J’AIME MARCH/APRIL 2023
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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 M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 3<br />
<strong>J’AIME</strong><br />
Win!<br />
family tickets<br />
to Staffordshire<br />
County Show<br />
Gifts<br />
for mum<br />
all wrapped up<br />
MasterChef:<br />
The Professionals finalists<br />
wow in Lichfield<br />
STEP INTO SPRING WITH FRESH<br />
FASHION AND INTERIORS IDEAS
Welcome to <strong>J’AIME</strong><br />
As we head into spring, the days are getting longer,<br />
the evenings are getting lighter and there’s a sense of<br />
optimism in the air now that we’ve made it through<br />
the long, cold winter months. Spring is probably my<br />
favourite time of year, when everything feels fresh<br />
and new, and beautiful spring flowers begin to pop up<br />
wherever you look. Not to mention that it’s the time for<br />
hot cross buns and Easter eggs, two of (in my humble<br />
opinion!) the best seasonal treats!<br />
Lichfield chef Jack Dubberley takes a look at some of<br />
the best spring produce to look out for now, while we’ve<br />
got some fresh interiors ideas if you’re looking to refresh<br />
your home decor.<br />
There’s a whole host of great shows coming to the<br />
Midlands this spring, so theatre fans are in for a real<br />
treat. Lichfield Garrick plays host to one of the most<br />
celebrated plays of all time as Agatha Christie’s<br />
The Mousetrap comes to the city as part of its 70th<br />
anniversary tour. We caught up with one of the stars<br />
of the show, Gwyneth Strong - known to millions as<br />
Cassandra in Only Fools and Horses - as well as the<br />
novelist’s grandson Mathew Prichard, for whom the<br />
play was originally written, to discover more about its<br />
enduring appeal.<br />
We also caught up with MasterChef: The Professionals<br />
winner Nikita Pathakji and finalists Sagar Massey and<br />
Charlie Jeffreys when they paid a whirlwind visit to<br />
Lichfield to cook with Sauce Supper Club - and MAY<br />
have managed to get our hands on the prestigious<br />
MasterChef trophy in the process.<br />
Elsewhere, there are all your usual favourites from<br />
fashion and beauty to interiors and food news to keep<br />
you going until next time!<br />
If you enjoy what you read in this issue, then why not<br />
help us to spread the word? As well as being delivered<br />
directly to homes in selected postcodes across the<br />
area, you can pick <strong>J’AIME</strong> up free of charge in major<br />
supermarkets around the Midlands, as well as read the<br />
whole thing - and plenty more! - online at<br />
www.jaimemagazine.com<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: JACK DUBBERLEY,<br />
JEAN LAMB, DEBORAH MITCHELL<br />
<strong>J’AIME</strong> IS PUBLISHED BY ASHBURY<br />
PUBLICATIONS LIMITED.<br />
Check us out online at:<br />
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3
CO N T E N T S<br />
InsideJ’aime this month...<br />
8 The Mousetrap - Agatha Christie’s recordbreaking<br />
play comes to the Lichfield Garrick<br />
as part of its 70th anniversary tour<br />
14 Interiors - Pretty in purple<br />
18 Interiors - Dining room refresh<br />
22 Competition - Win one of five family tickets to<br />
Staffordshire County Show<br />
23 Business - Lichfield’s longest-established<br />
kitchens and bedrooms business<br />
24 Mother’s Day - Spoil your mum with our gift<br />
ideas<br />
28 Food and drink - When the MasterChef: The<br />
Professionals finalists came to Lichfield<br />
32 Food and drink - Reviewing Giggling Squid,<br />
Mere Green<br />
34 Food and drink - Seasonal food ideas from<br />
Dubberley Delicious<br />
38 What’s On - TThe best events around the<br />
Midlands this spring<br />
41 Wealth Matters - The world of finance with<br />
Jean Lamb<br />
42 Fashion - A style revival<br />
44 Beauty - Making the most of your skincare<br />
46 In the news - A wellness destination in Lichfield<br />
48 In the news - Training for body and mind in<br />
Sutton Coldfield<br />
49 In the news - Celebrating a milestone at<br />
Lichfield Garden Centre<br />
50 In the news - A warm welcome at Beau Desert<br />
Golf Club<br />
4<br />
www.jaimemagazine.com
F E AT U R E<br />
The trappings of success<br />
AS AGATHA CHRISTIE’S RECORD-BREAKING WHODUNNIT THE MOUSETRAP COMES TO THE<br />
LICHFIELD GARRICK AS PART OF ITS 70TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR THIS MONTH, AMY NORBURY<br />
CAUGHT UP WITH THE CELEBRATED AUTHOR’S GRANDSON, MATHEW PRICHARD, AND ONE<br />
OF THE PLAY’S LEADING LADIES, GWYNETH STRONG, TO DISCOVER MORE<br />
THE MOUSETRAP COMES TO<br />
LICHFIELD GARRICK THIS MONTH<br />
On Mathew Prichard’s ninth birthday, he received<br />
a rather unique gift from his beloved grandmother.<br />
It wasn’t a toy, nor a game - but a play. The<br />
grandmother in question was none other than<br />
Agatha Christie, now the world’s bestselling author,<br />
and the play was enthralling murder mystery The<br />
Mousetrap, which is, some 70 years later, the world’s<br />
longest-running play.<br />
Making its debut in 1952, The Mousetrap has been<br />
performed continuously in London’s West End ever<br />
since - bar a closure between March 2020 and May<br />
2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic - being staged<br />
more than 28,500 times and seen by more than 10<br />
million people in London alone.<br />
The show’s 70th anniversary tour kicked off<br />
in September last year at the Theatre Royal<br />
Nottingham - the setting for The Mousetrap’s world<br />
premiere - and has since visited venues up and down<br />
the country. The iconic show comes to the Lichfield<br />
Garrick from March 27 to April 1. featuring a stellar<br />
touring cast including former Eastender Todd Carty,<br />
and Only Fools and Horses favourite Gwyneth<br />
Strong.<br />
Mathew says: “It is by now well-known that she<br />
gave me The Mousetrap for my ninth birthday. I do<br />
not, I’m afraid, remember much about the actual<br />
presentation (if there was one) and probably nobody<br />
realised until much later what a marvellous present<br />
it was, but it is perhaps worth remembering that my<br />
grandmother had been through many times in her<br />
life when money was not plentiful. It was therefore<br />
incredibly generous of her to give away such a play<br />
8<br />
www.jaimemagazine.com
FORMER EASTENDER TODD<br />
CARTY WILL BE A FAMILIAR FACE<br />
TO THE AUDIENCE<br />
to her grandson, as in 1952 her books were only<br />
approaching the enormous success they have now<br />
become.<br />
“It is also a mistake to think of her generosity only in<br />
terms of money. She loved giving pleasure to others<br />
– good food, a holiday, a present, or a birthday ode.<br />
She loved enjoying herself, and also to see others<br />
around her enjoying themselves.”<br />
As a novellist, Agatha Christie’s renown is<br />
unparalleled. But to Mathew, she was simply a<br />
grandmother.<br />
“I suppose it took some time for it to sink in that I<br />
had a famous grandmother known to the world as<br />
Agatha Christie,” he says: “<br />
“I first remember her during the years when I was at<br />
preparatory school and her house at Wallingford was<br />
nearby. We used to have enjoyable ‘exeats’<br />
on Sundays and it was, I think, then that<br />
the first glimmers of truth came through.<br />
“Very sensibly, the headmaster of my<br />
school insisted on initialling all books that<br />
came into the school. I came back from<br />
Wallingford clutching the latest Agatha<br />
Christie and wondering, quite genuinely,<br />
whether the Head could possibly find<br />
any reason for withholding the coveted<br />
signature. He never did! There was,<br />
however, one occasion when my book took<br />
a terribly long time to re-appear. Later I<br />
realised that the headmaster’s wife had<br />
taken the opportunity to read it!<br />
“In such small ways, therefore, did I<br />
become aware that I had a talented<br />
grandmother. Not that it made a great<br />
deal of difference to me. She was just a<br />
marvellous grandmother and someone nice<br />
to have around.”<br />
Agatha Christie was a prolific<br />
writer, penning some 66<br />
detective novels and 15 short<br />
story collections as part of a<br />
body of work which has, to<br />
date, sold more than two billion<br />
copies. And her family often<br />
got to be the first readers of her<br />
new tales.<br />
Mathew says: “She could<br />
manage to write a book<br />
almost without one noticing<br />
and sometimes she used to<br />
read the new one to us in the<br />
summer down in Devonshire.<br />
She did so partly, I suspect, to<br />
test audience reaction, but partly to entertain us on<br />
the inevitable wet afternoons when, no doubt, I was<br />
rather difficult to amuse! We all tried to guess, and<br />
my mother was the only one who was ever right. I<br />
think most of my friends who met her during those<br />
years were quite astonished that such a mild, gentle<br />
grandmother could really be the authoress of all<br />
those stories of intrigue, murder and jealousy.”<br />
Black Coffee was Agatha Christie’s first foray into<br />
writing for theatre, making its debut in 1930. But it<br />
was in the 1950s that her theatre works became more<br />
prolific. She became the first female playwright to<br />
have three plays running simultaneously in London:<br />
The Mousetrap, Witness for the Prosecution and<br />
Spider’s Web.<br />
THE MOUSETRAP IS CELEBRATING ITS 70TH ANNIVERSARY<br />
www.jaimemagazine.com<br />
9
“I think she always had a love/<br />
fright relationship with the<br />
theatre. Although I am sure she<br />
found experience very wearing,<br />
she always enjoyed other people’s<br />
enthusiasm for her plays and<br />
found it infectious,” Mathew says.<br />
“I went to The Mousetrap<br />
several times with her in varying<br />
company – family parties,<br />
girlfriends, and the Eton cricket<br />
team when I was captain in<br />
1962. I would say we all enjoyed<br />
the play and my grandmother’s<br />
company in equal measure. But<br />
she was enthusiastic about other<br />
people’s plays as well, about<br />
archaeology, opera and perhaps<br />
above all about food! In short,<br />
she was an exciting person to be<br />
with because she always tried to<br />
look on the good side of things<br />
and people; she always found<br />
something to enthuse about.<br />
“When I had the pleasure of taking my own<br />
children, aged 12 and 11, to The Mousetrap for<br />
the first time they enjoyed it tremendously, and<br />
crossed off assiduously in their programmes those<br />
whom they thought couldn’t have done it (the real<br />
culprit was excluded at an early stage!). It was great<br />
evening for me, and would have been, I am sure, for<br />
my grandmother had she been there. I think it tells<br />
us something about the success of the play, too: it<br />
contains so much for everybody – humour, drama,<br />
suspense and a jigsaw puzzle – suitable for all ages<br />
THE THRILLING ‘WHODUNNIT’<br />
HAS WOWED AUDIENCES FOR<br />
SEVEN DECADES<br />
JOELLE DYSON STARS<br />
AS MOLLIE RALSTON<br />
and taste; regrettably not too many plays on the<br />
London scene can say the same, and I sometimes<br />
feel that actors and actresses, anxious like everybody<br />
else for employment, must wish that there were more<br />
plays with universal appeal like this.”<br />
Such was Christie’s impact on the theatre scene<br />
that, in 1976 when her death was announced,<br />
from natural causes at the age of 85, two West End<br />
theatres – the St. Martin’s, where The Mousetrap<br />
was playing, and the Savoy, which was home to a<br />
revival of Murder at the Vicarage – dimmed their<br />
outside lights in her honour.<br />
Mathew says: “My family<br />
received hundreds of letters from<br />
all different walks of life and<br />
every part of the world, and I<br />
have never seen such a uniform<br />
expression of devotion and<br />
admiration. No doubt that was<br />
because she was a kind, generous<br />
and devout person, and preferred<br />
always to believe the best of<br />
people. She never had an unkind<br />
word to say about anybody.<br />
“We were all left with many<br />
happy memories and, of course,<br />
all her books and plays, which I<br />
am sure will be enjoyed for many<br />
generations to come.”<br />
10 www.jaimemagazine.com
Q&A with Gwyneth Strong<br />
Perhaps best known to millions as Rodney’s wife<br />
Cassandra in Only Fools and Horses, Gwyneth Strong<br />
plays the formidable Mrs Boyle.<br />
What attracted you to The Mousetrap?<br />
I did it once before on tour, in 2019, and when I was asked<br />
‘Would you like to do it again?’, my memories of that<br />
first time were so good that I thought ‘I’d love to do this<br />
again’. As an actor it’s lovely when you get another chance<br />
at something and I have such happy memories of it. The<br />
audiences love it so much and it’s got such a tinge of<br />
history, especially with it now being the 70th anniversary. I<br />
just thought ‘I definitely want to be part of that’.<br />
How would you describe Mrs Boyle as a<br />
character?<br />
For the poor young couple who are trying to run a<br />
guesthouse for the first time, she’s a nightmare guest.<br />
She’s the last person you’d want to have turn up when you<br />
haven’t really had much practice because she’s very fussy<br />
and has very high standards.<br />
Can you recall when you first saw the play?<br />
I hadn’t actually seen it before signing on for that first<br />
tour. As an actor you often have friends in shows that you<br />
go and see but that had never happened to me with The<br />
Mousetrap. Then I went to see it in London and I just fell<br />
in love with it. I thought it was so clever and had so many<br />
threads in it that are actually relevant now. For example,<br />
she talks about how people’s pasts affect their futures. Back<br />
then people didn’t talk much about that and they certainly<br />
didn’t put it in plays.<br />
The show is celebrating its 70th anniversary. How<br />
do you account for its longevity?<br />
I don’t know what it is but it’s got a magic about it. Even<br />
coming back to it now where I sort of know it, it feels<br />
new. That’s nice when you get a change of cast because<br />
everybody brings something a little different to their roles<br />
and you get a new energy and a new take on it. That’s<br />
one of the reasons I fancied having another go at playing<br />
Mrs. Boyle. That’s always nice, especially if you love the<br />
role. As for the success of the play itself, I haven’t got the<br />
answer. I don’t think anyone does, otherwise they’d write<br />
one themselves.<br />
Does it surprise you, especially in an era of social<br />
media, that audiences don’t spill any secrets<br />
about who the murderer is?<br />
It did surprise me before I was in it. Then when I was in<br />
it I understood why people don’t. It’s such a wonderful<br />
shared experience and there’s so little of that left now,<br />
where people come together and share something at the<br />
same time. They’ve proved that they want to keep shtum,<br />
as they say.<br />
Why do you think theatregoers love a murder<br />
mystery?<br />
GWYNETH STRONG PLAYS MRS<br />
BOYLE IN THE MOUSETRAP<br />
People love to solve plots. We like the twists and turns and<br />
so many times, that first time round, people would say to<br />
me afterwards ‘We had a big row in the interval, me and<br />
my husband’ or ‘Me and my kids’. They’d be arguing<br />
about who they thought would turn out to be revealed as<br />
the baddie.<br />
You came to fame in Only Fools and Horses but<br />
what have been your favourite jobs over the<br />
years?<br />
There have been lots of theatre jobs. I recently did a play<br />
called Ladies of Letters with my friend Tessa Peake-Jones.<br />
Although it was a lot of hard work, with only the two of<br />
us in it, it was an incredible experience and it went down<br />
very well. I’ve liked many of the new plays I’ve done over<br />
the years and ones I’ve done at the Edinburgh Festival.<br />
And where does Only Fools and Horses rank? [Laughs]<br />
It’s got to be quite high up there, hasn’t it?<br />
What do you most enjoy about doing theatre?<br />
I like being part of a company. With this one it’s a<br />
big group of people coming together - a large cast,<br />
understudies, the crew - to make one thing work for a set<br />
of people night after night or on a matinee. I love that.<br />
Why do you think Agatha Christie is the most<br />
successful novelist of all time?<br />
She’s so clever at hooking people in. With her characters,<br />
you’re very quick to understand who they are. That’s not<br />
because they’re broadly drawn, it’s because she has a great<br />
ear and she can put people down on the page really well.<br />
Then of course there are the clever, intricate plots.<br />
Is there any Mousetrap trivia you’ve been<br />
interested to learn?<br />
It’s not about the play as such but I’m amazed that there’s<br />
no statue of Agatha Christie anywhere. I think that’s awful<br />
and I think there should be one. When you think of how<br />
prolific she was we should be more proud of her than<br />
we are, but then there’s a shortage of female statues in<br />
general.<br />
The Mousetrap is running at the Lichfield<br />
Garrick from March 27 to April 1. For more<br />
information and to book tickets visit www.<br />
lichfieldgarrick.com<br />
12 www.jaimemagazine.com
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SKINNER, FROM £37, WALLSAUCE.<br />
WWW.WALLSAUCE.COM<br />
BERTIE LILAC LARGE HAND BLOWN<br />
PENDANT LIGHT, £315, GLOW LIGHTING.<br />
WWW.GLOWLIGHTING.CO.UK
I N T E R I O R S<br />
Dine<br />
in style<br />
WITH Mother’s Day and Easter both on the horizon,<br />
there are often big family dinners on the cards. So if your<br />
dining space is in need of a little refresh, there’s no time<br />
like the present.<br />
Dining rooms are often a multifunctional space in our<br />
homes; from setting for epic feasts to ad-hoc work station<br />
to convivial meeting spot, there’s a degree of flexibility we<br />
need when it comes to the room’s design.<br />
The focal point of any dining space is the all-important<br />
table, so choose wisely and use it as a cornerstone around<br />
which to build your design scheme. In this case, bigger is<br />
almost certainly always better, so opt for the largest table<br />
you can comfortably accommodate.<br />
Natural materials are here to stay as interior trends look<br />
to sustainability, so a chunky, rustic timber table ticks all<br />
of the boxes. Pair with opulent, contemporary chairs for<br />
a pleasing contrast, or opt for mix-and-match seating with<br />
chairs, benches and banquettes to bring added style and<br />
function to the room.<br />
Keep the rest of the space light and airy, and add<br />
finishing touches such as large mirrors, drinks storage and<br />
accessories to tie everything together.<br />
HARE TABLEWARE, FROM £10, SOPHIE ALLPORT.<br />
WWW.SOPHIEALLPORT.COM<br />
£199<br />
£89.95<br />
£80<br />
£275<br />
COMETE CANDLE HOLDER,<br />
SWEETPEA & WILLOW.<br />
WWW.SWEETPEAANDWILLOW.COM<br />
TWO-TIER MIRRORED DRINKS TROLLEY,<br />
NEEDWOOD LIVING, ALREWAS.<br />
WWW.NEEDWOODLIVING.CO.UK<br />
FLOOR STANDING VASE WITH<br />
DUAL TEXTURED FINISH, VICTORIA<br />
LOWE LICHFIELD.<br />
WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/<br />
VICTORIALOWE_LICHFIELD<br />
£44<br />
BLACK FAUX SHAGREEN LEATHER TRAY,<br />
NEEDWOOD LIVING, ALREWAS.<br />
WWW.NEEDWOODLIVING.CO.UK<br />
ST EMILION FRENCH UPHOLSTERED DINING<br />
CHAIR IN DOVE GREY, PEPPERMILL INTERIORS,<br />
BURNTWOOD BUSINESS PARK.<br />
WWW.PEPPERMILLINTERIORS.COM<br />
18<br />
www.jaimemagazine.com
Mason Flooring<br />
SPECIALISTS IN ALL TYPES OF FLOORING<br />
- CARPET RANGES FROM ALL LEADING<br />
MANUFACTURERS INCLUDING BEST SELLING<br />
CORMAR CARPETS, ULSTER & BRINTONS<br />
APPROVED SPECIALISTS<br />
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SPECIALISTS IN CURTAINS AND SOFT FURNISHINGS<br />
- RE-UPHOLSTERY SERVICE AVAILABLE -<br />
STOCKISTS OF FABRICS BY HARLEQUIN, ROMO & SCION.<br />
WALLCOVERINGS BY HARLEQUIN.<br />
Langan Carpets & Interiors<br />
Telephone: 0121 308 8998 - Email: langancarpets@gmail.com<br />
1 Cremorne Walk, Lichfield Road, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, B75 5AL<br />
Telephone: 0121 308 3895<br />
Email: langancarpets@gmail.com<br />
1 Cremorne Walk, Lichfield Road, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, B75 5AL<br />
Proud to be a family run business for over 35 years<br />
Introducing<br />
the Sudbury<br />
woodburning<br />
stove from<br />
Clock<br />
HOME IS WHERE THE WARMTH IS<br />
Suppliers of: Contura, Clock, Jotul, Gazco, Scan, Town & Country Fires, ACR Heat Products and many more<br />
Installers and suppliers of gas fires, bespoke limestone surrounds, and gas and woodburning stoves, since 1981.<br />
1/7 High Street, Erdington B23 6RG Next to Highclare School<br />
Telephone: 0121 384 5251 - www.abbeyfirecentre.co.uk<br />
Open: Mon-Thurs-Fri 9am-5pm, Tues 9am-1pm, (closed Weds) Sat 10am-2pm<br />
abbeyfirecentre @abbeyfirecentre abbeyfirecentreltd
£398<br />
HOUSE DOCTOR IRA CANDLE HOLDER,<br />
CUCKOOLAND. WWW.CUCKOOLAND.COM<br />
£199<br />
£57<br />
BOLD MONKEY PAIR OF KISS THE FROGGY CHAIRS,<br />
CUCKOOLAND. WWW.CUCKOOLAND.COM<br />
WOOOD GUNN DINING CHAIR,<br />
CUCKOOLAND. WWW.CUCKOOLAND.COM<br />
£995<br />
£2,265<br />
TUSCAN RECLAIMED WOOD DINING<br />
TABLE, FROM PEPPERMILL INTERIORS,<br />
BURNTWOOD BUSINESS PARK.<br />
WWW.PEPPERMILLINTERIORS.COM<br />
KYOTO OAK AND SHAGREEN<br />
DRINKS CABINET, NEEDWOOD<br />
LIVING, ALREWAS.<br />
WWW.NEEDWOODLIVING.CO.UK<br />
£139.95<br />
16-PIECE GOLD CUTLERY SET IN GIFT BOX,<br />
NEEDWOOD LIVING, ALREWAS.<br />
WWW.NEEDWOODLIVING.CO.UK<br />
LARGE TWO-TONE METALLIC DIPPED<br />
SILVER VASE, VICTORIA LOWE<br />
LICHFIELD. WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/<br />
VICTORIALOWE_LICHFIELD<br />
£52<br />
SURI RECYCLED TEAK DINING TABLE, £545,<br />
CUCKOOLAND. WWW.CUCKOOLAND.COM<br />
TORTONA EXTENDING DINING TABLE, £1,155,<br />
CUCKOOLAND. WWW.CUCKOOLAND.COM<br />
20
Luxury Eco<br />
Garden Rooms<br />
Example shown:<br />
• 3.6m wide opening<br />
• 77” Anthracite grey slats<br />
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Price on this door style can range<br />
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Helping you to transform<br />
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OUR GARDEN ROOMS CAN BE DESIGNED FOR A VARIETY OF USES INCLUDING<br />
HOT TUB/GARDEN ROOM - GARDEN OFFICE - GARDEN GYM - GRANNY<br />
ANNEXE - GARDEN STUDIO - MAN CAVE - GARDEN GUEST ROOM.<br />
Quality Doors<br />
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It’s time to upgrade your garage door to a Garolla<br />
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• Integrated and connected intelligent<br />
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• Designed using professional software<br />
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VIEW WWW.SUTTONGARDENROOMS.CO.UK<br />
FOR FULL DETAILS<br />
074 1973 5841<br />
suttongardenrooms@gmail.com<br />
process. All garden rooms are 85%<br />
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• Internal space is always maximised and<br />
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SUTTON<br />
GARDEN ROOMS<br />
SYMPHONY<br />
KITCHEN<br />
NEW YORK<br />
RANGE<br />
ELEGANT & CONTEMPORARY<br />
EUROPA WAY, LICHFIELD, WS14 9TZ<br />
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WEEKDAYS<br />
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CO M P E T I T I O N<br />
A show for all the family<br />
THE STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTY SHOW RETURNS TO THE STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTY<br />
SHOWGROUND ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 31 AND THURSDAY, JUNE 1 - AND YOU COULD<br />
WIN ONE OF FIVE FAMILY TICKETS TO THE EVENT<br />
From narrow-gauge steam railway rides and<br />
traditional Punch and Judy Shows to the thrilling<br />
Bolddog Lings Motorcycle Display Team, who will be<br />
performing heart-stopping stunts in the Main Ring,<br />
this year’s Staffordshire County Show has a jampacked<br />
programme for the whole family.<br />
The show, which is held at the Staffordshire County<br />
Showground, is one of the area’s major events of the<br />
summer and is expected to attract more than 65,000<br />
visitors.<br />
As well as that headlining show from the Bolddog<br />
Lings Motorcycle Display Team, the packed Main<br />
Ring programme includes the Young Farmer’s Floats,<br />
which this year has a theme of ‘A Day in History’,<br />
show jumping, and the Grand Parade of Livestock as<br />
well as the Parade of Hounds.<br />
New for this year in the Country Pursuits Arena is an<br />
incredible demonstration of dog agility and obedience<br />
from the West Lancs Dog Display Team. Visitors<br />
can also watch the birds of prey display, the ferret<br />
roadshow, have a go at fly casting or sit back and learn<br />
all about sheep with the Sheep Show.<br />
Around the showground there will be demonstrations<br />
of traditional rural crafts such as thatching, coracle<br />
making and drystone walling as well as a display of<br />
vintage cars and agricultural machinery.<br />
However, at the heart of this traditional county show<br />
- which has been held for more than 200 years - is<br />
livestock, with more than 1,000 cattle, sheep, pigs and<br />
goats and 1,500 horses and ponies.<br />
There are a number of competitions including<br />
Sheep Shearing and Wool Handling, the Farriery<br />
Competition and the Dog Show, which attracts<br />
around 2,000 dogs representing every breed of dog in<br />
the UK.<br />
Children of all ages are especially well catered for<br />
with a children’s farm, fairground rides and the<br />
opportunity to have their picture taken with giant<br />
tortoises that are up to 80 years old, while some<br />
400 trade stands and a packed food hall give ample<br />
shopping opportunities.<br />
Early Bird tickets, which offer a substantial saving on<br />
the gate price, are on sale now until midnight on May<br />
27, <strong>2023</strong> to print at home or download to your phone.<br />
Further details about the Show and details of how to<br />
purchase early bird tickets are available on the website<br />
at www.staffscountyshowground.co.uk or follow<br />
the show on Facebook@staffscountyshow<br />
Competition!<br />
<strong>J’AIME</strong> has teamed up with the Staffordshire County Show to offer readers the chance<br />
to win one of five family one-day tickets, admitting two adults and three children,<br />
worth £45 each.<br />
For your chance to win, simply answer the following question:<br />
Who is the headline Main Ring attraction at The <strong>2023</strong> Staffordshire County Show?<br />
Send your answer, along with your name and contact details via email to competitions@jaimemagazine.com with the subject<br />
heading Staffordshire County Show Competition. Entries must be received by 5pm on Friday, April 28, <strong>2023</strong> and winners will<br />
be notified by email after the closing date. Terms and conditions apply. For more details visit www.jaimemagazine.com<br />
22<br />
www.jaimemagazine.com
The heart of the home<br />
B U S I N E S S<br />
WITH NEARLY FOUR DECADES OF EXPERIENCE, LICHFIELD KITCHENS AND BEDROOMS CAN GUIDE YOU<br />
THROUGH THE ENTIRE PROCESS OF MAKING YOUR DREAM KITCHEN OR BEDROOM A REALITY<br />
Shaun Johnson has spent more than 38 years helping<br />
clients to make the right choices when choosing<br />
a brand new kitchen or bedroom. As managing<br />
director of Lichfield Kitchens and Bedrooms -<br />
Lichfield’s longest-established kitchen and bedroom<br />
specialists - Shaun is dedicated to giving each and<br />
every customer exactly what they want.<br />
Shaun and his team will manage all areas of your<br />
kitchen or bedroom project, from initial design ideas<br />
right through to the comprehensive installation<br />
service. With innovative designs incorporating the<br />
latest in kitchen or bedroom trends and technology,<br />
efficient project management and a team of expert<br />
craftsmen on hand, customers can rest assured that<br />
their project is in the very best hands.<br />
The comprehensive showroom features a range of<br />
kitchen and bedroom displays incorporating a variety<br />
of styles, and customers are welcome to browse at<br />
their leisure without any pressure from salespeople.<br />
The team is, however, on hand to answer any<br />
questions and assist wherever needed.<br />
So if a kitchen or bedroom project is on the horizon<br />
and you’re looking for a personal service of the<br />
highest quality, Lichfield Kitchens and Bedrooms are<br />
sure to exceed all expectations.<br />
Lichfield Kitchens and Bedrooms is located on<br />
Britannia Enterprise Park, Lichfield. Visit<br />
www.lichfieldkitchensandbedrooms.com<br />
or call 01543 748985 for more details.<br />
FREE no obligation design service with our kitchen specialists<br />
16 -18 Britannia Way Britannia Enterprise Park, Lichfield WS14 9UY • 01543 263340<br />
info@lichfieldkitchensandbedrooms.com • www.lichfieldkitchensandbedrooms.com<br />
Opening Hours: Mon - Fri 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Sat 9.30am - 12.30pm 12.30pm – 4.00pm by appointment only.<br />
www.jaimemagazine.com<br />
23
G I F T G U I D E<br />
To mum, with love<br />
MARK SUNDAY, <strong>MARCH</strong> 19 IN YOUR CALENDAR; IT’S MOTHER’S DAY, AND TIME TO<br />
CELEBRATE ALL OF THE AMAZING MUMS, STEP-MUMS AND MOTHER-FIGURES IN YOUR<br />
LIFE. A LITTLE TOKEN TO SHOW HOW MUCH YOU CARE, AND HOW YOU APPRECIATE<br />
ALL THOSE THINGS BIG AND SMALL SHE DOES FOR YOU ALL YEAR ROUND, IS ALWAYS A<br />
THOUGHTFUL GESTURE - AND IF YOU’RE IN NEED OF INSPIRATION, OUR GIFT GUIDE HAS<br />
PLENTY OF IDEAS TO SUIT MUMS EVERYWHERE. IT’S TIME TO MAKE HER DAY.<br />
£1,520<br />
£235<br />
9CT ROSE GOLD, BLUE TOPAZ<br />
AND AMETHYST DROP PENDANT,<br />
JOHNSONS JEWELLERS, NUNEATON.<br />
WWW.JOHNSONSJEWELLERS.CO.UK<br />
£150<br />
18CT WHITE GOLD, PEARL AND DIAMOND<br />
RING, ALLEN BROWN JEWELLERY AT HEART<br />
OF THE COUNTRY SHOPPING VILLAGE.<br />
WWW.ALLENBROWNJEWELLERY.CO.UK<br />
BLUSH PINK PURE MULBERRY SILK ROBE,<br />
SOAK & SLEEP. WWW.SOAKANDSLEEP.COM<br />
£140<br />
£27<br />
£139<br />
CANADA WOOL SCARF, ACNE<br />
STUDIOS AT HARVEY NICHOLS.<br />
WWW.HARVEYNICHOLS.COM<br />
CLOGAU CARIAD HORIZON BRACELET,<br />
JOHNSONS JEWELLERS, NUNEATON.<br />
WWW.JOHNSONSJEWELLERS.CO.UK<br />
CHARLOTTE TILBURY MATTE<br />
REVOLUTION LIPSTICK IN PILLOW TALK.<br />
WWW.CHARLOTTETILBURY.COM<br />
£175<br />
£85<br />
HOT DIAMONDS SILVER TRIO TRIPLE<br />
HEART NECKLACE, JOHNSONS<br />
JEWELLERS, NUNEATON.<br />
WWW.JOHNSONSJEWELLERS.CO.UK<br />
£140<br />
KEEP SMILING FRAMED LIMITED EDITION BY<br />
MANI PARKES, EDEN GALLERY.<br />
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GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU - DANDELION<br />
FRAMED LIMITED EDITION BY ANITA JERAM, EDEN<br />
GALLERY. WWW.EDENARTANDFRAMING.CO.UK<br />
24 www.jaimemagazine.com
Home @<br />
La Maison Bleue<br />
Paul Martyn<br />
Ellis Hyde<br />
Fireplace and Stove<br />
French-style home decor and<br />
accessories<br />
Custom oak, pine furniture<br />
and showrooms<br />
Custom curtains, blinds,<br />
and related services<br />
Fireplaces, stoves,<br />
installation and showroom<br />
Swinfen, Lichfield.<br />
WS14 9QR<br />
village.com<br />
IN <strong>APRIL</strong> WE WILL<br />
BE ANNOUNCING<br />
A SPECIAL DEAL<br />
FOR THE FIRST 10<br />
LADIES APPLYING<br />
TO THE<br />
ACADEMY<br />
Beau Desert Golf Course - set in the beautiful wilderness of Cannock Chase<br />
Ladies - would you like to learn to play golf and join our team of ladies<br />
already enjoying the friendship and health benefits of membership at<br />
Beau Desert Golf Club. There is no age limit. Our oldest lady player is<br />
84 and the youngest is 10 - and plenty of in-betweens!<br />
Our academy is now open to all comers, both those new to golf and<br />
more experienced players. Membership is available on an annual basis.<br />
Choose from 3 levels of fee based structured group and individual<br />
coaching by our first class professional services team. All equipment<br />
is provided.<br />
Beau Desert Golf Club, Rugeley Road, Hazelslade, Cannock, Staffs WS12 OPJ<br />
academy@bdgc.co.uk - www.bdgc.co.uk - 01543 422626
£123<br />
£55<br />
£32<br />
LOVE IN A MIST FLOWERS,<br />
NEEDWOOD LIVING, ALREWAS.<br />
WWW.NEEDWOODLIVING.CO.UK<br />
VAN GOGH SUNFLOWERS<br />
CHIFFON SILK SCARF, FOX & CHAVE.<br />
WWW.FOXANDCHAVE.COM<br />
STORK PINK VELVET POUCH MAKEUP<br />
CLUTCH, ONE HUNDRED STARS.<br />
WWW.ONEHUNDREDSTARS.CO.UK<br />
SILVER, 18CT GOLD PLATED AGATE EARRINGS,<br />
ALLEN BROWN JEWELLERY AT HEART OF THE<br />
COUNTRY SHOPPING VILLAGE.<br />
WWW.ALLENBROWNJEWELLERY.CO.UK<br />
SCRUFF SIS SHEARLING TRIMMED SUEDE<br />
SLIPPERS, UGG AT HARVEY NICHOLS.<br />
WWW.HARVEYNICHOLS.COM<br />
£85<br />
£101<br />
RICHMOND INTERIORS JAYLYN STORAGE BOX,<br />
NAKEN. WWW.NAKEN.CO.UK<br />
£160<br />
PERSONALISED LUXURY MOTHERS<br />
DAY GIFT BOX, MARTHA BROOK.<br />
WWW.MARTHABROOK.COM<br />
£9.95<br />
£39.95<br />
LILY-FLAME CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE<br />
CANDLE, CURBOROUGH GIFT SHOP.<br />
WWW.CURBOROUGHGIFTSHOP.CO.UK<br />
D&X PEACOCK BROOCH, £7.99, FABLE SCARF, £15, LONG<br />
& SON HANDBAG, £19.99, AND LIFE CHARMS BRACELET,<br />
£14.95, ALL FROM CURBOROUGH GIFT SHOP.<br />
WWW.CURBOROUGHGIFTSHOP.CO.UK<br />
NOOR HAND POURED SOYA<br />
CANDLE AND ESSENTIAL OIL<br />
DIFFUSER, FROM £25, VICTORIA<br />
LOWE LICHFIELD.<br />
WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/<br />
VICTORIALOWE_LICHFIELD<br />
PAMPER AND CATCH UP SPA EXPERIENCE GIFT VOUCHER<br />
INCLUDING A 25 MINUTE TREATMENT, GLASS OF PROSECCO<br />
AND SLICE OF CAKE, FROM £59 PER PERSON, MOOR HALL<br />
HOTEL AND SPA. WWW.MOORHALLHOTEL.CO.UK<br />
26 www.jaimemagazine.com
tatlowcarpets<br />
&flooring<br />
NEW PRODUCTS<br />
FOR THIS SPRING!<br />
Image Credits: Linwood Fabric<br />
@Tatlowcarpetsltd<br />
Tel: 01543 264766<br />
Alternative Flooring<br />
Sisal Herringbone<br />
Colour: Hockley<br />
@Tatlow_Carpets<br />
Please see our website for further details www.tatlowcarpets.co.uk<br />
Open to the public. Mon-Fri: 9.00am - 5.00pm. Sat: 10.00am - 4.00pm<br />
Unit 4, Europa Way, Britannia Enterprise Park, Lichfield, Staffs, WS14 9TZ<br />
Home accessories • Furniture • Lamps • Rugs<br />
Dinner & Glassware • Clothing • Jewellery<br />
Giftware • Soft furnishings made to order<br />
Full interior design service<br />
136 Main Street<br />
Alrewas, DE13 7ED<br />
01283 711 272<br />
7A High Street,<br />
Tutbury, DE13 9LP<br />
01283 813 322<br />
info@needwoodliving.co.uk<br />
needwoodliving.co.uk<br />
Rosemary Lodge Residential<br />
Care Home for elderly ladies<br />
and gentlemen offers a level of<br />
care, community and comfort<br />
that is second to none.<br />
We are an independently<br />
owned, private care home and<br />
have been a highly regarded<br />
part of the community for<br />
over 30 years. Offering 24-<br />
hour care, our fully trained<br />
staff work together to<br />
communicate with residents<br />
and ensure personal care<br />
needs are met in a personcentred<br />
approach.<br />
Please get in touch to find out<br />
more about our care.<br />
191 Walsall Road, Lichfield, Staffs, WS13 8AQ<br />
Tel: 01543 415223<br />
Email: contact@rosemarylodge.co.uk<br />
Website: www.rosemarylodge.co.uk
F O O D & D R I N K<br />
Kitchen mastery<br />
EXEMPLARY COOKING, THREE TOP CHEFS - AND A GLITTERING TROPHY, WERE JUST SOME<br />
OF THE HIGHLIGHTS WHEN THE 2022 MASTERCHEF: THE PROFESSIONAL FINALISTS CAME<br />
TO LICHFIELD FOR A SPECIAL EVENING WITH SAUCE SUPPER CLUB<br />
Now, I’ve always thought of myself as a dab hand<br />
in the kitchen. But when it comes to haute cuisine,<br />
I’m mostly found at the dining table, enjoying a feast<br />
rather than cooking it. So getting my hands on the<br />
coveted MasterChef trophy has never been likely.<br />
That was, until one chilly Sunday evening in<br />
Lichfield. Granted, the trophy wasn’t mine. Rather,<br />
it was the result of the exquisite culinary endeavours<br />
of Midlands chef and current MasterChef: The<br />
Professionals champion Nikita Pathakji.<br />
But Nikita was generous enough to let us hold the<br />
trophy which she spent weeks battling against 31<br />
other top chefs for. It topped off a wonderful evening<br />
with fine dining specialists Sauce Supper Club which<br />
saw Nikita reunited with fellow MasterChef finalists<br />
Sagar Massey and Charlie Jefferys to present a<br />
spectacular menu of show-inspired highlights.<br />
Now, creating a menu which showcases the styles<br />
of three very different chefs while still offering a<br />
cohesive culinary experience is no mean feat. Nikita’s<br />
classically-trained take on Asian flavours, Sagar’s<br />
passion for traditional Indian cuisine and Charlie’s<br />
refined French style may not be natural bedfellows<br />
- but the evening managed to combine the three to<br />
wonderful effect, with each chef taking on two of the<br />
six dishes which made up the tasting menu.<br />
First up, it was Sagar’s turn, and an Indian street<br />
food-inspired starter which encapsulated the chef to<br />
a tee. Raj kachori - an impressive crispy fried shell<br />
- filled with potato chaat flavoured with tamarind,<br />
mint and green chilli, and tempered by a<br />
cooling sweetened yoghurt, was elevated<br />
comfort food which left you wanting more.<br />
Bursting with bold flavours which danced<br />
on the tongue, it was a dish which hit the<br />
high notes and set the standard for things to<br />
come.<br />
From humble street food, it was onto the<br />
most luxurious of ingredients for Nikita’s<br />
lobster tortellini, which was served in a<br />
rich laksa sauce with herb salad and crispy<br />
vermicelli. The sweet lobster married<br />
perfectly with the fragrant laksa, bringing<br />
Nikita’s love for Asian flavours to a classical<br />
28 www.jaimemagazine.com
Lichfield Garden Centre<br />
Inspired Gardening<br />
Easter is on the way...<br />
Curborough<br />
Gift Shop<br />
GIFTS & CARDS FOR ALL OCCASIONS<br />
Get your garden ready for spring<br />
The Garden Centre is bursting<br />
with colour - get those pots &<br />
window boxes planted with<br />
Primroses, Pansies and more.<br />
Priced from only £1.49<br />
Grow your own Vegetable Plants,<br />
Herbs, Fruit Bushes & Trees - all<br />
now in stock & ready for planting.<br />
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summer!<br />
Coach Trips <strong>2023</strong><br />
Join us as we visit some great<br />
gardens & garden shows this<br />
summer, travelling direct<br />
from the Garden Centre.<br />
Malvern Spring Show Saturday 13th May £65<br />
Raymond Blanc's 'Le Manoir' Thursday 22nd June £329<br />
RHS Bridgewater Saturday 1st July £52<br />
Highgrove Gardens Wednesday 12th July £69<br />
Garden Club Members get 10% Off all prices shown -<br />
join up for a one-off £10 fee.<br />
More details on all our trips are on the website.<br />
Artificial & Silk Flowers<br />
Realistic colours, with indivual<br />
stems and pre-made bunches -<br />
perfect for any room at home.<br />
See our new ranges for <strong>2023</strong>!<br />
CURBOROUGH COUNTRYSIDE CENTRE<br />
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Opening hours: Wed - Sun 10.00am - 4.00pm. (Tuesday by appointment only)
dish. The crispy vermicelli added a lovely<br />
textural contrast, with fresh herbs pulling the dish<br />
together.<br />
Charlie’s fish dish amplified the classical elements<br />
of the menu as halibut, seared to perfection,<br />
was adorned with roasted salsify, succulent razor<br />
clams and samphire to create a dish worthy of a<br />
MasterChef final.<br />
Throughout the evening, the chefs took turns<br />
to pop out of the kitchen to chat to guests and<br />
spill the beans on their MasterChef experience.<br />
Derby native Nikita spoke of her ambition to<br />
open her own restaurant - and perhaps Lichfield,<br />
just a short jaunt from her hometown, could be<br />
the perfect place for her to realise that dream?<br />
Speaking of Nikita, it was her next dish which<br />
was the one which had really caught my eye<br />
on the menu. And it didn’t disappoint. The<br />
tenderest pork cheeks were given the Sichuanstyle<br />
treatment, rendering them unctuous and<br />
richly flavoured, with wilted choi sum and<br />
pickled potato adding freshness and zing, and,<br />
shoestring potatoes a beautiful crunch. On the<br />
side, a delicately steamed pork and cabbage bao<br />
bun was a delicious morsel which complemented<br />
the dish perfectly.<br />
With not one, but two sweet courses on offer, we<br />
were in dessert heaven as the evening reached its<br />
climax. Sagar’s Yorkshire rhubarb, sweet yoghurt<br />
and white chocolate pot made heroes of its simple<br />
ingredients, balancing sweet, tart and richness to<br />
delightful effect. Digging through the sweet yoghurt<br />
to reveal the tender rhubarb underneath and<br />
ensuring each spoonful scooped up a little of each<br />
layer, it was a deceptively intricate dessert.<br />
Last, but most certainly not least, was Charlie’s<br />
finale. All About Lemon was a celebration of citrus,<br />
with the star of the show being a delicate lemon<br />
tart with frangipane, adorned with the most delicate<br />
shards of citrus meringue and garnished with pearls<br />
of zesty finger limes and lemon balm. Now, a good<br />
lemon tart is a personal favourite, and Charlie’s tart,<br />
with its supremely fine pastry and rich, lemon filling,<br />
was up there with the best of<br />
them.<br />
Sauce Supper Club’s<br />
ongoing partnership with<br />
the MasterChef finalists is<br />
a highlight in the Lichfield<br />
culinary calendar, giving<br />
local diners the opportunity<br />
to experience the kind of<br />
dishes which wowed judges<br />
including Marcus Wareing and<br />
Gregg Wallace throughout<br />
the competition. For any<br />
MasterChef fan - and any<br />
foodie in general - it’s a mustgo<br />
evening and the hottest<br />
ticket in town.<br />
30 www.jaimemagazine.com
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F O O D & D R I N K<br />
A journey of flavour<br />
IT WAS SMILES ALL ROUND AS THE SPIRIT OF THAILAND WAS TO BE FOUND IN<br />
ABUNDANCE AT MERE GREEN’S GIGGLING SQUID, SAYS AMY NORBURY<br />
My husband and I spent our honeymoon<br />
in Thailand some 10 years ago, travelling<br />
from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, to<br />
the foodie haven of Chiang Mai and onto<br />
a tranquil Andaman island paradise. So the<br />
Land of Smiles definitely holds a special<br />
place in our hearts.<br />
As does the food. The fragrant curries, the<br />
spicy stir frys, oodles of noodles, and the<br />
mouth-watering treats found at little stalls<br />
on street corners and in packed markets,<br />
Thailand is world-renowned as a hotspot<br />
for foodies - and with good reason. Vibrant<br />
flavours sing in harmony as sweet, sharp<br />
and spicy come together to mesmerising<br />
effect.<br />
So finding a place which brings that true taste of<br />
Thailand to these shores is always a treat. And Mere<br />
Green’s Giggling Squid proved to be a real treat<br />
indeed.<br />
With restaurants all over the UK, Giggling Squid<br />
was founded by Thai native Pranee Laurillard to<br />
celebrate the food of her homeland and share her<br />
passion for Thai cuisine with UK diners.<br />
So when <strong>J’AIME</strong> was invited to sample what the<br />
Mere Green restaurant has to offer, we couldn’t wait<br />
to take our taste buds on a trip down memory lane.<br />
The first thing which strikes you about the Mere<br />
Green restaurant is the stunning decor, which<br />
captures the opulence of Thailand’s rich landscape.<br />
Beautiful florals are in abundance, from striking<br />
murals to flower walls and faux foliage at every turn -<br />
it’s an Insta-worthy setting of the highest order.<br />
We were shown to a table situated inside its own<br />
giant flower-covered birdcage - perfect for a<br />
romantic dinner - and couldn’t resist a quick pic<br />
for the ‘gram.<br />
Thai prawn crackers and a sweet chilli dipping<br />
sauce swiftly arrived courtesy of our lovely<br />
waitress for the evening Ida. These moreish<br />
morsels were perfect to nibble on while perusing<br />
the menus.<br />
First up, drinks - and I had to try one of<br />
Giggling Squid’s signature cocktails. The Silky<br />
Pink, £12.50, is a mouth-watering mix of vodka,<br />
Kwai Feh lychee liqueur, peach and jasmine<br />
green tea which was one of the best cocktails<br />
I’d had for some time, while the hubby was<br />
delighted with his favourite Thai beer, Chang.<br />
The menu is an impressive tome which<br />
showcases traditional Thai favourites alongside<br />
dishes with a Giggling Squid twist. And<br />
everything sounds so delicious that narrowing<br />
32 www.jaimemagazine.com
down our choices proved to be a time-consuming<br />
exercise.<br />
To start, we opted for a sharing platter in order to<br />
sample as many dishes as possible. And it had to be<br />
the Chang Mai platter, £17.50 for two, as it’s named<br />
for our favourite Thai destination. Featuring Hawker<br />
Moo Ping (or barbecued pork skewers), spring rolls,<br />
salt and pepper squid and Giggling wings, it was a<br />
bountiful feast indeed.<br />
It would be impossible to choose a favourite, as each<br />
element was perfectly executed and full of flavour;<br />
the pork was juicy and tender, the wings oh-so sticky<br />
and indulgent, the veggie-packed spring rolls crisp<br />
and fresh. The salt and pepper squid is a Giggling<br />
Squid bestseller, and with good reason. The<br />
sweet squid was perfectly balanced by its<br />
lightly spiced coating, and the sizable pieces<br />
make for a generous portion.<br />
When it came to the main event, I could eat<br />
there every day for a week and still not get<br />
through every dish which caught my eye. The<br />
duck confit, £17.95, and the Chubby Cheek<br />
pork, £15.50, both sounded delectable, as<br />
did the lamb shank Massaman, £18.95 - and<br />
that’s before we even ventured through the<br />
stir fry and noodle dishes.<br />
But my husband, a stickler for tradition,<br />
judges any Thai restaurant on the strength of<br />
its green curry, so Thai green chicken curry,<br />
£12.95, it was. And Giggling Squid’s version<br />
was up there with the best we’ve had. Rich,<br />
creamy coconut milk, fragrant Thai spices<br />
and plentiful veg alongside the generous<br />
chunks of chicken made for a luscious dish;<br />
paired with unctuous coconut rice, it was the<br />
ultimate Thai comfort food.<br />
Pad Thai is another firm favourite for us<br />
both, and Giggling Squid’s giant butterfly<br />
king prawn version, £16.95, took the dish to<br />
a whole new level. Flavoursome rice noodles<br />
mixed with tofu, beansprouts, sliced red<br />
onions, Thai chives and crunchy peanuts,<br />
were adorned with some of the biggest<br />
prawns we’d ever seen, elevating the humble<br />
noodle dish to majestic levels.<br />
We couldn’t resist ordering a som tam papaya<br />
salad, £7.50, to accompany our main courses.<br />
This traditional Thai salad combines green<br />
papaya with fresh chilli, cherry tomatoes,<br />
dried shrimp and Thai garlic in a sweet and<br />
sour dressing made from palm sugar, lime<br />
juice and fish sauce. Tantalising the taste buds<br />
with its heat and tartness, it brought back<br />
memories of scoffing the dish in abundance at<br />
Thai beachside cafes and street markets during our<br />
trip.<br />
The generous portions meant that dessert was<br />
not strictly necessary. However, a scoop or two of<br />
homemade ice cream was just what was needed after<br />
the fiery papaya salad, so we opted for black sesame<br />
and lychee yoghurt flavours, £4.95 each. Both were<br />
different and delicious, a lovely end to a fantastic<br />
feast.<br />
Our love affair with Thai food remains strong after<br />
all these years, and until we manage to pay a return<br />
visit to the Land of Smiles, Giggling Squid is sure to<br />
become our go-to for a Thai fix.<br />
www.jaimemagazine.com<br />
33
F O O D & D R I N K<br />
Spring into action<br />
LICHFIELD CHEF JACK DUBBERLEY, OF DUBBERLEY DELICIOUS, TAKES A LOOK<br />
AT SOME OF THE BEST SEASONAL PRODUCE AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW - AND HOW<br />
TO MAKE THE MOST OF NATURE’S LARDER<br />
With progress being rapidly made on Dubberley<br />
Delicious’s new premises in the heart of Lichfield, on<br />
Tamworth Street, Jack Dubberley is preparing for a<br />
busy spring.<br />
His unique chef ’s table concept - which has been<br />
making waves on the local dining scene since he<br />
launched in a tiny cabin at The Plant Plot garden<br />
centre in 2021 - is undergoing a revamp with<br />
the change of location. As well as being able to<br />
accommodate larger bookings for his bespoke tasting<br />
menus, Jack is aiming to open the venue up for<br />
lunchtime walk ins, offering a daily changing menu.<br />
When he’s not overseeing the new restaurant project<br />
or designing menus for his chef ’s table events, Jack<br />
is on the lookout for the best produce to use in his<br />
dishes.<br />
“In terms of foraging, it’s now getting to the point<br />
that wild garlic is coming through properly,” says<br />
Jack. “It’s been early this year because of the milder<br />
weather, and the early leaves are the strongest ones<br />
because when they start getting bigger they start to<br />
ASPARAGUS SEASON<br />
COMES INTO PLAY IN LATE<br />
SPRING<br />
LICHFIELD CHEF JACK DUBBERLEY<br />
lose their intensity.<br />
“It’s something you can really make the most of;<br />
I’d use it for garnishing dishes at this point, just for<br />
a bit of greenery on the plate, but you can use it<br />
instead of normal garlic in stir frys, or in a chilli or a<br />
bolognaise just for that lovely garlic flavour.<br />
“Now, the wild garlic season could go though to the<br />
end of June, again depending on the weather. We’ve<br />
already seen the buds coming through, which you<br />
wouldn’t normally see until April, but this year has<br />
been very early.<br />
“Elderflower will be the next thing, usually around<br />
May but again it may come early because the flowers<br />
tend to come out quite quickly.<br />
“If the weather stays as it has been, everything will<br />
be early this year, and that even means the things<br />
people are planting in their gardens and allotments.”<br />
As spring reaches full bloom, the first British fruits<br />
start to make an appearance.<br />
“Forced rhubarb is just coming in now,<br />
predominantly from Yorkshire; Yorkshire rhubarb<br />
34<br />
www.jaimemagazine.com
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FORCED RHUBARB IS A FIRM FAVOURITE WITH<br />
CHEFS AT THIS TIME OF YEAR<br />
is what chefs are going crazy for at the moment, so<br />
much so that it’s become harder to get hold of,” says<br />
Jack.<br />
“There’s a family in Yorkshire who’ve been growing<br />
forced rhubarb for 80 years. It’s grown in the dark,<br />
with just candlelight, which is the forcing element,<br />
but it’s still outside, grown in a sort of metal shed so<br />
you still need to be past the freezing weather - it can’t<br />
be grown all year round.<br />
“The produce is amazing; it has such a beautiful,<br />
vibrant colour - it’s much brighter than normal wild<br />
rhubarb, and because the stems are thinner it’s softer<br />
and more tender, and sweeter too. You don’t even<br />
have to peel the forced stuff, just give it a quick wash.<br />
“Obviously, the most traditional thing to do with<br />
rhubarb is a crumble; just roughly chop it then cook<br />
it with some sugar until it starts breaking down, and<br />
it’ll still have that bright pink colour.<br />
“I love to cook it in batons and serve with lemon<br />
curd, shortbread crumb, some lemon verbena<br />
shoots and a toasted almond ice cream; because the<br />
rhubarb is still slightly sharp, and there’s sharpness<br />
from the lemon then creaminess from the ice cream,<br />
it creates a lovely dish for this time of year.<br />
“A lot of chefs do rhubarb with seafood; mackrel’s a<br />
good one, and scallops which is something I want to<br />
try. Sat Bains has got top-and-tail rhubarb, featuring<br />
it in his first course and last course because he really<br />
wants to celebrate it.<br />
“At this time of year there are no other British fruits<br />
in season which is why you’ll see forced rhubarb on<br />
most fine dining menus now.”<br />
A couple of British favourites are on horizon for<br />
spring too, as asparagus and Jersey Royals come to<br />
the fore.<br />
“Asparagus could come in April, again if the weather<br />
stays like this; it’s normally April or May, and we’re<br />
lucky to have New Farm here where we can get the<br />
freshest asparagus right on our doorstep,” says Jack.<br />
“A couple of years ago we had asparagus on the<br />
menu at our first barbecue event in April; it was<br />
just in time, we were going over to New Farm and<br />
checking on it all the time, and they picked it the<br />
week of our barbecue.<br />
“Jersey Royals come in at the start of April too; you<br />
can definitely taste the difference, they’re a beautiful<br />
ingredient and they cook really well. They come<br />
into us covered in dirt so they just need cleaning up<br />
and then cook them as they are in a nice buttery<br />
emulsion. You can then have them with anything;<br />
fish, lamb, they’re great in salads. In fact, they also go<br />
brilliantly with wild garlic pesto for a really seasonal<br />
dish.”<br />
Jack’s top<br />
seasonal tips:<br />
Forage for: Wild garlic - it’s in full<br />
swing from now until late May, with<br />
elderflower to follow<br />
Cook it now: Forced rhubarb is a<br />
spring highlight for chefs and will be<br />
featured on many a menu at this time<br />
of year, while Jersey Royals are a lovely<br />
seasonal accompaniment to spring<br />
lamb<br />
WILD GARLIC IS NOW IN<br />
ABUNDANCE UNTIL LATE MAY<br />
36 www.jaimemagazine.com
Explore 1,000 years of history<br />
Tamworth Castle is both a museum and a stunning example of an intact<br />
Norman motte and bailey castle, surrounded by beautiful grounds which now<br />
hosts a brand new playground too. Come inside and explore our history. We<br />
have lots of interactive displays for young and old alike. We even have a<br />
smartphone app - Tamworth AR Explorer - which really brings our history to life!<br />
State-of-the-art interactive exhibition<br />
The top floor of the Castle has been transformed into an<br />
Anglo-Saxon exhibition which brings our history to life,<br />
including the role of the famous warrior queen,<br />
Aethelflaed, and themes of battle, kingship and warrior<br />
culture in Anglo-Saxon Mercia.<br />
See the Staffordshire Hoard<br />
Our Anglo-Saxon exhibition also includes a<br />
mead hall where you can see items from the<br />
famous Staffordshire Hoard - the largest<br />
hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found.<br />
1 - 16 April, <strong>2023</strong><br />
Dragon Egg Hunt<br />
Staffordshire Hoard photo credit: Birmingham Museums<br />
Trust on behalf of Birmingham City Council and The<br />
Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent.<br />
St George’s Day Extravaganza!<br />
See St. George, the dragon, medieval joust, encampment, games, workshops and more...<br />
FREE<br />
EVENT<br />
www.tamworthartsandevents.co.uk<br />
Tamworth Castle Grounds, Holloway, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B79 7NA
W H AT ’ S O N<br />
What’s On this spring<br />
THERE’S PLENTY TO KEEP YOU ENTERTAINED AROUND THE MIDLANDS THIS SPRING<br />
- AND HERE WE TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE BEST SHOWS AND EVENTS ON OFFER<br />
WHAT: FAMILY SPRING EVENTS<br />
WHERE: NATIONAL MEMORIAL ARBORETUM,<br />
ALREWAS<br />
WHEN: THROUGHOUT SPRING<br />
Spring into life at the National Memorial Arboretum<br />
with a packed programme of free fun activities and<br />
events for the whole family to enjoy. With more than<br />
150-acres of woodland and gardens, and more than<br />
400 fascinating memorials, the Arboretum is a space<br />
where everyone can explore and discover with family<br />
and friends.<br />
From the Stick Man trail, which is available on a<br />
daily basis, Easter and May school holiday activities,<br />
returning family favourite Armed Forces Weekend<br />
(June 24-25) to a brand-new event, the Great Garden<br />
Party (April 29-May 1 and May 6-8), featuring<br />
fun garden party themed activities designed for<br />
visitors of all ages, the Arboretum’s free family<br />
friendly spring events will give lots of opportunities<br />
to get outdoors, and create special memories with<br />
your family and friends. The Arboretum, which<br />
is free to enter, is open from 10am to 4pm daily,<br />
parking charges apply, though advance booking is<br />
recommended on event days to guarantee entry. For<br />
more details visit www.thenma.org.uk<br />
WHAT: LICHFIELD CAMERA CLUB SPRING<br />
EXHIBITION<br />
WHERE: THE HUB AT ST. MARY’S, LICHFIELD<br />
WHEN: <strong>MARCH</strong> 7 TO <strong>APRIL</strong> 1<br />
Lichfield Camera Club’s Spring Exhibition is<br />
currently on at The Hub at St. Mary’s in the centre<br />
of Lichfield. Visitors to the exhibition will be<br />
able to view nearly 100 images from all genres of<br />
photography.<br />
For any artist, the ability to share your work with the<br />
widest possible audience is both exciting and very<br />
important. The internet, through social media and<br />
various photo sharing websites, has transformed<br />
this process; however, there is nothing quite like the<br />
experience of viewing a physical, full size, carefully<br />
mounted image at your leisure, giving yourself time<br />
to enjoy the subtleties of composition, light and<br />
to reflect on the creativity of the artist. This is an<br />
experience you can enjoy at the Lichfield Camera<br />
Club Spring Exhibition.<br />
Richard Moore from Lichfield Camera Club<br />
says: “Due to the pandemic, this will be our first<br />
photography exhibition in the Lichfield area for<br />
almost three years and our members are looking<br />
forward to sharing their best images.” The exhibition<br />
is open Tuesday to Friday 9.30am-4pm, and<br />
Saturday 9.30am-3.30pm. For more details visit<br />
www.thehubstmarys.co.uk<br />
38 www.jaimemagazine.com
Explore and<br />
Discover<br />
at the Nation’s year-round<br />
place to remember<br />
FREE Entry* | 150-Acres of Woodland Landscape to Explore<br />
Over 400 Memorials | Large Restaurant | Indoor Exhibitions<br />
Two Outdoor Play Areas | Stick Man Trail<br />
FREE Family Experiences and Events<br />
Easter Holiday Activities | Spring Into Life 1 – 16 April<br />
The Great Garden Party 29 April – 1 May & 6 – 8 May<br />
May Holiday Activities | Wonderful Wellbeing 29 May – 2 June<br />
Armed Forces Weekend 24 & 25 June<br />
To find out more visit thenma.org.uk/events<br />
Tailor Made Tours<br />
A special experience for two to seven guests<br />
on-board an electric buggy, with a personal<br />
host and delicious catering options. Full and<br />
half day tours available.<br />
Gift vouchers available.<br />
National Memorial Arboretum<br />
Part of the Royal British Legion<br />
*Parking charges apply.<br />
Croxall Road, Alrewas,<br />
Staffordshire DE13 7AR<br />
thenma.org.uk<br />
T: 01283 245 100<br />
E: info@thenma.org.uk<br />
Charity No. 1043992
WHAT: OF MICE AND MEN<br />
WHERE: BIRMINGHAM REP<br />
WHEN: <strong>MARCH</strong> 18 TO <strong>APRIL</strong> 8<br />
George and Lennie are migrants with a dream; a dream of a better life, a place where they<br />
can belong, where Lennie feels safe and George can be somebody. But this is the Great<br />
Depression, not many dreams come true in a time where a few have plenty but most have<br />
nothing. When the friends take a job on Curley’s farm, tragedy unfolds leading to a heartbreaking<br />
decision.<br />
John Steinbeck’s classic novel is more than 80 years old, but with themes of economic<br />
migration, racism and prejudice, it remains a parable for our times.<br />
A story of enduring friendship, this new production from Rep Associate Director and<br />
Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony Director, Iqbal Khan, focuses a <strong>2023</strong> lens on<br />
Steinbeck’s affecting tale of the crumbling American dream. For more details visit<br />
www.birmingham-rep.co.uk<br />
WHAT: ANNIE<br />
WHERE: THE ALEXANDRA, BIRMINGHAM<br />
WHEN: <strong>APRIL</strong> 3 TO 15<br />
The smash-hit production of Annie comes to Birmingham for Easter <strong>2023</strong>, direct from<br />
London’s West End. This glorious revival stars Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel<br />
Horwood as the tyrannical Miss Hannigan.<br />
Set in 1930s New York during The Great Depression, brave young Annie is forced to live a life<br />
of misery at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. Her luck soon changes when she’s chosen to spend<br />
a fairytale Christmas with famous billionaire, Oliver Warbucks. Meanwhile, spiteful Miss<br />
Hannigan has other ideas and hatches a plan to spoil Annie’s search for her true family…<br />
With unforgettable songs such as It’s The Hard-Knock Life, Easy Street, I Don’t Need<br />
Anything But You and Tomorrow, you can bet your bottom dollar that you’ll love it! For more<br />
details visit www.atgtickets.com/birmingham<br />
WHAT: MATRICKS ILLUSION<br />
WHERE: LICHFIELD GARRICK<br />
WHEN: <strong>APRIL</strong> 7<br />
From the live grand final of Britain’s Got Talent 2022 to working alongside the likes of Westlife,<br />
Adam Lambert, Ashley Banjo and KSI, Matricks Illusion have the ability to astonish and baffle in<br />
equal measure. And now they’re bringing their incredible show to Lichfield for one night only this<br />
April.<br />
Master Illusionist Alexander Jesson is a born showman who captures the imagination of every<br />
audience and commands a special stage presence like no other. In 2004, Alexander and his sister<br />
Emily began to create the show, Matricks, and have come a long way since, perplexing millions with<br />
their original set pieces, dynamic soundtrack and powerful performances.<br />
Using elements of danger, comedy and charm, they manage to bewilder audiences time after time.<br />
However, what makes Matricks truly dynamic is the contrast between stylish set pieces, fast-paced<br />
magic and illusion with dance using current music and special effects. The show is designed to<br />
balance comedy and lightheartedness with curiosity, mystery and thrill for all the family.<br />
For more details visit www.lichfieldgarrick.com<br />
WHAT: TITANIC THE MUSICAL<br />
WHERE: BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME<br />
WHEN: <strong>APRIL</strong> 18 TO 22<br />
In the final hours of April 14, 1912, the RMS Titanic, on her maiden voyage from Southampton<br />
to New York, collided with an iceberg and ‘the unsinkable ship’ slowly sank. It was one of the<br />
most tragic disasters of the 20th Century, and some 1,517 men, women and children lost their<br />
lives. Based on real people aboard the most legendary ship in the world, Titanic The Musical is a<br />
stunning and stirring production focusing on the hopes, dreams and aspirations of her passengers.<br />
With music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Peter Stone, the pair have collectively won<br />
an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, an Olivier Award and three Tony awards. The original<br />
Broadway production of Titanic The Musical won five Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best<br />
Score and Best Book. This stunning production celebrates the 10th anniversary of its London<br />
premiere where it won sweeping critical acclaim across the board. For more details visit<br />
www.birminghamhippodrome.com<br />
40 www.jaimemagazine.com
ADVERTISING FEATURE<br />
F I N A N C E<br />
Wealth Matters<br />
A MONTHLY REVIEW OF THE WORLD OF FINANCE FROM<br />
LICHFIELD FINANCIAL ADVISER JEAN LAMB DipPFS<br />
HOW IMPORTANT IS TAX IN FINANCIAL<br />
PLANNING?<br />
Well, in my view tax is not important. It’s more than that.<br />
Tax, and consequently tax planning, is an integral part of<br />
any financial plan. Ignore it at your peril as you will only<br />
be doing part of the job of maximising the potential of<br />
your financial arrangements.<br />
Tax matters touch nearly every aspect of our finances,<br />
so optimising tax reliefs and allowances as part of a<br />
holistic financial plan is key. Otherwise you run the risk<br />
of allowing the various taxes; Income Tax, Capital Gains<br />
Tax, Inheritance Tax and so on, to dilute the returns you<br />
have carefully nurtured along the way and that dilution<br />
can be pretty significant if you aren’t careful. As such, tax<br />
planning shouldn’t be considered only at the end of the<br />
tax year – it’s something that should be built into your<br />
wider financial plan on an on-going basis.<br />
I HAVEN’T GOT A FINANCIAL PLAN!<br />
Then get talking to a good financial adviser who will<br />
discuss your financial position and your short, medium<br />
and long-term goals and aspirations. They can then work<br />
with you to develop a financial plan.<br />
Their guidance should then help towards achievement<br />
of your objectives and part of that would include making<br />
the best use of tax reliefs and allowances throughout<br />
the journey. Remember – what doesn’t get paid over to<br />
HMRC in the form of tax stays with you.<br />
The end of every tax year brings with it a flurry of activity<br />
as people scramble to make the most of their tax reliefs<br />
and allowances. But don’t just have your eye on April<br />
5. It should be woven through the fabric of your entire<br />
financial plan at every stage of your life.<br />
SO WHAT DO WE ACTUALLY MEAN BY TAX<br />
PLANNING?<br />
Tax planning isn’t always a specifically ‘visible’ part of<br />
wider financial planning, but as tax matters cut across<br />
most aspects of your personal finances it is an integral<br />
part.<br />
Therefore, when you work with your financial adviser<br />
to create a plan that can help you achieve your goals it<br />
generally does so by helping you to save money and make<br />
the most of tax efficiencies. As such it will be bespoke to<br />
your personal financial and tax position.<br />
There are many different ‘products’ out there for you<br />
to make use of when making your money work for you,<br />
but with my clients I prefer to call them ‘tax wrappers’<br />
because that is what they are. Some are free from one<br />
tax, but may be subject to another tax. Different ones will<br />
therefore be suitable for different financial scenarios and<br />
objectives. For instance, some investments which may be<br />
highly tax efficient on a personal basis, carry no benefits<br />
for Inheritance Tax planning and vice versa.<br />
Financial planning is always a work in progress in that,<br />
one way or another, there will always be elements of<br />
change to deal with. One of those elements is changes to<br />
the tax regime. This is, of course, subject to review by the<br />
Chancellor of the Exchequer every year and thus carries<br />
the potential for change which must be dealt with every<br />
year.<br />
The last Autumn Budget revealed a raft of changes to<br />
tax rates, thresholds and allowances and this is where a<br />
financial adviser can really prove their worth. Not only<br />
is it their job to keep on top of these changes and what<br />
they specifically mean for you, but also to re-evaluate your<br />
broader, tailored financial plan accordingly to keep you on<br />
track.<br />
IS TAX PLANNING REALLY THAT IMPORTANT?<br />
Yes, it is. Put simply, my job is to make it straightforward<br />
for my clients, but with the maximum positive impact.<br />
The value of an investment with St. James’s Place will be<br />
directly linked to the performance of the funds you select<br />
and the value can therefore go down as well as up. You<br />
may get back less than you invested.<br />
The levels and bases of taxation, and reliefs from taxation,<br />
can change at any time. The value of any tax relief<br />
depends on individual circumstances.<br />
Jean Lamb is Principal of Jean Lamb Wealth Consultancy<br />
6A Market Street, Lichfield, WS13 6LH - Tel: 01543 417342<br />
Email: jean.lamb@sjpp.co.uk - Website: www.jeanlamb.co.uk<br />
Jean Lamb Wealth Consultancy is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management Plc (which is<br />
authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products<br />
and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products. The ‘St. James’s Place Partnership’ and the<br />
titles ‘Partner’ and ‘Partner Practice’ are marketing terms used to describe St. James’s Place representatives.<br />
SJP Approved 27/02/<strong>2023</strong><br />
www.jaimemagazine.com<br />
41
FA S H I O N<br />
A style revival<br />
KHAKI, A PLETHORA OF POCKETS AND A NINETIES GIRL BAND VIBE; THAT’S RIGHT,<br />
SPRING’S HOTTEST FASHION TREND SEES THE COMEBACK OF CARGO TROUSERS<br />
AS UTILITARIAN STYLE TOPS THE CHARTS, SAYS AMY NORBURY<br />
THERE’S a distinctly utilitarian vibe among the hottest<br />
trends for SS23, and nothing says utility more than<br />
a pair of cargo trousers. A wardrobe staple among<br />
fashionistas everywhere in the late Nineties and early<br />
Noughties, cargo trousers have made a huge comeback<br />
of late, fuelled by the fashion set’s obsession with Y2K<br />
style.<br />
A firm favourite with celebs galore including Rihanna,<br />
Hailey Bieber and supermodel sisters Gigi and Bella<br />
Hadid, cargo trousers have been seen across the<br />
catwalks for the past two seasons, with Fendi, Coperni<br />
and more showcasing utility style on their SS23<br />
runways.<br />
And as the voice behind The Masked Singer’s hotlytipped<br />
finalist Fawn was revealed to be none other than<br />
Nineties girl band favourite - and chief cargo trouserwearer<br />
- All Saints star Natalie Appleton, it seems<br />
appropriate that her heyday style is top of the charts<br />
once again.<br />
Now back in the day, it would be the same pair of<br />
cargo trousers for all occasions, paired with your<br />
beat-up Converse during the day and styled with a<br />
tank top and heels for a night out. But for <strong>2023</strong>, the<br />
erstwhile wardrobe staple is - thankfully - seeing some<br />
refinement.<br />
Go wide-legged and relaxed for daytime cool, or opt<br />
for a tailored version for stylishly casual workwear, then<br />
look to luxe fabrics for elevated party style as dusk hits.<br />
Much like its previous iteration, the <strong>2023</strong> cargo trouser<br />
is subject to a whole host of footwear pairings, from ontrend<br />
chunky boots and casual trainers to the strappy<br />
heels favoured by early Noughties era Destiny’s Child,<br />
if you really want to turn back the style clock.<br />
And when it comes to cargo, it’s not just trousers;<br />
skirts, dresses, jackets and more are all falling for the<br />
utilitarian look. The thing to look out for? Pockets.<br />
The hallmark of the utility trend is an abundance of<br />
pockets, so this is one time where more really is more.<br />
Stylish and practical? Sign us up!<br />
REMAIN BY BIRGER CHRISTENSEN CANVAS<br />
POCKET JACKET, £325, AND WIDE LEG COTTON<br />
CARGO TROUSERS, £240, HARVEY NICHOLS.<br />
WWW.HARVEYNICHOLS.COM<br />
42<br />
www.jaimemagazine.com
£36.99<br />
£32.99<br />
£32<br />
KHAKI COTTON DOUBLE POCKET SHACKET,<br />
NEW LOOK. WWW.NEWLOOK.COM<br />
KHAKI HIGH NECK POCKET FRONT JACKET,<br />
NEW LOOK. WWW.NEWLOOK.COM<br />
KHAKI POCKET FRONT DENIM TWILL<br />
CARGO JEANS. PRETTY LITTLE THING.<br />
WWW.PRETTYLITTLETHING.COM<br />
£33.99 £29.99<br />
£79<br />
THEA PLAIN SHACKET IN RUST BROWN,<br />
FATFACE. WWW.FATFACE.COM<br />
KHAKI PARACHUTE CARGO<br />
TROUSERS, NEW LOOK.<br />
WWW.NEWLOOK.COM<br />
OLIVE SATIN LONG SLEEVE UTILITY SHIRT,<br />
NEW LOOK. WWW.NEWLOOK.COM<br />
PAPAYA DENIM PLAYSUIT,<br />
£25, MATALAN.<br />
WWW.MATALAN.CO.UK<br />
GREEN ASYMMETRICAL PLACKET<br />
JUMPSUIT, £89.50, OLIVER BONAS.<br />
WWW.OLIVERBONAS.COM
B E AU T Y<br />
Making your skincare last longer<br />
SPIRALLING BILLS MEANS CUTTING BACK ON SOME OF LIFE’S LUXURIES. SO IF YOU’RE COUNTING THE<br />
PENNIES, MAKING YOUR BEAUTY PRODUCTS LAST LONGER IS KEY. WE ASKED HEAVEN SKINCARE FOUNDER<br />
AND ROYAL FACIALIST DEBORAH MITCHELL TO SHARE HER TIPS ON GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR<br />
DAILY ESSENTIALS<br />
DON’T LEAVE THE LIDS OFF YOUR<br />
CREAMS<br />
Due to their high water content, skincare products<br />
start to evaporate if they are not sealed. Decant into<br />
a smaller jar or use travel-size bottles so you can<br />
open and close those each day, leaving the larger pot<br />
intact.<br />
EXFOLIATE FOR HEALTHIER SKIN<br />
Applying moisturiser without this key step means<br />
dead skin cells sit on the surface of your skin causing<br />
dryness and dehydration. Using my Bee Peel a<br />
couple of times a week resurfaces and evens out tone,<br />
meaning you create the perfect base for your face<br />
creams.<br />
LAYER YOUR PRODUCTS<br />
When you layer a few T-shirts it keeps you warmer<br />
than wearing one jumper, because warm air is<br />
trapped between the layers and acts as an insulator.<br />
It’s similar with skincare. Layering your moisturisers<br />
means extra benefits while using less product. Apply<br />
the thinnest cream first then finish with the thickest.<br />
ADD A SERUM<br />
Infuse your moisturiser with a few drops of serum.<br />
Only mix products from the same beauty brand so<br />
you know they will blend properly. When I create<br />
my serums I go with a more potent infusion than our<br />
creams, so they’ll mix effortlessly.<br />
DON’T MIX PRODUCTS WITH WATER<br />
It may be tempting to do this if you think it will<br />
make them last longer. However, tap water contains<br />
microscopic moulds that will make your product go<br />
off quickly. Instead, apply moisturiser to dampened,<br />
freshly-toned skin – try my range of beauty boosting<br />
Hydrogels – to seal in moisture.<br />
CHOOSE MULTI-USE PRODUCTS<br />
Save the pennies by opting for a product that has<br />
more than one use. My Cleanse and Foam, for<br />
example, is a three-in-one daily essential so is very<br />
budget-friendly. It’s a non-abrasive exfoliator, toner<br />
and cleanser to improve elasticity while balancing oil<br />
levels.<br />
Heaven Skincare by Deborah Mitchell is available<br />
from Heaven Health & Beauty, 13a Market Place,<br />
Shifnal, Shropshire. You can also shop the range<br />
online at heavenskincare.com<br />
44<br />
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アパート 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 />
Specialists in designing<br />
and making, remodelling<br />
and refurbishing<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 />
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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 />
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匀 Swinfen, 眀 椀 渀 昀 攀 渀 Ⰰ Lichfield, 䰀 椀 挀 栀 ǻ 攀 氀 搀 Ⰰ<br />
匀 Staffordshire 琀 愀 昀 昀 漀 爀 搀 猀 栀 椀 爀 攀 WS14 圀 匀 㐀 9QR 㤀 儀 刀<br />
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眀 www.allenbrownjewellery.co.uk<br />
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 />
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We are<br />
SOÔT.<br />
Pleased to meet you.<br />
The Salon, Lichfield welcomes you to SOÔT.<br />
Re-inventing wellness, bringing affordable<br />
luxury brands, products and services<br />
together to create a holistic wellness space.<br />
Your Wellness go-to’s all in one place.<br />
SOÔT - the Wella award winning hair salon.<br />
SOÔT - the Holistic treatment room, using<br />
bespoke natural & organic products.<br />
SOÔT - the Wellness store.<br />
· Wella · Moroccan Oil · Heavenly London<br />
· Varley · Scents by SOÔT · Natural Organic<br />
Skin care, Apothespa<br />
3 Bolt Court, Lichfield<br />
01543 251296<br />
www.sootwellness.com
I N T H E N E W S<br />
A wellness go-to<br />
ESTABLISHED LICHFIELD BUSINESS THE SALON HAS REBRANDED AS SOÔT, OFFERING A HOLISTIC<br />
WELLNESS SPACE WHICH BRINGS AFFORDABLE LUXURY BRANDS, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TOGETHER<br />
SOÔT was established post-Covid when motherdaughter<br />
duo Deborah Morgan and Siân Mitchell<br />
came together to reinvent the wellness space.<br />
With more than 30 years of experience, this familyfounded<br />
and run business is reimagining its brand<br />
to champion small, local companies and create a<br />
personal in-house experience that is rooted in quality<br />
and knowledge.<br />
Co-founder Siân Mitchell said: “I spent most of my<br />
childhood in my mom’s hair and beauty salon, with a<br />
small craft table at the top of the stairwell, watching<br />
my mom and her team hustle through clients lined<br />
up outside the store. Her whole goal was to make<br />
sure that every client felt beautiful by the time they<br />
left.<br />
“Almost three decades later we were forced to take a<br />
pause during Covid, which gave us time to see that<br />
our world had changed and it was time to reinvent<br />
the wheel. So how do we still make everyone that<br />
walks through our doors feel beautiful, and how can<br />
we bring affordable luxury to everyone? SOÔT are<br />
advocating for a future where holistic self-care is<br />
available to all.”<br />
The flagship store, located in Lichfield’s Bolt Court,<br />
is made up of three elements; SOÔT the store,<br />
SOÔT Wellness and SOÔT Hair, a Wella awardwinning<br />
salon. Customers will be able to book<br />
treatments online though the SOÔT website, as well<br />
as purchase exclusive products and find seasonal style<br />
tips from LA celebrity stylist Molly Rabuchin.<br />
Siân adds: “During the late 1800s our greatgrandfather<br />
and his brother came to the West<br />
Midlands on horseback, opening up the first hair<br />
salon, The Hall Brothers.<br />
“With more than 30 years of experience in the hair<br />
industry and being third generation hairdressers,<br />
this family-founded business brings a wealth of<br />
knowledge rooted in experience.”<br />
The SOÔT team includes Ricky Harding, who<br />
trained at Vidal Sassoon and is a Wella Master of<br />
Colour Expert (MCE). Ricky has featured in Vogue<br />
magazine as one of Wella’s colourists in the UK. He<br />
has also had his work published in Hair magazine.<br />
They have recently welcomed Shane Collins to the<br />
team, a cousin and fourth generation hairdresser<br />
who was formerly style director at Toni and Guy<br />
and worked alongside Hairdressers Journal, as well<br />
as previously owning two successful salons in the<br />
Midlands.<br />
Co-founder Deborah Morgan is a holistic specialist<br />
who heads up SOÔT Wellness, offering treatments<br />
using Apothespa organic natural products, made and<br />
sourced in Devon, which are infused with essential<br />
oils and bespoke to each client.<br />
The start of the year saw SOÔT launch their own<br />
hand-poured, British-made luxury vegan candle<br />
collection, which is the first of many product<br />
launches planned for <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
Siân added: “When looking for brands to stock in<br />
our flagship store, I came across jewellery brand<br />
Heavenly London in a small store in Alderley Edge.<br />
I later wore a necklace at home in Los Angeles and I<br />
have never had so many compliments on one piece.<br />
Styling this collection with a casual t-shirt and jeans<br />
or at a red carpet event, it was timeless.<br />
“This summer we are excited to announce the<br />
launch of our collaboration with Heavenly London<br />
and to be styling some of Hollywood’s red carpets<br />
events.”<br />
SOÔT is based at 3 Bolt Court, Lichfield. For more<br />
details visit www.sootwellness.com<br />
46<br />
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J'Aime Half Page.indd 1 22/08/2022 09:47<br />
FINE ART<br />
AUCTIONEERS<br />
& VALUERS<br />
Established and Professional<br />
since 1864<br />
The Lichfield Auction Centre<br />
Wood End Lane, Fradley Park WS13 8NF<br />
01543 251081<br />
office@richardwinterton.co.uk<br />
The Tamworth Auction Rooms<br />
34-35 Church Street, Tamworth B79 7BX<br />
01827 217746<br />
tamworth@richardwinterton.co.uk
I N T H E N E W S<br />
Training body and mind<br />
THE CENTRE FOR PERSONAL RESILIENCE, IN STREETLY, IS A UNIQUE, FULL-TIME<br />
TRAINING CENTRE OFFERING BESPOKE TRAINING IN A RANGE OF KUNG-FU DISCIPLINES<br />
COMBINING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING<br />
Master Neil Barker is an expert in personal resilience,<br />
conflict management and a leading authority in kungfu<br />
psychology. He has trained intensively in Wing<br />
Chun Dynamics Kung-Fu and the ancient Chinese<br />
art of Iron Shirt Chi Kung under the guidance of<br />
Master David Taylor.<br />
The training was held behind closed doors which<br />
meant Neil was uniquely positioned to learn not only<br />
Wing Chun Dynamics kung-fu from the system’s<br />
founder but also to study the unique and ancient<br />
arts of Golden Bell Chi Kung and Chen Jin Iron<br />
Shirt training method. Neil considers himself very<br />
fortunate to have had this experience as very few<br />
people are taught this particular and ancient art<br />
outside of the temples of China.<br />
Coming out of the COVID lockdown in March 2021,<br />
Neil opened The Centre for Personal Resilience in<br />
Streetly as a full time facility offering bespoke training<br />
experiences that promote focus, mental resilience,<br />
physical well-being and emotional control through his<br />
kung-fu and chi kung expertise.<br />
Neil’s martial journey began studying traditional<br />
Wing Chun in 1998, and in 2010 he took the<br />
opportunity to study both the Chen Jin Iron Shirt<br />
Training method and also the ancient art of Golden<br />
Bell Chi Kung so that he could gain a more in-depth<br />
understanding of using energy or ‘chi’ to enhance his<br />
kung-fu knowledge and also supplement his physical<br />
and mental well-being.<br />
Through his continued study in both kung-fu and chi<br />
kung, Neil has come to understand the deeper aspects<br />
of Chinese martial arts and that kung-fu is not simply<br />
about fighting.<br />
To complement his kung-fu teaching and to further<br />
develop his own expertise, Neil began using the<br />
knowledge and skills gained from his kung-fu training<br />
to offer corporate clients assistance and training<br />
development in areas ranging from confidence and<br />
mental focus to stress management and personal<br />
progression.<br />
Neil uses his knowledge and expertise to support<br />
MASTER NEIL BARKER<br />
individuals who are dealing with commonplace<br />
challenges including stress, insomnia and anxiety, but<br />
can also be adapted for those who simply want to<br />
improve technique and enhance physical well-being.<br />
Depending on the individual needs of each client,<br />
training is primarily delivered through four main<br />
pathways: Wing Chun Dynamics, which is a kung-fu<br />
system developed over 30 years for personal selfdefence;<br />
Full Metal Jacket – Iron Shirt Chi Kung,<br />
based on ancient Shaolin exercises for personal wellbeing<br />
and internal health; Kung-Fu Cross Fit, which<br />
is cross-training/HIIT based on kung-fu exercises,<br />
incorporating boxing training, kettlebell exercises,<br />
battle ropes and more to offer a full body workout;<br />
and Stress-Proof, which are bite-sized sessions, ideal<br />
for letting off a little steam in your day.<br />
Training sessions are bespoke to meet each client’s<br />
training goals, and can be offered as private lessons<br />
with 1-2-1 tuition, or in small private groups. There<br />
is also a variety of classes scheduled throughout the<br />
week, and Neil also offers on-site corporate sessions<br />
and online tuition.<br />
The Centre for Personal Resilience is located at<br />
Lower Ground Floor, 58 Thornhill Road, Streetly,<br />
B74 3EN. For more details visit<br />
www.centreforpersonalresilience.com<br />
or call 07598 352766.<br />
48<br />
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Celebrating ten years<br />
of growing success<br />
I N T H E N E W S<br />
LICHFIELD GARDEN CENTRE, BASED AT CURBOROUGH COUNTRYSIDE<br />
CENTRE IS CELEBRATING TEN YEARS IN BUSINESS THIS YEAR<br />
Back in January 2013 owner Byron Lewis took<br />
on what was then called G-Scapes Plant Centre,<br />
after the previous owners Elizabeth and Malcolm<br />
Gee decided to concentrate on their long-standing<br />
landscape business and wholesale plant nursery.<br />
Having previously worked there as the manager,<br />
Byron was eager for a new challenge and decided<br />
to take on the business.<br />
“It was either that or get my passport stamped and<br />
head back to the South Wales Valleys!” he says.<br />
A lot has changed at the garden centre over that<br />
time, including the development of their popular<br />
Garden Club, where members take advantage of<br />
a discount weekend once a month, plus discounted<br />
tickets on coach trips run by the garden centre.<br />
“We have expanded our range of days out by<br />
coach over the years and have visited some amazing<br />
gardens, including Highgrove Gardens, Kew,<br />
Hampton Court and Blenheim Palace as well as the<br />
major garden shows like Chelsea & Malvern,” says<br />
Byron.<br />
“For those of ‘a certain age’, the ‘10 percent Tuesday’<br />
promotion has been in place since day one, offering<br />
10 percent off products if you are over 60 – not<br />
surprisingly this is one of the most popular days of<br />
the week. Customers can’t wait to show us their bus<br />
passes to get their discount!”<br />
There are now four members of staff taking care of<br />
the huge range of trees, shrubs and perennials that<br />
are sold at the centre. That number increased during<br />
the Covid pandemic, as the popularity of gardening<br />
soared with people confined to their homes.<br />
“We ended up with additional three delivery drivers<br />
and vans out on the road taking plants and compost to<br />
customers who could not get out to shop,” says Byron.<br />
“Family members who couldn’t work in their regular<br />
jobs came to lend a hand during the lockdown period<br />
- over the course of the lockdown we made more than<br />
1,300 deliveries, compared to two or three a week in<br />
normal times. I even delivered 16 bags of farmyard<br />
manure to a customer in the boot of my car!”<br />
As gardening tastes have changed over time, so have<br />
the types of products sold. The garden centre has<br />
branched out into solar lighting, furniture, and garden<br />
mirrors and ornaments too. Growing your own fruit,<br />
vegetables and herbs has never been so popular –<br />
again this was partly a result of the Covid lockdown,<br />
and now with the cost of living ever increasing, people<br />
are discovering how easy it can be to produce your<br />
own crops at home, even if you only have a balcony<br />
or window box. Houseplants have also seen a surge in<br />
popularity over recent times, with people wanting to<br />
bring the outside indoors.<br />
Christmas has also taken off at the Garden Centre,<br />
with nearly 500 real Christmas Trees sourced from<br />
mid-Wales sold every year, as well as an increasing<br />
range of festive goodies. Home-made wreaths and<br />
table decorations are produced by staff members<br />
Jennie and Nicola, with some customers returning<br />
every year to place their orders early.<br />
“We’d like to thank all our customers old and new for<br />
their support over the last ten years and look forward<br />
to celebrating the next ten!” concludes Byron.<br />
www.jaimemagazine.com 49
I N T H E N E W S<br />
The beautiful game<br />
BEAU DESERT GOLF CLUB, NEAR CANNOCK, IS CELEBRATING THE LAUNCH OF ITS ACADEMY<br />
THIS MONTH, WELCOMING PLAYERS WHO ARE NEW TO GOLF OR RETURNING TO THE SPORT AND<br />
ENCOURAGING MORE LADIES, IN PARTICULAR, TO GO ALONG AND GIVE IT A TRY<br />
Beau Desert means ‘the beautiful wilderness’<br />
and that’s just what Beau Desert Golf course is<br />
– a beautiful panorama of fairways, greens and<br />
trees and home to the majestic stags and deer,<br />
cheeky squirrels and the many songbirds.<br />
So, even without the golf, it’s an uplifting,<br />
enhanced walk which raises the spirits in any<br />
weather. Then add the golf and you have a<br />
complete experience in which there’s challenge<br />
and reward, hopefully in equal measure.<br />
Beau Desert opened its doors to ladies 75<br />
years ago, since which time there’s been<br />
much to celebrate in the Ladies’ Section. And<br />
now they’re looking to build on their successes by<br />
introducing new members, both new to golf and<br />
those with experience.<br />
To encourage newcomers to the sport, Beau<br />
launched its academy on March 1, which is the<br />
perfect place for new golfers and those who may<br />
be considering a return to golf to go along and give<br />
it a go. Additionally, a warm welcome awaits ladies<br />
who may have moved into the area or are looking to<br />
change clubs.<br />
There are three levels in the academy, all of which<br />
give access to the superb clubhouse, practice facilities<br />
and friendly social events.<br />
Membership is available on an annual basis. No<br />
experience is necessary and all the golf equipment<br />
BEAU DESERT HAS<br />
A THRIVING LADIES<br />
SECTION<br />
THE PICTURESQUE<br />
SETTING OF BEAU<br />
DESERT GOLF CLUB<br />
will be provided if required. Lessons include group<br />
and individual coaching, all provided by the firstclass<br />
professional services team.<br />
The R and A, supported by England Golf,<br />
recently launched the Women in Golf Charter<br />
to attract women and girls into the sport, as well<br />
as encouraging them to consider a career in golf.<br />
England Golf has its own strategy to attract women<br />
into golf and remove the idea that it’s an elitist sport,<br />
restricted only to men and boys - which is certainly<br />
not the case. Even in the hardest winter months,<br />
you’ll find the Beau Desert ladies out on the course,<br />
enjoying the challenge, camaraderie and exhilaration<br />
of 18 holes, surrounded by the beauty that only an<br />
English winter can bring.<br />
At Beau, there is a Women in Golf Ambassador,<br />
Kate Darcy, who, along with the WIG<br />
committee, is striving hard to spread the<br />
message across the Cannock Chase and<br />
Lichfield areas that golf is for women of all ages<br />
and golfing experience. As a further incentive,<br />
there will be an attractive package for the<br />
first ten ladies who sign up to the Level Three<br />
Academy.<br />
Beau Desert Golf Club is situated on Rugeley<br />
Road, Hazelslade, Cannock. For more<br />
information, help or advice visit www.bdgc.<br />
co.uk or call Sharon or Chris on 01543 422<br />
626 or email academy@bdgc.co.uk<br />
50<br />
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