2007 November Archive at Countryside La Vie Magazine

Monthly Archive for November, 2007

The Artist Lucy Kinsella

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on November 17, 2007

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Born in Hampshire in 1960, Kinsella moved to Leicestershire where she gained a BA Hon’s in sculpture at Loughborough University. She was awarded the Dante Alighieri Travelling Scholarship which took her to Florence, and the Dennis Holt Travelling Bursary spent in southern Ireland.

After graduating, Kinsella determined to develop her skills as an animal sculptor, drawing inspiration from Barye, Degas and Bugatti, and the contemporary work of Jonathan Kenworthy.

Kinsella’s work ranges from delicate table-top bronzes to life size and monumental sculpture. Maquettes modelled directly in wax offer her simple but effective means of viewin composition and structure. Larger pieces are worked in clay with a bold, spontaneous treatment of the surface. Kinsella’s trademark lies in the expressive handling and fine detailing that captures the movement and energy of her chosen subject.

Kinsella’s work is held in many private and public collections both in the UK and around the world, including France, Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, United States, South Africa, China, Japan and United Arab Emirates.

Recent Exhibitions:

Art London, Chelsea
Newby Hall, North Yorkshire
Callaghan Fine Paintings, Shropshire
Hancock’s & Co, Burlington Arcade
Byard Art, Cambridge
Blake Gallery, York
Osborne Studio Gallery, London
Compton Cassey Gallery,
Gloucestershire
Chelsea Flower Show
RHS Flower Show, Tatton
Sausmarez Manor, Guernsey
Burghley Sculpture Park, Stamford
Pride of the Valley Sculpture Park,
Surrey

Horace Batten bespoke Bootmaker’s….

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on November 14, 2007

in Fashion

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are the only place you will find 100% leather riding boots, made to the highest quality traditional skills and craftsmanship that spans over seven generations.

The Batten family started as bootmakers (not shoemakers) back in 1804 in Gloucester, England. There were no machines available to the bootmaker at this time and so all of the work was done by hand with the greatest of skill.

William Batten, the founder of the business, was born in 1780 in Ilminster, Somerset where the family can be traced back to the Civil War.

Horace Lampard Batten, born in 1912, is the Chairman nd still very much involved in the business. He is illiam Batten’s great, great, grandson; The 5th Generation.

His son Timothy and his granddaughter Emma, both run the business today- Seven Generations of Bootmakers!

The Battens make boots for officers of the Household cavalry and a few for the mounted police. In addition, they also produce to order Polo, Eventing, Dressage and traditional hunting boots, together with wooden Trees.

Having boots custom made to fit that unusual shaped leg can make all the difference. Battens can tailor the boots to ensure that not only do they look amazing, but are comfortable too.

This truly traditional business, with it’s impressive past, continues to move forward and will undoubtedly supply these beautiful hand crafted boots to many future generations!

No 2 Coton Road Ravensthorpe,
Northamptonshire NN6 8EG

Horace Batten Bootmaker’s Ltd
Tel: 01604 770287

The Beauty hidden indoors

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on November 8, 2007

in House Proud

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With the coming winter promising the usual grey skies and stark frosty landscapes, the new Dulux Design Service is promising a host of newinterior ideas to draw you back into the comfort of your home.

A warm and sensual interior design concept, the Hidden Beauty theme has been identified by Dulux as a key look for the season. Based on ideas of veiled mystery and half-glimpsed beauty, this layered look uses sheer and embossed patterns whose design can only be seen when touched by soft lighting.

Sculptured, sensual and exotic, the theme carries through to every aspect of décor, from embossed ceramic detailing, cut-outs and fret-work to objects wrapped in membranes or stretch and gauze-like fabrics.

With feminine detailing and a calming neutral palette of skin tones, nude pinks and rich browns, Hidden Beauty promises to transform your room into a perfect hibernating haven.

Design Director and interior design celebrity Marianne Shillingford explains: “Every year, the international team of colour experts at Dulux invests significant time in researching the latest colour and lifestyle trends across the world. They look at fashion, technology, architecture, music and popular culture, and this helps them predict what’s going to be hot in interiors over the next 12 months.”

Offering affordable and professional interior design, the Dulux Design Service can help you recreate the Hidden Beauty look or any style of your choosing. Dulux Designers aren’t tied to any brand and they can source a fantastic range of fabrics, furniture, flooring, lighting and accessories.

Marianne Shillingford says: “Our initial design scheme comes complete with moodboards to give you the ideas and confidence to carry out your own project. For a more comprehensive service, we also offer assle-free product sourcing and project anagement of skilled tradesmen whose works guaranteed by Dulux. Our customers are l ways in control, so there’s no risk of unaway costs or designer overkill, just help from a professional designer who can transform your home into the perfect personal space”.

Readers interested in finding out more about the Dulux Design Service should visit
www.duluxdesignservice.co.uk or call 0845 880 6888
to arrange a free initial meeting with their local designer.

Leicester High School Under African Skies

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on November 7, 2007

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The African world 12 students and 2 staff from Leicester High got to know was not the narrow existence of the tourist or Big Five safari hunter, but the more revealing progress of feeling like an exile in the bush! The human side of Africa was our remote forest camp and school project in the dusty village of Selela in Northern Tanzania where we were the first white group to work and interact with the Masai community. We were able to understand how people lived and what they wanted for themselves. Driving high through the arid savannah, we caught first glimpse of our school - 110 children aged between 5 and 8 with their young teacher writing their sums and Swahili alphabet in the dust under an acacia tree. When we left, we had built a six breeze block high school of two classrooms and two office spaces, had equipped all the children with exercise books and pencils, given the teacher pens and a wall chart and dressed the children in new T-shirts. In appreciation, we were presented with two goats by the Masai elders and invited to join in their celebratory dances. It s not every Saturday morning you are encircled by chanting, leaping Masai warriors. Our rejoinder was to sing Shine Jesus Shine as a blessing on the new school.

Six arduous, gruelling days were spent trekking Mount Kilimanjaro, a magnificently varied hike through dense green cloud forest, emerging into alpine desert with giant lobelias, proteas, senecio tress - then the final slog through a dark volcanic landscape to Kibo Hut to prepare for the night time ascent. Zoe Allen, Mary Goodhart and Sarah Isherwood all reached Uhuru Peak, the snow and ice packed summit of 5896 metres and everyone else made it above 5,100 metres before altitude and exhaustion defeato understand how people lived and what they wanted for themselves. Driving high through the arid savannah, we caught first glimpse of our school - 110 children aged between 5 and 8 with their young teacher writing their sums and Swahili alphabet in the dust under an acacia tree. When we left, we had built a six breeze block high school of two classrooms and two office spaces, had equipped all the children with exercise books and pencils, given the teacher pens and a wall chart and dressed the children in new T-shirts. In appreciation, we were presented with two goats by the Masai elders and invited to join in their celebratory dances. It’s not every Saturday morning you are encircled by chanting, leaping Masai warriors. Our rejoinder was to sing Shine Jesus Shine as a blessing on the new school.

Our camp in Selela under the Rift Valley escarpment was watched over by Vevet monkeys and the shrieks of baboons filled the African darkness. One thing we learnt was that urgency was a foreign concept and time moved differently poli, poli - perhaps not surprising given that two of their generations is equal to one of ours. We were humbled by tenacious people and great resilience and learnt to live simply and appreciate simple pleasures. Leicester High School is rightly proud of the difference its students have made through their fund raising efforts and their physical hard work to the children of Selela whose cheery welcoming shouts of Jambo! Jambo! will live in our hearts forever.

At Leicester High School we are committed to the pursuit of excellence both within the classroom and beyond. Our girls flourish because they can develop their full potential and acquire the skills to turn them into confident, articulate young women in our friendly and close-knit community. Do arrange a visit and see for yourselves all that we can offer, or visit: www.leicesterhigh.co.uk

A Passion for Plants by Carolyn Fry Foreword by Alan Titchmarsh

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on November 7, 2007

in Gardening

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Published by BBC Books, 4 October 2007, £19.99 hbk

Accompanies a major 8 x 30 mins BBC2 series for autumn 07
Beautifully illustrated, a must for garden lovers everywhere
A celebration of a great gardening institution and the people whose passion and obsession for gardening make it what it is.

No nation feels quite as passionately about its gardens as the British and no institution embodies this passion more than The Royal Horticultural Society. Famous for the beauty of gardens like Wisley, Rosemoor and Harlow Carr and the splendour of shows like Chelsea and Hampton Court, it is a quintessentially British institution.

Yet the RHS is about so much more than this and now, in a fascinating book to accompany a major BBC2 series, garden-lovers everywhere are given unique access to this august institution. In A Passion for Plants we will meet and follow the people for whom gardening is everything whether RHS experts, amateur enthusiasts, the new in-take of horticultural trainees or competitors at the shows.

In a journey that takes us through the gardening year, Carolyn Fry introduces the reader to an exotic and colourful world full of passionate people and wonderful plants. It is a world that is steeped in horticultural history and tradition and yet in the 21st century is entering a new and exciting period of change and development.

Lavishly illustrated with beautiful photographs, this book paints a vivid portrait of the RHS - the home of gardening excellence and obsession

About the author:

Carolyn Fry is a writer and journalist specializing in science, conservation, natural history and adventure travel. A former editor of Geographical, the magazine of the Royal Geographical Society, she is a contributor to Kew Magazine, BBC Wildlife, BBC History, BBC Online, The Times, Sunday Telegraph, Independent on Sunday, Guardian Online and New Scientist. Under Carolyn’s editorship, Geographical won the British Environment and Media Award for Best Environmental Coverage in a Consumer Magazine. Carolyn also wrote a series of essays to accompany Colin Prior’s photographs in the book Living Tribes. She is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

Fashion retailer Dorothy Perkins supporting Breast Cancer Care with lip-gloss

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on November 7, 2007

in Health & Beauty

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Adorn your mobile phone and add a little sparkle this Autumn with a cute and handy lip-gloss charm.

As the official fashion clothing partner of Breast Cancer Care’s ‘In the Pink’ nationwide fundraising campaign for the third year running, Dorothy Perkins is offering this charm exclusively from end September 2007.

Stunning in glitter pink and at only £2 each, all proceeds from the sale of the lip-gloss phone charm will go directly to Breast Cancer Care. The phone charms are available from Dorothy Perkins stores across the UK and online at dorothyperkins.com from late September.

Dorothy Perkins is also supporting ‘In the Pink’ by selling t-shirts in preparation for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. Retailing at £14 the t-shirts will be sold exclusively online from mid August and come in 2 different designs. The pink t-shirt is this year’s official ‘In the Pink’ fundraising t-shirt and the white one, designed exclusively by Dorothy Perkins, is the Official Breast Cancer Care t-shirt for 2007. Perfect to wear when participating in any fundraising activities, or just to raise awareness, all proceeds from the sale of the t-shirts go directly to the charity. Dorothy Perkins staff in stores nationwide will also be organising various fundraising activities throughout October in order to raise awareness and moneys for the charity.

Dorothy Perkins has raised £1.9 million for the charity to date and aims to hit the £2 million mark by the end of the year through support of ‘In The Pink’. The money raised will help provide vital support and information for anyone in the UK affected by breast cancer and their families.

Anyone with breast cancer or breast health cancer concerns can get free, confidential support and information from the Breast Cancer Care’s free helpline on 0808 800 6000 (for Typetalk prefix 18001) or visit www.breastcancercare.org.uk

First four finalists selected for vauxhall’s dream drive

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on November 7, 2007

in Motoring

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Just eight places remained in Vauxhall’s VXR Driver of the Year competition a weekend’s Scottish and North-West finals identified four racing candidates to win the £80,000 2008 drive.

Competition was uncompromising, with fierce on-track battles as drivers fought for the top prize of a Vauxhallbacked drive in the Dunlop Sport Maxx Cup, a feeder series to the UK’s largest motor racing package, the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC).

Nearly 800 drivers attended the two days, with each getting just 15 minutes to register a qualifying time. The 48 fastest drivers were selected to compete in one of four race-offs for a place in the national final, where they will graduate from karts to cars.

The four winners were:

Grant Elliott, 27, Edinburgh, Car Accessories Salesman

“I broke my back in a car accident four months ago, so to win this now is incredible! I just came down to have a bit of fun and hoped for the best so I can’t believe it.”

Barry McGowan, 37, Glasgow, Garage Owner

“I love motorsport but I’ve never been in a position money-wise or time-wise to put the effort in that’s required. The final will be good. I’m hoping to drive different cars and get some tuition.

“I’m going to be doing a lot of training between now and then. I’m not really into exercise, but I’m going to have to get fit. This is such a big chance, a great prize and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Paul Phelan, 23, Altrincham, Graphic Designer

“It’s just amazing! I never expected to get into the semi-finals so to win a place in the final is great. I’ve got to give everything now!

“I like getting in any vehicle and taking it to the limit. I think I’m a bit of a natural! If you really enjoy something as much as I do with motorsport, learning about racing lines and how to take corners is all really interesting!”

John Allison, 34, Beverley, Mortgage Advisor

“It’s been five years since I was in a kart, so I’m a bit stunned. My wife says I like to drive fast, but I just put it down to weighing 10stone! If I win the final, it will be a family event; I’ll bring my wife and two sons to all the rounds.”

Vauxhall’s BTCC works team, VX Racing, was represented on both days by star driver Fabrizio Giovanardi, who was the world karting champion in 1986.

“The biggest problem is if you don’t know the circuit,” said the seven-time touring car champion, who was giving help and advice during the day. “15 minutes is a very short time to put in a lap time. Just drive clean, fast and flat!”

Ewan McGregor & Charley Boorman complete ‘Long Way Down’

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on November 7, 2007

in Motoring

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The motorcycle journey of a l i fetime reached its epic conclusion 4 August as television adventurers Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman were greeted by champagne, media and roaring motorbikes as they cruised into Cape Town to complete the final leg of their 3 month, 15,000 mile journey from the north of Scotland to the tip of Africa.

The adventure began in May 2007 in John O’Groats, Scotland and they rode their BMW 1200 GS Adventurer motorcycles through eighteen countries, including Libya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Rwanda. They encountered some of the most inhospitable terrain on earth and negotiated blinding sandstorms, searing temperatures, dodgy border crossings and extreme riding conditions.

Ewan and Charley spent three months planning the expedition, deciding which countries they should visit and preparing the bikes for the ride. It was important to Ewan and Charley that they explored parts of Africa that are less travelled including western

Ethiopia near the Eritrean border, Gulu in northern Uganda and western Tanzania close to the shores of lake Tanganyika. “The Long Way Down has been an amazing journey and it has been a real privilege to be able to experience these diverse and beautiful places. We’ve had the opportunity to see such different ways of life to ours and have travelled to remote places very few people have access to. The sense of freedom and exploration has been incredible.” says Ewan.

“We were both up for an adventure and Africa has certainly given us that,” says Charley. “There have been times when it has been unbelievably hard going but that has been countered by amazing riding and ex t raordinar y people. Africa is a continent full of undiscovered wonder and we both feel incredibly lucky we’ve been able to experience this together and to have survived with some brilliant stories to tell.”

Travelling with Ewan and Charley have been Russ Malkin of Big Earth and David Alexanian of Elixir Films, who are producing and directing a documentary of the journey, as well as three cameramen and a medic.

In an effort to raise awareness for CHAS (Children’s Hospice Association of Scotland), UNICEF and Rider’s For Health, Ewan and Charley and the Long Way Down team visited sites for these three charities to raise awareness. In addition, Ewan and Charley, plan to host a charity event in November to raise money for these selected charities. Coverage of ‘The Long Way Down’ journey has been acquired by BBC Two and will be broadcast during Autumn 2007. The television series will air worldwide on National Geographic in 2008.

Sphere are delighted to be publishing the book Long Way Down by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. It will be out on 4th October 2007 in hardback, priced £20.00.

A DVD of the complete TV series to Long Way Down will be released on 3rd December 2007. Following the adventures of Ewan and Charley on their extraordinary journey from John O’Groats to the southern most tip of Africa, the two disc DVD will also include a number of previously unseen extras, photo gallery, interactive route map and much more.

Copies of the DVD can be pre-ordered by going to:

www.longwaydown.com