J'AIME FEBRUARY 2019

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I N T H E N E W S Creating bespoke Midlands kitchen designer John Fisher has joined the team at Cirencester-based Benchwood Kitchens, who specialise in offering the best value in luxury, bespoke kitchens which are traditionally handcrafted for timeless elegance to clients around the UK. John’s design pedigree is second to none. Originally from Wigan, after leaving school in the mid 70s, John joined the design team at Rank Audio Visual a part of the then iconic Rank Organization. Primarily, this division of the operation was responsible for the design and manufacture of fixed and retractable seating for cinemas, theatres and sporting stadiums throughout the UK. John says: “I worked on many projects including The Odeon Leicester Square, Fairfield Halls Croydon, Old Trafford Football Stadium and even the Royal Box at Wimbledon Centre Court. “Developing my lifelong hobby of collecting vinyl records, during the early 80s I ran my own successful record retailing business in the north west of England; however by the early 90s and with record industry in obvious decline, I re-entered the world of design.” Joining Manchester-based Neville Johnson Kitchens in 1991 as a sales designer, John began learning the art of kitchen design. “Over the next eight years I successfully applied for various positions within the company including contracts design manager and also national retail sales manager,” he says. “In 1999 at the request of the owner and former CEO at Neville Johnson, I helped to establish the contracts division at Wiltshire-based manufacturer Manor Cabinets Ltd. “By 2001, with my family home based in Staffordshire, I decided to take up an opportunity to work as a independent design consultant. At this point I worked very closely with the high end bespoke furniture manufacturer Watts and Wright Ltd, where I designed, sold and project managed many assignments for clients in the UK, USA, Russia, and even Iceland.” During this time, several of John’s designs were photographed and featured in specialist home interest publications, and a kitchen designed by John for celebrity chef Kevin Woodford at his home in the Isle of Man was featured on the TV program Through The Keyhole. Since the closure of Watts and Wright in 2004, John has been employed as a design and sales consultant for a long-established kitchen retailer in Sutton Coldfield, before making the move to Benchwood. “Around seven years ago I was asked for my professional advise and general knowledge of the kitchen industry, by Rob Woodward, who was at this time, in the process of forming Benchwood Kitchens,” says John. “Recently I have agreed to take up the opportunity to work with Rob, by taking over the responsibility for sales, marketing and design. This will now allow Rob more time to concentrate on manufacturing side of the operation.” Benchwood design, construct and install stunning timber framed kitchens. Starting with sawn planks, they use traditional techniques to craft every door, frame and drawer, which are then matched with premium components. The result is a kitchen that is beautiful, unique, practical and enduring. Every component is handmade in Benchwood’s modern workshop by skilled craftsmen who are proud of what they create. For more information and to view some of Benchwood’s work, visit the website at www. benchwood.co.uk or make the trip to the Cirencester factory showroom to watch Benchwood’s team of craftsmen in action. 64
M OTO R S Life in the fast lane J’AIME’S MOTORING EXPERT AND RESIDENT RACING DRIVER MARTIN PLOWMAN GETS TO GRIPS WITH THE NEW RANGE ROVER SPORT SVR Last month I was offered a chance to drive a <strong>2019</strong> Range Rover Sport SVR, and naturally, it was tough to turn down! I’ve always had a soft spot for Range Rovers. They strike me as a more understated gangster kind of car without being overtly flashy. The type of car that says “I’m in charge” without drawing too much unwanted attention. The Range Rover Sport model is a nice upgrade over the more leisurely models that attract tweed-wearing flat cap folk with their trusty labrador in the back, but I was eager to see what updates the SVR model had in store. As a quick reminder to the uninitiated, SVR is to Range Rover what AMG is to Mercedes. They are the special operations branch that has the enviable task of taking an already great car and taking it up to another level (or two). Visually, the first thing that strikes me when I look at the SVR is that it seems leaner, with more aggressive styling and strong muscle definition, like it's been hitting the weight room in the gym for the past six months. You can tell the interior has had the SVR treatment too; racing themed lightweight performance seats with a sporty two-tone design and carbon-fibre panels everywhere. It has a 10-inch High Definition display and a control panel that is almost entirely touch screen. A futuristic HUD display is located in the windscreen displaying current speed and the speed limit for the road you are on, so you never have to take your eyes off of the road; there really is no excuse for getting a speeding fine, I'm afraid. 65
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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9 Y O U R L O
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CONTENTS InsideJ’aime this month.
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FEATURE Champion spirit AS AN OLYMP
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the 1982 European Championships in
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together.” It was this togetherne
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PROPERTY Property of the Month WE T
Page 14 and 15: PROPERTY Summer dreams WITH ITS OWN
Page 16 and 17: INTERIORS Life’s a peach PANTONE
Page 18 and 19: £25 WILLOW & HALL FOXCOTE ARMCHAIR
Page 20 and 21: I N T E R I O R S CONTURA 510G WHIT
Page 22 and 23: GREY RATTAN ARCH LOG HOLDER, THE FA
Page 24 and 25: G I F T G U I D E Spread the love L
Page 26 and 27: £43.50 £64 £90 A LA VELVET BOX W
Page 28 and 29: G I F T G U I D E Make his day SHOW
Page 30 and 31: F O O D & D R I N K Focus on flavou
Page 32 and 33: F O O D & D R I N K Cocktail of the
Page 34 and 35: F O O D & D R I N K Tropical tastes
Page 36 and 37: F O O D & D R I N K A sweet indulge
Page 38 and 39: H E A LT H A tasty tipple ORGANIC W
Page 40 and 41: H E A LT H A workout for two WITH V
Page 42 and 43: T R AV E L Into the wild HISTORIC B
Page 44 and 45: We arrived to an open plain and pau
Page 46 and 47: F E AT U R E Kick the bucket list J
Page 48 and 49: There’s been a bunch of them over
Page 50 and 51: LO CA L A R E A What’s On Local Y
Page 52 and 53: LO CA L A R E A What’s on Second
Page 54 and 55: CO M P E T I T I O N Love pampering
Page 56 and 57: FA S H I O N Sunshine state IT’S
Page 58 and 59: FA S H I O N Best dressed guest JIL
Page 60 and 61: This simple dress with a cheeky flu
Page 62 and 63: B E AU T Y Treat those tresses THE
Page 66 and 67: There are seven powertrain options
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J'AIME FEBRUARY 2019

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