Wealden Times | WT166 | December 2015 | Interiors supplement inside

Above: A shelving unit painted in muted, vintage green is used to keep Claire’s collection of buttons, ribbon and other sewing items tidy. Claire made the
patchwork quilt herself and has filled another unused fireplace with Chinese Lanterns to add some colour and a sense of warmth to the room.
been made by someone who once lived in the house. “I
can tell from the way it seems to be made from odd bits
of wood. It’s as if whoever made it scraped it together
from pieces they found around the place.” The room is
pared back and uncluttered with a distinctly retro feel.
“I love all that ‘digging for victory’ ethos; I love the
clothes, the feel, the British spirit — and they all looked
so stylish while doing it.” Claire has good reason to
feel a connection too, as six Land Army girls and their
matron were billeted to the cottage during the war to
help on the farm. “The matron slept in my room and the
girls slept in bunk beds in what’s now the spare room.”
Perhaps it’s no coincidence that Vita Sackville-West is
the author of The Women’s Land Army guide, published in
1944. She writes: ‘“Gardening is surely an ideal profession
for the woman who likes it. The work is not so heavy as to
put too great a strain on her physical capacity; and in the
more expert branches the possibilities and range of interest
is really unlimited.” Claire finds the work of the Land Army
just as inspirational. “My fortieth birthday party was on the
theme of a Forties VE Day celebration and everyone had
to dress up. I just love everything about the Forties — the
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