FineCity - February 2017

Issue 63 February 2017

Let’s Take a Walk around Elm Hill Fine People

Meet Entrepreneur John Buckman, in our interview with Pete Goodrum

The Arts

A look at the Music, Dance and events coming to Norwich

FINEMotors FINEplaces FINEpeople FINEarts

PLUS

FINEEvents

Be My Valentine – Steve Browning

NORWICH

WAITROSE Waitrose Norwich Eaton Centre, Church Lane, Eaton, Norwich NR4 6NU Waitrose Wymondham Norwich Road, Wymondham, NR18 0SH Waitrose North Walsham Cromer Road, North Walsham NR28 0NB Waitrose Swaffam Castle Arce Road, Swaffham, PE37 7HT

Branch Services

For more information on Summer food and drink inspiration. Visit the Waitrose website for recipes and ideas to make the most of the sunshine with your family. waitrose.com

Food Counters & Ranges Fish Cheese Delicatessen Rotisserie Meat Bakery Kosher Range Customer Facilities Lottery Counter Cash Point Cafe Waitrose Car Park Parent/ child Parking Customer Toilets

Other Services Glass Loan Fish Kettle Loan

Shopping Services Waitrose Entertaining Quick Check/Quick Pay John Lewis Click & Collect

P

hil

NORWICH

SEASON 2016/17 HIGHLIGHTS DECEMBER

NORWICH PHILHARMONIC

ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS

AT ST ANDREW’S HALL NORWICH

SATURDAY 10 DECEMBER 2016 SMETANA Sárka (from Ma Vlast) KORNGOLD Violin Concerto Zoë Beyers violin

DVORAK Symphony No.5 SATURDAY 4 FEBRUARY 2017 RACHMANINOV Caprice Bohémien COPLAND Clarinet Concerto Matthew Hunt clarinet

The Norwich Philharmonic Society is a registered charity No.264425

SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No.12

I

f you have a passion for knitting, crochet, sewing, quilting, spinning, weaving, lino cutting, embroidery, drawing or painting, make a note in your 2017 diary to visit Makers’ Month.

SATURDAY 18 MARCH 2017 HAYDN The Seasons Cecilia Osmond soprano Mark Dobell tenor Jonathan Brown bass

SEASON SPONSORS

MUSIC AWARD WINNER

The Forum has joined forces with craft groups and creative businesses from across Norfolk, to put on a four week event offering free drop in activities, bookable workshops and textile based exhibitions.

Korngold’s sparkling Violin Concerto – a perfect showcase for the Hollywood composer’s famous gift for irresistible tunes, featuring the welcome return of CBSO associate leader Zoë Beyers as guest soloist.

FEBRUARY A rare performance of Shostakovich’s powerful Twelfth Symphony, dedicated to the memory of Lenin, to mark the centenary of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917.

MARCH Three hand-picked soloists join us for Haydn’s great oratorio The Seasons, the spectacular follow-up to The Creation that took 18th-century Europe by storm.

BOX OFFICE www.preluderecords.co.uk www.norwichphil.ticketsource.co.uk INFO www.norwichphil.org.uk

From Monday 30 January until Saturday 25 February The Forum is the place to find inspiration, like-minded company and enthusiastic makers, all of them eager to share tips and techniques.

Makers’ Month is free and is also a great event for families during February half term, with hands-on activities for young people.

A centrepiece of Makers’ Month is the ‘Hardhome’ Embroidery, created by members of the Embroiderers’ Guild. A fifteen foot high character from the HBO hit series, Game of Thrones, will be glaring down on visitors in The Forum’s Atrium. It has been on display at Alexandra Palace, the NEC and Harrogate but this is its first trip to the East of the country.

Makers’ Month takes place at The Forum, Norwich, from Monday 30 January - Saturday 25 February 2017. For more information please visit www.theforumnorwich.co.uk

04 | February 2017

www.finecity.co.uk

07

Issue 63 February

2017

Let’s Take a Walk around Elm Hill

FINE PEOPLE

Meet Entrepreneur John Buckman, in our interview with Pete Goodrum

FINE people

19

THE ARTS

12

A look at the Music, Dance and events coming to Norwich

FINEMOTORS FINEPLACES FINEPEOPLE FINEARTS FINEEVENTS

PLUS

Be My Valentine –

Steve Browning

NOR WIC H

FINE places

Issue 63 Your community magazine FineCity Magazine would like to thank all those who have contributed to this issue.

This includes but is not limited to: Pete Goodrum, Stephen Browning, Daniel Tink, Tony Cooper, Michael Chandler and Tim Barnes-Clay Cover Image courtesy of: Daniel Tink

Editor

FINE arts

Jonathan Horswell @JonathanHorswel

58

Administration Luke Keable

Sales

Arron Self

FINE Motors

Sales

Collect your free copy of FineCity Magazine from any of our partner locations:

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© FineCity Magazine Disclaimer: No part of this magazine may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, either wholly or in part, without the prior written permission of the Publisher.

The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Publisher.

Every effort is taken to ensure that the contents of this magazine are accurate, but the Publisher can not assume any responsibility for errors or omissions. Whilst reasonable care is taken when accepting advertisements the Publisher will not accept any resulting unsatisfactory transactions.

They will, however, immediately investigate any written complaints. The Publishers reserve the right to amend such submissions and cannot accept responsibility for any loss.

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2017 February | 05

Competition

Win A Mini! or £10,000 cash!

All you have to do is complete the following sections and return your form to ensure it is included in the draw.

Or you can enter online at: www.WinaMini.website Only one entry per household Your Name:

How much is your home phone bill?

Your Address:

£

Would you like to pay less than that?

YES

NO

Are you a home owner OR over 30 years old?

YES

NO

Your landline contact number:

Would you like to have an extra income?

YES

NO

Your email address:

Please send your entry to: C/O FineCity, Queens House, Queens Square, Attleborough, Norfolk NR17 2AE

Postcode:

06 | February 2017

Terms and Conditions apply. Go to www.winamini.website for full T’s & C’s

www.finecity.co.uk

John Buckman Pete Goodrum meets Norfolk based entrepreneur John Buckman

FINEPeople

W

e’re sitting in John Buckman’s office, at his headquarters just outside Norwich. Immaculately suited he soon removes his jacket and tie to make a couple of quick ‘phone calls and check some figures at his computer before talking to me.

He’s been ‘on the road’ talking to people about how he can help them set up their own recruitment businesses. That’s what he does.

Having built a hugely successful company in that sector himself he now concentrates on facilitating joint ventures through his Recruit Ventures operation.

It is in effect a venture capital business, with a difference. It gives recruitment entrepreneurs the opportunity to have financial backing, full systems support, guidance and advice - but it’s their company. They have shares, working capital, a salary and minimal risk.

The reason John is so passionate about this business model is because he started out himself as a ‘joint venture’. And now he wants others to benefit in the same way.

And they are. There are already 16 companies he’s helped start up, all over the UK. Some of them are already substantial businesses. Recruit Ventures turned over £3m when he started it in 2011. This year it will hit £47m.

I’ve said that John’s life had not been easy. Try to take this in. His adopted father makes it plain that they can’t afford to support him. He has to pay his own way. Buy his own clothes and contribute to the domestic budget. So, John takes a job as a part time gardener. Then adds a paper round. He also takes on work at a bakery. This meant working a shift that started at 4.00am on Saturdays. He was so small his arms regularly touched the hot shelves. He still has the scars. After two hours of that he’d run to the paper shop for the 6.00am start and then, with the papers delivered, run back to the bakery to do the cleaning up shift. He was thirteen.

It doesn’t stop there. Befriended by a local businessman he gets another job, in an abattoir, pulling the bladders out of pigs.

There’s no self pity in his voice when he consolidates the picture.

‘I’m a thirteen year old boy. My education is falling to bits. I’m labouring in gardens, delivering papers, sweating in two bakery shifts, regularly burning my arms, and for twelve hours at a time I’m covered in blood and pig’s pee, standing on a step because I’m a child doing a man’s work. And this is not the nineteenth century. It’s England in 1977’.

I know he wants to continue, so I don’t ask questions.

Before I can comment he presses on.

‘At the age of fifteen I’d had enough. I fell out with my adopted family and I left. I’d often go by piece of waste ground and I’d noticed an empty mobile home standing on it. I’m not proud of the fact that I broke in to it. I’m not ashamed to say that at fifteen I stood on my own two feet and made it my home’.

I was born at Dorking General Hospital. My mother, Jennifer Day, was as people used to say ‘in trouble’. This was 1964. Values were different.

She didn’t have much choice. So she gave me away. I make no judgement of her’.

He wasn’t ungrateful for the jobs, but he realised he wanted more out of life. ‘I remember one of my gardening clients. He was a salesman. Nice place. Company car. I thought - that’s for me’.

Taken in by the Church of England Adoption Society, he was subsequently adopted by a couple, Roy and Doreen Archer, in Middlesex.

They’d already adopted another boy, Paul, and John freely admits that he and Paul were frequently in trouble.

But it wasn’t a job in sales that came next. At sixteen he joined Aspect Roofing. ‘It was great. I was learning a trade. And I was working outside, and developing a very nice tan’. He took it seriously, and went to a CITB course at Bircham Newton to qualify for a certificate in scaffolding.

What happened next proved to be the catalyst for him living in Norfolk. ‘My adopted mother worked in the Quaker Oats factory. She was compensated for an industrial accident and they used the money to buy a bungalow, in Norfolk’.

So far so good. Successful businessman starts his working life as a tradesman. Sure, it was a tough life but he’s made good, so I prepare myself for the next chapters that will obviously lead to promotion and starting up on his own.

Home life wasn’t easy. There were beatings. He worked hard at school though. ‘By the time I was eleven if you’d asked my teachers about me they’d have said, ’He works hard. He tries’.

Wrong.

So, how did he get here? It’s been quite a story, and it starts with his bombshell of an opening line when I ask him where he was born.

‘I was given away as a baby’, he says.

08 | February 2017

If John’s opening line had been a bombshell you need to brace yourselves for the nuclear

explosion that comes next. They’re not words you expect from a charming, successful, businessman sat across his desk from you on a clear sunny morning.

Or any morning.

‘I was seventeen when I

feature by:

Pete Goodrum Writer, broadcaster @petegoodrum

www.finecity.co.uk

FINEPeople

was sentenced to three months in a Detention Centre’.

Excuse me?

‘I never exactly looked for trouble, but it had an uncanny way of finding me. And it usually arrived in the form of a fight. One of them got way out of hand. It cost me my freedom’.

Detained, and working on the land for 60p a day he started to think about turning his life around.

Free again he was lucky enough to get his job back. Because, legally, he was a minor his www.finecity.co.uk

adoptive parents were obliged to take him in. They didn’t want him. ‘I stayed a couple of nights. Then I moved in to lodgings, and got on with my life’ He changed job, did some bricklaying and plastering and sat in his lodgings at night dreaming of being a salesman. Realising that his record wouldn’t help him, he came up with a plan. Within weeks he was a self employed, commission only, salesman for Point Five Windows, in Norwich.

‘For six months I sold double glazing and windows. I was good at it. Selling came naturally to me’.

But, Point Five Windows went into liquidation.

And you don’t get commission on widows that will never be fitted.

‘Broke, and out of work, I sold my beloved Escort Ghia, bought a dirt cheap Mazda, and started to plan - again’.

In a pub he met a man who made blinds. John bought a market stall and sold the blinds for him. He worked the Norfolk markets by day, and by night sold life assurance for Canada Life.

Craving more stability he got a job in a furniture store where, among other things, he 2017 February | 09

FINEPeople sold beds. Convinced there was an opening in the market for a ‘one stop’ bed shop he went into business with a supportive partner and opened John Archer beds, in Watton, in 1984.

Soon he was Managing Director of three shops, but when his partner had to sell off some of the property John bought the remaining one and lived above it.

It wasn’t a bad life, but somehow he wanted to be bigger.

Diversification seemed like the best plan so he got involved in carpets and started a furniture shop.

John Buckman has a very good memory, and he is very good with figures. He knows the turnover and profits of every business he’s ever had. He now runs me through the ups and downs of the next few years in considerable detail. It culminates in an event that even the most hands-on businessman couldn’t control. Fire.

Just as profits were increasing his warehouse was broken into and set alight. It’s 1990. He has a wife and child. He can’t deliver beds he’s sold because they’re burned. The insurance company won’t pay out because one, just one, of the locks wasn’t fastened. The bank want his overdraft called in and, in short, he becomes bankrupt.

It’s where most people would give up. Not John Buckman.

In a deal with his best friend he set up a recruitment business. By the end of 1994 they were in profit. It was from developing that business, specialising in the agricultural market, and wanting to work on a broader canvas, that he formed Jark Recruitment.

He drove Jark hard, diversifying out of the agricultural market. The turnover was in the millions within a few years.

‘I’d proved that hard work and determination paid off. I wasn’t digging gardens for someone else any more’.

10 | February 2017

It brings us to Recruit Ventures, which is where I started. ’It seemed to me that I was now in a position to do something else. I knew that the recruitment business is full of people with a strong entrepreneurial streak. I’d learned, from several experiences, that a joint venture, where someone provides the financial backing and support, but allows the entrepreneur to concentrate on building the business is a good model. I now had the experience, time, team and resources to be the backer’.

She stayed in England for a week and ‘beyond my wildest dreams’, that summer John went to the USA to meet her family. ‘They were wonderful, and unfailingly good to me’.

But, he was still John Archer. ‘I’d never pursued it. I hadn’t even asked my mother who my father was’.

The tipping point came in 1989. ‘I was about to be married, as John Archer. It worried me. I had no contact or relationship with the Archers.

And, to be totally honest, the name meant nothing to me.

And he does it very well. But something occurs to me. That shop was called John Archer Beds.

Now he’s John Buckman. What happened?

When I did ask her my mother told me my father was called Charlie Buckman, and that he’d last been heard of in Croydon’.

He laughs. He has the sort of eyes and face that light up when he laughs.

As you might by now imagine, John got in his car and drove to Croydon.

‘I am John Buckman. I was John Archer. I’d always wanted to know more about who I was.

I had no family of my own. Contact with my adoptive parents had ended. In 1987, when I was 23, I saw a TV programme about tracing family trees, presented by June Davey. I was so intrigued that I decided to contact her.

Remember, this was before the internet. I called every J. Davey I could find. It was a long shot, but I found her’.

What followed was another example of this man’s tenacity. After a lot of ‘phone directories and calls, and via a meeting with his father’s ex wife, he found Charlie Buckman. ‘When I saw him I didn’t have any doubts that he was my father’.

And June Davey found his mother. She was in America. And there was a ‘phone number.

‘I made the call. It was emotional. She never questioned me. She was married, with a family, and they of course didn’t even know that I existed. With amazing courage she said that she would tell them. She asked me to give her a couple of days to do that, and then call her back.

When I did she told me that she would fly to the UK to see me. I couldn’t believe it. We arranged to meet at Heathrow. The bond was instant. Which is why I think she was upset when I went to collect my car. I was so inexperienced about airports I couldn’t find it.

When I was gone so long she thought I’d got scared and left’.

John changed his name by deed poll.

You could write a book about this man’s story. The fact though is this. From difficult and modest origins he has squared up to life, seized opportunities, taken risks and created something of real worth. In short he is the very definition of an entrepreneur.

As I leave, he’s back on the ‘phone before I make it to the door. John Buckman doesn’t waste time. Ever.

Coming down the stairs I realise that we’ve spent no time talking about his home life, or his interests. For someone so honest and open about the challenges he’s faced, and yes, the mistakes he’s made, he is a private man. He’s earned the right to that.

John Buckman has earned everything he’s got.

He even worked to get his own name. And now he’s made a name for himself. Entrepreneur.

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FINEPLACES

EACH Join EACH for a flipping good fun pancake run!

E

ast Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) is being backed by two celebrity chefs as it marks Shrove Tuesday with a novel pancake run fundraiser.

Flip It for EACH will see teams of four racing against each other, with prizes for the fastest individual and team pancake flippers up for grabs. Keeping an eye on the action will be Richard Bainbridge and Richard Hughes.

we encourage everyone to come along and get involved.”

flip-it-for-each. Registration closes at 9pm on Tuesday, 21 February.

Pancakes will be made by trainee chefs at City College Norwich, with some extras available for hungry competitors and spectators!

For more information, please contact the EACH Norfolk Fundraising Team on 01953 666768 or at Norfolk@each.org.uk.

Entrance is £50 per team, a fee which includes a chef hat and apron for each member. Each participant will also receive a goody bag.

All funds raised will benefit either EACH’s hospice in Quidenham, which provides care for children and young people with life-threatening conditions and support for their families across Norfolk, or the nook appeal, its £10 million campaign to transform children’s palliative care services across the county, including the building of a new hospice in Framingham Earl.

The event will take place at The Forum in Norwich between 9.30am and noon on Tuesday, 28 February – and teams can sign up now!

Colin added: “The proceeds will be used to make a real difference at EACH in Norfolk, whether supporting our short-break care, endof-life care and bereavement support services or our appeal for a new purpose-built hospice.”

Colin Lang, EACH nook appeal Development Manager, said: “We can’t wait to host our inaugural pancake run and are looking very much forward to what promises to be a tasty celebration of Shrove Tuesday.

EACH would like to thank its event sponsors Naked Marketing, City College Norwich, Anglia Culinary Suppliers, QD Norwich and Builders Equipment.

“Pancakes will be flying through the air as our teams make their way around the course and

To sign up for the pancake run, go to www. each.org.uk/support-us/events-diary/details/

www.finecity.co.uk

2017 February | 11

FINEPLACES

Let’s Take A Walk… Elm Hill

T

oday, Elm Hill starts from St Peter Hungate on Princess Street to St Simon and St Jude on the corner of Wensum Street. Both churches were used as a base by Robert Kett and his men during Kett’s Rebellion on their attacks on the Royal army. The name of Elm Hill comes from the elm trees that have been present since the first part of the 16th century, but because of Dutch elm disease an elm tree is no longer present.

It is not known how long Elm Hill has been here but evidence has shown it to have been in existence since 1200, but the buildings seen today date back to 1507 when a fire swept through Norwich destroying over 700 houses. The only property said to be older is 12 | February 2017

the medieval building the Britons Arms, which dates to 1347 and started as a ‘beguinage’ for a group of women who devoted their lives to prayer. It was the only building to have escaped damage during the fire. The building went through many changes including being a public house which was closed during World War II and then sold to the city for £10.

A fascinating fact is that Elm Hill provided sixteen citizens who served Norwich in the capacity of Mayor or Sheriff.

At the top of Elm Hill was a monastery that was set up in the 19th century by Joseph Lyne who went by the name Father Ignatius and had devoted his life to re-establish a monastic life. Both he and his monks were not made

welcome in the area and the ghost of Ignatius carrying a bible is said to haunt the area cursing all his enemies.

Now number 2, this property was first built in the 16th century for Richard Mann.

Merchant

feature by:

Michael Chandler

Author, Historian & Broadcaster @EastAngliaMedia

www.finecity.co.uk

FINEPLACES

in her honour from a first floor window. Some of the Paston letters were said to be written here. Augustine Steward’s merchant mark and the arms of the Mercers Company can be seen carved on the oak beam at the entrance.

Another well know family, the Pettus’ lived opposite and was headed by John Pettus, a cloth merchant. By the 17th century part of the family sailed to America to build a new life in Virginia. Most of the Pettus family are buried in St Simon and St Jude.

Robert Bendish who was sheriff in 1663 and mayor in 1672 lived here. Over the years the ground floor housed many businesses with a food theme.

Research has shown that at what is now number 18 lived the de Hague family where father in 1774 and son in 1826 became Town Clerks of Norwich. The building was later established as a shop.

The Paston family lived at what is now situated as Numbers 22-24. The house was rebuilt after the fire by Augustine Steward, who was mayor three times and deputy mayor during Kett’s Rebellion, of which fighting took place on Elm Hill. The building now houses the Strangers Club and it is said that Elizabeth I watched a pageant www.finecity.co.uk

Numbers 29 and 29a date back to the 11th century and by the 18th century it was known as The Crown public house after the Crown Court that lay opposite. The building today consists of two shops with accommodation above.

Huguenot Francis Columbine, Mayor in 1776 lived at what is now Towlers Court and nearby Norris Court dates from the 14th century and was named after cabinet maker James Norris and mayors Simon Bowde, Thomas Lane and Richard Halman resided here.

In the 17th century mayor William Gostling resided at number 32 and was imprisoned during the Civil War for being loyal to the Crown.

After the weaving industry in Norwich started to decline during the 19th century Elm Hill

turned into a slum area and by 1927 the Norwich Society took on a report for the Norwich Corporation which showed that the area could be built up again. This was agreed and saved this historical area being demolished to make way for a swimming pool on the north side. Most of the buildings today are owned by Norwich City Council.

During the 1930s there were more calls to demolish Elm Hill, and this time to make way for a traffic scheme. Leonard Howes, Colonel Glendenning and R H Mottram were against this and they camped outside the Britons Arms handing out leaflets. After World War II campaigns continued to look after Elm Hill and it soon became clear that demolition of Elm Hill would not happen and that the area would be looked after.

Photographs by:

Daniel Tink Photographer hello@danieltink.co.uk

2017 February | 13

FINEPLACES

A modern service in a Victorian setting

H

eading out on the southern side of Lowestoft, the most easterly settlement in the United Kingdom, along the sea road, one cannot fail to notice the South and Claremont piers jutting out into the North Sea. Reminding us of the impact the town has, not only as a holiday destination, a fishing research area, a fishing port, importance with oil and gas companies and the large wind turbine (Gulliver). The lifeboat station one of the oldest in the British Isles was founded in 1801 and is open to the public, is nestled in the harbour.

Robert William Hook, Coxswain, is credited with saving over 600 lives between 1853 -1883.

With the amazing Royal Plain fountains giving enjoyment not only to children getting wet (the accompanying music played by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra based in the Marina Theatre), but also casual passerby’s heading into the town. We continue out on the Kirkley Cliff (road) and see an array of flags flying over the Hotel Victoria.

14 | February 2017

The hotel was built in 1897 by George Skipper, a leading Norwich-based architect, who, along with his rival Edward Boardman, dominated building in Norwich around the end of the century. Along with other works, he was commissioned to design the Town Hall in Cromer, and subsequently seaside hotels including the Hotel Victoria. Did he realise how long the building would stand?

With its extraordinary large windows looking out from the relaxing restaurant and quality bedrooms, giving panoramic sea views over golden beaches. These beaches now renowned for their quality are considered to be some of the very best in Europe and currently hold the ENCAMS Blue flag award.

Since then, the hotel has seen numerous changes but still the Victorian feel of good service, traditional values, friendly, courteous and loyal staff all make this, the Hotel Victoria.

All families need a lead and this has recently happened with the appointment of Adam

www.finecity.co.uk

hotel, will have a major face lift, with the introduction of a larger lawn area, this will incorporate the new outdoor licensed wedding venue. In the mean time, indoor events, meeting and licensed wedding ceremonies will continue.

One of the events to be held at the Hotel is the; EXTRA TRAVEL NEEDS SEMINAR on 8th March 2017.

This is probably the first of its kind. The nature of the seminar is to focus on extra travel needs for people with various forms of needs and disabilities. This is a free to all event.

For further information visit; www.extratravelneeds.com or email extratravelneeds.yahoo.com If you want a traditional hotel with huge windows, curtains so long you are pleased you do not have to iron them and a workforce that offer a professional service above and beyond the call of duty, then the Hotel Victoria is a place to visit.

Greenfield as the Hotel Victoria Business Owner/General Manager.

Adam was born, breed and educated in Lowestoft. At 16 he left school and went to technical college. From there he was fortunate to gain an apprenticeship at the Wherry Hotel, Oulton Broad. Starting as a glass collector and waiter he worked there for 6 years before heading seaways to the Hotel Victoria, in Lowestoft.

At the young age of 21 he was appointed the catering supervisor at the Hotel Victoria before promotion to the operations manager. In 2006 he took a hard decision to leave the hotel and set up a business in Lowestoft. He kept in contact with the management and remained loyal to them and an Ambassador for the hotel.

2011 saw a change, Adam was approached by the then management, to come back to the www.finecity.co.uk

hotel as the assistant manager, bringing with him his familiar face, personality, professionalism and fresh blood into the team.

Where is the hotel; Kirkley Cliff, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0BZ www.thehotelvictoria.co.uk

He obviously did a good job, as in January 2016, after a probationary period he became the new General Manager of the Hotel Victoria.

On taking over the Hotel Victoria as Business owner Adam is implementing his new plans, to give his personal touch but to maintain the family, friendly, professional hotel that it is.

2017 will see some changes. There will be investment over the next few years. Already the menu is being produced with locally sourced produce, (can’t get much fresher than fish brought ashore in Lowestoft). The business will grow and continue working with local business and the Waveney Chamber of Commerce. Sometime in 2017/18 the Victorian garden on the sea side of the 2017 February | 15

16 | February 2017

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W i n t e r

ELEGANCE

IN NORFOLK

Jonathan Trumbull 5 St Stephens Street, Norwich, NR1 3QL Tel: 01603 629876 www.jonathantrumbull.co.uk

HATTERS 11-13 White Lion Street, Norwich NR2 1QA Tel: 01603 626469 www.hattersnorwich.co.uk

GINGER 35 Timber Hill, Norwich NR1 3LA Tel: 01603 763158 www.gingerfashion.co.uk

Chadds 23 Bedford Street, Norwich NR2 1AR Tel: 01603 622668 www.chaddsnorwich.co.uk www.finecity.co.uk

2017 February | 17

FINEPLACES

Big C Launches New Illustrations For Its Centre Communications

N

ew illustrations commissioned from a Norfolk artist are helping to communicate essential information within Big C’s four Support and Information Centres in a move to convey the services are there for everyone, from all walks of life.

The colourful “library” of illustrations includes objects and characters that are static as well as involve actions. It features eight Norfolk towns, the countryside and wildlife as well as people from diverse demographics, young and old, ethnic groups, pets and children that can be used individually or together, depending on the application.

Composite illustration styles have been designed to communicate specific services, for example Emotional Support has an illustration of people talking and each individual service has a strong visual identity for users to relate to.

The illustrations have been launched initially in a new booklet entitled “Here to Support You” outlining the services and addressing

18 | February 2017

some of the most frequently asked questions in the centres. Part of the booklet involves a question and answer section, a page for notes and address details of the Norwich, Great Yarmouth, Gorleston and King’s Lynn centres.

They will be rolled out across all written literature and digital marketing for Support and Information Centres.

Research undertaken by Big C with expert patient representatives was positive towards the new designs which were described as “modern, not datable, conveying a calm feeling, representational of different sections of the community and colourful.”

The Norfolk-based charity decided to develop an alternative to photographs after it found people could often be turned off or alienated by a particular image. The illustrations are designed to stimulate inclusion and interest.

new illustrations are very visual and by taking this different approach we hope they will help us to engage with even more of our local community.”

Former BA Illustration graduate at Camberwell College of Arts Esme McKay graduated in 2015. “My working process combines hand drawn and computer generated illustration.

I like to create work that is based around communities and the people within them. I’ve really enjoyed working on this project with Big C and the challenge of achieving the right tone for the illustrations. Once this had been established, I really enjoyed the process and everything seemed to come together.” she said.

Copies of the leaflet are available at all four centres or can be downloaded as a Pdf at www.big-c.co.uk.

“We wanted an eye-catching brand that is appealing to everyone. It is important that we communicate that our services are open to everyone with cancer,” said Nikki Morris, Director of Support and Information. “These www.finecity.co.uk

FINEARTS

Isabel Tamen Passion for music at the very heart of dance company’s ethos Richard Alston’s Dance Company

www.finecity.co.uk

2017 February | 19

FINEARTS

B

ringing a touch of fiery Latin passion to warm up Norwich in the chilly month of February is Richard Alston Dance Company with a programme of all new works to delight its many fans in the city.

On stage at Norwich Theatre Royal for just two nights on February 10 & 11, the company, which has been visiting the city for 18 years, will be dancing three new pieces: Richard Alston’s An Italian in Madrid received its premiere at Sadler’s Wells on March 19 earlier this year, while Martin Lawrance’s Tangent was first performed at the Festival Theatre Edinburgh on September 23 - both to critical acclaim.

The programme Isabel danced in Norwich back in 1999 included Beyond Measure, a piece which she describes as “one of my all-time favourite pieces by Richard – the music is by Bach and it was a beautiful duet he made for myself and another dancer. It’s so very dear to me - probably one of the pieces I really, really loved dancing to when I was in the company.”

Often referred to as the ‘founding father of British contemporary dance’, perhaps more than any other choreographer Richard Alston is known for his instinctive musicality and for drawing inspiration for his work directly from music.

And Chacony is Alston’s newest dance and the full 24-minute piece will have its UK premiere in Norwich.

This deeply-felt association between the music and the dance is something that has seeped into every corner of the company and Isabel’s passion is clear to see:

Coming with the company to the city will be executive director Isabel Tamen who was here with internationally-renowned contemporary dance choreographer Richard Alston on that very first visit. It is an occasion she remembers well for she was a founding member of the company and the first dancer to perform many of Alston’s most iconic pieces.

“Another wonderful Brahms piece was part of that 1999 programme,” she says. “It’s called Waltzes and Disorder – that’s a beautiful piece.

I hope Richard brings it back. He keeps on bringing back pieces that I have danced, like Brisk Singing. That was first done in 1997 and I was one of the founder dancers of that piece, so it was made on myself and Martin Lawrance

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(now an associate choreographer with the company), so we know it inside out. Whenever I am in the office and I hear the music playing, I know it.”

Portuguese-born Isabel trained as a dancer at the Gulbenkian Ballet School in Lisbon before moving to the London Contemporary Dance School. She was with Richard Alston Dance Company from its formation in 1994 until hanging up her dancing shoes in 1999 to pursue a new career in the industry by moving behind the scenes into management. She returned to the company as its executive director in 2009.

“I was pregnant and had already done the big career. So I was ready to approach a second career and also age-wise the clock was ticking.

I was 36-years-old when I left, so you have to think of other things you want in life.”

Her close association through the years with Richard and her understanding of how he works, plus being a former dancer, gives her an insight and ability to relate to the young dancers coming into the company today.

“There’s a mutual respect. I watch the dancers with real pleasure. I loved what I did for many

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years with a passion, but I love watching them just as much now. I love seeing them grow and seeing the progression. They know that I understand. I have seen the pieces. I know what they are about. I know what they should look like, but I don’t think it can only be done how I did it. They make it their own and I think that is wonderful.”

School and our professional company during the day, to the evenings when it’s full of open classes for the community around us – it is packed with all sorts of dance classes. During the weekends you have The Young Place where the little ones start and we have youth groups in the evenings as well. You can feel that dance happens – and then there is activity in the

theatre with all the shows they programme all year round.”

When she joined the school herself as a young classical dance student from Portugal on a three-month trial, it changed her life and she made the UK her home. She toured internationally with a company called Images

Isabel says the company has changed since the early days but one thing remains the same and that is the drive to nurture the young dancers and help them grow – and there has engendered a strong family feeling of ‘family’ within the company.

“If Richard is the father, then maybe I am the mother,” she laughs.

The company has eight dancers and it takes on two apprentices each year, chosen from an audition process with the dance schools.

There is also strong demand from experienced dancers wanting to join the company on the rare occasion a senior position becomes available, and auditions then can attract up to 400 applications.

Richard Alston Dance Company is based at The Place near King’s Cross in central London, established in 1969 as the focal point of contemporary dance creativity in Britain and also the home of the London Contemporary Dance School which attracts students and teachers from all over the world.

Isabel describes The Place as a building that is constantly buzzing with activity: “From The www.finecity.co.uk

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FINEARTS and then joined the London Contemporary Dance Theatre, which was the resident company at The Place. When that closed due to funding problems, she was chosen as one of nine dancers from the theatre to join Richard’s newly-formed company.

He had previously been artistic director of Ballet Rambert, the rival to the London Contemporary Dance Theatre, and had been asked to look after the theatre’s very last tour, and as part of that tour he choreographed a season at Aldeburgh. “It was very exciting and it was my very first experience of working with Richard directly. It was definitely a special season,” Isabel said.

Her long artistic and business relationship with Richard is still based on a mutual love of music and a joy of dancing. “Richard has such a varied palette. He loves different genres and has that deep, deep knowledge of music; he has not stuck with just classical music. He has made about 150 pieces, which is a lot of work, and if you just pick up all the different music for each single piece, it is unbelievable. It is really varied.

“Rhythmic, beautiful and emotional – there is always something that keeps you going and I suppose it touches you. I think Richard does see dance as a healing power. It is a joyous activity. His piece Brisk Singing is the prime example of that. You feel lifted after you hear that beautiful music.”

As for the future, Isabel says “the wonderful thing is Richard doesn’t seem to be slowing down. He is always hungry to try new things and that is really exciting for me too because it also challenges me.”

She cites his recent works which have been influenced by hip-hop and also classical Indian dance which demonstrate how he is still learning himself. “He listens and listens to the music until it is literally in his bloodstream, but then when he comes to the studio it just pours out of him because he has the confidence that age and experience brings. He can really still feel the passion and that’s amazing.”

As the company’s executive director, Isabel is keenly aware of the need to become more diverse, to be more entrepreneurial and find other ways of making money to enable the company to keep moving forward.

Touring is an expensive undertaking: “But I think it is also one of the most rewarding things for a dancer and a choreographer,” she says. “Richard enjoys the chance to see his work performed in different theatres and in front of different audiences. He learns from that. And a dancer in the same way learns from that experience 22 | February 2017

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FINEARTS too. If you take away the touring and you just performed in your own theatre, you wouldn’t have all the expenses of travelling, but I think you would also miss out on a big deal – so I do hope that may long continue.”

The performances on February 10 & 11 will feature three pieces:- Chacony is inspired by the powerful Chaconne of Henry Purcell, a quick dance-song characterized by suggestive movements and mocking texts with a Spanish influence.

An Italian in Madrid is inspired by the sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti, which are played for the dancers live on stage by pianist Jason

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Ridgway. Scarlatti was a baroque composer hugely influenced by Spanish guitar music, and to explore this fusion of different cultures and styles, Richard Alston invited rising classical Indian dance star Vidya Patel to join his company for this exciting piece. Tangent choreographed

by Martin Lawrance, explores the vivid accents and attack of the Tango to music by Piazzolla, an Argentine Tango composer, also played live in stage by Jason Ridgway on piano.

For tickets to see Richard Alston Dance Company at Norwich Theatre Royal on February 10 & 11, 7.30pm nightly, call 01603 630000 or see www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

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Mamma Mia!

The musical with the holiday vibe

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othing is guaranteed to give you that feel-good holiday vibe quicker than an ABBA song – and when combined with the backdrop of a beautiful Greek island a cast of characters that everyone can empathise with and a storyline to tug at the heart-strings, then you have the red hot musical hit that is MAMMA MIA! It’s no wonder this juggernaut of a show, which is still pulling in the crowds more than 17 years

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after it first launched in London in 1999, has wowed theatregoers around the globe.

On its first UK tour, it is heading to Norwich to spend four weeks from February 28 to March 25 at the city’s Theatre Royal where it is all set to have audiences reaching for their sun tan lotion.

Producer Judy Craymer promises a show with “a big heart”. “People love it so they return. In the audience sometimes, one member will turn to the other and say ‘Is this your first time?’. It’s

like ‘welcome to the club’. It’s also a show that people like to see in a community atmosphere.

They like to bring friends and family,” she said.

The show is Judy’s ingenious vision of staging the story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs. Her idea for a film or a stage show based on the Swedish supergroup’s songs came many years ago when she was Tim Rice’s assistant on Chess, the musical he wrote with the group’s songwriters Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. “I started talking to www.finecity.co.uk

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“I explained my thoughts and Catherine said ‘What about a mother-daughter story?’ and that was it. We tentatively pitched it to Bjorn and Benny and it kind of worked from there.

They trusted me. They let us nurture it. I think timing was everything. It probably wouldn’t have worked ten years before in the same way.”

Judy is resistant to the idea that MAMMA MIA! is just another jukebox musical. “To me those songs were written by Bjorn and Benny for MAMMA MIA!,” she said. “The Winner Takes It All was the inspiration for me. I kept thinking that is a great 11 o’clock number, as they say on Broadway. It’s Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina.”

them about it in the mid-80s, and then in about 1995 Bjorn said: ‘If you can get the right story, maybe.’”

By then, Judy had worked as a producer in television and had come across Catherine Johnson, a scriptwriter who had also written a couple of sparky hit plays. One of them was Shang-a-Lang, about three women from Chipping Sodbury who hit 40 in a holiday camp where their girlhood idols the Bay City Rollers are playing. www.finecity.co.uk

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In reality, many of the songs were being written as the songwriting pair were struggling with their own failing marriages to the band’s two singers, Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, but the emotions they document are universal and fitted into the storyline almost seamlessly.

It’s a storyline that has proved hugely important.

It centres on the search for a father. Twentyyear-old bride-to-be Sophie has grown up on a Greek island where her mother Donna runs a rackety taverna. Sophie doesn’t know who her father is, so rummages through her mother’s diary from 20 years back and secretly invites three potential candidates. The relationships that run in different strands throughout the story speak to every audience member.

The figures are impressive - MAMMA MIA! has been seen by 60 million people worldwide in 50 productions in 16 different languages grossing over two billion dollars at the box office. It has premiered in more than 440 major cities worldwide and is in its 18th year in London’s West End where it has been seen by over 8 million people – that’s more than 10 per cent of the entire UK population. It is one of only five musicals to have run for more than ten years both on Broadway and in the West 26 | February 2017

End and, in 2011, it became the first Western musical ever to be staged in Mandarin in the People’s Republic of China.

More recent conquests have also included a vast cruise ship which tours the Caribbean with a MAMMA MIA! that can be seen by 1000 seafarers at a go, and the 2008 film – which starred Julie Walters, Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan – also proved a huge hit.

MAMMA MIA! the stage show had good reviews from the outset but it mainly conquered the world by word of mouth – and, of course, wonderful songs.

Theatre audiences can’t wait to get up on their feet to dance to Waterloo and Dancing Queen, sung by Donna and the Dynamos in wonderful Seventies spandex outfits in the show’s finale.

One night the audience proved so immovable that the front of house staff had to make an announcement that ‘the Dynamos had left the building’ otherwise the audience would have stayed all night.

On another occasion the cast was joined onstage by Anna-Frid Lyngstad. “Frida came quietly one night, she wanted no fuss,” Judy

revealed. “She loved the show so much that she asked if she could go onstage at the end with the cast. She did and she sang Dancing Queen in front of the audience. And that was her quiet night out.”

MAMMA MIA! runs at Norwich Theatre Royal from February 28 to March 25. Tickets are available at the box office in person, by calling 01603 630000 or online at www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk Listing: MAMMA MIA!, Tuesday 28 February to Saturday 25 March. Eves 7.30pm, Mats Thur 2, Sat 4, Tues 7, Thur 9, Sat 11, Thur 16, Sat 18, Tues 21, Thur 23, Sat 25 2.30pm. Tickets £8-£55. BOX OFFICE 01603 630000. Discounts for Friends, Over 60s, Under 18s and Groups. Audio Described Performances Mar 18 & 25, 2.30pm.Captioned Performances Mar 9, 2.30pm, & Mar 16, 7.30pm. Signed Performance Sat, Mar 18, 2.30pm. For more info or to BOOK ONLINE www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

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Look Ahead to 2017

Out There Festival, Great Yarmouth 15/16/17 September 2017 2017 marks the 10th anniversary of the Out There Festival which brings the international circus and street arts worlds to Great Yarmouth for a weekend of colour, spectacle and riotous fun for all the family.

Organised by SeaChange Arts who are based in Great Yarmouth’s newly refurbished Drill House, Out There takes place all over the town centre and seafront, filling its venues, parks, streets and promenades with the cream of circus and street art performers from all over the world.

More than 60,000 people descend on Norfolk’s traditional seaside gem for the largest festival of it’s kind in the east of England, many of them from outside the region. Out There is a member of the ambitious Coasters partnership, a consortium of 10 seaside towns around the country that aims to boost tourism by reimagining the cultural life of some of our best loved coastal towns and touring exciting outdoor productions, many of them the sort of large scale events that thrilled audiences at the 2016 festival.

Almost all of Out There is completely free so if you only visit this Norfolk seaside gem once this year this is the weekend to do it! www.outtherefestival.com www.finecity.co.uk

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Holt Festival

22-30 July 2017

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his July will see the ninth Holt Festival which, it has been announced, will be the last for current Artistic Director Charles Pugh.

Holt Festival is an award winning annual feast of the arts taking place in the charming North Norfolk Georgian country town in the last week of July. It has quickly become one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the Norfolk calendar and is also increasingly attracting extra cultural tourists visitors into the area.

Since its inception in 2009 the festival has featured an international array of music, drama, visual art, literature, dance, comedy, kids shows and more. It takes over the whole town bringing it alive with activity.

Clarke, Joanna Trollope, Kate Adie, Jennie Éclair, Sir John Hurt and Julie Christie.

In the summer months Holt is a magnet for tourists visiting North Norfolk. During festival week, briefly and dazzlingly, it becomes home to musicians, poets, actors, dancers, artists and comedians. With venues all over the town visitors can catch performances at the church, the Auden Theatre, in the bookshop, in Holt Community Centre, hotels and in the magnificent open-air Theatre in the Woods.

If you enjoy cultural nourishment, some belly laughs, and the pleasure of seeing top-flight internationally recognised performers, then Holt in late July is the place for you!

Full details will appear at www.holtfestival.org

The first highlights are due to be announced in late February but for his last festival Charles promises to bring performers of the same quality as his first two events as well as a few surprises!. Previous festivals have seen the likes of Michael Palin, Melvyn Bragg, The Stranglers, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, John Illsey of Dire Straits, Michael Buerke, Dr John Cooper 28 | February 2017

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Norfolk & Norwich Festival

Norwich-based arts writer, Tony Cooper, offers a glimpse to this year’s Norfolk & Norwich Festival

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he largest arts festival in the East of England and the fourth largest in the UK, the Norfolk & Norwich Festival has shown its hand by giving a taste of some of the events lined up for this year’s festival running from Friday 12th to Sunday 28th May and building upon the success of last year’s festival which saw 57,000 people attending all sorts of events (free admission and otherwise) over a hectic 17-day period.

Driftwood

The festival provides a big boast to the local economy, too, and last year it generated £3.9 million of economic activity to the area while nearly 3000 people participated and well over 900 children and young people took part in educational events.

exciting contemporary circus companies Casus. A colourful concoction of explosive encounters, the work touches upon hidden looks and humorous discoveries featuring incredible aerial hoop, rope and swings as well as some impressive acro-balancing routines.

Headlining the iconic Adnams Spiegeltent in Chapel Field Gardens this year is ‘Driftwood’, the latest show from one of Australia’s most

After the success of ‘White Nights’ at last year’s festival, the riotous Finnish-based circus troupe, Race Horse Company, returns to Norwich with another super show appropriately entitled ‘Super Sunday’. Big on flying, big on thrills and big on mind-blowing skills, the show contains enough fear-inducing circus stunts to stop audiences looking away even for a split second.

Blink - and you’ll miss a trick!

Fusing dance, storytelling, interactive animation and speciallycomposed music, ‘Chotto Desh’ (performed by the celebrated Akram Khan Company) is a bewitching, thrilling feature by:

Tony Cooper Chotto Desh

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Writer tc@tony-cooper.co.uk

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FINEARTS Super Sunday

and poignant tale of a young man’s dreams and memories from Britain to Bangladesh.

The term ‘Chotto Desh’ is Bengali for ‘small homeland’ and the show draws on Khan’s unique quality of cross-cultural storytelling weaving together a playful story of a boy who dreams of becoming a dancer and of a mythical child who angers the forest gods by collecting their forbidden honey.

Without doubt, Akram Khan is one of the UK’s most celebrated and influential choreographers and widely admired for his unique style of intimate (yet epic) storytelling. ‘Chotto Desh’, in fact, has been reworked from Khan’s Olivier Award-winning autobiographical show ‘Desh’ and adapted by director Sue Buckmaster of Theatre-Rites thus creating a show that can be enjoyed by everyone aged seven and over.

Grammy and Tony Award-winning artist, Dee Dee Bridgewater - one of today’s leading female jazz vocalists who counts Sonny Rollins, Dizzy Gillespie and Dexter Gordon among her list of past collaborators - will be more than a welcome visitor for the battalion of local (and loyal) jazz fans. Putting her own unique spin on standards as well as taking intrepid leaps of faith in re-envisioning jazz classics, Dee Dee has enjoyed a wonderful multi-faceted career that has spanned over four decades.

A quartet of works about the human lifecycle encompassing living, dying and one’s relationship with time entitled ‘Summer.

Autumn. Winter. Spring.’ promises one of the highlights of the festival. An exciting and invigorating piece of theatre, it comes from the internationally-renowned theatre company, Quarantine, established in 1998 by directors Richard Gregory and Renny O’Shea with designer Simon Banham.

Comprising three live performances and a film, Summer. Autumn. Winter. Spring. is a marathon event lasting seven hours and merges audience and performers in a piece of mass portraiture that’s fragile, frequently funny, often moving but always human.

Summer. - which premièred to sell-out audiences in a Salford warehouse a couple of years ago - features 45 performers ranging in age from seven months to those in their early eighties, most of whom have never been on stage before, responding to questions and instructions they have never seen before.

Autumn. provides an interval between Summer. and Winter. where members of the audience are invited to reflect on their place in history.

The piece is almost two hours long and full of conversation, expert voices, explorations of the past and predictions for the future.

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Thomas Adès,

Winter. - a delicate portrait of an individual at the end of life - is a film made by Daniel Saul and Rachel Davies while Spring. features a group of women at various stages of pregnancy closing the quartet with a piece asking questions about hope and the future while celebrating the potential of new life and questioning: How do we want the world to be?

From the classical-music side to the festival, the Britten Sinfonia, under the direction of Thomas Adès, will perform a concert centred on the work and influence of Beethoven opening with his witty and tuneful first symphony paired with the composer’s virtuosic second. These works will be complemented by Gerald Barry’s powerful new setting of Beethoven’s famous love-letter to his ‘immortal beloved’. Hearing how one of the most celebrated composerconductors working today will look and interpret these iconic works promises a major and illuminating event of the festival.

William Galinsky, the festival’s artistic director, proudly said: ‘I’m hugely excited to be able to announce some of the first shows for this year’s festival. The programme continues our commitment of bringing an array of amazing international artists to Norwich as well as presenting some of the most exciting UK companies. Once again there will be plenty of opportunities to get involved as we shall

be looking for 60 local people to star in Quarantine’s brilliant theatre show: ‘Summer.

Autumn. Winter. Spring.’

DRIFTWOOD (Casus Circus Company) Wednesday 17th to Saturday 27th May (7.30pm) and Sunday 28th May (5pm).

No shows on Thursday 18th and Tuesday 23rd May. The Adnams Spiegeltent, Chapel Field Gardens, Norwich Tickets £21 SUPER SUNDAY (Race Horse Company) Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th May (8pm) Norwich Theatre Royal Tickets £24, £20, £16, £10, £7 Recommended age: 12 plus CHOTTO DESH (Akram Khan Company) Thursday 18th May (7.30pm) Norwich Theatre Royal Tickets £20, £17, £14 £10, £7 Recommended age: 7 plus DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER Saturday 20th May (8pm) Norwich Theatre Royal Tickets £28, £24, £19, £8

Summer. Autumn. Winter. Spring

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Dee Dee Bridgewater

SUMMER. AUTUMN. WINTER. SPRING. (Quarantine Theatre Company) Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th May (from 2pm to 8pm) The Space, Roundtree Way, Norwich Tickets £25 Recommended age: 14 plus BRITTEN SINFONIA (Beethoven with Thomas Adès) Mark Stone (baritone) Friday, 26th May (7.30pm) St Andrew’s Hall, Norwich Gerald Barry: Beethoven; Beethoven: Symphony no. 1; Beethoven: Symphony no. 2 Tickets £30, £26, £22, £15, £8 The festival box office is situated at Norwich Theatre Royal: 01603 766400. Online booking: www. nnfestival.org.uk. Concessions and Under-26s discounts available.

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Cinema City

Norwich-born film buff, Tony Cooper, looks at special screenings at Cinema City this month

Starring: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis and Stephen Henderson.

Hidden Figures (Director: Theodore Melfi) Based on a true story, a team of AfricanAmerican women provide NASA with important mathematical data needed to launch the program’s first successful space missions.

Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe.

The Founder (Director: John Lee Hancock) Struggling salesman Ray Kroc meets Mac and Dick McDonald, co-operators of a burger restaurant in 1950s Southern California.

Starring: Michael Keaton, Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch.

Moonlight (Director: Barry Jenkins)

Yu-Gi-Oh: Dark Side of Dimensions

Films to look out for: Toni Erdmann (Director: Maren Ade) A practical-joking father tries to reconnect with his hard-working daughter by creating an outrageous alter ego and posing as her CEO’s life coach. Starring: Sandra Hüller, Peter Simonischek Michael Wittenborn.

Loving (Director: Jeff Nichols)

before being adopted by a couple in Australia.

Twenty-five years later he sets out to find his lost family. Starring: Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman and Rooney Mara.

Fences (Director: Denzel Washington) A working-class African-American father struggles to raise his family in the 1950s while coming to terms with the events of his life.

A timeless story of human self-discovery and connection, Moonlight chronicles the life of a young black man from childhood to adulthood as he struggles to find his place in the world while growing up in a rough neighbourhood of Miami. Starring: Mahershala Ali, Shariff Earp and Duan Sanderson.

20th Century Women (Director: Mike Mills) The story of three women who explore love and freedom in Southern California during the late 1970s. Starring: Annette Bening, Elle Fanning and Greta Gerwig.

The story of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple, whose challenge of their anti-miscegenation arrest for their marriage in Virginia led to a legal battle that would end at the US Supreme Court. Starring: Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton.

Lego Batman (Director: Chris McKay) Bruce Wayne must not only deal with the criminals of Gotham City but also the responsibility of raising a boy he adopted.

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Jenny Slate and Rosario Dawson.

Lion (Director: Garth Davis) A five-year-old Indian boy gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometres from home. He survives many challenges 32 | February 2017

NT Live: Amadeus

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FINEARTS Special Events Yu-Gi-Oh: Dark Side of Dimensions Wednesday 1st February (8.45pm) / Saturday 4th February (1pm) The stakes have never been higher; the rivalries never as fierce; the risks never so great. One wrong move - one card short - and the game’s over for good. A decade in the making, YuGi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions features new designs and a brand-new story from the original creator of the global phenomenon, Kazuki Takahashi. His masterful tale features anime’s best-loved characters in their longawaited return: Yugi Muto, Seto Kaiba and their faithful friends Joey Wheeler, Tristan Taylor, Téa Gardner and Bakura.

The Bolshoi Ballet: Swan Lake

NT Live: No Man’s Land (Encore) [15] Wednesday 1st February (1pm) Following their hit run on Broadway, Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart return to the West End stage in Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land coming from London’s Wyndham’s Theatre. One summer’s evening, two ageing writers, Hirst and Spooner, meet in a Hampstead pub and continue their drinking into the night at Hirst’s stately house nearby.

As the pair become increasingly inebriated and their stories increasingly unbelievable, the lively conversation soon turns into a revealing power game further complicated by the return home of two sinister younger men played by Owen Teale and Damien Molony. The broadcast will be followed by an exclusive Q&A with the cast and director Sean Mathias.

Ryan’s Daughter

El Dorado (1967)

ROH Live: Woolf Works

NT Live: Amadeus [12A] Thursday 2nd February (7pm).

Encore showing: Monday 6th February (2pm)

The Pass

Lucian Msamati (Luther, Game of Thrones, The Comedy of Errors) plays Antonio Salieri in Peter Shaffer’s iconic play being broadcast live from the National Theatre with feature by:

Tony Cooper Writer tc@tony-cooper.co.uk

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Breakfast at Tiffany’s

orchestral accompaniment by the Southbank Sinfonia. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a rowdy young prodigy, arrives in Vienna, the music capital of the world – and determined to make a splash. But there’s Salieri to deal with.

The Bolshoi Ballet: Swan Lake [12A] Sunday 5th February (3pm)

their lives against a cattle baron and his hired killers. Sounds familiar? In many ways the plot resembles Hawks’ earlier film Rio Bravo and several of its themes are once again prevalent here: the importance of group solidarity, selfrespect, professionalism and acceptance of other people’s faults.

By moonlight on the shore of a mysterious lake, Prince Siegfried meets the bewitched swan-woman Odette. Completely spellbound by her beauty, he swears his love to her.

However, the Prince realises too late that Fate has another plan for him. In the dual role of the white swan Odette and her rival, the black swan Odile, prima ballerina Svetlana Zakharova exudes both vulnerability and cunning through superb technical mastery alongside Denis Rodkin as a powerful and emotional Siegfried.

However, the tone of the piece is transformed by the emphasis on the two central heroes’ infirmity: not only is Robert Mitchum (Sheriff J P Harrah) a drunk but John Wayne (Cole Thornton) suffers badly from age and a gun wound. Seemingly, a lazy, leisurely coast towards the final shoot-out, the film is, in fact, an elegy on lost youth assuaged by friendship, moving from lush pastures to dusty township and from light to darkness. This is an old-man’s movie only in the sense that it deals with the problems of approaching the valley of death.

In other words, it’s a witty, exciting and deeplymoving masterpiece.

Ryan’s Daughter [15]

The Pass [15]

Sunday 5th February (1pm)

Monday 6th February (6.15pm) / Thursday 9th February (1pm)

Rosy Ryan (Sarah Miles) is a young romantic girl living in the village of Kirrary, Ireland, during the Irish Revolution of 1916. She falls in love with the village schoolmaster, Charles Shaughnessy (Robert Mitchum), a man who is twice her age. After a time, she tells him of her feelings and he in turn admits his love for her. They are soon married but the wedding night is an unhappy one for the two inhibited lovers. As Rosy grows increasingly discontent she is chided by Father Collins (Trevor Howard), the local priest, who reminds her that she should be satisfied with such a good life and husband.

This film adaptation of John Donnelly’s acclaimed stage play has Russell Tovey (The History Boys, Being Human) reprising his role as Jason, one of two ambitious young footballers sharing a Romanian hotel room on the eve of their first Champions League appearance. He and his teammate, Ade Kene, are hyped up, bantering amiably and watching a fellow player’s sex tape - and then, as unexpectedly for them as for us, they kiss. This is the ‘pass’ that gives the film its ambiguous title and it’s uncertainty, both sexual and cultural, that characterises the remainder of director Ben A Williams’s feature début.

Set essentially in hotel rooms, the scenario follows the changing relationship between Jason and Ade across a decade, the cloistered atmosphere adding to the drama of two powerful central performances.

Discover Tuesday: Half-Way Tuesday 7th February (6.15pm) Half-Way is an immersive documentary chronicling the experience of a homeless family living half-way between homes. Told through the eyes of Daisy, as daughter and filmmaker, it offers a self-reflexive lens into both the lived realities and mental deterioration of a family living as hidden homeless during Britain’s exploding housing crisis. This film documents a rare opportunity where the line between filmmaker and subject is blurred: all at once we witness the joyful and hilarious moments of everyday family life, up against its inevitable struggles. What began as a therapeutic process during a disempowering situation became a mission to complete a film. Half-Way has transformed into a critique of Britain’s welfare

NT Live: Saint Joan

El Dorado (1967) [PG] Monday 6th February (1pm) Hawks’ effortless 1967 Western, El Dorado, gathers together a gunfighter, a drunken sheriff, a young hopeful, a couple of tough women and sets them up in a jail fighting for 34 | February 2017

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FINEARTS system, its housing crisis and the facelessness of ineffective power from the viewpoint of a family living through it.

ROH Live: Woolf Works [12A] Wednesday 8th February (7.15pm) The pioneering literary work of Virginia Woolf is the inspiration for multi-award-winning choreographer Wayne McGregor’s brilliant triptych for The Royal Ballet. McGregor has long been at the cutting edge of ballet, working with collaborators from across the artistic world. And in this critically-acclaimed work he combines themes from three of Woolf ’s landmark novels - Mrs Dalloway, Orlando and The Waves - with elements of her letters, essays and diaries. Acclaimed British composer, Max Richter, has created a speciallycommissioned score incorporating electronic and live music.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s [PG] Sunday 12th February (2.45pm) This charming adaptation of Truman Capote’s novel, set in an idealised early-1960s New York, was nominated for several Oscars. Audrey Hepburn stars as Manhattan good-time girl, Holly Golightly, who spends her time at exclusive parties and on high-class dates. The carefree Holly - who remains uncommitted and aloof towards the wealthy men who shower her with gifts - strikes up a fragile relationship with her neighbour, the aspiring writer Paul Varjak (George Peppard). He’s suffering from writers’ block while being kept by a wealthy woman (Patricia Neal). But just as Holly and Paul’s romance begins to grow, Doc (Buddy Ebsen) appears on the scene and

Multiple Maniacs

complicates matters revealing the truth about Holly’s past.

NT Live: Saint Joan [12A] Thursday 16th February (7pm).

Encore showing: Tuesday 21st February (1.30pm) Bernard Shaw’s classic play follows the life and trial of a young country girl who declares a bloody mission to drive the English from France. Broadcast live from London’s Donmar Warehouse and directed by Josie Rourke (Coriolanus, Les Liaisons Dangereuses) the play stars Gemma Arterton (Gemma Bovery, Nell Gwynn, Made in Dagenham) in the title-role.

Dementia-Friendly Screening: Funny Face [U] Friday 17th February (11am) Beautiful as well as intellectual, shy book-store clerk Jo Stockton (Audrey Hepburn) is spotted as the new face of fashion by editor Maggie Prescott (Kay Thompson) and photographer Dementia-Friendly Screening: Funny Face

Dick Avery (Fred Astaire). Can she be persuaded to model? A classy musical with Hepburn singing songs by George and Ira Gershwin.

Multiple Maniacs [18] Friday 17th February (11pm). Encore showing: Tuesday 21st February (1.30pm) John Waters’ gloriously grotesque, unavailablefor-decades second feature comes to theatres at long last, replete with all manner of depravity, from robbery to murder to one of cinema’s most memorably blasphemous moments.

Made on a shoestring budget in Baltimore with Waters taking on nearly every technical task, this gleeful mockery of the peace-andlove ethos of its era features the Cavalcade of Perversion, a travelling show put on by a troupe of misfits whose shocking proclivities are topped only by those of their leader: the glammer-than-glam, larger-than-life Divine, who’s out for blood after discovering her lover’s affair.

Philosophers at the Cinema: The Apartment [PG] Friday 17th February (11pm). Encore showing: Tuesday 21st February (1.30pm) One of director Billy Wilder’s best-loved and most acerbic works, The Apartment stars Jack Lemmon (Some Like It Hot) as C C Baxter, an office clerk who curries favour with the executives in his office by giving them the key to his small apartment for the odd afternoon dalliance. Among them is his callous boss, J D Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray, The Caine Mutiny), who Baxter eventually learns is using his place to sleep with Miss Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine, Terms of Endearment), the sweet elevator operator the clerk has loved from afar.

When Sheldrake coldly dumps the vulnerable young woman, she tries to commit suicide but is saved by the intervention of Baxter.

Lemmon and MacLaine both give careermaking performances and MacMurray is truly memorable as the blandly-smiling snake.

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2017 February | 35

FINEARTS

Exhibition on Screen: I, Claude Monet

ROH Live: The Sleeping Beauty

Exhibition on Screen: I, Claude Monet

MET Opera: Rusalka [12A]

Tuesday 21st February (6.30pm)

Saturday 25th February (5.55pm).

Encore showing: Monday 27th February (1pm)

‘My head is bursting - I want to paint it all.’

Award-winning director, Phil Grabsky, presents a fresh new look at one of the world’s favourite artists, Claude Monet. Based on letters and other private writings, I, Claude Monet provides new insight into the man who not only painted the picture that gave birth to Impressionism but who was perhaps the most influential and successful painter of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

In spite of this - and perhaps because of it Monet’s life is a gripping tale of a man who, behind his sun-dazzled canvases, suffered from bouts of depression, loneliness and even suicidal thoughts. Then, as his art developed and his love of nature led to the glories of his garden at Giverny, his letters reveal his humour, insight and love of life.

Kristine Opolais stars in a new production of this well-loved opera that first won her international acclaim - Dvořák’s fairy-tale about the tragic water nymph Rusalka. Sir Mark Elder conducts Mary Zimmerman’s new staging which also stars Brandon Jovanovich as the human prince who captures Rusalka’s heart. The cast is completed by Katarina Dalayman as Rusalka’s rival, the Foreign Princess, Eric Owens as the Water Sprite, Rusalka’s father and Jamie Barton as the duplicitous witch, Ježibaba.

ROH Live: The Sleeping Beauty [12A] Tuesday 28th February (7pm)

A perennial delight and a much-loved classic, The Royal Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty combines the best of classical ballet with all its charms and virtuosity, splendid music and talented dancers. Choreographed to Tchaikovsky’s marvellous score by Marius Petipa and first seen at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre in 1890, The Sleeping Beauty has wonderful ensembles and solos (including the delightful and famous Rose Adagio as Princess Aurora meets her suitors) plus the concluding celebratory dances for the happy union of the Prince and Princess. The Royal Ballet’s landmark staging was revived for the company’s 75th anniversary celebrations in 2006. The designs by Oliver Messel, one of the greatest stage designers of the 20th century, were restored and updated for this production

by Peter Farmer. The rich evocations of the baroque opulence of a royal court, the panoramic journey of the prince to the overgrown castle and the colourful characters in this famous fairy-tale make this production a spectacle like no other.

MET Opera: Rusalka

36 | February 2017

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Why not learn and team build through the Amber Dew Events Pit Stop Challenge?

For more information, visit the Amber Dew Events website: www.amberdewevents.co.uk/experiences www.finecity.co.uk

Or call FREE today on

2017 February | 37

0800 564 2220

The National Winter Ale Festival

22nd-25th February 2017, from 12-10:30 pm

T

Halls”.

his February the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) will be bringing its National Winter Ale Festival to Norwich at the iconic venue “The

The festival is home to over 300 real ales, ciders, perries and international beers, including all the regional finalists and the winner of the prestigious Champion Winter Beer of Britain competition. There will be a range of local food, all provided on site by Pandora’s Kitchen, as

38 | February 2017

well as a selection of live music from talented musicians and bands on Thursday, Friday and Saturday Evenings with a special musical attraction on Saturday afternoon.

fringe events and activities - so why not make a weekend of it!

We will be hosting the final of the Champion Winter Beer of Britain competition behind

As well as offering a wide range of beers at the festival, there will also be the Fringe, which is an integral part of the festival. The Fringe will see a wider selection of festival beers in selected pub venues in the nearby city centre.

You will be able to track the beers down by using an online beer list and be able to find the pubs by using the map in the special Fringe Guide that will be available in pubs and at the festival. The pubs will also be hosting their own

www.finecity.co.uk

FINEEVENTS

closed doors in the morning of 21st February 2017 with the category and overall winners being announced in the afternoon during the Press and Trade preview.

These events will be followed by a special CAMRA members only preview on the evening from 5:30 pm to 10.30pm. You will

General opening thereafter from 12 noon until 10:30 pm Wednesday 22nd to Saturday 25th.

easily get there as well and to sample a few more festival beers there and experience the great Norwich pub culture as well of course.

The Fringe as we are calling will run from Saturday 18th February to Saturday 25th.

As well as beers at the festival site, we will have special pub venues nearby in the city so can

The Halls on St Andrews St, Norwich NR3 1AU www.nwaf.org.uk

need your valid membership card to get in or you can join on the day!

Available as 8 breeds to suit all palates in 500ml bottles, beer boxes (18 & 36 pints) and casks (72 pints)

Try our Red & Black Panther Breeds at the National Winter Ales Festival 2017

ALL ALES AVAILABLE DIRECT FROM OUR SHOP Opening times: Mon-Fri (9-6pm) Sat (10-3pm) Unit 1, Collers Way, Reepham, Norfolk, NR10 4SW

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2017 February | 39

FINEEVENTS

World Darts Legends Return for The Annual Norwich Charity Darts Masters 2017

N

orwich City Football Club will be the venue for the popular annual Charity Darts Masters hosted by Lord Russell Baker on Saturday 24th June 2017. We will be joined by the likes of Steve Beaton, former 1996 world darts champion, and current reigning 2016 Norwich Charity Darts Masters champion.

Steve Beaton will be doing battle with the likes of Colin Lloyd former World No. 1 and World Match Play Champion in 2005; Bob Anderson former 1988 World Darts champion; the Winmau World Masters Champion in 1986, 1987 and 1988 – the first man to win the Masters in three successive years; PDC Semi-Finalist in 2004 & 2005; Captain of England and was ranked World No. 1 for over three years; Kevin Painter 2004 PDC world championship finalist all battling it out to win the Norwich Charity Darts Masters Trophy in 2017.

40 | February 2017

The trophy was donated by David Willimott of Carmichael’s in Magdalene Street back in 2015, and once again it will be a night to remember!

This amazing trophy has been won in previous years by Keith Deller and Steve Beaton. Who will be the champion in June 2017?

The evening will be a wonderful opportunity to meet with former World champion darts legends; former world No’1’s; and World Finalists. Following tradition we will be holding a raffle where eight lucky ticket holders will have the opportunity to compete against one of the professionals on the Oche in front of a buzzing crowd.

Lord Russell Baker said, “I’m simply thrilled to be able to bring another top night of darts legends to Norwich for the 3rd year running.

What an amazing opportunity for darts fanatics to meet these icons of the game and in doing so raising valuable funds for local charities”.

Lord Russell Baker of Little Moulton has successfully organised and run the Norwich Charity Darts Masters for the past two years, all in aid of the ‘Lord Baker Community Fund’ managed by the Norfolk community foundation. The community fund aids other local charities through grants, with money raised from events such as this. Charities helped in the past and who will receive donations from the 2017 Norwich Charity Darts Masters include; Star Throwers Cancer care and support, Norfolk Accident Rescue Service’s (NARS) who’s patron is Lord Baker himself; Chapel Road School for physically and mentally handicapped children in Attleborough, and The Norfolk Community Foundation. In addition, funding is also provided to aid local community projects where invitations are encouraged each year for grants of up to £1,000.

In 2015 the Norwich Charity Darts Masters raised over £10k for these charities which was www.finecity.co.uk

FINEEVENTS followed by whooping 12k in 2016. Raising over £22k in the last two years, we can’t wait to see how much we can raise in 2017.

Megan Rooney who is working on an Internship at Amber Dew Events said, “I am proud to work for such a charitable company.

Having just moved to the area for university I think the event gives an amazing community feel and the charity work Lord Baker has done is incredible. The charities involved in the event are all such vital services that bring Norfolk closer together, and I am really excited to be able to help raise money and look forward to being part of a great night” Not only will you have a wonderful night with a fantastic atmosphere, but you will be helping support and fund some incredible charities all in your local area; and with ticket prices reduced this year this event will make a perfect gift to treat yourself or a loved one this Christmas.

Tickets available include VIP tables/Seats and standard entry with tickets starting at £20 each.

Tickets available online at: https://ncdm2017. eventbrite.co.uk For more information and tickets please visit the Amber Dew Events website: http://www. norfolklord.co.uk/

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2017 February | 41

Be My Valentine!

Who was St Valentine?

Saint Valentine’s Day, 14th February, is recognised as a special ‘lovers’ day’ in many countries although it has never been a public holiday anywhere. There are different St Valentine’s Days in different religions, for example, in Eastern Europe it can be 6th or 30th July.

There are several contenders for the honour of being the original St Valentine, all of which are extremely suspect historically speaking, but who is really bothered with that? Myths have

become interwoven and no-one knows the truth now. The most famous character in the story is probably St Valentinus of Rome who would apparently perform Christian marriage ceremonies for Roman couples at a time when the religion was illegal. He is said to have worn a purple amethyst ring with an image of cupid on it so that he could be recognised by those wanting to be married. For his pains he was imprisoned and executed but not before healing the daughter of his jailor. He wrote her a letter just before he died saying ‘Be my Valentine’. Well, yes…..

Those horrid Romans

The attempted suppression of Christianity by the Romans has a great deal to answer for. St Valentinus – or one of the others as there were quite a few other saints called ‘Valentine’ – became a symbol, not just of love between a man and a woman but of any extraordinary bond existing between two people. Obviously, those fighting the horrible Romans had a lot in common and often the hotbeds of this resistance were Christian monks, although technically they were banned. On St Valentine’s Day people would become ‘spiritual and lifelong partners’. Two in the 7th century were St Sergius and St Bacchus, who underwent a ceremony linking themselves together in life and death. The latter was not long in coming as they spoke up against the Romans and refused to give up Christianity in favour of the Roman gods. They were tortured and St Sergius forced to watch the beheading of his life partner, a fate that awaited him minutes later. According to the lurid legend, his execution was delayed just long enough to allow him to fully understand and witness what had been done to St Bacchus.

Believe it or not, as you will…..

Geoffrey Chaucer embroidered the legend in his Canterbury Tales in the 14th century when he wrote of courtly love and the goings-on in the king’s household. In the 18th century people began to give each other flowers, sweets and ‘keys’ as a symbol of unlocking the heart.

Some poems and reflections on love Whatever you believe, have a wonderful Valentine’s Day! Here are a few poems and reflections on love.

She Walk in Beauty

by Lord Byron She walks in beauty, feature by:

Steve Browning Writer www.stephenbrowningbooks.co.uk

42 | February 2017

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FINELIVING talk of my going to Italy. ‘Tis certain I shall never recover if I am to be so long separate from you: yet with all this devotion to you I cannot persuade myself into any confidence of you. Past experience connected with the fact of my long separation from you gives me agonies which are scarcely to be talked of.

This is one of many passionate letters by John Keats to Fanny Brawne. By this time – May 1820 - he was showing signs of the tuberculosis which was to kill him on February 23 1821, aged just 25. Despite his very short life, and not being recognized except by a few ‘fans’ at the time of his death, he is now considered one of the greatest Romantic poets. Possibly his most famous line is ‘Beauty is truth, truth beauty – that is all ye know on earth and all ye need to know’.

(Ode on a Grecian Urn).

A Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that’s best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes: Thus mellow’d to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

Lord Byron wrote this in 1813 about his cousin, Lady Wilmot Horton, whom he met at a Ball. She was dressed in mourning, hence the phrase ‘like the night’. She seems, in the poem, unobtainable as she belongs to the heavens.

Letter from John Keats My dearest Girl, I have been a walk this morning with a book in my hand, but as usual I have been occupied with nothing but you: I wish I could say in an agreeable manner. I am tormented day and night. They

O my Luve’s like a red, red rose That’s newly sprung in June; O my Luve’s like the melodie That’s sweetly played in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass, So deep in luve am I; And I will luve thee still, my dear, Till a’ the seas gang dry: Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear, And the rocks melt wi’ the sun; I will luve thee still, my dear, While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only Luve, And fare thee weel awhile!

And I will come again, my Luve, Tho’ it ware ten thousand mile.

This poem was written in 1794 in the period when Robert Burns was working on preserving

the Scottish Language, especially from the perfidious English tongue. He is probably most famous for Auld Lang Syne.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways by Elizabeth Barrett Browning How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of every day’s Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.

The poet at first declined to publish this poem as being too personal. However, her husband persuaded her to do so, pretending that it was a translation of a foreign poem. Hence it was published as part of a book, ‘Poems from the Portuguese’. It has probably come to define her work, some considering it on a par with Shakespeare.

SONNET 18 by William Shakespeare Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date: Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimm’d; And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimm’d; But thy eternal summer shall not fade Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;

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2017 February | 43

FINELIVING

Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st; So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

William Shakespeare wrote this, quite probably to a man referred to by scholars as ‘The Fair Youth’. One of several candidates for this title is Henry, Earl of Southampton. Shakespeare is quite besotted. As can be read above, he hopes that this poem will be a form of immortality for him. In other sonnets, he encourages this fabulous being to marry and have children in order to perpetuate his beauty. Was the relationship purely platonic? Of course, say some scholars, as Shakespeare was seeing and writing things that were beyond the ability of lesser mortals and he should not be judged by conventional standards. Others are not so sure, one reason being the quantity of sonnets to this particular person – no less than 126.

The sun’s gone dim by Dorothy Parker The sun’s gone dim, and The moon’s turned black; For I loved him, and He didn’t love back.

Dorothy Parker 1893 – 1967 Many know Dorothy Parker for he wisecracks.

She said ‘Men rarely make passes at girls who wear glasses’. She also quipped ‘Money cannot buy health, but I’d settle for a diamond-studded wheelchair’. One of my favourites little poems is about love:

44 | February 2017

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FINELIVING ‘By the time you swear you’re his, Shivering and sighing, And he vows his passion is Infinite, undying Lady, make a note of this: One of you is lying’.

Being an aspiring writer, though, I recommend this to all my clan: ‘If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy’.

Symptoms of Love by Robert Graves Love is universal migraine, A bright stain on the vision Blotting out reason.

Symptoms of true love Are leanness, jealousy, Laggard dawns; Are omens and nightmares Listening for a knock, Waiting for a sign: For a touch of her fingers In a darkened room, For a searching look.

Take courage, lover!

Could you endure such pain At any hand but hers?

Robert Graves, an English poet, died in 1985, aged 90. He had written over 140 works, possibly the most famous being I, Claudius, a ground-breaking international BBC production, starring the famous actor and son of Norfolk, John Hurt.

A couple of quotes from Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) I like this one: If you are not too long, I will wait for you all my life.

But, let’s end with this, which is refreshing for not being flippant: Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.

Well said, methinks.

For information about my books, blogs, articles, to book a talk or to get in touch please visit www.stephenbrowningbooks.co.uk or my facebook page www.facebook.com/ stevebrowningbooks www.finecity.co.uk

2017 February | 45

FINELIVING

BOOK REVIEW

Norwich in the Great War by Stephen Browning

This book is from an excellent and growing “Your Towns and Cities in the Great War” series from Pen & Sword. Obviously, the standard and scope of each book depends on the skill and interests of the author, as well as the characteristics of the town, city or area described.

The author, Stephen Browning, has written several other books about Norfolk, including Norwich Cathedral, Peddars Way and Norfolk

Coast Path (long distance walking paths), books for learners of English in Asia and detective stories.

The book is well illustrated, with a mixture of photographs from World War One era, buildings used at that time illustrated in modern times, posters from WWI and memorial structures and windows installed after Armistice, all in black and white.

Norwich, sometimes nicknamed “A Fine City”, was a city of manufacturing, surrounded by agricultural land, with seaside

holiday resorts. Factories changed their products. Many footwear companies, including Haldinstein, Howlett & White, Wm Hurrell, Sexton, Son & Everard and S. L. Witton produced thousands of boots for field use, shoes for hospital patients. Boulton and Paul, a firm which grew out of ironmongery, produced building used as stables, huts, hospitals, prisoner of war camps, Royal Flying Corps hangars, field kitchens, plus electric lighting plants. They are probably best remembered for their work, from 1915 onwards, producing more Sopwith Camel aircraft than any other. These aircraft were test flown at Mousehold Heath.

The Royal Arcade by George Skipper was opened before the Great War

46 | February 2017

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FINELIVING

Norwich Market Place about 1914

Other famous firms from Norwich played their roles. Norwich Union insurance guaranteed that employees volunteering for armed service would get their jobs back, and pay was supplemented if they earned less in forces. Colemans reduced the acreage used to grow mustard to grow more essential crops.

Caley’s produced “Caley’s Marching Chocolate” bars, which are still on sale at Caley’s Coffee Shop in the Old Guildhall.

Reducing light emission was vital to hide city and nearby ports from airship and aeroplane raids. “Pulham Pigs” airships flew from the village of Pulham St Mary, 18 miles south of Norwich, searching for German U-boats in the North Sea, from 1915, and later undertook research into parachuting.

Many local men enlisted, with the Norfolk Regiment the local infantry regiment.

Some joined a cyclists’ battalion, “mounted infantrymen”. Those who joined 2/6th battalion became known as the Half Crown Boys, as 2s/6d was half a crown, a crown being 5 shillings. The Peppermint Boys got their name from the black and white stripped hats worn by boys of Bracondale School. Many old boys joined 8th Battalion. The Army Service Corps and Royal Flying Corps also included many Norwich local men.

Two famous people in the Great War had strong Norwich connections: Woodbine Willie and Edith Cavell.

The Reverend Samuel Frederick Leighton Green, became known to his parishioners as Heigham “Woodbine” Willie after the War. At time of enlistment, he was vicar of St Bartholomew, Heigham, in central Norwich. He was served as chaplain to a unit of soldiers from the East End of London.

He regularly wrote home to his parishioners to request items for soldiers, and they sent cigarettes and magazines. He endured gassing and trench fever, and suffered a breakdown after the War, but worked at All Saints, Mundesley, on the north east Norfolk coast, www.finecity.co.uk

until his death, aged 47 years, in 1929. He was buried with full military honours, as befits a double Military Cross holder.

Edith Cavell was born in 1865, in Swardeston, just south west of Norwich, where her father was the vicar. At outbreak of War, she was working in Brussels, Belgium, and continued to work when the city was occupied by the Germans. She assisted many wounded soldiers from many nations to escape, including back to UK. She was arrested and tried, entirely in German language, which she did not speak, and executed by firing squad on 12th October 1915. Her famous words “Patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone” were spoken on the night before her death. Perhaps of more relevance to soldiers, she also said “There are two sides to any war, the glory and the misery”. Edith Cavell’s body was exhumed from her grave in Brussels in March 1919, escorted to railway to Ostend, escorted by British troops on initiative of the then Major B. L. Montgomery, then on HMS Rowena to Dover. The coffin was carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage through the streets of London to a funeral service in Westminster Abbey, attended by George V. Her family chose to have her buried in Norwich, over the offered option in Westminster Abbey.

Her coffin was escorted to Norwich Cathedral by train and gun carriage, escorted by soldiers of the Norfolk Regiment. The Cavell Memorial Home for District Nurses in Tombland, Norwich was officially opened

by HM Queen

Jeremiah Colman

Alexandra, accompanied by Princess Victoria, on 12th October 1918.

All considered, an excellent book, with information about nationally important characters, as well as details for those resident in, or visiting, Norwich and around. I am leaving this book with friends, after reading while house and pet minding near Cromer, for use by adults and school age children.

For completeness, to assist people considering buying this book, I include a list of chapters and appendices below: 1. Norwich, ‘The Fine City’, on the Eve of the Great War

feature by:

Steve Browning Writer www.stephenbrowningbooks.co.uk

Manfred von Richthofen

2017 February | 47

FINELIVING 2. 1914: Eager for a Fight 3. 1915: Deepening Conflict 4. 1916: The Realization 5. 1917: Seeing it Through 6. 1918: The Final Blows 7. Aftermath Appendix I: The Worldwide Conflict Appendix II: A City Centre Great War Walk Review by Army Rumour Service which is a commercial internet forum sometimes promoting itself as an unofficial British Army website. It gets more than 5 million page hits per month and has been quoted by the mainstream news and national press, and mentioned in a debate on service voting in the House of Lords. It supports various charities.

in detail everyday life in the city, extensively drawing on original material from the period – much of it never before published in book form.’

Suffolk & Norfolk Life I’ve chosen this Pen and Sword title as my history book of the month simply because Norwich is my local city and I know it well - but not as well as I thought, clearly!

Stephen Browning uncovers many surprising and fascinating facts about the “fine city” of Norwich at the time of the outbreak of the First World War, and this is a superb example of one of Pen and Sword’s very best series.

Books Monthly, Paul Norman

The aim of the website is to provide a useful, informative and amusing site for people with an interest in the British Army. Users can expect to find both reasoned argument and general chatter within the site (source: Wikipedia).

Norwich in the Great War is published by Pen and Sword Military, £12.99 from Jarrold, Waterstones and good bookshops as well as from the usual suspects online

Here are a couple of other opinions:

For details of Stephen Browning’s other books, new articles or to get in touch please visit either the website www.stephenbrowningbooks.co.uk

‘This meticulously researched book look at Norwich on the outbreak of war and charts

Chamberlains, 1914, in the block before Tesco today

48 | February 2017

or facebook page www.facebook.com/ stevebrowningbooks

Chapelfield Gardens - troops trained here

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FINELIVING Live Long and Prosper?

S

tar Trek’s Mr Spock used the phrase as a greeting, but is it really possible to have both long life and prosperity? Phil Beck looks at the challenges in later life.

It’s true that we are all living longer and this has put significant pressure on families’ financial planning. It’s not just the long years of retirement that need to be funded, there’s also the prospect of an increasing number of us needing to pay for care at some stage.

Good financial planning will allow you to look at what life may throw at you and factor in all the possible challenges to your wealth. Many firms will use lifetime cashflow planning tools that give the adviser the opportunity to show what impact changes to your financial plan can have on your long term income and investments. It can be used, for example, to demonstrate the effect of paying care fees, allowing you to see at what point the money could potentially run out.

Having established the difference a life event can make on your finances, an adviser can then explore ways to mitigate the issues created. We can show, for example, the effect of an Immediate Care Plan to provide a top-up to pension income to cover care fees using a one-off payment.

This type of plan is a form of annuity, individually underwritten, and its use can help protect the remainder of your estate from erosion, allowing you some certainty about the amount you will be able to leave to your heirs on your death.

Many new pensioners are now looking at the use of flexible drawdown pension income routes which draw funds directly from pension savings rather than buying an annuity. We can use lifetime cashflow planning to compare the drawdown and annuity routes, using “what if ” scenarios to explore the impact of events such as the need for care or an early death.

We can incorporate the finances of a partner or other family member into the cashflow planning so that you can see the impact any changes make on them too. This might include, for example, the death benefits from your pension scheme.

adjusted to deliver the right mix to allow you to sustain your desired lifestyle and reach your growth objectives.

Lifetime cashflow planning can also be used to identify estates that might incur Inheritance Tax (IHT) charges. Those who have built up wealth in their lifetime may find that their savings and investments can generate more than their income needs on an ongoing basis, leading to continuous growth of their overall estate. We can use our planning tools to project the likely growth of your wealth and to identify the potential IHT liability of your estate under a range of scenarios. This can lead to discussions with you about mitigating your future IHT liability through the use of lifetime gifts and trusts.

Technology has done much to improve the services that independent financial advisers can bring to their clients, and lifetime cashflow planning is just one of a range of tools that we use to enhance the client experience. However, the relationship between adviser and client remains the most important element in our service: we get to know our clients well and, in the main, they become our friends. We really do wish that you will live long and prosper.

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

For independent financial advice, contact Phil on 01603 706740 or email phil.beck@almarygreen.com. Please remember that the advice here is generic and we recommend that you get individual personalised advice.

Your savings and investments will have been set up to produce investment growth, income, or a mixture of both. Using lifetime cashflow planning, we can assess if and when existing investments need to be

www.finecity.co.uk

2017 February | 49

Red Lodge Country House

H

ome of country living & gourmet food A warm welcome awaits you in this traditional Country House reminiscent of days gone by. Roaring fires, comfy sofas, country walks and the feeling that you’re not so much a guest as a welcome friend come to visit. Red Lodge has an impeccable pedigree.

Dating from the late 1800’s we form part of Narford Hall, one of Norfolk’s oldest Landed Estates with over 3000 acres, 1500 acres of which is woodland and actively managed with the recently restored Parkland and Avenue.

Red Lodge was named after a Virginia Creeper that covered the building turning a glorious ruby red in the Autumn sun. Whilst the Virginia Creeper may have been lost in the mists of time, the history and tradition of Red Lodge 50 | February 2017

continue. Narford Hall was built in 1702 and the family occupying Narford are the descendants of the original founder. Everyone at Narford respects the history and tradition of the Landed Estate and at Red Lodge we offer you an experience of life the way it used to be – relaxed, connected to the natural world with food sourced locally and prepared according to traditional methods. Red Lodge cures their our own bacon, bakes their our own bread. The venison served for dinner will come from the fields and woodlands on the Estate. Your game pie is raised by hand, with pheasant and goose shot on the Estate often by the current Incumbent. They even have their our own flock of hens to provide your breakfast egg! Care is really taken to return cooking back to its grass roots. Starting www.finecity.co.uk

with superlative raw materials and highly experienced Executive Chef will elevate the simple to the extraordinary providing you with one of the best dining experiences you are likely to have, ever If it’s shooting you are looking for, Red Lodge Experience Days is a great place to find them!

Clay pigeon shooting is one of the best shooting days you will find. This great experience is for professionals or beginners, no matter what level you are at, you are guaranteed a great time. You will be given training on how to use a shotgun and then as soon as that’s done, it’s over to you! Fire away and see how many you can take down!

If its archery you are looking for (coming soon), then the Introduction to Archery experience is the one to go for! With this very appealing day out you'll need skill and steady nerves to hit the main target with your bow and arrow. This experience is great fun and can get competitive.

Discover your inner Robin Hood and this could be for you!

So whether it’s a shooting days or archery days out you are looking for, then you are in the right place! It’s just a matter of which one you'd rather choose

Valentine’s Day @Red Lodge Country House

For a unique valentine’s day dining experience come and join us for dinner in Scarlett's dining room @Red Lodge country for

house and experience the true country house feel, open fires, comfy sofas and mouth-watering fabulous food.

Valentines menu

£35.00 pp Overnight accommodation available

www.redlodgenorfolk.com

www.finecity.co.uk

Tel: 01760 339 525

info@redlodgenorfolk.com

2017 February | 51

Wedding time!

Wedding fever is upon us!

A

s the daffodils shiver in the chill spring winds, the thoughts of couples in love turn to dresses, venues, cakes and all wedding related issues.

Of course, no wedding is complete without some beautiful Posh Plants.

Large topiary and interior plants can be hired, offering an affordable means of decorating the wedding.

Any venue, from a grand country manor to a marquee on the lawn can be transformed by the addition of some carefully positioned plants.

There is something quintessentially English about the contrast of dark evergreen leaves against Norfolk Flint, red brick or the cream backdrop of a marquee.

Even our lovely Norfolk churches can be enhanced with some cool dark green plants.

Style, sophistication and elegance are all words that marry well with Posh Plants and weddings!

Amongst the most popular Posh Plants include tall Bay trees with twisted stems. They lend themselves to being decorated with ribbons and bows, perhaps in the bride’s chosen colours.

Strings of twinkling fairy lights can be wrapped around the “ball” transforming the tree into a fun focal point for the evening celebration.

52 | February 2017

Olive trees offer an informal look with their soft glaucous blue leaves and wispy branches… as impressive inside as well as outside.

Large cloud trees, neatly clipped, have an almost “Alice in Wonderland” feel…

These will certainly make an impressive statement!

For table decorations the Moth Orchid, planted in a stylish contrasting black planter are the perfect option. Available to hire, or, to buy and give as original “thank you” gifts, these beautiful plants offer a cost effective yet very impressive centre piece to the table.

If you would like to see more, all the plants can be viewed here at…

Seven Acres Nursery, Common Road, East Tuddenham, NR20 3NF. Or on my new website www.poshplants.com.

They can then be delivered at a time to suit you, positioned and dressed with lights and then collected after the wedding. Easy!

Remember, a wedding is a once in a lifetime occasion... Posh Plants will be proud to be there as the backdrop in the photos... your memories of your special day will be forever green! www.finecity.co.uk

Posh Plants

topiary, plants, shrubs and trees to hire or buy

Sue Huckle is the inspiration behind many award winning gardens, offering a professional and creative approach to the art and science of garden design.

At Seven Acres Nursery we have a range of lovely plants and containers for sale, as well as our beautiful collection of large topiary plants available to hire for weddings, parties and your workplace!

07703 347014 email: sue@poshplants.com website: www.poshplants.com

Posh Plants, Seven Acres Nursery, Common Road, East Tuddenham, NR20 3NF

FineCity Magazine FineCity Magazine is THE premier lifestyle magazine for the fine city of Norwich.

Available for collection throughout the city centre. Also read online.

Follow us on Twitter @finecitymag www.finecity.co.uk

2017 February | 53

Service only your local independent electrical retailer can provide

FREE LOCAL HOME DELIVERY

For over 125 years, the Bosch name has been synonymous with engineering excellence. Bosch home appliances are renowned for their quality, reliability and performance which derive from their inherent, unflagging commitment and the painstaking thoroughness with which every unit is made. There are no gimmicks or frills with our products – just pure, clean lines and beautiful, functional simplicity that will enhance any kitchen.

Delivered direct to your door with our free home delivery service from your local independent electrical retailer when you buy a selected Bosch home appliance.

Terms & Conditions apply.*

‘Bosch have won a Which? award 4 years in a row – another reason to have Bosch in your home’

ards 2014 Aw

Yeomans Electrical 65 North Walsham Road,Sprowston, Norwich, NR6 7QA Tel: 01603 426294 *T&C’s Apply. Ask Instore For Full Details.Selected Models Only. Sold As An Agent For Euronics Limited

Is Your Conservatory Is your Conservatory Too Hot in Summer or Too Cold in Winter?

Transform your conservatory with Conservatory Roof Insulation!

The most lightweight Tiled Roof on the market

50mm continuous external thermal barrier

A U-Value lower than 0.10 W/m2k

50mm internal insulation

The widest choice of Tapco Slate Tile colours

Suitable for all conservatory styles and sizes

Structural integrity as standard

Dry fit slate effect standard with 50 year guarantee

19 layer thermal barrier quilt

01603 301100 • www.comfortableconservatories.com Your Local Branch: 16 Alston Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 5DS Showroom Open 9:30am - 4.30pm 7 Days A Week

54 | February 2017

www.finecity.co.uk

Tel 01603 867521 | Mob 07762039656

Award Winning Landscaping and Design

Norfolk On My Mind Norfolk’s Premier FREE Lifestyle Magazine

Follow us on Twitter @norfolkonmymind

Paving and Pathways Ponds and Water Features Lawn Laying Walls and Brickwork Timber and Decking Driveways, Fencing and Screening Garden Design by Georgina Read

T: 01953 852139 E: info@lifestylelandscaping.co.uk W: www.lifestylelandscaping.co.uk

www.finecity.co.uk

2017 February | 55

FINEHomes

New Year, New Bed...?

Did you sleep well last night?

Do you feel refreshed and ready to start the day?

F

or most of us a third of our life is spent asleep, meaning the wear on our mattress over time is considerable, yet a staggering 25% of people wouldn’t consider changing their mattress – even after more than 10 years.* It is hardly surprising then that 58% of the population complain of waking feeling stiff and achy.*

• I s your mattress just generally warn and discoloured?

memory, latex and memory foam, we are positive we have a mattress for you.

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then it could be time to invest in a new bed!

At Sound Sleep, we stock a variety of brands and different types of mattresses, for example pocket sprung, memory foam, latex and so on.

Each manufacturer has different mattresses that offer different levels of support and comfort.

When mattress shopping, it is essential to ask for help. Our highly trained Dream Team and are on hand to advise you, not to high pressure you in to buying something that may not be suitable.

One of the keys to having a healthy and happy life is SLEEP! Sleep is required to allow our bodies to recover, help our brains work correctly and can even help you lose weight.

How do you know if you need to replace your bed?

The right environment is essential for a good nights sleep, your room should be dark, quiet and warm. Remember to turn off those mobile phones, vibrations and flashing lights can disturb your sleep.

• Is your bed more than 7 years old?

• Is it uncomfortable? Or when you sleep in someone else’s bed, does that feel better than your own?

• Do you wake in the morning with a painful back or stiff limbs?

• Can you feel the springs beneath the surface of the mattress?

• Do you and your partner roll together?

The Sound Sleep Dream Team, made up of the Bright Family – Andrew, Trish and Amie; we are mattress specialists, with years of manufacturing and retail experience, so we are more than qualified to help you make the correct decision on a new bed. We have an extensive range of mattresses suitable for any budget. With a huge range of open coil, pocket sprung, traditional mattresses, eco

56 | February 2017

When you have chosen a new mattress, don’t forget that pillows are very important too. A cheap, unsupportive pillow can cause neck and back problems. These are just as important as your new mattress.

Sound Sleep won the runner up position in the Bed Retailer of the Year category at the 2016 National Bed Federation awards. So if your bed isn’t award winning, isn’t it time to come and visit the Sound Sleep Dream Team? *Research by British Chiropractic Association and Sealy 2012

www.finecity.co.uk

www.finecity.co.uk

2017 February | 57

FINEmotors

Double Whammy

2017 Suzuki Ignis + Audi TT Coupe

I

f you’re a retro lover and small cars are your thing, then you’ll like the new Suzuki Ignis.

The car’s design pays homage to the tiny Suzuki Whizzkid. It has slats just behind its rear doors - and, if you’re over 40, you’ll just about remember the same look on the Whizzkid when it graced our roads in the latter part of the 70s. Even as a seven-year-old, I thought the car was small.

The all-new Ignis is petite, too, but not in a sweet, girly way. It’s more evil Hillman Imp than cutesy Fiat 500. The Ignis has got the same power units under its bonnet as the recently launched Suzuki Baleno. It is propelled via a 1.2-litre petrol unit or via hybrid power. It is

58 | February 2017

also available in front or all-wheel-drive, and comes with either a manual or automatic gearbox. A BoosterJet turbo engine is also going to be ushered in during 2017.

In spite of its all-wheel-drive styling, the Ignis is only 3693mm long, yet it does seem roomy enough inside. It’s truly comfortable in the rear for two adults, but the front has the best leg and headroom. Actually, Suzuki has been clever with the way it has packaged the back seats.

They can be adjusted so that you can increase either load space or legroom. Back in the front, the dashboard is cleanly laid out, so all the switchgear falls easily to hand, and there’s a large ‘in-your-face’ speedo. Additionally, as with most modern cars now, there’s a touchscreen with connectivity for smartphones.

I tested the Ignis in 1.2 SZ5 SHVS 4x4 guise.

This hybrid version makes use of a belt-driven starter and generator, as well as a second lithium ion battery. This boosts the car’s petrol engine during acceleration. Producing only 90PS, this variant of the Suzuki is no sports car, but, because it’s so minuscule, everything feels faster than it really is. Zero to 62mph arrives in 11.5 seconds, and the top speed is only 103mph. But there’s a lot of fun to be had if you work the Ignis’ five speed ‘box hard.

The new Suzuki Ignis’ steering is a tad vague and the car does roll in corners, but that feature by:

Tim Barnes-Clay Writer @carwriteups

www.finecity.co.uk

FINEmotors

Wheels Review

just adds to the entertainment factor. Hit a pothole, and things become even crazier as the rear bounces up and down like a 1970s’ space hopper. Bizarrely enough, none of this makes you dislike the car at all. And that’s because the 2017 Suzuki Ignis has bags of character – something many motors lack today.

The Ignis is agile, and with four-wheel-drive added, the Japanese car turns very mountaingoat-like, clambering up inclines and muddy trails like said beast in season. There’s even hill descent control, to keep you from overeagerly scrambling back to earth. The Ignis’ talent for traction transfers to the tarmac, too, with oodles of grip in corners.

With an average fuel consumption of 60.1mpg, and CO2 emissions of only 106g/km the 4x4 hybrid version of the Ignis will be cheap to run. www.finecity.co.uk

The basic Ignis goes on sale this coming spring priced from just £9,999, while the 1.2 SZ5 SHVS 4x4, reviewed here, will set you back £13,999.

Pros ‘n’ Cons Looks ✓ Character ✓ Efficiency ✓ Grip ✓ Vague Steering ✗ Fast Facts (1.2 SZ5 SHVS 4x4) Max speed: 103 mph 0-62 mph: 11.5 secs Combined mpg: 60.1 Engine layout: 1,242cc 4-cylinder petrol/electric Max. power (PS): 90 CO2: 106 g/km Price: £13,999 2017 February | 59

FINEmotors

Audi TT Coupe 2.0 TFSI Quattro S Line S tronic

A

udi is a car-maker of quality. From the strong, yet sophisticated, lines of its models to the flawless interiors, the German firm always delivers. The TT Coupe is no exception.

The current TT Coupe arrived in Britain in 2015. It looks angrier and is almost the same length as its forerunner, though its wheelbase has expanded, making for short overhangs.

The TT Coupe 2.0 TFSI 230 PS S Line S tronic, under review here, has a virtual cockpit, which

is based around a sizeable high resolution LCD display. It fills the instrument binnacle and supersedes the time-honoured analogue dials.

It’s marvellous and clear as day.

You can cherry-pick between two display settings: in the ‘classic’ view, the rev counter and speedometer are in the forefront. Then in ‘infotainment’ mode the virtual instruments are smaller. The area that becomes free therefore provides sufficient room for other functions, such as the navigation map. At the lower edge of the Audi virtual cockpit, the displays for

time, outside temperature and mileage are perpetually visible.

The Audi TT is comfy and the Alcantara and leather super sports seats are hip-huggingly supportive. The 2.0 TFSI 230 PS S Line S tronic also has manual climate control with functionality ingeniously incorporated into the air vents.

Other interior tech highpoints include: a music interface with Bluetooth connectivity, a touch pad for fingertip data input, and keyless go.

Outside the cabin, attractive alloy wheels adorn the TT. Mine was fitted with 19-inch five-spoke ‘Blade’ design wheels. These are optional and cost £450 – but they do look awesome. Other features fitted include sports suspension; xenon headlamps with LED daytime running lights and a speed-dependent active rear spoiler.

As a 2+2 seater, the Audi TT Coupe is a sports car that is suitable for real-world use. My feature by:

Tim Barnes-Clay Writer @carwriteups

60 | February 2017

www.finecity.co.uk

FINEmotors three-year-old daughter sat in the rear, but you’ll probably use the back seats as an area to keep superfluous shopping. That said, with a load area capacity of 305 litres - 13 litres more than the old TT – the boot space is practical enough to load in a tot’s buggy – or a couple of flight cases.

Behind the wheel, the first thing I noticed about the Audi TT is how well it drives. The 1984cc, 230PS petrol powerplant is domesticated in urban environments, but it’s still hard to disguise the rasping clout waiting to be set free. Open up the TT on the straights and you’re pressed into your seatback. Zero to 62mph arrives in an eyeball yanking 5.3 seconds and the top speed is 155mph. The ride is firm, but not unpleasantly so, and the steering has a good weight to it, while the dual-clutch automatic transmission changes seamlessly. What’s more, the car grips like glue in the corners – thanks to its all-wheel-drive ‘Quattro’ set-up.

If the Audi TT’s talent for turning heads and drivability is not enough, its average fuel economy figure of 42.8mpg and relatively low CO2 emissions of 153g/km are also to be applauded. Driving from Kettering in Northamptonshire to Lincoln - a journey of 76 miles - I averaged 38mpg. That’s not at all bad, considering how heavy my right foot can get on the A1.

www.finecity.co.uk

Fully kitted out, as my review car was, with luxuries such as heated seats and an LED interior lighting package, the price-tag came to £44,095. The on-the-road basic cost is nearer to £37,000. That’s an acceptable price to shell out when you take into account what a wellmade, entertaining car the Audi TT Coupe is.

PROS ‘N’ CONS Good Looking ✓ Build Quality ✓ Powerful ✓

Efficient ✓ Rear Seats ✗ FAST FACTS Max speed: 155 mph 0-62 mph: 5.3 secs Combined mpg: 42.8 Engine: 1 984cc 4 cylinder 16 valve turbocharged petrol Max. power (PS): 230 CO2: 153 g/km Price: £44,095 (as tested)

2017 February | 61

New Co-op Funeral Service for Hellesdon

T

he East of England Co-op Funeral Services have extended their care and support for communities in Norfolk with the opening of a new funeral branch in Hellesdon. Frances Tallent, who manages the new branch on Meadow Way, is one of the East of England Co-op Funeral Services most experienced Funeral Arrangers with over 17 years’ experience.

Born and raised in Norfolk, Frances is a familiar, friendly face in the area.

Frances previously worked at the Aylsham Road branch for 11 years, making good friends within the community. She then moved on to help open the Heartsease branch in Witard Road, Norwich. She enjoyed the opportunity to support more families in new locations so much, she volunteered to do the same with Hellesdon. This time, it will become her permanent office.

The local community are invited to drop in and meet Frances in person and see the new branch first-hand. It has a welcoming reception area and a Chapel of Rest where families can take time to reflect and spend time with their loved ones in a private, peaceful and comfortable space.

About the East of England Co-op Funeral Services The very first East of England Co-op funeral branch opened back in 1925 and there are now branches across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire. As a local, independent co-operative they only operate in the eastern

region and are owned directly by their members. Because they are the local Co-op, they work hard to support the community by helping local groups and initiatives as well as partnering with good causes and charities such as local hospices.

It’s the little things that count Frances and her colleagues at the East of England Co-op Funeral Services believe everyone should be remembered in a way that is as individual as they were, and they know it’s the little things that make a funeral special.

They focus on their clients’ needs and wishes; discreetly and sensitively.

Every client is treated as an individual by professional, kind people, all of whom live and have mostly grown up in the East of England.

They are proud to be part of the East of England Co-op and offer a local service to local families.

When a loved one passes away, all arrangements are taken care of so families can concentrate on saying goodbye.

As well as expert advice on funeral arrangements, Frances brings her personal, considerate approach to her role as Funeral Arranger and can provide guidance on monumental masonry and bereavement support.

For those who feel planning ahead for their own funeral would give peace of mind, Frances is also able to provide advice on pre-paid funeral plans. She will be with you every step of the way, taking care of the important decisions and helping with every detail so the day can be just how you pictured it.

The new branch at 132 Meadow Way, Hellesdon NR6 6XU is open Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm. Frances is available to answer any questions at the branch or over the phone on 01603 580190.

Dad always brought her roses, today was no different It’s the little things that make a funeral special Here for you every hour of every day

01603 625495

for your local funeral director www.eastofengland.coop/funerals

62 | February 2017

www.finecity.co.uk

FINEAdvice

Marketing Join in our Success Story Welcome to the ‘FineAdvice’ section of FineCity Magazine About Us:

In a fast moving world, where the media seem to be ever more distant from people’s real concerns, it is vital that community lifestyle magazines like FineCity Magazine find and print the information and news that is important to local people.

That’s where we come in; two years ago we added FineCity Magazine to our portfolio of publications which include; Dispatch Magazine in Attleborough & Diss and a second publication in Wymondham & Dereham. We also publish Norfolk on My Mind for North Norfolk and Suffolk on My Mind for Suffolk. Over the fifteen years we have been publishing magazines our publications have become some of the most well respected community lifestyle magazines, and a “must-read” across a Norfolk & Suffolk.

Our distribution is enormous; Dispatch is delivered Free of Charge Door to Door to 30,000 homes and businesses. FineCity

Magazine is delivered or collected around the City centre by 12,000 people each month, and Norfolk on My Mind has 10,000 copies available for pick up across 800 pick up locations. Suffolk on My Mind is seen by 10,000 people in Bury St Edmunds and across Suffolk. This gives us a combined readership of 155,000 every month.

FineCity Magazine: Promote your business in our ‘FineAdvice’ section in our rapidly growing FineCity Magazine. We are inviting just one company from a few specialist market sectors, to feature in our new ‘FineAdvice’ section with a combination of editorial and an advert on a full page, in the same design and layout as this page is being presented to you. We are offering you the full page (normal cost £505.00) for just the cost of a half page advert £295.00. You pay for the advert we’ll give you the editorial (425 words) for FREE.

FineCity Magazine is growing throughout Norwich, now with a 12,000 print run every month, and available for pick up at our prestige partner locations which includes; John Lewis, Waitrose, Jarrold, Cinema City, MadderMarket, The Theatre Royal, The Forum, Norwich Library, The Norwich Tourist Information Centre, Norwich Airport, Castle Mall and Intu Chapelfield, and further copies are delivered Door to Door around Eaton, Cringleford, Easton, Newmarket Road and The Golden Triangle area of Norwich.

Come and join FineCity and be part of our success story!

The FineAdvice section is designed to offer readers advice, and enable your company to be the exclusive provider.

Advice by:

In addition to the above, we will also include your company within our daily tweets and Facebook page completely free of charge.

FineCity Magazine @finecitymag 01953 456789

Meet The Family FineCity Magazine

Dispatch Magazine 2016

Dispatch Magazine 2016

Norfolk On My Mind Magazine 2016

Suffolk On My Mind Magazine 2016

Issue 63

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2017 February | 63

FINEAdvice

Health

Local Expert Warns of DIY Earwax Removal Risk

C

otton buds, pencils, paperclips, kits bought off the EBay, pen caps and even pieces of jewellery — people stick all kinds of things in their ears to try and remove troublesome earwax. One local expert is warning that wedging foreign objects into the ear canal to dislodge wax is a really bad idea.

Karen Finch is Managing Director of The Hearing Care Centre and a senior audiologist with 23 years’ experience. She has seen the damage that has been caused by people trying to treat themselves.

by a professional, however because many GP surgeries either don’t offer this service very often or even at all, hence why people are turning to other methods.

Earwax (or Cerumen) is one of our body’s mundane, under-appreciated, protective devices.

Like eyelashes and nose hair, earwax shields our body from outside invaders including dust, bacteria, and other micro-organisms that can get in and irritate, inflame, or infect.

Karen’s family-run company, The Hearing Care Centre which has 6 centres across Norfolk, last

year employed their own dedicated ear care practitioner to focus on helping patients in the local area who couldn’t get an appointment at their surgery.

“The demand we were seeing for private earwax removal, just grew and grew and we decided we had to get a dedicated professional in to help our patients,” said Karen.

“We now offer ear syringing at all of our 22 centres across Suffolk and Norfolk and microsuction from a further 6.”

For further information on earwax and techniques for safe removal visit www.hearingcentre.co.uk/waxremoval or call The Hearing Care Centre on 0800 096 2637.

“I’ve known of patients who have caused themselves severe hearing loss and tinnitus, punctured their eardrums and damaged the fragile bones in their ear. When you put something in your ear you leave yourselves open to these risks and in reality all you are doing is pushing the wax further and exacerbating the problem.”

“Earwax can quickly and easily be removed

64 | February 2017

www.finecity.co.uk

FINEAdvice

Utilities

Save Money If you’re like most people you’ll want to SAVE money during 2017 Well you can, it’s really simple and thousands of people are doing it. ✓ Would you like to pay less for your utility bills? ✓ Would you like shops like Sainsbury’s, Boots, Halfords, Debenhams and hundreds of others to pay your utility bill for you? ✓ Would you like every light bulb in your house replaced with the very latest low energy LED bulbs FREE of charge, which will reduce your electric bill by around 15% per year? ✓ Would you like up to £200 to help you switch from your current provider? ✓ Would you like an award winning customer services centre based in London available to chat to ? ✓ Would you like award winning products and services recommended by Which? Magazine? ✓ Would you like all your utilities on one monthly bill, with just one monthly direct debit? ✓ Would you like a written Guarantee that you will save money when you switch all your services to us, or we will give you back ‘Double the Difference’?

www.finecity.co.uk

✓ Would you like someone to arrange everything for you to ensure a seamless transfer?

If you would like to receive all of the above YOU CAN and I will personally pop in to see you to arrange everything. The only think you need to do save money is make me a cup of tea.

Who’s behind this initiative?

It’s being provided by Utility Warehouse, the Nation’s most trusted utility supplier. In addition to gas and electricity, they provide landline, broadband and mobile phones giving you the convenience of all your utilities on one monthly bill.

Utility Warehouse is operated by Telecom Plus PLC, a major British company whose shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange.

The company provides its members with great value, great savings and the best possible customer service. Perhaps it’s not surprising that, in a survey, 93% of Utility Warehouse customers said they would recommend them to a friend.

Utility Warehouse is very different to other suppliers because they’re a club - a Discount

Club.They don’t have any high street shops and because (unlike their competitors) they don’t spend customers’ money on expensive advertising campaigns on TV, they can afford to charge their customers less for the same services.

They have also received numerous awards from Which? Magazine and Moneywise, and have over 600,000 satisfied customers which increases daily.

If you want to save money, all you have to do is call me 07802 690589, and I’ll pop in and show you how much you will save. Or you can go to www.Utility-Bills.co.uk and request an online quotation. Please do get in touch and save yourself some money. Trust me - you won’t regret it!

Advice by:

Jonathan Horswell Mentor @jonathanhorswel 07802 690589

2017 February | 65

FINEAdvice Success – why not you?

Are you bored broke or just fed up?

• Do you ever feel like you are worth more than you’re currently earning?

• Do you ever feel like there’s not enough time in the day?

• Do you ever feel like you have a greater purpose than the path you’re currently on?

• Do you want to make changes, make more money, have more free time, be with positive people and build a great future for yourself and your family?

If you want things to be different, YOU have to make the change. Life doesn’t have a remote control, so you have to get up and change it yourself. And of course if you do nothing, guess what... Nothing changes, you will be in the same place this time next year.

If you’d like More Money, More Free Time, build a better future for you and your family and you’re open mind enough to just look at how

66 | February 2017

Money you can change your life and earn an unlimited monthly income which grows and grows every month, take a look at our website and get instant access to see how simple it is to be in control of your own destiny.

This is NOT a ‘Get Rich Quick Scheme’ but it is a ‘Get Rich Quicker System’ where you can earn a full time ‘residual’ income working just a few spare hours each week, and change your life in a very short space of time. Why should you work 40 plus hours a week for 40 plus years of your life?

So what is ‘Residual Income’?

Residual income (also called passive income) is income that continues to be generated after the initial effort has been made.

Compare this to what most people focus on earning: linear income, which is “one-shot” compensation or payment in the form of a fee, wage, commission or salary which is directly proportional to the number of hours invested in it - 40 hours of pay for 40 hours of work.

Here’s an example of Residual Income; In 1998 my college spent 35 minutes showing a friend

of his how this business works. Last month he got paid for that conversation for the 216th time for that 35 minute chat, 18 years ago.

So… how soon can you spare 10 minutes so I can answer all the questions I know you’ll have, and explain how you can get started immediately?

Remember this: “If you think it’s too good to be true, I still get paid. If you take a look and join me, we BOTH get paid. If you don’t join me, well I still get paid!”

Take a look at our website and get instant access to find out more about this great opportunity. www.Successpro. me.uk

Advice by:

Jonathan Horswell Mentor @jonathanhorswel 07802 690589

www.finecity.co.uk

www.finecity.co.uk

2017 February | 67