Wealden Times | WT198 | August 2018 | Wedding supplement inside

Wedding SUPPLEMENT inside

Inspirational Interiors • Fabulous Fashion • Delicious Dishes

PRICELESS

AUGUST 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

Exclusive offers

See in store for details

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

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HOME & GARDEN FEATURES

Tel: 01435 867 072

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

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Create your own Great

British Bake Off kitchen

As the summer heats up, it can only mean one thing: it’s time for the return of The Great British Bake Off to

our screens. Prue, Paul and the team will be back in the famous tent this August for our annual blast of sugar,

showstoppers and soggy bottoms. If the show inspires you to embrace your inner domestic goddess, there’s no

need to stop once the technical challenges are over. Create your own extra slice by bringing the look and feel of

the Bake Off kitchen into your home. Here are some ideas from Wren Kitchens to get you started…

Perfect pastels

If you close your eyes and picture the Great British Bake

Off, you’ll see picture perfect baking stations complete

with pastel units and accessories. The colour palette

available from Wren Kitchens’ Macaroon Collection

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Or opt for a gentle neutral scheme with soft creams

or whites and add a splash of pastel paint on your

kitchen walls to bring the whimsical look of the Bake

Off kitchen into your home.

Signature style

The Great British Bake Off kitchen is all about nostalgia

for a traditional country kitchen. From the trademark

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the charm of days gone by. You can get the look with

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Break up that modular fitted kitchen feel with a choice of

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Be the star of your own show with every baker’s

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At Wren Kitchens you can sit with an expert Kitchen

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Wonderful worktops

A staple of the Great British Bake Off kitchen is the

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lovely surface to work on and gives a warm finish to

any kitchen. Like a Shaker kitchen - timber worktops

work just as well in modern or period homes.

Available in Oak and Walnut and in two thicknesses,

you can choose the right shade for your kitchen.

Serious bakers can bring the features of a

professional kitchen into their own home by

integrating a Carrara marble pastry slab into their

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which helps to keep pastry cool and stops dough

from sticking.

A professional-standard oven

However good your baking skills, a sub standard

oven will let you down. For an oven with everything

a baker needs, look no further than the NEFF

Slide&Hide® Oven, available from Wren Kitchens,

which comes complete with the sliding door feature

seen on the Great British Bake Off and 12 different

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The perfect place to start your Bake Off

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This complete kitchen

including all fully built units, shelving,

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£244

per month over 5 years

Tunbridge Wells

Fountains Park, TN2 3FB

0345 127 7008

Maidstone

Aylesford Park, ME20 7TP

01622 231420

Orpington

Springvale Park, BR5 3SG

01689 414878

For a Wren Kitchens brochure and to find your

nearest showroom visit wrenkitchens.com

Kitchen price is for kitchen units, handles, appliances, worktops, sink and tap. Excludes props and small worktop appliances. Price checked on 03/07/2018

Interest free credit provided subject to application and status. Minimum spend – £4,000 for two years, £6,000 for three years, £10,000 for four years and £16,000 for five years. Kitchen Price £16,202,

10% deposit of £1,620.20 and then 60 monthly payments of £243.03 at 0% APR. Total amount payable £16,202. Interest free credit is available on all kitchen projects and Wren Installation services.

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TradingBoundariesWT198.indd 1 20/07/2018 12:41

Contents

August 2018

114

GRACIOUS LIVING

Maggie Alderson’s personal

pick of properties

101

HAMMER TIME

Let’s get excited about

auction houses again

125

LATE BLOOMERS

Jo Arnell tells how to keep up

appearances in your August garden

NOTEBOOK

Our seven top events for August

THE HOUSE OF

MANY WORDS

The house which also serves as

inspiration and performance

space of Explore the Arch

GET THE LOOK

Add a little theatrical splendour

to your own home

A PASSAGE FROM INDIA

Inside the home of

British interior design

legend Sasha Waddell

107

111

112

114

HERE COMES THE

BEAUTIFUL BRIDE

Josephine Fairley’s tips to

enhance your bridal beauty

A YEAR OF WELLNESS

Eminé Rushton takes a look

at holistic skin health

NATURAL WISDOM

Seasonal advice from Ella

Carey and products to save the

planet and scent your home

LIGHT AND BRIGHT

Light bites that are perfect

for the summer season

129

131

137

138

SURVIVING RESULTS

SEASON

Hilary Wilce on why failure

isn’t the end of the world

WHAT’S ON

All the best things to do this August

COMPETITION

Win a £500 luxury spa break

for two at Eastwell Manor,

Champneys Hotel & Spa

FABLES FROM THE FARM

Jane Howard talks favourites

from the farm

GET THE LOOK

Products that will give your

home that signature Sasha style

119

LET THE GRASSES GROW

Sue Whigham thinks we should

all watch the grass grow

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

necessarily those of JPS Media Ltd.

WEDDING

SUPPLEMENT

30 pages of

flowers, tipis,

honeymoons

and cake.

After page 104.

Weddings

A Wealden Times Supplement

View the new Weddings Directory online at wealdentimes.co.uk The woodland wedding

● Fun cakes ● Tipis ● Fabulous flowers ● Honeymoon heaven

Lamberhurst

A magnificent Grade II listed stately home currently set up as multiple dwellings

which offers a wide range of accommodation totalling circa 29,062 sq ft with

formal gardens and grounds of about 6 acres.

Lot 2 available by separate negotiation circa 40 acres currently used as a 9 hole golf course

Guide price: £3,600,000

simon.biddulph@knightfrank.com

01892 310700

KnightFrank.co.uk/tunbridge-wells

oliver.rodbourne@knightfrank.com

01892 310700

KnightFrank.co.uk/country

@KF_HomeCounties

KnightFrank.co.uk

EXQUISITE

COMFORTS

Elegantly crafted three, four and five bedroom homes.

Just 400 metres from Tenterden’s boutique High Street.

YOUR STYLE OUR QUALITY

High specification homes available now with a

bespoke range of premium fixtures and fittings

and paint colours by Farrow & Ball.

Prices from £495,000.*

Show homes open daily 10am to 5pm

01580 854076 churchview-tenterden.co.uk

RESERVE EARLY AND HAVE

FIRST CHOICE OF

THE BEST HOMES

HOUSE TO SELL? Ask about our

Easy Mover service to help sell

your existing home

*Prices correct at time of print. Farrow & Ball colour shades apply to front door.

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

HARPERS AND HURLINGHAM

GOUDHURST £1,525,000

STUNNING GRADE II LISTED FAMILY HOME WITH CONVERTED BARN

House: Four reception rooms and conservatory · Kitchen/breakfast room · Utility room · Five bedrooms (one

ensuite) · Swimming pool · Tennis court · Garaging · Stunning views · Planning permission for a double storey

extension. Barn: Sitting room · Kitchen · Two bedrooms · Two shower rooms.

Cranbrook School Catchment Area

Sales & Lettings Team

Harpers&Hurlingham

The Cornerhouse, Stone Street, Cranbrook

01580 715400

www.harpersandhurlingham.com

Jane Emilie Chez Cathy Sarah Debbie Jane A Debbie S Janey Caroline Dianne

LONDON OFFICE: KENSINGTON 020 7938 2311

Land & Property Experts

MANOR HOUSE

BENENDEN, KENT

A truly outstanding agricultural and residential Estate in the Kentish High Weald. All within a ring fence and situated

close to the popular village of Benenden. Including the following: -

• Grade II* Listed 15th Century Manor House with 7 bedrooms, extensive mature

gardens, Period timber frame Kent Barn and Double Garage

• A Grade II Listed Secondary Farmhouse with 4 bedrooms

• Single Kiln Oast House and Period Kent Barn

• 3 bedroom Cottage and separate Flat with adjoining Workshop and Stores

• A useful range of modern and traditional Farm Buildings including a

Farm Office, Yards, Sheep Buildings and Hay Store

• Agricultural Land and Woodland comprising Grassland, Arable and Apple Orchards

In all approximately 346.7 Acres

FOR SALE BY PRIVATE TREATY AS A WHOLE OR IN LOTS

GUIDE PRICE ON APPLICATION

FARMHOUSE

Challock Office

01580 242700

2 Windmill Oast, Windmill Farm, Rolvenden, Kent TN17 4PF

Woodchurch oIEo £1,495,000

Award winning, 6 bedroom detached Barn set in 7 acres of grounds and

gardens (approx.)

hIGh hALdEN oIEo £1,000,000

INForMAL tENdEr - Enchanting 22 acre (approx.) farmstead with

farmhouse, cottages and outbuildings – exciting revenue streams (stpc)

WINchELsEA, Nr ryE

PoA

Historically significant 5 bedroom period home with impressive views of

Church and surrounding village.

Goudhurst oIEo £900,000

INForMAL tENdEr - 6/7 bedroom, detached Victorian Cottage, with later

additions set in 2 acres, Cranbrook School Catchment Area.

roLvENdEN LAyNE oIEo £775,000

Deceptively large, 5 bedroom detached family home with pretty gardens

in quiet village location.

sANdhurst £750,000

Immaculate Granary and annexe in peaceful rural location – 3 bedrooms.

Cranbrook School Catchment Area.

roLvENdEN oIEo £475,000

An inviting and spacious 4 bedroom Grade II Listed Georgian home.

Cranbrook School Catchment Area.

BENENdEN oIEo £450,000

4 bedroom detached, family home benefiting from considerable additions

and improvements. Cranbrook School Catchment Area.

wealdproperty.net

Design & Planning

Restoration

New Build

Barn Conversions

Extensions

Joinery

COX

Developments

(Charing) Limited

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www.coxdevelopmentscharing.co.uk

NATIONAL AWARD WINNER COX DEVELOPMENTS

(CHARING) LIMITED – BEST SMALL DEVELOPMENT

For a free consultation please contact: 01233 714950

www.coxrestorations.co.uk

Established 1986

MAXIMISE THE VALUE

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For a free appraisal call 0843 557 4080

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“Guy and team at CHH did a fantastic

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I would certainly use them again”

David J (Oxted, Surrey)

January 2017

Discretion is is the Better Part of Valour

The property market has changed astronomically

At SJD we work to source the right developers for

in the past few decades, bringing in a new era

your site - all of our sales are made confidentially

of off-market and private sales.

thus protecting both your identity and your

individual interests.

Unlike conventional methods, we we offer offer discrete

marketing where details of your site are not

openly marketed. Private sales generate a sense

of exclusivity, boosting the likelihood of a quick

and hassle-free transaction.

If If you If you have have a development

a opportunity that that you you would like like to to sell sell off-market,

please contact us us for for a free a free appraisal.

Contact Stephen Donnelly on

07739 514350 or or or 0845 456 8969

Web: sjd-projects.com

email: steve@sjd-projects.com

SJDprojectsWT196.indd 1 23/05/2018 16:17

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TotalQualityMaintenanceS42.indd 1 26/03/2018 12:46

LOOK

INSIDE

Join our Open Day celebrations and

be one of the first to view this new

luxury retirement village in Kent.

EMERSON PARK OPEN DAY CELEBRATIONS

Friday 7th September: 12am – 6pm and Saturday 8th September: 10am – 4pm

Take a look inside the new luxury retirement

village for Kent – Emerson Park, Hextable.

It offers a range of on-site amenities and services

including restaurant & bar, fitness suite, hair &

beauty salon, cinema, private transport service

and 24-hr emergency call system.

Emerson Park Retirement Apartments:

42 luxury apartments and 5 Service Plus Apartments.

Emerson Grange Care Home:

Emerson Grange is a luxury care home offering nursing,

residential, dementia and respite care.

To find out more call 01322 515417

SHOW SUITE OPEN Monday to Saturday 10am – 4pm

Emerson Park, Rowhill Road, Hextable BR8 7RL

Web: www.cinnamoncc.com/emersonpark

House

Month

of the

£1,450,000

Gracious living

Maggie Alderson picks her favourite homes on the market

Island Farm

The Dream: A Grade II listed

medieval house (1483) with every

possible kind of olde worlde furdly

burdly detail. Unusually, it’s also light

and airy, with good room heights,

so there is none of that ‘ceiling as

a tight hat’ feeling. There’s a lovely

eat-in kitchen and a character

bathroom. You will just need to

supply your own Jacobean beds.

Where: Just outside the

village of Biddenden, ten

minutes from Tenterden.

Setting: In beautiful countryside,

with woodland to the rear.

Beds: 5 Baths: 3, (2 en suite)

Special features: A front door

that would impress Gandalf

and adorable lead mullion

windows, inglenooks a go go.

Pleasing details: It sits in the middle

of the plot, so there are lovely

aspects from every room. There is

a dragon beam in the dining room

and an unusual floor-to-ceiling oriel

window in the drawing room.

Outside: Glorious mature gardens

and a wonderful wisteria on the

exterior. A swimming pool and

an all-weather tennis court.

Time to town: Ten minutes drive

to Headcorn station, then just

over an hour to Cannon Street,

Charing Cross, or St Pancras.

Agent: Fine & Country, Tenterden.

01580 766388 fineandcountry.com

wealdentimes.co.uk

Darwell Hill

£1,850,000

The Dream: Horse heaven, with pristine

equestrian facilities and direct access

to unlimited riding trails in Darwell

Wood. The house is lovely too, 1920s

Arts & Crafts style with a magnificent

thatched roof and quirky rambling plan.

Where: On the edge of the village of

Netherfield, 3.5 miles from Battle.

Setting: An elevated position in the

High Weald AONB, with views over

the Southern Downs to the coast.

Beds: 6 Baths: 2, the master en

suite, with a dressing room

Special features: Stabling for four horses,

an American-style barn incorporating

a tack room and washdown area.

Pleasing details: A store room, a cold

store, a utility room, a snug, a music

room and a study, before you get on

to the normal roster of rooms.

Outside: Mature, shrubtastic gardens,

with many delightful details.

Time to town: Trains from Battle (7 mins)

to London Bridge, Charing Cross and

Cannon Street in around 90 minutes.

Agent: Savills, Cranbrook 01580 720161

savills.co.uk

Wissenden Corner

£975,000

The Dream: With light pouring in from

a plethora of large windows, golden

floorboards for miles, this beautifully

appointed house is finished to a level

rarely seen outside American TV shows.

Where: In a small hamlet, close

to the village of Bethersden.

Setting: Surrounded by farmland.

Beds: 5 Baths: 4, two en suite

Special features: Suntrap terraces

for outside entertaining.

Pleasing details: An annexe perfect

for sequestering gangs of teenagers.

Outside: Landscaped gardens,

a meadow and pond.

Time to town: Ashford (15 mins

drive) then 37 minutes to St Pancras.

From Pluckley (10 mins), then an

hour and 20 to Charing Cross,

London Bridge and Cannon Street.

Agent: Jackson-Stops 01580 720000

jackson-stops.co.uk

23 wealdentimes.co.uk

FREE

NO OBLIGATION

HOME VISIT,

QUOTATION AND

FITTING

For the ultimate in timeless elegance look no further than

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For Your Free Home Visit Visit

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Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm, Sat 9am - 2pm

Telephone 01323 509 661. Freephone 0800 988 1071

Telephone 01323 509 661 Freephone 0800 988 1071

www.blind-design.co.uk

The Kitchen is the Heart of Your Home

See how we can transform your home today www.bentonskitchens.co.uk canterbury@bentonskitchens.co.uk

Showroom: 17 Maynard Road, Canterbury, Kent CT1 3RH Telephone: 01227 767576

VISIT OUR

KITCHEN SHOWROOM

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SHOWROOM: 53A CINQUE PORTS STREET RYE, EAST SUSSEX. TN31 7AN

01797 226 478 portraitkitchens.co.uk

A.T. Palmer Ltd

Restoration Specialists Est.1949

| Employed Skilled Workforce

| Renovations & Extensions

| Conversions & Alterations

| Design & Build

T: 01233 770077

Smarden Business Estate, TN27 8QL

atpalmer.co.uk

Expertly fitted school shoes

by the people who care

www.thegoldenboot.co.uk

A different perspective.

Some see stores as places to shop.

We see them as places to call home.

Neptune Tonbridge, 01732 351866 | Neptune Canterbury, 01227 209300.

neptune.com/stores

For a brochure or home consultation call 01797 366895

www.anthony-hicks.co.uk

Calling all women!

At Spire Tunbridge Wells you are our priority, so it’s time to put yourself first

Take time for you at our women’s health event on

Saturday 29th September 2018

at Spire Tunbridge Wells Hospital from 10am-1pm

A team of breast, gynaecological and physiotherapy consultants will

be available on the day covering a range of symptoms and concerns

Goody

Bags

Tea, Coffee

& Cakes!

Heavy

painful

periods

Menopause

Breast

cancer

family

history

What’s available:

FREE breast checks, FREE smear tests, FREE

mini consultations. Limited spaces available.

Call today to book your place

01892 741150

Post-natal

concerns

Bladder

& bowel

frequency

incontinence

Pelvic

floor

Discounted 3D

mammograms

available

If you don’t want a health check, then why not come along to meet

our consultants and listen to their presentations covering:

‘Common signs of breast cancer and what to look out for’

‘Are heavy periods normal?’

Make Spire Tunbridge Wells your hospital of choice.

Call us in confidence on 01892 741150

tunbridgewebform@spirehealthcare.com

www.spiretunbridgewells.com

Midwinter Fair

Sponsored by

harpers and hurlingham

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

Ticket Hotline: 01580 236071

wealdentimes.co.uk/events

HOME & GARDEN

Inside five heated marquees you’ll find everything

you need for the perfect Christmas. Browse

amongst hand-picked stalls selling contemporary

and vintage goodies for the home, plus a fine

selection of gifts, fashion and jewellery.

Pre-book

discounted

tickets online

now!

Using this code

WT1

15th, 16th & 17th

november 2018

THe HOP FARM, Paddock Wood, Tn12 6PY

& FOOD DRINK

Eat a delicious lunch in our Street Food Café, enjoy

tea, a slice of cake or a light lunch in our Café

Bakery or sip on something a bit special in our Café

Bar. Foodies will also love the independent, artisan

producers on show in our food hall.

See page 77 for a sneak peek at some of the

exhibitors we have at this year’s Wealden

Times Midwinter Fair...

25 th July – 22 nd Aug

Find out more and book

your free tickets at

theglades.co.uk

Fast access to GPs

and referrals all in one

convenient location

FREE

parking

Doctor

our

will see you now

Our new GP service offers

flexible appointments to get

you back on track in no time

25minute

appointments

Blood testsMRI

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care

Appointments

£95

Rapid

access to results

Call 01580 242 521 or visit benendenhospital.org.uk/GP

For Terms & Conditions please visit benendenhospital.org.uk/GP

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

Registered charity number 1065995, Registered Office, The Benenden Hospital Trust, Goddard’s Green Road,

Benenden, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 4AX

www.homeleighgroup.co.uk

Get ahead....

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Highlights for August and September

Saturday 11 August

A Unique Evening of Variety

Mon 20 – Sat 25 August

Fame the Musical

Wed 29 August

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Notebook

It’s lit

The very first Hastings Litfest will be spreading the

joy of literature throughout the lovely seaside town

from Friday 31 August to Sunday 2 September.

The programme is full of workshops, talks, films,

panels, music and a book fair. It will take in

glorious venues including Jerwood Gallery and

Hastings Pier and boasts names including Sir David

Hare and our own editor Maggie Alderson who will

be talking about her new novel The Scent of You

over brunch at White Rock Hotel. hastingslitfest.org

Pixie manor

Venture into a land of pixies, fairies

and dragons at Ruxley Manor from

Saturday 14 July to Sunday 2

September. Sneak past the fearsome

sleeping dragon, Greenock, and learn

the Fairy Godmother’s magical oath to

receive your special gift and photograph

as an honorary pixie! ruxley-manor.co.uk

Notebook

Exhibitions

events near you

this month

The play’s the thing

Grab your picnic basket and head to

Fairlight Hall in Hastings this month

for a spot of Shakespeare. Following

nine sell out seasons at Lamb House,

the players are playing their first season

at Fairlight Hall’s beautiful round.

From Friday 17 to Sunday 19 August,

West End and Broadway favourites

Jonathan Broadbent and Jessica Regan

and Radio 4’s Carrie Quinlan will lead

The Lamb Players in Shakespeare’s As

You Like It. thelambplayers.com

For art’s sake

Explore the Rye Society of Artists’

summer exhibition from Saturday 4 to

Sunday 26 August. See a mix of work

from the RSA, a long established group

of painters, printmakers, sculptors,

photographers and ceramicists (many

with national and international

reputations). societyof artists.co.uk

Tony Momrelle

All that Jazz

Friday 24 to Monday 27 August sees

a wealth of musical talent gather in

the beautiful town of Rye as the Rye

international jazz and blues festival

returns. The programme is a platform

for established and emerging talent

including acclaimed British Soul singer

Tony Momrelle. ryejazz.com

Knight’s tale

Hever Castle’s summer jousting is like

something straight out of a costume

drama, starring Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn

and a host of valiant knights. From

Saturday 14 July to Monday 27 August

families can enjoy some brilliant action,

falls and stunts as the knights fight to be

named champion. hevercastle.co.uk

41 wealdentimes.co.uk

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Dealing with online abuse

There has been a marked increase in

the number of defamation cases brought

before the courts recently, many of

which can be attributed to the growing

use of social media. Here Cripps

lawyers Alex Davies, head of family

law, and defamation specialist Will

Charlesworth, explain how to deal with

the issue if you feel you are affected.

The end of a relationship can be the

lowest part of life and it often brings out

the worst in people. The internet age has

brought new ways to express anger and

resentment in those situations, the effects

of which can be deep and long lasting.

The 17th century playwright William

Congreve had it right when he said

‘heaven has no rage, like love to hatred

turned’. How many books or films can

you name about breaking up? How many

songs can you sing about lost love?

“Soon after Facebook was launched in the

UK, it started to feature in my caseload,”

said Alex. “I well remember my first

harassment case involving highly offensive

and disturbing content being posted on

my client’s Facebook wall. It was 2008

and the evidence ran to over a thousand

pages. In those days there was only one

way (that we knew of) to put a stop to it,

so we duly obtained a non-molestation

injunction against the perpetrator. The

posts carried on and the court was asked

to commit the perpetrator to prison.”

The world has moved on in the last ten

years. Facebook and hundreds of other

social media sites have opened up a world

of possibilities – some for good, some

for bad. It would be impossible for our

courts to handle the volume of claims that

would result if every single case of online

harassment were to be litigated over. Many

people either close down their online

accounts or simply ignore it in the hope it

will go away. So, what are the alternatives?

How can you put a stop to online

harassment from an ex-partner or spouse?

The good news is that there are solutions

out there that do not have to break the

bank with legal fees. At Cripps we have

seen a dramatic increase in enquiries

from people complaining of online

harassment and often we are able to deal

with it using defamation or privacy law.

Defamation is a false statement of fact

that harms a person’s reputation. It

causes serious harm by, for example,

exposing that person to hatred,

ridicule, or contempt. There are two

types of defamation – libel, which

typically involves “lasting” forms

of publication, and slander, which

includes spoken words or gestures.

The law requires that a letter of claim

is sent before a defamation case is

started. There is no “one size fits all”

letter. A letter of claim must be carefully

written to ensure that it includes

relevant information and demands the

appropriate remedies, which can include

• A takedown and retraction;

• An enforceable promise not to repeat

the same or similar comments;

• Payment of compensation; and

• An apology.

Often a well written letter can resolve

the situation. In addition, a take-down

request can be made to the social

media platform itself. Reporting

functions are available on the main

platforms and many of our clients ask

us to deal with them on their behalf.

If warnings don’t work, it might be

necessary to start a defamation case

and the Court Service has reported an

increase in such cases in recent years.

In some circumstances, it may be possible

to send a Take Down Notice to the Internet

Service Provider (ISP). Regulations

now in force provide that an ISP may be

held liable itself unless procedures are

properly followed and timescales met.

Reputational damage may also be suffered

through public disclosure of personal

information, such as family photos or

intimate secrets. This may lead to claims

for breach of privacy or confidentiality

which can be considered in addition, or

as an alternative, to a defamation claim.

So, if you are suffering from online

harassment, defamation or an

embarrassing disclosure, our top tips are:

1. Don’t delay. Often your case will be

weakened if you don’t act fast;

2. Secure your evidence. Take

screenshots of offending material

and keep as much detail as possible,

including the date, time and location of

posts on social media or websites; and

3. Take legal advice. It doesn’t have

to cost the earth. At Cripps we offer

fixed fees for most of our services

relating to problems online.

For more information or an

informal chat, please contact:

Alex Davies

T - 01892 506 326

alex.davies@

cripps.co.uk

Will Charlesworth

T - 01892 506 004

will.charlesworth@

cripps.co.uk

www.cripps.co.uk @crippslaw This article gives examples and is intended for general guidance only

Editor’s

Letter

While putting together this issue I’ve fallen madly in

love. With weddings. Over recent years they’ve taken

such a lovely relaxed turn, inspired by the boho chic

of festival culture we have all come to adore.

Looking through hundreds of pictures of real weddings, where

everyone seems to be grinning in every picture, has made me

long to go and do it all again – this time in an ancient forest,

with Converse under my wedding dress, a hedgerow bouquet and

a table of outrageously pretty sweet goodies instead of a rock-hard

white cake.

Also inspiring me this issue are our two houses. One is a

masterclass in sophisticated simplicity by a living legend of home

style which makes me want to throw away most of what I own –

and paint what’s left white.

The other is an inspiration on several levels. More than a

beautiful house, Archer Lodge is a working theatrical space and

HQ – domestic and artistic – of a very exciting creative collective.

They are running some fascinating workshops for the very first

Hastings Literary Festival, which is happening the last weekend

of this month. I’m inspired by the idea of that too (and not just

because I’m a featured author – see more in Notebook).

Enjoy your Wealden Times.

HAPPY DAYS

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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

Media Sales.................................................................................Sarah Norwood

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

Wealden Times Events Team

Sales Account Manager ...................................................................... Joy Adams

Jude Brown

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

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Previous page: The East Room is in a constant state of flux. The deck chair frames on the wall are from a past

production This page: An arch of suspended books wittily frames the entrance to Archer Lodge

Some of the most celebrated houses in the

world have become such, not just because

of the vibrancy of their walls, the luminosity

of their windows or the verdancy of their gardens,

but because of the lives lived there. The inhabitants

of a building have as much, if not more impact

on the atmosphere that is left behind.

What would the Georgian terrace house in Doughty

Street, Holborn be without the legacy of Charles

Dickens’ residence there (and his actual writing

desk…)? The grey stone Yorkshire parsonage that

was home to the Brontë sisters would be a pretty

country residence, but the lingering energies of those

extraordinary siblings raises it to another level entirely.

Archer Lodge in St Leonards is just one of those

houses. Whilst not (yet) world famous, its charm and

spirit are entirely down to the creative dreams and

ambitions of a group of actors, musicians, engineers

51 wealdentimes.co.uk

Above: The water clock in the hall was made

by sculptor Frank Roper Right: Javanese

Wayang Golek puppets in the West Room

and composers who have come together to

live there, creating something that is so very

much more than the sum of its parts. The

house is its residents and the unique energy

that emanates from this sprawling red tilehung

Sussex-vernacular villa, in the heart of

suburban St Leonards, is like nothing else

you will have experienced. It is a collaborative

commune with respect, creative endeavour

and a love of words at its very heart.

Built in the 1890s by local Sussex architect

Charles Archer Pigott as a show home for his

Arts & Crafts inspired architectural language,

the house’s ambitions in both scale and

drama seem to have been tailor-made for the

group of current co-owners that comprise the

theatrical company Explore the Arch. The

name is a witty play on both the name of the

house and the traditional proscenium arch,

which is so notably absent from theatrical

productions produced here. Add in exploring

and the name encapsulated what they do.

They take ideas and words, fashioning

kernels from the cultural ether, looking

around themselves and at the world in

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Left: A deconstructed piano, used in a recent composition. The collective are always looking for unwanted instruments to repurpose

Right: Seddlescombe-based artist Mark Fisher painted this portrait of Jane Eyre for the ATownExploresABook17 festival. On the wall

are young musician Ali Alana’s grid paintings, inspired by Rimsky-Korsakov’s synesthesia scale

which they live, and create something within their home

and present it to the world outside. Throwing open their

doors and blurring the normally defined edges of what we

consider private and public space, family and community,

the real and the imagined, the theatrical and the every day.

Walking into the house on a glorious sunny

seaside summer morning, the first thing you hear is

music. Not the usual banging bass that has become

the backdrop to our everyday urban lives, at Archer

Lodge it’s the sound of a violin, a recorder, a flute.

The elegant notes seem to tumble from an open upstairs

window, setting the tone for a journey through a house

that is individual, inspirational and completely organic.

Later I stumble across the source of this angelic sound

and find a room crammed with five teenagers, practising

for a forthcoming performance at Cecil Sharp House in

London, not an iPhone or game of Fortnite between them.

Folk-inspired music fit to stir the soul and, no

doubt, the audiences that attend Archer Lodge

for the series of multi-disciplinary performances

that Explore the Arch produce each year.

Archer Lodge is situated on a wide leafy avenue in St

Leonards, near the very aptly named Bohemia Road.

Like walking into the pages of an Esther Freud novel,

it is words and books that are the backbone of this

home-come-creative-space – indeed you enter it under

an arch of books, apparently suspended in mid-air.

Taking me on a tour of the house is Gail Borrow, one

of the founders of the company, along with engineer

Paul Beadle and composer Vladimir Miller. A further

cast of writers, artists, performers and, of course, musical

teenagers appear and disappear as the house welcomes

like-minded individuals from around the world.

However, any sense of hierarchy or traditional domestic

structures are firmly left at the large front door, under that

book arch which feels like the house is beckoning you

55 wealdentimes.co.uk

The terrace overlooks the garden in which the company have

created a series of outdoor rooms used for rehearsals

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OlsonTimberBuildingsWT198.indd 1 11/07/2018 17:08

Previous page and bottom: The garden

is dominated by a weeping ash grafted

onto a standard ash tree, probably

planted when the house was built – and

which feels like a character in its own

right Left: An arch echoes the entry to

the house Below: Chairs which have

been rebuilt using found materials, as

they have weathered over the years

into a world that has been re-imagined by this inspiring

group of creative explorers and literary adventurers.

Gail explains to me that the dramatic space Pigott created

in Archer Lodge was the first thing that attracted them all

to it. The sense of over-scale and of the building’s elegant

grandeur perfectly lends itself to welcoming the public into its

rooms. A generous hallway, decorated with a period Sanderson

bird motif wallpaper and slate grey floor leads to two huge

reception rooms and a large garden, all of which have been

employed as stages in this very stage-less theatre experience.

It was, explains Gail, also the feeling of light and

shade, the juxtapositions so loved by the theatre, which

also lured them in. The darker hallway and West Room,

which doubles up as the foyer and meeting room, are

the antithesis of the sun-drenched East Room, terrace

and garden all of which are saturated with light.

The sense of the darkness in the hall is further

exaggerated by two large hand-painted canvases featuring

the words of nineteenth century Welsh travel writer

Richard Fenton. A water clock made by Frank Roper in

the 1980s, the former vice principal of Cardiff College

of Art, adding another intruiging distraction.

Another element that pulled the company all the

way from Waterloo, where they had been based, living

in separate flats, was the grid patterns in the original

Victorian cornicing of the major ground-floor reception

rooms. The company, who perform around four or five

experiential productions a year in the house and its grounds,

employ the ceiling grids for their props and staging.

Using skills Gail learnt from study of Javanese Wayang

Golek puppetry tradition and through time with

Australian shadow puppeteer Richard Bradshaw, after

59 wealdentimes.co.uk

Above: The kitchen has been constructed around re-purposed antique

cabinets sourced in Kings Road, St Leonards Left: The living and

rehearsal areas are stuffed with exploratory work

she left the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, objects

appear to float, attached to strings that intricately connect

the dado rails and ceilings. Inspired by scenes or words from

the books from which they are performing, the individual

props and words, made entirely from found materials, are

dropped and rotated as demanded by each performance.

Around the house are elements left from their previous

productions. Little paper puppets sit on hall chairs and the

white nightshirts of Dickens’ Great Expectations Pip and

his deceased siblings flutter at the tall landing window.

More remnants from the recent performance inspired by analysis

of that classic Dickens work, entitled The House of Mrs Joe, which

focused on the world of sister/mother figure of Mrs Joe Gargery,

are scattered across the East Room. Dustpan brushes and an

empty window frame, made from card, hang from strings, like

birds hovering above your head. A large metal anvil sits in the

centre of the room whilst musical instruments dot the edges.

As productions come and go, Gail explains, so does the

furniture, much of which is sourced from local antiques dealers

such as Teddy Tinker’s, Kings Road Antiques, La Marette

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Left from a previous production, the white nightshirts of Great Expectations’

Pip and his deceased siblings flutter at the tall landing window

63 wealdentimes.co.uk

Left: Words fom Kipling’s feminist short

story, The Gardener, are informing an

autumn show to mark the Armistice

centenary Below: A work by collage artist

Anna Bachène Bottom: Words by Derek

Walcott and a model boat collection

found at Teddy Tinker’s in the bathroom

are part of the recent production about

the Windrush generation

Brocante and Grand Designs, all in

St Leonards. You don’t get the sense

that any objects or pieces of furniture

become permanent fixtures in Archer

Lodge. They are simply elements of the

next production.

Gail and I take a seat at one of a series

of long weathered wooden tables on the

large terrace outside which were once

the set for another production, The

House of The Man Who Painted The Sea,

inspired by Bulwer-Lytton’s 1830 novel,

Paul Clifford.

The terrace overlooks the garden in

which the company have created a series

of outdoor rooms, which are used for

rehearsals. Sofas and chairs are planted

in little vignettes, as hidden walkways

invite you to take a moment to sit still,

take stock and contemplate life.

Back in the house Gail explains that

the kitchen, filled with re-purposed

antique cabinets, including one that

is still lined with the newsprint from

the Yorkshire Post of 1885, might have

to soon give way to a new disabled

bathroom for audience members.

“Where will the kitchen go?” I ask.

Gail smiles and shrugs, “No idea!”

It’s like that at Archer Lodge, there

is no grand plan, things just seem to

happen as and when they should, in a

manner which seems entirely fitting.

Beginning to take shape in an upstairs

bedroom known at the library, is the

company’s Christmas performance. The

House of Circus is being created from

the Smart circus family archive with

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Above: Bath-based artist Emma Joy’s painting hangs over a print

recreated from Soviet artist Sergey Burylin’s work, Tractor Left:

On the landing, a clutter of puppets and books

descendent and visual artist Greg Smart great-grandson of

Billy himself. Magnificent vintage Billy Smart Circus posters

line the walls.

In another bedroom are the initial words and ideas for

the company’s August show, The House After Windrush,

inspired by the book Lovers & Strangers: An Immigrant

History of Post-war Britain by Clair Willis and Stories

from Blue Latitudes: Caribbean Women Writers at Home

and Abroad by Elizabeth Nunez and Jennifer Sparrow.

Most importantly perhaps, the performance will feature

the words of Michael Braithwaite, a member of the

Windrush generation whose story was one of the first about

the recently revealed scandal to appear in the Guardian.

Fired up by the political situation unfolding every day,

Gail explains how the company has been inspired by

real life, art and literature for the performance which is

set to open on August 6 and will run for two weeks.

The company, who were behind the successful Easter

festival ATownExploresABook18, located in and around St

Leonards, will also be opening their doors to the forthcoming

first Hastings Literary Festival (31 August – 2 September).

Explore the Arch will be running a one-day Creativity

workshop taking the idea of words and developing them

throughout the day as a kind of Chinese whispers

67 wealdentimes.co.uk

This page In an upstairs bedroom known as the library, because of the book wallpaper, the Christmas performance The House of

Circus is coming into shape, with visual artist Greg Smart, currently an artist – literally – in residence

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CPGlassWT196.indd 1 11/05/2018 12:51

Above: A musical instrument left over from a

recent production

experiment showing how words can metamorphose

and transform from group to group and person

to person.

In 2018 there aren’t many towns in the UK where

a large Victorian villa could avoid the siren call of the

property developer. So one can only celebrate that

in St Leonards this large building has not become a

faceless care home, or flat conversion and instead has

remained intact, enabling a community of artists and

actors to live out their dreams by the sea.

Blurring the boundaries between life, work, art

and theatre, reality and imagination, Archer Lodge

and its inhabitants bring life to the true meaning of

bohemian. And long may it continue.

Address Book:

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Hastings Lit Fest hastingslitfest.org

ATownExploresABook Festival atownexploresabook.com

Mark Fisher markfisherart.co.uk

Anna Bachène zoomarts.co.uk/ann-bachene

Teddy Tinker’s, 134 London Road, St Leonards

La Marette Brocante, 33 Kings Road, St Leonards

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A passage from India

A bona fide legend of British interior design, Sasha Waddell has embarked on a

charitable project designing beautiful textiles which will benefit impoverished children

in Delhi – and are used to glorious effect throughout her own home

Words: Nadene Ghouri Photographs: David Merewether

79 wealdentimes.co.uk

www.elliottreid.co.uk

Space?

Previous pages: The kitchen has shelves rather than cupboards,

displaying Sasha’s collection of bright antique pottery. The

floors throughout are old skirting boards treated with a Swedish

product from Pale & Interesting This page: Another Sasha

expert tip: chicken wire in the cupboard doors. Curated objects

on the mantelpiece

As soon as the front door opens, the unadulterated

joyfulness of this St Leonards-on-Sea artisan’s

cottage just glows. Entering a gloriously

bright open-plan white living room it’s hard not

to gasp at the deceptive simplicity of it all.

A sofa, bench and period chair well-stocked with

plump cushions you want to sink straight into.

A simple white-painted wooden table flanked by

matching painted chairs on one side and a mahogany

antique bench on the other, covered with thick white

cushions. Fresh, white walls – and everywhere, gorgeous

throws and curtains in simple blues and whites.

It is elegant, modern, timeless, cosy, relaxed and simple

all at the same time with that oh-so-casually thrown

together vibe that is so perfectly, cleverly and carefully

done you suspect this home must be the work of someone

with great skill when it comes to designing interiors.

No surprises then to learn that Sasha Waddell is indeed

one of the UK’s leading interior designers. The term

‘legend’ is often overused but in design terms she truly

is that. One of 12 interior designers listed in The Best

of British Women, in the top 100 Interior Designers

81 wealdentimes.co.uk

This page: White and blue is the theme throughout the house, with the different

prints of Sasha’s fabrics for Room 100 adding visual variety

by House & Garden magazine – where she is also credited

as one of the most influential designers of the decade.

More simply put, Sasha is the woman credited with bringing

pared-back Scandi chic style to the UK through her legendary

eponymous shop in West London, a global best-selling book

New Swedish Style and numerous TV and radio appearances.

Then there are all the design commissions, including the

furnishing fabrics for the Venice-Simplon Orient Express

train ad, revamping The Organ Room at Glyndebourne,

as well as many private homes belonging to high-profile

clients (although she’s much too discreet to say who…).

Sasha’s inspiration was the essence of 18th and 19th

century Swedish ‘Gustavian’ style – a cool and simplified

interpretation of ornate French classical decoration created by

the Swedish king Gustav III after a visit to Versailles in the late

1780s – to bring fresh interiors, full of light, to this country.

Inspired by the ‘informal domestic elegance’ of Swedish

manor houses, Sasha’s signature is all about pared-back

clean lines, lashings of white, painted wood and tactile

textiles. Sasha calls it ‘bringing the outside in’. And her

St Leonards home is a masterclass in how to achieve it.

As you take in this extremely sophisticated simplicity,

in Sasha’s open-plan space, another theme jumps out

at you: throws, curtains and cushions in different

patterns of stripes, paisley, florals and checks.

And it’s no coincidence that they all go together so

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Sasha calls her style of sophisticated

simplicity “bringing the outside in”

This page: Looking from the main room through to the kitchen, with Sasha’s oversized paisley for Room 100 featured on the table

85 wealdentimes.co.uk

eautifully, as all of them were designed

by Sasha as a range called Room 100,

specially to be made by local women

through a charitable foundation in Delhi,

India. The foundation supports women by

teaching them creative skills to empower

them, so they can make a living of their

own (and of which, more, further on).

Despite her extraordinary design pedigree

Sasha is wonderfully unpretentious

and funny, cheerfully confiding that

her attic is “of course rammed full of

stuff, so that I can live this tidy life.”

Once the eye has adjusted to different

shades of white in the main room’s

palette – bright, soft, creamy, zesty –

the detailing starts to pop out. Those

pale stripped wooden floors. Surely

expensive white limed oak, I ask?

“No, very cheap”, confides Sasha.

“Skirting boards. They make great floors

because the boards are nice and wide.

The effect comes from washing

This page: The top of the dining/work table is a sheet of MDF painted with white

emulsion. French windows open on to a courtyard

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FOR SALE

Normandy farmhouse

near Bayeux

About the property

A delightful, traditionally detached 18c farmhouse. Set in approx

0.5 acres of hedged, easily maintained lawned garden. The 3

bed house could be easily extended on both floors into the dry

attached outbuildings. Total accommodation area approx 90m 2 .

Furnished, well decorated, ready for occupation as a permanent

residence, holiday home or potential holiday let income

source. The tiled roof is in good condition. Almost all wood

framed double glazing. Benefitting from considerable recent

renovation, with traditional ‘Maison en Terre’ rendering to the

rear and end. Mains water, electricity, phone line. Tarmacked

area at front for 4–6 cars, large garage for 3–4 cars.

Location and history of the region

Ideal for walking, boating, fishing and enjoying the peaceful

forest, marshes and waterways. Located in historic Graignes-

Mesnil-Angot, a very rural, tranquil and friendly community with

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O.I.R.O £95,000 (FREEHOLD)

Contact Alan on hbsengineering@hotmail.co.uk for more details.

wealdentimes.co.uk

AlanMarshallWT198.indd 1 13/07/2018 13:08

Above: Looking out from Sasha’s work room, colourful art works grouped on the landing wall are reflected in a bright rug from

Flushed, in Hastings Old Town

them with a special Swedish product made of white lye

that my daughter sells in her shop Pale & Interesting,

in Rye, to get that limed look. Anyone can do it.

“I love simple effects. I work at the table in here

every day. The top is just white-painted MDF and

whenever it gets a bit grubby I repaint it.”

The bespoke country style bookshelves in the

alcoves are covered with chicken wire, another super

cheap but effective Sasha trick. “It just sort of diffuses

the contents so they don’t pop out at you.”

Encouraging furniture to ‘recede’ is another of Sasha’s

tropes: “It’s more relaxing and makes a space look bigger.”

Another tip is to have furniture on legs, hence wooden

benches, showing the floor beneath, creating a feeling of flow.

The wonderful thing about Sasha’s style is that it’s so easily

achievable and inexpensive. No wonder the country fell so

in love with her. The Scandi look she has championed since

the 1980s is now so firmly entrenched in the UK as equalling

comfort and relaxation, it’s hard to imagine a time without it.

But before Sasha dragged us into our Scandi-inspired futures

she reminds me UK homes “were full of festoon blinds, with

yards of chintz you could strangle yourself in, everything was

squishy and cluttered. It was so formal, with reproduction

period furniture, and separate dining rooms and kitchens.”

She was a trailblazer. “It was very unusual to be a

woman in the interior design world, working on site. I

had to be handy to convince people I could do it. One

of the first jobs I ever did I created a big moulding above

a door. The builder working with me said it wouldn’t

work so I lost my nerve and made it smaller. It looked

horrid, so I insisted we take it off and do it my way.

And of course, the builder said it looked beautiful.”

A former actress, Sasha brought her theatrical flair to

design in this way, dressing homes “like a set for people to

live their lives in, to be more relaxed with how they lived.”

Above the fireplace is a huge ornate French mirror bought as

a gift by her foster son, which she loves precisely because it was

a present. It was gold, she explains “ but I painted it white...”

Of course, she did. I ask if she ever feels guilty for

taking the paintbrush over furniture. “Not at all. It’s

89 wealdentimes.co.uk

This page: A change of colour scheme

in the work room, with green painted

furniture from Sasha’s Utility collection

about making something as I want it. But if something

is of superior quality the way it is, I will leave it as is.”

She points, laughing, to a second ornate mirror – this one

antique brass – as proof.

The living room is packed full of books and intriguing

ornaments including a 1930s Viennese sculpture, Swedish

miniature furniture, little display boxes (made by Sasha),

antique Dutch Maastricht dishes (which Sasha found

in Sri Lanka) and some exquisite blue and white china

bowls which she explains are Spanish monk’s bowls.

“I found hundreds of them in a shop in the US, and I

bought them all. I sold some in my shop and kept the rest.”

What’s interesting is that although the look is simple, it isn’t

minimalist. Sasha isn’t afraid to show the decorative or the

personal, for example a framed birthday card and hats made

by her milliner friend Brian Harris (who used to design hats

for fashion designer Zandra Rhodes), displayed on the wall.

The same juxtaposition of clean white and interesting

objects is visible in the kitchen where three rows of

chunky shelving set against plain white brick tiles are

used to display more brightly coloured collections of

antique pottery gleaned from her global travels.

Sasha’s designer’s eye is clear again in how the different

collections are artfully grouped together in little mini displays.

A cluster of fruit bowls sits on a small table, covered with a

gorgeous blue and white paisley tablecloth by Room 100.

Doors open onto a little suntrap courtyard garden, with

a painted chair and table covered with another paisley

tablecloth, this one a zesty lime green, perfectly set against the

greenery of lavender in vintage pots. Even the storage shed

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EverestHomeImprovementsWT198.indd 1 24/07/2018 16:27

Above left: The vintage bathroom cabinet was given to Sasha by her brother, fashion illustrator and designer Gavin Waddell. Right:

The linen-weight ticking used for the shower and cupboard curtains is Rural Stripe in Swedish Blue, the blind is Flower, also in

Swedish Blue, both from the Floral Chic Collection by Room 100 available from Pale & Interesting

is ‘dressed’ with vintage embroidered linen curtains creating

the impact of another room, rather than a utility area.

Retiring to St Leonards nine years ago, to be closer to her

family, was life changing for Sasha and one she has no regrets

about – but the quiet retirement didn’t quite go as planned.

Sasha also has a home in Goa, India and one of her Indian

neighbours there is the son of the original founder of the

formerly mentioned charity Swami Sivananda Memorial

Institute (SSMI), which supports women by teaching them

creative skills, feeds 20,000 people a day from kitchens set up

in the slums and educates 1,000 children in its own school.

Sasha went to visit their work and was blown away.

“They found a whole family of traditional block

printers living in the slums and brought them to the

workshop to train others. I could see these products

had such potential and I was so impressed by the ethics

of the charity. They were selling their products to the

Indian market but not globally. So here I come in.”

Sasha has worked with them to set up Room 100, as a

range of textiles including homewares, curtains, cushions,

table linen, clothing and accessories. “I designed it so as

many women as possible would be employed and be able

to utilise their skills in embroidery, sewing, printing.”

She’s overseen a new Room 100 website, designed a Delhi

showroom (white of course) and has worked directly with

the women printers to design new textiles with a more global

appeal using soft-as-butter cottons, linens, silks and voile.

“They already did a paisley design, but it was small

and busy. I made it bigger, added more space. It’s

the Swedish thing. This way the pattern is calmer,

it recedes instead of jumping out at you.”

Heading upstairs the Indian textiles come into their

own in a new context. Sasha’s bedroom is a glorious

cornucopia of soft blue and white cotton throws,

curtains and cushions in stripes, checks and florals.

“It’s a bit over the top in here, a bit Doris Day in

Calamity Jane,” she laughs.

Above the bed is a group of framed miniatures which

look antique, but it turns out some are old postcards

Sasha framed herself as a child and two were hand

painted by Sasha’s mum. “She taught me about history

through paintings. It was such a good way to learn.”

Two pretty blue-and-white painted mirrors, which

go so well with the Indian fabric I assume they must

93 wealdentimes.co.uk

This page: With white-painted furniture and floorboards, and

blue and white Room 100 fabrics, the bedroom is a perfect

example of the sense of nurturing calm created by Sasha’s

sophisticated simplicity, set off by a few feature artworks

have come from there, were in fact hand-painted by

her daughter Atlanta Bartlett (also a notable interior

designer, whose work has been featured several times

in this magazine) when she was at university.

The small, but delightful, bathroom is another showcase

for a more unusual use of the Room 100 textiles. The

shower is hidden behind a blue striped curtain, with a

delicate floral blind made from the same fabric covering

the window. Continuing the colour theme onto the floor

is a checked blue-and-white patterned Swedish runner.

Sasha’s office next door marks a change with green painted

furniture from her Utility furniture collection. It is inspired

by 1930s interiors but still looks up to date and modern.

“That’s the essence of it. It’s simple so it doesn’t date.

Everything the Swedes did had been taken from the

French style and simplified. So I did the same. I took

French furniture and simplified it. I couldn’t design one

piece and sell it; I had to design the whole look, lights,

furniture ranges, textiles, so that people could achieve it.”

And that’s precisely what she’s now doing with

Room 100 and Swami Sivananda. A chance meeting

that has resulted in a perfect marriage of Sasha’s

design skills and Indian artisan craftsmanship.

To help the range to grow – and with it the benefits

to these impoverished families, so they can support

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BathroomShopWT198.indd 1 23/07/2018 ChartwellOakBuildingsWT195.indd 14:15

1 11/04/2018 17:17

Above: An arrangement of Sasha’s signature white objects, is

set off by a burst of colour in a painting, echoed by the real

peonies in the jug

themselves - Sasha would love to hear from other

outlets interested in stocking the range.

“This is just a start. I want to find stockists

across England and Europe. My whole

reason for getting involved is to earn money

for the charity to continue and grow.

“The children who come in are often so malnourished

it can take a few weeks for them to recover before they

can even begin learning. They need food and clothing.

“If I can use my skills to help, then it will

be a very good ‘retirement’ indeed.”

Address Book:

Room 100 room100-ssmi.com

Pale and Interesting, 3 Landgate, Rye 01797 344077

paleandinteresting.com

Who’s Wearing What, 34 London Rd, St Leonards-on-

Sea 01424 272925 whoswearingwhat-boutique-co.uk

Swami Sivananda Memorial Institute, Delhi ssmi.in

The Room 100 range is currently stocked in Pale and Interesting in Rye and Who’s Wearing What in St

Leonards. If you are interested in becoming a stockist please contact Sasha via info@sashawaddelldesign.com

97 wealdentimes.co.uk

FOUR LIMES DESIGN

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GrahamClarkeWT198.indd 1 10/07/2018 TraditionalBespokeFurnitureWT194.indd 11:53

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1 2

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13 12

1 Galvanised pendant light £76 Hurn & Hurn hurnandhurn.com 2 Handwoven wool runner £180 Ana Noush

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cotton £25.50/m Pale & Interesting paleandinteresting.com 10 Romo Linara fabric £38.50 Mister Smith Interiors

mistersmith.co.uk 11 Oriel linen by Imogen Heath £105/m Mister Smith Interiors mistersmith.co.uk 12 Natterbox chair

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Authorised service centre for

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DavidCarpenterWT198.indd 1 24/07/2018 15:51

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100

DavidCarpenterWT198-advertorial.indd 1 24/07/2018 15:50

Hammer time

Forget Bargain Hunt... auction houses are changing and

it’s time to get excited about them again

Star item

“I fished a table writing box

out of a car boot fair once. I

saw it in the owner’s boot and

asked what he was doing with

it, he said it was going up the

tip. I told him he should try

auctioning it, thinking it was

19th century Anglo-Indian or

Portuguese. He did put it up

for auction and a couple of

bidders both reckoned it was

18th century – they ended

up driving it up to £5,000 –

£6,000, all for a box which

was headed up the tip!”

Nick Crabb

Crow’s Auction Gallery

The real benefit of buying with

auction houses is that you only

pay market value, which could be a

third or quarter of what you would

pay in a retail setting. You may have

to do some extra work but you get a

much better price.

The Lingo

Provenance

This is evidence of an item’s history

and/or origin which indicates

authenticity or quality.

If you have a piece of paper (a photo

or will for example) you have proof

of an item’s story. People always want

provenance and if you have it the item

will sell better.

Post-sale online auction

At Crow’s, every lot is sold live in the

auction room and on three auction

platforms live online.

If an item is not sold it gets uploaded

onto a post-sale online auction, which is

set up a bit like eBay.

In a normal auction we sell up to 200

lots an hour, but with this you have five

days to bid online which is a lot less

pressure. We sell 25% of unsold stock

that way.

Caveat emptor (buyer beware)

The law assumes that the buyer

has more knowledge than the

auction house.

Top tip

“If possible view items in

person. If you can’t and it’s

something you’ve seen on the

internet, make the most of

the auction house, request a

report or give them a call, they

may send you more images

or describe the item over the

phone and you can get a better

understanding of it”

You can bring items back if there’s

an inconsistency with the description

in the catalogue, but otherwise it’s

the buyer’s responsibility to check the

quality of any item you buy.

If you want to know more about an

item or check on something you can

always call the auction house.

Nick Crabb, Director/Owner, Crow’s

Auction Gallery, Dorking

01306 740382

crowsauctions.co.uk

101 wealdentimes.co.uk

Leslie Gillham Gorringe’s

My first experience of an auction

house was going to work at one

– here at Gorringe’s – around 1968, as

a bookkeeper and porter. Since then

I’ve been a director at Bonhams in

Knightsbridge and vice president of

Phillips in New York, but after all that

I ended up coming full circle back here

to Gorringe’s.

Auctions work on cycles like that

too, but generational ones. The same

thing that’s happening now happened

Star item

in the 20s. An entire generation looked

at the antiques world and said ‘Why

do we want all this old stuff?’ and the

classic 20s art deco style was born

This continued until the 60s, when

interest in antiques started to grow

again and from then to the 2000s prices

went up and up. Now it’s going down

again. The only exception is the very

best stuff which will always do well. If,

for example, you had a very ordinary

George III mahogany table it could sell

“This Indian sword sold for £7,000 last September and has a great story.

It is a late 19th century fine Indian tulwar [a type of sabre], with an

iron hilt, elephant’s head pommel and tiger knucklebow, all inlaid with

gold and fitted with gems. The finely watered single-edge blade is inlaid

in gold with the owner’s monogram TMS and it retains its silk-covered

scabbard with engraved silver mounts. It was formerly the property of

Leonard Harry Baybut (1900-1960) and thence by descent. Having

served in the RAF in World War I, he went to India and by

1935 was running his own furniture factory in Srinagar. He

was awarded the contract to refurnish gulab Bhavan, the

summer palace of the Maharajas of Jammu and Kashmir,

and as a result he struck up an enduring friendship

with the last Maharaja, Hari Singh (1895-1961) in the

mid-1940s. The relationship developed further when

Leonard accepted the post of private secretary to the

Maharaja in 1948-9, a position he held until ill-health

forced him to retire and return to england in 1959.”

Top tip

“Some people think of the

bidding process as scary and

that they will accidentally

wind up bidding thousands

of pounds because they

happened to sneeze or blink

at the wrong moment. That

never happens! The auctioneer

can see everyone and any

experienced one will know

who is interested and never

mistake say a wave or a sneeze

for a bid. So just come, relax

and enjoy it. And if you are

worried, you don’t even have

to go in person. You can now

sit and watch live on your

computer screen and bid with

a simple click.”

for around £150 at auction, but we have

seen a pair sell for £2,600. Why? Well,

obviously being a pair adds value but they

were also the very best quality and had a

good history.

The internet is changing things too.

Online bidding is increasingly popular.

Now up to 40% of things we sell –

especially smaller items like pottery or

ceramics – go to online bidders. It really

has been a revolution.

If, for example, you put a specialist

Scandinavian picture up for auction

here in Tunbridge Wells you would get

Scandinavian bidders online.

Thirty years ago people would have to

leave bids with the auctioneer, or phone

in, if they couldn’t go to the auction. This

all still happens sometimes, but it has been

completely superseded by the internet.

The one thing I would say about

online bidding is that you can get delays.

Experienced bidders see the difference

because they can’t type as quickly as they

can bid in person, but it doesn’t usually

cause a problem.

And of course you always have the

backstop of a telephone bid which lets you

talk to a real person who makes a real bid

for you then and there.

Leslie gillham, Partner, gorringe’s,

Tunbridge Wells 01892 556860

gorringes.co.uk

wealdentimes.co.uk

102

FrenchDepot

FUTURE EXHIBITIONS

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Joseph M c Carthy

Mirror & Frame makers

FrenchDepotWT192.indd 1 04/01/2018 10:22

Midsummer Garden Art Show

26th Aug-27th Aug 2018

Astonishing artworks from international artists

Children’s art trail and workshops

Meet up & socialize with artists

At Burrswood Health and Wellbeing Centre

Groombridge, Tunbridge Wells, TN3 9PY

Tickets available at venue or at :

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103 wealdentimes.co.uk

JosephMcCarthyWT197.indd 1 12/06/2018 G&CGalleryWT198.indd 10:23

1 25/07/2018 12:55

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Contents

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4 NATURAL

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17 THE WEDIT

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19 HEAD OVER HEELS

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20 THE GREAT

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23 PERFECT DAY

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29 FLOWER POWER

How to pick the best

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30 MOONSTRUCK

The expert opinions of

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3 wealdentimes.co.uk

AJPyrotechnicsWT198.indd 1 24/07/2018 17:48

Natural

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dress that is as relaxed as it is elegant

Photographs: David Merewether Styling: Kate Watts Make up: natasha Valerie

natashavaleriemakeup.com / 07837 553905 Hair: Vicky at Truffle, Tunbridge Wells

truffleonsea.com/tunbridgewells / 01892 557722 Model: Jessica Bishop

dressing undeniable beauty

35 High St,

Cranbrook

www.odyl.co.uk

01580 714907

Going Away or Staying at Home?

Top up your Summer Wardrobe at

and add a dash of glamour with

our fashionable accessories

Opening Hours: Tuesday—Friday 10.30am—5pm

Saturday 10am—3pm

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

Striking pieces borrowed from the most

glamorous of bygone eras, to complement

your unique style

Elizabeth44WT198.indd 1 05/07/2018 OdylWT198.indd 15:07 1 12/07/2018 16:33

Fine, vintage & costume jewellery

Designer vintage clothing

Vintage collectables

Seasonal specials

Unique gifts

www.smashing-things.co.uk

Telephone 01435 813 320 info@smashing-things.co.uk

WT Wedding Supplement

VintageLionsWT197.indd 1 20/06/2018 16:22

Previous page: Kate dress, from £965, malmaison flower sash or crown £145.95, Tara Deighton Bridal & Bespoke taradeighton.co.uk;

metallic clogs, £129, Kitty Clogs kittyclogssweden.co.uk; gold hunting coin necklace, £234, gold travelling star diamond necklace,

£190, Pearl & Queenie pearlandqueenie.com; large circle necklace, £45, Crystal & Stone crystalstonelondon.co.uk

This page: Louka dress, starting from £1200, Rembo Styling rembo-styling.com; stacking rings, £16, Crystal & Stone

crystalstonelondon.co.uk

7 wealdentimes.co.uk

Left and top: Dress, £850, Real Green Dress realgreendress.com; bouquet & flowers in hair, Sue Davies Flowers and Garden

suedaviesflowers.com Bottom right: Cotton voile and tulle dress, from £1800, The Robing Room therobingroom.co.uk; rings left to

right: top £16, Crystal & Stone crystalstonelondon.co.uk; pearl ring, £175, aqua chalcedony stone 22 carat gold on silver, £56, Pearl &

Queenie pearlandqueenie.com; top £16, Crystal & Stone crystalstonelondon.co.uk; bottom labradorite stone 22 carat gold on silver, £40,

Pearl & Queenie pearlandqueenie.com; top beaded £20, knot, £16, Crystal & Stone crystalstonelondon.co.uk; bottom hand enamel &

amethyst ring, £156, Pearl & Queenie pearlandqueenie.com; top £16, bottom £16, Crystal & Stone crystalstonelondon.co.uk

WT Wedding Supplement

SUMMER

SALE

The One Stop Shop for Ladies Fashion in Surrey

www.melitaboutique.co.uk

57 High Street, Chobham, Surrey GU24 8AF

Tel: 01276 856308

Swattenden Lane | Cranbrook | TN17 3PS

01580 713189

www.charityfarmcountrystore.co.uk

WEST KENT

SHOOTING SCHOOL

MelitaOfChobhamWT198.indd 1 24/07/2018 CharityFarmWT197.indd 15:34

1 14/06/2018 16:02

Concept

Hair

salon

Open Monday to Friday 10am–5pm

Telephone: 01892 834306

• English Sporting

• Skeet

• 100ft High Tower

• Lessons

• Corporate Days

Friday 3 August—Shotgun & Chelsea Bun Club

Monday 15 August—Young Shots Morning

Tuesday 21 August—BASC Young Shots Activity Day

Wednesday 5 September—Side by Side Grand Masters

New Hay Farm, Old Hay (Off Pearsons Green Road)

Paddock Wood, Brenchley, Kent TN12 7DG

westkentshooting.co.uk

50 High Street, Tenterden 01580 762 564

Book online at www.williamcharleshair.co.uk

or through our facebook page

9 wealdentimes.co.uk

WestKentShootingWT198.indd 1 13/07/2018 WilliamCharlesWT196.indd 16:53

1 10/05/2018 15:42

BIG SUMMER SALE

SUMMER SALE

NOW ON

cashmere and silk knitwear

NOW ON

TO 50% Off!

23 High Street, Tenterden TN30 6BJ

Telephone 01580 761222

Shop online at www.cashara.co.uk

Hawkhurst-No6 The Colonnade Rye Road Kent. TN184ES

01580 752118

Rye- No12 High Street Rye East Sussex. TN317JF

01797 224369

Lewes -27 High Street Lewes East Sussex. BN72LU

01273 480896

www.countyclothesmenswear.co.uk

pencil us in

Silk

pTies

Shaving

accessories

County Clothes Menswear

Quality & Personal Service

CasharaWT198.indd 1 11/07/2018 CordeliaJamesWT198.indd 10:23

1 12/07/2018 10:23

Canterbury Tenterden Reigate Sevenoaks

fRNLtRnTiEORaItOnL

EdIn aTiE

Break free from the conformity and restriction of

suit hire and invest in something that expresses

your individuality.

Call us today to arrange a consultation and

enjoy the luxury of quality clothing

and a personal service.

Cosy

Scarves

Stripy

Socks

velvet finesse

19 St Margaret’s Street

Canterbury

Kent, CT1 2TH

2 East Cross

Tenterden

Kent, TN30 6AD

6 High Street

Reigate

Surrey, RH2 9AY

14 Bank Street

Sevenoaks

Kent, TN13 1UW

01227 765294 01580 765159 01737 249224 01732 454068

@countyclothescanterbury @countyclothestenterden @countyclothesreigate @countyclothessevenoaks

WT Wedding Supplement

CountyClothesWT198.indd 1 11/07/2018 10:04

Main dress, £95, Hoopers hoopersstores.com; wedges, £200, Zaccys London zaccys.com; gold travelling star diamond

necklace, £190, Pearl & Queenie pearlandqueenie.com; moonstone bead ring necklace, £40, hammered ring necklace,

£35, stacking & knot rings, £16, Crystal & Stone crystalstonelondon.co.uk; in background left to right: shirt dress, £95,

Hoopers hoopersstores.com; vintage dress, £550, Real Green Dress realgreendress.com; custom made leather fringe jacket,

from £400, The Robing Room therobingroom.co.uk; floral maxi, £359, Hoopers hoopersstores.com; vintage dress, £550,

Real Green Dress realgreendress.com

11 wealdentimes.co.uk

The Robing Room

Bespoke Service

Beautiful handcrafted garments designed

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

Bespoke Service

Adults & Children

Beautiful handcrafted garments designed

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

Adults & Children

Prices start www.therobingroom.co.uk

from £500 for wedding dresses,

£85 for lingerie and £150 for Bridesmaids

T: 01303 487230

www.therobingroom.co.uk

LINDAPOPEOPTICIANS

FACEBOOK.COM/LINDAPOPEOPTICIANS

WWW.LINDAPOPEOPTICIAN.CO.UK

RYE ROAD • HAWKHURST

TELEPHONE 01580 753744

RobingRoomWT198-QRT.indd 1 23/07/2018 LindapopeWT198.indd 11:22

1 10/07/2018 11:18

The Robing Room

Bespoke Service

Beautiful handcrafted garments designed

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

Adults & Children

www.therobingroom.co.uk

purely beauty

Beauty Salon & Clinic

Hawkhurst

Pamper Packages

Available

View our website for all our

pamper packages

Purenique Top to Toe

- Mini Manicure

- Mini Pedicure

- Express Facial

70 mins Just £60

Book Online

www.purenique.co.uk

WT Wedding Supplement

Laser - IPL - Advanced Skin Treatments - Electrolysis

Hair Removal - Advanced Facials - Massage - Nails

01580 753383 Book Online www.purenique.co.uk

EmmaFreemanWT198.indd 1 24/07/2018 PureniqueWT198.indd 15:47

1 28/06/2018 12:45

This page: Honey Bear dress, starting from £1200, Rembo Styling rembo-styling.com; bar necklace, £36, moonstone bead ring

necklace, £40, Crystal & Stone crystalstonelondon.co.uk; bouquet, Sue Davies Flowers and Garden suedaviesflowers.com

13 wealdentimes.co.uk

Left: Crepe dress with beaded shoulders, from £1400, The Robing Room therobingroom.co.uk; mother of pearl earrings, £88, Pearl &

Queenie pearlandqueenie.com Right: Ridely London silk devore dress, £699, The Robing Room therobingroom.co.uk; mother of pearl

earrings, £88, Pearl & Queenie pearlandqueenie.com; floral headdress, Sue Davies Flowers and Garden suedaviesflowers.com

A special thank you to all the team at The Dreys in Sittingbourne for working with us at their beautiful venue in the Kent

wilderness. Visit thedreys.co.uk or contact 01622 236550 to find out more about their bespoke wedding service, event hire or

glamping. Floral arrangements and headdresses Sue Davies Flowers and Garden, Sutton Valence suedaviesflowers@gmail.com /

suedaviesflowers.com / 07703 413522

WT Wedding Supplement

Say “I do”

IN THE GARDEN OF ENGLAND

YOUR BESPOKE KENT COUNTRYSIDE WEDDING

AT EASTWELL MANOR

Choose from our grand oak panelled manor house or whimsical walled garden to host your civil ceremony and reception.

With sublime cuisine and the finest selection of wines, elegant bedrooms, a Champneys spa for the

ultimate pre-wedding pamper and stunning grounds for a picture perfect backdrop,

Eastwell Manor is more than a breath-taking setting; it’s a place where dreams are made.

FAIRY TALE

WINTER WEDDINGS

SPRING & SUMMER

WEDDINGS

EXCLUSIVE

HIRE

from £6,500 from £8,950 from £25,000

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO SPEAK TO A MEMBER OF OUR WEDDING TEAM

PLEASE CALL 01233 213020 OR VISIT EASTWELLMANOR.CO.UK

WEDDINGS AT BANNATYNE

SPA HOTEL HASTINGS

Situated in the heart of 1066 Country, between the historic towns of

Battle and Hastings, this stunning Georgian country house can be exclusively

yours for your special day. Fall in love with it’s unique character and style,

a modern boutique hotel, with many original features.

Whether it’s one of our all inclusive packages or a bespoke package to suit your exact

requirements, our dedicated wedding team will be happy to assist in making your day perfect.

Contact our events team now to arrange your show round and receive a personalised quote.

Small and Intimate packages available from £550

All inclusive packages available from £3500

Bespoke packages also available

Quote “Wealden Times” when booking your viewing and we will honour our 2019 prices for all 2020 weddings. Phone

01424 851222 (opt 2) or email events.hastingshotel@bannatyne.co.uk for more information.

IIII

Moonstruck rose earrings

£35 Ivory & Co

ivoryandcotiaras.co.uk

V Jewellery Luna pendant

£65 Fenwick Tunbridge Wells

fenwick.co.uk

Titania crown £1,295

Hermione Harbutt

hermioneharbutt.com

Platinum ear studs with

emerald cut diamonds

£3,260 Prestons

prestonsdiamonds.co.uk

Sienna headband £35 Silver Sixpence

in her Shoe

silversixpenceinhershoe.co.uk

Charlotte Wise Photography

IIII

Cleo pearl and crystal headress

£485 Snow Jewels snowjewels.co.uk

The

Wedit

WGet ready for your close up with

some fabulous accessories

Cleo headress £190 Donna Crain

donnacrain.com

Deco back necklace £235 Hermione

Harbutt hermioneharbutt.com

Back necklace £89 Not on the

High Street notonthehighstreet.com

Pearl Pendant £59.95

Annabel James

annabeljames.co.uk

Head chain £95 Silver Sixpence in

her Shoe silversixpenceinhershoe.co.uk

Flower crown with detachable veil

Pelican Rose £125 pelicanrosebride.com

IIII

Timeless necklace £236

Links of London

linksoflondon.com

Cinnamon Rose hair vine

£185 Ivory & Co

ivoryandcotiaras.co.uk

Ostrich Feather Stole

£95 Pretty Eccentric

prettyeccentric.co.uk

Stud earrings £265

Pandora uk.pandora.net

17 wealdentimes.co.uk

3 magnificent oak beamed function rooms,

self-contained with their own bar and toilets.

Licenced for Civil Ceremonies.

Off peak discounts available. Ample free parking.

Unique photo opportunities in the High Rocks National Monument.

2 am licence for drinking and dancing.

No venue hire charge.

Call us now on 01892 515 532 to arrange

a viewing or visit www.highrocks.co.uk

The High Rocks | Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 9JJ

Marmalade £59 Office

office.co.uk

Felicity wedges £235

Freya Rose freyarose.com

Marci gladiators

£39 Kurt Geiger

kurtgeiger.com

Isha gold shoes £135

Lisa Kay lisakayshoes.com

Lisa Kay shoes available

at Melita of Chobham

motherofthebridechobham.co.uk

Penelope pom pom sliders £35

Accessorize uk.accessorize.com

ead

H heels

Forget glass slippers and painful stilettos –

over

happy feet make for a happy wedding and

at an outdoor venue practicality is a must!

Studded sandals

£30 River Island

riverisland.com

Broderie tennis shoes £49

Bensimon bensimon.com

Mel sandals £59

Office office.co.uk

Lucy beaded sandal £35

Accessorize uk.accessorize.com

Mules rule

Otter mules £129 Kurt

Geiger kurtgeiger.com

Nick of Time heels £89.99

Irregular Choice irregularchoice.com

Boden sandals £150

John Lewis johnlewis.com

Espadrille sandals

£45 River Island

riverisland.com

Charlotte flats £99

Dune dunelondon.com

19 wealdentimes.co.uk

The great British

cake off

Forget those rock hard white

edifices, the modern wedding

cake is as fun as it is scrumptious

(and it’s not always a cake...)

What does a wedding

cake look like in 2018?

Increasingly not shiny white

tiers of rock-hard icing over the yellow

marzipan layer so many people loathe

and solid fruity cake that isn’t much

more popular.

Today’s bride – the Duchess of Sussex

included – wants a cake as relaxed and

fun as the rest of her wedding.

Loulou Hamilton of the wonderful

Cocolicious café in Cranbrook has been

creating this much more laid back and

modern take on the great celebration

cake, since she opened four years ago.

“We like making wedding cakes

which are as natural as possible,” she

says. “Definitely no fondanted ones! We

do ‘naked’ cakes, with no icing at all

on the sides, so you can see the layers

of sponge, which are very popular, and

‘rough’ buttercream icing – as above –in

pretty colours, applied in a deliberately

loose way, with fresh flowers. It’s all

much more relaxed.

“Another detail people love is having

different flavours in every layer. The

taller cake in the picture here has layers

of elderflower and lemon, salted caramel

and raspberry rose.”

Taking the idea of a choice of flavours

further is the new idea of having not

just one cake – but a whole ‘dessert

WT Wedding Supplement

table’ of different sweet treats.

“It’s been big in America for a while,’

says Loulou. “People have seen it on

Pinterest and Instagram – which are

a huge source of inspiration and have

created a boom in beautiful, visual ideas

for wedding cakes – and have started to

ask for it here.

“I think it’s a lovely idea, because

instead of having a formal pudding

delivered to each guest by waiters,

guests get up and mingle at the desserts

table. It’s a great conversation starter.”

And, really, compared to the oldstyle

cakes, so dessicated and rigid that

slices of them could be sent through the

post to invitees who couldn’t make the

wedding, how joyous to choose between

glazed doughnuts, cupcakes, layers of

delicious sponge – and the lamingtons

which Loulou has made Cocolicious’s

signature treat. (Indeed they are now

sold, beautifully boxed, in Selfridges.)

Cutting the cake has never been

more fun.

Contact Loulou Hamilton via

askloulou@cocolicious.co.uk

You can see more of their cakes on

Instagram @cocoliciouscranbrook and

online at cocolicious.co.uk

Cocolicious, Stone Street, Cranbrook

01580 714954

21 wealdentimes.co.uk

Giant Tipi Hire for

Weddings, Celebrations

and Corporate Events

For a bespoke quotation or to arrange a free consultation,

visit www.mytipievent.co.uk

My tipi event

Welcome to MyTipiEvent.

We are a multi-award winning Tipi provider

situated in the South East of England. Our Nordic

Tipis or Teepees create a magical and spacious

atmosphere; allowing our customers to transform

a blank canvas into a unique and extraordinary

venue with almost unlimited potential

Telephone: 01474 824021 or 07809 351182

email: info@mytipievent.co.uk

mytipievent

MyTipiEvent

mytipievent

#perfectlypitched

Perfect day

The venue sets the whole tone of

a wedding and whether you are

after laid-back festival vibe, or

a wonderfully dramatic setting,

there’s more choice than ever

My Tipi Event

Darren Smith

“My children and my family are in love

with all things festival – we camp a lot,

we love the great outdoors. Three years

ago we discovered Nordic tipis purely by

accident on line and I decided to start

this company, although I had no previous

experience with any events industry, or

weddings.

It was only meant to be a part-time gig,

six months in summer – I already had a

retail business – but it’s blown us away.

We’ve done 50 weddings in 6 months and

it’s still increasing, but we are not going to

let it grow too much, because we want to

keep the personal touch. I’m at every set

up and every take down.

The people who book our tipis have a

sense of adventure and don’t want to be

pocketed into a formal wedding, they want

something quirky and versatile, that can be

pitched anywhere.

We offer our ‘Giant Hats’ which are

the really big tipis and smaller chill-out

tents, plus catering tents. To help our

clients plan what they want, we just need

to know how many seated guests you are

going to have and how many in total, but

a rough guide is that for every 100 people

you will need two Giant Hats.

The smaller chill-out tents have low

wooden tables, Moroccan pouffes and an

open fire pit. We supply an abundance

of giant marshmallows. They are a break

away from the noise and hysteria, it’s a

zone. We also have a wood-fired pizza

oven in a little hat tipi with fairy lights,

that’s very popular.

We say, let your imagination run wild.

We can create a traditional vibe with

round tables and lime-washed Chiavari

chairs, or festival route with rustic trestle

tables and benches. You can use all your

own suppliers for all the details, or we

have a Little Black Book on the website,

with all of our friends who, DJs, florists,

caterers and cake makers.”

My Tipi event mytipievent.co.uk 01474 824021

23 wealdentimes.co.uk

The Dreys

Dave Keulemans

“Our venue appeals to people who

want a festival-inspired, free-spirited,

organic, bohemian alternative in a

wonderful woodland environment. This

is our fifth year and demand is growing

drastically.

The Dreys is family-owned and

run and we are very aware of our

surroundings, of the symbiosis of nature

and humans working together. There

are 80 acres of natural environment, we

don’t use concrete anywhere, or plant

anything, it’s all here. The couples who

choose us are looking for this type of

venue, because we are different.

We have a fully licensed in-house

bar and we sell all local Kent products,

like Chapel Down wines and cider

from The Kent Cider Company. Our

alcohol supplier is Page & Sons, which

has been operating in Ramsgate since

the Napoleonic era. We try not to bring

things in from outside the county.

A special feature is the ceremony area,

a lovely spot in the woods with oaks

and old hornbeams and natural arches.

Guests pull up in the car park, in

front of a mass of woodland, then they

go through a tiny little doorway onto a

secret pathway meandering through the

woodland to the ceremony area.

We are licensed for civil partnerships

and marriages. After the ceremony it’s

another 50 metres through the woods to

the venue.

There is a 15 x18m marquee with

wood flooring, outside there is a fire pit

with daybeds and additional seating and

it’s all professionally wired for sound,

with festoon lighting throughout. We

have capacity for 60 to 500 people and

a licence until 2am.

You can bring your own food and

entertainment – we have a system for

DJs and band. We give people a lot of

freedom, but we can also recommend

food suppliers that have been used on

the site and were great.

And if it rains, that’s fine. Everything

is under cover and you can bring wellies

and brollies to walk to the venue.”

The Dreys, Squirrel Wood, Rumstead Lane, Stockbury, Sittingbourne ME9 7RT 01622 236550 thedreys.co.uk

Wedding photos by Mark Gray weddingevent.photography

WT Wedding Supplement

Together we will

create your unique,

perfect celebration

DECORATED FEASTING BOXES

FOR YOUR SPECIAL DAY

Free yourself and your guests from formalities. Dive into

apple crates filled with a fabulous feast, tailored to suit your

tastes. Our gourmet sharing boxes are decorated to your

theme, forming the perfect centrepiece for your table.

Great for a Tipi, Yurt or outside at a festival style wedding.

We offer something beautiful, delicious and different for

all occasions: weddings, hen parties, shooting parties,

birthdays, festive events, or glamping.

Boho Events

boxed-weddings.co.uk

boxedweddings

Call The Girls@BOXED

07767 830167 / 07858 154908

Sissinghurst Road, Biddenden TN27 8DQ

01580 292992 www.glampingwedding.co.uk

Baldwins Travel Group

BoxedWeddingsWT198.indd 1 17/07/2018 BloomsburysBiddendenWT198.indd 14:17

1 20/07/2018 12:55

Picture courtesy of Sandals

In association with

www.baldwinstravel.co.uk/weddings

E:weddings@baldwins-travel.co.uk T:01892 506401

25 wealdentimes.co.uk

BaldwinsTravelWT198.indd 1 16/07/2018 11:14

High Rocks

Giuseppe

“Our venue is very special, because

it’s on a site that contains an official

National Monument – a Stone Age

camp – and the amazing sandstone rock

formations, that can be accessed by a

system of eleven bridges.

There is also a station for the Spa

Valley Railway in our garden, so the

bridal party – or the whole wedding

– can arrive by steam train. You

can hire one carriage, or the whole

train, boarding at Tunbridge Wells,

Groombridge or Eridge. You can even

start at London Bridge, change at

Eridge and arrive at High Rocks.

When we came here there was just

a tiny restaurant. We moved the Great

Hall Barn here from Herefordshire. We

also have the Halt and the President’s

Suite, depending on the guest numbers.

We are a venue at the affordable end

of the market, where we do everything

for the bride and groom, you can get

married here and all our food is homecooked

by our dedicated team. We have

chefs who have been here for 30 years.

We don’t charge for the venue, you

choose a package which is multiplied by

the number of guests, so it’s very simple.

The Rocks has been used many times

as a film and video location – Merlin

was filmed here and Enya made a video

here - and offers the opportunity for

the most amazing dramatic wedding

photographs, including flood-lit nighttime

photos which are something very

special to have long after the wedding

day is over.”

The High Rocks, High Rock Lane, Tunbridge Wells TN3 9JJ highrocks.co.uk 01892 515532

Yoghurt Rooms

Aafke Bauer

“We have been running weddings on

our organic beef family farm in the

heart of Sussex for over nine years now

and since we built our beautiful oakframed

barn in 2014 we have been fully

booked year after year.

As well as the huge barn they have

full access to the farm, our three

gorgeous Mongolian yurts and two

stylish apartments accommodating up

to 42 guests on site. We also have a new

marquee, sound systems, an after-hours

music room, camping fields, fire pits

and play area, all with incredible views

over stunning rolling countryside.

Our couples book because they

want something a bit different to the

traditional hotel weddings.

Most of our couples want a festival

style or boho wedding and that’s exactly

what we do best.

It’s a DIY type venue where our

couples have the chance and freedom

to inject their own style and ideas and

really let their imagination run wild.

One of our beautiful brides wanted

to be delivered to her ceremony on

the front of our tractor in the bucket!

Which we of course gladly did.

It is lovely to see how amazing, cool

and different their set ups can be. Our

couples dream up their perfect day and

we help them create it.”

Yoghurt Rooms, Busses Farm, East Grinstead RH19 4NL yoghurtrooms.com 07543 941191

WT Wedding Supplement

St Julians Club

THE PERFECT VENUE FOR YOUR WEDDING

Tucked away behind Knole Park, Sevenoaks, St Julians is a beautiful

19th Century house and gardens with spectacular views across the valley.

At St Julians, we believe that your wedding day is uniquely special, and

we aim to make it unforgettable for you and your guests. Our friendly

staff can assist you in every aspect of planning your wedding, and are

always on hand to ensure that your day runs perfectly.

A UNIQUE VENUE

BESPOKE PLANNING & EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE

IN AN UNPARALLELED SETTING

01732 458261 • INFO@STJULIANS.CO.UK • WWW.STJULIANS.CO.UK

StJuliansClubWT198.indd 1 11/07/2018 10:39

27 wealdentimes.co.uk

CHD-WT198.indd 1 03/07/2018 12:35

Sissinghurst Flowers

made with love

WEDDING FLORIST OF THE YEAR 2014-2017/18

KENT WEDDING AWARDS

Finalist 2016

KENT EXCELLENCE IN BUSINESS AWARDS

Regional Finalist (London & South East) 2014-2018

WEDDING INDUSTRY AWARDS

Multi award winning Wedding Florist

www.emilyandme.co.uk 07581 294387

Weddings Life Events Courses

www.sissinghurstflowers.co.uk

Telephone: 01580 852144 / 07977 142447

Emily&MeWT198.indd 1 10/07/2018 MadeWithLoveWT196.indd 10:35

1 15/05/2018 11:06

Weddings and Events | Pick-your-own flowers | Courses

personalised

jewellery

celebrate your wedding

We create truly memorable

gifts for your entire

wedding party featuring

the wedding location, date

of the nuptials and an

Ordnance Survey map. Our

wedding range features

pendants, charms, key

rings and cufflinks with

prices starting at £20.

Please get in touch for

more information.

www.bloominggreenflowers.co.uk

01622 298676

awesomeweddingphotography.co.uk

Use the code b0rn10 for a 10%

discount on your first order

www.bornandbredjewellery.co.uk | 07824 185470

WT Wedding Supplement

BloomingGreenWT198.indd 1 17/07/2018 BornAndBredJewelleryWT198.indd 11:59

1 25/07/2018 16:20

Flower

power

Choosing flowers for a wedding can be overwhelming – they’re all so beautiful! – so we

asked two highly experienced wedding florists for advice

Sue Davies, Sue Davies Flowers

“My role is to guide them, which I

do with a no obligation consultation.

I show them images of weddings I’ve

done and I have a pictorial library of

different flowers, colours, types, so I can

show them what I’m talking about.

Usually they will have a colour idea,

they’ve quite often sourced the dresses.

After that conversation I will have

an idea of what they want and I give

people a mood board to look at.

Instagram and Pinterest have changed

everything and it’s great, giving people

wonderful ideas. I did a great one

this summer [see above] where the

bridesmaids chose their own dreses,

in different colours and that was my

colour palette. The bride had all those

colours in her bouquet and crown.

Wild and informal tied bouquets are

really in. They want to look as though

they’ve gathered it on the pathway up

to the ceremony area – and it takes

professional skill to achieve that. I’ve

always mixed hedgerow bits and pieces

in with flowers. I grow flowers myself to

use and work very seasonally.

I also do complete artificial flower

weddings, I once boxed one up and sent

it to Greece. Artificial crowns are very

practical and brides can keep them and

hang them up, a lovely memento.

The quality of artificial flowers is so

fantastic now.”

suedaviesflowers.com 07703 413522

Image above Mark Gray

weddingevent.photography

Sam Reynolds

Creative director Emily & Me

“The first thing is to plan a budget for

their flowers – and to make it realistic.

Brides often undervalue the amount

needed for flowers, but they are a major

part of the day, they are the decoration

of the venue and what the guests see.

On our website we provide a guide

to flower prices and we always route

people there from first emails. That’s

the place to start.

Once they have a budget, they need

to find a specialist wedding florist –

not a retail florist – who fits with their

ideal. The internet has made this so

much easier, because they can look at

websites and see what they like. They

should also check out their reputation

through reviews and whether they’ve

won any awards.

Then they can book a free

consultation to talk through their ideas

and bring with them Pinterest ideas,

pictures from magazines, anything to do

with their wedding. I love to see all of

it. The more someone can tell me, the

more I can get a feel for it. The flowers

reflect the couple. We do some really

wacky weddings and it all starts with

these conversations.

A lovely trend at the moment is

arches covered with flowers, which are

great if they are getting married outside,

then they can bring them in and have

them behind the top table.”

emilyandme.co.uk 07581 294387

29 wealdentimes.co.uk

Moonstruck

We’re all online travel experts now, but for a trip as special as your honeymoon it pays

to have the experts sort it (and who needs the stress with a wedding to plan?)

Dorking Travel

Alistair McLean, owner

Baldwins

Steph Witchell, Bespoke Travel Manager, Tunbridge Wells

“A honeymoon should be the most memorable holiday

you ever take – so don’t try to cut corners. Look at what is

available online, but then come and speak to an expert on

how to put it all together.

Booking on the internet is fraught with pitfalls. If you

book the flight and the accommodation separately and one

falls through you’ve lost the other. An experienced travel

agent will take away the stress from the bride and groom,

with a personal touch.

The style of honeymoons is changing. Couples are

looking for experiences rather than fly and flop. They’ve

done that before and want to have experiences – or go

somewhere you can combine experiences and activities, and

then flop for four or five days. People say: ‘We want to do

all these things while we can, because the next step in our

journey will be children and we won’t be able to afford it.’

We are doing a lot of safaris for honeymoons and I’ve

even done road trips in America, Route 66. A wonderful

option is Gaia Island resort off the coast of Borneo, which

has rooms on stilts on a beautiful beach with rainforest

behind. You can kayak through mangrove forest, go

ziplining, snorkelling with the experts in conservation and

see orangutans.

But on the other hand, while honeymooners’ initial

thoughts are the further away the more exotic it’s going to

be, do you really want to spend 20 hours on a plane to the

Cook Islands? Or would you just like to go to Positano…?”

dorkingtravel.co.uk 01306 735757

“The first thing we do when a couple comes in to enquire

about a honeymoon is to sit and have a chat about what

they are thinking they might want to do. Then we can

elaborate on that and make suggestions they haven’t even

thought of. It’s about talking to people, listening to their

ideas and then telling them the options.

We work with so many different operators and have such

depth of experience across our branches, we can arrange

anything anyone wants to do. We might suggest that they

twin centre it, rather than just going to one place. Luxury

train trips are huge this year. Not just the Orient Express

to Venice, they also do trips in Peru and Malaysia, with

stunning suites on the trains.

A lot of newlyweds now are doing a luxury ‘mini moon’

short break right after the wedding and then saving up to

do a proper honeymoon a year later.

After a big swing to the internet, people are coming back

to travel agents. There are so many dodgy companies online

and we offer price parity with what you find there, but we’ll

do everything for you and because of the contacts we have

we can get room upgrades and added extras.

Many of our clients have got their home already, so they

start a Honeymoon Fund with us and ask for contributions

to a honeymoon as a wedding present. They have cards they

give to wedding guests with our contact details and guests

ring in to us to make a contribution.

When couples come in to pick up their tickets they get a

bottle of prosecco and a wedding card – and we ask them

to pop in and have a coffee with us when they come back

and they show us their holiday pics. It helps us learn if

it’s somewhere we haven’t been ourselves and it’s great to

get feedback on hotels and trips, then we know what to

recommend to other people.”

baldwinstravel.co.uk 01892 506401

WT Wedding Supplement

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Beauty

Here comes the

beautiful bride

Meghan Markle – the Duchess of Sussex – set the bar

very high, but Josephine Fairley has tips for all brides to

achieve their big day beauty best

Was there ever a more radiant vision than Meghan Markle

(as she still was then) walking up that aisle on her own? But

while we’re not all TV star perfect, there’s a lot that any bride

can learn from her, starting with her complexion perfection.

What we know for sure is that she has regular facials – from

Nichola Joss, whose brilliant protégée Charlotte Connoley

works at The Old Rectory Treatment Rooms in Hastings.

Savvy brides book in for a six-month series of facials – and/

or facial acupuncture, which can be fantastic for glow and ‘lift’

– on a monthly basis leading up to the wedding, with the final

facial perhaps a week before the Big Day. You don’t want any

post-cleanse pimples breaking out that morning...

Consulting with a facialist – ideally someone without a

particular brand allegiance – is probably the best way to

fine-tune a skin regime that works best for you. Through

that magnifying glass, they’re able to see exactly what your

complexion needs.

Make-up is then the icing on the wedding cake – and

Meghan’s was picture-perfect: natural, neutral and even with a

few freckles shining through. (As a result, Google searches for

‘freckle-friendly make-up’ are up 117%, FYI.)

Of course you may have booked your hair and make-up

artist the minute the ring was on your finger, but if you’re

going to be doing your own maquillage, you can still tap into

good advice from the pros: head for a department store, and

have a makeover from a consultant whose look you like. Keep

doing it until you’ve tried three or four ranges. Clinique, Bobbi

Brown and Estée Lauder all give great on-counter makeovers.

If you’re happy with the results, you can even enquire about

the make-up artist’s availability for weddings. Although, if

you’ve the budget, many top editorial and catwalk make-up

artists will do wedding make-up at a price; check out the

on-line portfolios at joygoodman.com and mandycoakley.co.uk

Before settling on your look, heed the wise words of Daniel

Martin, the A-list make-up artist who

Meghan enlisted to do her wedding

make-up: “In years to come you

want to be able to look back at

your photos and think about

how great you felt in your dress

on your wedding day, and not

be distracted by how

Hollywood

Flawless Filter,

Charlotte

Tilbury £30

trendy your make-up

was in 2018.”

Which certainly means avoiding the

contouring/strobing/Kardashian-esque

look that’s alas so currently prevalent.

Tinted Lip

He acknowledges Meghan does have incredible

Balm in Zinnia,

skin, so for the day itself, he recalls: “I started by Burt’s Bees

prepping her skin with a clarifying toner, water-based £5.99

moisturiser and a Korean sunscreen that also acts as a

foundation gripper to lock down foundation.”

That sunscreen’s important; although brides aren’t normally

driven by carriage through the streets of Windsor, there will

almost certainly be photo opportunities outdoors and you don’t

want to end up sunburned.

Daniel doesn’t actually talk specifics about product used on

the royal bride – because the now Duchess of Sussex (our very

own Wealden duchess…) can’t be seen to be endorsing specific

lines, but my hunch is that it could well have been the cult

favourite Etude House Surprise Mild Airy Finish SPF50, which

you can find in the UK on Amazon.

Then, Daniel Martin says: “I just balanced and neutralised

any discolourations with concealer and foundation. I like to use

water-based foundation, because it absorbs well into the skin

without becoming oily over time.”

You could try MAC Studio Waterweight SPF30,

£27.50, Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Foundation

SPF40B, £42, and Clinique Even Better Makeup, £28

– but just as important as finding a formulation you

like is ensuring a great colour match.

It bears repeating – because I still see women in

department stores experimenting with shades by

applying them to the back of their hands – that

foundation should always be tried on the jawline,

to make certain it blends seamlessly with

the skintone of both face and neck. No bride

will regret carving out some time in her frenzied

schedule to find her perfect foundation.

A luminiser (also known as highlighter)

was then ‘stippled’ over Meghan’s foundation,

apparently – flattering and pretty in pictures,

but only if it’s applied with the deftest touch.

It’s wise to have a friend (or your make-up

pro, if you’re using one) take snaps at your

wedding make-up rehearsal – with flash, in daylight

and in natural light indoors, so you can see how the

light bounces off your face in photos.

107 wealdentimes.co.uk

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SRHairSpaWT197.indd 1 15/06/2018 11:35

“Makeup is so exciting, there are no boundaries.

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Dale Weeks Photography

Beauty

For that teensy touch of gleam, I’d recommend Charlotte

Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter Hollywood Glow, £30. It

goes on subtly, and is a buildable liquid. (There’s also a terrific

on-line tutorial on how to use it, on charlottetilbury.com.)

For blush, Daniel went for a coral shade of cream blush; if

you’re cool-complexioned, go for a rosy tone, instead. I’m a fan

of the new Revlon Photoready Insta-Blush, £9.99, which offers

a Rose Gold and Berry Kiss option. Cream blusher is brilliantly

blendable, but be aware: cream blusher doesn’t last all day. A

whisper of your favourite translucent powder whisked over the

top will help it stay put.

As for eyeshadow, Daniel couldn’t have gone for a more

natural-looking palette of browns, taupes and ivory, with a little

touch of copper. For this natural-looking smoky eye, Daniel

explains: “The trick is to lay down a base of cream colour all

over your lid and layer it with shadow. I used shades of warm

chestnut, cocoa and a smudge of rust into her lash line.”

My go-to palette for this sort of soft, smudged look would be

Tom Ford

Eye Colour Quad in Cocoa Mirage, pricey at £66 but

it’s one of the few palettes in which you’ll use every single shade.

And no, those weren’t Meghan’s natural lashes.

Daniel customised some lashes and applied to the

outer corner, for that fetchingly doe-eyed look. But

don’t try this at home; falsies are best left to the

pros, for a wedding. Another option very popular

with brides (and Mary Berry…) is to have some

semi-permanent lashes glued on in advance at your

preferred beauty salon. It’s worth having a couple

of trial runs before the event to find the length and

number of false lashes that feels right for you.

Lips, are the finishing touch, but all Meghan

used was a tinted balm. Layer this over a base of

lip pencil, as balm can disappear superfast. I’m a

Holo Pink

Addict Lip

Glow, Dior

£24

huge fan of

Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment,

£19.50 – try Rosé – and the fab, all-natural

Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm, £6.

Savvily, Martin revealed that Meghan

had blotting papers to hand – a far better

way for a bride to reduce shine than caking

on powder, as they simply press onto skin

leaving make-up intact, lifting off the oil.

Shiseido Oil-Control Blotting Papers, £19, are my fave –

almost slim enough to slip inside a Givenchy couture wedding

gown, without spoiling the silhouette.

Last, but not least, whether you’re getting hitched in front of

a dozen good friends or several billion TV viewers, remember to

have someone close to you carry a few make-up must-haves to

the church and on to the reception, for touch-ups before those

all-important snaps.

And whenever your Big Day is, I hope the sun shines as

gorgeously as it did on the radiant Duchess of Sussex.

Jo Fairley is co-founder of The Perfume Society

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wealdentimes.co.uk

NatashaValerieMakeUpWT198.indd 1 06/07/2018 14:50

108

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

IDD Therapy has changed Sue’s life

Main picture: Sue (centre) receiving a 5K

cross-country Team GB gold medal

Sue won the South of England Cross

Country Championships last December

Back pain and sciatica ruled my life

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Sue James is a retired tailor and

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More than that, I can do everyday

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IDD Therapy really has given me

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Private Care Service

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Our Private Care Service carers can come

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1 13/03/2018 12:02

wealdentimes.co.uk

110

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Wellbeing

A Year of Wellness

There is a lot more to our complexions than meets the eye.

Our wellbeing editor, Eminé Rushton, tackles holistic skin

health, from the inside-out

Month: August

Skin has always fascinated me. I

think that’s why I circuitously

made my way from beauty editor

to holistic facialist, then back again to

wellbeing writer… there are so many

secrets and signposts revealed by our

faces and bodies and the more I learn,

the more I want to know.

Our skin is the body’s largest organ

and it’s incredibly receptive and

intuitive. We blush when embarrassed,

blanch when shocked – and we can very

easily develop skin conditions overnight,

when things within are just not right.

So, to become allied with

our skin, to learn to read its

language and understand its

signals, offers us not only

the ability to keep it healthy,

glowing and vital, but also

to comprehend better what

is going on for us beneath

the surface. From our guts

and nervous system, to our endocrine

and psychological state.

Following on from our discovery

of the complexity of the gut and its

multifarious and multi-functioning

microbiome, we are also now learning

of our other organs’ own microbiomes

i.e. the complex community of viruses,

bacteria and mites that make up the

‘environment’ of the surface of our skin.

There is a very delicate, synergistic

equilibrium at play here – and meddling

with it too much can upset the balance.

As a holistic facialist, I learned very

quickly that less is more.

If you over-cleanse,

strip, exfoliate, peel, or

even over-moisturise,

you are preventing

your skin from

carrying out its own

“We can develop

skin conditions

overnight, when

things within are

just not right”

vital and natural functions.

If you have naturally oily skin and

use oil-stripping cleansers and oil-free

moisturisers, your skin will receive

signals from its surface that tell it that it

is low in sebum. So the sebaceous glands

begin producing more. And more...

If, however, you apply a lightweight

oil to the skin (I like jojoba for its

natural skin affinity, its chemical

structure being most similar to sebum),

the skin receives the message that it is

amply ‘oiled’ and so, slows down its

own production. Eventually, skin finds

its own balance, and

the cycle of stripping/

overproducing, is broken.

Using purest plant oil to

treat oily skin has been a

failsafe part of my holistic

approach for over a

decade now – it works.

Our skin has its own

unique pH too; it is acidic and various

medical studies have shown that skin

with a pH of less than 5 is healthiest

and less likely to develop eczema,

psoriasis and acne (one of the cited

reasons for this is that several of the

acne-causing bacteria are inhibited by

acidic conditions).

This natural pH is called the acid

mantle, and it can be difficult to

maintain it. The average pH of tap

water in the UK is between 6.5 and 9.5.

The harder the water, the more alkaline

it is likely to be, which can upset the

skin’s balance quite significantly.

If I have time, I use a cream or oil

cleanser and then spritz with a floral

water to remove, or if using a hot cloth

to remove my cleanser, I wring the

flannel out as much as I can, so that I

am at least, not dousing my skin with

our hard tap water. It

might sound precious,

but my skin is far less

prone to redness and

dryness as a result.

I also like products that rebalance

and correct the pH of the skin, in

particular Marie Reynolds Dermabiome

Mask, £68 (mariereynoldslondon.com).

It contains live bacteria, probiotics and

is naturally rejuvenating. And I steer

clear of acids. I know there are many

who use an ‘acid toner’ daily and vouch

for the benefits. For me, though, I have

found that prolonged daily use of acids

can cause sensitisation (particularly to

UV) further down the line, and I feel it

unwise to continually ‘add’ something to

the skin, which then disempowers skin’s

own natural balancing acts.

Support, rather than interference,

is best. Using a layer of natural live

yoghurt as an exfoliating face

mask, once a week, will do the job

brilliantly, without the abrasive

friction of a scrub, or aggressive

action of a chemical peel. Raw

honey is also a fantastic face mask;

deeply moisturising, anti-bacterial

and brightening.

I also support from within

with lots of liver- and kidneycleansing

teas: nettle, dandelion, fennel,

chamomile; a wonderful gut-balancing

probiotic, because yes, gut health

directly reflects in one’s skin. (I swear

by Symprove symprove.com). I also take

highest quality food-grown supplements

and find Wild Nutrition Skin, Hair

& Nails, £30 (wildnutrition.com) is

wonderfully complete.

Ultimately, when it comes to our

precious skin, what goes within appears

without… so, gently does it.

Credit: freeimages.com/Ettina82

eminé Rushton is Wellbeing Director-at-Large at Psychologies magazine, and co-founder of the

conscious living blog, The Balance Plan, balanceplan.co.uk

Wellbeing

Natural wisdom

Ella Carey is a qualified Natural Nutritionist, a

certified GAPS Practitioner and qualified Kinesiologist,

who runs Full Spectrum Health.

What one piece of seasonal wisdom

helps you in August? This time of

year is a favourite for foraging, so many

delights can be found in the hedgerows.

More than a fun activity to do with the

children, I see it as a key element of

keeping my family healthy, as well as a

lovely way to connect them to nature

and eating seasonally.

We make immune-boosting syrups

from rose hips and elderberries, which

are packed with vitamin C. We eat

blackberries straight from the brambles

for their vitamin content and their wild

bacteria – the strains of which are so vast

we haven’t identified all of them yet, but

which are absolutely fundamental to our

health and wellbeing.

Bacteria play a key role in boosting

our immune systems, and so along with

foraging wild foods, we ferment a lot

of food at home – beetroot, carrots,

sauerkraut etc - to increase our beneficial

bacteria intake.

What’s cooking in your kitchen this

month? Beetroot in all ways! Saltroasted

beetroot with burrata and herbs

from the garden is a delicious light

dinner, and the kids’ favourite way to

eat beetroot is the Indian dish halwa

(not to be confused with halva) . It’s an

unusual, but really tasty, alternative to

your morning breakfast cereal, which

is often low in nutrients and high in

sugar. Beetroot’s great for anyone with a

tendency toward anaemia or fatigue too.

Share one book that taught you

something amazing about life

I was very inspired by Patch Adams’

book Gesundheit. The story follows his

life after he graduates as a doctor and is

wonderful at explaining the frustration

he felt at the expensive and restrictive

US medical system. He dedicated his

life to creating a medical centre and

a community organic farm run by

health professionals and volunteers.

Patients and their families could

come and receive treatment, support

and community – and organic food.

What always brings a smile to your

face? No matter how many people I

work with, it makes me so happy to

hear that people are overcoming their

health issues through nutrition and

natural healing practices.

I especially love it when the nonverbal,

autistic children I work with

start forming words and making eye

contact only weeks into the nutrition

programme. It is a true testimony to

the body’s innate ability to heal, and

the most valuable and fulfilling part

of what I do.

fullspectrumhealth.work

Drastic plastic

Our use of this eternal substance continues to grow exponentially.

Yet, we can all make very small changes that add up to an enormous

impact. Try these tips:

• keep a couple of thin cotton bags and an eco-cup/

bottle, in your handbag

• pick loose produce in the fruit and veg aisles, and

pop them into your own brought-from-home

bags. Or better still, get to know your local

greengrocer, who uses paper bags

• pack food up in paper and string, eco Bee’s Wrap

(beeswaxwraps.co.uk), in bamboo or wooden lunch

boxes, or at a push, aluminium foil, which is fully recyclable

• don’t buy plastic straws, or toothbrushes. A combo of bamboo

handles with fully biodegradable Nylon 4 bristles are the best. Try

Save Some Green (savesomegreen.co.uk) bottles or containers.

Health and beauty tips

Discover a wealth of wellbeing advice

wealdentimes.co.uk/wellbeing

Eminé says:

Try this in August

I’ve developed a ‘thing’ for room spray. The

former asthmatic in me doesn’t get on well with

commercial ‘air fresheners’, so it’s taken me a

long time to find all-natural aromatherapeutic

scents that I can spritz freely, to aid me in

my work, focus and mood. I now rotate two

beautiful favourites: Ilapothecary Beat the

Blues Room Spray, £28 (ilapothecary.

com) – I defy anyone to continue

an argument after this delightful

rose geranium and petitgrain mist

hits the air – and Root & Flower

Yoga and Meditation Mist, £20

(rootandflower.co.uk) which is just

the happiest hit of rosy goodness,

and never fails to knit up those

frayed nerves.

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Food

Light and bright

In our climate we need stodgy food to get us through the dark damp months, so make the

most of high summer when these lighter bites are the perfect choice

Breakfasts worth

getting out of bed for

Citrus Salad

Makes 2 portions

A ‘wake up’ fruit salad made with slices of zingy citrus fruits.

• 1 large orange

• 1 grapefruit

• seeds from half a

pomegranate

• juice and zest of 1 lime

• ½ teaspoon (or to taste)

cardamom seeds

• 1 handful of toasted,

flaked almonds

1If using cardamom pods,

crush to extract the

seeds, then peel and slice

the fruit, arrange in a dish,

drizzle lime juice, then honey

and cardamom (mix this in

advance if preferred). Lightly

toast the almonds and scatter

over fruit.

• 2 pieces un-dyed smoked

haddock

• 200ml milk (or water)

• 100g brown basmati

rice, rinsed (you can use

other varieties of rice, but

brown basmati is healthy

and more delicate than

the class wholegrain kind)

• 2 hard boiled eggs

• 100g peas (optional)

• 1 handful parsley,

chopped

• 1 heaped tsp freshly

grated (or level tsp dry

powdered) turmeric

• 50g butter

1Cook the rice according

to packet instructions and

hard boil the eggs.

Kedgeree

Makes 4 small portions

Save this breakfast classic (very Downton Abbey…) for a

weekend brunch, or make the night before if your weekdays

are hurried, as it’s not the quickest breakfast to prepare.

Adding sunshine coloured turmeric brings extra health

benefits. This meal of a dish makes a lovely light lunch or

supper too – increase all the ingredients by a half again (three

pieces of fish, 300ml of milk, 150g of rice, 150g of peas, 1.5

teaspoons of turmeric, 75g butter) to make larger servings.

2Poach the haddock in

milk for 10mins (put in a

saucepan, cover with the liquid

and put a lid on, bring to the

boil, then simmer gently). I

add peas to the fish towards

the end of this time, but these

can be cooked separately (or

not used at all).

3Strain the fish, reserving

some cooking liquid.

Combine the cooked

ingredients, add turmeric,

butter and, if you like a moist

texture, some of the fish

cooking liquid (exact quantity

is up to you, I often don’t add

any, so see how you go). Stir in

the parsley, season to taste and

arrange the eggs on top.

Recipes & styling: Jo Arnell Photographs: David Merewether

wealdentimes.co.uk

114

Light lunches & simple suppers

Tangy chicken tacos

Makes 4 small portions

• 2-3 chicken breast fillets

• 8 tacos or 4 tortillas

• 1 red chili, thinly sliced

• 1 bunch spring onions,

chopped

• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced

• 1 little gem lettuce,

shredded

• 1 mango, skinned and cut

into slivers

• 1 crushed clove garlic

• handful of coriander,

roughly chopped

Taco dressing

• Juices from the cooked

chicken

• ½ tsp paprika

• ½ tsp cumin powder

• Juice and zest of a lime

• 1 tbsp honey

1If you are using tortillas,

make the taco ‘containers’

by pushing them gently into

a muffin tin - this will make

a bowl shape, then oven bake

them for 3 minutes or so - just

until they hold their shape

(i.e. don’t overbake them).

Alternatively you can use premade

taco shells, or simply

roll the ingredients in the soft

tortillas.

2Gently fry (or poach)

the chicken breasts for

approximately 20 minutes,

until cooked right through

and evenly browned on both

sides. Leave to cool slightly

and keep the cooking juices.

Shred or slice the chicken when

cool. Make the dressing by

combining paprika, cumin,

lime juice and honey, then

mix into the chicken and

vegetables, pile into taco shells

and serve. Shown here served

with tomato salsa, made by

chopping an onion, 3 tomatoes

(skin removed), juice of half a

lemon, a handful of chopped

coriander.

115 wealdentimes.co.uk

Za’atar Salmon with

Cauliflower couscous

Serves 4

Omega-3 rich salmon is given a Middle Eastern spice up with

a za’atar crust. Using clean tasting cauliflower makes a lighter,

gluten free, alternative to a traditional wheat-based couscous.

• 4 salmon fillets

• Juice and zest from 1

lime

• Approx 3 tablespoons

za’atar (Middle Eastern

spice mix)

• 1 tbsp pomegranate

molasses

• 1 tbsp olive oil

Cauliflower ‘couscous’

• 1 bunch spring onions,

chopped

• a head of cauliflower,

florets only, grated, or

processed to course

couscous-style granules

• seeds from half a

pomegranate

• handful of mint, chopped

• 1 tbsp olive oil

Couscous dressing:

• 1 dsp honey

• 1 dsp white wine vinegar

• 1 dsp olive oil

• ½ tsp salt (to taste)

• small bunch watercress

and natural yoghurt to

serve

1Pre-heat the oven to

150c/gas 4. Marinade the

salmon fillets in the lime juice

and zest for 30 mins.

2Make the couscous by

lightly steaming the

cauliflower crumbs for 2-3

minutes. Transfer to a pan,

add the olive oil and spring

onions, sauté gently for

4-5 minutes, turn off the

heat and add the mint and

pomegranate seeds. Set to one

side until you’re ready to serve.

3Drizzle half the oil onto a

non-stick or foiled baking

sheet, lie the salmon pieces on

the baking sheet and brush

the rest of the oil on top of

the salmon. Smear on a little

pomegranate molasses, then

sprinkle a layer of za’atar on

top. Place in a pre-heated

oven (150c/gas 4) and bake

lightly. Cooking time will be

dependent on the thickness

of the salmon, but should be

approx 10-15mins. Be careful

not to over cook).

4Mix together dressing

ingredients and stir

through couccous. Serve

salmon on a bed of couscous,

with a dollop of yoghurt, a

swirl of pomegranate molasses

and garnish with watercress.

Avocado, matcha and

pistachio ice cream

Serves 4

Generally ice cream isn’t on my list of healthy foods, but if you use

avocado for part of the ‘cream’ texture, it suddenly is. The avocado

fruit is mild-tasting, silky in texture and goes really well (and not

just colour-wise) with pistachios. The addition of matcha green tea

blends in even more anti oxidants. This ice cream is really easy to

make and looks impressive (green, but impressive).

• 2 ripe avocados

• 75g finely chopped or

ground pistachios, plus a

handful more - roughly

chopped to decorate and

give the ice cream some

crunch

• 1 can condensed milk

(or for a vegan version

substitute 150ml almond,

or coconut milk*)

• 1 tbsp matcha (powdered

green tea)

• 1 tsp almond essence

• 1 tsp vanilla essence

1For a more intense, nutty

flavour, lightly toast the

pistachios prior to chopping/

grinding. Mash down the

avocados, or puree with a

stick blender to a smooth

Fabulous food

More recipes to make your mouth water

wealdentimes.co.uk/recipes

consistency, then add to a

mixing bowl, with all the other

ingredients and whisk together

for approx 5 minutes, until

well blended.

2Pour into a container and

place in the freezer for 3

hours or so, until frozen. The

magical thing about using

condensed milk in this recipe

is that it makes such a creamy

consistency that you won’t have

to stir/use an ice cream maker

while it is freezing. Take out

of the freezer 10 mins prior to

serving.

*If you are opting for the vegan

version, take it out of the freezer

and stir twice during the freezing

process (or use an ice cream

maker). This is done to stop ice

crystals forming.

wealdentimes.co.uk

116

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118

WCLandcraftWT195.indd 1 13/04/2018 16:11

Garden

Let the

grasses

grow

Hakonechloa macra

Not just something dull that needs

endless mowing Sue Whigham

exhalts the subtle effects of feature

grasses in borders and for striking

autumn colour

In 1871 William Morris travelled down from London

to see a house near Lechlade and fell instantly in

love with the place. It was the house he had seen in

a dream. We recently visited and could understand how

he must have felt when he first saw Kelmscott Manor.

After lunch we walked along the Thames Path for a while

and took in the sedges and the reeds along the river. And

earlier in the day, during an idyllic amble up the side of a

barley field to the accompaniment of skylarks overhead and

blackcaps singing in the wayfaring trees, I was thinking that

perhaps we could grow a few clumps of barley (Hordeum

vulgare) in our gardens. It’s beautiful with its golden colours

and rippling movement as the wind blows through it.

Grasses mingling with herbaceous plants provide a

transition between mixed borders and areas of the garden

Fountain grass

which are left uncut until the autumn - ‘garden meadows’

if you like - and there is an enormous choice of ornamental

grasses to choose from; the majority of which are pretty

easy to grow and which thrive in most soil conditions.

Some are perfectly happy in dry conditions, always a bit

of a difficult one for gardeners. These include those with

a ‘blue’ foliage such as Elymus magellanicus. Meanwhile,

the sedges and rushes thrive in damp conditions like

those spotted on the riverside at Kelmscott. The pH of

the soil isn’t usually a factor in planting grasses and as

long as those of us who grow on chalk can make sure that

there is some soil to plant them in they should do fine.

Most grasses are happiest in sun but some, like the carexes

and the hakonechloas are more than able to grow well in semi

shade. There are both deciduous and evergreen grasses and

the rule of thumb is to cut the deciduous varieties down in

the spring. The evergreens don’t appreciate being cut hard

back particularly, although it can be done, if you feel the

need, during their growing season (between late spring and

August) and you can thin and tidy them up in the spring too.

So many grasses have the most gorgeous tints in the

autumn and fine structure throughout the winter that

they add hugely to the beauty of a winter garden. Grow

them too in pots remembering to water regularly during

the growing season, plus adding dollops of good compost

and a long-term fertiliser thrown in for good measure.

A few firm favourites would include:

Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’ or Fountain Grass

is a deciduous grass and has lovely dark green foliage

and catkin like flowers which turn gold in the autumn,

adding to a long period of interest. I saw it recently

combined with bright white penstemons and a very

119 wealdentimes.co.uk

Garden

BEAUTIFUL BESPOKE GARDENS

Grasses can provide a simple backdrop for flowers

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HarrietBarkerGardenDesignWT193.indd 1 08/02/2018 11:01

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deep blue lavender which was a really pretty combination.

There is also a rather good emerald green form, Pennisetum

alopecuroides ‘Viridescens’ which is worth having.

Miscanthus nepalensis This heavenly plant, native to

the Himalayas as its name suggests, is a late flowering

grass which has the most beautiful, silky golden flower

heads which look completely wonderful in the evening

light. You’ll need a sheltered, sunny position for it to

thrive but do grow it if you can. You’ll love it.

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Malepartus’ I think that one of

the best things - and there are many – about this grass

are its autumn tints. The leaves turn in later summer to a

colour combination of russets and orange and before that

transformation you have silvery brown flowers that fade

as the season progresses. It grows to at least two metres

and definitely needs to be left until the spring before

being cut down as it is so striking in the winter garden.

Molinia caerulea arundinacea ‘Transparent’ is a tall form

of the moor grass which grows so profusely on the Scottish

hillsides. It starts to flower in mid-June and grows tall, delicate

and feathery. I really do love seeing this plant which, despite

reaching heights of up to two metres, is so good in the front

of borders. You can then see the planting behind it in a sort of

soft haze. It’s a lovely thing. ‘Windspiel’ is a rather stiffer, more

upright cultivar which has honey-coloured tones in autumn.

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wealdentimes.co.uk

LivingForestWT198.indd 1 02/07/2018 14:26

120

The Traditional Verandah Company

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121 wealdentimes.co.uk

McGeachyGardenDesignWT196.indd 1 21/05/2018 10:06

Garden

-seireSC rotcart nedraghsitirB retteb eht

• on htiw sarg tew *tcelloc & tuC

gni golc

• elxa tnorf tsac a serutaef – tsal ot tliuB

kced rettuc decrofnier dna

• seiroseca derewop evirD

• dna seltten elkcaT

**selbmarb

• *nwal a epirtS

nedrag hsitirBeht rof niatirBni tliuB

Barley ripening in a quintessentially English landscape

Garden Perfection

City Escapes provide domestic & commercial garden solutions

kced gnihcluM ssarG hgiH** / rotcelloC ssarG derewoP* :lanoitpo seriuqeR

Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ arrives on the scene in early

April when its bright yellow leaves appear above the ground,

, tsruhduoGAP2 and 71NT then progresses on through into autumn. It looks good

9512 08510

grown in a pot or interesting container in either a sunny or

partly shaded spot. Its leaves are brightly variegated in yellow

ku.oc.gbam @ofni

and green and all face the same way. The colour tends to change

depending on position with sun producing a brighter yellow.

I have it in a clay pot in partial shade and am going

to experiment by giving it more light. Hakonechloa

macra is a rather underused plant in comparison to

the variegated forms (of which ‘Aureola’ is only one)

of this grass. Its bright green leaves clump up nicely

and tiny flowers appear in the late summer.

Grow too our native hair grass, Deschampsia cespitosa, which

produces mounds of dark green foliage topped with delicate

long stems and billowing masses of cloud like flowers. ‘Bronze

Veil’ and ‘Golden Veil’ grown through borders have soft,

subtle colours which give the appearance of floating through

and around plants with a more definite outline. These are

really easy to grow from seed. Chiltern Seeds sell them.

Finally, grasses can make rather inviting homes to all

manner of wildlife; to field mice and a huge diversity

of insects and also provide nesting material for birds so

all the more reason to add them to your borders, your

gravel garden and to the wilder areas of your garden.

mraF , nerG nedI daoR korbnarC 3 tinU

MABrownSonsLtdWT197.indd 1 12/06/2018 15:23

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Sue Whigham can be contacted on 07810 457948 for

gardening advice and help in the sourcing and supply of

interesting garden plants.

■

Regular Maintenance

Design & Construction

Small one off works

Turf care management

Problem area Solutions

■

Seasonal Bedding plant displays

Approved pesticide/

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Habitat Management

RHS qualified gardeners

Tel: 01435 868211 | M: 07831 302107 | E: gardensmanager@gmail.com

www.cityescapes.co.uk

Help and advice

For all your gardening needs

wealdentimes.co.uk/gardens

wealdentimes.co.uk

CityEscapesWT187.indd 1 16/08/2017 15:53

122

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123 wealdentimes.co.uk

PassmoresWT175.indd 1 11/04/2016 10:54

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124

ChartStablesWT197.indd 1 18/06/2018 14:11

Garden

Aster

Cosmos pink

Late bloomers

The roses may be over, but don’t despair, says Jo Arnell, there are

plenty of plants to bring colour to the borders yet

It’s easy to think that the garden is on the way out this

month. The early summer colour has faded and the

borders could be looking careworn and frazzled. But take

heart, for it need not be so. There are ways of turning the

August garden from crestfallen to crescendo, with plenty of

plants to carry us through the late summer and on into the

golden autumn days.

An annual blast

You can’t beat annuals for long-term reward. This is down

to their short, but action-packed and free-flowering lives.

They only have one season in which to grow, flower and

set their seed, so if you thwart them by continually dead

heading, they will keep on trucking along, flowering until

the frosts. Floriferous and reliable annuals include Cosmos,

Antirrhinums and Zinnias for sun, and for the shadier parts of

the garden Nicotiana, Impatiens and violas.

Perennial colour

We tend to get carried away at the start of the season and

rush out to fill our trolleys with cottage garden perennials

and plants that are in bloom at the start of the summer. The

trouble is that June blooms don’t always last for long. Many

will have finished flowering by July and can also have quite

straggly foliage by that time too.

There is a way to perk up the early flowerers, plants like

delphiniums, lupins, catmint and geraniums. It’s a bit ruthless,

but will pay off in the end. You just cut them all back down

to the ground as soon as they’ve finished flowering at the

beginning of July - and then by the end of August they will be

back, with a repeat show of flowers and tidy new leaves.

So if you have cut back the early arrivals after flowering they

should reappear for their encore at the same time as the later

flowering perennials start. So borders in late summer can be

even more flower-packed than in the earlier months.

Many of the late bloomers are in the daisy family:

Rudbeckias, Echinaceas, Asters and Heleniums are at their

best this month. The range of colours are suitably sultry,

verging on autumnal; shades of dusky pink, mellow oranges,

russet and mahogany, with splashes of blue and mauve from

the asters. Some have long-lasting seed heads too, so once

the flowers have finished they persist as silhouettes, looking

sculptural when backlit against grasses in the autumn light.

The flowers of Sedum spectabile are a magnet for butterflies

and bees at this time of the year. They are a great addition to

the front of the border and will provide long-lasting colour

right through the autumn, as the nectar-packed flowers fade

into attractive seed heads in shades of russet and bronze.

Sedums are easy to care for and will put up with many

situations, but given a choice they’d prefer sunshine and freedraining

conditions.

Dahlias are in full swing now, and with any luck will

provide a sumptuous late summer spectacle until the frosts.

They are greedy plants and need rich, well drained compost

and plenty of moisture. Dead head them regularly to keep the

flowers coming and then, once the frost has cut them back,

either lift and store the tender tubers somewhere frost-free

for the winter, or heap up with mulch and leave them to take

their chances…

Fabulous Foliage

Don’t fixate on flowers – foliage can often have as much

colour as a flower and is a good deal longer lasting, once the

flowers are gone. Large leaves and architectural foliage will

125 wealdentimes.co.uk

Echinops

Heleniums and grass

Melianthus

Buddleia

also bring structure and unity to the border and help set off

flowers to good effect.

Try the exotic looking Melianthus major, with its glaucous,

serrated leaves (it will be cut down by the frosts as it is slightly

tender, but perks up again in the spring). Euphorbia ‘Wulfenii’

also has glaucous leaves, but these are evergreen and it has the

added advantage of handsome lime green bracts in spring.

A useful, if diminutive, group of plants that seem

to grow in any situation, including tricky dry shade

are the Heucheras. There is a striking, almost black

variety called ‘Obsidian’, several cultivars come in

opulent maroon shades, but there are lighter colours

too, and for a splash of orange, try H. ‘Marmalade.’

Graceful grasses

Many of the ornamental grasses will be flowering

around now, sending up shimmering golden, silver or

russety flower spikes. Some are demure and ‘grassy’,

others have dramatic plumes or ‘feathers’ of flowers.

There are tall grasses that will do the job of a shrub in

the border, bringing instant height and presence, but in

a more graceful and airy way than a shrub. Miscanthus

zebrinus, or M. ‘Silberfeder’ are good ‘shrub substitute’

grasses. Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ makes a tall golden

pillar and will bring rhythm and punctuation to a scheme,

while the low growing evergreen Stipa tenuissima is an airy

and irresistibly tactile little grass for the front of the border.

Structure from shrubs

Shrubs provide height, presence and act as the backbone of

the border and there are some great late summer flowering

shrubs that have their starring moment right now. Hydrangeas

have long-lasting bracts that fade beautifully into autumnal

shades (and also make great cut flowers), Hibiscus will

provide an exotic boost in shades of pink, blue or white,

and the Buddleias will bring in butterflies and bees.

Smaller shrubs like Caryopteris, with its sky blue

flowers (there is one called ‘Heavenly Blue’) are useful

in the middle of the border, and the low growing

Ceratostigma willmottianum, with its cerulean blue

flowers will also have brilliant autumn foliage.

Container ideas

If your summer pots are starting to look a bit careworn and

straggly, or you want to give the garden an instant colour

boost or focal point, plant up a sumptuous late summer

container. There’s a great range of late summer/early

autumn bedding plants around now, and you can also use

perennials like Heuchera, Dahlias, Crocosmia, grasses such

as Panicum or Pennisetum to bring a vibrant splash of colour

and long-lasting interest on paved areas near the house.

The summer show is definitely not over yet, in fact

it could just getting going again. With a bit of luck

and a few extra plants, the garden borders can party

on until the frosts come. Let’s get out there.

Contact Jo for gardening courses

and garden advice: 01233 861149

jo@hornbrookmanor.co.uk

wealdentimes.co.uk

126

GardenproudWT198.indd 1 10/07/2018 15:46

Bespoke design & build treehouses, playhouses

and elevated platforms.

Commercial & International commissions welcomed

Tel: 01403 262219

www.cheekymonkeytreehouses.co.uk

127 wealdentimes.co.uk

CheekyMonkeyS40.indd 1 25/01/2018 PotsAndPithoiWT198.indd 15:42

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wealdentimes.co.uk

128

HawkhurstFishFarmWT196.indd 1 23/05/2018 15:38

Surviving results season

Less than brilliant grades aren’t always a disaster, says Hilary Wilce, with the right support,

there’s as much to learn from failure as there is from success

It’s August, exam results season, and for many young people

a time of celebration and optimism. They are setting out on

the next step of life with their heads held high. But for others,

things might not be looking so rosy. Their results may have been a

terrible disappointment. They may have failed to get into the sixth

form or college of their choice, or into their chosen university.

When this happens, it can feel very bitter, but in fact there is

an awful lot to be said for failure. Indeed, the

“Talk about your

own mistakes

and what

you’ve learned

from them”

outcome of failure often turns out to be success.

The schoolchild who ‘fails’ to get into their

first choice primary school, or doesn’t pass the

eleven-plus, may well find themselves happier

and doing better at their alternative school. And

a clearing-place university might turn out to

be exactly the right one for a student to shine.

Failure also teaches lots of useful lessons. As

human beings we fail all the time – at work

and at home – but if we are smart we can learn from that failure.

We can figure out how to do things a different way, discover

that we’re capable of working harder, get to know ourselves

better and change the behaviours that are getting in our way.

That’s why good teachers positively welcome failure into

their classrooms and tell pupils that mistakes are essential to

good learning. They set high standards, but give students

the support, encouragement and non-judgmental feedback

they need to grow into doing as well as they can.

As parents, though, our instincts can be different. We

want to protect our children from failure because we know

how much the shame and pain of it can sting. But if we try

too hard to protect our children from all failure, they will

subliminally soak up our anxieties and become too scared to try

new things, or to come home with less than perfect results.

They will absorb the message that they must do everything

right, the first time they try it, and grow either timid and

perfectionist, or else rebel and act up because they know

they’ll never reach the high standards expected.

Parents who constantly push and bribe their children

for high grades, who bellow and admonish

their children on the touch lines of school

pitches, are always demanding of schools why

their children aren’t doing better… are people

who are, deep down, terrified of failure.

Instead of falling into these patterns, make

friends with failure and help your children to think

of it as a normal part of life. Encourage them to

look it in the face and see it as something that will

help them to learn better and grow stronger.

Talk about your own mistakes and what you’ve learned

from them. Avoid comparisons with higher-achieving

pupils, or talking about success and failure in black and

white terms. Instead encourage your child to see that their

brain is pliable and plastic, quite capable of stretching

itself round new things and rising to challenges.

Tell them that top athletes know that mental attitudes

matter just as much as sporting prowess and that’s why

they work as much on developing grit, determination

and resilience as on developing their physical abilities.

Because at the end of the day, that’s where the roots of

success and failure always lie – in how each one of us decides

to look at life and meet the challenges it flings at us.

129 wealdentimes.co.uk

1066 REASONS

TO VISIT

Stand shoulder to shoulder with the past

at England’s most iconic battlefield.

High Street, Battle, East Sussex TN33 0AD

15 minutes from Hastings by rail

The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a company, no. 07447221, registered in England.

What’s On in August

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, many

of whom are donating prizes to

the accompanying Remarkable

Raffle. 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

Sat 7 Jul – Sun 2 Sep

Maidstone Museum, St. Faith’s

Street, Maidstone, Kent

ME14 1LH

Paul Kidby: Discworld

& Beyond

An exhibition showcasing Paul

Kidby’s wonderful book covers

and illustrations for Terry

Pratchett’s novels. It also reveals

Paul’s own projects, influenced by

British folklore and landscapes.

Entry: Adults £4, children £2,

families £10

Info: 01622 602838 /

museum.maidstone.gov.uk

Sat 21 Jul – Sun 12 Aug

Godinton House & Gardens,

Godinton Lane, Ashford,

Kent TN23 3BP

Sculpture in

the Garden

For three weeks a year, Godinton

House and Gardens become

a gallery displaying work for

every bit of the garden from 18

artists. You can explore the trail

every day from 1pm whether

you are looking to purchase

or just have a nice day out.

Info: godintonhouse.co.uk

Sun 5 – Mon 13 Aug

10am-4.30pm

Sussex House, 61 Lower Pantiles,

Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 5TE

Eclectic Art arrives

on the Pantiles

Local artists Suzy Phillips

and Carol Anne Slater are

showing their latest collection

of contemporary paintings. The

exhibition draws upon poetry to

demonstrate the value of the poet/

painter collaboration. Words

leave a lingering image and many

of the chosen poems matched to

their paintings, achieve just this.

The artists wish to encourage

people from far and wide to

visit where they will also have an

opportunity to meet the artists.

Entry: Free

Info: carolanneslaterart.co.uk

Children & Families

Sat 25 - Mon 27 Aug

St George’s Church, Brede Hill,

Brede, Rye TN31 6EJ

Brede Flower Festival

Weekend

Visit Brede’s ancient church

with its beautiful views over

the Brede Valley for a fantastic

flower festival themed around

events that happened 100 years

ago. There will be 35 themed

displays, each depicting a different

event, plus refreshments, stalls,

trips up the tower, a raffle, live

music and an art exhibition.

Info: bredeflowerfestival.org.uk

Fri 6 Jul – Thu 16 Sep

Chatham Dockyard, Main Gate

Road, Chatham ME4 4UY

Brick History

History comes to life in this

interactive exhibition that takes

visitors through all the pivotal

moments in history modelled in

LEGO® bricks.

Entry: Included in entry tickets to

The Dockyard

Info: 1634 823800 /

thedockyard.co.uk

Sat 14 Jul – Sun 2 Sep

11am-6pm

Penshurst Place, Penshurst,

Tonbridge, Kent TN11 8DG

Maize Maze

This amazing maize maze returns

with some new twists and turns

this year. Plus while you’re at

Penshurst, there will be bushcraft

workshops, a woodland trail

and falconry displays over the

bank holiday from Sunday 26 to

Monday 27 August.

Info: penshurstplace.com

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: 01732 865224 /

hevercastle.co.uk

Wed 25 Jul – Sun 2 Sep

Hop Farm, Maidstone Road,

Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, Kent

TN12 6PY

Summer Fun at the Farm

Keep children entertained over

the summer holidays with giant

jumping pillows, children’s TV

and film characters, animal farm,

bumper cars, zorbs, 4D cinema,

bungees, bouncy castles and birds

of prey displays.

Info: 01622 872068 /

thehopfarm.co.uk

Tue 31 Jul – Sat 18 Aug

Various locations on Thanet

Coast

Summer Seashore

Safaris

Take a couple of hours to explore

Thanet’s rocky shore to discover

the fascinating rockpool wildlife

hiding there. These safaris will

be travelling along the coast

throughout the month so check

online to find out where to meet!

Entry: Suggested £1 donation

Info: nekmpa.org.uk

Fri 31 Aug 7.30pm-9.15pm

Knole, Sevenoaks, Kent

TN15 0RP

Bats at dusk

Meet Knole’s resident bat

population on this guided walk

at dusk with an expert ecologist.

Bat detectors will be provided but

you should bring your own torch.

After the walk there will be time

for questions over a hot chocolate

in the Visitor Centre. Children

aged 5 and over are welcome.

Booking essential.

Entry: £10 per person.

Info: nationaltrust.org.uk/knole

Festivals & Shows

Sat 11 & Sun 12 Aug

10am-5pm

Dover Castle, Castle Hill Road,

Dover CT16 1HU

Tudor Pageant

Party like its 1544! Dover Castle

is taking a trip back in time to

King Henry VIII’s preparations

to invade France. Celebrate

with the King as a colourful

parade showcases the strength

of the English army. The Tudor

encampment will have fools and

musicians, monk monopoly and

junior jousting as well as the

chance to try coin striking and

learn about Tudor food.

Info: english-heritage.org.uk

Fri 24 – Mon 27 Aug

Various locations in Sandwich,

Kent

Sandwich Festival

The streets of Sandwich are

going to be filled with music,

dancing and life over this weekend

festival with outdoor concerts, a

food fayre, barn dancing in the

street, classic cars and a fantastic

illuminated boat parade.

Entry: Free

Info: sandwichevents.org.uk

Food & DRink

Sat 25 & Sun 26 Aug

Brogdale Collections, Brogdale

Farm, Brogdale Road, Faversham

ME13 8XZ

Brogdale Cider

Festival

Local craft ciders and live music

for a full weekend! Expect

entertainment for the whole

family with a little festival goers

area, yummy street food, fun

festival games, and local shopping.

Info: 0 1795 536250 /

brogdalecollections.org

131 wealdentimes.co.uk

SG12 events card DL 03e DATE CHANGE_Layout 1 10/02/2012 10:20 Page 2

DESIGNER MAKERS

OF CONTEMPORARY AND

TRADITIONAL CRAFTS

DESIGNER MAKERS

OF CONTEMPORARY AND

TRADITIONAL CRAFTS

EVENTS Contemporary 2012

CRAFT

SHOWS

CONTEMPORARY

CRAFT SHOWS

THROUGHOUT SUSSEX

3 - 5 August

MICHELHAM PRIORY

with craft demonstrations

Upper Dicker, Hailsham, East

Sussex BN27 3QS

www.sussexpast.co.uk

Registered Charity No. 239992. Company No. 633098

The Sussex Guild

Shop and Gallery

The North Wing

Southover Grange

Southover Road

Lewes, East Sussex

BN7 1TP

Shop open 7 days a

STEP INTO NINE

week, 10.00 - 5.00

except Christmas Day

Reg. Charity no: 292234

CENTURIES OF HISTORY

www.thesussexguild.co.uk

01273 479565

25 - 27 August

PASHLEY

MANOR GARDENS

Ticehurst, Near Wadhurst,

East Sussex TN5 7HE

www.pashleymanorgardens.com

www.thesussexguild.co.uk

01273 479565

Reg. Charity no : 292234

KentWildlifeTrustWT197.indd 1 06/06/2018 SussexGuildWT198.indd 09:47

1 12/07/2018 10:15

www.thesussexguild.co.uk

A summer filled with adventure, music

and drama as well as our wonderful daily

attractions means there’s always a great

reason to visit.

EXPERIENCE MORE

leeds-castle.com

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Wealden Times Ad 2018.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2018 16:54 Page 1

Steam through the Ages

Travel through 100 years of

history in one day!

Plenty to do and see at three

stations including

Live music from the Victorian

Era.

WW2 themed activities,

music and displays including a

static Spitfire Display and

‘Homefront Bus’

Donkey rides and ‘seaside’

activities.

RSA

RYE SOCIETY OF ARTISTS

SUMMER EXHIBITION 2018

Steam through the Ages

11th - 12th August 2018

Buy your tickets online in advance

at www.bluebell-railway.com

Advance tickets available online at www.bluebell-railway.com

01825 720800 info@bluebell-railway.co.uk

The Bluebell Railway | Sheffield Park Station | East Sussex TN22 3QL

4–26 August 2018

The Dance Hall, Community Centre

Conduit Hill, Rye TN31 7LE

Open daily 10.30am to 5.30pm

l: 07501 82830

www.ryesocietyofartists.co.uk

Supported by the Rye Community Shop

Cliff Howe Dis

nt Down

BluebellRailwayWT198.indd 1 11/07/2018 RyeSocietyofArtistsWT198.indd 16:28

1 28/06/2018 15:11

Paul Young: 35 Years of No Parlez Tour

The Greatest Show: Live in Concert

Saturday 29 September 7.30pm

Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage

Friday 12 October 4.30pm & 7.30pm

Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain: With Bells On

Tuesday 23 - Saturday 27 October

Thursday 15 November 7.30pm

NEW AUTUMN HIGHLIGHTS Book online:

whiterocktheatre.org.uk

Ticket Office: 01424 462288

White Rock, Hastings TN34 1JX

WhiteRockTheatre

@The_White_Rock

@white_rock_theatre

133 wealdentimes.co.uk

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PAINT YOUR OWN CERAMICS,

CRAFTS & PERSONALISED GIFTS

Visit in August to see

hundreds of lilies, the

abundant kitchen garden

and the herbaceous

borders looking fantastic

Sussex Guild Craft Show

25, 26 & 27 August

Beautiful 11 Acre Gardens; Café with Terrace; Gift

Shop; Sculpture Exhibition; open until 29th Sept.

Ticehurst 01580 200888

pashleymanorgardens.com

Keepsakes

Come in and have a go!

No appointment necessary

Paint your own

Decopatch

Located on Hawkhurst Fish Farm

www.slapndash.com 01580 755674

Open times: Mon-Fri 10.00 to 5.00, Sat & Sun 10.00 to 4.00

(Evenings by appointment)

Disabled access • Ample Parking • Cafe on-site

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1 24/05/2016 18/07/2018 11:01 10:11

#nationaltrust

Open-air theatre at Smallhythe

Place

Enjoy an evening of entertainment with

friends and family this August. Pack your

picnics, rugs and hampers and relax in the

tranquil summer gardens of Smallhythe

Place for open-air performances of 'Peter

Pan' on Sunday 5th and 'As You Like It' on

Monday 27th.

Call 01580 762334 for details

nationaltrust.org.uk/smallhythe-place

Images\Rosie Gaston.

WWW.THE-OBSERVATORY.ORG

31 st August - 2 nd September 2018

Now in its 14 th year...

Soak up the incredible atmosphere whether just for a day

or the whole weekend. Camping pitches are available.

Programme includes talks, planetarium shows, family

activities, Astro Radio and much more!

Confirmed speakers...

Jane Green FRAS

(Author, broadcaster & registered school’s speaker)

Dr Stephen Wilkins (University of Sussex)

Christopher Jacobs (Deep Space Navigation

Engineer, NASA/JPL)

Pete Williamson FRAS

(Astronomer and Broadcaster)

Dr Amelie Saintonge (UCL)

wealdentimes.co.uk

134

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1 20/07/2018 11:14

What’s On in August

Sat 25 – Mon 27 Aug

Mote Park, Mote Avenue,

Maidstone, Kent ME15 7SU

Shemomedjamo

A multicultural food festival

named after the Georgian phrase

for the feeling of being full but

unable to stop eating because the

food tastes too good. Visit this

global village of food and you can

take in music, dance and art from

the cultures of the world too.

Entry: Free

Info: visitmaidstone.com

Mon 27 Aug

Kent Life, Lock Lane, Sandling,

Maidstone, Kent ME14 3AU

Ice Cream Festival

Candy floss, popcorn, snow cones,

chocolatiers and over 20 flavours

of ice cream - what’s not to love?

Kent Life will also have animal

activities, face painting and a

‘Dairy Stage’ with live music for

all to enjoy.

Info: kentlife.org.uk

THEATRE

Fri 6 Jul – Fri 31 Aug

Scotney Castle, Lamberhurst,

Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 8JN

Outdoor Theatre

Over 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 a

one-of-a-kind backdrop. Enjoy

such titles as The Reluctant Dragon

and The Tempest (which will be

performed by the UK’s premier

all male company, The Lord

Chamberlain’s Men).

Info: nationaltrust.org.uk/

scotney-castle

Thurs 9 – Sun 12 Aug

Kent Event Centre, Detling,

Kent ME14 3JE

Spirit of the Horse

Europe’s greatest equestrian

theatre show’s new production,

Renaissance, stars over 20

magnificent horses from six

countries and is full of drama,

humour and poetry with stunt

riding, Spanish dancing horse

and the fabled Pegasus, a fabulous

winged horse.

Info: spiritofthehorseshow.com

Fri 10 Aug

Smallhythe Place, Smallhythe,

Tenterden, Kent, TN30 7NG

The Importance of

Being Earnest

A fast-paced, one-act adaption

of Oscar Wilde’s beloved “Trivial

Comedy for Serious People”.

Info: nationaltrust.org.uk/

smallhythe-place

WORKSHOPS

Wednesdays and Sundays

throughout August excluding

Wed 29 Aug

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

September issue is 8 August 2018.

GodintonHouseWT198.indd 1 19/07/2018 09:52

135 wealdentimes.co.uk

HeverCastleWT198.indd 1 16/07/2018 15:06

Clare Langdon

INTERIORS

Made to measure

curtains & blinds

Tracks & poles

Measuring & fitting service

Home consultation

Fabrics & design advice

Telephone 01580 712209

clarelangdoninteriors.co.uk

W E

H AV E

MOV ED

Battle Mowers Ltd

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: 15-19 Vinehall Business Park, Vinehall Road, Mountfield TN32 5JW

VACANCY -

HAIRDRESSER

ClareLangdonWT195.indd 1 04/04/2018 BattleMowersWT198.indd 12:18

1 02/07/2018 11:34

Are you experienced

(ideally 5 years) in all

aspects of styling, cutting

and colouring, available

to work 3 days per week,

including Fri & Sat?

01424 465333

halcyonhairdressing.co.uk

halcyonstleonards@gmail.com

72 Norman Road,

St. Leonards TN38 0EJ

IAN THOMAS

Bespoke Joinery & Carpentry

Interior woodwork & refurbishment

Staplecross • 01580 830590

www.ianthomasbespokejoinery.com

Creating gardens

of distinction

HalcyonHairdressingWT198.indd 1 11/07/2018 IanThomasJoineryWT198.indd 12:32

1 17/07/2018 11:45

Blackland Farm

Outdoor Activity Centre

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

Kayaking

Canoeing

Bungee trampolining

Rock climbing

Archery

Crate challenge

Zip wire

Abseiling

Aeroball...

...and many more!

GeoffTiltmanWT171.indd 1 25/07/2018 19:02

The complete kitchen service...

...from a hinge to a complete makeover

The supply & replacement of

drawers, doors, worktops,

hinges, all fitted kitchen

components/appliances, door

renovation & polishing, bedroom

doors & bespoke cabinets.

Please call

01689 850000

www.thekitchendoctor.com

Serving London & the South-East since 1984

A pet portrait makes a wonderful gift

Professional Oil Paintings & Drawings

Visit www.dianewilks.weebly.com or

Email for examples: wdiane93@aol.com

Diane 01580 212327

Come and join us for

fun-filled activity days.

Why not have your

birthday party here too?

Blackland Farm

01342 810493

blackland@girlguiding.org.uk

www.blacklandfarm.org.uk

wealdentimes.co.uk

136

KitchenDoctorWT145.indd 1 28/01/2014 DianeWilksWT158.indd 10:12

1 03/03/2015 BlacklandFarmWT138.indd 12:30

1 10/07/2013 17:31

Competition

Win A £500 luxury spa break

for two at Eastwell Manor,

champneys hotel & spa

Eastwell Manor is a magnificent hotel within a

historic grand house in beautiful landscaped

gardens in Kent, with a Champneys spa. The

winner and their guest will enjoy a one-night stay in

a luxe room in the main Manor house, with dinner,

breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and a 50-minute spa

treatment each.

The Champneys spa offers a wide range of health

and beauty treatments, indoor and outdoor

20-metre heated swimming pools, jacuzzi, steam

room, sauna, and relaxation beds.

Winners will also have use of all the leisure

facilities at Eastwell Manor, during their stay,

which include a 3000 square foot gym, designated

footpaths, all-weather tennis court, petanque court,

croquet lawn and nine-hole golf course.

Eastwell Manor prides itself on an outstanding

range of dining options, celebrating British heritage

with an international influence. In addition to the

spa, leisure and eating amenities, they offer wedding

day packages, celebratory events and the hire

of meeting and conference rooms.

Eastwell Manor, Eastwell Court,

Ashford TN25 4HR eastwellmanor.co.uk

How to enter:

For your chance to win a

£500 spa break at Eastwell

Manor, Champneys Hotel

& Spa just answer the

following question: What

kind of room will the

winners stay in? Enter your

answer with your contact

details* in the online

form at wealdentimes.

co.uk/competition by 31

August 2018. The prize is

a one-night spa break for

two people with dinner,

breakfast, lunch, afternoon

tea and a 50-minute

treatment for each guest.

There is no cash alternative

and the prize must be

taken before 31 August

2019. *You must be over

the age of 18 to enter.

Congratulations to Margaret Lipsham who wins our June competition

for £400 of luxury bedding from King of Cotton

137

Jane Howard’s

Fables from

the Farm

Why cows win the farm animal popularity

contest – and sheep most definitely do not

Among those of us old enough to remember, Coopers

Farm has often been likened to an i-spy Book of The

Farm. These tiny pocket books were the pre-digital

way of keeping children entertained. Each one was dedicated

to a different topic like The Seaside, Birds, Cars or even

Motorways (a novelty way back then), each page illustrated

with objects you had to look out for and then tick off.

Once completed, and I never knew anyone who ever did,

you could send them back to the publisher – Big Chief I

Spy - and look forward to receiving a magnificent prize such

as a pencil or a badge. Those were the days!

Fact is over the past 20 years we have managed to collect,

or at some point tried our hand at, most of the farm animals

that would have featured in one of these books – cows, pigs,

sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl – and many of

them are still here. Though some are most definitely not.

The goats were the worst, escaping, eating the roses,

making a racket and generally getting in the way. They only

lasted a few weeks but sheep come a close second in my

“more effort than their worth” opinion, but

it’s OK because they’re Adrian’s sheep and my

cows, so it’s not my problem.

When we first came to Coopers we had

almost no farm knowledge, Adrian decided to

College. While there he was taken under the

wing of a very experienced shepherd who

turned up at the farm one day with five ewes

and a ram having rightly decided that being taught in a

classroom is only half the job, getting stuck in is far more

important. The die was cast, the flock was installed so, as

you do, I went and bought six cows.

“Sheep shearing

can be a very

competitive

business”

But here’s the thing. Once the cows are turned out in the

fields in the spring, apart from checking on them every day

it’s a pretty carefree summer. The shepherd’s work however

is never quite done.

As someone famously said there are two things sheep like

doing, one is escaping and one is dying and if they can die

escaping then that is true happiness.

All summer they have to be regularly wormed, have jabs

to stop diseases, their feet trimmed and be

sprayed with noxious chemicals to prevent fly

strike, a ghastly Hammer House of Horror

condition where bluebottle flies lay their eggs

in the wool and if undetected the maggots

burrow into the sheep’s skin and literally

devour the poor animal.

This is less of a problem once they’ve been

shorn but that too is a major undertaking –

and, rather like a hot dog eating competition, can be a very

competitive business.

Matt Smith, a farmer from Cornwall can shear a sheep in

44 seconds and recently broke a world record by shearing

731 ewes in nine hours!

In his heyday, Adrian could manage about 15 sheep a

week, not quite a match for Matt who by my calculations

would whizz through our 80 in under an hour, but these

days we employ the services of the much younger James.

But it still takes the two of them all day to get them in,

shear them, swap the combs and cutters, make endless cups

of tea and ‘wind’ the fleeces into big wool sacks.

Over in the cattle department I will spend my summer

wandering gently through the meadows watching my brown

cows just grow sleeker and glossier.

I rest my case.

Follow Jane Howard – and the farm – on Instagram @coopersfarm

wealdentimes.co.uk

138

Being pushed

out of your

workplace?

We’ll help

you push

back.

Authorised and Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Offices in London and

throughout the UK

Call 0203 319 2685

slatergordon.co.uk

Family Employment Estate Planning, Wills and Probate

Property Crime Dispute Resolution Personal Injury

S UMMER UPHOLSTERY PROMOTION

J OHN SANKEY SLIPPER CHAIR IN LEATHER

WAS £3495 SALE PRICE £2295

S AY ERS LANE, T E N T E R DE N , KENT, T N 3 0 6BW

w ww.WoodcocksInteriors.co.uk

Wealden Times | WT198 | August 2018 | Wedding supplement inside

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