life!

AANN IINNSSPPEECCTTOORRCCAALLLLSS –– AAGGAAIINN DDrraammaa ccllaassssiicc rreettuurrnnss ttoo TThhee GGrraanndd

YOUR WEEKEND MAGAZINE: FREE ON SATURDAYS WITH THE GAZETTEFFIINNDDUUSS OONNTTHHEE NNEETT

PPLLUUSS::Your completeseven-day TV& radio listings

25Saturday, March 7, 2009 life!

YOURVIEW e-mail [email protected]

SEVENDAYS Your complete guide tothe week’s television

Stars come out to playI t may be Friday the 13th, but theorganisers behind Comic Relief2009 (BBC1, Friday, 7pm) willbe hoping the gremlins do thecharitable thing and take the day off, sothis event goes without a hitch.Yes, it’s that time again, when the nation’sbiggest stars come out to play, and thisyear the fundraiser is bigger than ever.As usual, the channels forget their ratingsrivalry as everyone is keen to join in thefun.Slots in the evening-long showcase ofcomedy will be hosted by the likes of

David Tennant, Davina McCall, FernBritton, Claudia Winkleman, JonathanRoss, Alan Carr and Graham Norton, andthereís a feast of one-off specials to beenjoyed too.Little Britain and Ricky Gervais have puttheir thinking caps on for the occasion,while veteran comediennes French AndSaunders have chosen this event toshowcase their last sketch.Have the hankies at the ready, too, to dabaway the tears of joy as James Corden –better known as Gavin & Stacey’s Smithy– offers a few pearls of wisdom to the

England football team. There’s also thechance to see the final of Comic ReliefDoes The Apprentice, and theculmination of the series Let’s Dance forComic Relief.Sarah Jane fans get a treat thanks to aspecial adventure with the former DoctorWho companion, who is joined by veteranfunnyman Ronnie Corbett.There’s also a must-see collaborationbetween comedy duos Armstrong andMiller, and Mitchell and Webb.Music comes from Britain’s biggest band,Take That, as well as Scottish rockers

Franz Ferdinand, while Rob Brydon andRuth Jones get to belt out their ComicRelief song, (Barry) Islands in the Streamtwice – once in the main studio and laterin a special, one-off edition of Top of thePops.Of course, we won’t be allowed to forgetwhy Brydon and the rest of the stars wereso keen to give up their free time, asDavina McCall, Lenny Henry, PaulO’Grady and Ant & Dec present reportsfrom around the UK and Africa on whyyour money is needed to change livesboth at home and abroad.

STAR SMILES: Graham Norton, Davina McCall, Jonathan Ross and David Tennant

life!The Gazette

BEAUTY: 3 TRAVEL: Pages 20/21INTERVIEW: Page 5www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk

Saturday, March 7, 2009

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THEMOVIES

THE UNBORN (15)We all know that children can quite a handful but thecinema has the notion off to a fine art. From TheChildren of the Corn to Village of the Damned and Lordof the Flies – beware. So when Casey Beldon (OdetteYustman) starts dreaming of a terrifying young childyou just know there may be trouble ahead. Herinvestigations reveal that the twin brother she absorbedwhen they were in the womb is now a restless demonnamed a dybbuk and has taken repossession of itsmind.Rating: Omen revisited

PUSH (12A)A relatively exciting British action-thriller set in the modern-day world of psychic espionage. Nick (Chris Evans) andCassie (Dakota Fanning) are among a group of uniqueindividuals who have inherited and developed specialpsychic abilities that originated from human experimentsconducted by the Nazi regime during World War II.Unfortunately all previous experiments have ended intragedy and they find themselves on the run from Carver(Djimon Hounsou) and his troops, part of a clandestinegovernment agency determined to harness their powersfor evil. Rating: Some pull

WATCHMEN (18)Set in an alternate 1985 Americain which costumed superheroesare part of everyday society.Masked vigilante Rorschachuncovers a plot to kill anddiscredit all past and present superheroes. As hereconnects with a ragtag group of retired superheroes,only one of whom has true powers – Rorschachglimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy withlinks to their shared past and catastrophicconsequences for the future. Rating: Watch it

THE YOUNG VICTORIA (15)From the makers of Gosford Park and The Departedcomes the story of Queen Victoria’s early rise to power.From an object of a royal power-struggle to her romanticcourtship and legendary marriage to Prince Albert, EmilyBlunt (Devil Wears Prada) gives an excellentperformance as The Young Victoria. Packed with drama,romance, political intrigue, breath-taking cinematographyand featuring an outstanding British cast including JimBroadbent, Mark Strong, Paul Bettany and MirandaRichardson and Rupert Friend (Pride & Prejudice) it’sfaithful but lacks excitement.Rating: Time piece

CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC (12A)Based on Sophie Kinsella’s novels. Rebecca Bloomwood(Isla Fisher) is a 25 year old who lives cheap with her bestfriend Suze (Krysten Ritter) in a trendy part of town.Rebecca has low paid job with a financial magazine butan expensive shopping addiction. Her bills are piling upwhen she discovers a story that she is truly invested in.Exposing the story gets the attention of a colleague thatshe hasn't quite figured out yet. Drama ensues as shesnags the guy, and she attempts to pay off her ever-growing debt.Rating: Overdrawn

NEW IN TOWN (12A)Lucy Hill (Renee Zellweger) is a high achiever whotakes an assignment to restructure one of hercompany’s small manufacturing plants in Minnesota.From Miami’s warm highlife to bitter cold, snow, and icyroads which must be endured to succeed. Lucy istreated as an outsider when she arrives but is a fighterand wants to win. Meeting union representative TedMitchell (Harry Connick, Jr.) helps, so when told to closethe plant she comes up with an idea to saveeverybody's job – and, of course, falls in love.Rating: Renee for President?

BOLT (U)Man’s best friend learns to stand on his own four pawsin this computer animated comedy, which pokes fun atour obsession with celebrity. Since he was a pup, Bolt(voiced by John Travolta) has been the star of a popularTV series, in which he plays a genetically engineeredcanine with superpowers who saves plucky ownerPenny (Miley Cyrus) from dastardly Dr Calico (MalcolmMcDowell). But once thrust into the real world heembarks on a series of misadventures.Rating: Hot dog

THE INTERNATIONAL (15)Clive Owen continues his quest to be the toughestman on the big screen – but comes closer to headingstraight to DVD. When a fellow agent is murdered,Euro cop Louis Salinger (Owen) and New York districtattorney Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) ignore thefact they are both named after American literarygiants and join forces to entrap one of the world’slargest banks. Crossing the globe they learn the fullextent of its corruption. These days they’d only needto buy a morning newspaper to find out much thesame! Rating: Clive’s credit’s crunched

View all the latest movie trailers at www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk

GRAN TORINO (15)In probably his final appearance in front of a camera, ClintEastwood delivers one of his finest performances as axenophobic war veteran in this timely humanist drama,which he also directs. Haunted by his experiences in theKorean War and consumed by grief over his wife’s death,Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) has become bitter. But when agang scraps with his neighbour’s son, Walt intervenes andsoon warms to them in typical Dirty Harry style.Rating: Grand swansong

✔✔choicelife!

5Saturday, March 7, 2009 life!YOURVIEW e-mail [email protected]

5MINUTESWITH Russell Howard

STARINTERVIEW

FACTFILE

Action man’sa family guy

INTERPOL AGENT: Clive Owen as Louis Salinger in The International

British actor CliveOwen reveals howhe prepared for theall-action role inhis latest movie

Maybe it’s the cup of tea in front ofhim, the way he thoughtfullystrokes his chin as he speaks, orthe genuine vigour in his voice,

but Clive Owen seems surprisingly normal.The ruggedly good-looking actor has comea long way from his “rough” Coventrychildhood, but despite winning overHollywood, he remains fiercely loyal to theUK and is firmly rooted in London.“I love living here,’’ he says, leaning forwardin his smart black suit.“I came to London 20 years ago and fell inlove with it. My kids are very happy here,they’re very settled at school, all my friendsare here, there’s absolutely no reason forme to go anywhere.’’Clive’s family-centred home life is a worldaway from the red carpet glamour ofHollywood and you sense that’s just how helikes it.And when work, like his latest film TheInternational, takes him away from home,he makes sure wife Sarah-Jane Fenton andtheir daughters, Hannah, 12, and Eve, nine,come too.“They come to nearly every film I do, theycome on location, they meet everybodyand they have a great time,’’ the 44-year-old says.The International, as its title suggests, tookClive all over the world – from Berlin toIstanbul, Milan and New York as hischaracter, Interpol agent Louis Salinger,tries to bring down the world’s most corruptbank.With the global economy in freefall andbankers swiftly being cast as the newvillains, it’s an eerily prescient film.“It’s amazing to think that Eric (Singer – thescreenwriter) started writing it six yearsago,’’ Clive says.“When I read the script, I felt like it was asubject that was worth discussing andtalking about now, but no one could havepredicted how timely it’s become.“The whole thing is about pursuing thishuge bank that we believe to be totallycorrupt and questioning whether they’reusing money appropriately and whetherthey’re sound and trustworthy – it’s becomethe topic of the moment and it’s not that far-fetched.’’This happy coincidence was not lost on thefilm’s marketing team, who have written atagline sure to boost the box office takings:“They control your money. They control yourgovernment. They control your life. Andeverybody pays.’’But then, as Clive says, Hollywood still has

to make money in a recession.“I don’t think anyone can avoid it really, itreaches everybody and it certainly reachesthe film game. Studios are tightening theirbelt and they’re more careful about the waythey spend their money.’’For his own part, the actor seems to befairing quite well.His performance opposite King Kong starNaomi Watts in The International is followednext month by spy caper Duplicity, whereClive teams up with Closer co-star andOscar-winning actress Julia Roberts.“That script had some of the best dialogueI’ve read in years,’’ he says, green eyessparkling.“It’s about a couple of corporate spies whoare having an affair and decide to scam thecompanies they’re working for but don’ttrust each other at the same time, so it’s justright for great dialogue scenes with lots ofwicked humour.“It reminded me of old Cary Grant films, likeHis Girl Friday, because it trips along withgreat speed and rhythm.’’Even more appealing for an actor, Clive

was asked to choose his leading lady.“It’s so much easier when you’ve workedwith somebody and you respect eachother, you like each other,’’ Clive says.“In a movie like this, it’s very much a seriesof great banter scenes between the two ofus, and as the trust thing was taken care ofbefore we began, we got to work muchquicker and it was much more playful.’’The good news for Clive’s children is thatDuplicity might be one of the first ofdaddy’s films they can watch; “apart fromJulia and I kissing a little bit!’’ he laughs.“It’s really beginning to get to them that theycan’t see my films,’’ he explains.“They’re like ‘why can’t we watch it? Weknow it’s a movie!’ But the idea of themsitting down and watching Closer or [18-rated] Shoot ‘Em Up is a big no no. So theyare putting serious pressure on me to do akids’ film.’’It’s unlikely that The International will beshowing in the Owen house any time soonthough.While there’s no onscreen romancebetween Clive and his co-star Naomi (“itwas talked about, but it wasn’t appropriateto the film’’), there is a bloody body count inthe main set piece – a breath-taking shoot-out at New York’s iconic GuggenheimMuseum.Clive’s ascent to Hollywood hero has beena steady one – after winning a place atRADA in the mid-80s he started out on thestage at the Young Vic, playing Romeo tohis future wife Sarah’s Juliet.He took on several TV roles, most notablyas a loveable rogue in ITV series Chancer,before his breakout film role in 1998’sCroupier.■ The International is currently on releasein cinemas nationwide

Russell Howardwas born in1980 in Bristol.

He broke into thecomedy mainstreamfour years ago whenhe was hired to writeand perform on RadioOne comedy The MilkRun. Russell wassnapped up for TVshows includingWould I Lie To You?,Law of the Playgroundand Never Mind theBuzzcocks, and won anew wave of fans as aregular on Mock theWeek.

If you had to be stuck in a lift withsomeone, who would it be?Stephen Fry, but it depends how long you weregoing to be stuck in the lift. Also, Katherine Heiglfrom Knocked Up.What is your biggest fear?I can’t go to sleep without having a noise, like aDVD or music playing. I went in a flotation tank theother day and it was horrific because you’re justlocked in with your mind and it’s like being lockedin a room with someone you hate. This brain ofyours just bickers and whines and complainsabout all the things you haven’t done. I’m notreally big about being on my own.Do you have any superstitions?I’ve got a really embarrassing list of things that Icould never tell you. Kind of odd little things thatcomfort me. If you ever see me turned into thecorner of a wall before a gig, don’t go near me.Pretty weird stuff.If you could only have one song on youriPod, what would it be?Poses by Rufus Wainwright. It’s just one of thosesongs I can listen to over and over again. I find itreally beautiful. I really like Ramshackle DayParade by Joe Strummer. I watched The DivingBell and the Butterfly and heard that. It was justunbelievable.What’s the most expensive item you’veever bought, not including property orcars?A sofa. It’s massive, one of those big L-shapedjobs.What’s the best piece of advice you’veever been given?Phil Kaye, who’s an amazing Scottish comedian,gave me a great bit of advice, which was: “Whenyou talk to an audience, always go with thesecond thought in your mind because the firstthought will be the one that everyone else hasthought of.’’When was the last time you cried andwhy?There was a film I watched the other day calledWe Are Together. It was on Channel 4 and aboutthis orphanage in Africa and they were trying toraise money through singing by making a CD.Basically for children whose parents had Aids. Itwas so unbelievably uplifting.What’s your indulgence?I’m big into cereals.How environmentally friendly are you?I’m not really at home enough to get into recyclingand stuff like that. I’m on tour at the minute. I don’tdrive a car, I guess that helps.How many texts do you send in a day?About four.Who is the most famous person whosenumber you have in your mobile?Frankie Boyle.What item could you not live without?My iPod.If you could change one thing aboutyourself, what would it be?My attention span. It’s got really bad recently.Where are you going on holiday?I’m taking my mum and the rest of my family toMauritius for her birthday, so we’re going inDecember.

■ Clive loves variety in his work and mostrecently went from dystopian sci-fi ChildrenOf Men to playing Sir Walter Raleigh inElizabeth: The Golden Age.■ Clive has been lined up to star in asequel to 2006 crime drama Inside Man,alongside Denzel Washington and directedby Spike Lee.■ He will return to the big screen later onthis year in The Boys Are Back, as awidowed father in Australia who has to bringup his two sons. HAPPY COUPLE: Owen with wife

Sarah-Jane Fenton


ROUND&ABOUT●

Preston comedian Dan Nightingale willplay a Comic Relief special at Stand &Deliver Comedy Club at 53 Degrees on

Friday.Nightingale is widely regarded as one of thehottest comic talents on the comedy circuit. Hedelivers quick witted, high octane material withcharm and real rapport with the audience.He is now on his first national tour. When he lastperformed at 53 Degrees he was completely soldout.Group booking is available at all Stand & Deliver

shows. To get reserved priority seating anddiscounts for groups of eight or more [email protected]

Doors 8pm, advanced tickets NUS £6 / Public £8.18+.

Tickets available from Students’ Union Reception,Fylde Road, Preston (01772 893 000); ActionRecords, Church Street, Preston (01772 258 809);online from www.53degrees.net; 24 Hour CreditCard Hotline (0871) 220 0260 and

Favourites’debut dateElbow, having just enjoyed

the most successful yearof their long career, arebringing their biggest UK

tour to date to Blackpool tonight –their first headlining appearance inBlackpool’s Empress Ballroom.Having secured the NationwideMercury Prize for their currentalbum, The Seldom Seen Kid, andmade themselves arguably themost popular winners of the awardever, they went on to be voted theBest British Band in the BritAwards.Elbow also recently completed asell- out UK tour including threeincredible nights at London’sRoundhouse and a valedictorydouble header at their hometown’s Manchester Apollo.The Seldom Seen Kid wasproclaimed as one of the albumsof 2008 by many critics on itsrelease in March last year andwent on to be the band’s mostsuccessful album to date.Lead single, Grounds For Divorce,rapidly became a classic andsoundtracked the trailer for currentCoen Brothers film, Burn AfterReading, whilst second single –One Day Like This – was themusical accompaniment to theBeijing Olympics coverage andEuro 2008.

Big band swing starsHAVING been voted the Best Big Band In theLand for the 11th consecutive year, The SydLawrence Orchestra’spopularity continues to gofrom strength to strengthand they will be at Lytham’sLowther Pavilion tonightfrom 7.30pm.Leader Chris Dean packs apunch with this dazzlingnew show The Best of theBig Bands offering anevening, filled with themost distinctive musicever, seamlessly combinedwith audience banter,producing an entertaining fusion of music andhumour.

Featuring the music of Glenn Miller, Count Basie,Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman,

Billy May, Frank Sinatra, EllaFitzgerald and played foryou by performers with areal passion for their music,this show is bound to leaveyou dazzled from the veryfirst number.The release of their latestalbum, Strictly Big Band, hasbeen enthusiasticallyreceived.Book at the Lowther Pavilionbox office on (01253)658666 or through the

website at www.fylde.gov.uk

WHAT’SON

AWARD-WINNERS: Elbow are making their first headlining appearance at the Empress Ballroom


DUKE’SDIARY

[email protected]

Preservethis pieceof heritageIwell remember when Blackpool Council were

narrowly talked round from approving thedemolition of the Grand Theatre because the

site would make a lovely car park. Equally I recallwhen First Leisure very nearly trashed thewonderful Tower Circus and replaced it with ahideous “animatronic” attraction. I hope I don’thave to soon start campaigning to save the WinterGardens complex.I only mention this because a couple of weeksago I was sitting in the unique and under-ratedGalleon Bar in the Winter Gardens talking to somevisiting Americans. They were here for theBlackpool Magicians’ Club annual convention andthey were – as ever – amazed by what they weresurrounded by.The biggest convention of its kind in the worldwas housed in one building and under one roofwhere its delegates and visitors could eat, drinkand be very merry indeed – uninterrupted by theworld outside.These weren’t soft-centred politicians looking formass media coverage and getting city centrewithdrawal symptoms. No, these were ordinary –and in some cases extraordinary people – whotravel to Blackpool every year because of what itis: a British seaside town with all that that entails.And, coincidentally, because they love the WinterGardens.And so they should. For all its faults – most ofwhich are due to the neglect of successiveowners and possibly a hidden agenda ofdeliberately running parts of the place down –one of the most intact and unique entertainmentcomplexes in the British Isles.It is – to employ that overused term – iconic.Under the Winter Gardens’ one roof is the OperaHouse (one of the biggest theatres in thecountry), the Winter Gardens Pavilion (spoilt butstill intact), the Empress Ballroom (magnificentand atmospheric), the Spanish Hall (uniquelyamusing), the Baronial Hall (decidedly different),the Galleon and Theatre Bars (both under-ratedand under marketed) plus the Arena, theHorseshoe area, the Olympia and much more.So why the worry? Well, you may have noticedthat less and less is actually happening underthat one roof. The occasional rock concert andone night stand blurs the edges, the fewremaining major conferences and dance festivalsattracted here do their best. But like so much elsein Blackpool it is relying on its past reputation.My worry is that after October this year when thecash subsidy agreement of around £1m a yearfrom the council dries up, there will be even lessincentive to bring things to town.The Winter Gardens isn’t just iconic, it’s a primesite. The Olympia’s right next to the newHoundshill – why not merge them? All thoseoffices on Church Street – a lovely site for anotherbudget hotel. The Opera House? It missed out oncasino plans but isn’t bingo making a comeback?Anyway it’s too big. Lock the doors, let it crumblefor few years. Then seeing as we never got thatGrand Theatre car park why not make one there?A Grade II listed one maybe?

Top talent in opera fairytaleTONIGHT sees the return of North StarOpera to Lytham.

Their new production of Hansel andGretel is being taken on tour around theNorth West, with the first production beingat The White Church, Fairhaven, startingat 7.30pm

This new production of a timeless classicfairytale by artistic director Michael Boedraws on the talent of singers whothemselves have had the benefit oftraining at some of the top music collegesin the country.Michael, the brother of international tenorAlfie Boe, says: “I am delighted to be able

to present this new and exciting fullystaged production in a way which shouldappeal to the whole family.”

Tickets are priced at £10 and £8concessions and are available from(01772) 323766 or [email protected]

ClassicthrillerrebornJB Priestley’s thrilling An

Inspector Calls directedby Stephen Daldry (TheHours, Billy Elliot and this

year’s Oscar nominated TheReader) is at Blackpool GrandTheatre from Tuesday to Saturday.Daldry was Oscar-nominated forBest Director for the film TheReader starring eventual Oscarwinner Kate Winslet and RalphFiennes.His celebrated production of JBPriestley’s gripping thriller AnInspector Calls has become themost successful revival of a playin British history.Epic staging, raw emotion and asweeping score are just some ofthe ingredients that have madethis exciting adaptation a smash-hit all over the world, winningmore awards than any other playin history.When Inspector Goole arrivesunexpectedly at the prosperous

Birling family home, their peacefuldinner party is shattered by hisinvestigations into the death of ayoung woman. His startlingrevelations shake the veryfoundations of their lives andchallenge us all to examine ourconsciences.

JB Priestley’s An Inspector Callsis being performed on Tuesday at8pm, then Wednesday toSaturday at 7.30pm, plusWednesday, Thursday andSaturday matinees at 2pm. Ticketsfrom £11.50. Group rates andconcessions available. Schoolsand students £10 all shows.

Book your seats now by callingthe Grand Theatre box office on(01253) 290190, online atwww.blackpoolgrand.co.uk or atthe new Grand Theatreinformation sales point in theHoundshill Shopping Centre.

●Laughter addicts are in for anothertreat when two of the hottest com-edy talents in the UK – Josie

Long and Sarah Millican – performtogether for the first time at LancasterLibrary’s Laugh Out Loud In Librarieson Sunday as part of Lancashire CountyCouncil’s laughter fest.Tickets are £9 and are available nowfrom Lancaster Library and www.seetick-ets.com – details (01524) 580712.

●Indie rock legends The Blue-tones head to Lancaster Sugar-house tomorrow as part of a four

date UK tour. Tickets are priced at £14.Doors 7pm. Tickets are on sale nowthrough the 24-hour hotline – 08444 775775 or online @ www.ticketmaster.co.uk/www/goldenvoice.co.uk

●Limehouse Lizzy continue tokeep the spirit of Celtic rock iconPhilip Lynott and his band Thin

Lizzy alive. They play The Dome, MarineRoad, Morecambe on Friday. Call thevenue box office on (01524) 582803 forfurther details.

●The Dukes in Lancaster presentsthe genre challenging signaturesound of Dose tonight. Tickets for

the 8.15pm show cost £9 and £6 (conces-sions) and are available from The Dukesbox office on (01524) 598500 orwww.dukes-lancaster.org

CRIME PROBE:A scene from AnInspector Calls


LIQUIDNEWS

FOOD&DRINK

EATINGINwith Paul Rowleyof the Lindum Hotel,St AnnesDUCKLIVERANDCHEESEPARFAIT

Avariation on chicken liver pateusing some local delicacies andserved with soda bread fromPhil’s Bakery in Lytham. Soda

bread has a texture more like a savouryscone than bread.

INGREDIENTS(Serves 12)250g Goosnargh duck livers150g butter200g Garstang Blue50g Goosnargh duck breast1 small onion-chopped1 bay leaf1 tablespoon brandysalt and pepper to season

METHOD1) Sauté the onion in the butter until theonion starts to glaze (do not let it start tobrown).2) Add all the other ingredients and cook

until there is no blood left in the livers.3) Remove the bay leaf and emulsify in ablender till smooth.4) Pour into a greased mould/loaf tin,approx 700g.5) Leave to cool before refrigerating to set.6) Once chilled, turn out, slice and servewith a chutney of your choice and Phil’sartisan soda bread In the picture we usecaramelised onion chutneyTo follow: Fillet steak in a sticky teriyakistyle honey, orange and soya sauce glaze.To finish: Classic lemon tart with acaramelised sugar topping and freshmango.To drink: An oaky Rioja (red). If you canget one with vanilla and pepperyovertones it will suit the dish well.

Cheerful drinkbanishes bluesSAINSBURY’S Taste The Difference Grape,Pomegranate & Rose Presse(£1.45 for 750ml) is a cheerfuldrink that’s perfect for banishingthe winter blues. It’s made fromEnglish grapes pressed at theThree Choirs Vineyard inGloucestershire, which are thenblended with pomegranatejuice and rose petal extract. It’sthe colour of good rose andhas a sherbety flavour withoutbeing too sweet or overlyperfumed.Sainsbury’s also do a good linein posh lemonade – Taste TheDifference Sicilian Lemonade(£1.45 for 750mls) is made fromItalian lemons and (in thetradition of all good lemonades)rather a lot of sugar. This is likean old-fashioned lemon drop in liquid form –fizzy on the tongue and a good tangyaftertaste.

●Drink Me Chai, available at most majorsupermarkets, is pretty much what itsays on the tin.

It’s a blend of sweetened tea, milk and spicesthat you add to freshly boiled water or milk(or a mix of both) for a 99 per cent caffeinefree treat. It’s a little thin with water, so try hotmilk for a creamier flavour. Costs £2.29 for250g.

●Purists will be whipping out their creditcards to invest in Beefeater 24, a newsuper-premium London gin created by

world renowned master distiller DesmondPayne. Beefeater 24 is made using 12 hand-selected botanicals and rare teas. It’s acomplex, full-flavoured spirit, with a smoothfinish. RRP £26.50.


FOOD&DRINKEATINGOUT

by Jacqueline MorleyWINECORNER

FACTFILE

TASTE OF TRADITION: The Villa is an elegant former gentleman’s residence

Don’t forget to send your booze news,clubs, favourite finds, swigs and tips [email protected]

Six of the best! As a big fan ofPortuguese wines, whether the deepgutsy reds, great with hearty stews,

and bean soups, or the young green wines,fabulous aperitifs, it’s great news to hear thatall six members of the IndependentWinegrowers’ Association of Portugal hadone of their wines chosen by the esteemedJamie Goode for his 50 Great PortugueseWines tasting event earlier this year.You have to be pretty special to make the cutfor such an event, which celebrates thevariety and quality of wines that Portugal, stilla bit of Cinderella in internationalwinemaking terms, can offer. Generally thepenny only drops after a personal visit,exploring the various regions, with climatesgoing from mild and damp in the north west(not unlike our own!) to semi-tropical, and thevery different characteristics of each, in wineterms.What’s even better news for wine tastersnorth of Watford Gap is that the annual event,hosted by Viniportugal, is going on tour forthe first time – with a tasting in this region, atManchester, on April 28. Mostwines travel well – but sometimesagents and buyers need to makemore of an effort – so let’s hopethe vendors get the recognition,and the stockists, they (and we!)deserve. So here’s to hearingmore from Quinta do Ameal’sEscolha ’07, a crisp andcharacterful white, and fiveluscious reds, Casa de Cello’sQuinta da Vegia Reserva ’05(ww.lescaves.co.uk, pictured),Alves de Sousa’s Quinta DaGaivos Vinha de Lorelo ’05(www.topselection.co.uk), myfavourite, lovely Luis Pato’sQuinta Do Ribeirinho Pe Franco’05 and Quinta dos Roques Flor Das MasTinto ’05 (both stocked bywww.raymondreynolds.co.uk) . Nuno Araújo ,the IWA spokesman, knows his grapes too,as Quinta de Covela owner his CovelaEscolha Tinto ’05 is up there with the six ofthe best.PRICE PLEASERS: Here’s are some popcorking price pleasers – Somerfield hasJacquart Brut Champagne at £13.99, £10cheaper, from Wednesday to April 7. Aromasof toasted brioche, dry and fruity flavourswith hints of apple, pear and lemon. Can beserved as an aperitif or is delicious servedwith seafood and grilled fish or light dishessuch as poultry. Also visit Tesco for half priceoffers on Calloway Crossing Rose, andHardy’s Crest Sparkling Brut and SparklingRose, until March 22, at £3.99 and £5.99respectively.ONLINE WINE: One favourite online,www.fromvineyardsdirect, offers affordablebut quality wines from some of the bestEuropean vineyards, direct to your weddingreception, and with big savings (around 20per cent) on usual merchant prices asstandards. A bespoke wine service can tailorwines to tastes, menus, and budgets. Morethan 60 wines can be viewed online,inlcuding Premier and Grand Cru fromBordeaux and Burgundy, classic and cultItalians, Spanish and German wines andother gems unavailable elsewhere in the UK.Delivery is free to UK mainland and winesarrive promptly. The company also offers asale or return policy for larger orders ifcustomers wish to return any unopenedbottles. As if...!

The Villa, Wrea Green

ROAST beef and Yorkshire puddingalways reminds me of the Sundaysof my childhood. In the morning,my sister and I helped to peel the

potatoes and prepare the vegetables – shemade a face if they included sprouts, butknew she had to eat at least one.Children weren’t allowed to be fussy eatersin those days.But things were very different then – fathercarved the joint and sat at the head of thetable at mealtimes, no-one ate with platesbalanced on their knees while watching TV,and manners were all important. You didn’tsee people munching sandwiches or pies inthe street.On my recent visit to The Villa in WreaGreen, it was snowing outside but the warmwelcome, cosy little snug next to a glowingcoal fire and delight at spotting roast beefand Yorkshire pudding on the menu made apleasant start to this relaxing lunchtimeexperience.The award-winning Villa was formerly a 19thcentury gentleman’s residence, but itselegant charm and character has enduredthe transition to country house.We admired the wonderful old fireplaces,panelled walls and endearing mix of mis-matched dining chairs.Our table by the window enabled a picture-perfect view of the sweeping drive andfrost-covered trees and shrubs.To start with I selected the poached localsalmon terrine with potato and chive saladand dressed leaves (£4).This looked appealing and tasted good but Isneaked a little taste of the smooth chickenliver pate with Cumberland sauce andmelba toast (£3) across the table and mustadmit I wished I’d chosen that myself. Isn’tis amazing how often that happens?The paté was rich, soft and so flavoursome,and the Cumberland sauce an artisticnecklace of rose-coloured droplets.The restaurant was busy, so although wehad to wait a while for our main courses to

arrive, it was well worth it.They were served on piping hot plates andaccompanied by a separate selection offresh, expertly prepared vegetables, whichincluded cauliflower au gratin, baton carrotsand broccoli.The topside of roast beef with traditionalgarnish and natural pan jus (£9.50) was justhow I wished it would be – tender and tasty,served with a light and fluffy Yorkshirepudding plus perfect roast potatoes.My companion chose the oven-cookedsupreme of chicken breast in a woodlandmushroom and thyme sauce served withsmooth mashed potatoes (£9.50), anddeclared it to be superb.Portions were generous, so I don’t knowhow we managed to squeeze in a dessert,but we did.I opted for the apricot and orange crumble

(£3) but with cream rather than custard,which always reminds me of schooldinners.The pudding was deliciously fruity, tart yetsweet, and a little touch of cream turnedheaven into paradise – I think theexpression on my face told the story.Our other choice was the lemoncheesecake on a biscuit base, served withraspberries and a swirl of lemon cheese(£3.50).Of course, I sampled a mouthful of this aswell and both of us agreed that it wasutterly delightful.But we really couldn’t manage coffee oranything else for some time afterwards.Our bill came to £42.25, which includedtwo glasses of white wine and soda, a halfof lager and a lemonade.

Marion Ainge

Address: Moss Side Lane,Wrea Green, near Kirkham.PR4 2PETelephone: 01772 684347Booking: AdvisableParking: Own large car parkVegetarian options: YesCredit cards: YesOpening: Monday to Saturday12pm-1.45pm and 6pm-9pm;Sunday 12pm to 8pmSpecial deals: two courses£10; three courses £15(Monday to Friday lunchtimeand Monday to Thursdaybetween 6pm and 7pm)Children: Well behaved oneswelcome!Value for money: 8/10LIfe! rating: 8/10

TIMEOUTBOOKS NEWDVDs

MUSIC

BRIDESHEADREVISITED

YOURVIEW THE LASTBOOK I READ

TALE OF BETRAYAL: Hayley Atwell as Julia Flyte, Ben Whishawas Sebastian Flyte and Matthew Goode as Charles Ryder

Classic isa visualtriumph

Army officer CharlesRyder (Matthew Goode)reminisces about histurbulent past at Oxford

University, where, as a shy,middle-class student, he meetsSebastian Flyte (Ben Whishaw).Charles accepts an invitation tojoin the aristocrat’s inner circle,forging an intimate bond with thefey, fragile student, whodescribes himself as “the familyshadow’’.Sebastian invites his new friendto the childhood estate,Brideshead, where Charlesmeets the formidable LadyMarchmain (Emma Thompson)and Sebastian’s sister Julia(Hayley Atwell).The two young men grow close,culminating in a brief kiss, but atrip to Italy to visit Sebastian andJulia’s father, Lord Marchmain(Michael Gambon), and hismistress (Greta Scacchi) kindlesa betrayal that will drive apartCharles and the prodigal Flyteson forever.Brideshead Revisited neverescapes the shadow of ITV’slavish 1981 mini-series,condensing Evelyn Waugh’s textinto a simplistic menage a trois,riven by Catholic guilt.Goode is too restrained as thetragically naive interloper,internalising Charles’s anguish sodeeply it barely registers.In contrast, Whishaw is terrific,powerfully conveying the

emotional devastation asSebastian succumbs toalcoholism and self-loathing.Thompson imposes herself uponthe role of Lady Marchmain,walking a fine line between icyand resolute as her matriarchsacrifices the children at the altar

of her faith. Visually, at least, thisBrideshead Revisited takes thebreath away. Alas, the scriptbarely makes our hearts flutter letalone skip a beat.(Cert 12, 127 mins, 2entertain,Drama/Romance, DVD£19.99/Blu-ray £24.99)

FARYLFaryl SmithMy how they grow. Rememberthe waif-like little girl who shouldhave won Britain’s Got Talent?Well, now she’s a glammygroomed teenage recordbreaking signing (we’re talking£2.3m) and about to becomethe latest mezzo sopranosinging sensation. As Ave Mariarevealed on the TV talentsearch, she has a voice pureenough to bring a tear to a glasseye and capitalises on that gifton each of the 12 tracks here – amixed bag of classics, hymnsand easy listening pop.UCJ/Decca

POLLY SCATTERGOODBuy thisalbum orshe’ll comeround andget you. That’s the image this21-year-old scary Colchestersinger gives out on her debutcollection of odd rock. Vocallyshe’s somewhere between KateBush and the woefullyoverlooked Jane Siberry. She’s awonderfully unsettling alternativeto the pretty pop wave ofMyspacers – try the single OtherToo Endless before heading tothe darker recesses of BunnyClub or Unforgiving Arms.Mute

BEYOND THEWIZARD’S SLEEVE:RE-ANIMATIONS VOL 1VariousErol Alkan and Richard Norrisdon’t do re-mixes, they do re-animations. Well, that’s their termfor their manhandling of otherpeoples’ tunes and it has to beadmitted they make rather agood job of it. Franz Ferdinand’sUlysses is given the full onelectro pop treatment and eventhe mixmaster ChemicalBrothers find themselves cutand pasted with an excellentversion of Battle Scars.New State Music

NEW FICTIONBLOODMONEYTom BradbyThis feisty, paceythriller by TV newsreporter turned writerTom Bradby has it all:nervy gangsters,crooked politicians,gutsy cops and a sexy moll. It is alsoblessed with excellent timing.Set in New York on the eve of theWall Street crash, a bankerplummets from the top of askyscraper. A rookie detective, JoeQuinn, takes the call and refuses tobuy what looks like a cover-up. He’ssoon on the trail of money, crookedshare tipsters, and a pile of bodies.Bradby delivers plenty of colour toset the scene without slowing thingsdown in what ends up as a top notchpiece of crime writing.Bantam Press, £12.99

A VERY PERSISTENTILLUSIONLC TylerClassic sports car fan ChrisSorensen is surprisingly easy to like.Having spent hisadult yearscultivating thedelusion that realitydoesn’t exist, hefinds the death of hisgirlfriend’s fatherworryingly life-like.However Chris has afew secrets, andthese past eventscmake his fear of matrimony - and atragic interest in girls in their early20s - rather less pathetic.This is a warm, intelligent andbeautifully observed diversion.Macmillan New Writing, £14.99

NEW NON-FICTIONASSASSINSSteven ParissienIf you want a coffee table book tokeep the mostfidgety of guestsentertained, thiscould be for you.Steven Parissienwhips through morethan two centuriesof history and 50 ofthe world’s mostheadline-grabbingmurders. Theyrange from JuliusCaesar’s stabbing in 44BC and the1192 attack on Conrad of Montferratby two members of the Arab sectthat gave assassins their name, todissident Alexander Litvinenko’spoisoning in London in 2006.Each killing gets a couple of pages,with a handy historical panel to breakup the non-stop death. A temptingtaster.Quercus, £15

CHILDREN’S CHOICEFEN RUNNERSJohn GordonThis vivid supernatural thriller is JohnGordon’s first children’s book in adecade. The author, who moved toEast Anglia when he was 12, bringsthe gothic atmosphere of thesemarshy, foggy, wetlands to life.Young Kit and Joeare drawn togetherwhen they both seea dark shadowyghost followingthem.With the help of anold man, they areforced to adopt thehabits of theirancestors, and taketo the ice.Filled with examples of authenticlocal language (a patten is a skateblade) Gordon transforms this rurallandscape into a mythical battlefield.But with the snow coming down,and creatures threatening to burstthrough the ice, can Kit and Joe beatshadowy their demons?Guaranteed to keep children, andadults, on the edge of their beds.11 plus years.Orion Books, £8.99

PAPERBACK CHOICEMORE THAN IT HURTSYOUDarin StraussBrilliant and bitter,Strauss’s harrowingtale about family lifeis set in Americanmiddle-classsurburia. Whenmother, Dori Goldin,is suspected ofhaving Munchausensyndrome by proxy, a disorder inwhich a parent harms a child in orderto attract attention, her life, and thatof her family, is taken away anddestroyed.Atlantic Books, £12.99

BOOKCLUB CHOICEDAPHNEJustinePicardieIt is 1957. AsDaphne de Maurierwanders alonethrough her remotemansion on theCornish coast, sheis haunted bythoughts of her failing marriage andthe heroine of her most famous storyRebecca. This love story and literarymystery, asks who was the realDaphne de Maurier?Bloomsbury, £7.99

Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews, which waspretty weird. It’s actually a five-book series but I’mhaving a break before I read the next one becausethey’re quite heavy going – student Kay Taylorfrom Preston


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✔✔choicelife!

TIMEOUTGAMESGEAR

SPECIAL DELIVERY: Killzone 2

THE DVDRENTALTOP 10

1 (-) Saw V2 (-) Ghost Town3 (-) Eden Lake(DVD)4 (1) Taken(2008)5 (2) You Don’tMess With TheZohan (DVD)6 (3) TropicThunder7 (-) 88 Minutes8 (5) RocknRolla(DVD)9 (9) DarkKnight, The10 (-) StepBrothers (DVD)■ Chart suppliedby www.blockbuster.co.uk

OTHERDVDS

WEBSITE

BROWSING AROUND■ Strange Maps: the weird and wonderful strangemaps.wordpress.com■ Super slow-motion water droplet hitting sandwww.youtube.com/watch?v=EPGIHqd8BUQ

CATHOLIC GUILT: A scene from Brideshead Revisited

The Animal Review (animalreview.wordpress.com) is one of the funniestthings on the internet right now. It’s pretty simple: objective reviews of, well,animals. The common garden snail is “terrestrial mollusk that never reallyfigured out how to get positive results from Evolution” and scores a patheticD. The swordfish, however, is “a really impressive animal ... because it is agiant, fast fish that, in lieu of a nose, has a sword coming off its face.”

SAW V (EXTREMEEDITION)Diabolical killer Jigsaw (TobinBell) continues his bloodthirstyreign of terror in the fifthinstalment of the horrorfranchise, full of more devilishbooby traps and gruesomedeaths worthy of that 18certificate.With Saw VI unfathomably inpre-production, this fifthinstallment isn’t the last after all,although it does neatly tie up

Jigsaw’s back story via apatchwork of flashbacks thatrevisit key scenes from othersequels. As with earlier films,nothing is quite what it seems,and somebody has a final aceup their sleeve to ensure Saw Vends with an almighty...whimper.(Cert 18, 91 mins, LionsgateHome Entertainment UK Ltd,Horror/Thriller, DVD £19.99/SawDVD Gorology £44.99/Blu-ray£24.99)

THE BOY IN THESTRIPED PYJAMASBased on the best-selling novelby John Boyne, The Boy In TheStriped Pyjamas refracts theunimaginable suffering andtragedy of the Holocaustthrough the prism of onefamily’s experiences.(Cert 12, 90 mins, Walt DisneyStudios Home Entertainment,Drama, also available to buyDVD £17.99/DVD Gift Pack£20.99)

KILLZONE 2PS3Is February too early to start talkingabout game of the year. Probably atouch, bearingin mind thegoodies tocome for allgamers duringthe latter part of 2009, but there’sno doubt that Killzone 2 will be inthe mix for all awards, afterproviding a peerless demonstrationof how a first person shooter cantriumph in both single player andmultiplayer modes. Graphics thatgive a true sense of what the PS3boasts under the bonnet coupledwith the creation of a science-fictionworld that is believable from the firstsecond to the last ensure that this islikely to be the only title on gamers’lips through their bluetoothheadsets. Four years in the making,the hype and anticipation hasgrown with every month, and it’s atribute to the Guerilla developmentteam to say that it delivers in everysense of the word. 5/5 £44.99

SILENT HILL: HOME-COMINGXbox 360In Silent Hill’s first outing on Xbox360, the series follows AlexShepherd, returning to hishometown of Shepherd’s Glen toinvestigate the suddendisappearance of his brother. Cuethe familiar grim setting for moresurvival horror action, with somenotably improved combat attacksand defensive options, makingthose freakish fiends you’ll come upagainst not quite so creepy todispose of. The atmosphericgraphics and sound are perfectly inkeeping with what’s gone before,and Homecoming certainly makesits mark as an excellent nextgeneration effort for the Silent Hillcrew. Perplexing puzzles, eerieenemies and another spine-chillingstoryline all points towards a 360 hitfor 2009. 4/5 £49.99

SHELLSHOCK 2: BLOODTRAILSPS3Using next-generation powers ofsuggestion, Shellshock 2: BloodTrails planned to carefully executethe implications of horrifying actswithout going gung-ho on the bloodand gore. What it actually succeedsin doing is giving gamers a fullfrontal, in-your-face expose on hownot to do first person shooters. Thefranchise has never really stuck in

gamers’ minds and this latest effortwill unlikely cause cries for a thirdinstallment.2/5 £49.99

MY PET SHOPNintendo DSA new career as a pet shop ownerawaits, as you and your mum settledown in town to serve all theinhabitants’ pet-related needs. Andwho’d have guessed, every blighterin town wants a new cat or dog, ortheir pooch needs some seriousshampooing, a loving brush orclothing makeover. Played out in akind of turn-based role-playing way,you can hunt down animals in thewoods outside the town and enticethem into your clan or accessorisethem with ribbons, hats andbonnets. It’s all played out throughstraightforward navigation andcutesy cartoon graphics, which alladds up to a winner of a game foryoungsters. 4/5 £19.99

METAL SLUG 7Nintendo DSMetal Slug does action shoot ‘emups better than anyone, stayingtrue to its original format anddishing out round after round ofintense button-mashing battlingwith a peerless heritage behind it.Metal Slug 7 offers up seven brandnew missions for the corking sixplayable characters to conquer.Even more weapons to wield andbosses so big it’s a wonder theymanage to squeeze them into thediddy DS ensures that thisaddictive run’n’gunning at its best.Perhaps only comparable withContra 4, the only thing reallylacking is the two-player mode thathardcore Slug fans must be cryingout for. 4/5 £29.99

✔✔choicelife!


QUIET PLEASE – THEBEST OFNick LoweBy choice this musical veteranhas always seemed to be rock’sbridesmaid and rarely its bride.There have been hits along theway but generally he’d dipped inand out of the limelight leavingother people to have their hitswith and be influenced by hiscreations. The double set datesback to his Brinsley Schwarzdays with (What’s So Funny ’Bout)Peace, Love and Understanding(later revived by Elvis Costello)through to his 2007 album At MyAge.Proper Records

LONELY LETTERSLunikSwitzerland is famous for clocks,cheese, chocolate and in the verynear future something notbeginning with the letter “c.” Thisfour piece group from the landwith no navy are being tipped inall the right places and lookcertain to make a mark with thisdebut collection of near perfectcrossover pop/rock. Their mainselling point is pin-up frontwomanJaël (pronounced Yile) – aDebbie Harry for the newgeneration. Try the broody singleEverybody Knows – get hookedon hooks.Fod Records

80S NITECLUBVariousSubtitled “Big Hits From the 80s –In The Mix” this triple CDcollection still somehow managesto open with a Queen track –namely Another One Bites TheDust. Things improve after thatwith a mostly British trip downmemory lane courtesy of the likesof Belouis Some, King, Hipswayin the “lest we forget” corner andDavid Bowie, New Order, TheCure and Tears For Fears in the“as if we could” one. TV’s revivalof Ghostbusters has slipped inand there’s Tom Tom Club andLipps Inc etc for Stateside fans.UMTV


WELLBEINGBoost the feelgood factor with Gabriella Fagan’s guide to getting the most out of lifeSTRETCHING WELLAt this time of year, when we’re still waitingfor Spring and brighter days, it’s all toocommon to feel sluggish. But forget sweatingit out in an expensive gym, simple stretchingis all you need.For starters, it’s free and you can startwhenever and wherever the mood takes you,plus the health benefits are bountiful.It’s also a great way of achieving a sexy,svelte and supple body, need I say more?If you’re still feeling doubtful, it could be anencouragement to know that perfect posturecan make you look pounds lighter in aninstant and the key to perfect posture isstretching.“When you stretch you’re helping your bodyto remain young as it boosts the circulationof lubricating fluid and blood to vital areas sothey stay supple and strong,’’ points outJacqueline Lysycia, a yoga, Pilates andfitness trainer and author of Super Stretch.“The misconception is you just need toelongate the muscle fibre but if you do you’llonly ever be able to improve the flexibility bya very small amount. Stretches should alsotarget the connective tissues, which canoften be dry and rigid.’’Another plus is the feel-good factor.“Stretching stimulates the brain to releasethe hormone seratonin, which is a naturalmood lifter. This in turn increases your self-esteem,’’ points out Jacqueline.“Stretching refreshes your body andenergises your mind, which will help you tolook alert and glowing.’’Stretching well and regularly could also helpoffset all the damage we do daily byhunching over a desk and lugging heavyhandbags around, which can weakenmuscles and allow them to stiffen and losetheir suppleness.Only five to 10 minutes of stretching everyday improves circulation, flexibility and skintone, ideally done in the late afternoon orearly evening.Jacqueline says: “The body is warmer andmore supple than earlier in the day. But Ialways suggest you begin with a few gentlewarm-up stretches to make the most of yourstretching session.’’Try these few easy stretches.■ Standing Side Bend: Lengthens your spineand waist and relaxes your shoulders:Place your left hand on your left hip. Crossyour right foot over your left foot. Lengthenyour tailbone as you inhale and stretch yourright arm up.Exhale and lean into your left left hip. Holdfor 4-5 breath cycles.Repeat on the other side. Repeat theexercise 10 times.■ Arm Release Swing: Eases tension in yourshoulders and neck that can lead toheadachesStand with your feet hip-width apart. Inhaleand extend both arms above your head.

Keep your tailbone long andyour abdomen empty as

you exhale. Your kneesshould be

slightly softand your

elbows loose.Cross yourwrists aboveyour head.Inhale andexhale as you

swing your arms down and behind you.Repeat the swing down and up 15 times.Maintain control and keep your spine andpelvis in alignment.■ Spine Roll: Releases tension in the spineand lengthens the hamstrings.Stand with your feet hip width apart with aslight bend in the knee and your armshanging by the sides of your body. Inhaleand then as you exhale, slowly begin to curltowards the floor.Pause when you run out of breath, breathe inand continue to roll down as you exhale.When you reach as far as you can, hang inthis position for a few breath cycles.■ Head to Knee Hug: Releases tightness inyour hips and legs, increases circulation andimproves posture and balance.Stand on your right leg and balancecarefully. Inhale and raise your left kneetowards your chest. Exhale and lengthenyour abdomen to support your spine.Lengthen your tailbone and bow your head

towards your knee. Hold the stretch for threebreath cycles. Repeat 10 times and thenrepeat with other leg.REMEMBER: Don’t push your body to thethreshold of serious discomfort and pain. Ifyou start to shake, you’ve taken the stretchtoo far. Try not to control your breath in anyway. Unlike yoga and Pilates, which requirespecific breathing, when stretching yourbreathing can be easy and natural.■ Super Stretch by Jacqueline Lysycia(Hamlyn, £9.99)

TIMING WELLJoin the club if you feel that the year’srushing by but you haven’t fulfilled thoseNew Year resolutions to start improvingactivities, or even found more space forrelaxing “me time”.Hectic lifestyles make finding time foreverything tricky but instead of just giving upthe struggle you could take positive action.Pencil a date in the diary, March 9, to

celebrate International Women’s Day, andtake stock and have a new approach.This year the IWD organisers have puttogether seven tips For Creating More TimeTo Do The Things You Want, whether itschanging career, painting the spare room,finding Mr Right or just having a couplehours fun.

TIME PLUS PLANMake a plan: being clear about goals makesit easier to prioritise how you spend your day.Prioritise: ask yourself whether an activitytakes you either closer to or away from yourgoals.Begin small: take small steps towards goals– no need to abandon your day job or family– just start doing something towards yourtargets in the amount of time you can spare.Stay realistic: concentrate on one or twogoals rather than trying to tackle too manyand failing to finish.Be disciplined: avoid interruptions to yourday and find ways to make time later forproblems or delegate more.Take control: of your time and become awareof how other people can easily waste it.Stop, breathe, think: on nightmare dayssimply use this technique for a couple ofminutes to help calm you and give you backcontrol.

BEING WELLAngela Rippon, BBC1’s Cash In The Atticpresenter who will appear on Let’s Dance ForComic Relief tonight as part of this year’sRed Nose Day campaign, shares herwellbeing secrets:She says: “I’ve always been an activeperson, from dancing with Morecambe andWise to high adrenalin activities for the BBCHoliday programme.“Now, though, I have to take a lot more careto keep myself in shape and supple so that Ican keep up with working and enjoying life. Ifind if my mind and body is active I enjoy ageneral feeling of wellbeing.’’Angela, 64, who also presents Sun Sea AndBargain Spotting (BBC1), always starts herday with 10 minutes stretching.“I don’t feel ready for the day unless I do. Iusually do a few simple yoga moves, try tobreathe deeply, and then finish with a glassof hot water and lemon to cleanse my systembefore breakfast.’’Falls from her horse during her days as akeen rider, have left her with a damagedspine and during the last 18 months she’staken up Pilates to improve her core strengthand back muscles.“That exercise has virtually got rid of theniggling pain that I used to suffer from. I alsotry play tennis twice a week.’’Her remedy: She takes a natural joint caresupplement, Osteo Bi-Flex, containingGlucosamine Hydrochloride, which may helpbuild joint tissue.“It really helps to stop feelings of stiffnessand aching after exercise,’’ she says.■ Osteo Bi-Flex is £9.99 for a pack of 30tables, and is widely available from chemistssuch as Boots, supermarkets and healthfood stores. For information on joint health:www.osteobiflex.com or www.osteobiflex.co.uk.

Stretchfor theperfectposture

GOODADVICE:YogateacherJacquelineLysycia


SHAPINGUP

HEALTH&BEAUTY

Emma Harris, Gazette health writerand qualified gym instructor, with herweekly look at staying healthy

THE BIG QUESTION

IS stretching really that important after a work-out? And what sort of stretching do you need todo?

In a word the answer is yes! It is important. Youdo need to stretch at the end of a workout. Itreturns the muscles to their lengthenedposition, as they will have become shortenedduring the workout while you have beenexercising.It can help eliminate or reduce delayed onsetmuscle soreness.Our everyday life means our muscles are oftenin a shortened position – for example,hamstrings often tend to be shortened becausewe spend most of our time sitting down atdesks and so on.So stretching at the end of a workout helps toincrease and improve flexibility. This gives theadvantage of ensuring muscles move throughtheir full range of movement.This is important for everyday life, for postureand keeping things working how they shouldbe.As for the types of stretches, they shouldinvolve all the major muscle groups worked, bestatic and passive – that is no bouncing, justease into the stretch until you can feel thetension, hold still and release after eight to 10seconds.

SLEEPY GENEScientists have identified a gene variant thatmay be linked to excessive daytime sleepiness,muscle weakness and impaired vision.The condition occurs in one in 2,500 people inthe US and Europe, but it’s at least four timesmore frequent in Japan.Tokyo researchers analysed people with andwithout narcolepsy to discover the gene variantthat causes it.

GOJI BERRIESWidely available from supermarkets and healthfood stores, the goji berry is produced by anevergreen shrub found in China, Mongolia andTibet.It has been favoured by herbalists for over6,000 years for its rich anti-oxidant content. It issaid to improve fertility and sexualperformance, as well as benefiting liver functionand circulation.

HELPING HYPNOSISNew research has found that hypnosis could behelpful for people suffering from dementia, likeAlzheimer’s.A study found that weekly hypnosis madesufferers more social and less inclined tobecome depressed and also led toimprovements in concentration and memory.Dementia affects around 750,000 people in theUK.

Bonusbuys

Body buff: Buff your body for springwith Elemis’ new Pro-Collagen BodySerum Intensive Lift (right, top ), £45(www.timetospa.co.uk).Citrus serum: With a delicious smellof mandarin oranges, Soap & GloryMake Yourself Youthful SuperRejuvenating Face Serum 50ml (right,below), £12.71 (Boots.com) slides oneasily and delivers good results. You’llwake up with noticeably softer skin!Designer freebie: It Bag envy? Getyour own designer slice of heaven forfree. Yes, you heard right. This patentRalph Lauren bag (below) can be inyour clutches when you buy a RalphLauren Notorious 50ml or 75ml EDPfragrance, from £44.53, from ThePerfume Shop. Be quick though, thisblack beauty is only available whilestocks last. Offer ends March 25 (0845601 1950/www.theperfumeshop.com).

EXPERTVIEWBEAUTY TIP

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Eat healthily, as erratic eating patterns canshow on your complexion and cause yourenergy to flag – Blackpool-basedbeauty expert Sue Simpson

in association with Soul Hair

Get set for a newseason makeoverand bag a freebie onthe way! Here are

some great ideas to help youslip beautifully into spring –and a couple of buys havefabulous free bonus gifts.Star style: Coleen Rooney’sback on the box with her newseries of Real Women. If youwant to update your look itmight be worth a trip toSuperdrug between March 18and April 14 when you’ll beable to grab a copy of her book Coleen’sReal Style free, when you buy a 100ml edt(while stocks last). Since its launch hervibrant, young signature scent has refusedto be toppled from the top spot.

Brushing up: New hairstyles need new hairbrushes,whether you want sleek or tousled there’s something tosuit in the Tigi Hardcore Ceramic Barrel Brushesrange, from £7.50 (0870 330 0955/tigi.co.uk).


GOODBUYS

FASHION&STYLE

Enjoy window shopping with life! inour weekly guide to tempting offers

ThinkPINKHot pink made headlines in the style

stakes at the music world’s biggest nightof the year ... The Brits.

It was Lady Gaga’s colour of choice (mainpicture), Kylie put purple into the mix, whilefuchsia gave a feminine touch to Katy Perry’sblack bondage-style outfit.Katherine Jenkins and Alesha Dixon followed intheir footsteps – stepping out in hot pink heels!Don’t drag behind... be prepared and think pinkfor spring.Dressing up: The Fusion hot pink sunshinedress (below) will give you superstar style. FromMonsoon £48.

YUMMY MUMMY: Mum-to-be Holly Willoughbysparked a stampede when she stepped out in style ina £35 purple dress at The Brits. Other ladies-in-waiting desperate to get their hands on the dress shedesigned for Littlewoods Direct led the company totake pre-orders. The dress is on sale from April.(Littlewoods Direct 08448 222321 www.littlewoodsdirect.com)

BAG THAT:Everwonderedwhat to dowith all thosecarrier bags?You could trywearing them.When yourcredit cardsare maxxed tothe hilt, makea frock. Takeinspirationfrom thiscreativenumberparaded onthe the redcarpet at theUK premiereof Confessions of a Shopaholic at The Empire,Leicester Square, London.JAGGED NAILS: Jade Jagger was MissBehavin’ at the recent Brit Awards. LeightonDenny gave the socialite a pre-party manicurebefore she stepped out on the red carpet usinghis brand new collection, The Brit Pack. Of thethree new nail colours available, Jade plumpedfor the sparkling midnight blue Miss Behavin’ onher talons before partying the night away. TheLeighton Denny Brit Pack collection, £25, is nowavailable exclusively online at www.leightondenny.com.JUST DOTTY: Fashion designer Henry Hollandhas helped make polka dots the must-have printfor this season. If you can’t afford his clobber (asworn by model pal Agyness Deyn), go for adesigner print dongle. O2 has teamed up withHenry to create a limited edition House of Hollandmobile broadband dongle in monochrome dots.The Pay & Go stick is available now at O2 storesand online at www.O2.co.uk.

Belt up: Just add a subtle hint of pink to an outfitwith this belt, £20, from Jane Norman.

Shoe shuffle: Step outin style in these prettyballerina pumps, around£45, from Moda in Pelle.

Cardi cutie: Getthe look now with thisgorgeous pink cardifrom LittlewoodsDirect, £15.

Cotton on:Gorgeous specialoccasion dress withfrill sleeves fromFrench Connection,£95.

Spring pink: Thispretty pink bow topis worth waiting for.£9.50 from Marks &Spencer from May.

FAMILIESFor your week aheadTRIPTIPS

YOURVIEWMY FAVOURITE DAY OUT

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INSIDE STORY: Historic Samlesbury Hall is one of the homes featured in the guide

DAYOUT

●Fancy making your mum a lady of the Manor?This Mothering Sunday, Tatton Park offers a

unique opportunity for you to treat her to anexclusive afternoon tea and a gardens visit.A table will bereserved for youand your guestsin a room of themansion notusually open tothe public, LordEgerton'sapartment, whichhas stunningviews over theItalian Terrace and Parkland. You will be able toenjoy an afternoon tea of sandwiches, freshlybaked scones and cakes with tea or coffee, andare welcome to stroll around the award-winninggardens at your leisure.This impressive historic estate receives in theregion of 750,000 visitors every year, all of whomcome to enjoy its Georgian Mansion, Tudor OldHall, award-winning gardens and 1930s rarebreeds farm. The 1,000 acre deer park is home tored and fallow deer and the estate also boastsspeciality shops, adventure playground, restaurantand year-round events programme.The Mothering Sunday package, for March 22,must be booked in advance on 01625 374405. £18per person, including: afternoon tea, gardens visitand car entry. More details www.tattonpark.org.uk

●Open and ready to welcome visitors for the2009 season is the National Wildflower

Centre in Liverpool. The National WildflowerCentre is a visitor attraction on Court Hey Park,Roby Road, Liverpool - only minutes from the M62 -and is open to the public each day until August 31,from 10am to 5pm (last admission 4pm). Acomprehensive 2009 Events Guide is free,available now, please ring 0151 738 1913 for acopy, or email [email protected] for furtherinformation. You can also download an EventsGuide from www.nwc.org.uk

●TABLE tennis fans will be hoping England batsto victory in a crunch clash in Preston.

The Guild Hall is hosting an international matchbetween England and India on Saturday, May 16,the final match in a best-of-three series. Ticketscost £5 for adults and £2.50 for children. Call01772 258858 for full details.

Wellington weekend, a special event dedicated tosome of the most exciting stories from the greatbattle at Waterloo, takes place at the RoyalArmouries, Leeds, next weekend.There will be themed activities, talks and seminarsas well as a 95th Rifles re-enactment groupproviding living history, handling and cannon firingon both Saturday and Sunday. Admission to themuseum is free. However, there may be a smallcharge for some special events. Open all yeardaily, 10am-5pm. Information Line: 08700 344 344Website: www.royalarmouries.org

Handbookup for grabsA‘bible’ for families looking for a

great day out is Hudson’s HistoricHouses & Gardens 2009 – andyou can win a prize copy!

This good-looking guidebook has over2,000 profiles of castles and stately homesworth visiting the length and breadth ofBritain.It is fully comprehensive with details ofspecial events and more than 1,500sumptuous photographs.There are more than 20 pages of NorthWest entries from Cholmondeley Castlegardens in Cheshire to Levens Hall in theLake District - and much closer to home,Hoghton Tower and Samlesbury Hall,Preston.Interesting and informative articles includea fascinating history and insight intowindmills and watermills; and specialfeatures on Dumfries House only openedto the public in June last year by PrinceCharles, and The Alnwick Garden whichwas discovered in 1997 and brought back

to life by the Duchess of Northumberland.Learn about the many historic portraitslinked with controversy, mystery andromance in the many glorious historicproperties of Scotland; and discover howmany of the properties in Wales arehelping people become time detectives,letting visitors touch and explore, andbringing history and Wales’ built heritageto life.Hudson’s provides alphabetical listings ofproperties featured as well as those thatoffer accommodation, those that are openall year and, for the keen gardener, thosethat sell plants.Add to this a listing of special events thatare held at the properties throughout theyear and there really is something for

everybody, including clear and precisemaps to help journey planning.● Hudson’s Historic Houses & Gardens2009, priced £14.95 (published byHeritage House Group) ISBN:9780851018867 is available from UKbookshops or direct from the publisher atwww.hudsonsguide.co.uk

WINWINWINFor your chance to win a prize copy ofHudson’s Historic Houses & Gardens2009, just answer this easy question:Q How many profiles are there in theguidebook?

Send your answer, together with yourname and address, to Hudsonsguidebook competition, Life! magazine,The Gazette, Avroe House, AvroeCrescent,, South Shore, Blackpool, FY42DP. Closing date Friday, March 13.Winners will be picked at random frompostal entries.

FREEFUN

The Lake District. The DrunkenDuck at Ambleside servesbeautiful food and the view fromoutside is stunning – MaryWhatmough, 60, who livesin Blackpool

Insight into fashion’s links with sportLIVERPOOL’s Walker Art Gallery is hostinga stylish exhibition on tour from London’sVictoria and Albert Museum, exploring therelationship between contemporaryfashion and global sportswear brandsover the last 20 years.Staged until May 31, Fashion V Sportallows visitors to look at the creativeconnections between the two industriesthat so affect the way we dress today.Divided into four sections, Dare, Display,Play and Desire, the exhibition guides thevisitor through a range of styles, outfitsand objects to reveal the factors whichinterlink fashion and sport.

Displaying around 50 outfits and 120objects including contemporarysportswear, streetwear, accessories andshoes, the exhibition aims to reflect theconvergence of fashion and sport,showing the extent to which designerstake inspiration from each other to scorehits on the both the catwalks and thesports fields.Designers such as Stella McCartneycollaborating with well-known sportsbrands like Adidas, illustrate sportswear’spopularity as a fashion statement. FashionV Sport shows how designers such asDries Van Noten and Vivienne Westwood

have reworked original sportswear staplessuch as the grey jersey tracksuit.The exhibition also uncovers the world ofsportswear obsessives, from collectorswho own hundreds of pairs of trainers, tothe Japanese fashion designer HirofumiKiyonaga who has created a brandnamed after his virtual football team‘Football Club Real Bristol’, for which hedesigns two fashion collections each year.Admission to the Walker Art Gallery inWilliam Brown Street, Liverpool is free.● Open 10am-5pm every day● Information 0151 478 4199● liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker


FAMILIES

PLAYTIME

DAYOUT

Win agreattimeon theslopesEver think about hitting the slopes and

experiencing the thrill of skiing,snowboarding and snowblading for thefirst time?

You would normally have to travel many air miles

9pm and at weekends from 10am until6pm. The centre also organises ski partiesfor special occasions and a range ofpackages for experienced skiers to first-timers.On Sundays the centre is also home toHalton Miniature Railway. The 12-minutejourney costs just £1.WINWINWINTo be in with a chance of winning one ofthe family trial passes to the centre, answerthe following question:

How many slopes does the Runcorn SkiCentre have?The family ticket is for two adults and twochildren. Children must be aged eight to16. The ticket can redeemed betweenMarch 1 and September 31 2009.Advanced booking is required.For further information telephone 01928701965 or visitwww.runcornskicentre.co.uk.Send your answer, along with your name,address and telephone number to:Runcorn Ski Competition, Life! magazine,The Gazette, Avroe House, AvroeCrescent, South Shore, Blackpool, FY42DP. Closing date March 13. The winnerswill be picked at random from postalentries.

Give yourself thestar treatmentBUDDING popstars in yourfamily will befalling overthemselves toget theirhands on thisnew wirelessgadget .They will reallybe able to unleash the star within -with thelaunch of Wireless SingStar® Microphones fromSony Computer Entertainment Europe. They’llbe arriving in UK stores on March 20, andcoincides with the release of SingStar® PopEdition for Playstation 3.

MUM’S THE WORD:A nationwide search has been launched to findthe UK’s most inspirational mum. Thecompetition could see one very deserving ladyrewarded with a one-of-a-kind diamond

Mother’s Day card,(left) designedexclusively by TessDaly, which alsocontains afantastic diamond,which will be setinto piece ofjewellery as part oftheir prize.The hunt for theUK’s MostInspirational Mumhas been

launched as part of Hallmark’s Cards for aCure™ campaign for Mother’s Day, whichannually contributes £250,000 to Breast CancerCampaign and Action Breast Cancer, aprogramme of the Irish Cancer Society.To entert your mum visit www.hallmark.co.ukThe winner will receive a unique Mother’s Daycard designed by Tess Daly on behalf of BreastCancer Campaign.

LIFE CHANGER:Change4Life is the new movement, supportedby the Department of Health, which aims toimprove children’s diets and levels of activity tohelp make them healthier. Visitors towww.nhs.uk/Change4Life are asked to join sothey will receive a welcome pack about theinitiative, and there’s plenty of healthy lifestyleinformation, plus a questionnaire that leads to apersonalised healthy action plan.

to enjoy the experience but now we haveteamed up with The Runcorn Ski Centre tooffer EIGHT readers the chance to winfamily tickets to try it out for themselves(worth £25).The winners will enjoy a 45-minute tastersession at the centre, which is situated in800 acres of landscaped parks.The Runcorn Ski Centre, Town Park,Palace Fields, has three ski slopes andlifts, provides equipment hire and isfloodlit for evening use.John Doyle, who manages the centres,said: “Our centre gives people the chanceto try out skiing without the expense ofhaving to travel too far. It’s a great sportand really good fun. It’s well worth giving ita go.”The centre is open daily from 1pm until

Super chandelier on display in museumA GRAND Venetian chandelier that oncegraced Manchester Airport has a newhome in the World of Glass museum inSt Helens.The restored chandelier is one of fourthat dazzled passengers for 40 years inthe airport's terminals.The chandeliers were removed in 2003when the departure halls weremodernised. The chandelier has 1,300

droplets of clear, smoked grey andamethyst lead glass individually blownby a master craftsman. It cost £3,000 tocommission in the 1960s but would nowcost more than £250,000.Jo Hayward, museum curator, said: “Itlooks fantastic.”The World of Glass had to strengthenand modify its ceiling to support thetwo-tonne weight of the chandelier,

which took two days to hang. Another ofthe chandeliers is destined forManchester's Museum of Science andIndustry.They were officially unveiled whenPrince Philip opened the terminal in1962. Their design was altered in 1987with the coloured glass drops taken outand they were moved from the centre ofthe departure hall to the side.


BUNNYBAG:You’ll have aspring in yourstep with thisretro satchelslung overyourshoulder! Bigenough cramin all youneed for aday with thefamily. ByAnorak £35fromwww.anorakonline.co.uk


OUTDOORS

Send dates to life! magazine, The Gazette, Avroe Crescent,Blackpool, FY4 4AU or e-mail [email protected]

INTHEGARDEN

BESTOFTHEBUNCH

with Hannah Stephenson

WEEKENDCHORES

Chionodoxa

GOODENOUGHTOEATCut-and-come-again salad

■ Tie in new growth ofblackberries as it occurs.■ Sow maincrop tomatoesindoors for planting in thegreenhouse during May.■ Sow summer spinach forharvesting in May.■ As weather conditionsimprove, harden off seedlingsand cuttings from autumn inventilated frames.■ Bring strawberries incontainers into the greenhouseto bring on the fruit early.■ Prune half-hardy fuchsiasunder cover when the pink‘eyes’ (embryo shoots) appear.■ Prick out or pot uppelargonium seedlings thathave grown from seeds sownlast month.■ Apply a top dressing ofgravel or chippings aroundplants in the rock gardens tosuppress weeds and ensurefree drainage.■ Sow sweet peas outdoors intheir flowering position exceptin very cold areas.■ Clear weeds from aroundthe base of establishedhedges and cut backovergrown deciduous hedges.■ Top-dress pot-grownshrubs, scraping off around2.5cm (1in) of old compostfrom the surface and addingfresh compost containing slowrelease fertiliser.■ Prune winter-floweringjasmine once the flowers havegone over completely.

MANY salad leaves, includingloose-leaf lettuces Lollo Rossaand Red Salad Bowl, mizuna,radicchio, rocket and manytypes of mustard, aredesigned to be picked youngas needed, some regrowingfrom the stump left when theleaves are cut.When mixed salad leaves inplastic bags are so expensive,have a go at growing yourown now.You can buy packets of mixedsalad leaf seeds, startingthem off in small pots ormodules on a windowsill or inthe greenhouse, for plantingoutside when the weatherwarms up.Use cloches to warm up thesoil for a few weeks beforeplanting seed outside,choosing a site in full sun forearly sowings, in fertile,moisture-retentive soil.Seeds can be sown at two orthree week intervals for acontinuous crop and waterregularly, picking off slugs andsnails.Harvest small quantities ofleaves as you need them,cutting off the leaves withscissors about 2cm from thecompost, leaving the cutstump.

Saturday, March 7The Alpine Garden SocietySouthport Group. John Page, 250Years of Rock and AlpineGardens. Emmanuel Church Hall,Cambridge Road, Southport, 2pm.Tuesday, March 10Carleton Garden Club. AnnMcCarthy, “Madeira - the IslandGarden”. Carleton Scout Hall,Poulton Road, Carleton, 7.30pm.Thursday, March 12The Alpine Garden Society. JuliaCorden - The Explorers’ Garden.

Methodist Church, Greaves,Lancaster, 7.30pmThornton Cleveleys HorticulturalSociety. Richard Hodson “Clematis– Viticella and offspring”. ThorntonLittle Theatre, Four Lane Ends,Thornton, 7.30pm.Monday, March 16Over Wyre Gardening Club,Jacqueline Iddon – Arranging TheGarden – Knott End MethodistChurch hall, Lancaster Road,Knott End, 7.30pm.

THESE delicate-looking pint-sizedbulbs producing starry flowers inshades of blue or pink, with whiteeyes, are ideal for adding to bedsand borders between perennials andunder roses and deciduous shrubs,as long as you plant in groups sothey will be noticed.They also look lovely in rockeries orraised beds.Bulbs should be planted in autumn8cm (3in) deep, in any well-drainedsoil, in sun or dappled shade. Liftand separate the bulbs every four tofive years if they become congested.

CCuuttwwiitthhccaarree

Spring is in the air and that meansgardeners will be digging out theirsecateurs for some serious pruning asthe growing season begins.

However, some may come unstuck if they pruneat the wrong time, damaging new shoot growthand losing this year’s flowers, while others willhack away at woody plants which should be leftto develop unpruned, apart from removing deadand diseased stems occasionally.So, what should you leave alone?It’s best not to interfere with rock roses, a family ofshort-lived summer shrubs, which won’t comeback easily if cut back hard. Laburnums, Pierisfloribunda, daphnes, sarcococca and somerhododendrons are also best left unpruned,otherwise you may ruin their shape or reduceflowering the following year.Slow-growing deciduous shrubs such ashibiscus, azaleas and hydrangeas don’t needmuch pruning and should be allowed to keeptheir flowerheads all winter.If you didn’t remove dead growth from perennialsin the autumn you can do it in early spring, whichcan help if you are planning to lift, divide andreplant specimens and the dead foliage marksthe position of plants which may otherwise bedifficult to locate.Most evergreens, including conifers, only needan optional summer shaping with shears.The shrubs which you should leave alone in earlyspring are those that flower in spring up to earlysummer such as philadelphus, forsythia, kerriaand weigela.This is because the flowers are produced onshoots which developed during the previousgrowing season, so these flowering shoots shouldbe cut back immediately flowering has finished,to allow new shoots to form.The ones which flower from early summeronwards including potentilla, lavatera andfuchsia, are the ones that need pruning in earlyspring, before growth starts. Cut back old woodhard to a low bud to encourage vigorous newgrowth which will produce flowers in the sameyear.You may be a bit tentative about giving the shrubtoo much of a haircut, but there are certain plantswhich you can cut right back within an inch oftheir lives in early spring, including Buddleiadavidii (butterfly bush), which can be cut down toa couple of buds from the ground, Caryopteris xclandonensis, Ceanothus ‘Burkwoodii’ andsantolina.Other plants which can be pruned in early springinclude euphorbia, lavandula, passiflora androses, although early pruning of bush roses(before you are confident that spring has arrived)is risky in cold northern gardens.Tidy up and prune early-flowering climbers assoon as they have flowered. Those which flowerlater in the year should be left until the followingspring.Hybrid (large-flowered) clematis, which fall intoGroup 2, should be cut right back to a pair of

fresh green buds about 30cm (1ft) above theground in early spring.Clematis which flower in summer and again inautumn need less drastic pruning. Thin out thestems every year to keep them tidy and everyother year cut back the oldest stems to 60cm (2ft)above the ground.Some shrubs do not take to hard pruning, suchas lavender and heather. Make sure when cuttingthem back that you don’t cut back into old woodor they won’t recover.If you make a note of what you need to prune andwhen, write the instructions on a label with theplant’s name and push it into the earth or loosely

around the plant for future reference.There are some basic rules when pruning. Usesharp tools and keep cuts clean. Cut out weak,dead or diseased stems before anything else andcut back stems which which are rubbing againstlarger ones.Cut just above a bud, sloping away at a 45degree angle, so that rainwater doesn’t run intothe cut and cause rotting.Try to prune so that air and light gets into thecentre of the plant. If you want your shrub tospread wide, cut above outward-facing buds. Ifyou want it to grow upwards, cut above inward-facing buds.

in association with The Alpine Centre and the Plant Place


OUTDOORSTHEWALK

BIRDWATCH

FACTFILE

February 2009 will be remembered for itsspectacular snowfall for years to come.Where I live no one had seen snow like itfor 20 years. The countryside lookedmagical, but sadly many of our smaller

birds and other wildlife will have perished in thefreezing temperatures.Well stocked feeders and bird baths kept ice-freereally would have made the difference between lifeand death for many of our garden birds.Keep those feeders well stocked now, too,because those garden birds that did survive theharsh conditions will be preparing for the breedingseason.The Great Spotted Woodpeckers are havingdrumming competitions in my local wood, therobins are singing theirhearts out and thehouse sparrows areprospecting possiblenest sites under theeaves of the house.Blackbirds, one of theearliest of our gardenbirds to breed, arealready gatheringnesting material.This is also a time ofyear when we will be outin our gardens again.Now the ground hasthawed it’s a good time forplanting trees and yourhard work will beaccompanied by beautiful birdsong.Towards the end of this month, listen out for theunmistakable call of the cuckoo, a true sound ofspring, and to further lift the spirits you might alsosee a lone swallow, the first of many that will startto arrive in April.Bees should start to appear again soon, too, alongwith the arrival of the spring flowers.Last year I saw my first bluebell of the year at theend of March and the woods were already full ofwood anemones and wild garlic. This is a trulywonderful time of the year so enjoy it and I lookforward to seeing you next month.● For more information about garden birds andother wildlife and what to do in your gardens visitwww.rspb.org.uk

A valleyof changes

There is a tendency to regard thecountryside as a place of peaceand quiet where one can escapefrom the pressures of urban

living.Yet it was not so long ago when the ruralscene was one of work and industry anda very busy place. The desertedlandscape of the Grane Valley close toHaslingden is a good example – this areaonce supported 1,000 people – farming,handloom weaving and quarrying. Now itis the realm of sheep and curlew, and ofcourse walkers.

THE WALK

Car Park to Leys End:6k (4m) 1½-2 hoursTake the path that starts to the left of thevisitors’ centre. After passing through astrip of woodland it begins to ascend thepasture beyond.Keep ahead at a kissing gate onto thesteeper fellside to reach the RossendaleWay (RW).This long distance path provides aconvenient reference for the greater partof the route. Turn left onto the RW.Though well used and obvious this is notwhat would be called a manicured path.Wet weather reduces parts of it to aboggy quagmire.Follow it as best you can past a coniferplantation. 10 minutes or 600m afterjoining it, the RW turns left, crosses awooden stile and drops down to GraneRoad (A6177).Following the direction of the signpostyou will arrive at the road in a little under300m. Cross the road and turn left.In a short distance pick up the way againto turn right into pastures.After 150m follow the RWas it turns right. In 300mthe RW turns lefttowards Calf HeyReservoir. Enteringan area of marshgrass the track is notalways easy todiscern, but frequentwaymark posts willassist you as the RWreaches the first of manyruined buildings.Passing an informationboard close to a ruinedgable the RW dropstowards a gully close to another ruin.Across the gully the RW follows the edgeof woodland before entering theplantation by way of a stile.Keep on the RW as you go through thisstretch of mixed woodland. Over afootbridge bear right. Once clear of thewoods you will find yourself on the steepsided slopes below Musbury Heights.Views open out down the valley. Keepahead passing Calf Hey Reservoir andwalking above Ogden Reservoir. 1.6k/1mile from the woods fork left off the RWclose by a small stream.Along a narrow path drop steeplytowards the south east corner of OgdenReservoir.The natural line appears to cross the damend of the reservoir but there is no publicaccess there. Keep ahead on the paththen turn left through a wooden gate and

drop to a stile.Passing the end of Holden WoodReservoir on your right follow the path asit skirts around a large utility building onits right side, to lead you up to GraneRoad. Leys End is along the trackopposite.

Leys End to Clough Head car park3.5k (2m) 1-1½ hoursKeep ahead through Leys End farmyardand its noisy dogs.The footpath beyond crosses a stile andthen diagonally traverses pasture toreach a junction of tracks.Turn left taking the metalled lane as itbends right leading up to Cloud HillFarm.Beyond the farm keep ahead on afootpath as it crosses two large pastures

to reach once again the Rossendale Way.Turn left. In 800m the RW turns sharplyleft.Follow it downhill to the edge of a quarry,before it turns right and then edgesaround the large Jamestone Quarry withits numerous warnings. The quarry is animpressive and active operation.In another 15 minutes reach a footpathjunction. Turn left and walk down along arecently laid path to a metal kissing gate.Keep ahead with an enclosed plantationon the right to reach another metal gateon the right.Go through this to arrive back at the carpark in a few more minutes.● Walk by John Griffiths and Bob Clare.Hit www.lancashirewalks.com for morewalks exploring the diversity of theLancashire countryside.

Start: Visitors Centre Car park:Clough Head. From junction 5M65 take the A6177 towardsHaslingden. After 5k 3m turn leftonto the visitors’ centre car park.Distance: 9.5k 5.5mTime: 2½-3 -½ hoursTerrain: An easy to moderatewalk made more demanding afterwet weather when paths becomevery muddy.Map: OS Explorer 287 WestPennine Moors

SCENIC: Calf HeyReservoir from theRossendale Way

with Kate Humble

A Great Spotted Wood-pecker and (below) anesting blackbird


TRAVEL&HOLIDAYSCASTLES AND GARDENS OF KENTJuly 24, two days from £189.95See and enjoy thecharming Gardenof England, andvisit three of itsfinest gardens, onthis attractive andgreat valuesummertimebreak. Includesreturn coachtravel, two nightsin a twin ordouble beddedroom with aprivate bathroomat a three starhotel in the southwest, dinner andfull English breakfast from dinner on Friday to breakfaston Sunday and admission to Sissinghurst Gardens, thegardens at Great Dixter and to Hever Castle andGardens. Organised by Omega Holidays ABTA V4782.

WINDSOR CASTLE ROYAL TATTOOMay 16, two days from £179.95Enjoy an eveningof spectacularentertainment, inthe presence ofroyalty, in theprivate groundsof Windsor Castleat this splendidRoyal Tattoo,held to honour allour armedservices and insupport of TheRoyal BritishLegion. There willbe appearancesfrom members ofthe armed forcesand fantasticdisplays ofmilitary musicfrom the massed bands of the regiments and a stunningfinale of music, sound and light, with combined pipesand drums, a military band and choir. Includes coachtravel, one night four star outer London hotel, a fullEnglish breakfast, a two course meal at the WindsorCastle Royal Tattoo and a top priced ticket for the Tattoo.Organised by Omega Holidays ABTA V7482.

MURRAYFIELD MAGICMay 2, twodays from£119.95Rugby League’smagic weekendwill be played atEdinburgh’sMurrayfieldstadium in Mayand offers achance to see 14top rugby teams inaction. After theexcitement of lastyear’s MagicWeekend atCardiff’s MilleniumStadium,Edinburgh bracesitself for sevenmassive clashes between the biggest names in theNorthern Hemisphere Rugby League. Includes returncoach travel, two day match tickets to see sevenEngage Super league matches, overnight stay at thefour star Holiday Inn, Glasgow Airport, Paisley with fullScottish breakfast and coach transfers from hotel toMurrayfield. Organised by Omega Holidays ABTAV7482.

BEAUTIFUL SCENERY: Our holiday visits Lake Garda (above), Verona andVenice

Italy – landof contrasts

FOR centuries, Italy has drawnvisitors,in search of culture andromance. Few countriescompare with its enormous

classical origins, its art, architecture,music, design, scenery, food and wine.Italy’s contribution to European paintingand sculpture surpasses that of anyother nation. Blend this with themagnificent scenery of the Italian Lakes,one of the world’s great cuisines and theattitude of living life to absolutemaximum inside every Italian and youhave a superb destination for a tour.Italy is blessed with some fantasticscenery and some of the finest is to befound as you approach the Alps aroundLake Garda, where images of theabundant flowers and trees, whichcover the banks, are reflected in an everchanging kaleidoscope of colour. Thepicturesque lake with gentle waveslapping slowly onto the shingleshoreline, with the stunning snow-capped Alps in the background,interspersed by picturesque villages allfit together in a beautifully balancedmosaic of harmony. Furthermore, wesee the Dolomite Mountains, some ofthe most spectacular alpine scenery onearth.It is only in the past 150 years that Italyhas come to exist as a nation stateformed from a collection of largelyindependent cities, often separated byimpenetrable marshes or mountainranges. They then evolved totallyseparately and on this tour we shall visittwo of them, the very different but veryclassic cities of Verona and Venice.Verona is without a doubt one of themost attractive cities you will ever seeand appropriately well known as thesetting for the legendary story of Romeoand Juliet. It has been important sinceancient times and has more ancientremains than any city in Italy exceptRome itself. Its most striking monumentis the arena, the third largest ever built,where a range of entertainments werepresented, including gladiatorialcombat. Enclosed by massive andextremely well preserved ramparts, thecity has a lovely medieval feel to it withpink hued buildings lining the streetshaving been lovingly restored.All the photographs and pictures youhave seen of St Mark’s Square andBasilica, the Doge’s Palace and theGrand Canal have been simply tellingthe extraordinary truth that Venice is astunning city. You cannot walk for morethan a few minutes without seeingsomething to make you stop andadmire. Indeed a roll call of must-seechurches alone would number morethan 50. As far is art is concerned thereis probably no other city with so manycollections of such quality. Indeed theAccademia museum consists of nothingbut masterpieces. The city itself hasbeen painted countless times, with theviews exactly as Canaletto capturedthem, the Campanile and St Mark’sSquare look straight from a film set. Thecity was founded 1,500 years ago andwas to become the dominant power inthe Mediterranean, being at thecrossroads of east and west. Trading

exploded and wealth positively floodedin creating the richest city in the world.At the centre of it all, St Mark’s Squarewas a hive of activity, packed withberobed bankers and entrepreneursfinalising another eastern expedition insearch of the spices, fine silks, ivory andother luxury items Europe’s aristocracyand monarchs craved.However, Italy is much more thanmajestic cities and this can beparticularly noticed in the restaurants.Boasting one of the world’s greatestcuisines, far from being pizza and

pasta, one of the first things whichstrikes you about visiting a restaurant inItaly is how deeply embedded in theculture food and drink really is. Freshvegetables and salads abound,combined with succulent meats,seafood, a hint of garlic and the finestolive oil to create simple, tasty,wholesome and healthy menus.One of the greatest joys of visiting Italyis, of course, the Italians themselves.Stylish, always ready to help and, ifthere is a single national characteristic,it is living life to the full, creating afantastic atmosphere which is so muchin evidence everywhere.This eight day holiday departs onvarious dates from April to October,2009 and costs from £539. The priceincludes return flights, seven nights halfboard hotel accommodation, a guidedsightseeing tour of Verona, a tour of theDolomites and a guided sightseeingtour of Venice. For a brochure pleasetelephone our brochureline.Organised by Riviera Travel ABTAV4744 .

Here’s a selection of Gazette Travel offers... in association with Liverpool John Lennon Airport

Call our 24-hour brochurehotline:01772 838080Other inquiries:Telephone as above orwww.gazettetravel.co.uk

CONTACTNUMBERS

SOCIETYDIARYYOURSTARSWith Cassandra Nye

For the week starting March 9

■■ To order any of the photographs on this page, please contact our photo sales department on 01253 361867

Captain of Blackpool North Shore Graham Shawand Captain of Fleetwood Dr Max Romer

Rora Hudson, Maureen Romer, Vera Shaw, Gwen Jagger andBetty McBain

Captain of St Annes Old Links Dave McBain, Lady Cap-tain of Fleetwood Eileen Squire, Dorothy Cartwright,Edith Clegg and Captain of Fairhaven Jim Hudson

Captain of Captains John Jagger, Blackpool Parkladies Captain Pat Bulmer and Captain of BlackpoolPark Terry Cartwright

Chris Cardwell, John Cardwell, Stephen Low and AndrewCramer

Beryl Radcliffe, Keith Radcliffe and Wynne Booker

Trisha Green, Stewart Morgan, Rebecca Goodall, Lewis Hilland Lynn Morgan

Phil Sewell, Nora Sewell, Dot Pymer and Reg Pymer

PISCES (20 Feb-20 Mar) This is an energeticweek, with Mars pushing you forward and encouragingquick decisions and forceful conversations. Oppositionto your ideas can be equally forceful, however, and ashow of determination will be needed. Get what youwant by all means, but not to the point where youignore any danger warnings.ARIES (21 Mar-20 Apr) A slowdown in yourpersonal life seems to have been balanced with aparticularly hectic time at work. This is to be expectedwith Venus in retrograde motion, so make the most ofthe chance to progress on more practical issues.TAURUS (21 Apr-21 May) It’s an interesting timefor any relationships that are in a state of flux at themoment. Feelings can swing from despair to delightand back again, with unsure Venus at odds withenergetic Mars. With the moon shining a light on anyintimate connections there is a generally unsettledmood.GEMINI (22 May-21 June) It would seem that youare running fast with no real idea of the next goalpost.Energetic Mars wants you to make progress butwithout a firm plan in place there could be confusionand time wasting. The saving grace is the Virgo fullMoon as the week begins, bringing your mind back topractical realities.CANCER (22 June-23 July) Although you start theweek on an unsure note, the Virgo Full Moon soonbrings emotions to a head, making it clear what yournext move should be. After some confusion, this is verywelcome. Both Mercury and Pluto continue to give asharp mind and optimistic attitudes.LEO (24 July-23 Aug) Showing a strong face toothers is important if you want them to take youseriously, as any signs of confusion or muddledthinking will not go down well. Taking charge of youremotions and surroundings is not easy with so muchplanetary activity, but be strong.VIRGO (24 Aug-23 Sept) A confused start to theweek could see you wasting both time and energy, butdon’t be too hard on yourself as the situation you faceis unexpected and annoying. Someone who seems tobe in tune with you one minute appears to be at oddsthe next.LIBRA (24 Sept-23 Oct) Thoughts keep goingback to a recent moment when all seemed to be goingwell with a relationship, but no amount of analysing willhelp if things are going pear-shaped or have simplystopped progressing. A retrograde Venus is foggingthe emotions and giving others pause for thought.SCORPIO (24 Oct-22 Nov) In the mood for somefun, but someone cramping your style? Follow yourinstincts rather than taking yourself on a guilt trip. Youare allowed some time to yourself, especially whenopportunities arise that may not come again. The VirgoFull Moon is feeding your fantasies and putting beforeyou the possibility of physical delights. With a sharpmind this also brings the determination to make themost of a special situation.SAGITTARIUS (23 Nov-21 Dec) Monday beingrelatively calm, Tuesday onwards can be something ofa shock. Lots of activity on both the personal andbusiness front, coupled with a strong Virgo Full Moon,can set your mind reeling.CAPRICORN (22 Dec-20 Jan) The exciting FullMoon in Virgo can see passions rise and cautionthrown to the wind. Using an instinctive influence fromSaturn, however, can bring you clear thoughts longenough to avoid disaster.AQUARIUS (21 Jan-19 Feb) A quiet day onMonday leads smoothly into a romantic frame of mindon Tuesday. The full Moon in Virgo intensifies feelingsbut you can be the force for good. Bringing humourinto everyday situations can change a stressfulenvironment into a tolerable irritation.

ThreeFyldegolfclubs

joined forces tocelebrate,staging aValentines Ballat the HiltonHotel,Blackpool.Members ofFleetwood,Blackpool Northand BlackpoolPark golf clubsenjoyed a blacktie dinner anddance.

ALL things showbiz came to the Tower Ballroomwhen hundreds of revellers enjoyedinternational circus acts at the Showzam!Carnival Ball. Staged by organisers Claire

Turner and Professor Vanessa Toulmin, the flower-themedevening was hosted by “former beauty queen” Tina Cand entertainment included trapeze artist Empress Stah,hula-hoop showgirl Marawa and comedy groupBearlesque.


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