An invitation has gone out to the region’s bon vivants from a new business venture intent on becoming the height of good taste.

The Opus Dining Club, with ambitions to establish a regional network for people who enjoy good food, is the brainchild of former NHS worker Lesley Craggs.

She has been joined by her partner Stuart  and daughter Helen to set up Opus which is planning its inaugral event at the Blacksmith’s Table restaurant in Washington later this month.

Lesley, of Gainford, Chester-le-Street, said: “I was on a dating site and looking for a better social life when the idea took shape. I really enjoy good food and eating at good restaurants and two themes came together as the Opus Dining Club.

“We wanted something that was highly original and unique to the region. Since then we have talked to selected restaurants from Alnwick to Yarm and have now launched a membership campaign and a website.

“As the club moves forward we will be responding to what the membership and developing dinner evenings, summer balls and themed events such as race days and cultural outings. We hope Opus will become a natural point for people who want to socialise in style.

“There are endless opportunities to expand the Opus portfolio in the future, but for now we will be concentrating on organising dinner events,” said Lesley (above right) with the Opus team and owner of Le Raaj restaurant, Chester-le-Street, Sofed Miah (second right).

Interested? More information is available at the Opus Dining Club at www.opusdiningclub.co.uk

The achievements of inspirational women whose entrepreneurial and leadership skills have helped to boost the region’s economy in the last year have been considerable.

And the winners of the 11th Annual Women Into the Network (WIN) Awards underline that contribution.

The prestigious Susan Dobson Award for Entrepreneurship was picked up by Lilian Mains, chair of North East training business Zodiac Training, which has fast become a national provider of specialist courses and consultancy for employers.

The Durham County Council-sponsored small business category was picked up by Angela Place, founder of hair and beauty business Hair X Tensions and the Best Retail Business, sponsored by Barbour went to Susan Routledge, Finishing Touch Health & Beauty Clinic (right).
The judges cited the impressive way in which she has quickly grown her online firm and her vision for the future – which involves building an international presence and creating jobs – as key to her award victory.

The Best New Business category, backed by Business Link, was won by Jo Foster, who runs Northumberland-based flowers, chocolate and wine business Dillies.

Ms Foster was recognised for her boldness in starting a business in the recession and, according to the judges, sets an example of how personal service can give you the edge on mainstream retailers.

Cathi Harrison, founder of Para-Sols, was hailed for her bravery in sacrificing a full-time job during a recession to go it alone as she picked up the award for Young Entrepreneur of the Year, sponsored by Gateshead Council.

The company offers paraplanning services such as research and analysis to businesses in a largely male-dominated sector.

Other winners included Deloris Martin of Sunderland Dance, who won the social enterprise category, Joanne Feeley of Trend Bible, who was named Best Creative Business and Alison Taylor of Food Local Food, who was recognised for her use of technology to develop her business.

WIN chair Nickie Gott, who also runs events management company She’s Gott It!, said: “The standard of entry this year was extremely high and of course, there were many difficult decisions to make in selecting the winners.

“I would like to congratulate all of the shortlisted companies for showing incredible determination, leadership ability and entrepreneurship in these difficult economic times.”

This year’s awards were designed by specialist glass products firm Creative Glass, based in Stockton-on-Tees.

The awards were sponsored by The Susan Dobson Memorial Fund, Business Link, SpaceCraft, North East Social Enterprise Partnership, Durham County Council, Once upon a Tyne Productions, Barbour and Gateshead Council.

For more information on WIN, visit: www.womenintothenetwork.co.uk.

Here is the full list of winners from this year’s WIN awards:

Best New Business, sponsored by Business Link

Jo Foster, Dillies

Young Entrepreneur of the Year, sponsored by Gateshead Council

Cathi Harrison, Para-Sols

Best Small Business, sponsored by Durham County Council

Angela Place, Hair X Tensions Ltd

Best Retail Business, sponsored by Barbour

Susan Routledge, Finishing Touch Health & Beauty Clinic

Best Creative Business, sponsored by SpaceCraft

Joanna Feeley, Trend Bible

Best Home-based Business, sponsored by Women Into the Network

Rachel Poad, Rachel Poad Interiors

Best Use of Technology, sponsored by Once upon a Tyne Productions

Alison Taylor, Food Local Food

Best Rural Business, sponsored by Women Into the Network

Amynta Ward-Aldam, Tulip and Nettle

Best Social Enterprise, sponsored by North East Social Enterprise Partnership

Deloris Martin, Sunderland Dance CIC

The Susan Dobson Award for Entrepreneurship, sponsored by The Susan Dobson Memorial  Fund

Lilian Mains, Zodiac Training

From the moment of discovering you’re pregnant until well in to your baby’s first year and beyond for many first time mums it can be an extremely scary time.

Many don’t have a clue where to start, from what to buy for the baby, how to feed and wind, to the most holiest of grails, how to get the baby to sleep through the night.

That’s where Jo Tantum comes in. With her book and website ‘baby secrets’ along with her personal consultation service she has been described as a miracle worker by many.

Chatting to Jo one Thursday afternoon it is clear that she has years of experience and is just brimming with tips. She explained how through caring for children in a variety of settings including hospitals, local authority family centres, travelling parents around the world and as a nanny in peoples’ homes she has built a wealth of knowledge in sleep patterns and in aiding babies to sleep through the night.

When first asked to design a routine for one mum’s baby Jo described how at the time there was no real guidance out there for parents regarding routines. She decided to keep a log of the baby’s natural routine and then designed a routine around the baby which led to the baby sleeping through the night. After this initial success she then went on to devise routines for other babies, always after keeping an initial log and she always managed to get them to sleep through.

Her next challenge was twins and it was their mother, and Jo’s co author of ‘Baby Secrets’ who encouraged her to write the book.

‘Baby secrets’ targeted the gap in the market for flexible routines, at a time when Jo felt they were either very rigid or very wishy washy. Reading through the book it’s almost as if you’re talking to Jo, as it’s full of useful tips and the routines are all really flexible.

Her tips on sleep are excellent and I could recognise a lot of what I did to help my son sleep through so I can vouch that it does work. She is keen to promote giving babies the confidence to sleep as many babies are scared to tip in to sleep by themselves. She does not promote controlled crying but is also keen for parents not to ‘rescue’ their baby as soon as they hear them upset. She calls this spaced soothing and has found it to work with many babies.

I was keen whilst I had the chance to ask Jo for advice on some common sleep problems.
For babies whose routine has been broken she says this often happens for a reason such as illness or teething. Stick to the routine as much possible through this time then go back to it properly when well again

When asked about her view on bed sharing Jo was keen to point out that due to risk of cot death she would never advise it and that baby should be put in to their mose’s basket after a feed. To allow for skin to skin time, give baby cuddles in a morning with their breastfeed.

Moving your child in to their own bed from a cot should be done as late as possible so they can understand what is happening and don’t see it as a game. Daytime naps should be kept as long as your child needs it. Not only for the child but also important for the parents to have some time to themselves.

Jo’s top tip for twins is keeping them both in the same routine. Try to feed and change them at the same time so it doesn’t become a constant cycle e.g. If one baby wakes during the night for a feed, wake the other baby for a feed too.

Jo is full of useful tips and I can certainly see how she has helped many sleep deprived parents. As well as her book ‘baby secrets’, with a new edition in the pipeline, tips can also be picked up at her website babysecretsltd.com. Here there’s information on all of Jo’s services, including her rescue packages and home consultation service where she designs a routine especially for your baby.

You can also see Jo at both the Scottish and Manchester baby shows where she will be giving a 30 minute talk followed by question and answer session, as well as being available at her stand (number G73).

Babyvue editor Katie Hinchliffe shares her thoughts on the Great….and the good.

It’s a few weeks ago since I crossed the finish line of the Great North Run at the Leas in South Shields and it was with mixed feelings.

I initially felt a huge sense of relief that I had made it, half way up John Reid Road I was ready to catch the metro home and I couldn’t quite believe that I had managed to run a further 5 miles.

But I also felt a little disappointed, that I’d missed out on something. I’d signed up for the run not just to do the distance but to be part of the event. However the runners at the start had been subdued, and anyone in the North that day will know that the weather didn’t exactly help create a carnival atmosphere along the route.

Twenty four minutes after the starting pistol had sounded we were soon joining in with ‘Oggy Oggy Oggy’ under the central motorway and the first five miles were an absolute breeze running a route I know really well as it practically goes past my house. When the road narrowed at the 6 mile mark we struggled to find room to run and I doubted I’d finish but the Powersong Zone outside South Tynesdie Hospital spurred me on and the crowd on the sea front certainly helped me home.

I completed the course in 2hours 19 minutes and 58 seconds which was a good 20 minutes under the time on my entry form. But despite this, due to my running times during my training, I knew I could do better.

I didn’t want all my training to go to waste so to prove to myself I could do better me and dad decided to do the Cumberland Building Society Great Cumberland run; a half marathon that starts at Carlisle Castle, goes out to the nearby villages of Cumwhinton, Wetheral and Scotby before finishing at Sheepmount stadium.

In contrast to the great north run it was a beautiful day, cool but glorious sunshine, perfect for running in. There were just under 3,000 runners and once we were through the castle gatehouse we had room to run at our own pace. Everyone running the route was so friendly, and the support from the residents kept us going, as did the volunteer who cheered me on for part of the last mile and told me I could do it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and much preferred doing a smaller run as opposed to the big event, and as a bonus I managed to shave over 5 minutes off my time. If circumstances allow I’ll certainly be doing it again next year.

If anyone’s interested in joining me check out the website at www.carlisleleisure.com

Finishing line: Katie and her dad, Peter, (above) after completing the Great North Run.

More and more mums are turning to the web to seek out advice on bringing up baby.

This was one of the key findings from a ‘Mum’s Know Best’ survey recently commissioned by HiPP Organic and conducted amongst 11,000 women via the brand’s online Baby Club.

The exercise looked at the trials and tribulations of motherhood in the 21^st century, providing a snapshot of which celebrity mums get the thumbs up to old wives tales to tell the gender of your baby!

The HiPP Baby Club provides mums with expert pregnancy, baby and weaning advice and interaction with a range of experts. And it seems online advice is what mums are actively seeking.

Only 13% of mums-to-be claimed to use their midwife or health visitor as their first port of call for information on their pregnancy. In contrast 87% rely on word-of-mouth, advice from books and trusted websites, which reinforces the ongoing rise and demand for online content today; a source of information which mums evidently consider very credible.

Celebrity mums that inspire include Holly Willoughby, Angelina Jolie, Davina McCall and Jules Oliver. Their ability to balance motherhood, work and wifely duties, whilst still managing to look gorgeous seems to appeal to most!

Despite living in such a modern age when it came to inducing labour, 65% of mums confessed to trying curry, pineapple and herbal teas, and 14% being a little more adventurous and relying on sex to hurry the process along!

Finding out the sex of their baby ahead of time was also popular with 60% of mums-to-be admitting to doing so. Others, meanwhile, confessed to relying on popular methods such as dangling their wedding ring above the bump to see which way it swings, as well as analysing the size and shape of their bump to try and determine the gender of their baby.

Whilst some of these legendary old wives tales can often prove to be true, there are also a number of myths associated with pregnancy! When asked to relay the biggest misconception or myth, the most common responses amongst mums surveyed included; “That you will bloom”, “You can eat for two” and that “Morning sickness isn’t just in the mornings!”

And finally with mums facing the challenge of going through pregnancy and childbirth what’s left for the dads? 20% of mums questioned admitted to leaving bath time for dad, whilst a quarter of mums relied on his provision of the entertainment….but then they do always say dads have all the fun!

Join the Hipp Baby Club!

HiPP have created a dedicated all encompassing online Baby Club to ensure mums have everything needed to give their baby’s the best start.  This includes, alongside their free weaning starter pack and guide to baby’s nutrition, a website with further expert developmental information and advice, personal emails tailored to your stage of motherhood and much more. Visit us at www.hippbabyclub.co.uk

Online lingerie boutique Beau Dame is supporting Breast Cancer Awareness this month by donating 10% of profits from the sale of all cupcake panties from now until Christmas to The Christie cancer charity.

The charity is based in Manchester and treats more than 40,000 patients a year providing radiotherapy, chemotherapy, highly-specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer as well as a wide range of support and diagnostic services.

The Christie is also an international leader in research boasting world-first breakthroughs and later this year will be opening a new £35million patient treatment centre, making it the largest early critical trials unit in the world.

Their delectable briefs come in pink, purple and fuschia, with slogans like “Sweetie” and “Eat Dessert First” that will be the perfect stocking-filler.

Beau Dame founder and director Nicola Rodney-Crook is keen to raise both funds and awareness for a cause that is close to her heart, since her own mother passed away as a result of ovarian cancer and was cared for at Christie’s and St Mary’s Hospital, Manchester.

Nicola said, “Breast Cancer Awareness month is a great reminder to women of the importance of checking themselves regularly but women should remember to think about other areas too. Ovarian cancer can also be a deadly disease and knowing what to look out for can save lives.

Breast cancer

Every year nearly 46,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer and more people are being diagnosed each year. Last year the media helped to raise £1.5million during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer in females in the UK with around 6,850 new cases diagnosed each year. Ovarian cancer survival rates have increased gradually since the 1970s with recent figures showing that more than a third of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer are now likely to survive their disease for at least ten years.

More at www.beaudamelingerie.co.uk.

A Teesside entrepreneur has joined forces with the boss of a cake-making firm to cook up a new party craze amongst women across the region.

Joyce Wilkinson and Louise Moore, who run a cupcake and muffin business Moreish Food, have joined forces to launch a new spin out party plan company.

Moreish Living has been rolled out of Ms Moore’s fast growing cake business, based in the village of Norton in Stockton-on-Tees, and aims to spread a new concept of home parties throughout the North East.

The pair met over a tray of cup cakes which Ms Wilkinson had bought from Louise’s business, Moreish Food and both quickly realised there was some common ground between their two enterprises.

The new company will sell kitchen and baking products and homeware accessories in people’s homes using the party plan model, whilst encouraging the host and her guests to have fun doing some interactive cooking.

Ms Wilkinson, who has a background in the party planning industry, said the business will initially focus on the kitchen but will eventually branch out into other themed parties, such as the garden, bedroom and lounge.

She said: “I bought six cupcakes from Louise back in June and we just hit it off straight away and got chatting about other products she had, which she wanted to start selling, but was so busy with her cupcake business, she didn’t have the time to do anything about it.

“When I saw how fantastic the ranges were, I knew I could do something with them.  My background in party planning got my mind working overtime and began to put a plan in place – I haven’t slept since!”

Looking into the future of the fledgling business, Ms Wilkinson said: “We intend to recruit agents who are as passionate about the products and vision as we are, and together we will be going places.

“They will earn money on a commission basis and there will be lots of incentives for high earners. I would like to grow the business nationally and already have ideas about opening a Southern branch of the business.”

Alongside Moreish Food, Moreish Living is holding two fundraising events for the Norton-based Daisy Chain charity, which raises funds for children with autism and their families.

The first fundraising event held on October 9 at St Mary’s Parish raised over £500 for the charity with support from the Mad Hatter Tea Company, Blackwell Butchers and Mini Teesside.

Hoping to raise further funds for the charity, the second event; Winter Wonderland Shopping Experience, will be held on Saturday, November 27 at the Daisy Chain Project in Norton.

Moreish Living’s website www.moreishliving.co.uk will go live in November.  For more details call 07780 663131 or email hello@moreishliving.co.uk.

A recipe for charity success: Owner of Moreish Living, Joyce Wilkinson (left) with Carol Rodgers (right) from Norton-based charity, Daisy Chain.

I have long been a convert to Hipp baby products, despite having originally vowed to give my son only home cooked food.

I soon realised there was a time and a place for using ready-made food, and the Hipp organic range fits the bill. With over 50 years experience in organic nutrition, they give parents peace of mind that they are feeding their baby the purest possible baby foods.

I was recently asked to undertake a review of some of their products for babies who have just started weaning. With my son William being 14-months we were well past the stage-one phase so asked one of my friends for her opinion as her daughter, Eleanor, had just started on solids.

The stage 1 jars are suitable from the start of weaning and offer a wide variety of recipes.  Eleanor tried a number of these which included creamy rice breakfast, vegetable and lentil bake and banana and peach dessert which are all made from the finest quality organic ingredients and are GM free.

She also tried sweet pumpkin and tender carrots from the Hipp wholesome pots range. These are made from ingredients which are gently steam cooked and contain organic rapeseed oil (with omega 3), important for baby’s development.

Like myself Louise was keen to give Eleanor only food prepared by herself and as a result had no other products to compare them to. In comparison to her home cooked food Louise did find the jars a little bland and more liquid but Eleanor did eat them and if she was ever stuck for a meal she would certainly use them again.

Louise felt that the organic factor was a winner and she would be more likely to use Hipp than any other brand.

I did try William with the Hipp organic fruit pots which are suitable for any age from the start of weaning. We had been stuck in a rut of fromage frais and custard for a few weeks and these were a great alternative. They were devoured by William and as they provided one of his five a day and free from added sugar they were ideal as a dessert or as a healthy snack between meals.

Checkout the Hipp Baby Club at www.hippbabyclub.co.uk which offers online pregnancy, baby and weaning advice. It also provides a FREE weaning starter pack for mums with products and money off vouchers along with week by week advice on the first four weeks of weaning.

Who doesn’t love displaying photos of their friends, family, holidays and parties?

Why stick to only using traditional photo frames or even the modern digital frames when you can choose an inspiring twist on the traditional with a range of quirky frames or practical items such as bookends and coasters that double up as photo frames.

Why not check out some fabulous and fun alternatives for displaying your photos from the Hand Picked Collection.

The Photo Tray is guaranteed to bring a smile to teatime and priced at £24.95. With space for four photos this is a great present for newlyweds or devoted grannies.

And then why not protect your table from hot tea with some fun Frame Coasters £14.95  – my favourites. They look great a will protect furniture and can be a really fun and alternative way to set out a seating plan, great for wedding favours, just pop a picture in of the happy couple or a favourite picture of your guests, so much more fun looking for your photo (even if an embarrassing one) rather than your name.

For a novel idea, you may chose the sturdy Photo Frame Bookends (£39.95) which are similar to traditional frames on a shelf but with a practical use.

And instead of a boring old clock on the wall, transform clock watching into a photo montage with the sleekly designed Clip Clock (£26.95). Each clip is ideal for holding a photo and each can be changed easily depending on your mood. The pink version is great for a girl’s bedroom.

Every mum wants to encourage kids to hang up their coats rather than flinging them on the floor by the door and the Photo Shelf with Hooks (£19.95) could do the trick. Each of the three hooks has a space for a photo above so the little darlings can’t dare to claim “I don’t know where it lives”. And what’s more there is a useful shelf above for gloves, hats or even photo frames!

The Cricket Bat Frame (£24.95) is a fun way to immortalise any great cricketing moments while the Photo Paperweights (£7.95) can discretely display photos while in the office.

The Mini Picasso Cufflinks (£34.95) & Keyring (£19.95) are ideal for busy dads who can carry images of their kids with them while on their travels. While the magnetic Fridge Frames (£5.95) are lovely ways to bring some colour and fun to the boring fridge door – and could even encourage dieters if an aspired-to image is slipped into the frame!

Photo montages are brilliant for displaying images of a special party, wedding or specific group of friends or kids but instead of the usual clip frame, the quirky Maze Photo Frame (£42.95) which holds 14 photos and looks particularly striking if black & white images are mixed with colour photos, could be just up your street.

Similarly, the Multi Photo Frame Mirror (£29.95) holds 20 photos around its frame and is a wonderful way to disappear down memory lane while applying the mascara.

For more informaiton – www.handpickedcollection.com

Our Babyvue editor Katie Hinchliffe is getting ready to come starters orders for the Great North Run on Sunday. She shares her thoughts on taking part in one of the country’s great sporting occasions.

Anybody who witnessed me take part in PE at school can vouch that I am not a natural sports woman, and certainly no runner.

But since the age of 16, for some unknown reason, I have vowed I would do the Great North Run.

So why has it taken me until the age of 28 to take part? To be honest I’ve no excuse other than I’ve just kept putting it off, that is until last year, when I decided to take the plunge only to discover, after eight weeks of training, that I was pregnant.

I felt that was a good enough reason to skip it but this year there were to be no excuses and I was determined to go for it. But what a year to choose to do it. I must have been mad.

Not only was I looking after my one-year-old son, I also returned to work, whilst completing my dissertation, and attempting to have time to myself. Not surprisingly I was half hoping my name wouldn’t be pulled out of the hat of 100,000 entrants, but D-Day arrived on 11th February and I had my race number. I was going to be a part of the spectacle that is The Great North Run, and so the training, and the obsession, began in earnest.

Training had already started a few months before when my son was eight-weeks-old. Some of my friends thought I was crazy but I was feeling inspired having watched my dad (me and him above) complete the 13.5-mile course from Newcastle to Shields, and being a part of the atmosphere you can only experience at the Great North Run.

At that point I only had my son to worry about and the 20 minutes run twice a week gave me a break from the new born baby routine. Needless to say it also did wonders for losing the baby weight, and I loved every minute of it.

With three months to go, as you can tell from above, things had become rather more hectic. At times it has felt like a chore and I’ve had to book times in for runs in my diary. But when I’m out there it’s time out and I know that each week I have at least an hour and a half all to myself.

Training has been varied from nice jogs along the coast to Sunderland to slogging up the hill from Wardley to Wrekenton, anyone familiar with Gateshead will know this is no mean feat. The extreme variations of weather this year have also made it interesting having run through the snow, in the baking heat and most recently torrential rain, so I feel prepared for anything on Sunday.

So what should you look out for on the 19th? As you can tell from the pictures I’m not the most stylish of runners, going for more comfort than glamour, but with my beleisha beacon bright pink face you can see me coming a mile off. I’ll be running alongside my dad and we’re aiming for under 2 hours 15 minutes.

I’m doing it for myself as with everything I’ve had to juggle this year I didn’t want the extra pressure of raising funds for charity. In doing so I’ve proved you can do anything if you put your mind to it and I can’t imagine the sense of achievement I’ll feel when I cross that finish line on The Lees next Sunday.