Frost editor Catherine Balavage was chosen by the FSB as one of the top Female entrepreneurs in the UK and was featured in a book to celebrate International Women’s Day. The book can be viewed here. Well done Catherine!
Frost is looking for more stories of entrepreneurs. Do you own a business? Get in touch.
I’m going to start by saying something totally unpleasant but very necessary. Once I have done this please read on. In fact I assume since you’re still reading this you’re probably in my thrall and that my subtle form of hypnotism has been successful. So please, read on. Ok, here comes the unpleasant bit; Deer Chicago sound exactly like if Biffy Clyro had made their first album using the singer from The Wombats.
Ok I’m glad we got that out-of-the-way. Ignoring that fact, this works. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This limited-edition two-track EP was released in November by the Oxford trio and physical copies sold out almost immediately. It’s two tracks of fairly typical post-rock, quiet/loud with Jonathan Payne’s vocals flying excitedly over the top of them. What the band do well are volume spikes, long crescendos, and the cumulative effects of repetition over long periods with subtle changes. At the risk of boxing the band in, though, they sound like nice boys who you’d happily take home to meet your mother. Not the most alluring of things for a rock n roll band – if they can develop a nastier edge then expect to see them disappear like those other Oxford geniuses, Meanwhile, Back In Communist Russia, otherwise catch them while you can!
Well, here we are. After an agonizing seventeen months off the air, Don Draper and his fellow advertising companions of Madison Avenue are set to return to our screens the end of this month as Mad Men enters its fifth season. For a show notorious for its dense plotting and ruthlessly addictive storyline, the wait has been agonizing to say the least. After slow but steady word of mouth building on BBC Four the new season has been bought up by Sky and being marketed to much larger audience more aware of the show’s presence since it suddenly burst onto the TV radar back at 2007. For those who have yet to dip into its stylised world of intrigue and glamour they have quite some catching up to do.
Mad Men takes place primarily in New York City at the outset of the 1960’s as the country enters what was to be arguably its most turbulent decade. The action centres on the fictional advertising agency Sterling Cooper and its head executive Donald Draper (Jon Hamm), a walking enigma of man who appears to optimise the smooth, fast talking family man with both hands wrapped firmly around the American Dream. But Don is hiding some devastating secrets and his supposedly pristine life is not the Eden it appears. In fact it isn’t for anybody; seemingly all of Draper’s family, co-workers and acquaintances are hiding something from one another (and in some cases themselves as well) and in the world of advertising where a single image substitute’s reality, their infidelities, debauchery and outright deceptions mark them out against a world which is rapidly changing around them and shedding their preset ideals. To recap recent events very quickly, Don has just managed turned the tide of his bitter divorce to Betty (January Jones), his alcoholism and the agencies failing fortunes. He also takes the surprisingly brash decision to propose to his secretary Megan (Jessica Pare) who seems to be the light at the end of the tunnel. But tough times still lie ahead for the agency, the war in Vietnam is escalating and one of Don’s spurned lovers ominously warns him, ‘You only like the beginning of things.’
The world portrayed in the show initially feels like something out of a science fiction drama given the startling contrasts to today’s attitude to social mores. The civil rights movement was just taking off and chauvinism was a firm fixture in the office place. It’s an environment where the men in charge have carte blanche to harass and insult the women that work alongside them. One of the dark joys of the show is seeing these narrow-minded views slowly torpedoed one by one as history changing events foreshadow major plot points; for example Don and his striking yet distant wife Betty facing major revelations about their marriage whilst the Cuban Missile Crisis threatens to engulf them and all around. None of the characters have a chance to be complacent; the world is moving too fast around them. However if the world doesn’t catch up with them first, their frighteningly extravagant lifestyles will. The naivety of the time period also means that all of the major characters smoke and drink to an almost comical degree; the air never seems to be free of smoke whilst a baby shower with flowing martinis provokes laughs and gasps aplenty. Thankfully the substance abuse is not easily dismissed and is shown to have a steadily detrimental effect upon these men who find that they are not as invulnerable as they think.
Draper is a fascinating character; a man who struggles to keep barriers between the lives and worlds he inhabits and is drawn to self-destructive behaviour like a moth to flame. With a main character with so many reasons to potentially dislike them, you better have an extremely charismatic leading man. Thank heavens then for Jon Hamm in what is destined to become an iconic performance; he will have to work very hard to emerge from Drapper’s shadow. His features convey the look of a traditional film or television star of the period yet he lays it with hint of both danger and vulnerability that is utterly compulsive. It’s a role that requires extreme confidence, notably in scenes where Drapper simply dominates sales pitches and board room meetings and Hamm grabs it with both hands and makes it a tour-de-force.
Of course very great T.V. drama needs support for its lead to bounce off of and Mad Men is bursting at the seams with fascinating characters. Listing them all would go on for a considerably long time but I would like to focus on two supporting characters, one of whom arguably stands next to Don as the show’s co-lead. First up is Peter Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser), Don’s astonishingly ambitious and (initially) spineless understudy with a huge sense of entitlement and the need to prove to both his own distant family and his new needy wife and her parents. Both baby-faced and predatory in equal measure, Kartheiser is a joy to behold in the role. He masterfully flits between Pete’s bitter resentment and his comically naive grasp of shifting office politics. It’s in these scenes that we’re reminded that for all of the intense dramatics, the show walks a fine line of humour both subtle and broad. One of Pete’s permanent series storylines is established in the opening episode where he embarks on a fool hardy one night stand with new secretary Peggy Olsen (Elisabeth Moss), who enters Sterling Cooper at the bottom rung and rapidly becomes a vital part of Don’s inner sanctum, both professional and personal. Moss’ performance is simply stunning throughout the series. She conveys the rift between traditional values and bright new ideals without ever falling into cliché or being preachy as we follow her journey and watch her character change and not necessarily for the best. Her initial ‘fish out of water’ scenes are amusing but the dramatics are where the true fireworks fly. The scenes where she butts heads with Pete and later Don are astonishing, most noticeably in the season four episode ‘The Suitcase’ where they gradually reveal themselves to one another over a hectic night and change their relationship permanently. It’s a staggeringly well written episode with both performers at the top of their game.
Mad Men is shined to within an inch of its life. The majority of scenes are filmed in interior Californian studios doubling for New York (presumably primarily for budgetary reasons) though they convince seamlessly whilst also reflecting the claustrophobic underlying theme of many of the storylines. Costume design and soundtrack choices are also impeccable firmly establishing the show as evidence for contemporary American television drama being on a par with feature film production. Mad Men has certainly built up enough hype to rival most major blockbusters and anticipation for the new season is at fever pitch. Personally I cannot recall another show where each season has been better than the one that preceded it so my fingers are crossed that Season Five can deliver the goods. I’ll certainly be waiting, suit cleanly pressed and tumbler of whiskey firmly in hand.
Mad Men Season Five Starts on Sky Atlantic on March 27th
Millie Mackintosh launches The Incredible Body for Umberto Giannini, and her boyfriend is not happy.
Millie Mackintosh, from Made In Chelsea, has become the first star from the reality show to
use her new-found fame to tie up an amazing contract with top hair care brand Umberto
Giannini. Millie plays a super sexy femme fatale in a graphic online novel; The Incredible
Body, which launches Umberto Giannini’s new hair care range. Her boyfriend had something to say about it though!
The interactive, black and white novel, set in London, shows Millie as a hyper-glamourised
version of herself with killer hair and an attitude to match. The narrative plays out as a
stunning, highly stylised, 1950s influenced interactive graphic novel where every frame has a
detail of movement.
The Incredible Body, developed using the popular blogging platform, Tumblr, brings Millie
and her desires to life, allowing the viewer to live and share every moment. Millie said: “The
character in this video was great fun to act. It felt really sexy to play the “femme fatale” role!
I love the film noir, 1920’s feel to it all and think it captures the glamorous essence of the
Incredible Body range perfectly”
The video is available at incrediblebody.co.uk
Umberto Giannini’s ethos of No Plain Janes has been at the basis of the graphic online novel.
They believe in bringing high-end hair and beauty styling to the high street – taking the art of
glamour from the few to the many. Umberto Giannini create products that help the user to
master the art of transformation and are stocked exclusively in Boots stores nationwide
SPOILER ALERT
You wait your entire life for a good legal drama and two come at once. [The Good Wife is the other one, in case you were wondering] It is hard to believe that it is already the season finale of Suits, how time flies. Harvey and Mike’s legal shenanigans have kept me entertained for weeks.
In the last episode Harvey found his conscious and vowed to get someone he had [accidentally] falsely imprisoned for murder back out of prison. He is intent on proving Clifford Danner’s innocence because he’s come across new evidence that might absolve the wrongly convicted man. He also refused to turn in his own corrupt mentor, and was only saved by the women in his life.
He has to go up against everyone, including his own firm Pearson & Harden as the powers that be are not too happy on him representing a convicted murderer, especially since his victim went to a private school where many of the firm’s clients send their children. As they lose a client the stakes are raised.
Mike goes to work to help save the day yet again. Will they manage it? It will be tough as their every turn is blocked, and the stakes are raised higher; if they lose, their client will get life imprisonment, instead of the four years he has left.
It is fun finding out, but somewhere else in the episode something happens that can completely destroy Mike’s career, and possibly affect Harvey’s too, as old lies rise to the surface. Another good episode. I cannot wait for the next season.
Tuesday 3rd April, 9pm
The idea behind this book is incredibly clever, it is the history of forty years of feminism told through articles from The Guardian. The book was edited by Kira Cochrane who Frost have interviewed. The wealth of talented women in the book is staggering. Maya Angelou, Germaine Greer, Oprah Winfrey, Suzanne Moore, Beth Ditto…the list is endless. It is a fascinating read for women and men alike.
I didn’t like, or agree, with every single article or argument, Lesbianism as a choice and not sleeping with men, because they are the enemy spring to mind, as does ‘are all men capable of rape’. Er, no, they are not.
Beth Ditto gives amazing and funny advice on what to do with catcalls, Andrea Dworkin’s piece on Bill and Hillary Clinton is perfection, and right on. The interview with Maya Angelou is also amazing, she is one of my favourite writers. Germaine Greer comes across as Germaine Greer, people can say whatever they want about her, but she doesn’t seem to care about being liked, and that makes her a true feminist to me.
One of my favourite things about the book is just how many strong women are in it. Suzanne Moore interviewing Camille Paglia, there is an interview with Toni Morrison, Zoe Williams ask if feminism is embarrassing, Julie Burchill writes about her lack of regret for her five abortions. This book shows how far we have come, but also shows our faults, the fault of feminism is that people have a narrow view of what feminism is, and what a feminist does. Women can be their own worst enemy and the in-fighting and backstabbing is disappointing. For reference, read the interview with Naomi Wolf. Why can’t Naomi Wolf be beautiful and groomed and say what she wants? Can you not be glamourous and a feminist? Surely as long as you want equal rights for all anyone can be a feminist, even a man?
The ones I really related to are Jill Tweedie stating that ‘One of the most crippling aspects of being a women- and an Englishwomen to boot- is the continual and largely unconscious compulsion to be nice’. Too true, even for a Scot, and as relevant today as it was in the 1970s. This book is food for the brain; is housework slavery?, should women be paid for it?, the attack on Margaret Thatcher for not helping her fellow women – a very good point- she filled her cabinet with men and seemed to dislike other women. This book is essential reading, I recommend it to everyone.
Some of the book is uncomfortable reading, like when the issue of rape being used as a weapon of war is raised. But that is to the credit of the book. History should never be a comfortable experience, and neither should a revolution.
The Ealing Rose & Crown is a beautiful pub with very friendly staff. I previously said in an interview with the Ealing Gazette that it was my favourite pub in London, and it still is. It also has a great outdoor area. It is the perfect place to spend lazy summer days. The Rose & Crown is definitely a ‘village pub’. I had my last birthday party here (just after the riots in Ealing, let no-one tell you West Londoners are wimps) I had a brilliant time with my friends and the food was amazing. The décor inside is great too, and it is quite spacious.
The Rose and Crown is a traditional pub, just off the main road in South Ealing. The food is fresh produce with a Mediterranean twist. The kitchen serves home-cooked dishes – try the roasted seabass, grilled lamb steaks. Their Sunday roasts are amazing, but it is best to book ahead.
The Rose & Crown is also the venue for the Ealing Tweetup, which is arranged by Mark Hillary, Mark now lives in Rio, but still comes to London for the Tweetup. That’s dedication.
Rose & Crown.
Church Place St. Mary’s Road, Ealing W5 4HN
020 8567 2811
Email: roseandcrown@fullers.co.uk
Licensee: Tom Tucker
South Ealing (0.2 miles), Northfields (0.5 miles), Ealing Broadway (0.9 miles)
Ealing Broadway (0.8 miles), West Ealing (1 mile), Brentford (1.2 miles)
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.