Birmingham Post

A Flowering Passion

A Garden Fit to Woo a Queen ; Jo Ind Visits Kenilworth Castle Which has Replanted a Creation Originally Meant to Impress Elizabeth I

Idon't know if it made Queen Elizabeth I gasp, but that was my reaction when I glimpsed the sculpture in the middle of the fountain that was designed to seduce her. "Oh my goodness," I thought. "What's that? It's hideous." The fountain was huge, towering over the Elizabethan knot garden in which it stood, with two figures standing back to back, holding a sphere with a rugged staff sticking out of the top.

A Garden Fit to Woo a Queen ; Jo Ind Visits Kenilworth Castle Which has Replanted a Creation Originally Meant to Impress Elizabeth I

don't know if it made Queen Elizabeth I gasp, but that was my reaction when I glimpsed the sculpture in the middle of the fountain that was designed to seduce her. "Oh my goodness," I thought. "What's that? It's hideous." The fountain was huge, towering over the Elizabethan knot garden in which it stood, with two figures standing back to back, holding a sphere with a rugged staff sticking out of the top.

Red and White Vin Man ; Clive Platman Talks to Sommelier Franois Bourde About His Loves - and Pet Hates

There's an old story about a young American who takes his girlfriend to an upmarket restaurant. Looking at the wine list, he espies the sommelier wearing his standard-issue dinner jacket, cutting a rather haughty and imposing figure as he glides around the restaurant.

Tasty Liaison Is a Secret Affair

Place: Liaison, 1558 Stratford Road, Hall Green, Birmingham. T: 0121 733 7336 Why go? A fiercely independent restaurant enthused with a love of good food. Great theatre, and flavours, delivered by its wonderfully idiosyncratic all-female owner/managers. Price: Knock-out lunch menu: two courses pounds 12.95; three courses pounds 15.95.

Shape Shifter ; Vauxhall's Insignia Estate Is More Stylish Than Its Saloon, Says Edward Stephens

There was a time when - shape wise - an estate car was little more than a square box on wheels. But those days have disappeared in the last few years with car makers vying to make their load luggers the sleekest on the road.

Record Number of Jags Lined Up

The greatest number of works supported Jaguars ever will take part in this year's Mille Miglia, with a D-type, four C-types and a Mark VII saloon being supported by Jaguar Cars and the Jaguar Heritage Trust. Joining the historic cars and a fleet of XKR and XFR support vehicles will be Norman Dewis, the former Jaguar test development driver who navigated for Sir Stirling Moss in the 1952 race - which was to end with the duo's C-type crashing on the Raticosa Pass only 123 miles from finish.

Sophisticated Fiat Scoops Award

Lotus Elise and Exige Get Extra Fuel Economy

A revised range of Lotus Elise and Exige sports cars are going on sale with extra fuel economy of up to nine per cent. The Elise S shows the greatest improvement in fuel efficiency and is now capable of averaging 37.2mpg compared to 34mpg on the previous model. Emissions are down by a similar percentage to 179g/ km.

Nearly-New Ford Superminis Hold Value at Auction

Some of the first of Ford's new supermini models to come on to the used market have clocked up above average prices at auction. A sale including 15 new Fiestas and two new Kas saw average returns of 80 per cent.

Frock and Roll ; Fans of Retro Fashion, Should Head for Yo Yo Which Is Closing Down After 25 Years, Says Anuji Varma

If you're looking for edgy fashion with a twist then head to Yo Yo for the perfect retro style. The business has been in Birmingham city centre for 25 years, starting up in the infamous rag market and finally settling at Ethel Street, for the past 12 years.

Pictures Perfect ; Jean Bonna Shares with Us His Fine Collection of Drawings by European Artists. Richard Edmonds Takes a Look

Raphael to Renoir. Drawings from the collection of Jean Bonna by George Goldner, Colta Ives et al - Yale: pounds 40.00) E verything is grist to the collecting mill - from 1930s milk bottles to rare drawings, silver and porcelain. Quite early on, an astute television controller saw a profit in this and so the collecting programmes began. Some of them, unfortunately, are preoccupied with worthless tat, but others, like the Antiques Road Show, do attempt to seriously evaluate the fascinating ite...

Will Self's New Satire Turns Out to Be All Smoke and No Fire

The Butt By Will Self (Bloomsbury: pounds 7.99) Tom Brodzinski is attempting to live longer by giving up smoking. However, when he flicks away the fag-end of his final cigarette - during a holiday in a strange, unnamed land - the butt lands on the head of an elderly man.

Talons Contest ; New Films Reviewed by Roz Laws and Graham Young

X MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE Cert 12A, 107 mins The best film yet in the X-Men franchise takes us back to the beginning, to show how Wolverine got his name, an indestructible metal skeleton and a bad case of amnesia. Hugh Jackman plays the comic book hero, once he's grown from a boy in 1845 Canada who discovers his talent for growing talons from his knuckles just in time to kill his father.

Cheerfully Grumpy ; Tony Collins Finds Comedian Arthur Smith Happily Back On Tour

Don't shout it out, but one of the stars of hit TV show Grumpy Old Men isn't that grumpy after all. That is the overriding impression gained after an interview with socalled "veteran" comedian Arthur Smith, who will be bringing his Audience With show to Birmingham's Symphony Hall on May 11.

Mystery Screening

Vue Cinemas is set to spice things up - with a series of Mystery Movie screenings. Once a month, from next Tuesday, cinemagoers will be able to view a film ahead of its release but won't know what it is until the opening credits.

Hard Times for Museums Despite Visitor Increase

Britain's museums are seeing an increase in visitors but are facing budget cuts as the recession takes hold, according to a survey by the leading art charity, The Art Fund. The survey, carried out between September 2008 and March 2009, is the first of its kind, and The Art Fund intends to repeat it every six months as the downturn continues.

Sheer Quality ; Sally Hoban has Found the Ideal Place to Invest Those 'Interest Free' Savings

An original oil painting by L S Lowry valued at pounds 325,000 will be among the many fabulous treasures up for sale at The 45th Annual Buxton Antiques Fair this month. I love visiting this fair as it's the perfect opportunity to get a taste of fine antiques and take a walk in the beautiful Derbyshire Dales. You will also find a good selection of period furniture, which tends to hold its value through any recession.

Private Screening ; Strensham Means More Than a Motorway Service Station Stop As Chris Upton Finds On a Journey Into the Past

Amotorway service station is not a place to promise much history, not unless there is a spare copy of Heritage Today on the magazine racks. Motorway services are nowhere, suspended in time and disconnected in space. Strensham services on the M5 is much like any other, a place of rampaging youngsters, fast-food franchises and costly cappuccinos. It could be Italy, it could be America, it could conceivably be Worcestershire. But how would you know? Strensham is a place I remember - not entirely...

It's Hotting Up As Bees Prepare for the Summer ; Down My Allotment

As usual this time of year, things are getting interesting. The bees are building up their numbers fast, ready for the summer, and the first drones are hatching. In a couple of weeks, I'll be beginning the process of raising the first batch of queens for this year. I had to combine two colonies owing to a queen having disappeared in mid-April, but the three I have left all appeared to be fine a couple of weeks ago.