Dluxe birmingham issue 12

INSIDE: BIRMINGHAM FOOD SPECIAL JAGUAR’S NEW F-TYPE GLYNN PURNELL SUMMER STYLE PAR 3 @ NAILCOTE HALL OUTDOORS IN VINTAGE TRAVEL

YOUR COMPLIMENTARY COPY

WWW.DLUXE-MAGAZINE.CO.UK

4

CONTENTS. 06 WISH LIST

What’s on the top of our shopping lists and ringed in our diaries this season.

16 SPOTLIGHT

Food Glorious Food. The rise of the TV cooking talent show has been immense; we talk to judges from the two biggest shows ; Masterchef and The Great British Bake Off.

18 FOR HER

It’s time to dress for summer; garden parties, ladies days and long days on the beach; we’ve got you covered.

26 FOR HIM

Desert island grooming alongside summer suits and how to keep it slick by the pool.

30 MOTORS

We take the gorgeous new Jaguar F-TYPE for a spin.

32 HOME

We’ve gone inside out this issue with a little bit of upcycling along the way.

42 HEALTH

simple steps to the perfect beach body and a look at a new personal training experience in the city.

46 TRAVEL

Vintage retreats in the Isle of Wright.

48 DINING

A recipe from John Whaite, a review of Lost & Found and the chance to win a summer of food at Bullring.

18

52 DIARY

Who wore what where and what should be in your diaries this summer.

46

52

26

48 SIGN UP TO THE DLUXE MAILING LIST TO BE THE FIRST TO RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE NEWS, COMPETITIONS, OFFERS AND THE LATEST ON WHAT IS HAPPENING AT DLUXE HQ. www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

info@sixtynine-ltd.co.uk / www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk @dluxemag

/dluxemagazine

5

GROUP EDITOR IN CHIEF Jonathan Fraser Jon@sixtynine-ltd.co.uk ASSOCIATE EDITOR Matt Blackwell Matt@sixtynine-ltd.co.uk MARKETING Caroline Spence Caroline@sixtynine-ltd.co.uk ADVERTISING SALES Lilith Hunt-Sheppard Lilith@sixtynine-ltd.co.uk

HEAD OF FLUFFINESS Teddy Teddy@sixtynine-ltd.co.uk GENERAL DOGSBODY Rupert Rupert@sixtynine-ltd.co.uk

ISSUE 11

SUMMER 2014

A

Letter Editor SUMMER ‘14

MANAGING DIRECTOR Kevin Urquhart Kevin@sixtynine-ltd.co.uk

from the

At the time of writing we’ve just experienced a typical bank holiday of rain, rain and more rain. So much so in fact that that little bit of flashing by my chimney (that I never got round to fixing after March’s winds) decided to share the downpour with my overly insulated attic resulting in a guest room covered in dusty ceiling, sopping insulation and rain.

After much swearing, a trip up a ladder with some magic mastic and an afternoon of clearing up it was quite clear that rain really does stop play. To add to our lack of good cheer it was then that the European Parliament Election results started to pour in…

No matter what your political stand point might be – and we’re certainly not here to try and alter that- the fact that UKIP achieved such success is shocking, not because they did it but because the other political parties seemed arrogant enough to think that they couldn’t. Like my leaky flashing, ignore a problem and when the heavens open you are sure to have a problem on your hands and it is fair to say the UK political system does indeed have a problem.

So will this be a Summer of Discontent? Time will tell but in the meantime we hope you find some form of escape in the pages of our summer edition. We seem to have done nothing but chat this issue; inside you’ll find interviews with the likes of fantastic foodies Glynn Purnell, Greg Wallace and Paul Hollywood whilst former Great British Bake Off winner, John Whaite, has a special Mojito cake recipe that’s sure to hit the spot on page 48.

dluxe BIRMINGHAM & SOLIHULL

In our home section we focus on bringing the outside in and we’ve also got the inside track on this summer’s key Ladies Day events, as well as a look at how to dress to impress for the summer.

So no matter if it rains, escape the puddles with a leaf through our pages – just don’t put off checking the roof…

Until autumn,

SUMMER 2014 ISSUE 11

INSIDE: BIRMINGHAM FOOD SPECIAL JAGUAR’S NEW F-TYPE GLYNN PURNELL SUMMER STYLE COMPLIMENTARY

PAR 3 @ NAILCOTE HALL OUTDOORS IN

Jonathan Fraser Group Editor In Chief

YOUR COMPLIMENTARY COPY

VINTAGE TRAVEL

WWW.DLUXE-MAGAZINE.CO.UK

Cover Image: Model: Jade @ Models 1 Make-up: Becky Hunting Hair: Paul Jones Styling: Lizzy Gardner Photography: Garazi

Disclaimer: Copyright 69 & dluxe BIRMINGHAM & SOLIHULL No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publishers. Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy in compiling this publication, the Publisher cannot accept responsibility for any inaccuracies, omissions, breach of copyright or otherwise since compilation. The Publisher cannot be held responsible for any material submitted to the publication, not excluding advertisements. The views expressed within this title are not necessarily the views of the Publisher. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply recommendation by the Publisher. © 69 Magazine Ltd 2014

FOR EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES CONTACT: DLUXE BIRMINGHAM & SOLIHULL 59 FRIAR LANE, LEICESTER, LE1 5RB TEL: 0116 262 0728 www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

info@sixtynine-ltd.co.uk / www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk @dluxemag

/dluxemagazine

6

WISHLIST CRACKING YOLKS WITH GLYNN PURNELL Michelin starred brummie superstar chef Glynn Purnell has launched a book full of his most popular recipes alongside a collection of tales featuring the afterhours exploits of a celebrity chef. Dluxe BIRMINGHAM & SOLIHULL caught up with Glynn at the book’s launch to find out more.

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

7

Music comes into its own in the summer.

Whether it’s a garden gathering or a bank holiday BBQ, the musical accompaniment is fundamentally important. The sleek Bardot DAB and FM radio from View Quest harks back to a by-gone with a stylish retro handbag design era that has put it straight to the top of our wishlist.

Not only does it offer great sound quality but if you’re feeling generous you can let your guests choose the tunes thanks to the Bardot’s Bluetooth functionality and the accompanying View Quest app.

“I really wanted it to reflect my personality, the restaurant and how to entertain at home.

With 25 years in the industry, the book is also a nod to what happens behind the scenes of a busy kitchen. What really goes on behind those swinging kitchen doors! It is not an autobiography though.

I just lift the lid a little on what antics chefs get up too!”

The Bardot is available at Selfridges and online with Apple UK priced at £149.99

Many chef’s leave their home town when they make it big, why have you chosen to stay in Birmingham?

“It’s my home. Birmingham is where my family are and in my eyes, it is the centre of the universe! For a city once known as a culinary desert, I think we stand tall as a thriving destination for food.

Birmingham continues to go from strength to strength, with the emerging street food scene, four Michelin star restaurants and plenty of independent restaurants and bars across the city. I would like to think that I have played a massive part in creating that.”

So what makes Birmingham such a great city for foodies “Birmingham has a fantastic food culture.

We have restaurants at the high end of dining, quirky cafes, independent restaurants, popups and street food events taking over the city. Not to mention the variety of food events on the calendar. We are extremely lucky to have such a diverse food scene full of flavours and different cooking styles. It’s all happening and I am proud to be part of it.”

You can sample Glynn’s dishes at Purnell’s Restaurant 55 Cornwall St, Birmingham, West Midlands B3 2DH. Tel. 0121 212 9799 or try the recipes at home, ‘Cracking Yolks and Pig Tales’ is published by Kyle Books. RRP £19.99

FUNKY FLORALS It seems Heston Blumenthal is not content to restrict his unorthodox methods to the kitchen, as revealed with the launch of his signature range of glasses that fuse artisanal techniques with hand-sourced raw materials. Liquid nitrogen is used to freeze and shatter the flowers and plants that go into the frames, giving you a bespoke product that reflects Heston’s creative nature and takes inspiration from the purest pigments of nature. Different.

Prices start at £209 including lenses.

See more at www.visionexpress.com

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

dluxe wishlist

RETRO RADIO

We love the mixture of recipes and stories in the book, why did you decide to produce something so different from your everyday recipe book?

dluxewishlist

8

MAILBOX! A TASTE OF SUMMER AT

From cosmopolitan cocktails to feel-good food, Birmingham’s most stylish leisure and lifestyle destination, The Mailbox, is the perfect place to visit this summer.

The Mailbox is home to over 19 of

Birmingham’s most chic restaurants and bars so why not treat yourself to a spot of lunch or a fabulous cocktail at one of its waterfront venues? From Spanish tapas to a romantic steak dinner for two, there’s an irresistible choice of delectable dishes from around the world for everyone to enjoy.

18th20th & 25-27th July

Summer will also see the return of the popular ‘Taste of

The Mailbox’ event giving visitors the chance to sample some of the delicious world cuisine available. With a wide range of mouth-watering food and drinks samples to taste, the event is bound to add a splash of flavour to your summer.

If that wasn’t enough, visitors will also be able to get

involved in a series of free cultural events and activities planned this summer as part of ‘That’s MailboxLife’, a year-long festival of art and culture including musical performances as part of the Birmingham Jazz Festival (18 – 27 July).

For more information about The Mailbox visit www.mailboxlife.com

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

9

dluxe wishlist

Complimentary parking.

When you shop, dine or get pampered.

pennyblacks Dine at Malmaison Brasserie, Harvey Nichols Espresso Caf茅, Bar Epernay, Strada, Pennyblacks, C么te Brasserie and visit Toni & Guy Essensuals or shop at Harvey Nichols to enjoy a minimum of 2 hours complimentary parking at The Mailbox. Terms and conditions apply. Please visit the website for full details.

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

dluxewishlist

10

Radio’s Noreen Khan launches own couture fashion label DJ turned radio presenter Noreen Khan has created an exciting new label for the woman in collaboration with Birmingham based designer Gaby Manchanda. The label, known as Noreen Khan Couture, is aimed at women who wants to make a statement but also look effortlessly sexy and feminine.

The first collection includes several signature pieces such as the unique ‘one piece sari dress’ and and modern suits like the glam churidaar suit and quirky floor length Anarkali dresses coupled with fitted lace jackets.

Noreen said “We really wanted to create a line that embodies the beauty and spirit of Indian clothes with the modernity and functionality of the western lifestyle. This collection is for everyone who loves big hair, big make up and big fashion! We hope it’s going to be big!”

COUCH POTATO POOCH

To see the full range and for stockists visit www.officialnoreenkhan.com

Scruffs have released a luxurious Regent faux sofa for dogs; perfect for those who spend more time pampering their pooch than they do their other half! Prices start at £119.99 and the sofas are available in two sizes from www.petslovescruffs.com

CELEBRITY CHEF ATTRACTS HUNDREDS TO LEEKES COVENTRY Your cha nce to

WIN

dluxe-m

agazine

.co.uk

Local residents flocked to Leekes home department store over the bank holiday to see TV chef, Jean-Christophe Novelli, in action.

The Multi Michelin star chef showed off his culinary skills to packed audiences at a special event held in the fully-functioning Neff cookery theatre at Leekes, Coventry.

A few lucky customers even got the chance to sample some of Jean Christophe’s delicious French favourites before the celebrated chef signed copies of his new book, Simply Novelli – and even spared time to pose for a photos with shoppers and staff.

Tally Boots

Speaking at the event, he said: “It has been a pleasure meeting the people of Coventry today. Everyone was really enthusiastic about the food and I hope that they try out some of what they have seen at home.”

Julie Bowen, manager at Leekes Coventry, said: “Jean Christophe was a delight to have at the store. He was very warm and friendly with the customers and, of course, the food was incredible. “We have had lots of great feedback and, from the questions asked on the day, I’m sure Coventry residents will be inspired so cook up some treats of their own.”

Aimed at the festival goers and those wanting a welly with a little more style, Tally Boots have taken the original cowboy boot shape and added colourful and vibrant designs to make sure the range of boots are on the fast track to becoming the classic festival welly. Made from high quality rubber , cut close to the leg for a flattering look, the boots feature a two inch rubber heel that gives a fantastic little bounce to your walk. Easy to dress up or down with a well cut jean, a faded floral mini or vintage denim, they are the perfect way to ensure rain doesn’t stop play this festival season and are a snip at just £32 a pair!

In between the demonstrations, one lucky shopper received £1000 worth of vouchers to spend at the largest ‘destination’ home department store in the Midland s which offers everything for the home, all under one roof.

Available from www.taloloboots.com

We’ve got 3 pairs of each style to give away. For your chance to win some fancy footwear, visit www.dluxe-magazine. co.uk and click on competitions.

Leekes Coventry is at Junction 3, M6, first left before the Ricoh Arena, CV6 6PA (with ample free parking for customers) as well as at Bilston, Wolverhampton. Find out more at www.leekes.co.uk www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

11

Boot Camp. Eight letters arranged in such a way that vest them with the power to strike mortal fear in the hearts of most adult humans.

As the youngest – and supposedly fittest – member of the team, we sent Matt Blackwell packing to the heart of Herefordshire to explore the boundaries of fitness at a three day residential Xtreme Luxury Boot Camp.

Don’t let the word ‘luxury’ throw you off the scent though; we’re not talking Tai Chi and deep breathing here, this is military-style fitness with all employees either serving or ex-serving armed forces personnel.

From the moment you walk through the door you enter a disciplined environment in which the qualified instructors will push your body to its limit – and then a bit further – in the pursuit of whatever goals you came armed with.

Typically, the first ‘detail’ of the day will involve running. We were treated to a fourmile ‘Battle Run’ lead by James Evans, a Recruit in the Royal Marine Reservists and Xtreme Boot Camps co-founder who had us sprinting, jogging, jumping and crawling through mud, rivers, fields and over gates; all before breakfast!

After fuelling up on ‘scran’ you’ll be marched outside for the morning’s exercise session, which could comprise of anything from kettle bell workouts to intense circuits, performed either in the beautiful grounds of The Colloquy or in the heated pool. Post-lunch we were given the chance to slow things down a tad with a spot of yoga and after the evening meal you may be rewarded for the day’s efforts with some free time. That is unless someone in your troop was late (and by late I mean any less than five minutes early) or failed to arrive to detail fully equipped – as I did… twice – in which case, you can expect to be worked well into the evening, squat thrusting and lunge jumping your way to trim, tight and toned perfection. Put in a shift though and you’ll earn your reward as you relax in the sauna and hot tub or indulge in one of the spa treatments provided by My Personal Sanctuary.

Naturally, this level of exercise gives you an almighty appetite and come mealtimes we eagerly wolfed the clean and nutritious food that ex-RAF chef Terry placed in front of us, including a healthy selection of cereals, porridge and poached eggs for breakfast, salads and pasta for lunch, followed by a three course sumptuous feast in the evenings.

(and it wasn’t just muscle soreness) that I had learnt an invaluable lesson about my body’s capabilities and had uncovered a determination and unwillingness to give in that most probably stems from an inherent stubborn streak. After three days of extreme exercise I was heading home with a huge buzz that has since motivated me to push myself beyond my natural comfort zone in everything I do.

I guess the clue’s in the name really and make no mistake; Xtreme Boot Camps are not for the faint hearted, but if you’re serious about fitness, there really is no better service out there.

Xtreme Boot Camps offers avariety of camps over three, four and seven days starting at £495 per person. The next Xtreme Luxury Boot Camp will take place in September 2014. Go to www.xtremebootcamps.com for more information

As much as I abhor clichés, two of them crop up time and time again when people ask me about my boot camp experience: you get out exactly what you put in and if you skimp on effort or commitment, it’s only yourself that you’re cheating. As I boarded my train home I was struck by a feeling www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

dluxe wishlist

TAKING FITNESS TO THE EXTREME

dluxewishlist

12

KEEP IT CLEAN IN THE KITCHEN We love simple the simple clean lines offered by contemporary kitchen design so much so that we’re completely smitten with the SieMatic range of handle- free designs.

The minimalist deisgns have been perfected since SieMatic first launched a handle free range in 1960 and since then the brand has become synonymous with perfection in design, workmanship and function. We love the contemporary contrast of matt and gloss finishes with one colour scheme to create an unobtrusive modern and sophisticated design statement.

Slurp Yourself Slim

Designed to work very much as a cook’s kitchen with an eye on style, the timeless designs of the SieMatic range features almost limitless design option- regardless of how much space you have available. The minimalist design alongside clever storage solutions and interior accessories add to the high degree of functionality and makes the range work especially well in living kitchens where space is at a premium and design is of the highest importance.

Is it a juicer? Is it a blender? No, it’s an extractor! Whereas the aforementioned close relatives of the Nutribullet are often accused of stripping ingredients of their healthiest qualities, the new product taking the health and fitness market by storm actually breaks down its contents to their most nutritious, most absorptive state.

The SieMatic range is available at The Kitchen Gallery, Unit 2, 257 Birmingham Road, Stratford Upon Avon, CV37 0BF Tel. 01789 267 001 www.kitchengallery.co.uk

The Nutribullet is £99.95 from Selfridges www.selfridges.com

GADGET GARDEN The Smart Herb Garden is perfect for those who fancy themselves as green fingered but aren’t so keen on getting dirt under the nails. This nifty little gadget eliminates the guesswork by using smart technology to measure all the necessary parameters and then dose an exact amount of water, fertilizer and air according to the plant’s specific needs. The Smart Herb Garden comes with cartridges for basil, thyme and lemon balm and refill cartridges will be available for chili pepper, mini tomato, peppermint, rosemary, sage, sugar leaf and lavender. Look out for various kinds of lettuce and even strawberries in the future!

The Click & Grow Smart Herb Garden is available for £99.99 from www.2tech.co.uk

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

190X136 LISTINGS AD V2:Layout 1 14/05/2014 18:21 Page 1

13

Box Office 0121 236 4455

4 – 20 Sep

22 Sep – 4 Oct

10 Oct – 1 Nov

16 Oct – 1 Nov

12 – 15 Nov

Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Hackney Empire present

Martin Dodd for UK Productions presents The Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company and Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse production of

Birmingham Repertory Theatre and The Touring Consortium present

Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company, Baxter Theatre Centre and The Print Room present

Frantic Assembly and Theatre Royal Plymouth present

RUDY’S RARE RECORDS

By Danny Robins Starring Lenny Henry

THE KITE RUNNER Adapted by Matthew Spangler Based on the novel by Khaled Hosseini

OF MICE AND MEN

By John Steinbeck

SOLOMON AND MARION

By Laura Foot Performed by Dame Janet Suzman & Khayalethu Anthony

OTHELLO

By William Shakespeare Adapted by Scott Graham & Steve Hoggett

WANNA BE 23

dluxe home

TOP DOG? Birmingham Repertory Theatre is a registered charity. No. 223660

Facebook.com/birminghamrep

@birminghamrep

ARE YOU BEST IN BREED? We’re recruiting new sales professionals to work on our range of premium niche magazine titles.

WE’RE RECRUITING NEW SALES PROFESSIONALS

TO APPLY EMAIL YOUR CV TO JON@SIXTYNINE-LTD.CO.UK 2014

Competitive salary and great benefits available for the right candidate with the best pedigree. BY 30TH JUNE

EMAIL YOUR CV TO JON@SIXTYNINE-LTD.CO.UK www.69-degrees.co.uk

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

dluxe wishlist

birmingham-rep.co.uk

dluxewishlist

14

NEW PARENTS SLEEP EASY D-link is offering new parents a huge piece of mind with the launch of their new EyeOn Baby Camera. This high definition baby monitor bristles with features including wireless connectivity, temperature and sound sensors, night vision and remote access; allowing you to keep an eye on the newest addition to the family from anywhere at anytime. The EyeOn Baby Camera also comes with built in lullabies, high definition two-way audio and can be accessed via your smartphone.

The EyeOn Baby Camera costs £109.95 and is available at John Lewis

CAT-NAV! Let your furry loved ones roam as freely as God intended with the G-Paws Pet GPS. The ultra lightweight weatherproof tracker easily attaches to any collar, can be used for eight hours continuously and automatically powers down after five minutes of no movement. The G-Paws website has been set up as a social networking platform where you can create a profile for your pet and upload their journeys!

G-Paws Pet GPS £49.95 from Red5 www.red5.co.uk

SAFETY IN THE SUN A new bracelet and its companion app are offering women everywhere a sense of serenity in the sun by measuring exposure to UV rays. Netatmo’s June bracelet tracks UV intensity in realtime and can calculate your suggested maximum daily exposure depending on your skin type. The app features a summary of time spent in the sun, allowing the user to see when the UV rays’ impact on the skin was at its most intense and can then advise how best to protect skin on a daily basis. Not only is it an incredibly useful little gadget in avoiding sunburn and long-term skin damage, but also June’s elegant design makes it a stylish addition to any outfit, worn either as a bracelet or a brooch.

June is expected to cost in the region of £60 when it launches in the UK. Go to www.netatmo.com for further information

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

15

SHOP THE CITY THIS SUMMER

The long awaited summer is here and we couldn’t be more excited about the sensational seasonal styles hitting the stores in Birmingham city centre.

From cool pastel hues to bold brights and prints, SS14 promises to offer Birmingham’s shoppers something extra special to suit every size, shape, style and pocket.

This summer, some of the nation’s most iconic golfers and top celebrities will be playing at Nailcote Hall in the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship. From the 5th to 8th August , the most successful Ryder Cup captain of all-time, Tony Jacklin CBE, will host the championship.

The event is hosted annually at the picturesque Nailcote Hall located in the heart of the Warwickshire countryside. Over 10,000 visitors will flock to the venue to watch the event, featuring some of the country’s most famous faces as well as Ryder Cup legends Sam Torrance OBE and Ian Woosnam OBE. Another big draw of the Championship is the tented village where guests can relax or trial some of the latest golfing products.

Throughout the day, celebrities take to the stage for exclusive Q&A sessions about their careers; a once in a lifetime opportunity for many fans.

To find out more visit www.britishpar3.com or www.nailcotehall.co.uk

Whether you’re staying at home or jetting off to the beach, if you have a passion for beauty, Birmingham will not disappoint. Five department stores including Selfridges, House of Fraser and Harvey Nichols and a wide range of high street favourites offer top brands, treatments and industry experts to get you looking your best for the season ahead.

Make a day of it with over 1,000 stores and top independents to enjoy, plus stylish coffee shops, restaurants, bars and hotels offering alfresco dining and unique menus to while away the long summer days.

So what are you waiting for? Shop Shop!

For the latest news, offers, events and competitions from around the city centre, visit the new look ShoppinginBirmingham.com. Follow on Twitter @ ShoppinginBham #ShopShopSummer Like on Facebook or follow on Instagram at Shopping in Birmingham

Breathe new life into old things with Farrow & Ball

Revive your chairs, tables and cupboards with colour, or upcycle bargain finds from charity shops and flea markets with a choice of sophisticated shades from Farrow & Ball and their hard wearing range of Eggshell and Full Gloss paints. .

Paint a chair in fresh St Giles Blue to add colour, or paint drawers in grey tones graduating from Wevet right through to Mole’s Breath for subtle sophistication.

Whether you want to turn a tired piece of furniture into a piece of art, or just refresh items with a new colour, both the Estate Eggshell and Full Gloss paints are available in all 132 colours in the Farrow & Ball palette allowing you to be creative with colour.

For a matt finish use Estate Eggshell, a robust and durable finish that is easily wiped clean. Alternatively, high-shine Full Gloss is an extremely versatile and robust finish that will add instant glamour.

Farrow & Ball Estate Eggshell and Full Gloss paints are available from their store on Mill Lane Solihull or online at www.farrow-ball.com

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

dluxe wishlist

NAILCOTE HALL ANNOUNCES 2014 PAR 3 CHAMPIONSHIP

16

SPOTLIGHT The rise of the TV chef has seen us all salivating into our remote controls. Add in a dose of competitive spirit and reality TV drama and you’ve got us hooked.

Dluxe BIRMINGHAM & SOLIHULL catches up with two stars of the genre; Masterchef’s Greg Wallace, Great British Bake Off judge and thinking woman’s crumpet Paul Hollywood.

The baking profession may be of long and humble tradition, but Paul Hollywood, with his sharp blue eyes, distinguished silver hair and glamorous surname, was always destined for a rise to stardom. After making his name on the remarkably popular BBC show The Great British Bake Off, the 47 year-old is now gearing up to take his talents on the road as part of a UK tour.

It’s been quite a journey for the Merseyside lad, from the smaller stage of the family bakery to selling out concert venues across the country with a hands-on baking gig.

Prior to facing crowds of adoring fans, how does he feel about the upcoming tour?

“I really enjoyed doing demonstrations for the BBC Good Food show, so I’m not unfamiliar with the format. This was my chance to do something on my own though, and it’s like a kind of rock ‘n’ roll tour!

“The whole idea of the tour is to pass on my knowledge, what I’ve learnt over the years to people who are struggling or have problems with their baking.”

Hollywood’s desire to pass on the knowledge perhaps hankers back to his own baking beginnings. His knack with a rolling pin comes from a flour-filled childhood. “Mum looked after the pastry side, the apple pies, the biscuits,” he tells us. “My dad looked after the yeast side. So with the two of them as my parents I became a hybrid.”

So what kind of things will our fusion baker be performing on stage?

“The premise is for me to show off the recipes of my life – back from when I was a kid, right through my professional career and from starting on television to dishes that I cook now. And at the end of each show, four people will come up on stage and I’ll set them a baking challenge to go and do their best with in a set amount of time. The winner will be picked by the audience.

There will also be a roving mic so members of the audience can throw questions at me.”

Although the professional chef was brought up around the craft, and cites good friend Tom Kerridge as an inspiration, not to mention Michel Roux Junior who he describes as “quite frankly, a God,” the route to the very top of his profession was perhaps a lonely one. A younger Hollywood had to look to old cookbooks rather than motivating head chefs to help him break the mould.

“My family have been my inspiration throughout my whole career. But one of my problems was that when I moved into these big flash restaurants to go and work there I was head of the tree; I was the head baker and there was no one higher than me who I could ask for advice.”

In baking, it seems that sometimes looking backwards can be the way forward.

“So I was reading the old bakery books, and

We catch up with the baker as he prepares to perfect the recipe for his one-man show, the ‘Get Your Bake On Tour’.

getting inspiration from what was going on in baking a hundred years ago, or 200 years ago. That’s where I’d get my inspiration. I couldn’t get it from other bakers because they are almost doing the same thing.”

The “George Clooney of baking” as Johnathan Ross described him, has been kneading dough for around thirty years.

But when the last loaf is taken out the oven and the apron comes off, what is it that Hollywood likes to do to relax?

“I really enjoy walking the dog,” he smile.

“He’s a Labrador called Rufus – I named

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

him after [comedian] Rufus Hound, who’s a friend of mine. That’s my relaxation – walking Rufus or going out for a ride on my motorbike – it’s a sports bike though, I hate Harleys.”

What about hanging out with Mary Berry?

Do the pair get on as well off screen as they do on it?

“Working with her is such a laugh. I do get the giggles a lot. Mary is lovely. I see a lot of her outside work, and am very fond of her and her whole family.”

17

Image by Charlottle Knee

We quizzed the MasterChef host about his love of food, and what he gets up to when he’s not facing a dinner plate.

Gregg Wallace is best known for co-hosting the MasterChef and Celebrity MasterChef series on the BBC, alongside fellow foodie John Torode. The pair have worked up an appetite for pushing chefs to their absolute extremes over the years, and their highpressure challenges have produced equally spectacular and disastrous results.

Of course, Wallace’s no-nonsense, gregarious approach to judging in the kitchen has made him a bit of a fans’ favourite. There must have been plenty of great moments from the series. What have been the best memories?

“I think the aside from some fantastic dishes, what really stands out with MasterChef is the travelling we’ve been lucky enough to enjoy. We’ve been to some amazing places. Amongst my favourites I think are Thailand and India, where there is such a strong food culture and yet so different to our own.”

That said, the emergence of an incredibly rich, vibrant and varied culinary offering in Britain is something, undoubtedly, to be proud of. Does Gregg feel the diversity of food will continue to expand or have we reached a peak?

“We are very fortunate in this country to have such a broad range of food available

to us. In London, especially, it’s an incredible offering. I can only think of one comparable city, really, and that’s New York. We have such cultural diversity and that is expressed brilliantly in a huge number of eateries. What does surprise me, and it’s happened in the past five years or so, is that Asian food has become our takeaway or cheap lunch of choice. I think that fish and chips have gone and the noodles have taken over. I reckon that will continue and I think we will take on more and more influences, especially I think the healthier cuisines.”

Starting his life as a greengrocer, Wallace knows the ins and outs of healthy, fresh and seasonal produce. As we enter Spring, what are his tips for finding the best vegetables?

“We are now at one of the most exciting times of the year for fresh produce, which you can pick up at the old-fashioned greengrocers. The first of the broad beans, the start of the runner beans and spring peas are all coming through. There’s the first of the Cornish new potatoes too, and the Jersey new potatoes are just around the corner. And, of course, the ultimate in luxury vegetables, asparagus!”

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

Aside from his love of vegetables, Wallace has another very well known food romance, perhaps even more deeply rooted.

“I do love puddings. Not desserts… desserts is a French word. In this country we have puddings, Sir.” With a huge grin across his face, he tells us, “I love them because they’re so unnecessary; they are purely an indulgence. They’re a present to ourselves and that why I love them. And when Britain was in the culinary wilderness of cuisine with the rest of Europe laughing at us, we were still world leaders in the big, thick, sticky sweet puddings. We do it very well.”

Outside of talking about, and sampling, plenty of amazing food, how does escape the culinary world?

“MasterChef takes up a lot of my life, but when I’m not doing that my favourite pastime, funnily enough, is fitness and gym work.

I’m in the gym six days a week, sometimes twice a day. People don’t realise that I’m also a qualified rugby coach and I absolutely love my rugby. Another thing people don’t realise about me is I’m a very keen amateur historian, so my house is stacked full of reference books.

All those things, and I love my children – I’m a single parent and I love spending time with them. It keeps me busy, and busy is good!”

18

WOMEN

dluxe woman

1

Perfect for relecting the heat, white is the staple colour choice when attending the traditional summer sporting pursuits, ladies days, weddings and garden parties that fill up our diaries.

Ladies, it’s time to step up and dress up writes Sy Ann Holden. www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

19

2

4

GROWN-UP GLAMOUR This summer, opt for the ultimate in ladylike dressing with a wardrobe that simply oozes with elegance. Plump for fashion’s chicest palette – black and cream – with lace detailing and intricate embellishments. CONSTANTINE TZIAMBAZIS, Manager for Womenswear and Personal Shopping at Harvey Nichols Birmingham, selects the pieces guaranteed to wow, whatever the occasion.

6 7

5

8

9

10

11

12

1. Alice by Temperley top £245; Parker shorts £310, 2.Saint Laurent Tribute patent sandals £545, 3. Red Valentino fine knit jumper £295, 4. Lulu Guinness lip wallet £75 (Click & Collect), 5. By Malene Birger sequinned blouse £295, 6.Givenchy leather tote £1,385 (Click & Collect, 7. Alice + Olivia lace-trimmed jacket £345, 8. Alice by Temperley lace weave dress £295, 9. Philip Armstrong lace panelled dress £785, 10. Alice + Olivia chiffon dress £430, 11. Raoul printed silk dress £450 (Click & Collect), McQ Alexander McQueen lace print dress £265.

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

dluxe woman

3

dluxe woman

20

5 1

2 6

3

4 7

ENGLISH RIVIERA

14

8 15 Indulge in this season’s sorbet shades and transport yourself to the English Riviera.

Feeling washed out? Try working this trend with golden yellows or peachy tones.

11 9 10

12

13

1. next Sunglasses £35 2. tedbaker Bestuck Purse, £89 3. Floral Dress £100 Debenhams at The Fort Shopping Park 4. whatsabouttown Enamel And Swarovski Crystal Ice Cream Pendant £24.95 5. topshop £68 Fuse green floral dress 6. womens riviera white crop trousers, £26 Dune 7. women’s riviera peach square cut crop £49 Mint Velvet 8. cleob.com, Ringo multi Kitten Heels £175 9. Balenciaga Le Dix Clasp Sandals, £505 Cruise 10. topshop Lemon dress £85 11. tedbaker Cosette Dress, £139 12. Colour Block Floppy Hat £12 Dorothy Perkins at The Fort Shopping Park 13. Lilac Fold Over Clutch £15 Dorothy Perkins at The Fort Shopping Park 14. Wrap Dress £35 Debenhams at The Fort Shopping Park 15. Peach Strapless Dress £39.99 H&M at the Pavilions

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

BEAUTY ESSENTIALS

L’OCCITANE AT

DON’T MISS BERT & GERT’S VINTAGE CRAFT MARKETS EVERY LAST FRIDAY AND SATURDAY OF THE MONTH!

PLUS CHAR WALLAH EVANS.H&M.LAURA ASHLEY M&S.MOSS.PHB AND A 700 SEAT FOOD LOFT

dluxe woman

22

PASSPORT, TICKET ...

AND BEAUTY ESSENTIALS! You don’t need to leave your favourite beauty products behind on the bathroom shelf when you head off to warmer climes. HELEN GOUGH, Manager of Beyond Beauty at Harvey Nichols, picks her hero travel sets.

1

Whether it’s the heat of Hawaii, the romance of Rome or the temptation of Thailand, wherever you’re heading for your summer sojourn make sure you take your everyday beauty essentials with you to keep you pampered and preened for your holidays. Find suitcase room for luxurious travel sets, packed with a host of miniature must-haves and ensure you keep up your daily beauty regime away from home.

Acqua Di Parma £56

2

Benefit £25.50

4

3

Cowshed £22

Creme de la Mer £335

5

6

Dr Hauschka £60

LIFE’S A BEACH

Elemis £68

But the packing needn’t be…dresses and co-ordinates are a good pick for practical packing and can be styled for day and night.

Eve Lom £75

Percy & Reed £24

MoroccanOil £34

Strivectin £53

8 7

1.olivergoldsmith Kiss in Black Quartz £850 2. Marc by Marc Jacobs plastic shopper.

Harvey Nichols 3. Myablue Beach Kaftan - £80 www.BrownsLingerie.com 4. Versace bikini top £120 Harvey Nichols, 5. floral fan £5 accessorize, 6. fitflop flora urban white £65, 7. Office Hyper sandal £35, 8.dune Monochrome Floppy Sun Hat £29, 9.Valentino studded plastic sandals, £170, Harvey Nichols

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

GLASSES TO DIE FOR They’re the sought after specs that have A-list celebrities such as Professor Green, Wretch 32 and film director, Spike Lee clamouring to own a pair and so coveted that people have literally been dying to wear them State-side – and now they’ve made it across the pond to the Second City.

Thankfully, Birmingham optician Shafik Haji of Eye Opticians has no such issues at his stores in Edgbaston and Barnt Green where his clients include company directors and Premier League footballers – all whom are loving the Cazal ‘in yer face’ styling.

The specs and sunglasses feature gold-plated bridges and are made from materials including python skin and are easily the hottest eyewear brand on the planet this summer. The heavy-set frames – for men and women - are for the most stylish and fearless fashionista and are certain to be on the wish-list of the Birmingham glitterati this season. We love them.

Cazal - or Cazzes as they are known - are the ultimate in designer eyewear chic and a wardrobe staple for many of today’s iconic figures of stage, screen and the music industry. But their meteoric rise to the forefront of global fashion has come at a price - and we don’t mean the £500 plus price tag. In the 1980s there were three murders in Philadelphia where youths were literally killing each other in street robberies to get their hands on a pair. Otis Gregory, 24, was stabbed to death by a man he accused of stealing his Cazals. William Sanford was shot and killed on Broad Street in North Philadelphia by a man who snatched his Cazals and James Himmons, 19, was stabbed to death by a man who snatched his at a party. Opticians in the suburbs had to employ security guards as raids were commonplace – such hot property have they become!

44 Islington Row, Edgbaston, B15 1LD.0121 456 5676 28 Hewell Road, Barnt Green, B45 8NE, Tel 0121 445 4545 www.eyeopticians.co.uk

dluxe woman

HOT IN

24 Mixed with black, metallics and flashes of hot pink or worn head to toe, the white trend is anything but angelic. As wearable for a perfect Summers day as it is for the office.

2 1

THE CITY 4 3

5 7

6

8

9

WE LOVE THESE BAGS! 10 11

1. Tortoiseshell Sunglasses £17.50 M&S at the Pavilions 2. Oasis Watch £30 3. Bionda Castana ERIKA Sandals, www.youngbritishdesigners.com, £510 4. Ted Baker Embellished Textured Shift Dress £169 5. marksandspencer best of british £249 M&S at the Pavilions 6. missguided Necklace Detail Flute Sleeved Blouse £17.99 7. accessorize White Snakeskin Wallet £15.00 8. jaeger Textured Sumer Coat £350 9. Coast Laura Dress, £135 10. www. youngbritishdesigners.com Danielle Foster CAITY Rucksack £470 11. marksandspencer Best of British Magenta Satchel £299 M&S at the Pavilions 12. Marisota Cutwork detail bag £25.

12 www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

25

dluxe woman

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

dluxeman

26

MAN Give yourself a thorough dressing down; it’s Summer after all…

Image: F&F

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

27 2

3

4

5 5

6

Suits you

7

Be more Milan this Summer and pick up some of the High Street’s cooler shades for suiting. Keep ‘em peeled for breathable fabrics no matter whether you’re office bound or celebrating in high society.

8

9 12

10

11

13

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

1. Clements & Church Peach Herringbone Shirt £149.95, 2. Clements & Church Floral print Tie £79.95, 3. Ralph Lauren Hudson Chinos £110 Selfridges, 4. Reiss Prom B Sage Jacket £225, 5 Briefcase £150 Debenhams, 6. Matalan Pocket Square, 7. Alexander McQueen Black and Cream Lace Jacket £2025 Harvey Nichols, 8. Dune Tan Rupert Loafers £135, 9. Ted Baker Arwan Blazer, £250, 10. Rotary Gents Stainless Steel Pocket Watch With Roman Skeleton Dial £229, 11. Primark Floral Tie £2, 12. Debenhams Bow Tie £16, 13. next Weave Shoes £45.

dluxe man

1

dluxeman

28 3

1

DESERT ISLAND

Wish List

2

As Private Shopper at Harvey Nichols, JOHN PAUL MCGUIRK is spoilt for choice when it comes to the latest men’s grooming must-haves. But if he was stuck on a desert island with just four products to his name, what would they be?

ACQUA DI PARMA COLONIA INTENSA AFTER SHAVE BALM, £39: This luxurious balm is designed to hydrate and minimise irritation after shaving.

Lightly perfumed, skin is left scented with the delicate fragrance of the label’s signature Colonia Intensa scent.

It’s also jam-packed with natural ingredients, including aloe vera gel, grapevine extract, almond oil and wheatgerm.

4

6

5

Chillax

7 7

8

Loosen that tie and slip off those shoes but remember, to chillax is to be cool so make sure your outfit reflects your inner state of classic calm rather than your inner couch potato.

9

ELEMIS TIME DEFENCE EYE REVIVER, £39: The skin around your eyes is way more sensitive than the skin on the rest of your face so you need an eye cream which is effective but does not overload. This lightweight anti-ager is clinically proven to reduce the depth of wrinkles and increase hydration, great after sun exposure.

10 12

9

1.Camo Shorts £44.99, Superdry, 2. dotcomgiftshop Vintage Glasses Case,£4.95 3. Appleandbee Travel Wallet, £24.99 4. Ralph Lauren Sunglasses £60 5. Blue Suede shoes £59, M&S at The Pavilions 6.

Adidas Originals x Jeremy Scott Shorts, £60 Atoo Menswear, 7. Brian Lichtenberg T-shirt, £65, Harvey Nichols, 8. #5 cap, £35-2, Harvey Nichols, 9. Hans Orange Backpack, Sandqvist, Liquor Store, £130, 10. Bracelets from £3.99 H&M at The Pavilions,11. Olier & Boiler Shorts £33, www. bangandstrike.com,12. Luke 1977, Polo Shirt £60,13. Givenchy Sandals, £400 (Click & Collect), Harvey Nichols

DR JACKSON’S COCONUT MELT BALM, £10: With only 100% organic coconut oil, this little pot of magic is solid at room temperature but melts to the touch.

It is ideal as an all-over everything cream, but is a marvel for soothing dry lips. Don’t get stranded without it!

11

13

LAB SERIES BB TINTED MOISTURISER, £35: Already a favourite of the fairer sex, BB creams just about do everything ... camouflage imperfections, SPF protect, hydrate, improve tone and boost radiance. This summer essential also adds a little colour to your cheeks.

All items featured are available from Harvey Nichols Birmingham.

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

Exciting New Dealership Alternative iAuto UK commenced its franchise roll out in Solihull earlier this year, where the first of 15 state of the art services centres due in 2014 opened for Business.

The company was founded in Coventry in 2009 by former financial recruitment consultant Andy Fox. Its business is as a professional main dealer alternative for the service and repair of German brand vehicles and Land Rover. The Solihull franchise is the result of a six-figure investment by

local businessman, Kamran Saleem, who has become the brand’s first national franchisee. Located at the town’s Monkspath Business Park, the launch has created 8 new jobs with another 10 expected by the end of the year, as the workshop has the capacity potential to accommodate up to 40 cars per day. Mr Saleem aged 32, born and educated in Solihull, who is also a director of a Birmingham based accountancy and asset finance business, has confidence that his new venture will deliver for the

iAuto UK brand. “I have absolute confidence that our focus on professionalism and value for money will be well received by local consumers.

In time it could pave the way for further investment in other sites.” iAuto UK is an approved member of the Office of Fair Trading’s service and repair code, ‘Motor Codes’, run in association with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Technicians are registered with the national Automotive Technician Accreditation. The large workshop was opened in January by Solihull town

Mayor Joe Tildesley and the Right Honourable Lorely Burt MP, who remarked: ‘I am delighted that Solihull has been selected as the first location for this exciting new franchise business and welcome the entrepreneurial

investment to the area.

It’s vital for the benefit of motorists that we retain a vibrant and competitive automotive sector, so i wish the team at iAuto UK every success.”

dluxemotors

30

Fantastic F-TYPE Coupe

By Chris Russon

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

E

31

dluxe motors

NZO Ferrari described the E-Type Jaguar as the most beautiful car in the world.

Yet the E-Type that Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons first showed off at the Geneva Motor Show back in 1961 was a fixed head coupe while the open top roadster waited in the wings.

It took more than 50 years before Jaguar was to produce another two seater when the F-TYPE arrived last year – a sensuous convertible with awesome performance.

Now comes the F-TYPE Coupe and it has even more venom.

The coupe is available in ultra high performance R specification with an astonishing top speed restricted to 186mph and supercar acceleration of 0 to 60 in four seconds dead.

It is a firebrand in every way and described

by Jaguar as the most dynamically capable, performance focused car it has ever made.

That’s a big claim but the F-TYPE R lives up to it by demonstrating amazing agility and balance.

Fitted with torque vectoring control and an electronic active differential it manages the huge amount of power the 550ps supercharged five-litre V8 engine pumps through the rear wheels with complete composure.

Shod with carbon ceramic brakes – a £7,400 option on top of the £85,000 asking price – the new Jaguar showed its mettle when put through its paces on a race track in central Spain.

The stopping power is immense reining in the car surely and swiftly from speeds in excess of 150mph while through the sharpest of bends and cruel cambers the handling was faultless as the systems kept the car in check.

The noise from the four exhausts – artificially enhanced to produce a soundtrack to delight any race car fanatic – is unmatched in this day and age and crackles and pops just like the legendary Le Mans winning Jaguars of the 1950s.

It is an interpretation of all of Jaguar’s heritage in a car that is bang up to date.

while the design of the rear window is a straight flashback to the E-Type.

Inside, as with the F-TYPE convertible the cockpit is intimate yet high tech and functional.

Golden finishes on the starter button and drive mode selector separate them from the other controls while an eight-inch colour touchscreen for the sat nav, onboard computer and communications systems sits below a bank of retractable vents which emerge from the top of the dash when the climate control is activated.

Although the coupe has a much more practical boot than the convertible – 315 litres to the parcel shelf which translates into enough space for three flight cases – it is still purely a two seater and side vision to the rear is limited. A parking camera is a must and the power operated tailgate is another useful option.

R logos are embossed in the leather seatbacks and all the trim is finely stitched – a classy finish for a classy car.

The coupe will be arriving in the next few weeks with the R model becoming the flagship of a range that also includes two three-litre supercharged V6 versions priced from £51,235 for a 340ps model or £60,245 for

Made entirely from aluminium the coupe is not only light in weight – the R tips the scales at 1.6 tonnes which is little more than a MINI – but it is also very rigid.

With wide rear haunches its swooping lines are punctuated with aerodynamic tweaks that create a car that looks as fantastic as it performs.

A glass panoramic roof is an option which subtly alters the coupe’s poise as do stand out paint jobs which include a delicious rhodium silver and a rich dark blue.

Perhaps it looks its best in bright salsa red with chrome detail in the side vents and around the windows highlighting the smooth lines.

A spoiler pops up from the tailgate at motorway speeds adding the equivalent of 18 stones in weight to the downforce www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

a 380ps F-TYPE S Coupe.

While not quite as devastatingly quick as the F-TYPE R they are still out of the top drawer of Jaguar performance cars.

Both V6s hover around five seconds 0 to 60 and all F-TYPEs have eight speed quickshift auto gearboxes with a stop/start system.

Fuel economy is largely irrelevant for this type of car but Jaguar is claiming 32.1mpg for the V6, 31.0 for the S and 25.5 for the R with emissions of 205, 213 and 259 respectively.

On our drive in the F-TYPE R we saw an average close on 23 to the gallon while a cruising 70mph run in the F-Type S resulted in 34.5mpg showing considerable grand tourer potential with a range in excess of 500 miles from the 15.8 gallon tank.

They are gorgeous, uncompromising sports cars, some £7,000 cheaper than the roadster for the V6s while the F-TYPE R is £5,000 more than the V8 convertible but in a league of its own in the Jaguar stable for sheer performance.

It’s British sports car motoring at its best.

Stratstone Jaguar, 144 Bromford Lane, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham.

Tel. 0121 384 9348 www.jaguar.co.uk

HOME

dluxe home

32

This summer the focus is on bringing the outdoors indoors and making it great. From wallpapers and textiles to statement furniture and accessory pieces it’s good to go outdoors.

Wallpaper from the Exposed Collection: From ÂŁ27.95 per roll www.galeriewallcoverings.com

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

33

Bring the outdoors in From floral fabrics to modern terrariums, bring a little of the outside back in with you this summer.

2

3

5

4

7 6

8

9

1. English garden collection candles £16 each thewhitecompany 2. Embroidered insect cushion £25 Marks and Spencer 3. floral distressed cabinet £199.99 homesense 4. indoor allotment £24.99 thegiftoasis 5. BHS Robyn Table Lamp now £42.00 6. Neutral wood table £325 nakeninteriors 7. carolyn donnelly eclectic, berry lotus tealight holder £4 dunnesstores 8. large floral jug £19.50 Marks & Spencer 9. child’s willowarm chair marquisanddawe £89

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

dluxe home

1

dluxe home

34

S

ummer is here and with it we can look forward to an injection of colour and warmth after what has inarguably been a dark and dreary winter. We caught up with lord of home interior design Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen at The Ideal Home Show about a recent change in the direction of interior decoration, and what we can do to encourage light into our homes.

“At the moment it’s all about the excitement of fashionability in interior decorating,” LlewelynBowen imparts. “I think that’s lovely; it shows that as a nation we’ve become much more confident as interior decorators.”

It seems that the clouds over Britain have finally parted, and our interiors are taking note.

“You know, we’ve all been wanting to bring a sense of that gorgeous British ‘outdooriness’ into our homes to celebrate the fact that the days are getting longer, the weather is getting sunnier and the floods have receded – finally! I was on the verge of actually growing my own rice at one point!”

“There’s a real feeling of the year having moved on now; let’s indulge ourselves in bright, light optimistic decorating.”

Llewelyn-Bowen notes a certain move away from the emphasis on modernity and technology that has dominated the interiors scene for the past couple of years. If this is the case, will we be seeing more classic British interiors in the following months?

“One of the things I find very interesting is that technology is looking much more retro. And as an interior designer, I really like that. I really like the fact that everything from a light switch to a digital radio now looks good in one of my interiors, rather than my interiors having to live up to these big black lumps of technology that we had a few years ago.”

This move towards the retro is terms of both design and decoration should be viewed in a positive light.

“I think that actually as a nation we are using retro in a very intelligent way. We are not doing it to run away from the future, we are actually taking the past with us into the present and then into the future. And I think that is an important distinction – interiors a few years ago were very introspective. And I loved that, I think people found the outside world a scary place, a very challenging place so they wanted their interiors to be a real sensual overload that allowed them to forget about the drudgery of day to day living. But I think now it’s like someone has opened the curtain,” he offers. “Someone’s opened the windows and there is a fresh breeze blowing in.

It’s much less dark, things are much less cocooning, things now are much more engaging, much more confident, much more hopeful.”

Home Comforts

If you, too, want to embrace this more hopeful outlook within your home, one sure-fire way to embrace this lightening of mood is perhaps the easiest one of all; by making the most of your windows.

“One of the most efficient things you can ever do with the amount of light that comes into any room, is to have them cleaned.” Llewelyn-Bowen informs us. “It was something I didn’t realise until quite recently! But actually it’s really straightforward.

You can increase the amount of light coming into a room by about 30 per cent when you have your windows cleaned which are just crazy.”

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is an ambassador for The Ideal Home Show www.idealhomeshow.co.uk

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

The essential ingredients for your kitchen

Transform your kitchen into a versatile and stylish space complete with quality cabinets, smart storage solutions and innovative appliances - as well as the fabulous finishing touches to complete your space.

Whatever your preferred size or style of kitchen, we offer extensive choice from leading brands, unrivalled expertise from our knowledgeable staff and affordable prices, monitored against competitors to ensure that we won’t be beaten on price.

Leekes Bilston, Great Bridge Road, W Mids. WV14 8LB Leekes Coventry, Junction 3 M6, W Mids. CV6 6PA Tel: 0845 050 8240 | Online leekes.co.uk

Make the most of the good weather by keeping your outdoor space comfy!

7

8

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

1. summer at home picnic image by marksandspencer. wicker wine bag £15.60 2. fire pit £279 Marks & Spencer 3. geo wire table £75 oliverbonas 4. La Hacienda small clay barbecue chimenea £69 Sainsburys Home 5. woven glass jug £4.99 homesense 6. Gazebo Nordina finish £699, Marks & Spencer 7. homesense outside lounge 8. memory lane paper tablewear prices from £1.25 Sainsburys Home

dluxe home

36

2 3

1

Bring the INDOORS OUT 4

5

6

37 37

dluxe home

GARDENING

Whether you’re a budding botanist or a green-fingered god, the garden is definitely the place to be this summer.

The Royal Botanic Gardens features 121 hectares of gardens, botanical glasshouses and a beautiful orchid sanctuary, making it the perfect destination for a summer stroll.

Kew Gardens, London

SUMMER STAPLES We love the new range from Burgon & Ball, who pride themselves on their 280-year heritage and are offering everything you need to get your green space garden party ready this summer.

The Birds and the Bees Bees are an essential part of our ecosystem and their numbers are dwindling. Help push their numbers back up with these bee friendly seeds.

IS THE PEN MIGHTIER THAN THE SPADE? Over the years, Alan Titchmarsh has become as commonplace on the British gardening scene as Miracle-Gro or the Chelsea Flower Show. At 65-years-old, the established horticulturalist has become synonymous with gardening, whilst also finding the time in between his television work to write fiction novels. We spoke to him about how he goes about sharing the workload between writing and gardening…

Alan’s interest in gardening began early on, spending time with his grandfather’s allotment at a very young age. “I’d built a greenhouse out of polythene and wood by the age of 10, and just loved gardening from being about eight. I always wanted to do it. I’ve got a picture of me in tiny baggy bloomers aged about 18 months being walked through my Granddad’s sweet peas…”

Sixty years on, the green-fingered veteran shows no signs of slowing down, proving that gardening truly is accessible at any age. “If I could hope anything, I would hope that I’ve made gardening a little bit easier to understand.”

Trim and Tidy

Top of the Topiary

There is a place for everything and with these tidy tins everything can finally be put in its place.

Become the envy of your neighbours with a perfectly preened garden thanks to this introduction to topiary kit.

Plans are afoot for Titchmarsh to continue his broadcasting, “I’m filming a series at the moment at Buckingham Palace. I’m doing a two-part programme about the Queen’s garden there, which is exciting. There’s also a new Series of Love Your Garden coming this summer, and I’m doing a show called Britain’s Best Gardens too, where we’re going to try and find 30 of the UK’s best private domestic gardens.”

It seems clear through talking to him that Titchmarsh is very much a salt of the earth chap. With his roots in British culture and inarguably a national treasure, he ends our conversation on a fitting note.

“I love this country,” he says. “I’m devoted to Britain and its landscape, and keen to get more people out there appreciating what we’ve got.”

Bring Me Home by Alan Titchmarsh is published in hardcover

by Hodder & Stoughton at £18.99

All products featured available from www.burgonandball.com www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

HOT PRO

dluxe home

38

Whether you’re looking to move or are just a bit nosey, dluxe BIRMINGHAM & SOLIHULL saves you the trouble of trawling the property market by bringing the region’s most luxurious homes together in one place.

6 bedrooms, Chad Road, Edgbaston, £1,900,000 Restored to an exceptional standard with great attention to detail, skilfully blending exquisite period features with contemporary design. This luxurious and elegant home benefits from the retention of many outstanding period features, whilst at the same time providing a home equipped for modern day family living.

The refurbishment has included upgraded and updated boilers, radiators and heating system, new doors and architrave, rewiring and plastering with great attention to detail, even down to the Forbes & Lomax lighting control switches. Located in a sought after residential road having its own gated entry and walled garden to the rear, within a short distance of central Birmingham. The property is approached via a gated in & out drive through electrically operated gates with a brick built wall with decorative planters and a block paved driveway providing parking space for several vehicles.

Fine & Country Solihull, Joseph House, 970 Stratford Road Shirley Solihull B90 4ED Tel. 0121 738 2156

Mansion, Somerset Road, Edgbaston £2,975,000 An impressive and substantial 8 bedroom Victorian property, synonymous with Edgbaston’s period stucco architecture. This large period property extends to over 12,000 ft sq, the property sits well back from the road and occupies a prominent position set within the exclusive Calthorpe Estate with over 2 acres of land included .The elegant proportions and fine period features are retained throughout the property giving a feeling of splendour. Character is apparent throughout this period property with the tall and ornate ceilings, fine marble fireplaces and tall sash windows. The sense of grandeur comes from the elegant and light rooms, notably on the raised ground floor where the reception rooms are stunning and provide excellent areas to entertain. The accommodation is set out over three floors. On the lower ground floor is a large kitchen/breakfast room along with bedroom 8 and an impressive storage area to include a wine cellar, larder and utility room. The remaining 7 bedrooms are arranged over the top two floors. Three generous double bedrooms and a single on the first floor, served by an en suite to the master and further shower room and three double rooms on the top floor.

Circle Sales and Lettings, 99 New Street Birmingham B2 4HQ Tel. 0121 629 0401

Duplex in the City. King Edward’s Wharf, £479,950 A beautifully presented 3 bedroom duplex apartment situated in the popular canal side development. The property benefits from having three bedrooms, two with ensuite, bathroom, wc, spiral staircase leading to the open plan lounge diner, kitchen and laundry room. Doors to the terrace overlook the beautiful canal. The property also benefits from having an allocated parking space.

Maguire Jackson, 26 Waterfront Walk, Birmingham, B16 8JZ, tel: 0121 634 1520 www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

OPERTIES 39

A Grade II Listed Georgian townhouse of considerable character and charm. Fully refurbished in recent years, the property comprises reception hall, drawing room with conservatory off, dining room opening to kitchen, ground floor bathroom, cellar, master bedroom with en suite, two further first floor bedrooms and house bathroom, loft bedroom on the second floor. Driveway parking to the front, large garden to the rear.

Robert Powell, Birmingham 7 Church Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 3SH www.robertpowell.co.uk

Gentleman’s Residence, Edgbaston, £2,750,000 An extraordinary detached Victorian Gentleman’s Residence of substantial presence offering comfortable and delightful family accommodation comprising approximately 7600 sq ft. The property has been recently extensively redeveloped, extended and updated amalgamating state of the art technology skilfully dovetailed with elegant period features to emanate immense charm and considerably desirable practicality.

Fine & Country Solihull, Joseph House, 970 Stratford Road Shirley Solihull B90 4ED Tel. 0121 738 2156

LUXURY LIVING AT SCARLET OAK. £POA Redefining the urban lifestyle in the heart of the Midlands, Scarlet Oak can be found just a quarter of a mile from the centre of the cosmopolitan town of Solihull.

This outstanding collection of 28 luxury apartments welcomes the best of modern living accommodation, uniquely bringing together far reaching parkland and the temptation of award winning shopping facilities. The property, designed over three floors exclusively for the over 55s, is styled using a mix of materials to achieve refreshing, welcoming construction that balances the charming leafy surroundings of Warwick Road. Selling fast, your are urged to register your interest without delay.

Property features: Quarter of a mile to cosmopolitan town 28 luxury apartments Tranquil leafy suburb location with excellent transportation links Intelligently designed for easy living Understated elegance in design both externally and internally Secure electronic gated private parking Attractive landscaped gardens available via private access Door entry systems providing secure restricted access to the complex Integrated modern living areas with fully fitted kitchens featuring the latest technology Elegant master bedrooms with en-suites and walk-in wardrobes.

York Laurent, Century Works, 12 - 13 Frederick Street, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham B1 3HE, Tel: 0121 236 5757 www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

dluxe home

Victorian Villa, Charlotte Road, Edgbaston. £649,000

FAMILY

outfit by next

OPEN EVENING OFFERS OPPORTUNITY TO MEET NEW HEAD Rated the top Midlands independent school by the Sunday Times, King Edward VI High School for Girls is preparing to welcome its next generation of bright young girls to its enriching academic programme.

and allow to cook slowly and caramelise for approximately On Thursday 3rd July 2014 prospective parents and pupils will be ALL ads set KEHS.qxp_May ad set 2012 04/06/2014 09:09 Page 76 • For the honey shallot relish: 15 minutes while you make the invited to spend an evening at the school to explore the facilities on • 1 tbsp olive oil rest of the dish. offer and meet some of the friendly staff and pupils. This Summer • 10 shallots, peeled and finely Open Day is a fantastic opportunity for those undertaking the life In a small casserole pan, melt sliced changing decision of choosing a secondary school to experience the butter and add the chopped • 2 tsp runny honey ‘the unique blend of tradition and innovative thinking at the heart shallots and garlic, cook on a • Salt & Pepper of KEHS.’ low heat for 3 – 4 minutes until • For the fritters softened.

• 50g butter Recently welcoming new Principal, Ann Clark, the school continues Add 50g of the flour, mix well • 8 shallots, chopped finely to focus on academic excellence. ‘It was a huge thrill to get the job,’ then cook out for 1 minute on • 2 cloves garlic, crushed Mrs Clark said. ‘The girls’ happy faces, their music-making, their a low heat.

• 100g plain flour intellectual curiosity, their fund-raising all reveal a school offering an • 100ml milk Pour in the milk slowly, then excellent, rounded education.’

• 100ml goats’ cheese, crumbled add the goats’ cheese, mix well • 8 leaves fresh basil, shredded and leave to cool. Add the basil Consistently ranked top of the national league tables for both A level • 2 eggs, beaten and season to taste. and GCSE, the school offers girls the drive and negotiation skills for • 50g white breadcrumbs career success and KEHS’s close knit, nurturing community ensures sixtynine Roll the mixture into balls, • vegetable oil that girls from all backgrounds fulfil their full potential. adding the last 50g of flour as quarter page (92mm wide x 136mm high) well as the egg and finally the To find out more about the upcoming open evening visit Method: breadcrumbs, repeat in the egg www.kehs.org.uk or call 0121 472 1834 Start with the relish by heating and again in the breadcrumbs. the olive oil in a heavy based When ready to serve deep fry panl. Add the sliced shallots in some hot oil at 180°C for 3 – and then the honey, combining 4 minutes until they are a light well. Turn down the heat golden colour.

Ingredients:

Open days

Filo jam tarts

Thursday 3 July 2014 5.00 to 8.00 pm

KEHS KING EDWARD VI

HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

Edgbaston Park Road Birmingham B15 2UB Telephone 0121 472 1834

www.kehs.org.uk

Ingredients: • 10g unsalted butter, melted • 4 sheets filo pastry • Zest of 1 orange • 16 tbsp Streamline Jam

Method: Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4.

Brush a filo sheet with half the butter; cover the other 3 sheets with cling film or a damp tea towel so they don’t dry out.

Sprinkle half the orange zest over, spreading out with the pastry brush, then lay another filo sheet on top.

With the long edge of the pastry closest to you, cut in half from top to bottom, cut each piece in half again so you have 4 equal strips, then cut each strip into 4 so you have 16 squares. Gently press the squares into a holed baking tray.

Repeat the process with the 2 remaining pastry sheets, placing a second square on top of the first at a slight angle.

Fill each case with 1tbsp of Streamline Jam. Don’t over fill them. Bake for 15 mins until the cases are golden then remove from the oven and set aside until the jam has set and cooled

People

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

dluxe family

Why settle with pre-packed soggy sandwiches when you can jump into the kitchen and rustle up something really special in no time at all? Try these crispy shallot and basil fritters – perfect with any dip – or for those with a sweeter tooth: a jam tart with filo pastry.

dluxe family

42

Fun in the Sun You can’t beat spending summer days outside with a good old picnic. Birmingham has no shortage of luscious greenery, with Canon Hill Park and the Botanical Gardens as well as the city centre escapes of St Paul’s Square and the Cathedral Green all offering fantastic al fresco options, so get reacquainted with nature and enjoy the scenery!

1 A spot of stylish shade

3 5

4

2

1. summer fun teepee £150, myweeteepee 2. John Lewis Tropicana Tumbler, Lime, £2 3. Floral vintage doily flask and cup, £12.95 from dotcomgiftshop 4.

AnnabelJames Kissing Rabbit picnic Coolbag, £37.95 5. mini kids backpacks, £9.95 dotcomgiftshop

Get the whole family involved in garden games and crafts. With ‘playing out’ verging on a vintage concept summer is the perfect time to go back to Victorian times and teach your children all the games your great grandparents used to play. Draw hopscotch with vibrant Crayola chalks or show them the traditional game of quoits.

5

3

1

2

4 1. Stealth Archery set £16.95 Red5 2. Flower press kit £14.95, dotcomgiftshop 3. Traditional badminton set £16.95 dotcomgiftshop 4. Kids farm shop playhouse, £29.95, dotcomgiftshop 5. T-shirt Markers, £8.50 Smiggle, Bullring 6. Quoits family garden game £17.00 www.aspace.co.uk

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

6

HEALTH 43

With the arrival of lighter nights and spring blossom in the air, most of us have one thing on our minds – SUMMER! And with this comes the annual fear of baring all on the beach…

Luckily for us Alexis Fletcher, Personal Trainer, blogger and nutritionist is on hand with her basic 4-week guide, designed to firm up those problem areas through a combination of high intensity workouts and healthy eating.

There is no such thing as a miracle fix, but this will certainly set you well on the way to achieving that fabled beach bod!

Warm Up Perform each exercise for 1 min: - Star jumps.

- Jog on spot.

- Lift alternate knees up to chest.

- Kick alternate feet back up to bum.

- Arm circles forward and back.

Resistance is NOT Futile Choose one exercise from each muscle group; perform it for 1 minute before repeating the circuit a further two times (with 30 seconds rest in between). Increase exercise time to 1.5 minutes after week two

Bum Squat Jump (plyometric):

Crash Course Cardio Perform each exercise for 1 min and carry out 3 circuits in total: - Skipping - Burpees - Hula-hooping Finish your cardio section with 10 minutes of running or cycling alternating between fast and slow pace in one-minute intervals.

Use the discount code FLEXGRID to get 10% off some great equipment such as hula-hoops and skipping ropes at w w w. G y m R o o m . com

Stand with your feet hip width apart, push your hips back and jump up as high as possible landing in a squat position and repeat.

Lying Bridge: Lie on your back with a weight on your stomach (a few copies of dluxe magazine will do!) knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Squeeze your glutes together to lift yourself up and repeat.

Leg Lift: On all fours, lift one leg parallel to the floor behind you, flex your foot and lift your leg towards ceiling. Lower down and repeat with the other leg.

Arms

Stomach

Push Up (plyometric):

Flutter Kick (plyometric):

In a normal push-up position, lower yourself to the floor, then with an explosive force push off the floor so that your hands leave the floor. Repeat.

Lying face up squeeze your abs and glutes as you alternately kick your legs up towards the ceiling, ensuring you keep them off the floor the whole time.

Tricep Dips:

Lunge Twists:

Find a hard, heavy surface around knee height then sit on the edge, with your hands either side of your hips. Straighten your legs and lower your body down as deep as you can before lifting yourself back up.

Repeat staying as close to the edge as possible.

Stand holding a weight with two hands. Stride out into lunge position and twist with your obliques to the side your leg is out on. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other leg. Twist and shout if you feel the need to!

Tricep Raise: Kneeling down grab a suitable weight. Holding with both hands lift behind your head and straighten your arms up. Dip the weight down towards the floor before straightening the arms again. Feel the burn!

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

Wide Row: Sitting on the floor place elbows on 2 sturdy chairs. Bend knees 90’ and lift feet off floor. Press elbows into chairs and push chest forward as you pull your knees in. Row, row, row your boat….

Try and do this 4-5 times a week and mix it up each time for variation. It’s important to keep your body guessing and helps with motivation!

dluxe dining

SHAPE UP FOR SUMMER!

dluxe dining

44

Meal Plan Though vital to get in good shape, exercise is not the be all and end all. To achieve the physique of your dreams, you’ll need to assess all areas of your life,including the dreaded D-word: diet.

Snack:

First thing:

Piece of fruit or unsalted nuts

Dinner:

Hot water with lemon for detox

Breakfast:

Smoothie: Choose your own selection of fruit or veg. For protein add nuts or protein powder and if you want some extra liquid add water or almond milk. A healthy fat such as flaxseed oil or coconut cream always goes down well, as does some extra flavour in the form of cacao or ginger.

Half a plate of veg like broccoli or spinach, a quarter of protein such as fish or chicken and make up the rest with low-GI carbohydrates like quinoa or millet.

Protein is important first thing in the morning as it keeps your blood sugar levels low and will help keep you from reaching for the biscuit tin later in the day!

Lunch:

1 lot of raw veg like cherry tomatoes, 1 filling veg such as avocado, 1 dressing like olive oil and balsamic and 1 protein like chicken (grilled), top with chili flakes (optional).

Dessert: Natural yoghurt with berries, grapes or cherries (good to eat at night as grapes hydrate you and cherries help you sleep) or a couple of pieces of dark chocolate (minimum 75% cocoa).

Drink lots of herbal tea and water and if you need that caffeine fix have a coffee an hour before your workout to give you that extra buzz!

Use natural products such as honey to sweeten things and season everything to enhance taste; easy on the salt though!

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

45

dluxe health

TRAINING FOR THE INDIVIDUAL We are all ‘time poor’ nowadays and trying to cram a gym session into an already overburdened schedule can be a real challenge. The added frustration of too few machines and too many people along with a distinct lack of professional advice in most ‘supergyms’ means that, when we do actually make it to the gym, our visit is at best ineffective, and at worst, downright dangerous due to poor technique and a lack of proper tuition.

Kaizen Fitness was set up in direct response to this problem; making sure that the time you invest maintaining your health and your fitness is actually time well spent.

With a focus on performance coaching, whether for general conditioning, weight loss or improvement for a specific activity, the journey at Kaizen starts with a goal and a plan to achieve it. Through well developed and intelligent training programmes and a personal motivation strategy, the Kaizen method is designed to train each client holistically and ballistically!

With 20 years’ experience in strength and conditioning, head trainer Darryl Canham has a passion for coaching and developing aspiring high performance individuals. A very experienced trainer, having directed companies and management teams as well as sports teams and training facilities, Darryl knows what it takes to maintain a healthy appetite for personal achievement.

“For me a body, as well as looking aesthetic, should be capable of performing well in a variety of athletic environments” says Darryl. “A better state of health, improves your outlook and your confidence. People admire and respect a person in great shape, it makes a statement about you, about your self-discipline and your work ethic.”

With a client base made up of all kinds of men and women, particularly many local company directors, Kazien certainly seems to understand the demands and the stresses of corporate life and what it takes to succeed in today’s high impact, corporate world.

Training at Kaizen is undertaken in a private gym meaning no distractions, no waiting for equipment and no need to feel self conscious or out of place. It also means there’s nowhere to hide, the focus of your time is on you! This fits in with the Kaizen ideal; Kaizen translates as the Japanese concept of ‘continuous improvement’ and the one to one training environment ensures that each visit to Kaizen Fitness is a unique one. “We tailor each session not only to the person, but to their individual requirements at the time of the session” explains Darryl, “Often, if someone comes to a session fatigued, an overly intense workout will be detrimental to the client so we quickly change our focus for the day based on what they need to get the best results. It’s very common to get a text after a session from a client to tell me how great they’re feeling, no matter what level of intensity we’ve been working at” explains Darryl.

Kaizen Fitness is at www.kaizen-fitness.co.uk

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

“Life can be incredibly demanding and we realise how precious the time invested in training and health is, which is why we work hard to build individual programs around busy lives and schedules” explains Darryl, who often puts together training programs for when clients are ‘on the road’ “ You don’t need lots of kit or a gym, just an imagination and big bag of motivation…”

dluxe travel

46

Be Prepared!

A Scout Hall in the Isle of Wight honours the promise of a vintage girlie weekend, writes Lesley Bellew

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

47

A

dluxe travel

s a group of five women we’ve been a long, long way together. We’ve chopped and changed careers, homes and sometimes men, as well as sharing the hatch, match and dispatch landmarks - but one area of our lives has remained constant, warts and all, our friendship.

That was a heavy conversation on the Wightlink ferry from Portsmouth to Fishbourne but it augured well for our return to the island which most of us had not visited since a school journey.

Now one of our ‘Golden Girls’ had decided to get married for the first time, aged 56 (‘I didn’t want to rush into anything,’ she said), we were off for a weekend in a renovated Scout Hall, on the south side of the Isle of Wight.

The sign outside the former Chale Scout Hall declared ‘Be Prepared’. Was that to warn the locals we were about to descend on the village or was there a surprise in store?

Right on both counts.

The ‘oohs and aahs’ started early as the cute green building with red and cream paintwork glistened in the sunshine. Once through the original double doors we stepped into a film set.

We dashed from room to room; delighting at the vintage furniture and mix of retro accessories.

There were flying ducks on the wall, blankets and banners sewn with Scout and Guide badges and bus destination signs in the hallway proclaimed a roll call of seaside resorts - Ryde, Bembridge, Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor.

We flipped a coin for the bedrooms.

The bride-to-be shaked, rattled and rolled into the Elvis room, complete with life-size cut-out of The King to keep her company and a retro radio for sing-a-longs. The bridesmaids danced into the African Queen room which was complete with leopard skin-style bedcovers and a tallboy wardrobe made out of an old suitcase.

In the Sixties room, we loved the wallpaper printed with old bus tickets and the melamine dressing table complete with glass vanity set, brush and mirror. If only we’d brought our mini-skirts. Well, maybe not.

Even the pale blue 60s toilet suite, complete with black seat and lid, brought back some memories – and who was caught reading the Ladybird ‘How to Swim’ and ‘Scouts’ books left on the side?

The vintage atmosphere got the better of us and we went into memory lane hyperdrive. We felt very much at one among an eclectic mix of 20th century classics (in more ways than one).

The upstairs open-plan living space ensured the shape of the building was not lost. We crashed out on a huge, L-shaped red leather sofa and opened the glass doors onto the deck with views across the bay.

Mobile phones were off and bubbly on ice so we toasted the bride-to-be and our friendship that was forged and has endured, give or take four decades.

We settled into a rare combination of luxury accommodation that’s not only comfortable but makes you smile at every corner. Kitsch came by the dollop but corners had not been cut on creature comforts. Decent mattresses and quality bedding, unlimited hot water(!) and a second bathroom with probably the best view in the Isle of Wight.

After more bubbly came a chaotic make-up session, followed by the pre-requisite Mr and Mrs quiz where the bride-to-be was suitably embarrassed by having to admit the weirdest place she had made love.

We ignored the retro ship’s galley kitchen and wandered along, in just two minutes, to the Wight Mouse for dinner, staggered back to talk through a rubbish film (well, nobody could remember it in the morning) and crashed out still laughing and eventually dreaming of well, happy days.

Our morning’s paragliding was postponed due to low cloud, which was probably just as well. So, for old time’s sake, we hired bikes and took to the road.

Lonely Planet rates the Isle of Wight as No 1 in the world for cycling. At Chale, there’s a series of hairpin ascents along the western shoreline and the Military Road sweeps down to Totland, so we decided to drive there the next day and opt for a gentler bike ride through the countryside.

country lanes, stopping to watch a ploughing match when we needed a breather. After a coffee and cake pit-stop we discovered an enchanting National Trust garden at the Elizabethan Mottisham Manor and later dreamed up more excuses to rest and take photos by a watermill and various pastel-painted thatched cottages. Free-wheeling down to the Sun Inn, at Hulverstone, gave us all a buzz and we arrived, surprisingly, all in one piece.

Island Cycling Adventures customises gentle outings for families through to 60-mile tours to circumnavigate the island, one call and they turned up at the Scout Hall with the bikes, helmets and two guides.

On our last day we walked off another boozy night along the Tennyson Downs, saw our first red squirrel in the gardens at Osborne House and later lazed at Compton Bay, a glorious two-mile stretch of bucket and spades beach.

Cycling for softies was the order of the day and we pedalled through the

Why had we left it so long to go back to the island?

ISLAND FACTS The Scout Hall sleeps up to eight in four bedrooms: 2 King, 1 King/Twin, 1 bunk room • All linen and towels provided • Copious central heating – no meters • TV with Freeview and DVD player; radio /CD/ iPod dock, phone / WiFi • Private parking • Prices from £250 mid-week, £545 for a weekend or £780 for a week • Contact Vintage Vacations www.vintagevacations.co.uk • Island Cycling Adventures www.islandcyclingadventures.co.uk More details at www.visitisleofwight.co.uk

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

DINING 48

BAKING DELIGHTS...

Baking enthusiasts across the globe will recognise John Whaite as the lovable winner of the third series of The Great British Bake Off. We met the law graduate turned patisserie chef to talk about why he turned his back on the courtroom in favour of the kitchen.

John Whaite Bakes At Home is published by Headline £20 - Food photography Matt Russell

John Whaite hasn’t put down the whisk since his stint in the bright white tents of The Great British Bake Off. After claiming the top prize over eleven other amateur bakers competing in the popular baking series, a level headed Whaite decided to continue his culinary education in classroom conditions. Now, with a Le Cordon Bleu patisserie diploma under his belt and two well-received cookbooks on the shelves, Whaite looks fondly back on his Bake Off experience.

“It was probably the most fun I’ve ever had in my life,” the softly spoken baker tells us.

“We’d be out on a Friday night, enjoying food and drinks, then be off to the tent on a Saturday to start filming. Months later, you think, ‘Oh crumbs, I’m being watched by 7 million people and I’ve just done a woody woodpecker impression!’” he laughs. “So it’s daunting, but it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.”

Whaite’s been busy developing his own recipes of late, catering for home bakers old and new. From al fresco dining to grab-andgo delights, his latest offering, John Whaite Bakes at Home, has a personal edge.

“The cookbook sort of epitomises what home baking means to me. It describes how baking at home can be literally at home or it can be with your friends on a Friday night making pizzas and sharing beers.

There’s also some great picnic recipes in there because it’s starting to get sunnier, the days are getting longer. It’s a book that demonstrates what home baking is to me, with simple, tasty recipes.

This cake is absolutely perfect for long sunny evenings, and it goes without saying that it should be accompanied by a tall glass of the liquid form. The rum part is entirely optional but let’s face it: without the rum there’s no Mojito!

Ingredients • • • • • • •

9 eggs, separated 450g golden caster sugar 230ml water 160ml sunflower oil 380g plain flour 1 tsp salt 3 limes, zest only

For the filling • • • • • •

400ml double cream 200g icing sugar 10 large mint leaves, finely chopped 3 tbsp white rum (optional) Lime Curd

For the topping

ITO CAKE JOHN WHAITE’S MOJ SERVES 12–14

• • • • • • • •

250g icing sugar Juice of - to 1 lime Lime zest to decorate Essential equipment 28cm/11-inch round, loose-bottomed cake tin, ungreased Disposable piping bag fitted with 10mm nozzle

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/Gas 3.

2. Place the egg yolks, sugar, water and oil in a large mixing bowl and beat together until smooth. Sift over the flour and salt and beat in along with the lime zest until well incorporated.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, then fold gently into the batter. Pour the batter into the tin and tap the tin lightly to expel any air bubbles.

Bake for 60–75 minutes, until well risen, golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Invert on to a wire rack to cool upside down.

4. Make the filling by whisking the cream and icing sugar to soft, floppy peaks, before folding in the mint, and rum if using.

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

5. When the cake has cooled, remove from the tin and slice horizontally into two even layers. Place one on a cake board or large cake stand and spread it generously with the lime curd. Fill the piping bag with the cream and pipe in neat concentric circles over the curd in two layers, then top with the other cake half – I like to use the bottom half and place it upside down so the flat bottom makes an evenly flat top.

6. Make the topping by beating together the icing sugar and lime juice, using as much juice as is necessary to achieve a spreadable but not too runny water icing – add more icing sugar or lime juice as necessary.

Spread this on top of the cake and even out. Finish with a scattering of lime zest.

49 DINING WITH

We’ve just enjoyed the new Birmingham Wine Festival at the Hyatt Regency on Broad Street and the The CBD Food Festival returns for a fourth year to present a packed entertainment programme including cookery and cocktail demonstrations from top chefs, mixologists and baristas in the District. Venues taking part include Purnell’s, Opus at Cornwall Street, Hotel du Vin, The Bureau and Chung Ying Central.

LOST & FOUND

Inside is a little botanical oasis unlike anything Birmingham has seen before. They’ve created little areas each with a character of its own. You can have breakfast meetings in their secret boardroom, lunch in the dining room or drinks in the little bar hidden behind the bookcase or cocktails in the Botanical Garden.

I loved the indoor garden area the most. Here you’ll find yourself beneath a canopy of botanical plants, lit birdcages and captured butterflies.

Just some of the little quirky features that makes this venue unique.

We tried out the new lunch menu and were tempted by a whole array of good old British fayre. I started with a crab shielded by a windbreaker.

And followed that up with creamy mushrooms on toast. We ordered the Hand battered fish of the day, that came with fat chips, mushy peas and tartare sauce. It was a stonking hunk of a fish but surprisingly we finished it.

The cocktail menu looked like it had been created by some mad Victoria mixoligist from his potion box. They have re-discovered forgotten classics and created their own concoctions with premium spirits, homemade syrups and beautiful garnishes. We had the rye old fashioned and the rum old fashioned which were very potent! www.the-lostandfound.co.uk

LUNCH

Had you heard of Five Guys Burgers and Fries? No neither had we, but it’s the latest exciting big name arrival at Bullring.

The US chain have already opened in London and Manchester and are gaining a reputation for some epic tasting burgers!

Five Guys focuses on serving high quality, fresh burgers and fries, and you can customise your order with an extensive choice of toppings. Apparently there are 250,000 possible ways to order a Five Guys burger! You’ll also be able to try the restaurant’s Coca Cola Freestyle touch-screen soda machine, which includes over 100 flavour varieties. So looks like it will be Burger Heaven in the Bullring! www.fiveguys.co.uk

DINNER

Thai Brasserie is a delightfully bijoux little restaurant on Station Road outside Touchwood Shopping Centre.

It’s a bright and spacious venue over two floors, elegantly decorated with golden Buddhas and other Thai inspired ornaments. The menu is quite extensive and you can find all your favourites here such as satay, spring rolls, tamarind duck, nasi goreng, pad thai and mussaman curry. Head Chef Peach Batpun is a star in the making and the exuberant friendliness of the staff make it a real treat to dine here.

Upmarket Thai restaurants outside the city centre are few and far between so this should do well with the upheeled restaurant crowd of Solihull.

What better way than to enjoy a modern take on old British institution than have two Indians try a traditional Afternoon Tea! This Victorian concept is currently enjoying a comeback at some of the city’s top hotels, so we popped to The Hilton Garden Inn to try their classic fayre of traditional tea, finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam and a selection of cakes at the very reasonable price of £12.95 per person. With an optional glass of champagne at £8.75, it seemed great value for less than £20 per person.

The rectangular sandwiches are beautifully arranged on an elegant cake stand, they were so perfect, they looked like they were precision cut with a laser!

The honey roast ham with English mustard and the Scottish smoked salmon were particularly sublime. Lovely miniatures like chocolate éclairs and walnut cupcakes adorned the second layer with some warm scones and jam on the bottom. The traditional and delicious accompaniments of thick fresh cream and sweet, juicy jam, all served beautifully on an afternoon tea stand. There’s even a delicious Citrus Sorbet designed to cleanse the palate.

AFTERNOON TEA

For those of you who haven’t discovered the Lost & Found in the city’s business district it’s a real gem of a place. You’ve probably walked past the entrance to this Grade II listed building on Bennetts Hill and not known that it has been transformed into a whimsical world known as The Lost & Found. Playing homage to the Victorian era, you’ll discover a vast hideaway, full of hidden gems and forgotten secrets discovered by their imagined owner Hettie G. Watson.

For divine food inspiration visit : www.msdeliciouspr.blogspot.com

www.thaibrasseriesolihull.co.uk

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

You can top up your teapot, as many times as you wish from a selection of Twining’s teas including traditional English Breakfast, Earl Grey and Lapsang Souchong. In classic cool white surroundings, this is a special treat at a price that won’t break the bank.

dluxe dining

a t i n A

Hey good looking. What’s cooking? Not much really as we have been invited out loads this spring. All in a good cause to show the great people of Birmingham how great the food scene is.

dluxe dining

50 There’s nothing more delicious than the British summertime and just in time for the warmer weather, Hotel du Vin has launched a new Al Fresco menu that boasts the best tastes of the season. Fresh, seasonal ingredients – plus their signature wine list and new colourful cocktails – can be enjoyed in their beautiful bar, Bistro or open air Courtyard (with a Wimbledon-style sliding roof, just in case).

Hotel du Vin Launches Al Fresco Menu and season of Wine Tasting Events

Bringing together some lighter, flavourful interpretations of bistro classics, the Al Fresco menu features dishes such as Watermelon, Feta and Red Onion Salad or scrumptious Chargrilled Corn-Fed Chicken with Citrus and Watercress Salad. Puddings include classics such as Baked Vanilla Cheesecake and Scottish Strawberries with Crème Chantilly.

As the name denotes, wine is at the heart of Hotel du Vin. The flavours of summer ring out in a specially chosen selection that debuts with Champagne by the glass and bottle, brings whites from the Kentish hills to the vineyards of Spain and chosen summery reds from France and the sunshine state, California. In fact, Hotel du Vin are hosting a number of wine-tasting events and dinners over the summer, which are not only great fun, but a fantastic way of educating your tastebuds.

For those who lust for a liquid lunch that packs a punch (literally!) check out their Hendricks Summer Punch orGinger Brewski. Beer aficionados are not neglected either with both local and international craft and fruit beers as well as Aspall’s Suffolk Dry Cyder.

PENNY BLACKS REVEALS NEW LOOK

“This is such a wonderful time of year, the first few glimpses of Summer give us all a bit of a boost and I can’t imagine a better way to embrace that feeling.

A glass of Pink Laurent Perrier or some Hendricks Summer Punch, with Watermelon & Feta Salad and Scottish Strawberries with Crème Chantilly . . delicious! Come and join us,” says Tony Elvin, General Manager Hotel du Vin is @ 25 Church Street, Birmingham, B3 2NR. Tel 0121 2000 600. www.hotelduvin.com.

WIN! The kind people at Hotel du Vin are offering 1 lucky reader (and guest) the chance to join them for one of their wine tasting dinners in September. Furthermore, as none of us advocate drink driving, you’ll also experience a one-night B&B stay at the luxury four-star hotel.

To be in with a chance of winning, simply visit www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk and click on competitions.

One of The Mailbox’s most popular waterfront bar and restaurants, Penny Blacks Wine & Ale House, has undergone an exciting new refurbishment which has included a brand new layout and décor.

The new layout now features a number of different tailored zones including party booths, a more relaxed lounge area and a new cocktail bar.

at The Mailbox we thought it would be a good time to refresh our own venue.” The Mailbox is currently home to a wide variety of Birmingham’s most chic waterfront restaurants and bars which will remain open throughout the redevelopment.

Offering everything from cosmopolitan cocktails to feel-good food, The Mailbox is the perfect place to visit this Spring.

Popular with city professionals and visitors to The Mailbox, the restaurant also launched a great new menu including stone baked pizzas, sharing plates and light bites designed to complement the broad selection of wines and real ales on tap.

Tarah Hewitt, marketing manager at The Mailbox, said: “With preparations already underway on The Mailbox’s redevelopments, it’s great to see existing venues demonstrating their continued commitment by undergoing their own exciting refurbishments.”

Nicola Roberts, general manager at Penny Blacks Wine & Ale House, said: “We love our current waterfront positioning and with all the exciting redevelopments taking place

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

Keep up to date with developments at The Mailbox by visiting www.mailboxlife.com

It’s one of our favourite times of the year; warm lazy evenings, cocktail in hand on the Spiceal Street terrace overlooking St Martin’s Square. Welcome to summer at Bullring.

SUMMERDINE WITH BULLRING

There are new scrumptious menus to explore at Jamie’s Italian and Browns Bar and Brasserie, tastebud-tantalizing dishes at handmade burger Co. and divine fine Thai dining at Chaophraya Thai Restaurant. And of course there’s nothing better than a celebratory glass of Prosecco on the terrace following a successful shopping trip.

And for those with a sweet tooth be sure to visit on Saturday 26th July to take advantage of complimentary candyfloss as our SummerDine team roll into Birmingham. You’ll also be able to pick up discount cards that will give you exclusive food offers all summer long.

It’s all about the dining sprees this summer so we’ve teamed up with DLUXE to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a £200 Bullring gift card to spend on dining out this summer.

Spend it how you wish whether it be an intimate dinner at Jamie’s Italian, a well-needed catch-up with friends at handmade burger Co. or an after work cocktail with colleagues after work.

For more information about summer at Bullring visit www.bullring.co.uk/summerdining.

Full competition terms and conditions are available online.

For your chance to win this £200 Bullring Giftcard visit www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk and answer the following question…

What’s the name of Jamie’s Oliver’s restaurant at Bullring?

START YOUR SUMMER ON THE TERRACE

Situated on the edge of the prestigious Brindleyplace development, why not start your night on the terrace of the Hilton Garden Inn. Enjoy cocktails, fine wines or a chilled glass of Prosecco either after work with colleagues or at the weekend with friends. Indulge in one of our delicious sharing platters, or a selection of dishes from the Nibbles section of our light and varied menu.

1 Brunswick Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham. B1 2HW Tel: 0121 643 1003 www.birminghambrindleyplace.hgi.com Facebook.com/hiltongardeninnbirmingham

DIARY

dluxe diary

52

Pet Shop Boys 13 June @ LG Arena The Pet Shop Boys’ ‘Electric World Tour’ is a culmination of their numerous greatest hits. They have been named the most successful duo in the UK in music history by The Guinness Book of Records and are known for their live performances, making this appearance at the LG Arena a very special one. www.lgarena.co.uk

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

Home Away From Home Exhibition runs until 3 August @ Birmingham Museum

‘Home Away From Home’ portrays the experiences of women in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s migrating from Mirpur to Birmingham and the impact their heritage had on their new lives through photographs, artefacts and oral history. This gallery has been developed by Go Women! Alliance Community Interest Company as a way of showing how people change and adapt to heir situations in spite of language barriers and other adversities. www.bmag.org.uk

La Fille Mal Gardee 11- 15 June @Birmingham Hippodrome

This has been popular with the whole family since its creation by 1960, telling the story of the beautiful Lise and her journey of courtship and love and her battle against her mother over whom to marry. This story of rural bliss turned upside down is both charming and comical, and a special ballet that is well worth watching. www.birminghamhippodrome.com

BBC Good Food Show 12 – 15 June @ NEC Birmingham

LOCKE PREMIERS IN BIRMINGHAM

BBC Good Food are back with their incredible food festival.

A plethora of celebrity chefs including Paul Hollywod, Mary Berry, MasterChef’s Dhruv Baker and Great British Bake Off winner Frances Quinn will be at hand to show off their skills in the kitchen, and many will also be at hand for book signings.

This is the place to be for foodies this summer, for wine lovers, cooks and bakers alike. www.bbcgoodfoodshowsummer.com

Woman in Mind 13 – 28 June @ Birmingham REP

One afternoon Susan finds herself lying on the lawn of her suburban garden, concussed by a garden rake. The family doctor is tending to her and soon her handsome husband and the rest of the family arrive home to spoil her. But when her real husband – a vicar whose main love is writing the 60-page history of the parish – arrives home, it becomes clear that Susan has created an entire fantasy family as an antidote to her real one.

A devastatingly funny and poignant play about a woman slowly unravelling from one of the world’s most frequently performed playwrights; Alan Ayckbourn. www.birmingham-rep.co.uk

Birmingham’s glitterati turned up en masse as the city hosted yet another celebrity film premier. Locke, starring heart throb Tom Hardy, was directed by Birmingham film maker Steven Knight and follows one man’s journey from Birmingham down the M6. As every mile passes we see Locke’s life change irreversibly. Locke is very much a film about the drama of everyday life and is incredibly tense with Hardy putting in the performance of his career so far.

Fans lined up to see the star walk the red carpet before attending VIP parties at both Malmaison and Nuvo bar.

dluxe diary

54

HILTON GARDEN INN SCORES WITH CITY VIPS

Penn & Teller 15 – 16 June @ New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

Sir Ranulph Fiennes 18 June @ Town Hall, Birmingham

The legendary comic magician duo will be touring the UK for the first time this summer, performing their classic magic tricks live, with a dash of their unique humour and audience participation thrown in for good measure. The pair have defied labels and at times, good taste, as they have redefined magic over the past 40 years with a series of sold out runs on Broadway and world tours to boot. Birmingham is one of only three cities lucky enough to host one of magic’s most outrageous and innovative teams so make sure you don’t pass this opportunity up!

Being the first British OAP to climb Everest is one of Sir Ranulph Fienne’s many achievements as an explorer. He will be coming to Birmingham to delve into his past experiences, including his hovercraft expedition up the Nile and the discovery of the Lost City of Ubar among many others. His tales of death-defying adventure are enthralling and captivating.

www.atgtickets.com

www.thsh.co.uk

Dawn French: 30 Million Minutes 18 – 20 June @ New Alexandra Theatre

Henry IV Part II 18 June @ Warwick Arts Centre

Over 100 VIPs turned up to kick the summer off in style at the annual Hilton Garden Inn Summer BBQ. This year the exclusive event featured a World Cup theme with guests enjoying specially created cocktails and enjoying sporting activities such as table football and team quizzes.

The event was held in aid of Ronald McDonald House, the Hilton Garden Inn’s charity of the year. General Manager, Nicola Underhill said “It was a great success – raising money for charity, showcasing the many new facilities at the hotel and giving local business people the opportunity to mingle and network. We are really proud of our great menu and the City Cafe is proving increasingly successful.”

To make a reservation, please contact the Hilton Garden Inn, 1 Brunswick Square, Brindley Place, Birmingham B1 2HW, Tel: 0121 6431003

Fresh from his production of Richard II, Artistic Director Gregory Doran explores Shakespeare’s historical plays further with this production, following the life and problems faced by Henry IV. The cast include Antony Sher, Jasper Britton and Alex Hassell, portraying the relationship between the King, his son and the Knight Flastaff and how the Prince must choose between the two. www.warwickartscentre.co.uk

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

30 Million Minutes is Dawn French’s first ever solo tour, allowing even more time for the audience to laugh at her stories and words of wisdom that she has learnt over the years. This award-winning comedian is always able to relate her stories in a way that the audience find irresistibly appealing and impossible to not find hilarious. www.atgtickets.com

47

Friday 18th and Saturday 19th July, 11am – 7pm Victoria Square

The CBD Food Festival is back for the fourth year in July 2014. Organised by Colmore BID, the two day festival showcases and celebrates the excellent food and drink offering in Birmingham’s commercial quarter, Colmore Business District (CBD).

Taking place in Victoria Square on 18th and 19th July, 24 venues from Birmingham’s business district will serve tasters of signature menu items, ranging from £1.50 to £5.

It is the only food festival in Birmingham city centre where all participants are local businesses with premises within a 10 minute walk of the event location. Participating venues include a superb array of restaurants, pubs, bars, coffee shops, bakeries and delis.

This year’s festival includes new venues which have opened in the area in the last year, including contemporary Indian restaurant Isaacs, bar and deli The Bureau, oriental restaurant Chung Ying Central and craft beer and food experts, Pure Bar & Kitchen. The festival will also see the return of favourites including the Michelin starred restaurant Purnell’s, Asha’s Contemporary Indian Bar & Restaurant, Urban Coffee Company, The Jekyll & Hyde pub, market fresh restaurant - Opus at Cornwall Street, and Chi Bar & Restaurant serving Punjabi cuisine.

There will also be a great entertainment programme at the festival including cookery and drink making demonstrations from top chefs and mixologists in the District. There will be plenty of outdoor theatre as well as a magician to entertain visitors.

This year’s festival will also see performances from The Young REP, the youth theatre company of The REP. Colmore Chorus, CBD’s choir of local business people, will be back to perform at the festival. There will also be plenty of live music for visitors to sit back and enjoy on CBD deckchairs, courtesy of Colmore BID’s participation in the Birmingham International Jazz & Blues Festival.

For further information on the CBD Food Festival, visit www.colmorebusinessdistrict.com

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

dluxe diary

56 Dolly Parton 22 June @ LG Arena

David Gray 23 June @ Symphony Hall

The legendary country singer Dolly Parton is bringing her world tour ‘Blue Smoke’ to Birmingham this June. Her eleventh tour will include her greatest hits such as ‘Jolene’, ‘9 to 5’ and ‘Here You Come Again’, proving that Parton really is timeless and still loves to perform in front of her loyal fans. This show is bound to have you on your feet dancing by the end of the night! www.lgarena.co.uk

The Buddy Holly Story 23 – 28 June @ Birmingham Hippodrome

Flash Mob 27 June @ New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

Touring for the first time in three years, David Gray is promoting his new album Mutineers.

Having had three number one albums as well as nominations for both Brit Awards and Grammies, it’s fair to say that this new album has been eagerly anticipated!

This musical follows the life of Buddy Holly from his first recording contract through to his death, dying tragically young aged only 22. Detailing his life from Nashville, Tennessee to Harlem’s Apollo Theatre, this musical features utilises his greatest hits such as ‘Oh Boy’, ‘Rave On’ and ‘Raining In My Heart’, capturing his talent and his potential.

If you go to one dance show in your life, make it this one! Flash Mob is a spectacular introduction to the wide and varied art of dance with a gourmet menu, comprised of, well, a little bit of everything. From Strictly to Street, Jazz to Jump Jive, the many worlds of dance collide in this amazing celebration of movement to music. Headliners include Kevin Clifton and Karen Hauer from Strictly Come Dancing, World Street Dance champions Flawless from Britain’s Got Talent, as well as Olivier nominated Tommy Franzen from So You Think You Can Dance.

www.thsh.co.uk

www.birminghamhippodrome.com

www.atgtickets.com

TURTLE BAY OPENS WITH A BANG IN BRUM

Birmingham’s coolest cats were out in force recently for the opening of the city’s newest restaurant offering, Turtle Bay. City centre foodies were whisked away to an island paradise as they enjoyed bite size tasters of the Caribbean restaurant’s food, washed down with complimentary rum cocktails. And yes we can confirm the food was very nice and the cocktails very strong. Live music from reggae bands Troy Ellis & Hail Jamaica and Laid Blak, got guests on the dance floor and kept them there for the majority of the evening!

Turtle Bay is @ 81-91 John Bright St, Birmingham, B1 1BL. Tel: 0121 643 1303 www.turtlebay.co.uk www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

TIMELESS ELEGANCE AT THE EDGBASTON

Guests were taken back to the timeless elegance of the 1920s at the opening night of The Edgbaston – the exclusive new cocktail lounge and six bedroom boutique hotel located in a former home of the Martineau family in Highfield Road, Edgbaston.

Owned by Stuart & Darren Insall, the guys behind boutique hotel and cocktail bar, The Kenilworth, The Edgbaston features a modern take on the art deco style whilst still paying homage to the building’s Victorian roots.

For more information about The Edgbaston, or an informal discussion about your requirements, call 01926 779 473 or email info@theedgbaston.co.uk.

CHAMPERS IN THE SKY

The Laurent-Perrier Champagne Bar at Marco Pierre White in The Cube re-launched with a grand party attended by Birmingham’s great and good, showcasing the fruits of a dramatic and luxurious transformation led by the fabulous interior designers Mr McQueen.

The re-launch comes following a new two-year deal with the high end Champagne brand. The 25th floor bar, which stands proudly overlooking Birmingham as the city’s only sky bar alongside the main bar in Marco Pierre White restaurant, offers a leisure experience that up until two years ago was only available to those in London and Manchester.

Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill is on the 25th Floor of The Cube, 200 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1PR. Tel: 0121 634 3433 www.mpwsteakhousebirmingham.co.uk

58

FESTIVAL OF FASHION DESIGNED TO HELP WORKERS LOOK GOOD, FEEL GREAT AND GET RESULTS!

Brindleyplace Dragonboat Festival 28 June @ Brindleyplace, Birmingham

The festival, supported

by Free Radio and in aid of HelpHarryHelpOthers takes competitiveness up a notch. Now in its 14th year, the Dragonboat Festival sees 22 teams race head to head in traditional Chinese longboats on the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal at Brindleyplace, from Pitcher and Piano to the winning post at The NIA. One of the most popular events at Brindleyplace, fancy dress is optional but encouraged!

Show Boat 2 – 5 July @ Birmingham Hippodrome

This 1927 Broadway musical is set in America’s Deep South and follows the inhabitants of The Cotton Blossom Show Boat as it sails down the Mississippi River.

The 50 members of the cast open the audience’s eyes to the love stories and humour between the inhabitants, spanning over forty years and including the well known songs ‘Ol’ Man River’ and ‘Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man’ alongside the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. www.birminghamhippodrome.com

Robbie Williams 5 – 6 July @ LG Arena

Holi One Colour Festival 28 June @ Digbeth

The way we dress has such an impact on our working lives; haven’t we all made a little extra effort with our appearance before a big board meeting or splashed out on a special suit before a seminar?

If you feel confident in your attire then you feel confident in your career and Solihull’s Fashion Works Festival, which ran in April, certainly inspired shoppers to dress for success in the workplace.

Fashionista’s and style savvy shoppers flocked to Solihull to take part in The Fashion Works event, organised by Solihull BID. The event, focused on making shoppers feel confident when choosing workwear, featured clothes from the biggest names in fashion such as John Lewis and House of Fraser along with exclusive designer labels from over twenty independent fashion retailers.

Local business professionals and visitors to the event were also able to pick up special limited edition Fashion Works tote bag, take advantage of numerous special offers, discounts and received exclusive style advice.

This huge event will see musical lovers being allowed to throw powders into the air to create an explosion of excitement and colour whilst DJ sets are played. Last year 10,00 people worldwide took part in the Holi Festival, which is set in a number of cities and countries including London, South Africa and Berlin. www.holione.com

Keep up to date with all things Solihull at www.solihullbid.co.uk

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

Robbie Williams has announced additional dates on his international tour, promoting his new album ‘Swings Both Ways’. He’s been a household name ever since his departure from Take That Robbie and he never fails to disappoint with his boyish charm and unique tone of voice so check it out! www.lgarena.co.uk

THE BELFRY RE-OPENS FOLLOWING MAJOR RENOVATION

The Belfry has reopened following an outstanding £26 million refurbishment programme designed to ensure this iconic golf resort keeps playing at the top of its game. To mark the official reopening, The new Belfry hosted an exclusive event for sports stars, key industry figures and corporate clients with Ryder Cup legends Ian Woosnam OBE and Bernard Gallacher OBE in attendance, providing a unique insight into their golfing experiences, and reliving some of the resort’s most historic Ryder Cup moments.

The world’s only four-time Ryder Cup venue, The Belfry’s Brabazon course, was at the heart of celebrations with 100 guests testing their skills on the iconic Dave Thomas and Peter Alliss design.

Managing Director of The Belfry, Lynn Hood spoke of her delight about the launch event’s success, “This is a proud moment for all of those who have been involved in this refurbishment process.

The events today are the result of all the hard work and dedication of our fantastic team, and it was great to have so many influential individuals and guests here to celebrate this moment with us.

We have a fantastic history and heritage from some of the most memorable moments in Ryder Cup history, and we are looking forward to creating memorable moments and experiences for our guests when they come to enjoy the new facilities. The investment has completely transformed the resort and puts it back on the map not only as a golfing mecca, but also as an outstanding destination for business and relaxation.”

Find out more at www.thebelfry.co.uk

WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR THE RETAIL BIRMINGHAM AWARDS 2014

The Winners of the prestigious Retail Birmingham Awards 2014 have been announced following over 500 votes from the public with the top five winners being chosen by a panel of industry and media experts.

The awards, sponsored by the National Skills Academy for Retail at Solihull College, recognised retailers and individuals working in Birmingham city centre for excellence in customer service, team work, emerging talent and leading in industry standards.

Jonathan Cheetham, Chair of Retail Birmingham, said: “We had a terrific response from city centre shoppers, who voted for individuals and businesses that demonstrated outstanding customer service. It was a very difficult task for the judges to pick the overall winners as the standards were so high and we felt all of the nominated individuals from both large and small retailers were worthy of having their achievements recognised.’

This year’s winners included: Retail Team of the Year – Visual Merchandising Team at Selfridges Retail Talent of the Year (under 25) - Jacob Young, The Liquor Store, Great Western Arcade Retail Person of the Year – James Middleton, M&S, High Street Outstanding Customer Service (Independent Retailer) – Loki Wine, Great Western Arcade Outstanding Customer Service (Major Retailer) – House of Fraser, Corporation Street See the winners receive their awards at www.shoppinginbirmingham.com

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

dluxe diary

dluxe diary

59

dluxe diary

60 Brindleyplace Outdoor Film Festival 7 – 13 July @ Brindleyplace, Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR ANNOUNCED

The Outdoor Film Festival showers glitz and glamour on Brindleyplace for one week each year and it’s back this July. Visitors will be treated to nine momentous movies, as voted for by the general public, all enjoyed for free from the comfort of beanbags amidst some promised sunshine! The theme to this year’s films is 80s vs 90s… where does your heart lie? Cast your vote at www. brindleyplace.com.

Wicked 9 July – September @ Birmingham Hippodrome

This award winning show is soaring into Birmingham, telling the previously unknown story of the friendship of two witches and how they came to be known as the good and wicked witches in The Wizard of Oz. The complex characters and powerful music make this a magical musical that will charm the whole family. www.birminghamhippodrome.com

The coveted title of BPS Birmingham’s Birmingham Young Professional of the Year (BYPY) 2014 has been awarded to social media consultant Jodie Cole, founder and managing director of JC Social Media. This year’s event was the biggest to date with almost 1,000 guests attending the glittering award ceremony at the ICC. Hosted by BBC Breakfast presenter and journalist, Naga Munchetty, the awards are the flagship event of professional services networking group, BPS Birmingham Future.

For more information about BPS Birmingham and BYPY please visit www.birminghamfuture.co.uk/bypy/ www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

ENJOY LONG LUNCHES& BALMY NIGHTS DINING IN OUR BEAUTIFUL OPEN TOP COURTYARD

This summer our Al Fresco menu brings together lighter interpretations of bistro classics with some new, vibrant flavours. A specially chosen wine selection starts with Champagnes, brings whites from the Kentish hills to the vineyards of Spain in addition to well chosen summery reds.

0844 736 4250 bistro.birmingham@hotelduvin.com w w w. H O T E L D U V I N . c o m

A G

E

14

+

HOTEL DU VIN&BISTRO CHURCH ROAD, BIRMINGHAM B3 2NR

AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH

SALLY MORGAN

PSYCHIC SALLY ON THE ROAD

SUN 7 SEP

TUE 9 SEP

MICHAEL PALIN

SUNDAY TIMES

TRAVELLING TO WORK

TUE 16 - SAT 20 SEP

TUE 30 SEP

MON 6 - SAT 11 OCT

AL MURRAY

0844 871 3011 GROUPS 10+ 0844 871 3031

A G

E

15

+

ART GARFUNKEL

‘THE BEST MUSICAL OF THE DECADE’

(bkg fee)

THE SEQUEL TO DREAMBOATS AND PETTICOATS MON 13 - SAT 18 OCT

ROSS NOBLE MON 20 - SAT 25 OCT

TANGENTLEMAN

ONE MAN, ONE GUVNOR

FRI 31 OCT & SAT 1 NOV

SUN 2 NOV

www.atgtickets.com/ birmingham (bkg fee)

dluxe diary

62 Caitlin Moran: How to Build a Girl 16 July @ New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

In order to get out of doing her share of the childcare, author Caitlin Moran is coming to Nottingham and Birmingham and will be insisting the bar stays open late. Caitlin will be on hand to deliver highlights from How To Be A Woman, Moranthology and her new book: How To Build A Girl. We’re heavily assured that the blueprints for changing the world WILL be issued, and then most probably lost in a nightclub later. www.atgtickets.com

Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway on Tour!

9- 10 August @ LG Arena

Fake Festival 9 August @ Selly Oak Park

If you’ve missed out on tickets to this year’s big festivals then don’t worry, you’ll still be able to get your fix at Selly Oak’s Fake Festival. It’s the only touring tribute of its kind and gives you the chance to see some of the country’s best tribute bands including The Fillers, Four Fighters and Really Hot Chilli Peppers.Tickets are guaranteed to sell out so get yours early to avoid disappointment! www.fakefestivals.co.uk

British Athletics Grand Prix 24 August @ Alexander Stadium

Following on from their TV show, Ant and Dec will be coming to Birmingham giving you the chance to win even more prizes and to surprise a friend or a member of your family by nominating them onto the stage.

Bound to make you cry with laughter and shriek with joy, you can expect the tour to be just like the TV show, and possibly even better.

The IAAF Diamond League will be taking place in Birmingham this summer, staging events on both the track and field.

Past competitors have included Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Aries Merritt, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah, so head over to the Alexander stadium to see some talented athletes at the top of their respective games.

www.lgarena.co.uk

www.britishathletics.org.uk

Birmingham Chilli Festival 19 – 20 September @ Brindleyplace

Spice is the variety of life, right?

Or is it the other way round?

Anyway, all things chilli can be found in the central square of Brindleyplace on Friday 19th and Saturday 20th July. We’re talking chilli jams, chutneys, breads, oils, chocolates, and a whole host of other things you didn’t think chilli went well with! With its live cooking demonstrations the Birmingham Chilli Festival is sure to provide entertainment for all. Don’t miss its fiery finale when 15 competitors will battle it out for the title of Chilli Conqueror in a raw chilli eating competition! Hot stuff.

FIND US ON FACEBOOK & TWITTER

HENRY WONG CELEBRATEs

Popular Cantonese restaurant, Henry Wong, celebrated the sixth anniversary of the restaurant’s new-look with a special VIP event.

The exclusive event, which was attended by over 70 of the restaurant’s key customers, partners and regional VIPs, featured a Laurent Perrier champagne reception, live music and a selection of signature dishes from itss a la carte menu.

Re-launched in 2008, the Harborne restaurant offers an awardwinning contemporary style of Chinese cuisine created by executive chef, Ricky Wu. To see examples of the menu, book a table or for more information please visit www.henrywongharbone.co.uk”

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

63

Burger and Shrimp Restaurant Opens in The Cube

A brand new luxury barbers has opened its doors in Brindleyplace offering a range of traditional services, including haircuts and shaves, as well as more modern grooming regimes such as threading and facial steaming.

Owned and managed by Andrew Withers and Damian Wasiak The Gentleman aims to bring the traditional barber experience to the modern day man. The focus is on delivering quality and style in a relaxing and enjoyable environment, whilst reviving a service that has somewhat diminished over the years.

The opening of The Gentleman follows a number of other investments into Brindleyplace , including popular Italian coffee house, Café Nero and fish bar and grill, La Monde, which both opened their doors in the last couple of months.

Lydia Ellis, Marketing Manager at Brindleyplace, said: “It’s been a great year for Brindleyplace so far, with some fantastic new restaurants, cafes and retail units opening on the estate.

We are now looking ahead to a very busy summer packed full of free events, including the return of the Brindleyplace outdoor Film Festival in July.”

Prices at The Gentleman range from £16.00 for a basic haircut to £26.00 for a restyle. Beard trims start from £9.00 to £30.00 for a traditional cut throat shave. Brindleyplace Loyalty Card holders and students will save 10% on all treatments.

Open seven days a week no appointments are necessary at The Gentleman so there’s no excuse not to get groomed!

To find out more visit www.thegentlemanbarbers.com

MALMAISON WELCOMES NEW MANAGER AHEAD OF BIG CHANGES With the strapline ‘dare to be different’ the Malmaison chain of hotels is renowned for shaking things up. Following the promotion of its previous manager, the hotel has welcomed new manager Damian Goom from the De Vere hotel chain, who despite joining just a few weeks ago has started to implement a host of exciting changes at Malmaison.

Deluxe burger and shrimp restaurant, Bun & Bowl, has opened its doors in the Birmingham’s iconic Cube building.

A first of its kind for the city, Bun & Bowl is the third restaurant to be opened in The Cube by restaurant entrepreneur Mike Nayla and is located on Level 7 – between Mike’s Brazilian Churrascaria Rodizio Rico, and his recently opened French-themed coffee house Madeleine.

Offering a simple, yet gourmet style menu of burger and shrimp dishes, diners can choose from a delicious selection of beef, lamb, chicken or fish burgers and a variety of shrimp dishes served with freshly baked bread.

There are also options available for the vegetarians amongst us.

“With the exciting developments surrounding The Mailbox, Grand Central and New Street Station, the next 18 months will see Malmaison firmly in the centre of it all, and I want us to be ready.

This is a really exciting time for Birmingham and I want to ensure that Mal is ready to offer the best cocktail, most amazing menus, luxurious rooms and everything in between for people that will be flocking to Europe’s new shopping mecca,” he concluded.

Keep up to date at www.malmaison.com/birmingham

In addition, like Rodizio Rico, Bun & Bowl also offers a selection of cocktails for those who like to add a drop of glamour to their meals.

Mike commented: “Bun & Bowl is a new type of restaurant for Birmingham and I’m excited to introduce it. The concept is simple with the focus on quality, freshness and flavour. Feedback from our opening night has already been very positive and we’re excited to welcome more visitors!”

To keep up to date with Bun & Bowl follow them on Twitter: @bunandbowl and visit the Facebook page: Bun & Bowl

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

dluxe diary

LUXURY BARBERS OPEN IN BRINDLEYPLACE

PAPERWORK

by Chloe Jones

American President and First Lady in the Jewellery Quarter The last year has seen many changes at St. Paul’s Club. Set in the heart of the Jewellery Quarter, this traditional business club first opened its doors in 1859. But the club has made many far-reaching changes over the past 12 months ushering in a new era for both its members and the local community.

These changes were all facilitated by Bart Dalton and the new membership committee. Bart became the VicePresident of the Club in 2012 and President in 2013 with Sarah Whitticase becoming the first woman to join the committee and assume the post of Vice President at St Paul’s Club; a major change for St Paul’s which was a Gentlemen’s Club and only allowed women to become members in their own right a few short years ago.

These lunches are always well attended and receive good feedback.

Over the last year, the club has also seen expansion in its facilities with Wi-Fi now being available throughout along with seating for an extra 40 people and the upgrade of the old billiard room into a business lounge which is ideal for people who want

to drop in and grab a hot desk or people who want to hire the room for meetings, seminars or workshops. .

The club has also relaxed its dress code and started to run regular networking events that are open to the local business community.

Members have likewise seen an increase in benefits with reduced rate stays at local hotels and a concierge service being made available to them.

“Birmingham is fighting to solidify its foot hold as England’s second city and I believe that St Paul’s Club’s legacy is a corner stone in embedding this title.

I am excited to continue our efforts to keep Birmingham’s only private member’s club as the foundation for these efforts and helping to drive ‘Forward’ as our city crest demands.” said Bart Dalton.

St Paul’s Club is moving forward and to ensure we keep our foundation solid we are only allowing 4 new members a month to join until the end of 2014. However, our doors always remain open to the local community.

You can find out more about the Club on its web site at www.stpaulsclub.co.uk.

HERE COMES THE BOOM

dluxe paperwork

64

2014 is set to herald a new ‘golden era’ for anyone planning to invest in buy-to-let schemes according to housing expert Ian Samuels. Ian, who runs The Property Investor and is also a published author, specialises in advising others on how best to invest in bricks and mortar and believes that despite the fact that house prices remain out of reach for many, they will never be this low again.

With Britain enjoying it’s “postrecession” position, a huge property boom is expected between 2018 and 2020 that could see house prices across the country rise by 25 per cent if the market continues its current upwards

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

trajectory, making now the perfect time to invest in property in order to reap the financial reward in coming years.

Ian blames bad publicity surrounding banks, investment and pension schemes for a lack of confidence and knowledge when it comes to people investing their money.

As well as being fueled by Britain’s increasing population, lack of affordable housing and “backlog” of first-time buyers now getting on the property ladder, the anticipated boom is likely to be driven by pensioners, looking to escape poor-value pensions by investing in property instead.

65

Luxury car maker Aston Martin has unveiled plans to create 250 jobs as part the £20m expansion of its Gaydon manufacturing plant in Warwickshire.

One of the most significant and exciting developments at the Aston Martin factory and global HQ for several years, the new engineering, manufacturing and commercial functions jobs will be created during the next few months, the firm has confirmed.

The company said preparations to extend the state-of-the-art manufacturing base in Gaydon were “well advanced” as the business gears up for its next generation of new sports cars.

The ambitious development plans covering an extra 108,000 sq ft include creating a new chassis and pilot build facility, new offices and an extension of the parts and logistics storage area. The work is scheduled to be completed in 2015.

Just under 3 hours from Birmingham, the Nordic country is expected to become a popular yearround destination from the Midlands.

Andres Jonsson, General Manager of Icelandair UK, said: “Iceland’s nature, including the Northern Lights and the hot springs, has always been the biggest attraction but Icelandic locals will also offer a warm welcome. In fact, Iceland was voted the friendliest nation on earth in a recent poll by World Economic Forum.”

The new service will also offer an attractive flight option to North America.

Andres explains: “By using Iceland’s geographical position midway between

Keith Stanton, manufacturing operations director, added: “I am very happy to be able to execute another part of our manufacturing strategy by extending our already highly efficient facility.

“The improvements at Gaydon are a big step forward, and the development will enable us to streamline and finesse our manufacturing processes which, in turn, will allow us to be leaner and even more competitive.”

Planning to inject over £500 million into the company’s next generation of high performance sports cars, the coming years will see Aston Martin implementing the biggest investment programme in the 101-year history of the brand.

Damson Homes win National Build Quality award for 5th Year Running

Icelandair to start flying from Birmingham Icelandair has announced a new scheduled service from Birmingham to Reykjavik to start in early 2015.

“The investment in our Gaydon HQ forms part of our long-term strategy which is focused around being the number one British luxury sports car brand,” Hanno Kirner, Aston Martin’s chief financial officer, said.

Europe and North America we can offer some of the fastest elapse times from Birmingham to popular destinations such as Washington D.C. and Seattle.”

The UK’s third largest airport outside of London, and the UK’s seventh largest overall Birmingham handles some nine million passengers a year. The new Icelandair service will add Birmingham to Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow in the list of airports that offer services from the UK to Iceland all year round.

Residential Property experts Damson Homes have won their fifth consecutive Local Authority Building Control (LABC) Built in Quality Award for their new build development, The Robins in Hall Green.

The LABC, a membership organisation representing all local authority building control departments in England and Wales are a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to promoting public sector expertise. The awards recognise not just buildings but celebrate their design and construction teams that have tussled with technical issues, difficult sites and found innovative and creative solutions.

Business Manager, Dean Chu said: “We are absolutely delighted to

Further information about Icelandair, its service, fares and packages is available at www.icelandair.co.uk Find out more about Birmingham Airport at www. birminghamairport.co.uk or on Twitter at bhx_official.

www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

have won this award. It’s been a smashing year for us and we can only raise the bar higher.”

Fusing luxury specification with function and form, the flexible accommodation at The Robins in Hall Green is a development of 13 stylish detached bungalows – four three bedroom and nine two bedroom buildings.

The team have also just completed “Blossom House,” a stunning fivebedroom detached property in the heart of Solihull. The property, in the highly desirable Blossomfield Road area boasts top-end specification with accommodation that includes 5 reception rooms with a feature ‘Heart of the Home’ layout and a principal bedroom suite with dressing room and en-suite bathroom. All this, just a kilometre away from the centre of Solihull.

Damson Home’s next project will be in Dickens Heath, Solihull.

Enjoying a sought-after and semirural setting, ‘Birchy Greens,’ this latest luxury development, consists of just three, 5 bedroom detached family homes and two, 2 bedroom detached dormer bungalows.

dluxe paperwork

Aston Martin unveils plans for 250 extra jobs in Warwickshire

B R I N G Y O U R PA R T Y T O O U R PA R T Y !

IN AT NAILCOTE HALL HOTEL £39.50 Saturday 26th July FOR GROUPS OF 10 ‘MAMMA MIA’ SUMMER PARTY OR MORE £35.00 with ‘SENSATION’ ABBA TRIBUTE

Friday 19th September ‘THE LEGENDS PARTY’ with ABSOLUTE LEGENDS

Saturday 4th October ‘SOUL PARTY’ with THE SOUL SURVIVORS AND MEL DAY

£37.50

FOR GROUPS OF 10 OR MORE £35.00

£37.50

FOR GROUPS OF 10 OR MORE £35.00

Saturday 18th October ‘PINK BALL AT THE HALL’ with THE BROTHERS OF SOUL

£49.50

FOR GROUPS OF 10 OR MORE £45.00

TICKET PRICES INCLUDE 4 COURSE MEAL - WE WILL CATER FOR ANY SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS BY PRIOR ARRANGEMENT

CHRISTMAS PARTY BOOKINGS NOW BEING TAKEN VISIT THE WEBSITE FOR OUR FULL LIST OF EVENTS

www.nailcotehall.co.uk

BOOKING HOTLINE CALL: 02476 466174 info@nailcotehall.co.uk Nailcote Lane, Berkswell, Warwickshire CV7 7DE

dluxe people

66

Lessons From AUSCHWITZ 74 years after the Nazi concentration camp that would claim the lives of 1.2 million victims was established, the chilling past of Auschwitz-Birkenau continues to hold a permanent place in our nation’s collective memory. dluxe LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND’s Jon Fraser took part in a project aimed at ensuring that future generations never forget.

The idea that there is in existence a place where 1.2 million people were systematically murdered, sometimes in figures of up to 10,000 people per day just seems impossible, a myth. It is for this reason that the Lessons From Auschwitz was formed. Working with schools, colleges and communities across the UK, the project plays a crucial role in bringing knowledge of Auschwitz-Birkenau’s haunting reality to a new generation so as to ensure that the terrible injustice millions suffered is never forgotten.

For the last fifteen years more than 22,000 students have been given the opportunity to visit the Second World War death camp to gain an insight into the horrors of what happened there and see the real life remnants its victims left behind. The hope is that they move forward acting as ambassadors, sharing their experiences and empowering them to speak out against injustice within their own communities.

Starting

the

long

journy

from the UK to Poland you can’t help but think of the terrifying journey others made all those years ago. Our party is made up of a mixture of teenagers, teachers and eductaors from the Trust. Our visit starts in the nearby town of Oswiecim, a place where the Jewish population made up almost 48% of the town, today that number is 0%. The holocaust created a void both in terms of the community and its culture. The main Synagogue, renowned for its beauty, is no more and the one remaining small worship space is maintained and kept open by nonJewish volunteers, an active rebellion by the town’s inhabitants against the Nazis intent to turn communities against each other.

A short drive back across the river and the Auschwitz 1 is suddenly upon you, located right on the main road. The camp itself was used primarily for political prisoners and today serves as a museum to the atrocities of all three Auschwitz camps. Converted from former Army Barracks the horrors of Auschwitz 1 are hidden by the pleasantness of its location. As the sun shines down the camp’s grass glows a healthy green and purple buddleia sways gently in the breeze beside well-ordered and attractive dormitory buildings. It is only the occasional thunderous shake in the sky that serves as a reminder to what really happened here.

The students and I are escorted round the main camp buildings and given an insight into the workings of the camp by our own guide.

This is a museum of hate, torture, sadness and the destruction of hope.

Our collective breath is taken away by the rooms piled high to the rafters with shoes, shaving brushes and suitcases, each one labelled with a name and address by owners who hoped to be reunited with their belongngs once more. From here you are taken directly into perhaps the most shocking display and the most unnerving www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk

experience of my life. One very long room contains the hair of over 140,000 victims, greyed with age, plaits intact and tied with grubby ribbon. The hair was shorn from the dead bodies of murdered victims and woven into cloth to make army blankets, U Boat socks and was even used within the German car industry.

The mood amongst the students is now almost unbearably tense. Many wipe tears from their eyes whilst others walk around this gristly exhibition in a trancelike state; how could this be real? How could people do this to people?

We climb back onto our coach but this time there is no chatter. A short drive takes us to Auschwitz Bikinheau, a purpose built killing factory surrounded by open fields and forests. Here up to 10,000 people a day were murdered and cremated in a production line of death. Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, anyone who did not fit the Nazi ideal was destroyed without emotion. One of the main things that strikes you about Auschwitz Birkinheau is just how huge it is and walking alongside the train track that brought prisoners directly into the camp, we follow their footsteps in silence to what remains of the camp’s two main gas chambers. It is here that the reality and the scale of what happened here hits every one of us. Lighting a candle just doesn’t seem enough yet if we were to offer just a minutes silence for each one of the victims of Auschwitz, we would need to remain mute for over two years.

Staying silent about the atrocities of this place is not an option though. Witnesses are invested with the responsibility to deliver a powerful message about what happened here during the Holocaust to keep the memories of the victims and the injustice committed against them alive in the minds of all generations. This can’t happen again, none of us can let it.

The Holocaust Educational Trust is actively looking for schools and teaching staff to participate in the Lessons from Auschwitz project.

To find out more visit www.het.org.uk To see more images from this trip visit www.dluxe-magazine.co.uk