Echo Monday March 3, 2014
echo-news.co.uk /newwoman
19
WOMAN
New
Style tips
in black
and white
How to make the most
of monochrome PAGES 24-25
PLUS
 Red carpet makeover, P23
 Hollywood hair, P29
ACTING IS EASIER THAN
BEING A SUGABABE
Heidi Range’s new role P20-21
A FIGHT FOR
OUR RIGHTS
Women’s Day P27
20
Echo Monday March 3, 2014
What’s on
echo-news.co.uk /newwoman
this week
‘
Singing
is second
nature to
me, but the
acting side of
it I had to
relearn
Game of Thrones actress NATHALIE EMMANUEL got a
warm welcome from American royalty Oprah Winfrey at the
Black Women in Hollywood Lunch in Beverley Hills.
@missnemmanuel Had the honour of meeting @Oprah who
“spudded” me (you know the fist to fist greeting) when she
was told I was on @GameOfThrones #mademylife
KARA TOINTON is feeling
pretty Zen nowadays.
@ktointon 5th week into
yoga with my dad.
Changed my life. Internal
external well being. Too
premature to call myself a
yogi just yet?
RACHEL RILEY finds
a novel way to use
up her leftover
chicken.
@RachelRileyRR
Our new series of
@TheGadgetShow
is almost on –
7pm C5 find
out which
tablet cases
protect
against frozen
chickens!
DENISE
VAN
OUTEN
finds out
that a
ciabatta is
not just
for lunch.
It’s also a toasty little
foot warmer too!
@denise_vanouten I’m
such a doughnut! I
forgot to pack socks.
Problem solved. Nice
and toasty!
RUSSELL KANE gets pouty and posey
before he goes on stage. @russell_kane
Pre-show Zoolanding #dorset
What did Joan Rivers say to LEONA
LEWIS that made her want to sit on her?
@leonalewismusic The ravashing
@Joan_Rivers today on @e_FashionPolice
WOMAN
New
Echo Monday March 3, 2014
echo-news.co.uk /newwoman
These are happy
days...singing in
a musical is so
much easier than
being a pop star!
FORMER SUGABABE HEIDI RANGE IS ENJOYING HER ROLE IN THE
HAPPY DAYS MUSICAL, WHICH COMES TO THE CLIFFS THIS MONTH
By LOUISE
HOWESON
[email protected]
B
EING in a musical is
a breeze after being a
pop star, according
to ex-Sugababe Heidi
Range.
The 30-year-old singer is
starring in the bright
and bubbly Happy
Days musical, set to
appear at the Cliffs
this month.
She is enjoying
every minute of playing the role of Pinky
in the musical’s UK
tour and, being a bit of
grafter at heart, she
finds the pace easy to
manage.
Heidi says: “Being in a musical is a lot easier than being a
pop star. In Sugababes, we
would be in four different countries in one day, doing 20-hour
days seven days a week. We
would go for months without a
day off.
“Being in the show, we spend
a week in a city and really get to
know a place. We come to the
theatre to perform in the
evenings, then we have maybe
two matinee shows, then the
rest of the time is our own.”
 Co-stars – Heidi Range with Ben Freeman
in Happy Days. Left, Heidi’s pet dog Betty
Starring in
a musical has
come as a nice
change for Heidi.
She says: “I have
starred
in
pantos
before, but never a professional
musical as a lead role. I was in
Joseph and Robin Hood when I
was a kid and I looked up to the
people playing the lead roles.
“I went in a different route
recording music, but I knew I
would go back to theatre work
afterwards. I turned down a lot
of roles before this, because they
weren’t the right ones. I wanted
to wait for something special
and I felt this was it.”
Her former band mate Jade
Ewen has also taken a theatrical
route since the band split up two
years ago and is starring in the
musical Tonight’s The Night.
Heidi says: “We message each
other to see how we are getting
on because we’re both in musicals!”
She admits that when the
band broke up, it had a big
impact on her life.
Heidi says: “Although the
break-up was a very natural progression for us and wasn’t a
massive shock, it was a hard
time for me.
“I was going through a massive break-up (with Capital FM
DJ Dave Berry) and moving
house at the same time. All the
familiar things I knew suddenly
changed.”
Heidi took some time out to
reflect on her career and what to
do next after being in a band for
11 years.
She says: “I had to reassess
what I wanted to do and I needed
that time away from it all to figure it out.
“After I did Dancing on Ice, I
decided my next move would be
to do musical theatre. It was just
a case of finding the right role.”
She loves the immediacy of
performing live and acting
alongside Cheryl Baker and
West End star Ben Freeman.
Heidi says: “Singing is second
nature to me now, but the acting
side of it I felt I had to relearn. It
has been exciting developing
that skill and I have learnt a lot
from the rest of the cast.
“I love the reaction we get
from the crowd and because it’s
such a great show with so many
good songs, you get an amazing
energy from the audience that is
very infectious.”
Heidi admits being away from
her London home and her current boyfriend is a bit lonely.
She says: “I have missed my
boyfriend and home, but I have
brought my dog Betty with me.
She’s my little bit of home I take
with me!”
 Happy Days runs at the Cliffs
Pavilion from Monday, March 17
to Saturday, March 22. Ticket
prices vary. Call 01702 351135 or
visit southendtheatres.org.uk
for details.
COOK
Norwegian
potato muffins
WHEN it comes to food waste,
lots of people chuck away their
leftover potatoes. But it seems
a shame to chuck away your
spuds when there are so many
recipes to try.
Potato is a versatile
ingredient that can be the base
of many delicious dishes and
pastries. What about making
muffins with today’s leftovers?
Here is a sweet version.
Don’t worry too much about
the optional ingredients – we
made a batch without the
syrup and stabiliser and they
were delicious!
Prep time:
15 minutes
Cooking time:
15 minutes
Ingredients
For the muffins:
150g butter at room
temperature
150g sugar
2 tsp vanilla sugar or vanilla
essence
4 eggs
3 tbsp light syrup (optional)
100g ground almonds
250g wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
200g peeled, boiled potatoes
2 tablespoons sponge cake
stabilizer (optional)
200ml milk
For the topping:
250g cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla essence
50g butter at room
temperature
600g icing sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Mash the boiled potatoes
together with half of the milk.
Cream the sugar, vanilla
sugar and butter and add one
egg at a time. Stir well.
Add the syrup, then the dry
ingredients and the rest of the
milk, before adding the
mashed potatoes.
Fill the muffin cases half full
and bake them for about 15
minutes.
For the topping, mix the
cream cheese, butter and
vanilla essence.
Add the icing sugar little by
little, until the texture feels
right, and put on top of the
cooled muffins.
21
22
Echo Monday March 3, 2014
echo-news.co.uk /newwoman
Echo Monday March 3, 2014
echo-news.co.uk /newwoman
Now Jordanne
looks ready for
the red carpet
A
WARD season in the
UK and abroad is a
time for celebrities to
start their juice diets,
emergency botox and
5am mountain hikes, so they
can look their best in their
fancy frocks.
From the Oscars on Sunday, to
the Baftas and Golden Globes,
the award ceremonies have been
coming thick and fast and in a
wave of beautiful gowns and
stunning hair and makeup.
But why should movie stars
have all the fun? We have teamed
up with Eastgate Shopping Centre to give lucky readers their
own Hollywood makeover.
First up is Jordanne Reed,
events coordinator at South
Essex College, who was transformed into a glamorous starlet
with the help of the Eastgate
team.
Jordanne’s outfit was based on
Amy Adams’ look at the Baftas
in February.
She looked stunning in this
fitted, high-collar dress by Victoria Beckham.
The American Hustle star was
nominated for best supporting
actress – she missed out, but she
won in the style stakes.
AFTER
By LOUISE
HOWESON
[email protected]
 Michelle Moore, personal
shopper at Debenhams, at
the Eastgate centre, says:
“Jordanne’s look is based on
Amy Adams’ Bafta outfit. It
is an elegant and understated look that really suits
Jordanne.
“As a personal shopper, I
style people according to
their shape and skin tone. I
‘style, fit and colour’ the
individual to make sure
that they are wearing
clothes that accentuate
their best bits.
“For Jordanne, I chose
this navy dress by Debut
(£120), because it complemented her warm skin tone.
Jordanne is a classic pear
shape and she is smaller on her
top half. To suit her shape, I went
with this long high-neck dress.
She really suits a long, flowing
dress and it looks stunning on
her.
“I paired the dress with a
Debut bag £32,50, Debut shoes
£32, Collection necklace £20 and
Collection bracelet £15. The overall look is very old-school Hollywood glamour.
“People can sometimes feel
daunted when they have to buy
clothes for a special event. They
can pop in and see me for a completely free consultation at
Debenhams and I will help and
advise them on what to
wear.”
BEFORE
 Holly Robbins, makeup artist
for Estee Lauder in Debenhams,
says: “For this glamorous look,
we went for smokey eyes and red
lips. Because Jordanne is blonde,
we went for an icy blue base eye
shadow colour for the eyelids
and then winged it out with a
darker blue.
“Sometimes people go
straight for the black
eye shadow to create
She
 Hair stylist Sue
smokey-eyed look,
really suits abut
Carr,
at
Regis
for those of
Salon, at the Eastyou
who
are
a long,
gate centre, gave
blonde or have a
flowing dress
Jordanne a gorfair complexion
geous Hollywood
sometimes using
and
it
looks
hair makeover.
blue is more flatstunning on
She says: “I put
tering.
Jordanne’s hair in hot
“To complete the
her
rollers to start off with
look, we finished off
and then parted it to one
with some nice red lipstick
side.
with orange undertones, which
“We then shook out the curls a
suit Jordanne’s complexion.”
little bit before I clipped the hair
to one side.
 Mike Horton, promotions
“It is the perfect sophisticated
manager at the Eastgate centre,
look for a special occasion.”
says: “It just goes to show you
Regis offers hair styling simidon’t have to spend a fortune to
lar to this look for £26. Visit
look a million pounds! Jordanne
regissalons.co.uk or call 01268
would not look out of place at
244428 for details.
any red carpet event.”
‘
 Style inspiration – actress
Amy Adams at the Batfas
WOMAN
New
 Glamour
– Jordanne
Reed after
her red carpet
makeover
COMPETITION
And it could be
your turn next...
EASTGATE is offering up the
chance for reader’s to win a
Hollywood makeover and £250
voucher to spend in Debenhams.
To be in with a chance of
winning, write in and tell us
why you deserve a makeover
or nominate a deserving
friend or relative.
Send the letter to Newspaper House, Chester Hall Lane,
Basildon, Essex, SS14 3BL.
23
24
Echo Monday March 3, 2014
Pie = happiness...
a simple equation,
but one that works
for me every time
echo-news.co.uk /newwoman
STREET
FASHION
MONO MANIA
 Peplum top, £22;
jacquard trousers, £30;
jacquard dress, £40; all
Gok for Tu at Sainsbury
SADIE
HASLER
‘

The black and
white obsession
continues for
another season. LISA
HAYNES seeks out the
chicest monochrome
must-haves
 Black grid
top, £12;
white skirt,
£12; court
shoes, £12;
all Matalan
matalan.co.uk
I
F you’re not quite ready
to leap on to spring’s key
trends, go back to black
and white basics instead.
The writer, performer and
radio presenter with her
take on the peculiarities
of modern life
politics of a second-hand bookIT’S not an exact science, but
shop (new volunteer Des chalsometimes you can tell how
lenging old-timer Jane’s sysmuch fun you’re going to have
tems – I almost cracked the
by the size of the rustic pork pie
spine of a Reader’s Digest Dick
you’ve just bought from an artiFrancis waiting for that one to
san bakers.
play out.), and then went back
If it’s big enough to break a
to our room for the real purpose
window from five metres, you
of the break. Bed.
can strap in for some serious
From the crisp starchy whitegood times. As I say, not a definness of our hired cloud, we nesitive equation that Hawking
tled and surveyed the hills
would bother expounding at a
stretching out before us. They
lecture to collected genii, but
were, as we suspected, unfortusomething in it nonetheless.
nately shut for activities that
Maybe just one of those arcane
day – but from our nest we
old unwritten laws from the
could gaze over them anyway.
Olde Englishee booke ofe Olde
Kingsize beds are brilliant,
Factes. Like: Rain = Wet, and
aren’t they? Duvets are brilSheep = Bad Gay Farmer Jokes.
liant. Pillows are brilliant.
Big pie = Happiness.
Boyfriends in their pants are
Matt had some gigs up Norbrilliant. Views of Derbyshire
thish last week so we turned it
hills, all wavy like a green
into a mini break, which essendesert mirage through the raditially meant going to a town
ator heat – brilliant. Spring sun
we’d not been to before, allowyawning through trees probaing ourselves to eat twice as
bly planted by Jane Austen
much as we usually would in a
when she was taking a break
normal day and then rolling
from writing a classic – brilaround on a kingsize bed feelliant.
ing like we’d earned the immiChurch bells at unfathnent nap. We did a bit of walkomable times, like the
ing too, but didn’t want
village is run by misto undo our good
The
chievous masons,
work.
busybody
starIt was on one of
hills
were,
lings whooshing
these
walks
as we
in and out of the
around Bakewell
eaves with gosin
Derbyshire
suspected,
sipy chirrups,
that we stumbled
nearby
pub
across the Pie.
shut for
lights
like
And the Bakewell
activities
that
lanterns switchtart.
And
the
ing on with a wink
cheese. And the chutday
at dusk, calling you
ney in the cute jar. And
back out into the cold.
the coconut jam pie that
Wellies, tankards, fires, ale
looked like it was the baked
pumps, dogs, flat caps, locals,
dandruff of angels. And the
rain, the prospect of rain, the
olives, though I’ve forgotten
coming of rain, the escape from
what they had to do with the
rain. All bloody brilliant.
“Midlands in February” theme
England. Sometimes you’re
we were going for.
so much a part of it, you forget
We also, for good measure,
it’s there. I sighed at the headybought a bag of mixed salad,
because as we all know having
ing intoxicating normality of it
something green on the plate
all. It was nice to be away. More
offsets most of the carbs and
specifically, it was nice to be
saturated fat.
under the sheets in the afterArms laden with award-winnoon with my boy and a massive bloody pork pie. Three days
ning country produce, and
of this passed like a naptime
some wine and chocolate (for
dream.
emergencies), we tottered dutiWhen the time came to leave,
fully round the historic town,
by way of thanking the cleanhalfheartedly looked at some
ing ladies for our lovely stay, I
antique fairs, bought some
did a diligent pre-tidy as an act
DVDs from an ageing hippy in a
of respect and left them the bag
church hall (for emergencies in
of salad. I knew they’d know
case all the hills were shut), earwhat that meant.
wigged upon the burgeoning
echo-news.co.uk /newwoman
Appearing on the catwalks
over consecutive seasons,
monochrome is no longer a
trend but a staple, like trench
coats or skinny jeans.
Gone is the retro play on the
Sixties vibe, making way for a
fresh, modern silhouette.
From off-duty casual to couture-like glamour, monochrome’s versatility makes it a
major player in your wardrobe
for summer or winter season.
If in doubt, work black and
white and nothing else.
WOMAN
BOUTIQUE
BLOGGER
by
CHARLOTTE
ROSEN
Check out
the cream
of the crops
 Left, Topshop felt-tip
top £36 and
matching
skirt £34
 Above, Maribel
ruffled crepe
skirt, £90;
cashmere
sweater, £140;
both Iris & Ink
theoutnet.com
 Right, Isla
dogtooth
cardigan, £18;
Amelia geometric
top, £14; skirt,
£18; hat, £12; all
Boohoo
boohoo.com
 Right, Minnies
Boutique (Brentwood) Maggie top
£12.50 and Bobbie
tie-dye skirt
£12.50
 True Decadence at Dorothy
Perkins monochrome jacket,
£50 dorothyperkins.com
 Left, Miss
Selfridge
bonded lace
top £25 and
matching
skirt £30
GET THE LOOK
PEACHES
GELDOF went
hell for leather
at the Brit
Awards in a
slick skirt. Get
her exact black
leather full midi
skirt, £130 at
River Island now
riverisland.com
25
New
WHEN it comes to the crop top,
we have come a long way from
the ‘sexy schoolgirl’ Britney
Spears look and the Spice Girls
era.
Do not fear, I know this trend
can look a little scary, but the
best way to wear it is with a
matching skirt combo. As a
little tip, choose a high-waisted
number, so you only show a
slither of skin.
I have been on the look-out,
roaming the shops, down the
local broadways and on the
internet, and I have found some
stunning two-piece sets to start
you off.
Edith Gyekye, 38, from Southend,
is a chef at the Roslin Hotel
EDITH loves nothing more than
recycling her old clothes, but she
has had to tone down her style
since becoming a busy mum of
three.
Edith says: “Things are a lot
different now than when I used to
totter to work in six-inch heels in the
City. I am always rushing about
either at work or looking after the
kids, so heels are pretty much out of
the question – unless I’m on a night
out, of course!
“I still like to express myself
through clothes and I love colour
and patterns. I am always digging
out old stuff from my wardrobe and
wear things from years ago, like this
coat I’m wearing today.
“I don’t spend a huge amount of
clothes and I occasionally pop into
Primark and buy a few things. My
scarf, jeans and trainers are all from
there. I am quite a good shopper – I
can zone in on the things I like very
quickly, even if it’s really busy.”
Echo Monday March 3, 2014
 Primark straw hardshell clutch, £8
primark.co.uk
 Right, Hanami
Print Dress, £149
from Damsel in a
Dress damsel
inadress.co.uk
 Right, Miss
Guided Misia dog
tooth top £12.99
and matching skirt
£12.99
26
Echo Monday March 3, 2014
echo-news.co.uk /newwoman
Echo Monday March 3, 2014
echo-news.co.uk /newwoman
We are making
our voices heard
on International
Women’s Day
SATURDAY, March 8 marks
International Women’s Day across
the world. It is a global day
celebrating the economic,
political and social achievements
W
O M E N ’ S
rights campaigner Betty
Makoni
is
heading
to
the House of Commons
this week to speak about
issues such as female
genital mutilation.
of women past, present and
future. International Women’s Day
honours the work of the
suffragettes, celebrates women’s
success, and reminds of us all of
the inequities still to be
redressed. LOUISE HOWESON and
VANESSA MOON take a look at
the events taking place across
the country.
Betty, who runs the Girl
Child Network, has teamed
up with Women’s Federation for World Peace to
present their case to Virendra Sharma, the Labour MP
for Ealing, Southall.
They hope the debate will
be discussed in Parliament
and bring about real
change for women across
the world.
Betty says: “We will be
discussing the security of
women worldwide and
ways we can support and
educate woman and children in the future.
“One of the
Britain
issues
is
female genineeds to
tal mutilation.
be an
“It is barexample
to the
baric and it
should be
world on
stopped.
female genital
“But we are
saying how can
mutilation
we stop it across
the world if we can Commons debate – Betty Makoni will be speaking
not not stop it in the UK?
in Parliament about female genital mutilation
We need to be examples to
the rest of the world.”
children, is a gender-based
she has spoken to girls who
Betty fled Zimbabwe for
violence expert for the Forhave experienced it.
the safety of Stanford-Leeign Office and has won 33
Betty says: “I have seen
Hope six years ago. She had
international
accolades,
girls who have broken
suffered persecution as a
including the 2007 World
down in tears when they
result of her work in helpspoke about it. Many have
Children’s Prize, which she
ing get justice for child rape
kept it a secret and are
received alongside Nelson
victims.
scared to speak out.
Mandela, while in 2011
A shocking 20,000 girls in
“I would like to see an
Newsweek named her in its
Britain under the age of 15
empowerment centre creatlist of 150 women who
are at high risk from female
ed in Essex for women to go
shake the world.
genital mutilation.
to if they need support and
She wants people to be
Betty has visited schools
someone to speak to.”
aware this mutilation can
in inner city London where
Betty, 42, who has three
be in the form of proce-
‘
World event
THE first International
Women’s Day was in
1911. More than a million
people attended
demonstrations in
Austria, Denmark,
Germany and Switzerland
to highlight sexual
discrimination. They were
campaigning for the right
to vote and the right to
work in good conditions
with equal pay.
Russian women took
part in the international
celebration for the first
time in 1913. In 1917 the
demonstrations
kick-started the Russian
Revolution.
It wasn’t until the rise
of feminism in the Sixties
and Seventies that IWD
started to be celebrated
once more outside
socialist countries.
dures that involve partial
or whole removal of the
external female genitalia
and labia elongation, where
private parts are pulled outwards.
Betty was a victim of
female genital mutilation
as a child and wants people
to be aware of the implications for women.
Betty says: “We want people to be aware of labia
elongation otherwise in the
countries where it is being
carried out it may continue.
“There are health risks in
later life with both practices. They both make
childbirth very dangerous
and they can have a negative impact on a woman’s
daily life.”
Visit www.muzvarebetty
makoni.org for further
details.
WOMAN
New
 Collective – Elisa Vasquez-Walters with Megan
Saliu, Louise Reader and Jen Tinsley-Hall
Celebrity culture
celebrates the
wrong things
THE night promises to
be electric. Full of
readings, music, performance and good old
chatter, Colchester will
host its first International Women’s Day on
Saturday.
“It’s so important to
shout about the great
things women have
done in the past, and
are doing now, whenever we get the chance,”
says Elisa VasquezWalters.
The Colchester mum,
one of the founders of
the recently formed
Essex Feminist Collective, continues: “We
need to celebrate these
things in order to
inspire women today to
offer role models.
“It gives us the
chance to see what
women are achieving
around the world.”
Originally celebrated in 1911, International Women’s Day events
take place around the
world. Each year features a different theme
and 2014’s theme is
Inspiring Change.
But Elisa had trouble
finding something in
Colchester.
“I have always travelled to London to celebrate the day but as far
as I know there’s nothing siginificant happening in Essex. I have
never found anything
in Colchester but it is
important for it to be
marked. That made
me
think
about
organising something
myself.”
Along with members of the Collective,
Elisa began putting
together a showcase of
local
talent,
from
singers to writers and
DJs to fire dancing, the
event at the Waiting
Room at Colchester’s
old bus station aims to
celebrate and offer role
models for younger
women to follow.
Elisa says: “There
are a lack of role models for women at the
moment. It’s something that gets talked
about a lot.
“Women are not celebrated enough for the
right things. We live in
a very celebrity-driven
culture, that’s society,
and we are celebrating
the wrong things.”
The event will run
from 4pm until late
and include displays of
women’s
literature
from
Colchester
Library and Red Lion
Books, a talk by author
Liz Trenow, poetry performance by Joan Norlev Taylor and the
showing of a 30-minute
documentary by Elena
Dirstaru on the life of
Romanian women.
For more information or to get involved
follow the Essex Feminist Collective on Twitter @EssexFemCollect
and include the hashtag #hervoice
‘
We
need to
celebrate
these things in
order to inspire
women today
27
28
Echo Monday March 3, 2014
echo-news.co.uk /newwoman
WOMAN
TALKING POINT
New
Someone
mistook
me for my
slim sister
Is new TV channel
aimed at women a
good idea or not?

IF the TV channel
Dave is anything
to go by, men are
mostly interested in Top
Gear re-runs and
survival shows with Ray
Mears in them.
So what do TV
channel bosses think
women want to watch
on the box?
Well, if ITV have their
way, they will launch a
“female-focused”
channel, filled with
programmes like the
Only Way is Essex.
The new channel,
ITVBe, will broadcast
lifestyle and reality TV
programmes currently
shown on sister channel
ITV2.
ITV said the adfunded new channel will
be targeted at a
younger, female
audience, and will
complement ITV2
despite taking a number
of its popular shows.
But is this really what
women to see on TV? Is
just light-hearted fun or
should women be
offended that the TV
bigwigs think they can
dictate what they want
to watch?
Peter Fincham, ITV’s
director of television,
said: “We identified an
opportunity to develop
what is currently part of
the ITV2 schedule –
reality and non-scripted
shows, which are very
popular with young
women and housewives
with kids – into a
distinctive channel
proposition, aimed more
squarely at that
audience.”
By LOUISE HOWESON
[email protected]
T
ONI Hammel has
always been bubbly
and confident, but
now she has more
energy than ever, having lost an incredible four
stone.
The 24-year-old nursery
worker first gained weight
when she was studying at
college. Too many takeaways
and snacking saw her weight
creep up to 15 stone.
She says: “I was really focused on
my studies and my weight started going
up and up. I never weighed myself, so I didn’t
really notice.”
It was a visit to the doctors that made Toni do
something about losing weight. She says: “He said I
was overweight and on the border of being obese. I
couldn’t believe my weight had gotten so out of
control.
“Because I was nearly obese, he referred me to
Slimming World, where I had six free sessions.
This really kick-started my weight loss and I
decided to continue going.”
As soon as Toni started focusing on eating
healthily, she saw results. She says: “I was
eating too many takeaways and not even
thinking about what I was eating really.”
Toni is determined to maintain her
weight loss.
She says: “I want to lose another half a
stone with the Slim for Good challenge and
keep the weight off for good.”
Toni is now a healthy ten stone and 13
pounds, and other members in the Pitsea
group look to her for advice.
And she even gets mistaken for her slim
sister Leigh by friends and family.
She says: “My sister, Leigh, has always
been the slim one and even though she has
had two kids, she is still a size 10.
“The other day someone mistook me for
 Slimming success – Toni
my sister. I was so pleased! We borrow each
Hammel, left, before her
other’s clothes now, which is great!”
weight loss, and, above,
Visit slimmingworld.com for details.
Yes, it is
TONY DUDLEY,
owner of A Touch Too
Wild, in Leigh
Broadway says...
Why shouldn’t there be
a light-hearted channel
for girls? There is far
too much depressing
TV at the moment, it’s
nice to have some light
relief.
I watch happy shows
on Gold like Dinner
Ladies, that always
cheers me up.
If running this shop
for 20 years has taught
me one thing, it is what
makes women happy. I
know how to dress
women to look their
best and make them
feel great.
I also know a lot of
them love romantic
films, agony aunts and
the Only Way is Essex.
If you can put all of
those in one channel it
is sure to be a hit.
No, it isn’t
Singer LILI LA SCALA,
from Westcliff, says...
I always find TV
channels geared
towards women
intensely patronising,
especially as the people
who make the
broadcasting decisions
are usually men.
I would prefer a
channel commission
groundbreaking and
unusual television,
rather than churning out
“gender-appropriate
TV”.
I’m not keen on the
idea that men watch
“macho” shows and
comedy panel shows
but women need
with her sister Leigh
something pretty. It
further seeks to make
young people of today
aware of the gender
divide.
So, in conclusion, girly
TV – oh God, no! Why
not create something
new, groundbreaking
and gender universal?
Slimming group will drop pounds to raise money
LISA Ward’s Slimming
World group in Pitsea are
dropping pounds in order
to raise cash for Little
Havens.
They are taking part in
the Slim For Good sixweek challenge in aid of
the children’s hospice.
This week Lisa, who
had been running the
group for eight weeks,
will start logging people’s weight loss each
week.
Lisa says: “It is a fan-
tastic opportunity for my
members to lose weight
and raise money for charity.
“We will have a foodtasting session on the
last week to celebrate the
end of slim for good.”
The group runs in Pitsea
Leisure
Centre,
5.30pm and 7.30pm.
Anyone interested can
call Lisa on 07840 141224
or join her Facebook page
Lisa Ward Slimmingworld Pitsea.
Echo Monday March 3, 2014
echo-news.co.uk /newwoman
WOMAN
New
Copy Nicole’s
Hollywood braids
HOW
TO...
I
N honour of all the star-studded
events at the moment, we are
going to show you our all-time
favourite red carpet look.
What is interesting about lots of the
current red carpet looks is how relaxed
the hair has become. Severe hair-up
styles have been banished in favour of
soft pony tails, braids and curls – proving that casual chic can be super glamorous.
Take this fabulous Nicole Kidman
braid for example, which she wore to
some music awards. Teamed with
a drop dead glamorous dress, it
hits all the right notes! But
it still has a freshness and
undone
look,
which
makes her face look soft
and natural.
Creating braids is a
hairdressing
staple,
which the students at
Central
Hairdressing
Academy are taught as
part of any hairdressing
course. Once they have
learnt how to master the
basics, the students are
Charity shop
CHIC
IT has been a sad couple of weeks
for charity shops in Southend,
following a spate of overnight raids.
Five shops were targeted in the
area and thieves stole money,
clothes and jewellery from the
premises.
Despite difficult times such as
these, local charity shop workers are
doing their best to keep their stores
looking as presentable as any high
street shop and with a variety of
quality clothes. With limited time and
money this is no easy task.
LOUISE HOWESON visited the
beautifully-kept Havens store, in
Thorpe Bay, and found some
vintage goodies on sale.
 Asos coat,
£7, size 12
encouraged to get creative when it
comes to putting their own stamp on
the look, so they use celebrity looks
such as this one for inspiration.
Start by gathering all the hair to the
side which you have chosen to wear the
braid.
Next neatly separate the hair into
three equal sections, making sure it is
combed smooth, before plaiting the
hair.
Secure the ends of the plait with a
hair band. Never use an elastic band as
it damages the hair.
Gently tease and pull the loops of the
plait apart to further loosen before
securing with Unite Go365 Hairspray.
If you have long hair, ensure that the
front of the hair is also kept loose to
keep the overall informality of the look.
If you wear a fringe, try pushing it to
one side for a softer look, as we have
done with our model.
 Central Hairdressing Academy is the
largest NVQ Level 2 training provider
in the UK and is based at 112-114 London Road, Southend. To find out more,
call
01702 333262 or visit central
hairdressingacademy.com
 A-list hair – Nicole Kidman
 Evening
dress, £10
 Vintage jacket, £5
 Capri pants,
£4 size, 12
 Soft mustard-coloured clutch bag, £5
 Norman Martin
vintage skirt £7.50,
in medium
29
30
Echo Monday March 3, 2014
echo-news.co.uk /newwoman