UK supermarket group Asda has acknowledged it must continue to up its game despite reporting its first positive quarterly sales for the first time in three years.

The Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) initiative says growing demand for its sustainable cotton saw around 50 million CmiA labelled textiles put onto the market in 2016 – helping lift license revenues by 70% year-on-year.

In surfing, one of the true art forms and most difficult things to accomplish is being able to make really bad surf look good.

What brought this to mind was watching the final day of the recent Van’s U.S. Open of Surfing, which was held a couple of weeks ago at the pier in Orange County’s famous Huntington Beach, a.k.a. “Surf City.”  Hometown boy Kanoa Igarashi took the Men’s title by doing just that, somehow making the extremely poor and ragged surf conditions look like it was actually good.

This is really nothing new for events held at the Huntington Beach Pier, going all the way back to 1959 when they held the first West Coast Surfing Championship. Some years the surf gods would smile down and bring great surf, but others it would be small and choppy. I surfed my share under both conditions and can attest to the fact that it’s much harder when it’s really bad than when it’s really good.

But I was lucky that I grew up right up the highway in nearby Surfside, where the surf was bad way more than it was good, so I was fairly used to it.

The very best example of a kid who grew up riding really bad surf is Kelly Slater. He comes from Cocoa Beach in Florida. The average surf conditions there are very small, very mushy, normally blown out and generally all over the place, as the sand bars are prone to shifting with the changing of the tide. His skills at riding poor surf served him very well when he got into waves that were actually good. It is so much harder to ride a bad wave than a good one, so when he got into good ones he just flew.

Eleven World Championships would serve as proof of that.

In today’s professional competitive surfing world when you reach the top level, the World Championship Tour, you are blessed with the fact that they almost always wait for good surf to hold the events. Plus they hold them at only world-class surfing spots. So almost all of the competitions are held in waves that we all dream that we could be getting with only one other person in the water.

But to get to that level you have to go through years of competition on the qualifying levels where, for the most part, they don’t wait for good waves. And not all of them are held at the best surf spots either.

The Van’s U.S. Open, as big and important an event as it is, is a qualifying event and not part of the World Championship tour.

I thought of another all-time great surfer who could ride junk as good or better than anybody — former World Champ Tom Curren. Curren is from Santa Barbara where there are loads of really good and perfect point breaks, so you would not really think of him as a guy coming from a background of bad waves. But the fact is that Santa Barbara is not the most consistent surfing area and is almost always really small or flat in the summer months.

A day comes to mind when I was up there visiting Al Merrik of Channel Islands Surfboards. I was working for Surfer magazine and getting some advertising work done with Merrik.  Curren was about 12 or 13 at the time and the three of us went surfing at Carpinteria Point. It was as close to flat as you could come. For about an hour Merrik and I sat there in about waist-deep water chit-chatting, no waves came through. In the meantime, Curren had been catching these tiny, maybe 6 inch, shore lappers and absolutely shredding them.

Fade, big turn, slash cutback, another turn and step off on the sand. We never caught a wave but he surfed himself silly. I realized that he was one of those guys who were going to be able to surf ANYTHING and do it well.  And he did.

So, my message today is to all of you young kids who are thinking about or attempting a pro surfing career. Get out there in the horrible blown-out choppy and sloppy afternoon conditions every single day and learn how to ride that stuff. If you do it will make you much better and give you a higher chance at success in the pros. Anybody can look good on a great wave. But it takes real talent to look good on a horrible one.

ASK THE EXPERT

Q.  Our son is 9 years old and wants to learn to surf. Is that too young? How old were you when you first paddled out and did you have help from neighbors or friends?

Robert Howell, Orange

A.  Every kid is different, but 9 is old enough in most cases as long as he knows how to swim well and you get him into a good surf school or with a good instructor. Generally, friends and neighbors are not the best surf teachers, get him with somebody qualified. I was 7 the first time I rode a surfboard. It belonged to a neighbor, a guy named Larry Conroy, and I snuck it out of his backyard when he wasn’t home and tried to surf it. I did get to my feet but I ate it pretty bad and wound up putting a big ding in the board. Was I hooked? Absolutely.

Breed: Schnauzer/poodle mix

Age: 1.5 years

Gender: Neutered male

Size: About 13 pounds

Albus’s story:  Albus was a stray on the streets of Los Angeles and has turned into a great little boy. He is beautiful, with loose curls and expressive eyes. Albus is bouncy and friendly and active and would do best in an active home with lots of exercise and playtime. Because of his energy level, he would do best in a home without very young children and would not be an ideal pet for a senior. Albus would do well with more training as he doesn’t know many commands, but he wants to please and absolutely loves other dogs. He is kissy and affectionate and lots of fun.

Adoption fee: $250

Adoption procedure: Visit Pups and Pals’ website for full adoption procedures and an adoption application, required before a visit with Albus can be scheduled. Read Albus’ full biography here. If you have questions about Albus not answered on our website, email pupsandpalsrescue@yahoo.com. We do have other dogs as well, so please visit the website if Albus is not your perfect match.

Shakespeare’s historical plays are among the most intricate literary accounts of Anglo-Saxon’s royal houses, and when done well, can be tremendously thrilling and satisfying – especially the tetralogy known as “the Henriad”: “Richard II,” “Henry IV” (both parts) and “Henry V.”

“Done well” is, of course, the operative phrase, and after seeing Shakespeare Orange County’s “Henry IV, Part 1” (in a brief run that closes Aug. 26), you’d be hard-pressed to name a better local stage production of this drama going back as far as you like.

Director Gavin Cameron-Webb has executed the two elements most crucial to bringing “Henry” to full and glorious life: The key roles are ideally cast, with fine performances filling in around them; and the most prolix scenes have been tightened and condensed.

Shakespeare’s account of the internecine warfare riddling the reign of Henry Bolingbroke, King Henry IV, teems with the various factions and individuals either aligning or opposing the king.

From the raft of characters, four outsize, larger-than-life portraits emerge: the king, played by John Shouse; Henry’s son Henry, Prince of Wales, known as “Prince Hal” (Robert Tendy); Harry Percy (Michael Chenefelt), bent on defeating the king and known as “Hotspur” for his quick temper; and Hal’s drinking buddy, the rascally Sir John Falstaff (Bodie Newcomb).

Former allies of King Henry, the Percy family now amass against him, fueled by support, and armies, from Scottish rebel leader the Earl of Douglas (Brock Milhorn) and Welsh rebellion leader Owen Glendower (John Breen).

A key scene, and a turning point in the exciting story, caps the first act, as the King finds son Hal at his favorite tavern, asleep and hungover from a night of revelry with Falstaff. Shouse’s Henry delivers a sharp, withering rebuke of his eldest son – and to his surprise, Hal stands up to him and fervently vows to redeem himself.

Tendy brings so much conviction to this focal scene that Shouse’s King Henry is forced to reevaluate Hal, placing stock in his son’s oath. And true to his word, Hal confronts Hotspur at the Battle of Shrewsbury. Their thrilling swordplay is among the most memorable images, Hotspur’s punching and biting revealing his penchant for hitting below the belt.

Tall and slim, with a shock of white hair, care and age lining his weathered face, Shouse is a potent King Henry, his severe mien and noble look and bearing bringing to mind the great Paul Scofield.

Tendy’s Prince Hal grows in stature before our very eyes. At first happy-go-lucky, he shows no hint of Hal’s potential valor or valiance. By Act 2, he’s well-groomed and in formal attire, complete with sword. True, he’s still glib – but now infused with a deadly earnest.

With a fiery shine in his eyes and florid, lily-gilding diction, Newcomb provides a showy turn as the roguish Falstaff, an outrageous rascal utterly likable, even lovable, for his honesty about his peccadilloes.

Hal and Falstaff’s pranks and role-playing, Falstaff’s boasts and Hal’s debunking of them, and the duo’s warm physical embraces, all accurately connote their mutual admiration.

The charismatic Chenefelt fully delivers the rash Hotspur’s hotheaded temperament and choleric nature. Paul Burt is a dynamic, smooth Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester, Hotspur’s cool-headed uncle. In her few brief scenes, Alexandra Wright’s Lady Percy forges a convincing emotional connection with husband Hotspur.

Milhorn and Breen deliver Douglas and Glendower’s colorful look and style as well as the physical and civil threat both men pose to the crown, with Milhorn’s Douglas notably rageful, and Colin Martin is solid and forthright as Henry loyalist Sir Walter Blount.

Breen and Milhorn’s heavy brogues add spice to their roles, though why they’d lean toward Scottish is a puzzler, given that Welsh is more Germanic than Gaelic. Also for better or worse, Falstaff and his gang of rogues and thieves come off like the Droogs in “A Clockwork Orange,” roaming the British countryside in search of victims to attack and rob.

Adding realism, Cameron-Webb includes a brief conversation in Welsh between Lord Mortimer (Nate Ruleaux) and his wife (Anisha Jagganathan), concluded when Lady Mortimer sings a Welsh song. On the lighter side, laughs greet Bardolph’s (Genevieve Flati) uses an “Avenue Q”-like hand puppet to ridicule Falstaff, including the meta-theatrical moment where she rewords lines from “Romeo and Juliet.”

Sean McMullen’s costume design fixes the era in the 1920s and early ’30s, ranging from the muted tones of the royals to the more Elizabethan-style attire of the tavern dwellers; the battle scenes are marked by the bright reds and blues of the opposing sides.

Dominating Dipak Gupta’s scenic design is an all-purpose flat depicting the play’s universe: the island of what is now the United Kingdom amid a sea of blue, a crown floating above it and, to the sides, the Scottish lion, the Welsh dragon and the heraldic shields of the principal characters.

The look of the climactic battle scenes is impressive, boosted by Cameron-Webb’s inventive sound design, Gupta’s lighting, McMullen’s costumes, David Scaglione’s props, and the cast’s superb swordplay.

On the downside, various characters’ 21st-century handshakes and fist bumps are a terrible idea, gross anachronisms that have no place in such a magnificent setting. Ditto the contemporary music used during scene changes.

As much of an anomaly is the sight of early 20th-century men wielding swords instead of firearms.

Otherwise, SOC’s “Henry IV, Part 1” is good enough to rival the outstanding 2012 PBS film “The Hollow Crown,” which elongates the play to the length of a series. Take a visit to Garden Grove and enjoy the chance to see a slice of British history for yourself.

‘Henry IV, Part 1’

When: 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays through Aug. 26

Where: Garden Grove Amphitheater, 12762 Main St., Garden Grove

Tickets: $25

Length: 2 hours, 10 minutes

Suitability: All ages

Information.: 714-590-1575, shakespeareoc.org

Breed: Miniature schnauzer/terrier mix

Age: 5 years

Gender: Spayed female

Size: 21 pounds

Brioche’s story: This sweet, lovely girl was surrendered to a shelter by her previous owners, who had had her since she was a puppy. Their reason for surrendering her isn’t known, but whatever the reason, whoever adopts Brioche will be lucky. She is quiet and loving and enjoys walks. She’s full-grown and gets along with other dogs. Her soulful eyes will melt the stress right out of your day, and you’ll be happy to come home to this happy, caring friend. Brioche is fully vaccinated and microchipped.

Adoption procedure: Fill out the adoption application at KenMarRescue.org.

It’s not often that all four major belts are on the line in a fight, but that’s what we’ll see Saturday when Terence Crawford and Julius Indongo square off in a super lightweight title-unification bout at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb. (on ESPN).

“It means a lot to me being it will be the first time that all four belts will be on the line at one time in the division’s history, and it has only been done (four times) in boxing,” said Crawford, of Omaha, Neb. “I’m just ready for the moment and fight time this weekend.”

Each fighter holds two belts, so both have plenty to win and plenty to lose. The difference is Indongo, of Namibia, Africa, will be fighting Crawford in what is essentially his backyard.

“I try and not say too much before the fight, which is something that I am used to,” said Indongo, 34. “I prefer to do it in the ring when my opponent is standing in front of me so I can do my work.

“I have been in boxing for a long time and not many people know me. I believe this is the time for me to show the world that a boxer from Africa, from Namibia, can beat a guy fighting in his home in front of his people. This is the best way to do it.”

This is the kind of attitude we should love from a boxer trying to accomplish a terrific feat in the ring. Even Crawford seems to respect that.

“It shows a lot about his character and his confidence and his ability in the ring,” said Crawford, 29. “Him being a two-time world champion in that short amount of time shows that he has a lot of confidence. But at the same time, he is a little older so he’s at the end of his career coming along, so he doesn’t have a lot of choices for what he wants to do. He can’t wait around.”

Indongo has only been a pro since 2009. He didn’t win his first belt until he knocked out Eduard Troyanovsky this past December. Indongo won his second title when he took a unanimous decision from Ricky Burns in Burns’ native Scotland this past April.

Crawford (31-0, 22 KOs) admits he has seen little of Indongo (22-0, 11 KOs), but he speaks as if he knows this might not be a walk in the park.

“Indongo is a good fighter,” Crawford said. “He is a good boxer – he’s got good legs and he seems like he can punch. He doesn’t let his opponent get on the inside and do a lot of damage to him.”

Here’s the thing – Indongo may be “good,” but Crawford has proven to be one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, and the chances are he is going to walk away with all four belts.

However, Indongo is pondering what it’s going to be like when he takes them home.

“It’s going to mean a lot to me – it will mean all of the hard work and determination got that achievement and it will create more opportunity for me,” he said. “I will travel the world with the four titles. I will take them back to Africa – to my country. I am going to be very, very happy.”

We doubt that, but this could be a competitive fight.

ETC

We are one week out from the Aug. 26 junior middleweight fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. (49-0, 26 KOs) and UFC star Conor McGregor of Ireland at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (on Showtime pay-per-view). The cost for the feed is $89.99, $99.99 for high definition. … On that same night, Miguel Cotto (40-0, 33 KOs) of Puerto Rico will take on Yoshihiro Kamegai (27-3-2, 24 KOs) of Japan for a vacant junior middleweight title at StubHub Center (on HBO). … Directly underneath that bout, Ronny Rios (28-1, 13 KOs) of Santa Ana will challenge Rey Vargas (29-0, 22 KOs) of Mexico for his junior featherweight title.

TESTING, TESTING: Dolls Kill on Saturday makes the leap into the physical world for the first time with a temporary shop in San Francisco’s Haight District.
The 1,100-square-foot store, located at 1475 Haight Street, kicks off with a collection the company’s calling “In Dust We Trust.” The offering consists of futuristic platform boots, catsuits and furry tops and jackets. The store will continue to roll out the fall collection in addition to having a broad footwear assortment. It’s expected to be stocked with costume and party wear closer to the store’s planned closing after Halloween.
Dolls Kill, based in San Francisco, has carved a niche for itself in online retailing since its launch in 2011 building a business it says is “for the misfits and miss legits” and an Instagram following of 1.3 million. Its multibrand online boutique carries its own line along with that of others such as Obey, The Ragged Priest, Petals and Peacocks, For Love & Lemons, Wildfox, Dr. Martens and Lazy Oaf. The company’s managed to resonate across a broad spectrum of subcultures in what could generally be defined as an antiestablishment sort of ethos with what it calls its dolls. Each doll’s personality aims to click with

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GEORGIA’S GEAR: Georgia May Jagger has teamed with Volcom Stone Row on a capsule range. Launched in 1991, Volcom — a brand owned by the Kering Group — is known for its surfing, skating and snowboarding apparel, footwear and accessories. Stone Row is Volcom Women’s elder sister and is aimed at a contemporary market. It is inspired by music, art and travel.
Women’s global design director Kelly Summer said Jagger had a passion for design and wanted to work with the label to create pieces that were missing from her wardrobe, easy items to wear during her travels.
“She is honest and focused on what she wants,” Summer said of working with Jagger. “Plus, she is with us every step of the way through the design process. With a common influence from London and California, we are aligned on our inspiration for Volcom and Stone Row, so it’s been a great partnership. From initial concept, right through to the photo shoot, we have plenty of touch points with Georgia to make sure this collaboration is something she is proud of.
“Georgia is the Volcom muse. She represents our girl from her love of the ocean to skateboarding, music and art and, of course,

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The Lenox Hill home includes a roof deck with hot tub, kitchen, and dining area.