Author Archives: Errol Clarke

Matsuri dining experience.

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With the Editor busy juggling her wedding, other assignments and Frost Magazine; I was only too happy to help relieve her of having to go to Matsuri, St James’s Restaurant to review their special invitation and thank her dearly for it. It started with a warm welcome from Emma and Jane from FML PR, in the authentic Japanese lounge. A glass of champagne (a Canard-Duchene, which is a Cuvee Leonie Brut) and informative conversation about Matsuri was anything but generic and was in depth and knew who to call on, should any question be out of ordinary. Not every topic was about Matsuri as a business, as the food was an important topic. When we were lead downstairs to the Teppan-yaki seating, where we were formally sat courtesy of the amazing staff, at horse-shoe tables, which are simplified elegance.

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With all the guests seated, restaurant’s President, Yoshinori Hatta welcomed us and gave a brief chat about the restaurant and their history and their business partners. All very traditional and authentic, as the only thing I didn’t get was a business card at the end, this is very Japanese. Matsuri has been running for over 20 years successfully in London. Their motto is, “We serve the heart of Japanese hospitality”, something that was evident from the entry to the building to seating. Hatta-sama (Japanese courtesy) introduced the Head Chef, Mr Kishi (Kishi-san) who was preparing the Yellowtail sushi, as he was being introduced and was at speed to match the starter as it was being brought to the tables. Kishi-san was appointed head chef March 2014 with the relaunch of the restaurant’s sushi bar. Having being trained as a French chef, Kishi-san went on to cook for numerous celebrities and government guests in Tokyo and London. He even created the Matsuri St James’s first sushi course called, “Sushi Kaiseki”. This is prepared daily and served fresh from preparation.

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I can attest to that amazing preparation. The delicious starter comprised of 2 kinds of Nigiri, a half sushi with tuna and the Yellowtail prepared by Head Chef Kishi-san. This was accompanied with a Kikkoman Soy Sauce (As it is one of the restaurant’s business partners) and some a little wasabi.

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The Tempura part of the starter was assorted vegetables and prawn. All were exceedingly light and absolutely delicious.

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Whilst we were enjoying the starters, the Sommelier, Riccardo Guzzardo, gave a little history of the Chardonnay, which was a Chablis called, “Dom. Gerard Tremblay”. A premier Cru Montmain 2011. Like the starters, it was light, refreshing and surprising! Whilst I was expecting good food, I was reminded that everything was not designed to fill me and be so I could not move afterward. For the first impressions of dining, I was happy and the people around the table were happy with all that was presented to them and were talking as though they were all there as friends and totally relaxed. The mark of a well orchestrated arena for fine dining and cuisine. Emma and Jane were also interacting and making sure we were all enjoying ourselves and the clean plates and happy faces were also met with grins and toast. Before we could all rest on our laurels, the Teppan-yaki chefs were back to start the next course. This started with Alaskan Black Cod marinated in ginger. All were cooked in front of the guests, which I think is brave of any chef. The smell and taste of the cod was beautifully tangy, but not overpowering the natural taste of cod and even the skin was as perfectly cooked as the cod itself.

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A Sake had been introduced to the table in the form of “Houraisen – WA”. It is a cold sake and was crisp and subtle. Not harsh on the palate, but almost like a cleanser, with a hint of elderflower. Next was the piece of meat that everyone was either staring at, or taking pictures of… The Txogitxu Galician Beef Steak… No, it was not just for one person, but it had the look of a real steak that should be on the Flintstones! Yes, I took pictures, as it was a spectacle to behold! With asparagus, seasonal mushrooms and garlic butter and egg fried rice…

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I cannot tell you how many people sighed with delight, as i was too busy enjoying my own! By the way, if you don’t like your beef done t rare, remember to tell the chef, as you will be missing out on a wonderful experience, should you decide to forego it because of the small oversight. Riccardo had introduced a very surprising red wine to go with the beef, which goes by the name of “Etna (Nerello Cappuccio, Nerello Mascalase) 2012”. A very nutty I Vigneri from Sicily, obviously, and is a blend of 2 grapes, which gives it a distinctive taste. Add to that the fertile volcanic soil and you have a very impressive red, which was to everyone’s liking! Even though everyone as expecting dessert, it was great to see the chefs back in action on the stove for a fireball ice-cream! Yes, you read correctly. Blocks of vanilla ice-cream are flambéed with Sake, grilled pineapple and a thin pancake, it was a real treat to watch and eat. To accompany this an amazing plum Sake was pour and Riccado gave details to the fermenting period and how much work went into each bottle. Many described the taste akin to marzipan, but I think that if you replace the taste of almond with plum then you would not be too far off. I don’t think there was enough to go around, as people were asking for more! It is called, “Umenoyado Aragoshi” Umeshu is Plum Wine.

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One person I should mention is Cristoforo Santiini. He is the manager and an amazing man! He speaks Italian, English and Japanese fluently and made sure everything ran smoothly, came and talked to everyone. I even got a chance to exercise my Japanese, which was nothing compared to the level of Cristoforo’s. He was always there, but not interfering and kept the ship, as it were, sailing beautifully and without any incidents. Naturally people left happy with no dip in atmosphere and hospitality was experienced in any form.

Details of Matsuri St James’s can be found at www.matsuri-restaurant.com all opening times and menus can be read there.

Frost Magazine would love to thank FML Public Relations www.fml-pr.co.uk for inviting Frost to experience authentic Japanese cuisine.

Racism… What exactly is it?

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It has become the contrast of its own distinction. We either have heated discussions over it, or ignore it as best we can, but what is it? The dictionary says, “The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races:” or even “Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior:” Unfortunately 21st century life has added splinters of this to make up the sum of the whole.

Racism. Credit: wikipedia

Racism.
Credit: wikipedia

Everything from governmental policies to sport and even entertainment has helped perpetuate the type of racism that should either be ignored, or addressed. A bold statement, you say… Ok, let’s have a look at politics. Government parties claim to have the betterment of the electorate for whom they are supposed to represent. Yet the ill of all that goes on seems to be directed toward immigrants and scroungers. The latter being painted in typical fashion that has become accepted!

The rise in electable anti-ethnic parties is unprecedented and they sway popularity with weak manifestos bolstered by ethnic reforms, which are unpalatable at best! Now whilst sport may be a difficult one to pigeon-hole, given the diversity of the sports and activities as a whole, the more popular the sport the more it seems to have a “Big Boys Club” mentality. This even puts the lack of female input to managerial and hierarchal appointments into the spotlight. So, given the diversity of the country as a whole, does it represent the people that pay to watch the sports? Obviously not, but that means we have accepted that things are OK! It is not to say there are not people qualified to do these roles, they just seem to be made available to a select few and when someone actually does get a role, if at all, it is scrutinised and made to feel that the role may not be o merit and for publicity and “ticking a box”.

Entertainment is, unfortunately, easier to highlight and has been under a huge spotlight in 2014! Everything from the awards to the fact Lenny Henry had to give a speech in BAFTA addressing the situation, which I found both entertaining and deeply saddening. In 3 years alone a recorded 2000 Black and Minority Ethnic actors have left the industry in the UK and that are only those that are known, whilst the industry has grown by 4000! Zero commissioners in the UK are of any minority ethnicity and funding has been found to not represent the criterion set out for the channels. They make up only 5.4% of the broadcasting workforce! That means in front of and behind the camera. With the rise in gang culture and the highlight for tougher sentencing, this issue could be squashed in a simple and effective manoeuvre.

Youth clubs and play areas will not only bring people together, it gives the young purpose and direction. I saw this issue arise as each government made their excuses for tearing down the structure that has been in all societies since man first colonised… let children be children and guide them as they enjoy their childhood. To make the stigmas of the adult populous those of the young has shown they are ill-equipped to deal with such matter and adding colour and race has made it far more volatile than the adults trying to impose their beliefs. Advertising is also an area that falls foul to the discrimination…

If you need to have proof then check the experiment from the University of Virginia. The experiment, conducted from March 2009 to March 2010, found that black sellers did worse than white sellers on a variety of metrics: they receive 13 percent fewer responses, 18 percent fewer offers, and offers that are 11 to 12 percent lower. These effects are similar in magnitude to those associated with a white seller’s display of a tattoo, which the authors included to serve as a “suspicious” white control group.Those corresponding with black sellers reacted much more negatively, implying less underlying trust.

Unfortunately this is reinforced by advertising agencies, as they never use any other ethnicity for advertising, unless it specifies a typical group. Unfortunately employment falls into the same category. A study was done with 2 exacting CV’s and the names were changed to be typically contrasting. 5000 resumes were sent out, which were to 1300 available jobs and the prospective employers were none the wiser of the experiment. Whilst the return rate of the CV’s were on average for both Caucasian male and female candidates (approx 1 call back in 10) the average for the ethnic male and female candidates were 25% lower. The experiment was carried out in July2001-January 2002. Unfortunately the experiment carried out in July 2011-January 2012 showed a significant increase in disparity from 25% to 50%, which shows how far the human species has come in regards to employment. Whilst these are only call backs, the numbers are compelling.

If I were to label all the problems with policing then we would be here for a whole separate subject and conclusion. So, whilst I have seemingly dissected the flaws of modern day earth and strewn it out for all to see, it’s not all one-sided. There are people who, naturally, are able to judge someone on the content of their character and that is no surprise.  Many ethnic groups are starting their own areas of business, which caters to people that are not represented in their field, but not excluding any colour, or creed, as it does not interfere with the progress of the company. And many of the youth consider the stupidity of the older generation for hating people for their colour not something they can get their head into and support! For those that question either the validity, or the impact of this subject. That’s easy, just try it for a while and see how long you last! If it is unacceptable then there must be something wrong with the way it is!

You are not expected to bear the burden of your forefathers and the mistakes of their past, but maybe the difference of peace and harmony can make the way of life easier and remember that we all only have a finite time on this planet. Illogical hate is something that is the epitome of racism. It truly is a state of regression and an excuse to express a primal behaviour! Anyhow a colour makes someone change their mind about a person, says more about the person attacking than the person being attacked. I was going to finish on a cliché of Martin Luther King Jnr, but I feel that something more prophetic is in order. So, when you go and have St George’s flag flying and puff up your chest about how he represents the fight and spirit of England… try to remember that he’s an Arab and born in Syria and venerated by Christians and Muslims.

Ageing isn’t just skin deep – Muscular Ageing

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Nexus PR hosted a magnificent event at 34 restaurant, with equally amazing people w, experts in their field, discussed about the myths and recommendations regarding our own bodies.

It’s no surprise that the media control the way people think about their bodies, as it is always in plain sight, no matter where we go and they don’t always tell the full story. Top physiotherapist Sammy Margo spoke about Children & teens, 20’s & 30’s getting into good habits and the Hot & Cold heroes. Double world champion British rower and personal fitness trainer Toby Garbett spoke about Middle Aged spread and Exercise = Independence. Angus Hunter from Stirling University spoke about Structures, Stretching and the science behind it. Colin Brown speaking on the relevance of Deep Heat and Deep Freeze as the Hot and Cold Heroes!

Credit: Wikipedia

Credit: Wikipedia

As you would expect with the Grosvenor Square restaurant, it was amazing and the food was perfect… I can’t jump ahead, as so much happened before the meal, which has relevance to the actual event.

Sammy Margo, started off with an intro, as expected and went on to speak about the relevance of Collagen. It is more in our muscle than given credit! A decline in Collagen creates sagging skin, but also takes its toll on our muscles, hair and nails. Muscle wastage and loss of power impacts our daily lives. A lack of exercise, modern technology and increased obesity are fuelling a surge of muscle problems, whatever your age!

Sammy’s stats sound like a horror story and it is more frightening because these stats are backed up with facts, but the solutions are there! As a custodian of your body, you have to take more responsibility of it and your children, as they follow by example, more than what you teach. This is reflected in the teenage and young adult stats that show a decline in exercise and more reliant on technology and being unsociable by being on social websites!

The numbers increase as the age increases, as aches, pains and stiffness are all far too common ailments. An incredible 71% (7 out of 10) people didn’t know that we lost muscle mass as we aged. The medical term for age related muscle mass loss is, Sarcopenia. The rate and extent of muscle loss is down to Genetics, diet and lifestyle. The adage, “Use it, or lose it” is wholly relevant.

Sammy highlights that whilst “growing pains” are a reality, our good habits are supposed to be habitual by the time we are in our 20’s and 30’s. It is imperative to encourage children to be more active by setting the example yourself. They are more likely to do it because you are and not because you force them to, whether it is for the betterment of their health, or not!

30 to 40 year olds are likely to take up new sports, but more likely to fail to follow through with that sport! Failure to warm up is a common failure and leads to stiffness, injuries and could be a cause of turning people away from sports and training. However, simple things to help alleviate bad posture and stiffness at work could be standing whilst on the phone rather than sitting. Also, not leaning back on the chair and tilting the pelvis to maintain posture will help also.

Sammy pointed out that preparation for pregnancy can lead to a smoother post natal recovery. A strengthened core is something worth considering for the load bearing on the area as a whole. And learning to lift correctly will always stand you in good stead.

As extensive as her talk was, it covered a vast amount of things that should technically be standard knowledge to us! It’s our bodies, so some care in making sure it’s maintained is the least we can do for it.

After a well deserved applause, Sammy made way for Toby to discuss our middle aged spread. Only a quarter of 30-40 year olds studied said they worked out at least 3 times a week. Unfortunately the amount was halved in the age group 41-50. This is reflected in the amount that suffer a daily pain, or discomfort. 13% for the 35-39 year olds and 22% for 46-49 year olds. Are we making excuses, or is it something to do with our age? Technically, as we age, we suffer a weakness of the skeletal muscle, but do we use adequate treatment for it? Hot and Cold treatment is probably the last thing we think of doing, when it should be the first!

In menopausal women, the loss of oestrogen can have a domino effect of increased weight, loss of muscle mass and strength and declining bone density. When the hot flushes occur this often makes women shy away from exercise. Almost one-in-three people over the age of 60 will suffer a fall due to muscle weakness. Skeletal muscle dysfunction in the elderly can be deadly.

Toby mentioned a couple of things, which should ring a bell, or two, for some people when I put it for you to read. “The moment we lose the ability to squat, we lose our independence to get on and off the toilet!” An exercise that keeps that alone is worth doing! Even if you did it for 5 minutes a day, I am sure you would be able to evaluate the extent of your need to increase, or improve your technique and exercise.

Another exercise worth considering is the rotator cuff. Even if you go to the gym, you have to ask whether, or not you cater for this exercise. The easier it is to take your jumper of and put one on shows how well your rotator cuff is. Yes, those are things we take for granted. Going to the toilet and getting dressed.

Angus Hunter covered an area I am an advocate for… Stretching! As I am a firm believer that there is no excuse forego stretching. Before your feet even touch the floor, you could have done a basic stretch that encompasses the whole body and takes about 5 minutes. However, it’s not about me, it’s about the presentation.

He has a quote from Shakespeare, which appeals to the actor in me, “… The sixth age shifts into the lean and slipper’s pantaloon, ith spectacles on nose and pouch on side; his youthful hose, well sav’d, a word too wide, for his shrunk shank…”

After we learnt the scientific word for the loss of muscle, we learn the word for the loss of strength, “Dynapenia”! The basics are without the muscle to support the strength, you will be lacking with increasing muscle loss. Granted Angus was far more scientific, but the statistics are the things that show how age and lack of muscle stimulus affects us as we age!

I found the fact that massaging and stretching have similar effects on the muscle interesting! They both lengthen the muscle and release muscle stress. Duration of both also determined the amount of stress alleviated and the length. There is no clear evidence on the most effective type of stretching.

Genetics play a part on the type of muscle you have and can help your sport dependant on the type you have. The 3 classifications are type I fibres, which are known also as Slow Twitch. Type IIa fibres, which are Fast Twitch. Type IIb/X fibre, which are also Fast Twitch, these have the shortest time to peak tension as opposed to the Slow Twitch which has the longest!

Collagen is considered the glue that holds us together, given it comes from the Greek word, Kolla, which means glue. Type 1 is the toughest and found in ligaments, tendons and bones. Type 2 is found in cartilage and the jelly (vitreous humour) inside the eye. Type 3 is the most thin and elastic found in the skin, lungs and blood vessels. About 25% of the body comes as Collagen and this declines as we age, hence the wrinkles, dry hair and brittle nails!

With all this knowledge, does it make it any easier to understand? Yes… and no. Always, the more information you have the better to make an informed decision it is! However, it means that the media have to get off their butt and make it so that it is something we read, not just whilst you’re waiting at the doctors, but actually as an everyday concept! It should be relevant to food, sunbathing, exercise, ageing and wellbeing! An article here, or there is great, but more of it makes it common knowledge and not a stranger to conversation with your doctor, personal trainer, neighbour, or child. It really is that important.

Even hot and cold treatment. How many people know the 4 distinct phases? Bleeding, Swelling, Proliferation and Remodelling… Just in case you had forgotten. Cold happens during the swelling phase and heat benefits the proliferation phase! Because those 2 phase overlap, there is about 72 hours after swelling and cold to treat it that heat treatment helps the proliferation phase.

Generally you can tell if it’s a swelling, as you can touch it and feel it! Calor (heat), Dolor (pain), Rubor (redness) and Tumor (swelling)… Loss of function is easier to determine. I can throw more science and figures into the hot and cold therapy, but ultimately, it showed that biology is something we should know better than we do! A basic knowledge of our own body, symptoms and maintenance is sorely (!) lacking. Many injuries reoccur when we return to strenuous training too soon and when care and recovery has been hurried, or ignored.

The amazing speakers were justified in coming together for the presentation and Deep Heat and Deep Freeze were amazing to have advanced their products from the pain inducing prank of my youth. As much as I have left out, I could go on and put all instances verbatim, but the onus is on us to be more proactive, knowledgeable and honest about how we look after and maintain our own bodies. We also owe it to the next generation not to sell them short that knowledge, as it should be as common as going online to chat to our friends on Facebook.

To end this, I am going to go through the amazing high protein meal that was relevant to the event as a whole.

Starter, Smoked Salmon and Brown Bread. Main, Roast Saddle and Grilled rack of Cornish Lamb, with a Pea Polenta Croquette and Sautéed Girolles. That is a wild mushroom, to save you Googling it. There were also some New Potatoes, which cover the high carbs for the meal. Dessert, was a light Peach Melba Meringue.

All were delicious and appreciated, as we all partook in a small demonstration of posture exercises before eating.

My appreciation of all that was presented to me at 34 Restaurant by Nexus PR and respective speakers was far more than this article can put into words and there are a lot of them.

In love With Death in a “Secret Garden”

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I live in Stepney Green, which is a short journey from the venue, the other side of London Bridge, at The Old Operating Theatre. A venue I didn’t know existed until I was invited to the Discussion of Satish Modi about his book, In Love With Death.

I was met by the PR team of Curzon after climbing an amazing winding staircase, which seemed to go on forever, but probably more to do with my level of fitness, even if it was unusually steep. Miriam and Daniel, from Curzon, talked about the venue and how amazing it is. And they were not lying! It is deceptively larger than it appears! In every corner there are instruments of an era gone by! Not instruments that you would play in an orchestra, this was a theatre of another performance. It was of the anatomical design.

The surgical equipment seemingly represents implements of torture, and in many cases they could well be justifiably deemed as such. However, our modern science will probably be deemed the equivalent when historians of the future look back at the leaps and bounds they have done from our era.

In between routes from cabinet-to-cabinet, I am distracted by potions, salves, acids and solutions. Powders, herbs, compounds and products… all which would be an alchemists dreams. Considering the layout and structure of the venue, I am amazed at how many things are actually fitted into the room.

My wandering mind and eye was brought back to the reason I was there and I was introduced to Satish Modi, who is a soft spoken man with a calming face and demeanour. He spoke about the venue also and how fitting it was for the subject at hand, but also on how human’s perception of death is viewed. I was happy to discuss the subject of death, as I feel, as Satish does, that as it is inevitable we should be freer of the stigma that it seems to have. Unfortunately, I had to wait to talk to him further, as I was monopolising him from talking to other guests.

Luckily, I was able to chat to the Curator of The Old Operating Table, Julie Mathais. She was very accommodating about questions regarding the venue and informed me that it used to be the operating theatre of the old St Thomas’, a free hospital for the poor workforce and patients were wheeled in from the ward for procedures that are shocking by modern days standards. I did ask why this place is not more well known! It just seems to a place that would not only inform, but the cases of memorabilia would surprise many well versed in the medical trade, let alone the general public. However, Julie is busy lecturing those as young as year 1 through to medical students that come to learn of the history of their profession. Also groups of people through the summer and open 7 days a week!

When we are shown to the viewing gallery for the presentation, Julie gets a volunteer from the stands and demonstrates, without any actual surgery, what would have happened in a 16th century surgery. The luxury of sanitation, hygiene and patient care are not a consideration, so a surgeon’s speed was essential to minimise trauma, if that was at all to be believed. Julie mentioned that whilst an elixir of brandy and opiates were given to the patient to help recovery (Approximately a litre and a half), only 1 in 3 survived the procedures and most deaths occurred on leaving the hospital, which would have been laced with all forms of infectious diseases and septicaemia would have been inevitable. After mimicking the procedure, featuring a display of tools used for an amputation, the volunteer was allowed back to the stands, without the recovery elixir.

Satish then came forward and began with why he wrote the book and didn’t really know he was going to write one, as it all started in Japan!

When Satish visited Japan, the then elderly Buddhist nun said that she had met him before and it was before in a previous life! Every time they met, she was overcome with emotion and treated him as a guest of honour. He stay was very much one of experience and as a guest of the Japan. However, when it came time to leave, Satish wanted to know how he would see her again, as she said that she would keep in contact. She replied, “Through your dreams”.

Whether it was that, or the fact Satish was conscious of being unable to contact her through conventional means, he started to have vivid dreams and would have his secretary write down the dreams before he would forget them! He would keep a diary of them and before he knew it, the book was a concept waiting to be published even before the thought of writing one was evident.

I think the most poignant anecdote of the talk was the story of 2 brothers and their father gave them each large sums of money. The eldest was given $200 million and the youngest was given $100 million. The youngest one was upset at receiving less than his brother and was discussing it with Satish! He explained that he should not see it that way, because if they were to die, his brother would have twice as much to lose! He continues to expand on the fact that death is an equaliser. When we all die, we are the same. The billionaire will be put in the ground the same as a pauper.

Satish finishes his talk with an excerpt from his book, of which all proceeds go to charity, and we go back into the main area to continue one-to-one talks.

Strangely enough, we all talk until we are reminded of the time and the curator needed to close the venue and be ready for the following day’s clientele.

We slowly break up and go our separate ways.

I read some of the book on the way home and almost miss my stop in doing so. I find it engaging and as enlightening as talking to the man himself!

The book is available, at £9.99, from the www.curzonpr.com, or www.inlovewithdeath.com

Also all details of The Old Operating Theatre Museum can be found at www.thegarret.org.uk, or contacting 0207 1882679

20140604_191142“Compassion not pay”

20140604_191231Satish Modi reading an excerpt from his book In Love with Death

20140604_202054Maternity items of an era past

20140604_202140A veritable witch’s treasure trove.

20140604_202625Body parts in Formaldehyde on display

 

Frost meets Paddy Power and Professor Hawking: How England can win the world cup

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Sometimes you can get emails that are filled with unexpected surprise that you know you have to read twice to make sure that you read it properly. So, naturally, when I received an email about Professor Stephen Hawking and Paddy Power in the same sentence, I had to make sure I read it right. And yes, you read it correctly; they were both in the same sentence. When I got over my initial shock, I read that it was at the Savoy, so thought it may be a stunt and that it was not going to be the event as said in the email. It’s at The Savoy, so I was going! On arrival, I had to go down 3 floors to the Lincoln Room, where the presentation was taking place. As all Savoy venues, they are amazing and beautiful layout. The backdrop with Professor Hawking’s face inside the Paddy Power logo still didn’t instil me with the fact he was going to make an appearance and was probably one of their wacky advertisements. Either side of the backdrop are boards with formulae to How England Can Win The World Cup: 1And how England Can take The Perfect Penalty:  2The equation is given by the Professor for all to see on blackboards, so the general whisper amongst the press is that the gimmick is just for publicity, so everyone seems relaxed and drinking their beverage so that they can get their bit done and go home. That is until Rory Scott, from Paddy Power announces the rules of the presentation and what Professor Hawking will be doing and the rules regarding pictures. All of a sudden, it’s all real and the press are far more excited and attentive! Before the Professor takes the stage, he preps behind the backdrop and naturally the room is silent. The man has an air of presence that almost engulfs the room. A verse and chorus from Prodigy’s Exhale rings from the speaker as a projection of various instances, from 1966 to present day, of England’s trials and tribulations throughout the World Cups. Paddy from Paddy Power introduces the man himself and the room is still silent! It is almost as though the is on bated breath and Paddy says, “Lets hear it for Professor Stephen Hawking”! Before his words are even halfway through, the room erupts into rapturous applause and he begins to speak. The room is slient again to listen to his every word:

“Good morning. Thanks for having me Paddy. I always saw you as slightly anti-intellectual but by inviting me here, you have proved me wrong. “Ever since the dawn of civilization, people have not been content to see events as unconnected and inexplicable. They have craved an understanding of the underlying order in the world. “The World Cup is no different. “Paddy Power recognised that as a theoretical physicist I’m marginally more qualified to make predictions than “Paul the Octopus”. “Analysing data since our triumph at the sixty six World Cup, I have answered two of the biggest questions tormenting fans. One, what are the optimal conditions for England success? And two, how do you score in a penalty shootout? “The technique I have used is called General Logistic Regression Modelling. I won’t go into the ins and outs of it as we will be sitting here well into next season. However, after the conference we will circulate the full research document should you want to have a flick.

“So what are the optimal conditions for England success? Contrary to tabloid opinion, the presence of WAGs is irrelevant. Our chance of triumph can be worked out by looking at a number of environmental, physiological, psychological, political and tactical variables. “Statistically England’s red kit is more successful and we should play four, three, three rather than four, four, two. Psychologists in Germany found red makes teams feel more confident and can lead them to being perceived as more aggressive and dominant. Likewise four-three-three is more positive so the team benefits for similar psychological reasons. “The data shows we also need to hope for a European referee. European referees are more sympathetic to the English game and less sympathetic to ballerinas like Suarez. “Like all animals, the England team are creatures of habit. Being closer to home reduces the negative impact of cultural differences and jetlag. We do better in temperate climates, at low altitudes with kick off as close to the normal three o’clock as possible. “The impact of environmental factors alone is quite staggering. A 5⁰C rise in temperature reduces our chances of winning by 59%. We are twice as likely to win when playing below five hundred metres above sea level. And our chances of winning improve by a third when kicking off at three o’clock local time. “Looking at environmental factors alone, the game in Belo Horizonte against Costa Rica is the best of a bad bunch with England’s opener in Manaus against Italy the most difficult. The searing temperature and late kick off are far from ideal.  “Now on to penalties. As we say in science, England ‘couldn’t hit a cow’s arse with a banjo’. “I have studied all shootouts since they were introduced at the seventy eight World Cup to have a formula for the perfect penalty. Don’t tell the Germans.

“Let’s start with the technique. Velocity is key. For this reason, get a run up of more than three steps. Give it some welly. There is only a 58% probability of scoring if your run up is three steps or less. “However, velocity is nothing without placement. If only I had whispered this in Chris Waddle’s  ear before he sent the ball into orbit in nineteen ninety. Use the side foot rather than laces and you are 10% more likely to score.  “The statistics confirm the obvious. Place the ball in the top left or right hand corner for the best chance of success. 84% of penalties in those areas score. The ability of strikers to place the ball results in them being more likely to score than midfielders and defenders. “There is no evidence that it’s advantageous to be left or right footed but bald players and fair haired players are more likely to score. The reason for this is unclear. This will remain one of science’s great mysteries. One last tip from me for Joe Hart. Like Bruce Grobbelaar jump from side to side and you are 18% more likely to make a save. Who would want to be a keeper? As Ruud Guillt once said “a goalkeeper is a goalkeeper because he can’t play football”. “That’s a summary of my findings. I’m going to answer a few of Paddy’s questions then I need to be off.”

The humour and statistics are seamless and show that the inner child is still a huge part of the man. He was given a short interview, by Paddy, before he would be off to do one more interview off stage and then to another venue. For someone that is confined to a wheelchair, he is immensely busy and rarely in one place for long periods of time. However, the responses Professor Hawking gave to the questions posed, still raised smiles from his face. I am sure that Paddy was as enamoured with the Professor as many undoubtedly were listening to him. Considering Paddy Power is a gambling site, they didn’t really press the subject of gambling and it only came up once in conversation:

PP: Do you ever bet?

SH: Not on football or any sport for that matter. My bets tend to be against my fellow theoretical physicist friends about theoretical physics. Does Paddy Power have any odds on black holes being surrounded by firewalls?  Then I might be interested.  “I want to add, because I bet only on science, I will donate my fee, half to the Motor Neurone Disease Association, and half to the Save the Children’s campaign, for the children of Syria.” 

PP: Do you even like football?

SH: Shouting at the television is not for me but each to his own. What drew me to this project was not the love of football but my curiosity.  I’m almost quite sad I’m not a football fan as this summer will be a treat for those who are.

PP: But I take it you are supporting England at the World Cup. Is that right?

SH: All mathematics, science and rational thought go out the window here. I am an Englishman and will be cheering our boys all the way to the final in Rio.

PP: Who do you think will win the World Cup?

SH: You would be a fool to overlook Brazil. Hosts have won over 30% of the World Cups. As we know from the study, there are significant environmental and psychological benefits of being close to home. It doesn’t look like a vintage Brazil team to me but I’m sure they have enough quality to lift the World Cup for the sixth time.

PP: Thanks for your time Professor. I’m aware that you have a number of other engagements today so we’ll let you go.

SH: Thank you. No problem. It’s been a pleasure.

Professor Hawking had given permission for pictures to be taken at the end of the presentation and cameras seemed to come out of the woodwork for the photo opportunity. Had someone walked in on the flash-fest they would have assumed it was fame hungry celeb, but truth be told, it is a rare opportunity and one not many would turn down at any given point. He sat calmly and composed knowing that he would be doing more interviews shortly after and left with no fuss and to his next interviewer. Even though Paddy didn’t have the pull of Professor Hawking, many lined up for interviews and questions for their respective publications and channels. Those, like myself waited until an opportunity arose to gather a viewpoint and any other interesting information.

When I finally got to speak to Paddy, he was still cheerful and accommodating as he was toward his first interviewer. I asked him if he thought of doing a comparison with all the teams in the England draw for the World Cup, but he said that it was all about the England team, so they were the only real focus. He also said that it took Professor Hawking a couple of weeks to formulate all the information and give such condensed presentation and it exceeded his expectations on many levels, considering Paddy Power had approached him a couple of months prior to the formulation of all the information. I asked if he thought of maybe getting a psychologist for the next presentation and said it was something he would consider, so we may be following up this with another perspective of a Paddy Power special! Both myself and Paddy were amazed at the level in which Professor Hawking went into regarding the actual percentages to what we would have thought and even the fact that the team should know these facts before hand and we wondered if they even thought that would be a factor to help in any way. Having met Professor Hawking a few years ago, at Cambridge, Paddy is still blown away by the charisma and generosity he displays and the fact his whole fee went to 2 charities is amazing! He is definitely young at heart and has a twinkle in his eye, charming and Paddy admitted he was overawed, which made me feel better, as I too was overawed at the presence of him. Breaking the structure of the flow of questioning, I asked him if he got the reaction that people may have thought the email was a joke and that Professor Hawking wouldn’t turn up for such an event. He did say that bringing it from another perspective makes the game more interesting and seen as more logical and gives food for thought and may interest a wider audience just because of this information, so it could tune more people in for different reasons. Naturally, I asked him about the betting aspect and if England were to get into the final. Unsurprisingly, we both agreed that betting would be something that everyone would have a flutter were England to get into the final and the nation would be hooked into seeing if England would recreate history. I was surprised that even though Paddy it Irish (!) he had a sense of preferring to have England succeed over the thought of the flutter frenzy, which will please many people, but I have a feeling human nature will dominate should England get to the final. Having a flutter changes the whole feel to a game, especially if you have a feeling your team will do well! Paddy admits that getting involved in the hype of the world cup is not selling, but just enjoying being part of it! When pushed for his ideal final, he said for England Vs Brazil in a penalty shootout and even if the betting odds of that happening are exceedingly high. I feel the country would come to a standstill.

I would also like to take time to thank Paddy, Rory and Paddy Power for making a meeting that I never thought would happen in my lifetime and meeting Professor Stephen Hawking was every bit as amazing as I thought. Making me feel like 10 year old meeting their hero and feeling that maybe, just maybe I can be as amazing as he is too.

The Moratorium: Homeless Veterans

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Not often, but every-so-often subjects are broached and the country unifies in their opinion and it is such that the powers that be have to act accordingly. The problem is, is that it happens so rarely that the people to blame get away with it more often than is actually acknowledged!

The Moratorium is here to air those topics and the first one starts with one that is close to my heart and one that is a hot topic at the moment for kinds of reasons. The Armed Forces! Now it’s not them that is taboo, but aspects of how they are treated, so I think that the treatment of Veterans should be the key point of topic, as they appear to have disappeared from the lives of so many until a scandal hits the headlines and then it’s all up for a week, or two then it disappears from the eyes of the public once more.

Most people know that many of the homeless in London are veterans and as many as 70% of the males that are homeless in London are Vets, or have served in one of the forces. On leaving the forces they either fall by the wayside, or don’t know where to look for help, or even who to ask when they need direction, as many doors are shut when leaving.

The “Us” and “Them” attitude extends further than most people understand, as the mannerisms are very loyal and willing, so when all those realities are shattered on the “outside” it becomes a stigma to trust people, or even comprehend why civilians have little trust and camaraderie amongst themselves. Most of the problems stem from the fact you cannot untrained the trained! It’s that which plays the biggest factor in military veterans becoming a forgotten statistic and considered a nuisance at best.

When you’re representing the country for what it stands for and you get shot at, spat on and are alone in a strange place, the only difference from serving and being homeless is location! I have seen people urinate on people as they sleep in any space they can find and then the same people who do it run off when the victim wakes up! Granted, no person should be submitted to that regardless. This doesn’t detract from the fact that the veteran paid their taxes, accommodation and council tax like any other worker and is left fend without preparation after their service has ended.

There are funds, which people know as charities, that all military people pay into whilst serving. However, trying to get help from them when times are hard is like getting a piggyback ride from a Hippopotamus… Highly unlikely! I know that those that work in the likes of Royal British Legion (RBL), Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA), Benevolent Fund AND whichever service charity is relevant will all have their side of the story to put across, but the stats speak for themselves and the money is still in their accounts whilst Vets are still on the street!

So why are there so many Vets on the streets and not being tended to? The answer is simple! Even more simple than it is to explain. The people that were once security cleared, numbered, monitored and trusted to die for their country get lost in the outside world and the outside system! Once a person comes out of the military, their rights change and they become a different number. No ID and uniform to show who they are, they are swallowed up and left to fend in civilian life.

Many of the Vets that turn to crime are not delinquents, but people who have no focus and are frustrated. They want to be somewhere where they can work, be appreciated and not have to worry where they will be sleeping come night time. A simple thing that eludes many of them and they are considered a profile for police and hostels to look out for. Sadly it’s not to guide them in the right direction, as many of the Veterans do not make it to an ex-military hostel for appropriate help.

The current government put out an announcement for a Covenant for Armed personnel, Veterans and their family, which may take around 2 years to be finalised, let alone implemented. In the time it takes to get that to any kind of working mandate, it may take as long as 10 years. And I wish it was an exaggeration. The amount that will be homeless, dead, or imprisoned after service between now and then will not make for good statistics.
On the fallout of the News Of The World scandal, many service families will be put through the trauma of going through losing their loved ones all over again and many of those families have more than one family member serving; so that will be something that will take its toll in the homeless stakes as many serving/veteran siblings go off the rails and end up being a statistic with all the other homeless. It is considered the tour of duty that no medal is awarded for and none will be relevant for the type of conflicts that are endured.

Back Pain: How Low Can You Go?

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Back pain is so common now that most people don’t even get it seen to. They suffer in relative silence and inevitably do more damage than intended.

Often, sufferers will forget how the pain started in the first place and have a routine to get themselves through daily life. In today’s pressurised environment, some take a cocktail of analgesics and anti-inflammatory tablets for quick relief, while running on a tight schedule. But this makes the body’s tolerance of pain killers higher and the effects either wear off quicker, or they just don’t work as they used to.

Apart from the lack of care from the body’s owner, day-to-day maintenance is also something that is overlooked. Routine is something we incorporate into our lives for the ease of planning and coping with our work, home and social life.

So why do we ignore what could be a serious injury? There are a number of reasons, but none of them are valid enough to be plausible as an excuse. ‘Not enough time’ seems to be the first one on the list. It’s considered the mother of all excuses and is hard to beat when it comes to answers. But it’s also the one that is the least valid. Simply, if you are put out of commission with a back that fails to function then all you have IS time!

The fact of the matter is simple. Back maintenance is easy, should be part of everyday routine, and the knowledge needed should not be seen as either the Holy Grail, or too boring to remember.

One of the first things we do in the morning is stretch, but that is more of a body reflex than a routine to release muscles that have been bunched up for hours in one position. A five minute stretch that incorporates the whole body will benefit your whole system inside and out. It does more good than just the feel-good factor to the muscles.

Many people have jobs that keep them static all day, so simple, regular movement keeps the muscles functioning and awake. Staying in one position can cause the body to send just enough blood and oxygen to the parts that it thinks need it. The result? You get tired! It’s simple I know, but children instinctively are always running around everywhere and the minute they stop to do something, they either get lethargic, or bored and run somewhere else.

Countless articles promote the benefits of water and how important it is to us. Our bodies are up to 80% water and we’re more dehydrated than we admit. The rule of thumb is, if your mouth is dry then you’re already dehydrated. As sentient beings, we allow this to become acceptable and it shouldn’t, as this will also help the back too.

The more hydrated the body is, the less likely the free radicals (no, not a protest cry, but atoms that cause tissue damage at the cellular level) are to locate in one area. Instead, the area will be flushed and muscle-repairing, oxygen-rich blood inhabits the area preventing scar tissue build up.

I could go on all day about the things we need to do to maintain our bodies and the bad habits we get into, but I’ll finish on a point which we all should know, with a bit that maybe you didn’t.

Posture and poise are not a show of pompous piousness, but a show of respect for the back. Slouching and hunching are arch (sorry about the pun) – enemies to the back and this can be avoided, even at the computer terminal.

Many people even get the recovery process wrong too. As I pointed out earlier, pain killers are something the body can get used to, but pain is also a strange thing. The body can get used to that too – if the pain is constant. Hot showers and baths to soothe a bad back are not good, as they can change the function of the muscle. Instead, the muscle must be allowed to pump blood through the affected area, not act like a cushion and pad the area out, as this can hinder recovery and movement.

The body is an amazing thing and the back allows it all to happen through a network of nerves, muscles and an intricate bone structure. So remember that a little bit of care, maintenance and a minor change to your routine can be the difference between a pain-free or persistent problem. Back to basics, you could say.

Fire In Babylon: Facing Devon Malcolm

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DSC_0636 (Small)The first of June. One of those beautiful early sunny days made even brighter by the presence one of cricket’s sporting heroes – and undoubtedly England’s best fast bowler of the 20th century – Devon Malcolm.

After a kind and warm welcome from the Oval’s people and even nicer PR,  my first glimpse of nice guy Devon Malcolm saw him launching his trade mark fast bowling bombs at a brave man in a lion’s outfit. Yes, you read correctly. Not something you get to do every day, granted, but I thought I’d stick to the conventional padding when it came to my nerve-jangling turn.

The whole day was to promote Fire in Babylon, a DVD out on 6th June, about the unstoppable cricketing force that was the West Indies team in the 70s and 80s. For nigh on two decades, the Windies blew everyone away and dominated the world of cricket like no other team. Their skill, talent, genuine passion and  team spirit has rarely been rivalled.

Devon Eugene Malcolm was born on 22 February 1963 in Kingston, Jamaica. Ironically, he settled and played for England and became one of his adopted country’s best-ever fast bowlers. While the man himself would admit that his batting skills at the crease left a lot to be desired, his bowling made him globally known, feared and revered by the opposition.

For all those who are good at arithmetic, you’ll notice that Devon is 48 years old. But having faced the fast balls and the REALLY fast balls from Devon, it’s clear that he is not only in amazing form, but in exceptional shape for someone who was in first-class cricket for almost 20 years without injury hampering his lifestyle and throwing arm – a fact he is clearly thankful for. Whether those at the other end, like me, felt the same way in those seconds before he lets fly with a grenade-like delivery remained unsaid.

After receiving the blurring missiles from him at the crease (and even splitting my trousers dodging a super fast ball)  I was grateful for the experience of few minutes in his company for a calmer interview.

Errol Clarke: How does it feel being part of the historic era that really made cricket?

Devon Malcolm: Although it was a great privilege and honour to play for England, my early influences were totally around that iconic West Indian side. I’m talking about the 60s, 70s and 80s. Most guys in my era, at any age, played cricket. I don’t care where you come from! If you were from Australia, New Zealand, England, whatever, they have to be influenced by that West Indian side. So much so, that one of my heroes was Michael Holding. You’ve got guys like Colin Croft, Malcolm Marshall and guys like that! I was just a young boy growing up in Jamaica and the commentator was talking about Michael Holding taking a long run up to bowl. I didn’t even know what he looked like then, but I used to make a massive run up and ran faster than I used to bowl – and then eventually I learned HOW to bowl. Those guys were a massive influence in the 70s and even before that.

EC: Well, you almost had 20 years at first class cricket, were you not tempted to hit that magic 20?

DM: I had almost 20 years as a first class cricketer and I have played as an international, but to play as a fast bowler for that long without any major injuries is a blessing! I had a good lifestyle and was pretty strong and I am glad to have such a career that I could be asked back today and be able to still turn my arm over – and I am almost 50! And to be honest if you look at guys who have played the amount of international cricket, or first-class cricket that I have, they are pretty sore in the knee and their back and they may not even be fast bowlers. It’s hard work fast bowling! A very, very tough world.! I mean, man, fast bowling is a key part of cricket and a beautiful thing if you’re watching it – and terrifying if you’re in front of it.

EC: I can speak from first hand of it from today’s experience.

DM: You’re a brave man, a brave man. (Both laugh).

EC: Did you know that before you retired that you had THE best fast bowling analysis of the 20th century?

DM (smiling broadly) : Yeah, to be honest, I remember the day and we were playing the game against South Africa here in ’94 and walking off the field after taking 9 for 57. I remember the England captain, Michael Atherton, said: “Dev, do you realise what you’ve just done?” I said: “Every time I go out to play for England, or play cricket, I want to take all ten wickets!” and he replied: “Maybe so, but we will probably never see again one person dominate cricket again at this level!” And I said to him, “I tell you what. If you want it to mean something, then you guys go out and get the 140 runs we need to win the game.” And we went on to win and got the runs. Then it really meant something and the record still stands.

EC: The sixth best innings in bowling history.

DM: It’s only been done once and I call myself a quick bowler. You have your medium paced bowler and your spinners, but if you want to categorize then I am the only fast bowler to have done it. I have a video at home of Michael Holding bowling in 1976 against England. He was my hero, and watching him take England apart and then to come to the Oval and do the same to South Africa in the same place, it is almost as though it was written in the script for me to come and it’s unbelievable.

EC: You mentioned South Africa which has to be THE iconic match ever for you really.

DM: Indeed and doing a game like that against South Africa who had just come back into international cricket, all of a sudden I am getting calls from President Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu and that was after I had bowled their guys out! I was invited to Downing Street and met the President for lunch and stuff like that. It was a massive thing to do – and it was great!

EC: And tell me about Fire in Babylon.

DM: As we were talking about the iconic West Indies side, Fire in Babylon is a documentary about how they dominated the game for decades and are probably one of the best teams ever. It’s the history behind it all. It’s not something just to keep on the shelf, it’s something you buy to watch, I mean from an educational point of view. Show the kids, because probably a lot of kids playing now, even in the Caribbean, don’t realise where West Indian cricket is coming from. The camaraderie and the history behind it. The West Indies is made up of many islands and the binding force behind them as well.

EC: It is almost like a mantle to pass to the next generation.

DM: Indeed. So I think it would benefit youngsters, even in schools as part of the curriculum!

EC: That would be great, as you don’t see that sort of thing, where they learn from video analysis for sports. This shows the ‘why’, ‘where’, ‘and ‘how’ plus the team spirit and how they got together.

DM: Cricket is a great sport and a very successful one.

EC: If I could ask one last question before they pull you away to do some more bowling. The statement, ‘you guys are history’ and you obviously have a book of the same title as well. Did you ever think coming from where you were, as a youth growing up that you’d create history, write a book and BE in the history books as the best fast bowler of the 20th century? It’s an accolade to go from a boy in Jamaica to representing your adopted country and become a hero of the sport in people’s eyes. How does it all feel?

DM: It’s a great feeling, to have the opportunity to play cricket here and my first tour was back in Jamaica, land of my birth. They adopted me back straight away and cheered for me when I went out to play. I wanted West Indies to do well, but also wanted England to do well and it was a dream come true!

When I was at school in Jamaica, part of my learning to read was ‘Calypso Comes to Lord’s’. I used to read it and be dreaming and dreaming. And the picture I painted of Lord’s was even more vivid than it is right now. So to get the opportunity to come and play for England and play at Lord’s was a massive dream come true! It’s quite amazing. Those that influenced me played at Lord’s and here and to meet my heroes and to play against some of them as well is massive. I played with quite a few of them and I feel worthy. No job in the world would have given me the opportunity to have and do what I have done and I have no regrets at all.

Hopefully, I can promote the game and give youngsters every chance to shine and to promote Britain and get cricket back into schools. Hopefully, I will be able to get across to some of the black boys and get them playing cricket and onto the team like I did.

EC: Thank you for your time today and good luck with everything. All the best for the future.

Devon was then whisked away for more reporters to be terrorised by the youthful fast bowler in the green of the Oval. Meanwhile, I left with my body intact and a pleasant feeling after an interview with a man who was the greatest fast bowler England has ever had, but who remains, criminally, yet to be rewarded for his services to sport. Hopefully, if they do a sequel to Fire in Babylon, Devon Malcolm would have been not only rewarded by then, but featuring in the DVD too.

Fire in Babylon is released on the 6th of June.

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