Restoration & New Build Supplement inside
Inspirational Interiors • Fabulous Fashion • Delicious Dishes
PRICELESS
MAY 2018
Designers and makers of handmade kitchens
The difference is in the detail
Please call for a brochure or visit our showrooms
Unit 9, Chart Farm, Seal Chart
Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0ES
Tel: 01732 762682
81 Calverley Road
Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2UY
Tel: 01892 520730
www.rencraft.co.uk
01580 291221 jminteriorsuk.uk Biddenden Showroom
MINTERIORS
JFine hand crafted kitchens and bespoke furniture
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Celebrating our opening in Canterbury with a special event
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Tel 01227 785888
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For a colour brochure and details of the Centre most convenient to you, call us or visit our website.
www.stoneham-kitchens.co.uk
Stoneham plc, Powerscroft Road, Sidcup, Kent DA14 5DZ. Tel: 0208 300 8181
Factory Showroom Opening: Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm, Saturday 9am - 12 midday.
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Litigation Solicitor from £200.00+VAT
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We will always try and match any quotation
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KingsfordSolicitorsWT186.indd 1 24/07/2017 16:55
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wealdentimes.co.uk
10
TotalQualityMaintenanceS42.indd 1 26/03/2018 12:46
Contents
May 2018
26
49
56
81
87
94
56
THE DROOL FACTOR
Maggie Alderson’s dream homes
MAY NOTEBOOK
What to do this month
INTERIORS NOTES
FROM A STYLIST
Sara Delaney’s glorious home
GET THE LOOK
Pieces to steal Sara Delaney’s style
CAPTURING MOMENTS
Artists and gallery directors on
the art of still life paintings
THE REBIRTH OF COOL
A dazzling Hastings home to
keep you cool this spring
137
141
143
145
146
122
MAKEUP MAKEOVER
Josephine Fairley on how to
refresh your May make up
COME ON, YOU BEAUTY!
Looking forward to the
Wealden Times Midsummer
Fair Fenwick Beauty Hub
A YEAR OF WELLNESS
Eminé Rushton on the
importance of a healthy gut
NATURAL WISDOM
A yoga and meditation expert,
calendula and the health
benefits of hot chocolate!
CAULIFLOWER POWER!
Oz Telem’s superveg recipes
163
169
173
178
183
184
146
SHINING IN THE SHADE
Sue Whigham shines some light on the
beauty of plants which thrive in shade
SCHOOL OF FROCK
Be wowed by our
wedding-worthy schools
KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON
(REVISING)
Hilary Wilce examines revision stress
WHAT’S ON?
The best ways to spend your May days
COMPETITION
Win £499 of Le Creuset cookware
FABLES FROM THE FARM
Jane Howard’s less paltry poultry
119
122
GET THE LOOK
Update your home
with a fresh style
INVITATION TIME
Kate Watts styles fashion to
take you to any event
153
157
A TRIFLE YUMMY
Mouthwatering trifle recipes
HOW DOES YOUR
GARDEN SHOW?
Jo Arnell tells us about the
Chelsea Flower Show
Published by JPS Media Ltd. Kettle Chambers, 21 Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF
Telephone 01580 714705 Email info@wealdentimes.co.uk Visit wealdentimes.co.uk
Copyright © 2018 JPS Media Ltd. The views of the advertisers and contributors are not
necessarily those of JPS Media Ltd.
RESTORATION
& NEW BUILD
SUPPLEMENT
24 pages of
architecture and
renovations
After page 120.
Restoration
& New Build
A Wealden Times Supplement
11
Glass doors • Timber frame extensions • Architect designed houses
SOLD
SOLD
Guide price: £3,500,000
Matfield
A beautifully presented Grade II Listed Georgian farmhouse in an
enviable position
6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 4 reception rooms. Detached cottage.
2 garages for up to 5 cars. Swimming pool house, tennis court,
greenhouse, pond and vegetable garden. In all about 19.27 acres.
Guide price: £1,950,000
Matfield
A wonderful central village property, overlooking the village green,
with ancillary accommodation
4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms. 2 bedroom cottage,
detached period barn, detached office and outbuildings. Gardens
and grounds with terrace, seating areas, petanque piste, vegetable
/ fruit garden, orchard, pond and paddock. In all about 2.3 acres.
UNDER OFFER
Guide price: £2,500,000
Matfield
A beautifully presented Grade II Listed country house, close to the village centre
7 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 4 reception rooms. Quadruple garage with 1 bed annexe above. Attractive gardens and grounds with
swimming pool, tennis court, vegetable garden, orchard, paddocks and stabling. In all about 7.61 acres.
UNDER OFFER
Our understanding of the
ever-changing market enables us
to price your property accurately.
And with our local knowledge
and extensive network of London
offices, you can rely on Knight
Frank to get you moving.
Call us today on 01892 310700 to
discuss your property search or to
arrange a free market valuation.
@KF_HomeCounties
KnightFrank.co.uk
Guide price: £1,350,000
Staplehurst
An attractive Grade II Listed farmhouse in a rural position
6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 4 reception rooms. Fantastic family accommodation with a wealth
of period features. Gardens and grounds with pond, garaging and parking. Cranbrook School
Catchment Area. In all about 1 acre.
UNDER OFFER
UNDER OFFER
Computer generated image
Guide price: £1,100,000
Guide price: £450,000
Ticehurst
A substantial detached family house on the edge of the village
5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms. Integral double
garage, detached garage and extensive off-street parking for a
number of vehicles. Well-maintained gardens. In all about 0.36
acres. EPC: D.
Iden Green
Opportunity to build a detached family house within the Cranbrook
School Catchment Area
Building plot with Planning Permission to construct a detached 4
bedroom family house with ancillary gardens, parking and 2 car
ports (one double and one single). In all about 0.6 acres.
Winchelsea, East Sussex - £745,000
Fine Grade II Listed attached Georgian house. Reception
hall, drawing room, conservatory, kitchen/breakfast room,
utility room, two first floor double bedrooms, bathroom,
second floor master bedroom with en suite shower and full
height glazed doors to the roof. Garden. Garage.
Iden, East Sussex - £499,950
Lovely detached Grade II Listed Georgian cottage in quiet
edge of village location with views. Hall, sitting room, open
plan living/dining/kitchen, utility room, three bedrooms,
bathroom. Garden. Garage. Parking.
Wittersham, Kent - £560,000
Versatile chalet style house backing onto farmland. Sitting
room, study/reception 2, kitchen/breakfast room, master
bedroom with en-suite, 3 double bedrooms. Integral garage
and workshop. Off road parking. South facing garden. EPC E
Lydd, Kent - £650,000
Spacious Grade II Listed Georgian house in conservation.
Drawing room, dining room, open plan kitchen/breakfast/day
room, study, master bedroom with en-suite, four further
bedrooms. Large part walled garden, store. Detached double
garage. Off road parking.
Rye Harbour, East Sussex - £775,000
Detached Victorian house with gallery/studio. Sunroom,
living room, dining room, study, kitchen, studio/gallery, two
1st floor open landing areas/additional reception areas, 3
bedrooms, 2 attic rooms and balcony. Solar panels. Front
garden. Rear courtyard with workshop. EPC D
Ewhurst Green, East Sussex - £1,650,000
Substantial twin kiln oast house off a quiet country lane with
stunning views. Drawing room, sitting room, living room,
dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, utility, master bedroom
with 2 dressing rooms and en suite, three bedrooms. Stable
block. Gardens and grounds of approx. 10 acres. EPC F
RYE OFFICE 01797 227338
MAYFAIR OFFICE 0870 112 7099
phillipsandstubbs.co.uk
‘Our Focus Determines Your Reality’
HARPERS AND HURLINGHAM
NORTHIAM £1,795,000
STUNNING MANOR HOUSE WITH VIEWS
Four receptions · Kitchen/breakfast room · Cellar
· Laundry · Six bedrooms (two ensuite) · Three
bathrooms · Two bedroom detached barn · One
bedroom cottage · 16 acres · EPC: n/a
Country estate with income potential
HAWKHURST £1,500,000
ELEGANT GRADE II LISTED FAMILY HOME
Four receptions · Kitchen/breakfast room · Extensive
cellars · Conservatory with swimming pool · Six
bedrooms (three ensuite) · Garden and grounds approx.
1 acre · Garage · EPC: n/a
Cranbrook School Catchment Area
RURAL MARDEN £1,295,000
SUBSTANTIAL NEW FAMILY HOME
Three reception rooms · Kitchen/breakfast room
· Utility room · Cloakroom · Four double bedrooms (all
ensuite) · Garden · Garaging · Renewable energy source
· 10 year build warranty · EPC: tba
Cranbrook School Catchment Area
HAWKHURST £1,145,000
VERSATILE DETACHED FAMILY HOME
Four reception rooms · Kitchen/breakfast room · Utility
room · Five bedrooms (one ensuite) · Two bathrooms
· Grounds approximately 1.7 acres including orchard
· Swimming pool · Summer house · EPC: E
Cranbrook School Catchment Area
Sales & Lettings Team
Harpers&Hurlingham
The Cornerhouse, Stone Street, Cranbrook
01580 715400
www.harpersandhurlingham.com
LONDON OFFICE: KENSINGTON 020 7938 2311
Jane Emilie Chez Cathy Sarah Debbie Jane A Debbie S Janey Caroline Dianne
SALES / LETTINGS / MANAGEMENT
VISIT US AT HUNTERS.COM
HERE TO GET you THERE
ASHFORD £420,000 - £430,000
Four Double Bedrooms | Two Reception Rooms | Large Corner Plot
A spacious well presented detached family home situated on a corner plot
located in the popular area of Little Burton Farm with views across to the
Wye Downs.
EPC RATING TBC
ROLVENDEN £680,000
Four Bedrooms | Three Reception Rooms | Garage & Workshop
A characterful detached family home built by the current vendors 30 years
ago, located on a 1.3 acre plot in the small hamlet of Snave, with a rural
position offering views over the Marsh.
EPC RATING TBC
WOODCHURCH £425,000 - £450,000
Four Bedroom Semi Detached | Three Reception Rooms | En Suite & Family Bathroom
An extended and deceptively spacious semi detached family home with a range
of character features including exposed brick work and open fi replaces, located
just off the village green in the desirable village of Woodchurch.
EPC RATING E
BIDDENDEN £330,000 - £350,000
Three Double Bedrooms | Off Road Parking | Conservatory | CSCA
A delightful three bedroom attached cottage character home which
historically formed part of the Wheelwrights cottage, located in a popular
village, within walking distance to the High Street.
EPC RATING D
TENTERDEN £550,000
Four Bedroom Detached | Two Reception Rooms | Downstairs Cloakroom
A spacious detached family home with a large mature private rear garden, two
reception rooms and is situated in a sought after residential location within
easy access to the picturesque tree lined high street.
EPC RATING C
HAMSTREET £495,000 - £520,000
Four Bedrooms | Three Reception Rooms | Conservatory
Well positioned executive detached family home with double garage and
driveway, located on a quiet cul-de-sac within walking distance to both the
local primary school and railway station in the popular village of Hamstreet.
EPC RATING E
HERE TO GET you THERE
TENTERDEN
01580 763 278
ASHFORD
01233 613 613
HYTHE
01303 261 557
Over 150 independently owned branches across the UK.
FOLKESTONE
01303 210 335
MEET YOUR LOCAL Tenterden Team!
Jake, Andrew & Laura
Over 200 independently owned branches across the UK.
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
LUXURIOUS NEW CARE HOME OPENS JULY 2018
CMY
K
We are the difference between quality and excellence and between
caring at work and caring like family. If you need help finding care,
we will do whatever we can to be the difference you need.
Nursing | Residential | Dementia | Respite | Day Care
Emerson Grange Care Home, Hextable
Emerson Park, Rowhill Road, Hextable, Kent, BR8 7FP
Call 01322 771792 | Visit cinnamoncc.com
Or visit your nearest Cinnamon care home*:
Leah Lodge, Blackheath, London, SE13 5EB | Call 0208 108 0109
Rectory Court, Blackheath, London, SE3 9TU | Call 0203 797 7743
*Nursing and dementia care provided at selected locations
MAXIMISE THE VALUE
OF YOUR LAND
Have you got a large
garden or plot of land?
We are experts at working
with owners to maximise
the full value of their land
Industry leading experts
We take care of the planning permission!
The risk-free way to maximise your land
Zero cost to you!
Planning laws are changing
Act now before its too late!
What our clients say…
"The team had a huge amount of
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result for us. We would have no
hesitation in recommending them to
anyone who wants to achieve planning".
Amanda and Robert Petch
June 2016
"The cost involved to try and
get planning on our land
were just not feasible for us.
Working with Country House
meant we didn’t have to risk
our money as they took care
of everything"
Mr C Partridge (Loose, Kent)
September 2016
For a free appraisal call 0843 557 4080
www.maximisemyland.co.uk
sales@countryhousehomes.co.uk
“Guy and team at CHH did a fantastic
job securing planning permission on
our rear garden plot. Although a fairly
problematic application (which took
over 18 months), they kept us informed
throughout the entire process.
I would certainly use them again”
David J (Oxted, Surrey)
January 2017
Brede Guide Price £250,000
An unmodernised two bedroom late Victorian
house with scope for refurbishment
and development arranged over 2 floors with many
period features and benefiting from a private south
facing rear garden. EPC : E
Rye Guide Price £299,950
A beautifully presented late Victorian
two bedroom mid-terrace house arranged
over 2 floors with many period features and being
ideally situated within walking distance of Rye town
centre and all its amenities. EPC : D
Playden Guide Price £995,000
A character detached seven bedroom family
home with versatile accommodation in excess of
3,800sq.ft. set within its own 0.8 acres on a quiet
country lane within 1.5 miles of Cinque Port Town of
Rye. EPC : D
Camber Guide Price £325,000
A spatially deceptive New England style three
bedroom detached house,
with private rear garden and hot tub, backing onto
the exclusive Suttons and being within 1 minute’s
walk of Camber Sands Beach. EPC : E
Rye Guide Price £290,000
A well presented three bedroom semi-detached
house situated on a large triangular plot overlooking
the open space of Tilling Green, and within walking
distance of Rye town centre and amenities. EPC : D
Icklesham Guide Price £675,000
A contemporary refurbished spacious three
bedroom detached thatched modern property,
located on a quiet no-through road with outstanding
views over the Brede Valley in an Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty. EPC : D
Rye Guide Price £167,000
An ideal centrally located one bedroom, first floor
south facing apartment forming part of a
converted former warehouse. Situated in the
conservation area within the heart of Rye with easy
walking distance of all town amenities and railway
station. EPC : D
Winchelsea Guide Price £309,950
A characterful Grade II listed two bedroom semidetached
house with attic room offering a wealth of
period features with origins believed to date back to
early 1700s. This charming cottage benefits from a
delightful rear garden that backs onto the River Brede
with distance views looking towards Rye. EPC : N/A
Camber Guide Price £295,000
A perfect situated holiday home, this two bedroom
detached bungalow is located in the heart of the
coastal village of Camber, on a quiet no-through
road, within 3 minutes’ walk of the famous
Camber Sands Beach. EPC: F
www.andersonhacking.com 55 Cinque Ports Street, Rye TN31 7AN Rye 01797 224852 | London (Park Lane) 020 76294141
THE
PROPERTY
PROFESSIONALS
1811 Old Powder Mills
Powder Mill Lane, Leigh TN11 9AN
Save up to £27,500
Stamp Duty contribution available on all our last remaining homes *
INTO ACTION
TO SAVE
AT
1811
This April and May we
are offering a Stamp Duty
contribution up to £27,500.
We have only a few
homes remaining on this
unique development of
contemporary homes
in picturesque Leigh.
Spacious 4 –bedroom homes from £695,000
Impressive 5-bedroom homes from £725,000
Sales Centre open daily, 10.00am - 5.00pm Friday to Wednesday
and 12.00 noon - 7.00pm on Thursday
Call 01732 667 738
www.bellway.co.uk
Price correct at time of print. Computer generated image is indicative only, specification on site may differ. Photography is of plot 45 The Van Osdel showhome. *Stamp Duty contribution available
on selected plots only and not available on second or additional homes, buy-to-let or let-to-buy properties. Available on new reservations only.
STEP
INSIDE
Elegantly crafted three, four and five bedroom homes.
Just 400 metres from Tenterden’s boutique High Street.
YOUR STYLE OUR QUALITY
High specification homes available now with a bespoke range of
premium fixtures and fittings and paint colours by Farrow & Ball.
Prices from £450,000.*
Show homes open daily 10am to 5pm
01580 854076 churchview-tenterden.co.uk
RESERVE EARLY AND HAVE
FIRST CHOICE OF
THE BEST HOMES
HOUSE TO SELL? Ask about our
Easy Mover service to help sell
your existing home
Ask about our Stamp Duty Paid deals on selected homes throughout May and June 2018 †
*Prices correct at time of print. Farrow & Ball colour shades apply to front door. † Contribution to stamp duty payment only available to owner occupiers and applied to selected homes.
Payable on legal completion. Subject to contract. Limited period offer only.
Discretion is the Better Part of Valour
The property market has changed astronomically
in the past few decades, bringing in a new era
of off-market and private sales.
Unlike conventional methods, we offer discrete
marketing where details of your site are not
openly marketed. Private sales generate a sense
of exclusivity, boosting the likelihood of a quick
and hassle-free transaction.
At SJD we work to source the right developers for
your site - all of our sales are made confidentially
thus protecting both your identity and your
individual interests.
If you have a development
opportunity that you would like to sell off-market,
please contact us for a free appraisal.
Contact Stephen Donnelly on
07739 514350 or 0845 456 8969
Web: sjd-projects.com email: steve@sjd-projects.com
SJDprojectsWT195.indd 1 06/04/2018 09:52
FISHERS PADDOCK
FISHERS ROAD STAPLEHURST KENT TN12 0DD
Coming Soon
An exclusive development of nine
3, 4 & 5 bedroom executive homes
Register your interest now
Prices from £399,995 - £650,000
Call sole agents Sibley Pares
01622 673086 enquiries@sibleypares.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
24
SibleyParesWT195.indd 1 24/04/2018 25/04/2018 12:45 12:43
My son mentioned it,
so I decided to look
round. The apartments
were stunning and the
facilities fantastic. I can’t
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LUXURY RETIREMENT COMMUNITY, HEXTABLE, KENT
Opening soon, Emerson Park, Hextable, will provide an
exceptional choice of beautiful, elegant apartments all
designed for active, independently-minded retirees. Live life to
the full with exclusive private amenities, on-site services and
fully-managed maintenance – all from as little as £315,000
*.
• Reception/concierge
• Lounge, restaurant & bar
• Exercise studio & gym
• Hair and beauty salon
• Cinema/TV room
• Private transport service
• Recreation and social
events calendar
• 24 hr emergency call
system to on-site staff
Take control today. To find out more, and
to visit the show suite, call 01322 515417.
SHOW SUITE OPEN Monday to Saturday 10am – 4pm
Emerson Park, Rowhill Road, Hextable BR8 7RL
Web: www.cinnamoncc.com/emersonpark
* Other costs and charges apply, please talk
to our advisers for further information.
House
Month
of the
The drool
factor
Maggie Alderson picks out some
dream homes
This month we are moving in a
slightly different direction with
House of the Month. In the past we
havee come up with a theme we think will
be of interest, houses which have equestrian
facilities, granny flats, views, amazing
bathrooms, special gardens etc. From now
on we’ve decided instead to look for houses
on the market which are simply wonderful,
for lots of different reasons and in lots of
different ways. Houses which make you
sigh and start imagining your life there. In
short houses with DHDF: dream home
drool factor.
OIEO £2,000,000
Wybournes
The dream: This red brick,
tile-hung house, over three
floors, with dormer windows
at the top, is exactly as I
picture the house in Elizabeth
Jane Howard’s five-book
chronicle of the Cazalet family
(although their childhoods
were spent at Home Place in
Sussex).
Built in 1906, in the Queen
Anne revival style, it has all
the elegance of an imposing
country house, with the
greater comforts of a more
recent building – including
lots of windows to flood it
with light.
The particulars describe it
as ‘in need of modernisation’,
which probably refers to the
fact that it doesn’t have the
now expected eat-in kitchen/
family room set up, or any
dressing rooms. What it does
have is no fewer than two
walk-in larders, a scullery, three
greenhouses, two staircases, a
panelled dining room and at
least one bedroom which looks
big enough to practise your
golf swing in.
There is also a perfect
terrace around the south and
west frontages, with steps
down to the established
gardens and lawns. And I
would be hoping to negotiate
with the current owners to
include their heavenly chintz
loose-covered sofas…
Beds: 10 or 11
Baths: 6
Special feature: integral flat
Outside: extensive gardens
Where: on the edge of the
village of Kemsing, four miles
from Sevenoaks.
Time to town: Sevenoaks to
Cannon Street in 39 minutes,
also links to London Bridge
and Charing Cross.
Price: OIEO £2,000,000
Agent: Knight Frank,
Sevenoaks 01732 744477
knightfrank.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
26
Gate House Farm
The dream: A character-drenched
Wealden oak beamy dream, with parts
of the house dating back to the 16th
century, but a contemporary flow of
space, with a vaulted dining room in
the oast kiln. It has an olde worlde
breakfast room with an Aga off a
snazzy modern kitchen, plus a library
and a large workshop. There are some
lovely brick floors.
OIEO £1,350,000
Beds: 6 or 7, master with en suite and
dressing room.
Baths: 3, plus guest loo.
Special feature: an oast house.
Outside: a walled garden with an
orchard and a pond, a large greenhouse
and a summerhouse.
Where: on the outskirts of Staplehurst.
Time to town: about an hour on the
Charing Cross and Cannon Street line.
Price: OIEO £1,350,000
Agent: Harpers and Hurlingham
01580 715400
harpersandhurlingham.com
Cherry Trees
£2,750,000
The dream: If you’ve always thought it was
a chiz that the baddies have the best houses,
this is your chance to live like Dr No.
Modern architecture at its celebratory best,
with a glass wall on the ground floor onto a
decked terrace looking out over the splendid
view. The house is built to a high eco spec,
with a biomass boiler for under floor central
heating, rainwater harvester, solar panels
and triple-glazed windows and has the full
kitchen/dining/sitting/indoor/outdoor set
up. And one thing we’ve never seen before:
double loos in the master bedroom en suite.
Beds: 6
Baths: 6
Special features: indoor pool, plus sauna.
Outside: five acres of grounds.
Where: on the edge of Langton Green, 3
miles from Tunbridge Wells.
Time to town: under an hour on Charing
Cross line from TW.
Price: £2,750,000
Agent: Hamptons International Tunbridge
Wells 01892 516611 hamptons.co.uk
27 wealdentimes.co.uk
Join us for a laid-back summer celebration of the very
best food, drink and music, hosted by Tom Kerridge
DUNORLAN PARK, TUNBRIDGE WELLS
6 – 8 JULY 2018
TOM ODELL
BILLY OCEAN
RAZORLIGHT
MELANIE C
Last tickets remaining at www.pubintheparkuk.com
*bill subject to change
Event partners
The Kitchen is the Heart of Your Home
See how we can transform your home today www.bentonskitchens.co.uk canterbury@bentonskitchens.co.uk
Showroom: 17 Maynard Road, Canterbury, Kent CT1 3RH Telephone: 01227 767576
Over 30 years of inspiration
Everything for your home
• Traditional Hand-Made
English Furniture
• Contemporary Furniture
• Upholstery
• Lighting
• Accessories
• G i ft s
High Street, Tenterden. 01580 764481
tenterdenhouseinteriors.co.uk
Forest Lodge
Nutley, East Sussex
Forest Lodge is a beautiful Edwardian country
home in the historic village of Nutley, near
East Grinstead.
The home is set in eight acres of beautiful
landscaped gardens, and is surrounded by the
Ashdown Forest where wild deer and other
wildlife can be seen daily.
The home specialises in highly skilled nursing
care for older people with dementia or
Alzheimers along with reminiscence therapy,
physiotherapy, and short term or long term
respite care.
Forest Lodge has specially built secure and
enclosed sensory gardens. Our highly skilled
nurses and carers support each service user
with a person-centred care plan and look for
opportunities to build on each individual’s
strengths and abilities.
Forest Lodge
Horney Common, Nutley,
Nr Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 3EA
T 01825 712514
E forestlodge@sussexhealthcare.co.uk
www.sussexhealthcare.co.uk
Had enough
of being
overweight?
Hands up all those who feel they’re in a
constant battle to achieve and maintain
the weight they want to be. How many
diets have you tried and failed, feeling
totally frustrated and not knowing what
to do next?
Having had a weight problem for 35 years, Rachel was
desperate to find a way of being able to lose weight once
and for all. ‘I had just about resigned myself to the fact that I would be
overweight for the rest of my life, when I came across the principles
of the Metabolic Weight Loss Programme. I followed these and to my
amazement, I lost 3 stone in just over 3 months and then
went on to successfully maintain my weight. The
relief was enormous to have found something
that finally worked for me.’
Leading Weight Loss
Consultant
Rachel became passionate about
wanting to help as many people
as possible with their weight
problems, which led her to
become a qualified weight loss
consultant. In the last 15 years,
she has helped over 5,000 clients
from all walks of life to help bring
their dieting days to an end once
and for all. Clients’ ages range
from 8 to 90 years, so there is hope
for everyone!
A sustainable way to lose
your weight and keep it off
One of the popular aspects of the Metabolic
Weight Loss Programme is there’s nothing
faddish about it. There are no meal replacements,
diet shakes or diet pills. All the foods on the programme are
easily obtainable. Clients frequently say just how easy it is to follow,
they don’t feel hungry and are not having to constantly battle with
cravings. The four stages of the programme are tailored as necessary
to provide the maximum results for each client.
‘We set your target weight at the beginning and then get on with the
business of helping you lose the weight, addressing any difficulties
along the way, then we help you keep it off – for good!’
Health Benefits
With an average
weight loss of 7-14lb
a month for clients
and hundreds of hand
written testimonials,
Rachel’s results speak
for themselves.
Rachel Ricketts, Weight Loss Consultant
Clients often comment on how impressed their doctors are with their
results. ‘My doctor is very happy, I’ve been able to come off blood
pressure and cholesterol medication,’ says one. Another doctor said,
‘All my lady patients on thyroid medication are struggling to
lose weight, but you’ve lost 2 ½ stone despite being
on thyroxin – well done!’
One-to-one support
Rachel and her team give weekly
one-to-one consultations, guiding
you through the programme with
personalised support, lots of
empathy and total conviction in
the success of the programme.
Email support is available in
between consultations.
For those who are not able to
visit, a very successful remote
support service is provided
throughout the UK and overseas.
With an average weight loss of
7-14lb a month for clients and
hundreds of handwritten testimonials,
Rachel’s results speak for themselves. ‘I
see real results daily, time after time I see
people’s lives change in front of me.’
Do visit www.rachelrickettsweightloss.co.uk for
client’s videos and testimonials.
Rachel offers free consultations for those who
are wanting to lose their weight once and for all
Call now: 01342 327396
Email rachel@rachelrickettsweightloss.co.uk
www.rachelrickettsweightloss.co.uk
Meet the team
GI Centre
A newly developed team of expert consultants
brought together to diagnose and treat your
Gastro-Intestinal symptoms and complaints.
Mr Nicholas Boyle
Consultant Upper GI Surgeon
REFLUX
Mr Simon Bailey
Consultant Colorectal Surgeon
Dr Adam Harris
Consultant Gastroenterologist
ABDOMINAL PAIN
Dr Adrian Barnardo
Consultant Gastroenterologist
BLOATING
DIARRHOEA
Dr Hemant Sharma
Consultant Gastroenterologist
CONSTIPATION
Dr Laurence Maiden
Consulant Gastroenterologist
BLOOD IN STOOLS
UNEXPLAINED
WEIGHT LOSS
Dr Anthony Hobson
Consultant Clinical Scientist
Ms Ali Todd
Dietitian
Diagnostics
• Gastroscopy
• Colonoscopy
• Bravo Capsule
• Capsule Endoscopy
• 24-hour pH Impedance test
• Oesophageal Manometry
• Hydrogen Breath Test
• IBS Clinic
Treatments
• Link Reflux
Management System
• Hernia Surgery
• Gallbladder removal
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Divorce Mythbusters
There are many myths about who has what rights when a marriage breaks down.
In our experience, a belief in those myths can lead people to make decisions they
otherwise wouldn’t or shouldn’t make. Here are some common examples:
My divorce has been finalised, so
my ex cannot make a financial claim
against me.
Unless you and your ex have a court
order specifically dismissing your
financial claims against each other,
they remain open, meaning that at any
point in the future, either one of you
can make a claim against the other,
although once you remarry, you lose
the right to initiate a claim.
My wife and I are separating because
she had an affair. I have asked her to
move out, but she won’t. Can I force
her to leave by changing the locks?
If you own the property jointly, then
you both have a right to live in it. If
it is in your sole name but it is the
family home, then your wife could
obtain the right to remain by filing
a Home Rights Notice at the Land
Registry which lasts until the divorce is
finalised. Therefore, whilst technically
you can change the locks, if your wife
wants a copy of the new key, you have
to provide one.
My husband says that because he
made the money, he is entitled to
more of it.
The assumption is that, regardless
of your respective roles within the
marriage, you have both contributed
fully and therefore the starting point
for dividing capital on divorce is that
it is shared equally, regardless of who
“made it” and whether it is held in joint
names or sole names. It is however
possible to argue that money acquired
before the marriage, after separation
or by gift/inheritance should not be
shared equally.
My wife says that because I want the
divorce, I will get less money in the
settlement.
Whilst there are many factors which
are taken into consideration when
deciding the appropriate financial
settlement, the reason for the divorce
is not one of them, except in very rare
and exceptional circumstances.
Hopefully, the above demonstrates
the dangers of assuming anything and
how important it is to get expert legal
advice, so that any decision you make
is the right one for you.
If you would like further advice we
offer a free 30-minute meeting.
Please contact our team secretary
Khaila Reid on T: 01892 502 335
or E: kreid@bussmurton.co.uk
and quote ‘Wealden Times’.
Please get in touch with our Family team who will be happy to help.
Melanie den Brinker
Margaret Evans
Lora Grogan
Julie Taylor
Kristy Underwood
www.bussmurton.co.uk T: 01892 510 222
TUNBRIDGE WELLS | CRANBROOK | EAST GRINSTEAD | DARTFORD
Buss Murton Law LLP is a Limited Liability Partnership No. OC345994 and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
There is something for all
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38
Chairs&UpholsteryShopWT190.indd 1 20/11/2017 16:32
Not all family lawyers are the same
Specialising in one area of law keeps our solicitors on top of the ever changing
legal landscape. Technical excellence and years of experience combine to give
our solicitors the upper hand in gaining the best outcome for clients.
Visit our website to see our client feedback. It also contains a wealth of
knowledge about family law.
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Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1QG
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Susi Gillespie
ThomasMansfieldWT195.indd 1 16/04/2018 15:44
39 wealdentimes.co.uk
StJuliansClubWT195.indd 1 24/04/2018 15:04
IDD Therapy has changed Paul’s life
In June 2017, Paul even completed
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Non-invasive treatment solves
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Paul Bowman has always lived an
active life. A regular in his local
gym, he runs his own construction
business, and loves the physical
side of the job. “Occasional aches
and pains go with the territory,”
Paul explains, “but gradually as I
got older, low back pain started to
become a real problem, and about
three years ago I was referred
for an MRI scan on my back.”
The scan revealed two compressed
and bulging discs in Paul’s lower
spine. “Back then, I was just
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back ached quite a lot, and I was
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Things steadily got worse, and
Paul started to suffer from sciatica
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pressing against a spinal nerve root.
“The sciatica was shooting down
both legs. I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t
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which can be risky of course.”
Paul decided to take matters into
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IDD Therapy, a targeted spinal
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“I made an appointment with
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gentle treatment on the IDD
machine. James explained that this
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Because of the severe nature of
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“A few months after my course
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“I no longer need the surgery, and
I’ve avoided all the after-effects
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James Pickering is delighted with
Paul’s progress. “We see so many
patients like Paul, who’ve been
taking painkillers long term, and
struggling with other forms of
treatment, such as physiotherapy.
People often feel like they’ve
run out of options, but we offer
a non-invasive solution that’s
safe, gentle and effective.”
“IDD Therapy is an invaluable
part of our service now, and
our first choice for long term
back, neck and sciatic pain.”
To find out about IDD Therapy
and other treatments offered at
Wealden Osteopaths & Spine
Centre, call: 01580 212833 or visit
www.wealdenosteopaths.co.uk
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7th, 8th & 9th June 2018
Hole Park, Rolvenden TN17 4JB
Pre-book
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Using this code
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Sponsored by
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GREAT DAY OUT
Over 280 hand-picked exhibitors, free entry
to Hole Park Gardens and live music from
Cranbrook Town Band, Dulwich Prep
Cranbrook Jazz Band, Marlborough House
Choir and Saint Ronan’s Jazz Band over the
three days!
FOOD & DRINK
Watch the world go by with a cup of coffee
or a glass of something bubbly, or choose
lunch from the fantastic range of street-food
vendors. Foodies will also love the independent
producers in the food avenue!
DON’T MISS...
Pop to the NFU Mutual stand to say hi
to the team and enter their competition
to win two Eurostar tickets, they will
also be on hand to answer any general
insurance and financial service queries.
Ashford & Tenterden
BEAUTIFUL WEDDINGS
BY THE BEACH
Set behind the sand dunes, weddings at the Gallivant are
beautiful, delicious and always take place on an exclusive
basis, meaning guests can enjoy the entire hotel and its 20
individually-styled bedrooms for themselves. During this time
the Gallivant becomes a private beach house for you and your
guests to enjoy.
In the warmer months, guests enjoy weddings naturally flowing
between the beach and the coastal styled marquee. In the
cooler months, the open log fire in the New England Room
and the heated marquee creates a beautiful Scandinavian/
Hamptons themed environment.
Special Offer for Wealden Times readers: For all weddings
booked by readers before May 2018, couples will receive a
£500 bar tab. Please quote WT18 when enquiring.
New Lydd Road, Camber, East Sussex, TN31 7RB
01797 225 057 | events@thegallivant.co.uk | thegallivant.co.uk
Step-by-step recipes
Follow them all online at wealdentimes.co.uk/ recipes
SUMMER
VINTAGE FAIR
SUNDAY 1ST JULY, 11AM - 4:30PM
ADULT: £6, CHILD: £2
hello@chiddingstonecastle.org.uk | 01892 870 347 | Chiddingstone Castle, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 7AD
A festival of vintage for all the family
in the Castle’s grounds. Shop from
a vast array of vintage stalls. Enjoy
singing from Miss Vintage and
dancing with the Medway Lindy
Hoppers throughout the day. Picnic
in the grounds with delicious food
sourced from local food providers.
HISTORIC HOUSE COLLECTIONS VENUE
May Day...
Join the Lord and Lady of the May, along with the May Queen
and the mythical Jack-in-the-Green for a traditional May Day
festival at Hever Castle from Saturday 5 to Monday 7 May.
Dance around the Maypole, risk getting soaked in the Water
Maze, get your face painted, and see the procession through the
award-winning gardens which will be blooming with blossom,
wisteria and the colourful bedding plants of the Italian Gardens.
To find out more visit hevercastle.co.uk
May
notebook
Exhibitions & events
near you this month...
A novel idea...
Authors, illustrators, poets and children’s
performers including Evan Davis (Newsnight),
Jim Al-Khalili (Radio 4), Lauren Child (Charlie
& Lola), Aardman Animations (Wallace and
Gromit, Early Man) and Ian Rankin. The festival
programme is divided into three days, each for
a different audience. Sunday 6 May is adult day,
while Bank holiday Monday has been planned
with families in mind and Tuesday 8 May will
be dedicated to schools. To find out more visit
chiddingstonecastle.org.uk
Best in show...
The Heathfield Agricultural Show comes to Little
Tottingworth Farm in East Sussex on Saturday 26
May, bringing with it a sheep show, a motorcycle
display team, over 200 trade stands, terrier racing,
and a flower show. This celebration of rural life
showcases all the best of the region’s products and
produce and is a great chance to learn about and
enjoy the rural side of the Weald. Find out more
at heathfieldshow.org
Pop-up opera...
Innovative touring opera company, Pop-Up
Opera, brings a Mozart double bill to Brambletye
School in East Grinstead on Friday 11 May.
Directed by the critically acclaimed Anna Pool,
these two deliciously playful one-act comedies
showcase Mozart’s gorgeous music with a style
that is aimed to reach both opera lovers and
those who may be a little more hesitant. Visit
popupopera.co.uk for more information.
Country living fair...
On Thursday 10 May from 10am to 4pm visitors
to East Sussex National Hotel (Uckfield) can enjoy
a very special shopping experience. Handpicked for
their style, quality and customer service, over fifty
high-end independent boutique owners and artisan
makers will be selling a huge array of gorgeous
fashion items, homeware, gifts, beauty products,
children’s clothing, food and drink. Plus you
could win £50 to spend on anything there! Visit
countrylifestylefairs.co.uk for details.
A real corker...
Corker Outdoor Living and Landscape Supplies
celebrates its first birthday on bank holiday Monday
7 May. The family run business, on the A228
near Paddock Wood, offers both the products and
inspiration for your dream garden. Join the party as
they celebrate their first birthday since rebranding
from Small Loads Ltd; wander the 13 individual show
gardens, enjoy complimentary refreshments and a
special 10% discount. Visit corker.co.uk for details.
All that jazz...
Rye is treated this month to an exceptional series of
intimate concerts with the Rye Jazz Festival. From
Thursday 2 to Monday 7 May the stunning hilltop
church, St Mary’s, will host quality artists including
Kyle Eastwood, soulful singer Avery Sunshine,
80s favourite The Christians, BRIT award winner
Miloš Karadaglić and ‘The UK’s Bestselling
Classical Artist’, Russell Watson (above). More
information and tickets available at ryejazz.com
49 wealdentimes.co.uk
14-18 London Road | Sevenoaks | TN13 1AJ
T: 01732 755555
Sevenoaks.home-design.schmidt
20 Grosvenor Road | Tunbridge Wells | TN1 2AR
T: 01892 547 132
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At Krieder we produce furniture of beauty, rich in quality and daring in
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Editor’s
Letter
One of the great pleasures of working on Wealden Times
is my drive to work through some of the most beautiful
countryside in England (with Chris Evans or the Today
programme for company, depending on my mood).
The last couple of weeks I’ve been enjoying my own private
spring watch as the leaves first started to tentatively unfurl, then
burst out in a spectacular display after one sunny weekend. Then
another morning the woods were suddenly filled with bluebells
(prompting a quick flick of the radio channel for suitably upbeat
music to accompany my joy).
Particularly significant for me was the day the two darling
donkeys, who have cheered me up every day right through the
seemingly endless winter mornings, finally appeared without their
coats. I was sure they looked happier.
I certainly feel more comfortable in my skin now I don’t have
to load up with endless layers just to leave the house – and I’ve
already starting snapping up some lovely lighter weight new
additions to my wardrobe. Our summer event wear fashion story
should get you in the mood to do the same.
Another reason to feel cheerful is the prospect of the Wealden
Times Midsummer Fair racing towards us next month. A day
out in the lovely grounds of Hole Park, shopping for England is
always one of the highlights of my year and marks the beginning
of the summer season for me.
This year, as well as my personal shopathon, I’m really excited
to get down to the three hubs – Garden, Beauty and Health –
where there is a brilliant roster of speakers and information. Find
out more about them on wealdentimes.co.uk/events where you can
also book your tickets.
I hope to see you there. Please say hello!
Enjoy your Wealden Times!
Wealden Times Team
Editor ....................................................................................... Maggie Alderson
Editorial Assistant ........................................................................Rebecca Cuffe
Digital Editor ...................................................................................Emily Pavey
Fashion Editor ................................................................................... Kate Watts
Design .........................................................................................Powerful Pierre
Design Team ..............................................................................Anthony Boxall
Rob Cursons
Freya Bruce
Tanya Goldsmith
Managing Director ........................................................................ Julie Simpson
Commercial Director ............................................................... Colin Wilkinson
Sales Team ................................................................................ Hayley Biddulph
Sarah Norwood
Nick Robinson
Distribution ....................................................................................... Kate Watts
Wealden Times Events Team
Sales Account Manager ...................................................................... Joy Adams
Jude Brown
Show Director ................................................................................. Flo Simpson
Relationship at
breaking point?
The breakdown of any relationship can be very
distressing. Whitehead Monckton family lawyers
can help you through this stressful and painful time.
We offer sensitive, constructive and cost effective legal
advice. All our lawyers are experienced members
of Resolution, committed to a non-confrontational
approach to resolving family problems.
An initial fixed cost meeting for just £100 (inc VAT)
with one of our lawyers can help you see your
way forward and understand your legal position
and options.
Our town centre offices in Canterbury, Maidstone
and Tenterden are conveniently located so please
call to set up your initial discussion:
Emma Palmer on Canterbury 01227 643276
Dawn Harrison on Maidstone 01622 698051
Daniel Bennett on Tenterden 01580 767527
www.whitehead-monckton.co.uk
www.whitehead-monckton.co.uk
Whitehead Monckton Limited (no. 08366029), registered in
England & Wales. Registered office 72 King Street, Maidstone, Kent,
ME14 1BL. Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation
Authority under no. 608279.
WT 1/17
53 wealdentimes.co.uk
WhiteheadMoncktonWT193.indd 1 05/02/2018 16:56
5 th Year Anniversary
KARENS FOAM STORE
AND BESPOKE SEWING SHOP
Upholstery tools
Tacks, Cotton, Felt, Hessian
Webbing
Polyester
Calico fabric
Foam cut to size
Replacement sofa cushions
Car park opposite store
Upholstery supplier
Bespoke cushion making
Outdoor seating/cushions
Camper van/caravan
139 CAMDEN ROAD
TUNBRIDGE WELLS, TN1 2RA
T: 01892 530003 / 07479 538286
E: Karensfoam@outlook.com
General.qxp_Layout 1 08/02/2018 08:51 Page 1
Garden & Estate Machinery Sales
KarensFoamStoreWT191.indd 1 14/02/2018 16:11
Godfreys
Otford Road
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01732 74 1177 | sales@godfreys.co.uk | www.godfreys.com
wealdentimes.co.uk
54
GodfreysWT194.indd 1 21/03/2018 11:26
© 1996 Forest Stewardship Council A.C.
Where to find your copy of
Call 01580 714705 to find your nearest distributor of
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for 12 months for just £22 postage
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56
Interiors notes
from a stylist
Blogger and micro influencer Sara Delaney of Notes from
a Stylist shares home-styling tips from her cleverly updated
Victorian house in a dream location in the Surrey Hills
Words: Jo Arnell Photographs: David Merewether Styling: Maggie Alderson
57 wealdentimes.co.uk
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Previous pages: The double-height entrance hall, where Sara and her husband decided
to keep one wall of the original oak panelling. The large landscape painting of Villa
D’Este is by local artist and friend Alexander Cresswell This page: The dining table
and chairs are by Rupert Senior. The Fucsia pendant light over the table is by Achille
Castiglioni from FLOS
Artists seek the north light: a pure, pale reflected light that is not
subject to the shifting dazzle of the sun. The Victorian landscape
artist who commissioned the building of this house in the Surrey
Hills, an official ‘area of outstanding natural beauty’, put the huge windows
of his huge studio in exactly the right place for him: facing north.
North in this instance faces away from the landscape - straight into
the hill behind the house. So when the Delaney family moved in they
knew they had to make another large window immediately – in the space
they use as a family room - this time facing out towards the garden,
across a valley of Los Angeles scale, the sunset, and the distant south
coast. Artists may seek the north light; the rest of us seek a view.
We are at the home of Sara Delaney, award-winning and inspirational lifestyle
and fashion blogger of Notes from a Stylist so making it look as beautiful as possible
was at the top of the agenda. Sara and her husband bought the large, late Victorian
house in 2005 and immediately set about updating it, choosing to live alongside
the builders and “just do one room at a time” grimaces Sara, remembering
59 wealdentimes.co.uk
the inevitable chaos that living with the builders creates.
“We couldn’t unpack, so we carved a single path through
the boxes and learned how to barbecue everything.”
The ironic thing was that once they had finished
refurbishing the house from top to toe, they moved to
New York for five years, before returning and employing
more builders to dig out a basement. This time it was
the builders, from Portugal, who did the barbecuing,
cooking sardines on a makeshift griddle on top of a
wheelbarrow. “It smelled delicious,” Sara remembers.
They employed interior architect Nick Coombs during
both projects at first to help them bring the house into a
brighter, bolder light than the shy, north-facing art studio had
bathed in. They installed the large picture window opposite
the original window; bright sunshine instantly flooded
the room and revealed the fabulous landscape outside.
Sara is keenly aware of light and its effects and through her
blogging has developed a photographer’s eye for it. “I look
at how the light is coming in, how the muted neutral tones
in the background are working - the walls, sofas, floors. I’m
drawn to colour, but it needs a backdrop,” she explains.
With the help of her interior stylist Spyros Hambis
Clockwise from above left: The curtain fabric is by Designers
Guild. Sara changes the cushion covers, which are supplied by
Spyros Hambis - Studio Interiors, seasonally. The painting was
bought while travelling
wealdentimes.co.uk
60
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Left: They kept all the original fireplaces as features in the
main rooms. The clock is from Coach House Below right: The
chandelier in the hall is a bespoke piece designed by interior
architect Nick Coombs and specially constructed to fit the space.
Below left: The table football table in the family room created
from the former artist’s studio
Studio Interiors, Sara set about the business of neutralising
and updating, going room by room, creating a neutral
canvas before thinking about bringing in the colour. The
spacious and imposing entrance hall was clad entirely in
dark and traditional wood panelling; the rest of the rooms
were suffering from a surfeit of seventies styling, with
flowery wallpaper, curtains and swirly, swallowing carpets.
“My husband lost his shoes at one point and we
couldn’t find them for days,” she laughs. “Eventually
we found them camouflaged on the floor.”
A Designers Guild floral panel covers what was
once a doorway leading to a bar area. “It was really
Seventies,” she says. “My parents loved it.” The space is
now more usefully occupied by the utility room. Out
too went most of the oppressive wood panelling.
“Spyros suggested whitewashing the wood, or liming
it,” explains Sara, “but it wasn’t amazing old oak, it had
come from a local church interior. We just kept this one
wall as a feature, a sort of homage to the panelling.”
The discarded wood did not go to waste. “We
gave it to a drummer friend who used it to clad his
garage and make a sound-proof studio.”
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At night a stunning
light shines in the hall
in the shape of a huge
spiralling, solar system
of a chandelier
Above left: More of Sara’s beloved scatter cushions in the spare room. The artworks are Sara’s photographs blown up on canvas
Above right: The bathroom off the spare room. The wood is zebrano
There are some features that have remained in place; the
imposing fireplaces for one, which are from original designs
by the famous 17th century wood carver Grinling Gibbons.
“I want light everywhere else because the
fireplace in here is so dominant.”
The surround is lifted by having a clean, light, but
cosy, new look and a fire bowl interior. The high ceilings
have carefully wrought plasterwork on the ceiling.
“Except it isn’t,” laughs Sara. “If you look
closely you can see that they are just tiles that were
once stuck on and made to look original.”
Light pours into the house during the day, from the
windows now all along the ‘view’ side, but at night a stunning,
sun rivalling, artificial light shines in the hall, in the shape
of a huge spiralling solar system of a chandelier. It is a total
wow, and is the first thing you see when you enter the house.
This ultimate statement piece was designed by Nick Coombs,
totally bespoke and carefully constructed to fit the space.
“Nick gave us some ping pong balls and sticks to help with
the design process,” says Sara, “so that we could play with the
light and get exactly the right balance and combination.”
Beneath the chandelier hangs a large landscape painting of
Villa D’Este by local artist and friend Alexander Cresswell.
It is pressed beneath a plain glass frame, with no surround.
“We felt that a frame would close it in somehow,”
Sara explains. “It’s also hung so that the line of sight
matches up when you look at the view outside.”
And indeed the horizon line matches perfectly,
seamlessly blending the Tuscan and Surrey hills.
With this combination of what was there, with modern
additions, the hallway is a harmonious space and the colours
of the painting are coordinated with accents in the decor.
“We matched the decor to the painting, not the other way
round.” Sara wanted to respect the artist who she’s known
for years, adding that a painting is art, not interior design
- tempting as it is to organise it the other way around.
Looking from the hall into the dining room, with a
lovely soft and muted colour scheme in warm grey and
pale dusky pink, your eye is caught by what looks like
an artwork, a coil of gold which stands on the floor. It’s
actually a feature light but works as a piece of sculpture
on its own, found in a shop in Westbourne Grove years
ago and moving with them from house to house.
The lights above the table are by Achille
Castiglioni from FLOS and the fabulously stylish
and comfortable looking dining table and chairs were
designed by the award-winning Rupert Senior.
“The chairs are deliberately designed with low backs,”
says Sara, “so people can turn and talk to each other
in maximum comfort, encouraging conversation.
wealdentimes.co.uk
66
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70
DavidCarpenterWT194.indd 1 20/03/2018 12:19
Previous page top left: The ‘stacked’ drawers unit is from The Conran Shop Lower left: Sara’s walk-in closet Lower right: Part of a
shoe collection Carrie from Sex in the City would envy This page: Sara’s dressing table is from 1stdibs.com and the mirror behind is
from US interiors store Lillian August.The jacket on the chair is a favourite jacket by Needle & Thread
The chairs we had before had high backs and it makes
such a difference. It had never occurred to me.”
Interestingly, in a room with such serious
designer pieces, Sara has also used her styling skills
to find some more cost-conscious solutions.
“I knew that I wanted a round mirror in here,” she
explains. “I searched everywhere and all the mirrors I
found were so expensive. In the end I went to a local
glass merchant and commissioned it. They sourced the
glass and made it for me - it’s so much cheaper.”
She also has techniques to keep the house
constantly updated for blogging purposes.
“I use the interior of the house for photography shoots
and interior blogs and have to keep it fresh. The basics stay,
but the accessories move around and change. Here in the
dining room I rotate and refresh what’s on display on the
shelf units. Throughout the house I change the cushions
seasonally. The kids scatter them all over the place, but that
71 wealdentimes.co.uk
Left: The original north facing window
in what was the studio of the Victorian
artist who originally owned the house. All
the cushions on the Roche Bobois sofa are
covered in Designers Guild fabrics. The
Noguchi coffee table is from Heals Right:
Sara’s pompom basket is from Etsy
makes me rethink the colour schemes in each room.”
There are cushions everywhere in this house, today
pert and organised – the children are at school - and
wearing their spring covers; zingy pastels in shades
of pink, green, yellow and blue, looking fresh and
crisp against the light neutral backgrounds.
“Spyros does the wallpaper, cushions and curtains. I have
used him for all our houses,” she says. “He has a great eye
and will suggest things - and we look at them in a book and
I say ‘NO!’, and then he brings the actual samples over -
and pushes me out of my comfort zone, which is good. He
has made me think about textures more too. I like to use
velvet and devoré a lot and I like sequins and throws.”
We head up the pale carpeted stairs (remarkably blemishfree
for a family of five with two large dogs), past a seamstress’s
dummy gloriously festooned with lanyards from fashion
shows and hospitality suites and into the master bedroom.
From there, via a beautiful shower room in muted shades
of stone, you enter a space that was once a bedroom and is
now something of a sanctuary: Sara’s dressing room. Although
it is more accurately named the ‘shoe room’ as it features a
display of some of Sara’s favourites – a seriously impressive
collection of Manolos, Louboutins, Charlotte Olympia, Prada,
Miu Miu… which would make Carrie Bradshaw drool.
“I like to look at them, a bit like you’d peruse books on a
bookcase,” she says. “Each shoe tells a different story. Where
I bought them, where I wore them, what I wore with them.”
Sara firmly believes that beautiful clothes and
accessories shouldn’t be hidden away in the closet, but
‘outed’ and used as part of the decor in a room.
“It’s something I learned from my job as a personal stylist,”
she says. “It’s a bit like the cushions. Clothing and accessories
can work as statement pieces. If you have a beautiful handbag
or stylish jacket, hang it on a chair or the back of a door
- have it on display. If you love it, don’t hide it away.”
Since they returned to the UK five years ago, Sara has
deftly made the transition from personal stylist to her
current iconic role in the world of style blogging.
wealdentimes.co.uk
72
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Above: At the far end of the family room, steps down to the home cinema and wine room on the lower level. The cowhide butterfly
chair is by Abigail Ahern
The success of Notes From a Stylist means that she’s now
not just a blogger, but – with over 44,000 followers on
Instagram - an official ‘micro influencer’, which is something
like a trusted internet friend who will tell you, with beguiling
chirpy honesty, whether your bum is likely to look big in that.
Advertisers and big companies have noticed, and
Sara now works with a range of brands, if they fit the
style of her blog. She also consults on a number of
social media projects and helps companies to get started
with their own style blogs and Instagram accounts.
Among the well-executed and varied pictures that feature
- often of Sara herself modelling - there are myriad style
hints on the blog. It’s all very accessible and friendly.
“It’s aimed at the over forties, for people who have
lost their style and want to get their mojo back. I feature
a body shape guide, trends, what’s coming in, lots of
fashion, a bit of interiors, some food and lifestyle.”
It’s a happy mix - and one that can keep you glued
to the screen for hours… But while the blog features
seasonal trends from designer catwalks, it’s very much
a modern mix of up scale and high street brands.
And when it comes to homewares she’s also a believer
in buying from local suppliers when she can.
“Shopping local is a good thing. There’s a little shop called
One Forty in Cranleigh, a lovely emporium where I get objets
d’art. They are very useful and then there’s &hobbs, based in
an old forge and owned by Libby Hobbs, who was a buyer
for Anthropologie. She only stocks local artisan pieces.”
From the bedroom we head down two floors to the
basement, which they have had excavated, to house the
home cinema, complete with large screen tv/cinema. Each
family member has chosen a themed poster to reflect their
favourite movie. It’s a chilled space - and somewhere they
can all escape to and relax in. (Possibly not unaided by the
proximity of the temperature-controlled wine store…)
Back up one floor, we sit at the elegant Saarinen
marble-topped table in the light-filled kitchen and I
notice that the line of sight from here goes straight
across into the family room to the feature wallpapered
wall, complete with feathered lampshade from Cox
& Cox, above the stairs to the basement room.
“There was a wall here before,” explains Sara,
indicating the space, “Nick suggested it would
be great to have a flow through the house to the
end wall - and he was completely right.”
The kitchen is Poggenpohl, but Sara is clear that it
needs to be a very functional space. “A kitchen should be
practical and for working in,” says Sara and from what I
75 wealdentimes.co.uk
Above: Under the stairs is a
temperature-controlled wine room.
More of Sara’s signature cushions
on the comfy sofa in the home
cinema. Vintage film posters set
the scene. The champagne cork
side table is from Not on the High
Street, a kitsch gift from one of
Sara’s oldest mates who knew her
love of fizz
In the home
cinema each family
member has chosen a
poster to reflect their
favourite movies
wealdentimes.co.uk
76
info@herondenvets.co.uk
The Victoria Pearl Symonds Necklace
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Welcome to to Heronden Veterinary Practice, Practice,
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No No matter your
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WEST KENT MAY
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.... .... We’ll We’ll love love you ADVERTISMENT you at at Heronden Vets! Vets! PROOF
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We We are are a NEW a NEW AND AND INDEPENDENT plea
WEST KENT MAY Below is a proof of your ad to be published in We the trust t
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WHERE WE WE ARE ARE
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BrightMediaSalesWT195.indd 1 24/04/2018 SymondsSalvageWT195.indd 17:34
1 24/04/2018 14:47
ndssalvage.co.uk
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the
magazine
WEST KENT MAY
the
magazine
magazine
magazine
AD
ADVE
Belo
WES
Drive down our leafy lane & g
Above: A classic marble-topped Saarinen tulip table in the kitchen. The chairs are Eames from The Conran Shop and the digital print
was picked years ago from Selfridges
can see, cooking isn’t the only work that goes on in this
kitchen. It also appears to be the headquarters of the Notes
from a Stylist blog, with cameras, laptops and brightly
coloured notebooks indicating constant work in progress.
The important thing about social media, I’m learning,
watching Sara snap some shots for Instagram of the
photographer at work, is that posts must be frequent and
regular. So, muted neutrals in place, cushions plumped
and scattered, stage set for the season, it’s camera (a
state of the art Nikon), lights (twinkly), action – and
another blog/instagram post/tweet launched.
Notes from a talented, dedicated and sequin-toed stylist.
Address Book:
Nick Coombs, Paper & Stone 07956 169216
nick@paperandstone.net
Rupert Senior rupertsenior.co.uk
Studio Interiors 07889 181918 studiointeriors.wordpress.com
One Forty 140 High St, Cranleigh GU6 8RF oneforty.co.uk
&hobbs The Forge, Middle Street, Shere GU5 9HF 01483
205341 andhobbs.com
Kingfisher flower shop kingfisherfarmshop.com
Thanks also to Shimizu flowers shimizuflowers.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
78
HOP TO IT
THIS SPRING
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—
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79 wealdentimes.co.uk
LenleysWT195.indd 1 03/04/2018 McAllisterThomasFineArtWT195.indd 17:19
1 12/04/2018 09:55
McAllister Thomas Half Page.indd 1 12/04/2018 09:00
Quality
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DavidBrownWT194.indd 1 20/03/2018 15:11
A RANGE OF CANOPIES DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY
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80
ChilstoneWT195.indd 1 25/04/2018 SBIWT192.indd 12:07 1 19/01/2018 12:02
Audrey Hepburn print £99
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Meadow flowers cushion cover
£15 Dekoria dekoria.co.uk
Mirrorball pendant
light from £300 Rume
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Patchwork cushion
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Moda armchair
£95 Cult Furniture
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Get
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the
Elegant metal tray
table £78 The Farthing
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Trevisan sofa from
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fabric Oficina Inglesa
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Champagne cork side
table £164 Cuckooland
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Set of three nautical
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The Contemporary
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81 wealdentimes.co.uk
Come and see us at
Wealden Times Midsummer Fair
’tasha
Restored and bespoke shepherd’s huts, garden antiques and country
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ElhamValleyShepherdsHutsWT195.indd 1 03/04/2018 TashaInteriorsWT182.indd 14:27
1 14/03/2017 14:22
fl o r u m
ART EXHIBITION
2018
6 th –13 th May
Sunday 6 th May 2pm–5pm
Monday–Saturday 10am–5pm daily
Sunday 13 th May 10am–1pm
Invited artists inspired
by plant life
GOODNESTONE
PARK GARDENS
Goodnestone
nr. Wingham
Kent CT3 1PJ
Images: Rachel Munn Linda Wallis
Original works in watercolour, oil
paintings, etchings, textiles, wood
engravings, coloured pencil and
mixed media and much more. Artists’
prints and cards will also be for sale.
Visit our website for an exciting preview
www.florum.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
82
FlorumWT195.indd 1 18/04/2018 12:01
Wealden Times Midsummer Fair 7th - 9th June 2018
Product, £price
Company
website
NEW
EXHIBITOR
Otter mega combo
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Midsummer Fair
Where better to find glorious plants and outdoor
Where better to find glorious plants and outdoor
accessories than in the ‘Garden of England’ amongst
the formal borders of the Hole Park Estate?
TICKETS
ON SALE
ONLINE
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co.uk/events
Kentish Cobnut Tree
£25.00 The Walnut
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walnuttrees.co.uk
NEW
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Deck chair
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Rosemary
Terracotta Pot
from £10
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Teepeas for £135,
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the set for £175
Teepea facebook.
com/myteepea
Original Kadai
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The Fire Bowl Shop
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NEW
EXHIBITOR
Wealden Times Midsummer Fair 7th - 9th June 2018
1
Discover the
beautiful gardens
Enjoy free entry to the magnificent
Hole Park gardens, including their
long borders, filled with colourful
herbaceous plants in early June.
10
things you
MUST DO at
Midsummer Fair!
2
Harpers & Hurlingham
Visit our headline sponsor Harpers
& Hurlingham’s stand where they’ll
have face painters on hand and will
be selling walking balloons with
all proceeds going to Cancer
Research UK.
Harpers&HurlinghamHurlingham
3
Shop ’til you drop
We’ve hand-picked more
than 280 stands selling fantastic
fashion, heavenly homewares,
gorgeous garden equipment and
so much more!
4
Street food
Treat yourself to a delicious
lunch from one of the many
amazing street food
vendors.
5
Benenden Health Hub
Get a FREE HEALTH CHECK,
find out about services and Benenden
Membership, the new fast access
private GP service and a Women’s
Health Event on 14th July 2018.
TICKETS ONLINE wealdentimes.co.uk/events
9
Entertainment
Sit back and relax in the deck
chair zone and enjoy live music from
Cranbrook Town Band, Dulwich
Prep Cranbrook Jazz Band,
Marlborough House Choir and
Saint Ronan’s Jazz Band.
6
Fenwick Beauty Hub
Enjoy a range of complimentary
treatments from brands including Mavala,
Neal’s Yard Remedies and PIXI. Plus,
throughout the three days there will also
be talks and workshops with Clarins,
Dermalogica, Charlotte Tilbury, Aveda
and more. See page 141 for
more details.
8
Food & Drink
Foodies will love the
independent producers, wine
makers, brewers and local
farms selling their products
in the food avenue.
10
FENWICK PRIZE
DRAW WORTH £1000
Win a £500 Fenwick
Gift Card, plus
• Dermalogica 60-minute proskin
facial and Dermalogica
goody bag including a fullsize
barrier defence booster.
• Fragrance consultation and
scent of your choice from
the fragrance department
to the value of £100.
• Clarins on-counter
consultation, hand & arm
massage and goody bag.
• Bobbi Brown eyebrow
shape and tidy.
• Nails Inc Gel Manicure.
• Charlotte Tilbury
60-minute makeover
and luxury goody bag.
7
Garden Hub
Whether you have a courtyard or a
couple of acres our experts have plenty of
gardening tips to inform and inspire you.
There is something for everyone with talks
from David Archer from The Archers,
Aaron Bertelsen, Francine Raymond and
many more.
Ashford
Ashford &
Tenterden
Tenterden
• Aveda 45-minute stressfix
full body massage
in the privacy of our
luxurious beauty room.
HOW TO ENTER: To be
in with a chance to win this
fantastic prize head down
to the Wealden Times
tent located at the bottom
of the showground.
Terms and conditions: The prize
draw is not open to employees
of Fenwick Ltd, employees
of concessions trading within
Fenwick or their families.
Treatments may be booked
at separate times. Expiry
date 31st October 2018.
the art of the
prIntmaker
¬
IncludIng examples by norman ackroyd,
mIck rooney, keIth purser, dave mckean and more.
technIques and works from some of brItaIn’s
leadIng contemporary prIntmakers.
_
12th may - 10th June
107 hIgh street rye tn31 7Je www.ryeartgallery.co.uk
RyeArtGalleryWT195.indd 1 09/04/2018 GrahamClarkeWT195.indd 14:17
1 16/04/2018 10:34
West End House
Art Gallery
The Long View
Extraordinary photographs by Evans+Hulf
28th April to 28th May 2018
Gallery open Thursday to Monday 10am-5pm
West End House, Water Lane, Smarden, Kent TN27 8QB • 01233 770261
www.west-end-house-gallery.co.uk • spike.pia@west-end-house-gallery.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
86
WestEndHouseGalleryWT195.indd 1 16/04/2018 14:08
Capturing moments
Artists and gallery directors consider the enduring appeal of still life paintings
Liz Gilmore
Director of the Jerwood Gallery, Hastings
My first job was as an educationalist and lecturer at the
National Gallery in London. You only have to walk
through those galleries to understand the enduring appeal
of the still life paintings from the 1400s onwards.
Still life painting from the late 16th century displays
in exquisite detail the new excitement of the new finds
arriving in Europe from sea exploration. Fruits and
flowers from ‘exotic’ places became status symbols for
those commissioning still life paintings. Then there is the
drama of light and subject matter captured in the vanitas
paintings, which used skulls and other symbolism to convey
clear Christian messages about the transience of life.
I was always struck by the freshness and vibrancy of those
works which I know continue to be a source of inspiration
for artists today. Jerwood Gallery in Hastings was built to
house the Jerwood Collection of modern and contemporary
British art and to have a changing programme of exhibitions.
The Collection evolved from the personal interests
of its collector, Alan Grieve and still life has been a core
Paul Feiler, Still Life with Fruit, 1949
“Every decade of Modern British art is
represented through still life at the Jerwood”
theme throughout its evolution. One of the first works
acquired was Frank Brangwyn’s, From my Window
at Ditchling (below right). Painted around 1925, it
captures an open window view into East Sussex, with
four vases dominating the foreground window ledge.
Every decade of Modern British work is represented
through still life, from Dod Procter in the 1930s; John
Craxton, Matthew Smith in the 40s; Anne Redpath in the
50s; John Bratby and William Scott, in the 60s and 70s.
Our latest exhibition is a retrospective of a fascinating
Modern British artist, born in Frankfurt, Paul Feiler. Our
visitors know him well from the fabulous abstract work
Chrome and Lemon (1956), it’s one of our visitors’ favourite
works from the collection. They will be pleased and surprised,
I’m sure, to see a diminutive little early work by him, a still
life of apples, Still Life With Fruit, from 1949 (above right).
Last year we did an exhibition of studio wall paintings by
Turner Prize-winning artist Keith Tyson, which was a kind
of 20 year visual diary. It was a fabulous and immersive show
capturing his fascination with still life via his flower paintings.
My favourite still life in the collection would probably be
a wrestle between a simple little black and white linocut by
Ben Nicholson (Three Mugs and a Bowl, 1928) which has
a wonderful sense of line and touch and a work by David
Sir Frank Brangwyn, From my Window at Ditchling,
c. 1925 © The Estate of Frank Brangwyn by kind
permission of David Brangwyn
Bomberg (Flowers in a Terracotta Pot, 1945). There is a real
poignancy to both. Bomberg began painting flowers when
his wife bought them to encourage him to paint something
to lift him out of a deep depression. After that he would go
to the market every day to buy fresh flowers to paint. This
harks back to the symbolic and expressive qualities of still life.
Jerwood Gallery, Rock-a-Nore Road, Hastings Old
Town, TN34 3DW 01424 728377 jerwoodgallery.org
87 wealdentimes.co.uk
Annie Waring
West End House Gallery, Smarden
Clematis and Japanese Anemones in Jam Jar £550
Chinese Pots and Pilea £550
Three Lemons £450
When did you start painting still life? Relatively recently.
I’ve always painted, it’s my favourite thing, but I trained as a
textile designer at Middlesex Polytechnic and used to design
patterns for tableware, which was sold in Liberty in London
and in Henri Bendel in New York. I’d always start with some
inspiration, such as flowers or other natural things, but as I
did more and more painting, that became the thing rather
than designing.
When my husband got the job as art director for Vogue in
Australia, we moved to Sydney and it put a very abrupt stop to
painting the china. When we came back I was just painting for
pleasure, then I did the September art show in Wadhurst, then
Cranbrook, then West End House Gallery took me to London
to do the Affordable Art Show and suddenly I got several
galleries. Instagram has also been very useful.
How do you select the subjects of each piece?
I’ve got several themes, but I particularly like wild flowers.
It’s whatever’s out there. Catkins! dandelions! Quick, grab
some and start painting. So it’s seasonal. I never work from
photographs and always in natural light. I do two sittings for
each painting. I do as much as I can in the first day and fiddle
a bit another day. Wildflowers don’t last so I have to work fast.
I go out first thing in the morning, grab some things, stuff
them in a jam jar, take them home and paint them.
As the light moves around the room, the flowers change.
Some magnolia flowers I picked this morning, for example,
have closed now, they are unrecognisable from how they
started – but that’s how you get the life into the painting,
because they’re constantly moving, not a perfect botanical
illustration. That’s what puts the feeling into it.
What materials do you use and where do you work?
I work with oils on board, in a tiny lean-to studio we built on
to the house. It’s north facing and very light.
Who do you admire as a painter of still lifes?
Lots of early 20th century people, Winifred Nicholson, Anne
Redpath, William Nicholson, Euan Uglow… and obviously,
Matisse.
Annie Waring’s paintings are available at West End House
Gallery, Water Lane, Smarden, Kent TN27 8QB
01233 770261 west-end-house-gallery.co.uk
Collection of Vessels £650
88
21 April – 8 July 2018
Rock-a-Nore Road
Hastings Old Town TN34 3DW
jerwoodgallery.org
#FeilerOneHundredYears
WingGalleryWT195.indd 1 23/04/2018 10:22
wealdentimes.co.uk
90
ArtichokeGalleryWT195.indd 1 17/04/2018 14:51
A Pair Of Old Shoes
(in the style of Vincent Van Gogh 1888)
John Myatt
Castle Galleries
Oleanders
(in the style of Vincent Van Gogh)
Still Life with Apples and Oranges
(in the style of Paul Cezanne 1898)
You have created genuine copies of some of the greatest artworks in
history - what do you think makes a great still life?
If you start with Cezanne there’s a whole way of thinking about still life
painting which is completely different to how they would have thought
about it 100 years earlier, when they would have been hanging up
peacocks and dead hares.
At one point artists were moving toward photographic realism, but
when the photograph came along it changed the whole way of looking at
objects. So by the turn of the 20th century the still life became a pretext.
If you think of Picasso and Braque, the Cubists, their still lifes are titled
‘Jug and Guitar’ but are very hard to read. Artists have projected their
own needs onto the still life format for 100 years.
It has survived right into that format to today. Now it’s a way of
showing how good you are with the basic challenges of painting, which
are composition, colour balance and drawing. That avenue was opened
up particularly by Picasso and Matisse.
Which painters of still life do you particularly admire?
Ben Nicholson. The way an artist in the post-war period used a very
small repertoire of jugs and goblets for gigantic abstract paintings and
very small ones. You can decipher a Nicolson painting by looking at the
handles and the spouts, they’re a kind of abstract music of colour and
form and texture, I like him a lot.
What is the appeal of painting still lifes rather than other genres?
Logistics. Still life you can set up in the studio, it doesn’t matter if it’s
raining, you are in charge of the set up and the lighting. Cezanne and
Monet painted flowers when it was too wet to go out - and of course
flower paintings are very commercial. I’ve just been looking at Van
Gogh’s painting of his old boots. He showed still life could serve an
expressionist purpose, it could channel emotion, which no one had
showed before.
How do you get into the head of a particular artist?
I have some genuine fakes of Cezanne still life paintings in the studio at
the moment, they’re going onto a film set. You look at line, colour, form,
texture, composition and so forth.
Do you ever add your own little tweaks or touches?
Always! Unless a customer comes along and says can you do a ‘copy’. I
always ask for a massive amount of money and hope they’ll say no. For
my own work if I’m doing, say, Renoir, Monet, or Dufy, I start off with
an idea they may have had, and then I’ll be wandering around and see
something interesting and I’ll put it in my painting.
Original art and hand signed limited edition prints by John Myatt
are available to buy from Castle Galleries Tunbridge Wells Gallery,
Castle Fine Art, 45 High St, Tunbridge Wells TN1 1XL 01892
267070 castlegalleries.com
Still Life - Granite
(in the style of Ben Nicholoson)
Still Life - Dark Umber Effect
(in the style of Ben Nicholson 1955)
Images by John Myatt © Washington Green 2018
91
Umber Ground Still Life
(in the style of Ben Nicholson)
Myles Oxenford, Arrangement with Anemones £2250
Sue Thomas
Gallery Director at McAllister Thomas
Are any particular still life themes popular at the moment?
Natural florals tend to be more popular than man-made
objects. People who love flowers are often drawn to them,
especially this time of year, but it does tend to go with seasons.
Are there any particular artists at your gallery which focus
on this genre?
Emma Haggas paints what she calls her ‘happy flowers’, very
loose still lifes with lots of vibrant bright colours. We have a
beautiful piece by her at the moment called Fresh Flowers.
Then there’s Miles Oxenford, a very interesting artist. He
used to do a lot of landscapes, but his wife does all the flowers
for Rick Stein restaurants, and after sharing a studio with
her he got to appreciate the beauty of flowers and now uses
them in his still lifes. He is more classical and uses a stunning
palette of pastel tones.
Antonio Bellotti often uses vases as subject matter. What’s
really interesting is that when he does his paintings he finds a
vintage frame to go with them, so you get it as a whole object.
He will not split them apart.
Linda Felcey is different again as she works on aluminium,
but is still quite classical and she tends to put branches in a
bowl with some butterflies or something on the side.
All our artists are individual in style. It’s very important for
us to have a lot of variety to offer our customers, different
styles, palettes and skills. Some art is almost stereotypical,
but our artists are all very distinctive and you always get
something truly original.
What is the best way to go about choosing a piece of art?
I think buying art online is very difficult. It’s good to look
there first to get the feel of what you like, but you get a light
on screen which gives you an almost false image which will
never be the same as looking at it in real life. If you have a
particular artist that you love then you may wish to look at
where you can get their work and go from there, or likewise
if there is a colour palette you like then you can look this up
online before visiting a gallery.
What makes still life different from other genres?
Most artists will set up an arrangement and work in the
studio, so they have a lot of control over the composition of
the subject matter. They are also very versatile, you can hang
Below: Emma Haggas, Happy Flowers £2850
Linda Felcy, Summer Brood £1800
a still life anywhere, whereas if you buy a landscape it’s very
much tied to a specific place.
McAllister Thomas Fine Art, 117 High Street, Godalming,
Surrey GU7 1AQ 01483 860591
mcallisterthomasfineart.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
92
Castle Fine Art is celebrating 25
years of one of the world’s most
acclaimed photographers.
The sun never sets for fashion
photographer turned fine artist,
Raphael Mazzucco, as beautifully
illustrated in this new collector’s
edition book; The Never-Ending
Summer. With stunning behind
the scenes photography and
exclusive memoirs from his
closest family, models and
muses, a host of contemporaries
and of course his own journal, this
publication paints a fascinating
picture of life on location with this
extraordinary artist.
Beautifully curated, and produced
to the highest quality, The Never-
Ending Summer
is the finishing
touch to any home library or
coffee table. Available to purchase
online or from your local gallery.
To find your closest gallery please
visit castlegalleries.com
wealdentimes.co.uk
94
The rebirth of cool
A St Leonards-on-Sea seafront mansion is brought back to dazzling life
Words: Antonia Methuen Photographs: David Merewether Styling: Leida Nassir-Pour
95 wealdentimes.co.uk
Previous page: The main living space is in what was
originally the ballroom of the house. The paintings
are by house owner Ed Williams, inspired by the
Soviet-era artworks in the nearby Baker Mamonova
Gallery This page: The couple restored the original
stone staircase and wrought iron bannisters. Original
drawings by Gerry Whale
Houses by the seaside always have a special
atmosphere. It might be the marine light
and big skies, or perhaps it’s the sense
of finality to the view, knowing that nothing will
ever replace the seascape that ebbs and flows in
perpetual motion outside. Maybe it’s the collective
holiday memories of generations of Brits, lured
to the kiss-me-quick candyfloss of good times.
Whatever the reason, it was the pull of the East
Sussex seaside that first drew architect and artist
Ed Williams and leadership consultant Moyra
Weston to Hastings and its shingle-lined seafront.
The couple’s impressive six-storey terrace is located
on the grand row of houses that is the Marina in St
Leonards-on-Sea. Designed by architect Decimus
Burton in the early 19th century, when the town
was the pleasure ground of the British aristocracy,
the building is the couple’s latest seafront acquisition
as the once run-down town rapidly transforms.
But more than just a savvy investment, it’s a
home to which the couple plan to move full time,
as soon as their busy lives in London will allow.
“It’s so bizarre,” says Moyra. “About
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Above: The peacock light on the half landing is by local lighting artist Philip Oakley. An original piece from Blackpool Illuminations,
the lights come on in moving sequence as you walk past
twenty years ago, I visualised where I wanted to end up
living and I knew it would have to be by the seaside,
but I also knew it would need to have trees and nature
nearby, but I wasn’t sure how that could ever work.”
With a huge smile, she looks from her kitchen, across the
enormous open-plan living area, mesmerised by the waves
gently rolling at the front of her apartment. Behind her, to
the rear of the property a series of palm trees sway gently
in her sunshine-bathed garden. “I think I’m really lucky!”
Standing in the first-floor apartment, in a space
formerly known as the ballroom, you can’t help but agree.
Ignoring the advice of the local agents, who suggested
they create a three-bedroom flat, Ed and Moyra went
bold and chose to open up the space to create a larger
room for expansive living and entertaining, with one
small bedroom and wet room set to the back.
It was the nearby Art Deco masterpiece of Marine Court
that first attracted the couple to St Leonards/Hastings (the
towns are joined). Moyra remembered visiting as a child,
but it wasn’t until they bought their first flat in that iconic
listed building, that she did some digging and realised several
generations of her family had originally come from Hastings.
The couple, who are based during the week in
London’s Peckham (another area firmly on the up)
99 wealdentimes.co.uk
This page: The main living area has floor-length
windows with views out to sea. The rattan chaise longue
is by Poul Kjaerholm
went on to develop five of the modernist flats in the
apartment block, before taking the plunge with the
current project, planning it to be for themselves.
Three years ago they bought the terraced building
with another a couple, a colleague of Ed’s from his
architectural practice Fletcher Priest and the two
couples split the building. Ed and Moyra took the
bottom three floors, their friends the top three.
For Ed, who normally works on major civic and
corporate building commissions, the renovation of the
house was a true labour of love. Moyra remembers,
“It was a complete slum. When we first looked at the
building water was pouring from the roof down through
the entire house. There were single bedsits crammed
into each floor – it was really quite shocking.”
The changing fortunes of this one building are neatly
reflective of the progress of Hastings and St Leonards,
the town. What started as a smart seaside home for a
grand London family and their staff, then became a
hotel. In the latter part of the 20th century the house
fell into complete disrepair, as such well-heeled types
chose to holiday in more exotic climes. Now these
extraordinary buildings are being saved by people like Ed
and Moyra and the face of the town is being renovated.
Outside, the bright white stucco front of the building
instantly makes its crisply painted presence felt. A new
zinc curved canopy sits proudly over the first-floor balcony
and the immaculate black gloss iron work glints in the
sunshine. A yellow neon house number sits cheekily above
the cool grey front door, giving a nod to what sits behind.
“The rest of the buildings all have gold painted numbers,”
says Ed. “So we wanted something that connected to them,
but would also make its own contemporary statement.”
Stepping inside, “It was very important to us to keep
the dimensions of the hallway open and generous,” says
Moyra, standing at the foot of a sweeping stone staircase that
elegantly dominates the area. The creamy white stone looks
contemporary, but feels entirely Georgian in design – an effect
that took many hours of work to achieve as the staircase had
been covered in thick layers of discoloured gloss paint
wealdentimes.co.uk
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Above: Looking from the sitting area into the kitchen. The leather sofa is by Heals. The armchair is from Tilt St. Leonards. The metal
ceiling light is by Dutch company Moooi. A giant roll of cord from vintage haberdashers Wayward is used as a side table
and an old sticky carpet. A smart dark grey carpet now adds
instant warmth to the area and complements the dark grey
wood panelling that sits elegantly below the dado rail.
The couple decided to keep the original ground floor
doors in place, as dummy doors, in order to give a sense of
the old building and the old entrance hall. In fact this is a
theme that runs throughout this highly sensitive renovation,
a meeting of the old and the new, both working in perfect
harmony. As Ed says, “If it was still here and original, we
would repair it. But everything else is contemporary.”
The intricate ironwork of the stair’s balustrade and pleasing
waxed wooden handrail leads you to the first surprise of
the building. On the first-floor landing, a brightly coloured
peacock installation by local lighting artist Philip Oakley has
been set with a motion sensor and jumps into life as you pass.
“I never stop smiling,” says Moyra as the tail feathers of
the bird burst into a rainbow of primary colours. It was she
who had spotted the piece when the couple had first visited
Oakley’s incredible lighting emporium in St Leonards.
“Luckily for me, Ed gave it to me as a birthday present,
and as our neighbours also loved it, we all felt the public
area of the building would be the perfect home for it.”
These common parts reveal the building’s special
atmosphere. Although they share the space with their
103 wealdentimes.co.uk
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Previous page: Dieter Rams’ shelving by Vitsoe Above left: The garden seen through the kitchen window at the back of the house.
The vintage haberdasher’s cabinet is from ebay Above right: Looking the other way, towards the sea. The refectory table is from
London Rd. and the stools are from Object
friends, who have kept a weekend apartment on the second
floor for themselves, there are two further flats, also part of
the new renovation, which are now rented out at the top
of the building. Yet it still feels like one big family home.
On the ground floor Ed and Moyra have kept a separate
light filled one-bedroom apartment that they currently
offer for Airbnb. For anyone visiting Hastings for the
weekend, you couldn’t hope to find a better place to stay.
“The idea is that eventually, when we finally
move full time to Hastings, we will put an internal
spiral staircase in and connect the ground and first
floors together and create a duplex,” says Ed.
For now the couple have the joy of having weekends
with prime views across the sea from their reception
room and open plan kitchen and dining room. Three
floor-to-ceiling windows, cleverly re-appropriated in
triple glazed thin profile aluminium, let you almost
swim right into the rolling waves of the sea.
To the back of the building, visible through the huge
original kitchen casement window, is a wall of green.
Despite being north facing, the steeply terraced garden
is bathed in light and sits against the cliff face, giving a
complete vision of slowly moving green of the bushes and
trees. Moyra and Ed are living the best of both worlds.
The architecture of the main living room has been
allowed to sing. Plain white painted walls let the most
intricate and exquisite cornicing stand centre stage and
a stunning ceiling rose is a triumph of the old that the
couple have also brought back to life. A modern metal
pendant light, from uber cool Dutch brand Moooi,
hangs at the centre of the reception room, with a
smaller one in the free-flowing kitchen dining room.
Much of the renovation was simply taking the building
back to its original dimensions, rooms opened up back
to their foot plans, columns, tiled fireplaces and
original mosaic flooring discovered and repaired.
107 wealdentimes.co.uk
You can almost hear the
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that its former glory has at
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This page above: Looking from the kitchen back towards the living area. The
light on the wall is another piece by Philip Oakley
“We didn’t spend a fortune on the kitchen,
it’s just very white and minimal from Howdens,
but of course we needed to add our own
touch,” says Ed running his finger over the
immaculate stainless steel kitchen counter
surface, which was fabricated locally.
The couple chose not to have a splashback,
preferring to keep the lines clean which means
that the kitchen flows seamlessly from the
reception room, working as a dining room and
a work space. A refectory table and benches
and a series of pendant light bulbs offer the
perfect studio area for Ed, who, since moving
to Hastings, has picked up his paintbrush
once again. Following the purchase of a series
of original Russian TASS agency propaganda
posters from local dealer Russell Baker at the
Baker Mamonova Gallery on Norman Road,
Ed is now creating his own versions in paint,
including the neighbouring Marine Court,
which obviously still has a place in their hearts.
Throughout the property, the stripped
back original pine floors give a feeling
of warmth, helped by new underfloor
heating and insulation. The pine floors also
dictated much of Moyra and Ed’s furniture
choices throughout the space. Mid-century
modern and Scandinavian classics from
the likes of Alvar Aalto and Hans Wegner
sourced from dealers such as Acme in
Bexhill, sit with eBay finds including
111 wealdentimes.co.uk
Above: The bedroom, at the back of the apartment, with a window to the bathroom behind. The chair is by Niko Kralj
Below left: The steel-framed doors were made by a local craftsman. The chairs are originals by Alvar Aalto from De La Warr Pavilion
in Bexhill Below right: Steps from the kitchen down to the bathroom and bedroom
wealdentimes.co.uk
112
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This page: Moyra and Ed have converted the ground floor into
a separate apartment they rent out via Airbnb. The spectacular
fireplace is original
Moyra’s prized haberdashery cabinet, a wonderful
conversation piece of a storage cabinet in the kitchen.
A giant roll of cord from local haberdashers Wayward has
been transformed into a side table and an old French breadbasket,
discovered in Sideshow Antiques on Norman Road, has
been turned into a fireplace wood basket. Architect favourite
Dieter Rams’ shelving by Vitsoe offers touches of modern
convenience within the minimalist yet very warm aesthetic.
As with everything the couple have done throughout
this most personal of renovations, the devil is very much
in the detail. The nods to the building’s past, its unique
design and architectural heritage, sit side by side with all
the tricks of a contemporary architect, working at the
height of the industry. Together Ed and Moyra have created
a home that will look after them both for many years
to come. You can almost hear the building singing with
happiness that its former glory has at last been returned.
Moyra and Ed would particularly like to highlight the
role played by Patrick and Ylli Ajvazi, whose positive and
professional work and energy really helped create this new
version of the house. Sadly Patrick passed away from cancer
towards the end of the renovation. He made an incredible
difference to this beautiful house.
wealdentimes.co.uk
114
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Restoration
& New Build
A Wealden Times Supplement
Glass doors • Timber frame extensions • Architect designed houses
As solid as an oak pg 21 Total transparency pg 7
WT Supplement
Contents
Glass doors pg 7
Architect designed houses pg 15
5 Renovate – and celebrate
Simple refurbishments to up the value of your home
7 Total transparency
A window into the world of feature glass walls
13 Raising the roof
Hilary Wilce tells us about her experience getting a
home designed to order
15 Grand designs
Architects explain the process of designing a house
from scratch and renovating listed properties
19 Inside out
All you need to know about Garden Buildings
21 As solid as an oak
The experts explain the fine details of the finest
timber-framed extensions
Architect designed homes pg15
Editor’s Letter
I
must confess to a more than professional involvement
in putting together this supplement – as I am a homeowner
in the process of renovating a house with an
extension to create the all important eat-in kitchen.
I spend my lunch times flicking through back images of
this magazine and my evenings on Pinterest looking for
ideas – but what is harder to come by is expert advice on
how to make them reality.
So I am delighted to present to you a wealth of exactly
such advice from people who have worked as specialists in
their aspect of home building and renovation for decades.
Enjoy your Restoration & New Build supplement.
Glass doors pg 7
Glass doors pg 7
A first-hand account of buidling a bespoke home pg 13
Design & Planning
Restoration
New Build
Barn Conversions
Extensions
Joinery
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WT Restoration & New Build Supplement
Renovate
and CELEBRATE
It’s official, you can add thousands to the value of your home with well-chosen, simple refurbishments
It’s not just the stuff of dinner party conversations – the slightly annoying
kind where smug people boast about how much their houses are worth.
When someone says, “We’ve just put a loo in the cupboard under our
stairs and added more than £26 grand to the value of our house and it only
cost us two and a half to put it in…” it’s a matter of fact. (Although still
annoying of them to boast about it.)
Figures released recently by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) and
the Home Owners Alliance have confirmed exactly how much we can add
to the value of our homes with different additions and renovations, via an
extensive research project involving estate agents and builders.
And, making it all even more appealing, all the projects they studied can
be done in two weeks or under.
Here are the official numbers for the value increase after various home
improvements in the South East – and it’s no surprise to find out that the
two biggest value swellers are things we are very keen on at this magazine:
adding a garden room and creating an eat-in kitchen.
Putting a
downstairs
LOO under the
stairs adds
£26,708
Making simple
KITCHEN
IMPROVEMENTS
such as new cabinet
doors, flooring and
worktops adds
£26,708
Putting in
a garden
room adds
£ 35, 611
Knocking
through to create
an open plan
eat-in kitchen
adds
£31,160
Creating an
en suite off
the master
bedroom adds
£11,128
Putting
decking and
lighting in the
back garden adds
£7,790
Improving
the drive
£13,354
5 wealdentimes.co.uk
DESIGN & PLANNING | RESTORATION | NEW BUILD | BARN CONVERSIONS | EXTENSIONS | JOINERY
For a brochure or home consultation call 01797 366895
www.anthony-hicks.co.uk
Vision ultra slimline sliding doors
Total transparency
A feature glass wall is the great home aspiration of our times, but the choices
can be bewildering – so we’ve asked some experts to explain the options
Here and above: bifold doors
Tom Ellis of YES Glazing
What are the main options for glass
doors? Sliding doors and bifolding
doors are the two most popular options
for large expanses of glass doors. More
conventional French-style patio doors
are another option - and indeed the
only option if you want Crittall steelframed
doors - but for larger openings
that can really provide a seamless link
between outside and inside spaces,
sliding or bifold doors are the favoured
choice.
What are the relative advantages
of the different kinds of doors?
The choice boils down to the type
of opening required and the amount
of visible frame taking up the view.
French style patio doors swing (usually
outwards), so there will need to be
adequate room outside for the doors
to swing open. They are also restricted
by the possible width of the opening,
which is restricted by the weight of
the doors - double doors in Crittall for
instance can have a maximum width of
1830mm - although surrounding panels
can be fitted so at least the ‘wall of glass’
effect can still be achieved, even if not
all of it can be opened.
Bifold and sliding doors can have
massive openings, but bifold doors also
need adequate room on the opening
side for the folded panels of the doors
when opened. There must also be
room to stack the panels of doors once
opened (on both sides on a double
opening setup). Spans of up to 25
metres of bifolding doors are possible
with our Sunflex bifolding doors so you
can really open properties up to the
outside world.
Sliding doors allow the least
interrupted view. The sightlines on
our Ultraslim VISION sliding doors
system are just 24mm and panels can
be 3000mm wide – that’s three metres,
or nearly ten feet of glass. With a threepanel
system covering an area of nine
metres, that means just two visible
upright sightlines of 24mm (less than
an inch) each will be visible with the
doors shut.
In comparison, our slimmest
bifolding doors have sightlines of
115mm and a maximum panel size of
1200mm, so for the equivalent nine
metre opening, an eight-panel system
would be needed, and over 10 percent
of the glazing area would be sightlines.
So sliding doors really do offer the
Crittall windows and doors
7 wealdentimes.co.uk
WT Restoration & New Build Supplement
Bifold doors
best unspoilt view.
On the security side, modern
technology and top-grade precision
engineering on both the bifolding and
sliding doors means that either system
offers unsurpassed security that far
exceeds building regulations, and also
gives outstanding weather ratings.
The U-values (measures of how
much heat windows allow to escape)
on the thermally broken aluminium
systems are very low indeed, and a
range of glazing options can enhance
the features required – solar protection
glass, sound proofing and so on.
Are there any kinds you would
advise against? The British weather
often limits how often a set of doors
can realistically be left open and we
often see just the one door of a set
of bifolding doors being used which
makes it seem a bit pointless to have
them. This is another reason people
tend to choose sliding doors instead.
However, if the opening is not
especially wide, say less than 3 metres,
then bifolds would enable a wider
possible opening door area; bifolds
can provide up to 95% clear opening
of the maximum door width. Sliding
doors will always have at least one
panel width remaining in the doorway
at all times, so this must be taken into
consideration.
Of course, when space prohibits the
opening of certain doors, such as an
upwards sloped garden, then sliding
doors are the only viable option.
What are the options in sliding
doors? Our sliding doors come in a
range of over 200 colours. We offer
some colours as standard, so there is a
slight cost increase and possible longer
lead time for the more unusual colours.
The handles and furniture can be
configured and personalised.
There are various track options, such
as the popular flush track, where the
running gear is recessed into the floor
to provide a seamless run from indoors
to outdoors when the doors are open.
Moveable corner posts can be specified
to create ‘infinity corners’ with no
pillar in the way when the doors on a
corner are open.
What about glazed French windows
– is there still a place for them? Very
much so. Classic styles will always find
a place in certain homes, especially
when the modern look is not called for.
A period house may not suit modern
architecture, and listed properties or
houses in conservation areas may be
restricted to fitting only certain styles.
As mentioned, Crittall steel frame
windows are only available in French
doors, and the Crittall look is also very
much in vogue.
You are an official Crittall supplier,
what is the appeal of these most
fashionable windows and doors? The
Crittall company and its steel-framed
windows have been around for nearly
two centuries, so it has a heritage that
many companies cannot even dream
of. Once you recognise Crittall, you
see it everywhere, including worldwide
in many famous buildings. There is
a timeless elegance to Crittall, and
the modern product has advanced so
much it is virtually maintenance free.
The price can put it out of reach of
some, which increases its appeal further
amongst wealthy clients.
The Crittall factory process involves
a small army of skilled craftsmen
making adjustments by hand – this
has to be one of the few remaining
factories doing this. The intricacies
of steel make this process impossible
to automate, hence the final product
has a very personal input from the
manufacturer. The slight imperfections
in the finish of the steel give a very
desirable aging effect to the material
too, something that cannot be replicated
in other products.
What would be a cheaper option to
get a similar modernist effect? We
also offer an aluminium product that
can give a similar style at a slightly
reduced cost. Our heritage aluminium
range have slightly thicker frames so
will not appeal to everybody, but it
does have the advantage of the frame
being thermally broken, so will be
more efficient at keeping the heat
when necessary. In our opinion though
nothing really compares to genuine
Crittall, it really is something quite
magical, and has a style all of its own.
What exciting developments are there
in glass technology? Switchable privacy
glass is a feature that really appeals to
people – a small electrical charge alters
the state of the glazing from transparent
to translucent or opaque. No need for
curtains or blinds any more, privacy at
the touch of a button.
OLED technology incorporated into
glass will offer new lighting source
possibilities, and integration of display
technology may mean we all start
looking at the window to watch movies
or see news articles. The technology is
almost ready, so the future is not so far
away at all.
Can you tell me about a really
special project your company has
been involved in? We specifically
designed the VISION sliding door
system ourselves, trying to take the
best features we saw in other sliding
doors and improve on them to make a
special product that really performed
well. Every set of slim sliding doors we
install really puts a satisfactory feeling of
accomplishment in our minds. It really
means something to us when people
choose the VISION system since we
spent many hours finely designing the
very best system we could.
YES Glazing Solutions, Great South
Street Farm, Biggin Hill, Westerham
TN16 2HP 0808 159 1506
yesglazing.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
8
15
RobinsonWaters
Kitchen
Lintel
ARCHITECTS
54
new build?
renovation?
extension?
Cloakroom.
UP.
Entrance Hall
Entrance
Lobby
Winner
The Worshipful Company
of Tylers and Bricklayers
Triennial Award 2017
“The highest standard of craftsmanship and roof
tiling seen in the long history of the awards”
– Bob Allies (Chairman of Assessors)
ARCHITECTURE
steel beam.
Innovative and practical
Personal and professional
Sustainable and affordable
Contemporary and traditional
Sitting Room
Study
Lintel
11
Lintel
Finished Level Ground Floor 100.250
3263
architects@robinsonwaters.co.uk
Tel: 01580 754806
www.robinsonwaters.co.uk
8
Photo Claire Banks
For free quotations and professional advice
01797 270268 or visit www.kentpegs.com
studios:
sevenoaks
hawkhurst
RobinsonWatersWT155.indd 1 09/12/2014 KarlTerryWT186.indd 14:40
1 19/07/2017 15:56
Lintel
2373
58
Internal area of the Ground Floor 121.4 sq. metres.
hastings
SPECIALIST PLANNING ADVICE
Residential Development
and Extensions
Listed Buildings
Equestrian
Planning Appeals
Permitted Development
Agri Business
Renewable Energy
Certificate of Lawfulness
Rural Buildings
Objections
Local Plan Submission
www.therpp.co.uk
CRANBROOK
01580 201888
office@therpp.co.uk
CIRENCESTER
01285 323200
9 wealdentimes.co.uk
RuralPlanningPracticeWT190.indd 1 13/11/2017 CrownOakBuildingsWT195.indd 12:37
1 13/04/2018 11:16
WT Restoration & New Build Supplement
Above: Visoglide sliding patio doors
Below and left: Visofold bi-fold doors
Oliver Dolan - The Window Sanctuary
What are the options for glass doors?
The restrictions depend on the size
of doors required. We sell timber,
aluminium and composite (PVC) doors,
but if you are building an extension
I would only recommend aluminium
because that is going to give you the
slimmest sight lines and it doesn’t
contract with heat and cold, as wood
and PVC do. With doors closing with
bolts the last thing you want is bending
and contracting. Another advantage
of aluminium is that there is no
maintenance. You don’t have to repaint
them every three or four years, all you
have to do is wipe them down with hot
water. And whatever they say, PVC have
a limited life span.
You can have over 200 standard RAL
colours in aluminium and one of the
bonuses of the aluminium we use is that
they do 20 stock colours that you can
choose at no extra cost.
My family has over 50 years’s experience
in this field. We don’t manufacture
ourselves but we use local fabricators
who have pumped millions of pounds
into research over the years, so all our
customers benefit from that.
We are approved installer of Smart
Aluminum Systems, everything is
bespoke. We advise, estimate, quote, get
them made and installed and they are
guaranteed for 10 years.
What are the relative advantages of
the different kinds of doors?
This is where it comes down to
aesthetics, whether you are trying to
match a period of house, or a more
contemporary look.
If you are trying to maximise the glass
area, to get as much glass in as possible,
bifold doors used to be the trend, but
there are restrictions on the size of each
panel, narrower than for sliding doors.
With bifolds you can open up a
complete clear space, but you have to
have the space to stack them at the
sides. Sliding doors now can have triple
tracks and get a good wide opening.
The slimmest you are going to find
are sliding doors; when they are closed
there is only 36mm where they meet.
What about security?
Glass doors have very high security
now and there have also been great
improvements in the look of the closing
fixtures. Handles and pullies are not so
obtrusive, not big and heavy duty. You
can choose black, aluminium, white,
chrome… whatever goes best with your
interior. They are a lot more discreet.
What alternatives do you suggest to
Crittall steel-framed doors? We do a
nice slim Crittall lookalike called Smart
Alitherm Heritage. We have a set in our
showroom so you can see what they
look like. We can also do them as fixed
walls and room dividers, there are no
openings we can’t do in this style.
What exciting developments are there
in glass technology?
There are all kinds of glass solutions
now, including self-cleaning glass and
anti-sun glass with a slight tint to it.
In the summer the heat will bounce
off and in the winter it keeps it in and
keeps the room warmer.
You can also have blinds between two
panes of glass, which work manually
or by remote control and you can
have double and triple glazing even on
sliding patio doors, although double is
generally more than enough.
Do you have any other advice? We
have a showroom in Brasted with all of
the windows and doors we offer under
one roof. We invite people to come
in and play around with the doors,
as though it’s your home and offer an
unbiased free advice service.
The Window Sanctuary, 4 High Street,
Brasted, Westerham, Kent TN16 1JA
01959 565343 thewindowsanctuary.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
10
monarchoak
Oak Frame Buildings
Over 50 years’ experience making oak frame buildings
• Garages
• Garden Rooms
• Complexes
• Gazebos
• Bespoke Buildings
01323 765410 Quality in its finest form
www.monarchoak.co.uk
MonarchOakWT147.indd 1 15/04/2014 GraceyardWT194.indd 15:06
1 09/03/2018 14:23
4 Yard Skip £192 inc Vat
6 Yard Skip £228 inc Vat
8 Yard Skip £264 inc Vat
12 Yard Skip £360 inc Vat
11 wealdentimes.co.uk
GreenBoxRecyclingWT195.indd 1 23/04/2018 12:56
Specialising in newly built homes,
large scale extensions and
comprehensive renovations.
Using an honest and accurate approach
we can bring plans to life and support
you through each stage of your build
olivetreebuildingservices.co.uk | office@olivetreebuild.com | 01892 534168
Back From Black
Beam Renovation Ltd
Renovating Beams Since 1997
OliveTreeBuildingServicesWT195.indd 1 12/04/2018 16:54
“The Alternative To Blasting”
Renovating beams since 1997
01797 458508
www.beam-renovation.co.uk
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12
BackfromBlackWT195.indd 1 05/04/2018 17:21
WT Restoration & New Build Supplement
Hilary Wilce’s new house designed by Beasley Dickson
Raising the roof
Hilary Wilce shares what she learned having a brand new house – above – designed to order
Where did you live before this house? We lived in a lovely
18th century farmhouse in Hawkhurst.
What inspired you to go for a new build? We had supported
our son David Dickson through about a decade of training
as an architect and we had always said – as a joke - that our
payback would be for him to design a beautiful house for us.
Then it became that if we found an amazing site with beautiful
views we’d do it, but we never really thought it would happen.
Then we found the site.
Were you daunted by the idea of a modern house after
living in a lovely old one? We were ready to move from the
family home, we’d been there nearly 20 years, the children
had all left home and it was time to do something different.
Also, we have lived in America twice and in Africa and
Turkey, so we weren’t stuck in our ways, we are very open
minded and we had begun to crave light, which I think is
something that comes on as you grow older. There are a lot of
very beautiful houses in Kent but the price you pay is they’re
often very dark.
How did you work together on the style of the building?
We sat down and talked with David, walked around the plot.
We were all very much in agreement from the beginning.
Everyone thinks how fabulous it would be to do a new build
because you can do what you like, but you are never without
restrictions, from budget, the plot, building regs etc. This site
is quite narrow in one place and it was immediately obvious
to all of us that it needed to be an L shape, so the restrictions
informed the design.
Starting from nothing, how did you begin to form ideas
of what the house should look like? It’s a very wooded plot
and we all felt very strongly we had to put a wooden house
on it. The cladding is iroko wood, a sustainable hardwood
from West Africa, so it’s OK to use. Our son was keen on that
because it’s plain, without blemish. He sent us off to look at
houses in Dungeness that are clad in it and we loved it.
From the start we were clear we didn’t want to build an
ersatz Kent farmhouse, we felt a modern house should be a
modern house and not pretend to be anything else. I think
that comes from living in America where there are a lot of
very beautifully designed modern houses.
We also knew we wanted big windows, because this is a
beautiful plot with nice views in every direction. For the next
stage we turned it over to David and he sent us images to
look at and discuss. It was a long process, back and forth. We
all looked at the design website Houzz a lot, at the outsides of
houses, then inside for details of kitchens and bathrooms.
How about the specifics of the interior details? Working
with the architects they have all that expert knowledge about
things like which taps are well designed and last and different
kinds of limestone. They also advised us not to go completely
open plan, because you’ll have nowhere to hang paintings
and not to have too much glass, because you don’t want to
live in an aquarium, you need to feel enclosed. We were very
impressed by the considered nature of what they did for us.
I’ve got such new respect for everyone who works in construction,
it’s so complex. We had whole morning sessions on
the wiring diagrams and modified them as we went along,
then even once it was built, we added more sockets.
How long did it take? It took two years to sort out our
ideas and get them through planning, then another two years
to build. You need patience, but we finally moved in on
December 21st last year and the family came for Christmas.
What do you love most about it? It’s wonderfully warm with
underfloor heating and it’s amazing to walk around the house
and have it all one temperature. It’s magic to come down in
the morning and look out at the wildlife and the birds and
even on the darkest winter days we have lovely light. And
another thing we love – it came in close to the budget.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to anyone
who was thinking of building from scratch? Think about
who is going to project manage – you must have a good project
manager. Someone constantly going round with a list.
Beasley Dickson Architects beasleydickson.com
info@beasleydickson.com 0207415 7082
13 wealdentimes.co.uk
Design & Planning · Restoration · Extensions
Barn Conversions · New Build · Joinery
07762 771372 07799 766248
hazelwoodbuilding.co.uk info@hazelwoodbuilding.co.uk
HazelwoodWT195.indd 1 17/04/2018 17:11
wealdentimes.co.uk
14
SelbyDesignWT195.indd 1 16/04/2018 17:22
WT Restoration & New Build Supplement
GRAND
DESIGNS
Whether you are building a house from scratch, or renovating
a listed one, your architect will be your guiding light
Both pictures: Hale Brown’s project, The Drive
The New Build House
Simon Brown, Director of
Hale Brown Architects
There are all sorts of reasons why
a new build might be right for
you: a lifelong ambition, finding
the perfect site or perhaps an aspiration
to shape your own living environment.
Whatever the reason, it needn’t be a
daunting task to start from scratch.
First you will need to draw up a
‘Project Brief’. This can be a simple
wish-list, or you might try using
the internet to save a scrap book of
precedent images on your phone
or laptop. These may be pictures of
buildings, but they might also include
snapshots that illustrate a mood, quality
of light, colour or texture.
Rather than thinking of what needs
to be built, you might try focusing on
what it is that you want to achieve,
noting down all your requirements
and highlighting any challenges. Think
of your changing needs over time,
especially if this is going to be your
lifetime home.
This is the right time to talk to an
architect. Architects are professionally
trained to guide you through the whole
process from start to finish and to
see things from the broadest possible
perspective down to the smallest detail,
turning aspirations into reality.
Our first step takes your brief and
teases out what makes it tick. Working
with plans and sections we typically
start from the inside, organising the
size and sequence of spaces. Where is
the entrance and does the circulation
flow legibly to the principal rooms? Is
there an underlying logic, separating
entertainment from more private
rooms?
Plans can be difficult
to read, particularly
if you are not used
to them. Perspective
sketches, fly through
computer visuals and
real card models bring a
space to life and enable
you to inhabit a room,
considering its scale,
proportion and materiality.
The best houses seamlessly
integrate the inside with the outside,
responding sympathetically to their
environment. Every site is different, so
we look carefully at the surrounding
opportunities and constraints. How do
you enter the site? What is the sun’s
path over the course of a day? What
Picture frame
windows focusing
on a single view can
be just as powerful
as an entire wall of
sliding glass doors
views are there? Is there a strong local
or historical building character?
Where the sun rises and sets can
inform where the main living spaces
are orientated to make the best use
of morning or afternoon sun.Views
generate opportunities for drama!
Moving through a house can be
about telling a story by concealing
and revealing key views as you move
from space to space. Only a small
proportion of sites are located remotely
away from any neighbours. Carefully
sited buildings,
thoughtfully
orientated windows
and planted
boundaries can be
used to maintain
privacy and minimise
noise from roads.
We always
recommend keeping
an open mind
and allow the proposal to develop
organically. Like all creative processes,
there will be design development as
you go. Most important of all, give
yourself time, don’t be afraid to make
mistakes!
Hale Brown Architects Ltd
020 3735 7442 halebrown.com
15 wealdentimes.co.uk
WT Restoration & New Build Supplement
The listed building renovation
Jo Outram, architectural
designer Rural Planning Practice
I’ve been working as an architect
for about 30 years, originally in
London, in Hackney and Islington.
I ended up working with lots of listed
buildings because there were so many
of them in those areas and I soon found
it was much more interesting than
working on office blocks in Docklands,
because these projects come with a
welcome constraint, which adds a
creative challenge.
So when I moved to Kent, I was very
familiar with a Georgian townhouse,
but not so much with vernacular
architecture, so I did an MSc in
Building Conservation at the Weald and
Downland Museum, near Chichester.
Since then I’ve done a lot of
conversions of disused historic
agricultural buildings. It has been
recognized that it’s a way of saving
them; conserving the building, the
setting and the landscape character of
the High Weald. These can be easier
projects to manage than a building that
has always been a house.
If you’ve got a barn and you’re
converting it, it didn’t have windows in
the first place and you’re putting them
in for the first time for residential use,
and the Local Authority is more willing
to accept you putting in a modern
window. In fact they prefer something
more industrial looking.
With a house the whole subject
of windows is more complex. One
recent project involved some people
who have a timber-framed farmhouse
with medieval origins which had new
Pictures from Histoglass, showing examples of renovated windows on historical buildings
Above: A Russian cottage on Chatsworth Estate Below: Marlborough Place, London
windows installed in the 1980s, which
weren’t done very well.
In that case we did get permission
to take out all the 1980s windows and
put in double-glazed ones, but it took
a long time to win the conservation
officer round to the idea.
With a very old house originally it
would have had unglazed openings with
timber mullions, glazed windows were
installed later following the technology
and style of the period, so they start
looking at whatever the existing
windows are and if they are historically
important they want them to be
replicated.
In this farmhouse
there were a couple
of windows that were
a hundred years old
and they wanted us
to replicate those
throughout the building.
In the end we negotiated
a sensible compromise
with the Conservation Officer, a
solution everyone was happy with.
It does take more time and so many
people get into trouble with windows in
listed buildings, not realizing they can’t
just change them and it’s important
to remember that you might need
permission for external projects even
if the house isn’t listed, if you are in a
Conservation Area.
There is no escaping that it’s a lot
more expensive doing a renovation on
a listed house. Sometimes homeowners
don’t understand that something that
looks old and tatty is part of the historic
fabric. I’ve had the advantage of looking
at this stuff for years, so I know, but to
the untrained eye it can be hard to tell
the difference between one old brick
and another.
So many people
get into trouble
with windows and
listed buildings, not
realising you can’t
just change them
Traditional buildings were made of
timber, brick and lime mortar, so the
fabric of the building breathes and it’s
important to let damp through or it
gets trapped and degrades the fabric of
the building.
You need professional advice and you
should always use a building contractor
who has experience and a track record
with this kind of thing and will know
to use materials and methods which are
relevant to what you are working with.
Every single project on an old
building is completely different and
needs to begin with a thorough
investigation of what
you’re starting with and
how it’s evolved.
There will be many
different phases of
development in a
property and there
will be many different
elements to consider, to
ascertain what could be
altered without losing the significance
and character of the original building.
A great way to start is to go on the
Historic England website. They produce
a series of useful booklets on things like
converting agricultural buildings. A visit
to the Weald and Downland museum
is another great thing to do, to learn
about the period of the house you live
in – and it’s a great day out.
At college we were taught that
working with historic buildings was
learning about the past to improve the
future. It’s not just about preserving
things in aspic, but managing change
sensitively – and you do need expert
advice and support to achieve that.
Rural Planning Practice
01580 201888 therpp.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
16
Specialists in timber sash, casement,
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windows and doors
‘Discerning homeowners feel safer with
The Window Sanctuary’
Tel: 01959 565343
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enquiries@thewindowsanctuary.co.uk
Design, Extension, Renovation, Conversion, New Build,
Maintenance from a blocked gutter to a new roof.
All work carried out by our team of experienced craftsmen.
T: 01797 225950 / 01892 891874
www.jonraybuilding.co.uk M: 07778 808 950
WindowSanctuaryWT195.indd 1 11/04/2018 JonRayWT149.indd 12:03
1 23/06/2014 12:19
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17 wealdentimes.co.uk
CPGlassWT194.indd 1 08/03/2018 17:01
A.T. Palmer Ltd
Restoration Specialists Est.1949
| Employed Skilled Workforce
| Renovations & Extensions
| Conversions & Alterations
| Design & Build
T: 01233 770077
Smarden Business Estate, TN27 8QL
atpalmer.co.uk
WT Restoration & New Build Supplement
Inside out
Build a home away from home, just a few steps from your back door with a garden building
Yolanda Olson of Olson Timber Buildings
What is the appeal of a garden
building? They are not glorified sheds,
they are proper buildings, but they are
so quick to put up. Whether they are
standard or bespoke it takes three to
four weeks from the order to delivery
and then most buildings are up in a day.
What kinds of outdoor buildings are
most in demand? Carriage houses are
very popular, with one bay for your car
and then a stable, office, or gym next
door. They are lovely rustic-looking
buildings which blend in beautifully with
the countryside and older properties of
character. They have curve braces at the
front in oak and look very smart. They
can have doors on the carriage side but it
takes away the rustic quality.
Is there an ideal ratio of garden size to
building footprint? No, if you feel you
have enough space to have a building,
just go for it.
What are the main purposes people
have them for? Home offices are
probably the main reason, because you
can convert a bedroom, or have a nice
garden building, which gets you out of
the house and doesn’t mean sacrificing
a bedroom. We’ve built them for yoga
studios, art and pottery studios, gyms.
People use them for granny flats, guest
accommodation, teenage dens, man
caves… the possibilities are endless.
What advice would you give to
someone thinking of commissioning a
garden building? Look at Pinterest for
ideas and think more laterally. You don’t
have to have a classic pitched roof for
example. You can have a pent roof with
a single slope starting lower at the back,
A pent roof outdoor office
with the highest point located on the
wall that has the door. This roof style
means there is an evenly distributed
internal height as the roof doesn’t lower
on each side.
olsontimberbuildings.com
01227 696111
Mark Etherington of Box Clad
What are the main different kinds of
garden rooms available? I’d say there
are two main types. With the increase
in demand over recent years a lot of
companies mass produce modular panel
solutions. These panels can be laid out
in different configurations to vary the
design, but your options and choices
are often restricted, so this is not always
the best solution. Many gardens are
irregular shapes and for these spaces it
is better to choose a bespoke solution
where pretty much anything is possible,
subject to budget.
What do people use them for? If you
can dream it then you can pretty much
have it. The uses are endless. Probably
the most common reason for people
investing in a garden room is the need
to increase their current living, working
or entertaining space without having the
upheaval and cost of moving. Also, with
the number of people now working
from home at its highest ever, many
are seeing the benefits of being able to
separate their work from their home life
and create an office space in the garden.
Is there an ideal ratio of garden size to
building footprint? There is no right or
wrong answer. It all comes down to the
size of your garden and how you want
to use it. It’s very personal.
Do you need planning permission?
This is the million dollar question!
The short answer in most cases is ‘no’
as most garden rooms come under
permitted development, however
there are certain rules that you need
to be aware of. Depending on the
roof construction there are different
maximum heights you can go to and
certain distances from your boundaries
that need to be adhered to. The use
will also have an impact on planning
and possibly building regulations, but
this is most commonly if the building
is going to be lived in, for example a
granny annex. So it’s always best to
check with your local council.
How hard is it to have electrics and
plumbing in them? It’s not hard, it
just needs to be done in the correct
way by the correct people. Plumbing
can be a little tricky and costly though
depending on the groundworks
needed, but again, depending on what
you are going to use the building
for and what budget you have, will
determine whether or not you will
need plumbing.
boxclad.co.uk/ 07884 435323
Instagram @bloxclad
Hastings Old Town net huts. An example of
the kind of builings which inspire Box Clad
19 wealdentimes.co.uk
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
WT Restoration & New Build Supplement
As solid
as an oak
Conservatory
Call it whatever you like – a conservatory, an orangery,
a sun room, or a garden room – an oak-framed
extension is a very fine thing to add to a house
James Ransley
The Oak Glasshouse Company
What’s the difference between a conservatory, an orangery
and a sun room? The biggest difference is the construction of
the roof. A conservatory has over 75% of the roof glazed, an
orangery has less than that. A conservatory by definition must
also have over 50% of its wall area glazed.
An oak-framed sunroom of the kind we do is a proper
extension and whereas five years ago people would have
a separate door going into it from the house, like a
conservatory, now they want it all open plan. The vast
majority of our business now is creating these to be eat-inkitchen
family rooms. They become like part of the house,
with an insulated roof supported by the oak frame, then
tiled to match the existing house. If necessary we will find
reclaimed tiles to make the match as good as possible.
What is the appeal of a sun room? English people used to be
indoors or outdoors, now we all like a more outside in healthy
feeling. It’s how people want to live now, how they want to
feel in there, how they want the light coming in. They gain
another room and with lots of glass, bifold doors and patio,
it’s much more linked to the outside. When you’re in one of
our rooms it feels like you’re standing in the garden.
Do you have any words of advice for people considering
adding a sun room? Most often it’s one big space that is
linked to the kitchen, back in the main house. The new room
gives them three times the space as they had before, one big
area they live most of their lives in. The ideal though is to
go the full Monty and put a new kitchen actually in the new
space, so it’s fully integrated.
Are there any particular kinds of houses that this approach
is better suited to? Up to ten or 15 years ago oak-framed
extensions were more of a farmhouse style for buildings in
the country, now we do them in London. They can go on a
bungalow or modern houses.
What is the difference in cost to have an oak-framed
extension rather than a standard one? A normal breeze
block and brick structure is a Ford - oak frame is the Bentley.
And oak with glass is very upmarket and it’s no more
expensive with us to have more glass, it’s part of what we do.
Garden room
Orangery
theoakglasshouse.co.uk
07522 544158
21 wealdentimes.co.uk
WT Restoration & New Build Supplement
Paul Fitzgerald
Richmond Oak Conservatories
I have been working with timber since the 1960s. As the
name of the company suggests we specialise in constructing
glazed extensions in seasoned oak. One of the most common
questions we are asked is “What is the difference between
an orangery, a conservatory, and a garden room?”. In simple
terms, a conservatory has a predominantly glass roof, a garden
room has a predominantly tiled or slate roof and an orangery
comes in several different forms, usually with a part flat roof
and a glazed lantern.
Although most timber conservatories and garden rooms
include dwarf walls and often some full heights walls,
especially adjacent to a boundary, an orangery usually has
more brickwork. Some have a timber fascia, some a tiled verge
to the roof and others have a brick parapet wall.
The modern conservatory, orangery or garden room, built
with the correct materials, glass, ventilation and to building
regulations standards is a permanent glazed living space that
can be used all year round. Most ‘off the peg’ conservatories,
however, are exempt from building control standards and are
built with inferior glass and ventilation specifications and
really could be described as ‘not fit for purpose’.
When advising a client, first and most important is to do
a thorough fact find. Like any type of home improvement,
it is a solution to a problem, so it is really necessary to first
explore exactly what problem you are designing a solution
for. An attractive building that doesn’t fulfil the requirements
is a waste of money. Which type of glazed extension I
would recommend is based upon four factors; the client’s
requirements; the space available and position relative to the
house; the he style of property and the budget available - as it
usually costs more than anticipated.
To work out the design with the client usually takes several
visits. To carry out the fact find, measure, take photos, discuss
design options and after looking at photos of completed
projects, to agree on which suits their requirements best. After
which I would go away and create 3D concept illustrations
for their unique solution.
Normally I would expect to return within two weeks to
go through the concept illustrations with the client. Quite
oftenthere will be some changes required. At this point, I
would normally be able to provide a fairly accurate guide
price for the timber/glazed element of the project but I would
also want to get one of our builders to provide a price for the
other aspects. This would include any demolition, drainage,
foundations, brickwork, plastering, plumbing, electrics,
underfloor heating and floor finish, including any steelwork
required for open-plan installations.
Every design is unique and in addition to size, there are
over 50 factors which affect the price. Different factors not
only include the client’s requirements, including such things
as differences of colour, in and out, but are dependent upon
access, varying house layouts, drainage, type of bricks or
stonework, etc.
There are many advantages of an oak-framed structure, so
long as the correct specification of oak is provided. Oak has
been the builder’s and
architect’s choice for house
and window construction
for centuries. Not
only does it have great
structural integrity, it is
extremely durable and has a unique, warm natural colour,
that blends with the background colours of the garden.
White painted frame interiors are very clinical by
comparison. Oak is unique in that it blends with highly
contemporary furnishings or those from more traditional
periods. I consider it essential not to use softwoods such as
European Redwood (Pine) or Siberian Larch, as these have a
typical anticipated lifespan of only approximately 15 years.
When working in close proximity to glass, it is essential
to use the correct specification of oak. There are basically
thee types of oak: green oak with a moisture content of up
to 80%, air-dried oak, typically with a moisture content of
30-40% and fully seasoned oak, with a moisture content of
approximately 15%.
The more moisture in the timber at the time of use, the
more movement, distortion, and shrinkage there will be as it
dries out. For a garage or shed, this is not an issue, but when
being used adjacent to glass, this can be a major issue.
It is also a major concern with respect to opening doors
and window sashes if you don’t want them bending in the
wet weather. At Richmond Oak we only use fully-seasoned
oak and it is engineered, using a process where the solid oak
frames are made up from layers, typically between 20-30mm,
glued together with alternative grain.
Not only does this make it extremely stable, but increases
the strength of a rafter by up to 30%, also making it possible
to have much greater lengths that are not going to distort.
Whilst many smaller conservatories can be installed
under ‘permitted development’, most of our work requires
planning permission and more than 30% of our work is on
listed buildings, so requires listed building consent. We have
our own team of experienced draughtsmen and planning
consultants who carry out these tasks for our clients.
What we find exciting about our work is the amazing
differences in the projects and not only seeing the finished
project, but also hearing from our clients not only how its
changed the way they live in their home, but also the ‘Wow,
where did you get this?’ from their dinner guests.
oakconservatories.co.uk 08456 442257
wealdentimes.co.uk
22
AUTHENTICALLY UNIQUE
Bespoke Garden Rooms/Offices
Cladding and Decking
Based in Tunbridge Wells we meet and work
closely with our clients to create fully bespoke,
unique projects. We do not install mass produced
off the shelf solutions, our ethos is simple -
Authentically Unique.
So if you’re looking to create a garden room or
office, increase your outdoor living space with
decking or even give your property a facelift with
cladding, then please get in touch and we’d be
more than happy to discuss your needs.
07884 435323 - hello@boxclad.co.uk
www.boxclad.co.uk
Tenterden Roofing Co.
Established roofing in Kent and Sussex
• Kent Peg Tiling • Clay & Concrete Plain Tiling • Interlocking Concrete Tiling
• Slating • Cedar Shingles • Roofing Windows • Guttering • Leadwork
• Fascia, Soffits & Bargeboards • Storm Damage & Insurance Work
email: tenterdenroofingcompany@gmail.com
call: 01580 241000 / 01233 860301 • mobile: 07921 509 564
www.tenterdenroofing.co.uk
Bespoke Quality Timber Buildings...
...at affordable prices
NoMoreDullWT195.indd 1 24/04/2018 TenterdenRoofingWT187.indd 14:32
1 14/08/2017 12:23
Oak Carriage Houses
Garages
Workshops
Home Offices
Garden Rooms
Stables
Mobile Buildings
Contact us today to discuss your design
Call : 01227 696111 Visit: www.olsontimberbuildings.com
23 wealdentimes.co.uk
OlsonTimberBuildingsWT193.indd 1 21/02/2018 16:57
WT Restoration & New Build Supplement
A Chartwell Oak garden room exterior
Alex Torikian
Chartwell Oak Buildings
What are the majority of projects you do these days? The
majority of work we do is garages and outdoor rooms, but we
are moving more into glazed oak-frame extensions. They’re
getting very popular and they’re a good replacement for those
plastic conservatories. They are much more aesthetically
pleasing, have a lovely ambience and far better insulation.
Whatever you want to call them – and I’ve heard garden
room being used more - they are a solid construction. All
of the ground works would be the same as a brick-built
extension, with a brick layer and then the timber frame on
the top. The brick height up the wall can be lower or higher,
according to the client’s preferences.
Do you need planning permission? The planning permission
rules are the same as for a brick-built extension, depending on
the distance to the boundary and the extension from house
and height. If you have a big enough gap from the boundary,
it’s classed as a permitted development so you don’t need
planning permission, the same as any other conservatory or
extension.
If people want a large expanse of glass, how does that work
with the oak frame? We glaze externally with an envelope
over the timber frame, because oak moves a lot and shrinks
back as it dries, which can leave gaps which the elements can
penetrate. With modern expandable weather proof materials
between the glazing and then another layer of oak over the
top, it’s neat and tidy and weatherproof. The same with doors,
we can shape the edges of the frame to work with that system
as well.
What is the benefit of a timber-framed extension? It can
really set off a conventional modern house. An architectdesigned
timber extension can lift a bland house into being
something special, whether it’s in keeping with the period of
the house, or a contrast. It’s a matter of personal preference.
People are very aware of oak frames now and the ambience
and character they create.
How do you plan the design of the extension with the
client? We work with an architect in house who can design
the extension bespoke, or with the clients’ own architects.
We can also offer from a range of pre-designed options.
What kind of doors to you use on these projects? We use
glazed oak doors, or you can have other variations.
Do you have any favourites among your projects? I love
them all, they all come out so well.
chartwelloakbuildings.co.uk 01959 447477
A Chartwell Oak garden room interior
wealdentimes.co.uk
24
No more draughty, rotten,
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Traditional Craftsmanship
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chartwelloakbuildings.co.uk
Call for a quote 01959 447477
Filston Farm, Filston Lane, Sevenoaks, Kent TN14 5JU
SashWindowHeritageWT187.indd 1 15/08/2017 15:18
ChartwellOakBuildingsWT195.indd 1 11/04/2018 17:17
Oast owners
We are the UK’s leading restorer and repairer
of traditional, distinctive oast cowls & kiln roofs.
New cowl construction. Painting & cleaning.
Repair & maintenance. Also specialising in
Kent peg tile roof repairs and kiln tile repairs.
Trusted over four family generations by
royalty, businesses & homeowners alike.
Book a no-obligation visit
01622 725 898 / 07973 332 790
www.dudeandarnette.co.uk
est
121 wealdentimes.co.uk
Dude&ArnetteWT193.indd 1 15/02/2018 17:15
Invitation
Time
Weddings, garden parties, the races... it’s that
lovely time of year when it’s simply essential to
assemble gorgeous new outfits and get ready to
go out in style
Photographs: David Merewether Styling: Kate Watts
Model: Liza Licence Location: Truffle, Tunbridge Wells
Silk top, £225, chiffon maxi skirt, £400, The Clever Dresser,
thecleverdresser.com V Jewellery ring, £79, Links of London ring, £160,
Fenwick Tunbridge Wells fenwick.co.uk
123 wealdentimes.co.uk
Over 45 years experience
specialising in coats of arms
With over 10,000 coats of arms, crests &
monograms seal engraved since 1970
18 carat
signet ring
seal engraved
9 carat white
gold cuff link,
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coat of arms
Rodney J Rigby F.I.P.G
Goldsmith & Designer
Hand & seal engraver
Handmade signet rings, cuff links
& bespoke 3D blazer buttons
in gold, silver & platinum
T: 01892 724951 www.rodneyjrigby.com
info@rodneyjrigby.com
RJRigbyLtdWT195.indd 1 03/04/2018 CornellWT195.indd 12:50
1 13/04/2018 11:21
THE GORGEOUS NEW
HOLLYWOOD EDITION
STROLLER
www.littlepoppets.co Telephone: 01732 456497
142 St Johns Hill, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 3PF
wealdentimes.co.uk
124
LittlePoppetsWT193.indd 1 19/02/2018 14:45
Dress, £373, The Clever
Dresser, thecleverdresser.com;
gladiator sandal, £115, Manuka
Shoes manukashoes.com;
earrings, stylist’s own
Maasai Women Art Arrives in Charing
Come and see their beautiful bead creations from Italian designs
Browse the Summer collections of clothes and accessories
and while you’re here, drop in to Mulberry’s for lunch or tea
and pick up a free-range chicken from our local butcher.
dressing undeniable beauty
35 High St,
Cranbrook
www.odyl.co.uk
01580 714907
44
Opening Hours: Tuesday—Friday 10.30am—5pm
Saturday 10am—3pm
44 High Street, Charing, Kent TN27 0HX 01233 714689
Elizabeth44WT195.indd 1 17/04/2018 OdylWT195.indd 16:52 1 11/04/2018 16:18
Philosophy Di Lorenzo
Alice & Olivia
Rebecca Taylor
Milly
Rixo
Perseverance
AG jeans
MiH jeans
360 cashmere
Duffy
Velvet
Parajumpers
Munthe
CleverDresser
01732 453 002 www.thecleverdresser.com
6 Bank St. Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1UW
The One Stop Shop for Ladies Fashion in Surrey
www.melitaboutique.co.uk
57 High Street, Chobham, Surrey GU24 8AF
Tel: 01276 856308
wealdentimes.co.uk
126
CleverDresserBoutiqueWT193.indd 1 21/02/2018 MelitaOfChobhamWT195.indd 11:24
1 25/04/2018 16:57
Tweed bow beret, £129,
etsy.com/uk/shop/
MadrugarMillinery
or Instagram
@madrugarmilliner;
floral jumpsuit, £299,
cuff, £105, bracelet, £70,
bag, £106, The Clever
Dresser, thecleverdresser.
com; gladiator sandal,
£115, Manuka Shoes
manukashoes.com
127 wealdentimes.co.uk
All hats and headpieces are by Madrugar Millinery etsy.com/uk/shop/MadrugarMillinery or
Instagram @madrugarmilliner Top left: Tweed bow beret, £129, Top right: Scalloped boater, £289;
top, £140, Melita of Chobham motherofthebridechobham.co.uk Bottom left: Sequinned button beret,
£125, bandeau floral headpiece, from £169, Bottom right: Petal beret, £169; gold wired necklace,
£19.95 Melita of Chobham
wealdentimes.co.uk
128
377mm
130mm
246.5mm
732.5mm
cashmere and silk knitwear
Exclusive to Cashara - our new
Blueberry Italia linen range
23 High Street, Tenterden TN30 6BJ
Telephone 01580 761222
Shop online at www.cashara.co.uk
CordeliaJamesWT195.indd 1 10/04/2018 CasharaWT195.indd 09:37
1 23/04/2018 14:12
WOMENSWEAR/CHILDRENSWEAR/HOMEWARE/PLANTS
3 HIGH STREET, LENHAM, ME17 2QD
01622 859 844/ NO.3__SHOP/NO3LENHAM.CO.UK
129 wealdentimes.co.uk
No3-WT195.indd 1 25/04/2018 15:34
Dominic Walmsley
jewellery
Bespoke
LINDAPOPEOPTICIANS
FACEBOOK.COM/LINDAPOPEOPTICIANS
WWW.LINDAPOPEOPTICIAN.CO.UK
RYE ROAD • HAWKHURST
TELEPHONE 01580 753744
3 The Square • Riverhead
01732 779 555 • www.dominicwalmsley.com
Est London 1991
LindapopeWT195.indd 1 12/04/2018 DominicWalmsleyWT193.indd 12:44
1 13/02/2018 17:22
The
Amazing
Lavender
Sisters
The Amazing Lavender Sisters
is a beautiful shop located
in the stunning grounds of
Trading Boundaries situated
in Sheffield Green.
We sell gorgeous high end
fashion and accessories plus
a range of beautiful interior
pieces including candles, throws
and bath essences for those
special days of pampering.
Telephone 01825 791792
theamazinglavendersisters.com
The Courtyard, Trading Boundaries,
Sheffield Green TN22 3RB
Open 10am-5pm, Mon-Fri
11am-5pm Sundays & Bank Holidays
wealdentimes.co.uk
130
AmazingLavenderSistersWT195.indd 1 17/04/2018 15:51
Petal beret, £169,
etsy.com/uk/shop/MadrugarMillinery
or Instagram @madrugarmilliner;
gold wired necklace, £19.95,
Manuka Shoes manukashoes.com;
layered dress, £280, embellished
sandals, £75, Melita of Chobham
motherofthebridechobham.co.uk
Floral headband, from £109, etsy.com/uk/shop/MadrugarMillinery or Instagram @madrugarmilliner; ruffle layered dress, £120, Odyl
odyldesign.com; V Jewellery bracelet, £160, V Jewellery ring, £79, Links of London ring, £160, Fenwick Tunbridge Wells fenwick.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
132
Entre Nous Lingerie
4 London Rd, Westerham, Kent TN16 1BD
01959 563975 entrenouslingerie.co.uk
Open 10–5 Mon–Sat
Ranges include:
Elomi
Maison Lejaby
Fantasie
Wacoal
Freya
Lepel
Triumph
the Italian Wardrobe
2-4 Castle Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1XJ
01892 514143 www.theitalianwardrobe.co.uk
80% of women wear the wrong size bra.
Come and be fitted by bra specialists catering for
larger cup sizes, in a friendly, relaxed environment.
Swimwear, nightwear, slippers & gifts.
STYLISH SHOES FOR STYLISH FEET
ItalianWardrobeWT194.indd 1 21/03/2018 EntreNousLingerieWT195.indd 15:26
1 16/04/2018 12:24
Come and see
Oscar nominated
Bafta winning
Shuna at her shop
in Heathfield
Market
Men’s and women’s
vintage clothing
and accessories
Tuesday mornings and by appointment
01435 883394 or 07831 258582
shuna
¹ @btinternet.com
1920s–1960s items always wanted. Also Vintage
Chinese embroidered clothes, Ossie Clark, Biba.
133 wealdentimes.co.uk
ManukaShoesWT195.indd 1 05/04/2018 ShunasVintageClothesWT185.indd 16:40
1 07/06/2017 16:15
Damask bow headband, £69, etsy.com/uk/shop/MadrugarMillinery or Instagram @madrugarmilliner; Lana tea dress, £185, Tara
Deighton Bridal & Bespoke taradeighton.co.uk; V Jewellery necklace, £85, Fenwick Tunbridge Wells fenwick.co.uk
We would like to thank the team at Truffle for allowing us to photograph at their stunning new salon in Tunbridge
Wells. Special thanks to Sarah and Amy for hair and make-up. For further information or to book an appointment visit
truffleonsea.com/tunbridgewells or call 01892 557722
wealdentimes.co.uk
134
New Arrivals
Our SS18 jacket collection
features 100% linen in
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Selected for you by County Clothes.
www.countyclothesmenswear.co.uk
County Clothes Menswear
Quality & Personal Service
Canterbury Tenterden Reigate Sevenoaks
AbiGurneyWT193.indd 1 05/02/2018 CountyClothesWT195.indd 10:10
1 16/04/2018 12:22
135 wealdentimes.co.uk
No37-WT195.indd 1 16/04/2018 14:11
purely beauty
Beauty Salon & Clinic
Hawkhurst
Laser - IPL - Advanced Skin Treatments - Electrolysis
Hair Removal - Advanced Facials - Massage - Nails
01580 753383 Book Online www.purenique.co.uk
17 High Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1UT
PureniqueWT195.indd 1 13/04/2018 DrChristineWT195.indd 12:22
1 13/03/2018 12:02
Concept
Hair
salon
Eden Beauty Therapy
Let us take care of you
50 High Street, Tenterden 01580 762 564
Book online at www.williamcharleshair.co.uk
or through our facebook page
www.edenbeautytherapy.co.uk
01732 862224
5 Church Street, Edenbridge, Kent
wealdentimes.co.uk
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WilliamCharlesWT187.indd 1 21/08/2017 EdenBeautyTherapyWT195.indd 12:50
1 05/04/2018 15:39
Rouge Coco Lip
Blushes £28 each
Chanel
chanel.com
Beauty
Makeup
makeover
Les Beiges Healthy
Glow Sheer Powder
£40 Chanel
chanel.com
Refresh your face – and your makeup bag – with a trip to the experts on these beauty counters says Josephine Fairley
When women sometimes tell me that they’re thinking
about a facelift, I have one, very simple piece of
advice: get a makeup makeover, instead. Done
well, makeup can take off ten years, but it’s all too easy to get
stuck in a rut, not knowing where to turn for advice on new,
potentially life-changing (or at least looks-changing) makeup
innovations, tips and tricks that address the fact that just as
the sun rises and sets every day, our faces change, over time.
I love a makeover. If I have even ten minutes while
traversing a department store, I’m like a heat-seeking missile,
making for one of a handful of beauty counters where I find
the consultants particularly adept at giving my techniques a
refresh. Before I launch into my favourite counters, though,
there are a few things to bear in mind.
“Done well,
makeup can take
off ten years, but
it’s all too easy to
get stuck in a rut”
It pays to figure out first what is missing
from your makeup regime. Are you looking
for a new brow look, or a primer, or a tinted
moisturiser? Do some inventory, first –
see what in your make up bag is looking
really tired, or you’re just bored of. And
as with everything in life, communicate,
communicate, communicate. Tell the
consultant about the kind of makeup you like to wear –
barely-there, or full-on? Is it for a special occasion, a wedding,
evening wear, work, or just chilling at home? Interact. Make
it a dialogue. She (or he) is a makeup pro, not Mystic Meg.
With all that in mind, here’s where I head for a face refresh.
Bobbi Brown. A longstanding go-to. Even though my
friend Bobbi (who I’ve known right from when she first
launched) is no longer at the helm of her brand, her original
philosophy – making you look like you, only prettier – is
still its guiding light. Bobbi Brown offer various different
makeup lessons, with the (reasonable) fee redeemable against
purchase. One of these sessions can be brilliant for finding
your personal ‘match’ and what defines a great makeup
range, for me, is that it offers a wealth of colours that look
natural on the skin, rather than as if they’re wearing you.
Personally, I think the full-session Bobbi Brown makeup
lessons are absolutely worth it. I’ve taken several of the
teen girls in my life, over the years, as well as given them
as gifts for more mature friends, and they never fail to be
wowed. Go to bobbibrown.co.uk to book an appointment.
Laura Mercier. Another of the pioneering ‘makeup artist
brands’, with lovely Laura still giving great creative input.
I never knowingly pass a Laura Mercier counter without
asking to be ‘Tightline-d’. This is a technique
with cake Tightliner eyeshadow which lines
super-close to the lash-line, creating an
amazing illusion of lash length. (Don’t let
on, but if you’re not over-diligent about eye
makeup removal at night, the effect can last
a couple of days!) Again, Laura’s colours are
very wearable, the textures melt into skin
and the Laura Mercier makeup pros are just
brilliant for sharing tricks. Just ask them. Find stockists at
lauramercier.com (you have to scroll all the way down to the
bottom of the home page, to find ‘store locator’ on the left).
By Terry Gosh, writing this, I realise how incredibly
privileged I’ve been with the makeup artists I’ve known over
the years – as with Laura and Bobbi, I’ve known Terry de
Gunzburg for aeons (actually since she was at YSL, where
she came up with the iconic Touche Éclat). As that suggests,
nobody quite does light-reflective pigments like Terry –
which means her collection is great news for mature skins,
137 wealdentimes.co.uk
Beauty
with those optical pigments
incorporated into line-blurring,
radiance-boosting products
of incredibly high quality.
Find your nearest
stockist on byterry.com
and if you only have one
thing done, get them
to demo the Terrybly
Densiliss Serum Foundation
on you. It’s possibly the worstnamed
foundation on the planet, but
don’t let that put you off. I constantly get
compliments about my ‘great skin’ and always reply
that actually, it’s a great foundation. Please do not blame
me, however, if you end up hooked on a £78.50 base.
Charlotte Tilbury. It was just last week that I sat in
Fenwick, Tunbridge Wells asking the makeup pro to demo
Charlotte’s new Hollywood Flawless Filter Complexion
Booster on me (see my line-up of ‘five products to makeover
your makeup bag’, below). I heartily recommend you do the
same to see its glow-getting effect with your own eyes, but
there’s much more here in terms of makeover opportunities.
Charlotte (weird factoid: she decided to become a makeup
artist while standing in my husband’s kitchen in Formentera)
based her 10 Signature Looks on her A List clients, and it’s
really fun to pick a look and then see yourself transformed
in front of your eyes into The Ingénue, The Rock Chick,
The Golden Goddess (or whoever). Don’t let the rose-gold-
packaged glitziness of this brand put you off; this is definitely
for those of us who hoover carpets rather than simply swish
up red ones in glamorous frocks, but many of the products
have to be experienced to be believed. Her passionate
makeup pros will be more than happy to do that for you.
And if you haven’t got time for a full overhaul, here are
five finds that will update any kit (and in several cases,
help peel back the years).
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter
Complexion Booster, , £30. Makes skin look lit from within –
it’s that simple – when used as a primer or blended with your
foundation.
Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Blush, £28. A tint rather than
a gloss, this doubles for lips and cheeks, with a gel-like
finish, but I’m finding the Rose Natural shade fantastic
for perking up a tired-looking face mid-afternoon.
Cailyn Cosmetics O, Wow! Double Brush, £26.50
(qvc.com). Incredible for seamlessly ‘smooshing’ foundation
into skin. You could use it in the dark and look flawless.
Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder SPF15,
£40 (in six complexion-matched shades). I make no apologies
for including two Chanel ‘picks’, because is there anything
more cheering than adding one of those shiny black Chanel
containers to your beauty bag? This is brilliant for setting
makeup and helping it stay put, without ever looking
flat; in fact, it adds the lightest whisper of radiance.
Kat von D ‘Lock It’ Colour Correcting Eye Primer,
£12. If your eyeshadow disappears into the wide blue
yonder (as mine always used to), this can be life-changing,
helping it to cling in place until cleansing-time.
Tightline Cake
Eye Liner £19.50
SpaceNK
spacenk.com
By Terry
Terrybly Densiliss
Serum Foundation
£78.50 SpaceNK
spacenk.com
Cailyn Cosmetics
O, Wow! Double
Brush, £26.50 QVC
qvc.com
Hollywood
Flawless Filter
Complexion Booster
£30 Charlotte Tilbury
charlottetilbury.com
Kat Von D
‘Lock It’ Colour
Correcting Eye Primer
£12 Debenhams
debenhams.com
Jo Fairley is the co-founder of The Perfume
Society (perfumesociety.org) which offers Discovery Boxes
and an online VIP Club membership with six downloadable
isssues a year of the award-winning magazine The Scented
Letter, discounts on Discovery Boxes, exclusive competitions
and special discounts from leading perfume websites.
wealdentimes.co.uk
138
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Visits can be for as little as one hour or as
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of a tailored package of care that could
help you stay in your own home for longer,
rather than going into a care home before
its really needed. We can assist those who
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to live as independently as possible, with
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Our service can help you fi nd the
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designed with your needs in mind.
Every potential client is visited in the
comfort of their own home for a friendly
and informal meeting to compile a light,
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Before becoming a member, three forms
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139 wealdentimes.co.uk
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Come on, you beauty!
Beauty
Don’t miss out on the mini treatments and other beauty bounty at the
Fenwick Beauty Hub at Wealden Times Midsummer Fair
SEE US AT THE
WEALDEN TIMES
MIDSUMMER
FAIR
One of the great treats in store at the Midsummer
Fair next month is the Fenwick Beauty Hub,
where you will be able to watch masterclasses by
experts from ten leading beauty brands, have one-on-one
instruction - and enjoy complimentary mini treatments.
There will be different events and treatments each day, so
go to wealdentimes.co.uk/events for details of what is happening
when, to make sure you don’t miss your favourite brand. Mini
treatments can be booked on the day at the Beauty Hub.
As well as all the fabulous beauty fun, Fenwick
fashion will be showcasing their top picks for summer
2018 and on Friday, special guest Sarah Edwards from
Australian summerwear brand Oneseason will be sharing
her favourite styles from their new collection.
Aveda hair and skin expert Lucy Broggio will be talking about
all things Aveda and sharing her tips and tricks from the trade.
Fenwick resident Aveda therapist, Shannon, will be in the
pop-up tent offering mini facials to transform your skin.
Charlotte Tilbury Team Tilbury makeup artists will
be demonstrating the new Beauty Filters collection
– your favourite filter effects bottled. They will also
be offering quick tricks, a complimentary 15-minute
appointment for you to discover the collection.
Clarins Beauty Coaches will talk you through their 1
Minute Heroes, the secret to a more powerful make-up
bag. Clarins will also be offering a luxurious hand and
arm massage, during which your hands are cleansed,
gently exfoliated, then moisturised, leaving you with
supple and velvety-soft skin, finishing with a spritz of Eau
Dynamisante for a fresh and revitalising pick-me-up.
Caudalie consultant Caroline Harris will
be talking about the Caudalie Premier Cru
collection, including the brand’s major
breakthrough in anti-ageing solutions,
the new Premier Cru Serum. This unique
formula revitalises the skin,
correcting all signs of ageing
and increasing the antiwrinkle
action of Premier Cru The Cream.
Caroline will also be offering 5-minute complimentary
sessions with the Skin Scanner in the pop-up tent.
Dermalogica is giving a fun and informative masterclass
where you will learn tips from one of their highly trained
experts on how to achieve brighter, firmer and more radiant
skin. Get hands on with their newest high-performance
product launch, while learning how to fight daily skin
damage within your skin care routine at home. There will
also be an opportunity to receive a free 10-minute Skin Solver
treatment, restoring skin’s glow and reducing the appearance
of lines and wrinkles with Dermalogica expert, Holly.
Kiehl’s On Wheels will be a space to relax, unwind
and ensure you stay fresh faced. They will be selling
a range of their iconic products and offering expert
advice and consultations, talking you through how to
customise your skincare routine in a few easy steps.
Miller Harris invite you to meet fragrance industry
expert, Nick Gilbert of Olfiction and learn about
the brand-new Miller Harris Forage collection, the
inspiration, the ingredients and all that is in bet ween.
Nick will also be holding a one-on-one fragrance profiling
consultation to help you discover your perfect scent.
Neal’s Yard Remedies’ brand experts will talk about their
Organic Health and Beauty, including the Age Well, Stress
Less campaign using the new Frankincense range.
PIXI is running an informative masterclass where you
learn how to create the PIXI ‘Secret Garden’ look,
with mini complimentary treatments using a quick
touch of colour using the products in the range.
MAVALA’s consultants will offer nail care advice and a free
MAVALA Mini Manicure using vegan polishes, free from
nasties such as phthalates, toluene, camphor and xylene.
141 wealdentimes.co.uk
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With a glimpse of summer on show, many of us are
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Dr Shotter explains ‘We have a popular CoolSculpting
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Wellbeing
A Year of Wellness
Wondering exactly what your microbiome is – and why you should
be worrying about it? Eminé Rushton explores the crucial link
between a happy gut and a healthy body and mind
May: Gut instinct
Have you noticed recently that a
lot of people seem to be talking
about the importance of good Hgut health? So why so much fuss – and
what actually constitutes the ‘gut’?
The G word refers to our entire
digestive system – the stomach, small
and large intestines, pancreas, liver,
gallbladder and rectum – but when
people talk about ‘gut health’ what
they are usually referring to is the
microbiome. This is the complex,
uniquely individual balance of the four
main strains of bacteria that reside
within our gut, which is, ultimately, our
foundation for overall health.
Some gut bacteria, or
some in excessive amounts,
can cause infection, illness,
digestive discomfort, and
even an increased risk
for cancer. While other
bacteria, or the right
amounts of them, help us
fight disease and stay healthy, in fact,
80% of our immune function resides in
our gut walls.
In particular, low levels of lactobacillus
bacteria are commonly linked to low
immunity. Great natural sources of
lactobacillus are live yoghurt and kefir,
and raw, unpasteurised milk, or you can
get it from non-dairy sources such as
sauerkraut, kimchi and coconut kefir.
There are countless recipes for these
online and they’re supremely cheap and
easy to make, or you could try Biona’s
tasty kraut, or Purearth Life’s vibrant
and zingy kefir waters
(both online at Planet
Organic).
If you’re not
vegetarian
and regularly roast a joint or a chicken,
boiling up the carcass and bones,
for up to 24 hours, until the bones
soften and crumble, will give you a
rich, deep bone broth, which is full of
natural amino acids, which has been
shown to heal the gut wall and reduce
intestinal inflammation. You can tweak
a basic recipe (there’s a great one on
hemsleyandhemsley.com) with whatever
seasonal herbs and veg you have to
hand.
Then there are the mood-boosting
effects of a healthy gut. Around 75% of
our happy hormone, serotonin, is also
produced within our microbiome. Poor
gut health is often related
“It’s not just to low mood - see the
physical wellbeing box below for more about
my favourite book on
– poor gut health
how to fix it with diet. A
is often related We can also feed up
our good bacteria with
to low mood”
prebiotic-rich foods. To
explain: prebiotics are the food that feed
your good bacteria – probiotics are the
good bacteria themselves. Cooked and
cooled potatoes, basmati rice, Jerusalem
artichoke, chicory and tiger nuts, are
fantastic natural sources of prebiotics.
Then, there is the stress connection.
Being in a state of relaxation plays a
huge part in how well we digest
our food. When we chew
well, breathe slowly, and eat
mindfully, we are far less likely
to suffer digestive discomfort.
When we are overly stressed,
our stomachs also produce
less hydrochloric acid – and
we need a lot of it to properly
break down our food. The
best long-term approach is to
Eminé Rushton is Wellbeing Director-at-Large at Psychologies magazine, and
co-founder of the conscious living blog, The Balance Plan, balanceplan.co.uk
tackle your stress levels head on. (A daily
antacid is not the answer. Sorry.)
There has been some heartening
research into the herb ashwagandha,
which dramatically reduces the impact
of stress on the body’s immune, digestive
and nervous systems. I now take it every
day and love the one by Wild Nutrition,
£19.50 wildnutrition.com
And, finally, if you feel that your gut
bacteria simply are not functioning
optimally (and you’ve been struggling
with irritable bowl syndrome-type
symptoms with little success), you
may want to read up on the only
NHS-backed probiotic on the market,
Symprove symproveyourlife.com
Independent research by University
College London (UCL) showed that
Symprove can arrive at and survive
and thrive in targeted areas of your gut
quickly and effectively, and ongoing
research is unanimously
positive. A 12-week course
will help to get gut health
back on track – it is
costly, but effective.
Healthy inside
Nutritional therapist Eve Kalinik
(evekalinik.com) recommends polyphenolrich
foods, e.g. green tea, blueberries,
cold-pressed olive oil and a
glass of good red wine, to
boost overall wellbeing. Her
fantastically thorough book,
Be Good to Your Gut, £20
(Piatkus), includes detailed
advice on feeding your
inner ecosystem, with
inventive and delicious
recipes alongside.
Credit: Freeimages.com/Azzurrodesign, Michelle Morales
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Wellbeing
Natural Wisdom
Which one piece of seasonal wisdom
helps you in May?
We are so connected to the elements,
our mental and physical health aligns
very closely with what is going on in
the great outdoors and when we don’t
physically spend time in nature we can
feel a little bit ‘out of sorts’. So getting
out into our natural habitat can help
to ground us and allow us to embody
the seasons a little more. As the weather
starts to warms up, my essential is to
get outside in bare feet and feel my toes
in the earth. May is always one of my
favourite months for walking because
the bluebells are out and seeing the
carpet of colour in the woods is magical.
Which self-care ritual do you never
skimp on?
Rather than one big practice, I tend to
break it up into smaller elements that
are easy to fit in no matter what. I am
a great believer in emotional self-care
and I don’t go a day without writing in
my gratitude journal. This helps me feel
naturally abundant and ‘full’ no matter
what challenges I may be facing. There
May’s mood booster
We grow calendula on our allotment
plot. It takes so easily and spreads like
wild, amber fire. Every year, I collect
the flowers at their prime, dry them
out and then add the papery petals
to jars of cold-pressed sunflower oil,
leaving them for months on a sunny
sill, where they infuse. Once strained
and bottled, the oil can be used for
sore, dry, irritated patches on skin, or
taken internally, to calm skin from
within. Now is a good time to plant
calendula – you’ll reap the harvest for
months to come if you do.
Lauren Barber is a yoga and meditation teacher and writer who lives in
Hildenborough with her husband and dog Pickle. When she isn’t teaching a class
at Kingdom in Penshurst, she loves walking in the local countryside, meditating in
her home studio and sharing her wellbeing experiences via her website
is always something to be grateful for.
What’s cooking in your kitchen this
month?
After a winter of comforting, warming
foods I am thoroughly enjoying getting
back into creating lovely colourful,
crunchy salads again. The more
beautiful vibrant vegetables I can fit in
the better. Right now I am enjoying
mixing up my own hummus in a variety
of flavours such as beetroot, lemon and
coriander and roasted red pepper.
Share one book that taught you
something amazing about life.
Wild Power by Alexandra Pope. This
book’s subtitle is ‘Discover the magic of
your menstrual cycle and awaken the
feminine path to power’ which may be a
little daunting for some, but it describes
in detail the way a woman’s menstrual
cycle works from a physical and
emotional point of view and brought
me so much clarity around my own
feminine cycles. Once we understand
the cyclical nature of ourselves as women
we can connect to a much healthier and
more balanced way of finding optimal
wellbeing.
145
What brings a smile to your face?
Being out in nature with my dog.
Even when the weather is dreary and
I feel like staying indoors, having a
dog makes sure you get outside no
matter what. A sunrise walk in the
springtime puts a joyful bounce in
my step.
What is the best treatment you’ve
had locally?
I recently had a healing treatment
with Kelley Swan, who uses a
combination of energy work, Thai
yoga massage and acupressure, along
with her years of experience as a yoga
teacher. She helped me release a lot
of physical and emotional tension
in my shoulders and jaw. Having
spent many years with a lot of upper
body tension from anxiety and stress,
I am still unravelling the physical
effects and I felt incredible after the
treatment. laurenbarber.co
livinggrace.space
Eminé says:
Enjoy hot choc
Hot chocolate is often seen as an unhealthy
indulgence, but cocoa is in fact one of our most
nutritious raw ingredients, for both health-salving and
spirit-lifting properties. And when the steaming cup
in question brims with polyphenol-rich raw cacao,
the most nutritious form of cocoa, it is an incredible
source of immune-boosting antioxidants and trace
minerals. My most recent find is Made
by Noble’s Himalayan Salted Cacao, £29
(harveynichols.com). An unusual blend of
beetroot, maca, cinnamon and richest cacao
powder, it blends a treat with any milk.
The slow stirring of the velvet-thick powder
with milk in the pan brings a sense of coca’s
ceremonial pleasure. Sweeten it up with
maple syrup, or brown sugar if you wish.
Savour!
Cauliflower
power!
Food blogger Oz Telem loves the nutritionladen
flowery white superveg so much he has
written a whole cook book about it
Words Oz Telem Photography Assaf Ambram
Food
Cauliflower and spinach
shakshooka
When people ask me
what I do for a living,
my reply is, ‘I help spread
happiness through cooking.’
This is the goal of every
post I publish on my blog
thekitchencoach.co.il
The idea of dedicating an
entire book to ‘the white
princess’ came from my wife,
Adi. Once she suggested the
idea, it felt so right. Everyone
loves cauliflower. It is
nutritious and delicious, easy
to find and can be cooked in
every possible way. Yet, when
I asked around, I found that
most people knew only three
or four ways to prepare it, so I
saw a gap I could fill.
Please follow my Instagram
@oztelem and tag #caulibook
whenever you are cooking
from the book!
Serves 3-5 Prep and cooking time: 30 minutes. Contains eggs and dairy, gluten-free, paleo
Who needs tomatoes? Shakshooka, a breakfast dish of eggs cooked in spicy tomato
sauce is popular in Israel, Libya and Tunisia. Over time, Israeli cooks got creative and
shakshooka started describing various other dishes of eggs cooked in vegetable-based
sauces – most famous of which is the green shakshooka, that contains spinach. The idea
to upgrade green shakshooka came from my fellow Israeli food blogger Hagit Bilia. I
was telling Hagit about my grand plans for the white princess, and she asked me: ‘Why
don’t you make a cauliflower shakshooka with spinach and some good cheese?’. ‘That
will work!’, I replied, and very soon after she posted a very luscious shakshooka on her
blog, proving the feasibility of the concept in the most delicious way possible.
• 1 small cauliflower
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) water
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) fresh spinach
leaves, rinsed and roughly
chopped if large
• sea salt and freshly ground black
pepper
• 6–8 medium to large eggs,
preferably free-range
• 60 g (2 oz) feta or chèvre cheese, to
serve (optional)
• slices of good bread, to serve
1Cut the cauliflower into florets,
then thinly slice (reserve the other
parts for stock).
2Heat the olive oil in a wide,
shallow frying pan. Add the sliced
cauliflower and sauté over a high heat
for 6–7 minutes, stirring frequently,
until just tender and golden.
3Add the water, bring to the boil,
cover and cook over a mediumhigh
heat for a further 5 minutes until
tender. Add the chopped spinach and
stir well. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring
occasionally, until the leaves have
wilted and lost most of their volume.
4If you see too much water pooling
in the bottom of the pan, push
all the vegetables to one side, then
allow the excess liquid to reduce (3–5
minutes over a high heat).
5Stir well and, using a spoon, create
little holes in the cauli-spinach
mixture (according to the number of
eggs you are using). Crack the eggs
into the holes.
6Cover the pan and cook over a
medium heat for 5–8 minutes until
the eggs are done to your liking.
7Crumble over the feta, if using, and
serve with chunks of good bread.
147 wealdentimes.co.uk
Cauliflower and beetroot borscht
Serves 4-5 Prep and cooking time: 1 hour. Vegan option: omit sour cream
A tangy classic, borscht is an Eastern European soup, prepared
in countless ways with a vast variety of ingredients from potatoes
and beans to beef, pork and even porcini mushrooms. Aside
from the beetroot and vinegar, which are the most iconic
borscht ingredients, many Ukrainian and Russian recipes have
cabbage (and even sauerkraut). Here, I replace the cabbage with
cauliflower. If you prefer your soup creamy rather than chunky,
use a hand-held blender to purée the soup once it’s cooked (just
don’t forget to pick out the bay leaves first). For a smooth and
creamy texture, add a few tablespoons of olive oil while
puréeing the soup.
For the soup
• 1 large cauliflower
• 3–4 tablespoons olive oil
or vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, diced into
medium-size cubes
• 1 heaped tablespoon
tomato purée (paste)
• 4 medium-size beetroots,
peeled and diced into
medium-size cubes
• 2 bay leaves
• 3–4 tablespoons apple
cider vinegar or red wine
vinegar
• 980 ml–1½ litres (37–44
fl oz/4–5 cups) water
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt,
plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
To serve
• 150 ml (5 fl oz/⅔ cup)
full-fat sour cream or
crème fraîche
• a small handful of fresh
dill fronds (optional)
• coarsely ground black
pepper
Cut the cauliflower into
1 medium-size florets, peel
and roughly chop the main
stem and roughly chop the
stalks and leaves.
2Heat the oil in a
medium-size saucepan.
Add the onion and chopped
cauliflower stem, stalks
and leaves, and fry over a
medium-low heat for about 8
minutes, stirring occasionally
until slightly tender.
3Add the tomato paste
(purée) and cook,
stirring, for one minute. Add
the beetroot, florets, bay
leaves, vinegar and enough
water to come up to about
4 cm (1½ in) above the
contents of the saucepan.
4Bring the soup to the
boil, cover, then simmer
over a medium-low heat
for 30 minutes, until the
vegetables are tender. Taste
and season with salt and
more vinegar, if you like;
add sugar if the acidity needs
balancing.
serve, divide the soup
5To among bowls and add
a dollop of cream to each.
Sprinkle the dill and some
black pepper on top. Keeps
refrigerated for 3-4 days.
149 wealdentimes.co.uk
Cauliflower and red lentil kichri
Serves 4-5 Prep and cooking time: 1 hour. Vegan option: omit yoghurt
Cauliflower rice taken to the next level kichri is an Iraqi dish
with Indian roots made with rice and red lentils. The Indian
dish (khichdi) is rich with spices, herbs and even nuts, whereas
the Iraqi version is more minimal in nature. Due to its high
nutritional value, kichri is prepared by some Jews of Iraqi descent
before ritual fasting. The final step of preparation is what makes
it unique: garlic and cumin are fried in oil and drizzled on top
of the dish. In this recipe I make kichri just as my grandmother,
Hanna, taught me, but using cauliflower grains instead of rice.
After seeing them do so well in stir-fried ‘rice’, I wanted to test
their power in a different rice dish, and I am very proud of the
results. The amount of water I use might not seem like much,
but it is enough because you only need moisture for the lentils.
If you put in too much water, things will get mushy. You can top
your kichri with fried eggs, baked or fried aubergines (eggplants),
grated fresh tomatoes, sour cream and chopped spring onions
(scallions).
For the cauliflower and lentils
• 1 medium-size cauliflower
• 250 g (9 oz/1 cup) red
lentils, preferably whole
• 2–3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 scant teaspoon ground
turmeric
• 350 ml (12 fl oz/1½ cups)
water
• fine sea salt
To finish the dish
• 6–7 garlic cloves, peeled
and grated
• 3–6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
(or whole seeds)
• natural yoghurt,
homemade tahini or
lemon wedges, to serve
To cook the cauliflower and
1 lentils: Cut the cauliflower
into florets. Chop the florets
into small pieces that resemble
breadcrumbs (using a food
processor, a box grater or a
knife). Place the lentils in a
fine sieve and rinse really well
(stirring with your hands).
Allow to drain.
2Place the cauliflower
crumbs and lentils in a
medium-size saucepan. Add the
oil, turmeric and water, and stir.
Bring to the boil over a
3 high heat, season generously
with salt, cover, reduce the heat
to low and cook for 12– 16
minutes, until the cauliflower
and lentils are tender but not
mushy.
To finish: Place the garlic
4 and oil in a small frying
pan over a medium heat and
cook for 20–30 seconds until
fragrant.
Add the cumin and fry for
5 a further 20–30 seconds
until the aromas are deeply
satisfying. If you see the garlic
beginning to take colour,
remove from the heat.
Empty the pan with the
6
Cauliflower by Oz Telem, published by
Hardie Grant £15 hardiegrant.com
sizzling garlic and cumin
into the cauliflower and
lentils. Combine gently. Serve
alongside yoghurt, tahini or
with a wedge of lemon.
wealdentimes.co.uk
150
Farm shop, Garden Café, Butchery, Outdoor Living and Antiques Emporium
your all new destination on the A21
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PlantersA21WT195.indd 1 12/04/2018 10:40
151 wealdentimes.co.uk
DaleHillWT195.indd 1 04/04/2018 14:04
COOKERY COURSES • CHEF’S TABLE • PRIVATE PARTIES
CORPORATE EVENTS • CHILDREN’S COURSES
CHEF’S TABLE DINING EXPERIENCE
Enjoy a five course tasting menu and a glass of Prosecco, at Rosemary Shrager’s Gallery Kitchen.
HALF DAY, ONE DAY & TWO DAY COOKERY COURSES
Choose a cookery class to suit you with many options on offer,
spanning from the ‘Best of British’ which explores afternoon tea, to ‘Tastes of Europe’
with Italian cooking. We even cover the tricky delicacies of gluten-free cookery.
Telephone: 01892 528700 Email: school@rosemaryshrager.com
RSCookerySchool RSCookerySchool www.rosemaryshrager.com
blighsmeadow.com
RosemaryShragerWT193.indd 1 15/02/2018 12:08
Food, Fun & Family
wealdentimes.co.uk
152
VelocityWorldwideWT195.indd 1 25/04/2018 10:21
Food
A trifle yummy
Cream, fruit, custard, booze… what’s not to love in a trifle?
Here are two recipes to inspire a revival of this classic English pud
Trifles aren’t just heavenly to
eat they also look glorious,
with their layers of different
colours, making them a splendid
dinner party finale.
You can serve them in separate
glasses, but really to make the
most of this great pudding, it’s
worth investing in a traditional
trifle bowl, which should be glass
with straight-sides so the separate
layers are visible and sit neatly on
top of one another.
You can find the traditional cut
glass ones in charity shops, or there
are stylish contemporary ones,
which look very chic. However
you present it, it’s guaranteed, you
will hear cries of ‘Ooh, trifle!’ as
you bring it to the table.
Toby Welfare of The Cloudberry
Lemon Verbena, Raspberry
Jelly and Pistachio Trifle
Serves 6
Lemon verbena is a herb that grows very well in a warm sheltered spot in the garden. The
smell is heady and reminds me of sherbet lemons, lemon grass and summer. The taste
works brilliantly with raspberries and the pistachios add a nice nutty edge and crunch.
Pistachio sponge
• 175g unsalted butter
• 175g caster sugar
• 175g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2tsp pistachios, ground to a paste
• Vanilla pod
• 3 eggs
• A splash of madeira
Lemon verbena custard
• 300ml single cream
• Handful of lemon verbena leaves
• 60g caster sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• ½ vanilla pod
• 1 tsp cornflour
Raspberry jelly
• 500g chopped raspberries
• 125g caster sugar
• 1⅓ gelatine leaves soaked in cold
water for 5 mins
Whipped cream
• 300ml double cream
Cream the butter and sugar until pale. Whisk in self-raising flour, baking powder
1 ground pistachio and eggs. Split vanilla pod and scrape out seeds with a knife and
add this to the mix. Pour into a lined baking tray and bake for 24 mins at 180°C/gas
mark 4. Once cool, cut into rough cubes.
Heat saucepan with cream, lemon verbena and split vanilla pod constantly stirring
2 to release the vanilla seeds. Bring to the boil and immediately take off the heat.
Leave to infuse for at least an hour, the longer the better to bring out the flavour of the
lemon verbena. Meanwhile whisk the sugar, egg yolks and cornflour in a bowl until
pale. Sieve the cream and whisk slowly into the egg mixture.
Combine raspberries, caster sugar and 200ml water in a saucepan and simmer until
3 the sugar has melted. Whisk in the gelatine leaves whilst still hot. Let raspberry
jelly cool down before pouring but not too much because you don’t want it to set. The
liquid should be warm rather than hot.
Place cubes of pistachio sponge in the base of a large bowl, or small individual
4 bowls. Add a splash of madeira and squash it down. Pour raspberry jelly onto this
and set in the fridge, this takes 2/3 hours. Once set, add the lemon verbena custard and
put back in the fridge. Toast some pistachio nuts with some icing sugar in a dry frying
pan, allow to cool. Whip cream and spread over other layers, then chill in the fridge
until ready to eat. Sprinkle on the sugared pistachios before serving.
A classic
layered trifle
Toby Welfare, The Cloudberry, Stone Street, Cranbrook. For bookings call
01580 712336. Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch (serving 12-3pm) and
dinner (6-9pm).
153 wealdentimes.co.uk
Food
Rosemary Shrager Raspberry and Rum Trifle
Serves 4
• 4 tablespoons rum
• 200ml double cream
• Toasted flaked almonds
For the sponge base:
• 100g ground almonds
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
• 25g soft unsalted butter
• 20g plain flour
• 3 egg whites
First make the sponge base. Put the
1 ground almonds, caster sugar, whole
egg and egg yolk, butter and flour in a large
bowl and stir together. Whisk the egg whites
to soft peaks. Using a metal spoon, fold 2
tablespoons of the whites into the almond
mixture, then gently fold in the rest. Be
careful not to beat.
Pour the mixture on a baking sheet lined
2 with baking parchment and bake in the
centre of an oven preheated to 180°C/gas
mark 4 for 10 minutes, until golden brown.
For the jelly:
• 6g gelatine leaves
• 700g frozen raspberries
• Icing sugar, to taste
• 2 tablespoons boiling water
For the custard:
• 500ml double cream
• 2 vanilla pods, split open lengthways
• 10 egg yolks
• 80g caster sugar
Set aside to cool on the parchment.
Using a pastry cutter, stamp out circles
3 of the sponge and use to line the bottom
of 4 large wineglasses. Drizzle a tablespoon
of rum over each one and leave to soak in.
To make the jelly, soak the gelatine in
4 cold water for 15 minutes, then squeeze
dry. Meanwhile, set aside a dozen of the
best-looking raspberries. Rub the remainder
through a sieve to make a thick juice. Sift
in enough icing sugar to sweeten. Put
the squeezed gelatine in a bowl with the
boiling water. Stir to dissolve, then add to
the raspberry juice. Mix well and pour evenly
over each glass of sponge. Place in the fridge
to set.
To make the custard, put the cream and
5 the seeds scraped from the vanilla pods
in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Put
the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk
until the sugar has dissolved. Whisk in the
hot cream, then return the mixture to the
saucepan, bring to the boil and stir until it
thickens. Cover with cling film, placing it
directly on top of the custard to prevent a
skin forming, and set aside to cool.
Pour a thick layer of the custard into each
6 trifle glass. Whip the 200ml cream until
stiff, then pipe or spoon some into each glass.
Decorate with the reserved raspberries and
the flaked almonds.
Rosemary Shrager’s Cookery School
01892 528700
school@rosemaryshrager.com
rosemaryshrager.com
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154
BellinTicehurstWT195.indd 1 23/04/2018 WealdSmokeryWT195.indd 14:42
1 25/04/2018 16:06
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MAKE YOUR GARDEN A
Garden
How does your
garden show?
The Chelsea Flower show is the floral equivalent
of the Paris catwalk says Jo Arnell
Often bizarre, occasionally radical, always brilliant,
the Chelsea Flower Show is the most prestigious
and talked about event in the gardening year. It
is the perfect interface between the worlds of horticulture,
garden design and the rest of the world. It’s a meeting place,
a fashion show, a talking point and nowhere else can we see
so many issues of the day reflected back at us in floral form.
It is not to be confused with actual gardening –
the Chelsea show is, just like the catwalk, a slightly
impossible place of fantasy; a stage on which design
and horticultural excellence struts its stuff.
The other thing it’s about is winning, about being the
best, using the best of materials, planting the best plants,
claiming a medal. Preferably a gold one. Silver-gilt and
silver are just about acceptable, but, heaven forbid, no one
appears happy with the almost-insult of a bronze medal.
The judging criteria are sometimes mysterious, as can
be seen when the popular vote varies markedly from
the professional, but we all know a winning garden idea
when we see one - and we can copy. Just as the high
streets make catwalk styles wearable by mortals, we can
apply good design to our domestic spaces. Once you peel
away the pizzaz and impossibly perfect plantings, there’s
always a wheelbarrow full of ideas to take home.
Above: A large silver ‘focal
point’ in one of 2016’s show
gardens Below: A garden by
Professor Nigel Dunnett
157
Garden
More show gardens from
the Chelsea Flower Show.
Stealing some
Chelsea Gold
We need first to digest and
then translate those new
ideas, turn them, as a fork
turns compost, into practical
solutions for our more down
to earth and domestic spaces.
Show gardens are, well,
for show, and won’t always
include a space for the bins; they often have peculiar paths
that go nowhere, are too narrow, or go around in circles.
Paths in show gardens lead on and off the garden onto
bigger paths and walkways – and in our gardens that is usually
where the fence or garden boundary would be. It also pays
not to be too fashionable. Chelsea designers have the luxury
of a new makeover each year, we are stuck with our gardens
for a lot longer than that; huge pink walls, mad rockeries and
steel water features might not be in vogue for long. Like a
classic staple wardrobe (where you can update the accessories)
it is often better to stick to some tried and tested ideas.
Features and focal points
All gardens need focal points; and while choosing
garden features is a matter of taste, it does pay to look
at your surroundings, their scale as well as their style.
Focal points can easily tip into the realms of folly. A
huge silver ball or corner of a ruined abbey might set
off a Chelsea garden, but can look out of kilter in a
domestic garden, positively monastery-ous in fact.
Water features
These can be a sparkling addition to the garden, bringing
refreshing movement, sound and life. But, as with focal
points, style, scale and positioning are key here. It is also vital
to keep them clean and functioning. They don’t have time
to get clogged with algae and grunge at a flower show, but
it’s surprising how quickly a water feature can turn into a
forlorn relic, becoming dry, silent and shamefully derelict.
The Plants
For most of us, plants are the main attraction at
Chelsea, but you can’t buy them directly from the show,
at least not until the final hour, when they are sold
off in a frenetic bun fight that sees normally demure
and well-behaved ladies forgetting their manners and
scrambling for bargains like seagulls behind a trawler.
If you do visit on the last day with the intention
of buying plants, be as prepared as you would be
for the first day of the sales. Pay with cash and have
some kind of trolley to take your haul home in.
The Floral Pavilion
Plant breeders, nursery owners and their plants are found
in the big tented Floral Pavilion that sits at the heart –
figuratively and literally – of the show. Gold medals
wealdentimes.co.uk
158
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
Sorry no dogs
01795 474660
www.kentgardenshow.com
The Kent Showground, Detling ME14 3JF
GardenShowWT194.indd 1 15/03/2018 12:52
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159 wealdentimes.co.uk
TopwoodGardenBuildingWT195.indd 1 20/04/2018 PetalsForPlantsWT195.indd 10:36
1 16/04/2018 10:24
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Commercial & International commissions welcomed
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CheekyMonkeyS40.indd 1 25/01/2018 15:42
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are also won (and lost) here and the displays of plants
inside can look just as spectacular as the show gardens.
Many new cultivars are launched at Chelsea. Some will be
novelties (red delphinium anyone?) and will fade from view
after a few years, but a few of the Chelsea introductions, like the
wonderfully floriferous Geranium ‘Rozanne’, the ever-flowering
wallflower Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’, the perennially popular
Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’, or even that old classic the ‘Iceberg’
rose, have stood the test of time and become border favourites.
Floral fashions
Flower colours and planting combinations seem to follow
the latest in couture, fitting with Chelsea’s role as the catwalk
of gardening. For a long time wistful meadowy themes
have been at the fore, but colour is creeping back in.
In the last couple of years the tones have been more vibrant,
in fact a few of the displays last year were positively lurid.
The fashionable colours this year are pink and peach.
Planting combinations
These must be taken, sad to say, with a pinch of horticultural
salt. There is soil at the Chelsea Flower Show, but it is the perfect
soil, or often there’s no soil at all (yes, shock horror, some of the
plants stay in their pots). The plants are at the peak of perfection,
flowering beautifully and are packed very closely together in
order to achieve those gorgeously dense tapestries of colour.
You can achieve a similar look in your own garden, but it is
tricky in the long run (that would be the long run back to the
garden centre). Flowers can be fleeting, so look for plants that
have a long season of interest and those with lovely foliage.
The realist in me (a cross between Jiminy Cricket and the
worst car mechanic) sucks in breath and tuts at the impracticality
of many planting schemes and because it is a snapshot taken
in late May, inevitably the mass of gorgeous late spring/
early summer plants will all be over in a few short weeks.
My romantic side (Kate Bush and Marie Antoinette?)
can’t wait to plant a mini meadow on top of the bin
store, make the topiary spin and install an ancient
olive grove where the apple tree once was.
Life in the garden would definitely be
a duller place without Chelsea.
Find details of Jo’s design and gardening courses at
hornbrookmanor.co.uk or phone 01233 861149
wealdentimes.co.uk
MsgsportsWT185.indd 1 20/06/2017 16:12
160
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CityEscapesWT187.indd 1 16/08/2017 BattleMowersWT195.indd 15:53
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161 wealdentimes.co.uk
CAMgardensWT195.indd 1 10/04/2018 10:31
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WCLandcraftWT195.indd 1 13/04/2018 16:11
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wealdentimes.co.uk
162
McGeachyGardenDesignWT188.indd 1 11/09/2017 15:12
Garden
Shining in
the shade
It’s not all about the sunny spots - Sue Whigham celebrates
the beauty of the darker parts of the garden
There has been a garden at the Inner Temple in London
since the 12th century and mediaeval papers record
an orchard on the site at that time. By the 14th
century much was made of the garden’s roses and it was
the venue for the RHS’s Great Spring Show from 1888 to
1911 before it outgrew the space and moved to Chelsea.
Now you’ll see a rather wonderful three-acre garden
sweeping down to the Thames, complete with rare
trees and the most sumptuously planted borders.
There has been a major regeneration of the garden
under the guidance of Andrea Brunsendorf, the current
Head Gardener, who combines an artistic eye with
superb plantsmanship. It will be interesting to see how
the new Head Gardener, Sean Harkin, influences the
planting in the future. His previous appointment was at
Kensington Palace so he comes with great credentials.
It’s a splendid thing to have right in the heart of the
capital and best of all, to my mind, is the lovely planting
under the trees to the east of the rolling lawns, a wonderful
source of inspiration for making the most of shady
areas, which can be a challenge to home gardeners.
When you are choosing plants for shade, it is useful
to know their provenance. There are so many bulbs,
perennials, woody plants and ferns that originally thrived
in forests and woodland and of course for the happiest
plants it is ideal to emulate their original ‘home’.
We’re spoilt for choice really and I think that as we seem to
have such dry summers down here in the South East, shady
borders have the benefit of not scorching in a hot sun as they
are in soil that does not immediately dry out. Provided that
the borders have had the benefit of added organic matter,
the shade will reduce the need to water and by mid to late
summer all should be looking good, as the shaded areas of
Shade in the garden comes in
a lot of different guises:
• Light shade, created by walls, fences and buildings.
• Deep shade, under evergreen trees or in
alleys between houses and buildings.
• Partial shade, created by the position of the sun
as it moves round (there are very many plants
that can cope with sun/or partial shade)
• Dappled shade, created under the
canopy of deciduous trees.
• Damp shade and dry shade.
your garden are less exposed to extremes of temperature.
The areas under the trees at Inner Temple, when I saw
them in May a couple of years ago, were a marvellous
mix of ferns, Smyrnium perfoliatum, wonderful creamy
foxgloves - from memory, D. ‘Camelot Cream’; some large
yellow aquilegia – possibly Aquilegia chrysantha ‘Yellow
Queen’ – and the promise of martagon lilies to come.
This particular aquilegia is one of the largest, longest
spurred varieties you’ll find and it has the added bonus of
blue/green filigree leaves. As for the smyrnium, I’ve never
been successful with it, but it is well worth persevering with
as once you’ve got the plant established, it will naturalise in
your shady areas. Its combination of airy greeny yellow flowers
and shield-like leaves which decrease in size as they climb
the stem, are intriguing and for anyone who likes euphorbias
and fresh limes and yellows, it’s a must. Some nurseries sell
small plants now and as long as you don’t hoe them out
and remember that they are biennials, they will bulk up.
A really good evergreen fern which can cope with dry
conditions and partial shade and which may well have
been the one growing at the Inner Temple is Dryopteris
wallichiana, otherwise known as Wallich’s Wood Fern. Its
beautiful fronds form a big shuttlecock and if you provide
it with rich soil, it can reach about three foot (90cm).
Splashes of bright foliage in darker shadier areas could
be provided by one of the many lovely pulmonarias
163 wealdentimes.co.uk
Pulmonaria
available on the market now. The variety of flower colour
and leaf markings and shape is huge. And don’t be put off by
my mention of ground elder as there is a particularly good
variegated form, Aeogopodium podagraria ‘Variegata’, which
provides a fantastic light reflecting carpet in dappled shade.
Leaf interest for shade include bergenias – B. ‘Abendglut’,
a favourite of Gertrude Jekyll’s, is particularly choice. The
flowers are magenta and the undersides of the leaves are a
glorious maroon. Perfect ground cover for a shady area.
And then there are taller plants like Rodgersia aesculifolia
with its architectural foliage and spires of creamy white
summer flowers. I particularly like Rodgersia aesculifolia
‘Maurice Mason’, named by Christopher Lloyd after the
friend who gave it to him, and always look forward to
it coming into flower. The large leaves resemble those
of a horse chestnut and the flowers of this clone are a
rich pink which seem to deepen as the year goes on.
Tall, late flowering plants like the rodgersias and the
actaeas can be underplanted with early flowering bulbs like
snowdrops and scillas, arums, and anemone nemorosa, the
wood anemones. This layering of ground cover gives you
different seasons of interest in your shade borders. You can
then add spectacular plants for shade as you acquire them.
And finally, a rather random list of
smashing shade lovers would include:
• Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’, a woodland
grass with great autumn colour.
• Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’,
a handsome white hydrangea.
• Hedera helix ‘Glacier’, a great ground coverer with
marbled silver grey green leaves. Plant this at the edge
of a shaded bed. Deep shade will create too little light
and the leaves will revert to being a plain green.
• Libertia grandiflora. From New Zealand, with
tall grass-like stems and white bowl-shaped
flowers held on stiff stems in early summer.
• Nicotiana sylvestris, a tall biennial with
gloriously scented white candelabra flowers.
• Persicaria bistorta ‘Superba’ is particularly good
bistort although there are umpteen forms on the
market these days. They’ll completely colonise areas
of damp shade for you and can cope with sun too.
Sue Whigham can be contacted on 07810 457948 for
gardening advice and help in the sourcing and supply of
interesting garden plants.
Inner Temple Garden, London, EC4 is open to the public at
lunchtime on weekdays from 12.30 pm until 3 pm.
innertemple.org.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
PotsAndPithoiWT194.indd 1 21/03/2018 10:10
164
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If you are planning a new garden for 2018!
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WE HAVE 1000’s OF PRODUCTS TO HELP YOU
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166
ErnestDoe&SonsWT194.indd 1 14/03/2018 16:30
FREE SV Little Lambs
Play Session
Sutton Valence
Preparatory School
svs.org.uk
From April 2018, SV Little Lambs play sessions will take place every other Tuesday
during term-time for pre-school children and their parents. Time for young children
to play and socialise while parents have the opportunity to meet each other and enjoy
refreshments.
Every few weeks, SV Little Lambs will be visited by Mucky
Munchkins, a professional play provider, for a series of
themed messy play activities – painting, potion making,
slime time and water play. Each session has a different theme.
Summer Term sessions: 9:30-11am on 24th April,
8th May (Mucky Munchkins), 22nd May, 5th June,
12th June and 3rd July (Mucky Munchkins) 2018.
Free of charge
Please contact:
Mrs Anne Leckie
to book your place:
T: 01622 842117
E: leckiea@svs.org.uk
SuttonValenceWT195.indd 1 23/04/2018 15:49
The
“Pupils benefit from an excellent all
round education - an atmosphere of
enjoyable, collaborative endeavour
permeates school life, and is reflected in
high achievement across a wide range
of academic and other disciplines.”
ISI Report 2017
THE GRANVILLE IS AN
EXCEPTIONAL SCHOOL.
We combine the very best of a Prep School
tradition with a vibrant, forward looking
outlook where change is embraced and
innovation celebrated.
www.granvilleschool.org
01732 453039
Independent Preparatory School for
girls 3–11 and boys 3–4 years
Granville School, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 3LJ
167 wealdentimes.co.uk
GranvilleSchoolWT195.indd 1 06/04/2018 10:15
@saintronans
/SaintRonans
www.saintronans.co.uk
© Sarah Clark Photography
“What’s not to love...”
Good Schools Guide 2017
...about Drama at Saint Ronan’s?
Magnificent seng of the Great Space
Musical producon each year
250 acres provide outdoor theatre
Mulple performance opportunies in Pre-Prep
12 Drama Scholarships in past 5 years
100% MD pass 81% disncon) in past 5 years
Marvellous music provision supports drama
PREP SCHOOL OF
THE YEAR 2017/18
Discover Saint Ronan’s
Book an appointment on 01580 752271 or e-mail emmatv@saintronans.co.uk
Boys & Girls 3-13 years | Founded 1883 | Hawkhurst, Kent | 01580 752271
School of frock
Schools with beautiful and historic buildings are hiring them out for weddings and special events – learn more here
Battle Abbey School
What kind of events can the school
premises be hired for?
We primarily host weddings in the main school buildings,
though we also put on formal dinners, garden parties, and
drink receptions. We also hire our swimming pool and
Astroturf and grass pitch for sports clubs and coaching camps.
Which part of the school can be used?
The school constitutes the most intact part of the entire Abbey
site, well off the English Heritage tour routes. The main
rooms used are usually the Library, Abbot’s Hall and School
Refectory.
What is special about it?
Aside from the fantastic photo opportunities and the glorious
outside space, the Abbey occupies one of the most significant
historical sites in England. We can offer both ceremony and
reception on site and as a ceremony venue the Abbey offers the
religious gravitas without the religion! We only host around 17
weddings a year so they tend to be bespoke.
How many people can be accommodated?
We can cater for 120 for the ceremony and meal and up to
250 for the evening Reception.
What special events have been held there?
We have held events for the Lord Lieutenant and High Sheriff
among other dignitaries. We have held weddings for TV stars,
Olympic weightlifters and County Cricketers but the actual
cost of hiring the venue often surprises people as being much
more cost effective than they expected.
Contact James Dennett 01424 772385
info@battleabbeyschool.com battleabbeyschool.com
169 wealdentimes.co.uk
Frewen College
What kind of events can the premises be hired for?
During the holidays, Frewen College transforms into a luxury
weddings and events venue, known as Brickwall House. The
400-year-old Grade I Listed house and its beautiful grounds
can also host other events such as craft fairs, music recitals,
corporate away days and anniversary parties.
Which part of the school can be used?
Hirers have exclusive use of the property and its gardens. The
beautiful panelled Jacobean Drawing Room is licenced for
civil ceremonies, whilst a marquee can be erected on the rear
lawns, hosting receptions for up to 200 guests. The study
centre can also be used for break-out rooms for conferences
and meetings.
What is special about it?
Run by Nova Wedding Planning, our award-winning event
and weddings team can offer expert advice. Cuisine is
provided by the renowned Kitchen of Kent caterers who can
provide a bespoke menu to suit any occasion from formal
dining to more relaxed BBQ parties.
How many people can be accommodated?
There are also 19 en-suite bedrooms onsite (all singles) which
can be used in the summer holidays should guests wish to
stay over, allowing for a more relaxed celebration.
What special events have been held there?
Wedding Co-ordinator Pippa: “This being our first weddings
and events season, we are delighted to be almost fully booked
with some lovely luxury weddings, which include BBQ
soirees, garden parties and afternoon tea events. It promises
to be a very special year.”
Contact Pippa 01892 517073
info@brickwallhouse.co.uk brickwallhouse.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
170
FREWEN
COLLEGE
The Dyslexia School
Since 1910
SpringGroveSchoolWT194.indd 1 15/03/2018 15:22
Prep
School
Senior
• •
School
Sixth
Form
OPEN MORNING
OPEN
OPEN
MORNING
MORNING
OPEN MORNING
5th May 2018, 9.30am 12.30pm
5th May 2018, 9.30am 12.30pm
5th May 2018, 9.30am - 12.30pm
5th May 2018, 9.30am - 12.30pm
A unique Day & Boarding school for girls and boys
aged 7-19 with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia & Dyscalculia
Come and see how Frewen College
can help your child at our
OPEN MORNING
on Saturday 12 May
10.00 - 12 noon
Weekly Music, French and Forest School sessions.
Weekly Music, French
Wrap around
and Forest
care.
School sessions.
Weekly Music, French and Forest School sessions.
Weekly Music, French
Wrap around care.
Wrap around and Forest care.
School sessions.
Wrap around care.
“I feel like Frewen has given
me back my child.”
Year 6 parent
To register, please call Annabel on:
01797 252494 or email:office@frewencollege.co.uk
Tel: 01304 611215 Email: preprep@northbournepark.com
Tel: 01304 611215 www.northbournepark.com
Email: preprep@northbournepark.com
Tel: 01304 611215 Email: preprep@northbournepark.com
Northbourne Park www.northbournepark.com
School, Betteshanger, Deal, Kent CT14 0NW
Northbourne Tel: 01304 Park 611215 www.northbournepark.com
School, Email: Betteshanger, preprep@northbournepark.com
Deal, Kent CT14 0NW
Northbourne Park www.northbournepark.com
School, Betteshanger, Deal, Kent CT14 0NW
Northbourne Park School, Betteshanger, Deal, Kent CT14 0NW
Frewen College, Northiam, East Sussex, TN31 6NL
www.frewencollege.co.uk
171 wealdentimes.co.uk
NorthbourneParkSchoolWT195.indd 1 23/04/2018 FrewenCollegeWT195.indd 10:47
1 20/04/2018 10:49
100 Years of Education, 1000 Years of History
Get your children off to a fying start!
Limited places available for
Reception September 2018
• Reception fees less than £15 a day
• ‘Times Top 50’ Independent Prep Schools 2017
• 30 & 15 hours funding accepted in Reception
• Small class sizes, individual attention
• Weekly swimming sessions
• Outdoor Forest lessons
• Brand new Early Years Facility
• Strong pastoral care
Battle Abbey Prep School Bexhill
Battle Abbey School 1912 - 2012
Tel: 01424 219674
www.battleabbeyschool.com/prep
Keep calm and
carry on (revising)
It’s exam time, not much fun for Year 11s and 13s – or
their parents, so Hilary Wilce offers some expert advice
Exams are coming up fast, and there will be many
households where tensions are running high about
revision – when, where and how much?
But psychologists have discovered that many traditional revision
techniques don’t work at all. High on that list is highlighting.
Highlighting, as we all know, is fun. You get to use yellow and
green and pink pens, and your glowing neon efforts are clear
proof of how hard you’ve been working.
But our brains don’t like highlighting one bit. They don’t want
to remember facts and figures in isolation Why would they?
What’s the use of that?
Neither do they like summaries. Making a summary of
something can feel very effective in the moment, but afterwards,
apparently, our brains just go ‘meh’ and forget it.
On the other hand, our brains absolutely love trying to fully
understand something and then teaching it to someone else. If
our brains do that, they have got it for ever.
Who
shapes
be
you are
who
tomorrow.
Nursery, Pre-Prep and Prep
from 2-13 years
you’ll
today
WWW.THEPREP.ORG.UK
Challenge • Creativity • Community
173 wealdentimes.co.uk
SevenoaksPreparatoryWT193.indd 1 06/02/2018 12:30
Education
But this isn’t very practical for students revising at home,
so what do parents need to do to support their children when
exams are looming?
Psychologists who have done in depth studies of revision
techniques suggest the following.
*Encourage them to start early and take gaps
Learning something for an hour over six days has been
shown to be much more effective than cramming for six
hours just before the big day. In fact, according to Professor
John Dunlosky of Kent State University, in Ohio, this is the
most important thing any student can do.
*Tell them that cramming can also be useful
But only, apparently, if it comes after earlier
‘distributed’ revision (see above).
*Encourage them to test themselves
This really helps them focus and learn, and
shows them how well they’re doing, and
where they need to put in more work.
*Make them turn their music off
Students who revise without music have been shown to
do significantly better than those who revise with it on.
*Remove their phone
Yes, remove it. Psychologists in the US have discovered that
it’s not enough to keep it turned off. Even just a glimpse of
a phone can cause a major distraction and loss of focus.
*Make sure they get enough sleep
We’re now making huge discoveries about the power of sleep
“Even just a
glimpse of a
phone can cause a
major distraction
and loss of focus”
to ease stress, absorb knowledge, and boost biological processes.
Shakespeare, of course, knew this more than four hundred
years ago, when he named it “chief nourisher in life’s feast”.
*Encourage healthy breaks, with exercise and fresh
air, and also encourage drinking plenty of water
Brains need to be looked after, just like skin
and muscles and hearts and lungs.
If you do all these things your child will probably
hate you (especially because of the phone thing). But
you’ll just have to deal with it. You’re the adult here.
Try using good comparisons to encourage
revision. Would they play an important
game of rugby, or embark on a dance
performance without practising a lot
beforehand? It’s exactly the same for exams.
Personally, I’m no fan of offering
bribes for results. I believe that the most
effective revision comes when students
are doing it for themselves. But children
and families vary, and it might work for you.
What all students respond to, though,
is lots of tender, loving care.
Tell your child you understand the pressures of exam
revision. Let them off any regular chores. Make sure they
have a friendly, warm environment to revise in. Offer good
food and drink, and hold out the prospect of something
to look forward to when it’s all – at last – behind them.
OPEN
DAYS
.....................
SAT 19TH &
TUE 22ND
MAY
Independent Prep School
for Boys & Girls aged 3 -11
Bricklehurst
Manor School
& Kindergarten
Bardown Road, Stonegate, Wadhurst,
East Sussex, TN5 7EL Tel: 01580 200 448
www.bricklehurst.co.uk
Follow us on facebook @Bricklehurst
Bricklet ts
A hour of fun for babies
and young children
aged between 3 months
& 3 years.
Messy
Mondays
PLAY, CREATE, DISCOVER
EVERY MONDAY, 2PM
LEARN
SING
PLAY
French
& Music
EVERY THURSDAY,
11AM
wealdentimes.co.uk
174
BricklehurstManorWT195.indd 1 23/04/2018 10:58
See potential.
Realise the vision.
Open Morning
Come and see the difference
Thursday 3rd May
Saturday 23rd June
9.00 am - 12 noon
Contact our Registrar for details:
registrar@dulwichprepcranbrook.org
dulwichprepcranbrook.org
DulwichPrepWT195b.indd 1 06/04/2018 14:48
Open Day
Saturday 12 May 2018
9.15am – 12 noon
The Principal will speak at 9.30am
Record breaking GCSE and A Level results in 2017
Extensive co-curricular programme
First-rate ISI Inspection Report • Boarding available from 11
Nursery and Pre-Prep rated “outstanding”
Wide range of scholarships for 11+, 13+, 16+ entry
Cathedral Chorister scholarships available for 8+ boys & 10+ girls
First rate independent education for boys and girls aged 3-18
01634 888590 admissions@kings-rochester.co.uk www.kings-rochester.co.uk
Extensive daily minibus service including: Gravesend, King’s Hill, Maidstone, Rainham, Sevenoaks
175 wealdentimes.co.uk
KingsSchoolRochesterWT195.indd 1 23/03/2018 12:37
H E L L O S P R I N G
U P D A T E Y O U R
W A R D R O B E
S T O P F O R C O F F E E
P A R K F O R F R E E
Make the
most of Ashford
this spring.
W W W . L O V E A S H F O R D . C O M
BOUTIQUE & ARTISAN
Shopping Fair
Thursday 10 May
Join us for a fabulous day of Shopping with 50+
high-end Boutique Owners & Artisan Makers!
Gorgeous Clothing / Unique Accessories / Beauty Products
Children’s Clothing / Gifts / Homeware / Food / Drink
East Sussex National Hotel, Uckfield TN22 5ES
Open 10-4 / £4 cash entry / Restaurant / Free Parking
WIN £50 to spend countrylifestylefairs.co.uk
TULIP FESTIVAL
24th April every day to
8th May
SCULPTURE IN
PARTICULAR
26th May every day to
2nd June
Beautiful 11 Acre Gardens; Café with Terrace; Gift
Shop; Sculpture Exhibition; open until 29th Sept.
Ticehurst 01580 200888
pashleymanorgardens.com
CountryLifestyleFairsWT195.indd 1 03/04/2018 PashleyManorWT195.indd 14:08
1 13/04/2018 15:32
177 wealdentimes.co.uk
CHD-WT195.indd 1 05/04/2018 14:36
What’s On In May
Not too big,
Not too small,
Just right.
Art & Exhibitions
Fri 9 Feb – Sat 9 June
Tunbridge Wells Museum & Art
Gallery, Civic Centre, Mount
Pleasant, Royal Tunbridge Wells,
Kent TN1 1JN
Seasons of Change: The
Fegans’ Story
Fegans has been championing
childhood and transforming
mental health since 1870. This
exhibition will take you through
its story, from the work of its
founder James Fegan, through to
the support services the charity
offers children and families in the
South East today.
Entry: Free
Info: 01892 554171 /
fegans.org.uk/seasonsofchange
Saturday 19 May from 2-4pm
for a glass of fizz while you view
her work inspired by the Kent
landscape.
Info: happyglorious.co.uk/events
Sat 26 May - Fri 11 Nov
Canterbury Cathedral, Cathedral
House, 11 The Precincts,
Canterbury CT1 2EH
Under an Equal Sky
Philip Baldwin and Monica
Guggisberg reflect on war and
remembrance in a series of glass
installations commemorating
the 100th anniversary of the
end of the First World War, and
including a display of 100 glass
amphorae suspended in the shape
of a ship in the Cathedral’s Nave.
Info: baldwinguggisberg.com
The perfect size school to unlock the
potential in every child.
By deliberately maintaining a school roll of
under 350 pupils, we remain nimble enough to
deliver on our promise: to offer a high quality
education with a truly individual focus.
MARLBOROUGH
HOUSE
SCHOOL
OPEN DAY
Saturday
12th May
9.30-11.30am
Hawkhurst, Cranbrook, Kent TN18 4PY 01580 753555
marlboroughhouseschool.co.uk/toptenreasonstoregister
Sat 21 Apr – June
Portico Art Gallery, 25 London
Road, Riverhead, Sevenoaks,
Kent, TN13 2BU
Jan Grasty and Robert
Cobuz
Explore the beautiful works of
Jan Grasty and the intriguing and
unexpected creations of Robert
Cobuz. All works for sale.
Entry: Free
Info: porticogallery.co.uk
Thu 17 – Sun 20 May
Noon-5pm
Up the Garden Studio, Green
Lane, Boughton Monchelsea,
Kent ME17 4LF
Graham Clarke Studio
Open Days
Local Wealden artist Graham
Clarke celebrates half a century
in Boughton Monchelsea with
the last in a series of open days.
Explore Graham’s etchings,
watercolours, books, posters and
cards, all filled with his signature
character and charm.
Info: 01622 743938 /
info@grahamclarke.co.uk
Sat 19 May 2-4pm
Happy & Glorious, Cranbrook,
Kent TN17 3EE
MEET GUEST ARTIST -
KAREN BIRCHWOOD
Karen’s work will be exhibited at
Happy & Glorious from Monday
7 to Sunday 27 May. Visit on
178
Festivals & Shows
Wed 2 May 10am-3pm
The Freight, Cranbrook, Kent
TN17 3PG
Gardening For
Disabled Trust Plant
Fair
Many specialist nursery stalls
set amidst the stunning gardens
of this Medieval Hall House.
Traditional & contemporary
planting. Lakes, Parterre, Topiary.
Light lunches & coffee & cakes.
All to raise funds for our charity
supporting clients to continue
gardening despite disability.
Entry Price: £6
Info: 01580 712196 / events@
gardeningfordisabledtrust.org.uk
Sun 6 – Mon 7 May 9am-5pm
South of England Showground,
Ardingly RH17 6TL
Spring Live!
Enjoy the bank holiday weekend
with performances from the music
stage, maypole and Sussex dance
workshops, seasonal gardening
demos, dog agility, animal barn,
donkey rides, artisan food and
drink, fairground attractions and
so much more.
Entry: seniors/students £9, children
under 16 free with a paying adult.
Book online until midnight 5 May
for 10% discount.
Info: 01444 892700 / Follow @
SouthEngShows / seas.org.uk
What’s On In May
Sat 26 May 8am-5.15pm
Little Tottingworth Farm, Broad
Oak, Heathfield, East Sussex
TN21 8UE
Heathfield
Agricultural Show
This celebration of rural life
showcases all the best of the
region’s products and produce.
With a sheep show, a motorcycle
display team, over 200 trade
stands, terrier racing, flower show
and micro-brewery it’s a great
chance to learn about and enjoy
the rural side of the Weald.
Info: 01435 864587 /
heathfieldshow.org
Sat 26 – Mon 28 May
10am-4pm
All Saints Church, High Street,
Biddenden, Kent, TN27 8AH
BIDDENDEN FLOWER
FESTIVAL 2018: LIGHTS,
CAMERA, ACTION
Visit the beautiful 12th century
church and enjoy stunning floral
displays depicting film favourites.
Expect Morris dancers, musical
interludes, and refreshments, plus
the tower will be open daily.
Entry: Free
Info: 01580 291463 /
jeannetteoatway@btinternet.com
Sun 27 May 10am-5pm
Cranbrook, Kent
Cranbrook Goes Nuts
in May
High Street stalls: plants, amazing
crafts, bands, food & drink,
hands-on children’s activities,
Whacky Wings competition,
plus Cranbrook Museum, Union
Windmill and St Dunstan’s
Church. Goody bags for the
first 50 to arrive (details at
cranbrookgoesnutsinmay.co.uk or
find on Facebook).
Info: cranbrookgoesnutsinmay.co.uk
Music
Sat 28 Apr – Sun 13 May
Various locations in Mayfield,
East Sussex
Mayfield Festival of
Music
Classical instrumentalists, singers,
jazz, dance and poetry and at the
heart of it all the Tunbridge Wells
179
International Music Competition
with the chance to see future stars
of classical music before they join
the ranks of previous winners
including opera star, Annie Sofie
von Otter and current principal
flute of the BBC Symphony
Orchestra, Michael Cox.
Info: mayfieldfestival.co.uk
Shopping
Fri 18 – Sun 20 May
Silcocks Farm, Grange Road, St
Michaels, Tenterden Kent
TN30 6TL
The Three French Hens
Summer Brocante
The Three French Hens are
holding their next Brocante sale
of home and garden collectables.
Doors open at 9am.
Info: 07773 460494 /
sarah@antcreative.com
Sports & Leisure
Mon 7 May
Starting at Stansted Village
Hall, Malthouse Road, Stansted,
Sevenoaks Kent TN15 7PH
Annual Cloisters Bike
Ride
Choose from three glorious bike
rides from ‘The Challenge’s 44
miles to ‘The Cruise’s 13 miles,
any option will have you wheeling
through quiet leafy lanes and
charming villages of the North
Downs of West Kent. In aid of St.
Mary’s Church, Stansted, Fabric
and Improvement Fund and Heart
of Kent Hospice.
Info: moira@cloistersbikeride.org /
cloistersbikeride.org
Sun 20 May 2-5pm
Tonbridge Town Sailing Club,
Haysden Lake, Lower Haysden
Lane, Tonbridge TN11 9BB
Push the Boat Out
Try sailing this May with the
RYA’s Push the Boat Out. Find
out what this family-friendly club
offers. Refreshments available to
purchase from the clubhouse.
Booking not required.
Entry: Free
Info: tonbridgesailing.org /
tonbridge.sailing@facebook.com
Top 10 Reasons
to Register #3
‘Sport is for all’
Every child at Marlborough House
School can play and compete in
a sports team.
‘A great strength of the school is the way that pupils
encourage one another to participate and try their
best, delighting in the personal success of others’
Independent Schools Inspectorate
‘They excel in many areas, often achieving national
level’ The Good Schools Guide
‘As a Mum working full time in London this is amazing!
I feel so much more in touch with the school.
The Facebook snapshots and sports fixtures app
are fantastic’ Parent
‘For a school that fields excellence, there is a pleasing
emphasis on sport for all, with an approach that
highlights enjoyment, inclusion and effort’
The Good Schools Guide
MARLBOROUGH
HOUSE
SCHOOL
Hawkhurst, Cranbrook, Kent TN18 4PY 01580 753555
marlboroughhouseschool.co.uk/toptenreasonstoregister
Highlights for May
Sat 5 May
The Simon and
Garfunkel Story
Tue 8 May
The Rutles
Wed 9 May
Shane Filan
Friday 11 – Sat
12 May
Peppa pig
Tues 15 – Sat 19 May
Grease
Sun 20 May
Material Girl: The
Madonna Story
Wed 23 May
That’ll Be the Day
Thu 24 May
The Illegal Eagles
Fri 25 May
Nils Lofgren
Sat 26 May
The Counterfeit
Stones
Sun 27 May
Back to Bacharach
Tue 29 May – Sat 2 Jun
Some Mother’s
Do ‘Ave ‘Em
Box Office: 01892 530613
assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk
AssemblyHallTheatre ahttw AssemblyHallTheatre
What’s On In May
Theatre
Fri 11 May 7pm
Brambletye School, Lewes Road,
East Grinstead RH19 3PD
Pop-Up Opera
Pop Up Opera perform two
delicious one act comedies in
which a pair of actresses battle it
out to be the prima donna, and a
pair of lovers tease and test their
feelings for each other. These
brilliant gems showcase Mozart’s
gorgeous music and sense of
playfulness, the first written in
the last five years of his life and
the second when he was just 12
years old.
Entry: From £15
Info: popupopera.co.uk
Tue 15 – Sat 19 May
The Marlowe Theatre, The Friars,
Canterbury, Kent CT1 2AS
The Winslow Boy
Terence Rattigan’s classic family
drama is revived with Tessa Peake-
Jones (Only Fools and Horses),
Aden Gillett (Holby City), and
Timothy Watson (The Archers).
Entry: from £35.25
Info:marlowetheatre.com
Sat 26 & Sun 27 May
EM Forster Theatre, Tonbridge
School, Tonbridge TN9 1JP
What the Ladybird
Heard
Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks’
noisy classic children’s book is
adapted into a delightful musical
filled with colour and adventure.
Info: emftheatre.com
Wellbeing
Wed 30 May, 2-5.30pm
Blooming Green, Loddington
Farm, Linton, Maidstone, Kent
ME17 4AG
Hello Summer with
Yvonne Fernando, NLP
Master Practitioner &
Life Coach.
Review the year and plan for
summer in a relaxed, positive,
inspiring way using Creative
Journaling and Creative
Visualisation. Price includes a
private flower-picking session,
journal and cake.
Entry: £80
Info: 01233 878474 /
yvonnefernandonlp.co.uk
Workshops
Wed 2, Mon 7, Sun 20, Wed 23,
Sun 27, Wed 30 May
Canterbury Baking School, 22,
The Ness, Canterbury CT1 3NL
Canterbury Baking School offers
a multitude of classes which
teach the life-long skill of making
either artisan bread, basic bread
techniques, sourdough, pasta and
pizza! In the heart of Canterbury,
we offer personal, specialist
workshops, taught by our expert,
Vicky, who was trained by an
Italian master chef!
Entry: £165pp, £10 off for Wealden
Times readers, quote ‘Wealden10’
Info: canterburybakingschool.com /
vicky@canterburybakingschool.com
Thu 17 May 10am-4pm
Godinton Gardens Godinton
Lane, Ashford, Kent TN26 1DP
Textile Fun
Textile artist Debbie Siniska
leads this workshop on Nuno,
a technique of working designs
into coloured fleece. Learn to
create your own felted chiffon
scarf inspired by the Godinton’s
beautiful gardens.
Entry: £60 + small charge for fleece
Info: godintonhouse.co.uk
Listings are correct at time of
going to press but may be subject
to change. Readers are advised to
check with venues before making
arrangements. We can list your event
in the next issue of Wealden Times
for only £15! Please supply up to
50 words that should include date,
time, venue, and any entry price to
whatson@wealdentimes.co.uk or send
with payment (cheques payable to
JPS Media) to What’s On, Wealden
Times, Kettle Chambers, 21 Stone
Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF.
Wealden Times reserves the right
to edit text to fit space allocated. If
you would like your event listing
to be accompanied by a full colour
reproduction (42.5 x 62.5mm) of a
poster or other pictorial image, the
total charge will be £95. Deadline for
the June issue is 13 May 2018.
SATURDAY 14 TH JULY 2018
Kent’s biggest party is about to get even bigger this
year as the Leeds Castle Classical Concert returns to
celebrate its 40 th Anniversary on Saturday 14 th July.
Be enthralled by world-class music from the Royal
Philhamonic Concert Orchestra conducted by the
talented John Rigby and amazed by a spectacular
fireworks finale. Set against the backdrop of the
“loveliest castle in the world”!
Sponsor: Media partner: Organiser:
To book please visit:
leedscastleconcert.co.uk or call 0845 652 6262
/Classicalconcertleedscastle
@classicalconcrt
LeedsCastleWT195.indd 1 10/04/2018 10:31
www.kentshow.co.uk 01622 633060
Kent Showground, Maidstone ME14 3JF
181 wealdentimes.co.uk
KentShowgroundWT195.indd 1 13/04/2018 09:57
Wealden Wealden Times Times - Bazaar - Classified
Ibbett Mosely
AuctIoneers & VAluers
Limited Liability Partnership
The Auctioneer's Next Sale Will Be On
Wednesday 9th May 2018
Commencing at 12.30pm | Viewing 10.00am - 12.30pm
The Auction Rooms, Argyle Road, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 1HJ
Tel: 01732 456731 Web: www.ibbettmosely.co.uk
125 High St, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1UT
Registered in England No. 0C341637 Regulated by RICS Registered at the Sevenoaks office as Ibbett Mosely Surveyors LLP
Clare Langdon
INTERIORS
Made to measure
curtains & blinds
Tracks & poles
Measuring & fitting service
Home consultation
Fabrics & design advice
Telephone 01580 712209
clarelangdoninteriors.co.uk
Home & Garden
www.dhallcabinetmaker.co.uk
David Hall
Cabinet Maker
&
Antique Restorer
* High Quality Bespoke Furniture
* Antique Restoration of all types
* Carving and Copy Carving
* Polishing
NO VAT
Phone 01797 270761
Email: hallcrocket@aol.com
IbbettMoselyWT195.indd 1 06/04/2018 DavidHallWT108.indd 12:54
1 14/01/2011 15:27
Pop-up Shop Now Open
Ockley Road, Hawkhurst TN18 4DP
bespoke ironwork for home & garden
07765 344298
www.cranbrookiron.com
Open: Wednesday - Saturday
D
E
C
O
ClareLangdonWT195.indd 1 04/04/2018 CranbrookIronWT177.indd 12:18
1 25/10/2016 15:41
MASTERWORKS
ATING
Highly experienced interior & exterior painting
and decorating service. Covering all areas
of Kent. Free quotations available. Quality
work assured, tidy, neat and punctual.
Contact: James McNama
Tel. 01622 743932 Mob. 07885 259119
c.mcnama@btinternet.com
The complete kitchen service...
...from a hinge to a complete makeover
The supply & replacement of
drawers, doors, worktops,
hinges, all fitted kitchen
components/appliances, door
renovation & polishing, bedroom
doors & bespoke cabinets.
Please call
01689 850000
www.thekitchendoctor.com
Serving London & the South-East since 1984
A pet portrait makes a wonderful gift
Professional Oil Paintings & Drawings
Visit www.dianewilks.weebly.com or
Email for examples: wdiane93@aol.com
Diane 01580 212327
For Sale
Virtually unused condition
£4,750
Stunning Marble
Top Sideboard
JamesPMcNamaWT193.indd 1 20/02/2018 KitchenDoctorWT145.indd 16:50
1 28/01/2014 DianeWilksWT158.indd 10:12
1 03/03/2015 12:30
Originally purchased from
Harrods Room of Luxury at
almost £30,000.
For immediate contact
Call 07831 100216
Nevill Estate Yard, Eridge, Tunbridge Wells, TN3 9JR
01892 543233
www.thepianoshopkent.co.uk
PeterHitchcockWT195.indd 1 17/04/2018 PianoShopWT180.indd 15:16
1 04/01/2017 16:06
Competition
WIN £499 OF LE CREUSET
COOKWARE
Le Creuset is a world-leading cookware brand renowned for its premium, highperformance,
stylish cookware and kitchen products. Established in 1925 in
Fresnoy-le-Grand, France where Le Creuset enameled Cast Iron cookware
is still manufactured today for markets worldwide, innovation, timeless design and
outstanding quality remains at the heart of the brand. Offering a lifetime guarantee
across its cookware ranges Le Creuset is a worthy investment, providing superior
cooking results every time. Le Creuset cookware also includes 3-ply Stainless Steel,
Toughened Non-Stick, Toughened Non-Stick Bakeware and Stoneware, plus kitchen
tools, textiles and wine accessories. Le Creuset…for a lifetime of delicious cooking.
Unit U012 Upper Rose Gallery, Bluewater Shopping Centre,
Greenhithe, Kent. DA9 9ST 01322 381997 bluewater.store.
uk@lecreuset.com Guildford 143 High Street, Guildford,
GU1 3AD. 01483 452689 Guildford.store.uk@lecreuset.com
Windsor Unit 45, Windsor Royal Station,
SL4 1PJ 01753 852205 Windsor.store.
uk@lecreuset.com lecreuset.co.uk
HOW TO ENTER: For your chance to
win £499 of Le Creuset Cookware, just
answer the following question: Where
was Le Creuset established? Enter your
answer with your contact details* in
the online form at wealdentimes.co.uk/
competition or post to: The Le Creuset
Competition, Wealden Times, 21
Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17
3HF by 24 May. Prize comprises one
Evo Signature 24cm cast iron round
casserole, one Evo Signature 26cm
cast iron grillit, three Heritage deep
rectangular dishes (small 19cm, medium
26cm and large 32cm) and one set
of salt & pepper mills which can be
collected at Le Creuset’s Bluewater,
Guildford or Windsor stores. There
is no cash alternative and the prize
must be taken before 24 May 2019.
*All entrants’ details will be passed on
to Le Creuset and Wealden Times
Events. Please let us know if you do
not wish your details to be passed on.
Congratulations to John tout who wins our march competition for a £250 shopping voucher from County Clothes
183 wealdentimes.co.uk
Jane Howard’s
Fables from
the Farm
Jane goes out for chickens and falls for less paltry poultry
I
am always amazed that our hens are able to wander
around the farmyard and across the fields without
meeting a fox! There are plenty of the latter about so
not sure why this status quo persists – but I think you can
imagine where this story is going.
About a month ago, having set off on their daily walk
about they didn’t come home to roost and a search soon
found the sad pile of tell-tale feathers. Doubly galling as they
had only just come back into lay after their winter break
(being posh pure-bred hens they only oblige at certain times
of the year).
Anyhow our chicken-free status did convey certain
advantages, the main one being no need to remember to
shut them in every night at dusk. As the years advance the
ability to remember anything, and especially when it is time
sensitive, is not a given and so it was liberating to strike this
essential task from one’s mental ‘to do’ list. There was however
another positive to look forward to.
Every year I diligently prepare the raised veg beds by
covering them in manure in the autumn and lightly digging
them over in the spring. The one chosen for
the salad veg also gets carefully raked and then
I plant very straight rows of lettuce, spinach,
beetroot, rocket, spring onions and carrots and
sit back waiting for the seedlings to poke their
heads above the surface a week later.
Why, oh why, after all these years I still
believe in the possibility of this happening I
don’t know because without fail the chickens
consider it their God-given right to break in and create havoc.
Finding such a fine tilth they scratch away so that all the
seeds get jumbled up and so what does appear is a) not in a
straight row and b) can’t be distinguished from all the weeds
that germinate at the same time.
“The chickens
consider it their
God-given right
to break in and
create havoc”
So I was feeling rather thrilled about the chicken-free status
when my daughters came home. They no longer live here
full time but are convinced that nothing at home should ever
change. Coopers Farm without chickens was unimaginable
and they simply had to be replaced.
Now for those of you who don’t know,
chickens come in two basic types: hybrids
and purebreds. The hybrids are the working
girls, bred to lay an egg most days of the year
and not go broody (when a hen decides to
become a mum and stop laying).
The purebreds are the indulged beauty
queens, all different colours, shapes and sizes,
which lay eggs in an amazing variety of tones that would
grace any Farrow & Ball paint chart. But they are unlikely to
lay every day anyway and are prone to go broody.
Having always had Buff Sussex, which fall into the latter
category, I thought this time we would get some brown
hybrid hens which apart from being excellent layers you can
also pick up for about £10 a bird. So, with daughter No 2,
in tow we set off to the equivalent of a chicken superstore to
pick up our brown layers.
Even the man who was selling us the hens advised that the
huge Gold Laced Orpingtons were not the best layers and
we’d be far better off with a different breed. But the inevitable
happened, we happily parted with a ridiculous amount of
money and are now the proud owners of three hens that only
lay when the wind is in the right direction.
But thankfully the fox hasn’t discovered them and they
haven’t discovered the veg patch.
Follow Jane Howard – and the farm – on Instagram @coopersfarm
wealdentimes.co.uk
184
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