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Thames Valley Hospitality Awards

Round & About

February 15, 2019February 15, 2019

Berkshire

Picture credit: Dijana Capan, DVision Images
Picture caption: Organisers Marc Allridge and Hilary Scott

Nominate your favourites for 2019 Thames Valley Hospitality Awards.

The 2019 Thames Valley Hospitality Awards are open for nominations celebrating excellence and outstanding staff in the sector. From hotels to B&Bs, bars to restaurants, it’s time to share who you think deserves to be honoured.

In addition to last year’s categories, there are three new ones – Achiever of the Year, Wedding Venue of the Year and Outside Caterer of the Year. This is the second year of the awards and the organisers are delighted to be building on the success of last year.

Co-organiser Marc Allridge of Cherubs Floral Design said they were very excited about the new categories. He added: “We would love people from managers to brides to nominate in the Wedding Venue of the Year category. And we want to hear form all those caterers who work away behind the scenes and often don’t get recognised for their efforts – winning Outside Caterer of the Year would fix that.

“We also want to see lots of entries in Achiever of the Year – this is for a youngster who has overcome physical or mental issues to shine in the trade.”

The gala awards dinner this year is being held at the De Vere Wokefield Estate on Sunday, 28th April and hosted by leading chef Daniel Galmiche. Fellow organiser Hilary Scott encouraged entries for this year, saying: “We had so many entries in our first year it was amazing. I hope that we can get more this year now we are a bit better known. And remember if you missed out last year you can enter again.”

This year’s categories are:

Hotel of the Year sponsored by TVHA

Independent Hotel of Year sponsored by Newsquest Berkshire

Bar of the Year  sponsor Matthew Clark

Restaurant of the Year

Hotel Manager of the Year sponsored by Cream Design

Front of house star sponsored by H&D Food Solutions

Back of house star sponsored by Cherubs Floral Design

Warm welcome 

Best breakfast

Apprentice of the Year

Three new categories for 2019:

Achiever of the Year – a youngster who has overcome physical or mental issues to shine

Wedding Venue of the Year – in a competitive market who stands out for their venue, service and professionalism

Outside Caterer of the Year – in a growing market, we want to find the best

For full details and to nominate visit www.tvhawards.co.uk and don’t forget to share with us who you are nominating and why!

Birthday HuMP: Hurst Morris People

Round & About

February 4, 2019October 7, 2019

Berkshire

Help Hurst Morris People (HuMP) celebrate their 30th birthday with a barn dance on Saturday, 2nd March and more…

Great live music from Chris, Patsy and friends and an easy-to-follow caller Howard Ballard are key ingredients for a night of celebration.

The barn dance will take place at Hurst Village Hall in School Road from 7.30pm (doors open at 7.15pm) and everyone is asked to take along a plate of finger food to share – and your own drink. HuMP will supply tea, coffee, squash – and a birthday cake! Tickets sold out quickly last year so do buy yours soon; they’re £7.50, with under-12s free; to buy please email [email protected]
There’s also a May Day celebration, on Sunday, 28th April, from noon at Hurst Village Hall. A maypole dance expert will show everyone easy dances to join in and you can take your own picnic. HuMP and other visiting morris dancers will perform and invite everyone to join in with a simple dance. Tea, coffee and light refreshments will be on sale and entry is free.

HuMP’s 2019 charity is Hurst’s own inspiring good cause, registered charity Just Around the Corner in Forest Road. More than 100 young people aged between six and 25 use JAC’s services every week. They are referred by Wokingham and Bracknell schools, social services, parents and by self-referral.

Visit www.hump.org.uk and www.facebook.com/hurstmorris

Over the moon: astronomy

Round & About

February 4, 2019January 28, 2019

Berkshire

Tony Hersh of Newbury Astronomy Society explains more about what we can see in the skies above us this month.

This month we have a supermoon visible from the UK! The moon is in a slightly elliptical orbit around the Earth so varies in its distance from us. On Tuesday, 19th February, it is at its closest distance, some 356,846 kilometres away and it will appear 14% bigger and 30% brighter compared to a full moon when it’s most distant from Earth (406,700 km).

But 14% isn’t a huge amount bigger so don’t expect a sight vastly different from usual. This month is a good time to see Venus and Saturn, which appear very close to each other and near the moon at 6am on Monday, 18th February.

Object of the month

All stars are created and work the same way. Vast clouds of gas (mostly hydrogen) in the universe, gradually coalesce into spheres of material. The rate of coalescing speeds up as the mass increases and gravity attracts more and more material together. After mass of hydrogen exceeds a vast but specific quantity (2.5 with 28 zeroes after it kilograms!), the pressure in the centre is so huge temperatures reach 10 million degrees Centigrade and nuclear fusion starts. It’s the nuclear fusion, combining the hydrogen into helium, that releases the energy making stars shine. Stars vary enormously in size and temperature, some being much heavier, fusing hydrogen much faster and so being hotter and blueish in colour, others have lower mass and have slower fusion reactions so are cooler and appear reddish in colour.

Find out more at Newbury Astronomical Society’s monthly meetings.

Visit www.newburyastro.org.uk. Email any questions to [email protected]

Spice of life: local foodie’s book

Round & About

February 4, 2019October 7, 2019

Berkshire

Pangbourne foodie Balwinder Kapila explains more about her new book A Pinch Of Spice.

That’s the first thing that springs to mind when you think of Indian cooking? The flavours? The colours? The wonderful spices and aromas, perhaps? Or do you think “I love the food, but I couldn’t cook an Indian meal. It’s too hard”? Trust me: it isn’t – and in this book, I’ll prove it!

For years, my friends in Pangbourne have asked me for the secret to Indian food, but, as a British person who grew up in an Indian family, I didn’t think there was any particular secret; it all seemed perfectly natural. The trouble sometimes seemed to be that people were using the right ingredients in the wrong way. When I was asked if I’d give cooking lessons to show how it was done, I tried to explain that it was easy. I think perhaps the idea of using unfamiliar spices and ingredients, coupled with visions of standing by the stove for hours on end made it all seem too much of a challenge for many. I hope this book helps dispel some of those myths and inspires people to be adventurous and enthusiastic about trying these recipes.

When I decided to write a cookery book in memory of our son (who was a student at Theale Green School), many friends were keen to help. The book has been eight patient years in the making. What was originally meant to be a little booklet for family and friends evolved into a full-scale project. A few hastily scribbled recipes eventually began to transform into a book. Cooking together, testing recipes in each other’s homes, sharing ideas of food and culture, photography masterclasses and proofreading all played their part.

I also wanted to share my experience of my Indian upbringing in Hounslow. As I put this book together it became clear to me that recipes and ways of preparing food for your family and friends carry with them stories and histories that are just as important as the ingredients themselves. They are about cultures, individual family members and memories, both happy and sad; about the everyday, special celebrations and love.

Most of the dishes are from the Punjab region of northern India. I have combined traditional Indian home-cooked food with other recipes that I have developed over the years. I hope you will enjoy serving your family and friends the dishes that I have so much enjoyed serving to mine.

To contact me, or for more information, you can visit www.balskitchen.com, www.facebook.com/balskitchen or @balskitchen on Instagram.

A show stopper!

Round & About

February 4, 2019October 7, 2019

Berkshire

Scouts and Guides stage fun-packed gang show at South Hill Park.

However you look at it February is a cold, miserable month but help is at hand to lift your spirits and get rid of the winter blues.

The Scouts and Guides of South East Berkshire Gang Show are ready to entertain you at the Wild Theatre, South Hill Park, Bracknell with their fabulous variety show filled with fun, laughter, singing and dancing.

The show, suitable for the whole family, is performed and organised solely by volunteers, many of whom give up many hours to help the young cast mostly aged 9-25, to perform on the stage. Volunteers include talented producers, musicians, backstage crew and costume teams as well as the hoards of others who help to make the show a success.

Come and support the performers as they tread the boards with a variety of entertainment and South East Berkshire Gang Show guarantees you will have a good time and leave with a smile on your face.

Performances run from Tuesday, 19th to Saturday, 23rd February at 7.15pm with a Saturday matinee at 2.15pm.

Tickets are available now online or from South Hill Park box office, starting from £14.50. Discounts are available for families, groups of 20+ and seniors (except Saturday evening).

For details and to book go to www.southhillpark.org.uk or call South Hill Park box office on 01344 484123.

No strings! Pinocchio in Henley

Round & About

February 4, 2019January 29, 2019

Berkshire

Immersion Theatre return to Kenton Theatre this month with a new musical version of The Amazing Adventures of Pinocchio. Peter Anderson finds out more.

Based on the fantastical children’s book, this magical story leaps off the page and on to the stage in this high-energy retelling of Pinocchio’s extraordinary adventures.

The show is packed with comedy, audience interaction, and a host of new songs guaranteed to have you singing along from start to finish.

The musical has been written by James Tobias and Robert Gathercole, who have combined to write many of Immersion’s successful productions. James says: “Having worked together so many times, Rob and I have developed a clear understanding of the style of show we enjoy creating: high-energy, pacy scripts with frustratingly catchy songs which serve to create a larger-than-life introduction to classic stories for youngsters which older generations can enjoy just as much. I adore all things family theatre so look forward to working on this wonderful story.”

Corey Jones is one of the actors in Pinocchio and Peter Anderson caught up with him recently to ask how he got the acting bug in the first place. By accident almost it would seem… “I was a musician firstly, saxophone being and then singing – being Welsh, it’s kind of a given that you’re in choirs! I then got dragged along to be in the local pantomime that my younger cousin was dancing in, as they needed more boys in the ensemble, and I never looked back.”

Pantomimes also feature in his memories of childhood visits to the theatre. Young Corey was mesmerised by school trip to see Beauty & The Beast at Cardiff’s New Theatre. Another early theatrical memory of his is of seeing The Lion King in London’s West End. Those childhood memories he has have inspired his work with Immersion, as their magic, storytelling and audience inclusivity remind him of those early theatre trips.

So, which actors have inspired him? “I’ve always been a big fan of actors such as Johnny Depp and Gary Oldman, and the works of Tim Burton which is why I like fairytale shows – there is usually a darker origin which interests me. Pinocchio has some really dark bits, but don’t worry we won’t scare the audience too much!”

To find the scary and the fun bits, Pinocchio is at the Kenton Theatre on 15th & 16th February. For more information and to book, visit www.kentontheatre.co.uk

Hancock highlight

Round & About

February 4, 2019January 29, 2019

Berkshire

Tony Hancock and co will be brought to life at South Hill Park this month thanks to the Apollo Theatre Company, writes Peter Anderson

Hancock fans will be delighted to see the lad himself, of 23, Railway Cuttings, East Cheam, and his motley crew Kenneth Williams, Hattie Jacques and Sid James when the company who toured productions of the Goon Show and Round the Horne in recent years bring their next show on tour.

Producer and director Tim Astley says: “Hancock’s Half Hour was one of the greatest comedy shows of all time and it is truly an honour to be able to bring it to the stage. We are so used to sitcoms as a part of the comedy landscape these days that it is hard to imagine a time without them and to appreciate just how ground-breaking the show was when it came along in 1954.”

“Being a radio comedy show, these characters and their world largely exist in people’s imaginations and this show, which recreates the BBC recording studio of the 1950s, gives audiences a chance to see them brought to life like never before and will create a unique experience for fans both old and new.” The show stars Dead Ringers impressionist James Hurn as Tony Hancock and Colin Elmer reprising his role from Round the Horne as Kenneth Williams, alongside a cast of brilliant actors who will bring to life the stars of yesteryear.

I wondered how James went about creating both Tony, and his other impressions “As with any character, I start from the ground up, I watch their body language, facial expressions, tempo this will then lead to timing, delivery of a line and overall characterisation. So how did you James discover his talent? “Just like most children I loved to laugh, I used to find great pleasure in watching classic comedies such as Laurel and Hardy, Will Hay, the Three Stooges and many more. So, when it came to having the opportunity to perform in a school play or musical I would often be cast in the comical role. So, I guess it was at this time that I discovered I was able to make people laugh with a facial expression, a tumble or an ad-lib.

As for what the audience can look forward to, he says “On any given night the audience can expect two hours of pure comedy gold. The writing is superb and that is why it has stood the test of time for over 60 years. We have a great cast that will bring back memories for those who remember the originals and create memories for those hearing it for the first time. “Hancock’s Half Hour” can be seen at South Hill Park on 24th February.

For more information please go to www.southhillpark.org.uk

Older & wiser: a care-giving career

Round & About

February 4, 2019October 7, 2019

Berkshire

With our rapidly ageing society, the demand for elderly care at home increases and good care-givers are in high demand…

Many care providers are finding active retirees – sometimes nearly the same age as their clients – feature among their best employees.

“Older care-givers know the frustrations of ageing and have a lot of patience and understanding,” says Right at Home’s Kevin Lancaster. “They tend to relate well to their clients and can talk about the ‘old days’ with shared recollection.”

The number of older people delaying retirement is also increasing; with economic uncertainties and people living longer on fixed incomes, many are drawn to elderly care to supplement their incomes. Care is a natural choice for retirees wanting to give something back to their community and build meaningful relationships.

The UK Government recognises the value of recruiting older people. Department for Work & Pensions Minister Amber Rudd MP said: “Retirement should be an increasingly active phase of life, when people can continue working and volunteering, as well as saving and looking after their health. Older people have a wealth of skills and experience.”

“We love hiring older care-givers to provide home care for other seniors,” adds Kevin. “The Right at Home 2018 UK CareGiver of the Year, Yvonne, is a grandmother in her 60s. Older care-givers bring a compassionate awareness of age.

They already share Right at Home values, having grown up learning the value of commitments. The benefit of older people caring for their peers is a win-win situation for us all.”

0118 207 0600 / www.rightathomeuk.com/twyford

AniMalcolm magic! Family theatre

Round & About

February 4, 2019October 7, 2019

Berkshire

Join animal-hating Malcolm on his trip to a farm and see how life changes at Wycombe Swan on Sunday, 17th February.

Malcolm doesn’t like animals even though his family love them. The house is full of pets which are of no interest to Malcolm who only wanted a laptop for his birthday.

A Year Six trip to a farm is the last thing he wants but during he learns a lot about animals and what it’s like to be an animal. Something amazing happens to him and he finds out how wild life as an animal can be.

AniMalcolm is a vibrant, energetic and funny musical, based on David Baddiel’s book. “AniMalcolm was my third book for children, and I think it’s my funniest,” says self-confessed animal-lover David, who has four cats and a guinea pig. “Animals are loveable, cute, sweet, friendly, and nice to cuddle, but they are also, always, funny. They are deadpan – their faces never really change… Which, if they’re falling off a sofa, or running into a plate-glass window, is definitely the funniest face to make.”

The production by Story Pocket Theatre combines physical theatre, puppetry and storytelling to bring the comic tale to the stage.

The show is suitable for children aged seven years and up and tickets cost £12, £10 concessions or £35 for a family.

To book tickets for AniMalcolm at 2pm or 6pm call 01494 512000 or visit www.wycombeswan.co.uk

For the full tour, which also includes shows at Aylesbury Waterside in March, visit www.storypockettheatre.co.uk

We have a family ticket (four tickets) to give away too, to see the show at a venue of the winner’s choice!
Click here to enter before 12pm on 11th February 2019.

Restless Minds: Ward Thomas

Round & About

January 29, 2019January 23, 2019

Berkshire

Ward Thomas – AKA 24-year-old twin sisters Catherine and Lizzy who went to school near Cranleigh – tell us about their influences ahead of their gig this month.

Millennials face a barrage of criticism as well as being burdened with the anxiety social media can cause. So Lizzy and Catherine Ward Thomas come across as a thoroughly refreshing duo.

Lyrically the twins have tackled issues close to their hearts on their new album Restless Minds, with observations on social media, the women’s movement, what “the truth” means today and mental health, which inspired #NoScrollSunday.

With support from The Wandering Hearts, they will perform at Guildford’s G Live on Tuesday, 26th February, which is almost a home gig. “We know Guildford very well,” the sisters tell me. “We grew up only 20 minutes away and went to school near Cranleigh. We’ve been to the Borderline a lot to watch fellow musicians play as well as playing there ourselves.”

Catherine and Lizzy grew up in a very musical family. “Our parents were in a band and they played a lot of The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles. Our cousin introduced us to country music and we became obsessed with Dixie Chicks and many others. We’ve listened to a whole range of genres growing up and still do now. We’re drawn to a great melody, an authentic storyline with great lyrics. We also feel strongly that – in this modern digital age – we all crave honesty, authenticity and things that take us back to our roots. So that could also be what’s drawing people into country more nowadays.”

Country music might be enjoying a surge in popularity but the twins dislike pigeon-holing their music when it comes to genres… “So when we write, we go into the room with the attitude of ‘let’s write what we feel today’. Then when we get to the studio we always have fun experimenting with what kind of production works best for a particular song. So we’re always wanting to be open-minded to blending genres together within an album.”

I wonder what it’s like performing and making music as twins? “It’s great! We’ve gone through a lot together growing up but have different perspectives on the same topic or event. So it really works in the creative process. And performing together is a real treat as we have a lot of fun connecting with each other musically on stage and singing together in general. We’re really excited to get back on the road!”

● Ward Thomas will play at Guildford’s G Live on Tuesday, 26th February.

For more information please visit www.wardthomasmusic.com/live

Wednesday 15 Jan 2025

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Berkshire

Nominate your favourites for 2019 Thames Valley Hospitality Awards.

This year’s categories are:

Three new categories for 2019:

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Berkshire

Help Hurst Morris People (HuMP) celebrate their 30th birthday with a barn dance on Saturday, 2nd March and more…

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Berkshire

Tony Hersh of Newbury Astronomy Society explains more about what we can see in the skies above us this month.

Object of the month

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Berkshire

Pangbourne foodie Balwinder Kapila explains more about her new book A Pinch Of Spice.

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Berkshire

Scouts and Guides stage fun-packed gang show at South Hill Park.

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Berkshire

Immersion Theatre return to Kenton Theatre this month with a new musical version of The Amazing Adventures of Pinocchio. Peter Anderson finds out more.

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Berkshire

Tony Hancock and co will be brought to life at South Hill Park this month thanks to the Apollo Theatre Company, writes Peter Anderson

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Berkshire

With our rapidly ageing society, the demand for elderly care at home increases and good care-givers are in high demand…

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Berkshire

Join animal-hating Malcolm on his trip to a farm and see how life changes at Wycombe Swan on Sunday, 17th February.

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Berkshire

Ward Thomas – AKA 24-year-old twin sisters Catherine and Lizzy who went to school near Cranleigh – tell us about their influences ahead of their gig this month.

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

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