Wealden Times | WT184 | June 2017 | Kitchen & Bathroom supplement inside

KITCHEN & BATHROOM Supplement inside 

Inspirational Interiors • Fabulous Fashion • Delicious Dishes 

PRICELESS 

June 2017

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

up to 

80% 

Family Owned Since 1925 

Where Quality & Service Cost Less 

off 

44 High Street, 

Royal Tunbridge Wells, 

YOUR 

Kent ,TN1 1XF 

INVITATION TO 

01892 535555 

New stock will be arriving soon and WE NEED TO URGENTLY CLEAR ALL SURPLUS STOCK INCLUDING 

SELECTED FLOOR MODELS AND DISCONTINUED ITEMS to make way for exciting new models from our 

suppliers and new larger displays. 

NEVER HAS THERE BEEN A BETTER TIME TO SAVE MONEY at Kent’s Premier Bed and Furniture Store. 

EVERYTHING, our entire inventory of lounge furniture, dining furniture, bedroom furniture, sofas, chairs, recliners, 

beds, headboards, tables, pictures, mirrors and lamps WILL BE ON SALE. That even includes furniture that is ordered! 

ALL CLEARANCE ITEMS MUST BE SOLD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! 

To show our appreciation to our customers and their guests, we are offering an EXTRA 10% OFF ALL RELYON BED 

SALE PRICES & AN EXTRA 5% OFF ALL OTHER SALE & CLEARANCE PRICES ON PRODUCTION OF 

THIS ADVERT UNTIL SATURDAY 1st JULY, 2017. 

WE WANT TO GIVE YOU THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE THE MANY BARGAINS ON OFFER. 

Pay by cash, cheque, credit or debit card - our prices are so low, we cannot offer terms. 

BRING THIS ADVERT WITH YOU TO CLAIM YOUR EXTRA DISCOUNT. 

THERE IS ALSO A FREE PRIZE DRAW FOR A £500 FURNITURE GIFT VOUCHER FOR ONE LUCKY PERSON. 

With Regards, 

The Best Bed & Furniture Sale 

Special Furniture Sell Out - up 

to80% OFF! 

Miles Bennett 

Managing Director 

CLEARANCE SALE

CLEARANCE SALE 

CLEARANCE 

The Best Beds. The Best Prices. Guaranteed. 

SALE 

44 High Street, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1XF 

Telephone 01892 535555 

TEMPUR 4’6” 135cm cloud 21cm mattress RRP £1949 save 

VISPRING 5’ 150cm Herald superb med./firm tension divan set on legs RRP £4940 save 

VISPRING 5’ 150cm Regal superb soft/medium tension bed base on legs RRP £6875 save 

VISPRING 6’ 180cm Shetland zip & link set med./firm tension RRP £9585 save 

RELYON Arundel deluxe 4’6” 135cm ottoman set medium tension RRP £2399 save 

RELYON Penshurst deluxe 6’ 180cm zip & link low height base set soft/med RRP £4150 

save 

RELYON Ashurst 5’6” 165cm zip & link set soft & med. tension divan set RRP £9650 save 

DUNLOPILLO firmrest/diamond 180cm twin adjustable bed set incl. headboard RRP £6776 save 

DUNLOPILLO Orchid/Millenium 180cm twin bed set incl. headboard RRP £5786 save 

BENITO white leather contemporary corner sofa with adjustable headrests was £5990 save 

STRESSLESS wave 2 seater high back sofa RRP £3909 save 

ERCOL studio couch in signal red RRP £3210 save 

LLOYD ROOM pair of Mellissa chairs RRP £842 save 

GRANGE Directoire round extending cherrywood table & 4 chairs RRP £6121 save 

GRANGE Provencal king size bedstead in a beautiful painted finish RRP £2725 save 

GRANGE Pompadour hall cabinet in turquoise RRP £2720 save 

GRANGE Jacob small side table in a striped finish RRP £770 save 

TOM SCHNEIDER Tempo console table RRP £959 save 

TOM SCHNEIDER Orbit shelving unit RRP £1569 save 

RELYON, VISPRING, TEMPUR, DUNLOPILLO, MAMMOTH, LIGNE ROSET, GRANGE, 

STRESSLESS, HIMOLLA, ERCOL, HULSTA, ETC., ETC.. 

PRICE 

M 

PROMISE 

ATCH 

We are so confident that our extensive 

range of furniture represents the very 

best value for money that in the 

unlikely event of finding an identical 

product elsewhere at a lower price, we 

PROMISE to match, or better any deal 

on a like-for-like basis, at the point of 

order…even internet offers!

Chippy Oak Framed Garage Kits now 

available from just £2,395 

www.roundwood.com

OAK FRAMED BUILDINGS | | QUALITY DECKING && CLADDING 

OAK && WALNUT FLOORING | | HOME && GARDEN FEATURES 

Tel: 01435 867 072 

Round Wood Wood | | Newick Lane Lane | | Mayfield | East | East Sussex | TN20 | TN20 6RG 6RG

5 High Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3EB 

01580 715144 

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

We offer an excellent, swift and friendly service. 

Conveyancing - Wills & Estates - Commercial Law - 

Matrimonial Law - Prenuptial Agreements - Litigation - 

Employment Law - Family Law - French Property 

Conveyancing Services from £550.00+VAT 

Wills from £215.00+VAT / Mirror Wills from £295.00+VAT 

Lasting Power Of Attorney (LPA's) from £250.00+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 

KingsfordSolicitorsWT183.indd 1 19/04/2017 12:00 

Cookery Courses ■ Chef’s Table ■ Private Parties 

Corporate Events ■ Hosted Meetings ■ Children’s Courses 

10% off all courses 

during JUNE and JULY* 

Telephone: 01892 528700 

Telephone: Email: school@rosemaryshrager.com 

01892 528700 

Email: school@rosemaryshrager.com 

*PLEASE QUOTE WEALDEN TIMES WHEN BOOKING 

Chef’s Table Dining Experience 

with ever-changing menus created by Michelin trained chefs 

One Day & Weekend Cookery Courses 

with Rosemary Shrager & Iain More 

RSCookerySchool RSCookerySchool 

RSCookerySchool 

www.rosemaryshrager.com 

RSCookerySchool 

www.rosemaryshrager.com 

wealdentimes.co.uk 

6 

RosemaryShragerWT184.indd 1 23/05/2017 14:50

WATER SOFTENER 

Contents 

June 2017 

54 

136 

84 

22 

43 

54 

79 

84 

109 

112 

LUXURY LIVING 

Maggie Alderson’s premium 

bathroom picks 

JUNE NOTEBOOK 

Fill your diary with hand 

picked events going on 

around the Weald 

A TREAT IN STORE 

An unusual B&B in a 

former village stores 

GET THE LOOK 

Add a sprinkling of vintage 

to your interior 

TWIN PEAKS 

A sisters’ take on two 

seaside apartments 

GET THE LOOK 

Emulate Susie and 

Caroline’s seaside chic 

SEAS THE DAY 

A coastal fashion shoot 

125 

129 

131 

133 

134 

136 

143 

UNSUNG HEROES 

Jo Fairley’s often overlooked 

wonder products 

SUMMER LOVE 

Stock up on summer beauty 

at Fenwick Tunbridge Wells 

JUMP INTO JUNE 

This month’s bitesize 

health news 

PLANT THERAPY 

The health benefits of 

gardening and honey 

GETTING BACK INTO 

SHAPE POST BABY 

Sarah-Jane Holt’s 

practical advice 

SUMMER FRUITFULNESS 

Jo Arnell’s soft fruit 

recipe extravaganza 

PERFECT PAIRING 

A delicious asparagus 

and sea trout treat 

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 

copyright JPS Media Ltd 2017©. The views of the advertisers and contributors are not 

necessarily those of JPS Media Ltd. 

145 

151 

157 

159 

165 

171 

172 

WAR ON WEEDS 

Jo Arnell tackles garden invaders 

WHAT’S IN A NAME? 

Sue Whigham explores plant titles 

SUMMER STUDY 

Susan Elkin’s education debate 

GET YOUR LIFE IN ORDER 

We speak to the lawyers about 

planning for the future 

WHAT’S ON? 

Find out... 

COMPETITION 

Win a stunning butcher’s 

block from Neptune 

FABLES FROM THE FARM 

Jane Howard ponders Brexit and 

the farm 

KITCHEN & 

BATHROOM 

SUPPLEMENT 

36 pages of 

design ideas 

After page 110. 

Kitchen& 

Bathroom 

A Wealden Times Supplement 

7 

Sponsored by 

04WT184Supplement.indd 1 23/05/2017 16:32

Wadhurst 

A beautiful Wealden Hall style country house, combining classic features with modern 

family living and set in a tranquil spot, nestled amongst Sussex countryside 

5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 5 reception rooms. Separate 2 bed converted barn. Gardens and grounds with 

swimming pool, tennis court, fields, woodland and pond. Garaging and storage. EPC ratings E & F. 

In all about 9.28 acres. 

Guide price: £2,750,000 

KnightFrank.co.uk/TNW110046 

simon.biddulph@knightfrank.com 

KnightFrank.co.uk/tunbridge-wells 

01892 310700 

julia.robotham@knightfrank.com 

KnightFrank.co.uk/country 

020 7861 5390 

@KF_TWells 

KnightFrank.co.uk

Our understanding of the 

ever-changing market enables us 

to price your property accurately. 

And with our local knowledge 

and extensive network of London 

offices, you can rely on Knight 

Frank to get you moving. 

Call us today on 01892 310700 to 

discuss your property search or to 

arrange a free market valuation. 

Guide price: £885,000 

Frittenden 

An attractive Grade II Listed farmhouse within the Cranbrook School Catchment Area 

5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms. Detached double garage and detached 

workshop / garden store. Gardens and grounds with paved terrace and orchard. 

In all about 0.75 acres. 

@KF_TWells 

KnightFrank.co.uk 

Guide price: £1,450,000 

Goudhurst 

An attractive Grade II Listed farmhouse with a detached oast house 

5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms. Detached oast house. Garaging. Gardens, grounds and equestrian facilities. 

In all about 3.76 acres.

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

harpers and hurlingham 

Scarecrow 

competition 

Local schools and children’s 

organisations have been 

invited to create their own 

Scarecrow 

which will be displayed 

on our Stand at 

Wealden Times Midsummer Fair 

8 th , 9 th & 10 th June 

Please visit us to vote for your favourite 

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

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

harpers and hurlingham 

cranbrook £1,700,000 

Impressive Grade II* Listed Town House in Prominent 

Position · Four reception rooms · Kitchen/breakfast 

room · Boot room, utility and cloakroom · Eight 

bedrooms (two ensuite) · Two bathrooms · Two attic 

rooms · Partially walled garden · Garaging · EPC: n/a 

Cranbrook School Catchment Area 

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 

Sutton Valence £1,350,000 

Impressive Grade II Listed Georgian Rectory · Four 

reception rooms · Kitchen/breakfast room · Utility room 

· Extensive cellars including office and billiard room · 

Seven bedrooms (four ensuite) · Stunning gardens with 

swimming pool · Garaging · EPC: n/a 

Viewing Highly Recommended 

kilndown £1,295,000 

Family home in stunning rural location · Four reception 

rooms · Kitchen/breakfast/family room · Utility room 

· Boot room · Two cloakrooms · Four bedrooms · 

Two bath and shower rooms · Garden and grounds 

approximately 4 acres · EPC: E 

Cranbrook School Catchment Area 


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 

Aldington £675,000 

Substantial detached family home surrounded by countryside, with 1 

bedroom annexe, swimming pool, outbuildings, and gardens of over 1 acre 

Four Bedrooms • Annexe • Conservatory • Double Garage & Offi ce • EPC TBC 

Benenden £800,000 

Sympathetically extended detached family home with 1 bedroom annexe, 

set in 1.35 acres and within the Cranbrook School Catchment Area 

Four Bedrooms • En Suite & Bathroom • Private Gardens • EPC Rating D 

Rolvenden O.I.E.O £550,000 

Picturesque white weatherboard Grade II Listed Georgian family home, 

offering deceptively spacious accommodation and situated within the CSCA 

Four Bedrooms • Modern Kitchen/Dining Room • Private Garden • EPC Exempt 

Tenterden £399,000 

Well presented detached family home situated in a popular quiet cul de 

sac with easy access to local Schools and the High Street of Tenterden 

Four Bedroom • No Chain • Conservatory • En Suite • EPC Rating C 

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 

New Instruction 

Chart Sutton Offers in Excess of £600,000 

A beautifully refurbished cottage located in a semi rural and peaceful 

location • Completely Refurbished & Extended • 4 Bedrooms • 3 Bathrooms 

• Kitchen / Dining Area • Sitting Room • Study • Utility Room • Cart Style 

Garage • EPC C 

Hawkhurst Guide Price £725,000 

An individual Colt house on the semi rural periphery of the village • CSCA 

• No Onward Chain • 3/4 Reception Rooms • Kitchen/Breakfast Room • 4 

Bedrooms • 2 Bath/Shower Rooms • Extensive Garaging • Gardens and 

Grounds of about 0.7 acres • EPC D 

Price Reduction 

Cranbrook Offers in Excess of £750,000 

An individual family house incorporating stunning contemporary interior 

located in a quiet setting in the heart of the town • CSCA *Reception Room 

• Kitchen/Dining/Living Room • Conservatory • 5 Bedrooms • 3 Bath/ 

Shower Rooms • Gardens • EPC C 

Biddenden Guide Price £1,150,000 

A substantial country house affording a rural outlook and benefiting from 

leisure complex • CSCA • 2 Reception Rooms • Conservatory • Kitchen/ 

Breakfast Room • 4 Bedrooms • 2 Bathrooms • Leisure Complex • Former 

Office Block • 2 Stable Blocks • Circa 5 acres • EPC C 

East Farleigh Guide Price £1,250,000 

A substantial Grade II listed former Vicarage amid beautiful landscaped 

grounds in the Conservation Area • 4 Reception Rooms • Kitchen/ 

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

Outbuildings • Gardens and Grounds including Kitchen Garden & Ice House 

Staplecross Guide Price £1,500,000 

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

leisure facilities • 4 Reception Rooms • Kitchen • 6 Bedrooms • 4 Bathrooms 

• Self contained cottage • Billiard room • Barn with swimming pool • Tennis 

court • Circa 3 acres 

coming 26 January 2015

Winchelsea, East Sussex - £425,000 

A 1920s semi-detached house in the Conservation Area. 

Kitchen/breakfast room, living room, conservatory, 2 

double bedrooms and bathroom. Garden. EPC E 

Wittersham, Kent - £349,950 

2 bedroom cottage, formerly bakers and cobblers, 

in the Conservation area. An attached property with 

entrance hall, part vaulted living room, kitchen, two 

bedrooms, bathroom. Large garden. EPC G 

Brookland, Kent - £895,000 

Lovely Grade II Listed farmhouse. Sitting room, dining 

room, kitchen/breakfast room, utility/cloakroom, 4 

bedrooms, attic room. Single garage with office over. 

Parking. Garden and orchard of 1.25 acres. 

Winchelsea, East Sussex - £985,000 

Georgian style 1950’s house with views in need of 

updating. Living room, dining room, kitchen, utility, 

study, 5 bedrooms. Double carport. Garage. Approx. 1 

acre garden. EPC F 

Peasmarsh, East Sussex - £425,000 

Renovated cottage retaining period features. Living 

room with inglenook, kitchen/dining room, garden 

room, sun room, 3 bedrooms. Off road parking. Single 

garage. Garden. EPC D 

Stone-cum-Ebony, East Sussex - £1,100,000 

Large period barn. Vaulted drawing/dining room, 

kitchen, study, 2 further reception rooms, utility. 3 

double bedrooms and 2 bedroom annexe. Barn with 

garaging and studio. Garden and Paddock of 1.5 acres. 

Stable. EPC G 

RYE OFFICE 01797 227338 

MAYFAIR OFFICE 0870 112 7099 

phillipsandstubbs.co.uk

MAXIMISE THE VALUE 

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What our clients say… 

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“Guy and team at CHH did a 

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE 

Downsizing Dilemmas 

Professional property finder Mandy Bissell discusses some of the questions that need to be addressed 

when considering downsizing from a family home to something more manageable. 

After many years of living in a family home 

surrounded by memories and a familiar 

structure, the decision to move to a more 

manageable property can be a tough one 

and something that many choose to put 

off until life forces a decision. Many sellers 

continue to battle on maintaining a large 

garden and caring for an oversized house, 

whilst knowing in their hearts that they 

ought to move to a smaller and easier abode. 

So, what are the questions one should ask 

when toying with the idea of downsizing? 

When is the right time to downsize? 

The answer to this is uniquely personal. 

Obvious catalysts are when a partner 

dies, health fails or family settles far away, 

however, there are more subtle clues that 

when spotted can provide a good indication 

that it is time to consider moving to easier 

premises. These might include when you 

realise that you spend all your time in one 

or two rooms leaving the rest empty for 

most of the year, or when a previously wellmanicured 

garden becomes overgrown 

because the maintenance is too onerous. 

Or maybe you spend all winter in jumpers 

and a hat because heating your home is too 

expensive? 

It is hugely admirable to ‘bat on’, and if 

your love for your home outweighs the 

negatives then leave this article and 

move onto the next page. However, if 

you feel that you should be considering 

downsizing and fear of the unknown or a 

reluctance to face the challenge of selling 

and buying is putting you off, then please 

be reassured that help is at hand. 

Mandy Bissell GARRINGTON 

What options are available for sellers? 

Once the decision to move has been made, 

one of the initial questions to consider is 

what to do with the existing home. After 

living in the same home for maybe decades, 

the idea of entering the housing market, 

having photos of your personal spaces 

all over the internet, and buyers traipsing 

around can be particularly off putting. 

One option is to sell ‘off-market’ where 

a select few targeted, fully proceedable 

buyers are introduced to your property on a 

discreet basis, and the resulting sale can be 

transacted in a low key and calm manner – 

and normally at a pace that suits your needs. 

Common buying challenges to think about 

When downsizing, and choosing the 

type of house suitable for your next 

move, the challenge for many is to find 

somewhere that is smaller and easier 

to maintain (fit to lock up and go), 

but still big enough to accommodate 

the furniture that has filled a larger 

house and perhaps visiting family and 

grandchildren. Many want a reasonable 

sized garden, a character home, but not 

with the huge maintenance load, and a 

peaceful location within easy reach of 

shops, restaurants and social groups. 

Thinking longer term, many also like to 

consider issues such as no longer being 

able to drive or the need for more regular 

access to medical facilities. No doubt 

about it, there is a lot to consider. 

There is a growing trend for developers to 

offer over 55’s apartment blocks, purpose 

built to accommodate the needs of the 

ageing population with some offering 

on-call care services, social events, 

maintained gardens, communal areas 

etc. The appeal of these developments 

is clear, but buyers need to be careful 

when assessing the pricing of these 

homes as many will have (sometimes 

hefty) annual service charges, additional 

charges for parking and cleverly worded 

legal clauses. Indeed, buyers need to be 

fully aware of what is and is not included 

in the asking price. 

Other buying options include townhouses 

and or village homes, once again, buyers 

need to give careful thought to whether 

these are suitable long term options as 

needs and mobility changes. 

The property market, no matter which 

location or property type you are 

considering is forever changing. For 

even the most weathered of property 

buyers and sellers the complexities 

can be overwhelming; having a trusted 

advisor acting on your behalf and able 

to offer objective advice can lift the 

pressure at a time of great change. 

If you would like some support when considering downsizing and to learn how Garrington can save you 

time and money finding the right home either locally or across the UK, contact Mandy Bissell: 

Tel: 01892 882892 | info@garrington.co.uk | www.garringtonsoutheast.co.uk

Computer generated image 

R E S E R V A T I O N S B E I N G T A K E N 

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

Two stylish 3 bedroom semi detached new homes. Ready for occupation winter 2017. 

Priced at £465,000 | T: 01622 673086 | E: enquiries@sibleypares.co.uk 

Follow us for updates: @MillwoodDHomes millwooddhomes MillwoodDesignerHomes 

www.millwooddesignerhomes.co.uk 

sJd – developing potential 

SibleyParesWT184.indd 1 22/05/2017 17:06 

If you think your property 

could be developed, why not 

give us a call without obligation 

and in confidence. 

Many of our clients retain our 

services and, in the majority of 

cases, pay our fees saving property 

owners significant costs. 

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 development potential 

SJD-Half 190x133.indd 1 09/04/2017 18:25 


18 

SJDprojectsWT184.indd 1 02/05/2017 15:57

www.cidproperty.co.uk 55 Cinque Ports Street, Rye TN31 7AN 01797 224852 

Rye Guide Price £POA Rye Guide Price £274,950 

A Prime Grade II listed landmark building, coming to the market for the fi rst 

time in 85 years, large double fronted shop with 4/5 bedroom house with 

private rear garden, situated opposite Rye’s Landgate Arch. • Double Fronted 

Commercial Premises • Original Features • Gothic Vaulted Cellar • Kitchen 

• Scullery • Dining Room • Living Room• Three Double Bedrooms • Single 

Bedroom • Family Bathroom • Private Rear Garden • EPC: NA 

A characterful Edwardian 3 bedroom mid-terrace house, being ideally 

situated within walking distance of Rye town centre and all its amenities. • 

Sitting Room • Dining Room • Kitchen/Breakfast Room • Master Bedroom 

with Fitted Cupboards• Second Double Bedroom • Rear Bedroom • Shower 

Room /WC • South Facing Rear Garden• Period Features • Double Glazed • 

Gas Central Heating • EPC: D 

Rye Foreign Guide Price £435,000 Rye Guide Price £279,950 

A spatially deceptive detached 5 bedroom bungalow, with versatile 

accommodation offering scope for updating, overlooking open countryside 

situated on the edge of Rye Foreign. • Living Room • Dining Room • Kitchen 

• Utility Room • Master Bedroom with En-Suite Bathroom • Three Double 

Bedrooms • Single Bedroom • Family Bathroom • Double Garage • Home 

Offi ce • Workshop • Summerhouse • EPC: D 

Situated in the heart of Rye this 2 bedroom semi-detached cottage, offers 

well presented accommodation over three fl oors and is in an ideal location 

being within walking distance of all the town amenities and railway station.• 

Living/Dining Room • Kitchen • Family Bathroom • Double Bedroom with En 

Suite and Dressing Area • Twin Bedroom • Courtyard Garden • Central Rye 

Location • EPC: E 

Central Rye Guide Price £POA Camber Guide Price £315,000 

A welcoming attached Georgian house situated on the corners of West Street 

and Mermaid Street within the heart of the Rye citadel. This period property 

offers versatile space with scope to be used as a residential home or part use 

as a commercial outlet (STP). • Basement Storeroom/Kitchen • Ground Floor 

Shop/Living Room • Ground Floor Shower Room/WC • First Floor Living 

Room/Bedroom 3 • First Floor Kitchen • Second Floor Double Bedroom • 

Second Floor Master Bedroom with Walk In Wardrobe & En-suite Bathroom • 

Shower Room/WC • Attic Room • Central Rye Location • EPC: E 

Situated backing onto The Suttons this welcoming New England Style 

3 bedroom detached house offers an ideal holiday retreat with easy 

walking access to the famous Camber Sand Beach. • Entrance Hallway 

• Living Room • Conservatory • Ground Floor Bathroom/WC • 

Ground Floor Bedroom • Kitchen • Master Bedroom • Further Double 

Bedroom with Shower Room/WC • Low Maintenance Garden • Hot Tub 

• 2 Secure Garages • EPC: E

ight 

r 

g 

Downsizing? 

If you’re thinking of downsizing to make 

the most of your retirement, Ticehurst is 

the right place to do it. 

It’s a beautiful and vibrant Sussex village with a community feel, 

an exceptional range of individual shops and pubs, and good 

transport links. 

You’ll also love our spacious, secure apartments complete with 

parking and on-site property manager. They start at £325,000 

with a low service charge – so the price is right too! 

If you’d like to arrange a no pressure visit, call 01892 507 005 

THE COACHWORKS 

TICEHURST VILLAGE 

High Street, Ticehurst, East Sussex TN5 7EX 

01892 507 005 

www.coachworksticehurst.co.uk 

TunbridgeWellsRDS@savills.com

HOUSE OF THE MONTH 

1. 

Luxury Living 

Maggie Alderson finds homes with stunning kitchens and bathrooms 

It’s a fact of modern life that kitchens are the most important room when 

people are looking for a house to buy. No longer the pokey little space where 

mum arranged the slices of Spam and salad (two slices of tomato, three 

lettuce leaves and a foul spring onion) on the plates ready to pass through the 

hatch, it’s now the central family room where we chat, eat, watch TV, entertain 

friends, do homework, drink wine etc. And dance (not just me, right?). 

More surprising might be that the second most important room for house 

viewers now is the master bathroom. Of course, it’s an essential ‘facility’ (as 

in ‘would you like to use the facilities?’) but – as per the modern kitchen 

– it has also become something of a statement and status signifier. 

Being such a personal space, your choice of bathroom style is a key 

reflection of your taste and therefore, your personality and values. Vintage 

fittings, such as roll-top baths, wooden loo seats and Thomas Crapper 

elevated cisterns, suggest admiration for gentler bygone days. Even if one of 

those flushes is more like Niagara crashing down. While an ultra sleek space 

with a wall-hung lavatory and walk-in glass shower space indicates you’re 

likely to be wearing an Apple watch and prefer a virtual reality headset to a 

needlepoint canvas. Grayson Perry could do a whole series about the broader 

societal meaning of our bathroom choices (and I do wish he would). 

Once upon a time a room that was kitted out once when the house was 

built or first had indoor plumbing and then left. Since the advent of the 

avocado suite in the 1970s, bathroom fittings have increasingly become 

subject to fashions – and aspirations. Who these days doesn’t long for double 

basins, at least a touch of marble and a stand alone egg-shaped bath? Or 

perhaps ultra modern feature pedestal basins and wall-mounted taps? Or 

walls of built-in cupboards, with set-in basins and polished wood floors … 

Here are four houses currently for sale which have such dream bathrooms already fitted. 

1. 

1. Stede Court 

Where? Stede Court sits in a rural elevated 

position on the south slope of the North 

Downs within the Kent Downs AONB. 

The house commands wonderful views 

over rolling countryside across the Weald to 

Sussex, Romney Marsh and the Channel. 

It’s set on the rural periphery of the village of 

Harrietsham with primary school, shop, pub 

and station with links to London Victoria. 

What? Yer actual mansion, Stede Court 

is steeped in history, with records of a house 

on the site dating back to when William the 

Conqueror gave the site to his half-brother 

Odo. It combines architectural features 

from Tudor through to Victorian eras, with 

the south-facing grand façade a dreamy 

Georgian ideal. It’s equally fabulous inside 

with numerous spacious reception rooms, 

an indoor pool and a contemporary eat-in 

kitchen. Upstairs there are eight bedrooms 

and four bathrooms, the one in the master 

suite of particular marbled splendour. 

How much? For ownership 

of this dream house, Jackson Stops, 

Cranbrook are seeking offers in excess 

of £2.8 million. Call them on 01580 

720000 and peruse jackson-stops.co.uk 


22

2. 

3. 

4. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

2. Tamarind 

Where? Tamarind sits at an elevated 

position in a rural location, with 

panoramic southerly views. It’s two 

miles from the delightful villages of 

Ticehurst and Etchingham, which has 

a mainline station, trains taking 1 hour 

15 mins to Charing Cross. Tunbridge 

Wells is just over twelve miles away. 

What? 10,400 square feet of 

exceptionally finished, high spec 

design, including the latest wireless 

systems for lighting, music, security 

etc, Tamarind is a 21st century take 

on the country house which retains 

a feel of traditional architecture on 

its exterior. Inside it has a vaulted 

reception hall, drawing room, dining 

room, study, breakfast room, with 

a kitchen of great splendour, plus 

a conservatory and leisure complex 

with a cinema and games room. The 

two upper floors have five bedrooms, 

all with adjoining bathrooms. The 

master suite is spectacular with a 

bedroom, a private sitting room – 

both looking out to the view – a 

dressing room and huge bathroom. 

How much? The house is priced 

at £3,600,000, marketed via Savills, 

Tunbridge Wells. Phone on 01892 

507000 and look online at savills.com 

3. Gun Green Oast 

Where? Gun Green Oast sits on 

a plot of six acres on a picture perfect 

country lane just outside the pretty 

village of Hawkhurst with its Waitrose 

and Kino cinema, opposite St Ronan’s 

School and in the catchment for 

Cranbrook School. Etchingham station, 

with trains to London Bridge in under 

1.5 hours is just over six miles away. 

What? This house really is the best 

of both worlds. From the outside it’s a 

classic twin roundel oast joined onto a 

white weatherboard barn section – but 

inside the converted interior has been 

renovated to the highest standard, in 

a very appealing contemporary design 

style. There is a wonderful open plan 

reception space, with the kitchen/dining 

room flowing through to a sitting 

room and a music room, in either 

roundel. There are five bedrooms and 

five bathrooms, all with stylish modern 

fittings. In the extensive landscaped 

gardens – irrigated via a spring system – 

is a detached studio, perfect for artistic 

endeavours or as a gym/yoga studio. 

How much? Gun Green Oast 

is on the market at £1,695,000 

with Knight Frank Tunbridge 

Wells. Call 01892 882682 or 

browse knightfrank.co.uk 

4. Brexon Court 

Where? Brexon Court sits east of 

the attractive village of Bredgar within 

a belt of AONB countryside, ten miles 

from Sittingbourne with its excellent 

one hour rail links to London. 

What? Dating back to c.1500 with 

beams and leaded windows, Brexon Court 

is one of the finest Grade II listed houses 

in the region, with astounding character 

and space – two of the bedrooms are big 

enough to have sofas at the end of the 

beds. The ground floor has a large kitchen/ 

breakfast room augmented by a utility room 

and a walk-in larder, plus two cellars, three 

reception rooms, plus a very large hall. On 

the first floor the master bedroom has an 

adjoining shower room and a dressing room, 

and there are two more bedrooms, one en 

suite, plus a further family bathroom. There 

are another two bedrooms on the top floor. 

Outside there is a large barn/workshop 

with offices, a kitchen and bathroom, plus 

several other outbuildings, one of them 

kitted out as an entertainment suite with a 

bar and a loo. The gardens are mainly set 

to lawn with in keeping yew hedging. 

How much? Brexon Court is listed 

with a guide price of £1,750,000 with Fine 

and Country, West Malling. Phone 01732 

222272 and look online at 

fineandcountry.com 

23 wealdentimes.co.uk

The Kitchen is the Heart of Your Home 

See how we can transform your home today www.stellisonsinteriors.co.uk j.stevens@bentonskitchens.co.uk 

Showroom: 18 Maynard Road, Canterbury, Kent CT1 3RH Telephone: 01227 767576

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 

BurrswoodWT184.indd 1 04/05/2017 16:20 

嘀䤀匀䤀吀伀唀刀一䔀圀匀吀伀刀䔀䤀一匀䔀嘀䔀一伀䄀䬀匀 ⴀ 

㔀匀儀䘀吀伀䘀䈀䔀䄀唀吀䤀䘀唀䰀䘀唀刀一䤀吀唀刀䔀䄀一䐀䜀䤀䘀吀匀伀嘀䔀刀アパート䘀䰀伀伀刀匀 ℀ 

圀圀圀 ⸀ 䰀伀一䐀伀一刀伀䄀䐀䘀唀刀一䤀吀唀刀䔀 ⸀ 䌀伀 ⸀ 唀䬀 

圀圀圀 ⸀ 䘀䄀刀一䤀一䜀䠀䄀䴀伀䄀䬀 ⸀ 䌀伀 ⸀ 唀䬀 

伀唀刀匀䠀伀圀刀伀伀䴀䤀一䘀䄀刀一䤀一䜀䠀䄀䴀 

吀䔀䰀㤀㔀㤀㔀アパートアパート㐀アパートアパート ⴀ 䰀伀一䐀伀一刀伀䄀䐀 Ⰰ 䠀䄀䰀匀吀䔀䄀䐀 Ⰰ 匀䔀嘀䔀一伀䄀䬀匀 Ⰰ 䬀䔀一吀吀一㐀㜀䄀䄀 

䘀䄀刀一䤀一䜀䠀䄀䴀伀䄀䬀䈀刀䄀一䌀䠀 ⴀ 吀䔀䰀アパート㈀㈀㠀㘀アパート㈀アパート ⴀ 䠀䤀䜀䠀匀吀刀䔀䔀吀 Ⰰ 䘀䄀刀一䤀一䜀䠀䄀䴀 Ⰰ 䬀䔀一吀䐀䄀㐀䐀䜀 

25 wealdentimes.co.uk 

FarninghamPineOakWT184.indd 1 11/05/2017 16:59

Upholstered Furniture, Dining Furniture, 

Beds & Bedroom Furniture 

Searching for quality furniture in Sussex, at 

competitive prices? Looking for a Bed in Sussex, 

backed by true customer service? Then look no further 

than Hailsham’s premier furniture and beds store 

Open: Monday to Saturday, 9am–5pm 

Bank Holiday opening times: 10am–4pm 

Summer Sale starts Saturday 17th June 

Your local independent retailer, with a massive display of quality fabric or leather 

suites, dining and bedroom furniture, beds, sofabeds and recliner chairs. 

Thorndale Furnishers, Unit 1, Burfield Park, South Road, Hailsham BN27 3JL 

T: 01323 847759 www.thorndale-furnishers.co.uk 

ThorndaleFurnishersWT184.indd 1 08/05/2017 12:57 

Father’s Day Lunch 

Sunday 18 th June 

Treat Dad this Father’s Day! 

Join us this Father’s Day for a sumptuous 3 Course Lunch! 

£20 per person 

£10 Children 12 & Under 

All Dads get a Free Beer or Glass of Wine 

Dale Hill Hotel & Golf Club, Ticehurst, 

Wadhurst, East Sussex TN5 7DQ 

T: 01580 202103 

E: marketing@dalehill.co.uk 

W: dalehill.co.uk 


26 

DaleHillWT184.indd 1 18/05/2017 11:57

Designer and maker of handmade bespoke kitchens and furniture. Established 1980 

Unit 3 Chart Farm 

Seal Chart 

Sevenoaks 

Kent 

TN15 0ES 

Tel: 01732 763610 / 07809 504251 

Email: info@grantsofsevenoaks.co.uk 

www.grantsofsevenoaks.co.uk

White’s The Jewellers is Under New Family Ownership 

Gold, Diamond Jewellery & 

Prestigious Watches Purchased For Cash 

Pre-owned Antique Timeless 

Family Owned 

96 High St, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6JB 

Telephone 01580 763 155 

www.whitesjewellers.co.uk 

info@whitesjewellers.co.uk 

35 St Leonards Rd, Bexhill-on-Sea TH40 1HP 

Telephone 01424 211 835 

www.thomasfrenchjewellers.com 

thomas.frenchjewellers@gmail.com

the home of world furniture 

NEW IN 

‘master table’ 

solid oak top with 

iron or glass legs 

trading boundaries 

sheffield green, nr fletching, east sussex tn22 3rb 

01825 790200 - tradingboundaries.com 

WEALDEN_TB_Half_APRIL.indd 1 21/03/2017 14:39 

TradingBoundariesWT182.indd 1 21/03/2017 14:54 

The 

Ceramic 

Studio 

POTTERY CLASSES 

NOW 

RECRUITING 

ADDITIONAL 

TUTORS 

WE ARE EXPANDING 

NEW PORCELAIN & SCULPTURE CLASSES FOR 2017 

Moat Farm Whetstead Road Five Oak Green Tonbridge TN12 6RR 01892 832901 rani@theceramicstudio.me.uk 


RANI STUDIO WT.indd 1 23/05/2017 20:32 

30 

CeramicStudioWT184.indd 1 24/05/2017 09:39

BEACH AT RYE HARBOUR 

VENICE 

JUST TEN GALLERY 

RYE 

LIMITED EDITION FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY 

BY CLIVE SAWYER 

103a High Street, Rye, East Sussex TN31 7JN 

www.just-ten.gallery clive@just-ten.gallery 

M: 07738 715354 T: 01797 222213

Put back pain 

behind you 

Slipped Disc or Sciatica? 

Get a Back Pain 

Assessment 

£25 

usually £45 

Quote “WT25” 

C 

M 

Y 

CM 

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CY 

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If you are on a merry-go round of GP visits and painkillers, 

get your life back with The IDD Therapy Disc Programme. 

Suitable for ‘Slipped’ or herniated discs 

Sciatica and nerve pain Chronic back and neck pain 

K 

Why choose IDD Therapy? 

IDD Therapy decompresses targeted spinal segments safely 

and gently. The non-invasive treatment eases pressure on nerves, 

relieves pain and helps to restore mobility as part of a programme 

for lasting recovery. SUITABLE FOR ADULTS OF ALL AGES. 

Don’t live with your pain, get help today. 

Wealden Osteopaths & Spine Centre 

Risebridge Health & Sports Club, 

Ranters Lane, Goudhurst, Kent, TN17 1HN 

01580 212833 

wealdenosteopaths.co.uk

The Greatest Celebration Of Military History And Vintage Lifestyle In The World! 



































































































































































































Tanks & Heavy Armour • WW2 Motorcycles • Historic Battle Re-Enactments 




































































































































































































































Arena Events • Classic Cars • Model Hall • Steam Engines • Vintage Tractors 





































































































































































Living History • Vintage Dining • Home Front & Animal Farm 





















































































































Vintage Clothing • Fairground • Camping With Day And Night Entertainment 




















































































































































Vintage Cloth

FESTIVAL 

LINDISFARNE 

Mt EPHRAIM GARDENS, 

FAVERSHAM, KENT AUGUST 25-27 

A delightful weekend in the country with good 

food, great beers and excellent music 

An amazing line-up of giants of classic rock, progressive rock, folk 

and blues, together in the UK’s most beautiful festival setting. 

John Lees' 

BARCLAY JAMES 

HARVEST 

FOCUS 

Martin Turner ex WISHBONE ASH * KING KING * SOFT MACHINE * IO EARTH 

THE YARDBIRDS * GRYPHON * HOME SERVICE * THE STRAWBS * DR FEELGOOD * PARADISE 9 

JACKIE LYNTON BAND * SOLSTICE * DEL BROMHAM'S BLUES DEVILS * EDGAR BROUGHTON 

PEARL HANDLED REVOLVER * THE FIERCE & THE DEAD * KINDRED SPIRIT * TOMMY JUSTICE 

HOUSE OF X (X-UFO) * JACKIE McAULEY BAND * DENNIS GREAVES & MARK FELTHAM (Nine 

Below Zero) * OPENSIGHT * TRUE DECEIVERS * WOLFSHEAD & VIXEN GOTH MORRIS & more 

Well stocked bars with a great selection of real ales and lagers from 2016 award winning brewery 

Wantsum and 2015 award winners Canterbrew along with Britain’s oldest brewery Shepherd 

Neame, plus 2017 award winning ciders from Kentish Pip, all @ £3.50 a pint, Pimms, and a good 

selection of wines. Food & Craft Stalls, Music Workshops & more 

Camping, Pre-Pitched Camping 

and Boutique Camping (Glamping) 

available. FREE PARKING 

Before July: 

3DAY TICKET £96 

Day tickets from £32 

Discounted Group and Family 

tickets available until July 

TICKET HOTLINE 

0844 884 2920 

Details and online tickets at 

www.anewdayfestival.com

Recruiting Hair Stylists

Café 

Breakfast, lunch, 

including our grab 

and go range, salad 

bar, soup station, popular 

hot bistro menu and 

speciality hot drinks 

with homemade cake, 

all using local and 

seasonal produce 

Visit our friendly café in a unique 

setting, nestled within 200 hectares of 

fruit orchards in East Malling, Kent 

Open Monday–Friday, 8am–4pm 

Breakfast served 8am–10:30am 

Hot Lunches served 12pm–2pm 

Call 01732 523782 

The Orchards Café, New Road, 

East Malling, Kent ME19 6BJ 

@OrchardsEventsVenue 

@orchardsvenue 

Orchard CafeWT184.indd 1 22/05/2017 15:20 

Lizzy. Bury St Edmunds. 

Plant lover who wants to keep spring 

in her home all year long. 

It’s your story. 

So it’s tailored to you. 

Spring 

Sale 

Kentwell Large Sofa from £1257 in House Linen / Cotton. 

£39.28 a month over 2 years. 0% APR, 25% deposit. 

Let’s design together 

The Estate Yard, Eridge, Nr Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 9JR 

Call us on 01892 572 309 or visit sofasandstuff.com 


36 

SofasAndStuffWT184.indd 1 04/05/2017 12:09

Affordable, 

Simple and Safe: 

Motorised Blinds 

FREE 

NO OBLIGATION 

NO OBLIGATION 

HOME VISIT, 

HOME VISIT, 

QUOTATION AND 

QUOTATION AND 

FITTING 

FITTING 

For For the 

the ultimate 

ultimate in 

in timeless 

timeless elegance 

elegance look look 

no no 

further further than 

than 

Blind Blind 

Blind Design’s Design’s 

Design’s range range 

range of blinds, of 

of shutters shutters and 

and and blinds. 

blinds. curtains. 

Call Freephone 

0800 988 1071 

For Your Free Home Visit 

Unit 6, Harvington Business Park, Brampton Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 9AF 

Unit 6, Harvington Business Park, Brampton Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 9AF 

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

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

Telephone 01323 509 661 Freephone 0800 988 1071 

Telephone 01323 509 661 Freephone 0800 988 1071 

www.blind-design.co.uk 

www.blind-design.co.uk

TAKE THE MASERATI WAY 

Levante. The Maserati of SUVs. Starting at £56,250 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. 

Visit us at the Midsummer Fair on stand O74. 

MOTORLINE MASERATI MAIDSTONE 

Bircholt Road, Maidstone, ME15 9XY 

Phone: 01622 616 291 | 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 £68,935 On The Road including optional Luxury Pack at £6,130, 21 inch Anteo alloy 

wheels at £2,780, Driver Assistance Pack at £1,500, panoramic sunroof at £1,235, Rear laminated privacy glass at 

£360 and bi-xenon front headlamps at £680.

We are nursery specialists, 

stocking all the major brands 

at competitive prices 

CLAIM YOUR 

IN-STORE VOUCHER 

£50 when you spend £500 

or £100 when you 

spend £1000 

www.littlepoppets.co Telephone: 01732 456497 

142c & 142d St Johns Hill, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 3PF 

LittlePoppetsWT184.indd 1 24/05/2017 16:12 

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. 

Exclusive offers when quoting Wealden Times 

Fully guaranteed 

Free fitting & measuring 


LoveBlindsWT184.indd 1 22/05/2017 10:25

Wed 21 – Sun 25 Jun 

GANGSTA 

GRANNY 

From the acclaimed producers 

of HORRIBLE HISTORIES 

comes the world premiere of 

this amazing story by David 

Walliams, the UK’s bestselling 

author for children. 

assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk | 01892 530613 /AssemblyHallTheatre /ahttw #yourlocaltheatre AssemblyHallTheatre 

AssemblyHallTheatreWT184.indd 1 24/05/2017 16:50 

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 


40 

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

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 

Not all rugs are oriental or contemporary. This rug can be made any size and in any colour palette. 

History In the Making 

History In the Making 

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

A rug is a breathtaking one knot work at of a time. art with Memories thousands become of hand-tied woven into knots them woven as they in intricate slowly absorb designs, your one family knot at history a time. Memories 

become woven into and them become as they family slowly heirlooms. absorb Building your family a home history about and become collecting family pieces heirlooms. that you Building will want a to home is about 

collecting pieces that have you will forever, want pieces to have that forever, one day pieces your that children one day or grandchildren your or will grandchildren be proud to own. will be proud to own.

THE BIG CAT SANCTUARY 

JAMConcertWT184.indd 1 18/05/2017 11:41 

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 from £15.00 | Weekends £17.50 

WEEKEND TICKETS SOLD OUT 

Book your weekday tickets now to avoid disappointment 

Advanced booking only - book your place today by visiting our website 

www.thebigcatsanctuary.org 

Charity Reg No.1104420 

The Big Cat Sanctuary, Headcorn Road, 

Smarden, Kent TN27 8PJ | 01233 771915 


42 

WildlifeHeritageFoundationWT184.indd 1 18/05/2017 15:29

Our Midsummer Fair... 

This June Wealden Times Midsummer Fair 2017 is 

celebrating summer in sensational style at Hole Park, 

Rolvenden. From Thursday 8 to Saturday 10 we will be 

taking all you know and love about Wealden Times and 

bringing it to life with over 250 handpicked stands. We’ve 

got sumptuous streetfoods, a glorious Garden Hub, Healthy 

Living Festival with celebrated speakers, fabulous fashions and 

homewares and much, much more. Visit wealdentimes.co.uk 

to book tickets and see our exhibitor listings. See you there! 

June 

notebook 

Exhibitions & events 

near you this month... 

Show Time... 

It’s the 50th Anniversary of the South of England 

Show on Thursday 8 to Saturday 10 June, and to 

celebrate the South of England Agricultural Society 

are pulling out all the stops. The Showground in 

Ardingly will be filled with street performers, live 

music, a land train, a country sports village, acres of 

shopping, food courts and, of course, the animals 

will be the stars of the show with heavy horses, 

equestrian showing, showjumping, livestock parade 

and displays of prize winners. Buy tickets online for 

15% discount until midnight on 7 June seas.org.uk 

Pirates and Mermaids... 

From Saturday 27 May to Sunday 4 June, meet 

the mystical mermaids and mischievous pirates 

of Groombridge Place’s lakes. Hop on board 

to explore Crusoe’s World with its authentic 

adventure-filled ship, sing an old sea shanty, and 

walk the planks of the raised board walk. Find out 

more at groombridgeplace.com 

Behind the Face... 

Four award-winning Kent artists, Felicity 

Gill, Andrew James, Michelle Illing and Gilly 

Lovegrove, combine forces in Behind the Face, 

an exhibition of contemporary portraits, at the 

Trinity Theatre Gallery in Tunbridge Wells from 

Monday 5 to Sunday 18 June. With examples of 

the commissioned and the personal, this exhibition 

highlights the influence a client’s requirements can 

have and questions what an artist could create when 

freed from these constraints. trinitytheatre.net 

Divas on Wheels... 

This ladies’ cycle ride in aid of Pilgrims Hospices 

departs from the Freewheel Pub and Cycling 

Cafe in Graveney on Sunday 18 June. Whatever 

your ability level, choose from either a 25 or 50 

mile route. The organisers are expecting over 250 

riders, though it’s not surprising: the post ride 

BBQ with music, homemade cakes and pampering 

for riders and dads (as it’s Father’s Day) is a great 

inspiration to keep you pedalling! Get more details 

at pilgrimshospices.org / thefreewheel.pub 

Woodlands Festival... 

Wonder and magic are woven into the glorious Elm 

Wood at the heart of the Weald for one weekend 

from Friday 9 to Sunday 11 June during Woodlands 

Festival. At this family friendly event, parents and 

children are given special attention with woodland 

activities, festival sitters and enchanted forest disco 

for any little woodlanders. After bedtime the grown 

ups get treated to a silent disco and outdoor cinema. 

What’s more, your fun can do some good for charity, 

as the festival will be raising funds for Dementia UK 

and Cancer Research UK. woodlandsfestival.co.uk 

The Home Front... 

Hever Castle marks Armed Forces Day with a 

full complement of re-enactors, model boats and 

vintage stalls. Experience history coming to life in 

a classic double decker bus full of reconstructions, 

show off your moves in the swing dance tent, 

and be sure to visit the 40s salon – there will be 

prizes for best dressed visitors. You could even 

meet Winston Churchill, who will be giving a 

memorable speech, or get your picture taken with 

a life size model Hurricane or a 3/4 size model 

Spitfire. Go to hevercastle.co.uk for more details. 


Summer Body eventS 

thurSday 22nd June 

Whatever your aesthetic concerns, 

we have a selection of suitable 

treatment options available. 

Find out more at our Summer Body 

event where Doctor Sophie Shotter 

will be the lead speaker on Cool 

sculpting, Aqualyx, Skinade and 

more of the treatments that are 

offered at Illuminate skin clinic. 

Special offers on the night. 

At Hotel Du Vin, Tunbridge Wells 

on Thursday 22/06/17 from 7 pm. 

01732 647007 

illuminateskinclinic.co.uk 

IlluminateSkinClinicWT184.indd 1 24/05/2017 16:55 

Dude and Arnette are a fourth family generation family 

business. Our team specialises in restoring and repairing 

cowls – the distinctive chimneys on the top of Oast houses. 

est 

DUDE & 

ARNETTE 

OAST COWL CONSTRUCTION 

We are the UK’s leading restorer and repairer of traditional Kent hop kilns. 

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44 

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Editor’s 

Letter 

June is the month we’ve all been looking forward 

to – it’s time for Wealden Times Midsummer Fair. 

Come and meet our handpicked exhibitors from 

Thursday 8 to Saturday 10 in the stunning grounds of 

Hole Park in Rolvenden. There’s still time to pre-book your 

tickets at wealdentimes.co.uk to save time at the gate. 

In the magazine this month we’ve explored not two, but 

three interiors. The first, a quirky B&B, is a wonderful mix 

of unique vintage finds peppered with highstreet buys – all of 

which have been sourced to reflect the owners’ desire to create 

a truly pampering retreat for their guests. The second (and 

third) is a pair of flats in the same building, owned by two 

sisters and with wonderful views out to sea. See how they’ve 

stamped their personalities onto each home from page 84. 

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seasonal outfits and Jo Arnell has created three ridiculously 

tasty recipes to make the most of irresistible soft fruit. 

Our Kitchen & Bathroom Supplement gives us the 

ideal opportunity to keep you up to date with the latest 

trends, fixtures and fittings – from contemporary islands 

to luxury bathing. Turn to page 111 to find out more. 

Find all this along with our regular round up of gardening 

advice, health and beauty news, plus a fantastic competition 

from Neptune on this issue’s penultimate page. 

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 

Events & Marketing Assistant........................................... Meghan Rice-Wilson 

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ErasOfStyleWT184.indd 1 04/05/2017 14:40

A Treat in Store 

Housed in a former village stores, Diane and Ian’s quirky 

B&B offers a tranquil haven with a truly personal touch. 

Words: Jo Arnell 

Photographs: David Merewether 

Styling: Helen Barton 


54


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56 

BackfromBlackWT162.indd 1 15/07/2015 12:20

Previous pages: Diane sources unusual and interesting objects in high street chain stores and charity 

shops Above: There is a nod to the apartment’s previous incarnation as the village stores in the form 

of a statement set of scales that sit on the counter between the dining and cooking area 

Picture the perfect getaway. Where do you fancy? Paris? 

Rome? Or perhaps somewhere exotic and further away? 

Well, yesterday I might have been imagining a faraway 

place too, but today I want to stay in Rolvenden Layne. I 

only live down the road from this wonderful little bolt hole, 

but within two minutes of meeting Diane and glancing 

quickly around her gorgeously quirky apartment, I’m already 

wondering whether I could slip away for a few days. It is to 

die for – or at least, to lie down and dream in for a while. 

Diane’s dream, twenty years ago, was to move out of 

London and set up a business. “I wanted to move to the 

country and have an antique shop with a tearoom,” says 

Diane. “The idea was to mix and match; selling antique 

furniture while providing tea and cake.” The Old 

 


Left Diane has created her very own version of The 

Little Paris kitchen. She hasn’t been afraid to use dark 

colours in this low beamed house and has opted for a 

sophisticated dark grey – Farrow and Ball’s ‘Plummet’ 

General Stores in Rolvenden provided the space for this 

perfect combination. The Stores is a lovely white weatherboarded 

building, following the vernacular style of the area. 

Originally built around 400 years ago, it had been a shop 

since the 1800s. It was looking worn and outmoded when 

the couple moved in and they had considerable work to do 

before setting up shop. “The people before us had been in 

their 70s or 80s and although there was nothing structural 

to do, it needed a lot of updating work.” Diane and Ian, an 

upholsterer (what a useful thing to be!), transformed the 

premises from tired and dull to vintage and appealing. 

They opened for business. It was enjoyable, but hard 

work running both a tearoom and an antiques shop, and 

after some years Diane decided to have a ‘rest’ – by going 

out to work – catering at the local pub (the Ewe and Lamb 

in Rolvenden) and at a florist’s in Rye. It was once her 

daughter, who had been using the space as an apartment, 

moved out, that Diane had the idea for a holiday let. 

Our conversation takes a philosophical turn at this point 

and I get a clue as to how Diane has managed to create such 

a well thought out and stylish look for the apartment. There 

is no clutter and nothing that doesn’t ‘fit’. Diane smiles. “I 

get up some mornings and have to turn everything around 

– and I don’t have photos or sentimental things,” she says. 

“I like to look ahead and don’t want to be held onto, held 

down. It gives you freedom. I’ve never had a job I’ve had 

to stick at, so I can be impulsive, with not much to lose.” 

This observation (which I’m now taking as a piece of life 

advice) reminds me of that saying by William Morris: “If 

you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: 

Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be 

useful or believe to be beautiful.” To that sage sentence I 

shall add a summation of Diane’s sentiments: “Don’t look 

back, or be held down by material things.” I can now see 

that when you are free from attachment to the things you 

feel that you have to hang on to, then choosing a theme, or 

look is much easier. It is clear that too many possessions can 

bog one down (and turn into a terrifying hoarding habit 

 


58

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Above: Diane finds a lot of her furniture and accessories at Ardingly Antiques Fair and through visits 

to Rye, Tenterden and The Three French Hens brocantes at Silcocks Farm Shop 

from what I see on the television), but it is hard to find the 

right things – and isn’t it expensive to start from scratch? 

“We had the chaise longue already,” says Diane, “but 

we were on a tight budget. Luckily Ian is handy, especially 

with upholstery.” She points to the seating in the sitting 

room, which has been masterfully re-covered. “It’s a bit 

of a team effort – when we go away for the weekend we 

look around for things.” Ardingly is a favourite haunt and 

Diane also visits Rye for inspiration, so they don’t always 

have to go far. She often goes to Tenterden where the 

Three French Hens hold their brocante sales at Silcocks 

Farm Shop. And, of course, there’s Wealden Times 

Midsummer Fair just around the corner at Hole Park. 

Diane also manages to find quirky and interesting objects 

in high street chain stores and charity shops alike. The copper 

effect lampshade in the bedroom is from Dunelm, some 


Wherever they go though, Diane’s always on the lookout for more things that would 

enhance the apartment experience. “Every time I go and stay somewhere I’m looking 

for those little extra touches,” she says. “And every week that people come to visit 

I think of something else that will make their stay just a little bit special.” 

 


62

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64 

AutenticoWT183.indd 1 31/03/2017 11:19

Left: A snooker table 

hangs decoratively 

on the wall in the 

kitchen, bringing a 

splash of colour to the 

room, but it’s also just 

waiting to be taken 

down for a game – 

and, by fluke, it fits 

perfectly on top of 

the dining table 

of the cushions and towels were from TK Maxx. “I never 

thought I’d like patterned towels, but they were just right 

and look great in a mix and match with plain white,” she 

says. “I didn’t want to have to spend a fortune. If I can find 

something for a tenner that works, then that’s good enough.” 

Bargains and quirky finds have come from unexpected 

places and at different times: the floorboards in the sitting 

room were from the village hall when it was demolished. 

There is a snooker table hanging decoratively on the wall 

in the kitchen, bringing a splash of colour to the room, 

but it’s also just waiting to be taken down for a game – 

and, by fluke, it fits perfectly on top of the dining table. 

There is a nod to the apartment’s previous incarnation as 

the village stores in the form of a statement set of scales 

that sit on the counter between the dining and bijou 


“I see people in these massive granite kitchens and I don’t feel so much in 

love, I think ‘where are your little curtains, your pots and crockery?’ I’m not old 

fashioned but I don’t like it when everyone’s houses look the same” says Diane 

 


66

JerwoodGalleryWT184.indd 1 08/05/2017 11:58 

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Above: Bargains and quirky finds have come from unexpected places and at different times: The copper effect lampshade in the bedroom 

is from Dunelm, some of the cushions and towels were from TK Maxx “I didn’t want to have to spend a fortune,” says Diane, “if I can find 

something for a tenner that works, then that’s good enough.” 

cooking area. The actual cooking space is just behind a glass 

partition. “We bought the window because I liked it,” says 

Diane. “We didn’t have an immediate use for it and then 

Ian saw that it could be used to make the partition.” Et 

voila, it has become a version of The Little Paris kitchen. 

Diane hasn’t been afraid to use dark colours in this low 

beamed house and has opted for a sophisticated dark grey 

(Farrow and Ball’s ‘Plummet’) on the walls of the sitting 

room, breaking it up with a wall of paler, striped wallpaper 

by Zoffany. “There were only two rolls left, which I bought 

for two pounds and there was just enough to do this space, 

with nothing to spare,” she laughs. The ceilings are painted 

white, beams and all, which seems to lift them and bounce 

light into the rooms. It takes imagination to bring everything 

together so successfully – and a strong sense of style, which 

Diane possesses in vintage spades. She is not always a big 

fan of some contemporary design ideas.“I see people in 

these massive granite kitchens and I don’t feel so much in 

love,” she says. “I think – where are your little curtains, your 

pots and crockery? I’m not old fashioned but I don’t like 

it when everyone’s houses look the same. I don’t want to 

see that they’ve been through the Next catalogue, or when 

you watch Grand Designs and there’s all that glass…” 

Outside the garden is separated into two areas – a private 

garden for Diane and Ian and a more formal, courtyardstyle 

garden for the guests. Privacy has been ensured with 

evergreen shrubs and topiary. It is very well clipped and 

helps to bring a chic, but verdant intimacy to the outdoor 

seating area. “The advantage of using mainly evergreens is 

that I can rely on it being the same throughout the year,” 

she says. “And then I can add seasonal colour in pots.” In 

the winter the whole garden twinkles with fairy lights and 

makes a magical space to look out into. The apartment’s 

French windows open onto a little terrace, which has just 

enough space for a table and two chairs. It is perfect – the 

essence of a Parisian balcony, albeit on the ground floor. 


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70 

PassmoresWT171.indd 1 11/04/2016 LenleysWT184.indd 10:53 

1 05/05/2017 12:10

Above: The apartment’s French windows open onto a little terrace, which has just enough space for a table and two chairs. It is perfect – the 

essence of a Parisian balcony, albeit on the ground floor. 

It is usually couples that come to stay at The Stores. “They 

might be people coming for weddings, or we’ve had a few that 

were exhibiting at the Wealden Times Fairs. Chapel Down 

vineyard is just around the corner and there are lots of lovely 

local gardens like Great Dixter and Sissinghurst nearby.” 

So where do the couple go on holiday? “We tend to go 

on short breaks. I don’t need long holidays, and I don’t 

need to go anywhere hot. Although I love the sun, as all 

my friends know, especially my little sun trap garden.” 

Wherever they go though, Diane’s always on the lookout 

for more things that would enhance the apartment 

experience. “Every time I go and stay somewhere I’m looking 

for those little extra touches,” she says. “And every week 

that people come to visit I think of something else that 

will make their stay just a little bit special. For instance, I 

put really nice shampoo out. I wouldn’t want just everyday 

shampoo when I’m away on holiday.” I notice that in the 

dining area there’s a big selection of stylish teas on offer – 

enough for a shop display – all beautifully stacked in an 

open drawer. It is these little added touches that make a 

big difference. “I wanted to make the B&B different…” 

Diane pauses thoughtfully, then adds, “quirky.” We stop 

for a moment and try to name the type of holiday home 

that The Stores is; searching for a term that perhaps doesn’t 

yet exist. “We want people to know that they can stay for 

longer than just a night or two, if they want to.” So, it is not 

just a simple B&B, not quite a hotel, not completely self 

catering – what would you call it – a Micro hotel? Guest 

apartment? It is certainly a private space, “but there is a 

linking door,” says Diane, “which I keep locked, so that 


This page: Outside the garden is separated into two 

areas – a private garden for Diane and Ian and a more 

formal, courtyard-style garden for the guests. Privacy has 

been ensured with evergreen shrubs and topiary 

the guests have their privacy. Except at breakfast time.” 

Breakfast at The Stores is a performance – literally. 

Not only is there a wonderful choice of food, which Ian 

prepares (and William Morris would have approved of the 

line of highly decorative, and useful, egg beaters on display 

above the cooker), but Diane makes a huge effort and even 

dresses up for breakfast, wearing a charming polka dot dress 

and an apron, “It makes me feel the part, like I’m in The 

Little Paris Kitchen. Ian does a fantastic cooked breakfast 

and I serve the guests.” This is a warm and witty touch 

(but perhaps everyone in Paris dresses for breakfast?) and 

another sign of Diane’s careful attention to detail. 

 


72

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Evergreen shrubs and topiary help to bring a chic, but verdant intimacy to the outdoor 

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This page: Breakfast at The Stores comprises a 

wonderful choice of food, prepared by Ian and 

served by Diane who dresses up for the event 

in a charming polka dot dress and an apron, “It 

makes me feel the part, like I’m in The Little 

Paris Kitchen” 

Breakfast is far from the minds of the 

Wealden Times team today, however. 

It is teatime and Diane has baked some 

delicious scones, served (in the proper 

English way) with clotted cream and 

choice of three bespoke tipsy jams. It is 

the perfect end to a delicious visit. Sadly, 

much as I’d like to stay on and book 

myself in for the night, it’s time to go. If 

Diane’s guests are made to feel only half 

as welcome as we have been, then they 

are in for a huge treat at The Stores. 

Address Book: 

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78 

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Twin Peaks 

When the light-filled apartment directly below Susie McLean’s came 

up for sale on the St Leonards sea front, her sister Caroline snapped 

it up. Stamping their personalities on each, the pair have created 

two uniquely individual retreats linked by a winding staircase 

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


84


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86 

KSEHomeImprovementsWT183.indd 1 21/04/2017 17:52

Previous pages & this page: The downstairs flat’s dining area is 

almost a mirror image of the flat above (pictured above), except 

with antique pieces 

In some families, things seem to go in twos. When 

Susie McLean told her older sister that the flat directly 

underneath her weekender on the West St Leonards sea 

front had come up for sale, Caroline Egan jumped at the chance 

to buy it with her, so they now own the two of them together. 

While they are explaining this to me, as we sit in the 

light-filled sitting room of the lower apartment, Susie’s 

twin sister Jen, with whom she runs a film location catering 

company, is upstairs making the last tweaks to the upper 

flat to make it camera perfect. So you have twin flats, 

twin sisters and a lovely warm family feeling to it all. 

There’s also a bit of a magical air to the characterful 

Edwardian building the flats are in, which has a stunning 

semi-circular ‘captain’s window’ in the top flat, looking across 

a small park and out to sea. The stairway from the lower 

flat up to Susie’s original bolt hole, adds to that feeling. 

There’s something rather Famous Five about walking 

out of one front door, scuttling up the stairs – past 

the wonderful ‘steam trawler’ sign Susie bought in an 

antique shop in Norman Road – and in through the 

front door of another flat. It would be very easy to 

imagine doing it in pyjamas… with a lot of giggling. 

And there also seemed to have been a sprinkling of fairy 

dust about the way Susie found the original flat ten years ago. 

“When my daughter was four,” says South London-based 


Top: An amazing captain’s window is the stand out feature of the sitting room in the upstairs flat Above right The kitchen tucks neatly into a room 

at the rear of the flat Above left: An armchair upholstered in a patchwork of Ikat provides the perfect place to sink into after a day at the seaside 

Susie, “I began to think it would be lovely to have somewhere 

by the sea to go to at weekends. Me and my three sisters spent 

our childhood holidays with our grandparents in Lyme Regis, 

but that was too far to go from London for a weekend. 

“One day I just had this inspiration that I should look 

in Hastings. That very afternoon I opened the Evening 

Standard and in the homes section there was a picture 

of a flat in Hastings with a lovely window, for sale.” 

The next morning she was standing in it and thinking 

it was even better than it had looked in the paper. 

“But I thought, ‘I can’t buy the first place I look at…’ 

so I dragged my four-year-old round five more flats 

– and then came back and bought the first one.” 

Adding to the luck of that chance sighting was that 

 


88

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90 

GrahamClarkeWT184.indd 1 17/05/2017 RectoryInteriorsWT182.indd 16:49 

1 13/03/2017 16:23

Above: The front bedroom of the upstairs flat is very light and feminine, with a white fireplace and over mantle mirror, a lovely old brass 

bed and a temptingly squashy armchair 

Susie bought the flat from Andy and Christine Cowle, of 

the well-known Bexhill antiques emporium Eras of Style. 

“I was so lucky,” says Susie, “because it was already impeccably 

decorated by Andy and Christine and I was able to buy some 

of the furniture from them, so it was all there waiting for us.” 

While that flat was very much bought to be a seaside escape 

for Susie and her daughter, that little girl is now a teenager 

and more interested in spending her weekends at home, where 

her school friends are, than eating ice creams on the beach. 

So it was another stroke of luck when, two and a half 

years ago, just as Susie was starting to rent the flat out 

on holidaylettings.co.uk and Airbnb – managed by her 

friend Sarah Thompson – the one below came on the 

market. Susie could immediately see the potential for 

letting them both out – either separately, or together 

for one larger party, joined by those quirky stairs. 

Big sister Caroline, a north London-based garden designer, 

immediately saw the potential – and was excited about 

the prospect of refurbishing it as a joint project, which 

was a good thing, considering the state it was in… 

“It was filthy… in a terrible state,” says Susie. “We 

gutted it and put in a new kitchen and bathroom 

and stripped the doors and floors to freshen it.” 

“We really wanted to please ourselves,” adds 

Caroline. “To make something completely from 

scratch with a contemporary/vintage feel.” 

Looking around the airy room, painted a beautiful pale 

sea blue and drenched in that special seaside light, it’s 

easy to imagine what a haven it would be for a stressed 

city dweller, sorely needing a break – which was exactly 

their aim. “We wanted to keep it simple so every piece 

in here had to earn its place,” says Caroline. “We didn’t 

want it to be cluttered, because that’s not relaxing.” 

Even the sofa, from SofasWorld, was chosen with relaxing 

holiday makers in mind. “We wanted something really big,” 

says Caroline, “for people to lie on and read a book.” 

While that sofa is from a big online company, the vast 

majority of the furnishings in both flats were sourced 

close to home – whether that is home defined as within 

walking distance of the St Leonards flats, favourite 

emporia near their London houses, or legacies from 

their parents’ and grandparents’ family homes. 

A quick glance round the sitting room tells the story. 

The glass side table is from The Kula, the fish print from 

the yard in Courthouse Street and the light fitting from 

Nelson Antiques, all in Hastings Old Town. The glasses 

on the table are from Eras of Style, the wall sconces from 

an antique shop on Norman Road and the seagull artwork 

from the gallery in Marine Court. Local heroes all. 

The side tables are from a shop near Caroline’s home 

 


Above left: A long corridor passes from the front to the back of the upstairs flat, between the sitting 

room to the rear bedroom Above right: The compact bathroom has a cool nautical feel 

in Highgate and the standard lamp from Angelo’s Lighting 

– an iconic north London source. And if they couldn’t find 

what they wanted, near home or online, they had it made. 

“The dining table was too high,” says Susie, “or perhaps the 

chairs we had were too low… Either way, it wasn’t working 

so we had Patrick Seaman from Werewolves of London make 

us some chairs specially, with a bench to go opposite.” 

Heading on to look at the nearest bedroom we pass by the 

kitchen, which is lovely and light from a large aperture they 

had put through the wall to the sitting room. On the other 

side, a utility area leads out onto a delightful balustraded 

balcony, one end panelled with tongue and groove painted 

a very marine shade of blue. It’s the perfect place to sit 

and enjoy the view and the sea air. “It gets afternoon sun,” 

says Caroline, “and the house next door provides perfect 

shelter from the prevailing south westerly wind.” 

While it wouldn’t be right to call the bedroom behind 

the terrace the ‘master bedroom’ because all three of them 

are special in both flats, it does have a very specific and 

thrilling feature: a raised ‘princess and the pea’ bed. 

They commissioned this from Mike and Kerry of 

Woodworks 1066 - a business so local, it’s a four-minute 

drive from the flats - to be high enough for guests to able 

to sit and look out of the window at the sea from it. There 

is storage underneath and steps up, which would make you 

feel very special getting in to it. Woodworks 1066 also made 

the mirror mounted on the chimney breast beside the bed. 

The bedside tables were customised by their builder 

John Gair, who did all the work on both apartments, 

stripping them and adding shells to the top, to reflect 

the octagonal table with shells under glass, by the 

window, which Susie found in a rummage-about 

 


92

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94 

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

One upstairs bedroom has a complementary masculine feel, with the air of a gentleman’s 

club in the leather chair, velvet curtains, horse painting and the ‘New Antique Books’ 

wallpaper by St Leonard-based wallpaper designer Deborah Bowness. 


This page: A monochrome floral duvet set and textured white throw soften the masculine feel of one of the bedrooms in the top flat 

second hand shop on London Road, St Leonards. 

A Lloyd Loom chair and a chest of drawers are 

the only other pieces of furniture in the room – a 

deliberate choice inspired by their intention to keep 

the space as uncluttered and restful as possible 

“People are staying for a week maximum,” says Caroline, 

“so they don’t need a lot of storage – just a chest of drawers 

and the row of hooks to hang things on. We store the spare 

bed linen in the drawers under the bed. It keeps the light and 

space in the room, which adds to the sense of relaxation.” 

The first of the back bedrooms, which looks onto the 

garden and the dramatic rock face of the hill behind the 

terrace of houses, has an equally calm atmosphere, although 

it is furnished more richly with lovely old pieces, in charming 

period keeping with the lilac-painted walls. Particularly 

striking is the antique kilim which Susie found at a wellknown 

antiques centre near her home in Crystal Palace. 

The leaf print next to the bookshelves illustrates 

another theme of the décor of both flats; it’s been 

lurking in Susie’s garden shed for years. In a similar 

vein, the maps on the adjacent wall belong to Caroline’s 

husband and were liberated from their attic. 

Completing their range of sources in this one room, 

the eiderdown was their grandmother’s and the art deco 

mirror over the fireplace was bought from Eras of Style. 

Moving on to the twin bedroom, with its lovely fern theme, 

inspired by the vegetation in the garden it overlooks, the same 

mix of sources applies. The Victorian mirror was a find by 


96

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3263 

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There’s something rather Famous 

Five about walking out of one front 

door, scuttling up the stairs – past 

the wonderful ‘steam trawler’ sign 

Susie bought in an antique shop in 

Norman Road – and in through the 

front door of another flat 

Left: The final bedroom upstairs is very 

much a child’s sanctuary, featuring a 

dolls’ house made for Jen’s daughter 

Caroline from an antiques centre equivalent to 

Susie’s spot in Crystal Place, in her north London 

’hood, while the magnificent brass curtain 

rail and hooks are from Susie’s shed stash. 

Other furnishings in this room reflect their 

use of local businesses. The fern wallpaper is 

from Vintage Bird in Hastings Old Town and 

while the curtains are from Next, they had 

them lengthened to reach the floor by getting 

the needleworkers at Little Sew and Sew in 

St Leonards, just five minutes walk along the 

road, to add some green fabric at the bottom. 

This ultra local sourcing continues, in the 

bathroom just across the hallway, with vinyl from 

what is literally the very nearest flooring shop. 

It’s an excellent way to shop, if you don’t want 

to spend precious free time schlepping about 

and even though they bought all the bathroom 

fittings from a bathroom supply shop in London 

– it’s one Susie’s used for every bathroom she’s 

renovated. Local and/or loyal is the mantra here. 

“We wanted an Edwardian look for the 

bathroom,” explains Caroline, “in keeping 

with the period of the building, not a modern 

bathroom. But we did want a bigger shower, 

because that’s nice when you’ve come from the 

beach, so we put in a smaller bath to accommodate 

it. The key thing is people still have the choice.” 

The mood of the upstairs flat is pleasingly the 

same – but different. The tongue and groove 

panelling which runs hip height along both 

hallways up here is painted a sunny bright 

yellow, downstairs it’s a sophisticated mulberry. 

The set up of a lovely wooden dining table 

with chairs on one side and a bench seat on the 

other, with a splendid painting hanging above 

it, is like a mirror image of downstairs, except 

these pieces are antiques, which Susie bought in 

situ from Andy and Christine of Eras of Style. 

That amazing captain’s window 

 

wealdentimes.co.uk

This page: In the downstairs flat’s open plan sitting 

and dining area the dining table was too high, so Susie 

commissioned Woodworks 1066 to make some chairs 

specially to fit it, with a bench to go opposite 

is the stand out feature of the room, with 

two lovely squashy sofas, from sofa.com, for 

double lounging with a book potential. 

In the characteristic mash up of sources, the 

mid-century sideboard is another find from 

Susie’s Crystal Palace emporium, the armchair 

upholstered with a kilim was found in Hastings 

Old Town and the wheatsheaf wall light from 

Sideshow Interiors in Norman Road. 

The wonderful carved wooden throne at 

the head of the dining table belonged to their 

father and the splendid Turkish rug was a gift 

from a friend, who found it at the oriental 

carpet specialist in West Peckham. 

Just as in the downstairs flat, the three bedrooms 

on this floor each have their own, very appealing 

personality (and there’d be none of those classic 

holiday fights over ‘who’s having the naff room?’). 

The front bedroom, painted the same light sea 

blue as the sitting room downstairs, is very light 

 


100

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While it wouldn’t be right to call the bedroom behind the terrace the ‘master bedroom’ because 

all three of them are special in both flats, it does have a very specific and thrilling feature: a 

raised ‘princess and the pea’ bed. 

 


Right: Susie found the antique kilim in one bedroom in an 

antiques centre near her home in Crystal Palace 

Below: The twin bedroom features a fern theme, inspired 

by the vegetation in the garden it overlooks 

and feminine, with a white fireplace and over mantle 

mirror, a lovely old brass bed and a temptingly squashy 

armchair. As in its equivalent directly below, there’s 

a shell table, this one filled with beach treasures 

picked up by their mother ‘all over the world’. 

The bedroom behind it has a complementary 

masculine feel, with the air of a gentleman’s 

club in the leather chair, velvet curtains, horse 

painting and the ‘New Antique Books’ wallpaper 

by St Leonard-based wallpaper designer Deborah 

Bowness. Most of the furniture and objects in 

this room are from their father’s house. 

The final bedroom is very much a child’s sanctuary, 

featuring a dolls’ house made for the daughter of their 

sister Jen. Susie found the lovely wooden shutters in a 

skip – and deliberately didn’t have them renovated. 

Let out together the flats sleep twelve and it’s 

impossible not to imagine excited children running 

up and down between the two – perhaps taking 

turns to hop up the steps into the princess and 

the pea bed – in a spirit of close family fun 

very much in keeping with the owners. 

 


104

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Time relaxing in the bubbling 

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furniture · blinds · paint · re‐upholstery 

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Above: A utility area leads out onto a delightful balustraded balcony, one end panelled with tongue and 

groove painted a deep marine blue 

Address Book: 

Book a stay at the flats through 

holidaylettings.co.uk/rentals/st-leonardson-sea/545746 

and holidaylettings.co.uk/ 

rentals/st-leonards-on-sea/6659669. Stays 

are also bookable through Airbnb.co.uk 

Angelo’s Lighting Haringey 020 

8482 2688 angelos-lighting.co.uk 

Antique Persian Carpets 

Tonbridge 01732 850228 

antiquepersiancarpets.co.uk 

Deborah Bowness St Leonards-on-sea 

01424 424713 deborahbowness.com 

Eras of Style Bexhill 01424 

217640 erasofstyle.com 

John Gair builder 07956 868083 

The Kula Hastings 07725 469305 thekula.com 

Little Sew and Sew St Leonardson-sea 

01424 423375 

Nelson House Antiques Hastings 01424 

432342 nelsonhouseantiques.com 

Sideshow Interiors St Leonards-on-sea 

07900 947090 sideshowinteriors.co.uk 

SofasWorld sofasworld.co.uk 

Twentieth Century Fashion & Design 

Hastings Old Town 07554 232117 

Vintage Bird Hastings Old Town 01424 433300 

Patrick Seaman Werewolf of 

London 07957 140546 

Woodworks 1066 St Leonards-on-sea 

01424 716171 woodworks1066.co.uk 


BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED FURNITURE 

WARDROBES . KITCHENS . BOOKCASES 

Kent / Sussex 01732 462565 nonsuchandknole.co.uk

Tukang Oriental 

Console in White, 

£315, PUJI, 

puji.com 

American Sailing 

Boat Model, £70, The 

Nautical Company, 

thenauticalcompany.com 

Curve Shell Back 

Retro Chair in 

Petrol Blue, £374, 

Alexander & Pearl, 

alexanderandpearl.co.uk 

Crofton Brown Leather 

Classic Winged Armchair, 

£1697, Artisanti, 

artisanti.com 

Get the look 

Nautical Gift - Wall 

Mounted Sailing Boat 

Model, £15, The 

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Chastleton bench in Reclaimed 

Teak, £550, Garden Trading, 


Ancona Cushion 

Cover, £8, PASX, 

pasx.co.uk 

Cream Victorian Town 

House, £49.99, Sue Ryder, 

sueryder.org/shop 

Vanilla Glass Wall Cabinet, 

£92.95, Melody Maison, 

melodymaison.co.uk 

Jasmine Square 

Wall Mirror, £175, 

Oil & Grace, 

oilandgrace.co.uk 

Purple Spotted 

Swallowtail 

Butterfly Taxidermy 

Art, £60, Mia Fleur, 

miafleur.com 

Garden Trading Large Rive 

Droite Bistro Set with Table 

& 4 Chairs in Dorset Blue, 

£265, Black by Design Ltd, 

black-by-design.co.uk 


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WT Kitchen & Bathroom Supplement 

Beautiful Bathrooms, page 29 Island Paradise, page 23 

Contents 

Beautiful Bathrooms, page 25 

8 Favourite Kitchens 

We meet the makers 

15 Earthly Elegance 

Kitchen accessories 

with a natural vibe 

17 Come Dine with Me 

Feast like a king with 

our table picks 

19 Island Paradise 

Contemporary kitchens 

25 Beautiful Bathrooms 

The finest fittings for a 

luxury bathing 

experience 

31 In the Navy 

Shop our nautical 

bathroom selection 

Earthly Elegance, page 15 

Editor’s Letter 

favourite Kitchens, page 9 

Our comprehensive supplement is the perfect place 

to gather kitchen and bathroom inspiration. We 

go behind the scenes to chat directly to the makers 

about their favourite kitchen projects, ask bathroom experts 

about the latest sanitaryware and track down the most 

stunning imagery, intertwined with tempting shopping 

pages, to help you on your way with your special project. 

In the Navy, page 31 

7 

wealdentimes.co.uk

Meet the 

Makers 

We go behind the scenes to find out what inspires a 

bespoke kitchen design 

The Maker: Charlie Kingham 

What was the brief? 

The brief for this turn-of-the-century Edwardian house 

by the park in west London, was similar to many we get 

these days from families seeking to create a living space 

that sits comfortably with today’s busy lifestyle, meaning 

it must have more functionality than just being a kitchen. 

We worked round this by incorporating a large island 

which was also a breakfast bar, a bespoke larder and a fun, 

yet convenient, ladder to access the high cabinetry. 

What was it made from/finished in? 

The hand-painted shaker style kitchen was given a contemporary 

theme with a traditional foundation. The cabinetry is all bespoke 

and made in frame with oak finish internals. The worktop 

chosen was Honed Bianco Eclipse Quartzite with a pencil edge. 

What appliances did it incorporate? 

The appliances used were all Miele. This included a fridge, 

freezer, dishwasher, extractor and microwave, all of which 

were integrated into the cabinetry to create an uninterrupted, 

clean cut look and to utilise all of the space available. 

The Lacanche Cluny classic range in ivory is a 

statement piece which complements the simple 

cabinetry style with its brushed stainless steel trim. 

Were there any special requirements for the client? 

The clients required a lot of storage space for their growing 

clan. So up we went, the only problem there was how 

to reach! We added rolling ladders to give access to these 

higher cabinets and created matching bar stools in a 

beautiful vintage oak patina to complete the look. 

How much would a kitchen like that cost? 

£19,000 

Charlie Kingham 020 7935 2255 charliekingham.co.uk

The Maker: Jones Britain 


The Cooper Kelly Kitchen in Crowborough stands out in the 

mind as it was both challenging and different on many levels. 

The strong edges and bright colours really gave the kitchen a 

personality that could be felt when you entered the room. 

To design an industrial inspired room that was bold, brave 

but also functional. The couple had clear ideas about the 

vibe that they wanted their kitchen to have, and their 

experience of exotic hotels and bars around the world was 

a strong influence in the ambience that they wanted to 

create. There were also specific design elements to include, 

for example incorporating curved units and a mixture of 

working surfaces at different heights, as well as making an 

existing structural pillar a feature rather than concealing it. 


A mixture of washed and stained oak and lacquered 

matte painted doors, concrete worktop with endgrain 

oak butcher’s block accent and black paper bar. The floor 

was a mixture of bespoke tiles and engineered wood. 

The splashback was installed in bronzed mirror. 


State of the art Miele ovens side by side, downdraft 

extractor, gas hob, a hidden wine cooler with touchto-open 

door and an elegant stainless steel sink, fullyintegrated 

dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer. 

American fridge freezer that dispenses water and ice. 


Curved units were essential and a mixture of different 

working surfaces at different heights were requested. The 

client wanted the pillar holding half the house up to be visible 

but linked in some way. The polished concrete worktops 

were also poured in situ to create the desired effect. 


As all of our projects are bespoke based on your requirements 

we work within a pre-determined budget. This kitchen 

came in at a budget of around £80,000-£90,000. 

Jones Britain 01435 866435 jonesbritain.co.uk 

 


LIVING SPACES MADE BEAUTIFUL 

“First class professional service... 

we would not hesitate to recommend your company.” 

Mr and Mrs C., Wannock - March 2015 

KITCHEN BEDROOM BATHROOM LIVING SPACES 

01435 866166 

HEATHFIELD HILL HOUSE, MUTTON HALL HILL, TN21 8NL 

ALSO AT: EASTBOURNE • HAYWARDS HEATH • ST LEONARDS-ON-SEA 

www.hks-uk.com

The Maker: Peter Alexander Cabinets 


The property is an extremely old farmhouse and, after much to-andfro, 

my clients got permission for a small extension. The couple are 

very keen home-chefs and wanted an aesthetically pleasing, highlyfunctional 

kitchen that wouldn’t dominate the limited space. 


The kitchen cabinet internals use an engineered board, 

which is as hard wearing as a surface can be, looks great and 

doesn’t cost the earth… in both the financial and ecological 

sense. The painted components use tulipwood, due to its 

excellent finishing properties. All drawer boxes are solid 

oak, with traditional dovetail joints. The finish is a specialist 

spray-applied paint, and the worktops are Silestone. 


My clients chose a stunning Everhot range cooker. They also 

opted for a standard integrated fridge freezer, a separate integrated 

fridge, an integrated wine cooler and an integrated dishwasher. 


There weren’t any unusual requests, just to maximise 

storage space. This was achieved with a pair of large larderunits 

to house all of the food storage required. 


A kitchen like this would be in the region of £12- 

£15,000. There is a never-ending range of options to ‘spec’ 

things up or down, though, to suit most budgets! 

Peter Alexander Cabinets 07725 812356 peteralexandercabinets.co.uk 

11

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The Maker: Neptune 


A contemporary style kitchen required to suit a modern new 

build property, with a sociable open plan living arrangement, 

decorated in light/neutral colours/tones and tactile finishes. 

The design included a large island with seating arrangement, 

along with a bank of full height cabinets to house the majority 

of the appliances and the statement Limehouse larder. 


Tulipwood, plywood and oak, with a handpainted finish in 

Neptune ‘Lily’ externally and Neptune ‘Fog’ internally. 


A stainless steel sink by Neptune, Neff Hide and Slide ovens, 

steam oven, microwave and dishwashers, Neff fully integrated 

full-height fridges and freezer and a Bosch wine cooler. 


Dropped ceiling created to house large flush ceiling 

mounted extractor, not only functional but forming an 

interesting feature – the horizontal LED strip lighting 

incorporated reflects the LED lighting installed to the 

underside of the worktop above the cabinet doors. A cabinet 

was also adapted to conceal the main manifold for the 

underfloor heating system – with storage space above. 

We worked with the architect to ensure that the worktop ran in 

line with the top of the window frame, to conceal it, as one of 

the main features of the dwelling are the ‘frameless’ windows. 


The Limehouse kitchen by Neptune is contemporary 

and sleek, however being a Neptune product, we use 

only natural materials and traditional craftsmanship in 

the cabinetry. To supply the cabinetry cost £27,500. 

Installation of cabinetry was £4,250. Supply, template and 

installation of worktop cost £6,225. LED lighting was 

£500. All appliances (as listed above) came to £9,000. 

Neptune Canterbury 01227 209300 / Tonbridge 01732 

351866 / Weybridge 01932 901234 neptune.com 


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traditional handmade furniture 

Kitchens 

Bedrooms 

Studies 

Showroom: 78 London Road, Southborough 

Tunbridge Wells, Kent. TN4 0PP 

Tel: 01892 533273 

Web: Woodworkkitchens.co.uk 


14 

WoodworkWT184.indd 1 05/05/2017 15:11


Earthly 

Elements 

Natural collections for eco-conscious kitchens 

Deco Marble Bar 

Cabinet, £549, 

Atkin and Thyme 

atkinandthyme.co.uk 

Personalised Hanging 

Natural Wooden 

Sign, £12.99, 

gettingpersonal.co.uk 

Mandala Cross 

Bench, £355, 

Puji, puji.com 

Artisan Marble Serving Trio 

on wooden tray, £45, Eclect 

Design, eclectdesign.com 

See Kate 

Kensington at 


Midsummer 

Fair 

Sabatier Maison 

Bamboo Serving Board, 

£35, Creative Tops Ltd 

creative-tops.com 

Wells Recycled Glass 

Bubble Vase Wide XXL, 

£75, Garden Trading 


Oak Bar Stool, 

£74, Danetti, 

danetti.com 

Natural Wood 

Coaster Set, £12, 

Puji, puji.com 

Wise Owls, large 

£39.99, Kate 

of Kensington 

kateofkensington.com 

Rebu Aqua Ombre 

Salad Bowl, £16, 

Amaroni Home, 

amaroni.com 


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

Hillaby marble 

topped dining table, 

with a wrought iron decorative 

base and limed oak feet. 

Made to order (different sizes 

and finishes are available for the 

top and feet). Price of table shown 

(prices vary dependent on client 

specs), £8,950 ex. VAT. 

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jennyblanc.com 


Aspen large 

extending solid 

acacia dining table, 

£709, Cult Furniture 

cultfurniture.com 

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with Me 

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The Modular 

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01227 767576 www.stellisonselectrical.co.uk 

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Monday - Saturday 9:00am-6:00pm Sunday 10:00am-4:00pm 

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Island 

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Freestanding, packed with trendy gadgets and designed 

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Y 


Enhancement, enrichment, distinction, presence 

These are all key points when undertaking any home project 

With kitchens from Pronorm in Germany and Mereway in the UK, 

you can be sure that your new kitchen will certainly 

meet and exceed that criteria 

For the best in design, product & service, visit our showroom 

Kitchen ID, 104 Thomas Way, Lakesview Business Park, Canterbury, CT3 4NH 

01227 910990 info@kitchenid.co.uk


This recent J M Interiors project 

showcases how an island really can 

take centre stage in your kitchen. 

The J M team think an island 

should perform 3 functions; it 

should be practical with plenty of 

storage, it should host sufficient 

seating for guests and it should 

look good. This example most 

definitely ticks all of these boxes 

along with some bonus features; 

a sleek induction hob and 

downdraft extractor providing a 

cooking hub for the social cook 

and an adjoining bench seat and 

table – making this kitchen an 

entertainer’s dream. The island 

is painted in Farrow & Ball’s 

‘Railings’ which gives a stylish, 

dramatic contrast to the rest of the 

kitchen cabinetry. 

01580 291221 jminteriorsuk.uk 



This stunning bespoke 

Flush Oak kitchen 

from Chamber 

Furniture features 

stone clad banquette 

seating seamlessly 

incorporated into the 

island. Endless storage 

has been factored in 

and the island’s top 

provides a clutter free 

food preparation area. 

Bespoke kitchens are 

priced from £40,000. 

Visit Chamber 

Furniture’s extensive 

showrooms at Halstead, 

Kent. 01959 532553 

chamberfurniture.co.uk 

This crisp Lyne 

Kitchens island 

features a wine 

cooler and seating 

finished in Farrow 

& Ball’s Cornforth 

White, topped with 

a Quartz worktop. 

Prices start from 

£15,000 for bespoke 

hand-made cabinet 

work. Find out 

more by calling 

01293 871008 

lynekitchens.co.uk 


22

COLLINS BESPOKE 

BEAUTIFUL KITCHENS 

www.collinsbespoke.com 

T. 01233 822595 E. info@collinsbespoke.com A. Unit 40 Old Surrenden Manor, Bethersden, TN26 3DL

LONDON 

Royal Tunbridge Wells Showroom . 79 Calverley Road . TN1 2UY . 01892 548 111 

Oxshott Showroom . 1 High Street . KT22 0JN . 01372 841 730


Beautiful Bathrooms 

Treat your bathroom to the washing facilities it deserves with our pick of the chicest sanitaryware 

Laura Ashley Bathroom Collection 

Malborough 1200 freestanding basin 

unit in cotton white, £1240 inc VAT 

Available from Cranleigh Bathroom 

Studios Ltd. 01483 272727 

cranleigh-bathroomstudios.co.uk

CATCHPOLE & RYE 

KENT ENGLAND 

EXCLUSIVE LUXURY BATHROOMS 

LONDON • TUNBRIDGE WELLS • ASHFORD 

T. 01892 526 996 www.catchpoleandrye.com

Squaro Infinity shower 

tray (special order) circa 

£1100 +VAT. Shower 

glass by Matki (POA - 

size dependent). Villeroy 

& Boch Just manual 

mixer £477.10 +VAT. 

Villeroy & Boch Cult 

shower head, £898.30 

+VAT. Available from 

Walton Bathrooms 

01932 224784 

waltonbathrooms.co.uk


Above: Granley close 

coupled WC pan/cistern 

and seat set, £480 inc. 

VAT. Available from 

Cranleigh Bathroom Studios 

Ltd. 01483 272727 

cranleigh-bathroomstudios.co.uk 

Left: The Washlet is an electronic 

shower toilet seat that 

uses a water-cleansing system 

that leaves you super clean 

and fresh as a daisy. Special 

features include a soft close 

toilet cover, heated toilet 

seat, remote control operational 

panel, warm air dryer, 

antibacterial wand cleaning 

system and a deodoriser. The 

Washlet starts from £2,000. 

Available from Walton 

Bathrooms 01932 224784 

waltonbathrooms.co.uk 


Quality 

hardwood floors 

supplied & fitted 

by craftsmen 

STONE FLOORING SPECIALISTS 

STONE FLOORING SPECIALISTS 

íÜÉëíçåÉíáäÉï~êÉÜçìëÉ 

íÜÉëíçåÉíáäÉï~êÉÜçìëÉ 

ëíçåÉíáäÉï~êÉ 

ëíçåÉíáäÉï~êÉ 

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 

THE STONE TILE WAREHOUSE 

THE STONE TILE WAREHOUSE 

PORCELAIN TILE RANGES ON DISPLAY 

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

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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 

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MNSOO=STVNRT=ïïïKíÜÉëíçåÉíáäÉï~êÉÜçìëÉKÅçKìâ 

MNSOO=STVNRT=ïïïKíÜÉëíçåÉíáäÉï~êÉÜçìëÉKÅçKìâ 

The International Tile Store Tunbridge Wells 

DavidBrownWT184.indd 1 10/05/2017 SouthernAdhesivesWT169.indd 11:34 

1 03/02/2016 16:49 

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 

March 2016 Wealden Times.indd 1 19/04/2017 15:43 


30 

TilematesWT183.indd 1 19/04/2017 16:37

I . 

Library Spot Bar 2-Light Lamp 

in Distressed Brass, £779, 

Besselink & Jones, isak.co.uk 


Tall Ship Metal 

Wall Art, 

£449, Artisanti 

artisanti.com 

Artworks Royal Blue 

Half Tile G9002, 

£89.95, Original 

Style originalstyle.com 

Solid Brass Flying 

Birds, £40, The 

Nautical Company 


Ceiling Rope Light 

in Dark Natural, 

£67, Batela Home 

& Giftware 

batela-giftware.co.uk 

N T 

Bathe in 

nautical style 

A . N AV 

. 

VY 

. N T . H.E N . A . V 

. Y 

Large Woven Rope 

Round Mirror, £85, 

Live Laugh Love ltd 

livelaughlove.co.uk 

Personalised Map 

Upholstered Chair, £1,200, 

Atlas & I, Studio 3, 

Wimbledon Art Studios,10 

Riverside Rd, London 

SW17 0BB 0208 944 2123, 

atlas-and-i.com 

Wooden Ship’s Wheel, 

£40, Nautical by Batela 

batela-giftware.co.uk 

Skandinavisk HAV Sea 

Scented Candle, £29.99, 

Cotswold Trading, 

cotswoldtrading.com 

See 

Atlas & I at 


Midsummer 

Fair 

Nickel Bateau with Brushed Copper, from £6,000, Ladder 

Towel Rail in Aged Copper, from £1,800, English Bath Filler on 

Stand Pipes with floor plates, from £1,620, all Catchpole & Rye, 

catchpoleandrye.com 

Doorstop, £15, 

National Trust 

shop.nationaltrust.org.uk

KITCHEN 

DINING 

BATHROOM 

Our Limehouse kitchen is is sleek and and minimal 

and and is is our our most technically advanced kitchen, 

taking 30 30 processes to to complete a a single door. It It 

stands true to to our our DNA and and uses only natural 

materials and and traditional craftsmanship, and and 

sleek as as it it is, is, the the finish is is still still hand-painted and and 

carries with it that that beautifully tactile nature. It's It's 

contemporary in in style and and thought. 

Come and discuss your new kitchen 

with us us today! 

neptune.com 

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

01732 01732 351866, info@neptunetonbridge.com 

Neptune Canterbury, Wincheap, CT1 CT1 3TY, 3TY, 

01227 209300, info@neptunecanterbury.com

The 7 wonders of Harvey Water 

The water that runs through your home is vital 

to the maintenance of it; impacting everything Free Monthly 

from your family’s skin, to boiler efficiency. 

Magnet Media Limited, PO Box 287, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 9ED 

Telephone: Rainwater 0845 872 is ‘soft’ 2885 but or 01825 when it 873254 flows underground - Fax: 01825 508309 - Email: kim@magnetpublications.com 

through lime and chalk, it picks up minerals. These 

make the water hard. When hard water runs through 

your pipes it will result in a buildup of limescale that 

VAT No. 929 7920 74 

will prevent the heating system from working as effectively. For 

ADVERTISING PROOF 

example on your kettle you can actually see the white residue 

furring up the heating element. This is happening inside your 

hot water system too, which results in reduced efficiency, 

higher energy consumption and maintenance costs. 

Sussex Stone and Ceramic Ltd 

With a Harvey Water Softener, you can enjoy the 7 wonders 

of Harvey Water; shinier home, glossier hair, softer skin, 

fewer products, 

Laura 

longer 

Ive 

lasting appliances, bigger bubble 

baths and cheaper bills. Harvey produces the UK’s number 

one, non-electric, twin-tank cylinder which is designed and 

manufactured in Britain. It fits neatly under the kitchen sink to 

suit British plumbing systems. It’s our mission to make your 

house PLEASE sparklier, CHECK your cuppa AND tastier, ADVISE your skin ANY silkier CORRECTIONS and your TO THIS COPY BY 22 MAY. 

clothes If we softer. do not All while hear saving from you you a few we pennies! will assume For more copy is correct and will publish the 

information call Harvey on 01483 670 499 or visit harvey.co.uk. 

advertisement as shown. ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE 

COMPANY: DATE: 17 May 2017 

PROOF TO: FROM: Kim 

ISSUE: June 2017 

HarveysWaterSoftenersWT184b.indd 1 22/05/2017 17:43 

NOW OFFERING 

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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 


Bespoke worktops in 

Granite, quartz, marble and Dekton 

Architectural and monumental masonry 

Large selection of natural tiles and mosaics 

Waterjet cutting service on various materials 

Glass tops and splash backs 

Sussex Stone & Ceramic Ltd acts as a credit broker for Divido who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. 

34 

SussexStoneWT184.indd 1 22/05/2017 10:40


4 Steps to a Fabulous Kitchen 

Embarking on a new kitchen project is an exciting time, but it can also feel a little 

overwhelming. Follow these four simple steps to ensure you get things right… 

Function 

It’s easy to get carried away 

with paint samples and Pinterest 

boards, but before you think 

about how your new kitchen is 

going to look it is vital that you 

give careful consideration to 

how you are going to use it. 

Keen chefs will want to consider 

appliances such as a steam oven 

or sous vide, while those with 

limited space should prioritise 

clever storage and those who 

enjoy entertaining may want 

to factor in some informal 

seating or a wine fridge. 

Space 

Think about how you can get the 

most from the space you have. 

A bespoke kitchen manufacturer 

should be able to work around 

any awkward spots to maximise 

every inch that is available. If you’re 

considering building work it’s 

also worth appointing a designer 

early on, so you can get a rough 

idea of your desired layout and 

any associated building needs 

before the build takes place. 

Design 

“It is vitally important that you find 

a designer that you can work with 

and whom you feel can translate 

your ideas well.” says John 

Stephens, Managing Director of 

Kent based kitchen manufacturer 

Rencraft. “Get recommendations 

from people in your area and 

visit several showrooms, but 

be careful not to be seduced 

by sales speak. Planning a new 

kitchen is a long journey and 

you need to be confident that 

you and your designer are 

on the same wavelength.” 

Finish 

Now for the fun part! Time to 

consider the final look of your 

kitchen. “Computer generated 

images and graphics have come 

on leaps and bounds in recent 

years.” adds John. “At Rencraft, 

we have a dedicated in house 

CAD specialist and a bespoke 3D 

program that can provide clients 

with a clear illustration of how 

their finished design will look.” 

“It’s also at this point that you can 

consider colour schemes and any 

extra details you may want, such as 

handmade cutlery inserts or spice 

racks. We believe these finishing 

touches make all the difference 

to our kitchens; ensuring they 

always look great, work brilliantly 

and stand the test of time.” 

www.rencraft.co.uk 

Showroom & Workshop: 

Unit 9, Chart Farm, Seal Chart, 

Sevenoaks TN15 0ES. 

Tel: 01732 762682 

Showroom: 81 Calverley Road, 

Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2UY 

Tel: 01892 520730

KITCHENS 

FOR REAL COOKS 

It’s time for a new kitchen, the 

one you’ve always wanted. 

The complete kitchen service... 

Craftsmanship modern & ancient 

www.hammertons.co.uk 

01435 868611 

Sunset Farm • Heathfield Road 

Cross in Hand • TN21 0UJ 

...from a hinge to to a complete makeover 

100’s of Worktops l 1000’s of Doors 

door replacement l lmade to to measure service l l worktops 

appliances l sinks and taps l ldrawer replacement 

improved storage and access solutions 

door refurbishment service 

Instant hot water taps fitted 

The Kitchen Doctor's bespoke service supplies 

and The fits Kitchen comprehensive Doctor’s bespoke range service of components supplies and to 

fits a comprehensive range of components 

to 

give 

give 

your 

your 

kitchen 

kitchen 

a 

a 

new 

new 

lease 

lease 

of 

of 

life. 

life. 

01689 850000 01689 850000 

chris@thekitchendoctor.com 

chris@thekitchendoctor.com 

www.thekitchendoctor.com 

www.thekitchendoctor.com 

serving London and the South-East for 25 years 

Serving London and the South-East since 1984 

SAVE £££s 

Save energy. Kitchen lights 

replaced with long 

life LED units 

External front and back doors 

supplied and fitted from £310 

HammertonsWT176.indd 5 05/09/2016 KitchenDoctorS13.indd 15:54 

1 20/10/2015 11:36 

All 

areas 

covered 

We come to 

you 

Cottage Door 

From £495 

Fitted 

Price includes Door, Glass, Letter Plate, Hinges, Lock & Fitting. Staining and Painting Service Available 

5 Lever 

deadlocks 

£39 fitted 

1 

2 

Internal Doors 

supplied and fitted 

from £85 price includes: Door, 

Latch, Handles, Hinges & Fitting 

6 

3 

4 

5 

1. Security hinges 

2. 3 way multi-point 

locking system 

3. Vectis locking 

system 

4. Stormguard trimline 

5. Weather bar / rain 

deflector 

6. Optional letter plate 

Wide 

range of 

internal 

doors 

Stable Doors 

supplied & fitted. 

Price includes: Door, Latch, 

Handles, Hinges & Fitting 

NIGHT 

LATCH 

5 LEVER 

DEADLOCK 

Wide 

range of 

ironmongery 

available 

White 

Moulded 

From £95 

Classique 2 

Panel from 

£95 

Oak 

Suffolk 

from £185 

Oak 

Worcester 

from £175 

DOOR-TO-DOOR HARDWOOD DOOR SPECIALIST FOR FREE ADVICE & ESTIMATES 

TEL 01580 240423 or 07850 906271 email: info.door2door@btinternet.com 

Oak 

Shaker 

from £205 


36 

DoorToDoorWT183.indd 1 24/04/2017 11:42

Beatrice maxi dress, 

£350, Odyl, Cranbrook 

odyldesign.com; Wonders 

red patent sandals, £89.99, 

Golden Boot, Maidstone 

thegoldenboot.co.uk 


112

Seas the Day 

Photographs: David Merewether Styling: Helen Barton Model: Tillie 


LOVELL & VIE 

lingerie swimwear 

dressing undeniable beauty 

www.odyl.co.uk 

01580 714907 

Aubade 

PrimaDonna 

Empreinte 

Marie Jo 

Wacoal 

b.tempt'd 

Chantelle 

Passionata 

Fantasie 

Hanro 

Yawn 

PJ Salvage 

Vanilla 

Huit8 

DKNY 

Moontide 

Watercult 

Hanky Panky 

46 Holly Bush Lane, Sevenoaks TN13 3TL 

01732 454445 www.lovellandvie.co.uk 

Shersby 

LovellAndVieWT184.indd 1 11/05/2017 OdylWT184.indd 12:03 1 24/05/2017 11:57 

FINE JEWELLERS 

Come and see 

Oscar nominated 

Bafta winning 

Shuna at her shop 

in Heathfield 

Market 

Men’s and women’s 

vintage clothing 

and accessories 

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. 

George Cottage, High Street, Cranbrook 

Cranbrook has free car parking 

www.shersbyjewellers.co.uk Telephone: 01580 720003 

shersbyjewellers@aol.com Find us on Facebook 


114 

ShunasVintageClothesWT182.indd 1 17/03/2017 ShersbyJewellersWT184.indd 13:24 

1 12/05/2017 16:27

Mayamiko shift dress, 

£59, Who’s Wearing What 

Boutique, St Leonards 

whoswearingwhat-boutique.co.uk

Come and get 

dressed at 

We have some GREAT ideas for holiday clothes 

For all 

SHAPES 

and sizes in linens, silks & cotton 

With a w i d e range of accessories and 

wraps to go with them, as well as something a 

little more dressy for drinks on the patio! 

Opening Hours: Tuesday—Friday 10.30am—5pm 

Saturday 10.30am—3.30pm 

44 High Street, Charing, Kent TN27 0HX 01233 714689 

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 

Colour come back 


Elizabeth44WT183.indd 1 19/04/2017 EmmaPoveyWT181.indd 11:46 

1 16/02/2017 11:48 

When people say ‘you’re looking really well’ there’s a good 

chance it’s down to the colours you’re wearing. Personal colour 

analysis, now making a come-back, helps you understand your 

true colours so you look and feel great. 

The colours you wear influence 

up to 90% of other people’s 

first impression of you. It’s 

important to get it right. When 

you wear your true colours, 

you look radiant, healthy, fresh 

and youthful. Anni Wickham, 

an independent colour analyst 

in Yalding, chose the latest 

science based system, Prism 

XII as the most accurate and 

personalised method to find your 

very best colours for clothing, 

make-up and jewellery. “As I am 

independent, I use my favourite 

products. With no sales pitch, 

clients can relax and try out 

new make-up products. 

I have a huge selection of fabric 

drapes, so we will find your best 

colours together and try them 

out.” Pamper yourself with a 

two-hour personal session, or 

enjoy some quality fun time with 

friends. Anni also offers a bridal 

package including bridesmaids. 

“Having my colours done made 

me look and feel amazing. Anni 

was so enthusiastic and found the 

right colour palette for me. Wow.” 

Josie, my colour stylist client. 

Special Offer 

£79 personal colour consultation. 

Email hello@mycolourstylist.co.uk 

before 31st August 2017 to book. 


116 

SMEWconsultingWT184.indd 1 16/05/2017 14:40

Top: Onjenu dress, £89, Odyl, Cranbrook odyldesign.com; blue Van Dal mules, £70, Golden Boot, Maidstone 

thegoldenboot.co.uk Bottom: Moon triple metal earrings, £19, Paris necklace, £45, Who’s Wearing What Boutique, St Leonards 

whoswearingwhat-boutique.co.uk 


Linda Pope 

Opticians 

facebook.com/LindaPopeOpticians 

Rye Road • Hawkhurst 

Telephone. 01580 753744 

New to Heathfield! 

LindapopeQRTWT184.indd 1 11/05/2017 UnderClearSkiesWT184.indd 16:44 

1 24/05/2017 10:16 

o. 

N 37 

We are an independent womenswear boutique in 

Heathfield High Street, offering quality clothing 

and accessories, with collections chosen for their 

comfort, style and versatility. 

Summer styles now in store! 

We look forward to welcoming you to browse in 

our relaxed friendly atmosphere. 

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


118 

AllWrappedUpWT148.indd 1 18/05/2017 13:08

And Less denim culottes, £89, Meeru Kumar 

shirt, £119, Reyflector sunglasses, £10, Paris 

necklace, £45, Who’s Wearing What Boutique, 

St Leonards whoswearingwhat-boutique.co.uk; 

Wonders flatform sandals, £95, Golden Boot, 

Maidstone thegoldenboot.co.uk 


Emin & Paul green trousers, £95, 

Mayamiko print top, £45, Reyflector 

sunglasses, £10, Who’s Wearing 

What Boutique, St Leonards 

whoswearingwhat-boutique.co.uk

Come and see us at Wealden Times 

Midsummer Fair, Hole Park, Stand O47 

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 

GoldenFleeceWT184.indd 1 08/05/2017 CleverDresserBoutiqueWT180.indd 15:25 

1 16/01/2017 16:32 

Varca is a unique brand redefining 

traditional handcrafted European 

designs to the British lifestyle. 

Specialising in the Menorcan 

sandal, their collection also 

includes Italian Loafers, clothing 

and new Mediterranean 

footwear designs. 

01903 746677 www.varca.com 

Unit 3 Spring Buildings, Robell Way 

Storrington, West Sussex, RH20 3DW 


VarcaWT184.indd 1 10/05/2017 ManukaShoesWT184.indd 10:28 

1 11/05/2017 11:48

cashmere and silk knitwear 

Cashara look forward 

to seeing you at 


Midsummer Fair at 

Hole Park 8-10th 

June, Stand No R18 

T H E R E ’ S A 

R E B E L L I O N 

A F O OT 

ffian. 

Abi Gurney Hat Hire 

By appointment only... 

Come and browse our new 

disturb our customers Spring/Summer too much. Our Collections philosophy is such that when a 

pair of shoes they 23 will High be Street, sure to Tenterden get in touch TN30 with 6BJus. 

Telephone 01580 761222 Email sales@cashara.co.uk 

have news which needs to be shared with the right people. Without 

Shop online at www.cashara.co.uk 

www.abigurneyhathire.co.uk 

01825 713448 

abigurneyhathire@gmail.com 

ing new website which parades our shoes and our new canvas and leather 

CasharaWT184.indd 1 11/05/2017 AbiGurneyWT183.indd 11:13 

1 04/04/2017 16:22 

ory 

w welted Collection in all of our styles so whether you are a Loafer, Brogue or Oxford 

lted shoe for you 

ed number of Cordovan leather loafers. Genuine Horween leather is exceedingly rare, 

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ope you agree it is captivating. All the details are in the enclosed limited 

Ruffians are an enthusiastic and eclectic group of individuals full of zest 

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he Boathouse, so please call on us soon on 01234 816820. 

BILLYRUFFIANSHOES.CO.UK 

+44 (0) 1234 816820 

Hawkhurst-No6 The Collonade Rye Road Kent. TN184ES 

01580 752118 

Rye- No12 High Street Rye East Sussex. TN317JF 

01797 224369 

Lewes -27 High Street Lewes East Sussex. BN72LU 

01273 480896 

816820wealdentimes.co.uk 

WWW.BILLYRUFFIANSHOES.CO.UK 

122 

BillyRuffianWT184.indd 1 18/05/2017 CordeliaJamesWT183.indd 11:25 

1 18/04/2017 10:20

Legal 

Get Your Life in Order 

Three legal experts share important advice on planning for the future 

Credit: FreeImages.com/Shho 

Preparing, Planning and 

Protecting your Estate 

James Beresford, Slater and Gordon 

What happens if I don’t have any plans in place? 

“If you die without leaving a valid will, you are treated 

as having died intestate. This means that your estate will 

be divided in accordance with the law. This may mean 

that people whom you do not wish to inherit from your 

estate may do so. It is not necessarily a certainty that your 

husband, wife or civil partner will inherit all of your estate.” 

Should my partner and I have a joint will? 

“There is no such thing as a ‘joint’ will. Each person 

will make their own individual will. What you can do 

is have wills that mirror each other in their terms. It 

very much depends upon your family dynamics as to 

whether your wills should do so however. It also depends 

on the family scenario and the assets involved.” 

What grounds could there be for my will to be contested? 

“Wills can be contested in certain circumstances only. 

There are limited categories of people who can claim against 

your estate if they feel that they have not been sufficiently 

provided for. Your will could also be challenged if you did 

not have the requisite capacity to create a will and also that 

you lacked knowledge and approval of the contents. 

Whilst there is nothing that you can do to prevent a claim 

being brought against your estate it will be harder for a 

claim to be brought, if you take appropriate specialist 

legal advice from a suitably qualified solicitor. He or she 

will be able to express your wishes in your own words and 

put plans in place to ensure that they are met.” 

 

James Beresford is Head of Wills, Tax, Trusts and Probate at 

Slater and Gordon Lawyers. 0161 383 3883 slatergordon.co.uk 


Legal 

What are lifetime gifts and how do they work? 

Simon Leney, Cripps 

The only downside is that you 

make yourself poorer, although 

for inheritance tax saving 

that is the whole point! 

“It’s common knowledge that if you gift money, assets or valuables 

seven years before you die, you are free of inheritance tax. There is no 

limit to how much you can gift. If you give away more than £3,000 

in a tax year (the previous year’s unused allowance can also be used) 

and you don’t survive the gift by seven years, the surplus is added 

back to the value of your estate at death for the purpose of calculating 

inheritance tax. There is no penalty – the inheritance tax is no more 

than it would have been had you kept the value in your estate and 

actually it will be slightly less due to use of the annual allowance. 

Where you as the giver continue to benefit from the gift, 

it will be deemed to be a gift with reservation of benefit, 

meaning the seven year ‘clock’ does not start. If at a later stage 

part of the gift is returned to you or spent on your behalf, the 

part of the gift will be treated as a gift with reservation. 

Lifetime giving – accelerating inheritance by your heirs for 

example – has many benefits, not least the pleasure of seeing your 

gift being enjoyed. The only downside is that you make yourself 

poorer, although for inheritance tax saving that is the whole point!” 

Simon Leney is a Private Client Lawyer and Wealth 

Planning Specialist at Cripps 01892 506005 cripps.co.uk 

Credit: FreeImages.com/Svilen Milev 

Probate 

Richard Hearne,Whitehead Monckton 

What is it? 

“Probate is the legal process whereby the Will of a deceased 

person is submitted to Court to be ‘proved’ as a valid public 

document, that is the true ‘last Will and testament’ of the 

deceased. In the case of an intestacy (when the deceased 

died without leaving a Will), there is a similar process but 

in this case the applicant is the person or persons entitled 

to the estate under the rules of intestacy. In each case, the 

Court will issue either a Grant of Probate or (in the case 

of an intestacy) a Grant of Letters of Administration.” 

When is it needed? 

“Probate is not always needed and depends upon the assets held 

by the deceased. For example, property held as joint tenants 

will pass automatically to the surviving owner. In the case of 

cash assets, the need for Probate depends upon the amount 

held with the bank. Advice should be sought from a solicitor 

at the outset to establish whether or not Probate is required.” 

How do you apply for Probate? 

“The process of applying for Probate differs depending on 

whether the estate is subject to Inheritance Tax or not. 

For a non-taxable estate, the Executor will prepare an 

HMRC form detailing the assets and liabilities of the 

estate. They will also swear an Oath which confirms they 

are the executor named in the Will. These documents 

are then sent to the Probate Registry and typically 

the Grant is returned within one to two weeks. 

For a more complex estate, tax papers must be filed 

with HMRC and Inheritance Tax paid in advance. The 

Executor then applies for Probate including the Oath, 

Will and HMRC receipt. This is a longer process and 

from submission of papers to HMRC to the issue of 

the Grant may take between two to three months. 

In either case, timescales will need to include the work 

required by an Executor to establish the full assets and liabilities 

involved – which in certain cases can take several months. 

In the case of an intestacy, the HMRC forms completed 

are exactly the same but the applicant will swear an 

Oath confirming their entitlement to the estate. In this 

case, the applicant is called an ‘Administrator’.” 

Can I apply for Probate myself? 

“Personal applications, without the assistance of a solicitor, can 

be made to the Court directly by an Executor or Administrator. 

In very straightforward cases this can be a good option. 

However, it is always advisable to consult a solicitor in the first 

instance to establish any possible issues. In more complex cases, 

it is always advisable to instruct a solicitor to assist, particularly 

as an Executor or A dministrator will have strict obligations to 

fulfil, both to the beneficiaries of the estate and also to HMRC.” 

Richard Hearne is an Associate Legal Executive at Whitehead 

Monckton. 01580 767532 whitehead-monckton.co.uk 


160

Beauty 

Unsung 

Heroes 

Josephine Fairley names some lesser-known products 

that know how to pack a punch 

Buying any beauty product without a personal 

recommendation, a magazine review or a tip-off 

from the growing number of beauty websites and 

blogs is always a minefield. How do you spot the potential 

winners, from the thousands – and thousands and thousands 

– of products out there? Particularly since beauty editors 

(guilty as charged) often focus on skincare, make-up and 

haircare that is sexily packaged, or just new, new, new. 

But let’s hear it for the unsung heroes: the footsoldier 

products that just keep quietly doing their job for (beauty) 

queen and country. Quite often, they’re under-recognised 

because their packaging doesn’t make the heart soar – or 

they’re so cheap you reckon they couldn’t possibly work, and 

walk straight past them on those crowded shelves, without a 

second glance. All of these, so far as I’m concerned, deliver on 

their promises – and are often ridiculously cheap, with it. 

M&S Formula Absolute Sleep Cream, £22 for 50ml. ‘Sleep’ 

creams are all the rage – and often really pricy with it. This 

isn’t as inexpensive as some of M&S’s skincare, but a price like 

this isn’t going to induce sleepless nights, that’s for sure. It’s 

plumping, smoothing and ever-so-slightly radiant-making. 

Very slightly scented (which isn’t always 

the case with high street skincare offerings; 

I often find them to be over-perfumed). 

Above all, this is just very, very ‘comfy’ 

on skin – a sort of hot-water-bottlecashmere-socks 

of a product, and one 

that I don’t think you’d regret adding 

in to your regime at any price. 

3INA Lipsticks, £4.95. I’ve always 

splurged on expensive lipstick – 

the luxury of the click, the glide, 

the colour! – but I’m a convert to 

these, which pack a pigmented 

punch, are comfy on the lips (and 

the pocket with it). In an amazing 

24 shades. (Check their website, 

uk.3ina.com, for stockists.) 

Weleda Skin Food, £10.95 for 

75ml. If I had to take just one desert 

island beauty cream, this would 

probably be it. A longstanding 

part of the biodynamic beauty 

brand Weleda’s line-up – Skin Food has been nourishing 

complexions since 1926 – it’s a great facial moisturiser, 

body cream, hand cream, cuticle nourisher, elbow-softener. 

(We’ve also seen it used backstage at London Fashion 

Week, to perk up tired complexions and generally soothe 

faces that have been over-cleansed.) It features wild pansy, 

calendula, chamomile and rosemary – though the fragrance 

is ultra-subtle – and chaps love it for razor-burn, too. 

Sainsbury’s Boutique Nail Polish, £4. Toss one or 

two of these in your trolley with the frozen peas, and I 

promise you won’t be disappointed. I tried these polishes 

with less-than-zero expectations, and was incredibly 

impressed by the staying power, ease of application and 

finish. This spring saw a fabulous burnished, Venetian 

gold in the collection (I’m a sucker for gold nails) and 

10 days later it was going strong. The same can’t always 

be said of designer polishes at four times the price. 

Simple Kind to Skin Micellar Water, £4.94 for 200ml. The 

whole Simple range is brilliant for sensitive skins; when friends 

are having flare-ups I point them in Simple’s direction. Many 

(but not all) micellar waters are truly miraculous for removing 

every last trace of make-up – including hard-to-budge eye 

make-up – but the price of this gentle but effective option 

makes this an excellent choice for a 

test-drive, if you still need convincing. 

Cath Kidston Hand Creams, £6 

for a trio of 30ml sizes. Different 

retailers stock different designs of these 

brilliantly hand-softening creams, but 

the formulas all sink in fast to leave 

hands velvety and rich, without being 

sticky or heavy. (A little bit of inside 

track info, here: Cath Kidston is just 

one of the ranges made by Heathcote 

& Ivory; they’ve also collaborated 

with Kaffe Fassett, Morris & Co. 

and offer their own Vintage & Co. 

bath and bodycare – and it’s all topnotch.) 

With packaging this pretty 

you’re unlikely not to have noticed it, 

where it’s on sale – but you may have 

written it off thinking: ‘At that price, it 

can’t be any good.’ Trust me: it is. 

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British College of Aesthietic Medicine 


126 

DrDeborahMcMannersWT184.indd 1 23/05/2017 17:28

Beauty 

Barry M Get Shapey Brow & Eyeshadow Palette, 

£6.49. This tin of shadows and shapers isn’t going to win 

any luxury packaging prizes – but for a kit that delivers 

everything you need for neutral eye-shading, it is hard 

to beat. There are four excellent neutral shadows – three 

nudes and one with a touch of shimmer (because flat, 

entirely matte eyes simply aren’t flattering, especially as 

we age). First, use the brow powders and clear wax to 

define and shape your arches – because that way, you can 

determine how much emphasis eye sockets and lids need. 

Waitrose Pure Cleansing & Powder, £3 for 25g. 

‘Cleansing powders’ have been inspired by Korean beauty 

rituals and are brilliant for brightening skin, buffing away 

dead skin cells and very lightly foaming the complexion 

clean; I prefer them for morning cleansing rather than 

at night, but they’re a key part of my skincare regime 

now. This option offers a level of performance that belies 

its affordability. (The Waitrose Pure ranges are worth 

checking out generally. NB: I happen to be their Beauty 

Editor – but all that means is that I’m lucky enough to 

be first in the queue to road-test their new products.) 

Made For Life by Spiezia Organics Skin Solve Balm, from £6 

for 10ml (a brilliant trial or travel size). This can be categorized 

as a beauty product – it can double as a cleanser and 

moisturiser at a pinch – but I think every beauty cabinet needs 

this for S.O.S.-es including redness, itching, soreness, rashes. 

These sometimes arise as a reaction to a new product you’ve 

introduced into your regime, or may have another cause – but 

I wouldn’t be without this little blue glass pot of skin-calmer. 

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder, £3.99. This is superfine, 

super-soft and brilliant for setting make-up without 

making it look flat and dusty. I like the ‘Transparent’ version 

but it does come in five skintone-matched shades. (Just be 

sure to apply with your fluffiest powder brush, is my advice.) 

Unstung Hero, £20 for 250ml (at victoriahealth.com) 

How could I resist wrapping up this run-down of unsung 

heroes with a product whose pun of a name always puts a 

smile on my face? In all seriousness, though, this brilliantly 

does double-duty – as a citrus-and-tea-scented, summerperfect 

Cologne that also very effectively keeps those 

darned mosquitos at bay. Spritz with abandon, I say! 

Got some unsung beauty hero products of your own? 

Why not tweet them to me, @jojosams or @Beauty_Bible? 

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Home of Spectacular Spectacles 

and many more 

Enjoy your Summer 

With 

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Charlotte 

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£49 

Beauty 

LANCOME 

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NARS 

Velvet Matte Lip 

Pencils 

£20 

Summer 

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Cruise the Fenwick Tunbridge Wells beauty halls for 

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Flamingo Cosmetic 

Bag, from a 

selection

Are you considering 

a breast reduction? 

Miss Anita Hazari, Consultant Plastic Surgeon discusses the procedure. 

WHY YOU MIGHT NEED IT 

Breast reduction is never an 

essential operation. Weight loss 

may reduce breast size and, 

having lowered your BMI, you 

may find you do not need surgery. 

Correctly fitting underwear and 

clothing can improve comfort and 

appearance. 

The aim of the surgery is to 

give you smaller, better-shaped 

breasts that are in proportion to 

the rest of your body and relieve 

the severity of symptoms from 

large breasts such as backache 

and neck ache. The procedure 

removes fat, glandular tissue 

and skin from the breasts 

making them smaller, lighter 

and firmer. 

THE BENEFITS OF 

SURGERY 

Whatever your reason for 

considering this procedure, it 

can help you: 

• have greater self-esteem and 

confidence 

• feel that your breasts are more 

in proportion with the rest of 

your body 

• wear the clothes you want 

• live a more active lifestyle 

It is important to discuss: 

• your expectations 

• the benefits of the surgery to you 

• any risks, complications or 

limitations 

• family history of breast cancer 

• the need for a mammogram if 

you are 35 years or over 

THE PROCEDURE 

After pre-operative photographs, 

your surgeon will mark the new 

position for nipple in a position 

higher than the old, reducing 

the size of the nipple as well as 

marking the area of skin and 

breast tissue to be removed. 

The procedure usually takes 

about two to three hours. 

Techniques for breast 

reduction vary, but the most 

common procedure involves 

an anchor shaped incision 

that circles the areola, extends 

downwards and follows the 

natural curve of the crease 

beneath the breast. 

Glandular tissue, fat and 

skin is removed and the nipple 

with areola is moved into its 

new position. The skin will be 

brought down from both sides 

of the breast and around the 

areola, shaping the new curve 

of the breast. The nipples 

remain attached to the breast 

and its blood vessels (known as 

a ‘pedicle’). There are several 

variations of the direction of the 

pedicle. I often use the ‘superomedial’ 

or ‘superior’ pedicle. 

However, in some cases, the 

nipples and areola may have 

to be removed completely and 

grafted into a higher position, 

especially if the breasts are 

very pendulous with the nipples 

extremely low. 

Sutures are dissolving under 

the skin and do not require 

removal. 

YOUR AFTERCARE 

The hospital stay is normally 

1-2 days. It will be necessary to 

organise two to three weeks off 

from work. If your job involves 

heavy lifting, longer time may 

be needed. 

POST-OPERATIVE BRA 

You will need to wear a good, 

supportive, non-wired support 

bra, as advised by your 

surgeon, for 6-8 weeks. This is 

to help support the underlying 

tissue and suture lines while 

healing. After surgery there will 

be swelling and your breasts will 

seem high and firm which may 

seem unnatural to you. 

It is essential to wear a good 

quality sports bra and if possible 

a lycra crop top too, to prevent 

the breasts from moving up/ 

down and to maintain the 

results from surgery. 

If you are considering 

having a Breast Reduction 

and would like to discuss 

your options, Miss Anita 

Hazari offers free 15 

minute consultations. 

To book yours call us on 

01892 741150. 

For more information or to discuss booking an appointment call us on 01892 741150 

Take control of your health. www.spiretunbridgewells.com

Health & Beauty 

Jump into June 

Wealden Times talks to dietician and health coach, Katie Peck 

Do you have a beauty 

routine? The foundation of 

my beauty routine is quality 

sleep and drinking plenty of 

water. I’m an early riser and 

also a rower (getting up early at 

the weekends between 5-6am), 

so, in order to get the amount 

of sleep I need, I go to bed at 

9pm for at least three nights 

a week. Drinking plenty of 

water is essential for my skin. 

I hydrate as soon as I wake 

and drink 2-3 litres of water 

every day. I always drink water 

before I eat because caring for 

your digestion is important 

for good skin health. 

5-a-day 

Apparently, the 5-a-day 

health rule doesn’t just apply 

to fruit and veg. Research 

done by the psychology 

department at the University 

of California, showed that 

participants who performed 

5 acts of kindness a day, once 

a week, for 6 weeks became 

significantly happier. This in 

Do you have a 

particular product 

you couldn’t do 

without? There are 

many products that 

I can’t live without, 

but if I had to pick 

one, it would be 

50 + waterproof 

sunscreen for my 

face, neck and 

chest. I believe 

sun exposure in 

small amounts at 

non-peak times is 

healthy, it energises 

us and we make 

vitamin D in our 

skin, but the skin 

on your face, neck 

and chest is sensitive 

and vulnerable to damage, so 

it’s important to invest in a 

very good product. I use Obagi 

Medical Sun Shield Broad 

Spectrum SPF 50 - Matte. 

What’s your ultimate 

pampering treat? My ultimate 

pampering treat is a two 

hour, full body aromatherapy 

massage using oils tailored to 

how I’m feeling at the time. 

The oils are organic and have 

health benefits when they’re 

absorbed into the skin. The 

treatment’s deeply relaxing 

and I have one every month. 

We live busy lives with minds 

which are constantly working, 

turn had a positive effect on 

their health and wellbeing 

and other studies support 

this. For example, Allan 

Luks conducted research 

into the health, happiness 

and volunteering habits of 

3,296 people for his book 

‘The Healing Power of 

Doing Good’. When asked 

how they felt after helping 

people, 95% of participants 

so it’s vital to make sure we 

get enough rest to balance our 

hormones, help our skin and 

work to maintain flexibility 

in all the joints in our body. 

Who’s your style icon? My 

style icon is Marilyn Monroe 

because of her feminine style 

and softness. Her ability 

to present herself in a way 

that expressed who she was, 

was very natural and I love 

that. This is my favourite 

quote of hers: “Imperfection 

is beauty, madness is 

genius and it’s better to 

be absolutely ridiculous 

than absolutely boring.” 

Katie Peck is a New 

Zealand trained British 

Registered Dietitian and 

Health Coach and Founder 

of Peck Nutrition. Katie 

has a bachelor’s degree in 

Human Nutrition and two 

post graduate diplomas. 

She has a background of 

working in the NHS, clinical 

research and lecturing. 

Katie’s unique focus is getting 

results with weight loss and 

treating digestive health 

issues. See Katie in the Healthy 

Living Theatre at Wealden 

Times Midsummer Fair on 

Thursday 8 June. For more 

information visit wealdentimes. 

co.uk/events/timetable 

said they felt good, 80% 

felt more positive (often 

for many days), 57% had 

greater feelings of self-worth 

and 29% reported having 

more energy. Luks also 

noted that his helpers and 

volunteers got fewer colds 

and flu, fewer migraines 

and even slept better! So, 

if you want to be healthy 

and happy, be kind … 

American 

Beauty 

The All Day Hydration 

Routine is everything you’d 

expect from iconic160-year 

old American beauty brand 

Kiehl’s: it’s created from the 

purest natural ingredients 

and beautifully presented 

in packaging reminiscent 

of the firm’s beginnings 

in an apothecary’s shop in 

New York’s East Village. 

At Wealden Times we tried 

– and loved – the products 

on which the four key stages 

of the routine are based: 

1. Treating the skin, by 

targeting fine lines and 

wrinkles with Vitamin C, 

using Powerful-Strength 

Line-Reducing Concentrate 

2. Moisturising, using Ultra 

Facial Cream, to hydrate 

and balance the skin 

3. Nourishing the delicate 

eye area using ultrahydrating 

Creamy Eye 

Treatment with Avocado 

4. Replenishing and 

restoring the skin’s healthy 

appearance with night 

time facial oil, Midnight 

Recovery Concentrate 

Try Kiehl’s products for 

yourself at Wealden Times 

Midsummer Fair on 8, 9 &10 

June at Hole Park in their pop- 

up shop, ‘Kiehl’s on Wheels’. 

131

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Health 

Plant Therapy 

Alison Marsden highlights the undeniable health 

benefits of getting out in a garden 

Credit: FreeImages.com/AinaM 

It’s official. Gardening is good for you. 

How do I know? Well apart from a 

lifetime’s gardening (and you could 

say that gardeners are biased) there is 

significant evidence from organised research 

that gardening is one of the best, and 

most accessible, ‘green care’ therapies for 

supporting and improving mental health. 

The breakthrough in this research is 

because it shows that green therapies 

benefit everyone, not just people who 

like gardening and find it a good way to 

unwind. A 2016 report commissioned by 

Natural England concluded that ‘green 

care’ offers significant benefits to patients. 

These include a reduction in depression, 

anxiety and stress symptoms plus increased 

self-esteem and confidence, social contact 

and inclusion, as well as a sense of 

belonging and personal achievement. 

The joy of using gardening to deliver 

these benefits is that it is so flexible, from 

the individual who enjoys gentle exercise, 

fresh air and sociable gardening conversation 

on their allotment to structured Social 

and Therapeutic Horticulture projects 

where qualified therapists support those 

with severe, long term mental health 

conditions. And there’s an increasing range 

of organisation and projects in between. 

Through Kent Adult Education I’ve worked 

with several including West Kent Mind 

at their Sevenoaks centre where a longstanding 

gardening group tends a vegetable 

Further information 

Alison tutors for Kent Adult 

Education who offer leisure and 

accredited courses for adults across 

the county. kentadulteducation.co.uk 

West Kent Mind is affiliated to the 

national mental health charity Mind 

and delivers local mental health 

support to anyone in need of help. 

westkentmind.org.uk 

The UK charity Thrive uses 

gardening to bring positive changes 

in the lives of people living with 

and wildlife garden. This also allows 

participants to sit quietly for that crucial 

ten minutes becoming absorbed in a 

natural, green environment, reducing stress 

and restoring the ability to concentrate 

– another finding from the research. 

You don’t even need a garden at 

home; allotment groups, community 

gardening projects, local park and 

garden volunteers all offer a way to 

start, or keep on, gardening. Engaging 

in social activities, learning from others 

and feeling that you’re contributing 

to the community are important in 

maintaining good mental health, especially 

for people who may otherwise become 

isolated and lose confidence, often the 

trigger for anxiety or depression. 

And the end result of all that therapeutic 

gardening? A beautiful outside space, flowers 

for a vase and some of your five-a-day fruit 

and veg. However you look at it, gardens 

and gardening could be the simplest way 

for us all to support our wellbeing. 

Alison Marsden lives near Tunbridge 

Wells and is a gardening advisor and 

tutor providing advice, problem solving, 

ideas and explanations to householders 

and gardening clubs. She has a strong 

interest in using gardening to promote 

mental well being and holds the 

Award in Social and Therapeutic 

Horticulture. gardeningbydesign.co.uk 

disabilities or ill health, or who 

are isolated, disadvantaged 

or vulnerable. Thrive offers 

training and education including 

accredited courses in Social and 

Therapeutic Horticulture. 

thrive.org.uk 

The report A review of naturebased 

interventions for mental 

health care, Bragg, R. and Atkins, 

G. 2016 was commissioned by 

Natural England Commissioned 

Reports, Number NECR204. 

publications.naturalengland.org.uk 

“Mental health is defined as 

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every individual realizes his 

or her own potential, can 

cope with the normal stresses 

of life, can work productively 

and fruitfully, and is able 

to make a contribution to 

her or his community.” 

(World Health Organisation 2014) 

Busy bees 

Bees are essential 

pollinators of flowers, fruits 

and vegetables and without 

them our gardens would be 

barren places. Bee Potion, from St 

Leonards in East Sussex, supports bees by 

promoting local hives and beekeeping with 

educational workshops and natural beauty 

products. Their fabulous Face and Body 

Balm is created from honey, bee pollen, 

propolis and beeswax from local beehives. 

This all-natural blend of vitamin-rich oils 

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moisturising hands, lips and cheeks after a 

long day on the allotment or in the garden. 

Bee Potion will be exhibiting in the Avenue 

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133

Health 

Getting back 

into shape 

post baby 

Personal trainer Sarah-Jane Holt gives practical 

advice on how to regain control of your body 

Credit: FreeImages.com/Melbia1 

Getting back into training post-baby is an important 

step towards feeling like yourself again and can have a 

significant impact on stress levels, mood and wellbeing. 

However, when you barely have time to eat, let alone think 

about exercise, this can feel like a daunting challenge. 

A good place to start is with your core. After pregnancy and 

birth, core strength is weakened and in order to help protect 

against back pain, improve bladder control and help you back 

to pre-baby fitness, it’s important to work on rebuilding it. 

However, don’t rush things: it’s recommended that no core 

exercises are done for six weeks post birth, longer if you’ve had 

a c section, to allow the abdominals to knit back together. If 

you don’t wait for this to happen, you can develop a distended 

abdomen and a pot belly, not the look most of us are going 

for! So, check with the doctor or midwife first and once your 

abs have come back together, start with these exercises: 

Inner Core 

It is best to build up from the inside out. Working on 

developing inner core strength is vital for optimal core 

function, back health and having a flat tummy. 

Start with some basic diaphragmatic breathing: 

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. 

• Put your hands on your tummy and focus on breathing into 

your hands. You are trying to stop the breath going into your 

chest and instead trying to fill up your tummy with air. 

• As you breathe out think about pulling your tummy button 

down towards your spine and push you back into the floor. 

• Hold for a second at the bottom and then 

release and take another deep breath. 

• This will start to engage your inner core muscles and 

begin to develop good functional core strength before 

progressing to this exercise with leg lowers, or ‘dead bugs’. 

• Lie on your back with both arms reaching towards 

the ceiling and your knees bent at right angles 

so that your shins are parallel to the floor. Take a 

deep breath, as before, into your tummy. 

• As you breathe out start to lower one leg to the floor, 

keeping the arm on that side reaching towards the 

ceiling, whilst bringing the opposite arm back towards 

the floor behind your head, keeping it straight. 

• The aim is to push down into your lower back 

and keep your back in contact with the floor 

at all times whilst extending your leg. 

• Keep your knee bent on this extending leg to begin 

with, and once you are successfully engaging your core 

and keeping your back flat, start to straighten it. 

• Bring your leg back up, take another deep breath and repeat. 

This exercise is surprisingly hard so take your 

time and progress through it slowly. 

Pelvic Floor 

As well as your inner core, you’ll need to 

strengthen your pelvic floor. 

Here are two simple exercises which will help: 

• The first is to imagine you’re stopping yourself peeing by 

pulling up your pelvic floor muscles and holding for a second. 

This is a great exercise and one you can do anywhere, in the car, 

watching TV or at work. Aim to do it 15 times, twice a day. 

• The second strengthening exercise is Swiss ball tucks. 

Sit on a Swiss ball, feet flat on the floor. Tuck your bum 

underneath you so you are bringing your pubic bone up 

towards your tummy button. This tuck movement will 

engage the pelvic floor. Hold for a moment then release. 

You can progress this by lifting one foot off the ground 

once you have your tuck, trying to keep your hips balanced 

throughout. 15 of these twice a day would be a great start. 

Doing simple short easy exercises like these can make a big 

difference to your strength and core function. Although 

they may not feel the toughest exercises, they are laying 

solid foundations so you can successfully more onto 

more intense training when you are ready, helping you to 

regain your pre-baby body in a safe and effective way. 

Sarah-Jane is a qualified personal trainer and sports 

nutritionist. She will be talking about healthy habits for 

busy mums in the Healthy Living Theatre at Wealden 

Times Midsummer Fair on 9 and 10 June. 

Find out more at sarahjaneholt.co.uk 


134

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136

Food 

Seasonal 

fruitfulness 

Push all the other fruits out of the bowl – the 

season of luscious, locally grown summer berries is 

here. Bursting with flavour and immune-boosting 

micronutrients, homegrown berries are delicious eaten 

straight from the bush, or used as versatile and easy 

additions to recipes. Our soft fruit season is short, but 

very sweet. Let’s make the most of them. 

Recipes: Jo Arnell Photographs: David Merewether 

Strawberry and lavender tart 

This is a very easy tart to put together - and to make it even easier 

you could use ready made sweet pastry. Strawberries, lavender and 

lemon are fresh and fragrant tart toppings and make a perfect early 

summer combo. 

Serves 6-8 Prep time: 1 hour (inc. cooling) Cooking time: 20 mins 

For the shortbread pastry case: 

• 200g plain flour 

• 150g cold butter, cut 

into small cubes 

• 1 egg yolk 

• 75g ground almonds 

• 50g caster sugar 

For the filling: 

• 200ml double cream 

• 220ml mascarpone 

• zest and juice of 

half a lemon 

• 2-3 tablespoons of 

lavender sugar (more or 

less, depending on taste) 

• 250g strawberries 

(whole small ones, 

or sliced big ones) 

1. To make the pastry combine the flour and butter together 

(by hand or with a food processor) until they resemble 

crumble topping. Mix in the egg, sugar and almonds 

and push together to make a ball (you may need a little 

extra water too). Place in the fridge for 30mins, then roll 

(or press) into a flan dish (easier said than done, as it is 

crumbly and might not hold together). Bake in the oven 

at 180˚C (gas 4) for 20 minutes. Cool thoroughly. 

2. Beat the cream into the mascarpone (until it forms soft 

peaks), then mix in lemon juice and 1-2 tablespoons of 

lavender sugar (taste for sweetness). Add the cream mixture 

to the pastry case just prior to serving. Top with strawberries, 

a sprinkling of lemon zest and more lavender sugar. 


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The trickiest thing about this recipe might be finding the 

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• 200g fresh (or frozen) 

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• 2 tablespoons elderflower 

cordial 

• 50g caster sugar (to taste) 

• 300ml double cream 

• 300ml Greek yoghurt 

• handful of toasted flaked 

almonds, to garnish 

1. Simmer gooseberries with sugar and elderflower 

cordial until they burst their skins and mash down – 

puree the mixture if a smooth consistency is preferred 

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adding more sugar if required, then leave to cool. 

2. Beat the cream until soft peak stage (be careful 

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3. Add the gooseberry mix and combine carefully. 

4. Pile into serving dishes and chill until required, 

then serve, sprinkled with almonds. 

 


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Food 

Raspberry and white chocolate cookies 

These cookies just melt in the mouth, but for 

extra crunch and luxuriance add some chopped 

nuts – hazelnuts or macadamia work best. 

Makes approx 16 cookies 

Prep time: 15 mins Cooking time: 10-15 mins 

• 225g softened butter 

• 140g caster sugar 

• 260g flour 

• 1 egg 

• 100g white 

chocolate, broken 

into small chunks 

• 50g raspberries 

1. Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and 

creamy, add the egg and a little of the flour and beat 

them into the mixture. Fold in the rest of the flour. 

2. Then fold in the white chocolate and raspberries. Add 

the raspberries in carefully. If you mix them in too 

enthusiastically, the cookies will turn the mixture a sludgy 

pink – they’ll be just as scrumptious, but not as photogenic. 

3. Form, or spoon, into little rounds and place on greased, or 

parchment lined baking trays and bake in a pre-heated oven 

(at gas mark 4 or 180˚C) for 10-15 minutes (remove when 

golden). Leave to cool and crisp up before transferring/serving. 

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142 

GoudhurstInnWT184.indd 1 23/05/2017 16:23

PerfectFood 

pairing 

Fabio Vinciguerra from The Tickled Trout 

in West Farleigh, part of Hush Heath Estate, 

teams freshly picked asparagus with tender 

sea trout in a perfect dinner party dish 

Seared Sea Trout and Asparagus 

Serves 1 

• 12 asparagus spears 

• knob of butter 

• 3 gelatine leaves 

• 5 radishes 

• 90g wild garlic leaves 

• mayonnaise to taste 

• 160g portion of sea trout 

• salt and pepper to taste 

• ½ lemon 

• drizzle of olive oil 

1. Trim and peel the asparagus. To make an asparagus jelly, chop 

6 asparagus spears and put them into a pan of salted boiling 

water with a knob of butter. Then boil for 2-3 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water until 

they are soft. Blend the boiled asparagus with a bit of its 

cooking liquid, then add the gelatine and blend again 

until smooth. Transfer into a tray and refrigerate to set. 

3. Slice the radishes into rounds under ½cm thick, then 

stack them and slice into strips, before setting aside. 

4. For a wild garlic mayonnaise, blanch the wild garlic leaves in 

another pan of salted boiling water for 30 seconds. Transfer 

them to a bowl of iced water to maintain the colour. Then 

roughly chop the leaves and blend, then add to mayonnaise. 

5. Season the sea trout with salt and pepper and place it 

skin side down in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. 

Apply a gentle pressure to ensure the fish remains flat in 

the pan. After 4-5 minutes check if the fish skin is starting 

to crisp. Once it is, turn the trout and reduce the heat 

for another 4-5 minutes until it is cooked through. 

6. While the fish is cooking, trim the woody base 

from the remaining uncooked asparagus. Drizzle 

the spears with olive oil and season with salt and 

pepper. Grill under a high heat for 3-4 minutes. 

7. Remove trout from the heat and squeeze 

over the juice of ½ a lemon. 

8. To serve, start by dotting the wild garlic mayonnaise on the 

right side of the plate. Add a few cubes of asparagus jelly to 

the left side of the plate. Place the grilled asparagus spears 

in the middle of the plate and top this with the cooked sea 

trout. Garnish with the radish and serve immediately. 


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ErnestDoe&SonsWT173.indd 1 20/06/2016 14:33

Garden 

War on Weeds 

Jo Arnell tackles the trickiest garden invaders 

Early summer is the time of maximum growth. The soil 

is warm and the danger of frost has passed. Everything 

in the garden should be rosy, except that sometimes 

it isn’t. One of the main issues that can sap our gardening 

enthusiasm are weeds. I am slightly in awe of weeds. They 

are such opportunists – tough and persistent, they will grow 

almost anywhere and in virtually any soil (if only some of 

our cultivated plants were as adaptable). They are also fast 

to germinate – always before any cultivated crops - and they 

grow so quickly that they easily out-compete other plants 

and choke them out, often quite literally. They can be hosts 

for diseases and larval stages of pests. It’s also been found that 

some actually send out substances that inhibit the growth of 

other plants. It is quite obvious that weeds spend their days 

plotting to take over the world and mid June is when they 

get close to achieving their aim. Understanding a little about 

how they manage to be so invasive might prevent you from 

getting too demoralised and help you launch a counter-attack. 

Broadly speaking weeds are either annuals, perennials or, 

occasionally, monstrous invaders like the ubiquitous Japanese 

knotweed. Annual weeds grow really fast and set seed early in 

the season. Some are called ephemerals, a romantic sounding 

word, meaning that they will come and go all through 

the year, not just in spring, so that many generations may 

germinate within a few months. They are successful because 

of the speed at which this happens and by the sheer number 

of seeds they disperse each time – thousands from each plant. 

The seed can also survive in the ground for years and years. 

Annuals seem to be easier to get rid of than perennials, but 

every time you disturb the soil you will bring more seeds to 

the surface, where they will immediately germinate. Examples 

– chickweed, shepherd’s purse, groundsel, hairy bittercress. 

Controlling annual weeds 

Removal by hand – annuals tend to have shallow roots, so 

hand weeding (especially if you can get to them before they 

set seed) will be effective. You can dig them up, or better 

still, hoe them off. Hoeing will cause less soil disturbance 

and therefore less existing weed seeds are brought up to 

the surface. Keep the blade of the hoe nice and sharp 

so that you can just slice along the top of the soil. 

‘No dig’ system – gardening without cultivating the soil 

will reduce the amount of disruption in the ground and 

will also allow the soil ecosystem to function undisturbed. 

A thick mulch applied in early spring, while the soil is still 

moist, will help to prevent weed seeds from germinating 

 


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Garden 

Repeated application of systemic 

weedkiller may be needed for 

pernicious weeds like nettles 

Green alkanet 

Some weeds have such deep 

roots that they are almost 

impossible to dig out. Examples 

include bindweed, ground 

elder, horsetail, dandelion 

and will also improve the soil’s structure – the worms 

and microorganisms will cultivate the soil for you. 

Burning – there are special gardening blow torches 

available that will burn off the top growth, but this 

can be a haphazard and laborious task if the weeds 

are among other plants, or there are lots of them. 

Contact weedkiller – these types of weedkiller act like 

a chemical hoe and will kill off the top growth, so are 

only effective for annual weeds. Be careful and only use 

in very still conditions, so that the spray doesn’t drift 

onto your precious plants. Weedkillers can be harmful 

to wildlife, especially residual weed treatments that 

persist in the soil for up to six months or more. 

Perennial weeds set seed and also replicate asexually, 

which means that they can re-grow from the tiniest piece 

of root that may have been left in the soil. Some, like 

couch grass and creeping buttercup send out runners near 

the soil’s surface, others have such deep roots that they are 

almost impossible to dig out. Examples include bindweed, 

ground elder, horsetail, dandelion, dock, couch. 

Controlling perennial weeds 

Perennial weeds do not seed around quite as quickly as the 

annuals, but they make up for this with toughness and tenacity 

and are not as easy to dig out as the annuals. The roots of 

horsetail, for instance, have been known to grow several 

metres down into the ground, so a combination of methods 

may be required for some of the more pernicious perennials. 

Removal by hand – it is not enough to just hoe off the 

top growth of perennial weeds, as they will just grow back. 

Digging out the roots of weeds like bindweed, couch grass and 

ground elder can seem like an impossible task, but persistence 

(sometimes over many years) does eventually pay off. 

Weed membrane (or a covering of light excluding black 

plastic) pegged down over the infested area will eventually 

starve out perennial weeds, but the barrier may have to be 

in place for several seasons. Using weed membrane (with a 

cosmetic cover of mulch) can be effective in low maintenance 

or shrub borders, where plants remain in permanent positions. 

Systemic weedkiller – contains glyphosate and is 

absorbed by plant leaves and taken down to the roots so 

that the whole plant is eventually destroyed. Repeated 

application may be needed for pernicious weeds like nettles 

and brambles. Use with care (there is some controversy 

on the use of glyphosate and the environment/human 

health at the moment). Gel applicators can be used to 

paint individual leaves where weeds are growing among 

cultivated plants and there are specialised herbicides 

available for eradicating broad-leaved weeds in lawns. 

Monstrous invaders 

Japanese knotweed is in a category all of its own, because it 

is becoming a huge problem. Introduced by the Victorians as 

an ornamental plant, it was found originally on Mount Fuji, 

where it is able to withstand the inhospitable environment 

of the volcanic slopes. This is partly why it is so invasive 

here, as even the worst of garden soil is very welcoming 

by comparison. It is almost impossible to eradicate – to 

the extent that it has caused problems to homeowners 

 


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Garden 

trying to sell their properties. It is not illegal to grow 

Japanese knotweed in a private garden, but it is an 

offence to allow it to be grown elsewhere. The problem 

is that the rhizomatous roots penetrate for metres under 

the soil and can easily spread under boundaries. 

Control of Japanese knotweed is very difficult. It is 

almost impossible to dig it out, as the roots can go up 

to three metres down into the soil. Using a translocated 

weedkiller (glyphosate), which would normally kill a 

perennial weed straightaway, will weaken the growth of 

the knotweed, so that in the year following treatment 

new growth will be small. Eventually – after a few years 

of spraying, it may be eradicated. The top growth should 

be dried out and then burnt, as it must not be included 

with household rubbish or put out in garden waste bins. 

There are specialist firms that will undertake removal 

of Japanese knotweed, but this may prove costly. 

There are a few other imported plants that have escaped 

from gardens and are now romping around the place – 

Rhododendron ponticum, Himalayan balsam and Giant 

Hogweed are gaining ground and a species of pondweed 

– New Zealand Pygmyweed, is clogging our ponds and 

waterways. These species need to be removed as they cause a 

threat to native habitats and can seriously affect ecosystems. 

If you do have Japanese knotweed or are suffering 

from an invasion of another pernicious perennial, then 

you have my sympathy. They turn the common garden 

weeds into a minor irritation. While you were reading 

this, however, out in your garden several of those ordinary 

weeds will have released their seeds or crept along a few 

more centimetres. Let’s go out – and get weeding. 

Contact Jo for gardening courses, border planting and 

advice on 01233 861149 jo@hornbrookmanor.co.uk 

Choking bindweed 


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150 

LamontLawrenceWT133.indd 1 07/02/2013 17:07

Pelargonium ‘Vectis Glitter’ 

What’s in a Name? 

Sue Whigham uncovers the Latin reasoning behind plant monikers 

In the days before child booster seats and seat belts, 

I took my turn taking six little boys to school. We 

would wind away through the back streets of Streatham 

to get down to Dulwich. In the back I would have a 

motley selection of characters; a lot of entertaining chat 

and gentle bickering and maybe one or two catching 

up with homework or bizarrely attempting to do their 

overdue violin practice in a moving car. This became 

even more interesting, and I use that word advisedly, 

when we came to a T junction or went round a corner. 

And then there would be my son revising his Latin 

vocabulary homework. The other son, who went 

into horticulture, always remembers from those 

journeys the word ‘gladiatus’ meaning ‘swordlike’ and 

thinking about the gladiators fighting in the Roman 

Colosseum. Now, all these years later, he remembers it 

as a description of the leaf shape of gladioli and wishes 

that he’d taken more interest in his Latin lessons! 

Most gardeners have some knowledge of ‘botanical Latin’ 

and how it helps when you are trying to choose a plant or 

find out more about them. It’s the same really when you 

are travelling. As we know, it helps to have some basic 

understanding of the local language. A plant’s name is a 

unique label and it can tell you where the plant originated, 

maybe who discovered it and what shape and colour its leaves 

and flowers might be. We know that Latin is the root of 

many languages and once you get to recognise the derivation 

of plant names it really is so useful. Botanical names though 

are constantly evolving and in some cases changing as 

scientists recognise more similarities and maybe differences 

in plants. For instance the genus name Cimicifuga has now 

completely disappeared and become Actaea. All confusing 

at first but you do gradually get used to it. It is also the case 

that we are also having to accept earlier names for familiar 

names as archives in countries like Russia are being studied. 

Why Latin? For centuries Latin was the language of 

science and learning in Europe and plants were described 

in a form of Latin which developed into a special botanical 

language which included references to sources like Ancient 

Greek and Arabic. It wasn’t until Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish 

professor of medicine at Uppsala University in Sweden 

took things in hand by developing the binomial system of 

naming all living organisms – a life’s work – that things 

became more orderly and recognisable. He set out his 

‘two name system’ in a seminal work, Species Plantarum 

in 1753 which was immediately widely accepted. 

The absolute bible at college was The Hillier Manual 

of Trees and Shrubs which much to our horror didn’t 

have pictures. Once we’d got over the initial shock 

and began to understand how plant names were 

 


ROZ-279-24823.pdf 1 23/01/2017 16:53:02 

GreenThumbWT181.indd 1 09/02/2017 11:19 

Kate Ball 

Telephone 07870 627145 

www.kateballgardendesign.co.uk 

Garden Design & Planting Plans 

Individual and bespoke garden spaces 


152 

KateBallWT184.indd 1 18/05/2017 10:14

Garden Perfection 

City Escapes provide domestic & commercial garden solutions 

Iris ‘Magnétisme’ 

made up we realised that all the essential knowledge 

concerning the plants in it was there. All plants are in a 

family e.g. Rosaceae which encompasses an enormous 

array of plants including roses and the flowering crab 

apples which include so many garden favourites. 

Once the family name is established, a plant is known 

by its Genus and its species e.g. Rosa rugosa. These are 

always in italics as a sort of etiquette and the Genus name 

always begins with an upper case letter. The species name 

usually is very useful in recognising a plant in that it does 

tell us perhaps a structural detail of the plant or maybe it’ll 

tell us the plant’s place of origin or its habitat or maybe 

its habit of growth. All essential knowledge for finding 

that perfect plant. For instance, Geranium sylvaticum 

prefers some shade as it originates in wooded areas whilst 

Geranium pratense is found in the wild in meadow land. 

I bought Euphorbia palustris from a nursery at the excellent 

Gardening for Disabled Trust Plant Fair recently and 

now realise that with palustris meaning ‘of marshland’ my 

original planting hole will have to be filled in and another 

site found. Tricky at the moment as the whole garden is so 

dry and even the pond area loses moisture in the summer 

as the water level drops so drastically. Unlike the leader 

of the Western World, I believe in global warming! 

If the plant has a cultivar name, in other words it is a 

form of the species that has been deliberately or maybe 

naturally hybridised in a garden or nursery, it has a third 

name. This is always recognisable in that it is written 

within single apostrophes and never in italics. Since the 

International Code of Nomenclature was established in 

1959 it hasn’t been permissible to use Latin names for a 

new cultivar, i.e. a perennial daisy, Bellis perennis which 

might have a new double form in white, could not be called 

Bellis perennis ‘Alba Plena’ simply meaning double white. 

There are thousands and thousands of cultivated forms 

of species plants and their breeders register them as having 

PBR – that is Plant Breeders Rights. Cultivar names from 

countries like Poland which breeds some wonderful 

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154 

AtcoWT184.indd 1 24/05/2017 14:48

Begonia ‘Sceptre’ 

clematis are worth getting to know. I particularly like 

Clematis ‘Blekitny Aniol’ which is so much easier to imagine 

when you know that the name means ‘Blue Angel’. 

In the wild there are plants that evolve that are similar 

to their species but that are subtly different maybe due 

to the conditions they have adapted to for survival. 

So just to complicate matters, a subspecies is a variant 

on the species and would be recognised in the plant’s 

description by writing first the Genus, then the species 

and then subsp. and finally the subspecies name. An 

example might be one of Gertrude Jekyll’s favourite 

plants, the spectacular Mediterranean spurge and well 

known to gardeners, Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii 

Finally, very many plants have names which 

commemorate great gardeners or the intrepid plant 

hunters who brought plants in to cultivation and who 

had the most extraordinary experiences all over the 

far flung corners of the world whilst doing so. 

Sir Joseph Banks is often thought of as the father of plant 

hunting. He came from an affluent family in the eighteenth 

century and rather than take the Grand Tour to Italy as 

many young men of means did then he decided to take his 

tour ‘around the globe’. He joined an expedition on board 

HMS Endeavour to the South Seas under the captaincy of 

Captain James Cook. The Admiralty ostensibly sent the ship 

out to observe the transit of Venus in the South Seas. Can 

you imagine how exciting this must have been for the young 

Banks as he saw it as an opportunity to collect both flora 

and fauna during the journey. The extraordinary story of the 

HMS Endeavour’s epic journey is well worth reading but 

Banks’s legacy lives on in the establishment of Kew Gardens 

as a centre for botanical excellence and in the approximately 

eighty species of plant named after him and in the case of the 

glorious early Banksian rose, after his wife, Lady Dorothea. 

For more information, see: 

• Stearn’s Dictionary of Plant Names for Gardeners by William 

T. Stearn published by Cassell. ISBN. 0-304-34149-5 

• The Plant Hunters, Two Hundred Years of 

Adventure and Discovery Around the World. Toby 

Musgrave, Chris Gardner, Will Musgrave. 

Published by Seven Dials. ISBN. 1-84188-001-9 

Sue Whigham can be contacted on 07810 

457948 for gardening advice and the sourcing 

and supplying of interesting garden plants. 

Garden Design and Landscaping 

01797 260 451 07831 868 848 

info@gardeneye.co.uk | www.gardeneye.co.uk 

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GardenproudWT184.indd 1 19/05/2017 12:40

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Boys & Girls 3-13 years | Founded 1883 | Hawkhurst, Kent | 01580 752271

Summer Study 

Susan Elkin ponders the timing of examinations 

Education 

Flaming June. Time for Wimbledon, strawberries, outdoor 

theatre – and school exams. Most of us remember sitting 

tensely in the school hall struggling desperately to remember 

the formula for quadratic equations or the causes of the Seven 

Years War while the sun blazed merrily outside and you tried to 

ignore the gentle thud of tennis balls on racquets in the distance. 

Little has changed. This month thousands of young 

people are in the middle of their GCSEs, A levels and 

other exams. And, although question papers are generally 

more clearly expressed these days and there’s slightly less 

emphasis on rote learning, examination arrangements 

are not so very different from when I took my O and A 

levels, longer ago than I’m prepared to reveal here. 

So a radical shake-up is long overdue. And I’m not, for 

once referring to the curriculum. It’s the timing which is 

no longer fit for purpose. Why on earth do we insist on 

staging public exams in the summer? The weather might 

be uncomfortably sticky and anyone who suffers from hay 

fever or other allergies is likely to be at his or her worst. 

More seriously, the insistence on summer exams lies at the root 

of the unseemly, inefficient, manic, annual scramble for university 

places. Results are announced in August and “Uni” starts only a 

few weeks later. Decisions made in haste and repented at leisure 

are commonplace. Young people start courses they soon discover 

are wrong for them, for example, because in the end that’s all that 

was on offer. And if exam papers have to be remarked/upgraded 

– which seems to be the case far more often than in times past 

presumably because of poor quality markers – then the student may 

miss out on the university place all together, at least for that year. 

So why don’t we run school exams in cool, business-like January 

and February? That would allow plenty of time for papers to be 

marked properly with results announced in, say, May and four 

further months in which to sort out the allocation of places. 

Curricula and teaching timetables would need adjusting of course 

(perhaps the exam course could start during Year 9 for instance) but 

the advantages would more than justify it. And students could fit 

in a few months of work experience before setting off to college. 

Even more radically perhaps another solution would be 

for everyone to take a whole year out between school and 

higher education. Then, even if exams continued to be sat 

in the summer students could apply with their actual results 

– rather than inaccurate teacher predictions – and definite 

offers be made by the higher education institutions. A year 

out doesn’t have to be spent travelling, obviously. Personally, 

I’d advocate getting a job, finding out how the world works 

and saving some money towards the cost of college. 

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VinehallSchoolWT184.indd 1 19/05/2017 11:32

Explore 

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You can 

• Express yourself in a Drama workshop 

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• Decorate a cake at the Boarding Bake-Off 

• Enter the enchanted forest at a performance of 

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• Find your Rhythm and try a musical instrument 

Contact Georgie Labram, Registrar, 

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

Legal 

Get Your Life in Order 

Three legal experts share important advice on planning for the future 

Credit: FreeImages.com/Shho 

Preparing, Planning and 

Protecting your Estate 

James Beresford, Slater and Gordon 

What happens if I don’t have any plans in place? 

“If you die without leaving a valid will, you are treated 

as having died intestate. This means that your estate will 

be divided in accordance with the law. This may mean 

that people whom you do not wish to inherit from your 

estate may do so. It is not necessarily a certainty that your 

husband, wife or civil partner will inherit all of your estate.” 

Should my partner and I have a joint will? 

“There is no such thing as a ‘joint’ will. Each person 

will make their own individual will. What you can do 

is have wills that mirror each other in their terms. It 

very much depends upon your family dynamics as to 

whether your wills should do so however. It also depends 

on the family scenario and the assets involved.” 

What grounds could there be for my will to be contested? 

“Wills can be contested in certain circumstances only. 

There are limited categories of people who can claim against 

your estate if they feel that they have not been sufficiently 

provided for. Your will could also be challenged if you did 

not have the requisite capacity to create a will and also that 

you lacked knowledge and approval of the contents. 

Whilst there is nothing that you can do to prevent a claim 

being brought against your estate it will be harder for a 

claim to be brought, if you take appropriate specialist 

legal advice from a suitably qualified solicitor. He or she 

will be able to express your wishes in your own words and 

put plans in place to ensure that they are met.” 

 

James Beresford is Head of Wills, Tax, Trusts and Probate at 

Slater and Gordon Lawyers. 0161 383 3883 slatergordon.co.uk 


Legal 

What are lifetime gifts and how do they work? 

Simon Leney, Cripps 

The only downside is that you 

make yourself poorer, although 

for inheritance tax saving 

that is the whole point! 

“It’s common knowledge that if you gift money, assets or valuables 

seven years before you die, you are free of inheritance tax. There is no 

limit to how much you can gift. If you give away more than £3,000 

in a tax year (the previous year’s unused allowance can also be used) 

and you don’t survive the gift by seven years, the surplus is added 

back to the value of your estate at death for the purpose of calculating 

inheritance tax. There is no penalty – the inheritance tax is no more 

than it would have been had you kept the value in your estate and 

actually it will be slightly less due to use of the annual allowance. 

Where you as the giver continue to benefit from the gift, 

it will be deemed to be a gift with reservation of benefit, 

meaning the seven year ‘clock’ does not start. If at a later stage 

part of the gift is returned to you or spent on your behalf, the 

part of the gift will be treated as a gift with reservation. 

Lifetime giving – accelerating inheritance by your heirs for 

example – has many benefits, not least the pleasure of seeing your 

gift being enjoyed. The only downside is that you make yourself 

poorer, although for inheritance tax saving that is the whole point!” 

Simon Leney is a Private Client Lawyer and Wealth 

Planning Specialist at Cripps 01892 506005 cripps.co.uk 

Credit: FreeImages.com/Svilen Milev 

Probate 

Richard Hearne,Whitehead Monckton 

What is it? 

“Probate is the legal process whereby the Will of a deceased 

person is submitted to Court to be ‘proved’ as a valid public 

document, that is the true ‘last Will and testament’ of the 

deceased. In the case of an intestacy (when the deceased 

died without leaving a Will), there is a similar process but 

in this case the applicant is the person or persons entitled 

to the estate under the rules of intestacy. In each case, the 

Court will issue either a Grant of Probate or (in the case 

of an intestacy) a Grant of Letters of Administration.” 

When is it needed? 

“Probate is not always needed and depends upon the assets held 

by the deceased. For example, property held as joint tenants 

will pass automatically to the surviving owner. In the case of 

cash assets, the need for Probate depends upon the amount 

held with the bank. Advice should be sought from a solicitor 

at the outset to establish whether or not Probate is required.” 

How do you apply for Probate? 

“The process of applying for Probate differs depending on 

whether the estate is subject to Inheritance Tax or not. 

For a non-taxable estate, the Executor will prepare an 

HMRC form detailing the assets and liabilities of the 

estate. They will also swear an Oath which confirms they 

are the executor named in the Will. These documents 

are then sent to the Probate Registry and typically 

the Grant is returned within one to two weeks. 

For a more complex estate, tax papers must be filed 

with HMRC and Inheritance Tax paid in advance. The 

Executor then applies for Probate including the Oath, 

Will and HMRC receipt. This is a longer process and 

from submission of papers to HMRC to the issue of 

the Grant may take between two to three months. 

In either case, timescales will need to include the work 

required by an Executor to establish the full assets and liabilities 

involved – which in certain cases can take several months. 

In the case of an intestacy, the HMRC forms completed 

are exactly the same but the applicant will swear an 

Oath confirming their entitlement to the estate. In this 

case, the applicant is called an ‘Administrator’.” 

Can I apply for Probate myself? 

“Personal applications, without the assistance of a solicitor, can 

be made to the Court directly by an Executor or Administrator. 

In very straightforward cases this can be a good option. 

However, it is always advisable to consult a solicitor in the first 

instance to establish any possible issues. In more complex cases, 

it is always advisable to instruct a solicitor to assist, particularly 

as an Executor or A dministrator will have strict obligations to 

fulfil, both to the beneficiaries of the estate and also to HMRC.” 

Richard Hearne is an Associate Legal Executive at Whitehead 

Monckton. 01580 767532 whitehead-monckton.co.uk 


160

No one likes to ta 

realise your own 

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say is a simple guid 

and explains in sim 

needed to ensure th 

Written by the wi 

experts at Slater a 

the essentials you 

considerations wh 

a will, when to 

tax, Trusts, Lastin 

providing for vulne 

Whether you’re lo 

need to update 

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– no say is the esse 

wants to make sure 


The pitfalls of 

D.I.Y will writing 

James Beresford, 

Head of Wills, Tax, 

Trust and Probate at 

Slater and Gordon 

There are a number of potentially disastrous pitfalls you can encounter when writing 

your own will. We examine some of the more common problems. 

Why should I make a will? 

• It allows you to choose who you 

wish to benefit from your estate 

and who you do not wish to benefit 

from your estate, on your death 

• It allows you to appoint guardians 

to care for minor children, in the 

event that both parents die whist 

the children are still minor 

• It can be used to protect your 

assets, for example, from a 

spendthrift or from divorcing 

family members 

• It can be used to protect your 

beneficiaries, for example, 

from being taken advantage 

of financially 

This guide will help you understand 

that having your will drafted 

professionally is a small price to 

pay, as it can save a substantial 

amount of money in the long run. 

Why should I get proper 

legal advice? 

Often, a home-made will is not 

worded in such a way that makes it 

legally enforceable. This may be 

because the terms of the will are 

ambiguous or because the will fails 

to effectively dispose of your assets 

in the correct manner. Can you 

afford to take the risk that your 

home-made will does what you 

think it does? 

• The Courts of Chancery entertain 

a steady stream of litigants vying 

to show that they were the 

intended beneficiary from a 

poorly drafted will 

• Legal documents still use old 

fashioned language, more often 

than not, and yet the implication 

of a single incorrect word can 

affect completely what your 

will does. 

• The interpretation of will clauses 

in professionally drafted wills 

have stood the test of time for 

centuries 

• The legal rules surrounding 

making a valid will are very 

exacting and are strictly enforced 

by the courts. One strike and 

its out. 

• Unqualified will drafters do not 

always understand the intricacies 

and nuances of will clauses. Legal 

clauses can sometimes be cut and 

pasted to a perceived template 

which can put it out of sync and 

result in errors. 

For these reasons, and many 

more, you should ensure that your 

will is drawn up by a specialist 

qualified lawyer. 

If I make a DIY will, what 

can go wrong? 

In short, potentially everything! 

At best some gifts in your will might 

not take effect – at worst your will 

might not be valid at all. 

Your executors 

• Do you know why you need an 

executor? 

• How many executors? (the 

answer is not always the same) 

• What if you don’t specify anybody 

to be an executor: do you know 

who then controls how your estate 

is collected in and safeguarded, 

and ensures that it is paid over to 

the rightful beneficiaries? 

Trustees 

• Do you know if your estate will 

need a trustee? And how many 

trustees? 

• What happens if you need a trustee 

but haven’t specified one? 

• Why are the executors usually 

also the trustees and do they have 

to be the same people? 

• Why might you want different 

types of trustees? 

Guardians 

• Do you know who will raise your 

infant children if you do not 

specify somebody? 

• And what role might the Family 

Law Courts then have in deciding 

who should raise your children? 

• Who has priority if you appoint 

more than one guardian – could 

this lead to a “tug-of-love”? 

• Do you want a distant relative 

raising your children if their only 

motivation is getting access to 

the money you have left behind? 

Gifts and Legacies 

Using the correct language in your 

will is vital to ensure that your wishes 

can be carried out after your death. 

• What happens if somebody you 

include in your will dies before 

you – where does that gift go? 

• Did you know that some gifts 

automatically pass to somebody 

else if you do not specify a 

fall-back provision? 

• What happens to a gift if you no 

longer own that asset at your 

death? 

• What if you have several assets of 

the same description but of differing 

financial value, e.g. cars 

• What happens if some items in 

your will have to be sold by the 

estate to pay debt, Inheritance 

Taxes, or administration fees? 

Even how you describe a gift in your 

will can affect whether or not that 

gift will take effect – so don’t take 

that risk! 

Beneficiaries 

How would you feel if you knew that 

your estate did not go to the people, 

charities, or organisations that you 

choose, or if it has not been used for 

the purposes that you had intended? 

• Do you know what the law say 

about infants receiving assets or 

money from your estate? 

• How do you ensure that you can 

leave inheritance for a minor and 

it will be protected until they 

reach an age that you feel they are 

mature enough to be responsible 

for it, for example at 21 or 25? 

• Can you make financial provision 

to provide for a family pet, and if 

so how? 

• How can you be certain that money 

you have left to a charity is used in 

the way you want it to be used, such 

as for your local area? 

• Why is the name, address, and 

registered charity number 

important? 

Whilst you want to be certain that 

your estate passes to those people 

or organisations that you choose, 

what if you want to ensure that it 

does not pass to a certain individual 

that you may have fallen out with, 

or possibly worse – that you are not 

yet divorced from? 

How would you feel if that person 

ended up inheriting your estate 

because your will had not been 

drawn up correctly, invalidating it, 

just to save a bit of money? 

What if I have already 

written my own DIY will? 

Contact us immediately for advice 

and any assistance that you might 

need to rectify it. 

And… next time you want to write a 

will, or make any changes to your 

existing will, give us a call so that we 

can draft your will professionally and 

take the worry out of not knowing if 

you have written your will correctly! 

Our team of specially trained 

lawyers prepare thousands of wills 

every year and can advise you on 

any of the more complicated or 

specialist clauses that might be 

relevant to your circumstances, 

for example: 

• What if I want somebody to be 

able to live in my house after I have 

died – what provisions do I need to 

include in my will? 

• What if I own my own company or 

run a business and want it to carry 

on after my death, or what if I want 

to pass it on to my employees or 

family members? 

• What if I own property abroad – 

do I need to know anything about 

the law of the country where that 

property is situated? And how 

does that country’s inheritance 

laws affect a will I write in England 

and Wales? And is it relevant if I 

already have a will made abroad? 

• What if any of my beneficiaries 

are receiving benefits from the 

government? Can I leave them 

something without jeopardising 

their entitlement? 

• Can I leave an inheritance for 

somebody in a way that nobody 

else will know who it is intended 

for (that is, make a secret gift)? 

These might sound like fanciful 

provisions but our specialist will 

drafting lawyers prepare wills 

with highly complicated personal 

and tax saving provisions like these 

every year. 

Increasingly, we are coming across 

DIY wills that do not make the 

provisions intended at the time they 

were written and blissful ignorance 

ensures that the errors in the will 

are never corrected. And it’s then 

too late. 

A poorly drafted will can have 

expensive tax consequences or lead 

to expensive court litigation, just to 

understand how the law says your 

estate must be divided. 

So don’t leave it to chance just to 

save a few pounds now – it could end 

up costing your estate considerably 

more than you could ever imagine. 

James is the author of a book 

“No will – no say” which is a simple 

guide to wills and estate planning 

and covers the essential points you 

need to consider when thinking 

about writing a will. 

To make an enquiry without 

any obligation, call us on 

0203 319 2685. 

No wil 

A simple guide to 

www.slatergordon

lk about wills; it makes you 

mortality. However if you 

then you will have no say 

, when you die. No will – no 

to wills and estate planning 

ple terms the steps that are 

at your wishes are met. 

lls, trusts, tax and probate 

nd Gordon the guide covers 

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en thinking about writing 

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oking to put a will in place, 

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No will 

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Speak to 

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Head of Wills, Tax, 

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James leads the award winning wills, tax, trusts and 

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expert on dealing with the administration of estates and 

advises clients on the drafting of wills, lasting power of 

attorney and trusts. He is author of the book “No will – no 

say”. A simple guide to wills and estate planning” which 

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l - no say 

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No will - no say A simple guide to wills and estate planning SLATER AND GORDON 

No will 

- no say 

A simple guide to wills 

and estate planning 

James Beresford 

Call us on 0203 319 2685 

slatergordon.co.uk 

Offices in London 

and throughout the UK 

*James Beresford, 

STEP member 

Family | Employment | Estate Planning, Wills and Probate | Property 

Business Legal Services | Serious Injury and Clinical Negligence 

Slater and Gordon (UK) LLP is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

ACGoatham.com 

facebook.com/Goathams 

@ACGoatham 

instagram.com/Goathams

What’s On In June 

Art 

at Groombridge Station. There 

Road, Chiddingstone, Edenbridge, 

and over 250 exhibitors handpicked 

will be face painting, Punch and 

Kent TN8 7AD and Thurs 8 

for their exceptional quality, 

Sat 3 – Sat 17 June 

Judy shows, a balloon for every 

Hoath House, Chiddingstone 

craftsmanship, originality and design, 

Lovelys, 248 Northdown Road 

child and plenty more attractions 

Hoath, Edenbridge, Kent 

our 9th annual Midsummer Fair is 

Cliftonville, Margate, Kent 

to amuse the whole family. 

TN8 7DB 

set to be the best and biggest yet! 

CT9 2PX 

Entry: Adults £10, Seniors £9, 

Chiddingstone Garden 

Info & tickets: wealdentimes.co.uk 

Harriet Peachey: 

Children £5, Families £26.50 

Tour and Hoath 

Infinite Horizon 

Info: spavalleyrailway.co.uk 

House Garden Open 

Thurs 8 – Sat 10 June 9am-6.30pm 

Kent’s oldest art gallery welcomes 

Chiddingstone Gardens’ annual tour 

South of England Showground, 

British artist Harriet Peachey, 

Sat 17 – Sun 18 June 11am-5pm 

in aid of Chiddingstone’s Churches 

Ardingly RH17 6TL 

who has been immortalising 

Penshurst Place, 

is joined for the first time by 

South of England 

Kentish coastlines in a series of 

Penshurst,Tonbridge 

Hoath House Garden. Explore the 

Agricultural Society 

pieces which, when placed beside 

TN11 8DG 

wonderful country gardens, relax with 

Annual Show 

each other, create the panoramic 

A WEEKEND FOR DAD 

a homemade cream tea and take this 

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of 

effect of an infinite horizon. 

Get ready for the big day on Saturday 

rare opportunity to see Hoath House, 

the South of England Agricultural 

Info: lovelysgallery.co.uk 

17 with a crafts afternoon that 

which is open for one day only! 

Society’s Show and enjoy thrilling 

will help you make your unique 

Entry: One £6 ticket covers 

main ring entertainment including 

Fri 9-Sun 25 June 10am-5pm 

cards, then come back with dad 

both days, free for children 

parades, displays of prize-winning 

Various Locations across 

the next day as Hands on History 

Info: 01732 866222 

livestock, street entertainers, 

South East England 

invites you to join a Roman-style 

fairground, heavy horses, live 

South East Open 

shield formation and march to 

Sun 18 June 10.30am-5pm 

music stage, food and drink, acres 

Studios (SEOS) 

victory with your foam spears. 

Cranbrook, Kent 

of shopping and much more. 

Local artists and craftspeople exhibit 

Info: penshurstplace.com 

Cranbrook in Bloom 

Entry: Adults £21; seniors/ students 

a wide range of work in every media 

Garden Safari 

£19; children under 16 free with 

from traditional oils, watercolours 

Sat 17 – Sun 18 June 9.30am-5pm 

Take a stroll around Cranbrook’s 

a paying adult, 15% discount 

and sculpture to fine metalwork, 

Port Lympne Reserve, 

charming gardens, treat yourself 

online (ends midnight 7 June). 

printmaking, and jewellery. This is a 

Aldington Road, Lympne, 

to some homemade tea and cake 

Info: 01444 892700 / seas.org.uk 

great event whether you’re looking to 

Hythe, Kent CT21 4LR 

and enjoy free entry to Cranbrook’s 

meet an artist, get yourself a unique 

FATHER’S DAY 

Windmill and Museum. 

Sun 11 June 10am-4pm 

local piece or if you just want to take 

Dads go free at Port Lympne 

Entry: £5 (tickets and maps 

Brogdale Collections, 

a day or two to look around some 

Reserve on Father’s Day so it’s the 

available at gardens or Pages 

Faversham, Kent, ME13 8XZ 

of the various studios involved. 

perfect time to take your dad out 

Newsagents in Cranbrook) 

Strawberry Fair 2017 

Info: seos-art.org 

for a day. Explore. the Dinosaur 

Info: marian.cumberland@ 

Celebrate the first fruit of the 

forest with over 100 life sized, 

hotmail.co.uk 

season by tasting a slice of 

Children & Family 

anatomically correct dinosaurs, take 

homemade strawberry cake or 

a summer safari through African, 

Sun 18 June 1pm-6pm 

cool glass of Pimms, hearing some 

Sat 17 June 

Asian and new South American 

Little Mockbeggar Farm and 

live music, watching a cooking 

Belmont, Belmont Park 

experiences, and make a card 

Moonrakers, Mockbeggar 

demonstration, taking a ride on 

Throwley, Kent ME13 0HH 

at the Conservation Station. 

Lane, Biddenden TN27 8ES 

the miniature railway or playing 

Family Bushcraft Day 

Info: aspinallfoundation.org 

Open Gardens 

a few traditional fair games. 

Belmont’s Badger Bushcraft is a 

Two Country Gardens open up 

Info: 01795 536250 / 

one day family friendly course 

Garden 

in aid of Hospice In The Weald 

info@brogdalecollections. 

which takes you away from the 

with cream teas, home-made 

org brogdalecollections.org 

hustle and bustle, screens and city 

Sat 10 – Sun 11 June 10.30am-4.30pm 

cakes, raffle, plants, country crafts, 

distractions. Fire-craft, shelter 

St. Margaret’s Church, Church 

animal corner and much more. 

Sat 17 June 10.30am-4pm 

building and nature walks are 

Lane, Hothfield, Ashford 

Entry: By Donation 

King Charles Church Hall, 

just a taste of what to expect... 

TN26 1EL 

Info: Sue East: 01580 291311 / 

3 Warwick Park, Tunbridge 

Entry: Adult and child pair £50 

Flower and Flour 

Fiona Chapman: 01580 291292 

Wells, Kent TN2 5TA 

Info: belmont-house.org 

Explore the church’s plant and 

Vintage Fair 

produce stalls, try your hand at 

Fairs and Shows 

Squirrel Vintage has organised a 

Sat 17 June 10am, 11.30am, 

the raffle, and treat yourself to a 

vintage market packed full of carefully 

1pm, 2.30pm & 4pm 

light lunch, cream tea or some 

Thurs 8-Sat 10 June 

chosen traders from all over the South 

Spa Valley Railway, Tunbridge 

lovely fizz from St. Margaret’s 

Hole Park Gardens, Benenden 

East and London, bringing 20s to 80s 

Wells West Station, Royal 

Floral Cafe before the event ends 

Road, Rolvenden, Cranbrook, 

vintage fashion, salvaged home-ware 

Tunbridge Wells, Kent 

with Evensong at 4.30pm. 

Kent TN17 4JA 

and furniture, costume jewellery, 

TN2 5QY 

Entry: Free 

WEALDEN TIMES 

original records and film posters. 

Postman Pat and 

Info: Karen Brock: 

MIDSUMMER FAIR 

Entry: £1 (under 16s free) 

Jess the Cat 

kpuzey@btinternet.com 

With a Healthy Living Festival, 

Info: ruthjvintage@gmail.com / 

Children’s favourites Postman Pat 

Garden Hub, mouthwatering street 

www.facebook.com/squirrelvintage 

and Jess the Cat will be delivering 

Sun 11 and Thurs 8 June 2-6pm 

food, talks and demonstations from 

a great day out as they meet you 

Chiddingstone Castle, Hill Hoath 

experts including Davina McCall, 

 


HASTINGS 

WHITE ROCK 

THEATRE 

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS 

18+ 

TEA DANCE 

WED 7 JUNE 

PUPPETRY OF THE PENIS 

FRI 9 JUNE 

FROM THE JAM 

THU 15 JUNE 

25+ 

18+ 

HELLFIRE COMEDY CLUB 

FRI 16 JUNE 

DREAMBOYS 

THU 22 JUNE 

TROPICANA: THE ULTIMATE 

80S PARTY NIGHT 

FRI 30 JUNE 

MILKSHAKE LIVE 

SAT 1 JULY 

GIOVANNI PERNICE 

TUE 4 JULY 

18+ 

Southend’s outrageous drag queen and her 

FANNY GALORE: BIG NIGHT OUT 

SAT 8 JULY 

LOCATION: The White Rock Theatre is on 

Hastings seafront (A259), opposite the pier. BOOK ONLINE whiterocktheatre.org.uk TICKET OFFICE 01424 462288


Sun 25 June 11am-4.30pm 

Chiddingstone Castle, 

Hill Hoath Road, 

Chiddingstone, Edenbridge, Kent, 

TN8 7AD 

Summer Vintage Fair 

Returning for the third year with 

Cinque Ports Lindy Hoppers, vocals 

by Miss Vintage, magician Tony 

Charles, a fantastic variety of traders 

and delicious refreshments from local 

food specialists. 

Entry: £5 per adult, £1 children under 

13, Free for children under 5 

Info: 01892 870347 

chiddingstonecastle.org.uk 

Festivals 

Fri 9 – Sun 11 June 

Elm Wood, Off Risden Lane, 

Hawkhurst, Cranbrook, 

Kent TN18 5DU 

Woodlands Festival 

Set in the beautiful Elm Wood, 

at the heart of the Weald, this 

family friendly festival comes 

packed with woodland activities, 

festival sitters and enchanted forest 

disco for little woodlanders, and 

silent disco, outdoor cinema and 

morning yoga for the grown ups. 

What’s more, Woodlands Festival 

also works in aid of Dementia 

UK and Cancer Research UK. 

Info: info@woodlandsfestival.co.uk / 

woodlandsfestival.co.uk 

Fri 16 – Sun 18 June 

Knock Mill Lane,West Kingsdown, 

Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 6AH 

Wildfire Festival 

Half adventure camp, half music 

festival, this award-winning unique 

weekend festival of adventure 

and party gives you the chance to 

create your own bespoke timetable 

of adventurous activities with a 

wide choice of over 80 pursuits 

including everything from wood 

whittling to wild dodgeball. 

Info: office@campwildfire.co.uk / 

campwildfire.co.uk 

Sat 24 June – Sun 9 July 

Sevenoaks, Kent 

Sevenoaks Summer 

Festival 

A Community Festival featuring 

special appearances of The Manfreds, 

Michel Legrand, The Tommy 

Cooper Show, Back to Basie Big 

Band, Demon Barbers XL Folk 

Show, Amelia Curran Country 

Star, Buster Keaton’s silent film 

‘Steamboat Bill Jr’, Punch and Judy 

and Puppet Shows for children. 

Info: 01732 450175 / 

rayrussell@sevenoaksfestival.org.uk 

/ sevenoaksfestival.org.uk 

Historical 

Thurs 8 June – Sun 3 Sept 

The Historic Dockyard, Church 

Lane, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TE 

Breaking the Chain 

For the 350th anniversary of the 

Battle of Medway, the Historic 

Dockyard Chatham will host a 

collection of Dutch and British 

art, literature, historic manuscripts 

and objects on loan from 

museums including the British 

Library and the Rijksmuseum. 

Entry: Free with annual ticket. 

Info: 01634 823800 / 

thedockyard.co.uk 

Sat 17 – Fri 23 June 

Various Locations in 

Broadstairs, Thanet, Kent 

Dickens Festival 2017 

Broadstairs honours its deep 

connections to one of Britain’s 

greatest writers in history with 

the 80th Dickens Festival. Expect 

all things decorous, decadent and 

Dickensian, explore the country fair, 

grande parade, elegant afternoon tea, 

and many most period pleasantries. 

Info: 01843 869592 / 

info@broadstairsdickensfestival.co.uk 

/ broadstairsdickensfestival.co.uk 

Music & Theatre 

Sat 10 June 7.30pm 

The Forum, The Common, 

Tunbridge Wells TN4 8YU 

John Otway & 

The Big Band 

John Otway and his hard hitting 

band from Harlow come to 

Tunbridge Wells to attack his 

favourite set list with trademark 

gleeful, life-enhancing acrobatics 

and anarchy. For ages 16 and over. 

Entry: £13 Advance, plus 

£1.30 booking fee 

Info: twforum.co.uk / 

wegottickets.com / 01892 557333 

GodintonHouseWT184.indd 1 19/05/2017 10:15 

PRE-BOOK YOUR TICKETS 

NEW FOR 2017 

MEET THE 

DINOSAURS 

7,8,9 JULY 

www.kentshow.co.uk 01622 633060 

Kent Showground, Maidstone ME14 3JF 

kentcountyshow 

kentcountyshow 


KentShowgroundWT183.indd 1 24/04/2017 14:58

SouthEastOpenStudiosWT184.indd 1 02/05/2017 FairlightHallWT184.indd 16:01 

1 17/05/2017 16:39 

Fancy a trip 

to who knows 

where? Travel by 

vintage train to 

Horsted Keynes 

Station and then 

jump aboard 

a beautiful 

vintage coach 

for a journey 

to a mystery 

location. 

24–25 June 

10 June 

Model 

Railway 

Weekend 

BLUEBELL RAILWAY 

Mystery Tour 

(See website for details) 

Come along, enjoy 

a steam train ride 

and explore each 

of our stations and 

exhibitions. Model 

and miniature 

railway displays 

will be at both 

Horsted Keynes 

and Sheffield Park 

stations open from 

10am – 4pm. 

For more information 01825 720800 www.bluebell-railway.com 

Enchanting weekend of 

WORDS 

& IDEAS 

LOCAL FOOD 

ARTS& CRAFTS 

15th & 16th July 

at Boldshaves Garden, 

Woodchurch TN26 3RA 

⤵ 

children 

go free 

Book online at 

wealdenliteraryfestival.co.uk 

Or call us on 01580 292169 


168 

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1 19/05/2017 12:20

Fri 16– Sat 17 June 

Bedgebury Pinetum, Lady Oak 

Lane, Goudhurst TN17 2SL 

Rick Astley & Elbow 

Every year since 2001 Forest 

Live has been organising concerts 

in breathtaking forest locations 

across England, and this year 

they are bringing Rick Astley and 

Elbow to Bedgebury Pinetum, 

the home of the world’s largest 

one-site collection of conifers. 

Entry: Rick Astley Fri 16 

£36.50, Elbow Sat 17 £41.50, 

£4.15 booking fee for either 

Info: 03000 680400 / 

forestry.gov.uk/music 

Sun 18 June 5pm 

Library Gardens, Tonbridge 

School, High St, Tonbridge 

TN9 1JP 

As You Like It 

The newly landscaped outdoor 

theatre space in the Library Gardens 

at Tonbridge School, opens with 

its first outdoor theatre show. Allfemale 

troupe The Handlebards are 

bringing their energetic, charmingly 

chaotic, and environmentally friendly 

cycle powered outdoor Shakepeare 

to Tonbridge with their unique 

performance of As You Like It. 

Entry: £15, on the door £17 

Info: 01732 304241 / 

tonbridgearts.com 

Friday 23 June 

Great Dixter, Northiam, 

Rye TN31 6PH 

Musical Summer’s Evening 

The Great Dixter Charitable 

Trust invites you to an evening 

filled with beautiful music from 

the Tongswood Chamber Choir, 

in the stunning summer setting 

of the Great Dixter Gardens. 

Entry: £25 with Wine and Canapés 

Info: eleanor.cochrane@btinternet.com / 

tongswoodchamberchoir.org 

Fri 30 June 8pm 

Tunbridge Wells Assembly 

Hall Theatre, Crescent Road, 

Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2LU 

The Levellers 

Following their huge sold-out UK 

tour last year, legendary folk/punk 

band, The Levellers, are coming to 

town for a one of a kind festival 

warm up gig not to be missed. 

Entry: Standing £22.50, Seated 

(circle) £25.50, plus £1.75 

booking fee per ticket 

Info: 01892 530613 / 

assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk 

Sports & Leisure 

Sun 25 June 9am-3pm 

In and around Goudhurst 

Anyone for Tennis? 

Raising money to promote tennis to 

younger generations, provide tennis 

coaching to school children, and fund 

improvements to Goudhurst Tennis 

Club, The Stack 2017 mixed doubles 

tournament returns. All are welcome, 

and entry is open to anyone from the 

age of 16 upwards. Lunch is at the 

club and will be followed by the semifinals 

and finals in the afternoon. 

Info: goudhursttennisclub@gmail.com / 

clubspark.lta.org.uk/ 

GoudhurstTennisClub 

Sun 25 June 

Starting at Battersea Park 

10am London Bridges 

Walk Get Behind Heart of Kent 

Hospice by joining the inaugural 

Summer London Bridges Walk! 

Cross 12 iconic London Bridges, 

pass The London Eye, Houses 

of Parliament, Tate Modern 

and Shakespeare’s Globe then 

finally finish at City Hall. 

Entry: £15 walk only / £35 

including return coach travel 

from Maidstone at 8.30pm. 

Info: 01622 790195 / hokh.org 

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 July issue is 12 June 2017. 

Registered Charity No. 239992 


Ibbett Mosely 

AuctIoneers & VAluers 

Limited Liability Partnership 

The Auctioneer's Next Sale Will Be On 

Wednesday 7th June 2017 

Commencing at 12.30pm | Viewing 10.00am - 12.30pm 

At Ibbett Mosely Auction Rooms, Argyle Rd, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1HJ 

Valuation Day - Wednesday 21st June 2017 11am to 4pm 

At Ibbett Mosely Auction Rooms, Argyle Rd, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1HJ 

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 

Hornbrook Manor Farm 

Garden Advice and Border planting service 

IbbettMoselyWT184.indd 1 08/05/2017 10:13 

Transform your garden borders 

Contact Jo Arnell for ideas, border designs and planting 

01233 861149 www.hornbrookmanor.co.uk 

HornbrookManorWT184.indd 1 24/05/2017 15:57 

Protecting Wildlife for the Future 


KentWildlifeTrustWT184.indd 1 23/05/2017 10:40

Home & Interiors 

Garden & Building Services 

Wealden Wealden Times Times - Bazaar - Classified 

Clare Langdon 

INTERIORS 

Made to measure 

curtains & blinds 

Tracks & poles 

Measuring & fitting service 

Home consultation 

Fabrics & design advice 

Telephone 01233 850829 

clarelangdoninteriors.co.uk 

Furniture showroom now open 

monday to Friday 10am-5pm 

s aturday 10.30am-1pm by appointment 

Stonehurst Construction Ltd. 

Professional service covering all aspects of 

construction and refurbishment, from the 

planning and design stage to completion. 

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 

Battle Mowers Ltd 

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1 14/03/2017 15:12 

Main dealer for 

repairs - reFinishinG - paint eFFeCts 

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or-email: battlemowers@btconnect.com www.battlemowers.co.uk 

visit our showroom at The Granary, Station Rd, Battle. TN33 0DE 

Restoring Quality 

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Full restoration service. Over 

25 years’ experience. Including 

Cabinet Making, French 

Polishing, Finishing / Colouring / 

Distressing, Gilding, Veneering. 

Call me for a free quote or 

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Ashford 01233 877342 

or 07712 451104 

For examples, please visit 

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SusanSurgeyWT184.indd 3 12/05/2017 16:47 

Health Without Medicine? 

The Real Health Assessment 

* Body Mechanics check 

* Dietary Assessment & Advice 

* Breathing Efficiency check 

* Stress check 

Learn how to improve your health & wellbeing 

Contact: Michael Lingard BSc. DO 

Freephone: 0800 781 2534 

www.TotalHealthMatters.co.uk 


Health & Wellbeing 

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 

Creating gardens 

of distinction 

All Garden Construction & 

Maintenance • Drives 

Paving • Walling • Fencing 

Untidy Gardens Made 

Tidy • Grass Cutting 

GeoffTiltmanWT168.indd 1 18/01/2016 15:41 

170 

Pop-up Shop Now Open 

Ockley Road, Hawkhurst TN18 4DP 

bespoke ironwork for home & garden 

07765 344298 

www.cranbrookiron.com 

Open: Wednesday - Saturday 

ButeykoWT184.indd 1 24/05/2017 CranbrookIronWT177.indd 13:05 

1 25/10/2016 15:41

Competition 

Win a Neptune Suffolk 

Chopping Block worth £940 

The Neptune showroom in Tonbridge showcases 

their elegant range of hand crafted furniture 

and accessories for the whole home. In a 

striking, warehouse-style building just a few minutes 

from the River Medway, the products on display span 

the entire design spectrum from stylish kitchen and 

dining, through to elegant bedrooms and bathrooms. 

The philosophy at Neptune is that beautiful objects 

should be made well, and they take pride in their use of 

traditional techniques to make stunning furniture and 

homewares. Products are designed in-house, and are then 

manufactured by highly skilled craftsmen in Neptune’s own 

factory, using methods such as mortise and tenon joinery. 

In recent years Neptune has become a favourite 

of the interior design media, who appreciate that 

their easy and classic style offers remarkable value for 

heirloom-worthy pieces of furniture. Using traditional 

skills to manufacture items for the home ensures 

that they have longevity and durability compared to 

other high street or mass-produced alternatives. 

The Suffolk Free Standing Chopping Block is a 

stunning example of Neptune’s stylish yet simple 

design, combining beautiful materials with functional 

design and practicality. It has a hand painted finish, 

oak top and shelf and beaten metal detailing, 

adding characterful open storage to a kitchen. 

With furniture giving a home a framework, it is the 

accessories that bring it to life. Neptune offer specialist 

advice on everything from the flooring right up to the 

ceiling, and are experts in helping customers transform 

their homes. Find out more at their showrooms at 1 

Tannery Road, Tonbridge (01732 351866), and The Oast, 

Wincheap Road, Canterbury (01227 209300) neptune.com. 

How to enter: For your chance to win a Neptune 

Suffolk Chopping Block, just answer the following 

question: What’s the philosophy at Neptune? Enter 

your answer with your contact details* in the online 

form at wealdentimes.co.uk/competition or post to: 

The Neptune Competition, Wealden Times, 21 Stone 

Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF by Friday 16 June. 

Prize comprises one Suffolk Chopping Block. There is 

no cash alternative and the prize must be taken before 1 

September 2017. *All entrants’ details will be passed on 

to Neptune and Wealden Times Events. Please let us 

know if you do not wish your details to be passed on. 

Congratulations to Danielle Chapman who wins our May competition for Dinner, B&B at Frasers plus tickets to Wealden Times Midsummer Fair. 


Jane Howard’s 

Fables from the Farm 

Jane discusses the potential impact of Brexit on the farm 

Twelve months on and somehow 

I’ve managed to keep Fables 

from the Farm a Brexit free 

zone, but we live in changing times 

and what happens next could have 

a huge impact on every aspect of 

agriculture. And make a big difference 

to what ends up on your plate. 

One concern is for the future of 

our wonderful native beef. With the 

possible exception of New Zealand, the 

UK grows the best grass on the planet 

and as a consequence, 

over the centuries we 

have developed about 15 

different regional breeds of 

cattle, each evolved to thrive 

on the local terroir. From 

the Angus in Scotland, to 

the Herefords in Wales, the 

Lincolns in the East to the 

Ruby Reds in Devon and 

of course the Sussex here 

in the South East we have a priceless 

resource that needs to be recognized, 

cherished and most importantly eaten. 

And as everyone’s talking about 

manifestos these days here’s mine 

to try and make that happen! 

First off, we must stop talking 

about rare breeds, it makes them 

sound exclusive, expensive and 

above all endangered – not a great 

starting point to encourage people 

to eat more. Heritage, traditional or 

regional beef sounds so much better. 

Secondly all the breeds taste very 

different so we should treat them as a 

wonderful “smorgasbord” to explore 

“Have you ever 

wondered why 

your steak, rib 

or chop is so 

much bigger 

in Texas than 

Twickenham?” 

and understand. In much the same way 

that the French encourage you to try 

all their different wines by providing 

tasting notes and guidelines on food 

pairings we should do just the same 

for our heritage beef. So whether it’s 

the creamy mellow Shorthorn, buttery 

gamey Welsh Black or the mineral, flinty 

Lincoln Red there really is something 

for everyone – and a lot of fun to be 

had discovering which you like best. 

The third point is trickier. If people 

are going to pay a little 

more for high welfare 

heritage beef – and as it’s 

grass fed, slow maturing 

and properly hung it will 

cost more – they will 

want to be 100% sure 

they’re eating the real 

thing. At the moment a 

restaurant can claim it’s 

selling a certain breed of 

beef – and most are honest – but how 

can you be entirely sure it is what it says? 

Hopefully technology will help with this. 

In the US fishermen and chefs are 

working together to curb the rampant 

fraud in the seafood industry by allowing 

people to track a fish from the moment 

it’s caught until it lands on your plate. 

Dock to Dish, is a tracking system that 

through an online dashboard, displays 

newly caught fish in barcoded bags, 

which can then be traced from the boat 

to the restaurant. There’s every reason 

to suppose the technology to DNA 

trace meat in a similar fashion will be 

commonplace here in a few years. 

So what’s all this got to do with 

Brexit? Well, if we leave the EU and 

wave goodbye to its stringent welfare 

rules the world will apparently be 

our oyster. And much has been 

made of opening links with bigger 

better markets like the US. 

But have you ever wondered why your 

steak, rib or chop is so much bigger in 

Texas than Twickenham? That’s because 

many of America’s farm animals are 

fed synthetic hormones making them 

grow a lot bigger and faster than they 

naturally would. Because of this the 

EU has banned the import of American 

meat since 1993 but if we decide to 

do all sorts of new deals with the rest 

of the world then there’s every chance 

this type of meat could end up in 

the UK. In which case you might be 

very glad to have one of those new 

fangled apps on your phone to reassure 

that the steak on your plate came 

from a British cow-sized-cow – and 

hopefully a heritage breed to boot. 

Follow Jane Howard – and the farm 

– on Instagram @coopersfarm 


172

Being pushed 

out of your 

workplace? 

We’ll help you 

push back. 

Meet Claire Dawson, 

Employment Practice 

Group Leader 

Claire leads the award winning Employment 

Team at Slater and Gordon in London. She is one 

of the most accomplished lawyers in her field – 

with substantial experience recognised by clients 

and her peers, she has a track record of success. 

Advising on all aspects of employment law for a 

wide range of individuals – including directors, 

senior executives, professionals and bankers – 

Claire is known for fighting her client’s corner 

with a clear, focused and pragmatic approach. 

Call us on 0203 319 2685 

slatergordon.co.uk 

Offices in London 

and throughout the UK 

Family | Employment | Estate Planning | Wills and Probate | Property | Business Legal Services 

Slater and Gordon (UK) LLP is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

44 High Street, 

Royal Tunbridge Wells, 

Kent ,TN1 1XF 

01892 535555 

The Best Bed & Furniture Sale Is Now On! 

Special Furniture Sell Out - Up to 80% OFF! 

New stock will be arriving soon and WE NEED TO URGENTLY CLEAR ALL SURPLUS 

STOCK INCLUDING SELECTED FLOOR MODELS AND DISCONTINUED ITEMS to make 

way for exciting new models from our suppliers and new larger displays. 

NEVER HAS THERE BEEN A BETTER TIME TO SAVE MONEY at Kent’s Premier Bed and 

Furniture Store. EVERYTHING, our entire inventory of lounge furniture, dining furniture, 

bedroom furniture, sofas, chairs, recliners, beds, headboards, tables, pictures, mirrors 

and lamps WILL BE ON SALE. That even includes furniture that is ordered!

Wealden Times | WT184 | June 2017 | Kitchen & Bathroom supplement inside

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