The 37°Thermoband is a new handy gadget that takes the guessing out of milk temperature. Whether you bottle feed or express your breast milk. This is a clever flexible silicon band which will let you know when your baby’s bottle is the perfect temperature for feeding. It changes colour when the safe temperature is reached. very handy indeed.
It fits most glass and plastic bottles and the band can be personalised using a ball point pen. You could put your child’s name and any health or allergy information. Information can be removed during cleaning, or made permanent by simply placing the band in boiling water for five minutes. Smart technology indeed. We were impressed. A time-saving gadget that makes a parents life a little bit easier.
Dishwasher, microwave and steriliser safe, 37° Thermobands are BPA free, FDA approved and EN tested.
RRP of £13.00 from maguari.com or jojomamanbebe.co.uk
As a couple with conflicting parenting styles, we were torn between the gentler ‘laissez-faire’ approach and the more disciplinarian ‘tiger parent’ philosophy. What we really wanted was a way of parenting that could fit with our two different personalities, and allow us to parent in harmony, and raise our children to become happy and fulfilled adults.
So casting the parenting fads to one side, we turned to the latest research in child psychology and neuroscience and devoured hundreds of the world’s leading parenting books to find practical, tried and tested evidence. And we were delighted to discover that there really are clear, straightforward methods for achieving what we call a ‘balanced’ approach to parenting.
How is your book different from other parenting books?
Our book is different in that it gives the perspective of two different parenting styles, which removes the guilt associated with having to fit into an ‘idealised parenting mould’. It also equips parents with specific step-by-step tools that are based on the latest scientific and psychological research in childhood development. These tools are designed to support you through the immediate challenges of everyday parenting, whilst also meeting your long-term goal to raise children to become happy, self-reliant and responsible adults.
What are the biggest parenting challenges?
It’s difficult to answer this as it largely depends on your child’s temperament/personality and our own personality, as well as our individual style of parenting. We all encounter challenges so the key thing is to learn how to prevent such issues from happening in the first place, which is one of the key objectives of our book. Learning how to anticipate challenges before they happen allows us time to think, so that we can respond rather than react to our children’s misbehaviour. So we’d say that one of the biggest challenges that parents face is learning to be more strategic in their approach to parenting.
Is there ever a right way to raise children?
We are under no illusions about the reality of family life and have no wish to make it ‘perfect’. The fact is that there is no magic wand to make a family life perfect! However, with a bit more awareness of our children’s needs, combined with some simple practical trouble-shooting tools, we can go a long way to making a real difference to our children’s, our family’s and our own lives.
What are the dangers of over-praising our children?
Research suggests that overpraising our children and particularly using evaluative praise with statements such as “You’re smart” or “You’re good” can create a fear of failure, because children become afraid to do anything that could expose their ‘flaws’ and call into question their ‘talent’. This type of praise results in children becoming less likely to try new things or taking risks for fear of not getting it ‘right’ and so they end up missing out on essential opportunities to develop their confidence and sense of self.
How do you stop other relatives becoming too involved?
We think that other relatives will always get involved and we need to accept this as they think that they are doing this to help us. However, if we are more confident in our parenting and we demonstrate that we can manage our kids without overreacting, etc. then other relatives tend to find it impressive, then start making compliments and ultimately become much less involved.
Top parenting tips.
1. Focus on planning and prevention – instead of always being reactive.
2. Give empathy as often as possible – and do not discount feelings.
3. Model any behaviour you want to instil in your children – starting with respect and joy.
4. Use encouragement and descriptive praise – instead of general or evaluative praise.
5. Focus on what you can control – and don’t undermine your authority with empty threats.
6. Allow your children to have some control over their lives – offer them limited choices and ask them questions.
7. Allow mistakes to happen – they are opportunities for learning.
8. Coach your children to own and solve their problems – and they will become self-responsible.
9. If you have to deliver consequences, do it with respect and empathy – and delay them when needed.
10. When you say or do something you regret, ‘Rewind and Replay’ and ‘Repair’ – to keep a strong connection with you children.
What is the biggest mistake people make when raising children?
This is another challenging question as it’s difficult to identify one key mistake! However, one that is really common and can really affect children as they grow up is for their parents to frequently discount their feelings. This is something that parents do, often without even realising it. We tend to either reassure our children or try to ‘toughen them up’ – whichever approach we use, the message they hear is that they’re not supposed to feel the way they are feeling.
They grow unable to trust their feelings and cannot manage their emotions well, and this is an essential life skill. It’s far better to use empathy as a way of establishing and nurturing a bond with your child than try to ‘make light’ of their feelings, as this simply undermines their innate need to be listened to and have their feelings acknowledged.
Can parenting be made easier?
Our book ‘Kids don’t Come With a Manual – The Essential Guide to a Happy Family Life’ is designed to help empower parents to deal with most situations effectively. So that misbehaviour and the challenges that your children throw your way become opportunities for learning and growing rather than being stressors or negative experiences. Our main goal is to empower parents to deal with everyday parenting challenges without confrontation or anger, and raise their children to become the happy and confident individuals that they deserve to be.
Kids Don’t Come with a Manual by Carole and Nadim Saad, Best of Parenting, £12.99, www.bestofparenting.co.uk/books
When we saw the CobWebKnits baby hats we could not help but melt a little. Not only are they so small, they are also just super-cute. They are machine washable soft acrylic yarn that is soft to the touch and won’t irritate baby’s skin. Being machine washable at 40 C they are practical too and dry quickly. These hats are adorable and of the highest quality. I was very impressed by the hat, the quick delivery and the presentation.
Each product is handmade in their Welsh studio where they also make beautiful knitwear and clothing. Every attention is paid to each item which is lovingly handmade with the wearer in mind. From start to finish Su from CobWebKnits is responsible for its production and presentation, ensuring that it will be of the highest quality and stylishly packed for the customer. Unlike some other companies offering handmade products delivery is quick – within 1-3 working days.
The hats are available on their website, Beatrix Potter’s Nursery Shop in Lake Windemere and the Historic Royal Palaces (including the Tower of London) as well as other boutiques around the country. They can include a gift message free of charge and delivery is quick.
3rd LAS EVENINGS The Shock of the Old Ben Street 19.00 – 20.15
5th LAS LUNCH Best of British: From Bloomsbury to Bacon Lizzie Perrotte 10.00 – 14.30
10th LAS IN FOCUS Focus on Impressionism: Degas, Morisot and Pissarro Richard Stemp 10.00 – 12.00
12th LAS LUNCH American Art Since WWII Ben Street 10.00 – 14.30
May, 2015
5th LAS IN FOCUS Sarah Lucas, Sargent and Alexander McQueen Richard Stemp 10.00 – 12.00
5th LAS EVENINGS 20 Great Paintings of the 20th Century Ben Street 19.00 – 20.15
6th LAS LUNCH Modern Art: From Duchamp to the YBAs Linda Smith 10.00 – 14.30
7th LAS LUNCH The Legacy of Minimalism Ben Street 10.00 – 14.30
19th LAS LUNCH British Art from Freud to Emin Richard Stemp 10.00 – 14.30
June, 2015
2nd LAS IN FOCUS Delaunay, Hepworth and Martin Richard Stemp 10.00 – 12.00
2nd LAS EVENINGS Venice Biennale 2015 Overview Ben Street 19.00 – 20.15
16th LAS TOUR Highlights of the Courtauld Gallery Lizzie Perrotte 10.00 – 11.15
September, 2015
7th LAS TOUR The Saatchi Gallery Lizzie Perrotte 10.00 – 11.15
16th LAS LUNCH The Legacy of Surrealism Ben Street 10.00 – 14.30
24th LAS IN FOCUS Ai Wei Wei, Goya, Pop Art Richard Stemp 10.00 – 12.00
November, 2015
10th LAS IN FOCUS Calder & 20th Century Sculpture Richard Stemp 10.00 – 12.00
17th LAS LUNCH American Art Since World War II Ben Street 10.00 – 14.30
December, 2015
1st LAS LUNCH Great Tarts in Art: High Culture & The World’s Oldest Profession Linda Smith 10.00 – 14.30
LAS In Focus – £75, includes light refreshments
LAS Evenings – £50, includes light refreshments
LAS Lunch – £175, includes two-course lunch at Koffmann’s
LAS Tours – includes ticket entry to the exhibition
Tickets can be purchased for individual events and as season tickets by visiting the London Art Studies website www.londonartstudies.com or emailing/calling London Art Studies direct at office@londonartstudies.com
About Bulgari Hotel…
Located in Knightsbridge on the edge of Hyde Park, London’s Bulgari Hotel is both a haven of calm in the centre of the city and yet under a minute’s walk from such landmarks as the famous Harrod’s department store. Since opening in 2012 the Bulgari has set new standards among the luxury hotels of the British capital. Elegant contemporary architecture and Bulgari’s legendary flair for design are matched by class-leading quality of service. Design and service along with generously proportioned rooms and suites combine with unrivalled facilities such as a full gymnasium and physical training centre with on-site personal training team, WORKSHOP; 11 single spa treatment rooms and 1 private spa suite; 25 metre, three-lane swimming pool; 47 seat cinema; unique Cigar Shop and sampling lounge, a stunning Ballroom; to deliver a city hotel experience that is unique in the world.
It was a love of international rugby rather than good food that brought a 22-year-old Pierre Koffmann to Britain in 1970. As he says: “Food was not at its best and the rugby more interesting.” Pierre expected to stay only six months. By pure luck Pierre quickly found himself working for Michel and Albert Roux at Le Gavroche in London’s West End. Within another six months he was promoted to Number 2 and after a quick stint at their Brasserie Benoit in the City, Pierre was appointed Head Chef at the Roux Brothers’ new Waterside Inn at Bray. In his five-year tenure he helped them achieve two Michelin stars. In 1977, Pierre and his first wife Annie opened their first restaurant, La Tante Claire, in Chelsea and achieved three Michelin stars before taking up residency in the Berkeley Hotel in 1998. After decades of contributing massively to British cuisine and training some of our finest chefs, Pierre folded away his precious knives in 2003 and realised a dream of hanging up a sign saying “Gone Fishing”. Becoming slightly bored a year later he came back to be a consultant to some major food retailers. The call of the restaurant trade was too loud. In 2009, Pierre agreed to take a ‘pop-up’ La Tante Claire to be the Restaurant on the Roof at Selfridges for one week. Two months and 3,200 servings of his classic Pieds de Cochon aux Morilles later, Pierre once again returned to The Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge and to open Koffmann’s with partner and business partner Claire Harrison.Koffmann’s offers a relaxed, informal style with classic provincial French cuisine. The food of Pierre’s childhood in rural Gascony and the food that first inspired Pierre to follow his love of cooking using fresh, seasonal ingredients to deliver exquisite unspoiled flavours.
We are not surprised at the news that mothers work so hard that they are in breach of Articles 3, 5 and 6 (b) of 2003 of the of EU Working Time Directive. Mums caring for a baby full time exceed maximum working hours, are not given adequate rest periods and do not receive paid annual leave from their baby employers
The number of hours each week that British mothers spend looking after their children would be in breach of the European Union’s Working Time Directive if this work were to be treated in the same way as paid employment, research by leading greeting card and gift retailer Clintons has revealed.
The Working Time Directive states that employees should work no longer than 48 hours per week. Workers are also entitled to a rest period of eleven consecutive hours in every 24-hour day, a rest break every six hours of work; an uninterrupted rest period of 24 hours in every seven day week, and paid annual leave of at least four weeks every year. Employees who work night shifts have extra protection and cannot be asked to work more than eight hours in a 24-hour period.
Baby experts recommend that a baby between the ages of 12-18 months should sleep for around 14 hours a day, meaning a parent is actively looking after their child for the remaining ten hours. Across a 7-day period, this comes to a minimum of 70 hours a week, exceeding the maximum limit of a 48-hour working week specified by Article 6 (b) of the Working Time Directive by a shocking 22 hours. On top of this 70-hour minimum, mothers also have several hours of ancillary work each day and are constantly “on call” to respond to any emergencies, meaning their actual rest period is often reduced to six hours a day.
Of the 14 hours of sleep a baby should get each day, around three hours come in the form of daytime naps, and the remaining 11 hours come at night. Article 3 of the Working Time Directive states that workers are entitled to a “minimum daily rest period of 11 consecutive hours per 24-hour period” and therefore getting up in the middle of the night if the baby starts crying would be in breach of this rule.
Looking after a baby for seven days a week is also in breach of Article 5 which specifies that “per each seven-day period, every worker is entitled to a minimum uninterrupted rest period of 24 hours plus the 11 hours’ daily rest referred to in Article 3.”
Article 7 of the 2003 EUdirective states that “every worker is entitled to paid annual leave of at least four weeks.” A Clintons survey of babies found that 0% of them had made provisions to fulfil this requirement.
Tim Fairs, director at Clintons, said: “Parents put in a huge amount of work, week in and week out, looking after their kids. Often this work goes completely unrewarded. Mothers’ Day is an opportunity to say thank you for everything mums do, but we shouldn’t wait for just one special day every year to acknowledge their hard work. We should celebrate mums every day of the year.”
Mother’s Day originated in the United States in 1908 when Anna Jarvis from West Virginia held a memorial for her mother. During the Second World War, American soldiers brought the celebration to the UK, where it merged with the older religious festival of Mothering Sunday when people would return to their mother church for a service held on the fourth Sunday of Lent known as Laetare Sunday.
Introduced in 2003, the European Union’s Working Time Directive (2003/88/EC) gives workers within the EU certain rights relating to numbers of hours worked each week, annual holiday entitlement, rest breaks and days off.
In the UK, workers have the option to work in excess of the 48 hours specified by the working time directive if they choose to, however this option does not apply to employees in all sectors. The statutory leave period in the UK is 5.6 weeks per year.
Tim Fairs, added: “Many mothers work incredibly hard all year round and never have a day off. No matter how old you are, take a moment this Mothers’ Day to let your mum know how much you appreciate her.”
The times they are a changing. It is true that women and men will never be equal until men take up their share of childcare (and while we are at it, domestic chores) and it seems that that might actually be happening. A recent survey suggests that two thirds of men would be happy to be a stay-at-home dad.
Despite mums traditionally dealing with the majority of childcare, three quarters of men say they would be happy to quit work during their son or daughter’s first year so that their partner can return to their job, instead of taking the usual period of maternity leave.
And almost one in twenty men are already responsible for looking after their children whilst their wife or girlfriend goes to work.
It also emerged that 72 per cent of women would also be happy if their other half wanted to look after the children with 65 per cent worrying about the effect any time off would have on their career.
The statistics emerged in a study commissioned by national law firm Irwin Mitchell a month before a change in the law which will see couples have the opportunity to start sharing parental leave.
But these results show the new laws designed to encourage parents to share time off work following the birth of their child look set to be far more popular than government predictions had previously stated.
Irwin Mitchell employment partner Glenn Hayes said: “For a long time now, the traditional roles have seen dads returning to work just days after their baby has been born, while mums take a year or so away from their career to look after the children.
“But times are changing and it’s becoming easier, and more acceptable, for dads to take on the role of caregiver, while mums become the main breadwinner. What’s more, it seems the majority of men are happy to have it this way around.
“Thanks to changes coming into effect in April, working couples will be able to share that period of leave over the first year, meaning neither one has to miss out on such a large amount of time away – whether it’s from their career or baby.
“Shared parental leave is one of the most significant changes to flexible working rights but it is still uncertain how many families are expected to take up the new right.
“According to Government projections, as few as 5,700 men will apply over the next 12 months, but the figures in this survey suggest that the appetite for doing so could be much stronger with take up being much higher.
“So it’s important businesses and employers need to be prepared for the changes before they come into force, and know their rights as well as those of their employees.”
The study of 2,000 men and women found 66 per cent of men would be happy to take on the role of stay-at-home dad, whilst another three quarters would happily work part-time to allow their partner to return full-time.
Four in 10 say this is down to them wanting to be a bigger part of their child’s life than they would be if they worked full-time while 19 per cent worry they will miss out on too much of their child’s life otherwise.
More than a third say it’s the most sensible option for them as their wife or girlfriend earns more than them, with another 23 per cent not enjoying their job whilst their other half does.
One in twenty said taking the time off work will be less detrimental to their career than that of their partner.
Other reasons men want to take on the childcare role include it being easier for them to work around school or nursery hours than their partner, believing it would be less stressful to look after the kids than go to work and not wanting to commute anymore.
Sixty-one per cent even claimed they would be happy to become a stay-at-home dad, even if it had a detrimental effect on their career in the future.
But the researcher found that whilst most would be happy to share their decision, 23 per cent of men wouldn’t be comfortable telling their friends about their plan to be a stay-at-home dad, while 49 per cent would be worried about others judging them.
Glenn Hayes, an employment Partner at national law firm Irwin Mitchell, added: “These figures may take businesses by surprise and it is vital that they deal effectively with what is an extremely complex piece of legislation.
“It is important that employees start their conversations with their employers as early as possible in relation to shared leave, but it is vital that companies deal with the requests in the correct manner.
“Many businesses have been slow to prepare themselves for this important change and in doing so have left themselves exposed open to the risk of mishandling requests and inviting claims for discrimination.”
Shared Parental Leave rules allow those whose children are expected to be born or adopted from 5 April will be able to share up to 50 weeks of parental leave between mum and dad during the first year after a baby is born/child is adopted.
Previously, the majority of dads had two weeks paternity leave while mums could have up to 12 months maternity leave and nine months paid maternity leave.
You may have noticed by now that Frost Magazine has a new(ish) parenting section. To find great articles for it, and have a bit of fun, I headed to The BabyShow at the Excel Centre. The Baby Show is the UK’s leading event for bump, baby and beyond. This year it also incorporated The Work & Family Show. a section sponsored by My Family Care and dedicated to helping new parents return to work after having a family – giving them access to a range of ideas for starting up their own business and advice on how to make the successful transition to the role of a working mum or dad. The Baby Show itself is sponsored by Made for Mums.
There is a lot to do at The Baby Show and you really get your money’s worth. There are a lot of great exhibitors and you can buy pretty much anything you could ever want for your offspring as well as getting plenty of advice. In fact there was over 200 brands exhibiting including Mothercare.com, iCandy, Chicco, Emma’s Diary, mamas & papas, Maxi-Cosi, Quinny, Stokke and Tommee Tippee. There was plenty of talks on The BabyShow stage and the Work & Family Show stage. On The Baby Show stage nutritionist and author, Annabel Karmel MBE gave a great talk on weening, leaving the audience feeling inspired. Other experts who gave great talks included breast-feeding gurus Clare Byam-Cook and Geraldine Miskin, sleep experts Jo Tantum and Lisa Clegg, fitness guru, Michelle Heaton and child safety expert, Tracey Taylor from the British Red Cross. Tracey was great and showed the audience how to save their baby’s life. It was fascinating stuff and I can recommend taking a Red Cross class on first aid for your baby.
Treading the boards of The Work & Family Show stage experts include Daily Telegraph journalist and author, Bryony Gordon, Stylist Editor, Lisa Smosarski, business coach and founder of CEO Mums, Nicola Huelin, Chief Executive of Working Families, Sarah Jackson and prize-winning journalist and former editor of Psychologies and Good Housekeeping, Louise Chunn.
Louise Chunn gave a great talk on being a working mother. Louise also talked about the fact that her own mother was always starting businesses and that her most read article was one about her regrets about being a working mother.
This year’s charity partner was Theodora’s Children’s Charity which works hard to fund laughter in children’s hospitals, hospices and specialist care centres across the UK. They train ‘Giggle Doctors’ who are professional performers such as magicians, singers, actors and musicians, to bring magical moments and laughter to brave children in difficult times. It is a worthy cause so donate if you can.
Highlights on The Work & Family Show included:
A CV Master Class – how to make your CV stand out from the crowd after a career break
Building your Network – building relationships
Balancing work and family
Building your personal brand – gaining confidence and believing in yourself
Visitors will listen to industry experts and inspirational working mums give their advice on how to balance work and family and choose the career path best for them. The BabyShow stage will also host a dedicated session on Shared Parental Leave and what it will mean.
Other highlights of The BabyShow include:
Catwalk shows with all the latest fashions in maternity, baby and toddler wear
Exclusive show offers and competitions from top parenting brands
A complimentary crèche where parents can drop off their little ones
The BabyShow Stars’ themed competition held by Bumpkins Photography where the Show’s cutest baby will be awarded a high end, exclusive photo shoot
Dedicated baby facilities including the Tommee Tippee feeding area where parents can take advantage of heating and sterilising equipment, complimentary baby food and a comfortable space for breast feeding.
The Baby show was a brilliant event. I learned a lot and there is a lot to do. It takes a full day to go around all of the stands and listen to the talks. There is also an option for networking and a complimentary crèche so you can take a look around without your little ones. The Baby Show will be in Birmingham in May next, then Olympia in London in October, followed by ExCel again next February. Catch it if you can.
The brief was to get myself to Trafalgar Square at 11:45 on Friday 27th February, find the 8’ high teapot and share a cup of Rosie Lee with former Dragon’s Den star, Theo Paphitis and some of his celebrity friends, all in the name of Comic Relief’s bi-annual Red Nose Day being held on Friday 13th March 2015.
On what was possibly the warmest day of the year so far, a crowd gathered, donning red noses, handed out by a pair of bananas… well, two bubbly members of Ryman staff dressed as bananas, mingling and giggling in the bright sunshine – I lost count of the number of selfies that were being taken around me, celebrities and the public posing together, all in the name of the Comic Relief charity. Matt Cardle, Lauren Goodger, Jake Wood, Helen Lederer, Nick Moran and Paul Bradley graciously took time out to raise awareness for Comic Relief and Red Nose Day 2015. Theo brought along the Boux Avenue Range Rover, all blinged-up, surrounded by a bevvy of TOWIE fans just itching to lick the bonnet.
Born-organiser and self-confessed shopkeeper,Theo Paphitis, shepherded his celebrity friends and warmly invited the public to grab a cup of tea (courtesy of PG Tips, served by www.coopersbeansandleaves.com from their quirky little three wheeled mobile coffee van) and chat … and chat we did.
Jake Wood (aka Max Branning – EastEnders) told me about his time on Strictly Come Dancing – a sharp learning curve when you’ve never danced before, but under the wing of professional dancer, Janette Manrara, Jake proved that he has a natural talent for Ballroom and Latin dancing – borne out through many spectacular hip-gyrating Salsas and Rumbas, taking him through to the nail-biting #SCD semi-finals. Jake explained to me that he is now mentoring Anna Kennedy, a mother from Uxbridge who set up schools and support for people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders and will be a contestant on a very special edition of the hit BBC series Strictly Come Dancing.
Mrs Kennedy, 54, set up Hillingdon Manor School in Harlington Road in 1999 after struggling to find suitable education for her two autistic sons and will partner Robin Windsor on the BBC 1 show, mentored by Jake and Janette. Anna, who has received an OBE for services to special needs education, will be one of six ‘everyday heroes’ taking part in The People’s Strictly for Comic Relief. The five-part series will see all the regular Strictly faces, including judges Anton du Beke, Darcey Bussell, Bruno Tonioli and Len Goodman, and hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
Jake paid tribute to the BBC, explaining the behind-the-scenes activities that go into putting a series together, along with intense training and the rush of adrenaline when performing, the format is unlike any other. I asked if he is going to continue dancing and he answered “My children loved seeing me dance in Strictly and I think they’d have something to say if I stopped now!”
When the kettle came off the boil and the teapot ran dry, we moved inside to the Trafalgar Hotel where I sat down with Theo Paphitis, Chairman of Ryman, Chairman and Owner of Robert Dyas and Boux Avenue, also sitting on the Commercial and Technology board for Comic Relief.
CDTT: Thank you for the interview, Theo! So, tell me, how did #TeaWithTheo come about?
TP: Well, I’m a director of Comic Relief, for a start, I’ve been involved with them for many years, I’ve been to many of the projects around the world that we fund to see where the money is spent that the great British public donate to and that it’s spent properly and well. I’ve been involved with it with my businesses for a number of years, both Ryman and Robert Dyas, both convenience shops involved with our communities so there’s real great enthusiasm in those six weeks leading up to Comic Relief where it gives our colleagues the opportunity to interact with our customers, have a bit of fun, be a bit silly, come off the tracks a little bit and come away from the mundane part of life and raise millions and millions of pounds, which we do every year for the charity, and help others, so it really is win-win all round.
CDTT: A great collaboration Theo, as you say, win-win. You mentioned Boux Avenue, this is a brand that’s relatively new to me.
TP: Where do you live?
CDTT: Norwich.
TP: Ah, we have a shop in Norwich, in Chapelfield. Really, Boux Avenue was probably the biggest single reason I stopped Dragon’s Den… that, and Robert Dyas, because I started Boux Avenue. And when we started Boux Avenue, we took a clean piece of paper and I said if I wanted to create an international lingerie company and I’ve got nothing at the moment, how would it be? So we designed a shop, opened a few shops to test it, created and designed the product, and we’ve been going for three years now. We’ve got 25 stores in the UK, 10 overseas already, we’re now turning over a lot of money as a business, it’s become an international brand and it’s taken a lot of my time with a lot of people involved, an international team and we’re very excited about it. In the middle of a recession, we started a retail business aimed at an international market…
CDTT: …and it worked.
TP: And it worked.
CDTT: You did an interview back in 2011 and quoted that you were going on the search for ‘Boux’, did you find her?
TP: Boux… a little French woman we met on a family holiday in Monaco, she was cute and lovely and epitomised what we had in mind for the brand.
CDTT: Well, Shane and I are going to Monaco this year, so we’ll look out for her! With my fashion editor hat on now, your style and dress sense is very elegant… do you have a stylist or does Mrs P choose your clothes?
TP: I have had a stylist for a programme I appeared on, but I dress myself – Man at Dunhill!
CDTT: (Both laugh) And do you have any acquisitions or business opportunities in the pipeline that you can tell me about?
TP: Well, Boux Avenue is growing internationally, any day now I’m going to sign a contract on another large international deal which we’ll probably announce within the next ten days, Robert Dyas is growing, Ryman is growing, we’re always on the look out for other things. We’ve had a great Christmas, a great retail year, and we’re all passionate about what we do, we all love shop-keeping, if you look on my Twitter, I’m the ‘shopkeeper’, that’s what I do. I’d give up television and everything else, but I couldn’t give up shop-keeping.
CDTT: So the reason you left Dragons Den was because the new businesses were in their infancy and you needed to give more time to ‘shop-keeping’.
TP: Yes, and Boux had launched, I risked a lot of money in that, I had to get that right and also it wasn’t fair to everybody else, my diary was becoming rubbish and the filming weeks made things very tight. I had such a marvellous time (on Dragons Den) and the BBC get knocked and knocked and knocked but actually, as I learnt about television and learnt how brilliant the BBC are, I became more appreciative of what they do… people don’t realise how good they are. So I had a wonderful time in my eight years on Dragon’s Den and it was a wrench to leave, it really was a wrench.
CDTT: I think the public miss you not being there sitting next to Peter.
TP: Well, Deborah (Meaden) has my seat now but the BBC were very generous giving me a year off television to get my businesses established and they kindly backed me, and a year to the day, they called and offered me a slot on The One Show, which is great fun. I’m back into the swing of things now that Boux is established, and Robert Dyas has gone from a difficult loss-making business to a very profitable business. So what’s new? I’ll tell you what’s new, I’m back on TV, that’s what’s new.
CDTT: So, to round things off, the person that really makes me laugh is Lee Evans, he hits my comedy button, who hits yours?
TP: Morecambe and Wise always made me laugh, David Jason, but now… and Mrs P is really going to slap me for saying this, Lemon, Keith Lemon! He cracks me up!
CDTT: And who is Mrs P’s favourite?
TP: Miranda! Miranda actually said “Theo Paphitis is my fantasy man” in one episode… my Twitter feed went mad (laughing).
CDTT: Thank you so much Theo, a fabulous interview!
TP: Lovely to meet you, enjoy your cruise and Monaco… and if you see Boux, say hello!
After the interview, I came to the conclusion this successful entrepreneur really does have a USP … a ‘Unique Spirited Person’ with a nose for business and an eye for the opportunity – plus he makes a jolly good cup of builders slosh!
Watch the Snotty Professor teapot being eased into place!
Time for tea with Theo and his celebrity friends:
Matt Cardle
Appearing at Wrexposure Music Festival on 4th April 2015 – www.wrexposure.com/
@LaurenGoodger – www.laurensway.com – promoting her range of tan, lip, hair and eyelash products, wearing a camel–coloured coat from Cherry Drop Clothing:
Best known playing Nigel Bates EastEnders, now Elliot Hope in Holby City
Helen Lederer
Losing It is the hilarious debut from Helen Lederer, one of the UK’s favourite comediennes, a ‘mid-lit’ book (apparently somewhere between chick-lit and grey-lit!)
Nick Moran
Appearing in ‘Twelve Angry Men’ at the Garrick Theatre, London, until March 15;nimaxtheatres.com/Garrick
OWN YOUR OWN RED NOSE DAY TEAPOT!
The porcelain Red Nose Day teapot featuring the Snotty Professor costs £4.99 from Robert Dyas or from the online shop, with at least £2.25 from each sale going to Comic Relief.
Through his appearances on Dragons’ Den, Theo has advised many young entrepreneurs and invested in several innovative businesses and brands. The Paphitis Charitable Trust distributes all of his fees from TV appearances, speeches and his book to causes close to his heart and charities associated with children. In early 2009 Theo was appointed patron for Skillsmart Retail, the Sector Skills Council for Retail, which is committed to driving up skills levels in the industry. His special areas of responsibility are as the Retail Apprentices’ Champion and for the new National Skills Academy for Retail. In summer 2009 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Middlesex. Theo lives in Surrey with his wife Debbie. They have five children and three grandchildren.
Ryman – www.ryman.co.uk
Ryman is a UK stationery retail company with over 230 outlets nationwide in the UK. The website and stores provide a wide range of stationery and office supplies for homes and businesses. Theo acquired Ryman in 1995. He introduced the Ryman Direct mail ordercatalogue in 1996, the Ryman website in 1998 and has turned Ryman into a successful and profitable business comprising 232 stores with a turnover of more than £120m.
Robert Dyas – www.robertdyas.co.uk
Robert Dyas is a UK retailer founded in London in 1872. The website and stores provide ranges of housewares, small electrical appliances, gardening products, kitchenwares, DIY, and consumer electronics throughout 96 stores, mainly in Greater London and South East England.
Boux Avenue – www.bouxavenue.com
Boux Avenue Ltd. is a chain of lingerie stores based in the United Kingdom. Boux Avenue launched in the spring of 2011 initially opening six stores across the United Kingdom. All the stores are located in shopping centres across the region, including Bluewater (Kent), Lakeside (Essex), St. Davids (Cardiff), Trafford Centre (Manchester), Meadowhall Centre (Sheffield) and Buchanan Galleries (Glasgow). In March 2012, a seventh store in Birmingham’s Bullring opened. In September 2014, an eighth store opened in Brighton’s Churchill Square shopping centre. The store boasts an original selling layout for the UK shopper by displaying the majority of its products in drawers as opposed to hanging rails and stands.
www.coopersbeansandleaves.com
With their quirky little three wheeled mobile coffee van, Coopers Beans and Leaves brings you high quality gourmet coffees including Lattes, Cappuccinos, Americanos, to name but a few, also offering a large range of Organic Fairtrade Clipper Teas, (always adding to the range), the “best” hot chocolate, Chai, Lynch’s Hot Apple & Schmoo Milkshakes, along with a delicious selection of home-made cakes and goodies. #TeaWithTheo event images courtesy Shane Finn www.visual-devotion.co.uk@VisualDevotion
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