As the season of snow boots and slush arrives in much of the country, entryway floors will take a beating.
The spot where we enter our homes — and welcome guests — can be a tricky one to decorate. It's meant to be a showcase, expressing our style and setting the tone for a visitor's stay. But the floor must withstand dripping umbrellas, muddy shoes and more.
Los Angeles-based interior designer Betsy Burnham is often approached by clients who want help with entryways. Choosing a floor covering is a priority, she says.
Here Burnham and two other experts offer tips on durable, easy-to-clean flooring that doesn't skimp on style, from cork to porcelain tile to washable rugs.
Cork squares are durable, made from natural wood fibers and can handle moisture. They also absorb sound well and come in a variety of colors and patterns. "Don't just picture a bulletin board" when you think of cork, Burnham says.
Cork offers a look similar to hardwood, but is less expensive. And you can replace just one tile if a section gets damaged.
Another flexible option is FLOR carpet tiles, Flynn says. "You can add color, texture or pattern by laying them out in the desired pattern," he says, "then cutting the end tiles to size." FLOR tiles can be laid out to give the look of an area rug or wall-to-wall carpeting.
Flynn also recommends vinyl plank tiles. These inexpensive tiles are thin but durable, and easy to install. They can be mopped clean. And do-it-yourself installation is simple, Flynn says. "It simply requires a utility knife for installation. The planks attach to one another with an upward-facing sticky strip. Each time a plank reaches a wall, it's cut to size," he says.
Rugs can be a great way to delineate the space at an entryway, and many styles are washable. "I've done everything from rag rugs to Turkish carpets" in entryways, Burnham says.
Rather than investing in one expensive rug, she says, buy several that can be swapped out when one is being cleaned.
Meg Caswell, host of HGTV's "Meg's Great Rooms," suggests shopping for carpet remnants. Carpet stores often keep their remnants out of sight, she says, but if you ask they should direct you to them. If you find a remnant piece you want, have it cut to size. You can ask to have it banded with a canvas edge in a contrasting color, Caswell says, or in a patterned fabric you've chosen (check the remnants at fabric stores for affordable finds and bring the fabric with you to the carpet store).
By using a remnant, you've created a custom piece with little expense. If it's damaged by foot traffic over the course of a few winters, the loss will be minimal.
Another approach that Flynn and Burnham recommend: Buy a vintage rug that's already worn. Faded colors and frayed spots are part of the charm, so you won't mind if further wear-and-tear happens.
If you'd prefer the finished look of wall-to-wall carpeting at your entrance, Flynn suggests buying several smaller rugs and attaching them underneath with carpet tape. The edges can be cut to fit your space, giving a permanent, wall-to-wall look. But pieces can be removed for cleaning.
Caswell often recommends porcelain tiles for high-traffic entryways. "The minute I say porcelain tile, people think it's going to shatter, that it's fragile," she says. "But really porcelain tiles are truly the most durable tiles out there."
They're nearly "impossible to chip," Caswell says. "But the best part is that if it does chip, the color is all the way through the entire piece."
Burnham agrees: Porcelain tile, she says, "looks like stone, but it's much less expensive than actual stone. We've done charcoal-gray, big rectangles of porcelain tile, and it's so much easier to sweep out or mop up because you can get it wet."
Whatever material you use for your entryway floors, these designers suggest avoiding pale neutrals and solids in favor of slightly bolder colors, patterns, and textures that hide dirt and signs of wear.
For wood floors, Flynn suggests, "have a pattern painted directly onto it using porch and deck paint," he says. "The porch and deck paint is insanely durable and will last a long time. To make it even more foolproof, consider adding another coat of sealer to it just before the winter."
Bold florals or sunbursts might not be your taste, says Caswell, but entryways are a great place to "be riskier and push yourself, so you can incorporate a little more of your personality. You're making that statement when someone enters your home."
2012年1月9日星期一
2011年11月21日星期一
Rookwood Pottery Co. Revives Historic Line Through Product Agreement
The Rookwood Pottery Co., historic maker of one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted architectural tile and art pottery, is partnering with the largest family-owned supplier in funeral service, Aurora Casket Company, to make an exclusive line of cremation urns.
The deal marks Rookwood’s return to the funeral industry, where familial connections and legacies carry notable significance. In the 1940s, when World War II caused a severe shortage of metals in the United States, Rookwood produced ceramic urns to meet demand. In fact, one of the designs in the Aurora line is a modernized version of a 1940s classic.
Under the agreement, Aurora commissioned Rookwood to create a line of eight urns, comprising two designs in four colors. Rookwood’s artisans will produce the urns, which will bear the Rookwood logo and time stamp, at its Over-the-Rhine facility in Cincinnati.
The timing of the partnership with Aurora is important as demand for cremations continues to rise, with an estimated 44.4 percent of the population expected to choose cremation by 2015, according to the Cremation Association of North America. That compares with 34.3 percent of the population in 2007.
Chip DeMois, CEO of Rookwood, said the company decided to bring back its urns after recognizing this trend.
“In our research we find that most urns come from overseas and they are not ceramic,” DeMois said. “Aurora gives Rookwood a chance to revive American-made, ceramic urns. A Rookwood urn represents the finest in American ceramics and is one of the new business cornerstones of Rookwood’s current revival as the leader in architectural tile and art pottery.”
Aurora Casket has prominently featured the urns in its recent cremation products catalog. They are available to the thousands of funeral homes which Aurora serves, said Steve Jones, President of Meierjohan-Wengler, an Aurora subsidiary which manufactures and distributes cremation urns.
“We’re really honored that Rookwood chose us as partner,” Jones said. “Part of Aurora’s mission is to help bring an honorable closure to every life. Rookwood, because of its beauty and uniqueness, will help us take a step toward our mission. That is important to a family-run company.”
“Aurora, through Steve Jones, has demonstrated a true respect and appreciation for the quality that Rookwood represents,” DeMois said. “Likewise, the brand integrity and quality of the Aurora name ensures us the best opportunity to offer our urns throughout the country.”
The deal marks Rookwood’s return to the funeral industry, where familial connections and legacies carry notable significance. In the 1940s, when World War II caused a severe shortage of metals in the United States, Rookwood produced ceramic urns to meet demand. In fact, one of the designs in the Aurora line is a modernized version of a 1940s classic.
Under the agreement, Aurora commissioned Rookwood to create a line of eight urns, comprising two designs in four colors. Rookwood’s artisans will produce the urns, which will bear the Rookwood logo and time stamp, at its Over-the-Rhine facility in Cincinnati.
The timing of the partnership with Aurora is important as demand for cremations continues to rise, with an estimated 44.4 percent of the population expected to choose cremation by 2015, according to the Cremation Association of North America. That compares with 34.3 percent of the population in 2007.
Chip DeMois, CEO of Rookwood, said the company decided to bring back its urns after recognizing this trend.
“In our research we find that most urns come from overseas and they are not ceramic,” DeMois said. “Aurora gives Rookwood a chance to revive American-made, ceramic urns. A Rookwood urn represents the finest in American ceramics and is one of the new business cornerstones of Rookwood’s current revival as the leader in architectural tile and art pottery.”
Aurora Casket has prominently featured the urns in its recent cremation products catalog. They are available to the thousands of funeral homes which Aurora serves, said Steve Jones, President of Meierjohan-Wengler, an Aurora subsidiary which manufactures and distributes cremation urns.
“We’re really honored that Rookwood chose us as partner,” Jones said. “Part of Aurora’s mission is to help bring an honorable closure to every life. Rookwood, because of its beauty and uniqueness, will help us take a step toward our mission. That is important to a family-run company.”
“Aurora, through Steve Jones, has demonstrated a true respect and appreciation for the quality that Rookwood represents,” DeMois said. “Likewise, the brand integrity and quality of the Aurora name ensures us the best opportunity to offer our urns throughout the country.”
2011年10月20日星期四
A world apart near Battery Kemble Park
The entrance to MacArthur Court, just off MacArthur Boulevard in the Palisades neighborhood of Northwest Washington, is easy to miss, and that is a shame.
The small driveway opens off the boulevard into a charming community of Victorian-style homes arranged around a cul-de-sac to create a lovely world of its own.
Realtor Scott Polk of Long & Foster Realtors describes the 11-home MacArthur Court neighborhood as an eclectic mix of families from around the world who enjoy the adjacent Battery Kemble Park along with watching their children play and holding an occasional cul-de-sac party.
MacArthur Court’s residents can walk to local schools and child care facilities, the Palisades branch of the public library, the Palisades recreation center and numerous shops and restaurants with a variety of cuisines from American to Belgian to Italian to Chinese.
The Palisades neighborhood offers quick access not only to Battery Kemble Park, but also to the C&O Canal and the Potomac River. The delights of Georgetown and the Kennedy Center are minutes away, and residents easily can reach downtown Washington as well as the Virginia and Maryland suburbs.
Built in 2000, the single-family homes in MacArthur Court offer a taste of contemporary style inside, including myriad oversized windows and an open floor plan, while keeping a touch of formality with elegant crown molding.
The home at 5010 MacArthur Court, on the market for $1,165,000, has three finished levels and rests near the end of the cul-de-sac, adjacent to the park. The home includes a lawn and garden beds adjacent to the brick driveway, an attached one-car garage and several mature trees on all sides. The fully fenced backyard includes a lawn, garden beds and a towering walnut tree. A deck off the main level adds extra space for entertaining outdoors.
The back of the home faces south for maximum natural light, and the home sits on top of an incline so that the upper-level bedrooms have a view of the treetops on the Virginia side of the Potomac. Every room has as many windows as possible, along with high ceilings and recessed lighting, adding to the sense of light and space. The plantation-style shutters and blinds throughout the house convey to the buyers.
A flagstone walkway leads from the driveway to the small covered front porch. The front door opens into a foyer with hardwood flooring. Both the main and upper levels have hardwood flooring as well as crown molding.
Adjacent to the foyer is a formal living room or sitting area with a picture window facing the front lawn and a long narrow window on the opposite wall. A window-shaped cutout links the living room with the open floor plan at the back of this level, allowing light to filter between the rooms while adding to the inviting openness of the home. Hardwood stairs lead from the foyer to the upper level.
The entire back of the main level is open from the family room at one end to the kitchen at the other. The family room has a gas fireplace with a marble hearth and surround and a detailed white-painted wood mantel. This room has windows on three sides, including a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows with transoms and a glass door to the deck.
The adjacent dining area has a bay window framing a view of the walnut tree and backyard. The recently renovated kitchen includes granite counters, stainless steel appliances and maple cabinets. The kitchen has a breakfast bar with room for several seats and a triple window over the sink facing the backyard. The upgraded appliances include a Viking two-drawer dishwasher and double wall ovens, and the cabinets include two lazy Susan fixtures in the corner to maximize efficiency.
Just beyond the kitchen is a dazzling powder room with distinctive ceramic tile flooring that matches the counter, an oversized window with plantation shutters and a glass vessel sink.
Upstairs, the master suite has been expanded to encompass about 60 percent of the upper level. The suite includes a sitting area with a window seat set into a bay window that faces the upper branches of the walnut tree. The bedroom area has a ceiling fan and a cathedral ceiling along with windows on three sides.
The master bath has stone flooring, two vanities, a whirlpool tub and a stone shower with glass doors. The bathroom includes windows on two sides and a deep walk-in closet.
The small driveway opens off the boulevard into a charming community of Victorian-style homes arranged around a cul-de-sac to create a lovely world of its own.
Realtor Scott Polk of Long & Foster Realtors describes the 11-home MacArthur Court neighborhood as an eclectic mix of families from around the world who enjoy the adjacent Battery Kemble Park along with watching their children play and holding an occasional cul-de-sac party.
MacArthur Court’s residents can walk to local schools and child care facilities, the Palisades branch of the public library, the Palisades recreation center and numerous shops and restaurants with a variety of cuisines from American to Belgian to Italian to Chinese.
The Palisades neighborhood offers quick access not only to Battery Kemble Park, but also to the C&O Canal and the Potomac River. The delights of Georgetown and the Kennedy Center are minutes away, and residents easily can reach downtown Washington as well as the Virginia and Maryland suburbs.
Built in 2000, the single-family homes in MacArthur Court offer a taste of contemporary style inside, including myriad oversized windows and an open floor plan, while keeping a touch of formality with elegant crown molding.
The home at 5010 MacArthur Court, on the market for $1,165,000, has three finished levels and rests near the end of the cul-de-sac, adjacent to the park. The home includes a lawn and garden beds adjacent to the brick driveway, an attached one-car garage and several mature trees on all sides. The fully fenced backyard includes a lawn, garden beds and a towering walnut tree. A deck off the main level adds extra space for entertaining outdoors.
The back of the home faces south for maximum natural light, and the home sits on top of an incline so that the upper-level bedrooms have a view of the treetops on the Virginia side of the Potomac. Every room has as many windows as possible, along with high ceilings and recessed lighting, adding to the sense of light and space. The plantation-style shutters and blinds throughout the house convey to the buyers.
A flagstone walkway leads from the driveway to the small covered front porch. The front door opens into a foyer with hardwood flooring. Both the main and upper levels have hardwood flooring as well as crown molding.
Adjacent to the foyer is a formal living room or sitting area with a picture window facing the front lawn and a long narrow window on the opposite wall. A window-shaped cutout links the living room with the open floor plan at the back of this level, allowing light to filter between the rooms while adding to the inviting openness of the home. Hardwood stairs lead from the foyer to the upper level.
The entire back of the main level is open from the family room at one end to the kitchen at the other. The family room has a gas fireplace with a marble hearth and surround and a detailed white-painted wood mantel. This room has windows on three sides, including a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows with transoms and a glass door to the deck.
The adjacent dining area has a bay window framing a view of the walnut tree and backyard. The recently renovated kitchen includes granite counters, stainless steel appliances and maple cabinets. The kitchen has a breakfast bar with room for several seats and a triple window over the sink facing the backyard. The upgraded appliances include a Viking two-drawer dishwasher and double wall ovens, and the cabinets include two lazy Susan fixtures in the corner to maximize efficiency.
Just beyond the kitchen is a dazzling powder room with distinctive ceramic tile flooring that matches the counter, an oversized window with plantation shutters and a glass vessel sink.
Upstairs, the master suite has been expanded to encompass about 60 percent of the upper level. The suite includes a sitting area with a window seat set into a bay window that faces the upper branches of the walnut tree. The bedroom area has a ceiling fan and a cathedral ceiling along with windows on three sides.
The master bath has stone flooring, two vanities, a whirlpool tub and a stone shower with glass doors. The bathroom includes windows on two sides and a deep walk-in closet.
2011年10月19日星期三
Vinyl floor tiles in funky retro patterns are brought
Zazous are proud announce that they are the UK distributors for a brand new range of vinyl floor tiles from France. Kate Austin, owner of online webstore zazous, came across the product while sourcing cutlery for her current online homewares business. She liked them so much that this has led to a new direction for her. She plans to roll out the product by selling the tiles into flooring shops and DIY centres across the UK.
“We have only been selling them for a couple of weeks on our website and we have already seen a huge interest in the tiles but we need to get them to flooring suppliers. At present most of our customers are stumbling on them while shopping for wall stickers or home accessories. Once they are more widely available we think they will be in huge demand.”
So far the most popular designs have been The Red Stars, which is redolent of 1950s American diners, and Rose Des Vents which is more French in style and is similar to antique ceramic tiles. Rosemary is a striking larger scale pattern for the more daring home stylist. Finally are the Blue Rose and Capucine designs that can be used together to create a mix-and-match pattern. All the designs share a retro, mid century feel with a modern twist.
“I am so tired of all the pseudo-wood finishes and fake stone that I was genuinely excited to find these creative designs from France. I simply haven’t seen anything like them before. ” said Kate.
They are made from self-adhesive vinyl and are therefore very practical, easy-to-lay, durable and inexpensive at around £30.00 per square metre. They would be very functional and attractive in a kitchen or bathroom and would also work well in a conservatory or a hallway. Each tile is 30.5cm x 30.5cm and there are 11 tiles per pack.
“We have only been selling them for a couple of weeks on our website and we have already seen a huge interest in the tiles but we need to get them to flooring suppliers. At present most of our customers are stumbling on them while shopping for wall stickers or home accessories. Once they are more widely available we think they will be in huge demand.”
So far the most popular designs have been The Red Stars, which is redolent of 1950s American diners, and Rose Des Vents which is more French in style and is similar to antique ceramic tiles. Rosemary is a striking larger scale pattern for the more daring home stylist. Finally are the Blue Rose and Capucine designs that can be used together to create a mix-and-match pattern. All the designs share a retro, mid century feel with a modern twist.
“I am so tired of all the pseudo-wood finishes and fake stone that I was genuinely excited to find these creative designs from France. I simply haven’t seen anything like them before. ” said Kate.
They are made from self-adhesive vinyl and are therefore very practical, easy-to-lay, durable and inexpensive at around £30.00 per square metre. They would be very functional and attractive in a kitchen or bathroom and would also work well in a conservatory or a hallway. Each tile is 30.5cm x 30.5cm and there are 11 tiles per pack.
2011年6月12日星期日
My Whites playing days - Huckerby INTERVIEW
Darren Huckerby had spells at several big clubs, but his time at Leeds proved far from successful. Leon Wobschall chats with the striker who is now enjoying his retirement in Norfolk. speed merchant Darren Huckerby’s career took him to bona fide footballing giants in Yorkshire, the North East, North West and the East Midlands – with glorious stop-offs in East Anglia, the heart of England and sunny California along the way.
In a dashing career which was most definitely whirlwind in more ways than one, Huckerby had the proverbial joyride, right from the time he left Lincoln City as a teenage prodigy for £500,000 to join a club who were simply box office in the mid-1990s – Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle United.
So a breakneck journey began, which saw him later call in at Coventry City, Leeds United, Manchester City, Norwich City and San Jose Earthquakes, along with loan spells at hometown club Nottingham Forest and Millwall.
Looking back, Huckerby – now 35 and settled with his family in Norfolk – insists he wouldn’t change much save for a frustrating spell that never truly got off the ground at Elland Road when he spent so much time on the bench his team-mates would have been forgiven for nicknaming him “The Judge”.
Rated as one of the hottest young talents in English football with a penchant for the spectacular, United forked out a cool £4m to land Huckerby from the Sky Blues in August 1999.
most people thought United were on to a sure-fire winner at an enterprising club tipped to firmly threaten the entrenched top tier establishment of Manchester United and Arsenal at the time.
But not so, with the crowd-pleaser – alerted to United’s attention when he scored a stunning hat-trick for Coventry at Elland Road near the end of the 1997-98 season – starting a mere 15 games for David O’Leary’s buccaneering outfit.
He also made a gargantuan 42 substitute appearances before switching across the Pennines to the blue half of Manchester for £3.4m in December 2000.
United supporters will get their chance to see Huckerby again in the famous white jersey in the Northern Masters later this month, with the quicksilver wing man unquestionably Leeds’ stellar recruit when they take the stage at Sheffield’s Motorsport Arena on June 26.
It’s a fair bet that having just turned 35, Huckerby will give a few oldies the runaround – but expect sage Whites fans present to mutter “if only” if that’s the case.
Huckerby, who spent just 16 months in West Yorkshire, told the YEP: “Considering I started off in the old Division Four, I didn’t do bad and worked my way up to play in the Champions League and scored for Leeds. I’m quite happy with that for a 16 or 17-year career.
“I had good spells at Coventry and then at Norwich at the end of my career, where I think I played my best football. I had a good time at Man City as well, to be fair.
“When I look back at my career, probably my only real regret was not really doing myself justice at Leeds, which is kind of strange, considering the team we had.
“The move came out of the blue. I was playing for Coventry, week-in, week-out and the most difficult thing was going from that, being a regular in the best league in the world to being a bit-part player.
“it was a great time for the club and I played in the Champions League and Uefa Cup. But sometimes, as a player, things just don’t happen for you. I didn’t play as well as I could when I got the chance, although I didn’t get that many! There’s different ways to look at it.
“Maybe we bought too many big-name players at one time. When we were doing well we had a settled side with Bridgey (Michael Bridges) up front and Harry Kewell on the left.
“It was a bit of a feeling at the time of us buying some players just for the sake of it.
“But looking at it, we were a good bunch of young lads who gave it a go against the best, there’s no doubt about it.
“Maybe, we didn’t have enough to beat the Man Uniteds of this world (to win trophies), but we had a good go and you look at how things changed pretty quickly for Leeds after that.
“In my career, I was fortunate to play for some really big clubs, like Leeds and Man City. You look at City now and they have gone on to do something even crazier now!
“It shows what can happen; Leeds will always be a massive club in England because of their history and heritage and one day they will get back to where they belong in the Premiership.”
Settled in one of the most tranquil and picturesque areas of England, Nottingham-born Huckerby is happy to call Norfolk his home, with Norwich fans quickly bestowing idol status on the striker who they soon claimed as one of their own.
A love affair for the yellow-and-green hordes began in September 2003 when Huckerby joined the club, initially on loan, quickly earning the Division One player-of-the-month award.
fans got the perfect belated Christmas present on Boxing Day 2003 when the loan star signed permanently and it proved money well spent with the frontman widely seen as the main reason Norwich won promotion to the Premiership in 2003-04.
The following campaign, Huckerby was named player-of-the-season, scooping the award again in 2006-07, while finishing second in 2003-04 and 2005-06, testimony to the high regard he was held in – and still is – by the Canaries faithful.
Huckerby wound down his career in the states at San Jose and was named MLS Newcomer of the Year in 2008 before hanging up his boots in September 2009 and eventually returning to his adopted home of Norfolk.
His playing career may be over, but Huckerby is living his working life at the same hectic pace that frequented his life on the pitch.
His Darren Huckerby Trust has already raised pots of cash for charities and schemes in Norfolk, with Huckerby kept busy arranging events and publicity, while also finding time to run his own website and take his coaching badges – with the odd bit of recreational football thrown in!
On life after leaving Norwich in the summer of 2008, Huckerby said: “I went over to the States towards the end of my career and it was a good experience. There was maybe even a chance of coming back to Leeds when I got pushed out of Norwich, but I decided to try something a bit different.
“I’ve been lucky enough in my career to play for a few big clubs, but this was something different in terms of trying another culture, although it’s similar to England in some respects. It was quite easy to settle over there and the fans do like their soccer there – the game is coming on.
“After coming back to England after retiring, I started taking my coaching badges and have got a website up and running. I’ve also started a charity in Norfolk, so my diary is pretty full.
“I love it in Norfolk. I’ve been pretty lucky in that I’ve lived in a lot of nice places, but I’m really settled in Norwich, as are my family.”
Huckerby admits his competitive juices are starting to flow ahead of his debut in the Masters with Leeds, with the Whites also containing one familiar face to him in ex-Sky Blues team-mate and Leeds lad Noel Whelan.
In a dashing career which was most definitely whirlwind in more ways than one, Huckerby had the proverbial joyride, right from the time he left Lincoln City as a teenage prodigy for £500,000 to join a club who were simply box office in the mid-1990s – Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle United.
So a breakneck journey began, which saw him later call in at Coventry City, Leeds United, Manchester City, Norwich City and San Jose Earthquakes, along with loan spells at hometown club Nottingham Forest and Millwall.
Looking back, Huckerby – now 35 and settled with his family in Norfolk – insists he wouldn’t change much save for a frustrating spell that never truly got off the ground at Elland Road when he spent so much time on the bench his team-mates would have been forgiven for nicknaming him “The Judge”.
Rated as one of the hottest young talents in English football with a penchant for the spectacular, United forked out a cool £4m to land Huckerby from the Sky Blues in August 1999.
most people thought United were on to a sure-fire winner at an enterprising club tipped to firmly threaten the entrenched top tier establishment of Manchester United and Arsenal at the time.
But not so, with the crowd-pleaser – alerted to United’s attention when he scored a stunning hat-trick for Coventry at Elland Road near the end of the 1997-98 season – starting a mere 15 games for David O’Leary’s buccaneering outfit.
He also made a gargantuan 42 substitute appearances before switching across the Pennines to the blue half of Manchester for £3.4m in December 2000.
United supporters will get their chance to see Huckerby again in the famous white jersey in the Northern Masters later this month, with the quicksilver wing man unquestionably Leeds’ stellar recruit when they take the stage at Sheffield’s Motorsport Arena on June 26.
It’s a fair bet that having just turned 35, Huckerby will give a few oldies the runaround – but expect sage Whites fans present to mutter “if only” if that’s the case.
Huckerby, who spent just 16 months in West Yorkshire, told the YEP: “Considering I started off in the old Division Four, I didn’t do bad and worked my way up to play in the Champions League and scored for Leeds. I’m quite happy with that for a 16 or 17-year career.
“I had good spells at Coventry and then at Norwich at the end of my career, where I think I played my best football. I had a good time at Man City as well, to be fair.
“When I look back at my career, probably my only real regret was not really doing myself justice at Leeds, which is kind of strange, considering the team we had.
“The move came out of the blue. I was playing for Coventry, week-in, week-out and the most difficult thing was going from that, being a regular in the best league in the world to being a bit-part player.
“it was a great time for the club and I played in the Champions League and Uefa Cup. But sometimes, as a player, things just don’t happen for you. I didn’t play as well as I could when I got the chance, although I didn’t get that many! There’s different ways to look at it.
“Maybe we bought too many big-name players at one time. When we were doing well we had a settled side with Bridgey (Michael Bridges) up front and Harry Kewell on the left.
“It was a bit of a feeling at the time of us buying some players just for the sake of it.
“But looking at it, we were a good bunch of young lads who gave it a go against the best, there’s no doubt about it.
“Maybe, we didn’t have enough to beat the Man Uniteds of this world (to win trophies), but we had a good go and you look at how things changed pretty quickly for Leeds after that.
“In my career, I was fortunate to play for some really big clubs, like Leeds and Man City. You look at City now and they have gone on to do something even crazier now!
“It shows what can happen; Leeds will always be a massive club in England because of their history and heritage and one day they will get back to where they belong in the Premiership.”
Settled in one of the most tranquil and picturesque areas of England, Nottingham-born Huckerby is happy to call Norfolk his home, with Norwich fans quickly bestowing idol status on the striker who they soon claimed as one of their own.
A love affair for the yellow-and-green hordes began in September 2003 when Huckerby joined the club, initially on loan, quickly earning the Division One player-of-the-month award.
fans got the perfect belated Christmas present on Boxing Day 2003 when the loan star signed permanently and it proved money well spent with the frontman widely seen as the main reason Norwich won promotion to the Premiership in 2003-04.
The following campaign, Huckerby was named player-of-the-season, scooping the award again in 2006-07, while finishing second in 2003-04 and 2005-06, testimony to the high regard he was held in – and still is – by the Canaries faithful.
Huckerby wound down his career in the states at San Jose and was named MLS Newcomer of the Year in 2008 before hanging up his boots in September 2009 and eventually returning to his adopted home of Norfolk.
His playing career may be over, but Huckerby is living his working life at the same hectic pace that frequented his life on the pitch.
His Darren Huckerby Trust has already raised pots of cash for charities and schemes in Norfolk, with Huckerby kept busy arranging events and publicity, while also finding time to run his own website and take his coaching badges – with the odd bit of recreational football thrown in!
On life after leaving Norwich in the summer of 2008, Huckerby said: “I went over to the States towards the end of my career and it was a good experience. There was maybe even a chance of coming back to Leeds when I got pushed out of Norwich, but I decided to try something a bit different.
“I’ve been lucky enough in my career to play for a few big clubs, but this was something different in terms of trying another culture, although it’s similar to England in some respects. It was quite easy to settle over there and the fans do like their soccer there – the game is coming on.
“After coming back to England after retiring, I started taking my coaching badges and have got a website up and running. I’ve also started a charity in Norfolk, so my diary is pretty full.
“I love it in Norfolk. I’ve been pretty lucky in that I’ve lived in a lot of nice places, but I’m really settled in Norwich, as are my family.”
Huckerby admits his competitive juices are starting to flow ahead of his debut in the Masters with Leeds, with the Whites also containing one familiar face to him in ex-Sky Blues team-mate and Leeds lad Noel Whelan.
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