Martin Cid's Blog: Martin Cid Magazine, page 1052

HBO News: Documentary Hitchcock/Truffaut debuts Aug. 8

HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT, REVISITING THE LEGENDARY ENCOUNTER OF TWO RENOWNED DIRECTORS, DEBUTS AUG. 8 ON HBO

In 1962, French New Wave auteur François Truffaut spent a week in Hollywood with his idol, Alfred Hitchcock, discussing the director’s rich and extensive body of work, including “Psycho” and “Vertigo.” The resulting 1966 book of interviews, “Hitchcock,” became a celebrated bible of cinema for generations of filmmakers.

Fifty years after its publication, in the same month as Hitchcock’s birthday (Aug. 13), HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT brings this historic summit to life when it debuts MONDAY, AUG. 8 (9:00-10:20 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

Other HBO playdates: Aug. 11 (4:30 p.m.), 13 (1:45 p.m.), 18 (3:00 p.m., 12:30 a.m.), 24 (11:30 a.m.) and 30 (1:30 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Aug. 10 (11:30 p.m.), 15 (1:45 p.m., 8:00 p.m.), 21 (12:30 p.m.) and 29 (4:00 a.m.)

The documentary will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO and HBO On Demand.

Combining rare original audio recordings and behind-the-scenes-photos from the historic exchange,HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT is an eye-opening study of Hitchcock’s enduring genius and legacy, as the two explore the technical, narrative and aesthetic questions at the heart of his work. The documentary also includes new observations from such acclaimed filmmakers as Wes Anderson, Olivier Assayas, Peter Bogdanovich, David Fincher, Richard Linklater, Martin Scorsese and Paul Schrader. Bob Balaban narrates.

Though now considered one of the greatest directors of the 20th century, Alfred Hitchcock was seen at the time by the American press as little more than a popular entertainer, a mere “master of suspense.” In 1962, French New Wave critic-turned-filmmaker François Truffaut set out to alter that common perception. He made a proposal to the 63-year-old Hitchcock: a book based on a series of conversations that would cover the director’s entire career, title by title. Aided by translator Helen Scott, the two met in Hollywood for an eight-day interview that served as the basis for Truffaut’s 1966 book “Hitchcock,” which remains a touchstone for generations of filmmakers throughout the world.

HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT is directed by Kent Jones; written by Kent Jones and Serge Toubiana; co-produced and edited by Rachel Reichman; produced by Charles S. Cohen and Olivier Mille; associate producers, John Kochman and Daniel Battsek.

Australian Rubik’s Cube World Champion Breaks Five Records in One Weekend

World Champion Speedcuber Feliks Zemdegs

Australian Feliks Zemdegs, 20, smashed five world ‘speedcubing’ records at the European Rubik’s Cube Championship held in Prague, Czech Republic.

In a sports hall in Radotín, south-west Prague, hundreds of speedcubers competed to see who would become Europe’s Rubik’s Cube Champion. Two-time World Champion Feliks Zemdegs, although unable to win prizes at the event for European competitors, appeared to have stolen the show by setting new world records in five disciplines:

• 3 x 3 cube one-handed: average solve time of 10.70 seconds

• 5 x 5 cube: average solve time of 49.32 seconds

• 6 x 6 cube: average solve time of 1 minute 43.21 seconds

• 7 x 7 cube: average solve time of 2 minutes 25.06 seconds

• 7 x 7 cube: single solve time of 2 minutes 20.66 seconds

Feliks had the fastest average 3×3 solve time in the competition, averaging 7.07 seconds in the finals. The official top five average times in the 3 x 3 Rubik’s Cube final were as follows: Philipp Weyer (Germany), 7.88 seconds; Mats Valk (Netherlands), 8.06; Dario Roa Sánchez (Spain), 8.25 seconds); Alexandre Carlier (France), 8.88 seconds; Cornelieus Dieckmann (Germany), 8.91 seconds.

Philipp Weyer of Germany won the European crown for the 3 x 3 cube with an average solve time of 7.88 seconds on Sunday 18 July. The new European Champion took home the gold medal, a range of Rubik’s prizes and a cash prize of €1,000.

The fastest single solve of the competition was performed by Mats Valk of the Netherlands, who managed to complete the iconic puzzle in a European record 5.13 seconds.

Other notable results were:

• Jakub Kipa of Poland won the feet-only competition with an average time of 33.66 seconds

• Oleg Gritsenko of Russia memorised and solved 19 out of 20 cubes blindfolded in a time of 54 minutes and 34 seconds

There were 18 different events at the 2016 European Rubik’s Cube Championship, including:

• 2 x 2 Rubik’s Cube

• 3 x 3 Rubik’s Cube

• 4 x 4 Rubik’s Cube

• 5 x 5 Rubik’s Cube

• One-handed 3 x 3 Rubik’s Cube

• Blindfolded 3 x 3 Rubik’s Cube

• 3 x 3 Rubik’s Cube (fewest moves)

• 3 x 3 Rubik’s Cube with feet

• 4 x 4 Rubik’s Cube blindfolded

• 5 x 5 Rubik’s Cube blindfolded

• 3 x 3 Rubik’s Cube multiple blindfolded

There have been seven European Rubik’s Cube Championship competitions, running every other year. In total, 525 people from 43 countries competed in the 2016 European Rubik’s Cube Championship.

To see a full list of results, please go to the official website at

To find out more about the Rubik’s Cube, visit the website at www.rubiks.com, Twitter feed @RubiksOnline orofficial Facebook page.

Links:

www.rubiks.com

https://twitter.com/rubiksonline

https://www.facebook.com/Rubiksonline

Mats Valk’s 5.13 second solve Mats Valk’s YouTube channel

Independent venue launches hub for London’s creative community

Creatives working at The Phoenix Artist

The ‘Best Club & Bar in Covent Garden & The Strand’ (Time Out Love London Awards 2015) is open to the public Monday – Friday, from 10am ’til 5pm, offering London’s creatives free use of its facilities, including broadcast quality Wi-fi, power points, freshly brewed coffee and loose leaf tea. The one hundred seater club, has teamed up with “Baking Heroes” Galeta (The Independent), to provide visitors with a vast selection of delicious cakes and pastries, at sensible prices, to keep hunger away. The club will also be building on its eclectic events programme, which currently stands at over 350 performances a year, with talks on creativity, mindfulness, and even a yoga session or two.

The launch of the “Phoenix Artist Hub” coincides with the rise in demand for working spaces in London, with monthly desk rentals becoming a desirable alternative to the daily hunt for power points and reliable Wi-fi connections at chain coffee shops. Meanwhile, hot desking continues to be a hot topic in the staff room. A recent CBI survey revealed 95% of employers saw flexible working as vital to the UK economy, helping offices to cut operation costs by up to 30%, while giving staff flexibility over their workload. Tom Deehan, Web Editor for The Location Guide said “Finding a relaxed environment to write articles and interview clients can be tricky. Despite being in a Central London location, The Phoenix Artist Club is removed from the hustle and bustle of the city”.

The Phoenix Artist Club hopes their hub will encourage similar venues to follow suit, after it was revealed that nearly half of the UK’s late night venues have closed in the past decade. “It’s imperative businesses like ours change our ways for new audiences” said Peter Dunbar, Marketing Director at The Phoenix Artist Club. He adds “creating a ‘daytime’ setting we felt proud of required a lot of work and included creating a unique lighting design, soundtrack, and scent, as well as working with Drury New Row to create our own blend of tea and coffee. Small changes like installing blinds that cover the bar’s alcoholic products really puts people in the mood to work. Feedback since the launch has been overwhelmingly positive”.

OPENING HOURS: Hub Monday – Friday 10am-5pm and the club 5pm-2.30am, seven days a week. LOCATION: THE PHOENIX ARTIST CLUB, CHARING CROSS ROAD, LONDON, WC2H 8BU

Intel’s Chris Hinton Joins TDB Fusion to Manage Quality Assurance.

Chris Hinton, QA Manager at TDB Fusion

Chris Hinton has joined TDB Fusion as QA Manager after 10 years at Intel/McAfee and 25 years of worldwide QA technology experience. In his role Chris takes on the existing QA team with a goal to expand the team, and automated product testing, to manage the increased business and product development requirements. TDB Fusion recently reported 145% year-on-year growth, doubling the work force and expansion of its Thames Valley HQ.

Commenting on the appointment Colin Aurelius, TDB Fusion CEO, said, “QA and the automation of product testing capabilities is the single most important factor for delivering continued product stability and customer satisfaction. Chris’ experience in this area will accelerate the focus on quality and automated testing as the company continues to expand”.

Chris Hinton brings 25 years of QA industry experience from the technology sector, most recently spending 10 years at Intel (formerly McAfee) as Director of QA. In this role Chris was responsible for the high quality product stability and delivery to the company’s 50 million customers. At Intel/McAfee Chris gained significant international experience as the architect of the company’s worldwide QA standards, and was responsible for delivering and managing QA teams worldwide to ensure a coordinated and assured delivery of component technology and services.

TDB Fusion has been expanding rapidly reporting a revenue increase of 145% in 2016, along with a doubling of the workforce, the opening of a new sales and support office in London and increasing the headquarters facility in Bracknell. Chris’s appointment sees the management team reaching full strength, positioning TDB Fusion to continue its growth during 2016/7.

With two teenage children and two lively dogs Chris’ spare time is limited and revolves around his love of the outdoors and walking.

Mayflex Appoints a New Account Manager

Joseph McManus

European Rubik’s Cube Championship, Prague: Results

European Champion Philipp Weyer

Germany’s Philipp Weyer wins European crown with average solve time of 7.88 seconds.

In Prague, Czech Republic, Europe’s fastest ‘speedcubers’ congregated for the European Rubik’s Cube Championship.

In a sports hall in Radotín, south-west Prague, Philipp Weyer of Germany won the European crown for the 3 x 3 cube with an average solve time of 7.88 seconds on Sunday 18 July. The new European Champion took home the gold medal, a range of Rubik’s prizes and a cash prize of €1,000. The fastest single solve of the competition was performed by Mats Valk of the Netherlands, who managed to complete the iconic puzzle in aEuropean record 5.13 seconds.

The UK performed particularly well in the 5×5 Cube category, in which England’s Robert Yau and Scotland’s Breandan Vallance finished second and third respectively.

The fastest average 3 x 3 solve time was, in fact, attained by two-time World Champion Feliks Zemdegs of Australia, who was not eligible to win the European Championship. He averaged 7.07 seconds in the final.

The official top five in the 3 x 3 Rubik’s Cube final were as follows: Philipp Weyer (Germany), 7.88 seconds; Mats Valk (Netherlands), 8.06; Dario Roa Sánchez (Spain), 8.25 seconds); Alexandre Carlier (France), 8.88 seconds; Cornelieus Dieckmann (Germany), 8.91 seconds.

Other notable results were:

• Jakub Kipa of Poland won the feet-only competition with an average time of 33.66 seconds

• Oleg Gritsenko of Russia memorised and solved 19 out of 20 cubes blindfolded in a time of 54 minutes and 34 seconds

Feliks Zemdegs broke five world records over the weekend:

• 3 x 3 cube one-handed: average solve time of 10.70 seconds

• 5 x 5 cube: average solve time of 49.32 seconds

• 6 x 6 cube: average solve time of 1 minute 43.21 seconds

• 7 x 7 cube: average solve time of 2 minutes 25.06 seconds

• 7 x 7 cube: single solve time of 2 minutes 20.66 seconds

There were 18 different events at the 2016 European Rubik’s Cube Championship, including:

• 2 x 2 Rubik’s Cube

• 3 x 3 Rubik’s Cube

• 4 x 4 Rubik’s Cube

• 5 x 5 Rubik’s Cube

• One-handed 3 x 3 Rubik’s Cube

• Blindfolded 3 x 3 Rubik’s Cube

• 3 x 3 Rubik’s Cube (fewest moves)

• 3 x 3 Rubik’s Cube with feet

• 4 x 4 Rubik’s Cube blindfolded

• 5 x 5 Rubik’s Cube blindfolded

• 3 x 3 Rubik’s Cube multiple blindfolded

There have been seven European Rubik’s Cube Championship competitions, running every other year. In total, 525 people from 43 countries competed in the 2016 European Rubik’s Cube Championship.

To see a full list of results, please go to the official website athttps://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/Euro2016/

To find out more about the Rubik’s Cube, visit the website at www.rubiks.com, Twitter feed @RubiksOnline or official Facebook page.

Links:

www.rubiks.com

https://twitter.com/rubiksonline

https://www.facebook.com/Rubiksonline

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4raKiH0jio

UK200Group President Welcomes ‘Brexit Secretary’ David Davis MP

David Davis MP

UK200Group President James Abbott today welcomed David Davis MP to his new role as Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union.

It is just two months since a heated debate took place at the Coventry University London Campus, at which David Davis MP spoke, when SME business leaders heard the debate for both the remain and leave camps. Speakers for the debate also included Yvette Cooper MP, Lucy Thomas and Douglas Carswell MP. David Davis has been chosen by the new Prime Minster Theresa May to lead the UK’ negotiations for Brexit.

Welcoming David Davis to his new role, James Abbott, President of the UK200Group and founder of accountancy firmAbbott Moore said, “Although we have no political bias as an organisation, we are fully engaged in the political debate and urged our members to discover the cases presented by both sides of the Brexit debate.

“We welcome David Davis to his new position, appreciating its significance. On behalf of our accountant and lawyer members – the trusted advisors to over 150,000 SMEs – we ask that he provides reassurance to business owners that financial and business confidence can be restored as quickly as possible.”

In the debate that took place on May 11 in the City of London, David Davis said, “Some time ago I was the Europe Minister for the last Conservative government and spent much of my time over nearly five years negotiating with the European Union. For the 20 years since then – including then – I have hoped against hope that we would see reform. But every time we look to reform, every time we try to decentralise its centralised, every time we tried to reduce how intrusive it was it became more intrusive, every reform has always done the reverse of what was intended.

“So what I want to see is control of my country back, and the primary reason is not initially about business. The primary reason is democracy; this unfortunately is an anti-democratic organisation. People as widespread as Jean-Claude Juncker down to Dimitris Avramopoulos – President down to Commissioner – have said, in effect, don’t listen to the voters When we make our policies we do not pay attention to the voters.

“Now that, you may think, may not matter in the view of a politician, but look at the consequence of that: that’s why we got the Greece tragedy, with a quarter of an economy destroyed, public services shattered, hospitals closed, doctors having to leave the country, infant mortality up, the hopes and aspirations of an entire generation – 60% of young Greeks – destroyed. Not just Greece, but Spain, Portugal, Italy, where last week there was a survey. In the home of Europe, where the Treaty of Rome was written, 48% of Italians say that if they had a referendum they would vote to leave today. It’s a destructive effect of having this oligarchic operation in place. Douglas (Carswell) has talked about the economy so I won’t stay with it very long, but I’ll say something quite questionable. For the first 20 years of our membership, the common market actually worked rather well, we were inside a tariff barrier and it delivered us much better exports by comparison with our non-European competitors.

“Since 1993, since the end of the Uruguay Round, since the reduction of tariff barriers, since the onset of the single market – which is really a unified regulatory zone – that has not been true. We have done worse rather than better than our competitors around the world. That’s why our exports to Europe have gone from 61%, when properly calculated, about a decade ago to 41% now. Emphasis has gone to the global market, that’s where our future is.

“We will hear that it’s impossible to do this negotiation. You’ve heard from the European Establishment – that’s La Garde, Lamy and our own Prime Minister (David Cameron) – that we can’t do a negotiation with them. I actually have negotiated for five years and this is all nonsense. You normally have this somewhat Latin hysteria at the beginning of the negotiations and eventually you get a deal. There are very, very strong reasons as to why the most important states in Europe will give us a deal as good as what we have today, but what’s more important is that it will open more free markets around the world.

“Even listening to Obama a couple of weeks ago, he clearly did not understand his own free trade negotiating process, because his country, is far from having a queue – or a line, as he would say in America. Eight negotiations have been completed inside three years. So there is plenty to win out there, there is a great economic future and at the same time we can improve our security. We’ve heard from lots of generals saying that we can’t, and a lot of other generals saying that we can. We’ve had heads of MI6 still on government payrolls say that we can’t and that Richard Dearlove, the greatest operational head of MI6 in modern times, say ‘Europe actually makes our security much worse’. So it’s a good future ahead of us. Yvette (Yvette Cooper MP) listed for you: NATO, the UN Security Council, leading Commonwealth member, G7 member. We owe none of those posts to being in the European Union; we owe them to our history and our success as a nation. We should grasp that and look to a global world.”

James Abbott added, “We look forward to further clarification and reassurance to business owners in due course.”

In order to assist SME owners who wanted clarity around the referendum debate the UK200Group asked key questions to both the remain and leave camps. The answers from the Leave campaign can be found in full in the report attached. Film of the May 11 event can be found here.

Useful links:

UK200Group: http://www.uk200group.co.uk/

Abbott Moore: http://www.abbottmoore.co.uk/

May 11 event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrSZ8-iNYuQ

London Hosts Migrant Business Show

Rafael dos Santos, Founder of mi-HUB

London has long been known for its diverse culture, so it’s appropriate that a new business show is taking place there on the Wednesday July 27, designed to improve the network of London’s migrant community.

The Migrant Business Show is the brainchild of Brazilian property entrepreneur Rafael dos Santos who moved to London in 2002. Having left a good job with Microsoft, he moved to London with no contacts and worked his way up from working as a cleaner, a perfume demonstrator and then a landlord.

Rafael dos Santos said, “Recent research in Stratford, London showed that the three key issues that migrants face when starting or running a business is a lack of network, lack of knowledge and lack of funding. The show in two weeks’ time addresses the network problem as stands are affordable – starting at just £100 and tickets to attend the event are free of charge.”

The event takes place at mi-HUB, the first UK business hub dedicated to supporting migrant entrepreneurs to start and grow successful businesses. The venue, which has yet to be officially opened, will house 150 desks in a newly refurbished office in Batty Street, close to Aldgate East Station in Whitechapel, London. Over 1,500 visitors are expected to attend.

The property has been secured by Rafael dos Santos who aims to foster business growth, knowledge and integration through relationships with entrepreneurs, education and integration with international migrant communities. The plan is for mi-HUB to provide nurturing for small business owners, who as well as having an office at a value for money price, will have the opportunity to learn how to accelerate their business growth.

About Rafael dos Santos

Rafael dos Santos, born in 1981, is a Brazilian-British multi-award winning entrepreneur who has lived in London since 2002.

Rafael lived his early years in Santa Catarina, a state in the south of Brazil. The son of a fisherman and a housewife, his humble beginnings led to his parents’ move to Santos (a city in Sao Paulo state) so Rafael and his two sisters could receive a better education.

At the age of 21, in 2002 Rafael moved to London, after living for two years in Sao Paulo, one of the world’s largest cities.

He left his job as a support analyst at Microsoft, to learn English in London. Until 2003 Rafael worked as a kitchen porter, cleaner, glass collector and waiter to pay his expenses.

In 2003 an opportunity came along and he started managing houses. Between 2005 and 2014 he ran his own business – an agency that managed and let rooms in flat-shares. For eleven years Rafael rented accommodation to more than 2,000 young professionals and student migrants in London.

He grew the portfolio under his management from one to 50 homes, 15 members of staff and reached a turnover of £1.2m. In 2013 Rafael wrote a book – ‘Moving Abroad, One Step at a Time’ – published in English, Portuguese and Chinese and in Singapore and Malaysia.

In 2015 Rafael decided to support migrant entrepreneurs in their quest to start and grow their businesses. The first pilot project was the Migrant Business Accelerator – a 16-week programme where ten migrants were selected to attend workshops in marketing, finance and operations and 25 mentors donated their time to help the participants to launch their businesses. The programme evolved to become a co-working space named mi-HUB.

mi-HUB.com is London’s first co-working space to help migrant entrepreneurs have an office space as well as develop strategies to raise finance for their businesses. The office hub – which can house up to 150 entrepreneurs – is situated in Batty Street, close to Aldgate East tube station in Whitechapel, London.

Rafael is a guest lecturer at Regent’s University in London, where he teaches Entrepreneurship. He has won six business awards and has been the keynote speaker at several events around the world, including the World Entrepreneurship Forum in China in October 2015.

Most recently Rafael was featured in the Sunday Times as one of the ‘Top 100 Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs in the UK’, an award organised by Maserati and the Centre for Entrepreneurs.

His recent TEDx talk about his life story has been very well received and can be seen here. Rafael’s vision is to help one million migrants become entrepreneurs over the next ten years.

With the recent launch of his Migrant Business Show and the news of the opening of mi-HUB co-working space for migrant entrepreneurs, he is getting there closer by the day.

Links

Migrant Business Show: http://mi-events.com/

mi-HUB Website: http://www.mi-hub.com/

mi-HUB Twitter: https://twitter.com/mihublondon

mi-HUB Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mihublondon/?fref=ts

Rafael dos Santos website: http://www.rafaeldossantos.com/

Rafael dos Santos Twitter: https://twitter.com/ARafael_Santos

Event Brite ticket registration for free event: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/migrant-business-show-wwwmi-hu…

Rafael’s TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwUnUiyh-8Q

Brexit sees award-winning online school MyAntiqueSchool attracting more interest in learning & investment in art & antiques

An increase in interest in Antiques

The cognoscenti of the antiques and collectors’ world are uniting to enable enthusiasts to ‘learn with the experts’ online – wherever they are in the world

MyAntiqueSchool, the world’s first online antiques school, is seeing an increased interest from their thriving online antiques community in learning about art and antiques following the economic climate caused by Brexit. Particular interest has come from the US as a result of the pound dropping, and this has been further confirmed by more top names in the industry (US and UK experts) joining to teach new antiques and art courses.

Top names in the antiques and collectables industry, including an impressive array of authors and dealers from around the world, are involved in the initiative to become the world’s first online education hub for learning about antiques and collectables. Top tutors include David Rago US Antiques Roadshow Expert (PBS), and Judith Miller, author of the acclaimed Miller’s Guides.

Founder and CEO of MyAntiqueSchool (formerly eBay and Skype) Elspeth Briscoe commented: “The fall of sterling after Brexit wasn’t a surprise. And short term, this decline will benefit the UK art and antiques market as goods will be more attractive to foreign buyers (we’ve seen this already with Phillips recent sale of led by Anselm Kiefer’s Velimir Khlebnikov For; The doctrine of War; Battles, (2004-2010), which sold for £2.46 million). “This has no doubt helped sales,” commented the CEO of Phillips Edward Dolman.” Briscoe added: Our tutors partner with us for the long term, and for many reasons like most tech entrepreneurs, I was (and am) firmly in the remain camp. However it is true that we’re seeing signs that “Brexit has stirred up more interest from the US in learning about the investment side of antiques and art.”

Other contemporary art sales at Phillips, Christie’s and Sotheby’s, held in London a few days after the referendum, confirmed this predicted trend of overseas buyers.

MyAntiqueSchool is now announcing its latest tranche of courses to go live (available to book and start in July), with personal tuition from the very best. Amongst them are a course by regular TV antiques expert, specifically on investing in art and antiques:

Marc Allum: An Insider’s Guide to Building a Well-Balanced Art & Antiques Portfolio

Marc gives fascinating insight on how to build a varied and interesting arts & antiques portfolio planning around emerging economic trends in investing and collecting, as well as discovering the pitfalls to avoid. Marc gives practical tips for buying in different situations, how to spread your portfolio and how to ascertain the difference between value and worth. In the online classroom, Marc will be giving his latest thoughts on good investment buys in the market.

Marc Allum: Buying Art and Antiques for Interior Design.

Leading arts & antiques specialists and regular on the Antiques Roadshow Marc, teaches students how to combine the classic with the modern to create truly original interiors, whether you’re a professional interior designer or designing your own home.

Mark Hill: Mid-Century Modern Design

On this course students learn about the design style and influencers in the highly collectible Mid-Century Design Period with personal tuition from Mark Hill expert dealer, author and broadcaster.

David Rago: The Arts & Crafts Movement in the US.

Taught by one of the leading experts from the US Antiques Roadshow, students can get a rare insight into one of the most influential design movements of recent times and how to spot good arts and crafts items for collection or for resale whether ceramics, wrought metal or furniture.

Tony Geering: The History of the Arts & Crafts Movement

This foundation course guides you through the Arts & Crafts Movement. Students will learn about the designers and architects involved and about the styles and principles they adhered to from Tony, who has soured half of the Arts & Crafts furniture sold by Liberty’s of London

Guy Vaissiere: Buying at Auction

Learn the tips and tricks of buying at auction with expert tutor Guy Vaissiere (Sotheby’s and Philips). You will learn when and how to bid, understanding the different types of auction (including online) and even legal rights

Erin-Marie Wallace: How to Value Fine Art

US based expert dealer, auctioneer and fine artists teaches how to assess the true value of paintings, prints and drawings using essential techniques honed over 20 years to give students a logical methodology to realistically value fine art.

Erin-Marie Wallace: The First Principles of Assessing Fine Art

Erin-Marie gives detailed advice on how distinguish the major paint and print-making mediums to form the basis of being able to concisely evaluate a painting, print or drawing. At the end of this course, no matter where it’s lurking students will have a tried and tested methodology of classifying fine art

On these courses students get the unique experience of getting access to some of the most knowledgeable experts in the world – that they otherwise would be unable to meet – in an aesthetically and visually compelling, interactive learning environment, which is also really easy to use. Prices range from £100 for a taster course to over £1,000 for longer, more in-depth courses.

Today also sees the launch of the My-Antique-School forum where enthusiasts and professionals can interact to discuss a range of topics with fellow collectors from all over the world. Elspeth Briscoe who managed the e-Bay communities in the early days comments ‘MyOnlineSchool solves an important problem for globally disparate enthusiasts in fragmented industries like antiques and horticulture. These industries (and 100s of others) have literally millions of people passionate about niche topics, but who can’t easily get access to experts nor unite with one another in a single sharing community. We are giving enthusiasts a thriving place to connect, wherever they are in the world. A place where not only can they share questions and answers on a peer to peer basis, but also connect with wordclass experts who they’d never normally meet. I’ve always been passionate that the internet could be used more effectively to unite people who are driven by a shared interest or cause. MyOnlineSchool is the perfect place for these niche communities to aggregate, as we have the experts, a unique classroom, and now an area where everyone can share questions and answers. See you in the virtual MyOnlineSchool cafes”

To book a MyAntiqueSchool course, see www.my-antique-school.com.

Philips Lighting unveils SceneSwitch – a unique LED light bulb range designed to make multi-purpose homes work harder

SceneSwitch settings range

• Launch of a new Philips LED bulb range, with multiple light settings, helps you adapt your home for work, rest and play and works with your existing switch

• International survey data from Ipsos says 55% seek the right light for a given task*

Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Philips Lighting (Euronext Amsterdam ticker: LIGHT), a global leader in lighting, has launched the new Philips SceneSwitch LED range – a unique range of light bulbs which provide multiple light settings, to meet the changing needs of homes and consumers. Many houses and flats have become multi-purpose spaces: somewhere to work, relax and entertain. The Philips SceneSwitch LED range caters for this need, allowing you to use your existing light switch to select the light scene best suited to a given task.

“Only 10% of consumers we’ve spoken to currently have the ability to dim light in their homes(1). Our new LED range provides a solution to address this where you can easily change the setting from a bright light for concentration and detail, to a natural light, to a warm relaxing glow – all with a flick of the existing light switch. There is no need to install a dimmer, or make other dramatic changes to make rooms truly multi-functional spaces,” comments Mahesh Iyer, leader of Philips Lighting LED business group.

How the modern home impacts lighting

Housing shortages and soaring prices have led to more people sharing the same space at home, or staying in smaller houses as the next step on the property ladder becomes out of reach(2). Recent Ipsos research reveals it’s not feasible to change lighting settings in many homes, despite the increasing need for multi-purpose spaces and an appetite to do so.

Key report findings include:

• External factors such as obtaining permission to make changes to a rental property, perceived expense of changing light switches, and lack of personal DIY knowledge, were cited as reasons preventing people from installing light fittings to match their living requirements.

• Over three quarters (78%) of those surveyed in Germany do not currently have a dimmer, with almost a quarter of those without dimmers (22%) stating that it would be too much hassle for them to install one.

• Whereas in France, 80% of those surveyed do not currently have a dimmer, with 11% of those without a dimmer citing personal DIY knowledge as hindering them from installing one.

• In Indonesia, 22%(3) said that the main reason they would change their lamp was because the existing one could not be dimmed.

• In the USA 60% of people surveyed don’t currently own a dimmer, with 13% of them stating that they were not allowed to change light fittings (e.g. by a landlord) to match their living requirements.

Etienne Zervaas, director at Ipsos, commented, “Recent Ipsos research(4) shows an average of 50% of consumers face the challenge of wanting to adapt the function and mood of spaces in their homes, including selecting the right light for different tasks. At the same time, many people are tenants, not owners, of the property they live in5.”

Multi-purpose living and the right light scene for the right task

The new Philips SceneSwitch LED range is plug and play. It enables people to switch lighting without requiring structural changes, installing a dimmer switch or spending a disproportionate amount of money, which can be unrealistic for many homeowners or people in rented accommodation. People simply use their existing light switch to select one of the scenes to quickly and effectively transform their room from somewhere to study, to somewhere to snuggle.

The Philips SceneSwitch range is designed to reflect the many and varied functions of rooms in modern-day homes. It has a memory function and includes three different light settings:

1. Bright light

Perfect for those occasions where you need to see every detail, such as applying make-up. The Philips SceneSwitch bright light setting, at 2700K/800Lm, provides a brighter more intensive light to help you focus and experience every detail.

2. Natural light

A setting that mimics natural light, which is ideal for reading a book. At 2500K/320Lm, it is a less intense, natural light which creates and inviting ambiance to wind down with a good book. The natural light setting is similar to a 40w bulb, and can be found between the other two settings.

3. Cosy, warm light

The rise in watching movies and on-demand TV6 at home, is another reason that the home has to be adaptable and provide a suitable space for getting comfortable and watching a film. The cosy warm glow, at 2200K/80Lm, is perfect for helping you relax and enjoy the moment.

Watch this YouTube video showing the three different light settings: SceneSwitch Video

The Philips SceneSwitch LED range is available in the following variants: 60W bulb from July 12 2016, with a 40W candle and 50W spot available from September 2016.