HAMMERPOT Brewery’s Bottle Wreck Porter has been awarded gold in the Porter category at Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) 2012 National Winter Ales Festival in Manchester.

The beer, named after a 19th century shipwreck off the coast of Sussex found to be carrying hundreds of bottles of porter, was first brewed in 2007.

Since then it has won many Beer of the Festival prizes and four regional awards from both CAMRA and the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA).

Although several of their other beers have also won awards, this is the first national award to be received by the brewery.

Lee Mitchell, head brewer at Hammerpot Brewery said: “Despite not being driven by awards it is very nice to be recognised and it reflects the efforts of the whole team here.”

Based in Poling, near Arundel, Hammerpot Brewery was established in 2005 by Lee with the intention of producing distinctive, quality craft brewed beers. They now produce at least 12 different beers throughout the year and continue to pursue those same aims.

With their small five barrel brew plant Hammerpot Brewery are a micro brewery in the truest sense and are delighted to be able to show that smaller end of the independent brewery sector can make great beers worthy of national recognition.

WEST Sussex businesses are being urged to register their support for better broadband in the county.

West Sussex County Council Deputy Leader Lionel Barnard, who has responsibility for Enterprise, said: “The county council has committed £6.26 million to match fund a government grant to improve the county’s broadband network. For us to get the full benefit of this investment and ensure we deliver improved broadband first to those who need it most, we need to get a clear picture of the demand across West Sussex.

“By registering their support, residents will be playing their part in showing us where the demand is.”

Residents and businesses can register via the West Sussex – Better Connected website at www.westsussex-betterconnected.org.uk or by completing a registration form at their local library or help point.

Registering support for superfast broadband will help show where the levels of demand are in communities when planning the broadband improvement programme, it does not commit residents to sign up to any new service.

Mr Barnard added that the aim of the programme is to ensure access to improved broadband for both residents and businesses.

“This is particularly vital for our local economy and businesses, many of which are home-based,” he said. “In these difficult economic times, we need to work together to help improve economic prosperity and support our local businesses.

“Better broadband access will help reduce social isolation in our more rural communities, and make it easier and cheaper for residents to access services.”

Former St Margaret’s Church of England Primary schoolboy Tom Wort, 20, told pupils his journey from Crawley to playing in front of an 85,000 crowd on a regular basis.

The Oaklahoma Sooners linebacker said: “It’s awesome to be back but crazy to see everything that I haven’t seen in years.

“It brings back a lot of great memories.

“The kids eyes all lit up when they saw me and were very excited.”

Tom would watch American football on the television with his dad from a young age and said that was where his passion grew from.

When he was 14 his dad’s job took him to America where he advanced in the game.

They lived in Rhode Island and Texas, before he was recruited by the college team Oklahoma Sooners.

Tom said: “It’s about aspirations and what you can become. Going to school and taking part in sport is a privilege.

“When something is a privilege you work much harder at it and you grasp every opportunity.

“It’s never too early to start to dream.”

Tom wants to finish university before hopefully being selected to play in the National Football League (NFL).

He said: “It would mean you get to walk out and play in front of 100,000 people. The support is fantastic and is the loudest thing you have ever heard.”

Tom was always interested in sport and stood out from the crowd from a young age.

Claudia Leicester, his St Margaret’s physical education teacher, said: “The last thing I said to him when he left the school was ‘remember me when you are famous’ and now he has returned!

“He was just exceptionally talented and I remember teaching him like it was yesterday.

“He just excelled at all sports and was incredibly hard working.”

After talking to the youngsters Tom taught them a few American football skills on the playground.

A PRODIGIOUS young chess player has triumphed in a three-day junior championship while wearing a lucky Crawley Town shirt.

Jamie Ward, 12, who already represents Sussex, is now winner of the Under 12 London Junior Chess Championship.

But Reds lover Jamie, of Maidenbower, said despite the chess glory he would still prefer to be a professional footballer.

He said: “It’s hard to choose between the two because I love chess but footballers get paid more! Matt Tubbs is my favourite. I saw the Bristol City game and went up to Old Trafford too.”

Jamie had to qualify to enter the national tournament and was up against a pool of 58 talented players in the the Under 12 category.

He played three games a day winning six on the trot. On day three he lost one, drew one, and won one, giving him overall victory by a margin of half a point. He won a trophy and £100 prize money.

Jamie said: “It was quite close in the end but I was fairly confident.”

Dad Tony taught him the game around five years ago – but now Jamie has to go up against the computer for a stiffer challenge.

He has also benefited from Chess Master Jonathan Tuck’s expert tuition at Copthorne Preparatory School since Year 3.

Mum Alison said: “Chess isn’t really a spectator sport so while Jamie was on the sixth floor we were downstairs finding out the latest results.

“It was quite nerve-racking on the third day!

“He’s taken to the game really well and it definitely helps having professional tutor at his school.”

THREE arson attacks were carried out early this morning (Monday) across Crawley.

Firefighters were called to Anglesey Close, in Broadfield, around 2.20am where a car had been set alight.

It was out when the emergency services arrived, but firefighters damped down the vehicle to prevent it catching fire again.

They were then called to Hawkhurst Walk, in Furnace Green, at around 3.30am.

A bin store next to a block of flats had been set on fire.

Finally, at around 5am, a garage at the rear of Exeter Close, in Tilgate, was seriously damaged by arsonists.

Firefighters spent over an hour sorting out the incident.

CRAWLEY Town were denied by a dramatic late equaliser as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Plymouth Arygle on Saturday.

A Pablo Mills goal shortly before half time looked to have given the Reds all three points and put them on course to a return to the top of League 2, but when Maxime Blanchard struck in stoppage time, Crawley had to be content with a share of the spoils.

Our video slideshow reveals some of the action from the game.

For all the latest Crawley TN news and views, read the Crawley Observer every week.

PABLO Mills has promised Crawley Town will give their all in a bid to reach the Fifth Round of the FA Cup for a second successive season.

In what is arguably the second biggest game in the history of the club – behind last season’s trip to Old Trafford – the Reds travel to Hull on Saturday to face Nick Barmby’s promotion chasing Hull City.

And after already dumping one Championship club out of this year’s competition, Mills is keen to send Hull the same way as Bristol City, who the Reds beat 1-0 in the Third Round.

Mills said: “It’s a one off game, as I said last year. We will go up there and not leave anything in the tank and hopefully come back with the win.”

Reds will run out at the KC Stadium on Saturday, with the hosts backed by up to 20,000 home fans, and Mills believes last year’s memorable run to the last-16 and a tie against Manchester United in front of a crowd of 75,000 will stand them in good stead. In fact, of Saturday’s starting XI, only two players were not part of the squad that day – Claude Davis, who has bags of Premier League experience, and Tyrone Barnett.

Mills added: “We go into these games as we would for any other. I don’t think we will be overawed by the situation, and go out there and play our game, leave everything out there and hopefully get a result. They (Hull) are a good team and they are Championship for a reason, every game will be a test but we know the job we have to do.”

Up to 2,000 Crawley fans are expected to make the journey north, with 11 coachloads heading to Hull, and Mills wants the FA Cup fever to translate into a boost to league form, which has seen Reds knocked off the top of League 2.

Steve Evans’ men were on course to go top again until a late equaliser denied them a win at Plymouth on Saturday – leaving the entire squad bitterly disappointed.

“The supporters have been fantastic this season,” Mills said. “Hopefully we can get a win and it can take our minds off the league a bit and freshen us up to take it back into our league form.”

TOWN centre store Bonmarche faces an uncertain future after the chain was sold in a deal which will lead to 1,400 job losses and 160 store closures.

It was sold in a deal to private equity firm Sun European Partners. Sun intends to trade from approximately 230 stores - but will close around 160.

It will continue to employ about 2,400 staff and axe about 1,400.

Chris Laverty, joint administrator and restructuring partner at KPMG for Bonmarche, said: “Given the hostile conditions on the high street, we’re pleased to have concluded a sale with Sun European Partners.

“The deal is a positive step forward in underscoring Bonmarché’s future.”

A spokesperson for Sun European Partners said it was not discussing individual store closures at this time.

Matthias Gundlach, vice president at Sun European Partners, said; “Bonmarché is a great brand that operates in an attractive niche of the apparel sector that we know very well.

“We are confident in putting a sustainable growth programme in place and working with the management team to develop the business successfully.”

A PLANNING application to install parking meters by Tilgate Golf Course has been submitted to Crawley Borough Council.

The application is to install parking meters, street furniture, hard landscaping and the alteration of car parking arrangements on land adjacent to Tilgate Drive.

Any comments should be sent to the head of planning and environmental services, town hall, The Boulevard, Crawley, RH10 1UZ by January 26.

The application was submitted by Crawley Borough Council and its application number is CR/2012/0008/RG3

Crawley Youth League

Under-Nines League Cup

FURNGATE Blue took their revenge on Maidenbower Colts Black for a previous defeat by beating them 2-0.

Under-Nines League Cup

FURNGATE Blue took their revenge on Maidenbower Colts Black for a previous defeat by beating them 2-0.

Connor Carey and Harry Rothwell scored the goals.

Perrywood Cougars produced a 3-0 win in their cup game against MSB Gold, Oliver Turnwell, Jack Burridge and Cameron Foss were their goalscorers.

Crawley Panthers with a goal from Matthew Williams beat Crawley Down Anvils 1-0. The 3rd Round will be played on February 12.

Under-Nines Knock Out Cup

PERRYWOOD Pumas with a Joshua Miles goal defeated Crawley Down Hammers 1-0 in the first leg.

Wealden Rangers have a lot to do in their second Leg game going down 6-0 to TD Shipley Red. Carlos George and Liam Porter scored two each and Jonah Howard and Faris Khan struck 1 each.

Two goals from Louis Smith and 1 from James McQue gave Furngate Blue 3-0 lead in their first Leg game against Ifield Youth.

MSB Diamonds beat Maidenbower Colts White 3-1 in their first Leg.

Under-10s Blue League

CAIDEN Ousley scored the only goal in Crawley Cougars’ 1-0 win over MSB Gold and keeps them eight points clear at the top.

Hurst Hornets beat Maidenbower Colts Red 1-0 Jack Smith scoring the goal.

Maidenbower Utd beat Furngate 2-0, Joshua Hyden and Harvey Payne netting.

Gatwick Colts and Ifield Youth drew 0-0.

Under-10s Red League

HORLEY smashed Oakwood Blue 5-0 with goals from Lee Dobbs (3) and 1 each from Ben Remfrey and Joel Skipper.

TD Shipley also defeated Maidenbower Colts Black 5-0. Harry Watts, Frankie Ryan, Connor Donaghey, Harry White and Omer Ashby scored the goals.

MSB Diamonds overcame Perrywood Foxes 1-0, Bradley Frankland scoring the only goal.

Crawley Utd

U10s Mid Sussex played Cuckfield Cosmos Tigers winning 4-0 with goals from Harry Smart, Jenden Reid and a Keiran Smith brace.

Utd U11s Horsham played great football to beat Dorking 6-2. The goals came from Nathan Bates (3), Callum Graham (2) and Bradley Ross.

U11s Mid Sussex - A goal from Harry Hoffman and a hat-trick from Arran Raymond produced a 4-3 win.

U12s couldn’t pull anything out of the bag final score East Grinstead Meads 1-0 Crawley United.

U13s are through to the semi final after beating Glebe Tigers 1-4.

U14s - A hat-trick from Connor Perry, a brace from Connor Bishop and goals from Harry Petty and Josh Pool led to Utd thrashing Brighton 7-0.

BMW UK has scooped six awards from one of the country’s leading fleet publications. BusinessCar magazine has honoured BMW with the headline accolade of ‘Manufacturer of the Year’, for the fourth year in a row, in recognition of BMW’s diverse product portfolio and class-leading running costs.

‘Business Car of the Year’ has been awarded to the new BMW 1 Series in honour of its appealing overall package with low running costs making the smallest BMW just as tempting as its larger family members.

The BMW 320d EfficientDynamics Saloon has been named ‘Green Car of the Year’ for the second year in a row thanks to its class-leading driving dynamics coupled with exceptional economy and attractive ownership costs.

For the third year in a row both the BMW X5 and BMW 3 Series Saloon held onto their titles, having once again been named ‘Large 4x4 of the Year’ and ‘Upper Medium Car of the Year’ respectively.

Topping off the awards haul, the BMW 7 Series was also voted ‘Luxury Car of the Year’.

The BusinessCar Awards are the only honours voted for solely by the title’s readers, reflecting the opinions of the people who really matter in the fleet industry, which gives them a particular gravitas.

Paul Barker, Editor of BusinessCar commented: “BMW’s impressive and class-leading combination of desirability, efficiency and driving pleasure has again shown itself, with this haul of awards, decided by the readers of BusinessCar, proving that the brand is at the forefront of the company car market.

“Across the range there is a model for every level of employee, each one offering low tax bills, good running costs and the premium BMW badge. The people running these vehicles and giving them to their staff obviously appreciate the job BMW is doing.”

ARE YOU a closet crime-conqueror keen to crack down on crooks? Do you have a supernatural sixth sense to usurp the unsavoury and sniff out scandal?

If so, superhero status might not be as strange as it seems.

An Ifield-based celebrity agent has created a project to seek out the first world-famous costumed crusader.

The winner will be trained in martial arts, crime detection, first-aid and law and order to make them a bona fide hero.

Creater Kizzi Nkwocha said: “There are very few people who have never dreamt of one day becoming a superhero. Search for a Superhero is a chance to turn that dream into a reality.”

Entrants will be judged by a panel of experts including Kizzi, whose clients include Dragons Den star Levi Roots; martial artist and brother of fashion guru Gok Wan, Kwoklyn Wan; criminal law barrister Jo Sidhu; private investigator Arabella Mazzuki; and medical training advisor Jason O’Flaherty.

‘Real-life superhero’ Mr Justice, from Oxfordshire, will be on hand to mentor the winner.

Kizzi added: “Once we have chosen that special individual we will train them in martial arts and self defence, crime detection, understanding and applying the law and a knowledge of first aid. They will also have their own publicist who will promote their exploits and Mr Justice will be on hand to advise and guide them. The response to the competition has been amazing. We have had over two hundred applications already from all over the world simply through word of mouth. It seems that 2012 will be the year of the superhero.”

The appeal is being promoted by Three Bridges company Spot Creative Design.

To enter email heroes@ searchforasuperhero.com with a picture and some details on why you want to become a superhero.

Police are investigating a spate of Crawley arson attackes which they believe to be connected.

At 3.25am on Monday (January 23) police and firefighters attended reports of a bin fire at a block of flats in Hawkhurst Walk, Furnace Green.

They discovered an outside storage cupboard had been deliberately set on fire and it had spread from the storage cupboard to recycling bin opposite and near to the communal entrance to the flats.

The blaze was extinguished but damage was caused to the exterior facia of the flats and heat damage to windows.

Detective Sergeant Jon Pink of West Sussex CID at Crawley said: “The behaviour of the person responsible for the fire was reckless and we are treating this as an offence of arson.

“If this fire had not been dealt with quickly there was a potential for the occupants of the flats to have been put in danger.

“As officers attended the location they saw a man running off towards Ashburnham Road, however unfortunately he has not been traced. This man is described as white, in his early 20s, approximately 6ft tall wearing dark clothing.”

This offence is being linked to a garage fire at Exeter Close in Tilgate that was reported at 5am, also on Monday. The garage was unused but the fire has caused damage to items that were stored inside and a car in a neighbouring garage.

These two incidents are also being linked to other offences of arson in Tilgate and Furnace Green which took place in December 2011.

Anyone with information about any of these incidents is asked to contact Sussex Police on 101 quoting serial 0089 of 23/1 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

OBSERVER readers came up with some fantastic ideas when asked what they would like to see in Crawley by the year 2029 – a Skittles fountain being one of the most amusing but least likely.

Now people have the chance to discuss their ideas at a community workshop.

Crawley 2029 is the name of the town’s new local plan, which will shape future development from 2014-2029 and, to make it worthwhile, it needs to reflect what the people of Crawley think.

Anthony Masson, Crawley Borough Council planning officer, said: “The workshop will be a really good opportunity to meet with representatives from the many different community groups that are active in Crawley and for you to let us know your views on the way you would like to see the town develop.

“At the workshop we will also provide a consultation pack for you to take away and talk about with your group, so that they can let us know about the issues they feel are important.”

The workshop will be held at the civic hall, next to the town hall, on Thursday January 26 from 6-8.30pm. Topics up for discussion are: Crawley 2029 – your vision for the town, planning for our housing need, growing our economy, supporting the growth of the town (infrastructure), our green open space, your neighbourhood.

To register your interest, email mandy.graves@crawley.gov.uk no later than 5pm on Friday (January 20).

Saddle up pardners its time to hit the trail, well sort of, the puppet trail/theatre stage to be more precise.

GUNSTRINGER released by MICROSOFT and TWISTED PIXEL is a story of betrayal and revenge (usual western stuff).

Originally planned as a XBOX ARCADE release, that later changed to a full retail game.

The story revolves around THE GUNSTRINGER an undead marionette who is betrayed by his posse and rises from the dead seeking revenge on those low-down bushwackin`, sidewindin`, varmints who put him in his grave.

The game itself is played out in front of a live audience (the Paramount Theatre in Austin Texas) and starts off with some live action footage as your character is brought onto the stage; this I thought was a nice original touch as it gives the game a feeling of reality, it does feel like you are putting on a puppet show, especially when you occasionally see the audience reacting to certain sequences, and the ooh and aahs coming from the crowd along with the gritty voiced narration, giving the game a great atmosphere.

Of course you can only play THE GUNSTRINGER with a KINECT, and it does involve standing up to play which is a bit hard on the arms after a while, as you have to hold one arm up to move him about and the other is used for aiming and shooting, the whole thing works on the rail system which means you have control over the movements, but as for the forward progression the game does that for you, so you have to be quick at aiming and shooting.

The action is relentless and there is the option for another player to join in or leave as the game progresses (mind you they only get to aim and shoot).

The beauty of this game is its simplicity, the controls are pretty basic and very intuitive so you are not messing about trying to get the hang of them, difficulty does increase as you progress but not to a great extent as to spoil it, mind you it’s not all plain sailing, as I did have to have a couple of goes at some parts to get past it.

The whole feel of THE GUNSTRINGER is very slapstick and silly with plenty of western clichés thrown in for good measure and the villains are original and fitting for the setting.

The real letdown for the game I found was the length of play, it took me about three hours to complete it, which for the price is not great, you obviously can play it over and over and try and better your score, unfortunately the game isn`t that interesting that I felt compelled to return for a rematch.

The great thing about games like this is it shows us the capabilities of the KINECT and the endless possibilities of the gaming system, games like THE GUNSTRINGER maybe a bit dull but if you look at the bigger picture then the future of interactive gaming looks pretty good.

Summary

THE GUNSTRINGER is an original concept and it has to be given credit for that, unfortunately it is not a very compelling game to play, accuracy can be a bit hit and miss at times but the potential for more interactive games like this looks good, I will give it 8 out of 10 mainly because I think they tried to break new ground with this game and I look forward to more interactivity and improved content in the future.

The Gunstringer

Publisher: Microsoft

Developer: Twisted Pixel

Age Rating: 12+

Release Date: 16/09/2011

Xbox360 (Kinnect only)

Review by Dayvid Ryan

Zombies games eh, there just seems to be loads of them around at the moment, and finding one that is different is a bit of challenge in itself.

Unfortunately ALL ZOMBIES MUST DIE, the latest offering from DOUBLESIX, isn`t one of them. It is what is known as a TOP DOWN SHOOTER meaning that the game view is from above, and can be fun to play, for 15 minutes, after that it becomes pretty repetitive.

When I first cranked it up I thought nice graphics, fluid movement and not too annoying music all pluses, then the actual game started and I realised that the aiming element for the shotgun isn`t up to much, (the right stick) which resulted in my reverting back to punching the life (or is it death) out of the endless onslaught of zombies.

Weapons can be modified and upgraded as you progress, and these are earned by completing various tasks usually involving killing a specific type of zombie in a specific way, do this and you get a variety of upgrades science kits and megaphones for sonic like attributes. This is known as STATUS EFFECT, basically fire, shock, radiation and sonic effects will change the kind of drops you get when killing zombies, whilst certain quests and crafting items require zombies to be killed under certain conditions.

The actual game looks a little over cluttered and tends to distract from the game play which is pretty standard stuff, you roam around, you kill zombies and you collect things. The barriers can be a pain as well because you cannot pass through until you have completed a certain task, I don`t really see the point of this and would rather just move on.

I did find the location of objects a bit of a nuisance as they are usually located in small locations that end up with you getting mobbed as you try to open them. The getting sent back and forth through areas you have already been through I found irritating and somewhat pointless, these fetch quests just became a bit of a drag after a while.

Of course, if you die then you are sent back to the beginning of the area you started from losing any progress and upgrades you have just spent ages accumulating, now that is annoying.

Fortunately, the multi-player element is more fun to play with up to four players, but is not available on line, so you can only play when your friends come around, which sucks and how many of us have four controllers lying around.

Frankly this game would have worked better as an app for a smart phone, it needs to be shorter and less cluttered, the graphics and over all feel of the game is good it just tends to trip over itself after a while and I found myself getting bored pretty quickly after the first 15 minutes.

It did win GAME OF SHOW at the recent MCM expo so there are obviously gamers out there who like it, and is apparently the spiritual successor to the hit 2009 arcade game BURN ZOMBIE BURN.

The storyline is the usual zombie scenario; it is set in the town of DEADHILL. There has been a zombie outbreak and a small number of survivors must fight and live to save the world.

The usual (note, I use this word a lot for this game) characters are all here, the wise-cracking hero, his annoying ex-girlfriend, a brainiac type scientist and some kind of weird alien guy.

ALL ZOMBIES MUST DIE is available as a download from XBOX ARCADE for 800 Microsoft points.

Summary

As zombie killing (aren`t they dead already) games go I have played worse but I have also played better, this is a tough genre to break into and I think DOUBLESIX have given it their all and it nearly succeeded, unfortunately repetition and cluttered game play let the whole thing down, as a short app then this game would be great but as a full game it just doesn`t do it for me, and it doesn`t have that draw to revisit it the game over and over to better your score, it does redeem itself as a multiplayer game but let’s itself down again by not having an online element.

There are plenty of better zombie games out there, my advice is try the demo and take it from there. I give this game 6 out of 10 as it is fun in multiplay but tends to be repetitive and overly complex.

All Zombies Must Die

Genre: Action/RPG

Publisher: TBA(XBLA) DDP(PSN,Steam)

Developer: Doublesix

Age rating: 17

Xbox 360 live arcade

Playstation 3 network

PC (steam)

{http://www.allzombiesmustdie.com/|www.allzombiesmustdie.com|www.allzombiesmustdie.com}

Review by Dayvid Ryan

Gaming chairs, I have always been into the idea of them. I just don`t fancy having something that looks like it should have legs or is a stripped down racing car that has been dumped in my front room and we all know wives /partners tend to frown on such items, and to be sure it will end up in a spare room with laundry draped over it when the novelty wears off, you being £300 lighter.

That’s why when the lovely people over at BEANBAGBAZAAR sent me one of their IEX gaming chairs I thought “hm bean bags, not too sure on that one” will I end up sitting on the floor eventually as I manoeuvre around and have to keep getting up and shaking the thing back into shape. We’ve all been there and it`s not cool or elegant.

Well folks those days are over, this product doesn`t look like a bean bag, and it doesn`t perform like one either. The other bonus (this bit is for the wives and girlfriends) it won`t stand out in your living room like a large multi-coloured plastic bag neither, which is cool.

The tough faux leather covering and the built in integrity makes for a solid well made construction (just don`t sit in it for too long in your underpants as you will stick to it!).

I can`t say obviously how long it will last for as I have only had mine a few days, but the build quality is excellent and unless you sit in it with a sharp object in your back pocket, let your 4 year old jump up and down on it all day or climb on it in stilettos, I can’t see the problem (the covering is pretty thick).

The IEX stands nearly a metre tall with a nice comfortable backrest and wide seat (I suffer from a bad back and had no problems with it, in fact I spent even more time playing as I was so comfortable, the elbow supports are a nice touch without being intrusive.

They don`t come in any other colour apart from black, But you can have green or silver trim so there is some choice, I don`t know if other colours are planned but it would be nice to have a choice.

There is also a kid’s version which is slightly smaller.

Of course the best thing about this chair is the price, £74.99 (price on 26/11/2011) for a quality item like this is a bargain, ok you don`t get any fancy speakers fitted inside which other even cheaper chairs offer but what you do get is build quality, this chair is built to last and will give you many hours of comfort as you race and shoot your way through whatever virtual world you are in at the moment.

Summary

To be honest I was pleasantly surprised by the IEX GAMING CHAIR, compared to other chairs I have tried in the past. It is comfortable, aesthetically pleasing and built to last, and doesn`t look out of place in any living room, so you can persuade the wife/girlfriend/partner that it’s a good idea and you can have one, seeing as there are no speakers inside you don`t have the problem with wires sticking out everywhere, if you do need to have surround sound in your seat then go elsewhere.

The IEX GAMING CHAIR is all about tough reliability and comfort and for this kind of money it`s one of the best around. A choice of different colours would have been nice and maybe different coverings as I did find that the plastic does stick to you if any bare skin touches it but that is a minor thing really.

If you need any more info on this chair go to

{http://www.iexgaming.com/|www.iexgaming.com|www.iexgaming.com}

{www.beanbagbazaar.co.uk|www.beanbagbazaar.co.uk|www.beanbagbazaar.co.uk}

Product: IEX Gaming Chair

Manufacturer: Beanbag Bazaar

Price: £74.99 (as of 26/11/2011)

Review by Dayvid Ryan

Driving wheels are great aren`t they? But can you find one for a reasonable price that’s worth using? I think not, not everyone wants to spend £500 on a set up to play a driving game (you can buy a real car for that price!). And the cheaper end are just that, cheap. So what do us part time racers have on offer?

The XBOX 360WIRELESS SPEED WHEEL that’s what, and I must say when I took it out of the box I was a little underwhelmed by the look of the item (looks like it would be more at home in the plumbing section of my local DIY store!) that is until I used it with FORZA 4 and DIRT 3 then I realised what I had in my hands, at first it took a while to find a comfortable position and get used to the sensitivity but before long I was tearing it up around MONZA and the outback enjoying every twist and turn.

I don`t care what people say about this accessory (a wheel is the wrong description I think) this is a great item for the average gamer who doesn`t want a steering wheel and all the extras taking up space in their living room, ok some folks have complained that it makes your arms ache, but if you rest your elbows on your knees then it isn`t a problem. It does cover the gap between a controller and a steering wheel and it is a bold and innovative move on MICROSOFTS part I think.

You see with driving games as we all know using a controller doesn`t quite do it for many of us, driving a car using your thumbs don`t think so, it`s just not real enough, but with the XBOX 360 SPEED WHEEL that all changes, with the ease of use of a controller, and the feel of a steering wheel (sort of).

I honestly don`t think MICROSOFT are trying to outdo the good conventional steering wheel, it`s more of filling that gap between controller and wheel, and this does the trick. The big wheel manufacturers shouldn’t feel threatened by this accessory, as it is obviously aimed at the average gamer that only plays the occasional driving game.

Let’s face it folks if you take your driving simulation games seriously (and there are a lot of you out there who do) you’re not going to buy one, but if you don’t want to waste £40 on a low end steering wheel that’s about as responsive as dogs pelt, then get one of these you get a well built bit of kit that’s surprisingly good, for the same price. “job done”.

I still don`t understand why MICROSOFT decided to end production of their excellent mounted steering wheel, as this this should not be viewed as a replacement, this is of course, a gap filler and not a credible steering wheel as such, If this is the intention of MICROSOFT then they have made an error as there are still gamers out there, who would prefer a reasonably priced quality conventional wheel, and now we have either cheap alternatives or expensive high end versions. Come on Microsoft give us more choice!

As for the wheel itself it has all the regular buttons and triggers that a controller has and feels good to hold, nice solid built design (not cheap rubbish) and you can put it away without it standing around gathering dust like a wheel would.

Motion sensors and intuitive steering make for a pretty enjoyable experience (once you have got the hang of it) the triggers are the usual Gas and Brake, there is the good old rumble feedback, and all the classic button configuration is there.

Summary

What can I say The XBOX 360 WIRELESS STEERING WHELL is indeed an innovative and well built accessory for the right price, and I am impressed for one. The thing I don`t like is that we have no real choice in the matter as to what wheel we have to buy from MICROSOFT, they should have given us a choice of conventional or this one, Don`t get me wrong this is a great device but it`s not a steering wheel, it is just a controller that you can steer with. Hats off to the developers as with the KINECT, MICROSOFT are still breaking new ground and that`s a good thing, as I am sure other gamers would agree we would have liked a choice and we have been denied that.

XBOX 360 Wireless Speed Wheel

Manufacturer : Microsoft

Price : £39.99 (02/12/2011)

Review by Dayvid Ryan

Rally driving, it sure is a mental sport, hammering down country lanes at breakneck speed scary but exhilarating stuff. I don`t know about you folks but I have always fancied the idea of being a rally driver, don’t mind the driving but never been one for wearing a rally jacket.

Much more appealing than F1, there’s no Jenson’s or Lewis’s, mainly guys with blonde hair known as Jürgen, Stigg, Colin or Paddy and all the best ones of course are from areas where there are lots of forests, usually Scandinavia, Scotland or Ireland. You don`t see these guys advertising shampoo - in fact most of them have “faces for radio” and they just get on with what they are good at which is driving like complete lunatics (but in a controlled and meaningful way).

When the people at CODEMASTERS sent me over a copy of DIRT 3 I of course couldn`t wait to try it out, and I wasn`t disappointed neither.

Now FORZA 4 is a great game, but if you really want to get down and dirty then this is the game for you and it sure isn`t easy I spent the first few hours crashing into trees, and coming last in every race until I started to get a feel for the game.

To be honest the game can be difficult because of the different road surfaces you can easily spin out, the settings can be set to all kinds of modes you can even set it to do virtually all the steering, braking and accelerating which is a bit on the boring side. I found having the brake assist and the ABS on for a while until I got the hang of things was helpful, but to really appreciate the experience you need to be fully in control (if that’s possible with this game).

Having not driven a real rally car I cannot compare it to the real thing obviously, but let’s face it how many of us actually have or are likely to drive one, so I would say it is pretty much on the money for exhilaration, I don`t really care if it is or isn`t like the real thing it certainly blows my skirt up and that’s what matters.

I played DIRT 3 using the new MICROSOFT SPEED WHEEL and the new THRUSTMASTER 458 steering wheel, actually the SPEEDWHEEL did a nice job but there was a certain lack of control that became somewhat off putting.

As for the THRUSTMASTER (sounds like a sex toy) wheel this is where the game really came to life not because of the quality of the wheel, but the fact that it actually gave the game that real feel that these games are all about.

CODEMASTERS have always been the masters of the rally game in my opinion with the old COLIN MACRAE series of games that brought a whole new world of realism to our consoles, and this outing is no different.

The attention to detail is quite extraordinary and the track list brings us back to the roots of rallying good old forest tracks where you race at over a 100mph your co-driver wishing he had put on his brown trousers before you started, this is a whole new level of driving, and there is no time to reach for your coffee mug whilst hammering through a pine forest, this game demands your unbridled attention and is totally unforgiving if you lapse.

The added focus on timed runs make for an adrenalin fuelled rush as you pit your skills against the clock around a twisting and rugged rally circuit, this is the games primary objective and is certainly invigorating.

You must gain reputation points to attract the attention of sponsors which opens up new vehicles.

The introduction of GYMKHANA mode which is basically an obstacle course where you have to perform various tricks to earn points and other party modes like hitting wooden targets, spreading a zombie plague and capture the flag add to the variety of the experience, you can`t beat doing a few doughnuts and outrageous jumps (just don`t try this at home folks).

The other new feature is HARDCORE mode which is basically means you have no assists at all (one for the purists here).Now there is the option to load your replay clips on to YOUTUBE which appears to be the latest craze if you want to, don’t ask me why as I couldn`t think of anything more uninteresting as watching someone else playing a game.

Summary

Ok I know this game didn`t get a great reception when it came out mainly about the YOUTUBE social networking interactivity, which is fair enough if you are into that kind of thing, but if it’s just a great adrenalin rush and serious challenge you want then look no further, because this is the best there is DIRT 3 is extremely challenging and well designed and if you look at it from that point of view then it certainly is worth the money I give it 9 out of 10.

Dirt 3

Publisher: Codemasters

Developer: Codemasters

Genre: Racing/simulation

Release date: 24/05/2011

Xbox 360

Playstation 3

Wii U

PC

Age rating: 12

Review by Dayvid Ryan

A CHEQUE for £10,000 was presented to nurses at St Catherine’s Hospice after a year of various fundraising events by a law firm.

Staff at Rawlison Butler, which has an office in Crawley, have taken part in numerous challenges to raise vital cash.

Digby Armstrong, managing partner, canoed solo around the Isle of Wight and raised £3,500 for the hospice.

Mr Armstrong said: “We have set ourselves the challenge of raising £30,000 over three years towards the care and comfort that St Catherine’s Hospice provides in the community, and our first twelve months have proved very successful.”

Tony Hyams-Parish, head of employment law, ran the London marathon in just more than four hours, with friends and clients donating towards the cause.

Money was also raised through a quiz, bowling challenge, cake sales and donations.

Michael Beasley, corporate fundraiser for St Catherine’s Hospice, said: “This incredible amount of money reflects the commitment and enthusiasm the team at Rawlison Butler has shown to our cause. We wish them every continued success for fundraising in 2012.”