Cut the pay to £50K!

So the first stage of our Plymouth Pay Protest started today with a group of us standing outside the council chambers with placards, thanks to all of those who turned up to support this campaign. For those of you who turned up late you would have missed the vitriole spouted by Plymouth City Council leader Viven Pengelly who clearly missed the point of the protest, failed to communicate with me and instead resorted to bullying tactics and threats of legal action. Whilst bullying tactics may work in Ms Pengelly's own cabinet they do not work on me. Whatever my actions I did not deserve the torrent of abuse that Ms Pengelly gave and I was extremely disappointed that she would not give me a chance to explain my point of view or the point of the protest.



I should explain that the original protest was started after I read an article on the thisisplymouth website about pay rises awarded to senior civil servants, the figures that the article quoted were taken from the Taxpayers alliance who released their figures under the Freedom of information act. Here are the Taxpayers alliance figures. Plymouth City Council are keen to deny the figures stating that they are inaccurate, I had asked the democratic office for the 'correct' figures but have received no reply.



Whether the figures are correct or not is not really the point, those at the top are being paid too much and are not taking the same cuts as those at the bottom. Check out this story from a lady called 'Anne' who works for the council and who spoke to us today at the protest. "I am finding it really hard, all my overtime has been cut, I was on a low wage anyway and now I can't make ends meet. I haven't had a pay rise in years and the cuts now mean I earn less now than I did three years ago. To make matters worse the cost of living has gone up so I am actually earning far less than I have ever done in my life. "

Also at today's protest was an off-duty police officer who commented that his annual income has been reduced by £6,000 per year and he will be looking at an early retirement as the force seeks further cuts.

A follow up protest is now in the offing as well as a petition to campaign for the reduction of the wages of those at the top level of salaries.

So campaign continues and I will update you as and when I have news. Thanks to all of those who supported me and those who bothered to turn up today and thanks to Heart FM, Radio Plymouth and ITN news for covering things to date.

Stay Healthy,

Sam x

Plymouth Pay Protest

None of us can escape the growing sense of unease at the growing divide between rich and poor, we have all seen the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia and now we watch with interest the developments in the Yemen, Bahrain and more worryingly Libya.

Of course the dissatisfaction with local and national government is not confined to foreign shores and most of us are feeling the pinch of the rising cost of living whilst dealing with pay cuts, job losses and major cuts to front line services.

On Wednesday morning I read the Heralds coverage of the pay-rises (check out the comments) awarded to senior council officials and my stomach churned. The figures, which are denied by Plymouth City Council but confirmed by the Taxpayers alliance under figures they received under the Freedom of Information act, state that Barry Keel, the current P.C.C chief executive has been awarded a pay rise of 18.6 percent resulting in his pay rising from £170,000 per year to £203,000. A 36,000 pay rise in a time of cuts is simply obscene.

So whilst Mr Keel and many other senior council enjoy their huge salaries, generous pensions and expenses the rest of us carry on suffering.

In response to the pay rises I have organised the first of several targeted protests aimed to send a clear message to the council that we will not tolerate cuts at the bottom without cuts at the top. I personally would like to see a £50,000 cap on wages for council leaders, this would still allow them to have a more than comfortable standard of living and would free up finance to spend on more important city issues.

Those, such as Barry Keel, will argue that their wages are in-line with private sector pay so I challenge them to seek employment in the private sector instead and allow people who genuinely care about the people of Plymouth to fill the vacant posts on the proposed capped salary.

If you feel angry at the recent council pay rises and the growing divide between rich and poor in the city then please join us at our Plymouth Pay Protest to be held on Tuesday 29th March at 1.30pm outside the council chambers. This will be a peaceful protest and I ask if everyone can wear something red as a symbol of your anger towards our city fat cats.

There is a Plymouth Pay Protest facebook group that you can join to be kept up to date with all protest events and there is an events page for the protest planned for the 29th. Hope to see you all there.

Stay Healthy,

Sam x

Changing perceptions of pole dancing

As some of you may know there have been lots of celebrations in Plymouth this week for International Women's day, the events are a chance to appreciate the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. Being involved with some of these events has been a fantastic experience.

The Intergenerational event was held at Plymouth Guildhall on Friday 11th March, (Herald article on the intergenerational event) it was an amazing event with women of all ages getting together to create this special occasion. The fashion show saw women from the age of 15 to 91 hitting the catwalk wearing clothing from the 1910's through to the modern day. Their was music from the intergenerational choir as well as choirs from Montpelier (my old school) and Mary Dean's Primary School.

I had been invited to pole dance at the event and I was excited to set up my x-pole next to the Tor Lace group and the cake stand. The array of fresh, home-made cakes baked by Platform 51 was mouth-watering and free but I resisted temptation and stuck with a nice cup of tea instead!

The event gave me a chance to meet women from different walks of life and of varying ages. Most of the ladies who watched my pole dancing demonstrations were between 14 and 16 and they were full of questions about what I do and how I earn my living. They, like many, assumed that I worked in a lap dancing club and could not get their heads around the fact that I earn money from teaching pole dancing to members of the public.

One young lady asked me if I was a slut which kid of sums up some peoples ignorance to fitness pole dancing. The lady in question was soon asking questions of a different nature and seemed eager to learn pole dancing for herself. Now that the young ladies were being entertained by gymnastics and not the exotic dancing they were expecting they were asking me to repeat tricks such as death drops and allegras, one lady chose the death drop as her favourite move whilst another loved the shoulder mounts, it was great to capture the attention of these young women and I hope to see some of them again very soon for some lessons.

It wasn't just the younger generation who came to watch me, many of the ladies from Age Concern grabbed a table next to me so they could watch my performances whilst enjoying the fabulous cakes too. Many of the ladies took pictures and perhaps the most common questions were "Doesn't it hurt your skin?" and "Aren't you frightened of falling off?" The answer to both questions was Yes.


If the ladies were amazed by what I was doing I had to admit being amazed by the Tor Lace group whose intricate work was simply beautiful. The piece pictured below had taken one lady nearly 2 years to complete. The ladies were working throughout the event creating their mini masterpieces for all to enjoy. The group also provides a social network for women to meet, swap patterns and enjoy each others company. If you are interested in joining the group simply e-mail Alison.



The intergenerational event also gave me a chance to celebrate the life of Elspeth Sitter, founder of Plymouth Age Concern. Elspeth's tireless work to ensure better conditions for the elderly has not gone unrecognised. Read more about Elspeth Sitter's remarkable life.


Another inspiring aspect of the event was that it was held in the place I got married, Plymouth Guildhall has many special memories for me and it was lovely to perform there again just as I had on the day of my wedding. Finally Plymouth Guildhall has been given a maintenance budget allowing essential repairs to begin at long last, the crumbling building is so important to Plymouth that I am surprised it has taken so long for the money to be found to begin work. The most important thing is that work is taking place and slowly the building can start to return to its former glory.

The pole dancing demonstration had an unexpected outcome for me as I managed to irritate a ligament injury to my knee, within 30 minutes of the end of my demo my knee was starting to throb and swell. Rosanna and I returned stepped in at short notice to cover my classes (than you Rosanna x) home hoping that ice, elevation and rest may be enough to repair the damage.

Unfortunately my plan failed and by 2am on Saturday morning I was in agony, I was also terrified as an injury to my knee could spell the end of my dancing career. It was time to visit the local minor injuries unit to get some professional advice. After a 2 hour wait, and much hilarity in the waiting room as my husband and I bumped into local licensee's Phil and Lyndsay Gill, I was booked into an appointment with a consultant at the fracture clinic on Tuesday morning. I now have to wait till then to see how long I need off work and what the exact prognosis is. I am gutted but hope that the outcome will be less serous than I fear.

Before I sign off for today I want to send my thoughts and best wishes to the people caught up in Japan's devastating earthquake, the images we are seeing are breathtaking for all the wrong reasons and the death toll looks set to rise beyond expectation. You can help by donating via one of the many charities, such as Oxfam, who will be sending aid direct to the disaster zone.

More news to follow soon on my unexpected drinking session last night with council leaders Vivien Pengelly and Ian Bowyer.

Stay Healthy

Sam x

Pole Dance Grading

A few of my students have been asking about pole dance gradings so I thought I could use today's blog to tell you a little bit more about the Advancement and Accreditation Programme (AAP) run by the Pole Dance Community and available to you at the art of dance and through any other PDC approved instructor/school.

The AAP gives students the chance to get international recognition for their pole dancing progress and gives them a way to chart their pole dancing progress as well as being able to share their success by showing friends and family their achievements.




Firstly I must congratulate those art of dance students who have already successfully graded:

Emma Thorpe - Level 4
Linda Jerrett - Level 4 (pictured right)
Christina Pearce - Level 3 (pictured above left)
Kerensa Spinks - Level 3 (pictured above left)
Emily Keen - Level 2

The grading process is simple; a student who is thinking about grading should peruse the Pole Dance Community Syllabus and see which pole dance moves they are working on and which level of the syllabus those moves relate to. Once a student has established which level they are at they can then select their best 5 moves from the preferred level. I recommend chatting to your instructor to help you decide which moves are your best, that way your instructor can help you revise those moves during class time so that you can execute them perfectly on the day of your grading to guarantee success.

So, once you have decided on your 5 moves you can book your grading with your instructor. You need to have your AAP membership (costs £30 annually) and then you need to pay for your grading. At the art of dance we charge £15 per grading and this includes your certificate on successful completion. Our next grading day will be held on Saturday 25th March.

You may find the following videos helpful in learning more about how the grading works.

Emily Smith from Emily's Pole Fitness doing a beautiful Level 1 pole dancing routine.
Emma Thorpe from the art of dance doing her Level 4 pole dance grading.

You can also download the grading sheets and notes from the Pole Dance Community website's AAP page.

Their is more to the AAP membership than just grading, you can record your pole dance competition success, record which pole dance schools you have attended, log courses and work-shops and you get free personal accident cover if training with a PDC approved pole dance school/instructor.

I can't wait to see the next group of students receiving their certificates.

I must also send big congratulations to Charlie Picton, Sabrina Plumb and Bo Dickens from PDC approved pole dance school Princess K who all successfully graded at level 1 last week.

If you need any more information on pole dance gradings simply contact your nearest PDC approved pole dance school.

Stay Healthy,

Sam x

Take away in Plymouth

Having just blogged about eating out in Plymouth it seemed only fair that I should now blog about take-aways in Plymouth. OK, so most take-aways don't really provide much healthy food but there are a few exceptions and let's face it the odd take-away isn't going to kill us as long as we eat them in moderation.

So if you fancy treating yourself to a night in on the sofa and a take-away then why not try one of these fantastic Plymouth food outlets:

One of my most favourite and most indulgent take-away's has to be Pizza and there is no finer pizza delivery place than the aroma-wood-fired pizza establishment in Regent Street. This independent business has its own purpose built pizza oven and they even bake their own tomato sauce, the range of toppings available is amazing and they currently offer a buy one get one free offer on all pizzas. Once you have sampled one of their delicious pizzas you will never want to eat from Dominoes or Pizza hut ever again.

If Indian food is more your thing then look no further than the Spice Well. This restaurant offers traditional dishes as well as gorgeous specialities such as Nawabe and Jhinga La-Jawab. This really is a great take-away that also has a restaurant if eating in is more your thing.

If its fish and chips you are after then you have to visit Plymouth's finest West Hoe Fryers in Radford Street, West Hoe. I am not actually a big fish and chip fan but my husband is and this is definitely the place to go. You get great service and huge portions of not-too greasy chips and succulent fish.

Picture courtesy of Caz Harrison.

Obviously I would usually be recommending home cooked food and exercise but sometimes you just need a night in and all of these take-aways can now be accessed on-line with the fabulous Just Eat website. Simply visit the website, type in your postcode and search for your preferred take-away, you can pay on-line and you get order updates so you know what time your food will arrive. You can also peruse previous orders to re-order your favourite items and you can give feedback on your order.

Before I sign off for today I wanted to quickly mention a restaurant I forget to blog about in my eating out post; The Seafood and Pasta bar situated alongside the Sutton Harbour quay in Plymouth's historic Barbican, this bar has both fantastic views as well as a sumptious menu suitable for both fish and meat lover as well as vegetarians. Don't forget to check out the special boards or the Boulliabaisse style fish soup starter.

Well after all that lying on the sofa and eating fast food you'll be needing some pole dancing lessons or you could try one of the other subsidised sporting activities on offer from Plymouth City Councils Sports development unit.

More to follow on International Women's Day!

Stay Healthy,

Sam x

Eating out in Plymouth

I have been meaning it write this blog for ages and Sunday always seems like a good day for blog writing. I would like to share with you some of my favourite places to eat in and around Plymouth. Over the past few years I feel that the amount of good cafes and restaurants has increased offering more great food and service than ever before (I still miss Barzeegco though!).

I must start with a pub/restaurant situated just outside Plymouth in the picturesque valley of Milton Coombe on the edge of the stunning Dartmoor National Park. The Who'd have thought it inn is a 12th century inn that has just received an award as one of the top 12 pubs in Britain. The menu is superb and the food I think, is reasonably priced when you consider the sumptuous dishes on offer. The pub is dog friendly and offers some of the best cask ales I have tasted in a long time which is why the pub has earned its place in the Good Beer Guide. I think my favourite dish to date is the locally sourced Haddock cassoulet with a rosemary and parmesan crust accompanied by a pint of Sharp's Honey Gold.

If you fancy some where a little more central then there are 2 waterside eateries I can recommend, the first is the Brunning family restaurant, The Bridge at Mountbatten. The Bridge is a brand new build that has been beautifully decorated and has amazing views of Cattewater and the Sound. The food is locally sourced wherever possible and most of the vegetables come from the family's own farm venture the Nearly Naked vegetable company.

The menu has something for everyone and you can choose from the lavish restaurant or more relaxed ground floor dining area with its beautiful, decked patio overlooking the water. I recommend the fish stew with alioli washed down with a pint of Hunters ale Half bore (not to be confused with its stronger 8% brother Full bore!).


The 2nd seaside establishment is the Waterfront Restaurant, which in my opinion has one of the best sea views in Plymouth. The waterfront has recently seen the installation of a new chef, Sam Lounds, a protege of Jamie Oliver. Sam has revamped the menu so that once again the Waterfront is a great place to eat and savour the amazing views. The restaurant is open all day providing breakfast, lunch and dinner.

One of Plymouth hidden gems has to be Bistro One, tucked away in the increasingly popular Independent shopping quarter of Ebrington Street. Bistro One, run by local wine expert and chef Stephen Barrett (pictured left), offers perfectly cooked recipes and great service. The breakfast/lunch menu is ideal for those looking for a lavish bite to eat and giving you a chance to peruse the evening menu which is sure to entice you back for more. Don't let the restaurants small size put you off, this place is brimming with ways to stimulate your senses, it is a wine lover's paradise as well as featuring regular art exhibitions, live music events, poetry and much, much more. Don't take my word for it, try it for yourself.

You may have already guessed that I have penchant for Seafood and Real Ale so it is hardly surprising that I can't resist a 10oz Tuna Loin cooked on a black rock grill and accompanied by a pint of Sharp's Doom Bar or the pub's very own Hunter's ale brew Butcher's Best. The Butcher's arms is often overlooked as many people flock to the new Seco Lounge, my preference is to go to the Seco Lounge for a quick drink first and then dine at the Butcher's arms. In addition to the lovely food and ale the Butcher's arms has one of the best bar maids in the world and it is worth going to the pub just to be served by Leanne.

When talking of eating out in Plymouth I really should mention the Tanner brothers restaurant and their other venture the Barbican Kitchen. I have only eaten at the latter of the two establishments but it is rumoured that the celebrity chefs are about to get their first Michelin star.



Another eaterie I have to mention is the place where I had my final meal before getting married. On the morning of my wedding my Mum and I collected Fern, one of my bridesmaids and headed off to the Port of Call for a good old English breakfast. For me the Port of Call is like Cap 'n' Jaspers (picture above of me drinking tea at Cap 'n' Jaspers), it is a part of Plymouth and it provides food at great value for money.


OK, so there are places I have probably forgotten who do deserve a mention so feel free to comment and share any of your favourite places to eat out. Before I sign off for today I would like to have a quick whinge about what was one of my favourite places to eat/drink; The Coffee Shack, this tiny building has one of the most panoramic views of Plymouth Hoe possible (check out part of the view in the picture above) but I feel the price for enjoying this view is now too high. Whilst I appreciate that all businesses are finding it hard and many have been forced to put their prices up there really is no excuse for charging £4.50 for a sandwich and £2.95 for a coffee. I visited the coffee shack yesterday and spoke to several people who were eating there, they were tourists and were horrified at how much they had been charged, then I spoke to several local people who used to be Coffee Shack regulars but who now take their own drinks and sandwiches to enjoy whilst visiting the Hoe.

Other pub restaurants who really deserve more blog space than I am giving them are The Crooked Inn at Trematon (nr Saltash -pictured above), the Royal Oak at Meavy and the Mussel Inn at Down Thomas (perfect for the Whiskey connoiseur). All of these pub restaurants are family run, extremely friendly and offer great food and ale. They all welcome both children and dogs although I prefer the latter!

Well, it is now time for me to dash to work for some filming for a TV documentary, more to follow on that soon.

Stay Healthy,

Sam x

Pole dancing is good for you!

Picture above of Elena Gibson, Lorna Thomas, Kate Johnstone, Me (front), Genevieve Moody, Nikki and Dana Mayer at the Pole Dancing School studio in London. Friday 11th February.

The chances are that if you are reading my blog then you already know all about the benefits of pole dancing as a way to keep fit. Unfortunately you may still be in the minority of people who don't have their heads stuck in the sand when it comes to fitness pole dancing.

After the South Devon College fiasco I thought I had seen the last media frenzy over the teaching of pole dancing to members of the public but it seems that I was wrong.

The funny thing is this blog is meant to be about how pleased I am to have secured a tender with Plymouth City Council's Sports Development Unit to provide subsidised pole dancing lessons to the public in an effort to get more people back into fitness. I had been approached by the Plymouth City Council Development unit who were in the process of buying lots of different sporting activities to then subsidise and sell back to the public. Here is the fabulous list of sporting activities available from the scheme.

Having secured the tender I was about to blog about this important step forward for the art of dance and for the wider fitness pole dancing industry but at 7am on Friday morning I received a phone call from Radio Devon who were chasing up a story about people being unhappy with the council's move to pay me for lessons. It seems that people have added things up without checking their mathematical skills first!

With all the cuts to frontline services suddenly I am in the firing line for taking money away from essential services. Radio Devon had tried to contact the council to get a comment but apparently they had refused. I jumped at the chance to go on air and defend myself and my business. I explained to presenter Justin Leigh that the tiny amount being given to me for the lessons (I charged the council less than the normal lesson rate) would save the NHS a huge amount long term as I would be boosting the physical and mental health of all those I worked with and hopefully those individuals would be motivated to continue a more healthy lifestyle long term as a result of my classes.

The art of dance already works in line with the Governments Change for Life initiative to encourage people to have more healthy lifestyles.

In April it will be 7 years since I started teaching pole dancing as a fitness and I honestly thought things would have moved further forward by now in terms of peoples attitudes to my art. It is ironic that I write this as I return from the Equity pole dancers working party where we have just been discussing how much the industry has progressed within the last 5 years.

See picture below of EPDWP members at the Equity HQ, Friday 11th February - Kate Johnstone (Spin City), Stacey Sneddon (Vertical Leisure), Dana Mayer (Rock 'n' Roll Pole), Lorna Thomas (Pole Athletes), Genevieve Moody (Strictly Pole Dancing), Miss Glory Pearl, Elena Gibson (Pole Dancing School).

Anyway, I now wait to see what the next stage will be with my subsidised classes ad also wonder how the hell the public will react when I start my new i-pole classes next month, these classes will be teaching 12-16 years old to pole dance. No doubt, once again, I will be demoted to Satan's apprentice until the ignorant find something more interesting to gossip about.

Thanks to the fabulous team at Plymouth City Council's Sports Development Unit for being educated about modern fitness pole dancing and for having the courage to work with the art of dance, the team have made the decision based on what is best for their client group rather than worrying about those who will jump on the anti-pole dancing bandwagon. If you are lucky enough to live in Plymouth and you fancy trying some subsidised exercise classes just visit the sports development unit website for a full list of the great activities available.

n.b. if you happen to be one of the ignorant and you are reading this wondering why I am teaching pole dancing and what possible fitness benefits it can have simply go the PDC approved pole dance school finder and find a school near to you and go along and see what they actually do and maybe even try it! You may be surprised.

Stay Healthy

Sam x