Celebcity with Jo Brooks: Matt Prior’s charity cycle

Steps return, local author Simon Toyne, Matt Prior’s charity cycle & Natalie Portman’s vintage style

Step back in time

We had a bit of a ’90s flashback last week when we hit the Brighton Centre to see pop sensation Steps! Our Lisa’s Butlins past came in handy when trying to remember all of their complex dance routines, and we certainly whipped ‘em out when we got there. In among the pink cowboy hats and flashing devils ears was a fantastically mixed crowd from old-timers to Steps virgins. All of them joined in the hits: ‘5,6,7,8’, ‘Better The Devil You Know’ and, of course, ‘Tragedy’. The group have changed a bit from their hey-day (not mentioning any names in particular) but their songs and routines were pretty spot on. We got a little bit shifty when it came to their ‘solo songs’
– a mixture of old and new songs sung on stage individually – but the Steps classics got us up on our feet, dancing, screaming and generally acting as if it was the ’90s again. We were so whipped up that our Emma invested in a Steps T-shirt, which will no doubt make a few office appearances while the post-Steps haze clears from our eyes.

Four-star Toyne
Congratulations to local author Simon Toyne who debuted at number four last weekend in The Sunday Times Hardback Bestseller List with his new book, The Key. He’s in good company with James Patterson (the best-selling thriller writer in the world), Geoffrey Archer and John Grisham making up the top three! The second title in an already exhilarating series, The Key continues on from best-selling thriller Sanctus and has hooked itself a serious fanbase; it already reached number two in the iBooks chart with readers desperate to snap up their second instalment. Simon is signing copies of The Key at Waterstones Brighton on Thursday 3 May at 7.30pm. Tickets can be reserved in store – we highly recommend you do!

Vintage style
Vintage still reigns supreme in the celeb world as the go to purchase for the most fashion conscious look, with Natalie Portman and our friend Dawn Porter both wearing vintage Dior to this year’s Oscars and BAFTAs respectively and our fashion conscious city has long been the place of the vintage boutique. Now a new offering sees the chance to browse hundreds of rails of retro clothing all in one place: The Very Vintage fair, taking place this Saturday 28 April 2012, 10am–5pm at Rottingdean Village Hall! Browse through unique vintage clothing, hosiery, shoes, accessories, fabrics and more. We’ll be seeing you there!
www.theveryvintage.com

Matt Prior gets on his bike
England wicketkeeper-batsman, Matt Prior, has successfully completed a 100 mile cycle challenge in aid of Chestnut Tree House, the children’s hospice for Sussex. Upon his return from the Test series in Sri Lanka, Matt took on the challenge of cycling the South Downs Way, from Winchester to Eastbourne. He arrived at the hospice’s shop in Langney Road, Eastbourne on Friday 13 April. “This year I was honoured to become a Patron of Chestnut Tree House and, as keen mountain bike riders, we thought this would be a great opportunity to raise vital funds for the charity,” says Matt. “It was a tough challenge, especially as the rain made riding on the chalk hills very slippery, but we were determined to complete the ride and the thought of the children and families who need the hospice’s care kept us going. It was a great feeling to finish and we would like to thank all our fans, friends and families for their support and the huge number of generous donations.”
Matt has smashed his fundraising target of £10,000 but it’s not too late to donate: www.justgiving.com/Matt-Prior3