Restaurant Review : Cattle Grid, Leeds

Anyone who loves a great steak would have to go a long way to beat what’s on offer at Cattle Grid in Leeds.

Cattle Grid, the brainchild of Steve Novak and Shaun Gray opened its doors in August of this year and is already proving a huge success with diners. It offers top quality food at affordable prices in a very relaxed atmosphere with attentive and friendly staff and a menu that makes your mouth water just reading it.

The restaurant in Leeds, is their fourth venue (and the first outside of London) and is located near to the famous Corn Exchange building on Assembly Street .Whilst many of the building’s original features are still in place, the interior has been given a face lift and is very contemporary and modern, very airy and clean and yet very inviting. It all makes for a relaxed atmosphere and a thoroughly enjoyable dining experience and my first visit to Cattle Grid was definitely that!

The menu is relatively straightforward offering variations on the 3 main menu choices, Pig, Cow and Burgers. Of course, further reading of the menu reveals this to be; Ribs, Steaks and Burgers - and there are salads and tuna for those not as carnivorously minded. You can chose your cut of steak from 10oz Rump, Sirloin, Bone in Sirloin, T-Bone and Rib eye or 7oz Fillet all of which are cooked to your specification and come with an order of double-dip fried chips and a serving of watercress. Add to this your optional choice of topping such as green peppercorn sauce, herb and garlic butter or their own special Harissa sauce and also your choice of side order and you have a meal that delights just about all of your senses in one go.

My visit to the restaurant was part of a social media and bloggers event and I was fortunate to meet one the owners, Steve Novak. Steve was very charming and friendly and not only entertained us with stories of his business ventures so far but also gave us a great insight into the restaurant business, the costs, sourcing suppliers and ensuring  you get the best quality products at affordable prices. It was refreshing to meet someone so openly honest and yet someone who clearly has a great passion for what he does and takes a pride in making sure every little detail of your dining experience is attended to. Although not a chef himself, Steve knows what he likes to eat and has a good head for business – you might say that this guy knows his onions – or in the case of Cattle Grid, his onion strings!

The service in the restaurant was of a high standard and the staff were not only efficient but also very approachable and friendly. They were there whenever you needed them to be but were not intrusive to your meal. Whilst each meal was cooked to order, it didn’t seem like you were waiting too long between courses and yet you didn’t feel rushed either.

For starters I had a portion of baby back ribs. They were coated in a special Cattle Grid glaze which was tangy with a bit of a kick to it and not too sweet. The meat was very tender and fell easily from the bone as you ate it. I have not always been a great fan of ribs but as these were recommended by Steve and are one of their highlighted menu choices I was determined to try them. They were absolutely delicious and a real delight from start to finish.

For my main course I chose the 10oz Sirloin, medium rare with herb and garlic butter .As mentioned before, the meal came with a serving of fresh peppery watercress and a portion of double- dip fried chips. My companions and I also shared a portion of onion strings (Cattle Grid’s own version of onion rings but cut into strips and fried in a light tempura batter) Cattle Grid coleslaw and garlic mushrooms. The chips were light and crispy and the peppery watercress was a refreshing change to the rather bland salads you find in other restaurants. The mushrooms were soft without being mushy and contained just the right amount of garlic to compliment the mushrooms without taking over the whole taste of them. The coleslaw was light and yet creamy and not too sharp or full of onion. The onion strings were again very light thanks to the tempura batter and were not too sweet or too sharp, but just right. The steak however was in a class of its own. At first glance I didn’t think I would manage to eat it all, but one bite of it made me determined to finish it whatever the cost. It was a beautiful cut of meat and cooked to perfection. It was soft and tender and the garlic and herb butter added to the succulent taste of the steak and on reflection, I have to say was the best steak I have ever tasted!  

 

Having over-indulged on my sumptuous main course I did not have the room or the energy for dessert but there were some very tempting offers on the menu including waffles and ice cream or crème brulee, all of which were reasonably priced and looked delicious.

Overall, without drinks I would estimate that you would spend approximately £20-£25 per head. When you see the size of the portions and taste the quality of the food you will know that this represents great value for money as it is of the same high standard you would expect from many top London restaurants but at a fraction of the price. They say that you get what you pay for but in this case you get so much more – this is not just a meal, it is a dining experience and a gastronomic delight all in one. Cattle Grid also offers a lunch time menu and has a special offer on for their Leeds restaurant only at the moment.Every day between 12pm and 5pm you can get a slow cooked beef sandwich or Hog Roast sandwich, served with chips and a can of soft drink for just £6!

I would thoroughly recommend this restaurant to others and I will definitely be going back there again myself. My thanks to Emma Bearman for organising the event, to Steve Novak and Clancy Walker for their hospitality and to all the staff at Cattle Grid for such a wonderful and tasty meal.

For more information on Cattle Grid, its venues and menu go to http://www.cattlegridrestaurant.com/index.html

Review :The Winter's Tale

Having enjoyed seeing Richard III and A Comedy of Errors performed by the all male cast that make up The Propeller Theatre Group; I was eagerly anticipating their forthcoming season featuring Henry V and The Winter’s Tale. However, a chance opportunity to see The Winter’s Tale performed earlier last month on a midsummer night, by The Stamford Shakespeare Company, in the beautiful grounds of Tolethorpe Hall was an opportunity not to be missed.

Tolethorpe Hall was acquired by the company in 1977 and they performed their first production of Hamlet in the same year. The grounds boast a natural amphitheatre which has since been converted into a canopy covered auditorium but still has the benefits of an outdoor theatre. It is ideally situated in the grounds allowing visitors to picnic before the performances, or indeed enjoy a cooked meal inside the hall. The fact that the theatre is outdoors means that performances can use the natural surroundings (and lighting) as part of the staging and the canopy covering means that whatever the weather, the show will go on.

This was the first time I had seen The Winter’s Tale and although I had read a synopsis of the play before hand it wasn’t one I was terribly familiar with...the only quote I could think of from it was the stage direction “Exit pursued by a bear”. Nevertheless my love of Shakespeare took over and I watched eagerly as each scene unfolded. The open air aspect of the theatre really added to the magic and intimacy of the performance and despite the rain gave it a very realistic setting.

For those of you unfamiliar with the play, The Winter’s Tale is one of Shakespeare’s later plays and whilst originally classed as one of the comedies, some have re-categorised it as a romance whilst other critics consider it to be one of the problem plays because of the mixture of intense drama in the first three acts combined with the comedy and happy ending of the final two acts.

The Winter’s Tale tells the story of King Leontes of Sicilia and his childhood friend, King Polixenes of Bohemia. Polixenes has been staying with Leontes as his guest in Sicilia but after 9 months decides to return home. Leontes tries desperately to persuade him to stay but to little effect. He then encourages his wife, Queen Hermione to persuade him. She is successful in carrying out his request but Leontes, puzzled by how easily Hermione persuades Polixenes to stay when he had failed, becomes consumed with jealousy. He believes that Polixenes and Hermione are having an affair and that the child she is carrying is not his but Polixenes. He orders Camillo to poison Polixenes but instead the two of them escape and flee to Bohemia. Hermione is arrested and gives birth prematurely to her daughter whilst in jail. Leontes considers killing the child but instead orders Antigonus to abandon it elsewhere. At her trial Hermione’s innocence is declared by the Oracle who also predicts the death of Leontes son if he doesn’t believe Hermione. Leontes defies the Oracle and then hears news that his son has died. Hermione faints and is reported to be dead. Leontes then promises to mourn his dead wife and son every day for the rest of his life. Meanwhile Antigonus has carried out Leontes’ wishes and abandoned his daughter, Perdita in Bohemia; he is pursued and killed by a bear. Perdita is found with a large sum of money by a shepherd and his son and is taken home raised as one of their family.

Sixteen years pass and in Bohemia, Polixenes and Camillo become aware that Florizel (Polixenes' son) is in love with a shepherdess. In disguise, they attend a sheep-shearing festival and confirm that the young Prince Florizel plans to marry a shepherd's beautiful young daughter (Perdita, who knows nothing of her royal heritage). Polixenes objects to the marriage and threatens the young couple. Eventually, with a bit of help from the comical rogue Autolycus, Perdita's heritage is revealed and she is reunited with her father Leontes. The kings are also reconciled and both approve of Florizel and Perdita's marriage. They all go to visit a statue of Hermione kept by Paulina. Miraculously, the statue comes to life and speaks, appearing to be the real Hermione, who went into hiding to await the fulfilment of the oracle's prophecy and be reunited with her daughter.

Although the Stamford Shakespeare Company is an amateur company, there were many parts I thought were performed to a professional standard. The dancing, choreography and costumes were all excellent and whilst some performances from the cast were slightly underwhelming, it was on the whole a very enjoyable show. I liked the fact that unlike other amateur performances I have seen, the actors were cast in age appropriate roles thereby adding to the credibility of each character and their relationship to each other. There were excellent performances from both actors playing the Kings and the young actors playing Florizel and Perdita also were worthy of a mention.

I did enjoy both the production and the visit to Tolethorpe Hall and hope to return again next season to see further productions. It is a truly beautiful and picturesque setting and is also steeped in history as I found from notes on The Stamford Shakespeare Company Website....
 “Tolethorpe was the birthplace, circa 1555, of Robert Browne who became the leading and most active campaigner for the Separatist movement seeking a separate church from the Church of England at the time of Queen Elizabeth I. Also known as the Brownists, Shakespeare referred to the movement in a line in "Twelfth Night" of Sir Andrew Aguecheeck: "I would as lief be a Brownist as a politician".
It was Browne's followers, mainly from Lincolnshire and East Nottinghamshire, who sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 to become the Pilgrim Fathers of America. Their first harvest is commemorated on Thanksgiving Day. Browne could be said to be the Father of the Pilgrim Fathers linking his home, Tolethorpe Hall, with the birth of America. Descendents of the Browne family of Tolethorpe were among the pioneers of the early days of America, especially in Baltimore, Maryland, and Watertown, near Boston, Massachusetts. The names of two of them, Richard and Abraham, Puritans who arrived with Wintrop's fleet in 1630,are recorded on the monument to the pioneers at Watertown. Browne's son, Edward, was one of Lord Baltimore's gentlemen who surveyed Baltimore and the State of Maryland.
The oldest house in America, preserved and open to the public was built in 1698 at Watertown by Abraham Browne, the grandson of the early pioneer, mentioned above. The first shot in the American Revolution which drew British blood was fired by Solomon Browne on Lexington Green in 1775.
The last member of the Browne family to live at Tolethorpe Hall was Countess Mary Pomfret who, died childless in 1839. It was the end of 300 years of the Browne dynasty at Tolethorpe. “


For more information on the Stamford Shakespeare Company and their forthcoming productions, please see http://www.stamfordshakespeare.co.uk/default.asp

Stepping out in style

There is a saying “You can never have too many friends or pairs of shoes!” Well imagine if one of your friends also had her own shoe company – how lucky that would make you!

A friend of mine Mariama Wurie recently set up her own business Neneh Stiletto to sell shoes online. There are a variety of styles to choose from, each of which were chosen personally by Mariama and are manufactured to order. They are elegant, stylish and affordable and although the company is still in its infancy, the shoes are already attracting the attention of many people including the classical group All Angels who wore the Adele platform stiletto for one of their performances at the Royal Albert Hall recently.

Naturally, eager to support my friend but also to try out a pair of her shoes, I ordered my own pair of Adeles. They are a beautiful platform sandal in a beige faux suede finish with gorgeous detail down the front. I was excited to receive them just a few days later and eager to give them their first road test – after all, don’t they say never judge someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes!

They are incredibly pretty and very feminine, my only thoughts were “how will I ever walk in these, they are so high!” I needn’t have worried though as despite the high heel, they are remarkably comfortable and after a few steps you notice that your posture has changed to accommodate walking in the shoe, you stand upright rather than stoop over and your legs look and feel elongated – all of which seems to give you the appearance of a more slender figure. These shoes are incredible; style, elegance and weight loss all in one go.You really are stepping out in style!

The company may still be in its early stages but Mariama has lots more planned for it. I caught up with her recently to ask her about her company, where her ideas came from and who she admires in the fashion industry.

What inspired you to start your own company?

Starting a business has always been something I have wanted to do. From as far back as I can remember I would create a little ‘business’, although I can’t particularly remember what it was, I remember having friends over and holding an ‘event’ in my room with cardboard boxes and teddies. Everybody had a name tag and there were presentations made to the ‘guests’. I loved it even then.

What has been your educational and working background so far?

I studied business at A-Level and came to love the marketing side of it so went on to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing at UWE, Bristol. After several experiences through full-time employment I decided it was time to start my own business. Why? I wanted to work for myself. I am motivated by the opportunities of creativity that running my own business gives me. Plus I combined my love for shoes with my passion for business!

What have you enjoyed most about starting your own business?

Starting a business is an exciting and fun adventure, but it also requires a lot of hard work and you have to dedicate a lot of time and effort into it. It is a huge learning curve for me but every step of the way I am succeeding. I never see anything as a failure – just an experience to learn from! For me success isn’t measured by monetary value but from the leaps and bounds I have taken and for the doors that are opened.


Who inspires you?

There are several people who inspire me, Lord Alan Sugar for one. Duncan Bannatyne, Ali Brown, a motivating female entrepreneur based out in California USA. A friend of mine, Gabriella Warren who formed her own Latin-Dance agency from a passion of dancing, also inspires me! There are many more I could list but I am basically motivated by people who are able to take what they love and turn it into a business or start from nothing and develop something great!


Whose styles do you personally like?

In the fashion industry I am inspired by many: Christian Louboutin, Kurt Geiger, Jimmy Choo, LK Bennett, Beau Coops, Manolo Blahnik and many more! My style icons range from Beyoncé Knowles to Charlize Theron, Eva Mendes to Jada Pinkett-Smith and believe or not our own Kate Middleton – she reminds me of classic beauty and elegance – an image I want to portray with Neneh Stiletto.

What can we expect to see from Neneh Stiletto in the future?

I want to develop the business further by linking and affiliation with some well known high-end high street brands. Watch this space as within the two years there will be some exciting changes with Neneh Stiletto!

If your curiosity has now got the better of you and you’d like to find out more about Neneh Stiletto, why not head over to the website and explore the various styles on sale at the moment. Ordering is easy, payment is by PayPal and postage is free for orders within the UK. It would be great to hear from you if do buy a pair so please leave feedback on here or on one of the sites below and help to spread the word!
http://www.nenehstiletto.com/
www.twitter.com/nenehstiletto
Also registered on Facebook - Neneh Stiletto

A Tribute to My Father

I had intended to write a much longer blog telling you all about the man that was my Dad and my best friend but decided to keep some of my most treasured memories to myself. My dad died when I was just 8yrs old but I still have such wonderful memories of this amazing man and I know that he is looking down on me and that one day we will be reunited.

The following video is the song of my heart today.

To all Father's all over the world, enjoy your day. To those of you with Fathers who are still with you, cherish them and make the most of every minute with them.

Don't take them for granted for they are one of the best parts of your life.

Review - The Merchant of Venice

The RSC ‘s latest production of the Merchant of Venice directed by Rupert Goold and starring Sir Patrick Stewart is a production that has to be seen to be believed!

I have always thought that Shakespeare’s plays can transcend any era and thereby appeal to audiences of any age. However, this production takes this idea to a new level by setting the play not in Italy but in Las Vegas - complete with its own casino and hip shaking, singing Elvis! The question of who will marry Portia is still decided through the choosing between the gold, silver and lead caskets but this has been modernised into a cross between a weekly game show and a reality TV show called Destiny as each suitor by choosing a casket, chooses their destiny. I have seen many Shakespeare productions given a more modern setting but the idea of this staging seemed quite outlandish – and yet, it worked! Not only did it work, but it worked so brilliantly that you were left in awe at how well it transposed to this setting.

Portia , under the terms of her late Father’s will is obliged to marry the suitor who chooses from amongst the caskets of gold, silver and lead and finds the one containing her portrait. The young Venetian Bassanio is determined to woo and marry Portia and so to improve his chances, asks his good friend Antonio a rich merchant to lend him the money ($3 million) to fund his voyage and improve his status. Currently short of available cash owing to his ships being at sea, Antonio borrows the money from Shylock, a Jewish money lender, who charges extortionate rates of interest and who Antonio has previously insulted. Shylock proposes as terms of the loan that instead of interest, if Antonio refuses to pay back the money in the time specified, he will be entitled to a pound of Antonio’s flesh. Meanwhile, Bassanio’s friend Lorenzo elopes with Shylock’s daughter Jessica who brings with her money and jewels stolen from her father. Distraught at the loss of his daughter, but more importantly his money, Shylock seizes on the news that Antonio’s ships have been lost and sea and demands his pound of flesh...

The play has everything you would expect from Shakespeare, comedy, tragedy, mistaken identity and above all some excellent soliloquies. Patrick Stewart delivered his infamous speech “Hath not a Jew eyes...”with such brilliance that he captured the attention of the entire audience. The speech by Portia disguised as the attorney sent to judge the case of Antonio V Shylock, ”The quality of mercy is not strained...” was also beautifully delivered and added a poignancy to the scene. It was also interesting to see how many phrases we use in modern day language seem to have emanated from this play; in the twinkling of an eye, cut-throat, blinking idiot and all that glisters is not gold. The fact that these words are still used today combined with the modern setting of the play made it seem more natural and definitely more accessible. Anyone who had ever thought Shakespeare boring and irrelevant to our time would be forced to think again after seeing this production.

Patrick Stewart who as you might expect from an actor of his reputation and calibre gave a powerful performance but didn’t dominate the whole production as he blended well with the other actors in the ensemble. Susannah Fielding is also worthy of a mention as the dizzy blonde Southern belle Portia who then transforms into the learned, eloquent young lawyer sent to try the case of Antonio and Shylock. There were many other fine performances from the cast and I enjoyed how they used different American accents to portray the various characters and make them more individual and idiosyncratic.

Emily Plumtree as Nerissa,Susannah Fielding as Portia & Patrick Stewart as Shylock

The production was a delight to watch from start to finish and quickly dismissed any previous misconceptions I had about the play at the start. If you are able to catch a performance before the run ends in September then I highly recommend it as I couldn’t praise it enough.

For more information on this and other RSC productions, go to www.rsc.org.uk and follow the RSC on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/thersc

Review - An Evening with Blake

An Evening with Blake at Burnley Mechanics

Now I know Blake have performed at many different types of venues but before you ask, No, they weren’t performing in a garage! However, as it had been over 9 months since I had last seen the guys perform, I do believe I would have turned up at a garage if it had meant seeing them perform locally.

For those of you who are aren’t familiar with them, Blake, consisting of Ollie Baines, Humphrey Berney, Jules Knight and Stephen Bowman are four British classical crossover singers who formed through Facebook back in 2007 and who have been thrilling audiences ever since with their unique style and incredible harmonies – it doesn’t hurt that they are also four handsome young men with a great sense of humour and are genuinely friendly and down to earth guys.

They are currently touring the UK inviting audiences to spend “An Evening with Blake” for two hours of wonderful songs, amazing harmonies and friendly banter. All of which makes for a very relaxed and intimate show and judging by the ticket sales, an evening which is very popular with audiences everywhere.

At their concert in Burnley, they performed songs from each of their three albums; combinations of well known pop and classical songs and each showing not just their individual strengths in solo parts but also their unique and often breathtaking sound when they harmonise together. Whether accompanied by their musical director, backing track or performing a Capella, these guys hit the right notes in more ways than one. Some of the songs literally gave me goose bumps as they are performed with such feeling and emotion that you really get to appreciate the beauty of the music and the lyrics. Many of the songs would be familiar to audiences as they are taken from film soundtracks or were well known traditional songs. It was nice to hear the guys introduce the songs explaining a personal connection to them as it gave an added poignancy. I was pleased to hear many of my favourites performed such as Because We Believe,Bring Him Home, Chasing Cars, And So It Goes, Hallelujah, God Only Knows and finishing with my absolute favourite Jerusalem. There’s something about Jerusalem that I have loved ever since I was a little girl, it is such a stirring arrangement and Blake always perform it with such fervour you can’t help but feel patriotic.

It was also the first time that I got to hear them perform All of Me, a song released especially to celebrate the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Both Jules and Ollie have connections to the royal couple and this was their special tribute to them. It is a touching and romantic song that I suspect will be played at many weddings in the future. I have to say that as much as I have enjoyed this song through recordings, it sounded so much better live as you could hear the individual voices combining in such wonderful harmony.  

Afterwards the guys took time to meet with fans, sign autographs and pose for photos. Ever since I have known them, they have always taken the time out to talk to their fans and show their appreciation for the support they are given from them. It’s something that adds to the appeal of the group and sets them apart from others of their genre.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to see Blake in concert then check out their website for upcoming performances and book tickets for a venue near you. I guarantee you, there’s no better way to spend an evening than in the company of Blake.

For more information about Blake, their tour and current album releases go to their official website http://www.blakeofficial.com/

Follow them on twitter www.twitter.com/TheBandBlake

Or check out some of their many performances on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/UnofficiallyBlake#p/a

Review - Much Ado About Nothing

“Sigh not so, but let them go and be you blithe and bonny. Converting all your songs of woe, into hey nonny nonny!”

There has been great excitement ever since the announcement was made that David Tennant and Catherine Tate were set to play two of the principle characters in Shakespeare’s much loved comedy Much Ado About Nothing.  Now, currently showing in the West End, this show is playing to sell out audiences daily and judging by the reviews, the hype was well deserved and definitely not as the title of the play suggests, a fuss about nothing.

As this is by far my favourite Shakespeare play, I was determined to see for myself not only how well these two actors would portray their respective roles but how well this production would compare to the one starring Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh (film).

For anyone unfamiliar with the plot, it is perhaps one of the easiest plays to follow. The Prince, Don Pedro, recently reunited with his illegitimate brother Don John, returns from battle to Messina and is a guest at the house of his friend Leonato. One of Don Pedro’s company, Claudio is in love with Leonato’s daughter Hero and the prince agrees to help Claudio to win her hand. Don John, still embittered with his brother despite their recent reconciliation determines to ruin the plan and so convinces both Don Pedro and Claudio that Hero is not a virtuous woman. Claudio denounces Hero on their wedding day and refuses to marry her. Meanwhile Benedick, another of Don Pedro’s company continues his battle of wit and words with his old sparring partner Beatrice, the niece of Leonato. Unbeknownst to them, Don Pedro also plans to bring these two seemingly ill-matched people together – a Herculean labour indeed considering their past history towards one another. But, just like in any romantic comedy, all works out well in the end and we celebrate the wedding of not one, but two happy couples.

The attraction of this play for me is in the writing. It is full of clever witticisms, remarks and put downs that even put in a 20th century setting seem equally as funny and offensive as they would have done back in Shakespearean times.“ I would rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loved me!” or “Had he been a dog that would have howled thus, they would have hanged him!”

The play has everything you could want from it; a brilliant plot, great speeches and dialogue, your romantic couple, your villain – Don John, your fools - the constable and the guard duty, mistaken identity and of course a happy ending. Add to this the modern interpretation from this production, the music and dance routines and you have a play that entertains from start to finish!

David Tennant played an outstanding Benedick and owned the stage from the moment he drove onto it in his golf buggy. The delivery of his lines together with his expressions really captured the essence of his character and you were totally captivated by him every time he was on stage. He had great chemistry with the other cast members too particularly with Catherine Tate who played his nemesis / love interest Beatrice. Watching David play the role of Benedick it was as if the role had been written specifically with him in mind – he played to every emotion of the character, engaging with the audience and his fellow cast with even the slightest glance or gesture. He was fascinating to watch throughout the entire play.

Catherine Tate as previously mentioned played the role of Beatrice, and apart from a few occasions when I thought she sounded like some of her other characters from TV, portrayed the character wonderfully well . Not only did we see the feisty side of Beatrice, but in this production and through Catherine’s interpretation of the character, we see a more vulnerable, emotional and loving side.

There were also some strong performances from many of the supporting cast and I particularly enjoyed that of John Ramm as Dogberry whose most infamous line “Do not forget to specify masters when time and place shall serve, that I am an Ass!” had the audience in stitches. Also worthy of a mention were Sarah Macrae and Tom Bateman who played Hero and Claudio respectively  and who in making their West End and indeed professional debut in Tom’s case both gave outstanding performances and will definitely be ones to look out for in the future.

The entire production was from start to finish a breath of fresh air. There were many occasions when the audience literally erupted in laughter and the actors would have to time their lines well to allow for the audience to stop before they delivered their next dialogue. The music was cleverly arranged to include a few bars of well known songs from the 80’s set to the text of the play and this complimented the setting of the play. It was a joy to watch and the time certainly did not go “dully by us”. The enjoyment of both cast and audience was clear to see at the end as the delighted audience gave a full standing ovation to an appreciative cast.

Much Ado About Nothing is showing now at Wyndhams Theatre. For more information and to book tickets http://www.delfontmackintosh.co.uk/Tickets/MuchAdoAboutNothing.php

Secret London

Being London born and bred I guess I have an inbuilt love and appreciation of the city. It is one place I could never tire of visiting and love exploring and finding out about places and the stories behind them. The main tourist sites of London always draw the crowds and I love them, but I like to go one further and find out about the parts of London that are off the tourist track or that offer a little bit extra to those who seek them out.

Last year I fulfilled one of my lifetime ambitions - to be a witness to the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London. It was an incredible event, which takes place every night long after the tourists have gone home and is only available to ticket holders. It is an incredible ceremony to watch and timed with such precision that the conclusion of it with the bugler playing The Last Post starts precisely at the first stroke of 10.00pm. Whilst waiting for the ceremony to start one of the Yeoman Warders will tell you some fascinating stories of previous guests at the Tower and you also get the chance to take photos (not during the actual ceremony).At one point of course you are locked in the Tower, but sadly they do re-open a section of the gate for you to leave afterwards.

If you ever get the opportunity to attend I would thoroughly recommend it – you can get tickets through the official website for The Tower of London. http://www.hrp.org.uk/toweroflondon/whatson/ceremonyofthekeys.aspx

A view from inside the Tower at night

I have also previously enjoyed Walking Tours of London and have loved to see places frequented by Jane Austen or see the street which inspired Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter series of books. These and other tours are available every day and for £8 you can enjoy learning about some of the great places and people in London. For more information see http://www.walks.com/

The street that inspired Diagon Alley

During my most recent visit to London, a friend and I embarked on a tour of Secret London. We visited many of the well known sites in central London but were on the lookout for certain things that are often passed over as we look at the more prominent landmarks around us. I had obtained the details from the website http://www.secret-london.co.uk/ and we set about trying to find as many of the places or items mentioned as possible. It was an educational and entertaining afternoon and certainly gave me a greater appreciation and love of my favourite city.

Here are just a few places we visited......

National Gallery

The National Gallery - from Trafalgar Square, but what Secret lies beneath it?

Sitting on the steps below the National Gallery to eat their sandwiches, many tourists unknowingly rest their feet on the standard Imperial measures of length, set into the granite paving in brass. Here’s where you can check the length of a perch, a pole, a chain or a yard. The UK completed its legal transition to metric units in 1995.

Nelson's Column at the heart of Trafalgar Square, hardly a secret itself, but have you ever noticed the detail at the bottom of the column?

On the south of Nelson’s Column is a relief showing his death at Trafalgar in 1805. On the left of the dying Nelson is a black crewman holding a musket and searching the enemy rigging for the French sniper who shot him. There were 18 nationalities on board HMS Victory, including nine West Indians and one African.

The fountains in the square were installed to stop unruly political demonstrations. Before then, this police box near Nelson’s Column, connected by phone to Charing Cross police station, kept an eye on any crowds. Now a cleaner’s store, the light on top is not from Nelson’s HMS Victory, as some guides might tell you.

Charles I Statue

On a busy traffic island below Trafalgar Square is a statue of King Charles I (oddly, looking towards the place he was beheaded in Whitehall). It’s on a site once occupied by Queen Eleanor's Cross (a replica of which is in front of Charing Cross station). A brass plaque tells you this the place from which all distances to London are measured.

Horse Guards

The official entrance to Buckingham Palace has had a mounted guard for the past 200 years. Anyone can walk and you can  also drive through - provided you have a special ivory token from the Queen.

Horse Guards - The clock has a black numeral 2 - this is the hour at which King Charles was beheaded in the Banqueting House opposite.

Admiralty Arch

Admiralty Arch London. Built by King Edward VII in memory of his mother Queen Victoria, this 1912 arch is actually an office building - for the Cabinet office, among others - and a ceremonial entrance to The Mall - nothing secret about that, but one of the pillars hides a secret....

Spare Nose?

What is that bronze looking thing on the side of the column?This pink nose stuck in the grey granite of Admiralty Arch - look inside the arch taking traffic out of The Mall - is said to be a spare for Nelson in Trafalgar Square, or a tribute to the Duke of Wellington, famous for his large nose.Around Soho there are seven noses and it is said that if you spot all of them you will attain infinite wealth. Sculptor Rick Buckley was responsible for many, leaving casts of his nose in 1966.

Royal Artillery Memorial

The horse of war is controlled by the winged figure of peace in this work by William Robert Colton (1867-1921). The pillars list the 1,078 men who died in South Africa and plaques show the artillery in action. Unveiled in 1920 by the Duke of Connaught, using a electronic remote control from a memorial service in St Paul’s Cathedral.

Guards Memorial

This work by Gilbert Ledward commemorates the five Foot Guards regiments of the 1914-1919 war. Cast from captured guns, the figures were modelled on actual Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh guardsmen. Damaged by World War II bombs, Ledward suggested some of the scars should remain unrepaired.

Next time you are in London, why not look out for some of these secret landmarks yourself.

(All descriptions of photographs are taken from the website http://www.secret-london.co.uk/)

Review - Classic Brit Awards 2011

The annual Classic Brit Awards are a reflection and celebration of the critical and commercial successes within the classical music industry. For me, it is also an opportunity to see some of the greatest names in the industry perform on stage – for a fraction of what it would cost in an Opera House.

Now in its twelfth year, the awards ceremony itself has evolved not only with its change of name (formerly known as the Classical Brit Awards) but also in the areas of music it covers. Previously this ceremony had been exclusively for classical music and opera – and in fact any album up for consideration for an award had to be at last 60% classical in content – now the category has been expanded to include musical theatre and orchestral music written for soundtracks. The aim being to appeal to a wider section of music fans and hopefully make classical music more accessible.

All Angels

This would probably explain therefore, the high number of what are termed Classical Crossover artists that appeared and performed on the night. They are artists who combine both classical and popular music in their performances and who appeal to a broad cross section of the audience.

Il Divo

Whilst I enjoyed many of the performances on the evening; particularly Alfie Boe & the cast of Les Miserables, Anne-Sophie Mutter and Eric Whitacre and the Eric Whitacre singers, I would have liked to have seen more classical and operatic performers take to the stage. Last year’s awards were heavily dominated by the world of opera with performances from Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Rolando Villazon, Angela Gheorgiu and Bryn Terfel which for me was a dream come true. This year, the programme appeared to be more Crossover and I feel that a more balanced programme between the two genres would have been better received.

Part of the problem within the classical music industry, at least in my opinion, is that the industry itself want to appeal to as broad an audience as possible and thereby sell more albums, but the purists within the industry want to maintain the exclusivity of the classical and operatic genres and see the introduction of crossover artists as effectively dumbing it down. It was interesting to note though, that in the past three years when I have attended, the hall has been completely sold out. This year there were still many seats available in the higher levels. Now whether this is due to the economical climate, or the fact that the awards have changed to appeal to a wider audience is difficult to say, but for me, this year it lacked the splendour and excitement of former years.

That’s not to say that the evening wasn’t enjoyable as I did enjoy it immensely. I arrived in time to see many of the artists arrive on the red carpet and enjoyed watching the reaction of both the crowds and artists as they took to the red carpet. One criticism of this would be that some of the artists didn’t spend time with the fans and yet again, the placement of the Classic Brits backdrop meant that many fans had an obscured view of the artists arriving. What I found interesting is that whilst all eyes were on the red carpet, just behind the crowds were other musicians just walking up and down almost unrecognised. I took the opportunity to talk to my friend, tenor Thomas Spencer Wortley who was attending the awards for the first time. Thomas is relatively new to the music scene but is incredibly talented and with any luck will be nominated in the Best Newcomer category next year. As we chatted we started our own alternative commentary to the arrivals on the red carpet which proved quite entertaining and if the organisers are short of people to interview next year, we’d be more than happy to oblige! I also had the opportunity to meet Gareth Malone, the genius behind projects such as The Choir. Gareth has also attended for the last four years and yet despite his huge success on TV, mingled happily with the crowds and was a delight to talk to being as he is genuinely charming and funny. He and Thomas were sitting on the same table during the awards and I would dearly loved to have joined them for I’m sure the conversation would have been highly amusing all evening.

Alfie Boe arriving at the awards.Photo courtesy of Hilary Sargeant

Gareth Malone & I watching the arrivals on the Red Carpet

My own seat though afforded an excellent view of the stage and the orchestra. There is nothing quite like the sound of a live orchestra and The London Chamber Orchestra under the superb direction of Christopher Warren-Green performed spectacularly. Indeed at times it felt like I was part of the orchestra I was sat so close, and the sound that we experience d was truly spectacular. It was also a thrill to be so close to the stage and to see the emotion and effort that each singer or performer put into their performance. You could see the nerves of some and yet also the excitement and anticipation of others. Thanks to a technical fault following the performance of Alfie Boe and the Les Mis cast we also got to hear their reaction as their mics stayed on and we heard the backstage shouts and squeals of “that was so much fun”, “amazing”, “let’s do it again”. This provided a huge response from the audience who had also clearly enjoyed their medley of songs from the show.

As mentioned before, the highlight for me was Anne-Sophie Mutter’s performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (Winter).She seemed to play so effortlessly and we watched in wonder as her bow seemed to fly over the strings, barely touching them and yet producing such an amazing sound. Eric Whitacre and his singers provided a more calming and almost ethereal performance with their rendition of “Sleep”. They captivated the audience’s attention so that at the end of the performance you could almost hear a pin drop. Alfie Boe and the Les Mis cast were another triumph and received possibly one of the biggest cheers of the evening with their medley of hits from the popular musical. Alfie’s rendition of”Bring Him Home” always manages to bring a tear to my eye and that night was no exception. Their finale in which they sang “One Day More” also gave me goose bumps as their performance really brought out the beauty of the music and the poignancy of the lyrics.

The cast of Les Mis

The final award of the evening was the Outstanding Contribution to Music awarded posthumously to the late John Barry OBE. John was well known for the number of film scores he composed and as a tribute, artists and orchestra performed some of his better known tracks. Katherine Jenkins and Alfie Boe sang the beautiful “Here’s to the Heroes” from Dances with Wolves which was quite fitting and a perfect tribute to the man and his genius.

Katherine Jenkins & Alfie Boe perform Here's to the Heroes

The show ended with the incomparable Dame Shirley Bassey who sang the theme tune to the James Bond film Goldfinger. Judging by the audience reaction as she took to the stage, this was the one they had been waiting for. It seems incredible that this lady doesn’t seem to age and can still belt out the tune with as much power and glamour as she did the first time she sang it. She seemed to enjoy every minute just as much as the audience and it certainly ended the evening on a high note.

Dame Shirley Bassey performing Goldfinger

It seemed to be over all too soon and whilst many of the artists made their way to the after show parties, there was just time for me to catch up with the Spencer-Wortley brothers and get Thomas’s take on how the evening had gone before heading back to the hotel.

It was a wonderful evening and I look forward to next year when hopefully there will be a more balanced mixture between all of the music they are trying to promote and celebrate.

(Thanks to Hilary Sargeant for the photographs)

The Wedding, The Birthday and an extra Bank Holiday

Everyone loves a good party and this past weekend in the UK, we have had more than one excuse to celebrate; A Royal Wedding, A Playwrite's Birthday and an extra Bank Holiday - and boy did we ever party!

As billions of people around the world tuned in to watch Prince William marry Kate Middleton, millions also took to the streets in London to see the Royal Procession and to take part in all the celebrations. In some places, special licences were obtained to close streets in order for the residents to hold a street party – something which I remember from the Silver Jubilee and Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. The scenes shown on TV as thousands of people lined Pall Mall was quite amazing. People from all over the world had come to London to take part in the celebrations and the sea of union jacks all waving madly was really something to behold.

I must confess I did not get caught up in all the excitement as much I thought I would. I did watch the proceedings on TV and thoroughly enjoyed the incredible sights of Westminster Abbey, the beautiful and at times, quite ethereal music from many great British composers and I enjoyed watching the wedding ceremony itself – but at the end of the day, it’s all about an ordinary couple in love starting a life together. Ok, so this ordinary couple are one day set to rule the country and unlike most other newlyweds starting out, their lives will be closely monitored from now on, never being far away from a camera lens but, for them (and us) it was a day of celebration.

 Saturday marked a day that I was more excited to take part in – William Shakespeare’s 447th birthday celebrations in Stratford –Upon – Avon. William Shakespeare was born (and died) 23rd April but this year as his birthday fell upon the Easter Bank Holiday, his birthday celebrations were put on hold for a week.
It seemed that despite his age, or should that be that he died so many years ago, many people were eager to take part in the celebrations of arguably our Nation’s greatest play writers proving that whilst the man may be dead, his work lives on and is still celebrated today.

There was the procession through the town to the church where Shakespeare is buried, featuring many people dressed in traditional Tudor costume but also depicting characters from his plays. There were musicians and singers scattered throughout the town performing music from both Elizabethan and modern times and there were magicians, theatrical performances and Morris dancers – take away the modern shop frontages and at times it felt like you had been transported back in time. There was also a distinct British feel about the celebrations and at times reminded me of the May Fairs we used to go to when I was a child.


The main street and area near the Swan Theatre were decorated with bright yellow shields and banners each representing one of Shakespeare’s plays or characters; it was quite an incredible sight, especially as the union jack bunting was still flying from the previous days celebrations.

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) had laid on many free events for families which included craft activities to make your own Elizabethan ruff or theatrical mask, or having a theatrical makeover by a member of their makeup team. There was also a chance to take part in transforming the Swan Room into a giant birthday cake to commemorate the event. Under the direction of the artist Shane Waltener, children were invited to design and make a decoration for the cake. It was an ingenious idea and looked very effective as the decorations were added to the walls of the room.

I particularly enjoyed a short trip on the Sonnet Ferry, a traditional chain boat that crosses the Avon – and supposedly the oldest surviving one in the country. As we crossed the river, a member of the RSC read sonnets to us – ours being “Shall I Compare Thee to a summer’s day, thou art more lovely and more temperate...”

I also enjoyed watching an outdoor production of Shylock V Antonio – The appeal. Set in modern times, Shylock, still in his traditional costume appears with his modern day attorney to have his appeal read against the original judgement made in the play The Merchant of Venice. Part of his argument was based on the fact that the trial had not been fair in that the person claiming to be an attorney (Portia) was not legally qualified at the time of the trial and had undisclosed connections to a friend of Antonio’s and was therefore biased in favour of him. The whole thing was very cleverly written with references to many modern day things such as people having gastric bands or colonic irrigation to help shift that “pound of flesh”. It was highly entertaining and seemed well received by the informal audience that sat around on the grass watching.

It was great to see how people, young and old and from many different countries joined together to celebrate the works of this man. Many people wore sprigs of Rosemary in their buttonholes (“Rosemary for remembrance” as Ophelia says in Hamlet) and I noticed that some of the park area in front of the Swan Theatre had Rosemary growing in it.

It was a wonderful day out and lovely to take part in such a fun day. It is interesting to note in hindsight, that I’ve become more interested in the works of Shakespeare as I’ve grown older. Whilst, unlike many of my classmates I did enjoy studying him at school, I think it’s only since I’ve grown older that I’ve learned to appreciate him more and gain a deeper insight into his work. In contrast, in my childhood I relished the street parties, the flag waving and all the celebrations of Kings and Queens and fairytale romances and whilst I still enjoy the pageantry, it doesn’t have that same magical feel to it.

So, on our last Bank Holiday (well at least for a few weeks) I intend to make the most of the gloriously sunny day and enjoy it whilst it lasts.