Latest 7 magazine

Nick Fisher’s new play for Nigel Havers at Chichester Festival Theatre

Nick Fisher, creator of the BBC2 comedy Manchild, BAFTA winning scriptwriter, Sony award-winning radio presenter, fishing expert and author of teen advice books, has written a new stage play for Nigel Havers. Nick, who lives in rural Dorset with his wife, three sons and a daughter, first met Havers when the actor played the lead in Manchild. The two became friends and Havers subsequently asked Nick to write a play for him.
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Andrew Kay samples the culinary delights of The Restaurant At Drake’s Hotel

If you are a regular reader you will have noticed that I have spent quite a lot of this year travelling to the Netherlands. To say that I have fallen for Holland is an understatement, I am somewhat besotted. In fact, in a few weeks time you be able to read of my latest Latest outing, this time to the medieval city of Utrecht, but more of that later.

Part of my Dutch diversions relate to an exciting new project that I am embarking on in association with the Brighton & Hove Food & Drink Festival. Whilst in Maastricht and staying at the Beaumont hotel I had one of the best meals I have had in many, many years. I was dining alone and I really wanted to be able to share the food with someone. It was right there that I had an idea. What if I could persuade the hotel in Maastricht to swap chefs with one based in Brighton. Then I could not only tell you about Audrey but tell you that you would be able sample her fine cooking right here in Brighton. Read the rest of this article »

The Saturdays new album is out this week & a Brighton show is on the horizon. Jeff Hemmings chats to Vanessa to find out what it’s like to be part of the girl band that’s on everyone’s radar

For those who don’t know, and I freely admit I was one of those, The Saturdays are Una, Mollie, Frankie, Vanessa and Rochelle. We can’t talk about Frankie though – the whole issue of ‘where is Frankie?’ has been kept well under wraps, although it looks like after a two month lay-off (through illness/stress?) she is back on board, taking part in the band rehearsals for the upcoming tour…

Anyway, Vanessa (White) gamely offers me a few minutes of her time, as it’s in the midst of a very hectic pre-tour schedule that involves all day sessions, every day of the week. The new album, the tour, the training, the endorsements – it’s a young girls dream, is it not?

“I always knew it was something I wanted to do from a really early age: from the age of 13 I started doing lots of auditions, and then started seeing labels at 15. But it just didn’t happen then. And then when The Saturdays happened it was really unexpected…” Read the rest of this article »

Paisley profile

Prince Rogers Nelson has been a carefully engineered enigma since he first hit our collective in 1979 on American Bandstand. Well, maybe not all of us were watching that particular programme but it marked one of his first TV experiences and the main reason there are so few actual interviews with the miniscule musical maestro. He dried up.

If you were expecting this BBC4 documentary to be packed full of exclusive interviews with the man himself, spilling the beans on various personal misdemeanours and swearing to be sisters for life on a pinkie swear, you are in for a disappointment. If you were after a comprehensive examination of the artist’s professional life from start to present day, then you’re barking up the right tree. Which is why it’s a good idea to start with that American Bandstand interview. Read the rest of this article »