YOUR TOWNYOUR CHOICE

ONLY£1

ISSUE35

BRINGING POSITIVE NEWS TO POSITIVE PEOPLE

Independent News Limitedis fast expanding to becomethe leading publisher of free,quality regional newspapers

and magazines.

"We aim to bring positivenews to all our readers plus

profits to all our advertisers,”

says Chairman Duncan Williams.

IndependentNews Ltd

INDEPENDENT NEWS LIMITED94 NEW BOND STREET, LONDONUNITED KINGDOM, W1S 1SJ

Tel: 0871 234 1991Fax: 0871 234 1992

Registered in England and Wales. Company No. 06735182

editorial@independentlocals.com

www.IndependentLocals.com

IndependentNews Ltd

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Your Town Your Choicemagazine is committed tobringing you positive news and adiverse range of news andfeatures...

LETTER FROM THE EDITORCONTENTS

Tel: 0871 2341991FAX: 0871 2341992

THE YTYC MAGAZINE OFFICE41 EDITH GROVE CHELSEA

LONDON SW10 0LB

EDITORJennifer Sutcliffe

E-maileditor@yourtownyourchoice.com

PUBLISHERIndependent News Ltd

SALESLinda English

Sonia EdwardsScott Clancy

Andrew Pescud

ISSN 1758-1842

DESIGNStef Hayes

stef@hotbeddesign.co.uk

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Right Royal Brain Teaser

Gaucho Polo

London FashionWeek 2011

MiH Jeans

The French Riviera

Film Review - Eyes of Laura Mars

I Have a Choice

Pistol Panties

Red Bull’s Art of Motion

10 interesting fashion quotes

True Stories - Patsy McKie

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...A great example of apositive project is ‘I Have aChoice’, a collaborationbetween Choice FM andBarclaycard that helps youngpeople who are not ineducation or employment toexplore the music industry.

This month is our fashionissue with reports fromLondon Fashion WeekAutumn/Winter 2011 andother fashion brands whichwe feel that you will enjoy.London Fashion Week is animportant event in thefashion calendar and asSomerset House is itsbackdrop it also shows offsome of London’s wonderfularchitecture.

As the sun is starting toshine again, we look forwardto the summer and poloseason with our report onThe Gaucho Polo at the O2 inFebruary. Polo is becomingmore and more accessibleand with events such as MINTPolo in Park, which aims tobring polo to the massesthese events are a greatchance to introduce you to asport you may not have triedor watched before as well ashaving a great day out withthe family.

Also we bring you theexhilarating sport of freerunning. The Red Bull Art of

Motion event took place onthe Southbank and offered abreathtaking display of aerialacrobatics as the competitor’sdefied gravity and concreteto put on a truly phenomenaldisplay.

Steven Maclean alsoinvestigates Britain’s loveaffair with the French Rivieraand what makes it such adesirable holiday location.Exploring the history ofBritain’s holidaying on theCote d’Azur, this article offersup an interesting insight intothe area.

With the Royal Weddingjust around the corner wehave a fun quiz for you to seehow much you really knowabout the bride to be, KateMiddleton and the otherRoyals.

I hope that you enjoy ourcurrent issue and if you havea positive news story that youwould like us to reportabout, please get in touch.

Yours faithfully,

Jennifer SutcliffeEditorjas@ytyc.co.uk

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1. Which of these schools didPrince William attend?a.) Etonb.) Worthc.) King Edward's

2. Which of these careers once hadKate Middleton's Mother withinits ranks?a.) Dental nurseb.) Journalistc.) Air Hostess

3. HRH Duke of York, PrinceAndrew, flew combat helicoptersin which major conflict?:a.) The Falklandsb.) The Gulfc.) The Balkans

4. Prince Edward once launched atv show for charity. What was itwas called?a.) It's a blast!b.) What a wally!c.) It's a Knockout!

5. How many years has QueenElizabeth II reigned for?a.) 25b.) 59c.) 40

6. What is the title held by QueenElizabeth II's husband, Phillip?a.) Duke of Edinburghb.) Your lord and masterc.) Protector of the colonies

7. Who played Queen Elizabeth IIin the 2006 film , 'The Queen'?a.) Judi Denchb.) Glenda Jacksonc.) Helen Mirren

8. Who is first in line to succeedQueen Elizabeth II?

a.) Prince Williamb.) Prince Edwardc.) Prince Charles

(Answers can be foundon Page 30)

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Brain TeaserA short quiz compiled by James Murphy

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Four

International

Teams Converge

on The O2 for

The World’s First

Indoor Arena

Polo Test Match

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TeamsEFG BANK TEAM ENGLAND:

Chris Hyde (9, Capt) Tim Bown (6)Max Charlton (5)

CAMINO REAL TEAM ARGENTINA:

Adolfo Casabal (6) Nacho Figueras (7, Capt)Oscar Mancini (6)

CITY A.M. TEAM SCOTLAND:

Chris Crawford (4) Jamie Le Hardy (7, Capt)Howard Smith (6)MANTIS GROUP TEAM SOUTH AFRICA:

Sipho Spilsbury (5) Selby Williamson (7, Capt)

Terence Spilsbury (5)TEAM OXFORD:

Tom Meacher (2, Capt) Max Kirchhoff (1)Tom Mayou (2)

TEAM CAMBRIDGE:Alex Rose 0 James Hepburn 0

Jeremy Allen (3,Capt)CELEBRITY POLO TEAM

(In aid of British Forces Foundation)

Kenny Logan & Mike Bushell vs Liz McClarnon

& Charlotte Christodoulou

By Jennifer Sutcliffe

An exhileratingevent enjoyed bya crowd of 8,000

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The World’s first Indoor Arena Polo Tournament tookplace at the O2 Arena on 24th February 2011.Exhilarating matches captivated the crowd and withthe teams containing world class players thespectators were guaranteed matches of the highestquality.

Over 10,000 spectators packed London’s O2 arena tocheer on the four international teams that tookpart in the gladiatorial tournament.

The first match wasbetween Oxford andCambridge University.The skill of the playerspromises that the Englandteam will be strong in thefuture with this fledgingtalent. Cambridge wasvictorious in the endwinning 13 v 10.

For the early evening matchbetween City A.M Scotlandand Mantis Group SouthAfrica, fans of Scottish captain Jamie Le Hardycontinued to chant his name throughout the warm-up to entertain the crowd. As soon as the ball wentinto play, the arena thundered with the sound ofhooves as Mantis Group Team South Africa chargedtoward the goal, scoring twice within the first fewminutes. However, City A.M Team Scotland foughtback furiously as Le Hardy clinched the final goal inthe final 30 seconds of the match. Scotland won thematch 14 v 11.

A special celebrity match took place at half time,which saw the likes of Former International Rugbyplayer Kenny Logan and BBC presenter Mike Bushelltake on Atomic Kitten starlet Liz McClarnon andsocialite Charlotte Christodoulou. All four celebrities,who had been training hard for the past threemonths, wooed the cheering crowd with theirnewfound skills in aid of The British ForcesFoundation.

In the final match of the evening, you could sense theexcitement from the crowd as the players from EFGBank Team England and Camino Real Team Argentinaentered the arena. From the outset, Camino RealTeam Argentina put England on the back foot bytaking the lead by 3 goals. However EFG Bank TeamEngland slowly began to close the gap in the secondchukka thanks to a fantastic penalty by captain ChrisHyde. By the last chukka it was neck and neckbetween both teams. However a long distance shotby England number two, Tim Bown, put EFG BankTeam England in the lead. In the final 30 seconds ofthe match, Chris Hyde secured the victory with afantastic goal, which clinched The Churchill Cup. Thefinal score was England 17, Argentina 16.

The Gaucho International Polo and Ralph LaurenAmbassador, Nacho Figueras commented: “Polo isgrowing so quickly now and the introduction of sucha great tournament to the UK during the winter off-season is a welcome addition. Arena polo is such anexciting form of the game and it will be truly special

to play it at such an iconicvenue in front of so manysupporters.”

HPA Chairman of theArena Committee /Chairman of theInternational ArenaCommittee CaptainMichael Amoorecommented: “TheGauchoInternational Polo isthe culmination ofan incredible arena

season. I’ve spent a number ofweeks discussing the squads with my relevant

counterparts and am pleased to have selected anEngland Squad that will rival a strong Argentineteam. Like many others in the polo community Icannot wait to see how The O2 arena transforms intothe host venue for the world’s first internationals inan indoor polo arena.”

The Gaucho Polo tournament was a resoundingsuccess and I highly recommend that you visit nextyear. This summer you can also see spectacular poloaction at Polo In the Park, Hurlingham Club, London3rd/4th/5th June 2011. For more details about thisevent visit www.polointheparklondon.com.

Also this summer is the British Beach PoloChampionships, 8th-9th July 2011 at Sandbanks inPoole. For more information visit www.sandpolo.com.

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GEORGIA HARDINGE was this year’s Merit Award winner. The widelyacclaimed Merit Award is chosen by a panel of industry experts andgives the winner a fully sponsored catwalk show and exhibition space atVauxhall Fashion Scout during London and Paris fashion weeks. Georgiasaid about receiving the award, “I am honoured to have been chosen.Vauxhall Fashion Scout has been wonderful advocated of my brandsince day one. It is a fantastic experience to now be given theopportunity to do my first stand-alone show.”Charlie Le Mindu provided the usual shock factor, with blood adorninghis models and little else in some occasions!

LONDON FASHION WEEK AUTUMN/WINTER 2011 has drawn to closeand after seeing over 25 shows Iam fashioned out! There was aplethora of amazing clothes onoffer and my new favouritedesigner is Georgia Hardinge whoshowed a stunning collection atVauxhall Fashion Scout.

- by Jennifer Sutcliffe.

GEORGIA HARDINGE

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The new designers are the ones to watchwith BERNARD CHANDRAN offering a medley ofcolours; it is nice to see something other thanblack to get us through the winter months.Bernard’s collection virtually brought thefuture into the current. Known for his sharpcuts and innovative silhouettes, we saw anew refinement in his cuts. The silhouetteswere structured with nipped in waistlines.The sleeves were inspired by sportswear butwere given a chic treatment. Embellishmentswere strongly evident and zips were alsopresent in a revolutionary method.Innovative sci-fi inspired 3-D buttonsadorned the clothes along with futuristicpeplums. The palette was bold, red, orange,pink, electric blue and solid black.

BERNARD CHANDRAN

JOHN ROCHA, a stalwart in the fashion worldprovided us with yet another fantastic show asdid TODD LYNN who offered textures andstunning colours for his collection. Todd Lynn’scollection was inspired by revolt from theFrench revolution of the 18th century todisorder in today’s global climate. A neat,eroded shoulder builds a clean torso silhouette,darted to emphasis poise and movement, andthis was echoed in the knee detail on thetrousers. Collars shrouded the body as well asrising to the cheekbones, veiling the profile ofthe face.

TODD LYNN

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MARIOS SCHWAB’S collection deliberatedornamentation and the connectionbetween craftsmen and heritage. Mariosincorporated adornment in intricateframed patters, cutting through rich layersof wool and leather. The pure and symbolicnature of a pearl necklace organicallyformed twisting drapes from the core ofthe dresses, which became an integral partof the silhouette rather than a statusaccessory. The classic combination of blackand pearl coalesced with vibrant lacquershades. Vivid teal and mustard completed arich spectrum on tones for the collection.

MARIOS SCHWAB

BELLE SAUVAGE is another designer to watch andher first model came out with a hat the size ofa coffee table! Virginia Ferreira and ChristianNeuman are the audacious design duo behindBelle Sauvage. Luxurious silks, leather, Frenchlace and crepe de chine were revived using avicious colour palette ranging from gold,silver and black to muted shades of greys andblues. The season’s prints reflected thefragmented yet continuous self-similargeometric shapes which had been layeredwith spiritual imagery to create strikinglyengaging visuals.

BELLE SAUVAGE

MADE IN HEAVEN JEANS was started in 1969by the godfather of the current ownerChloe Lonsdale. Chloe studied design atCentral St Martin’s and then went on towork at Nicole Fahri. She has always hada love of denim and grew up surroundedby the brand. She approached hergodfather in 2006 and received hisblessing from him to take over thebrand. Chloe’s mother modelled for thebrand in the 1970’s and continues to bea muse.Chloe’s inspiration for the brand is

focussed on the products and that theclothes are of beautiful quality and aresexy. She said: “The jeans transcendfashion styles and shouldn’t date. Forexample we have the Marrakesh jeanwhich is wide leg and is the originalcut as it was in the 1970’s, we havehad five times as manyorders for this jean inthe past six months.”

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The emblem of MiH jeans is the dovewhich originates from the 1970’s. Chloesaid: “This is a point of difference fromother jean brands and it has alwaysmarked us apart.”The main focus of Made in Heaven isjeans but there are always collectionpieces of shirts, tees and jackets thatcomplement the jeans. There is amaximum of 150 for the collectionpieces and some only have a run of 20.MiH has a strong celebrity followingwith Claudia Schiffer, Kate Bosworthand Rachel Weisz all wearing thebrand.The photographs show theSpring/Summer 2011 collection whichis available now. MiH Jeans is stockedin Harrods, Trilogy and is availableonline at ASOS, net-a-porter and theMiH website, www.mih-jeans.com.

By Jennifer Sutcliffe

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Ever since first gaining popularityamongst Britain's upper-classes as a winterhealth resort in the late 18th century, theFrench Riviera has been one of the UK

holidaymaker's favourite muses.

Since then, long haul travel and the increasedaccessibility of previously closed nations haveprovided increased competition for vacationer’saffections, but France still ranks second only to Spainas a holiday destination according to governmentstatistics. Despite the impact of a global recession,France received almost ten million visits from Brits in2009, with many of them flocking to the south-eastcoast. But what is it that makes the French Riviera sopopular with us?

Of course, France's proximity to England plays alarge part in it's popularity, making it a viable optionfor short weekend breaks as well as for longer visits,but the Riviera is the area of France furthest awayfrom us - and perhaps The Cote d'Azure ought to beas fond of us as we are it.

Up until the latter part of the 18th century when itbecame popular with wealthy visitors from across thechannel, the region was largely impoverished, withfishing, olive farming and the production of flowersfor perfume its biggest industries. The virtues of theregion's Mediterranean winter climate were firsthighlighted by the novelist Tobias Smollett, whowrote about Nice in 'Travels through France and Italy'after visiting in 1763 when it was still part of theKingdom of Sardinia. Around the same time, aScottish doctor called John Brown was becoming well-known for prescribing 'climato-therapy', a change inclimate which he believed could help various diseases,

TThhee FFrreenncchh Riv i e ra

a healthy British fixation

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by Steven Maclean

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includingtuberculosis. Paul Gonnet

wrote that as a result in this new trend Nicebecame "a colony of pale and listless English womenand listless sons of nobility near death".

In those days there was no central heating ormedicine, as we now know it, so the offer of warmerclimes and the prospect of a boost to health were abig draw. Later, when rail made the Riviera accessibleto people all over Europe, tourists began to flock, andby 1874 Nice had foreign enclaves of up to 25,000people - most of whom were British.

However, it wasn't until the mid 19th century thatFrench and British entrepreneurs started cashing in onthe Riviera as a tourist destination, as opposed to aform of travel medication. But when Prince Charles IIIof Monaco built a casino, he still called it a health spato avoid upsetting the church. Although the ventureended in failure, it led to the expansion of gamblingand casino building in the area. With steam shipsferrying visitors from Nice to Monaco, thousands ofvisitors started arriving, doubling the population ofMonaco and persuading Charles III to name MonteCarlo after himself.

The French Riviera had become the playground ofthe wealthy, with King Edward VII, Queen Victoriaand other British and Russian aristocrats making ittheir homes from home. And by the mid 20th centuryfamous artists and writers such as Pablo Picasso andAldous Huxley had immortalised the area in theirwork, making it ever more popular.

So what is it that keeps us going back now we havecentrally heated houses and the NHS to keep us well?Obviously, there is the alluring beauty of the coast,and the weather is divine during summer andpleasant in winter, but there is more, too. Many of usare self-proclaimed Francophiles, despite an oftenexpounded rivalry between our two nations, and theinfluence of our southern neighbours is perhaps mostobvious in our appreciation for the finer things.French cooking is still regarded as the world's best,

and theProvencal cuisine - with

it's strong Italian influences - is famous theworld over. Then there is the glitz of St. Tropez andMonaco, the Cannes Film Festival and classical Frenchfashion taste.

One area of French style that has boomed inpopularity of late is the classical interior design, somuch so that many of us try to recreate the look backat home. Annie Sloan, a successful artist, designer andauthor, advocates bringing the French Riviera'sbeautiful outdoors indoors in her advice on interiordesign;

"Leafy palm-tree fronds, dotty yellow mimosa,purple and pink bougainvillaea and other colourfulplants are the backdrop to both the region and thisvibrant, fresh design style. It features lots of greens,as well as other natural colours and strongarchitectural shapes. These need to be integrated intointeriors, so don't be shy of colours and shapes withbig impact."

Mark Hodson, a former travel writer for TheSunday Times and cofounder and editor of 101Holidays, thinks some of the old factors that first wonit a place in our hearts still apply;

"Despite the over-commercialisation of a few well-known spots, there are many more unspoilt andauthentic towns and villages, particularly if youventure just a few miles inland.

And there are constants: the quality of the light -which inspired Matisse and the Impressionists - ismagical, and the climate - particularly away from thepeak summer months - feels restorative and life-enhancing. What's more, travelling to the Riviera hasgot easier, now that Eurostar runs direct trains fromLondon."

Whether it’s the beautiful scenery, café culture,food, glamour, healthy climate or simply itsaccessibility, the UK’s love affair with the FrenchRiviera has survived over two centuries; and thereisn’t much sign of it being replaced in our hearts by anew foreign mistress anytime soon.

The Frenchh RRiivv ii ee rraa

a healthy British fixation

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by Steven Maclean

The long-standing bond between film and fashion is never more obvious than duringawards season. At the Oscars, elegant actresses in the iconic designs of fashion's biggest

names showcase the symbiotic relationship between the two industries.

The fashion world has always been an influenceon Hollywood, and vice versa, but occasionally afilm takes the link a step further, using fashion asits backdrop, sometimes to other, more grislythemes, as is the case with Irvin Kershner’s 1978cult thriller: Eyes Of Laura Mars.Money. Glamour. Beauty. Art. Fame. This is the

world inhabited by Laura Mars; a leading NewYork fashion photographer with a penchant forstylised violence. But when the dark, kinky voguedefining her art invades her dreams, the linebetween art and reality begins to blur, and her

picture perfect life starts to resemble the imageryof her portfolio.Laura Mars (Faye Dunaway) is shaken by a

nightmare of her friend and editor beingmurdered. A dream that she sees from the killer’spoint-of-view.When her psychic visions become premonitions

– also remotely viewing gallery owner Elaine (RoseGregorio) being stabbed from a few blocks away -she becomes a suspect in the case led by the youngand mysterious detective Lt. John Neville (TommyLee Jones).

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The two have met before, when Nevilleattended Laura’s previous exhibition incognito,criticizing the explicit nature of her work, whichbears a striking resemblance to crime scenephotos from unsolved murders. Disturbed by thesimilarity, Laura tells Neville she began seeingviolent images at around the same time of thekillings, images she incorporated into her work.Neville appears to believe Laura, and offers heremotional support as the plot becomes a‘whodunit’ with her ex-con driverTommy Ludlow (Brad Dourif), agentDonald Phelps (Rene Auberjonois),and ex-husband Michael (Raúl Juliá)all depicted as creepy, possiblevillains.

As the film progresses, Laura’smurderous visions continue to becomerealities as her friends and colleaguesare picked off by the as yet unknownkiller. To help her through the traumashe turns increasingly to Lt. Neville, untilthe two finally become romanticallyinvolved despite the unsettlingcircumstances and absurdity of theirrelationship.

Eerie

During murder sequences Eyes Of LauraMars takes on a Hitchcockian feel, using soundand voyeuristic shots to create suspense, while theeerie undertone to the hustle and bustle of NewYork is reminiscent of David Lynch’s work in BlueVelvet and Mulholland Drive. This film was clearlyan early inspiration for Basic Instinct; there's thepost modern theme of life imitating art, imitatinglife; powerful, creative women portraying sex andviolence in their work, lust between a detectiveand his suspect, and even ice-picks used as murderweapons. There are also nods back in time fromDarren Aronofsky’s latest work Black Swan, withthe protagonist of that film also experiencingpsychological breakdown in a world whereimagery is everything.

The movie’s strengths are it’s casting and actingperformances. Raúl Juliá convinces as Laura’sbrooding ex-husband, Brad Dourif gives anexcellent performance as her obsessive and jitterydriver, and Rene Auberjonois’ character adds atouch of humour and eccentricity while TommyLee Jones showed his now famous icy composureto anchor the film nicely in his first major role.

Producer Jon Peters bought John Carpenter’sscreenplay (Carpenter was unhappy with the filmafter David Zelag Goodman changed the ending)intending to cast his muse at the time, Barbra

Streisand, as Laura. But when Streisand decidednot to take the role because of "the kinky natureof the story", Dunaway was cast instead, withStreisand singing the theme song ‘Prisoner’.

Dunaway does well to portray Laura asvulnerable despite her stature, capturing theincreasing neurotic anxiety of awoman experiencing

freightinghallucinations while trying

to cope with the extreme pressure of herjob. But you never quite become emotionallyinvolved enough to stop thinking of her as adisconnected elitist without concern for theconsequences of her controversial artwork.

Critical

While more recent films set within a fictionalworld of fashion such as ‘The Devil Wears Prada’or ‘Zoolander’ take light-hearted comical views oftheir environments, and ‘Coco Before Chanel’offers a dramatic if unsympathetic historicalaccount, Eyes Of Laura Mars frames the fashionindustry more critically, questioning its motivesand ethics to suggest an uglier core beneath thechic exterior of New York life in the fast lane.Impressively, Kershner manages to convince us ofthis world of loose morals where sex and violencego hand in hand using relatively little violence orgore.

This is a clever, idea heavy film with questionsraised by its characters about misogyny in thefashion industry and the censorship and moralityof art. Laura herself argues that rather thanglamourising violence, her art attracts attentionto it, and the conclusion of the film – whichprovides an ample twist due to Goodman’srewriting – seems to agree with her.

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By Jennifer Sutcliffe

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Barclaycard and Choice FM help youngpeople discover their music potential.

Barclaycard Unwind and Choice FM, part ofGlobal Radio, have announced their partnershipto provide 900 young people with their first steptoward a career in the music industry.

Music Potential is a programme that is aimedat 16-25 year olds who are not in employment oreducation. They will be provided with a chance tolearn from the best in the industry with freeworkshops on music production, mixing, filmmaking and vocal skills.

‘I Have a Choice’ is run by Global Radio’s youthproject which was set up in February 2010. I wentdown to the RichMix studios in Shoreditch to seeproject taking place. I was struck by theoverwhelming enthusiasm of all the participants, everyone that I spoke tosaid how much they were enjoying the scheme and that it was reallyworthwhile.

Ide, 23 heard about the scheme through word of mouth and he camewith a group of people. He said, “I like the music industry and it’s not aneasy industry to get into, I like producing and I also like the business side.”

Leanne, 17, from Enfield, heard about the project on the radio andsigned up online. She said, “I like sound engineering and I hope to get a jobin the industry. I am really enjoying the project.”

Help

Barclaycard’s partnership with Choice FM builds upon itscommunity programmes which aim to give a helping hand tolone parents, charities, disadvantaged individuals and peoplewho are between jobs. Since it launched in 2000, Barclaycard’sCommunity Gifts programme has donated over £1.5 million toprojects with lasting local benefits. To date, more than 500organisations and 50,000 individuals have benefitted from theirfunding.

Louise Guedes, Community Manager for Barclaycard comments:“We’re passionate about people and we’re passionate about music.Barclaycard Unwide provides an exclusive world of music forBarclaycard customers and we’re keen to extend this to help thenext generation of talent discover their potential with behind thescenes training in the music industry.

Dalton Long, Managing Director of Global Radio Charities andCommunities, said: “We are delighted to besupporting Barclaycard Unwind’s Music Potential.Global Radio sincerely believes in helping youngpeople to unleash their potential, gain skills andconfidence and in some cases, to enhance theirchances for education and training.”

Music Potential supports Banking on BrighterFutures, Barclay’s flagship communityinvestment programme, which draws onBarclays expertise and skills as a financialservices organisation to help disadvantagedpeople achieve financial independence andsecurity.

Become a member of I Have A Choice –Music Potential Facebook page and to findout more about Barclaycard’s communityprogrammes visit www.barclaycard.com/we-support/community.

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Deborah envisages that you canwear her designs on the beach aswell as with a pair of heels to the

disco! For her latest collection Deborahtook her inspiration from Studio 54and wanted to put its ethos andvintage glamour into the swimwear.The fabrics, prints and cuts are verymuch inspired by the 1970’s.Deborah said: “As a swimsuit or bikiniis only covering five percent of yourbody it should be glamorous.”

And glamorous it is. For theSpring/Summer 2011 collection thefabric is from Switzerland and has a silklike feel to it. Kate Moss, in a campaignfor Vogue Sunglasses, wore a red piecethat is one of Deborah’s designs.Deborah’s sizes go up to a size 16 sothey cater for the curvy girls and withthe beautiful ruffle detailing on someof the bikini bottoms and cut outs inthe swimsuits they extenuate thewomanly figure.

The prices are £90-110 and £120-200 for thehigh end range. Pistol Panties is stocked inSelfridges and the Pistol Panties shop inNotting Hill, London and it is also availableonline at ASOS.com and also on the PistolPanties website.Deborah also designs lingerie and her Discorange is available exclusively at John Lewiswhere briefs are £18 and bras are £32.

Pistol Panties is the brainchild of the designer Deborah Fleming who wanted to bring glamour and excitement to the swimwear market.

Deborah has a large celebrity following and her designs are worn by

Claudia Schiffer, Kelly Osbourne, Mariah Carey and Kelly Brook to name a few.

For more information visit the Pistol Panties

website www.pistolpanties.com

by Jennifer Sutcliffe

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Tim Shieff (pictured) from theUK put on a dramatic andentrancing display of freerunning which had the crowd of8,000 going wild and it proved too good for therest of the field as he took the honour of winning theprestigious competition in this free flowing art form.Red Bull Art of Motion was a one-off event that

saw 25 of the world’s best free runners leap and fliptheir way across the multi-leveled building as theywent head-to-head in the first competition of its kindin the United Kingdom.Not only were fans treated to some of the most

talented free runners in the world twisting, flippingand jumping down the specially designed, heartstopping course; they also got to witness YouTubesensation Danny MacAskill, traverse the same courseon his street trials bike. Trials legend MacAskill, hasgained notoriety for his incredible stunts and hedefinitely didn’t disappoint fans last night with yetanother stunning display of skill.

The dramatic outdoor spectacular sawTim Shieff, Ryan Doyle and tenother athletes push their bodiesto the limit and reach the finalat the National Theatre. A panelof four judges, who are amongthe world’s best knownexponents of parkour, decidedthat Tim Shieff was the bestathlete on the night. Thecompetitors were judged on theircreativity, execution, flow, andtechnical difficulty.UK Red Bull Art of Motion Champion2011, Tim Shieff said after his victory:“I feel ecstatic to have won the firstRed Bull Art of Motion competition to

be held in the UK, I’ve competed at similar events inother countries and the London crowd finally helpedme to win on home turf.”Free running is a form of urban acrobatics, in which

athletes perform tricks using the obstacles in theenvironment around them. Incorporating elements ofparkour, the free runners will pull off gymnasticmoves, such as flips and spins, as they navigate theirway across a designated course, which will offer themplenty of opportunity to attempt heart-stoppingstunts.During the first round of the competition, each of

the competitors has 80 seconds to freestyle across thecourse, showing-off on and utilising several differentobstacles and features.

By Jennifer Sutcliffe

FREE running fans at the RoyalNational Theatre on London’sSouth Bank on 20th March werelucky enough to witness theworld’s most talented freerunners competing at the top oftheir game in Red Bull’s Art ofMotion free runningcompetition.

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10. “The only rule is don't be boring and

dress cute wherever you go. Life is too short to

blend in.” - Paris Hilton

10 interesting

1. “I don't know who invented the high heel,but all men owe him a lot.” - Marilyn Monroe

2. “Fashion is made to becomeunfashionable.” - Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel

3. “Fashions are born and they die too quickly for

anyone to learn to love them.” – Bettina Ballard

4. "Fashion fades, style is eternal". - Yves Saint Laurent

5. "Be sure what you want and be sureabout yourself. Fashion is not just beauty,it's about good attitude. You have tobelieve in yourself and be strong". - Adriana Lima

6. "Be daring, be different,be impractical, be anythingthat will assert integrity ofpurpose and imaginativevision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of thecommonplace, the slaves ofthe ordinary". - Cecil Beaton

7. "I don't design clothes. I

design dreams". - Ralph Lauren

8. "Fashion is merely a form ofugliness so unbearable that weare compelled to alter it every sixmonths". - Oscar Wilde

9. “You can't pretend that everybody likesVersace. It would be boring. It's better tocreate a reaction than to create no reaction.That's dangerous.” - Donatella Versace

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TEN years ago my life changeddramatically through the death of my son,who was shot in Hulme, Manchester. Dorriewas a vibrant lad with a caring heart and anundying loyalty to his friends. In fact, hisdeath really opened my eyes to howmuch hewas loved by the people around him. Onefriend paid this tribute: 'He cared more forme than my dad ever did.'Till the fatal shooting, my life - work,

church, family - was ticking by nicely. I raisedsix kids who were all doing well in university,sport and their careers. When Dorrie wasgrowing up, he was a much-appreciated pupilat school, with good reports that commentedespecially on his character. Dorrie, who hadnever been in trouble with the police in hislife, became the centre of a police enquirythrough his death.

You do not raise kids without purpose and Iam convinced you do not lose one of your kidswithout purpose either. For me, my pain andmy faith became a window into thecommunity. After his death, my house wasfilled with young people, parents and elderlypeople who live in the neighbourhood.Some time later I met with a group of

around 15 mothers whose children had been avictim of gang shootings or other violent acts,and 'Mothers Against Violence' was born.Our deepest desire is to put something back

into the community. This aim has brought mebefore great men, including MPs and thePrime Minister. We are advising theGovernment on gun and knife crimelegislation. We come alongside grieving andconcerned parents. We go into schools and

break the taboo about gangs and violence.We need to talk, and much more important,we need to listen.Nelson Mandela said: “When women begin

to take an active part, no power on earth canstop us from achieving freedom in ourlifetime.'There is an enormous strength when people

come together to join their vision, talent andenergy in their aim to transform a part of thehurting society in which we live. Heaven helpus if we become apathetic to the violence,numb to the pain, and deaf to the cry of theyouth around us.Ten years on from the day my son died, my

life has changed dramatically. The loss we feelin our family has given me compassion foryoung men. I have such a sense of purpose andfeel I was born to make a difference.In many cities, Birmingham, London, Leeds,

Huddersfield and Nottingham, mothers havebecome an active part of this struggle, with asteadfast commitment to see change comeinto our family and community life.Local media is very important to us. It gives

us a constant opportunity to give an accountof the hope we have.for the community. Thathope has shaped me. It also has the potentialto shape other individuals and even the wholecommunity for good.

• Patsie McKieMothers Against Violence

True stories

“You do not lose one

a purpose...”of your kids without

by Jennifer Sutcliffe

Patsy McKie, vowed to putsomething back into thecommunity following her

son’s brutal murder

Pictureby RobPurbeck

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ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ(from p.7)

1: a, 2: c, 3: a, 4: c,

5: b, 6: a, 7: c, 8: c

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