Timperley’s gifted naturopath Sonia Greaves

In 2005, Sonia Greaves ditched 20 years’ marketing for naturopathy and the holistic therapies she’s avidly studied since 2001. Married to former Granada newsman Bob, the intuitive, music-loving fifth Mrs Greaves, practises in Timperley. Fay Wertheimer went to find out more…

THIS CAREER CHOSE ME

This career chose me. From 1986 to 1991 I sold art in Italy and Spain, taking a six-month break to sell cars in Germany, where people on the street spat at my little son Karl and me. Once home in Sale, I marketed Yellow Pages and Disability Living. I was definitely ready to tend my caring side.

Why alternatives?

From 1987, two years of acupuncture and herbalism in Italy sorted my health problems that the NHS, despite my numerous operations, never even diagnosed. I’d no interest in practising therapies myself until 2001, when a friend insisted on teaching me massage. I qualified, and the moment I fixed someone’s sports injuries I became hooked – I still am.

Why machine therapies alongside reiki, massage and herbalism?

My Russian Scenar device, created for cosmonauts, speeds up the healing of muscle injuries.

What‘s Bob‘s attitude to your work?

He’s supportive, but useless for massage as he can‘t keep still!

              
AGE GAP

Does your 30-year age gap raise eyebrows?

Not now, and never with family, who just wanted me to be happy. I met Bob at 18 and got married at 29, when Karl was 14. As Bob’s best friend, I’d already seen him through two divorces before we wed!

And older guys?

They’ve always fancied me!

             
TIMPERLEY-ON-SEA

Will you remain here?

I thrive in warm climates near water. Timperley-on-Sea would be fine but I’ll probably go abroad. I seriously tried for Oz but didn’t get a visa.

Pet hates?

In others, it‘s deviousness and dishonesty. In myself, it‘s my inability to say ‘no‘.

And loves?

Open people, life itself and the fact I always feel positive.

Favourite foods?

I like most foods - and champagne - but health challenges keep me off meat and sugary foods.

Clothes?

I‘m not into designer labels but adore shoes. I buy a pair whenever I go away – even on short weekends.

Have you experienced racism here?

At 14, I was refused a bakery job and told ‘No-one will ever buy a cake you’ve touched.’ Nice.

Your advice?

Education is power – so keep learning.

LAST ORDERS

The essential guide to Your Letter of Wishes       

When local author Patricia C Byron was asked to be the executor of her friend’s will, she had to think quickly.

Her friend was terminally ill and lived alone, so Patricia needed vital answers to difficult questions. In 2006, just a few months before her friend sadly passed away, Patricia wrote Last Orders to assist them both. However, when her mother died suddenly, Patricia learnt even more about the process of handling estates and dealing with the challenging aspects surrounding death. Her mission is to incentivise the public into leaving clear, unambiguous instructions about their final wishes. Patricia's journey is in the Foreword.

Last Orders is a book intended to assist anyone and everyone. It deals with that perennial taboo, the subject of death. It is not a will, nor should it be considered as such. It is however, the essential guide to producing a Letter of Wishes which, once completed correctly by the reader, should save incalculable amounts of stress and take most, if not all, of the guesswork out of the administration of their estate. It will offer a vast amount of helpful information about whom executors should contact, the funeral the deceased wished for, their finances, their belongings, and even their pets. This book is simple yet comprehensive. Its usefulness cannot be overstated.

The author offers background information and insight guiding the reader through 12 sections and over 100 simple but relevant questions. Each section relates to a topic that will need to be addressed, which will make every reader question their priorities and their wishes on this difficult, but topical subject. The answers the reader provides will eradicate doubt and offer clarity to their executors and family.

While there are numerous excellent websites and books that address the role of an executor, and the responsibilities entailed in administering an estate after death, Last Orders does not seek to repeat them. The fundamental difference is that Last Orders seeks to attain invaluable answers to pertinent questions before death occurs.  

Last Orders retails at £12.99 and is out now in paperback. Published by Stella Books.

Twenty-one years on since its cinema release, When Harry Met Sally makes the jump from screen to stage this month, playing at Manchester’s Opera House from 10–15 May.

Back in 1989 the iconic film starred Hollywood actors Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan, but this time former soap stars Rupert Hill, aka Corrie’s Jamie Baldwin, and Hollyoaks beauty Sarah Jayne Dunn take on the lead rom-com roles.

We met up with Rupert last month for a sneak preview of what to expect.

Paddy certainly likes this one

Comedy legend Paddy McGuiness has certainly had more than a spring in his step recently and it’s nothing to do with fronting a prime-time TV show. It’s because Paddy is engaged to ex-Miss Liverpool Christine Martin, who makes her Manchester modelling debut in a series of provocative photographs shot by renowned Manchester photographer Karen McBride.

Over 65 years later, the Seymour Mead family are back in the food business with stewed!, a new range of gourmet stews, available in Waitrose, on Ocado.com and now being launched in selected Manchester branches of Sainsbury’s: a fitting return for a descendent of the so-called ‘Sainsbury’s of the North’.

By 1901, Thomas Seymour Mead’s empire had at least 28 stores, according to a receipt owned by Thomas’s great great grandson, Mark Seymour Mead, who is a co-director of stewed! with Alan Rosenthal. In reality, the number of stores was probably closer to 100.

Amazingly, the receipt was given to Mark by his wife for their paper wedding anniversary in 2003. “She phoned up a local historian to source photos of the shops,” he recalls, “and his wife mentioned she had this receipt, which for over 100 years had been used as a bookmark in her mother’s recipe book.”

It is now framed and hangs alongside an original T Seymour Mead’s cocoa advertisement, which, equally curiously, he discovered in a shop in Sydney, Australia. There is no escaping this heritage.

Yet before moving to Manchester ten years ago, Mark knew nothing of his illustrious history. He now lives with his wife Rachel and two daughters on Claremont Grove, Didsbury, ironically just minutes from one of Thomas’s original shops, now O’Neills, on Wilmslow Road in Didsbury Village.

"The name Seymour Mead was a bit of a mouthful,” he admits, “but it has been fascinating hearing local anecdotes, from my plumber who delivered their groceries by bicycle, to my wife's grandmother who used to buy her sweets there and still remembers the shop’s distinctive smell.”

Judging by the breathless success of stewed!’s expanding range of funky, internationally inspired, ready-made stews, those empire-building genes are strong.

"I was researching a food industry start-up idea when I stumbled across stewed!,” Mark explains. “The products were truly delicious, proving that convenience can taste great and needn't be full of rubbish.

“Within just two years, we have moved stewed! from a London farmers' market to the national high street, without compromising on quality, which I think Thomas would have been very proud of.”

stewed! is available from Sainsbury’s stores in Ashley Road, Hale, Piccadilly Station, Whitworth Street, Mosley Street, Quay Street, Deansgate and at ocado.com
website: www.steweduk.co.uk

It’s been three years since Lee Mead won BBC talent show ‘Any Dream Will Do’, and he hasn’t looked back since. With over 600 shows under his belt as Joseph, Lee hung up his loincloth last year to marry his showbiz sweetheart Denise Van Outen, and they are expecting their first child in May.

To top it all, Lee has landed the lead in Oscar Wilde’s ‘Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime’. The play comes to Manchester’s Palace Theatre this month and I caught up with Lee to see how he was preparing for his first play and fatherhood.


So Lee, what’s the play all about and how do you fit into it?

It’s set in the 19th century and based on fate. My character has his palm read by clairvoyant Mr Podgers, played by Gary Wilmot, and is told he is to commit a murder. Then it’s all about me finding someone to ‘knock off’ before I marry my fiancée. It’s a comedy though, so it’s not too dark.


Obviously, we know you more for musicals, but in this we don’t hear you sing. Was that a conscious move?

I’ve always wanted to do a play or an acting-based job. When the right show didn’t come up after Joseph I went to the Lee Strasberg School of Acting in New York and was there just under three months, studying and working on scripts.


The play runs for a week in Manchester. Any plans while you’re here?

I love Manchester. In my younger years I was in Miss Saigon at the Palace Theatre, so to go back there with my first play and be in the lead role is wonderful.
I also have lots of friends I will be catching up with – you might find me at the Press Club after the show!


When the tour ends you have a bigger role to embark on as ‘Daddy’. How excited are you and Denise?

We’re really excited and are getting everything ready now. I bought this tiny dress the other day; it’s just a fun time and I can’t wait for that.


Finally, I can’t leave without asking if you miss not wearing the loincloth.

Not at all! It’s funny because you go out to about two and a half thousand people dressed in just a loincloth, but you have to think ‘it’s for the character not me’.
I did get to keep the Joseph coat though, which was nice after playing such an iconic role and going through the whole TV process. It’s a lovely thing to keep and show my children one day.

‘Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime’
Palace Theatre, 8–13 March
Ticketmaster: 0844 847 2275

Siani Owen always had one ambition – to sing in Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera. 

Five years ago she achieved this dream and joined the cast primarily as female swing. “I couldn’t believe it when my agent rang to tell me,” she says. “I was in Poland at the time singing with Martin Creed (the Turner Prize winner) and literally screamed down the phone in excitement! Everyone in the rehearsal space turned to look at me; I think they thought something dreadful had happened but no, I was so happy, this was what all my training had been for.” 

After a gap year assisting the drama teacher at St Bede’s Preparatory School in Manchester, Siani went to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama to begin her degree in classical singing. While there she was spotted by Adrian Partington, who encouraged her to join the Welsh BBC Choir and gave her numerous engagements as a soloist performing all over the country. 

From Wales Siani then packed her bags and set off to London where she had won a place on Mary Hammond’s Musical Theatre postgraduate course at The Royal Academy of Music. While she was there she was lucky enough to be given the highly prestigious Countess of Munster scholarship and the equally highly regarded Ian Fleming award. 

After receiving a distinction and joining one of London’s top theatrical agencies Siani spent what sounds like a fantastic year gigging with Sir Elton John (at Wembley Arena, The Royal Opera House and the Royal Albert Hall, among others), and Martin Creed (in Poland, Berlin, Paris and London); she also took part in various new musicals and recordings. It was towards the end of this first year out of college that the call came about Phantom. 

Amazing costumes
Siani remembers: “At first I was unsure exactly what my role as female swing meant but was excited to discover I would be an understudy to all the smaller female parts in the show, so I had a lot of music to learn (four different harmonies for each song!) and six different sets of character ‘journeys’ during the show.” There were four weeks of rehearsals during which she had to cram in costume and wig fittings too. She adds: “The costumes were amazing; the show is set in the 1880s so the day dresses all had big bustles and were made of the most beautiful materials. Then there were the ‘Princess’ dresses used in the opening scene, which weigh three stone!” 

Siani obviously impressed the director for she was then given first cover Carlotta and she subsequently played the role for weeks at a time “Carlotta is the diva in the show and is Christine’s rival,” Siani explains. “It was such fun playing this vile creature although hitting the ridiculously high notes every night was sometimes rather scary, especially if I had a cold or sore throat. I had to make sure I was having regular singing lessons in order to keep my ‘instrument’ healthy and ensure I was using my voice correctly (it is easy to fall into bad habits without realising it until it’s too late!) especially as after the overture Carlotta appears on stage on her own and has to sing a big cadenza (an ornamental solo passage allowing for virtuosic display) without any orchestral accompaniment. In the moments before singing this I would have sweaty palms and knocking knees but afterwards it was a brilliant feeling – I guess I’m a born show-off!” 

Carlotta’s costumes were even bigger and better than those Siani had been used to before – the ‘Princess’ dress went and in came the ‘Queen of Carthage’ gown, weighing in an extraordinary five stone! “Thankfully, Carlotta is only on stage in this for a few minutes, so I never got backache, although it was hard to walk upstairs to my dressing room afterwards, so my dresser had to lift the train to help me!” says Siani. 

Over 1,000 performances
The trickiest part of the show was always a particular costume change. Siani explains: “As the curtain dropped on one scene I had to run towards the back of the stage behind the prop bed (visible to the audience) where a team of wardrobe and wig assistants would be there to whip off my gloves, skirt, top and wig and in 90 seconds put on another skirt, corset, jacket, wig and a fan! Oh, and if there was time left over I got to have a sip of water before plunging the bottle back into someone’s hands and walking round the bed in a calm and dignified manner ready to sing!” 

Siani speaks with such enthusiasm about her time on the Phantom of the Opera; she has over 1,000 shows to her name and not only were the shows themselves tremendous fun but the cast were also lucky enough to meet famous and sometimes inspiring celebrities who would watch the musical and come backstage to meet everybody afterwards. Siani was fortunate enough to meet greats such as George Lucas and Mickey Rooney not to mention Gerard Butler and Richard and Judy! She also got to work with the legendry Hal Prince and Gillian Lynne. 

It was clearly a wonderful time in her life, but sadly she missed home too much and working six days a week left little time to make the journey back to Manchester. She decided to move back here 18 months ago after a successful stint as the villain in Sleeping Beauty at the Mercury Theatre in Colchester, and set about her ambition to bring her skills to those who aspired to do what she had done. 

As well as now having a plethora of private singing pupils, she has done lots of work for the Manchester College and is also the Singing Teacher at Queen Elisabeth’s Grammar School in Blackburn. 

Siani doesn’t rule out returning to the stage and regularly performs in concerts around the region. However, for now she is delighted to be working with such enthusiastic and talented students and hopes that soon it is their names that are in lights.

Jason Done is best known for his role as popular teacher Tom Clarkson in the BBC drama series Waterloo Road, but he is also an active patron of Manchester and Cheshire Dogs’ Homes. We caught up with Didsbury-dweller Jason to find out more.

How long have you lived in Didsbury? Two years; prior to that I lived in London.

What do you like about the area? Didsbury’s got a village feel to it, and village-style amenities, but without a small-minded attitude. It’s small enough that you see friendly faces out and about, but people don’t all know your business.

Do you have any favourite local bars and restaurants? In Didsbury I like Gusto, La Tasca and The Fletcher Moss pub. In Manchester city centre I go for Italian eateries like Piccolino’s or San Carlo, or Wagamama if I want an ‘eat-and-run’!

What’s it like getting recognised by people in the street? For me, it’s always been a pleasant experience. It’s sometimes a bit odd if people stare and whisper without saying hello, but generally people of all age groups have been very supportive. They tell me how much they enjoy Waterloo Road and that they think I’m a good actor, which is nice!

Is there a less glamorous side to being a television actor? To be honest, none of it is really glamorous! You get invited to dinners and launches, but the actual day-to-day work of being an actor really isn’t that glamorous at all.

If you weren’t an actor, what would you have liked to be? Anything to do with travel! I’d like to think I’d be an explorer, but travel journalism would be good too. I love embracing different places and cultures and meeting people.

You’re a patron of Manchester and Cheshire Dogs’ Homes. What does the role mean to you? It’s a fantastic opportunity to help raise awareness of the brilliant work they do. I just wanted to help them get more of the support they need.

Do you have a dog yourself? Yes, Rigsby – from Manchester Dogs’ Home. He’s a superstar – he’s got a great personality and he’s brought us so much happiness. Rigsby even had a walk-on part in Waterloo Road! When I’m out dog-walking I meet a lot of people who’ve also got rescue dogs; they can be wonderful pets.

What’s the best dog-walking spot in Didsbury? We’re very lucky in this area to have great places like Fog Lane, Fletcher Moss and the river. I’d say Fletcher Moss is my favourite. Didsbury has a really nice dog-walking community.

Manchester and Cheshire Dogs’ Homes can be contacted for adoptions, fostering and volunteering via www.dogshome.net and Waterloo Road returns later this year.

He’s behind you!

When it comes to sinister soap characters Gray O’Brien has reigned supreme for the past two years playing Coronation Street’s dastardly underworld boss Tony Gordon. The actor may have left the cobbles behind on our screens, but he has yet to bid a fond farewell to Manchester. This Christmas he takes on another villainous role just a few yards from his old workplace at Granada Television, starring as Abanazar in the Opera House’s classic pantomime Aladdin.

Gray joins an all-star cast including Hollyoaks and Dancing on Ice favourite Chris Fountain (Aladdin) and Dinner Ladies actress Sue Devaney (Genie of The Ring). I caught up with the handsome Scotsman during rehearsals to find out a bit more about the man behind the bad boy exterior…

Thanks for taking time out to speak to me Gray. How are you enjoying pantoland?

It’s great fun. It’s nerve-wracking meeting new people for the first time, but all the people I’m working with are really lovely. We only have two weeks to get the show together so there’s not much time. It’s also a different routine for me because having done television roles I learn scenes very quickly and then forget them very quickly. It’s been eight years since I’ve done theatre, so it’s a different part of the brain you have to use – long-term, rather than short-term.

One thing that should come easy though is playing another evil character – this time Aladdin’s Uncle Abanazar. Do you enjoy taking on nasty parts?

Well I hadn’t played one until I starred in Dr Who as Rickston Slade. Before that point casting directors wouldn’t even see me for parts like that. They seemed to think I was too nice, so they cast me as doctors (Gray played Dr Tom Deleney in Peak Practice and Richard McCaig in Casualty). I now seem to be regarded as the new bad guy, which is lovely because the baddies get great lines, they get great looks and lingering close-ups – fantastic!

Pantomime is famous for its ‘baddie boos’. Will your nine-year-old son Connor be joining in?

Yes, definitely. He’s coming on the first night and will probably see the show a lot during the run. He was only one and a half when I last did a play in London, so he’ll be able to enjoy it now and come backstage and meet everyone. He’s also been helping me to prepare for the show and has been running lines with me.

Does that mean he will be following in his dad’s footsteps in the future and treading the boards?

I hope not (laughs), but he’s certainly not a shy boy.

 Now millions of us have been glued to you over the past few months on Corrie as you terrorised poor Roy and Hayley and wooed the former wife of the man you had killed. What was it like saying goodbye to all your colleagues and such a great role?

Manchester’s become my second home for the past few years and it’s lovely. The public have been so sweet to me on the Street. Yes, people think I’m a little bit scary, but they are always friendly up here and they all say hi to me.

My lips are sealed about how I bow out, so you never know – Tony may return. It may not be the end. I’ve had two men following me this week making sure I don’t give the game away and this is one secret that stays guarded.

Talking of secrets, a little bird told me you’re a dab hand at cooking and can make a mean lemon drizzle cake.

Ha ha, you probably heard that from the gorgeous Samia Smith (Coronation Street’s Maria Connor). I know what her game is – she’s trying to lull me into a false sense of security. We’ve had regular competitions as to who can make the best one and she will never beat me. Hers is not light enough, it’s not moist enough and it doesn’t have the lemon tangy zing that mine does! We’ve taken our cakes into the green room and tested them before on cast and crew. Ask her who won – she can dress it up whichever way she wants, the taste buds don’t lie!

Are you going to make a cake for your new panto cast?

Probably, but don’t tell them as I’d like to surprise them. Actually, you’ve spurred me on – I might have to send Samia one in the post to remind her of what she’s missing!

Finally, what’s next for Gray in 2010?

I can’t commit to anything at the moment as I’m still in talks about a few things, but I do fancy doing some more theatre, which we’re just trying to sort out.

ALADDIN
Saturday 5 December 2009 to Sunday 3 January 2010
Opera House, Manchester
Performance times: Tuesday to Saturday, 2.30pm and 7pm; Sunday, 1pm and 5pm
Monday 28 December to Sunday 3 January, 1pm and 5pm Query sense/repetition
Ticket prices: £9.50–£24.50
Ticketmaster: 0844 847 2295*
www.palaceandoperahouse.org.uk*

Katharine Perera has spent much of her working life championing community spirit and equality for women. Across her diverse career she’s pushed the boundaries of education and even in retirement, it seems she just can’t help contributing.

During her nine years as Chair of Governors of Withington Girls’ School, Katharine strove to ensure that the school maintained the highest quality of staff, teaching and facilities to provide the best possible platform for development. “I loved the energy and dynamism of the girls,” says Katharine. “They all have individual talents that must be nurtured.” And the focus was not just on academic success, but also sport, drama, music and community service. For her, seeing how they developed and reached the highest levels of achievement “really was uplifting”.

The school was founded in 1890 to provide education for girls on a par with boys, which was unheard of at the time; this was most notably in the areas of science and maths, which Katharine addressed in her professional life too. The aims of the founders were ever present in the mind of Katharine, her fellow governors, the head and her staff, and have been fulfilled with huge academic and extra-curricular success.

Having been a professor of linguistics, Katharine became Senior Pro Vice-Chancellor at Manchester University, where she developed and directed the Women in Leadership project, which aimed to address issues of underrepresentation of women at senior academic levels.

Katharine was eager to raise women’s aspirations and to help them develop leadership skills so they could compete with men for these higher level positions. The project also examined University policy and procedures. “We asked questions like ‘Is the University unintentionally making this difficult for women?’ and ‘Are there particular areas, for example science and engineering, in which women feel isolated?’” she says.

There were found to be problems with working hours and the effect of this on caring responsibilities. Although the initial aims were to make conditions better for women, Katharine found that there were improvements for men as well. “It starts from a female perspective but benefits the whole workforce,” she explains. “We found that it wasn’t only women who wanted more flexible working hours and to spend more time caring for children or relatives. We know that men and women alike work better in mixed environments, so it was important for everybody that some changes were made.”

Katharine feels she has been extremely fortunate in her own career to have such great support and to have been given the opportunity at Manchester to help younger colleagues.
Once the programme was up and running, Katharine stayed on as an adviser, offering mentoring, support and advice for women with regard to leadership and management. She was also involved with policy assessment, considering issues such as maternity arrangements within the University. In her time there, much progress has been made, although she feels there is still lots to do and that the issues that affect women in the workplace are complex.

Coming from an academic background, Katharine had experience of editing journals, and in 2008 she was snapped up to become editor of the Bowdon Church News, a monthly newsletter for St Mary’s parish, where she is a church warden. Each month, 2,500 copies are distributed to every home in Bowdon by 90 volunteers. This year the publication of the 600th issue marked the 50th anniversary of the BCN being distributed throughout the parish. It provides a forum for news about the church and the wider community of Bowdon.

The newsletter also promotes local businesses in the hope that it will help them to survive the recession. Each month, their ‘local business corner’ features the profile of a company and also includes free advertisements for small businesses that have been personally recommended by members of the community. On a personal level, she finds there’s a “certain excitement in seeing what you’ve commissioned or written in print!”

There’s a strong sense of community service throughout the work she’s done. Humble to the very core, she attributes her success to “wonderful colleagues and great friendships”, doing work she enjoys and having loving and supportive friends who can share good times. When she’s not working on her latest newsletter, Katharine and her husband make the most of opportunities to get away and they have just returned from the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in Paris – their first trip to a race meeting. With this strong sense of adventure and her continuing enthusiasm, there’s no chance of her slowing down any time soon!