Wealden Times | WT186 | August 2017 | Wedding supplement inside

WEDDING Supplement inside

Inspirational Interiors • Fabulous Fashion • Delicious Dishes

PRICELESS

AUGUST 2017

Designers and makers of handmade kitchens

The difference is in the detail

Please call for a brochure or visit our showrooms

Unit 9, Chart Farm, Seal Chart

Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0ES

Tel: 01732 762682

81 Calverley Road

Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2UY

Tel: 01892 520730

www.rencraft.co.uk

Quality Decking Products

We We offer a a high-end range of of hardwood, thermo-treated && softwood

decking boards. Available in in a a range of of dimensions and and profiles.

Balustrade and and fitting accessories also also available.

www.roundwood.com

OAK FRAMED BUILDINGS | | OAK && WALNUT FLOORING

QUALITY DECKING && CLADDING | | HOME && GARDEN FEATURES

Tel: 01435 867 072

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

WORTH

WORTH

UP

UP

TO

TO

£800

£800

FREE

FREE

CABINET

CABINET

W E DON’T BELIEV E

in in inflating prices to to reduce them later on on

We We never have, have, and and we we never will. will. From time time to to time, we we prefer to to

give give you you something instead. So, So, until until 31 31 st August 2017, we’d we’d like like you you to to

choose a a cabinet worth up up to to £800 £800 when you you spend £8,000 or more more on on

any any of of our our kitchen collections. Even Even better, we’ll we’ll give give you you two two cabinets

worth up up to to £1,600 when you you spend £16,000 or more.

Arrange a a complimentary design consultation

in in any any of of our our beautiful stores.

This This is our our Chichester collection. The The cabinetry is is hand-painted

in in Shell, costing £9,115 and and has has a a lifetime guarantee.

neptune.com

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

01732 01732 351866, info@neptunetonbridge.com

Neptune Canterbury, Wincheap, CT1 CT1 3TY 3TY

01227 01227 209300, info@neptunecanterbury.com

For For full full terms, terms, visit visit neptune.com/kitchen2017

01580 291221 jminteriorsuk.uk Biddenden Showroom

MINTERIORS

JFine hand crafted kitchens and bespoke furniture

5 High Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3EB

01580 715144

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

We offer an excellent, swift and friendly service.

Conveyancing - Wills & Estates - Commercial Law -

Matrimonial Law - Prenuptial Agreements - Litigation -

Employment Law - Family Law - French Property

Conveyancing Services from £550.00+VAT

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

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

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

Litigation Solicitor from £200.00+VAT

Matrimonial Solicitor from £150.00+VAT

We will always try and match any quotation

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

Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority 621466

KingsfordSolicitorsWT186.indd 1 24/07/2017 16:55

www.millwooddesignerhomes.co.uk

The Lenham, The Old Orchard, Chartway Street, Sutton Valence ME17 3JA

A 4 bedroom detached home with a double garage, ready for occupation Autumn 2017

Priced at £715,000 | T: 01622 673086 | E: enquiries@sibleypares.co.uk

Computer generated image

wealdentimes.co.uk

8

SibleyParesWT186.indd 1 14/07/2017 12:41

TEL . 01798 3 481

07831 86 402

ALAN_CORDERY@YAHOO.CO .UK

CLIENT SILENT POOL DISTI LERY

BRAND SILENT POO LOGO

DATE 04. 1.2016

DOCUMENT SPG_IR_LOGO_TEAL.ai

PRINT PROCE S x

CYAN MAGENTA

YE LOW BLACK

Contents

August 2017

24

45

50

73

80

50

ENTERTAINING AL FRESCO

Maggie Alderson’s houses

with party perfect gardens

AUGUST NOTEBOOK

Fill your diary with hand

picked events going on

around the Weald

BLAZE A TRAIL

An Instagrammer’s country escape

GET THE LOOK

Put Lucinda’s neon

highlights into practice

WEALDEN TIMES

MIDSUMMER FAIR 2017

A round up of this

June’s fabulous fair

105

111

115

117

118

120

INVESTMENT PIECES

Art and jewellery that

will hold its value

JUST SPRAY ‘I DO’

Josephine Fairley’s

bridal fragrances

PAINTERLY STYLE

This month’s bitesize

health news

H20

Julie Simpson reiterates the

importance of keeping hydrated

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Beautify your behind

with tips from personal

trainer Sarah-Jane Holt

131

136

139

143

144

82

SOME LIKE IT HOT

Jo Arnell’s tropical garden picks

FEELING BORED?

Susan Elkin explains that,

for children, this isn’t

necessarily a travesty

WHAT’S ON?

Find out...

COMPETITION

Win a couples retreat at Dale

Hill Hotel & Golf Club

FABLES FROM THE FARM

Jane Howard explains the reasoning

behind the names of her animals

82

103

OVER THE SHOP

Explore a home that lives and

breathes St. Leonards cool

GET THE LOOK

Try out Helen’s relaxed

coastal style

120

127

WORLD INFLUENCE

Hamerton+Jones share four

heavenly summer recipes

WHAT’S NEW?

Sue Whigham explains what it takes

to win RHS Plant of the Year

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

Telephone 01580 714705 Email info@wealdentimes.co.uk Visit wealdentimes.co.uk

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

necessarily those of JPS Media Ltd.

WEDDING

SUPPLEMENT

24 pages to help

you plan and style

your special day.

After page 108.

Weddings

A Wealden Times Supplement

9

Sponsored by

04WT186Supplement.indd 1 26/07/2017 12:14

Broad Oak

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Matfield

A newly built family house in a gated development of just three houses

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Guide price: £950,000

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

harpers and hurlingham

Great cHart £1,250,000

Grade II Listed farmhouse · Two receptions

· Kitchen/breakfast room · Four bedrooms (one

ensuite) · One bedroom cottage · Pool and pool house

· Snooker room and gym · Equestrian facilities

· Grounds approx. 4.5 acres · EPC: n/a

Must be seen to appreciate all that is on offer

Biddenden £1,100,000

Attractive unlisted oast house · Four reception rooms

· Kitchen/breakfast room · Utility room · Six bedrooms

(five ensuite) · Gardens and covered terrace

approximately 1.7 acres · Ample off road parking

· Quiet rural location · EPC: F

Cranbrook School Catchment Area

Headcorn £1,100,000

Stunning barn conversion with annexe · Barn: Two

receptions · Kitchen/breakfast room · Utility room

· Three bedrooms (two ensuite) · Annexe: Reception

· Kitchen/breakfast room · Two bedrooms

· Approx. 7 acres · Outbuildings · EPC: n/a

Viewing highly recommended

GoudHurst £945,000

Striking converted chapel with views · Elevated

position · Two receptions rooms · Spacious kitchen/

dining room · Utility room · Four bedrooms (one

ensuite) · Courtyard garden and balcony

· Off road parking · EPC: C

Cranbrook School Catchment Area

Harpers&Hurlingham

The Cornerhouse, Stone Street, Cranbrook

01580 715400

www.harpersandhurlingham.com

London offiCe: KenSingTon 020 7938 2311

Lettings Team

Sales Team

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

Dianne

HERE TO GET you THERE

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

Residential Sales • Management and Lettings

01580 242700

wealdproperty.net

Horsmonden / Brenchley £945,000

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

2 Windmill Oast, Windmill Farm,

Rolvenden, Kent TN17 4PF

Residential Sales • Management and Lettings

01580 242700

wealdproperty.net

A handsome and beautifully appointed, detached Victorian country

house, set in an idyllic rural location in approximately one and

half acres of enchanting gardens and grounds, with breath-taking,

panoramic farmland views.

Situated on the outskirts of the sought after village of Horsmonden,

being a short distance (3.3 miles) from the main line train station

located at Paddock Wood (London Bridge 42 mins), Churn Siding

dates to the 1880’s, with later additions and this light and spacious

4 bedroom home has been recently extended and refurbished to

exacting standards.

A stunning handmade kitchen / breakfast room with impressive

‘Total Control’ electric Aga with high tech time control, central island,

slate flooring and granite work tops lies at its heart, while bright and

airy adjacent reception rooms, with warm oak flooring and an open fire

place, provides ideal and welcome entertaining space. The thoughtful

and impressive attention to detail in this inviting, family home has

clearly been created with modern living in mind. The useful utility

room and immaculate and stylish bathrooms are testament to this.

The pretty, well maintained grounds include an original platform

from an historic, no longer used railway siding and is perfectly

complemented by a delightful rose garden, an attractive kitchen

garden with raised beds, a patio for entering and a large paddock

suitable for equestrian use. The attractive oak car port / garage is a

welcome addition and houses the garden store and gym / office.

Situated on a quiet country lane in ‘Area of Outstanding Natural

Beauty’, there are excellent local amenities both in the village and

in nearby towns such as Cranbrook and Tunbridge Wells, a wealth of

well-respected schools and superb transport links – the A21 is easily

accessed and nearby Paddock Wood Station (only 3.3 miles away)

provides main line trains to London.

Viewings: Strictly by appointment only via Weald Property

T. 01580 242700 E. info@wealdproperty.net W. www.wealdproperty.net

2 Windmill Oast, Windmill Farm,

Rolvenden, Kent TN17 4PF

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C

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sJd – developing potential

SibleyParesWT186i.indd 1 25/07/2017 11:08

If you think your property

could be developed, why not

give us a call without obligation

and in confidence.

Many of our clients retain our

services and, in the majority of

cases, pay our fees saving property

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CM

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Call us now

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

Contact Stephen Donnelly on

07739 514350 or 0845 456 8969

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

We are alWays on the lookout for property With development potential

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

wealdentimes.co.uk

18

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

MAXIMISE THE VALUE

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HELP TO BUY

at Knights Wood

Owning your first first home in in Royal Tunbridge Wells should feel feel like like

a a dream come true, which is is why why Dandara is is delighted to to offer

Help to to Buy Buy at at Knights Wood.

About the scheme

Help Help to to Buy Buy is is available to to all all new new

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Dandara is is delighted to to offer offer Help Help to to Buy, Buy,

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Our Our marketing suite suite is open is open daily daily from from

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5% 5% DEPOSIT

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HOUSE OF THE MONTH

1.

Entertaining Al Fresco

Maggie Alderson uncovers homes that are garden party perfect

Opening an article with the context of the weather on the day of

writing guarantees it will be an entirely different clime on the day the

magazine, or newspaper comes out (just as watering your parched

garden will guarantee a downpour of biblical scale within an hour).

Knowing all this I will still venture that today I ate lunch and dinner at the table

in my garden – it was heaven and it’s not the first time I’ve done it this year. I can

only hope that after writing those words I haven’t condemned it to be the last.

As a nation accustomed to – and a sneaky little bit proud of – our very

changeable and ‘unseasonal’ weather, we Brits know to grab such blue sky

days when they come along, which is why every bank holiday with a positive

weather forecast leads to supermarkets sold out of barbecue charcoal, sausages

and coleslaw, as everyone plans a mass stampede to their outdoor plots.

And the fact that the incident of such al fresco frolicking

opportunities might be countable on one hand each year makes it

all the more important to make the most of them by having your

outdoor wining and dining facilities in place well in advance.

The same is true for general outdoor lounging arrangements, because just as

every kitchen must now be ‘eat in’ and feature at least one sofa and a TV, so families

embracing the indoor/outdoor lifestyle expect this set up in the garden too.

Popping out to panic purchase a garden dining set, loungers and allweather

coffee tables on the morning of August bank holiday Sunday is

unlikely to lead to wise investment buys. And well before you even get to

that stage it’s vital to have a level surface, within easy reach of the house and

with the most pleasant outlook from and of your plot ready for them. No

one wants to be Ethelred the Unready for one of our precious scorchers.

Better still, buy a house which has a fabulous outdoor entertaining

and lounging area already in place – as these four do.

1.

1. Upper Crisbrook Mill

Where? Upper Crisbrook Mill

sits in a nature conservation area in

the beautiful Loose valley, just a 20

minute walk along the river from

Maidstone town centre. High speed

trains to St Pancras take one hour from

Maidstone West, the M20 is nearby.

What? Built in the 18th century

as a water mill, it was converted into

a house in the 1970s and has been

completely renovated by the current

owners, who got the original mill wheel

working again. It now supplies all the

electricity for the house and enough for

the National Grid to bring in a sizable

income. The mill pond also provides a

superb spot to sit and eat, serenaded by

the sound of the stream. Across a floor

area of nearly 5,000 sq feet, the ground

floor features a cellar and snug, dining

room, kitchen, utility, and bathroom.

Upstairs are two bedrooms and two

studies and a further bathroom.

How much? Upper Crisbrook

Mill is listed with Fine & Country,

West Malling at £1,100,000

Call 01732 222272 or have a

look on fineandcountry.com

wealdentimes.co.uk

24

2.

3.

4.

2.

3.

4.

2. Fernclyffe House

Where? Fernclyffe House has a

perfect position combining the leafy

appeal of a large mature garden – 20

minutes’ walk to Tunbridge Wells

station. Equidistant between Calverley

Grounds and Dunorlan Park, all the

retail and dining delights of the town

are within happy strolling distance.

What? A substantial sandstone Grade

II Listed villa, Fernclyffe House is one

of the largest and finest residences

in the town, built in the early 1850s

by architect William Willicombe, a

protégé of Decimus Burton. Arranged

over four floors, the garden level has a

kitchen/breakfast room, den and a onebed

apartment. Ground floor houses

the drawing room, morning room,

dining and a splendid conservatory.

Arranged over the two upper floors are

eight bedrooms and four bathrooms.

Outside to the front there is a gravel

terrace with a dining area and a giant

chessboard overlooking the lawn, to the

rear is a sleek new swimming pool and

contemporary dining and lounging area.

How much? Offers in excess of

£3,250,000 are sought for Fernclyffe

House, in the care of Knight Frank,

Tunbridge Wells. Telephone 01892

515035, or browse knightfrank.co.uk

3. Penally

Where? Penally is located within

the picturesque hamlet of Monks

Hampton, on the North Downs, east

of Ashford, on a quiet country lane

surrounded by beautiful countryside.

There are good road links via the M20

and it’s five miles to Westenhanger and

trains to London in less than an hour.

The Kent coast is just 7 miles away.

What? With its low eaves, dormer

windows and attractive brickwork, you

would never guess that this house was

built in 2002. Greatly expanded and

improved by the current owners it has the

charm of a period property with all the

comforts of a modern one, including a

cinema room, a gym, a one-bed annexe

and equestrian facilities with a manège.

The swimming pool is designed for

open air chilling with a pool house, an

outdoor kitchen – and an outdoor TV.

The modern eat-in kitchen flows into

a large reception room. The ground

floor also features the screening room

and a spare bedroom with en suite.

Upstairs are four more bedrooms, one

en suite and a family bathroom.

How much? Penally is priced at

£1,600,000, looked after by Fine and

Country’s Tenterden office on 01580

766388. Or visit fineandcountry.com

4. Lested Hall

Where? Lested Hall is set in a

semi-rural location on the edge of

the village of Chart Sutton, five

minutes from Sutton Valence and

15 from Maidstone. London is less

than an hour from Headcorn or

Staplehurst and the M20 is handy.

What? A very unusual Grade II listed

house with medieval origins and 17th

and 18th century additions, it looks

completely different from each side,

with a splendid Queen Anne façade

to the front, timbers to the side and

a striking modern treatment on the

converted grain store annexe opposite

the house at the back. Between the two

are professionally landscaped gardens,

with water features which would be a

wonderful party setting. Over 5000

sq feet of house continues the mix of

500 years of architectural styles in a

drawing room, morning room, dining

hall, kitchen and breakfast room.

Upstairs are six bedrooms and five

bath/shower rooms. The annexe has

a further two en suite bedrooms.

How much? Lested Hall is

on the market at £1,750,000 with

Jackson-Stops, Cranbrook. 01580

720000 jackson-stops.co.uk

25 wealdentimes.co.uk

loucasteou.com

Lets Salsa

LUXURY LATIN DANCE AND FITNESS RETREAT

Chateau Lou Casteou, Cote d’Azur, France

Set in the beautiful French Cote d’Azur countryside, minutes from the sea,

this luxurious dance retreat provides the perfect balance of focussed dance

classes led by skilled dancing professionals, Latino and water aerobics, coastal

treks and a visit to a Provencal vineyard, gourmet meals and pampered luxury

to help guests improve and develop their Latin Dance Skills and fitness levels.

4 days luxury accommodation in the chateau in

en‐suite bedrooms with sea or mountain views.

October 5th-8th 2017

Please register your interest ASAP to guarantee a place

Contact: morag@loucasteou.com

MMBaxterS30-1.indd 1 28/03/2017 11:27

ENGLISH

ARTIST DESIGNERS

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TownerArtGalleryWT183.indd 1 19/04/2017 10:33

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

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wealdentimes.co.uk

28

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

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wealdentimes.co.uk

34

KarensFoamStoreWT186.indd 1 21/07/2017 11:11

The Kitchen is the Heart of Your Home

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

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Abdel (detail) by David Cantor, 2016 © David Cantor

Saturday 8 July to

Sunday 29 October 2017

Special Exhibitions Room

Free admission

The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge

18 High Street, Canterbury CT1 2RA

thebeaney.co.uk

Image: Shag Resting, Farne Islands, Northumberland, England. Steven Fairbrother

See website for full opening times

Exhibition organised by the National Portrait Gallery

A unique opportunity to view fifty-seven

portraits by some of the most exciting

and contemporary photographers from

around the world.

Sponsored by

Blooming Bouquets...

Blooming Green’s two hour workshop on Thursday 3 August

will teach you to transform a simple selection of flowers and

foliage into a wedding-worthy bouquet or simply enable you

to create a lovely gift using flowers from your own garden. Pick

your seasonal blooms from the bountiful flower plot at their

Maidstone farm, then learn how to make a stunning bouquet

to take home. More details and booking are available online at

bloominggreenflowers.co.uk

August

notebook

Exhibitions & events

near you this month...

Simply Garden...

If you’re loving this year’s trend for houseplants,

this talk by expert horticulturist Sarah Wilson of

Hastings Old Town’s Simply Garden is a must see. On

Wednesday 16 August from 7.30 to 9.30pm, The

Printworks in Hastings will see Sarah offering insights

into how to select the best plants for your interior

and ensure they thrive. Attendees will also receive a

complimentary drink on arrival and a 10% discount

on a wide range of plants available for sale on the

night so you can put all you learn to good use. Call

01424 319093 for tickets at just £8 each.

Creative Critters...

Coinciding with Heywood and Condie’s ‘Living

Garden’ installation, Jerwood Gallery in Hastings

are offering the chance to draw and explore the

magnificent world of mini-beasts on Sunday 27

August. After professional naturalist Andrew Smith

introduces each creature, Jennie Webber will guide

you in ninety minutes of observational drawing. This

is for all levels of expertise to get involved - there is

even the option of a family workshop. Find out more

and book in advance at jerwoodgallery.org.

©English Heritage

Roll Up! Roll Up!...

You can’t beat a good old-fashioned trip to the

circus, and the opulent and enchanting travelling

theatre of Nicole & Martin offers just that. Expect

theatrical tales of princes and devils, acrobats and

jugglers, all told with spellbinding style. The big

top will be pitched at Walmer Castle and Gardens

from Thursday 31 August to Sunday 3 September

with a unique show every evening. To hear about

each one, pick your favorite, and find booking

information visit english-heritage.org.uk

Canteen Social...

This summer, Canteen Social brings Street Food

to Kent for the final bank holiday blow out. The

best hand picked street food traders will take over

Tenterden’s Market Square for one evening only on

Saturday 26th August from 7pm. It’s the perfect

excuse to feast on the likes of Burger Bros, Stoned

Pizza and One in the Oven. Add to that a bar

brimming with English wines, Kentish Ciders, and

local beers as well as music from the best local talent,

and this one’s got all you need for a great evening

shared with friends in the heart of the county. Follow

@CanteenSocial_ for all the latest updates.

PRIDE Brighton...

Fizzing with fabulousness and glittering with glorious

colour, the UK’s biggest Pride Festival is set to

celebrate diversity with irresistible joy from Friday

4 to Sunday 6 August. True to its inclusive spirit,

Brighton Pride is intent on bringing a smile to every

face, whether you cheer on the fantastic Carnival of

Diversity Parade, sample the delights of the pleasure

gardens, or dance the night away at live performances

from the likes of Louisa Johnson, Years & Years, and

Pet Shop Boys. Visit brighton-pride.org for details.

Contemporary Craft...

The Sussex Guild are giving you two amazing

opportunities to explore contemporary craft this

month. First comes Michelham Priory, from

Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 August, where a collection

of crafty goodies will be displayed in the Elizabethan

Barn and a number of marquees. Then on bank

holiday weekend, the lovely Pashley Manor will

host another gathering of professional makers in a

large marquee in front of the manor house. Go to

thesussexguild.co.uk for more information.


+44 (0)1892 619721 www.krieder.com

HOMELEIGH TIMBER & BUILDING SUPPLIES

TRADING

FOR OVER

www.homeleighgroup.co.uk

YEARS

ESTABLISHED 1966

Editor’s

Letter

Timber & Sheet

Materials

Building Materials

Bricks & Blocks

If you yearn to introduce a splash of trendiness to your home,

look no further than our first house this month. Lucinda

Mitra’s inventive edit of highstreet finds, niche brands and

creative lighting has resulted in an enviably contemporary interior

for her young family that has gained a huge Instagram following.

Helen Robinson’s seaside property is equally as

enviable. Living the bohemian lifestyle epitomised

by her St. Leonards boutique, SHOP, Helen has

transformed her seaside cottage into a tranquil and

welcoming space filled with all her favourite things.

This issue is also home to our biannual Wedding Supplement,

filled with all things gorgeous and bridal to help you on

your way to creating the day you’ve always dreamed of.

If you’re feeling peckish, Hamerton+Jones’s

incredibly tasty summer recipes are sure to satisfy your

hunger whilst Jo Arnell’s exotic garden picks offer

a vibrant way to create the lush, outdoor space that

we’ve always lusted after here in the WT office.

Turn to our health and beauty pages for the latest

advice on staying happy and healthy, including tips

on keeping trim and hydrated – perfect preparations

for any weddings that may be on the horizon.

Enjoy your Wealden Times!

Fencing &

Landscaping

Painting &

Decorating

Ironmongery

Plumbing

& Drainage

DIY, Aggregates &

Gardening Products

Insulation

Wealden Times Team

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

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

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

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

Rob Cursons

Phoebe Gilbert

Tanya Goldsmith

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

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

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

Sarah Norwood

Nick Robinson

Distribution ....................................................................................... Kate Watts

Wealden Times Events Team

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

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

Get Your Home Ready

For The New Season!

01622 791111 Hall Road, Maidstone

01580 892733 Maidstone Road, Staplehurst

01580 892037 Station Road, Staplehurst

01233 850075 Ashford Road, High Halden


HomeleighWT185.indd 1 08/06/2017 12:22

Preserving your place in history

DESIGN & PLANNING | RESTORATION | NEW BUILD | BARN CONVERSIONS | EXTENSIONS | JOINERY

For a brochure or home consultation call 01797 366895

www.anthony-hicks.co.uk

where to find your copy…

Call 01580 714705 to find your nearest distributor of

Wealden Times or to have your free copy delivered for

12 months for just £22 postage

Distribution of Wealden Times

published in Cranbrook for Kent & Sussex

Orpington

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SUMMER SALE

WITH INTEREST FREE CREDIT

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You can get your copy at most railway stations, newsagents

and prestige stores throughout the Weald. The following

are our major distribution points and you can also

visit wealdentimes.co.uk for a complete listing

Ashford

• Kingsfords

Solicitors

• M&S Food Hall

• Nutmeg Café

• Perry Court

Farm

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• Jempson’s

Benenden

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Bluewater

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Shopping

Centre

Charing

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Antiques

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• Ashwal Garage

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House

• Hartley Dyke

Farmshop

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& Staff

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Eastbourne

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Food & Deli

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Fine Foods

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Newsagents

• Hamerton

+ Jones

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Centre

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butchers

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Headcorn

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Heathfield

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Horsham

• Cook

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• Eggs to Apples

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Garden Centre

Hythe

• Bank Street News

• The Chair Lady

• The Flower Shop

• Halcyon Days

• Hunters

• Hythe Bay

Seafood

Restaurant

• Hythe Imperial

Hotel

• Nutmeg Café

Ickham

• The Duke

William

Kings Hill

• Costa

• Stone

Hairdressing

Lenham

• Corner House

Antiques

Lewes

• Riverside

Shopping Hall

Maidstone

• House of Fraser

• Waterstones

Marden

• Marden

Village Store

Mayfield

• Mace

Northiam

• Jempson’s Local

Peasmarsh

• Jempson’s

Pluckley

• Pluckley

Farm Shop

Robertsbridge

• Vinehall

School

Rolvenden

• KM & JM

Linklater

Rushlake Green

• The Stores

Rye

• Adams of Rye

• Jempson’s

• The Rye Retreat

Sandhurst

• Nigel Collison

Fuels

Sevenoaks

• Cook

• M&S Food Hall

• Mimi Bakery

Sheffield Green

• Trading

Boundaries

Sissinghurst

• TN17 Food

& Wine

Staplehurst

• Millbrook

Garden Centre

St. Leonardson-Sea

• Shop

• Who’s Wearing

What

Tenterden

• Cashara

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Agents

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Hotel

• Rising Star

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Interiors

• Waterstones

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Tenterden

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Ticehurst

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Tonbridge

• M&S Food Hall

Tunbridge Wells

• Fenwick

• Hoopers

• M&S Food

Halls, Royal

Victoria Place

and Fountains

Retail Park

• Notcutts

• Royal Victoria

Place

• Shrager’s

Patisserie

Wadhurst

• Jempson’s

West Malling

• The Swan

Wye

• The Wife of Bath

STATIONS:

• Ashford

• Canterbury West

• Crowborough

• Eastbourne

• East Grinstead

• Hildenborough

• Maidstone East

• Orpington

• Paddock Wood

• Sevenoaks

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• Tonbridge

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Also available in:

• Edenbridge

• Uckfield

PEFC/16-33-795

The mark of responsible forestry

SGS-COC-006108

© 1996 Forest Stewardship Council A.C.

01622 753073 | clarkesfurnishers.co.uk

Visit us at Sandling Road, Maidstone, ME14 2RF


LenleysWT186.indd 1 10/07/2017 14:25

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

wealdentimes.co.uk

50

Blaze a trail

Having decided to swap London life for a home in

the countryside, Lucinda Mitra took to Instagram

to document the refurbishment of her new family

home. After rapidly amassing over 30,000 follows,

Lucinda’s account, nest_twenty_eight, is now an

online destination for fresh, contemporary styling


Employed Skilled Workforce | Renovations & Extensions

Conversions & Alterations | Design & Build

A.T. Palmer Ltd

RestoRation specialists est.1949

T: 01233 770077

Smarden Business Estate, TN27 8QL

atpalmer.co.uk

Back From Black

Beam Renovation Ltd

Renovating Beams Since 1997

ATPalmerWT176.indd 1 09/09/2016 11:44

All beams renovated without mess

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Tel: 01797 458508 www.beam-renovation.co.uk

wealdentimes.co.uk

52

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

It’s often said that we have no idea what goes on behind

closed doors – and for many of us that’s a blessed

relief. Even those of us who like having guests may

still break out in a cold sweat at the thought of people

arriving unannounced, before we’ve had a chance to

wash the dishes or have a quick tidy up. So, imagine if

more than 30,000 people had looked around your home,

made themselves comfortable on your sofa – in their

minds at least – and felt free to comment on your decor.

Welcome to the life and home of Lucinda Mitra, a former

English teacher and now an Instagram sensation.

Arriving at the pretty brick house on a cul-de-sac in rural

Sussex, there’s nothing on the outside that gives away the

building’s exciting other life. Perhaps unsurprisingly though,

as you come into the house it feels strangely familiar. Lucinda

is as welcoming as you might expect from someone who

is happy to share every corner of her home with a raft of

‘followers’. She’s also extremely down-to-earth and not at

all phased by her almost accidental rise to online celebrity.

“I was a secondary school teacher up in London, then we

moved out here and I was due to start teaching at another

school but got pregnant.” Lucinda now shares the house with

her husband James and their daughter Sienna, 19 months. “I

Previous pages & this page: Lucinda has painted

her living room in deep, rich Farrow & Ball Hague

Blue. The Be Big poster is from Print Club London

and the sofa is French Connection for DFS


This page: Lucinda wrapped fairy

lights left over from Christmas around

a branch that she found whilst out

walking. The circular mirror above

the fireplace was from IKEA

didn’t just want to sit in the country and

let my brain turn to mush, so I started

writing a blog.” Since having Sienna,

however, the blog has had to take a bit

of a back seat. “I don’t have as much

time these days,” says Lucinda, “but on

Instagram I can just take a picture, write

a caption, and put some hashtags on it.”

Sounds simple really – though it’s clear

that having impeccable taste helps too.

As we come into the hallway, artful

compositions catch your eye, though it

still feels like a welcoming family home

and not contrived: “The beauty of it all

is that I am doing up the house anyway

– I’m not doing it for Instagram.” This

level-headed and practical approach

is clearly another quality that has

made her so popular. “It’s not about

comparing yourself with anyone else

or worrying about the number of

followers. Otherwise you’d get paranoid

and think: ‘This picture didn’t get so

many likes as the last one!’ So what?!”

The open-plan kitchen-dining area

immediately provides impact: “The

units were here already – they’re my

latest up-cycling project,” says Lucinda.

“They were cream less than a month

ago, so I painted them in Farrow &

Ball’s Railings, took the knobs off

and sprayed them copper and did

the same with the extractor hood.”

The effect is stunning. “I’m really

happy with the finished result,” says

Lucinda, “and, through Instagram, I got

loads of help and advice from people

who’ve carried out similar work.”

Next to the kitchen is a dining

area, with a dining table topped with

a striking black and white table

wealdentimes.co.uk

54

LESS

CLEANING

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ME TIME

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of Tunbridge Wells

66 Mount Pleasant Road,

Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1RB

Tel: 01892 527525

tunbridgewells@bang-olufsen.co.uk

www.bang-olufsen.com/tunbridgewells

Above left: Lucinda sourced the velvet sofa in the playroom from DFS and the zebra rug is IKEA. The wallpaper is ‘Honolulu’ Palm

Green from Graham & Brown Above right: A photograph of her grandfather has pride of place on a cow hide drum that belonged to

Lucinda’s parents

runner – IKEA – and an array of candles reflecting the trend

for Scandinavian ‘hygge’ or cosiness. “We had these all out

around the BBQ at the weekend... which was lovely though

it did all start to look a bit like a vigil!” says Lucinda, with

typical lack of pretence. I notice an ancient Singer sewing

machine in the corner: “My mum picked that up in the 80s,

from an ad in the local paper. My parents used to store all

their plastic supermarket bags under it!” Not any more...

“A lot of things in the house are from my parents: the

dining table, the Arab chest in the living room, the cow-skin

drums... they were all just things they had in the garage.

My mum was from Uganda and my dad grew up in east

Africa, so a lot of things in the house are from Africa.” Such

personal items prevent the rooms looking like a brochure.

French doors lead through to an equally dramatic living

room, which Lucinda has painted in Farrow & Ball’s

Hague Blue, with an unusual feature wall painted to look

almost industrial. “It’s a special lime paint that comes in

powder form, from a company called Kalklitir. The shade

is Concrete.” Dark and muted shades make the perfect

backdrop for pops of colour such as the bright pink velvet

cushion on the sofa and the ‘Be Big’ pop-art-style print

from Print Club London on the wall above. Opposite is

another quirky print, also from Print Club London, called

66 on the Moon. What with the dark blue, almost black,

walls, huge round mirror, round clock, and the print it

feels as if there is a bit of a moon theme. “Oh, I hadn’t

thought of that!” says Lucinda. Either way, it works.

Leading off the living room is a room which is currently

Sienna’s play room, though not for long. “It’s going to become

a bar area,” says Lucinda. “Poor Sienna’s going to have

nowhere to play, but she just runs around the house anyway

so she doesn’t necessarily need a dedicated space.” The room

works well as playroom and prospective bar, with retro palmleaf

wallpaper, a mock zebra-skin on the floor and two large

African drums as low-level tables. “The sofa I bought with

a voucher from DFS, after we collaborated on Instagram,”

adds Lucinda, highlighting some of the benefits of


Since having Sienna the blog has had to take a bit of a back seat. “I don’t

have as much time these days,” says Lucinda, “but on Instagram I can just

take a picture, write a caption, and put some hashtags on it.”

wealdentimes.co.uk

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

Left: The kitchen units are painted in Farrow &

Ball Railings. Lucinda took the knobs and the

cooker hood details off and sprayed them copper

Below: Lucinda’s parents used to store their

plastic supermarket bags under the Singer

sewing machine before it found a new home in

her dining room

building up an Instagram presence. She currently works

with DFS, Warren Evans and BHS Home, amongst others.

Upstairs, the main bedroom is dominated by a

simple wooden Warren Evans bed which the couple

brought with them from London. “I already really liked

the company so it was great when they asked me to

collaborate and do their first ever Instagram takeover,”

says Lucinda. “It’s all British-made, which is great.” The

bedside tables are also from Warren Evans, fitting neatly

in the limited space on either side of the bed, while the

funky little clip-on reading lights are from IKEA.

Lucinda is great at mixing up items from affordable

high-street shops, independent shops – the over-sized

mirror in the corner was from Hoopers in Tunbridge

Wells – with family heirlooms and up-cycled items. “The

wardrobes were left by the previous owners and were orange

pine, so I painted them with Rustoleum’s Winter Grey

chalk paint. That was my first up-cycling project when

we moved in.” It’s a lovely, light and comfortable room,

but it’s clear that Lucinda’s keen to redecorate. “It’s time

to re-do this room,” she says, confirming my hunch.

The en suite has already had the magic touch. “We’ve

just had the en suite done. It’s quite a generic house in

terms of structure, design and general look so I said to

James that I wanted to go for more unusual fittings like

a black shower tray and black shower door – I quite like

the industrial look.” Monochrome works well here but

has been brightened up with the addition of a large Swiss

cheese plant leaf and little succulents. “I’m not one of

those people who can commit to one particular style

throughout the house. I like so many,” says Lucinda.

Across the landing the main bathroom has had a similarly

refreshing make-over, with clever painting and up-cycling

again saving the family money: “It’s quite a generic bathroom,

so I wanted to give it some character and drama. The radiator

was already in here and I really liked the shape of it so I


This page: Liking its shape, Lucinda painted the radiator in the main bathroom black and updated the basin unit with sample

pots of Farrow & Ball

just sprayed it black. My followers have gone crazy for it,”

says Lucinda. The basin unit got a similar treatment... “I

painted the basin cabinet using a tiny Farrow & Ball sample

pot, so it cost me about £7.50. Why spend more than £100

on a new unit when I could just paint this one?” she says.

Guests in Lucinda and James’ home are lucky enough

to use this lovely bathroom – and stay in either of the

two guest rooms. Having four bedrooms was a real perk

for Lucinda and James when moving out of London and,

having met Lucinda, it’s clear that having more rooms

to decorate would also have appealed. “Two weeks ago it

looked totally different in here,” says Lucinda, as we walk

into one of the guest rooms. “It’s all about the bedding.

That’s all you need to change – and the art works.”

Lucinda has gone for a colour scheme of greys and neutrals

with pops of reds and orange. “I got some bedding from

IKEA as I thought that would be a really cheap way to update

the room.” A few more unusual items add even more

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

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“I tend to switch

things round a bit

in here. The yellow

throw and bedding is

from Homesense, the

geometric cushion is

from Made.com and

these cushions are

from IKEA to match

the rug on the floor.”

This page: Accents of black,

white, grey and yellow contrast

with the pure white walls of one

of the spare bedrooms


Left: The suspended lamps in one of the two spare bedrooms

are from Wickle in Lewes Below: Lucinda covered the laminate

floor in Sienna’s room with a large cowhide rug from Homesense

character, including lamps from Wickle in Lewes and bulbs

from Dunelm Mill. “Dunelm do the best-value squirrelcage

bulbs – everyone else charges double,” says Lucinda.

The other spare room is to the front of the house,

and filled with afternoon sunlight as well as an array of

stylish, mostly monochrome prints. “I tend to switch

things round a bit in here, the artworks and stuff. The

yellow throw and bedding is from Homesense, the

geometric cushion is from Made.com and these cushions

are from IKEA to match the rug on the floor.”

Over the bedstead is a branch with fairy lights wrapped

around it. Lucinda collected the branch from the school

woods when she was a teenager and it’s a design motif she’s

repeated in the living room. “I went to boarding school

and my dorm was always spotless,” says Lucinda with a

smile. “I’d win the weekly prize for tidiest room and I was

always meticulous about posters and how they lined up!”

Last but not least it’s time to peek into Sienna’s room, after

her afternoon nap. “I wanted Sienna’s room to have a pared

back, calm Scandi feel to it, but I wasn’t a fan of the laminate

floor,” says Lucinda. “I painted the laminate floor in the guest

bedroom and toyed with painting the floor in here too,

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68

KibblewhiteWT167.indd 5 27/11/2015 12:46

Top: The bed and side tables in the master bedroom are from Warren Evans. Groupings

of prints and objets line shelves along the walls and above the bed

but in the end I got a cowhide from

Homesense which covered the floor

and softens the room – which I didn’t

feel painting the floor would do.” The

star blind was already in the room and

Lucinda bought some vintage Andy

Pandy curtains from Lewes Antiques

Market to dress the window a bit more.

All the other bedrooms are painted

white, but Lucinda didn’t want

Sienna’s room to feel too clinical.

“The furnishings are from IKEA – I

love how the pale beech wood works

in here and it’s so cost effective,” says

Lucinda. As ever, though, she’s used

one or two more personal items to

make the room extra special: “The

bunting was handmade by a family

friend for our wedding, so it’s lovely

to see it in Sienna’s room,” she says.

The finishing touches are

what it’s all about in this home

and, after a most enjoyable tour,

it’s fair to say I’ll definitely be

following her on Instagram...


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than Hailsham’s premier furniture and beds store

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wealdentimes.co.uk

70

ThorndaleFurnishersWT186.indd 1 11/07/2017 16:34

Above left: The large mirror in James and Lucinda’s bedroom is from Hoopers in Tunbridge Wells, given to the couple as a house

warming gift Above right: The newly finished en suite

Address Book:

Follow Lucinda on Instagram at nest_twenty_eight

instagram.com/nest_twenty_eight

BritishHomeStore bhs.com

dunelm Mill dunelm.com

Farrow & Ball farrow-ball.com

Graham & Brown grahambrown.com

Homesense homesense.com

Hoopers Tunbridge Wells

hoopersstores.com/hoopers-tunbridge-wells-store

iKeA ikea.com/gb/en

Kalklitir kalklitir.com

Made.com

Print Club London printclublondon.com

Warren evans warrenevans.com

Wickle Lewes wickle.co.uk


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Neon Yellow Lightning

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Bobby Rabbit

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French Connection Zinc

4 Seater Sofa in Grey

Combination, £799

DFS dfs.co.uk

Cult Living Framed Let’s Dance

Perspex Print in Yellow, £35

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GET THE LOOK

Time Life Lady Reading

Framed Mono Print, £199

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Needle Pendant, £76.20

där lighting group

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Malini Dorado Cushion, £15.99

Boutique Camping

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Black Adnet Mirror,

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Rume rume.co.uk

Block Design Hello Coat

Rack in Yellow, £38

Black by Design Ltd

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White A4 Light Box, £30

Bobby Rabbit,

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Set of 2 Folium Leaf

Outline Wall Art, £124

Artisanti artisanti.com

When I saw you Monochrome

Typography Quote print, £9.95

Made With Love Personalised

Card Boutique

madewithlovedesigns.co.uk

wealdentimes.co.uk

51a George Street, Hastings Old Town, TN34 3EA

Telephone 01424 319093 · Email info@simplygarden.org

www.simplygarden.org · simply_garden

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Hastings’ Green Oasis

Head towards the West Hill Lift along George Street and you will

find an urban oasis awaits. Step inside Simply Garden where you are

bound to find your own little piece of green to take home.

LAUNCHED by Sarah

Wilson and Jason

Stevens, Simply Garden

is located halfway

along George Street

in the heart of Hastings Old Town.

The shop stocks a large selection

of high quality plants for both

house and garden, alongside

hand-picked vintage items,

pots and gardening sundries.

Simply Garden was born out of a

desire to deliver the most up-tothe

minute gardening products to a

discerning clientele. With a passion

for all things horticultural and an

involvement with the world of

garden design at the highest level,

Jason and Sarah strive to bring you

the latest trends before anyone else.

The business is built around the

belief that anyone can garden,

providing they choose the correct

plants and receive the right advice

at the point of purchase. Jason &

Sarah are horticulturally trained

and can offer customers expert

guidance on all aspects of interior

and exterior growing and are always

happy to provide information to

ensure customers are well-equipped

for success with their plants. Each

plant on sale in the shop is handselected

for its quality and many

are sourced from local growers.

Jason believes that what sets Simply

Garden apart is the high level of

attention afforded to customers, “I

think it’s so important to provide

ongoing care and support to

customers. One of the main reasons

people become disheartened with

growing things is they’re not sure

how to look after a plant they’ve

bought and it subsequently dies.

I’m always available to answer

customer’s queries and I’ve even

been on home welfare visits to

check the growing conditions

and health of people’s plants!”

For Sarah, it’s all about pushing

the envelope and looking out

for the latest innovations, “two

years ago it was all about growing

succulents, then last year the trend

was for terrariums. This year I’m

experimenting with marimo moss

balls and water gardens. Every day a

new and exciting idea comes along

that can be implemented in our

indoor and outdoor gardens and

that’s what I love about my job”.

Buying plants can be an investment,

especially if you are interested

in purchasing one of the large

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Garden stocks. Jason and Sarah

can offer solutions for how best

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exterior spaces and you can be

confident that you will be given

honest and knowledgable advice.

Simply Garden also runs courses

and talks, see the Notebook section

for information on the latest talk

on houseplants on August 16th

at The Printworks, Hastings.

As well as selling beautiful garden

products and plants from the little

green oasis in George Street, Sarah

works out of Simply Garden to

provide a full garden design and

consultation service. In addition to

being RHS trained, Sarah graduated

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design commissions and has won

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A. Unit 40 Old Surrenden Manor, Bethersden, TN26 3DL

Pre-book

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16th, 17th & 18th November 2017

THE HOP FARM, Paddock Wood, TN12 6YP

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TICKET HOTLINE: 01580 713915

TICKETS: On the gate: £10

HARPERS AND HURLINGHAM

Wealden Times Midwinter Fair 16th -18th November 2017

Gifts

galore

O’Donnell

Moonshine

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Clockhouse

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tweed glove with

faux fur cuff, £27

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At this year’s Midwinter Fair we’re bringing

together nearly 300 carefully selected exhibitors

selling gorgeous gifts, fabulous fashion and

heavenly homewares. Here’s a quick taste

of some of the treats you’ll find there...

Bundle Beds

Grey & Teal

Bundle Bed, RRP

£199.99, special show

offer of 20% off,

so £159.99

bundlebeds.com

Aces Speed Shop

Handmade pewter

bottle opener

£22.99

acesspeedshop.

co.uk

The Italian

Knitwear

Company

Red Suede bag, £14.99

theitalianwardrobe.

co.uk

Phiejue

Mischief

and Willow Silk

Wrap, £35

phiejue.co.uk

Mols &

Tati-Lois

Flaming Juno

£225

molsandtatilois.

com

Luks Linen

Handwoven Cari

Peshtemal

£39

lukslinen.com

Cheeky

Chairs

Primavera - the

stylish Scarlett chair

£495

cheekychairs.com

Copper

Rivet Distillery

Dockyard Gin - £28.50,

Vela Vodka - £27.50, Son

of a Gun - £30

copperrivetdistillery.

com

Millie and

Rose Designs

The Antique Storage

Crates (available in a

variety of fabrics), £155

millieandrosedesigns.

com

Funky Bunch

Eucalyptus Wreath

£49

bflowers.co.uk

Calderwood

Handmade

Lampshades, from

£40

calderwood.cc

Roy’s Boys

Friar

£8

roysboyssocks.

co.uk

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

Ticket Hotline: 01580 713915

wealdentimes.co.uk/events

Miss B’s

Bubbles

Miss B’s Bubbles bar

will be serving Prosecco

and Curious Brew beer

at the Fair

missbsbubbles.co.uk

Tregear

Pottery

Shoal of

Whitebait, £38

tregearpottery.co.uk

Must Chup

Must Chup

‘Original’, Must Chup

‘Kick’ and Must Chup

‘Big Kick’,

£3.50 per bottle

must-chup.co.uk

Casa de l’Oli

Arbequina Olive Oil

pressed with Fresh Limes,

First Cold Press. 250ml -

£8.75, 500ml - £13.95

casadeloli.com

Angel’s

Face

Military Coat

from £140

angels-face.co.uk

Meet the maker

Louisa Elizabeth

Louisa Elizabeth sell hand-illustrated travel

maps, personalised with colourful push-pins to

depict special adventures. Louisa Fuller came

up with the idea in 2013 whilst trying to find

a present for the man who has everything.

Can you describe your work?

Our hand drawn maps allow people to remember

special travel memories and plan new destinations. Each

map can be personalised with titles and travel quotes.

Colourful push pins identify different destinations and

events: holidays with friends, engagement or wedding

and even places lived. A pin colour key can be added

in the left hand corner with personalised categories

making it easy to spot those important locations.

What do your customers say they

like about your products?

My customers love how we can specifically tailor

to their personal requirements making each map

unique. They are often people who enjoy travelling

and planning trips. I am always told that they’re

the perfect present for the hard-to-buy-for other

halves or family member (we all have them!).

Have you always been creative and did

you need any specific training?

I grew up loving drawing, painting and making

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Featuring the Healthy Living Festival & Garden Hub

This year’s Wealden Times Midsummer Fair at Hole Park in Rolvenden was blessed

with three days of wonderful weather and we’re delighted to be returning next year.

We enjoyed three glorious days of

sunshine at this year’s Wealden Times

Midsummer Fair, sponsored by estate

agents Harpers & Hurlingham, which took place

at Hole Park near Rolvenden on 8,9,10 June.

Over 8,000 visitors enjoyed the heady mix of

shopping, eating and relaxing in the sunshine and

listening to talks from gardening and wellbeing

experts. Headline speaker Davina McCall

shared her top ten tips for staying young in the

Healthy Living Theatre, which was sponsored by

Benenden Hospital. Other speakers in the theatre

included international yoga teacher Liz Lark,

food and healthy living guru and best-selling

cookery writer Madeleine Shaw plus specialists

from the worlds of nutrition and exercise.

Hole Park is famous for its beautiful

gardens which were open to visitors

throughout the three days of the fair.

They made the perfect backdrop

for a gardening celebration which

included stands offering plants,

garden furniture and equipment

plus a Garden Hub, sponsored

by Neptune Tonbridge and

Canterbury, which hosted horticulturalists

speaking on all things garden. BBC garden

presenters Danny Clarke and Mark Lane joined

an impressive line-up of speakers talking on a

wide range of subjects including biodiversity,

garden design, bee and chicken keeping and

growing flowers and vegetables.

Nearly 300 hand-picked exhibitors in the

marquees, avenues and outside on the meadow

did a roaring trade in fashion and accessories,

home and garden wares and locally produced

food and drink. Best-dressed stand this year was

won by first-time exhibitors Yateley Papers, whose

stunning stationery was displayed to perfection

in the Purple Marquee.

We hope you’ll join us at Hole Park

next year for another wonderful Wealden

Times Midsummer Fair on 7,8,9

June. Meanwhile, tickets for our next

Midwinter Fair at the Hop Farm on

16,17,18 November are on sale now.

Hope to see you there!

80

81

Over the Shop

Words: Maggie Alderson Photographs: David Merewether Styling: Helen Bratby

wealdentimes.co.uk

82

Since opening her first store in the late 1970s, Helen

Robinson has consistently been ahead of the game when it

comes to cool locations for her to share her effortless sense of

style. Her current project, SHOP in St. Leonards – a stone’s

throw from her home on Norman Road – is no different


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84

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

Previous pages & above: In the main room, the theme of

white walls and vintage items in bright and pretty colours

creates a space that is both intriguing and tranquil

Anyone with an interest in where the next

cool place in the constant progress of urban

regeneration/gentrification will be might

want to get a satellite fix on Helen Robinson.

In the late 1970s she opened her first shop, for her

fashion label PX – which was to the New Romantics

what Vivienne Westwood’s Seditionaries was to punk

rock style – in James Street, Covent Garden. This was

after Eliza Doolittle’s market had closed – but long before

anyone else saw its promise as a retail destination.

Her next stop was Endell Street (where milliner

Stephen Jones had his first workshop in her basement)

and when rents started to get silly there she headed – can

you guess where? – east to Shoreditch, then Hoxton.

This was when Commercial Street, now home to

every upscale brand from MAC to Chanel, was still a

grotty dump of rag trade sweatshops and the adjacent

Huguenot houses of Spitalfields were pretty much slums.

From there she made what seemed at the time – the

early 2000s – another radical move: out of London to

Hastings Old Town, before deciding on her current base:

St Leonards-on-Sea, which must currently be one of the

coolest regeneration hot spots on the whole planet.

Helen now lives – and trades – on Norman Road,

a micro-neighbourhood worthy of a PhD study

of the process of urban renewal. The western side,

which we might in the New York style call WeNor,

is a joy of independent shops, salons and cafés.

The most glorious of them is the corner spot Helen

runs with her daughter Holly, as SHOP, selling


“I had a vision for it – I wanted it as light and white as possible and open – the

whole Greek light thing. It was a massive amount of work and I’d never done it

before. But if I want to do something, I’m driven to do it anyway,” says Helen

a wonderfully mixed and gloriously displayed array of

goods, in a casual perfection of chic bohemian style.

Nothing pretentious, or overstyled – just right. It’s one

of those shops which makes you want to buy everything

in it, or possibly just move in… Which makes it no

surprise that Helen’s own house has the same effect.

She’s one of those people who puts a bowl of lemons on

the kitchen table and it somehow looks like an art work – so

you are immediately sure that your life would be perfect

if you could buy exactly that bowl and those lemons…

So how did this lovely house – and shop

– happen to be in this location?

“In 2007 I came down to St Leonards to have a look,”

she says. “I then found out that my grandmother had

worked in St Leonards at Eversfield Hospital, as a TB

nurse in 1910, that was the connection. I looked in the

window of John Bray and thought ‘how much?!’ and

bought a house in Croft Road in Hastings Old Town.”

The move to St Leonards came in 2000 when Holly –

following in her mother’s fashion footsteps – wanted to

wealdentimes.co.uk

86

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wealdentimes.co.uk

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

88

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

Above: In one corner, Helen has uncovered part of the cottage’s

sandstone walls, something she has also done in the courtyard –

stripping back render to the bare rock

open a clothes shop. “By then Hastings Old Town already

had stupid shop rents,” she says. “When a large corner space

came up – it used to be occupied by Eras of Style antiques,

now in Bexhill – we saw the potential and pounced.

“We took that over and I bought a very large apartment

in a big house further inland in St Leonards. It was an

amazing place – the whole ground floor – but it was

too far out. I’m a city girl. I like the noise of a town and

people passing. There were no shops, no community.

“I put it on the market and it sold immediately and I

hadn’t even thought where I was going to move to. Then

early one morning, I saw this house in Norman Road

online. I’d seen it before and I knew it was right for me.”

The house is in a row of exquisite workers’ cottages

built in the 1830s by Decimus Burton, the great Georgian

architect who designed Wellington Arch, Regent’s

Park Inner Circle, as well as the splendid buildings in

this part of town, known as Burton St Leonards.

“The cottages were built for workers to live in while

they constructed all the big houses. I knew it was perfect

for me, because I love living above the shop – and this

house is as close to living above SHOP as I could find.”

But while the location and bones of the house were ideal,

everything else about it was dark and ugly. “When I bought it

everything was yellow and dark brown – even the window


This page: Just about everything in the kitchen is from

SHOP. This includes the rack of wooden shelves by Garden

Trading and everything in them: enamel bowls and jugs of

various sizes, vintage cups and saucers and cook books

frames – with orange pine doors and floors. There was a

nightmare 1980s gas fire which occupied a space in the

newly-exposed sandstone wall, and the kitchen was dark

brown wood and orange. The outside was pebble dash…”

But with her designer’s eye, Helen could see

beyond the dark brown and ginger pine to the simple

elegance of the house beneath – starting with that

pebble dash, which had to be chipped off by hand.

“I had a vision for it – I wanted it as light and

white as possible and open – the whole Greek

light thing. It was a massive amount of work and

I’d never done it before. But if I want to do

wealdentimes.co.uk

90

Photo courtesy of www.goodnestone.com

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Customer Towns 92 1-2

TownsBathroomsWT179.indd 1 Publication The INDEX Magazine - December 2016 - Issue 253

07/12/2016 15:14

Date sent 17 November 2016

Above left: Double doors open out from the sitting room into the courtyard where Helen has decorated the space with driftwood and

pebbles and bunting from SHOP Above right: The bathroom

something, I’m driven to do it anyway. It was the same

with SHOP. You have to speculate to accumulate.”

Also giving her confidence, one great thing

was in place – the ground floor had already been

knocked through to create one large airy room.

“I just put double doors out to the courtyard, so you

can see right through from the front door, which makes

it look much bigger and brings in light from both sides. I

also asked the builder to strip back the 1980s plasterboard

from the back left corner to see what was underneath

– and it was the original sandstone, so I’ve left it.”

Apart from that, the main structural work Helen did

was to remove the ceiling on the first floor, where the two

bedrooms are, creating a lofty vaulted space, which completely

transforms the cottage proportions. So rather than the

pokiness so often found upstairs in small houses, the top floor

of this one has the airy romantic feeling of a Paris garret.

Helen has played up this unexpected scale further by

putting in an oversized vintage metal ceiling light, found

at Ardingly antiques fair, at the top of the stairwell. On

the landing wall is another surprisingly big – and therefore

perfect – item; a portrait of Christopher Isherwood by

Fraser Taylor, Helen’s friend, that she bought during an art

sale at renowned Soho restaurant L’Escargot, in the 1980s

(when it was the most fashionable place to eat in town…).

Just as the top of the house is so much more spacious than

you’d expect, down at the bottom of it, the lower ground floor

kitchen has no basement feeling, because of the large window,

looking out onto stairs leading up to the front of the house.

Here is an area Helen has planted very boldly, with wooden

box tubs of dramatic succulents and lavender, enclosing a front

patio area with a table and chairs – a perfect spot for her to sit

and watch the urban world go by, in this close community.

The kitchen itself is very simple, with a St Leonards

junk shop table – “the only thing I could fit in” –

and Greek-style rush seat chairs from IKEA. “These

chairs have been every colour known to man.”

The design is deceptively simple with whitepainted

Shaker-style cabinets, which look more like

pieces of furniture than a built-in kitchen.

“It was built by a local carpenter – Mark Tomlinson

– out of wood, not MDF. He also did all the windows.

Helen added a new back door and tongue and groove

panelling to go over the original sandstone walls, so they

can breathe. That’s how it would have been when the house

was built. It had to be bespoke to get the right beading.”

The kitchen floor is old scaffolding boards supplied by

Hastings and Bexhill Wood Recycling Ltd., cleaned


This page: Helen’s bedroom is a gloriously pared back ‘homage to a Greek bedroom’, with white walls and shutters, a bed by Loaf, an

Indian quilt and Romanian cushion and paintings from a fellow Norman Road trader

and waxed, read to lay straight onto the concrete.

Just about everything else in the kitchen – including that

perfect blue bowl holding the lemons – is from SHOP.

This includes the rack of wooden shelves by Garden

Trading and everything in them: enamel bowls and jugs

of various sizes, vintage cups and saucers and cook books.

Even European floor brushes, similar to the one hanging

on the wall above it, are for sale 100 metres down the hill.

Kitchen implements stored in colourful empty sardine

and olive oil tins, vintage tin trays, an old French traffic

sign, wartime Ministry of Information posters (‘Tea revives

you’, ‘Eat your greens’) and a mix of those lovely bowls,

add a cheerful blend of bright colours, also reflected in

paintings. The one of a tiger in a jungle on the stairs, was

created by Holly for a competition when she was five and was

subsequently displayed in the Commonwealth Institute.

wealdentimes.co.uk

94

Molland Antique

Mirrors

THE SUMMER EXHIBITION

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MediterraneanStudioWT185.indd 1 15/06/2017 10:26

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Half Page - Surrey & 1Kent.indd 1 11/07/2017 18/07/2017 10:59 11:38

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wealdentimes.co.uk

96

WoodworkWT186.indd 1 07/07/2017 15:50

This page: The spare room’s vintage arsenic green shelf has been

a feature of all Helen’s homes

It’s from this wonderfully diverse collection of

vintage and personal objects, where all the colour in

the house comes. No feature wallpaper walls here.

“I love colour,” says Helen, “but not painted on walls.

I like all white, or all grey – walls, ceilings, windows,

woodwork. I like everything the same colour.”

Up one floor in the main room, the theme of white

walls and – mainly vintage – items in bright and pretty

colours creates a space that is both intriguing, with so

many interesting things to look at, and very tranquil.

The squashy old Heal’s sofa, covered in ecru linen

and scattered with interesting cushions, beckons

you to curl up and would be equally appealing in

winter, sitting across from the wood burner which

Helen put in to replace the old open fire.

The cupboards on either side of the fireplace are original

to the house. The stunning front window, which all the

houses in the terrace have – redolent of Jackanory’s arched

window – was rebuilt using traditional methods.

But while the overall feel is wonderfully peaceful,

looking towards the back of the room, it’s easy to

imagine lively dinners around the table, with more

IKEA ‘Greek’ chairs where Helen entertains.

On the wall at one end of the table is a striking Hindu

mask, found at the antiques market in Covent Garden

in the 1980s and to the side another brilliant find, this

one local to her current residence – a 1960s tourist

poster for St Leonards. More than just a lovely thing,

reproductions of it are a staple down the road in SHOP.

Further along the same wall, over the sofa, is another


Above left: Helen has planted wooden box tubs of succulents and lavender at the front of the house, enclosing a patio area with

a table and chairs – a perfect spot for her to sit and watch the urban world go by Above right: Many of the items that Helen has

furnished her home with have come straight from SHOP

example of Helen’s lifelong skill for finding beautiful things

in unexpected places. Long before architectural salvage

became big business and a regular source of homewares,

she rescued the mirror from the old Lloyds building in

the City of London, when it was being demolished in

the late 70s. She’s always been ahead of the game.

The large English storage cupboard opposite was

from Heathfield market and is a crucial item in a

house much smaller than Helen’s previous three

residences. “It’s got my life in it,” she says.

Leading on from the corner of sandstone wall

next to it, she did the same thing in the courtyard,

stripping back render to the bare rock and decorating

the space with driftwood and pebbles collected on the

beach and bunting from – where else? – SHOP.

Upstairs, Helen’s bedroom is a gloriously pared back

‘homage to a Greek bedroom’, with white walls and

shutters, a bed by Loaf, an Indian quilt and Romanian

cushion and painting from a fellow Norman Road

(definitely WeNor…) trader, Andrew Hurst of Wayward.

The spare room next door has a wonderful ‘arsenic

green’ vintage shelf with pegs, which just happened to

fit perfectly into the space over the bed, although Helen

has had it for years. “It’s been in all my homes.” The

lovely floral painting on it is another old Greenwich

market treasure. The bed was a Friday Ad £50 special.

“I had some friends coming and needed one quickly. It

was brown pine, so I painted it and got a mattress from

wealdentimes.co.uk

98

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The Oak Glasshouse Company

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www.theoakglasshouse.co.uk

This page: SHOP sells a wonderfully mixed and gloriously displayed array of goods, in a casual perfection of chic bohemian style

Mattress Man. They’ll make one to any size for old beds.”

Having inspected every corner of the cottage, we head

down Norman Road for a cup of tea in the café within

SHOP, relaxing into the cocooning atmosphere of a

retail space both perfectly realised – and different every

time you go in it. None of this is a happy accident.

“SHOP is not just about shifting stuff,’ says Helen,

looking round her beautiful space. “We buy things because

we love them and we want other people to love them. We

like a free flow, quirky things that work together and we

move things around all the time – change is everything.”

The – always brilliant – set up of the merchandise is

Holly’s job. Before starting the business with her mum,

she worked in visual merchandising for Topshop.

They divide responsibilities up in this way – but do

all the buying together, choosing whatever appeals to

them. “Stock is very flexible – there’s no ‘that is or isn’t

what we sell’.” The only fixed thing is that it must be

what they like. It’s the best kind of family business.

“There’s a lot of love in SHOP,” says Helen, which is probably

why it’s such a delightful spot to visit. “It’s really important

to be surrounded by things that you love. Even if you only

have two chairs, have lovely ones…”, a philosophy Helen has

put into perfect practice in both her home and her shop.

Address Book:

Visit SHOP at 32-34 Norman Road St Leonards. Find them

on Facebook and follow on Twitter @ShopNormanroad

Ardingly Antiques Fair iacf.co.uk/ardingly

Flowers throughout the shoot were from

Blue Hen Flowers bluehenflowers.com

Hastings & Bexhill Wood Recycling Ltd.

01424 715566 recyclingwood.org.uk

Heal’s heals.com

Loaf loaf.com

Mark Tomlinson 07761 233785

Mattress Man mattressman.co.uk

Wayward St Leonards wayward.co


LIVING SPACES MADE BEAUTIFUL

THIS KITCHEN WAS DESIGNED AND INSTALLED BY HKS

OUR DESIGN

YOUR SPACE

KITCHEN BEDROOM BATHROOM LIVING SPACES

01435 866166

HEATHFIELD HILL HOUSE, MUTTON HALL HILL, TN21 8NL

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

www.hks-uk.com

Textured Mini

Stripe Cushion, £11

B&Q

diy.com

GET

THE

LOOK

Jessica Hogarth Beach Huts

Framed Prints, £35.00

Athena

athenaart.com

Multi-coloured Pom Pom

Lace Cushion, £19.99

Boutique Camping

boutiquecamping.com

Katie Alice Festival Folk Breakfast

Cup And Saucer, £16

Creative Tops Ltd

creative-tops.com

Builders Tea Tin Tray, £10.50

The Contemporary Home

tch.net

Avenue Floor Lamp

Wood complete

with Shade, £167.40

Dar Lighting Group

darlighting.co.uk

Colman’s Mustard Tin, £4.99

Jeremy’s Home Store

jeremyshomestore.co.uk

Set of 2 Nibble And

Share Tapas Jars, £7.50

Garden Trading

gardentrading.co.uk

Pampelune Chair in

Turquoise, £159

PIB

pib-home.co.uk

Chateau Grey Country Dining

Table 140 X 90cm, £320.40

Element One House

elementonehouse.com

Chehoma Octopus

Bowls x 4, £25

Berry Red

berryred.co.uk

Ivory Sheepskin Rug, £55

The French Bedroom Co

frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk

The Pen Duick Model Boat, £65

The Nautical Company

thenauticalcompany.com

103

Eras

Antiques

of stylE

Restoring

Quality

Full restoration service. Qualified in cabinet making and

restoration with over 25 years experience. Specialising in early

walnut - distressing and finishing. Also French polishing,

gilding, veneering and waxing. Onsite work available. Never

over-restored, we just put the love back into your pride and joy.

9000 SQ FT OF ANTIQUES

AND VINTAGE INTERIORS

BEST PRICES PAID, HOUSE

CLEARANCES UNDERTAKEN

Plus “Coffee in Style”

Vintage themed

coffee lounge

serving Tea Coffee

Homemade Cake

and light Lunches

We are open

Monday to Saturday

9am – 5pm

nominated

antiques shop

of the year

SUSAN SURGEY

Restorer of Fine Antique Furniture

Call me for a quote or advice:

01233 877342 / 01843 449257 or 07712 451104

For examples, please visit www.susansurgey.co.uk

Over 2000 sq.ft. of Antiques,

Collectables, Vintage, Retro,

Handcrafted & Unusual Items

SusanSurgeyWT186.indd 1 25/07/2017 16:19

The Old Forge Emporium

The Street, Appledore, Kent TN26 2BJ 01233 758585

abbeylace@aol.com www.theoldforgeemporium.co.uk

The Old Station Stores,

Bexhill West Station, Terminus Road,

Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex TN39 3LR

Phone 01424 217640

Mobile 07974 178760

info@erasofstyle.com

www.erasofstyle.com

wealdentimes.co.uk

104

ErasOfStyleWT186.indd 1 12/07/2017 OldForgeAntiquesWT174.indd 11:58

1 18/07/2016 17:24

Art & Antiques

Investment Pieces

WT chats wise art and

jewellery buys with

two knowledgeable

antiques experts

2

1

1.‘Conversation’ by Sherree Valentine Daines, signed with initials, oil on board. Sold for £13,970. 2. ‘Two Young Girls on the Beach’

by Sherree Valentine Daines, oil on board, signed with initials. Sold for £11,430.

Ewbank’s Andrew Ewbank discusses

Surrey artist Sherree Valentine Daines

“As we’re based in Surrey, it is appropriate to focus on

contemporary Surrey artists, as these will, of course, have an extra

appeal to local enthusiasts. Sherree Valentine Daines, who lives

with her family in Dorking, was born and raised in Surrey, and is

one of the most consistently popular local artists for our buyers.

Ewbank’s has had a number of her modern impressionistic

paintings on sale in recent years, including 13 works in Fine

Art sale in March 2017. There is always a tremendous amount

of interest from buyers in the room and those online and on

the phone, from all over Surrey and beyond. Recent high

prices for her work include an oil entitled ‘Conversation’ which

went for £13,970 in December last year, and another oil of

two young girls on a beach which sold for £11,430 including

hammer price. Sherree’s husband and son are also artists, so

do watch out for work by these other members of the talented

Valentine Daines family, too!” ewbankauctions.co.uk


AUCTIONEERS AND

VALUERS OF FINE ART

ANTIQUES AND

COLLECTORS’ ITEMS

FREE ANTIQUES & COLLECTABLES

VALUATION DAY

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 27TH 2017, 10AM TO 4PM

THE TOWN HALL, TENTERDEN, KENT

Antiques and collectables

Jewelry and Watches

Paintings and sculptures

Ceramics, Medals and Militaria

Antique and sporting guns, Coins

Come along and meet one of our specialists.

No appointment required.

1920s emerald and diamond ring

Sold for £1,200

Also every Friday 10am to 1pm at our Saleroom in Canterbury.

thecanterburyauctiongalleries.com

Victoria Military General

Service Medal, Sold for £5,700

CanterburyAuctionGalleryWT186.indd 1 17/07/2017 15:59

THE LEADING AUCTIONEERS IN THE SOUTH EAST

• Regular selected sales including Fine Art,

Asian Art, Jewellery, Silver, Clocks,

Medals, Watches, Wines and Furniture

• Weekly sales of antiques, collectables and

general items from £40 to £1,000

(Payment made in two working days)

• Free internet listing for all sales

• Free auction estimates

• Valuations for Insurance

and Probate

• House Clearance

A pair of 1930’s

Art Deco jade,

black onyx and

diamond-set

pear-shaped drop

earrings, L 4cm.

SOLD FOR £3,000

For a FREE valuation on items you would like

to auction, simply email your images to:

tunbridge.wells@gorringes.co.uk

To arrange an appointment call:

01892 556 860

www.gorringesauctions.co.uk

Grosvenor House, Grosvenor Park, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2BF

wealdentimes.co.uk

106

4426 Gorringes (WT) (Aug2017) 130x185 Final.indd 1 7/4/17 1:29 PM

GorringesWT186.indd 1 05/07/2017 10:33

Andrew Ewbank’s

jewellery pick

“Buying and selling jewellery through

a sale-room with a high level of

knowledge is crucial. Amber jewellery

is increasingly sought after by buyers,

the demand is largely due to strong

interest from buyers in the Middle

East and China. Increasingly popular

is organic jewellery like amber and

coral. Ruby, sapphire, and emerald

are perennially popular, as they can

be both beautiful and hard wearing.

As testament to this, at a recent

jewellery sale in the summer, one

of the most dramatic prices, against

estimate, seen, was for a Victorian

coral bead necklace. It sold for an

estimate-busting £3,810 to an online

buyer. Plus, at the same sale, an

online battle between two buyers

competing for a 45cm long Indo-

Chinese amber bead necklace saw

a final hammer price of £1,651.”

ewbankauctions.co.uk

1 3

2

Art & Antiques

1. Burma ruby and

diamond cluster ring,

oval cut ruby of 2.28

carats within a surround

of ten round brilliant

cut diamonds, in

18 ct yellow gold.

Ruby certificated by

IGI stating the ruby

origin as Burma and

free of treatment.

Sold for £6,604.

2. Victorian coral bead

necklace, graduating

beads slightly off

round in shape.

Sold for £3,810.

3. Indo-Chinese

amber bead necklace,

with oval shape beads

ranging in colour from

yellow to orange with

white metal spacers.

1 The team at Gorringes take a look at

Cecil Rochfort D’Oyly-John (1906-1993)

“D’Oyly-John was a self-taught artist who took up painting as

a pastime whilst convalescing in hospital from bomb injuries

in 1945. His output was considerable during his lifetime and

he was chiefly notable for his painting technique (the thick

application of paint with a palette knife instead of

a brush) and the vivid colours of his Mediterranean scenes.

He achieved wide public recognition in the 1950s and

60s due to the publication of many of his works in print

form, which seemed, fortuitously, to tap in to the increasing

2

1. ‘Sunset at Cannes’ by Cecil Rochfort D’Oyly-

John oil on canvas, signed. Sold for £1700 2.

‘Cannes’ by Cecil Rochfort D’Oyly-John, oil on

canvas, signed. Sold for £1900 .

market for foreign holidays in the sun, now taken for

granted, that could be enjoyed by the general public for the

first time. Admirers of his work included the Queen Mother,

then Queen, who acquired paintings for the Royal Collection.

D’Oyly-John’s early life was both adventurous and

shrouded in mystery (his parentage is unknown, but he

claimed to be the illegitimate son of the artist Augustus John).

He was born in Durban, South Africa and lived and worked

all over the world before eventually settling in Brighton,

then Rottingdean, where he and his wife, Joan, are buried.

His work continues to be popular at auction, with

their strong colours and bold, rather poster-like imagery

complementing modern interiors, at an affordable price. In

1998 D’Oyly-John paintings were selling for between £200-

400 at auction. This month, Gorringes sold two paintings of

Cannes for £1,700 and £1,900 respectively.”

gorringes.co.uk


Modern.

Beautiful.

Natural.

Wedding

packages

FROM

£495

SIMON BOOTH PHOTOGRAPHY

www.simonbooth.photo

SB_Wealden SimonBoothPhotographyWT186.indd AD_GW2.indd 1 1 10/07/2017 10:36 10:54

SALE NOW ON

Exquisite Top Designer

Clothing, Shoes & Accessories

at up to 80% OFF!

£10 OFF if you mention this advert

21 High Street, Cranbrook

Open from 10am 6 days a week

Telephone 07841 374952

The Robing Room

Bespoke Service

Beautiful handcrafted garments designed

and made to measure ‘just for you’....

Adults & Children

Prices start from £400 for wedding dresses,

£85 for lingerie and £100 for Bridesmaids

www.therobingroom.co.uk

T: 01233 224985

wealdentimes.co.uk

108

EmmaPoveyWT186.indd 1 24/07/2017 RobingRoomWT186.indd 17:29

1 10/07/2017 10:20

Weddings

A Wealden Times Supplement

Sponsored by

Frasers

KENT’S BEST KEPT SECRET

The most idyllic setting in the heart of the Kent countryside

Just think, everything you ever dreamed of can become reality

At Frasers, the only limit is your imagination

Coldharbour Farm, Barham’s Mill Road, Egerton, Kent, TN27 9DD

Tel: 01233 756122 www.frasers-events.co.uk lisa@frasers-events.co.uk

WT Wedding Supplement

Contents

All in the detail, page 4

SUMMER SALE

NOW ON

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

4 All in the detail

Helen Barton sources

bridal gowns with a

difference

17 Mix it up

Statement wedding

picks

18 British blooms

Darling & Wild’s

quintessentially

English bouquet

21 Shake it

Silent Pool’s gin

cocktails with a twist

22 Be our guest

Sample wedding

breakfasts

Editor’s Letter

46 Holly Bush Lane, Sevenoaks TN13 3TL

01732 454445 www.lovellandvie.co.uk

Shersby

LovellAndVieWT186.indd 1 10/07/2017 16:53

FINE JEWELLERS

Romance is back! If you’re looking for dresses

with a difference, Helen Barton has edited

a selection of vintage inspired gowns to set

your style aside from the rest, shot in the beautiful

grounds of The Old Rectory Estate in Bletchingley,

Surrey. Elsewhere, find food inspiration, irresistibly

chic gin cocktails and vibrant accessories!

Mix it up, page 17

Shake it, page 21

George Cottage, High Street, Cranbrook

Cranbrook has free car parking

www.shersbyjewellers.co.uk Telephone: 01580 720003

shersbyjewellers@aol.com Find us on Facebook


ShersbyJewellersWT184.indd 1 12/05/2017 16:27

All in the

Detail

Photographs: David Merewether

Stylng: Helen Barton Model: Jade

Location: The Old Rectory Estate, Bletchingley


Flowers, prices on request, Blooming Green bloominggreenflowers.co.uk 01622 298676;

Dress, £550, Real Green Dress realgreendress.com 01276 513368


flowers (in hair),

Blooming Green


01622 298676;

Theia Emma dress, £1080,

Frou Frou Bridal Boutique

froufroubride.co.uk

01892 541381

Every bridal

whim granted

Swattenden Lane | Cranbrook | TN17 3PS

01580 713189

www.charityfarmcountrystore.co.uk


www.misskayseamstress.co.uk

35 Mount Ephraim, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 8AA

CharityFarmWT186.indd 1 03/07/2017 MissKaySeamstressWT186.indd 17:07

1 29/06/2017 12:51

DesignsOnDiamonds

For all your Bridal Jewellery

We have a stunning collection of

beautiful high quality diamond jewellery

set with exceptional diamonds

Certified diamond Engagement Ri ngs

Diamond Wedding and Eternity Rings

Earrings and Pendants for Bride and Bridesmaids

Visit our Website - DesignsOnDiamonds.co.uk

Contact - Jacqui@DesignsOnDiamonds.co.uk


DesignsOnDiamonds

Facebook

wealdentimes.co.uk

8

DesignsOnDiamondsWT186.indd 1 24/07/2017 17:14

Flowers, prices on

request, Blooming Green


01622 298676;

Dress, £425, Real Green

Dress realgreendress.com

01276 513368


Flowers, prices on request, Blooming Green bloominggreenflowers.co.uk 01622 298676; Charlie Brear Arlette dress, £1845,

Frou Frou Bridal Boutique froufroubride.co.uk 01892 541381; Guglielmo Rotta shoes, £195, The Golden Boot

thegoldenboot.co.uk 01622 752349

wealdentimes.co.uk

10

A

Wedding

Together we will create your unique, perfect day

Summer Sale Now On

01580 292992

Sissinghurst Road, Biddenden TN27 8DQ

www.bloomsburysbiddenden.com

Hawkhurst - No6 The Colonnade Rye Road Kent. TN184ES

01580 752118

Rye - No12 High Street Rye East Sussex. TN317JF

01797 224369

Lewes - No27 High Street Lewes East Sussex. BN7 2LU

01273 480896

BloomsburysBiddendenWT180.indd 1 13/01/2017 CordeliaJamesWT186.indd 16:02

1 25/07/2017 11:47

cashmere and silk knitwear

New Collection from Barbour available in store NOW

END OF SEASON SALE

Starts 15 th August 2017 with 50% REDUCTIONS & more!

23 High Street, Tenterden TN30 6BJ

Telephone 01580 761222 Email sales@cashara.co.uk

Shop online at www.cashara.co.uk

Tel: 01797 224271

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

e: shop@thegoldenfleece.co.uk

w: www.thegoldenfleece.co.uk

@goldenfleecerye


CasharaWT186.indd 1 11/07/2017 GoldenFleeceWT186.indd 17:34

1 11/07/2017 16:51

Quintessentially British Bridal Boutique filled with

bridal lace, tweed & jewels..

Stephanie Allin, Eliza Jane Howell, Charlotte Balbier,

Rembo Styling, Minna, Rachel Simpson and many more..

By appointment only.

01304 389710

info@boutiqueofjules.co.uk

www.boutiqueofjules.co.uk

26 Dover road, Walmer, Deal, Kent. CT14 7JW.

www.countyclothesmenswear.co.uk

“...don’t mind if

I

County Clothes Menswear

Quality & Personal Service

BridalBoutiqueWT186.indd 1 21/07/2017 Eaton&JonesWT186.indd 09:54

1 12/07/2017 16:42

Canterbury Tenterden Reigate Sevenoaks

DO”

Meet Tom Ward

Looking for an alternative to

traditional wedding attire?

Let our personal service

at County Clothes tailor

to your individual needs.

2 ndSaturday

Saturday

September

AT

County Clothes

Canterbury

For details visit our Website

or follow us on Facebook

19 St Margaret’s Street

Canterbury

Kent, CT1 2TH

2 East Cross

Tenterden

Kent, TN30 6AD

6 High Street Reigate

Surrey, RH2 9AY

14 Bank Street

Sevenoaks

Kent, TN13 1UW

01227 765294 01580 765159 01737 249224 01732 454068

@countyclothescanterbury @countyclothestenterden @countyclothesreigate @countyclothessevenoaks

wealdentimes.co.uk

12

CountyClothesWT186.indd 1 12/07/2017 10:22


Macarons and meringue kisses, prices

on request, Canary and Cuckoo

canaryandcuckoo.com; flowers, Blooming

Green bloominggreenflowers.co.uk 01622

298676

Pedro Miralles Fidela sling backs, £149,

The Golden Boot thegoldenboot.co.uk

01622 752349



Nina mini dress, from £600, Tara

Deighton taradeighton.co.uk 07825

585051; flower headdress, from a

selection, Real Green Dress realgreendress.

com 01276 513368

We would like to say a big thank you to Trudie from The Old Rectory Estate. To find out about hiring the grounds of this

beautiful Georgian manor house for your own wedding marquee, visit oldrectoryestate.com or call 01883 743388 / 07515 394506

wealdentimes.co.uk

14

10%

OFF

all summer leather

handbags!

Come and get

dressed at

Last chance to top up your holiday wardrobe with

cool linen, silk and cotton, and look out for our exciting

NEW RANGE of Dresses and Separates from Mistral

For all

SHAPES

and sizes in linens, silks & cotton

With a w i d e range of accessories and

wraps to go with them, as well as something a

little more dressy for drinks on the patio!

www.taradeighton.co.uk

85 All Saints Street, Hastings, TN34 3BH 07825 585 051

Opening Hours: Tuesday—Friday 10.30am—5pm

Saturday 10.30am—3.30pm

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

Aisle of Dreams Wedding Cars

TaraDeightonWT186.indd 1 10/07/2017 Elizabeth44WT186.indd 15:31

1 17/07/2017 12:39

purely beauty

Beauty Salon Hawkhurst

Highly Skilled Therapists using the

Best Quality Products in everything we do.

Let us make your dreams come true

Please see the web site for our full range of fantastic cars

Big savings on multi-car packages

Call 01580 753383

Book Online at www.purenique.co.uk

Hawkhurst, TN18 4JU

www.aisleofdreamscars.co.uk

Tel: 01622 743744 / 07986 455357 / 07803 700070

Email: aisleofdreamscars@yahoo.co.uk

Aisle of Dreams Wedding Cars

@AODWeddingcars


PureniqueWT186.indd 1 06/07/2017 AisleOfDreamsWeddingCarsWT186.indd 15:40

1 26/07/2017 09:44

Dale Hill

Hotel &

Golf Club

Wedding Fair

Sunday 8 th October

11am–3pm

FREE ENTRY

Join us to view our outstanding venue and see

what we can offer to make your magical day

special. Browse amongst suppliers and see

how they can enhance your Wedding day.

• Canapes & Fizz on arrival • Goodie bags

• Competitions • Mini Beauty treatments

• Wedding dresses and accessories • Magicians & Artists

Plus so much more!

Register in advance to get a free goodie bag on arrival and to

be entered into some of our amazing competitions on the day!

For more information or to register

attendance please contact 01580 202103

or email marketing@dalehill.co.uk

All Inclusive

Wedding Package*

• Ceremony Room Hire

• Evening Sandwich Buffet

• Arrival Berry Fizz

• Room Hire for Wedding Breakfast & Evening Function

• Three Course Wedding Breakfast With Coffee & Mints

• Draping of the Function Suite

• Half a Bottle of House Wine per person

• A Suite for the Bride & Groom

• Glass of Sparkling Wine for toasts

• Four Superior rooms available for guests of your choice

• Evening Disco

Dates between May & October £3950

Dates between November & April £3450

r

r

Ticehurst, Wadhurst, East Sussex TN5 7DQ

w. dalehill.co.uk *Subject to availability


Peter Kaiser ‘Emine’,

£119, The Golden Boot

thegoldenboot.co.uk

01622 752349

Mavala tolueneformaldehyde-

and parabenfree

nail colour, £4.95 each,

Fenwick fenwick.co.uk

Mix it Up

5 Rose Gold &

White Confetti

Balloons, £7.99,

Candle & Cake Ltd

candleandcake.co.uk

Lakshmi Beaded

Crystal Bridal Train,

£306

Gibson Bespoke

Designs, Etsy

etsy.com

Spice up your special day with our vibrant wedding picks

Mavala Happy Zen

lip colour collection in

‘Nectar Red’, £12.50 each,

Fenwick fenwick.co.uk

Heaven Sends -

Wishes Wooden Box,

£10.99, Magical Story,

magicalstory.co.uk

Rose Gold Hair

Comb, £25

Rock My Vintage

rockmyvintage.co.uk

Gold brass antique style

lantern, £29.95, Made

With Love Designs

madewithlovedesigns.co.uk

Pearl Bracelet, £17.99

Historic Royal Palaces

historicroyalpalaces.com

Ivory Pearl Clutch,

£25, Rock my Vintage

rockmyvintage.co.uk

Interlocking Moroccan Tile Stainless

Steel Sugarcraft Cutters, £12.60

Lindy’s Cakes Ltd

lindyscakes.co.uk

Create boho chic with Delightfully Lavish’s

stunning handmade Indian marquees, available

in a range of sizes delightfullylavish.com

“


British

Blooms

Lara Haynes from

Darling & Wild

talks us through

her favourite bridal

bouquet trend

The current trend I

am noticing is brides

requesting natural and

unstructured bouquets

using seasonal flowers. I

am delighted to see a move

towards seasonal blooms

and source mainly English

flowers for this style of

bouquet. Here I used

fabulous scented garden

roses including Romantic

Antique, Juliet and

Margaret Merrill with trails

of garden honeysuckle

and jasmine, dainty wind

flowers, dahlias and fluffy

alchemilla mollis. The pop

of deeper colour provides

contrast that really makes

the peaches and pinks

sing and the scent was

amazing – which I also

think is very important.

”

Darling & Wild

Tunbridge Wells 01892 614851

darlingandwild.co.uk

www.delightfullylavish.com

wealdentimes.co.uk

18

DelightfullyLavishEventsWT186.indd 1 20/07/2017 10:11

Sissinghurst Flowers

made with love

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.

Weddings Life Events Courses

www.sissinghurstflowers.co.uk

Telephone: 01580 852144 / 07977 142447

ShunasVintageClothesWT185.indd 1 07/06/2017 MadeWithLoveWT180.indd 16:15

1 12/01/2017 11:30

Free

Bouquet *

I work with you to make your ideas,

dreams and expectations come to life on

your special day and to suit your budget.

Call for a chat and book your

consultation to receive a Free Bouquet*

Award Winning Wedding Florist

in Kent & Sussex

01892 614851

darlingandwild.co.uk

13 Nevill St, Tunbridge Wells TN2 5RU

Wedding Florist

Telephone 01435 882814 or 07717 495937

/bmfloraldesigns www.bmfloraldesigns.co.uk

*When you place a deposit of £50. Deposit is non-refundable. Offer available through Sept 2017.


DarlingAndWildWT186.indd 1 18/07/2017 BloomingMarvellousWT186.indd 11:19

1 24/07/2017 12:34

VIP SEATING

£20

FANTABULOUS

Open air cinema evenings

DOOR ENTRY

£5

The big screen, under the stars. The outdoor movie experience now at

The Goudhurst Inn and The Tickled Trout. Be on the edge of your seat, in the middle of the

garden. Films start from 9.00pm with doors open welcoming guests from 8.30pm.

4TH AUGUST | 1ST SEPTEMBER

5 TH AUGUST | 2 ND SEPTEMBER

TO BOOK CALL 01580 211 451

TO BOOK CALL 01622 814 717

GoudhurstInnWT186.indd 1 14/07/2017 16:36

Authentic Nordic Tipis and

Traditional wooden pole

Sailcloth Tent hire across

Kent and Sussex

Dray Corner Industrial Centre,

Four Oaks Road, Headcorn,

Kent TN27 9PB

0800 999 5552

www.holmstedevents.co.uk

wealdentimes.co.uk

20

HolmstedEventsWT186.indd 1 20/07/2017 09:46

Shake It

Delight wedding guests with Silent Pool

Distillers’ creative gin-based cocktails


Blackberry Shrub

• 50ml Silent Pool

Gin (from freezer)

• 25ml raspberry &

blackberry shrub

• 25ml Cocchi

sweet vermouth

• 10ml Boudier

ginger liqueur

• soda water top

- approx 50ml

1. Shake and strain

first 4 ingredients

over cubed ice. Top

with soda, stir.

2. Serve in a rocks

glass and garnish

with a spiked

blackberry and

raspberry.

Aviation

• 40ml Silent

Pool Gin

• 20ml Maraschino

Liqueur

• 20ml freshly

squeezed

lemon juice

• 2.5ml Crème

de violette

1. Shake and strain

into a chilled

cocktail glass

Albury Flip

• 50ml Silent Pool Gin

• 25ml Merlet cherry brandy

• 3ml saline

• 10ml Monin Orgeat syrup

• 25ml pasteurised egg yolk (we use Cocovite)

• 25ml double cream

1. Spray chilled glass with Silent Pool

Christmas Mist (available online).

2. Shake and fine strain all ingredients.

3. Serve in a coupette and garnish with fresh

grated nutmeg.

Silent Pool G&t

• 50ml Silent Pool Gin (from freezer)

• 125ml chilled Fever-Tree elderflower tonic

• 5ml fresh fine filtered lime juice

• 2 dashes Bitter Truth cucumber bitters

• 2 dashes Jade 1901 absinthe

1. Dash glass with absinthe and bitters.

2. Build remainder of ingredients

over cubed ice.

3. Serve in a Silent Pool glass and

garnish with lemon balm leaf.

Find out more at silentpooldistillers.com


Be our Guest

We asked two venues to gives us a taste of their ultimate wedding breakfasts

FRASERS

The Ultimate Wedding ‘Breakfast’

To Start

Delicious pancakes with maple syrup and

local strawberries, a selection of warm pastries,

local natural yoghurt and fruit salad.

And to follow

Full English breakfast of local sausage, bacon, egg, griddled

tomato, hash brown, baked beans, Kentish black pudding.

Served with a delicious glass of Chapel Down Brut.

Evening Street Food

Enjoy street food from Frasers’ serving stations such as

paella with green salad and artisan bread, Thai green

curry and rice or BBQ goodies like pulled pork with

BBQ sauce, Venison burgers and marsala marinated

halloumi burgers, served with artisan bread and salad.

To drink

Choose from a varied selection from Frasers’ drink stations:

Cider Station – Wise Owl Cider, Biddenden Cider

Ale Station – Kegs of Westerham Brewery Ale

Wine Station – Hush Heath Pinot Noir, Chapel

Down Flint Dry, Chapel Down English Rose

Softy Station – Biddenden Apple Juice

and Pear Juice, Homemade Lemonade.

Frasers, Egerton

01233 756122

frasers-events.co.uk

DALE HILL

A wonderful treat for guests, with drinks

to complement each course

To Start

Cherry tomato and Bocconcini Mozzarella, Sugared

Crisp Parma Ham, Rocket and Parmesan Salad.

This is great with Boatmans Drift Chenin Blanc.

Sorbet

Passion Fruit Sorbet. Served with

Bortolotti Valdobbiadene Brut.

Main

Roast Sirloin of Scottish Beef, Herb Roasted Potatoes,

Yorkshire Pudding, Roasted Root Vegetables and Red

Wine Jus. Accompanied by Azabache Tempranillo Red

Dessert

Praline Crème Brûlée, Pistachio Macaroons, Croquant Ice

Cream. Great with – on its own, just absorb the flavours!

To follow

Coffee & Petit Fours. Enjoy with Tia

Maria or Bell’s Whisky on ice.

Dale Hill, Ticehurst 01580 202102 dalehill.co.uk

22

A Magical

Setting...

• Breathtaking Scenery

• Excellent Food and Service at affordable

prices, with off-peak discounts available

• 3 Magnificent Function rooms,

each self contained with their own Bar

• Licenced for Civil Ceremonies

• Ample parking

High Rocks Lane, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 9JJ Tel: 01892 515 532 www.highrocks.co.uk

Advertisement Feature

Gin is a firm favourite for many

in the summer thanks to its

light, botanical flavour and its

ability to mix with just about

anything! Hear the story behind

Silent Pool’s signature gin…

Our distillers here at Silent Pool Distillery coined the phrase ‘intricately realised’

to embody our core values – to be an artisan producer of high quality spirits.

This philosophy of ‘intricately realised’ is evident

from the beautiful teal and copper filigree bottle

design to the refreshingly individual gin inside

and it’s the thread that runs through the crafting

not only of Silent Pool Gin, but all our products.

A desire to capture the essence of England’s beautiful,

rural landscape in our spirits led us to the Surrey Hills,

an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. As the principal

ingredient in gin is juniper berries, which once grew

abundantly in Surrey, it made perfect sense to be based

here. With a vision of creating hand-crafted, premium

spirits, we located our distillery on the bank of the

spring-fed Silent Pool. The crystal-clear water, which

springs from a deep natural aquifer, is pumped from

the pool and filtered on-site before use. The pulse of

this outstanding landscape beats right through the

heart of the distillery and the spirits we produce.

The provenance and exceptional quality of botanicals

used are at the centre of our vision and are introduced

during various stages of production. By the obsessive

hands of our distillers, each essential ingredient is

carefully selected and, where possible, locally sourced.

We pass a hose through the open distillery door and

draw our water from the Silent Pool, and so the unique

four-stage process of production begins. Our gin is

entirely crafted within the four walls of the distillery

with precision and loving care; no part of the production

is out of our sight, even the bottling takes place here.

Our multi-award-winning Silent Pool Gin is produced

in small batches using a custom-made still which

is heated by steam from a reclaimed English boiler

that’s fired on local hardwood. It’s all very labour

intensive, but well worth the effort to create a

delicate, complex and internationally acclaimed

gin that is rolling out across the UK, Europe, USA

and soon Japan. In order to meet rapidly growing

demand, Silent Pool Distillers are expanding their

current distillery, converting two adjacent barns into

a home for their new 1,800 litre bespoke copper still.

Our distillery is open

to the public seven

days a week, 9.30-5pm

Monday to Saturday and

10-3pm on a Sunday.

Please check our

website for more details.

www.silentpooldistillers.com

Hair at Fifteen

Over 40 years experience

specialising in coats of arms

With over 10,000 coats of arms, crests &

monograms seal engraved since 1970

18 carat

signet ring

seal engraved

9 carat white

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3D engraved

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Charlotte’s Hairdressing Angels

Celebrating Their 3 rd Birthday

Opening hours: Tuesday, Friday & Saturday - 9am–6pm;

Wednesday - 11am–9pm; Thursday - 9am–9pm;

Sunday & Monday - Closed.

15 Ashford Road, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6AB

All enquiries please call: 01580 762820

Rodney J Rigby F.I.P.G

Goldsmith & Designer

Hand & seal engraver

Handmade signet rings, cuff links

& bespoke 3D blazer buttons

in gold, silver & platinum

T: 01892 724951 info@rodneyjrigby.com

HairatFifteenWT186.indd 1 12/07/2017 RJRigbyLtd-90mmx130mm-February-2017.indd RJRigbyLtdWT186.indd 12:17

1 1 06/02/2017 13/07/2017 23:46 09:47

West Kent Shooting School

dressing undeniable beauty

www.odyl.co.uk

01580 714907

westkentshooting.co.uk

Ideal setting for Corporate

Entertainment

30% OFF ALL

LESSONS

THROUGHOUT

AUGUST

YOUNG SHOTS

TUESDAY 8 AUGUST &

WEDNESDAY 23 AUGUST

ONLY £55

PRE-BOOKED ONLY

TASTER SESSION

30 MIN “HAVE A GO” SESSIONS

ONLY £35

PRE-BOOKED ONLY

GIFT VOUCHERS

AVAILABLE FOR ALL

OCCASIONS

New Hay Farm, Old Hay

(off Pearsons Green Road)

Brenchley Kent TN12 7DG

T: 01892 83 4306

Monday to Friday

10am to 5pm


OdylWT186.indd 1 06/07/2017 WestKentShootingWT186.indd 16:08

1 17/07/2017 11:10

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MelinaJoyOpticiansWT186.indd 1 24/07/2017 13:36

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wealdentimes.co.uk

110

DrDeborahMcMannersWT186.indd 1 11/07/2017 14:34

Beauty

Just spray

A

wedding is a new start. A door

to a new life. (Even if you’ve

been cohabiting for years, I

can promise you: you will wake up next

day and feel very different.) And so not

surprisingly – unless your beloved has

requested otherwise – it is the perfect

moment to mark this new beginning

by veiling with a new fragrance.

But shopping for that all-important

fragrance should be seen as much, much

more than simply another item on your

‘To Do’ list. Why not take a day – or at

least a morning – and devote yourself to

the sensuality and pleasure of the search?

‘It’s very important not to be stressed,’

insists perfumer Lyn Harris, founder

of Miller Harris and now working out

of a stunning mid-Century modern

perfumery and boutique on London’s

Crawford Street which (trust me) is a

wonderful place to while away a few

hours. ‘If you’re in a hurry or feeling

anxious, you can have a negative response

to a scent that you might otherwise love.’

What’s more, Lyn adds, the production

of stress hormones can itself change the

way a fragrance smells on your skin – so

she suggests shopping with a friend,

planning a lunch and taking it easy.

Importantly, fragrances should always

be skin-warmed before you make up your

mind about them. Perfume blotters are

‘I do’...

Josephine Fairley recommends romantic wedding scents

fine for helping you to dismiss a fragrance

– if you don’t like it, move on to the next

– but you really need to wear a fragrance

on your body, to know whether you love

it; individual chemistry subtly alters a

perfume’s character, on our skin – that’s

part of the magic, and though sometimes

we can fall in love-at-first-spritz, it takes

up to two hours for the base notes (which

are the lingering fragrance elements we

really live with) to emerge. So: try up

to half a dozen fragrances on blotters,

initially. (Even before that, I tend to sniff

the caps and nozzles of perfume testers

– because the oils concentrate there as

they evaporate – as a first clue, telling me:

that’s a possible, that’s a no-no.) Label

them; even I can’t remember what I’ve

sprayed where (and I do this for a living!)

Have a coffee. Smell those blotters

and narrow your choice down to no

more than three, which you should

then apply to the skin: one on each

wrist, one in the crook of one elbow.

(At this stage, don’t apply any of them

to your neck: it will dominate.) Then

go off and have that lunch. Chill. Ask

your friend’s advice about what smells

great on you, if you’re unsure – and

ideally, ask for samples to take home

and try, longer-term. (Most fragrance

consultants are more than helpful, if

you explain it’s for your wedding.)

10

Wedding

fragrance choices

Estée Lauder Beautiful – not

for nothing has this often been

advertised with a bride in the

ad; it’s swooningly pretty.

Chanel No.5 – or for a young

bride, try No.5 L’Eau as a

fresh and radiant alternative.

Jean Patou Joy – a classic,

grown-up, sumptuous floral, right

up there with Chanel No.5.

Frederic Malle Portrait of

a Lady – one of the most

hauntingly beautiful creations

of recent years, with an overdose

of rose and patchouli.

Calvin Klein Eternity – timelessly

romantic (and it happens to be

wedding-inspired), a harmony of

classic and contemporary notes.

Antonia’s Flowers (find

it at SpaceNK) – almost

photorealistically like walking

into a florist’s shop with its

mossy notes of freesia.

Byredo Flowerhead –

inspired by the flowers which

traditionally celebrate an

Indian wedding (including

garlands of jasmine), opulently

petal-perfect and ‘different’

Creed Love in White – notes of

hyacinth and magnolia, like an

airy, flower-powered breeze.

Christian Dior J’adore – a

modern bouquet of flowers

(including opulent Grasse

rose at its heart), but almost

as if warmed by sunlight.

Jo Malone London Red

Roses – one of the most

swooningly romantic rose

perfumes ever confected.


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Our Private Care Service carers can come

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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

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wealdentimes.co.uk

112

MMBaxterS30-2.indd 1 28/03/2017 15:51

Beauty

Something else to bear in mind, though:

your fragrance choice should also reflect the

style of your wedding. If you’re wearing

white or ivory, white flower fragrances

can be perfect, with traditional notes of

jasmine, lily, gardenia and lily-of-the-valley.

If your style is more flamboyant and

exotic, you may go for something more

sensual: an Oriental, or a floral-oriental

(which is slightly lighter and fresher than

an Oriental, but still has beguiling woody

or spiced undertones). The time of year

is relevant, too: ‘Lighter for summer, as a rule – unless

you’re a very outgoing, dark-haired bride,’ advises Lyn.

But what’s absolutely crucial is to ensure that whatever

fragrance you choose doesn’t come as a big surprise to

your intended. What happens if the first time he smells

it is at the altar – and he hates it? So: you’ll need to

wear the fragrance around him – and let him get close

enough to nuzzle it – to ensure it gets a thumbs-up.

And just what strength of fragrance is perfect, for a wedding?

Ideally, you wouldn’t wear something stronger than an eau de

parfum – which should last you through the reception. (You

might want to buy a Travalo travel fragrance spray – which

can be filled with your chosen fragrance – to give to your

matron of honour. You might want to turbo-charge your

chosen eau de parfum’s staying power, though, by ‘layering’:

if they exist (there’s a big perfumed bodycare revival going

on right now), buy the bath and body products that match

your chosen scent, using them while you bath, applying

a body lotion and powder and – as that finishing touch –

the scent itself. Then the fragrance is subtly ‘time-released,

during the day – especially if you’re going to be dancing.

Be sure to put on your fragrance before you step into your

dress, meanwhile, or it can stain – and I suggest applying not

only to the pulse points at wrist, elbow and neck, but also

tucking a cotton wool ball that has been sprayed with the scent

and then allowed to dry, between your breasts inside your bra.

Why not spray your garter, too? And hair is a wonderful vehicle

for fragrance: spritz the air and walk through it, or lightly mist

the hairline. Then your guests will get a lovely whiff of your

fragrance while you’re kissing them, in the receiving line…

The simple truth is, your wedding fragrance is much,

much more than just another accessory. So don’t leave it

to the last minute, when you’re stocking up on suntan

lotion, cotton wool and anti-mozzie spray, for your

honeymoon. Take your time. Indulge your senses. Enjoy.

Because choosing your perfect fragrance for your perfect

day can be one of the most sensual, indulgent treats of

the whole wedding build-up. And if you choose well,

this could be the start of a long and joyous relationship

– not just with your husband, but your new scent…

Jo Fairley is co-founder of The Perfume

Society, a ‘hub’ for anyone interested in

fragrance and the sense of smell, offering

events, discovery boxes and an awardwinning

on-line magazine about perfume,

The Scented Letter.

perfumesociety.org

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CryojuvenateWT186.indd 1 13/07/2017 14:31

Concept

Hair

salon

50 High Street, Tenterden 01580 762 564

Book online at www.williamcharleshair.co.uk

or through our facebook page


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

Are you considering

a breast reduction?

Miss Anita Hazari, Consultant Plastic Surgeon discusses the procedure.

WHY YOU MIGHT NEED IT

Breast reduction is never an

essential operation. Weight loss

may reduce breast size and,

having lowered your BMI, you

may find you do not need surgery.

Correctly fitting underwear and

clothing can improve comfort and

appearance.

The aim of the surgery is to

give you smaller, better-shaped

breasts that are in proportion to

the rest of your body and relieve

the severity of symptoms from

large breasts such as backache

and neck ache. The procedure

removes fat, glandular tissue

and skin from the breasts

making them smaller, lighter

and firmer.

THE BENEFITS OF

SURGERY

Whatever your reason for

considering this procedure, it

can help you:

• have greater self-esteem and

confidence

• feel that your breasts are more

in proportion with the rest of

your body

• wear the clothes you want

• live a more active lifestyle

It is important to discuss:

• your expectations

• the benefits of the surgery to you

• any risks, complications or

limitations

• family history of breast cancer

• the need for a mammogram if

you are 35 years or over

THE PROCEDURE

After pre-operative photographs,

your surgeon will mark the new

position for nipple in a position

higher than the old, reducing

the size of the nipple as well as

marking the area of skin and

breast tissue to be removed.

The procedure usually takes

about two to three hours.

Techniques for breast

reduction vary, but the most

common procedure involves

an anchor shaped incision

that circles the areola, extends

downwards and follows the

natural curve of the crease

beneath the breast.

Glandular tissue, fat and

skin is removed and the nipple

with areola is moved into its

new position. The skin will be

brought down from both sides

of the breast and around the

areola, shaping the new curve

of the breast. The nipples

remain attached to the breast

and its blood vessels (known as

a ‘pedicle’). There are several

variations of the direction of the

pedicle. I often use the ‘superomedial’

or ‘superior’ pedicle.

However, in some cases, the

nipples and areola may have

to be removed completely and

grafted into a higher position,

especially if the breasts are

very pendulous with the nipples

extremely low.

Sutures are dissolving under

the skin and do not require

removal.

YOUR AFTERCARE

The hospital stay is normally

1-2 days. It will be necessary to

organise two to three weeks off

from work. If your job involves

heavy lifting, longer time may

be needed.

POST-OPERATIVE BRA

You will need to wear a good,

supportive, non-wired support

bra, as advised by your

surgeon, for 6-8 weeks. This is

to help support the underlying

tissue and suture lines while

healing. After surgery there will

be swelling and your breasts will

seem high and firm which may

seem unnatural to you.

It is essential to wear a good

quality sports bra and if possible

a lycra crop top too, to prevent

the breasts from moving up/

down and to maintain the

results from surgery.

If you are considering

having a Breast Reduction

and would like to discuss

your options, Miss Anita

Hazari offers free 15

minute consultations.

To book yours call us on

01892 741150.

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

Take control of your health. www.spiretunbridgewells.com

Health & Beauty

Painterly Style

Wealden Times talks to Cathy McClymont, an artist who’s

a regular exhibitor at Wealden Times Midsummer Fair

Credit: FreeImages.com/Cristina Miguel

do you have a beauty

regime? To be honest I’m

not really one for a beauty

regime and never have been.

My skin is very colourful

with freckles which I’ve

always hated. However, now

I’m in my early fifties, I’m

starting to think they hide

Superfoods...

English Walnuts are harvested

from late August until the

end of September and,

once dried, can be stored

in their shells in a cool, dry

place for several months or

shelled in the fridge for six

months. Walnuts are rich in B

vitamins, potassium, copper,

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and are an excellent source of

anti-inflammatory omega-3.

Try these instant veggie

a multitude of flaws and

maybe – just maybe – help

with a more youthful look!

I wash night and morning

with Tropic skin cleanser,

tone with rosewater and

moisturise with Boots

No.7 anti-ageing cream. I

keep fit by caring for my

meatballs, adapted from

Liana Werner-Grey’s recipe,

which take just moments to

make: Put 1½ cups walnuts,

1 cup sundried tomatoes,

2 tablespoons olive oil, salt,

pepper and 1 tablespoon each

of fresh thyme, rosemary and

oregano in a food processor

and whiz till the mixture

resembles fine bread crumbs.

Roll the mixture between

your palms into walnut-sized

disabled daughter Kitty.

do you have a particular

product you couldn’t live

without? I have a Guinot

Age Summum facial once

a month from my beauty

therapist Yvonne at Aura.

I paint with oils and

turpentine – not the best

things to inhale – so a good

moisturiser is an essential.

What’s your ultimate

pampering treat? Being out

of doors is a real treat and,

as an artist, I spend most

of the summer and winter

outside in my studio with

the doors open. I’m so lucky,

I’ve had my four children

and can now address my

first love – painting – and

make a career out of doing

something I really enjoy.

Who’s your style icon?

My style icon would be

my Gran, she had so much

personality and style. I think

a great smile is an essential

part of being a ‘beauty’

and so is being happy.

See Cathy’s work on

Facebook or email

cathyge@hotmail.co.uk

meatballs and chill in the

fridge for 30 minutes. To

serve, warm the meat-free

meatballs for 15 minutes on

a baking tray in the oven at

150˚C. They’re delicious with

pasta and fresh tomato sauce.

Cleanse &

Moisturise

It seems particularly apt in

August to go to the sea to

find a treatment for hair

depleted by sunshine and

swimming in the summer.

VOYA’s Forget Me Not

Smoothing Conditioner and

Silky By Nature Nourishing

Shampoo are created from

organic seaweed harvested

from the Atlantic waters of

County Sligo. The seaweed

comes from Ireland but

the skills of the cosmetic

scientists, marine biologists

and dermatologists who

have created this ethical,

organic skin-care range

have been sourced from all

over the world. Seaweed is

rich in minerals, vitamins

and trace elements and its

extracts have a pronounced

moisturising effect on the

hair, increasing lustre, adding

body and counteracting

any fly-away, electrostatic

charge. Both shampoo and

conditioner are great to use

with a silky texture and

subtle scent.

Forget Me Not Smoothing

Conditioner, £23 for 200ml,

Silky By Nature Nourishing

Shampoo, £19 200ml voya.ie


Cloudy sight and poor vision?

Ask about our cataract removal treatments

Ask

your GP

or Optician

to refer

you

Call us on 01580 242 521

benendenhospital.org.uk

The Benenden Hospital Trust is a company limited by guarantee Registered in England, number 3454120.

Registered charity number 1065995, Registered office, The Benenden Hospital Trust, Goddard’s Green Road, Benenden, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 4AX

Health

H2O

Every organ in the body requires

fluids to function. Nutrients are

transported to cells in fluids,

they flush away waste and prevent

constipation. Another big benefit of

staying hydrated is that your mind

will feel sharper, your energy levels

will increase and – here’s the big one –

drinking plenty of fluids will prevent

you from overeating! As your body

can’t store fluids for long periods of

time, regular hydration is essential.

The amount of water we should drink

is individual and can range from 1.5

to 3L a day depending on your body

mass, the amount you perspire and

how much you exercise. For example,

if you’re petite and don’t sweat much,

1.5L may be fine but if you are 6 ft 4ins,

exercise for 1 hour and sweat a lot, 3L

is more appropriate. A good indicator

of whether you’re drinking enough is

the colour of your urine, it should be

clear over the day and not too dark first

thing in the morning. If you wake in

the middle of the night and are thirsty,

start tracking your water intake to see

Nutritionist Katie Peck explains

that our bodies are biological

machines which thrive when

well-nourished with water.

how many millilitres you’re drinking over

the day. Teas and coffees count towards

your total fluid intake, but make sure

that the majority of your daily fluid

intake comes from drinking water.

During the summer months, we

tend to drink more to compensate for

our bodies losing water in the heat.

Timing of when and how much water

to drink is important: you don’t want

to drink large volumes (say more than

1 pint) at once and, if you aren’t used

to drinking much water, increase the

amount you drink gradually over

several days. I recommend drinking a

large glass on waking and before meals

to stimulate your digestion but avoid

gulping large amounts with food and

drinking too much in the evening before

bed so as not to disrupt your sleep.

Getting your water intake right is a

balance. Begin by tracking your daily

intake and paying attention to your

urine. Overall, trust your judgement

to know what you feel is right for you

and, if you feel you need individual

advice, speak with a health professional.

Give your

water the

wow factor…

Flavoured ice cubes

Mint or borage ice cubes can

transform a simple jug of water from

functional to fabulous. Place borage

flowers or chopped mint leaves in

an ice cube tray, cover with water

and freeze. Add to sparkling or still

water moments before serving.

Cucumber water

Nutrient-rich cucumbers are made

up mostly of water but they are also

an excellent source of vitamins and

minerals, making cucumber-infused,

filtered tap water a deliciously

refreshing way to rehydrate on a

summer’s day. Slice a peeled cucumber

into a 1 litre jug, top up with ¾ litre

of filtered water, topped up with

ice to stop the slices floating, and

marinate for an hour in the fridge.

Try adding freshly squeezed lemon

or lime juice for a bit of extra zing.

117

impressions First

Personal trainer Sarah-Jane Holt gives

her tips for a peachy posterior

During a traditional wedding ceremony, the

main view guests will have of the bride and

her bridesmaids is from the back. From

entering the church or registry office, to the final

moment when the bride and groom are pronounced

man and wife, can take a while so it’s vital that the

bridal party’s dresses and hair look great from behind.

A well-defined waist and shapely silhouette (think

bridesmaid Pippa Middleton’s back view at her

sister’s wedding to Prince William in 2011) sets off

a wedding or bridesmaids’ dress to perfection.

We asked personal trainer Sarah-Jane Holt for

three pre-nup exercises to ensure that the bride and

her attendants look their best on her big day!

Squats – These are a great all-round exercise that not

only work all three glute muscles, helping to firm and tone

a beautiful bottom, but also work on strengthening and

toning the legs and core as well. To perform a perfect squat,

start with your feet just wider than shoulder width apart

and turn your toes out very slightly. On the way down,

make sure that your knees are tracking over the second toe,

keep your chest up and imagine you are sitting down onto

a chair. You will be pushing your bum back slightly then

bending your knees. On the way up, focus again on knee

position and on squeezing your buttocks all the way through

the movement until you are back to a standing position.

Repeat 15 times, weight can be added to increase strength.

Raised glute bridges – Lie on your back with your

knees bent and the bottom of your feet on the edge of a chair

or sofa so your feet are off the floor. With arms by your sides,

push through your feet and squeeze your bum to lift your

hips off the floor. Really focus on squeezing your buttocks as

hard as you can whilst lifting your hips up. Pause at the top of

the movement for 3 seconds, squeezing your buttocks all the

time. Bring your hips back to the floor and repeat 20 times.

Rear elevated split lunges – These are tough

but very effective, the elevated back foot places more

emphasis on the opposite glute working to really tone your

bottom as well as working to develop leg shape. Stand

with the back of your knees touching a bench or chair,

take a decent step away with one foot and then place the

back foot on the bench behind you. This set-up will help

to make sure your front foot is the right distance away

from your back foot. When in this position drop your hips

straight down to the floor by bending your front knee. On

the way back up, focus on driving through your front heel

and squeeze the glute of the front leg. Repeat 15 times on

each side, you can also add weight for a stronger effect.

sarahjaneholt.co.uk

Crowning

glory!

The Rye Retreat has a great reputation for

preparing brides for their big day. We talked to

them about this season’s trends, wearing a veil

and how much time to allow in the salon…

What are the most popular styles this season

for long-haired brides wanting to wear

their hair up? ‘Relaxed chic’ is what our

Brides are looking for at the moment. They

want something un-done, un-structured

and whimsically romantic. Tendrils are

left at the nape and around the face and

braids are often incorporated to give the

look a suggestion you might have almost

done it yourself (if only you could!).

Does wearing a veil restrict a bride’s hairstyling

options? A veil doesn’t restrict a

Bride’s style options at all. Here at The Rye

Retreat, we sew veils into the hair so that

there’s no need for lots of clips. We also apply

this technique to add jewellery to the hair.

How much time should a bride allow in

the salon on the morning of her wedding

day? We will accommodate any time

necessary, but 2–2 ½ hours is average

theryeretreat.co.uk

wealdentimes.co.uk

118

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ensure a sophisticated and glamorous feel, worthy of a truly luxury destination.

The Garden Room is now available for midweek viewings with our dedicated Wedding Coordinator

contact us today: 01580 292 222 | events@charthills.co.uk

Food

influence

World

Photographs: David Merewether Styling: Chloe Cottingham

Following successful careers in ethical homewares and

the restaurant industry, Kali Hamerton-Stove and Sarah

Crysell have combined their passions for food, home design

and Goudhurst to create Hamerton+Jones. Together they

create fresh and flavourful food, including salads inspired

by what’s growing right here in Kent and cooking trends

from around the world, alongside their curiosity shop cum

general store. Here they share zesty, colourful dishes, perfect

for serving at a barbeque or garden party, which would be

equally at home at a casual dinner party or family lunch.

Charred Broccoli &

Fresh Green Salad

Serves 4 Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 12 mins

• 200g tenderstem broccoli

• 2tsp cumin seeds, lightly toasted

• pinch of salt

• 180g runner beans

• 120g mangetout

• 200g frozen petit pois

• 170g fine French beans

for the dressing:

• 2 tbsp tahini

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 lemon juiced

• 2 tsp sumac

• 2 tsp honey

• crushed chilli flakes, to taste

• salt & pepper, to taste

1. Pre-heat oven to 200˚C. Split

broccoli stems and place on a

baking tray. Crush toasted cumin

seeds lightly with some salt and

sprinkle over broccoli with a

drizzle of olive oil and bake for

6-10 mins depending on size

of broccoli – you want a nice

black char around the edges. Let

broccoli cool in baking tray.

2. Blanch remaining veg in

boiling water for 2 mins, drain

immediately in cold water

until completely cooled and

place in a bowl of ice water.

3. Once all veg is cool, mix together

in a large bowl and scatter over

your serving plate or platter.

4. Mix all the dressing ingredients

together and add crushed chilli

flakes with salt and pepper to taste

– a cleaned screw top jar is the best

for this and the dressing will keep

in the fridge for a day or two.

5. Drizzle dressing over

veg and tuck in.


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Garlic Roasted

Romano Peppers



Food

• 4 red romano peppers

• 250g baby heritage tomatoes,

cut into 2 lengthways

• 250g baby plum tomatoes,

cut into 2 lengthways

• 1-2 red chillis, keep whole

• 2-4 cloves of garlic, finely sliced

• sprinkle of lemon thyme

• 1 lemon, cut into thin wedges

• glug of olive oil

• red wine vinegar

• capers

1. Pre-heat oven to 200˚C. Split

peppers in half including the stalk

(makes them more robust) and

clean out the seeds and white pith.

2. Place on a large roasting tray cut

side up. Pop inside your thinly

sliced garlic slices and then scatter

in the tomatoes and chilli(s).

3. Sprinkle over some fresh

lemon thyme and place in

your lemon wedges.

4. Drizzle with olive oil and pop in

the oven to roast. Keep an eye on

the peppers as they can turn very

quickly and go too soft, but 10-12

minutes should do the job – you

are looking for slightly charred

edges to all the veg and the lemon.

5. Take out of the oven and sprinkle

over some red wine vinegar

(to taste) and some capers.

6. You can take the peppers straight

to the table if you wish, or serve

warm or cold the next day.

Quick Flatbreads



• 200g plain or wholemeal flour

• a twist of sea salt

• 110ml warm water

• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus

some for the pan

1. Place flour and salt into a

bowl and trickle the warm

water in whilst mixing – it’s

best to get stuck in with

your hands so you can feel

when it’s coming together

– then add the olive oil and

form it into a soft dough.

2. Kneed the dough for 5

minutes until smooth. Divide

the dough into 4 pieces and

roll each one out with a

rolling pin – I never worry

about the shape as flatbread

is meant to be artisan!

3. Heat a large frying pan and

wipe over with olive oil and

pop in your flatbead. It should

rise in bubbles which, in turn,

turn golden brown – about 2

minutes on each side. Keep

warm in foil until devoured.


From Garden to Plate!

We use fresh, seasonal ingredients, most of which

are grown in our garden to inspire our ever changing

menu. Come and enjoy a delicious breakfast, light

lunch or treat yourself to a slice of homemade cake,

all served with a view of Bewl Water!

edible

flowers!

Tues-Sat 9-5

Sun 10-4

@bealsbarngardens

@bealsbarngardensnursery

For reservations please call 01892 783146

Lower Cousley Wood, Wadhurst, East Sussex TN5 6HJ

B2100 between Cousley Wood & Lamberhurst, turn off at the No Through Road

The Bull at Benenden

Village Pub with Rooms

Three splendid

bed & breakfast

rooms opening this

August !

Each room has it’s own ensuite,

smart TV, WIFI, coffee machine,

Bluetooth speaker, cotton sheets,

sumptuous anti allergy duvets &

pillows, dressing gowns and

complimentary toiletries.

Please drop us a line

for further information.

01580 240 054

www.thebullatbenenden.co.uk

rooms@thebullatbenenden.co.uk

Tours and Tastings

at Hush Heath Estate

BealsBarnGardensWT186.indd 1 14/07/2017 BullAtBenendenWT186.indd 12:15

1 21/07/2017 15:55 15:56

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 Aug, Sun 10 th & Sun 24 th Sept - all 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

wealdentimes.co.uk

124

HushHeathWineryWT186.indd 1 05/07/2017 16:38

Food

Mini Cherry

Bundt Cakes

Makes 10-12 mini bundt

Prep time: 20 mins


• 125ml whole milk

• 150g plain flour

• 125g caster sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 75g melted butter

• 1 tsp almond extract

• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• a good handful of fresh

cherries, de-stoned and cut

in half (reserve any juice

left from de-stoning)

• 175g icing sugar, for drizzle

1. Pre-heat oven to 170˚C.

Grease and flour mini bundt

tins and pop into the fridge.

2. Place flour and bicarbonate

of soda into a bowl and

stir in the sugar. Add eggs

into the middle with the

melted butter and almond

extract. Mix together and

then add the milk and

continue mixing until

the batter is smooth and

glossy. Add in the cherries

and give it a swirl.

3. Pour until ⅔ full into the

cold prepped tins making

sure all the mixture reaches

all corners of your bundt

tin. Give a little bang on

the work surface to even

out. Place in the oven for

12-15 minutes and check

with a skewer when cooked.

4. Cool on a wire rack in

their tins and then turn

out when cool enough to

handle. Mix icing sugar

with water or lemon or

even cherry juice (left from

de-stoning) until mix is

still slightly runny. Drizzle

artfully over your bundt!

Find out more about

Hamerton+Jones at

hamertonjones.com


Triple Gold Award Winners SPATA 2015

SPATA Pool Contractor of the Year 2015

Specialists in indoor and outdoor swimming pools,

servicing, maintenance and improvements.

XL Pools Ltd, The Parlour, Saracens Dairy,

Pluckley Road, Pluckley, TN27 0SA

Telephone: 0845 20 60 420

Email: enquiries@xlpools.com

www.xlpools.com

Garden

What’s

New?

After Morus rotundiloba ‘Charlotte Russe’

won RHS Plant of the Year 2017,

Sue Whigham takes a look at the latest prizewinning

breeds coming to a nursery near you

Photos: RHS

A

four minute walk from Victoria Station takes

you to Eccleston Square, a wondrous three

acre garden tended by Roger Phillips for the

past twenty-four years. Roger is not only a long term

resident of the square but a complete plantsman

and author of books like Trees in Britain, a well

thumbed reference book here, and Wild Flowers of

Britain which became an international bestseller.

There were great wisterias towering up into the trees

as they would in the wild, a National Collection of

ceanothus and gorgeous roses, not normally hardy in

the UK, in full bloom. And this was in late spring.

But I digress, an added bonus was to meet a

lady on this visit whose last project, whilst working

at RHS Wisley, was to get the Plants for the

Future initiative up and running. This project,

set up in 2014, encourages and advises non

professional British plant breeders in how to get

new plants to the market. The idea is to provide

encouragement and information to anybody who

might have bred a new plant either intentionally

or unintentionally and who might want to bring

it successfully to the commercial market and to

‘support the horticultural industry as a whole’.

As well as showing you how to progress your ‘new

plant’, the initiative also gives you a comprehensive

understanding of the vital PBR or Plant Breeders’

Rights and how to apply for them. These are a

form of intellectual property rights which will

Right: RHS Plant of the Year 2017,

Dwarf mulberry bush, Morus

rotundiloba ‘Charlotte Russe’


uy local

find us in

TICEHURST

Creating Beautiful Gardens

MemorialBenchesWT186.indd 1 17/07/2017 10:20

For Brilliant Year Round Results

Wealden Country Landcraft

wealdentimes.co.uk

Wealden Country Landcraft

For all your design, construction and maintenance requirements, contact:

Adam Sutton BSc (Hons) Environmental Science | Tim Playfoot BA (Hons) Garden Design

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128

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

Garden

Left: Clematis

koreana ‘Amber’

Below: The 21st

century mulberry,

Morus rotundiloba

‘Charlotte Russe’,

grown by 89 year old

Hajime Matsunaga

from Japan

give you, as the breeder, exclusivity over the propagating of your

new variety as well as the marketing side of things. It’ll protect

your potential income from the plant for several years as long as

you register the plant within a year of it first coming to market.

I’ve had a good look at their pretty comprehensive website

which is well worth looking at if you tinker around in your

greenhouse cross fertilising plants or even if you find an

interesting seedling in a flower bed. I always hope that I

might find a hellebore that is unknown as the parent plant

produces so many little seedlings each season, none of them

resembling their parent, that surely there must be just one

little darling waiting to be discovered. Thompson & Morgan,

who have a huge plant breeding site outside Ipswich, tell

the story of a lady finding a primrose yellow foxglove in

her own garden with flowers emerging around the stem.

After some time finessing her one foxglove the plant finally

emerged as Digitalis ‘Primrose Carousel’ and was launched

onto the market some years later. So it can be done.

In less than a decade the Plant of the Year award, judged at

the RHS Chelsea Flower Show each spring has become arguably

the premier plant award. This year there were thirty-five entries

which were delivered to a closed room somewhere in the

showground by, I suspect, horribly nervous nurserymen and

growers. Just think what a difference winning this award must

make. Anyway, the thirty-five plants are then whittled down to

a short list of twenty which then go through to the final round.

These are then put on show in the Great Pavilion. On

the Monday, Press Day and the day of the annual Queen’s

visit, at precisely 11am the judging takes place. The judges

have to take into account whether the plant really is not only

new, but also innovative and likely to last the course rather

than become a ten minute wonder. The voting audience is

usually made up of the great and the good from all corners of

horticulture. By lunchtime it is all over and everyone knows

who the winner is. I don’t know whether there is a grand

announcement or whether word gets out by osmosis.

Last year’s winner was a rather lovely clematis, Clematis

koreana ‘Amber’ exhibited by Taylor’s Clematis. This year,

however, the award went to an ‘edible’ in the form of a dwarf

mulberry tree, Morus rotundiloba ‘Charlotte Russe’ which has

been bred over many years by 89 year old Hajime Matsunaga

from Japan and was exhibited by the Horticultural Trades

Association in the Great Pavilion. I see that it is already for sale

and is described as a 21st century mulberry. Bearing in mind

that mulberries normally can take up to ten years to fruit, this

one, a cross between a white and a black, sounds miraculous.

Apart from being pretty dwarf and absolutely ideal for smaller

gardens and containers as it only gets to 150cm, it has a list of

attributes including being able to fruit on both old and new

wood, with a crop ripening in May on one-year-old plants and

going on right through until autumn. It is also self-pollinating.

What else? Yes, it produces delicious fruits which I’ve never

seen for sale in the shops. I think there’ll be a run on these plants.

The runner up this year was Salvia ‘Crystal Blue’ which

was exhibited on Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants stand at

the Show. This plant was spotted on a nursery in Michigan,

USA seven years ago growing amongst thousands of S.

‘Mainacht’. It was isolated and grown on whilst the breeders

anxiously waited to see if it would revert to being dark but

this didn’t happen and its distinctly branching habit and

exquisite pastel blue flowers obviously caught the eye of

the judges. I can’t wait to join the queue for this one.

Sue Whigham can be contacted on 07810 457948 for

gardening advice and help in the sourcing and supply of

interesting garden plants.


Bespoke design & build treehouses, playhouses

and elevated platforms.

Commercial & International commissions welcomed

Garden Perfection

City Escapes provide domestic & commercial garden solutions

■

■

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Regular Maintenance

Design & Construction

Small one off works

Turf care management

Problem area Solutions

■

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Seasonal Bedding plant displays

Approved pesticide/

herbicides operators

Habitat Management

RHS qualified gardeners

TEL: +44 (0)1403 732452

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CheekyMonkeyS34.indd 1 07/07/2017 CityEscapesWT166.indd 15:40

1 30/10/2015 12:07

Enjoy the outdoors

With Ernest Doe Power

Make the most of the

British summer…

1000’s of products to help you

create the perfect garden

There’s so much more

in your local country store...

We’re online too: ernestdoeshop.com

• Hurst Green

The Foundry, Hurst Green, Etchingham TN19 7QP

Tel: 01580 860495

wealdentimes.co.uk

130

ErnestDoe&SonsWT173.indd 1 20/06/2016 14:33

Garden

Some like it hot

Jo Arnell goes in search of exotic-looking plants that thrive in the great British weather

The garden can be a sultry place in August; it’s often warm

and humid, sometimes thundery, but (fingers crossed)

it can also be hot and dry. The light is different at the

end of the season and the fresh, clear colours of early summer

are softening and deepening. It’s time for a change of tone and

for richer, deeper hues. You could start small and just give your

houseplants a holiday, as many will appreciate a breath of fresh

air. Just be careful to put them somewhere shady and don’t forget

to bring them in before the weather starts to cool. For more

long-lasting impact there are some exotic looking, but surprisingly

hardy plants out there to ensure that even if we can’t get away

for a lush and steamy holiday, we can create a relaxing outdoor

space, even a little patch of tropical paradise. It is good to know

(especially for those of us in a permanent holiday mood) that we

can turn up the heat in the garden borders, whatever the weather.

Practicalities

Many of the large leaved, high impact plants come from areas of

high humidity (hence the large floppy leaves and big bold flowers

to attract tropical pollinators) and need plenty of moisture to keep

them looking good. Containers will need lots of watering and

borders will benefit from a deep, damp mulch of organic matter.

If the winter is frozen and wet there may be casualties, as these

plants are eking it out at the edges of their comfort zones. Cannas

and some Dahlias will need to be lifted and stored over the

winter somewhere frost-free, where they will wait in a dormant

state as they retreat into fleshy rhizomes for the colder months.

Unless you are able to offer protection to tender plants over the

winter it is best to stick with hardy plants that have a jungle look,

rather than dicing with the properly tropical. There are plenty of

lush and leafy plants that will look good all year round and

Top left: Day Lily Top right & bottom right: Dahlias Bottom left: Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’


Professional and award winning garden designers,

specialising in providing designs, project management

and installation of instant gardens.

Telephone 01580 852315 or 07507 877685

www.mcgeachygardendesign.co.uk

info@mcgeachygardendesign.co.uk

McGeachyGardenDesignWT186.indd 1 24/07/2017 17:10

We’ve got designs !

on your garden!

See OUR SHOW GARDEN at CORKER Paddock Wood!

If you are planning a new garden then contact Tim Sykes

!

on 07725 173820, or just Google Gardenproud,!

wealdentimes.co.uk

132

GardenproudWT186.indd 1 20/07/2017 16:08

Garden

many spectacular flowers that will keep going until the first frosts.

Lush leaves

Plants that come from warm and humid places grow big floppy

leaves because they don’t have to conserve water. In general, plants

with big, lush leaves will not appreciate scorching, dry conditions

and will quickly frazzle if planted in poor, free-draining soil and

exposed to harsh sunlight. Many of them would be instantly killed

by the faintest touch of frost too, but there are some large leaved

plants that are able to withstand the worst of our weather without

much help. The castor oil plant, Fatsia japonica, with its big,

shiny, palm-shaped leaves will manage well in a shady corner. If

you have really damp soil, try Rheum palmatum (an ornamental

rhubarb), Rodgersia, or Ligularia for the lush, leafy look. If you

are looking for a sun-worshipper, then an architectural cardoon, or

artichoke will provide large-leaved impact. And for something that

puts up with almost any conditions, try a plume poppy (Macleaya

cordata) with big, beautifully sculpted leaves; but beware – mine

pops up (is this why they’re called poppies?) all over the place.

Exotic climbers and creepers

Vines are an essential part of a tropical theme, adding height

to the heat and helping to create a mini jungle. Climbers

can be trained on walls or fences to provide a backdrop, but

they can also work well when grown up supports or obelisks

within the border. If you want a really jungly look, they can

be left to scramble about through the borders, using the

other plants for support, or as trailing ground cover. Choose

perennials like Passion flowers (Passiflora), the Trumpet vine

(Campsis), or the deliciously scented Chocolate vine, Akebia

quinata. Some fast growing, tender climbers are grown as

annuals and once planted out (after the frosts have passed)

will race up their supports and flower by late summer.

Top left: Dahlias Top right: Canna Middle & bottom: Colourful, lush borders like these need plenty of water to keep them looking good


azine

email: production@indexmagazine.co.uk

Below is a proof of your ad to be published Positions in the in the magazine cannot be guaranteed except where special

tel: 01892 517320

PLEASE NOTE The content of the advertisment it will be taken that this advert is acceptable in

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134

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

Garden

KITCHEN

GARDEN

WEEK

Above: Plume poppy (Macleaya cordata)

Try the Cup and Saucer plant, Cobaea scandens, Black-eyed

Susan (Thunbergia alata) or Spanish Flag (Ipomoea lobata).

Annual impact

Tender annuals need to be sown under cover in early spring

and kept in a frost free place until it’s safe to plant them out

in the garden. They grow quickly – many will be flowering

by June and, because setting seed for the next generation is

their only aim in life, if regularly deadheaded they will keep

on flowering until the first frosts. Reliable favourites like

Cosmos (try a gorgeous bright pink one called C. ‘Dazzler’),

Tithonia, Antirrhinum and Nicotiana will ensure that any gaps

in the border will be packed full of colour for the summer.

Late summer dazzlers

Whites and pastels can look insipid and dull in the sunny parts

of the garden; the colour bleaches away and looks wishy-washy

in strong light. Perhaps it’s something to do with the change

in light at this time of the year, or the stillness of August, when

nothing seems to happen, that makes me want to shake things

up and cause a stir in the borders. Or is it the holiday mood/last

hurrah that makes me relax and enjoy the clash of hot colours

around now: a searing pink Dahlia next to a clear bright orange

Tithonia? Why not? Or lime green Nicotiana, even a bright

yellow daisy (‘surely not yellow?!’ I hear you cry) up against the

deep burgundy leaves of Cotinus coggygria, or Heuchera ‘Plum

Pudding’? Clashtastic! Dahlias, Fuchsias, Rudbeckias and Cosmos

will happily put on a carnival of colour and will last for ages if

deadheaded regularly. Jazz it up and let the brash blooms abound.

It is exciting playing with colours and leaf shapes,

whether that’s in the garden borders or a few containers

on the patio. Our seasons seem to be changing and the

summer and early autumn stays warm for longer now,

extending the time we can spend outside. So we can stay

in holiday mood, throw caution and colour co-ordination

onto the compost heap; let’s make a jungle out there.

Celebration

of the kitchen garden; ‘From The

Garden’

cookery book, based on Pashley, on sale

Also…

lilies & herbaceous borders in bloom

Ticehurst TN5 7HE 01580 200888

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PashleyManorWT186.indd 1 17/07/2017 09:57

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advice: 01233 861149 jo@hornbrookmanor.co.uk

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Individual and bespoke garden spaces

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KateBallWT186.indd 1 11/07/2017 15:32

Feeling Bored?

Susan Elkin explains that, when it comes to school holidays, this isn’t necessarily such a negative

Credit: FreeImages.com/Picaland

It’s the summer holidays – when we tell our children and

anyone else who cares that they get bored by the second day.

If it’s true, and I’m not convinced it is, then it’s a new thing.

I wasn’t a child who adored school. It was just something

you had to do. It was OK but I’d far rather have been

somewhere else: at the swimming bath with my friends,

playing in the park or curled up on my bed with a book

and a Mars bar, for example, as I did day after day during

the glorious holidays. Boredom was rarely an issue.

Today’s children, for all sorts of reasons – some spurious,

some driven by commerce and some very sensible – are less

independent than we were. And the loss of freedom to do

things unsupervised seems to have led, for some, to inertia and

boredom. And that, I think, is a very sad, pretty destructive thing.

On the other hand, it has led to the burgeoning of a wide

range of holiday activities for families who can afford them.

There is, for example, some sort of performing arts summer

school local to almost every child in the country – they’re run

by theatre venues, local branches of chains such as Stagecoach

and Theatretrain, drama schools and specialist organisations.

Typically participants work together for a week or a fortnight

learning skills and then present a mini-show for family and

Blackland Farm

Outdoor Activity Centre

Kayaking

Canoeing

Bungee trampolining

Rock climbing

Archery

Crate challenge

Zip wire

Abseiling

Aeroball...

...and many more!

friends. There are also US-style holiday camps, such as PGL,

where they can undertake activities including art, drama, sport

and more. Look out for entrepreneurial local independent

providers too. I recently interviewed the man who runs the

very successful Holiday Drop Off in south London – lots

of sport and happy children (and parents), it seems.

So the boredom-busting industry is alive and well. It’s

also doing a good childcare job – another relatively new

requirement now that in so many families, both parents

have to work. Although, unusually for my generation, my

parents both did too. We lived, literally, over the shop so

they were always around and able to keep half an eye on

us as we wandered through en route for a friend’s house or

the library for another half dozen books to gobble up.

Twenty-first century school holidays seem to be a matter

of “Time is something to be killed. Every minute must be

filled” as John Betjeman pithily put it. I think that if children

could only be left to their own devices just a little more

during the long summer break then they might be a) more

enterprising and imaginative than some of them are and b)

better refreshed for next term. Boredom can self-sort if it’s

allowed to. Life is not meant to be rigidly structured 24/7.

Penshurst VINTAGE

& Antiques Fair

Penshurst Village Hall TN11 8BP

Come and join us for

fun-filled activity days.

Why not have your

birthday party here too?

Blackland Farm

01342 810493

blackland@girlguiding.org.uk

www.blacklandfarm.org.uk

26 th , 27 th , 28 th August

Trade entry Saturday 9.30am

Public 10.30am–5pm

Entrance £2.00

Come and find fashionable vintage,

French brocante & antique treasures in

charming Penshurst. Enjoy delicious

cakes and tea by Rose & Olive.

wealdentimes.co.uk

136

BlacklandFarmWT138.indd 1 10/07/2013 PenshurstAntiquesFairWT186.indd 17:31

1 24/07/2017 17:05

CANTERBURY FESTIVAL

KENT’S INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL

14 OCT - 4 NOV 2017

Over 200 events including

Newton Faulkner

Imelda May

Tom Kerridge

Ballet Black

Ruby Turner

Tenebrae

Tasmin Little

Rich Hall

Mary Black

and much more!

Further details visit:

canterburyfestival.co.uk

Partner and Principal Sponsor

CanterburyFestivalWT186.indd 1 17/07/2017 12:14

DOC.YARD

BACK THIS

SUMMER!

WITH MORE EXPERIMENTS

AND MORE HANDS ON FUN!

31 ST JULY TO 3 RD

SEPTEMBER 2017

Supported by


CHD-WT186.indd 1 17/07/2017 11:00

What’s On In August

Arts & Crafts

award-winning themed grass maze.

Garden

This town-wide festival of

Entry: All included with usual

music has over 70 events a

Sat 19 Aug – Sun 3 Sept

admission except face painting

Fri 18 Aug 10am – 12.30pm

day for a full week. With craft

Lewes, Seaford and surrounding

Info: 01892 870347 /

Woolbeding Gardens, Brambling

workshops, camping, a craft

areas, East Sussex

chiddingstonecastle.org.uk

Lane, Woolbeding, Midhurst,

and music fair and Concert

Art Wave 2017

West Sussex GU29 9RR

Marquee, there is a great variety

One of the most popular arts events

Mon 21 Aug – Sun 3

Gardeners’ Workshop:

of things to do at any given time

in East Sussex, and well worth a look,

Sept 10am- 5.30pm

An Introduction to

in this beautiful coastal town.

Art Wave 2017 comprises over 100

Groombridge Place, Groombridge

Vegetable Growing

Info: broadstairsfolkweek.org.uk

venues organised into town and rural

Hill, Groombridge, Tunbridge

Woolbeding Gardens’ kitchen

trails. Enjoy a mix of arts and crafts

Wells, Kent TN3 9QG

gardener gives great advice and

Thurs 24 – Mon 28 Aug

including paintings, prints, sculpture,

Wild West Adventure

practial solutions to growing your

Various locations in

jewellery, textiles, ceramics and more.

A fun filled day of Cowboy crafts,

own vegetables at home, from

Rye, East Sussex

Entry: Free

fire-side songs, story-telling and

seed sowing to harvesting.

Rye International

Info: artwavefestival.org

much more including access to

Entry: £19

Jazz & Blues Festival

the Enchanted Forest, Crusoe’s

Info: nationaltrust.org.uk

A collection of the finest Jazz,

Children & Families

World and birds of prey displays.

Blues, R&B, Soul, Funk,

Info: 01892 861444 /

Sat 26 and Sun 27 10am – 5pm

contemporary and crossover

Sat 22 July – Sun 3 Sept

groombridgeplace.com

and Mon 28 Aug 10am – 4pm

stars including Kandace Springs

McArthurGlen Designer

St. Mary The Virgin, Maytham

and Seth Lakeman and venues

Outlet, Kimberley Way,

Food & Drink

Road, Rolvenden, Kent TN17 4LT

such as Simply Italian restaurant

Ashford, Kent, TN24 0SD

Rolvenden Church

and St. Mary’s Church.

Summer Shop

Sun 20 Aug

Flower Festival and

Info: ryejazz.com

The Ashford Designer Outlet

The Corn Exchange, The

Art Exhibition

offers up to 60% off brands such

Pantiles, Royal Tunbridge

At this year’s “Matthew’s Gospel”

Fri 25 – Sun 27 Aug

as Levi’s, Barbour, Hamleys and

Wells, Kent TN2 5TE

themed Flower Festival there will

Mt Ephraim Gardens, Staple

Superdry, and this summer the

Macaron Masterclass

be an art exhibition by local artists

St, Hernhill, Faversham,

centre is transformed with an open

This hands-on half day course at

at the Village hall, a variety of stalls

Kent ME13 9TX

air summer festival garden complete

Rosemary Schrager’s cookery school

and a Swing Night in the church on

A new Day Festival

with ice cream stand, inflatable Water

will teach you to make your own

Sunday 27 August with the Rye Bay

The best of prog, rock, blues,

Walkers, and performances from

box full of macarons with that

Crew performing all of your favourite

and roots all in one terrific

local musicians. All this is topped

perfect crunch on the outside, a

classics. Morning coffee, ploughman’s

festival, with a great line up

off with extra weekday events every

soft inside and delicious filling.

lunches, and cream teas will also be

of classic bands including

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

Entry: £75

available throughout the weekend.

Slade, Big Country and the

including a giant keyboard, digital

Info: 01892 528 700 /

Entry: £10

legendary Uriah Heep.

graffiti and T-shirt making.

rosemaryshrager.com

Info: 01580 240463

Info: anewdayfestival.com

Info: ashforddesigneroutlet.com

Sat 26 – Sun 27 Aug

Music

Summer Activities

Mon 31 July – Sun 3 Sept

Brogdale Collections, Brogdale

Historic Dockyard, Chatham

Road, Faversham Kent ME13 8XZ

Thurs 10 – Sat 12 Aug

Sat 12 Aug 3.30 – 7pm

Doc. Yard Summer Fun!

Artisan Cider Festival

John Darlings Farm,

Hythe Imperial, Princes Parade,

The Doc is back with opportunities

A weekend festival with over

Edenbridge, Kent TN8 5NP

Hythe, Kent CT21 6AE

to learn the mathematical art of

sixty artisan ciders for you to

Lee Fest

Opera in the Park

curves, how ships work, and how

sample as you enjoy live music,

In 2006 sixteen year old Lee Denny

A perfect chance to check

to make curves in water. There

family entertainment, talks,

founded this festival in his back

out Hythe Imperial’s new

will also be an inflatable lifeboat

demos and local shopping.

garden on the basis that while his

formal gardens and Gazebo

with all the accessories and the

Info: brogdalecollections.org

holidaying parents told him not to

(especially if you’re scouting

chance to dress up as a lifesaver for

have a party, they said nothing about

out wedding locations) in an

a great family photo opportunity.

Mon 28 Aug

festivals. Leefest has since risen to be

evening of Opera with inclusive

Entry: Included with annual ticket

Kent Life, Lock Ln, Sandling,

the UK’s most celebrated independent

sparkling wine and canapés.

Info: thedockyard.co.uk

Maidstone ME14 3AU

festival, dubbed ‘a mini version of

Entry: £38

Ice Cream Festival

Glastonbury’ by BBC Radio 1. This

Info: hytheimperial.co.uk

Sun 13 Aug 11am – 5pm

Ice cream vendors, chocolatiers and

year is Neverland themed with a

Chiddingstone Castle,

sweet stalls all gather together to

line up including Annie Mac, Jake

Fri 25 – Mon 28 Aug

Chiddingstone, Edenbridge

offer you some scrummy samples.

Bugg and secret special guests.

The Milk House, The Street,

TN8 7AD

To keep you entertained between

Info: leefest.org

Sissinghurst, Kent TN17 2JG

Ancient Egyptian Day

tasters there will also be a face painter,

Milk Fest

An Educational trip back to ancient

music from The Boogie Woogie Gals,

Fri 11 – Fri 18 Aug

The cream of Kent is showcased

Egypt with a chance to handle

animal activities and a fun farm ride!

Various Locations in

in a full fat long weekend

3000 year old artefacts, learn from a

Info: 01622 763936 / kentlife.org.uk

Broadstairs, Kent

which celebrates all the good

professor of egyptology and visit the

Broadstairs Folk Week

things in life; good food and


What’s On In August

drink including the Milk House’s

Full Fat Festival Top, good music

from local artists such as Indigo

Sea, and good produce at the

homegrown and handmade fair.

Info: themilkhouse.co.uk

Thurs 31 Aug – Sun 3 Sept

Dunorlan Park, Pembury Road,

Tunbridge Wells TN2 3QN

Moscow State Circus

The Royal National Lifeboat

Institution hosts the UK’s largest

bigtop with its new art-deco

production, Gostinitsa, Hotel

of Curiosities featuring awardwinning

clowns and Europe’s

only double Russian swings.

Entry: Adults from £16.20,

Children from £14.40

Info: ticketmaster.co.uk

Theatre

Sat 5 Aug

Mote Park, Mote Avenue,

Maidstone, Kent ME15 7SU

Outdoor theatre:

Alice Through the

Looking Glass

Follow Alice and Quantum Theatre

through the looking glass and into

the mad and fantastical world

of Lewis Carroll in this family

friendly outdoor production.

Entry: Adults £6, Children £4

Info: quantumtheatre.co.uk

Mon 28 Aug 6.30 – 10pm

Walmer Castle and Gardens,

Kingsdown Road, Deal,

Kent CT14 7LJ

Outdoor Theatre:

Jane Eyre

Pull up a picnic blanket at the

exquisite Walmer Castle and

Gardens, as the Chapterhouse

Theatre Company presents a

moving open-air adaptation of

Charlotte Bronte’s mysterious and

beautiful tale of undying love.

Info: english-heritage.org.uk

Wedding

Thurs 17 Aug 6.30 – 8.30pm

Brandshatch Place Hotel &

Spa, Brands Hatch Road,

Fawkham, Kent, DA3 8NQ

Wedding Open Evening

This lovely Hotel and Spa

welcomes you to explore a variety

of bedroom styles and photo op

spots with their expert wedding

co-ordinators and shop wedding

suppliers with their stamp of

approval, covering everything

from stationery to photography.

Entry: Free

Info: handpickedhotels.co.uk

Mon 28 Aug 10am – 2.30pm

Port Lympne Hotel,

Aldington Road, Lympne,

Hythe, Kent CT21 4PD

Wedding Venue Open Day

Be sure to register ahead of time for

this popular wedding open day. Get

a feel for what this unique venue

has to offer as you meet the Hotel’s

award-winning team as well as a

selection of trusted suppliers and

explore the venue’s beautiful reception

rooms, gardens, restaurant and bar.

Info: aspinallfoundation.org

Workshops

Weds 2 Aug 2pm – 4pm

Smallhythe Studio, Tenterden

Dreams and Journeys

Where does your imagination go

when you take it travelling or let it

roam free? Spend a playful afternoon

exploring your dreams and journeys

and put down some words on a page

through fun and creative exercises and

you could connect with yourself and

gain new insights into who you are.

Info: smallhythestudio.com

Listings are correct at time of going to

press but may be subject to change.

Readers are advised to check with

venues before making arrangements.

We can list your event in the next issue

of Wealden Times for only £15! Please

supply up to 50 words that should

include date, time, venue, and any

entry price to whatson@wealdentimes.

co.uk or send with payment (cheques

payable to JPS Media) to What’s On,

Wealden Times, Kettle Chambers, 21

Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17

3HF. Wealden Times reserves the

right to edit text to fit space allocated.

If you would like your event listing

to be accompanied by a full colour

reproduction (42.5 x 62.5mm) of a

poster or other pictorial image, the total

charge will be £95. Deadline for the

September issue is 14 August 2017.

DESIGNER MAKERS

OF CONTEMPORARY AND

TRADITIONAL CRAFTS

EVENTS Contemporary 2012

ICHFLtdWT186.indd 1 04/07/2017 10:44

CRAFT

SHOWS

CONTEMPORARY

CRAFT SHOWS

THROUGHOUT SUSSEX

Upper Dicker, Hailsham, East

Sussex BN27 3QS

www.sussexpast.co.uk

26 - 28 August

PASHLEY

MANOR GARDENS

Ticehurst, Near Wadhurst,

East Sussex TN5 7HE

www.pashleymanorgardens.com

www.thesussexguild.co.uk

01273 479565

3 - 6 August

MICHELHAM PRIORY

with craft demonstrations


SussexGuildWT186.indd 1 05/07/2017 10:20

Garden Services

Home & Interiors

Wealden Wealden Times Times - Bazaar - Classified

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Stylish & Unique Marquees for weddings & parties

www.inpartytentsco.com 07917457820 / 01424 753147

inpartytentsco@aol.com

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of distinction

DECORATIVE & COUNTRY

FURNITURE

UNIT 10 MIDICY OAST, BODIAM BUSINESS PARK

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Please call/text to view 07754427194

1/4 mile down from the Curlew restaurant towards

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All Garden Construction &

Maintenance • Drives

Paving • Walling • Fencing

Untidy Gardens Made

Tidy • Grass Cutting

Made to measure

curtains & blinds

Tracks & poles

Measuring & fitting service

Home consultation

Fabrics & design advice


clarelangdoninteriors.co.uk

www.dhallcabinetmaker.co.uk

David Hall

GeoffTiltmanWT168.indd 1 18/01/2016 ClareLangdonWT184.indd 15:41

1 12/05/2017 16:19

Events

Cabinet Maker

&

Antique Restorer

* High Quality Bespoke Furniture

* Antique Restoration of all types

* Carving and Copy Carving

* Polishing

NO VAT

Phone 01797 270761

Email: hallcrocket@aol.com

IdenSignsWT186.indd 1 25/07/2017 DavidHallWT108.indd 15:51

1 14/01/2011 15:27

MAKERS FAIR

5th & 6th August

Demonstrations of traditional

& contemporary craft.

Admission free.

10am - 5pm.

KING JOHN’S NURSERY

SHEEPSTREET LANE, ETCHINGHAM, TN19 7AZ

2nd & 3rd

SEPTEMBER 2017

10am - 5pm

OPEN

STUDIOS

40 artists working in a range of media showing

in 19 studios in and around Crowborough

www.crowborough-arts.org.uk

wealdentimes.co.uk

142

CranbrookIronWT186.indd 1 06/07/2017 CrowboroughArtsWT186.indd 14:33

1 07/07/2017 12:05

Competition

Win A CoUPLeS retreAt At

dALe HiLL HoteL & GoLF CLUB

To celebrate the new partnership with their local

salon, You Time, Dale Hill is offering Wealden

Times readers the chance to win their new Spa

Package. The Couples Retreat is designed for two people

and includes accommodation in a Standard/Superior

room, a two-course dinner, breakfast and full use of leisure

facilities, plus one treatment each at You Time salon –

choosing from either a Full Body Massage or Classic

Dermalogica Facial. Both treatments are 1hr 15mins each.

You Time salon is only a six minute drive from Dale

Hill Hotel & Golf Club. With so many wonderful

treatments to choose from, it’s hard to know which

one to start with. Their beauty therapists have a vast

amount of knowledge and experi ence in all areas of

tanning, massage and beauty enhancing treatments,

such as facials and nail care for both men and women.

Dale Hill has always enjoyed leisure facilities, dining

and accommodation but has not had a Spa. Partnering

with a local salon who can provide treatments in excellent

settings means customers can indulge in a treatment

before or after a swim or afternoon tea at Dale Hill,

settle down for a sumptuous dinner in their Wealden

View Restaurant and relish a peaceful night’s sleep in

one of the Hotel’s newly refurbished bedrooms.

Dale Hill also offer Spa Day packages, Spa

& Golf packages and Hen packages (which, for

£87pp include leisure facility use, Afternoon Tea

and a trio of treatments). For more information

call 01580 202103 or see dalehill.co.uk.

HoW to enter: Dale Hill Hotel

& Golf Club are offering one lucky

reader a Couples Retreat Spa Package.

For your chance to win* just answer

the following question: What is Dale

Hill’s restaurant called? Enter your

answer with your contact details**

in the online form at wealdentimes.

co.uk/competition or post to: The Dale

Hill Competition, Wealden Times,

21 Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent

TN17 3HF by 18 August. There is

no cash alternative and the prize must

be taken before 30 November 2017.

*Prize is valid Sunday-Thursday,

must be booked in advance subject to

availability and comprises a Couples

Retreat Spa Package for two plus

accommodation in a Standard/Superior

room, a two-course dinner, breakfast

and full use of leisure facilities, plus

one treatment each at You Time salon

– choosing from either a Full Body

Massage or Classic Dermalogica Facial.

**All entrants’ details will be passed

on to Dale Hill and Wealden Times

Events. Please let us know if you do not

wish your details to be passed on.

Congratulations to Jill Todd who wins our July competition for 20L of Autentico Paint


Jane Howard’s

Fables from the Farm

Jane explores what’s in a name when it comes to bloodlines

When our holiday cottage

visitors wander around the

farm they always want to

know the names of the animals they meet

along the way. But truth be told most of

the stock on the farm – and certainly those

that will end up as Sunday lunch – don’t

have a name. So for the younger visitors

we sometimes make it up – Lucky, Stripy,

Spot... whatever. All good until they come

back another year and ask where they can

find Lucky, Stripy and Spot. But there’s

always another brown cow, spotty pig or

bottle fed lamb to serve as a doppelganger.

But we do have names

for all the pedigree stock

– that’s the cows, the bulls

and sometimes the rams. I

spend a great deal of time

contemplating blood lines

and potential suitors for our

herd of pedigree Sussex cows.

Luckily the names are predetermined

– the Coopers

pre-fix, followed by the

mother’s name and then a

number. Our female “lines” are Daffodil,

Snowdrop, Delia, Lofty Lily and Heedless

so among this year’s crop – which is how

farmers refer to a batch of calves – we

have Coopers Daffodil 17th and Coopers

Lofty Lily 10th. Some of the older herds

in the country, like the Petworth herd at,

well, Petworth were founded more than

200 years ago and their female lines are

now numbered well into the hundreds –

we’ve hardly got off the starting block!

“the names are

pre-determined

– the Coopers

pre-fix, followed

by the mother’s

name and then

a number”

To run a pedigree herd you breed and

keep your cows and then every three

years you buy a new bull to bring in

fresh genes. He “works” for three years

after which time he has to be sold on

because his daughters would then be old

enough to need a bull. And along comes

a new younger model. No comment. In

our time here we have had a Supreme,

a Major, a General, a Wellington and

now Gorgeous George who is more

correctly Regent 7th of Goldstone.

But George came three years ago so

when he has finished serving the cows

this summer it will be

time for him to move on

to pastures new and for

us to find a replacement.

But increasingly this is

a problem, for only five

or six Sussex herds breed

bulls – there’s a great deal

of time, effort and expense

involved – and the gene

pool is getting too small

for comfort. So another

option is to get new bull bloodlines by

crossing the cattle to another pedigree

breed – a Limousin, Angus or Shorthorn

say – and then take it from there.

How does that work? Well the first

generation cross is 50% Sussex and, say,

50% Angus and is referred to as an A. If

that A beast was bred with a pure Sussex

the next generation would be 75% Sussex,

B, and one more time and you’d have

one that was 87.5% Sussex and 12.5%

other, a C at which point it is considered

to be pure and can be registered in

the Sussex Herd Book. All good but

it takes about 10 years to get there.

But not everyone agrees with this cross

breeding. There is a core of breeders who

consider it vital to retain the original

Sussex bloodlines. It was back in 1840

that the lineage of Sussex cattle were

first recorded and the official Herd

Book was opened in 1879, so it’s not

difficult to trace back those animals that

have never had any “dodgy” ancestors

and can truly claim to be 100% pure.

And not surprisingly there aren’t many

of them. These are identified by an *

after their pedigree name, as opposed

to an A, B, C, D or E, and although

we don’t have any, I can quite see there

is a role going forward for both.

Genes, George, Generations….

plenty to think about as this

glorious hot summer continues.

Follow Jane Howard – and the farm

– on Instagram @coopersfarm

wealdentimes.co.uk

144

Being pushed out

of your workplace?

Clive will help

you push back.

Clive Howard,

Employment Lawyer.

From employment terminations and

whistleblowing, to discrimination and

profit share issues, Clive has over

20 years’ experience in employment

and partnership disputes.

He’s handled high profile cases with

multi-million pound settlements,

has particular expertise in the financial

and media industries, is highly rated in

the Legal Directories and nominated

by his peers in Who’s Who Legal. So,

if you’re being unfairly treated at work,

he is the perfect person to talk to.

Call us on 0203 3192685

slatergordon.co.uk

Offices in London and

throughout the UK.

Please call for a brochure or visit our showrooms

Unit 9, Chart Farm, Seal Chart 81 Calverley Road

Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0ES

Tel: 01732 762682

Family Tunbridge | Employment Wells, Kent | Estate TN1 2UY Planning | Wills and Probate | Property

Business Tel: 01892 Legal 520730 Services | Serious Injury and Clinical Negligence

www.rencraft.co.uk

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

SUMMER UPHOLSTERY PROMOTION

20% ALL ORDERS PLACED DURING JULY & AUGUST

S AY E R S L A N E • T E NTE RDE N • 015 8 0 7610 0 8

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Wealden Times | WT186 | August 2017 | Wedding supplement inside

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