brits overseas summer 2011

Sum

mer 2011

Sir RanulphFIENNESChoose The

RighT sChoolelbowLONDON'S BURNINGEngland Riots

Hong Kong Edition

1Summer 2011 • britsoverseas

contents

Regulars

4 | UK-SCENE-HK

Britons come to Hong Kong to entertain you.

12 | EDUCATION

Expert advice on choosing the right Hong Kong school for your child.

24 | UK PROPERTY

How to let out your UK home while living overseas.

42 | HK LIFESTYLE

The charming British custom of afternoon tea.

44 | TRAVEL

W Retreat & Spa – Bali’s definitive entertainment, fashion, culinary and nightlife destination.

50 | BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT

Reviews of this season’s TV, books and music.

54 | IN THE NEWS

What’s been happening in the UK.

56 | COCK & BULL

Disunited Kingdom – England riots

2britsoverseas • Summer 2011

contentsFeatures

8 | LONDON’S BURNING

What made thousands of people riot in England this summer?

16 | MUSIC

Elbow – Manchester’s favourite sons talk to britsoverseas.

32 | PEOPLE

The Man Who Would Be Bond. Sir Ranulph Fiennes in Hong Kong.

36 | SPORT

Rugby World Cup 2011 The action’s about to begin

Publisher and Executive EditorMichael Hales

ContributorsMike GrinterAnne MurphyRob Shipman Richard HughesVanessa WongNeil Jensen

ProductionLokyin Chun

[email protected]

[email protected]

Published by

Tel: (852) 6117 0303Fax: (852) 3017 3859www.asiaprintandpublishing.com

Printed by: Sun Best Printing Co Ltd

© Asia Print & Publishing Limited 2011

The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher, editor or contributors. Although every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within the publication, the publisher accepts no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors or omissions howsoever arising, whether through negligence or otherwise.

This publication is distributed on the understanding that the publisher is not responsible for the results of any actions, errors or omissions taken on the basis of the information contained in this publication. The publisher expressly disclaims all and any liability to any person, whether a purchaser of this publication or not, in respect of any action or omission or the consequences of any action or omission by any such person in reliance, whether whole or partial, upon the whole or part of the contents of this publication.

ASIAPRINT&PUBLISHING

September 27 WeStlifeGet ready for a night of powerful ballads as Irish band Westlife return to Hong Kong this autumn. Westlife The Gravity Tour Live in Hong Kong will be held on 27 September at the AsiaWorld-Expo.

The Irish quartet of Nicky Byrne, Shane Filan, Mark Feehily and Kian Egan first broke onto the pop scene in 1999 with hit single “Swear It Again”. Since then Westlife have been churning out hits including “Flying Without Wings”, “Against All Odds”, “Uptown Girl” and “World of Our Own”. The group continue to gain popularity, break records, sell out tours, win awards and top charts.

Thirteen years, ten albums and 44million record sales later, Westlife launched ground-breaking album Gravity last year. The album has a renewed sense of heart, soul, vigour

and pride. The first single “Safe” showcases the awesome emotional weight of an outfit at the height of their powers. Opener “Beautiful Tonight” sweeps and explodes into life with electronic pulses adding to its sense of euphoria. “Chances” is a tender meditation on missed opportunity while “I Get Weak” is a dark descent into despair and “Too Hard To Say Goodbye” a heart-tugging dissection of grief.

Westlife The Gravity Tour Live in Hong Kong 2011Date: Tuesday, 27 September 2011Time: 8pmVenue: AsiaWorld-Expo Hall 10Tickets: HK$780 / HK$480 / HK$380 all seated From:HK Ticketing and Tom Lee Music


Performing for the first time in Hong Kong, 80’s legendary electro pop band, The Human League, will be performing at KITEC Star Hall on October 13 in support of their recently released ninth studio album “Credo”.

With worldwide sales of over 20 million albums and a string of hits such as “Don’t You Want Me”, “Human”, “Mirror Man”, “Fascination” and “The Lebanon”, The Human League has proved their strength by continuing to produce exciting and new sounds throughout their career that spans over three decades.

Once described by David Bowie as “the sound of the

future” and famously cited as an influence by top performers such as Madonna, Pet Shop Boys, Robbie Williams, Moby and La Roux, their hits have been covered by various artists from George Michael to Craig David.

The Human League Live in Hong Kong8pm October 13, 2011KITEC Star HallTickets: HK$480, HK$580, HK$680 (standing)Tickets available at HK Ticketing and Tom Lee OutletsOnline Booking: www.hkticketing.com

OctOber 13 tHe HUmAN leAGUe

uk-scene-Hk


OctOber 25 – NOvember 6 StOmp!After nine years in the West End, STOMP unveils Stomp 11 – Fresher, Faster, Funnier coming to Hong Kong’s Lyric Theatre, Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, from 25 October to 6 November.

STOMP, an award winning phenomenon, takes the clutter of everyday life – including the kitchen sink – and transforms it into a theatrical event. With no spoken language, and using comedy, rhythm and dance, creators and co-directors Luke Creswell and Steve McNicholas have developed a unique show and have performed to more than 15 million people in 48 countries worldwide.

“Pure stage magic, you’ll be dancing in your seats.” The Sunday Telegraph

‘STOMP brings the house down!” The Independent

Tickets: HK$350 to HK$950Tickets available at HK Ticketing and Tom Lee OutletsOnline Booking: www.hkticketing.com


uk-scene-Hk

October 28 - 30 HONG KONG cricKet SiXeS

The Hong Kong Cricket Sixes are back and will be held at the Kowloon Cricket Club during the weekend of 28-30 October 2011. Organised by the Hong Kong Cricket Association since 1992, the Sixes is the only international cricket event held in Hong Kong and is fully sanctioned by the world’s governing body for cricket, the International Cricket Council.

Among the new initiatives to be introduced in 2011 is the expansion of the tournament from its traditional two-day format to a third day of world-class sporting action, with tournament play expanding to the Friday of the event weekend.

The tournament will also be expanded from eight to 12 teams in 2011. The three new teams will be Scotland, Ireland and Bangladesh, while the fourth will be an invitational team

of international cricket legends, modeling the success of the All Star format introduced for the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes in 2007 when the event was a sell out.

The Sixes has grown to be one of the best sports events in Asia. It’s a weekend of VIP entertainment in the exclusive and intimate surroundings of the Kowloon Cricket Club. Six-a-side cricket is the quickest, most fun-filled version of the glorious old game – world class players, thrilling matches, huge hits and spectacular catches. The Hong Kong Cricket Sixes is the longest-running, best-established and most high-profile sixes tournament in the world.

The twelve teams competing for this year’s trophy will be England, Australia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, New Zealand, India, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Scotland, Ireland, Bangladesh and the All Star team.


current AFFAirs


current AFFAirs

9

After a week that shocked and shamed the UK at home and abroad, thoughts have now turned to the causes of such wide-

spread unrest. As Britain clears up towns and cities that have been affected

by the worst public disorder in England since the eighties, David

Cameron declared that the riots were motivated by pure criminal-ity. And it would seem that many Britons agreed with him, united in a no-nonsense public response. According to a recent ICM poll, 45% blame criminality on the part of the rioters. But observers from both ends of the political spectrum have refuted such a sim-plistic explanation and suggest much deeper roots.

own, with acquisition of personal wealth the key to self-respect. Zoe Williams from the Guardian says, “This is what happens when people don’t have anything, when they have their noses con-stantly rubbed in stuff they can’t afford and they have no reason ever to believe that they will be able to afford it.”

WELFARE DEPENDENCEUnder a new scheme, where petitions with more than 100,000 signatures can trigger a Commons debate, a new petition calling for thieves to lose their welfare hand-outs caused the government website to crash, unable to handle the volume of traffic. When the site was fixed, it quickly passed the 100,000 watershed required to qualify for Parliamentary debate. The e-petition reads, “Any

GREEDMany believe that the UK has embraced a culture of entitlement, selfishness and greed that permeates all levels of society – a gen-eration that have been brought up believing if someone else has got it, they have to have it. It’s not hard to see that the rich and powerful seem as oblivious to morality as the robbers on the street. In recent years we’ve seen politicians jailed for fiddling expenses and corporate theft that continues unchecked, so is it that surprising that people adopt a ‘me first’ mentality? And yet the greed on display in England must have seemed incredible to those across the world who have much less.

The Daily Telegraph points to the hypocrisy of the British political class that have been so vocal in their condemnation of the rioters, highlighting the fact that one MP had notoriously (although legally) claimed £5,900 for eight laptops and another had submitted a claim for an £8,865 Bang & Olufsen television.

One accused rioter shouted at a judge, “I

don’t even get money for housing benefit.”

“There’s a real feeling that we’ll be damned if we do and damned if we don’t.” Paul McKeever, Chairman Police Federation of England & Wales

Almost 25% of those initially charged in connection with the riots were aged under 18.

CONSUMERISMWhen one young rioter from Lewisham was asked by a Sky News correspondent why he’d been looting, he replied, “To provide for my family.” Then asked what he’d stolen, “Tracksuits, electronic stuff, TV, iPads and trainers”. Indeed, all the essentials of a society that’s become obsessed with materialism and celebrity.

It’s fair to say that consumerism, based on personal debt, has been pushed on society for years as a solution to a faltering economy. People have become valued for reasons of what they


current AFFAirs

persons convicted of criminal acts during the current London riots should have all financial benefits removed. No taxpayer should have to contribute to those who have destroyed property, stolen from their community and shown a disregard for the country that provides for them.”

FAMILYThe Independent says, “it should never have happened that parents, teachers, and the police themselves go in terror of the young, or in terror of the consequence of reining in their wildness.” Many believe that the rioters lack family role models and blame the breakdown of families and domestic life. According to the ICM poll, 28% of respondents cited a lack of respect within families and communities. One saddened mother on BBC’s Question Time said that British society had given young people “all the rights without and of the responsibilities.” She added, “I can’t even discipline my child. Children sue their parents these days.”

Scotland Yard expects eventually to bring 3,000 people to justice in London, but given the number of forces involved around the country the final figure could be double.

SPENDING CUTSLabour’s candidate for London Mayor, Ken Livingstone, was called misguided for linking the riots to government spending cuts. He told BBC’s Newsnight, “If you’re making massive cuts, there’s always the potential for this sort of revolt against that.” But many feel effects of the cuts haven’t been felt yet, perhaps a sign of worse to come.

POLICINGMuch has been made of the police response to the rioting, with eyewitnesses complaining that officers appeared reluctant to do anything. Some cite a culture of political correctness and fall-out from criticism of the police during the G20 protests. Some com-mentators have suggested that arrests are a bureaucratic nightmare from a force scared of being sued for false imprisonment.

But despite the ferocity of the rioting and claims that the police mishandled the initial disorder, the ICM poll suggests that public trust in the police is uniformly strong, with 61% saying that they’re confident that the police enforce the law fairly, uniformly and without prejudice.

RACEOnly 1% of those polled blamed racial tension. David Lammy, MP for Tottenham insisted, “The polarization is not between black and white. It is between those who have a stake in society and those who do not.”

This would appear to be backed up by observations that in certain areas of London the rioters appeared predominantly black, whereas in Manchester the rioters were mostly white.

The Association of British Insurers has put the bill at an estimated £200m


current AFFAirs


EDUCATION

SMART CHOICES

DemanD for school places in hong Kong is greater than ever as families continue to settle in the city and insist on the highest quality education for their children. This means that international schools are becoming more selective, ultimately making it more competitive for applicants.

children as young as three years old are being put through interviews. as part of the primary school application process they’re invited to a 30-40 minute interview and tested on name writing, number and letter recognition as well as their ability to follow instructions, take turns and play co-operatively, share, and help when required. additionally, many international schools in hong Kong will ask for a school report from your child’s pre-school while some will ask teachers to complete a reference form highlighting a child’s strengths, weaknesses, and personality traits.

While hong Kong’s government schools are regarded as some of the best academically, children will have no chance in the public schools unless they are able to speak cantonese, or are very young and able to pick it up. This means that often the only option for those who wish to be taught in english is to go to an international or private independent school. There are lots of international schools in hong Kong to choose from which follow the British, american, IB or australian education systems. Undoubtedly, you’ll want your child to attend the best school available but it’s important to choose a school that’s the right fit for your child and for you as a parent, even if an english medium school is your only choice.

There are many factors that parents may consider when trying to choose the best school for their children. however, the truth is that there isn’t any school that’s best for every child. We can look at exam results to determine the best school, but the real challenge for parents is to choose the right school.

Choosing a sChoolchoosing a school is a complex decision that includes plenty of intangible factors and elements that are hard, if not impossible, to properly define and quantify. In addition, you’re trying to predict the future development and ability of your child, which is of course very difficult. and the younger the child - and the further ahead the projection - the more difficult the task. The characteristics of the child, the school quality, curriculum, school facilities, languages taught and after-school activities - not all easily measurable, and not all equally important for each individual child or family - play a role somewhere. here are some tips for making the decision, but don’t beat yourself up too much about trying to make a perfect decision – you can’t - but you can narrow the margins for error.

Define your iDeal sChoolrefine your search by considering what’s important to you, whether it’s maths, foreign languages, art, drama, after-school clubs or special education resources. educate yourself on different teaching methods and consider how your child learns best. It’s important to consider what’s important to you in an academic programme. how rigorous should academics be? Would your child thrive in a traditional setting or is a more creative approach better.

Many international schools in Hong Kong will ask for a school report from your child’s pre-school


EDUCATION

With limited places for non-Cantonese speaking children in Hong Kong, choosing the right school for your child isn’t as easy as you might think.

By Anne Murphy

SMART CHOICES

Visit before you DeCiDeIt’s extremely important to visit as many schools as possible, so that when you make a choice you’re satisfied with the school you’ve chosen not only on academics. When you tour the school, check out the work on the walls, classroom set-up, facili-ties, play areas and how teachers and children interact, and also what type of involvement the school wants from parents. open Days are held at most international schools on a monthly basis. In general, admission officers are happy to organize private tours with a principal or vice principal – but give them plenty of notice. many pre-schools offer trial lessons and allow parents to observe classes.

Know how to apply, anD whenfind out deadlines for applications, enrolment and debenture infor-mation as soon as possible, and don’t be late. some schools start applications at 3 years old (Pre reception) and others at 5 years old (Primary). certain schools such as french International, German swiss and Kellett accept applications from birth. Waiting lists at these schools can reach 300 + for reception, however, only 60 places are offered. If you miss a deadline, your application is filed under a ‘late list’ which means your child may never be offered an interview let alone a space. Apply to as many schools as you feel would suit your child.

haVe a baCKup planYour child may not be called for an interview or classes might be full to capacity. remain on the waiting list, if you can, and be ready to consider your second or third-choice schools. Don’t put all your eggs into one basket. although you may only truly want to send your child to your first choice- school, it may well be that you’re never

offered a space. Due to the increase of applications received by esf over the past few years for P1 places, many children have not even been offered an interview, which has left many parents unhappy and with few options. so, it’s very important to consider as many schools as possible. Parents are often surprised what other schools can offer once they open their minds to different options.

asK for helpIf you’re unsure about your choices and find it difficult to navigate the entire process, seek advice from an education consultant. an education consultant can assist you by helping you find a school placement that is a good fit for your child. apart from giving you more schooling options to choose from, an experienced consul-tant will give you peace of mind especially if you’re relocating your family to hong Kong. an educational consultant is a resource to help guide you through the maze of school admissions. They can help you plan ahead so you won’t miss deadlines, provide you with in-depth knowledge on the schools and curriculum, prepare your child for interviews and assessments and most importantly, give you professional support to ensure your child has a successful outcome. finally, you have access to expertise and practical help for one of the most important decisions your family will make.

choosing the right school takes much time and effort. It’s important to do your homework before choosing the best school for you and your child so you get the best possible match. Which is the right school? It’s the one that fits best with your needs and requirements. It’s the school where your child will thrive and will be happiest.

anne murphy is a Director at ITs educational services ltdwww.tuition.com.hk


EDUCATION

It’s important to choose a school that’s the right fit for your child and for you as a parent


Music

elbow


Music

elbowThe firsT Thing that strikes you about guy garvey, elbow’s lead singer, as he walks into the room is his unassuming charm. As we move to the bar, one of the hotel waitresses - who hasn’t realised there are celebrity guests in the hotel - tells him we can’t sit down, as it isn’t open yet. rather than give it the big “i am”, garvey apologises and politely asks if there’s anywhere else we can go. The waitress walks away.

Welcome to hong Kong.elbow haven’t been able to take in much of hong

Kong, apart from a boat trip to Victoria harbour and a few beers in Wan Chai (a short stroll from their hotel) but garvey’s excited about their first ever trip here. “i’ve heard a lot about the place and wanted to come for years,” he says “i’ve always been fascinated by hong Kong and actually wanted to come before it was handed back [to China]. it’s definitely lived up to my expectations. it’s going to be great because we’re relatively new here. Absolutely brand new here really.”

it’s perhaps because they’ve waited twenty years to achieve notoriety that the whole band emit such a genial, down-to-earth charisma. Their arduous rise to fame meant it was ten years before they got their first record deal but the band have gone on

to win almost every music prize around - including Mercury, Brit, ivor novello and nMe awards - a long way since their first 1990 gig together at a half-empty college in Manchester.

garvey says he still sometimes finds it hard to adjust to their popularity. Their fourth album, The seldom seen Kid, has now sold well over a million copies and the lead single, One Day Like This, has been endlessly played as an uplifting backdrop, from sports events to documentaries.

“We were having breakfast at a B&B after a mate’s wedding and there was a really serious programme about bell ringers on the telly. They were all talking intensely about winning this competition and i’m thinking, what the fuck. And when they win, there’s a slo-mo of them cheering with “One Day Like This” playing in the background. Me and the misses were in hysterics.”

Their music’s been described as intelligent and personal with an emotional directness that floors you and they’re fre-quently compared with radiohead, The smiths, Talk Talk and Peter gabriel. But garvey cites a much broader range of eclectic influences on their music. “i had five older sisters, so a lot came from them – a real wide spectrum really, from Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Led Zeppelin - progressive rock - genesis, 10CC, supertramp. i had one sister into disco, one punk, a soul sister.”

Their rise to fame after the success of The Seldom Seen Kid

Good evening Hong Kong!


“There’s nothing better than being paid for what you’ve been paying to do for most of your life.”


Music

saw them headline Wembley Arena, support U2 at Wembley stadium in front of 90,000 people and return to Man-chester in a homecoming concert at the Men Arena.

in 2009 they played two extraordinary gigs with the halle orchestra, Britain’s oldest symphony orchestra - “The original Manchester band”, as garvey calls them - where the band re-worked tracks with the help of composer and conductor Joe Duddell. Part of the Manchester interna-tional festival, the concerts sold out the 2,000 capacity Bridgewater hall within hours and drew an additional 5,000 music fans to the nearby Castlefield Arena, where the concert was projected on a big screen.

And it was at glastonbury in June this year where elbow cel-ebrated their 20-year anniversary in front of tens of thousands of fans. Their performance of “One Day Like This” was described as “the greatest moment of the weekend” by the Independent, with the Guardian adding the performance was “not just the highlight of this year’s festival, but one of the all time greats.”

garvey pinpoints the performance as one of the proudest moments of their career to date, “This one was really special. glastonbury is the big gig for all bands in the UK. You almost feel like all festivals are a rehearsal for that one.”

garvey also speaks proudly of acclaim from John Cale, musician, songwriter, record producer and founder member of rock band The Velvet Underground. “finding that John Cale

chose us [elbow] as one of his desert island discs was fantastic; because he’s the godfather of hard rock, there’s no indie music without John Cale. he brought music experimenta-tion into pop music, right at the start of all the bands we loved – to have him say he couldn’t do without one of our tunes is amazing.”

Their latest album, Build a rocket Boys! has been nominated for this year’s Mercury Prize and praised as one of the band’s best yet, reaching number two in the UK album charts. According to the Daily Telegraph, the band followed the success of Seldom Seen Kid with “greatness and without fuss,” providing “more of the same: richly textured, intelligent and

warm stuff.”so what next? garvey says, “We’ve got ideas. it’d be great

to do stuff like that [the halle orchestra collaboration] at least once for every album. There’s talk of us using a disused movie studio, doing a real time version of the album with different sets in different rooms, walking between sets. it’s in its infancy.”

it’s time to leave. elbow are due on stage at Kowloon’s KiTeC arena in less than two hours. Much has been made in the media about how likeable they are and it’s easy to see why. With true modesty from a man that’s old enough - and grateful enough - not to be conceited with mainstream success, garvey adds, “Are you coming to the concert tonight? no need to get a taxi, we’ll give you a lift on the bus.”

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After more than three decades in the business there’s nothing Elvis Costello wants to do more than keep playing in front of live audiences

WHAT’S YOUREXPAT STORY?

by Mike Grinter

So what’s your expat story and how did it come about? Was it something you planned, a long-burning desire, or just

something that came out of the blue?


WHAT’S YOUREXPAT STORY?

Me? Well I blame my mother, although as always, your mother always knows best. Way back at the tender age of 16, having gone back to school to take my A-levels in the northeast of England, it was clear that I needed to be doing something different with my life. Therefore I decided to apply for a job working in a bank.

An application form duly arrived in the post and I proceeded to complete all of the questions; albeit struggling with one of them: “Are you prepared to be mobile with the job?” Ever keen to do the right thing I consulted my mother to see what she thought? Her answer made a lot of sense. “Say yes, because the bus station in Whitley Bay goes just about anywhere.”

So, having been accepted for the role with the bank, it was possibly a more mobile move than I expected when in 2000 the bank moved me to their Dubai office. Sadly the bus station in Whitley Bay had long since closed to make way for a shopping mall, meaning that we had to fly, so maybe mothers can’t be right about everything.

My assignment in Dubai was initially for three years and involved numerous visits to Saudi Arabia to visit clients of the bank in the main cities, as well as one or two far-flung outposts too. In 2004 I moved to Hong Kong with the family, which is where we remain today, having now left the bank after an enjoyable 23 years.

During my 11 years overseas I have travelled to over a dozen

countries in the Middle East and met numerous people. I gradually came to the conclusion that there are pros and cons in every expat posting, and the way we deal with the challenges provides us with the long-term foundations of our future. I have found that the issues I, and my family, face are basically the same, wherever we live.

I’m sure you will agree that many expat conversations between people meeting for the first time include the following three questions:

• Howlonghaveyoubeenanexpat?• Howlongdidyouoriginallyplantobeawayfromyourhome

country?• Howlongwillyoustayhere?

Very quickly, I realised that the answers to these questions formed a similar pattern:

• Anythingupto40yearswasnotuncommon.• Peoplerarelyhadaplantoinitiallystayawaylongerthantwo

to three years.• Rarelydoesanyoneplantolookfurtheraheadthantwomore

years.


Personally,ifaskedthesethreequestions,I’dbenodifferentinmyanswers; and while I would say to you that for question three, I’d hope to stay overseas for the long-term, nobody really knows for sure. A lot of this comes down to the cost of living wherever you are, your ability to provide the best for your family and ultimately having the financial means to sustain all of this.

Challenges exist for all of us both personally and financially and often the crisis you’re experiencing today becomes something you learn from and (hopefully) laugh about. It may be a problem with the children, relationship issues, personal injury or a complete financial disaster.

One of my own classics was that, as an avid footballer, I unfor-tunately sustained a bad knee injury in Dubai, requiring full knee reconstruction. The operation seemed to go well, but as the days progressed the pain got worse. I eventually went back to see the surgeon who expressed concern about the wound. Upon closer inspection, he started to pull bugs the size of woodlice out of my knee. It transpired that the eggs that had originated in the hair of our domestic helper, nested in the bed and were feasting on the wound each night. These days, I put it down as ‘life of an expat’ and can laugh about it now, although I don’t remember feeling the same way at the time.

We all have numerous tales that we all enjoy sharing (often more than once) which is one of the upsides of expat life in my view. Sadly, and all too often, we also hear tales of personal misfortune from a financial perspective, often as a result of circumstances but sometimes due to receiving the wrong advice or more commonly not understanding what you are taking on in the first place.

Something I found fairly common over the years, especially within close-knit expat communities, was the willingness for people to openly discuss their own personal financial ventures. In fact, I can still remember sitting in a client’s living room in Saudi Arabia many years ago with an audience of people asking me more

questions about the individual’s investments than he did. The reason for their presence was probably more to do with the fact that the client made the best wine on the compound and any excuse to come and drink it was readily accepted, but it was clear to me none-theless that people were far more open when discussing personal financial issues than I was used to.

Whatever your reasons for becoming an expatriate, you probably have a high level of expertise in your chosen field and are hopefully remunerated accordingly for this. Unfortunately, when discussing how to save and invest this hard-earned money, you’re all-too-often expected to be an expert in all things financial and can be swept

along by numerous success stories, jargon and terminology that you don’t understand, just going with the flow on the basis that everyone else is doing it, therefore so should you.

Over the coming issues, I will try to peel back the layers when it comes to buying property, opening a bank account, obtaining a mortgage or investing that hard-earned money. I’ll explore some of the jargon that’s used and strip it down to plain English, hopefully giving you the confidence to ask the right questions and to under-stand what it is you want to do and how you should do it.

While you may not be planning to stay away from home beyond two more years, this may well change; therefore you need to ensure that you are maximising the opportunity that expat life gives you while retaining the flexibility for future changes if appropriate.

Anything can be as complex or as simple as one wishes to make it and relevant education not only provides knowledge, but also gives you guidance to plan and manage your life, as well as meeting the objectives you have for you and your family.

Neil Jensen is a Director at Allied International and can be contacted at [email protected]


ProPerty

Living overseas presents many problems when it comes to renting

out your property back home. Being so far from the UK makes you

vulnerable to unscrupulous agents that are looking to make easy money

on maintenance charges and extra rental commissions. So before you go

it’s worth being thoroughly prepared for what to expect.

Renting your UK

home

There’s a loT to do before you let your property. First impres-sions count for everything and the way you present your property can ensure you get the best rental price.

The first impression potential tenants get of your property is the exterior. Clean up gardens, give windows and doors a new coat of paint, make sure the house number is clearly visible and keep rubbish out of sight.

a bright and well-lit home makes the property more spacious and it’s very important to de-clutter. Moving some furniture into storage and tidying up will make your flat appear more inviting and you should make sure everything works (light bulbs, taps). rooms should be well aired and any pet or cigarette odours dealt with.

SELECT A LETTING AGENTMost people living overseas hand over responsibility of letting their property to a qualified letting or estate agent. This cuts out the hassle of having to deal with potential tenants and negotiate price. But when choosing a potential agent you should take time to research how they go about letting your property. The best letting agents should • Haveknowledgeofthelocalmarketandconductregularvalua-

tions in your area. This is very important to ensure an accurate valuation and get you the best price in the shortest possible time.

• Haveregisteredtenantswhoarelookingtorentpropertyimmediately. Consider what type of tenant you’re looking for, families, students or professionals.

• Provideyouwithregularadvice,guidanceandfeedbackandbeavailable to organize viewings outside normal working hours.

• Haveanetworkofofficestocomparevaluationsandmarketyour property across different geographical areas. It’s important to consider how the agent will market your property. Do they have a successful website, their own property magazine and a prominent high street presence? ask about ‘To let’ boards and get more details about their marketing techniques.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENTMore and more tenants prefer to rent managed properties to avoid personal conflicts with landlords and many will pay a premium for this and the round-the-clock service they can provide. living overseas means that you can’t be on hand to organise repairs, transfer utilities and collect rent. Using a property management company also gives you peace of mind that your property will be sufficiently looked after while you’re away.

The cost of using a management agent varies - remember the cheapest aren’t necessarily the best option – but most will charge around 15% of gross rental income. a good management agent should• Sourcesuitableandreliabletenantsforyourproperty.• Obtainreferencesandconductcreditchecksonpotential

tenants.• Preparetenancyagreementsandorganisedeposits.• Prepareaninventoryandconductastateofrepairassessmentof

your property.• Collecttimelyrentfromyourtenantandtransfertoyouwith

regular statements.• Manageandarrangeanynecessaryemergencyrepairsand

ensure works are carried out by fully vetted and reliable contractors.

• Conductannualpropertyinspectionsanddealwithlegalaspects such as evictions and non-payment of rent.

• Conductanylegallyrequiredsafetycheckssothatyourproperty meets with government standards.

• Provideyourtenantswithnoticeattheendofthetenancy.• Re-letyourpropertyintheshortestpossibletime.

Most letting agents also offer property management services but check their codes of practice to see if they’re a member of The PropertyOmbudsman,TheNationalApprovedLettingScheme(NALS)andcomplywiththegovernment’sTenancyDepositProtectionScheme.

The content provided is for information only. Professional and indepen-dent advice should be sought before letting your property.

CONSIDER SHORT LETTINGSYou can often expect higher returns on your property let if you’re prepared to consider short-term letting and many tenants will also pay in advance for lettings of up to six months. Your agent should have access to corporate tenants that will use short lets for their staff and are willing to pay a premium for good service from your agent. some agents have dedicated Corporate services departments who specialize in reputable corporate tenants.

“Check codes of practice to see if your agent is a member of The Property Ombudsman, The National Approved Letting Scheme (NALS) and comply with the government’s Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme.”


ProPerty

“Living overseas means that you can’t be on hand to organize repairs, transfer utilities and collect rent.”

BritishClub_FinalOutlined(HK).indd 2-3 17-Aug-11 16:47:30

BritishClub_FinalOutlined(HK).indd 2-3 17-Aug-11 16:47:30

ADVERTORIAL


Expat FinancE


Expat FinancE

Batten Down The Hatches

Why now’s a good time to consider your pension plans

One majOr cOncern affecting the global economy is the budget deficit that, in certain european countries, is threatening to destabilise the euro zone. all european countries are looking to reduce their deficits – or national overdrafts if you will – by taking whatever steps are required.

european Union (eU) governments are urgently scaling back their budgets to alleviate the dire straits in which many find them-selves. For the foreseeable future, national administrations will be looking to cut costs wherever possible and across europe there are already a number of proposed public sector spending cuts.

Large-scale infrastructure projects, such as new roads and airports, may be symbols of national pride but when the going gets tough, are relatively easy to postpone or cut. But governments in europe know that this isn’t the whole story. In order to bring about a future of more balanced government debt compared to revenue, much more fundamental – and politically controversial – change will be required. But what will this mean for the ordinary citizen?

essentially there are two ways that the financial crisis is going to affect residents of countries where substantial deficit reduction programmes are a necessity. Government spending cuts will mean a reduction in benefits for many, and although this is really only the other side of the same coin, taxes will almost certainly have to increase for most citizens. rising taxes are never popular, but

when combined with serious reductions in public spending, we can expect to witness a public backlash when the harsh reality begins to bite. Politicians across europe are going to need nerves of steel as they confront an increasingly uneasy electorate.

another tactic already announced or being actively considered in some countries - the UK, France and Greece for instance – is to increase the official retirement age. This has long been debated as a necessary response to shifting demographics and ageing popula-tions, but governments are now being forced to act far sooner than had been predicted. This will be deeply unsettling for the millions of people who suddenly find their long-term plans disrupted, but is there anything that individuals can do about it?

“People can no longer rely on any government to provide for everyone’s financial security in retirement.”

Qualifying non-uK PenSion SchemeS can be a highly tax efficient way

for exPatriateS to manage their financeS, but it’S imPortant

to SeeK Qualified ProfeSSional advice.

In a word – pensions. For all those fortunate enough to have made some provision for their future financial security, now might be a good time to review those arrangements to ensure that you’re maximising the opportunities. Given the present state of the stock markets and their recent history, you should ask yourself if your future material comfort is still as assured as it was on the day that you first made those plans.

It’s against this background that now, more than ever before, adequate provision for retirement should be a “must do as soon as possible” rather than a “I’ll get round to this one day”. People can no longer rely on any government to provide for everyone’s financial security in retirement.

Qualifying non-UK Pension Schemes (QnUPS) are potentially highly tax efficient schemes suitable for expatriates and high net worth individuals.

QnUPS were the UK government’s response to the fundamental eU principle of free movement of capital, which is enshrined in the eU Pensions Directive. The directive requires the equalisation of pension treatment for non-domestic pensions compared with domestic pensions and the UK is one of the first countries to follow this particular set of eU rules.

The legislation, or underlying concept, isn’t entirely new, as the requirements of the QnUPS regulations are substantially the same as those for a pension scheme to be a recognised overseas pension scheme (rOPS).

Before april 2010 such schemes weren’t afforded any special inheritance tax (IHT) treatment and so the pension fund poten-tially formed part of the member’s estate for IHT purposes. This would be the fund value immediately prior to death and could result in a 40% IHT charge - to the extent that the pension fund and his other assets exceed the value of the nil-rate band on death. These provisions were obviously discriminatory against the overseas schemes compared to their UK equivalent, hence the change to the relevant legislation in 2010.

However, since the legislation was announced, there have been many articles advising that the use of a QnUPS is a simple way to avoid IHT, but this is bad advice.

QnUPS are an attractive retirement benefit-planning tool that avoid some of the constraints otherwise imposed by an equivalent UK domestic pension. examples include allowing a greater choice of assets that may be held in the pension and more flexible rules on taking an income from it. moreover, there is no cap on the level of contributions that can be made to the pension. Upon death, any residual value is paid to beneficiaries chosen by the member. members are able to borrow from their QnUPS fund to purchase personal assets rather than having the constraints of trying to borrow from a bank; something that can be very attractive in the current economic climate. naturally this area is subject to strict conditions.

However, there are dangers arising if an advisor simply sets up a QnUPS to avoid UK IHT for their client where there’s no

other motive for doing so. The chances are that upon the member’s death, Hm revenue and customs (Hmrc) will look at the arrangement and view it as an IHT avoidance tool. UK anti-avoidance legislation could be used to see through the arrangement and assess the member’s estate as if the assets were still in the member’s personal name, and the appropriate tax would be charged.

In order to be a QnUPS, certain condi-tions must be fulfilled by the scheme. These include setting the same retirement age as in the UK; providing an income upon retirement; opening the scheme to the local population in the jurisdiction where it’s established (resident) and that it’s recogn-ised for tax purposes in that jurisdiction.

all of us are getting older and we should all be concerned about pensions – be it a

government or state pension, a private arrangement or perhaps a combination including the use of QnUPS as described above. The way that governments tackle the present financial problems – and the results of these actions – are going to be of fundamental impor-tance. So stay abreast of the news and, if you have any cause for concern, seek professional advice at the earliest opportunity.

rob Shipman is managing Director of Sovereign Trust (channel Islands) [email protected]

Sovereign Trust (Channel Islands) Limited recently launched a free pension technical support scheme for all its pension solutions (QROPS or QNUPS) in conjunction with Pentech, an independent actuarial firm based in the Isle of Man.

“Adequate provision for retirement should be a must do as soon as possible rather than an I’ll get round to this one day.”


Expat FinancE

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HKBritoverseas_half_24AUG2011_output.pdf 1 25/08/2011 2:30 PM

On hearing that the hotel has 118 floors he says, “Dear me, where will they stop, in 100 years time where will they be?” if you were to ask the same question 100 years ago many wouldn’t have believed some of the achievements that Sir ranulph himself has made in his extraordinary lifetime. the adventurer, who had a triple heart bypass six years ago, is the first man to have crossed both ice caps via both Poles and to have climbed 29,035ft to the world’s highest peak, Mount everest (aged 65). in October 2003, he ran seven marathons in seven days on seven continents, despite suffering a major heart attack and double bypass operation in June of the same year.

Described in 1984 as the “World’s greatest Living explorer” by the guinness Book of records, his expeditions around the world include the first surface journey around the world’s polar axis during which he and Charles Burton became the first people ever to reach both Poles by surface travel; north Polar Unsupported expedition – the furthest north unsupported record; anglo Soviet north Pole expedition; co-leader of the Ubar expedition which in 1991 discovered Ptolemy’s long-lost atlantis of the Sands, the frankincense centre of the world; leader of the South Pole expedition which achieved the first unsupported crossing of the antarctic continent and the longest unsupported polar journey in history.

OUR MAN IN HONG KONGSir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes arrives at Hong Kong’s Ritz Carlton hotel dressed to kill – dinner suit and black tie.


PeoPle

a man of astonishing force, with a lifetime of tales of motivation, determination and breaking new ground, Sir ranulph was born in 1944 and educated at eton. he served with the royal Scots greys for a time before joining the SaS. in 1968 he joined the army of the Sultan of Oman and in 1970 was awarded the Sultan’s Bravery Medal.

it was a chance film audition in London that launched Sir ranulph’s career as an explorer when he was invited down to London to audition for the role of James Bond. he recalls how, with no money at the time, he and his wife couldn’t afford to travel to London. But when a telegram came from an acting agency offering to pay for their trip, they accepted. among 280 hopefuls, he made the last six before meeting film producer albert Broccoli, who Sir ranulph describes as “a little bloke who didn’t smile.” he recalls, “i marched up to see Brocolli and he said to the other fellow, “this one looks like a farmer”, which i took to be a bad thing.”

roger Moore was given the role but Sir ranulph used the opportunity of being in London to secure a place on a Ministry of Defence expedition to British Columbia in Canada.

“roger Moore got the job and i got to lead the big expedi-tion,” he says “My first big trip with a BBC documentary film crew, which is what really got me and my wife going.”

Sir ranulph’s in hong Kong to speak at the third annual help for heroes charity dinner at the ritz-Carlton (which raised hK$2.2 million through auctions and raffle ticket sales).

he’s raised over £7 and a half million for various UK charities, including the Multiple Sclerosis Society, (which has enabled the building of europe’s first MS research centre in Cambridge), Breakthrough Breast Cancer and the British heart Foundation. in 1993 he was awarded an OBe for human endeavour and charitable services.

in true Bond style, after charming more than 700 guests for over an hour with stories of daring and adventure, Sir ranulph is whisked away to the airport immediately after, still wearing his dinner suit.

help for heroes provides direct, practical support for wounded British servicemen and women and fund projects and initiatives that make a real difference to the lives of those injured. the charity has raised more than £100 million in public donations - just three and a half years after it was formed - and has spent almost £90 million on various projects, currently building five personal recovery centres for wounded servicemen across the UK.


PeoPle

RUGBY WORLD CU P 201136britsoverseas • Summer 2011

Sport

RUGBY WORLD CU P 2011

BLOOD, GUTS AND GLORYThe biggest sporting event of 2011 is about to kick off in New Zealand. Twenty teams from 48 countries competing to become champions of the world. The Rugby World Cup is now established as the world’s third biggest sporting event behind the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup and organizers expect 85,000 fans from more than 100 countries to attend.

First held in New Zealand and Australia in 1987, England are the only British team to have won the tourna-ment, defeating Australia in 2003. The inaugural Rugby World Cup saw 600,000 people pass through the turn-stiles with 300 million in 17 countries watching the action on television, figures that would increase to 2.25 million and four billion in 200 territories for the 2007 event.

WALES

Wales begin their World Cup campaign on 11 September against South Africa in Wellington in what’s expected to be one of the highlights of the pool stages, followed by matches with Samoa, Namibia and Fiji.

Due to the absence of injured hooker Matthew Rees, 22-year-old Sam Warburton will become Wales’ youngest World Cup captain. On hearing of his selection, Warburton said: “I am delighted. To be a World Cup captain is one of the biggest achievements a rugby player could achieve. It’s my first World Cup, so it will be new to me. It is going to be a positive camp to be around. We are in a good place at the moment.”

Wales have been boosted by the return from injury of prop Adam Jones and head coach Warren Gatland has opted for a split of 16 forwards and 14 backs. “We’ve had a few injuries in the back three, and we wanted to make sure we had cover there. It needed bolstering up, so we went for 16-14.”

Wales’ best Word Cup finish was third place in 1987 but they’ve failed to get out of the pool stage on three occasions in 1991, 1995 and 2007.

Wales’ squad for the Rugby World CupBacks: A Brew (Newport Gwent Dragons), L Byrne (Clermont Auvergne), J Davies (Scarlets), L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues), J Hook (Perpignan), S Jones (Scarlets), T Knoyle (Scarlets), G North (Scarlets), M Phillips (Bayonne), R Priestland (Scarlets), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues), L Williams (Cardiff Blues), Scott Williams (Scarlets), Shane Williams (Ospreys)

Forwards: H Bennett (Ospreys), R Bevington (Ospreys), L Burns (Newport Gwent Dragons), L Charteris (Newport Gwent Dragons), B Davies (Cardiff Blues), T Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons), P James (Ospreys), G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), A Jones (Ospreys), AW Jones (Ospreys), R Jones (Ospreys), D Lydiate (Newport Gwent Dragons), C Mitchell (Exeter), K Owens (Scarlets), A Powell (Sale Sharks), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues, capt)


Sport


Sport

SCOTLAND

Scotland’s World Cup campaign begins at Invercargill on 10 September against Romania, followed by pool matches against Georgia, Argentina and England.

Chris Paterson, Scotland’s record scorer and most-capped player (with 105 tests to his name) will make history at Rugby World Cup 2011 by becoming the first Scot to play in four World Cups, having made his debut in the 1999 tournament.

There are few surprises in head coach Andy Robinson’s 30-man squad. Alastair Kellock has been named captain but missing out are Johnnie Beattie, David Denton and Robert Harley. Announcing his final squad, former England interna-tional, Robinson said: “I want to pay tribute to the dedicated and professional approach of all those in our provisional squad. Eight players [including Walker] have been unfortunate to miss out from that squad but that is because of the talent we have been able to assemble in our final 30.

“What I’ve seen from the squad is a tremendous team spirit, a great courage for the way they’ve worked together and I’m delighted to be head coach of this squad,” Robinson added. “I

know they’re going to go and do Scotland proud. I have no doubt about that. I’d like to thank every single one of them for the work they’ve done so far. Well done guys. It’s now about getting in the starting XV.”

Scotland’s squad for the Rugby World CupBacks: Joe Ansbro (London Irish), Mike Blair (Edinburgh), Chris Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors), Simon Danielli (Ulster), Nick De Luca (Edinburgh), Max Evans (Castres), Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors), Rory Lamont (Toulon), Sean Lamont (Scarlets), Rory Lawson (Gloucester), Graeme Morrison (Glasgow Warriors), Dan Parks (Cardiff Blues), Chris Paterson (Edinburgh).

Forwards: John Barclay (Glasgow Warriors), Kelly Brown (Saracens), Geoff Cross (Edinburgh), Alasdair Dickinson (Sale Sharks), Ross Ford (Edinburgh), Richie Gray, Dougie Hall (both Glasgow Warriors), Jim Hamilton (Gloucester), Nathan Hines (Clermont Auvergne), Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh), Alastair Kellock (capt, Glasgow Warriors), Scott Lawson (Gloucester), Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors), Euan Murray (Newcastle Falcons), Ross Rennie (Edinburgh), Alasdair Strokosch (Gloucester), Richie Vernon (Sale Sharks)

PCCW AD


Sport

ENGLAND

England kick off their World Cup campaign on September 10 at Denedin and face physical opponents in Argentina and Georgia in the pool stage.

Manager Martin Johnson has chosen a squad of 17 forwards and only 13 backs and says, “You would rather win ugly than lose pretty every day of the week. When you get into World Cup games it is all about winning. Sometimes people lose sight of that.”

England have a wealth of experience at their disposal with 2003 World Cup winning hero Jonny Wilkinson making his fourth World Cup appearance and old hands such as Nick Easter, Steve Thompson, Simon Shaw and Mark Cueto.

Announcing his 30-man squad, Johnson said, “The composi-tion of the squad is very important and we think we have the right mix in this group. There were some very tough phone calls made last week; everybody came into this camp and worked extremely hard and some players have just missed out.

“For us now though it is important to look forward - there is great sense of unity in this group and we are pleased with the depth across the squad. We are all looking forward to the tournament and know that selecting the 30-man squad is just the beginning.”

And on England’s chances of winning the tournament, Johnson added, “This is the question that gets asked before every

tournament. Any team will tell you that you have to address what’s right in front of you. We’ve got a tough pool … there are three quarter-finalists from the last World Cup in our pool. There’s no point talking about the final. You’ve got to get yourself there and then take it from minute one. Believe me you don’t win World Cups by thinking about winning World Cups.”

England’s squad for the Rugby World CupBacks: Full-backs: Delon Armitage (London Irish), Ben Foden (Northampton Saints). Wings: Chris Ashton (Northampton Saints), Mark Cueto (Sale Sharks), Matt Banahan (Bath). Centres: Shontayne Hape (London Irish), Mike Tindall (Gloucester), Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers). Fly-halves: Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers), Jonny Wilkinson (Toulon). Scrum-halves: Joe Simpson (London Wasps), Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers).

Forwards: Props: Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Alex Corbisiero (London Irish), Andrew Sheridan (Sale Sharks), Matt Stevens (Saracens), David Wilson (Bath). Hookers: Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), Lee Mears (Bath), Steve Thompson (London Wasps). Locks: Louis Deacon (Leicester Tigers), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Tom Palmer (Stade Francais), Simon Shaw (London Wasps). Back row: Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers), Nick Easter (Harlequins), James Haskell (Ricoh Black Rams), Lewis Moody (Bath), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints).

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Sport

MATCH SCHEDULE BY DATE

Date Time (NZ) Pool Match details Location Stadium

Fri Sept 9 20.30 A New Zealand v Tonga Auckland Eden Park Sat Sept 10 13.00 B Scotland v Romania Invercargill Rugby Park Stadium Sat Sept 10 15.30 D Fiji v Namibia Rotorua Rotorua International Stadium Sat Sept 10 18.00 A France v Japan Auckland North Harbour Stadium Sat Sept 10 20.30 B Argentina v England Dunedin Otago Stadium Sun Sept 11 15.30 C Australia v Italy Auckland North Harbour Stadium Sun Sept 11 18.00 C Ireland v USA New Plymouth Stadium Taranaki Sun Sept 11 20.30 D South Africa v Wales Wellington Wellington Regional Stadium Wed Sept 14 14.30 D Samoa v Namibia Rotorua Rotorua International Stadium Wed Sept 14 17.00 A Tonga v Canada Whangarei Northland Events Centre Wed Sept 14 19.30 B Scotland v Georgia Invercargill Rugby Park Stadium Thurs Sept 15 19.30 C Russia v USA New Plymouth Stadium Taranaki Fri Sept 16 20.00 A New Zealand v Japan Hamilton Waikato Stadium Sat Sept 17 15.30 B Argentina v Romania Invercargill Rugby Park Stadium Sat Sept 17 18.00 D South Africa v Fiji Wellington Wellington Regional Stadium Sat Sept 17 20.30 C Australia v Ireland Auckland Eden Park Sun Sept 18 15.30 D Wales v Samoa Hamilton Waikato Stadium Sun Sept 18 18.00 B England v Georgia Dunedin Otago Stadium Sun Sept 18 20.30 A France v Canada Napier McLean Park Tues Sept 20 19.30 C Italy v Russia Nelson Trafalgar Park Wed Sept 21 19.30 A Tonga v Japan Whangarei Northland Events Centre Thurs Sept 22 20.00 D South Africa v Namibia Auckland North Harbour Stadium Fri Sept 23 20.30 C Australia v USA Wellington Wellington Regional Stadium Sat Sept 24 18.00 B England v Romania Dunedin Otago Stadium Sat Sept 24 20.30 A New Zealand v France Auckland Eden Park Sun Sept 25 15.30 D Fiji v Samoa Auckland Eden Park Sun Sept 25 18.00 C Ireland v Russia Rotorua Rotorua International Stadium Sun Sept 25 20.30 B Argentina v Scotland Wellington Wellington Regional Stadium Mon Sept 26 19.30 D Wales v Namibia New Plymouth Stadium Taranaki Tues Sept 27 17.00 A Canada v Japan Napier McLean Park Tues Sept 27 19.30 C Italy v USA Nelson Trafalgar Park Wed Sept 28 19.30 B Georgia v Romania Palmerston North Arena Manawatu Fri Sept 30 20.30 D South Africa v Samoa Auckland North Harbour Stadium Sat Oct 1 15.30 C Australia v Russia Nelson Trafalgar Park Sat Oct 1 18.00 A France v Tonga Wellington Wellington Regional Stadium Sat Oct 1 20.30 B England v Scotland Auckland Eden Park Sun Oct 2 13.00 B Argentina v Georgia Palmerston North Arena Manawatu Sun Oct 2 15.30 A New Zealand v Canada Wellington Wellington Regional Stadium Sun Oct 2 18.00 D Wales v Fiji Hamilton Waikato Stadium Sun Oct 2 20.30 C Ireland v Italy Dunedin Otago Stadium Sat Oct 8 18.00 QF1: W Pool C v RU Pool D Wellington Wellington Regional Stadium Sat Oct 8 20.30 QF2: W Pool B v RU Pool A Auckland Eden Park Sun Oct 9 18.00 QF3: W Pool D v RU Pool C Wellington Wellington Regional Stadium Sun Oct 9 20.30 QF4: W Pool A v RU Pool B Auckland Eden Park Sat Oct 15 21.00 SF1: W QF1 v W QF2 Auckland Eden Park Sun Oct 16 21.00 SF2: W QF3 v W QF4 Auckland Eden Park Fri Oct 21 20.30 Bronze Final Auckland Eden Park Sun Oct 23 21.00 Final Auckland Eden Park


HK LIFESTYLE

An enduring tradition of Hong Kong’s colonial era is the charming custom of afternoon tea, so if you’re shopping in Tsim

Sha Tsui or Admiralty, it’s worth taking time out to sample some of the best Hong Kong has to offer.

The ritual of afternoon tea is rooted in British custom and The Duchess of Bedford is credited with launching the fashion in 1830. By the 1840s, wafer-thin slivers of bread encasing thinly sliced cucumber

TeAfor Two

and platters of light sponge cakes were served in the new tea gardens of Vauxhall and Marylebone. By later Victorian years, tea was a well-established meal with its own distinctive array of foods, including savoury sandwiches, hot teacakes, English muffins or scones. Tea was a time to share gossip and show off one’s prettiest teapots and china, so hostesses vied with each other to produce the most refined sweetmeats and elegant table settings.

Ritz-CaRltonHigh Tea. Without doubt the most spectacular view while enjoying afternoon tea is at the Ritz-Carlton’s Lounge & Bar, located on the 102nd floor of the ICC.

The Lounge & Bar’s elaborate décor and high ceilings create a stunning contemporary setting and with panoramic views (400 metres above sea-level) across Victoria Harbour, it’s definitely worth requesting a window table. Visiting the observation deck on the 100th floor of the ICC costs HK$150 per adult, so the Ritz-Carlton’s afternoon tea is also remarkable value for money at just HK$228 per person (or HK$428 for two people).

As you’d expect, the service is excellent and a live band create a relaxed and informal atmosphere. The set menu includes sandwiches, a wide selection of cakes and freshly baked scones with clotted cream and you can choose from a wide variety of black, oolong or herbal teas.

The Ritz-Carlton’s signature afternoon tea runs from 3pm to 6pm and dress code is smart-casual (no flip-flops or beach sandals and no shorts or sleeveless shirts for men) and there are plenty of tourists wearing the latest golfing fashions. Due to its popularity, you need to register for reservations from 1pm at ground floor reception on a first-come first-served basis and it’s worth getting there early.

The Ritz-Carlton, Lounge & Bar, 102nd Floor, International Commerce Centre, Kowloon


HK LIFESTYLEthe PeninsulaPerhaps the most elegant and stylish setting for afternoon tea in Hong Kong, The Lobby at The Peninsula serves classic afternoon tea from 2pm to 7pm daily. The Lobby’s colonial charm sets it apart as a most appropriate venue.

Afternoon tea begins with savoury finger sandwiches with ingredients such as smoked salmon, egg salad, chicken salad, prawns and cucumber in addition to a fine selection of biscuits, pastries and savouries.

The Peninsula’s warm buttery scones are made from a recipe unchanged at The Peninsula for over half a century and served with strawberry jam and Devonshire clotted cream.

With its classical columns and gargoyles, marble-topped tables and Tiffany chinaware, The Lobby is refined and chic and a great place to spend the afternoon. The atmosphere’s busy and exclusive and the service personal and friendly. The Lobby Strings add to the lively ambience with classical music each afternoon from 12 noon to 6.30pm (except Monday).

Again, you don’t have to spend much to enjoy such an exclusive venue with afternoon tea priced at HK$268 for one person or HK$398 for two. Weekends get busy and you can’t reserve a table unless you’re a hotel guest so it’s recommended to arrive early (queuing from 1.45pm). Dress code’s smart casual with no flip-flops, beach sandals or plastic footwear (you would look out of place wearing ‘crocs’) and no sleeveless shirts for gents.

The Peninsula, Ground Floor, The Lobby, Salisbury Road, Kowloon

the langhamThe Langham, Hong Kong has a rich heritage surrounding the tradition of afternoon tea; it was at the sister property, The Langham London that tea was served for the very first time over 140 years ago.

The hotel’s Palm Court serves Tiffin Afternoon Tea from 3.00pm until 5.30pm, seven days a week. Guests can choose from two delicious menus, named after fairytale characters of Sleeping Beauty, a traditional tea with handmade shortbread and mini cupcakes and Beauty and the Beast, a chocolate-rich offering. Afternoon tea at The Langham is child-friendly too with a Tiffin Prince and Princess tea for children.

Relaxed and informal, The Palm Court is a very cosy place to relax in the afternoon and get away from the busy streets of Tsim Sha Tsui and you don’t have to worry about formal dress codes. Gilt screens with rich fabrics divide Palm Court into smaller discrete private spaces and there are comfortable sofas and low tables. There’s also live strings and jazz in the afternoon that enhance the elegant atmosphere.

The three-tiered platter of exquisitely prepared sandwiches, scones, cakes and delicacies are served with a selection of teas including fruit and herbal and The Langham’s own blend.

You can make reservations which means you don’t have to worry about getting there first and it’s great value at HK$188 for one person, HK$328 for two people and just HK$88 for children.

The Langham, Palm Court, 8 Peking Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon

the island shangRi-laIf you don’t fancy venturing off Hong Kong island, The Shangri-La’s Lobby Lounge is a relaxed place to meet, socialise and enjoy afternoon tea in the heart of the city whilst taking in the view of their tropical gardens.

The Shangri-La offers a tempting selection of sandwiches and cakes and guests can choose from three different afternoon tea selections – Shangri-La, Traditional or Wimbledon (with fresh strawberries).

The Lobby Lounge is a more formal setting than some other venues, dress code is smart casual or business dress, but there’s a relaxing atmosphere and live music.

It’s also spacious and less busy than other places and conveniently located above Pacific Place shopping centre in Admiralty. You can make advance reservations and The Lobby Lounge serves afternoon tea from 3pm to 6pm (Monday to Friday) and from 2pm to 6pm at the weekend. It’s also good value for money at HK$228 for one person or HK$408 for two people.

Island Shangri-La, Lobby Lounge, 6/F Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, Central

Retreat & Spa44britsoverseas • Summer 2011

Travel

Retreat & Spa45Summer 2011 • britsoverseas

Travel


Travel

Arriving At BAli’s W retreat & spa you feel that you could be anywhere in the world, first impressions more Miami than Bali. the open terraced lobby space – the signature W lounge - hits you with bling and glitz. vibrant pink and purples create an intense combination of colour and pattern as you feel the breeze of the indian Ocean and hear the noisy jangle of wind chimes and the rolling surf.

it’s quite a surreal scene; smartly dressed staff busily milling around with the cool in-crowd. W hotels have brought a bold new dimension to Bali with W retreat & spa, which opened in March this year. it’s the newest resort in the trendy enclave of seminyak, the more fashionable neighbour of Kuta beach where designer boutiques, eclectic galleries, lively restaurants and chic cocktail bars are in abundance.

the resort itself brings a contemporary twist on Balinese design with subtle elements incorporated with the most modern of comforts. guests can choose from 158 retreats and suites,

the majority of which face the indian Ocean. Making your way to your room you’ll be intrigued by the interesting quirks that you notice all around you. neon lights in the lifts flicker on and off and lift mats greet you with good Morning, Afternoon or Evening, depending on what time of day it is. it’s this attention to detail that separates W from run-of-the mill five star hotels.

the rooms all offer vivid design, cutting-edge technologies and uniquely modern amenities. the beds are extremely com-fortable - with 350 thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets and goose down comforters - and the balconies have sofas where you can relax and take in the ocean panoramic.

it’s perhaps the bathrooms, most of all, that take your breath away. Most retreats have skylight bathrooms with rainforest showers and deep soaking bathtubs, endless combinations of spotlights and Bliss spa bathroom amenities.

Unconventional and modern, the rooms are fitted with all the latest gadgets. Flat screen lCD tvs, BOsE sound system with iPod dock and high-speed wireless internet access as standard.

the more expensive villa retreats are private sanctuaries in a different corner of the property and have security-controlled access. All have private pools and BBQ facilities and are sur-rounded by lush greens and tranquillity. the oversized terrazzo bathrooms have huge bathtubs and separate glass rain showers and the 79 villas are fitted with spacious double-vanity dressing room wardrobes.

there’s plenty to explore at the resort and guests can mix and mingle and be part of the scene or escape to their own retreats. W retreat & spa also features distinct concept restaurants such as FirE and starfish Bloo; destination bars WooBar and ice; WEt pool deck and the signature AWAY spa.

Featuring a dramatic open kitchen that awakens for breakfast, FirE is a fun, unpretentious grill restaurant illuminated by bold colours of white, black, red and yellow. When you go down to breakfast, there’s yet another personal touch as your host invites you to choose your own coffee mug from a selection of individual and quirky designs. the Pan Asian restaurant starfish Bloo is casual and elegant and has stunning oversized booths evoking gigantic lobster traps, blue starfish pillows and weather-beaten timber finishes.

guests at the resort are also invited to enjoy the Balinese sunset each day from comfy sofas on the beach. And W retreat & spa is most certainly the place to be seen after dark. the WooBar is shaped like a coral reef and guests can chill-out on glamorous

rooftop daybeds outside with cool cocktails or lay on the sur-rounding pool deck while DJs play hip music until the early hours of the morning.

And then of course there’s the spa that features the Blue room, a pure oxygen filled lounge and the CHill Bar (the only spa bar in town) with its own catwalk and seven stunning treatment suites complete with their very own glow Beds. the spa boasts to help guests “glam up for the evening with a facial or beauty treatment or recover after a long night at Woo Bar with AWAY massage. Open 24/7.”

As the definitive entertainment, fashion, culinary and nightlife destination of seminyak, staying here is certainly a unique experience you’ll never forget.


Travel


Gentlemen’s tonic is now open in the heart of central. the renowned and exclusively men’s only brand provides the best of what Britain has to offer in grooming and lifestyle services. Founded in london’s mayfair, Gentlemen’s tonic affords the modern man a tradi-tional barbershop and a variety of lifestyle and grooming services.

the new Hong Kong branch is located at the recently launched landmark men, the landmark’s basement floor dedicated to men. the exclusively men’s salon is comfortable and stylish with wood, leather and marble furnishings, where clients can sit back, relax and enjoy their private haircutting stations and treatment rooms along with access to the internet, tV’s and a selection of newspapers and magazines.

luxury British grooming comes to Hong Kong


Grooming experts are on-hand and treatments include a traditional barbershop service through to waxing, facials, pedicures and therapies such as hot stone, massage and reflexology. specially formulated packages have been created based on famous male personas such as shackleton, edison, Hemingway, Valentino and more. the shackleton offers haircut and finish, beard trim or the ultimate wet shave for the intrepid traveler or the edison’s indian head massage, revitalising eye treatment and express facial.

Gentlemen’s tonic was launched in london in 2004, and now has four london establishments, mayfair, selfridges, Park lane and Gieves & Hawkes, with further sites opening in late 2011/2012.

OPENING HOURSDaily 10 am – 8 pm

B47 – B48Basement 1 level the landmarkcentral, Hong Kongtele: 2525 2455e: [email protected]: www.gentlemenstonic.com

luxury British grooming comes to Hong Kong

BBC andITV Highlights

Heat of The SunFilmed on location in Africa, Heat of The Sun is set in the 1930s amidst the glamorous, colonial society based in Kenya. Trevor Eve stars as a straight-talking policeman uncovering a murky web of murders, arson and drug dealing while his methods are viewed with suspicion and rivalry by the cosy expatriate community.

His cases include murder and kidnap but he constantly finds himself brushing up against his boss, Commissioner Ronald Burkitt, who cares more about what people think and keeping the British upper lip very stiff, than with getting results.

A typically top-notch performance from Trevor Eve, fabulous production values and strong writing with guest stars including Tim Woodward, Hugh Bonneville, Diana Quick, Cathryn Harrison, Joss Ackland and Geoffrey Bayldon.

Heat of The Sun: Three episodes starting Sunday 18 September on ITV (nowTV Channel 517).

Wonders of the Solar SystemProfessor Brian Cox takes you on a journey of discovery where alien worlds become places you can see, feel and visit. He introduces you to the planets and moons beyond our world, finding the biggest, most bizarre and most powerful natural phenomena. He visits some of the most spectacular and extreme locations on earth to unveil wonders of the Solar System that can be found on Earth itself.

Employing his trademark clear, authoritative, yet down-to-earth approach, Brian explores how these previously unseen phenomena have dramatically expanded our horizons with new discoveries about the planets, their moons and how they came to be the way they are.

Professor Cox, OBE is a particle physicist, a Royal Society research fellow, and a professor at the University of Manchester. He was also the keyboard player in the UK pop band D-Ream in the 1990s.

Wonders of the Solar System reveals the Solar system around as you have never seen it before – from the giant ice fountains of Enceladus to the liquid methane seas of Titan and from the storms twice the size of the Earth to the tortured moon of lo with its giant super-volcanoes.

Wonders of the Solar System premieres first and exclusively on Sunday 4 September 2011 (Hong Kong 9:05pm) on BBC Knowledge (nowTV Channel 220/Cable TV Channel 49).


TV


Music

So Beautiful or So WhatPaul Simon (Concord)

That bands such as the Rolling Stones and solo artists like Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen are still treading the boards can induce in some a sense of unease, in some amusement. But this is surely churlish. The Stones may have produced little new material of worth since the 1970s but they still draw some of the largest crowds. Dylan has lost his voice but with such a vast back-catalogue many songs still sound fresh.

And then we have Paul Simon, a man that can look back on a career of 50 years with pride. And yet, with the new album, So Beautiful or So What he may draw on the sounds of his yesterdays but he’s looking forward, albeit not too far given that he is pushing 70.

Simon may be looking to the end and trying to resolve all the questions we finally seek answers to, but in doing so he’s produced one of his finest most consistent albums for years. Sad to say, because of his age and his musical and lyrical concerns it’s an album that will probably only appeal to the converted and equally aged.

Musically, Simon has been here before. The album is drenched in Afropop and American folk forms that easily touch the heights of Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints. But he is still able to innovate on his own terms. On this his 12th solo album he incorporates samples for the first time in a subtle and pleasing manner as in the submerged harmonies of the “Golden Gate Jubilee in Love” and “Blessings” and Sonny Terry’s harmonica solo in “Love is Eternal Sacred Light”.

With titles such as “Love” and “Blessings” and “Love is Eternal Sacred” you’ve probably guessed where Simon’s head is at this stage in his life. For those of us who still think we’re going to live forever such thoughts might cloy. But in the words of Elvis Costello who recently reviewed So Beautiful or So What: “These days it might court shallow mockery to sing so openly of our humanity, mortality and divinity but not with music to make these themes fly or words containing such wit, grace and humility.” Hear, hear.

Suck it and SeeArctic Monkeys (Domino)

Following the Monkeys’ release of the 2009 album Humbug, now we have Suck it and See. Are we entitled to expect to hear some continuity between the two? Well yes, and no? It depends on how hard you want your riffs - how tough you want their Sheffield steel to be.

The difference here is that self-reverential has been replaced by a sort of osmosis in regard to other Indie greats; is that Nick Cave we can hear in the opening track “She’s Thunderstorms”? Turner seems to have taken up his own recommendation and sucked a lot of others music before setting out his own agenda.

Of course lead singer Turner has never been averse to dallying with the motifs of lesser souls such as the Libertines, turning them on their heads and coming up a heap richer. On Suck it and See there’s even a nod to The Smiths in the jangling guitar to be found on the title track.

But in a well-crafted collection of a dozen songs there is a sneaking feeling that energy is being substituted by a need to be remembered as the creator of India artefacts to be listened more closely to.

On the positive side tracks such as “That’s Where you’re Wrong”, with its echoes of Echo & the Bunnymen and “Library Pictures”, probably the most full-on band rendering on the whole album are tracks that will play in the mind long after you’ve dropped the earphones.

one dayDavid Nicholls (Random House)

By the time you read this review, One Day – a word of mouth hit first published in 2009 – would have been demoted to a mere “movie tie-in”. The cinematic version hits Hong Kong cinemas in September.

Having sold well over a million copies and been translated into 13 languages, Nicholls’ second novel is back at the top of the bookseller’s lists in Hong Kong and the UK. But is it that good?

The novel opens on the morning of 15 July 1988. Having completed their finals at Edinburgh University, Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew recline together in bed discussing what they might do with the rest of their lives. It’s an unlikely coupling; Emma, Yorkshire born and bred dreams of changing the world while Dexter, handsome, home counties, and rich by virtue of his parents’ largesse, dreams of nothing more than partying and bedding as many women as he can.

After each go their separate ways, the literary trick at the heart of the novel that will keep the pages turning, is to pick up on the progress of each of them on the anniversaries of that first day. Emma, albeit slowly, progresses from Mex-Tex waitress to a respected teaching position as Dexter’s trajectory follows a reverse path from TV C-list celebrity to drunken, drugged debauchee.

This is a funny novel. There are countless one-liners, mainly from Emma, that hit the spot, and Nicholl’s has a talent for honing in on the more absurd aspects of the UK in the 1980s and 1990’s.

Will they, won’t they get together? You do actually begin to care deeply. But what sensible girl would really hang around for 20 years for Dexter Mayhew?

Books

credoHuman League (Wall of Sound)

IIn 1979, David Bowie famously described the Human League as the future. Sadly, some 32 years later, the League are firmly the past. This of course is not necessarily a bad thing. At their best, 1980-85, they trailblazed a form of techno that sounded as if it had been produced in their bedrooms; eminently danceable with the added stimulus for their young following that maybe they could make such music, too. Bands such as Depeche Mode actually did, and then improved it.

And now the Human League, as with so many other bands of the dark and distant past, have reformed. And like those same bands, they’re bringing the old songs to Hong Kong as well as new album Credo, for those that still believe.

From the second track “Night People”, this is Human League carrying on where they left off with their last album, 2000’s Secrets. Recall those buzzy little synths that sounded like a swarm of bees on speed? Pure nostalgia. Recall the strident marching drums? You’ve got it.

Harmonies aplenty from Susan Ann Sulley and Phil Oakley complete the picture. In fact the only thing missing from the 1980s original is Phil’s hair – he’s as bald as a coot now.

“Into the Night” and “Stars Start to Shine” are standout, eccentric tracks courtesy of a 21st century dressing of familiar material provided by producers I Monster of Sheffield.

Attend the concert in October and guess the difference between the oldies and their latest offering.

52britsoverseas •Summer 2011

Music


the atlanticSimon Winchester (Harper Press)

Over the last 20 years or so a new literary genre has emerged of which the most popular practitioner is probably Bill Bryson. The approach is to take a vast subject either physical – the world, the universe – or chronological – life since the beginning of time, that sort of thing. As these immense topics are discussed so the author will constantly digress, often introducing a cast of weird, wonderful and eccentric characters you’ve never heard of but, it turns out, have had an impact on the way you live or think about the world.

Simon Winchester’s Atlantic is in that mold but manages to carry a little more gravitas by eschewing the cheap gags.

In telling the tale of the Atlantic Ocean, Winchester charts the history of man’s relationship with this stretch of water that covers a fifth of the earth’s surface. As early as the seventh century BC Phoenicians put the first hesitant toe into the water and sailed as far as Morocco in search of the imperial purple dye found in murex sea snails. 1,700 years later it was the turn of the Norsemen such as Leif Eriksson who set up the first European outpost in Newfoundland.

The innocence of these exploits are soon overshadowed, first by the colonization of North and South America and the subsequent century or more of slave trading from the Atlantic coast of Africa via Liverpool to the US.

In better times it became the highway from poverty in Europe to a brave new world full of hope for millions in the 19th and 20th centuries. Also in the lat century, Winchester demonstrates, mankind has both exploited the ocean’s riches and at the same time neglected its power and beauty to our detriment.

The exploitation has been of staggering proportion. The Grand Banks cod fishery off Newfoundland, where once the fish were so plentiful they had to manoeuvre to make room, was eventually fished to near extinction.

In the sky above the steel grey waters sits tons of aeronautical pollutants, shipping pollutants float just above the surface, and the UK alone has been responsible for the dumping of 29,000 tons of nuclear waste beneath the waves.

Finally, our modern, fast moving times means that we’re more likely to fly over it sipping gin and tonics oblivious to its fearful majesty.majesty.

Booksthe elephant to hollyWoodMichael Caine (Hodder & Stoughton)

His name is Michael Caine. While there are many people who know that, they might not learn much more from his second autobiography about what really makes him tick or what keeps him awake at night.

The elephant in the title is of course the Elephant and Castle in South London where Michael Caine was born and raised. Having already gained fame and wealth in the first installment, What’s It All About, this is perhaps a story of riches to ever greater riches – and even more happiness if you can bear it.

But, like every good cockney boy, even when he’s mixing with the higher echelons of Hollywood royalty or the genuine thing back in blighty, he can’t forget his dear old mum or brave fishmonger dad. Neither can he resist regaling fellow star or reader alike about just how tough it used to be.

For all that Caine comes over as the genuine article. After more than 50 years of stardom he still seems to be the sort of bloke you could meet in the pub and while away a few entertaining hours. But if you’re expecting hot gossip or deep introspection you’d better look elsewhere.

BOOKS


According to the Daily Mail, cash-strapped Ministry of Defence officials are selling off spies’ luxury watches to plug a £36bn ‘black hole’ in its budget. Luxury watches – and an extraordinary array of thousands of other items from clothing to ships and aircraft – are being sold off at knockdown prices.

Among other items on the MoD’s Defence Equipment & Sales website are brand new combat jackets ordered for the SAS (£350 new, on sale for £30); boxes of pencils, knives and forks; a £6,000 fridge on sale for £920; ships’ mattresses; and even a portable dentist’s chair.

A source said: “These watches were bought for SAS and defence intelligence operatives who work at our embassies abroad, so they look the part when they go to events and parties attended by diplomats and local dignitaries. It’s all part of creating the right image.”

NortherNerS’ braiNS are bigger, scientists findThe Daily Telegraph reports that a study of populations across both hemispheres has shown people from countries further from the equator have more grey matter and larger eyes than those from sunnier parts.

This is because living in low light conditions means the eyes and brain need to work harder in order to process images to a good level of detail, or “high resolution”. Unfortunately, that doesn’t necessarily mean you are more intelligent than people from the south – just that you have evolved to cope with the longer winters and greyer skies in northern climes.

Researchers said the findings, published in the Royal Society’s Biology Letters journal, could theoretically even apply to different communities within a particular country, meaning people in the north of Britain might have larger brains than those in the south. While English people had an average brain size of 1,416ml, the figure in Micronesia, which lies very near the equator, was just 1,200ml.

haNd over your wriSt-watch mr. bond

englishmen do battleHundreds of chaps and chapettes descended on a leafy square in central London recently to take part in The Chap Olympiad - an annual celebration of the classic English gentleman - where regular pastimes are overlooked in favour of smoking pipes, ordering butlers about and swilling cocktails.

The event is the annual summer bash of The Chap, a bi-monthly magazine celebrating the English gent, his eccentricity, courteous behaviour, impeccable dress and devotion to facial hair.

”It’s a sports day for people who don’t like sport. It’s unfair that chaps who spend most of their time filling their pipes, pressing their trousers and mixing dry martinis don’t get a chance to compete.” said organiser Gustav Temple, The Chap’s editor.

The 10 events include the pipeathlon - sauntering, bicycling and being carried by servants while smoking a pipe - butler baiting, ironing board surfing and moustache wrestling. In the swooning contest, chaps “have to induce the ladies to swoon through any means possible”.

The fun concludes with shouting at foreigners in an attempt to purchase an item, and umbrella jousting, where two contestants, armed only with their brollies and briefcases, charge at one another on bicycles.

”The things that people love about Britain are the things that we stand for,” said Mr. Temple.

”To be a chap is to take the mannerisms of an old-fashioned English gentleman, and take the bits that we like - being eccentric, drinking cocktails before lunch, dressing exquisitely and being courteous to ladies.

”The rest, such as bloodsports and flogging manservants, we put that aside.”

Cock & Bull


Revolting?Well, rioting at least.

What were they rioting about?Nobody knows for sure. Some scientists say the sun’s to blame. A series of solar flares hit the earth at the same time as the riots and there’s some evidence that solar storms have a profound effect on human behavior.

So it wasn’t just a load of greedy chavs that fancied a bigger telly and a scrap with the police?Not all of them. A millionaire’s grammar school daughter, an Oxford law graduate, opera steward and ballet student are all said to have taken part.

Crikey. Were there any other reasons?Ex-Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher blames brutal video games and says more prisons should be built to lock them up.

Wasn’t he involved himself?Apparently not. But his brother Liam’s Pretty Green clothes store was ransacked in Manchester. The pesky kids stole £272,000 worth of gear but sports fashion store JD Sports came off a lot worse, they reckon the whole thing’s going to cost them more than ten million quid.

Did all shops get ransacked then? Bookshops appear to have been relatively unaffected. Waterstone’s and WH Smith said they were unaware of any damage to their stores. Waterstone’s even challenged the rioters to loot them as “they might learn something”. But then, books don’t quite have the same black market sell-on value as plasma TVs and trainers.

So what did the authorities have to say about it all?Labour MP Gerald Kaufman, who submitted a claim for three months’ expenses totalling £14,301 that included £8,865 for a Bang & Olufsen television, asked the Prime Minister to consider how these rioters can be “reclaimed” by society.

Thousands of Britain’s finest took to the streets to loot and pillage. The English are revolting.

Cock & BullDISUNITED KINGDOM

Double standards eh. What did the PM say?He’s declared all out war on gangs and says the government will do everything necessary to restore order to British streets.

So he’s going to read them the Riot Act?He’s backed the tough sentences of two men jailed for four years each for trying to organise unrest on Facebook.

Is that long enough?They got off lightly. One woman was jailed for six months after she was caught with ten packets of chewing gum, a college student with no criminal record was jailed for six months for stealing a £3.50 case of water and another man was warned he could face jail after he admitted stealing two scoops of ice cream.

Shouldn’t they be old enough to know better?Not all of them. The Metropolitan Police reported that about half those who’ve appeared in court charged with being involved are under the age of 18, with children as young as seven reportedly involved. One bloke who should’ve known better though is a 70-year-old who was arrested and admitted theft from a supermarket in London.

So is the worst over?For the moment. The solar activity space-weather forecast’s calm for now. Besides, all the rioters have gone back to school.

brits overseas summer 2011

Documents

right hong kong school

uk propertyhow

uk home

irish band westlife

groundbreaking album

pop scene

sir ranulphfienneschoose

gravity tour