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Issue 055 July > Sept. 2011


CONTACT OUR ADVERTISERS COMPANY


EDITOR Stirling Johnstone


Tel : +44 (0)20 7833 3772 editor@gsmagazine.co.uk


DESIGN & PRODUCTION Miles Johnstone


Tel : +44 (0)20 7278 3542 art@gsmagazine.co.uk


CONTRIBUTORS Alia Akkam Shelley Gabert Kelly Hushin


Stacy Shoemaker-Rauen Rosie Toms


Francesca Smalley


PHOTOGRAPHY Cosmopolitan Las Vegas Patricia Niven TK


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© STEVENSON PUBLICATIONS LTD No part of GS MAGAZINE may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the


prior written consent of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed in GS are not necessarily those of the publisher, nor does he accept liability for any printing errors or otherwise which may occur.


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ALTFIELD 020 7351 5893 ...................................................22 ARDMORE GROUP 020 8344 0300 .........................................14 & 15 ARMOURCOAT 01732 460668 ....................................................10 ARTEFACT HOTEL ART CONSULTANTS 020 7636 5244 ...................................................22 ASLOTEL LTD 01372 362533 ....................................................58 CATHY OLIVER INTERIORS 0845 0942951 ...................................................... 6 CGA INTEGRATION 0845 058 4650 ..................................................... 6 COLE & SON WALLPAPERS 020 8442 8844 ..................................................... 6 COTTAGE FURNITURE (PURE CF) 01785 811133 ....................................................38 EE SMITH CONTRACTS 0116 270 6946 .........................................18 & 58 FABRICANT 01765 607755 ....................................................28 GLOSTER FURNITURE 01454 631 950 ........................................... 8 & 57 HANDHELD IMAGE 01666 860960 ................................................OBC HOUSEWATER 08450 774140 ...................................................IFC HYPNOS 01844 348200 ....................................................20 JIM LAWRENCE 01473 826680 ....................................................31 REEVE & CO 01449 711782 ....................................................22 STROODS 01206 385858 ....................................................12 TEMPUS STET 01263 585025 ....................................................20 THE PLATONIC FIREPLACE COMPANY 020 8891 5904 ........................................... 4 & 58 TILEVISION (PORTER LANCASTRIAN) 0870 871 0111 ...................................................12 VAUGHAN LIGHTING 020 7731 6197 ...................................................42 VISION COMMERCIAL KITCHENS 0161 766 5522 ...................................................12


W


hen word gets round that there’s been a shipwreck, people tend to rush to the beaches to see what’s been washed ashore. Isn’t there a


law that allows us to lay claim to flotsam? Few would admit it, but taking advantage of others’ misfortunes is probably something we all do from time to time. When a film star dies, don’t we secretly look forward to seeing a season of their films on the telly? Or when a high street chain goes into administration, don’t we queue up to see what the closing down sale will offer? I popped into Habitat the other day (just to pay my condolences you understand!) and ignoring the frenzied rush to grab whatever was left, I was struck by the generally poor quality and style of the furniture and kitchenware in the shop, especially given the hefty pre- sale prices. Habitat was dated, the furniture was not of the standard I remember and there was very little that could be considered ‘on-trend’, yet they were still expensive. With the expansion of IKEA and other home-style shops and warehouses could Habitat really afford to lower its standards without lowering its prices? With the benefit of hindsight, we know the answer to be no. Thankfully most restaurant and hotel businesses are aware that in order to compete they need to stay fresh, look good, maintain standards and occasionally be a little cutting-edge. There’s a raft of new hotels and restaurants opening at the moment, so many in fact that we’re struggling to keep up. This is a good thing for the industry; the added competition forces operators to take a good look at their own businesses and make improvements where necessary. It pays to keep an eye on what’s new and innovative and to make sure that others around you aren’t getting too far ahead. After all, there is bound to come a time when the industry reaches saturation point, when we have more hotel rooms and restaurant covers than we have customers. At that point, the weaker, less appealing venues will lose out and some will inevitably close leaving the remaining venues to take advantage by luring their old customers over to them. After all, one man’s loss is another man’s gain, as they say. The trick is to remain ship shape in order to stay afloat. We hope that the articles and advertisers in GS Magazine help to inspire you and keep your venue fresh and on-trend.


Stirling Johnstone GS MAGAZINE 3


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