Monthly Archives: August 2012

How To Throw A Successful Dinner Party

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Julia Dowling, Managing Director of Snapdragon Parties, shares her tips on dinner parties

People don’t come to a dinner party for the quality of food, they come for the company and to be entertained. Many hosts make the mistake of putting too much time into the food and not enough time into other things.

1. Invite: set the tone, first off by the way that you invite people. While it’s old fashioned and highly unusual, hand written invites, particularly on ‘at home cards’ are classy and a great way to invite people to a dinner party.

2. Connect: a good host thinks about the connections between people – a successful dinner party is one where people get on. When you think about who to invite, think about who you believe will genuinely get on together, particularly if they don’t know each other.

3. Plan: plan the flow of your evening and inject some pieces of originality into the way you do things. Decorate your home, try to serve your guests something a little unusual during the course of the evening, such as an unusual dry sherry as a pre-dinner aperitif, or for an injection of entertainment, get in a mixologist.

4. Embellish: find a way to use candles and flowers intelligently without breaking the bank. A beautifully laid table helps the food taste better!

5. Breathe: as a general rule, red wine should be served at room temperature, opened in advance and poured into a decanter to let it ‘breathe’ – allowing the oxygen to bring out its flavour. However, with particularly mature red wine (15 years old or more), you should be careful about opening it too long in advance as old wine can ‘deteriorate’ relatively quickly.

6. Match: give consideration to food and wine pairings – there are many good examples on the web. Take people a little off piste to introduce them to something new and get them talking.

7. Eat: Although it might open up a whole can of worms, make sure you are aware of any intolerances or allergies and look after your vegetarian guests every bit as much as the others!

8. Listen: make sure there is a good flow of conversation (each guest should be involved) and be careful with your music choices. If you have music playing whilst you eat make sure it doesn’t make it difficult to talk.

9. Sit: really think about the seating plan and don’t leave it to chance. Don’t worry about the boy-girl thing too much and if people are having a ball don’t insist everyone moves.

10. Relax: Remember that this is a dinner party in your home. Relax and entertain, don’t feel like you need to be on parade. If you aren’t enjoying yourself, your guests won’t be either. If something goes wrong make a joke of it and don’t worry. Line up some taxis to arrive at midnight to ensure your guests get home in comfort.

How To Deal With The Boss From Hell

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It’s the nightmare scenario. You love the job, you love the company, you love the people, but you have the boss from the hell.

Someone who delights in making your life difficult, and who is unpredictable, moody and generally ranges being from a tyrant to a terrorist, depending on what day it is.

You don’t want to leave and the prospect of a transfer is as remote as this character becoming an angel overnight.

Well, don’t despair because there are things you can do to turn some of this to your advantage.  As long as you keep your cool and pick your approach carefully.

It’s Not a Boss, It’s a Baby

Seeing things in a new light is a good way to preserve your sanity and can often be quite funny if you can develop the right language in your head.

Revisualise your boss as a child with a rather large nappy and a toothache.  Because in reality, that’s what they may be.

Angry or aggressive people are mostly insecure because they are not doing something to their own satisfaction, like growing up.  So if you can see this person as a rather irritable toddler, the chances are you’ll start managing the irritation with soothing tolerance and compassion.

And the success with all howling children, distraction is often the key. This may perplex your boss when they realise their tantrums are effectively being turned against them, especially if you can pull it off with a sweet smile and a bar of chocolate or a new toy.

See It Coming

The calmest people know how to manage the angriest bear because they can see the signs a day before it happens.

Terrible bosses are usually quite predictable, in that they have their drama moments set out in their head, often without realising. These are usually excuses that they program themselves with, so get to know them. It may be that the start of the week sets your boss off, or having to present some numbers that turns them into a raving lunatic.

Throw Water On Them

Please note, I don’t mean literally.

Bad bosses often like to exercise control in front of an audience.

So it can often leave them speechless if you can calmly and unexpectedly walk away when they get the megaphone or sarcasm gun out.

Just walk away, closing the door behind you to let them stew.

Feed Their Anger

In other words, play the distraction game.  When you can feel the balloon about to burst, give the devil a cup of tea, or even better, a sandwich. It’s hard to be angry when you’re eating something nice.

Write The Wrongs

Make a list of the all the things your boss does that drives you bananas. Then schedule a meeting.

Be calm, but definitely be prepared for a meltdown. Show him how many of them were shouted, were sarcastic or just rude.  And then let them know that this note just may find its way unto hands of someone higher up the food chain if the hell continues.

Find An Escape Route

If all of the above fail, it may be time to consider that Plan B. After all, no one deserves to be in workplace where they feel like they’re treading on eggshells.

Ending the work torment can be a lot easier than you think, and you can find a workplace where you are appreciated – believe it or not, there are nicer bosses out there!

By searching by location on local job boards, for example, ‘jobs in Peterborough’, allows you to find a comprehensive list of the many different jobs available within your area, which can all be refined by keyword and position-type.

Who knows, you may find a better job, better pay AND  a better boss all in one go.
This article was written by Ella Mason, an experienced careers writer. Ella specialises in providing job and money advice for individuals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ted | Film Review

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It is not everyday you get to see a movie about a talking, swearing, dope-smoking, over-sexed stuffed teddy bear. Which is unfortunate, because this film is hilarious. Wrong and not for the easily offended, but hilarious.

As the result of a childhood wish, John Bennett’s teddy bear, Ted, came to life and has been by John’s side ever since – a friendship that’s tested when Lori, John’s girlfriend of four years, wants more from their relationship.

Seth MacFarlane directs, writes and voices ‘Ted’, the stuffed teddy bear who comes to life. It doesn’t sound plausible at all but it doesn’t matter. This film allows you to suspend your disbelief and just laugh at the witty script.

Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis and Seth MacFarlane are all great and Giovanni Ribisi plays a psycho in an amazing performance. Wahlberg is also great, he really is an actor of note with great comedic timing. Wahlberg and Kunis have great chemistry so even when Wahlberg’s character keeps screwing up, you root for him.

Rules of Engagement actor Patrick Warburton also makes an appearance with Ryan Reynolds. This film is just really funny. I know it is not to everyone’s taste and it is edgy humour, but I think it is great. One of the funniest films of the year. Top marks. I hope they make another one. Check out some of the movie quotes from Ted below.

Robert: Give me back my Teddy Bear!
[Charges John and Lori at full speed. John punches him in the nose, knocking him unconscious to the ground]
Lori: Jesus!
John: I’m sorry, but somebody had to go all Joan Crawford on his ass!

John: Can you call my cellphone?
Lori: Yeah
[Lori calls John’s phone which plays “The Imperial March”]
Lori: Is that my ringtone? What is that? Cause it sounds really negative.
John: No. I-it’s from The Notebook

Ted: [to Tami-Lynn] You have a baby? Is it alive?

With Your Hands You Clap Clap Clap!

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Co-opera Co presents Hansel and Gretel at John McIntosh Arts Centre

I thought I wasn’t familiar with this opera before last night: as a child studying music, Humperdinck was not one of the composers I learnt about, and I’m afraid I encountered the music of the 1960s Englebert before I realised he was named after an eminent musical predecessor.   However, upon hearing that I was attending Hansel and Gretel that evening, a colleague advised me that I would recognise lots of songs from my childhood.  He was right, the aria which provides the title of this piece being but one of them (I have been singing it all day).  This, of course, added a lovely sense of recognition to my enjoyment of the evening.

The action was initially set in 1950s Britain, but later seemed to move forward in time; with the witch using an overhead projector and a camera vintage 70s or 80s, and marking the contents of her fridge “Best Before 2013.”  The set was broadly based around the mother’s washing business, and some of the garments from the washing line were used as Chinese lanterns at the end of the story to great effect.

Musically, this was of a high standard, starting with the orchestra (conducted by Stephen Higgins), whose overture set the tone for the night, being both beautiful and haunting.  There was no chorus, so the production was the work of only five singers (mother doubling with witch).  All five gave excellent vocal performances, with Rahel Moore’s Sandman being particularly evocative.

The show was very well choreographed, and the cast’s movement skills were wonderful, especially Carris Jones drag queen witch, and Gretel’s jerky puppet steps.  Lone man Stephen John Svanholm played the exuberant, drunken father very well, and Susanne Holmes portrayed Hansel with all the exuberance of boyhood.  With such a tight cast and consistent performance, it is difficult to pick out a favourite, but personally I was particularly impressed by Llio Evans (Gretel).

When an adult woman plays a small child, there is a very real danger of her ending up looking like Baby Jane.  The audience had nothing to worry about on that score, however, as Llio’s physicality perfectly captured that of a little girl.  The way she stood, walked, moved her arms, and her facial expressions were all ideally calculated to convey Gretel’s emotions (her terror in the forest at night is a good example).  Her singing was consistently skilful and accomplised: I especially enjoyed her opening aria of Act II.

All in all, Co-opera Co have done a marvellous job with Hansel and Gretel, and much credit is due to director James Bonas, working with the company for the first time.  As he said when I interviewed him prior to the performance, (Hansel and Gretel is) “an absurdly brilliant opera.  It’s full of music so delicious you want to eat it and it’s joyfully short but densely written so that it’s packed with action.”  The same can be said for this production.

Hansel and Gretel, along with Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute will now go on a nationwide tour.  For more information, please visit www.co-opera-co.org.

Londoner’s life – Overheard 37 by Phil Ryan

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My friends are worried now. Each time I meet them recently I find myself listening intently to them and then I catch a phrase or a word from behind me. They know what’s about to happen. I casually lean back and turn to my phone keyboard. To be honest though I have to confess I get the best stuff when I’m on my own. For example in a café near Liverpool Street station. Man on phone “Not everyone understands Giraffes. They’re enigmatic Keith. Yeah enigmatic like Gandhi or someone”
But I digress this week’s offering is from the tea room in Regents Park outside in the garden area. I popped in on my way to a meeting in Baker Street. I had 45 minutes to kill – and fantastically I got to hear this..…

Expensively dressed elderly woman with small shivering dog “The women could only talk curtains. Honestly I thought I’d pass away. Pelmets. Tassels. That was her entire conversation. Honestly poor Hardy could hardly keep his little eyes open could you? little cuddlesies yes little cuddlesies you are mummy’s brave boy aren’t you aren’t you. I asked her to do something about Jarvis’s office” Second expensively dressed elderly woman “I didn’t know Jarvis had an office?” Woman with dog “Oh yes it’s on the fourth floor near the maid’s room. It’s where he’s writing his book dear” Woman without dog “Oh that’s where he’s writing it is he but it doesn’t have curtains then?” Woman with dog “No it’s got these beautiful oak blinds but Jarvis saw a programme about the Vatican and wanted ones like he saw in the Holy Fathers chambers” Woman without dog “Oh I see. So he wants curtains like the Pope does he? I didn’t know he believed in that sort of thing” Woman with dog “Oh no he doesn’t but he liked the curtains. Jarvis’s views on God are best not discussed dear. You know how he gets” They both sat quietly for a long time. Woman with dog “He will say buggery and sodomy a lot around Renata it’s quite tedious” Woman without dog “Oh so her English is improving then?” Woman with dog “No still not a word well I say not a word she asked me to spell euphonium the other week. She’s so very French I find” They sat quietly for a while. Woman without dog “So the curtains Liberty fabrics…?” Woman with dog “Quite but Jarvis won’t care he’s in a phase again”
I had to leave as my phone rang quite loudly but I’m with Jarvis. Curtains like the Pope!

First Man On The Moon Neil Armstrong Dies.

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Neil Armstrong, who was the first man on the Moon, has died aged 82.

The US astronaut set foot on the moon on 20th July 1969 and uttered the famous words, “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”.

His family released a statement saying he died from complications from heart surgery.

US President Barack Obama said Amstrong was “among the greatest of American heroes – not just of his time, but of all time”.

Armstrong received the Congressional Gold Medal in November last year, the highest US civilian award.

Armstrong spent three hours walking on the moon with fellow astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

Buzz Aldrin said: “It’s very sad indeed that we’re not able to be together as a crew on the 50th anniversary of the mission… [I will remember him] as a very capable commander.”

In 1971, he left NASA to teach aerospace engineering.

Armstrong was born in 1930 and was raised in Ohio, he caught the flying bug at six and flew Navy jets in the Korean War, he joined NASA in 1962.

His family called him a “reluctant American hero” who had “served his nation proudly, as a navy fighter pilot, test pilot, and astronaut”.

Neil Armstrong famously said:

“I think we’re going to the moon because it’s in the nature of the human being to face challenges. It’s by the nature of his deep inner soul… we’re required to do these things just as salmon swim upstream.”

“I believe every human has a finite number of heartbeats. I don’t intend to waste any of mine.”

Promotional Gifts: Giving Your Business Great Rewards

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We’ve all received one at some point; that free branded pen, the pad of paper that you jot down all of you meeting notes onto and not to forget, that free mug you make your first coffee of the day in.

But have you ever stopped to think about the purpose behind that free promotional gift you’ve been given?

For businesses, promotional giveaways are an important part of the promotional mix, acting as extremely effective marketing tools.

Extremely versatile, they can be given to all types of customers, from clients and media contacts, to even a company’s own employees.

From items such as pens, calculators, calendars, mouse mats and pencils, these promotional mechanisms aim to create a lasting positive image of the brand or company for the recipient, in return, create lasting financial rewards for the business.

Still not entirely convinced? Well, here are 5 reasons why promotional gifts can help to boost your business.

1. Increase Brand Awareness

Promotional gifts can help to significantly increase brand awareness, if of course, you get them right.

For this reason, it’s vital that promotional items are of high quality, durable and useful, in order to keep the brand message at the forefront of your customers minds. After all, the more someone sees a brand message, the more it sticks in their mind, therefore the more likely they’ll continue to investing time (and money!) into it.

The most successful promotional gifts support your company where other mediums can’t reach, such as the office. Think stationary, or choose items available from Ideas By Net that are commonly seen throughout the workplace, such as mugs, coasters and USB flash-drives. This will ensure your message remains a prominent feature of your customer’s desk for months, if not years.

However, get it wrong and your gift could backfire, leaving a lasting image for all the wrong reasons. Think carefully about how your chosen item portrays your business. Stay away from the more ‘tacky’ items when wanting to impress an important client.

2. Increase Sales and Influence Purchases

Add increased brand awareness together with a bit of gifted goodwill and naturally, you’re bound to start seeing an overall increase in your sales and profits.

Promotional giveaways are a powerful form of ‘added value’. Generally, customers who feel that a company is giving more value for money are more likely to spend more.

They also hold the ability to generate future leads and curiosity. For new customers, promotional gifts act as incentives in wanting to find out more about a company they’ve seen a lot of, and help to direct people to a website who are keen to discover what available products a company has to offer.

For existing customers, it is common for people to become more receptive to a company that offers a gift as a small ‘thank you’ for their custom. Tactics such as these help to encourage repeat business and help to see an overall improvement in long-term sales.

3. Save Money

Believe it or not, investing a little time and money into promotional gifting can in fact help your business to save money. Why? Because they help to promote your company at a much lower cost than traditional advertising techniques.

As the British Promotional Merchandise Association has found, ‘promotional merchandise can deliver a higher return on investment. The cost per impression for a mug is £0.001, a mid-range pen £0.001, a calendar £0.004, a USB stick £0.005 and an umbrella £0.003. With an average cost per impression of £0.003, these figures compare extremely favourably with the cost per impression of other media.’

4. Improve Image and Perception

Promotional gifts also act as a powerful driving force in influencing perceptions. In every day-to-day life, all over the world, presenting someone with a gift or present is seen as an act of goodwill, kindness and generosity. By also adopting this into your business strategy, you too can make your customers feel valued, creating positive perceptions of your company.

5. Improve Company Morale

Promotional gifts have also been proven to enhance the morale of a company’s employees, thus helping to increase employee productivity.

By providing gifts on events such a company’s anniversary or by giving them as symbols of appreciation, employees will instantly feel like they are a key part of the organisation.

When a company strives to take that extra step to include employees in the marketing plan, it benefits the company in the long term by ensuring positive perceptions of the company start from within.

This article was written by Ella Mason, an experienced freelance writer. Ella specialises in writing about money-making schemes, for both businesses and individuals. 

 

 

Twiglets, Cocaine and Formaldehyde

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Co-opera Co presents Don Giovanni at John McIntosh Arts Centre

This is the second production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni I have seen this year (I reviewed the production at Heaven back in April – see One Night in Heaven). Although Co-opera’s was not as hilariously smutty as the gay offering, it was nevertheless a very sexy, and funny, performance.

Right from the outset the orchestra set the tone – the playing was flawless and evocative throughout the evening, led by conductor Tim Murray.

The standard of acting in this performance was high from the start: David Milner-Pearce played the Don as a dissolute Damien Hirst-type artist to perfection, whilst Yair Polishook (Leporello) made an excellent sidekick. The opening rape scene was very effective with Lisa Wilson (Donna Anna) playing the victim very well. Susanna Fairbairn (Donna Elvira) made a good jilted lover, whilst Jerome Knox (Mazetto) gave a solid performance throughout the show, with the stage combat between him and David Milner-Pearce being particularly well executed.

I had been told that the production was to be anything but traditional, and that was certainly the case. Much of the action was set in the Don’s art gallery where naked shop dummies (with pubic hair) continued the Hirst theme. There were many amusing and interesting touches such as the Don photographing the dead father on his mobile phone; a smartphone ap (Leporello’s) which keeps a record of all the women the Don has seduced – Yair Polishook singing very well on this aria; the Don singing a serenade to the backing of a ringtone (aptly rendered by the orchestra); the Don’s lines “I find the working class is only turned on by clothes that come from Primark” and “Since I’m spending so much money, I expect to be amused” as he is eating take away chips and pizza from yellow plastic boxes. Twiglets and cocaine also make appearances.

Vocally, there were many wonderful moments. Some of my favourites were Donna Elvira’s “Rip out that Heart with Glee”, the chorus number “Pleasure Tonight”, Robyn Allegra Parton (Zerlina)’s first duet with the Don, Don Ottavio, Donna Anna and Donna Elvira, disguised Ali-G style, singing “Avenge my broken heart,” Don Giovanni and Leporello’s “Glorius I shall return.” For my money the best male vocal performance was by David Menezes (Don Ottavio), but overall the women outshone the men, with Donna Anna’s solo “The God I cherish will come and grant me rest” being hauntingly beautiful.

The opera finishes with Il Commendatore (Matthew Tomko) returning to the grave to drag the Don down to hell, and this he does in a suitably menacing and eerie manner. The chorus close by singing “That’s the fate of evil men” as Don Giovanni goes to join his own artistic creations, becoming yet another glass case dummy in a rather Roald Dahl-esque ending.

Don Giovanni’s second night is 24 August 2012, Hansel and Gretel is on 23 and 25 2012, all shows at 7.30pm at John McIntosh Theatre, Seagrove Road, London SW6 1RX. Tickets are priced between £10-25 and can be purchased online at http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=xxx&query=schedule&promoter=co-opera. The theatre is wheelchair accessible, and free parking is available next to the John McIntosh Arts Centre. Both operas, along with The Magic Flute, will then go on tour nationwide. For more information, please visit www.co-opera-co.org.