Findcate

By the time Chelsea’s managerial pursuit had officially begun, with the sacking of Avram Grant in May, it appeared that they had limited options to choose from. Sven Goran Eriksson, thought to be Roman Abramovich’s first choice back in 2003 after ‘purely a social meeting’, had already been courting the Mexican FA after being axed by Thaksin Shinawatra. Frank Rijkaard was mentioned, but he hasn’t enjoyed as much success as he did whilst Henk Ten Cate was involved with the coaching at Barca.

Ten Cate is also a man who, ironically, has also just been sacked by Chelsea. Marco van Basten had already signed a contract to take over at Ajax after this summer’s Euro tournament, back in February. Similarly, Jurgen Klinsmann was already in line to replace the retiring Ottmar Hitzfeld at Bayern Munich, a deal that was arranged at the turn of this year. AC Milan claim that Carlo Ancelotti has been pursued by Chelsea, yet would he have even been the right man for the Russian owner so adamant on his footballing investments playing an attacking brand? Ancelotti has come under fire for favouring a defensive style of football, and could well have ended up like Capello under the Madrid regime of you’re out if you win ugly.

You have to give credit where it is due though, and Scolari did mastermind three successive international tournament knock-outs to the English national team. It just strikes me as odd that if you are scouting the Euro internationals for footballing talent, in terms of both players, and managers, then why not go for one of the up and coming coaches who are certain to have successes in front of them given the right opportunities.

In the English leagues stability and success seem synonymous. Look at Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsenal and Arsene Wenger, and even, to a lesser degree, Hereford United and Graham Turner. All at their clubs for 22, 12, and 13 years respectively. Wenger was a little known French coach with experience in the Japanese J League and French Ligue Une, and Ferguson had enjoyed successes in the Scottish Premier division.

Tags: ac milan, ajax, arsene wenger, avram grant, bayern munich, boise, carlo ancelotti, cate, chelsea, defensive style, first choice, ford, frank rijkaard, french coach, french ligue, goran eriksson, graham turner, henk, hereford united, j league, jurgen klinsmann, knock outs, manchester united, marco van basten, ottmar hitzfeld, roman abramovich, sir alex ferguson, ten cate, thaksin shinawatra

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Angelos Charisteas joined other more mythical Greek heroes when he headed the winning goal at the Euro 2004 final against hosts Portugal – but since then he has sunk career-wise into the equivalent of Hades.

It all looked so different for Charisteas as he appeared to have shown his then Bundesliga club Werder Bremen that he could produce more than the paltry four goals he had scored for them the season leading up to the European championships.

However, it mattered not a jot to Bremen, who made it pretty clear that he was not considered to be first choice and thus after a summer of highs he was plunged into uncertainty and Greece’s German coach Otto Rehhagel a former Bremen coach – advised him to look for another team.

Thus it was in January 2005 that Dutch giants Ajax came knocking on his door, desperate to find a top replacement for Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who left for Juventus.

If he thought that five million euros transfer fee had allowed him to enter the Elysian fields with a chance to really prove himself at club level, then he was quickly disabused of that notion as then coach Henk Ten Cate placed him fifth in the list behind Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Ryan Babel, Markus Rosenberg and a certain Rydell Poepon.

However, bizarrely he ended up at Ajax’s bitter rivals Feyenoord, which went down like a lead balloon with the Rotterdam side’s supporters, some of whose more hardnosed members marched in protest – and they looked to have been right when Charisteas failed to score in his first 10 appearances.

So low had his star fallen he was shipped off to traditional German relegation candidates FC Nuremberg for just 2.5mil euros – his value in the market halved in just two years.

Thus no wonder that back at the Euro stage where he made his mark four years ago he expressed his delight to have changed scene.

Tags: ajax, bitter rivals, cate, champion, charisteas, club hell, elysian fields, euro 2004, europe, feyenoord, first choice, german coach, greece, greek heroes, henk, hero, jot, juventus, klaas jan huntelaar, lead balloon, markus rosenberg, nuremberg, rotterdam, ryan babel, rydell, ten cate, zlatan ibrahimovic

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LOIS GOSLING: THE DESIGNER JUNKIE

Property developer Lois Gosling, 35, has homes in Notting Hill, West London, and Surrey. She is divorced with a five-year-old son, Ollie. She says:

I learned early on that great clothes make a difference. When I was 22 and going for my first interviews in the City as a trader, I bought an Armani suit for 1,000 and it gave me the confidence to secure the position I wanted.

Having the right image is still key for me. When I look right, everything works.

I’m proud of my wardrobe but I have little time to shop. I turned around seven building projects last year and am dealing with banks, designers and estate agents all day.

Four or five years ago I started shopping with stylist Caroline Stanbury and I haven’t shopped alone for clothes since. She’s a sound investment as I don’t make expensive mistakes. Gone are my days of trying to fly in clothes from New York.

We recently began tackling my spring wardrobe with a morning at Matches in Notting Hill, where I tried on 150 pieces. In two hours, I’d bought cashmere by Diane Von Furstenberg, knitwear by Prada and funky scarves by Missoni.

I also bought Burberry shirts, skirts by Chloe and Celine, tops by Stella McCartney and Phillip Lim and trousers by Mui Mui and Prada. My favourite dress was a black floor-length bias-cut evening dress by Giambattista Valli, costing 1,800.

After Matches, Caroline and I went on to Donna Ida for jeans. I buy eight to ten new pairs a season ?two in each style in different lengths, one pair for heels and another for flats. When I’m running after my son Ollie, I stick to flats by Lanvin or Jimmy Choo. Otherwise I prefer killer heels by Christian Louboutin or Prada.

I also buy five to ten new handbags a season ?usually Balenciaga, Prada, Burberry, Chloe and Marc Jacobs. Now my new wardrobe is complete I can focus on work and my son knowing I have the perfect outfit for every occasion.

It may seem a fortune to others but for me it’s an investment in my business. My clothes show that I live the lifestyle I’m selling. Even at the gym or on holiday I often make useful contacts, and clients tend not to just buy my properties, they often buy the entire contents, too.

After my divorce, clothes became an important part of establishing a new independent identity.

Besides, I don’t drink, smoke or gamble; clothes are my only vice.

PEARL LOWE: THE VINTAGE COLLECTOR

Singer, model and clothes designer Pearl Lowe, 38, lives in Petersfield, Hampshire, with her partner, Supergrass drummer Danny Goffey, and their four children. She says:

My mother was mad about clothes and I inherited her obsession. I remember her buying me an outfit in a boutique in the South of France when I was seven and I felt transformed. I learned then that beautiful clothes were my perfect short-cut to feeling good.

I bought a knitted green, long-sleeved Alaia dress with a high square neck when I was 18 and wore it until it fell apart.

In those days that 300 price tag felt like a fortune, but I preferred to buy one dress I really loved than waste money on disposable fashion.

I’ve been collecting beautiful dresses ever since and have hundreds now. I have occasionally felt sick after spending thousands on a dress but I still love many of them. My beige chiffon Chanel that cost 1,200 and a timeless blue Chloe that was at least 800 will always look fantastic.

I have rails of my favourite dresses by Anna Sui, Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Jacobs, Jean Muir and Alice Temperley, as well as lots of vintage Twenties and Thirties pieces.

I love wearing trousers when I’m skinny, but dresses are more flattering and forgiving when I’m carrying an extra pound or two, so I only ever wear dresses now. I’ll wear them for the school run, sports day and going to the shops because that’s how I love to dress and feel most comfortable. Moving from London to the country came as a relief in many ways.

People are rarely concerned with what you PEARL LOWE look like here. Friends usually have first choice of my cast-offs but every now and again Danny and I have a huge clear out and Help The Aged in Liphook, Hampshire, suddenly has rails of rock star attire.

I’m passionate about beautiful things and have been to ridiculous lengths to track them down.

Even in labour, with contractions five minutes apart, I was on the phone to Harvey Nichols to get on the waiting list for some Chloe sunglasses I’d seen in Vogue that morning.

NATALIA THOMAS: THE STYLE MIXER

Natalia Thomas 33, is director of her own international fashion agency. She lives in Blackheath, South-East London, with her husband, a wine broker. She says:

Even if it’s heart-stoppingly expensive, buying something beautiful makes me skip along the street I love getting dressed up and feeling elegant. Jayson Brunsdon, an Australian designer who dresses Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts, is unbeatable for glamour. I have 30 of his day, evening and cocktail dresses. They cost from 600 to 1,200, but I can wear him with Louboutin heels in the evening and boots for lunch.

I have 200 dresses and love Prada, Christian Lacroix and Arthur Mendonca, a Canadian designer you can’t buy here.

I love coats, too, but I prefer to have 40 to choose from in a season than limit myself to several designer pieces. I have a beautiful black Balenciaga and a patent leather evening trench by Arthur Mendonca, but I’m also mixing it up with vintage designers pieces, as well as Zara and Reiss.

I have a cabinet dedicated to lingerie. My favourites are Rosanna Ansaloni ?Italian, simple, classic and elegant 梐nd Chantal Thomass ?jaw-droppingly pretty with a twist of sheer sexiness. And, of course, I have piles of La Perla and Agent Provocateur, too.

Being Australian, I have a passion for swimwear. I have at least 80 swimsuits by Chanel, Missoni and Melissa Odabash. I’ve been known to spend 280 for a piece of black Lycra the size of my hand, but if the cut flatters, it’s worth every penny.

My favourite look for day is a vest top, great jeans and a to-die-for jacket with sunglasses and headscarf.

I have 60 pairs of jeans and I don’t mind spending 260 if the cut makes me feel fantastic. I like everything from smart and tailored to faded and skinny ?Marc Jacobs, Chloe, Levi’s and J Brand.

I never regret spending serious money on tailoring. I have 50 jackets by Ralph Lauren, YSL, Chanel and Moschino, but I’m always in search of the next one.

I like at least 30 pairs of sunglasses to choose from each season and collect everything from Roger Vivier to Topshop Vintage. I have 100 headscarves ?Lanvin, Missoni and I can’t walk past a Hermes.

No matter how much I earn, shoes will keep me broke. I go mad at the beginning of every season and then try to be disciplined. I can’t resist Dolce %26#038; Gabbana, Gina, Giuseppe Zanotti, Georgina Goodman, Bottega Veneta, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Chanel and Miu Miu.

My goal is to have a custom-built shoe house. I want to walk in and see them colour co-ordinated and on racks..

LOUISE GALVIN: THE LABEL LOVER

Celebrity hair colourist Louise Galvin, 37, lives in West London with her daughter Ophelia Rose, aged one. Louise says:

I bought my apartment from a famous supermodel who’d had two rooms knocked through to make this fabulous dressing room. I fell in love with the idea of finally having somewhere I could hang all my clothes beautifully. I can sit on my art deco stool at my dressing table, doing my hair and make-up, knowing everything’s in its place.

I have piles of cashmere jumpers in black, navy, green and burgundy, rails of shirts - mainly black and white - but dresses are my grand passion.

I grew up with a chic mother and my idea of grown-up glamour must have formed watching her getting ready to go out in elegant long Seventies dresses.

I borrowed her Alaia dresses in my late teens until I could afford my own. When I was 16 I went to work for fashion PR Lynne Franks.

Although I was only earning about 30 a week, I was given Katharine Hamnett, Jasper Conran, Zandra Rhodes and Bodymap clothes to wear, and, at the end of each season, we could buy them at cost price. That’s when I acquired a taste for the quality and cut of designer clothes.

I remember saving 2,500 in a brown envelope for my black Birkin bag in the Nineties. I was on a waiting list for two years and when it came I felt so grown up. It looks worn and loved now but it gives me as much pleasure as ever.

My first piece of couture was by Anthony Price. He made me a black lace cocktail dress 14 years ago and I had to stagger the payments: 750 seemed like a fortune to me then but it was a great investment. It hasn’t dated and having something cool to pull out that I know no one else will have feels fabulous. I wore it to Kylie’s party at The Sanderson six years ago and my own Christmas party last year.

Whenever I have any money to spend it goes on dresses. I love Prada, especially this season’s pink sleeveless Audrey Hepburn-inspired dress that Anna Wintour picked out for me to be photographed in for American Vogue.

Although I wear tailored trousers and jeans a lot I wouldn’t feel dressed without Agent Provocateur or La Perla underneath. My mother taught me that being stylish and immaculate is a sign of self-respect.

Styling: KAREN CLARKSON

Tags: cate, cate blanchett, europe, first choice, ford, issa, jacob, nicole kidman, south of france

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Most significantly, Marguerite will mark the end of Jonathan Kent’s year-long tenure as artistic director of the Haymarket, an experimental appointment made, in the words of the theatre’s general manager Nigel Everett, as a conscious attempt to “brain up” the West End. According to Everett, “Jonathan was our first choice as a director with the charisma and intelligence to pull off a season of artistically adventurous repertoire in a commercial environment. Audiences love the visual flair of his work and he’s an actor-magnet - stars gravitate towards him.”Kent was born in England in 1949 to architect parents who emigrated to Cape Town, South Africa, during his first year. He returned to England to study at the Central School of Speech and Drama in the 1970s, but describes himself as “deracinated”. Close friend and colleague Ian McDiarmid says: “The strange contradiction about Jonathan is that he cultivates an absurd, fruity accent and presents himself as more English than any Englishman, when he’s actually quite the opposite. He wasn’t university-educated and he’s always fought shy of joining the establishment.”Kent first met McDiarmid almost 40 years ago, when both were actors at the Citizens Theatre in the Gorbals district of Glasgow - a venue famed for giving cheap access to interpretations of classic European drama. When the directorship of the Almeida, a struggling fringe venue in a run-down enclave of Islington, became available in 1990 the pair saw an opportunity to transplant the Citz’s philosophy to London.Their 12-year stewardship transformed an obscure theatre notorious for the austerity of its seats into a fashionable address renowned for its rollcall of stars - including Ralph Fiennes, Diana Rigg, Juliet Binoche and Cate Blanchett - all of whom were eager to muck in with communal dressing rooms and a minimum wage. “People thought we were crazy,” McDiarmid recalls. “I had no experience of running a theatre and Jonathan had never directed a play. But if it hadn’t been for people like Glenda Jackson offering to perform for %26pound;160 we’d have been out of business in the first three months.”When Kent and McDiarmid stepped down as directors of the Almeida in 2002 they were immediately identified by many as the obvious choices to succeed Trevor Nunn as director of the National Theatre. Yet both have repeatedly stated they have no interest in running the nation’s flagship theatre.”We decided to leave the Almeida at the point when we were in danger of becoming an institution,” McDiarmid says. “I think both of us are outsiders by nature. We’re more comfortable on the rough edge of town.”Kent subsequently spent what he termed his “gap year”, branching out into opera in Santa Fe, musicals on Broadway and a Japanese-language version of Hamlet in Tokyo. Now established as one of the world’s most in-demand freelance directors, it seemed initially surprising that he should wish to be pinned to a job in a venue so conventionally plush as the Haymarket. Yet he was tempted by the freedom to pick his own repertoire without the day-to-day anxieties of running a theatre, telling the Guardian’s Michael Billington: “I have power without responsibility, which has been the prerogative of the harlot throughout the ages.”Kent’s choices to fill the 900-seat auditorium have been characteristically unpredictable. The season opened with William Wycherley’s lascivious Restoration comedy The Country Wife, a play deemed so filthy that after 1753 it was not performed for 170 years. That has recently been followed by the first ever West End revival of Edward Bond’s The Sea, featuring Eileen Atkins and David Haig. With some mixed reviews and meagre houses, the producers will be looking to the forthcoming musical to ensure the season breaks even.”It remains to be seen whether we’re actually going to get an audience,” Eileen Atkins says, “but if there’s anyone who can make Edward Bond seem viable in the West End, Jonathan can.”Atkins attributes Kent’s success to the empathy he feels for actors, having worked as one himself. “He’s one of us, not one of them,” she says. “So many directors frankly don’t have a clue how actors think or feel. The Sea endured the most wretched first preview I’ve ever encountered, yet he’s just the sort of person you want in the dressing room restoring confidence.”Many colleagues pay tribute to Kent’s affability and generosity, and marvel at his relish for an impossible challenge. A long-term collaborator, designer Paul Brown, says: “He was definitely born with the risk chromosome. He’s a dreamer with a tendency to be unrealistic about things, which is a great quality for a director but less useful when it comes to crossing the road. In art, as in life, he just steps out without looking.” Marguerite is on at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from May 7 to November 1. Box office: 0844 844 2353The CVBorn London, 1949. Moved to South Africa with his family as a child and was educated there.Career Returned to London in the 70s and trained as an actor at the Central School of Speech and Drama, then worked at Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre. Took over the Almeida Theatre in London with Ian McDiarmid in 1990 and was joint artistic director for 12 years, bringing Cate Blanchett, Kevin Spacey, Juliette Binoche and Liam Neeson to the West End stage.

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Most significantly, Marguerite will mark the end of Jonathan Kent’s year-long tenure as artistic director of the Haymarket, an experimental appointment made, in the words of the theatre’s general manager Nigel Everett, as a conscious attempt to “brain up” the West End. According to Everett, “Jonathan was our first choice as a director with the charisma and intelligence to pull off a season of artistically adventurous repertoire in a commercial environment. Audiences love the visual flair of his work and he’s an actor-magnet - stars gravitate towards him.”Kent was born in England in 1949 to architect parents who emigrated to Cape Town, South Africa, during his first year. He returned to England to study at the Central School of Speech and Drama in the 1970s, but describes himself as “deracinated”. Close friend and colleague Ian McDiarmid says: “The strange contradiction about Jonathan is that he cultivates an absurd, fruity accent and presents himself as more English than any Englishman, when he’s actually quite the opposite. He wasn’t university-educated and he’s always fought shy of joining the establishment.”Kent first met McDiarmid almost 40 years ago, when both were actors at the Citizens Theatre in the Gorbals district of Glasgow - a venue famed for giving cheap access to interpretations of classic European drama. When the directorship of the Almeida, a struggling fringe venue in a run-down enclave of Islington, became available in 1990 the pair saw an opportunity to transplant the Citz’s philosophy to London.Their 12-year stewardship transformed an obscure theatre notorious for the austerity of its seats into a fashionable address renowned for its rollcall of stars - including Ralph Fiennes, Diana Rigg, Juliet Binoche and Cate Blanchett - all of whom were eager to muck in with communal dressing rooms and a minimum wage. “People thought we were crazy,” McDiarmid recalls. “I had no experience of running a theatre and Jonathan had never directed a play. But if it hadn’t been for people like Glenda Jackson offering to perform for %26pound;160 we’d have been out of business in the first three months.”When Kent and McDiarmid stepped down as directors of the Almeida in 2002 they were immediately identified by many as the obvious choices to succeed Trevor Nunn as director of the National Theatre. Yet both have repeatedly stated they have no interest in running the nation’s flagship theatre.”We decided to leave the Almeida at the point when we were in danger of becoming an institution,” McDiarmid says. “I think both of us are outsiders by nature. We’re more comfortable on the rough edge of town.”Kent subsequently spent what he termed his “gap year”, branching out into opera in Santa Fe, musicals on Broadway and a Japanese-language version of Hamlet in Tokyo. Now established as one of the world’s most in-demand freelance directors, it seemed initially surprising that he should wish to be pinned to a job in a venue so conventionally plush as the Haymarket. Yet he was tempted by the freedom to pick his own repertoire without the day-to-day anxieties of running a theatre, telling the Guardian’s Michael Billington: “I have power without responsibility, which has been the prerogative of the harlot throughout the ages.”Kent’s choices to fill the 900-seat auditorium have been characteristically unpredictable. The season opened with William Wycherley’s lascivious Restoration comedy The Country Wife, a play deemed so filthy that after 1753 it was not performed for 170 years. That has recently been followed by the first ever West End revival of Edward Bond’s The Sea, featuring Eileen Atkins and David Haig. With some mixed reviews and meagre houses, the producers will be looking to the forthcoming musical to ensure the season breaks even.”It remains to be seen whether we’re actually going to get an audience,” Eileen Atkins says, “but if there’s anyone who can make Edward Bond seem viable in the West End, Jonathan can.”Atkins attributes Kent’s success to the empathy he feels for actors, having worked as one himself. “He’s one of us, not one of them,” she says. “So many directors frankly don’t have a clue how actors think or feel. The Sea endured the most wretched first preview I’ve ever encountered, yet he’s just the sort of person you want in the dressing room restoring confidence.”Many colleagues pay tribute to Kent’s affability and generosity, and marvel at his relish for an impossible challenge. A long-term collaborator, designer Paul Brown, says: “He was definitely born with the risk chromosome. He’s a dreamer with a tendency to be unrealistic about things, which is a great quality for a director but less useful when it comes to crossing the road. In art, as in life, he just steps out without looking.” Marguerite is on at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from May 7 to November 1. Box office: 0844 844 2353The CVBorn London, 1949. Moved to South Africa with his family as a child and was educated there.Career Returned to London in the 70s and trained as an actor at the Central School of Speech and Drama, then worked at Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre. Took over the Almeida Theatre in London with Ian McDiarmid in 1990 and was joint artistic director for 12 years, bringing Cate Blanchett, Kevin Spacey, Juliette Binoche and Liam Neeson to the West End stage.

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Yesterday afternoon an elated, and not too obviously exhausted, trio of Eryn Cutler, Hamish Blakemore and Paul Pringle kayaked into Caroline Bay and completed the final leg of their multisport challenge.
Team Adventure Aotearoa have kayaked from Timaru to the Waitaki River, mountain biked inland for five days, travelled the spine of the Southern Alps, climbed Aoraki-Mt Cook, rafted the grade five Rangitata and then kayaked to Caroline Bay.
The friends all share an interest in outdoor pursuits and have family history and affinity with South Canterbury.
Weather-bound in the Kelman Hut on a ski hiking holiday several years ago they decided the trip would be a suitable challenge.
Mr Blakemore said South Canterbury, bordered by the Pacific Ocean, Southern Alps, Rangitata and Waitaki rivers encompassed incredibly varied terrain: vast ocean, New Zealand%26#39;s highest peak, gorge and braided rivers, fertile and arid landscapes.
It was the first choice location for a challenge like theirs, he said.
The grand traverse of Mt Cook was the first time any of the men had climbed the peak.
Mr Cutler said the men had been training and preparing since July. There was fear in climbing the peak, but he was confident in the team%26#39;s technical proficiency.
The weather was excellent, but travelling in the alps was slower than expected. Icy conditions slowed them down and they belayed more than planned.
Mr Blakemore said the trip was non-stop and 13 hour days became a challenge as each of the men faced different hurdles.
As a new-comer to rafting and kayaking, the Rangitata Gorge and choppy seas provided new experiences.
The mens%26#39; families in South Canterbury helped with changing over equipment and food drops, but well into the alpine section a delivery to the Kelman Hut was misplaced.
A large group of Russian climbers helped out and they made do with reserves they had for four days.
Mr Pringle said that along the trip people they met such as farmers or fisherman were encouraging and happy to help out. Mr Cutler now lives in Wellington and has a masters science degree. He works as an outdoor risk management assessor and is the director of a global travel adventure company.
Hamish Blakemore is a geologist often working overseas and is a technically proficient mountaineer. Amazingly during the trip he put on a few grams in weight.
Mr Pringle is an employment lawyer who has experience in rafting, kayaking and climbing. He has lost a lot of weight — three kilograms in the first five days.
While Mr Blakemore put on a few grams, he suffered the only injury, a broken tooth from a frozen Snickers bar near the summit of Mt Cook.
Mr Cutler said the experience hadn%26#39;t harmed friendships and they were mulling over some possible future challenges. Three weeks sipping on a beach couldn%26#39;t compare with the imposing landscapes they had travelled thorough, they said.
%26quot;You know what they say, don%26#39;t leave home till you%26#39;ve seen the country.%26quot;

Tags: first choice, Food, zeal

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• Working on top of the world (+videos)
• Woolworths H1 net profit up 28.1 per cent
• Woman killed in salmonella outbreak
• Win a copy of Eagle vs Shark on DVD