Stockport Source Issue 6

issue six

WELCOME It’s a shame that it’s pouring down as I write this because in this issue we’ve gone quite summery: we’ve got swimwear and sunglasses for the ladies and portable barbecues for the men. Our local features this issue include a chat with the first Miss Stockport in years, Jade Leverton and a chat with the people behind Vintage Village which takes place monthly in The Market Hall. The Vintage Village is one of the many elements that continues to make the market area such a special place - a fact recognised by Manchester Metropolitan University who are setting up a suite of studios and a retail space for their art graduates. Further to this, we’re proud and delighted to have Stockport Old Town on the back of this issue. For those as yet unaware, this essentially constitutes the rebranding and promotion of the Market area, Lower Hillgate and Underbank. Every month or so something happens that suggests the battle to repopularise the area is being won. Just a couple of empty buildings to sort out and it will be well on its way. If you haven’t visited for a while, pop along.

Publishing Director Publishing Director Editor Marketing Director Photographer

Paul Taylor Chris Roberts Paul Day Heather Roberts Matt McNulty

07901 557788 07805 149850 07981 086684 07790 634011 07757 287285

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News

The Beer Festival is back

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What’s On

The best days out and about

8-9

Fashion

Everything’s going swimmingly

12-13

Miss Stockport

Jade’s crowning glory

14-15

Ashley Roberts

An exclusive chat with the Pussycat Doll

17

Competition

Win £200 to spend at Jake Shoes!

18-19

The Vintage Village

A Stockport success story

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Eating

Hit the beach with a portable barbie

24-25

Travel

Holidays close to home

27

Motors

What’s new in the automotive world

30-31

Music

The vinyl revival

paul@shoutmediauk.com chris.roberts@shoutmediauk.com paul.day@shoutmediauk.com heather.roberts@shoutmediauk.com signol1000@ntlworld.com

Stockport Office 0161 244 9896 Wilmslow Office 01625 541106 www.stockportsource.com @StockportSource Stockport Source

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what’s on

MAY EXHIBITIONS Saints & Sinners Paintings from the John Benjamin Smith Collection Until 26 October 2014 Stockport Story, SK1 1ES This exhibition explores virtue and vice as depicted in the John Benjamin Smith Collection, gifted to Stockport in 1879. Iconic religious scenes, stories of martyrdom and vistas of classical ruins provide an interesting backdrop to the story of the man behind the collection. Smith was an MP for Stockport for over 20 years and one of the founding fathers of Stockport’s Museums. He collected these paintings during his grand tour of Italy.

Suitable for all ages. Free admission Contact: 0161 218 1460 Until 1st June What’s Hot – Laura Apsit- Livens Recently graduated from the London College of Fashion, Laura Apsit Livens is quickly making a name for herself.

She has worked for Philip Treacy making hats for the Royal Wedding and labels such as Givenchy, Armani Privé, Valentino and Alexander McQueen.

In 2012 she set up her own label in Chester and has made pieces for the Duchess of Westminster, Paloma Faith and Rita Ora. Suitable for all ages Hat Works, Wellington Road South, Stockport SK3 0EU Admission free 10:00 - 17:00

EVENTS Every Wednesday Tea Dance Refreshments available as well as a charity raffle. Come and enjoy an afternoon in the magnificent Town Hall ballroom with all your favourite dance songs. New dancers and group parties always welcome. (Groups of over 6 people please contact 0161 474 3451) Town Hall Ballroom £2.40 13:30 - 16:00 Every Wednesday Blitz Jive Classes It’s easy to learn with a friendly mix of teaching and freestyle sessions.

Beginners class: 7.30pm. Intermediate

class: 8.45pm. Dancing until 10.30pm.

No partner required. Bar open Stockport Town Hall Ballroom Tickets and info: 079 6318 4578 £7.00 19:30 - 22:30 Every other Thursday - 29th May, 12th June etc Read Your Letters A service for individuals who require assistance to read or understand their post. No booking process, just come along to one of the sessions where there will be somebody to help you with your post. For more information contact Stockport Advocacy on 0161 480 8979 or Disability Stockport on 0161 480 2748.

23 High Street, Stockport, Free 10:00 - 12:00 Wednesday 14th May Health & Beauty Gala Debenhams, Princes Street, Stockport 10% off Beauty and fragrance. Free goody bag on the night Complimentary drinks on arrival. Taste samples from the restaurant. Luxury raffle prizes. Fundraising for Christies. 25% off manicures. Free makeover (booking required). Fragrance hamper prizes.

6pm-9pm Tickets are £5 - redeemable against a purchase on the night - available in store, contact 07903 006368 or email jenniferwaterhouse@debenhams.com Friday 16th - Sunday 18th May Stockport Creative Festival A range of creative events at venues such as Mersey Square, Stockport Library, The Wellbeing Centre and the Art Gallery. See: www.skcreativefest. wordpress.com for full details.

Friday 16th May Foodie Friday Food and entertainment in and around the Market Hall 6pm-9pm Saturday 17th May Love Your Local Market A Special Foodie Friday, The Stockport Cultural Festival and a Saturday market that will feature Heaton Moor Market stall holders on the Underbanks, The Teenage Market in Seven Miles Out

and representative stall holders from the Handmade Market and Vintage Village.

Stockport Old Town

might just win a prize!

Suitable for all ages Just drop in Hat Works, Wellington Road 11:00 - 16:00

Saturday 17th May Making Headway - Catwalk Shows Making Headway will explode onto the public arena with two spectacular free catwalk shows which will be hosted in St.Mary’s Church.

A brand new collection of hats, created by 13 of the UK’s best emerging hat designers will be shown against a backdrop installation made up from 10,000 paper hats.

St.Mary’s Church, The Market Place, Shows at: 1.30pm & 2.30pm.

Thursday 29th - Sunday 31st May Stockport Beer and Cider Festival Edgeley Park See news pages for more details.

Wednesday 21st May They’ve Just Nipped Out For Fags A New Play Set in Stockport featuring local Actors.

When best friends Jackie Akabusi and Pat Pickles said they were just nipping out for some fags, their husbands didn’t think they’d be long, that was a month ago. Rather than popping down to the shops, the two good time girls jumped on a plane to America for the jolly of a lifetime!

Stockport Plaza £16.50/£10 Concessions 7.30pm - 10.30pm Thursday 22nd May Stockport College Open Event Visit the college, view the facilities and speak to staff and students.

Register to avoid queues at www. stockport.ac.uk 5pm – 7pm Saturday 24th May Making Headway - The Exhibition Following the catwalk shows a week earlier, the new collection of hats will feature in a brand new exhibition at Hat Works Museum . For the very first time the hats in the exhibition will be for sale, giving you a wonderful opportunity to purchase a unique handcrafted hat by an emerging millinery talent.

The Hat Works.

Sunday 1st June Race For Life Be part of the biggest fight against cancer at Race for Life. Walk, jog or run to help beat cancer. Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life is the largest women-only fundraising event in the UK. Since 1994, women of all ages and fitness levels across the UK have come together at these inspiring events to walk, jog or run to help beat cancer.

Woodbank Park, Offerton 11:00 - 17:00 Sunday 1st June Stockport Book & Record Fair Up to 50 stalls of books records and ephemera.

Stockport Market Hall 10.00am - 4.00pm Sunday 8th June Alice in Wonderland Outdoor theatre at Bramhall Hall. See news pages for more details Sunday 8th June The Vintage Village For more information, see the article on The Vintage Village in this month’s issue.

Stockport Market Hall 10.00am - 4.00pm Sunday 8th June D Day Quiz at Air Raid Shelters Test your knowledge with our D-Day quiz and learn more about this significant date in our history. You may even win a prize.

Suitable for all the family £4.75 Adults, Concessions £3.50, Children under 16s Free Stockport Air Raid Shelters 11:30 - 16:00

Sat 24th May - Sun 1st June Half-Term holiday Hat Trail Visit Hat Works and take part in our Crown Hat Trail, you never know, you

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BE PART OF OUR WINNING TEAM Stockport Source Magazine has rapidly become the area’s leading lifestyle magazine and our growth has meant we are now looking for another

SALESPERSON If you want to be your own boss, dictate your own income and work your own hours why not drop us a line?

info@shoutmediauk.com

fashion

Clockwise from top left: Oversized Sunglasses: £5.00 from George at Asda Ornate Cut Away Cat Eye Sunglasses: £12.00 from ASOS Kiss in Black Quartz: £850.00 from Oliver Goldsmith Sunglasses: £2.00 from Primark Octagon sunglasses: £10.00 from F&F at Tesco

made to measure & customisable: WEDDING GOWNS BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES BESPOKE DRESSES ACCESSORIES 36 Little Underbank, Stockport SK1 1JT 0161 477 3967 www.isabellabridal.co.uk info@isabellabridal.co.uk

wedding gowns from £499 to £899

beauty

FULL RESULTS Miss Stockport 2014 Jade Leverton Runner up Olivia Grundy Second Runner Up Jade Kilty

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MISS STOCKPORT 2014

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n Thursday 24th April a packed house at Stockport Plaza saw the crowning of the new Miss Stockport - the first for a number of years - at the climax of a glamorous and entertainment packed show.

Earlier the 1000 plus audience had been entertained by an introduction from David Gest followed by an opening number from Stockport’s Debut Dance academy. Acts between the judging rounds included Wilmslow’s Ewan Sim, Henry Gallagher, Vicky Nolan, Alexander Stewart and Roy Bennett with a special appearance from S Club who rocked the house with renditions of their number ones Reach and S Club Party.

Following rounds of leisurewear, fashion and evening wear the 10 judges, including Brendan Webb from main sponsor Merseyway, had the difficult task of choosing 10 semi-finalists from the original 35 contestants but it fell to Mayor of Stockport Chris Murphy to take on the less taxing job of crowning Jade Leverton a salesperson from Offerton as Miss Stockport.

Jade will now go through to the Miss England Semi Finals on May 19th. We spoke to Jade after everything had calmed down and she’d had a little time to acclimatise herself to her new status.

A year ago would you have ever imagined entering a competition like this?

Definitely not! Beauty pageants are something that I have never even thought about doing, I did not think it would be as exciting as it actually was, and now I love it! I can’t wait to compete again the feeling is amazing I think I have got ‘PAGEANT FEVER’ What made you decide to enter?

My sister entered me into the competition, when I found out that I had through to the final I thought why not give it a go never thinking that I would have won it.

I have never thought about doing beauty pageants before but i had the best night ever! It was so fun and exciting and everyone was really nice.

How did you find the experience on the night?

The experience was surreal, I can’t actually remember everything that happened because I was so nervous. I loved getting ready with all of the other contestants and all helping each other with make up and hair. The buzz in the changing rooms and back stage was amazing and it was definitely a night to remember!

Do you even remember S Club 7?

Yes! It brought back many childhood memories and they were amazing to watch but on the night we had only just got down to the final 10 and then had to go backstage for S Club 7 to come on. Ten-

sions were definitely high back there and it felt like they were on for about an hour, song after song and it made me more nervous each time!

What has the reaction been like from everyone at work?

Everyone was so happy and excited for me as they had been with me every step of the way! The support that I got was what got me through and gave me the confidence to go ahead with it.

Have you any idea what sort of things you’ll being doing as Miss Stockport over the next 12 months?

I have some great ideas in mind, I am going to go to Stepping Hill hospital to the children’s ward and give all the children some goodies. I want to hold a charity ball and raise money for Beauty With A Purpose. Also I am going volunteering at the local charities around Stockport.

Have you ever done any modelling before?

Yes, I am the face of JD Sports 2014, also do hair modelling and have featured on a new mascara brand. I really enjoy modelling and it is something that I am really passionate about.

Organiser Paul Taylor was almost equally happy, “The night was a spectacular showcase and a landmark event for the town, we now have a deserving brand ambassador for Stockport” he told us.

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14

talking point

ASHLEY ROBERTS Her dad was a drummer with The Mamas and the Papas and she was one sixth of the huge entity that was The Pussycat Dolls but Ashley Roberts has headed off in her own direction. Over the last year she’s been a regular face on British telly, Imagine FM’s ChellceAJ talks to her about it Being an ex-Pussycat Doll do you randomly get people asking you to do high kicks and things like that?

No, I don’t actually, Kimberley might though because she was the one always putting her leg above her head.

At the moment we’re seeing you in Saturday Night Takeaway, before that there was Dancing on Ice and of course I’m A Celebrity, you’ve done loads...

I’ve been busy, yeah. Its been a good year. I have to pinch myself at times.

How horrendous was the jungle?

I watched the series after it was over and I don’t think you really get to see how hard it is. There’s so much down time and you’re isolated and you’re stinky - I think it’s much harder than it appears on TV but it was an amazing experience at the same time.

On TV you’re always sat around a campfire, it looks quite cosy...

I know! But you miss your family and there’s no stimulus, no phones, no magazines. And it looks a lot bigger on TV, it’s actually quite small and you’re not allowed to go and venture off. And of course you’re hungry, especially when you’ve got Helen going out trying to get stars for ten days, you get quite hungry.

Have you spoken to Helen since that?

Yes I have, she’s reached out to me a few times and I’ve seen her at events.

But not having to bring you food?

No, luckily.

And then you did Dancing on Ice? Will there be any more of that for you?

That was the end of it as far as I’m aware. It was exciting for me though, especially having come out of the jungle having worn maroon for a month to get dressed up and feel fabulous again.

I’ll miss it though, I had fun. It was definitely a good place to go work at but when one door closes another one opens.

But all you’ve ever really wanted to was music That’s been my passion and my drive since I was a little girl. My father was a drummer and I danced and sang and while I enjoy the television - it’s a lot of fun - this is why I get up in the morning. The music and the art and the creativity.

And you’ve just been recording in some very famous studios haven’t you?

Yes! Metropolis, over at Chiswick.

Rihanna’s been there, Amy Winehouse, Will I Am...

And Jay Z was there the other day, I ran into him. It’s a cool place and when you go in and record it takes it up a level. It has that energy to it.

So you’ve recorded an album there, what’s it called?

I want to tell you but we’re going to do a big announcement. But I have another single out at the beginning of July and the album will follow it.

Your current single is Clockwork, and there are lines like “you’re in and out of my head” “you’re like clockwork” who’s it about?

Well, it’s about a relationship when you know it’s exciting and passionate but it’s probably going to leave you with some scars but you keep running back to it, knowing that you shouldn’t. That it’s wrong, but sometimes right in a bad way. It’s wrong!

Is that a theme of the album?

I’ve pulled a lot from personal experiences but there are different facets of that and different sounds throughout.

So, what can we expect from you in the near future?

So, we’re switching gears towards the music right now but I’ll be popping on the telly for little things here and there.

The music is what I’m about but I’ll be back.

Clockwork is released on 25th May

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WIN SHOES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

competition

...WITH £200 TO SPEND AT JAKE!

J

ake in Stockport are celebrating a new shop refit and their 39th year on Princes Street. As an exclusive to Stockport Source, Jake are inviting you to celebrate with them by winning shoes for the whole family. Or just for yourself of course!

Simply answer the question below:

Which of these are you most likely see at Jake? a) All Star Family Fortunes b) Converse All Stars c) Liquorice Allsorts

To enter, just go to: www.bit.ly/sourcecomp The competition closes on 31st May and the winner will be the first correct entry drawn out after this date. Good Luck!

Jake Shoes 115-117 Princes Street, SK1 1RB Also in Manchester Arndale on the upper floor 0161 480 5558 www.jakeshoes.co.uk

NEW SUMMER ARRIVALS!

T

THE VINTAGE V

he Vintage Village made it’s first appearance in The Market Hall back in September 2010 and its influence on the area cannot be overestimated. Back then the Market Hall stood empty on a Sunday, now there are all sorts of events going on. Vintage shops have opened around the market area and The Teenage Market took its inspiration from what Alan Lowe created. These days Alan runs the Vintage Village with Sarah Norris and both of them are now resident traders in The Room At The Top - the permanent vintage emporium above the Produce Hall in the marketplace. This is where we met up with Alan and Sarah to delve deeper.

How did you end up in this business?

S: I was a failed PhD student. My mum was brought up in Reddish but I’ve lived all over the place because my dad was in the RAF. The last place I lived before here was Brighton. My mother was a vintage dealer, she had a shop in Lincoln from the 1980s to about 2000 and I was always involved in that, helping in the shop, buying and selling things and I’ve always collected things.

A: I’d spent 35 years in print and advertising and I supposed I had a mid-life crisis and I thought, you know what? This is what I’m going to do.” So it was a career change How did The Viintage Village come about?

A: I’d already dabbled with putting on some smaller fairs but the location wasn’t the best - it was in an old mill and people had trouble finding it. So I came

The three photos above are courtesy of Frankie Cooksey Photography 18

and had a look round the market and thought what a great opportunity to bring what I’d already started over here.

S: Alan suggested to Paul, the Market Manager that we use it for a vintage fair and Paul was completely behind the idea.

How were they recieved, initially?

A:. They became very popular very quickly, almost doubling in size every month. The first one started with about 20 stalls, the second had 35-38 stalls and by month three we were on 65-70.

How did Sarah come to be involved?

A: Sarah was one of the stall holders at the original mill fair. She always had an eclectic mix of stock so I knew she was one of the people I wanted to come with us to Stockport and for the first one or two she was just involved as a stallholder.

S: I got involved because I could see how I could help with promotion, and getting the website up and doing Facebook and Twitter. The fair had got off to a good start and I thought the venue was amazing.

How did the first one go?

S: It was actually pretty respectable, I did some good sales as I recall. A lot of people didn’t think Stockport would be the place for vintage but they all came out of the woodwork.

A: It just spread through word of mouth and we have people coming now who have been to every fair since it started.

E VILLAGE S: And we’ve had people coming up form London and all points.

How many stalls are there now?

S: The capacity is about 70 traders and we’re always booked to capacity but it’s not always the same people. We have a hard core of regulars but we don’t like waiting lists so we let new people in every month. There’s a healthy rotation. And as with the visitors, we’ve got traders from Cumbria, Liverpool, Hull, North Wales, all over.

Some are quite specialist aren’t they? I noticed one stall just selling picnic hampers..

S: Yes, I love specialist traders to be honest and it would be lovely to have more of them, ones who concentrate on something and do it really well. We have some who specialise in kitchenalia which is very popular and there are some who specialise in mid-century modern ceramics and glass but most are quite general, they’re magpies like me, they buy things they like.

A: The majority like to have a mix of most thing so they’re not limiting themselves.

You also have a theme for each event and I see the forthcoming one is titled “Sabrina” A: Sabrina is a Stockport girl. She was our version of Jane Mansfield. Everything that was built in the 50s and 60s that had curves on it was known as a Sabrina. And she’s still alive and living in Hollywood.

S: So we’ll be showing her cult film “Satan in High

the old town Heels” in a pop-up cinema in the Produce Hall.

For the Sabrina Fair we’ve also got the Girls Gone Rocking DJs playing and some cars from the Three Graces North West Car Club. I think it’s nice to add variety and while I don’t like gimmicks I do like something that people can get behind and perhaps learn something from as well. So we’ve had a Toggery Fair, dedicated to the famous menswear shop in Stockport. We try and pick local things if possible, but we spread it out a bit. We have a Yanks event because they filmed a lot of the movie here in the market.

The Sabrina event will have been and gone when this issue comes out, what’s the next one our readers can look forward to?

S: June the 8th It’s the D-Day Fair and we’re doing it in collaboration with Stockport PLAZA who are showing The Longest Day. We’ll have some military vehicles, a 1940s singer and a 40s theme throughout. So there will be people dressed up.

What’s the visitor demographic?

S: If you look at our Facebook statistics, the demographic is largely female. The largest segment is females between 25 and 34, so it’s not just the teenagers, it’s people with jobs and families and they might buy a frock one week then something for the kitchen the next A: I specialise in menswear and I sell suits to 22-23 year olds who want to wear suits from the 50s and 60s and I have to say, they look fantastic.

S: We do try and ensure that the fair is as appealing to men as women because a lot of fairs concentrate on cupcakes and frills, whereas we make sure that we have traders offering things of interest to men as well.

You’ve won a few awards haven’t you?

S: Yes, The Vintage Village was voted Best Vintage Fair in Manchester in 2012 and 2013 and best VIntage & Antique Fair in Britain from Pretty Nostalgic Magazine.

Why are you winning these awards, what makes you different?

S: I think we put the time in, to make sure that the traders are good, that the quality is good and that the range and variety is good. We’re kind of snobs in a way. We like authentic, original vintage.

A: But some events are quite stuffy. I’ve been to many around the country that are very quiet, you almost feel as though you shouldn’t talk. Whereas we like people to enjoy themselves, so we put on good catering, entertainment - added extras that people buy into, part of a vibe.

S: It’s developed into a really lovely community of people that meet up every month.

So grab your ration book and get down there on 8th June. The events run between 10:00 am - 4:00 pm and there is a £2 admission for adults + concessions. www.thevintagevillage.co.uk

Vote for The Vintage Village The Vintage Village has been nominated for Best Vintage Fair in Britain in the prestigious National Vintage Awards and online voting is currently open so, to express your support, visit: www.thenationalvintageawards.co.uk/ vote2014 Click on Best Vintage Fair to see the nominees • Click on the button next to The Vintage Village • Enter your email address • Click Vote • Nice one

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HEALTHY MINDS ...AND BODIES MAY 30th Take along this voucher to receive a free one day pass

T

he physical benefits of exercise are obvious.

However, what’s often understated is the positive impact it can have to alter a person’s mindset, both in relation to themselves and with life in general. Meet two local people who are now convinced that exercising in a positive environment can give anyone the ‘feel good factor’.

Cheryl Brocklehurst initially joined Metro Fitness to support her daughter who was preparing for a trip to America. Within her first month, Cheryl decided to try a few of the group exercise classes. She also recruited the support of Senior Personal Coach, Nigel Wilkes. Fast forward six months and Cheryl had lost seven stone and has since gone on to lose a further two stone.

Cheryl says, “What worked for me was Nigel’s constant support and encouragement, especially

his mind reading skills!” Cheryl goes on to mention how important exercising with others is to her, ‘The Classes – without the classes, I’d have given up...I look forward to them every week and have made some brilliant friends in them.”

Cheryl is now setting her sights on 5km & 10km runs for charity and will be part of the Metro Team, who will be taking on Total Warrior; an extremely challenging army style assault course.

It is safe to say that taking that first step has genuinely changed Cheryl physically, but also in terms of what she believes is achievable.

Pam, who is 68 years old, was diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease (COPD) two years ago after years of health problems that left her with little energy to enjoy her life.

With the support of her doctor and by undertaking

regular exercise at Metro, Pam has overcome the dilapidating effects of the condition and as a result, feels so much better about life. Said Pam “being diagnosed and getting the right medication has made a massive difference to my life – suddenly I can do things I’ve not managed in years.

“Now I have lots more energy to get on with my life. I regularly visit the gym and I’ve just been on a walking holiday with my husband.

“I could never have done any of that before, so I’m urging everyone not to ignore their symptoms but to see their doctor. It will make a world of difference to their lives.”

Metro Fitness Unit 22, 21-23 Merseyway Shopping Centre 0161 477 3895 www.metro-fitness.co.uk

UNIQUE GIFTS & MEMORABLE TOURS FOR ALL DADS THIS FATHERS DAY

Large Sunday Lunch + Brewery Tour just £19.95 per person or £14 for kids kids under 16. Booking essential Call: 0161 612 4100 to book your tour today events@frederic-robinson.co.uk www.robinsonsvisitorcentre.com

eating 2

PORTABLE BBQS 1. Weber Charcoal Go Anywhere BBQ £79.99 at Argos • Comes with triple plated cooking grates, fold away stand and glass reinforced handle.

Dimensions: H44cm x W42cm x D27cm.

Size of cooking area 41cm x 25cm.

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3

4

2. Summerhouse Coastal Portable BBQ £51 from www.notonthehighstreet.com • Galvanised steel bucket style container with carry handle and vents to all sides. + an easy clean chrome grill.

Dimensions: H39cm x W25cm x D28cm 3. Landmann Piccolino Portable BBQ £39.99 from Sainsburys • Features a ventilation disc in the lid, and includes stainless steel tongs that are attached to the barbecue. Other features include a warming rack, chrome-plated cooking grill and a chrome-plated stand.

Dimensions: H41cm x W37cm x D37cm 4. COBB Barbecue System £99.99 from Lakeland • Fuel-efficient - up to 3 hours cooking time from a handful of briquettes. No smoking, charring or fat-dripping flare-ups. Fill the moat with water, wine or beer, and add seasoning, to infuse food with extra flavour. Stays cool to touch on the outside.

Dimensions: Dia:32cm x H20cm. excluding dome.

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5. Supagrill Pod Charcoal Tabletop BBQ £79.00 • Heatproof and water-resistant with rustproof aluminium vents to ensure airflow.

Ash catcher for ease of cleaning.

Dimensions: Dia.45cm

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6. The Big Portable Grill BBQ £25.00 from Asda • Porcelain enamel cooking grill with separate warming rack and hinged lid for open or closed cooking with adjustable air vent.

Large heat resistant side handles and a clip down lid. Legs fold out for use, and feature positive lock pins for safety.

Dimensions: H41cm x W60cm x D39cm Cooking Area 1,270 cm2

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travel

GREAT BRITISH ECCENTRICS

T

his month we are taking a look at a small selection of the properties owned by The Landmark Trust, a charity that rescues important buildings and gives them a new and secure future.

They take on historic places that are considered at risk and carefully and sensitively restore them. By making them available for holidays, they ensure that they can be enjoyed by everyone, now and into the future.

The Trust fit out their buildings with comfortable furniture, a well equipped kitchen, modern bathrooms and good quality bed and bath linen (sheets and blankets). Most have at least one open fire or stove. But in other respects they are quite different from the mainstream and none has a television, radio or telephone.

An extensively researched History Album, written for each Landmark, explores the story of that building and its rescue. while each Landmark also has a library of books selected to illuminate aspects of the building or locality.

The Landmark Trust was founded almost 50 years ago by philanthropist John Smith to try and prevent the loss of the sort of smaller historic building with which neither the National Trust nor the Ministry of Works was concerned. They currently have nearly 200 buildings in their care, most in Britain but also several in Italy and France.

John Smith was already a leading figure in the conservation world: a committed enthusiast for buildings and other historical structures. His experience led him to conclude that “a body was required to tackle cases too desperate, troublesome or unfashionable for anyone else.” And so, in 1965, the Landmark Trust came into being.

Over five decades a cavalcade of extraordinary buildings has been rescued. They include the Gothic Temple at Stowe, Lord Dunmore’s exuberant pineapple pavilion near Stirling, the world’s first industrial housing in Derbyshire and the 23 buildings and fragile eco-system of Lundy in the Bristol Channel. Among our most recent projects has been the rescue from utter dereliction of Astley Castle in Warwickshire, where medieval and modern have been fused together in a bold new scheme. www.landmarktrust.org.uk

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BECKFORDʼS TOWER, BATH Beckford’s Tower was designed by eccentric connoisseur and collector William Beckford as his museum and treasure house, its main interiors are as gorgeous as the objects they housed. Perched above Bath, there are fine views of the city from the gilded belvedere tower.

1 Twin, 1 Double 4 nights from £361.00

FOX HALL, WEST SUSSEX The Palladian simplicity of Fox Hall’s brick exterior belies the exuberant decoration of the upstairs sitting room and with the bed nestling in a gilded alcove it makes an extremely elegant bedsit.

1 Twin, 1 Double 4 nights from £353.00

CROWNHILL FORT, PLYMOUTH Built in the 1860s to protect Plymouth from attack, Crownhill Fort retains its tunnels, earth ramparts, parade ground and cannons. You stay in the Officers’ Quarters and have free run of the Fort once the gates close for the evening.

Sleeps 8: 1 Twin, 1 room 4 beds, 1 Double 4 nights from £402.00

GARGUNNOCK HOUSE, SCOTLAND A graceful and pleasantly old-fashioned Scottish country house with a classical air, in parkland at the foot of the Gargunnock Hills Sleeps 16 : 4 Twin, 4 Double 4 nights from £803.00

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KIA PICANTO QUANTUM

motoring

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ia’s popular city-car Picanto range has been widened with a new highlyspecified special edition model - the Picanto Quantum.

Powered by a 1.25-litre petrol engine, the Picanto Quantum is finished in Titanium Silver metallic paint work with black cloth interior upholstery. Standard equipment includes 15-inch alloys, automatic air conditioning, a smart key entry system with engine start/stop button, electric sliding and tilting sunroof, electrically folding, adjustable and heated door mirrors with LED indicator lights, front foglights, a six-speaker audio system, body-coloured side sill mouldings and automatic headlight control with ‘see-you-home’ and ‘welcome’ lighting.

The Picanto Quantum also boasts an ‘Urban Pack’ consisting of reversing sensors, LED ambient interior lighting and a premium Supervision instrument cluster.

The Quantum manual costs £11,895 and the four-speed Quantum automatic is priced at £12,495.

PEUGEOT 108

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he new Peugeot 108 will be on sale on 1st July in three and fivedoor hatch or TOP! Cabrio body styles and with a choice of two fuel-efficient and low-emissions petrol engines.

Personalisation will be a key element of the 108’s appeal to customers, with a generous range of colours, ambiences, trims and themes. The new model is also big on comfort and convenience with features such as a 7-inch touch-screen infotainment system with DAB digital radio, Mirror Screen and Bluetooth connectivity for smartphones and steering wheelmounted controls.

The car is available in Peugeot’s four trim levels – Access, Active, Allure and Feline with prices starting at £8,245 on the road. For the first time,

the 108 will be available with a retractable fabric roof - 108 TOP!- which can be opened and closed electrically at any speed.

Eight body colours and three roof colours are included in the standard palette. Customers will be encouraged to design a car to fit their style, so personalisation choices will be wide and varied. Optional extras start at just £100 for an Aikinite ambience, which consists of a dash insert and gloss black surround on the centre console.

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MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV

ince January 2011, motorists purchasing a qualifying ultra-low emission car have been able to receive a grant of 25% towards the cost of the vehicle, up to a maximum of £5,000 and Mitsubishi are confident that the new Outlander Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) is the most practical car that meets that criteria. Certainly, its five seats, 4WD capability and very large boot it has a lot going for it and the fact that it is exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) is a nice bonus Another plus point is that unlike most other plug-in hybrids, the car carries no price premium, with the PHEV costing the same as the Outlander diesel once the grant is factored in. The entry-level GX3h Outlander PHEV is on sale for £28,249 after the grant. This is the same price as the Outlander diesel GX3 auto.

There are two other Outlander PHEV variants, the GX4h priced at £32,899 and GX4hs which is £34,999 (after the grant). There is no charge for the PHEV equipment, but these two variants are £1,000 more than their diesel equivalent due to added specification.

BMW M4 CONVERTIBLE

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ot on the heels of the latest BMW M3 Saloon and M4 Coupé, which were revealed at Detroit earlier this year, details have been released of the M4 Convertible, the fifth-generation car of its kind from the company’s M division. Powered by the same six-cylinder engine as the M3 Saloon Coupé, the Convertible offers the option of a six-speed manual or seven-speed M Double Clutch Transmission.

The BMW M4 Convertible goes on sale in the UK on 6 September 2014, priced at £60,745 OTR.

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