Issue 1 Spring 2008
Regent’s students remember
Martine Vik Magnussen
by Hayley-Jane Marshall
and Sarah Dhupar
A one minute silence in memory of
RBSL student Martine Vik Magnussen
was held in Herringham Hall on Friday
4 April at 12:00.
The event was attended by a large
number of staff and students who
came to honour Martine’s memory.
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sci-
ences Dean Judith Ackroyd signalled
the beginning of the silence, and a
bell rang to announce its end.
A memorial service was held the
following week, on Thursday 10 April.
Herringham Hall was full of people
who attended the service to pay their
respects. The memorial service was
led by the Reverend Paul Thomas and
Reverend Torbjorn Holt, rector of the
Norwegian Church in London, with
contributions from Martin Timbrell, Dr.
Richard Gregson and Sebastian Villyn.
A pianist and choir from St. Marylebone
Kensuke Kajita
storms Webbies
by Dave Bolton
Awards ceremonies exist to honour ex-
cellence and the ‘Webbies’ are no dif-
ferent. Held annually at the St. Louis
campus by the School of Communica-
tion, this year marked the 19th run-
ning of the event, and over the course
of two-and-half hours 63 awards were
handed out to students from all over
the world.
Everything that you would expect
to see at an awards ceremony was
there. From the red carpet being pa-
trolled by the (student) media to ac-
ceptance speeches
which thanked mums,
dads and other 2 >>
HASS’s new Dean takes to the stage
by Dave Bolton
Let us start with a few words of cau-
tion for those who haven’t dealt with
the new Dean of Humanities, Arts and
Social Sciences, Dr Judith Ackroyd.
Don’t call her ‘Judy’, don’t dismiss her
previous academic work as “just role-
play”, don’t remind her that she may
have to cut down on foreign trips and
above all, don’t ever ask her to make
masks. What could get you into her
good books is if you offer to take her
for coffee in London’s new café cul-
ture that has sprung up since she was
a student in London in 1982.
“I still can’t get over the change in
the cafés and the food,” she says, a
statement echoed by those of us who
remember a big night out meaning
dinner at an Angus Steak House
restaurant. Having recently moved to
London from the Midlands, Dr. Ack-
royd is enjoying being back in the cap-
ital city, with the attraction of living by
Regent’s Park. In addition, she’s look-
ing forward to the “excitement and en-
ergy” of her new role.
“For somebody coming in my po-
sition,” says the enthusiastic former
Associate Dean at the University of
Northampton, “it’s ever such good
fun,” but at the same time, “it’s a hell
of a challenge because everything is
new.” She stresses, however that
whilst change is unsettling, the im-
portant thing is that attending and
working at Regent’s College should be
‘a positive experience.’
Dr. Ackroyd was hired to take on
the newly created role of Dean of Hu-
manities, Arts and Social Sciences
(HASS) after the College restructured
into two entities. The other, The Fac-
ulty of Business and Management, is
now led by Martin Timbrell. The brief
for heading up the humanities side of
the college was complex: a person
from an academic background and
also from a field that dealt with the
performing arts, who would also be
able to include the School of Psy-
chotherapy within their remit. For Ju-
dith, as the former Associate Dean
From the Book of Condolences
A vibrant, bubbly personality
She enlivened discussions
Loved by all who surrounded
you
Our thoughts and sympathy are
with you
We will remember you
She was friendly and cheerful
A smile like sunshine Literally Gorgeous: Degrees of
Freedom - two RACL gradu-
ates’ fashion line
Parish Church had been arranged for
4 >>
the service.
Afterwards, there were queues of
friends, staff and students waiting to
contribute to the Book of Condo-
lences, which is going to be bound
into a book for the family.
The service was beautifully
arranged. It was a perfect opportunity
for friends, students and staff to say
goodbye to Martine and to take the
time to have her in our thoughts fol-
lowing her untimely passing. She will
be deeply missed and never forgotten.
Regent’s Got Talent: Making
(Research and Business Develop- their mark on the world -
ment) at Northampton University and discover the hidden talents
the author of many publications and of Regent’s staff
articles dealing with the role of the-
atre as a way of dealing with problems
and students 7 >>
and situations, this seemed an ideal
role.
“I am firmly of the belief that any-
one who manages academics should
be an academic,” states Dr. Ackroyd,
sitting forward to emphasise her
point, before leaning back again and
smiling, which is something she does
a lot. Managers have the capacity to
be intimidating, but Dr. Ackroyd has
an infectious enthusiasm. Casually
dressed and keen to answer all ques-
tions thoroughly, she seems less like
an academic and more like someone
who might also perform. Considering
that the majority of her published
work deals with Applied Theatre which
requires her to deal with those not
used to treading the boards, this isn’t
surprising. She points out that she is
into “building communities” and not
just on getting reluctant businessmen
to engage in role play as, laughing,
she points out for many the thought of
performing is “the kiss of death!”
However, accepting this newly cre- College Cup Catastrophe
ated role at Regent’s has not been Regent’s are trounced in
without sacrifice for football final
Dr. Ackroyd. Apart
from the obvious 2 >> 8 >>
Comment
Welcome to the first issue of The Re-
gent, the newspaper for students, fac-
ulty and staff at all of the Regent’s
College schools. With the four schools
under the Regent’s banner having re-
cently been united, we feel that this is
an ideal time to be launching a campus-
wide newspaper. Our aim is to con-
tinue building lines of communication
between the schools by sharing the
news coming out of each school and
the issues common to us all.
This edition has been produced by
enthusiastic student and staff con-
tributors from RBSL, EBSL and RACL,
with contributions from both degree
students and study abroad students
from our affiliate colleges. The volun-
teer writers, photographers and pro-
duction staff were assisted by two
members of the teaching staff. The
funding for production comes from
Student Services under the direction
of Frank Siegmund.
We want to thank our contributors
for their work and effort: Francesca
Barrow, Dave Bolton, Sarah Dhupar,
Katelyn Lemasters, Hayley-Jane Mar-
Photo: Juan Martin Piccirillo
>> 1 HASS’s new dean
takes to the stage
move away from Northampton, she
fears she will have to take more of a
backseat in her contributions to pub-
lished work, whilst being unable to ac-
cept her many invitations to speak
and run workshops abroad.
Admitting that she is “painfully be-
hind in my reading”, she says it’s a
small price to pay for the new opportu-
nity that she has been given here in
London. I ask her how she will be using
her past experiences in the position at
Regent’s College. She pauses, consid-
2
shall, Juan Piccirillo and Elizabeth
Campbell.
We also want to thank Sarah Dhu-
par, EBSL Academic Advisor, for pro-
duction and editing help and Noemi
Sadowska, RBSL senior lecturer in
Global Business and Design Manage-
ment , for designing our layout.
In this edition you will meet the
new HASS Dean Judith Ackroyd, re-
member the tragic loss of student
Martine Vik Magnussen and see the
sartorial achievements of two Re-
gent’s alumni being modelled by two
of the current crop of students.
With many of our contributors
about to graduate or return to their
home countries at the end of term, we
need new blood for the next edition,
which is scheduled for production in
November 2008. Ultimately we want
the paper to be written, edited and
produced by students and adminis-
trative staff and hope it will provide a
vital voice and guide for students in all
of our schools.
So, if you have a lead for a story or
you think someone should be fea-
tured, let us know. Please come and
lend your support and have your say.
Leslie Viney and Phil Grey
ering her answer carefully before an-
swering.
“I want the work (of HASS) to be
recognised and valued,” she states,
but while she isn’t specific about in-
corporating any theatre links, she has
not ruled out the possibility of “using
drama to work with staff to develop
the Faculty”. As we all have a role to
play at the college, this could be an in-
novative approach and Dr Ackroyd
could be just the one to show us ex-
actly what it is.
Just don’t call her Judy.
Q&A with the new Dean
by Katelyn Lemasters
What accomplishments are you
most proud of?
I am most proud of two things.
Firstly, the teaching experiences I
have had with school and higher ed-
ucation students. Secondly, I am
proud of my research into acting
and role, and the book, Role Re-
considered, which was the result. I
am proud of this because it chal-
lenged the field’s assumptions and
charted a new way of conceiving ap-
plied theatre work, which has now
become accepted as the norm.
Funny that it seemed so scary at the
time because I was turning upside
down what so many key writers had
been saying. I wondered how they
would react. Now, no one would
raise it as an issue.
Where do you feel is the best
place to study and perform theatre?
There are many great places to
study and perform theatre. It de-
>> 1 Kensuke Kajita
storms Webbies
members of the team, even the Web-
bie itself being brought on to the
stage by a succession of attractive
girls. There were students who were
nominated for several awards, there
were international guests and there
were people who were unable to at-
tend (although there were no video-
acceptance speeches). The campus
had even found a comedic double act
as hosts who attempted to keep the
show flowing and on schedule.
The big winners on the night were
Japanese student Kensuke Kajita
who walked away with five awards in
Advertising and Marketing Communi-
cations and the Vienna campus who
The Webbies – A nominees view!
By Dave Bolton
“And the winner is ....”.
I sit there with my heart pounding,
clammy hands, a prayer to a previ-
ously ignored deity. Speech prepared,
sporting a newly purchased waistcoat,
I look like a man who should win an
award for sartorial elegance at the
very least. I know that being nomi-
nated is supposedly enough, but
when you have endured 24 hours of
air travel to be there, you want to win
something for your trouble.
I have always found awards cere-
monies to be curious events. They
exist not only to celebrate success
and honour the worthy, but also as a
reminder that not everyone can be a
winner. For every five nominees, there
will be four who do not win. The nom-
inees will sit there, the eyes of the
world upon them as they politely ap-
plaud their own failure. I will always re-
member a scene from the US Show
‘Friends’ when Joey was nominated
but didn’t win and was filmed swear-
ing and ranting at his companion. I
happen to think that is a far more re-
alistic reaction than nodding sagely as
pends upon what a student wants
from the course. Some wish to
study the form, others to learn to
perform themselves, many who
chose to study at universities (as
opposed to training schools) wish to
do a bit of both. Then there are
types of theatrical form. The world
offers huge range of different gen-
res of theatre, from Nigerian Igbu
mask to Japan’s Kabuki. New forms
are often hybrids which draw from
many forms. Physical theatre de-
rived from ensemble companies
is experiencing significant interest
these days and I am delighted be-
cause it challenges fixed notions of
what is theatre.
Regent’s College already offers
a selection of highly successful
drama courses and we will be de-
veloping this portfolio. So, I would
say that Regent’s will be the best
place to study of course!
Best place to perform?
I like to see theatre in unex-
picked up five awards collectively in
Print Journalism and Video cate-
gories. The rest of the awards were
handed out (unsurprisingly) to stu-
dents from the St. Louis campus but
there was no denying the quality of
the international entrants.
Alexandra Ruths, who repre-
sented the Vienna campus, was un-
derstandingly pleased as she picked
up two awards for herself (Print Re-
view & Studio Production) as well as
an accolade for her boyfriend, Paul
Krauskopf.
“It’s such an honour to even be
nominated” she said, “but to win is
unexpected”. A sentiment echoed by
Kensuke who, in winning the award as
Outstanding SOC Senior, could only
your name is not read out and you
mentally relocate to the bar.
So, upon discovering that I had
been nominated for a Webbie for Print
Review Column by the St Louis School
of Communication, I was unsure as to
how to react. It was fortunate that I had
already been invited out by the Dean as
the London representative. But being
nominated for an award meant that I
would have to keep my competitive na-
ture – already well known to my UK col-
leagues – firmly in check.
Once in St Louis, the welcome af-
forded to me could not have been
warmer. My lodgings were comfort-
pected places. Fiona Shaw read The
Wasteland in a performed reading –
directed by Deborah Warner – in a
warehouse in New York. That sounds
exciting! I enjoy entering theatre
spaces that have disturbed the
space and thus the dynamics of
them. A group of my students in-
vited the audience into the hall to
find the seats all gone and a circus
ring created. They performed Ham-
let as a clown troupe. Another
group filled a small room with peat.
The smell on entering was amazing.
It was probably a foot deep. They
were performing an ensemble piece
of physical theatre based on an An-
gela Carter short story. I recall sit-
ting on the floor very close to one
actor shoving another’s head into a
bucket to depict a witch hunt. I got
splashed. It felt so exciting. I recall a
performance piece in a car park. So
I like to be surprised …. though I
also like to sink into a nice comfy
seat at the National!
mutter the word “awesome” as he was
submerged under a scrum of well-wish-
ers from his adopted campus.
Debra Carpenter, Dean of the
School of Communication, believes
that having international competition
for the awards will only make the com-
petition stronger.
“Last year was the first time that
we invited (international) students
and we hope that the success this
year will encourage other campuses
to participate.” She added that “Web-
ster is an international campus, some-
times we forget that there are
students on other campuses who can
benefit from visiting us and seeing
what we have to offer.”
able, my fellow International Student
(Alexandra Ruths, from the Vienna
campus) was fun to hang out with and
I got to see the famous Arch. We
were made to feel like VIPs by the at-
tentive faculty.
Even when we arrived at the cere-
mony, we were interviewed and filmed
on the red carpet by GTV, the campus
station. Then we were ushered into a
front row seat, which is when I re-
alised that I was representing not only
the London campus but also England
itself. And, yes, I still wanted to win.
The place was decked out with
photos of the nominees and a big
screen to show snippets of the nomi-
nated films and projects. It was
hosted by the self-titled ‘comedic
duo’ Larry Baden and Bernie Hayes,
two campus professors. There were
the Larry Girls, female (mainly blonde)
students who made me think of the
Wheel of Fortune. There were 63
awards handed out and a short stu-
dent film split into digestible chunks
that were distracting enough to calm
my nerves.
These ceremonies
are to reward talent 8 >>
by Sarah Dhupar
A series of internationally-themed
weeks kicked off at Regent’s College
between 7–11 April with the events of
European Week. Organised by the
staff from the International Pro-
grammes Office at EBSL, the events
brought 20 guest presenters from 13
different EBSL partner institutions
across Europe to take part.
The week began with a launch
party for Regent’s College staff and
guests. Martin Timbrell, Dean of the
Business Faculty, gave the opening
speech and thanked European guests
and academics across Regent’s Col-
lege for supporting and participating
in the events.
Over the next four days, academ-
ics from the institutions delivered
guest lectures with European themes,
including ‘Intercultural Communica-
tion in Europe’ delivered by Elisabeth
Dickson of ESPEME Nice, and ‘Ser-
vice Marketing: A Spanish Case’, de-
livered by Lorea Narbaiza from
Universidad de Deusto in Spain.
Using a case study from her home
town of San Sebastian, Lorea re-
ported on reactions to a modern
building that had been built in the tra-
ditional town.
Each lecture brought a cultural as-
pect from a different part of Europe.
One popular talk on, ‘Pablo Picasso:
Vida y Obra’, delivered by Maria Victo-
ria Chico Picaza from EBS Madrid, is
now featured on the EBS website.
Many of Regent’s College’s own ac-
ademics also delivered guest lectures,
including Dr. Liz Allen of EBSL, on
‘Britain in Europe: is there a culture
clash?’ which forms part of her own
module ‘The Business of Culture: Britain
and the Heritage Industry’. Liz said: “The
lecture had a highly relevant British Cul-
ture focus, looking at the construction
of the British identity, and looking at
the way that has been forced partly in
relation to the French as Other.”
College librarian Sven takes the Lib
Dem whip in Lewisham
by Dave Bolton
For many people who decide to take
up residence in this country, it’s usual
to take only a passing interest in
British politics. Unless something af-
fects their own sphere of influence,
they are content to leave politics to
the pages of the newspapers or the
television networks. However, here at
Regent’s College we are proud to have
an individual who both comes from
outside the UK and is firmly involved
in the political spectrum here.
Sven Griesenbeck, who originally
hails from Germany and works in the
college library, has lived in London for
11 years. Having joined the Liberal
Democrat party in 2005, he was re-
cently elected Chief Whip of the party
European Week is a big success
for Lewisham in South London. As the
party of the group within the local
council, he is responsible for helping
the party with group cohesion, ensur-
ing that voter turnout is high and
keeping the higher levels of the party
fully supported from the ground level.
Knowing that “it would be a bit
awkward if the people of Britain were
represented by a foreigner,” Sven took
and passed the Citizenship test in Au-
gust 2007, making him a legal citizen
of both Britain and Germany. This
pairing may sound unusual, but as the
Royal Family themselves are de-
scended from Germanic stock, it
shouldn’t cause too many raised eye-
brows when the time comes for Sven
to hit the campaign trail.
Champagne served with Gallic pomp and ceremony
by Hayley-Jayne Marshall
Students and staff at Regent’s Col-
lege experienced an exciting French
Ceremony called Sabre d’Or as part of
the EBS European Week activities tak-
ing place on campus.
The ceremony, which involves sev-
ering the top off a chilled bottle of
Champagne with a sabre, was per-
formed by Grand Master Jean-Claude
Jalloux of the Confrerie du Sabre d’Or.
The international order, with 15
Caveaux de Sabrage around the
world, dates back to Napoleonic
times, but today the ceremonial tradi-
tion occurs mainly in restaurants and
hotels around the world.
Students and staff gathered in
Herringham Hall on Friday 11 April to
await Jean-Claude’s arrival, which was
slightly delayed by the weather. How-
ever it was worth the wait to witness
this unusual event. He held the bottle
of champagne with one hand and the
sabre with the other, and with a quick
flick of his wrist, sent the neck flying
cleanly away
“It can seem daunting when you
are initially handed a sabre and a
chilled bottle of Champagne with the
expectation that you will sever the top
of the bottle with the sword’s blade.
All it needs is a firm wrist with a high
The student Council coordinated a
number of social and cultural events
as part of European Week. The Euro-
pean themed events included three
European films, a European sofa quiz,
a Eurovision song contest, and a Eu-
ropean photo contest.
The proceeds from a European
Wine and Cheese Tasting event went
to a Russian children’s charity. Staff
and students let their taste-buds ex-
plore the continent with wines and
cheeses that had been donated, while
a contemporary jazz band performed.
Two sporting events were organ-
ised by Regent's College’s Sports Co-
ordinator Lisa Downey – a European
tennis tournament and a staff versus
student European football match
(which the students won!).
An important part of European
Week was the Study Abroad Fair in
Herringham Hall, which offered study
abroad options for students. “While
study abroad is a compulsory aspect
of their degree for EBSL students, the
How a star was born
by Sarah Dhupar
A new computer system is in the
process of being implemented
across Regent’s College, as some
of you may have noticed with the
recent competition to name that
system.
Many entries were received
from both staff and students, in-
cluding ‘Parklife’, ‘Octopus’, ‘Regen-
tology’, ‘Regis’ and ‘SID (Student
elbow and you’ll be back at your table
regaling your fellow guests with tales
of how easy it really was,” said Jean
Claude.
When performed on a suitably
chilled bottle of Champagne, the cork
and glass annulus (ring) fly away,
spilling little of the liquid. The pres-
sure of the Champagne always en-
sures that no glass falls back into the
bottle. Check the website before try-
ing this at home!
www.confreriedusabredor.co.uk
Fair gave many other Regent’s College
students a chance to see what our
partner institutions have to offer, and
to promote studying abroad as an op-
tion,” said Katie Morris of the Interna-
tional Programmes Office.
The Fair contained 36 stands rep-
resenting each partner institution and
each study abroad choice. Each stand
was staffed by representatives from
participating universities as well as ex-
change students, and students who
had returned from their study periods
abroad.
Also at the Fair were stands by sev-
eral language co-ordinators from EBSL,
with information on each of their re-
spective countries, such as travel and
tourist information, pictures, papers,
and examples of typical food.
All of this was set to a background
of European music and a slideshow of
the partner institutions and the coun-
tries where they are situated. “It was very
successful and enjoyable, well attended
and informative,” said Katie Morris.
Information Database)’, and at the
Project Board held just before the
first phase of the launch, ‘Star’
was chosen as the winning entry.
Standing for STudent Adminis-
tration Record system, the winning
name actually came from (STAR)
Project Manager Julia Crossman,
so the 50 pounds bookshop voucher
prize went to the person who sub-
mitted the entry that came a close
second, Secretary Shirley Paul, for
her entry of ‘SID’.
After Jean-Claude demonstrated
the art of severing the top off a cham-
pagne bottle with his sabre, he invited
a member of the audience to give it a
try. Katie Morris, a member from the
International Programme Office (IPO)
team stepped up to the occasion, sev-
ering the top of perfectly. Katie was
knighted and awarded a certificate for
her newly found skill.
Following the event, guests were
served Champagne and a range of
speciality cheeses.
3

by Francesca Barrow
Blondie got it right when she sang “Wrap me in
designer sheets and I’ll never get enough”. Noth-
ing is more fabulous than having every cen-
timetre of your body enfolded in a swathe of
deliciously opulent material. Noelle Reno, who
graduated last year from Regent’s College, has
founded ‘Degrees of Freedom’, a clothing line of
cashmere casual-wear for the woman with a jet
set lifestyle who demands to be ‘comfortable-
chic’.
Inspired by the idea of clothes that on-the-
go women could easily wear both in the home
and outside, Noelle brought on board fellow
graduate Eric Benz, to work alongside her in the
company as managing director. Their vision is to
encapsulate an ‘aristocratic, sensual, chic’ look
in a line of tracksuits, opera coats, Boleyn jack-
ets and dresses. “No one’s done that before,”
says Noelle.
As she talks about ‘Degrees of Freedom’,
every word is fuelled with a sense of urgent am-
bition. “I was ready to leave Regents,” Noelle
tells me, her baby blue eyes earnest. She spent
her last college year juggling lectures with busi-
ness meetings although “I was on the Dean’s list
every semester.”
While the typical Regent’s College lifestyle
embraces the club scene, Noelle says she had
already got her “degree in clubbing”, coming
from a background in acting and modelling in
Milan, Hollywood and Paris.
With her evenings out usually related to pro-
Degrees of Freedom
Cream White Opera Coat
moting Degrees of Freedom, Noelle explains
that a quiet dinner with girlfriends is “far more
exciting” than a night out at Crystal where “I’m
allegedly a founding member but have never
been.”
4
Degrees of Freedom
us right now, so everyone has to pick up the able now. In three years Noelle would like to
slack,” he says, explaining how his job can in- have private equity coming in to buy shares in
clude doing anything from “just general opera- the company so they can open up their own
tional management to liaising with the factories, store in London, “perhaps in Belgravia.”
exporting/importing, the website, figuring out ex- Chelsea Pletts, one of the DOF models for
actly how to get products to the stores, market- The Regent newspaper says that the clothes feel
ing, or backing the floor.” so good, “you never want to take them off!”
The line has already been snatched up by Noelle and Eric are hoping that the fashionistas
both Harrods and Harvey Nichols and is avail- will feel the same way as she does.
Degrees of Freedom
Cream White Opera Coat with Cream White
Wide-Cuff Cummerbund Pant
Silk Cashmere Printed Racerback Top
With a growing number of people crossing
the threshold from their degree into establish-
ing their own labels, Noelle says that what dif-
ferentiates her from the masses is that “we have
grown so quickly. We are trying to launch inter-
nationally all at once which is not the usual; to
become a global brand from the beginning.” The
company is looking to open offices in New York
and Los Angeles first and later to expand further.
Noelle’s fiancé Matthew Mellon brings a
wealth of experience in fashion to the company
from his background with Jimmy Choo shoes as
well as Harry’s, his own shoe line, and has been
a driving force from the beginning. “Other people
don’t have a shareholder with such high expec-
tations,” Noelle says. Mathew wants to “do a mil-
lion” next season, having already grossed
£500,000 in the company’s first season.
The rest of the team, which includes de-
signer Nigel Glasgow, also share the same phi-
losophy. “If you don’t change with the season,
you’re finished,” says Eric of the competitive
fashion world. “The dynamic of the team is re-
ally amazing.” Eric, who met Noelle while shoot-
ing a video project as part of his Media
Communications degree says, “I was always in
her mind as someone who could help out or as-
sist with an area, whether it be filming or pro-
duction.” But when he began in the company
aged twenty three, he had no experience of the
industry and never imagined he would be work- Degrees Of Freedom
ing in women’s fashion. “There are only three of Woodrose Bolero with Woodrose Half-Butt Pant
Degrees of Freedom
Cream White Opera Coat with Cream White
Wide-Cuff Cummerbund Pant

Silk Cashmere Printed Racerback Top

Woodrose Bolero with Woodrose Half-Butt Pant

Models: Francesca Barrow & Chelsea Pletts

All photos by Elizabeth Campbell
5

Yummy Restaurants
by Katelyn Lemasters
Restaurant: Strada (Italian Food)
“Strada makes for excellent
pizza” Vogue
Location: 100 Baker Street,
London, W1U 6TW
Hours: Monday-Saturday:
Noon – 11 pm
Sunday: Noon – 10:30 pm
Price Range: Affordable, dishes
range in cost from £4-16
Recommended Dishes:
• Spaghetti al Ragu (£8.95)
• Bufala Pizza (£7.95)
• Margherita Pizza (£6.95
• Penne con Bufala (£8.25)
Restaurant: Getti (Italian)
Location: 42 Marylebone High
Street, London, W1U 5HD
Hours: Monday-Saturday:
Noon-3 pm and 6-11 pm
Price Range: Pricey, dishes range
in cost from £7- 28.50
Recommended Dishes:
• Spaghetti all’Aragosta
(£ 17.30)
• Risotto ai Frutti di Mare
(£ 12.35)
• Grigliata d’Aragosta – Lobster
& Seafood – (£28.50)
Restaurant: Wagamama
(South East Asian)
Location: 14 Irving Street,
London, WC2H 7AF
Hours: Monday-Thursday:
Noon-11 pm
Friday-Saturday: Noon-12 am
Sunday: Noon-10 pm
Price Range: Affordable, dishes
range in cost from £5-10.35
Recommended Dishes:
• Chicken Chilli Men (£9.00)
• Seafood Ramen (£9.50)
• Chicken Katsu Curry (£7.95)
Restaurant: Green Note
(World Vegetarian)
Location: 106 Parkway, London,
NW1 7AN
Hours: Wednesday-Saturday:
6.00pm-Midnight
Sunday: 1pm-Midnight
Closed: Monday & Tuesday
Eat in the rear dining room and
enjoy live music while you munch
Price Range: Affordable, dishes
range in cost from £2.25-8.95
Recommended Dishes:
• variety of Tapas (£2.25-
£4.95)
• organic marinated tofu
(£6.95)
• salad platter (select five from
a long list of options) (£8.95)
Restaurant: The Hobgoblin
Location: 21 Balcombe Street,
London, NW1 6HB
Food Served: Monday-Sunday:
Noon-2 pm and 6-11 pm
Price Range: Affordable, for when
you fancy a good pint of ale with
your meal
Recommended Dishes:
• Pad Thai (Chicken, Prawn or
Tofu) (£5.95)
• Kaeng Paa Kai (Chicken,
Prawn or Tofu) (£4.95 exclud-
ing rice)
• Massaman Curry (Beef or
Lamb) (£5.95 excluding rice)
6
Photo: Stefanie Larson
Early blunders of Britain’s top chefs
by Sarah Dhupar
There have been a lot of new things
happening with food at Regent’s Col-
lege over the past year, with the open-
ing of the new Grill Bar, the Brasserie,
the Deli and the new-look Refectory.
But what was it like for some of
Britain’s top chefs when all things
food were new to them?
Household name and star of ITV’s
‘Hell’s Kitchen’ Gary Rhodes may
have his cooking down to a very fine
art now, but when he was first start-
ing out, he was very scared of his
head chef finding out about his mis-
takes, and one in particular. In one of
his very first jobs, he was working in a
restaurant in a hotel and a large party
had cancelled, giving very little notice.
This left the kitchen with lots of food
to use up, but in particular, with six
large boxes of extra fine French
beans.
The chef wanted them cooked,
wrapped in portions of 10 and frozen.
“It came to a large pot of boiling
salted water and for a mad moment I
decided to tip all six boxes of beans
into the pot, rather than cooking a few
at a time,” says Gary. “The water be-
Dave plays chef for an hour
by Dave Bolton
I am scared and it shows. In my hands
I hold a very sharp piece of metal, with
which I have to complete what seems
the relatively simple task of cutting up
a cucumber. The chef standing beside
me is barely able to conceal his dis-
dain, and tells me to “hold the knife
like a man” and explains again how to
slice and dice without losing my fin-
gers. Losing my fingers is the last of
my worries, it is getting through the
hour that concerns me.
In retrospect I should have re-
alised that there would be an element
of danger when I agreed to this. After
all, I have seen enough cookery shows
over the years to realise that cutting
of vegetables is an integral weapon in
a chef’s armoury, but I never imagined
that I would be actually entrusted with
the responsibility of preparing food for
mass consumption. The presence of
a health and safety form to be signed,
absolving the kitchen of any blame,
alerted me to the risk that I was ex-
pected to do something, and it was
obviously not going to be toasting
bread. Still how hard can it be to cut
things?
came cold, the beans stewed instead
of boiling and eventually turned a dull,
yellowy, greenish colour – I was terri-
fied! I have never refreshed, wrapped
and frozen a pan of beans so quickly
in my life as on that day. Somehow, I
managed to get away with it without
the chef finding out, but I lived in fear
for weeks to follow!”
Another chef to suffer as the con-
sequence of a party cancellation was
the most well known and respected
Asian chef in the UK, Cyrus Todiwala.
“I remember one day I made 2000
scotch eggs, only to find out after-
wards that the party was cancelled,”
he says. “It was completely my error
as I should have checked the notice
board, as it was written on there! Then
one day I sliced ten kilos of bacon and
piled them one on top of the other
making them all stick and apparently
quite useless for making ‘Angels on
Horseback’ which I had to do.”
Cyrus, who runs two London
restaurants including the award win-
ning Café Spice Namaste, and is a
celebrity chef in India, remembers
being really scared on his first day
working in a professional kitchen, as
the huge cavernous kitchen and the
As I learn very quickly, it is very
hard!
Put yourself in the position of
Richard Evans, head chef of Regent’s
College. He has been a practicing chef
for 16 years, three of which he has
run the kitchen at the College. Not
only does he have the responsibility of
running a kitchen from 7 in the morn-
ing, a time when I am fortunately
asleep, but he has to make sure that
the staff and students of the College
are kept fed and watered on a con-
stant basis. Unlike a restaurant, the
kitchen doesn’t open and close at a
certain time, this is a continuous cycle
of food.
Which is why, when faced with the
prospect of teaching someone who
has no cookery skills whatsoever, he
decides that the best place for me to
learn is in the salad preparation de-
partment. This is where the knife and
the disdain come in.
To be fair, I do look the part. I have
been issued with the regulation blue
checked trousers, a spiffy white jacket
and a small hat. However any resem-
blance to Jamie Oliver quickly disap-
pears when my tutor, Christian, takes
one look at my cucumber attempt and
sweeps it into the bin and tells me to
start again. My face goes as red as
noise of the exhausts and blowers
were frightening, as was the din of the
chefs busily working away with hardly
a passing glance towards him. But he
was hugely excited and simply wanted
to make it a big success for himself.
He says that it was a huge challenge
to even get the senior staff to teach
him. “In those days chefs did not like
training their juniors and gave them
only the mundane jobs forever it
seemed. The biggest challenge then,
was to get around them, win their con-
fidence and get them to show me
their secrets.”
Celebrity chef Brian Turner agrees.
He says that in those days people did
not want to teach you and they never
shared their recipes or techniques –
you just had to find out for yourself.
One recipe however that he did find
out for himself didn’t go down too well
with his teacher at catering college.
“When I was at college I thought I
was a real clever chappy. One day we
were to make an apple pie, and on the
recipe it said to put in a clove, and of
course I thought this meant a clove of
garlic. When it came to the tasting my
teacher said to me ‘Erm, Turner,
what’s this?’ Having realised what I’d
Ten things you should know about
London (according to a Londoner)
1. It is not cheap!
2. People do not care whether you
have a nice day or not
3. Hotdogs purchased from ven-
dors in the street may not be of
premium quality
4. Riding on the Tube is an expe-
rience best undertaken after
10am and before 4pm
5. The myth of the cheerful taxi
driver is exactly that …. a myth,
as they are normally surly, less
than keen to drive any great
distance and will refuse to take
you anywhere after midnight
that is not on their way home.
6. Tickets for Premiership football
the tomatoes that will form part of the
couscous I am making, and now trem-
bling slightly I go for attempt number
two. This is even worse. I am so con-
scious of where my fingers are in re-
lation to the knife that I am unable to
cut with any speed at all. Worse is the
fact that out of the corner of my eye I
can see two people chatting blithely
done I told him that my knife must
have been dirty with garlic!”
His first experience of a profes-
sional kitchen came at a very early
age when he used to help out in the
big and dangerous kitchen of his
dad’s transport café. He studied do-
mestic science at school, which in
those days was very unusual for a boy,
and from his teacher’s and his dad’s
suggestion he then went on to cater-
ing college.
From there he came to London to
work at the Savoy Hotel, which he says
was very daunting. “When my brother
came to visit me he thought I had
come to hell,” he says “what with all
the fire and the people running
around shouting at each other.”
One bit of knowledge that you
would think would come from just
plain common sense though is: if you
leave something cooking for too long,
it is going to burn, as Executive Chef
of the five star Royal Garden Hotel
Steve Munkley found out one day. “I
burnt a soup for 300 people beyond
repair half an hour before I was due to
serve it. Every body under the sun was
chopping onions – I have never made
soup so fast in all life that wasn’t out
of a packet! I take full responsibility –
I put it on the stove and turned it on, I
just forgot that I had done it!”
Someone else who started at the
bottom making mistakes along the
way but still made it to the top is Chris
Galvin, Head Chef of the only Conran
restaurant to have a Michelin Star,
The Orrery. “I started out washing up
for Antony Worral Thompson, and he
will never let me forget it!” says Chris.
He was learning to cook at the
same time though, and he loved every
minute of it, even if sometimes he
was a bit too enthusiastic in his work.
“I made loads of mistakes when I
was starting out, but my biggest one
was when I was so keen to wash up
that I took the pan which the chef
had taken the mussels out of and
threw all the mussels stock away
that was in it – which he was just
about to use. The chef was an old
fashioned guy who gave me a right
telling off!”
matches involving London clubs
are hard to come by … unless it
is for Fulham
7. Camden Town on the weekend
is to be avoided like the plague
8. Cyclists live and ride by their
own laws; take care when
crossing the road even if the
little green man says you can
cross as you may still get hit
by someone in a fluorescent
tank top.
9. You are very unlikely to run into
any of the Royal family, even if
you go to Buckingham Palace.
10. Bus drivers are even worse
than taxi drivers. D.B.
away whilst their blades make short
work of the seemingly endless pro-
cession of vegetables.
Christian has had enough of my
incompetence. “Can you prepare me
some French dressing?” he asks. I
mumble that I do not
actually know how to
do that, but if he 8 >>
The Regent’s guide to a hot night’s clubbing in London
by Francesca Barrow
When the library doors close and the
clock strikes eleven, Regent’s College
comes out to play. Lucky for us that
London has one of the best club
scenes in the world. But as new clubs
come and go, where is it that Regents’
students should be to show the rest
of the elite how to party?
Tramp Nightclub
Jermyn Street
The Original and still the Best?
The library-esque wooden walls of
Tramp must have many stories to tell
from its thirty five year existence. One
rumour goes that a young Shirley
MacLaine even fell asleep on top of a
table one night. Founded in 1969 by
Johnny Gold and his business partner
Oscar Lerman, Tramp has seen the
likes of Michael Douglas, Elizabeth
Hurley, Peter Sellers, Kate Moss, Paris
Hilton and Princess Anne to name just
a few.
If you prefer your clubs modern
and vast, then Tramp is not for you. Its
traditionally designed interiors and
homely feel give those who party at
this exclusive members’ club ‘the feel-
Regent’s got talent and we’ve found it!
Charouz on a winning track
At just 20 years old, Czech racing
driver Jan Charouz has already won
the 2006 F3000 International Mas-
ters championship. Jan has achieved
so much so soon, his career is an
open road causing momentum in the
racing world.
RBS Student Jan Charouz started
racing at the tender age of seven in
the Comer 80 class, where he raced
for five years. In 2000 he moved to
the ICA-J kart series in the Czech In-
ternational Championship, coming
ing that everybody is partying to-
gether’. There is a cocktail of clas-
sic music that’s hard not to like,
impeccable treatment from staff
that have probably been there since
the place opened, a separate restau-
rant bar area with a disco menu also
available throughout the night. Add to
this a selection of the city’s most in-
famous crowd and you have one of
London’s best loved nightspots.
Dolce
Air Street
To-the-Vita
Dolce is a relatively young entrant
to the club scene, having just opened
in December 2007. Considering its
competition (with a range of clubs
such as Mahiki, Maddox, Cukoo and
Movida in close vicinity), it has not
done too badly. It has played host to
some sophisticated clientele such as
Roberto Cavalli, which just so hap-
pens to be the standard Vodka they
serve there. The club is certainly
pleasing on the eye with the inside
painted simply in black and gold, with
water features and impressive chan-
deliers. And for those who like to
make a show of themselves, there are
two podiums at the centre of the club
third in his second season. In 2002
Jan raced in the Czech International
Touring Car Championship in the Ford
Fiesta category. Together with Erik
Janis he finished first and they be-
came the youngest winners of the
Championship.
In 2003 he made the transition to
formula cars, competing in the Ger-
man Formula BMW Championship. In
2004 he raced for Keke Rosberg’s
team in the same series. After two
years’ racing in formula BMW, Jan
landed a seat in the Italian F3000
Championship. As the youngest driver
in the field he still managed to score
points and compete with more experi-
enced drivers.
Jan Charouz gained Champion
title in the F3000 International Mas-
ters Series in 2006, winning best
rookie driver. He recently returned
from Barcelona, finishing third in the
2008 Le Mans Series. Jan says,
“We’re really happy with the result.”
For more information about Jan,
check out his website at
www.jan-charouz.cz/
which feature some light entertain-
ment such as erotic dancing, com-
plete with chains and whips!
That the dancers they hire are
nothing to write home about is unfor-
tunate (and I’m not just saying that
because I think I can do better). The
service could also be improved upon
and following a great start in the way
of music, the DJs now let the place
down. It is not clear which way Dolce
will go, though it is definitely worth a
visit, but better sooner than later con-
sidering that the crowd is rapidly de-
teriorating.
Crystal
Wells Street
Crystal Clique, literally
If you’re in the mood to shine like
the sun, Crystal is the epitome of all
that is extravagant about London
night life. The crystal type lighting fea-
ture that covers the whole ceiling of
the club seems designed for a crowd
expected to order the best: that is,
countless bottles of Crystal along with
the usual Belvedere. And that’s not
wrong. The array of guests who enter
Crystal’s heavenly doors, are no less
than carefully selected. In fact, the
bouncers are so exclusive that even
Jameson headed for stardom
EBS staff member Hayley-Jayne Mar-
shall is lead singer/songwriter for the
five-piece band Jameson.
Jameson were born in the winter of
2006, out of several other bands. Since
then the Essex pop-rockers’ reputation
has grown, along with their following.
Franco’s Chariot rocks
Regent’s very own Asia School Liason
Officer Neil Herrington goes under the
name of ‘Bingo Handjive’, when play-
ing violin for hot new outfit Franco’s
Chariot. The four-piece class their
music as a ‘Voodoo priesthood dedi-
cated to Rock and Roll’.
With an eclectic range of influ-
ences, they’ve managed to create a
distinctive sound that draws on punk,
their faces seem to express pain at
letting anyone in at all, perhaps be-
cause they wish they could be the
ones inside partying.
Whatever you do, don’t adopt the
attitude of thinking you will get in
wearing Juicy Couture tracksuits, as
one such high society Madame who
will remain unnamed, felt obliged to
do. No, Crystal calls for bling as bright
as well, crystals, darling. But as much
fun as it is, once we’re inside, we are
also getting slightly bored of the atti-
tude that Crystal has become known
for. The fact is, if you are going to party
at any one of the top clubs in London,
you are likely to be fabulous enough
anyway, so frankly should expect to be
treated like the best. Crystal should
improve on treatment of their guests,
because having to stand around for
longer than five minutes in five-inch
Louboutin’s, while they make a big
deal about what table you’re on, is
neither comfortable nor acceptable.
Maddox
Mill Street
All hail the Almighty
No club review would be complete
without a mention of Maddox. Since
its opening in April 2007, London has
Influenced by a wide range of mu-
sical styles, the band’s sound is un-
derpinned by a catchy soul/rock
sound. Jameson have been played on
BBC Radio, and appeared on ITV, Sky
and local newspapers, and are now
keen to grow and take the next step in
their musical career.
From over 10,000 artists, Jame-
classic rock and roll, and the blues.
The violin plays a strong part in their
originality, giving their songs more of a
gypsy edge.
Check them out at: http://uk.my-
space.com/francoschariot
Where to see them? – Tommy Flynns,
Camden.
Who they sound like? – A cross
between Gogol Bordello & the Clash
Best Song? – Kisses in the Sun
gradually become obsessed with this
members-only boutique nightclub. Its
success is hardly surprising consider-
ing that the owner, Fred Moss, brings
fifteen years’ experience of hosting
some of the most successful clubs. Its
light-box enhanced tables have seen
celebrities no less than P Diddy and
Keira Knightly. Whether you are a fan
of the décor or not, the music is un-
deniably good and follows you wher-
ever you go on account of there being
a DJ both upstairs in the Italian
restaurant and downstairs in the main
club area. Yes, they have thought of
everything here, including a heated
smokers’ garden, so smokers can
once again feel like they are part of
the cool clique and haven’t been
shoved out front, in the cold, to do
their dirty work. The door staff are
friendly and efficient enough, though
perhaps they should be slightly more
selective about the number of hook-
ers they let in the place. But as with
many spots in central London, you
are likely to get a mixed crowd. If
you’re looking for every aristocrat in
London partying under the same roof
then stick with somewhere like Tramp,
but there’s no denying that, for the ul-
timate clubber’s experience, Maddox
has the baton.
son are one of only 17 acts to make it
through to the National Grand Final of
ITV’s ‘Live and Unsigned’ which will be
televised by Sky & ITV in June.
For more information on Jameson
you can check out their website;
www.myspace.com/jamesonband
7
Creative Seed
On the 18 of April 2008, students
attending Design Management in
Practice module organised a Trade
Show entitled Creative Seed. It repre-
sented the growth of the up and com-
ing talent. This year they not only
promoted their own talents but also
those of entrepreneurial British de-
signers, showcasing the work of
Catherine Tough (interior products
and gifts), Viviana de Gallegos (silver
gifts for special occasions) and Re-
becca Chitty (‘attention seeking’ gifts
and products for the home).
Stand dedicated to designs by Viviana
de Gallegos created by Alima Zhana-
bilova, Heidi Jensen & Jessica Janna
Stand dedicated to designs by Re-
becca Chitty created by Tina Rubin,
Tomiris Akhmetova & Sarah Madani
Stand dedicated to designs by Cather-
ine Tough created by George Rozhkov,
Kamilla Zhanabilova & Julia Krulova
Contact information
To make any comments or to
contribute to future issues contact
greyp@regents.ac.uk or
vineyl@regents.ac.uk
Produced by www.quotemeprint.com 0845 1300 667
Regent’s go down
Katelyn Lemasters
On March 13th Regent’s Col-
lege, in yellow, played for the first
time in the final of the Southern
England Student Sports Associa-
tion Bowl. In an intensely competi-
tive match Regent’s were ultimately
defeated 3-0 by Buckinghamshire
University.
New buzz on campus
There are many things that we have
come to expect from Regent’s (decent
standard of education, a reasonable
cup of coffee and a car park that re-
sembles David Beckham’s garage)
but beekeeping is not top of many stu-
dents’ lists. However tucked away be-
hind some fierce shrubbery near the
sports court there are three beehives.
Not only that but they are ‘active’
beehives, a fact pointed out by the
rather helpful yellow and black sign
which is placed some 10 yards from
these wooden homes of the Apis Mel-
lifera or, for the uninformed, the honey-
bee. According to the British Beekeeping
Association, many colonies of bees
are ‘of an uneven temper’, which is
why the garden staff have used the
word ‘danger’ to draw attention to the
hives.
Upon further investigation it turns
out these are not Regent’s Bees but
rather belong to a private beekeeper
who pays rent to the college in order
to indulge a hobby also enjoyed by
Green members wanted
Alan Sitkin
The Stern Report’s emphasis on the
cost of not behaving sustainably – as
opposed to the cost of doing so –
switched on a proverbial light bulb for
many citizens. No longer should the
shift to a different way of working and
living be seen as something abnor-
mal. Instead, it is the status quo that
seems wrong.
This line of thinking has already
sparked a certain number of develop-
ments on campus. In February 2007,
EBS staff participated in a ‘Green Ini-
tiatives’ survey whose outcomes were
transformed into voluntary action
plans. This led to clear improvement
in at least one area, the recycling of
staff paper. On a broader scale, senior
managers’ strong support for a sus-
tainable agenda has driven a series of
measures impacting Regent’s facili-
ties management. Heating and light-
Photo: Dave Bolton
10,000 people in the UK alone.
For any now on the lookout for
these hives, consider that some
colonies may have up to 50,000 bees,
and keep a safe distance during the
summer months. It’s no fun being
stung by an angry bee and as the poor
bee dies after it stings, it’s a case of
no winners, only losers.
ing improvement projects were also
launched, with more scheduled for
the future.
Yet there will always be more do,
and indeed many of us have been
looking for a vehicle to channel our ef-
forts in this area. Hence the recent
creation of a new volunteer associa-
tion called the ‘Student Staff Environ-
mental Committee’. The new entity,
which is open to everyone on Regent’s
campus, will have several purposes:
brainstorming, lobbying, publicising
and implementing. We will also be
providing a regular ‘Green Issues’ col-
umn for the Regent’s newspaper.
Meetings will probably be organised
three times a term, to review progress,
identify new needs and devise plans.
They will be public forums, and should
be dynamic and fun.
Again, this is a group for absolutely
everyone concerned by green/sustain-
able/environmental matters. Come
one, come all – it’s your chance to
make a difference.
>> 6 Dave plays chef for
an hour
shows me what to do I will be happy to
prepare it for him. He rattles of a set of
instructions that might as well be in
Swahili for all the sense they make.
Three parts mustard, two parts vinegar
and seven parts olive oil. Or was it one
part vinegar and seven parts mustard?
My blank expression has caused an-
other look of disdain and he directs me
to a bench where the requisite ingredi-
ents are kept. From there I am told to
use the blender to mix the French
dressing. Finally something that I know
how to use, this will be no different to
mixing a smoothie or preparing a Long
Island Iced Tea.
Joy is short lived. My French dress-
ing looks like something that a cat
would turn its nose up at. Any resem-
blance to dressing is fleeting and not
even the addition of copious amounts
of olive oil can make it look like any
sort of liquid. This is becoming em-
barrassing, but there is a sense of an-
noyance creeping in. I don’t want to
fail, even if it is for such a short time,
but I console this thought with the
knowledge that these guys have been
trained in their art, and they do it on a
daily basis. The preparation of food is
second nature to them, and they are
good at what they do.
Christian is starting to see the
funny side of this now. “You are the
worst chef I have seen,” he laughs,
“How do you manage to survive?” I tell
him that for one thing I have a girl-
friend who is an excellent cook, and
secondly there will always be a man
willing to come around to my flat on a
scooter to deliver me pizza. This has
>> 2 The Webbies –
A nominees view!
and there is no shortage of this at St.
Louis. In my brief time there I was
shown the Media Centre which housed
a recording studio, television studio,
radio station, several darkrooms, nu-
merous editing facilities and an equip-
ment room containing everything the
aspiring Spielberg or Scorcese could
want.
Which brings us back to my situa-
tion. Sitting in the front row and wait-
Christian smiling even more, and the
realization that I am not here on a
long term basis means that he will not
have to put up with my incompetence
for very long.
The hour is nearly up, and I am
keen to finish on a good note, so ask
if there is anything else I can do be-
fore taking my leave. Christian nods,
and asks me to fetch him some trays
of polenta from the larder. There is
only a slight problem. What on earth
does polenta look like? What is po-
lenta? Is there anything simpler that I
can help with? Christian is straight to
the point. “I am thirsty, can you pour
me a glass of water?”
Finally something I know I can do!
This experience has, however, not
been a waste of time. I have a new re-
spect for those that work behind the
scenes at the College. The majority of
those who cannot cook purchase their
food without a second thought, even
when buying something as simple as
a ready prepared salad or sandwich.
The food we consume has been pre-
pared by another individual, using
skills and working in an environment
that is alien to most. They are the
ones who are helping you to live. With-
out someone like Christian, or even
his boss Richard, then I would proba-
bly either starve or have a fairly un-
healthy diet. By making sure that the
food on offer at the college is fresh
and, most importantly, edible they are
providing a valuable service. Some-
times we forget that and a healthy
dose of reality does nobody any harm.
It certainly has done me the world
of good; anyone for cucumber and
French dressing?
ing for my moment in the spotlight.
Waiting for the envelope to open and
knowing that I am going to have to be
gracious whatever the result. Realis-
ing that maybe the nomination is
enough when the competition is fierce
and even being invited out here is
enough reward for the hard work put
in during the year.
“And the winner is .... Alexandra
Ruths”
Bugger.
I didn’t say that out loud, did I?