BEAUTY Confessions of a health spa virgin CONSUMER Pick of the

Transcription

The Northern Echo
The lifestyle magazine
for the North-East
MARCH 2004
ME AND MY
WARDROBE
Bill Gillow
CONSUMER
Pick of the
camera phones
BEAUTY
Confessions of a
health spa virgin
WIN
A luxury pamper
day for you and
your mum
INTERIORS GARDENING GADGETS MOTORING FASHION
2
March 2004 Online: www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk
Conservatory World
Largest
Conservatory
Village in
North East
Refurbished Show Village 2003
The Fully
Telephone Bishop Auckland 01388 458088
Open 7 days a week!
contents
12
16
19
magazine
is produced by
The
Northern
Echo/
Newsquest
Ltd.,
a Gannett
Company,
Priestgate,
Darlington
DL1 1NF
(01325)
381313
ADVERTISING
Trish Taylor
(01325) 505 233
trish.taylor
@nne.co.uk
EDITORIAL
Jenny Needham
(01325) 505082
jenny.needham
@nne.co.uk
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10
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12
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SHARON GRIFFITHS
My campaign to ban
artificial pongs
INTERIORS
It’s all done by
mirrors
SIX OF THE BEST
Pick of the camera
phones
SHOPPING
All packed up and
ready to go
GARDENING
How to make cut
flowers look great
DIY
Generating
a buzz
ART
Try before you buy
at the gallery
ME AND MY
WARDROBE
Bill Gillow
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16
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19
21
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BEAUTY
Confessions of a
health spa virgin
MOTORING
Get a load of the
new Mercedes
SLIMMING
Burn an extra 1,000
calories a day
GADGET MAN
Windows package
aimed at your car
BEAUTY
Tooth whitening to
make you smile
NE CONNECTIONS
A taste of the
Lake District
COFFEE TIME
Crossword and
puzzles, PLUS win a
day of pampering for
you and your mum at
the Academy Spa
CHAMELEON
MIRRORS
SWITCHING ON
sharon griffiths
new campaign
the Serious
Campaign for
Entirely Natural
Tantalising
Smells
T
IME, I think, for a new campaign
After the Campaign for Real Ale
and Real Fires and even one, I
think, for real puddings, it’s time
for the Campaign for Real Smells.
Scents and smells are so evocative, so
sensuous, so appealing. Whether it’s
expensive perfume, the heady scent of a
rose, the comforting smell of newly baked
bread or the gorgeousness of a newly-bathed
baby, they have an immediate and happy
effect. They seem to wake all our senses,
make us feel more alive.
Trouble is, that bad smells can be just as
immediate…
Historians always tell us that if we
travelled back in time, the first thing we
would notice would be the smell – unwashed
bodies, open sewers, rotting meat – you
know the kind of thing. But I’m not sure
we’re that much better. We have some pretty
horrible modern smells of our own. And the
trouble is, that most of them are pretending
to be nice.
There is nothing so welcoming, so
pleasing, as to go into a sweet smelling
house. It is reassuring and welcoming,
redolent of wholesomeness and order. But
only if it smells truly sweet, not disgustingly
sickly. Supermarkets are full of things to
make your house smell nicer. Trust me –
they don’t work. All those room fresheners
and scents smell much, much worse than the
smells they’re trying to mask. Even my sons’
trainers smell better than most of them.
They are sickly and cloying. And still not as
effective for clearing smells as just opening a
window and letting in some fresh air.
We think of smells from traffic and
industry as pollutants, but there are others.
You can’t walk down a street in any tourist
town without being assailed by horribly
pungent artificial smells – cheap pot pourri,
nasty candles, pretend aromatherapy. Horrid
smells that get you right at the back of the
throat, then make your eyes water.
And if you’ve ever walked past a pick-andmix sweet counter, especially one aimed at
children, the smell’s enough to bring on an
asthma attack. So strong and sickly, you can
practically see the E numbers hovering like
an angry cloud, waiting to attack you.
Everywhere we go, we are assaulted by
nasty smells, a 21st century form of
pollution. And if all that weren’t enough,
there is now a new and dreadful idea...
smells by email.
Yes really. The idea is that you would have
a little cartridge attached to your computer
with a batch of basic smells that could mix
and match to about a hundred more.
Someone would send you an email that
would trigger off the appropriate smell.
Let’s hope you don’t subscribe to Pig
Breeders’ Monthly online...
My head aches and my eyes water at the
mere though of smelly spam. Because you
just know that they will be nasty, nosetickling sorts of smell.
And there are so many delicious smells in
the world… subtle, mysterious, tantalising.
Most men have never got over Our
’Enery’s injunction to “splash it all over”.
Arrgghhh! They do that with cheap
aftershave and wonder why there’s a ten
yard exclusion zone around them at any
party. Something subtle and expensive and
used sparingly, will cost no more – and have
women coming right up close to work out
what it is.
Sometimes going to a party is like an
assault course – as perfumes fight with the
smell from hairsprays, make-up, lotions and
potions. And that’s before you start on the
garlic bread. And as for houses... my new
campaign will throw away all those sprays,
plug-ins, squirty things and will have
instead fresh air, fresh flowers, beeswax
polish and bowls of pot pourri (proper stuff).
Washing will smell of sunshine and irons
rather than a bit of tissue in the tumble
drier. Kitchens, of course, will smell of fresh
coffee and – occasionally, at least – of proper
cooking.
Even washing-up liquids _ which for years
smelt of nothing more exotic than maybe
lemon – now outdo each other with weird
and wonderful scents. Throughout history,
for thousands of years, people have kept
perfumes and oils for special occasions,
because they knew their powers. Used
sparingly, they are wonderful, erotic, lifeenhancing, so let us forget the cheap, nasty
and ubiquitous and instead keep our smells
subtle and special.
I think I will call my new campaign the
Serious Campaign for Entirely Natural
Tantalising Smells. SCENTS for short.
An idea, I hope, very much to be sniffed
at...
IT’S time to leave the dark ages behind and
switch onto some bright ideas to light you
home. Interiors experts say proper mood
lighting will be one of the big trends this
year. The finer details make all the
difference an B&Q’s new chrome range will
bring your lighting up to date at an
affordable price. The Domus 8 light pendant
is £59, the funky splodge-shaped switches,
perfect for a children’s room, are £15.98.
window shopping
a I will call my
3
BY GEORGE
GEORGE Foreman fans will now be able
to bring a touch of continental cooking
to their kitchens with the launch of the
new Café George. Designed with an
extra long surface to handle a wide
variety of breads, meats or vegetables,
the new addition to the George family
looks like a real knockout. There’s
enough space to cook six burgers or
chick breasts, and the double, non-stick
coated grill cooks both sides of the food
at the same time. Patented grooves
allow the leftover grease to run off into
a separate tray, ensuring a tastier and
healthier meal.
Lifestyle
Visit our newly opened demonstration rooms
on the second floor
New 3.2.1
Digital Home
Entertainment
System
Now Open our New Showrooms including a cinema
at home room, demonstration zones and a Hifi display.
Offer
Interest free credit on selected Bose
equipment from 2nd - 30th April.
This fantastic offer includes nothing to pay
for 6 months then 10 months interest free
credit on selected Bose equipment
by Alan Goodrick
Established 50 years
41-42 Blackwellgate, Darlington. Telephone (01325) 353234
4
interiors
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
CHAMELEON
MIRRORS
Heart of the home: Sue and Gary Hunt in the kitchen
All done by
mirrors
JO STEVENS meets a woman with a surfeit of energy,
which she often throws into decorating her very
individual home
OU know how sometimes you
meet a person and it’s as if you’ve
always known them? As soon as
Sue Hunt flings open the door of
her 1940s detached bungalow, we
just sort of talk. Not chat. Talk. It’s ages before we remind each other of the reason I’m
here and she ushers me in to have a mooch
about.
In the hall, I examine the ancient Singer
sewing machine, the military family pictures, the red jacket of a Coldstream Guard,
the ceiling beams added to give character
to the area.
The sitting room exudes the atmosphere
and tranquillity of a bygone age. The television hides inside a solid oak cabinet with
marble top (Sue has a weakness for marble)
and a second old sewing machine in a curtained recess covers the music centre.
The focal point of the room is the large
brick fireplace with stout railway sleeper
acting as mantelpiece and a wood burning
stove for cosy winter nights. Sue goes off
to put on the coffee, I make notes: French
bedside unit with marble top makes impromptu table, wonderful old washstand
with marble top, complete with original
tiles – holds oil lamp, original wooden floor,
old sofas, rugs; it’s all of a piece, nothing
Y
a
I love nothing
better than
rummaging around junk
shops, antique
galleries, car boot sales
jars. And what is most striking is the fresh
airy feeling in the room. Sue tells me it’s
all done by mirrors. It’s ingenious, you don’t
really notice the mirrors; you just see that
beautiful areas of the garden are reflected
in the room.
Step into the kitchen and you’re in a
1940s film setting. That’s not to say there’s
anything stagey about it. There are no
‘dummy’ items. Everything is authentic
and in use, if not always as originally
intended.
Mirrors are again used to full effect. At
one end there’s a solid farmhouse table and
chairs, an old pine press in use for food storage, and an original Belgian clock. An ancient mangle with top pulled down makes
a work surface, and a galvanised boiler with
copper lid earns its keep as storage for the
wine. The shelving units are treasure
troves of memorabilia, including egg coddlers and various gadgets dating back to
Victorian times.
Sue is one of those lively fun characters
with a natural flair for creating a special atmosphere. Someone wants, say, a theme
party or to decorate a house or some costumes whipping up, and she’s there, organising everything. I know, I’ve seen the
pictures. Must make for lively times at the
Parkmore Hotel, Eaglescliffe, where she
works as personnel manager.
When her ‘gentle giant’ engineer husband Gary, confessed he’d always had a
hankering for a ‘Wild West’ theme in the
bedroom, Sue got to work. She begins a project by creating an image in her mind and
then stomps off in search of furniture, artefacts, whatever it takes.
“I love nothing better than rummaging
round junk shops, antique galleries, car
5
Memorabilia in the Wild West master bedroom. Below: a colourful stained glass window and the hallway full of items Sue has collected over the years
boot sales, you name it. I see an item of furniture and if it’s
basically good wood and will fit in, I’ll take it home and sometimes change its look completely.’
Anyway, back to the Wild West bedroom. The huge brass
bedstead situated in what was the extension (formerly an
old potting shed) is resplendent with original old patchwork
quilt and genuine railway carriage lamps serving for reading purposes. There’s a gramophone with loudspeaker, an
American clock of the kind seen in cowboy saloons, a manual typewriter, stout original wardrobes, a handmade lace
tablecloth, and a clever idea to create space, an Edwardian
folding screen instead of a door to the ensuite shower room.
Bedroom two belongs to daughter Laura, aged 22, a care
worker at North Tees Hospital, and such is her confidence
in her mother’s taste that when she asked for a Japanese
theme in her bedroom, she was happy to leave the rest to
mum. Japanese original water colours adorn the walls and
blue is the dominant colour of the room. Findings from junk
shops include a free-standing swivel mirror (£5) and a wall
mirror, now with black painted frame.
Sue considers radiators necessary but unlovely and is inclined to sling a throw over them, picked up for pennies here
and there. The wooden unit cost a couple of pounds from a
charity shop, a 1940s lamp little more, and the floor covering is a timeless lino.
Outside the bathroom hangs an old wartime gas mask.
The bathroom itself has a period feel with its original bath
and Victorian wall tiles. You could spend the afternoon examining all the old health remedies around the room.
We take a quick peek into the loft bedroom where 27-yearold son Ben, operations manager of the Parkmore Hotel
sometimes kips down overnight.
Before I leave, I ask Sue where all the energy comes from.
She laughs.
“Gary’s the one with all the energy. He actually works to
put all my ideas into reality. He’s the one sawing and chopping and sanding. So you make sure my Gary gets any
credit that’s going.”
Continued on page 7
6
7
6 BEST
OF THE
CAMERA PHONES
a
Gary’s the one with
all the energy. He’s
the one sawing and
chopping and sanding...
EXPERTS predict that camera phones will
be outselling regular handsets within the
next 12-18 months and it’s easy to see why
when you look at some of the fantastic
extra features these phones are built with.
Full colour screens, the ability to play topquality Java games, and polyphonic
ringtones are all standard features now, so
the manufacturers are having to make
sleeker phones that really pack a punch to
set them apart from the crowd.
BEST SELLER
Nokia 7250i, from free
It is easy to see, even at first
glance, why this is one of the
best selling units in the UK, but
it is much more than a pretty
face. The ability to take a
picture and send it on to a
friend has been made almost
foolproof in this phone so it
scores highly for simplicity.
RAISE THE ROOF
RINGTONES
Sony Ericsson T610,
from free
Packed to the rafters with
features, and despite its
pocket-sized dimensions
includes features such as Bluetooth
connectivity and a picture editor. The
polyphonic ringtones on this one stand out
from the crowd because instead of featuring
the usual 16 channels, it uses 32, giving you
more sounds and more mixes.
CLAMSHELL CAM
Panasonic X70, from free
Even though this phone comes
complete with a photo-light to
help you see what you are taking
a picture of, it still only weighs in
at 95 grams. The active flipscreen, voice-recognition and
Bluetooth features make this a good
all-rounder.
ZOOM IN
Samsung E700,
from £49.95
With a unique selfportait viewer, multishot function and, best
of all, a zoom lens, this camera phone gives
you some new options to help you become a
better snapper.
VIDEO VIEWER
Nokia 6600, from £99.95
This long awaited phone from
Nokia not only includes a
digital zoom for the integrated
camera but a built-in video
recorder with audio to really get
the message home. This camera
already boasts a 6mb memory but if you are
video and picture crazy, this can be
upgraded.
TURN HEADS
LG7100, from free
An integrated flash inside this
camera phone already sets it apart
from most others – but the fact
that you can twist the screen to
take pictures from almost
any angle makes LG’s
debut in the UK
market long
overdue.
Daughter Laura’s bedroom has a Japanese theme, with original watercolours on the walls. The bathroom, top, has Victorian
wall tiles and is full of pill and potion boxes and old health remedies Pictures: SARAH NICHOLSON
All products available from
www.phones4u.co.uk or call 0500 002010
8
shopping
It’s in
the bag
B
LANCHE Barrigan may never
have been to Antarctica but
she knows all about penguins.
There’s a cruise you can go on
where you go out onto the ice
and actually meet them. They don’t pay
you much heed – not being used to
humans, they don’t see you as a threat –
and it’s a fantastic experience, being right
up close to these amazing creatures. But
there’s one downside – you get absolutely
covered in pink gunk, which is actually
penguin poo.
Blanche, 59, discovered this from an
elderly couple who came into her shop. One
minute she was selling them luggage, the
next they were chatting to her excitedly
about their forthcoming holiday. It is
something that happens often – after all,
she is in the retail business and part
of that means building up a
rapport with customers. For
Blanche, who has three grownup children and four grandchildren, this is more a pleasure
than a chore.
“This is why it’s such a
lovely trade to be in. In the
spring, you get people
buying handbags for
weddings and you can
see all their nice
outfits and then they
come and show you
their wedding
photographs,” she says.
“Then customers who’ve bought their
luggage here send you postcards and come
and tell you what their holiday was like.”
A born saleswoman, Blanche used to
man the luggage section at Mister Minit, in
Queen Street, Darlington, until the firm
decided to phase out its retail arm. On the
verge of retirement, she considered giving
up the career she loved, but then she saw
an empty shop for sale on Tubwell Row.
“I happened to say to my son ‘There’s a
shop going’ and he said ‘Why don’t you go
and have a look?’ I’d never been in business
before and my confidence wasn’t there, but
he said ‘If it falls flat on its face, it doesn’t
matter because you were going to retire
anyway. If you don’t do anything, you will
always wonder what would have happened
every time you go past it’.”
Blanche took her son’s advice and is
now into her fifth year of
running Trippas. Sticking with
what she knew, she initially
stocked up on the luggage
she had always sold and a
few handbags for people
her own age, but soon the
handbag side of the
business took off.
“We seemed to
hit a time when
handbags were
becoming very
fashionable again.
Before that, young
women weren’t
9
SARAH FOSTER talks to Blanche
Barrigan, the woman who doesn’t
mind being known as Darlington
number one ‘bag lady’
window shopping
SITTING PRETTY
HANDCRAFTED at Hepple’s
North-East workshop, this
Heaton chair combines
traditional materials and craftsmanship with fresh modern
shapes and styling. The Heaton
is constructed on a kiln-dried
beech frame and features a
webbed base and hand-tied
springs. The design combines
simple lines with touches of
wood, upholstered in a choice of
contemporary natural-toned
fabrics, including suede, leather,
wool and linen. The seat
cushions are filled with 25 per
cent duck down and 75 per cent
leather. The chair costs £1,395
plus nine metres of fabric, and
there is also a sofa, which can
be produced in any size, which
costs from £1,987 plus fabric.
For more details call Hepple on
(01434) 602260. Hepple’s range
can be found at the Chelsea
Harbour Design Centre and at
the company’s outlet in Hexham,
Northumberland.
LIE BACK AND THINK...
ODD is a new mail
order catalogue with an
original range of items
for the home. There are
kitchen chairs, sofas,
ottomans, lamps and
bags, all upholstered in
a range of fabrics which
evokes old world
English charm. The Old
Rocker recreates the
best of the elegant
garden furniture of the
Edwardian era and, like
objects from that era, it
is built to last. A choice
of canvas colours is
available – canvas
white, Cornish blue,
garden green and
sailor’s trousers red –
and an overall cover,
internal walls and spring
gaiters are optional
extras.
The hand-painted
frame from which the
upholstered sofa hangs
is made of steel and
cast iron and is simple
to assemble. Water and
rot resistant, it costs
from £2,599. Odd
(01993) 830674 or
email
mail@oddlimited.com.
Blanche in Trippas, with above, Tula leather bag, £105; Pure suede bag, £69.99, and
below left, children’s fun backpack, £3.99
Pictures: CHRIS BOOTH
Trippas, Tubwell Row, Darlington (01325)
243 988
HOLIWAYS
GARAGE
WHINBANK
ROAD
KITCHEN
CREATION
DURHAM WAY
SOUTH
P.W.S.
3M
FACTORY
TETLEYS
A1 NORTH
AYCLIFFE
VILLAGE
TO
HEIGHINGTON
JUNCTION
59
INCINERATOR
Mc DONALDS
FILTRONIC
A1 SOUTH
adaptors, waist wallets, travel trolleys and
wonder towels. If travelling traditionally is
more your style, they can even get you a
trunk.
The shop is also great for children’s
luggage. Among the new season’s stock
that Blanche is most enthusiastic about is
Tula’s colourful Roosac range, in which
each item comes with a small kangaroo.
Her enthusiasm as she flicks through
magazines showing the latest must-have
handbags is evident, and she clearly loves
her job, never ceasing to be surprised by
the extent of people’s travels. “You would
be absolutely amazed that in this little
town of Darlington, you get people going
all over the world,” she says.
But there’s one downfall to running the
business, the irony of which is not lost on
her. “To be honest, since I opened this our
holidays have been limited to a week away
here or there and we tend to go within easy
flying distance from Teesside,” she says.
“It’s very ironic, but I can’t complain.”
A167
really carrying handbags, they were
carrying clubbers’ purses. There are some
absolutely stunning designs now,” says
Blanche.
Following the closure of Dressers in 2001,
she linked up with some of its suppliers,
many of whom would only deal with one
retail outlet per town. She has also
benefited from co-operation with Binns,
which sometimes sends customers her way.
The advantages to coming to her shop, she
says, are its competitive prices and
personal service.
“We try to do things a little bit more
cheaply than the big boys but also we can
order things for people. We try to cover a
wide range of prices – in handbags, we do
everything from £4.99 to £149, and we try to
keep a middle price range for luggage. We
carry a nice quality you will have for
yonks. We don’t do anything that I
wouldn’t buy but if it’s cheap and wellmade, I’ll have it,” Blanche says with a
glint in her eye.
As well as a plethora of handbags,
rucksacks and cases, Trippas sells travel
accessories – the range includes padlocks,
A167
DARLINGTON
10
gardening
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Flowers and
foliage are the
perfect way to
inject colour and
warmth back into
rooms. GABRIELLE
FAGAN finds out
from celebrity
florist Jane Packer
how to make your
bought and cut
flowers look
blooming
marvellous
Packer’s
petals
Flower power: a polka
dot shoe tidy used as
a container; flower
heads on a cake
stand; proteas – this
year’s fashionable
flower. Below: chilli
peppers topped with
a dome of flowers
F
LOWER arranging used to be
confined to aged aunts and
displays of blooms were usually
the sort found in stuffy, formal
hotel lobbies, while flowers for
the home were a treat reserved for special
occasions.
Nowadays though, the old conventions
have been swept aside. No successful
interior is complete without a vase of
classic white lilies, bamboo in a chic glass
or steel container (last year’s favourite) or
even one exotic, luscious bloom popped
unpretentiously into an empty milk
bottle.
Our growing passion for cut flowers is
reflected in the enormous rise in the
amount of blooms bought over recent
years. Most of us buy them on a weekly
basis – and enjoy indulging in a selection
of blooms and from around the world –
courtesy of hothouses and air transport.
More than that, we often choose their
colour or effect to contrast or blend with
our interior styles – even if we are not
aware of it. The flower industry is now
advised by the same people who guide
fashion and interior design companies on
trend, texture and colour. So it’s no
accident that as soon as lilac
becomes the latest interior
colour, several new varieties
of rose become available in
the same shade. And just
as every furniture store
displays a brown leather
sofa in its window – along
comes a new chocolatecoloured gerbera or
carnation.
None of this is any surprise to
internationally famous florist
Jane Packer, whose latest book,
World Flowers, presents her own
inspiring and fresh approach to
flower arranging.
Packer, whose clients range
from Madonna and Gordon
Ramsay to Ozzy Osbourne and Natalie
Imbruglia, says: ‘‘Flowers do follow
fashions these days, just like everything
else, and the varieties and colours
available from all over the world just
seem to keep growing, which is what
makes it so interesting and exciting.
People will even buy flowers to coordinate with the food they are serving –
traditional, French, Italian, or Japanese.
You name the cuisine and there’s a flower
to match.’’
Packer, 42, who is renowned for her
innovative, contemporary designs – she
created the wedding flowers for the
Duchess of York – refreshingly doesn’t
equate extravagance with successful
arrangements.
‘‘I don’t think any setting is complete
until it has some flowers – it makes a
room look cared for. Happily, they are now
recognised as an essential accessory.
‘‘But that doesn’t mean you have to buy
a huge, expensive arrangement – at this
time of year even just a small bunch of
daffodils, tulips or narcissi or a single
amaryllis bloom will immediately
brighten a setting and give colour,
fragrance and beauty.’’
Naturally, she believes this year’s
floral trends will echo the
interior trend. So blooms
should reflect either the
vintage look or the zingy
palette of the retro style of
the 50s to the 80s – with
bright oranges, browns and
snappy pinks.
Her favourite choice for
conjuring the retro look is
dahlias. ‘‘They come in those
vibrant pinks and oranges that
almost look like bri-nylon or plastic.
Mother-in-law’s tongue (sansevieria)
has a very 70s feel. Use sleek,
modern vases either in a group or in
one large arrangement.
‘‘For the vintage look choose
English flowers which are perfect. Think
of blowsy tea roses in a faded, antique
pink. Alternatively, simple stocks, sweet
peas, and white peonies look lovely in an
arrangement, as do hydrangeas in
delicate shades.’’
Ironically, those traditional English
blooms are what first captivated Packer
more than 20 years ago when, as a 15-yearold schoolgirl, she got a weekend job in a
small flower shop. It was the start of what
she calls her ‘‘obsession’’ with flowers.
She recalls: ‘‘I spent my first day’s pay
on a bunch of narcissi. I arranged them in
a brown pottery jug with a band of orange
and yellow marbled glaze that picked up
the tones of flowers. Without realising it,
I had colour co-ordinated container and
flowers and ever since then I’ve developed
that.’’
When she opened her first shop in
London in 1982, Packer banned carnations
and chrysanthemums with rigid stems
and funereal connotations and instead
opted for country-style flowers. “I wanted
to bring nature into the city and celebrate
those lovely flowers, Sweet Williams,
lavender and pinks and even weeds from
the hedgerows. I still love those but it just
shows how everything comes back into
style eventually as carnations and
chrysanthemums are back in favour with
me as much as anyone else!’’
Her hot tip for this year is South
African flowers, as the country is an
increasingly fashionable destination for
holidaymakers. To echo that trend, keep
an eye out for the almost prehistoriclooking, bold Protea, which comes in
pink, white or orange.
For romantic occasions, Packer has
created the most lavish arrangements...
and the most simple.
‘‘For one client, I literally filled the bath
with rose heads, and around the rim were
tiny tea lights. On the floor we scattered
petals and at the centre we made the
outline of a heart. A trail of petals led his
partner to the room.
‘‘But it can be just as effective to give
someone a little bunch of violets or
snowdrops. It sounds obvious, but the
flowers should appeal to the woman’s
taste.”
Jane Packer runs her own flower
school, and has a collection of home
accessories available from Debenhams.
www.janepacker.com
PLANT OF THE MONTH
DAFFODIL (Narcissus)
LARGE group of hardy bulbs which flower
in early to mid Spring. There are many
species of wild types and innumerable
named varieties. Most of the wild ones
are native to Southern Europe, although
the common ‘Lent Lily’ (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) grows wild in Great Britain. As
a result of intensive cross breeding the
old lines of demarcation between the 11
types of daffodil no longer exist.
The name narcissus is taken from a
character in Greek mythology, a vain
youth who was said to have changed into
a flower. Daffodil is a corruption of the
french Fleur d’Asphodele.
September is the best time to plant the
bulbs, although they will still grow even if
planted right up until December. They
thrive in ordinary, time-tilled garden soil,
but prefer a well-drained location. Leaf
mould and sand should be added before
planting in clay soil. The depth depends
on the size of the bulb, but three inches is
the norm.
They can be left to naturalise, but are
best thinned out every five years or so in
order to prevent overcrowding.
Brigid Press
Read Brigid every Saturday in The Northern Echo
11
d.i.y IN ASSOCIATION WITH
RINGING YOUR BELL
1 Drill a hole (6mm diameter will
be enough for most doorbells)
in the door frame or wall
2 From indoors, pass a length of
bell wire through the hole and
separate the cores for 25mm,
then strip off 10mm of insulation
from each one
3 Connect one core to each
terminal on the bell push
baseplate. Screw the
baseplate in place
The Dress
“Every bride is an individual...
looking at photographs may give a clue as
to what is available.”
“The only model who can show the bride
what she will look like is the bride
herself...”
“Brochures and advice from ‘friends’
cannot tell you how comfortable the dress
will feel.”
The Bride
4 Fix the sounder baseplate
in position and run the bell
wire from the bell push
towards it, clipping the wire
every 150mm to keep it flat
5 Connect the bell wire to the
sounder terminals. Fit the
batteries and test the unit
before fitting the sounder cover
Generating a buzz
A
FTER last week’s look at hanging
a new front door, why not add a
new doorbell? Aside from the
practical benefits, a gentle,
friendly or quirky chime can also make
your home more welcoming.
There’s something on the market to suit
all preferences and budgets. Budget options
include buzzers and bells, whereas those
wanting to splash out could go for
traditional tubular chimes.
For homeowners who get a buzz from
something a little different, microchips
could be the answer, and offer a variety of
tunes to announce callers’ presence at your
door. Both battery and mains-operated
systems are available. The latter involves
connecting a bell transformer permanently
to the mains supply, so basic electrical
skills are required.
Such kits are more expensive but tend to
be more compact as they don’t have a
battery compartment. Other selling points
are the illuminated bell push which is very
handy during these long nights, and the
fact that they aren’t subject to fading
batteries – although, of course, they can be
affected by power cuts.
Battery-operated models are the cheapest
to buy and the easiest to install as they
require only minimal DIY skills and just
involve drilling a few holes and driving in
some screws. Batteries can last for up to
two years, depending on how often they are
used.
To install a battery-operated doorbell,
first choose the best position for the bell
push. Bear in mind it needs to be easy to
find, but kept sheltered from rain and
excess heat. Mounting it on the door frame
is the simplest idea because this way you
can screw the baseplate straight onto the
woodwork and just use a twist drill to make
the hole for the wire.
Secondly, consider the sounder itself and
figure out where it will be heard most
easily. Many people decide on the hall, but
it can be anywhere providing you avoid a
long circuit.
For those whose guests often arrive
round the back of the house, one solution is
having two separate bell pushes and
sounders. Another idea is to fit just one
sounder that has a different tone for each
by SUZANNA BAIN
bell so you know which one has been rung.
Because it is so thin, the cable used to
connect the bell push to the sounder goes
largely unnoticed if run round door frames,
along skirting boards, picture rails, ceiling
coving and so on. Work out the best route
before you begin.
Once everything is planned out, it’s time
to get to grips with actually installing the
kit. Start by drilling a hole through the
door frame or wall where you have decided
the bell push will go. A 6mm diameter will
be enough for most, but flush-fitting type
models with a barrel-type switch projecting
from the back, will need something bigger.
Next, from indoors, pass a length of bell
wire through the hole and separate the
cores for approximately 25mm, then strip
off 10mm of insulation from each one.
Remove the cover of the bell push and
connect one core to each terminal on its
baseplate, drawing the wire back through
the hole until it fits flat against the surface
onto which it is being mounted. Use a
bradawl to make pilot holes for the screws
and screw the baseplate in place. Now fix
the sounder baseplate into position and run
the bell wire from the bell push towards it,
clipping the wire every 150mm to keep it
lying flat.
Once the sounder has been reached,
insert the wire through the entry hole,
separate the cores and strip the insulation
as before, then connect the cores to the
sounder terminals. The batteries can be
fitted at this stage and the unit tested
before finally fitting the sounder cover.
A QUICK FIX
Q How can I stop cold air coming upstairs to
the living space of my first floor flat from the
ground floor entrance hall?
A Fit a letterbox brush and other draught proofing
to the entrance door.
Q My bathroom tiles are looking nasty. How
can I spruce them up?
A Give them and the grouting a thorough clean
with special detergent available from DIY stores.
Try tile transfers to brighten things up and give
the bathroom a new look.
Exclusive Designer Dresses
sizes 6-36
Bridesmaids
Flowergirls to size 30
Sale or hire on selected ranges
Over 40 headdresses to choose from
Large range of veils
With an exclusive selection of Morning
Wear from boys to men
(all sizes available)
“With over 25 years of professional,
friendly advice and service, our staff are
only too happy to help you make your
special day, a day to remember”
20 Dundas Arcade • Middlesbrough TS1 1JA
Tel 01642 224554 • Fax 01642 224558
www.principia.uk.com email enquiries@principia.uk.com
50 SIGNAL SQUADRON
The Bradford Armoury, Neasham Road, Darlington, Co. Durham
& TA Centre Debdon Gardens, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Have fun and get paid for it
YOU NEED THE
TA
TERRITORIAL ARMY
Contact us anytime at the above address or
telephone us on
Darlington 01325 356539
or Newcastle 0191 265 6180
www.army.mod.uk/royalsignals/34sigregt
NEWLY OPENED
1st floor Millwheel House
For the ultimate in specialised Luxury
Spa Treatments for Males & Females
Kingsway
Bishop Auckland
DL14 7JN
Tel/fax 01388 66 33 55
info@sculpturesspa.co.uk
www.sculpturesspa.co.uk
Facials Body Treatments Hydrotherapy
Lifestyle Assessments Remedial Therapy
Hot Stone Therapy Nail & Hand Make-up Tanning
Waxing Spa Packages & Bridal Packages
Gift vouchers for Mothers Day
Rejuvenate, Refresh, Relax & Renew
12
shopping
Collectables Retail Park
Portrack Lane, Stockton
The Bridges, Sunderland
Tel. 0191 5650200
Tel. 01642 676675
5 Parliament Street,
Harrogate
Green Mall, MetroCentre,
Gateshead
(next door but one to Betty’s Tearooms)
Tel. 0191 4600885
Tel. 0191 4600885
Opposite Fenwicks,
Northumberland Street,
Newcastle
The best way
to discover if
you like a
work of art is
to try before
you buy.
SHARON
GRIFFITHS
reports on
the gallery
that is happy
bring their
pictures to
your home
Tel. 0191 2339990
47 Bondgate Within,
Alnwick
Tel. 01665 602461
In the
Kate Hallett surrounded by artworks in the
picture
I
T’S the 21st century way of buying art. Not
sure what you like, what you want or what
will look good on your walls? Then the staff
of Wensleydale Galleries will help you along.
What’s more, they will bring a selection of
pictures to your home and help you make your
selection.
Graham Durrant, a picture framer for more than
30 years, has built up one of the country’s largest
framing businesses, based at Leeming Bar, near
Bedale. Throughout his career he has also
established a number of small galleries featuring
the work of local artists, selling pictures as well as
framing them. But some years ago, at his premises
on Leyburn Business Park, he joined forces with
Washington Green, a national publisher of fine art,
specialising in limited editions in what they call a
“partnership gallery”. “It’s worked very well,” he
says “We can offer a much wider range of pictures.”
At the end of last year, Graham opened another
Wensleydale Gallery in South Parade,
Northallerton, doing much of the renovation
work himself. “It just seemed to be the
ideal place to be and
already we’ve build up
a great number of
regular customers,” he
says.
The gallery opened
with an exhibition by Rolf
Harris – whose work came as a
pleasant surprise to many – and then
with an exhibition by Richmond artist
Mackenzie Thorpe, which is just coming
to an end.
While Graham is busy at the Leeming Bar
factory, day to day running of the gallery is by
Kate Hallett.
“We just want to make the gallery welcoming,”
she says. “We like people to come in and see what’s
on the walls, see what they like. It’s all very
friendly and we don’t want to be intimidating.
We’re a different sort of art gallery.”
Pictures in the gallery range in price from £99 up
to £2,500. Anything more than £150, you can buy on
interest free credit.
“There are three main reasons that people buy
pictures, “ says Kate, “when they’re moving house;
when they’re redecorating, wanting a fresh look for
their home; or as an investment, often when
they’ve had an inheritance – because it’s a very
nice way of remembering someone.”
Although art is a fairly reliable investment –
Mackenzie Thorpe pictures, for instance, have
rocketed in price – Kate advises caution. “The only
thing to do is choose something you like,
something you will enjoy living with. Anything
else is a bonus.”
Pictures on the walls include some impressive
Rolf Harris work, and then go the complete range
from seascapes and
landscapes, through
Alexander
Miller’s
touching
portraits of
old men and
dogs, through
jokey modern, nudes
and wildlife.
It’s Kate who does most of
the home consultations. “I try
and get an idea of people’s taste,
then I just load the boot with
pictures and try them all out on their
walls. If needs be, I’ll go back again
13
Country House Hotel & Restaurant
This superb Jacobean country mansion
offers the very best of accommodation,
cuisine and service. There are 35
individual bedrooms, a restaurant open 7
days a week and extensive conference,
banqueting and leisure facilities. A family
run business offering that personal touch.
Recently attained English Tourism
Council Silver Award
The Restaurant:
Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner, Head Chef Austen Shaw
and his team offer the best of English and Continental cuisine
using the finest local ingredients. The restaurant has a warm and
relaxing atmosphere with friendly and professional service. Midweek lunch £9.50 for 2 courses, Sunday lunch £16 for 3 courses
and dinner from £22 for 3 courses.
Headlam Hall Golf Course
This superb 9 hole course is due to open June 2004 and we will be
offering an exclusive number of memberships. Constructed to
USGA spec on beautiful mature pastureland complete with
covered driving range.
Headlam Hall, Headlam, Darlington, DL2 3HA
Tel: (01325) 730238 www.headlamhall.co.uk
gallery. top left: one of the limited edition prints by Rolf Harris, of an aborigine friend
with another lot. We want to be sure. And we’re not
limited to just what’s in the gallery, we can get just
about anything that’s in the Washington Green
collection.”
Although most of the works in the gallery are
limited edition prints, there are sculptures, glass
and Kate can also arrange for some original
paintings too.
They have all sorts of customers from all sorts of
backgrounds, from all over the country too, from
Edinburgh down to Plymouth. “In the Leyburn
Gallery, of course, we would have a lot of tourists or
second home owners, but we also get people
travelling long distances especially to visit us.
“Whoever people are and whatever they want, we
want to make choosing a picture easy and
enjoyable. “
WENSLEYDALE GALLERIES
Unit 1, Herriot Court, Leyburn Business Park (01969)
623488. Open Mon-Sat, 9am-5.30pm.
www.leyburn@wensleydale/gallery.fsnet.co.uk
12 South Parade, Northallerton (01609) 773100.
Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-6pm; Sun 11.10am-4pm.
www.wensleydalegalleries@wgartpartners.com
Special events and exhibitions, plus magazine.
Home consultations
Interest free credit
Complete bespoke framing service.
The gallery offers a huge variety of limited
edition prints and sculptures for sale.
Below left: Sky, a limited edition glass bowl by
artist Lawrence Coulson, £350
It’s all very friendly
and we don’t want
to be intimidating.
We’re a different sort
of art gallery
me and my wardrobe
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Bill Gillow runs Geoffrey Gillow on
Darlington’s Grange Road. The
business was set up by his father,
Geoffrey, as a menswear store and
now includes a womenswear section
How would you describe your look?
I would say I’m smart casual. I’m always
smartly dressed but I’m not cutting edge and
never over-dressed.
Pictures: CHRIS BOOTH
What’s your favourite item of clothing?
A plain black suit by Sand which I can wear
for most occasions because it’s so versatile.
It can be formal – I’ve worn it for balls and
functions – and casually. I’ve even worn it
with a T-shirt.
Clockwise from above: Sand linen suit
£395, Sand T-shirt £39; Benvenuto linen
jacket £195, Eterna Swiss cotton shirt
£49; Profuomo silk tie £29, Cheaney
leather boots £125; Sand black suit
£395, Sand shirt £69, Profuomo silk tie
£29; Gant windcheater £99, Gant check
shirt £69, Gant jeans £79
ROAD
EA
ST
MO
UN
T
Reg
Vardy
Renault
CHESNUT
ST
RI
RUSSELL
ST
NG
RO
AD
RUSSELL
ST
WE
ARE
HERE
AD
RO
VALLEY STREET
Magnet
NORTH
14
RD
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O
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HA nn
Ba
What’s the most you’ve ever spent on
an item of clothing?
It’s more a case of the most expensive thing I
didn’t buy. I was in a shop on Amsterdam’s
equivalent of Bond Street when I spotted an
Armani jacket in silk, wool and cashmere. I
tried it on and it fitted but perfectly but it was
a lot of money and I wanted a second
opinion. I went to get my wife who was over
the road having a cup of coffee but in the five
minutes I was away, it had been sold. I’ve
regretted it ever since.
Which celebrity’s style do you admire
most and why?
I think it would have to be George Clooney
because he does smart casual so well. He
looks good in a suit and T-shirt. It’s the way
he wears it. That’s something I admire about
MAN
Odermark
Sand
Benvenuto
Gant
Point Of Italy
Brax
New Man
Eterna
Bugatti
WOMAN
Brax
Terre et Mer
New Man
Sand
Original Blues
Liz Cox
Crew
Chatham
Ollie & Nic
Geoffrey Gillow
45-49 Grange Road, Darlington
Tel/Fax 01325 469369
Italian men as well. They can put anything on
and look a million dollars. It’s all about
confidence, but a lot of English men don’t
have that.
What’s your worst buy?
I’d like to think I’m pretty shrewd and I
haven’t made many mistakes over the years.
I’ve had some horrors with shoes but never
any glaring errors that I’ve regretted. I think
men are generally more careful about what
they buy than women.
What are your favourite shops?
Apart from my own, I really want to sing the
praises of Grange Road. The last week I’ve
been to London and Dusseldorf, two of
Europe’s major fashion cities but I haven’t
seen anything nicer than in Grange Road.
Other than that, I like Carter’s Country Wear
in Helmsley, Liberty in London and Paul
Smith.
Geoffrey Gillow Exclusive Menswear,
45 Grange Road, Darlington, (01325)
469369.
beauty
15
Diary of a hair and
make-up artist
NICK
MORRISON
steps
gingerly
into the
beauty
zone, and
leaves it
buffed,
manicured
and a total
convert
ALLISON McKAY
T
Confessions of a
health spa virgin
A back massage
at The Revival
Zone at
Gisborough Hall
costs £17.50; a
facial is £35 and
manicures start
from £18. To book,
or for other
treatments and
prices, call (01287)
611510
T
HEY don’t get many men
around these parts. At least,
not many native men. Those
from the south who are
blessed with a y chromosome
seem to have no worries about it, but
their Northern cousins have so far
proved very reluctant.
For her part, Deborah Briers-Danks
has no explanation, or at least if she
has, as a South African enjoying NorthEast hospitality she’s too polite to say
so. But it seems to me the answer lies
somewhere in that macho culture/fear
of appearing feminine nonsense which
is used to cover a multitude of sins,
from beating the wife to rampant nasal
hair.
Whatever it is, they don’t know what
they’re missing. Spending a day being
pampered – at least at the hands of
someone as experienced and skilled as
Deborah – isn’t half bad, even though
it’s not quite as much fun as you can
have with your clothes off.
But, enlightened though I like to
think I am, I confess to feeling a little
nervous when I arrived at Gisborough
Hall’s spa, The Revival Zone. A
massage sounds great in theory, but
when you’re a health spa virgin and
you’ve got a towelling robe in one hand
and your macho credentials in the
other, it suddenly becomes less
appealing and more daunting.
But I needn’t have worried. From the
moment Deborah told me to undress, I
entered a zone of complete relaxation
and tranquillity. On the basis that if
you’re going to do it, you might as well
get into the spirit of it, it seemed only
fair to lie back and let her get on with
it. Modesty preserved at all times, of
course.
She started with a back and scalp
massage. Not for Deborah the
dislocating limbs technique so beloved
of James Bond, instead this was a
wonderfully soothing and soporific
kneading of muscles and joints. I have
always had an aversion to people
touching my head, in case they
dislodge the remaining hairs, but by
Deborah BriersDanks letting her
hands do the talking
on a male guest in
the Revival Zone
the time Deborah got there I was too
chilled out to care, and abandoned my
follicles to her mercy.
She did, however, report that my
shoulders were quite free of knots. This
may sound like a good thing, but all it
does is belie my efforts to persuade my
boss that the stress of my job is taking
a terrible toll on my body.
When my limbs had been gently
coaxed into the consistency of
blancmange, it was time for a sauna
before lunch. A sauna before lunch – I
like the sound of that. Maybe these
Scandinavians are onto something.
After lunch, it was time for my facial.
I have no idea what Deborah was
rubbing into my skin, but it sure felt
good. Various ointments and gels later,
complete with gentle massage, my face
was left feeling unexpectedly perky,
albeit in a wet kind of way. When I say
it felt a little oily, it doesn’t sound like
the sort of thing you would want to pay
for, but this was clean oil, the sort you
don’t want to wash off. I didn’t even
object when she plucked hairs from the
point of my nose (this does not count
as nasal hair, by the way).
Finally, I had my nails done. Even as
a new convert to health spas, I blanch
at this part. However you say it, it does
sound very girly. After a quick pressing
of my cuticles, which is far less painful
than it sounds, Deborah buffed and
polished my nails, coating them in a
clear varnish that I was still showing
off days later. She said I had lovely
nails, something I was also showing off
about days later, so they didn’t feel
much different afterwards, although
they did look nice and shiny. Did I
mention that?
By this time, I was well and truly into
the idea of being scrubbed and
polished, so it was something of a
shock to be turfed out into the grimy,
dirty world. The temptation was to run
back inside – surely there was some
part of my body in need of urgent
attention? – but sadly the robe had to
go. If only these macho men knew what
they were missing.
From the moment
Deborah told me to
undress, I entered a zone
of complete relaxation and
tranquillity... it seemed
only fair to lie back and let
her get on with it
HIS month has
been a mixture
of work, from
creating a natural
vibrant and healthy
look (on a naturally
vibrant model) for a
photographic image
to promote Danone
Yoghurt, to creating 30 images on how
WD40 can be of use around the home.
The very useful Handy Andy Kane was
our model for this shoot and I have to
say he was a real pleasure to work with
as well as having a lovely complexion.
Apparently, 100 uses have been found
for WD40. The mind boggles…
I have also been working on a couple
of events as a production co-ordinator,
one a fashion show, the other a
complementary health fair at the
James Cook Hospital to raise funds for
new equipment for the hospital radio
station, Southside.
I had many interesting finds that
day, one being Virgin Vie products, and
have since become a big fan of their
creamy, shimmery eyeshadows in
pastel colours – so this season!. Easy to
apply, they can also be worn under a
powder eyeshadow. A favourite shade
is Safari Sheen, £7.50. The powder
eyeshadows are extremely fine and as
soft as cashmere, so they blend very
well and do not crease. There’s a good
range of colours for £6.50. I am always
on the look-out for good foundations
and The Perfect Balance Foundation,
£14, glides over the skin to give a
flawless complexion with a demi matt
finish.
100 uses have been
found for WD40. The
mind boggles…
What was more apparent at the
health and holistic fair was that is
stressed the importance of a healthy
glow coming from within. Two things I
came away with to try were a bottle of
Tahiti Noni Juice, and a tub of
collagen tablets. Sadly, my bag was too
small for the aromatherapist and
reflexologist and the many other
wonder products and specialists there.
The Tahiti Noni Juice claims to help
in a wide variety of conditions, as well
as slowing ageing and increasing body
energy. Its prime ingredient comes
from the pineapple plant and has been
used in French Polynesia for more
than 2,000 years.
The collagen tablets claim not only
to help retain the youthfulness and
plumpness of skin, but testaments
claim they can dramatically help in
arthritic and joint pain. Although I
don’t particularly suffer from arthritis
or a lack of energy, after just one week
of trying these products I do have an
increased feeling of well-being.
Virgin Vie: Nod Mason (01740) 630
478; Tahiti Noni Juice: Ian Stanley
(01723) 584 742; Collagen Tablets:
Wendy Tucker (07810) 010 479
TOP TIP: When applying a foundation
use a medium-sized flat brush and
paint the foundation onto the skin.
That way, you can get into all the
nooks and crannies without messing
up your fingers, also saving on
wastage.
16
motoring
The E-Class Estate
from £27,380.
Space everywhere,
except in your wallet.
Mercedes’ new estate: a blend of ultra-modern with traditional
Get a load of this!
Mercedes E270 CDi Estate
T
With the Easy-Pack intelligent loading system†, the E-Class Estate
makes the best use of its 1910 litre load space. There are extra storage
solutions behind the rear seats, in the boot and even under the floor.
If only finding spaces could be this easy when you’re trying to park.
Car shown is the E200K Avantgarde Estate at £29,980. For more
details, or to book a test drive, call us today.
Rycroft Stockton
Concorde Way, Yarm Road, Stockton on Tees, TS18 3RB
Tel: 01642 677 877 Fax: 01642 675 800
www.rycroft.co.uk
OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT FUEL CONSUMPTION FIGURES (MPG/LITRES PER 100KM) FOR ECLASS ESTATE RANGE: URBAN 17.7-29.4/9.6-16.0, EXTRA URBAN 34.0-53.3/5.3-8.3,
COMBINED 25.5-40.9/6.9-11.1. CO2 EMISSIONS 183-266 G/KM.
† AVAILABLE AS AN OPTION FROM £60. ON THE ROAD PRICE OF MODEL SHOWN INC. DELIVERY, NUMBER PLATES, FIRST
REGISTRATION FEE AND A FULL TANK OF FUEL.
HE chainsaw cuts through the
wood like a hot knife through
butter and log after log flies into
the trailer. Very quickly, the unit is
piled high with winter fuel for the open
fire. The only problem is, will it fit in the
car?
Now, had it been the old E Class
Mercedes, I would have thought no
problem. The car looked gargantuan and
was certainly one of the biggest estates
on the road. If I remember correctly, the
boast from the marketing people was that
you could slide a double wardrobe into
the back. But this is the latest model, a
much leaner and meaner looking vehicle,
shorter and shapelier, more stylish, but
would it be so accommodating?
As the wood is stacked in the back, the
load area is certainly a good shape with
no intrusion from suspension turrets to
get in the way. As the trailer empties, the
boot fills and before long the whole load
is transferred into the back. The new E
Class Estate may look smaller, but it
isn’t. Incredibly, it is larger still; 11mm
longer, 10mm wider and the cavernous
boot will hold an extra 50 litres, 650 in
total, with the back seats still in place.
When the load bay is empty, there is the
option of pop-up rear facing seats which
means the Merc can also carry seven in
complete comfort.
That much wood could have upset the
car’s handling, of course. But the E Class
shrugs off the extra weight thanks to
automatic self-levelling pneumatic
suspension. A button on the centre
console can also alter the ride from
super-comfy softness to mega-taut sports
handling, an excellent feature. You can
also raise the ride height for venturing
through floods or mild forays off the
road.
Given that the Estate is designed to be
a load carrier, whether that is logs or
people, it is amazingly rewarding to
drive.
The E Class chassis has always
performed better than it ought to. I
remember driving the full range of firebreathing AMG Mercedes and was
shocked to discover that the best by far
was the E55 AMG. The E just feels right;
beautifully balanced, taut and together.
The Estate drives like a sports car and
being behind the wheel is pure
enjoyment.
The engine, on this occasion a 177bhp,
five cylinder 2.7 litre turbo diesel, adds to
the experience. It’s hard to believe that a
diesel can sound, feel and perform so
well. Five cylinders gives it a wonderful
off-beat note. It pulls like a pit pony from
way down the rev range and offers reallife performance, making the E a superb
cross country drive.
In the safety stakes, few cars even come
close. Under the sleek new body lies an
array of electronic gizmos to keep the car
under control and stop it skidding. The
brakes are the first on the market to be
“fly-by-wire”, using aircraft technology
to dispense with old-fashioned cables.
The result is much shorter braking
distances, particularly in the wet. The
lights, too, are 21st century and actually
shine around the corners – don’t ask me
how – just enjoy the night vision they
provide.
The interior blends ultra modern with
traditional Mercedes and is stylish,
spacious, comfortable and practical.
All this comes at a price, of course, but
the E270CDI Estate appears to weigh in
at an affordable £32,045, a reasonable
price tag for the class of car – until you
realise that a lot of the features aren’t
standard and the final bill in this
specification is £41,460.
That said, there is nothing to fault in
Mercedes’ biggest estate, and in a market
place full of worthy competitors, it
should help potential buyers see the
wood from the trees.
Ian Lamming
a
Under the sleek new
body lies an array of
electronic gizmos to keep
the car under control and
stop it skidding
A load carrier... of people and logs
17
slimming
Burn an extra
1,000
calories a day
Life’s full of calorie-burning opportunities. Here are five easy plans to zap 1,000....
ENJOY THE OUTDOORS
70 calories: Start your day with ten
minutes of t’ai chi. Not only will it help
to tone you up, but it will also de-stress
you and help you to focus on the day
ahead.
180 calories: Spend 30 minutes
tidying up your garden, mowing the
lawn and pulling up the weeds.
120 calories: Spend ten minutes
skipping in your garden.
188 calories: Go for a leisurely 15minute after dinner bicycle ride.
30 calories: Play ten minutes of
croquet out in the back garden.
422 calories: Take a hike into the
country for a picnic. Allow yourself an
hour for the round trip.
Total: 1,010 calories.
GET UP AND GO
79 calories: Put on your favourite CD and
dance around the room for 15 minutes.
140 calories: Walk up the stairs as many times
as possible each day. Just 15 minutes will reap
rewards.
246 calories: At work, deliver messages to
colleagues in person rather than emailing. You
could tot up a couple of miles walking a day!
315 calories: Partner up with a friend and go
to a 45-minute aerobic class after work or at
lunchtime.
240 calories: Sort
through your
clothes
for an
hour –
and give away any
you haven’t worn
for a year.
Total: 1,021
calories.
HOUSEWORK
246 calories:
Spring clean your
kitchen and don’t
spare the elbow
grease. After an
hour your body will
have benefited as
much as the floor.
167 calories: Give
your grubby windows a half-hour cleaning
overhaul.
422 calories: Spend an hour rearranging your
bedroom furniture. According to the principles of
feng shui it will boost your energy levels as well.
360 calories: Spend an hour washing, waxing
and vacuuming every inch of your car, from the
hubcaps to the roof
Want to burn 60 calories: Half an hour
washing up will do the trick.
SPEND AN HOUR...
300 calories: Massage out the knots in your
partner’s back and shoulders.
110 calories: Turn off the computer and handwrite a letter to an old friend.
240 calories: Sort out the clutter in the garage
and decide what goes to charity.
360 calories: Do a bit of decorating – give your
spare room a lick of fresh paint.
More tips from
the Ultimate Diet
Book (Slimming
Magazine/
Haynes, £16.99),
a fantastic
compilation of
advice and real
life slimmers’
tales
FAMILY TIME
123 calories: Walk the dog
around the block for 30
minutes.
140 calories: Play an
energetic game of catch or
frisbee with the kids for 30
minutes.
360 calories: Hit the ice rink
with your family and do a
Torvill and Dean for 40
minutes. Don’t expect to
impress the kids...
60 calories: Paddle around
a lake at a leisurely pace for
ten minutes.
156 calories: Spend an
hour cooking up one of your
famous Sunday roasts with
all the trimmings (low calorie,
low fat versions, of course).
240 calories: Hit the
supermarket for your weekly
family shop – it should take
about an hour. Remember
to write your shopping list
before you go – that way
you’ll only come home with
what you need, not lots of
tempting extras.
LIFE COACH
SPRING: NEW BEGINNINGS
IT’S time for decluttering
your life. Tossing out stuff
you’ve had for years that
you know you’ll never use
but seem to hang onto
anyway. Why is that? It
gets in the way. We keep
saying we’ll get rid of it but
never seem to do it. The
secret to real spring-cleaning is to start with
your mind. What rubbish do you carry
around in your head every day? Negative
thinking is destructive – as we think, we are,
so beware! What negative beliefs do you
hold about yourself and the world around
you? Take some time, write them down and
ask yourself honestly, are you really doing
yourself any favours hanging onto these
attitudes? A master of positive thinking,
Norman Vincent Peal, said: “Change your
thoughts and you change your world.” So
declutter your mind, then you’ll declutter
your home. If you need any help with this,
you know where to reach me. Alternatively
hire a skip!
G Juliette is available at
www.sunflowercoaching.com or on 07740
416891
18
gadget man
FACTORY
DIR T
BEDS &ECE
Quality Local Bus Services
in North Yorkshire, Teesside & Durham
PIN
0870 608 2 608
All Calls at National Rate. Open daily 7am to 9pm
SAVE POUNDS BUY DIRECT FROM
THE FACTORY
Quality Pine Beds,
FREE LOCAL DELIVERY Furniture & Mattresses
Unit 5, First Avenue, Drum Ind. Est.
Chester-le-Street, Tel: 0191 4109994
Branches also at Washington, Tel: 0191 4175277
Low Fell, Gateshead, Tel: 0191 4871414
Chester-le-Street Store - Open: Mon-Thurs 9-5;
Fri 9-4 Sat 10-4; Closed Sunday
Washington Store - Open: Mon-Fri 9.30-4.30;
Sat 10-4.30 Sun 11-4
The George Hotel at Piercebridge
Tel: 01325 374576
The Mad March Hare Ball
SATURDAY, MARCH 13
Top Comics Rudi West & Lynnie Larkin
An Evening of Fun and Madness
Fancy Dress - Disco • Hot & Cold Buffet
Tickets only £25 per person or £110 per couple with overnight accommodation
‘Mama Mia’
SATURDAY, MARCH 27
‘Best Abba Tribute Band’ in the world
70’s Night
Hot & Cold Buffet
Fancy Dress (optional)
£25 per person or £110 per couple with overnight
accommodation
Wedding
Exhibition
SUNDAY, APRIL 4
11am - 4pm
Don’t miss
Burton’s Bytes
– game
reviews in The
Northern Echo
every Friday
The version
of Windows
aimed at
controlling
your car
POWER TOOLS
Saws to Cut Timber, Steel and
Concrete,
Hedgecutters
Strimmers and Brushcutters,
Blowers, Power Washers, Vacs
and Chipper Shredders
If you want to spice up your card making
then visit a Scrapbook Shop
We stock a huge range of patterned papers, punches,
die cut equipment, Sizzix and Quickutz, rubber stamps
by Hero Arts, the Woodware Collection, peel offs by
Francoise Read, Shapeboss by Fiskars
Come and try the tools or join a class for further
instructions
Classes run on alternate Saturdays starting
again 6th March
INTRODUCTION TO SCRAPBOOKING CLASS
INTRODUCTION TO RUBBER STAMPING
TIPS & TECHNIQUES CLASS
10% Off your shopping on the day
you attend a class
Contact Scrapbook Shop for details and to book
6 Beech Road
Framwellgate Moor
(just past the Fire Station,
next to Blockbuster Video)
Power Equipment Specialists
Tel. 0191 3757515
Southend Works, Byers Green
Spennymoor
Co. Durham DL16 7NL
www.scrapbookshop.co.uk
01388 662266
Old Mill Furniture
Is choosing a new bed keeping
you awake?
Why not visit our new Showroom
NOW OPEN in Consett?
CALL TODAY
for the bed of your dreams
CHESTER-LE-STREET OPEN 7 DAYS
For every type of bed you need:
Children’s Beds, Pine Beds, Metal Beds to
top of the range Pocket Sprung Divans
Only the
finest
quality
Beds
andPine
Furniture
at
Every piece we make is hand built from start to
finish by an individual craftsman, from selecting the
wood right through to final finishing, no two pieces
are ever exactly the same. We have a wide range
of woods and styles to choose from or we can
make that special piece you have not been able to
find elsewhere. Why not visit or contact us.
Old Mill Furniture, Balk, Thirsk. YO7 2AH
Tel: 01845 597227 www.theoldmill.co.uk
We are 3 miles SE of Thirsk, towards Kilburn.
TRADE
PRICES
Exclusive to J&A’s - have your favourite football
name engraved on to a pine headboard
J&A’s Beds & Furniture
Unit 3B, Drum Industrial Estate,
Birtley, Chester-le-Street
(0191) 4111415
13 Medomsley Road, Consett
(01207) 588008
FREE LOCAL DELIVERY
C.O.D. AVAILABLE
C
ONSIDER this: the little black
box that makes your car start
every morning and tunes the
radio to the correct channel as
you drive packs more computing power
than NASA used to put a man on the
moon. That’s progress.
Until recently, though, cars have relied
on pretty old-fashioned technology.
Electronic ignition didn’t become
standard until the early nineties, electric
windows and anti-lock brakes a few years
later.
It’s the same deal with in-car
entertainment. Nowadays most motors
come with a CD player but a few years
ago they were an expensive luxury.
Advances in multiplex wiring that
replaces the traditional harness with an
electronic nervous system running the
length of the chassis have made the
addition of electronics relatively
straightforward.
So what’s the next step?
Unsurprisingly, car manufacturers are
now queuing up to offer today’s buyers
more gadgets and goodies than ever
before. And even less of a surprise is that
Microsoft is bidding to be at the centre of
moves to make our cars more
entertaining.
The company is serious, too. It already
has a version of Windows – Windows
Automotive – designed for fitting into
cars and won’t be happy until a copy is
fitted in every motor churned out by
every manufacturer. That’s a pretty lofty
ambition.
But why would anyone want a version
of Windows controlling their car? After
all, if you get a blue screen on your PC,
you press re-boot and all is well. If your
car does the same thing at 70mph on a
busy motorway it would bring a whole
new meaning to the PC term “crash”.
That’s a cheap jibe but one Microsoft is
working hard to overcome.
Windows Automotive is an embedded
system that means it is tried and tested
over thousands of hours not to crash. In
fact, it has already been used on a car
sold in the UK.
French manufacturer Citroen
experimented with an early version a few
years ago. Although only a few such cars
were sold, drivers who bought them
appreciated the way they could link their
car with a PDA and download e-mails etc.
Heck, passengers could even surf the net
to while away the hours of a tedious
commute.
Things have moved on since then.
The latest Windows for cars features
full-blown speech recognition that allows
the driver to take full command of his car
just by speaking to it. Even spookier, the
software is designed to recognise when
you are spending too much time fiddling
when you should be driving. Shades of
KIT, the super-intelligent Pontiac
Firebird driven by Michael Knight in
Knightrider.
For the future Microsoft is working on
a plan to connect a car’s black box to the
Internet.
In theory, such a vehicle would monitor
critical systems, identify when a service
was needed, connect to the net, locate a
garage, book an appointment and send
you an e-mail to let you know when to
show up. Heck, even KIT didn’t know
when he needed an oil change.
But not everyone thinks this kind of
thing is a good idea.
In America the authorities are taking a
tough line on in-car gadgets that may
prove distracting. Even driver aids such
as satellite navigation are coming in for
criticism.
If Microsoft can find a way of keeping
us entertained while making certain we
remain alert to the dangers of driving it
will have the car of the future cracked.
Until then, I think I’ll stick with my
humble in-car CD player.
Microsoft is bidding
to be at the centre
of moves to make our
cars more entertaining
19
beauty
Having my
teeth
whitened
with Robbie
Williams
JENNY
NEEDHAM
tries a new
form of
tooth
whitening
service in a
new style of
dentist’s
surgery...
and comes
out smiling
The white
stuff: Simon
Andrews
starts the
BriteSmile
treatment
H
E was there every step of the
way, keeping me company,
singing, dancing and occasionally, bad boy, swearing. And it
certainly took my mind off
things…
I had gone to the Smile Spa in the designer
megastore Psyche in Middlesbrough to have
my teeth whitened, and to take my focus off
what is a jaw-aching rather than painful
procedure, dentist’s nurse Claire offered me
a menu of DVDs. There was Only Fools,
Friends, Ally McBeal, and others, but I
opted for Robbie crooning at the Albert
Hall. The DVD goggles were put on, the earpieces plugged in, and the hour it took to
complete the procedure drifted by on a wave
of old swing melodies.
The whitening procedure is known as
BriteSmile, a light-activated process using
state-of-the-art technology. It has been
brought to Middlesbrough by Simon Andrews, who has more than 20 years experience as a dental practitioner, and his wife
Susan, who hails from Hartlepool and is
also a dentist.
“We were on Fifth Avenue in New York
two years ago when we looked into a salon.
There were six chairs in a row, just like at
the hairdressers except that they were all
having their teeth whitened,” says Simon.
“We thought it was a brilliant concept.”
When the couple returned home they researched the process thoroughly and discovered it had been a huge success story.
The primary ingredient in the whitening
gel is hydrogen peroxide which has been
safely used in teeth whitening for more than
100 years, and safety studies in the States
found conclusively that the treatment resulted in no structural change in teeth, no
adverse impact on fillings, and no softening in tooth enamel.
Virtually everyone wanting to brighten
their teeth can benefit from the BriteSmile
procedure, including those with severe food,
coffee, tobacco or tetracycline (antibiotic)
stains. It has also been successful at removing stains from caps, veneers or bonded teeth.
Since the Smile Spa opened in Middlesbrough, only the second in-store spa in the
country, they’ve done more than 200 proce-
In Spa whitening: £475 (it costs £225 more in London)
At home whitening: from £249.
Other cosmetic treatments available: tooth-coloured fillings, veneers,
ceramic crowns, bridge work, porcelain inlays, aesthetic polishing for
stain removal and a full range of gum and fresh breath treatment.
dures and had no problems. The satisfaction
surveys Simon and Susan hand out to
clients after treatment have had no negative
comments.
“We’re treating everyone from famous
footballers to the electrician down the road.
One of the most satisfying results has been
the number of partners and friends of
clients who have booked in because they’ve
been so impressed with the results,” says
Simon, a huge fan of the BriteSmile treatment. “Laser causes greater sensitivity and
doesn’t give as good results. In my opinion,
the second best results come from the at
home procedure and laser comes a poor
third.”
First my teeth are graded against a
brightness chart. Then a mouth guard and
tongue protector and some padding are
placed around the teeth and gums. This
makes you feel a bit claustrophic and has
the added downside of making you look a
little like Hannibal Lecter, but as soon as
the DVD goggles are on, you can forget what
you look like while Simon paints on gum
protector and then combines a whitening
gel with the breakthrough new “blue light”.
After 20 minutes, more gel is added and the
procedure is repeated twice more. It is pretty painless, though the jaw does begin to
ache somewhat on the third run.
Once the hour is up, the goggles are
(sadly) removed, the gum protection and
other contraptions are removed, and you get
a welcome mouthwash to rinse away the
foul taste left behind. A quick grin into the
mirror reveals that my teeth are noticeably
whiter and when Simon measures them
against the chart, they are seven shades
brighter than they were 60 minutes ago. I’m
impressed.
Simon warns me to stick to a white diet
and stay away from coloured foods like red
wine for 24 hours. My teeth do ache for a day
after the treatment but a painkiller works a
treat.
A couple of days later I’m still grinning
inanely at family and friends. A couple of
them have mentioned my teeth, others just
wonder why I’m grinning inanely. I love my
new white teeth and would like to thank
Simon for making my day. And Robbie, of
course, just for being there…
G The Smile Spa, The Psyche Building, 175-183 Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 4AG.
(01642) 707272. Email: info@thesmilesspa.co.uk. Web site: www.thesmilespa.co.uk
BLACK &
DECKER
Mc
Donald’s
THINFORD
ROUNDABOUT
20
21
connections
PLACES WITHIN EASY REACH
OF THE NORTH-EAST
Fill your boots, but
not with butties
FACTFILE
The Lake District has long been known for hikers’ hearty fare, but the
dawn of the 21st century has seen an explosion of foodie experiences
in the area. JILL NEILL tucks in
G
ETTING all dressed up in the
Lake District feels odd. As a
seasoned backpacker whose
evenings in Cumbria tend to
consist of pasta from a Youth
Hostel plate and wondering if the boots will
be dry by morning, it’s a little strange to step
out minus the woolly socks.
But while hiking, biking and boats are the
traditional attractions of England’s most
north-westerly county, Cumbria is also
rapidly becoming a foodie’s paradise.
Of course, the Lake District’s ability to
provide cheap, filling fare is legendary – for
years, countless fell walkers have refuelled
with a hefty bowl of goulash at the Dog and
Gun in Keswick. And gourmet dining has not
been completely alien to the area since TV
chef John Tovey opened the Miller Howe
restaurant on Windermere’s shore in the early
1970s.
Boosted no doubt by the media’s obsession
with food as the new sex, there’s been an
explosion of food experiences in the area, and
a low-season weekend break is an ideal way to
sample what’s on offer.
Getting to the Lakes from the North-East is
a doddle – hit the A66 or the A69 straight from
work on Friday night and you can be gazing
on Skiddaw or Scafell by dinner time.
Those who prefer a more leisurely start to
the weekend could do worse than stop over at
Temple Sowerby House Hotel, right by the
A66, about four miles this side of Penrith.
Owners Paul and Julie Evans are natural
hosts; an overnight stay feels more like
visiting friends… well, for anyone whose
friends happen to own an 18th century
mansion.
The twin lounges are a haven of inviting
sofas, log fires and back copies of Country
Life. But the real treat is the fabulous a la
carte dinner menu, changed monthly by head
chef Ashley Whittaker and featuring seasonal
ingredients, including fruit, vegetables and
herbs from the hotel’s walled garden. It’s
traditional and filling and you could cut the
poached fillet of beef with a spoon.
At the other end of the Lake District – and
the other end of the dining experience – is the
delightfully pretentious L’Enclume at
Cartmel village, south of Windermere. Chefproprietor Simon Rogan definitely has his eye
on a Michelin rating and, if they’re given for
off-the-wall wittiness, he’s a dead cert.
Promotional bumph promises an “innovative
dining experience” but “weird” might be a
more appropriate description.
The Taste and Texture menu – there’s a
choice of eight, 12 or 18 courses – has to be
sampled to be believed, if the budget can run
to between £50 and £95 for a meal which, quite
frankly, could see anyone with a robust
appetite calling for a bag of chips on the way
home.
The quality of the fare is indisputable; it’s
the amount that leaves you reeling – tiny shot
glasses of pea puree, two French fries with a
doddle of posh ketchup, a teaspoonful of,
admittedly delicious, duck confit and tiny
slices of local lamb with “curry leaf
emulsion”.
The finale is the most fantastic, but
miniscule, hot chocolate mousse with
eucalyptus foam – whatever that is – and,
believe it or not, smoked paprika ice cream.
Waitresses armed with plastic syringes full of
hot chocolate sauce administer the final
tongue-in-cheek touch when they inject each
pud at the table. L’Enclume may not be the
place to head if you’ve just returned,
ravenous, from the fells. But if you’re
desperate to impress, and you want to prove
that designer dining is not confined to the
cities, book a table. The fact the place was full
on a freezing Saturday night in mid-January
would seem to suggest Mr Rogan is doing
something right.
The Miller Howe is a must for anyone intent
on a real food fest. Founded in 1971, it now
belongs to former international newspaper
editor Charles Garside, although John Tovey
continues at the hotel as a consultant. The
service and menu are first class, as is the
stunning view from the dining room across
lake Windermere to Langdale Pikes. Sunday
lunch is surprisingly reasonable – £20 plus
VAT – but there’s a waiting list for tables, so
book weeks in advance if you can.
Again, fine wines abound, but anyone
preferring beer would be well advised to head
north again and call at the Queen’s Head Inn
in the village of Tirril, near Penrith. The early
18th century hostelry boasts its own micro
brewery, producing six beers, four of which
are on tap at any one time. The atmosphere in
the beamed bar is hard to beat, boosted by one
of the largest log fires you’re ever likely to
see. There’s a good choice of hefty meals, too,
including a melt-in-the-mouth beef and ale
pie.
Cumbria also excels when it comes to
moveable feasts, ideal if the lure of the hills
proves so strong that you need to pack up
your lunch. Those craving a change from
cheese and pickle in their sandwiches could
seek out some of the smoked meats from
Peter Gott’s Sillfield Farm, near Kendal.
Peter’s wild boar and Tamworth,
Saddleback and Middle White rare breed pigs
produce joints, chops, bacon and sausages
which have impressed the likes of TV chefs
Jamie Oliver, Rick Stein (who featured him on
his BBC2 Food Heroes series) and Clarissa
Dickson-Wright, who claimed his wild boar
prosciutto was one of the “20 things you must
eat before you die”.
Grasmere Gingerbread is another local
delicacy which deserves room in the rucksack.
Baked daily in a tiny shop – which served as
the village school between 1630 and 1854 – for
150 years, its production is surrounded by
secrecy.
Get Gerald Wilson, the current owner’s
father, talking about the business and you’ll
learn that the “Sarah Nelson” recipe –
reputed to be worth £1m – is sealed in a bank
vault and known only to his daughter, son-in-
Clockwise from above: Little Salkeld
Watermill; Temple Sowerby House
Hotel; the Queen’s Head Inn
law and himself. He’s even reluctant to let
visitors know how many slabs of
gingerbread are baked every week, or how
much the business is now worth. It’s all
very hush-hush.
Mr Wilson is proud of the fact the
business, which this year marks its 150th
anniversary, has belonged to just four
owners since Sarah Nelson began baking
the treat. The shop was the Les Routiers
2002 North-West food shop of the year.
Another 2002 Les Routiers winner was
Little Salkeld Watermill, near Penrith,
Temple Sowerby House Hotel, tel 017683
61578, www.temple-sowerby.com
L’Enclume, tel 015395 36362,
www.lenclume.co.uk
Miller Howe, tel 015394 42536,
www.millerhowe.com
Queen’s Head Inn, tel 01768 863219,
www.queensheadinn.co.uk
Sillfield Farm, www.sillfield.co.uk
Grasmere Gingerbread, tel 015394 35428,
www,grasmeregingerbread.co.uk
Little Salkeld Watermill,
www.organicmill.co.uk
Cumbria and Lake District Food and Drink
Festival, www.cumbriafoodfestival.net
Gourmet tours of Cumbria, hosted by food
expert Annette Gibbons, tel 01900
881356, www.cumbriaonaplate.co.uk
which scooped the café of the year title.
Run by the delightfully enthusiastic Dave
Harris-Jones and his wife, the 18th century
mill is one of the only water-powered corn
mills in the country. A tour proves
fascinating and the flours produced – and
sold in the gift shop – entice even the most
kitchen-shy to have a go at making bread.
Of course, a weekend allows only a taster
of the food on offer in Cumbria. To find out
more, visit the Cumbria and Lake District
Food and Drink Festival, running from May
1 to 9.
22
competition
puzzles
PREVARICATE
A
Evade the truth
B
Forestall
C
Anticipate
ANSWER
A: Evade the truth
?
IMPOSSIPUZZLE
A blue cap and a white cap costs
twice as much as a red cap and a
green cap, but only a pound more
than a blue cap and a red cap. If
a white cap and a green cap
comes to £7.49, how much
would it cost to buy one cap of
each colour?
Celebrity wordmatch: Straw, sports, rubber,
cheese, serial, star, fiddle, clever, runner, light,
barrow, ground and the celebrity is Robert DeNiro.
Clebrity stare: Jenny Bond
ANSWERS
NE Motors
SOLUTION
£19.47 for four caps.
?
Name the
star
pictured
on the
left
WIN a day of pampering for
you and your mum
WORD
wise
The word may sound
familiar, but do you
know what it means?
S
ITUATED in the beautiful North
Yorkshire spa town of Harrogate, the
multi-award winning Academy Spa
was created to provide the finest spa
facilities in superb surroundings backed by
skilled and dedicated staff. It has an
outstanding reputation for excellence and
its qualified therapists ensure that each and
every client has a wonderful experience
whatever their requirements. Slate floors,
natural timbers, Zen pictures, aromatherapy
oils and gentle new age music all combine
to create an inspiring and peaceful
sanctuary which is home to an extensive
health and beauty suite.
The Academy Spa has teamed up with
The Northern Echo to offer one reader and
their mum a day of pampering to celebrate
Mother’s Day. The Academy Spa Pure Indulgence Day (worth £195) includes:
Elemis Exotic Coconut Rub and Milk
Ritual Wrap – a traditional Balinese body
polish with coconut, mungbean, spices and
lavender;
Elemis Well-being Massage – a luxurious
massage, incorporating a full body brush
before gently warmed pure massage oils
are smoothed over the face and body;
Elemis Japanese Silk Booster Facial – a
new advanced facial using natural Japanese
silk protein or sulphur compresses and
plant extracts to create relaxing and
cleansing treatments for different skin
types;
For You
Daily Living Aids
for the Disabled
& Elderly
INDEPENDENCE
RESTORED
Our Showroom is set out
as a replica home with
great ideas on how to
make daily tasks easier.
Scooters, Wheelchairs,
Walking Aids, Bathing,
Toileting, Household,
Kitchen and Dining
Unit 18, Drum Industrial
Estate, Chester-le-Street
Tel: 0191
4922301
Top Prices Paid.
A prompt,
professional and
polite service
(01325) 469757
(07812) 943730
www.brianblackett2000@yahoo.co.uk
Meynells Ltd
Stockists of all makes of sewing
machines and everything you need for
your hobby
WE GUARANTEE YOU EXCELLENT
CUSTOMER SERVICE
2 Southfield Road, Middlesbrough
Tel: (01642) 247863
Paylors
Memorials
Do you have furniture
that you no longer
want?
Supplies of Quality
Materials & Designs
FRADE
Free Estimates /
Insurance / Advice
A Second Generation
Family Business
(01429) 890010 /
869026
(m) 07949 088241
Unit 27a Park View,
West Industrial Estate,
Hartlepool
Showroom and Workshop
Elemis Japanese Silk Eye Zone Therapy, a
lifting massage to help refine, oxygenate
and increase cellular renewal;
Jessica Manicure and Jessica Pedicure –
luxury hand and foot treatments using
aromatherapy based products.
Winners will also have full access to the
superb facilities of The Academy health and
leisure club, including sauna, steam room
and sunbeds, swimming pool, gym and
tennis courts.
To enter the competition, simply tell us
where the Academy Spa is situated. Send
your answer, along with your name, address
and phone number to Academy Spa
Competition, NE, The Northern Echo,
Priestgate, Darlington, DL1 by the end of
the month.
The Academy Spa, Oakdale Place,
Harrogate, HG1 2LA. Tel: (01423) 524060.
Website: www.academyspa.com
Cresswell
Towers
NE Leisure
House
Clearances
corner
Find a word that can follow the word on the left and
precede the word on the right. When you have filled in all
the answers, the name of a celebrity can be read from top
to bottom in one of the lines.
JUNE’S
Idyllic
COUNTRY
COTTAGE
Overlooking village
duck pond, suitable
2/3 people, equipped to
very high standards.
Situated in small
village, 6 miles from
Bridlington and
Scarborough.
IDEAL FOR
SHOPPING
IN YORK
(21 miles)
Extremely cosy
and comfortable.
Lovely area for
walking and
birdwatching.
Telephone
01377 267939
07966 428536
HAT HIRE
Fashions & Accessories
• Beautiful Hats for all occasions and Wedding Outfits
• Exclusive Evening Wear at reasonable prices
• Silk Wedding Flowers made to order
• Ladies let us try and sell your fashionable wedding outfit for
you at 50% commission
Telephone JUNE (Personal Service)
6 Borough Road, Darlington
(opp Civic Theatre side entrance)
Florida
Villa
To Rent
6 miles from Disney,
4 beds, ex location
south facing pool
from
£385
YORK
Jorvik
Hotel
Restaurant, bar, parking,
col TV, tea / coffee facs.
All rooms en-suite,
4 posters available, city
centre location.
Midweek DB&B
Stay 2 nights
per week
GET 1 FREE
Telephone:
Transport from Station
available
01670 731922
Gables
Hotel
Located in the heart of
village.
Pets / children welcome.
Private car park.
Near Morpeth,
Northumberland
Just get up and go,
weekends, weeks or
longer periods. No
need to book. Just
come & go.
Telephone
Now for
All the park facilities on
your doorstep. Prices
to suit most budgets.
Spring Offers
Tel:
(01670) 860411
Telephone:
Life’s too short! Enjoy
more of the good life.
01539 433272
Tel. (01325) 355128
Great British
Holiday Parks
Ambleside
Wateredge Inn
on Lake Windermere
Delightfully situated on the shores of
Windermere with superb country inn-style
dining. Pretty bedrooms, many with lake-views.
Ideally situated for enjoying Ambleside, lake,
steamers and nearby Fells.
Special Mid Week Rates
Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0EP
Tel. (015394) 32332
www.wateredgeinn.co.uk
Tel. (01904) 653511
A registered charity
Needs all re-usable
unwanted goods for
distribution to people
in need
The Borough of
Stockton-on-Tees
Tel. 01642 608791
Project supported by the
community
3 nights from
£185
budget
Peaceful cottages in secluded 1,000 acre estate,
wildlife haven
Tel. Turriff, Aberdeenshire (01888) 562918
www.forglen.co.uk
£225
3 star
£249
4 star
Prices are per person sharing a twin/double room
and include return flights from Teesside or Newcastle
and airport taxes.
Czech Travel Ltd: 01376 560592
ATOL 3659
BTL
BTL WOODSHED
WOODSHED
Romantic Breaks
Garden Sheds • Pet Houses,
Timber Decking • Log Wood
Chipping
Celebrating a special occasion?
Or just want to spoil yourself?
01388 608452
07711 436043
Why not enjoy a choice of a
3 course evening meal with a
complimentary bottle of wine,
followed by one nights
accommodation in one of our double
en-suite rooms and then wake up to a
full English breakfast
2 Vertical Blinds £60 3 Vertical Blinds £89
4 Vertical Bllinds £111 5 Vertical Blinds £129
Slapeworth, Guisborough. Tel. 01287 632 964
Any size - FREE Measure - FREE Fiting
(Lovely choice of fabrics)
Situated on the B1242 Hull to
Hornsea Coast Road
Relax and enjoy the beautiful East
Yorkshire Coastline in a Holiday
Home of your very own at
Also fabulous range of
Wood Venetians
and Roller Blinds
All blinds
& samples
brought to
your home
ALDBROUGH
CARAVAN PARK
60 acres of stunning Parkland with
outstanding cliff top views boasting a
Luxury New Development
including your own block paved
parking bay. New and pre-owned
holiday homes are available for
viewing ANYTIME with prices to suit
most budgets and finance available
subject to status
INSURANCE SERVICES
FUNERAL PLANS
FINANCIAL ADVICE
Visiting parties welcome every day
except Thursdays & Saturdays
Superb Clubhouse and well-maintained Course
2 for 1 & Bunkered Vouchers accepted
Limited Membership Available
SUMMER PACKAGE: £32 midweek; £37 weekend
includes coffee, biscuits, soup and sandwiches,
2-course meal - UNLIMITED GOLF
Unit 2G, Drum Ind Estate,
Chester-le-Street
(opp Batleys)
tel ephone:
Asquith
Court
Nurseries
Providing Excellence in Early Years
Learning and Childcare
Relaxed, friendly environment
Regular outings and activities to stimulate
young minds
Nutritious, freshly prepared meals
Constantly updated selection of toys, games
and equipment
Attractively presented and secure nursery
buildings with outdoor play areas and
gardens
Open throughout the year - Monday to Friday
from 8am - 6pm
Tel. 01287 622812
c/o David Lloyd Leisure
Tees Barrage, Stockton-on-Tees
Hob Hill, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Cleveland
www.saltburngolf.co.uk
E-mail: info@saltburngolf.co.uk
Telephone 01642 670676
Fax
(01325) 284587
Bow Street Centre,
Guisborough
Business Units To Let
Start up your own business with
our easy terms. Good access and
parking.
(01642) 710742
(01287) 610600
Make yourself at
home with B&N
at Woodhouse Close, Bishop Auckland we
have 1 and 2 bedroom flats and 2 bedroom
family houses available, and at St. Mark’s
Court, Coundon Grange we have 2 Bedroom
Houses. These properties have central
heating, double glazing , gardens and a 24
hour repair service. No bond required.
Rents start from £53.50 per week
Call 01642
231414
www.bnha.co.uk
Custom-made sheds, play huts and summerhouses
Private and domestic fencing supplied and fixed
Panels, trellis, posts and rails
Hardwood railway sleepers in stock
Large selection of profile posts
We also supply hardwood logs
We are situated just past the Croft Motor Racing
Circuit, down West Lane, at Dalton on Tees
PAVING
from
£1 18x18
Also 2x2 and 3x2 paving
Bricks
EXPRESS BLINDS
from £34 a pack
Vertical • Roller • Venetian
Pleated • Solar Film
Old York £8.40 sq.yd
0800 0745724
Telephone
All plus VAT
Eldon Hope
www.expressblinds.co.uk
FOR ALL YOUR
DECORATING NEEDS
Tel
(01325) 462559
www.westwoodtimber.co.uk
•
•
•
•
•
•
Quality and Value from
Painting &
Decorating
NE Homes & Gardens
Tel: (01325) 378202
B
eauty is within the eye
Beauty
of the Beholder
INTO
Auctioneers of Distinction
The Gallery Saleroom
Northumberland Street
Darlington DL3 7HJ
T I M B E R
& FENCING
ON PRODUCTION OF
THIS COUPON
Open Mon-Fri 10-5 pm
Sat 10-4 pm
502253
Registered Company
WESTWOOD
10% DISCOUNT
For a FREE No Obligation Estimate
Visit our website www.blinds.uk.com
Telephone: 01423
• Choice of luxury pitch
• 2004 Site Fees
• All connections and TV arial
• Fridge (fridge / freezer in some
models)
• Large gas bottle
S ALTBURN - BY - THE -S EA
G OLF C LUB L TD Est 1894
Lots of new and
exciting tile ranges now
in stock
(0191) 4920073
A SPECIAL PRE-SEASON PACKAGE
01964 529 292
ALL WORK GUARANTEED
Tel. 01740 653717 Paul Mob: 07752 895750 Paul
Tel. 01388 812563 Dave Mob: 07751 445696 Dave
(01325) 320666
East Parade
Harrogate
North Yorks
HG1 5LQ
Phone today for your free information
pack (24 hour answer service)
Decorating, tiling, flooring, plumbing, electrical, fencing and brickwork
BLINDS UK
Fox & Hounds
Take advantage of pre-season
package for guaranteed move in
1st March
PROPERTY MAINTENANCE & RENOVATION
Casselville Farm, Toronto
Bishop Aucklnad
£59.95 PER COUPLE
Our park facilities include: bar with
cabaret and resident DJ, sun patio
with BBQ, shop, cafe, amusements,
children’s adventure play area,
launderette and much, much more
In close proximity to the to the
historic market town of Beverley,
traditional seaside resort Hornsea
and the port of Hull
MULTI TRADE
ALL FOR ONLY
23
Quality work
Sensible prices
TIME SERVED LOCAL
TRADESMEN
Free Estimates
Call 01748 811583
07714 015077
01388 775261
Robert D. Webster
Tractor & Machinery
Sales
Lists available all year round
Telephone:
(01262) 420226
Let the light
shine with
Homefair
Blinds
• Vertical • Roller • Venetian
All made to measure
Freephone
08000 729474
www.homefair-blinds-uk.com
MORRISONS
SUPERMARKET
NEWGATE ST.
PEEL ST.
WE ARE
HERE
CHESTER ST.
RAILWAY ST.
ASDA
SUPERSTORE
KING
JAMES 1
SCHOOL

BEAUTY Confessions of a health spa virgin CONSUMER Pick of the

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