Tag Archives: Catherine Balavage

Kelvin MacKenzie: I Was Hacked.

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Kelvin MacKenzie has described how he felt after learning his phone was hacked by the News of the World. MacKenzie was writing in this week’s edition of The Spectator (out tomorrow)

MacKenzie, who is the former editor of The Sun, insisted he will not sue his former employer.

MacKenzie says he was invited to meet officers from the Met’s phone-hacking inquiry Operation Weeting because his name and private details were found in notebooks belonging to private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.

He said:

We went into a large empty room where the sergeant produced a tatty binder with my name down the side. By this time I was beginning to sweat. At that moment I would have even coughed to voting for Blair in 1997.

There was a dramatic pause as the sergeant opened up the binder. Sheet one had my name on it with a number by the side. Was it mine? Yes it was. The next page was more interesting. It had the pin code used to access my phone’s voice mails.

Up to this moment I had always believed that the pin codes of mobiles were 0000 or 1111 and that’s why it was so easy to crack. But no. In my case it was something like 367549V27418. That surely must kill the idea that the hackers guessed or blagged the number — they must have had inside help from the phone networks.

MacKenzie was going though a divorce and admitted that the experience made him feel ‘queasy’

He elaborated:

In any event, I won’t be taking News International’s money. That would be a betrayal of the many happy years I spent there, plus I have a sense that to pocket the cash — and one lawyer was anxious for me to know that it would be tax free, always attractive — would be to indicate I thought Rupert Murdoch would ever have turned a blind eye to the hackings.

I have an advantage over you. I know Rupert Murdoch and I know he would have gone ballistic at the very thought of such actions. At 81 he may be old but he’s not daft. I should be so daft.
Still, I do reflect that in those 60 minutes I spent with the two police officers by Putney Bridge that my previous hostile attitude to the hacked stars had changed forever. As has my pin number.

The Inept Girl's Guide To Cooking: Eton Mess

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I love Eton Mess, it is easy to make, healthy and just that bit different.

Here is what you need.

Strawberries (about 500g)
4 meringue nests
1 pint double cream
1 tbsp soft demerara sugar
You could make your own meringue, but this is called the Inept girl’s guide, and, really, who has the time.

Next….

1 Wash and quarter your strawberries.
2 Take about 1/3 of the fruit and place in a blender with 1 tbsp sugar to make a puree.
3 Whip the cream until it stiffens
4 Place it all into a bowl, crush the meringue and add that too.
5 Spoon the mix into sundae glasses or a bowl, add the puree and a cluster of delicious ripe strawberries.

You can also add blackberries or raspberries. All summer fruits are great with Eton Mess, enjoy!

London Art Fair

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London Art Fair

18 – 22 January 2012

Business Design Centre, Islington

London Art Fair, the UK’s largest art fair for Modern British and contemporary art returns, with over 100 galleries featuring the great names of the 20th century alongside exceptional recent work, from leading figures and emerging talent.

Highlights of the 24th London Art Fair will include:

Main Fair

Galleries from across the UK and overseas will be exhibiting the work of over 1,000 artists covering the period from the early 20th Century to the present day. Museum quality Modern British art is presented alongside contemporary art from today’s leading artists.

Art Projects

Established as one of the most exciting sections of the Fair, Art Projects features solo shows, curated group displays and large-scale installations from contemporary artists and galleries across the world. New to Art Projects in 2012 are Beers.Lambert Contemporary Art, Edel Assanti, Hoxton Art Gallery, Limoncello Editions, Michael Klein, Tenderpixel and Whatiftheworld.

Photo50

A showcase for contemporary photography established in 2007, Photo50 features 50 works presented in an exhibition curated by Sue Steward.

Photography Focus Day, Wednesday 18 January 2012

Featuring a series of discussions and tours dedicated to contemporary photography.

Tours, Talks and Discussions

An extensive programme of talks and critical debates in association with key partners, plus daily tours of the Main Fair and Art Projects.

London Art Fair tickets are now on sale at £11 (plus £1.50 booking fee) in advance, including a copy of the 2012 Fair Guide (to be collected at the Fair). Tickets on the door are £16.

For a full list of galleries and the latest London Art Fair news visit: www.londonartfair.co.uk

Prince William Praises Queen For Help Planning Wedding

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A new book about the Royal Family has revealed that when Prince William was first handed his wedding list, he did not know anyone on it.

The book, called Our Queen also reveals that the Queen advised him to bin the official guest-list for his wedding to Kate Middleton and start again.

He said: “I came into the first meeting for the wedding, post-engagement, and I was given this official list of 777 names – dignitaries, governors, all sorts of people – and not one person I knew. They said: “These are the people we should invite”.

“I looked at it in absolute horror and said, ‘I think we should start again’. I rang [The Queen] up the next day and said, ‘Do we need to be doing this?’ And she said, ‘No. Start with your friends first and then go from there’. And she told me to bin the list.”

“She made the point that there are certain times when you have to strike the right balance. And it’s advice like that, which is really key, when you know that she’s seen and done it before.”

He also revealed that it was the Queen that insisted her wore his Irish Guards uniform for the wedding.

Made In Chelsea Stars Ollie Locke and Chloe Green Split Up.

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Made In Chelsea stars Chloe Green and Ollie Locke have split up.

Chloe Green joined the reality TV show this month as Ollie’s girlfriend and has said that the relationship could not survive the media spotlight.

The daughter of Topshop owner Sir Philip Green said: “We have split. It was nothing to do with Ollie being bisexual; I was fine with it and so was Dad. He met Ollie and thought he was a really nice guy.”

She also said that “World War 3 nearly broke out” a few times between her and Ollie’s ex-girlfriend Gabriella Ellis.

“It’s fair to say there were some awkward moments and World War 3 nearly broke out when we watched the screening of the first episode.”

However, the two seem to have become friends, Ellis went on to tell GLAMOUR.com: “Yeah, we’re really close friends actually. In the past kind of week or two, we’ve become really close. The show airs nearly a month after we’ve filmed the episode, so now we’ve become really, really close, but you’ll see it happen.”

How To Treat A Cold

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Aaachoo! Most of us will have a cold this winter, but do you know how to treat it?

NHS Choices reveals some of the myths around treating a cold and offers advice on how to
get well quickly

According to NHS Choices, on average an adult can expect to catch a cold between two and four times a year, with more people suffering during the winter months. But do you know how best to treat a cold?

Myths about cures for the common cold:
· Vitamin C – according to NHS Choices, one in three people believe that Vitamin C can help cure a cold. In fact, research has shown that Vitamin C doesn’t prevent or cure a cold.
· Echinacea – many think that Echinacea can be used to prevent a cold or treat one, but research has shown that there is no proof of this being the case.
· Over the counter medicines for colds – over the counter medicines do not cure a cold. The usual ingredients are painkillers and decongestants, which only help manage the symptoms.

In reality, the best thing you can do if you do get a cold this winter is to rest, eat well, avoid stress and keep hydrated. As most colds are caused by viruses, you don’t need antibiotics to help treat it.

Dr. Knut Schroeder, GP, says: “Many people will catch a cold this year – but there really isn’t any miracle cure out there. A balanced diet and regular exercise can help you to stay healthy. But, if you are to catch a cold then my advice is to try and stay warm, drink plenty of fluids and to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. All this can help your body naturally fight the cold virus.”

For more information on surviving colds this winter visit, www.nhs.uk/livewell/coldsandflu.

The Stig, a Black Cab…and Chris Evans

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The Stig, a Black Cab…and Chris Evans

• Top Gear Live’s tame racing driver in 400bhp London ExCeL blat

The Stig gave television and radio presenter, Chris Evans, a truly memorable ride yesterday morning when he took to the wheel of a Black Cab for a quick tour of ExCeL London, the capital’s venue for the all-new Top Gear Live 2011 (November 24-27th). The show also visits the NEC in Birmingham between 11 – 13 November.

Petrolhead, Evans, jumped in the back of a rather unique 400bhp version of the iconic London taxi to announce his appearance at this year’s show where he will take part in a special live rendition of Star in a Reasonably Priced Car.

Negotiating service ramps, the underground car park, power-sliding through the show halls and across the central boulevard, The Stig gave his passenger a whirlwind tour of the 100,000 square metre venue.

Billed as ‘The Ultimate Top Gear Experience’, visitors can expect all the on-screen, supercharged excitement of the TV show rolled into one event, with the famous presenting trio of Clarkson, Hammond and May previously seen in the TopGearLive action arena now spilling out into the rest of the event.

At the centre of the new format is the new Top Gear indoor track featuring highlights from the TV show including Stig Power Laps and ‘Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car’ as well as the Top Gear Stunt Team, mouth-watering head-to-heads and supercar parades.

BBC Radio 2 breakfast DJ and One Show presenter, Chris Evans will appear on 24th November at London ExCel. Further celebrity names will be announced in the coming weeks.

Visit www.topgearlive.co.uk or facebook.com/topgearliveuk to see how Chris and The Stig got on.

Tickets start at just £49. For more information about the show or to book tickets visit www.topgearlive.co.uk or call 0871 230 5588.

Raindance announces Jury for Festival Awards

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Raindance announces Jury for Festival Awards for 19th Raindance Film Festival

28 Sep – 9 Oct

Raindance is delighted to announce the jury for this year’s Festival Awards. The panel, which includes
actors, directors, presenters, journalists and members of the film and photograph industry, will judge
the films nominated in each of the eight categories, with the winners to be announced on Saturday 8th
October, 8pm at the Festival venue, the Apollo Cinema in Piccadilly Circus.

The eight categories are:

Best International Feature, Best UK Feature, Best Debut Feature, Best Documentary, Best Microbudget
Feature, Best UK Short, Best International Short and the Film of the Festival.

“Our jury represents the spectrum of the film industry – from actors to directors and critics to
programmers – they bring an in-depth knowledge of film to the judging panel and will have the
difficult job of choosing winners from the outstanding titles nominated this year,” said Elliot Grove,
Festival Director.

The jury is as follows:

Sally Bibawy
Sally Bibawy joined analogue photography company, Lomography, in 1995 and took over the art direction
and product development in 2000. She is a board member, together with Matthias Fiegl and Wolfgang
Stranzinger, since 2004 and is based in Vienna.

Dexter Fletcher
Best known for his role in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Dexter Fletcher has grown up on screen,
beginning with his role as Baby Face in Bugsy Malone and on the British TV series Press Gang. His many
credits include The Elephant Man, Layer Cake and Kick Ass. Dexter also appeared in the 2009 Raindance Film Festival Trailer.

Gillies MacKinnon

Scottish Director Gillies MacKinnon has assembled one of the most impressive bodies of work in
recent British cinema with directing credits including Small Faces, Trojan Eddie starring Richard Harris
and Stephen Rea, A Simple Twist of Fate with Steve Martin, Regeneration starring Jonathan Pryce,
James Wilby and Jonny Lee Miller, Hideous Kinky with Kate Winslet, and the Golden Globe-winning
television Film, Last of the Blond Bombshells starring Judi Dench. His other work includes The Escapist,
Pure, historical drama Gunpowder Treason and Plot with Robert Carlyle, Tara Road , and The Snow
Goose starring Billy Connolly.

Céline Masset
Céline Masset is the co-founder and Artistic Director of the Brussels Short Film Festival, which will
celebrate its 15th anniversary next year. Her company, Un Soir Un Grain, also distributes and produces short films.

Helen McCrory

Helen McCrory is a multi award-winning actress on stage, television and the silver screen. She played
Cherie Blair in The Queen and The Special Relationship and played Narcissa Malfoy in the last three Harry
Potter movies. She will appear in Martin Scorsese’s soon-to-be-released film, Hugo and We’ll take
Manhattan for the BBC.

Wendy Mitchell

Wendy Mitchell is head of news at Screen International and ScreenDaily.com. Before moving to London,
she worked on staff in New York for Entertainment Weekly, indieWIRE, Rolling Stone and CMJ, as well as
freelancing for the New York Daily News, Playboy, Variety, Billboard, Time Out New York and The Wall
Street Journal. She is also the author of New York City’s Best Dive Bars (published in 2003).

Alex Zane
Alex began his career hosting the film review show Screenplay and fronting MTV’s flagship show, TRL.
A talented radio broadcaster, Alex began working at Xfm in 2002, and hosted the station’s Breakfast
Show for two years. His TV credits include Popworld, Balls of Steel, 8 out of 10 Cats and he hosted this
year’s Red Carpet Live for the Golden Globes and the Oscars. Alex currently hosts Channel 4’s Rude
Tube, Alex Zane’s Guest List and is the lead film reviewer for The Sun.

Festival Awards – nominated films

Best International Feature

Just Between Us / Rajko Grlic – Croatia
No Return / Miguel Cohan – Spain / Argentina
After Fall, Winter/ Eric Schaeffer – USA
Youth H2 “Come As You Are” / Kota Yoshida – Japan
War Games / Cosimo Alemà – Italy

Best UK
Acts Of Godfrey / Johnny Daukes – UK
A Thousand Kisses Deep / Dana Lustig – UK
Flutter / Giles Borg – UK
Hollow/ Michael Axelgaard – UK
Seamonsters / Julian Kerridge – UK
Stranger Things / Eleanor Burke – UK

Best Debut
Tilt / Viktor Chouchkov Jr. – Bulgaria
Synchronicity / Joe Tanaka – Japan
Exteriors / Marie Kristiansen – Norway
Restive/ Jeremiah Jones – USA

Best Microbudget Feature

MONK3YS / Drew Cullingham – UK
Julius Caesar / Adam Lee Hamilton & John Montegrande – UK
Uspomene 677 / Mirko Pincelli – Bosnia Herzegovina / UK
Meso Cafe / Ja’far ‘Abd al-Hamid – UK
Black Pond / Tom Kingsley – UK

Best Documentary

White Button / Igor Stoimenov – Serbia
The Echo Of Astro Boy’s Footsteps / Masanori Tominaga – Japan
Where My Heart Beats / Khazar Fatemi – Sweden
How to Start A Revolution / Ruaridh Arrow – UK
Heaven + Earth + Joe Davis / Peter Sasowsky – USA

Best International Short

The Lady Paranorma / Vincent Marcone – Canada
Martyr Friday / Abu Bakr Shawky – Egypt
Words / Sven Vinge – Denmark
Zoltan- The Hungarian Gangster of Love / Justin Reardon – USA
Hemingway’s Pen / Renzo Carbonera – Italy

Best UK Short

This Side of the Afterlife / Adam Horton – England
God View / Billy Lumby – UK
The Girl Is Mime / Tim Bunn – UK
Love At First Sight / Michael Davies – UK
Rough Skin / Cathy Brady – UK

About Raindance Film Festival

Raindance Film Festival will run from 28 Sept – 9 Oct at the Apollo Cinema in London’s Piccadilly Circus, with the
Opening Night premiere of Another Earth at Cineworld Haymarket on 28 Sept.
For press accreditation visit: www.raindance.co.uk
Tickets and passes to the festival will be on sale from 6th September on www.raindance.co.uk

Now in its 19th year, Raindance Film Festival is Europe’s leading Independent Film Festival showcasing feature films, shorts and docs from around the world and specialising in independent films and directorial debuts. The
festival has a strong legacy of showing alternative, edgy films. Since 1993 Raindance Film Festival has uncovered
the hottest new filmmakers to hit the cinematic scene. Raindance-premiered hits include Pulp Fiction, Memento,
the Blair Witch Project, Ghost World and Love Exposure.
Raindance – The Voice of Independent Film

Raindance is dedicated to fostering and promoting independent film in the UK and around the world. Based in the heart of London, Raindance combines Raindance Film Festival, Training Courses, the prestigious British Independent Film Awards and Raindance.tv

Frost will be covering the Raindance Film Festival.