Wealden Times | WT165 | November 2015 | Gift supplement inside

Above: A toy-filled corner includes a model boat which Francine bought for
her husband, when they got married, from a shop in Peckham
Left: A sculptor’s revolving plinth holds an arrangement of dried allium heads
and artichoke-style candles
known for her writing: a weekly column in the Sunday
Telegraph as well as regular articles for Country Living
and Gardens Illustrated. And let’s not forget her hens.
Dotted around Francine’s home are various paintings,
sculptures and images of hens, primarily Buff Orpingtons.
The Hen Keepers’ Association – which now has more
than 10,000 members – her series of books on keeping
poultry and the popular ‘hen parties’ she ran in Suffolk
are all testament to her enthusiasm and expertise. “One
downside to living in the town is that I can’t keep a
cockerel any more, as it would be too antisocial,” she says.
Normally she would have about six-eight Buff Orpington
hens but, sadly, she lost her last flock to the fox.
While living in Suffolk, Francine wrote her popular
book, All My Eggs in One Basket, a journal of village and
family life, from season to season. The sequel, Flying
the Coop, covers her decision to leave after more than
30 years, her move to Joy Lane in Whitstable, Kent
and the process of creating a new home and life.
In her ‘new’ garden, a pretty, colour co-ordinated hen
house is crying out for a fresh flock of apricot-coloured
Orpingtons. “I like to stick to a limited palette,” says
Francine, who has dotted the golden colour of her
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