wealden-times-wt185-july-2017-interiors-supplement-inside

interiors Supplement inside

Inspirational Interiors • Fabulous Fashion • Delicious Dishes

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Contents

July 2017

110

109

ALL IN THE DETAIL

Maggie Alderson’s homes

for downsizers

WEALDEN TIMES

SUMMER PARTY

A review of our

advertisers evening

JULY NOTEBOOK

Fill your diary with handpicked

events going on

around the Weald

GRAND DESIGN

Explore Karen Hahnel’s striking

St. Leonards apartment

GET THE LOOK

Style your home monochrome

MONOLITHIC MAGIC

Marta Nowicka’s converted

St John Ambulance station

GET THE LOOK

Perfect products to

recreate Marta’s look

110

123

127

128

131

132

140

GARDEN PARTY

Relaxed summer fashion

BEACH BEAUTY

Josephine Fairley’s tips

for beach chic

SAVOUR THE SUMMER

This month’s bitesize

health news

NEVER TOO LATE!

Sarah Maxwell’s tips for

building an exercise routine

THE POWER OF

THE MIND

Julie Simpson looks at research

into cognitive decline

BEAUTIFUL EATING

Madeleine Shaw’s recipes

for a healthy body

JUST ADD WATER

Our pick of in-ground

swimming pools

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

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

necessarily those of JPS Media Ltd.

145

149

154

156

161

162

THE MAKINGS OF A GARDEN

Sue Whigham describes the evolution

of her own outside space

SECOND OUT, ROUND TWO

Jo Arnell’s late summer veg

EXTRA HELP

Susan Elkin looks into tutoring

WHAT’S ON?

Find out...

COMPETITION

Win 20L of Autentico paint

FABLES FROM THE FARM

Jane Howard’s meadow success story

INTERIORS

SUPPLEMENT

14 pages of

colourful

inspiration for

your home.

After page 84.

Interiors

A Wealden Times Supplement

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

Directory

ABS Blinds

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absblinds.co.uk

Autentico Paint

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Bell House Fabrics

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Devain Bespoke Curtains

West Malling 07974 006146

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Ensor Interior Design

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The French Depot

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Lulu Klein Interiors

07553 078500

lulukleininteriors.com

Neptune

Tonbridge 01732 351866

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Respire Living

Hastings 01424 433000

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Skinners of Tunbridge Wells

01892 532003

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Sofas & Stuff

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Only the name has changed

The quality products,

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staff remain the same

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GET READY FOR SUMMER

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85 wealdentimes.co.uk

ABSBlindsWT184.indd 1 18/05/2017 16:36

Monolithic

Magic

When a former St. John Ambulance station in Rye came up

for sale, it took interior architect Marta Nowicka only three

hours to decide to take on its renovation. After removing

endless partitioning and flattening a 1970s extension, she has

redesigned it as a unique and spacious family home

wealdentimes.co.uk

Words: Jo Arnell Photographs: David Merewether Styling: Lucy Fleming

87 wealdentimes.co.uk

Molland Antique

Mirrors

blue bowl and plants

_by Stephen Robson

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Tn31 7JE www.ryeartgallery.co.uk

31 Hollybush Lane, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 3TJ

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Kitchen

Lintel

ARCHITECTS

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RobinsonWatersWT156.indd 1 12/01/2015 RectoryInteriorsWT182.indd 11:39

1 13/03/2017 16:23

Previous pages & above: Marta wanted to use the original St. John Ambulance station doors, but they didn’t

meet building regulations, so are used on an internal wall instead as decoration and to reference the historical

use. A new set of functional doors have been made in the same style. The double sided wood burning stove and

adjacent log pile are housed on a huge concrete plinth, creating a focal point, whether the fire is lit or not

They say that home is where the heart is, but if you

spend half the year in one place and the other in

a completely different space, you must have to

have two hearts (make that two sets of everything), in

order to feel at home. Award-winning Interior Architect

Marta Nowicka appears to manage two-heartedness

brilliantly, living for half the year at her home in London

and the rest of the time at her home in Rye, letting out

whichever house she’s not living in. “It’s all a bit Mapp

and Lucia!” Marta laughs when we meet at the former St

John’s ambulance station in Rye Citadel. Rye may have

been the setting for the most recent TV adaptation of EF

Benson’s Mapp and Lucia books (in which the occupants

regularly swap their homes about) but as I look around this

stunning contemporary conversion, it is definitely where

the similarity ends. Tilling this isn’t. When Marta first

came across the property she was (half) living in nearby

Camber, in an old coastguard’s cottage. “It began to feel a

bit remote there,” she says. “I wanted to be in Rye for the

ease of access, the shops. It feels like there’s more life here.”

“My assistant came across the building first, but it

was in the middle of a sealed bids race. I didn’t have

time to see it and by the time I contacted the agent

they said, ‘sorry, it’s been sold.’ I asked them to let

89 wealdentimes.co.uk

Above: A central feature of the open plan kitchen/dining/living area is a huge dining table, which has been designed

to be reconfigurable – it can be a square or a rectangle, depending on how many are coming for dinner

me know if anything changed, and six months later the

buyer pulled out – there was so much to be done: rewiring,

re-plumbing, you name it. The agents put the

property back online at 9am one morning. By 9.30am

I had seen it and by midday I’d purchased it.”

Marta explains that the building took a long time to

get planning permission, as it is in Rye’s conservation

area. “Rye is very medieval. The wall in the front is listed

and the other wall behind the property is part of Rye

Citadel. My style is quite monolithic, which works well

with the medieval wall. There is also a feeling of medieval

hall house going on in here, so this was the inspiration

for the plan. The fire had to be central so that people

can gather in the middle of the room.” The double sided

wood burning stove and adjacent log pile are housed on a

huge concrete plinth. It is a focal point, whether the fire

is lit or not. Another central feature is the huge dining

table, which has been designed to be reconfigurable, so

that it can be a large square or a rectangle, depending

on how many are coming for dinner. The open plan

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Above: The entrance hall windows look out onto a beautiful old brick wall which is illuminated at night

living area is ideal for entertaining. “It’s magical with

candles in the evening and with the fire,” adds Marta.

The rest of the plan flowed from the hall house idea,

with hints at the building’s previous incarnations as both

coach house to the adjacent Georgian property and, more

recently, the St John Ambulance station. Marta wanted to

use the original ambulance station doors, but they didn’t

meet building regulations, so are used on an internal wall

instead as decoration and to reference the historical use.

They mirror the new functional doors that have been made

in the same style. There are other nods to the building’s

recent history with medical and industrial inspired pieces,

such as the nurse’s trolley in the upstairs bathroom and a

sleek brushed stainless steel island unit in the kitchen.

The property has had several lives then, transitioning

from coach house to ambulance station to stunning

contemporary home. Marta explains, “The original coach

house building was demolished in the war and rebuilt

to the same design, being made into an ambulance

station to help with the war effort. Then St John

Ambulance took it over, housing two ambulances and

making a warren of rooms, some for training and for

use as public spaces, others for admin and office space.”

Marta knocked down the 1970s addition at the back

93 wealdentimes.co.uk

Quote

This page: A concrete plinth has been cast at the base of the

stairs. Marta has weaved rope through the metal handrail. Rather

than hanging from the ceiling, a huge glass orb has been set down

in one corner to provide illumination

of the building and extended it to make a downstairs

bedroom, bathroom and generous reception area.

Upstairs “it was the worst of the worst,” she laughs,

describing the flattened ceilings and endless partitioning.

“It was a warren of little rooms, fluorescent lights and

magnolia paint.” Marta’s builder Pat Gill, from Kent, with

whom she’s worked for over 20 years, demolished all of that

and together they completely reconfigured the building.

Now the only traces of the ambulance station are the

large doors and a paper sign that is taped onto the front

window. “I’ve redesigned it to be a family home with as

many bedrooms as possible. The bedrooms are deliberately

small as they’re only used for sleeping – and it’s all about

being together. It’s great for weekend gatherings.” She

adds: “The large space downstairs had been made into

two rooms by St John Ambulance, so I put that back into

one large space. I love space, my remit is to have space.”

That feeling of space has been made by physically moving

walls and taking down partitions, but also through Marta’s

clever ideas and design skills. On the ground floor the

whole area is unified by the limited palette of materials.

The wide limed oak floorboards continue, in narrower

form, to clad the central walls, fusing floor with wall,

wealdentimes.co.uk

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MsgsportsWT185.indd 1 20/06/2017 CheekyMonkeyWT173.indd 16:12

1 13/06/2016 17:13

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Specialist Family Solicitors

Tunbridge Wells - Maidstone - London

Sarah Haywood : 01892 765013

www.thomashaywoodsolicitors.com

95 wealdentimes.co.uk

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

The International Tile Store Tunbridge Wells

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

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March 2016 Wealden Times.indd 1 16/06/2017 15:22

TilematesWT185.indd 1 16/06/2017 16:14

traditional handmade furniture

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Showroom: 78 London Road, Southborough

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Web: Woodworkkitchens.co.uk

wealdentimes.co.uk

WoodworkWT185.indd 1 02/06/2017 12:11

Above & above right: A family bathroom neatly slots into a

space under the sloping roof upstairs Right: Wide limed oak

floorboards line the staircase. “I see the staircase running through

the centre of the building like a spine,” Marta says

as if the staircase is rising up through the middle of the house, like a

monolith. “I see the staircase running through the centre of the building

like a spine,” she says, and then adds intriguingly, “I love the spaces

that other people overlook or want to hide – the awkward gaps and

places under the stairs. I expose them and use them to make interesting

spaces.” Having no need for under-stairs cupboards – or much storage

at all from what I can see, also opens up the rooms and enhances the

feeling of light and space. There is no need for storage, it would appear,

because there is not much to store. Marta travels light, which I guess, is

a necessity if you are often between two properties and renting out one

of them each time. Home is wherever she lays her laptop then. “Yes, I

keep my life in my bag,” she laughs. The key to a streamlined home,

as Marta stylishly demonstrates, is not more storage, it’s less stuff. I

suddenly feel the need to rush home and have a massive clear out.

As we move through the house, each area informs the next, anchored

by the central staircase. Exposed brickwork, concrete plinths and

the steel beam in the living area contrast with the highly finished,

sleek timber cladding and floorboards, and the clean, sharp lines of

the slightly industrial furnishings. It is this well judged juxtaposition

that makes everything in the building come together so seamlessly.

It wasn’t all smooth progress, but Marta and Pat the builder were

able to overcome most of the obstacles. Marta points to the cast

concrete plinth at the base of the stairs. It went wrong, apparently.

97 wealdentimes.co.uk

Above: Marta’s son Lucas’s room has been designed with friends

staying in mind Right: The spare bedrooms

“It was supposed to be smooth and monolithic, but

these pock marks and craters appeared in it. Now I like

it, but at the time I wasn’t happy.” There is a definite

seaside or rockpool feel to the finish, but anyone would

think it had taken ages to deliberately get the effect.

An old wall dominates the view from a fantastic double

height window at this end of the building – a vista that

can be seen from the other end, as it is all one big space,

just divided into zones. A similar thing happens upstairs.

The old bricks continue to echo through the house,

giving little pointers to its origins, to the ancient town

and to each stage of change and regeneration. This is

clearly evident in Marta’s son Lucas’s room, which is at

the end of the original part of the building and features

an old wall that has been pared back to the brick of its

first incarnation – with remnants of the ancient paint still

clinging on in patches. Lucas’s room has been designed

to function as both a sleeping room – for him and his

friends, and also as a study or games room. This is achieved

through the ingenious use of partition doors that open

out, or give privacy, depending on requirements.

The master bedroom features an amazing triangular

wealdentimes.co.uk

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100

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

This page: Throughout the house, exposed brickwork contrasts

with the highly finished, sleek timber cladding and floorboards.

Son Lucas’s room has been designed to function as both a

sleeping and study or games room. This is achieved through the

use of partition doors that open out, or give privacy, depending

on requirements

window that spans between the twin gables of the roof

from which there are wonderful views of the tiled roofs of

the surrounding buildings and the countryside beyond. A

bathroom has been cleverly tucked behind the bed. It’s a

very creative use of space – more of an en-bed, than en suite

facility. And the wonderful ‘Citadel’ window at the other

end of the building can be seen directly from this bedroom.

Marta clearly enjoys the whole process of designing, and

then making, living spaces out of unloved commercial, or

slightly industrial buildings. She has several other properties

in Sussex and London, including a development of five

apartments created from the building that was once the

old Labour Party headquarters in Hoxton. She has recently

decided to stop designing for clients and focus on her own

property portfolio, letting out spaces – her own and other

stylish and interesting homes. The company is called DOM,

a Polish word for home, which references her Polish roots

101 wealdentimes.co.uk

This page: On both floors there are hints to the building’s former use as an ambulance station in

the form of medical and industrial inspired pieces of furniture – a steel and glass cabinet housing

towels on the landing, and stripped back metal chairs in the master bedroom

and the company’s ethos. “I want DOM to be the go-to

site for people wanting to rent unusual and contemporary

spaces to live in or holiday in, or even to buy.” She has a

tagline that sums up the service: ‘DOM stay and live.’

“It can take ages to trawl through Airbnb to find the

right place. DOM will cut through all that. There will be

a range of spaces to suit everyone – small and cosy, big

and industrial, by the sea, in the city… I want it to be the

go-to platform for people wanting to live in a beautiful

place in England or abroad.” As the website grows she

plans to take on other properties around the globe –

already there’s a fabulous place in Warsaw signed up.

It takes determination, creative vision and a huge amount

of steely pragmatism to achieve such a breathtaking

transformation in a building. Constructing a family

home from a tired old industrial or municipal space is

no easy feat. Marta has achieved it by celebrating the raw

materials of its construction – the bricks, concrete,

wealdentimes.co.uk

102

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SHOWROOm Open mOnday tO FRiday 9am-5pm, SatuRday 9am-12pm

103 wealdentimes.co.uk

OrlestoneOakWT167.indd 1 02/12/2015 11:42

01227 767576 www.stellisonselectrical.co.uk

Visit our 10,000 square foot Electrical Superstore in Canterbury

Not only have Miele won Which?

for three years running, but with

the only manufacturer who offer

Not only have Miele won Which? Best Home Appliance Brand of the Year

for three years running, but with the WDD030 Washing Machine, we are

the only manufacturer who offer a fully inclusive 10 year warranty.

Not only have Miele won Which? Best Home Appliance Brand of of the Year

for for three years running, but with the WDD030 Washing Machine, we are

the only manufacturer who offer a a fully inclusive 10 10 year warranty.

Miele. For everything you really love.

Wincheap Industrial Estate, 17 Maynard Road, Canterbury, Kent CT1 3RH

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

miele-banner.indd 1 15/06/2017 09:50

Best Home Appliance Brand of the Year

the WDD030 Washing Machine, we are

a fully inclusive 10 year warranty.

“I’ve redesigned it to be a family home with as many bedrooms as possible,” says Marta.

“The bedrooms are deliberately small as they’re only used for sleeping – and it’s all about

being together. It’s great for weekend gatherings.”

105 wealdentimes.co.uk

Woodstoves • Fireplaces • Interiors • AGA • Gas Fires

Free Monthly

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

Telephone: 0845 872 2885 or 01825 873254 - Fax: 01825 508309 - Email: kim@magnetpublications.com

ADVERTISING PROOF

VAT No. 929 7920 74

COMPANY: Sussex Stone and Ceramic Ltd

DATE: 17 May 2017

Aga authorised showroom

PROOF TO: Laura Ive

FROM: Kim

ISSUE: June 2017

PLEASE CHECK AND ADVISE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THIS COPY BY 22 MAY.

If we do not hear from you we will assume copy is correct and will publish the

Aga advertisement cookshop as in shown. store

31 Wincheap, Canterbury CT1 3RX • 01227 457643 • www.heatdesignkent.co.uk • dthomas@heatdesignkent.co.uk

HeatDesignWT185.indd 1 20/06/2017 15:31

NOW OFFERING

0% FINANCE

subject to status

and terms

Unit 1 Croft Works

Diplocks Industrial Estate

Hailsham East Sussex BN27 3JF

Email: sales@sussexstone-ceramic.co.uk

www.sussexstone-ceramic.co.uk

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

wealdentimes.co.uk

Bespoke worktops in

Granite, quartz, 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.

106

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

Terms are strictly 20 days from date of invoice. All artwork, colour matches and scans are done as a free of charge service, so no credits can be given for

Above: The master bedroom features an amazing triangular window that spans between the twin gables of the roof from which there

are wonderful views of the surrounding buildings and the countryside beyond

wood and steel. Through these elements she has managed

to pay tribute to the origins of this building – the

medieval setting, the former lives of both coach house

and ambulance station, and has used them as a bridge

into the present. The principles and the materials may

be Brutalist, but the pared down, sleek and simple lines

of the interior serve to create something more refined.

She has created an optimistic, welcoming and light filled

space. Truly a home for people to live, stay and relax in.

Address Book:

Find out more about the properties available to stay and live

in through doM at domstayandlive.com

For information on Marta’s design studio,

Marta nowicka & Co, and the projects she and her team

work on, see martanowicka.com

pat Gill Court Developments 07836 331317

107 wealdentimes.co.uk

Bring your wellies

and wander around

our beautiful farm,

savouring the delights

of the unspoilt Kent

countryside.

Signature Menu

Canapé

Salt baked heritage carrot, crispy chicken skin.

Rabbit loin, leg terrine, new season peas, wild onions, jus of rabbit.

Blood orange cured sea trout, golden beetroots, smoked mackerel pate.

Crab ravioli, lobster bisque, baked cod, orange oil.

Crispy pork jowl, barbequed cheek, potato emulsion,

hispi cabbage, charred leeks, Robert sauce.

Lemon, poppy seed, olive oil.

Strawberry, vanilla, elderflower, meringue.

£35 for 4 courses and £65 for 7 courses.

KENTISH TO THE CORE...

My day starts with a coffee and two sugars followed by my meat and fish

deliveries, the difference is now... this is my own kitchen. My name is

Robert Bryant and I have just taken the plunge into my first head chef role

at the amazing Frasers 2 AA Rosette Hotel and Restaurant in Egerton.

The last 11 years have been dedicated to the culinary cause! I have

been , and I use the word lightly, ‘lucky’ to have worked with some

extremely talented and ambitious chefs, the likes of Michael Caines,

Daniel Clifford and Tom Carr. This experience has enabled me to

develop my own style of cooking and I now have the opportunity to

produce my own dishes which are an expression of my personality.

I was born in Devon, very close to the sea, and hence have always

had a love of fish and seafood. However, moving to Kent has

given me an opportunity to use a diverse range of locally sourced

meat and game as well as a bountiful supply of local fish.

I am two weeks into my new role and all my new ‘toys’ have

arrived and am now just putting the finishing touches to my

debut taster menu! In my opinion, the two outstanding dishes

are the rabbit and the strawberry, I am undecided whether it is

the perfectly cooked herb rolled loin, the rabbit terrine or the

delicious rabbit sauce. As for the strawberry, a heavenly blend of

strawberry, vanilla, elderflower, meringue need I say more!

Come, relax

and while away a few

hours at Frasers.

The quality of the locally sourced and seasonal produce in Kent

is quite possibly the most delicious that I have ever tasted.

I am excited about my future here at Frasers, and am so

looking forward to cooking for all my new customers.

Robert

From brunch through lunch to Lunch menu

afternoon tea and dinner, here at To Start

Frasers the only limit is your imagination.

Ham hock and duck liver terrine, green bean and truffle salad.

Crab ravioli, samphire, shellfish bisque, orange oil.

Sunday Lunch Menu

2 courses for £22.95, 3 courses for £26.95

Followed By

Barbequed shoulder of lamb, salt baked Jersey royals, asparagus and peas.

Baked cod, saffron potatoes, razor clam and mussel casserole.

Afternoon teas from £17.00 per person

And to finish

Chocolate tart, honeycomb, tonka bean ice cream.

Lemon parfait, blood orange granite, yoghurt sorbet.

5 Course £20.17 tasting for 2 courses menu and £25.17 for £45.00

3 courses.

Terrace Menu dishes from £10.50

Available for Lunch Tuesday- Saturday

7 Course tasting menu £55.00

Tables must be booked in advance.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us

to make your reservation

Scatter Cushion

in Soothing Grey

Vintage Velvet, £40

Loaf, loaf.com

Industrial Vintage

Medical Cabinet, £1695

The Old Cinema

theoldcinema.co.uk

Woodsman Industrial Reclaimed

Wood Dining Table, £1645

Alexander & Pearl

alexanderandpearl.co.uk

Clear Glass Hurricane

Candle Lantern, £33

Oli & Grace

oliandgrace.co.uk

Grey Sullivan Right Hand

Corner Sofa, £1049

MADE, made.com

Get the Look

Large Attractive Wrought

Iron Log Holder, £110

The Farthing,

thefarthing.co.uk

Cowhide Rugs in

Exotic Dark, £389

therugseller.co.uk

Antique Brass Triple Batten

Holder with Hat, £252

Alexander & Pearl

alexanderandpearl.co.uk

Chicago Tripod Floor

Lamp in Muted Grey

And Brass PR01, £189

MADE, made.com

Lille Armchair

Oatmeal, £349

Swoon Editions

swooneditions.com

109 wealdentimes.co.uk

Rosemunde silk dress, £125

Odyl, Cranbrook odyldesign.com;

jewellery, model’s own

wealdentimes.co.uk

110

Garden

Party

Photographs: David Merewether Styling: Helen Barton

Model: Heide Photographed on location at Blue Hen Flowers

111 wealdentimes.co.uk

0 % OFF

UP TO

WOMEN’S FASHION, MENSWEAR

ACCESSORIES AND HOMEWARES

NOW ON

Sale ends Sunday 23 July 2017

Royal Victoria Place Tunbridge Wells Kent TN1 2SR | 01892 516716 | www.fenwick.co.uk

Second Female dress, £129, Odyl, Cranbrook odyldesign.com; jewellery, model’s own

113 wealdentimes.co.uk

Linda Pope

Opticians

Shersby

FINE JEWELLERS

Put your face in a

FACEAFACE

facebook.com/LindaPopeOpticians

Rye Road • Hawkhurst

Telephone. 01580 753744

George Cottage, High Street, Cranbrook

Cranbrook has free car parking

www.shersbyjewellers.co.uk Telephone: 01580 720003

shersbyjewellers@aol.com Find us on Facebook

LindapopeWT185.indd 1 08/06/2017 ShersbyJewellersWT184.indd 11:42

1 12/05/2017 16:27

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 Vintage

Chinese embroidered clothes, Ossie Clark, Biba.

Swattenden Lane | Cranbrook | TN17 3PS

01580 713189

www.charityfarmcountrystore.co.uk

wealdentimes.co.uk

114

ShunasVintageClothesWT185.indd 1 07/06/2017 CharityFarmWT185.indd 16:15

1 07/06/2017 16:58

White Stuff shirt, £65,

pink skinny jeans, £49.95,

Seasalt hat, £25, Charity Farm

Countrystore, Cranbrook

charityfarmcountrystore.co.uk;

jewellery, model’s own

115 wealdentimes.co.uk

Embroidered cotton kaftan, £35, The Prial, Farnham theprialnightwear.co.uk;

jewellery, model’s own

wealdentimes.co.uk

116

LOVELL & VIE

lingerie swimwear

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

SMEWconsultingWT185.indd 1 16/06/2017 LovellAndVieWT185.indd 12:51

1 07/06/2017 17:05

cashmere and silk knitwear

Mid-Summer

Moutaki blouse £75

available at Cashara

Come and browse our new

Spring/Summer Collections

23 High Street, Tenterden TN30 6BJ

Telephone 01580 761222 Email sales@cashara.co.uk

Shop online at www.cashara.co.uk

SALE

In Store & Online

S T A R T S M I D - J U L Y

Tel: 01797 224271

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

e: shop@thegoldenfleece.co.uk

w: www.thegoldenfleece.co.uk

@goldenfleecerye

117 wealdentimes.co.uk

CasharaWT185.indd 1 13/06/2017 GoldenFleeceWT185.indd 12:07

1 19/06/2017 11:52

County Clothes Menswear

Quality & Personal Service

www.countyclothesmenswear.co.uk

Linen Shirt

Whether you require a casual

daytime look or a switch to a

formal evening style, a versatile

and light weight linen shirt is a

must have. Keeping you cool

and fresh is a bonus!

Weekend Bag

With plenty of

room for all the

essentials, a

holdall such as this

is the perfect bag for

any dream weekend getaway.

IMAGE

Canterbury Tenterden Reigate Sevenoaks

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Folding Panama

Handwoven in Equador, this Panama hat makes for

a classic, timeless look. Folding for easy packing, the

hat simply pops back into shape when you arrive

at your destination.

IMAGE

Travel Trousers

Deck Shoes

A staple for every summer wardrobe,

deck shoes are practical, stylish and

comfortable to boot!

Meyer have a secret to their travel trousers.

An extra piece of elastic in the waistband gives you flexibility

and comfort while you travel, relax or soak up the local culture.

19 St Margaret’s Street

Canterbury

Kent, CT1 2TH

2 East Cross

Tenterden

Kent, TN30 6AD

01580 765159

6 High Street

Reigate

Surrey, RH2 9AY

14 Bank Street

Sevenoaks

Kent, TN13 1UW

01227 765294 01737 249224 01732 454068

@countyclothescanterbury @countyclothestenterden @countyclothesreigate @countyclothessevenoaks

10%

CountyClothesWT185.indd 1 12/06/2017 11:59

OFF

all summer leather

handbags!

Come and get

dressed at

Melody

by Empreinte

We have some GREAT ideas for holiday clothes

For all

SHAPES

and sizes in linens, silks & cotton

Marie Jo,

Prima Donna,

Felina,

Aubade,

Wacoal

Lise Charmel

Hanro

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

96 High Street, Rye

01797 224116

SirenandPearl

wealdentimes.co.uk

118

Elizabeth44WT185.indd 1 21/06/2017 SirenAndPearlWT185.indd 10:25

1 15/06/2017 10:40

Luisa Cerano dress, £335, Eves,

West Malling evesofwestmalling.com;

jewellery, model’s own

Offers a wide range of fashionable

branded bags, scarves and accessories

dressing undeniable beauty

www.odyl.co.uk

01580 714907

39 HIGH STREET WEST MALLING KENT ME19 6QH

01732 841625

number39.net

Number39-WT185.indd 1 14/06/2017 OdylWT185.indd 17:19 1 21/06/2017 11:24

SURREY’S

PREMIER

CONDICI

STOCKIST

Leading The Way For Mothers Of The Bride and Groom

www.melitaboutique.co.uk

57 High Street, Chobham, Surrey GU24 8AF

Tel: 01276 856308

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

wealdentimes.co.uk

120

MelitaOfChobhamS33.indd 1 19/06/2017 EmmaPoveyWT181.indd 15:38

1 16/02/2017 11:48

White Stuff dress,

£65, Charity Farm

Countrystore, Cranbrook

charityfarmcountrystore.co.uk;

Sol Sana heels, £135, Odyl,

Cranbrook odyldesign.com

WT would like to thank

Blue Hen Flowers for

allowing us to photograph

in their beautiful garden

in Benenden, Kent,

where they grow scented

flowers, herbs, and foliage

for special occasions and

events. Find out more

at bluehenflowers.com

121 wealdentimes.co.uk

Concept

Hair

salon

purely beauty

Beauty Salon Hawkhurst

Highly Skilled Therapists using the

Best Quality Products in everything we do.

50 High Street, Tenterden 01580 762 564

Book online at www.williamcharleshair.co.uk

or through our facebook page

LoveLength... LoveVolume... LoveLift

July Special Offer

Offer 1: LVL Lashes for only £40 (Saving £5)

Offer 2: O.P.I Gel polish Fingers or Toes

LVL Lashes for only £60 (Saving £10)

Offer Valid Until July 31st. Please state Wealden Times offer when booking

Call 01580 753383

Book Online at www.purenique.co.uk

Hawkhurst, TN18 4JU

London has arrived

in the Weald...

WilliamCharlesWT174.indd 2 05/07/2016 PureniqueWT185.indd 12:49

1 15/06/2017 15:18

Private Care Service

at Bedtimes

Gillian Spooner, a senior Sassoon trained

stylist currently working at the Josh Wood

Atelier in London, is now based in your area.

Gillian’s superb level of expertise in cutting

and styling for ladies can be brought to you

by private appointment, with the benefit of a

free, no-obligation consultation beforehand.

For more information visit

www.gshair.co.uk or call to arrange a

free full consultation on 01622-862735

GS Spooner

Gillian

Our Private Care Service carers can come to

your house and assist you first thing in the

morning and / or last thing at night. This

help can form part of a tailored package of

care that could help you stay in your own

home for longer, rather than going into a

care home before its really needed. We can

assist those who need help due to frailty,

disability or illness to live as independently

as possible, with comfort and dignity, in

their own home. Overnight Sleep-in Care

is also available from 10pm to 7am.

www.townandcountryhomecare.co.uk

Domestic

Care

£9.77

per hour

For a free assessment

of your care needs or to

receive your brochure

Call us on 01580 762244

Town & Country Homecare Limited

102a High Street, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6HT

wealdentimes.co.uk

122

SteveCarmoWT140.indd 1 18/09/2013 TownCountryHomecareWT133.indd 14:50

3 04/02/2013 16:20

Beach

Beauty

Josephine Fairley shares her essential cheats

for an instant summer body

I’m sure I’m not the only person whose heart sinks at

the sight of yet another ‘Get Yourself Beach-Ready’

magazine article. My idea of being ‘beach-ready’ is

ensuring there’s enough sandwiches, potato salad and

soft drinks to keep the family happy. (And quite often,

making sure we’ve got macs and a windbreak.)

That doesn’t mean we don’t want to look good for summer

– but it’s not all about prepping for two weeks in a swimsuit, is

it? One of the glories of living in these isles is taking advantage

of these precious few months of warmth and sunshine: all

the more special because they don’t last year-round. If you’re

anything like me, that means you’re outdoors as much as

possible – on walks, in the garden, at barbecues with friends.

Yes, we all want to look and feel our best – but why waste

precious time in the bathroom when we could be taking

advantage of the great outdoors? So: I’ve focused here on

great ‘cheats’, which will minimise your time getting ready

for the beach – and maximise your actual time on it.

STep one: buff with an oil-based scrub. These are, in my

book, just about the most body-transformative products

out there. They slough away dead, dull skin cells (and can

actually revive a tan, as a result), while leaving skin veiled in

nourishing oils. Any fake tan will go on more smoothly if

you use an oil-based scrub first. I prefer sugar-based scrubs as

salt can sting if you’ve any nicks and cuts (as a gardener, that

invariably means me). Top of the scrubs for me are VOYA

Effervescence Nourishing Scrub, £34 for 259g (it features

plenty of hand-harvested seaweed in a base of almond oil,

sunflower oil and seaweed oil – and who knew there was

such a thing?), and the perennially fabulous, deliciously

rose-scented REN Moroccan Rose Shea Sugar Body Polish,

£33 for 330ml. Both leave skin gleaming and nourished

and are so enjoyable to use – well, you’ll use them. And

at the end of the day that is the key, with all products.

STep TWo: fake a tan. Who wants a body that’s pastrypale

on the first day of a vacation? Dita Von Teese, and that’s

about it, I reckon. There’s no need to go anywhere near a UV

tanning salon – the health risks of which become more and

more evident – with all the fabulous fake tans there are around.

My advice isn’t to go for a deep instant tan, but to apply a

gradual tanner a couple of evenings in a row, before you leave

for holiday. That’s all it takes to build up really quite a fabulous

skin tint, and it’ll look more realistic than one dark coat. Bathe

and exfoliate first, pat skin dry, and smooth body butter into

any dry zones such as heels, knees and elbows. These areas go

carrot-y because the dry cells take up more of the self-tanning

ingredient; if they’re well-nourished, that won’t happen.

Over the past few years I’ve slathered my way through

plenty, with three that I return to time and again. First off,

from an oddly-named brand called Eco by Sonya (available

from lovelula.com). Their Winter Skin, £25 for 200ml is

deliciously ‘slippy’, like a gel-cream – and is incredibly easy

to spread. ESPA Gradual Tan Body Moisturiser, £34 for

200ml, has an almost identical texture – and I can honestly

say I’ve never had better results from a fake tan. If you really,

really have a bare-leg emergency on Day One, nothing

fixes that faster than This Works Perfect Legs Skin Protector

SPF30, £40 for 100ml, which is a perfecting and blurring

product for legs that minimises imperfections and improves

appearance in a flash, with mica and natural caramel evening

out skintone – and with that SPF30, it protects while it gilds.

STep THRee: protect your face before you hit the beach.

I walked along the sands in Dubai back in January literally

aghast at how almost every woman was lying there with her

face turned to the sun, in the midday heat. You know why they

call it ‘tanning’? Because skin turns to leather. L-e-a-t-h-e-r. I

honestly cannot counsel anything less than an SPF30 on the

face, beneath a hat, and preferably with your head in the shade,

too. I rely on another product from This Works, the fantastic,

weightless In Transit Skin Defence SPF30, £29 for 40ml,

for facial protection – and am delighted it’s about to become

available in an SPF45. Also brilliant for sun-sensitive skins

like mine is Green People Scent-Free Facial Sun Cream SPF30,

£16.50 for 50ml, which not only protects against UVA and

123 wealdentimes.co.uk

Become the person you really are

We provide you with safe, effective and proven treatments

in a caring, confi dential & professional environment, using

the most advanced aesthetic medical equipment.

Treatments for your hair & skin:

• IPL to reduce unwanted body hair.

• Fractional laser skin resurfacing to reduce

wrinkles, sun damage & scarring.

• Facial & leg thread vein removal.

• Laser rejuvenation for even skin tone.

• Botulinum wrinkle relaxing.

• HIFU skin tightening / face & neck lifting.

• Chemical skin peels & Microdermabrasion

to remove blemishes & smooth skin.

• PDO thread lifts to soften the signs

of ageing in the face & neck.

Treatments for body shaping

& excess fat removal:

• Dermal fi llers to fi ll out wrinkles

& creases in the skin.

• Lip & cheek enhancement for

your facial appearance.

• 3D lipo body shaping & cellulite

treatment to remove fat & tighten skin.

• Mesotherapy to promote the

loss of fat & cellulite.

• Cryo fat freezing & removal to

reshape body contours.

British College of Aesthetic Medicine

Dr Deborah McManners

Skin & Laser Clinic

For appointments 01227 701080

www.drdeborahmcmanners.com

BMI The Chaucer Hospital, Nackington Rd, Canterbury CT4 7AR

reception@drdeborahmcmanners.com

DrDeborahMcMannersWT185.indd 1 21/06/2017 16:39

LASER TATTOO REMOVAL

FREE CONSULTATION AND PATCH TEST

SEMI PERMANENT MAKE-UP

FREE CONSULTATION

EYEBROWS / MICRO-BLADING

LIP / EYE LINER

TATTOO CORRECTION / COVER UP

FINE ART TATTOOS

Telephone 01233 714106 improvement.enquiries@outlook.com

The Old Bakery, 21 High Street, Charing, Kent TN27 0HU

wealdentimes.co.uk

124

ImprovementStudioWT185.indd 1 23/05/2017 10:07

UVB but firms and moisturises,

boosted by botanicals including

green tea and avocado.

STEP FOUR: reach for an

SPF lip balm. You may notice

here that I’ve fast-forwarded

without talking about body

suncare. That’s because I think

it’s a matter of personal choice

whether you want to fry yourself

dark bronze (with all the sun

damage that goes along with that) – or do as I do and slowly

build a lovely golden glow from the shade of my umbrella. And

I’ve a hunch you’re going to go ahead and either buy an SPF10

or something way up in the SPF stratosphere – and not much

any expert is going to say will change your strategy. What I will

say is that there are some terrific sunscreens out there, in textures

that are more skin-compatible and pleasurable to use than ever;

ranges I like include Clarins, Clinique, Lancaster and (at the

affordable end) the Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration range.

But what you do need to pack (which you might not have

thought about) is that SPF lip tint – because the lips are supervulnerable

(it’s the way they’re angled to the sun), and through

a combo of sea breezes and salt can become incredibly dry.

I’m a massive fan of Lanolips Tinted Balm SPF30, £7.99 for

12.5g (the SPF30 version, as opposed to the widely available

SPF15, is at feelunique.com); it slicks lips with a sheen of sheer

colour – and my favourite shade is Rhubarb, which would

frankly flatter any complexion. Protection and glamour, in one.

STEP FIVE: stow your favourite, richest hair mask

or conditioner in your beach basket. Make a ritual of

slathering generously onto wet hair straight after a dip;

you can shower it out later, but the sooner you put back

what seawater and chlorine take out of hair, the better.

And honestly, this is all you need to think about. Anything

else you choose to do will be because it’s actually part of your

psychological preparation towards switching off. Yes, you’ll

want to get waxed, or at least shave your legs, depending on

how sprout-y your body hair is. By all means book yourself

a manicure and a pedicure: there’s something wonderfully

satisfying about lounging with a book and catching an

occasional glimpse of glossy red or mermaid-sparkly toenails.

But summer is short. Holidays

even shorter. So my advice

is to not to spend one more

minute than you really,

really have to on holiday

‘prepping’ – but to get out

there and make hay/whoopee/

cocktails, while (everything

crossed) the sun shines.

Check out Jo Fairley’s

website beautybible.com –

for all things healthy and

beautiful.

Want a Career Change?

Take That Next Step &

learn the skills of Beauty Therapy at

Eden Beauty Therapy Institute

We offer GTI accredited courses in Beauty Therapy

Visit our website to find out more

www.edenbeautytherapy.co.uk

or call

01732 862224

EdenBeautyTherapyWT182.indd 1 16/03/2017 13:07

“FREEZEME50”

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125 wealdentimes.co.uk

CryojuvenateWT185.indd 1 19/06/2017 15:18

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Savour the summer

Wealden Times talks to Katherine Slater from Bee Potion

Health & Beauty

Do you have a beauty

regime? As I approach my

50th year, my beauty regime

starts in the morning by

looking in the bathroom

mirror and thanking my life,

that way I feel more beautiful

with age! I have devised my

own natural honey bee, twostep

beauty ritual. First, I apply

my honey, seaweed and aloe

facial cleanser wash and, if my

face is feeling particularly tired,

I use it as a face pack too. I

follow this with my face and

body balm which is natural

and nourishing both night

and day. The two products

together are all I need,

Do you have a particular

product you couldn’t

live without? My face

feels lost without my face

balm (also known as BEE

NOURISHED) as it’s so

versatile and nourishing. I

made a handy travel size

so I can take it everywhere.

Regarding make-up, I find less

is more but mascara is the key

for me. I love Kevyn Aucoin

mascara from Space NK. It’s

light, does not smudge or

flake and is easy to remove.

What’s your ultimate

pampering treat? I lived

and worked in Bali for a year

and massages and pedicures

were so cheap that you had

them every week so they no

longer felt like a treat. To

feel truly indulged, I need to

receive the pampering from

someone I am fond of! So, a

foot massage after a long day

from my partner is great and

so is a facial treatment from

my friend Rachel Heavens

who I run pampering

workshops with. In our

workshops I demonstrate

how to make natural skin

care products while Rachel

teaches the facial part. It’s

pampering on another level.

Who’s your style icon? Style

icons for me don’t only look

good, they create good. My

top two icons would be the

painter Georgia O’Keeffe

and installation artist Louise

Bourgois. Like all female

artists who have challenged

the idea of conventional

style or beauty through their

art, they both leave a legacy

in terms of femininity and

identity which is timeless.

Bee Potion creates skincare

products using honey from

their own bees. To find out

more about the range and

Bee Potion’s workshops,

visit bee-potion.com

Sulphur, the

beauty mineral

Sulphur, which is found in

the ocean, is known for its

ability to support collagen

production, promote

circulation and decrease

inflammation. A new range

of body scrubs from The

Salt Parlour, a Kent based

company, harnesses the

power of organic sulphur

with Dead Sea salts,

minerals and cold-pressed

oils to exfoliate the skin and

leave it soft and nourished.

There are six different salts

to choose from and we tried

their ‘Jasmine and Matcha

Green Tea for Repair’ scrub.

We loved it for its subtle

scent, gentle exfoliation

and for making our rough

post-winter limbs beachready.

The scrubs retail at

£15 and are natural, vegan,

earth friendly and cruelty

free. Visit thesaltparlour.

co.uk f or more details.

Credit: FreeImages.com/Martyn E Jones

Mediterranean magic

As we move into high summer,

deliciously sweet, flavoursome

English tomatoes are in the

shops and soon they’ll be

ripening in the garden. While

they’re plentiful, and relatively

cheap, it’s worth remembering

the health benefits of cooking

tomatoes: they’re a great source

of the antioxidant lycopene,

which helps protect against

cancer and heart disease.

Scientists have discovered that

when tomatoes are eaten raw,

very little lycopene is absorbed

but when cooked with a good

quality oil, the antioxidant is

much more readily available.

This successful combination

of tomatoes and olive oil helps

explain the health benefits

of the Mediterranean diet.

127 wealdentimes.co.uk

Beauty

Never too late!

We asked fitness guru and personal trainer Sarah Maxwell for

her advice on building an exercise routine later in life …

IS IT EVER TOO LATE TO START?

I believe it’s never too late to start exercising.

The positives are huge for the over 60s, there

are diverse improvements ranging from increases

in strength and flexibility to improvements in

circulation and bone density. I run a variety of exercise

classes and have many people over sixty involved.

I encourage everyone of all ages and levels to go at their

own pace and enjoy themselves whilst doing it.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

There are a wide range of classes, as close as your local

leisure centre or village hall. Gyms aren’t for everyone

but this doesn’t mean there aren’t many other ways to exercise.

Some great things to try for beginners are:

. Yoga

. Tai Chi . Walking

. Zumba . Water Fitness dance classes

. Pilates

. Ballet Barre

groups

. Ballroom

It’s a great time to try new things and find out what

works best for you. Classes are great because you can go

along on your own or take a friend for support. Start

with a beginners’ class and let the teacher know you’re

new to exercise so they can help, encourage and get you

on the right track safely and effectively. Exercising with

others is proven to be the most effective way to maintain

a routine and encouragement plays an important role.

HOW MANY TIMES A WEEK?

I would suggest a minimum of two sessions

a week to get results. Start out gently and

build up gradually so you improve consistently and

prevent injury. Space the classes a couple of days

apart so your body gets a chance to recover between

sessions. Try to fit in some regular cardiovascular

exercise between classes such as walking or swimming.

As your fitness improves you’ll notice that you have more

energy and confidence and are more active in everyday tasks.

4WHAT BENEFITS CAN

I EXPECT TO SEE

FROM EXERCISING?

Regular exercise will tone your

body, increase your metabolism

and make you feel great on the inside and

outside. It also has many benefits for your health

and wellbeing in general: research shows that

physical activity can also boost self-esteem, mood,

sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing

your risk of stress, depression, dementia and

Alzheimer’s disease. The best medicine you can

give your body and mind is a regular exercise routine,

even one that just involves walking and moving more.

5MOTIVATION

Getting started with exercise is one thing,

keeping it up is another. I advise my clients to

set short term goals that are easy to stick to. People are

motivated when they start but without goals they find it

difficult. Planning sessions ahead in your diary is a great

motivator. Teaming up with someone in your class or a

friend can also help enormously. Fun is the name of the

game. If you dread going along to your class it’s time to

change and try something new. Make a list of all of the

classes/activities you would like to try and give them a go.

Sarah Maxwell is a professional

PT and group exercise

instructor based in

Cranbrook. She is HAB

personal trainer

of the year. Visit

sarahmaxwell.

co.uk or call

07973 233668.

Credit: FreeImages.com/Michael Lorenzo, Moi Cody

wealdentimes.co.uk

128

Put back pain

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wealdenosteopaths.co.uk

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Health

The power

of the mind

Julie Simpson looks at new research

showing that lifestyle changes can

reverse cognitive decline

istockphoto.com/jacoblund

All the older women in my family

– my mother, her mother and

both her sisters – suffered from

dementia in their last years. They were all

in their 80s and 90s before the symptoms

showed, but it is a cruel illness however

long and good your life has been.

So, as a sixty-year-old with a lot of

dementia in my family, it’s great to hear

of any progress in the battle to fight

this horrible disease which affects 30

million people globally and is expected

to rise to 160 million by 2050.

Drugs take a long time to develop

and dementia is a complex nut to crack

as it’s now thought to have a variety

of causes. So, while we wait and hope

for a magic pill to stem the tide, some

recent research showing that lifestyle

changes can reverse cognitive decline

feels like a breakthrough. Even better,

if the research is correct, then making

the changes used by the researchers

could prevent the brain changes that

bring about serious problems later.

Admittedly, the trail was small: the

Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research

and Buck Institute for Research on

Aging at the University of California

put ten patients exhibiting memory

loss due to Alzheimer’s or dementia

on a holistic therapeutic programme.

After 3-6 months nine of them

showed significant improvements in

memory – and astonishingly, six of

the nine were able to return to work.

The programme was built around

four things: optimising diet, getting

plenty of exercise, having 8 hours

sleep a night and reducing stress.

Patients taking part in the research

also had their diet supplemented

with vitamins and minerals and were

screened for heavy metal toxicity but,

for the process of prevention, these

four ingredients – sleep, exercise, stress

reduction and stress management

– seem like a good place to start.

This is how it was done

Sleep: patients were told to get 7-8

hours sleep which is needed to repair the

body and restore the mind. Researchers

included a 12-hour food fast at night,

with supper being eaten three hours

before bedtime, to reduce insulin levels.

Diet: patients were put on plant-based

diets, eliminating carbohydrates, gluten

and processed food. They ate non-farmed

fish and avoided ‘inflammatory’ foods

like red meat, coffee, alcohol and dairy.

Stress: patients did stress busting

techniques comprising a daily meditation

or mindfulness practice plus yoga classes.

Exercise: optimum exercise

involved fast walking, swimming

or cycling for 30-60 minutes a

day, four to six days a week.

As a blueprint for a healthy life it’s

all good common sense and – aside

from some dietary challenges - pretty

straightforward to put into place. It’s

also cheaper than taking a pill and

has far fewer side effects. According

to Dale Bredesen, who authored the

research, it is noteworthy that the

major side effect of this therapeutic

system is improved health and

optimal BMI (body mass index).

I think I can live with that.

To read Dale Bredesen’s reasearch visit

aging-us.com/article/100690/text

131 wealdentimes.co.uk

Beautiful

Eating

Recipes: Madeleine Shaw

Photographs: Martin Poole

wealdentimes.co.uk

132

Food

Following her appearance at Wealden Times

Midsummer Fair last month, bestselling

food writer and nutritional health coach

Madeleine Shaw shares wholesome, flavourful

recipes supercharged with all the vitamins

and minerals your body needs to keep

you glowing with health all year round.

Oregano-Infused Potato Salad

with Fennel and Leeks

Potatoes have had a bad rep over the years. Sure, they

are a bit carby, but cold potatoes are rather spectacular.

You see, cold potatoes contain lots of starch... which is

amazing for your gut. And a healthy gut means clear

skin, so let’s get munching on those spuds – yum!

Serves 4 Prep time: 20 mins Cooking time: 25 mins

• 2 leeks, trimmed

• 1 tbsp avocado

oil or butter

• salt and freshly ground

black pepper, to taste

• 400g Jersey Royals

• 50ml veggie or chicken

stock, just boiled

• sprig of fresh

oregano, leaves

picked and chopped

• 100g rocket

• 1 fennel bulb

• 2 spring onions

• 30g walnuts,

roughly chopped

• 2 tbsp chopped

fresh parsley

• 1 tbsp olive oil

1. Finely chop the leeks into thin slivers. Heat

the oil in a large pan and sauté the leeks

with a pinch of salt and pepper for 20

minutes, until golden and caramelised.

2. While the leeks are cooking, boil the potatoes in a

pot of simmering salted water for 20-25 minutes

until tender. Drain them and slice in half, then put

back into the same pot you cooked them in. Pour

over the hot stock and add the oregano and a pinch

of salt. Leave while you prep the rest of the salad.

3. Place the rocket in a bowl. Thinly slice the fennel

with a mandolin into fine ribbons and add to the

rocket, then tip in the cooked leeks and potatoes.

4. Finely chop the spring onions and throw them

over the salad, along with the nuts, parsley, a big

pinch of salt and the olive oil. Toss and serve.

133 wealdentimes.co.uk

The New,

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Sizzling steaks and vegetables

on the hot lavastone

Perfect BBQ foods

on the griddle and skillet

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FirepodWT185.indd 1 21/06/2017 17:23

High Street, Robertsbridge, East Sussex TN32 5AW

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wealdentimes.co.uk

134

GeorgeInnRobertsbridgeWT185.indd 1 12/06/2017 16:40

Food

Chicken Ramen

Serves 4 Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 25 mins

This is my take on one of our

Japanese favourites. Ramen has

totally exploded in popularity

in recent years, but what many

people don’t realise is that it’s

so easy to make at home when

you want a warming meal.

Chicken stock is great when

you’re feeling run-down because

it contains immune-boosting

minerals such as calcium,

magnesium, phosphorus, silicon

and sulphur, which makes ramen

such fantastic comfort food.

• 1 tbsp coconut oil

or butter

• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• 500ml chicken stock

• 200g button mushrooms

• 1 red chilli, deseeded

and finely chopped

• 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

• 2 chicken breasts or

thighs, cut into strips

• 100g rice noodles

• 2 eggs

• salt, to taste

• 2 carrots, julienned

• juice of ½ lime

• 2 spring onions,

finely chopped

• 1 tbsp toasted

sesame seeds

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the ginger and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Next

add the stock, mushrooms, chilli, tamari and chicken pieces. Cook for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook your rice noodles as per the packet instructions in a

separate pot. In another pot, boil the eggs in plenty of water for 4 minutes,

until the whites are cooked but the yolk is still runny. Once cool enough

to handle, peel and slice the eggs in half and sprinkle on a little salt.

3. Just before serving, throw the carrots and cooked noodles into the

soup and squeeze in the lime juice. Top with the boiled egg halves,

spring onions and sesame seeds, then serve immediately.

135 wealdentimes.co.uk

Food

Summer Lovin’ Bowl

My favourite film of all time is Grease... so you can see where

the name comes from. This is basically a combination of all the

things I love about summer. It’s a real mixture of things, but

it really packs a punch. Say hello to flavour and goodbye to

soggy lettuce in Tupperware, and take this to work instead!

Serves 2 Prep time: 15 mins Cooking time: 40 mins

• 2 large beetroots

• 1 tbsp avocado oil or

melted coconut oil

• salt and freshly ground

black pepper, to taste

• 100g buckwheat

• 1 cucumber, chopped into

1cm chunks

• 1 mango, peeled, stoned and

chopped into 1cm chunks

• juice of 1 lime

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

• 1 jalapeño chilli, deseeded

• 4 tbsp hummus

• 1 tbsp chopped walnuts

For the dressing

• 2 tbsp almond butter

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tsp nutritional yeast

(if you can find it)

• 1 tsp tamari

• pinch of chilli powder

• pinch of smoked paprika

• 1 tbsp cold water

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/

gas mark 6. Peel and cut the beetroots

into 2½cm chunks. Put in a roasting

tray and mix with the oil and a big

pinch of salt and pepper. Roast for

30-40 minutes until cooked through.

2. While the beetroots are cooking, cook

the buckwheat and make the dressing.

First rinse the buckwheat in warm

water, then place in a pot with 250ml

of cold water and a pinch of salt.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 12

minutes until cooked through and all

the water has been absorbed. Whisk

the dressing ingredients together.

3. Mix the cucumber, mango and lime

juice together with the coriander and

jalapeño. Plate up the roasted beets with

the cooked buckwheat, hummus and

walnuts, plus the cucumber and mango

salad. Drizzle over the dressing.

Tours and Tastings

at Hush Heath Estate

Enjoy a fantastic day at Hush Heath Estate & Winery,

the home of award-winning Balfour Brut Rosé. Now

open 7 days a week, including Bank Holidays, from

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

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

New for 2017 – Free Guided Tours on selected dates

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

hours including: A full Estate tour and winery tour followed

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

Sun 27 th August 11.30am

Please note there are limited places so please call

01622 832794 to book your place

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

01622 832794 www.hushheath.com

HushHeathWineryWT185.indd 1 06/06/2017 12:54

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137 wealdentimes.co.uk

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

AWARD WINNING GIN FROM THE SILENT POOL IN SURREY

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Food

Madeleines

It’s not a coincidence that I love

madeleines. My love for these

soft shell-shaped sponges

blossomed at a young age, but I also

lived in France for a brief time when

I returned from Australia. I’d just set

up my blog, and was experimenting

with how to make some of my

favourite treats gluten, dairy and

refined sugar free. Well, I finally did

it with the madeleines, but I have to

say I’m yet to crack the croissant!

Makes 16, serves 6-8

Prep time: 20 mins Cooking time: 10 mins

• 50g coconut oil, melted,

plus extra for greasing

• 60ml almond milk

• 85g maple syrup or honey

• grated zest of 1 lemon

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 120g buckwheat or

white spelt flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the strawberry chia jam

• 400g strawberries

• 4 tsp chia seeds

• 3 tbsp maple syrup

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/

gas mark 5 and brush a madeleine

tray with melted coconut oil.

2. Make the jam by blending the

strawberries, chia seeds and

maple syrup until smooth.

Leave on the side – the chia

seeds will soak up the liquid

and the mixture will become

gelatinous after 10 minutes.

3. To make the madeleines, whisk the

coconut oil, almond milk, maple

syrup, lemon zest, egg and vanilla

together in a large bowl. Sift in the

flour, baking powder and bicarb

and stir to mix. Pour the batter

into the madeleine moulds and

bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

4. Serve the madeleines with a

dollop of jam. They are also

great dipped in chocolate.

These recipes are taken from A Year of

Beautiful Eating by Madeleine Shaw,

published by Trapeze in hardback and

eBook, priced £20/£10.99

wealdentimes.co.uk

Just add

water

If you have the space for one, a swimming pool

can become a beautiful year-round garden feature

and offers an ideal solution to keeping the whole

family active. Once you’ve decided where to site

your pool, there are a plethora of design options

and combinations to choose from. We take a look

at some of the best in-ground pools available

The Covered Pool:

“Our clients tell us that having a

pool at home has changed how

they spend their leisure time.

Not only is it fun but also

improves the family’s health.

No need for the bank holiday

weekends away with the chaos that

seems to be part and parcel of air travel

today or those stress-inducing trafficjam

trips to the coast on weekends

and in the school holidays. It also

provides a new focus for entertaining

at home. Add an enclosure and

your family and friends can enjoy

swimming and entertaining any

time of year, any time of the day.”

Arch Enclosures and Swimming Pools

01444 411411 archenclosures.co.uk

wealdentimes.co.uk

140

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION VISIT

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email: info@leisurespasandpools.co.uk

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Tel: 07484 248522

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If you’re looking for a swimming experience with

a difference, why not consider a salt water pool?

Swimming in salt water is known

to be helpful for a number

of physical ailments, as well as

aiding emotional wellbeing.

Salt water pools are still cleaned

using chlorine, but it is naturally

produced by a process of

electrolysis. This means that the

level of chlorine within the pool

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The water in salt water swimming

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LeisureSpasAndPoolsWT185.indd 1 21/06/2017 SBIWT185.indd 14:36 1 21/06/2017 11:52

minerals and aiding in the expulsion

of toxins. The concentration

of minerals in the water is

also known to improve blood

circulation, and can help conditions

such as arthritis and general

muscular and joint problems.

If you already have a home

swimming pool which is chlorinated,

it is possible to convert this to a

salt water pool if you wish to do so.

Call XL Pools for advice if you’re

thinking of building a new pool or

converting an existing pool to a salt

water swimming pool and we will

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XL Pools Ltd. The Parlour,

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Telephone 0845 20 60 420

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wealdentimes.co.uk

142

XLPoolsWT185b.indd 1 20/06/2017 17:22

The Swimming

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and raised vegetable

garden have been created

with new Rolawn lawns

putting the finishing

touches to this project!”

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The Show Pool:

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control, and has a solar slatted cover system. The pool

also features the new Beachline, a black granite bench just

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XL Pools 01233 840336 xlpools.com

143 wealdentimes.co.uk

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Garden

The makings

of a garden

Sue Whigham talks about the evolution of her own

garden and perfect plant combinations

It was 1996 when we first saw the garden, and it

was love at first sight. There was a paddock for our

donkeys and an orchard behind the house with old

lichen covered apple trees. And many of them are still here,

looking a little elderly and some of which have become

climbing frames for roses. We’re eternally grateful to Miss

Richards who planted the orchard in 1952 and who left

us a now very faded hand written plan of her trees. What

wonderful varieties she sourced. A row of Peasgood’s

Nonsuch is still standing as well as the old Yorkshire

variety, Ribston Pippin, grown since the 18th Century,

and one of my favourites, the robust and delicious cooker,

M. ‘Arthur Turner’, still laden with fruit every autumn.

We’re trying to remember what we did first apart

from taking down some of the hurdles around the

orchard which housed a few pet sheep here and there

and rather foolishly buying a few tiny grass and ghost

carp to control the water lilies that had become triffid

like in the dew pond to the east of the house.

We think it must have been some of the

climbing and rambling roses that went in first.

One mistake was to plant a couple of climbers

up two of the Peasgood’s Nonsuch and whilst

they are still very much there, their nature

doesn’t really suit being trained up trees. We

didn’t really know then that ramblers are so

much better suited for the job whilst climbers

have a rather more complicated pruning regime

which is so difficult to carry out when they are

clambering around in their host’s branches.

We’d been reading Robin Lane Fox’s book,

Better Gardening, which we think might have

been the only gardening book we had then.

So taking his advice and reading what he said about Rosa

‘Blairii No. 2’ we started with that, seduced by his description

of a rose whose petals are so ‘tightly packed that the scent,

too, is doubled, like the fruit of a sweet white German

wine’. And it is true except that much of the bloom is now

too high to do anything but admire from ground level.

Rosa ‘Paul Transon’ was another early arrival and we can’t

“We’d been

reading Robin

Lane Fox’s book,

Better Gardening,

which we think

might have been

the only gardening

book we had then”

Hypericum and ‘Fox and Cubs’

recommend it more. We’d worked out by then that a rambler

was more suitable for the trees so this went in. It’s a repeat

flowerer, a rich salmon with ‘coppery overtones’ but the best

thing about it is its unusual and rich scent.

And then there were ramblers like Rosa

‘Phyllis Bide’ first spotted whilst on a bus

driving through Odiham, R. ‘Rambling

Rector’, too vigorous for its host, but showy,

and the delicate R. ‘Cecile Brunner’ which is

just coming out now and which uses a rather

decrepit old prunus as a climbing frame, the

soft pink of the rose combining with the

purple foliage. Later additions include R.

‘Wedding Day’ and two less vigorous roses,

R. ‘Apple Blossom’ and R. ‘Open Arms’,

both charming. Then Peter Beales sent us

a few shrub roses with delectable names

and these went in between the apple trees. R. ‘Madame

Hardy’ is lovely; white with a green eye but alas, no scent.

A few trees arrived, perhaps two or three a year, from Robert

Vernon’s Bluebell Nursery. These were bought as small plants

but soon grew on and we had few fatalities. I think it is a

good idea to start small if you feel you have the time to wait.

The trunk of the beautiful birch, B. ermanii split and

145 wealdentimes.co.uk

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146

OpenviewLandscapesWT185.indd 1 14/06/2017 14:30

Garden

R. ‘Open Arms’

hornets feasted on the sap. It had to be bandaged with the

remains of an old sheet but made a remarkable recovery. One

of the slowest trees to establish, a beautiful lime introduced

by Ernest Wilson from the wilds of China, Tilia henryana,

is now romping away and maybe one day soon it will start

to produce its autumn flowers. Look out for this one. It has

huge ovate leaves which are toothed and so very striking.

Clematis were planted here and there. Some have

thrived but in this last dry spell, two or three seem to have

disappeared. The soft pink C. ‘Duchess of Albany’ has gone

in this year with the idea of it providing late summer interest

through a grey leaved Elaeagnus ‘Quicksilver’. I love the late

flowering clematis. Their bell-like flowers appear when you

are least expecting them. The house and sheds are

smothered with C. montana ‘Wilsonii’. Many of

the plants have self seeded and combined with

a Persian ivy which arrived as a cutting from a

friend’s plant in Benenden. C. ‘Wilsonii’ is a

good doer and its fragrant white flowers come

a little later than many of the other montanas.

Gravel in the garden has proved to be

a fantastic growing medium as there is

always something new popping up and

there are now interesting combinations

of self sown hypericums and the prolific burnt orange

flowers of ‘Fox and Cubs’ which came from a Winchelsea

garden open under the National Garden Scheme and

a low growing Euphorbia cyparissias ‘Fens Ruby’.

Borders were dug and filled with a mixture of shrubs and

perennials. One border proved to be too ambitious and the

soil baked hard in the summer. As its nutritional value didn’t

seem to improve despite the addition of copious amounts

of compost and grit, we’ve abandoned ship and a third of it

has now been sown with a wild flower and grass mix from

Emorsgate Seeds. It’s a huge success this year although a

few less ox eye daisies in the mix would have been better.

What survivors these are. I have never known anything to

proliferate quite as much! The other parts of the border are

“It took years to

take out a huge

and exceedingly

geriatric privet

hedge from

round the little

vegetable patch”

R. ‘Blairi No.2’ in the trees

waiting for attention and meanwhile the teasels and purple

fennel have taken up residence and look very happy too.

It took years to take out a huge and exceedingly

geriatric privet hedge from round the little vegetable

patch, apparently highly prolific in our predecessors’ day.

Getting rid of this and replacing it with a picket fence

now planted up with a cultivated blackberry, boysenberries

and that really decorative Japanese Rubus

phoenicolasius is a great improvement and

it’s much more fun to see a few dahlias

and salvias growing together through the

kitchen window rather than the hedge.

A giant purple fennel has appeared and

reaches great heights by the end of the season

too and provides a good backdrop to Salvia

‘Amistad’ and that lovely variety, Salvia

confertiflora. Both of these need to be lifted at

the end of the year and a few cuttings taken but

they strike easily and are worth the effort. S. ‘Amistad’ starts

flowering in July – earlier if it has been kept in a greenhouse

– and its dark purple flowers are still going in November.

And so each year things change – a little. Some

plants start to outgrow their space and have to be hard

pruned; the apples need attention each winter and

gradually need replacing. Moss seems to take over the

lawn but by early June everything is looking rosy.

Sue Whigham can be contacted on 07810 457948 for

gardening advice and help in the sourcing and supply of

interesting garden plants.

147 wealdentimes.co.uk

email: production@indexmagazine.co.uk

Below is a proof of your ad to be published Positions in the in the maga

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PLEASE NOTE The content of the advertisment it will be taken that this ad

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148

WCLandcraftWT181.indd 1 07/02/2017 17:19

Garden

Second out, round two!

Jo Arnell explains that it’s never too late to get the most out of your veg garden over the summer months

I’m all for trying again when I don’t succeed, for never

saying die and persisting in the face of unsurmountable

odds; in another life I might be climbing mountains or

swimming the channel. In this one I’m attempting to grow

vegetables. It would be easy, if it weren’t for a myriad of

factors that conspire against me (my own nature probably

being one). There’s the weather – it is either too cold, too

windy, too hot or too many things in rapid succession; there

are pests galore helping themselves left and right, from above

and below. And then there are mysterious problems linked

to the soil, or the general health of the plants. Let’s not even

mention the events in life and work that take us far away

from thoughts of vegetable growing. It can be easy to lose

the plot. If you’ve been lucky, or very diligent, you may have

managed to avoid most pitfalls and already have harvested and

cleared a space. On the other hand (mine’s a grubby, blistered

one) one, or all of the above setbacks may have occurred;

the weather, the pests, or just life in general, have prevented

a harvest of any kind. In either scenario, this is the moment

to jump back in and start again. There is still time (you’ll be

glad to hear) to sow some vegetables from scratch this year.

Catch-up Crops

The weather and the soil have warmed and anything

sown now will be faster to germinate, in fact

some crops will grow so quickly that they almost

catch up with those sown earlier in the year.

Choose fast maturing vegetables and those that

don’t take long from sowing to harvest:

Radishes are so quick that they can even be grown in

between rows of slower growing vegetables, as they’ll be

harvested before their companions need the space.

Baby beetroot can be nearly as fast, with the added bonus

that you can harvest the young leaves for salads too.

149 wealdentimes.co.uk

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wealdentimes.co.uk

150

ErnestDoe&SonsWT182.indd 1 17/03/2017 ChilstoneWT185.indd 15:30

1 21/06/2017 14:03

Garden

Summer crops can be prone to bolting – that is,

running to seed before you have a chance to harvest

them. Make sure that they get adequate water and sow

bolt proof varieties of things like beetroot, coriander

and spinach.

Fast maturing vegetables will give you a harvest

in just a few weeks, but this is also a good time for

sowing crops to harvest in the autumn and winter.

Salads, mange tout peas, baby carrots and dwarf beans

are quick croppers, while a row or two of kale, Swiss

chard, broccoli or spring cabbage will provide a harvest

during the colder months.

Pests can increase to plague proportions in the

summer months and decimate crops, so make sure that

you protect them with fine netting or fleece. Grow

carrots in raised containers to keep out carrot fly.

Tender plants like beans and courgettes must be

harvested before the first frosts arrive and need about

10-12 weeks from sowing to cropping.

Peas are useful to grow in succession – there’s a fast

one, aptly called ‘Meteor’ and then there are mange

tout varieties, which are eaten as young pods.

Dwarf beans are faster than climbing beans because they

don’t have to make a giant beanstalk before starting to

flower and form pods. Sowing to harvest time should be

around 10 weeks. Make sure that beans are well watered

in dry spells, especially when they’re forming their pods.

You should just get away with a sowing of courgettes

now too. Remember that courgettes and beans are

tender, so the latest you can sow for a harvest before

the frosts is probably July. Some years it stays mild until

December, but frosts can come as early as September…

July is generally the last month to sow carrots for an autumn

crop. Choose smaller varieties – there are quite a few stubby

ones around – ‘Chantenay’ is quite a good one, or a quick

growing variety such as ‘Amsterdam Forcing’. There are

even tiny round carrots, almost like orange radishes. Small

carrots can be eaten whole and don’t need peeling either.

Credit: FreeImages.com/ Beverly llyod, Rico Jensen

Salad days

Lettuce needs cool, light conditions in which to germinate.

They will grow in partial shade, which may be a better

place to sow it in summer, as lettuce is prone to bolting

in hot, dry conditions. Sow in succession if you eat a

lot – a pinch of seed every four weeks or so. Loose leaf

varieties like Salad Bowl, Lollo Rosso, or salad mixes

that contain a combination of leaves are useful, as you

can treat them as cut-and-come-again crops – just cut

and more leaves will grow from the base of the plant.

Rocket does what its name suggests, but may bolt

(run to seed) in very hot conditions, so might be

better sown towards the end of the month.

151 wealdentimes.co.uk

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152

PassmoresWT175.indd 1 11/04/2016 10:54

Garden

Herbs, especially annuals like Coriander, Chervil, Dill and

Parsley (a biennial) are very easy to sow and grow. Depending

on how much you need, sow small quantities right through

the growing season. Coriander is prone to running to seed

almost before it grows any leaves, so grow a leafy variety like

Cilantro, which is less annoying and has the same flavour.

Planning ahead

This is a good time to start thinking about sowing crops for

the autumn and winter such as Swiss chard, perpetual spinach

and kale. These leafy stalwarts will provide harvests right

through the winter and into the early spring. Protect kale from

caterpillars in the summer, and pesky pigeons in the winter.

Oriental greens like pak choi, tatsoi and mustards like

mizuna (I also grow a pretty dark leaved one called ‘Red

Frills’) can be sown towards the end of the month. These

are best grown either side of the summer – so in the spring

or at the end of the summer. They are good and reliably

fast (pak choi may need a little watering, so that the base

swells – and it can get attacked by caterpillars). Sometimes

the leaves of oriental greens become peppered with tiny

holes, which are made by flea beetles. A really fine net or

fleece will protect them and ensure a supply of perfect

stir fries and spicy salads right through the autumn.

The rush of early season growth may be over, but the

soil is warm and welcoming and conditions are less prone

to extremes than they were back in the spring and early

summer. Watering may be an issue (let’s all wish for warm

dry days and rain at night…) and the pests are still as

hungry as vegetarian micro-wolves, but if you provide some

protection for the vulnerable crops and water judiciously

– when and where needed, you will soon be harvesting

some (more?) wonderful, home grown vegetables. So, if it

all went wrong back in the spring, or if you’re twiddling

your thumbs and looking at a nice empty space on your

plot, or even if you are finally getting round to thinking

about it, this is a very good time to get growing again,

in fact there’s no time to waste. Let’s get out there.

Contact Jo for gardening courses,border planting and

advice: 01233 861149 jo@hornbrookmanor.co.uk

Kate Ball

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T: 01342 851 385 M: 07808 645 800

W: www.katsuragardens.co.uk

E: philip@katsuragardens.co.uk

153 wealdentimes.co.uk

KatsuraGardensWT183.indd 1 20/04/2017 14:16

Education

Extra Help

Susan Elkin explores the demand for unqualified tutors

Credit: FreeImages.com/Picaland

Tutoring is a mixed blessing. In my time I’ve done

plenty of it – teaching all day in school and then

coaching children privately from other schools

in the evening because I had a young family and there

was never enough money. And of course many parents

buy extra help for their children because they are not

satisfied with what happens in schools especially when

there are entrance tests or public examinations at stake.

But what about tutors employed by schools? It seems to

be quite widespread. Earlier this year I saw, at Southwark

Playhouse, School Play by young playwright Alex MacKeith

whom I also interviewed. The play, now published by

Oberon, is inspired by Alex’s experience of being employed

as a new graduate, to tutor groups of primary school

pupils. The aim is to get the SATS results to the right

level so that the school qualifies for the level of funding

it needs. He was so fascinated by the dynamic of teachers

and tutors (and he knows lots of others) working alongside

each other in schools that he wrote a play about it.

Then, the other day, I found myself sitting at a family meal

next to a distant, by-marriage relation on her gap year. She’s

due to start a bio-chemistry degree at a prestigious university in

September. Meanwhile she’s working in three secondary schools

tutoring small maths and English groups to boost GCSE results.

“They’re not interested in science because it’s the maths and

English which affects the statistics,” she told me ruefully.

I find this both intriguing and worrying. The concern seems

to be driven entirely by figures, tables, the status of schools

and the future of the people who are working in them.

I’m surprised, too, that the teaching unions aren’t jumping

up and down, furious that their members are being “sidelined

by unqualified teenagers”. My dinner companion tells me,

incidentally, that she is paid even less than a teaching assistant

so it’s a good bargain for the school. She works in the north of

England and is paid partly by the schools she’s in and partly

by the local authority. She is, of course, one of dozens.

There’s nothing new in education. Both my maternal

grandmother and my mother trained as teachers through

the “pupil teacher” route. In-school tutoring seems similar

except that I doubt most of today’s tutors will go on to be

teachers. And isn’t the underlying question – to which I

don’t know the answer – that if these youngsters can teach

effectively why do we bother to train teachers expensively

for three years? Perhaps it’s time for some radical thinking.

DAY & BOARDING SCHOOL FOR GIRLS & BOYS AGED 2-13

H A P P Y

V E R Y

H A P P Y

AN OUTSTANDING EDUCATION IN AN IDYLLIC SETTING

Twenty one scholarships awarded to Vinehall pupils so far by senior schools,

including Academic, Sport, Music, Art, Drama and Design Technology.

For further information and a prospectus please contact Karen Cooper

on 01580 883090 or at admissions@vinehallschool.com.

www.vinehallschool.com

ROBERTSBRIDGE, EAST SUSSEX

wealdentimes.co.uk

154

VinehallSchoolWT184.indd 1 19/05/2017 11:32

THE PERFECT SUMMER HOLIDAY TREAT

HHHHH

‘

AS LIGHT

AND BOUNCY

AS A BUBBLE

OF GUM! ’

The Observer

‘

THE

ULTIMATE

FEEL-GOOD

SHOW ’

The Guardian

What’s On In July

Art

perfect scene to transport you back in

amusements for children, and

to explore its gardens and terrace

time with archery, crafts, music and

showcases from masterful makers.

equipped with a bouncy castle and

Sat 1 July – Sat 23 Sept

story telling.

Entry: Day passes £35, Entrance only

home spun candy floss, then classic

Artichoke Gallery, Church Street,

Info: 01903 882173 / arundelcastle.org

£5, Under 14s free

afternoon tea served at 3pm.

Ticehurst, East Sussex TN5 7AE

Info: wealdenliteraryfestival.co.uk

Entry: Adults £25, Children £12.50

ACROSS THE WATER

Festivals & Shows

Info: 01892 320749 / hotelduvin.com

Paintings, Sculpture, Ceramics, and

Food

Jewellery taking inspiration from

Sat 1 July 12-5pm

Music

Rivers, Seascapes and Foreign Lands

51 Church Street, Boughton

Sat 8 – Sun 9 July 10am-5pm

including beautiful bold work from

Monchelsea, Maidstone, Kent

King John’s Nursery and Garden,

Saturday 1 July 7.30pm

Susan Moxley and lovely handcrafted

ME17 4HN

Sheepstreet Lane, Etchingham

St. George’s Church, Church Street,

jewellery from Wendy Penrose.

Boughton Monchelsea

TN19 7AZ

Gravesend, Kent DA11 0DJ

Entry: Free

Village Fete & Dog Show

The Cobnut Food Fair

An Evening with

Info: 01580 200905 /

Trade stands, arena events, BBQs,

Pack your picnic basket and visit

Gravesham Choral

artichokegallery@gmail.com

a farmers’ market, the grand classic

this charming nursery which will

Society

artichokegallery.co.uk

car show, it’s all going on at the

be decked out with over 40 stalls,

Gravesham Choral Society will be

Boughton Village Fete, even a dog

demonstrating the best of Wealden

conducted by Alan Vincent, with

Mon 24 July - Mon 7 Aug, Mon -

show with classes for any four legged

food and drink. There will be cookery

Eloise Irving as soprano and Malcolm

Weds 9am-6pm, Thurs 9am-8pm,

friends to get in on the fun!

demonstrations and delicious tasters

Riley on organ. The programme

Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-5pm

Info: Hannah Jane Tripp (Organiser):

for all as well as a field of children’s

includes Handel’s Little Organ Mass,

Kaleidoscope Gallery & Library,

07703 162585 / facebook.com/

activities to keep little ones amused.

Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate and

Buckhurst Lane, Sevenoaks

BoughtonMonchelseaVillageFete

Entry: Free

Duruflé’s Requiem. Tickets available

TN13 14Q

Info: kingjohnsnursery.co.uk

from the box office, choir members

Textile Studio Exhibition

Thurs 6 – Sun 16 July

themselves or on the door.

An exhibition of contemporary

Various locations in Romney Marsh

Sat 8 – Sun 9 July 11am-6pm

Entry: £12, students £5

textiles and mixed media by artists

JAM on the Marsh

Stade Open Space, Hastings Old

Info: 01474 816684

based in Kent.

JAM on the Marsh, brings Kent’s

Town, High Street, Hastings, Kent

Entry: Free

Romney Marsh to life as locations

Fish Festival

Sat 8 July

Info: 01634 714477

dotted around the 15 mile marshland,

Learn to expertly prepare and cook

Leeds Castle, Penfold Hill (B2163),

including its beautiful medieval

fish and seafood, try your hand at

Maidstone, Kent ME17 1RG

Children & Family

churches, host a line up of 32 free

sea themed craft activities and enjoy

Leeds Castle Classical

and low priced events in a spectrum

live music from artists including The

Concert

Sat 15 July – Sun 3 September and

of music and art which embraces all

Kytes and Violet Jive.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Sat 9 – Sun 10 September

Info: jamconcert.org

Entry: £1 advance, £2 on the gate,

is set to deliver another masterful

Penshurst Place, Penshurst,

Under 18s free (tickets cover both days)

programme hosted by Aled Jones. Sip

Tonbridge TN11 8DG

Fri 7 – Sun 9 July

Info: hastingsfestivals.com/fishfestival

your champagne and watch as John

Summer Maize Maze

Kent Showground, Detling,

Rigby conducts the orchestra, the

Looking for something to do over the

Maidstone, Kent ME14 3JF

Garden

Patriot Girls perform old classics and

summer holidays? This amazing maize

Kent County Show

a 1940s spitfire takes to the skies.

maze is great fun for children and

A typical country showcase

Sat 8 – Sat 15 July

Info: 01622 767865 /

adults. It has been designed with a

celebrating rural farm life by

Pashley Manor Gardens, Pashley

leedscastleconcert.co.uk

literary theme by Mazescape, and has

combining the best of Kentish

Road, Ticehurst, Wadhurst

clues and riddles hidden throughout

animals, food and entertainment to

TN5 7HE

Sat 29 July 6pm

its mysterious depths, all leading you

bring you a wonderful family day out

Kitchen Garden Week

All Saints Church, Waldron, East

to discover the Maize Maze message.

with over 400 exhibitors and trade

July sees the Kitchen Garden of

Sussex, TN21 0RA

Info: 01892 870307 /

stands and over 300 competitions,

Pashley Manor ripe and ready to

Musical Evening

penshurstplace.com

activities and displays.

enjoy. During Kitchen and Garden

Enjoy an evening of beautiful music

Info: kentshowground.co.uk

Week, the gardeners behind this

with soprano Katherine Adams and

Tues 25 – Sun 30 July

re-creation of the manor’s garden will

the Waldron Handbell Ringers.

Arundel Castle, Arundel, West

Sat 15 – Sun 16 July

give advice and answer questions.

Entry: £12 (including a glass of wine

Sussex BN18 9AB

Boldshaves Garden, Woodchurch,

Entry: £10, HHA members free

or soft drink and canapés).

Jousting & Medieval

Kent TN26 3RA

Info: 01580 200888 /

Info: julwheatley@aol.com

Tournament 2017

Wealden Literary Festival

pashleymanorgardens.com

This renowned international jousting

A literary festival which centres

Summer Activities

competition gathers together proud

itself around nature in the

Sat 8 July 2pm

knights, hailing from across the

enchanting Boldshaves Garden

Hotel Du Vin, Crescent Road,

Tues 4 July 10am-8pm

globe, clad in full plate armour,

with its surrounding fields and wild

Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2LY

Nutley Antiques, Libra House, High

and sat astride their noble steeds, to

woods. In addition to its host of

20th Birthday Summer

St, Nutley, Uckfield TN22 3NF

demonstrate their outstanding skill

engaging speakers, book-signings,

Garden Party

Nutley Antiques’ Summer

and chivalry. An authentic medieval

and Sevenoaks bookshop, the fair

A lovely way to enjoy a British

Party

style encampment in the grounds of

will also include Clare Smith as

summer, with a guided tour of the

Returning after great success at last

the glorious Arundel Castle, sets the

artist in residence, nature activities,

hotel and its wine cellars, a chance

year’s re-launch celebration, Nutley

wealdentimes.co.uk

156

A UNIQUE TWO-DAY EVENT

EXPLORING ALL THAT IS AVAILABLE

FOR A HEALTHY & HAPPY LIFESTYLE

22-23 September 2017

MABLEDON

Tunbridge wells

EXPERT TALKS

Wellbeing Workshops

Live Kitchen

THERAPY SPA

Fitness Station

Family Health

NATURAL BEAUTY

Food Market

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST ONLINE FOR

EXCLUSIVE EARLY ACCESS TO TICKETS!

@healthandwellbeinglive

@healthlive2017

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157 wealdentimes.co.uk

EventUmbrellaWT185.indd 1 19/06/2017 14:22

CHD-WT185.indd 1 14/06/2017 10:11

*THIS WAS A SELL-OUT LAST YEAR*

EARLY BOOKING RECOMMENDED

PRE-BOOK YOUR TICKETS

NEW FOR 2017

MEET THE

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JUNIORS (8-12 YRS OLD) 10.30AM – 4PM £45 PER DAY

TEENAGERS (13–16 YRS OLD) 4PM – 6PM £15 PER SESSION

BOOK NOW AT WWW.NIFTYFEET.CO.UK

7,8,9 JULY

www.kentshow.co.uk 01622 633060

Kent Showground, Maidstone ME14 3JF

kentcountyshow

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1 24/04/2017 14:58

A YEAR OF

ENTERTAINMENT

ONCEVISIT

PAY

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& AGAIN

TICKET VALID

FOR A YEAR

wealdentimes.co.uk

158

Antiques is equipped with fresh stock,

plenty of Pimm’s and some yummy

nibbles for you to enjoy.

Entry: Free

Info: 01825 713220 /

facebook.com/Nutleyantiques

Tues 4 – Thurs 6, Tues 11 – Thurs

13, and Tues 18 – Thurs 20 July

Spa Valley Railway, Tunbridge Wells

West Station, Royal Tunbridge

Wells, Kent TN2 5QY

Kent and Sussex Railway

Discounted Rail Travel

for the young at heart

Travel by steam train in beautifully

restored carriages and over sixties save

£5 on return journeys. The railway’s

facilities have been carefully designed

with disabled, elderly and less mobile

visitors in mind. On-train catering is

available and you can save 10% when

booking on the previous day.

Info: 01580 765155 / kesr.org.uk

Mon 24 July – Fri 18 August,

9.15am-4.15pm

The Grange, Rectory Lane,

Bookham KT23 4DZ

Summer Fun Respite Care

Days

Summer Fun offers activities for

adults with learning disabilities at

the beautiful Grange care centre in

Bookham. They are CQC rated good,

and this is a great opportunity to try

new things, make friends and have

some fun over the summer!

Info: 01372 455229 /

vikki.schadenberg@grangecentre.org.uk /

grangecentre.org.uk

Theatre

Sat 22 July

Leeds Castle, Maidstone ME17 1PL

Open Air Theatre: Romeo

and Juliet

What better setting for Shakespeare’s

great romantic tragedy than the

world’s loveliest castle? This timeless

tale of death-marked love will be

played by the Royal Navy Theatre

Association on the Pavilion Lawn, the

which if you with patient ears attend,

what here shall miss, their toil shall

strive to mend.

Entry: Adults £12, Concession £10,

Under 4s Free

Info: 01622 767865 / leeds-castle.com

Thurs 27 – Sat 29 July

Haslemere Museum, 78 High St,

Haslemere GU27 2LA

The Guildburys Theatre

Company – Nell Gwynn

The Guildburys Theatre Company

are delighted to be performing Jessica

Swale’s award-winning comedy. This

warm hearted production tells the

story of an unlikely heroine, the

lowly orange seller who won the

adoration of the public and the heart

of the King. The beautiful grounds

of Haslemere Museum provide the

perfect setting for outdoor open-air

theatre, so grab a picnic, uncork the

wine and head to the lawns for a

highly entertaining evening.

Info: guildburys.com

Workshops

Sun 16 July 10.30am-4pm

Belmont House and Gardens,

Belmont, Belmont Park, Throwley,

Kent ME13 0HH

Spoon Carving

For any readers looking to learn a

new skill, book now to get yourself

into this fantastic workshop with

limited spaces. Badger Bushcraft’s Phil

will be demonstrating and instructing

on how to make your own spoon

safely and expertly. The suggested age

range is 13 and up, and lunch and

refreshments will be provided.

Entry: £40

Info: 01795 890228 /

events@belmont-house.org /

belmont-house.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 August issue is 14 July 2017.

What’s On In July

Ibbett Mosely

AuctIoneers & VAluers

Limited Liability Partnership

The Auctioneer's Next Sale Will Be On

Wednesday 12th July 2017

Commencing at 12.30pm | Viewing 10.00am - 12.30pm

At Ibbett Mosely Auction Rooms, Argyle Rd, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1HJ

Valuation Day - Wednesday 20th September 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

Health without Medicine!

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All you need to know on one website, based

on thirty years experience in natural health

promotion and therapy. This site offers you

information on body, diet, stress & breathing.

Equally useful for patients or doctors who

want to give their patients more than just

“A Pill for Every Ill”. Tel: 01580 752 852

Visit: www.TotalHealthMatters.co.uk

St.Bridgets, Rye Road, Hawkhurst, Kent. TN18 5DA

ButeykoWT185.indd 1 20/06/2017 11:47

159 wealdentimes.co.uk

GodintonHouseWT185.indd 1 19/06/2017 10:06

Home & Interiors

Gardens

Wealden Wealden Times Times - Bazaar - Classified

DECORATIVE & COUNTRY

FURNITURE OPEN DAY SALE

SATURDAY 1st JULY 10am - 4pm

UNIT 10 MIDICY OAST, BODIAM BUSINESS PARK

www.atkinsantiques.com

01580 830681 - 07754427194

1/4 mile down from the Curlew restaurant towards

Cripps Corner on B2244

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Clare Langdon

INTERIORS

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Email: hallcrocket@aol.com

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For further information please phone 01424 773096

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visit our showroom at The Granary, Station Rd, Battle. TN33 0DE

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Ockley Road, Hawkhurst TN18 4DP

bespoke ironwork for home & garden

07765 344298

www.cranbrookiron.com

Open: Wednesday - Saturday

Creating gardens

of distinction

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Measuring & fitting service

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Fabrics & design advice

Telephone 01233 850829

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Probably the most experienced, established

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A pet portrait makes a wonderful gift

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wealdentimes.co.uk

160

DianeWilksWT144.indd 3 20/01/2014 KitchenDoctorWT145.indd 14:32

1 28/01/2014 InPartyTentCoWT169.indd 10:12

1 11/02/2016 12:44

Competition

Win 20 litres of

Autentico paint

Autentico manufacture their own line of

furniture and wall paints, combining

technology with tradition and creativity with

professionalism. Whether you are embarking on

a creative venture or a home building endeavour,

Autentico Paint will always provide a quality, versatile

and honest product to suit your aspirations.

Autentico’s paints contain the highest level

of chalk and lime, are low in VOC’s and many

of their core paint products are completely

child safe (EN71-3). With an unrivalled palette

encompassing over 150 deep and rich colours,

Autentico truly are in a league of their own.

The brand’s Velvet wall paint is a versatile and

superior interior paint designed to withstand daily

life within the home, but if you need a paint with

extra durability to fit in your busy family home,

Autentico Versante Matt* for washable walls may

be your answer! Rich in colour and matt to the

touch, there is a shade to suit every setting.

Autentico Paint is based in Ashford, Kent, and is

open to the public 9am-5pm Monday to Friday, so

why not pop in and browse the collections and find

out more about their workshops. For more information

call 01233 878303 or see autentico-paint.com.

How to enter: Autentico are

offering one lucky reader 20 litres

of Autentico Velvet wall paint or

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in a colour of their choice. For

your chance to win just answer the

following question: In which town

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your answer with your contact

details** in the online form at

wealdentimes.co.uk/competition

or post to: The Autentico Paint

Competition, Wealden Times,

21 Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent

TN17 3HF by 21 July. There is

no cash alternative and the prize

must be taken before 1 November

2017. *Versante Matt is available

at a supplement of £7.95 per

2.5L.**All entrants’ details will be

passed on to Autentico Paint and

Wealden Times Events. Please

let us know if you do not wish

your details to be passed on.

Congratulations to Lynn Kitchen who wins our June competition for a Neptune Suffolk Chopping Block

161 wealdentimes.co.uk

Jane Howard’s

Fables from the Farm

Jane is thrilled to see that her wildflower meadow is a blooming success at last

Summer has at last arrived. Everyone

who is going to give birth has

done so, the sheep and cattle

are all happily grazing outside and the

grass is not yet high enough to make

hay. So it’s a time of relative peace and

calm and our focus has turned to our

six- rather than four-legged friends.

I have written before about the flower

meadow we painstakingly planted two

years ago. Quite a performance, for first

we had to kill off five acres of grass – no

mean feat, three times we sprayed it and

twice it bounced straight back – and then

we had to rip up the

dead thatch to reveal bare

soil. Then we sowed a

typical Weald assortment

– including the now

quite rare Ragged Robin,

Yellow Rattle and Corn

Cockle – and while we

were thrilled when the

bare brown earth turned green, the first

year was mainly common annuals such

as poppies, daisies and cornflowers.

This year however, I am happy to

report, the meadow looks much more like

the meadow I imagined, a kaleidoscope

of delicate flowers against a backdrop of

green leaf and red sorrel. Lovely. Even

better news, while last year there was

a definite lack of insect life, this year

it is positively humming with a huge

variety of bees, beetles and butterflies.

This is great to see, as here at Coopers

Farm our thoughts are turning more

“There are more

than 2,500

different moths

native to the UK”

and more to encouraging pollinators.

And while we have five beehives in

another part of the farm, honey bees

account for a surprisingly small fraction

of pollination. Wild bees, and a huge

variety of bumbles, hoverflies, moths

and butterflies do most of the work!

To encourage butterflies we have been

busy cutting glades into a woodland

along a fence line where it meets the field.

Every few hundred metres, ideally near a

pussy willow if we can find one, we have

chopped down some trees and saplings to

make small clearings that are south facing

and open to the sky

but entered on an eastfacing

edge. It’s called a

scalloped margin. Once

the sun gets in it will

only take one season

for dormant seeds on

the woodland floor to

burst into life providing

a varied habitat. But our property

developments don’t stop there and we are

also making bee ‘hotels’ – oak logs drilled

with 5mm and 6mm holes for solitary

bees to crawl in, lay eggs and hibernate.

Needless to say, to achieve these

new habitats and to make sure our

endeavours are as des res as they can

possibly be we have had a lot of help

from Laurie, our local expert from the

charity Buglife. And very excitingly she

turned up one evening last week to carry

out our first nocturnal moth audit.

This is quite a palaver but, full of

anticipation of what we might find,

we filled our Thermos (and hip) flasks

and set off about nine o’clock into the

woods. The moth trap is rather like a

sawn-off dustbin, placed on a white

sheet, filled with egg boxes and topped

with a clear dome holding a bright

light bulb to draw in the moths.

And hey presto, along they came.

There are more than 2,500 different

moths native to the UK, so you can

appreciate the English names get

quite weird and wacky at times. The

Common Wave (as opposed to a royal

one?), the Puss moth, Triple Lines,

Carpets, there’s even a Tunbridge Wells

Gem out there, but not that night

in our Sussex fields. Some of them

have adorable fluffy faces like kittens,

others look like dead tough hockey

goalies. Some are plain like the Straw

Dots, while others were marvellously

patterned like the Marbled Carpet.

A whole new journey of discovery!

On the night, we trapped (and

released) more than 30 different

moths. Only 2,470 to go!

Follow Jane Howard – and the farm

– on Instagram @coopersfarm

Credit: FreeImages.com/Eva Schuster, Vincent Kilpatrick

wealdentimes.co.uk

162

Think you need

a strong partner

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Rupi, part of the award winning

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Her cases often involve international issues

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interests and foreign property. She also

boasts a wealth of experience advising on

pensions, helping you start your next

chapter with everything you’re entitled to.

Call us on 0203 319 2685

slatergordon.co.uk

Offices in London, Watford, Cambridge,

Milton Keynes and throughout the UK

Please call for a brochure or visit our showrooms

Unit 9, Chart Farm, Seal Chart

Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0ES

81 Calverley Road

Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2UY

www.rencraft.co.uk

Slater and Gordon (UK) LLP is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

JOHN SANKEY

20% OFF ALL ORDERS

PLACED DURING JULY AND AUGUST

1 5-17 Sayers Lane | TENTERDEN | KENT | TN30 6BW

0 1580 761 008

w ww.WoodcocksInteriors.co.uk

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