The Sunday Times Rich List 2013

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Roman_Abramovich_wins court battleIt seems that whether you become rich really is in the stars. Apparently Gemini’s are more likely to become rich according to The Sunday Times.

HOROSCOPE WEALTH LEAGUE TABLE

The star signs of the 1,000 richest people in Britain

 

Gemini              9.9%

Capricorn          9.6%

Aries                 9.4%

Taurus              8.9%

Leo                   8.6%

Sagittarius          8.2%

Cancer              8.0%

Pisces                7.9%

Libra                 7.8%

Aquarius            7.7%

Virgo                 7.5%

Scorpio              6.5%

 

People born under the star sign Gemini – between May 22 and June 21 – have the best chance of making a fortune, according to the 25th anniversary edition of The Sunday Times Rich List. Just under 10% of the 1,000 richest people in Britain are Geminis, the Rich List will reveal when it is published on Sunday April 21.

 

The survey found that the richest Geminis include diamond billionaires Nicky Oppenheimer, 67, and Laurence Graff, 74, performers Sir Tom Jones, 72, and Sir Paul McCartney, 70, Slavica Ecclestone, 54, the ex-wife of Forumula One chief Bernie, and 37-year-old TV chef Jamie Oliver.

 

Eighty-two-year old motor racing billionaire Bernie Ecclestone and Nancy Shevell, McCartney’s third wife, were both born between October 24 and November 22 under Scorpio, the star sign that is least likely to bring huge wealth. However, Shevell has her own personal fortune from a stake in her family’s transport business in the US. Another Scorpio billionaire is the Chelsea Football Club owner, 46-year-old Roman Abramovich. Jamie Oliver’s, wife Jools, 38, was born in November under the sign of Sagittarius, which accounts for 8.2% of the people in Britain’s richest 1,000 this year.

 

Geminis have topped the Rich List horoscope league for three years in a row, with Capricorn and Aries just behind in second and third places. The Duke of Westminster, 61, Britain’s wealthiest landowner, heads the list of the people born under Capricorn, between December 22 and January 20. Ireland’s richest woman, Hilary Weston, 71, was also born under Capricorn. The Rich List millionaires born under the sign of Aries, between March 21 and April 20 include Lord Sugar, 66, Lord Lloyd-Webber, 65, Sir Elton John, 66, Irish telecoms billionaire Denis O’Brien, 55, and 62-year-old bookmaker Victor Chandler.

 

The Sunday Times Rich List, first published in 1989, is the definitive guide to wealth in Britain and Ireland.

 

Margaret Thatcher Dies At 87

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margaretthatcherMargaret Thatcher died today after suffering a stroke. She was 87.

The former grocers daughter was Britain’s first and only female Prime Minister. Lord Bell, her spokesman said: “It is with great sadness that Mark and Carol Thatcher announced that their mother Baroness Thatcher died peacefully following a stroke this morning. A further statement will be made later.”

Lady Thatcher will have a ceremonial funeral at St Paul’s Cathedral with full military honours.

Prime Minister David Cameron gave his tribute: “It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of Lady Thatcher. We have lost a great leader, a great Prime Minister and a great Briton.”

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said: “Margaret Thatcher was one of the defining figures in modern British politics.

“Whatever side of the political debate you stand on, no-one can deny that as prime minister she left a unique and lasting imprint on the country she served.

Liberal Democrat MP Martin Horwood tweeted: “Sad news about Baroness Thatcher. Don’t miss her policies but a towering figure in 20th c British politics, & made history UK’s 1st woman PM.”

Conservative MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston Zac Goldsmith tweeted: “There’s a reason every aspiring leader wanted to be photographed alongside Lady T. A giant, not just of the C20 but in our country’s history.”

Tom McPhail, Head of Pensions Research at Hargreaves Lansdown, said her government was responsible for the launch of Personal Pensions in July 1988 and for the scrapping of compulsory occupational pension scheme membership, in April 1988. Her political ideology emphasising individual rights and responsibilities, rather than collectivism (“there’s no such thing as society”) can still be seen today. Pension provision may be focused through the workplace but with the end of final salary pensions and the move to money purchase arrangements, the question of what people get to live on in retirement is increasingly dependent on the decisions which they take for themselves.

What are your views on Margaret Thatcher? Do you think she was a good Prime Minister? Let us know.

 

 

Katy Perry teams up with UNICEF and visits children in Madagascar

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Beautiful and talented singer/songwriter Katy Perry has visited Madagascar to bring attention to the situation of children in the tropical island country, one of the poorest in the world and still recovering from a political crisis that began in 2009.

 

“In less than one week here in Madagascar, I went from crowded city slums to the most remote villages and my eyes were widely opened by the incredible need for a healthy life – nutrition, sanitation, and protection against rape and abuse – which UNICEF are stepping in to help provide,” Perry said.

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“I am grateful to UNICEF for giving me the opportunity to see first-hand how their programmes make a real difference in children’s lives. Support for UNICEF is saving children, I am a witness to it.”

On her first visit in support of UNICEF, Perry saw a full range of programmes, from education, nutrition, health and child protection to water, sanitation and hygiene.

Beginning her trip in a slum area of the capital Antananarivo, she visited a child protection centre and met abused and abandoned children and young mothers receiving support and counseling. More than three out of four children in Madagascar live in extreme poverty, making them vulnerable to exploitation.

Most international donors have frozen development aid following the 2009 crisis, forcing the government to make drastic cuts in public spending and resulting in large parts of the population not having access to basic health care and primary education. Perry visited a UNICEF supported pre-school and a primary school built to enable children to go back to school.

At the Sahavola pre-school, 117 boys and girls between the ages of 3 and 6 receive a quality early education and learn the importance of thinking creatively and working collaboratively. They are also encouraged to participate in health and hygiene practices at an early age. To promote proper hygiene and sanitation, UNICEF constructed latrines and sinks at the pre-school, where Perry took in hand washing with the children.

The old village primary school, made from sticks and with a thatched roof, was destroyed by one of the tropical cyclones that hit the island every year. It was replaced by UNICEF with a solid, cyclone-resistant building.

 

 

Schooling rates in Madagascar are alarmingly low. Only three children out of every 10 who start primary school complete the cycle. Two-thirds of teachers have not received any formal training.

 

UNICEF and national school authorities are working to improve the situation through school construction and providing learning materials, training for teachers and supporting community action plans for education.

“An education is an incredible opportunity here. I visited a very remote community, where children and teachers walk for 45 minutes just to get to school. This is a testament to how appreciative they are about their education,” said Perry in the UNICEF- supported primary school in the village of Ampihaonana.

In the nutrition centre in Androranga village, Perry learned about UNICEF’s efforts to tackle another serious problem of the country – chronic malnutrition. Half the children in Madagascar are chronically malnourished, putting the country among the six worst in the world for chronic malnutrition.

 

Poor maternal nutrition, poor feeding practices and poor food quality contribute to the failure of these children to reach their full potential mentally and physically. The centre, run by a community health worker, identifies cases and works with village mothers to improve children’s nutrition, including focusing on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of a child’s life.

Claude’s Kitchen | Restaurant Review

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platesClaude’s Kitchen in South West London is an atmospheric restaurant above a pub in Fulham. The kitchen is headed up by Claude Compton, the founder of award-winning streetfood company Green Goat Food co. and ex-chef of Petersham Nurseries and Club Gascon. The food is imaginative and also looks great.

Starters

Cornish Mackerel. (line caught)

Red Grape. Blood Orange, Beetroot, Bloody Mary Sauce.

I liked this starter. The ingredients would not necessarily go together, but they did in this dish. The bloody mary sauce is brilliant. The combination of ingredients are beautiful when you combine them, and also on their own. The mackerel is well cooked and a little crispy on top. Though it does have bones in it. Which is a pet hate of mine. When I go to a restaurant I don’t want to pick bones out of my fish. All in all I recommend this starter.

Wood Pigeon (Seared)

Celeriac, Cardamon, Pickled Red Onion, Lavender, Honey, Port.

Another interesting combination. Showing the imagination and originality of the restaurant. This also worked. Even with the risk of using lavender, which if used incorrectly tastes like their is soap in your food. This was the first time I had eaten wood pigeon. The meat tastes good and is cooked well. I also love port so this dish was also a winner for me. A lovely, well prepared combination of ingredients that really work together. The celeriac puree was delicious.

Main

Duck Legs (Braised)

Red Cabbage, Wine, Currents, Cabbage Gazpacho, Seville Orange

The duck is beautiful. Just perfectly done. The dish is quite sweet, but this is not a complaint, I like it. The red cabbage is good and the sauce is delicious. Very good.

Megrim Sole (Whole, Char-grilled and Cornish)

Wild Garlic, Almonds, New Pots, Shaved Sprouts, Sprouting

Like the mackerel the sole had bones in it. I know it says ‘whole fish’, but there are a lot of bones which stopped me enjoying the fish as much as I would have liked. However, the fish does taste good, and comes with a generous helping of greens on top with almonds for crunch. The new potatoes come on the side, in their skin and covered in butter and herbs. They are delicious. Barring the bones (that’s a mouthful!) I really liked this dish. Great flavours.

Dessert

Sweet & Sour Rhubarb

Lemon & Star Anise Possit – Hot Piquillo Tuille

Beautiful rhubarb that came with a great sauce. The Lemon & Star Anise Possit is divine.

Bitter Choc Parfait

Red Wine Figs, Beet Crisp, Fizzy Grapes.

This looked great and tasted great too. Another great and imaginative dish. The beet crisp is pretty cool and is a great touch. I love the figs too. The fizzy grape is a fizzy grape sauce covered over the dish. It is just delicious.

Claude’s Kitchen does beautiful food at reasonable prices. Highly recommended.

51 Parsons Green, SW6 (020 7371 8517). Dinner Tues-Sat from 6pm.

 

 

 

Tweaking The Dream By Clea Myers | Book Review

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cleamyersMany people have landed in the city of dreams with high hopes of making it big, and in return Los Angeles has chewed them up and spit them out. There are over 100,000 actors in LA and not everyone gets to live their dream. This book by Clea Myers is a cautionary tale. One that should be read by every wannabe. Clea is from a good background, went to Brown University and landed a job with a top producer. Then everything went wrong and she became addicted to crystal meth.

First of all I will point out that Clea is a friend. She is a very lovely person and incredibly talented. She now lives in London and is a writer and casting associate. She even gave an amazing performance in my film Prose & Cons. As I read the book I found it hard not to only to picture this drug addicted young woman with the Clea I know, but I also found it hard to read about her suffering. It is quite a story, and a testament to how strong Clea is, and how far she has come. Clea is heartbreakingly honest and holds nothing back. Her nightmare descent is told in vivid glory. It is a story that was brave to tell and she should be commended for it.

The book is well written. Clea is obviously a writer of note. The tale of her descent into crystal meth addiction should be read by everyone from drug addicts to school children. It is the most anti-drug book I have ever read. In fact, the most anti-drug thing I have every come across. For this reason it should be widely read. If it stops just one person from becoming addicted to drugs then it will have served it’s purpose.

Tweaking The Dream is an excellent read. Even if, like me, you don’t know anything about drugs. The story is partly an epic struggle of survival and another side of Hollywood. An excellent book.

Tweaking the Dream: A Crystal Meth True Story

The Five Worst Things A Woman Can Do

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GillianPublicityShotPeople can be their own worst enemies sometimes, and women are no exception. In fact, I believe women can be very hard on themselves. So I have made a list of the top five worst things a woman can do to damage her life.

Settling Down With Someone You Do Not Love.

The biological clock is probably the worst thing that ever happened to a woman. It can make us go a bit crazy. A male friend once described woman in their mid-thirties as ‘terrified and terrifying’. Quite unfair and he was about the same age himself. Worst than that, it can make some woman settle for a man they do not love so they can get married and have children. I completely understand this, I really do. Even in 2013 there is a ‘status’ thing between married and unmarried woman, and there certainly is one between the childless and those with children.

The media is full of stories about leaving it too late and this can cloud a woman’s judgement. But deep down, you always know whether or not you love someone. Relationships are hard enough if you do love someone. A relationship chosen because of your biological clock fears will never be a happy one, nor last.

It can also be hard to end a relationship with someone you do not love anymore. The fear of being single is a very real one for a lot of people, but it is only fair on you and the person you are dating. You will both find partners that you are meant to be with.

I came across this amazing quote from Kelly Brook in Easy Living magazine: “I’m not scared to walk away when things aren’t working. I’m not scared of being single, of not having kids. What I am scared of is being stuck in something negative. That is what I am most proud of: having the confidence to know I deserve everything.”

Starve Herself

The pressure to be thin can be tremendous. This pressure comes from the media and other women. It rarely comes from men. If a man loves you he won’t mind if you pack on a couple of pounds.

When I was in drama school I heard stories of women eating cotton balls soaked in orange juice to stay thin. The very idea of it is insane. If you starve yourself your body will not get any nutrients. You will damage your fertility, your health and your hair will fall out. I have heard way too much about starvation diets, that is not a diet, it is anorexia. Let’s stop it now.

Another thing: The whole Curvy versus Skinny thing is a war that should never be waged. Different people are supposed to be different sizes. Diversity is beautiful.

Let a Man Pay For Everything

There is nothing wrong with the man paying for the first date in my opinion. Especially as the women has already probably spent a fortune on a new dress and beauty treatments. However, letting a man pay for everything gives him the control in the relationship. It also makes it harder to walk away if the relationships stops working and you are not financially stable. A woman should always have a means of making money. If not, she has no control of her own future. Virginia Woolf has a famous quote that ‘A woman must have money and a room of her own’. I could not put it better myself.


Judge Another Woman’s Choices.

Woman can be really hard on each other. The truth is that sometimes when we judge it is actually a mixture of envy and admiration. Life does not give everything to one person. When you make a choice another option ends. The grass can seem greener on the other side. When women judge each other it holds us all back. It is time to live and let live.

 

Take Her Foot Off The Pedal

Another thing that some woman do is slowing down or quitting, even before they realise they have done so. When you start to think about children you can take your foot off the gas pedal. This can manifest in not applying for promotions, not going after something with a passion or not following a dream. The expectation of getting pregnant can stop you in your tracks, but do not let it. You never know what will happen in life and maybe you will not want to be a stay-at-home mum. Stay passionate and go after what you want.

What do you think women do to sabotage themselves?

New Study finds that Potassium decreases chance of a stroke

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Good news for those worried about strokes, According to a new study from the BMJ (British Medical Journal), people who have a high potassium intake have a 24 per cent reduced risk of a stroke. The study highlighted the positive health benefits that increased potassium can have on an individual. Eating potassium rich foods such as bananas and nuts and seeds can reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension without having an adverse effect on the renal function in adults.

The recommended daily allowance of potassium currently stands at 3,500mg per day which can be gained from a balanced diet, although increasingly busy lives means that this is not always possible.

Nature’s Plus Potassium capsules are a simple and convenient way to reap the health benefits of potassium. Being yeast free and vegetarian means that they are suitable for everyone to take and with a concentration of 99mg per capsule, they are the perfect way to top up your potassium levels.

 

Calling The UK’s Female Entrepreneurs: Enter The NatWest Everywoman Awards

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beyonce_super_bowl_The UK’s longest-running programme for championing female enterprise, the NatWest everywoman Awards is welcoming entries for 2013. These awards, in their eleventh year, differentiate themselves by recognising business success at every stage of maturity – from embryonic start-ups demonstrating promise to established enterprises that are making a significant contribution to the British economy.

The search is now on to find the female entrepreneurs who will join the ranks of past winners; Chrissie Rucker MBE, Jo Malone MBE, Cath Kidston MBE, Hilary Devey and Dame Mary Perkins as well as the dozens of other women of all ages, household names of tomorrow, who are leading successful businesses the length and breadth of the country.

The number of people setting up their own businesses has jumped by 367,000 since the start of the downturn in 2008*, demonstrating how while necessity may be the mother of invention, a recession can be the mother of innovation. Every year, these awards demonstrate how women from all backgrounds are turning to entrepreneurship to realise their career ambitions. The NatWest everywoman awards raise the profile of pioneering, innovative, inspiring women whose journeys serve to encourage others to join the existing 4.2 million business owners in the UK.

The NatWest everywoman Awards are free to enter and individuals can be nominated or can enter themselves. The core award categories are:


Artemis – given to the most inspirational woman running a business who is aged 25 or under.

Demeter – awarded to the most inspirational woman running a business who is aged between 26 and 35.

Athena – presented to the most inspirational woman running a business who is aged between 36 and 49.

Hera – for the most inspirational woman running a business who is aged 50 or over.

Specialist categories include:

Iris – presented to the most inspirational and successful female entrepreneur who runs a technology business that makes a difference provides real solutions in the world today and, ultimately, is instrumental in building a smarter planet.

Hestia – for the most inspirational and successful female entrepreneur who runs a business in a remote rural location and makes a contribution to the local community.

Gaia – awarded to the most inspirational and successful female entrepreneur who runs a business with a clearly defined social and/or ethical purpose at its heart.

Maxine Benson MBE, co-founder and director of everywoman comments: “These awards recognise that starting and building a successful enterprise does not come with an instruction manual. We understand that business success is driven by women of all ages, from all backgrounds, across industry sectors. Over the years we have recognised hundreds of women who exhibit diverse skills and characteristics that have helped them succeed. Enterprise has never been more popular, and it is encouraging that so many more women are pursuing this route. We want to search out and identify the country’s hidden female entrepreneurs, whether they are just a year into their journey or are growing an established business turning over millions of pounds. By spreading the word about the triumphs of these trailblazing women, others will appreciate how rewarding owning a business can be, and have the confidence to follow in their footsteps.”

Nominations are made online at http://www.everywoman.com/ewawards until 8 July and will be judged by a panel of accomplished businesswomen and entrepreneurs.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony held on 4 December 2013 attended by hundreds of the UK’s leading businesswomen, politicians, media and VIPS. For further information and for table bookings, please contact everywoman directly on 020 7981 2574.