Winchester Lifestyle Dec 2019

Contents 

A Note 

from the editor 

A Culinary puddings Journey through without a 

27Christmas sultana Northern in Ireland sight 

Chef Michael 

Caines 

IN THIS ISSUE... 

04 What’s On 

We are in full festive mode with a diary 

full of events over Christmas and into 

the New Year 

08 Education 

The Boarding Schools Association 

give their advice and clear up 

misconceptions about boarding 

25 Michael Caines 

We catch up with the West Country 

chef, on his quest for a second 

Michelin star at Lympstone Manor 

27 Christmas Crackers 

Five pages of beautiful puddings to 

help you savour every second of the 

festive season 

34 Amazing Oman 

25 

We take in the mountain passes and 

the breathtaking sand dunes in this 

diverse country 

38 Homebuying Guide 

If the festive period shines a light on 

your desire to move, we have tips on 

the process 

Magical 

Oman 

34 

40 

Creating the 

perfect guestroom 

Editor Katie Thomson 

e katie.thomson@minervapublications.co.uk 

Publisher Sally Thomson 

Pre Press Manager Kate O’Connell 

Contributors Rebecca Williams, Peter Thomson, Kate O’Connell, 

Lucy Saunders Angela Cave 

Key Account Manager Claire Harris 

e claire.harris@minervapublications.co.uk 

d/l 01225 308108 

twitter: @WinchesterLifes 

w www.winchesterlifestyle.co.uk 

Sleigh bells ring, are you listening - 

Christmas’s here, your heart quickening? 

With gifts still to buy, and cards left to write 

- holy heck there’s still so much to do! 

That’s how the song goes right? Like it 

or loathe it, we are well into the festive 

preamble (what number tin of Quality Street 

are you on? I count three...). It’s time to get 

serious about your festive salutations and 

batten down the hatches - the guests will 

be here before you can say ‘figgy pudding’! 

This issue aims to highlight the best of the 

festive season, with a packed events guide 

and lots of festive fun. I’ve been extra 

selfish this issue and curated a section 

especially for the Christmas pariahs among 

us - those that hate festive puddings! Try 

as I might, I can’t stand Christmas Pudding, 

Cake, mince pies - anything with the spiced 

fruits combo - I’m out. 

I reckon I’m not alone (though perhaps 

you’ve not outed yourself yet, just 

pretending you’re full up when a bowl is 

proffered in your direction), so for my fellow 

outcasts, please enjoy a bumper batch 

of celebratory puds which are perfect for 

the big day, without a sultana in sight. 

We also caught up with one of the UK’s 

most famous and decorated chefs, Michael 

Caines on his passions outside of cooking 

(he’s one charitable guy!) 

That’s all for now - we will see you again in 

February, when we will be recovering from 

post Christmas food comas and thinking 

about moving a bit more and maybe eating 

a little less. 

In the meantime, we wish you the happiest, 

healthiest New Year. Now, pass the Quality 

Street please. 

MINERVA PUBLICATIONS 

County Gate, County Way 

Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 7FJ 

t 01225 308128 

w www.minervapublications.co.uk 

visit our website www.winchesterlifestyle.co.uk 

Disclaimer: The publishers shall not be held liable for any loss occasioned by failure of an 

advertisement to appear, or any damage or inconvenience caused by errors, omissions and 

misprints. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission from the 

publishers. The opinions expressed within are not necessarily those of the publishers. 

www.winchesterlifestyle.co.uk | 3

EVENTS 

GUIDE 

Winter is here and yes it’s chilly, however there 

is plenty going on to keep everyone entertained 

throughout the winter months... 

Chawton House 

Chawton GU34 1SJ 

www.chawtonhouse.org 

Sat 7 - Sunday 8 December, 11am - 4pm 

Christmas Fayre 

Enjoy this unique chance to do a spot 

of Christmas shopping and soak up the 

festive atmosphere of Chawton House. 

Browse the stalls selling handmade and 

local produce, enjoy a festive treat in the 

Old Kitchen Tearoom and meet Father 

Christmas in his grotto. 

Monday 16 December 

Celebrate Jane Austen’s Birthday in 

Chawton 

Visit Jane Austen’s House Museum and 

Chawton House on 16th December, Jane 

Austen’s birthday. 

Jane Austen’s House Museum will be 

decorated for the season. There will be 

live music around the house and mulled 

wine on sale for our adult visitors to enjoy. 

Have a go at some festive family activities 

suitable for all ages and get in to the 

Christmas spirit! 

Gilbert Whites House 

Selborne, Alton GU34 3JH 

01420 511275 

www.gilbertwhiteshouse.org.uk 

Saturday 7 - Sunday 8 December 

Mulled Wine Weekend 2019 

Join them for Christmas cheer, live 

entertainment, wassailing, children’s crafts, 

Christmas shopping and of course Mulled 

Wine at this wonderful free Yuletide event. 

Friday 3 January - Sunday 28 June 

Exhibition - Gilbert White Around 

the World 

An exhibition of international editions of 

The Natural History of Selborne and the 

global impact of Gilbert White’s work three 

hundred years since his birth. 

Hampshire Farmers 

Markets 

01420 588671 

www.hampshirefarmersmarkets.co.uk 

Sunday 1 December - Friday 31 January 

20 Years of Hampshire Farmers’ 

Markets 

This year marks a very special anniversary 

for Hampshire Farmers’ Markets 20 years 

of bringing the best of the county’s produce 

4 | www.winchesterlifestyle.co.uk 

to the High Street. Since the first market in 

Winchester, Hampshire Farmers’ Markets 

have gone from strength-to-strength and 

now hold nine markets in towns and cities 

across Hampshire each month. 

For more information about Hampshire 

Farmers’ Markets see www. 

hampshirefarmersmarkets.co.uk 

Hinton Ampner 

Near Alresford SO24 0LA 

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hinton-ampner 

Sunday 1 - Tuesday 31 December 

Christmas House 

Step into a house beautifully decorated 

for Christmas and rediscover the classic 

tales of Aesop’s Fables - a collection of 

moralistic stories re-told from generation to 

generation. There are said to be over 700 of 

these stories, though Hinton will focus on 

just a handful, including the Hare and the 

Tortoise and the Peacock and the Crane. 

You must reserve your timed ticket in 

advance to visit the house this December. 

The whole estate is closed Christmas Eve 

and Christmas Day. 

Wednesday 1 January, 11am - 1pm 

New Year’s Day Walk 

Celebrate the New Year with an invigorating 

tour of the gardens and estate. Join Head 

Gardener, John Wood, as he guides you 

through the woodlands. 

Monday 13 January - Friday 14 February 

Winter Conservation Opening 

The main door to the Entrance Hall of the 

house is open for you to peek inside as the 

team prepare the house for re-opening. 

Behind the closed doors the team are busy 

tidying away decorations from Christmas 

and conducting essential conservation 

work on the collections. 

Mid Hants Railway 

Watercress Line 

The Railway Station, Alresford SO24 9JG 

01962 733810 

www.watercressline.co.uk 

1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21 -24 December 

Santa Special - Ride with Santa for 

a Magical Experience 

Travel in a festive train carriage for a 

magical trip where Santa and his jolly 

helpers visit you in your seat with a gift. 

Grown-ups get treated to white wine and 

mince pies, whilst children enjoy a soft 

drink and a gingerbread man. Each child 

will also receive an activity pack to keep 

them entertained on this enchanting one 

hour journey. 

Thursday 26 - Friday 27 December 

Christmas Leave - Experience 

Christmas on a WWII railway 

This Christmas, the Watercress Line invite 

you to join civilian and military re-enactors 

and experience the atmosphere of a WWII 

Christmas on the railway. 

Whether this is a trip down memory lane, or 

a chance to make new memories, it is the 

perfect place to take your family and guests 

after Christmas. 

Mottisfont 

Nr Romsey SO51 0LP 

01794 340757 

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/mottisfont 

Throughout December until Sunday 5 

January 

An Enchanted Christmas with the 

Flower Fairies 

Enjoy a magical Christmas at Mottisfont, 

with beautifully decorated rooms inspired 

by the Winter Flower Fairies. The exquisite 

original artwork by Cicely Mark Barker will 

be on show in the gallery, and families can 

enjoy a festive, fairy-themed trail out in the 

grounds. 

Saturday 18 January - Sunday 19 April 

Exhibition - Comedy and 

Commentary 

Witty works from some of Britain’s best 

cartoonists commenting on current affairs. 

A humorous show to brighten up the winter 

months, showcasing comedic works from 

newspapers and satirical magazines. 

Nuffield Theatre 

Nuffield Southampton Theatre, University 

Road, Southampton SO17 1TR 

023 8067 1771 

www.nstheatres.co.uk 

Thursday 12 - Friday 13 December 

Dear Santa 

Santa is determined to deliver the most 

fantastic Christmas present to Sarah. But 

he doesn’t get it right straight away! With 

the help of his cheeky Elf, he finally settles 

on something ‘perfect’, just in time for 

Christmas Eve. 

Rod Campbell’s Dear Santa is an ideal 

introduction to theatre for those aged 2 to 7. 

continued

A magical musical to 

make time stand still! 

Something magical is coming to Nuffield 

Southampton Theatres this Christmas... 

Not one, but two Cinderella’s take the stage in our world-premiere 

production: CinderELLA: The Musical. This magical fairy-tale 

extravaganza will be sure to delight the whole family, with two 

nasty step-nieces that even Love Island would reject, a not so 

charming Prince and a Freaky Friday style body-swap. 

Join Cinders and Ella this Christmas as they explore what it 

means to feel a little lost and find yourself again. 

From the theatre that brought you the “super funny” Billionaire 

Boy The Musical and “whisker-licking treat” Fantastic Mr Fox, 

plus the creative team behind the “high on imagination…simply 

spectacular” hit musical Amélie, this CinderELLA story combines 

Freaky Friday with a tale as old as time, to offer a hilarious 

musical Christmas treat for the whole family. 

CinderELLA: The Musical will be at NST City between 23 Nov – 5 

Jan, tickets are available online at nstheatres.co.uk, by phone at 

023 8067 1771, or feel free to visit our box office and book them 

in person. 

NST, Nuffield Southampton Theatres, 

142-144 Above Bar Street, Southampton, SO14 7DU 

DD: 023 8098 4514 

Box Office: 023 8067 1771 

nstheatres.co.uk / @nstheatres 

ADVERTISING FEATURE 


Friday 20 December 

Christmas Memories 

Start Christmas in style as Neil Sands 

and his wonderful cast, bring you an 

unforgettable afternoon of festive nostalgia, 

taking us all back to a time when Christmas 

really was the most wonderful time of the 

year. Be transported back on a yuletide 

sleigh ride filled with over 60 all time 

favourite Christmas songs and carols. 

Sunday 22 December, 3pm 

42nd Street 

42nd Street, the legendary Broadway 

musical theatre classic, tells the story of 

Peggy Sawyer, a talented young performer 

with stars in her eyes who gets her big 

break on Broadway. 

Friday 17 January 

Jeremy Vine - What The Hell Is 

Going On?! 

Jeremy Vine is one of the UK’s most 

successful broadcasters. 

Get ready to laugh and cry as Jeremy tries 

to make sense of a world that increasingly 

makes no sense at all where, as he puts it, 

“my listeners have better stories than I do.” 

Wednesday 22 - Saturday 25 January 

The Railway Children 

Marking the 50th anniversary of the 

much-loved film version, this acclaimed 

production of E. Nesbit’s classic story of an 

Edwardian family forced to relocate to rural 

Yorkshire. With unforgettable characters 

including the central trio of children 

Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis. 

An amateur production from award-winning 

SUP Theatre Company. 

Wednesday 29 January - Saturday 1 

February 

The Wind in the Willows 

The Wind in the Willows (The Musical) is a 

new family show with a wonderfully British 

score and a host of iconic characters lifted 

from the pages of Kenneth Grahame’s 

world famous tale. 

Friday 31 January - Saturday 1 February 

Heist 

An unlikely group of men band together to 

reclaim the place they call home. As the 

team try to bring down the villain, they find 

themselves grasping with morality, risk and 

betrayal, questioning constantly ‘who can 

you really trust?’ 

Theatre Royal 

Winchester 

Jewry Street, Winchester SO23 8SB 

www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk 

Throughout December until Sunday 5 


Dick Whittington 

Join Dick and his cat on their madcap 

adventures, as Dick seeks his fame and 

fortune in a London bedevilled by the 

sinister King Rat and his rabble of Revolting 

Rodents. 

Tuesday 10 December 

Christmas with Tenors Un Limited 

A fantastic new Christmas show from 

Tenors Un Limited Scott Ciscon, Paul 

Martin and Jem Sharples, the number one 

selling classical vocal trio! 

The guys’ rich vocal harmonies and down 

to earth sense of humour have endeared 


them to audiences around the world. There 

is something for everyone in this fabulous 

Christmas show! 

Monday 16 December 

Santa’s Christmas Countdown 

Santa’s Christmas Countdown is a 45 

minute, interactive family show, particularly 

suitable for 2-7 year olds. Afterwards, the 

adventure continues as each child gets 

to meet Father Christmas and receive a 

specially wrapped present from him it’s the 

most Christmassy Christmas show ever, 

HO-HO-HO! 

Thursday 19 December 

The Spitfire Sisters’ Christmas 

Special 

Vocal harmony group The Spitfire Sisters 

return to their home-town to perform 

festive songs both old and new, with their 

unmistakable vintage styling and extra 

mirth for good measure. 

Bells will be jingled and merriment will be 

made as they sing a song collection to 

warm you better than a glass of mulled 

wine! 

Winchester Cathedral 

Winchester SO23 9LS 

01962 857 214 

www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk 

On until Sunday 5 January 

Winchester Cathedral Ice Rink 2019 

Enjoy festive, rain-free skating at the heart 

of Winchester Cathedral’s Christmas 

Market! Skate around a huge Christmas 

Tree in the centre of the Ice Rink and then 

warm up with a cup of hot chocolate in the 

Ice Rink cafe. 

Sundays 8 & 15 December, 3.30pm 

Family Carol Service 

Join them for family-friendly afternoon carol 

services and enjoy cheerful carol singing 

in the magnificent Nave of the Cathedral. 

Visitors to the Christmas Market and Ice 

Rink are especially welcome. 

Friday 13 December, 7pm 

Cathedral Christmas Concert 

This year, they are thrilled to welcome 

award-winning comedian, Hugh Dennis, 

star of BBC One’s Outnumbered, Radio 4’s 

The Now Show and BBC Two’s Mock the 

Week, who will offer amusing observations 

on the ups and downs of family life at 

Christmas time. The evening will be hosted 

by BBC South Today’s Sally Taylor, with 

uplifting performances of traditional and 

light-hearted carols sung by the Cathedral 

Choir. 

A fundraising concert for Winchester 

Cathedral’s Choral Foundation. 

Saturday 14 December, 3pm & 7.15pm 

The Snowman featuring The 

Donkey’s Tale 2019 

Experience the magic of The Snowman in a 

whole new way this Christmas. 

With other festive treats - The world 

premiere of a brand new work, The 

Donkey’s Tale. Set amidst the wild 

landscape of Connemara in the west of 

Ireland, it tells the heartwarming story 

of Dillon, an ordinary donkey with an 

extraordinary dream that takes him on 

a journey that will change his life. This 

stunning animated film with accompanying 

musical score looks set to become a firm 

favourite for all ages, and a fun introduction 

to the orchestra - it makes the perfect 

winter outing for all the family. 

17, 18 and 20 December, 6.30pm 

Cathedral Carol Services 

Wonderful services filled with beautiful 

music sung by the Cathedral Choir. The 

first service is ticketed with priority booking 

for the Cathedral Community. 

Saturday 21 December, 1pm 

Chamber Choir Christmas Concert 

One of Winchester’s more recent Christmas 

traditions is the annual Advent concert 

given by the Cathedral Chamber Choir. 

This hour of varied music chosen to soothe 

and inspire is performed in the splendour of 

the Cathedral and takes a different format 

every year. 

This is a free event all are welcome. 

Sunday 22 December, 3.30pm 

Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of 

Carols 

The Choristers of Winchester Cathedral 

perform Benjamin Britten’s inimitable A 

Ceremony of Carols. Written during World 

War II, this has become a classic choral 

work during the Christmas season. 

This is a free event all are welcome. A 

retiring collection will be taken. 

Winchester Discovery 

Centre 

Jewry Street, Winchester SO23 8SB 

01962 873603 

www.hants.gov.uk/wdc 

From Saturday 14 December, various 

dates, please see website for further 

details 

Pip’s Post Room: Christmas 

Theatre Show 

Following the success of their previous 

show ‘Footprints in the Snow’, Wind Song 

Theatre are back with another festive treat 

packed with wacky characters and toetapping 

music . 

It is almost Christmas and Pip is up to 

his beak in letters sent to Santa. As head 

of special requests at the North Pole’s 

Post Room it is his job to make sure that 

the children’s hopes and dreams are 

communicated clearly. But with an over 

active, wandering imagination and a special 

dream of his own will the presents be ready 

in time? 

Bringing original stories to the stage, Wind 

Song Theatre create dynamic children’s 

theatre to inspire young minds. 

Recommended age 3+ (but adults and 

older kids will love it too!) 

continued


Winchester Science 

Centre & Planetarium 

Telegraph Way, off Alresford Road, 

Winchester SO21 1HZ 

www.winchestersciencecentre.org 

Weekends: 30 November – 15 December 

then daily 19 December 2019 – 6 January 

Dino Discovery with the World of 

Dinosaur Roar! 

The Science Centre has teamed up with 

popular children’s book series, The World 

of Dinosaur Roar! for an imaginative 

dinosaur themed Christmas. Meet Trixie 

the baby triceratops and her friendly ranger 

and take part in a dino dig, trail and live 

science show. 

Friday 6 December and Friday 24 


Pink Floyd Planetarium Experiences 

Enjoy the seminal albums of Pink Floyd, 

The Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall 

or Wish You Were Here played in full in 

the unique setting of The Planetarium at 

Winchester Science Centre. 

Immerse yourself in a retro, psychedelic, full 

dome visualisation by Starlight Productions 

to accompany each of these iconic albums. 

This is also a fantastic opportunity to 

experience the new Planetarium in all its 

glory. 

7 & 8, 14 & 15 and 19-24 December 

Santa’s Science Grotto 

Experience the magical setting of the 

Christmas grotto and meet Father 

Christmas. After sharing their all-important 

wish lists with the man himself, children will 

receive a wrapped gift to take home. There 

will also be the chance to complete a fun 

science-themed activity with the help of the 

elf team! 

THE GREAT HALL 

Castle Avenue, Winchester SO23 8UJ 

01962 846476 

www.hants.gov.uk 

Friday 7 December, 6pm - 9pm 

Ginchester Christmas Market 

The Ginchester Christmas Market is a 

celebration of diverse spirits, local and craft, 

from gin to whiskey, and vodka to rum. For 

just £15, you’ll receive a festive drink on 

arrival plus a gorgeous Cabinet Rooms 

ISO tasting glass (used by the pro’s), which 

you can use to taste your way around the 

stands. There will be ample opportunity to 

stock up for party season as well as pick up 

a Christmas gift or two… perhaps even for 

yourself! 

Enjoy a bite to eat and visit the Cabinet 

Rooms bar, which will be serving up 

cocktails and festive G&Ts to help you get in 

the Christmas spirit! 

Saturday 21 & Monday 23 December, 

morning and afternoon sessions available 

Meet Father Christmas 

Let the magic of Christmas enchant you in 

this beautiful historic Great Hall, the perfect 

setting for Father Christmas. 

Tickets are limited for this exclusive prebooked 

event. 

A pop up Christmas Café will serve hot and 

cold drinks along with a selection of festive 

treats. 

The ticket includes meeting Father 

Christmas, a festive gift and an opportunity 

to undertake Christmas Themed Craft 

Activities. 

Gifts have been selected for six age 

brackets and gender- 0-6mths, 6-18mths, 

18mths-3yrs, 4-6yrs, 7-9yrs and 10+. 

Please provide the first name for each child 

so that Father Christmas can greet them 

and visit the website for further details. 

Guildhall Winchester 

The Broadway SO23 9GH 

01962 840820 

www.guildhallwinchester.co.uk 

Thursday 12 December, 6pm - 9pm 

Fairy Lights and Fizz 

An exclusive Hampshire sparkling wine 

tasting event at The Guildhall, Winchester. 

A chance to taste and stock up on your 

festive fizz ! 

Go and join the Vineyards of Hampshire 

for a tasting of over 18 different Hampshire 

sparkling wines and 2 still white wines. 

Set in the atmospheric King Charles Hall 

festooned with fairy lights, an ideal event to 

get into the festive spirit and shop for your 

favourite festive fizz. 

Friends from Parsonage Farm will have their 

delicious Hampshire charcuterie and cheese 

platters available for sale at £5 each. 

Do come go along for some Festive Cheer! 

Friday 13 December, 7pm 

Christmas with Michael Owen 

Renesme Events are delighted to announce 

Christmas with Michael Owen event where 

they will be fundraising for a local charity 

chosen by way of raffle on the evening. 

Within football circles, Michael Owen will 

always be regarded as one of the greatest 

strikers to have represented England and 

they are bringing you the opportunity to 

meet the legend in person combined with 

their bespoke Christmas party evening. 

19 January 2020 

Winchester Vegan Fest 

A fun filled day out for all the family where 

you can nibble on all the free food samples 

that will be distributed throughout the day. 

From chocolate to cheese and everything in 

between. You will also experience inspiring 

informative talks, delicious hot vegan street 

food together with unique and artisan 

traders. Tickets £3 - under 16s free entry. 

We take great care in compiling the 

listings however, we recommend that you 

contact the venue in advance as events 

and activities may change 

8 | www.winchesterlifestyle.co.uk

investment 

specialists 

you can trust 


JM Finn, a leading provider of wealth 

management is the latest business to 

open an office in Winchester. With five 

investment managers in place the office 

looks after over £700 million of assets for 

a range of investors. The office is run by 

local man and investment director 

Simon Tufnell... 

You are opening a new office in 

Winchester – what brings you to our 

historic city? 

Winchester was a natural choice with five 

investment managers living locally, all 

keen to move from London, and thanks to 

the central southern location within very 

close proximity to London. It also has a 

network of high quality intermediaries, 

which has the benefit of providing more 

services to our local clients, whilst 

helping us meet new clients who might 

need our expertise. 

What financial services will be offered 

from here? 

We manage investment portfolios, 

whether that’s within a tax wrapper 

such as an ISA or investment bond, a 

pension fund or a standalone investment 

account. Our investment credentials are 

borne out of our long standing private 

client experience and today extends 

to managing portfolios for charities, 

corporates, foundations and trusts. 

There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach 

to wealth management – how do you 

approach portfolio management? 

Our bespoke services are predicated 

on the fact that each individual investor 

has differing needs and expectations for 

their wealth and any solution should be 

designed on a personalised, or bespoke, 

basis. Many firms centralise their services 

to be more efficient but we are in the 

fortunate position that we can focus 

on our clients and continue offering a 

personalised approach – and we know 

our clients appreciate this increasingly 

important distinction. 

What are important considerations to 

take when considering engaging the 

services of a wealth or investment 

management team? 

Whatever stage of life, there are important 

financial considerations that can help 

investors achieve their goals, whether 

that’s to get on the housing ladder, to 

pass on more to the next generation 

or to buy a holiday home in retirement. 

I would suggest that any prospective 

investor has a think about what their time 

horizon might be, what capital they can 

reasonably afford to save, remembering 

that investment markets can be volatile, 

whilst considering what their goals 

might be. Once these are addressed it’s 

important to find someone who, in the 

first instance, you trust. Granted, trust 

can take time to build, but I would always 

make a point of ensuring that your wealth 

manager has the bandwidth to build up 

a relationship. Will he or she take time 

to come and visit you, be available for 

regular meetings and fit in with your 

lifestyle? At JM Finn we also think it’s 

incredibly important that the person you 

speak to is the person who is managing 

your portfolio, thus ensuring your point 

of contact has full accountability for your 

investments. 

Finally, how would you sum up the 

ethos of JM Finn? 

We see our purpose as being to look 

after our clients’ wealth so they can focus 

on doing whatever it is they want to be 

doing with their lives. To succeed at this 

we need to know and understand our 

clients; so having a client focus running 

through everything we do is the essential 

ingredient to our success as a wealth 

management firm. 

Contact us today: 

JM Finn 

4 Walcote Place 

High Street 

Winchester SO23 9AP 

01962 392 130 

jmfinn.com 


The importance of extra-curricular 

activities for children 

In team based sports they will learn how to 

work well in a team and they also build a lot 

of endurance. Every sport has something 

good to offer your child, whether they are 

played in teams or individually. 

Your child has spent a long day at school, 

however their first port of call when they 

home will probably be their X Box or 

something on the TV. 

However, we suggest that they will benefit 

greatly from a non-academic activity that 

they have an interest in. They can choose 

from sports, chess clubs, dance clubs, 

book clubs, and music clubs and so on… 

your child is bound to find something to like. 

There are many options for after-school 

activities for kids. Talk to your child about 

their interests and see what she may be 

interested in. High energy children may 

prefer sports or dance, while children 

who are quieter tend to prefer the calmer 

activities like book clubs, cooking class or 

perhaps pottery. 

Here are some extra-curricular activities 

that your child might enjoy. 

1. Music 

Some children learn to play instruments, 

while others prefer to sing. There are some 

who are good at doing both. There are so 

many instruments to choose from that you 

are bound to find something that they will 

enjoy playing. 

There is a certain freedom in music, and 

a lot of children find joy in it. Children also 

tend to learn a lot about history and culture 

while learning something such as a musical 

instrument or song. 

2. Sports 

Sports such as football, basketball, cricket 

and softball require teamwork and a lot 

of energy, but if this type of sport doesn’t 

sound like it suits your child, there are other 

options such as tennis, badminton and golf 

that your child can try. 


3. Dance 

Even among dance, there are so many 

types to choose from that your child is sure 

to find the perfect fit. Be it ballet, tap or 

modern dance is something that will help 

your child develop physically and mentally 

as most forms of dance require discipline 

and a strong body and it keeps them active 

as nowadays there is very little physical 

activity at school. 

4. Painting and Sketching 

Perhaps your child is a blossoming artist. 

Playing with colours is a lot of fun and 

creating different works of art may be 

something your child would prefer over 

other more boisterous activities. 

Your child will improve creative skills as 

the brain will begin to develop the areas 

associated with creativity. Painting and 

drawing can also help develop problemsolving 

skills. 

5. Crafts, Pottery and Sculpting 

Working with clay and creating something 

with their hands can give a child a sense of 

satisfaction that is not found through just 

any activity. Clay can have a therapeutic 

effect and is capable of keeping your child 

occupied for hours. 

Your child is going to develop sensory 

and motor skills through creative works. 

Children learn about shapes, the threedimensional 

world and even need to have a 

form of discipline, especially when working 

with clay. 

6. Martial Arts 

Though the varied styles of mixed martial 

arts like judo, Tae Kwan do, karate and 

others may make one think of violence, 

what these really teach is discipline and 

how to control strength rather than wielding 

it for violence. 

Martial Arts teach self-control and selfdiscipline. 

They also help in socialization 

skills and physical development in your 

child. 

7. Sewing Classes 

Sewing may not be something that 

crosses very many people’s minds for an 

extracurricular activity, but it is a skill that 

is very handy indeed. Many children grow 

up with a passion for fashion, and this may 

be a very handy first step for them for their 

futures. 

Sewing is as creative a field as painting or 

sculpting, and it is to be noted that it can 

be very educational for those children who 

want to be future designers. 

8. Book Club 

Book clubs are a great way for little 

bookworms to have their fun and socialise 

with other book lovers. 

Many things can be gained from a book 

club. Not only will the literature itself teach 

your child a lot about the world, the way it 

works and so much more, but it will also 

help them to develop their reading skills, 

which will have a tremendous impact on 

their writing skills. 

9. Cooking Class 

Cooking classes are great for children 

as they are not only an essential skill but 

another area where they can express their 

creativity. 

There are quite a few benefits to this as 

cooking food is something that will help 

your child develop focus, creativity and will 

also teach your children useful skills like 

how to handle sharp knives. It also teaches 

them about different ingredients and how 

to prepare healthy and balanced meals, all 

with the company of others their age. 

10. Drama Club 

Your little drama kings and queens will love 

this one as it is a fun and productive way to 

use up their dramatic energies. 

Drama club helps your child to develop 

physical, artistic, social and public speaking 

skills. It also helps to improve a their 

memory and improvisation skills. Often, 

shy children who have a talent for acting 

become more confident and social through 

drama club. 

When you have a general idea of what your 

child wants, you can do some research 

to see who provides these classes in your 

area and then take the time to take your 

child to visit the place while a class is in 

session and see if is a stimulating and 

comfortable environment.

Where 

opportunity 

reigns 

King Edward VI School in Southampton 

has a well-established reputation for 

academic results, but also boasts 

enviable co-curricular facilities... 

Naturally, promoting intellectual excellence and developing 

curious minds take precedence as one of the south coast’s 

leading secondary schools academically. Almost all students 

go on to higher education institutions, with over 80% attending 

Russell Group universities and an average of 10% taking up 

places at Oxford and Cambridge. However, academia is not 

the sole focus when it comes to these university applications. 

Fostering a sense of personal worth in every pupil and equipping 

them with the practical skills to be successful in the wider world 

are also priorities. 

To this end, co-curricular activities sit at the core of the school; 

over 50 clubs operate each term with everything from astronomy 

and beekeeping, to fencing and charities commission, often 

led by our Sixth Formers. The state-of-the-art Dobson Theatre 

sits at the heart of a dynamic creative arts programme. The 

impressive space not only acts as a hub for dramatic and 

musical activity (including Sixth Form productions and musicals 

devised entirely by the students), but is a forum for outside 

lecturers and student public speaking. The thirty-three acre 

Wellington Sports Ground supports budding athletes; former 


students have won medals at the Beijing, London, and Brazil 

Olympics, including gold for Iain Percy. 

Older students in particular benefit from opportunities to 

travel to far-flung corners of the globe. Regular exchanges 

in North Carolina, Prague, Montpelier, and Salamanca sit 

alongside expeditions to remote areas in Nepal, Morocco, and 

Vietnam, scientific research excursions to locations such as the 

Galapagos, Iceland, and Indonesia, sports tours to India and 

Holland, and an annual volunteering project in South Africa. 

Students from King Edward’s are found in all walks of life 

and combine academic achievement with the impressive 

communication and leadership skills they acquire through 

debating, captaining sports teams, directing a production, 

trekking over windswept moorland, or charity fundraising. It is 

through the co-curricular that candidates can showcase the 

depth of their academic passions to universities and potential 

employers, and, at KES, opportunity reigns supreme.

meet the head 


We speak to Fae Dean, Head Teacher at 

Westgate School Winchester... 

It’s clear that your school is 

centred around an excellent sense 

of community, where pupils feel 

comfortable and supported – how do 

you foster that? 

individual opportunities for our talented 

pupils to mentor younger pupils as well 

as organising a number of House Events 

in our school calendar – something that 

involves every pupil in our school. 

At The Westgate School we place a 

lot of emphasis on partnership with 

families – without which, experience tells 

us that young people are less likely to 

succeed. Creating a sense of community 

is something on which we focus through 

both our curriculum and teaching, 

where we ensure that we actively foster 

inclusive teaching strategies, as well as 

through our wider curriculum provision. 

A sense of belonging is a fundamental 

human need and with this in mind, 

we work hard to find ways that every 

individual pupil can access learning in its 

widest sense through a range of extracurricular 

activities. Finally, our strong 

sense of community is founded on our 

relationship with pupils in school: we 

have not only a fantastic team of Prefects 

who take the lead in this area, but on a 

daily basis, many pupils are contributing 

to our community through their work as 

Sports Leaders, the mentoring of younger 

pupils and, by leading our Charity, 

Curriculum and Eco Groups in school. We 

are immensely proud of the young people 

in our school and in every lesson, the 

partnership in learning is palpable. 

You are Hampshire’s first 4-16 ‘All- 

Through’ school – what does that 

mean in both practical terms and for 

pupils? 

The All-through School model gives 

us a greater opportunity to mirror the 

family groupings seen outside of school. 

Younger pupils benefit so much from the 

example set by older pupils and equally, 

for pupils in the Secondary Phase, 

continuing education in this all-through 

setting enables constant reflection on 

their own development and sense of 

responsibility. We ensure that there are 

In practical terms, being an all-through 

school enables pupils in our Primary 

Phase to access specialist teaching areas 

for PE, Technology, Art and Science. 

We are proud of our partnerships with 

our linked primary schools and enjoy 

welcoming them to our school, too. Our 

arrangements for welcoming pupils in 

to Year 7 from a range of schools have 

always been strong and we know that 

with our in-depth knowledge of the 

curriculum in the primary phase, those 

who join our school in Year 7 will benefit 

even more from joining The Westgate 

Community. 

What areas do you see as particular 

strengths of the school? 

Curriculum design and our approach to 

teaching and learning is a real strength 

in our school. Colleagues work together 

across all phases and, within wider 

curriculum teams, to plan for excellent 

progress in all phases of education in 

our school. We believe passionately that 

results do not define a school – they 

come as a result of young people feeling 

well and safe which in turn, enables them 

to learn really well. 

At The Westgate School, we don’t 

distinguish between academic and 

emotional learning – they are intrinsically 

linked and we plan as much for 

supporting the emotional development of 

young people as we do for their subject 

knowledge. Our approach to teaching 

is focused on creating emotionally safe 

classrooms – with inclusive strategies 

for questioning and thinking carefully 

about how pupils are grouped within 

lessons and across the School to ensure 

that we can maintain the culture of “high 

“We believe passionately that results 

do not define a school – they come as a 

result of young people feeling well and 

safe which in turn, enables them to learn 

really well.” 

expectations without fear” that has come 

to define our school. 

If you could invite one speaker to the 

school, dead, alive or fictional – who 

would it be and why? 

This is a tricky question! As a learner and 

a leader, I have always drawn inspiration 

from such a wide range of people but 

in terms of relevance for pupils in The 

Westgate School, I can think of a number 

of pupils from the past who would be 

fine speakers and sources of inspiration 

for today’s pupils. In particular, I would 

choose a past pupil who demonstrated 

the most incredible resilience and 

determination to do well – despite 

barriers which some may have found 

overwhelming. 

In a time when there seems to be so 

much worry for young people and 

families, I would choose a past pupil who 

enjoyed being part of our community and 

could say to everybody that no matter 

how intense the challenge feels at any 

point in time, it will be all right. Time in 

school should not be about fulfilling one’s 

potential, it should be about unlocking 

potential: the future is positive and young 

people deserve to feel excited about the 

difference they will make – I can think of 

no better example of this than somebody 

who has been part of our school. 

Contact us: 

01962 854757 

contact@westgate.hants.sch.uk 


NEW YEAR 

sustainable me 

With the swirling pressure 

of making New Year’s 

resolutions, it can be 

easy to get a little too 

introspective - most of the 

time, these resolutions 

centre on self improvement 

(or sometimes self 

flagellation disguised as 

self improvement!) but 

what if this year, instead of 

looking in, you looked out? 

We are all aware of the impact, both 

positive and negative, that we can have 

on the environment - so this year, we 

are investigating the ways we can be 

more sustainable in our daily choices 

and lifestyle. Information overload is a 

real threat though, pushing those with 

the best intentions into an environmental 

existential spin - to keep it simple, we’ve 

summed up a few small changes that 

could have a big impact that are easy to 

adopt into every day life. 

Home Energy Saving 

Our homes are big energy guzzlers. 

Both the emissions made by our central 

heating and the greenhouse gases 

created in electricity production are huge 

contributors to our carbon footprint. 

But lots of changes can be made in 

the home, which also have the added 

benefit of being money savers too… 

The UK’s leading price comparison 

website, MoneySuperMarket, reveals 

the costs and savings associated with 

the most readily available renewable 

energy sources and efficiencyimprovers 

around the home. 

Renewable energy, defined as an energy 

source that is not depleted when used, 

offers the greatest monthly savings 

at £28.33 on average a month. On 

the other hand, efficiency measures, 

including energy-saving lightbulbs and 

reduced-water showerheads, offer an 

average of £6.92 in savings each month. 

• Energy-saving light-bulbs: Changing 

the light bulbs around your house to 

energy-saving would cost you around 

£51.80 which could result in a financial 

saving of £27 a month. Generating 

significantly less carbon dioxide whilst 

last much longer than a traditional 

lightbulb this investment would pay for 

itself in a month. 


• Cavity wall 

insulation: 

With an 

installation fee 

of £466, you’ll begin to 

see a return on your investment after 

three years and seven months. Not 

only does cavity wall reduce the cost 

of your energy bill, it also keeps your 

home warmer for longer and therefore 

reducing your carbon footprint. 

• Rooftop Solar Panel: Solar panels can 

provide electricity to your house using 

the light of the sun. Although installing 

them could cost you up to £8,0000, you 

could see saving up to £36.09 a month. 

However, solar panel benefits aren’t 

just about money. Solar panels don’t 

produce carbon emissions as they work 

so they can significantly reduce your 

home’s impact on the environment. 

Other small changes include turning 

power off at the switch, adding 

insulation to windows, doors and the 

loft, reduce the temperature of your 

washing machine and fix broken/ 

leaking taps. 

Greener Cleaning 

How often do we think of the chemicals 

we are using in the home? And worse, 

that end up in the water system. Green 

cleaners have a bit of a bad rep, but 

an amazing selection of products from 

Microbz might provide the answer - 

these clever cleaners are probiotic and 

restore the balance of positive microbes 

in your home, which naturally protects 

against pathogens - this means 

they continue to clean the surface 

long after they’ve been applied. The 

250ml concentrate bottle is extremely 

economical and makes 50, 500ml 

diluted spray bottles. See the full range 

and find out more about the science at 

microbz.co.uk 

Clockwise from left. Microbz Power Cleaner, 

250ml Concentrate £14.95, microbz.co.uk; 

Todds Coir Scrubs, £5 for two, 

hauslife.co.uk; Net Bag set, £1.95, 

rexlondon.com; 

Muslin Bag set, £15.99, amazon.co.uk 

On the topic of cleaning, did you 

know that every synthetic sponge you 

use ends up in a landfill and takes 

up to 52,000 years to decompose? 

Enter another natural solution, Todd’s 

coconut coir scrubs - these little natural 

pads replace conventional scourers 

and sponges and are 100% eco 

friendly, 100% bio-degradable, retain 

less water and are more hygienic than 

synthetic sponges - plus, they support 

local communities in Sri Lanka where 

they are made. hauslife.co.uk are the 

exclusive UK stockists. 

Quick Tips: 

• Shop locally and support local farmers 

where you can 

• Reusable everything - use reusable 

bags plus try to buy glass containers 

that can be refilled 

• Reduce household waste by using a 

compost bin 

• Unsubscribe to letters/catalogues you 

don’t wish to receive 

• Dry laundry on a line 

• Use cloth instead of paper to clean 

your kitchen 

• Switch to cloth nappies – or at least 

combine with disposables (even one 

cloth nappy per day means 365 fewer 

disposables in the landfill annually) 

• Use menstrual cups or menstrual 

underwear like ModiBodi to reduce 

landfill 

• Ditch cling film and plastic bags 

for vegetables and use breathable, 

reusable bags and beeswax food wraps 

• Walk and cycle where you can. If you 

use the car, try to reduce trips and 

avoid aggressive driving

for those who want 

something a bit special 


We speak to Richard Budworth BDS, 

owner of River Dental, to find out 

what makes his practice unique... 

Richard set up River Dental 12 years ago following his dream 

of setting up his own practice. Previously he started his career 

in the Army, serving throughout the world before working in an 

NHS and private practice near Salisbury. 

Many of us have anxiety about our smiles but are at a loss 

for ways to improve it that are not too invasive – what can 

you offer? 

There are a huge variety of treatments available and these 

are constantly evolving but the most important thing is to find 

something that meets your needs and budget. Your dentist 

should be able to take you through all these options to find the 

most suitable treatment. 

The biggest growth area at the moment is in adult orthodontics. 

Invisalign has been massively popular for years and now they 

offer short courses that just move your front teeth with clear 

braces. The cases we have done range from 7 to 20 weeks in 

length and this also means it is much cheaper than a full course. 

For those unhappy with the colour of their teeth then Tooth 

Whitening is a very safe, easy and reliable way of lightening the 

colour of your teeth. 

We can also use no or minimal preparation veneers which can 

be made of porcelain or composite if we need to cover the 

teeth below. These can even be done in one visit with CEREC 

technology so you leave with them finished the same day. 

Darker coloured fillings can ruin a smile – can these be 

improved? 

There are plans to reduce the use of metal fillings but at the 

moment it is still the most popular filling material in the country. 

Depending on their size these can be replaced with white 

(composite) fillings or onlays/Crowns (Porcelain). 

Are there methods to improve overall oral health that we can 

try at home? 

Everyone is different and some people have far more specialised 

needs than others but the best way is to keep it simple. Brush 

for 2 minutes twice a day and don’t rinse your mouth out after 

brushing. You only need to brush the teeth you want to keep!

Telephone: 023 8076 4389 

Fax: 023 8091 4413 

Email: info@southcoasturology.co.uk 

South Coast Urology (SCU) 

are a team of seven consultant 

urological surgeons providing 

a comprehensive service in all 

aspects of urology... 

Each consultant holds a teaching hospital appointment at 

University Hospital Southampton and has the extensive 

expertise in a specific area of urology. 

You may choose to see any of our experts for a consultation 

and diagnosis, our philosophy is that through subspecialisation 

and team-working we are able to guarantee 

that should they require an operation, it will be performed 

by a high volume surgeon – something that has been shown 

time and again to improve outcomes for patients. 

Our services include: 

• 2 week wait (e.g. raised PSA, 

abnormal DRE, haematuria, 

testis and renal masses). 

• Prostate cancer diagnostics 

using multi parametric MRI, 

specialist and targeting 

biopsy techniques (template, 

fusion, smart), robotic surgery, 

salvage treatments. 

• Benign prostate disorders 

such as benign enlargement, 

infections, inflammation. 

Treatment options include 

TURP, HoLEP (laser surgery), 

Urolift, PAE (Prostate Artery 

Embolisation). 

• Urinary tract stone disease 

with shockwave lithotripsy, 

ureteroscopy, laser lithotripsy, 

micro/mini/standard PCNL 

and chemical pathology 

support to prevent further 

stones. 

• Bladder conditions such 

as over-active bladder 

(OAB), infections, stones, 

incontinence, supported by 

a high quality urodynamics 

service. 

• Men’s health conditions 

including erectile dysfunctions 

(ED), andropause, 

contraception (vasectomy). 

• Complex robotic, 

laparoscopic and open cancer 

options for those with bladder, 

renal, testis and neighbouring 

organ tumours. 

South Coast Urology work 

closely with a wider network 

of specialists including 

radiologists, oncologists, nurses 

and chemical pathologists. 

Appointments are available 5 

days a week at 3 leading private 

hospitals in Southampton, 

Bournemouth and Chandler’s 

Ford. 

Our efficient administration 

team will be happy to help 

direct your patient to the most 

appropriate consultant for their 

condition at a time that suits. 

www.southcoasturology.co.uk


the best change in you 

Winchester Lifestyle Magazine takes 

pleasure in introducing our readers 

to one of the UK’s top cosmetic doctors 

Dr Christopher Rennie - the founder 

of Romsey Medical Aesthetics in 

Hampshire... 

Dr Rennie is a surgically trained 

Aesthetics Specialist, director of Romsey 

Medical Aesthetics, international trainer 

for Derma Medical (UK’s premier 

aesthetics training facility for medical 

professionals) and inaugural member of 

the Academic Aesthetics Mastermind 

Group. 

What cosmetic treatments do 

you offer? 

With my wife, Nurse Emily, we provide 

an extensive range of non-surgical 

medical aesthetic procedures including 

anti-wrinkle treatments, hyaluronic acid 

dermal fillers, skin boosters and medical 

grade chemical skin peels for resurfacing 

and regeneration. 

I specialise in bespoke treatment 

including a full Medi-Structural Facial 

Transformation & Rejuvenation service. 

We have all seen images of cosmetic 

surgery gone wrong, but the truth 

is that many procedures have come 

a long way – how do you reassure 

patients and make sure the result of 

their treatment looks natural? 

I work very much on a stepwise ladder. It 

is more desirable and safer to build upon 

subtle results than to lessen the impact 

of dramatic change. I am not in the 

market of producing ‘trout pouts’, wide, 

over-angulated jawlines and other such 

‘Instagram-inspired’ fakery. 

The problem with the industry now is that 

too many aesthetics practitioners place 

financial gain as their primary incentive 

as opposed to assessing and managing 

individual client requirements. 

The best work I perform is that which 

is not overtly obvious to anybody but 

induces joy, happiness and improved 

self-confidence. 

The rise in non-invasive procedures 

has been meteoric – are there any 

surprising ones that people might not 

be aware of? Or new technologies? 

Emily and I pride ourselves on doing 

extensive research into all procedures 

that we offer and only put our name to 

those which have a wealth of scientific 

backing and client testimony. 

The development of non-surgical 

treatments has created a shift away from 

traditional surgical routes and treatments 

such as non-surgical rhinoplasty (nose 

augmentation) and profile balancing using 

dermal filler is increasing in popularity. 

The use of botulinum toxin for the 

eradication of problematic sweating can 

also have a life-changing impact. 

How do you decide on the right level of 

work for patients? 

Everybody considering having treatment 

at RMA has a comprehensive preprocedure 

consultation to discuss 

perceptions, expectations, restrictions 

and fears. We use specific Aesthetic 

Interest Questionnaires (AIQs) to 

ascertain client’s feelings about 

appearance and how to progress along a 

treatment journey. We offer a ‘cooling off’ 

period to allow for clients to reflect and 

consider treatments and we screen all 

our clients for Body Dysmorphic Disorder 

(BDD) and signpost any of those who 

display ‘red flag’ signs to the relevant 

psychological support. 

Less is more and putting client 

satisfaction as our central focus has 

stood us in great stead so far. 

What is your advice for anyone 

considering a cosmetic procedure? 

Simply to ask plenty of questions of 

any practitioner. Do your own research 

into potential treatments you may want. 

Ensure the practitioner has relevant 

medical qualifications to perform all 

procedures and who can deal with any 

potential complications that may occur. 

Do not be coerced into unnecessary 

treatment. If it doesn’t ‘feel’ right, walk 

away. 

01794 278110 

www.rmauk.com 

21A Market Place 

Romsey SO51 8NA 


THE HAIRY BIKERS 

Easy Eats 

The following recipes have been taken from Si and Dave’s 

new cookbook based around one-pot recipes. The hearty 

meals featured in their book are delicious and nutritious and 

hopefully there will be no fighting about who will be doing the 

washing up. Just right for Christmas... 

Turkey and 

ham 

C hristmas Casserole 

This is a great way to use up any leftover 

turkey and ham at Christmas, or you can 

substitute chicken at any other time of 

year. The topping is made from stuffing 

ingredients and turns out beautifully crunchy 

and tasty - of course, many of us think the 

stuffing is the best part of Christmas dinner. 

A fab festive feast. Serves 4 

INGREDIENTS 

50g butter 

3 leeks, cut into rounds 

30g plain flour 

100ml white wine 

500ml chicken stock 

100ml double cream 

400g cooked turkey (or chicken), diced 

150g ham, diced 

2 tarragon sprigs, leaves finely chopped 

100g peas, defrosted 

6 cubes of frozen spinach, defrosted 

salt and black pepper 

Stuffing crust 

100g breadcrumbs 

1 small onion, grated 

100g chestnuts, grated 

50g dried cranberries, soaked in warm 

water (optional) 

2 tsp dried sage 

small bunch of parsley, finely chopped 

large knob of butter 

METHOD 

First make the filling. Heat the butter in a 

large flameproof casserole dish. When it 

has melted, add the leeks with plenty of 

seasoning and turn down the heat. 

Cover the dish with a lid and leave the leeks 

to cook gently until tender. Stir regularly 

and try not to let them take on any colour. 

Stir the flour into the dish to form a roux 

around the leeks. Add the wine and stir 

vigorously - it will thicken considerably. 

Gradually add the stock, stirring constantly, 

until you have incorporated it all, then add 

the cream. Fold in the turkey or chicken, 

ham, tarragon and peas. Squeeze any 

excess water from the spinach, then stir the 

spinach into the dish. Taste for seasoning 

and add salt and pepper as needed. 

To make the topping, mix the breadcrumbs, 

onion, chestnuts, drained cranberries and 

the herbs, then season with plenty of salt 

and pepper. Sprinkle this mixture over the 

top of the filling, then dot with butter. Bake 

in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the filling 

is bubbling and breaking through the crisp, 

golden-brown topping. 

Veggie chilli 

with cornmeal 

dumplings 

We do like a dumpling and these sweetcorn 

ones are just right with our veggie chilli. 

There are lots of great flavours here and 

this is a good filling feast for hungry hordes. 

Serves 4 

INGREDIENTS 

2 tbsp olive oil 

1 large onion, diced 

1 green pepper, diced 

1 red pepper, diced 

2 celery sticks, diced 

2 jalepeño chillies, finely diced 

4 garlic cloves, crushed 

2 bay leaves 

1 tbsp ground cumin 

25g red lentils, well rinsed 

750ml vegetable stock 

400ml coconut milk 

1 head of baby spring greens, shredded 

2 x 400g cans of black or pinto beans, 

drained and rinsed 

juice of 1 lime 

salt and black pepper 

Cornmeal dumplings 

150g self-raising flour 

75g chilled butter, diced 

125g fine cornmeal 

125g sweetcorn, defrosted if frozen 

50ml buttermilk 

1 egg 

100g vegetarian Cheddar cheese, grated 

chopped fresh coriander 

METHOD 

Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole 

dish with a lid and add the onion, peppers, 

celery and chillies. Cook over a medium 

heat until the vegetables have started to 

soften, then stir in the garlic, bay leaves, 

cumin and red lentils. Season generously 

with salt and pepper, then pour in the 

vegetable stock. 

Bring to the boil and leave for 5 minutes, 

then turn down the heat and continue to 

simmer until the red lentils have softened. 

Add the coconut milk, spring greens and 

beans and cook until the spring greens are 

tender and the lentils have collapsed and 

thickened the sauce. Taste for seasoning 

and add the lime juice. 

To make the dumplings, put the flour into 

a bowl with a pinch of salt. Rub in the 

butter until the mixture resembles fine 

breadcrumbs, then mix in the cornmeal, 

sweetcorn, buttermilk and egg. Bring 

everything together into a firm dough, then 

divide into 12 pieces. Roll them into balls. 

Arrange the dumplings over the chilli and 

cover. Cook over a medium heat for about 

25 minutes until the dumplings are well 

risen and glossy. Serve the chilli with grated 

cheese and plenty of chopped coriander. 



HAMPSHIRE WINE 

SCHOOL 

Fancy learning more about champagne? As 

a champagne expert born in the region itself, 

I am planning a new trip to the Champagne 

region and would like to take you with me.... 

Friday 17th of July - Monday 20th July 2020 

The price for this once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Champagne Region 

with myself as your personal guide is £799 per person based 

on two people sharing a room (or £874 per person based on a 

single room occupancy), and includes transport on a daily basis, 

accommodation in a 3-star hotel in the centre of Reims. 

BOOK NOW by emailing me at cecile.bergart@gmail.com 

www.hampshirewineschool.com 

-WEDDING FAYRE - 

Sunday 26th January 2020 


MIRACLE SELF-SAUCING 

Black Forest Gateau 

Self-saucing puddings like this are little 

miracles. You bung everything in the baking 

dish and it magically separates into moist 

sponge and gooey sauce. We like to add a 

drop of the hard stuff, but if you don’t fancy 

it, leave it out and the pud is still fab. The 

simplest Black Forest gateau you’ve ever 

seen. Serves 4–6 

INGREDIENTS 

butter, for greasing 

400g frozen black cherries, defrosted 

Sponge 

125g self-raising flour 

200g light soft brown sugar 

50g cocoa powder 

pinch of salt 

125ml milk 

60ml vegetable oil 

Sauce 


100g muscovado sugar 

150ml just-boiled water 

25ml Kirsch or rum (optional) 

To serve 

double cream 

METHOD 

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/ 

Gas 4. Butter a 2-litre pudding dish, then 

tip in the cherries – no need to strain them. 

Give the dish a shake so they are evenly 

distributed. 

For the sponge, mix the 

self-raising flour with the 

light soft brown sugar, cocoa 

powder and a generous 

pinch of salt. Whisk the milk 

and vegetable oil together 

and then pour them over the 

dry ingredients. Mix until you 

have a smooth batter, then 

spoon this over the cherries. 

For the sauce, mix the cocoa 

with the muscovado sugar 

and sprinkle this evenly over 

the batter. Pour over the 

water and Kirsch, if using. 

Bake the pudding in the oven for 30–35 

minutes. The top will turn into a cracked 

chocolate sponge and the bottom will 

have a rich, chocolatey sauce around the 

cherries. If the sponge is still wet in the 

middle, continue to cook for a few more 

minutes. If it looks black around the edges, 

don’t worry, it won’t be burnt. 

Serve hot or at room temperature (the 

sauce will thicken as it cools) with cream. 

The Hairy Bikers’ One Pot Wonders by Si 

King and Dave Myers is published by Seven 

Dials in hardback at £22, photography by 

Andrew Hayes-Watkins 


NOTES 

from the pass 

Michael Caines MBE, chef/patron of Lympstone 

Manor, is one of Britain’s most decorated and 

well-known chefs. Sally Thomson caught up with 

him to discuss his ventures in wine, his passion 

for teaching and his need for speed... 

When we last met you were at 

Kentisbury Grange, and I note that you 

received some awards for that? 

Yes, the Small Hotel of the Year and 

Restaurant of the Year. It’s great! 

Kentisbury Grange is owned by my old 

school friend Mark Cushway. Mark asked 

me to get involved and help him with 

his project, which I did, and it’s great to 

see that over the years we’ve managed 

to acquire many awards which is a 

tribute to the team. The chef there at the 

moment is James Checkley and he is 

doing a great job, and we just continue 

to advance and improve. There are 

challenges being in North Devon that are 

different to being located in South Devon, 

unfortunately places in North Devon can 

get overlooked on the culinary map, so 

it’s nice to be able to contribute to the 

North Devon economy by creating a 

lovely venue, and to see it do well. 

When we last spoke you mentioned that 

your pride and joy was Lympstone Manor. 

You are now nearly into its third year… 

It’s incredible to think that when we last 

met, it was just in its infancy. We won a 

Michelin Star within six months, and we 

are very pleased to announce that we 

have been given five rosettes this year, 

so it is great progress and we just look to 

the Michelin gods that we might advance 

to two! But the main thing is that since 

we spoke we planted a vineyard and the 

whole property has settled and matured. 

It really is the best of me and everything 

that I have achieved in my career 

combined into this wonderful place. 

Do you draw back the curtains and pinch 

yourself to remember that it’s yours? 

Every day! When I walk into that 

"Lympstone Manor 

really is the best of 

me, and everything 

that I have achieved in 

my career combined 

into this wonderful 

place." 

property and I look 

at that view…I do pinch myself! But 

I also recognise that it has been a 

huge amount of hard work and it still 

continues to take a lot of commitment. 

So about your vineyard! The harvest 

in 2018 was good wasn’t it? 

The harvest in the UK in 2018 was 

brilliant, it was the best harvests in the 

history of English wine making, it’s been 

incredible. We planted our vineyard in 

2018, and in its second year it will 

produce grapes that we can harvest 

(next year), those grapes will then be 

vinified and we will be releasing our first 

wine in 2024. So it takes three years for 

the vineyard to establish. We are now in 

our second year. We planted, in eleven 

acres, 17,500 vines, of which 50% 

are Pinot Noir, 20% Meunier and 30% 

are Chardonnay. They are the classic 

champagne varietals, so we are looking 

forward to producing some wonderful 

English sparkling wine. Hopefully they will 

have their own story to tell, alongside the 

story of Lympstone Manor. 

I’ve been watching Jason Atherton 

in The Chef’s Brigade, and what I 

hadn’t really realised is the interaction 

between each person in the kitchen 

and how it can affect the cuisine. I 

work in an office, and each person 

does their own thing, whereas in a 

kitchen, the relationship between each 

person is quite a complex one! 

In all honesty it’s not that different! Similar 

to what you described with your office, 

everyone has different disciplines. The 

editor brings into the magazine all those 

different skills that contribute into a great 

publication. In a kitchen it is similar, it’s 

like an orchestra, and we conduct that 

orchestra, but we edit it and so we are 

the curators but it requires an individual 

team working alongside each other and 

communicating. Our deadlines however 

are very immediate! It requires massive 

amounts of effort and discipline, and 

that discipline is not self-indulgent, 

it’s selfless, as it is a requirement. It is 

a very tough environment. We are all 

interconnected and intertwined, but it’s 

also like the analogy of a swan, where on 

the surface to the customer we appear 

very calm, but underneath there’s two 

legs paddling! But we’ve got more than 

two legs on the team, and those legs are 

components, all working together. It’s 

fascinating and it’s a good insight into 

what goes on behind the scenes. 

25

On a completely different note, did 

you go to Silverstone this year? If so, 

how many Grand Prix’s did you get to 

attend? 

I did go this year, it was great! I’ve seen 

four this year, sometimes it’s five. But I 

did three Europeans and one fly-away, 

and so we send a chef out to all the 

Europeans to support ROKiT Williams 

Racing, and I go to Monaco, British, 

Monza and America. Sometimes I do Abu 

Dhabi and I might try and do Singapore 

next year. I do as many or as few as I 

want, but no less than three. 

What’s your favourite? 

Monaco is amazing but the racing is 

dull. Monza is the fastest track. Italy, I 

love Italy. But I love Silverstone for pure 

racing, it’s a great track. It’s a fascinating 

sport, and I think as much as we criticise 

it, one minute you can have a dull race 

and the next minute you can have the 

most exciting race. 

I know you are very involved with 

charities, and you have the Michael 

Caines Academy at Exeter College? 

It’s probably more of an educational 

programme at Exeter College where we 

take sixteen students through two years 

of training and they then graduate as 

a Michael Caines Academy student. In 

that time they have a slightly shortened 

curriculum where they spend six weeks 

in work experience and they have do 

one ‘experience day’ a week, which are 

cooking demonstrations, visits to the 

industry etc. After these two years when 

they graduate they are very sought after, 

because of the experience they have 

gained. So the academy is very important 

and it’s doing a great job supplying the 

industry with some much needed talent. 

They are all like-minded and are fabulous 

kids, and now in its eighth year we’ve had 

sixty cohorts going through, and we will 

continue to develop. We might increase 

the cohort, and we might expand the 

academy within other colleges. But in 

terms of the charity work I do, I work with 

seven different charities. I’m patron of 

Families for Children which is an adoption 

charity, I’m the president of the wonderful 

charity Farms for City Children, I’m on the 

board for the Exeter Chiefs Foundation, 

which is the charity for the Exeter Rugby 

team which do a fantastic job. I’m also 

an ambassador and advisor to the board 

of the Calvert Trust, and I also work 

alongside Damon Hill’s Charity who 

support people with Down’s Syndrome. 

So it’s lots of different charities! But it 

increases public awareness, and I’m 

particularly proud to have been made 

a deputy lieutenant to the lieutenant of 

Devon, because through this position 

I am able to work on improving the 

network of charities in Devon, and get 

them working together. 

In terms of the success of the Exeter 

Chiefs, and the work that they do – we 

support seventeen charities every 

year, but alongside that we donate 

undesignated funds to a huge amount of 

different charities. What we are seeing 

is a way in which we can help charities 

with capital projects, and last year we 

got together with the Property Ball. 

They raised £55,000 last year towards 

charities, and we chose to match fund 

"If you are a public 

figure...then I 

think you have a 

duty of care to do 

something and 

put back in the 

community" 

that, and so between the two charities 

we raised £110,000 to refit Devon 

Hospice in Exeter, which was a wellworthy 

cause and an incredible thing 

to do. But it’s things like that, that are 

about the community, that inspire you 

to get involved. If you are a public figure 

or you are someone who is perceived 

to be a celebrity or you are successful 

then I think you have a duty of care 

to do something and put back in the 

community. Not everybody does it but I 

think it is important. 

You can find out more about Michael 

Caines at michaelcaines.com 

and Lympstone Manor at 

lympstonemanor.co.uk 

26

C hristmas 

MINI CHOCOLATE & 

RASPBERRY TARTS 

So, you're not a fan of mince meat and 

dried fruit? Christmas is a challenging 

time then. Just as well to have 

these delicious Christmas pudding 

alternatives for the big day. Recipes 

from egg experts Clarence Court 

Prep: 30 mins | Cook: 30 mins to 1 hour 

Serves 6 

INGREDIENTS 

For the pastry: 

150g (5oz) plain flour 

4 level tbsp icing sugar 

Pinch of salt 

100g (3½ oz) unsalted butter 

1 Burford Brown egg yolk 

For the filling: 

4 tbsp raspberry conserve 

284ml carton whipping cream 

2 tbsp liquid glucose 

200g bar dark chocolate 

50g (1¾ oz) unsalted butter 

Few drops of vanilla extract 

Fresh raspberries and chocolate curls or 

fans, to serve 

Icing sugar, to dust 

METHOD 

Pre heat the oven to 180°C (350°F, gas mark 4). 

Pour flour, icing sugar and salt into a bowl and stir. 

Cut the butter into smaller pieces before adding it to 

the flour and rubbing together. 

Add the Burford Brown egg yolk and bind together 

(if required, add 1-2tbsp of water to get the desired 

consistency). Wrap the pastry in cling film and leave 

to chill it for around 15 mins. 

Roll the pastry and use it to line the tins. Prick 

the bottom of the pastry and line with backing 

parchment and baking beans before putting it in the 

oven to bake for 12-15 minutes. 

Remove the baking parchment and baking beans 

then return to the oven to bake for a further 3-5 

minutes or until the pastry is cooked through. 

Take out of the oven and leave to cool. Remove the 

pastry from the tin and cover the bases with jam. 

For the chocolate filling, carefully bring cream to the 

boil and remove from the heat. Stir in liquid glucose 

and pour over the chocolate, stirring until it's 

melted. Add butter and vanilla extract and stir until 

melted. Pour the chocolate into the cases. Chill until 

filling has set. Decorate with raspberries to finish. 

THESE HEAVENLY CHOCOLATE 

TARTS ARE NOT ONLY A 

MOUTHFUL OF CHOCOLATE 

RASPBERRY HEAVEN, BUT THEY 

ARE ALSO SO EASY TO MAKE. 

27

WINTER FRUIT 

& NUT PAVLOVA 

Prep: 30 mins | Cook: 1 hour 20 mins 

Serves: 6-8 

INGREDIENTS 

6 large Clarence Court Burford Brown egg 

whites (keep the yolks in the fridge for 

another day or make eggnog) 

300g caster sugar 

Pinch sea salt 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

2 tablespoon icing sugar 

50g pecans 


1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 

4 figs 

200g mixed berries (red currants, 

raspberries) 

1 clementine or tangerine, peeled into 

segments 

4 tablespoons sweetened chestnut puree 

Ground cinnamon 

METHOD 

Pre-heat the oven to 120°C. Line a baking 

sheet with greaseproof paper and draw a 

30cm circle on it as a template. 

IT’S A GOOD IDEA TO MAKE 

ONE ONCE YOU'RE NEARLY 

DONE WITH THE OVEN AFTER 

A DAY OF BAKING AND 

ROASTING. ONCE COOKED, 

TURN OFF THE OVEN AND 

ALLOW THE MERINGUE TO 

COOL IN THERE UNTIL THE 

NEXT DAY. 

Place the egg whites in a large, spotlessly 

clean mixing bowl and whisk with a hand held 

or freestanding electric mixer until stiff peaks 

have formed. Add the caster sugar a spoonful 

at a time, whisking the whole time then add 

the sea salt and vanilla extract. Continue 

to whisk for around 8 minutes or until all 

the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is 

smooth. To test this take a pinch of mixture 

between your finger and thumb and rub 

together. If it’s a little gritty, continue mixing. 

Spoon the mixture on to the lined baking 

sheet using the back of the spoon to create 

peaks. Place the pavlova in the oven for 

around 1 hour and 20 minutes or until set 

and crisp. Once baked switch off the oven 

and allow the oven to cool down completely. 

Once cooled you can keep the pavlova in 

an air tight box for around 3 days in a cool 

dark place. 

About 30 minutes before you’re ready to 

serve remove the pavlova from the oven and 

pre-heat to 200°C. Line a small roasting tin 

or baking sheet with grease proof paper. 

Rinse the pecans under cold water in a sieve 

and tip into a roasting tin whilst wet, sprinkle 

over 1 tablespoon icing sugar, toss together 

and bake in the oven for around 15 minutes 

until toasted and crunchy. 

Meanwhile pour the cream into a large mixing 

bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoons icing 

sugar and vanilla bean paste. Whisk to soft 

peaks and place to one side. 

Wash fruits, quarter the figs. Place the 

pavlova on a serving plate or board and 

spoon over the cream, spoon the chestnut 

puree on top and arrange over the fruit. 

Scatter over the caramelised pecans and 

dust over a little ground cinnamon. 

28

FLOURLESS 

CHOCOLATE 

CAKE 

Prep: 30 minutes 

Cook: 1 hour | Serves: 8-10 

INGREDIENTS 

6 Clarence Court Burford Brown eggs, 

separated 

200g unsalted butter 

200g dark chocolate 

Finely grated zest of one orange (cut the 

orange itself into thin slices for serving 

with the cake) 

1 tablespoon cold espresso 



Créme frâiche (or salted caramel sauce) 

for serving 

Pecan nuts (optional) 

METHOD 

Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3. 

Grease a 23cm springform cake tin, and 

line with baking parchment. 

Place a heatproof bowl over a saucepan 

of simmering water. Add the butter, 

chocolate and orange zest to the bowl, 

and, stirring occasionally, allow to melt 

until smooth. Stir in the espresso. Take 

the bowl off the heat and place to one 

side to cool a little. 

In a mixing bowl, whisk the sugar and egg 

yolks until they’re pale and fluffy. Sift in 

the cocoa powder and fold through, then 

sprinkle in a pinch of salt. In a separate 

mixing bowl, whip the egg whites into soft 

peaks using an electric hand whisk. Stir 

the melted chocolate mixture into the egg 

yolk mixture, then gently fold through the 

egg whites until just combined. 

Carefully pour the cake mix into the lined 

cake tin and place in the oven for around 

one hour. Test the dense cake after an 

hour by inserting a skewer into the centre: 

if it comes out nearly clean, it’s ready. 

Remove the cake from the oven and allow 

it to cool on a rack before removing it 

from the tin. 

Serve with the blood orange slices and 

créme frâiche, and/or the salted caramel 

sauce, with a handful of pecans (optional). 

FUDGY, MOUSSEY AND RICH. 

WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE? A 

PERFECT CAKE TO SERVE AS A 

GLUTEN-FREE TREAT, THAT’S 

SO DELICIOUS EVERYONE WILL 

WANT SOME. EGGS ARE THE 

KEY TO THIS CAKE, GIVING IT 

BODY AND RISE. 

29

PEAR & 

BLACKBERRY 

FRANGIPANE 

TART 

Prep: 1 hour | Cook: 1 hour 

Serves: 8 

INGREDIENTS 

Plain flour 

1 500g pack shortcrust pastry 

160g unsalted butter, softened 


2 Clarence Court Burford Brown 

eggs 

160g ground almonds 

2 tablespoons plain flour 

1 teaspoon almond extract 

50g blackberry jam 

100g blackberries 

3 pears 

Icing sugar 

METHOD 

Roll the pastry to 3mm thick on 

a lightly floured work surface. 

Carefully line a 22cm, round, fluted 

tart tin allowing for a little overhang. 

Prick the base all over and place the 

lined tin in the freezer for 1 hour. 

Meanwhile place the butter, sugar, 

egg, almonds and extract in a large 

mixing bowl. Whisk together until 

smooth and place to one side. Peel 

one of the pears, core and chop 

then place to one side. 

Pre-heat the oven to 180c/350f/ 

gas mark 4. Fill the chilled case with 

baking beans and blind bake for 15 

minutes. Remove the baking beans 

and return the case to the oven and 

bake for a further 5 minutes or until 

golden. 

Once baked, remove the tart case 

from the oven and spoon the jam 

into the bottom of the case. Scatter 

over the chopped pear. Fold half of 

the berries into the frangipane and 

spoon over the jam and chopped 

pear. Smooth over with a spatula. 

Halve, core and slice the remaining 

2 pears. Arrange the slices over the 

frangipane and dot the remaining 

blackberries around. Place the tart 

on an oven tray and bake for 30 

minutes or until just risen and set. 

Allow to cool for a few minutes 

before removing from the tin and 

allow to cool on a wire rack. Serve 

warm with creme fraiche and 

berries or allow to cool completely. 

Dust with icing sugar and serve. 

QUICK HOMEMADE 

FRANGIPANE IS THE PERFECT 

CARRIER FOR ALL TYPES 

OF FRUIT. CRANBERRIES 

AND CITRUS FRUITS ARE 

ALSO GREAT CHOICES FOR 

CHRISTMAS 

30

EGGCELLENT EGGNOG 

Prep: 10 mins (plus chilling) | Cook: 10 mins 

Serves 6 

INGREDIENTS 

565ml (1 pint) milk 


1 vanilla pod, halved, seeds scraped out (or 1 tablespoon 

vanilla bean paste) 

Half a whole nutmeg, grated (plus a little extra for serving) 

2 sticks cinnamon 

2 whole cloves 

4 Burford brown eggs separated 

100g golden caster sugar 

130ml Cockspur fine rum 

3 tablespoons demerara sugar 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

METHOD 

Pour the milk and cream in to a saucepan. Add the spices 

(including the empty vanilla pod) and place on a medium 

heat. Bring to a simmer (but not boiling) and allow to cool for 

5 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse. 

Meanwhile place the egg yolks and sugar in a large mixing 

bowl. Whisk well until light and thickened. Strain the warm milk 

into a jug through a sieve. Pour the spiced milk into the bowl of 

egg yolks in a steady stream whisking well. Stir in the rum. 

You can either place the mixture in a cooled sterilised bottle 

with a tight fitting lid and allow the flavours to develop in the 

fridge. If you decide to do this you can freeze the egg whites 

in a sandwich bag until you’re ready to use. Then defrost 

them in the fridge before whisking. 

If you would like to serve straight away. Place the egg whites 

in a large mixing bowl and whisk the whites to soft peaks. 

Mix the demerara sugar and ground cinnamon on a plate. 

Have a small bowl of rum or water ready. 

Fold the egg whites in to the eggnog mix then pour into a 

serving jug. Dip the rims of serving glasses into the rum or 

water and then dip straight into the sugar and cinnamon mix. 

Divide the eggnog between glasses and finish with a grating 

of nutmeg. 

Images Courtesy David Loftus 

31

OWLEEZ 

Interactive Owleez 

responds to your 

touch, movement 

and care – it has 

over 100 sounds 

and movements 

and can even fly! 

£44.99, amazon. 

co.uk 

MY PARTNER PIKACHU 

3 touch sensors let you and 

Pikachu communicate in a 

new and fun way. £17.99, 

smythstoys.com 

PET POOKI 

The interactive pet! With 

over an hour of content, 

movement and sounds 

Pooki will respond 

differently to your child's 

interaction. Pooki will 

look for you when you 

call her name, don't shout 

though she gets scared. 

£49, argos.co.uk 

NEON MARL 

Fun and bright 

sweatshirts and 

hoodies for her, 

the kids plus 

festive designs 

£30, neonmarl. 

co.uk 

SUEDE SLIPPERS 

Beautiful, soft handmade 

Moroccan slippers with 

padding inside that moulds 

to the feet. Grey and Tan 

Brown available. £16 with 

free P&P, hauslife.co.uk 

FLORIS REED 

DIFFUSER 

Fill your home with the warming fragrance of 

Ginger & Sandalwood from luxury scent makers 

Floris. £70, florislondon.com 

PERFORMANCE 

GYM BALL 

Help support fitness 

goals at home with 

this sturdy 65cm ball 

and pump. £21.99, 

1000mile.co.uk 

SNEAK V TRAINERS 

Sustainable, vegan lace up sneaker in breathable and 

soft (yet hard-wearing) alternative to leather, featuring 

perforated Po-Zu butterfly 

logo detail. £99, 

po-zu.com 

PICTIONARY AIR 

A fun take on a classic. 

Just download the free 

Pictionary Air app and 

take turns drawing 

clues in the air while 

your teammates 

guess the images 

that appear on the 

screen! £19.99, 

amazon.co.uk 

HER 

KIDS 

THE VERY MERRY 

CHRISTMAS BOARDGAME 

Move around the board 

collecting presents (present 

cards) to put in your stocking. 

Presents have a value 

depending on whether they’re 

nice… or naff! £20, Debenhams 

and Amazon 

LONG DACHSHUND MATCHES 

At 29cm these long matches are a 

joy to behold as well as being ideal 

for lighting hard-to-reach candles or 

lanterns. They come in a beautifully 

letter press-printed box. 

£10, noblemacmillan.com 

HARRY POTTER GAMES 

Know your OWLS from your 

NEWTS? Test your HP knowledge 

with word game Lex-GO or 

get quizing with Top Trumps 

with a twist. Lex-GO, £14.99, 

Waterstones and Top Trumps, 

£9.99, amazon.co.uk 

CACAO & VANILLA CANDLE 

Get a chocolate hit without 

the calories with this sublimely 

scented candle from Hotel 

Chocolat, made with natural 

soy, coconut and beeswax 

for a cleaner burn. £28, 

hotelchocolat.com 

LEATHER POUCH 

Beautiful, buttery soft leather 

pouches with sublime 

tassels - make yours pop 

with your initial too! Leather 

Pouch, £99 and Alphabet 

Keyring, £40, 

noblemacmillan. 

com 

32

FLEX DELUXE MICRO SCOOTER 

A premium scooter with a wood and 

fibreglass deck that flexes to absorb 

bumps and large 200mm wheels that 

glide serenely over any terrain. Matt 

Black Flex Deluxe, £179.95, 

micro-scooters.co.uk 

HIM 

MOSHI PORTO Q 5K 

A Qi Wireless battery 

which will have you 

charging on the go without 

worrying about cables. 

£79.95, moshi.com 

MOSHI WORLD 

TRAVEL ADAPTER 

This international 

power adapter 

features US/EU/ 

UK/AU power plugs 

to cover over 150 

countries. Charge up 

to six devices at the 

same time with the 

AC socket, USB-C 

port, and four USB 

ports. £54.95, 

moshi.com 

MYZONE MZ3 

The Myzone MZ3 tracks heart rate with 

99.6% accuracy and provides live workout 

feedback on your phone. £129, amazon. 

co.uk or myzone.org 

STM DAPPER 

WRAPPER 

Great for those that travel 

with tech, this handy rollup 

wrapper keeps cables 

tidy and all in one place. 

£24.95, stmgoods.com 

TINCUP AMERICAN WHISKEY 

A bourbon style profile with a bold 

and spicy finish. £30, asda.com 

SALTED CARAMEL HAMPER 

Complete with truffles, vodka, 

nut spread, shortbread and 

decadent hot chocolate. £27.50, 

hotelchocolat.com 

CHOCOLATE 

SLABS 

Hotel Chocolat has 

perfect bits for the 

whole family - we 

love the no alcohol 

Winter Puddings 

Sleekster Luxe 

and the Chocolate 

Slabs with cheery 

faces. Sleekster 

£35.95 and Slab 

£8,hotelchocolat.com 

ITALICUS 

A perfect festive botanical aperitivo to 

add to sparkling wine - not to mention a 

beautiful bottle for the drinks cabinet. 

£29.99, masterofmalt.com 

PRESTAT 

The ideal chocolate for gifting, 

we love their beautiful packaging, 

especially on the Mini Truffles 

Bauble. £12, prestat.co.uk 

BLACK COW VODKA 

FOOD 

& DRINK 

The only vodka made 

entirely from whey from 

grass-grazed cow’s milk 

left over from the 

cheese-making 

process. £28, 

blackcowvodka. 

co.uk 

CAPUCANA CACHACA 

Brazilian fire water! Capucana 

combines nine varieties of 

sugar cane distillate which 

gives its bright golden 

colour and its stewed fruit 

and grassy character. £36, 

masterofmalt.com 

BETTY'S 

CHOCOLATE 

DESIRES 

12 hand-piped 

chocolate discs 

topped with fruit and 

nuts. £12.75, 

bettys.co.uk 

PORTER’S 

TROPICAL 

OLD TOM GIN 

A classic juniper 

based gin lifted 

by exotic notes 

of passion fruit, 

guava and white 

tea. £34.67, 

masterofmalt. 

com 

33

magical 

OMAN 

Katie Thomson journeys to the mountains and dunes of Oman to 

discover unrivalled landscapes and classic Arabian hospitality 

34

The name Oman is a particularly evocative one. It 

speaks of the shifting sands of dunes and deserts, the 

intricate mastery of wood carving, interiors bedecked in 

jewel-toned fabrics reflected in shining brasswork and 

of millennia-old traditions and classic Arabic hospitality. 

It is also a country of contrasts - high mountain passes 

with spectacular valleys and picture postcard famous backdrops of 

sand dunes. 

You might not think mountains when you think of Oman, but the 

country has some of the most spectacular landscapes and vistas 

anywhere in the Middle East. Indeed, many nationals from the UAE 

or Saudi head to the Omani mountains for their holidays, preferring 

the milder climate in the summer months. 

Sitting atop a peak in Jabel Al Akhdar is the Sahab Resort and Spa, 

the latest hotel offering from the Omani Al Nahda group. Known for 

their strong commitment to service and luxurious settings, this hotel 

seeks to offer a mountain getaway where guests can truly relax. The 

hotel is of course centred around the views - spectacular vistas of 

gorges, waterfalls and stone cut ridges. The designers have been 

keen to ground the hotel in its location through a series of careful 

touches - the million year-old fossils found in the valley are visible 

throughout all of the grounds and the local rosewater scents the 

halls. 

Sahab offers 27 rooms in three different categories - Studio rooms, 

Suite rooms & Family Suites. The decor is influenced by rich Omani 

culture, equipped with all the modern amenities and offering a 

magnificent view of the Jabal Al Akhdar mountain range. It was 

special indeed to sip my morning coffee whilst gazing out across 

the vastness of the surroundings, watching as the sun stretched and 

touched each mountainous ridge in turn. 

There are lots of excursion options from the hotel - some abseiling 

and mountain climbing for adrenaline-seekers, alongside more 

sedate tours of local villages, the rose garden or even star gazing. I 

opted for the village tour, taking in the local waterfall and getting a 

sense of the unique challenges of living in somewhere so remote. 

After days of soaking up the endless views by the pool, it was time 

to move on to a more archetypal Middle Eastern experience in the 

sand dunes. 

Mirage-like and utterly majestic, the Dunes by Al Nahda resort sits 

amongst the undulating sand dunes of Wadi Al Abyad. Only 40 

minutes from Muscat, it’s a world away from city life, creating an 

authentic taste of the Omani experience. The hotel is made up of 

a series of static ivory one or two bedroom Bedouin tents, each 

luxuriously furnished with dark woods, richly patterned fabrics and 

ultra-comfortable beds. For a truly majestic stay, and this resort 

does host royalty, there are the Royal Suites. The size of almost 

four tents together, each is capacious at 139 square meters and 

equipped with separate bedrooms, a living room and a private patio. 

Dunes Resort and Spa 

“IT IS ALSO A COUNTRY 

OF CONTRASTS - HIGH 

MOUNTAIN PASSES WITH 

SPECTACULAR VALLEYS AND 

PICTURE POSTCARD FAMOUS 

BACKDROPS OF SAND DUNES.” 

35

“IT WAS SPECIAL 

INDEED TO SIP MY 

MORNING COFFEE 

WHILST GAZING 

OUT ACROSS THE 

VASTNESS OF THE 

SURROUNDINGS” 

Other than the opulent accommodation, what makes 

Dunes unique is the swimming pool - unlike many desert 

camps, Dunes is unique in having a spectacular infinity 

pool, with views stretching out for miles over undulating 

terrain. This immersion in the landscape is important, and 

it is emphasised at every opportunity - each tent enjoys 

similarly spectacular view of the dunes or the distant Al 

Hajar mountains, so, if like me you have a little jet lag, you 

can watch the sunrise over the sands from your bed! 

The resort offers a whole host of amazing experiences 

- from riding on Abdul the resident camel, guided quad 

biking on the dunes and even a most spectacular Arabian 

feast served under the stars. Just as in Sahab, Dunes 

prides itself on an excellent menu of Indian and Omani 

dishes. These are served in the Fleur Restaurant, open 

on all sides to the panoramic mountain views. Fleur’s 

head chef is somewhat of a local celebrity, having won 

the Omani equivalent of MasterChef. He was also a part 

of Rick Stein’s series on India - showing the calibre of the 

cookery on offer. 

It is clear with both resorts that the work is collaborative 

and dependent upon excellent staff. The chefs, both 

Indian, are adept and dexterous in the kitchen, creating 

different takes on classic Omani dishes and elevating 

them to fine dining - of course with some spice and curry 

flavours thrown in. The spas too are what the group are 

known for; Dr Mary Ann is one of those brought in at the 

conception of the hotel group, with the owners seeking 

out her health and wellbeing expertise to set up the 

medi-spa in the original Al Nadha Hotel. Her ethos and 

whole-body approach to wellbeing is echoed in each 

resort and she has designed a treatment menu for each 

that reflects its setting. 

In Sahab, perched as it is high in the mountains, the 

signature scent is called ‘Clouds’ - an uplifting fragrance 

which pairs with the Signature massage. In Dunes, the 

scent is a more musky ‘Arabian Nights’ and the signature 

treatment is quite extraordinary. Called the ‘Sand Spa’, 

clients take to an open air treatment room are immersed 

in sand which has been heated by the sun. It is said that 

a sand bath provides relief for people suffering from a 

range of muscular disorders as well as helping to ease 

the symptoms and heal various skin conditions too - 

the gentle heat is also supremely relaxing, bringing a 

soothing warmth to the body without becoming overly 

hot. After the sand, which exfoliates the skin too, a 

moisturising coating of natural yoghurt is applied to the 

skin. Quite unique and almost elemental in its approach, 

this is a treatment unlike any you might find elsewhere. 

36 

Dr Mary, originally from Scotland, was certain she would 

return home after setting up the spas - but she fell in

Images, clockwise from top left: Bedrooms at 

Sahab; amazing views from the Sahab pool 

area; the infinity pool at Dunes; Dunes tent 

interior; Abdul, Dunes' resident camel 

with Oman and moved permanently. I asked 

her about her thoughts on the way the modern 

world is changing what is ostensibly a traditionled 

country “the country is not virgin anymore, 

in the respect of technology and infrastructure, 

she is newly married though - growing a little, 

finding her way, experiencing new things and 

of course changing - but ultimately Oman is 

not so changed from its core and that is what 

makes it so magical.” 

It is amazing that a country can have as peaceful 

an existence as this, often called upon to be 

the mediator of other political conflicts. The 

Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said plays a part 

in this prosperity, and his particular penchant 

for aesthetically pleasing architecture has 

seen Oman, and Muscat in particular, grow 

gracefully and with tradition at its heart - you 

won’t see the skyscrapers of Dubai here as all 

buildings are limited to four storeys. There are 

lots of excursions available from Dunes which 

take in some of the city’s best sights - you can 

meander through the nearby Matrah Souk or 

visit the city’s architectural gem - Sultan Qaboo’s 

Mosque. This mosque can accommodate 

over 7,000 worshippers inside it’s cool marble 

prayer rooms and at its heart it houses the 

most dazzling chandelier I have ever seen - all 8 

tonnes of it. 

I have travelled fairly extensively in the Middle 

East, but something about Oman really did 

capture my imagination. It offers so much 

to the traveller - world-class scenery, lots of 

cultural sights, and of course that wonderful 

Omani hospitality. 

The Al Nahda Group too make the most of these 

elements, amplifying them in their hotels to give 

guests an authentic, but relaxing experience 

and surely fond memories of a holiday filled with 

adventure and discovery. 

TRAVEL TIPS: 

• 4 nights at Sahab and then three nights at Dunes, private transfers and 

return flights with Oman Air 

• Cox & Kings (0203 642 0861, coxandkings.co.uk) offers 4 nights at Sahab 

Resort & Spa on a full board basis and 3 nights at Dunes by Al Nahda on a 

half board basis from £2,395 per person (two sharing) including all private 

transfers and return economy international flights with Oman Air. 

• The currency is the Omani Rial - 2 rials is approximately £1 

• The national language is Arabic - handy phrases include 'Shukraan' - thank 

you, 'Salam Alaikum' - hello or peace be with you to which the response is 

'Wa-Alaikum-Salaam' - and peace with you also 

37

THE HOMEBUYER'S 

Thinking about moving or buying your first home? Read on... 

If you are beginning the process of buying 

your first home, selling to buy a bigger 

property or even downsizing once the 

kids have flown the nest, you may find 

that the property market is an unknown 

entity, full of potential pitfalls, doubts 

and unexpected costs. Couple that with 

the looming uncertainty of BREXIT, and 

you have a complicated set of hoops to 

jump through. In this guide, we aim to 

demystify homebuying and give useful 

advice for each stage of the process. 

BREXIT BLUES? 

UK house price growth remains subdued 

as uncertainty about the direction and 

shape of Brexit continues to weigh on the 

market. 

The latest figures from Nationwide show 

UK house prices rose by 0.4% on the year, 

the 11th month in a row that annual price 

growth remained below 1%. 

City A.M. says the latest modest rises 

“underline concerns over a slowdown 

in activity in the UK’s housing market, 

particularly in London and the South, 

despite a recent improvement in earnings 

and employment”. 

“It’s hard to see the market emerging from 

this sub-one per cent annual growth rut 

until there is clarity on Brexit,” said David 

Westgate, chief executive of Andrews 

Property group, adding “the sheer level of 

political uncertainty has left the property 

market in a protracted limbo”. 

Which? magazine says: “Whether you’re 

a staunch remainer or avid Brexiteer, 

there’s no denying that the uncertainty 

around when the UK will leave the EU, and 

the terms under which it may happen, is 

causing property market jitters.” 

What has the impact of Brexit been so far? 

“The economic uncertainty caused by 

Brexit has undoubtedly affected the 

market, with house price growth slowing 

year-on-year and the number of sales 

taking a dramatic dip in recent months,” 

says Which?. 

Nationwide’s chief economist Robert 

Gardner said this week that average 

prices rose by £800 over the last 12 

months, a sharp slowing compared with 

the year to October 2016, just after the 

Brexit referendum, when prices jumped 

by £9,100. 

Data released by Rightmove earlier this 

month found that the price of property 

coming to market has endured its weakest 

month-on-month rise at this time of year in 

over a decade. 

Prospective home buyers have been 

undeterred by the approaching Brexit 

deadline, while sellers have been put off 

by ongoing uncertainty over UK house 

prices, according to the real estate 

platform. 

While the latest Brexit extension has 

pushed back the imminent threat of a nodeal 

Brexit, investors and market experts 

have expressed concern about the 

potential consequences given it remains 

the default position if an agreement 

cannot be ratified by Parliament by 31 

January 2020. 

Information from theweek.co.uk 

FIRST-TIME BUYERS 

So, you’re about to make the biggest 

investment of your life so far. Scary, right? 

There’s a lot to think about, and a lot of 

costs you will not have even considered 

until the process has started. Your 

mortgage is the first thing you should 

think about, because until you have your 

Decision in Principle, you will not know 

what you can afford to buy. By going to 

an independent mortgage advisor, you 

will have the choice of many different 

banks and building societies, so you 

can assess options like the term of your 

mortgage, fixing interest rates and any 

cash back offered. 

Viewing Houses 

This is probably the most fun bit of 

the process, because you get to know 

your tastes and can have a look around 

some lovely properties in the process. 

Rightmove is a great resource, as is 

Zoopla for comparing prices in an area. 

As well as relying on these sites, it is 

vital that you make yourself known to 

lots of different local agents. Let them 

know in as much detail as possible what 

requirements you have (location, number 

of bedrooms, garden, garage etc) and 

your upper price limit. A good agent will 

let you know about properties about to 

come to the market, helping you get a 

head start on other buyers. 

Viewing Tip - When viewing houses, 

try to take some pictures (with the estate 

agent’s permission) on your phone as 

an aide memoir and if you have furniture 

from renting to fit in, take a tape measure 

and see if it would fit in the space. 

CONVEYANCING 

So, once you’ve found the property you 

want, you will need to instruct a solicitor 

to do the conveyancing for you. Before 

deciding on one, we recommend emailing 

or calling around for some quotes to 

make sure you get a competitive rate. 

38

GUIDE 

CHARTERED SURVEY 

Unless the property you are buying is less 

than 10 years old, it really does make good 

sense to have a survey. Most surveyors 

offer a choice between a RICS Homebuyer 

Report or a Building Survey. Send over 

the property details you have and they 

will help you decide on the best survey for 

peace of mind. Once again, it does pay to 

enquire with a few different firms to keep 

prices competitive and to find the right 

surveyor for the type of property you buy. 

Surveying Tip - If you are buying a 

flat, it can be difficult to know whether 

you need to have a full building survey 

(formerly called a structural survey). If 

you are buying a flat in a listed or older 

building, talk to your surveyor about 

whether they can offer a special package 

for you. 

SELLING 

Over the past few years, the property 

landscape really has become a seller’s 

market. With a high demand for property, 

estate agents are having to be creative 

in the way they compete for instructions. 

This is great news if you are selling, as 

you can ask them to be competitive in the 

rates they offer. 

Surveying Tips - It is likely that you 

will need to provide certificates or 

documentation of any major work you 

have had done on your home in the last 

10 years, primarily electrics. De-clutter 

before the estate agent comes to take 

photos. Your home needs to be a blank 

canvas, so the potential buyer can imagine 

their possessions there, without yours 

dominating their vision. 

MOVING 

So, you’ve accumulated a lot of stuff eh? 

Here are our top tips to make moving easier: 

• Start packing the areas of your 

home that you use the least. Pack 

essentials last. 

• At least 8 weeks before the date, 

notify change of address for any 

subscriptions. 

• Pack early if you are using the 

services of a moving company. Also 

be sure to label clearly and keep 

heavy boxes double taped. 

• Recycle anything you don’t love 

anymore. Start this process early, 

using a skip for unsellable items and 

send other bits to the charity shop. 

Removals companies sometimes 

charge by volume, so reducing the 

amount you take with you cuts costs. 

Help to Buy? 

The Help to Buy scheme offers an equity 

loan where the government lends firsttime 

buyers and existing homeowners 

money to buy a newly-built home. 

The purchase price must be no more 

than £600,000. Under this scheme, you 

can borrow 20% of the purchase price 

interest-free for the first five years as 

long as you have at least a 5% deposit. 

If you live in London, you can borrow up 

to 40% of the purchase price. 

The Government has confirmed it will 

extend its Help to Buy equity loan 

scheme from 2021 to 2023. However, this 

extension will be restricted to first-time 

buyers purchasing newly built homes. 

From 2021, there will also be new 

regional price caps which could reduce 

the maximum value of homes that can be 

bought through the Equity Loan Scheme. 

Help to Buy: Equity loans 

How they work 

• You need at least 5% of the sale 

price of your new-build flat or 

house as a deposit. 

• The government lends you up to 

20%, or 40% if you live in London, 

of the sale price. 

• You borrow the rest (up to 75%, or 

55% if you live in London) from a 

mortgage lender, on a repayment 

basis. 

• The equity loan must be repaid 

after 25 years, or earlier if you sell 

your home. 

• You must repay the same 

percentage of the proceeds of the 

sale as the initial equity loan (i.e. 

if you received an equity loan for 

20% of the purchase price of your 

home, you must repay 20% of the 

proceeds of the future sale). 

• You don’t pay any interest or fees 

on the government’s equity loan for 

the first five years. In the sixth year, 

you’ll be charged 1.75%. 

• After then, the fee rises by inflation 

based on the Retail Prices Index 

(RPI) plus 1% each year. 

• RPI figures are put together by the 

Office for National Statistics. 

Help to Buy: Shared 

Ownership 

If you can’t quite afford the mortgage on 

100% of a home, Help to Buy: Shared 

Ownership offers you the chance to buy 

a share of your home (between 25% and 

75% of the home’s value) and pay rent 

on the remaining share. Later on, you 

could buy bigger shares when you can 

afford to. 

You could buy a home through Help to 

Buy: Shared Ownership in England if: 

• Your household earns £80,000 a 

year or less outside London, or 

your household earns £90,000 a 

year or less in London 

• You are a first-time buyer, you used 

to own a home but can’t afford 

to buy one now or are an existing 

shared owner looking to move. 

With Help to Buy: Shared Ownership you 

can buy a newly built home or an existing 

one through resale programmes from 

housing associations. You’ll need to take 

out a mortgage to pay for your share of 

the home’s purchase price, or fund this 

through your savings. Shared Ownership 

properties are always leasehold. 

You can get help from another home 

ownership scheme called Older People’s 

Shared Ownership if you’re aged 55 or 

over. It works in the same way as the 

general Shared Ownership scheme, but 

you can only buy up to 75% of your 

home. Once you own 75% you won’t 

have to pay rent on the remaining share. 

39

Left, Blinds from 

englishblinds.co.uk 

Below, Lamp, £79, 

atkinandthyme.co.uk 

HOW TO MAKE YOUR GUEST BEDROOM 

Easy updates to make your 

guest room more inviting 

feel like home 

Whilst it can feel like another job to add 

to the list, preparing the guest bedroom 

to receive guests can actually be quite 

relaxing - making a space comfortable 

and inviting really does something good 

for the soul. 

When you start to plan your guest room, 

think about what you’d expect to find 

in a lovely hotel and try to make your 

room measure up to that standard. Your 

budget may not be enough to create a 

getaway oasis, but you can clear the 

decks, lay out all the necessities, and 

provide a quiet place to relax. 

PROVIDE A COMFORTABLE BED 

Don’t give your guests the oldest, 

saggiest mattress you have. Try sleeping 

in the room yourself and assess the 

quality of your sleep on that mattress - it 

may be time to invest in a new one. If 

you can’t afford a new bed, think about 

getting a quality air mattress. 

UPGRADE YOUR BEDDING 

Beyond clean, crisp bedding, think 

about adding luxurious bed linens and 

comfort items supplied by fine B&Bs: a 

featherbed or wool mattress topper, a 

choice of pillows, a cosy down quilt or 

thick throw, extra blankets and freshly 

ironed pillowcases. 

SUPPLY EXTRA LINENS 

Always have an extra set of bed and bath 

linens available for your guests. Accidents 

do happen! Or you may have one of those 

wonderful guests who insists on changing 

the sheets when they leave. Let them do 

it, and thank them profusely. 

MAKE ROOM FOR A SUITCASE 

Clear a space to put a luggage rack or 

provide a small table or bench to set down 

a suitcase. No one likes to have to stoop 

over to the floor to pull out a clean pair of 

socks. Even a chair is better than nothing. 

– more space, more comfortable, and 

more welcoming. Get rid of anything you 

would not find in a hotel room. Keep only 

the most useful items in the room, like a 

clock and calendar. 

BRIGHTEN THINGS UP 

One of the biggest hotel decor missteps 

is when an otherwise nice room has no 

light to read by. It’s always helpful to 

have a light control near the bed so your 

guest won’t have to stumble around in 

the dark just to turn a light on. If nothing 

else, provide a good reading light near a 

chair or over the bed. Another fixture or 

lamp near a desk would be great. A small 

night light is helpful, and a lit magnifying 

makeup mirror is a real luxury. 

CLEAN THE WARDROBE 

If your guest room shares space with 

a home office, clear at least a foot or 

two of pole space in the cupboard. Or 

purchase an inexpensive over-the-door 

hook that can accommodate some 

hanging clothes. It’s likely that guests 

will have items they’d like to hang. Don’t 

forget a supply of six to eight hangers. 

A simple hook on the wall or behind a 

wardrobe door can hold a coat or bag. 

DON'T FORGET SIMPLE BASICS 

A lighted clock next to the bed is a great 

amenity, and an alarm clock or clock/radio 

is even better. Provide paper and pens, 

scissors, tape, tissue, and a hairdryer to 

have all the bases covered. If you can, 

provide somewhere to sit in front of a 

mirror so guests can do make up or style 

their hair. If you don’t have an extra iron 

and ironing board to offer, be sure to tell 

your guest where they can find yours. 

PROVIDE PRIVACY 

You might know that the big willow tree 

just outside 

the 

window camouflages everything going 

on, but your guests won’t. Choose 

window coverings that add to the 

character of the room and also provide 

privacy and light control. If you need to 

keep it simple, blinds work great. You 

can always add a beautiful valance or 

side panels later. 

ADD SOME PERSONALITY 

Guest rooms can suffer from being 

personality vacuums - try to let some 

of your personal style infuse the space, 

or try out some decorative ideas that 

inspire you. We love spaces that mix 

mid-century modern furniture with boho 

soft furnishings, or fabulous colour on 

a single wall with dramatic wallpaper or 

artwork. Maybe dare to go 

dark with dark navy on the 

walls and gold detailing. 

FINISHING TOUCHES 

Add some lovely 

finishing touches to 

the room - a reed 

diffuser to fill it with 

delicious fragrance 

and pop some throw 

pillows on the bed 

or chair. If you like 

them, add some cut 

flowers to a dresser 

or move some 

of your existing 

houseplants into 

the space for 

some greenery. If 

you don’t use your 

room much during the 

year, be sure to open 

the windows for a few 

hours before guests 

arrive to 

help air it 

out. 

T 

40 

CLEAR THE DECKS 

Resist the temptation to put your 

beautiful collection of dolls on the dresser 

or fill the closet with out-of-season 

clothes. In a guest room, less is more 

Extra large Cotton Throw £59, 

and Mudcloth Pillow, £56, 

hauslife.co.uk; Navy Pillow, £50, 

Soho House; Fish Lamp, £90, 

Dar Lighting; Moorish Mirror, 

£75, thefarthing.co.uk 

4


marla custom 

blinds 

Established in 1995, Marla Custom 

Blinds is a well established blinds, 

shutters and awnings business owned 

and operated by Martin & Angela Froud. 


Based in Fareham, they cover the whole of Hampshire plus 

Dorset, Wiltshire, Surrey and West Sussex. Marla Custom 

Blinds offer a full and comprehensive range of conservatory roof 

and window blinds, conservatory sails, shutters, awnings and 

canopies. 

Martin says “We offer a bespoke service to each customer 

whether it be for a single bathroom blind, a complete set of 

conservatory blinds, or blinds for a commercial refurbishment, 

our service is tailored to suit the customer. We offer an initial 

informal consultation and survey to discuss the needs and 

requirements of each individual customer, we offer advice and 

assistance on the most suitable blinds and fabrics, we answer 

any questions the customer may have concerning installation, 

delivery, etc. and we then send a quotation which includes 

relevant product information”. 

The products are all manufactured using top quality components 

and throughout the manufacturing process the products are 

strictly quality controlled before final inspection as the blinds are 

packaged. It is because of the component quality and manufacturing 

quality system that Marla Custom Blinds give all their 

blinds a 5 year guarantee to give you peace of mind that your 

blinds are made to last. 

This local company is committed to providing a professional, 

friendly and knowledgeable tailored service from initial enquiry to 

installation, to offering you excellent value for money by supplying 

you with blinds direct from the factory and to ensure that you 

are completely happy with your blinds so that you not only come 

back again but also tell others how satisfied you are. 

If you would like to know more about the Marla Custom 

Blinds experience and would like to arrange for a member 

of the Marla Custom Blinds team to come and see you, then 

give them a call on 01329 849922

Wishing all our customers a 

Very Happy Christmas! 


Rightsizers spoilt for choice 

in Petersfield 

A new homes development in Petersfield is proving popular with ‘rightsizers’, 

thanks to its winning mix of well-designed homes with flexible space... 

David Wilson Homes says it’s seeing a 

rise in the number of people who are 

making a move to its Causeway Park 

long before retirement – movers it is 

calling the rightsizers. 

The five-star housebuilder reports that 

the typical downsizers looking for a 

smaller home for their retirement has 

been replaced by a new breed of buyers 

who put space, location and a new lease 

of life at the top of their priority list. 

It says that far from downsizing to a onebedroom 

property – some are actually 

buying larger or similar size homes but 

want the space, low maintenance and 

low running costs that a new house 

provides. 

Research from David Wilson Homes 

in Hampshire reveals that almost 75 

per cent of people would consider a 

downsizing move in the future but with 

95 per cent of people saying they would 

want more than one bedroom, they are 

certainly not downsizing to a typical small 

retirement property. 

Reasons for considering a move are 

topped by wanting a home which is 

cheaper to run and easier to maintain 

than their current home. 

Those surveyed also cited releasing 

equity, not wanting to spend money 

on updating a current property and the 

chance to be closer to family as reasons 

to move. 

And for those considering that move, key 

priorities are lower energy bills in a new 

home, a feeling of space and enough 

bedrooms for overnight guests. 

“The research backs up what we are 

seeing at Causeway Park in Petersfield,’’ 

said sales director Michelle Storer. 

“The image of a typical downsizer has 

been replaced by what we are calling 

rightsizers – people looking for the right 

size of home to suit their lifestyle and that 

can mean swapping a large old home for 

something of a similar size but without 

the hassle and costs associated with an 

older property,’’ said Michelle. 

At Causeway Park rightsizers – and other 

buyers – are spoilt for choice when it 

comes to a place to call home. David 

Wilson Homes has a wide variety of 

properties available, ranging from one to 

five-bedroom homes. 

Among the current availability is the twobedroom 

Heyshott style home, priced 

from £350,000. The well-designed home 

features an open plan kitchen and dining 

area, with French doors leading out into 

the garden. The feeling of brightness 

continues in the living room, where a 

bay window streams natural light into 

the airy lounge. Upstairs the master 

bedroom has an en suite bathroom while 

a further double bedroom is served by 

the separate family bathroom. 

For those looking to rightsize to a bigger 

property, the four-bedroom Layton style 

home provides plenty of space for the 

family as well as visitors. The detached 

home has an open plan kitchen with 

dining area and separate utility. There’s 

also a spacious lounge with French doors 

to the garden and a handy study, which 

could also be turned into a gym or craft 

room. Upstairs there is an en suite master 

bedroom, three further double bedrooms 

and a family bathroom. 

For more details about the development 

and availability of homes, visit 

www.dwh.co.uk or call 033 3355 8477. 



winterbourne 

meadows 

Kings Barton at Winterbourne Meadows is a 

beautiful collection of family homes by CALA 

Homes. Once complete, this stunning landmark 

development will feature a purpose-designed 

community centre, school, park-and-ride 

facilities and natural open spaces, all situated 

within walking distance of Winchester city 

centre. We speak to Katie Hunter, Sales Manager 

at CALA Homes... 

Can you tell us a little more about 

the development – what kinds of 

properties are available? 

Winterbourne Meadows brings a 

collection of two-bedroom apartments 

and two, three, four and five-bedroom 

family homes to Winchester. The homes 

have been carefully designed with light 

and spacious interiors, flexible layouts 

and the high specification that CALA is 

renowned for. 

What are the benefits of the sites 

location? 

Winterbourne Meadows is located 

within walking distance of Winchester 

city centre and its high street shops, 

independent boutiques, welcoming cafes 

and sophisticated restaurants. Being 

approximately 1.1 miles from Winchester 

train station which provides services to 

London Waterloo in just less than an hour, 

the location of this site is also perfect for 

commuters. 

What style are the properties? We 

know interior designer Lani-Marie 

Bhoyroo at L M Designs created the 

show home scheme? 

‘The Austen’ showhome is an impressive 

five-bedroom home that has been 

designed with family in mind. The 

showhome features a neutral base that 

has been enriched with tones of blue 

throughout to create an interior style 

that offers comfort with a contemporary 

edge. The extensive kitchen and family 

room features a wooden dining table with 

bench seating for a casual setting, whilst 

the adjoining utility room has been styled 

with a personalised dog bed to give an 

authentic family-feel. The home also 

features a spacious dining room for more 

formal occasions. 

Upstairs, the master bedroom features 

an impressive king-size bed with a 

luxurious bespoke velvet headboard and 

stylish faux-leather bedside tables, whilst 

the guest room features spa-inspired 

interiors with bright white furniture. This 

is in contrast to the playful themes that 

have been used in the children’s rooms 

which feature bright artwork and punchy 

colours. 

Modern family living spaces need to 

be really flexible – can the homes here 

cater to that? 

There is a wide variety of homes on offer 

at Winterbourne Meadows each providing 

differing flexible accommodation for 

family living. Many of the properties 

feature multi-functional open-plan 

kitchens that can cater for busy family 

life, offering the ideal space for children 

to work on their homework while parents 

focus on the cooking. 

The ‘Edgar’ is a four-bedroom semidetached 

home with an open-plan 

kitchen/dining room that has been 

designed to welcome everyone together 

in relaxed surroundings, providing 

cooking, dining and informal living 

spaces. Whilst if you need a quiet place 

to work from home, the fourth bedroom 

can be used as a quiet, private study 

area. This home is also equipped with a 

downstairs WC, large family bathroom, 

and en suites to the master and second 

bedroom. 

Contact us: 

01962 657662 

Andover Road 

Winchester 

Hampshire 

SO22 6NN 


GRAND PLANS 

THE GENESIS DESIGN STUDIO 

The Genesis Design Studio is a Chartered 

Architectural Practice based in Romsey 

and working throughout Hampshire on 

bespoke housing projects. 

MANY OF US ARE LOOKING TO IMPROVE 

RATHER THAN MOVE – HOW CAN WORKING 

YOUR TEAM ADD VALUE? 

Our job as Architects is to understand and interpret ideas 

that you already have about your home and how you live and 

create spaces that not only meet this expectation, but take 

it to the next level. We are able to provide our clients with 

added value to re-imagine their home and take it beyond the 

ordinary. 

IF THERE WAS ONE 

TIP YOU COULD GIVE 

ALL CLIENTS AHEAD 

OF A PROJECT, WHAT 

WOULD IT BE... 

Employ a good Architect and 

keep an open mind. 

thegenesisdesignstudio.com 

HOW DO YOU BLEND FORM AND FUNCTION? 

Everyone lives differently and part of feeling at home is to 

have a house that functions perfectly both in terms of layout 

and environment according to your lifestyle. We are able to 

explore with our clients how the function of a design might 

influence the Architectural form it takes and this is almost 

always different from project to project. 

haus 

HOME | LIFESTYLE 

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www.hauslife.co.uk 

Image courtesy of cityfarmhouse.com 


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PLANNING & BUILDING REGULATIONS 

extensions 

loft conversions 

lease plans 

local experts, helping homeowners 

• Planning Permission • Building Surveys • Listed Building 

Specialists • Feasibility • Party Walls • Building Regulations 

• Lease Plans • Expert Witness • Project Management • Building 

Refurbishment Supervision • Contract Administration

james poore 

lighting design 

JPLD are an award-winning lighting 

design practice based in Winchester. 

We speak to owner James Poore... 

WHAT IS A CIRCADIAN RHYTHM? 

The term circadian comes from the Latin 

circa, meaning “around”, and diēm, 

meaning “day”. 

A circadian rhythm is a natural, internal 

process in the body that regulates the 

sleep-wake cycle and repeats roughly 

every 24 hours. 

All animals and plants have a built-in 

circadian rhythm, which is adjusted or 

entrained to the environment by external 

cues, the most important of which is 

daylight. 

In the modern 24hr, artificially lit and 

daylight starved environments we live 

in these daylight cues are often lost or 

misinterpreted by our bodies causing 

disruption to our circadian rhythms. 

At a base level it is obviously linked 

directly to sleep disruption and 

deprivation, however recently and more 

worryingly it has been directly linked to 

more serious illnesses especially in the 

case of shift workers and those regularly 

interrupting the natural sleep wake cycle. 

WE KNOW ABOUT THE DISRUPTIVE 

LIGHT FROM DEVICES LIKE PHONES, 

BUT HOW CAN THE LIGHTING IN OUR 

HOME BE DESIGNED TO IMPROVE 

OUR SLEEP? 

Well this relates to the previous question. 

The bodies circadian rhythm is reliant on 

the light information it receives. 

For the past 200000 years we have lived 

on earth man has largely existed with the 

natural cycle of daylight; low levels of 

warm white light as the sun rises to wake 

our bodies up, brighter slightly cooler 

white light as the day progresses and 

we go about our business to lower light 

levels and warmer white light again as the 

day ends to darkness as we sleep. 

The only changes or interventions where 

we have deviated from this natural cycle 

have come from campfires, oil lamps and 

candles all of which still have a natural 

warm glow telling our bodies it is a 

“calmer” time of the day. 

The reason light from phones, screens, 

televisions and certain types of lighting 

is so disruptive is because it contains 

elements of blue light wavelengths, which 

tell our bodies that it’s a different time 

of day than it actually is and effectively 

“waking” the body and confusing the 

natural circadian rhythm. 

“The reason light from phones, screens, 

televisions and certain types of lighting is so 

disruptive is because it contains elements of blue 

light wavelengths, which tell our bodies that it’s a 

different time of day than it actually is” 

Minimising exposure to these damaging 

wavelengths is a great start, but, by 

considering the natural cycle of daylight 

we can make the lighting in our homes 

and workplaces healthier and better for 

us. 

More human centric lighting can be 

implemented in the home by the creation 


of a lighting system, dynamic in both 

intensity and spectrum using light 

sources which we can not only dim 

down, but, also change the type of white 

light to a warmer light as they do so. Thus 

mimicking the natural daylight cycle. 

Minimising light in our bedrooms when 

trying to sleep. 

We exist in a 24 hour society and many 

of us live in a towns which have artificial 

lighting to facilitate this, therefore 

installing good black-out blinds to 

minimise unwanted external light 

trespass into our sleeping environment is 

essential. 

In our residential lighting schemes we 

incorporate automatic or locally switched 

low level guide lighting for night time 

orientation with a minimal “warm white” 

light level should you need to get up in 

the night. 

WE ARE ALL AIMING TO BECOME 

MORE AWARE OF SUSTAINABILITY 

IN THE HOME AND ENERGY 

WASTING IN LIGHTING CAN BE A BIG 

CONTRIBUTING FACTOR – HOW CAN 

THIS BE MITIGATED? 

There are a number of ways, the most 

obvious, which, most are aware of now is 

to switch to more energy efficient lamps 

and luminaires. 

However even greater energy savings can 

be made by using lighting which turns on 

and off automatically by using occupancy 

sensors as opposed to traditional 

switches. 

By dimming lighting down and not having 

it turned up to its full output, which also 

increase the longevity of light sources. 

Finally on more complex schemes by 

creating a lighting strategy for how the 

space is used, creating lighting scenes 

and incorporating techniques such as 

daylight harvesting, where by the lighting 

system monitors daylight and ambient 

light levels in the space and adjusts the 

lighting accordingly. 

GREAT LIGHTING CAN REALLY 

ENHANCE THE HOME (AND BAD 

LIGHTING CAN MAKE EVEN THE 

MOST BEAUTIFUL ROOM LOOK OFF!) 

– HOW DO YOU APPROACH LIGHTING 

DESIGN FOR CLIENTS? 

We get to know the client, how they use, 

or intend to use their space, how they 

live their lives, if they have any specific 

requirements. Where applicable we will 

also work with the architects and interior 

designers to understand their visions for 

the space and how best to illuminate it to 

realise their design intent. 

We think of home lighting in terms of 

layers of light and generally strive to 

separate it out into general, task and 

accent lighting. The lighting in our homes 

should create mood and or meaning. 

Unless it is a feature lighting element 

such as a decorative pendant we also 

work hard to integrate and hide the 

lighting as much as possible so you only 

really see the “lit effect”, good lighting 

should be anonymous. 

There are also many studies into the 

phycological effect of different colour 

temperatures of light in relation to the 

intensity of light and its relation to mood 

and feeling. 

WHAT MISTAKES DO YOU SEE BEING 

MADE ALL THE TIME? 

Lighting be it natural or artificial is 

intrinsic to a space and to our lives 

and wellbeing, it is probably the most 

important element, ultimately the biggest 

error has to be not considering lighting or 

doing so as an afterthought or very late in 

the process. 

Other classic mistakes we see are: 

• Using cheap glarey light fittings and 

lamps, 

• Not finding a good, competent 

electrician, 

• Overlighting – using too many 

fittings, arrays of downlights 

peppering a ceiling, 


• Using less fittings but that have a 

very high output to compensate, 

• Not enough lighting for the tasks 

required - cooking, ablutions, 

cleaning 

• Inappropriate lighting - large 

floodlights pouring down into a 

garden or driveway causing light 

pollution and light trespass into 

neighbouring property. 

• Not considering the surface being 

illuminated – reflecting the light 

source 

• Inappropriate use of technology – 

Just because the colour change 

fitting was on offer doesn’t mean 

you should fit it under your bath or 

at the base of your kitchen units! 

Contact us today: 

James Poore Lighting Design 

Suite 12, Talbot House, 34 Staple 

Gardens, Winchester, Hampshire 

SO23 8SR 

01962 841419 

info@jpld.co.uk 


HARD LANDSCAPING 

the modern, sustainable way... 

Angela Cave, who trained in horticulture at 

Lackam College and spent a year at the Sir Harold 

Hillier Gardens before working in landscape and 

garden design, explains the importance of being 

environmentally considerate when putting down 

your driveway 

We have probably all heard that as more and more houses go 

up, with more and more concrete hard standing for cars, plus the 

increase in people concreting over their gardens for extra parking we 

are causing environmental problems. As an example, nearly a quarter 

of all front gardens in North East England have been completely 

paved over, and it is estimated that London has lost the equivalent 

of more than 5,000 football pitches as householders pave over their 

front gardens. The run-off goes into already overloaded drains and 

is a major contribution to flash flooding - something that has been 

much in the news recently, and concrete does not support birds or 

insects either. In the summer the heat absorbed by paving during the 

day is released at night, leading to poorer air quality, so we do need 

to think about options. 

I remember being part of a team that laid Grasscrete in a public 

area of high footfall the Hillier Gardens and thinking what a brilliant 

solution it was. The hard honeycomb of cells provided rigidity to the 

soil structure so that it could take the extra footfall whilst the centre 

of the cells, being soil and grass allowed it to drain and also provided 

areas for birds to peck and insects to thrive. That was a long time 

ago and the product options have changed and now there are many 

options for drives and hard standing that don’t preclude wildlife and 

add to the problem of flooding from run off. 

Main image courtesy Grasscrete 

If you are thinking about paths and patios in your garden there are 

options too but even then we need to think of the provenance of 

the products we use, Indian sandstone and Chinese pavers have 

a considerable carbon footprint and gravel mass dredged from the 

seabed is damaging our marine life so locally sourced materials from 

a reputable source are a better choice. There are a few simple things 

we can do use stepping stones over a lawn instead of laying a path, 

lay two ‘wheel strips of hard standing for the car instead of a whole 

patch – if everyone applies some thought to what alternatives there 

are we can help our wildlife, lessen the danger of flooding and add 

a little more green to our towns and cities - after all as Einstein said: 

‘We can’s solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used 

when we created them.’ 


Caring for the elderly members of your family 

Over Christmas you may have spent some time with the family and perhaps more time with 

the elderly members and you become concerned about their health? 

Here we list 8 warning signs to assess if they need help and what to 

do if they do. You may wish to consider the following questions: 

1. Is the person (persons) able to take care of themselves? 

Pay attention to their appearance. Failure to keep up with daily 

routines - such as bathing and tooth brushing - could indicate 

dementia, depression or other physical impairments.Also pay 

attention to their home. Are the lights working? Is the heat on? Is the 

garden overgrown? Any changes in the way things are being done 

around the house could provide clues to their health. For example, 

scorched pots could mean they are forgetting about food cooking 

on the stove. Neglected housework could be a sign of depression, 

dementia or other concerns. 

2. Are they experiencing memory loss? 

Everyone forgets things from time to time. Modest memory 

problems are a fairly common part of ageing, and sometimes 

medication side effects or underlying conditions contribute to 

memory loss. There’s a difference, though, between normal 

Changes in memory and the type of memory loss associated with 

Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. Are the memory 

changes limited to misplaced glasses or an occasionally forgotten 

appointment - or are the changes more concerning, such as 

forgetting common words when speaking, getting lost in familiar 

neighbourhoods or being unable to follow directions? 

3. Are they safe in their home? 

Take a look around their home, keeping an eye out for any 

problems. Could their be a difficulty navigating a narrow stairway? 

Are they able to read directions on medication containers? When 

asked, do they say they feel safe at home? 

4. Are they safe on the road? 

Driving can be challenging for older adults. Do they become 

confused while driving or are you concerned about their ability to 

drive safely, it might be time to stop driving. They could be a danger 

to others. 

5. Have they lost weight? 

Losing weight without trying could be a sign that something’s 

wrong. Weight loss could be related to many factors, including: 

• Difficulty cooking. 

• Loss of taste or smell. 

• Underlying conditions - indicating ill health. 

6. Is the person (persons) in good spirits? 

Note their moods and ask how they’re feeling. A drastically different 

mood could be a sign of depression or other health concerns. 

7. Are they still social? 

Talk to them about their activities. Are they connecting with friends? 

Have they maintained interest in hobbies and other daily activities? 

Are they involved in organisations or clubs? Have they given up on 

being with others, it could be a sign of a problem. 

8. Is the person (persons) able to get around? 

Pay attention to how they are walking. Are they reluctant or unable 

to walk usual distances? Have they fallen recently? Is knee or hip 

arthritis making it difficult to get around the house? Would they 

benefit from a cane or walker? Issues such as muscle weakness 

and joint pain can make it difficult to move around as well. If 

someone is unsteady on their feet, they might be at risk of falling - a 

major cause of disability among older adults. 

Taking action 

There are many steps you can take to ensure the person/persons’ 

health and well-being, even if you don’t live nearby. Share your 

concerns with them. Your concerns might motivate them to see a 

doctor or make other changes. 

Encourage regular medical check-ups 

If you’re worried about weight loss, depressed mood, memory 

loss or other signs and symptoms,encourage them to schedule a 

doctor’s visit. 

You might offer to schedule the visit or to accompany them to the 

doctor - or find someone else to attend the visit. Ask about 

follow-up visits as well. 

Address safety issues 

Point out any potential safety issues you have observed - then make 

a plan to address the problems. For example, the person (persons) 

concerned might benefit from using assistive devices to help them 

reach items on high shelves. A higher toilet seat or handrails in the 

bathroom might help prevent falls. If they are no longer able to drive 

safely, suggest other transportation options -such as taking the bus 

or using a taxi. 

Consider home care services 

Particularly if they are having trouble taking care of themselves, you 

could hire someone to clean the house and run errands and help 

with daily activities, such as bathing. To ensure good nutrition Meals 

on Wheels is also an option. 

And finally 

It would be a good idea to secure an Enduring Power of 

Attorney to ensure that if things get worse you can step in 

without having to involve the Court of Protection. Your 

solicitor will be able to give you good advice on this. 


Baby it's cold outside 

The garden is bare, the leaves have fallen and now is the opportunity to take stock of what you would 

like to see during the wintertime. It’s also the time to plan for the spring and summer. Perhaps you 

have a sunny patch where you could lay some decking or an attractive terrace, create an arch or a rose 

garden are just a few examples. Here are some ideas of making your winter garden attractive and 

planning for next year...including getting rid of that shed that’s on its last legs! 

Gardeners in the UK have plenty of reasons to get cold feet about 

winter. Plants are at rest and their bright colours have gone. And with 

very little to plant, those of you who love their gardens might think 

there are few winter landscaping tips - or to dos. 

In fact, careful planning in spring, summer, and autumn - plus a few 

easy accents during winter - can lead to a beautiful and pleasing 

landscape. 

Here are six winter landscaping tips to 

help make you love your garden during 

this season and in the future. 

1. Focus on bark Deciduous trees do 

lose their leaves in wintertime, leaving 

their branches and trunks in focus. 

It is a good idea to look out for 

interesting ornamental trees that 

have really visually distinctive 

bark, which will add winter 

interest. Many of those trees and 

some shrubs are smaller, meaning 

they’re easier to find spots for in the 

winter landscape. Dogwoods and birch 

trees are particularly good examples. 

2. Include berries Many trees and shrubs 

have berries they hold onto during autumn 

and winter, and not only look attractive but 

also provide food for birds. Crab apples, holly 

and firethorn are very attractive. 

3. Remember evergreens Evergreens are great at this time of year. 

Firstly, there’s colour: Evergreens are not just green; they’re available 

in yellow, such as Gold Thread False Cypress, and blues, the Dwarf 

Blue Spruce, and all colours in between. When you are planting a 

new border, try to have at least one evergreen. 

4. Check out your hard landscaping Winter is a good time to 

critically assess the layout of your garden, figuring out where 

it’s missing focal points. The solution to enhancing your winter 

landscaping might not be a plant at all. Winter is the best time to 

consider the bare bones of the garden. You may wish to place a 

trellis, a bench, an arbour, and if you can run to it, a garden sculpture 

which will add another dimension. Perhaps plan to put in a small or 

indeed large fountain for sound…the possibilities are endless. 

5. Make use of your summertime containers Window boxes, 

hanging baskets, winter-hardy containers are perfect for winter 

landscaping. They will still need to be watered during dry periods. 

You can plant up winter primroses and pansies, trailing hedera, 

colourful cyclamen with their delicate flowers and leaves. Also 

consider adding some spring flowering bulbs to bring colour into the 

early part of the year. 

6. Try these four-season perennials Some perennials have 

evergreen foliage - ornamental grasses, hellebores, - dianthus with 

its beautiful low-creeping foliage - making them great for winter 

landscaping, 

Happy gardening! 


Would you like to make a REAL difference to 

an older person’s life while enjoying one of the 

most fulfilling jobs you may ever have? 

We have several roles available for caring, compassionate 

people within our home-care team in Winchester. 

Our CAREGivers tell us that our minimum of one hour visits 

enable them to provide the quality of care that they would 

wish for their own families. 

• Competitive rates of pay and a range of benefits 

• Experience not necessary as full training and ongoing 

support provided 

If you have time to spare and the means to travel between 

client visits please email: hants@homeinstead.co.uk 

or call: 01962 736681 

Call and quote Care Giver 1 


BRENDONCARE a Home for Life 

The decision to move 

yourself, or a loved one, 

into a care home can be a 

big financial commitment. 

Brendoncare knows every 

one of the people living 

in its care homes is 

unique, both in terms of 

their needs and also their 

financial situation. As 

a charity, Brendoncare 

believes that, once you 

have taken the decision to 

move into a Brendoncare 

home, it should become a 

home for life. 

What makes Brendoncare unique is 

its Care for Life promise, ensuring 

residents are never asked to leave 

because of changes in financial 

situation. Care for Life is a charitable 

‘top-up’ payment which can support 

residents whose own funds have been 

depleted to the current Local Authority 

Social Services thresholds. At that 

point, the Local Authority should 

contribute towards the resident’s 

care, and Brendoncare’s Care for Life 

promise will make up any difference. 

The peace of mind this offers to 

residents and families is immeasurable. 

Jane’s mother, Betty, had lived with 

arthritis for many years, was unable to 

walk and had suffered a stroke. Loss 

of independence was difficult for Betty 

to come to terms with, and she was 

reluctant to move into a care home. 

However Jane was unable to continue 

caring for Betty in her own home as she 

was also caring for her husband, who 

had been fighting cancer for several 

years. Eventually, Betty moved into a 

Brendoncare home. 

Jane says: “It was a major guilt trip. 

I felt like I was admitting defeat. To 

be honest, because of her stroke, we 

were worried she wouldn’t be with us 

for much longer, so finance wasn’t the 

biggest worry at first. But our funds 

began to run out, we didn’t have 

enough for a few more years of care, 

and I needed money for my husband’s 

medication. I didn’t know a care home 

could offer support; I just didn’t want to 

move her. 

“At no time have I felt embarrassed 

about not having the money to pay. 

It’s all been sorted out for me. They’ve 

given me total security, knowing she 

doesn’t have to be moved. She wants 

to die here, and I know she’ll have good 

end of life care with Brendoncare.” 

Thanks to Brendoncare’s Care for Life 

promise, 90 of its residents have been 

able to stay in familiar surroundings, 

continuing to receive the care they 

need, at a cost of more than £800,000 

each year. 2019 is Brendoncare’s 35th 

anniversary year, and the charity has 

marked the occasion with a series of 

special fundraising challenges, as well 

as celebrations throughout its care 

homes and friendship clubs. 

With five care homes in Hampshire, all 

rated Good by the CQC, the charity 

offers a wide range of services for older 

people, from residential, nursing and 

respite care, to specialist care for those 

living with dementia. At its newest 

home, Otterbourne Hill, Brendoncare 

also welcomes couples affected by 

dementia, allowing them to continue 

living together whilst receiving the vital 

support both partners need. 

Visit www.brendoncare.org.uk/care to 

find out more. 

“What makes Brendoncare unique is its 

Care for Life promise, ensuring residents 

are never asked to leave because of 

changes in financial situation. Care for 

Life is a charitable ‘top-up’ payment 

which can support residents whose 

own funds have been depleted to the 

current Local Authority Social Services 

thresholds.”

Winchester Lifestyle Dec 2019 - Jan 2020

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