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JUNE 2005

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2 June 2005 Online: www.nemagazine.co.uk

SHARON GRIFFITHSA day at the racesHOMESThe couple whocan’t stop movingINTERIORSLEGO for the grown-upsINTERIORSOur love forleather sofasHOMESThe man who fixedthe Royal draughtsGARDENINGCompost: not just a load of rotFASHION‘What I’m wearingto Royal Ascot’FASHIONFrom surfer to smart guy

McCOURT & McKAYOut on the townEATING OUTThe new Atlanticsets sailSHOPPINGFashions forfunky feetGADGET MANA new generation ofentertainment PCsBEAUTYHairstyles forhigh summerMOTORINGTake your home withyou when you goNE CONNECTIONSChocs away in BrugesLIFE COACHThe power of choice

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3June 2005 Online: www.nemagazine.co.uk

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�The onlyreason for

goingracing is to

have aflutter

THE golden rule forclassy interiors thissummer is “less ismore”. Say goodbye tobig bold patterns - thelatest streamlined lookis a cool combination ofneutral tones likestone, cream, beigeand brown, with a dashof more daring colourintroduced in accentaccessories. Leather,

chrome, wood finishesand clean cut ceramicsall add up to give yourroom the cutting edge.To get the look at greatprices, homewarecompany Au Naturalehas cylindrical ceramicsand simple sculpturesthat catch the eye. Adddashes of colour andtexture with bold

cushions and throws,priced from just £6. Oryou can start with ablank canvas andcreate colour and artfor the walls. Canvasesstart at £4 with paintsfrom £4. Au Naturale isin the Cornmill centre inDarlington or call 0141552 2020 for yournearest stockist.

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available in roaster hood(£399.99) and flat top (£299.99)options. For stockist inquiries orto request a brochure, call(01462) 744500.www.leisuregrow.com ADAY at the races can be a treat – es-

pecially admiring the style of theracegoers, a real fashion spectacular.All those stick thin women in bright

colours, tottering along, yanking their shoesout of the wet grass, one hand keeping holdof their little concoction of a hat, the otherclutching their race cards. It’s wonderful,glamorous stuff.

But it might be more profitable to keep aneye on the boot-faced woman in a Barbour…

Unless you are horse mad, or hold particu-larly strong religious convictions that forbidyou from scattering money to the winds, or arejust plain sensible, then the only reason forgoing racing is to have a flutter.

Which is where the fun begins…There are a lot of people on race tracks who

look as though they know what they’re doing.There are loud-voiced men with strainingshirts, beer bellies and tattoos for whom a racetrack is the only fresh air they get between bet-ting shop and pub.

There are other loud-voiced men in loudcheck suits, with lots of little tags danglingon their binocular cases. They are not owners,but know a man who is.

And there are a lot of tiny rat-faced men whosay nothing and who are good at looking in-conspicuous.

All of these look as though they might beworth eavesdropping on for tips. Anybodyknows more about racing than I do.

That’s why I have My System.My System’s easy. I don’t use a pin to select

my winners. Nothing so amateurish. Oh no. Ijust choose names I like…

And before you mock, I would point out thatit works. Well sort of.

The other thing which makes going to theraces much more delightful is if you can getinvited to a private box. Ideally, a private boxwhere they supply you with champagne andnibbles and where you can watch all that’sgoing on from the window. With luck, you canspend the entire occasion without actually get-ting near a horse. Always a bonus in my book.And with a private box, there’s usually a Totehandily placed, so you don’t have to queue forages.

This is where you get to mix with the loud-voiced men in check suits or expensive blaz-ers. All the time they’re waiting to place theirbets, they tell you why what they’ve chosenan absolute sure-fire winner. They’ve had a tip.

One of the stable boys. Man on the gate. Manin a bar. Whatever. They try and blind you withscience over previous form, about what thegoing’s like, the jockey’s previous winners, theweight. All sorts of technical details.

And it loses.Meanwhile, I have backed a horse called One

Trick Pony simply because I quite like the PaulSimon track of that name. And it wins.

See?And so the day goes. In between drinking

pink fizz and eating lobster (one could get usedto this), I pick names that appeal to me – some-thing about moonlight beaches, because I likethem,. Or a name in Latin – because I did it forO-level. Or Far Pavilions, because I like thebook.

I win a few places. I lose some. My fortunesare precariously balanced. But then in the lastrace, because I’ve just come back from seeingthe Pope, I back something called Reverence –and it comes second at 66-1. All in all I end theday £39 better off. Not bad, I say.

The men in blazers or check suits have notdone as well. They are scowling and swearingand scrunching up their betting slips andthrowing them to the floor in disgust. It has,they say, been a disastrous meeting.

I totter past them, ostentatiously countingten pound notes – all three of them – and passagain a woman I noticed earlier. She has beensitting quietly in a corner, in a sensible suitand an old Barbour thrown over her shoulders.Not for her pink fizz and lobster. No chit chat,jollity or idle speculation. She had work to do.

She has sat making notes, sending heryoung companion to place bets. And when therace has come on the television screen she haswatched expressionless – apart from a briefsmile of triumph as the winner is announced.

At the end of the evening, her companionmakes a final trip back from the tote counter.There is an impressive wad. The woman takesthe notes and puts them in folder that is al-ready bursting.

Leaving the last of her barely touched drinkon the table, ignoring the chat and the triumphand the loud-voiced men with their ripped upbetting slips, she leaves. She is almost smiling.

So if you’re going racing this month, forgetthe frilly fillies – the boot-face Barbour is def-initely the one to watch.

� Royal Ascot is at York racecoursefrom June 14-18; ‘What I’m wearing toAscot’ – see centre pages

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4 June 2005 Online: www.nemagazine.co.uk

JACKIE and Dave Bassett have lostcount of the number of times theyhave moved house. The ten yearsthey have known each other havebeen one long round of packing, un-

packing, buying, selling and renovating.The pair, who opened their own business

Homes and Finance in Yarm in January,have moved no fewer than nine times in nineyears. They even left their dream home aftera year.

“When Dave and I met, I had a lovely ivy-clad double-fronted cottage and it was oneof the oldest properties in Yarm,” recallsJackie, 42, an independent financial advisor.“I had decorated it and put a new bathroomin. One morning I decided Dave could movein, so that evening there was a knock at thedoor and there was Dave, with a black bin-bag of possessions in one hand and a tooth-brush in the other.”

The couple, who now have two daughters– Anna, six, and three-year-old Nicole – werein the house together for just over a yearwhen they started fantasising about theirideal home.

Dave, who is managing director of theirestate agents and financial services compa-ny, explains: “I had done a few DIY bits andbobs for friends, but I started to realise theonly way to get a really nice house was tobuild one from scratch.”

They were chatting about their dreamhome one evening when they took a tissuebox and sketched their perfect property. Itwas based roughly on a house in InglebyBarwick they had seen, but couldn’t afford.

“I just asked Jackie to tell me what sizerooms she wanted. I trained as a draughts-man so I sketched the house for her,” recallsDave, 35. “It had the gables and fancy brick-work of the Ingleby house and all the roomshad double windows. My dad even took thedrawing and made us a cardboard houseabout six inches high so we could see whatit would be like.”

Once they had secured a plot of land – justunder a fifth of an acre - at Deighton, nearNorthallerton, their confidence grew andtheir dreams started to turn into reality, but

they put their plans on hold until after theirwedding in July 1996.

Just before the wedding the pair movedinto Dave’s grandma Edith’s one-bed-roomed flat in Yarm. Edith, who has sincedied, was ill and living with Dave’s parentsBrian, 69, and Mabyn, 66.

They were there a few months until Edithrecovered and wanted her flat back so theydecamped to Jackie’s mum Betty’s house inThornaby for six months, while Betty, now75, was living in America.

“Each time we moved all our furniturewith us,” laughs Dave. “At my nana’s we putall her things away in a cupboard and movedour things in. In both places we didn’t havemuch room once we got all our stuff inside.”

From Betty’s house they moved onto afriend’s two-bedroomed flat in Thornaby fortwo months while the flat was up for sale.But they hated the flat and went back toDave’s family home in Kirklevington.

“I know we should have put all the furni-ture in storage but we were skint,” laughsDave, who was training to be a teacher whileJackie worked as a financial adviser forLloyds TSB in Middlesbrough.

An architect finalised their plans, plan-ning permission was applied for and grant-ed and work began on their dream home,which included a dressing room, an en-suitemaster bedroom and an en-suite guestroom, as well as a massive kitchen, a sepa-rate shower cubicle, a utility room and adownstairs cloakroom. The cost of the four-bedroomed house came to about £110,000.

“We built it to our very maximum bud-get,” remembers American-born Jackie.“When we moved in in September 1997, Iwas pregnant with Anna. We didn’t have akitchen and we washed up in the en-suitebathroom for ages.

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5June 2005 Online: www.nemagazine.co.uk

‘We’vemoved moretimes thanwe canremember’

“We tried to save money wherever wecould. We thought it would cost between£2,000 and £3,000 to decorate the house so weused that money for carpets and did the dec-orating ourselves.”

Dave adds: “We managed to do far moreof the work than we ever imagined. Wethrew ourselves into it, and fitted windows,built walls, fitted bathrooms. It was a gor-geous house and there were 200 square me-tres of living accommodation. The bed-rooms were enormous. We had everyoneover for Christmas that year so we got ourkitchen in by December 10.”

But the dream home hadn’t led to a dreamlife – and Jackie found village life too quiet.

“It was a perfect house. Every bedroomwas designer in the end and we had colourschemes for each room. It was gorgeous,”says Jackie. “But there was just a churchand a village hall and I felt isolated. I wasbrought up in Thornaby, with buses goingpast my window every few minutes.”

Dave adds: “We used to lie in bed on Sun-day mornings and it was silent outside. Allwe could hear were sheep in the distance,and they were so far away we couldn’t evensee them. It was a hassle driving to and fromwork, friends never called in for coffee. Ifanyone came for a meal, they had to get ataxi – there was no public transport – or theystayed over.

“But the house itself was great. When wehad Anna christened, we had 70 people inthe house without feeling overcrowded.”

After just a year there the two had decid-

ed to sell their Deighton home when theybought Dave’s grandma’s ground floor flat.They then bought a second flat in the sameroad and lived there while they did up an-other of their properties - a two-bedroomedhouse at number 10 Bridge Street, Yarm.They went on to buy two more adjacenthouses and lived in two out of the three – thethird was leased.

In September 2001, while expecting theirsecond daughter, they moved into their pre-sent home, a 1930s £146,000 semi in ThirskRoad, Yarm.

“We fell in love with the house,” says Jack-ie. “It had a lovely feel to it. Completion tookjust two weeks and we went back to beingbroke. We had two flats and three housesand this house but we had no money. WhenI look back, I don’t know how we did it.”

The house presented a few problems suchas damp, a major gas leak and woodchip onthe walls, but by now, these were a merechallenge for the Bassetts, even a heavilypregnant one.

“The house hadn’t been touched foryears,” laughs Jackie. “Under the wallpaperin the bedrooms there were children’s draw-ings of war planes with bombs falling, andrhymes about Hitler.”

The pair have installed a new kitchen,bathroom and conservatory, as well as cen-tral heating and a damp proof course. Theyhave decorated their daughters’ bedrooms,but still want to work on their own bedroomand a small room leading off the conserva-tory. With its white and cream décor, thewhole house has a light airy feel.

But are they here to stay or do they stillhave itchy feet? They now own five proper-ties in the Yarm area.

“If the Deighton house were here, it wouldbe just perfect,” they say together.

Then they muse about building anotherhouse in the garden.

“I would love to see this house extended,”confides Jackie, while Dave adds: “I don’tthink it’s the right thing to do at the mo-ment…”

The jury’s out, but you can bet their homewon’t stay the same for long.

The Gables, Deighton, 1997-1999

CHRISTINE FIELDHOUSE talks to a couplewho just can’t stop moving house, eventhough they spent years planning andbuilding their dream property

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6 June 2005 Online: www.nemagazine.co.uk

IT was while he was playing with a fewLEGO bricks that designer MarcFarrington had the idea for hiscreative seating range. “I wasadmiring the different combinations

of shapes and colours and the ease withwhich they pulled apart and stucktogether,” he says. “I thought wouldn’t thisbe great if it could work on a larger scale?”

Marc’s furniture is certainly eye-catching and thankfully does not resemblea giant LEGO kit. Instead, the seating lookslike a furniture equivalent of NorthernIreland’s Giant’s Causeway, with cleanlines rising up and down.

The beauty of Marc’s PersonalisedInterior Landscaping System (or PILS forshort) lies in their versatility. One of theblocks would look fantastic on its own, say,in a boudoir, pulled up towards a dressingtable covered in pink. But clusteredtogether in a living room via theinterlocking velcro strip, they become astriking design feature.

The PILS on sale at Gallerina in DukeStreet, Darlington, are upholstered in tan-coloured snake leather and cream suede,the latter so soft you cannot help but strokeit. Indeed, Marc is busy doing just that soit looks just right for the photographs.

“I’m a bit of a perfectionist,” he admitswith a grin. I think they look great but theimportant thing is that they’re sturdy,comfortable and reliable. You can mix andmatch so many different colours andtextures, it all depends on the imaginationof the customer.

“They’ve got architecturally clean linesso they don’t interfere with a scheme youhave going on in a room. There’s alsosomething quite appealing about the basicshape – the best designs I feel are the basicones. I think that’s where I’m trying tocome from.”

A former pupil of Barnard Castle School,

Marc, 23, left Leeds MetropolitanUniversity last June with a degree ininterior design. But he always wanted towork for himself and after a visit to a tradeand craft show, he realised there was a bigmarket in furniture. It was his parents, wholive near Barnard Castle, who gave him thesupport to set up his company, NEU-KCreative in August last year.

“They said they would give me freeaccommodation, free food and freeworkshop space for a year to try out myidea to see if it works,” he says.“Fortunately it’s gone really well.”

Marc sought start-up advice fromBusiness Solutions Bedale before creatingthe first PILS. The basic box constructionsare made out of MDF and they are coveredin foam before being upholstered in a widevariety of materials and colours, from pinkcloth to dark brown leather. They also comein five different heights, ranging from 450millimetres to 850.

Marc tested the first ones in his bedroom.“I slept on them and sat on them and

played my Playstation – although I don’thave time to play that any more, I tend towork 15-hour days now,” he laughs.

In line with his entrepreneurial spirit, hisdesigns for the future include launchinghis own advertising agency in June, using“experimental advertising methods”.Although when pressed on what theymight be he adds cheekily: “I could tell youbut I’d have to kill you”.

For now, his PILS look set to grace thehomes of the style-conscious.

“I feel really passionate about them,” hesays. “And I think the more upbeat you areabout the product, the more you willinfluence others to feel the same.”� The PILS range starts from £198. Formore details contact Gallerina on 01325363635 or Marc on 07919 341141 or emailneukcreative@aol.com

interiors

Takingthe

If you want to make a design statement, look nofurther than Marc Farrington’s innovative furniture.Women’s Editor LINDSAY JENNINGS reports

cube

MarcFarringtontakes abreakamid hisdesigns inGallerina

Pictures:SARAH

NICOLSON

7June 2005 Online: www.nemagazine.co.uk

L EATHER sofas used to be reservedfor gentlemen’s clubs or starkbachelor pads where the onlyother item of furniture was a mas-sive television. No wonder, be-

cause until a few years ago they were just toougly, dominating, and down-market in de-sign.

Today, all that’s changed and we’re havinga love affair with leather, confirmed by thelatest survey on consumer spending habitswhich revealed that leather sofas have re-placed upholstered couches in the nation’saffection.

Perhaps it’s not surprising because de-signers have embraced and lavished care onsofa bodies making them appealing, com-fortable and covetable. They also possessevery celebrity’s dream quality – they lookbetter as they age.

They’re completely in tune with our cur-rent desire to be surrounded by natural ma-terials. Leather sofas grace and soften the at-mosphere of any room with wood or stonefloors, and work equally well in modern ortraditional surroundings.

Deceptively tough customers, they canhappily withstand the scuffs and knocks ofeveryday life which makes them family-friendly, and they’re even stain repellent.

Paul Staden, marketing manager at SofaWorkshop, agrees that leather’s luck hasturned. ‘‘Leather sofas have come a long waysince the ubiquitous black leather sofa withchrome legs that was the must-have for thebachelor pad,” he says. ‘‘People now regardthem as aspirational items and associatethem with a stylish, successful lifestyle. Thebrown saddle tones are the most popular.’’

If you haven’t succumbed to leather’scharms we’ve rounded up some of the bestto tempt you to play ‘hide and sleek’.

CHOOSING A LEATHER SOFA� As a general rule, the softer the leather,the better the quality.� Avoid sofas that are not structured and acomposite of many different panels ofleather stitched together. (Check the back

and sides – a single panel of leather meansthe whole hide has been used, not acollection of offcuts.)� Sofas treated to look vintage, with abattered, lived-in feel, can give a softerlook.� Inspect stitching detail carefully –ideally it should be fine and unobtrusive.� Leather has natural oils that protect andpreserve it, so regular dusting and vacuumcleaning in crevices and seats is generallyall that is required.

LEATHER LINGO� Tanning makes a hide supple and soft.Vegetable tanning gives more body thanstandard mineral tanning.� Aniline is a naked coloured leather withminimum finishing, allowing grain andmarkings to be seen. Semi-aniline meansdyeing has evened out the naturalmarkings.� In full grain leathers the top of the skinhas not been altered in any way. Leatherswith corrected grain have been lightlybuffed to remove minor blemishes, andembossed with an artificial grain.� Nubuck involves buffing the top side ofthe skin to raise the fibres and give avelvety effect.

Sofa, so good

Three-seater Verona from Furniture Village, £699; Cambourne sofa,from £1,700, and Denbigh footstool, £375, from Laura Ashley

Isola sofa £3,330, ottoman

£1,080, fromPoltrona Frau

Haywardsofa fromSofaWorkshop,£499;Marks &SpencerBolognatwo-seater,£999

Leather sofas are the top seat-ing choice for the nation’shomes, according to the annualsurvey on consumer trends.GABRIELLE FAGAN hunts outsome of the best

� People now regardleather sofas as

aspirational items and associate them with a stylish, successful lifestyle

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8 June 2005 Online: www.nemagazine.co.uk

THERE can be few jobs bigger for awindow renovator than theimposing facade of BuckinghamPalace. But the royal residence iswhere Stuart McKay found himself

working, draughtproofing the rattlingvistas of Princess Anne and the Duchess ofYork, Sarah Ferguson.

“I’m not sure how many there wereexactly, but there were definitely a lot ofwindows,” laughs Stuart, 44, who workedfor the Royals while living in London.“There was nothing wrong with them assuch, they were all hardwood, but theywere a bit draughty, so we went in todraughtproof them.”

Stuart spotted a niche in the marketwhen he sent up his window business 17years ago to renovate and draughtprooftraditional sliding sash windows.

Counter-weighted, sliding sash windowshave been around since the 1670s andoriginated in Holland, but it was inEngland that the mechanisms wereperfected, borrowing from clock pendulumtechnology to create a window whichwould open at any position. It wasn’t longbefore the counter-balanced windowsspread through the former British Empireto America, the West Indies and Australia.

At the time Stuart set up his business,the tendency was for homeowners to ripout timber frames in poor condition andreplace them with plastic. But hismethodical work paid off and soon sawhim working at period homes of the richand famous in London - including that ofactor John Thaw - and, of course, thatother well known homeowner - HM TheQueen. Stuart says he never saw his Royalemployers, but it didn’t stop him receivinga grilling by security every morning.

“They would ask you questions aboutyour own grandmother that even youwouldn’t know the answers to,” he laughs.

He eventually moved to Hurworth, nearDarlington, in April 2002 with wife Allison,and children Hayley, 13, and Jack, nine. Headmits to being unsure as to whether thebusiness would be a success in the North-East, but he is finding people are just askeen to renovate in the north as they are inthe south.

“In London 50 to 60 per cent of thehouses in London still have box sashwindows but I wasn’t quite sure how itwould work out up here,” he says. “Butmore and more people are realising thatsash windows can add value to an oldproperty and that they can be renovated ata fraction of the cost of double glazing.”

Stuart has always loved old houses (hehas spent almost three years renovatinghis own property) but says many peopleare too quick to put in double glazedwindows without realising they can havetheir sash windows draught-proofed orrepaired.

“I think sometimes some of the salesmenconvince people there’s no other option,but there often is,” he says. “When you seean old house and there are UPVC windowsin, to me it detracts from the character.”

Stuart has worked on a vast range ofproperties, from Tudor buildings datingback to 1470 to a recent renovation projectat a manor house in Hurworth which datesaround the 1720s. Typical problems whichcan be fixed include broken sash cords;windows which have been painted shut (acommon problem), rattling windows androtten sills. He can also double glaze sashwindows and windows which are beyondrestoration can be remade exactly as theywere - which means the plastic ones can beripped out in favour of the wood.

“They say the windows and the door arethe eyes and smile of a house,” he says. “Ithink there’s nothing better than seeing aperiod property with sash windows.”� Stuart can be contacted on 07980588065 or stuartreedmckay@tiscali.co.uk

The man whofixed the Royal

interiors

draughts Sash windows are a great feature in a period home and can evenadd value to a property, but what if they’re not in the best ofcondition? Women’s Editor LINDSAY JENNINGS gets some tipsfrom Royal window renovator Stuart McKay

Sash windows: UPVC detract from thecharacter of older houses

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9June 2005 Online: www.nemagazine.co.uk

SASH SAVVYStuart’s top five tips forkeeping sash windows ingood condition:1. Spray WD40 on thepulleys now and again tokeep the windows movingfreely.2. Rub candlewax on thesash cords to maintain asmoothness.3. Windows should bepainted every three to fiveyears to protect them andstop them rotting.4. Ensure all windows arefitted with good, qualitylocks.5. Keep windows clean byrubbing with vinegar and oldnewspaper.

By Royal appointment:Stuart McKay renovatedthe sash windows atBuckingham Palace

Pictures: ANDY LAMB

When you’ve had your windowsrestored, all that remains is todress them. Here are some tipsfrom top designers...

NICKY HASLAM‘‘I think people have begun to think ofwindows as works of art. A window islike a modern painting and curtainscompose the frame. If you take them upas high as you can, they give visualheight to a room and draw attention tothe ceiling. Curtains should hang justto the floor, and I try not to usetiebacks because I think they are nowcliches.’’

TIP: Be imaginative with trimmings.Haslam uses crystals, shells, leather orgaudy braid, and particularly likeslarge tassels.

NINA CAMPBELLYou can get pattern and excitementfrom cushions and upholstery, but Ithink the expanse of curtain fabricneeds to be more restful. When I do usepatterns, I use walling to match. I lovethe feel of fabrics: damask, velvet,chenille and printed linen. I also lovefloaty fabrics that let the light comethrough such as sheer linen or silktaffeta, which I often use unlined.’’

TIP: Remember that grand curtainsonly look right on grand windows,smaller windows need simplertreatments. If you have to compromiseon cost, choose a good curtain makerand a less expensive fabric.

KELLY HOPPENThe way I think about curtains haschanged. Years ago it was about usingmasses of fabric to cover windows,whereas today it’s about light. Peopleare more aware of light now, they wantcurtains that are sheer andtranslucent, not lined and interlined.I’m definitely not a pattern person, butI will border fabrics and make bandsacross them. An expensive silk can lookwonderful bordered with grey flannelor wool.

TIP: Use one colour for a curtain butseveral different fabric textures suchas silk and leather to make plaincurtains look interesting.As an alternative to traditionalcurtains Hoppen has designedJapanese style screens, with inter-changeable fabric panels that attachwith Velcro, or shutters covered infabric such as suede or felt for use inchildren’s rooms.

JUST WINDOW DRESSING

Jane Churchill curtain fabrics enlivena child’s room without being too twee

10 June 2005 Online: www.nemagazine.co.uk

What a lot

gardening

THE buds are bursting open, the ten-drils are twining themselves tena-ciously around any available sup-port, and the branches arestretching themselves up towards

the bright sun-filled sky.Then along comes the gardener, with his

hedge cutters and his eye on a well mani-cured plot. Before long, the hedge has hadits trim, the gardener steps back satisfied…then spies the mountain of cuttings piledup in the aftermath of the job.

What on earth is he going to do with thatlot?

There are options. He could pile them intohis car, scratching the interior, and takethem down to the council tip. He could tryto burn them, but if they’re too green, thefire’s unlikely to take hold. He could pilethem into the far corner of the garden andtry to forget about them.

Or he could call Rotters…Now the biggest community composting

scheme in the country, the Barnard Castle-based company makes a weekly collectionof garden waste from its members and willmake one-off collections for a fee fromother households. Then they turn the lotinto compost.

Set up by Martin and Jill Bacon in 2002,Rotters now has 800 fully paid-up membersand covers 5,500 houses in the area. Thebusiness nestles on a site owned by theWater Board down a bluebell-lined lane justbelow Deerbolt Young Offenders’ Institutein the town.

“It was Jill’s idea,” says Martin. “We’ve al-ways made compost on the site, basicallyfor our own needs, because we used to growa lot of wild flowers and trees. We had fouror five compost bins at the time and Jill sug-gested looking at community composting,taking in people’s kitchen and gardenwaste.”

A pilot scheme was run in 2002 when 100houses in Bowes agreed to hand over theirwaste, garden stuff in hessian sacks andkitchen waste in white plastic buckets. Un-fortunately, because of the new rules andregulations in the wake of foot-and-mouth,the collections of kitchen waste had to bestopped.

“In Germany and across Europe they stillcollect kitchen waste happily, but post foot-and-mouth DEFRA put new legislation in,”says Martin. “They said, for example, thatif we picked up a lettuce, it could have beenin a fridge and could have brushed upagainst a chicken and it could have becomecontaminated, and could cause a big out-break of something nasty,” adds Jill.

So garden waste it had to be. It’s collect-ed in converted, electric milk floats, whichthey picked up for a couple of hundred quid

– “that one over there was last used to trans-port the baggage at Humberside airport,”says Martin. Huge piles of compost-in-the-making sit steaming in the spring sunshine,but, surprisingly, there’s absolutely nosmell.

“That’s because it’s turned regularly toget plenty of oxygen into it,” says Jill. “Peo-ple have the wrong idea about compost andthe free compost bins that were given tohouseholders in some areas put a lot of peo-ple off composting for life.”

“There are no instructions,” says Martin,“so they just fill them up with grass cut-tings and rubbish and expect compost tofall out of the bottom. One of the reasons itturns into a stinky horrible mess is thatthey don’t turn it to get oxygen into it. Withhome composting we recommend usingpaper to keep the smell down, but one of thebiggest problems is being able to shred itsmall enough to rot down in the first place.”

The shredder at Rotters makes quickwork of the job and garden waste that ar-rived just days ago is soon “cooking” nice-ly, the bacteria in it working hard to bringthe temperature up to 74 degrees centi-grade. After 12 weeks it is sieved off and leftto cool for another four weeks, before beingbagged and sold.

“When we first set up, we thought one ofour biggest problems might be getting ridof the finished product but last year every-thing we took in in 2003 was turned over inthe winter to compost and we’d sold out byMay 2004,” says Martin. “Luckily, we kepton top of it and managed to find enough ma-terial to keep our customers satisfied.”

The couple’s green credentials were es-tablished early with their choice of careers.Jill used to work in the Forest of Dean as as-

of rot!

It’s not a glamorous business, composting. But ina world where we produce so much waste, it’swell worthwhile. JENNY NEEDHAM talks to thecouple who run the country’s largest communitycomposting scheme

WHAT TO COMPOST� Shredded paper and torn card� Rabbit/guinea pig bedding� Dead cut flowerrs� Unprepared garden produce� Soft hedge clippings� Fallen leaves� Grass cuttings� Weeds (avoid persistent weeds and

weeds in seed)� Old plants

DO NOT COMPOST� Meat or any material prepared

with meat� Plate scrapings (raw or cooked)� Fish and cheese� Cooked leftovers� Coal ash� Cat and dog litter

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timber go tolandfill everyday and thenwe go and buy99 per cent ofour charcoalfrom Indonesianrainforests

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11June 2005 Online: www.nemagazine.co.uk

sistant countryside warden and, since theage of 20, Martin had worked for the BritishTrust for Conservation Volunteers. They as-pire to an eco-friendly lifestyle, but like mostof us, don’t always find it easy. “We try tolive a green lifestyle but we live in the StangForest in West Hope and unfortunately thecouncil doesn’t provide the recycling ser-vices up there,” says Martin.

The couple have two boys – Matthew, 14,and Philip, ten – who are very much part ofthe business and when I visited, Jill’s fatherhad also been roped in to help out. It’s verymuch a family and community affair.

There are 20 people working at Rottersnow, six full time, some on the government’sNew Deal programme, volunteers and peo-ple from the charity, Groundwork WestDurham, with whom Rotters is in partner-ship. Rotters is a non-profit making organi-sation and trustees have been brought in tooversee its transition into registered charity

As well as composting, Rotters has juststarted an organic garden to encourageeveryone who goes down there to eat or-ganic fruit and veg. “I don’t know if we’llproduce enough to sell on at the market, butit’s a thought for the future, growing thingsin our own compost,” says Jill.

Another sideline is charcoal. Any branch-es thicker than a couple of inches are putaside and made into charcoal on site.

“One of the problems in this country isthat 60,000 tonnes of timber go to landfillevery day and then we go and buy 99 percent of our charcoal from Indonesian rain-forests,” says Martin. “If people want tohave a barbie, it is so much better for theenvironment if they use British charcoal.They need to check labels carefully, though.Lots of charcoal sold in major stores has

British flags on, but it’s actually Indonesiancharcoal bagged in Britain.

Martin is also developing ways of makingbio-diesel on site, a fuel that has zero emis-sions. “A customer pointed out that it wasall well and good having electric vehicles,but that the power to run them comes fromnuclear power stations, and he has a point,so we are looking into alternatives,” he says.

In the meantime, the electric vehicles willcontinue to do their collections from gar-deners who want to be that little bit green-er, to be taken back to Rotters, a namethought up by Jill.

“I wanted to call it Rotters IndependentTraders and have little yellow three-wheel-ers advertising the business,” laughs Martin.

A well-worn joke maybe, but then, there’snothing wrong with a bit of recycling…

� Rotters is situated down a lane on theright at the entrance to Deerbolt YoungOffenders’ Institution in Startforth,Barnard Castle. Tel: (01833) 690022;email: rotterscomposting@yahoo.co.uk

Collections: Barnard Castle, Mickelton,Cotherstone, Egglestone, Lartington,Romaldkirk, Middleston-in-Teesdale,Barningham, Whorlton, Boldron,Stainton.

The £12 annual membership includes aweekly green waste kerbside collectionwith up to three bags emptied andreturned each week. The fee also includesa free delivery service for compost, from£1.50 per bag, and barbecue charcoal, for£4.50 per bag. For £15 a trip, local pick-ups of large quantities of green wastecan be arranged and commercial greenwaste can be taken direct to Rotters forcomposting at £42 per tonne.

Martin and Jill Bacon, left and above, with the compost they make in Teesdale

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12 June 2005 Online: www.nemagazine.co.uk

Ascot

What I’mwearing to

IT sounds a glamorous existence,being the wife of a successfulracehorse trainer. But DeirdreJohnston is as actively involvedas her husband Mark when itcomes to ensuring their North

Yorkshire yard runs smoothly. And theymust be doing something right: in eachof the last eight years, the yard at thehistoric Kingsley House in Middlehamhas produced a minimum of 100 domes-tic winners.

The Johnstons are hoping for morewinners this week, one of the biggestweeks in the racing calendar, as RoyalAscot begins tomorrow, at its temporaryhome on the Knavesmire at York.

Every morning, Deirdre rides out fourlots of horses on Middleham’s gallops,spends three to four afternoons a weekat different races, and supervises someof the office work. But when the hardand dirty work’s done, she also lovesnothing more than to dress up for thebig race meetings (even though she cansometimes be found in a beautiful two-piece suit saddling up the horses, or inher heels legging up the jockeys!).

“I do like to feel glamorous, but I haveto be very practical because I often haveto saddle up the horses to help Mark,”she says. “If I’m saddling up I tend to gointo the saddling box, take the hat off be-cause the horses don’t like it, saddle up,then pop the hat back on and brush my-self down.

“I stay away from anything too shortor tight and I have to have a hat whichstays on my head and shoes that aren’tso high that I can’t walk in them. I likeclassic styles. I wear a lot of suits andtrousers and jackets with nice cuts andfabric and I also like to wear somethinga bit different.”

At Royal Ascot last year, Deirdre woreone of her favourite outfits, the top hatand tails number (main picture). She gotthe jacket from Betty Barclay andteamed it with a classic pair of blacktrousers and a beautiful specially de-signed hat. It was a look which saw herfeatured in the glossy pages of Horseand Hound magazine and on television.

“There were quite a few commentsabout it. It was such great fun to wear,”she recalls.

Deirdre, 42, also loves colour, and shehas selected her Ladies’ Day outfit forRoyal Ascot in her favourite colour – yel-low – although she is keeping the exactdesign under wraps. “I love brightcolours and I’ve worn bright orange be-fore but I also like black and white as acombination,” she says. “I like being abit different and adventurous – but with-out being mutton dressed as lamb.”

As for the buying bit, with a busytraining yard Deirdre is often short oftime. Her favourite stores includeEmma Somerset in Harrogate and Up-stairs, Downstairs in Ripon. “I love it be-cause they know me and they’ll makeme a cup of coffee at the same time,” shesays.

For the past two years, she has had herhats designed and made by millinerClare Workman of Aberfoyle in Scot-land, an arrangement which also suitsher busy schedule as it means she does-n’t waste time hunting for headwear.Her favourite labels include Betty Bar-clay and Gerry Weber – but she isn’t adesigner label snob.

“I wouldn’t even know who half ofthem are by,” she laughs.

“Fortunately, I know what I like quitequickly. It doesn’t have to be expensiveand it doesn’t matter if it’s off the peg,just as long as I like it.”

MAIN PICTURE: Top hat and tails...Deirde in one of her favourite raceday outfits, a Betty Barclay jacketand trousers – a practical choiceshould she need to help saddle upthe horses

ABOVE: a cream shift dress andmatching coat and hat, the kind ofclassic style Deirdre loves

Pictures: CHRIS BOOTH

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13June 2005 Online: www.nemagazine.co.uk

As one half of athrivingracehorsetraining team,DeirdreJohnston likesto look stylishfor the big racemeetings. Buther outfits alsohave to bepractical, as shetells Women’sEditor LINDSAYJENNINGS

The Johnston’s stables in the beautiful countryside at Middleham inNorth Yorkshire. Left: Attraction, which will be running at York

THE five-day Royal Ascotmeeting starts at Yorktomorrow (June 14).About 60,000 people aday are expected todescend on the city'sKnavesmire course. The famous meeting hasbeen moved while itsBerkshire home for thepast 300 yearsundergoes a £185mredevelopment. Deirdre’s husband, MarkJohnston, has a superbrecord at Ascot. He hasbeen the top trainer atthe course over the pastfive years, and has beenthe leading trainer atthe Royal meeting on acouple of occasions. Hisrecord at York has beenless impressive, butwe’ll just have to seewhat happens whenAscot and York arejoined together...

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14 June 2005 Online: www.nemagazine.co.uk

fashion

DARREN Mudd is sitting in oneof the chairs at Psyche’s hairsalon, with a towel around hisshoulders and his freshlywashed hair slicked back.

“I wasn’t too keen when I found out,” headmits, shooting a smile at his mumSuzanne, who wrote to The Northern Echonominating him for a make-over. “But it’sa change, it’s nice.”

An hour earlier Darren, 23, had walkedinto designer department store Psyche inLinthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, in hisjeans, white T-shirt and black jumper, hisstubble and long hair honed during a sea-son spent surfing in Newquay before aspell in Austria. Suzanne, of Crook, Coun-ty Durham, admits she was a bit con-cerned when he decided to head off toNewquay for the summer season, but shesays it’s the best thing he’s done.

“He just grew in confidence and he madeloads of friends and is now looking atgoing to university,” she says.

But with the surfing lifestyle came thesurfer’s look – one which, according tomum, does not mix well with his first jobinterview or a university interview, hencethe letter to The Northern Echo.

Despite Darren’s initial hesitance, onceMike Baxter, a department manager atPsyche, has finished dressing him in anavy blue 4 You suit, complete with HugoBoss shirt and Giorgio Armani silk tie, thelook is impressive. He also bears an un-canny resemblance to pop star Brian McFadden.

“He looks 100 times better,” says Mike.“First impressions count so much, espe-cially when you’re going for a job interview.”

Proud mum Suzanne is also looking onas Darren is fitted for his suit.

“He looks great doesn’t he?” she says,beaming. And he does.

Darren, whose favourite shops includeH&M and Top Man, is also pleased with thelook. He is hoping to study music indus-

try management at London or Manchesteruniversities so his new suit will come inhandy for any interviews.

He may even get mistaken for Brian Mc-Fadden when he’s in London.

“My friends have said I look like him,”he laughs. “But I think he looks like me.”

Navy 4 You suit, £149.99; Hugo Boss pale blue shirt, £79.99; Giorgio Armani silk tie, £59.99 Jeffery West black shoes, £179.99

Pictures: DIRK VAN DER WERFF

The surfer look may be popular, but Suzanne Mudd longed for her sonDarren to ‘smarten himself up a bit’ in time for his university interviews.Department store Psyche, in Middlesbrough, stepped in to give him anew look. Women’s Editor LINDSAY JENNINGS reports

SUZANNE’S LETTER

� Hi. My name is Suzanne Muddand I would like to nominate my

son Darren for a make-over becausehe recently got the travelling bug andtook to having the dressed-downlook. Or the “just don’t iron yourclothes look”! He is 23 and used tolike designer clothes, shoes, etc.,but as from this year he’s taken tothe surfer look (he spent the seasonin Newquay)… I think he would lookgreat in a Hugo Boss suit, ready forhis first big interview...

� I think he wouldlook great in a

Hugo Boss suit, readyfor his first big

Darren with his mother, Suzanne

15June 2005 Online: www.nemagazine.co.uk

THE River Lounge and Restaurant, former-ly known as Emadi, is situated on YarmRoad, Yarm, just by the banks of the riverTees. The restaurant offers a hearty menuwith exquisite presentation and the down-stairs Lounge houses a comprehensive listof cocktails, champagnes, wines, spirits andbeers. The surroundings are very stylish,the service impeccable and the music keptto a non-intrusive level, giving an atmos-phere of ambient calmness which makes so-cialising here a very pleasurable experience.It’s definitely one of our favourites.

SOM EMARDISOM is a director of the River Lounge andRestaurant and is currently studying for aMaster’s Degree in finance and investment,which doesn’t leave much time for shopping.When he does, he goes for quality and hisfavourites are Cruise in Newcastle, BakersMenswear, Saville Row and Versace in London.

Som always looks smart and this was no ex-ception. He wore a Prada T-shirt, Gibson suitand Paul Smith shoes. To keep up his smartappearance Som recommends low mainte-nance short hair and rubbing Pure and Sim-ple on his hair and scalp to keep it well moisturised.

ALLISONMATHEWS ALLISON, 42, is afacial aestheticsnurse forCollagenics. She waswearing a pair ofLevi jeans fromHouse of Fraser, anda top by Diane VonFurstenburg fromElan in Darlington’sGrange Road.Allison likes to shopin Darlington as shesays Leggs, Élan,and Chestnut inHouse of Fraser allcarry a goodselection of qualitystock. To staylooking young,Allison recommends lots of water andBotox. To relax, she puts on her favouriteR&B CDs.

DUNCAN BANNATYNE DUNCAN, a fit-looking 52, is a company di-rector. He is also a regular on TV – star ofDragon’s Den and Mind Your Own Business– so image is quite important. New BondStreet in London is handy for his new pad andluckily for Duncan, it is also home to hisfavourite labels.

He was wearing a Louis Vuitton shirt andshoes and trousers by Dolce & Gabanna.

To keep fit Duncan recommends visiting ahealth club for a workout four times a weekand investing in a good personal trainer. Asfor grooming, Duncan rubs a bit of Atrixohand cream on after shaving.

ANTONY LEWIS ANTONY is 34 and an accounts manager forIntermedia Web Development.

He looked very well groomed, wearing aCrombie jacket, an Italian shirt and Dieseljeans. Although Crombie is his favouritelabel, he likes to shop in House of Fraser, TheHouse in Yarm and Psyche. To keep fit heplays rugby and to protect his skin from thescrum, he recommends Elemis shaving prod-ucts, Nivea and Dax wax for his hair. Themusic Antony is listening to at the momentis Hed Kandi, R&B, deep house, classical andAmp Fiddler.

JANE ANDREW JANE was celebrating her 25th birthdaywith friends at the River Lounge, which she

described as the coolest bar in town. She is25 and works in business administration.

Jane was wearing a Mango top, Topshopjeans and Faith shoes. She is not a fashionsnob and will shop anywhere from New Lookto Prada. To keep her skin glowing , Jane usesNivea oil-free moisturiser and she recom-mends washing your face morning and night,however tired you are. Her favourite CD ofthe moment is Snow Patrol.

KATE HOWARD KATE is 26 and was at the River Lounge withher sister Jane.

She spends a lot of her time with herboyfriend in London so her shopping spreesare generally in the capital. She was wearinga top by Pink Soda and Big Star jeans. Herfavourite CD is Death From Above 1979.

Kate is a huge fan of exercise, which shebelieves is good for body and mind, and NickyClarke Colour Me Red hair products.

out on the town

McCourt & McKay

NE Magazine’sstyle experts,Judie McCourtand AllisonMcKay, take tothe socialhoneypots ofthe region insearch of styleand individuality

� TV and radio presenter Judie McCourt andcelebrity hair and make-up artist AllisonMcKay, run AM Creative Productions, whichspecialises in creative and social eventmanagement and PR

amcreativeproductions.com

Picture of McCourt & McKaywww.ericthephotographer.co.uk Hair: Claire - Saks at David Lloyd, Gosforth

DUNCAN BANNATYNE

beautyTREATMENT: Skin ConsultationWHERE: The Beauty Room

WHEN I’m invited by Sharon Payne toundergo a skin scan at her beautysalon, I know it’s not going to be a

cheering experience. I’m not mistaken. Thescanner, making a pitstop in Darlington on itsnational tour, is a revolutionary device from Paris-based cosmetics company Darphin. Instead ofhaving to take a therapist at their word, it allowspeople to see their skin imperfections forthemselves. The client puts their face into themachine and in the ultraviolet light, can see in amirror exactly where the problems lie.

In my case, this appears to be everywhere.Looking in the mirror, I see flakes of dead skin,the pinkish dots of blackheads and, mostalarmingly of all, patches of dark purple aroundmy eyes. All in all, I look as if I’ve been beatenabout the face. Following my assessment, I’mtreated to a facial, but after what I’ve justwitnessed, this hardly seems adequate. Sharonputs things into perspective – at least my skin is“youthful” and naturally quite clear – but if I reallywant to make the most of it, I should cleanse,tone and moisturise daily.

As the owner of three County Durham beautysalons, Sharon is well used to giving advice onpeople’s skin. She says that, like me, clientsoften have no idea about their type or how bestto look after it. While 60 per cent of the skin’scondition is predetermined, a significant 40 percent is due to how we treat it. Sharon says it’simportant that the products we choose give usmaximum benefits. “At the end of the day, we areall working hard for our money and we need tomake our money work hard for us, and theseproducts have to work hard. If I buy a jar ofmoisturiser I would expect to get six months outof it,” she says.

But it’s not just about lotions and potions.Sharon says there are many simple andinexpensive ways to improve the skin’s conditionwithout recourse to the bathroom cabinet. “Oneof the best things, without question, is vitamin C.It’s fantastic for the skin,” she says. “Fresh air iswonderful. There are lots of things you can do toimprove the skin, like turning your heating downbecause too much heat is normally very drying.”She offers the following ten tips:1. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER “If you can drink three to four extra glasses ofwater a day, that will help to purify the skin.”2. CLEANSE, TONE AND MOISTURISE“I always say cleanse, tone, and moisturise yourskin daily – those are your three essentials.”3. EXFOLIATE“Try to exfoliate your skin twice a week. This willhelp to keep your pores nice and clean, which willhopefully in turn stop you getting things likeblackheads and spots.”4. NEVER WASH YOUR FACE IN HOT WATER“Always use tepid to warm water – this will stopbroken veins.” 5. AVOID TOUCHING YOUR FACE“Try not to do this as you are touching things thatare dirty and grimy and putting this onto yourface.”6. REDUCE THE JUNK“Cut down on tea, coffee and fast foods. If youeat lots of chips and greasy foods, it has to comeout somewhere.”7. EAT LOTS OF FRUIT AND VEG“These are great for clearing the skin.”8. MAKE TIME FOR YOUR SKIN“Try to have a bit of ‘you time’. Have a facial oncea month, which is a good workout for the skin,leaving it deeply cleansed and hydrated.”9. PUT ON A FACE MASK“If you can find ten minutes, try to do this once aweek.”10. USE CUCUMBER ON YOUR EYES“Rest it on them for a few minutes. Cucumber isfabulous for the eye area.”

Sarah Foster� Sharon runs branches of The BeautyRoom at The Hall Garth Hotel andBlackwell Grange, both in Darlington, andThe Manor House Hotel, in West Auckland.For details of the skin scanner’s next visit,ring (01325) 307999.

ANTONY LEWIS

JANE ANDREW & KATE HOWARDALLISON

MATTHEWS

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16 June 2005 Online: www.nemagazine.co.uk

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ON a rainy summer morning, I stepinto the newly opened Atlantic Barand Grill, on Darlington’sConiscliffe Road. Two women areperched on stools in the cosy bar

area and a smiling staff member, who I laterlearn is Annie, offers me a cup of coffee. Min-utes later, the restaurant’s owner, Les Langley,arrives, looking dapper in jeans and a jacket. Be-tween answering his mobile phone, he offers toshow me round.

Going through the doors to the conservatory,I’m instantly impressed. The long dining roomis bathed in light from the glass roof, which issoftened by white voile, and the colour schemeis warm and earthy, blending terracotta, wood,and brown leather. On the walls are black andwhite photographs – some of musicians, but byfar the majority, of ordinary looking people. Lesexplains that they’re patrons of his other busi-ness, the nearby Atlantic Bar and Club. “Theywere just people who were in the club and wetook some pictures and told them we were goingto put them in here when it opened. It’s becomea great talking point and people who are not onthe walls have asked if they can be. I think itwould be an idea to change them periodically,”he says.

The main entrance to the conservatory is overa wooden bridge, which Les says was inspiredby one he saw in London. In fact, the whole ofthe decor is largely his vision, although he’spretty modest about this. “Looking at this placenow I’m really pleased with how it’s turned out,but if you had come in before, it would have beenblatantly obvious what needed to be done.Everything about it was hard and cold. It wasjust a case of trying to give it a bit of warmth,”says Les, 38.

Proceeding to the back of the room, we reachwhat he classes as the restaurant proper. Unlessthey ask otherwise, this is where evening dinersare seated, while the conservatory is used main-ly for lunches. The richer colours reflect themore formal tone, although it still seems quiterelaxed, with more photographs on the walls.Les says that while the place is meant to be styl-ish, it’s also family friendly. “We have portableDVD players and when parents come in withyoung children we give them a choice of DVDsand the parents are happy straight away,” hesays. There’s also children’s entertainment from5 to 7pm on Saturdays, and they have their ownspecial menu.

This sort of insight, says Les, stems frombeing a single father to Tara, seven, and four-year-old Robbie. Having managed bars andnightclubs since 1988, it was their mother – hislate wife – who encouraged him to open the firstAtlantic in Darlington’s Duke Street. Expand-

ing into the restaurant business was a brave de-cision, but the experience of his bar/nightclubenterprise gave him confidence. “The club hasbeen open two years gone April and it’s very suc-cessful. That was the reason behind the restau-rant’s name,” says Les.

He got around his lack of culinary expertiseby “attempting to surround myself with expe-rienced people”, and despite the loss of his man-ager three days into trading, this seems to haveworked. “We’ve got some really strong staff hereto be honest. We’ve got a girl called Annie who’scome to the forefront and started to deal withstaff issues and things like that. She’s been re-ally good,” says Les.

He says he wanted to make the menu as di-verse as possible to cater for all tastes and bud-gets – and it certainly is. Starters range fromsoup to smoked chicken and apple salad, and theusual pizzas, pastas and burgers are livened upby options like smoked haddock and red pepperrisotto and pan-seared tuna burger. Heartymeals like oven roast breast of duck sit along-side lighter sandwiches, and there’s also a Sun-day lunch menu.

Les admits that it’s hard work juggling twobusinesses when one is just getting off theground. “I’m here permanently at the moment.It works quite well because after I’ve finishedhere I can go to the nightclub. I’m working 15 or16-hour days,” he says. Luckily, he has a “fan-tastic” mother-in-law, who lives with him dur-ing the week then takes the children home withher at weekends.

While he says he never planned to open arestaurant, but merely saw the building andrecognised its potential, Les wouldn’t rule outanother business. “I certainly wouldn’t discounthaving somewhere else. I don’t think it would bea restaurant but I wouldn’t mind going for an-other bar,” he says. “I know Darlington best andI would always feel comfortable setting up abusiness here but whether there’s room for meto do something else I very much doubt. I mighttry somewhere like Barnard Castle or NortonHigh Street.”

Whatever he does next, it seems he’s found therecipe for success.

� Atlantic Barand Grill, 38Coniscliffe Road,Darlington(01325) 382200.Open 8am-11pm,Monday to Saturday and 12-10.30pm on Sundays.

Les Langley: giving an old building a new lease of life

Setting sailHaving established the successful Atlantic Bar and Club in Darlington,entrepreneur Les Langley has branched out into the restaurant business.SARAH FOSTER takes a tour of the Atlantic Bar and Grill

17June 2005 Online: www.nemagazine.co.uk

JOANNE Rankin and husbandLee had worn out plenty of shoeleather travelling the countrywhen they had an idea: why notset up their own footwear fashion

store in the North-East? The problemwas that the kind of cutting edge stylesthey loved could only be found in Lon-don, Leeds or Manchester, and whilethey often went to these places, stockingup on their favourite brands, they could-n’t help but wish they didn’t have to.When they carried out research, theyfound that they were far from beingalone.

“We did some quite extensive streetsurveys and it came back that the ma-jority of people in the age group that wewere aiming at were doing the same asus, so we knew there was a gap in themarket,” says Joanne, 32.

She and her husband took the plungeand almost three years ago opened Rub-ber Sole, on Darlington’s Blackwellgate.It helped that Lee had a business back-ground, but the couple still had theirwork cut out transforming the old officebuilding. “We were up until 4am on themornings before the opening,” remem-bers Joanne.

Stepping into the shop, you wouldnever guess that they had decorated itthemselves. The feel is young and vi-brant, with bright stencils on the walls,and the finish impeccable; the woodenfloor and ornate ceiling exude class.With her choppy hairstyle and mono-chrome outfit, Joanne looks like she be-longs. She admits that there’s a lot of herand Lee in the business. “My husbandworks up in Newcastle so he’s suited andbooted Monday to Friday but when hetakes his suit off, he’s very casual. Hewears a lot of vintage, one-off piecesfrom charity shops and things. Youwouldn’t see me in anything conven-tional either,” she says.

Taking me on a tour, Joanne points outthe different styles. The shoes sit onshelves in neat clusters according tobrand, and there’s only one of each de-sign. This, says Joanne, is part of theshop’s focus on exclusivity. “We want tobe different and offer something a bitmore creative. We don’t repeat the samelines to keep things fresh. We don’t stay

stagnant at all. We go to London two orthree times a year to do research.They’re always six months ahead so wefind that we’re ahead of most people inthis area,” she says.

As a lot of what they sell is handmade,Joanne and Lee order six months in ad-vance, and have already chosen nextsummer’s sandals. They’re shown wholeranges by shoe company reps, and ittakes skill to spot new trends. “You’vegot to go with your instinct,” saysJoanne.

One of their top brands is Fly London,a step up from trainers but not as struc-tured as shoes. Picking up a comfy look-ing mule, Joanne says proudly: “GwenStefani has been seen in this shoe.” Onthe shelf above are more colourful de-signs in fabrics like tweed – part of theRoadhogs range – and below them, T-barArt shoes in butter-soft leather.

The all-time favourites, says Joanne,are Converse All Stars. “Converse was es-tablished in 1908 and they’re the numberone American sneaker but I thinkthey’ve been popular in every genera-tion. For kids at the moment, they’re the‘in’ shoe. They think they’re brand new,”she says.

Alongside the familiar long-nosedadult boots sit brightly patterned chil-dren’s versions – some tiny enough forbabies. Joanne says that these have beena huge seller. “They’ve absolutely flownout so we’ve trebled our orders. Mumsand dads come in for themselves and kid-dies get shoes to match,” she says.

Some of her personal favourites,which she’s wearing on the day we meet,are Havaianas flip flops from Brazil. Sim-ple but chic, these have a tiny Brazilian

flaglogo, with its colours subtly repeatedaround the sole. “These were huge inLondon last summer and it’s sort of fil-tered through. I think in Brazil all thegirls are wearing them,” says Joanne.

Another distinctive brand is Onitsu-ka Tiger. “We picked this up three yearsago, then Quentin Tarantino used theshoes in the Kill Bill movie. The yellowand black ones that Uma Thurman woreabsolutely flew out,” she says.

FOR most of the names, there areshoes for both men and women andwhile many are quite flamboyant,

Joanne says that people of all ages lovethem. “When we first opened, wethought our target audience was goingto be 12 to 35 but we got that so wrong.We’ve got customers who are youngteenagers but also lots and lots in their50s and our oldest customer is 73. Peopleare really casual now and I think every-one’s a generation behind.”

As well as shoes, Rubber Sole sells ac-cessories, including belts and one-offjewellery. Such has been its success thatit has been recognised with two awardsand this year, Joanne and Lee hope tobuild on this by expanding – either with-in the same building or by opening newpremises. With prices starting at £20 andgoing no higher than £80, they hope toensure that everyone can wear some-thing fabulous on their feet.

� Rubber Sole, 35 Blackwellgate,Darlington (01325) 461118.� Everyone who registers on thewebsite at www.rubber-sole.com isautomatically entered into amonthly draw to win £50 towards apair of shoes.

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18 June 2005 Online: www.nemagazine.co.uk

IT was inevitable really. With Windowsnow ubiquitous throughout the officeenvironment, Microsoft has turned itsattention to the home.

We saw the first inklings of this in theXBox games console. It used PC parts, butin a new way – to create a consumer appli-ance that nestles beneath your TV. Now Mi-crosoft is getting serious. The new genera-tion of media-savvy PCs do far more thanplay games on your telly.

The days when the PC was so ugly youhid it away in the spare room are over. Mi-crosoft’s grandly named Media Centre PCshave been designed from the outset to beat the heart of your home entertainmentsystem.

The thinking is fairly logical. Today’sPCs are powerful enough to do most of thethings we usually associate with relaxation– playing music, television, slide shows andrecording our favourite programmes areall well within the scope of even a quitemodest computer these days.

What the PC lacked was a friendly inter-face. We may have grown used to Windowsand its foibles but how is someone who hasnever used a PC to know that the way toturn a Windows computer off is to click onthe Start button?

The new generation of Media Centreshide this unfriendly interface behind aslick veneer that looks just like a TV orvideo menu system.

Take the new Elonex Lumina. It may costmore than two grand but, at first glance, itlooks just like a fancy flat panel TV. The PCgubbins are cleverly concealed within themain chassis of the 32 inch monitor.

And despite the lack of space, Elonex hascrammed in a 200GB hard disk for storingand recording TV shows. That’s ten timesthe capacity of a Sky+ box.

There’s a built in Freeview receiver andDVD discs are inserted via a little slot inthe side. The wireless keyboard incorpo-

rates a pointing device, doing away withthe need for a mouse, and you even get a 5.1surround sound socket.

No wonder consumer electronics manu-facturers are including some PC featureson their products as a way of hitting back.Both Philips and Panasonic have DVD play-er/recorders capable of streaming data toother screens throughout the house, justlike a good PC can.

But what if you already have a PC – canit be upgraded to this new specification?

Pinnacle’s new PC TV device is a slot-inreceiver/decoder built for laptops. You slotthe card into the side of your PC, fire upthe software and seconds later you’ll be en-joying digital freeview.

The little box of tricks enables your PCto record your favourite shows, skip the adsand replay the highlights. Even better, themedia manager allows you to burn yourfavourite TV programmes to a disc forkeeps.

I tried it and, after a bit of tweaking toget the best reception, it worked a treat.Even better, because it is so small, you canjust leave it in your laptop bag and enjoyTV wherever you may be. It’s a media cen-tre in the palm of your hand.

Pinnacle PCTV is just the ticket for sales-men and travellers everywhere and is avail-able from leading PC stockists.

If you fancy a full-blown media centrePC, you’ll need a sizeable investment(around £1,000 minimum) to get somethingworthwhile.� For more details of the Lumina clickon to www.elonex.com.

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Not content with taking over the office, Microsoft nowhas designs on your living room. The column takes alook at the new generation of entertainment PCs

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19June 2005 Online: www.nemagazine.co.uk

Pumping up

DUST off your diffuser and brushup on those 1980s scrunchingtechniques – mega volume isback, from the slightly dishev-elled to massively mussed-up. It’s

a trend that was obvious at some of the mostinfluential designer shows for summer, in-cluding Frost French, Gaultier, Burberry andMarni.

As for up-dos, they were teased to epic pro-portions at Boyd and there were attractivebeehive shapes to be found at Dolce & Gab-bana. It goes without saying that the A-listhas embraced the trend and newly super-sized celebs – purely in hair terms – includeGwen Stefani, Kelis, Salma Hayek and Pene-lope Cruz.

Whatever your hair type, you can encour-age greater volume by using cleansing andconditioning products specifically designedto increase the dimension of each individualhair – particularly useful if you’re in the fine-to-normal category.

Create additional abundance by blow-dry-ing with your head upside down so you canblast away at the roots and also sweep a ventbrush through each section.

Fringes are also in this summer, but theydon’t have to be straight. Undone locks arevery now.

The Saks Art Team, headed by AndrewBarton, Saks International Creative Director,has identified the four most-wanted cuts forsummer in the Reality collection.

“The collection has been influenced bywhat women tell us they are looking for whenthey visit the salon, how they want to feelwith their hair – sexy, trendy, funky, classicor just plain and simple,” says Andrew, whohas been used as a hair expert on C4’smakeover show Ten Years Younger. “Womenwant a look that’s easy to manage and as faras I’m concerned, every woman has one thingin common – the dream of great hair everyday. My clients don’t have time for bad hairdays.

“Colour is the real buzzword for this year,”adds Andrew.

“Women generally feel sexier and healthi-er with a little lightness in their hair some-where, whether it be tipped, chunky, sun-kissed or global colour.”

THE LOOKS1. Long Cut + Sunkissed LightsTHIS face framing, casual hair cut oozes sexappeal. It’s full of texture and movement tomake any wearer feel very feminine and in-credibly cool. It can be worn tousled, ironedstraight or gently curled. The SunkissedLights effect gives the hair an overall natur-al glow of contrasting blonde shades.Perfect for: Sienna Miller, Joss Stone.

2. Short Cut + Tip LightsAN update on the eternal classic urchin cut,this look is dramatic, striking and gorgeous.It draws attention to the cheekbones, high-lights the contours of the face and is feath-ered softly around the hairline. Feminine yetsporty, it never fails to flatter the neck andjawline.Perfect for: Kate Moss, Gwyneth Paltrow, KieraKnightley.

3. Bob Cut + Chunky LightsThis is an old classic with a new twist, up-dated with textured lengths to give the hair-cut separation and a modern vibe. TheChunky Lights are achieved with spring-fresh blonde shades.Perfect for: Cat Deeley, Sarah Michelle Gellar

4. Mid-Length Cut + Global LightsTHIS clever combination of shorter andlonger lengths gives maximum versatilityand face framing softness. It’s wearable yetversatile. Pin it up, kick it out or wear it sleekwith the help of straighteners. The GlobalLights effect ensures that the hair shineswith health and vitality.Perfect for: Heidi Klum.

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20 June 2005 Online: www.nemagazine.co.uk

WHEN it comes holidays, I’ve al-ways believed it is better to gofive star than rely on somethingpowered by four – but now I’m

not so sure.Say the word “caravan” and I’m likely to

shudder, memories flooding back of tinnedfood and plastic water carrier tasting tea, oftinnitus-inducing rainstorms rattling on alu-minium roofs and hole in the ground toiletson under-developed foreign sites.

But they were caravans and these aremotor homes, a form of domiciliary trans-port sexed up by Formula One drivers. Okay,their super-duper mobile homes may cost up-wards of £250,000 and feature Jacuzzis andsaunas for the lovely pit lane poppies whoseheads are turned. But the common or gardenvarieties, available to you and me, have alsocome a long way from the orange and whiteVW camper vans of hippy days gone by.

Holidays cost a lot of money, posh oneseven more and there are no guarantees onwhat you get. What might look great on thewebsite or in a brochure can be a value-for-money disaster and many people are choos-ing to cut the risk by taking their homes withthem.

For the past 40 years Cleveland MotorHomes has been keeping a careful eye on theindustry, building up stock and expertise tosuit all tastes.

Size, specification and prices boast a stag-gering range from 16ft to 30ft long, from£25,000 to £72,000 and all drivable on a stan-dard car licence.

Fit and finish are exemplary, with stainlesssteel and wood, quality fabrics and contem-porary bathrooms. They even have en suites.

Pay your money and take your choice.There are air conditioning and refrigerators,drop-down satellite televisions and DVDplayers, hi-fis and computers. The galleykitchens are well-equipped, the beds are fullsize and comfortable and the living accom-modation cleverly designed and spacious.There are even electric steps that lower at thepush of a button.

Motor homes are completely self-containedwith their own clean and dirty water reser-

voirs, gas and electricity. The real plus is thatyou can go anywhere and stay anywhere youlike.

Where bylaws prevent you pitching a tentor parking a caravan, the motor home boaststhe same rights as a conventional car. So youcan either head for an official site or just stopby the side of the road. How’s that for freedom?

When you aren’t behind the wheel, thereare no laws preventing you from parkingthem at home, whereas caravans often haveto be put into official and costly storage.

Motor homes will fit on a ferry or Le Shut-tle – then the world really is your oyster. Theyare easy to drive with powerful diesel enginesranging from 2.0 to 2.8 litres and, unlike a car-avan, come free from the worry of having toreverse a trailer.

They also pack the biggest boot I’ve everseen. Large enough, in fact, to store two mo-torbikes or scooters and catalogue after cat-alogue of accessories.

“Many people are retiring early and in-vesting in a motor home,” says ClevelandMotor Homes director Neil Jackson. “Theythen just take themselves off for months oryears and, in effect, take their homes withthem. Let’s face it, if you are going away fora long time, you want all the comforts ofhome.”� Cleveland Motor Homes, Teesside Air-port;enquiries@clevelandmotorhomes.co.uk;www.clevelandmotorhomes.co.uk; (01325)333111.

Ready for the open road... the Swift Kon-Tiki 643, which costs £46,795

motoring

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Have home, will travelThe kitchen sink is the least of the luxuries you can pack and take with you when

you take off in a modern motor home. IAN LAMMING reports

21June 2005 Online: www.nemagazine.co.uk

connections

IN a moment of stress, the thought of aweekend away from the children andhusbands, eating drinking and doinggirlie things sounded too good to betrue.

More in hope than expectation, I scouredholiday brochures for a possible destinationand canvassed support among friends untilit was decided that four of us would visitBruges in Belgium, travelling by train all theway.

The hotel had been chosen and datespicked when a thin holiday brochure landedunexpectedly on the doormat with a goodoffer for three nights at the Hotel de Tui-lerieen, a member of Small Luxury Hotels ofthe World. We booked.

So early one Friday morning this spring thefour of us headed for the station leaving chil-dren in the capable care of their fathers, whowere desperately hoping the shops in Brugeswould be closed.

Everything went like clockwork from themoment the train pulled in (on time) to themoment a mad Belgian taxi driver droppedus outside the hotel, a 15th century house bythe side of a pretty canal.

Inside it was more than we could havedreamed of. We were shown across a court-yard to a old outhouse at the back which hadbeen converted into more rooms. My friendLinda and I were shown into a spacious roomwith a settee, other seating, desks and aqueen-sized bed. We were congratulating our-selves on a fantastic choice when Lou andHeather, revealed that their room was twicethe size with its own dining table, two sofasand a separate bedroom. To cap it all, thebreakfast was lavish, featured champagneand hot chocolate crepes, and has been votedthe best breakfast in the Benelux.

Reluctant as we were to leave the hotel, weset out to explore the city, which is the bestpreserved medieval city in Europe. Whatwould be an architectural gem anywhere elseis just another house here. Street after streetlooked as if Bruges were still in its heyday asa medieval trading port.

Everything is mellow with the age of cen-turies, but not the dirt. The whole of the city

seems very clean and well kept. Prices in theshops were very reasonable and we took fulladvantage, especially in the many chocolateshops, which were particularly hard to resist.Opposite the hotel was a weekend flea mar-ket.

No visit is complete without some sort oforganised tour and we indulged in two. Thefirst was a boat trip around some of the fa-mous canals, a great way to see some of themore interesting buildings. Oddly, many ofthe bridges seemed too low to actually take aboat underneath, and you had a strong urgeto duck even under the higher ones. Our sec-ond tour was a slightly indulgent trip in ahorse-drawn carriage.

It is almost compulsory for visitors toBruges to climb the 366 steps to the top of the13th century belfry. Mercifully, there areplaces to stop and rest on the way up whileyou examine the mechanism which soundsthe 47 bells.

Below is the Markt or market square,which is lined with restaurants. We chose toeat in the cheaper backstreets.

We did our fair share of museum andchurch visiting, but there was much more wecould have seen if we had had the time. Onour third and final morning there was timefor a dip in the hotel pool, another luxuriousbreakfast and one final round of chocolateshopping before heading back to the stationand home.

As the Eurostar crossed France to the en-trance to the Channel Tunnel, we experi-enced the one blackspot of the entire trip – atwo hour delay caused by French protestorson the track. Flying would have avoided thatparticular problem, but we would undoubt-edly have come across another.

As our children ran along the platform togreet us we gave thanks for friendship and re-turned to the real world.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

ABOVE:LindaFawcett,HeatherBell andLouBrownoutsideone ofthe manybeautifulbuildingsin Bruges

� We arranged our own travel to Londonwith GNER and by taxi to Waterloo. TheEurostar and hotel accommodation wasbooked through Leisure Direction Ltd, tel0208 324 4050. The package cost around£270 each for three nights.

Chocs awayHistorical gem: medieval gems line the canals

FRANCES GRISS and her girlfriends make a break for it andhead for Belgium in search of shops… and chocolate

� To cap it all, the breakfast

was lavish, featured

champagne and hot chocolate

crepes, and has been voted the

best breakfast in the Benelux

THEPOWER OFCHOICEHOW much ofyour life haveyou consciouslychosen? A bigquestion andone thatdeserves somethought. Essentially, much of life isabout choice. Making the best oflife is making the best possiblechoice given circumstances. Weare not always in control of whatcomes our way in life but we canchoose our responses to it.Decisions, however, are made withactions. It is only by actively doingsomething differently that we makedifferent choices.

Sometimes life has to get verypainful before people makedifferent choices, be it career,relationships or lifestyle. Have youmade the best possible choices inyour life so far? If not, why not?

info@juliettelee.co.uk; T (01748)823010; www.juliettelee.co.uk

LIFE COACH

22 June 2005 Online: www.nemagazine.co.uk

NE Ents and Leisure

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...the reality of life on Hartlepool’s historic

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And have a fabulous day out!

• HMS Trincomalee • PSS Wingfield Castle • Historic Quayside

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• Bistro and Quayside Coffee Shop.

Call 01429 860006 for details or www.destinationhartlepool.com

Come and sea for yourself...

23June 2005 Online: www.nemagazine.co.uk

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Renewed MobilityA stairlift or electric scooter can significantly increase your independence but both of these products can be expensive to buy. They are often a worthwhile investment but you may be concerned about the duration for which you will be able to use your new purchase if there is a possibility that your health could deteriorate in thenear future.

Renewed Mobility offers their customers the opportunity to invest in these valuable mobility aids with financial security. They have a unique buy back policy which allows their customers, or their customers’ families, to sellthe scooters or stairlifts they purchased back to the Company if they are no longer of use. Providing the equipment has not been damaged beyond use or repair, Renewed Mobility will come and collect the product and pay a good price forits return.

The buy back policy is valid for 36 months on scooters originally bought from Renewed Mobility and five years in the case of stairlifts. There is a charge for administration and collection but the Company re-purchases their products for a good portion of the original price, so this doesn’t prove to be a financial burden.

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Company Director, Saul Black, likes to deal directly with his customers and will always make himself available to talk on the phone. He is also careful to vet his sales team who are instructed to stick to the facts and never spend more than an hour and three quarters conducting a sale. The Company offers its own in-house 0% Finance deal which is available to anyone who has an account with a bank or building society and requires a 50% deposit and a repayment over 12 monthly instalments. The scooters available include models from Electric Mobility, Euro and Sunrise Medical and Renewed Mobility supply a wide range of other products all over the country.

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