The lifestyle magazine for Surrey - Inspirational Interiors, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes
GARDEN Supplement inside
Inspirational Interiors • Fabulous Fashion • Delicious Dishes
PRICELESS
April 2018
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Contents
April 2018
44
110
132
24
LATER LIVING STYLE
Maggie Alderson finds the best
of retirement properties
103
GET THE LOOK
Ideas to try from Marta
Nowicka’s style sheet
132
FROM AN ENGLISH GARDEN
Aaron Bertelsen of Great Dixter’s
simply beautiful recipes
37
APRIL NOTEBOOK
Surrey events to take
note of this month
105
FLOOR PLANS
We take a look at three
fabulous flooring trends
145
LET THE CHILDREN SPEAK
Hilary Wilce on the importance of
helping children find their voices
44
69
72
80
FAMILY FAVOURS
Interior designer Alexis Wylie
rejuenvates a family home
GET THE LOOK
Inspiration for how to emulate
Alexis Wylie’s unique style
INTERIOR DIRECTIONS
The details that will bring
your home bang up to date
COASTAL HAVEN
Kathryn Flett loves the lack of
cliché in this maritime cottage
110
123
127
128
RAIN OR SHINE
Kate Watts combats
April showers in style
SOAP STARS
Jo Fairley is bringing
back the bar
SPRING INTO SUMMER
Strictly no scalpels in these
summer-ready solutions
A YEAR OF WELLNESS
Eminé Rushton begins her Year of
Wellness with a cleanse
Published by JPS Media Ltd. Kettle Chambers, 21 Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF
Telephone 01580 714705 Email info@surrey-homes.co.uk Visit surrey-homes.co.uk
Copyright © 2018 JPS Media Ltd. The views of the advertisers and contributors are not
necessarily those of JPS Media Ltd.
151
155
156
WHAT’S ON?
Events to keep you busy this month
COMPETITION
Win a dazzling pair of
diamond earrings
FABLES FROM THE FARM
Jane Howard warmly welcomes
new arrivals to Coopers
GARDEN
SUPPLEMENT
36 pages of
flowers, veg,
hens, lawns and
expert advice on
outdoor living
After page 140.
Gardens
A Wealden Surrey Homes Times Supplement
Sponsored by
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View the new Garden Directory online at wealdentimes.co.uk View the new Garden Directory online at wealdentimes.co.uk
Flowers • Veg • Hens • Lawns • Outdoor Living
06SH42Supplement.indd 1 23/03/2018 10:35
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COMING SOON
HALSTEAD LANES
WOKING
A collection of contemporary 2, 3 & 4 bedroom homes.
Crafted with pride.
Move in. Start living.
Focused design.
To register for an exclusive showhome preview,
call 01483 661458 or email halsteadlanes@thakeham.com
www.thakeham-homes.com
Thakeham_Surrey-Home_Half-Page_185x130mm_V4.indd 1 22/03/2018 13:33
Orlestone Oak
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SHOWROOm Open mOnday tO FRiday 9am-5pm, SatuRday 9am-12pm
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UPPER FROYLE GU34 4LA
National strength, locally delivered.
Move to the beautiful Hampshire Countryside
faster with Part Exchange
• A collection of high specification executive
3, 4 & 5 bedroom homes and carefully
refurbished 3 bedroom mews homes set within
maintained landscaped communal gardens
• Set in its own grounds and surrounded by
rolling Hampshire countryside, yet offering
superb transport links
• House to sell before you can move?
Discover Part Exchange * – you buy one
of ours and we could buy yours. Plus no
need for you to instruct estate agents
or pay their fees
• Homes available to view and ready
for occupation
Book your personal appointment today
FROYLE PARK
Ryebridge Lane, Upper Froyle GU34 4LA
New and refurbished 3, 4 & 5 bedroom homes
from £600,000 to £1,350,000
Marketing Suite and Show Homes open
Friday to Monday 10am – 5pm
01420 384 192
lindenhomes.co.uk/froylepark
Photographs and computer generated image show typical Linden homes. Interiors may include optional upgrades or extras available at additional cost. *On selected homes only.
Subject to status, terms and conditions apply. Not available in conjunction with any other offer. We reserve the right to refuse Part Exchange or Assisted Move. Prices and details
correct at time of going to press.
Open the
doors to
retirement
living
PART EXCHANGE AVAILABLE
Discover what your local Elmbridge
Retirement Village could offer you.
Private retirement living at its very best.
Call 01372 383950 for your
complimentary A-Z guide.
New and pre-owned properties
available. Ask about part exchange.
01372 383950
elmbridgesales@retirementvillages.co.uk
www.elmbridgevillage.co.uk
Elmbridge Village, Essex Drive,
Elmbridge Road, Cranleigh, GU6 8TR
THE PERFECT PLACE TO CALL HOME
GREAT OAKS, THE COLLECTION | 4 BEDROOM HOMES
Stunning homes located in the highly sought after village of Bookham in Surrey and just
a stone’s throw away from Bookham Station. Great Oaks offers quick and easy access
to central London, with direct trains to London Waterloo in just 50 minutes.
2 & 3 bedroom homes and 1 & 2 bedroom apartments also available
PLEASE CALL 01372 459357 | SHANLYHOMES.COM
Computer generated image of Great Oaks, indicative only.
Internal photography of Shanly Show Home. Travel time approximate only.
THE FARTHINGS
RANDALLS ROAD, LEATHERHEAD, SURREY KT22 0AA
NEW FOUR BEDROOM HOMES NOW AVAILABLE
DON’T MISS OUT, CALL US TODAY
www.bewley.co.uk
s
DORKING
JUST RELEASED.
MAKE YOUR
APPOINTMENT
TO VIEW TODAY.
CONVENIENT APARTMENT LIVING
IN THE HEART OF ASHTEAD VILLAGE
Forming part of the eagerly anticipated Marks and Spencer
development in the heart of Ashtead village,
St. Michael’s Court comprises 9, one and two bedroom
apartments. Each apartment is finished to an excellent
specification and has the benefit of secure, gated parking to
the rear. Many of the properties have private balconies and
all have the use of an attractive communal courtyard
located on the first floor.
Exclusively marketed by Patrick Gardner on behalf
of Commercial Development Projects Ltd and Beechmount Estates.
1 & 2 bedroom apartments with prices from £300,000
Recently launched, this development is taking reservations now
and with Help to Buy* just a 5% deposit is required.
Tel: 01372 360832 email: ashtead@patrickgardner.com
www.patrickgardner.com
*5% deposit required, the Government provides an
equity loan of up to 20%, interest-free for five years.
75% mortgage required. Terms and conditions apply.
ST. MICHAEL’S COURT, THE STREET, ASHTEAD, SURREY KT21 1AA
THE FARTHINGS RANDALLS ROAD LEATHERHEAD
Because it’s Beechcroft...
...you don’t have to
compromise on space
Private outside space | Allocated parking | Beautifully landscaped and fully-maintained grounds | Estate management service
Energy-efficient and easily-maintained | Communal lounge | Range of services at the neighbouring care home
New
show homes
now open
Two and three-bedroom
houses and apartments
with prices from
£495,000 to £875,000
Show homes & sales office
open Tues–Sat 10am–5pm
Hazel, our friendly sales consultant,
will be happy to arrange your
appointment to view the show homes
and provide further details.
Telephone: 01372 887530
email: sales@beechcroft.co.uk
www.beechcroft.co.uk
Sat Nav Postcode KT22 0AA
01372 360832
leatherhead@patrickgardner.com
SALES CENTRE OPENING SOON
The Maltings at West End is an elegant development of traditionally built 2, 3, 4 and 5 bedroom
high specification homes, set in a rural location just a few minutes’ walk from West End village and
within easy reach of railway stations and motorways providing direct and rapid access to London.
PRICES FROM £569,950
To find out more please contact our selling agents:
T: 01483 796810
E: sales@martingranthomes.co.uk
The computer generated illustrations are for general guidance only. Price correct at time of going to press.
*Help to Buy is available in England on new homes up to £600,000. Terms and conditions apply.
WWW.THEMALTINGS-WESTEND.COM
MERROW GU1 2QY
National strength, locally delivered.
Make your move to Wellington Grove
• An exquisite collection of just sixteen
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• Offering the best of both worlds;
surrounded by the Surrey countryside,
yet within close proximity to many of
the county’s principal towns
• Plus, we’ll even pay your Stamp Duty! ‡
• Discover Part Exchange † – you buy
one of ours and we could buy yours.
No need for you to instruct estate agents
or pay their fees
Book your personal
appointment today
WELLINGTON GROVE
Epsom Road, Merrow GU1 2QY
3, 4 & 5 bedroom homes
from £850,000
Selling from Charters Estate Agents,
40 Downing St, Farnham GU9 7PH
01483 667 305
lindenhomes.co.uk/wellingtongrove
Photographs and computer generated image show typical Linden homes at Wellington Grove. Interiors may include optional upgrades or extras available at additional cost. †Part Exchange is available on selected Linden homes
only. We reserve the right to refuse to agree to Part Exchange of your current home and we are under no obligation to give reasons why. Part Exchange may not be available in conjunction with any other offer. For full terms
and conditions please visit lindenhomes.co.uk/schemes/part-exchange. ‡On selected homes only and for reservations taken by the 8th April 2018. Not in conjunction with any other offer. Terms and conditions apply.
Paid as a lump sum allowance upon legal completion as the equivalent of Stamp Duty charges. Not applicable to second home owners or investor purchasers. Price and details correct at time of going to press.
YOUR DREAM HOME
YOUR DREAM INTERIOR
JOIN US FOR THE LAUNCH OF OUR NEW SHOW HOME
Saturday 14th April | 10am-6pm
Reserve at the event and receive an
Interior Design package of your choice *
3 & 4 Bedroom Townhouses | In the Heart of Godalming
From £565,000 | Help to Buy Available
Town Centre Location | London Waterloo 47 Mins ° | Contemporary Living
Private Garden | Central Courtyard Garden | Secure Car Parking
Reserve your place today
01483 677 116
HELLO@BE.CO.UK
BE.CO.UK
Sales agent
A development by
Interior image shown is of the Show Townhouse at Godalming. *Offer applies to reservations taken following attendance at Godalming’s Townhouse launch event on 14th April 2018. The Interior
Design package is up to a maximum value of £10,000 and includes window treatments, lighting or interior decorations of your choice from our selected partner only, Interiors by DAPA - no cash
alternative. To qualify, reservations must be finalised and reservation monies received by midnight on Tuesday 17th April 2018. For more information and full T&Cs please speak to our Site Sales
Team. °Travel times are approximate and calculated at optimum travel times using nationalrail.co.uk from Godalming station.
HOMES OF DISTINCTION
www.raynersproperties.com
Kentwyns Lodge, Nutfield - £625,000
A unique Grade II listed three bedroom home overflowing
with character features and forming part of an original
18th century Manor House. Set in a semi-rural location
with delightful countryside close by yet close to a range of
amenities. Nutfield and Redhill Train Stations nearby offer
services to London. Junction 6 of the M25 motorway is within
easy reach.
Haslemere, Godstone - £525,000
A spacious Victorian 3 bedroom semi-detached house with
period features as well as a tasteful large fitted kitchen/breakfast
room and modern family bathroom. Haselmere benefits from
an enclosed south facing rear garden and driveway parking.
Situated approximately a third of a mile from Godstone Village
Centre with easy access to junction 6 of the M25 motorway, rail
links and the larger towns of Oxted and Caterham.
A SeLeCTION OF OuR FINeST PeRIOd HOMeS
Friars Cottage, Pains Hill, Limpsfield - £425,000
An attractive Grade II listed property circa 1492 with later
additions in 1800’s. It offers a wealth of original features, character
and appeal as well as 3 double bedrooms. Pains Hill is a sought
after and highly regarded country lane, within one mile of
Limpsfield Chart and 2 miles of Oxted Town Centre with its
mainline railway links to London.
Surrey View, Godstone - £575,000
A unique 2/3 bedroom first floor apartment with approximately
1280 sq ft of living space. Ideally located in Godstone Village with
outstanding views over the Green. Features include high ceilings,
original sash windows and beautiful open fire places. Located in
the heart of historic Godstone village and within moments of the
village green, pond and local amenities.
Caterham 01883 347446 • Warlingham 01883 622258 • Godstone 01883 744344
Lettings Team 01883 622244 • Land and New Homes Team 01883 744344
Sunninghill | Ascot | Berkshire
STUNNING NEW AGE-EXCLUSIVE APARTMENTS
AVAILABLE NOW
AWARD-WINNING RETIREMENT VILLAGE
A new way of living
If you’d like to live somewhere with company, support and
superb facilities on your doorstep, it’s time to come and
have a look at the award-winning Lynwood Village.
Living made easy
Superb facilities including a restaurant, coffee shop, fi tness
centre and pool, plus daily activities and excursions make
age-exclusive Lynwood Village an easy place to relax and
enjoy life. An optional Home Care service is available for
added peace of mind.
Don’t leave it too long...
Choose your beautiful spacious apartment, duplex or
cottage, designed for easy living, with private balcony or
garden, fully fi tted kitchen with integrated appliances and
ensuite shower rooms.
Come and see for yourself
We’d be delighted to show you around the village. Book
your appointment now to visit this friendly and vibrant
community and start planning your new life!
To arrange a visit:
Call: 01344 874250
Visit: lynwoodvillage.co.uk Email: sales@lynwoodvillage.co.uk
Lynwood Village is owned and operated by Ben – Motor and Allied Trades Benevolent Fund. Lynwood Court, Lynwood Village, Rise Road, Ascot, SL5 0FG.
A charity registered in England and Wales (no.297877) and Scotland (no.SC039842). Registered with the Homes and Communities Agency (no. LH 3766).
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. Lynwood Village
Where? Lynwood Village is set in
Sunninghill, near Ascot, one of the most
desirable locations in Berkshire. Windsor
Great Park, Savill Gardens, Virginia
Water and the world-class golf courses of
Wentworth, Sunningdale and Royal Ascot
are all nearby and it’s less than an hour by
train to London Waterloo.
What? Lynwood Village is an awardwinning
retirement community for over
65s with an impressive range of facilities,
beautifully designed, with apartments
and duplexes with one, two, three or four
bedrooms, or two-bedroom cottages.
Central facilities include a restaurant,
coffee shop, swimming pool, hair salon,
shop, spa, therapy centre, bowls, croquet
and snooker. There is a busy programme
of activities, events and excursions, plus a
24-hour concierge and home care service.
Should owners’ needs change Lynwood
Care Centre is located on the same site,
providing life-enhancing residential care.
How much? Prices range from
£415,000 for a one bedroom apartment,
to £1,580,000 for four bedrooms. 01344
874250 lynwoodvillage.co.uk
surrey-homes.co.uk
24
2.
3.
4.
2.
3.
4.
2. Laurel Lodge
Where? Laurel Lodge is a collection
of 57 newly built one and two-bedroom
retirement apartments located near the
heart of Carshalton. A charming Surrey
village with excellent transport links into
town, it retains a pleasant village feel,
with shops, restaurants, cafes, pubs and
tea rooms. The development is set in
landscaped grounds in a central location, a
short distance from transport links, shops
and all the local amenities.
What? The self-contained apartments
are spacious and well-designed, with
rooms appointed with the over 60s
in mind, with easy-turn lever taps in
both the kitchen and bathroom and
illuminated light switches. In the twobedroom
apartment the master bed has
an ensuite shower room and there is a
separate guest cloakroom off the hall.
The kitchen leads off the living room and
there is a useful storage closet. A lodge
manager oversees the day-to-day running
of the development and there is an
owners’ lounge and coffee bar, plus a wellappointed
guest suite.
How much? One-bedroom
apartments at Laurel Lodge start
from £299,950 and two bedrooms
from £439,950. 020 8712 3142
churchillretirement.co.uk.
3. Elmbridge Village
Where? Elmbridge Retirement
Village sits is in a countryside setting
nestled between the Surrey Hills Area of
Outstanding Beauty and the South Downs
National Park, close to the lively village of
Cranleigh. Guildford is a 25 minute drive
and there are no fewer than five railway
stations within five minutes. Gatwick
Airport can be reached in under 40.
What? The two-bedroom Elmbridge
Suite is located in the Elmbridge Manor
clubhouse, close to the village clubhouse
with communal facilities including a
main hall with stage, restaurant and
private dining room, bar and lounge,
multipurpose function room, meeting
rooms, library, village shop, treatment
rooms and guest rooms. The apartment
is in a prime elevated position, with a
private balcony accessible from the lounge
and both bedrooms. Both bedrooms have
en suites and walk in wardrobes.
How much?
The Elmbridge Suite is on the market for
£780,000 (other charges apply) as a oneoff
luxury appartment.
All the properties at Elmbridge
Retirement Village are marketed by Roger
Coupe 01483 268 555 rogercoupe.com See
more at elmbridgevillage.co.uk
01483 676100.
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
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As confi rmed by Wikipedia, pawnbroking
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The pawnbroker in this country, like so
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treated with studied cruelty. Sir Walter
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We have a lot of people that think that
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Here at The Vintage Pawnbrokers, we
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Strange, Beautiful,
Captivating, Unsettling,
Enchanting & Different
THESE ARE ALL words used by people at
to describe the artwork of Chris Rivers
at the recent Manchester Buy Art Fair
where Chris turned out to be one of the
most in demand artists of the weekend.
A former professional rock drummer turned artist,
Chris began painting 4 years ago whilst touring the
world as drummer for UK rock band Heaven’s Basement.
I spoke to Chris at Buy Art Fair to find
out more about his story…
“I really fell into painting by accident if I’m honest.
Everything at that time was full throttle, I needed
something to occupy my mind and free time when I
was touring. It started by painting damaged drum skins
and broken cymbals after the shows to then try and
sell for some extra money to have a good time with!
They started selling right away and it gave me
the confidence to do more and more and I found
myself spending days off on tour just painting.”
You spent around 10 years as a professional
drummer, sharing the stage alongside bands such as
Aerosmith, Green Day, Metallica and playing some
of the biggest hard rock festivals in the world, but it
came to end in November 2016, what happened?
“A lot of changes happened in my life, both personally
and with the band so I felt the time was right for me
to step away, I love drumming, sharing the stage with
my friends and touring the world but there’s also a lot
of baggage that comes with the lifestyle of being in
a band, my heart and mind wasn’t in it anymore and
at this point I’d also become completely obsessed
with painting and everything to do with it. It was
clear to me that was the path for me to go down.”
Chris’s work is becoming more and more in demand,
which is attracting the interest of galleries and
art publishers, but he truly believes being in full
control of your own destiny is the best way.
“It’s flattering to have such a great opportunity come my
way but for me I want to be in the driving seat with what
I’m doing, I’m developing all the time, I feel like I’m only just
scratching the surface of what I’m doing, at the moment
I’m selling my work direct myself and working with a select
number of independent galleries which I’ve build great
relationships with, I’m looking to establish a few more but I
want to keep what I’m doing simple and develop at my pace.”
What’s next?
“I’m painting almost everyday at the moment, I’ve got a
lot of ideas I’m keen to get started. A lot of my process
is based on trial and error so the paintings can take a
long time to come together. I’m also working towards
Asian Contemporary art fair in Hong Kong in September,
so that will take me a good 6 months to prepare for.”
Where do you want to be in 5 years time?
“Still painting everyday, simple as that. Painting
is the best and biggest escape I’ve ever had, I
think it good for your health… (seriously).”
Where can people find out more about you?
“You can check out all my work at chrisriversart.com
or @chrisriversart on any social media.”
7th, 8th & 9th June 2018
Hole Park, Rolvenden TN17 4JB
Pre-book
discounted
tickets online
now!
Using this code
SH1
Sponsored by
HARPERS AND HURLINGHAM
INTERIORS & SOFT
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Interiors are close to our hearts here 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!
Signs of Spring...
Come experience the brightest sign of spring at RHS
Garden Wisley as the Daffodil Show erupts into full
bloom on Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 11 April. The show
will have over 125 classes of daffodils in every shape, size
and level of expertise and you can try judging for yourself
too at the ‘You be the Judge’ display. Visit rhs.org.uk for
more information.
April
notebook
Exhibitions & events
near you this month...
Just Gin Time...
Guildford Cathedral Marquee is home to an
enormous variety of gins this month at the Gin
Festival Guildford from Thursday 26 to Sunday
29 April. As well as the opportunity to try a huge
variety of gins from all over the world, (including
exclusive gins you won’t see anywhere else) there
will be live music, great food and a gin cocktail
bar. There will also be gin masterclasses and the
opportunity to meet gin distillers in person (and try
their free samples). Go to ginfestival.com for details.
Calamity Jane...
Whip crack away from Tuesday 17 to Saturday
21 April at Epsom Playhouse with Epsom Light
Opera Company. This timeless tale of female
empowerment in the wild west features showstopping
numbers including ‘Just blew in from
the Windy City’, ‘A Woman’s Touch’ and ‘Secret
Love’. It’s a family favourite not to be missed. Visit
epsomplayhouse.co.uk to find out more.
Lots of Colour...
Ewbank’s are holding the Contemporary
Paintings and Prints Auction on Thursday 26
April. There are a host of excellent works in the
sale including pieces by Warhol, Dali, Tilson
and more. The highlight of the sale is an oil on
canvas by Irish artist Paul Henry which carries a
presale estimate of £20,000-40,000. Ewbank’s are
accepting further entries for this sale until Friday
13 April. Go to ewbankauctions.co.uk for more.
Kite Runner...
Betty Zapata
Based on Khaled Hosseini’s international
bestselling novel and following a sell-out West
End run, the unforgettable tour de force The Kite
Runner comes to Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud
Theatre from Monday 16 to Saturday 21 April.
This touching productions tells the tale of a
friendship which spans cultures and continents,
following one man’s journey to confront his past
and find redemption. Visit yvonne-arnaud.co.uk
for more information and booking.
Dorking Dinosaurs...
Dinosaur aficionado Ben Garrod’s hit stage show
is set to take audiences on an exciting prehistoric
adventure on Saturday 7 April at Dorking Halls.
This interactive and educational show will talk
audiences through the deadliest predators ever
seen. It is aimed at children from ages five to
twelve but is suitable for everyone over five and
costs £17 for adults and £14 for children. For
details and booking visit dorkinghalls.co.uk
Glorious Food...
Saturday 21 April sees local businesses storming
Richmond-Upon-Thames’ Old Deer Park with
a mouthwatering array of foods from around the
world at The Surrey Food Festival 2018. The
Marketplace will be filled with traders, the food
stalls will be filled with well... food, and children
will have their territory marked in the Kids’ Zone,
plus to top off all this, your indulgence will also
benefit local charities. Visit surreyfoodfestival.com
37 surrey-homes.co.uk
You are invited to our Special Showroom
Event on Thursday 3rd, Friday 4th and
Saturday 5th May 2018.
Special
Discounts *
during the
event
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Editor’s
Letter
I
write this with sunshine pouring in through the window
of the Surrey Homes 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 Surrey Homes.
From hamsters
to horses, we
specialise in
taking care of
your Property
and Animals
offering you
peace of mind
Reliable team members
always required, please call.
Telephone: 01797 230371 or 07768 366086
Web: www.homeandpetsitters4u.co.uk
Email: office@homeandpetsitters4u.co.uk
HomeandPetSitters4Uwt169.indd 1 24/02/2016 17:34
No more draughty, rotten,
inefficient sash windows
Surrey Homes 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 Manager ......................................................................Lisa Gordon-Hughes
Sales Team ..................................................................................Hayley Biddulph
Jude Brown
Sarah Norwood
Nick Robinson
Jen Shearer
Distribution .......................................................................................Jude Brown
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41 surrey-homes.co.uk
SashWindowHeritageS35.indd 1 15/08/2017 15:20
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Where to find your copy of
VERDANT LANDSCAPES
call 01580 714705 to find your nearest distributor
of Surrey Homes or to have your free copy
delivered for 12 months for just £22 postage
Ashtead
• Ashtead Hospital
Banstead
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Distribution of Surrey Homes published in Cranbrook for Surrey.
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43 surrey-homes.co.uk
McAllisterThomasFineArtWT194.indd 1 07/03/2018 10:32
McAllister Thomas Half Page 2.indd 1 07/03/2018 10:25
surrey-homes.co.uk
44
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
45 surrey-homes.co.uk
Adaptations
Kitchens by
www.adaptations.uk.com
T: 01932 584940 53-57 High Street, Cobham, KT11 3DP
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
47 surrey-homes.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.
surrey-homes.co.uk
48
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
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
surrey-homes.co.uk
50
We believe
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We don’t really view our stores as stores.
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Award Winning Design
RichmondOakS26.indd 1 24/11/2016 14:53
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interior spaces that tell your story
www.houseofrowan.com Telephone 07881 802 582
surrey-homes.co.uk
52
HouseOfRowanS42.indd 1 26/03/2018 16:14
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
53 surrey-homes.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
surrey-homes.co.uk
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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
57 surrey-homes.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
surrey-homes.co.uk
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GatesAccountingS42.indd 1 28/03/2018 17:18
Your Dream, Our Vision
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59 surrey-homes.co.uk
Urban&GreyS40.indd 1 24/01/2018 14:42
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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,
61 surrey-homes.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
surrey-homes.co.uk
62
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YesGlazingS42.indd 1 27/03/2018 14:26
Range of Tiles, Bathrooms and Showers
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246 High Street, Cranleigh, Surrey GU6 8RL
Telephone 01483 272727
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www.cranleigh-bathroomstudios.co.uk
surrey-homes.co.uk
64
CranleighBathroomStudiosS29.indd 1 10/02/2017 15:50
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!”
65 surrey-homes.co.uk
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While Rencraft takes great pride in
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The team are delighted to have had their
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“To have one of our designs recognised
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“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
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Sandy Dooley sandydooley.co.uk
67 surrey-homes.co.uk
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SurreyHillsConciergeS42.indd 1 12/03/2018 13:53
Surrey Hills conceierge Quarter page 90x130 adv5.indd 1 24/02/2017 12:49
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T2719 JoyceAndStandLtdS41.indd JS 2018 Feb Surrey Hms 1 90x265.indd 1 15/02/2018 KitchenDoctorS13.indd 10:56 11:29
1 20/10/2015 11:36
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
69
www.MelodyMaison.co.uk
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Discover lovely things for you and your home in our beautiful shop.
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70
LavenderGooseS42.indd 1 28/03/2018 09:46
Wealden Times midsummer Fair 7th - 9th June 2018
Mini Loaves or Scioche
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Company
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Old Salt Rum
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englishspirit.uk
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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
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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
Vanilla Ice Cream
£5.00 for Large Pots;
£2.50 for Small Pots
Simply Ice Cream
simplyicecream.co.uk
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 –
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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
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Khayma Fairfield pale
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Shimmer rug in
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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
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Ivory and charcoal
Morocco rug £140
Amara amara.com
Belle wool rug with
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Shimu shimu.co.uk
Eastern palace mint
tile rug £39.99 Very
very.co.uk
Atelier note rug
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modern-rugs.co.uk
Luxe berber rug £349
John Lewis johnlewis.com
St Martins Pastels
Dusky Pink Rug from
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Bedroom rugs
Fitted carpet is lovely beneath the toes but a bedroom rug on top
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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
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Atkin and Thyme
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Vogue 3 Door
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Furniture Village
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Main floor lamp
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Osaka sofa from
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Brown leather accent
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Bouffant twist stool £120
The French Bedroom Co
frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk
Finger filodrendon wall
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Lex table lamp in
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Elstead Lighting
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Manhattan tray from
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20% OFF
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beautiful fused glass gift and interior pieces,
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surrey-homes.co.uk
78
JoDownsRipleyS42.indd 1 21/03/2018 10:32
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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
surrey-homes.co.uk
80
81 surrey-homes.co.uk
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82
AmericanShuttersS33.indd 1 22/06/2017 17:15
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 —
83 surrey-homes.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
GraceyardS41.indd 1 22/02/2018 12:01
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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
87 surrey-homes.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
surrey-homes.co.uk
88
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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
91 surrey-homes.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
surrey-homes.co.uk
92
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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
95 surrey-homes.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
surrey-homes.co.uk
96
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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
99 surrey-homes.co.uk
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Never mind Camber, up here you can squint and imagine
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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
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101 surrey-homes.co.uk
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102
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Specialists in carpets, wood flooring, Karndean & Amtico
www.theprestigeflooringco.com
01932 866087
107 surrey-homes.co.uk
PrestigeFlooringCoS41.indd 1 22/02/2018 16:26
Visit Floor Designs
your local Amtico
flooring specialist
With an unrivalled choice of flooring and combination
possibilities, Amtico allows you to effortlessly introduce
colour and pattern to your home. Create your dream
floor. Be inspired to try something unique.
South East, London & Surrey
137 Station Road East, Oxted, Surrey RH8 0QE, 01883 715838
Kent
1 Station Road, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 5HP, 01732 862659
oxtedfloordesigns@gmail.com
Amtico Signature
OxtedFloorDesignsS42.indd 1 27/03/2018 11:13
DORKING SHOWROOM NOW OPEN
We now have the largest Ted Todd display in the UK
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350 West Barnes Lane, New Malden, Surrey KT3 6NB
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Monday to Thursday 10am to 5pm - Friday 10am to 4pm - Saturday 10:30am - 3pm - Closed all day Sunday
surrey-homes.co.uk
108
OneWoodFloorsS42.indd 1 27/03/2018 11:04
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
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7. Colombus Greek Key carpet £29.99 Carpetright carpetright.co.uk
109 surrey-homes.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
surrey-homes.co.uk
110
111 surrey-homes.co.uk
From Wedding wear to
Beach wear Melita can offer
all your fashion desires
The One Stop Shop for Ladies Fashion in Surrey
www.melitaboutique.co.uk
57 High Street, Chobham, Surrey GU24 8AF Tel: 01276 856308
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
113 surrey-homes.co.uk
GANT • HACKETT LONDON
TOMMY HILFIGER • CLAUDIO LUGLI
Opening Hours Mon - Sat 09:30 - 17:30
3, Oakdene Parade, Cobham, Surrey KT11 2LR
Telephone 01932 865700
www.jeremyhobbs.co.uk info@jeremyhobbs.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
MIND THE GAP
Teeth straightening for your whole family
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See our website for inspiration
• Do you struggle to chew or bite food?
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County Clothes Menswear
Quality & Personal Service
ElmsleighHouseS42.indd 1 16/03/2018 SerendipityFashionsS42.indd 12:23
1 22/03/2018 15:32
www.countyclothesmenswear.co.uk
Canterbury Tenterden Reigate Sevenoaks
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y shop!
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CountyClothesS42.indd 1 15/03/2018 11:05
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
For amazing designer and bespoke
hats and fascinators as well as seasonal
hats, umbrellas and pashminas.
We also stock Rainbow shoes which can
be dyed to any colour imaginable.
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specialising in coats of arms
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Hand & seal engraver
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& bespoke 3D blazer buttons
in gold, silver & platinum
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TheMadHatterS42.indd 1 16/03/2018 Untitled-3 09:38 1 13/02/2018 16:30
The home of contemporary
and luxury footwear direct
from the heart of Europe
Always one step ahead, they
have established themselves on
their quality and first-rate service
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Call 020 7376 7442 Visit them at: 174 Kings Road SW3 4UP Buy Online: www.bluevelvetshoes.com
surrey-homes.co.uk
118
BlueVelvetS42.indd 1 23/03/2018 16:00
Raincoat, £95, Cashara,
cashara.co.uk; cashmere
slogan jumper, £195, stripe
trousers £115, Bod & Ted,
bodandted.co.uk
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
THE LIGHT FANTASTIC
John Rose, owner of John Rose Eye Care, talks about the new
NovoTHOR Whole Body Photobiomodulation Light Pod
The only one of its type in the UK and
one of only four in Europe, until now
the Whole Body Light Pod has only
been enjoyed by a select few elite
athletes, such as Mo Farrah and Justin
Gatlin (as part of the Nike Oregon
project), the Beverley Hills superwealthy
and life coach Tony Robbins,
who describes this “bio-hack” as
“invaluable and extraordinary”.
John, tell us about the history
of using light and colour
for health and healing.
Photobiomodulation is not laser
or heat therapy, it is more like
photosynthesis - Einstein, NASA and
the US Military, amongst others have
all been instrumental in red and nearinfra
red light being used for health,
regeneration and healing today.
What and who can the NovoTHOR
Whole Body Light Pod help with?
Photobiomodulation can help anyone
who wants to train harder - it helps to
keep you at your peak - the benefits
are well known and documented
and, amongst others, are:
• More intense and higher
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• Improved muscle strength
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soreness (DOMS)
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and a faster return to training
It can reduce the visible effects of
ageing as it has an excellent effect
on the production of collagen,
improving wrinkles and crow’s feet,
and restoring glowing, healthylooking
skin. It also improves the
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Photobiomodulation therapy is
used successfully in the treatment
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by using red and near infra-red
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reboot the mitochondria. As we
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demonstrate that exposure to red
light on a daily basis, for even as
little as five days, can slow down the
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This is the only machine in the
UK… why did you want it and why
John Rose?
As a scientific evidence-based
private Optometrist with
an existing client base who
are extremely interested in
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condition, I have been following
photobiomodulation clinical
trials for years. When NovoTHOR
produced the whole body
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made perfect sense to invest in it
and bring this ground breaking and
life-changing device to the UK.
What is involved when I
have a treatment?
As light does not penetrate
clothing, you’ll undress in the
comfort of our climate controlled
room whilst listening to relaxing
music - or you may bring along
your own earbuds and music. It is a
relaxing process, with a treatment
time of 15 minutes per session.
How often do you recommend
a client uses the Light Pod?
A course of ten treatments is
recommended - 1-2 times a week
initially, with top ups when necessary.
Testimonial:
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a patient for over 10 years now
and am always impressed with
John’s professionalism, knowhow
and cutting edge technology
that you would not necessarily
expect in Kingston Upon Thames
in a modest setting. John’s advice
is thorough, tailored and honest
whereas his solutions are problemorientated
with the customer’s
needs and abilities at heart.”
Book online at
www.johnroseeyecare.co.uk
info@johnroseeyecare.co.uk
John Rose Eye Care, Telephone 020 8546 9292, 1 Eden Street, Kingston upon Thames KT1 1BQ
STYLISH SHOES FOR STYLISH FEET
ManukaShoesWT194.indd 1 20/03/2018 11:37
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.
PASSION
AcademySalons.com
Find us on social media.
23 High Street, Tenterden TN30 6BJ
Telephone 01580 761222 Shop online at www.cashara.co.uk
121 surrey-homes.co.uk
AcademySalonsS41.indd 3 28/02/2018 CasharaWT194.indd 09:44
1 12/03/2018 16:30
SAY HELLO TO DR JOHANN STYGER
AND GOODBYE TO YOUR DENTURES
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is an Associate Fellow of the American Academy of
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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.)
123 surrey-homes.co.uk
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 swoon, check out
mega-
the
soaps in their new Regent
Street flagship store. A mustvisit
destination for your next beauty pilgrimage
to London – although this particular choice
is a web-only option, fabulously scented with
honey, which also has a skin-softening action.
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”
Geranium &
rhubarb soap £9
Soap Co
thesoapco.org
surrey-homes.co.uk
124
Outstanding care within
an independent Home
Maintaining the highest professional
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For further information call today on 01737 240563
or 242647 or visit www.wray-common.co.uk
Wray Common Road I Reigate I Surrey I RH2 0ND
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Live-in Care tailored to your individual needs.
Everycare are dedicated to providing a complete
range of services so that our clients can stay in
their homes with security and peace of mind.
Everycare (East Surrey) Ltd
7 Western Parade, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 8AU
Call today us on 01737 246000
www.everycareeastsurrey.com
3
12
stones
Alevere therapy is different from any other
weight loss programme. Our patients' lives
are genuinely transformed in so many
ways, thanks to our medically controlled
programme which not only allows them to
lose weight quickly, but ensures they keep
it off.
You too can be comfortable in your own
skin with Alevere.
Are you ready to commit to your
life changing journey?
Contact us today for more
information.
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!
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
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,
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. Women on average
loses a stone a month and men 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
127 surrey-homes.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.
Dry body
“Steer away
from raw juice
and foods until
the weather is
properly warm”
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.
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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
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Life, at times, can be overwhelming.
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“I’m amazed by how many people have
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Using a powerful combination of Solution-
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The Solution Focused Studio is a
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CNHC(reg) SFBT (Hyp) MNCP
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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.
133 surrey-homes.co.uk
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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.
135 surrey-homes.co.uk
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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.
137 surrey-homes.co.uk
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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. Surrey Homes 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.
139
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SH Garden Supplement
Contents
Chick, chick,
chick, chicken
page 25
Bespoke design & build treehouses, playhouses
and elevated platforms.
Commercial & International commissions welcomed
8 In full bloom
Jennifer Stuart-Smith’s tips for planting
your own cutting garden
13 Outside living
Great furniture for the great outdoors
16 Inside out
Gorgeous garden buildings
Tel: 01403 262219
www.cheekymonkeytreehouses.co.uk
19 Cool veg for warmer days
Jo Arnell’s guide to getting ahead
22 Pretty practical
Lovely things for garden life
25 Chick, chick, chick, chicken
Martin Gurdon’s life with feathery friends
26 Everything in the Garden Hub is lovely
The thrilling speakers at the
Wealden Times Midsummer Fair
29 Animal Magic
Water in your garden attracts fauna and
flora says Sue Whigham
32 How does your garden grow?
Expert horticulturalists on the joys of brand new
hedges, bespoke garden tonics and landscape design
35 Grass roots
When it comes to lawns – don’t do it yourself
CheekyMonkeyS40.indd 1 25/01/2018 15:42
The landscaping team
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We aim to ensure that
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Pretty practical
page 22
5
surrey-homes.co.uk
KatsuraGardensWT194.indd 1 20/03/2018 18:34
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SH Garden Supplement
Editor’s letter
Animal Magic
page 29
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MonarchOakWT147.indd 1 15/04/2014 15:06
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.
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01256 805 780 www.chic-teak.co.uk
2 minutes Junction 7 M3 (Basingstoke)
7 surrey-homes.co.uk
ChicTeakS41.indd 1 26/02/2018 15:25
SH 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.
surrey-homes.co.uk
8
SH 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.
9 surrey-homes.co.uk
Outdoor cooking doesn’t get any better
4 in 1… BBQ, pizza oven, smoker and bringing the
warm feeling of home outside…
Morso turns up the heat for the outdoor atmosphere,
together with well known designers and chefs, we have
created a wide outdoor-concept that makes outdoor life more
comfortable, more beautiful, more exclusive and exciting.
01932 988020
www.firegallery.co.uk
info@firegallery.co.uk
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
A Pop of Colour
FireGalleryS42.indd 1 27/03/2018 17:15
Rosara style guru Kate gives a sneak peek at the new trend for
spring and an introduction to our colourful new collection…
Here at Rosara, we are embracing the
promise of spring. We aim to inspire
and wow you with garden furniture, and
add a pop of colour to your gardens.
Our French garden furniture collection
with its palette of Mediterranean inspired
colours is certain to add a little joie de
vivre to your outdoor living spaces.
Choose subtle dashes or big bold splashes,
like the armchair from our 1900 range
in praline pink (a pink candy found in
Lyonnaise’s praline tarts), which invites you
to stop for a moment, listen to nature and
cocoon yourself in peace and tranquillity.
The neat round table from the Opera range,
is perfect for a classic or ultra-contemporary
setting. Mix and match the colours to
create your look. Cup of tea or cappuccino?
You can buy the pretty cups in store.
Go forth and boldly plant the Louisiane bench
in carrot, its timeless shape and sturdy slats
provide a perfect seat, smart and slightly
flashy with a contemporary feel that looks at
home in any outdoor setting. If you want a
more subtle approach, opt for the rosemary
and plum shades, found within both the
culinary and artistic culture from around
the Mediterranean. For a sleek, formal look,
anthracite is always a strong and trusted choice.
We love our new cushions and throws. Team the
grey jacquard design with the Louisiane bench
in carrot and grab the 100% cotton, machine
washable, lightweight blankets, perfect to wrap
up on chilly spring mornings while inspecting
the veg patch or contemplating the day ahead!
Speak soon… Kate x
p.s. you can find all this lovely stuff
on our website: www.rosara.co.uk
surrey-homes.co.uk
10
NicholsonGB-S42-Advertorial.indd 1 26/03/2018 16:09
SH 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
11 surrey-homes.co.uk
Surrey, Sussex
& Hampshire’s
Premier Oak
Framed Specialist
Surrey Oak Barns is a specialist
oak frame contractor offering a
complete and seamless multitrade
service, from simple garages
and garden rooms to fully finished
buildings, all tailored to meet our
client’s specific requirements.
We offer a complete service from
design, planning and construction
through to completion, ensuring
our clients achieve their aspirations
for oak buildings from a single source.
Surrey Oak Barns is the only oak
framed contractor to be awarded
Chartered Building Company
status which identifies those
businesses that are committed
to quality of product and service,
integrity of conduct and concern
for client’s needs.
01483 420 258
info@surreyoakbarns.co.uk
www.surreyoakbarns.co.uk
Grid seating set from
£11,880 Chaplins
Furniture chaplins.co.uk
SH 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
Its all about you, the customer
JOHNSONS GARDEN BUILDINGS are proud
to announce the opening of our brand new
log cabin and hot tub display village at
Knights Garden Centres, Chelsham, Surrey.
This fantastic new display village marks the opening
of our 12th display village across the South of
England, and our first in the county of Surrey.
Showcasing an amazing choice of our quality
garden buildings, all have been beautifully dressed
to provide plenty of inspiration and ideas on what
to use the extra space in your garden for!
With the addition of an incredible range of beautiful
hot tubs, Johnsons aim to provide a superb choice
of luxury outdoor goods for your garden space.
Johnsons are a family run business that prides itself
on supplying good quality products at affordable
prices and our Surrey showroom is no exception.
Open 7 days a week our experienced staff can
offer expert advice on all your garden building
or hot tub enquiries and with our all-inclusive
package deals there are no hidden extras.
We specialise in quality, substantial solid
timber buildings, constructed in an interlocking
style, often referred to as Log Cabins. This
construction method has been tried and tested
and found to be a far superior design over and
above traditional panel techniques used by a
lot of wooden building manufacturers.
We can accommodate most of our customers’
requirements, offering a full Installation Service
including delivery, construction and base work
along with our popular options of insulation,
laminate flooring and even electrics.
If you are looking to utilise your garden space
with a quality building that can be used all
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
year round, then come and visit our Chelsham
branch and be amazed at what is on offer.
For complete peace of mind, we offer Free
Home Site Surveys (within a 50 mile radius of the
branch), available with instant estimates, to take
the opportunity to discuss your ideas, the cabin
style and options best suited to your requirements
and garden space. In the comfort of your own
home, one of our experienced team will measure
your garden, assess ground level, check access and
confirm the best position for your preferred cabin.
Every customer is different, and our free site survey
will allow every detail of your cabin to be planned
to perfection, including choosing the best cabin
package to suit your needs, plus we take great
pride in showing our superb range of products.
We are specialists in our field and are often
recommended by our customers, often resulting in
relatives buying more than one cabin. Sometimes
several of our cabins have been installed in one road.
Come and visit Johnsons, you will be met with a warm
welcome, a cup of coffee or tea and a chat, and the
chance to dip your toe in one of our stunning hot tubs!
We look forward to seeing you soon…
GARDEN BUILDINGS
For your local village, our latest offer and to buy online
needextraspace.co.uk
Est.1960
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 16
New
GARDEN ROOM
Display Village
Knights Garden Centre, Chelsham
Showcasing an amazing range of garden buildings furnished to provide inspiration and ideas….
what would you use yours for?
*Main picture taken at our Display Village in Farnham.
NOW
OPEN
Visit or call us now on 01883 778922. Check website for more details,
plus latest offers and flexible payment options
headline.pdf 1 27/03/2018 11:44
Garden Pools
Add a pool to your garden, sink it into
the ground or have it free standing.
Delivered with pump, filter, lights,
covers, heating and many other options.
Delivered to your site to DIY install
with full instructions or use our
install service.
Available in many shapes and sizes
from 4m long plunge pools to 25m long
lap pools.
Pool enclosures
A pool enclosure ensures you can swim all
year round, all day every day. Freestanding
or attached to an existing wall. Fixed or
telescopic designs. Advanced designs
that are energy efficient. All the side
windows slide up into the roof to provide
unimpeded access from the pool to the
garden. 10 year guarantee. Low level
telescopic models also available.
See the photo gallery at
www.Archenclosures.co.uk
One piece pools
Why are one piece composite pools better?
One piece construction has no seams
or joints to fail, therefore leak proof, with
a hygienic with ultra smooth finish in a
choice of colours. Built in internal steps,
safety rails and integrated automatic
safety covers.
● Pools are delivered fully fitted and
installed in days with little disruption
to the garden
● A choice of sizes and shapes from
4.5m patio models to large 12.5m
family models.
● Lifetime structural guarantee
www.swimpools.co.uk
Website: www.swimpools.co.uk Email: enquiries@swimpools.co.uk
For detailed information and brochures, please contact Easy Pools Group.
Telephone: 01444 411411 and 01444 411376
SH 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.
19 surrey-homes.co.uk
SH 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.
21 surrey-homes.co.uk
SH 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 multitool
£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
surrey-homes.co.uk
22
Spring garden &
birds gardening
gloves £15.00
The Contemporary
Home tch.net
Elegant three tier
plant stand £114.50
The Farthing
thefarthing.co.uk
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23 surrey-homes.co.uk
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Martin & Priscilla
SH 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.
25 surrey-homes.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 132.)
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.
surrey-homes.co.uk
26
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SH 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
29 surrey-homes.co.uk
SH 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.
surrey-homes.co.uk
30
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SH Garden Supplement
How does your garden grow?
We are a nation of gardeners, but sometimes it pays to bring in the professionals
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.
Topiary maintained by Heritage Grounds
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 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. 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
tell us it’s our hedging that actually sells the houses. 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. and people buy single
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.
What is the tallest tree you have ever put in? A London
plane tree 11 metres tall. 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.
What feature do you think makes the single biggest
difference to a garden?
Practicality Brown
Graeme Jenkins
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 designers.
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.
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
www.heritagegrounds.com Gardens are a lifestyle now. In the summer it’s another
01895 438 811
room to the home and people should look at it that way. An instant hedge and semi-mature
heritagegrounds.com 01895 438 811
trees put in by Practicality Brown
treeandhedge.com 01895 438811 or 01386 841708
www.heritagegrounds.com www.heritagegrounds.com 01895 43
surrey-homes.co.uk
32
Save valuable time
searching and
discover a company
that offers all your
garden’s needs.
Ground Maintenance
Horticultural trained specialists
8 81101895 438 811
www.heritagegrounds.com 01895 438 811
The Surrey Garden
Buildings Specialist
Garden Rooms Garden Sheds Greenhouses
See our extensive range of
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SH 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
35 surrey-homes.co.uk
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Education
Let the children speak
Listening to school age kids is vital – but first you have to get them to talk says Hilary Wilce
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.”
Little wonder that, as a survey of 2,000 parents shows,
we only spend about 14 minutes trying to have after-school
conversations with our children. But some schools are finding
imaginative, new ways to foster home-school links, like the
primary school in Somerset that 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, 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 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! Always be alert to times when you might get a chance to
talk with your child.
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.
But my top tip by a mile would be the old adage ‘two ears, one
mouth’. So always listen twice as much as talking.
Type it out and stick it on the fridge.
145 surrey-homes.co.uk
LongacreSchoolS42.indd 1 16/03/2018 12:38
chinthurstschool.co.uk
chinthurstschool.co.uk
Open Day 3rd May Outstanding 11+ Results 2017
Co-educational school for children aged 3-11 years
52 Tadworth Street, Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 5QZ
admissions@chinthurstschool.co.uk
Telephone 52 Tadworth 01737 Street, 812011 Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 5QZ
admissions@chinthurstschool.co.uk
@Chintschool facebook.com/ChinthurstSchool
Telephone 01737 812011
Co-educational school for children aged 3-11 years
@Chintschool facebook.com/ChinthurstSchool
Part of the Reigate Grammar School Family
Part of the Reigate Grammar School Family
Mayfield
ChinthurstSchoolS42.indd 1 19/03/2018 14:24
BOARDING & DAY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS AGED 11 TO 18
OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC RESULTS • SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE
EXTENSIVE CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAMME
EXEMPLARY PASTORAL CARE & NURTURING ENVIRONMENT
SET IN THE BEAUTIFUL SUSSEX COUNTRYSIDE
50 MINUTES FROM CENTRAL LONDON BY TRAIN
WEEKEND RETURN BUS TO LONDON
MINIBUS SERVICE ACROSS SUSSEX AND KENT
Open Mornings
THURSDAY 26 TH APRIL 2018
THURSDAY 20 TH SEPTEMBER 2018
TUESDAY 30 TH OCTOBER 2018
surrey-homes.co.uk
WWW.MAYFIELDGIRLS.ORG
REGISTRAR@MAYFIELDGIRLS.ORG
146
A Catholic school
welcoming all
MayfieldSchoolS42.indd 1 23/03/2018 12:31
‘‘ Bringing out the best in boys ’’
A day in the life of Aldro... come and see for yourself
OPEN MORNING•Saturday 12th May 2018 •11:00am–12:30pm
If you would like to attend an Open Morning, request a prospectus, or arrange an individual tour,
please contact the Admissions Office on 01483 813535 or email: admissions@aldro.org
Aldro, Lombard Street, Shackleford, Godalming, Surrey GU8 6AS www.aldro.org
There’s no such thing
as the average child
We believe that no two
children are the same.
Which is why we nurture
young minds with an
individualised approach to
learning, creating interactive
learning experiences and
developing each child’s
unique talents.
Open Events
AldroSchoolS42.indd 1 28/03/2018 12:22
Pre-Preps
12 May · 2pm - 4pm
Prep School
12 May · 9:15am - 12 noon
T:01372 372311
www.downsend.co.uk
Enrolling now for
new Nursery and
Reception places
• 98% of children ‘meet or
exceed’ Early Years goals
(vs 69% national average)
• 100% Common
Entrance success
in 2016 and 2017
Educating to GCSE from Sept 2020 • New 11+ and 13+ interest invited
Leatherhead • Ashtead • Epsom
Independent education for
boys and girls aged 2-13
147 surrey-homes.co.uk
DownsendSchoolS42.indd 1 28/03/2018 14:38
Book Launch
Saturday 14th April
With Celebrity Chef Tony Tobin
The
Ashley
Centre
All recipes in this book were supplied by local residents and £3
from the sale of each book will go to two local charities
Discover more on the back cover.
Pop down to The Ashley Centre on Saturday 14th April to see
Celebrity Chef Tony Tobin creating some
mouthwatering recipes using his own
culinary secrets and producing a
couple of recipes from the book.
The Recipe for Success book has been created using recipes from local
residents and £3 from the sale of each book will go to the Centres chosen
charities, Epsom Branch Guide Dogs and The Sunnybank Trust.
The kitchen will be in the Centre from Monday 9th April until
Friday 13th April with retailer demonstrations and tastings.
The
Ashley
Centre
www.theashleycentre.co.uk
theashleycentre
@ashley_centre
ashleyepsom
free wi-fi
For more information visit
www.theashleycentre.co.uk
Tony Tobin
Love Art, Share the Joy
Fine Art • Investment Art • Pop Art • Sculptures • Framing
11 The Parade, Claygate, Surrey, KT10 0PD
WWW.TREWART.COM • Telephone 01372 470997
May Half Term
TrewArtS42.indd 1 28/03/2018 LCA-StageAcademyS42.indd 18:10
1 15/03/2018 12:35
Watts Gallery - Artists’ Village
Sunday 27 May - Sunday 3 June
Guildford GU3 1DQ | wattsgallery.org.uk | Open B.H. Monday
Kids go
FREE
PAPERMANIA Monday 7 May | 10am - 5pm | Free with admission
149 surrey-homes.co.uk
WattsGalleryS42.indd 1 27/03/2018 16:10
The Spring Contemporary
EpsomPlayhouseS42a.indd 1 09/03/2018 EpsomPlayhouseS42b.indd 10:25
1 09/03/2018 10:27
200 Exhibitors
NEW FOR THIS YEAR:
• 30 demonstrating exhibitors
• Live music on a central stage
• Specialist food exhibitors
The UK’s most popular Craft Fair
9am – 6pm Thursday to Sunday
9am – 5pm Monday
(Garden open to 6pm daily)
Admission to Garden also gives admission to Fair
Normal admission charges apply
Free Garden entry for RHS
Members • Last entry 1 hour
before closing • GU23 6QB
www.craftinfocus.com T: 01622 747325
surrey-homes.co.uk
CIF_Wisley18_130x185.indd 1 23/02/2018 10:23
150
CraftinFocusS41.indd 1 23/02/2018 10:38
What’s On In April
Art
Sat 21 Apr – Sat 2 Jun
New Ashgate Gallery, Waggon
Yard/Lower Church Lane,
Farnham GU9 7PS
Celebration of
Illustration
New Ashgate Gallery explores
the importance of visual
communication in everyday
life along with the pleasure of
drawing as a feast for the eyes.
The upcoming show features local
and nationally acclaimed artists,
Diana Boyle, Claire Caulfield,
Eliza Southwood, Nick Tankard,
Liz Toole and James Warren.
Info: newashgate.org.uk
Children & Families
Thurs 5, Fri 6, Mon 9, Tues 10
& Weds 11 Apr
Grayshott Pottery, School Road,
Grayshott, Hindhead GU26
6LR
Pottery Throwing
Learn to throw your own piece of
pottery on a traditional potter’s
wheel over the school holidays
this Easter with Grayshott
Pottery’s lessons for children and
adults.
Entry: £15 including one glazed
and fired piece
Info: grayshottpottery.com
Easter
Fri 30 Mar – Sun 15 Apr
Brooklands Museum,
Brooklands Road, Weybridge
KT13 0SL
Easter Holiday Family
Fun at brooklands
Enjoy the Easter holidays with
vintage car rides, bus rides
courtesy of the London Bus
Museum, an Easter egg trail, kids’
tours of Concorde and the cargo
paper plane challenge.
Info: brooklandsmuseum.com
Fri 30 Mar – Sun 15 Apr
Bockett’s Farm Park, Young
Street, Fetcham, Leatherhead
KT22 9BS
Easter Eggstravaganza
Learn all about spring at a farm
this year with Bockett’s 350
gorgeous new-born lambs, ‘Meet
the Shepherd’ sessions, an Easter
craft corner, a stamp trail and a
full programme of farm activities
including tractor and pony rides,
goat milking, and pig races.
Info: bockettsfarm.co.uk
Weekdays Tues 3 – Fri 13 Apr
Surrey Outdoor Learning &
Development, Headley Lane,
Mickleham, Dorking RH5 6DQ
Easter Holiday
Activities at High
Ashurst
Keep children and young adults
amused over the Easter holidays
with activities including low
ropes, climbing, wilderness
survival, archery, and mountain
biking.
Entry: £45/day
Info: surreyoutdoorlearning.uk
Fairs & Festivals
Sun 8 Apr 9.30am-4pm
Lingfield Park Resort
Racecourse, Racecourse Road,
Lingfield RH7 6PQ
Antiques, Collectables
& Vintage Fair
Expect 130 indoor stalls bristling
with some amazing antiques,
collectables and vintage items
at this friendly fair, as well as a
licenced bar, live swing singer,
and on-site facilities including a
hotel, spa and golf course.
Entry: from 9.30am £4, from
10.30am £2.50
Info: lovefairs.com
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
The Talbot Ripley, High Street,
Ripley, Woking GU23 6BB
Sat 21 Apr
Mad Hatter’s
Afternoon Tea Party
It’s national tea day! The Talbot
are inviting guests down the
rabbit hole for a Wonderland
afternoon tea like no other.
Entry: £30
Info: thetalbotripley.com
Sat 21 Apr 10am-7pm
Old Deer Park, 187 Kew Road,
Richmond TW9 2AZ
Surrey Food Festival
Local businesses will be
showcasing an exquisite range of
different food & drink, traders
will be demonstrating and selling
their products in the Marketplace
and there’s even a Kids’ Zone to
keep your little ones entertained
while you indulge. Local charities
will benefit from the proceeds.
Info: surreyfoodfestival.com
Weds 25 Apr 11am-4pm
Denbies Wine Estate Ltd,
London Road, Dorking
RH5 6AA
One Day Wine
Workshop
All levels of knowledge are
welcome on this one day
workshop covering all aspects of
wine tasting and appreciation,
grape varieties, and wine regions.
Entry: £98.50
Info: denbies.co.uk
Thurs 26 – Sun 29 Apr
Guildford Cathedral Marquee,
Stag Hill, Guildford GU2 7UP
Gin Festival Guildford
The UK’s first, biggest and best
gin festival is making a visit to
Guildford and it’s bringing an
enormous variety of different
gins with it. As well as the
opportunity to try a huge variety
of gins from all over the world,
(including exclusive gins you
won’t see anywhere else) there
will be live music, great food
and a gin cocktail bar. There will
also be gin masterclasses and the
opportunity to meet gin distillers
in person, try free samples and
chat about their gin.
Info: ginfestival.com
Sat 28 – Sun 29 Apr
Rosemary Shrager’s Cookery
School, The Corn Exchange,
The Pantiles, Royal Tunbridge
Wells TN2 5TE
French & Italian
Weekend with
Rosemary Shrager
This two day course will include
a mixture of hands on cookery
and demonstrations performed by
Rosemary Shrager. Explore dishes
that reflect the diverse geography
and culture of France and Italy
to gain skills to help you build a
range of dishes to cook at home.
Entry: £395
Info: rosemaryshrager.com
Garden
Sat 7 Apr
RHS Garden Wisley, Wisley
Lane, Woking GU23 6QB
Cactus Fun
The British Cacti and Succulent
Society visits RHS Garden Wisley
to help visitors learn how to grow
and look after these fascinating
plants with demonstrations and
advice on everything from where
to buy, to how to repot when
they get too big. Children will get
free seed sowing kits and there
will be some fabulous specimens
on show.
Entry: Free
Info: 01483 224234 /
rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley
Weds 18 Apr – Thurs 3 May
10am-5pm
Polesden Lacey, Great
Bookham, Dorking RH5 6BD
Floral Fusion
Polesden reflects on Mrs.
Greville’s adventures in Asia with
a Floral Fusion extravaganza
featuring cool-coloured
Hyacinths, Tulips and Muscari.
Entry: Normal admission applies.
Info: 01372 452048 /
nationaltrust.org.uk/polesden-lacey
Sat 28 Apr 10am-12.30pm
Merrist Wood College
Make your own Summer
Planter or Hanging
Basket
Save money and personalise your
garden by creating your own
summer hanging baskets and
151 surrey-homes.co.uk
Now open!
Brand new indoor
playarea now open!
Let little imaginations run wild!
PLUS animal holding, lambs, sandpits,
tractor rides and more!
Find out more: www.godstonefarm.co.uk
01883 742546
ART
FAIR
19 & 20 May
10am - 5pm, Admission £4, Concessions £3, Under 16s & LAC members FREE
LandmarkArts Landmark Arts Centre landmarkartfairs
Ferry Road, Teddington, TW11 9NN, 020 8977 7558, www.landmarkartscentre.org
GodstoneFarmS42.indd 1 28/03/2018 landmark-surreyhomes-S18.indd LandmarkArtsCentreS42.indd 11:41
1 1 22/03/2018 23/03/2018 20:53 09:37
Above: Lalique
Perruches bowl the
opalescent glass with
a freeze of parakeets.
Est: £1,000-1,500
Left: 'Garden Chair',
chair sculpture
designed by Peter
Opsvik, 1985.
Est: £600-1,000
Antique & Collectors’: 11 April
Asian Art: 12 April
Vintage Fashion, Textiles & Sewing: 12 April
Decorative Arts: 26 April
Contemporary Art: 26 April
Garden Furniture: 10 May
Fine Wines & Spirits: 10 May
Plus buyers premium at
27% inc. VAT
surrey-homes.co.uk
152
EwbanksS42.indd 1 15/03/2018 12:06
planters on this hands-on half day
course.
Entry: £45
Info: 01483 884000 /
merristwood.ac.uk
Music & Theatre
Thurs 12 Apr
The Leatherhead Theatre, 7
Church Street, Leatherhead
KT22 8DN
British Philharmonic
Big Band in Concert
See The British Philharmonic
Orchestra’s big band in a charity
concert raising funds for Prostate
Cancer UK. The orchestra will be
performing the sounds of Sinatra
and the swing era as well as other
big band classics of modern
times.
Entry: Adults £20, Under 18s £10
Info: 01372 365141 /
theleatherheadtheatre.com
Sat 14 Apr 8pm
New Victoria Theatre, The
Ambassadors, Peacocks Centre,
Woking GU21 6GQ
Ed Byrne: Spoiler Alert
Ed Byrne spoils audiences as
he asks just how spoiled are
we? Is life really as bad as all
our moaning, complaining and
general whininess makes out?
Entry: £31
Info: 0800 912 6971 /
atgtickets.com
Mon 16 – Sat 21 Apr
Yvonne Arnaud Theatre,
Millbrook, Guildford GU1 3UX
Kite Runner
Based on Khaled Hosseini’s
international bestselling novel
and following a sell-out West End
run, the unforgettable tour de
force The Kite Runner comes to
Guildford.
Info: 01483 440000 /
yvonne-arnaud.co.uk
Workshops
Sat 21 Apr 11am-4pm
Watts Gallery Artists’ Village,
Down Lane, Compton,
Guildford GU3 1DQ
Photography
A chance for 13-16 year olds to
learn how to capture creative
What’s On In April
images on a DSLR camera
with the help of professional
photographer Lynn Weddle.
Entry: £25
Info: 01483 810235 /
wattsgallery.org.uk
Sun 22 Apr
Painshill, Portsmouth Road,
Cobham KT11 1JE
Introduction to Chair
Making – Make a Three-
Legged Stool
Make your very own traditional
three-legged stool with
experienced woodsman Mervyn
Mewis of Green Wood Works. All
plans and materials supplied, no
experience necessary.
Entry: £110
Info: painshill.co.uk
Sat 28 Apr 10am-4pm
Farnham Maltings, Bridge
Square, Farnham GU9 7QR
Belt making
Make your own beautiful madeto-measure
leather belt using
traditional skills and specialist
tools. No experience needed, all
materials provided and if time
allows, you may also have time to
make another small accessory.
Entry: £70
Info: 01252 745444 /
farnhammaltings.com
Listings are correct at time of going
to press but may be subject to
change. Readers are advised to check
with venues before making
arrangements. We can list your event
in the next issue of Surrey Homes
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, Surrey
Homes, Kettle Chambers, 21 Stone
Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF.
Surrey Homes 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.
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.
Tickets
available at
the gate & online
Prices: Adults £8.00,
Seniors £7.00
Children up to
age 16: Free
30th March - 15th April 2018
EASTER
EGGSTRAVAGANZA
FANTASTIC FAMILY FUN THIS SPRING!
WE’RE LAMBING
PLUS
Sorry no dogs
Hundreds of baby lambs due
Meet the Shepherd
Easter Trail with Chocolate treats
OVER
400
BABY
LAMBS
DUE
Animal handling, goat milking, tractor
rides, pig racing and pony rides daily!
www.bockettsfarm.co.uk
01795 474660
www.kentgardenshow.com
The Kent Showground, Detling ME14 3JF
GardenShowWT194.indd 1 15/03/2018 12:52
153 surrey-homes.co.uk
AWARD
WINNING!
BockettsFarmParkS42.indd 1 19/03/2018 11:01
SH
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 a highly respected reputation. Specialising in bespoke,
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Kent TN13 2AA dominicwalmsley.com
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 surrey-homes.
co.uk/competition or post to:
The Dominic Walmsley
Competition, Surrey Homes,
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
155 surrey-homes.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
surrey-homes.co.uk
156
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