The New York Times Arts & Leisure Weekend 2012: Highlights From Philip Glass …
The New York Times Arts Leisure Weekend brought New York City four days of rousing discussion with 15 of the most active cultural figures today. Weve curated the best moments from five of these talks, from Carey Mulligans tales of drama school rejection to the incredibly quotable Simon Doonans theory that gay men are French women, but with penises. Read on for more from Alan Rickman, Glass, Mulligan, Doonan, and the cast of The Good Wife, and hop over here to stream the talks online in full.
Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman sat down with New York Times theater reporter Patrick Healy early Saturday morning to discuss acting, his famously distinctive voice, and his role in the new Broadway play Seminar.
- Johanna Barr
Alan, thanks so much for joining us.
Im not awake yet. I dont know that Im actually here.
First theater role?
The very first thing I ever did was at what we call primary school, when I was 7 years old. I played the title role in a play called King Grizzlybeard. I remember my mother cutting a little triangle of fur out of a rug for the beard.
When you started your training at RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art), how similar was your voice to what we hear now?
What I hear is not what you hear, so I dont even know what youre talking about. Certainly, when I was at drama school it was the source of many complaints, big problems, a great deal of work. A lot of its just to do with the architecture of your mouth, the sound you make, and its about the muscle strength in your tongue, so once it all gets taken apart — you know, I had big problems.
What sorts of problems?
That I had very lazy diction, that I had a spastic soft palate … my voice teacher said, You sound as if your voice is coming out of the back end of a drainpipe. So thats how cruel drama school is. It means, I suppose, basically, that I had to learn to bring it all forward. It was all kind of traveling backward.
Leisure Centre Gets New Sport Surfacing From Playrite
Pontllanfraith Leisure Centre near Blackwood is the third project that has seen Playrite, South Wales Sports Grounds and Caerphilly District Council working together to transform their artificial pitch. Other projects over 2011 included Heolddu Leisure Centre and Newbridge Leisure Centre, both of which have been a huge success and have improved the centers facilities enormously.
The Pontllanfraith Leisure Centre also had a needlepunch surface installed previously, as with Newbridge, and although the surface had served the centre and local schools for many years it was decided that a new 3G surface would provide a better playing surface and increase the pitches usability. Changing the pitch also meant that the centre now had the opportunity to increase the size, and approximately 6890m² of Playrite?s Conqueror 40 was installed in November 2011.
Physical Activity in Work or Leisure Tied to Lower MI Risk
Physical activity during work or leisure time is associated with a significantly lower risk of myocardial infarction, according to a multinational study published online Jan. 11 in the European Heart Journal.
THURSDAY, Jan. 12 (HealthDay News) — Physical activity during work or leisure time is associated with a significantly lower risk of myocardial infarction (MI), according to a multinational study published online Jan. 11 in the European Heart Journal.
Claes Held, MD, PhD, of Uppsala University in Sweden, and colleagues conducted a case control study using data from patients enrolled in the INTERHEART study in 52 countries. They evaluated survey results from 10,043 patients who had their first MI and 14,217 controls who did not report previous angina or physical disability.
The researchers found that, compared with sedentary individuals, those subjects whose occupation involved either light or moderate physical activity were at a lower risk of MI (multivariable-adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.78 and 0.89, respectively), whereas those whose occupation involved heavy physical labor were not at decreased risk (OR, 1.02; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.88 to 1.19). Mild exercise and moderate or strenuous exercise had a protective effect (OR, 0.87 and 0.76, respectively). Across countries with low, middle, and high incomes, the effect of physical activity was observed. Individuals who owned both a car and a television had a significantly increased risk of MI compared with those who owned neither (multivariable-adjusted OR, 1.27).
Leisure-time physical activity and mild-to-moderate occupational physical activity, but not heavy physical labor, were associated with a reduced risk, while ownership of a car and TV was associated with an increased risk of MI across all economic regions, the authors write.
The INTERHEART study was funded by various pharmaceutical companies.
Abstract
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Copyright #169; 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
New owners for holiday park
THE Riverside Country Park holiday centre in Wooler has been bought by a Scottish company in what is believed to be a multi-million pound deal.
New owners Verdant Leisure already own and operate two similar caravan parks just north of the border, at Thurston Manor Leisure Park near Innerwick and Pease Bay Leisure Park, near Cockburnspath.
The company also owns Viewfield Manor Leisure Park in Ayrshire, which it bought in July last year.
The latest deal, acquiring the Wooler park from North Dales LLP, is the holiday park operator’s first outside Scotland and is part of the growth strategy to create a regional group of significant scale.
Graham Hodgson, chief executive officer of Verdant Leisure, said: “Our focus is on acquiring already thriving businesses that we can add value to through operational improvements, physical development and investment in customer services and marketing.
“Riverside is a welcome addition to our portfolio and is a good fit with our brand.”
Mr Hodgson added: “We have enjoyed strong trading during the last fifteen months, despite the bleak economy, and are excited by the opportunities that lie ahead.”
Riverside Country Park already has over 350 holiday homes and 40 homes for hire. It is set within 80 acres of woodland on the edge of the town.
A spokesperson for Verdant Leisure said: “Like the other Verdant holiday parks it combines a superior location with quality site facilities and offers significant development potential.”
The purchase was backed by RJD Partners, leading private equity investors, who first invested in Verdant Leisure in September 2010, when an experienced team, including Mr Hodgson, carried out a management buy-in of Dunham Leisure Ltd, owners of the Pease Bay and Thurston Manor parks.
RJD Partners also invested in the Verdant deal to acquire Viewfield Manor from private firm Eassda (Scotland) Ltd.
Frank Bulman from RJD Partners said: “We are delighted to back the Verdant team in actively implementing the buy and build strategy identified at the time of the original buy-in.”
Mr Bulman added: “The management team has already demonstrated an ability to add value to the assets they acquire, achieving operational improvements in the three existing parks.
“Riverside is an excellent fit with the business and will enable Verdant to reap the benefits of scale and operational synergies.”
The Dunham family started their leisure park business at Wooler’s Bridgend site, one of two caravan sites in the town which were later jointly owned by North Dales, until they sold Riverside to Verdant.
Denis Dunham bought the Thurston Manor site in East Lothian in 1991, expanding the business to take in the Pease Bay site.
Saudi- Coral Hotel Dhahran delivers 5-star hospitality
(MENAFN – Arab News) HMH-Hospitality Management Holdings has announced that the first guests will be welcomed to the Coral Hotel Dhahran on Saturday, marking the soft opening of the groups 13th hotel in the Kingdom.
The 153-room hotel is strategically located in the Aramco district of Dhahran, adjacent to two of its principal malls and in the heart of the central business district, making the Coral Dhahran an ideal address for both corporate and leisure visitors.
Michel Noblet, HMH president and CEO, says the group is now positioned to offer a network of accommodation options throughout Saudi Arabia, addressing the needs of both domestic and international travelers as well as those pursuing business and government interests around the country.
With the launch of the flagship Coral Hotel Dhahran, we now have eight Coral hotels there, as well as our EWA Hotel Apartments and Corp. Executive Hotel brands – and Saudi Arabia can lay claim to hosting nearly 40 per cent of our total inventory following the opening of our first hotel there just five years ago, he said.
In the Eastern Province, a key location for the global oil sector, the new Coral Hotel Dhahran has been designed as a grand hotel suitable to host any event from a major corporate conference through to a prominent local wedding, while offering visitors superior accommodation standards.
In addition to king, twin and suite accommodation, we have 25 rooms and suites on a dedicated ladies-only floor, said General Manager Rushdi Al-Ashkar.
Female guests have access to a separate check-in and check-out desk plus their own lounge. In addition to the privacy and security this offers, all rooms come complete with luxury amenities â? and as a final bonus, there is a well-equipped ladies gym, he said.
The hotel features top notch in-room amenities plus restaurant, meeting and leisure facilities to cater for every requirement.
With stunning dÃcor, a range of both business and leisure facilities, and a guarantee of five-star service levels, the Coral Hotel Dhahran will bring a new level of hospitality to the area, said Al-Ashkar.
Ways to reduce risk of heart attacks
Physical activity during work and leisure time significantly lowers the risk of heart attacks, while ownership of a car and television is linked to an increased risk, particularly in low and middle-income countries, a worldwide study has shown.
The findings come from the Interheart study,
Monarch Customers Vote Venice!
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, Jan 13, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –
To celebrate its significant expansion into the Mediterranean this
summer, leading scheduled leisure airline Monarch recently launched a
Facebook competition pitting their exciting new routes against each
other in a public vote.
Customers who voted were automatically entered into a prize draw to
win free flights to the destination for which they voted. As part of
the competition Monarch Airlines also announced a GBP 10 discount off
flights to the destinations that reigned victorious.
Over 2,500 new Monarch Airlines Facebook fans voted to help flights
to Venice topple flights to Milan in a landslide victory of 2,325
votes to 560. A worthy winner, Venice is one of the most beautiful
cities in the world.
Steeped in history, Venice is filled with enchanting architecture and
breathtaking sights. The unique network of picturesque canals and the
extensive range of museums and art galleries including the Guggenheim
and the Gallerie dell’Accademia keep lovers of the arts returning
year after year.
Monarch’s ‘Italian Job’ competition also asked Facebook fans to vote
between flights to Rome and flights to Verona. Rome emerged the clear
winner, with a staggering 79% of users voting for Italy’s capital
city. Outside of Italy, Barcelona flights enjoyed a victory against
flights to Dubrovnik, attracting over two-thirds of the total vote.
European destinations also beat out competition from further afield;
with Sharm El Sheikh losing out to the Canary Islands favourite
Tenerife.
The competition ignited the imagination of Monarch’s online
community, resulting in a 66% increase Facebook likes and 3614 new
fans.
No fewer than (i)14 new routes from Monarch’s four UK bases of London
Gatwick, London Luton, Birmingham and Manchester are part of
Monarch’s expansion strategy, which were announced in June. The focus
on scheduled services and top new European destinations will see
cheap flights available to Italy, Croatia and Greece. The increased
number of destinations will be coupled by the addition of two new
awe-inspiring Airbus 320s to Monarch’s fleet.
Commenting on the strategy, Managing Director of Monarch Airlines,
Kevin George said: “Adding Italy to our network will further
reinforce our position as the leading leisure-focused airline serving
the Mediterranean and the Canaries. The addition of two new aircraft
to the fleet is great news, and marks the start of our fleet
expansion plans, which will see the fleet grow from 30 to around 40
aircraft in the medium term.”
Notes to Editors:
With around 9,000 fans join the action at
www.facebook.com/Monarch .
(i)Flights to the 14 new routes went on sale on the 4th November and
are available from:
www.monarch.co.uk/flights .
About Monarch
Monarch, the scheduled European leisure airline, operates flights to
Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Gibraltar, Greece, Italy, Portugal Spain and
Turkey from Birmingham, London Gatwick, London Luton and Manchester
airports. In addition to year-round low fares, Monarch also offers a
bespoke “build your own class of travel” range of products and
services both on the ground and inflight. All customers are
allocated a seat at check-in but for those wishing to select where in
the cabin they sit to ensure that families and groups are seated
together, seats can be pre-booked from GBP 4.99 per one-way flight.
For customers looking for added comfort, extra legroom seats are also
available offering up to six inches of extra space from only GBP
9.99.
Customers travelling on scheduled flights can also avoid booking
charges by paying for their flights using a debit card or for a fixed
GBP 10 fee, can pay by credit card – regardless of the value of the
transaction or the number of people travelling.
They can also take advantage of ‘Happy Hour’, which is available
between 12.00 and 14.00 every day and offers a selection of Monarch’s
lowest fares, plus online check-in, which is available between 18
days and four and a half hours prior to departure. With a great range
of tasty hot and cold meals that can be pre-booked or purchased
onboard, flying with Monarch really couldn’t be simpler.
In addition to direct -sell flights, Monarch also provides seat
allocations to some of the UK’s leading tour operators and offers a
huge range of great value holidays, accommodation options, car hire
and travel insurance.
For further information or to book Monarch flights, Monarch Holidays
or Monarch Hotels, please visit
www.monarch.co.uk .
Contacts:
For further media information contact:
Monarch
Rebecca Cornell
PR & Internal Communications Co-ordinator
01582 398089
Rebecca.cornell@monarch.co.uk
SOURCE: Monarch
mailto:Rebecca.cornell@monarch.co.uk
Copyright 2012 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.
Top leisure industry awards head to Sheffield
Top leisure industry awards head to Sheffield
Sheffield’s spectacular venues and proud sporting heritage have attracted the leisure industry’s top awards conference and event party to the city this summer.
The Fitness Industry Associated has announced it will hold the FIA amp; Matrix Flame 2012 Conference and Ball at Sheffield International Venues’ Ponds Forge International Sports Centre and the Magna Science Adventure Centre Sheffield on June 27
Letter: ‘Horsham District Council reputation is damaged’
I WAS at the Horsham District Council meeting on December 21 and was disheartened to realise that, despite all the evidence pointing to the fact that the Leisure Futures Report was badly flawed and should have been set aside once and for all, the majority of our councillors voted in favour of one of its recommendations; that is to exclude Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre from the new Leisure Management contract.
As I said at the meeting when presenting a petition signed by thousands of local people, this will have the effect of starting any ‘consultation’ from a point where it is assumed the leisure centre will not be operational after next December.
My fears that the Conservative councillors have already made up their minds on this matter (despite agreeing to further consultation) were confirmed when I read in your paper a quote from councillor Andrew Baldwin who, when talking at the same meeting about the sale of the Old Town Hall, said, ‘We have given false expectation to the people in the gallery tonight about the future of Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre. Resources are dwindling’.
So, we have apparently been given ‘false expectation’.
Obviously from this we must assume that Mr Baldwin’s mind is already made up.
I noticed I ruffled councillor Peter Burgess’ feathers a little when I asked the councillors to reflect on their decision before casting their vote, and not just to ‘nod through’ the recommendation to remove the leisure centre from the new Leisure Management contract.
He appeared affronted by the very notion that they would nod anything through.
If they don’t open their minds and prepare to make their decision based on properly gathered facts and consultation with the public between now and May, when the decision will be made, then it’s my belief they will be in danger of losing any trust and credibility they may have left.
This whole episode has been very damaging to the council’s reputation, which is a great shame because by and large they have been doing a really good job.
SHEILA WHITE
Great Daux, Warnham
Business news in brief | Philadelphia Inquirer | 2011-05-18
In the Region Report: Tourism up sharply since 1997
The five-county Philadelphia area was visited by 33.1 million leisure travelers last year, 10 million more than in 1997, the nonprofit Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. said Tuesday. Its report showed that Center City leisure hotel bookings had more than tripled in that same span – to 827,000 rooms in 2010 from 254,000 in 1997 – and that overall visitor spending was $24 million a day last year. – AP
Sunoco Logistics buys Ohio pipeline
Sunoco Logistics Partners LP, Philadelphia, said it bought a majority interest in Inland Corp., an Ohio oil-pipeline company, for $100 million. Inland, which is privately held and is based in West Salem, Ohio, operates a 350-mile pipeline for refined oil products. The deal gives Sunoco Logistics an 84 percent economic stake in Inland and a 70 percent voting interest. Sunoco operates 2,200 miles of pipelines in the Northeast, Midwest, and Southwest. – Paul Schweizer
