Making maths count with Countdown star

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Junaid Mubeen from Oxfordshire is a mathematician turned educator, who is also a series winner of Countdown, and expert advisor to non-profit children’s free online game Teach Your Monster Number Skills. He shares some tips to make numbers add up to fun

For adults and children alike, maths can sometimes be daunting. Yet when explored the right way, the subject can be fun and accessible for everyone.

The key is to embed strong foundations from a young age. The skills and confidence that we acquire as children can have a lasting, positive impact on our relationship with mathematics. A good command of numbers depends far less on rote learning the times tables and far more on exploring their patterns and structure. Numbers are all around us, and so too are opportunities to interact with them in a playful way.

Here are some quick, easy and playful tips on how to develop children’s core number skills such as arithmetic, estimation and comparison, without any of the dread. They’ll have so much fun they won’t even realise they are learning!

At the shops: Shops are a playground for numbers. Compare the cost of different brands of the same item: which is cheaper? Grab a bag of apples and a bag of carrots – which one feels the heaviest?

“Shops are a playground for numbers.”

At dinner time: From the prep, to the cooking, eating and clearing away, numbers are entwined into all aspects of mealtimes. Ask your child how long they think it will take to cook dinner. Or how much cutlery is needed. Or who can look forward to the most items of food on their plate.

On a day trip: Whether on foot, wheels or public transport, a trip out is an opportunity to search for numbers. Are there more cars or lorries? What numbers can you spot on the licence plates? How many people, roughly, are travelling on the train?

At the park: A playground is an oasis of numbers! Count how many steps it takes to climb up to the top of the play structure. Now make the climb – how close was the prediction? Are they tired as a result of underestimating or raring to go for more?

Tidy up time: For the ultimate win-win, get kids involved in the household chores. How many pairs of socks can they match from the clean washing pile? How many items can they pick up off the floor? Can they arrange the collected items in size order? How long does it take to put them all away?

Free digital games: There are many learning apps – try the free online game Teach Your Monster Number Skills for 3+ year olds. Set in a maths theme park, with friendly monsters roaming around, it has multiple activities that bring each number to life through puzzles and activities. There are eight mini maths games, each with 10 levels. The game is so effective at boosting kids’ confidence with numbers and at making maths fun. My daughter loves it!

Visit Teach Your Monster Number Skills.

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Foodies Festival returns to Oxford

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The UK’s biggest touring celebrity food and music festival series returns to Oxford for a huge August Bank Holiday weekend from 26th – 28th August

Featuring a line-up of celebrity chefs and chart-topping music starts, including Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Scouting For Girls and Martin Kemp.

Known as Gastro-Glastonbury, Foodies Festival will take place at South Park across the August Bank Holiday weekend. The three-day event features live cooking demonstrations from TV chefs, stars of MasterChef and Great British Menu, plus top-rated Michelin-starred and award-winning chefs.

Star names appearing in the live cooking theatres include: MasterChef 2023 champion, Chariya Khattiyot, MasterChef: The Professionals champion, Alex Webb, MasterChef champion, Dhruv Baker, Great British Menu 2023 finalist, Avinash Shashidhara, MasterChef finalist, Madeeha Qureshi. Great British Menu and Michelin starred chef-patron, Paul Welburn, from the Swan Inn and Cygnet restaurant. Islip, stars of Channel 4’s Extreme Cake Makers and founders of Black Box Cake, Christine and Phil Jensen, Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch bread expert, Jack Sturgess, celebrity TV chef, Omar Allibhoy and TV chef, award-winning author and British Empire Medal awarded, Manju Malhi.

The musical feast is just as sumptuous with chart-topping diva, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, platinum-selling festival favourites Scouting For Girls, and Spandau Ballet and Eastenders icon Martin Kemp, delivering the ultimate 80’s DJ party.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor said: “It’s wonderful to be joining the Foodies Festival tour again. Warm summer weekends full of lovely food and music, and families having fun together – I can’t wait!”

Throughout the 3-day holiday weekend, visitors will enjoy a jam-packed schedule of TV cooking show champions and award-winning chefs in the interactive live theatres. In the Chefs Theatre, celebrities will create their signature dishes and share new tips and tricks, whilst in the Cake & Bake Theatre, star bakers whip up showstoppers and offer tempting sweet treats.

Visitors can browse the latest food trends in the Shopping Village, meet local producers in the Artisan Market and taste exotic and unusual new dishes in the Feasting Tent – which features a mouth-watering range of street food and delicacies from all four corners of the globe.

Other attractions include the League of Fire’s Oxford title belt chilli eating competition featuring the World champion, ‘Chilli Queen’, Shahina Waseem, fairground, children’s activities, and family-friendly areas.

Tickets on sale now. Day tickets from: Under 6 go free, £3 (child), and £19 (adult). Weekend tickets from £38 (3-day). Home – Foodies Festival.

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Stellar set of A level results

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St Helen and St Katharine celebrates students’ success with this year’s A level results exceeding broadcast predictions

St Helen and St Katharine students have performed brilliantly in a range of subjects with 70.9% of all grades being A* or A.

Particularly impressive grades were gained in maths, history, geography, drama and politics, as well as the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) which, once again, enjoyed stellar success – and continues to be recognised favourably by HE institutions.

Headmistress Rebecca Dougall said: “It has been a great morning of celebration and we are all so proud of the students who have done brilliantly in what have been their first public exams. We always say that there is no typical HelKat: our job is to support students to identify and develop their own strengths, so we are happily celebrating with students today who are off to study subjects as varied as Classics, Medicine, Politics and International Relations, Economics, Law, Music, Maths, Drama and Fashion Design Innovation. The universities they are joining are fortunate to be working with such a talented cohort of students.”

One such talent is Anna who is Oxford-bound to read History and Spanish with her 4 A*s and a letter from the exam board commending her as one of the highest-achieving English Literature students in the country, or Pippa who will be heading to the USA to take up a place at the University of California, Berkeley, her 3 A*s a fitting reward for her academic success and all the more impressive given her prowess in and commitment to rowing.

St Helen’s is encouraged to see its students bucking the national trend in their success in modern languages A levels and in choosing to study them at university. STEM remains very strong with students headed to Cambridge to read Natural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine. Medicine remains popular and successful with five students gaining places at medical school. One of those is Georgina who, with her 3 A*s, is heading to Queen’s University Belfast. Her parents, Adele and Graham said: “We are delighted that Georgina has achieved her dream of studying medicine and we are thankful to St Helen’s for the fantastic support in achieving this dream. Throughout her time here we have had an overarching confidence in the competence of the school and that all bases were always covered.”

Five students are embarking on Art Foundation. Edie, who achieved 4 A*s in Art, Biology, Psychology and in her EPQ, is heading to Kingston University. Her mum, Emma, reflected on her journey through St Helen’s: “From the moment Edie started in Year 5 she discovered that she loves so many things and was good at many things. This is what St Helen’s is brilliant at – nurturing each individual student to find her passions.”

Olivia has gained a place to study Music at University of Manchester. Her mum, Anne, said: “St Helen’s is a happy place. Both of my daughters have flourished here and enjoyed taking part in all the music, drama and sport opportunities. We have particularly enjoyed the extremely professional shows – the music and drama teachers put so much work in to these.”

St Helen and St Katharine has recently opened its brand new Sixth Form Centre, the brand new Sixth Form Centre, the Benedict Building, dedicated to providing students with the space and opportunity to grow their academic and extracurricular interests in readiness for their future. With nine new classrooms, a range of study spaces, a common room, a café and a flexible lectures/ performance hall, the building echoes the very best in higher education intuitions.

For information, go to the St Helen and St Katharine website (shsk.org.uk)

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Just gaga for radio!

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Robbie James from Farnham is obsessed with cheese, wine, Scotland and golden retrievers, is a music, sport and comedy fanatic and will be writing a regular column for Round & About on pretty much anything that takes his fancy from the view of a young, self employed presenter

My first column. The first of anything is always scary isn’t it? The first word you type. The first slice you cut off Colin the Caterpillar. The first step you take into the sea after you’ve been told ‘it’s fine once you’re in’.

As you’ll know if you read my intro to R&A last month (if you didn’t, why didn’t you?) cricket is one of my true loves. The other is radio.

I love radio a silly amount. I loved it way before I knew I loved it & I think that’s the beauty of it. It fills any gap in your life that you’d like it to, without you asking it or even consciously knowing there’s a gap to fill. Radio gives me the same physical feelings as when someone holds a door open or gives you their unused parking ticket. ‘Ah, that’s nice isn’t it, the world isn’t all terrible’. You hear people sharing parts of their life, letting their guard down a bit, providing silly stories or dedicating a song to their pal. ‘Just nice things’ tend to happen on the radio.

I’ve barely done any task this summer without having some form of sports radio on. Test Match Special, Wimbledon, they’re just there as a constant. You hear the hum of a crowd on their day out. You hear a collective expressing their emotions in a world where we are horrendous at expressing any emotions when other people are around. But then it leaves the rest to your imagination. TV doesn’t do that.

Radio is also so live and raw that it allows us to remember that nothing really matters. Radio 1 can be live to six million people at any one time, and a phone line can disconnect mid call. They can play the same song twice. Unless you’re a *insert rude word*, when you hear or see something go wrong in front of lots of people, we generally just laugh or empathise don’t we? No one was nasty of Twitter when I meant to say I couldn’t ‘get my clock up’ whilst hosting Pompey Live last year and accidentally said something else. What can I say… radio allows you to open up.

Mistakes remind us that these people inside the radio are not unreachable. They make mistakes, and that makes them relatable no matter how many TikTok followers they have. And then we warm to them through that empathy. We feel like we may just know them, and we feel a bit less lonely when we get into the car and pop the radio on after a terrible day in the office.

I’m too thick to be a doctor or a therapist, and not to say these occupations quite compete on levels of necessity, but I really do see being on the radio as a chance to improve people’s days a bit. I miss having a regular radio show more anything – but I’m really confident still has a future on both a local and national level. Oh and AI can do one.

Robbie is a Presenter/Broadcaster/DJ/Idiot, now living in Farnham. I do the radio, the TV, and anything else people pay me to do that my moral compass says yes to.

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French connection: Wines Of The Roussillon

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Round and About Magazine’s wine columnist Giles Luckett rediscovers the amazing wines of France’s Roussillon, and finds value and excellence in equal measure

The Roussillon Revolution

Wine surprises and buses, as the old saying goes. You wait six years for one to come along and then two turn up in two months. OK, I’m paraphrasing slightly, but six years after my revelatory tour of Australia and weeks after my eye-opening trip to Portugal, I discover my knowledge of the wines of the Roussillon is about as contemporary as my daughter’s 2012 Frozen calendar.

I was introduced to the wines of the Roussillon in the early 1990s. Bordeaux Direct (Laithwaites) were early importers of their red wines which were generally powerful, slightly rustic affairs with a distinct wild herb tang. They were big, bold, and brilliant value, but were about as serious as my daughter’s calendar – she needs to let it go!

A recent tasting showed me how much things have changed. While the brilliance and the value have remained, the styles of wine on offer have become as dazzlingly complex as the slopes on which they’re grown.

The Wines of The Roussillon

The Roussillon lies in the extreme southwest of France, next to the border with Spain. I could spend hours talking about the soil structures (mental note: YouTube channel on soil structures. Influencer fame and fortune here I come) but it’s mainly clay/limestone, schist and gravel. The climate is warm, but the altitude creates a number of microclimates. This combination means it can provide an ideal home to a wide range of high-quality grapes.

For the longest time, Roussillon was best known for its fortified wines, the vin doux naturel. Lusciously sweet, cherry and chocolate-flavoured reds such as Banyuls, and apricot and honey-toned whites like Muscat de Rivesaltes enjoyed a reputation as high as that of Port.

Great as these wines are, the market is limited, and as far back as the 1980s speculation was rife as to what Roussillon could do with table wines. And just like the revolution that’s swept the wines of the Douro Valley, years of experimentation with sites and varieties are now paying substantial dividends, as the following wines demonstrate.

The Top 10 Wines of The Roussillon

When I last looked at Roussillon’s wines, they were almost exclusively red. Today you can find great rosé and white wines too. Take the Bila-Haut Blanc (Laithwaites £11.99) for example. Bila-Haut is leading Rhône producer Chapoutier’s home in the Roussillon and their expertise shines through. The Bila-Haut Blanc is mainly composed of Rhône grapes Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, and Marsanne. Fragrant with floral notes and citrus on the nose, on the palate there’s grapefruit, and white peach, before the smoky, mineral-laden finish.

Another wine that offers freshness, with complexity is the Les Sorcières du Clos des Fées Blanc 2022 (Yapp Brothers £17.25). This contains some Vermentino, which adds a green apple and lime touch along with a pinch of salt. I had this with grilled sardines, but I can see it working wonderfully well with poultry or creamy risotto.

If you’re looking for a wine that’s zesty enough to refresh, but textured and complex enough to satisfy, then take a look at the Res Fortes Roussillon 2019 (Res Fortes £16). Bold winemaking – they press whole bunches and use Grenache Gris (which isn’t in the least bit grey, by the way) – and some bottle age makes for outstanding wines. Pears, melon, red apple, and greengage, come together with a yeasty, mineral finish to give a wine of precision and depth. Were this from the Rhône you’d be looking at £50+ a bottle.

Encountering great rosé producers. Yet again though I was struck not just by the quality but the value. Take the Domaine Lafage Cotes du Roussillon Miraflors Rose (All About Wine £13.75). The elegant line of the bottle is reflected in the wine inside. Joyously fresh, pure red berries lead the velvet-footed charge, followed by notes of green grapes, watermelon, and raw blackberries before a lovely rush of peaches comes in at the end.

At the other end of the rosé scale, we have the L’Effet Papillon (Highbury Vintners £14.50). This is made by the Rivesaltes co-operative, so right in the heart of fortified country, and they seem to be on a mission to make powerful wines. This is an intense wine whose pure and precise strawberry fruit conveys a feeling of power and concentration. Spicy, tangy, and well-balanced, this would be brilliant with smoked trout, lemon chicken, or roasted guineafowl.

And so to reds. I’ve mentioned Bila-Haut already, and I make no apology for recommending their red too. The Bila-Haut Rouge (The Surrey Wine Cellar £12.95) shows how Roussillon’s wines are distinct and not mere ‘me-too’ Rhône wannabes. While plump and juicy, there’s a light-touch feel to the dark fruit. It’s medium-bodied and has an easy-to-love character that’s often missing in Rhônes, and the finish – a lovely mix of plums, cherries, and spiced berries – adds a further lift. While this is great with red meats, I think it’s even better with tomato or cheesy pasta.

I have to say that my next choice did feel like a blast from the past. The Mas Becha ‘Classique’ Rouge (Great Wines Direct, £19.72) had a ‘garrigue’ (wild herbs to you and me) taste to it. This full-throttled Grenache is packed to the gunnels with cherries, prunes, chocolate, and herbs, but again there’s a lift of red berry acidity that stops it from becoming plodding and one-dimensional. This would be superb with lamb or falafel – anything that needs a little juiciness to bring it to life.

I’ve mentioned the value of the Roussillon several times in this piece, an attribute that’s embodied in the Côtes du Roussillon Héritage Rouge, Château de Corneilla 2020 (The Wine Society £9.95). For under a tenner, you get a magnificently big, plush, old-school red that delivers the goods by the lorry load. Syrah-based, this is inky, spicy, and loaded with lip-staining blackberry, damson, and cherry fruit with interest added by a seasoning of black pepper and mint. Serve this one with your favourite strong cheeses.

Collioure has always been a great source of affordable, high-quality wines. Cooled by Mediterranean sea breezes and with a high percentage of schist – medium-grained metamorphic rock showing pronounced schistosity as my YouTube subscribers will know. This allows for the production of elegant, yet well-structured wines that are capable of ageing well. The Les Clos de Paulilles Collioure Rouge 2021 (Majestic £14.99) is a fine example of this. A spicy, blackcurrant-tined wine with plenty of black cherry, strawberry jam, and plum notes, it’s a lot of wine for the wine money and will partner red meats and full-flavoured cheeses.

I’ll finish with a flourish with the Mas de Montagnes Roussillon Villages (Waitrose £12.49). This typifies the newer style of fresher, refined Roussillon wines. A marriage of Syrah and Grenache, it offers black cherry, blueberry, and mulberry fruit overlain with touches of mint and almond, while the finish offers peppercorns and raspberries that add a savoury touch.

The Roussillon Reinvention

The Roussillon is another example of a region that’s successfully reinventing itself. Worldwide there’s demand for lighter, more food-friendly wines, and regions like the Roussillon are well-placed to take advantage of this. If you’re looking for wines that offer excellence, excitement, and value, then I recommend you look to the Roussillon and taste tomorrow’s superstars today.

Next time out, I’ll do a deep dive into the wonderful wines from Yalumba.

Cheers,
Giles

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Towersey Festival 25th-27th August

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Featuring 100+ acts from internationally acclaimed bands and musicians workshops and events, festival-goers will be spoilt for choice.

Towersey Festival, the UK’s longest-running, independent family-run festival of music, arts and culture, has announced its full programme as it lands at Claydon Estate near Buckingham this August bank holiday.

Over four days from Friday 25th to Monday 28th August, the 59th edition of Towersey is a chance to step into a different world of music, comedy, dance, activities, workshops, creativity, camping, and a whole lot of fun.

Over 12 areas, each with its own personality and four of those stages dedicated to the finest music, festival-goers are in for a treat this year. Confirmed headline acts are The Proclaimers (Friday), Frank Turner (Saturday), and Divine Comedy (Sunday).

A host of other unmissable talent spanning everything from roots, Americana, and even a funky folk orchestra, includes the platinum-selling, Grammy-winning trio Nickel Creek, Thea Gilmore, Rusty Shackle, Molotov Jukebox, Gwenifer Raymond, Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage, Flook, The Shapes, Gnoss, Urban Folk Quartet, John Kirkpatrick, Pearl Heart and many more.

The Towersey programme also reveals a huge range of participatory entertainment for festival-goers, whatever their age. Whether staying for the weekend or just the day, those seeking fitness and fun in the morning can join a 250-person strong class with an ex-Royal Ballet teacher, or for something more zen, yoga and tai chi sessions are on offer too.

Workshops include circus and juggling skills, axe throwing, bushcraft, Bodhran workshops (traditional Irish drumming), a Fabulous Festival Choir, sessions from the Buckingham Ukulele Group (imagine 350 people playing along!), late-night acoustic jam sessions, and even a Melodeon jam or bell-ringing workshop.

For those who love to dance, the Towersey programme includes traditional Ceilidh, introductions to Tango, Oxford Sol Samba dance group and Maypole dancing.

Visit Towersey Festival.

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Q&A: Judi Love

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Comedian & TV star Judi Love shares her thoughts ahead of her The One Like tour which visits The Anvil in Basingstoke, Wycombe Swan & Aylesbury Waterside Theatre as well as many more venues near you.

Judi Love is one of the UK’s most stand-out performers, and she’ll be taking her fresh, unapologetic and charismatic real talk to theatres across the country on her first ever stand-up tour in 2023.

Judi takes everyday relatable situations that resonate with audiences and brings them to life in hilarious routines. Marking herself a firm favourite on the comedy circuit, Judi is also known for producing a host of hilarious online comedy sketches that have gone viral on an international scale. Judi can be seen as a regular panellist on ITV’s Loose Women, including being on the first episode to feature an all-black panel, which received a prestigious RTS Programme Award for the Daytime category. She has also appeared on a number of TV shows, including Taskmaster, The Royal Variety Performance, This Morning, Good Morning Britain, Celebrity Juice, BBC’s This Is My House, The Graham Norton Show, The Ranganation and more. Bruce Dessau asks her whether she was nervous before starring on Strictly, twerking on Saturday night primetime TV: “I was definitely nervous because I wasn’t doing comedy, there was physical aspect. But it was such an amazing show and a great opportunity. When I twerked I felt my mission was complete.”

Q. How do you manage the work/life balance as a mother with two teenagers?

“I struggled with babysitting when they were younger. And now I worry for them when they have exams. But I try to put my foot down and not compromise. It’s a struggle and I definitely have mum guilt thinking I should be home with them. You don’t want them to grow up and say I was never there.”

Q. You can be frank about your sex life and what it’s like to be a woman on stage. Have they heard your material?

“When I was doing stand-up in clubs and couldn’t get babysitters they used to come with me so they know what I talk about. Now they are older they’ve probably heard worse with their friends. But they know ‘Judi Love’ and they know ‘mummy’. I might be extreme or cheeky on stage but I’d never talk like that in my private conversations with them.”

Q. What does self-care mean to you?

“It’s so important. We live in a society where we are so frightened to say ‘no’ we end up on a treadmill. Relaxation is important. I get a facial, take a walk, connect with friends not in entertainment. The other week I just got up, showered, put my houseclothes on, no make-up, no wig and watched all of The White Lotus. And it was beautiful.”

“We live in a society where we are so frightened to say ‘no’ we end up on a treadmill.”

Q. You previously worked in social care. Did your job help you as an entertainer?

“I’ve worked with some of the most deprived people. It’s easy to see someone and judge them and think you’d never end up like that but doing social care you get to see how people end up in certain scenarios. It gives you the empathy and understanding. When I’m tired from doing three jobs a day it’s not trauma. I’ve worked with people in crisis and trauma and it’s not that.”

Q. There were hard times in your early years of comedy, weren’t there?

“I moved to south London when my children were young and I left everything behind. We were in a house with nothing, just mattresses and a cooker. I had to get work quickly so I found a zero-hours job assessing parents. I remember going on a TV discussion programme early in the morning then going to work and they said ‘didn’t we just see you on TV?’. I was doing TV but in the evening my emergency electricity would run out. There’s always more to the story, it’s not all glamour.”

Q. You once said laughter is healing. Is that your philosophy?

“When you think about all the adversity people go through, laughter is what connects us. People say if you don’t laugh you’ll cry, so let’s keep laughing!”

Visit Judi Love: Events

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Olly Murs Q&A

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Win a VIP hospitality day out for two at BetVictor Hungerford Day, Party In The Paddock at Newbury Racecourse on Saturday, 19th August, starring Olly Murs. Here’s our Q&A with the man himself…

Q. Not to give any spoilers away, but on your April arena tour you opened with a mash-up of your track Marry Me and Elton John’s I’m Still Standing. Was this a tribute to Elton, or a tongue in cheek reference to the knee injury you sustained last time you played at a racecourse?

“Yeah, exactly that! You’re right, and also a sort of for homage; I love that song. Plus I am still standing after all these years, 14 years in the game. After that amount of time people might doubt you, saying things like ‘is he going to be back? Is he going to be the same?’. I love Elton John anyway, but I agree with what you said, last time I did a racecourse gig in 2021 I felt like I’d given them a disservice really. I wasn’t my best and they had to physically take me off stage with four bouncers to move me! I couldn’t walk to the car! I feel like I’ve got to come back and give them one hell of a show, I can’t wait.”

Q. For your previous Newbury show you performed heroically with a knee brace, do you feel it’s a full-circle moment coming back to do this racecourse again this summer?

“It does 100%. Again, to me that whole tour two years ago felt like it wasn’t right. It felt weird, my knee wasn’t great. I was really battling through the emotions of it, and I did enjoy the show, but I was in so much pain. So now that I’m pain-free, I just feel ready to go out there and just give it my best, I can’t wait!”

Q. After Covid & injury does this feel like the first year in a while you’ve been out full tilt?

“Yeah, I just feel like the whole world is lit up now! Everyone is back, everyone’s living life, everyone’s enjoying themselves and it feels like a proper year. Everything feels back to normal, which is brilliant, and I’ve worked really hard. I’ve been super busy with work from filming The Voice to the tour. It’s been quite full-on preparing for, and in the midst of all that, getting married and organising a wedding!

Q. Some artists who have played racecourse shows have sometimes said the atmosphere is like a wonderful big wedding reception. There’s always some stag and hen parties there as well. Do you have any tips for those celebrating in the crowd now you’ve had your own stag?

“What advice would I give? The advice went out the window when I had a stag! Pace yourself, eat something, make sure you eat lots of food.”

Q. There’s always a massive diverse crowd at the racecourse shows. Do you find you change your setlist for the summer audiences?

“I always feel very conscious of that, you know. I’m not someone that thinks it’s all about me, I think that you have to play to an audience. Coming to a racecourse I know that so many people are there to enjoy themselves and to have fun. If they’re hearing say, track two off my fifth album that has no relevance to their night, they’re likely to think ‘what is this song? I want to hear Heart Skips A Beat, I want to hear Dance With Me Tonight, I want to hear all the hits!’ I always cater for every audience that I sing in front of and always make sure the setlist is right because I want people to walk away going… you know what? I like Olly Murs because not only does he do his own songs, but he also likes to mix it up by singing other songs.”

Q. Speaking about the newer songs, what has been the best crowd reactions you’ve had to any of your songs from your latest album Marry Me?

“I would say it’s I Hate When You’re Drunk. That’s a really great song to sing live and the reason is it’s a fun song, especially with the racecourses it’s going to go down a storm because everyone always drinks too much and there’s always going to be one person in your group of friends that you’re like, you know what… they’re doing my head in. So, I think this song will definitely get the best reaction!”

Q. You’ve performed a few times now at racecourses but you’ve also been as a guest, have you ever won anything or is it just a flash in the pan losing whenever you’re there?

“One year Kaiser Chiefs were playing so we went down for my mate’s 30th and it was brilliant. I think on one of the races we won a fair amount, and we were flying as that was only the second race or first race, but by the time we go to the last race our winnings were gone. We were super excited, and it was so fun, but you’ve got to be careful betting. I think that’s what’s so good about these shows in particular, the fact that you have a six-card afternoon of racing, where everyone can have a fantastic day out, then they get to see their favourite artists live. Honestly, I tell so many people who haven’t been to a music night at a racecourse before that they have to go and do it. It’s top entertainment, everyone comes, it’s a lovely day out with friends, families, or partners. You get to watch racing, where everyone can have a fantastic day out, then they get to see their favourite artists live. Honestly, I tell so many people who haven’t been to a music night at a racecourse before that they have to go and do it. It’s top entertainment, everyone comes, it’s a lovely day out with friends, families or partners. You get to watch racing, eat some good food, drink some wine, beer or cocktails and then you get to watch an act at the end of it. It’s just brilliant fun!”

Q. For those people who haven’t seen you before, can they expect from an Olly Murs headline gig?

“For me, it’s energy, fun and a bit of banter. It’s entertainment and it’s just a really good laugh. I think if you want to come and dance all night and listen to some classics while also listening to my own songs, you’ll get a bit of everything in my show. It’s really good fun and an energetic show. It’s not too serious, it’s just a really good night out.”

Tickets are on sale now at Newbury Racecourse

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2-for-1 pizza at Oakman Inns!

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Love brilliant deals and scrumptious pizza? Visit one of Oakman Inns’ pubs to nab yourself some as part of their two-for-one deals with summer!

Priding themselves on the quality of their pizzas, Oakman Inns invite you to taste the quality through their two-for-one deals. Offered in multiple places, including Berkshire, Surrey, Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire, it provides a perfect opportunity for a meal out.

CEO of Oakman Inns, Peter Borg-Neal, commented that ‘eating together is so important’ and, by putting out this offer, friends and families can grow closer through eating together. It also can act as ‘the end of a family day out, the beginning of an evening’s fun or standalone treat’. This offer can pose as a celebration or outing for a range of different things across the summer.

The deal means a group of four could eat our for less than £50, affording four pizzas, two soft drinks and two Peronis.

The restaurants also have lovely locations with their own delightful gardens with weatherproof awnings. The Royal Foresters is especially beautiful, having its own boutique rooms, whilst also being close to major sites of interest such as Windsor Great Park and Ascot Racecourse.

Oakman’s handcrafted, wood-fired pizzas are made to an original Neapolitan recipe, using traditional Italian techniques and ingredients selected for their taste and authenticity. The dough is proved for 48 hours and cooked on the premises by their expert pizzaiolos.

If you love a traditional Italian pizza, these pubs are the best place for you, as they serve handcrafted, wood-fired pizzas made to an original Neapolitan recipe, using traditional Italian techniques. Each ingredient is selected is selected for its taste and authenticity.

Places to enjoy this deal:

Berkshire:
Royal Foresters, Ascot
The Rose Inn, Wokingham

Buckinghamshire:
Akeman Inn, Kingswood, Bicester
Beech House, Amersham
Beech House, Beaconsfield
Cherry Tree, Olney
Betsey Wynne, Swanbourne
Grand Junction, Buckingham
The Polecat, Prestwood

Oxfordshire:
Blue Boar, Witney
Crown & Thistle, Abingdon

Surrey:
The Lost Boy, Farnham

Author: Daisy Harwood

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Free lunch at M&S!

Round & About

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M&S are running an instant, Lucky Lunch giveaway, placing 7,500 £10 gift vouchers into random sandwiches.

You may think there’s no such thing as a ‘free’ lunch, but thanks to M&S there is! Running until 14th August is Lucky Lunch, an instant ‘gold ticket’ giveaway.

Buy any sandwich and try your chance at being one of the 7,500 lucky winners of a £10 M&S gift card! This gift card is perfect to use on your next lunch or even next two. Whether it be the classic BLT or the best-selling prawn mayonnaise, whatever sandwich you buy gives you a chance to win the gift card.

The best thing about M&S sandwiches are their quality, with them being made with 100% British butter and vitamin D enriched bread. Imagine getting to eat such a great sandwich and then finding out you won a £10 voucher so you can buy another one!

Owen Lilley, Product Developer for M&S, said that ‘the M&S sandwich has become part of Britain’s cultural heritage’ and has sold over ‘over 4 billion sandwiches since 1980′. With such whopping numbers, the sandwiches are bound to be delicious. So, if you are working and looking for a place to grab lunch, or simply just out and about, buy one of M&S’ sandwiches and enter the instant giveaway.

Author: Daisy Harwood

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