Sarah Ball: Damaged Humans By Margaret Graham

Posted on June 1, 2014 by Margaret Graham

Sarah Ball, Welsh Artist of the Year in 2013, and an encouraged artist at the Royal Academy’s Summer Show, has her first solo show in London at the Coningsby Gallery, which is just round the corner from Goodge Street tube station. And what an exhibition!

Small is definitely beautiful. Sarah’s portraits measure no more that 18 x 24cm, the tone of each is muted, the pose motionless and the eyes so compelling that each portrait seems to speak of their past, to our present.

I remember talking to Paul Vates, the actor, who was explaining the difference between stage and television. Television is all in the face and eyes. So too are Sarah’s portraits, painted with a flawless technique, and the universal blank stare of those locked in a place of suspended life and time.

We look at them and remember when, perhaps to a different degree, we were lost. I founded and run Words for the Wounded and have seen this look in the eyes of the wounded many many times.

Sarah uses mainly oil on board for her signature portraiture. She moves from prostitutes to soldiers with an artist’s objective eye, but with intimacy and empathy, revealing her emotional depth, a depth that connects with us.

The artist sourced these disadvantaged characters from photographs, many held in the Stanley Burns archive in the US, Denmark’s state archives, and from civil war photographs from the Library of Congress in DC, their personal histories unknown.
Her work provokes questions. What crimes, what woes, what damage was wrought on each individual? She acknowledges that all humankind experiences damage of some kind and it is for this reason that there is an implicit understanding between the subject and the observer. We say, ‘Ah yes, I remember…’
This is a glimpse into the subjects’ reality and at last they receive a sense of compassion, from Sarah and from us.

It will be interesting to see where Sarah Ball, represented by www.bo-lee.co.uk (bo.lee Gallery), goes from here. Don’t miss this exhibition which closes on 7^th June. It’s at Coningsby Gallery, 30 Tottenham St. London W1T 4RJ

Jamaica Inn DVD Review

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Frostie

Jamaica Inn was all over social media and also got widespread media coverage concerning the sound quality of the transmission when it aired. Rather unfortunately this distracted from the show when it was aired. I didn’t watch it but saw the reaction on social media. Now you can watch it without any problems, as it has been released on DVD.

Jamaica Inn catches the period very well, the costume and tone really add to the story. I didn’t even recognise Jessica Brown Findlay until I looked up Jamaica Inn on IMDB. She is very brave, wearing no makeup and shapeless clothes. She still looks beautiful, but it is rare for an actress so successful to lack vanity so much, and it bodes well for her future career: it truly shows a dedication to the role.

Jamaica Inn is well shot, drawing you into the story. It has a good script. It is paced well and is an enjoyable, dark, gothic drama. Worth a watch.

Set in 1821 against the forbidding backdrop of windswept Cornish Moors, Daphne du Maurier’s
Jamaica Inn is a dark, gothic tale of desire, survival and morality which has been brought to life in a stunning new TV adaptation by Emma Frost (The White Queen, Consuming Passion). Initially broadcast in three hour-long episodes as a major feature of BBC One’s prime time Easter schedule, the entire series will be released on DVD by FremantleMedia International on 26th

This new adaptation of du Maurier’s iconic novel is directed by BAFTA-winning director Philippa Lowthorpe (Call The Midwife, Five Daughters) and stars Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey, Labyrinth) as Mary Yellan, Matthew McNulty (The Paradise, Room At The Top) as Jem Merlyn, Sean Harris (The Borgias, Southcliffe) as Joss Merlyn, Joanne Whalley (The Borgias, Gossip Girl) as Aunt Patience, Ben Daniels (The Wipers Times, House of Cards) as Francis Davey and Shirley Henderson (Southcliffe, The Crimson Petal And The White) as Hannah.

Certificate: 15

Single disc DVD

Run time: 180 minutes

RRP: £17.99

Bonus features: Behind the scenes/making of featurette

Each episode is also available for download via iTunes for £1.29 in standard definition and £2.49 in high definition. A series pass costs £4.99 in standard definition and £6.99 in high definition.

‘TOP DOG’ … One Man, Two Lives

Posted on May 26, 2014 by Corinne Tuddenham-Finn

How many superlatives can be used to describe ‘Top Dog’? I can think of many that have been used in other reviews, but let’s just keep it simple… this new offering from Richwater Films and Universal Pictures UK and directed by Martin Kemp, is just plain ‘good’… damn good.

Produced by Jonathan Sothcott (‘Vendetta) and exquisitely constructed, this is Martin Kemp’s (‘The Krays’, ‘EastEnders’) second outing as a film director, a testing piece of work that lays its cards on the table and dead body on the mortuary slab right from the outset. Blood, a tense opening narrative, you get the gist that this is going to be messy.

In the adaptation of the novel by Dougie Brimson (‘Green Street’), Leo Gregory (‘Green Street’ and ‘Cass’) plays a formidable and believable part as Billy Evans, a thirty-something East End car salesman who’s got it made, trophy wife, child, home, car, job, wants it all and wants the top dog position that will allow him to reclaim a family member’s pub as the home of his football firm, ‘Acton Casuals’. With the goading of the ‘AC brethren’, cocky Billy takes his lust for leadership one step further, violently cutting swathes through a trajectory that brings him face to face with gangland boss Mickey, played to perfection by Ricci Harnett (‘Rise of the Footsoldier’, ’28 Days Later’) who isn’t about to hand the title over without a fight. Vincent Regan (‘Clash of the Titans’, ‘St George’s Day’), with his mellow Irish tones, acidly accentuates the backbone of fear that runs through this film. It sounds a simple plot, but the exchanges of violence are as charged as I’ve ever seen in a film of this budget, and the spiralling depths to which the emotions sink are hard-hitting and raw.

Martin Kemp intended this film to be a ‘kitchen sink’ drama, void of Hollywood gloss, powerfully showing the perils of being top dog, being number one and of saying ‘I’m the leader’. The wives and partners play strong and potent roles, showing the realism of households living with the underlying deceitfulness and tensions associated with hooliganism and gangland violence. Danielle Brent (‘Cockneys Vs Zombies’) as Billy’s wife Sam, Lorraine Stanley (‘The Hooligan Wars’) and rising British acting talent, George Russo punctuate the storyline, stepping up to the mark with the confidence this gritty film demanded.
It’s not a pretty film, it’s not a clever film, it works within the boundaries of the budget, but it’s the sort of film that is truly British, an insight into the deep and ugly world of football hooliganism and gangland rivalries that existed in the depths of London in the 80s and 90s.

TOP DOG – in cinemas from Friday 23 May and is out today to own on Blu-ray £15.99) and DVD (£12.99) through Universal Pictures UK

A re-written version of ‘Top Dog’ by Dougie Brimson is soon to be published through Caffeine Nights Publishing.

Verdi Italian Kitchen At The Royal Albert Hall | Restaurant Review

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Rather obviously, the first thing you take in when going to Verdi is the surroundings. As gorgeous and historical buildings go, it is hard to beat the Royal Albert Hall. You really do feel like you are dining in a piece of history.

We start off by ordering Mozzarella di bufala with Coppa: Salted, seasoned, dry cured thinly cut pork shoulder from the Mozzarella Bar, where you order either mozzarella di bufala or a burrata along with a side of your choice. I have the Gamberi Con Pancetta: Grilled pancetta wrapped prawns, rosemary, chargrilled lemon.

The prawns are sizzling when they arrive and of a decent size. They are meaty and the pancetta is smoky. It is well seasoned. It is a good starter. The mozzarella is soft and creamy. It has a beautiful texture but could do with more flavour. There is too much rocket and the pork is absolutely delicious but is a little stringy.

We also ordered some bread, which we would have liked to have been a little softer. It came with some good balsamic vinegar.

We also ordered some amazing cocktails: a Aperol Spritz: Aperol, Moët & Chandon, orange bitters, which not only tasted amazing, but also a little like Irn Bru, so perfect for the Scottish amongst us and an IL Verdi: Gin, sciroppo di fiori and pressed apple juice, which was delicious and refreshing.

The service was excellent throughout and the atmosphere was peaceful due to the fact we went in-between shows. For our mains we had Agnello Ripieno: Stuffed lamb breast, white beans, tomatoes, smoked pancetta, spinach, garlic, basil and a Gamberoni pizza: King prawns, asparagus, mushrooms, tomato, mozzarella. The lamb was soft and beautiful. It came in a nice sauce, the beans added texture but the stuffing was just a little bit too spicy. A good meal all in all.

For a side we had Patate Arrosto: Sea salt roast potatoes, sage, garlic. We were not overly impressed. They were okay but not roast potatoes as we expected. The pizza was superb. It had a thin and tasty dough and was just wonderful. The prawns were generous and the ingredients worked together amazingly well.

For dessert we have Tiramisu: Mascarpone, coffee soaked sponge,cocoa, coffee liqueur and I have some Gelato because I am full and mildly allergic to coffee. You get to choose three scoops and I choose chocolate hazelnut praline, natural mint and chocolate chip and lime. The tiramisu is excellent, with a thick layer of cocoa dust and a delicious liqueur soaked base. The gelato is equally as good and the portion is generous.

I would recommend Verdi for good food in a stunning location.

Verdi, Door 12, Royal Albert Hall

Kensington Gore,

London, SW7 2AP

Tel: 020 7070 4401

www.verdiitalian.com

You can enjoy fantastic free live music on Fridays from 8:00pm played by popular jazz artists including favourites from Ronnie Scott’s and the 606 Club. Live music will also be performed on Saturday and Sunday lunchtimes. Full list of music dates and performers.

The Dining Rooms at The Worsley Park Hotel, Manchester | Restaurant Review

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Matthew Radway

The Dining Rooms at The Worsley Park Hotel is a light and spacious restaurant that takes traditional British food and gives it a modern twist. So far, so ‘every decent hotel restaurant’.

From the minute we arrived the staff created a pleasant and friendly atmosphere and our waiter was very helpful and knowledgeable about the menu and wine list. He recommended a 2013 Chenin Blanc to accompany our food choices and he was spot on. It was a lovely wine that somehow managed to compliment both the meaty courses that I chose and the vegetarian ones selected by my colleague.

All of our food arrived promptly, although this might partly have been because the restaurant was surprisingly empty for a Friday night. It’s worth noting here that the hotel is a little out of the way which probably explains the number of customers.

To start with I had chicken liver parfait and my colleague had asparagus with blood orange and hollandaise sauce, both off the specials menu. The blood orange nicely cut through the taste of the asparagus, which was well cooked. My parfait was flavoursome and had a lovely texture but, as is so often the way, it needed a little more toast to accompany it.

For the main course I had lamb in a Chambord jus with mashed potato and roasted beetroot and my colleague had a macaroni and cheese pie with garlic bread and salad. My lamb was tender and meaty and went perfectly with the beetroot and jus. My colleague too was impressed by her macaroni and cheese pie, finding it to be an inventive take on a classic dish which used great quality ingredients and was just the right size. However, there could have been more of the accompanying salad as on its own the pie was a little salty.

To finish, I had a white chocolate panna cotta with raspberry sorbet and a raspberry soup. The creaminess of the panna cotta went perfectly with the sharpness of the raspberry – it was possibly my favourite dish of the evening. My colleague had the sampler which came with miniature versions of the chocolate torte, the blood orange cheesecake and the sticky toffee pudding. Each was served with a suitable sorbet or ice cream and it was clear that thought had gone into the flavour combinations. The torte was dense and rich, just as it should be. Unfortunately, the cheesecake was a little bland and the sticky toffee pudding whilst delicious was lacking in sauce leaving it a little dry in the middle. However, I suspect that this might just be a problem with the miniature taster dish rather than the dessert when served on its own. Both desserts, as with all the courses, were immaculately presented.

The Worsley Park Hotel is a cut above your average hotel restaurant and is certainly a good choice for a meal on a special occasion. Does it manage to do anything radical in its attempt to provide a modern twist on traditional dishes? Not really. Would I recommend visiting anyway? I certainly would.

Book Review – ‘What would Audrey Do’

Posted on May 15, 2014 by Sarah Bacchus

This is quite possibly the best book I have read in a very long time. A realistic way we all can live like Audrey Hepburn and she would wholeheartedly approve, charming, fun and witty this book takes you through every aspect of modern living and how AH would have conducted herself in these modern times.

What Would Audrey doIt’s enigmatic, down to earth and modiste just like the lady herself. From advice on dating to style, coping in bad times to conducting yourself in public. It’s simply a must read and you won’t be able to put it down for love or diamonds.

This wonderful book will give you inspiration creating the perfect home, scattering your world with flowers, Diptyque candles and fine white china, it will embody your inner most self with touches of AH.

‘What Would Audrey do’ has ideas for party themes in an oh so graceful manner, how to apply the best simple makeup, for the look she created. It will give you so much advice, I live by these rules and so should each and everyone of you. Try it for a day and I promise you will feel amazing. Plus my own little rule…don’t stress, don’t worry about your day and don’t worry about tomorrow as it’s all meant to be. Even in nasty horrid times remember this has a path that’s leading me to a positive place and be calm, take a moment to understand this when life gets tough and you will be ok my friends!

Audrey’s Check List:

Wear Mascara
Stand up straight
Get your clothes tailored
Lower your voice
When in doubt love
Be generous
Don’t kiss and tell
Forgive
Turn around and check the back of your reflection in the mirror when you leave the house!
Smile.

It will want make you rethink your every day, you will instantly adopt her mantra for learning to do one thing at a time, you will get more done and feel more relaxed about life, the stresses of the days will drift away and in short you will probably be a lot happier and even loose a few pounds! Stress makes us put on weight didn’t you know!

It will make you feel rewarded for time out and not guilt for slowing down, for saying no every now and again when you feel you need to.

I say take yourself off for some time out and open this pretty book What Would Audrey Do?: Timeless Lessons for Living with Grace & Style: Timeless Lessons for Living with Grace and Style and turn the pages and go on a delightful journey with the graceful Audrey Hepburn.

It’s my new bible!
Tweet me @sarahbacchus and visit www.slbstyle for more fashion and lifestyle. www.sarahbacchus.com to take a look at my professional work.

ILA Spa

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Sarah Bacchus

I adore bath products so when I was sent these lovely ILA beauty products recently I set aside some much needed me time and indulged myself with an evening of home Spa relaxation. Also to test them out to give you the low down on all the soothing, organic and delicious products.

Running a hot bath and adding natural products sends your senses to giddy heights and creates a virtual powerful health spa in seconds. A deep down feeling of wellness and being at one with nature.

With only the finest natural, traditional and sustainable plant and mineral ingredients ILA spa products are delightful, pure and embody great natural healing. They are perfect for emotionally nourishing your body as well as your spirt. The candle enveloped the woods on this photo shoot and filled the air with droplets of pure rose. The aura was enchanting, relaxing and peaceful, it made the day really special and created the perfect atmosphere for being at one with nature, the woodland and the creatures that where hiding away out of sight.

When trying the bath salts crystals you will drift away with a mix of jasmine, sandalwood and they made my skin feel so nourished and smooth. It comes with a wooden scoop so you can add just the right amount to the bath. The crystals dissolved beautifully and left no hard grains behind. Only a pretty pink glow to the hot steamy water.

After soothing your tired limbs you will need to feel refreshed and try the body scrub, Organic rose and geranium hits you as you open this jar and the grains are perfectly milled to a fine salt. With argan oil to nourish the skin and the organic juniper berries to stimulate circulation and help eliminate cellulite. This product can’t fail to impress, just heaven.

Now for me other than the candle the facial oil was my utter most favourite product. This has been my go to morning and night product since receiving these wonderful treats. This is their best seller apparently a ‘little miracle’ The face oil is a cult product revered by men and women worldwide. Packed with essential fatty acids and wrinkle-fighting antioxidants, it revitalises, nourishes and supports at the deepest level. Your telling me, I feel like I am glowing from inside out! It is a fantastic product to apply about 10 minutes before your moisturiser of factor cream. I use a factor 30-50 every day all year round. This will fight wrinkles, heal scars, help regenerate the skin cells, nourish the skin deep down into the layers of the dermis and gives you that glow of youth and hydration lost in our everyday busy modern life. Not only that it has won awards such as…Harper’s Bazaar Hot 100, September 2012, Beauty Bible Award Winner for Anti-Ageing, March 2011 and Natural Product of the Year, AsiaSpa Awards, 2009!!

I have been invited to meet the founder of this company and visit the manufactures. I will be asking loads of beauty, anti ageing and healthy skin questions while I am there thats for sure. ILA is now on my top list of beauty products that I will be recommending to everyone.

Tweet me @sarahbacchus if you are wanting to know more about the products and visit the ILA website here to purchase all you need. Fly over and Tweet them @ila_spa and say hi!

Visit www.sarahbacchus.com if you are interested in booking me for photographic work.

Yang Sing Manchester | Restaurant Review

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Matthew Radway

I think it’s important to start this review by saying that I’m not an easy person to please, especially with food. I say this simply because the rest of the review is going to be filled with gushing praise, beginning with…

Last Friday at Yang Sing restaurant in Manchester I ate the best Chinese meal I have ever eaten. My colleague and I were served six courses of house specialities ranging from chicken feet to jellyfish amongst a whole array of Cantonese delights and none of them disappointed.
We were seated by our very friendly host in the surprisingly bright and airy basement and were very helpfully talked through the menu and wine list. From here until we left the service was impeccable; we were attended to at all times without feeling like the staff were constantly on top of us.

Our food odyssey began with a truly succulent duck in a sweet soy sauce served on the bone and served with the aforementioned jellyfish which managed to somehow be both slippery and crunchy all in one. To drink we had a 2011 Pinot Blanc which perfectly accompanied the food. This was followed by a deep fried chilli stuffed with prawn that wasn’t to my taste but my colleague enjoyed it. Along too came the notorious chicken feet which were incredibly flavoursome but a little fiddly and two types of dumpling – ginger, shallot and coriander and prawn. Both were among the best dumplings I’ve ever had.

Next came ostrich steak which was probably our least favourite course, although it was perfectly pleasant. Following this, we had steamed scallops served in their shells with an accompaniment of glass noodles which were exceedingly good. I noticed that it seemed to be a popular dish with the diners around me and rightly so.

At this point our wine was replaced with a light and fruity Sancerre rosé that went perfectly with our next dish of stir fried prawns with mixed vegetables, spring onion fried rice with garlic and a Malaysian chicken curry that my colleague found a little rich but I couldn’t get enough of.

By now we were more than a little full but the food train rolled on as a fresh fruit platter arrived which was just what we needed after the oily, starchy food of the previous course. I’m not normally a fan of melon but somehow this restaurant has managed to source the only melon I’ve ever really enjoyed. Finally, our epic meal ended with a little coconut tart that was not too heavy and the perfect size for a sweet.

Overall, as you can probably tell, I can’t recommend this restaurant highly enough. If you live in the North West then make your way over to Yang Sing for a truly fantastic meal out.

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