Bruged... but unbowed

 

Published in The Northern Echo Friday 20th July 2012. View clip here.

Catharine Hewitson finds the, initially, hidden glories of Bruges are as tasty as Belgium's famous chocolate industry

IF I’m honest, when I arrived in Bruges I felt a little cheated. My guidebooks referred to the Belgian city as ‘picturesque’ and ‘quaint’; ‘the Venice of the North’. Even In Bruges, a black comedy about hit-men, portrayed the city in a fairytale light.

The coach transfer from the port of Zeebrugge dropped my boyfriend and I at the station on the south-west perimeter of the city. I had built up expectations of stepping into a medieval time-warp, but there didn’t seem to be a turret or cobblestone in sight.

Flight of Fancy

Published in The Northern Echo January 30th 2010 - view clip here

Catharine Hewitson nips over to Amsterdam for a short break.

Last month, my friend and I decided we needed a short break. We came up with the following destination wish-list: a European city with good food and drink, architecture and culture. With flights from Durham Tees Valley airport practically our on doorsteps, we chose Amsterdam, and booked a B&B through Easytobook.com.

Hitotoki Paris

Published on the launch of Hitotoki Paris, July 28th 2008

I had been alone in Paris for thirteen days. It took a dreary, uneventful morning for it to finally sink in that my family were hundreds of miles away. Although my first couple of weeks in the City of Light had been a song and a dance, I was craving human contact and conversation.

Like any other day, I left my little apartment on the rue de la Verrerie to spend the day with my sole companion: Paris. Turning onto the busy rue de Rivoli, I crossed over, intending to head to the quai but instead of trying to fight the traffic running around the Hotel de Ville, I turned left onto the place Saint-Gervais.

Fondest food memories

Published in The Northern Echo October 29th 2011. View clip here

Catharine Hewitson managed to fit three lunches into one day as she re-visited Barcelona to enjoy the Catalan cuisine which tickles her tastebuds

If I had to recall my favourite meals of all time and stick pins in a map where I have enjoyed them, there would be a significant cluster in Catalonia. From family holidays as a teenager to culinary pilgrimages in my adult life, this region of North-Eastern Spain has provided me with my fondest food memories.

Rural inspiration

Published in The Journal March 16th 2010

GOOD quality, ethically-made children’s clothing that won’t break the bank may be hard to come by, but CATHARINE HEWITSON has found one fashion designer from Northumberland who promises fantastic pieces for youngsters at reasonable prices.

In a converted stable block in the Northumbrian countryside lies the headquarters of Tulip & Nettle, a designer children’s clothing label founded by Amynta Warde-Aldam.

French pampering on your doorstep

Published in The Journal January 2nd 2010

A FRENCHMAN based in the North East promises to bring a little 'ooh la la' to your beauty routine. CATHARINE HEWITSON looks at his new range.

IF you're looking for beauty products with a certain 'je ne sais quoi', look no further than Claude & Celeste.

At the heart of this beauty company is Frenchman Alex Jimenez, who hopes to introduce a little piece of France into our skin and beauty regimes.

Provence-born Alex came to the UK 12 years ago to work in the retail industry.

"I had been back and forth between the North East and Provence visiting friends, and I began to see opportunities in the region," he says.

Party perfection

Published in The Chronicle November 28th 2009

Maria Duddin is in charge of events at a top venue in London and hosting celebrity bashes is just a regular part of her job. CATHARINE HEWITSON finds out more

NOT everyone can boast that they've met Gordon Brown and Paul Weller but thanks to her amazing job, Maria Duddin mixes with a whole host of star personalities.

Maria is general manager of The Brewery, a top-class entertainment venue in the City of London, and this year she was awarded a place on the Event magazine's 100 Club list, judged by 2,000 influential players in the events world.