Bradford. Cornwall Airport Newquay

BIG BOOST FOR CHARITIES Brindleyplace has announced four new charity partners – Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, Cure Leukaemia, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and NICE, Centre for Movement Disorders. Brindleyplace’s Sam Lawrence said: “We’re proud to be supporting these great Birmingham charities.” The annual Dragonboat Race will raise funds for Cure Leukaemia, while NICE will partner the outdoor Film Festival, the Children’s Hospital will benefit from the Chilli Festival and the new Chocival event will support St Mary’s Hospice.

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ON THE BALL IN INDIA Midlands-based Black Country Chamber of Commerce member Sporting Group International has acquired Premier Sports International, trading as Youth Football International in India. Paul Schuttenbelt director of PSI (YFI) said: “We selected SGI as our new owner based on the passion and belief of its CEO Adrian Wright for Indian football.

SGI have serious aspirations to assist India with the growth of football.”

The average age of the players at Youth Football International is 12 and there are over 80 teams in the league.

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NEW GYM ON THE WAY Work is well underway on a £2million state-of-the-art gym development on Newtown Middleway, off the Aston Expressway. JD Gyms, part of JD Sports Fashion group, is transforming the 26,000sq ft Alcora Building into a threefloor fitness facility, due to open next month. The centre, with free onsite parking, will create more than 15 jobs.

WELCOME

PARTNER! Birmingham law firm Clarke Willmott LLP has announced the recruitment of new partner John Irving, pictured. Managing director and head of Clarke Willmott’s corporate team, Simon Thomas, said: “Clarke Willmott already has a strong M&A offering but John’s appointment gives us a very experienced and well regarded operator in the commercial contracting sector.” John will be based in the Edmund Street, Birmingham office.

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MOVING ON UP Award-winning Birmingham and Solihull-based SimkissGuy Recruitment is expanding its Birmingham team and office space following its most profitable year to date. The firm, which expanded into Solihull last year, is also moving into larger premises in the Colmore Building following a 40 per cent rise in new business. The move sees the company grow from a four-person to an 11person office in the last 16 months. The Birmingham team will be further bolstered with the appointment of two new relationship managers.

NUMBERS GAIN AT PKF Accountants PKF Cooper Parry has made 68 new appointments across its two Midlands offices, taking the total number of jobs created over the past 12 months into three figures. PKF Cooper Parry is the UK’s fastest growing firm of accountants. The biggest area of growth has been in the audit team, where 43 new team members have been recruited. Appointments include director of corporate finance Phil Hinson, pictured.

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PHIL SERVES UP CITY CHARTS RECORD GROWTH LUNCH TREAT Birmingham recorded the highest rate of business Corporate hospitality agency Eventmasters has raised more than £6,300 for Wooden Spoon, rugby’s children’s charity.

It followed the generosity of those attending the 27th Midlands Sportsman’s Luncheon at the Macdonald Burlington Hotel in Birmingham city centre. The lunch was addressed by guest speaker, former England rugby captain Phil Vickery, pictured. A cheque was presented to Wooden Spoon’s local representative Phil Pemble.

growth of any UK city in 2016 – double the national average and higher than London, Manchester and Liverpool. The city has 39,800 businesses, more than Manchester and Cardiff combined. And with 9,151 new companies created in the first six months of 2016, Birmingham is also on track to retain its position as Britain’s number one regional city for start-up creation for the fourth consecutive year.

CASINO CHIPS IN WITH CRICKET DEAL Warwickshire County Cricket Club has agreed a deal with Birmingham-based Broadway Casino to be the official casino partner for the club and its Edgbaston stadium in 2017. Broadway Casino has been working in partnership with the club since 2014 and the new package ensures hospitality and promotional rights for major match days at Edgbaston, including England’s inaugural day/night Investec Test match against the West Indies and NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day. IT’S A DEAL: Warwickshire CCC commercial director Gareth Roberts

MEET TAX TEAM OF THE YEAR The tax team based in Mazars’ Birmingham office is celebrating winning the Top 50 Tax Team of the Year award at the British Accountancy Awards. The judging panel hailed the team for dealing with the major challenges of delivering a modern-day tax service with transparency and ethics while delivering impressive figures. The Birmingham office has also welcomed Natasha Ryan as tax director.

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CHEQUE IT OUT Sydney Mitchell presented £5,000 to local charities at its Movers & Shakers networking event, attended by more than 60 professionals at Ginger’s Bar, Purnell’s Bistro in Newhall Street. Eileen Rock of Birmingham Women’s Hospital Charity and Diane Watt of Maria Watt Foundation received the money from the fund-raising by Sydney Mitchell over the past 12 months.

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First for Birmingham sees Tom’s Kitchen launch in the Mailbox uests enjoyed a launch party at the new Tom’s Kitchen Birmingham restaurant, bar and deli in the Mailbox. Offering all-day dining, seven days a week, the eatery serves British favourites and comfort food classics in a relaxed and informal environment.

There’s also a range of private and semi-private spaces, perfect for parties and events. It’s the first Tom’s Kitchen outside London. I

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PARTY LAUNCHES NEW DINING DESTINATION Indian ‘guard of honour’ welcomes guests to Varanasi on Broad Street ine dining guests enjoyed a launch party at the new Varanasi Indian restaurant on Broad Street. The venue is set over three floors with the temple-like entrance guarded by a row of Buddhas standing to attention. General manager Pawan Chhabra said: “The team has spent two years working tirelessly to create an iconic restaurant for the Midlands. With gold leaf hand-painted artwork throughout we have strived to create an experience like no other.” Varanasi can accommodate up to 500 covers. I

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1 Anita Chumber, Ifraz Ahmed. 2 Simran Bansal, Aaron Kundi. 3 Brad Pattni, Farshad Saffarian. 4 Loretta Bradley, Jason McKenzie.

5 Nancy Nathwani, Alok Mathur. 6 Bharat Champaneri, Alev Dervish. 7 Navneet Mangat, Anita Champaneri. 8 Ellis Edmunds, Taylor-Fox Roberts.

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LAW FIRM MARKS SUCCESSFUL YEAR 4

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High-profile guests enjoy special celebration held at the High Field arrison Clark Rickerbys celebrated another successful year with an informal gathering for clients and friends at the High Field gastro pub in Edgbaston. Guests included members of the Institute of Directors, St Philips Chambers and CVR Global. The firm, whose family lawyers have won top-level accolades in national legal directories Chambers and Partners and Legal 500, has established a solid foundation in Birmingham, headed by Lucy Barr and Kevin HarrisJames, sharing a base with colleagues from sister company Medical Accident Group. I

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1 Martin Beswick, Kevin Harris-James, Ben Harrold, Andrew Green. 2 Adam Hodson, Michael Matthews. 3 Hannah Yates, David Ross. 4 Ross Whittle, Svenja Keller. 5 Calum Nisbet, Simon Gilmour. 6 Jonathan Brew, Jonathan Nosworthy, Andy Caldicott, Malcolm Farley. 7 John Goodman, Jo Hodgetts, Ann Bibby, John Phillips. 8 Gordon Campbell, James Osborne, Matthew Mahoney.

9 Ian Chalmers, Chris Gregory, Lucy Barr, Patrick Baird.

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NIGHT AT THE BALLET FOR LEADING LADIES Merry dance as networking group passes £10,000 fund-raising mark ore than 100 professionals came together for Leading Ladies at The Nutcracker. The event at Birmingham Hippodrome was sponsored by Cure Leukaemia and Highfield Wellness and Beauty. Guests enjoyed pre-show drinks and canapes before watching Sir Peter Wright’s classic ballet.

The event also welcomed SimkissGuy Recruitment as headline sponsors of the female professional networking group. Over the last 12 months, Leading Ladies has raised more than £10,000 for Hippodrome CREATIVE, which provides learning opportunities for young people and local communities. I

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1 Gus Virk, Michelle Ward, Jo Kirk, Clare Thompson. 2 Elizabeth Kelly, Clare Mac, Diana White. 3 Amelia Ladbrook, , Lucy Burridge, Emily Rose, Rebecca Simkiss, Richard Guy. 4 Beth Rose, Surbjit Balu. 5 Nicola Hewitt. 6 Fiona Allan, Jackie Kelly 7 Catherine Reeves, Mandy Haque, Stefanie Bowes, Shellie Harris, Sarah Collyer. 8 Zoe Bennett, Judith Greenburgh.

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Indian street food and Bollywood magic make a splash in Shirley new restaurant specialising in Indian street food launched in a splash of colour, spice and Bollywood magic. Specially invited guests enjoyed tasty samples from the menu at Indico Street Kitchen, Shirley. Founder Faheem Badur was delighted with the support for the restaurant, which boasts a vibrant Bollywood-style interior created by an international team of street artists – including the ceiling which is covered with a multitude of colourful umbrellas. I

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1 Faheem Badur with team Indicon. 2 Ume Fernando, Simran Bansal. 3 Sangita Manandhar, Jacqui Padmore. 4 DJ Sonny Ji, GM Sid Nair. 5 Aaron Kundi , Edwin Ladd. 6 Scott Barnett, Jas Rohel, Sarah Morris. 7 Ifraz Ahmed, Edwin Ladd, Anita Chumber, Dina Morar. 8 Parvy Rakhar, Dal Jassal. 9 Rob Jones, Carmel and Philippa Norton, Anita Champaneri, Ian Taylor.

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PANTO MATT STARS AT BIG LOFT LUNCH Press club turns comedy club before awarding lifetime honour to top duo irmingham Hippodrome panto star Matt Slack and comedians Andy Robinson and Jay Handley provided the laughter at a lunch organised by Birmingham Press Club. More than 100 guests attended the event at the Loft Lounge, Birmingham. Broadcaster and sports journalist Tom Ross and Press Club vice-chairman Fred Bromwich were installed as honorary life members, each receiving the traditional gift of an engraved bugle from club chairman Llewela Bailey and president Bob Warman. A raffle raised funds for the Journalists’ Charity. I

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1 Tom Ross, Llewela Bailey, Fred Bromwich, Bob Warman. 2 Dianne Hall, Alan Carruthers, Carla Scaroni. 3 Steve Swingler, Keith Perry, Gary James, Eileen Murphy, Mark Langford. 4 Chris Mowbray, Chris Mair, Adrian Kibbler. 5 John Lamb, Llewela Bailey, Dan Harrison.

6 Beryl Williams, John James, Jo Jeffries, Derek Inman. 7 Kevin Pashby, Llewela Bailey, Andy Robinson, Jay Handley. 8 Rachael Taplin, Rachel Eade, Paul Cadman, Beverley Nielsen, Bryan Manley-Green. 9 Sonya Bell, Fred Bromwich, Elizabeth Laidler.

Pictures: Ian Tennant

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PHOTO SHOW ZOOMS IN ON ANNIVERSARY 4

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Law firm celebrates 170 years with specially commissioned exhibition aw firm Wright Hassall was joined by business contacts from across the region as it celebrated its 170th anniversary. The firm hosted a drinks reception at its Olympus Avenue offices and marked the occasion by displaying the Best of Coventry and Warwickshire – a Year in Pictures, a commissioned collection of pictures by freelance professional photographer Verity Milligan. The collection also included the winning pictures from a photography competition held by the firm as part of the anniversary celebrations. I

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1 Rohit Basra, Robert Poulton, Keri Harwood, Rob Sams. 2 Peter Lowe, Sarah Wilson, Phil Ewing. 3 Barry Sankey, Vicky Harrison.

4 Russell Spencer, Catherine Sheehan. 5 Laura Gaydon, Marcus Faulkner. 6 Raphael Reith, Christopher Jones. 7 Justin Creed, Rhys Jarman, James Gray. 8 Ian Coulson, Vikki Whittemore, Chris Christou. 9 Nick Abell, Richard Lane.

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FUN TO THE FORE FOR CHARITY DAY GOLFERS Business clients, staff and partners drive off at solictors’ annual event ocal businesses joined staff and partners from law firm Lodders Solicitors for the firm’s annual golf day. More than 40 golfers took to the fairways of Stratford-upon-Avon Golf Club for the four-ball competition with the event raising funds for Lodders’ Charitable Foundation, which supports local good causes.

“We were fortunate to be joined by a number of our clients and business contacts for a great day of golf at our fabulous local club,” said Rod Bird, Lodders’ managing partner. I

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1 Guy Wooddisse, Nick East, David Jervis, Andy Wilkins. 2 Oliver Spicer, John Thompson, Mick Williamson, Kevin Varney. 3 Peter Horton, Martin Green, John Allan, Andy Harvey. 4 Graham Jones, Corrigan Lockett, David Taylor. 5 Giles Sharp, James Brookes, Graham Carter.

6 Steve Thomas, Ed Mawle, Tim Clink, Steve Smith. 7 Paul Mourton, Ian Eggleton, Iain Hunter, Terry Dinham. 8 Asgoo Pirbhai, Oliver Bertram, Alan Plumb, Rod Bird. 9 Brian Taylor, Patrick Jordan, Mike Wakeling, Bill Wareing. 10 Andy Dickens, Chris Swan, Alastair Frew, Colin Fawcett.

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ing ON il vWHAT’S

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WHAT: Mike & The Mechanics

WHAT: Jack Whitehall

WHEN: 25 February

WHEN: 16 February

WHERE: Symphony Hall,

WHERE: Genting Arena,

box office 0121 345 0600 www.thsh.co.uk

tel 0844 338 8000

Over 10 million records worldwide with hits including Living Years, All I Need is a Miracle and the unforgettable Over My Shoulder. The Word of Mouth Tour sees Mike Rutherford joining forces with one of the UK’s most prolific R&B singers Roachford.

www.theticketfactory.com Fresh from hosting the Royal Variety Performance and starring in Bad Education and A League Of Their Own, the multi award-winning stand-up comic is back with a brand new show where he’s at his dynamic best; live and on stage!

WHAT: Cirque Berserk

WHAT: Half term fun

WHEN: 20 to 26 February

WHEN: 20 to 24 February

WHERE: Birmingham Rep, tel 0121 245 2024

WHERE: Birmingham Botanical Gardens, tel 0121 212 3383

www.birmingham-rep.co.uk

www.birminghambotanicalgardens.org.uk

Showcasing the finest in traditional circus thrills and skills. This jaw-dropping spectacular includes more than 30 jugglers, acrobats, dancers, death-defying stuntmen and of course the award-winning clown, Tweedy.

Super fun for all the family. As well as the awesome glasshouse and the beautiful gardens to enjoy there’s also loads of special activities including arts and crafts, bug hunting and story trails.

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WHAT’S ON

WHAT: Billy Elliot the Musical

WHAT: Brick Week

WHEN: 7 March to 29 April

WHEN: 18 to 26 February

WHERE: Birmingham Hippodrome,

WHERE: British Motor Museum,

tel 0844 338 5000

www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk

www.birminghamhippodrome.com

Come and help build a life-size Mini out of those marvellous coloured bricks and join in with a week of automotive-themed brick building challenges! Fun for all ages with challenges, trails and a special section for under-fives.

One of the most beloved shows on stage today pops into Birmingham as part of a stunning tour of the UK. With a timeless score by Elton John, sensational dance and a powerful story this is a proper uplifting theatrical experience.

WHAT: Crufts 2017 WHEN: 9 to 12 March WHERE: Birmingham NEC, tel 0844 338 0338 www.crufts.org.uk The biggest and best dog show in the world is back, where more than 22,000 dogs will compete to win the prestigious title of Best in Show!

WHAT: The ELO Experience WHEN: 2 March WHERE: New Alexandra Theatre, tel 0844 8713011 www.atgtickets.com/birmingham This is the world’s foremost tribute act to The Electric Light Orchestra. With a sensational string section, a stunning light show and large screen this cracking show pays homage to one of the most important and influential bands of all time.

WHAT: Perfect Brides Wedding Fayre WHEN: 5 February WHERE: Nailcote Hall, tel 02476 466174 WHAT: Big Top Circus Spectacular Show WHEN: 18 to 26 February WHERE: Hatton Adventure World, tel 01926 843 411 www.hattonworld.com Featuring an international cast of clowns, acrobats, jugglers and aerialists this Big Top bonanza is a perfect half term treat for the family, whatever the weather. Also includes puppet show, flea circus and all the usual favourites like animal handling, funfair rides and laser combat.

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www.nailcotehall.co.uk Congratulations! He finally popped the question and now the real planning can begin! This is an ideal opportunity to meet a large number of suppliers to help make your special day run as smoothly as possible.

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WHAT’S ON

WHAT: 80’s Invasion Tour 2017

WHAT: Chinese New Year Extravaganza

WHEN: 12 March

WHEN: 12 February

WHERE: Town Hall,

WHERE: Wolverhampton Grand Theatre,

tel 0121 345 0600

tel: 01902 429212

www.tdpromo.com

www.grandtheatre.co.uk

The people demanded it and the people are gonna get it! This awesome tour is back featuring four iconic artists from the 80s, including Paul Young, Martika and our very own Toyah!

Featuring a team of incredible Chinese performing artists this exciting show helps welcome the start of the Year of the Rooster.

From the cheerful spirit of the auspicious Lion Dance, to the majestic and awe-inspiring contortion, the show is a colourful display of Chinese cultural tradition.

WHAT: The Big Chris Barber Band WHEN: 3 March WHERE: Redditch Palace Theatre, tel 01527 65203 www.redditchpalacetheatre.co.uk Inspired by the King Oliver Creole Jazz Band, Barber is one of the last British Jazz legends around and an icon of traditional jazz. With his 10-piece band you can expect everything from New Orleans to blues to Duke Ellington, played with extraordinary panache and skill.

WHAT: Richard Herring WHEN: 23 February WHERE: The Old Rep Theatre, 0121 359 9444 www.oldreptheatre.co.uk The King of the Edinburgh Fringe picks his favourite routines from his 12 one-man shows and crams them into 90 minutes for your delectation. An unmissable show from this influential cult comedian.

WHAT: Morgan & West’s Utterly Spiffing Spectacular Magic Show for Kids WHEN: 20 February WHERE: Mac Birmingham, tel 0121 446 3232 www.macarts.co.uk Also very suitable for childish grown-ups. Time-travelling Victorian magic duo Morgan & West unload another boxful of bafflement and impossibility with a mountain of mysterious magic.

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WHAT: Busted: Night Driver UK Tour WHEN: 18 February WHERE: O2 Academy Birmingham, tel 0121 622 8250 www.o2academybirmingham.co.uk After a decade of experiences and newly-discovered influences behind them the boys are on tour with their third album, Night Driver. It’s a little darker around the edges than before but still retains the vibe you would expect from the band.

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WHAT’S ON

WHAT: Gala Piano All-Nighter WHEN: 3 and 4 March WHERE: Birmingham Conservatoire www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire The Birmingham Conservatoire presents a unique event with 12 hours of piano music through the night in the wonderful setting of Town Hall.

Featuring Alistair McGowan, Gergely Boganyi, Peter Donohoe, Dr Anna Scott, Antony Hewitt and many more, including a mystery special guest!

WHAT: The Pet Shop Boys WHEN: 24 February WHAT: Hot Rods & Kool Kustoms

WHERE: Barclaycard Arena, tel 0844 338

WHEN: Now till 14 May

8000 www.theticketfactory.com

WHERE: Coventry Transport Museum, tel 024 7623 4270

The Super Tour sees Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe perform songs from their acclaimed new album Super, as well as the classic hits and album tracks that they have accumulated over the past 30 years.

www.transport-museum.com Fire up your engines, step back in time and feel the thrill and excitement of these retro racers. Featuring icons from both the American and British custom car scene, hot rods from across the UK are parking up and bringing the sights and sounds of the 1950’s with them.

WHAT: Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty WHEN: 15 to 25 February WHERE: Birmingham Hippodrome, tel 0844 338 5000 www.birminghamhippodrome.com This dazzling production has won the hearts of thousands and smashed box office records across the UK and the US since its premiere. With sumptuous sets and costumes, evocative lighting and masterly storytelling this is a truly wonderful show.

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IN THE CITY Free Radio breakfast show hosts Dan Kelly and Naomi Kent on why it’s a woman’s world, eating a roast at 10am, loving smoothies – and who cooks the best chicken in Brum…

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF DK: I live in a world of girls – my wife, my daughter aged four, another little girl on the way AND my radio wife, Naomi. I get told off a lot!

NK: Waking up the city each morning is wonderful, if a little scatty with Dan! HOW DO YOU GET INTO TOWN? DK: The studio is in Brindleyplace, just a two-mile drive away for me.

NK: Home for me is Leicester, so it’s M1, M69, M6, A38, breathing a sigh of relief when I get to work on time – hopefully!

HOW’S THE COMMUTE? DK: At 5am it’s the easiest drive I’ll ever have. I see the same four cars every morning at Five Ways roundabout.

NK: Same for me. At the time we start work it’s as quiet as a mouse.

LUNCHTIME? DK: Lunchtime for me is around 10am – so I’ll be scoffing a full roast dinner in the office while the people working regular hours are tucking into their bran flakes. If I’m going out, it’s Semedo’s in the Jewellery Quarter. They cook the best chicken in Birmingham.

NK: Convenience wins in the week so it’s Eat in Brindleyplace. At the weekend I love a JuJu’s brunch by the canal.

POWERWALKING? DK: The gym – Nuffield health at Five Ways. Or Edgbaston Reservoir where I’ll give the ducks a race around the perimeter.

NK: I love a walk round the canals and Mailbox. I spent most of my student loan in the Mailbox!

WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE CITY? DK: St Paul’s Square in the JQ. A beautiful and quiet part of Birmingham with the city skyline in the background. It also has some of the city’s best places to eat and drink.

NK: Edgbaston Reservoir. My mate lives overlooking the reservoir and it’s beautiful to wake up to, if you ignore the sound of rowdy geese!

Wake up! It’s breakfast duo Dan and Naomi

IS BRUM A GOOD PLACE TO WORK IN? DK: Yes it is. I’ve been here on and off since I was 18. I’ve worked for four different radio stations, all based on Broad Street and there’s not a bar on the strip I’ve not DJ’d at.

NK: I love working here. Brummies are a welcoming bunch for outsiders like me and there’s always something going on – shows, markets, and so many incredible food places. I was at uni here, so have lots of good memories.

HOW CAN THE CITY BE MADE BETTER? DK: I wouldn’t be against keeping the Frankfurt COFFEE BREAK? Christmas Market in town all year. I would like to try it out DK: January to November, somewhere in Brindleyplace in the summer when you don’t have to wear five layers of within walking distance of the studios. December, it’s clothes! something from the German market.

NK: What would make Birmingham a better place for NK: I’m a bit of a smoothie fiend, so Joe & The Juice at Grand me? Move it a bit closer to Leicester! Otherwise, we’re all Central is a fave. It’s an amazing people-watching spot, too. good… I

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