ME AND MY PASSION

four people talk about their hobbies

A Katie Holleran: accountant

When you mention windsurfing to people, they generally imagine suntanned 20-year-olds. But the sport has matured since it started in the 1960s, and so have its participants. Any reasonably fit person can do it, and age isn’t a barrier. “Beginners need enough strength in their arms to pull themselves back up onto the board after falling off. At first, you do spend a lot of time in the water, but it’s worth it for the feeling of excitement you get when you’re moving along successfully – that’s fantastic.

In the early days, sails and boards were made of heavy materials like polyethylene, and the sport was very physical. But improved technology has changed all that. And you don’t have to live by the sea – 50 per cent of windsurfing takes place on inland lakes and reservoirs. I used to have a boat, but with that always need other people to help you. And you’re not allowed to take a boat on some lakes, whereas you can windsurf anywhere”.

B Kevin Shaw: builder

It’s become a tradition in our household that I make an Indian curry every Monday evening. I wanted to learn how to make my dishes more authentic, so I signed up for a cookery course at a top Indian restaurant in London. Every time I go, I learn something new and I’m now building up quite a repertoire of curry recipes.

Andy, the head chef, is also a qualified teacher, which is a big advantage of the course. He explains how the herbs, spices, oils and rice used in Indian cooking are combined by experts to get subtle variations in flavour. It’s perfectly possible to have dishes which contain exactly the same ingredients, but you end up with something totally different depending on the methods used in the part of the country where it’s prepared.

After all the theory, we go down to the kitchen to observe Andy and his team of highly-qualified chefs in action and then, of course, we get to sample the dishes we’ve learned to cook.

C Karen Hallstrom: salesperson

When I tell people I race vintage cars from the 1920s and 1930s, one question they’re sure to ask is: ‘Do you wear 1920s outfits too?’ ‘No’, is the polite version of my answer. I have to wear fireproof overalls and a helmet in order to meet modern safety laws, I’m afraid. Things have changed in other ways since the old days, too. To be allowed to race my cars, I had to pass both written and practical tests. That wasn’t difficult, but then vintage cars weren’t a novelty to me: they were part of my upbringing. I used to spend hours, bored stiff, with my fingers stuck in my ears while my father watched races at the local motor-racing track. I said it was the last thing I’d ever do. But when I was a bit older, I too fell in love with cars, first driving a vintage model at age 17. Then, later, a boyfriend with a boat got me interested in sailing, much to the horror of my family! But it didn’t last, and somehow I’ve always come back to cars.

D Joe Campilos: office worker

I’m lucky because, within reason, I can choose what house I do at the office and this means I have time to combine it with my real passion, which is jazz music. Every weekend, and sometimes on Fridays as well, we play at the street. Not in the main square, as you need to buy a licence for that and it’s a bit pricey, but in various places around the city where there are no regulations.

People sometimes complain because they think we’re beggars, but that’s not fair. Although we do accept money, because it’s the accepted custom, that’s not why we’re there. It’s really a kind of advertisement – if somebody likes what they hear, then they can hire us. We get to do weddings, parties, that sort of thing, which gives us a bit of extra pocket money. Sometimes jazz clubs approach us, too. But it’s never fame and fortune – and to tell you the truth, I like my life just the way it is.

Date: 2015-01-29; view: 2279