Wealden Times - The lifestyle magazine for the Weald
INTERIORS SUPPLEMENT inside
Inspirational Interiors • Fabulous Fashion • Delicious Dishes
PRICELESS
JULY 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
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
Tunbridge-wells.home-design.schmidt
MINTERIORS
JFine hand crafted kitchens and bespoke furniture
01580 291221 jminteriorsuk.uk Biddenden Showroom
UK distributor of Decking, Cladding & Flooring Products by Thermory ®
www.roundwood.com
OAK FRAMED BUILDINGS
QUALITY DECKING & CLADDING
OAK & WALNUT FLOORING
HOME & GARDEN FEATURES
Tel: 01435 867 072
Round Wood | Newick Lane | Mayfield | East Sussex | TN20 6RG
Designed for living
At Stoneham, the values we’ve been building into our bespoke kitchens for more than 150 years haven’t
changed. Every hand-built Stoneham kitchen is created using the finest woods and natural materials, the
most innovative features and latest technology, supremely crafted by the most knowing and capable hands.
Appointed kitchen centres available locally and nationwide.
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.
5 High Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3EB
01580 715144
Email: kld@kingsfords.net www.kingsfords-solicitors.com
We offer an excellent, swift and friendly service.
Conveyancing - Wills & Estates - Commercial Law -
Matrimonial Law - Prenuptial Agreements - Litigation -
Employment Law - Family Law - French Property
Conveyancing Services from £550.00+VAT
Wills from £215.00+VAT / Mirror Wills from £295.00+VAT
Lasting Power Of Attorney (LPA's) from £250.00+VAT
(Initial fixed-fee appointments also available at our Cranbrook offices)
Litigation Solicitor from £200.00+VAT
Matrimonial Solicitor from £150.00+VAT
We will always try and match any quotation
Kingsfords Solicitors Limited registered office address 2 Elwick Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 1PD
Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority 621466
KingsfordSolicitorsWT186.indd 1 24/07/2017 16:55
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wealdentimes.co.uk
12
TotalQualityMaintenanceS42.indd 1 26/03/2018 12:46
Contents
July 2018
26
41
48
130
HEAVENLY HAVENS
Maggie Alderson selects this
month’s dream properties
NOTEBOOK
Our top events to put in
your diary this month
GOD’S ACRE
A vibrant revamp of a
rambling old rectory
104
119
123
104
MIDSUMMER FLAIR
Kate Watts styles summery
frocks at our Midsummer Fair
SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL
Josephine Fairley finds petit
beauty buys to travel with
A YEAR OF WELLNESS
Eminé Rushton keeps your skin
safe for summer
142
145
149
48
SWIM TIME
Pools that are built to suit the
Great British climate (even
when it’s not so great)
BIG IS BEAUTIFUL
Sue Whigham shares her
love of large leaves
SCHOOL’S OUT!
Hilary Wilce on summer holidays
75
78
101
102
GET THE LOOK
Products to help you steal
the rectory’s style
HOUSE OF SCARVES
See inside the home of textile
designer Melanie Laslett
GET THE LOOK
A guide to imitating the lovely
Melanie’s unique aesthetic
WEALDEN TIMES
MIDSUMMER FAIR 2018
A look back at our biggest
ever Midsummer Fair
124
127
130
137
NATURAL WISDOM
Candles, scrapbooks and
advice from a wellbeing expert
TOOTH WISDOM
Dentist’s tips to keep you
smiling through the years
CHEF’S HOME COOKING
Find out what chef Toby
Welfare cooks for his family when
he’s off duty
PORTRAIT OF A GARDEN
Jo Arnell muses on a year in
the life of Great Dixter
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.
152
157
158
WHAT’S ON
Events to look forward to this July
COMPETITION
Enter now to win a £400
voucher from Layered Lounge
FABLES FROM THE FARM
Jane Howard is as busy as a bee
INTERIORS
SUPPLEMENT
18 pages of
fabrics, furniture,
and figurines.
After page 76.
Interiors
A Wealden Times Supplement
13
Statement chairs • Bright new fabric trends • Blinds and sheers
Rye, East Sussex - £450,000
An individual building plot with planning permission for one
detached 3000sq ft dwelling within close proximity to the
Town’s amenities including the mainline station.
Playden, Nr Rye, East Sussex - £600,000
Lovely period cottage with far reaching views in tucked
away location. Living room with inglenook fireplace, dining
room, breakfast room, kitchen, cellar, study, utility room, two
first floor bedrooms, second floor bedroom with en-suite.
Detached studio. Double garage. Gardens. EPC E
New Romney, Kent - £640,000
Grade II Listed house with unconverted coach house. Sitting
room, kitchen/dining room, cloak/utility room, galleried
landing, 2 double bedrooms, attic room/bedroom 3. Garden.
Attached coach house. Off road parking.
Appledore, Kent - £950,000
Large Victorian house in the centre of the village. Drawing
room, sitting room, study, conservatory, kitchen/dining room
with vaulted ceiling, utility, four double bedrooms. Detached
studio/home office with shower and kitchen. Open bay
double garage. Off road parking. Walled garden. EPC E
New Romney, Kent - £825,000
Grade II Listed Georgian house in conservation area.
Drawing room, sitting room, conservatory, dining room,
pantry, kitchen/breakfast room. 4 bedrooms, 2 attic
bedrooms. Annexe with studio accommodation. Coach
house with tandem parking. Off road parking. Garden.
Winchelsea, East Sussex - £375,000
A Grade II* Listed mid terraced two bedroom house in the
Conservation Area. Living room with woodburning stove,
kitchen/breakfast room, two bedrooms, bathroom. Cellar
with external access. Courtyard garden.
RYE OFFICE 01797 227338
MAYFAIR OFFICE 0870 112 7099
phillipsandstubbs.co.uk
Our understanding of the
ever-changing market enables us
to price your property accurately.
And with our local knowledge
and extensive network of London
offices, you can rely on Knight
Frank to get you moving.
Call us today on 01892 310700 to
discuss your property search or to
arrange a free market valuation.
Guide price: £1,425,000
Sissinghurst
A beautiful Grade II listed house on the edge of the village within the Cranbrook School
Catchment Area
6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 6 reception rooms. Flexible accommodation circa 5645
sq.feet. Detached double garage with 2 garden stores. Single garage with workshop.
Gardens and grounds in about 3.9 acres
@KF_HomeCounties
KnightFrank.co.uk
Guide price: £2,950,000
Battle
A charming country estate comprising of a Grade II Listed house centrally placed within its own land with wonderful views
9 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, 6 reception rooms. A separate Oast House divided into two 3 bedroom cottages together with a pair of semidetached
3 bedroom cottages. Range of farm buildings, tennis court, swimming pool, pasture and woodland in all about 78.6 acres
hamptons.co.uk
Bluebell Farm
Bluebell Farm is an exclusive development of 14 homes (2, 3 and 4 bedrooms houses)
surrounded by 15 acres of communal grounds. The development is situated in the High
Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, just outside the village of Seal and close to
Sevenoaks. Two bedroom properties start from £450,000. The development is now fully
completed with vacant possession available immediately.
Prices start at £450,000
• Close to train station
• Convenient for village and school
• c. 15 acres of land
• 10 year warranty
• CPHart Bathrooms
• Bespoke kitchens
Hamptons Sevenoaks
Sales. 01732 280801 | Lettings. 01732 280800
‘Our Focus Determines Your Reality’
HARPERS AND HURLINGHAM
CRANBROOK OIEO £1,595,000
IMPRESSIVE GRADE II* TOWN HOUSE
Four receptions · Kitchen/breakfast room · Cellar
· Boot room, utility, cloakroom · Eight bedrooms
(two ensuite) · Attractive gardens · Garaging
· EPC: n/a
Cranbrook School Catchment Area
RURAL BETHERSDEN £1,295,000
UNLISTED STRIKING HALL HOUSE
Three reception rooms · Stunning kitchen/breakfast
room · Utility and shower room · Four bedrooms (three
ensuite) · One bedroom annexe · Just under 5 acres with
garage, open barn, summerhouse and garden store
Convenient Rural Location
HIGH HALDEN OIEO £995,000
STUNNING MEDIEVAL WEALDEN FARMHOUSE
Four reception rooms · Conservatory · Kitchen/
breakfast room · Six bedrooms (one ensuite) · Grounds
approximately 8.25 acres · Barn with potential subject
to planning · Garaging · EPC: n/a
Viewing Highly Recommended
BENENDEN OIEO £995,000
STUNNING BARN IN RURAL LOCATION
Three reception rooms · Kitchen/breakfast room
· Utility room · Cloakroom · Four bedrooms (one ensuite)
· Grounds approximately 1 acre with tennis court
· Garaging with potential subject to planning · EPC: n/a
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
Halden Three Fields and Halden Three Fields
ADVERTORIAL – JUNE 2018
Halden Three Fields and Halden Three Fields
ADVERTORIAL JUNE 2018
Halden Three Fields and Halden Three Fields
ADVERTORIAL – JUNE 2018
Enjoy town or country living
with Taylor Wimpey in Kent
Three Fields
Three Fields
Three Fields
Taylor Wimpey is giving home hunters in Kent the
Taylor Wimpey is giving home hunters in Kent the
Taylor luxury Wimpey of choice is when giving it home comes hunters to finding Kent a new the
luxury of choice when it comes to finding new
luxury home. of Its choice Three Fields when it development comes to finding Tenterden a new and
home. Its Three Fields development in Tenterden and
home. its Halden Its Three Field development Fields development in Rolvenden in Tenterden offer the and
its Halden Field development in Rolvenden offer the
its best Halden of town Field and development country living in and, Rolvenden with a choice offer the
best of town and country living and, with choice
best of one of to town six bedroom and country homes living available and, with across a choice both
of one to six bedroom homes available across both
of developments, one to six bedroom the housebuilder homes available has something across both to suit
developments, the housebuilder has something to suit
developments, everyone from first the housebuilder time buyers and has young something couples, to suit
everyone from first time buyers and young couples,
everyone to growing from families first time and downsizers.
buyers and young couples,
to growing families and downsizers.
to growing families and downsizers.
Located on the outskirts of the vibrant market town of Tenterden,
Located on the outskirts of the vibrant market town of Tenterden,
Located
Three Fields
on the
is ideally
outskirts
placed
of the
for
vibrant
residents
market
who
town
want
of
the
Tenterden,
convenience
Three Fields is ideally placed for residents who want the convenience
Three
of a variety
Fields
of
is
local
ideally
amenities
placed for
on
residents
the doorstep.
who
As
want
well
the
as
convenience
the everyday
of variety of local amenities on the doorstep. As well as the everyday
of
essentials
a variety
including
of local amenities
a range of
on
shops,
the doorstep.
a hairdressers
As well
and
as
a
the
pharmacy,
everyday
essentials including range of shops, hairdressers and pharmacy,
essentials
Tenterden also
including
has a
a
good
range
choice
of shops,
of restaurants
a hairdressers
and
and
cafes,
a pharmacy,
a butchers,
Tenterden also has good choice of restaurants and cafes, butchers,
Tenterden
a bakery and
also
a
has
regular
a good
market.
choice
There
of restaurants
is a primary
and
and
cafes,
secondary
a butchers,
school
bakery and regular market. There is primary and secondary school
a
located
bakery
nearby
and a regular
for residents
market.
with
There
children
is a primary
of school
and
age
secondary
and commuters
school
located nearby for residents with children of school age and commuters
located
are also
nearby
well served
for residents
with direct
with
links
children
to London
of school
from
age
Headcorn
and commuters
rail station
are also well served with direct links to London from Headcorn rail station
are
which
also
is
well
a short
served
drive
with
from
direct
Three
links
Fields.
to London from Headcorn rail station
which is short drive from Three Fields.
which is a short drive from Three Fields.
Alternatively Halden Field, situated in the peaceful village of Rolvenden,
Alternatively Halden Field, situated the peaceful village of Rolvenden,
Alternatively
is the perfect
Halden
choice
Field,
for anyone
situated
looking
in the
for
peaceful
a more
village
relaxed
of
lifestyle
Rolvenden,
in the
is the perfect choice for anyone looking for more relaxed lifestyle in the
is
country.
the perfect
Rolvenden
choice
lies
for
within
anyone
the
looking
High Weald
for a more
Area
relaxed
of Outstanding
lifestyle
Natural
in the
country. Rolvenden lies within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural
country.
Beauty and
Rolvenden
the new
lies
homes
within
at
the
Halden
High
Field
Weald
are
Area
surrounded
of Outstanding
by rolling
Natural
hills
Beauty and the new homes at Halden Field are surrounded by rolling hills
Beauty
and green
and
space.
the new
The
homes
village
at
itself
Halden
has
Field
a small
are
selection
surrounded
of shops
by rolling
and
hills
and green space. The village itself has small selection of shops and
and
the amenities
green space.
in Tenterden
The village
are
itself
only
has
a short
a small
distance
selection
away.
of
Families
shops and
will
the amenities in Tenterden are only short distance away. Families will
the
appreciate
amenities
that
in
the
Tenterden
highly regarded
are only a
Cranbrook
short distance
School
away.
for children
Families
aged
will
appreciate that the highly regarded Cranbrook School for children aged
appreciate
11 to 18 is in
that
the
the
catchment
highly regarded
area of
Cranbrook
Halden Field
School
and and
for children
there are
aged
also
11 to 18 is in the catchment area of Halden Field and and there are also
11
primary
to 18
schools
is in the
in
catchment
close proximity.
area of Halden Field and and there are also
primary schools in close proximity.
primary schools in close proximity.
Normal Taylor Wimpey terms and conditions apply. Images used for illustrative purposes only.
Prices Normal correct Taylor Wimpey at time of terms going and to press. conditions Please apply. speak Images to our used Sales for Executives illustrative regarding purposes the only.
Prices tenure Normal correct of Taylor our new Wimpey at time homes. of terms going June and to 2018. press. conditions Please apply. speak Images to our used Sales for Executives illustrative regarding purposes the only.
tenure Prices correct of our new at time homes. of going June to 2018. press. Please speak to our Sales Executives regarding the
tenure of our new homes. June 2018.
Both Three Fields and Halden Field are a short drive away from Ashford
Both Three Fields and Halden Field are short drive away from Ashford
Both
which
Three
offers
Fields
a wider
and
range
Halden
of shopping
Field are a
and
short
leisure
drive
facilities.
away from
Ashford
Ashford
which offers wider range of shopping and leisure facilities. Ashford
which
International
offers a
railway
wider
station
range of
is
shopping
also nearby
and
and
leisure
provides
facilities.
regular
Ashford
high
International railway station is also nearby and provides regular high
International
speed links to
railway
London,
station
Paris
is
and
also
Brussels.
nearby and provides regular high
speed links to London, Paris and Brussels.
speed links to London, Paris and Brussels.
Home hunters who are undecided about whether town or country living
Home hunters who are undecided about whether town or country living
Home
is right
hunters
for them
who
are
are
invited
undecided
to visit the
about
Sales
whether
Information
town or
Centre
country
at
living
is right for them are invited to visit the Sales Information Centre at
is
Taylor
right
Wimpey’s
for them are
Three
invited
Fields
to
development
visit the Sales
to
Information
see themselves
Centre at
what
Taylor Wimpey’s Three Fields development to see for themselves what
Taylor
this, and
Wimpey’s
the Halden
Three
Field
Fields
development
development
has
to
to
see
offer.
for
Visitors
themselves
will be
what
able
this, and the Halden Field development has to offer. Visitors will be able
this,
to look
and
around
the Halden
the brand
Field
new
development
three and
has
four
to
bedroom
offer. Visitors
show
will
homes
be able
and
to look around brand new three and four bedroom show homes and
to
really
look
picture
around
themselves
the brand
living
new three
in a new
and
Taylor
four bedroom
Wimpey
show
home.
homes and
really picture themselves living in new Taylor Wimpey home.
really picture themselves living in a new Taylor Wimpey home.
“ Something very different
“
Something
Something
very
very
different
for home hunters” different
for
for
home
home
hunters”
hunters”
Jason Stokes, Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey South
Jason Stokes, Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey South
Jason
East, says:
Stokes,
“Although
Sales and
our
Marketing
Three Fields
Director
and Halden
for Taylor
Field
Wimpey
developments
South
East, says: “Although our Three Fields and Halden Field developments
East,
are only
says:
a few
“Although
miles apart,
our Three
they offer
Fields
something
and Halden
very
Field
different
developments
for home
are only few miles apart, they offer something very different for home
are
hunters.
only a
Whether
few miles
your
apart,
preference
they offer
is town
something
or country
very
living
different
– or
for
whether
home
hunters. Whether your preference is town or country living or whether
hunters.
you’re undecided
Whether your
– I would
preference
encourage
is town
anyone
or country
looking
living
to move
– or whether
to a new
you’re undecided would encourage anyone looking to move to new
you’re
home in
undecided
this area of
– I
Kent
would
to
encourage
visit us at Three
anyone
Fields
looking
to compare
to move
both
to a new
home in this area of Kent to visit us at Three Fields to compare both
home
options.
in this
You
area
can have
of Kent
all of
to
your
visit us
questions
at Three
answered
Fields to compare
by our experienced
both
options. You can have all of your questions answered by our experienced
options.
sales team
You
and
can
talk
have
to us
all of
about
your
the
questions
ways in
answered
which by
can
our
help
experienced
you to
sales team and talk to us about the ways which we can help you to
sales
make
team
a move
and
to
talk
a new
to us
home.
about
We
the
have
ways
incentives
in which
suitable
we can help
for both
you
first
to
make move to new home. We have incentives suitable for both first
make
time buyers
a move
and
to a
existing
new home.
homeowners
We have
so
incentives
there really
suitable
is nothing
for both
to lose
first
by
time buyers and existing homeowners so there really is nothing to lose by
time
paying
buyers
us a visit!”
and existing homeowners so there really is nothing to lose by
paying us visit!”
paying us a visit!”
There is currently a choice of three to six bedroom homes available at
There is currently choice of three to six bedroom homes available at
There
Three
is
Fields,
currently
priced
a choice
from £384,750,
of three to
as
six
well
bedroom
as a one
homes
bedroom
available
coach
at
Three Fields, priced from £384,750, as well as one bedroom coach
Three
house
Fields,
priced
priced
at £262,500.
from £384,750,
Alternatively,
as well
Halden
as a
Field
one bedroom
currently
coach
has a range
house priced at £262,500. Alternatively, Halden Field currently has range
house
of two
priced
to five bedroom
at £262,500.
homes
Alternatively,
priced from
Halden
£317,500.
Field currently
The homes
has
at
a
both
range
of two to five bedroom homes priced from £317,500. The homes at both
of
developments
two to five bedroom
are being
homes
sold from
priced
the
from
Sales
£317,500.
Information
The
Centre
homes
at
at
Three
both
developments are being sold from Sales Information Centre at Three
developments
Fields which is
are
located
being
off
sold
Smallhythe
from the
Road,
Sales Information
Tenterden, TN30
Centre
7LZ,
at Three
and
Fields which is located off Smallhythe Road, Tenterden, TN30 7LZ, and
Fields
open daily
which
between
is located
10am
off
and
Smallhythe
5pm.
Road, Tenterden, TN30 7LZ, and
open daily between 10am and 5pm.
open daily between 10am and 5pm.
The homes at Halden Field are located off Halden Lane, Rolvenden,
The homes at Halden Field are located off Halden Lane, Rolvenden,
The
TN17
homes
4NB. Further
at Halden
information
Field are located
about both
off Halden
developments
Lane, Rolvenden,
can be
TN17 4NB. Further information about both developments can be
TN17
found
4NB.
online
Further
at www.taylorwimpey.co.uk.
information about both developments can be
found online at www.taylorwimpey.co.uk.
found online at www.taylorwimpey.co.uk.
#taylorwimpey
#taylorwimpey
#taylorwimpey
Call 01580 230 560
Call 01580 230 560
taylorwimpey.co.uk
taylorwimpey.co.uk
taylorwimpey.co.uk
LIFE’S ROAD IS FULL OF
TWISTS AND TURNS
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Tel: 01233 630000
HENWOOD HOUSE • HENWOOD • ASHFORD • KENT • TN24 8DH
www.mageegammon.com Tel: 01233 630000 mg@mageegammon.com
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*Prices correct at time of print. Farrow & Ball colour shades apply to front door.
Discretion is is the Better Part of Valour
The property market has changed astronomically
At SJD we work to source the right developers for
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your site - all of our sales are made confidentially
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Unlike conventional methods, we we offer offer discrete
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please contact us us for for a free a free appraisal.
Contact Stephen Donnelly on
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email: steve@sjd-projects.com
Buss Murton Annual
Cranbrook Party
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
SJDprojectsWT196.indd 1 23/05/2018 16:17
Buss Murton Law, the leading South East firm of solicitors
with offices in Tunbridge Wells, Cranbrook, Dartford and East
Grinstead, hosted their annual Spring Party at the George
Hotel in Cranbrook. Not only was it a chance for Buss Murton
to thank their clients and local businesses for their loyal
support, but it was also a celebration of the career of solicitor
Richard Piper who retired after 50 years at the firm.
www.bussmurton.co.uk T: 01892 510 222
Photography: David Bartholomew
(www.davidbartholomew.co.uk)
wealdentimes.co.uk
24
BussMurtonWT197b.indd 1 15/06/2018 11:44
Residential Sales
#TheGardenOfEngland
Image depicts similar house
JUST RELEASED
Ulcombe
Guide £975,000
Grade II listed family house full of character with
2 bedroom self contained annex, really good
outbuildings and a tennis court. Located on a quiet
lane with great views. EPC Rating NA
Challock
Guide £825,000
Final home at Brisley Farm, a select development
of just 3 exquisite homes by National Award
winning builders Cox Developments Ltd.
Further details on request. EPC Rating TBA
Doddington
Guide £1,175,000
Modern country house in a glorious North Downs
location. Planning permission for a contemporary
holiday cottage next to apple orchards.
3 acres. EPC Rating C
Warehorne
Guide £699,995
Grade II listed detached cottage, lovely gardens
and far reaching countryside views. Useful range of
outbuildings including an oak frame cart barn.
Just under an acre in total. EPC Rating NA
Benenden
Guide £1,175,000
Woderful location with views that go on for miles
and miles. The house dates back to the 1920s and
offers elegant living. Beautiful gardens including
pond and tennis court. CSCA. EPC Rating D
Hobbs Parker Estate Agents www.hobbsparker.co.uk
Tenterden 01580 766766 | Ashford 01233 506260
Tenterden
Guide £1,695,000
01580 766766
Well appointed country house, only a short
distance from Tenterden High Street and yet
enjoying a sense of seclusion with far reaching
views. In all approx 1.7 acres. EPC Rating C
House
Month
of the
£2,750,000
Heavenly havens
Maggie Alderson picks her favourite homes on the market
Collingwood House
The dream: It would take Jane
Austen to do justice to this façade
and the views beyond. The Grade
II* listed mansion was built on
the site of a house mentioned in
the Domesday Book and has been
home to many distinguished types,
including the eminent Victorian
astronomer Sir John Herschel, Bart.
The accommodation is vast (12,600
sq ft) and lofty, with light pouring
in through arched windows, with
original marble fireplaces, working
shutters and an exquisite staircase with
curving bannisters.
Where: Just south of Hawkhurst.
Locale: On the edge of Hawkhurst
with its local shops, plus Waitrose and
the Kino cinema, looking over some of
the most beautiful countryside in the
High Weald AONB.
Beds: 10 Baths: 4
Special feature: An indoor swimming
pool complex with a 50’ ‘saltwater’
pool (no chlorine), all wired for sound.
Pleasing details: A bath looking out
over the view, a billiard room, a linen
room. A barrel-vaulted hall.
Outside: About 3.5 acres of grounds
with sloping lawns, mature trees and a
terrace looking out over the view.
Time to town: About an hour from
Etchingham or Staplehurst.
Price: £2,750,000
Agent: Fine & Country, Cranbrook
01580 715000 fineandcountry.com
wealdentimes.co.uk
26
Sempstead Oast
£1,650,000
The dream: Why have one oast kiln –
when you can have two? Especially when
the other living space combines beams and
lofty, open spaces in the double aspect eat-in
kitchen and double-height first floor sitting
room, looking out over splendid views.
Where: About a mile from Ewhurst Green,
2 miles from Northiam, 8 from Hawkhurst
and Battle.
Locale: On high ground, surrounded by
farmland, with wonderful views over the
Rother Valley.
Beds: 4 Baths: 3
Special feature: Two round bedrooms, a
round dining room, a round family room.
Pleasing details: Double dressing rooms in
the Master Suite.
Outside: 10 acres, with mature gardens,
extensive stabling and four enclosed
paddocks.
Time to town: Robertsbridge (seven miles)
and then about 1 hour 20.
Price: £1,650,000
Agent: Phillips & Stubbs, Rye 01797
227338 phillipsandstubbs.co.uk
Tilmans
£1,095,000
The dream: This Grade II listed former
farmhouse has the air of your standard
country idyll, but closer inspection reveals
that it’s the perfect setting for a rather
glamorous lifestyle, with a heavenly outdoor
pool and pool room, a gym, a billiard room,
equestrian facilities, a generous living area
with an eat-in kitchen – but only three
bedrooms. It would be ideal for a couple,
who like to entertain, with room for staff.
Where: On the outskirts of the village of
Great Chart, five minutes from Ashford.
Locale: Tucked away, amid farmland.
Beds: 3 Baths: 1
Special feature: The fab pool. There is also
an annexe with kitchen and bath.
Pleasing details: Lovely beams, an
inglenook.
Outside: Mature gardens, a pond, an
orchard. Time to town: From Ashford
International, a whizzy 38 minutes.
Price: £1,095,000
Agent: Hobbs Parker, Ashford
01233 506260 hobbsparker.co.uk
27 wealdentimes.co.uk
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Minimising distress in divorce
Currently, unless a couple have
been separated for five years or
more (reduced to two years if
they agree), they can only get
divorced if the Petitioner can
establish that the Respondent
has either committed adultery or
has behaved in such a way that
the Petitioner cannot reasonably
be expected to live with him/
her. This means that unless the
Respondent agrees that there has
been adultery (their agreement
is necessary because without it,
producing evidence of adultery is
a particularly distressing exercise
for all concerned!) or unless they
are prepared to wait for two years,
a divorce can only proceed on the
basis of “unreasonable behaviour”.
Whilst there will always be cases
where one party’s behaviour has
clearly been unreasonable and
has directly led to the breakdown
of the marriage, there are many
couples who recognise that their
marriage has come to an end, but
who feel that neither person is
solely to blame and who therefore
wish to deal with a divorce with
as little acrimony as possible. It
often comes as an unwelcome
surprise to these couples, to learn
that it is not enough just to agree
that the marriage has irretrievably
broken down and that one of them
effectively has to be blamed for it.
In other cases, where one party has
decided the marriage is over, the
other party can find themselves
distraught and having to make the
difficult choice of either having
to issue a divorce petition, when
the last thing they want is for
their marriage to end, or to face
becoming the Respondent to an
unreasonable behaviour petition!
The good news is that a change
in the law to allow a divorce to
proceed by agreement in the
absence of any element of blame,
is looking increasingly likely.
However we are not there yet and
until then, unless handled carefully
by experienced family lawyers,
the requirement to come up with
examples of behaviour can risk
damaging fragile relationships at
a time when it is crucial that any
remaining good will is preserved.
If you would like to discuss divorce
or separation, the family team at
Buss Murton offers a free initial
30-minute meeting, to allow you
to find out about your options.
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.
Varicose Veins – FREE Open Event
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Have a chat with our leading vascular consultants and tour
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Free consultation*
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terms and conditions please see www.benendenhospital.org.uk/veins or call 01580 242 521.
Finance options are available for this treatment
Visit benendenhospital.org.uk/veins
The Benenden Hospital Trust is a company limited by guarantee Registered in England, number 3454120. Registered charity number
1065995, Registered Office, The Benenden Hospital Trust, Goddard’s Green Road, Benenden, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 4AX.
Under New Family Ownership
Gold, Diamond Jewellery &
Prestigious Watches Purchased For Cash
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Telephone 01580 763 155
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also at
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35 St Leonards Rd, Bexhill-on-Sea TH40 1HP
Telephone 01424 211 835
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thomas.frenchjewellers@gmail.com
My sciatica
was so bad I
thought I’d be
housebound
forever…
IDD Therapy has
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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
Non-invasive
treatment
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back pain
agony
Three years ago, Julie Phillips cycled 500 miles
across the Rift Valley in Kenya. At that time, her
back pain and sciatica was just about manageable.
But as the months rolled on, the pain worsened
and she found it more and more difficult to stay
mobile and carry on with her usual activities.
Julie explains: “The pain was like a burning belt
around my lower back which spread into my left
thigh - I could only stand or walk for a couple of
minutes without taking a rest. At 64 I thought I was
going to spend my retirement as a disabled person.”
Having tried various manual treatments without
success, Julie ended up in limbo, feeling low.
“I had physiotherapy sessions but they didn’t help.
I even had hip injections but they only lasted a
couple of weeks – and they were incredibly painful.
I was given stronger painkillers but these
made me giddy. I felt very despondent
and didn’t know which way to turn.”
Julie finally took matters into her own hands
and found IDD Therapy, a targeted spinal disc
treatment which was being offered at Wealden
Osteopaths & Spine Centre in Goudhurst.
“I made enquiries and found that IDD Therapy
is particularly successful for long-term back
pain and sciatica (pain radiating from the
lower back, usually down one leg).
At my initial assessment, the Clinical Director,
James Pickering was confident that there was
a good chance IDD Therapy could help me.
Because my condition was severe, I knew I
would need a series of treatments but actually,
I felt a huge relief after the first two.
With every session, the pain eased and I
could walk a few steps more. By session
number six I was feeling almost no pain.
“I went for a four mile dog
walk with my grandchildren…
when we got home, the kids
and the dogs were pooped!”
I finished my IDD Therapy programme last
summer and I’m feeling like a new person! I’ve
got no pain and I’m completely active again.
The other day I went for a four mile dog walk
with my grandchildren… when we got home
the kids and the dogs were pooped!
I’m so relieved to have found IDD Therapy;
I’ve truly been given a new lease of life.”
James Pickering is delighted with Julie’s progess:
“It’s wonderful to see patients like Julie doing so
well with IDD Therapy after almost giving up hope
of getting out of pain and back to ‘normal’.
The treatment programme is an invaluable
part of our services 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
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
• Low FODMAP diet
• Hernia Surgery
• Gallbladder removal
• Haemorrhoid treatment
• Colorectal surgery
• LINX Reflux
Management system
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01892 628175 www.spiretunbridgewells.com
Advertisement Feature
Strange, Beautiful, Captivating,
Energetic, Enchanting & Different
THESE ARE ALL words used by people to describe the
paintings of new upcoming UK artist Chris Rivers. A
former professional rock drummer turned artist, Chris
began painting four years ago whilst touring the world
as drummer for UK rock band Heaven’s Basement.
You often work in a ‘series’, where does the
inspiration come from for each new idea?
I think inspiration is about keeping your eyes open around you
and pursuing ideas! I reference back to a lot of things I’ve always
had an interest in and things that are personal to me. Children
feature a lot in my work which is usually a representation of
my twin girls. Other big inspirations for my work come from
nature, space, industry and history, decay, struggle & survival.
For example, trying to make a great looking painting based on
the idea of something like ‘decay’, which could be industrial or
natural, is a good challenge to me. It’s this theme of contrast
between light and shade, innocent and dark which inspires me.
There are endless possibilities that can be turned into paintings.
What’s your preferred medium and your
mentality when you approach a painting?
I work in oils on canvas and don’t really plan too much of what I’m
going to paint, preferring a much more impulsive and improvised
approach. I like the slow drying time of oil paints, as it allows
me to work on the painting over a good length of time. Some
of my paintings can take days, weeks or months. Each one is
different. Trial and error is a big part of my process, taking a
risk with the paintings when it reaches a make or break point.
You said in a recent interview that you didn’t know how
to class your style of art. You referred to it as ‘alternative
art’. Your style is very loose, with these fine detailed
narratives embedded into the scene, it is beautiful to view,
what do you hope people experience from your works?
Yes, alternative art seemed like a title that made sense to me!
I just don’t like the term ‘fine art’! Also, there’s not much ‘fine’
in my painting process, I beat the canvas to death when I’m
painting – I paint like I play drums! A lot of my work has a theme
of big abstract style backgrounds with small details that tell a
story. The constant theme throughout my work is innocence
contrasted with something much darker. I like the idea that
everything is not always as it seems at first look. A lot of my
work tells one story from a certain distance but then another
story when you get closer. My actual painting style has become
a lot looser recently. I think that’s mainly due to knowing more
about what works for me and being decisive with every brush
stroke. I learned what colours I like, how they mix together and
I try and use as few brush strokes as possible. I like paintings
to look like paintings, not super smooth and perfect.
It’s nice to leave things open to interpretation for the viewer
and at the end of the day, I want to produce nice looking works
of art that people want to hang on their walls. I love colour,
the palettes of rococo and Renaissance era painters but I
also love painters with a much darker palette. I love trying to
fuse old techniques and styles with a more current story.
Your work is becoming more and more in demand,
which is attracting the interest of galleries and art
publishers, but do you truly believe that being in full
control of your own destiny is the best way?
It’s flattering to have such a great opportunity come my
way but for me I want to be in the driving seat with what
I’m doing. I’m developing all the time, I feel like I’m only just
scratching the surface of what I’m doing. At the moment I’m
selling my work directly and working with a select number
of independent galleries, which I’ve build great relationships
with. I’m looking to establish a few more but I want to
keep what I’m doing simple and develop at my pace.
What’s next ?
I’m painting almost every day at the moment, I’ve got a lot of
ideas I’m keen to get started. A lot of my process is based on
trial and error, so the paintings can take a long time to come
together. I’m also working towards Asian Contemporary Art
Fair in Hong Kong in September and Manchester Buy Art Fair.
Where do you want to be in five years time?
Still painting every day, simple as that. Painting is
the best and biggest escape I’ve ever had, I think
it is good for your health… (seriously).
Where can people find out more about you ?
You can check out all my work at chrisriversart.com or
@chrisriversart on any social media.
Striking pieces borrowed from the most
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VintageLionsWT197.indd 1 20/06/2018 16:22
HFF Construction Ltd
A subsidiary of Hawkhurst Fish Farm
Delivering beautiful Water Features to enhance your Property
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wealdentimes.co.uk
38
HawkhurstFishFarmWT196.indd 1 23/05/2018 15:38
FURTHER REDUCTIONS
EVEN MORE ITEMS NOW 50% OFF *
Royal Victoria Place Tunbridge Wells Kent TN1 2SR
01892 516716 | www.fenwick.co.uk
*Exclusions Apply
25 th July – 22 nd Aug
Find out more and book
your free tickets at
theglades.co.uk
Notebook
Bocketts of fun
Enjoy a great day out at Bocketts Farm this
summer from 21 July to 2 September. The ‘Magic
of Summer’ trail will have children searching for
dragons, unicorns, fairies and mermaids. Other
daily activities include pony rides, tractor rides,
gold panning, animal handling, goat milking and
the famous pig racing. There are large indoor play
barns, trampolines, a young drivers’ area, sandpits,
pedal go-karts, treehouse towers and two giant
jumping pillows – plenty to keep the whole family
amused. bockettsfarm.co.uk
That’s our JAM
From Thursday 5 to Sunday 15 July,
JAM on the Marsh will be taking over
Romney Marsh. There will be an openair
performance of Changling Theatre’s
classic comedy, Blithe Spirit, a Children’s
Sunday with arts, crafts, and puppetry;
and performances by BBC Singers and
London Mozart Players. jamconcert.org
Notebook
Exhibitions
&
events near you
this month
Film knights
Luna Cinema is the country’s leading
producer of open air cinema events
and this summer they are bringing
moonlit open air screenings to fabulous
Wealden locations including Leeds,
Rochester and Tonbridge Castles.
Films to check out include Harry
Potter, The Greatest Showman, and
The Italian Job (which will be shown
with a full orchestra), and will be
running at these locations from July
to September. thelunacinema.com
Home at last
The award-winning blackShed gallery,
on the edge of the historic village of
Robertsbridge, is featuring Tom Banks
this month. Banks’ exhibition, Here We
Are, Home At Last, funded by the Arts
Council, is a collection of 3D house
shaped paintings exploring aspiration
and identity. theblackshedgallery.org.uk
A different cloth
Visit Linda Abrahams’ art studio at
the Control Tower Cultural Centre on
Kings Hill this month for a chance
to meet the artist herself and browse
her beautiful original textile art. Linda
is inspired by music and poetry and
works in silk, velvet and cotton.
07976 736533.
Summertime flies
Millbrook Garden Centre’s butterfly
experience will run from Monday 2 July
to Friday 31 August, with a tropical
indoor garden, exotic scented plants
and beautiful free-flying butterflies all
around. Get up close and learn about
their life-cycles, diets, habitats and
behaviours. millbrookgc.co.uk
41 wealdentimes.co.uk
STONE FLOORING SPECIALISTS
Our comprehensive range of wall and floor tiles
are especially sourced to offer excellent value.
Natural Stone, Encaustics, Porcelain
and Mosaic ranges on display
Expert advice and installation service available
Editor’s
Letter
If I had to choose one word to sum up this month’s issue it
would be colour, or rather COLOUR! Bold, beautiful, bright
and lots of it, all mixed up in a joyous riot.
It’s the theme of our Interiors Supplement, which celebrates the
glorious new ranges from some of our favourite fabric companies,
along with expert tips from interior designers on how to make the
wild new botanical prints, colours and textures work as part of an
overall scheme. And you might be happy to hear that neutral grey
walls are one of the ideas suggested.
If you’re looking for more inspiration on how colour can be
used to spectacular effect in a real family home, look no further
than our first house this month.
When the writer I’d commissioned to cover it had to cancel
at the last minute, I had to step in – and I’m so glad I had the
opportunity to see inside this amazing house, which is one of the
most inspiring I have ever had the privilege to visit. It was just so
hard to leave...
The other house in this issue also has a personal connection
– it’s just round the corner from where I live and I often take a
detour to walk past it so I can enjoy the garden.
I hope you enjoy your Wealden Times as much as I have putting
it all together.
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 Manager .................................................................................. Jen Shearer
Sales Team ................................................................................ Hayley Biddulph
Sarah Norwood
Distribution ....................................................................................... Kate Watts
Wealden Times Events Team
Sales Account Manager ...................................................................... Joy Adams
Jude Brown
Show Director ................................................................................. Flo Simpson
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43 wealdentimes.co.uk
SouthernAdhesivesWT195.indd 1 10/04/2018 11:54
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WhiteheadMoncktonWT178.indd 1 17/11/2016 12:53
God’s acre
A rambling old rectory is reborn as a
vibrant showcase for years of collecting
Words: Maggie Alderson Photographs: David Merewether
wealdentimes.co.uk
48
49 wealdentimes.co.uk
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Previous page: The dining room is painted in Thai Sapphire
by Little Greene. The cast iron dining chairs are from Oka. The
botanical photograph is by Isabel Bannerman Top: Jane’s love of
peacock feathers is in strong evidence in the kitchen. The wallpaper
is by Matthew Williamson. The chandelier is by Lee Broom Above:
Looking through to the back kitchen
Every house has a story – but it’s very rare to find one
that feels like a story in itself. With this dwelling, in
the south east corner of Kent, even before you turn
into the gravel drive that slopes gently up to the elegant
porticoed entrance, there is a sense of a scene being set.
The perfect English meadow, with sheep safely grazing,
trees dotted through it, as though placed by Capability
himself, an ancient parish church set behind, all enclosed
by the kind of metal fences you see around major country
estates. It feels like it’s still the 18th century, when the
house was built, and if Mr Darcy were to swing into view,
wet shirt and breeches clinging to his hunksome frame,
you wouldn’t be at all surprised.
It fits perfectly with the most recent part of this house’s
history. The trail which brought the current owners to this
perfect Georgian rectory – only the fourth set of residents
not to be rectors of the parish – started with one of them
dreaming of a house with its own lake.
“We were still based in London,” says John, “but we had
a cottage near Canterbury. One day I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be
nice to have a lake at the end of the garden so you could
have a swim in the morning?’…”
A treasure hunt of houses began with the first one,
while being in entirely the wrong spot, too close to the
51 wealdentimes.co.uk
Left and below: The first glimpse of Jane’s extensive collection
of Murano glass in the main hall. The ebony console table is by
Gareth Neal
motorway, opening up the idea of the perfect proportions of a
Georgian house being what they were looking for.
“I had always said I couldn’t retire to the country,” says
Jane, “because the houses aren’t big enough, they’re all
barns and farmhouses, but when we saw the first house it
got us thinking maybe there are other Georgian ones.”
The next key plot point: separate Googling led them
both to the same house – the one where they now live.
“It said it was under offer,” says John, “but on an irrational
impulse I took the day off to come and look at it anyway –
and found the owners weren’t happy with the offer. I thought
Jane will say it’s too big…but when she came to look, to
my amazement she said ‘It’s going to be a lot of work’…
with the clear implication ‘and when can we start?’ ”
“We knew it was a ten-year project,” says Jane. “We’ve
done a room a year for six years and it’s not finished yet. We
couldn’t have done any of it without Kevin McNulty, our
wonderful builder. He’s my hero and genius problem solver.”
As they tell the tale, we are sitting around a large table
under a chandelier made from old-style decanters by Lee
Broom, in the huge kitchen, which is more of a series
of rooms, with a wonderfully theatrical feel – enhanced
further by the sound of the church bells ringing outside.
Up some steps from the dining and cooking area is an
opening through to what was the earlier wing of the
wealdentimes.co.uk
52
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Above: Behind a sofa in the sitting room, a collection of
ceramics by Tanya Gomez Right: More peacock feathers on a
decorative screen. The late 19th century bronze figure is from
Christopher Buck Antiques
building, with parts dating back to the 13th century, with
a warren of service rooms including a butler’s pantry, a
flower room, laundry and a food pantry. Viewed from
the main kitchen, framed by lit cupboards with Tiffany
blue-painted interiors, it has the air of a proscenium
arch, enclosing the scene set behind, with a central
storage island, painted the same blue, stage centre.
All around the main kitchen/dining area are those
blue-painted cupboards, lit from within to showcase
part (a small part…) of Jane’s extraordinary collection
of glass, which is a theme throughout the house.
“The kitchen nearly brought us to our knees,”
says Jane. “It was 6” deep in water and we were
scooping it out with saucepans. It was also very
dark, so we put back the south-west-facing window
which a previous owner had taken out.”
Jane doesn’t know which owner, but it’s quite a narrow
field. Built by the Church of England in 1770, until 1928
it was an active rectory – and a grand one as befits such
a ‘good living’ with three parishes in its care. The church
sold it in 1928 and it stayed with that family until 1966.
For ten years after that, the house – by then a
Grade II listed building – stood empty and became
derelict, until the Council stepped in.
55 wealdentimes.co.uk
Above: The dining room viewed from the other end, showing the second Isabel Bannerman photograph over 12 figures of Chinese
astrology signs from Clignancourt fleamarket in Paris. The metal console tables were commissioned from Tom Faulkner, furniture
designer. The red velvet curtain fabric is by Timorous Beasties. The collections of glass on the trolley and objects on the mantelpiece
are arranged by Jane.
wealdentimes.co.uk
56
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This page: The wonderful pea green paint in John’s study also by
Little Greene. The curtain fabric is by Lacroix. John’s computer
is cleverly hidden behind doors in the bookshelves. The Chinese
porcelain Foo Dogs – or ‘guardian lions’ – on the mantelpiece are
another of Jane’s favourite things to collect
“An architect and his wife came to the rescue and bought
it from them,” says John. “They made it good and dry and
kept all the original features, the shutters and the windows.”
Sitting with us at the table is another important
character in the story of the rectory, Mark Howorth
of the London-based interior and architectural design
company, Callender Howorth, who worked with Jane
and John previously on their London house and Kent
cottage, and played a big part in the décor of the rectory.
“Kitchens are normally very utilitarian,” he says. “But
this is more of a gallery of Jane’s lifetime collection of glass.
That’s why it is so much fun working with her. It’s all
about colour, texture, pattern. Jane will have an idea that
sparks something in our team, it’s very collaborative.’
This made it the perfect point for us to go and explore
what that collaboration has created, which turned out to
be more of an expedition than a house tour, as I filled 30
pages of my large notebook, with frantic scribbling.
It is truly rambling, with a back staircase up to the
mansard-roofed old wing of the house as well as the grand
59 wealdentimes.co.uk
Left: The walls in the ‘blackboard loo’ have
been enthusiastically graffitied by the whole
family Above: The loo window is filled with
coloured Duralex tumblers, reflected in the
mirror on the window sill
one opposite the front door, and six to 12 bedrooms…
“depending how you look at it,” says John. I also lost count
of the number of bathrooms and can only remember that
they were all big and they were all fabulous and I wanted
to have a long leisurely bath in every one of them.
But while it is a very large and varied house, it is unified in
character, all brought together by the owners’ personalities,
interests and collections, with various themes linking it all
together, cleverly merged into context by Mark’s input.
One of the themes is peacock feathers, which I first notice
on the decorative screen in the grand drawing room, in fabric
sourced by Mark. Later on I spot them again on the other
side of the house in the snug – a cosy TV room – where they
appear in a beautiful mosaic table by glass artist Nikki Ella
Whitlock, one of many craft makers Jane follows and collects.
And when, at the end of the house tour (several hours
later…) we returned to the kitchen, I spotted the peacock
wallpaper in there.
“There is something peacock in every room…” said Jane,
smiling. “I’ve always loved them, which made me want to
set off to the top of the house again to find them all, and I
would have been quite happy to have done so, being by that
point as much in love with a house as it’s possible to be.”
The magic starts in the hallway, where the glass collection
– as seen in the kitchen - comes into glorious focus in a
brightly coloured group of stunning hand-blown pieces of
Murano glass, collected over many years of visiting Venice.
(Clearly a special place to Jane and John, who have decorated
one of the guest bedrooms in tribute to it, with Venetian
scene curtains and some splendid Venetian glass mirrors.)
But back to the hall – although it is hard to
maintain your focus in a house where there are just
so many amazing things in every room, from groups
of interesting objects masterfully arranged, to the
wonderfully bold colours on the walls and curtains.
The first collection of glass you see on entering the house
wealdentimes.co.uk
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Above: The family call this display in a passage at the rear of the house ‘Jane’s Table of Curiosities’. It started as one shelf and grew
into three tables as people gave her presents for it
sits on a console table made out of ebony by woodworker
Gareth Neal, combining classic forms used in antique
furniture, in a contemporary design. This is just one of many
– and I mean, many - pieces in the house sourced from the
Contemporary Applied Arts (CAA) gallery on the South Bank.
CAA is a charity supporting designer makers in
the applied arts - glass, ceramics, textiles, metal,
wood, jewellery – which the couple have long
supported. As she says: “We’ve got room for it…”
In the drawing room is another collection, of ceramics by
Tanya Gomez, brilliantly grouped, as are all the objects of
interest throughout the house, by Jane; an art form in itself.
Indeed, I found it hard to tear myself away from some of
the groups of collated treasures, which are found in every
room. They are just so interesting to look at. In the dining
room, across the hall from the sitting room, were four I found
particularly captivating, each very different in character.
Against the far wall, is a row of a dozen green figures
depicting the 12 signs of Chinese astrology, their scale
making them a striking focal point – and the first hint
of another theme of the house, which features many
charming clusters of Chinese figurines, of various kinds.
On the other side of the room, on top of a matching console
table, is a fascinatingly varied collection of artworks and
bibelots, some from CAA, others made by friends and family.
The third arrangement is on top of the mantelpiece, the fourth
a splendid group of cut glass decanters on a drinks trolley.
But while I had to drag myself from what legendary
decorator David Hicks called ‘tablescapes’, this magnificent
room – with walls in Thai Sapphire by Little Greene - is
splendid wherever your eye falls and a perfect illustration
of the creative partnership between Jane and Mark.
“I told Mark I wanted colour and he came up with this
wonderful purple,” says Jane.
“It’s all about colour, texture and vibrancy,” says Mark.
“Nothing was done in the way it’s ‘supposed’ to be. It’s
quirky. A house has to reflect the personality of the owners.”
“You made me brave,” adds Jane.
“We did push you a bit…” laughs Mark.
Perfectly illustrating the colour-texture-vibrancy here is his
choice of fabric for the curtains – a very bold, large scale red
and black velvet by Timorous Beasties, called Bird Branch.
Another of Mark’s touches, showing the (literal…)
polish a professional interior designer brings to a project,
are the antiqued mirror panels on the back wall.
“The premise of designing this house,’”says Mark,
63 wealdentimes.co.uk
The first room we visit upstairs is Jane’s library, lined with books,
many of them first editions, a haven I never wanted to leave
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Above and left: The mantelpiece in Jane’s library
with more chinoiserie and a detail of her very
personal collection of books Above right: a
collection of crystals
“was giving back some love and character which had been
lost over the years, while working within the listed status.
“Because of the scale of the dining room – it really is
a huge room – it needed another element and I came up
with the idea of the antiqued mirror. But we had to be very
careful to get the balance right, not to be garish. It had
to be the right level of patina and the right scale. Because
the walls of an old house aren’t straight, it’s a bit skewiff
and that’s perfect, it looks like it’s been there 250 years.”
Alongside the contemporary energy boost from such
considered additions, the furnishings in the dining room
reflect its perfect Georgian symmetry, with four doors, two
windows and two facing console tables. Then there is the
brilliant touch of unmatching dining chairs. Mixed in with
eight antique chairs are four modern iron ones, from Oka.
The colour and drama continues when you step through
the door into John’s study – its wonderful bright pea
green paint standing out thrillingly next to the purple of
the dining room. This one is also by Little Greene, called
Phthalo Green. “It has the exact brightness, intensity and
acidity of green we wanted,” says Mark and once you’re in
the room it’s the perfect background for the vivid botanical
curtain fabric he sourced from Lacroix (sweetie...)
Jane’s touch sings out from an arrangement of Chinese
guardian lions – ‘Foo Dogs’ – on the mantelpiece, who look
very much a family group. “I like tableaux,” she explains. She’s
certainly brilliant at creating them.
From the study, you step out through another door
– this being one of those special houses where you can
walk around in circles, from room to room and inside
67 wealdentimes.co.uk
This page: The ‘Library Loo’ featuring a table made of books,
book cover art by the Connor Brothers, from Lilford Galleries in
Canterbury, hanging books, book wallpaper – and a book that is
really a shelf
and out – into a dark stone-flagged corridor, with several
rooms off it. The first is the ‘blackboard loo’, a lavatory
with all the walls painted in blackboard paint, which
the family have covered with chalked comments.
In the loo window is another example of Jane’s visual
originality, combined with her love of glass. The window
frame is lined with glass shelves holding classic Duralex
tumblers in multiple colours, the light pouring through them,
like a modern take on a stained glass window. It’s stunning.
Next door is a temple to Jane’s glass creativity – the
studio where she creates art works of her own using goldleaf-backed
glass mosaic pieces, she buys from the only
artisans in the world who still make them, in Venice.
Back out into the corridor and Jane’s unique aesthetic sense
is displayed again on five bookcases from Oka. It’s a fascinating
assembly of extraordinary and interesting objects, which they
call Jane’s Table of Curiosities - the closest thing I’ve ever
seen in a private home to Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum.
“It started as one shelf,” she says. “People give me presents...”
It’s a collection you could spend an afternoon
examining, but the prospect of ascending the bright
red stair carpet – Mark’s choice to extend the bold
wealdentimes.co.uk
68
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T. 01892 526 996 www.catchpoleandrye.com
Quality glass
you can enjoy
for years
Supply & installation
specialist offering a wide
range of made-to-measure
glass products and
bespoke glass solutions
01233 626045
cpglassandwindows.co.uk
© buildertenterden.com
Shower screens/cubicles
Toughened glass splash backs
Double glazed units
Mirrors inc. antique
Balustrades/balconies
Horticultural/restoration
Supply of:
Windows, doors & conservatories
CPGlassWT196.indd 1 11/05/2018 12:51
Let’s design together
Summer
Sale
The small Petwoth sofa and king size Islington bed in Mixed Tones fabric.
Looking for colour day and night?
It’s tailored to you.
The Estate Yard, Eridge, Nr Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 9JR
01892 572 309 | sofasandstuff.com
wealdentimes.co.uk
70
SofasAndStuffWT197.indd 1 04/06/2018 16:29
Above left and right: Another book cover artwork by the
Connor Brothers from Lilford Galleries in one of the bedrooms
Below: A mounted unicorn head from Rockett St George
colour of the ground floor rooms to the upper floor – to
examine the bedrooms was enough to tear me away.
But the first room we visit up there is not a bedroom, it’s
Jane’s library. A room, lined with books, many of them first
editions, that I never wanted to leave. With a chandelier
brought from their London house, a marble fireplace,
the original lift-up shutters still working and polished
floorboards, sloping endearingly downhill, it’s a haven.
Next door is another loo, also fitted out Jane style. There is
a table in the shape of a pile of books, brilliant (and pleasingly
naughty) book cover artworks by the artists known as the
Connor Brothers and ‘bookshelf’ wallpaper. And next to the
loo what appears to be a pile of books hanging in mid-air.
Look closely and you will see on the spine of the
bottom tome the words ‘Ceci n’est pas un livre’ – this
is not a book. It’s actually a very witty shelf.
It’s a prime example of the sense of humour
throughout the house. Despite the lavish furnishing
and beautiful objects, there is no pomposity here. And
a house of this scale could take itself rather seriously.
Nowhere is that more apparent than over the door of
the adjacent bedroom – where a ‘life-size’ stuffed unicorn
head, mounted on a panel, stops me in my tracks.
“It was Jane’s idea,” says John, clearly delighted at my
71 wealdentimes.co.uk
eaction. “She said ‘a house like this should have moose heads,
but that means killing things. We should get a unicorn.’”
And then, being the conjurer of objects of beauty and
curiosity that she is – she found one. An item of myth and
magic which sums up the atmosphere of this extraordinary
house and the very special people who own it.
Not just a story, a fairy tale.
Address Book:
Mark Howorth of Callender Howorth 020 7336 8560
callenderhoworth.com
Builder Kevin McNulty boilerhealthcare.co.uk
Christopher Buck Antiques
Contemporary Applied Arts caa.org.uk
Curtains made by Mill House Designs millhousedesigns.net
Isabel Bannerman bannermandesign.com
Lilford Gallery lilfordgallery.com
Master glassmaker, Murano masterafrocelotto.com
Norfolk Decorative Antiques did all the chandeliers and wall
lights in the house antiquelighting.co.uk
Tanya Gomez ceramics tgceramics.co.uk
Venetian mosaic glass orsoni.com
Woodwork thoroughlywood.co.uk
This page: The Venice bedroom features Venetian mirrors and
curtains featuring Venetian scenes from Zoffany
Like to see more?
Discover countless beautiful homes
wealdentimes.co.uk/interiors
wealdentimes.co.uk
72
Offering a complete service
from consultation to installation
FREE Parking
T: 01732 350911
Orchard Business Centre, Sanderson Way, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1QG
showroom@townsbathrooms.co.uk
www.townsbathrooms.co.uk
OPENING TIMES
Monday to Friday | 9.00am – 5.00pm Saturdays | 9.00am – 4.00pm Sundays | Closed
FOUR LIMES DESIGN
Bespoke Fine Furniture
www.fourlimes.design
01304 842497
Kentmere Dining Chair in
Walnut and Sycamore
Mt Ephraim
Gardens
Faversham, Kent
AUGUST 3-5
Three days of classic, legendary
bands, good food, award winning
real ales, ciders and lagers,
presented in a truly beautiful setting
FourLimesDesignWT197.indd 1 11/06/2018 GrahamClarkeWT196.indd 16:52
1 15/05/2018 11:38
FEEDER * HAWKWIND * TEN YEARS AFTER * CARAVAN * CURVED AIR
JETHRO TULL’S MARTIN BARRE * CARL PALMER’S ELP LEGACY * GONG
ATOMIC ROOSTER * CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN * HUGH CORNWELL
TYGERS OF PAN TANG * PEATBOG FAERIES * JOHN OTWAY * BERNIE TORMÉ * RUTS DC
Ken Pustelnik’s GROUNDHOGS * SON OF MAN * JOHN COGHLAN’S QUO * THUNDERSTICK * AVA
Dr SCHWAMP * BEMIS * VIKKI CLAYTON * KANDA BONGO MAN * RODNEY BRANIGAN * THE GIFT
MENTULLS * THE FAR MEADOW * BLACKBEARD’S TEA PARTY * TOMMY JUSTICE * GERRY COLVIN
Camping & Glamping available. Free parking
Day tickets from £39. Weekend £110. Details & tickets at:
www.anewdayfestival.com
wealdentimes.co.uk
74
ANewDayFestivalWT197.indd 1 20/06/2018 09:54
1
4
9
8
Get
the
look
2 3
6
10 11
5
7
1 Unicorn head wall decoration £89 Audenza audenza.com 2 Matthew Williamson peacock wallpaper £118 Amara amara.com
3 Buckingham purple armchair £1,834 Colony Interiors colony-interiors.com 4 Ruby crystal decanter £125 Not on the
High Street notonthehighstreet.com 5 Gold skull sculpture £135 Hurn & Hurn hurnandhurn.com 6 Jade Mirror £2,420
Oficina Inglesa oficinainglesa.com 7 Teal lacquer wedding cabinet £1995 Orchid Furniture orchidfurniture.co.uk 8 Blue
glass vase £22 Debenhams debenhams.com 9 Two Chinese turquoise glazed foo dogs £684.59 1stdibs 1stdibs.co.uk
10 Insect bell jar £19.99 Zara Home zarahome.com 11 Rouge Picardie glass £20.97 (set of 6) Duralex duralex.com
Interiors
A Wealden Times Supplement
Statement chairs • Bright new fabric trends • Blinds and sheers
VISIT OUR NEW STORE IN SEVENOAKS -
5000 SQ FT OF BEAUTIFUL FURNITURE AND GIFTS OVER 3 FLOORS!
W W W. L O N D O N R O A D F U R N I T U R E . C O . U K
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TEL 01959 533433 - LONDON ROAD, HALSTEAD, SEVENOAKS, KENT TN14 7AA
FARNINGHAM OAK BRANCH - TEL 01322 863230 - HIGH STREET, FARNINGHAM, KENT DA4 0DG
FarninghamPineOakWT193.indd 1 20/02/2018 14:11
WT Interiors supplement
2
BlackShedGalleryWT197.indd 1 13/06/2018 12:47
WT Interiors supplement
Contents
4 FULL COLOUR
Thinking outside the box
with fabrics to make you
excited about interior
decorating
9 SHEER DELIGHT
The light and floaty
feel of a sheer curtain is
sheerly irresistible
13 GAME OF THRONES
Feature chairs that make a
statement
16 GOGGLEBOX
Bond-villain-worthy tech
to hide your tele
18 CHINATOWN
Our pick of delightful
china figurines
4
Full colour
Chinatown
18
HAPPY DAYS THIS SUMMER
The Summer Sale with 20% off
0%
3 YEARS INTEREST FREE CREDIT
WITH A 10% LOW DEPOSIT*
Visit our newly refurbished store!
13
Game of
Thrones
01622 753073 | clarkesfurnishers.co.uk
Visit us at Sandling Road, Maidstone, ME14 2RF
* Cash price £1000, deposit £100. 36 monthly payments of £25. Total payable £1000.
Subject to status. Credit subject to acceptance. Not applicable to clearance goods.
Cover image by Designers Guild designersguild.com
3
wealdentimes.co.uk
LenleysWT197.indd 1 11/06/2018 16:35
WT Interiors supplement
Full colour
We’ve said it before – and we’ll probably say it again – there
are colours for interiors other than fifty shades of grey. But
that doesn’t mean saying goodbye to neutrals. In fact they
make the perfect backdrop for the new ranges of gloriously
coloured, printed and textured fabrics. Mix them up with
wild aplomb, confident that your simple wall paint will
keep the whole scheme together
Designers Guild
“By keeping the main
aspects more neutral,
then accessorising with
bold colours through
cushions, lampshades,
artwork, rugs etc, a
scheme can easily be
updated or changed
making it a versatile
space for the client and
any changing tastes.”
Belinda Benton of
Evernden Interiors
Manuel Canovas
manuelcanovas.com
Osborne
& Little
Texture
Linwood
“Colour is finally
making a comeback!
Fabrics in one strong
colour, or in bold
florals and botanicals
are bang on trend for
the foreseeable future.
Textures and layering
are still playing a
big part. Accessorise
with marble, rose
gold and copper.”
Sarah Bellamy,
Skinners of Tunbridge
Wells
Manuel Canovas
Designers Guild
designersguild.com
Botanical
Osborne
& Little
Designers
Guild
Linwood linwoodfabric.com
5 wealdentimes.co.uk
EnsorInteriorDesignWT197.indd 1 07/06/2018 15:58
tHE DESIgn Room
making life beautiful
IntERIoR DESIgn . HomE StagIng & StylIng
Create a beautiful home in preparation of
selling or letting your property. Susanna and
The Design Room team can take your existing
furniture and homeware and dress your property
to appeal to the widest audience. We offer a
friendly and professional service that will ensure
your property stands out from the rest.
Contact us today to see how we can
make your life beautiful
Studio: 01797 225 366 . Mobile: 07979 097 343
. East Street, Rye . www.thedesignroomandco.uk
WT Interiors supplement
6
DesignRoomWT197.indd 1 19/06/2018 10:21
Casamance
Geometric
Casamance
“We are going away from grey
to more, warmer colour. Texture
has always been in, now colour
is making it stand out more. We
do a lot with Colefax & Fowler
and they’ve always done a lot of
embroidery and applique. For
windows we are doing more
long curtains as there is nothing
like them to make a room feel
more luxurious.”
Lisa Evans
of Ensor Interior Design
Osborne
& Little
Manuel Canovas
Ensor Interior Design
37 High Street, Frant,
Tunbridge Wells TN3
9DT 01892 750101
ensorinteriordesign.co.uk
Evernden Interiors
27 Stone Street,
Cranbrook TN17
3HH 01580 713778
everndeninteriors.co.uk
Skinners of Tunbridge
Wells, 6 Castle Street,
Royal Tunbridge Wells
TN1 1XJ 01892
532003 skinnersoftunbridgewells.co.uk
Osborne & Little 020 8812 3123 osborneandlittle.com
Linwood
7 wealdentimes.co.uk
HUGO GRENVILLE
Photo courtesy of www.goodnestone.com
One of the counrtry’s leading
romantic painters
Rectory Interiors
FABRIC & WALLPAPER SHOWROOM
www.rectoryinteriors.co.uk
The Old Forge 24 Wish Street Tuesday - Friday 9.30 - 16.00
Rye TN31 7DA 01797 222511 Saturday 10.00 - 16.00
’tasha
RectoryInteriorsWT182.indd 1 13/03/2017 16:23
Hugo’s paintings are an unashamed
and joyous celebration of life, a
passionate defence of beauty and
domestic harmony, steeped in the
English Romantic tradition
McALLISTER THOMAS
117 High Street
Godalming
Surrey GU7 1AQ
T: 01483 860591
www.mcallisterthomasfineart.co.uk
Specialise in Swedish & French interiors,
original antique beds & furniture,
Bespoke Zinc Top Tables.
Forstal Farm Goudhurst Road Lamberhurst Kent
Tel: 01892890769 www.tashainteriors.co.uk
WT Interiors supplement
McAllisterThomasFineArtWT197.indd 1 11/06/2018 TashaInteriorsWT182.indd 10:27
1 14/03/2017 14:22
McAllister Thomas Half Page - Kent.indd 1 09/06/2018 17:31
8
Sheer delight
Forget Hyacinth Bucket’s net curtains – the new
sheer fabrics are so beautiful they are window
treatments in their own right
“Sheers are in great
demand. They give a lovely,
airy floaty feel and stack so
neatly, whether for bi-fold
doors or to hide behind a
set of curtains for privacy
when required”
Sarah bellamy, skinners of
tunbridge wells
Top left: Casamance casamance.com Bottom left: Harlequin
stylelibrary.com/harlequin Above: Designers Guild
9 wealdentimes.co.uk
“Sheers are getting very popular. The
net curtain stigma has gone, it’s about
seeing the sheer as a solution in itself,
not just for privacy”
paul jenner of bell house
fabrics & interiors
The new electric blinds
For years electronically controlled blinds
and curtains which open and close at
the touch of a button were the ultraexpensive
preserve of luxury hotels, but
new technology has made them a practical
choice for homeowners. Paul Jenner of Bell
House Fabrics and Interiors explains.
“Electric blinds are becoming very popular
with our clients. Until recently the only
option was to have them in the limited fabrics
the blind company offered. Now you can
choose any fabric, as long as it’s not too heavy.
“We work very closely with the large French
company Somfy, which started making
exterior canopies. Because of the scale of the
business they are driving down prices and
launching new products all the time.
“Previously the question
with blinds was ‘do you want
to tie it off on a cleat or a
chain?’ Now it’s ‘do you want
a chain - or motorised...?’
“You can have them on most kinds of
windows. Some will suit romans better, others
rollers, depending whether you are fixing the
blind inside recesses or outside. Rollers cope
with more weight and are quieter. You can have
blackout fabric on the back of either.
“They are powered by eight double AA
batteries in a tube and you have one control
even if you have a bay with three blinds, you
can operate them all at once, or separately.
“You can also download an app so you can
operate them remotely, which is great for
security, or you can put them on a timer.
“On top of the price of fabric and making
the blinds, it costs £129 per blind for the
motor and battery pack, with batteries. The
remote controls are £29 for a single channel
and £46 for multi-channel, to operate more
than one blind. We keep them in stock and
install them with the blinds.
“We also do electrically operated curtains,
although they are more expensive – but price
reductions are coming, so watch this space!”
Bell House Fabrics & Interiors,
High Street, Cranbrook 01580 712555
bellhousefabrics.co.uk
Top: Harlequin Bottom: Casamance
The Interior
Shutter Company
2017
making
prices held
Picture courtesy of: Jane Churchill
T 01580 754 064 www.InteriorShutter.co.uk
James@InteriorShutter.co.uk
Suppliers of interior plantation shutters and blinds within Kent & Sussex
for designers and discerning home owners
High Street,
Cranbrook,
Kent TN17 3DN
9 June to
14 July 2018
Up to
20 %
off
Tel: 01580 712555
bellhousefabrics.co.uk
sales@bellhousefabrics.co.uk
InteriorShutterCompanyWT195.indd 3 03/04/2018 BellHouseWT196.indd 15:07
1 09/05/2018 14:39
rter Page Portrait CREAM BATHROOM.indd 1 28/03/2018 18:20
10% OFF
Everything in July & August
Distinctive Interiors & Design. Specialists in handmade curtains, blinds, shutters, upholstery and soft furnishings
Situated just off the High Street www.skinnersoftunbridgewells.co.uk
6 Castle Street, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1XJ Tel: 01892 532003
Email: sarah@skinnersoftunbridgewells.co.uk
11 wealdentimes.co.uk
SkinnersWT197.indd 1 13/06/2018 11:21
chairsandupholsteryshop
/tozerchairs
Derroll Tozer’s
Fine UpholsTery
127 Camden rd
Tunbridge Wells
Kent, Tn1 2Qy
01892 614 122
www.derrolltozerfineupholstery.com
Chairs&UpholsteryShopWT190.indd 1 20/11/2017 16:32
WT Interiors supplement
12
MillieAndRoseDesignsWT197.indd 1 15/06/2018 13:04
Game of
thrones
You can update your whole sitting room by
adding one feature chair – in a fun colour or
interesting shape – and those super comfy
leather swivel chairs are back, back, back
1
2
3 4
5
6
7
1 Imola swivel chair from £2,029 BoConcept boconcept.com 2 Dickens loose linen chair
£915 Huutt huutt.com 3 Carl Hansen shell chair £2,353 Nest nest.co.uk 4 Turquoise
Jindrich Halabala armchair The Kula thekula.com 5 Trident Swivel Chair £569
Collingwood Batchellor collingwoodstores.co.uk 6 Two bentwood armchairs £1775 The Old
Cinema theoldcinema.co.uk 7 Annabel pink armchair £795 Respire Living respireliving.com
13 wealdentimes.co.uk
Game of
thrones
3
2
1
4
6
9
5
7
8
1 Retro Leather Armchair in soft tan £795 Woodcocks
woodcocksinteriors.co.uk 2 Boston leather swivel chair £3,237
BoConcept boconcept.com 3 Two 50s cocktail chairs £225 The
French Depot thefrenchdepot.com 4 Space chair and stool £1,632
Clarkes clarkesfurnishers.co.uk 5 Pinter chair in voluptuous velvet
£625 Huutt huutt.com 6 Teal tub chair £329.99 MY Furniture
my-furniture.co.uk 7 Hendricks Accent Chair £499 John Lewis
johnlewis.com 8 Madeline chair £510 Neptune neptune.com
9 Adelaide dusty rose chair £1,099 BoConcept boconcept.com
WT Interiors supplement
14
FrenchDepot
01580 713778
www.everndeninteriors.co.uk
info@everndeninteriors.co.uk
Stone Street • Cranbrook • TN17 3HF
The largest French furniture
warehouse in the South.
8000sq.ft. of French furniture
and effects including
over 200 French beds.
Telephone Hastings
01424 423703 or 07707 057570
www.thefrenchdepot.com
EverndenInteriorsWT197.indd 2 05/06/2018 FrenchDepotWT192.indd 12:46
1 04/01/2018 10:22
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
15 wealdentimes.co.uk
KarensFoamStoreWT191.indd 1 14/02/2018 16:11
Goggleboxes
Conceal unsightly televisions with some cool tech
Televisions exist in the uniquely annoying position of being the centre of
attention one minute – and a dark eyesore plonked in the middle of the
room the next. They have to be in obvious view to be usable, but can ruin
the aesthetic of the most stylishly decorated interior. Not any more. Joseph
McCarthy makes ingenious televisions in varied styles and sizes, which
when they are off turn into striking decorative mirrors.
Meanwhile, Equippd has a variety of telly-hiding solutions. There are
sneaky ones waiting to pop out of a hidden compartment and others
sitting behind an image which functions like a kind of roller
blind. One button click or voice command and the image rolls
up to reveal your TV and you’re left with the giddy excitement of
feeling like an ingenious Bond villain.
Left: Mirrored TV on pedestal £16,895 Joseph McCarthy josephmccarthy.co.uk Right: Picture roll from £3000 Equippd equippd.uk
Joseph M c Carthy
Mirror & Frame makers
Bespoke Mirrors
Designed · Created · Installed
- visit our showroom -
The Pantiles Coach House , London Road, Tunbridge Wells TN2 5BF
Visit our showroom
info@josephmccarthy.co.uk
www.josephmccarthy.co.uk
01892 527528
WT Interiors supplement
16
JosephMcCarthyWT197.indd 1 12/06/2018 PassionMediaWT197.indd 10:23
1 29/05/2018 15:20
STUNNING HANDLES FOR DOORS & DRAWERS
www.theseplease.co.uk
Visit Brighton or Crowborough
Buy online at www.mistersmith.co.uk
• A simply stunning range of over 800 gorgeous glass and
ceramic cupboard knobs, mortice handles and hooks •
• Our original designs. Mix and match styles.
Transform kitchens. Upscale furniture •
• Online store www.theseplease.co.uk 01435 817153 •
• Trade accounts www.thesepleasetrade.co.uk •
MisterSmithInteriorsWT197.indd 1 13/06/2018 ThesePleaseWT195.indd 09:49
1 10/04/2018 10:49
ABSBlinds & Curtains
Tenterden
Awnings
Blinds
Shutters
Curtains
FREE FITTING • NO OBLIGATION QUOTATIONS
Call in our showroom and have a look
01580 765169 • www.absblinds.co.uk
8 The Fairings, Tenterden
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm • Sat 9am-3pm
17 wealdentimes.co.uk
ABSBlindsWT197.indd 1 05/06/2018 15:14
Chinatown
3
1
They have absolutely no practical use – except to delight your eye every
time you see them. Embrace the joy of china ornaments, new and antique
(they’re worth the dusting)
4 2
5
6
7
1 Twin-tone porcelain cactus £15.59 Maisons du Monde maisonsdumonde.com 2 Tropical birds
on perch from £37.95 Graham and Green grahamandgreen.co.uk 3 Two Vista Allegre parrots
£145 Marlborough Antiques marlboroughantiques.com 4 Linea Blue Coral £24 House of Fraser
houseoffraser.co.uk 5 Two cockatoos £78.50 Rye Pottery ryepottery.co.uk 6 Själsligt £15 Ikea ikea.com
7 Two Staffordshire figures sold recently by Gorringes Auction Houses, similar lots are frequently
included in their weekly Lewes auction gorringes.co.uk
WT Interiors supplement
18
D&S Wealden Times Ads 1-4 (Feb'18)_D&S 1/4 page 17/02/2018 11:23 Page 4
Furniture... Interiors... Lighting... Gifts...
IN-STORE BY PHONE ONLINE
We create unique and beautiful solid wood flooring from the finest oak, cut to
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www.deaconandsandys.co.uk
8 Market Street
Rye
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(Opposite Rye Town Hall)
01797 225222
"We're here to help!"
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concepts
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Follow us on Twitter @visitryebay | 33
DeaconSandyWT193.indd 2 20/02/2018 ConceptsWT195.indd 12:18
1 25/04/2018 14:54
ThomasHaywood
Specialist Family Solicitors
Tunbridge Wells - Maidstone - London
Sarah Haywood : 01892 765013
www.thomashaywoodsolicitors.com
77 wealdentimes.co.uk
ThomasHaywoodSolicitorsWT175.indd 1 11/08/2016 14:56
Words and styling: Karena Callen
Photographs: David Merewether
House of scarves
Textile designer and pattern maker, Melanie Laslett, has
transformed a 19th century fisherman’s cottage in Hastings into a
light and airy home peppered with mid-century modern finds
Farm shop, Garden Café, Butchery, Outdoor Living and Antiques Emporium
your all new garden centre on the a21
A21 - Hurst Green East Sussex, TN19 7QS
www.plantersA21.com
PlantersA21WT197.indd 1 18/06/2018 17:09
Garden BuildinGs
Quality Garden Buildings
At affordable prices.
Our range of quality, stylish Garden Buildings are perfect for
getting the most from your garden. Built using traditional skills
and assembled by our staff at your location.
Web: chartgardenbuildings.co.uk
Tel: 01233 229898
Garden Rooms Summerhouses Pavilions Gazebos
Quality Garages & Car Ports
At affordable prices.
Whether its a Garage, a multi-bay Carriage House, open-sided
Cart Port or a Garden Workshop for storing machinery, we will
design and install your building to meet your requirements.
Web: chartgarages.co.uk
Tel: 01233 229898
Timber Garages Carriage Houses Car Ports Workshops
wealdentimes.co.uk
80
ChartStablesWT197.indd 1 18/06/2018 14:11
Above: The terraced garden at the front of the house. The previous owner had created the garden from scratch and Melanie has
enhanced and edited it, adding her own touches, including a seating area made out of metal gabion baskets filled with pebbles
Below right: The rear garden looking across the Old Town
It was William Morris, who said “Have nothing in your
house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be
beautiful.” A concept that is embodied by the home of
21st century textile designer, Melanie Laslett.
I’ll be honest. This Arts and Crafts aesthetic is not what I
expected to find in a former fisherman’s cottage, perched on
Hastings’ picturesque East Hill. Think ‘fisherman’s cottage’
and before you can say ‘cast off your nets’, I have visions of
quaintness. An interior boasting a smattering of scavenged
driftwood and the odd marine-inspired artwork, offset
by some random fishing paraphernalia. But in the case of
Melanie’s pad, I was completely off the mark. There are very
few obvious traces that it was once a seafarer’s dwelling, and
Melanie has well and truly added her own design stamp, both
inside and out.
The Georgian frontage – which is at the back of the house
- overlooks Hastings’ Old Town with fabulous views across
to the West Hill with its rows of houses painted in sugaralmond
shades. On the main entrance side the exterior is a
combination of Victorian and 1960s, with sweeping views
81 wealdentimes.co.uk
“I always wanted a bathtub that had a fabulous
view, it really is perfect”
wealdentimes.co.uk
82
018 09:47
Registered Charity No. 239992. Company No. 633098
Registered Charity No. 239992. Company No. 633098
Image © Amanda Hedges
KentWildlifeTrustWT197.indd 1 06/06/2018 GraceyardWT194.indd 09:47
1 09/03/2018 14:23
www.thewindowsanctuary.com
83 wealdentimes.co.uk
WindowSanctuaryWT197.indd 1 14/06/2018 09:54
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up to Hastings Country Park, with spectacular views and
well-trodden hiking routes all the way to Winchelsea and Rye.
It’s this magical location that first drew Melanie from
London (via Canterbury) to the most easterly side of Hastings.
So close to the hustle and bustle of the Old Town, with its
mix of vintage shops, cool (and growing cooler by the day)
boutiques, cafes, bars and restaurants, yet so close to nature.
“I love the fact that when we are in the cottage,
it’s incredibly tranquil. We are surrounded by
birdsong,” says Melanie. “Yet in literally two minutes
flat, you can be in the centre of Old Town, sipping
a coffee or snapping up a vintage bargain.”
Melanie, I hope she won’t mind me saying, is a magpie. But
her collector’s eye and love of a good rummage, hasn’t in any
way resulted in clutter or chaos. Back to the William Morris
design sensibility. Her home is the epitome of curated calm
and order without feeling soulless or too bare. Everything has
its place, and in the main, has been selected specifically for
either its beauty or usefulness.
As a textile designer, she has a well-trained eye for colour,
pattern and proportion that comes across clearly in her
This page: The main bedroom. The ladder, above, is from Eras
of Style and displays some of Melanie’s fabric designs for Laslett
England
85 wealdentimes.co.uk
This page: The spare bedroom has views over the Old Town.
The grey curtains are from Marks & Spencer
personal interior design style.
“I had help with the nuts and bolts of the building
work,” she says. “My uncle develops property and
was able to help with structural changes, but the
vision is mine, along with the decorative aspects.”
She ‘happened’ upon the cottage when she was
viewing another property in the same area. “The house
I had been looking at was too small, although I loved
the location, so I was really lucky to spot this cottage
which had literally just gone on the market.”
Not only was it the perfect location, it had the double aspect
and generous gardens front and back. Kismet also played a
part. Like Melanie, the previous owner, Jean Howell, was also
a textile designer and accomplished artist, and had bought the
house from a fishing family who had lived there for 30 years.
“It felt right that I was taking over from Jean,” she adds and
once she had made the decision, there was no going back.
“I did have a few anxious moments. Although the
property had been chopped about over the years –
the main part is Georgian, with a Victorian addition
and a 60s extension – the building was listed.”
Luckily, her uncle came to the rescue and was
able to smoothly navigate the necessary planning
permission required. The first and most major
wealdentimes.co.uk
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wealdentimes.co.uk
88
OneOneSixWT197.indd 1 12/06/2018 11:21
Above: Melanie left the lovely worn paint on the wooden stairs. The bathroom to the right was created in what was
the third bedroom
adaption was to create a dream bathroom.
“That was the first room to be completed – and it’s
still my favourite,” she says. “I always wanted a bathtub
that had a fabulous view… In the evening, I can look
out over Old Town and the twinkling lights of West
Hill while I soak in my tub. It really is perfect.”
The original bathroom was downstairs, so it made sense
to repurpose one of the three bedrooms. She installed a
separate shower, then hunted for her dream freestanding
bath, which she found at The Bath Store. The tub sits on a
slighted raised plinth of grey and white patterned Moroccanstyle
ceramic tiles, while the rest of the room has original
Victorian floorboards, which have been sanded and varnished.
“I love introducing a focal point with pattern, rather
than using it everywhere,” she says, her textile design
and pattern-making background coming to the fore.
The master bedroom window also benefits from views,
looking out over the garden and up to the country park.
“We can sit in bed with our morning cups of tea and gaze
out – and whatever time of year it is, the view is never bleak.”
This room has plenty of Melanie’s signature pops of
pattern. A plump, floral print eiderdown, another of her
vintage buys, resides at the foot of an M&S iron bed and
a black and white optical print woven rug from John
Lewis sits comfortably on stripped pine floorboards.
Propped up against the side of the wardrobe is a vintage
wooden ladder from Eras of Style in Bexhill, used to display
samples of Melanie’s own textiles and scarves and some of
her favourite finds. Bedlinen is neatly stored in a 1940s
tallboy, another bargain from a secondhand shop in Bexhill,
a favourite hunting ground for retro furniture and fabric.
Like the bathroom, the guest bedroom has a vantage
point over the Old Town and is one of the few rooms that
has curtains – the rest have shutters. The room oozes calm
and although it’s undoubtedly minimalist, it still has a
cosy feel, with a perfect ‘mismatch’ of pattern and print.
Under the window, there’s a secondhand ottoman
which was transformed from a dusky ‘old-lady’ pink
to a cool khaki with spray paint, then re-upholstered
in classic Marimekko floral fabric. A chest of drawers
from Browsers, one of Hastings’ best-loved secondhand
shops, was painted with Annie Sloan chalk paint,
89 wealdentimes.co.uk
The small downstairs bathroom was ripped out
to make way for the dining area
wealdentimes.co.uk
90
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OliveTreeBuildingServicesWT195.indd 1 12/04/2018 16:54
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91 wealdentimes.co.uk
OrlestoneOakWT167.indd 1 02/12/2015 11:42
Summer Sale is now on!
Parker Knoll major stockist. Showcasing all of their newest models and fabrics.
On show at our Eastbourne showroom. 25% discount available and free delivery within 30miles.
Wealden House, Cross In Hand 01435 863921 116 South Street, Eastbourne 01323 722921
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This page: The front door
opens into the kitchen. The
units are from Jewsons and
the encaustic tiles are from
Encaustic Tiles Ltd
waxed to intensify the colour and protect the paint.
Downstairs, the living room/office and kitchen/dining
room are open plan and engineered oak flooring has been
laid throughout for uniformity. Both rooms have windows
to the front and rear, so light floods in most of the day.
“When I first arrived, the main room was already knocked
through, so I didn’t have to do any major structural work.”
The majority of the building work on the ground floor was
focused on creating the spacious kitchen diner. The small
downstairs bathroom was ripped out to make way for the
dining area and a skylight fitted to introduce yet more light.
Slate grey kitchen units from Jewsons were cleverly
customised by Melanie’s uncle and their modern, no-nonsense
utilitarian feel is softened by quartz sandstone worktops.
“The quartz adds a bit of sparkle and glamour,” she
says. Her signature pop of pattern is present in the form of
Moroccan jewel-coloured encaustic tiles sourced in London.
“I laid them out like a patchwork quilt and I love the
fact that they introduce a riot of colour to the kitchen.”
A vintage painted cupboard houses her collection of
glass and crockery and a Georgian folding leaf dining
table purchased in Somerset is positioned by the window
that overlooks the front garden. Next door, although the
living room and combined office is long and narrow,
93 wealdentimes.co.uk
This page: The living space had already been knocked through.
The denim-covered sofa is by Danish designer Peter Jeppesen
and the coffee table is from Heals. The shelving unit, left, is
vintage Habitat
Melanie’s choice of furniture has maximised the space.
“It’s all about proportion and choosing pieces
that are linear and not space hungry.”
Here’s where her eye for a mid-century modern classic
and a vintage buy comes into play. A retro Habitat metal
and wood shelving unit is home to a collection of vases
and books, while an elegant Danish wood and darkdenim
upholstered settee by Peter Jeppesen is roomy but
doesn’t dominate space. A lozenge-shaped Heal’s coffee
table and trio of 90s Habitat nest tables make this part of
the room the perfect place for parties and socialising.
At the far end of the room, Melanie has her office
from which she runs Laslett England, her printed
textile and scarf-making business. Her silk pocket
squares are stocked by Bloomingdales in New York
and she also runs a successful online boutique.
“Anyone who works from home knows the dilemma of
combining living and work space. But fortunately, this room is
large enough for both, without my work being intrusive.”
94
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of an extra
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wealdentimes.co.uk
96
SharpsTunbridgeWellsWT197.indd 1 06/06/2018 10:02
Above: A woodburning stove keeps the sitting room cosy.
Left: Melanie’s work space is at the other end of the room
Solutions such as a glass desk and generous shelves to
hold stock and paperwork have made the space work harder.
But for Melanie, the cottage extends beyond the walls.
“One of the things that I was most attracted by when
I first saw this house was the garden – and although I
am overlooked by eight other homes, there is a feeling
of privacy and space because of the location.”
Although the previous owner had created the garden
from scratch Melanie was keen to add her own signature
and her partner was happy to weigh in for the grunt
work. The first step was to create an area to sit and enjoy
the sun. They used galvanized metal gabion baskets they
found in the garden to create a wall between the planted
area and the patio, topping them with two large pieces of
driftwood to create a perfect pair of wooden benches.
“I didn’t want the traditional English seaside garden
with pebbles and pea shingle, but when I went to Beth
Chatto’s gardens for inspiration, I fell in love with her gravel
garden. And one of the main benefits is that you don’t
need to water it, so it’s incredibly low-maintenance!”
The rest of the garden is stuffed full of hardy
97 wealdentimes.co.uk
Above: Melanie keeps her workspace ordered with a shelving unit from Habitat. The glass desk is also from there
perennials, accent shrubs – and the odd cactus.
Rosemary rubs shoulders with lavender, sage with thyme,
geraniums with weigela, curry plant with agave.
The front/back of the house, with the Georgian facade,
has a very different feel. “It feels more tropical and is more
enclosed than the back garden. I brought a palm with
me from London and have planted it here – they love
the sea air – and there is also an Echium, another coastal
lover, and sea kale, which I’ve mixed with foxgloves.”
As with the interior, Melanie has used touches of
colour and pops of pattern to make the garden her own,
while still retaining the original charm and personality
which first magnetically attracted her. Does she see
herself staying in her East Hill idyll for years to come?
“Buying this cottage has always felt that it was meant
to be. Yes, I made the decision quickly, but there were
so many things that I loved. The garden, the location,
the views, the house itself. The fact that whichever
window or door I look out of I am never bored.”
I’m guessing that’s a yes.
Address Book:
Laslett England laslettengland.com
Athelas Plants, Ninfield 01424 893593 athelasplants.co.uk
Great Park Farm Nursery, Catsfield, Nr Battle 01424
772531 greatparkfarm.co.uk
Harborough Nurseries, Icklesham 01424 814220
harboroughnurseries.co.uk
Downderry Nursery, Tonbridge, Kent (specialists in lavender
and rosemary) 01732 810081 downderry-nursery.co.uk
Brighton Plants, Small Dole, near Brighton 07955 744802
brightonplants.blogspot.com
wealdentimes.co.uk
98
Traditional & Contemporary English Hand-Made Furniture,
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108-110 High Street, Tenterden TN30 6HT. 01580 764481
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By Appointment
to Her Majesty
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wilkinson
Fine English Chandeliers
bookkeeping | VAT returns | payroll | auto enrolment
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you concentrate on running your business
and let us concentrate on the numbers
Cleaning | Glass Repairs | Restoration | Installation
www.wilkinson-ltd.com
Bredgar, Kent ME9 8HE | 01795 830000
enquiries@wilkinson-ltd.com
call clare richardson or lynsey kendall
to arrange a free consultation
01233 506203 www.kendallrichardson.co.uk hello@kendallrichardson.co.uk
WilkinsonWT196.indd 1 10/05/2018 KendallRichardsonWT195.indd 15:04
1 12/04/2018 09:52
Authorised service centre for
• Specialising in all luxury brands
• Pre-owned watches bought & sold
• Full servicing with 2 year warranty
• Vintage restoration work undertaken
• Refurbishing of cases & bracelets
• Watch batteries, straps & accessories
www.dciws.co.uk 01342 604269
info@iwsworkshop.co.uk @DCIWS
74 High Street, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 3DE
wealdentimes.co.uk
100
DavidCarpenterWT197.indd 1 01/06/2018 12:17
1
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1 Red industrial pendant light Alexander & Pearl alexanderandpearl.co.uk 2 Orange spot cushion £14.99 Very
very.co.uk 3 Cosy bed £1,695 Soho Home sohohome.com 4 Organic cotton print cushion £45 Harris and Hall
harrisandhall.com 5 Mannequin with two removable covers £31.99 Domu Brands domu.co.uk 6 Maxwell & Williams
ceramic tile coasters £2.50 each Creative Tops creative-tops.com 7 Ficus tree in ceramic £15 M&S marksandspencer.com
8 Resort sienna silk bandana £95 Laslett England laslettengland.com 9 Squillions brass floor lamp £155 Loaf
loaf.com 10 Feather duster £28 A G Hendy & Co aghendy.com 11 Mino wide shelves £129 Made made.com
This year’s Wealden Times Midsummer Fair, the fairest of them all...
just like being in a Richard Curtis
film, but instead of Notting Hill it
‘It’s should be called Hole Park’ quipped
our editor, Maggie Alderson, as she gazed
across the sunlit show ground at this
year’s Wealden Times Midsummer Fair,
sponsored by Harpers and Hurlingham.
The cast of Maggie’s movie included a record
numbers of visitors and over 250 retailers who
spilled out of five large marquees and four
tented avenues onto the meadow at Hole Park
selling a fantastic range of furnishings, food,
fashion plus flowers, and plants for the garden.
But the fair wasn’t just about shopping: three
iconic brands, NFU Mutual, Benenden Hospital
Trust and Fenwick partnered Wealden Times
this year to offer free garden, health, beauty
and fashion-themed talks and treatments.
The Garden Hub, sponsored by NFU
Mutual, hosted some wonderful speakers
including David Archer – aka actor Tim
Bentinck – who came all the way from
Ambridge (or at least London…) to talk
about his new book. As well as the Hub,
gardeners gained free entry to Hole
Park’s gardens, pure horticultural
heaven, as part of their ticket price.
In the Health Hub, staff
from Benenden Hospital Trust
answered healthcare questions
plus nurses were on hand to provide cholesterol,
blood glucose and blood pressure tests.
Beauty masterclasses and mini beauty
treatments proved irresistible at the Beauty
Hub, sponsored by Fenwick of Tunbridge Wells.
Visitors enjoyed talks and demonstrations from
brand leaders including Clarins, Charlotte
Tilbury, Dermalogica and Aveda, as well as daily
fashion talks from the Fenwick fashion team.
Every quintessential English summer’s day
deserves a deckchair and the fair’s deckchair
zone hosted live music each day from local
schools Dulwich Prep Cranbrook Jazz Band,
St Ronan’s Jazz Band and Marlborough
House Choir. On Saturday lunchtime
Cranbrook Town Band played for us for
two glorious hours, supplying the perfect
sound track to the spirit of all three days.
Finally, we must thank the weather
gods for delivering sunshine and a gentle
breeze to our movie set each day.
We hope you’ll join us for our next
event, Wealden Times Midwinter Fair on
15, 16 & 17 November 2018 at The
Hop Farm, Paddock Wood. Tickets
are available online from 30 July.
Go online to wealdentimes.co.uk/
events/gallery.php to see our
gallery of photos from the fair.
Midsummer Flair
What more glorious setting could there be for lovely summer dresses than the Wealden Times
Midsummer Fair, in the glorious grounds of Hole Park house? Get your frock on.
Photographs: David Merewether Styling: Kate Watts Model: Grace Gray
Make up Charlotte Tilbury at Fenwick Tunbridge Wells fenwick.co.uk/brands/charlotte-tilbury
wealdentimes.co.uk
104
105 wealdentimes.co.uk
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Previous page left: Wrap dress, £89, SW19 London sw19london.com; necklace, £65, Jo Wellesley Jewellery jowellesleyjewellery.co.uk;
bag, £38, Antoine et Lili en.antoineetlili.com; scarf, £13.50, Melita of Chobham motherofthebridechobham.co.uk; trainers, stylist’s own
Previous page right: Kimono sleeve dress, £44.95, Patchouli Fair patchoulifair.co.uk; hat, £18, Rose and Bows Country Boutique
roseandbows.co.uk; wedge sandal, £65, Varca varca.com; bag, £2.99, Jeremy’s Home Store jeremyshomestore.co.uk This page left: Silk
chiffon dress, £449, Ridley London ridleylondon.com; garnet clogs, £129, Kitty Clogs kittyclogssweden.co.uk; bracelet, £45, earrings,
£25, ring, £125, The Vintage Lions etsy.com/uk/shop/TheVintageLions Right: Customised jacket, £179, Will and Pop willandpop.com;
wrap dress, £89, SW19 London sw19london.com
107 wealdentimes.co.uk
Dominic Walmsley
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Embroidered dress, £65, Who’s Wearing What Boutique whoswearingwhat-boutique.co.uk; hat, £125, Truly Cool Beachwear
trulycoolbeachwear.com; gold hoop earrings, £85, Beyond Biasa beyondbiasa.co.uk; cube pendant necklace, £85, sphere necklace, £65, Jo
Wellesley Jewellery jowellesleyjewellery.co.uk; bag, £120, Number 44 number44.myshopify.com; shepherd hut, Elham Valley Shepherd’s
Hut elhamvalleyshepherdhuts.com
109 wealdentimes.co.uk
Dress, £115, SW19 London sw19london.com; earrings, £24, Antoine et Lili en.antoineetlili.com; bag, £48, No.3 no3lenham.co.uk;
customised jacket (in bag), £129, Will and Pop willandpop.com; sandals, £160, Number 44 number44.myshopify.com
wealdentimes.co.uk
110
Celebrating our opening in Canterbury with a special event
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AbiGurneyWT193.indd 1 05/02/2018 OdylWT197.indd 10:10 1 19/06/2018 12:43
In Store Noww
cashmere and silk knitwear
Celebrate colour this
summer at Cashara
23 High Street, Tenterden TN30 6BJ
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Hawkhurst-No6 The Colonnade Rye Road Kent. TN184ES
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wealdentimes.co.uk
112
CasharaWT197.indd 1 15/06/2018 CordeliaJamesWT196.indd 15:24
1 11/05/2018 09:57
Shift dress, £110, Antoine et Lili en.antoineetlili.com; sunglasses, £10, Who’s Wearing What Boutique whoswearingwhat-boutique.co.uk
113 wealdentimes.co.uk
Above: Earrings, £30, Catherine de Crèvecoeur catherinedc.com;
dress, £115, SW19 London sw19london.com Right: Earrings, £24,
Antoine et Lili en.antoineetlili.com; dress, £115, SW19 London
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CornellWT197.indd 1 15/06/2018 PureniqueWT196.indd 14:15
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Summer
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Come to Charing for White Vanilla
Our new range of White Vanilla styles plus our core
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115 wealdentimes.co.uk
CountyClothesWT197.indd 1 06/06/2018 Elizabeth44WT197.indd 17:02
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wealdentimes.co.uk
116
MelitaOfChobhamS45.indd 1 14/06/2018 No3-WT196.indd 12:35 1 09/05/2018 17:00
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No – the treatment is pain-free and very relaxing.
How many facials do you recommend for optimum results?
You will see visible results after just one session. A course
of 10 treatments is recommended, followed by monthly
maintenance sessions.
Go to Oaks Hair & Beauty Retreat, 120 High Street,
Hythe, Kent CT21 5LE or call 01303 261944,
www.oakshairandbeautyretreat.com
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Strip Lite
Legology £20
legology.co.uk
Beauty
Perfect Partners
Relax & Revive Bath
Oils, Aromatherapy
Associates
£20 for 2 x 7.5ml
aromatherapy
associates.com
In Transit Skin
Defence Kit
This Works
£25 thisworks.com
Travel Kit for
Dry Hair
Léonor Greyl £26
leonorgreyl.com
Small is beautiful
Mini Celebrity
Lipstick Charms
Charlotte
Tilbury, £29.
charlottetilbury.com
Josephine Fairley – a chronic over packer – rejoices in the beauty of travel mini kits
While I have every admiration for light
travellers, I am personally incapable of going
anywhere with less luggage than someone
embarking on The Grand Tour. I need trunks, I need
bearers, but instead I personally heave my (oversized, and
often overweight) luggage on and off various forms of
moving vehicle, with my husband muttering unhelpfully,
our family mantra: ‘You pack it, you carry it.’
But one way I can decrease my load is via travel beauty
kits. And even better, they serve two purposes, eliminating
the need to carry weighty full-sizes of products – and
offering a great opportunity to trial products, to see if you
might like to spring for the full size.
Although, if you’d rather not experiment
with products you aren’t familiar with on
vacation, get yourself to a Muji store – where
you’ll find a brilliant selection of travelfriendly
empty bottles and jars for decanting
your own skincare and haircare into.
This summer, I will be packing the below
– all airline security-friendly, suitable for stashing in hand
luggage. But alas, in my (literally...) case they won’t be slipping
into a dinky wheelie that fits into an overhead locker.
Instead they will be stowed in a vast suitcase in the
hold, probably alongside half a dozen pairs of shoes, a
selection of scented candles (you just never know how
your hotel might smell, even when you’ve zoomed in
on the pictures on booking.com), a generous stack of
hardback books, a full-size feather pillow and – on one
trip to Dubai of all places – EIGHT JACKETS.
You just never
know how your
hotel room is
going to smell...
One caution: the following, mostly come with their
own pouches, so if you are going hand-luggage-only, you’ll
need to ditch those in favour of a see-through bag.
VOYA Organic Voyager Travel Set, £38. With its
roots in the seaweed-swathed west of Ireland, VOYA’s
products are all 100% organic, infused with marine
elements and are deliciously (not-seaweedy-at-all)
scented. In this kit, find generous 75ml sizes of body
wash and moisturiser, shampoo and conditioner; the
last is just brilliant for detangling beach hair.
Liz Earle Essentials Try-Me Kit, £25. Liz Earle’s skincare
business was built on offering samples, small sizes and kits
as a great intro to products, which has helped
make them a go-to brand for travelistas.
Showcasing multi-award-winning products –
Cleanse & Polish, Instant Boost Skin Tonic,
Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion and one of
the muslin cloths – in a choice for different
complexions. Truly, your skincare essentials.
Leonor Greyl Travel Kit for Dry Hair, £26.
Nobody understands straw-like holiday hair better than
Leonor Greyl, a haircare legend whose salon has long been
a mecca for swingy-tressed Parisiennes. (I’ve visited Paris
several times just to take advantage of the gleam-inducing
treatments on offer on the Rue Tronchet, where you’ll get
the most astonishing scalp massage of your lifetime.)
This kit showcases three of her hero products,
perfect for counterbalancing holiday damage: ultraconditioning,
silk protein-enriched Shampoo Crème
Moelle de Bambou, Masque Fleurs de Jasmin and the
119 wealdentimes.co.uk
A NEW Luxury Salon
Experience Now Open
· Cutting/colour &
blow dry services
· Hair spa treatments
· Luxury massage
wash chairs
· Essential oil aromas
· Relaxing music & lighting
· Hot towels, warming eye
masks & head massages
· Goldwell & Wideye stocked
Beauty
Essentials Try-
Me Kit, Liz
Earlel, £25
uk.lizearle.com
We take pride in the condition
and care of your hair
www.sr-hair.co.uk
Telephone 01233 503248
/SRHairSpa
The Courtyard
Mersham-Le-Hatch
Ashford TN25 6NH
SRHairSpaWT197.indd 1 15/06/2018 11:35
Eden Beauty Therapy
Let us take care of you
www.edenbeautytherapy.co.uk
01732 862224
5 Church Street, Edenbridge, Kent
pre-shampoo oil treatment L’Huile de Leonor Greyl.
Legology Strip Lite, £20. Your legs are destined to
be on show, on vacation, so grab this for lemon-zesty
Air-Lite Daily Lift for Legs, a wonderfully energizing
treatment which instantly improves their appearance
and Sun-Lite Sheer Lingerie for Legs, an instant tint
(rather than a self-tanner) to deal with the pastry-legged
S.O.S. on the first couple of days of your getaway.
Aromatherapy Associates Perfect Partners Relax & Revive
Bath Oils, £20 for 2 x 7.5ml. One of my holiday pleasures
is a long, leisurely soak – and I would never travel long-haul
without these. The first is great for beckoning sleep when
you’re jet-lagged and wide awake in the wrong time zone,
while the second is just brilliant as a pre-cocktails wake-up call
when you’d actually rather hit the sack than the beach bar.
This Works In Transit Skin Defence Kit, £25. I have
been known to choose hotels for This Works amenities,
but this kit means I can take the range anywhere with me.
The In Transit No Traces mini-pads are brilliant for inflight
cleansing before slathering on In Transit Camera
Close Up, a multi-tasking product which does triple-duty
as a moisturiser, primer and leave-on mask and is brilliant
for counteracting the dryness of a cabin at 37,000 feet.
In Transit Skin Defence is my favourite-ever daily SPF,
great for my sensitive skin and featuring an SPF30.
Charlotte Tilbury Mini Celebrity Lipstick Charms,
£29. It’s not hard to find great downsized skin and hair
care kits, bt make up offerings are rarer. This set from
red carpet make-up pro Charlotte is your complete
holiday lipstick wardrobe, in drinky tubes: a great
nude, pretty rose and a daring red, for after dark.
The Perfume Society Discovery Boxes, from £15. We
get regular feedback from customers and members of The
Perfume Society (see below) that the samples in our discovery
boxes are brilliant for an in-transit perfume wardrobe.
Alternatively, decant your favourite holiday scents into a
useful Travalo atomiser – which we also offer on the site.
Jo Fairley is co-founder of The Perfume Society
which offers perfume Discovery Boxes and online
VIP membership with special events, competitions
and discounts from leading perfume websites, plus
six downloadable issues a year of award-winning
magazine, The Scented Letter. perfumesociety.org
wealdentimes.co.uk
EdenBeautyTherapyWT195.indd 1 05/04/2018 15:39
120
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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
Are you feeling hot, bothered and perspiring so
much that it interferes with your day to day life?
I’ve struggled with a lot of sweating since my late
teens. It was a huge problem for me – at first I would
try to layer T-shirts so that sweat stains didn’t show
through my clothes. But that didn’t stop me being
conscious of it and how I might smell. I tried some
heavy duty deodorants, but I found they only made
a small difference but were quite irritating to my skin.
As I got older it was something I was so embarrassed
about at work, which only made the problem worse.
The more anxious I got the more I sweated. I would
wear a T-shirt underneath my work shirt, but even that
wasn’t enough sometimes and I felt like people were
judging me and assuming I had bad personal hygiene.
It even got so bad that I started buying 2 identical
shirts so that I could change part way through the
day. During the summer it was just impossible for
me, and when most people were looking forward to
some warmth I was praying for autumn to come.
I tried to speak to my GP about it, but what they could
offer on the NHS was very limited. I did my research
and discovered that injections to disable the sweat
glands can decrease the amount of sweating. I was
so desperate I decided to give it a try. Dr Sophie
used a tiny needle to make lots of small injections – it
pinched a bit but was nowhere near as bad as I
expected. Within a few days I noticed it was improving,
and when I went back to the clinic 2 weeks later I was
completely dry. I couldn’t believe it! I’ve now had 4
treatments, and I try and go every 4 months or so. I
don’t ever want it to wear off completely again.
It is called hyperhidrosis
How do I know if I have hyperhidrosis?
Hyperhidrosis usually starts during puberty. Sufferers
often have to change their clothing several
times a day, and many choose to only wear
black as this disguises the problem the best. It
not only causes the patient distress but may also
affect their daily interactions – for example many
people associate sweaty palms with anxiety.
Many hyperhidrosis sufferers report that these
sorts of associations have caused them difficulty
with both business and social interactions. In
severe cases it can even cause problems with
gripping pens and wearing open-toe shoes.
Is there anything I should try before I have
injections to disable the sweat glands?
• There are dietary modifications that we would
recommend you try – restricting caffeine intake
(tea, coffee and caffeinated soft drinks), cutting
out chocolate and spicy food may also help.
• Stronger antiperspirants may also help. These
are available over the counter, and the most
commonly known one is Drysol. These are applied
just before going to bed for 7 to 10 nights in a
row, but can cause significant skin irritation.
Hyperhidrosis is a medical term for excessive
sweating. This can affect many parts of the
body but most commonly the armpits, palms
of the hands and soles of the feet. It affects
3-5% of the population and can be extremely
distressing having a major impact on their lives.
If you’d like to know more about Hyperhidrosis
treatment, please contact Illuminate Skin Clinic on
0330 1331 272 or hello@illuminateskinclinic.co.uk
Dr Sophie Shotter, Medical Director
of Illuminate Skin Clinic
Wellbeing
A Year of Wellness
These days it can feel as though you need a PhD in biochemistry to
navigate the suncream shelves. Wellbeing editor, Eminé Rushton, breaks
down what the labels mean, and how to keep skin safe, naturally
July: Natural protection
My skin has always been
sensitive to synthetics. As
a child, whenever I came
into contact with perfumed lotion or
bubble bath, I would immediately flare
up – red skin, sore patches, eczema.
Because of this sensitivity I’ve had to
figure out what my skin can tolerate
and have ended up with a vanity bag
of simple natural oils, soothing balms
and mineral make-up. Suncream was
always trickiest, though. Hives, heat
rash, prickly heat, eczema – I couldn’t
go near the stuff. I later learned that
this was because so many
of the biggest names in
sun protection use
chemical UV filters,
which absorb the sun’s
rays into the skin, and
then release that
energy as heat.
Manufacturers
argue that UV
energy from the sun is released
as harmless photons from the
skin, before it can be absorbed by
any of our reactive cells, or DNA.
Yet, lab studies have shown the
absorption rate of the most commonly
used chemical sun filter, oxybenzone
can be anywhere from 1 to 9%.
An important 2010 study carried
out by the University of Zurich also
detected oxybenzone and four other
sunscreen filters in Swiss women’s breast
milk, indicating that the developing
foetus and newborns may be exposed
to these substances too. Oxybenzone
and octinoxate have now also been
shown to act like oestrogen in
the human body, with robust
and compelling research
also linking it to a higher
Covering up
when in direct
sunshine is
the wisest
move of all
incidence of endometriosis in women.
As if that were not enough, Hawaii
has just passed a bill to ban both
of these chemical sunscreens from
being sold on their territory – to
preserve their magnificent coral
reefs, following damning reports
on the impact that these nondegradable
chemicals are having on
our delicate marine ecosystem.
Complicating matters even
further is that almost every chemical
sunscreen is, to some degree or other,
shown to be pretty unstable when
exposed to sunlight.
When exposed to UV
light, they essentially
degrade on the skin,
releasing free radicals
that can cause premature
ageing. Of the two
chemical sunscreens
that pass the EWG.org
test (a great resource for
anyone looking to remove harmful
chemicals from their home), avobenzone
and mexoryl SX, are by far the safest,
with very limited skin penetration and
no evidence of endocrine disruption.
The former, however, does have a
relatively high propensity to cause
skin irritation as it breaks down.
So which brands do I entrust with
my skin? Even 100% mineral filters zinc
oxide and titanium dioxide have their
potential problems. There are those
who believe that using nanoparticles of
heavy metals, such as zinc and titanium,
could also pose inhalation risks.
The International Agency for Research
on Carcinogens has classified titanium
dioxide as a possible carcinogen when
inhaled in large doses, because the lungs
have difficulty clearing nanoparticles,
which may pass from the lungs into
the bloodstream (source: EWG.org).
It’s a minefield, but common sense
can prevail. A big hat, sunglasses and
covering up when in direct sunshine
(and certainly on the beach) is the wisest
move of all. And if you want to soak up
some of the sun’s healing light - lest we
forget that it remains our best provider
of vitamin D - you can healthily do so
in the early morning, and late afternoon.
You can also boost your skin’s own
resilience to the sun by upping your
antioxidant intake: resveratrol, a
polyphenol found in red grapes (yes,
that includes good red wine) and dark
chocolate (hurrah), is one of the best for
protecting skin from sun damage too.
And, for those times when you
need something serious to protect
your skin, I would opt for mineral
over chemical, and trust the nonnano
cream from Josh Rosebrook
Nutrient SPF Day Cream, £85
(abeautifulworld.co.uk) and de Mamiel
Exhale Hydrating Nectar SPF30, £75
(demamiel.com) with my face (their
tinted sunscreens are highly effective,
100% natural, and a joy to use).
I have also found Weleda and Lavera’s
SPF offerings to be wonderfully effective
at protecting my children’s skin.
Most important of all is that we
remember that an SPF is not a licence
to sunbathe. It is simply an insurance
measure against skin cancer and
irreparable damage. If you seek out
shade, cover up and wear a hat you
are in with your best shot of having
a safe summer. And, given that it can
take up to 20 years for this summer’s
damage to show up on your
face, your future self will be
eternally grateful too.
Eminé Rushton is Wellbeing Director-at-Large at Psychologies magazine, and co-founder of the
conscious living blog, The Balance Plan, balanceplan.co.uk
Credit: freeimages.com/Antonio Jiménez Alonso, Valeria Moreiro, Charlene Sprong, Zsuzsa N.K.
Wellbeing
Natural wisdom
Lucy Parker is Co-Founder of Flow Tunbridge Wells – a holistic
wellbeing haven that offers yoga, osteopathy, sports massage,
therapies, workshops, courses and retreats
What one piece of seasonal wisdom
helps you in June? Taking a walk in the
local park or woods, or better still going
somewhere along the coast where I can
see a fantastically expansive horizon.
What self-care rituals do you never
skimp on? I have one for body and
one for mind. Daily, even if for just
five minutes, I create time to sit down,
breathe and connect back into my
meditation practice. Meditation gives
our minds some time-out and our
bodies a chance to reset and renew.
Scientists have recently discovered that
just five minutes, five times a week is
enough to create healthy and lasting
benefits on our brain.
The second is a skincare routine I’ve
used since my teens. I always apply a
serum, followed by an oil. I love Tropic
Super Greens Nutrient Boost Serum,
£42, which includes chlorophyll, kale
and maca roots, so you literally feel
like you’re putting the most delicious
green super juice onto your skin, which
in effect you are. You can get it at our
studio and via our website
What’s cooking in your kitchen this
month? I like to make my own Bircher
muesli, soaking oats and seeds in
vegan milk overnight and then adding
chopped nuts and strawberries in the
morning. Then it will be a garden pea
and fresh mint risotto for supper, maybe
with some feta and black pepper added
right at the end. My other top tip is to
get a sage plant. Sage grows fantastically
in a pot and you can just fry up a few
leaves in butter and leave to cool for a
crunchy topping to a risotto or soup.
Share one book that taught you
something amazing about life. The
Book of Joy by His Holiness the Dalai
Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Probably the most life affirming,
positive and uplifting book I’ve ever
read. I truly believe that if everyone
in the world read this book we would
witness a revolution of kindness and
compassion overnight! It is funny,
relevant, practical and I love it so
much that I used it as my theme for
a whole term of yoga classes, taking a
new chapter each week and exploring
the themes.
What always brings a smile to
your face? I’m always amazed
and delighted to see the inherent
intelligence of our bodies being
woken up through regular yoga
practice. That’s what makes me
smile, helping people to wake up to
themselves.
Flow 29 Woodbury Park Road,
Tunbridge Wells TN4 9NQ
flowtunbridgewells.com
visual inspiration
In my late teens, I’d spend hours ripping images out of
magazines, and sticking them together into a scrapbook
(which I still have). This was long before vision-boarding
became ‘a thing’ or anyone had thought to invent planners
and jotters that we can customise and fill with our hopes,
dreams and daily gratitude jottings.
Kikki.K have revolutionised things for me on that front. I
invested in their Vision Board, £36, and had the loveliest afternoon (a
rare one with my children at my mother’s), pinning it with snapshots,
keepsakes, and dreamy cuttings that bring me joy and clarity whenever
I look up at them. From their inspirational and inner child-delighting
sticker books and scribble pads, to their Wellness Planner, above right
£54, and Inspiration Journals, from £10, they create stationery that’s
imbued with levity and inspiration (in a way that makes even my epic
to-do lists that little bit less formidable). kikki-k.com
Health and beauty tips
Discover a wealth of wellbeing advice
wealdentimes.co.uk/wellbeing
Eminé says:
Try this in July
We often save candle-lighting for the darker
months, but the aromatherapeutic benefits
of a great natural candle can really come
into their own in summer, too. To help
me get up earlier, with brighter energy and
purpose, I love lighting a citrus-y candle,
which wafts through my space, gives me
a flickering, optimistic focal point as I
come to, and brings a little more selfcare
into my life too. I
love the beautiful Scent
to Make You Happy
3 Wick Candle, £45
(neomorganics.com) and
JoGB Living GOJO
Uplifting Candle, £65
(jogbliving.com).
Private Care Service
at Bedtimes
Our Private Care Service carers can come to
your house and assist you first thing in the
morning and / or last thing at night. This
help can form part of a tailored package of
care that could help you stay in your own
home for longer, rather than going into a
care home before its really needed. We can
assist those who need help due to frailty,
disability or illness to live as independently
as possible, with comfort and dignity, in
their own home. Overnight Sleep-in Care
is also available from 10pm to 7am.
www.townandcountryhomecare.co.uk
Domestic
Care
£9.77
per hour
For a free assessment
of your care needs or to
receive your brochure
Call us on 01580 762244
Town & Country Homecare Limited
102a High Street, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6HT
17 High Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1UT
Rivermere Care Home
A Real Home From Home
RELAUNCH
OPEN EVENT
Sat 11 th August | 2.30pm - 5pm
TownCountryHomecareWT133.indd 3 04/02/2013 DrChristineWT195.indd 16:20
1 13/03/2018 12:02
A care home of unrivalled comfort and quality, Rivermere is only two miles from the centre of Sevenoaks and
a short walk from Chipstead village with its local lakes. The best in care is provided in beautiful surroundings,
and is a welcoming home-from-home for both residential residents and those living with dementia.
Our approach is to nurture an atmosphere of care and community, all delivered in a high quality lifestyle. Your well-being
is our primary concern, and we will ensure that you have the highest quality of support for your mind, body and soul.
Rivermere Care Home was recently assessed as a ‘Good’ service by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) at an
unannounced inspection, a magnificent turnaround in regulator rating within a year, from a service rated
previously as Inadequate to one that has been transformed in both its care delivery and services.
Call 01732 492040 or Search ‘Rivermere Care’ online or on
Rivermere Care Home
64-70 Westerham Road
Sevenoaks
TN13 2PZ
125 wealdentimes.co.uk
AveryHealthcareWT197.indd 1 18/06/2018 11:49
Bespoke dental and facial
cosmetic treatments tailored
to every clients need
Cosmetic Dental
Treatments
Dental Implant Clinic
Facial Clinic providing
non invasive cosmetic
procedures
Combining smile and
facial enhancement
Contact us for your complimentary consultation
01580 752202 info@stonerock.co.uk stonerockdentalcare.com
StoneRock House, High Street, Hawkhurst
Health
Tooth
wisdom
Teeth always matter, but as
we get older the key issues in
looking after them can change
– we asked two dentists to give
us their expert tips on how to
keep smiling down the years
Russell Blanchard BDS
StoneRock Dental Care, Hawkhurst
What are the most important things to do
to safeguard your teeth over the age of 50?
A good day-to-day cleaning regime and a diet low in sugar
and acidity is as important over 50 as it is under, for the health
of our teeth. As we grow older there may be an increased
reduction in saliva production, which is very important
to protect the teeth, so with specific advice and products
such as Xylitiol or sugar-free gum we can help encourage
saliva production and reduce the risks of active decay.
Natural bone loss over time may cause the more vulnerable
roots of the teeth to be exposed, giving rise to increased
sensitivity and decay of the root surfaces. Regular dental
visits for advice on how to manage these areas and input
from a dental hygienist will benefit with cleaning and
protecting the surfaces with bespoke fluoride treatment
if indicated. And as we get older any untreated gum
disease will potentially risk the affected teeth being lost.
Over time all teeth will wear to some degree. Previous
dentistry may need replacing and it’s important to
keep track with regular checks and digital images.
Then you can make informed choices on how further
wear and tear can be reduced and whether dental
treatment – functional, or aesthetic – is needed.
Can everyone have tooth whitening? Or
is it less advisable with older teeth?
Anyone over 18 can consider tooth whitening, but we
would always check the health of the teeth and gums first
and the procedure should always be provided by a dentist.
For older patients we would assess the potential success of
the procedure before starting, because enamel will whiten
and dentine won’t, so the more yellow root surfaces we
sometimes see in older teeth will not be whitened.
What are the most common cosmetic
dentistry issues for older patients?
People consider cosmetic dentistry because they would
like to improve their smile or dental appearance. This
motivation is specific to each client and even the smallest
concerns are relevant if they can be realistically improved.
The success of any cosmetic procedure depends on the
end result meeting the expectations of the patient. An
“However small your worry, if
it matters to you, it’s important
to ask and find out how
it might be changed”
127 wealdentimes.co.uk
Health
open communication with the clinician where concerns
and possible outcomes can be discussed is vital.
Examples of previous work and bespoke digital predictions
of the client’s end results, as well as trial smiles, can be
created to provide patients with a good understanding of
what to expect before going ahead with any changes.
The most common complaints are “I don’t like the way
my teeth look” and “I just don’t like smiling anymore
in photos” which may be as a result of mismatched
fillings or old crowns in front teeth, crowded, worn, or
missing teeth or old ‘silver’ fillings in the back teeth.
Most troubling is loose or missing teeth which not only
can be debilitating aesthetically but functionally too.
We can resolve these concerns with a variety of procedures:
hand-built tooth coloured fillings and veneers, ceramic
restorations, implant crowns and bridges, dentures - and
sometimes just with improved cleaning and whitening.
However small your worry, if it is important to
you then it is important to ask and find out how it
might be changed. Discussing your concerns will
allow you to find out specifically what your options
are and how they can be achieved before you start.
StoneRock Dental Care, Stonerock House,
High Street, Hawkhurst, Cranbrook, Kent
01580 752202 stonerockdentalcare.com
Elmsleigh House Dental Clinic
What are the most common dental
health issues for people as they age?
As we age the risk of tooth decay increases. It increases
when teeth are not cleaned thoroughly, possibly
because of dexterity problems such as arthritis, and
when prescribed medications cause dry mouth.
Older people often have a legacy of dated dental
treatments, which need replacing with modern alternatives.
Tooth wear can be a problem, but modern materials and
techniques mean that lasting repairs can be made.
Teeth can also move with age, but there are many
orthodontic solutions available to all ages, from bespoke
fixed braces such as Insignia and Incognito, Invisalign clear,
removable aligners to faster systems for adults such as Cfast,
which can straighten most adults’ teeth in 6-9 months.
Gum disease, diabetes, heart disease, auto-immune
conditions and dementia are all associated with a deterioration
in oral health, which should be closely monitored.
It is important to maintain regular check-ups
with your dentist, so that as you age your dentist
can take preventive measures and plan treatment
for the future to minimise problems.
Are people keeping their own teeth
longer than they used to?
With better oral health education and products available
to keep your teeth healthy, people can look after their
teeth for life, with regular dental check-ups, preventive
measures and hygiene appointments. However, people
can lose teeth at any age as a result of gum disease,
tooth decay, dental infections and trauma.
As people are now living a lot longer, we have to look after
our teeth to ensure they last, with healthy eating and visiting
your dentist for regular check-ups and preventive treatment.
If teeth are too badly damaged to save, what are
the options for replacements?
Dentures have been the option for replacing teeth for
many years, and a clinical dental technician can now make
dentures that fit securely and look like natural teeth.
However, no matter if you have lost one, several or
all your teeth, expertly placed dental implants offer the
best fixed long-term solution. They provide a stable
base to which your crown, bridge or implant-stabilised
denture can be securely attached, and will be made to
look, fit and function just like your natural teeth.
Prices vary widely for implants, but always look
for a dentist who has years of expertise and uses
well-researched materials, rather than the cheapest
option; often these dentists have only been on a short
course and use cheaper systems that do not last.
The dental implant team at Elmsleigh House have
helped patients who have had implants placed elsewhere
fail, and are referred patients for dental implants because
they are trusted for their expertise and longlasting results.
One of the first implant patients at Elmsleigh House is still
enjoying her replacement teeth placed over 30 years ago.
What are the relative costs, time taken
and longevity of the different options?
This is a difficult question to answer because each
option depends on an individual’s dental health and
overall health – and the level of expertise, technology
and quality of materials used by the practitioner.
With dental implants, it is essential they are placed in
healthy gum and bone, so sometimes extra work is needed
such as a bone graft to ensure secure and longlasting
results. Everything must be bespoke to the individual.
To ensure the best dental care at any age, it is
important to:
• Brush your teeth last thing at night and at least one
other time in the day with a fluoride toothpaste
• Cut down on sugary food and drink
• Visit your dentist for regular check-ups, as often
as they recommend, and your hygienist for
professional cleaning.
Elmsleigh House Dental Care, 6 Station Hill, Farnham, Surrey
01252 713797 elmsleighhouse.co.uk
wealdentimes.co.uk
128
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Food
Chef ’s home
cooking
Beverly, Woosy and Toby eat dinner, in their home over the restaurant
Good enough to eat in the restaurant, but quick and easy to
prepare at home - what a chef cooks for his own family
Since opening The Cloudberry restaurant in
Cranbrook in January this year, life has been
very busy for chef Toby Welfare and his wife
Beverley - and catering for family meals between
restaurant busy shifts has not always been easy.
“It can be easy to start grabbing instant food,”
Toby admits. “But the trouble is you don’t feel
great afterwards. The trick is to find food that is
uncomplicated and quick to prepare.”
This is something that son Woody, 9, already
appreciates. He loves dad’s homemade pizza and
pasta, with sliced courgettes sautéed in butter.
“Remember things that you ate as a kid,” says
Toby. “Adapt them, add in extras: a drizzle of
pesto, a blob of mozzarella, or some salsa verde. Try
different combinations, as long as the ingredients
are good it will work.”
Another great chef’s tip is to have a semi-prepared
risotto base ready in the fridge (see opposite). A
composed salad can be treated the same way. With
a couple of additional ingredients, a mix of leaves
and raw vegetables can become a complete meal.
“You just need to have something rich to add in,”
says Toby. “Chicken or cheese, something to lift it.
Change the dressing, add mayo, herbs, whatever
you have in the fridge – asparagus, peas, beans.”
Chicken thighs are another stalwart. “Thighs
have a lot of flavour and are quick to cook. It’s
such a versatile meat. Tarragon goes really well with
chicken, lemon is great, or mushrooms…”
Slotting home cooking into a hectic schedule can
seem a challenge, but as Toby shows with some
good standby staples and a few chef’s shortcuts,
delicious family meals can be rustled up in no time.
wealdentimes.co.uk
130
Food
Cod with summer vegetable risotto
Serves 4
• 4 cod steaks, skin slashed
• Risotto base:
• 200g risotto rice
• 1 medium onion finely
chopped
• 2 celery stalks peeled and
finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic finely
chopped
• ¾ pint vegetable stock (a
good stock cube will do)
• Splash of white wine
• 1 courgette finely diced
• 250g spinach finely
chopped
• 150g podded peas
To finish
• Knob of butter
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan
1Fry the onion and celery
in some light olive oil until
soft, add the garlic and cook
for one more minute, don’t
allow the garlic to colour. Add
the risotto rice and stir fry for
a minute until the grains are
slightly translucent. Add the
spinach, courgettes and peas
and cook for about 3 more
minutes. Add a good splash
of wine (125ml glass will do)
and cook, stirring all the time
until it evaporates.* see Chef’s
Home Tip
2Once the white wine is
absorbed into the rice,
keep adding a ladle of hot
stock one at a time until the
rice is almost cooked – it
should still have a bite to it.
3Take off the stove, add
a good knob of butter
and a handful of parmesan
cheese, stick a lid on and rest
for 5 mins. Meanwhile salt
the cod steaks and place skin
side down into a hot oiled
frying pan. Crisp up the skin
and turn over and place in a
pre-heated oven (gas mk 6) for
6-8 mins depending on the
thickness of the fish.
4When the cod is ready,
stir the risotto and place
a mound in each bowl. Place
the cooked cod on top. You
can finish this with a dollop
of pesto, or simply a good
squeeze of lemon.
*Chef’s home tip
You can make risotto days
in advance and quickly
finish it off to use when
you need it. Prepare it
to the stage marked *
opposite, then spread it
out on a baking tray. Leave
to cool, then transfer to a
bowl or storage box and
it will keep in the fridge
for up to five days. All you
need to do when you want
to use it, is add roughly
two ladles of hot stock,
stirring all the time until
the stock is absorbed and
the rice is cooked.
131 wealdentimes.co.uk
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
A great World Gin Day experience
Silent Pool Distillers, home of the
award winning Silent Pool Gin, held
their third public open day to help
celebrate their favourite day of the
year, ‘World Gin Day’. The distillery
welcomed all members of the public
for a family-friendly day out next
to the spring-fed Silent Pool.
Surrounded by elements from their
award winning Chelsea Flower Show
garden, guests enjoyed live music
from local artist Pixie and sensational
gourmet food from Surrey Spice.
The talented team of distillers served
drinks from their enticing bar menu,
showcasing the distillery’s handcrafted
range of 6 other gins, fruit based
liqueurs and their super smooth
WRY vodka with each of the Silent
Pool Gin drinks served in one of their
beautifully branded Copa glasses.
Free distillery tours ran throughout
the day where attendees had an
exclusive first peak at the new 1800L
bespoke copper still, 5 times the size
of the original still, Juliet. Not only
this, but they even witnessed the new
bottling line in action – a real first! A
sea of teal bottles glided through this
mechanical marvel, each bottle filled
with delectable Silent Pool Gin and
capped with beautiful glass stoppers.
Tom Hutchings, Distillery Manager
said “It’s really important to us that
we thank those who have supported
us from the start. We are absolutely
thrilled that our signature Silent Pool
Gin is rolling out across the World, but
none of this could have been achieved
without the continued support from
our local followers. Open Day was a
chance to give something back.”
EDIT JC280 Rosemary Shrager Cookery School 186mm x 118mm.pdf 1 15/02/2018 12:07
www.silentpooldistillers.com
SilentPoolWT197.indd 1 19/06/2018 12:33
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wealdentimes.co.uk
132
RosemaryShragerWT193.indd 1 15/02/2018 12:08
Parma ham, goat curd,
pea & broad bean
salad
Chicken thigh, olives
& green beans with a
basil & lemon dressing
Serves 4
• 8 slices parma ham
• 150g soft goat’s cheese
• 4 tbsp crème fraîche
• 100g fresh podded peas
• 100g broad beans
Pesto
• Bunch of basil
• Clove of garlic
• 2 tbsp of grated parmesan
• Olive oil to loosen
• Pinch of salt
Dressing
• Half a lemon
• Tsp Dijon mustard
• 5 tbsp extra virgin
olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Chopped chives and mint
1Blanch the peas and
broad beans for a minute
in boiling water then refresh
under cold running water.
Mash the goat’s cheese and
crème fraîche until you have
a smooth paste – this is
your ‘goat curd’. Heap two
tablespoons of curd onto each
plate.
2Bash the pesto ingredients
in a pestle and mortar
slowly incorporating the olive
oil until you have a thick
pourable consistency (this
tastes even better if you do it
the day before). Pour a little
over the ‘goat curd’.
two slices of parma
3Fold ham around the goat
curd, fat side up so they look
a little like tulip petals. Dress
the broad beans and peas and
scatter around the parma ham
and goat curd, scatter the
chopped chives and mint over
the top.
Serves 4
• 8 chicken thighs, boned
• 3 tbsp green olives
• 1 packet green beans
trimmed
• Salad leaves (rocket,
watercress, lamb lettuce)
• 1 red onion cut in half,
then sliced
• 6 basil leaves
Dressing
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Lemon
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• salt
1Salt the skin on the
chicken thighs and place
skin side down in a cold
frying pan with a splash of
olive oil. Put on the heat, the
rising temperature will release
the fat from the skin and crisp
it up, this takes about 6-8
mins. Turn the chicken thighs
and put in a pre-heated oven
gas mark 6 for 5 mins until
cooked.
2Meanwhile cook the green
beans in boiling water. I
like to cook them for 5 mins
until slightly limp, I don’t like
green beans when they still
have their ‘squeak’ but if you
want it more al dente I’d give
it mins.
3Crush the garlic and salt
with the flat of a knife
until you achieve a paste. Put
in a bowl and whisk in the oil
and lemon, and add any juice
from the pan you’ve cooked
the chicken in, add the warm
green beans, olives and basil
and toss.
each thigh in half and
4Cut stack the dressed beans,
salad leaves and red onion on
the plates. Rip up the basil
and scatter over. Serve with
chunks of crusty bread.
133 wealdentimes.co.uk
Peach Melba with crushed amaretti biscuits
Serves 4
• 3 ripe peaches
• 100g caster sugar
• 300ml water
• 1 vanilla pod, split
• Good vanilla ice cream
• Amaretti biscuits
Chantilly cream:
• ½ pint double cream
• 50g icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
1You can peel the peaches
but I find it always
reminds me of tinned peaches
when you do, so I leave the
skins on. Heat up the water,
sugar and split vanilla pod,
bring it to the boil, stirring to
release the vanilla seeds. Take
off the heat.
2Meanwhile cut the peaches
into thin wedges and put
into the hot sugar syrup. Leave
to cool.
3Whip the double cream
with the icing sugar and
vanilla essence until soft peaks.
4Now construct the
pudding. Get individual
bowls with a bit of height - the
old fashioned coupes that ice
cream parlours use are ideal.
Place the peach slices, napping
over the sugar syrup in the
bottom of the bowl. Scoop a
nice ball of ice cream on top of
this, spoon over the Chantilly
cream, then roughly crush the
amaretti biscuits with your
hands over it.
The Cloudberry, Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent
01580 712336 thecloudberryrestaurant.com
Open for lunch, 12-3pm and dinner, 6-11pm, Tuesday to
Saturday
Fabulous food
More recipes to make your mouth water
wealdentimes.co.uk/recipes
wealdentimes.co.uk
134
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136
WCLandcraftWT195.indd 1 13/04/2018 16:11
Garden
Portrait of
a Garden
Jo Arnell shares her impressions of a year at Great Dixter,
one of the great gardens of England, inspired by a new
tribute by esteemed photographer Julian Anderson
Everchanging, always interesting, often breathtaking,
Great Dixter is a fascinating place to visit. Famous
for the giant Alice in Wonderland topiary, installed
by the father of its creator, the late Christopher Lloyd, it is
a place of floaty meadows and singing plant combinations,
all set off by Lutyens’ architecture and design.
For the last ten years in the care of world-renowned
head gardener Fergus Garrett – who joined Lloyd there
in 1992 and whose idea it was to put cactus and other
exotic plants into the once Edwardian garden – it’s
one of my own very favourite gardens to visit. I return
to it again and again and I’m always enthralled.
Eminent photographer Julian Anderson (who has 27
pictures in the permanent collection of the National Portrait
Gallery) was equally inspired and has spent a year taking
photographs as the weather and the light change through
the seasons. The results, some of which can be seen here,
are being gathered into a sumptuous, crowd-funded book.
“I’ve visited Dixter on a weekly basis, at different
times of day and in differing weather conditions, for
one calendar year,” he says. “The result is a series of
pictures chronicling Dixter’s evolving life, as seen
through the eye of a portrait photographer.”
As well as contextual shots of areas of the garden, Julian’s
pictures capture moments: small unfurlings, intimate
snapshots and minute effects. Many of these result from
changes in the weather. Touches of frost, mist, and slanting
rays of sunshine are beautifully recorded as the garden
drifts, shifts, bolts and blooms through the months.
Great Dixter is a garden that is magnificently in tune with
the seasons and no visit there is ever the same. There are
always new combinations of plants, exciting experiments
in border design, all held together by the constant - and
very characterful presence of the house and yew topiary.
Here are my own, very personal, impressions of a
year there.
137 wealdentimes.co.uk
Garden
Summer
Spring
Spring spectacular
My impressions of Dixter in late spring (the gardens open
to the public in April) are of tulips and topiary. Mad, darkly
looming yew shapes: peacocks on pyramids, castellations
and huge chunky archways. They are too impressive to be
whimsical, but you wouldn’t bat an eyelid if you came across
a talking caterpillar on a giant mushroom somewhere here.
The yew is a dark green backdrop, acting as both
anchor and stage set, showcasing the luminous dancing
troops of tulips among the fresh new growth of perennial
foliage. The first wisps of monstrous fennels are already
prominent, yet to rear up to their eventual dizzying
heights, you can almost hear the squeak of them as they
expand among their companions in the stock beds.
It is joyful and uplifting to come to Dixter in May,
when the spring bulbs are sounding their fanfare and the
wave of surging green is making its summer promises.
Summer meadows and exotica
Early summer starts with drifts of opium poppies – which give
the relaxed impression of being self-seeded, but are actually
grown from seed and planted out as seedlings – among clouds
of airy purple Thalictrum, abundantly buzzing meadows
and the beginnings of the bedding. But not bedding in the
municipal style, instead, wild and outrageous experimental
bursts of colour, combined in often unexpected ways.
Flower borders at Great Dixter, Christopher Lloyd
showed us in his book, The Adventurous Gardener are
exuberant, dynamic and often groundbreaking.
Lloyd famously caused a horticultural intake of breath
when he and Garrett ripped out the rose garden – created
by Lloyd’s mother – and replanted it with exotics. A few
roses still manage to eke it out there, swamped by a glorious
outrage of bananas, palms, canna lilies and ginger.
By late summer the yew hedges and topiary have become
floating green islands on a riotous sea. Only those in the
meadows are calm, as the wildflowers and grasses fade gently
into dusty gold, setting seed and dying back for the winter.
Self-seeding and the use of accidentally and deliberately
planted annuals and biennials are a big feature of the
wealdentimes.co.uk
138
style here at Dixter. Some are magnificent and become
focal points. Verbascum bombyciferum - a huge yellow
spire with felty grey leaves - tall teasels, tame thistles
and evening primroses make arresting focal points.
Some are gentler; swathes of Verbena bonariensis and
Tagetes ‘Cinnabar’ wash through the borders, filling out into
tapestries and impressionistic panoramas. Late summer here
is an endless lesson of colour effects and artful serendipity.
Autumn glories
The start of autumn at Great Dixter is as spectacular as high
summer, the exuberance not dimmed until temperatures
dip and the sun hangs lower in the sky. The borders
are still in full swing, when those in other gardens have
fizzled out and become drab echoes of themselves.
Here at Dixter, dahlias gleam like jewels, tall daisies reach
for the skies and whacky, candy pink blooms of Persicaria
orientalis dangle wildly among the ornamental grasses.
There is a slow softening as the days shorten;
the light slants among the grasses, and the narrow
paths, now festooned with foliage, can wet your
legs with dew or recent rain as you brush past.
By the time the garden closes to the public, the
colours are mellowing into biscuity golds, rusts and
dusty purple. The herbaceous plants and flowers start
to die back and now the art is in dying gracefully,
leaving photogenic stems, seed-heads and berries.
At the top of the garden, pumpkins festoon the
Autumn
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139 wealdentimes.co.uk
ErnestDoe&SonsWT194.indd 1 14/03/2018 16:30
Garden
compost heaps, ripened on the warm and cosy piles of
meadow plants and grass from previous seasons. They
will be gathered in before the frosts arrive and are then
clustered in groups in the house and the porch, posed, as
if waiting for a still life painter. They are ornamental, but,
like all the vegetables grown here, are completely edible too
and used as meal ingredients for the staff and visitors.
2+ Bulk Bags 5% off
5+ Bulk Bags 10% off
10+ Bulk Bags 15% off
Applies to delivered bulk bags only
Topsoils Composts Barks Aggregates
Small Bags, Bulk Bags or Loose Loads - Delivered or Collected
www.gardenscapedirect.co.uk
Freephone 0800 854663
The Wharf, Rye Road, Newenden, TN18 5QG
The finest of British
Country Outbuildings
From Passmores - Est 1909
GardenscapeWT197.indd 1 04/06/2018 14:12
Winter architecture
The garden is shut to the public in winter, but I can
imagine that this is when the architectural shapes of shrubs,
trees and evergreens come to the fore. The grasses will
stand unbowed until spring, perennial seed-heads and
teasels silhouetted against them in the low winter light.
Cotoneaster horizontalis, so often overlooked or
used in dull corners in other gardens, is shown off
here as a focal point, with its zig-zag of herringbone
stems overlapping into a sculptural mound.
Julian’s book affords us the pleasure of some out of season
glimpses of the garden while it is sleeping, frost enhancing its
curves, mist settling like a soft blanket across the meadows
and the odd poignant leftover from the summer hanging
poetically, as if it has been waiting for Julian’s camera all year.
For the full ‘Dixter effect’ you really do need to visit more
than once, you will find something different and interesting
every month of the year, so I recommend a season ticket.
If you are unable to get there, or would simply like a linen
bound companion, Julian’s sensitively honed portrait is an
atmospheric evocation of an iconic and dynamic garden.
For details of Jo Arnell’s courses and workshops look at
hornbrookmanor.co.uk or call 01233 861149
The ideal home for your
daily run around or classic car
OAK FRONTED
CARRIAGE HOUSES
AND STAND ALONE
TIMBER GARAGES
View our picture gallery on line
for ideas and inspiration.
Excellent range and service.
HIGH STREET, STROOD
ROCHESTER, KENT ME2 4DR
Est 1909
Tel: 01634 290033
For further information visit : www.passmores.co.uk
Winter
Photographs by Julian Anderson
Julian’s book is being crowd funded. To
support this project please visit kickstarter.com/
projects/1006138048/great-dixter-portrait-of-a-garden
wealdentimes.co.uk
PassmoresWT171.indd 1 11/04/2016 10:53
140
Arboricultural & Consultancy Service
Call us on 01580 715596
www.thelivingforest.co.uk
May the
forest be
with you.
The force of nature
can be strong.
Request a
Tree Survey.
Live safely among trees.
Garden Perfection
City Escapes provide domestic & commercial garden solutions
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Regular Maintenance
Design & Construction
Small one off works
Turf care management
Problem area Solutions
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Seasonal Bedding plant displays
Approved pesticide/
herbicides operators
Habitat Management
RHS qualified gardeners
Tel: 01435 868211 | M: 07831 302107 | E: gardensmanager@gmail.com
www.cityescapes.co.uk
LivingForestWT196.indd 1 22/05/2018 CityEscapesWT187.indd 10:35
1 16/08/2017 15:53
THE HISTORIC BRITISH STONE WITH A BRIGHT FUTURE
Polished Kentish Ragstone vanity unit
Kentish Ragstone feature fireplace
New house built with Kentish Ragstone
Kentish Ragstone floor tiles
Gallagher is the only remaining supplier of Kentish Ragstone, one of the most widespread stones
used throughout the South East since Roman times.
To maintain the South East’s vernacular architectural character, Gallagher supplies building stone
for restoration, conservation, new build and bespoke projects.
With our skilled stonemasons and specialist masonry equipment, Gallagher is able to produce a
variety of walling stones, floor and wall tiles, paving, tables, worktops and bespoke items.
01622 726262
masonry@gallagher-group.co.uk
www.gallagher-group.co.uk
RESTORATION | CONSERVATION | NEW BUILD | BESPOKE
Wealden Times advert v3.indd 1 06/06/2018 14:45:16
141 wealdentimes.co.uk
GallagherWT197.indd 1 06/06/2018 14:50
Swim time
There’s nothing more gorgeous than an
outdoor swimming pool – on a hot, sunny day.
But we do have to be realistic about the British
climate and how many of those we actually
have each year....
So we’ve asked for professional advice on
how to have the best of both worlds with an
outdoor pool you can use year round without
risking exposure.
One brilliant solution is to have a timberframed
telescopic cover (right). This gives you
the best of both worlds, with an indoor and an
outdoor pool in one – and will drastically save
on heating costs, with solar temperature gain
even on dull days. They are much cheaper to
install than a full bricks and mortar building
and take just four to five days to install. You also
need fewer chemicals in the water.
Arch Enclosures, Haywards Heath
01444 411411 archenclosures.co.uk
Another solution is to build a
bespoke pool house next to your
outdoor pool (left). This means you
can nip from the warm building
to the pool in just a few steps – no
more shivering all the way back to
the house. They also create a super
cool new ‘leisure quarter’ in your
garden (very LA).
XL Pools, Pluckley 01233 840336
xlpools.com
wealdentimes.co.uk
142
Specialists in indoor and outdoor swimming pools,
servicing, maintenance and improvements.
Telephone: 01233 840336
Web: www.xlpools.com
We’ve got designs !
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GardenproudWT197.indd 1 06/06/2018 09:41
AWARD WINNING LANDSCAPE DESIGNER,
INCHBALD SCHOOL OF DESIGN
Bespoke garden design consultancy service, tailored to the
client, which brings to life gardens that work seamlessly
with the surrounding architecture and environment.
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wealdentimes.co.uk
144
NicolaWoodGardenDesignWT197.indd 1 14/06/2018 PotsAndPithoiWT197.indd 11:20
1 08/06/2018 14:24
Garden
Big is beautiful
Sue Whigham rejoices in the splendour of plants with outrageously large leaves
It was serendipitous that we discovered that Blenheim
was to be closed for two days recently, as we had to
put our visit off and decide on a ‘day out’ somewhere
else. And so we went to Chartwell near Edenbridge, so
much nearer and such a fascinating place to visit.
The house, being Sir Winston Churchill and Lady
Churchill’s former home, was very interesting, but the
bonus was that as we wandered through the rose garden,
we came upon a volunteer guide waiting to take a garden
tour and we had her to ourselves.
The views from the terrace across the lake
to the woods are even more fabulous when
you realise that virtually all the mature trees
you can see have grown up since the 1987
storm when the area lost thousands of trees.
From our vantage point they looked as if they
had been there for centuries. Then there is the
Weald of Kent stretched out before you with hardly a building
to be seen. No wonder Sir Winston loved the place so much.
To get to the house you walk up past the rock
garden and several ponds, one of which is stocked
with golden orfe and was a favourite spot for Sir
Winston, particularly in his later years.
In 1948 Lady Churchill had visited the Chelsea Flower
Show and had been taken by a rock display designed by Gavin
Jones. Subsequently he and the Churchills became friends and
his Chelsea garden was installed at Chartwell without charge.
“This is the
largest hardy
herbaceous plant
grown in Britain”
There are dramatic plantings of Gunnera manicata in this
part of the garden, which the guide described as a ‘marmite’
plant. You either love it or you really don’t. It is certainly
a giant with its sturdy, prickly stems and absolutely huge
leaves, their undersides covered with lethal looking prickles.
Native to Brazil, this plant is the largest hardy
herbaceous plant grown in Britain. Grow it by
water or any boggy part of your garden but not
so deep that their crowns are kept too wet.
So, after seeing the gunnera in all its
glory, we were on the lookout for other
large-leaved plants. We were in luck with
a planting on the far side of the golden
orfe pond of the Yellow Skunk Cabbage or
Lysichiton americanus with its spectacular
paddle-shaped leaves and bright yellow arum
spathe flowers. We’d missed the flowers by
a month. And then there were huge plantings of Osmunda
regalis, the Royal Fern, completely happy in their damp
conditions and a particularly lively green at this time of year.
In Lady Churchill’s rose garden another large-leaved
plant caught our eye. Hydrangea aspera subsp. sargentiana.
This is one for a shadier site as the enormous, velvety
leaves scorch under a hot sun. This plant can have a
dramatic growth spurt of up to ten feet if it is happy
with you. The flat florets are an electric bluish white.
Another species of hydrangea that is worth
Above left: Trachystemon orientalis Above right: The Gunnera manicata at Chartwell
145 wealdentimes.co.uk
Garden
Top: Hydrangea aspera subspecies. sargentiana Middle: Hosta
sieboldiana Bottom: Royal Fern
mentioning for its rather beautiful and large foliage is
Hydrangea quercifolia, the oak-leaved hydrangea. We
have one here but I’m not sure that it is in the right spot
as it is happiest kept moist and this one here is rather
too close to an old ash tree which sends its progeny all
over the garden and results in a pretty dry flower bed.
If you reduce the height of this hydrangea by a third in
early spring, the fresh leaves will be much bigger. This has
wonderful autumn colour, the leaves turning a ‘garnet red’.
And then there are the rodgersias. Grow them for
their spectacular foliage and for their flowers. We
have Rodgersia pinnata ‘Maurice Mason’ which was
originally given to Christopher Lloyd by Maurice
Mason, a Norfolk farmer and horticulturalist, and which
was thought so choice that it was given a name.
It’s more vigorous than some, although ours is taking a while
to come back up. There have been some anxious moments
when we thought that the plant hadn’t made it through such
a harsh winter, but three bronzy stems have now appeared
and a leaf is unfurling and is making its way upwards. This
cultivar has deeply serrated palmate leaves and lovely rich
pink panicles of flower which darken as the season goes on.
I also like the look of Rodgersia ‘Braunlaub’. Its huge
pinnate leaves darken to a rich chocolate brown combining
with panicles of creamy flowers and followed by strong
autumnal colours. How delicious that all sounds.
Grow rodgersias in shady, north‐facing borders where
they work well with hostas such as Hosta sieboldiana. Try
H. sieboldiana ‘Big Daddy’ which, as its name implies, is
a cultivar with large, very large, textured bluish leaves.
Someone recently told me that they always found it
difficult finding plants which will thrive in dry shade,
which seems to be everybody’s problem planting area. One
particular plant comes to mind which is perfect for these
conditions. Trachystemon orientalis comes from Eastern Europe
originally and its English name is ‘Abraham-Isaac-Jacob’.
It is a member of the Boraginaceae family and its borageblue,
rather enchanting flowers appear before the leaves
get into their stride. You can see sheets of it at Nymans.
We have it under three old holly trees. We’ve lifted their
canopies and the trachystemon has completely covered
the area underneath with its huge leaves. They are perhaps
a bit coarse, in fact not at all elegant, but they not only
serve a purpose but provide dramatic ground cover –
oh, and if you get bored with them, they’re edible...
Sue Whigham can be contacted on 07810 457948 for
gardening advice and help in the sourcing and supply of
interesting garden plants.
Help and advice
For all your gardening needs
wealdentimes.co.uk/gardens
146
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MABrownSonsLtdWT197.indd 1 12/06/2018 CheekyMonkeyS40.indd 15:23
1 25/01/2018 15:42
Professional and award-winning garden designers
specialising in the installation of instant mature
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Telephone 01580 852315 or 07507 877685
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147 wealdentimes.co.uk
McGeachyGardenDesignWT196.indd 1 21/05/2018 10:06
Blackland Farm
Outdoor Activity Centre
Kayaking
Canoeing
Bungee trampolining
Rock climbing
Archery
Crate challenge
Zip wire
Abseiling
Aeroball...
...and many more!
Come and join us for
fun-filled activity days.
Why not have your
birthday party here too?
01342 810493
blackland@girlguiding.org.uk
www.blacklandfarm.org.uk
Blackland Farm
00013MHSWT185x130_Layout 1 19/09/2017 14:03 Page 1
BlacklandFarmWT138.indd 1 10/07/2013 NorthbourneParkSchoolWT197.indd 17:31
1 15/06/2018 14:22
Not too big, Not too small, Just right.
The perfect size school to unlock the potential in every child.
We have an enviable record of Cranbrook entry success over the past 10 years, a 100% CE pass rate
and each year our pupils win scholarships to many leading independent senior schools.
MARLBOROUGH
HOUSE
SCHOOL
Marlborough House School, Hawkhurst, Cranbrook, Kent TN18 4PY 01580 753555
wealdentimes.co.uk
148
MarlboroughHouseWT188.indd 1 19/09/2017 14:17
School’s out!
Education
It’s the start of the long summer holiday, but do our
kids really need this long break? asks Hilary Wilce
It’s July. School’s out. And pupils and teachers
- but especially teachers are ecstatic!
By this time of year most of them are wrung out,
overwrought, and maybe too exhausted even to say a proper
thank you for the many presents that parents give them.
Because this end-of-year gifting ritual has grown over
the years until it is now practically written in stone
that parents must shower their children’s teachers with
chocolates, bath oil and theatre vouchers. In fact, like so
many things in modern life, it has become a positive rat
race of one-upmanship, with some parents in wealthy
areas bestowing designer handbags and wads of cash.
But teachers often say they appreciate the
kind notes and cards far more than the presents
themselves (well, perhaps not the cash…).
This is because today’s teaching is so often a thankless
task. While many teachers love their hours in the classroom
and say it’s a privilege to be shaping young minds,
almost all now work in less-than-ideal circumstances.
Most have to deal with a trying combination of wayward
pupils, constantly changing exams and syllabuses, underfunded
schools, poor management and complaining parents. In
addition they have to read damning headlines about teachers
in the press and are often blamed for social ills like obesity and
child mental health problems, whose roots lie far beyond school.
So a few kind words from an appreciative parent
at the end of term can feel like gold dust.
But you, as a parent – even as you hand over your carefully
wrapped bottle of body lotion - might actually not be feeling
all that appreciative of a profession which goes AWOL for
six to eight weeks of the summer, leaving you to devise
numerous cunning and expensive ways to keep your child
supervised and entertained. Surely, you think, any job that
gives people that sort of summer break is a bit of a doddle?
The long summer holiday was historically there so
children could help with the harvest. But now, when
all that most children harvest is ‘likes’ for their social
media posts, there are plenty of people in and around the
educational world who say it’s time for schools to chop
the school year into more manageable bite-sized pieces.
A few have already done so, and say the advantages are
overwhelming. Pupils don’t forget so much of what they’ve
learned in their shorter summer holiday. Neither do they get
so bored. Pupils and teachers alike no longer have to crawl
exhausted to the end of three long terms. Family holidays can
be spread throughout the year. And working parents - which
these days means most parents - find it easier to plug the kind
of childcare gaps created by regular short school breaks.
But, as the headmaster of one of this country’s leading
independent schools recently explained to me, it ain’t
never going to happen on any widespread scale. The
universities and exam boards, he said, are far too invested
in how things run now to consider tearing up their
timetables. Also his “poor teachers” would be horrified
at the thought of losing their long summer break.
Perhaps surprisingly, the only group he thought would
welcome it would be the pupils. At the end of last summer
he had bumped into one of his girl students in the local
town and asked her how she was. She looked glum and she
was, she told him, “schoolsick”, and absolutely longing for
the routines and activities of school to start up again.
However no-one – not pupils, teachers or even parents
- feels like this in July, when the long, lazy promise
of summer lies ahead. Happy holidays everyone.
149 wealdentimes.co.uk
The Cobnut
7 th & 8 th July
10am - 5pm
food fair
A greedy celebration of Kent & Sussex
It’s not just nuts...
... Proving why
you don’t need to
travel far for great
food
Free entry
www.kingjohnsnursery.co.uk
King John’s Nursery, Sheepstreet lane, Etchingham, TN19 7AZ
#nationaltrust
Summer at Smallhythe Place
There is something for everyone this
season. From blossoming gardens, new
exhibitions and kids' craft activities to
open-air performances of 'Peter Pan'
and 'As You Like It', it's the perfect time
to explore. Bring the family together this
summer and discover Smallhythe Place.
Call 01580 762334 for details
nationaltrust.org.uk/smallhythe-place
© National Trust 2018. The National Trust is an independent
registered charity, number 205846. Photography © National Trust
Images\James Dobson.
KingJohnsNurseryWT197.indd 1 18/06/2018 SmallhythePlaceWT197.indd 09:52
1 15/06/2018 14:28
Thursday 11th October
@7.45pm £18/£10
The Pantaloons present
AS YOU LIKE IT
Welcome to the Forest of Arden, a
world of clowns, lovers, runaways and
rebels – the Pantaloons return to present
their innovative and hilarious version
of Shakespeare’s timeless comedy.
Thursday 1st November
@7.45pm £20/£10
THE QUO EXPERIENCE
The Quo Experience provides an impressive
stage show which includes the legendary
Status Quo wall of white Marshalls and
replica guitars. The magic and chemistry
that the Parfitt/Rossi partnership brought
to a Quo ‘live’ performance is now being
continued within The Quo Experience.
This is a n ongoing chance to ‘experience’ the
sounds and looks of “Britain’s biggest singles
chart band of all time” as we all remember it!
Friday 30th November
@7.45pm £22/£15
THE PASADENA ROOF
ORCHESTRA
(kindly sponsored by
The Milk House, Sissinghurst)
Back by popular demand, this vintage dance
band in every sense of the word will provide
an evening of superlative live music, with
more than a dash of wit and humour. With
an optional early bird pretheatre supper
available @ The Milk House (book direct),
this is an evening not to be missed.
Box office: 01580 711856 www.queenshalltheatre.co.uk Waterloo Road, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3JD
151 wealdentimes.co.uk
QueensHallTheatreWT197.indd 1 13/06/2018 12:20
What’s On in July
Art
Until Sun 9 Sep
Woods Restaurant and Bars, 62
& 64 The Pantiles, Tunbridge
Wells, Kent TN2 5TN
Remarkable
A collaboration between
photographer Mark Wilkinson
and writer Anne Wagstaff
recording forty remarkable
Tunbridge Wells characters. The
exhibition is accompanied by a
Remarkable Raffle with prizes
donated by many of the characters
who feature. Proceeds from the
project will be donated to local
charity Fegans which provides
children’s counselling and parent
support services in the South East.
Entry: Free (voluntary donations
to local charity Fegans welcome)
Info: remarkablecharacterstw.com
Sun 1 – Sun 29 Jul
32 St George’s Road, Deal, Kent
CT14 6BA
Here and There
Graham Clarke’s latest exhibition
takes him to Deal, a place dear
to his heart as a family holiday
destination for many years. Most
of the works on show will be
etchings, each one produced
entirely by hand on copper using
techniques at least 200 years
old. Clarke has produced more
etchings than any other living
artist and has said “I still enjoy
the many processes involved,
employing as it does earth, air, fire
and water.”
Info: lindenhallstudio.co.uk /
grahamclarke.co.uk
Children & Families
Mon 2 Jul – Fri 31 Aug
11am-4pm
Millbrook Garden Centre,
Staplehurst Road, Marden,
Tonbridge TN12 9BT
The Millbrook
Butterfly Experience
You’ll be amazed by Millbrook’s
tropical indoor garden, exotic
scented plants from across the
world and most of all the beautiful
free-flying butterflies all around.
Get up close and learn about their
life-cycles, diets, habitats and
behaviours.
Entry: Adults £2 Children £1
Info: millbrookgc.co.uk
Sat 7 Jul
Canterbury, Kent
Canterbury Medieval
Pageant
A colourful parade featuring
historic characters, musicians, and
local schools. Launching at Tower
House, it will proceed around
the city and end in Marlowe
Theatre’s forecourt. There will
also be a Medieval Family Trail
incorporating seventeen locations
and featuring medieval pastimes
such as jewellery making, and
archery. Local shops will be
joining the festivities with 11.74%
off at Antoine and Lili, medieval
food and drink samples at
Lakeland and medieval musicians
at Canterbury Punting.
Entry: Free
Info: 01227 787055 /
canterburymedievalpageant.co.uk
Sat 14 Jul – Mon 27 Aug
Hever Castle, Hever Road,
Hever, Edenbridge TN8 7NG
Summer Jousting
For those who couldn’t make it to
the World Cup, try this medieval
alternative - a jousting tournament
right out of a costume drama
starring Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn
and a host of valiant knights, and
set in an authentic Jousting Arena
complete with royal box.
Info: hevercastle.co.uk
Fairs, FESTIVALS &
Show
Fri 6 – Sun 8 Jul 8am-6pm
Kent Showground, Detling,
Maidstone, Kent ME14 3JF
Kent County Show
A showcase of all ‘the garden of
England’ has to offer – food,
farming, flowers and family fun.
Try a woodland craft workshop,
get some valuable tips at cookery
demonstrations, catch some
live music and watch this year’s
main ring entertainment - the
Household Cavalry Musical Ride.
Info: kentshowground.co.uk
Sat 14 – Sun 15 Jul
10.30am-5pm
St Mary’s Church, Orlestone,
Hamstreet, Ashford, Kent
TN26 2EU
FLOWER FESTIVAL - ‘Hats
off to St Mary’s’
Stalls selling ladies’ accessories
including handbags, hats and
jewellery. Morning coffee,
ploughman’s lunches and
afternoon teas available at the
Victory Hall, Hamstreet
TN26 2NJ.
Entry: Free
Info: 01233 732833
Sun 15 Jul 10.30am-4pm
Appledore Recreation Ground,
The Street, Appledore, Ashford,
Kent TN26 2AE
Appledore Vintage &
Classic Vehicle Rally &
Vintage Fair
In its 35th year, the Appledore
vintage and classic vehicle rally
and vintage fair will have over 400
cars on display, entertainment,
refreshments and music
Info: appledorevehiclerally.co.uk
Garden
Tue 3 – Sun 8 Jul
Pashley Manor Gardens,
Ticehurst, Near Wadhurst, East
Sussex TN5 7HE
Kitchen Garden Week
Pashley Manor Gardens celebrate
garden produce. Pashley’s current
kitchen garden is a re-creation of
a Victorian potager and will be
full of fresh produce and flowers
this month. Talk to the gardeners
themselves, enjoy the garden’s
produce in the cafe, and get
some local honey and homemade
chutney in the gift shop.
Entry: £10.50
Info: 01580 200888 /
pashleymanorgardens.com
Music
Sat 14 Jul
Leeds Castle, Maidstone, Kent
ME17 1PL
Leeds Castle Classical
Concert
It’s the 40th annual Leeds Castle
Concert, and you can expect a
glorious event filled with canons,
fireworks and classical music as
well as some 70s greatest hits.
Entry: Picnic style £45, Seated £55
Info: leeds-castle.com
Sat 14 Jul 7pm
St. Peter’s Methodist Church, St.
Peter’s Street, Canterbury CT1
2BE
Summer Sing
A one-off charity fundraising
concert brings together two choirs;
Canterbury’s Lemon Zingers and
the New Egham Singers to raise
money for Rising Sun Domestic
Violence & Abuse Service which
supports women and children
affected by domestic violence in
Canterbury and East Kent. Expect
a lively mix of pop, rock, choral,
and musicals.
Entry: £8, Students and children £5
Info: gill@risingsunkent.com /
summerconcert.eventbrite.co.uk
THEATRE
Wed 4 Jul – Sat 7 Jul 8pm, Sun 8
Jul 3.30pm
The White Rock Inn, Underriver
near Sevenoaks TN15 0SB
Shakespeare in the
Open Air
Sevenoaks Shakespeare Society
presents the popular magical
romance The Tempest.
Entry: £12
Info: thewhiterockinn.co.uk /
01732 833112 /
stagsevenoaks.co.uk /
01732 450175
Fri 6 Jul – Fri 31 Aug
Scotney Castle, Lamberhurst,
Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 8JN
Outdoor Theatre
Over July and August Scotney
Castle encourages us all to
get outside and enjoy a bit of
culture with a series of outdoor
theatre performances set with
the beautiful Mansion house
as the one-of-a-kind backdrop.
Enjoy such titles as Pride and
Prejudice, The Railway Children,
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The
Reluctant Dragon and The Tempest
wealdentimes.co.uk
152
A MAGICAL SUMMER HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE
TICKETS
ON SALE
NOW!
14TH JULY – 2ND SEPTEMBER
TO BOOK YOUR TICKETS VISIT WWW.RUXLEY-MANOR.CO.UK
Ruxley Manor Maidstone Road Sidcup Kent DA14 5BQ T: 020 8300 0084
14TH JULY - 2ND SEPTEMBER 2018
RuxleyManorGardenWT197.indd 1 15/06/2018 16:38
Trains throughout the Summer - Picnic Areas -
Buffet Facilities at all Stations.
WHY NOT VISIT
THE ‘ELEPHANT PLAY VAN’ AT
HORSTED KEYNES STATION? OR HOP
OFF AT KINGSCOTE STATION FOR A
REFRESHING CUPPA AND LET THE CHILDREN
ENJOY SOME TIME IN THE PLAY AREA?
01825 720800 info@bluebell-railway.co.uk
The Bluebell Railway | Sheffield Park Station | East Sussex TN22 3QL
www.bluebell-railway.com
153 wealdentimes.co.uk
BluebellRailwayWT197.indd 1 12/06/2018 14:56
KITCHEN
GARDEN WEEK
3rd July every day to
8th July
Kitchen Gardener on hand to
answer questions; menu in
the café celebrating produce
from the garden
Beautiful 11 Acre Gardens; Café with Terrace; Gift
Shop; Sculpture Exhibition; open until 29th Sept.
Ticehurst 01580 200888
pashleymanorgardens.com
Wea Tim Millbrook Butterfly PM 185x130.pdf 1 6/8/2018 1:06:07 PM
PashleyManorWT197.indd 1 08/06/2018 HeverCastleWT197.indd 15:32
1 13/06/2018 14:09
Adult £2
Child £1
C
M
Y
CM
MY
This July & August
visit
The Millbrook Butterfly Experience
Be amazed by our tropical indoor garden and
Open daily 11am to 4pm
experience beautiful butterflies free-flying all
CY
CMY
K
Millbrook Gravesend
Station Road, Southfleet,
Gravesend, Kent DA13 9PA
millbrookgc.co.uk
Millbrook Staplehurst
Staplehurst Road, Marden,
Tonbridge, Kent TN12 9BT
wealdentimes.co.uk
154
MillbrookWT197.indd 1 14/06/2018 14:15
What’s On in July
(which will be performed by the
UK’s premier all male company,
The Lord Chamberlain’s men).
Info: nationaltrust.org.uk/
scotney-castle
WORKSHOPS
Wed 4 Jul 7-9.30pm
Stalisfield Village Hall,
Stalisfield Road, Faversham,
Kent ME13 0JE
Djembe Drumming
Let Go & Play, created by
Yvonne Fernando, NLP Master
Practitioner & Life Coach, is an
experiential workshop that builds
confidence, expands thinking,
stimulates playfulness and creates
energy. Fun and uplifting, for
mind, body and soul.
Entry: £35
Info: 01233 878474 /
yvonnefernandonlp.co.uk
Fri 6 July, Mon 6 August, Thu 6
September 10am-2pm
Sussex Prairies, Henfield
BN5 9AT
Succulent Workshops
Blueleaf Plants, a nursery
specialising in succulent plants,
is running a series of workshops
at the lovely Sussex Prairies this
summer. Choose from making a
living frame, creating a miniature
garden in a vintage teacup or
learning to wire succulents for
bouquets & buttonholes.
Price: £55+ (includes garden entry)
Info: blueleafplants.co.uk
Sat 7 and Sun 8 Jul 10am-4pm
Knole, Sevenoaks, Kent
TN15 0RP
Call the shots at the
Panasonic Roadshow
Knole’s intricate architecture and
wild deer herd make fantastic
subjects for photographers. Brush
up your skills at the familyfriendly
Panasonic Roadshow,
where experts will lend you a
camera and show you how to take
the best shots on a guided photo
walk in Knole Park.
Entry: Free
Info: 01732462100 /
nationaltrust.org.uk/knole
Wed 11 – Mon 30 Jul
Smallhythe Studio, Smallhythe
Road, Tenterden, Kent
TN30 7NB
Smallhythe Workshops
Smallhythe Studio is holding a
series of workshops this month
including a monoprinting and
mixed media workshop with
Louise Pettifer, drawing skills
with Catherine Farr, and writing
for well-being with our own
education writer Hilary Wilce.
Entry: £20- £30
Info: 07905 948525 /
art@smallhythestudio.com
smallhythestudio.com
Wed 25, Sun 29 and Mon 30 Jul
Canterbury Baking School, 22,
The Ness, Canterbury CT1 3NL
Baking School
Canterbury Baking School offers
a multitude of classes which teach
life-long skills including basic
bread techniques, and making
artisan bread, sourdough, pasta or
pizza! In the heart of Canterbury,
these personal, specialist
workshops are taught by bread
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
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+VAT! 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+VAT. Deadline for the
August issue is 13 July 2018.
www.kentshow.co.uk 01622 633060
Kent Showground, Maidstone ME14 3JF
KentShowgroundWT195.indd 1 13/04/2018 09:57
Cranbrook Iron Makers Fair 2018
Sat 21st & Sun 22nd July, 10am–5pm
Admission Free
King John’s Nursery, Sheepstreet Lane, Etchingham TN19 7AZ
www.cranbrookiron.com
www.kingjohnsnursery.co.uk
155
wealdentimes.co.uk
CranbrookIronWT197.indd 1 14/06/2018 17:31
Creating gardens
of distinction
Probably the most experienced, established
& qualified contractor in the area
Geoff Tiltman
City & Guilds in Horticulture N.C.T
FREE QUOTATIONS, CALL
SMARDEN 01233 770777 or 07775 694963
All Garden Construction &
Maintenance • Drives
Paving • Walling • Fencing
Untidy Gardens Made
Tidy • Grass Cutting
W E
H AV E
MOV ED
Battle Mowers Ltd
GeoffTiltmanWT168.indd 1 18/01/2016 15:41
Main dealer for
THE ESSENCE OF FINE
BRITISH LAWNS
For further information please phone 01424 773096
or-email: battlemowers@btconnect.com www.battlemowers.co.uk
Showroom: Vinehall Business Centre, Vinehall Rd, Mountfield TN32 5JW
Clare Langdon
INTERIORS
RyanMcLaughlinWT197.indd 1 19/06/2018 BattleMowersWT197.indd 17:29
1 05/06/2018 14:31
Made to measure
curtains & blinds
Tracks & poles
Measuring & fitting service
Home consultation
Fabrics & design advice
Telephone 01580 712209
clarelangdoninteriors.co.uk
Ibbett Mosely
AuctIoneers & VAluers
Limited Liability Partnership
ClareLangdonWT195.indd 1 04/04/2018 KitchenDoctorWT145.indd 12:18
1 28/01/2014 DianeWilksWT158.indd 10:12
1 03/03/2015 12:30
The Auctioneer's Next Sale Will Be On
Wednesday 18th July 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
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
www.dhallcabinetmaker.co.uk
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
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
wealdentimes.co.uk
156
IbbettMoselyWT197.indd 1 05/06/2018 DavidHallWT108.indd 16:33
1 14/01/2011 15:27
Win A £400 Voucher
From Layered Lounge
Layered Lounge began when owners Suzy and Lou met at the school gates and
realised that they both shared a passion for interiors and a dream of building
something of their own to be proud of. They launched Layered Lounge last
year and now that dream is becoming a reality.
At Layered Lounge, products are designed to pay attention to trends without being
dictated by them. Their beautiful online store is a destination for those looking for
affordable products sourced from specialist producers. It’s full of timeless, quality
buys which help customers to easily incorporate Suzy and Lou’s relaxed but elegant
sense of style into their own homes. As well as a stunning range of textiles, lighting,
and other accents, Layered Lounge also sell own brand fragrances with a donation of
the profits going to local charity Action4Archie, which raises money and awareness
for research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Although Layered Lounge is still young Suzy and Lou see it growing into something
of a lifestyle brand, encompassing your home, health and wellbeing into one.
So watch this space!
layeredlounge.com
How to enter: For your
chance to win a £400 voucher
from Layered Lounge, just answer
the following question: What are
the names of Layered Lounge’s
two founders? Enter your answer
with your contact details* in the
online form at wealdentimes.
co.uk/competition by 31 July
2018. The prize comprises a
gift voucher worth £400 to be
redeemed at Layered Lounge.
There is no cash alternative and
the prize must be taken before
31 October 2018. *You must
be over the age of 18 to enter.
Congratulations to Mo Sansara who wins our May competition for £499 of Le Creuset Cookware
157 wealdentimes.co.uk
Jane Howard’s
Fables from
the Farm
This month Jane finds she’s as busy as a bee
It has been very busy in the apiary in recent weeks – for
me and the bees – and I’m looking forward to things
settling down as spring meanders into summer.
I have always been quite a low-key bee keeper with two, or
three colonies producing enough jars to supply us throughout
the year with honey for our tea and presents for foodie
friends. But this year I got carried away and started doing
lots of what I considered rather advanced manipulations (the
official bee-keeping term for knowledgeable rummaging) and
bloomin heck I now have five colonies on the go!
Most insects overwinter when a mated queen hibernates.
Honey bees do it differently. At the height of the summer,
usually July, there will be some 50,000 bees in a colony
rushing about to collect pollen, propolis, water or nectar.
Pollen, which is collected in little sacs on the bees’ hind
legs, is very high in protein and is used to feed the young
larvae. Propolis, (if you’re interested the name is derived from
the Greek: pro – in front of and polis – city which refers
to its use to seal up and protect their empire) is collected
from the buds and bark of certain trees
and rather like Polyfilla is used to seal up
cracks and strengthen creaking joints.
Among other things, water is used for
cooling the hive on a hot day, but it’s
nectar, which is turned into honey, that
they eat over the winter – and it’s also the
bit we beekeepers get excited about.
On a sunny summer day each bee will make about 10 trips,
each one lasting up to an hour and covering 5 or 6 km. On
every journey she (the workers are all female!) will visit about
1000 flowers collecting about 70mg of honey – the equivalent
of her own weight. Imagine trying to haul that lot home from
“Each bee collects
about a teaspoon of
honey in her frantic
six-week life”
Waitrose. And next time you spread some on your toast
ponder this: to make one pound of honey the bees have
flown over 55,000 miles and visited over 2 million flowers,
with each bee collecting about a teaspoon of honey in her
frantic six-week life. Beat that, Marmite.
In a good year a strong colony of bees should produce
at least 40lb of honey which is collected in August and
will last forever – the oldest ever found, in a noblewoman’s
grave in Georgia, was 5,500 years old and
Tutankhamun was also discovered with
a few jars for the journey. But as well as
collecting nectar the bees are also busy
with another agenda – making more
colonies and this is the tricky part for the
beekeeper.
As explained, in the summer there
will be up to 50,000 in the hive but by the autumn the
numbers drop to around 10,000 bees who will spend the
winter eating the stored honey and keeping the queen (who
is full of fertile eggs) warm and fed. She starts laying again
in the spring to create peak population in July.
However, as the numbers build they often decide to
swarm, whereby the queen and all the flying bees – the
workforce – leave home for fresh pastures leaving behind
all the brood (eggs, larvae and baby bees). One of the best
ways to prevent this is to split them manually which is why
my three colonies have become five.
I’ve heard mead is delicious, time to research a recipe…
If you’ve ever thought about owning a few chickens, sheep, pigs
or even cows, Jane will be running a full-day course as part of
the summer programme at Curious House Courses in Stonegate
on September 7th. The morning will romp through the joys of
smallholding and the afternoon will include a walk round Coopers
Farm. Find out more at curioushouse.net
Follow Jane Howard – and the farm – on Instagram @coopersfarm
wealdentimes.co.uk
158
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