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Fundraiser gears up for 10-night UK Sleepout challenge to highlight issues affecting vulnerable women

Posted on January 22, 2025January 22, 2025 by admin

Lianne Kirkman, The Esther Project — Lianne Kirkman prepares for ten nights sleeping on the streets across the UK. Photo by David Perry Photography.

A passion for supporting vulnerable women is the driving force behind one fundraiser’s mammoth mission to sleep on the streets for ten consecutive nights in towns across the UK.

Lianne Kirkman will commence the gruelling Her Fight, Our Night Sleepout challenge on February 1^st, in support of the Leamington-based The Esther Project, a charity she launched in 2023.

Her journey will take her to Coventry, Birmingham, Bristol, Plymouth, Southampton, London, Doncaster, Hull and, finally Blackpool, where, along the way, she will meet local organisations supporting women and raising awareness of the complex issues and best practice solutions which currently exist, as well as highlighting the gaps in service provision.

Lianne is being joined for the first Sleepout, in Leamington’s Pump Room Gardens, by supporters Jonathan Handford, of Fine & Country in Leamington; Elinor Perry of Pentlands Accountants, Leamington; Gurdip Chatha, of Esque Beauty, Leamington, Sophie Howe of Comtec Translations in Sydenham, and Leamington foodie, presenter and entrepreneur Bianca Rodrigues-Perry. She is being supported on her tour by members of the charity team, Lisa Nicholle and Kerry Steward as well as Laura Harvey of Vibe Immersive.

Lianne’s tour will also be documented by local film maker Laura Harvey and later screened as part of a special conference organised as part of International Women’s Day weekend, on March 7^th.

The 50-year-old mum of two said: “What I would like to show through this Sleep Out is that women need women-only services to keep them safe. I’m now launching a new venture and I am really keen to highlight the lack of funding for women’s services.

“I want to highlight the need for more women’s centres and some of the great work and some good practice around the UK and we want to work with the other charities to highlight the issue around the Government’s role in funding women’s services.

“Every experience is going to be different because sleeping in Royal Leamington Spa is going to be very different to sleeping in Doncaster, which will be very different again to sleeping in London or Plymouth etc. But I know that we’re going to be met with the same issues around funding, around women not being safe, the effects of trauma and the cycle of abuse, the poverty cycle and women in and out of the criminal justice system.”

The challenge marks 10 years of Sleepouts for Lianne since setting up Helping Hands Community Project in 2015, but this time with women – and The Esther Project – very much in her sights.

And she is no stranger to some of the issues that charity comes into contact with daily. From her own nursing background working with people struggling with mental health issues and addiction, to the years witnessing her mum helping to run a homeless shelter in their home town of Scunthorpe.

It was a personal breakdown and contemplating taking her own life at Leamington Train Station in 2013 that eventually led her to a volunteering role at Leamington Christian Mission, a lifeline that, in turn, sparked a passion for helping other women in need.

Lianne’s experience heading up the Helping Hands Community Project led her to conclude that vulnerable women were not being well served by the mixed gender environment and needed a safer space.

Her vision was already in sight when she established The Esther Project – a women-only initiative to provide gender-specific support as well as launching The Esther House – a 7-bed supported living accommodation, providing a safe space for women to recover, for up to two years.

Lianne Kirkman, The Esther Project, Bianca Rodrigues Perry — Foodie, entrepreneur and author Bianca Rodrigues Perry prepares to relive her homelessness experience to support The Esther Project. Photo by David Perry Photography.

It currently offers supported accommodation and a weekly programme of activities to reduce isolation and improve skills. The ambition is to open a hub, a safe space where women can meet, access key support services and develop new skills for employability alongside an alternative to custody, situated in a rural location for women with more complex needs.

Lianne said: “Over the years it’s been really clear that what we were doing at Helping Hands was never enough for women. When you look at homeless charities, it appears that homelessness is predominantly a male problem. What we’re trying to do through the Esther Project is create a facility that women and their families can attend and get all the support around their trauma, mental health and family support in one space.

“In Esther House we also have a facility which offers safe accommodation for up to six women, so vulnerable women don’t end up in a house with men who also have their own trauma.

“But the bigger dream, within the next 18 months, is to have a 24/7 space that offers provision such as those at some of the places we’re off to visit over the 10 days. We’re looking at how we can meet all those needs and learn from all these amazing spaces. What’s good practice? I want to see what’s working for them in the areas of counselling, employability, homelessness and women in and out of the criminal justice system. There’s some great projects out there.”

The challenge is also being supported by sponsors Lockwoods Ski & Outdoor, Leamington; RMF, Leamington; The Leader Marketing Partnership, Henley; and Cool Fox Tees, Leamington.

Money raised will fund women’s services in Warwickshire including the future hub. To sponsor Lianne visit HERE.

For Lianne, in particular though, it’s a long road ahead. She said: “I’m most nervous about lack of sleep. For the last nine years I emerged from doing a one-night sleepout and vowed ‘never again’ – and now I am doing ten in a row!

“But we’ve got to stop that cycle of abuse. Women caught up in domestic abuse don’t dare leave their partner but if they do they end up in poverty and lose their house and that’s the trigger for the whole mess they end up in. And women are being thrown into overcrowded prisons for stealing a loaf of bread to feed their children, and violent crimes when they should be getting treatment for the pain and trauma they’ve previously gone through. Why are we not treating women the right way?

She added: “People think homelessness is a male problem but 60% of people without their own home are women.

“Homelessness isn’t represented just by the people you see on the streets but it’s also about the sofa surfers and the ones who are hiding in their cars. Women work harder not to be seen so they hide away.”

Fleur de Lys boasts rich pie-making history

Posted on January 21, 2025 by admin

Fleur de Lys Pub, Lowsonford

Despite being nestled quietly on the banks of the Stratford canal in the little-known village of Lowsonford, the Fleur de Lys pub is a big noise in the pie-making world – boasting a proud heritage which is now famous the world over.

In fact the Fleur de Lys is the home of the pie which bore its name for many decades. Whilst the original pies ultimately became part of Pukka Pies, the Fleur de Lys team have worked hard to keep their pie legacy alive by creating the award-winning Lowsonford Pie Company – serving 11 flavours of handmade pie in the Fleur De Lys kitchen every day.

The Fleur De Lys started out as a row of three 15^th-century cottages which became canal workers’ accommodation and were later knocked together. Subsequent uses included a blacksmith’s forge and even a mortuary, from where the bodies were taken to Rowington Church in the absence of a village church at the time. The arches where they would have horse and wagons going through to build the canal can also still be seen.

Fleur De Lys, Lowsonford, Fleur Fest

It wasn’t until the early 20th century when it first opened as a tavern, later going on to introduce the ‘pioneering’ idea of serving food and giving rise to the now famous Fleur De Lys pies. The remains of the bread oven, installed in the 1930s, can still be seen at the side of the main fireplace, and it was here where the licensee at the time, began cooking his now famous Steak & Kidney and Chicken & Mushroom pies.

The Grade II listed Fleur De Lys pub first began serving pies through the infamous kitchen hatch during the 1950s, drawing crowds from all over the Midlands to sample the finest steak and kidney or chicken and mushroom pies. The pub also went on to supply its pies to chip shops all over the county, becoming a staple treat for many.

The inn was mainly frequented by farmers who’d come in for a pie and a pint after they’d finished harvesting. The licensee of The Fleur from 1950 to 1958 was Mr. Brookes, who decided to increase the scale of his venture by moving production to Emscote Mill in Warwick, and so this became the home of Fleur de Lys pie production, distributing nationwide. Indeed, most of the buildings on the Emscote Road next to the Warwick and Napton/Grand Union Canal are remembered as the home of the Fleur de Lys pie factory, also fondly associated with those familiar aromas of pie production!

Fleur de Lys, pies

But in 1964 the original pie recipe was sold to Avana Meat Products in South Wales, who were subsequently absorbed by Premier Foods. The factory at Emscote was purchased by PUKKA Pies of Syston, Leicestershire, and eventually demolished in 1993.

Determined to keep the pie legacy alive, under the auspices of current landlords Emma and Nick Woodhouse, in 2018 The Lowsonford Pie Company was born, the Fleur de Lys pies continuing tradition and once again becoming sought after – handmade and served from the Fleur De Lys kitchen.

All their artisan pies are encased in a shortcrust pastry with a puff pastry lid and, when enjoyed at the pub, come accompanied with chunky chips, seasonal veg and lashings of gravy. Uniquely, all the pies are also available to takeaway, either chilled or frozen for just £6!

The pies have also received national recognition, enjoying great success at The National Pie Awards in 2021, 2023 and 2024.

Fleur de Lys, lowsonford

Current custodians Emma and Nick Woodhouse took over as licensees of the pub from Greene King nearly 11 years ago.

Emma said: “We’d decided to take on our first pub together and this place came up for sale. I remembered it because we used to go here when we were kids, my family would bring us here. I remember swinging on the willow trees over the canal.

“When we visited we knew immediately this place could be an absolute treasure chest. It’s the perfect location and exactly what you think an Old English country pub would be like. It’s so cozy with the log fires going in the winter and a beautiful canal-side garden to enjoy in the summer months.

“We’re proud of what we’ve achieved in our time here so far, making the pub much more family-focused but it’s always a work in progress.

Fleur de Lys, Lowsonford — The original bread oven used to make the pies.

“The village was so supportive of us and that first night that we were here, they all came out in force to greet us. Despite certain changes over the years, we have tried hard to keep honouring the character of the building. But the biggest compliment for us is when people say, ‘oh, I used to come here in the 50s for a pie through the kitchen hatch, and it’s just the same as it was then, but a bit nicer!’

“We strive to make people feel like they’re home away from home, so that whenever you’re here, there’s nowhere else you’d rather be.”

A Fleur de Lys is an ancient heraldic symbol of a lily flower with three petals. It can also mean an iris, which is botanically more correct as they do have three petals. It features on many coats of arms, including that of the British Royal Family.

Here’s how to find it: Fleur de Lys, Lapworth Street, Lowsonford. B95 5HJ. Visit:
https://www.thefleur.co.uk/

Hollies frontman helps lift the curtain on new year of entertainment at Nailcote Hall

Posted on December 30, 2024 by admin

Star quality helps lift the curtain on a New Year of live entertainment at Nailcote Hall Hotel in January with a rare solo appearance by Hollies lead singer Peter Howarth.

For 20 years Howarth has been frontman of one of the UK and Europe’s most popular rock and pop bands, which boasts more hit records than The Beatles, including He Aint Heavy, He’s My Brother; The Air That I Breathe, Long Cool Woman; Here I Go Again and Carrie Anne.

Peter Howarth, The Hollies, Nailcote Hall

Ahead of his much-anticipated Berkswell gig, he recalls how he came to join the famous band, which recently completely a 60^th anniversary world tour with two of its original members Bobby Elliot and Tony Hicks.

“When I was a young lad and I was in a rock band called Sahara, I came down to London to find fame and fortune in the early 80s and we wanted to try out a keyboard player because it was basically a guitar-based band. The base player knew a keyboard player who came along and played with us for one night and there was nothing wrong with him, but we just decided we wanted to keep it guitar based after all. That chap was Ian Parker who has been with the Hollies for around 45 years and he is the one who, years later, recommended me for the Hollies gig.

“He originally called me about in 1997 but I was playing the role of Roy Orbison at the time. But I said if the opportunity ever comes up again let me know. Carl Wayne, former frontman of the Move, had stepped in but he tragically passed away with throat cancer and Ian contacted me again and we met up in a little hotel in the middle of London. I sang three of their songs on the Monday and then I was in Germany on the Friday doing a 40-minute set with them!”

He added: “It was an honour to be asked. It was funny really because I wasn’t really a fan of the band at the time. I knew them but it was my brother who was a huge fan. He couldn’t believe it when I was asked to join them.

“I didn’t appreciate the gravitas of it but it soon became apparent because the trouble with taking over a role in a famous band like that is that, no matter how good you are, you’ll never be as good as the person you’re replacing because they’ve created their own personal stamp.

“People get cross that you’re there and I got a lot of abuse. But the band is not about one particular person, it’s about Tommy’s guitar playing, Bob’s drumming and the harmonies and, of course, the songs. The people who come every year have come to accept the band how it is now and they have a great time.”

For the past 35 years, Howarth has written, recorded, played, sung and toured worldwide with a variety of artists ranging from Cliff Richard to The Who.

His time in theatres is something he looks back on most fondly, playing the role of Roy Orbison in Bill Kenwright’s Only The Lonely and Four Steps To Heaven at London’s Picadilly and Whitehall Theatres as well as around the UK.

It was also for his late friend Bill that he wrote the musical Robin Prince of Sherwood, and took on the role of the Sheriff of Nottingham in the West End and on tour, a personal career highlight.

“I absolutely loved it,” he said. “It wasn’t something I went looking for. The guy who originally played the lead in the show lost his voice – 30 songs a night and eight shows a week took their toll on him. Bill phoned me up and just said ‘Can you sing like Roy Orbison?’ And I said ‘no.’ And he said ‘but you can hit all the notes though, can’t you? Come and see me tomorrow.’

“So I went and watched him as he auditioned Orbisons and then after we’d seen everyone he said to me, ‘Right, get up there and sing Only The Lonely.’ I said ‘I don’t know it!’ So he told me to learn it. So I learned it and sang it on the theatre stage and then he handed me a script and said ‘Can you do an American accent?’ And I said ‘I’ve no idea.’ So we acted out part of a scene there and then. I read two lines and he said, ‘Right, you’re on on Monday!’

“I had about eight days to learn the show. It came to be one of most incredible things I’ve done. It was such a thrill. A very odd experience but one I do cherish. It was an amazing part of my life. The whole thing has been emblazoned on my soul.”

Peter Howarth, The Hollies, Nailcote Hall

Today, Howarth, 64, enjoys success as the co-founder of the acoustic trio Frontm3n, formed with former 10CC musician Mick Wilson and Pete Lincoln from the band Sweet. He also continues to tour with his own solo show, Peter Howarth Unplugged and spends many months of the year at sea entertaining cruise ship audiences.

Reflecting, he said: “When I was a kid all I wanted to be was a professional musician, I just wanted to make a living doing music. I didn’t particularly want to be a superstar and never in a million years expected to be working in the West End. When things are going well it’s great. But when you’ve got a family to feed and the phone isn’t ringing, that’s when it’s not so clever.

“My parents were supportive. They weren’t showbiz parents but they were just happy for me to do something I enjoyed and they were quite impressed by the fact that at a very young age I was earning very good money doing it.

“I haven’t encouraged my kids to go into the business and actually have encouraged them more to go down the academic route but it has sort of backfired. Now they ask why I didn’t encourage them more to go in showbusiness!”

He added: “When I was invited to perform by my friend Sue during a rare gap in my diary, I couldn’t say no and I’m very much looking forward to it. The set will be a mixture of Hollies, Orbison and a few surprises.”

Peter Howarth, The Hollies, Nailcote Hall

An Audience With Peter Howarth is on Saturday, January 11^th at Nailcote Hall and also includes a three-course dinner and DJ until 1am.

Co-owner of the hotel Sue Cressman said: “We have been trying to get Peter at Nailcote for a while now so were delighted to secure him for January and know people are going to be in for a fabulous night of entertainment. A few tickets still remain.”

Bookings for this and a host of other Party Nights every weekend at Nailcote Hall can be made HERE

Local foodie’s latest project helps tackle poverty

Posted on December 19, 2024 by admin

A Leamington foodie is using her platform to help shine a spotlight on the efforts of a local charity to help tackle the rising food crisis in the area.

Bianca Rodrigues Perry took a step behind the camera when she visited Coventry Foodbank’s Open Day on Saturday, as part of preparations for a New Year special episode of her Bia’s Kitchen Show filmed at the Binley site.

The presenter of the popular Bia’s Kitchen Show on YouTube was joined by her production team along with friends and family, to pack food parcels, destined for the 15 foodbank centres across the city.

Bia's Kitchen Show, Coventry Foodbank

Visitors to the Open Day also donated half a ton of food items and had the chance to learn more about the work of the foodbank and its sister charity Feed The Hungry, as well as the various ways they can get involved.

Bianca and her team brought a special buzz to the Open Day, which ran throughout the morning and included interviews with volunteers, visitors and the Foodbank founder Canon Gavin Kibble MBE.

He said: “Coventry Foodbank and Feed the Hungry were delighted to welcome Bia’s Kitchen Show to the Halo Centre. Bia is a vibrant and infectiously fun Brazilian lady and we are all looking forward to developing this partnership in 2025 for the benefit of people who need our support in Coventry and Warwickshire.

“We are incredibly grateful to her for using her growing platform to help focus in on the work of the charity and the vital ongoing need for public donations and support, especially at this time of year.”

Coventry Foodbank distributes food through 15 partner churches and works closely with a wide range of care professionals who identify people in crisis and issue them with a foodbank voucher.

Clients bring their voucher to a foodbank centre where it can be redeemed for three days’ emergency food. Volunteers also meet them over a warm drink and can signpost them to other organisations to help resolve the longer-term problems that might cause someone to need to use a foodbank.

Fifteen years after settling in the UK from her native Brazil, a combined passion for cooking and entrepreneurialism became a lifeline for Bianca, who went on to win Couple’s Come Dine With Me on Channel Four. Buoyed by her early business success running a thriving food delivery service during lockdown, it was in January this year that she stepped out of the shadows of her kitchen once more, and into the limelight. The Bia’s Kitchen brand was born. Since then Bianca and her show, which is streamed twice monthly on YouTube, have won the affections of a loyal and growing UK audience.

Bia' Kitchen Show, Coventry Foodbank

Copies of a recently released cookbook dedicated to local independent food and drink businesses in south Warwickshire, are also selling well. The featured chefs were made up of guests that appeared on her show throughout this year.

Of her recent Foodbank visit, she said: “Coming from a Third World country you know what hunger means and, at my lowest, I had a period of living in Rio de Janeiro with just one real in my pocket a day, so I like to think I can relate to what being hungry really means.

“We all have those small things in life that make us happy and two of them for me are food and helping other people. I’m proud to be able to bring those together to make this special show.

“It is absolutely amazing the work they do here, changing people’s lives, not just in Coventry but around the world. You don’t have to be a millionaire to change the world, you just need to do your little bit to help. A little bit can make a big difference to people who don’t have anything.”

Bia' Kitchen Show, Coventry Foodbank

As part of the Bia’s Kitchen Show project, Bianca also plans to take her film crew to visit one of the Foodbank’s regional pantries in Lillington to capture another area of the charity’s work.

She added: “It’s an especially pertinent time to raise awareness with many families struggling to put Christmas dinner on the table. We hope our support and the special episode of the show dedicated to the work of Coventry Foodbank and Feed The Hungry, can help make a difference.”

See the video HERE.

Bia's Kitchen Show, Coventry Foodbank — Foodbank Manager Dee Ward helps supervise the Open Day.

DID YOU KNOW?

One in five of the UK population live below the poverty line.
There are just under 1,400 Trussell Trust food banks in the UK, in addition to at least 1,172 independent food banks.

Warwickshire’s best-kept secret is out as new Speakeasy Bar opens its doors

Posted on December 6, 2024December 6, 2024 by admin

Hush Speakeasy Bar, Leamington — Photo by Bianca Rodrigues Perry

The secret’s out as the doors open to a unique new hospitality experience that’s about to take Leamington by storm.

Hush is a vibrant and welcoming speakeasy-inspired underground bar which immerses guests back in time to the Prohibition era of 1920/30s America.

Offering a five-star service, elevated cocktail menu and live music experiences from the period, the owners behind the town’s newest venue are inviting people to take an early peak behind the scenes before its official launch as a private members’ bar in January.

Hush Speakeasy Bar, Leamington

The disused 40-metre space under The Terrace, has undergone a transformational makeover to become the new speakeasy bar, some 10 years after The Robbins Well cellar bar closed its doors.

Promising unrivalled service in the area, it prides itself on its extensive drinks menu, specially curated by Hush General Manager Matthew Nisbets and Bar Manager Bethany Gaunt. Highlights of the 25 innovative crafted cocktails include many inspired by the Prohibition theme, from Flapper In The Frolic Pad; Old-Fashioned Mrs Grundy; Bootlegger’s Blush; Peaching The Bulls – a term used for calling the police in covert language – Bearcat’s Margarita – a slang term for feisty and fiery women and Dewdropper’s Java – a cup of coffee that would entice them from their slumber the night after a Speakeasy.

Bethany said: “It’s very cocktail-driven. If somebody wants a drink with a certain kind of notes, every member of our team will have the knowledge to be able to suggest something, they won’t have to run back to the bar because that just detracts from the experience.

“But we want it to be a place where, as well as what’s on the menu, you can come and say, I really like this cocktail, but I’m not drinking at the moment so can you put a spin on a certain mocktail, both our bar staff and floor staff will do that for you. We want to be able to provide for the customer and not every bar has the freedom to be able to do that.”

The wider drinks menu includes a range of 13 gins, 13 rums and an impressive 25 whiskeys from regions spanning the West Coast of Scotland, Ireland and England through to Japan.

More than 20 wines are available, many by the glass, plus premium sparkling wines and Champagnes, including Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle and Dom Perignon by the bottle.

Open to private members from 5pm-2.30am on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from the New Year, in the run up to Christmas, the venue is inviting everyone to get a glimpse behind the innocuous unmarked black door, in Victoria Terrace. Once inside, they can expect to be greeted by a 1920/30s vibe, courtesy of mood lighting, staff in period dress and melodious strains of live jazz emanating from either saxophonists, pianists or singers each night.

The biggest nod to the era is the stunning Art Deco design throughout, accented with plush booth seating, cosy corners, drapes, mirrors and a backdrop of murals and artworks recreated by talented Leamington artist Gemma Grao, pictured below.

Gemma Grao, Hush Bar, Leamington — Photo by Warwick Photography Studio

Gemma said: “I have absolutely loved creating the artwork at this incredible new bar. The brief was to make people feel like they are stepping back in time to the Twenties era, with flapper girls and jazz vibes.

“You will be taken on a journey as you enter the venue from the hand-painted mural in the ladies room, the original art canvases spread around, and through to the black and gold textured wall in the VIP room, all giving the venue a real Twenties Prohibition theme.”

Private spaces are also available for hire outside of core hours, including the Blind Tiger Room (another name for Speakeasy) and an area equipped for event or corporate use.

Matthew Nisbets, from Leamington, previously held a variety of hospitality roles at venues in Stratford, including The Woodsman and The Officer’s Mess, before arriving to head up the experienced team at Hush.

He said: “The amount of money that you’re going to be spending on a cocktail here versus the quality of the ingredients, the care and time that goes into how they’re prepared, constitutes brilliant value. But it’s not just about the drinks themselves, but the entire experience, from the moment you find the unmarked door and order your first drink to the minute that you leave. What we have here has the wow factor as well, it is visually spectacular.

“Our USP is recreating the kind of nostalgic quality of the 1920s Speakeasy Gatsby-esque style. Opulent and a little bit provocative, in a fun way. We are looking to be playful and light-hearted but also quite secretive as well. You could find this sort of thing in London and the bigger cities easily but I think there’s a gap that exists in Leamington and wider area, so it’s about trying to target that niche.

“But we’re delighted Leamington’s best kept secret is now out. Hush has been kept under wraps for a long time but it’s exciting to now finally unveil it and allow people inside. There has been a lot of planning and hard work that’s gone into it and we’re raring to get this party started.”

Enquiries about private room hire can be sent to: sandeeppanaich@gmail.com or on: 07958 739557.

Gemma Grao, Hush Bar, Leamington

THE PROHIBITION ERA

The Prohibition period, which ran in the United States between 1920 and 1933, decreed the legal prevention of the manufacture, sale and transportation of alcoholic beverages. Although the temperance movement, which was widely supported, had succeeded in bringing about this legislation, millions of Americans were willing to drink distilled spirits illegally, which gave rise to the illegal production of alcohol (otherwise known as bootlegging.)

Combined with an explosion of popularity for jazz music and jazz clubs, the stage was set for speakeasy drinking dens, capitalised upon by organised crime. As a result, the Prohibition era is also remembered as a period of gangsterism, characterised by competition and violent turf battles between criminal gangs.