Mother's Day Ideas

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It is mothering Sunday on the 18th and Frost has sourced some gift ideas and treats for the special women in your life.

This Mother’s Day, treat your mum to exclusive and stylish gifts from Isabella Oliver 365. Select from luxurious and timeless pieces such as the Everyday Scarf, the Essential Skinny Belt or the Leopard Skinny Belt, perfect for any chic mum’s wardrobe. Spoil your mum this Mother’s Day and treat her
to a gift that she will always love. To view the collections visit IsabellaOliver.com . I love all of the collection, it is just effortlessly stylish.

FROM INDIA WITH LOVE ON MOTHER’S DAY

Mother’s Day is celebrated the world over, and this year British Airways will be flying in a special selection of Mother’s Day cards made with love from the Sreepuer village in Bangladesh.

The beautifully handcrafted cards have a deeper meaning than the words on the cover – as all profits are returned to Sreepur Village, a home for destitute women and children in rural Bangladesh.

Rob Jenkinson, who distributes Sreepur cards in the UK, said: “This Mother’s Day you can make two Mum’s happy as well as making a world of difference to the women of Sreepur. They do an incredible job to create these cards all year round, while bringing up their families below the poverty line. Every single penny makes a difference and goes straight back to the project.”

British Airways has supported the Sreepur project since it was established, helping with vital distribution flying a range of greetings cards into the UK, as well as retailing them internally in their Head Office.

The cards are made from jute, also known as Hessian, which grows in abundance in the area around Sreepur, helped by the ideal wet and warm conditions of the monsoon area. The cards are decorated with a combination of wheat straw and paper, with the finished product made from locally sourced natural products to a high standard.

Mary Barry, British Airways community relations manager said: “We’re so proud to be part of this project. I have seen first hand how the village has been transformed, thanks to the generosity of all the people who buy these cards and I would like to thank them for their contribution.”
There’s still time to buy a card before Mother’s Day on Sunday 18 March, please visit – www.thesreepurvillage.org

If you really cannot think of what to get her, try a gift card.

As demands of the modern day can make it increasingly difficult to dedicate time to the family, we need to make that extra effort to show our appreciation on important dates such as Mother’s Day. ‘Children’, both young and old, should be thinking of ways to thank their mums for those long years of suffering, even if they are not able to spend the day with them. To help with this, the UK Gift Card & Voucher Association (UK GCVA) has surveyed 100 modern day mums and found out what they would really appreciate this Mother’s Day. The top results included:

1. A day out with all the family;

2. To be excused from cooking and cleaning over the Mother’s Day weekend;

3. For a beauty or pampering session;

4. Peace and quiet for the whole 24 hours of Mother’s Day;

5. A voucher for her favourite clothing or make-up brand

The top entry of ‘a day out with all the family’ will not come as a surprise to many, however meeting this request by getting everyone together may be difficult for some families.

Andrew Johnson, director-general of the UK GCVA suggests using gift cards and vouchers to compensate for not being with your mum on Mother’s Day:

“An experience voucher (such as for a family day out at the zoo or a weekend away) is a great way for the whole family to enjoy a fun day out together, and mum can make the most of some quality time with the kids. A bonus of these gifts is that they can be redeemed at any time meaning that, if you’re unable to see your mum on Mother’s Day, the gift can be enjoyed at a later date.

Similarly, if you’re not able to spend the day with her, and she wants peace and quiet, why not send your mum away for a spa day by herself so she can unwind. There is a large selection of gift cards on offer that your mum can choose from for a spa retreat.”

Johnson continues:

“As mums are not generally that demanding of their children, many of you will need to think ‘outside the box’ for ideas to show your true appreciation on Mother’s Day. Gift cards and vouchers are an easy and effective way of doing this. To make up for not being around on the day, a further idea may be to give your mum a voucher for her favourite clothing store so she can treat herself.”

There are so many options available to show our mothers how grateful we are to them and all it takes is a little imagination to ensure that mum has a smile on her face on 18th March.

Love Your Mum with New Zealand Lamb

This Mother’s Day, let Mum put her feet up, and cook a meal that comes straight from the heart. This simple roast recipe is easy enough even for kitchen novices to try their hand at, perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon with the family. For those who are looking for further inspiration, check out www.loveourlamb.co.uk to see New Zealand chef Peter Gordon teaching England rugby star Will Greenwood how to make this meal – live from 1st March 2012. You can view the video on Frost Magazine


Serves: 4-6

Preparation Time: 20 mins

Cooking Time: 2h 20


1 x 2 – 2.5kg leg of lamb

1 large red onion, peeled and chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped (optional)

The leaves from 2 x 10cm stalks of rosemary

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 medium parsnips peeled, topped and tailed, cut into chunks

1 bunch baby carrots, scrubbed

800g mashing potatoes, peeled and cut in half

100ml double cream

60g butter

1 medium head broccoli, cut into large florets

150g frozen peas

A small handful mint leaves, torn

1½ tablespoons flour

Preheat the oven to 180?C. Place the lamb in a roasting dish and poke a thin, small knife into it in about 20 places. In a bowl, mix the onion, garlic, rosemary, thyme and olive oil with some salt and pepper and rub this all over the lamb. Leave for 20 minutes, then rub it in again and place in the centre of the oven and roast for an hour.

Turn the lamb over and add the parsnips to the roasting dish along with half a tea cup of hot water. Roast for 45 minutes, basting the lamb with the pan juices a couple of times. Turn the lamb over again and add the baby carrots. It will be cooked medium (which is lovely for a leg of lamb) in another 20-40 minutes.

Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water.

Remove the lamb from the roasting dish and place in a dish loosely covered with foil. Rest in a warm place for 20 minutes.

Drain the potatoes into a colander. Using the pot they were cooked in, bring the cream and all but 1 tablespoon of the butter to the boil. Return the potatoes to the pot and mash them with salt and pepper. Keep a lid on the pot to keep it warm.

Bring another pot of lightly salted water to the boil and add the broccoli. Bring back to the boil and add the peas. Bring back to the boil and cook for 2 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid, then toss with the reserved butter and mint and keep warm.

If you can place the vegetable roasting dish on the hob, then remove the vegetables. If not, pour the roasting juices into a saucepan. Place over a moderate heat, add the flour and stir to make a paste, then slowly add the juices from the leg of lamb and as much liquid from the vegetables as possible to make gravy. Taste for seasoning.

To serve: simply carve the lamb and arrange on warmed plates with vegetables, mash and gravy.


It’s the thought that counts Now for some stats and facts!

Standard Life’s ‘Your Commitments, Your Future’ report reveals the nation’s true time and money spent on their parents – a clue to what mums might have in store this Mother’s Day.

Treating your parents:

* Adults in the UK spend just £13 a month on average on their parents, that’s just over £150 a year
* In comparison, parents in the UK are spend over three times as much, £456 a year on average, spoiling their children

Thinking about parents:

* Adults in the UK spend on average nearly half an hour (27 minutes) each day thinking about their parents
* However, women think about their parents significantly more than men, with women devoting 10 minutes more each day – that’s nearly 70 hours more each year!
* Women aged 18-24 spend almost three quarters of an hour (44 minutes) each day thinking about their parents, the most of any age group
* In comparison, men in the same age group devote half the time to their parents, just 22 minutes each day
* On the other hand, parents in the UK on average spend 41 minutes a day thinking about their children, with women aged 45-54 devoting almost an hour a day (58 minutes)

Who/what else do we spend time thinking about?

· Partner/Spouse – 50 minutes a day on average

· Work colleagues – 18 minutes a day on average

· Credit card payments – 11 minutes a day on average

· Investments – 6 minutes a day on average

· Current accounts – almost 4 minutes a day on average

· Pensions – 3 minutes a day on average

Julie Russell, Personal Finance Expert at Standard Life, said:

“We spend a lot of time thinking about our families and like to treat the people we love. So it’s worth remembering that planning our future finances can play a key role in our relationships with our loved ones. Whether we’re spoiling our mums with a well-deserved treat this Mother’s Day or planning a fun family break this summer, budgeting and looking ahead is essential. And with the end of the tax year looming, it’s a great time for us all to sit down with our families and think about how we can improve our finances to help us enjoy our family life even more.”

To help people better understand their financial and emotional commitments, Standard Life has published knowyourcommitments.co.uk with an interactive tool and thoughts on financially preparing for the future. Further help with financial planning is also available at yourfuturemoney.co.uk

Now for something a bit different, but an excellent idea.

Newcastle-based Shared Interest is an ethical investment co-operative that aims to reduce poverty in the world by providing fair and just financial services. The Society, which was started in 1990, is the world’s only 100% fair trade lender. Shared Interest accepts investments from UK based individuals as well as from businesses, schools, community and faith groups. Account values range
from £100-£20,000. All invested funds are then pooled and used to make low interest loans to fair trade businesses in the developing world. With the support of over 8,000 members the organisation
was able to lend £40 million over the last 12 months. The organisation has expanded its international
presence in the past three years opening offices in Kenya, Peru and Costa Rica. This regional presence
– and the vital local knowledge that the staff are equipped with – means that they are able to help
even the most remote communities by enabling them to access the credit needed to take goods to market.

www.shared-interest.com

Peter Gordon shows ex-England star Will Greenwood how to make a roast leg of lamb

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Peter Gordon shows ex-England star Will Greenwood how to make a roast leg of lamb treat,

Watch our video where they show you how to prepare the perfect Mother’s Day treat for the special women in your life this Mothering Sunday

Mother’s Day is the time where we‘re even more grateful for the women in our lives. Whether it’s our mothers, grandmothers or mother in laws, why not try something different this year than the usual chocolates with a card?

Peter Gordon was joined by ex-England international rugby star Will Greenwood, to show him how to prepare a delicious roast leg of lamb meal with all the trimmings on behalf of Will and his children, to allow his wife to enjoy a relaxing Mother’s Day.

Peter Gordon’s delicious leg of lamb with roasted parsnips, baby carrots, buttered peas, broccoli and creamy mashed potato is the perfect recipe to impress this Mother’s Day. Peter talks Will through the recipe showing him how easy it is to try something different.

Peter Gordon is renowned for his culinary philosophy and is famous for his unique fusion cooking style which focuses on the best quality and tastiest ingredients, no matter where they originate from. Peter happily mixes flavours from Asia through to the Middle East, the Mediterranean and Europe, along with his native New Zealand. He owns restaurants in London and New Zealand.

Watch our video and learn how you can give your mum or wife a break this Mothering Sunday with this great lunch.

Mother’s Day Roast Leg of Lamb

For 4-6

Preparation Time:20mins

Cooking Time: 2h 20

1 x 2 – 2.5kg leg of lamb

1 large red onion, peeled and chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped (optional)

the leaves from 2 x 10cm stalks of rosemary

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

4 medium parsnips peeled, topped and tailed, cut into chunks

1 bunch baby carrots, scrubbed

800g mashing potatoes, peeled and cut in half

100ml double cream

60g butter

1 medium head broccoli, cut into large florets

150g frozen peas

a small handful mint leaves, torn

1 ½ Tablespoons flour

Oven at 180 ?C 2 – 2 ½ hours

Place the lamb in a roasting dish and poke a thin small knife into it in about 20 places.

In a bowl, mix the onion, garlic, rosemary, thyme and olive oil with some salt and pepper and rub this all over the lamb.

Leave for 20 minutes, then rub it in again and place in the centre of the oven and roast for an hour.

Turn the lamb over and add the parsnips to the roasting dish along with half a tea cup of hot water.

Roast for 45 minutes, basting the lamb with the pan juices a couple of times.

Turn the lamb over again and add the baby carrots.

It will be cooked medium (which is lovely for leg of lamb) in another 20-40 minutes.

Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water.

Remove the lamb from the roasting dish and place in a dish loosely covered with foil and rest in a warm place for 20 minutes.

Drain the potatoes into a colander, then using the pot they were cooked in bring the cream and all but 1 Tablespoon of the butter to the boil. Return the potatoes to the pot and mash them with salt and pepper, keep a lid on the pot to keep warm.

Bring another pot of lightly salted water to the boil and add the broccoli. Bring back to the boil and add the peas. Bring back to the boil and cook 2 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid, then toss with the reserved butter and mint and keep warm.

If you can place the vegetable roasting dish on the hob then remove the vegetables. If not, pour the roasting juices into a saucepan. Place over a moderate heat, add the flour and stir to make a paste, then slowly add the juices from the leg of lamb and as much liquid from the vegetables to make a gravy. Taste for seasoning.

To serve: simply carve the lamb and arrange on warmed plates with vegetables, mash and gravy.

Go Fairtrade This Mothering Sunday.

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Buy Fairtrade bouquets this Mothering Sunday and ‘Take a Step for Fairtrade’ to help mothers in developing countries

 

Mothers up and down the country will receive up to seven million stems of Fairtrade flowers from their loved ones this Mothering Sunday, the Fairtrade Foundation can reveal.

Mothering Sunday is a celebration honouring all mothers and is a day to give thanks for all the things they have done over the years.    And with Fairtrade bouquets available from Asda, Interflora, J&E Page, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Next, Ocado, Postal Bouquets, Sainsbury’s, Somerfield, Tesco, The Co-operative, Waitrose and Whole Foods Market, there’s plenty to choose from.

 

New for Mothering Sunday 2012, treat your mum to a beautiful Mother’s Day Fairtrade Pink Rose Bouquet from Marks & Spencer or their Fairtrade Rose and Fresia Gift Bag. And Interflora is selling a vibrant Fairtrade Mini Sunflower Hand Tied Bouquet which will add a cheerful note of colour to any room.

 

Estimated UK retail sales of Fairtrade flowers in 2011 reached £26 million, or 75 million stems. It’s expected that sales of Fairtrade flowers for Mothering Sunday alone will provide £100,000 in additional Fairtrade Premiums for workers on flower farms to invest in community projects.

 

Flower farms have long been a key employer in Kenya, providing jobs in areas where there are few alternatives and ensuring a valuable source of export revenue for the country. With more than half of Kenya’s population of 37 million living in poverty, the cut flower industry plays an important role in providing employment and alleviating poverty. Around 55,000, many of them women and mothers themselves, are directly employed in the industry, while a further 2 million people, indirectly depend on jobs in the flower industry.

Fairtrade certification provides an independent verification that workers on these large-scale flower farms have decent wages and working conditions in line with the core International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions. This includes the right to join a trade union, the right to negotiate collectively with the employer on terms and conditions of employment, freedom from discrimination, a safe and healthy working environment and no child labour.

As with conventional sales, the farms negotiate a price with the exporters who buy their flowers for the Fairtrade market. This price includes an additional payment called the Fairtrade Premium, set at 10% of the negotiated price. This premium money is reserved specifically for investment in projects which benefit the workers and their wider communities. Decisions about how the premium is used are made by a Joint Body of elected workers and management representatives, in consultation with the workforce.

Dan Morey, Business Development Manager for flowers at the Fairtrade Foundation said:

 

‘If you haven’t had time yet to buy your gift, why not treat your mother to some Fairtrade flowers or Fairtrade chocolate for Mother’s Day?  Throughout the year we want everyone to take as many ‘steps’ for Fairtrade as possible and buying a thoughtful and considered present is the perfect way to take your step for the women who grow your flowers.  We have over a million steps still to take this year to reach our target of 1.5 million.  So, please make your Mothering Sunday gift a memorable one.  And, don’t forget to register your step online at step.fairtrade.org.uk.’

And it’s not just the flower producers who benefit when you buy a Fairtrade bouquet. Tropiflora in Sri Lanka, which employs about 100 workers, now exports mini pot plants and Fairtrade foliage – the green leaves that give the backing to bunches of flowers. Currently just 16 percent of their sales are on Fairtrade terms so they are justly proud of their achievements this year. In particular, they have invested much of their Premium in a revolving loan fund for workers so that the same pot of money can be used in multiple schemes. Projects have included providing small loans for individuals, running English classes, buying books for children, setting up sports teams and funding hospital equipment.

For more information, visit www.fairtrade.org.uk/flowers

CELEBRITY MUMS SHARE THEIR BEAUTY TIPS

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Gwyneth Paltrow – maintain a blow dry

“This stuff’s great when your hair needs a little spiffing up, especially when it’s starting to get a bit greasy. If you want to maintain a blow dry or don’t have time to do a full wash and blow out, this really does the trick. It gets right to the roots and brings back volume and makes your hair less oily.”

Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat milk is priced £7.50 for 150ml from John Lewis. For all stockist enquiries please call 01582 820 165.

Charlotte Church – care for sensitive skin

“The Trilogy Sensitive Moisturising Cream is the best moisturiser ever, I use it every day and it makes a huge difference to my skin. When I stopped using it for a few days my skin really suffered as a result.”

Trilogy Sensitive Moisturising Cream is £24.50 for 50ml from Trilogyproducts.co.uk

Denise Van Outen – beat stretch marks

Denise Van Outen revealed her secret to keeping stretch marks at bay was “good ol’ Bio-Oil”, explaining “At night I covered myself in Bio-Oil before bed”.

Bio-Oil is £8.95 for 60ml, Boots.

Katie Holmes – keep it covered

Katie Holmes’ hectic lifestyle as an A-List mum never shows on her skin. We can reveal that her secret is Keromask Camouflage Cream. It offers long-lasting, water-proof and smudge-proof coverage of all sorts of tell-tale signs including dark under eye circles and spots.

Keromask Camouflage Cream is £14.99 from Keromask.com

Victoria Beckham – bee beautiful

Victoria Beckham is a fan of bee venom to keep her skin looking youthful and glowing.

Manuka Doctor’s Purified Bee Venom Repairing Skin Cream is £24.99 Holland & Barrett

Sophie Dahl – look fresh-faced

Sophie Dahl stays fresh faced with a spritz of the Avène Thermal Water Spray “This keeps my skin from getting dry”

Eau Thermale Avène Water Spray is £6.50 for 150ml from Boots

Reality Tv? Look no further.

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Well, I’ve been away from these wild pages for a short while… I know, I know… it’s been hard for you. Those long winter nights must have been like long winter nights but fear not- stout fellows, for I am reborn in the guise of Reality TV reviewer and blogger, both here on the beautifully popular Frost Magazine and for a brand new website dedicated to everything theatrical: www.stagestatus.co.uk.
As many of you will already know, I’m extremely opinionated so I guarantee I shall be saying stuff that many of you will disagree with, and I’m NOT a performer- of any kind. As I wrote that I could almost hear the luvvies amongst you hissing like vampires in a tanning salon.

Don’t get me wrong, I have ‘connections’ and I am qualified- well enough to write this anyway. I’m not just some fat , northern, gobby bloke who resents the fact that for every Billy Elliot there are thousands of bog-standard plebs still shoveling shit every day and he’s one of them. Neither am I someone who has tried to make it vocally- queued up for X Factor only to be told by some teenager with a clipboard and a lanyard, ‘you’re not even talented enough to be ridiculed’.

I just don’t have the talent to perform… but I can write.

Wherever you get your fix of TV you’ll have about as much chance of avoiding the reality gushing from it as I have of avoiding the reality of man boobs- in other words, it’s way too late so just go with the flow and find someone you can trust to measure your cup size.

That would be me.

I shall be starting in earnest with ‘The Voice’. Currently the biggest TV show in America and already a huge hit in 29 other countries. The BBC have spent 22 million pounds of our money getting it over here so I intend to make sure I get my money’s worth.

Following that I shall be sinking my teeth into the latest ALW search for Jesus in the vain hope that the real thing will turn up and get rejected for not being ‘jesusy enough’ by someone so uptight they have their farts auto-tuned to stop them accidentally attracting sheep dogs.

Until these delicious freak shows- or amazing opportunities to unearth undiscovered gems, depending on your viewpoint, are with us, here’s my view of two of the current crop- just to give you an idea of how I think.

Dancing on Ice: Love it! Want to lose myself in Katarina Witt beyond the reach of even the coast guard and genuinely respect the amount of time and effort the celebrities have had to put into it. Plus, anything with Philip Schofield in is TV gold for me as I like to pretend he’s my actual friend so I’m clocking up TV minutes in his ‘company’ like air miles in the hope it will eventually become official. I’m glad Louie Spence took over from Jason because it was just turning, like so many other Judge-based panel shows, into a showcase for the judges and not the talent. I love Chico as much as any straight man can and I think Jorgie will win because she’s clearly the most talented at the job in hand from every angle. My only bugbear about the little fire cracker is the way she pretends to be a six year old at Alton Towers every time she speaks. “Oh my golly, it was so, so, so, hard and everything! Ooh, I’ve got sparkly on my nosey. Time for bo bo’s. Will you read me a story unky Phil?” And then she goes out and performs with the kind of steely determination that could force the Terminator to re-word his catch phrase to, “I’ll only be back if the public decide to keep me in.” If you can perform like that and are happy to occupy the wank-banks of every lads mag reader in the country then you could at least talk like someone who eats without a bib.

Take me out: With pleasure- I’m just waiting for the bullets I bought on Ebay to arrive and the I’ll be right on it, till then I’m afraid it’s, ‘No ammo- no blammo!’

So there you are.

One thing I will add is that in this age of media submersion- a phrase I just made up so bear with me, reading things like this used to be a one-way street. I wrote stuff then you read it, flushed the bog and went back to work. Nowadays it’s more conversational. We have the ability to respond to the idiotic and clearly misguided views of gits like me and that’s precisely what I want you to do. If you are a performer, or a ‘creative’ or you’re a member of the public (the most important people of all), and you have a view then educate me- tell me that you once worked with the no-mark I’ve just torn to pieces and he/she is actually bloody good and deserves a break.

I’ll be there. I won’t be getting into any slagging matches and I may not have time to respond to every comment but I’ll be about, writing and reading and, most importantly of all, maybe, just maybe (but doubtfully if I’m honest- and I usually am) changing my mind. It can happen and that’s the beauty of a blog on a website over a newspaper column or a TV show.

So please feel free to comment either via the main website forums or on my twitter account @elywhitley because, at the end of the day, your opinion is just as valid as mine and as long as what I write gets people talking, either in agreement or disagreement, then I’ve done my job.

To paraphrase the famous saying: Opinions are like arse holes- everyone’s got one… and even Simon Cowell’s stinks now and again. Also, I tend to communicate through mine so don’t worry if it leaves a nasty taste in your mouth… ever get the feeling you’ve taken an analogy too far?

The voice begins on 24th March so I shall be spewing my thoughts from then onwards- may God have mercy on my soul.

Theatre Collection present Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

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Theatre Collection present Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Adapted and directed by Victor Sobchak
 
Crime and Punishment was always going to be an ambitious undertaking, especially with limited stage space and the necessary shortening of the literary epic for the stage. However there is a great deal to like about this production.

 The story itself has always fascinated me, offering psychological insight into the nature of morality, and the many forms of punishment that exist, reaching far beyond simple incarceration. Seeing the play in 2012 also makes me question whether criminals today may be so plagued by guilt and unable to enjoy ill-gotten gains.

 We follow Raskolnikov (played with impressive intensity by Shaban Arifi) an anti hero and our central character. Pressured by the poverty surrounding him, he feels forced to kill and rob a woman who by all accounts is morally bankrupt. In the course of this crime he is interrupted by her sister, whom he also kills.

 The punishment he brings on himself for these heinous acts – despite intermittently justifying them to himself and, at times, others – is enthralling to witness. With money the motivating factor, both for himself and his mother and sister, it is symbolic that he finds himself unable to use the money at all, becoming a miserable and tortured shadow of himself.

 With these issues as the subject, set in Nineteenth Century St Petersburg, the portrayal was always going to be bleak, and while at times the intensive, tortured performances were hard to watch, they felt true to the novel. The use of space, lighting and music was particularly impressive and I really did feel swept away – albeit bleakly – in the performance.

 This won’t be a play for everyone and I wonder if people who haven’t read the novel would get as much from it as I did, but overall I would highly commend such an ambitious and largely successful undertaking.

By Meredith Ettridge

Stars Shaban Arifi and Lucia Edwards.

Women of the Revolution | Kira Cochrane Interview

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I love Kira Cochrane’s writing, so I was very excited to interview her about the new book she has edited: Women of the Revolution: Forty Years of Feminism. Thankfully, her answers made me like her even more.


What was the idea behind the book, Women of the Revolution: Forty Years of feminism?
I was in the office between Christmas and New Year 2010, a time when
it’s always incredibly quiet at work, doing some reading for a piece I
was writing about the first ever women’s liberation conference in the
UK, which was held in 1970. It occurred to me that it would be great
to do something big to celebrate this landmark – forty years of second
wave feminism in the UK – and that we had all the resources necessary
at the Guardian to do that. So I started, that day, to put together a
book made up from our archives, featuring interviews with people like
Germaine Greer, Naomi Wolf, Oprah Winfrey, Nawal El Saadawi, Camille
Paglia and Susie Orbach, and articles on all the most important
feminist issues. Altogether I wanted it to provide an introduction to
the movement for those coming to it fresh, and brilliant, wide-ranging
material for those who have lived and campaigned through it.

How did it come together?
It proceeded with me just trawling through our archive, reading
thousands and thousands of articles until my eyes were sore. Given the
wealth of feminist material the
Guardian has published, it was a massive task, but I really enjoyed
it. (I have come to realise that I’m a total feminist geek!)

What is your favourite article/interview in the book?
Well, like any good parent, I don’t have favourites, and there’s so
much great material: Beth Ditto on how to beat street harassment,
on online sexism, Ariel Levy writing about raunch
culture, Polly Toynbee on Spare Rib magazine, Hadley Freeman on eating
disorders, Marina Hyde on pornography, to name just a few. One
I think is as relevant today as it was when it was published 41 years
ago now, is Jill Tweedie’s piece “Why nice girls finish
last”. In it she writes that women have a “continual and largely
unconscious compulsion to be nice. Nice and kind, nice and fair, nice
and tidy. Nice. Always ready to understand the other point of view.
Always careful not to give a wrong impression”. And she warns against
the feminist movement sinking into a great heaving swamp of niceness.
I think that message is still really important, at a time when women,
as much as ever, are brought up to be
accommodating and unpushy. (Have you ever heard the word pushy used
about a man? How about bossy?).

What do women still need to achieve?
Well, you can break it down into specific issues. Equal pay, economic
equality, a fair sharing of tasks in the home, affordable childcare, political
representation, an end to street harassment, to domestic violence and
rape – and, in the meantime, a higher rape conviction rate and strong
support services for women who experience violence. But I think
we also have to recognise that the problem is structural. We live in
a society where there are hierarchies based on class, race, sexuality,
disability and many other factors. Sex is a key one of those, and if
we could create a much more equal balance of power in general I think
we’d have a society that would function much more happily for everyone.

Do you think feminism is used as a weapon against women, like when a
man doesn’t give up his seat and wants to go dutch, even on the first
date? I have a friend who hates feminism because she says it has been
used to take away men being chivalrous, and we still end up doing the
housework.
I’m pretty happy to see the back of chivalry, because it
was based on the idea of women being the weaker sex. That
doesn’t mean I want doors slammed in my face by the man who’s walking
in front of me – just that whoever reaches the door first will hold it
open, whether it’s me or him. In an equal society, I think men and
women should treat each other equally well. (Also, I’m happy to go
Dutch. I think when one partner pays for everything from the start of
a relationship, unless there’s a really good reason, that sets up a
pretty dodgy power dynamic.)

What can be done to convince women that feminism is still relevant?
Well, I think a large proportion of women are already convinced, and
you can see that in all sorts of ways. There are
the feminist protests and conferences that have taken place over the
past few years, the enormous success of Caitlin Moran’s feminist book
How to be a Woman, the extent to which feminist issues are debated in
the media and online, with women really making their voices heard about
issues that make them angry. For any woman not yet convinced, I
suppose I would just put a few questions to her. Do you
want to live in a country where only one in five MPs – the people who
make the major decisions
regarding our lives – are women? Do you want to be paid
less than your male colleagues for the same work? Do you want to live
in a country where there’s a high chance of you being raped or
sexually assaulted – and a very low chance of your attacker being
convicted on those charges? If not, feminism is for you.

Do you think it is possible for a woman to ‘have it all’?
I think what’s true is that women have made huge strides in the
workplace, but still take care of the lion’s share of tasks at home. I
do think it’s possible for everyone, men and women, to ‘have it
all’, but in order to make that happen there needs to be a real shift
in attitudes towards working hours, so that workers aren’t toiling
incredibly long hours and can have a proper shared family life. That’s
easy to say, and much harder to do. At a time of economic crisis,
especially, it’s very hard for people to feel confident in taking
their foot off the accelerator at work. So I do hope these changes
will happen, but clearly it won’t be overnight.

Women are still sexually objectified to a large degree, what do you
think of Rihanna and Lady Gaga who constantly make music videos
wearing pants and a bra? Is this a bad example? Or an example of a
women being free to do what she wants?
I really don’t like the way that women in the public eye, in their
twenties, are criticised for being ‘bad role models’ for other women
in their twenties. It just seems another stick to beat women with. I
personally think that women should wear exactly what they like – so
long as it IS what they like, that they’re following their own desires
and enjoying themselves. I think if they’re doing that, they set a
great example.

What do you hope the book will achieve?
I hope the book will get people thinking about feminism – thinking
about all the women who have fought for our rights in the past, and all that
we still have to do.

How much more do women have to achieve to be equal to men?
There’s so much, but I think the important point is that we’re getting
there in the UK. There are obstacles, and really worrying issues (like
the fact that women’s unemployment is at a 25 year high), but over the
course of time we are moving forward. It’s like a friend of mine said,
a few years ago, when there had been some notable setbacks for women:
people can try to keep us down, but it’s not like we’re actually just
going to go back into the kitchen and make them a sandwich.


What is next for you?
More articles, more books, and much more feminist research! I’m really looking
forward to it.

Thank you Kira.

[The review of the book is here.]

GEOX AND PATRICK COX SS2012 CAPSULE COLLECTION

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GEOX the premier Italian brand famous for the innovative use of breathable technology and the
renown British shoe designer Patrick Cox have teamed up to create a capsule footwear collection
for Spring Summer 2012 that is an exciting fusion of sportswear and urban chic.

This SS2012 capsule collection marks the start of an ongoing collaboration between GEOX and
Patrick Cox and will see the development of footwear collections for men and women that bring
together elements of active sportswear, big city living, innovative materials and cutting edge
design.

In a statement about his collaboration with GEOX, Patrick Cox has said:

“I want to create pieces that are casual in spirit and reflect London’s cool urban vibe building on
GEOX’s exceptional and innovative shoemaking technology.”

Patrick Cox who became a global household name following the launch of his Wannabe loafer,
arguably the most commercially successful loafer launched in modern times, is famous for shoe
design that skillfully mixes traditional and the avant-garde and for shoes that are ‘must have’ items
for a knowing and fashion conscious market.

Mr Mario Moretti Polegato, Chairman of GEOX comments:

“I’m very pleased with this collaboration that will further increase the value of our respective
strengths and excellences. This new and innovative project will enable our clients to find designer
shoes interpreting in a modern and contemporary way our innovative shoes technology”

The GEOX brand was originally inspired by the style of a British Gentleman who liked to meld
functionality and comfort with a stylish urban twist when choosing his footwear and the idea was
later extended to a broader customer base to whom this mix of styles appealed.

The debut collection that will be launched this weekend features 18 styles for men and 20 for
women that perfectly illustrate the meld of active sportswear and city chic. The designs include
classic wing tip moccasin and derby shoes but with lightweight, flexible GEOX BREATHING soles
or the combination of a traditional tubular loafer with a tennis sole.

The shoes are crafted in beautiful soft leathers in a vast assortment of colours. Available now this
new collection will be distributed in key European markets such as the UK, Italy, France and in the
USA and Asia. The range will be available in top department stores, selected Geox shops and
specialty stores.

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