wealden-times-wt182-april-2017-gardens-supplement-inside

PRICELESS

february april

2017

Wealden Times

The lifestyle magazine for the Weald

wedding gardenS Supplement inside

Inspirational Interiors • Fabulous Fashion • Delicious Dishes

Designers and makers of handmade kitchens

The difference is in the detail

Please call for a brochure or visit our showrooms

Unit 9, Chart Farm, Seal Chart

Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0ES

Tel: 01732 762682

81 Calverley Road

Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2UY

Tel: 01892 520730

www.rencraft.co.uk

Chippy Oak Framed Garage Kits now

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– * Price * Price includes includes delivery, delivery, cabinet cabinet furniture, furniture, appliances, worktops worktops and and VAT VAT

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01580 715144

Email: cranbrook@kingsfords.net www.kingsfords-solicitors.com

We offer an excellent, swift and friendly service.

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Conveyancing Services from £550.00+VAT

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Lasting Power Of Attorney (LPA's) from £195.00+VAT

(Initial fixed-fee appointments also available at our Cranbrook offices)

Litigation Solicitor from £200.00+VAT

Matrimonial Solicitor from £150.00+VAT

We will always try and match any quotation

Kingsfords Solicitors Limited registered office address 2 Elwick Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 1PD

Regulated by the Solicitors regulation Authority 621466

KingsfordSolicitorsWT172.indd 1 10/05/2016 11:20

QUALITY CLOTHING AND A PERSONAL SERVICE

MEYER-HOSEN , established in 1960 in

Germany, are producers of high quality

formal and casual trousers of European

manufacture.

Using some of the finest fabrics , and

only cottons bearing the Fair Trade

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renowned for their Quality, Comfort, Style

and Fit.

This Spring/Summer season’s ranges

comprise ultra lightweight wool blends,

sand washed cotton, pima cottons

and kapok, in a bright colour palette,

with two-tone and over-dyed fabrics,

contrasted by trims and summery linings.

MEYER ensures that its products have

a high-quality of finish, a good fit

throughout all sizes and are comfortable

to wear.

We are pleased to offer a comprehensive

range of MEYER trousers in all three of our

stores, with sizes from 32 to 46 waist in

many ranges, and very much look forward

to having the opportunity of showing

you the new MEYER collection, together

with the other ranges of exciting summer

clothing we have to offer.

• New store opening April in Sevenoaks

• Celebrating 40 years trading in Kent

19 St. Margarets St,

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Kent CT1 2TH

Tel: 01227 765294

2 East Cross,

Tenterden,

Kent TN30 6AD

Tel: 01580 765159

6 High St,

Reigate,

Surrey RH2 9AY

Tel: 01737 249224

CountyClothes

wealdentimes.co.uk

CountyClothesWT181.indd 1 21/02/2017 14:59

Contents

April 2017

GARDEN QUEST

Maggie Alderson goes in search

of ideal locations for egg hunts

132

156

GET READY TO PARTY!

Colourful childrenswear

for girls and boys

165

132

MAIN COURSE

WT speaks to Rosemary Shrager about

the importance of apprenticeships

102

127

APRIL NOTEBOOK

Fill your diary with hand

picked events going on

around the Weald

CALL TO ALMS

A milliner’s retreat

GET THE LOOK

Emulate the Cheyneys style

IN HOUSE

Rebecca Cuffe edits her

favourite interior trends

TRUE ORIGINS

Jennifer Stuart-Smith explores a

beautiful Wealden farmhouse

FLOOR PLAN

Chic floor coverings

147

151

153

155

156

FRESHEN UP

Josephine Fairley tackles

problematic teenage skin

ACTIVE APRIL

This month’s bitesize

health news

THE BIG MIND &

BODY SPRING CLEAN

How to tidy up your regime

WALKING - WHERE

ARE ALL THE PEOPLE?

Julie Simpson shares her

favourite Wealden walks

EASTER FEAST

Rosemary Shrager’s

Easter goodies

Published by JPS Media Ltd, Kettle Chambers, 21 Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent. TN17 3HF.

Tel: 01580 714705 Fax: 01580 715983. Email info@wealdentimes.co.uk wealdentimes.co.uk

necessarily those of JPS Media Ltd.

169

175

181

182

NUMBER CRUNCHERS

Susan Elkin analyses

performance targets

WHAT’S ON?

Find out

COMPETITION

Win a Firepod pizza oven worth £445

FABLES FROM THE FARM

Jane Howard deals with the

repercussions of the bird flu scare

GARDENS

SUPPLEMENT

Take inspiration

from our 34 page

special for a super

stylish outdoors.

After page 166

Gardens

A Wealden Times Supplement

View the new Garden Directory online at wealdentimes.co.uk

Sponsored by

06WT182Garden Supplement.indd 1 21/03/2017 10:19

Hawkhurst

A beautiful Grade II Listed family home in a prominent position in the Moor area

of Hawkhurst

5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 4 reception rooms. Double garage, log store and swimming pool (all in

need of refurbishment). Cranbrook School Catchment Area.

Guide price: £1,400,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/TNW160251

simon.biddulph@knightfrank.com

KnightFrank.co.uk/tunbridge-wells

01892 310700

@KF_TWells

KnightFrank.co.uk

Horsmonden

A Grade II Listed converted oast in a wonderful position

8 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 5 reception rooms. Architecturally designed. Car port and large timber terrace.

Cranbrook School Catchment Area. In all about 2.18 acres.

simon.biddulph@knightfrank.com

KnightFrank.co.uk/tunbridge-wells

01892 310700

Guide price: £1,900,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/TNW160215

@KF_TWells

KnightFrank.co.uk

Land & Property Experts

East Farleigh, Kent

A compact and versatile commercial and agricultural estate bounded by the B2010

and Forge Lane in an accessible location in the Medway Valley south of Maidstone.

The Commercial Yard and Buildings include:

• A range of offices, workshops and storage units let on Landlord and Tenant

(contracted out) Leases or Licences with a rental income of approx. £145,000

The Grade I Agricultural Land includes:

• 16.33 acres of top fruit including Pears and Bramley Apples and 65.56 acres of

well roaded arable land.

FOR SALE BY FORMAL TENDER AS A WHOLE OR IN TWO LOTS. CLOSING

DATE TO BE CONFIRMED

Guide Prices And Legal Pack On Request

Challock Office

Appledore, Kent

A new 5 bedroom detached house - EPC Band B

Central Village location within walking distance of local amenities

Paddock land to the rear with rural views

Two agricultural barns in need of upgrading

• In all approx. 7.05 acres

Guide Price £850,000

Challock Office

Bells Yew Green, East Sussex

A Grade II Listed Farmhouse - EPC Band C

Located in an quiet rural position

Managed woodland and 3.5 acre lake

Games Room, outbuildings and Biomass boiler

• In all approx. 178 acres

Guide Price £4,600,000

Challock Office

Near Rotherfield, East Sussex

5 Bedroom Farmhouse - EPC Band D

Stable Yard and Sand School

Enclosed pasture fields

Direct bridleway access

• In all approx. 6.5 acres

Guide Price OIEO £850,000

Heathfield Office

Brasted, Kent

Superb farm building complex with converted farmhouse - EPC Band C

Extensive period outbuildings with potential

Planning to extend the house to total of 4,000 ft 2

Popular rural location close to Sevenoaks

• In all approx. 6 acres

Guide Price £2,000,000

Challock Office

‘Our Focus ‘Our Determines Focus Determines Your Reality’ Your Reality’

harpers and hurlingham

egeRton £1,495,000

Striking Georgian family home · Four/five reception

rooms · Stunning kitchen/breakfast/dining room · Five/

six bedrooms (three ensuite) · Annexe: Kitchen/living

room, bedroom with ensuite and balcony · Grounds

approx 1.4 acres · Stable block and outbuilding · EPC: D

Idyllic no-through country lane location

goudhuRst oIeo £1,295,000

Period family home in tranquil location · Triple

aspect drawing room · Kitchen/breakfast room ·

Three bedrooms (one ensuite) · Two attic bedrooms

(interconnecting) · Tennis court · Gardens and grounds

approximately 6.7 acres · Scope to extend · EPC: n/a

Cranbrook School Catchment Area

RuRal MaRden £1,250,000

Grade II Listed farmhouse with detached barn · Three

reception rooms · Kitchen/breakfast room · Utility

room · Five bedrooms (one ensuite) · Barn with lapsed

planning · Outbuilding with scope to convert (stpp) ·

Tennis court · Gardens of approx 2.3 acres · EPC: n/a

Rural yet convenient location

hawkhuRst £1,100,000

Charming Elizabethan farmhouse · In need of

refurbishment · Four reception rooms · Spacious

kitchen/breakfast room · Six bedrooms (one ensuite) ·

Swimming pool · Garden and grounds approximately

2.9 acres · Far reaching countryside views · EPC: n/a

Cranbrook School Catchment Area

Harpers&Hurlingham

The Cornerhouse, Stone Street, Cranbrook

01580 715400

www.harpersandhurlingham.com

London offiCe: KenSingTon 020 7938 2311

Lettings Team

Sales Team

Charles Janey Chez Jane Cathy Sarah Debbie Jane A Debbie S Caroline Dawn

Dianne

SALES / LETTINGS / MANAGEMENT

VISIT US AT HUNTERS.COM

HERE TO GET you THERE

Pluckley £775,000

Impressive and characterful Grade II listed medieval farmhouse with a

wealth of period features, standing in grounds of 4.4 acres with outbuildings

Four Bedrooms • Two Reception Rooms • Two En Suites • EPC Exempt

Smarden

P.O.A

Impressive grade II listed three bedroom Oast House with attached three

bedroom annexe, set in 1.45 acres of mature gardens

Three Reception Rooms • Flexible Accommodation • Double Garage • EPC Exempt

Tenterden £599,995

Elegant three/four bedroom Edwardian Townhouse built in 1905.

Positioned on the enviable tree lined High Street of Tenterden

No Chain • Cloakroom • Double Garage & Parking • EPC Rating D

Wittersham £575,000

Striking double fronted Victorian attached property with a wealth of

period features in the desirable village of Wittersham

Four Bedrooms • Two Reception Rooms • Rural Views • EPC E

Meet your local Tenterden Team!

Branch Partner, Andrew Barker has been in the estate agency business since 2000.

Andrew has comprehensive local knowledge, having worked in Tenterden and the surrounding villages throughout his career.

Over 150 independently owned branches across the UK.

Myself, Laura & Jake are highly motivated in offering our customers a fi rst class service,

“we’re here to get you there”

TENTERDEN 01580 763 278

ASHFORD 01233 613 613

Over 180 independently owned branches across the UK.

HYTHE 01303 261 557

FOLKESTONE 01303 210 335

The Property Ombudsman

Boughton Monchelsea Excess £1,600,000

A handsome early Victorian former Vicarage in a tranquil setting with

breathtaking views • 5 Receptions • Kitchen/Family Room • 6 Bedrooms •

3 Bath/Shower Rooms • Double Garage • Swimming Pool • Tennis Court •

Gardens and Grounds of about 2.3 acres in all • EPC F

Staplecross Guide Price £1,500,000

A splendid Grade II listed country house with guest cottage and excellent leisure

facilities with spectacular views • 4 Receptions • Kitchen • Master Bedroom with

en suite • 5 Further Bedrooms • 3 Further Bathrooms • Guest Cottage • Indoor

Swimming Pool • T. Court • Outbuildings • Circa 3 acres • 45 acres by sep neg

East Farleigh Guide Price £1,250,000

A substantial Grade II listed former Vicarage providing over 5,500 sq ft of

accommodation ideal for dual family occupancy • 4 Receptions • Kitchen/

Breakfast Room • Basement • 5 Bedrooms • 3 Bathrooms • Attic Rooms •

Various Outbuildings • Gardens and Grounds • Over half an acre

Sissinghurst Excess £1,000,000

A very special Grade II listed village house and period barn amid established

gardens offering immediate access to amenities • CSCA • No Onward Chain

• 3 Receptions • Kitchen • 5 Bedrooms • 3 Bathrooms • Oak Framed Barn •

Swimming Pool • Double Garage • Approaching an acre

Kilndown Guide Price £850,000

A beautifully presented attached period house providing exceptional family

entertaining space in the village • CSCA • 4 Receptions • Kitchen/Breakfast

Room • 4 Double Bedrooms (1 en suite) • Family Bathroom & Shower Room

• Cellar • Swimming Pool & Summerhouse • 0.43 acres in all • EPC D

Cranbrook Excess £675,000

An individual family house amid landscaped grounds within walking

distance of the High Street • CSCA • 4 Receptions • Kitchen • 4 Bedrooms

(1 en suite) • Family Bathroom • Double Garage • Summerhouse • About 0.5

acres of Landscaped Gardens • EPC E

coming 26 January 2015

Rye, East Sussex - £299,950

A well presented Grade II listed end of terrace house set

on the outskirts of Rye, offering accommodation over

three floors. Kitchen, living room, store room, garden

room, 2 bedrooms. Garden to rear. EPC E

Beckley, East Sussex - £795,000

A well appointed, detached New England style property

with views to the rear. Dining hall, living room, family room,

study, open plan kitchen/breakfast room, utility room,

master bedroom with en-suite, 3 further bedrooms, large

garden. EPC D

Guestling, East Sussex - £795,000

A substantial detached family house in beautiful order

with far reaching rural views towards the sea. Sitting

room, dining room, study, large conservatory, kitchen,

master bedroom suite, 4 further bedrooms. Double garage.

Garden. EPC D

Rye, East Sussex - £350,000

A three storey three bedroom town house in need of

modernisation situated in the conservation area of the

Ancient Town and Cinque Port of Rye with views of the

Strand Quay and moorings on the River Brede. Garage

nearby. EPC E

Icklesham, East Sussex - £359,950

A detached 1930s three bedroom house in the centre of the

village. Open plan living room and kitchen, bedrooms 2 & 3.

First floor landing with study area, bedroom 1 with sitting

room and en suite bathroom, Off road parking, Garden to

the side. EPC D

Udimore, East Sussex - OIEO £845,000

A 5/6 bedroom Edwardian house with stunning 360° views

to the English Channel and over farmland. Kitchen/breakfast

room, two receptions, conservatory, utility room. Double

garage/workshop with studio flat above. 1 acre garden. EPC F

RYE OFFICE 01797 227338

MAYFAIR OFFICE 0870 112 7099

phillipsandstubbs.co.uk

MAXIMISE THE VALUE

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Have you got a large

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anyone who wants to achieve planning".

Amanda and Robert Petch

June 2016

"The cost involved to try and

get planning on our land

were just not feasible for us.

Working with Country House

meant we didn’t have to risk

our money as they took care

of everything"

Mr C Partridge (Loose, Kent)

September 2016

“Guy and team at CHH did a

fantastic job securing planning

permission on our rear garden plot.

Although a fairly problematic

application (which took over 18

months), they kept us informed

throughout the entire process.

I would certainly use them again”

David J (Oxted, Surrey)

January 2017

For a free appraisal call 0843 557 4080

www.maximisemyland.co.uk

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

The secret to fi nding the perfect property?

The enduring popularity of TV shows such

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buying homes. Within forty-fi ve easy

viewing minutes, couples are shown three

properties, often leading to a quick ‘from

the pub’ negotiation and the deal is done.

If only buying a home was that easy.

As most of us know, buying property is

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yet many house hunters overlook the

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Of those aware of the property fi nder’s

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for people who are moving into an area

from away, but this is far from the truth.

Local experts Garrington regularly work

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The benefi ts of using property fi nders

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Finding hidden gems

Contrary to popular belief, property

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Property finders give their clients

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from homeowners. Last year, Garrington

identified several such properties

like this in areas such as Wadhurst,

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Expert negotiation

Despite the ongoing political uncertainty

being experienced, the stock shortage

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Ensuring that buyers pay the right

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Mandy Bissell

Garrington

If you would like to discuss your

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learn about local market conditions

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Garrington offers a complimentary

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Please contact Mandy Bissell to

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visit the Garrington website for

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Tel: 01892 882892

Email: info@garrington.co.uk

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sJd – developing potential

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Call us now

for regular updates, visit us at twitter.com/projects

Contact Stephen Donnelly on

07739 514350 or 0845 456 8969

web: sjd-projects.com • email: steve@sjd-projects.com

We are alWays on the lookout for property With developmental potential

SJDprojectsWT182.indd 1 08/03/2017 17:01

Computer generated image

N O W L A U N C H E D - R E S E R V A T I O N S B E I N G T A K E N

THE OLD ORCHARD, CHARTWAY STREET, SUTTON VALENCE ME17 3JA

A development of five 3, 4 & 5 bedroom new homes, ready for occupation summer 2017

Call our selling agent now for more information and to book your personal appointment

Guide prices from £465,000 | T: 01622 673086 | E: enquiries@sibleypares.co.uk

www.millwooddesignerhomes.co.uk

wealdentimes.co.uk

SibleyParesWT182.indd 1 17/03/2017 10:17

Residential Sales

www.hobbsparker.co.uk

COMING SOON

£1,175,000

A well appointed Edwardian family house of wonderful

proportions set in imaginatively designed formal style

gardens. Ashford Int Station – 5 miles. EPC Rating E

Tenterden

£925,000

Grade II listed 18th century house with two separate

cottages which offer the possibility of intergenerational

living or useful income generation. EPC Rating NA

Stalisfield Green

£895,000

Views across open countryside - a fabulous

converted barn with purpose built workshop/studio

suitable for a number of uses. EPC Rating D

Appledore

£695,000

4 bedroom detached country cottage on the rural

edge of the village, extensive outbuildings, beautiful

gardens, pool. In all about ½ acre. EPC Rating E

Nr Aldington

£895,000

Fabulous barn tucked away at the end of a farm track,

2 acres of garden and paddock, 4 bay wagon lodge garage

with accommodation over. EPC Rating D

Benenden

£895,000

Grade II listed period farmhouse, 3 bay garage and other

outbuildings. In all about 1.4 acres. Further land available.

CSCA. EPC Rating NA

Hobbs Parker Estate Agents

Tenterden 01580 766766 | Ashford 01233 506260

01580 766766

THE BRUNSWICK - Affordable luxury in Rye

Spacious double fronted 3 bedroom detached homes with parking

and private gardens from £380,000

FAMILY

BEDROOM 3

LOUNGE

CPD

KITCHEN

/ DINER

BEDROOM 1

BEDROOM 2

WDR

HALL

EN-SUITE

FAMILY

BATHROOM

WDR

First Floor Plan

Ground Floor Plan

A collection of delightful New England style homes a short walk from Rye centre overlooking an

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Offering three bedrooms with en-suite to master bedroom.

Glazed conservatory overlooking private rear garden. All houses have oak laminate floors and

carpets throughout with under floor heating and Bosch appliances

ARONCORP

Freephone: 0800 612 7933

sales@ValleyParkRye.com

www.ValleyParkRye.com

Weald Property half - 1 property.qxp_half page 11/07/2014 15:42 Page 1

Residential Sales • Management and Lettings

01580 242700

wealdproperty.net

Moving this Spring? Let the Country House specialists with over 30 years of local

property expertise make it happen for you, on your terms……seamlessly.

TO LET

FOR SALE

Benenden £4000pcm Horsmonden OIEO £895,000

Weald Property – bespoke estate agent

Spring Offer Instruct Weald Property in April 2017 and receive a complimentary garden design appraisal from one of the

South East’s leading garden / landscape designers, Catherine Berkeley (see below).

2 Windmill Oast, Windmill Farm,

Rolvenden, Kent TN17 4PF

CatherineBerkeleyWT178.indd 1 08/11/2016 12:53

HOUSE OF THE MONTH

Garden Quest

Maggie Alderson hunts down the best hiding places for Easter eggs

Like many great British annual traditions, we imported the Easter Bunny from

America. That great nation of marketing geniuses has long done a fine trade in

converting slightly creepy figures of ancient European folklore into adorable

cuddly characters perfect for flogging product while cheering everyone up. Win win.

It was in this spirt that Santa Claus as we know and love him – jolly,

tubby, red of cheek – was invented by Coca-Cola in the 1930s. Earlier

Christmas present deliverers Saint Nicholas, the Nordic god Wotan

and Britain’s original Father Christmas, weren’t nearly so affable.

The Easter Bunny in its original European incarnation of an egg-hiding

mammal fertility symbol was actually a hare, an animal perfect for conveying

the idea of spring’s fecundity, because lady hares can actually get pregnant

again while they are still carrying a litter. It’s an impressive feat of breeding (if

a nightmarish prospect…), but bunnies won, because they’re cuter and have

fluffy tails and we’ve all cuddled one. There’s a reason Beatrix Potter wrote Peter

Rabbit rather than Harold Hare. The Easter Hare is also a less attractive prospect

to the modern child, because on his arrival in America with 18th century

German immigrants to Pennsylvania, he hid real eggs, albeit painted ones.

As the fluffy egg-concealing white rabbit took on across the United States

the eggs became chocolate, which required attractive baskets to be collected in

and the Easter Egg Hunt as we now know it had arrived. And what a lovely

thing it is, to watch over-excited children – some of them nearly of university

age, in my experience – running around a garden searching for tiny foilcoloured

treats, with a larger chocolate rabbit or chicken the ultimate prize.

Also fun for parents, is the concealing of the eggs, while a grandparent

distracts the small ones inside – nearly as thrilling as tiptoeing in with

a Christmas stocking. The key thing is to have the right garden to

do it in, with lots of different areas for hiding and hunting.

1. Badsell Park

Where? Badsell Park sits aside a small

hamlet, surrounded by woodland and

pastures, one mile from the picturesque

village of Matfield and just five from

Tunbridge Wells. Paddock Wood

station, with its 45 minute link to

London Bridge, is three miles away.

What? Cutting to the chase: it’s hard

to imagine a better location for an Easter

egg hunt…there’s a beautiful maze in the

garden. The very attractive Grade II listed

farmhouse has been beautifully updated for

modern living with an open plan kitchen/

breakfast room, complete with Aga and a

large open fireplace, opening to the garden

from two places and to the conservatory.

There’s a 30ft drawing room and a cosy

sitting room. Upstairs there’s a principal

suite with an adjoined shower room, three

further bedrooms and a bathroom, with

two more bedrooms on the second floor.

How much? With a guide price of

£2,675,000, Badsell Park is on the market

with Knight Frank Tunbridge Wells. Call

01892 772942, or browse knightfrank.co.uk

wealdentimes.co.uk

2. Birchetts

Where? Birchetts is situated on a

quiet country lane on the outskirts of

the popular village of Ticehurst, 11

miles from Tunbridge Wells. Stonegate

and Wadhurst stations have regular

services to Charing Cross and the A21/

M25 road and motorway network are

easily accessible. There are interrupted

views to Bewl Water from the garden.

What? A very attractive barn

conversion, the three bedrooms, en suite

shower room and family bathroom are

on the ground floor, which allows the

first floor sitting room to enjoy the full

beamed height of the building. The

kitchen and dining room are adjacent.

There is a study/fourth bedroom on

the second floor. The gardens cover an

acre, with lots of interesting areas for

Easter egg concealing, plus a natural

duck pond with a stream and summer

house which overlooks two ornamental

ponds. (So you would have to keep a

firm eye on small egg hunters…)

How much? Offers in excess of

£745,000. Contact Freeman Foreman,

Tunbridge Wells 01892 640318

or look at freemanforeman.co.uk

3. The Dairy House

Where? The Dairy House sits in

the quiet pretty village of Loose, with

the Loose Stream running through

it, on the rural fringes of Maidstone,

with its rail links. There is a junction

to the M20 15 minutes away.

What? The original building dates to

the 16th century, with the beams to show

for it, with 20th century extensions. The

ground floor has three reception rooms,

plus a workshop and the kitchen. The

bathroom is also on this floor. Upstairs

are three bedrooms, with a walk-in

closet and a further room in the attic.

The house has brilliant potential for

more contemporary room arrangement

without losing any of its charm. Outside

the garden is a delightful mix of superbly

stocked mature borders, lawns, plus

a vegetable patch and mature trees.

How much? The Dairy House is

on the market for £599,000 with Fine

and Country, West Malling. Call 01732

222272 or head to fineandcountry.com

4. Catsfield Place

Where? Catsfield Place is situated at

the end of a long drive, in the unspoiled

countryside to the west of Battle, with

views over the South Downs AONB.

Catsfield village is nearby, with Battle

the nearest town, just two miles away,

with twice hourly trains to London.

What? It would be easier to answer,

what hasn’t it got? Study, sitting room,

two drawing rooms, family room,

computer room, garden room…

Swimming pool, yoga studio, full pubstyle

bar, disco. This house has it all

– encased in a glorious 17th century

manor, where one of Marie Antoinette’s

ladies-in-waiting was sent to hide her

jewels. There are eight bedrooms and at

least four bathrooms. And that’s just the

main house. There are nearly three acres

of grounds, comprising beautiful formal

gardens, with a walled garden full of rose

borders and shrubs, landscaped lawns,

fields and an area of woodland. Plus

various sun terraces and patios. You could

hold several Easter egg hunts at once.

How much? For this extraordinary

house, offers are invited in the area of

£1,825,000. Contact Fine and Country,

Cranbrook on 01580 715000 and

have a look on fineandcountry.com

25 wealdentimes.co.uk

THE MULTIROOM

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MULTIROOM COLLECTION

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Bexleyheath

Kent DA6 7EZ

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Bromley

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Tel: 020 8466 8080

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Cambridge

CB3 0AF

Tel: 01223 464400

Maidstone

37 Royal Star Arcade

High Street

Maidstone ME14 1JL

Tel: 01622 756756

Tunbridge Wells

66 Mount Pleasant Road

Tunbridge Wells

Kent TN1 1RB

Tel: 01892 527525

*Example. Purchase of 2 x Beoplay M5 speakers (RRP £529 each) Total Cash Price £1,058 less £98 deposit. Loan amount £968 repayable by 24 monthly payments of £40. Total amount

payable (including deposit) £1,058, 0%APR (representive). Written quotations available on request. Credit is available to over 18s and subject to status. Deposit is required. Cost of

installation is not included. Offer available from 13th March to 31st May 2017. Participating stores act as credit brokers and only offer credit products from a small panel of lenders.

OPEN DAY 20th May, 11am-4pm

Guest chef • Wine tasting from Majestic Wine • Cake treats from Hollie’s Little Cakery

Competitively priced kitchens from as little as £5,000

See our website: www.kutchenhaus.co.uk

Call in for a free quotation

Free Designs Free Quotations All Kitchens delivered Pre-built Free Parking

Visit our website or our showroom in Tunbridge Wells

1st floor, 319 St John’s Road (above Majestic Wine), Southborough, Tunbridge Wells TN4 9XE

01892 289070

Tunbridge Wells . Sutton Coldfield . Manchester . York . Brentwood . Beverley . Farnborough

Women’s health – New technology

helping to beat Breast Cancer

We do

breast health

checks…

Our One Stop Breast Clinic now offers

3D mammograms helping to detect

Breast Cancer with greater accuracy

If you are over 40 with no

symptoms, you can

self-refer for a

3D mammogram*

We are currently the only private hospital

in Kent to offer the latest advances in

digital mammography; 3D Digital Breast

Tomosynthesis.

Patients seen in our One Stop Breast Clinic

will have the option of 3D mammography.

The benefits speak for themselves:

• Improves breast cancer detection by

approximately 25%

• Smaller cancers can be identified more easily

• Particularly benefits those with dense breasts,

especially younger women

• Fewer patient recalls

Early detection is key. Make Spire

Tunbridge Wells your hospital of choice.

What our patients say…

I found the whole experience whilst

having the scan to be very quick indeed

and more importantly I was made to

feel very comfortable by the staff’

TWells patient

I just wanted to say how lovely the staff in

x-ray department were yesterday when I

went for a mammogram.Everyone was so

friendly and professional

Local GP Practice Manager

To book an appointment in the One Stop Breast

clinic call our Customer Services Executive on

01892 741150

www.spiretunbridgewells.com

* Patients can self-refer for 3D mammograms if they are

experiencing no symptoms and do not have any family history.

Fordcombe Road, Fordcombe, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 0RD

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Mon Fri 9am 5pm, Sat 9am 2pm

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Telephone 01323 509 661 Freephone 0800 988 1071

www.blind-design.co.uk

TAKE THE MASERATI WAY

Levante. The Maserati of SUVs. Starting at £54,335 OTR

The road you choose to travel might not be a road at all. A quick trip might turn

into the adventure of a lifetime, because there’s no reason to stay on the beaten

track when you can create a path of your own. The Maserati Levante was designed

with world-class engineering prowess and features Q4 intelligent all-wheel-drive and

sophisticated air-suspension systems, which allow you to enjoy a fully capable SUV with

outstanding Maserati driving dynamics.

MOTORLINE MASERATI MAIDSTONE

Bircholt Road, Maidstone, ME15 9XY

Phone: 01622 616 424 | www.motorline.co.uk/maserati

Official fuel consumption figures for the All New Maserati Levante Diesel in mpg (l/100km): Urban 34.4 (8.2), Extra

Urban 42.8 (6.6), Combined 39.2 (7.2). CO 2 emissions 189g/km. Fuel consumption and CO 2 figures are based on

standard EU tests for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. Model shown is a Maserati

Levante Diesel MY17 at £66,640 On The Road including optional Luxury Pack at £5,950, 21 inch Anteo alloy wheels

at £2,695, Driver Assistance Pack at £1,450, panoramic sunroof at £1,200, Rear laminated privacy glass at £350

and bi-xenon front headlamps at £660.

For a brochure or home consultation call 01797 366895

www.anthony-hicks.co.uk

BurrswoodBootcampWT182.indd 1 10/03/2017 16:26

Luxurious Italian Furniture

Grand Design Furniture

We specialise in Italian furniture, stylishly designed and made in Italy. Take a look at our bedroom

suites, dining room suites and lounge furniture. Grand Design Furniture UK are the main UK supplier

for all the Italian furniture products we sell. We offer the most competitive prices in the UK.

Why not visit our shop in Orpington to see the complete range of Italian furniture that we have available?

115 High Street, Orpington, Kent BR6 0LG Tel: 01689 891600

www.granddesignfurniture.net romaninteriors@hotmail.co.uk

wealdentimes.co.uk

GrandDesignFurnitureWT182.indd 1 22/03/2017 11:56

Design & Planning

Restoration

New Build

Barn Conversions

Extensions

Joinery

Cox Developments (Charing) Limited

www.coxrestorations.co.uk

For a free consultation please contact: 01233 714950

www.coxrestorations.co.uk

Established 1986

CAcres of beautiful gardens and woodland to enjoy

ome and experience the wide range

of flexible healthcare services,

guest stays and wellbeing events

Rehabilitation following a hospital stay or illness

Respite care

Assisted stay for those who would like a holiday

but need a little help

Outpatient services, counselling, physiotherapy

and hydrotherapy

Guest stays and therapeutic stays

Church and Spiritual Wellbeing events

Tea room, bookshop and gift shop open everyday

Call Reservations 01892 865988 to find out more

www.burrswood.org.uk

email: enquiries@burrswood.org.uk

The Dorothy Kerin Trust. Registered Charity No. 1095940

Transforming lives through whole person care

MAYS TERRACOTTA

incorporating

CROSS IN HAND HEATHFIELD

EST 1983

A267

B2203

BurrswoodWT182.indd 1 03/03/2017 14:31

★ Horam

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Heathfield, East Sussex TN21 0JB

Tel: 01323 847281

www.maysterracotta.com

TERRACOTTA

CLOSING DOWN SALE

STARTS 1st APRIL

Seeking Alternative Site

wealdentimes.co.uk

MaysTerracottaWT182.indd 1 22/03/2017 17:21

WWW.HANDMADERUGS.CO.UK

104, HIGH STREET, TENTERDEN, KENT, TN30 6HT

Tel 01580 762524

Tuesday to Saturday 10 to 5

30-31, HIGH STREET, BATTLE, E. SUSSEX, TN33 0EA

Tel 01424 772944

Monday to Saturday 9.30 to 5

Modern and Traditional Handmade Rugs

Furniture and Accessories

WWW.MOREBYDESIGN.COM

“Gazni J49” Ivory/ Powder Blue 3.00 x 2.50

Also available from Stock 4.00 x 3.00; 2.40 x 1.70; 1.80 x 1.20; 2.40 x 0.80 and other sizes to order

Also comes in other colours including Navy, Burgundy , Green and Charcoal

History In the Making

A rug is a breathtaking work of art with thousands of hand-tied knots woven in intricate designs,

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01227 767576 www.stellisonselectrical.co.uk

Visit our 10,000 square foot Electrical Superstore in Canterbury

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Oak Framed Garage Prices Reduced

Round Wood of Mayfield have recently announced that they have been able to reduce the

price of their Chippy oak framed garage kits by 10%, despite the current economic climate.

Their traditional CH2G (two-bay

with gable roofline) model has

been reduced even further - so is

now available for just £3,295 +VAT.

Like many businesses, they

have been facing the double

blow of a falling pound and

rising raw material costs. These,

however, have been more than

offset by the recent efficiency

savings they have achieved

by analysing and developing

manufacturing activities.

This year-long process has required

significant investment - particularly

in machinery - but has proved

more than worthwhile given the

savings that are being passed

on, with oak framed garage kits

now available from just £2,395.

The range of ‘Chippy’ kits

comprises 47 standard designs,

from 1 to 4 bays, in a variety of

roof profiles. Additional options

of half-bays, log stores and side

aisles allow for most requirements

to be catered for (although

modifications are possible).

Kit frames appeal to many

customers as they are predesigned,

represent excellent

value and are typically

available on shorter lead times.

Round Wood even keep some

of their frames in stock.

Chippy kits are also suitable for selfassembly

by general tradespeople

and even accomplished DIY

enthusiasts; full instructions are

supplied and posts are pre-cut

and numbered. Dry fitting in the

workshop ensures quality and

ease of build once on site.

Alternatively, Round Wood do

have their own teams that travel

nationwide to assemble both

kit and bespoke frames. They

can also carry out groundworks

and roofing should a full

service solution be required.

A further advantage of Chippy

kits is their possible exemption

from planning requirements.

As the ridge heights are below

4m on all designs, permitted

developments rights are granted

for the majority of projects. The

smaller frames in the range are also

exempt from Building Regulations

(having an internal footprint

of under 30/m 2 ), providing

certain site criteria are met.

For more information on Chippy

kits, you can call Round Wood of

Mayfield on 01435 860 260, or visit

their dedicated garage kit website:

www.oakframedgarages.co.uk.

Round Wood supply nationwide

from their base just outside

of Mayfield. In addition to

oak framed buildings they

offer hardwood decking, oak

and walnut flooring, joinery

products and garden features.

1 Bays from £2,155, 2 Bays from £3,295

3 Bays from £5,285, 4 Bays from £7,085

THE BIG CAT SANCTUARY

OPEN DAYS

20 TH - 23 RD JULY 2017

A fun day out for all the family. Come and visit our

cats including tigers, lions, leopards and cheetahs.

Enjoy face painting, BBQ, falconry display,

bouncy castle, arts & crafts and stalls.

11:00am - 5:00pm (Last entry 4:00pm)

Weekdays £15.00 | Weekends £17.50

Advanced booking only - book your

place today by visiting our website

www.whf.org.uk

The Big Cat Sanctuary, Headcorn Road,

Smarden, Kent TN27 8PJ | 01233 771915

Charity Reg No. 1104420

When you delve into Knole's past, it

helps us secure its future.

Knole's historic showrooms and state-of-the-art

conservation studio are now open.

Experience the world-class collection of furniture and artwork,

enriched by upgraded lighting and enhanced displays.

Many of these objects have been treated and cleaned in the

new conservation studio, which is now open to visitors to

explore.

Call 01732 462100 for details

nationaltrust.org.uk/knole

#nationaltrust

When you visit, donate, volunteer or join the National Trust, your support helps us

to look after special places like Knole for ever, for everyone.

SPRING LINEN

COLLECTIONS

Give your bedroom an instant boost this spring by simply updating your bed linen. At Fenwick we have

an extensive range of collections, from cool contemporary designs, geometric shapes in subtle tones to

uplifting displays of bright florals that will transform your room from winter to spring in an instant.

Layer up your bed linen with beautiful contrasting cushions and throws that will tempt you at the end

of a busy day and where you can unwind on a relaxing weekend and enjoy!

Let us inspire you with our Linens Spring Edit

HARLEQUIN MOMENTUM DEMOISELLE

Adapted from a wallpaper design in Palmetto, Demoiselle’s dramatic large-scale dragonflies sweep

across a central panel on this graphite-coloured duvet cover, which is printed on 200 thread-count,

100% cotton sateen, with a plain reverse. One bold dragonfly adorns the centre of one of the

Oxford pillowcase designs and the other design is a plain option with cover stitch detail in gold.

Layer the bed with luxuriousness with the 100% cotton velvet quilted throw (170 x 220cm) with

linen binding, and the cushion featuring printed and embroidered dragonflies on 100% silk, with

the reverse and piping in cotton velvet.

DOUBLE DUVET COVER £105 | KINGSIZE DUVET COVER £120

SUPER KING DUVET COVER £140 | OXFORD PRINT PILLOWCASE £25

OXFORD PLAIN PILLOWCASE £25 | CUSHION 40x60cm £60

THROW 170x220cm £195

Introducing Momentum’s stunning

Demoiselle towels, that feature three

elegant dragonflies on a plain ground.

Based around a sophisticated colour

palette, these opulent towels will

elevate your bathroom to a new level

of luxury.

GUEST £12 | HAND £16

BATH £32

FENWICK CANTERBURY AND TUNBRIDGE WELLS

Introducing the new collection from murmur, a subtle and sophisticated homeware

brand; perfectly suited to the idea of ‘slow living’. The Murmur ‘Design

and Living’ concept provides an antidote to our hectic lives. Going back to basics

with natural materials this collection has been lovingly brought together to create

a relaxed, subtle, understated mood that echoes the desire for calm in an overly

busy world.

With a simple, less-is-more ethos the collection offers an extensive selection of

cushions, throws, bed and bath linens. New patterns and colours inject a soft

summer vibe with simple print motifs in muted shades.

MURMUR MOSAIC

The Mosaic bed linen features a Japanese

inspired small-scale geometric pattern, in a

pared back palette of grey tones set against

a soft white ground. Printed on softest 300

thread count cotton percale and edged

with just a simple double stitch detail.

SINGLE DUVET COVER £70

DOUBLE DUVET COVER £85

KINGSIZE DUVET COVER £95

SUPERKING DUVET COVER £110

OXFORD PILLOWCASE £17

Soft sumptuous cushions and throws

add texture and colour. Accessorise this

collection with:

ETCH CUSHION £45

An embroidered leaf pattern in warm

white thread on dyed grey linen with a

plain reverse. 50x50cm.

MATSU CUSHION £40

Scandi inspired hand drawn stitch effect

in warm white on a grey ground with

a plain reverse. 50x30cm.

DEW THROW £130

A chunky knitted throw in two tone grey

with a distinct diamond repeat pattern on

the front with a plain reverse. 130 x170cm.

FENWICK CANTERBURY AND TUNBRIDGE WELLS

MURMUR HAMA

An all-over small scale geometric print in

deep indigo tones introduces subtle, simple

pattern to the Hama duvet cover and oxford

pillowcase. Self-reversing and finished with

a stylish double stitch detail. Woven in

300 thread count cotton percale for a soft,

comfortable handle.

SINGLE DUVET COVER £70

DOUBLE DUVET COVER £85

KINGSIZE DUVET COVER £95

SUPERKING DUVET COVER £110

OXFORD PILLOWCASE £17

Accessories can be layered beautifully in

a mixture of scale to create a comfortable

place to relax within your living space.

Accessorise this collection with:

DAB CUSHION £45

A simple scale grid embroidered design

cushion in indigo and white inspired

by Scandinavian simplicity with a plain

reverse. 50x50cm.

MATSU CUSHION £40

Scandi inspired hand drawn stitch effect

cushion in warm indigo and white with

a plain reverse. 50x30cm.

SAIL THROW £120

Made using 100% pure new wool, the Sail

throw has a contrasting fringe in a gentle

white that continues throughout the throw

in a flecked, floral inspired weave adding

to the homespun yet delicate texture.

150 x183cm.

MURMUR BATH

The complete Murmur bath collection

allows you to transform your bathroom into

a tranquil retreat. Available in Hama, Curve

and Japanese floral designs. from left to right

HAMA HAND 50x100cm £18

CURVE BATH 70x140cm £30

JAPANESE FLORAL BATH 70x140cm £25

MURA WASH BAG £35

MURMUR ROBES

100% linen available in blush, indigo and

linen hues. £85

FENWICK CANTERBURY AND TUNBRIDGE WELLS

SANDERSON WISTERIA FALLS

This bed linen has a fabulous, trailing wisteria

blossom design, featuring beautiful butterflies

and birds darting between the branches.

Originally hand-painted in watercolour, this

free flowing pattern has now been digitally

printed onto 200 thread count, 100% cotton

percale. The floral face of the duvet cover

and Oxford pillowcase are complemented

by a plain parchment coloured reverse.

A coordinating mohair style throw in lilac

tones and a digitally printed floral cushion

with cord piping and contrasting lilac reverse

complete the Wisteria Falls bed linen range.

SINGLE DUVET COVER £90

DOUBLE DUVET COVER £105

KINGSIZE DUVET COVER £120

OXFORD PILLOWCASE £22

CUSHION 50x30cm £50

THROW 140x185cm £120

SANDERSON LAURIE

The Laurie duvet cover features a soft edged,

medium scale damask design that’s perfect

for a modern classic décor. The duvet cover

and oxford pillowcase are woven in a fine

55% linen /45% cotton blend, edged with

cord piping and reverse to a plain cotton

percale in a soft lilac tone. Completing the

Laurie bed linen range is a linen blend

cushion, which features an embroidered

diamond pattern on the face and a

coordinating lilac reverse. Add warming

layers to the bed with the Manderley

mattelassé throw in the Amethyst colourway.

SINGLE DUVET COVER £95

DOUBLE DUVET COVER £120

KINGSIZE DUVET COVER £140

OXFORD PILLOWCASE £30

CUSHION 50x30cm £50

MANDERLEY THROW 240x260cm £195

St George’s Street Canterbury Kent CT1 2TB | 01227 766866

Royal Victoria Place Tunbridge Wells Kent TN1 2SR | 01892 516716

www.fenwick.co.uk

Furniture for Dining, Living, Bedroom & Home Office

RIMINI

MARINO

ROMANA

ercol.com

The Furniture Event

20% off furniture orders PLUS 10% off * interior design

SATURDAY 25TH MARCH UNTIL SATURDAY 22ND APRIL

HOOPERS | MOUNT PLEASANT ROAD | TUNBRIDGE WELLS | TN1 1QT | 01892 530222

*Exclusions may apply, Please ask in store for details.

Egg-stravaganza...

If you like a good Easter egg hunt then the National Trust

and Cadbury really are the dream team. This year they will be

encouraging Kent and East Sussex to explore a myriad of the

most muddy and magical elements of the British countryside.

There is something for everyone with ten hunts running from

Friday 14 to Monday 17 April, at locations such as Sissinghurst

Castle Garden and Ightham Mote. Each trail costs £3 or less and

more details can be found by hopping over to easter.cadbury.co.uk

April

notebook

Exhibitions & events

near you this month...

Metamorphosis...

Charlton Park in Canterbury is offering both free

and bespoke workshops to accompany Theatrical

Niche Ltd’s performance of Metamorphosis by Steven

Berkoff, given that it is multidisciplinary and on

the German syllabus. There will be a free post-show

Q&A and free puppetry workshops can be claimed

by group bookings of 8+. Metamorphosis comes to

Charlton Park on Friday 28 April at 7.30pm, with

the Puppetry workshop at 5.30pm – please reserve

places in advance. Tickets cost £12, £10 (concs), £8

(groups of 6+) 01227 831355 charlton-park.org

A Fair to Remember...

Find fashionable vintage, French brocante and

decorative antiques for the home and garden on

Saturday 15 to Monday 17 April at Penshurst

Village Hall. Relax with delicious teas from

Rose and Olive and help to raise money for the

community. Meet the Fixing Dad team from the

BBC to hear the story of one family’s fight against

type two diabetes and the new Prudential Ride

London challenge. More at fixingdad.com

Play On...

‘The Local Amateur Musical Players’ (LAMPS)

come back in full force. After the closure of their

home for almost 60 years in Southborough, they

now return to their birthplace of Tonbridge. To

celebrate both the organisation and its president’s

90th birthdays they invite you to witness the

much loved comic operetta The Mikado, which

is a tantalising cocktail of ‘exquisite Japanese

traditions’, ‘cheeky Britishness’ and ‘antiestablishment

silliness’. For booking and info call

01732 304241 or visit lamps.org.uk

It’s all about Yew...

On Saturday 22 April, Viv Hunt, head gardener

at Godinton House and Gardens, will host an

intimate and inspirational workshop on topiary,

covering everything from tool and plant selection

to longterm maintenance. For just £30 you will

be treated to coffee upon arrival, a tour of the

garden’s stunning 12 acres, and a practice session

shaping your own potted yew to take home.

Booking is essential so call 01233 643854 or visit

godintonhouse.co.uk for more information.

Darryl Curcher Photography

Literary Festival...

From Sunday 30 April to Tuesday 2 May,

Chiddingstone Castle Literary Festival will play host

to celebrated authors, poets, actors, and theatrical

groups, including Radio 4’s Rev. Richard Coles and

Beirut hostage survivor, Terry Waite. Sunday will

be aimed at adults, Monday at families and there

will be a dedicated Schools Programme on Tuesday.

A creative writing competition will also run in the

lead-up to the event which gives children the chance

to win a signed book. Visit chiddingstonecastle.org.uk

or call 01892 870347 for more details.

Old School...

Head over to the Old School Hall in Maidstone on

Monday 17 April to browse and buy at a fabulous

antique and vintage market featuring 24 indoor

and outdoor traders selling antique, vintage, retro,

preloved, jewellery, collectible, upcycled and just

plain weird stuff. Refreshments will be available

and parking is nearby. Entry is just £2 per adult,

or £1 after noon. Call 07703 525138 or email

oldschoolevents1@hotmail.com to find out more.

49 wealdentimes.co.uk

Explore behind the scenes

open Morning

Thursday 4th May

Dulwich Preparatory School

Cranbrook

Meet our Headmaster, chat to parents and pupils, take a tour.

registrar@dcpskent.org • 01580 712179 • dcpskent.org

Editor’s

Letter

Isn’t it fantastic to have some glorious sunshine? Even

just the slightest peek of blue sky is enough to lift the

winter blues in anticipation of unleashing the summer

wardrobe. Let’s hope it sticks around for a while!

This issue is home to our annual Gardens Supplement

– possibly my favourite of the year. Alongside our regular

contributors, we’ve interviewed TV favourites Danny Clarke

and Mark Lane ahead of their appearances in the brand

new Garden Hub at Wealden Times Midsummer Fair

this June. We can’t wait to see them in action – you can

get a preview of all that’s on offer at the Fair from page

85, or look online at wealdentimes.co.uk/events where you’ll

find a full exhibitor list. We hope to see you there.

We’ve photographed two beautifully contrasting interiors this

month – a quirky revamped almshouse and a quintessentially

traditional Wealden farmhouse. See how the owners have

preserved the integrity of the buildings on pages 56 and 102.

In the spirit of Easter, we visit Rosemary Shrager’s Cookery

School in Tunbridge Wells to photograph a three-course

celebratory lunch that she created in collaboration with her

apprentices. Try out her special recipes at home from page 156.

Enjoy your Wealden Times!

Wealden Times Team

Editor ............................................................................................ Lucy Fleming

Editorial Assistant ........................................................................Rebecca Cuffe

Design .........................................................................................Powerful Pierre

Design Team ..............................................................................Anthony Boxall

Rob Cursons

Phoebe Gilbert

Tanya Goldsmith

Managing Director ........................................................................ Julie Simpson

Commercial Director ............................................................... Colin Wilkinson

Sales Team ................................................................................ Hayley Biddulph

Sarah Norwood

Nick Robinson

Distribution .................................................................................Emma Murphy

Wealden Times Events Team

Sales Director ..................................................................................... Joy Adams

Show Director ................................................................................. Flo Simpson

51 wealdentimes.co.uk

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ErasOfStyleWT182.indd 1 07/03/2017 12:49

Call to Alms

Words: Maggie Alderson Photographs: David Merewether Styling: Lucy Fleming

wealdentimes.co.uk

Originally built to house the poor in the

nineteenth century, Cheyneys Almshouse is

now home to Fortnum & Mason in-house

milliner Adrian Howard and his partner

Sven. After stumbling across it in The

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spacious and unusual retreat

57 wealdentimes.co.uk

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BackfromBlackWT181.indd 1 14/02/2017 11:27

Previous pages: The main feature of the spacious new kitchen is a huge classic kitchen dresser, which Adrian’s parents bought at an

auction in Rye Above: Under the kitchen’s central work table there’s a Fortnum & Mason crate, full of more china treasures which are

in everyday use. Adrian made the tea cosy out of old ties

The first impression of Cheyneys Almshouse is

of a neat Dutch-gabled cottage of great charm

and character, but as you reach the front door

it becomes clear that this might not be the modest little

country home it appears to be from the outside.

Stopping to admire the two elegant stone dogs

on either side of the front step, you notice that the

multiple pairs of boots and shoes scattered around it,

as if just discarded after a walk, are all planted with

the tiny hardy succulents known as houseleeks.

Once owners Adrian Howard and his partner Sven

welcome you in – and a very warm welcome it is – your

eyes and brain go into overdrive, trying to take everything

in. Interesting objects and visual puns abound.

The vestibule is pretty much filled by a huge chair like a

carved wooden throne. There’s an equally outsized Venetian

glass mirror in a very small sitting room to the left. Above is a

lampshade made from a straw boater. Stepping through into

the kitchen extension, you are met by a male shop window

dummy dressed in a guard’s uniform and a crash helmet, next

to a station map from a Jubilee Line underground station.

Hanging from the tiny mounted horns of African

game animals are rows of exquisite hats. In the

kitchen itself, there’s a lady mannequin wearing a

chic red cloche hat, her torso covered in postage

stamps… (I later find out her name is Gladys.)

Like the Tardis crossed with Gringotts, Cheyneys

Almshouse is much bigger than it looks and a secret

repository for a treasure trove of fascinating stuff, all of

which has been sourced, scavenged and sought out by

Adrian and Sven, who are Olympic standard bargain

hunters, scouting the legendary boot fairs of nearby

59 wealdentimes.co.uk

Icklesham village and the many antique emporiums of

Hastings Old Town, among more obscure sources.

They clearly have the ‘eye’, that particular talent

of spotting diamonds in the rough – and the house

itself was just such a find. “It was in the ‘Wreck of

the Week’ feature in The Guardian,” says Adrian,

laughing, showing me the original press cutting, which

they have proudly framed in the downstairs loo.

The fact that the boarded-up property was so derelict and

rat infested the estate agent refused to step through the door

and they had to make their first inspection by torchlight

did nothing to put them off. “It was love at first sight,” says

Adrian. “It took us ten years to do it up on a very strict

budget, but it was so much fun. It was an adventure.”

The main structural work was to add a new two-storey

extension at the back to create the large kitchen/breakfast

room and two extra bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs.

“The original 1842 building, put up by an alms trust

which was created in 1611 to provide housing for the poor,

was built as two tiny houses with a shared staircase,” says

Adrian. “When we took it on, it was still set up as two

dwellings, with a flat-roofed 70s single storey extension

at the back containing two miniature kitchens and

Left: Gladys the mannequin stands in one corner of the kitchen

wearing a chic red cloche hat, made by Adrian Below: Major

Lynch – a male shop window dummy dressed in a guard’s uniform

and a crash helmet – stands next to a station map from a Jubilee

Line underground station. The Jubilee line station sign was bought

as a tribute to Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

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a bathroom. Luckily, the front is listed but the ugly

extension wasn’t so it was fine to knock that down and

start again. Although the outside loo is listed…”

The main feature of the lovely spacious new

kitchen, with French doors out onto the garden, is a

huge classic kitchen dresser, which Adrian’s parents

bought at an auction in Rye. “It was so big we had to

have it cut down to fit in the space,” says Sven.

And it needs to be that size to showcase just a tiny

fraction of their collection of china. The day we visited

Sven had it dressed ready for Easter with figurines of Peter

Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck and various sheep, decorative

eggs in egg cups and a whole set of china resplendent

“When we lived in Germany,” Adrian

explains, “I had a shop called ‘Brit Bits’

selling bric-a-brac I would bring over from

England. I used to get bored sitting in

there, so I got a sewing machine and started

making cushions. That led on to door

sausages and aprons and then I made some

tea cosies out of bits and pieces I had lying

around. People would always put them on

their heads, so I started making hats...”

Above left: The walls of the downstairs loo are covered

with framed photographs, prints, cards and letters with

personal meaning Above right and below: The original

1842 building was built as two tiny houses with a shared

staircase. On the landing two small runs of stairs face each

other – one original and the other copied for the extension

with running bunnies, alongside at least four other china

services – and that’s just the tip of the porcelain iceberg.

Adrian opens one of the cupboards and takes out a plate

which he holds up to the light of the French window, revealing

the head of a geisha painted on the underside. “It’s Japanese,”

he says, “I got the whole set at Elm Tree boot fair…”

Under the kitchen’s central work table there’s a

glorious Fortnum & Mason crate, full of more china

treasures which are in everyday use – and the provenance

of both the crate and the table are keys to the very

interesting life Adrian and Sven have shared.

Sven is German and they spent six years living there,

in the city of Halle, twenty miles from Leipzig, while he

was finishing his studies. The kitchen table came from

there. “We found it on the street,” says Sven, laughing.

“In Germany we have this thing called Sperrmüll [NB

capped first letter is correct for nouns in Deutsch,

jawoll, bitte] where large waste objects can be left out

on the street one day a month and we found this.”

“It’s fantastic,” adds Adrian. “You can get a

wealdentimes.co.uk

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BellHouseWT182.indd 1 21/03/2017 B-At-Home-WT182.indd 14:12

1 21/03/2017 14:46

This page: Adrian made the bedspread and cushions in the

master bedroom out of an old curtain of his mother’s

calendar from the council to tell you when it will be

in each neighbourhood and I would tour them…”

Sven shows me that the wooden table has a large

drawer with two large enamel basins set in it. “Once

this would have been the kitchen sink,” he says. “Now

it’s perfect for preparing food. When your friends

arrive and you don’t want them to see the mess, you

just scrape it in to the bowls and close the drawers.”

Adding to the interest in this one piece of furniture – and

we still have the whole house to see at this stage – Adrian

then explains the provenance of the slab of slate on top of

it.“My father found it in a wood near our house where I

grew up in Sidcup and it was just too good to leave there,

so every time we went for a walk he would drag it a few

more metres until finally he could collect it in the car. He

kept it for years and now it’s just perfect on top of this.”

And remember the Fortnum & Mason crate sitting

underneath the table? That’s a hint to Adrian’s current

life – he’s the in-house milliner in that most fabulous

of London retail institutions, the first they’ve had

working on the floor of the store since 1958.

Then taking it on again – a key to how he came

to have such an extraordinary job is sitting on top of

the slate worktop: a tea cosy made out of old ties.

“When we lived in Germany,” he explains, “I had a shop

called ‘Brit Bits’ selling bric-a-brac I would bring over from

England. I used to get bored sitting in there, so I got a sewing

machine and started making cushions. That led on to door

sausages and aprons and then I made some tea cosies out

67 wealdentimes.co.uk

This page: One of the spare rooms is home to another

mannequin, called Charlie (above). It’s their family tradition for

everyone to dress up for Christmas dinner. A pale blue 1930s

bell boy’s suit, with the traditional chin strap hat, which Adrian

wore a couple of years ago, hangs on the end of the bed.

of bits and pieces I had lying around. People would always

put them on their heads, so I started making hats…

“When I began to see people walking round the town

in them I thought maybe it was something I should follow

up… Really, it was a hobby which spiralled out of control.”

When Sven finished at university – he’s now the head of a

school languages department – they moved back to the UK

and Adrian enrolled to train as a milliner. When he’d finished

the course he went to see Philip Somerville, the Queen’s

milliner, to ask if he could do work experience with him.

“He gave me three weeks and I stayed five years,” says

Adrian. “It was wonderful. One of my jobs was dropping

the hats off to Buckingham Palace for the Queen.”

“Philip was a very good friend and mentor. Until he

died two and a half years ago, I would have tea with

him once a week and he kept giving me guidance.”

Indeed Mr Somerville’s presence pops up around

the house in the form of a lovely Parker Knoll chair

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Rose

EVENTS

Handmade in

Britain

with a

10 Year

Guarantee

Wake up

beautifully

Welcome to Cinder & Rose Events

We love to organise events and can help with any size or type of event.

From cosy tea parties to birthday gatherings, engagement parties to

weddings, company team building days to fundraising events.

Do you want us to give you some creative input? Find you an amazing

venue and negotiate on your behalf? Organise the whole event? We

can do it all.

Our knowledge of Kent and what it has to offer is second to none and

we have fantastic links with local event suppliers. These local

businesses take pride in their offering and their attention to detail is

exemplary. That's why we work with them.

We'd love to hear from you.

www.cinderandrose.com

events@cinderandrose.com

01227 720265 / 07702 354340

100

Cinder&RoseWT182.indd 1 22/03/2017 09:51

At Hypnos, comfort comes guaranteed. But whilst every bed is

individually handmade by master craftsmen using the very finest

natural and sustainable materials, it is you who carefully designs

the look of your bed and creates a beautiful centrepiece for

your bedroom. So, to be sure that you enjoy a healthy night’s

sleep and wake up feeling revitalised and refreshed, visit our

Showroom and design a Hypnos bed that’s just right for you.

www.hypnosbeds.com

Sandling Road | Maidstone | Kent ME14 2RF

T: 01622 753073 | www.clarkesfurnishers.co.uk

Visit our Showroom:

Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm & Sundays 10am to 4pm

Hypnos is proud to be Carbon Neutral.

wealdentimes.co.uk

LenleysWT182.indd 1 02/03/2017 JosephMcCarthyWT182.indd 15:43

1 09/03/2017 15:20

This page: The bathroom features an amazing bright blue 1920s

washbasin – not actually plumbed in, but too beautiful to leave

in the second-hand yard in Hastings Old Town. Its vibrant

colour is matched by a pair of pale blue grosgrain mule slippers

Adrian couldn’t resist from Fortnum & Mason

in the kitchen and a beautiful purple shamrock plant

with its borscht-red leaves cascading down a jardinière

upstairs, which were both presents from him.

But perhaps the Royal milliner’s greatest gift to Adrian

was his professional finesse which is gloriously apparent on a

table in the area between the kitchen and the sitting rooms.

Presided over by the male mannequin spotted on the

way in (whom I’m told is called Major Lynch, after the

father of a friend whose uniform he wears) is an array

of Adrian’s amazing hats and the tools of his trade – hat

blocks, feathers, rolls of special textiles. These are works in

progress which he brings down from London to work on.

“I thought about arranging it ready for the photographer,”

says Adrian, “then decided to just leave them…”

He was right, that tablescape couldn’t have looked more

71 wealdentimes.co.uk

Above: The two guest rooms, in the original south side of the house, are packed with more found treasures. In the pink bedroom, hat

pins, hat boxes, Victorian laced boots, tiaras and bow ties share space on top of a chest of drawers

enticing if a stylist had laboured over the arrangement for

hours. I try on a Jackie O style pillbox and immediately feel

I could mingle convincingly at a royal wedding. “That style

is very good for ladies who travel,” says Adrian, adjusting

it to fit perfectly on my head, “because they can put it in

a cake tin in their luggage and it won’t get squashed…”

Tearing ourselves away from that bounty, we head

upstairs, my head swivelling to look at all the interesting

things – not least their many collections, of egg cups,

cruet sets, German bottle stoppers and the biggest,

Adrian’s ongoing collection of silver nail buffers.

With the second storey of the extension there are

now four bedrooms, each with its own special character.

Adrian and Sven’s room has a genteel Edwardian

wealdentimes.co.uk

COSI

Log Burning & Multi-Fuel Stoves Range Cookers

Full Installation Service

Chimney Sweeping

Organic Kitchen Textiles

• Woodburning & Multifuel Stoves • Range Cookers

• Stove Fitting • Chimney Sweeping

• Stove Maintenance • Accessories

Call 01227 787 587 www.cosi.co.uk

58-60 Wincheap, Canterbury CT1 3RS sales@cosi.co.uk

CosiWT182.indd 1 22/03/2017 HamletBuildingsWT169.indd 16:09

1 29/01/2016 14:20

traditional handmade furniture

Kitchens

Bedrooms

Studies

Showroom: 78 London Road, Southborough

Tunbridge Wells, Kent. TN4 0PP

Tel: 01892 533273

Web: Woodworkkitchens.co.uk

Woodwork 1-2.indd 2 08/02/2017 09:45

73 wealdentimes.co.uk

WoodworkWT181.indd 1 08/02/2017 10:04

COLLINS BESPOKE

BEAUTIFUL KITCHENS

www.collinsbespoke.com

info@collinsbespoke.com

Unit 40 Old Surrenden Manor,

Bethersden, TN26 3DL

01233 822595

Above: Maximillian the mannequin watches over the pink room in his German army helmet. The wall outside the green bedroom

features a sign from the Victoria Line, bought at a boot fair in tribute to Queen Victoria, who was monarch when the house was built

feel with a suite of furniture from that period and a

quilted bedspread Adrian – one of life’s natural makers

– created from some old curtains of his mother’s.

One of the spare rooms – home to another mannequin,

called Charlie, the first Adrian acquired – is used to store

their large collection of fancy dress outfits. It’s their family

tradition for everyone to dress up for Christmas dinner

and they spend the whole year thinking about it.

A pale blue 1930s bell boy’s suit, with the traditional

chin strap hat, which Adrian wore a couple of years ago,

hangs on the end of the bed. It looks like something

from the Grand Budapest Hotel, but he found it in a

vintage clothing shop in Norman Road, St Leonards.

The bathroom opposite is packed with more finds,

including an amazing bright blue 1920s washbasin

– not actually plumbed in, they had a working basin

already, but too beautiful to leave in the secondhand

yard in Hastings Old Town. Its vibrant colour is

matched by a pair of pale blue grosgrain mule slippers

Adrian couldn’t resist from Fortnum & Mason.

On the landing outside two small runs of stairs face

each other. The one to the south was the original and they

copied it for the extension. Adrian made the stair runners

himself, using scraps of old carpet. “It all cost about £80.”

The other two guest rooms, in the original south side

of the house, are packed with more found treasures too

numerous to mention. In the pink bedroom, hat pins,

hat boxes, Victorian laced boots, tiaras, bow ties, Klaus

the bear, and in the green bedroom, a Fortnum & Mason

biscuit tin showing a cross section of the store, which

includes Adrian at his millinery table on the second floor

(where his professional name is Adrian Phillip Howard).

The floor plan – and equally fascinating contents – is

repeated in the two original reception rooms below. The

sitting room on the right is a pale primrose yellow, the snug

on the left is a slightly deeper pink than the room upstairs.

The wall colours throughout the house are beautifully

subtle in this way, but unlike the litany of Farrow &

75 wealdentimes.co.uk

The wall colours

throughout the house are

beautifully subtle, but

unlike the litany of Farrow

& Ball paint names most of

us spout, Adrian and Sven

can’t remember what any of

them are. “Our decorator

came with some paint

charts and we chose them

all in twenty minutes,”

says Adrian. “I think they

were mostly Dulux. Then

I added a bit of extra

white here and there…”

Left: Adrian and Sven bought the light

fitting in the sitting room from an

antiques shop in Bruges. Below left:

Adrian embellished the vintage wig

stand with hundreds of crystals, sequins

and buttons. He had the trumpet as

a boy Below: A vintage school map

of Germany hangs over a sofa that

used to belong to Adrian’s parents

The Oak Glasshouse Company

We design & build oak sunrooms, oak kitchen

extensions, oak orangeries and garden offices.

Please phone or email to request a brochure,

07522 544158, email info@theoakglasshouse.co.uk

www.theoakglasshouse.co.uk

At Love Blinds we offer a wide

range of beautifully made

plantation shutters, blinds and

window coverings.

We specialize in the shutter business,

combining years of experience with the best

quality products available on the market to

provide an unbeatable price and service.

Fully guaranteed

Free fitting & measuring

Natural Stone Specialists

LoveBlindsWT182.indd 1 22/03/2017 11:46

Now offering 0% finance

- subject to status and terms

Unit 1 Croft Works

Diplocks Industrial Estate

Hailsham East Sussex BN27 3JF

Email: sales@sussexstone-ceramic.co.uk

www.sussexstone-ceramic.co.uk

Open Mon-Fri 9am-4.30pm Sat 9am-3pm

wealdentimes.co.uk

Bespoke worktops in

Granite, quartz and marble

Architectural and monumental masonry

Large selection of natural tiles and mosaics

Waterjet cutting service on various materials

Glass tops and splash backs

WE NOW HAVE A NEW STATE OF THE ART FACTORY AT FRAMFIELD

SussexStoneWT180.indd 1 18/01/2017 11:41

This page: The snug. Adrian made the straw

boater into a lampshade. He found the Venetian

glass mirror on the street in London

Ball paint names most of us spout, Adrian and Sven can’t

remember what any of them are. “Our decorator came

with some paint charts and we chose them all in twenty

minutes,” says Adrian. “I think they were mostly Dulux.

Then I added a bit of extra white here and there…”

This is what you can do when you are naturally blessed

with an aesthete’s eye, which, in Adrian and Sven’s case, are

starting to roam… With this project lovingly complete,

their fancy has turned to a new wreck and there can be no

doubt that even if it’s infested with vermin and hot and

cold running damp, it will end up a treasure of wonders.

Address Book:

Adrian Phillip Howard, Fortnum & Mason, London

ap.howard@yahoo.co.uk / fortnumandmason.com

20th Century Funking Junk, Courthouse Street, Hastings Old Town

Elm Tree and Robin Hood Boot Fairs, Icklesham

(Sunday mornings from Easter onwards, weather depen ding)

Harborough Nurseries Guestling, Hastings TN35 4LU

01424 814220

Kaisen Antiques Rochester 01634 814132 kaizenantiques.co.uk

Robert’s Rummage, High Street, Hastings Old Town

The yard, Courthouse Street, Hastings Old Town

79 wealdentimes.co.uk

Get the look

A silk Khotan rug, Chinese

Turkestan, circa 1920, 243 x

160cm, £1950, Joshua Lumley

joshualumley.com

Mogg Hubertus

‘antler’ coat hooks,

£110, Go Modern

gomodern.co.uk

Lene Bjerre Lucca

Chandelier, £845,

Sweet Pea and Willow

sweetpeaandwillow.com

Swaggamuffin

chair, £945, Loaf

loaf.com

Edwin Jagger 3 piece

shaving set ivory colour,

£77, Annabel James

annabeljames.co.uk

Bell jar table lamp,

£20, Kikkerlandeu

kikkerlandeu.com

Personalised Map, £50,

Maps International

mapsinternational.co.uk

Courteenhall mirror,

£195, The Chandelier

& Mirror Company Ltd

chandeliersandmirrors.co.uk

Rackety sideboard,

£495, Loaf, loaf.com

Jordana Blue And

White Ceramic

Lamp, £202,

Artisanti

artisanti.com

Lab Bottle Candle,

£22.50, Alchemy

and Thistle

alchemyandthistle.

etsy.com

Venetian Orchid

Mirror, £225, French

Bedroom Company

frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk

THE RITUAL, REINVENTED.

For lifestyles that demand perfection, Kaelo introduces sophistication to celebration.

Meticulously crafted in the Cotswolds, each Kaelo experience is seamless,

serving your finest wines perfectly chilled with elegance, not ice.

Iceless moments, priceless memories.

WE BELIEVE

That change is as good as a rest

Believe it or not, our Henley oak kitchen used to be seen as our most

traditional, our most classic, and our most refined collection.

But we knew it had hidden depths. So we took it apart and looked at

all of the pieces from the inside-out and from the outside-in. Then we

added new ones. To those of you who knew it before, it might look

familiar, but it’s an entirely new era of design.

It’s Henley, redefined. Now available in both oak and painted.

neptune.com

Neptune Tonbridge, 1-2 Tannery Road, TN9 1RF

01732 351866, info@neptunetonbridge.com

Burnhill Kitchens

Proud Winners of the

Gold Award for Best

Kitchen Design

2015 & 2016

Open 7 days a Week

01732 373515

www.burnhillkitchens.co.uk

Pre-book

discounted

tickets online

now!

Using this code

WT1

Featuring the Healthy Living Festival & Garden Hub

HOLE PARK, Rolvenden, TN17 4JB

8th, 9th & 10th June 2017

See online for ticket details & special offers

BOOK ONLINE: wealdentimes.co.uk/events

TICKET HOTLINE: 01580 713915

TICKETS: On the gate: £9.50

Sponsored by

HARPERS AND HURLINGHAM

Garden Hub & Healthy Living Festival Sponsored by

CANTERBURY & TONBRIDGE

TONBRIDGE

Wealden Times Midsummer Fair 8th -10th June 2017

Danny Clarke

Garden Designer

Mark Lane

Garden Designer

Whitney

Hedges

Head Gardener,

Fairlight Hall

Quentin

Stark

Head Gardener,

Hole Park

Gardening

Visit the Garden Hub sponsored by Neptune

Canterbury & Tonbridge for three days of talks

and workshops. Whether you have a courtyard

or couple of acres, our experts will have plenty

of gardening tips to inform and inspire.

Hole Park

This is one of the best known gardens in Kent, a worthy winner of

Visit Kent’s Garden of the Year award in 2016. Four generations

of the Barham family have created a wonderful 16 acre garden in a

magical parkland setting that must be everyone’s dream. Extensive

yew hedges and herbaceous borders should be at their best for our

opening, with meadow and woodland gardens to explore as well.

The colourful gardens enjoy far reaching views over the hills,

woods and fields of the picturesque Kentish Weald. They are

a skilful mix of formal design and more naturalised planting,

giving colour throughout the seasons. The Weald in the

Garden of England offers a wide variety of gardens, large and

small, to interest and captivate gardeners and non-gardeners

alike. Hole Park Gardens hold their own against the more

well-known gardens of Sissinghurst and Great Dixter.

wealdentimes.co.uk

Tickets on sale now

Ticket Hotline: 01580 713915

wealdentimes.co.uk/events

Liz Lark

Yoga,

Supremo

Anissa

Germain

Pilates director,

Bora

Healthy

living

Madeleine Shaw

will be in the Healthy

Living Theatre on

Thursday 8th June

Meet the expert

Madeleine Shaw

Madeleine Shaw is a nutritional health

coach, qualified yoga instructor,

bestselling cookery writer & creator

of the Glow Guides App.

Diet and exercise lie at the heart of a healthy life.

We’ve brought together a team of experts from the

worlds of nutrition, exercise and health who will be

speaking in the Healthy Living Theatre sponsored by

Benenden Hospital over the three days of the fair.

What inspired you to do this book?

I think the easiest way to get

healthy, nutritious and fresh food

is from locally grown produce.

Seasonal food is amazing - it tastes better

and is healthier on your bank balance!

What are your top 5 store cupboard/

fridge essentials for a healthy diet?

Leafy Greens - kale, spinach, rocket etc.

Free-range Eggs

Avocado Oil

Berries

Lentils

Davina

McCall

TV personality &

Healthy Living

guru

Sarah

Jane Holt

Nutritionist &

personal trainer

When and why did you start practising

yoga? I moved to Australia when I was

18 and a friend took me to a class. I

fell in love with it immediately. The

movement, the meditation and the way

it makes you feel, it’s a way of life.

Madeleine Shaw’s A YEAR

OF BEAUTIFUL EATING is

published by Orion Books in

hardback & eBook on 20 April

2017, priced £20/£10.99

87 wealdentimes.co.uk

Wealden Times Midsummer Fair 8th -10th June 2017

Wyse London

WYSE Maddy

Large Star, £170

wyselondon.com

yuniont

Modern Kaftan

Neck T-shirt, £45

yuniont.com

Burrow and

Hide

Sterling Silver Horse

Shoe Necklace, £40

burrowandhide.com

Bella Jane

Jewellery

Gold stack

£120

bellajanejewellery.

co.uk

Fashion

My Twirl

Zoe, £53

mytwirl.co.uk

Accessories

At Wealden Times we have a passion for fashion and can’t wait

Amulette

to browse amongst the handpicked exhibitors selling clothes Labyrinth rings,

and jewellery at this summer’s fair. We’re looking forward to from £95, Labyrinth

visiting regular stands as well as meeting up with first time ring charms, from

exhibitors. Here are some of the products which will be

£22.50

available at Hole Park in June.

amulette.co.uk

Bush Bells

Kikoy towel, £32

bushbells.com

Ridley London

Margot Liberty silk

maxi dress, £369

ridleylondon.com

Possum Merino

Two tone poncho,

£110

possummerino.co.uk

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

Ticket Hotline: 01580 713915

wealdentimes.co.uk/events

Isabelle Fox

Jean mini dress,

£325

isabellefox.com

Tea and

Tequila

Holbox Flamingo

clutch, £95

teaandtequilatrading.

com

Meet the maker

Amulette

Awarded Best Collection 2017 at the Company

of Master Jewellers Awards, Amulette is

British jewellery designed and created by Lisa

Harris from precious metals set with unique,

handpicked gemstones and diamonds.

What do your customers tell you they like about your

products? The pieces are personal and unique, and

my customers love the fact that they can create their

own piece. The Labyrinth rings are individual to you,

simply select your charms and slide them onto your

base ring, change and rearrange whenever it suits you!

Romney

Marsh Wools

Lambs wool Scarf,

£45

romneymarshwools.

co.uk

Have you always been creative? I carry a

sketchbook and a camera everywhere. I am a

country girl and constantly inspired by nature

- hence the themes of insects, flowers and bees

which run through all my collections.

Please tell us about the journey from design process

to market place Everything begins with a sketch and

notes, then once I have a final sketch I sculpt the pieces

into wax. Once I’ve chosen the precious metals and

gemstones, a new fabulous piece of Amulette is born!

Millie Manu

Lola-Rose playsuit,

£59

milliemanu.com

What are your proudest moments so far? My very

first Labyrinth ring was an amazing moment! Amulette

won the Great British Design Competition sponsored

by the UKTI in 2016 and now we are finalists in

this year’s UK Jewellery Awards - fingers crossed!

What can we look forward to from Amulette

at the Wealden Times Midsummer Fair? I

have designed a new collection including some

new charms for the Labyrinth rings, so it’s an

opportunity for a first look at those. I’m looking

forward to seeing customers, both new and old.

wealdentimes.co.uk

Wealden Times Midsummer Fair 8th -10th June 2017

the Great

Garden crafts

V29 Swag Vase £138.

base £35, sub base £46

garden-crafts.co.uk

Outdoors

Where better to find glorious plants and outdoor accessories

than in the ‘garden of England’ amongst the formal borders

of the Hole Park Estate? Everything the keen garden could

possible wish for will be on display, from shrubs and

herbaceous plants to garden furniture and statuary...

Elham Valley

Shepherd’s Huts

Shepherd’s Hut

£14,500

elhamvalleyshepherdhuts.

com

Roundwood

Corten Steel Fire Pit

from £65

roundwood.com

Neptune

Aloe Succulent, £8

neptune.com

Cat and Mouse

Landscapes

Baltimore Summerhouse,

from £5500

catandmouselandscapes.com

Oarsum

Deck chair, £95

oarsum.co.uk

Beech Bridge

Plants

Verbascum ‘Apricot

Pixie’, £6.50

beechbridgeplants.

co.uk

Grandadad Rob

Designs

Epsom eight nest, £1,031

granddadrobdesigns.co.uk

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

Ticket Hotline: 01580 713915

wealdentimes.co.uk/events

Beech Bridge

Plants

Iris ‘jane phillips’ £7

beechbridgeplants.co.uk

Firepod

The Firepod, £445

thefirepod.com

Meet the maker

Mark Casswell

The Barefoot Welder specialises in high quality

bespoke metal work. He accepts commissions and

works under the watchful eyes of his security team

Frank & Ernie (two miniature Daschunds!)

TeePea

Teepeas, £140

facebook.com/

myteepea

Roundwood

Clayfibre Chelsea

Trough Planter,

from £21

roundwood.com

What do your customers tell you

they like about your work?

That everything is hand made by me in my workshop

in Marden and not in a factory. I remain small enough

to give the personal touches, ensuring my pieces

match my client’s personality and vision, but big

enough to push myself and overcome challenges.

Please tell us about the journey from

design process to market place?

People ask where my inspiration comes from and,

honestly, it just pops in to my head! Being dyslexic I’m

lucky I can visualise a new piece easily, then I make

sure it’s eye-catching, high quality and will last for years

to come. I began making chimeneas using miniature

cardboard versions of my unique shape: then it was just

a case of working out how to make them happen.

With commissions, I’ll meet a client, sketch some designs

and, once they’re agreed, I’m in the workshop with my

welder in hand doing my thing, playing with metal.

What is your proudest moment so far?

My first client commission had an industrial feel, with

towering RSJ columns, treads back-filled with polished

concrete to match the flooring and finished with beeswax

to give a satin finish. It was a huge challenge,

partly due to its enormous scale, but it helped me to

realise I can do anything when I put my mind to it.

What can we look forward to from The

Barefoot Welder at the Midsummer Fair?

Other than my bare feet?! I have some new, exciting

products tucked up my sleeve and if the visitors are lucky

the security team may even make an appearance!

wealdentimes.co.uk

Interiors

In House

Between textures, colours and prints, there is a lot to consider when embarking on a room project, but a wellresearched

approach can have the power to transform a room with intrigue, personality and drama. Over the

next few pages, we’ve taken five themes to liven up your rooms with tactile fabrics and desirable accessories...

10.

Fine

Lines

1. Valbonella Alchemilla fabric, £103/m, Designer’s Guild, designersguild.com 2. Tessella BP 3605 wallpaper, £86/roll, Farrow & Ball, farrow-ball.com

3. Genevieve Bennett Spot Lattice fabric in Indigo, £35/m John Lewis, johnlewis.com 4. Colours Scandi Triangles Wallpaper in Soft Lemon, £12/roll, B&Q,

diy.com 5. Shouchikubai 4501 wallpaper, £112/roll, Farrow & Ball, farrow-ball.com 6. Chevron fabric in Mineral, £15/m RRP, Studio G, studiog.uk.com

7. Diamond Dot fabric in Wedgwood Blue, £65/m, Lewis & Wood, lewisandwood.co.uk, 8. Luxor (105/1005) wallpaper, £80/10m, Cole and Son

cole-and-son.com 9. Lattice wallpaper, Clarke & Clarke, clarke-clarke.co.uk 10. Puzzle (105/ 2008) wallpaper, £110/10m, Cole & Son, cole-and-son.com

wealdentimes.co.uk

Eclectic Living

Interiors

Hong Kong

Hexagon Rug in

Blue Grey, £49.99,

The Rug Seller

therugseller.co.uk.

Geometric Wall painted in French Grey Scandinavian blue,

and antique rose, all £39.50 for 2.5L. Chair in Scandinavian

Blue Versante Eggshell, £50.95 for 2.5L, all Autentico,

Ashford 01233 878303 autentico-chalk-paint.co.uk

Geometric

Living...

CK095 Chalk White Round

Crackle knob, £3.50, These

Please 01435 817153

theseplease.co.uk

Artisan Footstool in Grade A

Fabric, £395, Lenleys, Canterbury

01227 766655 lenleys.co.uk

Retro Skandi Chair with

Natural Wood Leg, £99.99,

Sue Ryder, sueryder.org/shops

Tweedmill Jigsaw

yellow throw, £59.95,

Black By Design

black-by-design.co.uk

City Lights Linear

Chandelier,

£834, Elstead

Lighting, Alton

01420 590510

elsteadlighting.com

Set of 3 Hexagon

Tealight Holders, £5,

B&Q, diy.com

Geo Metallic Cushion, £39,

Lenleys, Canterbury 01227

766655 lenleys.co.uk

Lena Coffee

Table, £149,

Marks & Spencer

marksandspencer.com

93 wealdentimes.co.uk

Botanical

Bedroom...

Wallpapers and fabrics from top to

bottom: 1. Sanderson Magnolia &

Blossom Wallpaper, £215 per panel,

Lenleys, Canterbury 01227 766655

lenleys.co.uk 2. Renovated main

bedroom in a rural Georgian residence,

featuring Fleming by Larsen Velvet

Curtains and Adam’s Eden by Lewis &

Wood Wallpaper and Blinds. Project

by Skinners of Tunbridge Wells 01892

532003 skinnersoftunbridgewells.co.uk

3. Sanderson Wisteria Falls Wallpaper

£215/panel, Lenleys, as before

4. Saverne Viola Fabric, £79/m

Designers Guild, designersguild.com

Interiors 1.

Delphinium Cushion,

£14.99, Dobbies

dobbies.com

Diversity Accent

Chair, £399,

Furniture Village

furniturevillage.co.uk

Floral Bedset,

£40, Next

next.co.uk

Wisteria Floral

Embroidered Duck

Egg Cushion,

£50, Laura Ashley

lauraashley.com

Rose Garden

Easter wreath, £45,

The Contemporary

Home tch.net

Teal Leaves Table

Lamp base, £165,

and shade, £60, both

Elstead Lighting,

Alton 01420 590510

elsteadlighting.com

wealdentimes.co.uk

Sunflower mirror, £59,

Marks & Spencer

marksandspencer.com

Wealden Times Ads 1-4 (August 2016)_D&S 1/4 page 12/08/2016 10:58 Page

Architectural

Interior Designer

From full refurbishments

to just a helping hand

www.lauramasseydesign.com 01580 292169

LAURA MASSEY DESIGN

INTERIOR DESIGN & DECORATION

We create striking interior and exterior doors in the finest solid oak, ranging from

simple planked doors to intricately carved panels finished in moulded framework

modelled on the styles and design of the 17th century.

+44 (0)1580 243331

www.deaconandsandys.co.uk

’tasha

LauraMasseyDesignWT181.indd 1 03/02/2017 DeaconSandyWT175.indd 14:39

3 02/09/2016 16:21

Photo courtesy of www.goodnestone.com

Rectory Interiors

FABRIC & WALLPAPER SHOWROOM

www.rectoryinteriors.co.uk

The Old Forge 24 Wish Street Tuesday - Friday 9.30 - 16.00

Rye TN31 7DA 01797 222511 Saturday 10.00 - 16.00

Specialise in Swedish & French interiors,

original antique beds & furniture,

Bespoke Zinc Top Tables.

Forstal Farm Goudhurst Road Lamberhurst Kent

Tel: 01892890769 www.tashainteriors.co.uk

95 wealdentimes.co.uk

RectoryInteriorsWT182.indd 1 13/03/2017 TashaInteriorsWT182.indd 16:23

1 14/03/2017 14:22

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VISIT OUR NEW STORE IN SEVENOAKS -

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wealdentimes.co.uk

FarninghamPineOakWT176.indd 1 21/09/2016 09:41

Daisy Side

Plate, £6, M&S

marksandspencer.com

Interiors

Roberts DAB

Revival Gloss

Radio, £199, Very,

very.co.uk

This is the Life wood print,

£28 Next, next.co.uk

Franklin Green

Pendant, £114

Elstead Lighting,

Alton 01420 590510

elsteadlighting.com

Aqua/Raspberry and Summer

Colourway including Batik, Kediri

Nusa, Amba, and Maduraall £15/m,

Studio G, studiog.uk.com

Vibrant

Kitchen...

Farm Forest, £180 (above)

and Black Dandelion,

£200 (below) Stools,

Izzi Rainey izzirainey.com

Aranami BP 4604

wallpaper, £97,

Farrow & Ball

farrow-ball.com

Derby Adjustable

Stool, £235,

Clarkes, Maidstone

01622 753073

clarkesfurnishers.co.uk

Shutters, £230-

£400, The Interior

Shutter Company

01580 754064

interiorshutter.co.uk

Orchidea

Schiaparelli cotton

satin, £62/m,

Designers Guild

designersguild.com

CK279 Orange Zest Polka

Dot knob, £3.50, These Please

01435 817153 theseplease.co.uk

Ananas Tropical cotton,

£14.99/m Prestigious

Textiles prestigious.co.uk

At home with Ashley

Thomas White ‘Sunshine

On A Cloudy Day’ slogan

print tray, £10, Debenhams

debenhams.com

wealdentimes.co.uk

Interiors

Colours Zara

Silver Stripe Glitter

Wallpaper, £18,

B&Q, diy.com

Laterza Ivory

Wallpaper, £59/roll,

Designers Guild

designersguild.com

Cosmos Wallpaper from the

Zaniah Collection by Today

Interiors, £274/roll, Lime Lace

limelace.co.uk

Isabella 3 light Solid

Brass Bathroom Light

£399, Elstead Lighting,

Alton 01420 590510

elsteadlighting.com

Metallic

Bathroom...

Junipa Leaf Antique

Emboss Small Vase,

£70, House of Fraser

houseoffraser.co.uk

Whimsical Woods and Stars

Wallpaper, £78, Cole & Son

cole-and-son.com

Pewter Soap dispenser, £73,

Tenterden House Interiors,

Tenterden 01580 764481

tenterdenhouseinteriors.co.uk

Maze Mirror

£275, Lenleys,

Canterbury

01227 766655

lenleys.co.uk

The Nickel Bateau, £4,500

plus VAT, Catchpole & Rye,

Tunbridge Wells 01892 526996,

catchpoleandrye.com

Putney bathroom

spot satin nickel,

£40, Garden Trading

gardentrading.co.uk

Leon in teal J905F-01,

£95/m Jane Churchill

janechurchill.com

Copper Bull Skull Wall

Hanging, £225, Alexander &

Pearl, alexanderandpearl.co.uk

Dorado, Oyster J159W-01,

£89/m, and Zander,

Copper J164W-04, £60/m,

Wallpapers both Colefax &

Fowler colefax.com

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Molland Antique

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huutt.com 01233 840847 shopping@huutt.com

MediterraneanStudioWT182.indd 1 14/03/2017 HUUTT-WT182.indd 12:47

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A complete interior design service

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Eleven vintage merchants offering a

mixture of complementary styles.

Original condition and painted furniture, unique vintage

pieces and handpicked decorative items for home & garden.

Our dealers exhibit all over the country at vintage &

lifestyle fairs including Wealden Times Fairs.

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30/31 High Street

Battle

East Sussex

TN33 0EA

Telephone 01424 774393

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enquiries@battleinteriors.co.uk

/BattleInteriors

Open Monday–Saturday 10am–5pm, Sunday 11–2

@nutleyantiques

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Nutley Antiques, Libra house, Nutley, East Sussex TN22 3NF

wealdentimes.co.uk

100

BattleInteriorsWT182.indd 1 14/03/2017 NutleyWT180.indd 15:32

1 12/01/2017 16:13

Authentic Models

Dragon Globe,

£187.50, Houseology

houseology.com

Interiors

Aldsworth Narrow

Shelf Ladder, £165,

Garden Trading,

gardentrading.co.uk

Hanson Leather Paper Tray,

£44, and Pen Pot, £17,

Neptune, Tonbridge 01732

351866 neptune.com

Gold Crochet Cushion,

£30, The French

Bedroom Company

frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk

Newton Sideboard,

£699, Atkin & Thyme

atkinandthyme.co.uk

Delyth Sheepskin

Rug, £79, Neptune,

Tonbridge 01732

351866 neptune.com

A Study in Texture...

Balzac Zinc fabric,

£89/m, Designers Guild

designersguild.com

Large Office Desk

£1,215, Lenleys,

Canterbury 01227

766655 lenleys.co.uk

Laroche Platinum

fabric, £83/m

Designers Guild

designersguild.com

Harris Tweed Braemar

Chair, £1,483, Lenleys,

Canterbury 01227

766655 lenleys.co.uk

UMBRA Madera wall

clock in black/walnut,

£50, Black By Design

black-by-design.co.uk

Caledonia Collection

Hamilton 101/3014

wallpaper, £1,600/10m,

Cole & Son cole-and-son.com

Rigging Table Lamp

£225, Elstead Lighting,

Alton 01420 590510

elsteadlighting.com

101

True Origins

Words: Jennifer Stuart-Smith Photographs: David Merewether Styling: Lucy Fleming

wealdentimes.co.uk

102

Immersed within three acres of glorious gardens, Peter and

Jane’s historic family home, a stunning Wealden farmhouse, is

tantalisingly full of mystery and intrigue.

103 wealdentimes.co.uk

JACK FRAME

CORNUCOPIA

21 April - 2 May

edge

GrahamClarkeWT182.indd 1 15/03/2017 14:22

bespoke picture framing

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For creative &

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wealdentimes.co.uk

104

McAllisterThomasFineArtWT182.indd Half Page - Wealdon 1and Surrey.indd 1 16/03/2017 EdgeBespokePictureFramingWT181.indd 10:23 11:22

1 30/01/2017 15:57

Previous pages: The front reception room is on the

eastern end of the house and features a sunken fireplace

This page: The garden is a dreamy combination of

mature lawns, magnificent topiary and intimate spaces

divided by box hedging and moss-covered walls

Anyone who has ever read The Secret Garden by Frances

Hodgson Burnett will understand the magic and

intrigue that can be conjured up by a sprawling, ancient

building surrounded by an equally fantastical garden... For

many of us, visiting such a place, whether it is a National Trust

property, or a special family home, awakens our childhood

curiosity and imagination in a way that few other things do.

The family home of Jane and Peter, a former hall house in the

heart of the High Weald, is just such a place – and one that

is certain to pique the curiosity of adults and children alike.

“This has been the perfect house for us, and our children,”

says Jane, who moved here with her husband in 1984. “Our

children adore the place, and now we have four grandchildren

and two more on the way...”. The house, when they bought it,

was in need of some serious modernisation but this did not deter

the couple who clearly have an affinity for tricky, timber-framed

buildings. “We had moved from another former hall house, near

Headcorn,” says Jane, “so we knew what we were taking on.”

“Lots of people told us that it was known as the coldest

house in Kent,” adds Peter. “But I’m sure there are lots of

houses they say that about! Plus it had small leaks in lots of

105 wealdentimes.co.uk

This page: A pair of dams creates two lovely ponds. “The

sound of water is lovely though it’s not quite so nice when it’s a

rampaging torrent!” explains Jane

places.” So, it was not exactly everyone’s idea of a cosy family

home. However, once the essentials were dealt with (rewiring,

heating installed, secondary glazing fitted and leaks fixed) the

couple were able to start making this historic building into a

family home – a process that has continued until the present

day. Jane and Peter have only recently added a beautiful

kitchen extension, with a huge south-facing window.

“Every generation thinks that what it is putting in

or adding, is an improvement,” says Peter, “though the

following generations sometimes disagree. Either way, our

home has evolved with us as a family.” The stunning

wealdentimes.co.uk

106

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Nick & Diana. Murrayfield, Edinburgh.

Have a newly built apartment, prefer neutral

tones and enjoy cosy nights in with a movie.

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Call us on 01892 572 309 or visit sofasandstuff.com

wealdentimes.co.uk

108

SofasAndStuffWT182.indd 1 08/03/2017 17:10

This page: The new kitchen extension was built by Hurstway

Construction. The lamps on the sideboard (above) came from

one of the Wealden Times Fairs and the trough/planter in the

middle of the windowsill is from Capital to Coast in Cranbrook

new extension, built from reclaimed timbers and featuring

a vaulted ceiling, is a seamless addition. “A lot of this was

because of the grandchildren,” says Peter. “We realised,

once everyone was married, that we didn’t have enough

room for everyone to sit down and have breakfast together

or Christmas lunch.” As well as providing essential space,

it is also the perfect spot from which to view the garden.

The garden, though hard to do justice in words, is a

dreamy combination of mature lawns, magnificent topiary

and intimate spaces divided by box hedging and mosscovered

walls. It is clearly a labour of love, though Jane makes

light of this: “The topiary only really needs cutting once a

year,” she says. There is a pool area, protected by a low wall

and manicured hedge as well as a selection of timber-clad

outbuildings, with Kent peg title roofs. It’s the kind of garden

that just cries out to be explored – and it’s easy to imagine their

grandchildren running along the paths, squirting one another

with hose pipes and jumping into the swimming pool.

“We have done a lot of work on the garden,” says Jane.

“Although we had a few yew and beech hedges when we

arrived, we have planted many more. It’s been great fun

trying to put in some structure.” A love of gardening is

something the couple share with one another, but it is also

something they like to share with others, through their work

with local charity, the Gardening for Disabled Trust.

“We get so much pleasure from gardening ourselves it

makes you realise how awful it must be if you can’t do it

109 wealdentimes.co.uk

When Jane and Peter bought the house in 1984, much of the work that had been carried out

in the 1930s remained, as some of it does today, though not all of the work was to their taste,

however: “He built on an awful kitchen wing, which we have since knocked down,” says

Jane. In its place, they built an extension which is now home to a living-room-cum-snug on the

ground floor with a huge spare bedroom overhead.

wealdentimes.co.uk

110

Davida Smith, Late Light

25th Mar - 23rd April

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Design, Extension, Renovation, Conversion, New Build,

Maintenance from a blocked gutter to a new roof.

All work carried out by our team of experienced craftsmen.

T: 01797 225950 / 01892 891874

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RyeArtGalleryWT182.indd 1 14/03/2017 JonRayWT149.indd 15:50

1 23/06/2014 12:19

ThomasHaywood

Specialist Family Solicitors

Tunbridge Wells - Maidstone - London

Sarah Haywood : 01892 765013

www.thomashaywoodsolicitors.com

111 wealdentimes.co.uk

ThomasHaywoodSolicitorsWT175.indd 1 11/08/2016 14:56

KENTISH TO THE CORE...

Bring your wellies

and wander around

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Please don’t hesitate to contact us

to make your reservation

Above: The dining room is in fact the oldest in the

house Right: A corner of the downstairs bathroom

anymore,” says Jane. “Through the charity, we try to inspire

people to do what they can with whatever financial support

we can give them.” The Trust, which was formed 48 years

ago, is a voluntary organisation, based in the Weald of Kent,

which gives grants to people all over the United Kingdom to

help them continue to garden, despite disability or advancing

illness. Jane has just sent out invitations for the plant fair they

are hosting at the end of this month [April], where about 20

specialist growers are expected to attend and visitors get a rare

glimpse of this very special garden. “It’s a lot of fun – and it

helps that we have masses of space for parking,” says Jane.

But, less about the garden, and back to the magnificent house

which, despite its complex history gives the outward impression

of never having changed. “It’s good to hear that, from the front,

it’s as if it has always looked like this. Planning restrictions and

guidelines on a house like this are very strict, so we’ve had to

work within them,” says Jane. Viewed from the front, their

home is an impressive brick, timber and tile-hung Wealden

farmhouse, symmetrical, with two storeys plus attic rooms.

The house dates from the 15th century and was a hall house

in origin, though the original house was destroyed by fire and

rebuilt in the 17th century, when it was pivoted on its axis to

face north. The building was then divided in the 19th century to

create two cottages but turned back into a single dwelling in the

1930s. Today it is much larger than the hall house it replaced.

When Jane and Peter bought the house in 1984,

113 wealdentimes.co.uk

This page: The front reception room’s sunken fireplace was

apparently the only warm place to sit. “My theory is, that the

man who did all the work in the 1930s raised the floor – making

the fireplace appear sunken,” says Jane

much of the work that had been carried out in the 1930s

remained, as some of it does today: “It had been radically

altered; they built a lot of walls and dug out ponds and

did all sorts of things. But overall, they gave it a lot of

love.” It featured in Country Life during the 1930s, which

would suggest that the restoration and work on the garden

was of some note, though not all of the work was to Jane

and Peter’s taste, however: “He built on an awful kitchen

wing, which we have since knocked down,” says Jane.

In its place, they built an extension which is now home

to a living-room-cum-snug on the ground floor with a huge

spare bedroom overhead. As with the kitchen extension,

the living room and upstairs bedroom join seamlessly

with the older structure: “We got nice old bricks from

Symonds Salvage at Bethersden – and the floor over there

is made from the ceiling of a railway station,” says Jane,

pointing to their old dining area, next to the kitchen.

Despite being such an old house, and in some ways a typical

Wealden timber-framed building, it is surprisingly light

inside with large rooms and relatively high ceilings. “It’s quite

surprising, isn’t is?” says Jane. “Friends say it has a slightly

Tuscan feel about it.” I am eager to see more, and Jane has

promised to show us the oldest room in the house – the only

part of the house that survived the fire in the 17th century.

The room – next to the open-plan kitchen, dining

wealdentimes.co.uk

114

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115 wealdentimes.co.uk

CPGlassWT181.indd 1 15/02/2017 10:20

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Despite being such an old house, and in some ways a typical Wealden timber-framed building,

it is surprisingly light inside with large rooms and relatively high ceilings. “It’s quite surprising,

isn’t it?” says Jane. “Friends say it has a slightly Tuscan feel about it.”

117 wealdentimes.co.uk

Previous page: The hall curtains were made from fabric bought

from Bell House Fabrics & Interiors in Cranbrook and sewn by

LilyMatthews This page: The gun above the fireplace is from

Saudi Arabia, it’s a Bedouin Tribal Rifle

room and living room area – acts as a formal dining room

and was painted in a striking pillarbox red by Jane’s father.

It is smaller, darker and with a lower ceiling than the other

rooms and, despite Jane’s assurance that the house does not

have any unusual spirits, the room is strikingly cold. Perhaps

my childish imagination is getting the better of me?

We proceed to the front of the house, where the couple

have created an unusual but effective downstairs washroom.

“This wall here,” says Jane, “would have been part of the

‘solar’ in the original hall house, with sliding screens that

opened into the main hall and cooking / social area.” You

can still see where the sliding doors would have fitted.

Typically, a Wealden hall house, or yeoman farmer’s house,

would have had four bays with the two central ones forming

the main hall, open to the roof, with the hearth in the middle.

There would also have been two doors to the outside, at one

end, forming a cross passage. The open hearth would later

wealdentimes.co.uk

118

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HeatDesignWT182.indd 1 07/03/2017 MonarchOakWT147.indd 12:43

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119 wealdentimes.co.uk

DecorativeLivingFairWT182.indd 1 15/03/2017 10:13

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UNIT 2, THE COPPICE, PETTERIDGE LANE, MATFIELD, KENT TN12 7LP

wealdentimes.co.uk

120

T2653 JustShuttersWT182.indd JS 2017 MAR Wealden 1 Times 90x265.indd 1 22/03/2017 TraditionalBespokeFurnitureWT182.indd 09:41 10:06

1 15/03/2017 14:43

Left: Jane and Peter found the bannister post outside. “It was

obviously an old gate post, we found it in the garden and linked

it up with the beams.” Below: A large spare bedroom is on the

top of the former kitchen wing

have been moved towards the cross passage and become a

fireplace with chimney. The fact that this house was spun on

its axis in the 17th century, makes it all the more curious.

Jane has her theories about various rooms, including their

current reception room, on the eastern end of the house...

“This sunken fireplace is an interesting thing. My theory

is, that the man who did all the work in the 1930s raised

the floor – making the fireplace appear sunken. It’s believed

that this room had a loom in it. It wouldn’t fit a loom in

it now, but it would if you took the floor down to the

original level.” The farmhouse also, at one time, included a

dairy – reflecting the changing industries over the years.

Upstairs, Jane and Peter’s home now has six bedrooms

and three bathrooms – a far cry from the original hall house

structure: “It’s funny, the children, despite being grown up

all still have rooms they call their own,” says Jane. The attic

contains one enormous bedroom, with wonderful old beams

plus a smaller bedroom with bunk beds for the grandchildren.

“We stack ’em high in there,” jokes Jane. The larger

121 wealdentimes.co.uk

Above left & left: The contrasting decor of the first floor

bathrooms Above right: A firepace in one of the guest rooms

now houses a studded trunk

bedroom has only recently been vacated by her youngest

daughter: “But I have a feeling there will be people to stay

very soon.” The house almost seems larger upstairs, with

long landings that twist and turn around gnarled beams.

“This is our room,” says Jane, showing us into a large,

double-aspect room, with a beamed ceiling and warm,

pinkish walls. “We took the black staining off the old beams

and left the plaster bare, rather than painting it as it’s such a

glorious colour.” A striking, almost-black carved cupboard

takes pride of place next to the bed. “I’m very fond of that

piece,” says Jane. “It’s a linen cupboard, which I got from

Cindy over in Rolvenden. It gives me joy every time I think

about it and how it’s ended up in a spot where it’s completely

perfect.” Light streams in through the leaded windows on

both sides of the room, completing the tranquil scene.

From outside the bedroom window comes the sound of

running water– a stream that, with the help of a couple of

dams, has been turned into two rustic fish ponds. “There was

talk that this was some sort of monastic property at one time

and that the pond had a particular variety of leech in it, that

was used for medical purposes,” says Jane. It seems that the

curious history of this place goes on and on... My, what lucky

children, who get to run amok around this fabulous house

and garden, uncovering secrets and tales at every turn.

CELEBRATING

1974 - 2017

CELEBRATING

1974 1974

2017

Traditional Craftsmanship

for Modern Applications

Garages & Porches

Garden Buildings

Homes & Extensions

Quality Buildings at

Competitive Prices

Caraco

Marble Granite Quartz

01435 868611

www.caraco.co.uk

Sunset Farm, Heathfield Road, Cross in Hand TN21 0UJ

chartwelloakbuildings.co.uk

Call for a quote 01959 447477

Filston Farm, Filston Lane, Sevenoaks, Kent TN14 5JU

HammertonsWT172.indd 1 13/05/2016 ChartwellOakBuildingsWT177.indd 11:20

1 14/10/2016 10:51

ARCHITECTURE • INTERIOR DESIGN • PROJECT MANAGEMENT • FURNISHINGS

www.thorntonallaninteriors.com e: lisa@thorntonallan.com t: 07720 099033

wealdentimes.co.uk

124

ThorntonAllanInteriorsWT182.indd 1 16/03/2017 14:13

This page: The master bedroom features stripped dark beams

and bare plaster

Address Book:

For more information on the Gardening for

Disabled Trust Plant Fair on 27th April, see

gardeningfordisabledtrust.org.uk/events-and-news/

Bell House Fabrics & Interiors Cranbrook

01580 712555 bellhousefabrics.co.uk

Cindy’s Antiques, Regent Street, Rolvenden

LilyMatthews 01580 241614 lilymatthews.co.uk

Symonds Salvage Bethersden 01233

820724 symondssalvage.co.uk

125 wealdentimes.co.uk

www.STONEWRIGHTUK.com

Durable, Desirable, Affordable

Natural Stone For Your Home

• Natural Stone Floor Tiles • Fire Hearths •

• Kitchen Worktops • Bathroom Tops •

• Product Consultation Service •

• Granite • Quartz • Marble •

• Slate • Limestone •

Instant estimate available at www.stonewrightuk.com

Opening Hours 8.00am - 5.00pm Monday - Friday

Saturday by appointment only

Unit 1, Ninn Farm, Ninn Lane, Great Chart, Ashford, Kent TN23 3DA

Tel: 01233 650944 E: info@stonewrightuk.com

JoshuaLumleyWT182.indd 1 06/03/2017 StonewrightUKWT172.indd 10:20

1 12/05/2016 10:54

Derroll Tozer

Chairs & Upholstery Shop

Renowned for its high quality upholstery and

unbeatable service, the Chairs & Upholstery Shop

has built an impeccable reputation in Tunbridge

Wells since it first opened there 12 years ago

• Specialist fine antique upholstery

• Upholstery & re upholstery traditional & modern

• Loose covers • Hand made sofas & chairs

• Hand made foot stools • French polishing

127 Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2QY | Tel: 01892 614122 | Mobile: 07768 665592

Email: tozerchairs@aol.com | www.chairsdesign.co.uk

wealdentimes.co.uk

126

Chairs&UpholsteryShopWT174.indd 1 20/07/2016 16:04

Anatolian

kilim handknotted

flatweave from India,

from £330 (180x120cm),

Milners, Ashtead

01372 271871

milners.com

Interiors

Floor Plan

WT tracks down the finest flooring

from beautiful hand-weaved rugs to super smooth tiles

Simple, colourful or the ultimate in luxury, choosing

the right flooring can make or break an interior

scheme. Go back to basics when embarking

on a new project and don’t be afraid to experiment

with colour, pattern and texture, just as you would

with the room’s paint, paper or soft funishings.

Could you opt for a warm, grained wood and accessorise

with an antique or contemporary rug? Or spruce up

existing boards with a fresh coat of floor paint? Think about

room traffic – will certain areas require a durable surface,

like stone or tile? Here are a few of our favourites...

carpets & rugs

Fine ikat

silk handknotted

from India, from £965

(180x120cm), Milners,

Ashtead

01372 271871

milners.com

Bessarabian

kilim, from Romania

or Moldova circa. 1920

(220x170cm), £1,450, Joshua

Lumley Ltd 01233 756072 /

07900 901756

joshualumley.com

A rare Spanish carpet,

probably Cuenca, circa.

1950 (292x209cm), £3,300,

Joshua Lumley Ltd 01233

756072 / 07900 901756

joshualumley.com

www.woodandstonefloors.co.uk

Design Studio 1a,

Linton Hill, Maidstone,

Kent, ME17 4AL

01622 74 33 99

The Pheasantry, The

Green, Westerham,

Kent, TN16 1FY

01959 56 56 57

WoodandStoneFloorsS19.indd 1 21/04/2016 15:17

4 The Glenmore Centre, Moat Way, Ashford, TN24 0TL

wealdentimes.co.uk

128

AutenticoWT175.indd 1 17/08/2016 11:35

floor paints

Interiors

blocks, clockwise from

far left: Blueprint No. 50,

Boathouse No. 33, Lemon Salts

43, Cotton Street No.3 (against

Boathouse No. 33 background),

floor paint £68 for 2.5l,

Mylands mylands.com

STONE FLOORING SPECIALISTS

íÜÉëíçåÉíáäÉï~êÉÜçìëÉ

ëíçåÉíáäÉï~êÉ

THE STONE TILE WAREHOUSE

PORCELAIN TILE RANGES ON DISPLAY

eÉêÉ=~í=qÜÉ=píçåÉ=qáäÉ=t~êÉÜçìëÉ=çìê=ÅçãéêÉÜÉåëáîÉ=ê~åÖÉ=çÑ

wall eÉêÉ=~í=qÜÉ=píçåÉ=qáäÉ=t~êÉÜçìëÉ=çìê=ÅçãéêÉÜÉåëáîÉ=ê~åÖÉ=çÑ

and floor tiles ~êÉ=ÉëéÉÅá~ääó=ëçìêÅÉÇ=íç=çÑÑÉê=ÉñÅÉääÉåí=î~äìÉK

wall and floor tiles ~êÉ=ÉëéÉÅá~ääó=ëçìêÅÉÇ=íç=çÑÑÉê=ÉñÅÉääÉåí=î~äìÉK

bñéÉêí=~ÇîáÅÉ=~åÇ=áåëí~ää~íáçå=ëÉêîáÅÉ=~î~áä~ÄäÉ

sáëáí=çìê=t~êÉÜçìëÉJpÜçïêççã=råáí=NMI=fåíÉÖê~=jbI=_áêÅÜçäí=oç~ÇI

bñéÉêí=~ÇîáÅÉ=~åÇ=áåëí~ää~íáçå=ëÉêîáÅÉ=~î~áä~ÄäÉ

sáëáí=çìê=t~êÉÜçìëÉJpÜçïêççã=råáí=NMI=fåíÉÖê~=jbI=_áêÅÜçäí=oç~ÇI

m~êâïççÇI=j~áÇëíçåÉI=hÉåíI=jbNR=Vdn

MNSOO=STVNRT=ïïïKíÜÉëíçåÉíáäÉï~êÉÜçìëÉKÅçKìâ

clockwise

from above left:

Menta, Antique Turquoise,

Brazilian Bird, Heliotrope, Passion

Red, Versante Matt, £48.95 for 2.5l,

Versante Eggshell, £50.95 for 2.5l,

Autentico 01233 878303 autenticochalk-paint.co.uk

SouthernAdhesivesWT169.indd 1 03/02/2016 16:49

Quality

hardwood floors

supplied & fitted

by craftsmen

Showroom: The Barn, Main Road, Sundridge, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN14 6EE

For a free no obligation estimate call us on 01959 563063

visit our website: www.dbwf.co.uk

129 wealdentimes.co.uk

DavidBrownWT182.indd 1 21/03/2017 12:58

VISIT OUR

LARGE

SHOWROOM

Extensive Range

of Wall and

Floor Tiles

TIle Library Co. Ad. 61W x 63H 20/1/09 17:09 Page 1

Kitchen Tiles. Bathroom Tiles. Floor Tiles.

Shear Farm Oast, North Road, Goudhurst, Kent TN17 1JR

Mon-Fri 9.30 - 4pm | Wed 9.30 - 3pm | Sat 10 - 4pm

Tel: 01580 212700 www.tilelibrary.co.uk

Freelands Tiles

124-126 London Road, Dunton Green, Sevenoaks

Tel: 01732 459 765 | OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

www.freelands-tiles.co.uk

The International Tile Store Tunbridge Wells

TileLibraryWT182.indd 1 21/03/2017 FreelandsTilesWT172.indd 10:48

1 23/05/2016 12:53

The Warehouse, Tunnel Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2BT

T: 01892 514004 | W : www@tilematesgroup.com

n Experienced & professional

n Extensive showroom over two floors

n Easy parking

wealdentimes.co.uk

130

TilematesWT182.indd 1 09/03/2017 14:13

ceramic, stone & wood

Interiors

Charterhouse

tumbled limestone,

£83.94 per m, The

Tile Emporium, Reigate

01737 223922

thestonetileemporium.

com

Chalet

Porcelwood tiles,

£59.94 per m, The

Tile Emporium, Reigate

01737 223922

thestonetileemporium.

com

Bespoke French

Versailles Galet Parquet

Panel finished with reactive

stain and oil. Prices start from

£180 per m², David Brown

Wood Floors Ltd, Sevenoaks

01959 563063

dbwf.co.uk

Moiety

Monochrome

floor tiles,

£29.95m², Walls &

Floors Ltd.

wallsandfloors.

co.uk

Product, £price

Company

website

Pure

Waterproof Flooring

in Grey Ash, £102

per pack (2.21m²), Pure

Bathroom Collection,

purebathroomcollection.

co.uk

Patchwork

multi-colour

Encaustic tiles, £89.70

per m, The Tile Emporium,

Reigate 01737 223922

thestonetileemporium.

com

wealdentimes.co.uk

Get ready

to Party!

Liven up your little one’s wardrobe with fun, vibrant and playful pieces

Photos: David Merewether

Styling: Helen Barton

Left: ‘Isabelle’ dress, £58 Right: ‘Amelia’

dress, £58, both My Twirl mytwirl.co.uk

See My Twirl at Wealden Times Midsummer Fair,

8-10 June at Hole Park, Rolvenden wealdentimes.co.uk/events

133 wealdentimes.co.uk

‘Tabby’ playsuit, £55, Milliemanu 020 8878 7863 milliemanu.com

See Milliemanu at Wealden Times Midsummer Fair,

8-10 June at Hole Park, Rolvenden wealdentimes.co.uk/events

wealdentimes.co.uk

134

LOVELL & VIE

lingerie swimwear

Aubade

PrimaDonna

Empreinte

Marie Jo

Wacoal

b.tempt'd

Chantelle

Fantasie

Hanro

Huit8

DKNY

Moontide

Lidea

Hanky Panky

46 Holly Bush Lane, Sevenoaks TN13 3TL

01732 454445 www.lovellandvie.co.uk

the Italian Wardrobe

2-4 Castle Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1XJ

01892 514143 www.theitalianwardrobe.co.uk

LovellAndVieWT182.indd 1 13/03/2017 ItalianWardrobeWT181.indd 16:53

1 08/02/2017 15:44

Independent Family Business

Treating your feet for over 60 years

Various fittings, styles and fashion

www.guestsshoes.co.uk

5 High Street, Crowborough, East Sussex TN6 2QA

Also at 23 Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 8AE

135 wealdentimes.co.uk

GuestsShoesWT182.indd 1 13/03/2017 12:15

Joules check shirt, £30.95, Joules

dino rucksack, £24.95, Charity Farm

Countrystore, Cranbrook 01580

713189 charityfarmcountrystore.co.uk;

Geox flick in green, £40, The

Golden Boot, Maidstone 01622

752349 thegoldenboot.co.uk

Abi Gurney Hat Hire

By appointment only…

No 6, The Colonnade, Rye Road,

Hawkhurst, Kent TN18 4ES - 01580 752118

12 High Street, Rye, East Sussex TN31 7JF - 01797 224 369

27 High Street Lewes Sussex BN7 2LU - 01273 480896

Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm www.cordeliajames.com

www.abigurneyhathire.co.uk

01825 713448

abigurneyhathire@gmail.com

CordeliaJamesWT181.indd 1 17/02/2017 AbiGurneyWT182.indd 09:39

1 02/03/2017 15:35

NEW SPRING SUMMER

COLLECTION NOW IN

Exquisite Top Designer

Clothing, Shoes & Accessories

at up to 80% OFF!

£10 OFF if you mention this advert

22 High Street, Cranbrook

Open from 10am 6 days a week

Telephone 07841 374952

A unique and exclusive, high brand fashion and accessories

shop, selling exquisite clothing with gorgeous fabrics,

distinctive designs and styles that will capture your

imagination and suit your pocket.

Telephone 01825 791792

www.theamazinglavendersisters.com

Unit 5 Trading Boundaries, Sheffield Green,

Sheffield Park, Uckfield TN22 3RB

Also visit Kontrast, our beautiful shop in Lion Street, Rye

wealdentimes.co.uk

138

EmmaPoveyWT181.indd 1 16/02/2017 KontrastOfRyeWT182.indd 11:48

1 22/03/2017 09:56

Georgina dress, £65, Milliemanu 020 8878 7863 milliemanu.com

See Milliemanu at Wealden Times Midsummer Fair, 8-10 June at Hole Park, Rolvenden wealdentimes.co.uk/events

139 wealdentimes.co.uk

Are you ready for

the April showers?

The Clever Dresser

Boutique stocks

some of the most

sought-after brands

of the moment

Alice + Olivia

Rebecca Taylor

DVF Diane Von

Furstenberg

MCQ McQueen

Milly New York

Duffy

360 cashmere

AG jeans

Mercy Delta

Pyrus

CleverDresser

Tel: 01797 224271

16 Lion Street, Rye, E.Sussex TN31 7LB

e: shop@thegoldenfleece.co.uk

w: www.thegoldenfleece.co.uk

@goldenfleecerye

6 Bank St. Sevenoaks,

Kent TN13 1UW

01732 453 002

www.thecleverdresser.com

THE CLEVER DRESSER

BOUTIQUE

STYLISH SHOES FOR STYLISH FEET

Shersby

GoldenFleeceWT182.indd 1 13/03/2017 CleverDresserBoutiqueWT180.indd 15:58

1 16/01/2017 16:32

FINE JEWELLERS

George Cottage, High Street, Cranbrook

Cranbrook has free car parking

www.shersbyjewellers.co.uk Telephone: 01580 720003

shersbyjewellers@aol.com Find us on Facebook

wealdentimes.co.uk

140

ManukaShoesWT182.indd 1 17/03/2017 ShersbyJewellersWT182.indd 11:31

1 08/03/2017 17:01

‘Charlotte’ dress, £59,

Milliemanu 020 8878

7863 milliemanu.com;

Clarks ‘Little Weave’ shoes,

£26, The Golden Boot,

Maidstone 01622 752349

thegoldenboot.co.uk

See Milliemanu at Wealden

Times Midsummer Fair, 8-10

June at Hole Park, Rolvenden

wealdentimes.co.uk/events

Linda Pope

Presenting a

Pretty Spring

Palette

facebook.com/LindaPopeOpticians

Rye Road • Hawkhurst

Telephone. 01580 753744

Swattenden Lane | Cranbrook | TN17 3PS

01580 713189

www.charityfarmcountrystore.co.uk

LindapopeQRTWT182.indd 1 07/03/2017 CharityFarmWT182.indd 09:38

1 08/03/2017 13:10

cashmere and silk knitwear

Come and see

Oscar nominated

Bafta winning

Shuna at her shop

in Heathfield

Market

Men’s and women’s

vintage clothing

and accessories

New for S/S 2017,

at Cashara

Moutaki

Not Shy

Lauren Vidal

Deck

Diana Wilson Arcana

BCharmd

Varca

Holster

Kapten & Son

Tuesday mornings and by appointment

01435 883394 or 07831 258582

shuna

¹ @btinternet.com

1920s–1960s items always wanted. Also Chinese

embroidered clothes, Ossie Clark, Biba.

Come and browse the new collections whilst enjoying a

glass of champagne at our Ladies Shopping Event

Wednesday Come and 19 th browse April 5.00–9.00pm

our new

Spring/Summer Collections

Complimentary goody bag with every purchase & NEW Loyalty Card

23 High Street, Tenterden TN30 6BJ

Telephone 01580 761222 Email sales@cashara.co.uk

Shop online at at www.cashara.co.uk

wealdentimes.co.uk

142

ShunasVintageClothesWT182.indd 1 17/03/2017 CasharaWT182.indd 13:24

1 07/03/2017 15:35

Left: Joules long sleeve

applique top, £22.95

Right: Joules pug print

tee, £9.95, both Charity

Farm Countrystore,

Cranbrook 01580 713189

charityfarmcountrystore.co.uk;

trousers, models’ own

Above left: Shirt, £55, Milliemanu 020 8878 7863 milliemanu.com; Joules shorts (4 years), £19.95, Charity Farm Countrystore,

Cranbrook 01580 713189 charityfarmcountrystore.co.uk

Right: Joules check shirt, £30.95, Joules shorts (7 years), £22.95, Charity Farm Countrystore, as before; trainers, model’s own

wealdentimes.co.uk

144

personalised

jewellery

celebrate your past

Celebrate your past with a personalised blue plaque

featuring your

location and an official

Ordnance Survey map of a location important

to you. Uniquely designed and assembled in our

Kent studios, these personalised pendants and

charms are made in sterling silver or cufflinks

and key rings in a range of other metals. Prices

start at £25. Get in touch for more information.

Use the code b0rn10 for a 10%

discount on your first order

www.bornandbredjewellery.co.uk | 07824 185470

dressing undeniable beauty

www.odyl.co.uk

01580 714907

New to Heathfield!

BornAndBredJewelleryWT182.indd 1 08/03/2017 OdylWT182.indd 17:20 1 15/03/2017 10:54

N˚37

Opening Friday 7 th April

We are an independent womenswear boutique in

Heathfield High Street, offering quality clothing and

accessories, with collections chosen for their

comfort, style and versatility from brands including:

Masai ∙ Adini ∙ Sahara ∙ Cutloose ∙ InTown

Capri ∙ Eva TraLaLa ∙ Join Clothes ∙ Brodie ∙

GR Nature ∙ Amazing Woman ∙ Ochre Knitwear

We look forward to welcoming you to browse in our

relaxed friendly atmosphere.

N˚37 High Street Heathfield East Sussex TN21 8HU ∙ 01435 868414

145 wealdentimes.co.uk

No37-WT182.indd 1 17/03/2017 14:21

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T: 148 01892 LONDON 530559 RD, • SOUTHBOROUGH, E: RUNNINGHUB@UWCLUB.NET

T’ WELLS, TN4 0PJ

T: 01892 530559 • E: RUNNINGHUB@UWCLUB.NET

Our Private Care Service carers can come

to your house; help assist you with an

outing in either your car or theirs. This

help can form part of a tailored package

of care that could help you stay in your

own home for longer, rather than going

into a care home before its really needed.

We can assist those who need help due

to frailty, disability or illness to live as

independently as possible, with comfort

and dignity, in their own home.

www.townandcountryhomecare.co.uk

Domestic

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per hour

For a free assessment

of your care needs or to

receive your brochure

Call us on 01580 762244

Town & Country Homecare Limited

102a High Street, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6HT

RunningHubWT160.indd 1 18/05/2015 TownCountryHomecareWT133.indd 11:42

6 04/02/2013 16:20

www.sencio.org.uk

JOIN NOW,

GET 1 MONTH FREE

BENEFITS OF JOINING

3 Badminton, squash and table tennis court hire

3 7 day advanced online booking for classes

3 All exercise classes are free for All-In-One members

3 Complimentary use of all three of our centres

T&CS APPLY: OFFER VALID 01/02/17 – 31/03/17. A set-up fee of £15 per person applies, first direct debit free of charge.

Only applicable on All-in-One 6 month committed memberships. See www.sencio.org.uk for more details.

EDENBRIDGE LEISURE CENTRE

Stangrove Park, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 5LU

01732 865665 | elc@sencio.org.uk

SEVENOAKS LEISURE CENTRE

Buckhurst Lane, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1LW

01732 470700 | slc@sencio.org.uk

WHITE OAK LEISURE CENTRE

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01322 662188 | wolc@sencio.org.uk

wealdentimes.co.uk

WeldenTimes_HalfPage_W185mm_x_H130mm.indd 1 06/01/2017 08:47

146

SencioCommunityWT181.indd 1 07/02/2017 11:58

Freshen

Beauty

Josephine Fairley tames

unpredictable teenage skin

In the age of the ‘selfie’, I’ve discovered that teenagers

fret more about skin than ever. Notwithstanding

the fact that they can download filters which blur

spots and redness, make skin look radiant and lips

bigger, there seems to be more pressure than ever to

look ‘perfect’. Therefore, skin woes – in particular, spots

– seem to be even more anxiety-inducing in 2017.

No question: spots and breakouts can seriously

zap confidence and self-esteem, though; I have many

a young woman in my ‘circle’ who have been badly

affected, not wanting to meet with friends, rock up

for family get-togethers or take those ‘selfies’ – and

generally feeling very isolated despite this being an

incredibly common problem. Some of the rules for

caring for acne/blackhead-prone complexions remain

the same as they ever did. But there are, happily, some

innovative products and gizmos which are worth trying

on teen and troubled skin. The skincare world has

truly woken up to the challenges young

“The most

important step is

cleansing. End.

Of. Removing

bacteria and the

sebum that clogs

skin is really

important.”

women (and boys) face – and is offering

an increasingly wide range of solutions.

The most important step is cleansing.

End. Of. Removing bacteria and the

sebum that clogs skin is really important.

But this doesn’t mean blitzing skin

with ultra-strong products; it means

taking a softly-softly approach. First

off: no cleansing wipes. (Or only if

the alternative is quite simply going

to bed with make-up on; these are a

for-emergencies-only solution.) My

go-to cleansing recommendation remains Liz Earle

Cleanse & Polish, £15.50 for 100ml starter kit – but

other great choices include Cetaphil Gentle Skin

Cleanser, £8.99 for 236ml, and Derma E Purifying

Gel Cleanser, £15 for 175ml. (The whole Derma E

Purifying range is just brilliant for problem skins – see

my recommendation for a great moisturiser, below);

you can find both these ranges at victoriahealth.

com – and I quote their founder Shabir Daya on

acne, below. For an occasional deeper treatment, try

the Amie Radiant Dawn Exfoliating Wash, £4.95 for

150ml. The bottom line is that learning to cleanse

scrupulously is the best possible foundation for a

lifetime’s regime. One important tip, though: always,

always wash hands thoroughly before cleansing your

face, to avoid transferring dirt and bacteria to the skin.

Try a cleansing gizmo. Technology can prove a boon

to problem skins – in the form of some of the new deep-

cleansing ‘gadgets’ that have hit the market. I’ve

had great reports from teens who’ve used the Foreo

Luna, , £85 (a birthday-pressie price), which has soft

silicone ‘nodules’ and works in roughly the same

way as a sonic toothbrush, with micro-vibrations

loosening dirt – along with sebum and general gunk.

Ditch the toner. I once tried an experiment with

a Very Famous Toner because I’d heard that it could

take off nail varnish. It did. Many toners targeted

at teen skins are just way, way too harsh. If you

want a feeling of freshness after cleansing, switch to

good old-fashioned rosewater – which does the job

beautifully, gently (and smells delicious). Neal’s Yard

Rehydrating Rose Toner, £16 for 200ml, is honestly

as good as it gets (and was formerly known as ‘rose

water’ – so I’m not contradicting myself, here!).

Every skin needs moisturiser. Oil and water are

different – and for healthy cell communication,

moisturiser is a must. (It ensures skin

feels comfortable, too – and makeup,

which I’ll come onto, glides on

smoothly.) Choose one specifically

for oily or combination skins: The

Ordinary Natural Moisturizing

Factors + HA, £4.90 for 30ml,

Cetaphil Moisturising Cream,

£9.99 for 100g, from that greatfor-tricky-skins

range, or Derma

E Very Clear Moisturizing Cream,

£18.95 for 56g. Liz Earle Skin Repair

Light, £20.25 for 50ml pump,

is another perennially great choice. (I’ve

always liked that Liz Earle offers a travel/

trial size of much of their range – a good way

to check out whether your skin gets on with

something; a 15ml tube will set you back £8.)

Don’t trowel on the slap. It’s so, so tempting

to cover up every blemish – but skin needs

to breathe. A lighter coverage, with perhaps

an extra dot of concealer where there are

breakouts, will ultimately do your skin more

favours than applying a full-coverage base. As a

new handbag must-have for problem skins, I’d

thoroughly recommend Bioderma Sébium Global

Intensive Purifying Care, £14 for 30ml, which sets

out to control sebum with a one-shade-suits-all,

lightly tinted cream featuring AHA-esters said to

‘biologically treat’ the causes and consequences

of blemishes. It’s matte without being at all flat-

147 wealdentimes.co.uk

Beauty

Concept

Hair

salon

50 High Street, Tenterden 01580 762 564

Book online at www.williamcharleshair.co.uk

or through our facebook page

WilliamCharlesWT174.indd 3 05/07/2016 12:49

looking (actually, too-matte accentuates the lumpiness of

breakouts), and it’s a great make-up base if someone doesn’t

feel this is enough coverage. You flip open the lid to reveal a

green-tinted balm which calms the redness of a blemish while

delivering its antibacterial cargo of ingredients. For more coverage

for acne-prone skins, one of the best is Clinique Anti-Blemish

Solutions Liquid Makeup, £25 for 10ml, along with Tarte Water

Foundation, £30 for 30ml (tartecosmetics.com), and (affordably)

Rimmel London Stay Matte Foundation, £5.99 for 30ml.

Follow lifestyle advice, too. For wellbeing wisdom, I generally

turn to pharmacist Shabir Daya of the authoritative beauty

and health website victoriahealth.com. As Shabir notes: “The

look of your skin is a direct reflection of your overall health.

Taking simple but essential measures will reap rewards not just

in the look of your skin, but also in your overall confidence.”

He says it is worth noting the following. (Much of which is

probably what any mother would tell her teen – but it may

be more authoritative coming from outside the family!)

Grains and sugars. Elimination, whilst difficult,

even for a few weeks will most likely result in a

major improvement in the look of your skin.

Water. Drink plenty of water. Hydrating your body

will help with the elimination of waste, improve

skin tone and facilitate regeneration of cells.

Sleep. A good night’s sleep will help to reduce stress levels and

lead to a clearer skin. Your body’s healing processes on the

whole take place at night and that includes your skin. (It’s good

advice to try to get a teenager to ban mobile devices from the

bedroom, since these are now known to keep us awake.)

Exercise. Exercise encourages circulation and helps support

the greater excretion of toxins through the pores.

Balance of bacteria. This is especially important if you

have been using antibiotics for skin problems since

these destroy the beneficial bacteria within the gut that

are involved in the breakdown of foods, removal of

toxins within the gut as well as enhancing the digestive

process. There are many probiotic supplements on the

market so ensure that you use a high quality one.

To which I can only add: remember, there’s

more to life than ‘selfies’. Listen to music. Spend

time with friends. Get out in the fresh air. And

the skin challenges which seem so overwhelming

when staring at the screen of an iPhone (or in the

mirror) may not seem so all-important, after all.

Visit Jo Fairley and Sarah Stacey’s beautybible.com

for the latest health and beauty news and product reviews.

wealdentimes.co.uk

DrChristineWT179.indd 1 09/12/2016 11:22

148

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Health & Beauty

Active April

Wealden Times talks to personal trainer and nutrit ionist Sarah-Jane Holt...

Do you have a beauty

regime? I cleanse and

moisturise but that’s as

complicated as it gets. I use

natural organic products as

much as possible. Caudalie

foaming face wash is a

god-send as it’s quick and

easy to use in the shower.

Beyond products I drink

two litres of water a day

and focus on including a

wide variety of vegetables

in my diet. Being hydrated

and making sure you are

eating enough vitamins and

minerals really will make

such a difference to the skin.

Beauty does come from

within in more ways than

one and what you put into

your body will reflect itself

in the way you feel and look.

Do you have a particular

product you couldn’t

live without? Mascara, no

matter how I feel a bit of

mascara will always make

me feel a bit better!

What’s your ultimate

pampering treat? A back

That essential Easter icon, the

hen’s egg, is nature’s perfect

convenience food. With

an abundance of essential

vitamins, minerals and a highprotein

content (they contain

all eight essential amino

acids) eggs make a delicious,

affordable and versatile

contribution to a healthy diet.

In the past, cholesterol

levels in eggs were

considered a health risk and

recommendations were made

that they should be limited to

four a week. These findings

massage! Training a lot

throughout the week

can really affect muscle

tension and tightness and

a good deep tissue massage

can certainly make a big

difference, plus it’s super

relaxing so a win all round!

Who’s your style icon? I

don’t really have a style icon

but someone who I really

look up to in more ways

than just their look is Jessica

Ennis. Her ability, power

and talent is incredibly

inspiring, beyond that she is

Go to work on an egg...

have now been over-turned

by new research which shows

that cholesterol in food has a

much smaller effect on blood

levels of total cholesterol, and

harmful LDL cholesterol,

than was previously thought.

With a clean bill of health,

all major organisations

– including the British

Heart Foundation and the

Department for Health –

now recommend eggs as

part of a healthy diet.

Their high protein content

makes eggs a great breakfast

a great ambassador for sport

and fitness and I think a

role model for all women.

Having previously trained

and worked as an actress,

Sarah-Jane now works

as a personal trainer and

nutritionist with Matt

Roberts in London and

with private clients in Kent.

Sarah-Jane will be speaking

in the Healthy Living

Theatre at Wealden

Times Midsummer Fair

on Healthy Habits

for Busy Mums.

if you’re looking to lose

weight: they’ll make you feel

fuller for longer and there

are only 78 calories in every

egg. A word of advice, boiled,

poached and scrambled are

best, avoid a fatty fry-up -

that would be egg-sessive!

Soft Touch...

Arbonne’s ABC baby range

comprises a Body Lotion,

Hair & Body Wash, Nappy

Cream and Sunscreen.

Naturally inspired and

scientifically tested, each of

the formulas are a blend of

mild, soothing ingredients

like chamomile, aloe vera and

calendula that are safe to use

on a baby’s delicate skin. WT

testers especially loved the

Water Resistant Sunscreen

SPF 30 which provided an

effective barrier against the

sun’s damaging rays without

a whole host of chemical

nasties that pop up in other

sun protection lotions. The

Nappy Cream came in a close

second with a smooth and

silky texture that formed an

excellent moisture barrier to

help keep baby’s bottom rash

free. Prices start at £17. To

buy, speak to local consultant,

Sara, on 07718 924159 or

visit arbonneinternational.co.uk

151 wealdentimes.co.uk

Book your

FREE

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Book your free consultation between

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may be recommended by your consultant to confirm your diagnosis. For more information and full terms and conditions see benendenhospital.org.uk or call 01580 232 498.

Health

The Big Mind &

Body Spring Clean

Our bodies are pre-programmed to spring clean themselves if we let them, as Julie Simpson explains...

It’s April, and time for a clear out. In the rush to

throw open the windows and defrost the fridge,

don’t forget to put aside some time for a self

spring clean to re-energise your mind and body.

This isn’t as hard as you think, in fact it’s really simple!

Nature designed our bodies with a built-in elimination

system to get rid of toxins and make way for the fuel we

need for perfect health. The message is, look after your

elimination system and it’ll look after you. All you need to

do is to move out of its way and let it get on with its job ...

Here are four easy ways to give yourself a spring clean in April

EAT HEALTHILY

Give your digestive system a rest so the main digestive

elimination organs - the liver and kidneys - can do their

job. Use whole foods and prepare meals from scratch. Eat

mainly plant foods (whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans)

with small amounts of good quality protein (free-range

meat and poultry, fish and eggs) and cut out processed

foods. Eat your last meal of the day early to allow a

13-hour fast between supper and breakfast. This gives

your body time to process food and your cells to renew.

A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

7-8 hours sleep a night allows the brain to process the day’s

information, detoxing the mind while the body rests and

repairs. For a good night’s sleep, cut out caffeine and alcohol

( a nightcap may help you drop off but you’ll be up again at

3am); create a ‘sleeping space’ (soft lighting, comfy bedding and

ban the telly and mobile phone); establish a sleep routine and

rituals (a warm bath, lavender oil on the pillow) and avoid all

screen time for at least a couple of hours before you turn in.

STAY HYDRATED

Our bodies are between 50-75% water and it’s vital to drink

to stay hydrated. The kidneys filter 120-150 quarts of fluid

daily and need water to do their job. Flush out your system

with plenty of water and cut the bad boys caffeine and

alcohol because, as well as overburdening the liver, they are

also dehydrating. The jury’s out on the exact amount we

should drink each day but feeling thirsty and passing dark,

strong smelling urine are both signs of de-hydration. The

government recommends eight glasses a day, and, for the

purposes of loving your elimination system, make these water.

BREATHE

The lungs are one of the largest organs in the body, and,

with each inhalation they supply the body with the oxygen

it needs while the inhalation carries away the stale air. For

the full benefits, aim for good steady breathing with each

breath starting in the abdomen, then filling the lungs and

rising to the top lobes, just below the collarbone, aiming for

a slightly longer inhalation than inhalation. Seek out green

spaces away from traffic pollution – trees are natural air

filters – or walk along the beach so your lungs can take in

good quality air, and exhale the stale stuff you don’t need.

So, by all means sign up to a boot camp or fully fledged fast if

that suits your purse and personality but don’t underestimate the

power of the body to cleanse itself. All you have to do is allow

it a little space and kindness and get out of its way for a while.

Unit 1 - The Cellars

3-5 High Street

Tenterden

Kent, TN30 6BN

Tel: 01580 765222

www.tenterdenopticians.co.uk

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• Sight Tests

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Health

Walking -

Where are all the people?

Julie Simpson steps out in search of the loveliest Wealden wanders

few years ago, we had a

visitor staying from the Czech

Republic. Her first question

was: Where are all the people? She’d

been amazed to find, driving back from

the airport, that the country lanes were

empty of walkers. How did people

get to work? To school? Simple, we

explained, most of us who live in the

country, now get around by car and

public transport. These days, walking

has been relegated to recreation.

And at what cost? Because, whatever

our age or fitness, walking is one of the

simplest, most enjoyable and versatile

forms of exercise there is, and it’s free.

To quote the NHS website, regular

walking has been shown to reduce the

risk of chronic illnesses, such as heart

disease, type 2 diabetes, asthma, stroke

and some cancers. However, to reap

the full health benefits, you need to

walk with moderate intensity, in other

Along the way...

Hythe Bay Fish Restaurant

Near the start of your walk, right on

the beach this has good coffee and

excellent food

words, faster than a stroll. A good guide

is to be able to hold a conversation as

you walk but to feel that your heart

rate is up and that you’re working up

a gentle sweat. A pedometer – or one

of the many free health apps – will

tell you how many steps you’ve

walked and keep a track of distance.

The recommended goal for optimal

health benefits is 10,000 steps or

about five miles a day. This may

sound steep, but start small, say

1,000 steps a day and build up.

In Kent and Sussex we’re lucky to

have fabulous walks with hills, nature

reserves and miles of coastline to

explore. Here’s one of my favourites,

it’s a very easy five miles and perfect for

beginners as it’s on the level throughout.

Better still, you won’t get muddy, it’s

peppered with great watering holes and

eateries and, best of all, you’re always

walking next to the sea.

The Ship Inn, Sandgate

At just over half way, this pub is perfect

for a pint and food’s good too.

Loaf, Sandgate High Street

Take a 2 min detour through the village

to this fun café – good for coffee,

Coastal walk

Hythe to Folkestone Harbour

Beginning at Fisherman’s Beach, Hythe,

at the top of St Leonard’s Road, head east

along West Parade following the promenade

past the golf course and along the Sandgate

Esplanade for 3 miles until you reach

Sandgate village. Continue to follow the

path as it ducks behind the coastguards

cottages and shops, snakes around Radnor

Cliff and the Lower Leas Coastal Park and

eventually brings you to your destination,

Folkestone Harbour.

It’s worth visiting The Old High Street,

now Folkestone’s Creative Quarter, which is

full of interesting shops and cafés. It weaves

up the hill from the harbour into the town

centre from where there’s a regular

bus service back to Hythe from

Folkestone Bus Station.

breakfast or a light lunch

Rocksalt, 4-5 Fishmarket, Folkestone

Reward yourself with a real treat -

lunch or dinner at Mark Sargeant’s

stylish restaurant and bar with

panoramic views over the harbour

155 wealdentimes.co.uk

wealdentimes.co.uk

156

Food

Feast

Easter

Fresh from the kitchen of her Cookery School in Tunbridge Wells

Rosemary Shrager and her apprenticeship team share four exceedingly delicious

Easter recipes that are bound to impress this Bank Holiday weekend...

Photographs: David Merewether

Smoked haddock Scotch egg

Makes 16 eggs Prep time: 3 hours (inc. cooking eggs & potatoes & cooling) Cooking time: 4 minutes

• 16 quail’s eggs or 6

medium eggs

• 2 large baking potatoes

• 500g smoked haddock

(undyed) skinned and

lightly poached in milk

• handful of chives and

parsley, very finely cut

• zest of one lemon

• salt

• pinch cayenne

for the coating

• 50g plain flour

• 3 eggs well beaten

• 250g panko breadcrumbs

• salt

• pinch cayenne

for the curry mayonnaise

• 2 egg yolks

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 300ml sunflower oil

• juice of one lemon

• salt and pepper

• 20g curry powder

• 2g turmeric

• 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

1. To make the Scotch eggs, first cook

the quail’s eggs in boiling water for

2 minutes (large for 4 minutes) then

put straight into iced water. Allow

to cool before removing the shell.

2. Put the potatoes into an oven at 180˚C

and cook for about an hour until soft.

Leave in longer if needed. Remove and

allow to cool, scoop out the potato from

the skin and put through a ricer or sieve.

3. Chop the smoked haddock finely, put

into a bowl and add the chives and

parsley, cayenne and zest and mix well.

4. Add the potato to the mixture (not

all at once, it’s just to bind the whole

thing together). Season well.

5. Peel the eggs carefully, they will be

delicate being soft. Take a small ball

of the haddock, enough to cover the

egg. Flatten it so it wraps around

the egg. Repeat with the rest of the

eggs, put onto a floured tray and

place in the fridge for an hour.

6. Once the egg has rested, roll in flour

then egg, then panko breadcrumbs

with a pinch of salt and cayenne added.

When finished, put into the fridge again

for another hour to rest, if possible.

7. Heat up the sunflower oil in a deep fat

fryer to 180˚C and cook the eggs for

approx. 4 minutes, turning until golden.

8. To make the mayonnaise, put the egg

yolk and mustard into a bowl and whisk.

Add the oil, drop by drop, until it

becomes thick. You can now start adding

the oil a little faster. When finished, add

the lemon and curry powder, turmeric

and chilli sauce, check for seasoning.

157 wealdentimes.co.uk

Rolvenden.indd 1 23/07/2014 17:31

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wealdentimes.co.uk

158

RosemaryShragerWT182.indd 1 09/03/2017 11:19

Food

Navarin of Lamb

Serves: 6-8 Prep time: 30 mins Cooking time: 1½ hours

For the lamb

• 1 whole shoulder of

lamb, cut into 4cm

squares

• 1 large onion

• 60g butter

• 4 cloves garlic,

chopped

• 8 medium turnips,

peeled and quartered

• ½ bottle of red wine

• 4 sprigs thyme

• 4 bay leaves

• 2 tbsps tomato purée

• 800ml stock

• 1 tbsp plain flour

• 1 dsp dark brown

sugar

For the garnish

• 24 shallots, peeled but

kept whole, stalk on

• 450g button

mushrooms

• 30g butter

• 1 tbsp caster sugar

• 8 rashers dry-cured

back bacon, sliced into

strips

• 2 tbsps parsley, finely

chopped

• 400ml stock (lamb or

chicken)

• 2 tbsps finely chopped

parsley

• 32 baby potatoes

1. Using a large frying pan, soften the onions in olive oil

and put them into a heavy ovenproof casserole dish.

2. Sear the meat in batches in hot oil and add

them to the onions. Add the butter and let it

melt over the meat and onions, sprinkle on the

flour and the sugar, turning it all together.

3. Now add the garlic to the frying pan, cook it briefly

then deglaze the pan with the red wine. Let it bubble

for a minute and pour it into the casserole, followed

by the stock, the tomato purée and the thyme.

4. Add the turnips to the casserole, bring the whole

thing to simmering point and then put into the oven

for about an hour and a half. Test to see if the meat

is tender and allow it to cool until you need it. It

will happily stay in the fridge for a day or two.

5. To prepare the vegetables, simmer the shallots in stock

for about five minutes, remove with a slotted spoon,

then add the mushrooms and simmer them for 5

minutes. Strain them, reserving the stock. Melt the butter

in a frying pan and stir in the sugar. Put the cooked

mushrooms and shallots into this, turning them to make

them slightly caramelised. Add 2 tablespoons of the

reserved stock, stirring it all together (save the rest of

the stock for soup). Allow it to cool until you are ready

to serve. Fry the bacon in a little oil until it is crisps.

6. Now boil the potatoes until just cooked, add to the meat

with the shallot and mushrooms, fold in gently.

159 wealdentimes.co.uk

Food

Vanilla pannacotta

Serves: 2 Prep time: At least 3 hours (inc.

setting time) Cooking time: 15 minutes

For the pannacotta

• 250ml double

cream

• 1½ leaves of

gelatine

• 2 tbsps caster sugar

• 1 vanilla pod

For the roasted rhubarb

• 2 sticks rhubarb

• zest of 1 orange

• 3 tbsps sugar

• 3 tbsps water

1. Lightly heat the cream with the vanilla pod

and sugar until simmering. Soak the gelatine

leaves in cold water until soft. Remove from

water and squeeze off excess water, remove

cream from the heat and stir in gelatine until

all dissolved. Place into dariole mould and

allow to set in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

2. Cut the rhubarb into batons and place into

a roasting tray, sprinkle the sugar and orange

zest and pour over water, cover with tinfoil and

bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 180˚C.

3. Remove foil and finish cooking in oven for about 5

minutes, until rhubarb is soft but not falling apart.

4. Place the rhubarb onto the plate and use

the remaining syrup to coat the rhubarb

and drizzle on the plate.

wealdentimes.co.uk

160

Tours and Tastings

at Hush Heath Estate

Enjoy a fantastic day at Hush Heath Estate & Winery,

the home of award-winning Balfour Brut Rosé. Now

open 7 days a week, including Bank Holidays, from

11am-5pm for visitors and wine-lovers to experience

FREE Self-Guided tours and tastings. No need to book.

New for 2017 – Free Guided Tours on selected dates

Enjoy a free guided tour by one of our winery experts, 2½

hours including: A full Estate tour and winery tour followed

by a tutored tasting of our award winning wines and ciders.

Sun 30 th April 11.30am & Sun 14 th May 11.30am

Please note there are limited places so please call

01622 832794 to book your place

hush heath estate, five oak lane, staplehurst, kent tn12 0ht

01622 832794 www.hushheath.com

HushHeathWineryWT182.indd 1 07/03/2017 11:03

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161 wealdentimes.co.uk

GoudhurstInnWT180.indd 1 19/01/2017 10:12

WINNER

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AWARD WINNING GIN FROM THE SILENT POOL IN SURREY

Open seven days a week, from 10:00am to 3:00pm. For details and to order online, visit the website.

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Food

Simnel Battenberg cake

Serves: 6 Prep time: 30 mins

Cooking time: 25-30 mins

To make perfect Battenberg squares, Rosemary

recommends using a special Battenberg Tin. She

uses a Silverwood tin, available at Lakeland

lakeland.co.uk/70952/Silverwood-Battenberg-Tin

• 175g unsalted

butter, softened

• 175g golden caster

sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 1tsp vanilla paste

• 175g self-raising

flour

• pink colouring

paste

• 4tbsp raspberry jam

• 350g marzipan

1. Cream the butter and sugar until very pale

and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, vanilla

paste and flour until you have a smooth

batter. Divide the batter exactly in half,

and put into two bowls. In one bowl add

a small amount of pink colouring paste,

folding until completely combined.

2. Divide the mixture between the sections of

the tin – two sections per batter colour.

3. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a

skewer inserted into the centre comes

out clean. Allow to cool and remove

the cake pieces from the tin.

4. Paint the jam over the long sides of the cake

and put one of each side by side, then put the

other two pieces on top, alternating the colour

to achieve that classic chequerboard pattern.

Paint the remaining long sides with the jam.

5. In icing sugar, roll out 290g of the marzipan

and wrap the cake completely. Put the cake

seam-side-down to hide the rough edge.

Trim the edges with a sharp knife dipped in

hot water, weigh 6x10g balls of marzipan to

place on top and then gently blowtorch.

163 wealdentimes.co.uk

The George Inn

High Street, Robertsbridge East Sussex TN32 5AW

01580 880315 www.thegeorgerobertsbridge.co.uk

Treat yourself to

a Spa Experience

Time relaxing in the bubbling hot

water of the saline hydrotherapy

and swimming pools, enjoying

the steam rooms and saunas.

Being pampered with luxurious

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both body and mind.

Bar, Restaurant

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Taking bookings for Easter

Choose from a range of Spa Treatments

or Spa Packages which include:

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1 22/03/2017 14:33

Easter Sunday Lunch

Easter Egg Hunt For Children!

• £20 per person – 3 Course Lunch

• £10 per child 12 & under

Sunday 16 th April

To book please contact 01580 202103

e. marketing@dalehill.co.uk w. dalehill.co.uk

Ticehurst, Wadhurst, East Sussex, TN5 7DQ

wealdentimes.co.uk

164

DaleHillWT182.indd 1 06/03/2017 14:58

Food

clockwise

from left:

Rosemary and

apprentice Lauren-

Louise present the Lamb

Navarin; Lauren-Louise

and tutor, Shenley

Moore

Main Course

Rosemary Shrager talks to Lucy Fleming about the new apprenticeships

on offer at her Cookery School in Tunbridge Wells

Why did you decide to offer apprenticeships?

Rosemary: “I came down to Tunbridge Wells to set up

the Cookery School with the intention of eventually

offering apprenticeships. When I was learning to cook,

I was desperate for a mentor – I kept books and wrote

about food – and ending up putting myself through

apprenticeships that I organised myself. I learned on the

job, searching out the relevant expertise for each area that

I wanted to find out more about. For me, to give back

what I truly loved myself was the most important thing.

I love to see students develop. It’s a wonderful

way to begin. An apprenticeship scheme in the

catering industry is one of the most logical ways

of starting out as you’re learning on the job.

Before, we didn’t have the infrastructure to do the

marketing to let people know that we were offering

apprenticeships, so I decided a year ago that I needed to

find a partner who was able to fulfil the side that I couldn’t.

And that’s when I found Hadlow – through a bit of a stroke

of luck. We were at the Kent Choices for You Careers Fair

at Detling and Mark Lumsdon-Taylor, Hadlow’s Deputy

Group Principal and Deputy CEO happened to be there.

Mark came to see me and I explained our situation and he

decided that there was a future in us working together.

Months later, we’re now in partnership with the Hadlow

group. It’s the best partnership, as they are able to deliver

what we haven’t got – the marketing side, the apprenticeship

side, the funding side. I am absolutely over the moon with it.

I honestly do believe that they can offer us as much as we can

offer them. Here we have a high-end catering side whereas

at Hadlow they don’t – we can deliver an introduction into

live shows, work experience, getting apprentices into top

restaurants. I have had students here working on set on

a TV show – now that’s experience! They have also been

invited to Abu Dhabi and Dubai and we’re doing exchanges

with universities in the Scottish Highlands and Ireland,

too. I’ve even got them into the Royal Tent at Buckingham

Palace where they’ve met the Royals. I’ve been able to

introduce them to a world that they wouldn’t necessarily

have had the opportunity to become involved in before.”

How do apprentices apply?

Shenley Moore, Tutor: “We take apprentices from 16 years

of age, working on NVQ 2, 3 & 4. There is space for up

to 40 here. To apply, prospective apprentices would either

phone the Cookery School or Hadlow College and come

in for an interview to talk through their skills, before being

enrolled. You can apply at any time throughout the year.”

What’s the response been like?

Rosemary: “It’s just beginning, it’s brilliant! We’ve got more

and more students coming on board. We’ve got interviews –

there’s lots going on. Lauren’s been with us for nearly three

years, she absolutely loves it!”

Lauren-Louise Nicholson, apprentice: “I did my level 2, went

travelling for a year and I’ve come back to do my level three.”

Rosemary: “It’s perfect – I love it! I’m so lucky. I

have some wonderful people working here and

teaching – they’re incredible, they really are.”

To enquire about an apprenticeship, email

ABCGroup@hadlowgroup.ac.uk, call 01732 372888 or

fill out the online application form at rosemaryshrager.

com/the-cookery-school/apprenticeships/.

165 wealdentimes.co.uk

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WT Garden Supplement

Course Work, page 33

Contents

Garden Clinic, page 11

Fresh Air, , page 18

6 Vegetables with meals

in mind

Jo Arnell’s tasty picks

11 Garden Chic

2017’s horticultural

trends

13 If you could go to any

garden in the World

Our garden experts’

memorable choices

15 Made to Measure

TV presenter and

writer, Mark Lane talks

us through his love of

the outdoors

17 The Instant Gardener

BBC presenter Danny

Clarke explains what

drew him into the

world of horticulture

18 Fresh Air

Brilliant garden ideas

21 April Treats

Sue Whigham’s spring

goodies

27 Project plant!

WT finds out about

The Woodland Trust’s

tree disease solution

29 The Forgotten Harvest

Michael White gets

cooking with weeds

33 Coursework

Book onto a learning

experience near you

33 Make a scarecrow

Get your child’s

school involved

in Harpers

& Hurlingham’s charity

competition

34 Directory

The garden a-z

The Instant Gardener, page 17

Editor’s Letter

love getting out in the garden and, after a mammoth weed

clear, (wrongly timed, seasonally speaking) hedge attack

and plant cleansing session over the last few weekends,

I think we’re starting to be able to see light at the end of a

tunnel of winter neglect! If you’re raring to get gardening,

this month’s supplement is positively packed with perfect

expert tips, trend advice, shopping inspiration and plenty of

how-tos for a heavenly horticultural spring and summer.

The Forgotten Harvest, page 29

Enjoy your

Garden Supplement

wealdentimes.co.uk

WT Garden Supplement

Vegetables

with meals in mind

Dish up your home-grown feasts with pride by following Jo Arnell’s tips for growing success

wealdentimes.co.uk

WT Garden Supplement

The soil is warming and it’s time

to sow some vegetables. This

year I’m trying to tailor the

crops I grow to what – and how much

– we actually eat. I’m sure that I’m

not alone in suffering from the ‘grow

it and throw it’ regime which comes

from sowing too many plants, or from

growing prolific crops like courgettes

that never seem to stop. It’s not always

easy to judge how much is enough. For

the time-pressed, crops that are quick

and easy to grow, harvest and prepare

are also a must. Vegetables that are

used in favourite recipes, crops that

taste much better than shop bought

– that are worth the effort – should

go onto the list too. Deciding what

to grow, and when, can be a bit of a

minefield, but with a little thought at

the beginning of the season (let’s not

make a meal of that bit) we can grow

“If you are short of time,

but still want to grow

something, then salad

leaves are wonderfully

quick and simple”

some useful ingredients, save money

and eat fresh and healthy vegetables.

Plot for portion size

This won’t work for everyone, or for

every crop, but I have found that

dividing your plot up into ‘meal sized’

sections can help with planning out

how much of some things you will

need. The dividing lines don’t need

to be permanent and the size of crop

will depend on how many are in your

household. I’ve found it successful for

peas and beans (dwarf and broad),

for salad crops, beetroot, spinach,

broccoli and herbs like coriander

and flat-leaved parsley. Some of these

can be sown in succession so that (in

theory) the beds can be used several

times during the growing season.

Salad days

If you are short of time, but still want

to grow something, then salad leaves are

wonderfully quick and simple to grow

from scratch. Scatter a pinch of seeds

straight from the packet (remember

portion sizes – it’s easy to sow too much)

and within a few weeks – earlier if you

like baby leaves – they will be ready to

harvest. You can make up your own mix

of seeds, or buy ready mixed packets of

salad seed. Rocket, mustard and stir-fry

mixes of oriental leaves tend to bolt (run

to seed) when grown in hot weather, so

are best sown in the spring and autumn.

Once you get into the habit of sowing

a few leafy crops, you will discover how

easy it is – and how much cheaper and

fresher your salads will be. Most will

keep growing as you cut them too –

hence the ‘cut and come again’ idea.

Convenience food

Some vegetables are tricky. They can be

tricky to grow, a magnet for pests and

Credit: FreeImages.com/John Byer

7 wealdentimes.co.uk

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WT Garden Supplement

diseases and all in all

can put you off growing

your own completely. If you

are not able to check on your plot

every day, then you’ll need to grow

reliable, hardy and pest resistant crops

that won’t mind if you miss a few days

of tending. Root crops like beetroot

and potatoes are good, chard seems to

be indestructible and I find leeks and

kale to be resistant to the worst of the

weather, and not especially attacked by

pests (if kale is prone to whitefly and

caterpillars, sow later in the summer).

These hardy crops will sit out there

in the soil, patiently waiting to be

harvested all through the winter.

Herbs

Herbs can be grown in the smallest

of spaces and will even thrive in

containers or on a sunny windowsill.

They do need a sunny spot and

free draining conditions, as most of

them are native to the sun-baked

Mediterranean. Depending on what

you grow, a little will go a long way,

so you should only need one rosemary

bush (it may need to be kept pruned)

and a few chive, thyme and oregano

(or marjoram) plants. Watch out for

mint plants; you may find these are

best grown in a pot, as they spread

about rampantly if left unchecked. If

you have a bigger space available, then

a designated herb garden in a sunny

place, preferably near to the house,

will be as pretty as it is productive.

Back door bounty

If your vegetable patch is at the very

bottom of the garden, or if you don’t

Grow some ingredients

have room for a dedicated space in

which to grow vegetables, then some

containers by the back door will easily

keep you supplied with salads and herbs

through the season. The big advantage

here is that you can just lean out of

the door and pick herbs for cooking

and fresh salad ingredients, without

having to put on your coat and wellies

and go trudging out to your patch.

Slow but sure

The seeds of some root crops – potatoes,

parsnips and large carrots take quite

a long time from sowing to harvest.

Onions and leeks need to be sown

early in the season because they take so

long to bulk up. Once they’re planted

out (grow them in a pot first, because

the seedlings are like tiny blades of

grass) you can forget about them until

the winter. If you want long white

shanks on leeks, either dig them up

and replant them into a deeper hole, or

earth up around the base of the plants.

Harvests and holidays

It’s worth looking on the back of the

Leeks - great to grow in the winter and versatile: use

in soups, casseroles, risotto and quiche.

Courgettes - a prolific summer crop, easy to incorporate

into lots of dishes: fritters, in Ratatouille, or even cake.

Tomatoes - home grown have more flavour. Grow big, beefsteak ones

to stuff and make sauce, smaller varieties for snacking, salads and tarts.

At the end of the season the less ripe make wonderful chutney.

Garlic and herbs - easy to grow and use in small quantities, herbs will

also benefit from regular cutting to keep them tidy and fresh looking.

seed packets (there are also useful

charts online) to find out what the

approximate sowing to harvest times

are for certain crops; this will give you

an idea of what to expect, and help you

to plan when, and how much, to sow.

Annoyingly the harvest may fall while

you’re on holiday, and hopefully it’s

not too late this year to do something

about it (or you will just be encouraging

friends and family to enjoy the bounty

while you’re away…), so make a note

to sow crops like beans, lettuce and

courgettes, which need regular picking,

either late or early, so that you stand

a chance of catching the harvest.

The plot to plate journey should

be uncomplicated, and, if possible,

easier and cheaper than going to the

supermarket. If you are short of time,

or limited in terms of space, choose

carefully. I have a few stalwarts that

I tend to grow each year and then

other crops come and go, depending

on the time and space available. It

makes sense to get the best from the

vegetables we grow, so keep the mantra

of quality and versatility in your mind

as you peruse the catalogues and racks

of seeds at the garden centre. It is

time to get sowing now, so let’s open

those packets and get out there.

Jo Arnell will be running a new

gardening course in her garden. Gain

some practical skills and a year of

gardening inspiration. Book now on

hornbrookmanor.co.uk 01233 861149

Credit: FreeImages.com/Mohamed Aly, Cory Lievers

9 wealdentimes.co.uk

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WT Garden Supplement

Garden Chic

WT checks out the latest garden trends and how

they can be applied to your own outdoor space

Credit: FreeImages.com/Dejan Ignjatovic

Credit: FreeImages.com/Marie Jeanne Lliescu

Credit: FreeImages.com/Greg Hurley

Andrew McCoryn

Head Gardener of Leeds Castle

This year I am expecting a renewed interest in English gardening. The seasons will be

celebrated more during 2017 especially autumn with late-flowering plants and leaves.

Colour combinations in flowers, particularly herbaceous perennials, will create more

comments and Conifers will finally gain more attention in the latter part of the year.

Apply some of these trends to your own garden by growing hardy plants such as tulips,

irises, clematis and roses, available from my recommended Kent nurseries such as Iris of

Sissinghurst, Palmstead Nurseries and The Potted Garden. 01622 765400 leeds-castle.com

Hanging

Double Cacoon

Sky Blue

£270.00

Dragon

Gardens with

products from

Corker

Round Happy

Cocooning Fire

Table, Grey

£599.00

Langton

Round Chair

£99.99

Mick Corkery

Managing Director, Corker

2017 will see people prolonging

those hazy summer days and utilising

their garden as an additional room.

2016 trends of natural stone

paving and outdoor living products

will continue into 2017, both of

which Corker Outdoor Living

and Landscape Supplies offer in a

huge range of choice and variety.

Growth within the Porcelain stone

market is anticipated for 2017 along

with colour schemes that focus on a contemporary

look, including greys, whites, blacks and light browns.

Find out how you can transform your garden and

include these trends by heading to Corker, situated on

the A228 near Paddock Wood. Wander around their

inspirational show gardens, open 14th April, and shop

until your heart’s content, thanks to the wide range of

paving, turf, sleepers, outdoor furniture and more.

Corker Outdoor Living & Landscape

Supplies 01892 833325 corker.co.uk

11 wealdentimes.co.uk

Creating Beautiful Gardens

for Brilliant Year Round Results

Wealden Country Landcraft

For all your design, construction and maintenance requirements, contact:

Adam Sutton BSc (Hons) Environmental Science | Tim Playfoot BA (Hons) Garden Design

Tel:01892 722699| Adam:07979 362241 | Tim:07990 751353 | www.playfootgardendesign.co.uk

WT Garden Supplement

Credit: FreeImages.com/claudiameyer

Jo Arnell,

Hornbrook Manor

I would go to Monet’s garden

in Giverny, but I’d have to go

back in time too – to the day I

visited when I was just 18. The

shutters on the house were so

vividly green, the bridge over

the pond reflected on the water, the Irises and

Waterlilies were flowering, and there were very few

visitors. I’ve not gone back since, in case it changes

my memory of that perfect morning.

WT gardening expert, Jo, provides garden

consultations, makeovers and appraisals

alongside running gardening courses from her

home in Woodchurch, Kent. 01233 861149

hornbrookmanor.co.uk

If you could go to any garden in the World...

Jo Arnell, Jen Stuart-Smith and Juliet Sargeant share their ultimate garden picks

Jen Stuart-Smith,

Blooming Green

I would love to visit Arne

Maynard’s garden, Allt-y-bela, in

Monmouthshire. It’s got it all really:

a romantic Welsh tower house at

its heart, surrounded by quirky

topiary, roses, fruit, vegetables and

wildflowers, all of which are linked

to the Elizabethan house and the

surrounding landscape. Arne started

with a relatively blank canvas, so

this garden really shows off his

talent, and what can be done if you

have a clear vision. Magical!

Jen runs Blooming Green

with her cousin, Bek Bibby

(pictured above, right),

where they produce seasonal,

organically grown PYO

and wedding flowers.

bloominggreenflowers.co.uk

No-dig

guru, Charles

Dowding, will be at

Blooming Green on Sunday

14 May from 11-3pm for a

special talk followed by lunch

cooked by Home Gurr’own’s

Nicci Gurr. Book online at

bloominggreenflowers.

co.uk

We ask garden lovers and experts to name

their three favourite gardens in Kent,

Surrey and Sussex

Juliet Sargeant, Designer of the Chelsea Goldmedal

winning Modern Slavery Garden 2016

The best gardens move your spirit and draw on your emotions.

I would love to visit Sacro Bosco in Italy, because its creator

intentionally un-nerves the visitor with shocking edifices

and thought-provoking references. ‘The Park of Monsters of

Bomarzo’ is not meant to be comfortable or even beautiful – borne

out of its owner’s grief for his dead wife, its sculptures speak of

passion through the ages. A reminder of the power of landscape.

For more information on the services that award-winning garden

designer Juliet undertakes call 01273 300587 / 07934 496118

julietdesigns.co.uk

13 wealdentimes.co.uk

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Beautiful gardens waiting to be discovered

The 12th Century Leeds Castle sits within 500 acres of magnificent parkland and formal gardens.

Amongst many horticultural delights, visitors will discover tranquil woodland walks, exotic

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28096J1 LC Gardens Wealden 185 x 130.indd 1 06/03/2017 14:20

ZestLtdLeedsCastleWT182.indd 1 06/03/2017 15:54

WT Garden Supplement

Made to

Measure

Garden designer, TV presenter and

writer, Mark Lane talks us through

his love of the outdoors

For those that don’t know, how did

you get into gardening? Both sets of my

grandparents were very keen gardeners.

My paternal grandparents had a large

garden and I would spend hours following

my grandfather around. He taught me

how to sow seeds, how to divide plants,

how to put colours together and more

importantly close my eyes and listen to

the garden. I remember to this day lying

on my back in the middle of the main

lawn on a very hot summer’s day with my

eyes closed and smelling the roses as their

scent was carried along on the breeze. I

cherish all of these memories, although

it was not until much later when my

partner and I bought our first house in

London, and then in Pluckley, Kent, and

now in a small village on the outskirts of

Canterbury that I really started gardening.

With each move we acquired a larger

plot and when I became a landscape

designer and BBC gardening presenter I

started to look at plants, gardening and

horticulture in a much broader sense.

How has gardening helped you? Without

gardening I would be a completely

different person today. I was born with

spina bifida and several years ago I was in

a car crash which resulted in me being a

wheelchair user full-time. I was very lucky

to have spent some of my rehabilitation at

the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital

in Stanmore where I was introduced

to horticultural therapy. I was already

gardening by this point but through

slight adjustments to posture, pacing my

gardening activities and being introduced

to alternative ways of doing gardening

my rehabilitation took an upward turn,

and I have not looked back since. I love

every aspect of gardening, from sowing a

seed and watching it grow, to composting,

pruning and even weeding. I spend hours

outside gardening and every stress of

modern day life seems to disappear and

my breathing slows down. I also love my

job as a landscape designer, and being in a

wheelchair has not stopped me, nor has it

hindered me with site surveys, designing

and managing projects. Gardening is

good, both physically and mentally, for

my health and wellbeing. I am living

proof. This is why I am honoured to

be the first Health, Wellbeing and

Community Ambassador for Groundwork

and an Ambassador for Thrive.

When planning a garden that is

wheelchair friendly, where do you begin?

The first thing to consider is the person in

the wheelchair. Do they use a wheelchair

all of the time? What is their condition or

disability? How far can the person reach?

Can they twist their body, lean forward

or use their hands? I suppose what I am

saying is that every wheelchair user is

different, and every wheelchair is different.

There are regulations that stipulate how

wide a path needs to be, for example,

but depending on the size of the garden

adjustments may have to be made in order

to work specifically for an individual. In

most cases, the hard landscaping must

be firm, stable and level. There needs to

be enough traction to a surface to stop a

wheelchair sliding, but too much traction

can make it very difficult for someone

who self-propels their wheelchair.

Regulations aside, a big aspect of designing

or planning a garden for a wheelchair user

is their viewpoint. People in wheelchairs

see a garden from a much lower position

so a focal point in a garden may have to

be tweaked slightly. Planting feels taller

to a wheelchair user, so the right use of

plants needs to be taken into account

and lighting needs to assist and not

blind. So, there are many considerations,

too many to write about now.

What’s the most valuable piece of

gardening advice you’ve ever been given?

Have a go, have patience, enjoy yourself

and not to be disappointed if a plant dies.

What’s been your biggest gard ening

challenge to date? As a landscape designer

I think it is about to start, but I cannot

say what it is for. As a gardener in my own

garden, nervously opening for the first

time this year for the National Garden

Scheme. I know the garden has to look

its best from May to September, so a lot

of preparation in March and April.

What are you working

on at the moment?

Filming for BBC Gardeners’ World,

acting in my Ambassadorial roles,

writing for magazines and currently

designing and managing ten projects.

Mark Lane will be talking in The Garden

Hub at Wealden Times Midsummer

Fair on Saturday 10 June 2017. For more

information see wealdentimes.co.uk/events

15 wealdentimes.co.uk

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WT Garden Supplement

The Instant

Gardener

BBC presenter Danny Clarke explains what drew

him into the world of horticulture

Why gardening? I think the bug

for gardening was as a result of my

parents asking me as a child to tidy

their outside space. I remember toiling

for what seemed like ages cutting the

grass with a pair of shears and a push

mower. I can’t say that I enjoyed it

because it seemed like a chore. But years

later when I owned my first property

I found that working on my patch of

land evoked childhood memories of

the scent of roses, the beauty of the

nodding daffodils in the wind, and

the smell of the grass during its first

cut after its winter dormancy. Before

I knew it I was hooked and the seeds

for my future career were sown.

What was your favourite part

about being on BBC One’s The

Instant Gardener? For me the best

part about being on The Instant

Gardener was the camaraderie among

everyone on the show, from the

bosses at 12 Yard who produced the

show right through to the runners.

I have forged some great friendships

which I’m sure will last a lifetime.

What’s your favourite local garden?

Great Dixter in Sussex which used to be

owned by the late Christopher Lloyd has

given me so much inspiration. I just love

his relaxed style of planting as well as the

man’s willingness to push boundaries.

Out of all the great gardens this is the

one I probably visit the most. There is

certainly a little bit of Great Dixter in

many of The Instant Gardener projects.

What’s the most valuable piece of

gardening advice you’ve ever been

given? My very first client was a lady

called Jo Bryant. She had the most

amazing larger than life personality

along with the most beautiful garden

which was the love of her life. What she

didn’t know about gardening you could

write on the back of a postage stamp. A

fantastic teacher, I knew her for three

years until her untimely death. I suppose

it wasn’t the advice she gave me that

was so valuable but the way she would

alter my state of mind. For example, if

I arrived at her property and it was a

cold rainy day, she would greet me with

that booming smile of hers and the first

thing she would say is “Danny, how

lovely to see you, what a dramatic day.”

What she was saying is there is no such

thing as a bad day and there’s a beauty in

everything if you choose to look for it.

What’s your biggest

gardening challenge

to date? That’s an easy

one. The first garden

I ever designed and built. It could

have been an absolute nightmare

because the client was very testing. I

remember thinking. “If this is what

this job’s all about then I’m going to

find an office job.” I’m glad I didn’t!

What are you working on at the

moment? I’ve been spending my time

adjusting a friend’s garden in Romney

Marsh. It’s a lovely property which

doesn’t really need my input. The job

has involved opening up the views

into the surrounding countryside by

cutting back shrubs and re shaping

trees on its boundaries, installing raised

beds in the vegetable garden, returfing

some areas and doing a general tidy.

There’s been lots of clearing and

burning which I really enjoy. You just

can’t beat the smell of wood smoke.

Danny Clarke will be talking in

The Garden Hub at Wealden

Times Midsummer Fair on Friday

9 June 2017. For more information

see wealdentimes.co.uk/events

17 wealdentimes.co.uk

WT Garden Supplement

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LamontLawrenceWT133.indd 1 07/02/2013 17:07

WT Garden Supplement

April Treats

Sue Whigham selects some beautiful spring

goodies to bring your garden to life

Whilst March is the month when things start

tentatively unfurling and lifting their heads

above the parapet, only to flinch as another

stormy day approaches, April really is the time when

spring flowers start bursting into life. And of course it’s

the month when bulbs really come into their own.

Then there is the blossom on the crab apples, the

pears and the dramatic appearance of magnolia flowers

while in the woods the iconic bluebells carpet the

ground before the deciduous leaf canopy grows over

and they lose much of the light. It is interesting how so

many spring blooming plants are shade lovers or partial

shade lovers and of course for the same reason.

Wood anemones carpet the ground in shady areas early in

the month. A. nemorosa (AGM) is one of the earliest of spring

flowers and its star-shaped white flowers are so refreshing

after a long winter. Once they have finished flowering, their

foliage disappears until next year. They take a very long

time to spread and you may want to grow A. blanda instead

which self sows rapidly. There are blue and white forms of

Anemone blanda. A choice wood anemone is A. nemorosa

‘Robinsoniana’ (AGM), named after William Robinson, which

is a pale blue and which looks wonderful with cowslips.

My mother, now in her ninety-third year, remembers

clouds of cowslips growing wild in her youth and just ready

for the picking. These are our native primulas, P. veris,

and their lemony yellow flowers last right through until

May. They are just lovely and wow, they spread rapidly so

that we too can have a sea of them although perhaps not

on the verges and in the meadows as they used to be.

One of my favourite groups of plants in April are the

Credit: FreeImages.com/helenhumphrey

“...in the woods the

iconic bluebells carpet

the ground before the

deciduous leaf canopy

grows over and they lose

much of the light”

21 wealdentimes.co.uk

WT Garden Supplement

pulmonarias or lungworts. Every garden should have them.

They just seem to get on with it and now come in the most

fantastic forms. They too are best in dappled shade and

most thrive where other plants find conditions difficult.

They are native to Europe and the UK hence their ability

to do well here. They look great with early flowering plants

such as the hellebores and the brunneras. I notice that

the pure white flowers of P. ‘Sissinghurst’ are beginning

to flower now. They come in blues, pinks and red as well

as a combination of colours which change as they mature.

I’m very taken with P. officinalis ‘Blue Mist’ with its large

pale blue flowers and spotted leaves and P. ‘Blue Ensign’

which has rich blue flowers which combine beautifully

with the mauve flowers of its neighbour, a cardamine that

has been dormant all summer, reappearing in March,

the clump spreading out a bit more each year. Some of

the pulmonarias have wonderful long silver leaves like P.

longifolia ‘Majeste’. Another treasure is P. ‘Opal’, again with

silvery leaves and opalescent flowers of the palest blue.

Another group of April lovelies are the epimediums,

also known as Bishop’s Hat and, more appropriately, Fairy

Wings. I think actually that I would have them at the top

of my list of ‘would like lots’. We have the European forms

which are pretty hardy here and then the absolutely gorgeous

Japanese and Chinese forms. They are really fun to collect as

their foliage and their flowers are simply exquisite with the

flowers seemingly floating above the leaves on impossibly

fine stems. The other thing is that many of them are

wealdentimes.co.uk

PetalsForPlantsWT182.indd 1 13/03/2017 10:13

email: production@indexmagazine.co.uk email: production@indexmagazine.co.uk

email: Below is a proof of your ad to be published in the

azineproduction@indexmagazine.co.uk

Positions in the magazine cannot be guaranteed except where special

tel: 01892 517320

email: production@indexmagazine.co.uk

PLEASE NOTE The content of the advertisment it will be taken that this advert is acceptable in

WEST is KENT the responsibiluty MAY edition of the Index Magazine. positions tel: PLEASE NOTE are agreed 01892 The content in writing 517320 of the and advertisment on payment is of the a Special responsibiluty Position of Fee. the

PLEASEadvertiser NOTE The – content the publisher of the advertisment cannot email: accept production@indexmagazine.co.uk

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published publisher NOTE The cannot content as seen, accept of subject the responsibility advertisment for any is inaccuracies.

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23 wealdentimes.co.uk

GreenThumbWT181.indd 1 09/02/2017 11:19

ED422 HURST GREEN V2.qxp_Layout 1 17/03/2017 14:36 Page 1

LET’S GET

GARDENING

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fantastic ground coverers. At Great Dixter a venerable old

crab apple, M. floribunda, growing near the oast, appears to

rise from a carpet of E. pinnatum subsp. colchicum (AGM).

I love Christopher Lloyd’s description of Euphorbia

palustris’s lime green ‘flowers’ as literally sparkling perhaps

with ‘a tiny crystal of nectar in the centre of each flower’.

It is a particularly nice euphorbia with a good spread and

an average height of a couple of feet as well as lime green

inflorescences. Perfect for giving a dramatic backdrop to

bright tulips. Another spurge that takes itself here and there

and then flowers in April is E. amygdaloides var. robbiae. It’s

not a rich and rare plant and it pops up usually where you

haven’t planted it but it produces loose limey ‘flowers’ from

rosettes of dark evergreen leaves which are just great with

bright spring bulbs. Have a look at the Cottage Garden

at Sissinghurst in April to see the first of the euphorbia

flowering. Each spring I admire Euphorbia polychroma

there and mean to grow it. Greenish yellow flower heads

last for weeks, are SO cheerful and are perfect for the front

of a border. I haven’t grown it myself but it might be an

idea as I usually go for huge plants like E. mellifera and

E. stygiana which grow into completely unruly giants.

And finally, the hellebores, most of which started

flowering long before April, are treats in the spring garden.

One that is completely different from the hellebore hybrids

we grow and collect is the Corsican hellebore, Helleborus

argutifolius. I saw a clump in full flower yesterday and it

is a very dramatic, beautiful thing. The combination of

big bold trifoliate leaves, distinctively veined and many

bunches of apple green flowers is very striking. I couldn’t

help noticing that seedlings were coming up merrily in

the gravel surrounding it. A midnight raid perhaps?

Sue Whigham can be contacted on 07810 457948 for

gardening advice and help in the sourcing and supply of

interesting garden plants.

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Project Plant!

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small number of cases have recently

been confirmed at further sites in

Devon, where work is currently

underway to confirm the rate and

area of spread. Acute oak decline

has been recorded since 2006, and research into how the

condition spreads is ongoing. At present the disease is

largely concentrated in Central and South East England.

Ash dieback has now been recorded in over 1,000 locations

and has been confirmed in every county across England.

In response to the threat, The Woodland Trust has created

‘Targeting Tree Disease’ tree packs which contain 45 cellgrown

saplings, 40-60cm in height, which the charity has

chosen from species carefully selected to best replace trees

“Our Targeting Tree Disease

packs give the opportunity

for people to pre-empt any

losses which could occur

in the countryside.”

which will be lost to disease and to strengthen the landscape

against other threats. You can choose three species from

oak, wild cherry, silver birch, hornbeam and beech.

John Tucker, Woodland Trust director of woodland creation,

comments: “Ash dieback is the most commonly known

threat currently, but there are other pests and diseases which

could spread here. Our Targeting Tree Disease packs give

the opportunity for people to pre-empt any losses which

could occur in the countryside. Of

course, they also will provide other

benefits such as shade, shelter and

creating homes for wildlife.”

The charity also offers a wide

variety of other tree schemes to

the public. The Trust piloted the

tree pack scheme in 2015 in five

counties, with over 400 packs being

taken up by members of the public. It is aiming to plant 64

million trees by 2025 and all its trees are grown in the UK

from seed sourced from locations also throughout the UK.

To buy your tree pack, for £60, visit woodlandtrustshop.

com. For more information about tree pests and diseases,

visit forestry.gov.uk/pestsanddiseases or observatree.org.uk and

report any potential sightings of ill health in trees to the

Forestry Commission via Tree Alert forestry.gov.uk/treealert.

27 wealdentimes.co.uk

Sissinghurst Flowers

made with love

Weddings Life Events Courses

www.sissinghurstflowers.co.uk

Telephone: 01580 852144 / 07977 142447

Springing in

to ACTION

bedding

JanesEventsWT182.indd 1 17/03/2017 MadeWithLoveWT182.indd 15:37

1 21/03/2017 14:29

200,000 geraniums

bright hydrangeas

perennials

pots & planters

plants

7 days a week

wealdentimes.co.uk

Clapper Lane, Staplehurst, TN12 0JT Clapper Lane

01580 890713

Opening tim

Opening times: 9am-5pm Mon-Sat

10am-4pm Sun

Call: 01580 890713

frankiesfarmshop.co.uk

Clapper Lane, Staplehurst, TN12 0JT

Open 7 days a week, 9am-5pm Mon-Sat 10am-4pm Sun

CrownOakBuildingsWT165.indd 1 19/10/2015 StaplehurstNurseryWT182.indd 10:43

1 20/03/2017 17:24

WT Garden Supplement

dandelion

The Forgotten

Harvest

Expert forager Michael White

explains there’s more use

for garden invaders than

just compost fodder as he

explores edible weeds

Freeimages.com/AdrianaHerbut

chickweed

Productivity is everything in the

vegetable garden and to that end

every square inch and no end of

loving labour is employed to conjure

a good yield from the precious loam.

But what of the forgotten harvest,

the unbidden crop which appears

in the absence of work and care?

Weeds are easy to write off with a one

way ticket to the compost, but in fact

many are perfectly edible and can bring

a whole new dimension to cropping

the veg plot. At this time of year the

weed harvest is even more precious,

as it supplies fresh salad leaves and

greens, at a time when many cultivated

crops haven’t even germinated.

At the top of my tasty weed list

is chickweed stellaria media, a great

coloniser of cultivated ground which

forms tangled mats during the winter

months. To me it’s the iceberg lettuce

of the foraging world, mild and

sweet with a superb crunchy texture.

Select the young growth and use it

as a bulk salad ingredient or lightly

steamed for a delicate vegetable dish.

The dandelion taraxacum officinale

needs no introduction and despite

traditional beliefs, will not

29 wealdentimes.co.uk

Kent Garden Show

& NAFAS Regional Flower Show

Sat 27th, Sun 28th & Mon 29th May

Gates Open 9.30am - 5pm (last admission 4pm)

Featuring over 300 exhibitors with a wide variety of goods.

Floral marquees with stunning fl oral displays including

medal winners from Chelsea. There is a food hall,

craft pavilion, brass band & children’s rides.

Garden furniture, water features, garden sheds and

buildings, tools, sculptures, & much more.

Jacqueline Aviolet & Tom Hart-Dyke will be in attendance

all weekend to give answers to your gardening questions.

Tickets available now.

WT Garden Supplement

hairy bittercress

Tickets

available at

the gate & online

Prices: Adults £8.00,

Seniors £7.00

Children up to

age 16: Free

Sorry no dogs

01795 474660

www.kentgardenshow.com

The Kent Showground, Detling ME14 3JF

GardenShowWT182.indd 1 17/03/2017 10:58

INVITES YOU TO… TO...

“Walk on the Wild Side!”

Easter Monday 17 17 th th April April 10.30am - 3.30pm

●

FREE

Free

entry!

entry Various

● Various countryside attractions

countryside attractions

● Craft Farmers fair stalls market Family ● Family friendly friendly woodland walk walk

● The Craft Leeds fair Castle stalls falconry Enjoy ● a Enjoy coffee a coffee & cake & cake in our in our new

team

Sage & new Time Sage Café & Time Café

● Chainsaw carving display ● And much more!

Kenward Road, Yalding, ME18 6AH

For more information or to book a pitch at this event:

visit: kenwardtrust.org.uk call: 01622 814187

kenwardtrust.org.uk

or email: enquiry@kenwardtrust.org.uk

@kenwardtrust

enquiry@kenwardtrust.org.uk

Kenward Road, Yalding, ME18 6AH

01622 814187

Registered charity no. 1146481. Registered in England no. 7931728.

Registered Charity No 1146481

have you wetting the bed if you eat it. Try using the

young shoots sparingly to add a little chicory-esque

piquancy to a warm salad of duck confit - the results

are stunning! Also the effort taken in digging out the

long roots will be well rewarded if, after a quick scrub

they are baked until black and brittle, then ground

to make a caffeine free alternative to fresh coffee.

Though there are many more to choose from, hairy

bittercress cardamine hirsuta (the name belies its edible

qualities) completes my gourmet trinity of spring weeds.

They pop up just about anywhere on bare ground and

produce distinctive florets of cress shaped leaves. The

young growth has a wonderfully peppery tang, almost

identical to the cultivated cress of windowsill fame.

Fresh or cooked, bittercress will give a wild kick to all

sorts of dishes including salads, tarts and pasta dishes.

Welcome then to the enlightened world of

weeding, where with the prospect of a good meal

every pull is a pleasure, every dig delight!

Please remember that the correct identification

of edible plants is vital! Use a decent field guide,

or search the web using a plant’s Latin name, for

information and images from reputable web sites.

Michael White is a foraging and self sufficiency

expert who heads the business ‘Rural Courses’.

To contact him, or to find out more about the

courses he runs please visit ruralcourses.co.uk

wealdentimes.co.uk

KenwardTrustWT182.indd 1 20/03/2017 09:55

wealdon times_WoW ad_90x130.indd 1 17/03/2017 20:21:39

ALL THE

INGREDIENTS

FOR YOUR

DREAM

GARDEN.

www.corker.co.uk

At Corker we can supply everything from topsoil to timber,

paving to parasols and fencing to furniture. Enjoy a coffee

and wander around our inspirational show gardens, opening

Friday 14 th April. We have loads of unique ideas and products

you won’t find in your average garden centre because at

Corker, we don’t do average. Pay us a visit on the A228

near Paddock Wood or call 01892 833 325.

MAKE YOUR GARDEN A

www.elliottreid.co.uk

WT Garden Supplement

Course Work

The newest member of the WT team,

Rebecca Cuffe, tracks down a handful of

the best gardening tutorials around

For all you readers out there oohing

and ahhing over the gorgeous images

in our gardening supplement this

month before quickly sinking into a sigh

over the daunting prospect of how to recreate

something like that for yourself, you are

not alone. Like gardens themselves, often a

gardener needs a little nourishment before

their real talent blooms into life. Whether

you’re an experienced gardener interested in

learning something new or a complete novice

who just wants to know where to begin,

there are options out there for everyone.

Wisley Gardens in Surrey (rhs.org.uk/

gardens/wisley) have myriad options for all

skill sets, interests and levels of expertise with

courses and tutorials covering everything

from photosynthesis to botanical cocktails.

These courses are often run by the RHS team

but others feature guests and experts such

as the gardens’ curator, Matthew Pottage,

and renowned plantsman Noel Kingsbury.

Claire Brown will also be tutoring on The

Perpetual Herb Garden in October, and

runs talks and workshops herself through her

business, Plant Passion (plantpassion.co.uk),

which focuses on locally grown flowers. This

is a great option for those who love local

and are interested in arranging bouquets

for their homes or as gifts to others.

Meanwhile, Kew Gardens (kew.org) and

Painshill in Surrey (painshill.co.uk) both

have a number of courses and lectures

which you may find helpful if you’re

interested in capturing the beauty of the

garden in photography or illustration, as

well as their courses on gardening itself.

Jo Arnell’s comprehensive year long

course at Hornbook Manor in Woodchurch,

Kent (pictured) (hornbrookmanor.co.uk), is

run in small, informal groups, so there’s

plenty of chances to ask Jo any questions

you may have over some homemade cake.

The course lasts a full year but you can

also book an individual course if there’s

a particular field you’re interested in.

Godinton House is also well worth a visit,

as they run gardening events throughout the

year (gardeningworkshops.co.uk/godintonhouse.

co.uk). You may have noticed in our own

April Notebook that they are holding a

topiary workshop this month, but there

is more to learn with head gardener Viv

Hunt, who has combined forces

with professional gardener Fiona Abrahams

in monthly workshops since November.

For the foodies of the Weald there are some

invaluable learning opportunities at Brogdale

Collections (brogdalecollections.org). As the

home of the national fruit collection, there

are few better places than Brogdale to learn

about fruit, food and foraging in the British

countryside, with courses on grafting, pruning,

orchard design or cider making, to name a few.

One last tutor worth a try is Steve Edney,

who is head gardener at The Salutation

in Sandwich (the-salutation.com) and runs

classes limited to only eight people. These

courses include light lunch and refreshments

in their £80 price as well as demonstrations,

practical work, tours and invaluable advice.

Make a Scarecrow Competition

Take part in Harpers & Hurlingham’s charity competition at

Wealden Times Midsummer Fair for the chance to win £250 for your child’s school

Harpers & Hurlingham in Cranbrook

are inviting schools and children’s

organizations to take part in ‘Making a

Scarecrow’ competition. All entrants will be

displayed in the Harpers & Hurlingham stand

at Wealden Times Midsummer Fair at Hole

Park, Rolvenden on 8, 9 & 10 June 2017.

The general public will be invited to judge the

winner, whilst at the same time raising money

for Breakthrough Breast Cancer. The winning

school/organization will also receive £250. To

participate please call Jane at Harpers and

Hurlingham on 01580 715400 and join in

the fun! The competition is open to children

aged 10 and below, who must enter as part

of a school or children’s organisation, rather

than as individuals.

HOW TO MAKE A SCARECROW

• Build the frame. Begin by centring a 5 foot

(1.5 m) stick near the top of a 6 to 8 foot (1.8

to 2.4 m) stick, rake handle or garden pole.

This creates the shoulders of the scarecrow.

Fasten the shorter stick in place using a

screwdriver and screw, some twine, or hot glue.

• Put the shirt on. Button up the front,

then tie the arm ends and bottom

of the shirt using twine or wire.

• Stuff the shirt with straw, hay, leaves,

grass clippings, wood chips and rags.

• Put the overalls on. Make a hole in

the seat of the overalls for the vertical

stick to pass through. Stuff the legs.

• Give him hands.

• Give him feet.

• Make the head using burlap or a pillowcase

• Give your scarecrow facial features. Ideas

include using a pen to draw them on, cutting

out felt shapes, using buttons for eyes, nose

and mouth,

and bits of

black plastic or

pipe cleaner to

make eyebrows.

• Give your scarecrow

some hair.

• Accessorise. You can personalise your scarecrow

by accessorising it any way you like. His most

important accessory, however, is a straw hat.

Use any old hat you have lying around and

secure to his head with hot glue. Here are

some other (optional) accessorising ideas:

- Tie a red bandana around his collar, or

leave a bright handkerchief peeking out of his

pocket.

- Jazz up his hat using some brightly coloured

plastic flowers.

- Stick an old pipe in his mouth.

- Tie reflective or shiny ribbon to your

scarecrow to add movement and reflect light.

33 wealdentimes.co.uk

Gardens

A Wealden Times Supplement

Sponsored by

Bumble Bee Solar Fairy

Lights, £8.99 lights4fun.co.uk

ARCHITECTURE,

CONSTRUCTION &

GARDEN DESIGN

Cat & Mouse Landscapes

Herstmonceux 01323

833600 / 01323 843488

catandmouselandscapes.com

City Escapes 01435 868211 /

07831 302107 cityescapes.co.uk

Cross Builders Folkestone

01303 211805 / 07966

496911 cross-builders.co.uk

Crown Oak Buildings

Ltd 01732 866910

crownoakbuildings.co,uk

Elliot Reid Conservatories

Ltd. Herstmonceux 01323

833924 elliottreid.co.uk

Garden & Home Design

Ltd. 07854 221338

gardenandhomedesignltd.co.uk

Gardenproud 07725 173820

reallygardenproud.com

Geoff Tiltman Smarden 01233

770777 / 07775 694963

Homeleigh Maidstone 01622

791111 / Staplehurst 01580

892037 & 01580 892733

/ Ashford 01233 850075

homeleighgroup.co.uk

Hornbrook Manor (Jo

Arnell) Woodchurch 01233

861149 hornbrookmanor.co.uk

Johnsons Garden Buildings

needextraspace.co.uk

Kibblewhite Gardens

Cranbrook 01580 850394

kibblewhitegardens.co.uk

Lamont & Lawrence 01342

825414 Bonnie Lamont: 07786

246530 lamontandlawrence.co.uk

Open View Landscape Design

Ltd. Tenterden 01580 764090

openviewlandscapes.co.uk

Robinson Waters Architects

Cranbrook 01580 754806

robinsonwaters.co.uk

Wealden Country Landcraft

Tonbridge 01892 722699

Adam: 07979 362241

Tim: 07990 751353

playfootgardendesign.co.uk

EVENTS & PLACES TO GO

Fairlight Hall fairlighthall.co.uk

The Garden Show at

Firle Place Firle 21-23

April 01243 538456

thegardenshowonline.com

Kent Garden Show The

Kent Showground, Detling

27-29 May 01795 474660

kentgardenshow.com

Kenward Trust Yalding 01622

814187 kenwardtrust.org.uk

Leeds Castle leeds-castle.com

Pashley Manor Gardens

Ticehurst 01580 200888

pashleymanorgardens.com

West Kent Shooting School

Brenchley 01892 834306

westkentshooting.co.uk

FEATURES

Chilstone Langton Green

01892 740866 chilstone.com

Symonds Salvage

Bethersden 01233 820724

symondssalvage.co.uk

XL Pools Pluckley 08452

060420 xlpools.com

FLORISTS

Sissinghurst Flowers 01580

852144 / 07977 142447

sissinghurstflowers.co.uk

LAWN MAINENANCE

Battle Mowers Ltd

Battle 01424 773096

battlemowers.co.uk

Capital Garden Products

Ticehurst 01580 201092

capital-garden.com

Ernest Doe Power Etchingham

01580 860495 ernestdoeshop.com

Godfreys Sevenoaks

01732 741177 godfreys.com

Green Thumb 01892 835808

weald@greenthumb.co.uk

Kent & Sussex Lawns 08454

670258 kentsussexlawns.com

Lawn Revival Team 01580

712129 lawnrevivalteam.com

SHOPPING & SUPPLIERS

Capital Garden Products

Ticehurst 01580 201092

capital-garden.com

Corker nr. Paddock Wood

01892 833325 corker.co.uk

Cranbrook Iron

Hawkhurst 07765 344298

cranbrookiron.com

Gardenscape

Newenden 0800 854663

gardenscapedirect.co.uk

Petals for Plants

Broad Oak 01435 884111

petalsforplants.co.uk

Staplehurst Nurseries

& Frankie’s Farmshop

Staplehurst 01580 890713

frankiesfarmshop.co.uk

TREE SERVICES

Fernshire Tree Services 01580

890462 fernshiretrees.co.uk

VERANDAS & AWNINGS

SBI 0800 0742 721

sbiproducts.co.uk

wealdentimes.co.uk

New Gardening Course

We know trees.

We’re professional tree surgeons covering

Kent and East Sussex.

Join Jo Arnell at her garden in Woodchurch for 2017s new

practical gardening course. Learn how to prune, sow seed,

take cuttings, design a border and care for your plants through

the seasons. Tools and cake supplied. No experience needed.

Contact Jo Arnell 01233 861149 www.hornbrookmanor.co.uk

Monthly on Friday & Saturday morning

Our commitment is to deliver a comprehensive

range of high quality tree work, from delicate

pruning operations and hedgecutting,

to replanting and complete tree removal.

01580 890462

fernshiretrees.co.uk

insured experienced professional

Creating gardens

of distinction

HornbrookManorWT180.indd 1 11/01/2017 FernishireTreesWT172.indd 12:43

1 09/05/2016 10:19

Fernshire Ad-A5landscape.indd 2 06/06/2011 13:41

Pop-up Shop Now Open

Ockley Road, Hawkhurst TN18 4DP

Probably the most experienced, established

& qualified contractor in the area

Geoff Tiltman

City & Guilds in Horticulture N.C.T

FREE QUOTATIONS, CALL

SMARDEN 01233 770777 or 07775 694963

All Garden Construction &

Maintenance • Drives

Paving • Walling • Fencing

Untidy Gardens Made

Tidy • Grass Cutting

bespoke ironwork for home & garden

07765 344298

www.cranbrookiron.com

Open: Wednesday - Saturday

LANDSCAPING

DESIGN & BUILD

Creating a Garden of Style

& Quality, within your budget

• Hard & Soft Landscaping

• Buildings & Structures

• Lighting Schemes

• Drawn & Visualised by Computer & Hand

• Local Authority Approvals Managed

Call Brian 07854 221 338 for a Free Quotation

Qualified – University of Greenwich/Hadlow

Pre-Registered Member of the Society of Garden Designers

GeoffTiltmanWT168.indd 1 18/01/2016 CranbrookIronWT177.indd 15:41

1 25/10/2016 15:41

Glass Verandas with traditional or modern looks.

Remote control awnings and large patio covers.

Specialist conservatory shading products

For more information view our website:

www.gardenandhomedesignltd.co.uk

0800 0742 721 sbiproducts.co.uk

167 wealdentimes.co.uk

GardenAndHomeDesignWT182.indd 1 21/03/2017 SBIWT178.indd 18:08 1 23/11/2016 11:44

www.vinehallschool.com

Easter Fun!

Monday 10th - Thursday 13th April

A fun filled week, activities including:

cooking, crafts, Easter egg hunt, Easter

bonnet parade and outdoor fun in the woods...

3-7 years, 8.30am-3.30pm

Book individual days or the whole week. Snacks provided

Please bring a packed lunch, change of clothes, waterproofs and boots!

£25.00 per day or £85 for 4 days

Early booking recommended as limited spaces

Please book through the Office at Vinehall School

office@vinehallschool.com / 01580 880413

Vinehall

R O B E R T S B R I D G E , E A S T S U S S E X

DAY & BOARDING SCHOOL FOR BOYS & GIRLS AGED 2-13

Education

“

hat counts can’t be counted and what can

be counted doesn’t count.” No one knows

whether Einstein really said it but whoever

came up with the observation, I agree with it totally.

The ‘counting’ which dogs education these days – from

league tables to SATS performance targets and

all the rest of it – has killed learning for its own

sake. And I strongly suspect it has taken the

love of learning with it in far too many schools.

When, many years ago, I was choosing

my A Level options I desperately wanted

to do zoology because I was fascinated by

biology and craved more. Now, I am no scientist. I’d long

since thankfully abandoned physics and chemistry. Most

of the students opting for zoology were high fliers doing

an all science programme with a view to medical school,

research science and the like. So I was a bit of a maverick.

To her eternal credit and my profound gratitude, the head

BS_WEA_TIM_90wx130h.qxp_Layout 1 22/03/2017 17:30 Page 1

Number Crunchers

Susan Elkin looks at school performance targets and statistics

“My interest counted

for something more

important than

examination statistics”

of science allowed me to do it, knowing that I wouldn’t do

well in the exam. I adored the subject and that was enough

for her. My interest counted for something more important

than examination statistics. I had a wonderful time for two

whole years and the learning has stayed with me for life.

Well, we all know that would never

happen today. Schools have to get the best

results they can in everything – results which

should be a marginal end product have

turned into the tail which wags the dog.

Everything has to be ruthlessly quantified.

I meet far too many teachers and heads

who tell me, for example, that there’s no time for drama,

music or free-range reading because all the focus is on passing

exams. They miss the point, of course, that wider learning

and experiences enhance progress in all subjects. Achievement

is mysteriously transferable. The child who does well, say

in the school play or develops skills in painting, is quite

belong

L O V E W H A T Y O U L E A R N

Discover the Virtue of Learning

Take a fresh look at Bethany School and discover a

world of freedom. No limiting your options, just the

independence and support you need.

Join us at our next Open Morning

Open Morning

Tues 2nd May

9.00am - 11.30am

Entrance Assessments

for September 2018

Sat 11th November

bethanyschool.org.uk 01580 211273

registrar@bethanyschool.org.uk

BETHANY SCHOOL, CURTISDEN GREEN, CRANBROOK, KENT TN17 1LB

“

co-ed day and boarding

I love the environment at

Bethany, because the rural

setting is so peaceful. I’m

happiest when I’m being

creative in Design & Technology,

and I want to go on to become

an Architect.

“

Maria-Bisila Dougan, Year 11

Design & Technology Scholar.

NORTHBOURNE PARK SCHOOL

DAY & BOARDING SCHOOL FOR NURSERY TO 13 YEAR OLDS

OPEN MORNING

10am - 12.30pm

Pre-Prep and Prep School

Saturday 6th May 2017

Pre-Prep

Friday 12th May 2017

T: 01304 611215

E: admissions@northbournepark.com

Northbourne Park School, Betteshanger, Deal, Kent CT14 0NW

www.northbournepark.com

169 wealdentimes.co.uk

BethanySchoolWT182.indd 1 22/03/2017 NorthbourneParkSchoolWT182.indd 17:37

1 14/03/2017 16:01

Registered charity 1101358

Where are the skills our children will need

to discover new planets?

Well, creative thinking skills are embedded in the

curriculum at Sevenoaks School, so in theory we need

look no further.

Our alumni certainly go on to achieve extraordinary

things; equipped as they are with the skills they need to

change the waiting world.

Lars Blackmore for example, mastered creative

thinking at Sevenoaks. He left in 1998, studied robotics

at MIT, earned a PhD and went to work for NASA. Primary

objective: how best to land a craft on Mars.

It’s worth considering then, that many of the skills

your child may need to make a significant impact, can be

acquired here at Sevenoaks.

www.sevenoaksschool.org

Every day at Sevenoaks, students practise creative thinking, critical thinking, complex problem solving, negotiation, team working and

service provision – essential skills our alumni will use to excel at jobs which have yet to be invented and to reshape their universe.

Education

likely to be making good progress in maths as well.

Bearing all this in mind it was privilege and a pleasure

recently to visit Springhead Primary School at Talke Pits near

Stoke-on-Trent. The school works with the Royal Shakespeare

Company as a ‘hub’ to encourage Shakespeare being done

actively and enjoyably across the area. I was there to see an

RSC 90 minute production of The Tempest in the school

hall which the children were fizzing with excitement about.

A group from another school joined the audience and both

Gregory Doran, Artistic Director of the RSC and Jacqui

O’Hanlon, Director of Education were there. In the evening

there was a second performance open to the local community.

This very enlightened school – headteacher: Brian Anderson

– devoted the whole of last term to The Tempest. Children

enthusiastically showed me Miranda’s bedroom and Caliban’s

den which they’d created in corridors. They’d also written

stories, painted pictures, explored language, studied the science

and mathematics of storms and the history and geography

behind the play. It was utterly inspirational and just shows

how you can foster the love of learning in a way which really

counts and follow the National Curriculum. It need not be a

banal box ticking exercise. Schools everywhere please note.

Susan Elkin is the author of Encouraging Reading (Continuum,

2008) and Unlocking the Reader in Every Child (Ransom, 2011).

Be all

you can be

St Ed’s is a school where every pupil is connected by a love of learning, the pursuit of possibility and the

challenge of being the very best they can be.

01227 475601 | www.stedmunds.org.uk

Open Morning

Wednesday 10th May, 9.30 - 11.30am

171 wealdentimes.co.uk

StEdmundsWT182.indd 1 21/03/2017 17:11

SaintRonans

@saintronans

www.saintronans.co.uk

/SaintRonans

www.saintronans.co.uk

“What’s not to love...”

Good Schools Guide 2016

...about the Forest School at Saint Ronan’s?

100 acres of stunning woodland with rides and mudslides

No paper, no pens, no ceilings, no walls…..

Building 100 acres dens of stunning and roasng woodland marshmallows with rides and mudslides

Roosng No paper, on no logs pens, whilst no ceilings, sipping no hot walls….. chocolate

Tasng Building wild dens garlic and with roasng friends marshmallows

Watching Roosng on tadpoles logs whilst under sipping the Troll hot Bridge chocolate

Hunng Tasng wild minibeasts garlic with and friends spong birds

Telling Watching stories tadpoles in the under Hobbit the House Troll Bridge

Hunng minibeasts and spong birds

Telling stories in the Hobbit House

“This lot achieve loads of

scholarships, with leavers to more

“This lot achieve loads of

than 60 different seniors

scholarships, with leavers to more

in the past decade”

than 60 different seniors

Tatler Schools Guide 2017

in the past decade”

Tatler Schools Guide 2017

Discover Saint Ronan’s

Book an appointment on 01580 752271 or e-mail emmatv@saintronans.co.uk

Book an appointment Boys & Girls 3-13 onyears 01580 | Founded 752271 1883 or | Hawkhurst, e-mail emmatv@saintronans.co.uk

Kent | 01580 752271

Open Day

Saturday 6th May 2017

9.15am – 12 noon

The Principal will speak at 9.30am

First rate independent education for boys and girls aged 3 - 18

First-rate ISI Inspection Report in 2013 • Nursery and Pre-Prep rated “outstanding”

Top academic results from a broad ability intake • Extensive Sports facilities

Boarding from 11 • Wide range of scholarships available at 11/13/16

Cathedral Chorister scholarships available for boys aged 8 and girls aged 10

T: 01634 888590 E: admissions@kings-rochester.co.uk www.kings-rochester.co.uk

BLUEBELL RAILWAY

This iconic

and historic

locomotive will

make its only

visit to the South

East. More

information

is available

on website.

Bright Bricks

Build It Weekend

27th & 28th

May

13th–19th

April

Visit of Flying

Scotsman

Steam rides and

LEGO ® , who

could ask for

anything more?

Help us build a

LEGO ® mosaic

and ‘make and

take’ a LEGO ® toy.

Come and join us from 5th to 7th May 2017

Friday and Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday 11am to 5pm

St.George’s Church in the heart of the village will be exhibiting

an abundance of amazing artwork by over 45 artists and

craftspeople for you to browse, buy and take away.

The work ranges from contemporary watercolours, oils,

pencil drawing, sculpture, ceramics and much more.

There’s something for everyone, for every space and budget.

Treat yourself or find the perfect gift –

the Wrotham Arts Festival is a great day out with a

lovely café serving hot food as well as delicious cakes.

You can find us by following directions to TN15 7AH

and there’s plenty of parking too!

A FREE event the whole family can enjoy!

(See website for details)

For more information 01825 720800 www.bluebell-railway.com

Further details can be found at www.wrothamartsfestival.co.uk

Or join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wrothamarts

The Contemporary

Craft & Design Fair

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RHS Garden

WISLEY

Purchase

direct from

190 of the very

best makers

in the UK

27 April - 1 May

9am – 6pm Thursday to Sunday

9am – 5pm Monday

The UK’s most

popular Craft Fair

Admission to Garden

also gives admission to

Craft Fair • GU23 6QB

Held in floored marquees

Free Garden entry for

RHS Members • Last entry

1 hour before closing •

Garden open until 6pm daily

www.craftinfocus.com T: 01622 747325

174

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Arts and Crafts

Ibbett Mosely

AuctIoneers & VAluers

Limited Liability Partnership

The Auctioneer's Next Sale Will Be On

Wednesday 3rd May 2017

Commencing at 12.30pm | Viewing 10.00am - 12.30pm

At Ibbett Mosely Auction Rooms, Argyle Rd, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1HJ

Valuation Day - Wednesday 10th May 2017 11am to 4pm

Crown Inn, School Road, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 5PQ

Tel: 01732 456731 Web: www.ibbettmosely.co.uk

125 High St, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1UT

Registered in England No. 0C341637 Regulated by RICS Registered at the Sevenoaks office as Ibbett Mosely Surveyors LLP

Sat 1 April-Sat10 Jun

Maidstone Museum & Bentlif

Art Gallery, St. Faith’s Street

Maidstone, Kent ME14 1LH

Japan: A Floating

World in Print

Over 60 eighteenth to twentieth

century ukiyo-e prints collected in a

surprising and delightful exhibition.

Entry: Adults £4 (£3.50

online), children free

Info: 01622 602838/

museum.maidstone.gov.uk

Sat 1 April-Sat 24 June

Tues-Sat 9.30am-4.30pm

Artichoke Gallery, Church

Street, Ticehurst TN5 7A6

In the Garden

This lovely exhibition brings

together a collection of artists

who specialise in what nature

has to offer. Capture the spirit

of spring and make it last with

artwork including paintings,

sculpture, ceramics and jewellery,

or just come to look around this

spacious and relaxed gallery.

Info: 01580 200905 /

artichokegallery.co.uk

Mon 17-Sat 22 April

10am-5pm, 10am-4pm on Sat

Zion Baptist Church,

Tenterden, Kent TN30 6BB

SPRING ART EXHIBITION

The Weald of Kent Art Society

is holding their first Spring Art

Exhibition from Easter Monday.

Discover original works from over

40 artists including watercolours,

oils, sculpture and jewellery.

Entry: Free.

Info: wealdofkentartsociety.co.uk

Easter

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Sat 1-Sat 15 April 10am-5.30pm

Groombridge Place, Groombridge

Hill, Groombridge, Tunbridge

Wells, Kent TN3 9QG

Alice’s Circus

Adventures

Go down the rabbit hole this

easter. Meet all your favourite Alice

in Wonderland Characters at a

day packed full of fun activities

with a circus themed twist.

Entry: Save 10% at

thelittleboxoffice.com

Info: 01892 861444 /

groombridgeplace.com

Sat 1- Mon 17 April

Hever Castle and Gardens, Hever

Rd, Hever, Edenbridge TN8 7NG

Easter Family Fun

at Hever Castle

A magical family-friendly Easter

bunny hunt with the Lindt Gold

Bunny, with the chance of earning a

mini fluffy bunny. There will also be

an Easter bonnet competition and a

castle quiz on the history of Easter.

Info: 01732 865224/

hevercastle.co.uk

Fri 14- Mon 17 April

Spa Valley Railway, West

Station, Royal Tunbridge

Wells, Kent, TN2 5QY

Spa Valley Easter

Specials

Win a family ticket for a day out

with Thomas the Tank Engine,

in the spot the Easter bunny

competition. Every child gets a

free Easter egg for taking part.

Entry: Standard fares

Info: 01892 537715 /

spavalleyrailway.co.uk

Fri 14- Mon 17 April 10am-5pm

Dover Castle, Castle Hill

Rd, Dover CT16 1HU

Medieval Easter

Weekend

Dover Castle takes a fantastical

journey back to the days of fireeating

jesters, deadly dragons

and St. George riding on

horseback to save the day.

Entry: English Heritage m embers

free/ Adult £19.40/ Child aged 5-15

£11.60 / Concession £17.50 /

Family £50.40

info: 0370 333 1181 /

english-heritage.org.uk

Fri 14-Mon 17 April

1066 Battle of Hastings Abbey

and Battlefield, High St, Butter

Cross, Battle TN33 0AD

Easter Adventure Quest

Get hands on with history as you

meet a medieval monk, see if

you are strong enough to carry a

Norman shield into battle, climb

the gatehouse to the rooftop and

experience the stunning views

across the battlefield landscape.

Entry: English Heritage Members

Free, Adult £11.20, Child

aged 5-15 £7.70, Concession

£10.10, Family £32.10

Info: 0370 333 1181 /

english-heritage.org.uk

Sun 16 April 12.30-2pm

Canterbury Cathedral, Cathedral

House, 11 The Precincts,

Canterbury CT1 2EH

Canterbury Cathedral

Easter Lunch

The Cathedral lodge will be

organising a delicious three course

Easter lunch, followed by tea and

coffee, and an Easter Egg hunt in

the lovely Campanile garden.

Entry: Adult £22.95 / child £10.95

Info: 01227 865350 /

canterburycathedrallodge.org

Festivals

Sat 1 April

Kent County Agricultural

Society, Kent Showground,

Detling, Maidstone ME14 3JF

Heritage Transport

Show featuring the

South East Bus Festival

Featuring the South East Bus

What’s On In April

Festival, with over a hundred

vintage buses. Also a must-see for

any vintage vehicle fans with free

tractor rides, miniature railway,

trade stands, ‘Classic for the

Future’ area, and Farmers Market.

Entry: Adult £7 / Free for

children under 14

Info: 01622 630975 /

amy@kentshowground.co.uk

Sat 15 April

Faversham Town Centre Market

Place, Faversham ME13 7AG

Faversham Hat Festival

A weird and wonderful parade

of creative community-driven

festivities. Decorate, make

or create a hat, or just wear a

favourite, see the parade and hat

competition, witness a magic show,

and attend the Hatter’s Dance.

And as if all this excitement isn’t

enough, it also coincides with

the Best of Faversham market.

Info: 01795 227071 /

faversham.org

Sat 15 10am-10pm and Sun

16 April 10am–7pm

John Hendry Pavilion, Kent

Event and Exhibition Centre,

Kent Showground, Detling,

Maidstone ME14 3JF

Maidstone Tattoo

Extravaganza

Featuring Harley Davidson

motorbikes, sword eating, the Miss

Lady Ink UK finals, live music

from local bands, pop up bar,

fairground rides, space for over a

hundred tattoo artists and a wide

variety of trade stands including

nail bar, barbers, and mum’s bakery.

Entry: £4.36-£13.85

Info: 07984 916932 /

eventbrite.co.uk

Sat 15-Mon 17 April

Pierremont Gardens

and Park, High Street,

Broadstairs CT10 1JZ

Broadstairs Spring Fair

This fair boasts over 50 stalls,

featuring the very best of Kentproduced

food and drink.

For children there will be face

painting, an art space and an

Easter bonnet competition.

Info: 01843 871102 /

broadstairsfoodfestival.org.uk

175 wealdentimes.co.uk

9, 10 & 11

June 2017

stumble wood, kent

Off Halden Lane, Rolvenden,

Cranbrook,TN17 4JG

small, intimate & family friendly...where kids can be kids again & you

can relax, immerse yourself in great music, fantastic food &

drink. be together, reconnect or simply escape...if only for a weekend

live music >

SEE WEBSITE FOR LINE UP

kids activities

including woodland

treasure hunts,

storytelling

& B U S H C R A F T

kent's finest

STREET FOOD TRADERS

Woodlands

outdoor

cinema+

silent disco

under the stars

beautiful campsite

+ glamping by the woods

for more information and tickets go to:

www.woodlandsfestival.co.uk

/woodlandsfestivaluk

woodlandsfestivaluk woodlandsfestuk

in aid of

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What’s On In April

Thurs 27-Sat 29 April

Robertsbridge Village

Hall, 11-23 Station Rd,

Salehurst, Robertsbridge,

East Sussex TN32 5DG

Robertsbridge

Literary Festival

Featuring Sussex authors Tom

Connolly, Bronwen Griffiths, Alan

Judd, Charlotte Moore & Vanessa

Nicolson, as well as children’s

spellbinding storyteller Kevin Graal.

Entry: £5, Children’s Event:

adults free, £3 per child

Info: rap.org.uk

Sat 29- Sun 30 April

Groombridge Place, Groombridge

Hill, Groombridge, Tunbridge

Wells, Kent TN3 9QG

Extreme Festival

For the first time ever in the

UK, Extreme festival exclusively

brings The Beast, the world’s

largest inflatable obstacle course,

to Tunbridge Wells! And it

comes with live music, great

food and of course beer.

Entry: £22 (plus £1.70

Booking fee),Under 5s Free

Info: eventbrite.co.uk /

extremefestival.co.uk

Garden

Sun 2 April 10am-6pm

11am and 3pm

Borde Hill Garden, Borde

Hill Lane, Haywards Heath,

West Sussex, RH16 1XP

Borde Hill ‘Camellia

Heritage’ Tours

A guided tour of the Borde Hill

Camellia Garden with camellia

enthusiast, Nick Schroder, tracing

the history of this beautiful flower

back to the Chinese tea merchants

of the eighteenth century.

Entry: £10 including garden entry,

£5 for friends of Borde Hill

Info: 01444 450326 /

sussextopattractions.co.uk

Mon 3-Fri 7 and Mon

10-Fri 14 April

The Canterbury Tales, St.

Margaret’s Street, Canterbury,

Kent CT1 2TG

Medieval Story Garden

Kids get the chance to attend

Knight school, dance around the

maypole, visit the herb garden

to learn medieval medicine

and be whisked away to the

past in a storytelling session.

Entry: Free

Info: 01227 696002 /

canterburytales.org.uk

Sat 8 April 10.30am-12pm

Edwin Budding Gallery, South

Downs Heritage Centre,

Brighton Rd, Hassocks

Behind the Scenes

at the Chelsea

Flower Show

A free illustrated talk with Chelsea

Gold Medal Winner, RHS Show

Judge and TV Presenter, Juliet

Sargent. Juliet will be covering

how to ‘win gold at Chelsea and

stay sane’, what it takes to win the

people’s choice award and how you

can achieve the ‘Chelsea look’.

Entry: Free

Info: 01273 847707 / heritage.

centre@south-downs.co.uk /

southdownsheritagecentre.co.uk

Mon 10-Fri 14 April 1-4pm

Godinton House and

Gardens, Godinton Lane,

Ashford, Kent TN23 3BP

Spring Week

Including a traditional treasure

hunt, children’s crafts and garden

games as well as a different

activity each afternoon with

local artists and craftsmen.

Entry: Adults £5, Children £4,

Tours on Friday additional £4

Info: 01233 643854 /

godintonhouse.co.uk

Fri 21 April-Sat 6 May 10am-5pm

Pashley Manor, Ticehurst, Near

Wadhurst, East Sussex TN5 7HE

Tulip Festival

This spectacular Tulip Festival

sees Pashley Manor carpeted with

over 30,000 tulips, in over 100

varieties Bloms will be on hand

to share their wisdom, and a cafe

will be serving locally sourced

homemade cakes, scones, and

light lunches. There will also

be lovely gifts, souvenirs and

plants on sale and exhibitions of

Garden sculpture and floral art.

Entry: £10.50

Info: 01580 200888 /

pashleymanorgardens.com

Health & Wellbeing

Sun 2 April

Hole Park, Rolvenden,

Cranbrook TN17 4JA

Hole Park Cross

Duathlon

With it’s breathtaking views over

the Weald, and three different

events to chose from, the awardwinning

Hole Park gardens is

the perfect venue for Duathlon

athletes from beginners to pros.

Info: 01580 241344 /

trispiritevents.com

Thurs 20 April - Thurs

15 June 6-7pm

Charing Surgery, 1 Surgery

Close, Charing, Ashford,

Kent TN27 0AW

Relaxation Mindfulness

Meditation

programme with

Yvonne Fernando, NLP

Master Practitioner

& Life Coach

Learn to relax, manage stress

and create a calm mind, for

improved health & wellbeing.

Entry: £65 for 8 week programme

Info: 01233 878474 / 07968

785714 / yvonnefernandonlp.co.uk

Weds 26 April 10am-1pm

Charing Surgery, 1 Surgery

Close, Charing, Ashford,

Kent TN27 0AW

‘NLP & Health’

Workshop with

Yvonne Fernando, NLP

Master Practitioner

& Life Coach.

The role of the mind and

emotions is vital to your state

of health. Positively empower

yourself, through NLP, for

better health & wellbeing.

Entry: £35.

Info: 01233 878474 / 07968

785714 / yvonnefernandonlp.co.uk

Thurs 27–Sun 30 April

Begins at Linton Bull Inn

ME17 4AW (Thurs 27). Ends

at National Trust Punchbowl,

Hindhead GU26 6AB (Sun 30)

THE GREENSAND

SCRAMBLE

The Greensand Way goes from

Linton, Kent passing hop fields

and Leith Hill to finally finish at

the National Trust Punchbowl

in Surrey. Walk, run or cycle, go

just a few hours with the dog, a

whole day or the full distance. This

event is open to everyone, and all

funds go to support The Simon

Trust, a local charity supporting

young adults with autism.

Entry: £10 (plus small booking fee)

Info: eventbrite.co.uk

Music

Thurs 6-Sat 8 April

Dorking Halls, Reigate

Rd, Dorking RH4 1SG

Leith Hill Musical

Festival

Having opened in March, the

main festival comprising the

competitions and concerts is the

highlight of the LHMF year and

is full of life with musical works

of different periods and styles.

Info: 01403 240093 / lhmf.org.uk

Sat 8 April 7.30pm

St. Mildred’s Church,

Tenterden TN30 6AT

Piano Recital

Award-winning young Polish

pianist Anna Szalucka will

perform works by Haydn,

Chopin, Ravel, Baciewicz and

Szymanowski. Hear Anna’s dazzling

performance in this beautiful

fifteenth century Parish Church.

Entry: £15

Info: 01580 761467 /

friendsofstmildredstenterden.co.uk

Sat 22 April 7.30pm

Rochester Cathedral, Garth

House, Rochester ME1 1SX

Mendelssohn: Elijah

Gravesham Choral Society presents

Elijah, the inventive and intensely

dramatic oratorio that Mendelssohn

regarded as his finest achievement.

Entry: £17/ £5 for full time students

Info: 01474 816684 /

graveshamcs.co.uk

Sat 22 April 8pm

Trinity Theatre, Church Road,

Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1JP

Local & Live

The final sessions of spring is

an eclectic showcase of the best

local talent, hand-picked by

177 wealdentimes.co.uk

What’s On In April

Registered Charity No. 239992

Protecting Wildlife for the Future

KentWildlifeTrustWT182.indd 1 10/03/2017 16:03

music-maestro Paul Dunton.

Info: 01892 678678 /

trinity theatre.net

Shows & Performances

Sat 1 April 7.30pm

EM Forster Theatre,

Tonbridge School, High Street,

Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1JP

Ballet Central

A chance to see future stars of

dance from the touring company

of the Central School of Ballet

showcasing newly commissioned

works and celebrated masterpieces.

Entry: £15, £13 concessions,

£10 groups

Info: 01732 304241 /

boxoffice.tonbridge-school.co.uk

Thurs 6 April

Folkestone Quarterhouse, Mill

Bay, Folkestone CT20 1BN

NT Live at The

Quarterhouse:

Twelfth Night

Tamsin Greig of Friday Night

Dinner, Black Books and Episodes

stars as Malvolia in this exciting

new twist on the Shakespearean

tale of mistaken identity,

comedy and unrequited love.

Info: 01303 760750/

quarterhouse.co.uk

Sat 15 April 12 noon

and 2.30pm

High Street, Guildford

The Passion of Jesus

in Guildford

The Wintershall cast of players

and animals turn the Guildford

high street into the stage of one

of the greatest stories ever told.

Entry: Free

Info: 01483 892167 /

wintershall-estate.com

Wildlife

Sat 1 April-Weds 25 October

Sea Searcher Boat Trips, The

Kiosk Pier Yard, Ramsgate Royal

Harbour, Ramsgate CT11 8LS

Seal and Wildlife

Watching Trips

The National Nature Reserve

take you on a trip to an active

seal colony. The trip also has

the benefit of a range of wild

birds including the rare ingret.

Entry: £20

Info: 07837 562076 /

seasearcher.co.uk

Tues 4 April

Turner Contemporary

Rendezvous, Margate CT9 1HG

Scavenger & Great

Eggcase Hunt

A different kind of egg hunt this

Easter with a day of fun searching

for shark egg cases to help create a

‘marine art masterpiece’. The event

will also continue at Broadstairs

on Weds 5, and Ramsgate

Main Sands on Thurs 6.

Entry: Suggested £1

Info: 01843 233000 /

secure.thanet.gov.uk/

Thurs 20 April 6.30pm

Green Farm, Church Ln,

Shadoxhurst, Kent TN26 1LS

Sam Lee singing with

Nightingales

A chance to listen as some of

the finest musicians in the land

duet with the rare and sweet

song of the nightingale. Sit by

the fireside, immerse yourself in

folklore, and dine on a gourmet,

backwoods feast with fine cheer,

woodsmoke and hearty stories.

Entry: £80, £72 per person for

groups of more than 4, including

feast and alcoholic drinks

Info: admin@thenestcollective.co.uk

/ singingwithnightingales.com

Listings are correct at time of going

to press but may be subject to change.

Readers are advised to check with

venues before making arrangements.

We can list your event in the next issue

of Wealden Times for only £15! Please

supply up to 50 words that should

include date, time, venue, and any

entry price to whatson@wealdentimes.

co.uk or send with payment (cheques

payable to JPS Media) to What’s On,

Wealden Times, Kettle Chambers, 21

Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17

3HF. Wealden Times reserves the

right to edit text to fit space allocated.

If you would like your event listing

to be accompanied by a full colour

reproduction (42.5 x 62.5mm) of a

poster or other pictorial image, the

total charge will be £95. Deadline for

the May issue is 10 April 2017.

wealdentimes.co.uk

178

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Penshurst VINTAGE

& Antiques Fair

Penshurst Village Hall TN11 8BP

Thursday 4 th May 2017

@ 7.45pm

15 th , 16 th , 17 th April

Trade entry Saturday 9.30am

Public 10.30am–5pm

Entrance £2.00

Come and find fashionable vintage,

French brocante & antique treasures in

charming Penshurst. Enjoy delicious

cakes and tea by Rose & Olive.

Being opened by Fixing Dad

on Saturday 10.30am

In association with the BBC and Prudential Ride London

Tickets:

£15 Adults £10 Students

Box Office: 01580 711856

or Online @

www.queenshalltheatre.co.uk

Queen’s Hall Theatre,

Waterloo Road, Cranbrook, TN17 3JD

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179 wealdentimes.co.uk

CHD-WT182.indd 1 17/03/2017 16:52

Home & Interiors

Wealden Wealden Times Times - Bazaar - Classified

Furniture showroom now open

monday to Friday 10am-5pm

s aturday 10.30am-1pm by appointment

repairs - reFinishinG - paint eFFeCts

unit 10 midiC y oast

bodiam business parK tn32 5up

01580 830681 07754427194

atK insantiques.Com

1/4 m ile s outh oF Curlew r estaurant

Clare Langdon

AtkinsAntiquesWT182.indd 1 17/03/2017 SusanSurgeyWT167.indd 11:16

1 26/11/2015 12:41

INTERIORS

Made to measure

curtains & blinds

Tracks & poles

Measuring & fitting service

Home consultation

Fabrics & design advice

Telephone 01233 850829

clarelangdoninteriors.co.uk

Health & Wellbeing

A pet portrait makes a wonderful gift

Professional Oil Paintings & Drawings

Visit www.dianewilks.weebly.com or

Email for examples: wdiane93@aol.com

Diane 01580 212327

The complete kitchen service...

...from a hinge to a complete makeover

The supply & replacement of

drawers, doors, worktops,

hinges, all fitted kitchen

components/appliances, door

renovation & polishing, bedroom

doors & bespoke cabinets.

Please call

01689 850000

www.thekitchendoctor.com

Serving London & the South-East since 1984

DianeWilksWT144.indd 2 20/01/2014 KitchenDoctorWT145.indd 14:32

1 28/01/2014 10:12

ClareLangdonWT177.indd 1 24/10/2016 16:04

Make 2017 Your Health Year!

All you need to know on one website, based

on thirty years

experience in

natural health

promotion and

therapy. This

site offers you

information on

body, diet, stress

& breathing.

Equally useful

for patients or doctors who want to give their

patients more than just “A Pill for Every Ill”.

Visit: www.TotalHealthMatters.co.uk

St.Bridgets, Rye Road, Hawkhurst, Kent. TN18 5DA

The Best Fun-Fitness,

Calorie Burning, Aerobics

Class In Tenterden!

ButeykoWT182.indd 1 16/03/2017 10:08

Building Construction

Stonehurst Construction Ltd.

Professional service covering all aspects of

construction and refurbishment, from the

planning and design stage to completion.

Restoring Quality

Full restoration service, over

25 years’ experience. Including

Cabinet making, French

polishing, finishing / colouring /

distressing, Gilding, Veneering.

Call me for a free quote or

advice. On site work available.

SUSAN SURGEY

Restorer of Fine Antique Furniture

Ashford 01233 877342

or 07712 451104

For examples, please visit

www.susansurgey.co.uk

Renovation & refurbishment

Extensions

Landscaping

Barn conversions

New builds

Oak frame buildings

Free no obligation quotations

References and portfolio

available upon request

stonehurstconstruction.co.uk

T: 01825 830540 M: 07736158515 E: stonehurstconstruction@gmail.com

Piano Shop

StonehurstConstructionWT182.indd 1 14/03/2017 15:12

Thursdays 6:30pm to 7:30pm at

Homewood School Dance Studio

Open to all ages and fi tness levels, come along

to have some fun and improve your fi tness

for more information fi nd us on facebook

wealdentimes.co.uk

Suzercize

180

Nevill Estate Yard, Eridge, Tunbridge Wells, TN3 9JR

01892 543233

www.thepianoshopkent.co.uk

SuzerciseWT181.indd 1 21/02/2017 PianoShopWT180.indd 14:11

1 04/01/2017 16:06

See Firepod at

Wealden Times

Midsummer

Fair this June

Competition

Win A firepod Pizza

oven worth £445

Several years ago David Coward returned from working in the

Italian Alps wishing he could cook pizzas like the ones he had been

enjoying out there. After speaking to his business partner, Tim, the

pair endeavoured to find a suitable product, however they wanted it to

be hassle-free to use, portable and affordable. Eventually David and Tim

realised that the only way to get exactly what they wanted was to design

their own, so, after much research they appointed Jedco of Weybridge

to help with the design process. After over three years of testing and

perfecting, they are now manufacturing their first batch of Firepods.

The Firepod is a portable outdoor pizza oven which converts to a

griddle BBQ and heater for Lava Stones for ‘hot rock’ cooking at your

table. With the special pizza stones in place and the lid on, The Firepod

is a fantastic pizza oven – very quick to reach cooking temperature and

only a few minutes to cook your perfect authentic pizzas. For Hot Lava

Stone Cooking simply replace the pizza stones with the Lava Stone, heat

it up in your Firepod, lift the stone out and place on the board, then

take to your table for cooking ‘Hot Rock’ style, indoors or out. Replace

the lava stones with the reversible griddle – ridged on one side flat on

the other – and you are ready to cook in the Firepod’s third function!

The Firepod is currently available at thefirepod.com.

How to enter: For your chance to win

one Firepod, in a colour of your choice, just

answer the following question: Who helped

David and Tim with the design process? Enter

your answer with your contact details* in the

online form at wealdentimes.co.uk/competition

or post to: The Firepod Competition, Wealden

Times, 21 Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent

TN17 3HF by Friday 18 April 2017. Prize

comprises 1 x Firepod, 2 x Cordierite pizza

stones, 4 x Short oak legs, 1 x Oak stand

(Quadpod), 1 x Pizza peel, 2 x Heat-resistant

gloves, 1 Gas pipe and clip on regulator. Lava

Stones and Griddle available to purchase

separately. There is no cash alternative and

the prize must be taken before July 2017. *All

entrants’ details will be passed on to Firepod

and Wealden Times Events. Please let us know

if you do not wish your details to be passed on.

Congratulations to Kim Bates who wins our March competition for a beauty day spa for two at Grayshott Spa

181 wealdentimes.co.uk