Hendrix back from the dead with new single

Legendary 60’s guitarist  Jimi Hendrix preview single Valleys Of Neptune has been premiered on Spinner Music. Read more

Art Students Raise Money For Haitians

The earthquake which flattened Haiti over two weeks ago may have destroyed homes, buildings and lives, but the disaster has awoken something closer to home and unique in humanity.

The disaster has stirred our sense of duty to our fellow man, the natural reflex to help another human in need. We may not see it often, but it’s always there, waiting.

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Following the success of the Facebook campaign to get Rage Against The Machine to Christmas number one The Smiths tribute band, The Smiths Indeed, have set up a Facebook group of their own. Read more

Eddie Vedder joins the Haiti cause

Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder has digitally released a cover version of Bruce Sprinteen’s My City Of Ruin in a bid to raise money for ‘Artists for Peace and Justice Haiti Relief’ to aid those who suffered in the recent earthquake. Read more

Pete Doherty caught in court, with Heroin

The Babyshambles frontman Pete Doherty hes been fined after bringin Heroin to court to face driving offenses. Read more

Will.I.Am to remix ‘My Generation’ for Haiti

Black Eyed Peas and Solo artist Will.I.Am has said he’s been commissioned by Pete Townsend himself to remix Tho Who’s 1965 track My Generation with new lyrics to fit ‘his generation’ and will also feature former Guns ‘N’ Roses guitarist Slash. Read more

My Little Beauty

“My Little Beauty could be the salon of the future!” Explains Kerry Lewis, director of My Little Beauty. “This salon offers much needed help to worn out women everywhere, treatments in the most contemporary travelling location, I think we have found something that keeps up with our fast track lifestyles.”

As us ladies continue to pull in our belts with regards to our spending, it takes something extra special for us to try something new. So far however it seems beauty treatments have remained a basic human right but I wanted to know if there was anything out there, which was worthy of our precious pennies?

My Little Beauty sounded fabulous, but as I made my way to its location I was worried my excitement might be overrated and it would let me down.
Based inside a classic 1962 American Airstream trailer, the premises are in fact quite a beauty. As I made my way up its three small steps (I had flashbacks of E.T and Elliott stepping aboard for the first time) I opened the door with caution. I needn’t have, it was spectacular!

Inside were nail bars, a spray tanning booth and a waxing bed to complete the fully functional beauty salon. But as I walked around I was told that this was not all the airstream had to offer. With treatments complete the table and nail bars can be folded away to reveal an area for karaoke with a flat screen TV and disco lights. Dare I ask…is there dancing?

Kerry smiled when assuring me that dancing was a must on board. “Oh yes, there is definitely dancing. The last hen night we did was a pyjama party so we parked up on the drive, 15 women piled in… we had pedicures going on, manicures and eye brow waxing but once they were done we folded the tables away. Then the women really have a good time because we have karaoke microphones and they are up singing in their pyjamas. Its great, the clients love it.”

It’s her fun and unique business that got Kerry shortlisted in the ‘Best New Business’ category of the annual Women Into the Network awards. The awards, now in their 10th year and sponsored by Business Link, have been refocused to include two brand new categories that reward both pre-start up and inspirational entrepreneurs.

As I sat talking to Kerry her enthusiasm for her business and its success is obvious. She is passionate about the service she provides and wants to give customers the best experience possible. So just how did it feel to be recognised for her hard work?

“Well its fantastic really isn’t it! I am a one-woman show, I have had the ideas, I have had the stress and I’m now being recognised for all my efforts. Its very nerve wracking, but I don’t think there is anyone in the final thirty who have a similar business to mine, so fingers crossed. It would be the cherry on the cake to win.”

Listening to stories of broken down boilers and flooding toilets, I realised Kerry had come a long way since she first opened. The packed out diary was the proof. But I couldn’t help but wonder what gave her this remarkable idea and whether the tale behind it was anything as wonderful as the ones she had been telling me.

Having always loved beauty, Kerry decided she needed her own premises. But should she buy a shop and spend her days looking at only those four walls or would she better travelling to client’s houses and offices? Obviously, she decided upon the latter and began looking for a vehicle. Originally playing with the name urban beauty and a pink and gold horse box nothing felt right until one day she joked, she found the answer to her prayers in the form of a film.

“I came home, sat down and my kids had a film on the telly and it was an airstream and I thought oh yeah, what are they called, you know when you just know straight away that, that is what you want. So I got my laptop out and typed in shiny silver caravan and they started popping up and the rest is history as they say.”

The airstream itself came from Kansus, which is where the nickname Dorothy came from. Had she opted for a horsebox, I’m not quite sure it would have been as successful.

Whilst I’m there, she has to leave me three times to take appointments. Upon her return she apologises but explains that, as with any new business, you don’t get a minute to yourself and any calls could be possible appointments.

“I target certain business parks where I know there is going to be a lot of women.” Kerry explained. “They use their breaks at work to come for eyebrow waxing or to get their nails done. Its great, they all say how convenient it is.”

Dorothy, as she calls her, is the perfect place to unwind and enjoy some pampering, not only do you get a unique service but the convenience of her coming to you, wherever that may be!

“Last night I was in Dishforth so I took three beauty girls with me who work as and when I need them. It is an eighty-mile return, which means that we had to charge a call out fee. We have to cover our costs because it is so far away but they were happy to pay the fee.”
The bespoke seating area is the first thing you see as you step into the trailer, which is why Kerry wanted the wow factor for her seats. Laughing as she tells me of her design plans, Kerry always knew what she wanted the inside of her salon to look like.

“The décor was a huge part of my business plan as it was its main selling point along with the vehicle of course. So I got the seats made to look authentic, I wanted the theme to work throughout the salon and in-keeping with the type of trailer we had chose to use.”
Not just aimed at women, My Little Beauty is very popular with the children Kerry says this side of the business is just getting bigger and bigger.

“We have done 75 kids parties in the last year. I would say we have nailed it with the children. Every week we have a children’s party and often we have to turn people away and say that we are fully booked. Durham yesterday, Redcar last week and last week was the first week that we have had three children’s parties in one day. Its unbelievable!”

Not content with allowing other salons to catch up with her or her ideas, Kerry has teamed up with an events management company to focus on a new themed night called ‘Beauty and the Butler Parties’. Immediately she had my attention and I had to ask more about this new event.

Beauty and the Butler parties Kerry gushed basically mean “the ladies getting makeovers and the butlers pouring champagne and doing a bit of singing with the girls. It’s a two hour party and we think it is going to be very popular.”

With lost to offer My Little Beauty is already thinking about another trailer and the possibility of branching out with different themes across the country. Its fair to say that Kerry Lewis has shaken the beauty world with her iconic vehicle and all that is left for us to do, is jump aboard the legendary airstream and indulge in a little beauty therapy of our own.

Culture Shock Project Looking for More Stories From People in the North East

CultureShock is an exciting project which is hoping to collect  1000 digital stories from people all over the North East with the number currently at 400.

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And then there was… DIET

 It is a word that we speak with dread and sometimes embarrassment. A word which we whisper quietly when asked: “Are you having dessert?” But this word, which we fear and hate, often ends with freedom and satisfaction.

  Diet is the only way which we can justify our edible regrets. We eat that extra chocolate because we know, in our minds, that tomorrow is a fresh start and it won’t matter. 

  They have become a commodity; we have infinitive options and we’re always getting a new one. But which ones actually work? Is it better to go crazy and crash diet, or should we consider what the long term effects are and, instead, have a complete lifestyle change?

 Crash diets have been around for decades and involve dangerously low calorie intake and rediculous meal plans - the egg diet, the cabbage diet and the juice diet.

 Weight loss works because we use more calories than we consume. A healthy balanced lifestyle and daily exercise will do the same as a crash diet, but takes a little longer.

 I tested a crash diet for four days, I did plan on doing it for a week - I found it impossible. Here is my diary from four days on the Porridge diet, a diet which cuts calorie consumption to about 800 or less a day - two bowls of porridge and a low calorie meal.

 Day One, Friday:

I decided, the night before I started, not to binge on all foods fatty and sugary, but to eat a healthy balanced meal and have a glass of red wine - I didn’t see the point in going crazy.

 I started my day with - yes, you guessed it - porridge with honey (170Kcal) and a large cup of coffee. I feel fine, in-fact I felt normal and full until 1pm, which is when I had lunch - a pack of Sushi from Boots (about 284Kcal), Carrot Sticks (about 56Kcal) and a bottle of water.

 When I get home I am starving but, because I had my non-porridge meal at lunch time, I have to eat Porridge - which I eat with sugar to ease my disappointment and I treat myself to a glass of wine.

 Day one and only about 680 calories - that scares me, but I feel fine. The glass of wine was probably another 60-70 calories. 

 Day Two, Saturday:

 I have to get up early to go to work; I’m starving and seriously considering blowing my non-Porridge meal on breakfast; I resist and eat Porridge with honey again and have a glass of water.

 I feel strange, my stomach didn’t feel full after breakfast, but I don’t want to blow calories on lunch, so I have a bowl of Porridge and explain to my colleagues, who are bewildered, why I am starving but, only eating Porridge and drinking water. 

 After lunch I felt a bit dizzy and my face gained a friend (a spot). I’m not happy, I’m hungry, spotty and lightheaded. 

 Dinner time, and I can look forward to a meal with more substance: Couscous, Spinach, Rocket, Watercress, Tomato and Olives all drenched in Balsamic Vinegar (approx 239Kcal) and then 100g of Blackberries (161Kcal). It felt like a feast, I would have ate the plate too. 

 End of day three total = 740 calories and I feel strange; I always eat when I’m hungry, but I eat healthily, so not eating when my body is telling me, panics me a bit and I cave: I eat a 30g portion of Olives (30Kcal). 

 Day Three, Sunday: 

 My skin looks terrible, I have clear skin and very rarely get spots, but today it looks white and blotchy, plus my friend looks like he’s raided the fridge - he is a lovely shade of red and a little bigger than when he first appeared on my cheek. 

 Breakfast and Lunch are no different from Saturday. I practically drool over the Haribo in Tesco. I start to understand how desperate someone must be before they decide to crash diet like this, instead of choosing a healthier lifestyle - scary. 

 Dinner is a treat. I make some Pasta and my own Tomato Sauce with Garlic and Onion (about 328Kcal). I don’t feel like eating anything else and go to bed early with around 668 calories in me - looking at the amount I was eating scares me, but at the time it did feel like a lot. 

 Day Four, Monday:

 I don’t feel bad at all today, I guess the extra sleep did me some good. 

  I brave a Jacket Potato with Beans for lunch, from a shabby van in town, I figure it’s about 300 calories max. The Potato went down just nicely and filled me up, or this was the fullest I had felt in a few days, until I go home for dinner. 

 Blew my ’real’ food at lunch time, so I demolish a bowl of Porridge for dinner - with maple syrup this time. 

  Day four was a strange day. I felt fine, but my body craved nutrition and variety. 640 calories for Monday. 

 Day Five, Tuesday:

 It is silly now, I could go on for another two days and it is tempting to do it for a week, but I know it will do more bad than good - I eat toast for breakfast and weigh myself: I’ve lost 4 pounds in four days. The Porridge Diet came up with the goods but, if I had continued, at what cost? 

 Over the four days, I consumed 2,828 calories, That’s 328 more than the Government reccomends I should consume in one day - I under-ate by 7,172 calories. My skin changed from clear and even to a blotchy, red mess. Most of the time I was tired, dizzy and moody - not worth the weight loss.         

BRIT Nominees announced, bets are in

With the 30th awards ceremony this week the speculation on who will grab this years’ BRIT awards, and bets being placed already.

It’s going to be a single ladies’ year with Lady Gaga, Florence & The Machine and Lilly Allen these nominees ‘to watch’ with three nods each. Read more

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