Malvern Living Mar - Apr 2020

Nature created electricity. 

Porsche gave it soul. 

The new Taycan. Soul, electrified. 

Porsche Centre Tewkesbury 

Shannon Way 

Ashchurch, Tewkesbury 

Gloucestershire GL20 8ND 

01684 212 911 

info@porschetewkesbury.co.uk 

www.porschetewkesbury.co.uk 

Taycan Turbo S: Electrical consumption (WLTP): Combined 25.7 – 24.5 kWh/100km. CO 2 

emissions (NEDC equivalent): 0 g/km. 

62126 PAdv Taycan Ad_165x240mm_Tewkesbury.indd 1 07/02/2020 09:57

Contents 

A Note 

from the editor 

Hello Spring – I’ve been waiting for your arrival 

like a lovelorn maiden, excitedly hopping out 

of bed to look out the window for signs of new 

life and sunny skies. I know that in recent years 

March weather has been…unpredictable, but 

nevertheless I’m hopeful and cheery. 

A Culinary is nearly Journey here, through so we celebrate 

Northern 19Easter with a weekend Irelandof 

recipes! 

Avid readers might remember reading about 

my new year’s pledge last issue – to walk, run 

or cycle 5km every day of 2020. Not having a 

bike, or access to a stationary one continues 

to be slightly problematic, but apart from a 

particularly grim night during a storm (I can’t 

remember which given name, we’ve had so 

many of late), I’ve done it! I’m not sure yet if 

I’m fitter or slimmer, but I’ve really enjoyed 

carving little moments out of my usually hectic 

day to go for a head-clearing walk. It’s never 

too late to start! 

In this issue... 

Fabulous UK 

staycations 

06 What’s On 

As spring comes into its swing we 

touch on the best local events for 

the whole family 

10 Easter Gifts 

25 

Not just chocolate (though there is 

just a little bit...), we check out some 

lovely Easter present ideas 

17 Mitch Tonks 

We catch up with the renowned fish 

chef on where his passions lie and his 

love of his community 

22 Foodie Santa Barbara 

We journey to the Golden State of 

California to sample the famous Santa 

Barbara food scene 

28 Amazing Glazing 

Architectural glazing elevates 

any home - we explore the best 

investments and new technologies 

44 Care Needs 

How to stay happy and healthy in your 

autumn years and identifying care 

needs when they arise 

38 

Alan 

Titchmarsh 

Bathroom 

30 

& Tile Guide 

Editor Katie Thomson 

e katie.thomson@minervapublications.co.uk 

Publisher Sally Thomson 

Pre-Press Manager Kate O’Connell 

Contributors Rebecca Williams, Peter Thomson, Sue Cooke, Matthew Biggs 

Angela Cave, Lucy Saunders and Pete Lawrence. 

Key Account Manager Karen Wytchard 

e karen.wytchard@minervapublications.co.uk 

d/l 01225 613 515 

ttwitter: @MalvernLiving 

This issue we have really turned the focus 

on Easter, with cracking pressies and some 

egg-cellent recipes – hey, if you’re running five 

kilometres a day, you go ahead and enjoy that 

hot cross bun pudding! There’s also lots to 

look forward to in the calendar, with some of 

our favourite attractions opening again. 

Continuing the foodie note, we have an 

interview with top Devon chef Mitch Tonks – 

you’ll probably recognise him from a supremely 

popular show he presented with rugby star 

Matt Dawson a few years back – he’s a 

titan in the fish industry and is passionate 

about sustainability. We caught up with him to 

discuss his role in creating a community feel 

and growing his business. 

That, plus some fantastic interviews and a 

bumper crop of home inspiration, makes this 

issue a great read. 

We will see you back in May! 

Katie 

MINERVA PUBLICATIONS HQ 

County Gate, County Way 

Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 7FJ 

t 01225 308 128 

visit our website www.malvernhillsliving.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.malvernhillsliving.co.uk | 3

EVENTS GUIDE 

Finally, the days are getting longer and 

spring is just around the corner. 

Looking for the best local places to visit and 

things to do at this time of year? 

Then make the most of the season with our 

extensive guide... 

Greyfriars House and 

Gardens 

Friar Street, Worcester WR1 2LZ 

01905 23571 

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/greyfriars-houseand-garden 

Friday 10 April, 1pm - 4pm + 3 other 

dates 

Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt 

Take part in the Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt 

at Greyfriars. Follow the trail, solve the 

clues and pick up a prize. 

Henry Santon Hall 

Royal Porcelain Works, Severn Street, 

Worcester WR1 2NE 

01905 677399 

www.royalporcelainworks.co.uk 

Friday 7 February 

Friday Night Live with Elizabeth 

Bass 

Elizabeth Bass is one of the leading 

British harpists of her generation and 

in 2016 became the first British person 

to reach the final of the prestigious 

USA International Harp Competition in 

Bloomington, Indiana and was awarded 

the Silver Medal. 

Hereford Racecourse 

Roman Road, Hereford HR4 9QU 

01432 273560 / 0779 1086576 

www.hereford-racecourse.co.uk 

Saturday 7 March, gates open at 12.20pm 

Ladies Day 

Make sure your book your table in our 

Rusty Bridge Restaurant or our boxes 

well in advance so you can appreciate the 

best views on the house, great service 

and food on the highlight of the year in 

Spring 2020! 

On this day the Six Nations England 

v Wales game will be shown the 

Hummingbird Bar with live music from 

Herefordshire’s Hay Yah’s! 

Tuesday 24 March, gates open at 12 noon 

Little Princess Trust Charity 

Raceday 

Go along for the one and only Little 

Princess Trust Hair & Hope Charity 

Raceday as we welcome 80s music icons 

Chesney Hawkes and Nathan Moore to 

Hereford for a truly special day. The Rusty 

Bridge Restaurant will offer a delicious 

three course luncheon raising money for 

Little Princess Trust before guests then 

enjoy live entertainment into the evening 

as Chesney Hawkes, Nathan Moore and 

Herefordshire’s own The Hey Yahs take 

to the stage for a musical extravaganza, 

4 | www.malvernhillsliving.co.uk 

the like of which Hereford has never seen 

before. 

Racing stars Richard Johnson and Peter 

Scudamore will be regaling racing tales 

to guests before racing too so it really is 

a fun filled, charity fuelled day in Rusty 

Bridge not to be missed. 

Huntingdon Hall 

24 Chapel Walk, Worcester WR1 3LD 

01905 611427 

www.worcesterlive.co.uk/huntingdon-hall 

Friday 13 March, 7.30pm 

Tchaikovsky: The Man Revealed 

With John Suchet 

It may be hard to believe but the man 

behind some of the best loved music ever 

written was a deeply troubled individual 

unsure of his own talent and tortured by 

his sexuality. Tchaikovsky’s life has long 

been mythologised and misunderstood. 

John Suchet draws back the curtain to 

show us the real man behind the music. 


La Voix 

La Voix - The UK’s Funniest Red Head! 

Global Superstar La Voix’s show has 

become a phenomenon in many towns 

and cities around the world. 2020 sees La 

Voix’s most glamorous show yet taking 

the UK by storm. 

La Voix has packed it by the case load 

and is heading to Worcester with her 

incredible musicians for an unforgettable 

evening! Expect side splitting comedy, 

huge vocals, mesmerising impressions of 

the worlds biggest divas and buckets full 

of energy. 

Thursday 2 April, 7.30pm 

I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again... 

Again! 

After a brand-new series on BBC Radio 

4 Extra, The OFFSTAGE Theatre Group 

tour this new Greatest Hits compilation of 

original material and songs. 

Come and see characters first created by 

Tim Brooke-Taylor, John Cleese, Graeme 

Garden, Sir David Hatch, Jo Kendall and 

Bill Oddie. 

An anarchic show celebrating the radio 

series that gave birth to The Goodies and 

Monty Python’s Flying Circus – with a live 

band and sound effects. 

There will be a cameo from Tim Brooke- 

Taylor at this performance. 

Wednesday 8 April, 7.30pm 

Arabella Weir: Does My Mum 

Loom Big In This? 

The mother of all confessional shows 

from the bestselling author and star of 

The Fast Show and Two Doors Down. 

Does My Mum Loom Big In This? is for 

everyone who’s had a mother or been 

a mother, featuring hair-raising hilarious 

true stories from Arabella’s dysfunctional 

childhood, her perilous career and her life 

as a single working mother. Devastatingly 

funny, excruciatingly honest and definitely 

embarrassing for all of Arabella’s relatives, 

not to mention herself, this is a helterskelter 

tour of appalling - and appallingly 

funny - maternal behaviour. 

Malvern Country 

Market 

Lyttelton Rooms, Church Street, 

Great Malvern WR14 2AY 

01246 261508 

www.country-markets.co.uk 

Every Friday 9am -1pm 

These markets pride themselves on 

the quality of their produce and many 

of which have become popular lively 

meeting places. 

Malvern Theatres 

Grange Road, Malvern WR14 3HB 

01684 892277 

www.malvern-theatres.co.uk 

Friday March 6 - March 12 

Military Wives 

From the director of The Full Monty 

comes a celebration of the revitalising 

power of women bonding together to 

sing. 

It’s set in a featureless military base where 

wives whose husbands are on duty in 

Afghanistan live with loneliness, isolation 

and the dread of that fateful knock on the 

door. Kate (Scott Thomas) is the perfect 

officer’s wife, bearing all with grace and 

stoicism. She finds freedom in song and 

persuades a disparate group of women 

on the base to form the Military Wives 

Choir. Initially sceptical, newcomer Lisa 

(Sharon Horgan), a rebel and rocker to 

the core, is quickly swayed by the choir’s 

camaraderie, humour and courage. By 

belting out pop hits and rock anthems, 

this extraordinary group of women 

bring joy, hope and strength to a wider 

audience. 

Sunday 8 March, 4.15pm 

A Streetcar Named Desire 

Elia Kazan’s legendary adaptation of 

Tennessee Williams’ play is famed for 

the brute and unruly power of Brando’s 

performance as Stanley Kowalski. 

In the sticky heat of New Orleans’ French 

Quarter, Blanche DuBois, (Vivien Leigh) 

continued

11514 - GWR Living March-April 20_Layout 1 13/01/2020 12:19 

Batsford* 

ARBORETUM & GARDEN CENTRE 

Wander through clouds of confetti-like cherry 

blossom at beautiful Batsford this spring. Browse our 

selection of plants and gifts and treat yourself to a 

home-baked lunch or afternoon tea in our café. 

A perfect day out for all the family – including the dog! 

Book tickets online at www.gwsr.com 

It’s a great day out for the whole family! 

• Enjoy a 28 mile round trip through glorious Cotswold scenery 

• 693 yard Greet Tunnel • 15 arch Stanway Viaduct 

• Tea rooms and coffee shops at Toddington, 

Broadway and Winchcombe stations 

• Special family events throughout the year 

• Heritage trail, shop and museum at Toddington 

• Travel from Toddington, Broadway, Winchcombe or 

Cheltenham Racecourse • Free parking at Toddington and Cheltenham Racecourse 

• Pay and display car park near Broadway station 

Services resume Sat 7th March - see website for timetable 

Easter Eggspress - Monday 13th April 

Fun for all the family with the Easter Bunny and more! 

Wartime in the Cotswolds - 25th & 26th April 

Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway 

The Railway Station, Toddington GL54 5DT 01242 621405 

Getting 

married? 

Quarter Jewellery (Worcester) 

and Malvern Goldsmiths 

We make wedding rings, 

all carats, all width, all patterns. 

We beat any other jewellers price, 

even the internet. 

Personalise your Wedding Ring 

1. Choose a plain wedding ring (9ct, 18ct or platinum 

2. Keep it plain or have it diamond cut (any pattern) + £15 

3. Set some bright white diamonds + £30 each (including setting) 

4. Engrave dates or something lovey dovey on the inside + £20 

(approx) 

Congratulations, you have just designed your very own Wedding Ring! 

Plain Wedding Rings are £37.50 per gram for 9ct or £75 per gram for 18ct 

Free valuations on items you wish to sell 

We also value for insurance, sale between parties and probate. 

Jewellery repair service available & we will polish your jewellery for £5 

THE MOST REASONABLE JEWELLERS IN WORCESTER, ESPECIALLY FOR WEDDING RINGS 

Quarter Jewellery - 27 The Shambles, Worcester 

Malvern Goldsmiths - 28/30 Belle Vue Terrace 


a fading small-town beauty arrives to stay 

with her sister Stella and explosive brotherin-law 

Stanley. 

Friday 13 March - Sunday 15 March 

Greed (15) 

Steve Coogan gleams, teeth and all, in his 

role as Sir Richard ‘Greedy’ McCreadie, the 

king of the high street. Many of the seven 

deadly sins show up in this fast-paced 

mockumentary from prolific Winterbottom 

(The Trip). Set back by fraud investigations, 

McCreadie is determined to prove he is still 

top of the heap by throwing the ultimate 

celeb-filled, Roman-themed 60th birthday 

party on a Greek island, complete with fake 

amphitheatre, gladiators and real lions. 

What could go wrong?… 

Tuesday 27 March, 10.30am-12.30pm 

Spirit of Irish Dance 

Immerse yourself in the infectious Celtic 

rhythms as Kate Anne shares her passion 

and gives you instruction in Irish dancing. 

With your head held high and your kicks 

finding their height, a perfect way to 

celebrate St Patrick`s Day. 

Thursday 26 March, 7.30pm 

Menopause - The Musical 

In their brand-new show, Cruising Through 

Menopause, the hysterical sequel to the 

smash-hit show Menopause The Musical®, 

we fast forward five years to catch up with 

the same four ladies as they set off on the 

high seas for tales of their lives, loves and 

losses. 

Hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings, 

memory lapses, weight gain - these are a 

few of our favourite menopausal things! 

Cruising Through Menopause is a hilarious, 

heartfelt, reassuring and unflinching look at 

the joys of menopause. 


Aida 

The Russian State Opera presents a new 

production of Aida by Giuseppe Verdi sung 

in Italian With English surtitles. Featuring an 

impressive cast and accompanied by a live 

Orchestra numbering over 30 musicians. 

Verdi brings ancient Egypt to the stage 

with a love story set against the backdrop 

of war. 

Saturday 28 March, 7.30pm 

Jack Dee - Off The Telly 

When everyone’s favourite grumbler, Jack 

Dee, announced he was returning to the 

stand-up stage this autumn with his first 

solo tour in six years - Off The Telly - 

tickets flew off the shelves selling out the 

initial dates at incredible speed. Now, to 

meet exceptional public demand, a further 

40 dates have been added to his tour 

extending it into spring 2020. 

“In these difficult and uncertain times 

people need hope – a ray of sunshine to 

brighten their day. And that’s very much 

where I come in” says Jack. (Forum 

Theatre) 

Sunday 29 March, 3pm 

Bolshoi Ballet - Romeo and Juliet 

In spite of each of their families being 

merciless enemies, Romeo and Juliet are 

deeply in love. The rivalry between the 

Capulets and the Montagues will cost 

Mercutio’s life, causing Romeo a desire of 

vengeance for the loss of his friend… The 


star-crossed lovers’ tragic fate inspired 

Prokofiev a remarkable cinematic score, 

from the delicate theme of Juliet to the 

ominous Dance of the Knights. Bolshoi 

stars Ekaterina Krysanova and Vladislav 

Lantratov wholly embody the two eternal 

lovers in Alexei Ratmansky’s stunning 

evocation of love at first sight. 

(Cinema) 

Friday 3 April, 8pm 

Bit Much - Josh Widdicombe 

The guy everyone can do an impression 

of is back with a brand-new stand-up 

tour. A show that will change your life and 

how you perceive your place in the world. 

Bit much? Fine, it’ll be a very funny night 

of grumbles and jokes in which Josh will 

finally tackle the hot comedy topics of 

advent calendars, pesto and the closing 

time of his local park. 

Widdicombe is best known for the twice 

BAFTA nominated and multiple Broadcast 

and RTS award-winning show The Last 

Leg, as well as his critically acclaimed 

sitcom JOSH, Insert Name Here, QI, Have 

I Got New For You, A League of Their 

Own and his hit podcast Quickly Kevin 

Will He Score. (Festival Theatre) 

Saturday 4 April - Saturday 18 April, 

please see website for time 

The Wind In The Willows 

adapted by Amelia Marriette from the book 

by Kenneth Grahame 

The enchanting tale of river-folk is 

faithfully retold in Amelia Marriette’s 

adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s much - 

loved story. The combination of nostalgia 

for the warmth and security of times gone 

by and the simple humour combined with 

lots of audience participation will be a 

certain hit. Mr Toad is in his element in 

this production, defending his rights as a 

car stealing, horn – tooting, tyre – burning 

speed freak. His friends, Ratty, Mole, 

Badger and Otter rescue him from the 

worst of his enthusiasms and together 

the famous team save the riverbank from 

the hooligan, bullying, weasels in a final 

dramatic battle. A terrific treat for all the 

family. 

National Exhibition 

Centre (NEC) 

Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1NT 

0121 7804141 

www.thenec.co.uk 

Thursday 5 - Sunday 8 March 

Crufts 

Crufts is the world’s greatest dog show! 

Organised by the Kennel Club, the show 

celebrates every aspect of the role that 

dogs play in our lives. 

Watch 22,000 dogs compete for the world 

class title of Crufts Best in Show, fantastic 

displays and competitions and shop at over 

550 trade stands with special show offers 

and exciting new products for you and your 

best friend! Dawn Chorus Wild Walk 

EVESHAM ARTS CENTRE 

Victoria Avenue, Evesham WR11 4QH 

01386 446944 

www.eveshamartscentre.co.uk 

Friday 13 March, 7.30pm & Saturday 14 

March, 2.30pm & 7.30pm 

Brassed Off 

It’s 1992, Grimley Colliery faces closure 

and the future of its brass band is 

uncertain. With miners torn between 

redundancy packages and picket lines, 

band-leader Danny’s hopes of winning 

the national brass band competition 

seem a distant dream. But flugelhornplaying 

Gloria brings hope, romance and 

controversy to the Yorkshire band on the 

brink of collapse. 

Saturday 4 April, 4.30pm 

Rapunzel the Musical 

Immersion Theatre are back with a witty, 

pantomimic, tongue-in-cheek retelling of the 

family favourite. 

With magic and mayhem throughout and 

a chance to meet the characters after the 

show, this is one hair-raising adventure your 

family won’t want to miss! 

Saturday 4 April, 4.30pm 

The Ultimate Commitments & Blues 

Brothers 

Take a trip down memory lane as you hear 

the best songs from The Commitments 

continued

and The Blues Brothers in a full live-band 

experience. 

Get your dancing shoes on as Jake and 

Elwood meet Deco and Jimmy in an 

amazing, authentic performance where 

Chicago Blues meets Dublin Soul. This 

stage show includes state of the art audio 

visual effects as well as iconic scenes from 

both cult-classic films. 

National Trust 

Croome Park 

Near High Green, Worcester WR8 9DW 

01905 371006 

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/croome 

Saturday 4 April + 11 other dates, 

10am - 4pm 

Barbara’s Birds - Family Trail 

In the 18th Century, the Countess of 

Coventry kept a collection of beautiful birds 

in her menagerie. Explore the parkland 

today as we hunt for feathery clues to 

create our own collection of wonderful 

birds - some rare and exotic and some 

familiar to us all. 

Friday 10 April until September 

The Walled Garden 

This privately owned walled garden is open 

from the Easter weekend. 

Further information about the history of the 

Walled Gardens, can be found at www. 

croomewalledgardens.com. 


11am - 1pm 

RAF Defford Airfield Guided Walk 

Join their guide taking in points of interest 

that relate to the top-secret airbase which 

was home to Airborne Radar testing and 

development during the Second World War 

and early years of the Cold War. 

Swan Theatre 

The Moors, Worcester WR1 3ED 

01905 611427 

www.worcesterlive.co.uk 


LIONEL - The Music of Lionel Richie 

Following his recent appearances with 

Lionel Richie himself on ITV’s ‘Sunday 

Night At The Palladium’ and the ‘Graham 

Norton Show’ for the BBC, Malcolm Pitt 

delivers a powerhouse and breathtaking 

performance in this high octane show 

celebrating the music of Lionel Richie and 

the Commodores. 

Sunday 8 March, 1.30pm & 4pm 

Sarah and Duck 

The enchanting world of Sarah and Duck is 

brought to life in a brand-new stage show, 

featuring the wonderful characters from the 

BAFTA award-winning CBeebies show. 

The Walled Garden at Croome 


Join Sarah and Duck and a host of your 

favourite friends as they plan a birthday 

party for Scarf Lady in their garden. 

Told through a fantastic blend of puppetry, 

storytelling and music, Sarah and Duck’s 

Big Top Birthday will take you and your 

children on a magical adventure! 

Sunday 5 April, 2pm 

Shark in the Park 

Timothy Pope is looking through his 

telescope - but wait, is that a Shark, in 

the Park!? From the creative team behind 

‘The Hairy Maclary show’ and featuring all 

three of the ‘Shark in the Park’ Series - this 

fin-tastic, family musical follows Timothy 

Pope (and his telescope!) on his exciting 

adventures… 

Wednesday 8 April, 7.30pm 

Bleak House 

When a dead body is discovered in Mr 

Krook’s Rag-and-Bone shop, a web of 

mysteries starts to untangle, with farreaching 

consequences. Hilarious, tragic 

and romantic by turns, Dickens’ darkly 

comic masterpiece is retold by The 

Pantaloons in their own inimitable style. A 

company of five actor-musicians bring the 

novel’s cast of over 50 characters to life 

in a thrilling tale of love, skulduggery and 

spontaneous combustion. 

Kidderminster Town 

Hall 

7 Vicar Street, Kidderminster DY10 1DE 

01562 732158 

www.kidderminstertownhall.org.uk 

Thursday 5 March, 7.30pm 

Kidderminster Jazz Club 

Sue Richardson’s musical journey, has 

gone from strength to strength. Working 

with the leading UK jazz musicians, playing 

in jazz clubs around the country. Sue is 

a member of Alex Webb’s ‘Cafe Society’ 

band. 

Saturday 7 March, 7.30pm 

Wyre Forest Symphony Orchestra 

Programme is Cosi fan tutti Overture - 

Mozart, Horn Concerto No3 - Mozart 

- soloist Lydia Taylor, Saint Anthony 

Variations – Brahms and Symphony No8 - 

Beethoven. 

Brockhampton Estate 

Bringsty, Bromyard WR6 5TB 

01885 482077 

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/brockhampton 

Saturday 21 March + 62 other dates, 

10am - 5pm 

Spring Blossom Festival 

To celebrate the launch of the new orchard, 

visit this spring for a host of activities 

inspired by Brockhampton’s beautiful 

blossom. 

Enjoy guided walks, nature journaling, 

a family trail, ‘50 things’ activities and 

traditional crafts. 


11am - 4.30pm 

Cadbury’s Easter Egg Hunt 

The tale of Jeremy Fisher trail 

Discover the nostalgic tale of Jeremy 

Fisher and friends within the orchards of 

Brockhampton. Using your map, find the 

hidden clues and complete the trail to win a 

prize at the end. 

Join in the celebration of the quintessential 

tale of Jeremy Fisher, the rather 

misfortunate frog who lives in a slippysloppy 

house at the edge of a pond. 

Batsford Arboretum 

and Garden Centre 

Batsford, Moreton-in-Marsh GL56 9QB 

01386 701441 

Saturday 25 April, 4am 

Dawn Chorus Wild Walk 

Join Batsford birding expert Arthur Ball for 

a stroll through the Arboretum to hear the 

beautiful dawn chorus. 

With more than forty years’ experience, 

Arthur will keep you informed and 

entertained about the native and visiting 

birds and help you identify them through 

their song. 

Tickets cost £14 and include a bacon or 

sausage sandwich and a tea or coffee 

afterwards. 

Please note: Children are welcome at the 

event; however it is best suited to children 

over the age of 10. We would advise 

participants to wear warm, water-proof 

clothing and comfortable shoes. 

Places are limited and must be booked in 

advance, to book call 01386 701441. 

Malvern Flea & 

Collectors Fair 

Three Counties Showground, Malvern, 

WR13 6NW 

01636 676531 

Monday13 April, 7.30am – 3.30pm 

Spend Easter Monday at the UK’s largest 

flea event. 

Experience the ‘Malvern Magic’ that is the 

biggest flea fair in the country. Hundreds 

of stalls across two halls and even more 

outside (number dependent on the weather) 

combine to provide an incredibly eclectic 

shopping experience. 

With everything from furniture, lighting 

and textiles to clothing, jewellery, teddies 

and toys it is the ultimate event for the 

interior designer, up-cycler, crafter and 

thrift seeker. The variety of items on offer 

is extensive. From traditional antique 

grandeur to rustic chic. Retro wares to up 

cycled creations. The truly wonderful…to 

the definitely weird! 

Don’t miss it! £5 per person, cash only. 

Accompanied under 16s go free. 

We take great care in compiling the 

listings, however, we recommend that you 

contact the venue in advance as events and 

activities may be subject to change

Why it's 

never too 

early to 

put STEAM 

on the 

curriculum 

Dr Katie King, science subject leader at Headington Prep 

School, outlines the importance of studying STEAM at a 

young age - particularly for girls... 

What’s the point in focusing on STEAM 

when children are still mastering the 

basics of learning to read and write? Is 

there really any advantage to spending 

time, energy and resources on concepts 

likely to be alien to Prep or primary-aged 

children? In short, the answer is yes, 

particularly when we’re talking about 

girls’ education. 

Stereotyping is perhaps at its strongest 

at this age group. Girls are surrounded by 

pink princesses and expected to enjoy 

caring and nurturing play while boys are 

encouraged to get stuck into construction 

toys and physical play. Many will already 

confidently say what they want to be 

when they grow up. 

Fast forward a few years and while the 

girls may be out of their pink princess 

dresses, the proportion of girls studying 

Physics to A Level is a fraction of that 

of boys. Minuscule proportions of 

engineers are female and women are 

under-represented at the highest levels in 

challenging STEAM-related careers. 

Does this mean that fewer women have 

the skills and inclination? Highly unlikely 

– far more likely that they perhaps never 

even considered this as a possible career 

path. Thus opening their eyes to the 

world of STEAM at the earliest possible 

opportunity becomes that much more 

appealing. 

At Headington Prep School we have just 

finished our Year of Science, Technology, 

Engineering, Art and Maths. It has 

been thrilling, exciting, challenging and 

genuinely inspiring. It was a celebration of 

all that the subjects offer, from problemsolving 

and teamwork, to the traits of 

perseverance and resilience. Whether 

these girls eventually follow careers in 

these fields or pursue other options, 

these will be invaluable skills both now 

and in the future. 

If you work with role models who are 

passionate about their field of learning 

then you can share their enthusiasm and 

excitement – and an intangible career 

concept becomes a real opportunity 

worth considering. In Oxford we are 

lucky enough to benefit from countless 

professionals working either in the city’s 

two universities, the world-leading 

research hospital the John Radcliffe or 

the nearby Science Park. When we bring 

in people like Oxford University professor 

of molecular genetics and metabolism 

Prof Anna Gloyn to show children as 

young as 7 or 8 how to extract DNA 

from strawberries, or challenge 11 year 

olds to break codes with teams from 

Bletchley Park, or invite researchers from 

the Oxford Vaccine Group to unpack 

the spread of disease and the purpose 

of vaccines with Key Stage 2 children, 

it feels real. It’s no longer a distant and 

incomprehensible thing that ‘somebody 

else does’ but something they have 

actually experienced in action. It also 

shows them that women work in these 

critical industries – so too could they. It’s 

a cliché but if you don’t plant the seeds 

of ideas then they will never germinate 

into fully-fledged realities. 

Children of this age are less likely to 

have already decided they ‘can’t’ do 

something. They have less experience 

of failure and disappointment, of being 

told it’s not for them. It is as they grow 

older and they suffer setbacks or get 

things wrong that it becomes harder to 

take risks in their learning. They become 

less likely to take on something new and 

exciting if it comes, psychologically, with 

a risk of failure. 

If we start at this age and take advantage 

of these enquiring minds, the thirst for 

knowledge and new things which is 

such a wonderful trait in so many young 

children, then they will grow up armed 

with everything they need to make an 

educated decision on what they truly 

want to be – and what they CAN be. 

10 | www.malvernhillsliving.co.uk

a unique 

hidden gem 

At the RGS Family of Schools, we offer the 

best and broadest education your child 

can have from nursery care at 2 years 

old right through to the end of secondary 

school... 

Our focus is to create independent and creative learners who will 

mature into confident, polite, successful and happy individuals. 

Our challenging and exciting curriculums mean they have the 

opportunity to experience a wide variety of academic and cocurricular 

subjects allowing your child to find their strengths. The 

sooner they start their journey with us the more impact we can 

have on their development, giving them high-quality education 

and an easy transition between the stages of school life. Our 

Schools offer the same exceptional quality of education in 

different settings. 

RGS The Grange is a stunning school set in a 50-acre site just 

outside of Worcester. RGS The Grange is full of happy, confident 

and successful children who are inspired by a dedicated team of 

staff sharing a wonderful sense of community. 

ADVERTISING FEATURE 

RGS Springfield is a unique hidden gem with over two acres 

of green playing fields and a forest school, located in Britannia 

Square that sits in the ideal position to use Senior School 

facilities and takes advantage of being so close to the city 

centre. RGS Springfield is passionate about developing each 

child by ensuring that our teaching facilitates all learning styles 

and enables all pupils to attain their full potential. 

Both Schools have small class sizes to ensure your child gets 

the individual attention they need to nurture their potential before 

moving onto their secondary education at RGS Worcester. 

“We offer your child an excellent education as they take the first 

steps of their journey, developing both academic and life skills 

that will set them in good stead for the future.” 

We offer a minibus service from Malvern and there is a regular 

train service between Malvern and Worcester Foregate Street, 

which is a 6 minute walk to RGS Worcester. Please do come and 

visit us during a school day to find out more. We guarantee you 

a warm welcome and our pupils would be delighted to show you 

their School.

The importance of extra 

curricular activities 

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. 

Here are some examples of extracurricular activities 

that your child might enjoy. 

1. Music LESSONS - 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. 

2. Sports CLUBS - 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 LESSONS - 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 GROUPS - Perhaps your child is 

a blossoming artist and they will improve creative skills as the brain 

will begin to develop the areas associated with creativity. Painting 

and drawing can also help develop problem-solving skills. 

5. Crafts, Pottery and Sculpting CLASSES - Working with 

clay and creating something with their hands can give a child a 

sense of satisfaction which builds confidence. 

6. Martial Arts - Though the varied styles of mixed martial 

arts such as judo, Taekwondo, karate and what these really teach 

is discipline and how to control strength. Martial Arts teach selfcontrol 

and self-discipline. They also help in socialisation skills and 

physical development in your child. 

7. 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. 

8. Drama ClubS - 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 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. 

Inspiring children 

to reach new 

heights 

Open Day - Saturday 9th May 09.30 - 13.00 

Co-educational Day and Boarding Prep School (for pupils aged 3 - 13) • Associated with Malvern College 

www.thedownsmalvern.org.uk / registrar@thedownsmalvern.org.uk / 44(0)1684 544108 


Say I Love You 

This Mother’s Day, why 

not ‘wow’ your mum with 

a special breakfast treat, 

courtesy of VonShef. 

Here are a few products to make sure 

they start their day feeling truly spoiled! 

First things first, pop the coffee on. If they 

love the aromatic, rich flavour of freshly 

ground and freshly brewed coffee, you 

won’t go wrong with the VonShef 1.5L 

Bean to Cup Coffee Machine. Watch as 

the machine grinds, doses and extracts 

all the delicious flavours in just 3 minutes, 

quite literally from bean to cup! 

Next, have a think about how they like 

their eggs in the morning! VonShef have 

an amazing Electric Omelette Maker, so 

no excuses for not serving up the perfect 

omelette! This cool piece of equipment 

allows you to make two plain or filled 

omelettes together, so there will be no 

arguments who gets brekkie first! At just 

£14.99, it also doubles up to either fry or 

scramble eggs, so is a great addition to 

your kitchen. 

If boiled eggs are more up their street, 

have a look at the VonShef 2-in-1 

Egg Boiler & Toaster. Including 3 

interchangeable plates (1 x boiled egg 

tray, 2 x steaming trays & 2 x poaching 

dishes), this super cool machine can 

poach eggs in the poaching dishes or 

boil in the steamer tray whilst you toast 

your accompaniment of choice. Priced at 

£34.99, this makes boiled eggs and toast 

easier than ever before! 

Really spoil them with fresh waffles 

thanks to the VonShef Dual Round Waffle 

Maker (£27.99). This small but powerful 

machine makes two 6” round waffles at 

the same time - perfect for breakfast, 

lunch, dessert or a cheeky snack 

throughout the day. The non-stick coated 

plates make it super easy to clean too! 

Last but not least, you better take it up 

to them, and VonShef come up trumps 

again with their gorgeous Bamboo 

Serving Tray. Made from lightweight 

and durable bamboo, this tray is perfect 

for serving breakfast in bed, carrying 

drinks or wowing guests with canapés. 

Two large side handles make for easy 

carrying, and it even has non-slip feet 

for added stability. With a wipe clean 

surface, this is a steal at just £12.99! 

time to WIN 

VonShef have kindly given us a main 

prize bundle consisting of a waffle iron, 

coffee machine and tray and there are 

three waffle irons up for grabs for lucky 

runners up! 

To have a chance of winning, enter on 

the website minervacomp.co.uk using 

keyword Breakfast Bundle and giving 

your contact details. Competition closes 

25th March 2020. T&Cs apply. 

Classic waffles 

INGREDIENTS 

Serves: 5 

250g plain flour 

1 teaspoon salt 

4 teaspoons baking powder 

2 tablespoons caster sugar 

2 eggs 

355ml warm milk 

75g butter, melted 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

METHOD 

In a large bowl, mix together flour, 

salt, baking powder and sugar; set 

aside. Preheat waffle maker to desired 

temperature. 

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in 

the milk, butter and vanilla. Pour the milk 

mixture into the flour mixture; beat until 

blended. 

Ladle the batter into a preheated waffle 

maker. Cook the waffles until golden and 

crisp. Serve immediately. 


A rainbow of delicious 

sweets, all in biodegradable 

packing, from £2.95, 

askmummyanddaddy.com 

Turn your little person into a 

bunny with this cute cardigan, 

£34.99, kitandkin.com 

A milk chocolate egg 

burnished with gold and 

a very low added sugar, 

£18.50, chococo.co.uk 

We love the Easter carrots Low sugar chocolate - 

yes please 

4 Lemon Fondant 

Fancies, £9, and Hazelnut 

Chocolate Egg, £6.50, 

bettys.co.uk 

AN EGGCELLENT 

EASTER 

Perfect pressies for all your 

loved ones this Easter 

Small White 

Ceramic Hen 

‘Glug Jug’, £7.50, 

giselagraham.co.uk 

Give them their own 

bunny to cuddle with 

this cute cushion, £15, 

bizzigrowin.com 

Easter Lamb Bowl, £30, 

sweetpeaandwillow.com 

Bonnie The Bunny 

Umbrella, £8.95, 

rexlondon.com 

Great for plants or as 

an Easter centrepiece 

You can also buy materials to 

make floral wreaths 

Reduce your carbon footprint with 

these long-lasting, contemporary 

bouquets. Preserved at the height of 

their beauty, they guarantee a year of 

bloom. We love the soft feel and look 

of fresh foliage. From £29, shida.florist 

Charming Easter 

designs from 

illustrator Sophie 

Allport, from £8, 

sophieallport.com 

Bunny Pom Pom Bum 

Easter Name Place 

Cards, £3.99 for 6, 

gingerray.co.uk 


ICED EASTER BISCUITS 

Makes about 25 biscuits. Recipe 

adapted from Mary Berry. 

FOR THE DOUGH 

200g/8oz softened butter 

150g/6oz caster sugar 

2 large free-range egg yolk 

400g/14oz plain flour, plus extra for 

flouring 

1 level tsp mixed spice 

1 level tsp ground cinnamon 

2-4 tbsp milk 

FOR THE ICED BISCUITS 

1-2 tsp lemon juice 

250g/9oz icing sugar 

about 2 tbsp cold water 

different coloured food colouring 

METHOD 

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. 

Lightly grease two baking trays lined with 

baking parchment. 

Measure the butter and sugar into a bowl 

and beat together until light and fluffy. 

Beat in the egg yolk. Sieve in the flour and 

spices and add enough milk to give a fairly 

soft dough. Bring together, using your 

hands, to make a soft dough. 

Halve the mixture and set half to one side. 

Roll out to a thickness of about 5mm/¼in. 

Cut into rounds using a circular cutter. 

Place on the prepared baking trays. 

Sprinkle with caster sugar. 

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 

minutes, or until pale golden-brown. Keep 

a careful eye on the biscuits - it doesn’t 

matter if you open the oven door to check. 

Sprinkle with caster sugar and lift onto 

a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight 

container. 

For the iced biscuits, knead the remaining 

half of the biscuit dough mixture lightly on 

a lightly floured work surface. Roll out to 

a thickness of 5mm/¼in. Cut out Easter 

biscuits using an assortment of shaped 

cutters, such as bunnies, Easter eggs, 

chicks, spring flowers. 

Lightly grease two baking trays lined 

with baking parchment. Place the biscuit 

shapes on the prepared baking trays and 

bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 

minutes. Remove from the oven and lift on 

to a wire rack to cool. 

To make the icing, pass one teaspoon 

of lemon juice through a fine sieve, to 

remove any pips or bits. Mix the icing 

sugar with the lemon juice, and then add 

about two tablespoons of water, adding 

it little by little until you have a relatively 

stiff but smooth icing. Add a splash more 

sieved lemon juice if necessary. Add food 

colouring if using. 

Spoon a little icing into a piping bag and 

pipe your decorations onto the biscuits. 

For a smooth finish, you can pipe the 

outline of your design in the firmer icing, 

then slacken it down a bit by mixing in a 

little more water, giving the icing more of 

a runny consistency, and use this to fill in 

the designs. 

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ABBA_PROG_AD_153mmx110mm.indd 1 www.malvernhillsliving.co.uk 10/02/2020 17:09 | 15

THE CHEF 

that rocks 

Famed for his growing group of fabulous fish restaurants, 

Rockfish, Mitch Tonks is a chef, author, restaurateur and a 

passionate, lifelong advocate for all the morsels that emerge 

from the deep blue sea. Sally Thomson caught up with him 

to discuss expansion plans, career motivations and why his 

heart will always belong to the kitchen... 

Sally: I hear you have another book 

on the horizon? 

Mitch: I do! We’re doing another 

Rockfish book. It will be published 

October. All very exciting! 

Fantastic! How many Rockfish 

Restaurants have you got 

now? 

At the moment there are 

seven but there will be 

nine by the end of the year. 

They will be in Poole, Lyme 

Regis, and Sidmouth. Poole 

opened in January, Lyme 

Regis will open in June 

and Sidmouth will open 

in October. We then have 

two or three sites ready 

for 2021 that we are just 

negotiating on. 

That is incredible, 

when you think about 

where you’ve come 

from. 

It’s kind of been an 

up and down journey, 

because we had 

Fishworks, which 

grew to thirteen, 

but it was a public 

company and the 

wrong environment 

to grow restaurants 

in and ultimately 

the project failed. 

But since 2009 

Seahorses has existed down in 

Dartmouth, and Rockfish is ten years 

old, so we’ve done well to rebuild over 

that period. 

When we last had a chat you’d 

opened Joe’s Bar, how’s that going? 

It’s going really well, and since May last 

year we actually moved the entrance to 

the restaurant through Joe’s Bar, and 

that’s been a real success as people 

enter the restaurant through Joe’s 

Bar, have a drink and start their dining 

experience off with something more 

special and fun. 

So how do you stretch yourself with 

everything going on? 

Well the business is over three hundred 

people, with a really good senior team, 

finance, marketing, and then over four 

hundred in the summer. So, I obviously 

work very closely with my senior team 

and I am clear about what I want to 

achieve in a period of time and helping 

other people to achieve those goals. 

Sometimes its challenging but when you 

work as a team and you are supporting 

each other you can make stuff happen. 

That’s it really! 

Managing those people, helping them 

manage others, then I spend my time in 

the restaurants, as well as consistently 

looking at the business as a whole and 

thinking ‘How can our business provide 

better solutions for jobs, how can we 

be better than anywhere else to work 

"I tend to think of the restaurants like a 

community now. Everybody who works for 

us belongs to the community. We talk a lot 

about family but of course family are hard to 

get rid of and communities are made up of 

people all contributing" 

17

"I think when Fishworks 

failed…well it gives you 

plenty of time to reflect on 

what’s really important to 

you and what’s not" 

So I made a phone call to my agent who 

was on the train on the way up. He was 

mortified! All I could say to everyone was 

that 'I’m sorry, I just don’t want to do 

it'. Financially it was suicide as it was a 

very well paid job but it was prime time 

television and all the things that go with 

it and I didn’t want to be known as a guy 

on telly. I wanted to build my reputation 

as a restaurateur and a chef which is 

what I actually really enjoy. 

I think when Fishworks failed…well it 

gives you plenty of time to reflect on 

what’s really important to you and what’s 

not and allowed me to make my own 

choices, not get swept along with ‘this is 

a great idea’. It was a great idea, it was 

magnificent. The TV show would have 

been great but it just wasn’t for me. So 

the answer is I am regularly asked to do 

television bits and I will 99% of the time 

turn them down and occasionally I might 

do the odd thing but I don’t wake up 

thinking ‘I’d like to do more television’. 

18 

for, how can we have a really amazing 

strategy over five years that gives people 

top pay, freedom, how can we create a 

development programme so that people 

can develop in the organisation.’ 

I tend to think of the restaurants like a 

community now. Everybody who works for 

us belongs to the community. We talk a lot 

about family but of course family are hard 

to get rid of and communities are made up 

of people all contributing, so when people 

don’t contribute they move out of the 

community and new people move in. 

One thing I didn’t realise is that you 

made significant changes to your menu 

with regards to being gluten-free. That 

must have been a big change? 

Yes! About ten years ago we set about 

rebuilding all of cooking ranges and 

changing all of our practices so that offer 

everything gluten-free. We committed to 

the business being gluten-free, not just 

by saying ‘here’s a gluten-free menu’. 

Everything we do is gluten-free. If we 

have to swap a bun for a gluten-free bun 

we do, and it basically means that the 

whole menu is available to somebody 

with a gluten intolerance rather than 

them feeling in a minority and only being 

able to choose from say five things on 

the menu. 

Going back, I first met you at the 

beginning of the century! 2000, a 

long, long time ago! Since then you’ve 

appeared on TV, most notably with 

Matt Dawson, the rugby player, but 

do you find yourself too busy to make 

room to do any shows as of late? 

The television career took off back 

around 2008/09. The series Mitch and 

Matt’s Big Fish became very successful 

and Denham Productions and the BBC 

wanted to do series two. So there was a 

lot of euphoria and excitement from Matt 

and the team, and they were on their way 

to London to sign the deal. 

We had agreed it, gone through it all and 

I started to get cold feet. I was sat in the 

restaurant having a brandy and a coffee 

and I was just thinking to myself ‘I don’t 

actually want to be a television chef, I 

want to be in this restaurant cooking’. 

Surely your heart has to be in it if it’s 

what you are going to do? 

I think you are either on telly to drive 

people to your restaurants, well I’ve been 

there when you are in a restaurant and so 

many people want to talk to you because 

they’ve seen you on telly but never for 

the right reasons, and the thought that 

somebody comes to the restaurant just 

to catch a glimpse of the person they’ve 

seen on telly is just the wrong motivation. 

I want people to restaurants because 

they are really great places socially to 

go and they have importance in the 

community and they like your food and 

that it’s somewhere they want to come to 

celebrate birthdays and all of that stuff! 

Absolutely, and you’ve done so, I mean 

The Seahorse is just brilliant I’ve got 

to be honest. It’s just delightful the 

minute you walk in there, it’s such 

a lovely place to be and I absolutely 

love coming down there and hopefully 

when the weather brightens up I’ll be 

back. One last question; are you doing 

Salcombe Crab Festival this May? 

I’m still not sure if I’m going to do it this 

year. I didn’t do it last year, but I did 

the year before, but I am hoping to do 

a fish festival in Brixton, a crab festival 

in Dartmouth which we always do, and 

also Dartmouth Food Festival in October 

which is always great. 

www.mitchtonks.co.uk

EASTEr 

eats 

The next big cooking fest after the festive feast, we think cooking for 

Easter should be easy. So we've gathered some seasonal favourites with 

minimal fuss, all from the fantastic cooking app cookwithmands.com 

GRIDDLED 

ASPARAGUS 

with citrus hollandaise 

The perfect starter, light and delicious - it 

also lets seasonal hero asparagus shine! 

Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 20 mins 

Serves: 4 

INGREDIENTS 

450g asparagus 

1 lemon 

1 dash olive oil 

For the hollandaise: 

2 large egg yolks 

1 tbsp fresh orange juice 

half a lemon 

2 tsp lemon zest 

125g cold butter 

METHOD 

Juice the half lemon, grate the lemon 

zest from the whole lemon, then cut that 

lemon into slices. Dice the cold butter. 

To make the hollandaise, in a medium 

heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg 

yolks, orange and lemon juice, lemon 

zest, and some salt and freshly ground 

black pepper. Sit the bowl over (but not 

touching) a pan of gently simmering 

water and add 2 or 3 pieces of butter, 

whisking continuously until melted. 

Continue adding the remaining butter in 

this way, whisking until the sauce is thick 

and smooth. Remove from the heat. 

Heat a griddle pan until hot. Drizzle the 

asparagus and lemon wedges with a 

little olive oil and griddle for 2-3 minutes 

each side, until just tender. Season with 

salt and pepper, and arrange on a platter. 

Drizzle with the hollandaise to serve. 

CHEDDAR & 

ONION seeded rolls 

Something about Easter makes baking 

feel right. This is great for the main meal or 

as a sandwich with any leftover lamb. 


Makes: 10 

INGREDIENTS 

3 tsp black onion seeds 

375g seeded bread mix (from M&S) 

200g mature Cheddar 

180ml lukewarm water 

flour, for dusting 

olive oil 

METHOD 

Heat a frying pan over a medium-high 

heat and add the onion seeds. Move 

them around the pan for 1 minute, until 

they produce an oniony aroma. Set aside. 

Tip the bread mix into a large bowl. Stir in 

three-quarters of the cheese, two-thirds 

of the onion seeds and the lukewarm 

water. Mix to form a ball of dough. 

Turn out onto a floured surface and 

knead for about 10 minutes until soft and 

elastic. Shape into rolls, then put on oiled 

baking sheets, well apart. 

With a knife, slash the tops of the rolls. 

Loosely cover each sheet with lightly 

oiled cling-film and leave in a warm 

place for 40 minutes, until the dough has 

almost doubled in size. Heat the oven to 

220°C/425°F/gas 7 (200°C for fan ovens). 

Once the rolls have risen, scatter them 

with the reserved cheese and onion 

seeds. Bake for 12-15 minutes until 

golden and hollow-sounding when 

tapped underneath. Delicious served 

warm with butter. 

19

4 (160°C for fan ovens). Transfer the 

potatoes to a roasting tin, drizzle with the 

oil and sprinkle with the seasoning. Roast 

the potatoes for 40 minutes, turning 

occasionally, until tender and crisp. 

SLOW-ROAST 

LAMB 

The Easter centrepiece - this one is meltin-the-mouth 

delicious and just needs 

low, slow cooking. 

Prep: 30 mins | Cook: 4 hours 10 mins 

Serves: 8 

INGREDIENTS 

2kg leg of lamb (bone in) 

400g shallots 

2 whole garlic bulbs 

150ml Madeira/Marsala or other sweet 

fortified wine 

2 tsp plain flour 

2 tsp butter 

Seasoning paste 

2 lemons 

4 sprigs rosemary 

4 garlic cloves 

8 anchovies 

1 tbsp olive oil 

METHOD 

To prep: If large, peel and half the 

shallots. Half crossways the whole garlic 

bulbs. Soften the butter. Zest and half 

the lemons. Finely chop the leaves of the 

rosemary. Finely chop the garlic cloves. 

Chop the anchovies. 

Heat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/gas 3. 

To make the seasoning paste, put the 

lemon zest, rosemary, garlic cloves, 

anchovies and freshly ground black 

pepper in a bowl. Use a fork to mash 

together into a chunky paste. Stir in the oil 

and set aside. 

Heat a roasting tin on the hob and brown 

the lamb for a couple of minutes on each 

side. Remove the lamb from the tin and 

place on a board. 

Cook the shallots in the roasting tin (add 

a little olive oil if necessary) for 5 minutes 

or until golden, stirring occasionally. 

Remove and set aside. 

Meanwhile, use a thin, sharp knife to 

make deep, angled incisions all over the 

lamb. 

Push the seasoning paste into the cuts. 

Return the lamb to the tin. Add the 

shallots, garlic and lemon halves. Pour 

the Madeira and 100ml water around the 

lamb. Cover the roasting tin tightly with 

foil and roast for 3 hours. 

Remove the foil and return to the oven 

for a further hour. Meanwhile, mix the 

flour and butter to form a paste. When 

the lamb is ready, transfer it to a carving 

board or platter, with the garlic, lemons 

and shallots, and loosely cover with foil. 

Strain the juices from the roasting tin into 

a small saucepan and bring to the boil. 

Whisk in the flour and butter paste, then 

simmer until the sauce is thickened and 

glossy. Serve with the lamb. 

ULTIMATE 

ROAST 

POTATOES 

Perfect roast potatoes with a flawless, 

crisp crunch. 


Serves: 6 

INGREDIENTS 

1kg potatoes 

1 tbsp Seasoning for Roast Potatoes 


METHOD 

Peel and cut the potatoes in half, or into 

quarters if large. Boil the potatoes in 

salted water for 5 minutes and drain well. 

Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 

WHOLE SALMON 

with roasted squash and 

tarragon olive mayonnaise 

The perfect celebratory fish dish for 

Good Friday. 

Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 1 hour 5 mins 

Serves: 8 

INGREDIENTS 

1 lemon 

2kg whole Lochmuir salmon, cleaned 


8 sprigs tarragon 

20g unsalted butter 

1 large butternut squash 

8 whole garlic clove 

2 tbsp pumpkin seeds 

200ml mayonnaise 

2 tbsp pitted green olives, chopped 

METHOD 

Heat the oven to 190°/170°C fan/gas 5. 

Halve the lemon, set one half aside and 

slice the other into rounds. To cook the 

salmon, start with two large sheets of 

foil, one on top of the other, in a roasting 

tin large enough to hold the whole fish. 

Brush the foil with 1 tablespoon oil and 

lay the salmon on top. 

Stuff 4 tarragon sprigs, the lemon slices 

and a little salt and pepper in the cavity. 

Dot the butter over the surface of the 

salmon and bring the foil around it in a 

loose parcel, sealing the edges tightly. 

Roast for 1 hour, then set aside to rest for 

15 minutes before opening the foil. 

Meanwhile, slice the squash into wedges, 

skin on, and toss with the remaining olive 

oil and the whole garlic cloves on a large 

baking tray. 

Roast for 45 minutes, until the squash 

is golden then scatter with the pumpkin 

20

seeds and return to the oven for a final 5 

minutes. 

To make the mayonnaise, strip the leaves 

from the remaining tarragon sprigs and 

finely chop. 

Stir into the mayonnaise with a squeeze 

of lemon juice from the remaining lemon 

half and the chopped olives. 

Season with black pepper only. Serve the 

baked salmon with the roast squash, soft 

garlic and tarragon-olive mayonnaise. 

HOT CROSS BUN 

PUDDING 

A great alternative to bread and butter 

pudding - and a way to use up any 

leftover hot cross buns and Easter eggs! 


Serves: 6 

INGREDIENTS 

2 eggs 

8 mini hot cross buns, or four large 

1 pear, peeled, cored and cubed 

4 tbsp hazelnut chocolate spread 

25g dark chocolate, chopped 

150ml double cream 

25ml whole milk 

25g caster sugar 

METHOD 

Cut each bun in half, then sandwich 

together with the chocolate spread. 

Arrange in an ovenproof dish and scatter 

over the pear cubes and chocolate. 

Whisk together the eggs, cream, milk and 

sugar. Pour the mixture over the buns 

and leave for at least 30 minutes to allow 

it to soak in. 

Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 

(160°C for fan ovens) and bake for 35-40 

minutes until golden and just set. Stand 

for 5 minutes before serving. 

RHUBARB AND 

MASCARPONE 

meringue cake 

Another seasonal favourite - rhubarb. 

Meringues can be made ahead, but eat 

on the day you assemble with cream. 

Prep: 1 hour 25 mins | Cook: 2 hours 

Serves: 8 

INGREDIENTS 

For the purée: 

400g rhubarb, cut into 2cm pieces 

2 tbsp caster sugar 

1 vanilla pod, deseeded 

4 tbsp orange juice 

For the meringue: 

225g caster sugar 

4 egg whites 

For the filling and topping: 

50g icing sugar 

350g mascarpone 

30g shelled pistachios, roughly chopped 

METHOD 

Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. 

Toss together the rhubarb, sugar, vanilla 

pod pieces and orange juice. Spread 

out the mixture in a small baking dish 

and roast for 15 minutes, or until tender. 

Remove from the oven and set aside 

to cool. 

Turn the oven down to 110°C/90°C fan/ 

gas ¼. Reserve 10 pieces of rhubarb 

for decoration, and purée the rest in a 

blender. Only add the juices from the 

baking dish if the purée seems too thick. 

Set aside. 

Trace 4 x 18cm circles on baking paper 

as a guide for the meringue discs. Put 

the sugar and 90ml water into a heavybased 

saucepan. Carefully swirl the water 

around to ensure the sugar is covered. 

(Do not stir after swirling as this will 

encourage sugar crystals to form on the 

sides of the pan.) Put the pan over a high 

heat until the mixture bubbles. 

Reduce the heat to medium and allow 

the mixture to bubble away for about 

10 minutes. If using a thermometer the 

syrup is ready when it reaches 116°C. 

Otherwise, test the mixture by dropping 

a small amount into a cup of cold water, 

lift it out and if it can be rolled into a soft 

ball, it’s ready. If it’s still slippery and loose, 

bubble a little longer. 

Meanwhile, in a clean bowl, whisk the 

egg whites to stiff peaks using an electric 

whisk. When the syrup is ready, add it 

to the whisked egg whites, whisking 

continuously until the mixture is glossy 

and the syrup is fully incorporated. 

Pipe or spread the mixture onto the 

prepared baking sheets, filling in the 

circles. Bake for 2 hours, then keep the 

oven door ajar with a wooden spoon and 

bake for another hour to crisp up the 

surface. Turn the oven off and leave the 

meringues to cool in the oven for a further 

hour. 

To make the filling, beat the icing sugar 

into the mascarpone, adding more if you 

prefer a sweeter flavour. Then gently fold 

about two-thirds of the rhubarb purée 

into the mascarpone. 

To assemble the cake, spread a meringue 

disc with a third of the mascarpone and 

top with some of the reserved purée, 

gently rippling it with a table knife. Repeat 

these steps with the other discs and 

decorate the top with the reserved pieces 

of rhubarb and the chopped pistachios. 

21

a 

Slice 

of 

SANTA 

BARBARA 

Kate O’Connell tackles 

the culinary scene of 

Santa Barbara. One 

mouthful at a time... 

Harbor View Inn Hotel 

22

When it comes to traveling, shockingly enough I had yet to actually 

get round to visiting the USA. This also came as a surprise to my 

fellow journalists on this trip. Our two nations are bound together 

by much history, an overlap in religion, a common legal system and 

language, so how had I not visited at least one state at one time or 

another? 

Who knows. Our family holidays didn’t stretch that far I guess. Which 

may explain my eagerness when I was offered the chance to explore 

Santa Barbara. Quite the destination for a first time visitor to the USA! 

Aptly nicknamed ‘The American Riviera’, Santa Barbara is situated 

90 miles (a 2 hour car journey) north of Los Angeles, tucked within 

a south-facing pacific coastline on one side, and the rolling hills that 

stretch into the Santa Ynez Mountains on the other. But it is its charm 

and sense of style that makes this small city so tempting - indeed it is 

a hotspot favourite for the rich and famous, with a whole host of A-list 

celebrities calling Santa Barbara home. 

If there’s one things that strikes you, it’s that Santa Barbara doesn’t 

really feel like a city at all. There’s no hustle and bustle here, instead 

just a wonderfully laid-back, chilled vibe. Infused with the spirit 

of Spain, we were informed that 6.8 magnitude earthquake near 

enough flattened the city back in 1925. Devastating yes, but like a 

phoenix from the ashes, this proved the making of the city in terms of 

architecture, as the city planners were convinced to rebuild the city in 

a unified, Spanish Colonial Revival style inspired by the historic Old 

Mission (founded by Spanish Franciscans in 1786). Red-tiled clay top 

roofs and white washed walls litter every building, and in addition to 

the climate, give the city its Mediterranean charm. 

Our first stop; checking in to the newly developed North Wing of 

Harbor View Inn hotel. A premier beachfront hotel, Harbour View Inn is 

centrally located within the city, and made for a fabulous base to start 

our trip. My room featured a very inviting king size bed, complimented 

by gorgeous modern Spanish Colonial furnishings, and to top it off - a 

balcony view, a chance to sip on a morning coffee and watch the 

world go by. But not yet. First; dinner! 

We made a short walk around the block to Loquita Restaurant for 

some authentic Spanish tapas. Created as a love letter to the Spanish 

origins and history of Santa Barbara, Loquita’s showcases a medley 

of paellas, charcuterie, cheeses and seafood. We were offered a 

sample of a variety of dishes on the menu, with the squid ink seafood 

paella being a personal favourite of mine. 

After a restful nights sleep in my luxuriously comfy bed, I was ready 

for a day of exciting activities. To get us started, we required a hearty 

breakfast, and Goat Tree was just the place to go. A gourmet cafe 

with a relaxed vibe, Goat Tree offers everything from fresh pastries 

and baked goods cooked in-house by their resident pastry chef, 

through to cooked breakfasts with a Mediterranean twist. I opted 

for the classic Shakshuka, accompanied by homemade flat bread. 

Possibly the best, tastiest start to a morning ever. 

Feeling suitably energised, it was time for a spot of kayaking down 

at the harbour front, courtesy of Santa Barbara Adventure Company. 

Kayaking is a great way to view a side of Santa Barbara that perhaps 

few visitors get to see, so it felt like such a treat. Not only this, it was a 

perfect opportunity to spot some of the resident wildlife. 

Loquita Restaurant 

23

Kayaking around Santa 

Barbara harbour 

24 

It was perhaps my enthusiasm at this 

opportunity that had me labelled a 

‘Twitcher’ on this trip. On every dock 

we manoeuvred around brought hoards 

of enormous pelicans, gangly herons 

and rather amusing loons to name but a 

few. We even managed to paddle right 

up to a raft of sealions. So much of the 

wildlife on show were species that I had 

never seen out of captivity, it was a very 

special morning indeed. I can’t say I am a 

particularly experienced kayaker, having 

only dabbled on holidays in the past, but 

I needn’t have worried. The Adventure 

Company specialise in providing tours for 

all abilities, so I was in safe hands! 

A great way to experience the harbour 

front is to sample some of the 

specialities, and so with this we took a 

stroll over to Stearns Wharf; California’s 

oldest wharf named after builder John 

P. Stearns. There we took some seats at 

Santa Barbara Shellfish Company, and 

were served an array of locally caught 

seafoods, all washed down with some 

local beer. 

To garner more of an overview of the city, 

we then took a ‘trolley tour’ via Santa 

Barbara Trolley Co. This 90 minute tour 

is lead by a highly insightful guide, who 

relays all sorts of interesting facts about 

the city, as well as a little local celeb 

gossip on the side! 

After a quick freshen up it was time for 

a bite to eat. Cue...Cubaneo! Californian 

Cuban cuisine served alongside cocktails 

from Shaker Mill who neighbour within 

the same premises. It is easy to see how 

you could happily waste away an evening 

here, and we did just that! With a cubano 

sandwich in one hand and a ‘Bay of 

Santiago’ cocktail in the other, you could 

have easily fooled us into thinking we 

were in Havana! 

After another restful night's sleep, I 

skipped breakfast in order to make room 

for the immense amount of food we 

would be sampling on the Eat This, Shoot 

That! Funk Zone Food & Photo tour. A 

three-hour expedition, this is a chance to 

sample some of Santa Barbara’s finest 

fodder, as well as learn a little more about 

the city’s history, all while discovering 

how best to maximize your photo-taking 

ability, achieving the most Instagramworthy 

images that will make you the 

envy of all your friends. 

The tour is also a great chance to get to 

grips with the layout of the city. Santa 

Barbara is made up of several districts, 

one of which, The Funk Zone, has seen 

its popularity boom in recent decades. 

Comprising of a series of converted 

warehouses, this contemporary district 

is very much the place to be to sample 

artisan foods from up-and-coming chefs, 

and out-of-this-world Santa Barbara 

Country wines. Shop fronts and walls 

are adorned with graffiti murals and art 

pieces; this district really is an everevolving 

artistic neighbourhood that is 

well worth a visit. 

It was then time to travel up into the 

foothills to our next hotel. And what an 

iconic hotel indeed. The Belmond El 

Encanto. Recently renovated in 2013, 

Belmond El Encanto offers stunning 

views of the American Riviera and a 

whole heap of Hollywood glamour on 

the side. This resort manages to feel 

relaxed and low-key, while at the same 

time feeling like the most exclusive place 

on earth. Sitting poolside whilst sipping 

a glass of ‘Belmond El Encanto Cuvee’, 

life truly feels timeless up here. It’s little 

wonder that it was a favoured getaway of 

the Hollywood elite. 

We made our way back down from the 

hills to State Street for an Italian feast 

at Due Lune Cucina. Serving fresh 

ingredients and hand-made pasta, I 

would have been mad not to order the 

Linguine alle Vongole. This was paired 

with some fabulous local wines, and the 

staff couldn’t have been more friendly 

and attentive. We topped off the night 

with a nightcap at Pearl Social; an 

intimate and beautifully furnished cocktail 

bar. The night felt like a very classy affair 

indeed. 

Somehow, our final day had sadly rolled 

around already! It was time to do a spot 

of botanical sight seeing. Lotusland was 

our destination. This 37-acre estate and 

botanic garden is situated in the foothills 

of Montecito, which is located to the 

East of Santa Barbara. Purchased by 

the rather marvellous socialite Madame 

Walska (Google her, honestly!), she spent 

43 years designing the gardens to her 

liking. To say they were breathtaking is 

an understatement. Home to all sorts of 

exotic, rare collections of plants, this is 

truly a garden like no other. 

After another spot of wine tasting at 

some of the local establishments (it 

would be rude not to!), we made our 

way to Bibi Ji for dinner. A modern take 

on traditional Indian cuisine, Bibi Ji are 

experts at pairing quality, local wines 

with the most brilliant of dishes. The 

moment came when the aptly nicknamed 

‘Californian Gold’ was bought out; Santa 

Barbara’s locally caught sea urchins. 

Beautifully presented, and filled with 

biryani rice, I couldn’t lie...I was a little 

hesitant to try them. After all, my only 

knowledge of them was to avoid standing 

on them when on sandy beaches abroad. 

I needn’t have worried. Creamy and 

indulgent, they were fantastic. 

What a dish. And what a trip. 

Sea Urchins at 

Bibi Ji Restaurant 

At a glance 

2 nights at harbor view inn 

hotel, 2 nights at belmond 

el encanto hotel, private 

transfers and return 

flights with Norwegian air. 

Parking and lounge access 

with holiday extras. 

No1 Lounge at Gatwick 

Airport (South Terminal) 

from £26 PP 

Harbor view inn - Nightly 

Rates vary from $268.00- 

$400.00 

belmond el encanto - 

nightly room rates start 

from $560 (inc tax), 

suites from $811 (inc tax) 

www.santabarbaraca.com

Glorious walks from the Highbullen Hotel, Devon 

STYLISH Staycations 

Whether you want the buzz of the city or a 

complete country retreat, here are our pick of 

UK staycations... 

the best of the city and west end at 

THE STRAND PALACE, LONDON 

Having welcomed guests since 1909, the Strand Palace is surrounded by 

the best London has to offer - located just minutes from Covent Garden. 

Having recently undergone a large-scale multi million pound renovation, 

myself and my partner decided to tie in a spot of winter shopping/ 

sightseeing in with a stay in what is most definitely the heart of London. 

The Strand Palace creates a fabulous impression the minute you meet the 

doorman! The front entrance, lobby and reception are one large, bright, 

open spaced hub, featuring art deco influences that create a very relaxed 

and sophisticated atmosphere. We checked in and made our way up to 

our room, which was a tranquil, comforting retreat from the hussle and 

bustle of the street below. 

It is at this stage that I feel I must confess: I am a bit of a tourist when it 

comes to London. In the past I have found myself booking into hotels that 

seem to be on the other side of the city in location to all the spots I wished 

to visit, and although there’s the tube, it’s still nice to be situated near 

the action. This is what makes The Strand Palace so perfect. Its location 

is brilliant - right in the heart of the West End, and with Covent Garden 

a mere two minutes away you really have got it all on your doorstep. 

I couldn’t believe our luck when a trip to The National Portrait Gallery 

took....seven minutes on foot! 

We made our way back to the hotel after a spot of lunch, opting for the 

pre-theatre menu which is brilliant value for money if you are trying to 

keep costs down. Pre 7pm, you can indulge with 2 courses for £20, so 

we tucked into some crispy lime squid, followed by fish and chips, with a 

lovely light batter. All washed down with a bottle of red. Delightful! 

The city felt like ours for the taking! We took ourselves off for a stroll around 

Covent Garden, closely followed by a visit to a couple of ‘proper’ London 

pubs. If you are after a weekend away in the city and want to make London 

your own, The Strand Palace offers a truly unbeatable location. 

Sam Norris | strandpalacehotel.co.uk, rooms from £175 per night 

escape to the country at 

UPPER TETCHWICK 

HOUSE, NR AYLESBURY 

There is surely no better ointment for the weary 

soul than a weekend in pristine countryside 

with your closest friends. I found that sense of 

reatreat at the beautiful Upper Tetchwick House, 

booked through holidaycottages.co.uk. 

With a whole host of different holiday 

accommodation options to suit couples, families 

and large or small parties, holidaycottages.co.uk 

was the perfect site through which to book our 

little staycation. We settled on Upper Tetchwick 

House, which sleeps 12. 

In a rural location on the outskirts of Aylesbury, 

the property is a home away from home - if your 

home is a resplendent country pad complete 

with six bedrooms, a swimming pool, a billiards 

room and a duck pond, with far reaching views 

across the countryside! It’s a house that would 

cater in any season - with a huge garden and 

pool for the warmer months and a wonderful 

wood burning stove when the chill sets in. 

The whole process was easy as anything - 

meaning we all felt immediately on holiday - that 

was in part thanks to the lovely locally-sourced 

welcome hamper waiting on the counter. 

The house had the added benefit of being dog 

friendly too, meaning my pooches didn’t miss 

out on any of the holiday action. 

Katie Thomson | holidaycottages.co.uk, 

a three night stay costs £1,568 total 

25

take time out at 

DONNINGTON VALLEY 

HOTEL & SPA, BERKSHIRE 

It really does go without saying that a visit to the 

spa is a great way to relax, de-stress and unwind 

from the day-to-day. However we should never 

need an excuse for a little pampering. After all, 

many of our modern-day spas have deep roots, 

dating back thousands of years. Hence my 

lack of guilt in booking myself and Mum in for a 

weekend stay at Donnington Valley Hotel. 

A privately owned hotel, spa and golf club, 

Donnington Valley is located just off the M4. 

Arriving in the surrounding beautiful Berkshire 

countryside, this truly felt like a retreat. 

Sharing an Executive suite, we were graced with 

gorgeously comfy beds and a rather spacious 

bathroom! We quickly put on the robes provided 

and made our way to the spa. There we had 

a luxury 55 minute Sonoma Aromatherapy 

Massage. Melting our tensions away, my 

thoughts drifted to the hustle and bustle of 

life, and what a rarity it is to have 55 minutes 

to yourself to just…be. It occurred to me how 

important it is to take time for yourself. It’s a 

win-win for everyone too surely, as by feeling 

and looking your best, you are better able to take 

care of your loved ones without feeling burnt out. 

We took ourselves off to the capacious pool, 

and made use of the indulgent sauna and 

steam rooms, not to mention a quick lounge 

in the jacuzzi, before quickly freshening up for 

our dinner reservations. On the menu: scallops 

on a bed of pea purée, black pudding and 

smoked pancetta, followed by a juicy sirloin 

steak, all complimented beautifully by some 

well-recommended wine, and last but not least 

followed by a delectable espresso martini. 

Naughty? Yes. But perhaps we all need to take 

a weekend every once in a while to look after 

number one. 

Kate O’Connell | donningtonvalley.co.uk, 

rooms from £135 per night 

find sanctuary in the city at 

PARK PLAZA LONDON RIVERBANK 

As a former Londoner who now resides in the countryside, there is always a 

thrill when returning to the capital. The beauty of being a visitor, instead of a 

resident, is getting to appreciate the wealth of culture, architectural marvels 

and general buzz of this sprawling metropolis. And there is nowhere better 

located to explore it all from than the Park Plaza London Riverbank. 

Located on the south side of the River Thames, it sits near many of 

London’s most legendary tourist attractions. The Houses of Parliament, the 

seat of England’s political authority, are just across Westminster Bridge, and 

the London Eye, the city’s enormous Ferris wheel, is only a 15-minute walk 

away. My room had an uninterrupted view out to Big Ben and the Palace of 

Westminster. Being so central might feel chaotic, but the hotel really does 

feel like a sanctuary away from it all. 

I visited with my small niece and nephew in tow - travelling with children 

is never easy, but the London Riverbank hotel has taken a huge step 

toward making it a breeze - it has just launched the capital’s first hotel 

room designed by families, for families - featuring elements such as chalk 

board walls, neon lights, a bunk bed for the kids, and chic décor and iconic 

London view for the adults, along with bespoke services. The suite is 

available from just £179 per night and can be booked by visiting 

parkplaza.com/ultimatefamily 

Daniel Weston | radissonhotels.com/en-us/hotels/park-plaza-Londonriverbank 

Rooms from £119 per night 

sleep like a royal at 

HARTWELL HOUSE, NR AYLESBURY 

I would call myself an explorer, but it isn’t often that I can feel as I’m back 

in the 17th century and living as the royals once had. That is exactly how 

this weekend felt, exploring the warmth, romance and delicious cuisine that 

Hartwell House had to offer. 

The hotel makes an impression straight away - the exquisite drive to the 

front entrance, greetings from smiling staff and the aroma of a burning stove 

made us feel we were somewhere very special. 

As we settled in our large room, with far-reaching views across the fields we 

were very pleased by the little touches - the room’s decor transporting you 

to an era of vintage style. History oozes from every pore of this house and 

there is so much to be explored - even the walk to dinner took us past the 

characterful staircase - each spindle of the bannister is hand carved into a 

caricature - we delighted in spotting famous historical figures, including a 

grave-faced Winston Churchill. 

The house has both Jacobean and Georgian features with outstanding 

decorative ceilings and panelling, fine paintings and antique furniture. It has a 

remarkable history too: its most famous resident was Louis XVIII, exiled King 

26

soak in the views at 

THE HIGHBULLEN HOTEL 

& COUNTRY CLUB, NORTH DEVON 

Arriving after nightfall to a hotel destination is always a bit of a treat - 

there is something exciting about waking up to an undiscovered view 

- pulling back the curtains to reveal the surprise. 

This delight surely hits its peak at the Highbullen Hotel, nestled in the 

rolling hills of North Devon. As I ambled, sleepily, from the sumptuous 

seven-foot bed in our suite, I opened the curtains with a cup of tea in 

hand, I was greeted by the most glorious, expansive views - rolling hills, 

a view down the Mole Valley and out towards national parks. From the 

hotel’s high vantage point on a ridge between Dartmoor and Exmoor, on 

a clear day you can see for 18 miles across pristine British countryside - 

it really is something to behold. 

An opportunity to enjoy these views is never missed - as well as a 

lovely reading nook in our own room, the elegant drawing rooms and 

sun terraces offered chances to sit and soak it all in. The hotel’s Devon 

View Restaurant also offers these panoramas, alongside its 2 AA 

rosettes - making for a very special dining experience. With a changing 

daily menu featuring the best local, seasonal produce, the restaurant 

is a foodie destination in its own right. We dined on the house-smoked 

salmon with avocado, a deliciously light leek and cheddar tart and 

perfectly succulent lamb cutlets with a perfect umami punch. The 

portions are perfect, leaving just enough room for a shared dessert of 

treacle tart with clotted cream - simple dessert pastry at its best. This is 

also the restaurant where residents can enjoy breakfast - 

it’s a great spread with lots to choose from. 

If the dishes in the restaurant gets you in the indulgent 

foodie mood (and they will) you can also head down to 

the lovely Laura Ashley Tearoom on site for a classic 

Devon cream tea or a more indulgent offering with fizz. 

As well as the main hotel, guests have accommodation 

options in self catered cottages - meaning the facilities 

of the whole resort are still on their doorstep. An 18-hole 

USGA golf course set within richly wooded parkland, 

tennis courts, a multi-sport simulator, a leisure centre, 

fishing, shooting, snooker - the list is expansive and 

caters for every member of the family, making it a 

wonderful holiday destination. Keen walkers can also 

make the most of miles of local country walks, Exmoor or 

the nearby South West Coast path. 

Katie Thomson | highbullen.co.uk, 

B&B from £110 per night 

of France, for five years from 1809 - no wonder we felt like royalty. 

That evening we shared a decadent three course dinner. The food was 

wonderful and the ambiance pure romance - with a piano playing in the 

background. I would highly recommend a starter of scallops or smoked 

salmon, the cod for a main and a trio of the delicious sorbets to finish it off. 

The majestic tone set the night before continued at breakfast - the 

spread pure elegance - hand polished silverware, white table cloths and 

loose leaf earl grey tea. Then it was out to explore the grounds. Hartwell 

House is a National Trust owned property with Capability Browninspired 

landscapes - we pretended it was all our domain as we strolled 

from one spectacular vista to another. 

Then it was time to relax even further in the beautiful spa - with its 

stylistic echoes of a Roman bathing house. Our treatments were 

sublime - taking away all the strain of a working week. 

From the first sights of history, to the genuine comforts of a homely room 

and stunning food, I arrive back in the big city, relaxed, romanced and so 

full of fond memories. Hartwell House comes highly recommended and I 

can see why - it is the perfect weekend away, only if you wish to get lost 

in time and take a moment to enjoy your surroundings. 

Lucy Elamad | hartwell-house.com, B&B from £250 per night 

27

AMAZING 

GLAZING 

When we think about our homes, it’s really the windows 

and doors that create the wow factor. We are all so 

keen to flood our properties with natural light and the 

constantly evolving technology in the world of glazing is 

making some truly astonishing designs achievable, not to 

mention more affordable than ever. 

Whether you are self-building, extending or even 

renovating your home, apportioning budget to windows 

and doors is a savvy move. As well as making your home 

more valuable - 69% of people say that light rooms make 

them more inclined to buy - investing in clever glazing can 

make you fall in love with your space once more. 

BI-FOLD vs SLIDING 

DOORS 

Bi-fold: 

PROS - for those looking for that wonderful sense of a 

garden room that brings the outside in, bi-folds can help 

create the sense of one open-plan space as the panels 

fold away fully to the walls. 

CONS - an expensive option - poorly constructed bi-folds 

can also suffer from air-tightness issues around the joins 

so do your research and get guarantees. 

Sliding: 

PROS - generally cheaper than bi-fold doors, sliding 

doors also have fewer frame elements, meaning when 

they are closed your view is less obstructed. 

CONS - you won’t get the full, uninterrupted view of the 

garden - instead only a portion of the doors are openable. 

Bi-fold 

Sliding 

69% of people say that light rooms make 

them more inclined to buy - investing in 

clever glazing can make you fall in love with 

your space once more... 

28

Roof Lanterns and Skylights 

Compared to windows of the same surface area, skylights and 

roof lanterns can increase light in a room by up to five times. 

They are particularly good in extensions and for channelling 

light to darker corners of the home and adding opportunities 

for ventilation. These additions are no longer considered just a 

luxury and can be used in a wide variety of scenarios: 

• In a loft extension, tucked beneath sloped rooflines, the 

presence of skylights may spell the difference between a 

bright, friendly space and a murky cave. 

• In a home built between closely adjoining neighbouring 

houses where overlooking might be an issue, skylights may be 

the best solution for introducing good natural light into rooms. 

• In a single storey house build or extension, built with an open 

floor plan, skylight shafts can bring much needed natural light 

into the centre of large spaces. 

Many of the issues experienced in the past of rooms 

overheating or being hard to clean have been mediated with 

a tranche of new technology, including glass panels with heat 

regulatory and storage abilities and self-cleaning glass. 

SINGLE STOREY EXTENSION? 

In a single storey house build or extension, built with an 

open floor plan, skylight shafts can bring much needed 

natural light into the centre of large spaces. 

Energy Efficiency 

Our homes are one of the biggest energy wasters out there and 

traditionally windows are the biggest energy leakage point, so 

with any renovation, it can really pay to invest in glass tech to 

ensure the best temperature regulation - creating huge savings 

down the line. We all know that double glazing is much more 

efficient than single, but newer technologies like triple glazing 

are making windows nearly as efficient at energy retention as 

the walls they are installed within. 

As well as the glass, it is important to do you research into 

frames and opt for the most airtight models. 

With great green credentials, triple glazed units have the 

added benefits of better thermal comfort, noise reduction and 

a reduced risk of condensation between panes – so for the 

self-builder or home improver looking for a premium finish with 

added benefits, it’s a natural choice. 

29

2 

1 

dark ARTS 

3 

The trend for sleek black finishes 

continues, with lots of companies 

now supplying dark taps, shower 

enclosures, towel rails and tiles 

Dark tiles and fixtures look amazing - the only thing 

to be aware of is living in a hard water area and the 

effects that will have on the finish of taps over time. 

For a sleek look, pair large-scale dark floor tiles with 

white tiles on the walls, framed by black hardware. 

5 

Images: 1. Aquaglass Velar 8mm Black Crittall Corner 

Entry Enclosure, frontlinebathrooms.co.uk; 2. Original Style 

Tileworks Steel Midnight Blue, originalstyle.com; 3. Merlyn 

Black Showerwall With End Panel, merlynshowering.com; 

4. Duravit - Stonetto (Sand) Shower Tray, duravit.co.uk; 

5. Contour Radiator, frontlinebathrooms.co.uk; 6. Pitch 

Bluetooth Mirror, purebathroomcollection.co.uk; 7. Finissimo 

Black Bath Filler, bathroomdealsuk.co.uk; 8. Valverdi Iguazu 

Tile, londontile.co.uk; 

8 

4 

7 

BATHROOM 

TECH 

With homes becoming 

smarter in the main, it 

makes sense that similar 

technology would be 

extended to the bathroom. 

We love this bluetooth 

mirror which can play 

your favourite songs and 

has automatic demisting 

technology 

6 

30

THE BATHROOM 

& TILE GUIDE 

A roundup of the trends that can beat the bathroom blues 

and turn your bathroom into your own slice of heaven 

1 2 

3 

ensuite DREAMS 

According to a survey carried out by Nationwide 

Building Society, an ensuite can add as much as 5% 

to your home's market value - if you have the space, 

it's a great investment which is luxurious too 

If space permits, a roll top or freestanding 

bath looks wonderful in an ensuite and 

gives a true sense of luxury. If your space 

is more modest, the smaller scale is a great 

place to experiment with some interesting 

tile combinations and colours. There are 

some fabulous examples of encaustic tiles 

out there at the moment, but if you do opt 

for those, be aware and prepared for more 

maintenance than printed tiles. 

Images: 1. products from Original Style; 2. String 

lights from Lights4fun.co.uk; 3. image from 

carleyrowena.com; 4. Floris tile from Boniti 

4 

31

1 

TILE STYLE 

THE way to add style and personality to 

your bathroom - choices are limitless. 

Avoid following trends too closely and pick 

something you really love 

3 

4 

2 

When choosing 

tiles, functionality 

is key - tiny mosaics look amazing, but you 

don't want them in high traffic areas of a family 

bathroom. Try to keep floor tiles low maintenance 

and add decorative flourishes in smaller spaces. 

Ceramics aren't the only option either - vinyl tiles 

and laminates can work effectively. 

5 

6 

Images: 1. Selection from Ripples; 2. Havana Dawn Self 

Adhesive Vinyl Floor Tiles, zazous.co.uk; 3. Odyssey 

- 8051V Seville Tile, originalstyle.com; 4. 3D Offset 

Hexagon Tiles, bakedtiles.co.uk; 5. Original Style Living 

Spirit Tile, originalstyle.com; 6. Windmill Geometric 

Tile, tonsoftiles.co.uk; 7. Odyssey - Persian Floor Tile, 

originalstyle.com 

7 

green SPACES 

Houseplants are taking over - and 

we love it! If you have natural light 

in the bathroom, lots of plants can 

thrive in the space! 

The best plants for bathrooms are 

moisture lovers - these are our 

favourites: - 

Zamioculcas zamifolia (the eternity 

plant - so named because it is hard 

to kill!), the spider plant, most ferns, 

snake plant, aloe vera, cast iron plant 

and orchids. 

Image, left, from Dobbies - plants and 

plant pots available. 

NO WINDOW? 

No problem! LED growing lights can be 

easily installed to help your plants grow, 

even without natural light. 

32

Look Before You Leap 

While the SPAB warmly encourages people to take the 

plunge and make an old building their home, it’s easy 

to be swept away by romance. SPAB Director Matthew 

Slocombe offers a checklist of key considerations to 

help potential buyers make the right choice – both for 

themselves and for the building of their dreams. 

Think with head and heart 

Old buildings are more than a space in 

which to live. If all that really interests you 

is location or floor area, an old building is 

unlikely to be right for you. If you appreciate 

style and character, and are keen to 

embrace the quirks and idiosyncrasies of an 

old building, the potential rewards are great. 

Compromise to get what you want 

For the majority of buyers, historic interest 

is a desirable factor but not the key. If your 

number one aim is to live in an interesting 

old building, but your means are limited, 

compromising on other requirements can 

sometimes help. 

Authenticity can’t be re-created 

If you want something genuine and 

authentic, recreation of lost parts is unlikely 

to act as a fitting or worthwhile substitute. 

Look for genuine survivals. It may be that 

fireplaces have been boarded up and plaster 

overlaid with modern materials, but if the 

originals survive behind this offers a much 

better starting point than a gutted interior. 

Choose something that will fit your 

longer term needs 

Look a few years ahead and try to consider 

whether the building is likely to fit your plans. 

If you think you might need more bedrooms 

or a bigger kitchen, consider whether the 

building is likely to be able to accommodate 

this without major change. In a modern 

house, adding extensions or knocking down 

walls may be relatively straightforward. In an 

historic building it may not. 

Consider auctions 

Many old buildings needing work are sold 

at auction. This can be a way to find an 

interesting project, and perhaps also a 

bargain. But the buyer must beware and it 

is especially important to do your homework 

seeking specialist help in advance. 

Purchase is not the only possibility 

If living in an old building is your goal, but 

prices are unaffordable, other options 

may exist. The commercial rental sector 

general lets buildings that have been heavily 

updated, but estates, farms and some 

private owners may offer old buildings to 

rent in a more rustic state. 

Distinguish between decorative and 

structural needs 

This is vital. Small cracks are normal in old 

buildings and can be easily remedied as part 

of the redecoration process; larger cracks 

may hint at structural movement. 

Get good advice 

The cost of professional advisers can 

seem off-putting, but sound advice is 

an investment. There are accreditations 

schemes run by the RICS, RIBA and AABC 

and the Society can offer suggestions 

via its Technical Advice Line (0207 456 

0916 weekday mornings). The advice of a 

structural engineer, conservator (see ICON’s 

accreditation list), quantity surveyor or 

historian may also be invaluable. 

Put together the right team 

If work is needed, the right team will be 

crucial. Consider not just price, but the 

expertise of team members. Listen to 

craftspeople - good ones know exactly 

what they’re doing and the expertise is often 

under-appreciated. 

Adjust your lifestyle 

Occupying an old building brings huge 

benefits to your quality of life, but don’t 

expect it to be the same as a perfectly level, 

hermetically sealed modern box. Floors 

may slope, windows may be draughty, and 

elaborate modern services may be difficult 

to accommodate. 

Research and understanding 

Understanding an old building includes 

knowing how it’s put together and what 

it’s made from, as well as the uses it’s had 

over time and the changes previous owners 

have made. Combine this with background 

research, advice from organisations like the 

SPAB, and knowledge from neighbouring 

owners and a rounded picture of the 

building should emerge. 

Don’t ignore consents and other statutory 

requirements 

Planning consents and building regulation 

requirements should always be adhered 

to. This is particularly so in the case of 

listed buildings. If you buy a listed building 

that has been altered without permission 

you inherit the liability and enforcement 

action could be taken against you. If you 

alter or demolish a listed building without 

permission you could be prosecuted. 

Don’t count on grants 

Grants for private owners were once 

relatively common. They are now rare and 

should not be counted on. 

Settle in before making big changes 

A vacant house offers an opportunity 

to tackle problems without upheaval to 

occupants, but avoid the temptation to do 

too much, too fast. A period of occupation 


often brings realisation about what’s 

necessary and what’s not important. 

Deal with the boring things first 

Kitchens, bathroom and decorative works 

may be most fun, but they should be bottom 

of your list. Fixing the roof and making sure 

the gutters, drains and electrics work will 

provide you with a sound basis from which 

to make other changes. 

Scratches and Witches 

Loving the lumps and bumps is all part of 

old building ownership. Appreciate them 

as part of the building’s character and 

history and avoid erasing them for the sake 

of tidiness. Think too about witches! Old 

surfaces often carry superstitious markings 

designed to ward off bad spirits. 

Repair is good 

Building conservation is a branch of 

environmental protection and sustainability: 

repair is better than replacement. Decay 

is rarely uniform and repair can allow 

the undamaged parts to remain. An old 

window with 20% new timber is better for 

the environment and our history than a new 

window with 100% fresh timber. 

Make sure materials are compatible 

New, innovative building products can 

be valuable, but historic buildings are not 

generally the place where they should be 

tested. The potential for side effects is great 

if incompatible materials are used. 

Get involved but know your limitations 

The SPAB has always encouraged a handson 

approach. There is no better way to get 

to know your building than through practical 

work. However, it is important to know the 

limitations of your own skills, to consider 

safety issues, and to get training if you are 

unsure. The SPAB and others run practical 

conservation courses. If in doubt, call on an 

experienced craftsperson. 

Good new design 

Where a strong and justifiable case exists 

for a change or addition, sympathetic 

new design offers the best approach. 

This requires good design advice and a 

thoughtful choice of materials. 

Enjoy it! 

An old building deserves to respected and 

cared for, but it should be enjoyed rather 

than revered. 

Call the SPAB Technical Advice Line on: 

020 7456 0916 


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Children: getting them 

interested in gardening 

Here our resident gardener and radio personality, Matt Biggs 

aka The People’s Gardener, explains the benefits of getting 

children involved in the garden and how it provides them with 

skills to help their development. 

You and your children will enjoy every stage of the process. We 

hear a lot about children not knowing where their food comes from 

and, of course, if we don’t give them the info then, with all of the 

distractions of modern living, it is not surprising if they think a chip 

comes from the freezer aisle and kohlrabi is a character in the latest 

Star Wars film! 

Gardening for kids is just such a great thing - exercise, knowledge, 

fun and hopefully an interest that will last them a lifetime, what more 

do we need? Many garden centres offer kids activity days, whether 

that is pumpkin carving, seed sowing or making animals out of fruit 

and veg. there is a lot you can get them involved with and much of it 

is free too. Many garden centres have clubs for children, and this is 

a good option if you have one near to you. It is good for socialising 

and excellent for learning the basics and having fun. 

If you have a garden marking them out their own space is an easy 

thing to do. It gives them a sense of responsibility and you can 

make a bug hotel out of recycled bits and bobs, plan to grow some 

herbs or mini veg, write down their favourite colours and hunt 

through plant catalogues or online for suitable plants to match. 

There are lots of skills involved in all of these activities, from maths 

- how many plants do we need for the space, to practical skills 

in making things, to research and planning skills - so one small 

space can lead to a lot of learning! If you have a local country 

show or fayre there will probably be a few children’s classes in that 

too - making a miniature garden or a dinosaur from fruit and veg. 

whatever it is take advantage of it - country 

shows are a great day out! 

So, having got the kids organised it is time 

to do our own planning for summer, whether 

you have a window box, a court-yard or 

acres of space there is summer colour for 

every option. If you are fortunate enough to 

have a greenhouse then you can start early and bring on your own 

plants, you can share with neighbours or garden clubs which is a 

very economical way of gardening or you can visit your local nursery 

or garden centre to see what choices are available - and there is a 

lot of choice. 

Every year Chelsea highlights a new favourite plant or colour 

scheme, gardening magazines and books have so many ideas 

- one of the most pleasurable jobs in the year is planning your 

garden - and then - best bit of all, enjoying the fruits of your labour! 

To discover more about Matt and his books please 

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A NATURAL 

curiosity 

The 'Planet Earth II Live in Concert' 

arena tour will be hosted by science 

and natural history TV presenter Liz 

Bonnin. With a masters in wild animal 

biology, Liz has presented over 40 

primetime programmes including 'Blue 

Planet Live', 'Super Smart Animals', 

'Galapagos' and 'Horizon'. 

With her recent landmark BBC One 

documentary 'Drowning in Plastic', Liz 

investigated the ocean plastic crisis, 

with her hard-hitting environmental 

reporting raising the level of public 

debate on this important topic. 

Here Sally Thomson was able to 

discuss with Liz her passion for our 

planet prior to the start of the tour. 

Sally: When did your love of the world 

and all it’s creatures begin? 

Liz: Well it definitely started when I was 

a kid. I grew up in the south of France in 

the hills above Nice and we had a little 

wood beside the house. Myself and my 

sister used to play outdoors all of the 

time. There were snakes and hedgehogs 

and spiders and birds…and we had a 

ball! I knew that, without thinking about 

it then, that that’s what set me off with 

this passion for wildlife. I used to stare 

at the birds for hours, wondering how 

their eyes moved in their sockets and I 

really wanted to just understand how it all 

worked, down to the chemical equations 

that make up all of these reactions. 

So that was a natural progress for you 

then, to go into biochemistry? 

Exactly! It all started in the woods in 

the south of France! That’s why when I 

give talks in schools, I make sure to tell 

that story because it doesn’t take a lot 

to remember our connection to nature 

and what’s important, you just have to 

be in amongst nature to be inspired and 

to reignite your natural curiosity that 

we’re all born with, and with that comes 

an inherent want to protect our natural 

world. It reminds you that we’re all 

connected to it. 

What you are doing is highlighting the 

dangers that the world's creatures are 

facing, particularly when you went on to 

do ‘Drowning in Plastic’. I know when I 

watched it my heart bled, but being so 

close to it when you made to programme, 

you must have found it difficult? 

I wish that as a communicator of the 

natural world, I could just be celebrating 

it and continuing to inspire people about 

all of these incredible creatures that we 

share the planet with, but unfortunately 


I am living through a time where we are 

experiencing the greatest existential 

threat to our future, and it is very clear 

that the way we live on this planet is not 

sustainable and is damaging not only the 

health of the wildlife we share the planet 

with, but is ultimately damaging our 

health and threatening our future. 

I feel a responsibility to communicate 

those things. As we set off making the 

plastics film, I knew what we were going 

to be filming, but it really did hit me like 

a ton of bricks to see it with my own 

eyes. It’s hard to describe. It’s been 

really moving and difficult, but also I 

feel like I have a very well-stoked fire in 

my belly now that feels like it won’t be 

extinguished. It is my responsibility to 

engage with the public in order for us all 

to become part of the solution. 

I recently watched the trailer for Planet 

Earth II Live in concert. Isn’t that going 

to be fantastic on the big screen?! 

It’s going to be magnificent; I can’t 

wait! Obviously it’s an extension and 

adaptation of the iconic series, but I 

think bringing it to a ginormous screen 

like that and then having a 74 piece 

orchestra playing the music of Hans 

Zimmer, it’s going to be a very emotive 

and very powerful experience. I think we 

are desperately in need of those types 

of experiences to help remind us of the 

beauty of the natural world, and the 

beauty of humanity as well. Our ability to 

write music and to be capable of making 

those types of programmes, and for us 

to be all together in these huge arenas 

having that connection is a much-needed 

experience, and I for one am very much 

looking forward to it. 

Some of the things we see in these 

programmes can be shocking, such as 

the killer whales going after the seals. 

But we of course have to remember 

that they have to survive too! 

You see for me I don’t find any of it 

shocking, isn’t that strange? And it’s 

really weird but I’m always rooting for the 

predator! Obviously there’s tension and 

it’s quite a powerful experience to watch, 

but I’m always rooting for the predator 

because from my studies I’ve seen just 

how difficult it is for a tiger to get its prey. 

It’s something like 1 in 100 attempts are 

successful. So I celebrate that, that’s part 

of nature and I think it’s a beautiful thing. 

There is an iconic moment in Planet 

Earth II with the iguana and the 

snakes… 

Ah that one! Okay, I have watched that 

sequence four times, and every time I find

my screaming ‘COME ON’ at the camera. 

Funnily enough with that one I really want 

the iguana to escape! That’s so funny, 

with me saying I root for the predators. 

That is one of the most magnificent 

scenes I have ever seen, not least 

because of this almost inconceivable 

situation, with all these snakes coming 

out of the crevasses of the volcanic 

rocks, but how it was shot! You can not 

underestimate how difficult it is to make 

that sequence work. The smoothness 

of how the camera works was absolute 

perfection. So not only is it a celebration 

of the magnificent wildlife we share the 

planet with, it’s a celebration of these 

incredibly talented film makers, who 

sit there for days and days to get the 

magical shots that will affect us to our 

very core. It’s just wonderful. 

Am I right in hearing that you went a 

kilometre underwater in the Galapagos? 

Yes! We were on this research vessel for 

two weeks, joining all these scientists 

at the tops of their fields who were 

investigating different aspects of these 

islands and how to better protect them. 

At one point we got into this submersible 

and went down to a thousand meters, to 

a part of the Galapagos that nobody had 

ever been to before, so I truly felt like an 

astronaut of Earth’s inner space, rather 

than its outer. Everything I pointed to the 

scientists would say ‘Yep. New species... 

Yep, don’t what that is, never seen one 

of those before’. So we were discovering 

new life at those depths. It was the most 

incredible experience. 

It must be dark down there? 

It’s pitch black, so you have these types 

of sharks down there called Chimaera, 

who do have these big, bulbous eyes. 

There’s no iris, it’s just this big, white 

circle of an eye, which is supposed 

to help it absorb any smidgen of light 

that there might be down there, and it’s 

just a surprisingly colourful place in the 

crevasses of all the rocks. Galapagos 

are all volcanic islands, so what we 

were doing is following the flanks of the 

volcano all the way down to the depths. 

We were down there for seven hours and 

it passed by like we were down there for 

an hour, time sort of stands still down 

there. It was a thrilling experience. 

I was watching you recently talking 

about the African jungle, and you spoke 

about chimpanzees, and how much 

they fight. You showed how much the 

alpha male will fight to protect what is 

his, and it is a bit sinister! 

They’re not the only species that have 

to fiercely protect their place in the 

hierarchy. The males often are exhausted 

having to protect their females from 

usurpers to the throne as such, but 

chimpanzees in particular can be very 

violent and because we are so closely 

related to them I suppose it shouldn’t 

be a surprise that they all have different 

personalities, and sometimes you just 

get a really nasty character. At the end 

"it’s a celebration of these incredibly 

talented film makers, who sit there for 

days and days to get the magical shots 

that will affect us to our very core" 

of the day you can argue that the nastier 

the male, the more successful he will be 

because it all boils down to him and his 

offspring and protecting his gene pool. 

I suppose it’s like when male lions get 

rid of any cubs that aren’t their own 

There is infanticide in many species. It’s 

all about making sure you have as many 

offspring as possible, so if you kill a 

female's offspring then you can mate with 

her straight away. 

Are there parts of the world or 

creatures that you would like to visit/ 

see for the first time? 

Yes. Snow leopards. I need to see a 

snow leopard. And part of it is because 

it is so difficult to see them now. They 

are extremely elusive and live in an 

extremely inhospitable part of the planet. 

They’re probably the most elusive cat, 

so that’s the dream. I will fall crying if I 

ever see one in the wild. They are the 

most glorious animals. Actually, it was 

on Planet Earth II, and again it is a scene 

that I’ve watched about three times and 

it always brings me to tears; the first 

time I heard the vocalisation of a snow 

leopard. I had never heard that before. 

And the fact that because our technology 

is improving, Planet Earth II was able to 

capture this glorious snow leopard at the 

top of this mountain that was vocalising. 

It brings me to tears every time I hear it, 

it’s the most glorious sound in the world. 

Are they as endangered as other 

leopards and big cats? 

Yes. I mean, the Amur leopard is the 

most endangered cat, but all big cats are 

facing extinction. They are all incredibly 

threatened and their populations are 

dwindling. 

We’ve spoken about the man-made 

situation with plastic. But is there 

anything else in the natural world that 

you have seen that has shocked you? 

In terms of the natural world, I think it 

is all magnificent. I really do. Even with 

something that might look to us to be 

violent, or a little bit uncomfortable 

to watch, I think that the more we 

understand how animals live and all of 

their adaptations that have allowed them 

to find solutions to all of their problems in 

order to survive - the more I understand 

it, the more I am in awe of it and the more 

it makes me humble and very small in 

comparison. So I find it all too wondrous 

to ever think that something is too much 

or too shocking. 

The dates for Planet Earth II Live in 

Concert are as follows: 

Thursday 6 March 

Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff 

Friday 27 March 

Manchester Arena, Manchester 

Saturday 28 March 

First Direct Arena , Leeds 

Sunday 29 March 

O2 Arena (matinee), London 

Sunday 29 March 

O2 Arena (evening), London 

Wednesday 1 April 

3Arena, Dublin 

Friday 3 April 

Resort World Arena Birmingham 

Saturday 4 April 

SSE Hydro Arena, Glasgow 

Tickets are available from 

www.planetearth2live.uk. 


Alan Titchmarsh... 

on some of his favourite things 

Sally Thomson recently had 

a chat with Alan Titchmarsh 

MBE, DL, HonFSE and 

discussed some of the many 

passions he enjoys - extending 

far beyond gardening. 

He has written more than forty 

gardening books, memoirs and 

his latest creation is a book on 

poetry which illustrates the love 

he has for not just plants, but 

all of life... 

You still do Saturday mornings on 

Classic FM. Of all the music that 

you enjoy, what is your favourite? 

It’s fairly classic, although I like a lot 

of stuff! Whether it’s Handel or Mozart 

or Tchaikovsky. It’s part of my life. I’ve 

always loved light opera. I love The Merry 

Widow and Fledermaus and things like 

that, as well as the heavier stuff. But I 

think sometimes Operetta is overlooked. 

It has the most glorious melodies and it 

tends to fall between two categories; it’s 

not a musical and it’s not an opera and so 

I feel that at the moment Operetta seems 

to fall in the dark. 

Do you endeavour to put them forward 

a little bit on the show? 

Oh, I do! I do suggest it to the producers. 

I’ve been listening to some snippets on 

your show on gardening and there are 

such useful tips. I mean, I don’t fancy 

going out there at the moment because 

it’s so wet. But when Easter arrives how 

should we start in the garden? 

The great thing about the winter months 

is that everything moves so slowly, so 

when Easter arrives it gives us time to 

catch up in the garden. We can get stuff 

cut back, fed, mulched. 

Mulching is probably one of the best 

things to do this time of year isn’t it? 

Well it is because the ground is moist and 

the weeds haven’t started growing yet so 

you can spread it now and it will keep the 

weeds down. 

Yes, obviously the bulbs are coming up 

now and I’m dreading a frost that will 

knock down my narcissus… 

Oh, frost won’t knock them down! They’re 

tough as old boots. They might bow 

down for a night if it gets really frosty, but 

they’ll pick up as the day progresses. The 

thing about narcissus and snowdrops 

is that they are not susceptible to frost. 

They really are hardy. 

That’s good to know! I’m really 

interested in your 50 shades of Green - 

the programme. Tell me all about that, 

how did it happen? 

ITV very sweetly said they wanted to 

mark my seventieth birthday, which was 

very kind, and they wanted to do it in a 

very engaging way, so they had me name 

my top 50, and they went from there. 

Were they difficult choices to make? 

Oh yes! It was like Desert Island Discs! 

But we covered all the main things you 

know, like trees, water, roses, and the last 

one was my garden which has not been 

seen on telly before. 

I know. A bit special! One of the things 

is about you visiting the National 

Gallery, and how the masterpieces have 

inspired you. Which were the paintings 

in particular that inspired you? 

Oh gosh, well for me it’s so difficult 

to choose, I mean there’s Mr and Mrs 

Andrews by Gainsborough, then you see 

Whistlejacket by Stubbs. Just walking 

past them all and the feeling of joy that 

it was open for us to see them all, it was 

like being a boy in a sweet shop! When 

you manage to see them without bodies 

all around you, and it’s one-to-one with 

you and the painting. It’s such a treat. 

What about going into where the 

Queen’s perfumer was working? 

That was wonderful! I use the aftershave 

now! I was terrified of course, when I 

arrived there. 

You cannot hide your emotions can 

you? 

No, I’m not very good at that! It was a joy 

though. 

Of the gardens that you’ve visited, do 

you have a special one? Or do you find 

that different gardens affect different 

moods, a bit like music? 

They do. There are aspects of every 

garden where you think ‘Oh I like that’, or 

‘I wish I had that’. I love Chatsworth, I’ve 

always loved Chatsworth, it’s a special 

place. The Prince of Wales’ garden at 

Highgrove. Sissinghurst is another one. 

Gardens that reflect the soul of their 

makers are really special. 

You are attending Highgrove again 

aren’t you? For Talking Gardens. Are 

you excited about that, as you go there 

quite regularly don’t you? 

I seem to go there every year. I’m a 

regular! I will be discussing the way we 

look at our gardens and the way they can 

help us and we can help them. It’s not 

just analytical, it’s getting to grips with 

a garden and what a garden can offer. I 

get so dispirited when I see gardens laid 

to paving blocks. I know that cars are 

precious, but you don’t have to pave the 

whole thing. There are all kinds of things 

you can do to make room for nature. 

When we spoke last time, you talked 

about your poetry with Debbie 

Wiseman from Classic FM. 

Yes, the book is coming out! Well I’ve 

written poetry for years before that 

but mainly for Christmas. But Debbie 

suggested I write something about 

plants, so we did The Glorious Garden 

which happened to go to No.1 in the 

classical charts - not that I like to boast! 

So that’s what got me going on writing 

poetry other than just for Christmas. 

So yes, I have put all these poems plus 

a load of new ones into a book called 

Marigolds, Myrtle and Moles. 

Do you think you have any more 

poems up your sleeve? 

Well I really enjoy writing them, so we’ll 

see how this one goes down. I might do 

another one! 

Will we be seeing any more of ‘Love 

Your Garden’? 

We’ve got four episodes that will be 

coming out in the Spring, and we will 

start filming more in April. We filmed half 

the series last year in September and 

the other half will be done in Spring as 

they split the recordings, and they have 

commissioned another two series which 

is very nice! 

Marigolds, 

Myrtle and 

Moles by Alan 

Titchmarsh 

is published 

by Hodder & 

Stoughton 

Alan will 

be at BBC 

Gardeners’ 

World Live on 

Saturday 20th 

June 2020 


A New Care Asset 

For Droitwich 


A care home of outstanding 

comfort and quality, Droitwich 

Mews will be opening its doors 

this summer to deliver the highest 

standards in care and senior 

living, all at a surprisingly 

competitive price... 

The home’s approach will be to deliver ‘Care With A Difference’. 

Resident Well-being is their primary concern, and residents will 

have the highest quality of support for their mind, body and 

soul, all tailored to the individual. The focus on the quality of 

care delivery is underpinned by a sector-leading training and 

development programme, to attract and retain only the best 

staff; the company has a comprehensive in-house two-year 

Apprenticeship scheme, a Care Certificate, City & Guilds 

accredited Advanced Senior Carers course, and supports nurses 

with their five yearly qualification revalidation. 

A wide range of healthy exercises, well balanced and freshly 

prepared fine dining, along with daily activities and outings all 

help the residents enjoy life to the full. A dedicated team of Wellbeing 

and Activities staff provide a daily calendar of events, as 

well as regular trips out in Droitwich Mew’s own private minibus. 

To help maintain contact with family and friends and the wider 

community, tablet PCs will be available for residents to use 

Skype and social media, and use of the Wi-Fi for internet access 

will be free to all, including visitors. 

Residents will be able to enjoy freshly brewed coffee and tea with 

home baked cakes in the café, relax in one of the quiet lounges, 

have a hair or beauty treatment in the salon, or catch a film in the 

cinema. There’s also a private dining room where they can host a 

private lunch or celebration with family and friends. Every day at 

Droitwich Mews will be a happy and memorable experience. For 

more Search ‘Droitwich Mews Care’ online or Facebook. 

Est 1993 

Homecare workers 

required due to 

expansion and 

relocation. 

Good rates of pay, free 

DBS, free uniform and free 

training, travelling time paid. 

Experience preferred 

but not essential. 

Give us a call for a chat 

or pop into the office. 

01684 562087 

Email: broomhillgroup@aol.com 

www.broomhill24.co.uk 

WORCESTERSHIRE ~ GLOUCESTERSHIRE 

HEREFORDSHIRE 

93 Barnards Green Road, Malvern WR14 3LT 

Regulated by the Care Quality Commission 


OPENING 

SUMMER 2020 

Droitwich Mews Care Home 

Coming this summer to Droitwich is a brand new premium care home from leading 

national and award-winning care provider, Avery Healthcare. This home will offer the 

best in residential and dementia care in beautiful surroundings and with a range of 

on-site amenities to include an all-day café, cinema, salon, and therapy room. A highly 

trained staff group and a sector leading Well-being Programme make this a compelling 

option for senior living and those needing a bit more support to maintain their lifestyle. 

Call 01905 934184 or Search ‘Droitwich Mews Care’ online or on 

Droitwich Mews Care Home 

1 Mulberry Tree Hill 

Droitwich 

WR9 7SS 

Looking For Quality 

Care Now? 

Bourn View Care Home | 47 Bristol Road South 

Bournville | Birmingham | B31 2FR 

Call 0121 4183348 

or Search ‘Bourn View Care’ online or on

Happy & healthy in your autumn years 

Social care seems to be in the 

news a lot at the moment, often, 

unfortunately, in conjunction with 

the word ‘crisis’. Given that if you 

need care it’s a necessity, it makes 

sense to understand the basics – well 

before that time might come. 

Social care is there to support you because 

you need some extra help with daily living 

or are caring for someone who requires 

additional help themselves. There are a 

wide range of social care services, including 

care in your home or in a care home, live-in 

care services, day centres, home adaptions 

like handrails, and technology of various 

kinds. 

The first step if you or your loved one 

needs some extra help and support is 

to ask your local authority to carry out a 

needs assessment. You might have to wait 

several weeks at least for this, because 

councils are strapped for cash and staff, 

but it’s important to have it because it’s the 

gateway to the wider system. Someone 

from the council usually visits to establish 

the type of support you might need. There’s 

no charge and the assessor will create a 

care plan specific to your needs. 

When the type of care you need is decided 

and agreed the next stage is to establish 

how it will be paid for through a financial 

means test - which can be complex and 

quite confusing. Social care isn’t a free 

service provided by the NHS as many 

people think. Most of us have to pay for 

all or some of our care and the amount 

depends on the level of need and the value 

of any assets we have. 

Your home will not be included in the means 

test if you’re arranging care and support 

at home but other capital assets, including 

savings will be. Currently, if you have more 

capital that £23,250 you will have to pay all 

your care fees. If you have under £23,250, 

you’ll get financial assistance but may have 

to contribute from your income. 


The cost of care varies by area but it is not 

unusual to have to pay about £20 an hour 

for a care worker to come to your home 

(domiciliary care) to help you with, say, 

getting up, washing and dressing, if that’s 

what you need. You can see how the bills 

add up if you need more than one visit 

every day. 

It is also possible that rather than 

‘personal care’ you need a different kind of 

support, such as companionship, because 

you are very alone and lonely. If so, in 

some places the council may refer you to 

a scheme run by a charity like Age UK, 

where you might have to pay a modest 

amount to take part. 

If your needs are such that it is best for 

you to move permanently into a care home 

your property, if you own one, will be 

included in the means test at its present 

market value, but less any mortgage 

or loan you may have on it. However, it 

will not be included if your partner still 

lives there or, in certain circumstances, a 

relative. Your home is also not included if 

you need a temporary or short-term stay 

in a care home. Two in five of all the older 

people living in care homes now pay for 

their own care. 

To avoid property or other assets being 

counted in the financial means test, some 

people consider giving them away to a 

child or grandchild. However, this could 

be interpreted as ‘deliberate deprivation 

of assets’, and your local authority may 

still ask you to pay the same level of care 

fees as if you still owned your home or 

the other assets you have given away. It 

is really important to take advice if you are 

thinking of doing something of this kind. 

If you do have to pay towards a care 

home place it is possible to avoid selling 

your property during your lifetime in order 

to release the money required, namely a 

deferred payment which endures while 

you are alive. The council provides a loan 

for your care costs secured against your 

property and this is repaid either when 

the property is sold or from your estate 

after you have passed away. There is an 

interest charge if you choose to do this 

but every council is supposed to offer a 

scheme of this kind, even though relatively 

few people take advantage of it, possibly 

because they do not know it exists. 

If you have care needs and you are 

not already claiming a benefit called 

Attendance Allowance it is always 

worth doing so. This benefit is there for 

older people, to help offset the costs of 

disability. In practice, many older people 

use their AA to help fund their social care. 

Your local Age UK can help you fill in the 

forms and will be pleased to help. AA 

is paid at two rates, £58 or £87 a week, 

depending on your needs. 

As you can see, finding social care and 

paying for it is not straight forward and 

there are lots of questions to ask, but Age 

UK can guide you through the process 

and provides independent information and 

advice. If you are online there’s a lot about 

care on our website, or there’s a free 

advice line if you prefer to talk to someone 

instead. Visiting your local Age UK is a 

third option. 

Social care has a bad reputation at the 

moment, largely because it is underfunded 

and there isn’t enough to go round. You 

may also have read horror stories in the 

press of care workers being neglectful. 

Please don’t be put off seeking care 

though - there are many wonderful care 

workers. It pays to get advice and go 

into it with your eyes open, but there are 

hundreds of thousands of older people 

whose lives are immeasurably better 

because of the good care they receive. 

Caroline Abrahams 

Charity Director, Age UK 

www.ageuk.org.uk/ 

information-advice/care

LIFE AT THE BOYNES 

CARE CENTRE 

The Boynes is a substantial 

country residence combining 

classic English styling with a 

profusion of character... 


This unique dwelling is in an enviable position with panoramic 

views of the Malvern Hills. The gardens and grounds boast large 

sweeping lawns with an abundance of fine mature trees and 

shrubs, where residents can enjoy being close to nature. 

Perfectly located for Upton-On-Severn, situated only a short 

distance from the banks of the River Severn, the Home is am 

10-minute drive from Malvern and 20 minutes from Worcester. 

The wonderfully proportioned Boynes has formal and informal 

rooms which include elegant fireplaces, ornate oak paneling, 

impressive ceiling heights and covered radiators. You only need 

to read the lovely reviews submitted by the residents and their 

families to see how much people enjoy living at The Boynes, 

because, as they say, “it feels like home.” 

Life at The Boynes Care Centre isn’t just about care, it is very 

much about creating moments of joy and providing a sense of 

belonging. We actively encourage family and friend’s involvement 

and even well-behaved pets are made to feel very welcome. The 

daily activity programme and trips out, provide opportunities to 

make new friends, create new memories and reminisce about 

days gone by. 

Should the care needs, of people living at the Boynes change, 

the fully trained team support each individual to continue to live 

a full life, as part of a great life. We offer a range of care options 

from Residential Care to Nursing Care, MS Care and support for 

those people living with dementia. Both permanent and shortterm 

stays, subject to availability. 

If you would like to make further enquiries please contact The 

Boynes direct on 01684 594001 or visit the website 

theboynes@futurecaregroup.com for more information. 

Inspiring & 

enabling people to live a meaningful life 

A home with panoramic views over the magnificent Malvern Hills, offering a full 

range of care options for you or a loved one. 

Nursing care Dementia care Multiple Sclerosis care 

www.futurecaregroup.com | theboynes@futurecaregroup.com 

01684 594 001 | The Boynes, Upper Hook Road, Upton-upon-Severn WR8 0SB 


The big investment 

themes on the 

horizon for 2020 


James Holroyd, Assistant Head of 

Worcester Office, Canaccord Genuity 

Wealth Management... 

We continue to experience one of the longest bull markets 

in history, despite the uncertainty and unpredictability in the 

investment world during 2019. So, will it last? Nothing lasts 

forever, but we do see it continuing in 2020 and maybe beyond. 

Here are our top four themes that we think will affect investment 

this year: 

1. Interest rates: Understanding the path of interest rates is 

an important exercise when managing multi-asset portfolios, 

although investors could be forgiven for thinking they may never 

go up again, as they’ve been low for so long. That said, if politics 

becomes more fragmented in the next year, it’s possible we 

could see more socialist policies, which could drive interest rates 

higher. 

2. Technology: Technology has a fundamental role in generating 

economic growth and capital appreciation, but our faith in 

technology as a force for good was shaken by the Cambridge 

Analytica scandal and others. However, as environmental, social 

and governance (ESG) investing grows in popularity, it will enable 

investors to enjoy better outcomes and ensure capital is directed 

to the right technology companies and perhaps even those 

helping to make the world a better place. 

3. Politics: The Trump vs Xi Jinping trade wrangling has made 

markets twitchy and the polarisation in politics will continue to 

have an impact on markets. In a post-Brexit UK, careful ‘bottomup’ 

stock picking will be the order of the day. Ultimately, investors 

need to pay attention to central bank policy, whose stimulus can 

offset much of the political risk. 

4. Factor investment: The factor approach has become popular, 

because indices constructed using factors such as ‘value’, 

‘size’, ‘volatility’, ‘quality’ or ‘momentum’ have all outperformed 

traditional equity indices. It could be that 2020 is a year where 

the ‘value’ factor leads the way, however, committing too much 

to one factor may be foolhardy. 

In investment, there are opportunities on the upside and 

opportunities on the downside. The trick is to use all the 

information available to you to make an informed decision – and 

have the flexibility to change direction if you have made the 

wrong call. 

canaccordgenuity.com/wealth-management-uk/investmentthemes-2020/ 

Investment involves risk. The value of investments and the income from them can go down 

as well as up and you may not get back the amount originally invested. 

2020: THE YEAR OF SLEEP 

2020 is set to be the ‘Year of Sleep’ as the third 

of a life we spend in bed takes a higher profile 

than ever before... 

March is 

National 

Bed Month 

With more and more wellbeing and mental health organisations 

focusing on the importance of a good night’s rest, even Tatler has 

called sleep ‘the new status symbol’. Already lined up for the year 

is the presentation of a Sleep Manifesto to an all-party House 

of Commons group on March 4. And, importantly, the Mental 

Health Foundation announced at the end of 2019 that the theme 

for Mental Health Awareness Week in May will be the connection 

between sleep – or lack of it – and mental health. 

Said Lisa Artis, chief advisor for The Sleep Council: “For too long 

we’ve seen sleep regarded as virtually an ‘optional extra’ when it 

comes to good health, but a growing tide of scientific evidence is 

proving that it is vital to both our physical and mental wellbeing. 

Unlike diet and exercise, the subject of sleep is barely mentioned 

in schools – and while access is given to all kinds of physical and 

wellbeing training in the workplace, help with achieving a good 

night’s sleep is rarely considered. Given that 200,000 working 

days a year are lost in the UK through sleep-related problems*, 

that would seem to be an incredibly short-sighted approach. 

“However, it would finally appear that the tide is changing and 

highly significant that the Mental Health Foundation – which itself 

has enjoyed a hugely raised profile in the past year – is to focus 

on the importance of sleep to mental health as its campaign 

theme for May.”

Malvern Living Mar - Apr 2020

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