BRITAIN'S GOT TASTE

- Giant ice cream created to capture regional taste of Britain -

To celebrate the diversity of British culture, LateRooms.com, one of the UK's leading accommodation websites, has created the world's first ice cream that captures the ultimate 'Taste of Britain' in a single lick.

The huge ice cream contains 20 of the UK's most popular regional flavours from traditional 'clotted cream' to the more wacky 'sausage and mash' scoop - making it the most flavoursome cone in the world.

Respondents were asked to pick flavours that best represented the UK, allowing brave taste-testers the chance to experience the extent of British regional dishes from Cornwall to Scotland...in one mouthful!

Top Twenty UK Flavours included in the Great British Ice Cream:
1. Yorkshire Pudding (Yorkshire)
2. Sausage & Mash (Cumberland)
3. Pork Pie (Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire) 4. Cheddar Cheese (Cheddar, Somerset) 5. Cornish Pasty (Cornwall) 6. Clotted Cream (Cornwall) 7. Lancashire Hot Pot (Lancashire) 8. Eccles Cake (Salford, Manchester) 9. Worcestershire Sauce (Worcestershire) 10. Haggis (Scotland) 11. Shortbread (Scotland) 12. Morecambe Bay Potted Shrimps (Morecambe) 13. Black Pudding (Bury, Lancashire) 14. Stottie Cake (Tyneside) 15. Haslet (Lincolnshire) 16. Red Leicester Cheese (Leicestershire) 17. Wensleydale Cheese (Wensleydale, Yorkshire) 18. Arbroath Smokies (Arbroath, Scotland) 19. Welsh Rarebit (Wales) 20. Kendal Mint Cake  (Kendal, Cumbria)

I want to try it!
For those brave enough to stomach it: all 20 flavours are available to try for free at Morelli's ice cream parlour at Harrods, while stocks last, ensuring that everyone can get their very own 'Taste of Britain', regardless of what region they're in. Simply quote 'LateRooms.com' when ordering.

Kathy Gwinnett of LateRooms.com comments:
"It is interesting that the humble Yorkshire pudding tops the list of favourite British delicacies. We're lucky to be spoilt for choice and the massive array of regional flavours that make up the taste of Britain shows just how much the UK has to offer."

When it comes to British hotels, LateRooms have got it licked! With many local delicacies available in dining rooms across the UK, guests can sample a taste of Britain themselves - from home-cooked hot pots to Michelin-starred fish and chips.

Ian Hamilton QC to recount his theft of the Stone of Destiny at Conversation Pieces
 
Thursday 18th September, 1pm
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Strathclyde Suite
 
Lawyer and Scottish nationalist Ian Hamilton QC will give an account of his infamous theft of the Stone of Destiny when he launches Glasgow’s Concert Halls’ autumn Conversation Pieces season. He will speak about his stunt, which captured news headlines for weeks and which he has chronicled in his book Stone of Destiny, at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Thursday 18th September.
 
Hamilton famously led the group of students who stole the Stone of Destiny from beneath the Coronation Chair on Christmas Eve in 1950 and brought it to Scotland. All four students were members of a pro-independence group, the Scottish Covenant Association, and felt their act was a repatriation of the Stone.
 
The event sparked a nationwide manhunt and caused quite a stir in the press. They evaded detection for more than three months before depositing the Stone in Arbroath Abbey (draped in a saltire), and no charges were ever brought against them.
 
Ian Hamilton went on to become one of Scotland's most prominent lawyers. He has spent most of his life in politics as a member of the Scottish National Party (SNP).
 
Hamilton’s story was recently made into a film by Hollywood director Charles Martin Smith. Stone of Destiny stars Robert Carlyle, Billy Boyd and Charlie Cox (who plays the part of Hamilton), and was premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in June. The film is out on general release in November. Before that however, Hamilton will give his own account of the events surrounding his theft of a Scottish icon, in the first talk of Glasgow’s Concert Halls’ autumn Conversation Pieces season. The season is hosted by BBC Radio Scotland’s Iain Anderson, and others speakers appearing at Conversation Pieces include Ian Rankin, Kate Adie and Dr Phil Hammond.

Folk music at Glasgow’s Concert Halls this autumn
 
A host of international and home-grown folk talent will perform at Glasgow’s Concert Halls this autumn. As well as concerts by the likes of Emmylou Harris, Joan Baez, Art Garfunkel, Eddi Reader, John Martyn and Tommy Emmanuel, there will also be a trio of gigs in the atmospheric Old Fruitmarket entitled Fruitmarket Folk, launching on 3rd October with a performance by one of the most exciting ensembles on the UK folk scene, Drever McCusker Woomble. Fruitmarket Folk also features John McCusker’s acclaimed composition Under One Sky and a performance by Luka Bloom.

ROBERT PLANT SURPRISE AT NEAR SELL-OUT FESTIVAL

Rock legend Robert Plant made a surprise appearance at the close of Fairport's Cropredy Convention festival on Saturday 9 August. Other big names included Supergrass, Levellers and Midge Ure.

Plant took the stage to a tumultuous welcome from the audience during Fairport Convention's three-hour headline performance. He was joined by vocalist Kristina Donahue to sing Led Zeppelin's 'The Battle of Evermore' as part of Fairport's onstage commemoration of singer-songwriter Sandy Denny who died thirty years ago.

"It was great to have Robert back at Cropredy," says Dave Pegg, Fairport's bass guitarist. "The crowd went wild when he walked on and his duet with Kristina went down a storm."

"We publish the festival line-up but we never announce Fairport's special guests," Dave Pegg continues, "so the only way for people to avoid missing big-name surprises is to buy a ticket and come along. Robert has joined us at Cropredy quite a few times and we've hosted impromptu spots by people like Billy Connolly, Frank Skinner, Steve Harley and Roy Wood among others."

Cropredy attracted a near-record attendance this year. Advance orders had poured in since the box office opened in March and by Saturday the festival was on the verge of selling out.

The organisers are confident that but for the weekend's heavy rain, Cropredy would have boasted a full house for the second consecutive year. "We only had a few hundred tickets left," says Simon Nicol, Fairport's guitarist and singer. "Had the weather not been against us, I'm sure we'd have sold the lot. As it was, when Fairport Convention took the stage on Saturday, there were well over 19,000 people on site."

Despite persistent rain and a fair bit of mud, spirits never flagged either side of the footlights. "You can't buy or plan that fantastic Cropredy vibe - it just happens out on the field," says Gareth Williams, Festival Director. "Our audience is probably the most welcoming crowd in the land and their enthusiastic response to all the bands was overwhelming, especially considering the weather."

"It's also a great weekend for the musicians," adds Simon Nicol. "Everyone who played commented positively on the atmosphere. Our headline acts, Supergrass and Levellers, were Cropredy virgins and they really loved it, both onstage and off."

Effective crime prevention was another high point this year. The continuous improvement in security arrangements paid dividends and not a single theft from campsites was reported to Cropredy's festival control over the entire three days.

Police reported only two arrests, one for a public order offence and the other for possession of cannabis. Speaking for Thames Valley Police, Sgt Steve Redding said: "We are pleased the crime figures were so low. It is a testament to the work our officers have been doing with the festival organisers, who have taken the issue of crime at the festival seriously over the years."

"We are obviously delighted," says Gareth Williams. "We must thank the  security team from MJ Events Support who worked alongside Thames Valley Police to achieve such a great result. We adapt and improve our security arrangements every year and we talk to fellow festival organisers so that we can spot any trends and strategize accordingly."

LOVE ACROSS LONDON

Join the first-ever London Eye speed dating event with
the Impulse Romance Revolution

Its official, Britons are no longer romantic. With over a quarter of the men in the UK admitting they think romance is no longer relevant it is no surprise that 63% of women rate British men’s romance skills as non-existent.   So Impulse bodyspray is inviting 22 lucky Londoners to take charge and spark romance in their lives by attending a one–off Romance Revolution speed dating event on The London Eye on 16th August

Daters will be given champagne as they enter the exclusive romance capsule, where they’ll experience the spectacular views of the London skyline and great company while the London Eye takes them on a 30 minute Romance Revolution/ love lock in! The perfect setting to set sparks flying for anyone wanting to invite romance back in to their lives.

To register for one of a limited number of places on the Impulse Romance capsule log on www.actonimpulse.com/dating to get your place.

SOUND ADVICE
TO PROTECT YOUR EARS AND CAREERS

A free Sound advice web guide has been produced by a working group of industry stakeholders with support from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). It provides practical guidance on the control of noise in music and entertainment.

Sound advice includes practical examples from real life to help everyone in music and entertainment control the risks from noise at work. It explains the general requirements of the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, followed by advice for specific sections of the music and entertainment industry. The web guide shows that there are plenty of practical things employers can do without stopping people from enjoying music.
Details: http://soundadvice.info