GARDEN Supplement inside
Inspirational Interiors • Fabulous Fashion • Delicious Dishes
PRICELESS
APRIL 2018
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
01580 291221 jminteriorsuk.uk Biddenden Showroom
MINTERIORS
JFine hand crafted kitchens and bespoke furniture
20 Grosvenor Road | Tunbridge Wells | TN1 2AR
T: 01892 547 132
www.tunbridge-wells.home-design.schmidt
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
Do you have an electric or hybrid vehicle?
Would you like to save up to £500 off
a vehicle charging point with the OLEV
grant funding scheme?*
Electric vehicle charging points
supplied and installed from
just £149 inc VAT
We install charge points in
homes across Kent and Sussex
CONTACT US FOR
MORE DETAILS!
Plug in, charge, drive!
*Ts & Cs apply
wealdentimes.co.uk
8
TotalQualityMaintenanceWT192.indd 1 15/01/2018 12:20
Contents
April 2018
52
124
28
41
52
LATER LIVING STYLE
Maggie Alderson finds the best
of retirement properties
APRIL NOTEBOOK
Wealden events to take
note of this month
FAMILY FAVOURS
Interior designer Alexis Wylie
rejuenvates a family home
117
124
137
FLOOR PLANS
We take a look at three
fabulous flooring trends
RAIN OR SHINE
Kate Watts combats
April showers in style
SOAP STARS
Jo Fairley is bringing
back the bar
157
161
167
148
SPICE IT UP
The Bell in Ticehurst’s head
chef spices things up with
South American flavours
LET THE CHILDREN SPEAK
Hilary Wilce on the importance of
helping children find their voices
WHAT’S ON?
Events to keep you busy this month
77
GET THE LOOK
Inspiration for how to emulate
Alexis Wylie’s unique style
141
SPRING INTO SUMMER
Strictly no scalpels in these
summer-ready solutions
173
COMPETITION
Win a dazzling pair of
diamond earrings
80
INTERIOR DIRECTIONS
The details that will bring
your home bang up to date
145
A YEAR OF WELLNESS
Eminé Rushton begins her Year
of Wellness with a cleanse
174
FABLES FROM THE FARM
Jane Howard warmly welcomes
new arrivals to Coopers
92
115
COASTAL HAVEN
Kathryn Flett loves the lack of
cliché in this maritime cottage
GET THE LOOK
Ideas to try from Marta
Nowicka’s style sheet
147
148
NATURAL WISDOM
Yoga, skin treats and priceless
advice from a wellbeing guru
FROM AN ENGLISH GARDEN
Aaron Bertelsen of Great Dixter’s
simply beautiful recipes
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 © 2018 JPS Media Ltd. The views of the advertisers and contributors are not
necessarily those of JPS Media Ltd.
GARDEN
SUPPLEMENT
34 pages of
flowers, veg,
hens, lawns and
expert advice on
outdoor living
After page 158.
Gardens
A Wealden Times Supplement
Sponsored by
View the new Garden Directory online at wealdentimes.co.uk View the new Garden Directory online at wealdentimes.co.uk
9
Flowers • Veg • Hens • Lawns • Outdoor Living
06WT194Supplement.indd 1 20/03/2018 10:09
Staplehurst
A compact Grade II listed country estate in a quiet and peaceful setting
surrounded by its own land
6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 5 reception rooms. Separate 2 bed cottage. Separate 3
bed bungalow. Double garage, triple garage, stabling and studio. Tennis court. In all
approximately 40 acres.
Guide price: £1,750,000
simon.biddulph@knightfrank.com
01892 310700
KnightFrank.co.uk/tunbridge-wells
julia.robotham@knightfrank.com
01892 310700
KnightFrank.co.uk/country
@KF_HomeCounties
KnightFrank.co.uk
Our understanding of the
ever-changing market enables us
to price your property accurately.
And with our local knowledge
and extensive network of London
offices, you can rely on Knight
Frank to get you moving.
Call us today on 01892 310700 to
discuss your property search or to
arrange a free market valuation.
Guide price: £450,000
Iden Green
* Computer generated image
Opportunity to build a detached family house within the Cranbrook School Catchment Area
Building plot with Planning Permission to construct a detached 4 bedroom family house
with ancillary gardens, parking and 2 car ports (one double and one single).
In all about 0.6 acres.
@KF_HomeCounties
KnightFrank.co.uk
Guide price: £1,595,000
Hawkhurst
An impressive period property on the Moor side within the Cranbrook School Catchment Area
5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 4 reception rooms. Detached double garage with 1 bed annexe above. Swimming pool, paddocks, stables
and manege. Detached games room. In all about 9.72 acres.
Winchelsea, East Sussex - £675,000
Four bedroom link detached house on the edge of the
Ancient Town of Winchelsea. Living/dining room, kitchen,
study, bedroom 1 with en-suite, 3 further bedrooms.
Attached double garage. Garden. EPC C
Fairlight, East Sussex - £735,000
Lovely detached Grade II Listed thatched cottage in a rural
position. Living room, dining room, kitchen, utility, master
bedroom with en suite, two further bedrooms. Double garage
and attached office. Garden & grounds of approx. 1 acre.
Rye, East Sussex - £450,000
An attached modern property in a favoured hill top location
in the Conservation Area. Living room, open plan dining
room and kitchen, 3 double bedrooms. Double garage.
Shared front courtyard. Partly walled rear garden. EPC F
Winchelsea Beach, East Sussex - £530,000
Detached three bedroom bungalow situated within the
coastal village of Winchelsea Beach overlooking the Harbour
Field. Sun room, dining room, living room, kitchen, utility, 3
bedrooms. Tandem garage. Off road parking. Gardens. EPC D
Rye, East Sussex - £925,000
Stunning detached period house close to Rye. Reception
hall, sitting room, drawing room, living room, dining room,
study, kitchen/breakfast room, cellar, master bedroom
suite, 4/5 further bedrooms. Garage. Parking. Garden.
Rye, East Sussex - £650,000
An attached Grade II Listed period property on a cobbled
street in the central Conservation Area with views. Sitting
room, dining room, kitchen, cellar, three bedrooms, bathroom.
Walled rear garden. Store. Permit parking.
RYE OFFICE 01797 227338
MAYFAIR OFFICE 0870 112 7099
phillipsandstubbs.co.uk
‘Our Focus Determines Your Reality’
HARPERS AND HURLINGHAM
CHAINHURST £1,695,000
SUBSTANTIAL COUNTRY HOME
Entrance hall · Four reception rooms · Kitchen/
breakfast room · Seven bedrooms (four ensuite)
· Detached two bedroom cottage · Pool complex
with gym and sauna · Approx. 7.6 acres · EPC: G
Rural yet convenient hamlet location
GOUDHURST £1,395,000
QUINTESSENTIAL GRADE II LISTED COTTAGE
Three reception rooms · Kitchen with Aga · Utility/
cloakroom · Four/five bedrooms (two ensuite)
· Delightful, well stocked garden with stunning views
· Garage and parking · EPC: n/a
Cranbrook School Catchment Area
RURAL STAPLEHURST O.I.E.O. £1,350,000
STUNNING UNLISTED PERIOD FARMHOUSE
Three reception rooms · Kitchen and breakfast room
· Utility room · Six double bedrooms (two ensuite)
· Extensive outbuildings with planning to convert
· Gardens approximately 0.72 acres · EPC: D
Cranbrook School Catchment Area
GREAT CHART £1,195,000
GRADE II LISTED FARMHOUSE
Two reception rooms · Kitchen/breakfast room · Four
bedrooms (one ensuite) · Annexe · Pool and pool
house · Snooker room and gym · Equestrian facilities
· Grounds approximately 4.5 acres · EPC: n/a
Must be viewed to appreciate all that is on offer
Sales & Lettings Team
Harpers&Hurlingham
The Cornerhouse, Stone Street, Cranbrook
01580 715400
www.harpersandhurlingham.com
LONDON OFFICE: KENSINGTON 020 7938 2311
Jane Emilie Chez Cathy Sarah Debbie Jane A Debbie S Janey Caroline Dianne
SALES / LETTINGS / MANAGEMENT
VISIT US AT HUNTERS.COM
HERE TO GET you THERE
BROOKLAND £800,000 - £850,000
Equestrian Property | Rubber School, Paddocks and Stables | Four Bedrooms
A unique detached family home with a detached self-contained annexe and
yard with alarmed containers ideal for commercial use, set in approx 1.66
acres, located off a quiet country lane.
EPC RATING D
ROLVENDEN O.I.E.O £800,000
Open Plan Living Space | Mature Private Gardens | Located in the CSCA
A truly unique and one of a kind three bedroom detached home that has been
converted from a water tower, set in grounds of around 1.4 acres with fantastic
far reaching views over the surrounding countryside in a popular village.
EPC RATING D
HIGH HALDEN £775,000
Five Bedroom Detached | Three Reception Rooms | Views Over Countryside
A spacious well-presented fi ve-bedroom detached family home with three
reception rooms, situated in a private development of only 12 executive homes,
and on a third of an acre plot with fantastic views over open countryside.
EPC RATING D
OLD ROMNEY £800,000
Underfl oor Heating | Three Reception Rooms | Detached Double Garage
If you have an eye for detail and high quality then this exclusive 4/5 bedroom
property is a must view. The home has recently been built to a high
specifi cation and has wonderful views across the Romney Marsh countryside.
EPC RATING B
GREAT CHART £400,000 - £425,000
Four Bedroom Cottage | Three Reception Rooms | Period Features
Beautiful Grade II Listed detached cottage in a tucked away position, backing
onto open countryside. The property has retained many period features to
include exposed beams and inglenook fi replace.
EPC EXEMPT
WOODCHURCH £500,000
Five Bedrooms | Two Reception Rooms | En Suite and Bathroom
A spacious fi ve bedroom detached family home with 24ft reception room,
large kitchen/dining room, conservatory and located in a quiet cul de sac just
off the village green in the desirable village of Woodchurch.
EPC RATING D
HERE TO GET you THERE
TENTERDEN
01580 763 278
ASHFORD
01233 613 613
HYTHE
01303 261 557
Over 150 independently owned branches across the UK.
FOLKESTONE
01303 210 335
MEET YOUR LOCAL Tenterden Team!
Jake, Andrew & Laura
Over 200 independently owned branches across the UK.
Cranbrook Guide PriCe £2,350,000
5 Receps · 6 Beds · Leisure Complex · S Pool · 6 Acres · CSCA · Grade II*
robertsbridGe Guide PriCe £775,000
2 Reception Rooms · 4 Beds · Superb Kitchen · Walk to shops & MLS · EPC C
HiGH Halden offers in exCess of £700,000
3 Receptions · 5 Bedrooms · 3 Bath/Shower Rooms · Extended Victorian · EPC E
betHersden offers in exCess of £500,000
1/2 Reception Rooms · 2/3 Beds · Income Potential from Pod · Listed Grade II
Thinking of moving? Contact us today for a free market appraisal
For Lettings call Ella Krzos or Sales call Rupert Newcomb
biddenden Guide PriCe £375,000
PP to create: 3 Receptions · 3 Beds · 2 Baths · Secluded Setting · CSCA · EPC E
benenden Guide PriCe £295,000
2 Receptions · 2 Bedrooms · Centre Village · Walk to Shops · CSCA · Grade II
SALES 01580 720 000
LETTINGS 01580 720 400
37 Stone St, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF
cranbrook@jackson-stops.co.uk
lettings.cranbrook@jackson-stops.co.uk
jackson-stops.co.uk propErTy ExpErTS SINcE 1910
My son mentioned it,
so I decided to look
round. The apartments
were stunning and the
facilities fantastic. I can’t
wait to move in.
LUXURY RETIREMENT COMMUNITY, HEXTABLE, KENT
Opening soon, Emerson Park, Hextable, will provide an
exceptional choice of beautiful, elegant apartments all
designed for active, independently-minded retirees. Live life to
the full with exclusive private amenities, on-site services and
fully-managed maintenance – all from as little as £315,000
*.
• Reception/concierge
• Lounge, restaurant & bar
• Exercise studio & gym
• Hair and beauty salon
• Cinema/TV room
• Private transport service
• Recreation and social
events calendar
• 24 hr emergency call
system to on-site staff
Take control today. To find out more, and
to visit the show suite, call 01322 515417.
SHOW SUITE OPEN Monday to Saturday 10am – 4pm
Emerson Park, Rowhill Road, Hextable BR8 7RL
Web: www.cinnamoncc.com/emersonpark
* Other costs and charges apply, please talk
to our advisers for further information.
MAXIMISE THE VALUE
OF YOUR LAND
Have you got a large
garden or plot of land?
We are experts at working
with owners to maximise
the full value of their land
Industry leading experts
We take care of the planning permission!
The risk-free way to maximise your land
Zero cost to you!
Planning laws are changing
Act now before its too late!
What our clients say…
"The team had a huge amount of
knowledge and every step was handled
in a professional manner. Their excellent
relationship with the local planning
department helped achieve a fantastic
result for us. We would have no
hesitation in recommending them to
anyone who wants to achieve planning".
Amanda and Robert Petch
June 2016
"The cost involved to try and
get planning on our land
were just not feasible for us.
Working with Country House
meant we didn’t have to risk
our money as they took care
of everything"
Mr C Partridge (Loose, Kent)
September 2016
For a free appraisal call 0843 557 4080
www.maximisemyland.co.uk
sales@countryhousehomes.co.uk
“Guy and team at CHH did a fantastic
job securing planning permission on
our rear garden plot. Although a fairly
problematic application (which took
over 18 months), they kept us informed
throughout the entire process.
I would certainly use them again”
David J (Oxted, Surrey)
January 2017
LAST FEW
REMAINING
SUTTON VALENCE, KENT
AN EXCLUSIVE GATED
DEVELOPMENT OF 5 BEDROOM
DETACHED LUXURY HOMES
PRICES FROM £975,000
TO BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT PLEASE
CONTACT THEA HEATON ON: 020 7205 2144
OR EMAIL SALES@NEWCOURT.CO.UK
WWW.NEWCOURT.CO.UK
BEAUTIFUL NEW HOMES
FROM JUST
£69,000 *
At the heart of Tenterden is an exclusive collection of
apartments, coach houses and houses available on a
shared ownership basis (part buy/ part rent) with Moat.
Register your interest today: moat-churchview.co.uk
For more information contact Jenny Slatcher at Moat on 0845 359 6228 jenny.slatcher@moat.co.uk
Because we understand
that it’s so much more than
bricks and mortar
+44 (0) 1580 713825 | fionapenny.com
Property Search in Kent and East Sussex
Highest Returns
Guaranteed
Land Sales Support
land-sales-support.co.uk
Unlock the
full value
of your land
We are a friendly, independent company
that assists landowners across Sussex and
Kent to sell their land for its full value.
Whether a garden plot or a large development site, with
our team of experienced architects and surveyors we
will explore all of your planning and sales options and
expertly guide you through each stage of the process.
Unlike some others we work solely for the benefit of the
landowner so we do not partner with developers or any
other buyers.
• Free site visits and valuations
• No upfront cost options
• Land Promotion Agreement specialists
To discuss the potential of your land or to
arrange a free site visit please call us on
01424 251976
01622 673086
enquiries@sibleypares.co.uk
sibleypares.co.uk
LandSalesSupport192.indd 1 15/01/2018 12:31
50%
SOLD
Esquire Developments
Invite you to see the home
of your dreams…….
Take the opportunity to view a range
of bespoke homes with exclusive offers
available for those looking to reserve.
These two exclusive private gated developments
offer executive 4 & 5 bedroom homes.
Showhome open
Thursday-Monday
10:00-16:00
*Call for all other appointment
times
Prices from £475,000
Penny Close & Summer Sun Court, Boughton Monchelsea, Kent, ME17 4HY
wealdentimes.co.uk
22
SibleyParesWT194.indd 1 16/03/2018 14:59
Residential Sales
#TheGardenOfEngland
NO CHAIN
Tenterden
OIEO £625,000
Elegant 4 bedroom Georgian town house with
a self contained one bedroom cottage in the
grounds, off road parking. EPC Rating E
Charing
Guide £1,295,000
Beautifully restored Kentish farmhouse in 1.4 acre
gardens, two adjacent dwellings available separately
and up to 18 acres of additional land. EPC Rating NA
Great Chart
Guide £970,000
Converted period barn, courtyard setting, garden
frontage to the River Stour (fishing rights). Good
access to the International Station. EPC Rating D
Charing
Guide £995,000
Detached 5 bedroom Georgian house - high
specification with contemporary and traditional
styling, gardens with coach house. EPC Rating C
Tenterden
Guide £875,000
Extended 4 bedroom detached family home, double
garage, south facing gardens overlooking fields,
walking distance of town centre. EPC Rating D
Tenterden
Guide £675,000
Well presented detached 4 bedroom house, double
garage, gardens backing onto woodland, in a popular
residential area of the town. EPC Rating C
Hobbs Parker Estate Agents www.hobbsparker.co.uk
Tenterden 01580 766766 | Ashford 01233 506260
01580 766766
sJD – Developing potential
If you think your land or property has development
potential, why not give us a call without obligation
and in confidence.
Many of our clients retain our services and,
in the majority of cases, pay our fees saving
property owners significant costs.
Call us now
For regular updates, visit us at twitter.com/projects
Contact Stephen Donnelly on
07739 514350 or 0845 456 8969
web: sjd-projects.com • email: steve@sjd-projects.com
Commercial buildings for residential conversion • Former public houses • Redundant buildings for redevelopment
Buildings for conversion or replacement • Houses for improvement • Large sites on the edge of town • Barn conversions
Large gardens in residential areas • Major regeneration projects
We are alWays on the lookout for lanD anD property With Development potential
We call it home
We call it it it home
SJDprojectsWT191.indd 1 30/11/2017 17:16
The Coachworks. Luxurious properties
The The The Coachworks. in a unique Luxurious and beautiful properties
location.
in a in in unique in a a Discover unique and the and and hidden beautiful delights location. of village life in retirement.
Discover Discover the hidden the the There hidden delights are delights few of villages of of of as village vibrant life in life as life in in Ticehurst in retirement.
and the generous
There There are There few are villages are few
apartments
few villages as vibrant as as
of as vibrant
The
as Ticehurst
Coachworks
as as as Ticehurst and
are
the and
but
and generous
the
a
the short
generous
stroll from its heart.
apartments of The of of of The Becoming The Coachworks part are but of are our a are but short community but a a short stroll a short from stroll and stroll its from right from heart. its its sizing its heart. heart. for retirement
Becoming Becoming part of part
will
our part of of
give of our our
you community freedom
and right and
to
and
make sizing right right the
sizing for sizing
most
retirement for for of
for retirement
every day, whether that
will give will will you give give freedom you you involves
freedom to make to
looking
to to make the make most
after the the of most
the
most every
grandchildren
of of of every day, every whether day, day, or
whether
hopping that
that
on
that
the Eurostar.
involves involves looking looking after More the after after spacious the the grandchildren than
or
most
hopping or or
and or hopping
set on
in
the on
delightful
on Eurostar.
on the the Eurostar.
courtyard gardens,
More spacious More More spacious than most than than and most most set and in and
we set delightful
think
set in in delightful in
you courtyard
will like
courtyard what
gardens,
you
gardens,
see.
we think we we we you think Come think will you you and like will what will visit like like you what and what see.
you have you see. see. a drink on us at our
Come Come and visit and favourite and and visit visit have and local. and have a have Please drink a a drink a on quote us on at on us CHEERS us our at us at at our our to retrieve this
favourite favourite local. local. Please offer Please quote when quote CHEERS booking CHEERS to your retrieve to to appointment to retrieve this
this this with us.
offer offer when offer when booking booking your your your appointment with with us. with us. us.
THE COACHWORKS
THE THE COACHWORKS
TICEHURST VILLAGE
TICEHURST High Street, Ticehurst, VILLAGE
East Sussex TN5 7EX
High High Street, Street, Sales: Ticehurst, 01580 East East Sussex East 200 Sussex TN5 557 TN5 7EX / TN5 07506 7EX 7EX 177 233
Sales: Sales: 01580 01580 Green 200 200 Lizard 557 557 / 07506 Wadhurst: / 07506 / 177 177 233 177 01892 233
786 720
Green Green Lizard Lizard Wadhurst: 01892 01892 786 786 720
720
www.coachworksticehurst.co.uk
www.coachworksticehurst.co.uk
www.greenlizardhomes.co.uk
www.greenlizardhomes.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
24
CourtRoyalDevelopmentWT194.indd 1 21/03/2018 16:53
In property, trust is everything…
01580 242700
2 Windmill Oast, Windmill Farm, Rolvenden, Kent TN17 4PF
CaNterBury £650,000
Grade II listed 4 bedroom townhouse sitting proudly within the City walls.
BeCkley, Nr. rye oieo £875,000
3/4 bedroom detached Eco house set in 11 acres of semi-ancient woodland.
sold
sold
WittershaM £725,000
Enchanting Grade II Listed 4 bedroom detached Oast House.
let agreed
horsMoNdeN oieo £900,000
3/4 bedroom detached, period cottage set in almost 5 acres.
let agreed
BoughtoN MoNChelsea
£3250 pcm
A magnificent 5 bedroom, 16th century house set in an idyllic rural position.
PeasMarsh, Nr. rye
£3000 pcm
Unique and architecturally significant 4/5 bedroom Oast conversion.
Boxley, Nr. MaidstoNe – to let £2300 pcm rolveNdeN layNe – to let
Poa
16th Century, 5 Bedroom Grade II listed farmhouse in pretty village location. Exceptional 6 bedroom country house with breath-taking rural views.
Weald Property… trusted to sell and let exceptional Wealden homes since 1985.
wealdproperty.net
Playden Guide Price £995,000
A delightful detached family home with versatile accommodation in excess of 3,700 sq ft set on a quiet country
lane with rural views. 7 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, 4 Reception Rooms, Kitchen/Breakfast room, Cellar, Utility room and
Cloakroom. Workshop/Store/Potting Shed. Garden grounds 0.8 acres - EPC: F
Icklesham Guide Price £675,000
A modern rebuilt character thatched cottage, with open plan living, situated on a quiet country lane with stunning
rural views looking over the Brede Valley. 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, 2 Reception Rooms. Large open plan Kitchen/
Dining Room, Utility Hallway and Cloakroom. Detached Garage. Garden grounds approx. 0.25 acres - EPC: D
Thinking of Moving - Now is the Time.
With spring on the way and new shoots blooming, come and talk to the
experienced Anderson Hacking team for a Free market appraisal.
www.andersonhacking.com 55 Cinque Ports Street, Rye TN31 7AN Rye 01797 224852 | London (Park Lane) 020 76294141
EXQUISITE
COMFORTS
Elegantly crafted three, four and five bedroom homes.
Just 400 metres from Tenterden’s boutique High Street.
YOUR STYLE OUR QUALITY
High specification homes available now with a
bespoke range of premium fixtures and fittings
and paint colours by Farrow & Ball.
Prices from £450,000.*
Show homes open daily 10am to 5pm
01580 854076 churchview-tenterden.co.uk
RESERVE EARLY AND HAVE
FIRST CHOICE OF
THE BEST HOMES
HOUSE TO SELL? Ask about our
Easy Mover service to help sell
your existing home
*Prices correct at time of print. Farrow & Ball colour shades apply to front door.
HOUSE OF THE MONTH
1.
1.
Later living it up
Maggie Alderson is looking forward to the
next of life’s housing stages
Life’s housing stages used to divide up neatly into parental home, first
home and family home… then it all got a bit vague. If you were lucky
there would be a granny flat arrangement with one of the sprogs, if not
there were very few options, especially once the point was reached when even a
retirement bungalow got a bit much to deal with.
How quickly and brilliantly that has all changed, with the dawn of the
appealing concept of ‘later years living’, with the emphasis very much on the
word living. That’s how we think about the stage after the family home years
now, another style of living, not a custodial sentence. Something to look
forward to.
Now there is a whole new genre of retirement living options, with
developments so well designed that, rather than induce regret at the house
and environs left behind, they can inspire a whole new lease of energy, with
an invigorated social life. And not having to worry about roofs, gutters, lawns,
fallen leaves etc ever again. The joy.
I consider myself particularly well versed in this segment of the property
market, having researched it very thoroughly for my mother and being so
impressed with what I saw I was inspired to set a large part of the action in my
most recent novel in a glamorous retirement development (The Scent of You, out
in June).
The apartments themselves, in every later years set-up I visited, are sleek and
thoughtfully equipped to take unnecessary little irritants out of daily life, with
luxuries such as electric windows, illuminated light switches at elbow height
and front doors that don’t lock automatically on closure.
I can also attest to the quality of the social aspect. Lunch with my mum’s
new group of friends is a riot and the wine flows. Here are some of the best
retirement developments currently on the market.
1. Audley Mote
Where? Audley Mote is situated near
the village of Bestead, from where trains are
just over an hour to London Victoria, just
over ten minutes drive to Maidstone.
What?In a development by premium
retirement home specialists Audley
Number 3, The Stables is set within the
Grade II* listed Georgian stable block at
Audley Mote House retirement village.
This two-bedroom cottage has a walkin
wardrobe and en suite in the Master
bedroom and a high quality kitchen with
SieMatic units and Corian worktops. The
kitchen and dining room are open plan
and look out over the sunny courtyard.
The cottage also has a downstairs WC
and main bathroom next to the second
bedroom upstairs. All owners automatically
become members of the Audley Club, with
use of the restaurant, bistro bar, health
and wellbeing centre, fitness suite and
swimming pool.
How much?The apartment is priced
at £414,000. Contact Audley on
01622 297192 audleyvillages.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
28
2.
3.
4.
2.
3.
4.
2. Emerson Park
Where? Emerson Park is situated in
the Kent village of Hextable with easy
access to the M25 and M20 motorways.
The nearest train station is a five-minute
drive away, and from there, central
London is just 35 minutes.
What? Emerson Park is a brand new
retirement village providing wonderful
facilities including Club Room, cafébar,
hair and beauty salon, cinema
room and gym. Services include staff on
site 24 hours a day, a daily scheduled
transport service, a dedicated Events and
Activity Manager as well as all external
maintenance. Apartment 11 is situated
within Emerson Lodge and is a generous
911 sq ft two-bedroom apartment. The
large lounge has an adjoining fully-fitted
kitchen, complete with granite worktop.
The main bedroom has an en suite
shower room while there is a second
bathroom off bedroom two.
How much? Apartment 11 is on the
market for £453,000. For more details call
01322 515417 or visit
cinnamoncc.com/emersonpark
3. The Coachworks
Where? The Coachworks sits in the
centre of the lovely (you could say perfect)
Wealden village of Ticehurst, with its great
shops, the wonderful Bell pub (see page
157) and the Lighthouse Bakery. There’s
so much going on here you probably
wouldn’t want to leave, but there are
several stations on the Charing Cross line
in easy reach, with journey times just over
an hour to. Tunbridge Wells is 30 minutes
by car.
What? There are just 25 apartments in
The Coachworks, so they are larger than
most other ‘right-sizing’ homes on the
market, all with more than 1,000 square
feet of space, and set around beautiful
courtyard gardens. Each has its own
private outdoor space, whilst inside is
light and spacious. From the silent fresh
air exchange system to generous storage,
these apartments have been thoughtfully
designed throughout
How much? Prices start at £330,000
for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom
apartment. Coachworks is marketed
through Green Lizard, 01892 786720
greenlizardhomes.co.uk
4. Durrants Village
Where? Durrants Village is set amongst
30 acres of idyllic parkland and beautiful
West Sussex countryside in the hamlet
of Faygate, close to the market town of
Horsham, from where it’s just over an hour
to Victoria. Gatwick airport is a cheeky 20
minute drive.
What? The village offers 175 luxury
retirement properties – two-bedroom
apartments and two and three bedroom
cottages. The homes centre around an
on-site clubhouse providing country
club-style facilities, including a restaurant,
bar, lounge, swimming pool, gym and
library. Within the landscaped grounds
there is also a croquet lawn and a lake
with duck houses. The management will
also be implementing bespoke home-care
services that will offer residents a hotel-style
standard of service, as well as an increased
level of care, should their needs change in
the future.
How much? Prices start from
£510,000 for a two-bedroom cottage and
from £527,950 for three bedrooms.
01293 851935 durrantsvillage.co.uk
29 wealdentimes.co.uk
OAK FRAMED BUILDINGS
HOME & GARDEN FEATURES
QUALITY DECKING & CLADDING
TUMBLED & CRACKED ENGINEERED FLOORING
OAK & WALNUT FLOORING
www.roundwood.com
Tel: 01435 867 072
Round Wood | Newick Lane | Mayfield | East Sussex | TN20 6RG
Fast access to GPs
and referrals all in one
convenient location
FREE
parking
Doctor
our
will see you now
Our new GP service offers
flexible appointments to get
you back on track in no time
25minute
appointments
Expert
care
X-rays
CT scans
Blood testsMRI
Pathology
In-house
pharmacy
Appointments
£95
Rapid
access to results
Call 01580 242 521 or visit benendenhospital.org.uk/GP
For Terms & Conditions please visit benendenhospital.org.uk/GP
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
Had enough
of being
overweight?
Hands up all those who feel they’re in a
constant battle to achieve and maintain
the weight they want to be. How many
diets have you tried and failed, feeling
totally frustrated and not knowing what
to do next?
Having had a weight problem for 35 years, Rachel was
desperate to find a way of being able to lose weight once
and for all. ‘I had just about resigned myself to the fact that I would be
overweight for the rest of my life, when I came across the principles
of the Metabolic Weight Loss Programme. I followed these and to my
amazement, I lost 3 stone in just over 3 months and then
went on to successfully maintain my weight. The
relief was enormous to have found something
that finally worked for me.’
Leading Weight Loss
Consultant
Rachel became passionate about
wanting to help as many people
as possible with their weight
problems, which led her to
become a qualified weight loss
consultant. In the last 15 years,
she has helped over 5,000 clients
from all walks of life to help bring
their dieting days to an end once
and for all. Clients’ ages range
from 8 to 90 years, so there is hope
for everyone!
A sustainable way to lose
your weight and keep it off
One of the popular aspects of the Metabolic
Weight Loss Programme is there’s nothing
faddish about it. There are no meal replacements,
diet shakes or diet pills. All the foods on the programme are
easily obtainable. Clients frequently say just how easy it is to follow,
they don’t feel hungry and are not having to constantly battle with
cravings. The four stages of the programme are tailored as necessary
to provide the maximum results for each client.
‘We set your target weight at the beginning and then get on with the
business of helping you lose the weight, addressing any difficulties
along the way, then we help you keep it off – for good!’
Health Benefits
With an average
weight loss of 7-14lb
a month for clients
and hundreds of hand
written testimonials,
Rachel’s results speak
for themselves.
Rachel Ricketts, Weight Loss Consultant
Clients often comment on how impressed their doctors are with their
results. ‘My doctor is very happy, I’ve been able to come off blood
pressure and cholesterol medication,’ says one. Another doctor said,
‘All my lady patients on thyroid medication are struggling to
lose weight, but you’ve lost 2 ½ stone despite being
on thyroxin – well done!’
One-to-one support
Rachel and her team give weekly
one-to-one consultations, guiding
you through the programme with
personalised support, lots of
empathy and total conviction in
the success of the programme.
Email support is available in
between consultations.
For those who are not able to
visit, a very successful remote
support service is provided
throughout the UK and overseas.
With an average weight loss of
7-14lb a month for clients and
hundreds of handwritten testimonials,
Rachel’s results speak for themselves. ‘I
see real results daily, time after time I see
people’s lives change in front of me.’
Do visit www.rachelrickettsweightloss.co.uk for
client’s videos and testimonials.
Rachel offers free consultations for those who
are wanting to lose their weight once and for all
Call now: 01342 327396
Email rachel@rachelrickettsweightloss.co.uk
www.rachelrickettsweightloss.co.uk
FREE
NO OBLIGATION
HOME VISIT,
QUOTATION AND
FITTING
For the ultimate in timeless elegance look no further than
Blind Blind Design’s Design’s range range of blinds, of shutters and and blinds. curtains.
Call Freephone
0800 988 1071 1071
For Your Free Home Visit Visit
Unit 6, 6, Harvington Business Park, Brampton Road, • Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 9AF
Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm, Sat 9am - 2pm
Telephone 01323 509 661. Freephone 0800 988 1071
Telephone 01323 509 661 Freephone 0800 988 1071
www.blind-design.co.uk
www.blind-design.co.uk
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: ST LEONARDS-ON-SEA • EASTBOURNE • HAYWARDS HEATH
www.hks-uk.com
Selection from ‘Colour Corrosion’ Limited Editions
JUST TEN GALLERY
RYE
LIMITED EDITION FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY
BY CLIVE SAWYER
103a High Street, Rye, East Sussex TN31 7JN
www.just-ten.gallery clive@just-ten.gallery M: 07738 715354
7th, 8th & 9th June 2018
Hole Park, Rolvenden TN17 4JB
Pre-book
discounted
tickets online
now!
Using this code
WT1
Sponsored by
HARPERS AND HURLINGHAM
INTERIORS & SOFT
FURNISHINGS
Interiors are close to our hearts here at
Wealden Times and we’ve hand-picked a
collection of makers and collectors to
showcase their products at the fair! See
wealdentimes.co.uk/events for the full list.
Gardens
Where better to find glorious plants and
outdoor accessories than in the ‘Garden of
England’ amongst the formal borders of
the Hole Park Estate? See page 158 for this
month’s Garden Supplement and keep an eye
out for some of our fabulous exhibitors!
Don’t miss...
The Fenwick Beauty Hub will feature
a range of complimentary treatments
from brands including Charlotte Tilbury,
Dermalogica and Clarins. Plus, throughout
the three days there will also be talks and
workshops from Kiehl’s, Aveda, Caudalie
and many more still to be announced!
Design & Planning
Restoration
New Build
Barn Conversions
Extensions
Joinery
COX
Developments
(Charing) Limited
www.coxrestorations.co.uk
www.coxdevelopmentscharing.co.uk
NATIONAL AWARD WINNER COX DEVELOPMENTS
(CHARING) LIMITED – BEST SMALL DEVELOPMENT
For a free consultation please contact: 01233 714950
www.coxrestorations.co.uk
Established 1986
Over 30 years of inspiration
Everything for your home
• Traditional Hand-Made
English Furniture
• Contemporary Furniture
• Upholstery
• Lighting
• Accessories
• G i ft s
High Street, Tenterden. 01580 764481
tenterdenhouseinteriors.co.uk
The Kitchen is the Heart of Your Home
See how we can transform your home today www.bentonskitchens.co.uk canterbury@bentonskitchens.co.uk
Showroom: 17 Maynard Road, Canterbury, Kent CT1 3RH Telephone: 01227 767576
Sourdough School...
Both beginners and more advanced bakers can learn the lifelong
skill of baking bread, sourdough, pasta, pizza and/or sweet-dough
at Canterbury Baking School. At their Sourdough classes on
Monday 2, Sunday 15 and Sunday 22 April, students will make
two different starters and learn to develop, shape and adapt a
variety of different sourdough breads. The usual entry price is
£165pp but Wealden Times readers can claim £10 off when
you quote Wealden10. For details and booking email vicky@
canterburybakingschool.com or visit canterburybakingschool.com
April
notebook
Exhibitions & events
near you this month...
Mechanical Cabaret...
Cabaret Mechanical Theatre comes to Hastings
for the first time with an unmissable exhibition
of mechanical moving toys and inventions. From
Thurs 15 March to Sun 15 April Hastings Pier
will be home to works by renowned artists Paul
Spooner, Keith Newstead, Ron Fuller, Peter
Markey, Matt Smith and Carlos Zapata as well as
creations by members of the Craftivist Network, a
consortium of local community organisations. For
more information visit hastingspier.org.uk
Circus Fun...
Prepare to be amazed this Easter bank holiday
weekend as Leeds Castle’s spellbinding outdoor
show, Tarzanna, presents a playful aerial theatre
show where children can learn circus skills
including the trapeze and tightrope! For the rest of
the school holidays, seek out clues hidden around
the Castle grounds on a fun quest for children
of all ages. This will be running from Friday 30
March to Sunday 15 April and more information is
available online at leeds-castle.com
Flower Crowns...
Those looking for a fairy-tale addition to their
wedding outfits can learn how to make this
‘must-have’ floral accessory on Friday 20 April
at Blooming Green in Maidstone. Using freshly
picked flowers and foliage from the Blooming
Green flower plot, Jen will show you how to
make anything from simple flower-girl circlets
to abundant bridal crowns. All materials and
homemade refreshments provided. Find out
more at bloominggreenflowers.co.uk
Heritage...
Heritage and vintage vehicles are driving over for
another year at the Kent Showground as the Heritage
Transport show aims for a record of 800 vehicles in
its ninth year. On Saturday 7 April you can expect
the South East Bus Festival, trade stands, autojumble
and a farmer’s market all celebrating heritage and
vintage vehicles including cars, buses, motorbikes,
steam and tractors. Find more details online at
kentshowground.co.uk/heritage-transport-show
Garden History...
On Thursday 19 April at 11am garden historian
Stephen Harmer will be walking visitors to
Sissinghurst Castle through the history of the
formal gardens, exploring how poet and novelist
Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold
Nicolson shaped the garden we know today, and
the influence of other gardens and people such
as Hidcote Manor and William Robinson. Go to
sussexcountrygardener.co.uk to find out more.
Tulip Season...
20,000 tulips will be in bloom in Hever Castle’s
stunning grounds this month. Visit from
Wednesday 18 to Friday 27 April to indulge in
a tour with head gardener Neil Miller, visit the
Italian Garden’s kaleidoscopic display by the lake,
and venture inside the castle to learn about the
flower’s history and view in-house florist Pamela
Brise’s striking floral displays. Go to
hevercastle.co.uk for more information.
41 wealdentimes.co.uk
The Furniture Event
20% off *
furniture orders
PLUS 10% OFF * INTERIOR DESIGN
ORDERS AND SERVICES
‘Fairbanks’ in Leoni Velvet Topaz
*Exclusions may apply, Please ask in store for details.
Thursday 22nd March to Saturday 21st April
2-12 Mount Pleasant Road | Tunbridge Wells | Kent | TN1 1QT | 01892 530222
Is Under New Family Ownership
Gold, Diamond Jewellery &
Prestigious Watches Purchased For Cash
Pre-owned Antique Timeless
Family Owned
96 High St, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6JB
Telephone 01580 763 155
www.whitesjewellers.co.uk
info@whitesjewellers.co.uk
35 St Leonards Rd, Bexhill-on-Sea TH40 1HP
Telephone 01424 211 835
www.thomasfrenchjewellers.com
thomas.frenchjewellers@gmail.com
RDO
Kitchen Studio
Offering the
combination of
contemporary
and classic kitchen
design using fine
furniture made
in England by
www.rdokitchenstudio.co.uk info@rdokitchenstudio.co.uk
Bancroft Road, Reigate, Surrey RH2 7RP 01737 240403
BE INSPIRED AND
CHALLENGED /
SHORT COURSE
PROGRAMME
A selection of inspiring short courses from
our summer programme. Study for personal
interest or self-development, among
like-minded people and without assessment.
Art Collecting and Collectors
Study day Sat 7 July 10.00-16.00 £42
Paul Klee: ‘taking a line for a walk’
6 weeks from Tue 5 June 11.00 - 13.00 £90
Empowering Images:
Tudor to Jacobean Portraiture
4 weeks from Thurs 7 June 10.30-12.30 £60
The Cold War in Literature
6 weeks from Fri 8 June 10.30-12.30 £90
How to listen to
JS Bach’s Church Cantatas
Study day Sat 7 July 10.00-16.00 £42
For the full programme, more information and
to book your place: www.kent.ac.uk/tonbridge
POSTGRADUATE
LEVEL
TASTER COURSES
TONBRIDGE
These small group, non-accredited courses are designed for anyone
with the passion and motivation to develop their knowledge at an
advanced level. They can be studied for pleasure or as an indication
of your suitability for a postgraduate programme.
ArT HISTory
Beyond Beauty: The Weird and the
Wonderful in Art Practice and Theory
4 weeks from Weds 20 June 11.00-13.00 £135
CrEATIvE WrITIng
Writing Historical Fiction
3 Saturdays 12 May; 9, 30 June 10.00-16.00 £250
LITErATurE
100 years of Women’s Suffrage: Celebrating
a Century of British Feminist Literature
5 weeks from Sat 4 May 10.30-12.30 £170
For more information about these courses and
to book your place: www.kent.ac.uk/tonbridge
university Centre Tonbridge, Avebury Avenue, Tn9 1Tg
01732 352316 tonbridgeadmin@kent.ac.uk
Just a few minutes’ walk from Tonbridge railway station and the High Street
At Krieder we produce furniture of beauty, rich in quality and daring in
combination. We spend time understanding the needs of our clients, to enable us
to create the most effective and usable products at a surprisingly affordable cost.
To discuss your ideas contact us today 01892 619721
Showrooms in TONBRIDGE | TUNBRIDGE WELLS | LONDON
www.KRIEDER.COM
Editor’s
Letter
I
write this with sunshine pouring in through the window
of the Wealden Times offices, wearing three less layers
of clothing than were necessary even last month.
Spring really is here. And what better way to embrace
this most glorious time of new sproutings and
beginnings than getting out into the garden? Our
annual gardens supplement is chock full of ideas and
practical expert advice to inspire and guide you.
And continuing the horticultural theme, we’ve also
got exciting news about the Garden Hub at the
Wealden Times Midsummer Fair in June (which
can never come around soon enough for me).
Among the brilliant speakers this year, you will have the
chance to meet the real David Archer. Yes, that David
Archer - or at least the actor who plays him, the fabulous
Tim Bentinck, who will be talking about his new book
Being David Archer. (Shall I say it again? David Archer!)
With any luck that will be a gorgeous sunny summer
day, meanwhile – embracing April’s rainy reputation
- our fashion editor Kate Watts has chosen the best of
the stylish new generation of waterproof jackets which
keep the wet out without making you feel like a boilin-the-bag
curry – or look like a train spotter.
Enjoy your Wealden Times.
Wealden Times Team
Editor ....................................................................................... Maggie Alderson
Editorial Assistant ........................................................................Rebecca Cuffe
Digital Editor ...................................................................................Emily Pavey
Fashion Editor ................................................................................... Kate Watts
Design .........................................................................................Powerful Pierre
Design Team ..............................................................................Anthony Boxall
Rob Cursons
Freya Bruce
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 Account Manager ...................................................................... Joy Adams
Jude Brown
Show Director ................................................................................. Flo Simpson
Local solicitors
for all your
personal and
business needs
Property
Wills, trusts and probate
Family and divorce
Employment law
Dispute resolution
Company and commercial law
www.bussmurton.co.uk
TUNBRIDGE WELLS | CRANBROOK | EAST GRINSTEAD | DARTFORD
Buss Murton Law LLP is a Limited Liability Partnership No OC345994
and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
47 wealdentimes.co.uk
BussMurtonWT188.indd 1 11/09/2017 14:30
THERMO TREATED PINE CLADDING
OAK FRAMED BUILDINGS
OAK & WALNUT FLOORING
QUALITY DECKING & CLADDING
www.roundwood.com
Tel: 01435 867 072
Round Wood | Newick Lane | Mayfield | East Sussex | TN20 6RG
“A fabulous mix of decorative
antiques, homewares, fashion and
plants, plus collectables of the future,
handcrafted by today’s best
designer-makers”
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
AND
DECORATIVE
LIVING FAIR
THE
18 & 19 MAY
ERIDGE PARK
ERIDGE GREEN
NEAR TUNBRIDGE WELLS
KENT TN3 9JG *
A GREAT DAY OUT | CAFE | EASY PARKING | BEAUTIFUL GARDENS
EARLY BIRD TICKET Friday 09.30-16.00 £14 | STANDARD TICKET Friday 11.30-16.00 & Saturday 09.30-17.00 £7.50
www.decorativelivingfair.co.uk | decorativelivingfair
* Satnav postcode
Extend your Living Space this summer with a
Markilux Awning from ABS Blinds Of Tenterden
DecorativeLivingFairWT194.indd 1 21/03/2018 14:40
GET READY FOR SUMMER
• Self Cleaning
Fabrics
• Remote Control
• Heaters
• Motion Sensors
• FREE FITTING
• Call into our
showroom and
have a look
Tel: 01580 765169 www.absblinds.co.uk
8 The Fairings, Tenterden • Mon-Fri 9am-5pm • Sat 9am-3pm
49 wealdentimes.co.uk
ABSBlindsWT194.indd 1 08/03/2018 16:01
DESIGN & PLANNING | RESTORATION | NEW BUILD | BARN CONVERSIONS | EXTENSIONS | JOINERY
For a brochure or home consultation call 01797 366895
www.anthony-hicks.co.uk
© 1996 Forest Stewardship Council A.C.
Where to find your copy of
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
Ashford
• Hunters
• Kingsfords
Solicitors
• M&S Food Hall
• Nutmeg Café
• Perry Court
Farm
• Waterstones
Battle
• British Design
British Made
• Jempson’s
Benenden
• Village Shop
Bexhill
• Eras of Style
• M&S Foodhall
Biddenden
• The Bakehouse
• Bloomsburys
• Cost Cutters
Bluewater
• John Lewis
Food Hall
Boughton Aluph
• Perry Court
Farmshop
Bromley
• The Glades
Shopping Centre
Burwash
• Londis
Canterbury
• Benton Kitchens
• Fenwick
• The Goods Shed
• M&S Foodhall
• White Friars
Shopping Centre
Charing
• Post Office
Chilham
• Bagham Barn
Antiques
Cranbrook
• Ashwal Garage
• Cocolicious
• Gastronomia
• Hartley Coffee
House
• Hartley Dyke
Farmshop
• Jackson-Stops
& Staff
• Kingsfords
Solicitors
• Pages
Crowborough
• Costa Coffee
Eastbourne
• Waterstones
Edenbridge
• Costa
Eridge
• Fuller’s Farm
Shop
Faversham
• Macknade
Fine Foods
Five Ashes
• Heals
Flimwell
• The Weald
Smokery
Folkestone
• Hunters
• Moda
• Quarterhouse
• Rocksalt
• Steep Street
Coffee House
Goudhurst
• Goudhurst Inn
• Goudhurst
Newsagents
• Hamerton+Jones
Hastings
• Hastings Pier
• Judges Bakery
• Respire Living
• St Mary in
the Castle
• Wellington
Centre
Hawkhurst
• Merriments
• Park Farm
Butchers
• Two Chicks
• The Walled
Nursery
Haywards Heath
• Cook
Headcorn
• Sainsbury’s
Heathfield
• Cuculo Deli
• Tinker & Toad
Horsham
• Cook
• Waterstones
Hurst Green
• Eggs to Apples
• Merriments
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
Lenham
• Corner House
Antiques
Lewes
• Riverside
Shopping Hall
Maidstone
• House of Fraser
• Waterstones
Marden
• Marden
Village Store
Mayfield
• The Pink
Cabbage
Produce Co.
Northiam
• Jempson’s Local
• Will’s Bakery
and Café
Otford
• Hall & Co
Peasmarsh
• Jempson’s
Pluckley
• Pluckley
Farm Shop
Robertsbridge
• Vinehall
School
Rolvenden
• KM & JM
Linklater
Rushlake Green
• The Stores
Rye
• Adams of Rye
• Jempson’s
• Phillips &
Stubbs
• The Rye Retreat
Sandhurst
• Johnson’s of
Sandhurst
Sedlescombe
• Sedlescombe
Post Office
and Stores
Sevenoaks
• Cook
• County Clothes
• M&S Food Hall
• Mimi Bakery
Sheffield Green
• Trading
Boundaries
Sissinghurst
• TN17 Food
& Wine
Smarden
• West End
House Gallery
St. Leonardson-Sea
• Shop
• Who’s Wearing
What
Stone Cross
• Sharnfold
Farm & Shop
Tenterden
• Cashara
• County Clothes
• Hunters Estate
Agents
• Leisure Centre
• London Beach
Hotel
• Rising Star
• Tenterden
House Interiors
• Waterstones
• Webbs of
Tenterden
• White Lion
• Woodcocks
Ticehurst
• Londis
Tonbridge
• Cook
• M&S Food Hall
Tunbridge Wells
• Fenwick
• Hoopers
• M&S Food
Halls, Royal
Victoria Place
and Fountains
Retail Park
• Notcutts
• Rosemary
Shrager’s
Cookery School
• Royal Victoria
Place
• Scallywag
Wadhurst
• Dale Hill
Golf Club
• Jempson’s
• Wealden
Wholefoods
West Malling
• The Swan
Wye
• The Wife
of Bath
STATIONS:
• Ashford
• Canterbury West
• Crowborough
• Eastbourne
• East Grinstead
• Hildenborough
• Maidstone East
• Orpington
• Paddock Wood
• Sevenoaks
• Staplehurst
• Tonbridge
• Tunbridge Wells
• Wadhurst
• West Malling
Also available in:
• Edenbridge
• Uckfield
PEFC/16-33-795
Distribution of Wealden Times published in Cranbrook for Kent & Sussex.
The mark of responsible forestry
SGS-COC-006108
HOP TO IT
THIS SPRING
WITH UP TO
25% OFF
—
For a stylish home
0%
INTEREST FREE CREDIT AVAILABLE*
01622 753073 | clarkesfurnishers.co.uk
Sandling Road, Maidstone, ME14 2RF
*See website for terms and conditions.
PEFC/16-33-795
51 wealdentimes.co.uk
LenleysWT194.indd 1 05/03/2018 10:54
wealdentimes.co.uk
52
Family favours
A lovely family home which had got a bit lived in, was brought
back to peak condition by interior designer Alexis Wylie
Words: Maggie Alderson Photographs: David Merewether
53 wealdentimes.co.uk
white outline + white text
for dark background
jcwhite.co.uk
LAND & BOUNDARY SURVEYORS
white outline + black text
for light + mid background
Established professional Land
Surveyors offering a wide range of
surveying services & consultancy.
white outline + black keyline + black text
for white, light + mid background
no outline + black text
for white, light + mid background
Tenterden Roofing Co.
Established roofing in Kent and Sussex
• Kent Peg Tiling • Clay & Concrete Plain Tiling • Interlocking Concrete Tiling
• Slating • Cedar Shingles • Roofing Windows • Guttering • Leadwork
• Fascia, Soffits & Bargeboards • Storm Damage & Insurance Work
We are highly regarded by local
Solicitors as a leading authority on all
types of boundary issues, through the
advice we provide and the clarity &
accuracy of our plans.
black only
for white, light + mid background
Boundary Demarcation & Expert Witness•Setting Out
Measured Building Surveys•3D Laser Scanning•Land Surveys
Structure & Landform Monitoring•Drone Surveys
email: tenterdenroofingcompany@gmail.com
call: 01580 241000 / 01233 860301 • mobile: 07921 509 564
www.tenterdenroofing.co.uk
For all enquiries:
01303 261 212 info@jcwhite.co.uk
Head Office: Shrine Barn, Sandling Road, Postling Nr.Hythe CT21 4HE
JCWhiteWT194.indd 1 21/03/2018 TenterdenRoofingWT187.indd 10:38
1 14/08/2017 12:23
Established 25 Years, Family Business
01622 851400 07973 669590
Visit Our Showroom - 4 Ashmill Business Park, Ashford Road (A20), Lenham ME17 2GQ
Bi-fold Doors Roof Lanterns Composite Doors
ksehome.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
54
KSEHomeImprovementsWT183.indd 1 21/04/2017 17:52
Previous page: Ally commissioned bespoke bookshelves to create a focal point in the sitting room. The walls are painted in Farrow &
Ball’s Varta, to add a splash of bold colour. Above: the oak sideboard used to be in the kitchen, but Ally thought it deserved a grander
location. The chairs and sofa are from Furniture Village – to save money to spend on the bookshelves
The Weald of Kent is a very special part of the world,
with its beautiful rolling landscape peppered with
postcard-worthy villages – and an unusually high
volume of dream homes in ideal family proportions.
This house is one of them. Set along a country lane with
views from the back over a pond (and a swimming pool) to
farmland and the rise of the High Weald in the distance. On
one snowy morning visit, a robin red breast perched on the
hedge, as if positioned by a stylist, with the winter silhouettes
of trees against the sky beyond like a living Ravilious painting.
It’s a magical spot.
The house is equally blessed, a perfect combination of cosy
beams – and no fewer than three inglenook fireplaces – with
Victorian and 21st century additions which allow that modern
ideal of lateral space. The kitchen melts into the dining area
and on again to the sofas in the family snug.
It also has that lovely circular flow, which always makes a
house feel happy. You can walk round clockwise starting from
the hall, past the cloakroom, into the snug, through the arch
to the dining area, right turn into the kitchen and then back
out to the hall.
There are also various sets of French windows, so you can
pop in and out at different places, or if you wanted to get
away from everyone, there is an elegant sitting room off the
other side of the hallway.
But while the bones of the house are perfectly arranged
55 wealdentimes.co.uk
Above and left: These chairs which had belonged to homeowner
Jo’s mum, were looking a bit tired, but reupholstered with two
old Mexican blankets Ally found in the big clear out, they are
now the focal point in the hall – and a very handy place to hang
a handbag
for family life, there was a time when the hectic demands of
that very set up had taken its toll.
With three kids growing up through the stages of school life,
with associated sports equipment littering the place up and an
owner with a demanding career in town, the loveliness of the
house had begun to feel rather lost under the tide of life.
Owner Jo had put in the dining room extension that so
brilliantly links the kitchen and the snug when they moved
down to Kent 14 years ago. Then after that output of cash
and energy, she was happy to let things be for a while and
postpone decorating and refurnishing, but when her oldest
child was heading off to university she decided it was time to
bring the house up to date with their lives.
That was when she decided to call in a professional and on
the recommendation of friends got on the phone to interior
designer Alexis (Ally) Wylie, who lives a handy ten minutes
away. “Ally will sort you out,” she was told by happy previous
clients – and they were right.
wealdentimes.co.uk
56
MASTERWORKS
D
E
C
O
ADVERTISING PROOF
ADVERTISING PROOF
The complete kitchen service...
Free Monthly
Free Monthly
Magnet, PO Box 287, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 9ED
Telephone: 0845 872
Magnet,
2885
PO
- Fax:
Box
01825
287, Uckfield,
768077
East
- Email:
Sussex,
design@magnetpublications.com
TN22 9ED
Telephone: 0845 872 2885 -- Fax: 01825 768077 -- Email: design@magnetpublications.com
ATING
COMPANY: Sussex Stone & Ceramic DATE: 13 March 2018
COMPANY: Sussex Stone & Ceramic ...from a hinge DATE: to to a complete 13 March makeover
2018
100’s of Worktops l 1000’s of Doors
ISSUE: April 2018
door replacement l lmade to to measure service l l worktops
ISSUE: April 2018
appliances l sinks and taps l ldrawer replacement
improved storage and access solutions
Highly experienced interior & exterior painting
door refurbishment service
and decorating PLEASE service. CHECK Covering AND all areas ADVISE of Kent. ANY CORRECTIONS TO THIS Instant COPY hot water taps BY fitted 16 MARCH.
The Kitchen Doctor's
PLEASE bespoke service supplies
Free quotations If we do available. CHECK not Quality hear AND from work ADVISE assured, you we ANY will CORRECTIONS assume copy and The fits is Kitchen TO correct comprehensive
THIS Doctor’s and COPY bespoke will range
BY service publish of
16
components supplies MARCH. the and to
If If we do not hear from you is advertisement we will assume as copy shown. is
fits
give correct
a comprehensive
your kitchen and
range
a will
of
new lease publish
components
tidy, neat and punctual.
of life. the
to give your kitchen a new lease of life.
advertisement as as Contact: James McNama
shown.
01689 850000 01689 850000
Tel. 01622 743932 Mob. 07885 259119
c.mcnama@btinternet.com
chris@thekitchendoctor.com
chris@thekitchendoctor.com
www.thekitchendoctor.com
www.thekitchendoctor.com
serving London and the South-East for 25 years
Serving London and the South-East since 1984
SAVE £££s
Save energy. Kitchen lights
replaced with long
life LED units
Factory Open Day 28th April 10 -3pm Factory Open Day 28th April _ 10 -3pm _
JamesPMcNamaWT192.indd 1 22/01/2018 KitchenDoctorS13.indd 13:02
1 20/10/2015 11:36
See website for details
trade See website and public for details welcome - Special offers available on the day!
trade and public welcome -- Special offers available on on the day!
NOW
NOW
NOW OFFERING
OFFERING
NOW OFFERING OFFERING
0% 0%
0% FINANCE FINANCE
0% FINANCE FINANCE
subject to status
subject subject subject and to to to terms
status status status
and and and terms terms terms
Unit 1 Croft Works
Diplocks Unit 1 Croft Industrial Works
Estate
Hailsham Diplocks Industrial East Sussex Estate
BN27 3JF
Email: Hailsham sales@sussexstone-ceramic.co.uk
East Sussex BN27 3JF
Email: sales@sussexstone-ceramic.co.uk
www.sussexstone-ceramic.co.uk
www.sussexstone-ceramic.co.uk
Open Mon-Fri 9am-4.30pm Sat 9am-3pm
Open Mon-Fri 9am-4.30pm Sat Sat 9am-3pm
wealdentimes.co.uk
Bespoke worktops in
Granite, Bespoke worktops quartz, marble in in
and Dekton
Architectural Granite, quartz, and marble monumental and Dekton
masonry
Large Architectural selection and of natural monumental tiles and masonry
mosaics
of Waterjet Large selection cutting of service natural on tiles various and mosaics materials
Glass Waterjet tops cutting and splash service backs on various materials
Glass tops and splash backs
Sussex Stone & Ceramic Ltd acts as a credit broker for Divido who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Sussex Sussex Stone Stone && Ceramic Ceramic Ltd Ltd acts acts as as a a credit credit broker broker for for Divido Divido who who are are authorised and and regulated by by the the Financial Financial Conduct Conduct Authority.
58
SussexStoneWT194.indd 1 15/03/2018 12:59
Right: Looking from the cloakroom hallway, through the hall,
down another passage and on to the sitting room Below: the
snug – with one of the three inglenook fireplaces in the house.
The painting over the mantle is by Cranbrook-based artist Sandy
Dooley. All the curtains and blinds on this floor are in the same
fabric from Bell House Fabric and Interiors. Ally covered the
small chair on the right with a patchwork quilt which had been
made by Jo’s mother
Using one fabric for the curtains and
blinds throughout the ground floor unites
the layout, giving the space a chic, pulledtogether
look which makes you wonder
why on earth we fuss about putting
different patterns in every room
59 wealdentimes.co.uk
KITCHENS
FOR REAL COOKS
It’s time for a new kitchen, the
one you’ve always wanted.
By Appointment
to Her Majesty
the Queen
wilkinson
Fine English Chandeliers
Craftsmanship modern & ancient
www.hammertons.co.uk
01435 868611
Sunset Farm • Heathfield Road
Cross in Hand • TN21 0UJ
Cleaning | Glass Repairs | Restoration | Installation
www.wilkinson-plc.com
Bredgar, Kent ME9 8HE | 01795 830000
enquiries@wilkinson-plc.com
HammertonsWT176.indd 2 05/09/2016 WilkinsonWT193.indd 15:54
1 21/02/2018 10:48
A new beginning in
our proud history...
We might be new in town, but CPJ Field has been helping thousands of families for over
three hundred years. This means that we have unrivalled experience and expertise
to call upon when families need our services today, and our new branch in Battle
joins over 30 funeral homes located across the South East.
Inc. Haine & Sons
Because every life is unique
19 Market Square, Battle, East Sussex TN33 0XB | 01424 236 000 | www.cpjfield.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
60
SianLarkenDressageWT194.indd 1 20/03/2018 CPJFieldWT194.indd 11:15
1 12/03/2018 14:25
Above: Ally had the dresser made to replace the dark wood dresser she moved to the sitting room and to reflect the kitchen’s
contemporary country style. Baskets and apple crates are her favourite tools for keeping clutter organised
61 wealdentimes.co.uk
Above: Jo put in the dining room extension which joins up the kitchen and the snug, when she first moved in 14 years ago,
combining the beams of the original 16th century cottage with a light airy modern feel. The glorious four-oven Aga, was already in
place
Ally first visited at the end of September, had her swat team
on site by November and then it was six weeks hard slog to
have it ready for Christmas.
“I was hanging pictures on December 23rd…” she says.
But that was the fun end of the project, which started with
three skips outside, with Jo determined to clear out all the
stuff they didn’t need any more.
“Jo was ruthless,” says Ally. “We had a system: in the skip, or
to the side of the skip. The next morning, if it was still on the
ground next to the skip it went into the skip. The house looks
twice the size now we’ve cleared it out.”
And while Jo was determinedly getting rid of unwanted
belongings – and local charity shops had a bonanza from
it – Ally was at work organising the interior starting with the
entrance hall, which had been ‘a lost space’.
She created a deep cupboard at the back of it, fitted out
with apple crates, each with one family member’s name on it,
as their designated space to stash their stuff between outings.
No more hallway clutter.
She was also on the hunt for family pieces that could be
given a new lease of life. The two chairs now in the hall had
belonged to Jo’s late mother and inspiration struck when Ally
spotted some bold Mexican blankets and rescued them from
the skip.
“They’d been on the floor for years,” says Ally, “and looked
seriously past their best, but I had them dry cleaned and they
came up beautifully.”
The chairs were transformed and what had seemed like
rubbish, was upcycled and given a whole new lease of life.
Also pressed into service was a trove of fabrics Jo found
stored in a cupboard. A lovely patchwork quilt, which had
been made by her mother for the babies’ cradles, was used to
reupholster two chairs, one in pride of place in the snug as a
lovely daily reminder of granny.
Another great find was bolts of African printed fabrics,
brought back from Tanzania by the family, which Ally had
made into piles of brightly coloured mixed cushions and
upholstery, creating a vibrant theme which runs through the
house.
This unifying technique is also used across the curtains
wealdentimes.co.uk
62
Design, Extension, Renovation, Conversion, New Build,
Maintenance from a blocked gutter to a new roof.
All work carried out by our team of experienced craftsmen.
T: 01797 225950 / 01892 891874
www.jonraybuilding.co.uk M: 07778 808 950
SHOPqtrWT192.indd 1 12/01/2018 JonRayWT149.indd 14:27
1 23/06/2014 12:19
THE LEADING AUCTIONEERS IN THE SOUTH EAST
A gentleman’s 1990’s Breitling Cosmonaute
stainless steel automatic wristwatch
SOLD FOR £2,000
• 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 £50 to £1,000
(Payment made in two working days)
• Free internet listing for all sales
• Free auction estimates
• Valuations for Insurance
and Probate
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
63 wealdentimes.co.uk
4714 Gorringes (WT) (Apr2018) 130x185.indd 1 06/03/2018 14:55
GorringesWT194.indd 1 07/03/2018 11:11
CATCHPOLE & RYE
KENT ENGLAND
EXCLUSIVE LUXURY BATHROOMS
LONDON • TUNBRIDGE WELLS • ASHFORD
T. 01892 526 996 www.catchpoleandrye.com
Above: The main change Ally made in the dining room, was to turn Jo’s table round, so it leads on invitingly from the kitchen. Ally
had Jo’s existing dining chairs recovered in a mix of prints to contrast the graphic design of the curtains and blinds
65 wealdentimes.co.uk
Above: The copper-lined pulley light over the dining table is by Original BTC (it was a bargain Ally found under the discontinued
clearance table.). The leather club chair was a family favourite. Ally gave it new life with cushions covered in vibrant African fabrics
brought back from Tanzania that turned up in Jo’s clear out
and blinds on the ground floor which are all made of the same
material – an Ikat-style print from Bell House Interiors in
Cranbrook, which is very wide, so economical to use.
It’s an idea which would never have occurred to me – I
was almost shocked at the concept – but once you see it in
place, using one window treatment fabric throughout unites
the layout, giving the space a chic, pulled-together look,
which makes you wonder why on earth we fuss about putting
different patterns in every room.
This is a perfect example of the kind of savvy Ally has
gathered in her nearly 30 years of experience as an interior
designer, working for eight years for South Africa’s doyenne
of the profession, before returning to continue her trade in
London, where she still does big projects, and then 15 years
ago moving down to Kent.
Another cheeky little solution learned from those years of
experience was her treatment for the less than lovely radiators
all over the house. Rather than replace, she disguised them.
“We covered them with latticed box radiator covers, but the
trick is, before you put the cover on, you paint the radiator
charcoal grey, so you can’t see it through the air vents.”
It works like magic and the box covers also created useful
– and once again, unifying – shelves, perfect for grouping
displays of ornaments and mementoes, many of which had
been languishing in cupboards.
It was with such individually small, but very effective en
masse details, rather than any big structural building work,
that Ally helped Jo transform the house.
“It turned out the whole place needed rewiring, which was a
pain, but it gave us the chance to put sockets where we needed
them, which is so important and you have to do it first before
you plaster, so it can all be made good afterwards.”
With a chunk of the budget taken up by such invisible
works, there was less left for decorating and Ally had to be
very creative.
“The first thing I do is always a floor plan. I draw every
wealdentimes.co.uk
66
auctioneers and
Valuers of fine art
antiques and
collectors’ items
Free Antiques & ColleCtA
bles
VA
luAtion D
Ay
WeDnesDAy 18th APril & sAtur
DAy 13th oCtober
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
CanterburyAuctionGalleryWT194.indd 1 05/03/2018 11:28
Authorised service centre for
• Specialising in all luxury brands
• Pre-owned watches bought & sold
• Full servicing with 2 year warranty
• Vintage restoration work undertaken
• Refurbishing of cases & bracelets
• Watch batteries, straps & accessories
www.dciws.co.uk 01342 604269
info@iwsworkshop.co.uk @DCIWS
74 High Street, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 3DE
67 wealdentimes.co.uk
DavidCarpenterWT194.indd 1 20/03/2018 12:19
The Oak Glasshouse Company
We design & build oak sunrooms, oak kitchen
extensions, oak orangeries and garden offices.
Please phone or email to request a brochure,
07522 544158, email info@theoakglasshouse.co.uk
www.theoakglasshouse.co.uk
Above left: Ally has used the same curtain fabric upstairs in a different colourway. The chair is a Dunelm find, with one of Ally’s
signature cushions covered in fabric from an old grain sack. Ally urged Jo to buy the beautiful armoire to give the room a focal point.
Above right: In one of the children’s bedrooms, Ally had the headboard upholstered in the grain sack fabric, to set off the mixed
prints of the cushions
room, to scale with a pencil and ruler – I don’t use a computer
program – then I measure all the furniture you are going to
keep and cut it out with graph paper to see how it all fits.
Then I use one colour of PostIt notes on the existing furniture
and another to indicate pieces which need to be sourced.
“You keep a record of those measurements in a notebook,
then if you wake up in the morning and want to go and do
a little impulse buy, you know what sizes will fit and you can
shop with confidence.”
Another of Ally’s techniques is to bring furniture into the
body of the room. A common mistake ‘civilians’ make is
to push it all against the walls to maximise the space in the
centre, whereas in fact, if you articulate it with furniture a
room will actually look bigger – and more appealing.
The two sofas in the snug, which Jo already had, were
recovered and restored with new seat cushions.
“Channelled feather cushions,” says Ally firmly, “it is
essential they’re channelled, or you are constantly heaving the
cushions out to plump them up.”
One sofa was re-covered in taupe devoré velvet, the other
in wool blanket plaid in complimentary tones. Both sit away
from the wall, the velvet one in front of what appears to be a
bespoke shelving unit.
“It’s IKEA,” says Ali, grinning. “I had the carpenter build a
plinth to raise it up, so it appears to be built in.”
Probably the simplest change Ally made and one of the most
transforming, was in the dining area. She turned the table
around, so it is now sitting alongside the French window,
69 wealdentimes.co.uk
Above left: A chair in a spare bedroom recovered with a patchwork quilt made by Jo’s mother. Above right: Ally had bookshelves
built in the guest cloakroom and papered the walls with Jane Churchill’s March Hare wallpaper in the stone colourway
not pointing out into it and back into the snug.
You can see immediately what a difference this would
have made to the flow of energy, with the length of the table
stretching out appealingly from the vantage point of the
kitchen and just inviting you to sit down.
The biggest makeover was to the sitting room, in its almost
separate wing, which had become one of those dumping
ground rooms you can close the door on and forget about.
Jo’s extensive collection of was scattered around the house
in “random stand-alone bookshelves” as she puts it, so Ally
commissioned some shelves as the focal point on the far wall
of the room, framing the piano which all the family play.
“I wanted to make this the special room,” she says. “As it’s
at the other end of the house from the high traffic rooms I
thought we could have a little bit of fun with a big pop of
colour, although it is still a calm haven, opening onto the
garden.”
The result is an elegant room, with a great sense of occasion
conveyed by her choice of Farrow & Ball’s marvellous peacock
green Vardo. And you’d never guess that all the furniture in
there, apart from the antique sideboard, which Ally pinched
from the kitchen (replacing it with a bespoke dresser) is
wealdentimes.co.uk
70
D&S Wealden Times Ads 1-4 (Feb'18)_D&S 1/4 page 17/02/2018 11:23 Page 1
Working with YOU, not just for YOU
We create striking interior and exterior doors in the finest solid oak, ranging
from simple planked doors to intricately carved panels finished in moulded
framework modelled on the styles and design of the 17th century.
+44 (0)1580 243331
www.deaconandsandys.co.uk
• Tax planning
• Profit improvement strategies
• Business development advice
• Inheritance tax advice
• Succession planning
• Payroll
Get in touch now to arrange your free consultation
www.mageegammon.com 01233 630000 mg@mageegammon.com
DeaconSandyWT193.indd 3 20/02/2018 MageeGammonWT194.indd 12:18
1 13/03/2018 12:30
www.MelodyMaison.co.uk
The Country’s Leading Vintage & Painted Bedroom Furniture Specialist
Visit Our Website or Call 01302 741000
Receive 10% off with coupon code: 10WTV (expires 31st August)
71 wealdentimes.co.uk
MelodyMaisonWT194.indd 1 21/03/2018 14:10
VERDANT LANDSCAPES
BEAUTIFUL GARDEN OIL PAINTINGS
BY
GrahamClarkeWT194.indd 1 14/03/2018 15:35
RYE SOCIETY OF ARTISTS
SPRING SHOW
¬
DYLAN LLOYD
21 APRIL - 1 MAY 2018
Full Exhibition Catalogue Available
McALLISTER THOMAS
Image by Hazel Brook
117 High Street
Godalming
Surrey GU7 1AQ
T: 01483 860591
www.mcallisterthomasfineart.co.uk
AT RYE ART GALLERY
_
24TH MARCH - 22ND APRIL
107 HIGH STREET RYE TN31 7JE WWW.RYEARTGALLERY.CO.UK
Own Art interest free loans make it
easy and affordable to buy original,
high quality contemporary art and craft.
Please ask for details.
Representative 0% APR
Subject to status. Terms and conditions apply.
Applicants must be at least 18 years old. McAllister Thomas Fine Art
is a licensed broker of Own Art loans. Registered address: 117 High Street, Godalming, GU7 1AQ
wealdentimes.co.uk
72
RyeArtGalleryWT193.indd 1 09/02/2018 McAllisterThomasFineArtWT194.indd 14:32
1 07/03/2018 10:32
McAllister Thomas Half Page 2.indd 1 07/03/2018 10:25
Above: This chair was a wedding present to Jo’s parents. “It was very comfortable but not very cool,” she says. “Ally had it painted
white and covered in African fabric – transformed!”
73 wealdentimes.co.uk
“I spent two hours with each of Jo’s children so I could understand what
they liked and wanted, so they would each have an individual space”
from Furnitureland – and on sale too.
“Saving money on the furniture paid for the bookshelves
and to decorate the whole room,” she says.
Upstairs, Ally concentrated on giving each of the children
the room they really wanted.
“I spent two hours with each of them, so I could understand
what they liked and wanted, so they would each have an
individual space.”
The result is three very individual rooms, all featuring
elements of the African fabrics and combinations of cheap
and cheerful shelves and wardrobes, raised up on Ally’s clever
plinths so they reach up to the ceiling and appear built in.
Like the rest of the house the bedrooms are a combination
of utility, flair, and professional nouse, with personalisation
and a clear affection for the owners. The result? One perfect
family dream home. Made to measure.
Address Book:
Alexis Wylie The Rainbird Interior Design
07990 525890 01580 851071therainbird.com
Owl Construction Hawkhurst 01580 754875
Sandy Dooley sandydooley.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
74
Offering a complete service
from consultation to installation
FREE Parking
T: 01732 350911
Orchard Business Centre, Sanderson Way, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1QG
showroom@townsbathrooms.co.uk
www.townsbathrooms.co.uk
OPENING TIMES
Monday to Friday | 9.00am – 5.00pm Saturdays | 9.00am – 4.00pm Sundays | Closed
We believe
in a different
perspective
We don’t really view our stores as stores.
They’re places to make yourself at home.
See the new Suffolk collection in your closest Neptune store.
Neptune Canterbury, 01227 209300
Neptune Tonbridge, 01732 351866
neptune.com/stores
Louis De Poortere scarlet rug
£139 Modish Living
modishliving.co.uk
Stoneware espresso mug in
marine £12 Le Creuset
lecreuset.co.uk
Pink moroccan cushion
cover £20.99 Neema Crafts
neemacrafts.com
Norfolk dresser £549
The Painted Furniture Company
paintedfurnitureco.co.uk
Anderson mango wood bench
£199 Made made.com
Get
Look
the
Ikat patchwork bench £750
Ian Snow iansnow.com
White cotton scribble stripe
blanket £145 Bohemia Design
Limited
bohemiadesign.com
Stefania desk chair
£1,000+VAT Oficina Inglesa
oficinainglesa.com
Brooklyn outdoor rug in teal
£59.95 Cuckooland
cuckooland.com
Lune two seater sofa £3180
Chaplins Furniture
chaplins.co.uk
77
LUXURIOUS NEW CARE HOME OPENING SOON
We are the difference between quality and excellence and between
caring at work and caring like family. If you need help finding care,
we will do whatever we can to be the difference you need.
Nursing | Residential | Dementia | Respite | Day Care
Emerson Grange Care Home, Hextable
Emerson Park, Rowhill Road, Hextable, Kent, BR8 7FP
Call 01322 771792 | Visit cinnamoncc.com
Or visit your nearest Cinnamon care home*:
Leah Lodge, Blackheath, London, SE13 5EB | Call 0208 108 0109
Rectory Court, Blackheath, London, SE3 9TU | Call 0203 797 7743
*Nursing and dementia care provided at selected locations
Wealden Times Midsummer Fair 7th - 9th June 2018
Mini Loaves or Scioche
£1.99 | 2 for £2.99
Baker’s Bicycle
bakersbicycle.co.uk
Product, £price
Company
website
Old Salt Rum
£35.00, English
Spirit Distillery
englishspirit.uk
TICKETS
ON SALE
ONLINE
wealdentimes.
co.uk/events
Midsummer Fair
Here’s a little taste of some of the delicious food and
drink on offer. There is something for everyone, from
enticing homemade treats to mouth-watering sausage
rolls and local ice cream sellers…
Very Very Vanilla Jelly
£4.50, Briscoe’s
Artisan Jellies
briscoesjellies.co.uk
Rendang curry mix
£5.95 each,
Nonya’s Secrets
nonyasecrets.com
Lord London
Alsop & Walker
alsopandwalker.co.uk
Ardine filets with Nice
olives, £4.80, Claude &
Basil’s Epicerie
claudebasilsepicerie.co.uk
Balfour Brut Rosé
2013
£38.00, Hush
Heath Estate
hushheath.com
Black Olive Mayonnaise
£4.50 Casa de L’Oli
casadeloli.com
NEW
EXHIBITOR
Orange Gin
RRP £40.00
Show price £33.00
55 Above
55above.co.uk
Arbequina Olive Oil cold pressed
with fresh Lemons, From £8.95 –
£16.50, Casa de L’Oli
casadeloli.com
Caramelised Onion
Sausage Roll
£3.00, Dine Thyme
dinethyme.co.uk
Interior
directions
House Doctor
coon sofa in black
rattan £662 Lagoon
vivalagoon.com
Rattan armchair
£395 Cuckooland
cuckooland.com
HJÄRTELIG platforms
£75 and headboards
£60 Ikea ikea.com
Hanging rattan
bowl chair £540
Out There Interiors
outthereinteriors.com
White rattan bed
£1,355 The French
Bedroom Company
frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk
Patterned hanging
bowl chair £625
Out There Interiors
outthereinteriors.com
Long oval
lampshade £175
Abode Living
abodeliving.co.uk
Black firefly chandelier
£235 Respire Living
respireliving.com
Wire pendant light with
braided rattan border £79
Lenleys lenleys.co.uk
Rattan bar stool £260
Smithers of Stamford
smithersofstamford.com
Industriell pendant
lamps from £22 Ikea
ikea.com
Peacock chair with
seat cushion £675
Out There Interiors
outthereinteriors.com
Handwoven dark
rattan sunburst mirror
£350 Oh What’s This
ohwhatsthis.com
Hubsch modern green
chair £300 Lagoon
vivalagoon.com
Cruz cocoon chair
£495 Respire Living
respireliving.com
Rattan
A touch of tropical flavour with
appealing 70s flair, lovely for light
fittings and fabulous for furniture
Untitled-4 1 29/09/2017 08:57
Find us Find on us on
Facebook Facebook
Find us on
Facebook
LET LET US US TRANSFORM LET US TRANSFORM YOUR YOUR YOUR
HOME HOME IN AN IN HOME INSTANT AN BY INSTANT BY SIMPLY SIMPLY BY SIMPLY
UPDATING UPDATING CURTAINS CURTAINS AND AND BLINDS!
AND BLINDS!
Free Free Interior Interior Design Free Design Interior Advice Advice Design Advice
March March deals deals now March now available available deals now available
EI
EI
E v E r n d
I n t E r I o
E v E r n d E n
I n t E r I o r s
Bespoke Bespoke Made Made to Bespoke Measure to Measure Made Curtains, Curtains, to Measure Blinds Blinds & Curtains, Shutters & Shutters Blinds & Shutters
Tracks Tracks & Poles & Poles Tracks & Poles
Measuring Measuring and Fitting and Measuring Fitting Service Service and Fitting Service
Upholstery Upholstery Upholstery
Cushion Cushion Replacements Cushion & Loose Replacements & Loose Covers Covers & Loose Covers
Interior Interior Design Design Advice Interior Advice Design Advice
Farrow Farrow & Ball & Paint Ball Farrow Paint & Wallpapers
& Wallpapers Ball Paint & Wallpapers
• Bespoke, Made Large to Large Measure Fabric Fabric Book Large Book Library • Cushions, Fabric Library Book Replacements Library
Curtains, Blinds Haberdashery & Shutters & Wool Haberdashery & Wool Shop & Shop Loose & Wool Covers Shop
• Tracks & Poles – including Free Free Parking Parking • Farrow Free & Ball Parking Paint & Wallpapers
Motorised, Call Call us today us Remote today for Call Controlled a for Free us a Free today no obligation no for obligation • Large a Free quotation! Fabric no quotation! obligation Book Library quotation!
Unit
Electric
Unit 2, The
Curtain
2, Oast, The
and
Oast, Unit Clockhouse
Blind
2, The
Tracks
Oast, Farm, Clockhouse Farm, • Haberdashery
Coxheath Coxheath Farm, ME17
&
ME17
Wool
Coxheath 4PB
Shop
4PB ME17 4PB
01622 01622 744265 744265 01622 744265
• Measuring and Fitting Service • New Showroom Now Open
www.aquariussoftfurnishings.co.uk
www.aquariussoftfurnishings.co.uk
• Upholstery
• Free Parking
2 The Oast, Clockhouse Farm,
Coxheath ME17 4PB 01622 744265
aquariussoftfurnishings.co.uk
aquarius.1@btconnect.com
EST. 1976
Aquarius Soft Furnishings
01580 713778
www.everndeninteriors.co.uk
info@everndeninteriors.co.uk
Stone Street • Cranbrook • TN17 3HF
AquariusSoftFurnishingsWT194.indd 1 16/03/2018 EverndenInteriorsWT194.indd 12:31
1 08/03/2018 16:20
FABRIC,
WALLPAPER,
FLOORING
& MORE
SHOP ONLINE
mistersmith.co.uk
01580 211119 GOUDHURST ANTIQUES & INTERIORS
High Street, Goudhurst, Kent TN17 1AL Closed on Mondays
wealdentimes.co.uk
82
MisterSmithInteriorsWT194.indd 1 13/03/2018 GoudhurstAntiques&InteriorsWT194.indd 10:05
1 07/03/2018 10:17
Printed velvet
Making the most luxurious of fabrics sing
Quill Velvet in cobalt
£121/m Designers Guild
designersguild.com
Imogen Heath
Sophy Velvet £156
Mister Smith
Interiors
mistersmith.co.uk
Forest orchids cushion £45
The French Bedroom Co
frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk
Floral velvet chair
£1729.00+6 mtrs of
fabric Rume rume.co.uk
Maroque Lazurite printed
velvet £144/m
Black Edition
blackedition.com
Florenza Graphite fabric
Designers Guild £205/m
designersguild.com
Paradisa ‘Daley’ cockatoo
lampshade spruce green,
£130 House of Hackney
houseofhackney.com
Zoffany Gondolier
fabric £120/m
Mister Smith
mistersmith.co.uk
Union Jack sofa £1499 The
Garden Furniture Centre
gardenfurniturecentre.co.uk
Saleem leaf pattern
printed velvet
£18.99/m Yorkshire
Fabric Shop
yorkshirefabricshop.com
Bloom Velvet Black available
for use in a variety of made to
order furniture pieces
Arlo & Jacob arloandjacob.com
Round ancient
pattern £17.99/m
Yorkshire Fabric Shop
yorkshirefabricshop.com
Floral damask
fabric £17.99/m
Yorkshire Fabric
yorkshirefabricshop.com
Espinillo velvet cushion
£69 Clarissa Hulse
clarissahulse.com
Khayma Fairfield pale
grey rug £310 Modern
Rugs modern-rugs.co.uk
Shimmer rug in
oyster from £69.99
Very very.co.uk
Louis De Poortere
fading world rug
in blue night £139
Modish Living
modishliving.co.uk
Order Grey rug
The Rug Company
Farrow & Ball from
£1,150 farrow-ball.com
Ivory and charcoal
Morocco rug £140
Amara amara.com
Belle wool rug with
dark stripes from £165
Shimu shimu.co.uk
Eastern palace mint
tile rug £39.99 Very
very.co.uk
Atelier note rug
£299 Modern Rugs
modern-rugs.co.uk
Luxe berber rug £349
John Lewis johnlewis.com
St Martins Pastels
Dusky Pink Rug from
£63.75 Respire Living
respireliving.com
Bedroom rugs
Fitted carpet is lovely beneath the toes but a bedroom rug on top
of a finished floor has a more contemporary air
Transform your Home with us this Spring
Plus Save 15% OFF* Lighhng
View our latest Colleccons in store now
72 George Street
Old Town Hascngs
East Sussex TN34 3EE
V i s i t o u r b e a u u f u l s h o w r o o m o r s h o p o n l i n e a t
w w w . r e s p i r e l i v i n g . c o m
Showroom Open Daily
10:30am – 5:00pm
11:00am - 4:00pm (Sunday)
hello@respireliving.com
+44 (0) 1424 433000
* n o t a v a i l a b l e w i t h a n y o t h e r p r o m o u o n a l d i s c o u n t , e x c l u d e s d e l i v e r y , o ff e r e n d s 3 0 / 0 4 / 1 8
FOUR LIMES DESIGN
Bespoke Fine Furniture
Photo courtesy of www.goodnestone.com
Traditional and contemporary
fine furniture, hand made
to commission
www.fourlimes.design
01304 842497 / 07779 803046
Rectory Interiors
FABRIC & WALLPAPER SHOWROOM
www.rectoryinteriors.co.uk
The Old Forge 24 Wish Street Tuesday - Friday 9.30 - 16.00
Rye TN31 7DA 01797 222511 Saturday 10.00 - 16.00
FourLimesDesignWT194.indd 1 12/03/2018 RectoryInteriorsWT182.indd 15:39
1 13/03/2017 16:23
Let’s design together
Spring
Sale
Kentwell large sofa in Primrose Linen / Cotton. Cushions in Fresco Citrus.
Want spring, all year round?
It’s tailored to you.
The Estate Yard, Eridge, Nr Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 9JR
01892 572 309 | sofasandstuff.com
wealdentimes.co.uk
86
SofasAndStuffWT194.indd 1 07/03/2018 17:15
Brass details
Touches of the metal of the moment bring any room bang up to date
Linea gold trinket box
£8 House of Fraser
houseoffraser.co.uk
Gubi brass base multi
lite pendant £507
Rume rume.co.uk
Eichholtz Messina
turquoise sofa £1790
Sweetpea & Willow
sweetpeaandwillow.com
Marilyn velvet
armchair £520
Audenza audenza.com
Newton bedside
cabinet £199
Atkin and Thyme
atkinandthyme.co.uk
Vogue 3 Door
Sideboard £549
Furniture Village
furniturevillage.co.uk
Main floor lamp
£539 BoConcept
boconcept.com
Osaka sofa from
£1569.00 as shown
£2875.00 BoConcept
boconcept.com
Brown leather accent
chair with brushed
brass frame £599
Made made.com
Bouffant twist stool £120
The French Bedroom Co
frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk
Finger filodrendon wall
hangings £31 BoConcept
boconcept.com
Lex table lamp in
bali brass £234
Elstead Lighting
elsteadlighting.com
Manhattan tray from
£19 BoConcept
boconcept.com
Orla Kiely ceramic
hanging pot £35
Printer + Tailor
printerandtailor.com
Teal flower wall plate
£10 The Contemporary
Home tch.net
Belgravia sofa £1,695
Respire Living
respireliving.com
Tivoli three seater sofa
kingfisher Velvet Walnut
£1099 Swoon Editions
swooneditions.com
Gold and green agate
mirror £149
The French Bedroom Co
frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk
Self green micro fibre
velvet £1729.00 +6m
fabric Rume rume.co.uk
Dragon fly
cushion £13
B&Q diy.com
Pistachio brushed
cotton mix throw £59
Layered Lounge
layeredlounge.com
Vintage ship clock
£78 Curated Living
curatedliving.co.uk
Terrazzo cushion
cover in menthe
£65 Yves Delorme
yvesdelorme.com
Cheese plant print
£19 Papermash
papermash.co.uk
Plant appliqué
cushion £16 Next
next.co.uk
Velvet upholstered
dark teal armchair
£159 Cult Furniture
cultfurniture.com
Duck egg ceramic
lattice lamp £325
Orchid Furniture
orchidfurniture.co.uk
Rose bush canvas £135
Sweetpea & Willow
sweetpeaandwillow.com
Green accents
It’s the feature colour of the moment – and looks great with those brass accents
A bespoke lifestyle boutique, combining the best of inside
and out, unusual, tempting and just quirky enough to bring
a breath of fresh spring air to your home and garden.
Exceedingly well
made furniture
SOFAS • BEDS • CHAIRS • RUGS
By appointment only: 01233 840847
25% OFF
All Shutters*
Proudly hand built in Britain
by master craftsmen
www.huutt.com
Open Mon-Sat 10am-5pm
Sun 11am-5pm
The Courtyard,
Trading Boundaries,
Sheffield Green TN22 3RB
HUUTT-WT193.indd 1 13/02/2018 StaggsCornerWT194.indd 10:19
1 15/03/2018 16:43
Distinctive Interiors & Design. Specialists in handmade curtains, blinds, shutters, upholstery and soft furnishings
Situated just off the High Street www.skinnersoftunbridgewells.co.uk
6 Castle Street, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1XJ Tel: 01892 532003
Email: sarah@skinnersoftunbridgewells.co.uk *Ordered in March/April 2018
89 wealdentimes.co.uk
SkinnersWT193.indd 1 13/02/2018 14:45
SPRING BED LINEN
DESIGNS FROM HARLEQUIN
Spring is here and it’s a time for new beginnings, when we feel full of purpose and excitement for the
season ahead; a time to cast away the old and bring in the NEW. What better place to start than the
bedroom. The bedroom is your sanctuary, where you can find peace and tranquillity after the stresses
of the day. A room that can both calm the mood and lift your spirits.
Whether you are looking for cool and contemporary designs or something more vibrant, full of colour
and pattern with a fun and playful twist, Fenwick has it all! And we have great delight in introducing
to you the latest designs from Harlequin for spring. Come and see the beautiful selection of bed linen
with co-ordinating cushions and throws to make your bedroom complete.
We are here to inspire you!
HARLEQUIN | POSTELIA
Exhibiting an exotic mix of
sea-plants swaying over the
fabric, the all-over duvet cover
design combines line drawings
with whimsical watercolour plant
designs with a plain reverse on
100% cotton sateen. Accessorise
the look with the velvet cushion in
lagoon blue with an embroidered
feather motif.
DOUBLE DUVET COVER £105
KINGSIZE DUVET COVER £120
OXFORD PILLOWCASE £25
CUSHION 40x60cm £50
HARLEQUIN MOMENTUM
COLLECTION | MAKRANA
Makrana features an all-over
marble pattern with beige
highlights with a moonstonecoloured
plain on the reverse.
The co-ordinating cushion is
appliqued with a metallic string
design and produced on a
linen/cotton mix fabric.
DOUBLE DUVET COVER £95
KINGSIZE DUVET COVER £110
CUSHION 40x50cm £50
THROW 170x220cm £195
ROYAL VICTORIA PLACE TUNBRIDGE WELLS KENT TN1 2SR | 01892 516716 | WWW.FENWICK.CO.UK
HOME ACCESSORIES
Discover what’s NEW on the 1st Floor at Fenwick Tunbridge Wells. This season we are introducing
a range of contemporary furniture pieces that will complement your home; from console tables, coffee
tables and armchairs to statement mirrors and lighting to create the perfect ambience in any room.
The spring season is looking bright at Fenwick!
LEAF PRINT | CHAIR £230
BALLOON | HANGING SHADE
This balloon shape and sprayed
fabric strands ensure a soft shadow
is cascaded around the room £39
LEAF PRINT | STOOL £40
CROSS | FLOOR LAMP
A beautiful and statuesque
floor lamp in natural
hardwood, great for rooms
with a little less headroom
H162 W40 D40cm £135
ENSO | MIRROR
Injecting a touch of zen-like
calm into any interior, this
beautifully made mirror
comes complete with a neat
wooden hanging peg
H87 W60cm £195
TENBY | CONSOLE TABLE
The perfect proportions of the console will make
it a welcome addition to many a home £275
TOTEM | HALL STAND
Stylish and practical, the stand has
pegs to hang your coats and slatted
shelves for storage £425
The stand shown has additional
storage and a bench should you want
a seat while you get your footwear
on, these are sold separately
TENBY | OVAL COFFEE TABLE
An alternative shaped coffee table with
finger jointed oiled oak top £325
Leaf print chair from Kaemingk, all other products from pr home.
ROYAL VICTORIA PLACE TUNBRIDGE WELLS KENT TN1 2SR | 01892 516716 | WWW.FENWICK.CO.UK
Coastal
haven
This old coastguard’s cottage is gloriously
free of all those corny seaside decor
clichés thanks to interior architect Marta
Nowicka’s sophisticated vision
Words:: Kathryn Flett
Photographs: David Merewether
Styling: Helen Bratby
wealdentimes.co.uk
92
93 wealdentimes.co.uk
1978 | CELEBRATING FORTY YEARS | 2018
London . Tunbridge Wells . Oxshott
0333 011 3333
Previous page: The dining table is medieval. It was given to
Marta’s father, an architect by a client in lieu of fees. Marta
deliberately exposed the brickwork around the fireplace to reveal
the building’s fabric. The mirror is from McCully & Crane in
Rye This page: the kitchen has an industrial feel with stainless
steel appliances. The drawer unit is from IKEA
Occasionally, even the most stylish seaside holiday
rentals succumb to coastal clichés. If it’s not wallto-wall
tongue-and-groove it will be the pots
of beach stones and assorted weather-beaten flotsam and
jetsam by the front door—just below the storm lantern.
There may also be jaunty blue-and-white striped roman
blinds and a porthole mirror in the bathroom. Then, of
course, there will be more pictures of boats than you can poke
an oar at.... Oh, and while we’re at it, a pair of old oars above
a fireplace festooned with old fishing nets is pretty much
seaside interiors’ answer to the country pub’s horse brasses.
Rest assured, as a seaside dweller of thirteen years standing I
have been guilty of more than a few of these decorating clichés
but now I’m also a qualified interior designer I recognise
that the trick is to successfully acknowledge a building’s
sense of place — and allow it to retain its integrity —
95 wealdentimes.co.uk
Savouring the architectural
quirks of a family home that was
built primarily for the business
of coastal defence, not pleasure,
Marta retained as many of the
original features as possible
15
Curtain, blind and soft furnishings
MAKERS FOR INTERIOR DESIGNERS, RETAIL AND FOR YOU
Your fabric or ours, measuring and advice, full fitting,
poles and tracks supplied, hanging and dressing service
LilyMatthews
Halden Place, Halden Lane, Rolvenden TN17 4JG
Tel: 01580 241614 Email: info@lilymatthews.co.uk
www.lilymatthews.co.uk
RobinsonWaters
LilyMatthewsWT189.indd 1 10/10/2017 12:57
Kitchen
Lintel
ARCHITECTS
54
new build?
renovation?
extension?
Cloakroom.
UP.
Entrance Hall
Entrance
Lobby
We believe
in a different
perspective.
ARCHITECTURE
steel beam.
Innovative and practical
Personal and professional
Sustainable and affordable
Contemporary and traditional
studios:
Sitting Room
sevenoaks
hawkhurst
Study
Lintel
Lintel
2373
58
ea of the Ground Floor 121.4 sq. metres.
11
8
Lintel
Finished Level Ground Floor 100.250
3263
architects@robinsonwaters.co.uk
Tel: 01580 754806
www.robinsonwaters.co.uk
hastings
We see an oak bench. They see a rope bridge.
Our Arundel dining table and bench. Made from nothing but
North American oak. Designed to last a lifetime.
Concepts, 8 Market Street, Rye, TN31 7LA
01797 225222, conceptsrye.com
neptune.com/adifferentperspective
97 wealdentimes.co.uk
RobinsonWatersWT155.indd 1 09/12/2014 ConceptsWT193.indd 14:40
1 15/02/2018 16:11
GARDEN
FURNITURE
SPECIALISTS
10% Off RRP
With this advert for Wealden Times Readers
Valid for April 2018
The largest outdoor & indoor furniture showroom in the South East.
Alexander Rose • Bramblecrest
•
Daro • Kettler
Firepits • Weber BBQs • Parasols • Outdoor Accessories • Solar Lighting.
ORNAMENTAL PLANTS GIFT SHOP CAFÉ
ARCHITECTURAL SHRUBS & TREES PETS & AQUATICS FARM SHOP
Opening Times Monday – Saturday 9.00-17.30, Sunday 10.00-16.30
01892 852 828
Mark Cross, East Sussex TN6 3PJ (A267 towards Tunbridge Wells)
sussexcountrygardener.co.uk
FREE
PARKING
Previous page: The clock in the
sitting room was found in South
Kensington on one of Marta’s
father’s sites This page left: The
salvaged shutters are French.
Marta put them in to suggest a
window where there isn’t one. She
also wanted to have French things
in the house to reflect Rye’s status
as a Cinque Port Below: Marta
left the patina of old paint on the
main staircase, as part of the story
of the house
without letting that dictate the terms of engagement.
It’s a balance which is pulled off quite beautifully by
the interior architect Marta Nowicka at her holiday-let
coastguard’s cottage at Jury’s Gap — a weather-swept
stretch of coastline between Camber and the MOD
shooting range at Lydd, close to Romney Marsh. This, of
course, isn’t the tastefully manicured seaside of counties
further west; it’s a thoroughly no-nonsense and in-yourface
variety of seaside and as such it isn’t for everyone.
Marta, a Londoner, fell in love with the area by accident,
finding her way to the East Sussex and Kent coastal borders
via friends who had property there. Alerted to the existence
of the striking row of four-storey Victorian coastguard’s
cottages inhabited by similarly creative owner-occupiers, she
bought the one at the end, closest to the sea, in 2009 with
a legacy from her late father, and renovated it with love,
before moving in with her young son, now a teenager.
“Obviously he never visited, but many of my father’s
99 wealdentimes.co.uk
This page: Fresh paint on the chimney breast in the westfacing
single bedroom sets off the untreated walls on either side. The
window looks out onto Rye Harbour. The curtain fabric is from
Vintage Bird in Hastings
objects are here, so I feel the house is very much of him.
These days all the coastguard’s cottages here are holiday
lets, however at that time, just a few years ago, there was
still a resident community of mostly artists and writers.
My son was at school in Ashford and so we basically
just battened down the hatches here. It was magical.”
It was also, one may say, quite brave. Though glorious
from spring through to autumn, in winter it will come
as no surprise to learn that this stretch of coast can be,
at best, bracing. I live 30 minutes to the west along
the same coast, in Hastings and St Leonards, and I’m
used to what we call the “Lid-On” months, when
the weather hits the shoreline with a vengeance.
There’s a romance to it, for sure — and the ozone blast
of seaside living is wonderfully cobweb-busting—however,
when I visit Marta’s house on a bleak, nearly spring
morning, I’m struck by the bravery of being a newly-single
mother living here with a young child. However, after
even a few minutes in her company you are struck by the
sense that Marta is a woman who makes things work and,
as she says, “it worked very well for us, for a while.”
It’s not hard to see why. Savouring the architectural
quirks of a family home that was built primarily for the
business of coastal defence, not pleasure, Marta retained
wealdentimes.co.uk
100
We can produce made-to-fit Glass Balconies I Mirrors I Glass Shower Screens I
Balustrading I Glass Partitioning I Splashbacks I Painted Glass and Glass Floors
Let our bespoke glass products
bring your ideas to life
GLASS SERVICES
t 01303 264169 e glass@bowlphish.com w bowlphishglassservices.co.uk QUOTE BGS11
BowlphishGlassServicesWT194.indd 1 12/03/2018 15:50
Kitchens
Bedrooms
Studies
Woodworkkitchens.co.uk
traditional handmade furniture
01892 533273
Woodwork 1-2 WK.indd 1 08/02/2018 12:27
101 wealdentimes.co.uk
WoodworkWT193.indd 1 19/02/2018 15:08
Back From Black
Beam Renovation Ltd
Renovating Beams Since 1997
“The Alternative To Blasting”
Renovating beams since 1997
01797 458508
www.beam-renovation.co.uk
BackfromBlackWT193.indd 1 05/02/2018 12:59
5 th Year Anniversary
KARENS FOAM STORE
AND BESPOKE SEWING SHOP
Upholstery tools
Tacks, Cotton, Felt, Hessian
Webbing
Polyester
Calico fabric
Foam cut to size
Replacement sofa cushions
Car park opposite store
Upholstery supplier
Bespoke cushion making
Outdoor seating/cushions
Camper van/caravan
139 CAMDEN ROAD
TUNBRIDGE WELLS, TN1 2RA
T: 01892 530003 / 07479 538286
E: Karensfoam@outlook.com
wealdentimes.co.uk
102
KarensFoamStoreWT191.indd 1 14/02/2018 16:11
This page: The staircase from the ground floor up to the
first floor. The rope handrail is a subtle nod to the maritime
connection of the cottage
as many of the original features as possible, including
the coastguard’s gun cabinet by the front door; these
shores, after all, have long been a smuggler’s beat and
the coastguards would often have had their work cut out
dealing with looters in the aftermath of shipwrecks.
Indeed, the entire area is one of dramatic extremes and
stark contrasts; from the dunes and romantic white sands at
Camber you are just a few minutes’ drive from the isolated
weather-beaten bluff of Dungeness — which is not only one
of the largest shingle landscapes in the world but one of the
few nature reserves graced by a hulking power station (not to
mention blessed with very fine fish and chips, at The Pilot).
Inland, the 100 square miles of Romney Marsh — all big
skies and brooding landscapes, embracing woodland, wetland,
sand and shingle and thirteen beautiful medieval churches —
is no less intensely atmospheric. This is, in short, a corner of
the country that attracts escapists, from near and far, opening
its arms to visitors now as easily as it once put up defences
— nearby, there are numerous frontline relics of conflicts
ranging from the Napoleonic wars to the Battle of Britain.
Perhaps the most enduring metaphor for the contrasts of
this fascinating area is the 28-mile Royal Military Canal which
was built as a defence against Napoleon in the early 1800s,
scything through the landscape from Hythe to Rye which,
these days, is an important nature reserve for migratory birds.
Though Marta fell in love with the romance of all this
immediately — ‘it seemed to attract so many of my kind of
people’ — her architect’s eye also meant that pretty should
occasionally outweigh pragmatic. The empty house was
in a desperately unloved state bordering on the derelict.
“It had been vandalized and there was graffiti
everywhere. The bathroom had been smashed to pieces
and radiators pulled off the walls…” which would have
been sufficient to put off most people. Luckily, Marta
not only had a vision of what it could become but could
see that the ‘bones’ of the building were strong.
“There is a vernacular Victorian ‘coastguard’s
cottage’ design you will find all over the country,
as though there was a government blueprint.”
All it would take to bring the house back to life, she
surmised, would be… a total refurb and a lot of visual TLC.
Having studied interior architecture at Kingston
University, Marta founded her own successful practice
in 2004, after a period in partnership at another firm
and as a course leader in interior architecture at
103 wealdentimes.co.uk
This page: The house had been vandalised before Marta bought it, the bathroom smashed to pieces, so she had to put an entirely new
one in. She panelled it with horizontal tongue and groove to make it feel warmer and put in a freestanding bath as that is what would
have been there before
wealdentimes.co.uk
104
See potential.
Realise the vision.
Open Morning
Come and see the difference
Thursday 3rd May
9.00 am – 12 noon
Contact our Registrar for details:
registrar@dulwichprepcranbrook.org
dulwichprepcranbrook.org
ENSOR
interior design
DulwichPrepWT194.indd 1 06/03/2018 14:36
fabrics & wallpaper • curtains & blinds • headboards & upholstery • lighting • home accessories
www.ensorinteriordesign.co.uk
Showrooms in Frant, nr Tunbridge Wells and Cuckfield, nr Haywards Heath
105 wealdentimes.co.uk
EnsorInteriorDesignWT191.indd 1 07/12/2017 17:20
Your Private Driver
British Chauffeur Guild approved
Security and defensive driving trained
Telephone: 07515 649688
www.yourprivatedriver.co.uk
SHOPPING TRIPS SPORTING EVENTS TV & FILM STUDIO PRIVATE AVIATION
VIP TRANSPORT
DEPARTURE & ARRIVALS
YourPrivateDriverWT193.indd 1 09/02/2018 16:49
Quality glass
you can enjoy
for years
Supply & installation
specialist offering a wide
range of made-to-measure
glass products and
bespoke glass solutions
01233 626045
cpglassandwindows.co.uk
Shower screens/cubicles
Toughened glass splash backs
Double glazed units
Mirrors inc. antique
Balustrades/balconies
Horticultural/restoration
Supply of:
Windows, doors & conservatories
wealdentimes.co.uk
106
CPGlassWT194.indd 1 08/03/2018 17:01
The cottage’s warm
homeliness – squidgy leather
armchairs in front of roughand-ready
open fireplaces
– combines with touches
of genuine glamour
This page: In the East facing double bedroom, Marta stripped
off the old wallpaper and liked the distressed plaster beneath it so
much she decided to keep it. She has had the 1950s wicker chair
for many years. The French painter’s ladder was found at Wish
Barn Antiques in Rye
London Metropolitan University. She fast became a go-to
architect for the generation of artists known as the YBAs,
designing projects for Gavin Turk, Gillian Wearing and the
contemporary art dealer Karsten Schubert, among others.
Originally, at Jury’s Gap, there was no view from the
single-storey ground floor kitchen extension in order to
protect the building from the full force of the weather —
that is, until Marta created a big picture window above the
stainless-steel work surfaces, sink and the large range.
“And there’s no extractor, though there probably
‘should’ be,” she shrugs, smiling. However, this really isn’t
a ‘should’ kind of house… “so we just open the door.”
Next to the kitchen, Marta added a spacious wetroom
and downstairs loo. The coastguards may not have
bothered, however modern weekenders “want to be able
to shower off the sand and the salt straight away.”
Surprisingly, even on the day I visit — alluring skies
and biting winds over the desolate landscape — the
house is filled with light. You can easily imagine freerange
kids and barbeques against the backdrop of sun
107 wealdentimes.co.uk
This page: Looking from the East facing bedroom onto the landing with the ladder steps going up to the attic bedroom
and sea and… an MOD firing range (note to would-be
guests: if the proximity of barbed wire and the occasional
rat-a-tat of working firearms scares you more than it
thrills you then this may not be your kind of place).
The cottage’s central staircase leaves walls free for the
windows and many of the rooms are double aspect.
Even with the predominantly white palette, it’s still a
surprisingly warm and welcoming space, even in winter.
There are five spacious bedrooms which sleep eleven when
the house is full, making it affordable for big groups of
friends or families at a rate starting from £300 per night.
Two of the bedrooms are on the lower ground floor
and are, again, surprisingly light with, I note, windows
perfectly positioned for smaller guests to clamber in
and out of very easily during games of hide-and-seek
— “I suspect there is a lot of that,” agrees Marta.
There are two further bedrooms and a family bathroom
on the first floor, while the bedroom for which I imagine
wealdentimes.co.uk
108
Joseph M c Carthy
Mirror & Frame makers
EXQUISITE, FITTED
LUXURIOUS, DESIGNER
AND THAT’S JUST THE WARDROBE
Like no other wardrobe
Get in touch to arrange your free
at home design appointment
Call 01622 718 987 SLIDEROBES.CO.UK
3c Deacon Trading Estate, Aylesford, ME20 7SP
Television Re-imagined
Designed · Created · Installed
- visit our showroom -
The Pantiles Coach House , London Road, Tunbridge Wells TN2 5BF
info@josephmccarthy.co.uk
www.josephmccarthy.co.uk
01892 527528
PassionMediaWT194.indd 1 05/03/2018 JosephMcCarthyWT194.indd 14:40
1 12/03/2018 10:31
A NEW PALETTE COLOUR OF PALETTE 180 COLOURS FOR 2016 - AVAILABLE - NOW IN STORE
IMAGE SUPPLIED BY PAINT & PAPER LIBRARY
109 wealdentimes.co.uk
BellHouseWT182.indd 1 21/03/2017 GraceyardWT194.indd 14:12
1 09/03/2018 14:23
ADVERTISING FEATURE
The Benefits of Bespoke…
Rencraft has been designing and making kitchens in Kent for over 37 years.
Here’s why they believe the difference is in the detail…
John Stephens, Managing Director
of Rencraft, explains “We make
all our kitchens and furniture in our
workshop just outside Sevenoaks
and we take great pride in the care and
attention to detail that we put in to every
single design we do. The craftsmanship
we offer can’t be recreated on a factory
production line. Here, every cabinet is
built by hand, every solid wood cutlery
insert is made to order and every larder
cupboard is kitted out in a way that is
personal to you. The end result is a
kitchen that is functional, beautiful and
built to stand the test of time.”
While Rencraft takes great pride in
offering a more traditional approach to
manufacturing, its designs are far from
old-fashioned.
John adds “We’ve invested in the latest
Computer Aided Design programmes to
provide our clients with an insight in to
what their finished kitchen will look like.
Our designers focus on layout, interiors
and practical considerations, as well
as materials and finishes. Our bespoke
approach means that even awkward
spaces can usually be worked around
and we can also draw upon our years
of experience to offer guidance on
everything from worktops to appliances
and storage solutions.”
The team are delighted to have had their
efforts recognised by others within the
industry, with one of John’s designs being
announced as a finalist in the prestigious
2018 KBB Retail & Design Awards.
“To have one of our designs recognised
in this way is a great achievement,”
says John “but nothing compares to the
great feedback we get from our clients. I
know people who have had our kitchens
for upwards of 20 years, and they are
still happy with them. That’s the real
compliment, that’s the buzz, and that’s
why we’ll never compromise on the quality
of what we do.”
To fully appreciate what Rencraft can do
for you, simply visit their website
www.rencraft.co.uk or make an
appointment at one of their showrooms.
Rencraft can be found at
Unit 9, Chart Farm, Seal Chart,
Sevenoaks TN15 0ES
Tel: 01732 762682 or at
81 Calverley Road,
Tunbridge Wells TN1 2UY
Tel: 01892 520730
This page: Marta created a new double bedroom
in the eaves of the house, large and airy with
light pouring through Velux windows, accessed
by this ship-like ladder
dice need to be rolled, or straws drawn,
is the large Velux-windowed airy-yetcosy
double tucked up in the eaves.
Marta created the room from scratch
(“there was a lot of insulation and glazing;
this is a house which may look ‘easy going’
but because of its position also needs a
lot of maintenance”) and it is reached by
a ship-like wooden staircase that makes it
unsuitable for the very small or elderly.
Here, floor to ceiling tongue-and-groove
cladding creates a genuinely romantic whiteon-white
den; seaside escapism as it should
be played. Never mind Camber, up here you
can squint and imagine yourself pretty much
anywhere from Corfu to Cape Cod. No
wonder that in 2014 the house was voted No7
in The Guardian’s Top 100 seaside rentals.
Elsewhere, the cottage’s warm homeliness
— squidgy leather armchairs in front of
rough-and-ready open fireplaces, beds
made for bouncing as well as dream-filled
sleeping — combines with touches of
genuine glamour… Yes, that is a Bridget
Riley print in the dining room, which
also boasts a chandelier the likes of which
Victorian coastguards could only dream.
If, however, your idea of the perfect coast
is to be found in Cornwall or California, it’s
unlikely that this little spot — geographically,
it’s ‘Camberness’ — will also be your idea
of fun. However, for those of us who both
love and live in the area the more subtle
attractions are precisely what appeal.
Marta also remains passionate about the
spot where Kent collides with East Sussex;
her recent redevelopment of a 1950s St
John’s Ambulance station situated in the
centre of historic Rye attracted a great deal
of interest, with TV appearances and features
in Grand Designs magazine and is also
111 wealdentimes.co.uk
Never mind Camber, up here you can squint and imagine
yourself pretty much anywhere from Corfu to Cape Cod
available as a holiday let among the portfolio of properties
designed or selected by Marta at domstayandlive.com —
dom being the Polish for ‘home’, referencing her roots.
“It’s a go-to website for people wanting to rent unusual
and contemporary spaces to live or holiday in, or even buy.”
Meanwhile, the coastguard’s cottage at Jury’s Gap is
today pretty much exactly as it was when Marta and her
son were in situ. However, this is far from being a house set
in aspic. In fact, this sense of a home having been curated
for others to enjoy is precisely the reason the space doesn’t
come across as yet another cool-but-soulless holiday let.
Instead, this quirky and authentic seaside cottage wears
its heart on its sleeve, feeling as warm and welcoming
(yes, even in January) as any loved and lived-in family
home. And that’s precisely where the cliché ends.
Read more about Kathryn Flett’s interior practice at
luxeforlife.com
Address Book:
To rent the cottage contact DOM Stay and Live
marta@domstayandlive.com 07949 564550
domstayandlive.com
Mccully & Crane 27 Cinque Ports Street, Rye
mccullyandcrane.com
Pale and Interesting 21 Mermaid Street, Rye
paleandinteresting.com
Vintage Bird 48 High Street, Hastings
Wish Barn Antiques Wish Street, Rye
wealdentimes.co.uk
112
E
No more draughty, rotten,
inefficient sash windows
Winner
The Worshipful Company
of Tylers and Bricklayers
Triennial Award 2017
“The highest standard of craftsmanship and roof
tiling seen in the long history of the awards”
– Bob Allies (Chairman of Assessors)
Using revolutionary 10mm thick
double glazed units we can retro
fit sash windows, retaining the
original appearance but with
the benefits of double glazing.
Improve insulation
Save money on heating bills
Call 01892 532273 for a
FREE site survey & quote sashwindowheritage.co.uk
Photo Claire Banks
For free quotations and professional advice
01797 270268 or visit www.kentpegs.com
SashWindowHeritageWT187.indd 1 15/08/2017 KarlTerryWT186.indd 15:18
1 19/07/2017 15:56
HAND
CRAFTED IN
TBF
ENGLAND
●TRADITIONAL
EST 2003
●
RB E S P O K E F U RN IT U
monarchoak
Oak Frame Buildings
Over 50 years’ experience making oak frame buildings
KITCHENS
BEDROOMS
& BATHROOMS
01892 723083
www.traditionalbespokefurniture.co.uk
The Old STableS, CryalS rOad, brenChley, Tn12 7aW
• Garages
• Garden Rooms
• Complexes
• Gazebos
• Bespoke Buildings
01323 765410 Quality in its finest form
www.monarchoak.co.uk
113 wealdentimes.co.uk
TraditionalBespokeFurnitureWT194.indd 1 16/03/2018 MonarchOakWT147.indd 09:52
1 15/04/2014 15:06
35 Monson Road, Tunbridge Wells TN1 1LS 01892 517986
www.edneyandedney.com
Rudyard table lamp £118
Dar Lighting darlighting.co.uk
Swoonworthy wood effect tiles
£18.95/m 2 Walls and Floors
Ltd wallsandfloors.co.uk
5 Hook antique rack £33.99
Ian Snow iansnow.com
Get
Look
the
Black and gold moving gears
clock £115 Alexander & Pearl
alexanderandpearl.co.uk
Large distressed blossom
canvas £175 The Farthing
thefarthing.co.uk
Rustic metal bar stool, £74.50
The Farthing thefarthing.co.uk
Burghley chair £1519
Darlings of Chelsea
darlingsofchelsea.co.uk
Aged zinc florist’s vase £10.50
The Farthing thefarthing.co.uk
Reclaimed wood chest of
drawers £415 Modish Living
modishliving.co.uk
Oak towel rail £94 Lime
Lace limelace.co.uk
Mogg Zio Tom sideboard
£3560 Go Modern Furniture
gomodern.co.uk
Vincent Sheppard garden
lounge chair £419 Lagoon
vivalagoon.com
115 wealdentimes.co.uk
2
1
4
3
6
Floor plans
All kinds of wooden floors, encaustic tiles and neutral coir-style
carpeting are still gorgeous and desirable flooring choices, but
there are lots of fun new trends for covering the ground beneath
our feet. Even some we thought we’d never like again - wood
effect tiles and patterned carpet - look fresh and exciting in
contemporary interiors
5
7
Herringbone
8
9
All kinds of surfaces, from wood to ceramic and
vinyl tiles look fresh laid in this jazzy pattern
1. Goodrich Espresso Oak £79.95/m 2 Woodpecker Flooring
woodpeckerflooring.co.uk, 2. Lexington Bianco £55+VAT/ m 2 The Stone
Tile Warehouse thestonetilewarehouse.co.uk 3. Amtico Herringbone
flooring from £50/m 2 Dewitt Floors dewittfloors.co.uk, 4. Reclaimed
wood effect floor tiles £19.95/m 2 Walls and Floors wallsandfloors.co.uk
5. Haven wood tiles £32.95/m 2 Walls and Floors wallsandfloors.co.uk
6. Paintwash white tiles £3.17/tile Tile Mountain tilemountain.co.uk
7. Little wood blend tiles £25.99/m 2 Tile Mountain tilemountain.co.uk
8. Herringbone marble polished brick tiles £9.95/sheet Walls and
Floors wallsandfloors.co.uk 9. Tavola tiles £10.99/m 2 Tile Mountain
tilemountain.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
at CLARK’S
Carpets and fine floor coverings
STONE FLOORING SPECIALISTS
Our comprehensive range of wall and floor tiles
are especially sourced to offer excellent value.
Natural Stone, Encaustics, Porcelain
and Mosaic ranges on display
Expert advice and installation service available
Rug shown Farrago Gold
140x240 was £305 now £274.50
The most
comprehensive
rug show rooms
open in Clark’s
of Canterbury
and Clark’s of
Whitstable.
10%OFF
ALL RUGS
Canterbury: 12 Roper Road, CT2 7EH. 01227 788588
Whitstable: 89 High Street, CT5 1AY. 01227 772774
www.clarkscanterbury.com
THE STONE TILE WAREHOUSE
Visit our Warehouse-Showroom Unit 10, Integra ME,
Bircholt Road, Parkwood, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 9GQ
01622 679157
www.thestonetilewarehouse.co.uk
thestonetilewarehouse
stonetileware
Orlestone Oak
ClarksRugNationWT194.indd 1 06/03/2018 SouthernAdhesivesWT194.indd 16:13
1 07/03/2018 14:46
Tailor-made Oak Joinery and Oak Flooring
OAK
ORLESTONE
OAK
ORLESTONE
OAK
ORLESTONE
SOLID OAK fLOORING
PRE-fINISHED & DISTRESSED fLOORS
NEW SHOWROOM DISPLAYS
OAK STAIRCASES & WINDOWS
OAK DOORS AND PORCHES
OAK DECKING & BEAMS
www.orlestoneoak.co.uk 01233 732179
SHOWROOm Open mOnday tO FRiday 9am-5pm, SatuRday 9am-12pm
wealdentimes.co.uk
118
OrlestoneOakWT167.indd 1 02/12/2015 11:42
Terrazzo
This tutti frutti flooring inspired by Venetian
pavements is an architects’ fave when poured in place
but also comes in tile form
Quality
hardwood floors
supplied & fitted
by craftsmen
1 2
3
4
Showroom: The Barn, Main Road, Sundridge, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN14 6EE
For a free no obligation estimate call us on 01959 563063
visit our website: www.dbwf.co.uk
5 7
6
Mulberry Flooring Ltd
DavidBrownWT194.indd 1 20/03/2018 15:11
An independent family run business.
Offering an impressive range of rugs, carpet & hard
flooring including: Roger Oates, Crucial Trading,
Alternative Flooring & Many more.
8 9
1. Ofelia rustic porcelain floor tile £28.99 Tile Mountain tilemountain.co.uk 2. Lime terrazzo
approx. £54.50+VAT/m 2 In Opera in-opera.co.uk 3. Kaleo terrazzo cement tile from £75.44/
m 2 Terrazzo Tiles terrazzo-tiles.co.uk 4. Verde Alpi approx. £54.50+VAT/m 2 In Opera in-opera.
co.uk 5. Francesca terrazzo cement £72.11/m 2 Terrazzo Tiles, terrazzo-tiles.co.uk 6. TE007
Diespeker £85/m 2 diespeker.co.uk 7. GV terrazzo cement approx. £54.50+VAT/m 2 In Opera
in-opera.co.uk 8. Alameda cement tile £75.44/m 2 Terrazzo Tiles terrazzo-tiles.co.uk 9. Snow
field £85+VAT/m 2 The Stone Tile Warehouse thestonetilewarehouse.co.uk
Visit our lovely showroom at
137 High Street, Hythe, Kent CT2b 5JL
Telephone: 01303 262580
www.mulberryflooringltd.co.uk
119 wealdentimes.co.uk
MulberryFlooringWT193.indd 1 07/03/2018 14:24
Perfectly patterned
2
We’re used to pattern in rugs, but now it’s looking good again in fitted
carpet - geometric, floral, stripe, or plaid (like at Balmoral)
1
3 4
5
6 7
1. Bloomsbury Summer Breeze RRP £59/m 2 Ulster Carpets ulstercarpets.com 2. Crucial Trading 100% wool
Biscayne carpet £65/m2 Dewitt Floors dewittfloors.co.uk 3. Braeburn Myrtle RRP £74/m 2 Ulster Carpets
ulstercarpets.com 4. Blue baroque carpet £39.99 Carpetright carpetright.co.uk 5. Beaumont Turtle Dove RRP
£79/m 2 Ulster Carpets ulstercarpets.com 6. Gleneagles Carpet £29.99 Carpetright carpetright.co.uk
7. Colombus Greek Key carpet £29.99 Carpetright carpetright.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
120
Coban Rugs
Unique handwoven rugs and runners
07769 800321 cobanrugs.com
GET INSPIRED by...
GET INSPIRED by...
FREE *Delivery and
personal expert advice
FREE *Delivery and
FREE *Delivery and
personal expert advice
personal expert advice
FREELANDS TILES
Bringing style to a tile
Open 7 days a week
124-126 London Road,
Dunton Green, Sevenoaks,
Kent TN13 2UT
Tel:
Open
01732 days
459 week
765
sales@freelands-tiles.co.uk
124-126
Open 7 days
London
a week
Road,
Dunton
124-126
Green,
London
Sevenoaks,
Road,
Kent
Dunton
TN13
Green,
2UT
Sevenoaks,
Kent TN13 2UT
Tel: 01732 459 765
sales@freelands-tiles.co.uk
Tel: 01732 459 765
sales@freelands-tiles.co.uk
FREELANDS
FREELANDS
TILES
TILES
Bringing style to tile
Bringing style to a tile
Latest ideas for
interior floors & walls
Latest ideas for
Latest ideas for
interior floors walls
interior floors & walls
www.freelands-tiles.co.uk
www.freelands-tiles.co.uk
www.freelands-tiles.co.uk
CobanrugsWT194.indd 1 13/03/2018 FreelandsTilesWT194.indd 16:27
1 19/03/2018 12:26
New showroom
now open and a
5% discount
on all Amtico Floors
purchased with this
advertisement
DeWitt Floors
Brand identity CMYK
An enduring collection, rich with rustic textures and embosses
that perfectly suit modern and traditional homes, with a 0.7mm
wear layer.
Dewitt Flooring (UK) Ltd
9 High Street,
Lenham, Maidstone
Kent ME17 2QD
01622 858940
info@dewittfloors.co.uk
Primary Colour Palette.
Colour swatches are for
guidance only.
Secondary Colour Palette.
Colour swatches are for
guidance only.
C67 M61 Y50 K32
121 wealdentimes.co.uk
C15 M41 Y10 K0
DewittFlooringUKLtdWT194.indd 1 19/03/2018 10:38
SPRING EDIT
The spring/summer collections at Fenwick have landed with an array of uplifting and joyful
colours, from sugared almond pastels to all the colours of a rainbow. Yellow mania continues, but
now with a warmer softer tone. Millennial Pink looks like it here to stay but this season it has a rival,
Lilac; a light purple with a twist. Crinkle silks and linen mixes will create light and shade, and
shape will come in the form of opposites; from soft ethereal layering to strong clean lines with sharp
detailing. Our buyers have travelled far and wide to find product that is quite unique, to inspire our
customers and offer a point of difference, beautiful designs not found everywhere on the high street.
Here is our spring edit, pop into store to discover so much more!
©2018 EILEEN FISHER INC.
FENWICK | CANTERBURY 01227 766866 | TUNBRIDGE WELLS 01892 516716
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL STORE FOR AVAILABILITY | WWW.FENWICK.CO.UK
Rain or shine
With wet weather gear the choice used to be stay dry – or stay stylish, but high tech
fabrics and a new generation of labels have combined the two. Bring on the rain!
We would like to thank the team at Hastings Pier for allowing us to
photograph at this iconic location. For more information on the history
of the pier or upcoming events visit hastingspier.org.uk
Photographs: David Merewether
Styling: Kate Watts
Model: Ella Parsons
Make Up: Natasha Valerie Makeup natashavaleriemakeup.com
wealdentimes.co.uk
124
125 wealdentimes.co.uk
Ilse Jacobsen raincoat, £230, Travelling
Bazaar travelling-bazaar.com; denim jacket,
£38.49, Gap at Ashford Designer Outlet
ashforddesigneroutlet.com; printed jumpsuit,
£165, Bod & Ted, bodandted.co.uk;
rust leather clogs, £119, Kitty Clogs
Sweden kittyclogssweden.co.uk
First Page: Soft trench, £99, French Connection at Ashford Designer Outlet, metallic biker jacket, £59, Guess at
Ashford Designer Outlet, frayed hem jeans, £27.99, Gap at Ashford Designer Outlet, leather bag, £89, Jaeger at Ashford
Designer Outlet ashforddesigneroutlet.com; longline shirt, £110, Bod & Ted, bodandted.co.uk; garnet leather clogs, £125,
Kitty Clogs Sweden kittyclogssweden.co.uk. This page: Trench, £149, Jaeger at Ashford Designer Outlet, high waist
trousers, £20.99, Gap at Ashford Designer Outlet ashforddesigneroutlet.com; embroidered hooded sweatshirt, £85, Odyl
odyldesign.com; leather trainers, £90, Travelling Bazaar travelling-bazaar.com
127 wealdentimes.co.uk
Left: Ilse Jacobsen raincoat, £115, Travelling Bazaar travelling-bazaar.com; silk drop waist dress, £215, Bod & Ted, bodandted.co.uk;
D&G sunglasses, £140, Sunglasses Hut at Ashford Designer Outlet, transparent bag, £23, Fiorelli at Ashford Designer Outlet
ashforddesigneroutlet.com. Right: Packmack, £79, Fenwick Tunbridge Wells fenwick.co.uk; Ray Ban sunglasses, £127, Sunglasses Hut at
Ashford Designer Outlet ashforddesigneroutlet.com
wealdentimes.co.uk
128
cashmere and silk knitwear
Ladies Shopping Event
Wednesday 25 th April
5pm–8pm
Enjoy champagne
and canapés while
browsing the new
collections.
Complimentary
gift bag with every
purchase.
23 High Street, Tenterden TN30 6BJ
Telephone 01580 761222 Shop online at www.cashara.co.uk
Hawkhurst-No6 The Collonade Rye Road Kent. TN184ES
01580 752118
Rye- No12 High Street Rye East Sussex. TN317JF
01797 224369
Lewes -27 High Street Lewes East Sussex. BN72LU
01273 480896
Come to Charing for White Vanilla
CasharaWT194.indd 1 12/03/2018 CordeliaJamesWT193.indd 16:30
1 06/02/2018 17:10
Our new range of White Vanilla styles plus our core
fashions in cotton, linen and silk have arrived. We’ve
added great accessories to complete the look.
While you’re here, explore the rest of Charing and have tea at
Mulberry’s, choose some great cards and gifts from our friendly
Post Office, or hop along to the butchers for a juicy steak.
44
Opening Hours: Tuesday—Friday 10.30am—5pm
Saturday 10.30am—3.30pm
44 High Street, Charing, Kent TN27 0HX 01233 714689
LINDAPOPEOPTICIANS
FACEBOOK.COM/LINDAPOPEOPTICIANS
WWW.LINDAPOPEOPTICIAN.CO.UK
RYE ROAD • HAWKHURST
TELEPHONE 01580 753744
129 wealdentimes.co.uk
Elizabeth44WT194.indd 1 16/03/2018 LindapopeWT194.indd 10:14
1 15/03/2018 12:58
Over 45 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
dressing undeniable beauty
35 High St,
Cranbrook
www.odyl.co.uk
01580 714907
9 carat white
gold cuff link,
3D engraved
coat of arms
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
Untitled-3 1 13/02/2018 OdylWT194.indd 16:30 1 12/03/2018 16:57
THE GORGEOUS NEW
HOLLYWOOD EDITION
STROLLER
www.littlepoppets.co Telephone: 01732 456497
142 St Johns Hill, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 3PF
wealdentimes.co.uk
130
LittlePoppetsWT193.indd 1 19/02/2018 14:45
Ilse Jacobsen raincoat, £160, Travelling
Bazaar travelling-bazaar.com; star print
neck scarf, £4.50, cross body bag, £19,
M&S at Ashford Designer Outlet,
patchwork denim dress, £75, French
Connection at Ashford Designer
Outlet ashforddesigneroutlet.com
Insane in the Rain jacket, £95,
American Vintage t-shirt, £45,
Paige Hoxton jeans, £275, Fenwick
Tunbridge Wells fenwick.co.uk;
garnet leather clogs, £125, Kitty
Clogs Sweden kittyclogssweden.co.uk;
backpack, £40, French Connection
at Ashford Designer Outlet
ashforddesigneroutlet.com
wealdentimes.co.uk
132
STYLISH SHOES FOR STYLISH FEET
The
Amazing
Lavender
Sisters
Beautiful boutique set in the
Sussex countryside, stockists
of premium womenswear.
Mama B, Lauren Vidal,
Eden Rock, Ruga and Foil.
We also have a wide range
of accessories, bags and
shoes, with an unusual line
of jewellery for all occasions.
Telephone 01825 791792
theamazinglavendersisters.com
The Courtyard, Trading Boundaries,
Sheffield Green TN22 3RB
Open 10am-5pm, Mon-Fri
11am-5pm Sundays & Bank Holidays
ManukaShoesWT194.indd 1 20/03/2018 AmazingLavenderSistersWT194.indd 11:37
1 20/03/2018 18:36
133 wealdentimes.co.uk
No37-WT194.indd 1 09/03/2018 14:17
Raincoat, £95, Cashara,
cashara.co.uk; cashmere
slogan jumper, £195, stripe
trousers £115, Bod & Ted,
bodandted.co.uk
Entre Nous Lingerie
4 London Rd, Westerham, Kent TN16 1BD
01959 563975 entrenouslingerie.co.uk
Open 10–5 Mon–Sat
Ranges include:
Elomi
Maison Lejaby
Fantasie
Wacoal
Freya
Lepel
Triumph
80% of women wear the wrong size bra.
Come and be fitted by bra specialists catering for
larger cup sizes, in a friendly, relaxed environment.
Swimwear, nightwear, slippers & gifts.
the Italian Wardrobe
2-4 Castle Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1XJ
01892 514143 www.theitalianwardrobe.co.uk
Dominic Walmsley
jewellery
EntreNousLingerieWT194.indd 1 13/03/2018 ItalianWardrobeWT194.indd 16:22
1 21/03/2018 15:26
Dazzle Collection
Philosophy Di Lorenzo
Alice & Olivia
Rebecca Taylor
Milly
Rixo
Perseverance
AG jeans
MiH jeans
360 cashmere
Duffy
Velvet
Parajumpers
Munthe
18ct yellow gold dazzle ring £1,860
3 The Square • Riverhead
01732 779 555 • www.dominicwalmsley.com
Est London 1991
CleverDresser
01732 453 002 www.thecleverdresser.com
6 Bank St. Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1UW
135 wealdentimes.co.uk
DominicWalmsleyWT194.indd 1 08/03/2018 CleverDresserBoutiqueWT193.indd 14:14
1 21/02/2018 11:24
Concept
Hair
salon
50 High Street, Tenterden 01580 762 564
Book online at www.williamcharleshair.co.uk or through our facebook page
Beauty
Soap stars
Josephine Fairley washes her hands of liquid soap in those
environment-wrecking plastic bottles and goes back to the
good old bar variety
I’m all for life’s small pleasures. A delicious
cappuccino, enjoyed while gazing at a beautiful
view. Dancing around the kitchen, cooking dinner
to a favourite Madeleine Peyroux album. Or a new
bar of soap: fresh, fragrant, the beauty equivalent of
a brand new notebook, or crisp clean sheets.
And you know? I absolutely never take it for granted.
A couple of decades ago I went to Romania with The
Body Shop’s Anita Roddick, to visit the orphanages she
was sponsoring. One night, we drove around the nearby
villages giving away bars of soap from the back of a Body
Shop truck – almost triggering a stampede, because
it turned out: there’d been no soap in that part of the
country for 10 whole years. Gulp.
So I’m delighted that proper bar soap,
eclipsed for virtually a generation by hand
and body washes in pump-action plastic
bottles, is making a comeback.
Banho citron
verbena soap £14
Liberty London
libertylondon.com
And those bottles are one
of the main reasons I’m
glad about this shift.
Increasingly (thanks largely
to David Attenborough…)
we are all starting to think
about the catastrophic
environmental impact
of single-use plastics -
and the bottles which
hand and body washes
come in are some of
the worst offenders.
The components in
them can feature
several different
types of plastic
and sometimes a
metal spring, as
Chypre cedar
poinsettia soap £14
Liberty London
libertylondon.com
“We are all starting
to think about
the catastrophic
impact of singleuse
plastic bottles”
well, which
makes them
Luxury Soap
Collection £40 Floris
florislondon.com
challenging to recycle. In landfill, these hard
plastics will take thousands of years to break
down, so switching to a product where the only
packaging is a piece of paper or simple cardboard is a very
simple step to take to cut down on plastic wastage in your life.
Another reason to shift back to the kind of soap
our grannies used – and which has been traced back
as far as ancient Babylon 5000 years ago – is that it
doesn’t contain any of the increasingly controversial
ingredients which are found in the liquid kind.
Liquid soaps contain sulfate foaming agents, triclosan and
formaldehyde, all of which have been linked to health issues –
too complex to go into here, but very much worth Googling.
And I have another personal reason for
loving old-fashioned bars of beautifully
fragrant soap: I like to store them in drawers
where they make my underwear, knits and
bed linen smell pretty. Another advantage
of this is that if you keep them for a while
they harden off and will last longer, rather
than turning to pulp in your soap dish.
Which is something you may need
to invest in again – or possibly for the first time – if
you’ve been using liquid soap. I like to hunt out pieces
of vintage china and moulded glass to keep my soap in,
but I’ve noticed Zara Home do particularly good soap
dishes, a nice new accessory for your bathroom.
There are countless fabulous soaps, out there, but I
thought I’d share my favourites. So if you’re in the mood
for a new bar, after this, get in a lather over these.
Little Soap Company Natural Olive Oil Bar Soap, £2.95
(littlesoapcompany.co.uk). Little Soap Company create
artisan-style soaps in the Cotswolds, literally - the business
began on the founder Emma Heathcote-James’s kitchen
table. This one uses organic extra virgin olive oil, as
simple, but effective, as soap gets and the olive oil ensures
it’s not drying. Ideal for the touchiest skins. (I find that
some artisan hand-made soaps go squishy very quickly,
but Little Soap Company’s are more resilient.)
137 wealdentimes.co.uk
Private Escort
Care Service
Anyone can benefit
from hypnotherapy as
an empowering means
of reaching their full
potential and overcoming
negative ways of thinking,
feeling or behaving
Our Private Care Service carers can come
to your house; help assist you with an
outing in either your car or theirs. This
help can form part of a tailored package
of care that could help you stay in your
own home for longer, rather than going
into a care home before its really needed.
We can assist those who need help due
to frailty, disability or illness to live as
independently as possible, with comfort
and dignity, in their own home.
www.townandcountryhomecare.co.uk
Domestic
Care
£9.77
per hour
For a free assessment
of your care needs or to
receive your brochure
Call us on 01580 762244
Town & Country Homecare Limited
102a High Street, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6HT
Powerful, Rapid and Effective Hypnotherapy
Running Hub 134x88 So Mag 04.15_Running Hub 134x88 So Mag 04.15 21
www.chriswelfare.com 01227 390148
Running Hub 134x88 So Mag 04.15_Running Hub 134x88 So Mag 04.15 21
R*E*F*R*E*S*H
YOUR RUNNING
OPEN
6 OPEN DAYS
6 DAYS
VISIT THE DEDICATED
SPECIALISTS VISIT THE DEDICATED
FOR KENT
SPECIALISTS AND FOR SUSSEX KENT
AND SUSSEX
10.00-5.30
10.00-5.30
Chris Welfare
Hypnotherapy
Reg. MHS, Dip. MNLP, Dip. APCH
TownCountryHomecareWT133.indd 6 04/02/2013 ChrisWelfareWT189.indd 16:20
1 19/10/2017 12:55
KENT’S SAFEST MATCHMAKING AGENCY FOR THE 40s AND
OVERS. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A MORE PROFESSIONAL AND
SECURE WAY OF MEETING SOMEONE SPECIAL WE CAN HELP.
Before becoming a member we at Karen and Kim visit every
potential client in the comfort of their own home. For a friendly
and informal meeting to compile together with yourself a light
bright and engaging positive profile. Before any member is
accepted by our agency three forms of identity will need to be
shown and verified by us. This ensures that all our members are
genuine and by using our company we can help make finding
the perfect partner easy, safe and designed with your needs in
mind. So gone are the days of misleading profile descriptions,
photographs and made up stories. We hope to attract only genuine
Men and Women who are serious about meeting a partner.
IF YOU ARE AGED 40 AND OVER AND NEED HELP
FINDING A GENUINE SPECIAL SOMEONE, GET
IN TOUCH WITH KAREN AND KIM TODAY
wealdentimes.co.uk
Tel: 01227 637949 / 07523 613536
karenandkimintroductions.co.uk
enquiries@karenandkimintroductions.co.uk
facebook.com/Karenandkimintroductions
138
SELECT YOUR PERFECT
SELECT SHOES YOUR WITH PERFECT OUR
FITTING SHOES SERVICE WITH OUR –
VIDEO FITTING GAIT SERVICE ANALYSIS –
AND VIDEO IN-STORE GAIT TREADMILL
ANALYSIS
AND IN-STORE TREADMILL
FIND RUNNING CLOTHING
FIND RUNNING FOR ALL WEATHERS
CLOTHING
PLUS FOR ALL A WIDE WEATHERS RANGE
PLUS OF A ACCESSORIES
WIDE RANGE
OF ACCESSORIES
SPECIAL OFFER ON
TOMTOM SPECIAL GPS OFFER WATCHES ON
TOMTOM GPS WATCHES
At the Heart of Running
At the Heart of Running
RUNNINGHUB.CO.UK
RUNNINGHUB.CO.UK
148 LONDON RD, SOUTHBOROUGH, T’ WELLS, TN4 0PJ
T: 148 01892 LONDON 530559 RD, • SOUTHBOROUGH, E: RUNNINGHUB@UWCLUB.NET
T’ WELLS, TN4 0PJ
T: 01892 530559 • E: RUNNINGHUB@UWCLUB.NET
KarenAndKimIntroductionsWT194.indd 1 19/03/2018 RunningHubWT160.indd RunningHubWT184.indd 12:55
1 18/05/2015 02/05/2017 11:42 15:53
Beauty
Fox Trot violet
soap £9.50
Fragrence Direct
fragrancedirect.co.uk
of cedarwood), zesty citrusverbena
Banho, or – when
I can find it – the powdery,
violet-scented Fox Trot.
Liberty carries a wide selection,
including some amazing gift sets.
Fragonard Le Jardin de Fragonard Perle
de Thé Soap, £7.95 (Marks & Spencer
beauty departments and on-line). I’m
crazy in love with Fragonard soaps,
Claus Porto Soaps, from around
£15. These are fabulously packaged,
with eye-catching vintage designs
– and smell equally ravishing.
They’re made in Porto, the
Claus is actually the name of the
German founders, who started
the company in 1887. There are
dozens of soaps in the range, any
of which I’d gladly receive as a gift,
but if pushed to choose favourites,
I’ll opt for Chypre, (a stunningly
sophisticated fragrance, with whispers
which you can watch being made,
if you visit the classic perfume
house’s museum, in Grasse. The
soaps look like porcelain treasures,
embossed with different designs,
in this case, an Indian-inspired
Paisley design on a soap that’s gloriously
jasmine-scented. They do another range
that you can only buy in their stores (I
always stock up in Paris), which look
like exquisite cameos. Great gifts, these.
Chanel No.5 The Bath Soap, £22.
What can I say? The ultimate luxury. My
bar of this scented my underwear gloriously for
Le Jardin de
Fragonard Perle de
Thé Soap £7.95
Fragonard
www-uk.fragonard.
com
months before I finally began to use it; the trail of Chanel
No.5 that it leaves on the skin is really quite impressive.
Bamford Mini Pebble Soap Set, £32. A fab gift (um, to
yourself?), this brings together all three soaps from the
Oxfordshire-based natural beauty brand of which I’m
becoming an ever-more-ardent fan. The scents are rose,
geranium and jasmine, and the very pleasing, hand-friendly
shape is taken from a heart-shaped pebble found on the beach.
L’Occitane Bonne Mère Honey Soap,
Natural olive
oil bar soap, £2.95
Little Soap Company
littlesoapcompany.
co.uk
£5.50. Many of L’Occitane’s
divine soaps are made
using the traditional
Marseilles soap method.
For a mega-swoon, check
out the soaps in their new
Regent Street flagship
store. A must-visit destination
for your next beauty pilgrimage to London
Geranium &
– although this particular choice is a webonly
option, fabulously scented with honey,
rhubarb soap £9
Soap Co
which also has a skin-softening action.
thesoapco.org
Soap Co. Geranium & Rhubarb, £9. Last
autumn I visited the Soap
Co. factory in Walthamstow,
and have been giving their products to
friends ever since. Soap Co. is a new
and very chic venture within a longestablished
charity project offering
employment to blind and otherwise
disabled people and those with mental
health challenges. It’s as heart-warming
as beauty gets, frankly, but the reasons to
buy their soaps (and the rest of the range)
go beyond philanthropy; the range offers
great smells and textures. Here, a coldpressed
soap hand-made from olive oil,
organic cocoa butter, borage and calendula,
and with the loveliest of fragrances.
Floris Luxury Soap Collection, £40.
The soap-lover’s ultimate dream: a beribboned
gift box showcasing six of the
long-established Jermyn Street perfumery’s
most-loved soaps, including White Rose,
Stephanotis, citrusy Cefiro, Lily of the Valley,
Edwardian Bouquet and Rose Geranium – a
movingly nostalgic fragrance, for me, as it was
the scent of my father’s shaving soap, and one which has
been known to make me cry. Yup, that. From a soap.
For daily health and beauty updates from Josephine Fairley,
visit beautybible.com and for all the latest in the fabulous
world of perfume look at perfumesociety.org
“Another reason to shift
back to the kind of soap our
grannies used is that it doesn’t
contain any of the increasingly
controversial ingredients
found in the liquid kind”
139 wealdentimes.co.uk
purely beauty
Beauty Salon & Clinic
Hawkhurst
£100 Off!
Book any Caci course in April and
receive £100 off the course price*
Eden Beauty Therapy
01732 862224
5 Church Street, Edenbridge, Kent
Facial Toning
Lines/Wrinkles
Acne/Blemishes
Hand Treatment
Ultrasonic Skin Peeling
Eye Bags
Skin Hydration
Neck Treatment
Call: 01580 753383
Book Online: www.purenique.co.uk
Hawkhurst, TN18 4JU
*T’s&C’s Offer Valid for Caci courses over £300
Valid April 2018 only must be booked and paid for upfront,
Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.
www.edenbeautytherapy.co.uk
01732 862224
PureniqueWT194.indd 1 05/03/2018 EdenBeautyTherapyWT194.indd 10:58
1 15/03/2018 15:54
Bespoke cosmetic treatments
tailored to every clients needs
Combining smile and facial
enhancement
Contact us for your
complimentary consultation with
Dr. Russell Blanchard
01580 752202 info@stonerock.co.uk www.stonerockdentalcare.com
wealdentimes.co.uk
140
StonerockDentalPracticeWT194.indd 1 16/03/2018 13:00
Beauty
Spring into
summer
Start getting your body holiday
ready now with non-invasive beauty
treatments to leave you smooth, slim
and sleek – strictly no scalpels!
Alevere weight loss system – Health and Aesthetics, Godalming
If you find before and after weight loss pictures fascinating
– take a look at the ones on the Health and Aesthetics
website. Men and women of various ages who have lost up to
ten stone each on the Alevere system in a matter of months,
not only look astonishingly better, in much nicer clothes –
they all seem so much happier. It’s really inspiring.
But while the aesthetic side of things is great, what’s more
important is that this is a medically based weight loss system,
with very significant health benefits. It’s not just about inches
lost; clients shed that very hard to shift visceral fat, around the
organs, which is so damaging to health, putting you at much
greater risk of getting cancer, among other serious conditions.
The medically supervised weight loss system is based on a
guided protein-rich food programme designed to stablilise
blood sugar so the body achieves and then stays in the crucial
fat-burning ‘ketosis’ state, with weekly health checks and
blood tests to ensure safety.
Clients also have regular Medi Contour ultrasound
treatments, to break down that really dangerous organ fat,
plus Body Analysis, which gives a detailed picture of body
composition. Seeing fat percentages turning steadily into
muscle is very encouraging.
Hannah Betts - Practice Manager and Aesthetics Therapist
What is the nicest things clients say to you after reaching
their goal weight? “They feel like their life has completely
changed. When they tell you that previously they couldn’t
play with their children and now they can keep up with
them, it does make you gulp a little bit ...”
Why do you think the system achieves such amazing
results? “It’s the combination of all the different elements,
but really it’s about attitude. They think they’ve tried
everything and then this starts to work and they feel so
proud of themselves. They also say how helpful all the
encouragement at the clinic is.”
What would you say was the most common amount of
weight people come to you to lose? And how long does it
take? Some are dangerously overweight, but even people who
only want to lose a stone can do it, as long as it’s to get down
to a healthy BMI. A woman on average loses a stone a month
and a man on average a stone and a half.
Are there any other therapies you suggest having to
complement the Alevere system? CoolSculpting is excellent
for removing those stubborn subcutaneous fat bulges which
stay even after a client has lost the visceral fat and reached
their target weight.
Find out more about the Alevere weight loss system,
CoolSculpting and Body Analysis from Health and Aesthetics
in Godalming. They are having a CoolSculpting Event on
20th April with live demonstration, personalised treatment
plans and amazing discounts on the day. 01252 933133
healthandaesthetics.co.uk
141 wealdentimes.co.uk
CoolSculpting – Illuminate Skin Clinic, Kings Hill
Never again do you need to be tempted to look at those
weird online ads which promise to tell you ‘Seven foods
never to eat to lose belly fat…’.
Now you can get rid of those maddening pockets of
flubber that just won’t shift no matter how much you diet
and exercise by having them - literally – melted away by the
CoolSculpting procedure. While lying down. No wonder
CoolSculpting is the world’s number one non-invasive, nonsurgical
fat-reduction procedure. No scalpels, no sucking
tubes and no revolting tanks of extracted fat…
The system was invented by two scientists at Harvard
University who observed that some children got dimples in
their cheeks after eating ice lollies. They investigated and
developed the process of freezing and eliminating small
pockets of fat cells into a safe and effective fat-zapping
treatment, approved by America’s very strict FDA.
Faye Taylor: Medical Aesthetician
How does it work? “It uses a process called Cryolipolysis
to apply targeted cold to small areas of unwanted fat via a
handheld device applied by the therapist. The controlled cold
temperature freezes and damages the fat cells, causing the fat
to be expelled through the body’s lymphatic system.”
How long does each treatment take – and how long does
the effect last? “Depending on how many cycles you have,
each cycle carried out is 60 minutes. The overall result from
the treatment is permanent.”
How many treatments does it take to remove, for example,
a double chin? “Everyone is different with their body shape
so we take this into consideration in a consultation. On
average it is normally one treatment per area.”
What parts of the body can it be used on? “The abdomen,
flanks – sides of body between the hips and ribs - outer
thighs, inner thighs, bra fat, back fat, banana roll (underneath
the buttocks), arms and under the chin.”
Are there any pre-existing conditions that make it
unsuitable to be used? “If there has been any recent surgery
or there is scar tissue it would be necessary to wait six months
before treatment. Any patients with chronic pain, sensitivity
to cold, or anxiety disorder can still be treated, however they
may experience more discomfort during the treatment. We
also don’t treat pregnant woman, because there hasn’t been
any research yet to show it will not harm the baby.”
Does it hurt? And do you have to rest after? “When
the applicator is applied to the skin you may feel slight
discomfort due to the vacuum suction, where we are drawing
the fat cells into the applicator, and the first 10 minutes of
freezing. The next 50 minutes of the treatment is relaxing.
Afterwards, you can carry on with your everyday routine
including going to the gym.”
Does the fat area come back if you put weight on? “Once
the fat cells are removed from the treated area they will not
return - and if you put weight on it will go to another part of
the body. However, if you returned to having a poor diet with
lack of exercise, then remaining fat cells in the treated area
may multiply.”
Illuminate Skin Clinic 01732 647007
illuminateskinclinic.co.uk
IPL laser hair removal – Purenique, Hawkhurst
Shaving, waxing, threading, those terrible smelling
creams…? Forget them all. Superfluous body hair
and all its associated inconvenience can become a distant
memory.
All it takes is an obligation-free complimentary
consultation to make sure you have a sufficient contrast
between body hair colour and skin tone (most people
do) for the treatment to work and to assess the area to be
treated – then you’re off. And so is that maddening hair.
Kimberley Brook – salon owner
What kind of laser do you use? We use the Lynton
Lumina system, medically graded laser equipment, as used
by the NHS, with a gold standard treatment protocol.
How long do the results of laser hair removal last? The
results vary, but permanent reductions in hair growth are
seen in the majority of people. The more treatments you
have, the greater the chances of you achieving longer hairfree
periods. Treated follicles may re-grow hair though
and repeat sessions will likely be needed in the future to
maintain hair free results.
How many treatments does it take for a really good
result and can everybody have it? It varies, but typically
six or more treatments are needed. Most people are suitable
for treatment, although best results are achieved with
clients who have fair skin and dark hair, as dark hair has
a high concentration of melanin. Grey/white hair has no
melanin so is not suitable for treatment.
Does it hurt as much as waxing? Treatment sensation
varies but is often described as “a flick of an elastic band”.
Typically no anaesthesia is required and most clients
describe the discomfort as moderate and tolerable.
Are you doing any pre-summer packages? We are offering
a Summer Body permanent hair removal package, with a
course of six treatments for underarm, bikini line and half
leg (lower or upper) for £1500, which is over £600 cheaper
than getting them done separately.
Find out more from Purenique, Hawkhurst 01580
753383. Book your Free consultation online at.
purenique.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
142
*
‘WT0418’
UK’s No.1 Fitness Equipment Retailer
• Cardio & strength equipment
Tunbridge Wells
• Equipment for all budgets
• Never beaten on price
• Top brands
30-34 Grosvenor Road,
Tunbridge Wells,
Kent, TN1 2AP
01892 883747
Mon-Fri 09:00-17:30
Saturday 09:00-17:00
Sunday 11:00-16:00
• TREADMILLS • CROSS TRAINERS • EXERCISE BIKES • ROWING MACHINES • AND MORE
1000s MORE PRODUCTS | VISIT ONE OF OUR 10 UK STORES | OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
Northampton NN3 8RJ • Gloucester GL1 2UN • Newcastle NE11 9YS • Kent TN1 2AP • Chelmsford CM2 0ND
Manchester M41 7JA • Surrey GU16 7JD • Leeds WF10 4FR • South London SW18 4JB • North London NW9 6LH
4 In-store demonstration 4 Buy Now - Pay Later 4 Expert Advice 4 Free Delivery 4 Never Beaten On Price
Call 01604 673000 or visit fitness-superstore.co.uk
*T’s & C’s apply, see website for more details.
IDD Therapy has changed Paul’s life
In June 2017, Paul even completed
the punishing Tough Mudder
obstacle race, finishing 60th
out of 260 competitors.
Non-invasive treatment solves
Paul’s back pain agony
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
Paul Bowman has always lived an
active life. A regular in his local
gym, he runs his own construction
business, and loves the physical
side of the job. “Occasional aches
and pains go with the territory,”
Paul explains, “but gradually as I
got older, low back pain started to
become a real problem, and about
three years ago I was referred
for an MRI scan on my back.”
The scan revealed two compressed
and bulging discs in Paul’s lower
spine. “Back then, I was just
about managing,” says Paul. “My
back ached quite a lot, and I was
losing some of my mobility.”
Things steadily got worse, and
Paul started to suffer from sciatica
radiating down his legs. Another
scan revealed a nodule in his spine,
pressing against a spinal nerve root.
“The sciatica was shooting down
both legs. I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t
sleep, I could hardly work. The pain
was unbearable, and a consultant
advised surgery on my spine,
which can be risky of course.”
Paul decided to take matters into
his own hands, and discovered
IDD Therapy, a targeted spinal
disc treatment, which was being
offered at Wealden Osteopaths
& Spine Centre in Goudhurst.
“I made an appointment with
James Pickering, the Clinical
Director. He examined me, and
recommended 20 sessions of
gentle treatment on the IDD
machine. James explained that this
would gradually decompress the
bulging discs, and take pressure
off the nerve root, which was
causing my terrible sciatica.”
Because of the severe nature of
his pain, Paul knew that he needed
a series of treatments, but actually
started to feel considerable
relief after the first four. Within
a couple of weeks, he was even
back in the gym, swimming and
walking for pleasure again.
“I walked all the way
around Herm island in a
single afternoon. There
was once a time when
the sciatica was so
intense it made me fall
over. Not any more.”
“Today, I feel fine and I’m near
enough pain-free. Best of all, I can
walk long distances again and
things just keep getting better.”
“A few months after my course
of IDD Therapy, my partner and
I went on holiday to the Channel
Islands, and I walked all the way
around Herm island in a single
afternoon. There was once a time
when the sciatica was so intense it
made me fall over. Not any more.”
“I no longer need the surgery, and
I’ve avoided all the after-effects
of that. I would recommend
this treatment to anyone.”
James Pickering is delighted with
Paul’s progress. “We see so many
patients like Paul, who’ve been
taking painkillers long term, and
struggling with other forms of
treatment, such as physiotherapy.
People often feel like they’ve
run out of options, but we offer
a non-invasive solution that’s
safe, gentle and effective.”
“IDD Therapy is an invaluable
part of our service now, and
our first choice for long term
back, neck and sciatic pain.”
To find out about IDD Therapy
and other treatments offered at
Wealden Osteopaths & Spine
Centre, call: 01580 212833 or visit
www.wealdenosteopaths.co.uk
Wellbeing
A Year of Wellness
The last thing our bodies need when it’s still cool and damp is a
brutal detox with raw food that is hard to digest, much better work in
harmony with your body and the season says Eminé Rushton
April: A gentle cleanse
Detoxes are big business. Pills,
oils, scrubs, masks, juices...
add the word ‘detox’ to the Dlabel and you have people clamouring
to purchase the promise of ‘purifying’
their bodies and shifting weight, while
clearing skin and boosting energy levels
in the process.
As a holistic therapist and student
of Ayurveda, I don’t believe that any
one of us needs to actively detox. We’re
in possession of some hugely effective
in-built detoxification organs and
mechanisms, from our small intestine
and liver, to our kidneys and
skin and what best benefits
our bodies (and minds and
spirits while we’re at it), is
a gentle, seasonal, bodysupporting
cleanse.
As spring arrives
many of us feel the
shift quite naturally,
as the mood lightens, the body
feels more vital and the urge for
fresh, vibrant green foods takes
hold. This is the ideal time to
work with your body, to help clear
winter’s ‘leftovers’.
In Ayurvedic terms, there is often a
build up of damp, cold energy in the
body after winter and it is helpful to get
things moving, before the spring cough
and cold can take hold (which is simply
nature’s way of getting excess mucous
out of the system).
I begin with Weleda Birch Juice,
£10.95 (weleda.co.uk), an allnatural
age-old tonic that
supports the body’s inbuilt
cleansing processes, taking it
with warm water, in
the morning.
“Steer away
from raw juice
and foods until
the weather is
properly warm”
Dry body brushing is also very helpful
at getting the lymph moving, flushing
out any small pockets of toxicity, which
can build up in the adipose tissue. Begin
with the soles of the feet, then work up
the calves, thighs and buttocks before
going down the arms, back and gently
over the chest and tummy.
A generous dousing of oil on the skin
should follow. In Ayurveda, organic
sesame oil is considered wonderful for
heating a system, while organic coldpressed
sunflower oil is good for all body
types and conditions. Massage in well.
Given that spring
in England is still cool
(and often wet), make
daily food decisions that
support the body, based
upon the weather, mood
and appetite – and steer
away from raw juice and
foods until the weather
is properly warm. It takes a fair bit
of digestive energy to break down
uncooked roughage and fibre and if
the immune system is flagging, you can
actually deplete yourself further.
Cold mornings are amply warmed
with steaming porridge, served with
seasonal stewed fruit and cinnamon.
Cook some linseed into the oatmeal to
get the bowels spring-cleaned
too. Warmer days can support
raw, live yoghurt eaten at room
temperature, delicious with
homemade granola.
If it’s cold outside, cook up
the season’s first spring greens
with cinnamon, ginger and
garlic for stews and warm
salads, or whizz into a soup
that will warm up the innards.
Eminé Rushton is Wellbeing Director-at-Large at Psychologies magazine, and
co-founder of the conscious living blog, The Balance Plan, balanceplan.co.uk
As our bodies start
to shift into spring, it’s
also important to support the
process with at least eight glasses of
warm, filtered water daily. Herbal teas
count toward your intake. Naturally
detoxifying nettle, burdock, elderflower
and fennel, are just the ticket.
And fennel being perfectly in season
in spring, is also an ideal cleansing
veg. Try baking it with fish, for lunch
or dinner, too. Great spring herbs
that support the inner cleanse include
chervil, tarragon, rosemary and mint.
Bake, cook, garnish with them and
you’re getting extra flavour, with
antioxidants to boot.
And no spring awakening would be
complete without a thought for the
quality of our breath. Lungs can take
a bit of a battering over winter, with
perpetual central heating inside, and
gale-force winds out, so work to open
them up with breath-led yoga. And
in this glorious season of renewal, just
get outside a bit more, for brisk walks
and gentle jogs, through parks and
woodland.
Feed your soul
In Grow, Cook, Nourish bestselling cookbook
author and legendary cook Darina Alllen draws
on more than 30 years’ experience gardening
at her Irish home Ballymaloe to explain not
only how to grow and cultivate, but to cook
inventively and excitingly with home-grown
produce – great if you have a glut.
With over 500 recipes, this enormous
book will likely stay in our family
for generations. An instant classic.
Grow, Cook, Nourish Kyle Books
£30. Read more about Darina
Allen at ballymaloe.ie
Credit: Evans Amos, Freeimages.com/Karl Mooney, John Evans, Sarah Williams, Jozef Szoke
FROM
£15.96
PER MONTH
It’s reassuring to know
that help is at hand,
even if you can’t be.
Your loved one cherishes independence.
You need to know they’re safe.
Welbeing’s Telecare service provides
affordable 24-hr support you can trust.
It’s precious peace of mind for everyone.
For more details call
01323 644422
www.welbeing.org.uk
Wellbeing
Natural wisdom
Nutritional therapist Henrietta Norton, of Wild Nutrition
supplements, shares the practices and resources that support her in
her busy life as a mother and businesswoman
Henrietta Norton is the co-founder
of the trailblazing supplements
brand, Wild Nutrition, which uses
a special ‘Food-Grown’ process that
guarantees maximum beneft. Having
suffered with chronic and debilitating
endometriosis throughout her 20s,
she was told she would never have
children. Determined to overcome her
condition, she sought out a nutritional
therapist who specialised in female
health, before going on to train herself.
Now, as a mother of three, product
formulator and practising therapist, she
is dedicated to helping other women
turn their health around too.
What one piece of seasonal wisdom
helps you in April?
“Walking in nature. This helps me all
year round, in a different way each
season. In April, I find it immensely
uplifting and cleansing.”
Which area of self-care do you never
skimp on?
“The quality of my food. As a society
we have to take more responsibility
and be aware of the way our food is
produced and grown, on a nutritional,
environmental and spiritual level.
A great inspiration for this is Satish
Kumar’s book Soil, Soul and Society.
We are lucky to have great local meat,
veg and fruit suppliers. For cupboard
staples I use my local health food store
Charlotte’s Cupboard. This is a brilliant
packaging-free food delivery service. You
provide your own containers and pay by
weight.” charlottescupboard.com
What’s cooking in your kitchen this
month? “I am getting very creative with
vegetables. Spring greens, chard and
courgettes are being lightly fried with
fresh herbs (whatever is in the garden),
garlic, lots of lemon juice and zest,
generous portions of virgin olive oil,
cracked pepper and rock salt. This is
either a wonderful meal in itself or as
an accompaniment to pasta, rice or
fresh fish.”
Is there one book that taught you
something amazing about life – and
made you better at living it?
“Without doubt Limitless Sky by
David Charles Manners (who,
coincidentally, happens to be a
Wealden dweller) which describes the
true story of a young man who on
a chance meeting in Nepal, begins
an inspiring, enlightening personal
journey facilitated by a Nepalese
Shaman in the Himalayas.”
What always makes you smile?
“My children. They bring a lot of
other faces too....but without fail,
many smiles each and every day.”
wildnutrition.com
Give your skin a treat
Are you starting to think about that spring clean yet? Not just the
house, it’s also the perfect time to spring clean our skin with a face
mask. Taking an extra 10 minutes, even once a week, can give skin
time to renew and regenerate, revealing your spring glow.
To achieve this, we tried Freyaluna’s Bright & Beautiful
Brightening Face Mask, full of natural ingredients designed to
reduce inflammation, hydrate and improve circulation to the skin
surface. The active combination of rosehip, coffee and turmeric
feed the skin with vitamin C, stimulate and heal. The powder
formation is great as you can tailor this mask to suit your skin
type, mixing with aloe vera gel for spot-prone skin, or a few drops
of a facial oil for an extra moisture boost.
Relax with the mask on for 10 minutes and remove in
circular motions with warm water and a muslin cloth,
to add gentle exfoliation.
Freyaluna Bright & Beautiful Brightening Face
Mask costs £8 for 10g packet or £25 for a 40g jar.
freyaluna.co.uk (review by Kate Watts)
Eminé says:
Try this in April
Practising yoga has become the
healthy, spiritual foundation of
my week. When I can’t get to my
regular classes at the brilliant
Kingdom Yoga in Penshurst,
I turn to my online teachers,
at Movement for Modern
Life. Via their videos, I
practise yin yoga, yoga
nidra and hatha
yoga, dependent
on my needs of the
day all in the comfort
of my bedroom while my children sleep.
Bliss ! movementformodernlife.com
147
From an
English
garden
Vegetable gardener and cook at Great Dixter,
Aaron Bertelsen has written a cookbook which
celebrates the link between the plot and kitchen
so precious to the garden’s iconic creator, the late
Christopher Lloyd
Words: Aaron Bertelsen Photographs: Andrew Montgomery
Food
Beet top and feta tart
Serves 8 Prep time: 15. Cooking time: 50-60 mins
Beetroot tops are often ready in the spring before the spinach
and chard, which is what gave me the inspiration for this tart.
They have a nutty, earthy flavour and are also good eaten on
their own as a steamed or boiled vegetable. I love this tart so
much that I cook and freeze the leaves for use all year.
Rhubarb tart
Serves 8 Prep time: 15 mins plus chilling Cooking time: 45-50 mins
Spring rhubarb is wonderfully pink and tender, so you can
dispense with the poaching step and put it straight into a pastry
case, with a little brown sugar before putting it in the oven. The
sugar caramelizes to give an almost toffee-like flavour. Eat hot or
cold. Either way, it goes well with cream, custard or ice-cream.
• Oil or butter, for greasing
• 1 quantity chilled
shortcrust pastry
• flour, for dusting
• beet tops (greens) from
8 plants, rinsed and
chopped
• 175 g/6 oz feta cheese,
diced or crumbled
• 300 ml/10 oz
(1¼ cups) crème fraîche
• 3 eggs
• 100 ml/3½ fl oz
(scant ½ cup) milk
• salt and pepper
1Preheat the oven to
180°C/350°F/Gas Mark
4, placing an oven rack in
the lower part of it. Grease
a 30-cm/12-inch loosebottom
tart pan. Roll out
the pastry (dough) on a
lightly floured work surface
until it is large enough to
line your tart pan.
Put the beet tops
2 (greens) into a pan with
just the water that clings to
them after washing. Cover
with a lid, cook over low
heat for about 5 minutes
until wilted. Let cool, then
drain and spread over the
bottom of the pastry case
(shell). Sprinkle with the
feta.
3Put the crème fraîche,
eggs and milk into a
bowl and beat together.
Pour this mixture into the
pastry case and season with
salt and pepper. Place on a
baking sheet and bake for
40–45 minutes until just set.
Take the tart out of the
4 oven and carefully slip
off the outer ring, leaving
the tart sitting on the base.
Return to the oven on
5 the baking sheet for
another 5–10 minutes so
that the sides get really crisp.
• Butter, for greasing
• 1 quantity chilled sweet
shortcrust pastry
• flour, for dusting
• 1 kg/2¼ lb rhubarb,
chopped into 5-cm/2-inch
pieces
• 2 tablespoons demerara
(turbinado) sugar
• 120 g/4 oz (½ cup) caster
sugar, plus extra for
sprinkling (optional)
1Preheat the oven to
190°C/375°F/Gas Mark
5, placing an oven rack in
the lower part of it. Butter a
25-cm/10-inch loose-bottom
tart pan.
2Roll out the pastry
(dough) thinly on a
lightly floured work surface
and use to line the prepared
pan. If using spring rhubarb,
arrange it in the pastry case
(shell) and sprinkle with the
demerara (turbinado) sugar.
If not using spring rhubarb,
put the caster (superfine)
sugar and 200 ml/
7 fl oz (¾ cup) water into
a pan and stir together over
medium heat until the sugar
dissolves. Bring to a gentle
boil, then add the chopped
rhubarb and simmer for 1
minute – you don’t
want it to lose its shape.
Drain the rhubarb, then
arrange inside the pastry case.
3Place the filled case on
a baking sheet and bake
on a low oven rack for 40
minutes. Take the tart out of
the oven and carefully slip
off the outer ring, leaving the
tart sitting on the base.
4Return to the oven on the
baking sheet for another
5–10 minutes so that the sides
get really crisp.
Slide the tart onto a plate and
sprinkle with caster sugar,
if desired. Let cool to room
temperature before serving.
149 wealdentimes.co.uk
DEEP IN THE KENT COUNTRYSIDE YOU
WILL FIND THE ANNO DISTILLERY.
OUR MULTI-AWARD WINNING
SPIRITS ARE A FUSION OF ALCHEMY
AND NATURE. HAND CRAFTED IN
SMALL BATCHES TO PRODUCE
EXCEPTIONALLY SMOOTH SPIRITS
BY OBSESSED SCIENTISTS, FOR YOUR
DRINKING PLEASURE.
AWARD WINNING ARTISAN SPIRITS
CREATED IN KENT
AnnoDistillersWT193.indd 1 22/02/2018 11:59
Wine tasting club
wealdentimes.co.uk
150
FizzOnFootS41.indd 1 28/02/2018 14:14
Frozen pea and mint pesto
Makes 3 small jars Prep time: 10 mins. Cooking time: 5 mins
An excellent item for your storecupboard (pantry), pesto is great
for using up gluts of produce. This recipe is perfect
for using up any forgotten peas in the freezer, and it is a real
taste of summer, which I hanker for in the winter. It is
delicious with pasta, adding a real depth of flavour.
• 250 g/9 oz (about 2 cups)
shelled fresh or frozen
peas (about 900 g/2 lb in
their pods)
• 2 fat cloves garlic, finely
chopped
• 50 g/2 oz (about ⅓ cup)
pine nuts, toasted
• 50 g/2 oz Parmesan
cheese, chopped into
small chunks
• good handful mint leaves
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil
1Cook the peas in a pan
of boiling water for 2–3
minutes, until just tender, then
drain and refresh in cold water.
Drain again and pat dry.
2Tip the peas into a blender
or food processor and add
the remaining ingredients.
Pulse very briefly, until
everything is roughly chopped.
Don’t overdo it – the mixture
should still have some texture.
3To store, put into a tightly
lidded container, cover the
surface with a little more olive
oil and store in the refrigerator
for 1 week, or freeze in plastic
food bags for up to 1 month.
151 wealdentimes.co.uk
26 Maytham Road • Rolvenden Layne • Kent TN17 4NP
Telephone 01580 241837 • www.eweandlamb.co.uk
Situated in the idyllic Kent countryside,
off the beaten track with a cosy
and relaxing atmosphere.
Whether it’s a meal with loved ones or a
business lunch, catch up over a glass of Chablis
or pint of Harveys. You are always welcome.
We pride ourselves on home cooked local produce with
a new lunch and main menu for the Spring season.
Nothing beats a log fi re and a freshly cooked meal.
All wines are available by the glass and with
over 20 choices, there’s something for everyone.
We off er a variety of both vegan and vegetarian dishes.
Around the world at the Ewe and Lamb.
Every Monday night we travel and sample a delight from a
different country. Phone now to book your seat with us.
Park Farm Butchers & Graziers
Where Quality Comes Naturally
EweAndLambWT194.indd 1 21/03/2018 18:35
Lowest food miles, for miles around!
From our traditionally managed farm
here in Hawkhurst, we produce free range, grass fed beef, lamb
and pork, reared on home grown cereals. We are Farm Assured
and our livestock are reared in harmony with the countryside.
TAKING ORDERS FOR EASTER
FROM OUR FARM
· 21 day matured Sussex beef · Free range Berkshire Pork
· Quality Romney Lamb
HOMEMADE
· Burgers · Dry Cured & Oak Smoked Bacon
· Chipolatas & Sausagemeat · Sausages · Cooked Hams
FRUIT & VEGETABLE SELECTION - LOCAL & SEASONAL
The Colonnade, Hawkhurst, Kent
Tel: 01580 753558
www.parkfarmbutchers.co.uk | email: parkfarm3@btconnect.com
wealdentimes.co.uk
152
ParkFarmWT194.indd 1 21/03/2018 18:22
Food
Beetroot chutney
Makes 5kg/11lb Prep time: 30mins. Cooking time: 1 ¼ hours
Chutney is a great way of using up gluts of produce – we often
have lots of beetroot in the garden at Great Dixter. This recipe
is courtesy of Mary Coward, mother of Tom Coward, head
gardener at Gravetye Manor.
• 1 kg/2¼ lb Bramley
(Cortland or Granny
Smith) apples, peeled,
cored and sliced weight
• 2 kg/4½ lb raw beetroot
(beet), peeled and
roughly chopped
• 1 kg/2¼ lb (about 6
cups) soft light brown
sugar
• 450 g/1 lb (3 cups)
sultanas or golden raisins
• 3½ tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon ground
ginger
• 1 small onion, finely
chopped
• 500 ml/18 fl oz (2 cups)
malt vinegar
1Put the apples into a
heavy pan with a little
water, cover and
cook gently for about 10
minutes until soft but not
mushy.
2Add all the remaining
ingredients to the pan
and boil for 1 hour or more,
until the mixture thickens
and erupts in small craters,
like lava in a volcano.
Spoon into warm,
3 sterilized jars, cover with
a double layer
of greaseproof (wax) paper,
then seal tightly, label and
date.
The chutney can be eaten
immediately, although I
think it’s best stored in a
cool place and enjoyed after
a year.
Pickled pears
Makes 3 x 450g/1lb jars Prep time: 15mins. Cooking time: 20mins
It was my friend Tom Coward, head gardener at Gravetye
Manor, who first introduced me to this lovely preserve. There
are lots of recipes for pickled pears, but some take up to a week
to prepare. This version can be made in an evening, and I have
found the results to be just as good, though they are best left for
a month before eating so that the flavours can really penetrate the
fruit. Use pears that still have some bite, but not so much that
you cannot get your teeth into them, and make sure you reduce
the liquid well to intensify the flavour. The pears go really well
with blue cheese.
• 900 g/2lb pears, peeled,
cored and sliced
• 425 ml/14½ fl oz (1¾
cups) apple cider vinegar
• 450 g/1 lb (2 cups) caster
sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 10 cloves
• thumb-size piece of stem
ginger, sliced
1Put all the ingredients into
a pan with 850 ml/1½
pints (3½ cups) water and
cook slowly until the pears
start to soften, but only just
(about 10 minutes). You want
them to retain a bit of bite.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer
the pears to a colander and set
aside to drain.
2Meanwhile, increase the
heat under the syrup left
in the pan and boil rapidly
for 15 minutes, or until it has
reduced by about a third and
thickened slightly.
3Pack the fruit into warm,
sterilized jars and pour in
enough hot syrup to cover.
Seal immediately and store for
a month before eating.
153 wealdentimes.co.uk
Brewery Tours
FAvershAm Kent
01795 542016
WWW.SHEPHERDNEAME.CO.UK
Makes 30-40 slices Prep time: 20 mins.
Cooking time: 2 ½ hours
This is my grandmother’s recipe, so very special to me. The cake
is intensely fruity and moist. I sometimes make it in the evening,
turning the oven off after two and a half hours and leaving it in
the oven overnight so it has time to settle. In an airtight container,
wrapped in greaseproof paper, it will keep for months.
• 1 kg/2¼ lb (10 cups)
mixed dried fruit, plus an
extra 50 g/2 oz
• (½ cup) each of sultanas
or golden raisins and
currants
• 12 pitted prunes, chopped
• 1 x 400-g/14-oz can
sweetened condensed milk
• 225 g/8 oz (2 sticks)
butter
• 1 tablespoon black treacle
Nana’s fruit cake
(molasses)
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup
or corn syrup
• dash vanilla extract
• dash brandy
• 350 ml/12 fl oz (1½ cups)
water
• 50 g/2 oz (½ cup) flaked
(slivered) almonds
• 1 slightly heaped teaspoon
bicarbonate of soda
(baking soda)
• 1 teaspoon mixed
(apple pie) spice
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 300 g/11 oz
(scant 2½ cups) plain
(all-purpose) flour
• 1 slightly heaped teaspoon
baking powder
1Preheat the oven to
140°C/275°F/Gas Mark 1.
Line a 23-cm/ 9-inch square
cake pan with parchment
(baking) paper. Put the dried
fruit, prunes, condensed milk,
butter, treacle (molasses),
syrup, vanilla and brandy
into a pan. Add the water
and bring to a simmer for 5
minutes.
2Let cool slightly before
stirring in the almonds,
bicarbonate
of soda (baking soda) and
spices. Finally, incorporate
the flour and baking powder
a bit at a time, stirring well
between each addition.
3Pour the mixture into the
prepared pan and bake
for 2½ hours. Turn off the
oven and leave the cake in
there to settle – I usually do
this overnight. The
following day, turn
it out and store it
as described in the
introduction.
The Great Dixter Cookbook is published by Phaidon £24.95. Wealden Times readers can buy it with a 30% discount
and free UK shipping, using the code DX30 at phaidon.com/dixter offer open until 25 June. Aaron Bertelsen is
appearing at The Garden Hub at the Midsummer Fair, see page 22 in the Garden Supplement.
155
At Your Service
Extraordinary food and a
warm welcome guaranteed
Book a table: thebellinticehurst.com or 01580 200300
www.thebellinticehurst.com
BellinTicehurstWT194.indd 1 12/03/2018 BullAtBenendenWT194.indd 17:07
1 19/03/2018 12:30
The George Inn
High Street, Robertsbridge, East Sussex TN32 5AW
01580 880315 www.thegeorgerobertsbridge.co.uk
Delicious freshly
cooked local food
Bar, Restaurant
& Rooms
Come and spoil your
loved ones with us
Easter Weekend
Sunday 1 st April
Forthcoming Events
Live Music
Sunday 29 th April
Big Royal Bash
Saturday 19 th May
wealdentimes.co.uk
156
GeorgeInnRobertsbridgeWT194.indd 1 21/03/2018 15:17
Food
Spice it up
Chef Oscar Fonseca Volknar is adding South American
flair to the food at a classic British venue
The most British of institutions, a
country inn, in a perfect English
village –- The Bell in Ticehurst,
may not be the place where you would
expect to find dishes influenced by the
cuisine of the ancient Inca empire.
But without changing the core values
of this much-loved venue, Colombianborn
head chef Oscar Fonseca Volkmar
has introduced a sprinkling of South
American spice, taking traditional
British dishes and reinventing them with
the influence of his own heritage cuisine.
The chorizo Scotch eggs recipe below
has become a classic on the Bell menu.
Other dishes with Oscar’s southern
hemisphere touch include ribeye steak
served with chimichurri, a sauce of finely
chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive
oil, oregano, and red wine vinegar.
Calves’ liver is marinated and cooked
using the traditional anticuchos method
of grilled skewered meat, which can
be traced back to the Inca empire.
At pudding time there is caramelised
banana, served with banana ice cream,
almond and coconut crumble and
dulce de leche. So Scotch eggs to
start, steak, then crumble… a classic
British menu, with a cheeky touch of
South American flair. Estupendo!
Chorizo scotch quail eggs
with guacamole
Makes 12 portions
For the scotch eggs
• 250g cooking Spanish chorizo
• 100g Cumberland sausage meat
• 12 quail eggs
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 100g plain flour
• 100g panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• Vegetable oil for deep frying
For the guacamole
• 4 large ripe avocado
• 4tbs chopped fresh coriander
• 3tbs chopped jalapeño chillies (seeds
and membranes removed)
• 4tbs chopped red onion
• 4tbs cored, seeded, and finely
chopped plum tomato
• 4tbs lime juice
• Drizzle of rape seed oil
• Salt & pepper to season
Scotch eggs
To make the chorizo and sausage
1 meat casing, chop and dice the
cooking chorizo really fine. Meanwhile
heat a little bit of oil in a heavy based
pan over a medium heat and sauté
the chorizo until the oil and fat from
the chorizo starts to render making
sure it does not start to caramelise.
Take off the heat and allow to cool.
Place the sausage meat in a food
2 processor (if you don’t have one you
can do this with your hands, in a bowl)
with the cooled chorizo and pulse until
the two meats are well combined. Place
in a container and put it in the fridge.
the quail eggs, pierce the base
3For of each egg with a pin (this makes
the eggs easier to peel later on). Bring 1
litre of water with a dash of vinegar to
the boil over a medium heat. Add the
eggs and cook for 2 minutes and 20-25
seconds, depending on the size. Remove
and refresh in ice water for 10 minutes.
Carefully peel the eggs, place in
a container and refrigerate.
Pre-heat the oven to 180c.
4Split the chorizo and sausage mixture
into 25g balls and flatten each
ball between the palms of your hands
into a ½ cm thick round patty. Place a
quail’s egg in the centre of a patty and
carefully wrap the meat mix around the
egg to enclose completely. Repeat the
process with all the remaining eggs.
3Arrange 3 bowls in a row,
to separately hold the flour,
beaten egg and panko.
Roll the scotch eggs in flour, then
dip in the beaten egg and then roll
in the panko breadcrumbs. Repeat
the process till all the eggs are
completely covered in breadcrumbs.
Fill a large heavy-based saucepan or deep
fryer with oil and heat up to 180c.
Deep fry the scotch eggs in batches
till golden brown, drain on a paper
towel and place in the oven for 4
minutes. Take out of the oven, cut
in half and sprinkle with sea salt.
Guacamole
mash the avocados in a
1Gently bowl until chunky but smooth
then drizzle over the rape seed oil.
Fold the coriander, onion, jalapeño
and tomato into the mixture. Stir in
the lime juice and adjust the seasoning
with salt and pepper to taste.
In the restaurant we serve these
on deep-fried tostadas (see
photo), but they are also delicious
served with warmed tortillas.
The Bell, Ticehurst TN5 7AS
01580 200300 thebellinticehurst.com
157 wealdentimes.co.uk
ADULT
POTTERY
CLASSES
at our beautiful
new studio
NEW!
Children’s
Pottery
Classes
Visit www.theceramicstudio.me.uk or
call 01892 725329 / 07970 340989
HONONTON FARM, FURNACE LANE, BRENCHLEY TN12 7BX
Gardens
A Wealden Times Supplement
Sponsored by
View the new Garden Directory online at wealdentimes.co.uk
Flowers • Veg • Hens • Lawns • Outdoor Living
Resin Bound Stone
The modern alternative to block paving or gravel
Resin Bound Stone
The modern alternative to block paving or gravel
Maintenance free
No weeds
Porous for effective drainage
Wide range of of colours
1 day installation by by skilled craftsmen
10 10 year guarantee
See our website See for our the range website of for colours the range available. of colours available.
www.resindrivewaysrus.co.uk
We provide paths, patios and driveways of all sizes.
Please contact us to get an idea of costs for your project:
0800195 6395
contact@resindrivewaysrus.co.uk
www.resindrivewaysrus.co.uk
Our work features on Series 2 of Channel 4’s Ugly House to Lovely House with George Clarke
WT Garden Supplement
Contents
Chick, chick,
chick, chicken
page 21
6 In full bloom
Jennifer Stuart-Smith’s tips for planting
your own cutting garden
11 Outside living
Great furniture for the great outdoors
12 Inside out
Gorgeous garden buildings
15 Cool veg for warmer days
Jo Arnell’s guide to getting ahead
18 Pretty practical
Lovely things for garden life
21 Chick, chick, chick, chicken
Martin Gurdon’s life with feathery friends
22 Everything in the Garden Hub is lovely
The thrilling speakers at the
Wealden Times Midsummer Fair
25 Animal Magic
Water in your garden attracts fauna and
flora says Sue Whigham
29 How does your garden grow?
Expert horticulturalists on the joys of brand new
hedges, bespoke garden tonics and landscape design
33 Grass roots
When it comes to lawns – don’t do it yourself
Pretty practical
page 18
3
wealdentimes.co.uk
PotsAndPithoiWT194.indd 1 21/03/2018 10:10
Highest quality
Tennis surfaces
and all weather garden play areas
Kate Ball
Garden Design & Planting Plans
Individual and bespoke garden spaces
07870 627145
www.kateballgardendesign.co.uk
MG Contracts is a family business with over 35 years’
experience in building tennis courts and sport areas.
The company provides free surveys & quotations.
All courts are constructed to high specifications
and are supported with a long guarantee.
Please contact us for further information:
The Whym, Manchester Rd, Ninfield, East Sussex TN33 9JX
01424 892265 07831 643835 mgsc@btconnect.com
www.martingurrtennissurfaces.co.uk
MG Contracts
Battle Mowers Ltd
Main dealer for
KateBallWT194.indd 1 08/03/2018 MsgsportsWT185.indd 16:53
1 20/06/2017 16:12
© Roger Foley
© Manuela Zine
© Richard Bloom
THE ESSENCE OF FINE BRITISH LAWNS
For further information please phone 01424 773096
or-email: battlemowers@btconnect.com www.battlemowers.co.uk
visit our showroom at The Granary, Station Rd, Battle. TN33 0DE
Brighten up your spring with the
International Garden Photographer of
the Year exhibition.
Sissinghurst Castle Garden
17 February - 13 April 2018
TN17 2AB / 01580 710700
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/Sissinghurst-Castle-Garden
wealdentimes.co.uk
4
BattleMowersWT194.indd 1 05/03/2018 SissinghurstCastleWT192.indd 16:36
1 09/01/2018 15:39
WT Garden Supplement
Editor’s letter
Animal Magic
page 25
Welcome to our Garden Supplement. I’m currently
in the process of renovating a house and
the front garden is in a very sorry state, to the
point I’m worried that my lovely neighbours might stage
an intervention. So I fell on all the information in these
articles as they landed in my inbox from our brilliant contributors,
looking for inspiration, but more importantly –
for expert advice.
If anyone can teach me to grow a decent crop of courgettes,
it’s Jo Arnell, and Sue Whigham has convinced me
that I must have a water source of some kind in my finished
garden to encourage wildlife into it.
But while I am excited at the prospect of getting my own
hands into the soil (perhaps with a Great Crested Newt for
company...) talking to landscape designers, mature hedge
and tree specialists, and lawn masters has reminded me of
the enormous benefits of calling in the professionals.
For now I’m dreaming of a time when my vegetable plot
is brusting with produce in a professionally designed and
planted garden, with at least one lovely tree – and the gorgeous
outdoor furniture I will be admiring it all from.
Happy gardening.
5 wealdentimes.co.uk
PetalsForPlantsWT194.indd 1 09/03/2018 10:15
WT Garden Supplement
In full bloom
Jennifer
Stuart-Smith of
Blooming Green shares her
expert knowledge on how
to start your own cutting
garden and fill your house
with flowers
Nothing gives a house a lift like
vases of fresh flowers – there’s
a reason interiors stylists
always arrive at shoots with armloads
of them – but until quite recently
most people only had cut flowers as an
occasional treat on special occasions,
or if in the summer months, they had
a garden from which they could snip a
few blooms without spoiling the display.
Dedicated cutting gardens for a
constant source of fresh flowers were
mostly the preserve of stately homes,
with walled gardens, a team of gardeners
to tend the banks of peonies and
housekeepers to trim and arrange them.
Things have changed now that
supermarkets stock banks of very cheap
cut flowers – but the almost painfully
bright colours of them and how
unnaturally long they last gives a hint
of how they are produced and gradually,
people have become more aware of
where their flowers come from.
With that understanding, rather
like the organic produce and veg
box schemes, people are now more
appreciative of seasonality, variety and,
in the case of flowers, scent. People
drive miles to pick their own flowers
at our cutting gardens in Kent and our
wedding customers in particular, go
wild for the ‘just picked’ wild-flower
look.
The idea for setting up our business
came about well over a decade ago,
when I was working on a newspaper
and kept on seeing articles about the
unpleasant side of the global floristry
industry; poor working conditions, the
use of unpleasant chemicals and masses
of plastic packaging.
My cousin Rebekah,
who has a background in
environmental biology
and horticulture, was
considering new avenues
alongside raising a family,
so together we hatched the
idea of setting up an ecofriendly
‘green’ floristry business.
Our flowers are grown on two sites,
in the countryside south of Maidstone,
on what were once orchards. We grow
at least 500 varieties of flowers and
foliage, so that we have something
to suit every taste, from April right
through to October, and we cultivate
“You don’t have
to have a large
garden to grow
your own cutting
flowers ”
them using an organic ‘no-dig’ method
that improves productivity, soil health
and saves our backs too.
But you don’t have to have a field, or
even a large garden to grow your own
cutting flowers. By planning ahead,
choosing your plants carefully and using
every bit of available space you can have
a steady supply of blooms for the house,
or for friends, in spring, summer and
autumn.
And once you get into having – truly
– fresh flowers and foliage
in your home, it can
be hard to live without
them, and even in winter
you can find interesting
things in the hedgerow
or cut stems of winterflowering
shrubs such as
forsythia.
When it comes to deciding where
to plant your cutting flowers, there are
many options. You don’t even need a
dedicated cutting patch – simply dot
plants in your herbaceous borders, plant
them amongst your vegetables, potagerstyle,
or grow some in containers
outside the back door.
wealdentimes.co.uk
6
WT Garden Supplement
Finding great varieties of cut flowers
to grow is also easier these days, as seed
merchants, nurseries and garden centres
have cottoned on to the demand for
home-grown flowers and have developed
wonderful new varieties, perfect for
cutting.
Always check labels and descriptions
for the ‘scissors symbol’ or any reference
to stem length and suitability for
cutting. In order to have a good variety
of blooms and foliage, it’s a good idea
to plant a mixture of annuals (seed to
flower in one year), biennials (seed to
leaves in the first year, then to flowers in
the second), herbaceous perennials (grow
and flower for more than two years) and
shrubs (perennials with woody, rather
than sappy stems).
To get you started here are a few of
our favourite cutting flowers arranged,
roughly, by when they are ready for
cutting – although this will of course
depend on factors such as when you sow
and what the weather chooses to do.
Sweet rocket Frothy sweetly scented
flowers in purple or white or pale pink
when there is not much else around
(May/June). Biennial (flowers in its
second year)
Sweet William Clusters of flowers
smelling lovely in a range from white
pink and red and purple an absolute
classic. Flower June-September. Biennial
Ammi visnaga A white cow-parsleylike
flower, that’s great as a filler and
more robust than its cousin Ammi
majus. Flowers June-September.
7 wealdentimes.co.uk
10% discount on all
delivered in Bulk Bags throughout April
Topsoils Composts Barks Aggregates
Small Bags, Bulk Bags or Loose Loads - Delivered or Collected
VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE
FOR THE FULL RANGE
OF PRODUCTS AND
LATEST OFFERS
www.gardenscapedirect.co.uk
Freephone 0800 854663
The Wharf, Rye Road, Newenden, TN18 5QG
Courses & Workshops
Grow Your Own Cut Flowers
Flower Arranging
Wellbeing
GardenscapeWT194.indd 1 07/03/2018 BloomingGreenWT194.indd 10:22
1 16/03/2018 11:54
Garden Perfection
City Escapes provide domestic & commercial garden solutions
■
■
■
■
■
Regular Maintenance
Design & Construction
Small one off works
Turf care management
Problem area Solutions
Tel: 01435 868211 | M: 07831 302107 | E: gardensmanager@gmail.com
www.cityescapes.co.uk
■
■
■
■
Seasonal Bedding plant displays
Approved pesticide/
herbicides operators
Habitat Management
RHS qualified gardeners
Professional and award-winning garden
designers specialising in the installation
of instant mature gardens for large
domestic and commercial projects
Telephone 01580 852315 or 07507 877685
www.mcgeachygardendesign.co.uk
info@mcgeachygardendesign.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
8
CityEscapesWT187.indd 1 16/08/2017 McGeachyGardenDesignWT194.indd 15:53
1 13/03/2018 12:20
WT Garden Supplement
Hardy annual easy to grow from seed
and readily self-seeds.
Mint A great foliage and also a
wonderful flower in purple or white
which insects go crazy over. Flowers
throughout the summer, though we
tend to use it for foliage. Just the job
for Pimms. Perennial which spreads
by roots; will go mad left to its own
devices.
Dill Big umbels of lime green flowers,
edible, great for bees and an awesome
filler. Hardy annual, easy to grow from
seed and self-seeds readily. Use the seed
heads decoratively, from June until the
autumn.
Cosmos Large flowers from red to
pink and white, can grow lovely and
big. Blooms from June, all summer.
Half-hardy annual very easy to grow
from seed.
Achillea Small plates of tiny
flowers in all shades of yellow, orange,
red, pink and white, from June to
September. Very dreamy and meadowlike.
Short-lived perennial really easy
to grow from seed.
Sunflower (Soraya or Valentine)
These sunflowers produce many
heads and are great for cutting. Soraya
is orange yellow and Valentine is a
delicate pale lemon, flowering from
midsummer to autumn. Half-hardy
annual.
Agastache Spikes of flowers in
white, blue pink and orange. Smells
delicious and the minty flowers and
foliage are edible. Perennial, easy to
grow from seed and flowers from July
to September.
Verbena bonariensis Small clusters
of luminous purple flowers are held
above the rest of the flower bed on
long straight stalks, flowering from
July to November. Butterflies adore
them. Perennial easy to grow from
seed and self-seeds very readily.
Jen Stuart-Smith & Bek Bibby are
co-founders of Blooming Green, an
eco-friendly floristry business based
at Linton, near Maidstone, where in
summer months you can pick-yourown
fresh flowers to fill your house
with blooms.
If you would like to learn how to
grow your own cut flowers, need
flowers while your garden grows – or
have a wedding coming up - visit
bloominggreenflowers.co.uk
How to keep
your cut
flowers fresh
for longer
Strip any leaves from stems so
that they don’t sit below the
water level in your vase
Always use a clean vase and
replace the water regularly as
bacteria can build up and reduce
the life of your cut flowers
Add a splash of lemonade to
the water. The carbon dioxide
inhibits bacterial growth while
the sugar will make your flowers
last longer
Position your vase carefully. The
vase life of your flowers will
be reduced if they are placed
somewhere warm or in direct
sunlight
Keep cut flowers away from fruit
bowls as fruit produces ethylene
which causes cut flowers to die
9 wealdentimes.co.uk
4000m 2
OF INSPIRATION
FOR YOUR
GARDEN
corker.co.uk
At Corker we can supply everything from topsoil to timber, paving to
parasols and fencing to furniture. A stroll around our beautiful show
gardens will also provide you with tons of inspiration. We have loads
of unique ideas and products you won’t find anywhere else, so pay
us a visit on the A228 near Paddock Wood or call 01892 833 325.
MAKE YOUR GARDEN A
Grid seating set from
£11,880 Chaplins
Furniture chaplins.co.uk
WT Garden Supplement
Point Armadillo swinging
garden chair £2860
Go Modern Furniture
gomodern.co.uk
Hampstead jewel
daybed £4999
Bridgman
bridgman.co.uk
Charlbury oak table £1,750
Rosara rosara.co.uk
Tribu pavilion
daybed £10940 Go
Modern Furniture
gomodern.co.uk
Deluxe Garden Party
Light Bundle £105
Lights4fun lights4fun.co.uk
Outside living
Make the most of the warmer months with garden furniture
good enough to bring inside
SEE US AT THE
WEALDEN TIMES
MIDSUMMER
FAIR
Morse steel
chimenea
with log
store
£199.99
Corker
corker.co.uk
Original Kadai
firebowl from £360
The fire bowl shop
thefirebowlshop.com
Wooden Teepee
Hideaway £399.99
Plum plumplay.co.uk
Garden Igloo 360 Dome
with Weatherproof
Cover £849 Cuckooland
cuckooland.com
Sentry box tool store, £1600
Not on the High Street
notonthehighstreet.com
SEE US AT THE
WEALDEN TIMES
MIDSUMMER
FAIR
Inside out
Get more out of your garden by adding a structure,
whether it’s for storing tools, hosting teddy bear’s
picnics, or just enjoying the view
Oak framed garden room
£10,500 +VAT Roundwood
roundwood.com
Shepherd hut £16,500
Elham Valley Shepherd
Huts and Antiques
elhamvalleyshepherdhuts.com
Ionic temple
excluding roof
VAT & delivery
£6,903
Chilstone
chilstone.com
wealdentimes.co.uk 12
General.qxp_Layout 1 08/02/2018 08:51 Page 1
Garden & Estate Machinery Sales
Godfreys
Otford Road
Sevenoaks, TN14 5EG
01732 74 1177 | sales@godfreys.co.uk | www.godfreys.com
Bespoke Quality Timber Buildings...
...at affordable prices
GodfreysWT194.indd 1 21/03/2018 11:26
Oak Carriage Houses
Garages
Workshops
Home Offices
Garden Rooms
Stables
Mobile Buildings
Contact us today to discuss your design
Call : 01227 696111 Visit: www.olsontimberbuildings.com
13 wealdentimes.co.uk
OlsonTimberBuildingsWT193.indd 1 21/02/2018 16:57
Glassenbury
Rd
B2085
Hartley
Rd
Bishops
Ln B2086
Hawkhurst
Rd
Hastings
Maidstone
Cranbrook
A229
Angley
Rd
Swattenden
Ln
Waterloo
Rd
Golford
Rd
Tilsden
Ln
Cranbrook
Rd
BEAUTIFUL BESPOKE GARDENS
Every garden provides a chance
to create something unique, using
the opportunities presented by
the site to design a space that
will be an asset to those who
own, spend time in and enjoy it.
www.harrietbarker.co.uk
Telephone 07775 902842
HBGardenDesign
@harrietbarker_gardendesign
HartleyDykeWT194.indd 1 08/03/2018 HarrietBarkerGardenDesignWT193.indd 11:51
1 08/02/2018 11:01
Creating gardens
of distinction
Kent Garden Show
& NAFAS Regional Flower Show
Sat 26th, Sun 27th & Mon 28th May
Gates Open 9.30am - 5pm (last admission 4pm)
Featuring over 300 exhibitors with a wide variety of goods.
Floral marquees with stunning fl oral displays including
medal winners from Chelsea. There is a food hall,
craft pavilion, brass band & children’s rides.
Garden furniture, water features, garden sheds and
buildings, tools, sculptures, & much more.
Jacqueline Aviolet will be in attendance all weekend to
give answers to your gardening questions.
Tickets available now.
All Garden Construction &
Maintenance • Drives
Paving • Walling • Fencing
Untidy Gardens Made Tidy
• Grass Cutting
Probably the most experienced, established
& qualified contractor in the area
Geoff Tiltman
City & Guilds in Horticulture N.C.T
FREE QUOTATIONS, CALL
SMARDEN 01233 770777 or 07775 694963
Tickets
available at
the gate & online
Prices: Adults £8.00,
Seniors £7.00
Children up to
age 16: Free
Sorry no dogs
01795 474660
www.kentgardenshow.com
The Kent Showground, Detling ME14 3JF
wealdentimes.co.uk
14
GeoffTiltmanWT194.indd 1 19/03/2018 GardenShowWT194.indd 10:16
1 15/03/2018 12:52
WT Garden Supplement
SEE JO ARNELL
AT THE
WEALDEN TIMES
MIDSUMMER FAIR
ON THURSDAY
7 JUNE
Cool veg for
warmer days
It’s the moment Jo Arnell has been waiting for since
October – time to get going in the veggie patch
It’s all about to take off in the vegetable garden and the
first of the summer harvests are just around the corner.
The weather and soil are warming, the light has come
back and the garden is properly waking up. April is the
perfect month for sowing quick to mature crops that will
be ready in a few weeks time and also for starting off tender
crops under cover to plant out when the frosts have gone.
Some of us have been waiting since October for this
moment.That same some of us (we know who we are) have
also, in previous years, ended up with an enormous glut of
crops; either too much of one thing, or a single glorious
harvest of everything in late summer - and nothing before or
after. The beginning of the season is an exciting place to be,
but it is just the beginning and we must plan before we plant
- and keep our cool.
Direct sowing
You can tell when it’s time to start sowing crops directly
outside if you look at a patch of bare earth in the garden.
Tiny weedlings will be popping up, eager to conquer the
world. Weeds have learned to be cunning and are always
ahead of our pampered plants, but we can use them as coal
miners once used canaries, as a sign that it’s safe to sow some
seeds of our own.
In newly cultivated soil you will often see a great rash of
weeds appear, brought up to the surface through cultivation -
and mingling disastrously with precious seedlings. It is worth
preparing the soil a few weeks before you sow; then you can
hoe off the weedlings prior to sowing or planting the crops.
Sow in rows, because this makes it easier to spot your crop
when it emerges - weeds are wayward outlaws and don’t care
for straight lines. You can avoid most of the direct sowing
pitfalls by growing crops in pots and planting them out once
they’ve grown a few leaves. You can buy them at this stage
too. It is not cheating, but it does mean you don’t get a huge
choice of cultivar.
Some like it hot
Vegetables like French and runner beans, courgettes,
tomatoes, squash and sweetcorn are not frost hardy, so cannot
be safely grown outside until at least the middle of May. The
problem is that in order to get a reliable harvest, many of
them need to be started off before this. Sow seeds under cover
- on a window sill or in a greenhouse and then gradually
harden them off before planting outside.
These crops (like some of us) need lots of hot summer days
for best results, so find a warm sheltered place for them. They
can be thirsty too, especially those that form fruits or juicy
pods, so they may need extra watering if the weather does
become hot and dry.
15 wealdentimes.co.uk
SPATA Contractor of the Year 2018 & 2015
Specialists in indoor and outdoor swimming pools,
servicing, maintenance and improvements.
Telephone: 01233 840336
Web: www.xlpools.com
WT Garden Supplement
My soil dries out quickly, so I usually dig something called
a ‘bean trench’, which involves making a trench in the bed
about 50-70cm deep and filling it with a combination of
kitchen waste and compost. You can use anything organic
that will help to hold in the moisture; I have used newspaper,
cardboard, old woollen jumpers, even an old hat. Then pile
on some soil and plant the crop. The compost layer will act
as a reservoir later in the season and keep the roots cool and
damp in dry weather.
Some like it cooler
A few vegetables respond to warmer weather by getting
overexcited and running to seed almost as soon as you’ve sown
them. These cool weather crops do not like hot dry weather,
so grow things like spinach, rocket, coriander and oriental
greens in early spring or late summer and avoid growing them
at the height of the summer.
The quickest summer harvests
If you are impatient to see results, there are vegetables that
will spring into action and be ready for harvest in as little
as 3-4 weeks. The fastest maturing crops are probably leafy
salads; look for seed packets of ‘speedy’ salad mixes. Radishes
are also quick to grow, and kohlrabi is also speedy. There are
other leafy crops, like rocket (the name gives a clue), some
mustards, spinach and oriental greens. Be careful when you
sow these, though, as they are prone to bolting (running to
seed and turning bitter).
Keep on cropping
Growing in succession is the ideal way to avoid a glut, but it
doesn’t work with all vegetables. The idea is to sow a small
quantity at regular intervals, ensuring that you spread the
harvest. I have done this successfully with peas, French beans,
salads such as loose leaved lettuce and rocket and other fast
growing vegetables. The problem comes when the weather
starts to warm up and speeds up the rate of growth, so that
later sown crops quickly catch up with the earlier ones.
Spave-saving summer crops
Even if your plot is tiny there are ways of growing crops -
climbing plants like beans and small pumpkins make use of
the vertical growing area (i.e. the sky) and there are dwarf,
but bountiful versions of many crops that can be grown in
containers or squeezed into corners.
I have talked before about growing three different
vegetables together in one space; the ancient native Indian
technique called the three sisters involves squash, climbing
beans and sweetcorn all grown together and using each other
for support and nutrients.
Beans climb the sweetcorn and feed the soil with nitrogen,
sprawling squash plants provide shade and suppress weeds,
but (as often happens when three sisters are grown together)
the result can be a bit chaotic.
Too much of a good thing
Even if courgettes are the mainstay of your diet, I promise
that you will only need two plants. You may only need one,
but for pollination purposes it will help to have more than
one plant. Do not plant a whole row.
Fortunately, there are 101 delicious recipes for courgettes,
less for monstrous marrows, which is what they turn into
when you’re not looking. Beans and tomatoes can also be
overwhelming. If you can’t help growing in quantity, make
space in the freezer, or cultivate some new friends to offload
your surplus onto.
Permanent crops
If you have a dedicated place to grow your vegetables, then
it is well worth growing a permanent crop - asparagus and
artichokes are top of my list. They do take a few years to
establish, but will then go on to provide regular harvests for
many years to come. Asparagus beds just need to be kept
weed free and supplied with an organic mulch in spring or
autumn. Artichokes form impressive, architectural clumps and
look just as good in the borders as in the vegetable garden.
The mad spring rush is hard to resist, but with just a little
planning, we will be able to sow the right thing, in the right
quantity at the right time - in theory at least. Let’s get out
there.
For details of Jo’s vegetable growing course visit
hornbrookmanor.co.uk or phone 01233 861149
Cut and come again
This works well with salad leaves, as you can harvest the outer
leaves, let the plants recover, then cut again. I find that after
two or three cuts it is best to sow a new lot, but it is possible
to make one row of salad last a whole summer.
17 wealdentimes.co.uk
WT Garden Supplement
Planter with solar
light £19.95
House of Bath
houseofbath.co.uk
Alfriston clergy oak
leaf kneeler £20
National Trust shop.
nationaltrust.org.uk
Succulent plant pot
with mosaic design
£5 B&Q diy.com
Brass garden
gift set £15
Beaumonde
beaumonde.co.uk
18v Cordless hedge
trimmer £59.95 House of
Bath houseofbath.co.uk
Gardener clog £60
National Trust shop.
nationaltrust.org.uk
White daisy plant
stake £20 National
Trust shop
nationaltrust.org.uk
Folding Pruning
Shears and Multi-
Tool £35.99 The
Luxe Company
theluxecompany.co.uk
Pretty practical
Lovely things to enhance your gardening life (and great presents for the keen horticulturalist)
Bee mix seed
ball £5.99
Seedball
seedball.co.uk
Choose your own set
of 8 hand engraved
English oak plant
labels £12 +p&p
bettyanddodge.co.uk
SEE US AT THE
WEALDEN TIMES
MIDSUMMER
FAIR
Winter in Venice
English herb
gardeners basket
£44.95 Prezzybox
prezzybox.com
Bulb planter £17.99 plant
stakes £6.99 hand fork
£9.99 & bulbs £3.99 each
Dobbies dobbies.com
wealdentimes.co.uk
18
Spring garden &
birds gardening
gloves £15.00
The Contemporary
Home tch.net
Elegant Three Tier
Plant Stand £114.50
The Farthing
thefarthing.co.uk
www.homeleighgroup.co.uk
Get ahead....
plan your garden & products
for spring
NATURAL PAVING
from
£16. 99 +VAT (per sq.m)
RAILWAY SLEEPERS
HOMELEIGH OFFER
£14. 99 EACH + VAT (+5 RATE)
£16. 99 EACH + VAT (SINGLE)
PAVING OFFER
RAJ BLEND SANDSTONE
W.I.G.I.G
£15. 99 +VAT (per sq.m)
BARK (Bulk Bags)
HOMELEIGH OFFER
£48. 33 +VAT
HEAVY DUTY TOP QUALITY
FENCE PANEL 6’x6’
WHEN YOU BUY 5 OR MORE
£16. 99 EACH + VAT
STAMFORD SLAB
450x450x32mm
WHEN YOU BUY 10 OR MORE
£2. 59 EACH + VAT
TRADING
FOR OVER
HOMELEIGH TIMBER & BUILDING SUPPLIES
YEARS
ESTABLISHED 1966
7L Dulux Matt
HOMELEIGH OFFER
£11. 99 EACH + VAT (BUY 3)
£14. 99 EACH + VAT (SINGLE)
SCREENED TOP
SOIL (Bulk Bags)
HOMELEIGH OFFER
£44. 66 + VAT
ORGANIC
COMPOST
HOMELEIGH OFFER
£33. 00 + VAT
Maidstone:
01622 791111
Hall Road | Maidstone | ME20 7QZ
Woodford Depot:
01580 892733
Maidstone Road | Staplehurst | TN12 0RH
Staplehurst:
01580 892037
Station Road | Staplehurst | TN12 0PY
Ashford:
01233 850075
Ashford Road | High Halden | TN26 3BP
The landscaping team
at Katsura Gardens
offers a complete and
professional garden
construction service.
Bespoke design & build treehouses, playhouses
and elevated platforms.
Commercial & International commissions welcomed
We aim to ensure that
the process of improving
your garden is enjoyable
and straightforward.
We offer free quotations for
complete build projects,
paving, fencing, planting,
decking and more.
Tel: 01403 262219
www.cheekymonkeytreehouses.co.uk
KatsuraGardensWT194.indd 1 20/03/2018 CheekyMonkeyS40.indd 18:34
1 25/01/2018 15:42
topwoodgardenbuildings.co.uk
01892 663071
Garden Buildings - Timber & Fencing
All Prices Shown are INCLUSIVE of VAT and VALID until the 31/05/2018 or whilst stocks last
BIRD FEEDERS
Compost,
seeds, tools
and accessories
awaiting your
green fingers
PHONE - ORDER ONLINE - CLICK & COLLECT
GARDEN SHEDS
BESPOKE SHEDS - SUMMER HOUSES
WORKSHOPS - SECTIONAL BUILDINGS
PLAY HOUSES - ANIMAL HOUSING
PREPARED MOULDINGS
TGV & T&G Shiplap Tanalised from £0.99 Per Mtr
LANDSCAPING
Reversible Decking Tanalised / Sleepers from £5.99
CARCASSING
C24 Graded Tanalised from £0.99 Per Mtr
FENCING - Closeboard Panel Tanalised from £16.00
More info on our website at https://topwoodgardenbuildings.co.uk - Buy Online (Click & Collect)
Unit 1- Pentagon House - Wealden Ind.Estate - Farningham Road - Crowborough - East Sussex TN6 2JR
Swattenden Lane | Cranbrook | TN17 3PS
01580 713189
www.charityfarmcountrystore.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
20
TopwoodGardenBuildingWT194.indd 1 19/03/2018 CharityFarmWT194.indd 12:32
1 05/03/2018 15:51
Martin & Priscilla
WT Garden Supplement
SEE MARTIN
GURDON AT THE
WEALDEN TIMES
MIDSUMMER
FAIR ON FRIDAY
8 JUNE
Chick, chick, chick,
chick, chicken…
They wreck the lawn, eat freshly planted bulbs and hardly ever lay an egg, but
Martin Gurdon couldn’t be without his hens (and one psychotic duck)
We were living in a clapboard cottage in Frittenden
with a long, narrow garden and we thought a flock
of chickens would add a pretty, bucolic touch, and
they did, until they turned the lawn into a desert.
Two bantams and a pair of full-sized birds, brought colour
and movement to it, but they also brought avian power
struggles, flowerbed robbery, lawn scarification, and endless
quantities of acidic guano.
Gentle reader, if sparrow dung can leave its unwanted mark
on your car’s paintwork, then hen doings have the power to
rot through the metalwork. Grass on a small lawn has no
chance at all. Eventually we moved to a house in
Woodchurch with a bigger garden that has a sort
of lattice Berlin Wall so that our current flock is
unable to trash my wife Jane’s flowerbeds. This
doesn’t stop them trying.
If I leave the gate open for a moment there
will be an avian raiding party, and I’ll see a
trio of rapidly receding feathery bottoms as
their owners make an ungainly charge for the
promised land of milk, honey and flower bulbs.
The birds in question are called Slasher, Priscilla and
Hadron. Slasher might lay three eggs every other year and
is in charge of everybody else. She’s an Araucana; neat, fleet
footed, with a floppy red comb and luxuriant tail feathers.
She’s also ten years old – which is ancient for a chicken – and
recently suffered a suspected stroke. I found her lying outside
the hutch with a back to front head and unable to stand.
Two days R&R in a cage in my home office soon had her
mobile, and other than holding her head at a slightly quizzical
angle you’d never know there had been a problem. My wife,
Slasher
“Priscilla is a
gentle, lumbering
serial parent
with a basso
profundo cluck”
Wonky & Hestletina
who did not welcome our stinky houseguest, has conceded
that in animal husbandry terms, the pong was worthwhile.
Hadron is a heavy chicken who is remarkably light on her
feet and oddly elegant. Think Dawn French with feathers.
Priscilla is a gentle, lumbering serial parent with a basso
profundo cluck, who has brought up several generations of
chickens and ducks, as our garden is also graced with a small
flock of Indian Runner ducks.
These include a drake called Bombay, who is as old as
Slasher and has some rheumatic issues. These have meant
making senior duck mobility aids to assist egress from the
pond. In his younger days (think last year) the
summer months would see Bombay develop
unhealthy and rather confused lusts for one of
the chickens, if it happened to be blond.
Priscilla is light brown, but that hasn’t
deterred Bombay from chasing her, so at this
time of year we keep them separate. When
we didn’t, Bombay dragged one of Priscilla’s
predecessors into the pond for reasons that
we won’t go into, and it was fortunate that I heard the
commotion and hauled the poor bird out.
You might be asking why we put up with this stuff. Well,
we do get eggs, sometimes, but the chicken breeds we favour
tend to live longer partly because they don’t wear themselves
out laying all the time. Also, chickens are most productive
egg-wise during their first year or two, and ours stick with us
until their dotage.
However, the answer is simple. Entertainment. Our
hens are endlessly amusing and interesting, whether they’re
trundling about the garden doing their birdy thing, which is
never less than watchable, or giving us their full attention. We
once had a chicken who would stand on my feet and give me
a penetrating stare when she felt
it was time to be fed.
Our birds aren’t great
intellectuals, but they are great
personalities who are variously
controlling, comic, passionate
and inquisitive. They’ve caused
expensive trips to the vet and
the garden centre, but I can
honestly say that I’ve never met
a chicken I didn’t like.
Martin
is author of
Hen & The
Art of Chicken
Maintenance (Fox
Chapel), a book
about sex, death
and living with
domestic
fowl.
21 wealdentimes.co.uk
WT Garden Supplement
Everything in the
TICKETS
ON SALE
ONLINE
wealdentimes.
co.uk/events
Garden Hub is lovely
Be inspired by the speakers at the Wealden Times Midsummer Fair
The Wealden Times Midsummer Fair is a gardener’s
delight with stalls offering plants, outdoor furniture
and statuary to enhance your patch – and added to this
we have some brilliant speakers to inspire your horticultural
ambitions appearing at the Garden Hub sponsored by
NFU Mutual. All talks are included in the ticket price.
Tim Bentinck
Jo Arnell
Tim Bentinck
Don’t miss the opportunity to meet David Archer – yes, that David
Archer, of The Archers. Actor Tim Bentinck, who has been playing
David A for an amazing 36 years, will be talking about his new book
Being David Archer: And Other Unusual Ways of Earning a Living.
Jo Arnell
You read her every month – now come and meet our
wonderful garden writer Jo Arnell, talking about how to have
a colourful garden all summer. hornbrookmanor.co.uk
Aaron Bertelsen
The vegetable gardener and cook at Great Dixter,
Aaron will be talking about cooking inspired by what is
growing in the garden. (See an extract from his wonderful
book The Great Dixter Cookbook on page 148.)
Martin Gurdon
There are people who keep chickens for eggs – and then there’s
the rest of us, who start with the eggs and then fall in love with
the chickens. Former Telegraph columnist Martin Gurdon
will be talking about his life with ‘the feather-clad soap opera’
and his book Hen & The Art of Chicken Maintenance.
Aaron Bertelsen
Martin Gurdon
There will be more Garden Hub speakers announced in the next
few weeks, so keep an eye on the website for the full timetable.
The Wealden Times Midsummer Fair Garden Hub is sponsored by NFU Mutual.
wealdentimes.co.uk
22
We’ve got designs !
on your garden!
Tradi'onal or contemporary, large or small, the team at Gardenproud
can help you create a garden you’ll be proud of. Established 2007, we
build and maintain gardens throughout Kent and East Sussex. See our
Show Garden at Corker’s, Paddock Wood.
If you are planning a new garden for 2018!
then contact Tim Sykes on 07725 173820, !
Kibblewhite
or GooGLE
No.2 WT
Gardenproud!
Half Page Ad Nov'15_Kibblewhite WT half page ad CMYK (185 x 130) 12/11/2015 10:26 Page 1
GardenproudWT193.indd 1 06/02/2018 JanesEventsWT193.indd 17:08
1 21/02/2018 14:36
Fall back in love
with your garden
With over 50 years of experience, we are the garden design and landscaping
specialists of choice for properties throughout Kent & East Sussex. Friendly
and professional, we pay meticulous attention to detail and take pride in creating
the gardens of our clients’ dreams. Get in touch with our dedicated team to start
visualising your own Eden, today.
Quality garden design and landscaping since 1963
Call: 01580 850394 Or Visit: www.kibblewhitegardens.co.uk
23 wealdentimes.co.uk
KibblewhiteWT167.indd 3 27/11/2015 12:46
email: production@indexmagazine.co.uk email: p
Below is a proof of your ad to be published in the
magazine email: production@indexmagazine.co.uk
Positions in the
tel: 01892 517320
ema
PLEASE NOTE The content of the advertisment it will be taken that this
WEST is KENT the responsibiluty MAY edition of the Index Magazine. positions tel: PLEASE NOTE are ag 0T
PLEASEadvertiser NOTE The – content the publisher of the advertisment cannot email: accept production@indexmagazine.co.uk
is responsibility the responsibiluty for any of inaccuracies.
the every detail email:
advertiser and will PLEAS – be the
p
WEST KENT
advertiser
MAY
Positions – the publisher in the magazine cannot cannot accept be guaranteed
We trust
except
this is
where
as you
special
wish your advertisement to
to our proof Positions reading.
the
PLEASE
responsibility
NOTE The appear content
for
– of
any
please the
inaccuracies.
advertisment let us know is the if not. responsibiluty However, of the advert
Positions positions in the magazine are agreed cannot in writing be and on payment of a Special Position Fee.
positions are ag
advertiser guaranteed – the publisher except where cannot accept special responsibility for any inaccuracies. PLEASE NOTE
please note that if no response Please is received remember by this Positio T
positions are agreed in writing and Positions on payment in the office magazine of a Special by
cannot Position be guaranteed Fee. except where special advertiser
positio to – the ch
positions are agreed in writing and on payment of a Special Position
Drive down our leafy e-mail lane address, Positions Fee.
& web in the adg
THURSDAY 17 APRIL BEFORE 9AM positions are ag
Delve through centuries old oak beams, tiles, bricks, slates, tel: stone, 01892 fireplaces, 51732 ant
it will be taken that this advert is acceptable in
Drive down our leafy
every detail and will be published email: lane
as seen, production@ &
subject
Drive down our leafy lane & go back 100 years
to our proof reading.
Delve through centuries old oak beams, tiles, bricks, slates, PLEASEstone, NOTE The fireplaces, content of the ana
Drive
advertiser – the publisher cannot a
Delve through centuries old oak beams,
Delve
tiles,
through
bricks, slates,
centuries
stone,
old oak
fireplaces,
beams, tiles,
antique
bricks, slates,
furniture,
stone,
garden
fireplaces,
antiques Please
furniture,
& remember much
garden
more... to check
antiques
your
&
Positions phone
much
in number,
more...
Drive down
down
our
our
leafy
leafy
lane
lane
the magazine & cannot b
Delve through centuries old
e-mail
oak
address,
beams,
web
tiles,
address
bricks,
etc... positions slates, are agreed stone, in writing firepla and
Delve through centuries old oak beams, tiles, bricks, slates, stone, fireplaces, an
tel: 01892 517320
email: production@indexmagazine.co.uk
20724 Drive
Drive
down
down
our
our
leafy
leafy
lane
lane
&
&
go
go
back
back
100
100
years
years
Delve through centuries old oak beams, tiles, bricks, slates, stone, fireplaces, antique furniture, garden antiques & much more...
Salvage Ltd.
ural Salvage Specialists
d, Pluckley Road,
n, Kent TN26 3DD
GREAT DIXTER SPRING PLANT FAIR
01233 820724
01233 820724
Symonds Salvage Ltd.
ndssalvage.co.uk
Symonds Salvage Ltd.
Colts Yard, Pluckley Road,
Colts Yard, Pluckley Road,
Bethersden, Kent TN26 3DD
www.symondssalvage.co.uk
lvage@aol.com
www.symondssalvage.co.uk
symondssalvage@aol.com
the
The finest of British
Country Outbuildings
PLEASE NOTE The content of the advertisment is the responsibiluty of the
Drive down our leafy lane & go bac
advertiser – the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any inaccuracies.
Positions in the magazine cannot be guaranteed except where special
positions are agreed in writing and on payment of a Special Position Fee.
Delve through centuries old oak beams, tiles, bricks, slates, stone, fireplaces, antique furniture,
Drive down our leafy lane & go back 100 years
Delve through centuries old oak beams, tiles, bricks, slates, stone, fireplaces, antique furniture, garden antiques & much more...
01233 820724
01233 820724
Saturday 7 th & Sunday 8 th April
Symonds
2018,
Salvage
11am-4pm
Ltd.
Symonds Salvage Ltd.
Primroses from Wildegoose, Monksilver and Architectural Swallowfield; Iris Salvage of Specialists
Architectural Salvage Specialists
Sissinghurst; sweetpeas from Johnsons; herbs Colts from Yard, Invicta Pluckley and herbaceous Road, 01233 820724
from Beth Chatto, Cotswold Garden Flowers, Bethersden, Madrona Nursery, Kent TN26 Pelham 3DD Colts Yard, Pluckley Road,
Bethersden, Symonds Salvage Kent TN26 Ltd.
Plants, Phoenix Perennial, Moore and Moore www.symondssalvage.co.uk
Plants, Plantbase, Daisy
3DD
Roots, Architectural Rapkyns Nursery; Salvage Epimedium Specialists from Mill Architectural Salvage Specialists
symondssalvage@aol.com
Cottage Plants and
Architectural Salvage Specialists
www.symondssalvage.co.uk
Colts Yard, Pluckley Road, Architectural Salvage Specialist
Pineview Plants; peonies from Binny Plants; shrubs and trees from The
01233 820724
Laurels symondssalvage@aol.com
Bethersden, Nursery. Plus F Kent comme TN26 Fleurs from 3DDFrance.
01233 Bethersden, Kent TN26 3DD
01233 820724 Symonds 820724 Salvage Ltd.
Talks by the nurserymen will be given at intervals
Symonds Architectural Salvage Ltd.
Symonds Salvage Ltd. www.symondssalvage.co.uk Salvage Specialists
Symonds
Architectural Salvage Architectural Colts symondssalvage@aol.com
Specialists Yard,
Salvage Pluckley Specialists Ltd.
£9.50 includes garden entry (Friends and Annual Ticket holders free)
Colts Yard, Pluckley Colts Road, Yard, Pluckley Architectural Road,
Architectural Road, Salvage Specialist
symondssalvage@aol.com
Bethersden,
Bethersden, Kent TN26 Bethersden, 3DD Architectural Kent Salvage TN26 Specialists
Great Dixter, Northiam, Rye TN31 6PH www.greatdixter.co.uk
Kent TN26 3DDSalvage 3DD
Colts Yard, Pluckley Road,
Specialist
www.symondssalvage.co.uk
House and Garden open for the season from Friday 30 th March
www.symondssalvage.co.uk
symondssalvage@aol.com Bethersden, symondssalvage@aol.com Kent TN26 3DD Architectural Salvage Specialist
www.symondssalvage.co.uk
symondssalvage@aol.com
GreatDixterHouse&GardensWT194.indd 1 16/03/2018 SymondsSalvageWT147.indd 16:17
1 17/04/2014 10:24
"The Garage was perfect for our situation.
Help and advice was given all along the way.
It was delivered on time and erected perfectly
by your excellent team."
Mr T. Cambridgeshire
Archit
Oak fronted Carriage Houses, Open Barns,
Free standing Timber Garages
Above: Our versatile range of Carriage Houses. Right: Traditional Double Garage, Open Barn.
www.passmores.co.uk
Rochester, Kent ME2 4DR Telephone: 01634 290033
Passmores Est.1909, Kent’s best manufacturer, FSC certified, erecting service, tiling service
planning service available, nationwide delivery, large showground, full colour brochure.
wealdentimes.co.uk
24
PassmoresWT175.indd 1 11/04/2016 10:54
WT Garden Supplement
Animal magic
Creating a pond in your garden will bring in wonderful wildlife says Sue Whigham
The big chill of February and
March were very unkind to my
lovely little water lily (Pygmaea
rubra) that has spent eight years in a
large copper in one of my flower beds.
Hibernating plants like that won’t survive
a cold spell if the water freezes over
completely. And, oh boy, it did.
But I won’t be giving up on water
plants and the other things that make a
garden attractive to wildlife. To increase
the number and variety of animal species
around you the essentials are: trees,
plants and shrubs that produce seed
heads and berries, deadwood, areas of
unstrimmed long grass and – most of
all – water.
It seems that one in ten British gardens
has some sort of a pond, making about
two million in total. They provide a vital
network of ‘wetland habitats’ throughout
our ever-expanding urban areas. The
combination of what seems like frenzied
house building on green fields and
climate change means a significant loss of
wildlife havens, but we can all do our bit
to ameliorate this.
It doesn’t even matter if we have
limited space, as even a balcony, roof
terrace or patio can accommodate some
sort of water gardening. All you need
is a watertight container which is deep
enough to give aquatic plants some space
and ensures that the temperature of the
water doesn’t fluctuate too much when
things warm up in the summer.
Something pretty like a copper, an old
galvanised container or ceramic pot is
lovely, but you can also use something
cheap and perhaps not so beautiful like
a bin or large plastic tub and sink it into
the ground. This has the advantage of
keeping the water cool in summer and
protects from freezing – with a bit of
luck – in the winter.
I think spring is the ideal time to
set up a new pond and an informal
arrangement is best for wildlife. In a
perfect world you would choose a sunny
site, away from overhanging trees, with
shallow edges that allow animals easy
access to the water.
If your site is on the shady side
you’ll find different inhabitants setting
up home than if you have the pond
somewhere brighter and warmer. The
best ponds have gently shelving edges
25 wealdentimes.co.uk
WT Garden Supplement
Credit: Rob Cursons
fringed by grasses. Some of the carexes
are perfect for this.
I love the bright gold C. elata ‘Aurea’
and the stripy phragmites growing with
the variegated leaves of Iris pseudoacorus
‘Variegata’, perfect marginal plants for
the damp edges of your pond.
Once you’ve put your pond in –
whether dug straight into the ground, or
in a vessel – it will fill up naturally with
rain (which is why August is not a good
month to do it).
Avoid topping up with tap water as
it has high nutrient levels
and will upset the balance
of the pond water – and
remember, it is normal for
water levels to go up and
down, benefitting different
kinds of creatures. When
water evaporates in summer
damp mud is ideal territory
for many invertebrates.
The really marvellous thing is that
once your pond or water container is in
place and filled with life-giving H2O, it
will colonise naturally.
Small animals may well arrive
within the hour and water beetles and
dragonflies within a couple of days.
Plants take their time and it may be a
year or two before the amphibians spot
a new residence. You may have to add
algae-eating ramshorn snails as well as
great pond snails, to keep algae growth
in check (available on line).
Plants for shallow water and ledges
Apart from the yellow flags (irises),
include water forget-me-not (Myosotis
“Once your pond
is filled with
life-giving H2O,
small animals
may well arrive
within the hour”
scorpioides) which is a perennial
wildflower with creeping roots.
The flowers are rather pretty;
blue with a pink or yellow central eye.
water plantain (Alisma plantago-aquatica)
has clouds of pinky white flowers above
rosettes of oval leaves on long stalks. It
has two major advantages in that it self
seeds and the seeds are highly desirable
for wildlife.
Floating/deep-water plants
Hottonia palustris or water violet is an
oxygenating perennial and is perfect once
your pond is established. It flowers early
with blooms rising up above its leaves in
spikes of white and pale lilac.
Frogbit, too, is a rather handsome
perennial, free floating
plant with shiny, kidney
shaped leaves and a threepetalled
white flower. It
provides a good cover
and shelter for aquatic
creatures. Oxygenating
plants such as this, curled
pondweed and water
starwort, are an important
food source for wildlife.
A couple of years ago we were rather
mystified to find a great crested newt
wandering around on the
kitchen floor. Had we still had
cats, it might have been easier
to understand. However it
seems that great crested newts
hibernate in a variety of habitats
depending on the time of year
and this one was no exception.
Common newts often
overwinter in ponds, as do
frogs and any tadpoles that
didn’t emerge the summer
before. Water snails tend to
disappear into the deeper
recesses of any pond in
the winter, as do other
creatures such as water hog
lice, but occasionally in the
summer you’ll see snails
on the surface taking great
gulps of fresh air.
Then there are the insects.
Dragonfly will lay its eggs on
aquatic plants or drop them
on to the surface of a pond in
summer. Their nymphs then
spend the next three or four
years in the pond before they
metamorphose into the
spectacularly iridescent creatures that we
see hovering over water in the summer.
Common pond skaters live on the
surface of a pond and feed off any
smaller insect that has the misfortune
to fall in. Then there are lesser water
boatmen, whirligig beetles, great diving
beetles and common backswimmers
which fly at night and are usually one of
the first arrivals to a new pond. It seems
that they are predators of other water
inhabitants.
So with all these creatures and the
summer visits from birds to bats how
could you ever be bored? Finally, of
course, your pond will provide water for
mammals such as badgers and foxes –
although having just had a devastating
visit from a fox to my hen house, I’m
finding it difficult to have good thoughts
about them right now.
wildaboutgardens.org.uk is a joint
information and advice partnership
between the Royal Horticultural Society
and Wildlife Trusts.
Sue Whigham can be contacted on
07810 457948 for gardening advice
and help in the sourcing and supply of
interesting garden plants.
wealdentimes.co.uk
26
GARDEN DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
Established 25 26 years, we can help you
create the garden of your dreams.
Traditional or Contemporary in style.
We can design, build and plant.
Please call for more information
AWARD WINNING GARDEN DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
ED750 Get Gard HG v1.qxp_Layout 1 14/03/2018 11:40 Page 1
BONNIE LAMONT M. 07786 246530 TELEPHONE 01342 825414
www.lamontandlawrence.co.uk
LamontLawrenceWT194.indd 1 14/03/2018 17:04
GET
GARDENING
WITH ERNEST DOE POWER
WE HAVE 1000’s OF PRODUCTS TO HELP YOU
CREATE & ENJOY THE PERFECT GARDEN
click &
collect
ernestdoeshop.com
A great choice of garden machinery on display from the
leading brands with full support available from our expertly
trained service team. Competitively priced - pop in and talk
to us or visit us online at ernestdoeshop.com
HURST GREEN
The Foundry, Hurst Green, Etchingham TN19 7QP | Tel: 01580 860495
27 wealdentimes.co.uk
ErnestDoe&SonsWT194.indd 1 14/03/2018 16:30
LOVE YOUR LAWN?
LOVE THE ENVIRONMENT?
WE ARE INDEPENDENT LAWN SPECIALISTS IN:
Maintaining Fine Lawns
Renovating Tired Lawns
Creating New Lawns
Seasonal treatment programmes
Environmentally friendly treatment options
Ask about our
wildflower ideas
for your garden…
Call now to book a free lawn
care survey with no obligation.
Office: Cranbrook 01580 712129
Email: office@lawnrevivalteam.com
Or visit our website: www.lawnrevivalteam.com
celebrating 21 years of landscaping, design & summerhouses
LawnRevivalTeamWT194.indd 1 16/03/2018 11:24
our show sites in
Kent and Sussex
are now open 7
days a week
established 1997
10% OFF
special Easter offer
now available on all
our summerhouses
call or click today
for more details and
your free brochure
) 01323 833600 8 www.catandmouselandscapes.com
wealdentimes.co.uk
28
CAMgardensWT194.indd 1 19/03/2018 11:49
WT Garden Supplement
How does your
garden grow?
We are a nation of gardeners, but sometimes it pays to
bring in the professionals
A worker from Heritage Grounds Service maintaining mature gardens
We buy the books, watch Gardeners’ World and
avidly read the brilliant gardening writers in
Wealden Times, but if your plot needs serious
attention – or is even brand new - it’s really worth getting the
expert help of qualified horticultural consultants. We asked
three major companies to tell us what they do.
Heritage Grounds Services and the
Tree & Hedge Company
Alan Jones, owner and horticultural consultant
You have two horticultural businesses, what do they each do?
I’ve been working in the industry for over forty years and I set
up the Tree & Hedge Company, which specialises in putting
in and maintaining those things. My oldest son Ben is also a
horticulturalist and set up Heritage Grounds which improves
and maintains larger mature gardens, including several for the
National Trust, and private gardens. We do the grounds at
Cliveden, for example.
What are the main things the Tree & Hedge Company does?
We provide a lot of hedges for quality new builds. Companies
come back to us and say that it’s our hedging that actually sells
the houses. Clients ask them how they managed to build the
houses round the hedges and trees! Even the most beautiful
new houses look hard when they’re first built, but softened
with greenery, the appeal is instant.
Is there a lower limit for the scale of projects you take on?
Not at all. A client has just called wanting to buy his wife
a copper beech hedge for her birthday. People buy trees for
special birthdays and memorials.
What specialist services do you offer?
We might be called in by someone who is having a wedding
in the garden and wants it to look its best. Our Garden Medic
Plant Nutrient Service can do an analysis on the whole garden
and prepare a bespoke tonic which will make it look amazing
for two weeks.
Is there a project you look back on with particular
satisfaction?
One couple really wanted a rhododendron but the soil in the
area was much too alkaline, so I built a circular wall in local
stone, put acidic soil inside and then planted a white flowering
rhododendron, with lighting so it’s illuminated at night. All
their neighbours were amazed ‘How have you got that growing
here?’ Five years on it’s still doing very well.
What is the tallest tree you have ever put in?
A London plane tree 11 metres tall. They are my favourite
trees, the beauty of them is they can be pruned very hard, so
we use them in many ways, to create avenues of flat table top
trees, or to create shade for outdoor eating areas.
What is your favourite hedge?
We do a beautiful native mixture hedge, which we use for
wine producers and around orchards to attract bees. It’s like
a hedgerow only better. We put special mixes together, fruits
and nuts, hazels so there is always something interesting
throughout the season.
What feature do you think makes the single biggest
difference to a garden?
Gardens are a lifestyle now. In the summer it’s another room
to the home and people should look at it that way. If you like
dining outside with friends, you should create something for
that, or if you like sunbathing, have nice colourful things to
look at in those months.
heritagegrounds.com 01895 438 811
treeandhedge.com 01895 438811 or 01386 841708
29 wealdentimes.co.uk
WT Garden Supplement
Practicality Brown
Graeme Jenkins
Wealden Country Landcraft
Tim Playfoot, garden designer
What scale of projects do you take on? We mostly build
large country projects, but we are doing more smaller stuff
for high-end people. Modern housing in built-up areas
doesn’t have large gardens, but the homeowners want the
outdoor area to the same spec as the house. So it’s not the
size of the garden as much as the aspirations of the owners.
What can a professional garden designer landscaper bring
to a garden? We’ve been in business since 1998. There
are thirteen of us and we offer a very professional service,
bending over backwards to give our clients what they want.
Many of our clients want something done in the garden
but don’t know how to do it. They don’t know how to
deal with changes of level and different materials. I’m a
designer, so I look at it from a design perspective, but I
also understand the practicalities and costs involved. Even
when we are building a garden with a budget of a quarter
of a million, that is still the budget. There’s no point in
planning something that would cost another £50,000.
How does the process work? There are four stages: design,
build, plant and maintain. We can do all, or one, or any
combination of those, but the point is that we do the whole
shebang from designing, to building, planting, with just one
point of contact and that’s how you get the maximum benefit.
How do you work with the client to understand what
they like? We have the initial consultation, to discuss
the garden and what they think they want and need.
I show them jobs we’ve done and we talk it through.
They can say what they like and dislike, images are
very powerful. Then I write the brief, giving the client
a summary of what I think they want me to create.
What would you say was your ‘signature’ feature or style?
Our gardens are very strong on planting. I started my career
in horticulture working for a landscape company, very hands
on with plants. We do lots of hard landscaping, but until
you put the plants in the landscape is lacking its soul.
What is the most quirky project you’ve done? We built a really
expensive garden last year and we could suggest all manner of
nice finishes and materials from day one which was great fun.
wealdencountrylandcraft.co.uk 01892 722699
How did the name of the company come about? The
company was started in 1981 by Alastair Beddall, who named
it in tribute to Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, the famous 18th
century landscape designer, who created some of Britain’s
most spectacular park landscapes at historic homes.
Is there a lower limit for the scale of projects you take on?
We can work on projects that are just a few trees, or
improving 10m of mature hedging, but as Instant
Landscape Specialists, we are able to provide a complete
service, from suggesting semi-mature trees for specific
situations to sourcing unusual topiary specimens
and planting our home-grown instant hedge.
There are some amazing before and after shots on your
website, how long does it take you to finish a project
like that? Our installation team are very experienced and
can plant over 50 linear metres of hedge a day. With trees
and topiary, more planning is needed and some projects
can take several weeks. We do have a few large projects,
usually involving a new house build, that have taken a
few months, working alongside the construction.
Do you provide all the labour, as well as the trees, shrubs
and lawns? Yes, we provide a comprehensive service, from
sourcing the right trees, topiary or large shrubs and using
our instant hedges, which make a dramatic impact.
Are you designers as well, or do you work to a design
prepared by another company? We are experienced
horticultural experts, rather than designers. We
work with several award-winning garden designers
and landscape architects on a regular basis.
What is your favourite tree? There are so many fantastic
trees – we have over 500 species on our website alone
– and different ones are perfect for different situations,
whether it’s a small garden, an avenue, a coastal area, for
a formal situation or screening out a neighbour. We have
‘help me choose’ guides on our website for this purpose.
What feature do you think makes the single biggest
difference to a garden? Almost all gardens can have a tree,
even smaller ones, and trees can bring all sorts of focus
whether it’s through their flowers, foliage, fruit or bark.
pracbrown.co.uk 01753 652022
An instant hedge and semi-mature
trees put in by Practicality Brown
wealdentimes.co.uk
30
Creating Beautiful Gardens
for Brilliant Year Round Results
Wealden Country Landcraft
Wealden Country Landcraft
For all your design, construction and maintenance requirements, contact:
Adam Sutton BSc (Hons) Environmental Science | Tim Playfoot BA (Hons) Garden Design
Tel:01892 722699| Adam:07979 362241 | Tim:07990 751353 | www.playfootgardendesign.co.uk
Would you like a
greener healthier lawn?
Let us provide it for you.
We care about lawns and are committed to providing a
friendly, professional, independent service.
Aeration, Scarification, Over Seeding, Top Dressing,
Feed/Weed Disease Control.
With tractor towable and manual equipment,
we cater for lawns of all sizes.
Contact us for free visit-advice and quotation.
Telephone 08454 670258
www.kentsussexlawns.com
info@kentsussexlawns.com
Kent & Sussex
Lawns
Complete lawn care service
KentSussexLawnsWT194.indd 1 13/03/2018 16:46
WALK IN THE
FOOTSTEPS
OF A QUEEN
Excite the senses with beautiful
gardens waiting to be discovered at
“the Loveliest Castle in the World”.
EXPERIENCE MORE
leeds-castle.com
wealdentimes.co.uk
32
28701 LC Gardens 2018 WI 185x130mm.indd 1 06/03/2018 09:16
ZestLtdLeedsCastleWT194.indd 1 07/03/2018 12:53
WT Garden Supplement
Grass roots
It’s that time of year when you suddenly notice your lawn is not at its Wimbledon best – time for expert advice
No matter how much you love gardening,
there is one job you really shouldn’t try
and do yourself: fix your lawn.
Grant Goldfinch, of the Lawn Revival Team, tells
us that one in five of the lawns he is called out to look
at have been damaged by the homeowners themselves
over fertilising using garden centre products. So we
asked Grant, and Matthew Boatwright of Kent & Sussex
Lawns, to share some of their lawn lore with us.
Grant Goldfinch, Lawn Revival Team
Has lawn care changed in the twenty
years you’ve worked in it?
There is a movement towards natural solutions, because
legislation is removing a lot of the magic bullets we used to
have in the form of chemicals. A lot of what we do is around
good soil health - 90% of lawns can be renovated through a
regular treatment programme, aeration, scarification (raking)
overseeding and top dressing. Using those techniques we
can bring them back to their former glory or better.
Do you offer regular maintenance packages?
We do seasonal lawn treatment programmes,
predominantly based around weed and feed, controlling
the moss. We conduct four or five treatments a year
depending on the lawn and every time we treat it, we
will inspect the lawn and if we identify a pest or disease
issue, such as red thread, we would treat that.
Do you give your customers advice on what they can
do to improve their lawns themselves between visits?
Yes, cultural control is advising customers what they can do
to maintain the lawn in its best condition. For example, if
you have a lot of coarse grass growing, from blown in weed
grass seeds, you should change your mowing direction each
time, because those grasses don’t like being mown into. Also
avoid mowing too short because it will encourage moss and
weeds. A lawn is all about competition between species and
if you’re knocking back the grass too low, you’re putting it at
a disadvantage. The optimal length is 1.25 to 1.5 inches.
Is there an ideal time of year to start lawn care?
All four seasons need different treatments for different
reasons – you can start at any time of year, but we will
be doing different things. In spring you kill weeds and
feed grass, continuing through summer, then in autumn
and winter it’s moss control and hardening the grass up.
If you start a seasonal treatment plan in the summer
we wouldn’t be able to start killing the moss until
autumn – and you can’t kill weeds in winter, because
herbicide is only effective if the plant is growing.
Are there ever lawns that are beyond repair?
With new build houses, the lawn tends to be thrown down
on top of debris and compacted ground, so it looks lovely
when you buy the house, but as soon as you have a hot
summer, it starts to suffer. A lot of the lawns we lay are
replacements for new houses. It’s not cost effective to keep
repairing them, better to start again and prepare the soil,
have the right kind of root loam and then it will last.
Do you offer services for other parts of the garden?
In autumn we do leaf clearance because of the damage it
can do encouraging bugs. Most of our customers are lawn
enthusiasts themselves and like to do the mowing themselves,
but we do a lot of pre-season and post-season mowing,
because you want to make sure you are removing any debris
getting it ready for the season, or putting it to bed for winter
and we have specialist mowers which act like vacuums
clearing it all up. The main other thing we do is putting
in steel edging, to create a neat edge next to flower beds.
Lawn Revival Team, 01580 712129, 07769 705231
lawnrevivalteam.com
Matthew Boatright, Kent & Sussex Lawns
What are the most common lawn
issues people call you about?
Moss. People call me after the winter when it’s been wet
and there’s a lot of moss, also fungal diseases, particularly
red thread which creates bleached patches on the lawn.
Do you offer regular maintenance packages?
Essentially that’s what we do. We offer regular visits,
two or four times a year, to fertilise, do treatments,
weed control, scarifying and aeration in the autumn
and through the winter months. It helps with drainage
and to allow oxygen into the root system.
Is there a minimum lawn size you will treat?
If I can walk on it, I can treat it.
Are the products you use safe for
children, pets and wildlife?
They are rigorously tested and it’s all about applying them
correctly, at the correct dose rate. Some you need to be
prudent with, because they can be harmful to aquatic
life, so you leave buffer zones if people have ponds –
that’s why you need an expert. We also make sure our
customers know what time we’ve finished, so they can
keep pets and children in until enough time has passed.
Are there ever lawns that are beyond repair?
There are often problems with
lawns with new build houses, but
even with properly laid lawns,
they have a life span like any
plant and the time will come
when they start to thin out and
the moss starts to take over, so
then you are better to relay it.
Kent & Sussex Lawns,
0845 467 0258,
kentsussexlawns.com
33 wealdentimes.co.uk
Gardening Courses
Courses and workshops in design, vegetable growing and general
gardening skills. Held in Woodchurch, Kent. No experience needed.
Contact Jo 01233 861149 www.hornbrookmanor.co.uk
Garden Design and Landscaping
HornbrookManorWT194.indd 1 13/03/2018 17:05
Pop-up Shop Now Open
Ockley Road, Hawkhurst TN18 4DP
Unique garden consultations.
Understand the possibilities
07831 868 848
info@gardeneye.co.uk | www.gardeneye.co.uk
bespoke ironwork for home & garden
07765 344298
www.cranbrookiron.com
Open: Wednesday - Saturday
GARDEN perennials
CAKE bedding plants BRUNCH
FARMSHOP
POTS
open seven
days a week COFFEE
GARDEN
ORNAMENTShanging baskets
spring in to
Summer
GardenEyeWT194.indd 1 16/03/2018 CranbrookIronWT177.indd 12:08
1 25/10/2016 15:41
Call: 01580 890713
Clapper
• frankiesfarmshop.co.uk
Lane, Staplehurst, TN12 0JT Clapper Lane
01580 890713
01
Clapper Lane, Staplehurst, Opening TN12 times: 0JT9am-5pm Mon-Sat
Opening tim
10am-4pm Sun
1
Open 7 days a week, 9am-5pm Mon-Sat 10am-4pm Sun
159 wealdentimes.co.uk
StaplehurstNurseryWT194.indd 1 19/03/2018 11:08
Let the
children
speak
Listening to school age kids is vital – but first you
have to get them to talk says Hilary Wilce
AAll All the research shows that children whose parents
support them at school and show an interest in what
they’re learning do better than those children whose
parents don’t.
And all parents know that while that sounds simple, it’s
actually really hard.
“What did you do today?” “Nothing.” “Who did you play
with?” “Don’t remember.”
“What was your best lesson?” “Don’t know.”
Little wonder that – as a survey of 2,000 parents done last
summer shows – we only spend about 14 minutes trying to
have after-school conversations with our children before getting
back to our own lives.
But some schools are finding imaginative, new ways to foster
home-school 00013MHSWT185x130_Layout links, like the primary 1 19/09/2017 school in Somerset 14:03 Page that 1
sends its youngest pupils home with a bag of three pebbles, one
shiny, one dull, and one pointy.
These represent one special thing that happened in the day, one
dull thing, and one difficult thing, and both parents and children
are encouraged to use them as ways to get a conversation going.
However, even if your child’s school is not so creative, there are
many useful things you can do to encourage post-school chats.
Don’t come on too strong. Children need time to transition
from school and hate being put on the spot. Be warm and
welcoming when you pick your child up, say you hope they had a
good day, and leave it at that.
Learn patience. Many children like to chat about school
just before bed. (A good delaying tactic. Children are brilliant
strategists.)
Chat about things from your day, to encourage your child to
Not too big, Not too small, Just right.
The perfect size school to unlock the potential in every child.
We have an enviable record of Cranbrook entry success over the past 10 years, a 100% CE pass rate
and each year our pupils win scholarships to many leading independent senior schools.
MARLBOROUGH
HOUSE
SCHOOL
Marlborough House School, Hawkhurst, Cranbrook, Kent TN18 4PY 01580 753555
161 wealdentimes.co.uk
MarlboroughHouseWT188.indd 1 19/09/2017 14:17
Blackland Farm
Outdoor Activity Centre
Kayaking
Canoeing
Bungee trampolining
Rock climbing
Archery
Crate challenge
Zip wire
Abseiling
Aeroball...
...and many more!
Come and join us for
fun-filled activity days.
Why not have your
birthday party here too?
01342 810493
blackland@girlguiding.org.uk
www.blacklandfarm.org.uk
Blackland Farm
Sutton Valence School
BlacklandFarmWT138.indd 1 10/07/2013 SpringGroveSchoolWT194.indd 17:31
1 15/03/2018 15:22
svs.org.uk
Open
Mornings
Prep School
Friday 27th April 2018
Senior School
Saturday 28th April 2018
Book online now
wealdentimes.co.uk
162
SuttonValenceWT194.indd 1 07/03/2018 11:44
Education
respond. “A really funny thing happened to me at lunchtime…”
Ask open questions. “What was the best part of your day?” not
“Was it music today?” (Open questions can’t be answered with a
yes or no.)
Learn as much as you can about your child’s routine, teachers
and friendships. Then you can ask what happened at whole-school
assembly, or about Harry’s poorly kitten.
Don’t feel you have to solve every problem that comes up, or
always quiz your child about tests and homework. But when you
do need information, don’t fish, simply ask.
Seize useful moments. Many parents find that talking in the car
is a brilliant time to have a conversation – no awkward eye contact!
Other times might be at bathtime, or when sharing a chore like
walking the dog. Whatever your family routine, always be alert to
times when you might get a chance to talk with your child.
But whatever you do to draw out a conversation, be aware that
the way you respond will always either open it out or shut it down.
Aim to be as relaxed and natural as you can – children will close
up like clams if they feel information is being prised out of them.
Don’t shower them with questions, and keep your responses as
calm and non-judgmental as possible.
Sometimes you might discover that your child is unhappy or
unsettled about something at school in a way that you hadn’t
realized. If that’s the case, do your best to find out more about the
situation and try not to jump to conclusions.
There is a world of difference between one hard-to-follow maths
lesson and a maths teacher who is totally not up to the job, or
between a temporary falling-out between classmates, and a case
of systematic, ongoing bullying, and you need to be sure of the facts
before deciding to take things further.
It may be that your child simply wanted to offload what’s on their
mind, and there is no need at all to take up arms on their behalf.
But if you do sense that you need to act, explain to your child why
you feel you must speak to their teacher, or friend’s parents, and what
you plan to say, and let them tell you any worries or objections they
might have.
Whatever the age of your child, if you run roughshod over their
confidences, ignoring anything they have to say on the matter, you
can be one hundred per cent sure there won’t be any more.
In this situation, as always when talking to your child, remember
the old adage – ‘two ears, one mouth’ – and always listen twice as
much as talking.
Type it out and stick it on the fridge.
What’s testing you about education?
With an education system which seems to get ever more
complex the whole schools experience can be bewildering
for parents. With our annual education magazine,
supplements and regular features we address a wide range
of issues in the field, but we would love to know what
your particular areas of concern are. We won’t be able to
answer individual questions, but please email to tell us
what you would like to read more about at education@
wealdentimes.co.uk
See potential.
Realise the vision.
Open Morning
Come and see the difference
Thursday 3rd May
9.00 am – 12 noon
Contact our Registrar for details:
registrar@dulwichprepcranbrook.org
dulwichprepcranbrook.org
163 wealdentimes.co.uk
DulwichPrepWT194b.indd 1 06/03/2018 14:37
Easter Fun
at the Farm! - 30 March - 15 April
Farm Activities and Live Entertainment!
BANK HOLIDAY
WEEKEND
EASTER
EGG
HUNTS
EASTER
CHICKS,
LAMBS &
BUNNIES
PARK
& FARM
ENTRY
ONLY £3
PER PERSON!*
Plus see Paw Patrol’s
Chase & Marshall at
intervals on 12 April
Children’s Attractions
HOVERMANIA LASER GAMES OUTDOOR ADVENTURE PLAY AREA
HOPPER’S ANIMAL FARM HOPPER’S DINER & SOFT PLAY 4D CINEMA
JUMPING PILLOWS MAGIC CASTLE GROOM A PONY INDOOR
ENTERTAINMENT FARM ACTIVITIES HORSE & CART RIDES
FACE PAINTING AND MUCH MORE…
SUBJECT
TO CHANGE
The Hop Farm Family Park
Maidstone Rd, Paddock Wood, Kent, TN12 6PY
01622 872068
www.hopfarm.co.uk
*INCLUDES ALL DAY INDOOR SOFT PLAY, OUTDOOR ADVENTURE PLAY, CRAZY GOLF, ANIMAL FARM & FREE PARKING
Rhythm of the Night
Thu 5 April
RTWSO: Walton’s
Cello Concerto
Sun 8 April
Rumours of
Fleetwood Mac
Mon 9 Apr
Pop Divas
Wed 11 Apr
Walk Right Back
Thu 12 Apr
Alice in Wonderland
Fri 13 to Sun 15 Apr
Jason Manford:
Muddle Class
Wed 18 Apr
Banff Mountain Film
Festival
Thu 19 Apr
Yolanda Brown
Sun 22 Apr
RTW Choral Society
Sun 29 Apr
Bernstein- Chichester Psalms
Rutter- Magnificat
Stravinsky -Symphony of Psalms
Box Office: 01892 530613
assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk
/assemblyhalltheatre /ahttw assemblyHallTheatre
RTWCS, and the Salomon Orchestra
Conducted by Rebecca Miller
8, 9, & 10
June 2018
elm wood, hawkhurst
Off risden Lane, hawkhurst,
KENT, TN18 5du
AssemblyHallTheatreWT194.indd 1 21/03/2018 17:17
small, intimate & family friendly...where kids can be kids again & you
can relax, immerse yourself in great music, fantastic food &
drink. be together, reconnect or simply escape...if only for a weekend
live music >
line up to be announced
kids activities
including woodland
treasure hunts,
storytelling
& bushcraft
south east's finest
STREET FOOD TRADERS
THE BIG
outdoor
cinema+
silent disco
woodland spa
beautiful campsite
+ boutique camping
for more information and tickets go to:
www.woodlandsfestival.co.uk
/woodlandsfestivaluk
woodlandsfestivaluk
woodlandsfestuk
in aid of
165 wealdentimes.co.uk
EPM-WT194.indd 1 14/03/2018 14:43
PAINT YOUR OWN CERAMICS
Come in & have a go…
• PAINT YOUR OWN CERAMICS • DECOPATCH
• MAKE A BEAR • SILVER KEEPSAKES
• PARTIES • WORKSHOPS • GIFTS AND MORE…
www.slapndash.com
01580 755674
Open times: Mon-Fri 10.00 to 5.00, Sat & Sun 10.00 to 4.00
(Evenings by appointment)
Disabled access • Ample Parking • Cafe on-site
Easter
Trail
26th March to 6th April 2018
10am until 4pm
£3.00 10% OFF
Slap ‘n’ Dash
Easter Gift
Child's Craft Trail Map &
Activity Sheet
Includes:
HAWKHURST FISH FARM
!subject to terms & Conditions
SlapNDashWT169.indd SlapNDashWT194.indd 1 04/02/2016 05/03/2018 GodintonHouseWT194.indd 12:57 10:49
1 19/03/2018 10:24
2018
Mayfield
Festival
of Music and the Arts
28 APRIL - 13 MAY 2018
- FEATURING -
MENDELSSOHN
NO 2 HYMN OF PRAISE
SAINT-SAENS
ORGAN SYMPHONY
POULENC - GLORIA
FRANK SINATRA “HIS WAY”
TALES OF HOFFMANN
- AND -
STEPHEN KOVACEVICH
THE ART TRAIL
JAZZ WITH ONYX BRASS
JAMES O’DONNELL
POETRY AND CHAMBER MUSIC
The old and the new, the unjustly obscure and the justly celebrated
CLASSICAL • CHAMBER • JAZZ • FILM
TULIP FESTIVAL
—
TICKETS • MAYFIELDFESTIVAL.CO.UK • 0333 666 3366
in association with
Mayfield School
Beautiful 11 Acre Gardens; Café with Terrace; Gift
Shop; Sculpture Exhibition; open from 31st March
Ticehurst 01580 200888
pashleymanorgardens.com
wealdentimes.co.uk
166
MayfieldFestivalWT194.indd 1 14/03/2018 PashleyManorWT194.indd 11:32
1 15/03/2018 09:38
What’s On In April
Art
Sat 31 Mar – Sat 30 Jun
Artichoke Gallery, Church
Street, Ticehurst, Kent TN5 7AE
BENEATH THE CANOPY
An enduring fascination with
trees: their majestic forms and
graceful branches, the abundant
wildlife they support. A mixed
exhibition featuring paintings,
sculpture, ceramics and jewellery
inspired by our love of trees, birds
and insects #visitTicehurst. Open
Tuesday to Saturday 9.30-4.30.
Info: 01580 200905 /
artichokegallery.co.uk
Fri 13 – Sun 15 Apr
High Hurstwood Hall, Chillies
Lane, High Hurstwood,
Uckfield, Sussex TN22 4AD
Handcrafted Arts Fair
Over 32 different artists, designers
and makers from the Sussex area
gather for an amazing show.
Entry: Free
Info: facebook.com/
highhurstwoodhall
Sat 21 Apr – June
Portico Art Gallery, 25 London
Road, Riverhead, Sevenoaks,
Kent, TN13 2BU
Jan Grasty and Robert
Cobuz
Explore the beautiful works of
Jan Grasty and the intriguing and
unexpected creations of Robert
Cobuz. All works for sale.
Entry: Free
Info: porticogallery.co.uk
Sat 21 Apr – Sun 8 Jul
Jerwood Gallery, Rock-A-Nore
Road, Hastings, Sussex
TN34 3DW
Paul Feiler: One
Hundred Years
This year the Paul Feiler Estate
and The Redfern Gallery will be
running a year-long centenary
celebration of the life and work
of Paul Feiler (1918-2013), one
of the foremost figures of the
Modern Art movement emanating
from the South West of England,
centred in St Ives, fascinated by
the achitecture of space and the
ambiguities of visual experience.
Info: jerwoodgallery.org
Children & Families
Sat 7 – Sun 8 Apr 10am-4pm
Betteshanger Park, Sandwich
Road, Deal, Kent CT14 0BF
Spring on the Park
Celebrate spring with the Essex
Dog Display team, Sky Birds of
Prey team, Mikey’s Donkeys, dog
grooming with Hadlow College
and lots of stalls, crafts and local
food and drink.
Entry: Included with park entry
Info: betteshanger-park.co.uk
Thurs 12 – Sat 14 Apr
Chiddingstone Castle, Hill
Hoath Road, Edenbridge, Kent
TN8 7AD
Alice in Wonderland
The Mad Hatter is hosting a
fabulous tea party with all your
favourites from Lewis Carroll’s
classic tale hosting themed
activities all over the castle
grounds. The hatter will be
awarding prizes and there will be
certificates for all.
Entry: £14.56
Info: chiddingstonecastle.org.uk
Sat 21 Apr 7pm
United Church Hall, Croft
Road, Crowborough TN6 1HA
Quiz and Picnic
Enjoy a quiz and picnic with
tea and coffee available. Teams
can be up to six people and
visitors should bring their
own picnics and drinks.
Entry: £6pp
Info: 01892 653596 / bureau@
crowboroughcab.cabnet.org.uk
Sat 21 Apr
Maidstone Museum, St Faith’s
St, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1LH
St. George’s Dragon Day
Meet Flame, the massive smokebreathing
dragon and his smaller
friend Bunsen the baby dragon
this St. George’s day as Maidstone
Museum celebrates England’s
patron saint by also honouring the
other countries he is also patron
to. Follow the flag trail, make
your own dragon and get your
face painted in this multicultural
special event.
Info: museum.maidstone.gov.uk
Mon 23 – Sun 29 Apr
Various Locations
Peppa Pig’s Muddy
Puddle Walk for Save
the Children
This spring will see the return of
the UK’s muddiest fundraising
event for little ones. Whether you
splash in puddles along a trail at
the park or get creative and make
your own puddles indoors from
paper and foil – your Muddy
Puddle Walk will be a fun day to
spend together that littles ones
won’t forget.
Info: savethechildren.org.uk
Easter
Fri 30 March – Sun 15 Apr
Leeds Castle, Maidstone, Kent
ME17 1PL
Easter Quest
Seek out clues hidden around the
Castle grounds on a fun quest for
children of all ages. Answer each
of the questions and receive a
chocolate treat as a reward.
Entry: Additional £1 charge
Info: leeds-castle.com
Exhibitions & Tours
Fri 9 Feb – Sat 9 June
Tunbridge Wells Museum & Art
Gallery, Civic Centre, Mount
Pleasant, Royal Tunbridge Wells,
Kent TN1 1JN
Seasons of Change: The
Fegans’ Story
Fegans has been championing
childhood and transforming
mental health since 1870. This
exhibition will take you through
its story, from the work of its
founder James Fegan, through to
the support services the charity
offers children and families in the
South East today.
Entry: Free
Info: 01892 554171 /
fegans.org.uk/seasonsofchange
Thurs 5 Apr – Sun 28 Oct
Smallhythe Place,
Smallhythe Road, Tenterden,
Kent TN30 7NG
Triumphant Women
In 2018 Smallhythe explores
women’s history and suffrage
through the anniversary of
women gaining the vote. This
new exhibition celebrates the
women of Smallhythe in the
Suffrage movement. ‘Edy Craig:
Women, Suffrage and the
Theatre’ will be on show in the
Barn Theatre and green room,
whilst ‘The Shakespearean
Lectures of Ellen Terry’ will be
exhibited in the main house.
Info: nationaltrust.org.
uk/smallhythe-place
Sat 7 Apr – 28 Oct
Historic Dockyard Chatham,
Church Lane, Chatham,
Kent ME4 4TE
Call the Midwife Tours
For those needing to fill the
long gap between now and the
Christmas special, the dockyard
has an official re-worked tour
overseen by the show’s producers
featuring props, costumes
and of course the much-loved
backdrops behind many of the
show’s most iconic scenes.
Info: thedockyard.co.uk
Festivals & Shows
Tues 3 – Mon 30 Apr
Brogdale Collections, Brogdale
Farm, Brogdale Road,
Faversham, Kent ME13 8XZ
Hanami Festival
Brogdale is one of the only places
in the UK where you can celebrate
this Japanese festival. With over
350 flowering cherry varieties and
over 4000 fruit tree varieties in
the National Fruit Collection it
is a truly unique experience and
beautiful spectacle. Enjoy a pretty
spring picnic throughout April or
visit on Saturday 14 for the full
festival experience with cultural
demonstrations, drumming and
sword displays, a tea ceremony,
bonsai, calligraphy, and origami.
Info: brogdalecollections.org
Sat 7 Apr
Kent Showground, Detling,
Maidstone, Kent ME14 3JF
Heritage Transport
Show
Heritage and vintage vehicles
are driving over for another year
at the Kent Showground as the
Heritage Transport show aims
167 wealdentimes.co.uk
What’s On In April
for a record of 800 vehicles in its
ninth year. You can also expect
the South East Bus Festival, trade
stands, autojumble, a farmer’s
market and more.
Info: kentshowground.co.uk/
heritage-transport-show
Food & Drink
Fri 13 Apr
Albury Vineyard, Silent Pool,
Shere Road, Albury GU5 9BW
Cocktail Night
Tattams are returning to the
vineyard on Friday 13th April for
an evening of cocktails and fizz.
Get a group of friends together
and celebrate the end of the week
with a hand-crafted cocktail
featuring Albury Estate sparkling
wines and their new spirit, Attila’s
Bite. Watch and learn how the
cocktails are made and learn about
the English wine scene.
Entry: £10 including a cocktail or
glass of bubbly on arrival
Info: alburyvineyard.com
Gardens
Fri 16 Mar – Fri 13 Apr
Sissinghurst Castle Garden,
Biddenden Road, Cranbrook,
Kent TN17 2AB
Garden Photographer
of the Year exhibition
The very best of amateur and
professional garden and landscape
photography from across the
world will be showcased in the
oast house in an exhibition
brought to life by the Sissinghurst
gardeners using plants and flowers
from the world-famous garden.
Info: nationaltrust.org.uk/
sissinghurst-castle
Sun 15 Apr
Penshurst Place, Penshurst, Kent
TN11 8DG
Spring Stroll
Enjoy a springtime stroll through
the vibrant parkland that
surrounds Penshurst Place, with
general manager, Ben Thomas,
and discover the history of
Penshurst Place and the variety of
wildlife living within the grounds.
Your walk will be followed by a
delicious two-course roast lunch in
the Garden Restaurant, and tickets
to the house and gardens.
Entry: £30
Info: penshurstplace.com
Weds 18 – Fri 27 Apr
Hever Castle, Hever Road,
Hever, Edenbridge, Kent
TN8 7NG
Tulip Celebrations
20,000 tulips will be in bloom
in the historic castle’s stunning
grounds this month. Indulge in
a tour, visit the Italian Garden’s
kaleidoscopic display by the lake,
and venture inside the castle to
learn about the flower’s history
and view Pamela Brise’s striking
floral displays.
Info: hevercastle.co.uk
Fri 20 Apr – Thurs 3 May
Hole Park, Benenden Road,
Rolvenden, Cranbrook, Kent
TN17 4JA
Bluebell Festival
The beautiful Hole Park Gardens
in Rolvenden, Kent will open to
visitors every day from Sunday
1 April, and will be updating
the bluebell barometer regularly
throughout the month. One of the
Seven Wonders of the Weald, the
colourful gardens will be blooming
with swathes of crocus, narcissus
and daffodils.
Entry: Adults £7.50, Children £1
Info: 01580 241344 / holepark.com
Sat 21 Apr 9.30am – 12.30pm
Godinton House & Gardens,
Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent.
TN23 3BP
The Annual Garden
Viv Hunt, will be giving advice on
choosing and growing annuals for
cut flowers, pots and long-lasting
colour in the borders throughout
the year.
Entry: £35
Info: 01233 643854 /
godintonhouse.co.uk
Tues 24 Apr
Pashley Manor Gardens, Pashley
Road, Ticehurst, Wadhurst, East
Sussex TN5 7HE
Tulip Festival
The Tulip Festival sees Pashley
Manor Gardens, carpeted with
over 40,000 tulips, creating
stunning scenes for visitors.
Entry: £11
Info: 01580 200888 /
pashleymanorgardens.com
Health & Wellbeing
Fri 13 Apr 2 - 4.30pm
Blooming Green, Loddington
Farm, Linton, Maidstone, Kent
ME17 4AG
Awaken your Creative
Spirit
Yvonne Fernando, NLP Master
Practitioner and Life Coach
collaborates with Blooming Green
in this experiential workshop set
in an enchanting, organic flower
plot. Includes inspiring talk,
flower arranging demo, flowerpicking
and cake.
Entry: £40
Info: 01233 878474 /
yvonnefernandonlp.co.uk
Fri 27 April, 11am-2pm,
Stalisfield Village Hall,
Stalisfield Road, Faversham,
Kent ME13 0JE
Breathe Better
Created by Yvonne Fernando,
NLP Master Practitioner and Life
Coach, this experiential workshop
is designed to help you become
more aware of how you breathe
and make conscious changes
to breathe better with tips,
techniques, discussion and a light
healthy snack.
Entry: £35
Info: 01233 878474 /
yvonnefernandonlp.co.uk
Music
Sat 7 Apr 7.30pm
Parish Church of St. Peter & St.
Paul, Church Lane, Tonbridge,
Kent TN9 1HD
The Lydian Orchestra
Spring Concert
Join the Lydian Orchestra for a
programme including Strauss,
Finzi and Brahms with Alex
Frank-Gemmill conducting and
soloist Nelson Sinclair-Strong on
clarinet. Tickets at the door.
Entry: Adults £15, Students £6,
Under 16s £1
Info: tonbridgeparishchurch.org.uk
Sat 21 Apr 7.30pm
Rochester Cathedral Garth
House, Rochester, Kent
ME1 1SX
Gravesham Choral
Society & Orchestra
Alan Vincent conducts Verdi’s
Requiem. Charlotte Richardson
(soprano), Katarzyna Balejko
(mezzo-soprano) Stephen Brown
(tenor) and David Ireland (bass).
Info: graveshamcs.co.uk
Sat 28 Apr 7.30pm
St Peter’s Upper Church,
Pembury, Kent TN2 4PD
Concert for Lifeboats
An evening of shanties and other
nautical songs & entertainment,
featuring established artists. All
proceeds to the RNLI. Tickets
from Pembury Pharmacy or
01892 822945/823759.
Info: esch4lh@btinternet.com
Sun 29 Apr 3pm
Assembly Hall Theatre,
Tunbridge Wells TN1 2LU
ROYAL TUNBRIDGE WELLS
CHORAL SOCIETY
To celebrate the centenary of
Leonard Bernstein’s birth the
choir will perform his Chichester
Psalms. The concert will also
feature Rutter’s Magnificat and
Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms.
The choir will be joined by the
Salomon Orchestra and the
performance will be conducted by
Rebecca Miller.
Entry: from £10
Info: 01892 527958 /
geraldchew26@gmail.com / 01892
530613 / assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk
Shopping
Fri 16 Mar – Mon 9 Apr
Fenwick Tunbridge Wells, Royal
Victoria Place, Tunbridge Wells,
Kent TN1 2SR
Linens Event
Give your bedroom an instant
boost this spring with a bed linen
update, and save up to 50% on
selected lines during this event.
Layer up your bed linen with
beautiful contrasting cushions
and throws that will tempt you at
the end of a busy day and where
you can languish on a relaxing
wealdentimes.co.uk
168
DAILY MAIL
WHAT’S ON STAGE
The Winslow Boy
Terence Rattigan’s classic family drama.
TUE 15 - SAT 19 MAY
marlowetheatre.com (bkg fee)
01227 787787 (bkg fee)
weekend and enjoy.
Info: 01892 516716 / fenwick.co.uk
Sun 22 Apr 10am – 4pm
Penshurst Village Hall,
Tonbridge, Kent TN11 8BP
The Penshurst
Brocante
Shop beautiful vintage and
artisan products with the style,
atmosphere and flavour of a
French Brocante. Refreshments
available from Dolly’s Diner
throughout the day.
Entry: £2
Info: 07885 610912 /
facebook.com/CherishVintageFairs
/ cherishthevintage.co.uk
Theatre
Mon 30 Apr 7.30pm
Marlowe Theatre, The Friars,
Canterbury CT1 2AS
Mozart: The Marriage
of Figaro
English Touring Opera’s energetic
new production of Mozart’s
beloved classic comedy The
Marriage of Figaro sung in English.
During the course of one eventful
day, Figaro and Susanna must
overcome every obstacle put in
their way by Count Almaviva and
his cronies before they can finally
be united as man and wife.
Entry: from £14.95
Info: marlowetheatre.com
Workshops
Mon 2, Sun 15 & Sun 22 Apr
Canterbury Baking School, 22,
The Ness, Canterbury, Kent
CT1 3NL
Sourdough Made
Simple Workshop
At Canterbury Baking School,
beginners and more advanced
bakers can learn the lifelong skill
of baking bread, sourdough, pasta,
pizza and/or sweet-dough. At this
Sourdough class, students will
make two different starters and
learn to develop, shape and adapt
a variety of different sourdough
breads. Lunch included.
Entry: £165pp, £10 off for Wealden
Times readers, quote Wealden10.
Info: vicky@canterburybakingschool.
com / canterburybakingschool.com.
What’s On In April
Fri 20 Apr 1-4pm
Blooming Green, Loddington
Farm, Linton, Maidstone, Kent
ME17 4AG
Flower crown making
Those looking for a fairy-tale
addition to their wedding outfits
can learn how to make this
‘must-have’ floral accessory using
freshly picked flowers and foliage
from the Blooming Green flower
plot. Jen will show you how
to create different looks, from
simple flower-girl circlets to more
abundant bridal crowns, with
ribbon or without. All materials
and homemade refreshments
provided.
Entry: £40
Info: 01622 298676 /
bloominggreenflowers.co.uk
Sat 21 Apr & Sat 12 May
Knole House, Sevenoaks, Kent
TN15 0RP
Beginners Patchwork &
Quilting
Learn how to create beautiful
patchwork quilts by hand with
Cowden Quilt School. Over two
days work through every stage of
the process to create your own
modern family heirlooms, starting
with a unique cushion cover.
Entry: £150 (both dates)
Info: 01732462100 /
nationaltrust.org.uk/knole
Listings are correct at time of
going to press but may be subject
to change. Readers are advised to
check with venues before making
arrangements. We can list your event
in the next issue of Wealden Times
for only £15! Please supply up to
50 words that should include date,
time, venue, and any entry price to
whatson@wealdentimes.co.uk or send
with payment (cheques payable to
JPS Media) to What’s On, Wealden
Times, Kettle Chambers, 21 Stone
Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF.
Wealden Times reserves the right
to edit text to fit space allocated. If
you would like your event listing
to be accompanied by a full colour
reproduction (42.5 x 62.5mm) of a
poster or other pictorial image, the
total charge will be £95. Deadline for
the May issue is 13 April 2018.
Ibbett Mosely
AuctIoneers & VAluers
Limited Liability Partnership
The Auctioneer's Next Sale Will Be On
Wednesday 4th April 2018
Commencing at 12.30pm | Viewing 10.00am - 12.30pm
At Ibbett Mosely Auction Rooms, Argyle Rd, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1HJ
Valuation Day - Wednesday 18th April 2018 11am to 4pm
At Crown Inn, School Road, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 5PQ
Tel: 01732 456731 Web: www.ibbettmosely.co.uk
125 High St, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1UT
Registered in England No. 0C341637 Regulated by RICS Registered at the Sevenoaks office as Ibbett Mosely Surveyors LLP
IbbettMoselyWT194.indd 1 09/03/2018 16:29
Clare Langdon
INTERIORS
Made to measure
curtains & blinds
Tracks & poles
Measuring & fitting service
Home consultation
Fabrics & design advice
Telephone 01233 850829
clarelangdoninteriors.co.uk
ClareLangdonWT184.indd 1 12/05/2017 16:19
Registered Charity No. 239992. Company No.
171 wealdentimes.co.uk
KentWildlifeTrustWT194.indd 1 07/03/2018 10:40
COLLINS BESPOKE
BEAUTIFUL KITCHENS
www.collinsbespoke.com
T. 01233 822595 E. info@collinsbespoke.com
A. Unit 40 Old Surrenden Manor, Bethersden, TN26 3DL
Competition
Win a pair of 18ct white
gold dazzle diamond
stud earrings worth £555
Established in London in 1991 and in Riverhead for 18 years, Dominic
Walmsley Jewellery has earned itself a highly respected reputation. Specialising
in bespoke, contemporary jewellery, handmade in our workshop at the back
of our shop, the professional and welcoming team are delighted to offer guidance
on their collections or discuss and design bespoke pieces for any special occasion.
In recent years they have specialized in redesigning and combining
existing jewellery to create breathtaking new pieces which retain their
sentimental value and can be handed down through future generations.
How to enter: For your
chance to win a pair of 18ct
white gold dazzle diamond
stud earrings worth £555,
just answer the following
question: When was Dominic
Walmsley established? Enter
your answer with your
contact details* in the online
form at wealdentimes.
co.uk/competition or post to:
The Dominic Walmsley
Competition, Wealden Times,
21 Stone Street, Cranbrook,
Kent TN17 3HF by 30 April.
There is no cash alternative
or exchanges and the prize
must be taken before 30 April
2019. *All entrants’ details
will be passed on to Dominic
Walmsley and Wealden
Times Events. Please let us
know if you do not wish
your details to be passed on.
Congratulations to Patricia Saunderson who wins our February competition for a Denbies Wine Estate Gift Experience
173 wealdentimes.co.uk
Jane Howard’s
Fables from
the Farm
It’s that joyous time of year for new arrivals on the farm
and Jane has some very important dates in her diary
Spring officially kicked off on 20th March but after that
especially cold and snowy snap, the arrival of the real
yet unofficial thing, whenever that happens will be
very warmly welcomed. April usually delivers the goods and
heralds lots of changes on the farm and all of them are a cause
for great joy.
Given hay and somewhere dry to shelter, our hardy native
Sussex cows would happily outwinter, but they would churn
all the fields into a muddy quagmire and effectively put paid
to any expectation of a good flush of spring grass. Instead, our
grass was only winter grazed by sheep, so once the soil reaches
a temperature of about 10C it will turn green and start to
grow again and will be the sweetest, freshest grass of the year.
Having been housed since November, turnout is a cause
for major bovine celebration. Tentative at first, the cows
come out of the barn and suddenly realising they’re free they
stampede off, frolicking and kicking their heels in the air in a
complete show of joy and happiness.
For the mums things will settle down after about three laps
of the field but for the calves it’s a completely
different matter. Having been born in February
and March they’ve never really had the
opportunity to test drive all four legs. But once
tried there’s no stopping them. Round and
round they go, turbo charged, until, they run
out of muscle power and puff.
For the bull, the advent of spring is even
more exciting. George, our resident stock bull,
who I’ve written about often, has now packed his bags and set
off up the M40 to pastures new in Great Missenden.
After three years of loyal service, his two-year-old daughters
– now known as bulling heifers - are ready to come into the
breeding herd so we needed a new sire. Enter Eric, who will
arrive on the farm at the end of this month.
But Eric won’t be the only arrival this month. The first
swallows should come back to Coopers from south of
the Sahara (which makes George’s journey seem a little
insignificant) any time from 14th April.
Last year it was the 16th and for the past
“It’s funny how
despite advancing
years, the journey of
tadpoles into frogdom
remains fascinating”
ten years they have only ever varied the date
by one or two days. I know this because I
keep a diary of events that happen on the
farm – and have done so ever since we came
here twenty years ago.
In our first year a purveyor of animal
feeds and mineral blocks gave me a swanky
A4 desk diary, and has done so every year
since. With no appointments or meetings to write in, it makes
for a wonderful record of our farming year and of what’s
going on in the natural world. This recording of the times of
recurring natural phenomena, especially in relation to climate
is called phenology and it’s a very addictive hobby.
Frog spawn always appears in the ponds at the beginning of
March and is now just hatching into a wriggling black soup
– funny how despite advancing years, the journey of tadpoles
into frogdom remains an absolute fascination.
I’ve also seen our first bumble bees, butterflies, ladybirds
and moths. But what I haven’t yet heard is the cuckoo.
When we first came to Coopers, they were a common sound
(anywhen from 12th April, if you’re interested) but last year I
only heard the cuckoo once and that wasn’t here on this farm
so it looks like they are in deep trouble.
Is there anything we can do? Fingers crossed the
nightingales arrive on 2nd May.
Follow Jane Howard – and the farm – on Instagram @coopersfarm
wealdentimes.co.uk
174
Being pushed
out of your
workplace?
We’ll help
you push
back.
Please call for Slater a brochure and Gordon visit (UK) our LLP showrooms
is authorised and
regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Unit 9, Chart Farm, Seal Chart
Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0ES
Tel: 01732 762682
www.rencraft.co.uk
81 Calverley Road
Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2UY
Tel: 01892 520730
Offices in London and
throughout the UK
Call 0203 319 2685
slatergordon.co.uk
Family Employment Estate Planning, Wills and Probate
Property Crime Dispute Resolution Personal Injury
3 seater Brenchley sofa
from £1695
Bayham chair
from £1395
• A large range of fabrics & leathers to choose from
• Available in customers own fabrics
• Old school, quality upholstery with coil sprung seats
• Dimensions can be altered to suit personal preference
Handmade in England & also
available in bespoke sizes!
Free delivery and up to
3 years 0% APR free credit
Wells Bedding and Interiors
44 High Street, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 1XF
For more information call 01892 272353
www.wellsinteriors.co.uk