tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67370552559051169282024-02-18T19:29:13.027-08:00GetTheMaxMaxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-65583125405341250742012-10-11T04:31:00.001-07:002012-10-11T04:31:54.355-07:00In Hockney's footsteps<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyaobQYMIMQsk20PB86yrCA_vYueGMpObP3lqdy18t5ej7ojiij5Rg9cPtG1l5GJ9Z-pI9r-mlC4g1z2qBeFe1FZ0tymRuWs84lRQMcXAy6J2ITWPcX3gt1_zLqAXU3WbFcQ1WkRypXVY/s1600/hock1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="123" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyaobQYMIMQsk20PB86yrCA_vYueGMpObP3lqdy18t5ej7ojiij5Rg9cPtG1l5GJ9Z-pI9r-mlC4g1z2qBeFe1FZ0tymRuWs84lRQMcXAy6J2ITWPcX3gt1_zLqAXU3WbFcQ1WkRypXVY/s200/hock1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maxine with artist Robert Fuller at <br />
Hockney's Three Trees at Thixendale</td></tr>
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DAVID HOCKNEY apparently painted his view from Garrowby Hill from memory - but as my car chugs up the steep incline behind a struggling lorry, I reckon the Yorkshire artist freeze-framed what he could see in his rear-view mirror. </div>
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It's at the point where York thrusts itself up into the Wolds that we enter Hockney territory. </div>
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I half expect to see a plaque: "Yorkshire welcomes you to Hockney Country", but there are no brown signs to indicate that here, in this forgotten corner of God's favourite land, is where a master has been at work. </div>
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The Bradford-born artist was first famous in the 1960s for his paintings of Californian swimming pools. But his fame has peaked once more, now in his 75th year, with an acclaimed exhibition at the Royal Academy featuring scores of art works featuring the Yorkshire Wolds. The show then travelled to Spain and Germany. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hockney's Three Trees at Thixendale</td></tr>
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Hockney began painting in East Yorkshire at the behest of his great friend Jonathan Silver, owner of Salts Mill, near Bradford. Silver was dying of cancer and wanted Hockney to paint the Yorkshire landscape. <br />
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Many of the scenes that were to grace the 12 rooms of the Royal Academy earlier this year were discovered as Hockney drove daily from his home in Bridlington to West Yorkshire, often via Sledmere, to see Silver. <br />
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He would weave off the main routes, criss-crossing the tree-lined country lanes in the middle, stopping by the roadside and sketching what he saw. Hockney would be out in all weathers; in all seasons. Some of the most dramatic pieces capture one location at four points in the year. His Three Trees at Thixendale series is painted on four giant canvases, depicting winter, spring, summer and autumn in glorious succession. <br />
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And glorious is the right word; for whatever the weather or time of year, Hockney paints the Wolds as if through a Polaroid lens with the colour saturation switched up to the max. Vibrant violets, Aegean blues, chilli reds, dusky pinks and sharp lime greens are applied to ploughed fields and bare trees; hedges heavy with hawthorn and piles of chopped timber. It's Yorkshire, but not as many of us know it. <br />
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And yet it is to this undiscovered part of the county that the art tourists have come, determined to see Hockney's playground for themselves. <br />
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But how easy is it to follow in Hockney's footsteps? <br />
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Tourist chiefs have brought out the obligatory mini guides, telling people where to eat, where to stay, and where, roughly, Hockney liked to paint. Keen to encourage visitors to explore the area, they stop short at giving the exact locations of the artist's paintings. <br />
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This is why we find ourselves driving up Garrowby Hill and over to Thixendale in search of his "three trees". As we turn off the A166 Bridlington road for Thixendale, the view across the patchwork fields is straight out of a Hockney painting. <br />
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I see three trees standing in stark silhouette on the horizon and I begin to wonder: could that be them? Moments later a pile of just-cut logs lie artfully by the side of the road. Photographer Anthony and I almost clap our hands in glee. Hockney would have been just as thrilled. <br />
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Few people know the local area like Robert Fuller, the wildlife artist with a studio and gallery in Thixendale. Hockney has even painted Fuller's house in one of his Wolds' landscapes; "Though not the attached gallery, " says Robert, smarting slightly. <br />
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Many visitors have come through the gallery doors this year with one question on their lips. "Where are the trees?" <br />
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Robert and his wife Victoria sympathise. "There are five roads into Thixendale; you can't just drive through and find the three trees, " says Robert. <br />
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He kindly offers to take us to the exact spot. We head off on the road out of Thixendale to Burndale, although Robert points out the trees are easier to spot coming in the opposite direction. "I always tell people if you get to Burdale, it's one field behind you." <br />
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And suddenly there they are. Three trees. <br />
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Or is it four or five? Deceptively they are not in a clump on their own; neither do they stand out dramatically like the ones I saw from the Garrowby Hill turn off. Dare I say it; they look, well, just like a group of trees. But Robert gets there first. "There's nothing unusual about this place, " he says, almost with a shrug. <br />
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We follow him back, climbing the narrow road high above Thixendale, where he takes us to some other road-side pit-stops where Hockney set up his easel. "It was always by the road side so he didn't have to walk very far, " says Robert. <br />
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Like Hockney, Robert knows this landscape, and he understands and shares the painter's fascination. <br />
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He says: "When you go to the Dales, it is obviously beautiful. When you come to the Wolds, you have to search out the hidden beauty." <br />
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This is the message being peddled by the local tourist industry. Jane Evison is a councillor on the East Riding of Yorkshire Council with responsibilities for economic development and tourism. She says the area is making the most of the Hockney opportunity. <br />
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Although there are no hard facts and figures yet, anecdotally, the reports are of an increased interest in the Wolds and the expectation of a good season. <br />
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A bumper-sized tourism brochure, Yorkshire Wolds & Beyond, has been published for summer, featuring a rough guide to the Hockney Trail as well as scores of other interesting things to do in the area including walking and cycling trails and local attractions such as Sledmere House, Burton Agnes Hall, The Wa lled Garden at Scampston and the RSPB reserve at Bempton Cliffs. <br />
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The clear message, says Coun Evison, is that there is more to the Wolds than Hockney. <br />
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"We believe Hockney is a wonderful attraction and we are delighted, but once people get here, they need something else. </div>
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We want them to see more of the area and we want them to come back, " she says. </div>
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Moreover, they want to press the point that the Wolds are a destination all year round; that there is more to a vacation in the area than a summer break at Brid. </div>
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"We want to expand our tourism calendar to far more months in the year, " says Coun Evison. </div>
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And who better to help with that than Hockney, who through his Yorkshire paintings captured the Wolds in all their wonder through every week of the year. From the hedgerows buckling under the heavy hawthorn blossom in mid-summer through to the bleak silhouette of bare trees on a valley ridge in winter, Hockney captured Yorkshire's hidden corner like never before. </div>
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And put the Wolds rightly on the map. </div>
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<br />Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-505331334859617552012-10-11T04:21:00.000-07:002012-10-11T04:21:39.044-07:00TRAVEL: France for all the family<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOe08U8qs1FEbFms2h8zHGlAq2DlVo1zbG7hZyBeH7C9zVsma2P7DYtdoO1mICSPtlvIHli0_GC9veQcUWKCadPc2GBKud8CytHbvKj-s-vzHGzBsgv25E2JL7OP2xD-0Yan9LiM4mQk/s1600/sarte.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="151" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOe08U8qs1FEbFms2h8zHGlAq2DlVo1zbG7hZyBeH7C9zVsma2P7DYtdoO1mICSPtlvIHli0_GC9veQcUWKCadPc2GBKud8CytHbvKj-s-vzHGzBsgv25E2JL7OP2xD-0Yan9LiM4mQk/s200/sarte.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Odette Siko, the first woman to complete<br />
Le Mans 24hour race </td></tr>
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STORIES of derring-do led on to rows of gleaming racing cars in this temple to testosterone. We had come to the Musée Des 24 Heures-Circuit at Le Mans to find out more about the characters and cars who had faced the ultimate motor-racing challenge. <br />Famous competitors included Hollywood actor Paul Newman who came second in the 47th race in 1979. It was life imitating art: just a few years earlier, film star Steve McQueen played a racing driver in the movie, Le Mans. </div>
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However, as I toured the museum, I found a story equally worthy of Hollywood treatment. Back in 1930, Odette Siko made history as the first woman to compete and finish the race when she brought her Bugatti T 40 home in seventh place. The original Bugatti is now on show in a far corner of the museum. After immersing ourselves in the high-octane world of motorcars for the morning, it felt rather flat climbing into our boring family hire-car for the short drive into Le Mans city centre. </div>
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But we had a tour of the historic city booked - and within half an hour we were transported back to the time of the Plantagenets. As we followed our guide around the imposing gothic cathedral which dominates the centre of Le Mans, we learned how it was within these walls that Geoffrey V of Anjou married Matilda, heir to the kingdom of England. Their son was Henry II, the first of 15 Plantagenet monarchs who ruled England until the line died out in 1499. </div>
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At its heart, Le Mans has an impressively preserved medieval centre, with a warren of streets to explore as well as one of the finest examples in the world of original Roman walls. </div>
We were on holiday in the Sarthe region of France with our ten-yearold daughter, which meant we had to make room for child-friendly activities every day. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Y0nEN-9ppFhQNrCYlJ9wAkpdF0_gRumthY6DIvtwqIffeKi8V5DsHSWcz1D5I2-2o0Zo9O5vEi7sqIhkDJtkL-Xu8OQkbvV1-NX8Lpif_QvhJyfBNLZyPN0mKM8RQyW5TSWnBqRSnx4/s1600/sarthe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Y0nEN-9ppFhQNrCYlJ9wAkpdF0_gRumthY6DIvtwqIffeKi8V5DsHSWcz1D5I2-2o0Zo9O5vEi7sqIhkDJtkL-Xu8OQkbvV1-NX8Lpif_QvhJyfBNLZyPN0mKM8RQyW5TSWnBqRSnx4/s200/sarthe.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Historic Le Mans</td></tr>
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That wasn't difficult given our base at Luché-Pringé, a sleepy village about 40 minutes' drive south of Le Mans. We stayed at the wellappointed Camping La Chabotiere, in the centre of the village, with a pleasing aspect on to the river Le Loir. Our chalet was luxurious by traditional camping standards; it came with a kitchen, shower room, inside loo and dishwasher, with a washing machine in an adjacent hut. The site had a swimming pool and tennis court as well as plenty of table tennis stations. <br />
There was a green field on which to play football and a sand pit for boules. Our daughter found it easy to make friends despite the language barrier - she soon discovered you didn't really have to converse too much when there was a football to kick around. <br />
She particlarly enjoyed a visit to Papéa Park at Le Mans, a sprawling amusement and water park with rollercoasters and a leisure pool, where getting wet was the name of the game. <br />
The zoo at La Fleche is a regional attraction and rightly so. It boasts rarities such as white lions and black panthers. It is open until 7pm; we arrived in the cool of the early evening and were rewarded by seeing the animals in energetic form, particularly memorable were the chimps play fighting. <br />
Our days quickly took a new shape; a tourist visit in the morning and afternoon sandwiched either side of a long and leisurely lunch. At Malicorne, an arty village known for its local pottery, we savoured local dishes at the traditional restaurant La Petite Auberge. <br />
Sitting outside on a riverside terrace, we took our time to work through the lunch menu which consisted of a scallop terrine, followed by guinea fowl and floating islands for dessert. Later we toured the impressive Espace Faience, the pottery museum, and bought some one-off pieces in its shop, making the most of the much improved exchange rate between the pound and the Euro. <br />
We finished off the day trip by taking a motor boat out on the river. <br />
Gardeners should not miss a visit to the Petit-Bordeaux Garden, an oasis of the exquisite, tucked away in a secluded spot at Saint-Biez-enBelin. The 1.5 hectare garden boasts some 3,800 varieties of flowers, shrubs, trees and grasses, looked after by a husband and wife team. There are ample seating areas around the garden, inviting you to linger over the loveliness. <br />
More joy, this time of a culinary nature, came with lunch at the award-winning Le Poesies Palatines at the neighbouring town, SaintOuen-en-Belin. The set menu, for about £15 a head, was a steal. The setting was stunning; in a rural farmhouse, the dining room set with white linens and giant mirrors. Another husband and wife team were at work here, but this time it was madame who was in the kitchen. <br />
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The farmhouse paté was served in a robust, rustic style, artfully accompanied by home-made bread, mini gherkins, and a red onion chutney. Next came a choice of grilled salmon with a rich creamy sauce or roast duck. We finished with a dish of perfect crème brulée and a deeply satisfying chocolate mousse. </div>
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The next day, driving home after a ferry crossing from Caen to Portsmouth, we stopped at Little Chef for lunch. </div>
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Stabbing at my rock-hard jacket potato, there was no surer sign that the holiday was over. </div>
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<strong>FACT FILE</strong>For a range of ideas for holidaying in the Sarthe area visit: </div>
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<em>tourisme-en-sarthe.com </em></div>
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Brittany Ferries (<em>britannyferries. com</em> or 0871 244 1400) has return channel crossings from Portsmouth from £89pp for a car and two passengers</div>
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Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-11733056284849821342012-05-17T09:17:00.001-07:002012-05-17T09:17:37.080-07:00Hospice is a haven for families<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEE1_u8vCamqDgmR0dSuRrrYRRwv-rmBb3Kx9SyOdK0NKzNeFE7R9W_V9ZMoh-_OQU2yCjncCvGIPaSR9HKZuYR5lhbJSxNBXlYjF8iVwuhu5ApZtgXDTikDtgtCtphAWIilzBm2sFx_I/s1600/alfie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEE1_u8vCamqDgmR0dSuRrrYRRwv-rmBb3Kx9SyOdK0NKzNeFE7R9W_V9ZMoh-_OQU2yCjncCvGIPaSR9HKZuYR5lhbJSxNBXlYjF8iVwuhu5ApZtgXDTikDtgtCtphAWIilzBm2sFx_I/s320/alfie.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alfie Oliver with his pet dinosaur Dave at <br />
Martin House children's hospice, near York</td></tr>
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<strong>Martin House children's hospice provides a lifeline to families in our region. Ahead of its annual fundraising week, I paid a visit with a young family from York</strong><br />
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LITTLE Alfie Oliver is sitting next to his toy dinosaur Dave watching a DVD of Shaun the Sheep.<br />
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Dave wears a bib and, every now and then, Alfie feeds Dave a biscuit.<br />
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We're in Alfie's colourful bedroom at Martin House, the Children's hospice at Boston Spa, about 15 miles from York.<br />
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Three-year-old Alfie, from Clifton, is well-known at Martin House as is Dave.<br />
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“Whenever Alfie comes to Martin House, Dave comes too,” says Alfie's mum, Tracey. “Alfie thinks it's hilarious that Dave gets all this attention from staff. Dave sits at the dining table when everyone is having lunch and tea and they always bring him a portion of food.”<br />
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After watching the DVD, Alfie joins hospice worker Helen Scouller in the colourful art room where they play with some Peppa Pig Fuzzy Felt.<br />
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Alfie is a big fan of Peppa Pig. He had a front-row seat when the show came to York earlier this month and this week he is going to Peppa Pig World near Southampton for a three-day holiday with mum Tracey and dad Rob.<br />
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The trip has been organised by Yorkshire charity Make A Dream, and the family have been looking forward to it for weeks.<br />
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But the family also look forward to coming to Martin House. For them, they say, coming here is like having a holiday.<br />
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The hospice is for children with life-limiting conditions and illnesses and covers North, East and West Yorkshire. Eight in ten families using Martin House come for respite, or rest, rather than end-of-life care.<br />
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This means the hospice feels more like a “home from home” than a hospital for many patients and families albeit with round-the-clock support from a team of expert medics and loving carers.<br />
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Colourful murals cover the walls; the library is stacked with DVDs and books and the play room has everything from computer stations and a table football to a wooden train set and mini grocers. <br />
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In here, we watch Alfie and Tracey play at shopkeepers, the three-year-old manning the till while Tracey puts mini packets of cereals and tins of sweetcorn into a bright pink plastic trolley.<br />
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“He loves coming here,” says Tracey, at the end of the latest four-day visit. “And so do we.”<br />
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Alfie was born with a heart defect and suffers from pulmonary hypertension which affects his lungs and heart. He needs round-the-clock care and is fed through a special tube in his tummy. A second tube, a “Hickman line”, supplies vital drugs to keep him alive. He requires nourishment through the feeding tube every hour and regular oxygen. His condition causes a host of side effects, especially reflux, or heartburn, which prevents him from sleeping well. There is no cure for the condition, only treatments to alleviate symptoms and prolong life.<br />
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Most of the time, Tracey and Rob care for Alfie at home, taking it in turns to sit with him through the night; dozing when he does; giving him his regular medicines and feeds; reading him stories when he is distressed; massaging him when he is in discomfort.<br />
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Rob also holds down a part-time job and the toll of endless sleepless nights is punishing.<br />
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Tracey says: “As a carer, especially over a long period of time, it does affect your physical and mental health. We get headaches and migraines that make us feel dizzy. You can feel quite depressed at times.<br />
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“We come to Martin House to have respite; to get some sleep. It makes you feel human again.”<br />
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It costs almost £5 million a year to run Martin House and a whopping 88 per cent of that has to come from good causes and charitable giving. <br />
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Next week, fundraising comes to the fore as Children's Hospice Week takes place. The challenge this year is for people to dress up as a superhero and make as much money as possible for this good cause.<br />
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Martin House is celebrating its 25th birthday this year. It can cater for up to 15 children and their families at a time, including six teenagers in a purpose-built annexe.<br />
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Alison Wragg, of the hospice, said: “We are celebrating 25 years which it is a huge accolade to the people of Yorkshire who have supported us over this time. <br />
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“Children's hospice week is a great opportunity to remind people of the important way we can support families in need.”<br />
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Tracey can't stress enough how vital Martin House is to her family. Although Alfie is under the care of doctors at Great Ormond Street in London, the consultant at Martin House, Mike Miller, now looks after the day-to-day management of his symptoms. <br />
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It's a huge relief, says Tracey, having a doctor who knows Alfie and sees him regularly at the other end of the phone and just 30-minutes' drive away.<br />
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Alfie's health has deteriorated since Christmas, meaning the family is using Martin House more regularly.<br />
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“At first, we came about four times a year but now it's every six weeks,” explains Tracey.<br />
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While Alfie is in safe hands, Tracey and Rob can enjoy some of the things other couples take for granted.<br />
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“Rob's a runner, so when we come here, he goes for a run. I might go to Tadcaster for a swim or meet a friend for coffee. Last time, we went out for dinner one night.”<br />
<br />
During this stay, Rob and Tracey achieved a first a night away without Alfie. Tracey won The Press's SuperMum award, entitling her and Rob to a luxury spa break at Middlethorpe Hall in York.<br />
<br />
“It was fantastic,” says Tracey, still beaming at the memory. “We really enjoyed it.”<br />
<br />
The couple say they have been on a rollercoaster ride with Alfie since he was born. Doctors have feared the worst many times, yet Alfie has defied them every time, says Tracey. When he first had his Hickman line fitted two years ago, doctors gave him just a few months to live. Alfie's fourth birthday is in July and he is due to start school in September; he already attends nursery at Hob Moor Oaks in Acomb two mornings a week.<br />
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“The future is a complete unknown,” says Tracey. “Alfie has far outlived his initial prognosis as well as the second, third, fourth and fifth. We never thought he'd see his second or third birthday and now it is coming up to his fourth.<br />
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“We deliberately don't look too far ahead. We live in the moment as carers for Alfie and, whatever the current demands are, we respond to. <br />
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“We appreciate what we have got. It's a blessing and we don't see it as a negative thing. We are honoured to see him grow up into an intelligent little boy. We never thought we would see it.”<br />
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Tracey says she is particularly pleased that Alfie has managed to go to nursery. <br />
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“I've loved to see him go to nursery dressed in his school uniform, he looks so smart.”<br />
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She adds: “We make the most of it and take him everywhere despite his illness. He has done loads in his short life. In one sense, he has a very limited life physically, in another sense he has a very full life.<br />
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“He's a very special, strong, and brave little boy.”<br />
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<strong><em>For more information about the hospice and how you can help with fundraising, visit martinhouse.org.uk</em></strong><br />
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<br />Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-40708106103171190032012-05-03T04:58:00.001-07:002012-05-03T04:58:54.101-07:00Sam's hot stuff!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4T0YHVEK765xOgz07_kEOgM7vNDMmxSCWZDqmRdCaNwQXGPLTqqjc7AJHepad4ymPzOEAebrz5gVDhzSSQ4w6rdMQpadk-19l-j6yhhvd1PHZmSVWDjoIW1EEnvTt_un_d-J_k3Z7Zo/s1600/sam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4T0YHVEK765xOgz07_kEOgM7vNDMmxSCWZDqmRdCaNwQXGPLTqqjc7AJHepad4ymPzOEAebrz5gVDhzSSQ4w6rdMQpadk-19l-j6yhhvd1PHZmSVWDjoIW1EEnvTt_un_d-J_k3Z7Zo/s320/sam.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sam Stern serves up a slice <br />
of Victoria sponge</td></tr>
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<strong>Sam Stern is about to publish his sixth cookbook and he is still only 21. I catch up with him at his York home over a pot of tea and some scrumptious home-made cake</strong><br />
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SAM STERN’S manners are impeccable. As my car pulls up outside his family home in York, he is at the door, ready to welcome me.<br />
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I’ve barely got my coat off before he’s offering me “tea, coffee, cake, an apple scone?”<br />
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I’m easy tempted, especially when I see the cake he has just made: two thick tiers of golden sponge bursting at the middle with whipped cream and a home-made lemon curd with passionfruit. <br />
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The recipe comes from Sam’s new cook book, Virgin To Veteran: How to Get Cooking With Confidence, about to be realised by Quadrille, priced £20.<br />
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The title is apt; Sam published his first cook book at 14, then a further four while still a teenager.<br />
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The latest, though, is a seriously grown-up affair. It’s thick in the way coffee-table books are, and besides scores of tempting recipes there are pages of advice on how to master everything from jointing a chicken and cleaning mussels to getting perfect pork crackling and making pastry.<br />
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The aim is to give people the confidence to get in the kitchen and rustle up tasty meals. Recipes also have a series of variations. “This allows people to mess around with the original recipe,” says Sam.<br />
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Sam has had some fun trying out new flavour combinations. The sponge he made that morning is a good example. He had a hunch the passionfruit would work well with the lemon curd – tried it and found it did. <br />
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“I’ve made some mistakes but you learn from mistakes by learning how to fix it,” says Sam, who cooked his first roast dinner when he was nine years old.<br />
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As the youngest of five siblings, he grew up in a large family, where food was at the centre. He learned the ropes at the apron strings of mum Susan, whom Sam describes as a “good home cook who makes rough and ready, rustic, tasty dinners – just what you want when you come home”.<br />
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Homecomings loom large in Sam’s life of late. Besides his culinary career, Sam is taking a politics degree at Edinburgh University. He has one more academic year to complete before he graduates, then he wants to concentrate on cooking full-time.<br />
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This summer, he will be back in York, working on the next book. The following year, once he has graduated, he will write that cookbook and then focus on promoting the Sam Stern brand.<br />
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He admits he’d like to make it big. At 21, you have to admit it looks like he’s got the world on his plate.<br />
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<strong><em>Sam’s new book, Virgin To Veteran, How to Get Cooking with Confidence, will be published by Quadrille, priced £20, on May 10.</em></strong><br />
<br />Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-4334280081494980172012-04-27T02:46:00.000-07:002012-04-27T02:46:10.469-07:00FASHION: The Macs Factor <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWBPfJEU8SF1fjtx0vf3EvjXE6kpxK4XBccK2yc23HtUk-dkPwj7oy3pUzGp291G2ECnVYCOiZT7YJqMnvHB5XwVQZOU4L_FNcO-JWAN2zvtUR27dkSLcuM9-H14bMQbYWr73vWi1Pdg/s1600/c107d07b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWBPfJEU8SF1fjtx0vf3EvjXE6kpxK4XBccK2yc23HtUk-dkPwj7oy3pUzGp291G2ECnVYCOiZT7YJqMnvHB5XwVQZOU4L_FNcO-JWAN2zvtUR27dkSLcuM9-H14bMQbYWr73vWi1Pdg/s320/c107d07b.jpg" width="201" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
Blue belted trench coat, £59, </div>
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from very.co.uk</div>
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<strong>The weather is wet, wet, wet, so why not cheer yourself up with a trendy rain mac?</strong> <br />
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APRIL is a wash-out – we shouldn’t be surprised, after all April and showers go together like ham and eggs.<br />
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But it was all so different 12 months ago. Do you remember when York was basking in the 20s as April brought a heatwave rather than rain?<br />
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But every rain cloud has its silver lining – and in this case, it comes in the shape of a ultra-chic rain coat.<br />
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Whether you opt for a sophisticated trench, a sassy mac or an on-trend </div>
parka-style, you will be making a fashion splash as you dodge the puddles.<br />
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You can opt for a classic look, picking a belted coat in neutral tones such as stone, or make more of a style statement with a coloured mac, maybe with some piping on the edge. <br />
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There’s even a lace-print mac out there, for anyone determined not to let the rain ruin their fashion parade.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCMxMA2yCm0Z53zP-78xYYoz3y7mTgjHWTNVauvdNfKtiMw9jkRE32DPIUlIyTQ55qYkwjcYI4sGq3Iwr18vNtJSMObnNoSmjKie-HCstw7EwHLUz8Y1PYDsUF-T45msLyL6lzFYQVkM/s1600/c107d07e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCMxMA2yCm0Z53zP-78xYYoz3y7mTgjHWTNVauvdNfKtiMw9jkRE32DPIUlIyTQ55qYkwjcYI4sGq3Iwr18vNtJSMObnNoSmjKie-HCstw7EwHLUz8Y1PYDsUF-T45msLyL6lzFYQVkM/s320/c107d07e.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruched detail trench, £119, <br />
Mint Velvet<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE_JQf28uu8yNGZhocdsvOtZaSa4xwEdA33tLxtSJnD2LGsrbewXGtRkih9bIH2G84IygBCu9vaPovjFs-t2uoTw-8EiCQ_Q_9I_e7tZ5Q9zzq0SwE9zvDX2Jf5kDxtKr8flwQAhbiiZA/s1600/c107d07c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE_JQf28uu8yNGZhocdsvOtZaSa4xwEdA33tLxtSJnD2LGsrbewXGtRkih9bIH2G84IygBCu9vaPovjFs-t2uoTw-8EiCQ_Q_9I_e7tZ5Q9zzq0SwE9zvDX2Jf5kDxtKr8flwQAhbiiZA/s320/c107d07c.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piped mac, £65, M&Co <br />
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<strong>Try for size...</strong><br />
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Blue belted trench coat, £59, from very.co.uk<br />
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Piped mac, £65, M&Co<br />
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Lace print mac, £45, Marisota<br />
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Ruched detail trench, £119, Mint Velvet<br />
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South striped belted mac, £75, Littlewoods.com<br />
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Grey nylon coat, £29.50, Dorothy Perkins<br />
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</div>Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-64759060246018731522012-04-27T02:33:00.002-07:002012-04-27T02:33:46.199-07:00From America With Love<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAR9lKPpSJeVkD11xJgp0G-0ZltAPR-9wWT5LAV1LY7KFI7M_00OXvwM75oy2yieJRlJeTnGzr3RpcSGIg4nofTqPBNCEhRky1OQzKJuQzpYwwpVZX2hB_0ZRdl1cBSTXrO52dOdABPg/s1600/c107cfaa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAR9lKPpSJeVkD11xJgp0G-0ZltAPR-9wWT5LAV1LY7KFI7M_00OXvwM75oy2yieJRlJeTnGzr3RpcSGIg4nofTqPBNCEhRky1OQzKJuQzpYwwpVZX2hB_0ZRdl1cBSTXrO52dOdABPg/s320/c107cfaa.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside Bison Coffee, York</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<strong>Check out the York café and vintage shop where even the table and chairs are for sale</strong><br />
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SIT down for a strong flat white at the Bison coffee house in York – and be prepared to hang on to your seat.<br />
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For this is a café with a difference. Everything inside the compact two-room space at the foot of Heslington Road has a price tag – from the simple wooden ex-school chairs to the aluminium coffee pots and even the café workstation.<br />
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Owner Gavin Burke, 28, is a classics graduate from Newcastle University, who settled in York a few years back.<br />
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His vintage style of choice is ‘Americana’, which he defines as “American vintage, anything from the 1920s to the 1950s”. Or anything, he adds, before the ‘Space Age’.<br />
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There’s a heavy lean toward the functional and kitchen items in the shop: Gavin clearly likes things with a purpose.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpwHLQv5wcFEnVg26doBLHJGZkChQoS3Fk2pH9D1eS3lJwXUQTGm3IhyphenhyphenPE_qWNfBVvOu0tYi5SZwm_n0LNZSv0jHWGzMra11NvIjQyojIm5qB5zgFV_XclnE1NTPbnhmP0YKXI0Y9V4eg/s1600/c107cfa7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpwHLQv5wcFEnVg26doBLHJGZkChQoS3Fk2pH9D1eS3lJwXUQTGm3IhyphenhyphenPE_qWNfBVvOu0tYi5SZwm_n0LNZSv0jHWGzMra11NvIjQyojIm5qB5zgFV_XclnE1NTPbnhmP0YKXI0Y9V4eg/s200/c107cfa7.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bison Coffee owner Gavin Burke</td></tr>
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“We sell lots of glass jars, crates, racks and vintage pigeon holes – we sell a lot of them for shop fittings.”<br />
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Items for the home don’t come more desirable, he reckons, than a 1940s French coffee pot made in Bakelite and stainless steel.<br />
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Step inside the back-room café and there are shelves of coffee pots on display, again all for sale.<br />
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But there are also teak tables, chests, mirrors, angle-poise lamps and even a set of deer antlers on the wall, all with a price tag. Friends needn’t fight over a choice piece either as Gavin says he can easily order more. “We’ve got a full deer’s head on order!”<br />
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Fancy the beat-up leather chair lingering in the café corner – it’s yours for between £150 and £200.<br />
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Why Americana? “I like the battered style of it,” says Gavin. “I like wood and metal and I like the rough and readiness and the functionality of it. These are useful objects with a faded utilitarian grandeur. It’s lovely.”<br />
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Vintage is in his blood. “I never had anything new. I grew up in a house that looked like this,” says Gavin, surveying his premises. <br />
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His mum, Sharon Bradley, is a vintage dealer based in Dorset. A few years ago, she moved to France to run a hotel. Gavin, originally from Middlesbrough, followed her, working in bars and ended up as a DJ, eventually landing his own show on Radio Nova in Bordeaux, where he had to speak French.<br />
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It was quite an achievement because he when he arrived in France he could barely speak the language.<br />
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“I spoke French with a Yorkshire twang!”<br />
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After two years in France, he moved back to the UK, settling in York and keen to open a café on the bustling route to the university.<br />
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“It took me a year and a half to find this place. There’s not really a coffee house in this area and there is a high density of students and dedicated local people.”<br />
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Customers can pick from a selection of drinks and snacks. Nine types of coffee are chalked up on the café blackboard, from espresso and French press to mochas and cortados. <br />
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On our visit, the intriguing sounding “Hasbean, Jailbreak Blend” was the brew of the day, which Gavin explained was “sweet and balanced, but quite bold”.<br />
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He said customers could request their preferred type of coffee via the Bison website. “We are quite malleable as far as customers are concerned,” says Gavin. <br />
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There is also a selection of breakfast snacks, toasties, and treats such as brownies on sale as well as soft drinks and teas.<br />
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Gavin sees Bison as more than a coffee house and vintage shop. “I want it to be a community space. People can book it for events in the evening. We have free WiFi and people come in here to work.”<br />
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It also operates as an exhibition space, showcasing work from local artists.<br />
<br />Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-80804762237387443252012-04-06T02:17:00.000-07:002012-04-06T02:17:12.866-07:00FITNESS: And baby came too!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0YCmmu0T8KooGGZI0PeJo8oQnMM8P-Xkoz3JUPCR4bmkEwdEFgrnLkPYMGKHY9B3yuexjdvFSa3FGQt4InhhsiMj54-RAVrzG0DGAFF5mTPQz20V8M2uTNbNXxv028P3uEtPGfiXdFM/s1600/yum2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="163" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0YCmmu0T8KooGGZI0PeJo8oQnMM8P-Xkoz3JUPCR4bmkEwdEFgrnLkPYMGKHY9B3yuexjdvFSa3FGQt4InhhsiMj54-RAVrzG0DGAFF5mTPQz20V8M2uTNbNXxv028P3uEtPGfiXdFM/s320/yum2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mums and babes together at the<br />
novel Yumi Mummy fitness class in York</td></tr>
</tbody></table>TINY Samuel Stephenson is just four months old – but already he’s attending a fitness class.<br />
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For while four-month-old Samuel writhes around on the padded floor of the gym, mum Fay is breaking into a sweat in a vigorous Legs, Bums and Tums workout for new mums.<br />
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The class is one of several offered by Yumi Mummy Fitness, a new venture which allows new mothers to lose weight and get fit while still looking after baby.<br />
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As the women warm up with some gentle lunges, babies watch from the sidelines, strapped safely into their portable car seats. Some are playing happily with each other – or with soft toys – on the giant padded floor of the Chokdee Academy at Nether Poppleton, which doubles up as a Thai Boxing studio in the evening.<br />
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There’s a play pen to place tots in, but toddlers are allowed to roam around – and even join in on some of the moves.<br />
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The novel idea is the brainchild of Jo Cadden, a qualified fitness instructor and personal trainer, whose husband Richard runs the Chokdee Academy.<br />
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When she had their first child, Oscar, 14 months ago, Jo realised how hard it was for new mums to take exercise.<br />
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Gym memberships can be prohibitively expensive, particularly when you have to factor in extra charges for childcare or use of a crèche.<br />
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“I realised there must be lots of mums who want to get out and exercise but are struggling with child care,” says Jo.<br />
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So the solution was to invite them to bring baby along too!<br />
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Classes can be noisy and chaotic at times, admits Jo, but mums understand.<br />
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“Some weeks they can all be making a noise but the mums are able to get up and down – and even breastfeed if they need to. I just carry on teaching!”<br />
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Yumi Mummy offers four classes every week – Bokwa (like Zumba) at 10am on Tuesdays and fitness yoga at 11am on Tuesdays; Legs, Bums and Tums on Thursdays at 10am, followed by Pilates at 11.<br />
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Prices range from £5-£6.50 for the hour class.<br />
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Fitness trainer and mum-of-three Sarah Vincent teaches the Tuesday classes. She said it was important for women to start exercising as soon as safely possible after giving birth.<br />
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“As soon as you get the all-clear from the GP, which is usually after your six-week check, you should get out and do some exercise,” advises Sarah.<br />
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“It takes three days to form a habit and three days to break one, so if you get into the habit of sitting on the sofa with baby, telling yourself you’ll lose the weight next year, then go on and have another baby, you will be putting fat on top of fat.<br />
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“There is no magical quick fix to losing weight; just have to work hard.<br />
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“You don’t have to be at it forever – just until you get it off.”<br />
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Fay Stephenson also has three children – the latest, Samuel, was born four months ago. For the past six weeks, Fay, has been coming to Jo’s class and has lost a stone in weight.<br />
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Fay, originally from Scotland, but now settled in York, said: “The appeal of coming here is that I can bring the wee fella with me. I don’t have to put him in an expensive crèche on top of the price of a class.”<br />
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First-time mum Sherrie Wood had some personal training sessions with Jo before the birth of her daughter Matilda two months ago. Now she is coming to the classes to try to shed the three stones she put on while pregnant.<br />
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Sherrie said she felt really motivated to get back into shape. She added: “I’m really looking forward to getting my fitness back.”<br />
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<strong><em>Yumi Mummy Fitness runs at Rose Avenue, York Business Park, Poppleton, York, YO26 6RR. Telephone: 07949 761292/ email info@yumimummy.co.uk or visit the website yumimummy.co.uk</em></strong><br />
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<em></em></strong>Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-12351876089377036112012-03-30T02:39:00.000-07:002012-03-30T02:39:10.223-07:00FASHION: Back to the jazz age<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsgXXt6bGUBkZiqAVfW3k0VmgADCU5jwM1EUN5FRhUnWniaDcwYJQ91lfTFIGJRUKcc0wArdd3vVnHWhpRFXJ-EErxC10VnvYxe4J31o8Tk4-lb4JllVxcHroz92X-pdnX6gZFoTtEZs/s1600/c107b630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsgXXt6bGUBkZiqAVfW3k0VmgADCU5jwM1EUN5FRhUnWniaDcwYJQ91lfTFIGJRUKcc0wArdd3vVnHWhpRFXJ-EErxC10VnvYxe4J31o8Tk4-lb4JllVxcHroz92X-pdnX6gZFoTtEZs/s200/c107b630.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">White dress and coat from Carla Ruiz (£325) </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">from Fenwick, York </span></span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong>Fashion’s in a flap as the Roaring Twenties take centre stage this spring. MAXINE GORDON throws the spotlight on the trend, while FRANK DWYER takes the pictures…</strong> <br />
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ARE you ready to become a flapper girl? Fashion continues its love affair with the past and this season it is the turn of the 1920s.<br />
Dropped waists, beaded dresses and layers of pearls are swinging this way for spring and summer.<br />
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Taking its cue from movies such as the Oscar-winning The Artist and the upcoming remake of The Great Gatsby, the Twenties are the style decade du jour. Top designers are at the helm of this revival; their collections for spring/summer were brimming with feather trims, crystal beads and sparkling sequins.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZ4cmyqOmzouHllNQ4eKGXLRUjm67OSAR7IY2vzRBSvf5kZtwEVV7YK-f2aduJso-KH1AH9r3oKH3SbhCdaoS97reeoOHuJFF1xhnetnXzO2lF-fXcNe5zG2Ekh04_G4rCU0sb8aigwU/s1600/c107b5c1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZ4cmyqOmzouHllNQ4eKGXLRUjm67OSAR7IY2vzRBSvf5kZtwEVV7YK-f2aduJso-KH1AH9r3oKH3SbhCdaoS97reeoOHuJFF1xhnetnXzO2lF-fXcNe5zG2Ekh04_G4rCU0sb8aigwU/s200/c107b5c1.jpg" width="125" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dress from All Saints (£295) at Fenwick's</span></span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">For Ralph Lauren, the flapper dress reigned supreme; over at Gucci, it was all about the dropped waist. Feathers were the trim of choice for Michael Kors and Oscar De La Renta. Marc Jacobs worked the straight silhouette (think Twiggy in The Boyfriend) and Matthew Williamson went for all-out Gatsby glamour with a classic combination of gold, beading and feathers.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">But you don’t have to cough up couture prices to copy the look. We teamed up with Fenwick’s department store in York to stage our own Twenties-inspired photoshoot.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>The look is all about shape. Waistlines should be dropped, of course, but look for other features such as tunics with banded hemlines, or light knits with kimono sleeves. Opt for sheer shifts or straight-line dresses covered with beads and sequins. We found a perfect example at All Saints, now available at Fenwick. <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-zk0imLFsYdIV2VuoikFPP6fJwzyS2Dm0WNaPjWmEwiLbKq7EEN685_DWot83mYtjuB5KRvmyzGpwCaSnN1ba0s1wLApZ2v0L874vgYZ90Wy7WJ5QiRB4MutdSPRz5K2u-k7lf7J_tM/s1600/c107b5c4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-zk0imLFsYdIV2VuoikFPP6fJwzyS2Dm0WNaPjWmEwiLbKq7EEN685_DWot83mYtjuB5KRvmyzGpwCaSnN1ba0s1wLApZ2v0L874vgYZ90Wy7WJ5QiRB4MutdSPRz5K2u-k7lf7J_tM/s200/c107b5c4.jpg" width="123" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Kimono top, Mint Velvet (£59), </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">at Fenwick</span></span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Accessories make the look – and add a splash of glamour. Have fun with feathers and headpieces. Take a beaded hair band and wear it around your forehead rather than in Alice fashion for instant Twenties feel.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Shoes should make you want to hit the dance floor. Pick strappy sandals in gold or some daintier court shoes with straps – perfect for a spot of tap dancing. We found the perfect selection at Kurt Geiger in Fenwick.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Handbags are catching the mood too. Clutches covered in pearls and boxy bags with crystals would complete any outfit.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We staged our shoot at York’s fabulous Grand Opera House, which is paying its own homage to the Twenties in April with a return run of the hit musical Chicago.</div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Starring Ali Bastian as Roxie Hart and Bernie Nolan as Matron ‘Mama’ Morton, the award-winning musical – based on real life events in the 1920s when nightclub singer Roxie Hart shot her lover and tried to escape death row – will be taking over the Opera House from Monday April 16 to Saturday April 21. For tickets, call 0844 871 3024 or visit www.atgtickets.com/york</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Photoshoot thanks to:</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Model: Beth Argile</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Hair and make-up: Beckie Stirk (www.beckiestirk.co.uk)</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Stylists: Pauline Robinson, at Fenwick, York, and Hannah Clugston</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>All clothes and accessories from Fenwick, Coppergate, York</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Venue: Grand Opera House, York</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-10395279943337536302012-03-30T02:21:00.000-07:002012-03-30T02:21:57.726-07:00TV chef Peter's pasta tips<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>MAXINE GORDON reports on the Pocklington lad who failed his cookery GCSE but went on to become a TV chef</strong></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TV chef Peter Sidwell</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">PETER SIDWELL has his hands full. Not only is he putting the finishing touches to a new cook book, he is opening a new restaurant and has become a father for the second time.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">“I’m living on espresso at the moment,” laughs the 35-year-old from Pocklington and star of Channel 4’s cookery series Lakes On A Plate.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Yes, you read that correctly. It’s Lakes not Yorks on a plate, because Peter lives in Cumbria, running a successful foodie empire that includes a restaurant/café; a bakery and cookery school.</div><br />
He lives in Cockermouth with wife, Emma, a primary teacher also from Pocklington, and their children, Poppy, four and two-month-old Thomas.<br />
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Peter’s heart still belongs to York. He loves York Market and when he meets up with his mates they return to their old haunts, Fibbers and the Stone Roses bar.<br />
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“I always come to the food festival and have a look around,” he adds.<br />
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Peter attended Woldgate school. He is dyslexic and struggled academically, even failing his cookery GCSE. He left at 16 and got a job in a pub.<br />
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“I was chopping carrots, buttering bread and making prawn cocktails up in wine glasses,” recalls Peter.<br />
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But he soon got the bug and was taken on at the Ambassador Hotel on the Mount. It’s long since given way to swanky flats, but Peter has fond memories of his time there and later at the York Pavilion Hotel.<br />
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His next move was to HSBC bank, doing corporate catering, often at its capital base at Canary Wharf. However, the regular commute from York to London became too much.<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">“I was spending too much time on the East Coast main line and wearing a suit rather than a chef’s jacket,” recalls Peter.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So he and wife Emma took the gamble of their lives; they sold their house in Pocklington, packed a van and drove to the Lakes, where they took the lease on an old clothes shop and using all their savings revamped it into a café and deli.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">“We wanted to create the sort of place we would like to spend time in,” explained Peter. They decked it out with leather sofas and the like. “But we never got to sit on them because we were so busy!”</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Peter has now sold that business and focussing his energies on his latest outlet, Peter Sidwell @Rheghed, his café at the Rheghed outdoor centre at Penrith.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">He is also working on a new TV series, finishing a fourth book about family meals and promoting his latest publication, Simply Good Pasta.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Divided into seasonal sections and based around Peter’s down-to-earth tastes, the emphasis is on taste and speed, as well as using good ingredients, many of them British.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This makes for some unusual combinations, such as Brussels sprouts with cream, garlic and pine nuts, but Peter makes no apologies for breaking down culinary barriers.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">“Pasta is so familiar to us. If we are in a rush, we can just hit a bag of pasta and some sauce. I wanted to fuse that with British seasonal ingredients. Italian food is all about simplicity; how maybe two, three, or four ingredients at the most can make a perfect, quick, dish.”</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Among the home-grown ingredients he suggests trying with pasta include purple sprouting broccoli, asparagus and even parsnip, with a dash of chilli.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">“If you get the opportunity, walk through York Market and just buy what you need each day, the way the Italians do,” advises Peter.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Pasta dinners can be cheap too; especially if you avoid meat and follow some of Peter’s cooking tips.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">“Slow cook some onions with garlic then add some Parmesan, and some pasta. It is as cheap as chips; you could feed a family of four for £2 or less.”</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Spoken like a true Yorkshireman.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-48803001690079847072012-03-21T09:44:00.000-07:002012-03-21T09:44:38.298-07:00Trainspotting in luxury<strong>HERE is the perfect hotel for trainspotters – the St Pancras Renaissance in London</strong><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The St Pancras Renaissance</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">TRAIN announcements as your head hits a pristine Egyptian Cotton pillowcase may not bode well for a great night’s sleep.</div><br />
But happily, the announcement was to say that St Pancras station was about to close for the night.<br />
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Our suite, in the newly refurbished St Pancras Renaissance hotel has the sort of view trainspotters would sell their grannies for – straight on to the tracks.<br />
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Looking out from our 20-feet window we could also see Paul Day’s gigantic bronze, The Meeting Place, depicting a couple embracing, which has become an icon at the station.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Size matters at St Pancras. The scale and proportions of the station and hotel are hard to take in close-up. It’s only from a distance, as you exit King’s Cross and turn right that you can appreciate its full gargantuan, Gothic glory.</div><br />
The soaring red-brick façade with its turreted clock tower looks as if it has escaped from the pages of a Grimm’s fairy tale.<br />
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The Gulliver scale continues inside. The corridors to our suite were as wide as a street; the windows in our room as high as a bungalow.<br />
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The hotel is a perfect stop for London or Europe-bound Yorkshire folk. Take the train to King’s Cross, disembark, and cross the road to St Pancras, home to the Eurostar terminal, as well as an upmarket selection of shops, cafés and even a Carluccio’s restaurant. And, of course, the St Pancras Renaissance.<br />
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Opened in 1873 as the Midland Grand Hotel and designed by George Gilbert Scott, this hotel was an architectural sensation. Of it, Gilbert Scott said: “It is often spoken of to me as the finest building in London. My belief is that it is possibly too good for its purpose.”<br />
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Sadly, some 60 years later, the hotel was closed. There were calls to knock it down, until a campaign succeeded in having the building listed. It was used as railway offices for the next 50 years.<br />
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However, some £200 million has been spent returning the hotel to its former glory, including restoring the ornate interiors. After 13 years hard slog, the hotel re-opened last May and is already winning accolades: it was recently voted the best hotel in the UK by The Sunday Times Magazine.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUO2dxWxvOpOC9uGqX7V_uBMu7-Il7UGLtwkBdx3w6UqZrhvklG1WmxuuL-pHr0JAhyphenhyphene2HGNHj6sQqBdIQ44o7EqnvL9RW3rL98zlNkeOYAxaAgPkd2Rk6bsJQKYNq_Wb6zPqdW1-DAws/s1600/c107bc5d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUO2dxWxvOpOC9uGqX7V_uBMu7-Il7UGLtwkBdx3w6UqZrhvklG1WmxuuL-pHr0JAhyphenhyphene2HGNHj6sQqBdIQ44o7EqnvL9RW3rL98zlNkeOYAxaAgPkd2Rk6bsJQKYNq_Wb6zPqdW1-DAws/s200/c107bc5d.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gothic staircase in the heart of the hotel</td></tr>
</tbody></table> Its grand focal point is a magnificent Gothic staircase that coils up through the centre of the building giving you reason not to take the lift.<br />
<br />
The former booking office has been turned into a café-restaurant, simply named The Booking Office. We enjoyed a tasty dinner here, the beetroot salad with blue cheese and walnut offering a fresh and earthy starter with a perfectly cooked (medium-rare) rib eye steak with thrice-cooked chips (super crispy) to follow. Lemon tart with meringue and berry compote finished things off on a satisfyingly sweet note. A quaffable bottle of Chianti and a coffee and hot chocolate rounded things off nicely – the meal for two, with drinks and tips, cost around £100, which we though was good value.<br />
<br />
The hotel is also home to the The Gilbert Scott, a brasserie run by top chef Marcus Wareing’s team and named in honour of the building’s original architect.<br />
<br />
Our suite was in the Chambers section of the hotel, which gave us access to a sprawling and relaxing lounge, opened from 6.30am to midnight, and the place to unwind with the newspapers or a magazine, catch the news on TV, and enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks. A buffet style breakfast is served here, and light afternoon tea is on from 3pm-5.30pm while pre-dinner canapés and drinks are on offer from 5.30pm-7.30pm.<br />
<br />
Our trip to London was a whirlwind one; we took in two art shows (David Hockney at the RA and Japanese artist Yoyoi Kusama at the Tate Modern), as well as a trip to Spitalfields Market, fashion shopping in Oxford Street and Regent Street and to the home stores of Tottenham Court Road. So it was bliss to recharge our batteries in the hotel spa. Deep in the vaults of the hotel, the spa interior continues the Victorian theme, with ornate tiles on the wall and cavernous, pillared, spaces. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJ3bWZY6Q66xSZsImPc4RkwMh0envrQt8v9aZ_NzAygN-psKZOR9diONcrbl4LUlUfeoeVKeJwi39L8a4sRYjwcCUs7_fWli1YliuccEmjGGgCrQlsEVVENEqYWXTTqg8ocVckoGlG1o/s1600/c107bc5e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJ3bWZY6Q66xSZsImPc4RkwMh0envrQt8v9aZ_NzAygN-psKZOR9diONcrbl4LUlUfeoeVKeJwi39L8a4sRYjwcCUs7_fWli1YliuccEmjGGgCrQlsEVVENEqYWXTTqg8ocVckoGlG1o/s200/c107bc5e.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luxury suite at the St Pancras</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>We loved the little touches too; gorgeous Ren toiletries in the spa and hotel bathrooms and a butler service, which we called upon once when we realised we had forgotten our toothpaste! <br />
<br />
Oh, how the other half live.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<strong>Fact file</strong><br />
<br />
<em>St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel</em><br />
<a href="http://www.stpancrasrenaissance.com/"><em>www.stpancrasrenaissance.com</em></a><br />
<em>0207 841 3400</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>Chambers Suites are from £330 plus VAT which includes access to the Chamber’s Club offering 24-hour refreshments and breakfast. In addition you also get a £30 voucher redeemable in the spa, a wetshave or haircut in Melogy, the men’s grooming salon in the hotel and also VIP transfers to Eurostar and the WIFI is complimentary too.</em><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-1001603817360266182012-03-21T09:36:00.000-07:002012-03-21T09:36:21.685-07:00Putting on The Ritz<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbyCjNRjY97EBcfiIi5XM5cDVjQunALNvPV0052_SaCneTG0AbLLKFL0GrsbUdVo4bN_HqsIEhYn_b3JthqsYay92kfsBrCIafZ6PpzMSJqCGTX55Pgpu2TMLlGTUxiYf92ItKwn2jMU/s1600/c107bd05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbyCjNRjY97EBcfiIi5XM5cDVjQunALNvPV0052_SaCneTG0AbLLKFL0GrsbUdVo4bN_HqsIEhYn_b3JthqsYay92kfsBrCIafZ6PpzMSJqCGTX55Pgpu2TMLlGTUxiYf92ItKwn2jMU/s320/c107bd05.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my toughest assignments(!)... <br />
lunch at The Ritz with Simon Girling, from York, <br />
voted 'Best restaurant manager in the world' <br />
by Michael Winner</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>I track down Simon Girling, former York luggage porter, now working at The Ritz and voted the 'Best restaurant manager in the world'...</strong></div><br />
<br />
SIMON GIRLING has a folder the size of a pillow detailing his meteoric career.<br />
<br />
This means the man described by Michael Winner as the "Best restaurant manager in the world” can easily lay his hands on the letter of appointment to his first job in the hotel trade back in 1986.<br />
<br />
It was for a post as luggage porter at the Forte Hotel in Tadcaster Road, York.<br />
<br />
“The wage was £80 a week,” recalls Simon, laughing at the memory. That’s around £4,000 a year – about the price of the most expensive bottle of wine at Simon’s current place of work, The Ritz in London’s Piccadilly.<br />
<br />
We’ve come to the capital to find out how a former Yorkshire choirboy and son of a York vicar scaled the glittering heights of the hospitality industry.<br />
<br />
It was a VIP day out; we travelled first class with East Coast, restraining ourselves at the complimentary breakfast mindful of our luxury lunch invitation from Simon.<br />
<br />
And luxury is the right word for The Ritz. Opulent, lavish, magnificent and all the other synonyms fit perfectly too.<br />
<br />
The interior is palatial, so it is no surprise that the Royals are regulars – the Queen had her 80th birthday party here and the restaurant was a favourite of the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret. It was at The Ritz that Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowes decided to make their first appearance in public together.<br />
<br />
On arrival, Simon greets us in the Palm Court, where some 420 people take afternoon tea daily – spread over five sittings. <br />
<br />
Then it is into the restaurant, where the jaw-dropping begins. You wonder where to look first – at the enormous 20-plus-foot windows that flood light into the grand room, made lustrous by gilded ornamentation and a ring of ornate chandeliers. Then there is the mirrored wall, again reflecting the light, and making the restaurant appear twice its size.<br />
<br />
Sitting down for lunch with Press photographer Frank Dwyer, we look around to see if we can spot any famous faces. We have been told to keep our cameras away as guests do not wish to be inadvertently photographed. <br />
<br />
There are no celebs to be spotted. Instead, the real stars are the food – plate after plate of perfection sent up from the kitchen by chef John Williams – and the exceptional staff. Service, as you imagine, is faultless, and the waiters and sommeliers offer their knowledge and insight as each course arrives.<br />
<br />
We work our way through a light apple jelly amuse-bouche and a crisp and fresh crab and apple “cannelloni” starter before turning to the more robust dishes of turbot with mushroom and chicken jus, followed by Barbary duck with quince, swede and a walnut and Madeira reduction.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ywV8wiYSHQXOquqscg8q6p4B1YSMmHpQxxxhs8N1IIIX4Fz6qOTZt2WOPZJCspftTQShmIh88lZsfkS3j3LUeAKJrUNFIZiF6_drRrEU3Xud5t_OH3DD44e5ml28h7cD_Hqf6kedAU4/s1600/c107bd0c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ywV8wiYSHQXOquqscg8q6p4B1YSMmHpQxxxhs8N1IIIX4Fz6qOTZt2WOPZJCspftTQShmIh88lZsfkS3j3LUeAKJrUNFIZiF6_drRrEU3Xud5t_OH3DD44e5ml28h7cD_Hqf6kedAU4/s200/c107bd0c.jpg" width="119" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simon Girling expertly flambés <br />
Crepe Suzette in the dining room <br />
at The Ritz, London</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">For dessert, a portable stove is wheeled out and Simon flambés some Crepe Suzettes to be served with ice-cream.</div><br />
Armchair cookery fans may have seen Simon before. The 43-year-old took part in Michel Roux’s Service on BBC2, training participants in how to prepare Crepe Suzette.<br />
<br />
As one of the leading hotel managers in the UK, Simon was an obvious choice for the TV series which aimed to instil the values of good service into young Brits.<br />
<br />
Encouraging more home-grown talent into the industry is one of Simon’s passions. “In France or Italy, what we do is seen as a respectable profession. But this isn’t so in England, that’s why we have so many people from overseas working in London.”<br />
<br />
And yet, Simon is the exception. His career spans 26 years, during which he has worked in some of the UK’s leading hotel restaurants and with top chefs including Phil Vickery and Gary Rhodes. He has amassed many admirers and accolades en route. <br />
<br />
And yet Simon’s feet remain firmly on the ground, in solid Yorkshire style. Of Michael Winners’ proclamation, he says: “I am very proud of it… but how can someone have eaten in every restaurant in the world? I’m sure a lot of French maitre’d’s would have something to say about it!”<br />
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Winner is just one of the scores of celebrity guests and clients Simon has served. The Ritz has six private dining rooms and, as we arrive, Simon has to dash off to meet and greet a VIP. Quizzed later, he refuses to divulge the identity.<br />
<br />
“The reason people come here is that we are very discreet,” he says.<br />
<br />
Simon has recently been promoted and is now an executive in charge of food and beverage at the hotel. It’s a world away from his first job lugging luggage at the Forte in York. <br />
<br />
And yet it was almost by chance that Simon happened upon his career.<br />
<br />
He left his home in York aged nine to board at Ripon Cathedral Choir School – and didn’t return until he was 18. <br />
<br />
Instead of taking A Levels he joined the RAF as a trade musician, playing the flute, saxophone and piano. But Simon’s real passion was for sport. He wanted to change to PT instruction, but the RAF wouldn’t allow it. So he left and returned home to his parents in York.<br />
<br />
His dad, Andrew, was the reverend at the St Edward the Confessor Church on Tadcaster Road.<br />
<br />
“I left home aged nine then went back at 18,” recalls Simon. “That’s really awkward when you have been you own man since the age of nine.”<br />
<br />
“By sheer coincidence, the only reason I fell into this business was that there was a hotel next to dad’s church. I went round, knocked on the door, said I lived next door and needed a job. They said they had a job as a luggage porter. I took it and thought it was something I would do for three or four months. But I loved it. It wasn’t so much carrying bags but the whole hotel environment that I loved. I knew this is what I wanted to do.”<br />
<br />
Simon hopes his story can encourage other young people. “You don’t have to go into a job or a career at a high level. Just get a job and work your way up,” he advises.<br />
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It takes stamina and attention to detail to succeed in the hotel industry, two qualities that Simon has in abundance.<br />
<br />
His days are long, often stretching to 12 to 14 hours. It begins with the school run before taking the train from his family home in Surrey into central London. At The Ritz, his day is split in half: in the morning and afternoon there are meetings as well as overseeing the staff and lunch service, for which Simon and his team wear morning dress. After 5pm, he changes from tails into a DJ, ready for dinner. <br />
<br />
He has Sundays and Mondays off. Sunday is a family day, usually spent ferrying his children, Oscar, eight, and Zara, five, to various sports activities. On Monday, he goes swimming or does a spot of gardening. He admits the schedule is gruelling and says it’s just as well his wife, Jenny, also works in hotels and understands the demands of industry.<br />
<br />
“There is a price to pay,” says Simon. “I work long, hard hours, but I enjoy it so I don’t mind.”<br />
<br />
During our visit, Simon displays his forensic attention to detail. Outside, he notices some of the light bulbs on the iconic ‘Ritz’ sign are out and is straight on to his mobile, calling housekeeping.<br />
<br />
“I’m very particular,” he says. “I’m very fussy with the way things are. And I am very organised. I believe these are the strengths that relate well in this business. If you look around this building, you will see that everything is immaculately placed.”<br />
<br />
Ultimately, says Simon, The Ritz’s appeal lies in its fabulous interiors and faultless food and service. <br />
<br />
He says: “There is just no place like it. We fly the flag for British cuisine in an opulent hotel.”<br />
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<strong><em>Fact file</em></strong><br />
<em>Lunch at The Ritz starts at £45 for the three-course menu of the day. The five-course tasting menu prepared by chef John Williams costs £99 or £160 when matched with wine for each course. Afternoon tea in the Palm Court costs £42.</em><br />
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<em>Find out more at theritzlondon.com</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>We travelled by East Coast trains to London. Standard advance returns booked online via eastcoast.co.uk start from £21. For times and fares you can also call 08457 225225 or visit staffed stations and agents.</em><br />
<em><br />
</em>Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-19180700509728156792012-03-21T09:27:00.000-07:002012-03-21T09:27:45.995-07:00COMMENT: Why we need to read to our kids<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3DN24Ho5EKSz1JwUC9Z7_gW4h-Hfq3rsmuImV190Nr3yiFYDj-6zzqSw4UMI7eZAgtftsBAcA1GpWBzKEQsE5YL04V1rB9aT-xG04F1gINCrWE3eo3SY698diuUNuonzMEMCYvu1Rp-Y/s1600/c1021681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3DN24Ho5EKSz1JwUC9Z7_gW4h-Hfq3rsmuImV190Nr3yiFYDj-6zzqSw4UMI7eZAgtftsBAcA1GpWBzKEQsE5YL04V1rB9aT-xG04F1gINCrWE3eo3SY698diuUNuonzMEMCYvu1Rp-Y/s320/c1021681.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>EARLY LEARNING...</strong> An old picture of me reading to my <br />
daughter Eva at York Library back in 2004 when she was about two!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A WAR of words has broken out between the chief inspector of schools and teachers over literacy standards in primary education.<br />
Sir Michael Wilshaw, head of Ofsted, claims England is being overtaken by other leading nations because progress on literacy has stalled.<br />
Sir Michael said one in five children was not reaching the standard expected (level 4) at the end of primary school, arguing that this puts them on the back foot moving up into secondary school and then into the jobs market.<br />
Teaching unions take issue with Sir Michael's claims, discrediting the data used. Undeterred, Sir Michael is laying down the gauntlet, with a ten-point plan to improve literacy levels in primaries. This includes phonics checks on five and six year olds to make sure they are picking up the building blocks for reading and giving parents information about their child's reading age as well as how they are doing against national targets.<br />
These moves should be welcomed. Anything that improves children's ability to read and write has to be applauded especially methods proven to work, such as the phonics which focuses on the sounds of letters and groups of letters.<br />
Giving parents more information about their child's reading age should help too. This way, parents can make sure the books they buy for their children, or the ones they choose at the library, are age-appropriate. There is nothing more guaranteed to turn a child away from books than a text that is too difficult. Teachers advise applying the five-finger rule: ask your child to read a page of a new book and count on your fingers how many words they struggle with. If it is more than five, the book is too advanced for them. Put it back until they are more confident and skilled readers.<br />
Of course, this all presumes that parents are actively involved in their child's literacy development and this is not always the case.<br />
Research by the National Literacy Trust found that a third of parents did not recognise that they were the most important influence on their child's language and literacy development.<br />
It also discovered that learning at home had the biggest influence on the achievement of a child and was a more accurate predictor of future success than the family's income. <br />
On the back of this, the trust has launched a Words For Life campaign, urging parents and carers to commit more time to helping children develop their literary skills.<br />
A quick browse of its website (<a href="http://www.wordsforlife.org.uk/">http://www.wordsforlife.org.uk/</a>) provides plenty of ideas and tips on how to get involved with your child's reading and writing.<br />
It provides a helpful “milestones” section which you can use as a checklist to measure your child's development. There's also a section on “fun things to do together”, again broken down into age categories. Here, you can download stories to listen to, learn how to create a family history book together and even write your own comic adventure, using an exciting template of ready-drawn images.<br />
There are some tips for reading bed-time stories from top children's author Michael Rosen as well as lists of recommended reads, split into age groups, including stories for football-mad kids and fact-based works for children not so keen on fiction. There are even some “free books” to download with related fun worksheets attached.<br />
The aim, clearly, is to make reading enjoyable. The key to turning the reluctant reader is not just to help the child learn the fundamentals of the process, but for them to discover the pleasure in it to.<br />
World Book Day takes place every March and this month pupils have been dressing up as their favourite characters and spending free £1 tokens on books of their choice.<br />
That's all well and good, but we have to make sure that the association between having a good time and reading a book is not just a one-day-a-year affair.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div>Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-87564338707940531092012-03-15T06:50:00.000-07:002012-03-15T06:50:59.090-07:00RECIPE: Slow cooked pork ribs<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHXiw0m0BSZKDafmEDlyCY22ukzPb3WRFfTg6mHIOESD1EjmDqVv7N9bwn5ri_Z3o7t7p92DbR9Ccv4ikQjgYl-2jxjdQqaIqN8zRjNK9MmEQmHnhp2ykEe1FS5dekjffDjZSgNI2SbU/s1600/c107b27b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHXiw0m0BSZKDafmEDlyCY22ukzPb3WRFfTg6mHIOESD1EjmDqVv7N9bwn5ri_Z3o7t7p92DbR9Ccv4ikQjgYl-2jxjdQqaIqN8zRjNK9MmEQmHnhp2ykEe1FS5dekjffDjZSgNI2SbU/s320/c107b27b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slow cooked pork ribs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I LOVE pork ribs, but never made them, fearful they would be a faff. <br />
But I have just bought a slow cooker and with a slow cooker, nothing is a faff. <br />
With this recipe, adapted from Heather Whinney’s The Slow Cook Book, I could have put the ribs in the slow cooker, poured over the marinade and turned up eight hours later, dinner done. <br />
But I couldn’t resist letting the ribs soak overnight in the lovely treacly-looking marinade. I’ve no idea how this affects the ribs, but the end result was sensational. The meat was dark on the outside, amazingly tender and flavoursome underneath. <br />
I have given the method too for cooking these ribs in the oven. Serve with rice and some stir-fried veg to make a meal of it. <br />
<br />
<strong>Chinese sticky ribs </strong><br />
<br />
(serves 4-6) <br />
<br />
<strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />
Two racks of pork ribs, about 20 ribs (about 1.5kg – ask your butcher to chop them up for you) <br />
salt and pepper to season <br />
<br />
<strong>For the marinade: </strong><br />
2 tbsp oil <br />
4 tbsp soy sauce <br />
4 tbsp clear honey <br />
6 tbsp teriyaki sauce <br />
1 tsp five-spice powder <br />
Juice of two limes <br />
Pinch of dried chilli powder or flakes <br />
<br />
<strong>Method: </strong><br />
<em>In the slow cooker: </em><br />
You can either: <br />
1.Season the ribs, put them in the slow cooker, pour over the marinade, and cook on the “high” setting for four hours or “low” setting for eight hours <br />
OR <br />
2. Season ribs, pour over marinade then leave overnight in fridge. Then cook in slow cooker as above. <br />
<br />
<em>Oven method: </em><br />
1. Season ribs and put in a large heavy-based pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, partially cover with the lid, and cook for 1–1½ hours until the meat starts to come away from the bone. Remove the ribs from the pan with tongs and set aside in a baking tin until they are cool enough to handle. <br />
2. Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3. In a bowl, mix together all the marinade ingredients. Put ribs in a large flameproof casserole. Pour over the marinade and turn the ribs to coat. Cover with the lid and put in the oven for about one hour, keeping an eye on them to check they don’t dry out completely – they may need turning in the marinade. <br />
<br />
<strong>To serve: </strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Eat on their own, or for a more substantial supper, serve with egg-fried rice, sprinkled with spring onions. If you are really hungry, make some stir-fried veggies using some of the left over marinade as a sauce.Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-69027126982974848442012-03-15T06:36:00.000-07:002012-03-15T06:36:37.411-07:00Breadmaking at Pattacakes<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSDFmlTo480Dv95v8eZ260kTIXUdX8aMJ5dAB3wuq_EWAioIT6qkSWe3JNIaUALf_-izpesTFzuw0pgpy-lxBokGueO67URifQJWQ5nXNsOslggQVRf2YoRnx6HCujhu0lBxq8WKJ25Q/s1600/c107b5c0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSDFmlTo480Dv95v8eZ260kTIXUdX8aMJ5dAB3wuq_EWAioIT6qkSWe3JNIaUALf_-izpesTFzuw0pgpy-lxBokGueO67URifQJWQ5nXNsOslggQVRf2YoRnx6HCujhu0lBxq8WKJ25Q/s320/c107b5c0.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's something I made earlier...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>BREADMAKING has been on my to-do list for far too long.<br />
<br />
Full of good intentions, I even bought some bread flour – only for it to sit in the cupboard next to the abandoned packets of dried yeast.<br />
<br />
So what’s stopped me? Well, if truth be told, it all seemed a bit tricky.<br />
<br />
Despite my colleague and fellow Too Many Cooks columnist Julian Cole sharing his bread recipes within these pages every month and insisting that anyone can do it, I was never truly convinced.<br />
<br />
Also, it looks so messy, and physically tiring (all that kneading) – and it seems such a lot of effort when you can pop to the shops and buy a loaf for about £1.50.<br />
<br />
So I was more than ready to be converted when I drove over to Welburn one Sunday morning to enrol on a breadmaking course at Pattacakes, the charming Ryedale bakery and patisserie and café-shop, just a stone’s throw from Castle Howard.<br />
<br />
Owner and chief baker Anita Tasker runs a series of courses from the Pattacakes kitchen.<br />
<br />
There were four of us on the breadmaking course, and after a caffeine boosting cappuccino in the café, we set to work.<br />
<br />
We started making a rye bread. Soon our hands were covered in a cream-coloured stodge as the flour, water and yeast turned into a sticky gloop. <br />
<br />
Undeterred, Anita kept on working her dough, until it became smooth and pliable. She pulled a chunk off and teased it apart, holding it up to the light, displaying translucent patches. “When this happens, you know it’s ready,” she said.<br />
<br />
If our hands were getting too sticky, Anita advised us to wash them in cold water (“not hot, that will just bake the dough on to your skin!”) or dip them in flour and rub them clean.<br />
<br />
The second method worked best for me and soon my dough started to behave. We left it to rise in a wicker basket while we got on making a batch of white bread.<br />
<br />
This was less sticky and within minutes, we had all worked it into submission. The kneading was energetic, but satisfyingly hypnotic too. <br />
<br />
We each used a kilo of flour, so had lots of dough to work with. Some of us made baguettes, others tin loaves and also some baps, which we topped with an array of seeds. <br />
<br />
Fellow novice baker Dave Ferguson, on the course with his mum Sue and girlfriend Gemma Wilson, wanted to make hedgehogs. “I remember making these at primary school,” he said.<br />
<br />
Within minutes, we’d assembled a whole tray of doughy hogs. We used scissors to snip into the top to create the spikes and added raisons for eyes and nose.<br />
<br />
We also made a bread plait; taking three long snakes of dough and weaving them in and out until the desired shape was made. After applying a layer of eggwash, for glossy colour, we sprinkled them with the seeds.<br />
<br />
After a break for lunch – home-made soup by the team at Pattacakes and some of our own baguettes – it was back into the kitchen and on to the final straight, olive bread.<br />
<br />
This was my favourite to make; I found it the easiest to knead, and it was the tastiest. That was no doubt on account of the delicious produce we stuffed inside.<br />
<br />
The trick is to roll the dough into a large rectangle, smother it in the topping of choice, fold up like an envelope, give it a twist as if wringing out a dishcloth and then leave to rise. We stuffed our loaves with a tangy red onion marmalade relish from Yorkshire’s Braken Hill Preserves and lots of grated cheddar as well as a mix of olives and sun dried tomatoes. <br />
<br />
After five hours of breadmaking, it was time for a final cuppa and a catch-up. Here, with clean hands, we quizzed Anita on the methods we used and crib her top tips.<br />
<br />
Then we each filled a box with the spoils of the day. I drove home with a boot full of bread – enough to have something different for every day of the week.<br />
<br />
What’s more, I left with the confidence to finally open that bag of bread flour in the larder.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><em>The breadmaking course costs £50. For more dates and to find out about other courses, ring Pattacakes on 01653 618352.</em></strong><br />
<strong><br />
<em></em></strong><br />
<strong><em>Anita is also involved in a new venture, Cake Together, where people bake and bring their results to Pattacakes, where Anita will host a supper and where everyone can try each other’s bakes. The aim is to raise funds for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. The next event will be on April 17. To book a place or find out more, telephone 01653 618352.</em></strong><br />
<strong><br />
<em></em></strong>Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-47229478673504301792012-03-15T06:33:00.000-07:002012-03-15T06:33:37.759-07:00Dawn makes hats fit for Kate<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpnIZOnCya17E_CDF2mwKLzb6_AvKb1U9Ytas9K4j04qqxZViUlSsyNvVmWxOA3-6VoNdfyaDv4AqOw-BBt5JB-LjucN-YWFK5je-bo6ILZ_WJkk2L-ekX-IfUFGLQl-XZ9R7LKrP9Cww/s1600/c107b9cc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpnIZOnCya17E_CDF2mwKLzb6_AvKb1U9Ytas9K4j04qqxZViUlSsyNvVmWxOA3-6VoNdfyaDv4AqOw-BBt5JB-LjucN-YWFK5je-bo6ILZ_WJkk2L-ekX-IfUFGLQl-XZ9R7LKrP9Cww/s320/c107b9cc.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">York milliner Dawn Guibert who <br />
designed a hat worn by Kate Middleton</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>York milliner Dawn Guibert is at Cheltenham races this week – getting her 2012 season off to a flying start</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><br />
<br />
DAWN Guibert still remembers the shock she felt when she picked up a magazine to find Kate Middleton wearing one of her creations.<br />
<br />
The York milliner picks up the story: “Kate Middleton had gone to Get Ahead Hats, where I supply hats.” Kate went on to wear the hat at a society wedding… and was photographed by the paparazzi.<br />
<br />
“That hat was everywhere!” recalls Dawn. “For about a month, it was in every newspaper and magazine. Nobody knew I had made it.”<br />
<br />
The hat had a special poignancy for Dawn. It was part of a collection she designed following the tragic death of her first-born son, Jem, who was born prematurely and died in her arms at just three days old.<br />
<br />
“Because these were the first hats I designed after my child died, I named each of the hats after a gem stone. The one Kate wore was called Jet.”<br />
<br />
Although Dawn makes hats for Get Ahead Hats, she has also launched her own exclusive, bespoke range, simply called Guibert.<br />
<br />
“All Guibert hats are one-offs,” explains Dawn. “Most are commissions. Guibert hats are for hat lovers… to buy a Guibert hat you really have to love hats. They are a work of art.”<br />
<br />
It can take three times as long for Dawn to make a bespoke hat, which can cost from £250 upwards. Her most expensive commission so far cost £1,200. “This was for Eddie Stobart, the haulage company, which wanted a hat for Ascot to promote the business,” explains Dawn. For this, Dawn made 45 fabric roses by hand, in six of seven different colours, with the same number of hand-made leaves and the name ‘Stobart’ emblazoned across the back of the hat.<br />
<br />
She prides herself on the attention to detail and traditional craftsmanship. All her hats are hand-blocked and stitched and she uses fabrics rather than sinamay 90 per cent of the time.<br />
<br />
“I’m trying to bring the art of millinery back into the industry,” says Dawn, who is married and has a son, Sam, aged four.<br />
<br />
As a child, Dawn used to make clothes and went on to study fashion at college.<br />
<br />
“I wanted to be a sculptor, but went into clothes design, then made hats, which is a combination of fashion and sculpture.”<br />
<br />
Dawn’s artistry is evident in her work. In the new Guibert collection for 2012, we find hats that look like snakes twisting up through a large silk flower and a pill box hat in purple metallic fabric with giant roses and netting as a finishing flourish.<br />
<br />
Fashion trends are also evident in the new collection. “Vintage clothing is very popular so there is a vintage style hat this year, which takes you back to the days of Audrey Hepburn,” says Dawn. This hat is in black with white polkadots and is finished with a bow in the same fabric and a large white flower. It looks perfect with a little black dress and a pair of long gloves.<br />
<br />
Metallics are another big trend that Dawn has incorporated in the new collection.<br />
<br />
Dawn is becoming well known on the racing circuit for her super-stylish designs. TV presenter Zoey Bird, who presents At The Races on Sky TV, is a fan and wore Dawn’s creations for all four days of Ascot last year. This week at Cheltenham, Zoey will be wearing a Guibert hat when she comperes the best dressed lady event.<br />
<br />
As for the fashion, Dawn expects Cheltenham to produce its usual stream of classic outfits.<br />
<br />
“It’s very twin-set and pearls,” says Dawn. “It’s a very classy affair.”<br />
<br />
And her outfit? Dawn says: “I’ll be wearing a new coat from Pinko and a tartan and velvet hat.”<br />
<br />
A Guibert one, of course.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Find out more at guibertmillinery.com</em></strong>Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-21625903874390666972012-03-15T06:29:00.000-07:002012-03-15T06:29:25.490-07:00Stalk this way<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz1g-aFDqYYfx2YSS55C8f4S4oRuy58CxfO6pU7u9LAbAakiGit91jID1kV0mMsqdAses231P4ejpAzO_aG2pIzvx53tD0drKO53uErI1kWjdiTKmL57yblOxYyqIGh6od1aEmth9tF3Y/s1600/c107bb35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz1g-aFDqYYfx2YSS55C8f4S4oRuy58CxfO6pU7u9LAbAakiGit91jID1kV0mMsqdAses231P4ejpAzO_aG2pIzvx53tD0drKO53uErI1kWjdiTKmL57yblOxYyqIGh6od1aEmth9tF3Y/s320/c107bb35.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rhubarb growers... Janet Oldroyd-Hulme and her husband <br />
Neil at their farm at Rothwell, West Yorkshire</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>MAXINE GORDON heads over to the ‘Rhubarb Triangle’ for a true Yorkshire delicacy </strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">IT is a scene that has remained unchanged for five generations.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>In candlelit sheds, men and women are bent double, picking rhubarb stalks the length of their arms.<br />
<br />
But this isn’t any old rhubarb. <br />
<br />
This is Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb; the gold standard of the industry; the real McCoy.<br />
<br />
The tell-tale sign is its astonishing colour, a soft pink, a shade not often seen in Yorkshire at this time of year.<br />
<br />
Then there is the taste. Not the tongue-sticking tartness of the more common outdoor variety. This is a lighter, more tender, and sweeter stalk.<br />
<br />
Such is its superiority, Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb now has protected status from the EU, in the same way as Champagne, Parma Ham and Jersey Royals. This means only produce grown from within the forcing sheds of the ‘Rhubarb Triangle’ between Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield can call itself Yorkshire Forced.<br />
<br />
Forced rhubarb owes its special colour and flavour to two things; location and method of production.<br />
<br />
Forcing sheds were set up in the shadow of the Pennines, providing the perfect growing conditions. Rhubarb likes frost, rain and the cold – in perfect abundance in this area of West Yorkshire. Also shoddy – or wool waste – was in ready supply. This was used to fertilise the fields, providing necessary levels of nitrogen, on which the plant thrives.<br />
<br />
The method of growing is particular too. Rhubarb roots are cultivated outside for two years, but no crop is taken. Instead, all the plant’s energy is kept in its root. Then after a frost, the root is carefully lifted and laid inside giant sheds. These are kept in the pitch black and given heat and water. Deprived of light and food, the plant is “forced” to produce its stalks in search of sustenance. Under these conditions, the stalks grow rapidly; about one inch a day.<br />
<br />
The season for forced rhubarb is short – just a few weeks over winter, depending on the weather. The mild spell at Christmas followed by a late frost caused havoc with producers this year and put production behind. The season will be over by the start of April, although fans can ensure it lasts longer by buying in bulk and freezing. Forced rhubarb can be frozen in both raw and cooked form.<br />
<br />
Leading growers Oldroyd & Sons at Rothwell, near Leeds, run popular tours of the forcing sheds.<br />
<br />
Janet Oldroyd-Hulme – dubbed the High Priestess of the industry – lead the tour I attended this week.<br />
<br />
As we tentatively took our places inside the giant shed, candlelight gently flickered in the area around Janet. She shone a torch around the shed so we could see how enormous it was. It was quite something to see row after row of pink stalks standing to attention and waiting to reach the acquired length before being picked.<br />
<br />
I was warned to look and listen. “Sometimes you can see the rhubarb move as it grows… and you can hear it ‘pop’ as it bursts out of its bud,” explained my companion for the day, Elaine Lemm, a self-confessed rhubarb geek who has even written a book about the stuff.<br />
<br />
In its heyday Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb was a much sought-after product. Until the 1960s, a train dubbed the ‘Rhubarb Express’ left Wakefield station nightly bound for London with 200 tonnes of freshly picked stalks. <br />
<br />
Today, just 11 large-scale growers are left in the region, from a high of 200. <br />
<br />
But the vegetable (it is only classed as a fruit in the US), is enjoying a revival, with chefs and foodies returning rhubarb – especially the forced variety – to their menus.<br />
<br />
Stephanie Moon, chef at the top-rated Rudding Park Hotel at Harrogate, cooked an assiette of rhubarb for the British TV show The Great British Menu.<br />
<br />
“Rhubarb is very much a flavour of today,” Janet tells her audience. “Blueberries and cranberries are popular too as people go for a tart flavour.”<br />
<br />
And she says rhubarb can be used in savoury dishes too. “With a bit of imagination, you can use it in a variety of ways.”<br />
<br />
Elaine Lemm certainly believes this. Her book, The Great Book of Rhubarb (Great Northern, £7.99) is full of interesting ideas with rhubarb; yes the humble crumble is in there, but so too are recipes for rhubarb with chicken, duck and mackerel.<br />
<br />
Over a cuppa and a biccie, Janet gives visitors an informative talk about rhubarb. Besides its culinary uses, the plant is also being used by the medical and cosmetic industry. “Rhubarb is a natural cleanser,” says Janet, who recalls farm workers using the vegetable waste to rub oil and grease off their hands. <br />
<br />
Medical researchers are also investigating the use of forced rhubarb in the fight against cancer. They have already found that the rhubarb stalk contains natural polyphenols, which are enhanced when roasted. <br />
<br />
Janet, who used to be a medical researcher, said: “Plants produce polyphenols when they go under stress. We need polyphenols because they act like super sponges and pull out pollutants and free radicals. When we eat rhubarb it helps keep pollutants out of our bodies and can help reduce your risk of getting cancer.” <br />
<br />
Researchers are also looking at how to use rhubarb in anti-cancer drugs.<br />
<br />
Rhubarb’s first use was for medicinal purposes (to treat everything from diarrhoea to venereal disease) so Janet says it should not be so surprising if the medical establishment embraces it again.<br />
<br />
She said: “Rhubarb has been a great friend to mankind. Hopefully it has got a massive future.”Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-77619973254358764162012-02-09T06:47:00.000-08:002012-02-09T06:47:35.258-08:00Laugh yourself well! <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG95WblKikFgLOSsMhVI6ZDnszNHYGCih0yhba83RQKmoRj3kBunSQ24WXPVlP5FrtolSAKgP6BXpBsv3QZl0M4SZoogDpn5k0zL7MmS7qKqHiQH1Da2q_cl9Ssc4zwjAlWjFfsTNgg-Q/s1600/c107a837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="264" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG95WblKikFgLOSsMhVI6ZDnszNHYGCih0yhba83RQKmoRj3kBunSQ24WXPVlP5FrtolSAKgP6BXpBsv3QZl0M4SZoogDpn5k0zL7MmS7qKqHiQH1Da2q_cl9Ssc4zwjAlWjFfsTNgg-Q/s400/c107a837.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tutor Judith Hardy leads a Laughter Yoga group in York</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<strong>They say laughter is a tonic, so I've popped along to a Laughter Yoga group in York to help locate my feel-good funny bone...</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong><br />
</strong><br />
HO, ho, ho! Hee, hee, hee! Ha, ha, ha! The belly laughs fill the room; amplified by the vaulted chamber, they create a cacophony of cackles that any stand-up in a comedy club would welcome.<br />
<br />
But this isn't an open-mic night in a basement bar. We're in a York church hall; there are only ten of us, and we're practising laughter yoga.Our instructor, Judith Hardy, is leading tonight's class. Most people have brought mats or blankets, although there's not much in the way of yoga poses during the one-hour class.<br />
<br />
And although there is plenty of laughter, most of it is “fake” released through a series of exercises directed by Judith.<br />
<br />
“The body doesn't know the difference between real laughter and fake laughter,” explains Judith, a mum of two from Deighton, just outside York.<br />
<br />
That means if we can learn to laugh to order, we can reap the benefits of a good old guffaw.<br />
<br />
“It can lower blood pressure and release endorphins, the feel-good hormones,” says Judith. “Researchers at Oxford University found that laughter has an effect on pain relief.”<br />
<br />
Laughter yoga was invented in India in 1995. Dr Madan Kataria was researching the benefits of laughter for a journal paper and assembled a group of people together every morning. After two weeks the jokes ran out, but he kept the group going anyway, encouraging them to practise laughing. His hypothesis was proven, that our bodies cannot tell the difference between acted and genuine laughter and that both produce the same “happy chemistry”.<br />
<br />
Laughter yoga is now available the world over, and slowly taking off in the UK. “England is about the last country to offer laughter yoga,” says Judith.<br />
<br />
Her classes are for both sexes, although the group I attended at St Edward the Confessor's church hall on Tadcaster Road in York was all female.<br />
<br />
And you don't need to be light hearted to get the most out of it. One woman I spoke to afterwards told me: “I'm a really serious person.” Minutes earlier, I'd watched her charging round the room pretending to keep a run-away lawn mower under control and making noises to put Macbeth's witches to shame.<br />
<br />
Judith says: “You don't need a sense of humour to do laughter yoga. It's not really about yoga, or laughing, it's about breathing.”<br />
<br />
At the start of each class, Judith guides participants in a warm-up. We start with a deep Santa-esque “ho, ho, ho” which rumbles straight from our abdomens. The breathing is the same as that used in yoga pranayamic and requires you to push out your abdomen as you let out your laugh and pull it in as you inhale.<br />
<br />
It's this inner body work-out that does the magic and mimics the same physiological and psychological responses from a genuine laugh.<br />
<br />
So do we really need to learn to laugh? Judith thinks so. Mostly when we laugh, she says, it's only for a few seconds at a time. But to get the real benefits, you need to laugh for about 15 to 20 minutes in one go.<br />
<br />
To this end, Judith has regular laughter “work-outs” at home. “My family think it's a bit mad,” she confesses. “So does the dog!”<br />
<br />
But it makes her feel great. She says: “In my laughter exercises, it's not spontaneous. I am faking the laughter, but it feels good.”<br />
<br />
She became a devotee after attending her first class about a year ago, when she became redundant. “I found laughter yoga at a very stressful time in my life. I was very sceptical about it; I thought it sounded stupid, crazy,” admits<br />
<br />
Judith. “But what I learned is you have to get your mind out of the way; get rid of that voice in your head so you can listen to your body.”<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">At the end of the session, we all lie on the floor, in a flower formation, heads almost touching at the centre. We begin to practise our laughing. Judith tells us to “throw our thoughts” into the centre. I understand what she means. You need to “switch off”; not think about what's in the pack-up for tomorrow's lunch; not worry about that unpaid bill, and certainly ditch any notion of self-consciousness. It is, says Judith, about connecting with the child in us all and re-discovering a sense of playfulness.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So we laugh. Gently at first, but then it builds, a giggle into a chuckle, and then into a real tummy rumbling roar. By the sound of it, some women even get to the hysterical, tears-in-the-eye, stage. For some, it will be genuine (it is rather funny after all, so the giggles can naturally take over). For others it will be forced. Whichever; it doesn't matter. When we all stop, we all feel great.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">For first timer Belinda Levy, the class has had a real impact. “I was hoping to have some fun and have a laugh, and I did,” she says. “I feel lighter with a feeling of openness on the inside.”</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">One thing's for sure, we are all smiling as we walk out into the cold, dark, wintry night.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em>Judith runs her drop-in laughter yoga session on the last Monday of each month at the St Edward the Confessor church hall, Tadcaster Road, York, from 7pm-8pm, cost £3. </em></strong></div><br />
<strong><br />
<em></em></strong><br />
<strong><em>She is also running classes at Briar House Resources, next to The Healing Clinic, Museum Street, York: </em></strong><strong><em>Saturday Laughter: 11am-12 noon (cost £20 for four-week course); </em></strong><strong><em>Laughter Blaster Stress Release Sessions; 30-minute sessions: 12.10-12.40pm, 12.45-1.15pm (£3)</em></strong><br />
<strong><br />
<em></em></strong><br />
<strong><em>To find out more, email Judith at judithhardy1@btinternet.com, telephone 01904 728342, and visit laughteryoga.org</em></strong><br />
<strong><br />
<em></em></strong><br />
<strong><br />
<em></em></strong>Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-46709378900564036492012-02-02T04:08:00.000-08:002012-02-02T04:08:54.855-08:00Beach treasures inspire York jeweller<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29-NTSo6vvRlON_RFzwEUlE7K8FrgLkEhxuc8FkzfeWOF2NvZ2rk549ShauaWV_ysKyj80KMTfD80lFsiui1rYPm_X8esSohDjPNhWTwrAoci39j0Hc90QTTUc9Dd1XB15otglCsvrz4/s1600/c107a4f8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29-NTSo6vvRlON_RFzwEUlE7K8FrgLkEhxuc8FkzfeWOF2NvZ2rk549ShauaWV_ysKyj80KMTfD80lFsiui1rYPm_X8esSohDjPNhWTwrAoci39j0Hc90QTTUc9Dd1XB15otglCsvrz4/s320/c107a4f8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">York jeweller Karen Thomas reflected in one <br />
of her intricate silver swivel pendants</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Shells and pebbles from Filey Bay are the inspiration for the latest works by York's Karen Thomas, jeweller of the month at the city's Pyramid Gallery</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong></strong></div><strong><br />
</strong><br />
LONG walks along the North Yorkshire coast with Collie-cross J unearthed genuine treasures for city jeweller Karen Thomas.<br />
<br />
For it was during excursions to Filey Bay that she would turn over pebbles and discover shells that would inspire her silver jewellery making back in her tiny garden studio in Heworth.<br />
<br />
And it is here, in a bricked garden shed, no more than three-metres square, where you’ll find Karen hard at work, making moulds, soldering silver and turning her designs into beautiful, wearable pieces that are now sold across the UK and in Europe.<br />
<br />
The new year has been particularly busy for Karen. She has been chosen as the “Allure jeweller of the month” at York’s Pyramid Gallery on Stonegate, and has been burning the midnight oil to get extra pieces ready for the show.<br />
<br />
The honour is even more special because the gallery has just opened a new exhibition, Thirty-30, featuring 30 British jewellers to mark its 30th anniversary in the city.<br />
<br />
Karen says she remembers going to the gallery in her student days when it was on Gillygate.<br />
<br />
Karen, originally from Dudley, came to York in 1993 to study craft and design at York’s FE college. “As a student, the Pyramid Gallery was somewhere I went to for inspiration. I never expected my work would ever be in the gallery so it is nice that I have done it and am jeweller of the month.”<br />
<br />
Visitors to the gallery will see how delicate seashells found on a North Yorkshire beach have been transformed into beautiful earrings, pendants and necklaces. <br />
<br />
Her showpiece is a stunning 45-inch venus and pearl necklace, made from silver venus clam shells and off-white pearls.<br />
<br />
There are bolder pieces too; featuring large polished “pebbles” of vibrant turquoise, lilac amethyst and deep purple “imperial” jasper, set in chunky silver claws and made into rings, earrings and pendants.<br />
<br />
This collection developed from an earlier range featuring pebbles.<br />
<br />
“Living in North Yorkshire, I take inspiration from the landscape and its colours. I am particularly drawn to the natural forms of the dramatic North East coastline,” said Karen.<br />
<br />
After a spell at college in York, Karen took a degree in jewellery and silversmithing in Birmingham. A job offer to teach in York brought her back North; she began working with another jeweller and later set up on her own.<br />
<br />
From a child, Karen was destined to work with her hands. “I always made things,” she said. “I never played with dolls, but always Lego and Plasticine and bits of cardboard.”<br />
<br />
Originally she thought about becoming a blacksmith. “But this is better,” she said with a chuckle. “I get to work inside”.<br />
<br />
Karen likes a challenge, and sets out to make many of her pieces as versatile as possible. Hence she has a “swivel” range, where pieces on rings and pendants can literally swivel round to reveal a second design.<br />
<br />
Karen carries this idea through to necklaces too. She puts extra holes on chains to give the wearer more choice in where it should be fastened. This means a favourite piece can be worn with a variety of necklines.<br />
<br />
Then there are her adjustable necklaces and pendants. These feature two pendants, one large, one small, at opposite ends of the chain. They can be worn so either pendant is at the front.<br />
<br />
“I don’t want to make something that somebody will just wear once then put in a box,” said Karen. “I want to know people are wearing it.<br />
<br />
“I like to know that they can wear a piece somewhere special and feel a bit glam, but also that they can wear it everyday and just liven up an outfit.”<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Find out more at karenthomasjewellery. co. uk </em></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><em>To mark Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in March, Karen is working on a new collection, and 25 per cent from each sale will go to the Ovarian Cancer Research. Details will be on her website soon. </em></strong><br />
<strong><em></em></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><em>Karen has also made the shortlist for the annual Craft & Design awards; people can vote for her through her website.</em></strong>Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-48945994619486565242012-02-02T03:59:00.000-08:002012-02-02T04:13:23.115-08:00Sophie queen of chocs<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEire8T-oJjVyB_fL62jefQV5AlW_in7ESzmFcv7hyf7fXYiDScHEFSzCPOYG7KjcyMUT_WCpkg0RNV4mqhVf_W0xmhC4mRs3iJNAhV56-G6oB7dl5XmHj69naPziIACYeC7HZbThJGQr-k/s1600/c107a427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="120" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEire8T-oJjVyB_fL62jefQV5AlW_in7ESzmFcv7hyf7fXYiDScHEFSzCPOYG7KjcyMUT_WCpkg0RNV4mqhVf_W0xmhC4mRs3iJNAhV56-G6oB7dl5XmHj69naPziIACYeC7HZbThJGQr-k/s200/c107a427.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sophie Jewett, left, with Maxine<br />
and their chocolate lollies</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">“WHAT sort of chocolate do you like – dark, milk or white?” asks Sophie Jewett as she makes me a cafe latte at her new chocolate emporium, York Cocoa House.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Her question makes me freeze. Sophie is one of the city’s top chocolatiers who runs sell-out chocolate workshops and is heading up the first York Chocolate Festival, so I wonder whether to tell the truth – or lie.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">You see, I am a Galaxy/Dairy Milk sort of girl, who can eat a family size bar in one sitting. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">However, I am tempted to say that only the darkest chocolate will suffice; the more cocoa solids the better; and how I only ever savour one tiny square at a time. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">But deception has never been in my make-up. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I come clean. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">“Milk,” I say rather sheepishly, feeling as if I’ve just confessed to Jilly Goolden that I prefer Blue Nun to the finest Burgundy.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>To my great surprise Sophie breaks into an understanding smile. Turns out, she’s a Galaxy/Dairy Milk sort of gal too, and her new chocolate venture is aimed at people like us.<br />
<br />
“As we get older people think we should like the darker stuff more,” says Sophie. “People feel guilty about having something sweet and creamy.<br />
<br />
“Well this is where people can come for their chocolate fix – without feeling too guilty.”<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Not that you’ll find Sophie selling bars of Galaxy or Dairy Milk from her grand premises on Blake Street (opposite the Assembly Rooms).</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">On the menu are the usual ranges of coffees, but hot chocolate and teas too as well as a tempting array of home-made treats. There are brownies and cakes that pay homage to the city’s chocolate heritage; chocolate orange cake and KitKat cake.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Also, from this month, savoury dishes will be available – all featuring chocolate. During my visit I sampled some of chef Claire Davies’ works in progress. Her fiery butternut squash soup, laced heavily with aromatic cardamom, is served with giant white chocolate buttons. It looks and sounds crazy, but there is sanity in the culinary combination. “The white chocolate is just cream, cocoa butter and sugar,” explains Sophie, adding that its addition is similar to a spoonful of yoghurt or cream into the curried soup. Indeed, as the chocolate melts into the soup it leaves an oozy, white swirl that adds a smooth creaminess.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Next comes a veggie chilli, complete with shards of dark chocolate on the side and a mini grater. “People can grate the chocolate straight into the dish at the table,” says Sophie.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The Cocoa House also sells Sophie’s handmade chocolates and truffles. “Try this,” says Sophie with a challenging grin. It’s a rich chocolate truffle made with Yorkshire Blue cheese. My instinct is to scrunch my nose in distaste, but the strong flavours of the dark chocolate and ripe cheese are a surprising hit. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">“We also make truffles with real ale using York Brewery’s Centurion Ghost and chocolate orange ones with marmalade,” says Sophie.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>She runs chocolate-making workshops too. During my visit, I have a go at making a chocolate lollipop. My first surprise is when Sophie hands me a hairdryer. We use this to melt the mass of Belgian milk chocolate buttons piled up in a plastic bowl. It’s a gentle method to “temper” the chocolate, allowing it to get to the correct consistency to mould it into the desired shape. It is right when a ribbon of chocolate dribbled from a wooden spoon leaves a trail, but this trail disappears when you shake the bowl. <br />
<br />
To make the lollipops, we take a spoonful of the melted chocolate and ladle it on to a cellophane sheet upon a small tray. I bang the tray a couple of times until the chocolate spreads out to form a nice round shape. Then I place a stick in the middle, twiddling it around so it too is covered in chocolate, and decorate the lollipop with a sprinkling of strawberry swirls and dark chocolate balls. <br />
<br />
With the remaining chocolate, I spoon it into a silicon mould. Sophie puts this in the fridge and about ten minutes later, like icecubes, we pop out the results. The chocolates are delightful, a mix of quirky shapes on an afternoon-tea theme featuring mini biscuits, cupcakes and even a teapot.<br />
<br />
Sophie began making chocolates as a child growing up on a farm on the Isle of Wight. As a sufferer of Crohn’s disease, a chronic condition that causes inflammation of the gut, she discovered one of the triggers is chocolate. This means she has to limit her intake, although she still has a sweet tooth; she takes three spoonfuls of sugar in her coffee.<br />
<br />
Sophie says she learned how to make chocolate by “trial and error” and seeks through her workshops to show people how to make chocolates in an “accessible way” – hence the use of a hairdryer for tempering rather than splaying the chocolate on a marble slap in the traditional way.<br />
<br />
But her ambitions stretch further than running a chocolate business in York. In recent years, she has organised various chocolate events for the York food and drink festival, which spurred her on to launch the city’s first Festival of Chocolate, which will run over Easter weekend. The timing couldn’t be better, coinciding with the opening of York’s newest visitor, York’s Sweet Story, this spring.<br />
<br />
Sophie says: “We want to get people talking about York’s chocolate heritage and promote York as a chocolate destination.”<br />
<br />
And where better to start than with a spot of indulgence at the York Cocoa House?Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-46466519244858157432012-01-26T02:03:00.000-08:002012-01-26T02:03:50.287-08:00COMMENT: Why the Scots deserve to vote on "Devo Max"<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASxNWvL_vDz-q-nzE7nO_mcuZmN6zFIACWMzjlCIOHnXV-aHkTMG56AHfPNlTD8zw1yO6IG8zBY5GhM06hJvVSZcyTU5EwU9hYVhlZRmyD4gLoMJUUX1HMg9I1J1d9X-KWMcC8b5V0ss/s1600/c1079e10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASxNWvL_vDz-q-nzE7nO_mcuZmN6zFIACWMzjlCIOHnXV-aHkTMG56AHfPNlTD8zw1yO6IG8zBY5GhM06hJvVSZcyTU5EwU9hYVhlZRmyD4gLoMJUUX1HMg9I1J1d9X-KWMcC8b5V0ss/s200/c1079e10.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SNP leader and Scotland's <br />
First Minister Alex Salmond</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">AS a Scot, I have had few occasions to feel pride in my homeland. Oh, there was the time the national side scored against Brazil in the opening match of the 1998 Football World Cup. But it was short-lived; the boys in yellow won 2-1. And my hopes are raised every time Andy Murray lifts a tennis racquet at Wimbledon - only to be dashed in the later rounds. </div><br />
<br />
But there is one morning I recall feeling a surge of national pride. It was September 12, 1997 - the day after the devolution referendum. I woke to news that people in Scotland had voted overwhelmingly in favour of a Scottish Parliament (74.3 per cent to be exact) with a considerable majority (63.5 per cent) also voting for tax-varying powers. In short, the Scots had not only voted for their own parliament, but one with teeth. <br />
<br />
Eighteen years earlier, it had all been so different. The 1979 referendum on devolution was a washout that left a nasty taste in the Scottish palate. Although a slim majority (51.6 per cent) voted in favour, the then Labour government ruled that at least 40 per cent of the electorate had to be in favour for the result to hold. In a low turnout, only 32.9 per cent had actually crossed the "Yes" box. <br />
<br />
Devolution was dead. <br />
<br />
Two things brought it back to life: <br />
<br />
Mrs Thatcher and 18 years of Tory rule. People living and working in Scotland felt totally disenfranchised under the UK electoral system. As long as England kept voting Tory, Scotland was destined to be ruled by a party it did not want. The final insult was when Thatcher introduced the Poll Tax into Scotland before England. <br />
<br />
In the 1992 General Election, Scotland returned 11 Conservative MPs to Westminster, out of a total of 72. In the 1997 election, the Tories won no seats in Scotland. <br />
<br />
You don't need to be a maths whiz to realise that democracy wasn't working. <br />
<br />
Writing in The Press recently, political journalist Chris Moncrieff revealed his bafflement at Tony Blair offering the Scots a vote on devolution when he came to power in 1997. "Why?" he asks, when Blair had "always professed to be against the break-up of the United Kingdom". <br />
<br />
What Chris forgets is that Labour was part of the push for devolution during the Tory years, through the likes of the broad-church Campaign For A Scottish Assembly. <br />
<br />
In recent months, we've seen how grassroots efforts are leading to democratic reform in countries across North Africa, and now Burma. <br />
<br />
Although Scotland was never ruled by a military junta, Scots felt like they were in chains, politically. <br />
<br />
And just as we have seen in Tunisia, Egypt and now Burma, when enough people want change, it tends to happen. <br />
<br />
So Blair, ever the populist, was appealing to a long-held ambition for Scots in offering devolution. He hoped satisfying the Scots' appetite for an assembly might diminish any lingering hunger for independence. <br />
<br />
Onlookers may look at the current situation and think, like Chris, that Blair scored an own goal. Not only is the SNP running the Scottish Parliament, its leader, Alex Salmond, is First Minister, and is now sparring with David Cameron over when to hold a new referendum, this time on independence. <br />
<br />
So is the break-up of Britain imminent? Probably not - no poll has ever shown that Scots prefer independence over devolution, even after 14 years of home rule. <br />
<br />
Which is why Cameron wants the referendum held ASAP and limited to a simple Yes/No vote on independence. He thinks he can win. <br />
<br />
Salmond, on the rails, wants more time, to build support, but is also considering introducing a "Devo Max" option on the ballot. This would increase the scope of Scotland's political autonomy but fall short of independence. <br />
<br />
Polls suggest "Devo Max" is what the majority of Scots would prefer. <br />
<br />
Both Cameron and Salmond need to heed the public mood and put the political aspirations of the Scots above their own partisan goals. <br />
<br />
Democracy, after all, is something the Scots have fought long and hard for. They will not take kindly to the return of any political straitjacket.Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-27380004209361164692012-01-26T02:00:00.000-08:002012-01-26T02:00:07.767-08:00What makes a great coffee shop?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxV9LvaEP-POojkFXZeiC0X8eFSRyszG7qGR12N-zkTfmf7jEXeghFH-bVe9iZkv92EqWF5I7PFz5N5Byv5IQMCCuV_vwfX3hN3hoZcGY0eB_SdcajF-iHfNrbq8B_FNf7dI5u0WVhH0/s1600/c106a7ed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxV9LvaEP-POojkFXZeiC0X8eFSRyszG7qGR12N-zkTfmf7jEXeghFH-bVe9iZkv92EqWF5I7PFz5N5Byv5IQMCCuV_vwfX3hN3hoZcGY0eB_SdcajF-iHfNrbq8B_FNf7dI5u0WVhH0/s200/c106a7ed.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">York's "coffee Tsar" <br />
Sadie Walton</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Independent coffee shops in York are going from strength to strength. Here I speak to the city's coffee guru Sadie Walton to find out what’s brewing…</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><br />
</strong></div>SADIE Walton is a 30 year-old-coffee lover who has turned her daily habit into her nine to five.<br />
<br />
As the city’s unofficial coffee Tsar, what Sadie doesn’t know about coffee isn’t worth knowing.<br />
<br />
Aged 25, she opened her first café – La Cremeria in High Petergate. Two years later, she sold it and opened the York Coffee Emporium. Today, she runs the business online, offering a “boutique coffee-roasting service” for clients, including many cafés and restaurants in the city. She also trains baristas and is to be one of the judges in the upcoming UK Barista Championships.<br />
<br />
We arrange to meet in a café of her choice: Coffee Culture on Goodramgate. It sells some of Sadie’s Java blend as its specialist coffee. Needless to say, this is what she orders. “It’s an Indonesian coffee, characterised by a smoky earthiness,” she explains. “It tends not to be very sweet, but full bodied, rich and smooth.”<br />
<br />
I order a cappuccino; it features the house blend, and is one of the best coffees I have ever had. The milk is thick and creamy and seems to ooze into the smooth-tasting coffee rather than just sit on the top like a stiff meringue.<br />
<br />
Sadie says the skill of the barista – or coffee maker – is often the secret to a great coffee. And it is here, she says, that the independents can really make their mark.<br />
<br />
“In the UK, our baristas are not getting the respect they deserve. In Italy, being a barista is a highly regarded profession. In Australia, a barista can make or break the reputation of a café and a great one is highly sought after.”<br />
<br />
Even the best beans in the world can taste bad in the hands of a poorly-trained barista, she adds.<br />
<br />
So what’s the key to a great coffee? “They have to grind the beans just right so that the water doesn’t come through too fast – that makes the coffee taste weak,” begins Sadie.<br />
<br />
How they steam the milk – or “milk texturising” – is crucial too. “You want a creamy foam with lots of tiny bubbles holding it together.”<br />
<br />
Getting the coffee dosage right is vital too. “Independents tend to use smaller cups because they are trying to make coffee in the right manner; people don’t want soup bowls of warm milk.”<br />
<br />
Although we are in straitened economic times, the coffee industry is yet to feel the pinch.<br />
<br />
“The industry has been called ‘recession proof’ although I don’t like to say that,” says Sadie. “It is seen as an ‘affordable luxury’. If you are cutting back on holidays, you can still have your nice cup of coffee in the morning.”<br />
<br />
Sadie has noticed the expansion of independent coffee shops in the city, and believes it is probably now at saturation point.<br />
<br />
In taking on the big guns such as Starbucks and Costa, the independents can stand out through quality products and service, says Sadie. They can do things the giants can’t do too, she adds, such as offering a range of speciality blends and roasts – in the way popular pubs sell a range of independent beers and guest ales.<br />
<br />
“The coffee industry is easily comparable to the micro-brewing industry. And it’s great for cafés to offer something that little bit different.”Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-81716650411718569932012-01-26T01:56:00.000-08:002012-01-26T01:56:00.854-08:00For mums returning to work<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNrhAZvVmgXh49dNxiJ_uxXw2V2gjjIpOMbVvRsRHVZCPC1IK_HZK1z0uy8bZ_u1OYIBZ5b_3IHA5Nr5U8KnVmIhPlUYsnmfUr0Y0Mc4uaGG82eJVSkgJH8qqeZHcuqoX4oItiEYfR8w/s1600/c107a1aa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNrhAZvVmgXh49dNxiJ_uxXw2V2gjjIpOMbVvRsRHVZCPC1IK_HZK1z0uy8bZ_u1OYIBZ5b_3IHA5Nr5U8KnVmIhPlUYsnmfUr0Y0Mc4uaGG82eJVSkgJH8qqeZHcuqoX4oItiEYfR8w/s200/c107a1aa.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coaching advice on returning to work <br />
from Rachel Martin, left, and Michaela Oldfield</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Going back to work after having a baby is never easy. Here, I speak to two women with plenty of good advice...</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">MICHEALA Oldfield was wracked with guilt every morning when she dropped her toddler at nursery.</div><br />
After the birth, she had 18 months off with Amelie before returning to full-time work.<br />
<br />
“I’d drag my daughter out every morning at 6.30, put her in nursery and not pick her up until 6pm at night. She was away from home almost 12 hours a day. She was perfectly happy; she was fine – but I wasn’t.”<br />
<br />
Rachel Martin has a similar story. She gave up work after the birth of her first child, Eleanor, but went back to a part-time post when her second daughter, Elizabeth, was just six months old.<br />
<br />
“It was the wrong decision,” says Rachel. “I had not thought it through properly. They were ill all the time and it was really stressful and I wish I’d waited a couple of years.”<br />
<br />
But it took making that mistake to lead Rachel into the career she has today – as a business coach who also lectures in the subject.<br />
<br />
“I decided to retrain and build my career around the children,” says Rachel.<br />
<br />
Micheala made a similar decision, and set up her own business, Green Shoots Coaching.<br />
<br />
Now friends, both women are combining their talents in running a series of workshops aimed at women, particularly mothers, considering a return to the workplace.<br />
<br />
“We start with the emotional aspects,” says Michaela, whose daughter is now six. “That is what makes us different from other training courses – and that we have experience of it all ourselves.”<br />
<br />
Rachel, who wrote her coaching dissertation on women returning to work, adds: “The key thing you find is a lack of confidence. In mums who have been away from the workplace and been at home, one of the key things you hear is “I can’t do this”. What we get them to do is focus on their strengths and their self belief and get them to explore what they want and to say: “yes, I can do this!”<br />
<br />
Deciding on your values are central to making the right career decision, believes Rachel.<br />
<br />
“I rushed back to work too soon yet my family values were equally as important as my work ones,” she reveals.<br />
<br />
For many women, returning to full-time work may not compliment their desire to spend quality time with their children.<br />
<br />
In this case, Michaela and Rachel can help women examine their options. Perhaps they could negotiate flexible or part-time working with their employer; retrain to a different job or career, or to give up work all together and become a full-time mum?<br />
<br />
Through a series of four weekly workshops – staged at the David Lloyd leisure club, Hull Road, York next month – the coaches plan to cover many aspects of making that decision and, if needs be, managing a return to work.<br />
<br />
Included will be guest speakers sharing their warts-and-all stories about managing the work-life balance, as well as a visit from an image consultant.<br />
<br />
“Sometimes you feel a little bit dowdy and not the person you used to be,” says Michaela. “So we will have someone come and show how to make the best of yourself for going back to work or attending interviews.”<br />
<br />
In the economic climate and with rising unemployment, Rachel said it was more important than ever that women were well prepared for the challenges of getting a job.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>The block of four workshops will be held on Thursdays and Saturdays, allowing women to choose the date that suits them best. They will run from 9.30am to 12.30am at the David Lloyd Leisure Centre, starting on Thursday February 23 or Saturday February 25. It costs £149 to attend all four workshops and all bookings before January 31 will receive a free personal coaching session worth £60. To find out more or book a place, contact Michaela on 07847 300 914 or Rachel on 07717 436 674.</em></strong><br />
<strong><br />
<em></em></strong><br />
<strong><br />
<em></em></strong>Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-12230577196428711112012-01-26T01:49:00.000-08:002012-01-26T01:49:08.355-08:00Recipe: healthy breakfast pancakes<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCL_TgTPLeJv_xrjF4W837pFh2-cb6hvYx9AeYcjsluk_Q2sKf0HDCxmERSjAmeEgVp2lhmNzLQqUEshOQIkK1RJLelGyKPTiT6LCA_vKkd8fRkRR6N93wbyoC3INhVoyq0eCU2RLNlc/s1600/c107a13b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCL_TgTPLeJv_xrjF4W837pFh2-cb6hvYx9AeYcjsluk_Q2sKf0HDCxmERSjAmeEgVp2lhmNzLQqUEshOQIkK1RJLelGyKPTiT6LCA_vKkd8fRkRR6N93wbyoC3INhVoyq0eCU2RLNlc/s200/c107a13b.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blueberry protein pancake</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong>Get the day off to a healthy start with these protein pancakes packed with oats and egg whites</strong><br />
<br />
<br />
A NEW Year’s resolution was to make sure my nine-year-old daughter was having her five portions of fruit and veg every day. <br />
<br />
Sometimes that is harder to achieve than it sounds, particularly when kids seem to love cereal or toast for breakfast, a sarnie for lunch and pasta or pizza for tea. <br />
<br />
So I decided to start at the beginning of the day and introduce more variety – and fruit and veg – into her breakfasts.<br />
<br />
Simple ideas so far have included mushroom omelette, mushroom and cheese toastie, healthy oat and raisin muffins and porridge with sultanas, cinnamon and grated apple. Fresh fruit smoothies are a hit too. <br />
<br />
But the favourite, by far, has been this protein pancake, made with blended oats, egg white, fat-free yoghurt and a great big handful of blueberries. <br />
<br />
There is no fat or sugar in the pancake, so I am relaxed about pouring a small capful of maple syrup over the top.<br />
<br />
Despite the lack of flour, this puffs up and cooks just like an American pancake, thanks to the baking powder.<br />
<br />
We have used raisins rather than blueberries and they work just as well.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Blueberry protein pancakes</strong><br />
<br />
This makes one large pancake (cooked in pancake/omelette pan)<br />
<br />
I use a small coffee cup (which holds about 75ml) as my measure<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Ingredients</strong><br />
<br />
1 cup of raw porridge oats<br />
<br />
¾ cup of egg whites (about two egg whites from medium eggs)<br />
<br />
1 cup fat-free Greek Yogurt (or cottage cheese) <br />
<br />
½ tsp cinnamon <br />
<br />
½ tsp baking powder<br />
<br />
few drops of vanilla extract (optional)<br />
<br />
1 cup of blueberries or raisins/sultanas (with extra for sprinkling over top if desired)<br />
<br />
Drizzle of maple syrup or honey (optional)<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Method</strong><br />
<br />
Pour all ingredients except fruit into a container and blend until smooth (should be like a pancake batter). Add fruit and stir.<br />
<br />
Heat pancake or omelette pan (add a bit of butter for colour or if not using a non-stick pan)<br />
<br />
Pour in batter and cook on one side until lots of bubbles appear on the top of the batter and the base firms and turns golden brown.<br />
<br />
Flip over using a fish slice and cook until base is golden brown.<br />
<br />
Lift onto serving plate, top with more fruit and a drizzle of maple syrup or honey if desired.Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-13958385436382801622012-01-20T08:27:00.000-08:002012-01-20T08:27:58.236-08:00Acupuncture - without needles!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmORea1gahSGKC1BT5T0EseMqweUyynFGsbqkMhImW8yrdesAV6XPD8fpPBRmaFTl84nFVon8zvNuua-Oe6k5akjm4C6NhJSQFiIaoKkBYnvehGshcZQZMKbKV_GGIGeY4Lihfx5d9Ok/s1600/c1079ef5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmORea1gahSGKC1BT5T0EseMqweUyynFGsbqkMhImW8yrdesAV6XPD8fpPBRmaFTl84nFVon8zvNuua-Oe6k5akjm4C6NhJSQFiIaoKkBYnvehGshcZQZMKbKV_GGIGeY4Lihfx5d9Ok/s320/c1079ef5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Therapist Sylvia Schroer heats up some moxa during <br />
the non-invasive Toyohari acupuncture treatment, <br />
now available in York</td></tr>
</tbody></table>AS a needle-phobic, I was never going to submit to acupuncture. I'd rather walk over hot coals than have someone stick needles into me.<br />
<br />
So I was intrigued by news that the Japanese therapy, Toyohari a form of acupuncture without needles was now available in York.<br />
<br />
Sylvia Schroer has been administering acupuncture for 20 years and for the past ten years has been trained in Toyohari, during which she visited Amsterdam and Japan for tutoring.<br />
<br />
“Toyohari is a style of acupuncture from Japan,” says Sylvia. “It has a long tradition of being practised by blind people and because of this there is a strong focus on sense and touch for diagnosis.”<br />
<br />
The treatment is newly available at the Gateway To Acupuncture clinic at York Natural Health centre on York Road, Acomb, and I was one of Sylvia's first York clients.<br />
<br />
Pipping me to the post was Penny Cole, who suffers from arthritis and had some Toyohari treatment on her ankle. A self-declared sceptic, Penny came out of the session surprisingly complimentary. Normally after sitting still for half an hour or so, Penny said her ankle would feel stiff and weak. But today, she said, it felt okay, adding she was off to take the dog for a walk.<br />
<br />
I doubted Sylvia would be able to work any similar magic on me mainly because I felt well and had no health complaints.<br />
<br />
But Sylvia said I didn't have to be unwell or in pain to benefit from acupuncture. <br />
<br />
The clinic is running detox treatments, designed to give the body a boost.<br />
<br />
After checking my medical history, Sylvia asked me to lie on the couch. She placed a blanket over me and immediately I felt relaxed.<br />
<br />
She held my two wrists in her hand and took my pulse. This, said Sylvia, was a crucial part in the 'diagnosis' process and helped the therapist pinpoint any 'imbalance' in the person's body that needed corrected.<br />
<br />
She immediately picked up an imbalance in my lungs. “In Chinese acupuncture, the lungs are to do with breath and on a mental and emotional level it is about taking things in and letting go,” said Sylvia. “The lungs are also to do with grief.”<br />
<br />
She also detected my spleen and kidneys needed some rebalancing and soon got out a thick silver needle (like a darning needle) and laid it carefully on certain points on my arm and ankle.<br />
<br />
There was method in the seeming randomness of these selected parts, I later discovered. The points treated by Sylvia lay along meridians which channel the chi (or energy) through the body. By harmonising this flow, you optimise health and well being, says Sylvia.<br />
<br />
As part of my detox treatment, Sylvia used moxa (mugwort herb), well established in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine. Practitioners burn a tiny piece of the herb and apply it to acupuncture points on the patient's skin to improve the flow of energy.<br />
<br />
Intrigued, I watch Sylvia light an incense stick, using the red-hot tip to 'light' the moxa which she then applied to my skin in a swift dart action. It was over in a nanosecond before she did it again to several other points.<br />
<br />
Sylvia said the treatment would not be painful, and true to her word, it wasn't.<br />
<br />
But did it work?<br />
<br />
Well considering I had no obvious ailment, I can't honestly say I felt any different. I did feel a bit light-headed afterwards, and it was very relaxing (so much so it was a struggle to drag myself back to the office).<br />
<br />
Sylvia said: “You can use acupuncture to make you feel clearer and lighter. That's often the first thing people feel clearer and more relaxed. Most have a sense that something is happening to them that is good and their body likes. Very often that is the driver for them to continue treatment.”<br />
<br />
Acupuncture is now recognised as a valid treatment for various problems by the mainstream medical establishment.<br />
<br />
York GP Andy Field, based at 32 Clifton, supports the clinic and will be acting as a medical contact should patients or practitioners wish to discuss diagnosis or treatments.<br />
<br />
Acupuncture, he says, can offer a fruitful approach in treating ailments as diverse as back pain and depression.<br />
<br />
“It is in the NICE guidelines for back pain and has some relevance in certain gynaecological conditions and possibly depression,” says Dr Field. “If we were in more positive economic times, I think we would be using it a lot more.”<br />
<br />
In recognition of these cash-straitened times, the Gateway To Acupuncture clinic, operates a multi-bed practise. This allows therapists to treat three patients at a time in one large room, with individual beds screened off. This, explains Sylvia, makes the treatment more affordable, at £20 per session. Also, patients who had been referred by their GPs will receive a ten per cent discount.<br />
<br />
Sylvia said: “Hopefully this will mean more people can access acupuncture. And if they have a chronic health problem and need a lot of therapy they will be able to afford it.”<br />
<br />
<strong>Find out more at gatewaytoacupuncture.co.uk or telephone 01904 788411 to book an appointment.</strong><br />
<strong><br />
</strong><br />
<strong><br />
</strong>Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737055255905116928.post-4843403020288823392012-01-12T01:51:00.000-08:002012-01-12T01:51:24.672-08:00You shall drop a dress size! <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2osdJjeBvIwwswGi5D9oGl7nUNAQGCAdBMaq9dSTdu80U-0NIe_nnrG7miZGeyYGwicDvy0xRdyr0I-unwmeQpq70BpFeW0l5c8hOg35V_5ulAF71oLbx42FtIzXCz1-jsPF_HuXjQeM/s1600/c1079c20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2osdJjeBvIwwswGi5D9oGl7nUNAQGCAdBMaq9dSTdu80U-0NIe_nnrG7miZGeyYGwicDvy0xRdyr0I-unwmeQpq70BpFeW0l5c8hOg35V_5ulAF71oLbx42FtIzXCz1-jsPF_HuXjQeM/s200/c1079c20.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Author: Jayne Hildreth</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Today's blog is about York counsellor Jayne Hildreth whose new diet book is inspired by fairytales!</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong></strong><br />
<strong></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">DO you step on the scales and wish you could wave a magic wand to make your dream weight appear?</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">If only life were like a fairytale, then we could ask our fairy godmother or the genie of the lamp to “Abracadabra” away those excess pounds.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Anyone who has successfully dieted will know that no magic potions or spells can beat the bulge and that healthy eating and an active lifestyle are the keys to success.<br />
<br />
But sometimes words are easier than deeds.<br />
<br />
A resolution in the New Year to ditch chocolate for carrot sticks and nights in front of the telly for Zumba classes can easily come undone when willpower fails. <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Jayne Hildreth knows this only too well. She piled on weight during her two pregnancies. She lost two stone but struggled to maintain her weight loss. <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>“So I started going to the gym and that helped level my weight,” says Jayne, a 46-year-old mum of two, who is also a counsellor and coach.<br />
<br />
Working with two other coaching professionals, Jayne has published a book aimed at helping people achieve their weight-loss goals.<br />
<br />
Inspired by fairy stories, it is called Who’s Broken My Scales? and even features cartoon pictures of much-loved characters such as Cinderella, Aladdin and Snow White.<br />
<br />
“We wanted to get our message across in a fun and light-hearted way,” explains Jayne, who lives in Wigginton and is also a tutor in coaching and counselling at the University of Hull.<br />
<br />
Using well-known stories and characters also allowed the authors to weave psychological theory about change into the chapters in an accessible way, she added.<br />
<br />
The Frog Prince is the first character to appear in the book and his lesson, says Jayne, is to introduce the psychological stages of change. In the following chapter, Mirror Mirror, the Snow White saga is used to examine issues of identity. In Cinderella, the rags-to-riches tale reminds us of the resources we can use to help us on our quest.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-Ulm1UNE5XlV2RkDpAsX5ud9lXs6nmLJd0_eM9iJS4Cx-tpUMeJejvrdrytf-fZEEhvIYJZkon-ZqhqiJiW-DhCVTGmu9givqmsb2YohpF1MeOMm3yEqdxnmnmgucmjwNQgVpEfrFWI/s1600/c1079c30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-Ulm1UNE5XlV2RkDpAsX5ud9lXs6nmLJd0_eM9iJS4Cx-tpUMeJejvrdrytf-fZEEhvIYJZkon-ZqhqiJiW-DhCVTGmu9givqmsb2YohpF1MeOMm3yEqdxnmnmgucmjwNQgVpEfrFWI/s200/c1079c30.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resourceful: Cinderella</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
“Cinderella is very resourceful,” begins Jayne. “She never thinks she can go to the ball or marry a prince but she finds ways to do just that. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">“We can look at our external resources and ask: ‘who out there can be supportive, and who is not very helpful?’ Is it the friend who tells you that you look OK or the one that invites you to go with her to the gym?”</div><br />
Aladdin is the perfect vehicle to look at goal setting successfully, insists Jayne. “It is not very helpful to say something general like: ‘I must lose weight’. You have got to be more specific about what you want.”<br />
<br />
Through dialogue between Aladdin and the genie, the authors make this point – finishing with the disgruntled genie disappearing back into the lamp with a “Yah boo to you, Sir! Come back when you know what you really wish for!”<br />
<br />
The authors also consider the issue of commitment, encouraging readers to get back on the weight-loss bandwagon after a lapse.<br />
<br />
“It’s really important people don’t punish themselves and feel bad when they have a lapse. It can be a vicious cycle,” says Jayne.<br />
<br />
Finally, although the book is light hearted, it has a serious intent. Jayne understands that for many, many people, being overweight blights their lives. “I’ve worked with people whose self esteem and confidence is very low in relation to their weight.”<br />
<br />
Jayne is organising a series of events around the book.<br />
<br />
The first is at Brown’s department store on Wednesday, January 18, from 7pm-8.30pm (tickets cost £5 and are available from the Estée Lauder counter at Brown’s or from Jayne via email: enquiries@jaynehildrethconsultingltd.co.uk).<br />
<br />
She is also running an introductory workshop at the Park Inn Hotel, North Street, York, on Wednesday, January 25 from 6pm-8pm; tickets £6.<br />
<br />
Both men and women are welcome. “Men find it more challenging to access support for many things, not just weight loss,” says Jayne. “So it would be fantastic if we were able to engage men too.”<br />
<br />
At the Brown’s event, Jayne will be joined by co-author husband-and-wife team Jan and Graham Dexter.<br />
<br />
Each has their own story to share about losing weight, says Jayne. While Jan took up walking, Graham managed to loose weight without a rigorous exercise regime, but enjoys snooker, golf and walking the dog.<br />
<br />
He says he managed to lose two stone “effortlessly” – surely an encouragement if ever there was one.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Who’s Broken My Scales, The Weight Management Approach with the Fairytale Ending, by Jan Russell Dexter, Jayne Hildreth and Graham Dexter, from lulu.com (£2.99 for e-book or £5.94 for hard copy) or from Jayne directly: enquiries@jaynehildrethconsultingltd.co.uk </em></strong><br />
<strong><br />
<em></em></strong><br />
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959478749366429906noreply@blogger.com0