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J'AIME OCTOBER 2018

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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8<br />

J’AIME<br />

Y O U R L O C A L L U X U R Y L I F E S T Y L E M A G A Z I N E<br />

WIN<br />

A BIRMINGHAM<br />

AUTHOR’S CITY<br />

CRIME THRIILERS<br />

A PAMPERING SPA<br />

PACKAGE WORTH<br />

£150<br />

Interior style blooms with<br />

a dark edge for autumn


Welcome to J’AIME<br />

We just love this time of year here at<br />

J’AIME; it’s a time for cosy nights by the<br />

fire sipping a glass or two of full-bodied red<br />

or an indulgent hot chocolate, and a time<br />

where the celebrations come thick and fast<br />

with Halloween just around the corner,<br />

swiftly followed by Bonfire Night and - dare<br />

we whisper it already? - Christmas! If you’re<br />

planning a Halloween bash then check out<br />

our Halloween decor feature from some<br />

stylishly spooky ideas.<br />

This month we also introduce our new<br />

columnist Jack Regan, whose ‘action<br />

man’ lifestyle will see him cover an array<br />

of adrenaline-fuelled activities over the<br />

coming months, starting with a hair-raising<br />

charity abseil in Birmingham for his first<br />

contribution.<br />

We’ve got some fantastic competitions<br />

lined up for you this month, with a bespoke<br />

pampering package at the Hart Spa,<br />

Middleton, and a hair makeover worth up<br />

to £150 at Lewis Moore Salons both up for<br />

grabs.<br />

If you’re game for a laugh then get yourself<br />

down to one of the many great shows at<br />

this year’s Birmingham Improv Festival,<br />

which is in its third year and going from<br />

strength to strength; we’ve also got a pair of<br />

tickets for one of the headline events, the<br />

Olivier Award-winning Showstopper! The<br />

Improvised Musical to give away to one<br />

lucky reader.<br />

Speaking of competitions, congratulations<br />

are in order for our latest winners; Kate<br />

Carr of Streetly scooped the Hampton<br />

Manor stay, Mary Wheeler of Streetly won<br />

the Francesco hair makeover, Suzanne<br />

Herriotts of Lichfield won the Dolphin<br />

Swimware goodies and Michael Kilduff of<br />

Sutton Coldfield was our Yoshi bag winner.<br />

We hope you all enjoy your prizes!<br />

EDITOR: AMY NORBURY<br />

EDITOR@JAIMEMAGAZINE.COM<br />

ADVERTISING: JAN ASHLEY<br />

ADVERTISING@JAIMEMAGAZINE.COM<br />

07388 335 931<br />

DESIGN: DESIGN@JAIMEMAGAZINE.COM<br />

CONTRIBUTORS: MARTIN PLOWMAN, OLIVER<br />

BROAD, LISA PIDDINGTON, PATRICK GAUNT, JACK<br />

REGAN, JILL HARTLEY, LIAM DILLON, TOM LINDSEY<br />

AND RORY MCKERRELL<br />

J’AIME IS PUBLISHED BY ASHBURY<br />

PUBLICATIONS LIMITED AND PRINTED<br />

BY KEP LIMITED, TAMWORTH.<br />

Check us out online at:<br />

WWW.JAIMEMAGAZINE.COM<br />

Find us on<br />

/JAIMEMAGAZINE<br />

@JAIMEMAGAZINE<br />

@JAIMEMAGAZINE<br />

3


CONTENTS<br />

InsideJ’aime this month...<br />

6 AA Abbott - The crime thriller author with a<br />

love of all things Birmingham<br />

12 Property - Property of the month<br />

14 Interiors - Kitchen drama<br />

18 Interiors - Moody blooms<br />

22 Interiors - Spiced Honey<br />

26 Interiors - Spooky style for Halloween<br />

30 Interiors - A new brand in town<br />

32 Food & drink - Reviewing The Wilderness x Liam<br />

Dillon at Sauce Supper Club<br />

34 Food & drink - Cocktail of the month from<br />

Lichfield’s The Spirit Works<br />

36 Food & drink - Venison delights from The<br />

Boat Inn<br />

38 Food & drink - Autumnal wine picks from<br />

Ital Sardo<br />

40 Man on the edge - J’AIME’s new columnist Jack<br />

Regan gets a head for heights<br />

42 Travel - Spanish gems for all year round<br />

46 What’s On - Our pick of events around our<br />

area this month<br />

50 What’s On - The hottest tickets around<br />

Birmingham<br />

52 Competition - Win tickets to Birmingham<br />

Improv Festival<br />

54 Fashion - Seventies style<br />

56 Fashion - A new season round-up from<br />

Nero e Bianco<br />

60 Competition - Win a hair makeover courtesy of<br />

Lewis Moore Salons<br />

62 Beauty - Crowning glory from Harvey Nichols<br />

Birmingham<br />

63 Competition - Win a pamper package at the<br />

Hart Spa<br />

64 In the news - A local businessman tackles<br />

The Italian Job<br />

65 Motors - Martin Plowman’s memories of<br />

racing with a legend<br />

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FEATURE<br />

On the crime trail<br />

THE STREETS OF BIRMINGHAM PROVIDE PLENTY OF INSPIRATION FOR CRIME WRITER AA ABBOTT’S<br />

GRIPPING NOVELS - AND HER LATEST TOME IS DUE TO BE LAUNCHED IN THE CITY THIS MONTH.<br />

AMY NORBURY DISCOVERS MORE<br />

BIRMINGHAM’S CANALS<br />

PROVIDE A SETTING FOR<br />

HELEN’S NOVELS<br />

From the leafy environs of the Jewellery Quarter to<br />

the dark and mysterious canalside, the vibrant city<br />

heartland with its independent coffee shops, fantastic<br />

real ale pubs and cocktail bars to secret tunnels<br />

which run under the city centre, Birmingham has a<br />

starring role in AA Abbott’s crime thrillers.<br />

So what better place for the author - better known<br />

to her family and friends as Helen Blenkinsop - to<br />

launch her latest thrilling tome this month.<br />

The Revenge Trail is the fourth book in Helen’s<br />

popular ‘Trail’ series, which sees most of the action<br />

taking place in and around Birmingham including<br />

city centre pub the Craven Arms, Edgbaston<br />

Reservoir, Digbeth, and St Paul’s Square in the city’s<br />

famous Jewellery Quarter.<br />

The book will be launched in Birmingham at a<br />

‘cocktails and crime’ themed event at The Alchemist<br />

in the city centre on Monday, October 1.<br />

The Revenge Trail sees Brummie businessman<br />

Marty Bridges (who loves his Two Towers beer)<br />

become rich selling vodka, but he faces ruin when he<br />

finds poison in his supplies. Glamorous Kat White<br />

can save his business – but she’s the last person Marty<br />

wants to trust.<br />

Meanwhile, Shaun Halloran, the London crime boss<br />

jailed through Kat’s evidence, is still determined to<br />

escape from Belmarsh prison and kill the beautiful<br />

blonde – slowly.<br />

Kat, besotted with Marty’s son, Tim, treads a<br />

tightrope between her relationship and her plans to<br />

make the best vodka in the world. Can she keep her<br />

dreams alive – or is it enough just to keep her life?<br />

The Revenge Trail comes hot on the heels of The<br />

Bride’s Trail, The Vodka Trail and The Grass Trail,<br />

which introduce the characters of Marty, Kat and<br />

Shaun and follow their stories through the murky<br />

underworld of East End London, to Birmingham<br />

and a fictional Soviet Union country.<br />

When we first meet young Kat, she’s living in<br />

London’s smart Fitzrovia and working as a croupier<br />

in Shaun Halloran’s casino while making the extra<br />

money needed to live in the city through sham<br />

marriages to illegal immigrants. And it was this<br />

struggle that sewed the initial seed of inspiration for<br />

6


Helen.<br />

“I worked in London on and<br />

off, and I felt it was quite<br />

fascinating that I was working in<br />

a city where there’s clearly loads<br />

of money, but young people<br />

were having to work really,<br />

really hard and not much of the<br />

money was finding its way to<br />

them,” explains Helen.<br />

“I thought ‘how on earth do<br />

they afford to live in places like<br />

central London’, and the answer<br />

in The Bride’s Trail is that they<br />

do it by going in for all kinds<br />

of side hustles and ending up<br />

on the wrong side of the law, and the wrong side of<br />

some dodgy characters.”<br />

Although not a Brummie by birth - she’s originally<br />

from Luton and now calls Bristol home - the Second<br />

City holds a special place in Helen’s heart.<br />

“I came here to be a student, studying physics at<br />

Birmingham University - which didn’t really work<br />

out because me and physics didn’t get on! - and met<br />

my husband Ian here, so I stayed,” Helen explains.<br />

“Birmingham’s the place that I feel I really did grow<br />

up; it’s the first place I had some money in my pocket<br />

and began to make my own way in the world.”<br />

AUTHOR HELEN BLENKINSOP,<br />

AKA AA ABBOTT<br />

HELEN BLENKINSOP<br />

IN BIRMINGHAM’S<br />

JEWELLERY QUARTER<br />

Helen lived in the Midlands for nearly 20 years; her<br />

son was born in Birmingham and she trained as an<br />

accountant at Price Waterhouse in the city.<br />

“When I was training at Price Waterhouse they<br />

send me to audit a company based just off Holloway<br />

Head, and that little web of streets - Ernest Street<br />

and Florence Street - are quite fascinating because<br />

they’re less than a ten-minute walk from the railway<br />

station but it’s an industrial zone. And it’s one that’s<br />

changing as people realise it’s close to the city centre<br />

and you can build housing and hotels there.<br />

“I decided to set Marty’s business in Florence Street<br />

because I thought it was exactly the kind of place<br />

where a sharp businessman like him would have<br />

bought a cheap property at auction and be sitting on<br />

it for its development potential.<br />

“Then, having set his business there in The Bride’s<br />

Trail in 2013, it turned out that having cheap<br />

property there was attractive to West Midlands Police<br />

and MI5, who were conducting a sting on jihadists in<br />

Birmingham and had set up a fake courier business<br />

in Florence Street!<br />

“Being able to set the story in Birmingham for the<br />

most part was really important to me because I really<br />

love the city and seize any excuse I can to come<br />

back,” adds Helen.<br />

It’s buzzy and dynamic, and there are areas of<br />

beauty; in my books I refer to the hidden beauty of<br />

the Jewellery Quarter.”<br />

Storytelling has been a part of Helen’s life for as long<br />

as she can remember. She grew up in a large family<br />

and, as a child, used her stories to entertain her<br />

siblings.<br />

“Since before I could read, when I was really tiny,<br />

I used to make up little stories,” says Helen. “I’m<br />

the eldest of five kids - my parents had five children<br />

in five years - and I spent my childhood making up<br />

7


stories for my brothers and<br />

sister. I got a lot of kudos<br />

out of it; they loved being<br />

entertained and my parents<br />

loved it because it gave them a<br />

bit of a rest!”<br />

Since self-publishing her first<br />

novel in 2013 - Up In Smoke,<br />

a gripping thriller which looks<br />

at corruption in the cigarette<br />

industry - Helen has been<br />

prolific in her writing, penning<br />

a book a year.<br />

“When I’ve written a crime<br />

thriller I get a minimum of 20<br />

people to read the draft and<br />

give me feedback, and quite<br />

honestly they’re much better books because so many<br />

people have helped me.<br />

“Then there’s a professional edit, and again it makes<br />

for a much better book because my editor is polite,<br />

but savage with it!”<br />

Her readers often compare Helen’s work to the<br />

novels of Ruth Rendell, John Grisham and Jeffery<br />

Archer, to name a few. Another comparison which<br />

often crops up is Robert Galbraith, the nom de<br />

plume used by JK Rowling to publish her very un-<br />

Harry Potter-like contemporary crime fiction series<br />

Cormoran Strike.<br />

And like JK Rowling, whose publishers insisted she<br />

go by two initials rather than her full name, Joanne,<br />

so as not to put off her anticipated target audience<br />

of young boys who might not want to read a book<br />

written by a woman, Helen chose to publish under<br />

the rather anonymous pen name AA Abbott.<br />

“Men do read and enjoy my books,” says Helen. “I<br />

did think using my name might put male readers off,<br />

and studies have shown than men are far less likely to<br />

read a female writer’s work.<br />

“Having said that, although I did come up with a<br />

gender-neutral name, people buy people so I’ve had<br />

to admit to being me! It’s not so much of a secret any<br />

more.”<br />

Helen’s varied career - she’s had some 35 paid jobs<br />

in many different industries - have given her a rich<br />

vein of material for her novels. But there have been<br />

elements which have required more digging to get<br />

right.<br />

Helen says: “Research is vital when I’m writing<br />

about something I don’t know. The Grass Trail<br />

features an obsessive killer desperate to escape from<br />

prison. Luckily, although I’ve never been jailed - that<br />

would be taking research too far! - I had help with<br />

the book from a family friend who is a prison officer.<br />

I also saw a TV film about HMP Belmarsh and read<br />

autobiographies by prisoners who had served time<br />

there, including three former MPs.”<br />

Vodka also plays a starring role in Helen’s novels,<br />

and researching the spirit’s manufacturing process<br />

proved to be much more fun.<br />

“I went on a tour around the Chase Vodka distillery<br />

in Herefordshire, which was a great day out,” says<br />

Helen. “They were really helpful and a lot of what<br />

they told me ended up in the books.”<br />

While the locations in Helen’s novels are familiar, the<br />

rich and vibrant characters are drawn purely from<br />

her imagination.<br />

“I’m really careful because I don’t think it’s fair to<br />

stick my family and friends into books,” explains<br />

Helen.<br />

“Although there occasionally times where something<br />

so unusual happens that it just has to make it into<br />

a book. I can think of two situations, one involving<br />

drinking real ale in the White Horse pub in<br />

Harborne which made it into The Vodka Trail.<br />

“The other situation hasn’t made it into print yet<br />

because it got cut from the draft of The Revenge<br />

Trail so it’ll have to go into the next book.<br />

“When I was working in London there was a sudden<br />

crisis where the defibrillator was needed because a<br />

guy working at another company on the floor above<br />

was having a heart attack. One of the junior lawyers,<br />

James, came to find the first aider, who sat near me<br />

and who had only been trained in first aid the week<br />

before.<br />

“They’ve just found the defibrillator when James’<br />

boss comes storming out of his office asking about<br />

a report. James runs off with the defibrillator, as you<br />

8


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would, and his boss is just standing there.<br />

“I said to him ‘they’re taking the defibrillator to a<br />

heart attack victim to save his life’, and the guy looks<br />

at me and says, ‘what’s that got to do with James, I<br />

want my report!’”<br />

Helen combines writing with her career as an<br />

accountant. After a long stint in the finance industry<br />

working in both Birmingham and London, she now<br />

takes ad hoc freelance contracts to fit around her<br />

writing.<br />

“It’s quite handy because it keeps me connected<br />

to the workplace, and most of my books are set<br />

in the business world. I do sometimes write down<br />

inspiration for situations, but when it comes to<br />

putting them into the books I disguise the situations<br />

so you’d never know what they were based on.<br />

“And it gives me something totally different to do;<br />

writing this latest book was so hard, I was desperate<br />

to get back to some accounting!”<br />

Helen’s books are available in e-book and paperback<br />

formats on Amazon, who have recently seen a five<br />

per cent overall increase in print editions.<br />

Further statistics show that 10 per cent of adults<br />

are dyslexic and traditional publishers won’t print<br />

books for them. Although she is not dyslexic, many<br />

of Helen’s relatives are, which is why - as a selfpublisher<br />

- she has also made her crime thrillers<br />

available in a large print, dyslexia-friendly format.<br />

Dyslexia Awareness Week takes place from October<br />

1 to 7 and provides the opportunity to raise<br />

awareness and understanding of dyslexia and help<br />

to bring about positive change. World Dyslexia<br />

Awareness Day takes place on October 4.<br />

Helen continued: “I’m<br />

so pleased that I can<br />

get to launch The<br />

Revenge Trail during<br />

National Dyslexia<br />

Awareness Week.<br />

This can only help to<br />

highlight the need for a<br />

more dyslexia-friendly<br />

format to cater for all<br />

readers.”<br />

Helen is now working<br />

on the final installment<br />

of the Trail series,<br />

and once she’s put the<br />

characters of Marty,<br />

Kat and Shaun to<br />

bed, she hopes to get<br />

cracking on a new,<br />

standalone novel - once again set in Birmingham.<br />

“For about 30 years I’ve wanted to write a standalone<br />

crime thriller set in the Digbeth area; I had the idea<br />

before Digbeth became trendy, but I think it’ll still<br />

work!<br />

“It’s a book about a serial killer set in Digbeth, so it’s<br />

much darker than anything else I’ve written. There<br />

are murders in all of my books but the body count<br />

isn’t all that high, I think three is about the most I’ve<br />

had so far, whereas this one will be a lot higher.<br />

“And once I’ve got that out of my system, I want to<br />

write some stories about a female private detective.<br />

I’m definitely sticking with the crime thriller genre - a<br />

bit of murder really spices up a book, I think!”<br />

When it comes to reading, crime thrillers are,<br />

unsurprisingly, a particular favourite of Helen’s.<br />

“My guilty pleasure is the blockbusters of the 1980s<br />

like Jackie Collins, so I like something which is pacey,<br />

with a bit of sex and murder in it!” laughs Helen.<br />

“And I enjoy the classics, particularly Thomas Hardy.<br />

His characters go on a journey and they always have<br />

flaws, and it’s their flaws that lead them into sticky<br />

situations and make the stories interesting.<br />

“I realise he was paid by the word so he’d always<br />

use 20 words where one would do, whereas I use as<br />

few words as I can get away with, but I believe in<br />

the same philosophy, that it’s the flaws in a character<br />

which make them interesting and lead to the plot<br />

unfolding.”<br />

The Revenge Trail will be available to buy from<br />

Amazon from October 1. For more details and news of<br />

AA Abbott’s latest releases visit www.aaabbott.co.uk<br />

10


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PROPERTY<br />

Property of the Month<br />

WE TAKE A SNEAKY PEEK AT SOME OF THE HOTTEST PROPERTIES ON THE MARKET<br />

IN THE AREA EACH MONTH. THIS MONTH’S SELECTION IS A AMERICAN-INFLUENCED<br />

CONTEMPORARY PROPERTY IN A SECLUDED SETTING IN WEEFORD<br />

Angels House, Church Hill, Weeford: £1,695,000<br />

On the market with Quantrills Sutton Coldfield: 0121 354 9229<br />

THE AGENT SAYS: Angels House is a truly magnificent<br />

contemporary residence built and designed by the current<br />

owners and incorporating design influences from America’s<br />

West Coast. Superbly presented with many exquisite<br />

features, the property is appointed to an exceptional<br />

standard incorporating state-of-the-art technology.<br />

The Japanese style sitting room is approached through<br />

sliding double doors and has a sunken central seating area,<br />

wall mounted TV and fitted furniture, cast resin flooring<br />

and full width retractable glazed doors to the decked<br />

terrace.<br />

An open plan kitchen and family room offers an exceptional<br />

living space and is fitted with an extensive range of<br />

contemporary cabinets with integrated Miele appliances.<br />

The master bedroom has a built-in cinema system, while<br />

each of the four bedrooms has an en suite.<br />

The leisure complex boasts a spa with large corner wet<br />

room, shower, teak bath with stone walling, inset TV and<br />

glass ceiling above, Klafs sauna, and a gymnasium.<br />

The private landscaped garden extends to approx. 1.72<br />

acres and includes extensive sweeping lawns to the front<br />

and side, shaped lawns to the rear inset with pond, pergola<br />

with gravel pathway, flowering borders and raised beds.<br />

The raised rear decked terrace with heated swimming pool<br />

enjoys magnificent far reaching views over the surrounding<br />

countryside, as does the roof terrace with hot tub.<br />

W E L O V E :<br />

THE LEISURE FACILITIES - CHECK<br />

OUT THE MAGNIFICENT HEATED<br />

SWIMMING POOL.<br />

12


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STOOL, CULT FURNITURE.<br />

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MAGNI OBSIDIAN LEATHER KITCHEN DOOR<br />

HANDLES, DOWSING AND REYNOLDS.<br />

WWW.DOWSINGANDREYNOLDS.COM<br />

LUND LONDON LUXE STAINLESS<br />

STEEL TUMBLERS SET, AMARA.<br />

WWW.AMARA.COM<br />

HAMMONDS GIBSON LIVERTON<br />

KITCHEN, COOKES FURNITURE.<br />

WWW.COOKESFURNITURE.CO.UK<br />

THE ORGANIC COMPANY<br />

ORGANIC COTTON TEA TOWEL.<br />

£7.50, WHITE BLACK GREY.<br />

WWW.WHITEBLACKGREY.CO.UK


SIEMENS STUDIOLINE APPLIANCES AND<br />

CERAMIC WORKTOPS, WENTWORTH DESIGNS<br />

AND INTERIORS SUTTON COLDFIELD.<br />

WWW.WENTWORTHDESIGNS.CO.UK<br />

SIEMATIC KITCHEN AT KITCHEN GALLERY<br />

IN MAILBOX BIRMINGHAM, SOLIHULL<br />

AND STRATFORD UPON AVON.<br />

WWW.KITCHENGALLERY.CO.UK<br />

RUST CERAMIC AND SMOOTH PAINTED<br />

LIGHT GREY KITCHEN BY TIPPERS OF LICHFIELD.<br />

WWW.TIPPERS.COM<br />

FURORE HANDLELESS KITCHEN FINISHED<br />

IN MIDNIGHT BLUE. AVAILABLE FROM IKON<br />

KITCHENS OF SUTTON COLDFIELD.<br />

WWW.IKONKITCHENS.NET<br />

CHELTENHAM KITCHEN HANDCRAFTED I<br />

N THE COTSWOLDS BY BENCHWOOD.<br />

WWW.BENCHWOOD.CO.UK


I N T E R I O R S<br />

FLORAL ON ZEBRA CANVAS BY KIRSTEN<br />

STAR, £25, ART WOW. WWW.ARTWOW.CO<br />

Moody<br />

blooms<br />

DARK and moody hues and fabulous florals have<br />

been two of this year’s predominant interiors trends,<br />

and for autumn the two pair together to create a<br />

richly dramatic look dominated by intense hues of<br />

berries, bark and bramble which perfectly encapsulates<br />

the shift in seasons, as the colours of the landscape<br />

changes.<br />

Dramatic and eye-catching, the trend sees nature going<br />

rogue as dark florals bring an exciting edge to your<br />

home style. Lush, romantic and moody in the best way<br />

possible, these are florals that don’t hold back.<br />

Look out for big blousy designs that have a pre-<br />

Raphaelite style; you’ll find them on cushions, bedding<br />

and on walls as wallpaper and even murals. In contrast<br />

to summer’s botanical prints, the tones are dark and<br />

rich rather than bold and vibrant, creating a cosy,<br />

cosseted feel. Keep the rest of the look simple, and<br />

suitably dark, so the florals become the star and pick<br />

out key colours to accessorise with.<br />

£19.50<br />

£12<br />

£30<br />

AUBURN FLORAL VELVET<br />

CUSHION, DUNELM.<br />

WWW.DUNELM.COM<br />

LARGE FLORENCE FLORAL VASE,<br />

MARKS AND SPENCER.<br />

WWW.MARKSANDSPENCER.COM<br />

INKY FLORAL CLOCK BY<br />

ELEANOR SOPER, ART WOW.<br />

WWW.ARTWOW.CO<br />

18


£8<br />

£55<br />

£1,940<br />

BURLEIGH CALICO<br />

TEAPOT, SOHO HOUSE.<br />

WWW.SOHOHOME.COM<br />

KATIE ALICE WILD APRICITY NAVY<br />

FLORAL DINNER PLATE, CREATIVE TOPS.<br />

WWW.CREATIVE-TOPS.COM<br />

SELF ARMCHAIR, RUME.<br />

WWW.RUME.CO.UK<br />

£110<br />

£35<br />

FLORENTINA TEAL TIGERS EYE CUSHION,<br />

JOHN LEWIS. WWW.JOHNLEWIS.COM<br />

£270<br />

MOMOKA FLORAL<br />

SCREEN, ARTHOUSE.<br />

WWW.ARTHOUSE.COM<br />

£4.99<br />

SOMERS MIDNIGHT RUG,<br />

LAURA ASHLEY.<br />

WWW.LAURAASHLEY.COM<br />

POPPY CERAMIC DOOR KNOB,<br />

IAN SNOW. WWW.IANSNOW.COM<br />

ROMULUS DAYBED, £1,650, RUME.<br />

WWW.RUME.CO.UK


RENAISSANCE FLORAL CUSHION, £45,<br />

THE FRENCH BEDROOM CO.<br />

WWW.FRENCHBEDROOMCOMPANY.CO.UK<br />

MOMOKA VELVET CUSHION, £15,<br />

ARTHOUSE. WWW.ARTHOUSE.COM<br />

RENAISSANCE FLORAL CUSHION, £45,<br />

THE FRENCH BEDROOM CO.<br />

WWW.FRENCHBEDROOMCOMPANY.CO.UK<br />

FLORAL ART PRINT, £5, ABSTRACT HOUSE.<br />

WWW.ABSTRACTHOUSE.COM<br />

AVA MARIKA SUPERSIZED MOODY FLORAL<br />

WALLPAPER, £75, WOODCHIP AND MAGNOLIA.<br />

WWW.WOODCHIPANDMAGNOLIA.CO.UK<br />

BLUEBELLGRAY PEGGY MIDNIGHT<br />

DUVET COVER AND PILLOWCASE SET,<br />

£135, HURN & HURN.<br />

WWW.HURNANDHURN.COM


I N T E R I O R S<br />

DULUX HAS NAMED<br />

SPICED HONEY AS ITS<br />

COLOUR OF THE YEAR<br />

FOR 2019.<br />

A touch<br />

of spice<br />

DULUX has named ‘Spiced Honey’ as its Colour<br />

of the Year for 2019, described as being “perfect for<br />

creating a relaxed, cosy atmosphere in places where we<br />

like to think, dream, love and act”.<br />

A welcome contrast to the cool greys which have<br />

dominated the neutrals palette in recent years, Spiced<br />

Honey is a warm blend of rich caramel and amber<br />

tones which is the ideal backdrop for an inviting<br />

living space. The contemporary hue works well with<br />

a broad spectrum of complementary colours and can<br />

be calm and nourishing or stimulating and energising,<br />

depending on the palette and light surrounding it.<br />

Marianne Shillingford, creative director for Dulux<br />

UK, says Spiced Honey has a ‘raw, natural quality<br />

that works like a warm neutral,’ making it adaptable<br />

to pairing with different materials and styles of<br />

decoration.<br />

To emphasise the warmth of the tone, team with brass<br />

or gold metallics, natural woods and rich leathers and<br />

velvets in tan or caramel hues to create a luxuriously<br />

cosy space. A splash of white or off-white adds to the<br />

contemporary feel.<br />

£POA<br />

AMBER TUMBLER, ABODE LIVING.<br />

WWW.ABODELIVING.CO.UK<br />

£10<br />

ARDECHE 1 LIGHT LARGE PENDANT,<br />

DAR LIGHTING. WWW.DARLIGHTING.CO.UK<br />

DALYAN DINING CHAIR,<br />

COVET HOUSE.<br />

WWW.COVETHOUSE.EU<br />

DULUX SPICED<br />

HONEY 2.5L.<br />

WWW.DULUX.CO.UK<br />

£27.56<br />

£138<br />

22


When you buy a complete bathroom<br />

during October. *<br />

(That’ll keep you toasty)<br />

*Terms apply, see in-store for details<br />

Ripples Birmingham c/o Cookes Furniture, 28 Goosemoor Lane,<br />

Erdington, Birmingham B23 5PN Tel: 0121 2505056<br />

Ripples Solihull, 1693-1695 High Street,<br />

Knowle, Solihull B93 0LN Tel: 01564 730223<br />

www.ripplesbathrooms.com


SANDOWN LEATHER CARVER<br />

CHAIR, PEPPERMILL INTERIORS,<br />

BURNTWOOD BUSINESS PARK.<br />

WWW.PEPPERMILLINTERIORS.COM<br />

£179<br />

£POA<br />

MALAY SUSY ARMCHAIR,<br />

RUG’SOCIETY.<br />

WWW.RUGSOCIETY.EU<br />

£260<br />

URBAN AVENUE SUNDAY<br />

SQUARES THROW,<br />

WWW.URBANAVENUE.CO.UK<br />

£45<br />

SLOAN TAUPE RUG, MODERN RUGS.<br />

WWW.MODERN-RUGS.CO.UK<br />

£POA<br />

OLSSON & JENSEN<br />

TALL STONEWARE JUG,<br />

ECLECT DESIGN.<br />

WWW.ECLECTDESIGN.COM<br />

£59<br />

LAUTNER COFFEE TABLE, ESSENTIAL HOME.<br />

WWW.ESSENTIALHOME.EU<br />

DULUX SPICED HONEY HAS A RAW,<br />

NATURAL QUALITY THAT WORKS LIKE<br />

A WARM NEUTRAL<br />

24


BROADWAY KITCHENS<br />

MANUFACTURER OF LUXURY BESPOKE KITCHENS<br />

Visit our Birmingham showroom to see and feel the quality.<br />

Call to discuss your kitchen project and book a FREE,<br />

no-obligation design consultation today!<br />

SUTTON COLDFIELD 0121 353 4999<br />

www.bespokekitchensbybroadway.com


I N T E R I O R S<br />

Fright night<br />

PRE LIT BLACK TREE, £22, GLASS SKULL<br />

TEALIGHT HOLDER, £5, HALLOWEEN<br />

HANGING DECORATIONS 12 PACK, £8,<br />

HD BAT SEQUIN HANGING DECORATION,<br />

£2.50, 10 GLITTER SPIDERS IN MESH, £4,<br />

ALL JOHN LEWIS.<br />

WWW.JOHNLEWIS.COM<br />

style<br />

WHETHER you’re planning a Halloween bash or just<br />

want to add a spooky touch to your home decor as the<br />

nights draw in, it’s the time of year when pumpkins,<br />

skulls and spiders take centre stage.<br />

Not a fan of orange and purple? Bypass Halloween’s<br />

tendency toward the cheesy by embracing a matte<br />

black palette - so on trend for <strong>2018</strong>. The decorations<br />

can be as subtle (think classy decanters labeled as<br />

poison that you can re-use) or obvious (hello, spider<br />

web placemats!) as you wish.<br />

And who says Halloween has to be all dust and<br />

cobwebs? For a more polished approach, incorporate<br />

pops of silver, gold, copper, and brass. Or opt for a<br />

natural style, pairing fresh pumpkins in an array of<br />

colours and sizes with foliage and subtle lighting to<br />

create stylish table centrepieces or fireplace displays.<br />

Happy haunting!<br />

METAL HOUSE TEALIGHT<br />

HOLDER, JOHN LEWIS.<br />

WWW.JOHNLEWIS.COM<br />

£15<br />

£8<br />

BLACK OWL, JOHN LEWIS.<br />

WWW.JOHNLEWIS.COM<br />

£65<br />

FELT SPIDER WEB PLACEMATS.<br />

JOHN LEWIS. WWW.JOHNLEWIS.COM<br />

£18<br />

GOLD GLITTER PUMPKIN,<br />

HOMESENSE.<br />

WWW.HOMESENSE.COM<br />

£9.99<br />

CERAMIC HANGING<br />

PUMPKIN TEALIGHT<br />

HOLDERS, £6.60 EACH,<br />

GISELA GRAHAM.<br />

WWW.GISELAGRAHAM.CO.UK<br />

26


£139<br />

£45<br />

SPIDER WEB CANDLE HOLDER,<br />

TK MAXX. WWW.TKMAXX.COM<br />

£9.99<br />

PUMPKIN SERVING DISH,<br />

LAURA ASHLEY.<br />

WWW.LAURAASHLEY.COM<br />

AUTUMN ABUNDANCE WREATH,<br />

BALSAM HILL. WWW.BALSAMHILL.CO.UK<br />

GLITTER HANGING SKULL, SAINSBURY’S.<br />

WWW.SAINSBURYS.CO.UK<br />

BOO HALLOWEEN NEON<br />

LIGHT, LIGHTS4FUN.<br />

WWW.LIGHTS4FUN.CO.UK<br />

£14.99<br />

£3<br />

PUMPKIN FELT BUNTING.<br />

LAURA ASHLEY.<br />

WWW.LAURAASHLEY.COM<br />

£16<br />

BLACK LIT PUMPKIN, JOHN LEWIS.<br />

WWW.JOHNLEWIS.COM<br />

SILVER PUMPKINS.<br />

TK MAXX.<br />

WWW.TKMAXX.COM<br />

£4.99<br />

£25<br />

HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS<br />

FROM A SELECTION<br />

AT SAINSBURY’S.<br />

WWW.SAINSBURYS.CO.UK<br />

TRICK OR TREAT HALLOWEEN<br />

RANGE, FROM £2.99, GINGER RAY.<br />

WWW.GINGERRAY.CO.UK


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auctioneering in Staffordshire since 1864<br />

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THE LICHFIELD AUCTION CENTRE<br />

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I N T E R I O R S<br />

Sumptuous style<br />

It’s not easy to transform your home into<br />

something you love. It’s about creating spaces<br />

your family and friends will adore to be in,<br />

spaces that reflect your lifestyle and taste.<br />

And a luxurious new furniture range which has<br />

just launched at Blackbrook Interiors, combining<br />

sumptuous styling with the utmost in comfort,<br />

will certainly help you make a style statement.<br />

Spink & Edgar Upholstery has launched a<br />

completely new range based on glamorous<br />

modern classics with an art deco twist. Designed<br />

and manufactured at the Tetrad factory, the<br />

collection features GP & J Baker printed fabrics<br />

and sumptuous Italian velvet, combined with the<br />

award-winning Spink & Edgar pocket springs<br />

cleverly placed in the seat and arms providing<br />

unrivalled comfort and support.<br />

The brand new range is exclusively available in<br />

the Midlands at Blackbrook Interiors, one of just<br />

a handful of stockists around the country.<br />

Mike Rowan, owner of Blackbrook Interiors,<br />

said: “This is a brand new furniture range<br />

which has only been available for the last three<br />

months and we are one of less than 30 stockists<br />

throughout the UK where it can be purchased.”<br />

Every piece is meticulously made by hand in<br />

Preston, Lancashire. The seat cushion interiors<br />

contain pocket springs with a feather wrap<br />

along with small HD springs skillfully placed in<br />

arms, back and seat platforms. The result is an<br />

outstandingly supportive and comfortable sit<br />

which retains its shape for years and negates the<br />

need for constant maintenance and plumping.<br />

The collection curates design, taste and style,<br />

bringing a touch of luxury to a space and<br />

boasting a classic contemporary tone with lasting<br />

elegance.<br />

To check out the stunning new range, head over<br />

to Blackbrook Interiors, situated off the A38 at<br />

Weeford, just outside Lichfield.<br />

For more details call 01543 481010 or visit<br />

www.blackbrook-interiors.co.uk<br />

30


OUR NEW BROCHURE IS NOW AVAILABLE<br />

P R E N T I C E<br />

Quality Furniture<br />

01827 287387<br />

enquiry@prentice.co.uk<br />

www.prentice.co.uk


F O O D & D R I N K<br />

Wild and wonderful<br />

INNOVATIVE MEETS CLASSIC AS TWO MIDLANDS HEAVYWEIGHTS JOIN<br />

FORCES FOR A DINING EXPERIENCE TO REMEMBER, SAYS AMY NORBURY<br />

Alex Claridge may not be one of the<br />

most familiar names on the Midlands<br />

dining scene, but he is surely one of the<br />

most exciting. The brains behind The<br />

Wilderness, one of the most innovative<br />

eateries to hit the city in recent memory,<br />

Alex brings a playful, provocative - and<br />

completely delicious - edge to modern<br />

British cuisine.<br />

Influenced by the cultural melting pot<br />

that is the Second City, he pilfers spices,<br />

styles and ingredients from around the<br />

world to create a unique take on fine<br />

dining. Starched linen and gleaming<br />

silverware it ain’t, but The Wilderness<br />

promises a foodie experience unlike<br />

anything else in the Midlands.<br />

So when Sauce Supper Club hit on the idea<br />

of pairing Alex with Lichfield’s very own chef<br />

extraordinaire Liam Dillon - chef patron of The<br />

Boat Inn, who has recently been named Best Chef<br />

at the Midlands Food, Drink and Hospitality Awards<br />

ahead of stalwarts including Andy Waters, Aktar<br />

Islam and Nottingham’s two Michelin-starred Sat<br />

Bains - it promised to be an explosive evening of<br />

flavour.<br />

The sell-out event, held on Liam’s home turf at The<br />

Boat, welcomed some 60 diners for a six-course feast<br />

marrying intense flavours, playful ideas and some<br />

seriously off-the-wall presentation.<br />

On arrival, we were greeted with a popcorn<br />

piña colada - a luminous green prosecco-topped<br />

concoction which did indeed have an aroma of<br />

popcorn and taste like a piña colada - and shown to<br />

our table in the dining room which offered a great<br />

view into The Boat’s open kitchen.<br />

First up was a duo of snacks from Liam; his<br />

signature pig’s head and burnt apple cube, followed<br />

by a rather delightful polenta cracker topped<br />

with cod roe and fish skin. Now, while the little<br />

cracker was a wonderful morsel, its puffed, crispy<br />

texture mimicking that of the fish skin, it was the<br />

presentation which really wowed,<br />

as it came balanced atop a bowl<br />

containing a swimming fish - ‘this<br />

is Ronnie’, exclaimed our waiter.<br />

The Wilderness’ yuk sung bun - a<br />

tiny brioche bun filled with quail<br />

yuk sung, scattered with chicken<br />

skin and yeast flakes with a dab of<br />

hoisin sauce - completed a tasty<br />

trio, while a miniature beer-soaked<br />

spelt loaf with whipped chicken<br />

butter was another delight.<br />

So far, so tasty, and we really hadn’t<br />

yet got going.<br />

An amuse bouche from The Boat<br />

of set cheese custard with spiced<br />

carrot and mushroom was a little<br />

32


lacking for me personally - I found the texture a bit<br />

thin, although the carrots were beautifully sweet and<br />

nicely spiced.<br />

But The Wilderness’ tomato and ricotta dish<br />

which followed was simply sublime. Fresh ricotta<br />

paired with an array of tomatoey goodness - a<br />

stunning tomato crisp, incredible ‘sweet and sour’<br />

tomatoes and a tomato version of a Japanese ponzu<br />

citrus sauce - took the humble cheese and tomato<br />

combination to dizzying heights, while an elderflower<br />

granita added a layer of floral sweetness. Clever<br />

cooking indeed.<br />

And from this flavour punch, it was onto a perfectly<br />

executed fish course from The Boat. A ballotine of<br />

sole fillet with brown shrimp, lemon, fish sauce and<br />

oyster emulsion, it was elegant, refined and a real joy<br />

to eat.<br />

The meat course was the intriguingly titled N.A.F.B<br />

from The Wilderness, an explosive combination of<br />

succulent quail breast with butter curry sauce, date<br />

and tamarind puree and dhal samosa with cucumber<br />

foam and powder, and crispy wild rice.<br />

The tongue-in-cheek acronym, our waiter informed<br />

us, stands for Not Another F’ing Balti - something<br />

regular Wilderness diners might be familiar with,<br />

or so said my friend and fellow Supper Club diner<br />

who counts The Wilderness as her favourite dining<br />

experience and has had the dish a time or two before.<br />

And to be perfectly honest, I’d be ecstatic to eat<br />

that glorious anti-balti plateful again, and again.<br />

The quail was a beautifully tender, the butter sauce<br />

silky and rich, with the sweet sharpness from the<br />

puree and the palate-cleansing freshness from the<br />

cucumber providing a wonderful sense of flavour<br />

balance. Add in some crunch from the samosa and<br />

rice - which was rather like a scattering of wild Rice<br />

Krispies - and a decent kick of spice, and it made for<br />

a truly mouth-watering experience.<br />

Desserts were a little slice of heaven; the only<br />

complaint I’d have about Liam’s moreish carrot cake,<br />

with it’s caramelised top and creamy<br />

rum and raisin ice cream would be<br />

that it was far too small a portion.<br />

I could have eaten the marvellous<br />

morsel several times over, but that’s<br />

just being greedy.<br />

The finale was a salty, malty,<br />

chocolatey extravaganza, with a fine<br />

sable biscuit, salted milk sorbet - far<br />

more delicious than it sounds - and<br />

a shard of dried chocolate mousse<br />

which melted on the tongue.<br />

And if that wasn’t enough to leave a<br />

smile on your face, a tray of sweets<br />

appeared to finish off the meal. But<br />

these weren’t any ordinary sweets; the<br />

Turkish Delight was, well, delightful<br />

but it was the rummy gummy bear, made with a<br />

full shot of rum, which was the real punch in the<br />

chops. In an oh-so-good way, of course. Given the<br />

opportunity I wouldn’t stop at just one, hell no, but<br />

too many of those sweet little bears would leave you<br />

floored, I’m sure.<br />

After starting life as a pop-up called Nomad before<br />

a skirmish with a New York hotel of the same<br />

moniker forced a chance of name, The Wilderness<br />

finally settled in its permanent home in the Jewellery<br />

Quarter earlier this year. A cult-like following among<br />

foodie fanatics means that tables are increasingly<br />

difficult to come by, but if you can score a coveted<br />

seat then do. You won’t regret it. Just don’t go if you<br />

fancy a balti.<br />

33


F O O D & D R I N K<br />

Cocktail of the month<br />

TOM LINDSEY AND RORY MCKERRELL, FOUNDERS OF FIFTH SPIRE GIN AND OWNERS OF THE<br />

SPIRIT WORKS BAR IN LICHFIELD, SHARE THEIR PERFECT SERVE OF A TIMELESS CLASSIC<br />

The perfect<br />

Old Fashioned<br />

The Old Fashioned cocktail’s<br />

history stretches back to the<br />

1800s, and its simple formula has<br />

been tinkered with a lot along<br />

the way, but the best ones are<br />

the simple ones, consisting of just<br />

whiskey (other aged spirits also<br />

work), sugar, and bitters. The key<br />

thing is to use solid choices for the<br />

whiskey components as they will<br />

really shine through… and do not<br />

ruin it with loads of sugar!<br />

We used the following:<br />

25ml Willett’s Pot Still Reserve<br />

Bourbon<br />

25ml Millstone 100 Dutch Rye<br />

5 dashes Bokers Aromatic Bitters<br />

2 Dashes Regans’ Orange Bitters<br />

7.5ml Sugar Syrup<br />

Orange ribbon with pith<br />

removed to garnish<br />

Combine the Willett’s bourbon<br />

with a small amount of ice straight<br />

out of the freezer into mixing<br />

glass and stir to chill. Add the rest<br />

of the ingredients to the mixing<br />

glass along with more ice and stir<br />

to chill once again. If there’s still<br />

room, add more ice and continue<br />

to stir down.<br />

Once suitably chilled, strain into<br />

a rocks glass full of ice, or better<br />

still, one giant ice ball or cube<br />

if you can get them. Crease the<br />

orange ribbon over the drink to<br />

express its oils onto the drinks<br />

surface.<br />

Rub the outside of the orange<br />

onto the rim of the glass and then<br />

place in the drink. Sit down and<br />

enjoy!<br />

34


F O O D & D R I N K<br />

A taste of autumn<br />

LIAM DILLON, AWARD-WINNING CHEF PATRON AT THE BOAT INN, LICHFIELD,<br />

SHARES A RECIPE WHICH MAKES THE MOST OF AN AUTUMNAL HERO INGREDIENT - VENISON<br />

Liam says: “The main element for this dish is the<br />

venison, a beautiful ingredient that I love to work<br />

with at this time of year. This recipe below is only<br />

for the marinade that we use in the restaurant to add<br />

as much flavour to the meat as possible. It helps to<br />

season the meat due to the ingredients used.<br />

“This method of seasoning meat before cooking is<br />

quite common but mainly for secondary cuts of meat<br />

before stewing, to add flavour and tenderise. This<br />

technique is also used for such dishes as a coq au vin,<br />

where the wine is used to marinade the chicken and<br />

then used back to make the sauce.<br />

“This venison marinade is used in a similar vein to<br />

season the sauce, but is reduced heavily first.”<br />

Venison marinade<br />

Ingredients<br />

15g juniper berries<br />

25g orange peel<br />

2g rosemary<br />

2g thyme<br />

400g sliced onions<br />

15g garlic<br />

10 x black peppercorns<br />

3 x bay leaves<br />

750ml red wine<br />

Place the red wine into a pan and bring to the boil.<br />

Once it is up to the boil pour over the remaining<br />

ingredients.<br />

This marinade should be left to cool before it is used.<br />

The venison loin should be left in the marinade for<br />

one hour and then removed and patted dry. Once this<br />

process has been completed it should be cut to the<br />

desired size and then preserved until it is ready to be<br />

cooked.<br />

We have a number of different components that come<br />

together to create the dish at the restaurant. A potato<br />

terrine that has been built with red cabbage running<br />

through it; pickled mushrooms and roasted baby<br />

onions, kale, yeasted cauliflower puree and venison<br />

sausage. Once this is on the plate with the roasted<br />

saddle of venison we finish the sauce with elderberries<br />

which have been pickled and help lift the sauce with a<br />

slight sharpness which brings the dish together.<br />

36


Join in the Festive Celebrations<br />

The<br />

Boat Inn<br />

Christmas Murder<br />

Mystery Evenings<br />

Tue 4th, Tue 11th, Mon 17th<br />

& Tue 18th December<br />

Family Lunch<br />

with Santa<br />

Sun 2nd, 9th, 16th, Sat 22nd,<br />

Sun 23rd & Mon 24th Dec<br />

Christmas Carols<br />

& Afternoon Tea<br />

Tue 27th Nov, Tue 4th, Tue<br />

11th, Mon17th & Tue 18th Dec<br />

Starlight Christmas<br />

Party Nights<br />

Various dates in November,<br />

December & January<br />

Michelin recommended<br />

Liam Dillon, chef owner of The Boat Inn was<br />

recently awarded “Best Chef” in the Midlands.<br />

Modern British Food with an open kitchen.<br />

Newly refurbished with a view into the kitchen.<br />

Tables suitable for large parties<br />

with set menus to choose from.<br />

Book your christmas party at the boat<br />

Moor Hall Drive, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield B75 6LN<br />

0121 308 3751 www.moorhallhotel.co.uk<br />

Join in the Festive Celebrations<br />

Starters<br />

• Locally shot pigeon, courgette & chestnut<br />

• Roasted scallops, squash, toasted seeds<br />

• Celeriac & artichoke veloute<br />

Mains<br />

• Turkey breast, rolled leg, sprout top,<br />

cranberry & parsnip puree<br />

• Beef rump medallions, watercress, shallot & roasted<br />

celeriac(served with hand cut chips & peppercorn sauce)<br />

• Hake, potato, cauliflower stems, sea herbs & fish sauce<br />

• Roast courgette, artichokes & spiced yellow split peas<br />

Sides<br />

• Cauliflower & Westcombe cheese<br />

• Parmesan & truffle chips<br />

• Sprouts & pancetta<br />

• Heritage carrots and Caraway butter<br />

• Pickled red cabbage<br />

Desserts<br />

• Winter eton mess<br />

• Set cream, clementine & granola<br />

• Lemon sponge, honeycomb, bee pollen & yoghurt sorbet<br />

• British cheese selection (£5 supplement)<br />

Festive<br />

Set<br />

Menu<br />

Christmas Wreath<br />

Making Workshops<br />

Monday 26th &<br />

Tuesday 27th November<br />

Santa<br />

Sunday Lunch<br />

Sunday 9th &<br />

Sunday 23rd December<br />

Christmas Carols<br />

& Afternoon Tea<br />

Friday 7th &<br />

Friday 14th December<br />

Christmas Party<br />

Nights<br />

Various dates in November,<br />

December & January<br />

Premium<br />

Festive<br />

Set<br />

Menu<br />

2 courses £25<br />

3 courses £30<br />

Starters<br />

• Dorset crab, charred leeks & toasted bread<br />

• Rock oysters, red wine reduction & lemon<br />

• Scottish mackerel, gooseberry chutney, black olive & runner beans<br />

• Celeriac & artichoke veloute<br />

Mains<br />

• Venison, yeasted cauliflower, mushrooms, red cabbage potato terrine<br />

• Turkey breast, rolled leg, sprout top, cranberry & parsnip puree<br />

• Chalkstem trout, squash gnocchi, salsify, hollandaise & sauce vierge<br />

• Roast courgette, artichokes & spiced yellow split peas<br />

Sides<br />

• Cauliflower & Westcombe cheese<br />

• Parmesan & truffle chips<br />

• Sprouts & pancetta<br />

• Heritage carrots and Caraway butter<br />

• Pickled red cabbage<br />

Desserts<br />

• Carrot cake, almond tuille, butter icing & Christmas pudding ice cream<br />

• Hot chocolate cake, prune & hazelnut granola<br />

• Warm rice pudding, caramel streusel crumb, clementine & chocolate<br />

• British cheese selection (£5 supplement)<br />

2 courses £35<br />

3 courses £40<br />

Please notify us of any allergies as some ingredients are not mentioned in dish title<br />

Bird Street, Lichfield WS13 6PR<br />

01543 414822 www.thegeorgelichfield.co.uk<br />

Call for details • 01543 361692<br />

Open Wednesday • Sunday<br />

Open Tuesday • Sunday during December and now taking Christmas bookings<br />

www.theboatinnlichfield.com • Walsall Road, Lichfield WS14 0BU


F O O D & D R I N K<br />

An autumnal pick<br />

PATRICK GAUNT, OPERATIONS MANAGER FOR SPECIALIST WINE COMPANY<br />

ITAL SARDO, TAKES A LOOK AT THE BEST WINES FOR AUTUMN<br />

With the temperatures dropping, we are looking to provide our clients with a welcoming warmth of wine.<br />

Ital Sardo invites you to share our great selection of wine, pairing perfectly with those crisp autumn evenings.<br />

With plenty of fine wines available, here are our recommendations for the forthcoming month:<br />

Barbera d’Asti<br />

This is a wine that is recognised<br />

by many consumers of Italian<br />

wines. As with many of our more<br />

recognisable wines, we believe that<br />

we have found the best example<br />

of this style. With autumnal notes<br />

of blackberry, a hint of cinnamon<br />

and a slight finish of cracked<br />

black pepper, this is, all in all, a<br />

great wine for a<br />

fantastic price.<br />

This is highly<br />

recommended<br />

by us.<br />

Irilai<br />

This wine is from our most recent<br />

shipment, in which we focused<br />

on our most exclusive range<br />

from Sardinia. The sketch of the<br />

town of Oliena pronounces the<br />

important sense of ‘source’ with<br />

this wine. A great example of a<br />

Sardinian red wine, strong yet<br />

smooth, Irilai has a great sense<br />

of warmth, all<br />

softened with an<br />

even balance of<br />

red cherry and<br />

aromatic herbs.<br />

This is a red<br />

wine that can<br />

be consumed<br />

on its own,<br />

however, does<br />

pair well with<br />

roasts - lamb<br />

in particular.<br />

Le Giare<br />

Understanding that not everyone<br />

is a red wine drinker, we have a<br />

recommendation from our range<br />

of white wines. This is a fantastic<br />

example of how we are providing<br />

our clients with something new.<br />

Sourced from the island of<br />

Sardinia, this young Vermentino<br />

is one of our most versatile wines.<br />

The soft, fruity notes allow this<br />

refreshing white<br />

to be consumed<br />

on its own.<br />

Interestingly,<br />

with the addition<br />

of a unique<br />

savoury finish<br />

of almond<br />

and thyme, the<br />

opportunity to<br />

taste this wine<br />

with cured meats<br />

or a vegetable<br />

ragout should<br />

not be missed.<br />

Our full range of wines are available to view on our website at www.italsardo.com<br />

As a small company, we believe in offering a personal and professional service to all of customers.<br />

Therefore, we welcome any requests and look forward to hearing from you. You can contact us via<br />

email wine@italsardo.com or call our office 01283 711588<br />

38


MONDAY 15 - SATURDAY 20 OCT<br />

POP UP MICHELIN STAR FINE DINING<br />

IN A KITCHEN NEAR YOU!<br />

Delivering exciting and new dining experiences to your doorstep through a series<br />

of pop up kitchen events, where chefs from Michelin starred restaurants and highly<br />

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TOM<br />

SHEPHERD<br />

HEAD CHEF,<br />

1 MICHELIN STAR<br />

RESTAURANT ADAMS<br />

15 <strong>OCTOBER</strong> 18<br />

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F E AT U R E<br />

Into the abyss<br />

IN A NEW SERIES FOR J’AIME, JACK REGAN, A CREATIVE AT TITAN. THE ADVERTISING AGENCY<br />

IN BIRMINGHAM, TAKES A MORE ADRENALINE-FUELLED APPROACH TO LIFE. THIS MONTH,<br />

HE UNDERTAKES A HAIR-RAISING CHARITY ABSEIL IN BIRMINGHAM<br />

JACK REGAN LIVING LIFE<br />

ON THE EDGE - LITERALLY<br />

I am about to die. I’m certain of that and of that<br />

alone.<br />

Probably not from the shattering impact of a 250ft<br />

fall, but almost certainly from catastrophic shame<br />

and humiliation. Be assured, this will not be a hero’s<br />

death. No mournful obits, no flags at half whatsit.<br />

To be fair, this is not how I’d imagined my morning<br />

ending. I’d had the highest of hopes for this, my<br />

very first ever abseil. And from Birmingham’s tallest<br />

building* no less.<br />

In my head I was going to swagger through the entire<br />

experience, doing this stunt with two very glamorous<br />

ladies, raising funds for Emmaus UK, a brilliant<br />

charity that’s helping homeless people - so, y’know,<br />

carpe diem etc.<br />

I’d had the most devilish self image too - Man From<br />

Milk Tray cool with slick hair, polo neck, incredibly<br />

tight jeans and an insatiable mistress in every port.<br />

I’d envisioned myself majestic, all in black, whizzing<br />

down the wall in the style of elite troops storming<br />

embassies, y’know, chomping a cigar, wolfish grin - I<br />

was, quite literally, gonna go commando.<br />

And it had all seemed so positive and realistic in<br />

those great moments going up to the roof too. So<br />

awash with hope and possibilities. But then reality set<br />

in like a thunderclap from the gods.<br />

Twenty one storeys up atop the Snow Hill Holiday<br />

Inn I decided I’d take a nonchalant peek over the<br />

side. A wretched mistake, I’ll admit. For the instant I<br />

did so the blood drained from my face like a flushing<br />

toilet. Heart hammering in my chest.<br />

I stood there, ashen faced, terrified, gargling<br />

incoherently, shaking, my nerve totally gone. This<br />

was... I just had no contingency for terror.<br />

So, desperately trying to regain my cool, I asked the<br />

climbing expert guy how far up we were. He nodded,<br />

“Don’t worry about landing with a splat, son, it’s<br />

so bloody far to the bottom you’ll die of starvation<br />

first!”<br />

Which did not help.<br />

40


Then he started with the strapping and ropes and<br />

harnesses and trussing me up and pinning in my<br />

unmentionables and pinching and teasing and...<br />

good God! The Marquess de Sade himself would’ve<br />

been blushing like a wee schoolgirl with all this<br />

bondage and self inflicted agony!<br />

But much worse was to come.<br />

After a few instructions the climbing dude had me<br />

and my glamour girl mate, Donna, clamber clumsily<br />

onto the ledge high above Birmingham and I’m on<br />

the verge of vomiting with fear. Then he tells us to<br />

simultaneously push ourselves off...<br />

Which is when I had an epiphany. A soft voice inside<br />

me said, Don’t worry, mate, it’ll be fine. Just push off,<br />

hard as you can.<br />

Which somehow settled me down. I immediately felt<br />

exquisitely calm. Serene. I decided, what the hell,<br />

dude, just do it. Just do it for the homeless! And so I<br />

did.<br />

I thrust myself off that roof with proper abandon,<br />

pushing my backside mightily into the air with a<br />

force few men could ever muster... and... and I<br />

immediately rrrripped the arse of my jeans wide<br />

open to the world!<br />

I mean this was a freakish tear. The entire<br />

garment split in half. The Full Monty of rips. Two<br />

hundred feet up, suspended by a daft rope and I’m<br />

experiencing a unique new level of<br />

mortifying full exposure.<br />

Now, let me take you back a few<br />

paragraphs to what must’ve seemed<br />

like a throwaway line. The bit where I<br />

said I was gonna go commando. Okay,<br />

so I wasn’t actually joking, you see. I<br />

genuinely had gone full commando and<br />

was now going full frontal. And full rear<br />

admiral too.<br />

On the plus side, I wasn’t so ashen faced<br />

now.<br />

Of course you panic. Who wouldn’t?<br />

My glam mate Donna’s shouting over,<br />

asking about a tearing noise? I mutter<br />

incoherently, my mind racing - how to<br />

hell to now stay ahead of her descent so<br />

she can’t see my shortcomings?<br />

Panic and shame utterly broil inside me<br />

as Donna is clearly about to overtake me<br />

- a disaster from which few friendships<br />

could recover.<br />

So I try to abseil faster, my feet on the<br />

hotel’s windows, but I know if I make<br />

big strides down that “everything” will<br />

fall out of what’s left of my jeans and I<br />

cannot adjust “anything” because I’m<br />

175 feet up, gripping this bloody rope for<br />

grim death!<br />

So I do the best I can and keep my feet very close<br />

together and start, quite literally, mincing my way<br />

down a building, my face utterly aflame with shame.<br />

Now, to be clear, this isn’t a situation where, were<br />

you look closely you could see what’s going on. This<br />

is a man on obvious display to the world. And a<br />

manhood.<br />

A fact verified by the dozen overjoyed builders up on<br />

the scaffolds of the 3 Snow Hill construction tower<br />

immediately across the street. The builders, bless<br />

‘em, offered their raucous “encouragement” to me<br />

all the way down.<br />

Don’t even ask me about the double deckers on the<br />

street below. Don’t ask!<br />

What followed were three agonising minutes of<br />

breathtaking humiliation and shame. But, despite it<br />

all, I managed to stay those few crucial yards ahead<br />

of Donna and reached the bottom first, furiously tore<br />

off my constraints before scampering desperately to<br />

the sanctuary of a nearby portaloo.<br />

Where I’m still sat now, sweating, stammering and<br />

waiting till my mum arrives to rescue me with a fresh<br />

pair of trousers.<br />

*Yes, yes, we know there’s a taller building in<br />

Birmingham now but, before you write in, think<br />

about how cool that’ll make you feel about yourself.<br />

Please.<br />

THE ABSEIL WAS TO<br />

RAISE FUNDS FOR<br />

BIRMINGHAM-BASED<br />

HOMELESS CHARITY<br />

EMMAUS UK<br />

41


T R AV E L<br />

Spain’s hidden year-round<br />

mountain gems<br />

RB COLLECTION DIRECTOR OLIVER EXPLAINS WHY WE SHOULD TAKE A SERIOUS LOOK<br />

AT SPAIN’S SUMMER AND WINTER MOUNTAIN HOLIDAY OFFERINGS<br />

EXPERIENCE SOME OF<br />

EUROPE’S FINEST SKIING<br />

IN BAQUEIRA BERET<br />

The mountain ranges of Switzerland, Austria, Italy<br />

and France are some of Europe’s most popular<br />

to explore during the summer months, with<br />

breathtaking scenery, easy driving routes, plenty of<br />

alpine activities for all ages and good quality cuisine<br />

and culture to take in. There is, however, a European<br />

country that isn’t quite as synonymous with winter<br />

ski and summer lake and mountain holidays, and<br />

one which is one of the easiest to get to from many<br />

airports in the UK.<br />

Spain has always been the Brits’ favourite destination<br />

for a summer beach holiday and has been since the<br />

OLIVER, LEFT, AND HIS<br />

BROTHER JAMES HIT<br />

THE SLOPES<br />

1950s. But it is also home to ski resorts described by<br />

the experts as the true ‘hidden gems’, frequented by<br />

Spanish royalty and featuring an abundance of runs<br />

with very few queues and excellent quality facilities.<br />

In the summer months, driving to Spain’s Pyrenees<br />

is a dream; the country’s road network is vast and,<br />

unlike the UK, as soon as you leave a major city the<br />

numbers of cars competing for space on the road<br />

dramatically drops.<br />

I’ve had holidays in the two regions in both winter<br />

and summer and can’t sing their praises high enough.<br />

Here’s my brief guide and hopefully it will inspire<br />

you to go too.<br />

Skiing in Spain<br />

There are a number of good quality resorts; my<br />

favourite are Formigal and Baqueira Beret. I took a<br />

week to experience both resorts and, having skied all<br />

my life around Europe and North America, I was a<br />

little dubious to be honest. Luckily, I was pleasantly<br />

surprised.<br />

Our first stop was Formigal, an easy four-hour drive<br />

from Barcelona, and a beautiful one at that. Unlike<br />

some of the other European ski resorts, the lack of<br />

non-Spanish tourists means there are far less people<br />

driving to the resorts, and these two are a little<br />

42


further away from the main cities meaning a<br />

day trip is more challenging.<br />

Formigal has a vast number of runs and<br />

we never queued once. A fresh snow storm<br />

arrived on day two, which added further<br />

challenges to some of the already difficult<br />

black runs; but this also made for a really<br />

adventurous skiing experience. Rarely, during<br />

peak skiing months in Europe can you be the<br />

only two enjoying a run in the midday sun!<br />

While my brother would push me to try some<br />

of the harder runs, I should mention that<br />

Formigal has a great selection of lower level<br />

runs for families and beginners. With less<br />

people there, the kids seemed to be getting<br />

more of a personal learning experience too.<br />

Après-ski isn’t at its strongest in Formigal,<br />

but there were a few good quality local<br />

restaurants which offered an enjoyable<br />

selection of Spanish/French fusion mountain<br />

cooking. I would recommend two to three<br />

days as we did and then move on to your next stop;<br />

for us this was the royalty-ready Baqueira Beret.<br />

The drive from Formigal took around three-and-ahalf<br />

hours as we travelled as close as you can drive<br />

parallel along the mountain range. Again, the lack<br />

of fellow drivers made it a pleasurable journey as we<br />

snaked between the peaks along the modern roads.<br />

Beret is very well known in Spain as their best ski<br />

resort, and many ski journalists class it as the best<br />

in Europe. There is a certain quality in the air<br />

and, while it doesn’t have a traditional main street<br />

or commercial centre as you find in the North<br />

American resorts, it does offer some of the most<br />

THE PICTURESQUE<br />

MONT-REBEI GORGE<br />

MONT-REBEI GORGE<br />

MAKES FOR A SCENIC<br />

HIKE<br />

expensive and exclusive accommodations. But where<br />

Beret excels is with what is the most important thing<br />

for any ski holiday - extremely high quality ski runs<br />

for all levels, and excellent swift lifts where, just like<br />

Formigal, very little time is spent queuing.<br />

My brother often insists we ski pretty much every<br />

run in every resort we visit, and this was certainly<br />

a major challenge here as there were so many. The<br />

challenging by far are on the Tuc deth Dossau, the<br />

resort’s highest peak. On our last day we enjoyed a<br />

well-deserved drink just in time to be the last to ski<br />

down. There is always something special about being<br />

one of the last down a run in the afternoon, having it<br />

all to oneself is a real treat!<br />

Cuisine is the major highlight of the aprèsski<br />

scene here. You won’t find any nightclubs<br />

here, but you will find fine dining and I can<br />

definitely recommend Ticolet as the spot to<br />

catch a special meal - but do book ahead!<br />

While there are other Spanish ski resorts,<br />

Formigal and Baqueira Beret are the two<br />

which I would head for first and I am sure<br />

you won’t be disappointed.<br />

Lakes and mountains in Spain<br />

In the same mountain range, and again<br />

driving from Barcelona we headed towards<br />

the Parador Biesla, a unique historic hotel<br />

perched high in the Pyrenees, just over Mt<br />

Pertido from France. The journey was a<br />

great experience in itself. We soon left the<br />

motorway behind and stopped at The Mont<br />

Rebei Gorge for lunch and a small hike.<br />

These were scenes you would expect only to<br />

43


see when visiting the Great Lakes in North America.<br />

The bold green-blue of the water perfectly mirrored<br />

the rocky surrounding, engulfed by silence as we<br />

turned off the engine. Very few foreign visitors know<br />

about this unique spot in Spain and I must urge you<br />

to try it out, especially as it is only a couple of hours’<br />

drive from Barcelona. To experience the full six-hour<br />

round trip hike you need to stop over nearby. Or<br />

there is a shorter three-and-a-half hour round trip<br />

but it is not for the faint hearted. with sheer drops<br />

along the way. Alternatively, you can board the boat<br />

or self-canoe for a more serene experience. The<br />

scenery was breathtaking.<br />

We continued on our journey along the locally<br />

famous N230 road, winding through the hills past<br />

small villages, more lakes and flat plains - a landscape<br />

for each season. Soon we turned off this scenic route<br />

and headed up into the mountains, through villages<br />

specialising in adventure pursuits such as mountain<br />

biking, hiking and climbing. We eventually arrived<br />

at Parador Biesla, located as the final stop of the<br />

road and surrounded by towering rocky peaks with<br />

natural waterfalls bursting through, roaring in the<br />

background. While we were staying for just one night<br />

before our onward journey down into France and<br />

onto the Basque Country, we could easily see why<br />

our fellow visitors were booked in for a few nights.<br />

The remoteness, peace and quiet and opportunities<br />

for exploration were soon apparent.<br />

The journey time direct from Barcelona to Biesla<br />

would be just around four hours. My top tip for this<br />

journey would be to hire a decent size automatic<br />

SUV; it gives you extra height to see the scenery and<br />

also allows the driver to relax a little more and take it<br />

all in.<br />

To plan and book your holiday to the Spanish<br />

Pyrenees, call RB Collection on 01543 258631<br />

or email vip@rbcollection.com<br />

J’aime<br />

reader offer<br />

FREE CAR HIRE CATEGORY UPGRADE<br />

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HOLIDAY WITH ACCOMMODATION<br />

TO THE SPANISH PYRENEES WITH RB<br />

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44


B E S P O K E S O F A M A N U F A C T U R E<br />

& R E - U P H O L S T E R Y S P E C I A L I S T<br />

Our team of highly skilled professional craftsmen, create and manufacture<br />

sofa’s from design, for a living space that is truly unique. Coupled with our huge<br />

selection of fabrics we have the ability to create almost any type of bespoke design.<br />

Using traditional skills, we can also strip down your old suite or sofa and re-create the original<br />

design with our superior re-upholstery which is highly renowned for its finish and meticulous detail.<br />

‘For a truly unique and individual lounge setting we welcome<br />

you to our factory showroom to see what we can create for you.’<br />

Unit 19, Martindale, Hawks Green, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 7XN<br />

Contact Simon Edwards or Chris Edwards on 01543 505539<br />

Email: sales@ralvernupholstery.co.uk - www.ralvernupholstery.co.uk


LO CA L A R E A<br />

What’s On Local<br />

YOUR GUIDE TO THE BEST OF WHAT’S ON IN AND AROUND<br />

SUTTON COLDFIELD, LICHFIELD, WALSALL AND BEYOND<br />

WHAT: The All<br />

New Scummy<br />

Mummies Show<br />

WHERE:<br />

Sutton Coldfield<br />

Town Hall<br />

WHEN:<br />

October 10<br />

Following their sell-out UK tour, the Scummy<br />

Mummies are back with a brand new comedy show.<br />

New songs! New sketches! New catsuits! And even<br />

some new jokes!<br />

Join Ellie and Helen as they celebrate the scummier<br />

side of parenting, from drinking wine at teatime to<br />

hiding from the PTA. Bring your friends and make it a<br />

Mums’ (or Dads’!) night out! Based on the hit Scummy<br />

Mummies podcast and best-selling book, as heard on<br />

Radio 4 and featured by The Guardian, The Sunday<br />

Times and The Telegraph, this hilariously funny show<br />

captures the scummier side of parenting. For more<br />

details call the box office on 0121 296 9543 or visit<br />

www.townhallsuttoncoldfield.co.uk<br />

WHAT: Screamfest<br />

WHERE: National<br />

Forest Adventure Farm<br />

WHEN: Selected dates<br />

from October 11 to<br />

November 3<br />

Prepare to be scared this Halloween season as Screamfest is<br />

back and more terrifying than ever, with five thrilling scare<br />

attractions to chill your bones. New for <strong>2018</strong> is Insomnia.<br />

Be prepared to enter a child’s nightmare - what if she could<br />

drag you into it? What if you could not wake up?<br />

In Love Hurts Professor Heart wants you to find your<br />

soulmate at one of his famous speed dating nights. Just<br />

pray you’re not one of the rejected… Roll up, roll up and<br />

enter Freakout, full of crazy clown antics, frightful freaks<br />

and terrorising terrors. For a truly terrifying experience in<br />

the pitch black, are you brave enough to step through the<br />

portal and risk your soul in the realm of Demonica?<br />

And finally find Dia de los Muertos in the maize maze. Will<br />

you escape the maze without suffering a terrible fate?<br />

Between scare attractions, enjoy the live entertainment<br />

including extreme performers, live DJ, zombie paintball<br />

and street theatre.But don’t enjoy yourself too much; you<br />

never know what’s around the next corner. For more details<br />

visit www.screamfest.co.uk.<br />

WHAT: The Case of the Frightened Lady<br />

WHERE: Lichfield Garrick<br />

WHEN: October 15 to 20<br />

When Inspector Tanner is called in to investigate<br />

a ruthless murder at Mark’s Priory, the grand<br />

ancestral home of the Lebanon family, he quickly<br />

discovers that nothing is quite as it seems. The<br />

household is controlled by the family physician,<br />

the footmen behave more like guests than servants<br />

and the secretary Isla is afraid for her life. As<br />

Tanner moves closer to the heart of the mystery<br />

he uncovers a shocking and closely guarded<br />

secret…<br />

The Classic Thriller Company returns with a<br />

brand new adaption from the legendary ‘King of<br />

the detective thriller’ Edgar Wallace. Adapted for<br />

film several times, this is your chance to catch this<br />

chilling, captivating and complex thriller live on<br />

stage. For more details call the box office on 01543<br />

412121 or visit www.lichfieldgarrick.com<br />

46


Ben Jeffery Exhibition on Saturday 20th October<br />

Artist in attendance, come along and meet Ben between 1-4pm<br />

RSVP Bluebird Fine Art<br />

Mercia Marina, Findern Lane, Willington DE65 6DW<br />

Open: Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 5pm,<br />

Sunday 10.30am - 4.30pm, Monday closed.<br />

T: 01283 204753 info@bluebirdfineart.co.uk www.bluebirdfineart.co.uk<br />

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McAlpine-Miller, Simon Claridge, Alex Echo,<br />

Jeff Rowland, Ronnie Wood & Bob Dylan<br />

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WHAT: Ben Jeffery<br />

WHERE: Bluebird Fine Art Gallery, Mercia Marina<br />

WHEN: October 20<br />

Art lovers will get the chance to meet acclaimed artist<br />

Ben Jeffrey at an open event at Bluebird Fine Art Gallery<br />

this month, one of a series of ‘meet the artist’ events<br />

running throughout the year. The event accompanies an<br />

exhibition of Ben’s work.<br />

Ben’s portfolio is fairly diverse, ranging from portraits to<br />

landscapes in both pencil and oils. He loves working with<br />

vivid, bright colours to create a unique and modern style.<br />

Ben is a huge sci-fi movie fan and loves special effects,<br />

elements of which can be seen throughout his work. He<br />

also takes a lot of inspiration from concept artwork.<br />

Bluebird is an independent gallery selecting artwork from<br />

local and internationally acclaimed artists; they have a<br />

vast portfolio of artists available to them and are working<br />

with some of the country’s leading publishers.<br />

The gallery opened its doors at the end of March based<br />

in the new landmark Piazza building at Mercia Marina,<br />

Willington. Taking one of the largest units with 1,248<br />

square feet the gallery offers a range of fine art including<br />

original oils, limited editions and sculpture covering all<br />

genres from landscape painting, figurative, cityscapes to<br />

quirky pieces.<br />

Bluebird Fine Art is run by Maxine Pincher. Maxine has<br />

more than eight years’ experience running an art gallery<br />

and was previously involved in interior design, planning<br />

kitchens and bathrooms and working for Laura Ashley.<br />

She says: “I love<br />

buying the art for<br />

the gallery and<br />

I love the selling<br />

part too; seeing<br />

the joy on people’s<br />

faces. It can be a<br />

real investment for<br />

some people and<br />

buying a piece<br />

of art is a very<br />

individual choice.<br />

“As we are an<br />

independent<br />

gallery we have<br />

an extensive<br />

portfolio and we<br />

have prices to suit<br />

all denominations<br />

and a range of<br />

genres including landscapes, portraits, figurative, abstract<br />

and cityscapes with the mediums ranging from original<br />

oil painting to signed limited editions. We also have a<br />

fabulous selection of sculptures.”<br />

Artists which Maxine showcases include Ronnie Wood,<br />

Peter Smith, Alex Echo, Caroline Shotton, Sarah<br />

Graham, Paul Kenton, JJ Adams, Craig Davison,<br />

Hamish Blakely, Jeff Rowland and Richard Rowan.<br />

The gallery is open six days a week and welcomes<br />

everyone to come along and enjoy browsing the gallery<br />

in a relaxed atmosphere. For more details visit<br />

www.bluebirdfineart.co.uk<br />

48


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LO CA L A R E A<br />

What’s on Second City<br />

A LOOK AT SOME OF THE BIGGEST AND BEST<br />

EVENTS TO COME TO BIRMINGHAM THIS MONTH<br />

WHAT: Cirque du<br />

Soleil presents OVO<br />

WHERE:<br />

Arena Birmingham<br />

WHEN:<br />

October 3 to 7<br />

Cirque du Soleil’s brand new UK arena tour, OVO, is a<br />

celebration of nature and co-existence which makes for a<br />

fun-filled production for the whole family.<br />

OVO, meaning ‘egg’ in Portuguese, is a headlong rush into<br />

a colourful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work,<br />

eat, crawl, flutter, play, fight and look for love in a non-stop<br />

riot of energy and movement.<br />

When a mysterious egg appears in their midst, the insects<br />

are awestruck and intensely curious about this iconic object<br />

that represents the enigma and cycles of their lives. It is<br />

love at first sight when a gawky, quirky insect arrives in this<br />

bustling community and a fabulous ladybug catches his eye<br />

– and the feeling is mutual.<br />

Having thrilled more than five million people worldwide<br />

since the show premiered in Montreal in 2009 as a Big<br />

Top show, OVO embarks on a journey, offering the same<br />

captivating production as the Big Top performances, but<br />

on a larger scale. For more details visit<br />

www.arenabham.co.uk<br />

WHAT: War Horse<br />

WHERE: Birmingham<br />

Hippodrome<br />

WHEN: October 10<br />

to November 3<br />

Following eight recordbreaking<br />

years in<br />

London’s West End and having played in 11 countries<br />

around the world to over seven million people, the<br />

National Theatre’s acclaimed play War Horse returns to<br />

Birmingham Hippodrome this month.<br />

At the outbreak of World War One, Joey, young Albert’s<br />

beloved horse, is sold to the Cavalry and shipped to France.<br />

He’s soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an<br />

extraordinary journey, serving on both sides before finding<br />

himself alone in no man’s land. Albert, who remained<br />

on his parents’ Devon farm, cannot forget Joey. Though<br />

still not old enough to enlist he embarks on a treacherous<br />

mission to find him and bring him home.<br />

Based on the beloved novel by Michael Morpurgo, War<br />

Horse is an unforgettable theatrical event which takes<br />

audiences on an extraordinary journey from the fields of<br />

rural Devon to the trenches of First World War France. For<br />

more details visit www.birminghamhippodrome.com<br />

WHAT: Sarah Millican - Control Enthusiast<br />

WHERE: Birmingham Symphony Hall<br />

WHEN: October 24 to 26<br />

Sarah Millican is not a control freak, she's a<br />

control enthusiast. She even controls her own<br />

insults, see? Do you arrange the nights out?<br />

Are you in charge of passports on holiday?<br />

Then so are you!<br />

Whether you’re sorting the tickets for this show<br />

or turning up when you’re told to, welcome.<br />

You’ll learn about Rescue Men, farting in<br />

hospital pants, what can happen at a bra<br />

fitting, the benefits of casserole, plus tips on<br />

how to talk to shop assistants and the correct<br />

way to eat a biscuit.<br />

Funny, frank and unapologetically filthy, this<br />

is Sarah Millican at her riotous best. For more<br />

details visit www.thsh.co.uk<br />

50


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LO CA L A R E A<br />

Game for a laugh<br />

BIRMINGHAM IMPROV FESTIVAL RETURNS TO THE SECOND CITY THIS MONTH WITH<br />

A STELLAR LINE-UP OF COMEDY EVENTS - AND YOU COULD WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS TO<br />

ONE OF THE MOST SOUGHT-AFTER SHOWS<br />

Tickets are now on sale for all performances at this<br />

year’s Birmingham Improv Festival which returns<br />

to the city for nine days offering the very best in<br />

improvisation from Friday October 26 to Saturday<br />

November 3.<br />

Now firmly on the festival map and included in this<br />

year’s ‘Best UK Comedy Festivals Worth Booking<br />

a Holiday For!’ on Tripadvisor, <strong>2018</strong> sees a range<br />

of performers visit the city from across the UK and<br />

internationally including New York, Edinburgh,<br />

London, Bristol, Ireland, Nottingham and many<br />

home-grown troupes from Birmingham – now seen<br />

as a seedbed for improv talent.<br />

Over the nine days audiences can expect a variety<br />

of themes and an abundance of made-up popular,<br />

hilarious, energetic and breaking-the-boundary<br />

performances featuring Star Wars, Shakespeare, Enid<br />

Blyton adventures, hip hop, Halloween spookiness,<br />

soap opera, musicals and more.<br />

Improvisation just wouldn’t exist without input from<br />

the audience. Each night audiences will be invited<br />

to throw out suggestions and themes to performers<br />

which will guide how the night will go – expect<br />

the unexpected, lots of laughs and a slight bit of<br />

madness!<br />

The festival, which celebrates its third year in the city,<br />

has proved a real hit with Birmingham audiences<br />

growing year on year. As well as the popular Blue<br />

Orange Theatre, who will be hosting the majority<br />

of performances, the festival is excited to welcome<br />

on board Birmingham Repertory Theatre as a new<br />

venue partner for <strong>2018</strong>.<br />

For full listings and to book tickets go to<br />

www.birminghamimprovfestival.com<br />

The competition<br />

To celebrate Birmingham REP coming on board for <strong>2018</strong> we have two tickets to giveaway to the Olivier<br />

Award winning Showstopper! The Improvised Musical. Spontaneous musical comedy at its absolute finest<br />

- direct from the West End and now heading to The REP. With ten years as an Edinburgh Fringe mustsee<br />

phenomenon, a BBC Radio 4 series, a critically acclaimed West End run and an Olivier Award to their<br />

name, The Showstoppers have delighted audiences across the globe with their ingenious blend of comedy,<br />

musical theatre and spontaneity. A brand-new musical comedy is created from scratch at each performance<br />

of this award-winning show which returns to Birmingham following a sell-out at the festival last year. Tickets<br />

are valid for the show on Saturday, November 3 at 7.45pm at the Birmingham REP Studio.<br />

To be in with a chance of winning, simply answer the following question:<br />

For how many years has Birmingham Improv Festival been running?<br />

Send your answer, along with with your name, email address and postcode by email to<br />

competitions@jaimemagazine.com with Birmingham Improv Festival competition as the email subject.<br />

Entries must be received by 5pm on Wednesday, October 24, and our winner will be notified by<br />

Friday, October 26. Terms and conditions apply. Visit www.jaimemagazine.com for further details.<br />

52


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FA S H I O N<br />

Seventies chic<br />

AUTUMN’S HOTTEST TRENDS TAKES A BLAST FROM THE PAST, AS THE SEVENTIES<br />

PROVIDE INSPIRATION FOR YOUR NEW SEASON WARDROBE, SAYS AMY NORBURY<br />

THE fashion time machine is in full force for<br />

AW18, and the decade most designers plundered<br />

this season? It was without doubt the Seventies,<br />

specifically the collars, coats and colours.<br />

Collars were long and sharp at Louis Vuitton and<br />

Chloé. Coats were big and fluffy (Vuitton again)<br />

or suede at Tory Burch and Coach, and the<br />

Seventies penchant for shearling and crochet was<br />

seen at designers all over the catwalks. A shearling<br />

aviator jacket, as seen at Chloé, is a super-luxe<br />

buy which will see you through the season and<br />

beyond.<br />

Fabrics play a key role in bringing the decade<br />

back to life and are an easy way to inject a<br />

little 1970s swing into your wardrobe. Rich,<br />

luxuriously soft velvets and corduroys come into<br />

their own, particularly for the trouser shape of<br />

the season - the kick flare. The silhouette most<br />

synonymous with the decade, the flare is quickly<br />

overtaking the drainpipe skinny as the style of<br />

choice. Cropped or to the ground, the mantra is<br />

the bigger, the better.<br />

There were some more literal takes on Seventies<br />

fashion on the AW18 runways, but the way it<br />

will affect your personal style is via colour. Hues<br />

of beige, mustard, chestnut were everywhere,<br />

particularly the cosy layers at Roksanda and Miu<br />

Miu, but it is brown in a full spectrum of shades<br />

which has proved to be the colour du jour.<br />

From Fendi's beige-and-chocolate monogrammed<br />

clothes and accessories through to Chloé's entire<br />

ode to every possible shade in this spectrum -<br />

often all worn within one look - it’s fair to say that<br />

brown is definitely the new black.<br />

If you want to add a little sex appeal to those<br />

sepia tones, don’t fret; those chestnut Chloé<br />

dresses, for instance, all come slashed to the waist.<br />

Look out for slashed necklines, raised hemlines<br />

and seriously sheer shirts to prove that chestnut,<br />

chocolate, tan and taupe are there to fawn over.<br />

CHECK COAT, £110,<br />

AND TINTED SHADES,<br />

£14, RIVER ISLAND<br />

54


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£795<br />

OCHRE JACQUARD BLOUSE,<br />

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£28<br />

£89<br />

M&S COLLECTION JUMPER,<br />

MARKS AND SPENCER<br />

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BURNT ORANGE SATIN<br />

MIDI DRESS,<br />

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FAITH BOOTS,<br />

DEBENHAMS<br />

£1,280<br />

£39.50<br />

FAYE MEDIUM LEATHER<br />

SHOULDER BAG, CHLOÉ<br />

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VELVET JUMPSUIT,<br />

£70, OASIS.<br />

M&S COLLECTION<br />

DRESS, £55,<br />

MARKS AND<br />

SPENCER<br />

CHUNKY YELLOW KNIT, £26, CHECK<br />

TROUSERS, £28, AND TEDDY BIKER<br />

JACKET, £55, DOROTHY PERKINS


FA S H I O N<br />

Fall in love with fashion<br />

JILL HARTLEY, CO-FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF NERO E BIANCO EXCLUSIVE FASHION AND BRIDAL<br />

BOUTIQUE AT BARTON MARINA, TAKES A LOOK AT SOME OF THIS SEASON’S HOTTEST TRENDS<br />

Summer sunshine has been amazing this year and<br />

while we’re sad to see the end of it, we are are getting<br />

rather excited about the fabulous trends coming<br />

through for cooler autumn days. As always, at Nero<br />

e Bianco our mission is to help women look amazing<br />

and feel empowered. So, looking at autumn colours<br />

and trends that are crucial to that end. Here’s a<br />

selection of styles and colours that will put you in the<br />

lead for on trend style in the coming months.<br />

Cut the mustard<br />

Mustard tones are perfect for the autumn and fine<br />

knits are versatile to wear casual over skirts, trousers<br />

and are the best transitional pieces. We’ve added<br />

detachable faux fur cuffs to add a little drama. The<br />

tulle skirt is one of our favourites, and this season we<br />

have added the embroidery with the autumn colours<br />

which we love. The ankle boot gives the look and<br />

edge, sassy and sophisticated comes together.<br />

Black magic<br />

Continuing with the mustard colour trend, this<br />

delicately embroidered top is an amazing piece to<br />

bring a simple black outfit up to date. The top can be<br />

worn elegantly with a black cami and black trousers;<br />

alternatively pop the top over a sleeveless plain black<br />

or mustard dress to completely change the look. This<br />

wouldn’t be out of place at any evening function.<br />

56


www.neroebianco.co.uk<br />

Nero e Bianco Exclusive Fashion & Bridal<br />

Barton Marina Burton upon Trent DE13 8AS<br />

01283 346704


Classic twist<br />

Camel coats will never go out of style, and we have<br />

brought a twist to that with this totally gorgeous<br />

trench. Simple but so effective, it will take you from<br />

day to night with ease. Here we have teamed with a<br />

stunning pencil skirt and top with a cheeky spot tulle<br />

trim - feminine with a sense of empowerment!<br />

Silver linings<br />

Metallics are a firm favourite on the catwalk this<br />

season. All the designers are working with metallic<br />

in some form, with silver being the top choice. So we<br />

have a fun silver metallic jacket that steps into this<br />

trend but remains elegant and charming. The jacket<br />

is the key piece here so no fuss is the way to wear it<br />

well. The ankle boots add another dimension and<br />

bring the outfit together - a totally modern look.<br />

58


アパート<br />

夀 䔀 䄀 刀 匀 伀 䘀<br />

䈀 䔀 匀 倀 伀 䬀 䔀 䘀 䤀 一 䔀 䨀 䔀 圀 䔀 䰀 䰀 䔀 刀 夀 ꀀ<br />

伀 渀 攀 漀 昀 琀 栀 攀 氀 愀 爀 最 攀 猀 琀 挀 漀 氀 氀 攀 挀 琀 椀 漀 渀 猀 漀 昀<br />

挀 漀 渀 琀 攀 洀 瀀 漀 爀 愀 爀 礀 ǻ 渀 攀 樀 攀 眀 攀 氀 氀 攀 爀 礀 椀 渀 琀 栀 攀 唀 䬀<br />

匀 瀀 攀 挀 椀 愀 氀 椀 猀 琀 猀 椀 渀 搀 攀 猀 椀 最 渀 椀 渀 最 愀 渀 搀 洀 愀 欀 椀 渀 最 Ⰰ<br />

爀 攀 洀 漀 搀 攀 氀 氀 椀 渀 最 愀 渀 搀 爀 攀 昀 甀 爀 戀 椀 猀 栀 椀 渀 最 昀 漀 爀 アパート 礀 攀 愀 爀 猀<br />

䄀 䰀 䰀 䔀 一 䈀 刀 伀 圀 一 䨀 䔀 圀 䔀 䰀 䰀 䔀 刀 夀<br />

䠀 攀 愀 爀 琀 漀 昀 吀 栀 攀 䌀 漀 甀 渀 琀 爀 礀 匀 栀 漀 瀀 瀀 椀 渀 最 嘀 椀 氀 氀 愀 最 攀<br />

匀 眀 椀 渀 昀 攀 渀 Ⰰ 䰀 椀 挀 栀 ǻ 攀 氀 搀 Ⰰ<br />

匀 琀 愀 昀 昀 漀 爀 搀 猀 栀 椀 爀 攀 圀 匀 㐀 㤀 儀 刀<br />

㔀 㐀 アパート 㐀 㠀 㤀 㐀 㠀<br />

眀 眀 眀 ⸀ 愀 氀 氀 攀 渀 戀 爀 漀 眀 渀 樀 攀 眀 攀 氀 氀 攀 爀 礀 ⸀ 挀 漀 ⸀ 甀 欀<br />

昀 椀 琀<br />

sophisticated<br />

URBAN SALONS<br />

£10 OFF<br />

A CUT AND FINISH<br />

FOR NEW CLIENTS<br />

sophisticated<br />

Lewis Moore Salons<br />

URBAN SALONS<br />

Sutton Coldfield<br />

4 Coleshill Street<br />

Sutton Coldfield<br />

Birmingham B72 1SD<br />

Phone: 0121 354 7907<br />

HALF PRICE<br />

Lewis Moore Salons<br />

Streetly<br />

41 Boundary Road<br />

Hundred Acre Estate<br />

Streetly<br />

West Midlands B74 2JR<br />

Phone: 0121 353 2875<br />

COLOUR<br />

T H R O U G H O U T<br />

JANUARY <strong>2018</strong><br />

WITH EVERY FULL PRICE CUT AND FINISH*<br />

www.lewismooresalons.co.uk<br />

Midlands Hairdresser<br />

of the Year<br />

WINNER 2010<br />

FINALIST 2014<br />

Lewi<br />

Lewis Moor<br />

Sutton Cold<br />

5 Coleshill St<br />

Sutton Coldf<br />

Birmingham B<br />

Phone: 0121<br />

Lewis Moor<br />

Streetly<br />

41 Boundary<br />

Hundred Acr<br />

Streetly<br />

West Midlan<br />

Phone: 0121<br />

www.lewism<br />

*Terms and conditions *Terms and apply. conditions A skin allergy apply. test will be required 48 hours prior<br />

A skin allergy test will be required 48 hours prior to any colour service.


CO M P E T I T I O N<br />

Good hair days<br />

LEWIS MOORE SALONS ARE CELEBRATING SUCCESS AT A NATIONAL LEVEL - AND ONE LUCKY<br />

READER WILL WIN A HAIR MAKEOVER BY THE TALENTED TEAM WORTH UP TO £150<br />

LEWIS Moore Salons is a group which<br />

has, for the last five years, shown that<br />

growth within independent businesses<br />

is still very much possible in the 21st<br />

century. From providing excellent<br />

customer service and beautiful hair<br />

within salon, to gracing the stage with<br />

quirky, artistic creation, and even<br />

receiving intentional recognition for<br />

what they do, it is safe to say that this<br />

team has had its hands full.<br />

Lewis Moore first started his business<br />

with his oldest salon in Sutton Coldfield<br />

with the premise of presenting quality<br />

and beautiful hair to the public. Due to<br />

this success he has since branched out to<br />

the local area of Streetly and Cannock,<br />

with the same strong ideas that good<br />

hair matters. As well as working within<br />

salon, Lewis has been fortunate enough<br />

to be taken around the world with his<br />

craft, teaching others and presenting<br />

his knowledge and representing<br />

British hairdressing. He has also been<br />

the prestigious winner of Midlands<br />

Hairdresser of the Year, as well as<br />

finalising multiple times.<br />

However, it is not just Lewis that carries<br />

achievement within the team. Within<br />

the last five years the Lewis Moore team<br />

has had regional finalists, and indeed<br />

two UK finalists, within the Wella Trend Vision<br />

hair competition, presented multiple times for the<br />

fellowship of British hairdressing and finalised for<br />

multiple competitions across the hairdressing industry.<br />

Lewis says: “Here at Lewis Moore Salons we strive<br />

constantly to achieve the highest in the hairdressing<br />

world, whether it be on the shop floor, on the stage or<br />

even in the industry’s most competitive competitions.<br />

“This year has been quite the celebration as we praise<br />

one of our best team players, Phillip Underhill. He<br />

has surpassed both ours and his wildest dreams in<br />

becoming a UK finalist in the Wella Trend Vision<br />

hair competition. Not only has he been whittled down<br />

to the Midlands final five, he is now competing to be<br />

the country’s best, with the help and support with all<br />

PHILLIP UNDERHILL,<br />

SALON DIRECTOR OF<br />

LEWIS MOORE STREETLY,<br />

HAS BEEN NAMED A UK<br />

FINALIST AT THE WELLA<br />

TREND VISION HAIR<br />

COMPETITION<br />

of us from the Lewis Moore team.”<br />

Phil joined the group 12 months ago as a senior stylist<br />

and from there he has bloomed. He has since moved<br />

to and is running the Lewis Moore Streetly salon<br />

as salon director, as well as all of his achievements<br />

outside of the group. From his amazing achievement<br />

in Wella Trend Vision, to being a finalist in the Wella<br />

Cult Team, his skills know no bounds. Even with<br />

more than 10 years’ experience in the industry, he<br />

is constantly working on his art to gain 100 per cent<br />

confidence in his clients and with his team mates with<br />

whatever endeavour he so chooses.<br />

For more details or to book an appointment call<br />

Lewis Moore Sutton Coldfield on 0121 354 7907,<br />

Lewis Moore Streetly on 0121 353 2875 or visit<br />

www.lewismooresalons.co.uk<br />

60


The competition<br />

J’AIME HAS TEAMED UP WITH LEWIS MOORE SALONS TO OFFER READERS THE CHANCE<br />

TO WIN A HAIR MAKEOVER WORTH UP TO £150. OUR LUCKY WINNER WILL RECEIVE A<br />

STYLISH NEW CUT AND COLOUR, COURTESY OF THE TALENTED LEWIS MOORE TEAM.<br />

FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN, SIMPLY ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:<br />

WHICH LEWIS MOORE TEAM MEMBER HAS BEEN NAMED A UK FINALIST IN THE<br />

WELLA TREND VISION HAIR COMPETITION?<br />

SEND YOUR ANSWER, ALONG WITH WITH YOUR NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS AND POSTCODE<br />

BY EMAIL TO COMPETITIONS@JAIMEMAGAZINE.COM WITH LEWIS MOORE SALONS<br />

COMPETITION AS THE EMAIL SUBJECT. ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY 5PM ON FRIDAY,<br />

<strong>OCTOBER</strong> 26, AND OUR WINNER WILL BE NOTIFIED BY WEDNESDAY, <strong>OCTOBER</strong> 31. TERMS<br />

AND CONDITIONS APPLY. VISIT WWW.JAIMEMAGAZINE.COM FOR FURTHER DETAILS.<br />

61


B E AU T Y<br />

Crowning glory<br />

GIVE YOUR BARNET SOME MUCH NEEDED TLC WITH OUR FAVOURITE HAIR-CARE ESSENTIALS FROM<br />

HARVEY NICHOLS BIRMINGHAM. FROM INTENSIVE TREATMENTS TO THE BEST DAILY-USE FORMULAS,<br />

LISA PIDDINGTON REVEALS THE MUST-HAVES THAT WILL OUTSHINE THE COMPETITION<br />

With its nutrient-rich blend of<br />

oceanic plant proteins, GHD<br />

Advanced Split End Therapy<br />

(£20) helps replenish, restore and<br />

protect overworked hair, bringing<br />

damaged ends back to life. It is<br />

activated by the heat of your styler,<br />

smoothing and replenishing for soft,<br />

sleek ends that shine.<br />

For when your locks need<br />

some loving, R+Co’s<br />

Skyline Dry Shampoo<br />

Powder (£32) is exactly<br />

what you need to get that<br />

fresh, elevated feeling.<br />

It dramatically refreshes<br />

second-day or postworkout<br />

hair in an<br />

instant.<br />

OUAI’s Rose Hair & Body Oil<br />

(£26) is a smoothing hair oil and<br />

hydrating moisturiser for top-to-toe<br />

gloss. A fusion of absinthium, Shea<br />

and rosehip oils work to nourish<br />

and protect strands, lock in moisture<br />

and give a radiant glow. The perfect<br />

multi-tasker for girls on the go.<br />

SHOW Beauty's<br />

rejuvenating Pure<br />

Treatment Elixir (£51)<br />

restores lustre and shine,<br />

leaving your hair strengthened<br />

and nourished. Dubbed “liquid<br />

gold” by beauty experts, argan<br />

oil penetrates the cuticle to<br />

strengthen and<br />

enhance elasticity<br />

of. And the bottle<br />

is worthy of any<br />

bathroom cabinet.<br />

Cloud Nine's<br />

Magical<br />

Quick Dry<br />

Portion<br />

(£19) helps to<br />

tame unmanageable locks<br />

for easier styling while<br />

strengthening weak ends.<br />

This little miracle reduces<br />

drying time by up to 50%,<br />

as well as providing heat<br />

protection, a weightless<br />

leave-in conditioner and a<br />

UV filter.<br />

Packed full of nourishing ingredients, Coco and Eve’s Like A<br />

Virgin Nourishing Coconut & Fig Hair Masque (£34.50)<br />

promises to strengthen, repair, tame, treat and condition. An<br />

Instagram favourite, it contains raw virgin coconut to prevent<br />

breakage while argan oil treats split ends and tames frizz.<br />

HAIR-CARE PRODUCTS FEATURED ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE BEAUTY HALL<br />

AT HARVEY NICHOLS BIRMINGHAM OR ONLINE AT HARVEYNICHOLS.COM.<br />

62


CO M P E T I T I O N<br />

A tranquil hideaway<br />

THE HART SPA IS A HIDDEN COUNTRYSIDE RETREAT WHERE YOU CAN EXPERIENCE THE ULTIMATE IN<br />

HOLISTIC RELAXATION - AND YOU COULD WIN A BESPOKE PAMPER PACKAGE WORTH UP TO £150<br />

Nestled amongst the plants and flowers, the Hart Spa is a<br />

holistic retreat based within the Coppice Garden Centre<br />

at Middleton. It’s a perfect location for a spa dedicated<br />

to natural wellness and wellbeing inspired by the best of<br />

nature combined with the results delivered by technology.<br />

J’AIME has teamed up with the Hart Spa to offer<br />

readers the chance to win an exclusive pamper package<br />

worth up to £150. The holistic experience will combine<br />

a full body treatment and facial with scalp massage, all<br />

carried out using bespoke products and tailored to the<br />

winner’s exact requirements.<br />

Founded by Monique Hart, the log cabin dry spa has<br />

been thoughtfully designed with light and spacious<br />

treatment rooms and coloured mood lighting, or<br />

chromotherapy, for a totally personalised experience.<br />

Chromotherapy is both incredibly calming and has<br />

amazing health benefits.<br />

The spa facilities include two treatment rooms, one of<br />

which is a magnificent double treatment room with a<br />

large wet room, two pedicure thrones with garden views<br />

and two manicure stations, as well as a boutique hair<br />

studio.<br />

The Hart Spa instils a sense of calm, wellbeing and<br />

serenity. The spa’s own signature candles are lit<br />

throughout the spa, hair studio and treatment rooms<br />

with a delicate and beautiful aroma, along with a regular<br />

spritz of the bespoke Bleeding Heart mist.<br />

Exclusive treatment experiences are carried out using<br />

the Hart Spa’s very own range of products. Created by<br />

owner Monique Hart using the very best ingredients,<br />

the spa’s products are certified organic. The signature<br />

products contain the hero ingredients of Bleeding Heart<br />

essence and hyaluronic acid blended with essential<br />

oils of lavender, rose, cedarwood and geranium, while<br />

new additions to the products include the uplifting and<br />

energising Joie de Vivre range and the therapeutic and<br />

serene Bonne Nuit. The products and scents used are<br />

personalised for each client to reflect their mood and<br />

aims of treatment, whether that is to be relaxed or<br />

energised.<br />

Holistic treatments such as Chinese fire cupping, hopi<br />

ear candles and lava shell massage are offered alongside<br />

results-driven technical facials using microdermabrasion<br />

and derma rollers, as well as essential maintenance<br />

treatments including waxing, St Tropez tanning,<br />

threading, lashes, brows and bespoke manicures and<br />

pedicures and, of course, hairdressing.<br />

If you’re not lucky enough to be our winner, you can<br />

take advantage of a special offer for all J’AIME readers<br />

and receive a fantastic 50 per cent off your first treatment<br />

at The Hart Spa. Dates and treatments are subject to<br />

availability and terms and conditions apply.<br />

For more details visit www.thehartspa.com or call<br />

0121 308 6052 to book your treatment.<br />

The competition<br />

J’AIME HAS TEAMED UP WITH THE HART SPA<br />

TO OFFER READERS THE CHANCE TO WIN A<br />

BESPOKE PAMPER PACKAGE WORTH UP TO £150.<br />

OUR LUCKY WINNER WILL EXPERIENCE A FULL<br />

BODY TREATMENT AND A RELAXING FACIAL WITH<br />

SCALP MASSAGE USING BESPOKE PRODUCTS.<br />

THE PACKAGE WILL BE TAILORED TO SUIT THE<br />

WINNER’S REQUIREMENTS.<br />

FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN THIS FANTASTIC<br />

PRIZE, SIMPLY ANSWER<br />

THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:<br />

WHERE IS THE HART SPA BASED?<br />

SEND YOUR ANSWER, ALONG WITH WITH YOUR<br />

NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS AND POSTCODE BY<br />

EMAIL TO COMPETITIONS@JAIMEMAGAZINE.COM<br />

WITH THE HART SPA COMPETITION AS THE EMAIL<br />

SUBJECT. ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY 5PM ON<br />

FRIDAY, <strong>OCTOBER</strong> 26, AND OUR WINNER WILL BE<br />

NOTIFIED BY WEDNESDAY, <strong>OCTOBER</strong> 31. TERMS<br />

AND CONDITIONS APPLY. VISIT<br />

WWW.JAIMEMAGAZINE.COM FOR FURTHER DETAILS.<br />

63


I N T H E N E W S<br />

A Mini adventure for charity<br />

A local businessman is undertaking an epic journey<br />

across Europe behind the wheel of a classic car to<br />

raise funds for a children’s charity.<br />

Scott Humphreys, managing director of Peppermill<br />

Interiors, is taking on The Italian Job at the end of<br />

October to raise money for children’s charity Buttle<br />

UK. Scott and his brother Brian, along with friends<br />

Dom and Ian are squeezing into two vintage Minis<br />

- one 1998 and one 1971 - and driving from the<br />

Midlands to Turin, Italy.<br />

The team will drive to France, via Dover, then on to<br />

Germany, Switzerland, and into Italy where they will<br />

begin The Italian Job 2019 in Imola with 50 to 100<br />

other Minis.<br />

The Minis and the trip are self-funded. Any money<br />

raised will go to support children in need throughout<br />

the UK, and Scott is hoping they will be able to<br />

reach their target of £20,000.<br />

Scott said: “We’ve set a steep target, but we’re<br />

confident that we can achieve it. The Italian Job<br />

event has been running since 1990 and has so far<br />

raised more than £2.5million for children’s charities,<br />

projects and foundations across the world. The<br />

money will go towards a worthy cause, and every<br />

penny donated is greatly appreciated.”<br />

Buttle UK provide essentials to children across the<br />

UK. As little as £10 will provide a swimming lesson<br />

for a child who needs an escape from witnessing<br />

domestic abuse, £150 will provide a bed for a child<br />

previously sleeping on the floor, and £1,000 will<br />

enable a student estranged from their family to<br />

study at college or university and help realise their<br />

aspirations.<br />

In a rerun of the famous 1969 film, the troop of<br />

Minis will spend the week travelling to various iconic<br />

destinations, including the Dino Ferrari racing circuit<br />

and the Lingotto rooftop track, as featured in the<br />

original movie. As part of the trip, the team will also<br />

be visiting a children’s home in Turin and are taking<br />

gifts with them to donate.<br />

If you would like to sponsor Scott, Brian, Dom and<br />

Ian, head over to their JustGiving page at www.<br />

justgiving.com/fundraising/scott-dom-the-italianjob.<br />

For a donation of £100+ businesses can have<br />

their logos displayed on one of the Minis; please<br />

contact aimee@peppermillinteriors.com for<br />

more information.<br />

The trip begins on October 27 and finishes on<br />

November 2; you can follow their progress in the<br />

lead up to, during, and after the trip on Peppermill<br />

Interiors’ blog page and on their social media<br />

channels.<br />

Buttle UK is a registered charity. To find out more<br />

visit www.buttleuk.org<br />

64


M OTO R S<br />

Life in the fast lane<br />

THIS MONTH, J’AIME’S MOTORING EXPERT AND RESIDENT RACING DRIVER MARTIN PLOWMAN<br />

TAKES A LOOK BACK AT HIS TIME RACING WITH ONE OF MOTORSPORT’S ALL-TIME GREATS<br />

The <strong>2018</strong> F1 battle between Ferrari and Mercedes,<br />

Hamilton and Vettel is what the sport has been<br />

craving for quite a while. Two four-time world<br />

champions going head to head.<br />

Love him or hate him, Lewis Hamilton will go down<br />

in history as one of greatest drivers of all time, if<br />

not the greatest - which pains me to say as an Ayrton<br />

Senna fan. Some of his performances this year, such<br />

as his qualifying lap at Singapore, will only help to<br />

cement his cult-like status as a driver.<br />

I was lucky enough to have seen Lewis in his very<br />

early years of racing and, for a short few years, even<br />

raced on the same kart team as him. Life for Lewis<br />

these days consists of private jets, fashion shows<br />

and VIP parties, yet life for Lewis wasn't always so<br />

glamorous. I fondly remember a very different time,<br />

travelling on hundreds of dreaded Ryanair flights<br />

with Lewis, but more on that later.<br />

Lewis is a couple of years older than me, and for<br />

the majority of my junior racing career he was in<br />

the next age-class above, so thankfully I never had<br />

to go up against him! That was with the exception<br />

of my very first year of racing at the tender age of<br />

eight. I had just completed my novice licence, and<br />

my parents entered me into a local club race at the<br />

Birmingham Wheels kart track. I was nervous and<br />

excited about my first big race without novice plates.<br />

There would even be some 'big' name drivers who<br />

raced in the British Championships there, including<br />

an 11-year-old kid called Lewis who had just been<br />

signed by Mclaren-Mercedes as a karting prodigy.<br />

The only time I overtook Lewis<br />

I knew the track very well as it was where I had<br />

learnt how to drive, but going up against some of the<br />

best under 12s in the country as an eight-year-old<br />

was daunting! Practice seemed to be going well, I was<br />

keeping up with the karts around me until one lap<br />

I was passed by the famous yellow helmet of Lewis.<br />

He instantly became a target for me, and I got my<br />

head down determined to race him! After a few laps<br />

of following him and learning his lines, I slowly got<br />

closer and closer until I slipped by on the straight<br />

to overtake him. The following lap I found myself<br />

2000 WAS THE YEAR<br />

MARTIN JOINED<br />

DINO’S KART TEAM<br />

AND THIS IS HOW<br />

HE REMEMBERS<br />

NICO AND LEWIS<br />

BEFORE THEY BOTH<br />

BECAME F1 WORLD<br />

CHAMPIONS AND<br />

REACHED SUPER-<br />

STARDOM<br />

face first in the tyre barrier. Apparently, 11-year-old<br />

super-stars in the making don't like being passed<br />

by scrawny eight-year-olds fresh off of their novice<br />

plates!<br />

Soon after the session was over, my on-track antics<br />

had attracted the curiosity of Lewis' father Anthony,<br />

who I presume had come to see the 'amazing talent'<br />

who had just passed his son. After eyeing my kart<br />

up and down and a few polite, inquisitive questions<br />

to my parents about how long I had been racing,<br />

he turned to my dad and said: "Do you realise that<br />

you have an 80cc Comer engine?" To clarify, the<br />

Cadet class in England for eight-to-11-year-olds<br />

used SIXTY cc Comer engines. The rest of Europe<br />

at that time used EIGHTY cc Engines. My dad<br />

had unknowingly been sold an illegal engine by<br />

some karting father con-artist who had offloaded an<br />

unusable engine to an unsuspecting novice karting<br />

parent. No wonder I passed Lewis; I had 25 per cent<br />

more power than the rest of the field!<br />

After that weekend, my parents stayed in contact<br />

with Anthony and our families becoming good<br />

friends. Over the years, Anthony became sort of<br />

a career advisor to me and my parents, helping us<br />

to navigate through the treacherous web of junior<br />

karting and helping us to make the right career<br />

moves up the motorsport ladder. Back in 2000, I<br />

had just won the British Open Championship in<br />

Formula Yamaha for 12-16-year-olds in my first<br />

65


year in the class. But the racing that year was pretty<br />

miserable as English karting was becoming rife<br />

with corruption, cheating and the overall driving<br />

standards were becoming dangerous, more akin to<br />

destruction derby with a lack of law and order from<br />

the race stewards. It's hard to believe, but as a family,<br />

we almost walked away from the sport entirely that<br />

year, so disillusioned by how bad things got. That<br />

was until Anthony called to convince my parents that<br />

sending me to race in Europe would be the best thing<br />

for me. The best young drivers in the world raced in<br />

Europe, so if I was to get ahead in the sport, I had to<br />

compete against the best.<br />

Ryanair flights and late night gelato<br />

Lewis was racing in the Senior karting World<br />

Championships at the time in a team run by karting<br />

guru Dino Chiesa, funded by Mclaren. Lewis' team<br />

mate was a kid called Nico Rosberg, son of 1985<br />

F1 World Champion Keke. Reluctantly my parents<br />

agreed. They were terrified as it meant I would be<br />

travelling more and more abroad, but also financially<br />

they had to work extra overtime to find the money to<br />

support that move, as sponsorship for 13-year-olds is<br />

next to impossible to find.<br />

My first year of racing in Europe involved weekly<br />

trips to Stansted airport with my dad, where we<br />

would meet Anthony and Lewis. I was not yet old<br />

enough to legally travel by myself so my dad would<br />

accompany me to Italy with Lewis to where Dino's<br />

karting team was based. Anthony, entrusting the care<br />

of his son to my dad, was to make sure that Lewis<br />

arrived at the hotel fed and in bed before 11pm to be<br />

ready for the big race weekend.<br />

I still remember the very first trip with my dad<br />

and Lewis like it was yesterday. Landing in Italy,<br />

we picked up the rental car armed with only<br />

printed directions. Portable sat-navs were not yet<br />

commonplace, so here we were in a foreign country,<br />

and little old me was given the task of following the<br />

instructions from four A4 pieces of paper. Needless<br />

LEWIS HAMILTON (1)<br />

DIRECTLY IN FRONT<br />

OF EIGHT-YEAR-OLD<br />

MARTIN (UNION JACK<br />

HELMET)<br />

LEWIS WAS WIDELY<br />

KNOWN AS A SUPER-<br />

STAR IN THE MAKING<br />

FROM DAY ONE<br />

to say, my dad was (and still is) hopeless at following<br />

directions and so we eventually set off on our way to<br />

the hotel in the 'Zona Industriale' in Padova. It was<br />

on that car trip that I learnt what a prostitute was,<br />

after Lewis and my dad had to awkwardly explain<br />

why I saw a dozen or more scantily-clad ladies<br />

standing on street corners of the industrial zone in<br />

the middle of winter. I had lived a very sheltered<br />

Church of England life until then!<br />

We finally got to the hotel after 11pm, tired and<br />

starving. Dozens of wrong turns, and with the help<br />

of some broken-English instructions from drunk<br />

locals at a bar, we made it. Since we got to the hotel<br />

so late, all of the restaurants had already shut up<br />

shop for the night. My dad had already failed to get<br />

Lewis in bed by 11pm and was about to fail at the<br />

feeding him (and me) part too! In a panic, he asked if<br />

there was anywhere open that served food. The lady<br />

at the reception replied that there was a gelateria<br />

open just down the road. The three of us trundled<br />

down the street in search of anything to get my dad<br />

out of trouble.<br />

And so we found the gelateria, neon lights<br />

shining like heaven's pearly gates - my dad<br />

would be saved. Pulling out all of the stops<br />

to put things right and make sure Lewis<br />

wouldn't grass to his father, my dad let us<br />

order literally anything we wanted from the<br />

store. Lewis' choice? A 2kg styrofoam bathtub<br />

of stracciatella gelato. We slowly walked our<br />

way back to the hotel eating our body weight<br />

in Italian ice cream. "This is the best dinner<br />

ever," exclaimed Lewis. "Don't you dare tell<br />

your Dad anything!" warned my dad.<br />

Thankfully Lewis went on to win that<br />

weekend, despite the extra kilo of ice cream<br />

he was carrying.<br />

66


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