South Hams Lifestyle Apr - May 2020

We have buyers seeking homes homes 

in the South Hams Hams 

Chartsedgeis is an Independent Estate Agent in in in Totnes Totnes 

specialising in in selling houses to to to buyers nationwide 

who are either looking to to to relocate or or or find find a a holiday a home in the West Country. 

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some inspiration, or or your current agent agent has has run run out out 

of ideas please contact Gail, Gail, Miles Miles or or or Caroline Caroline on on on the the 

number below. 

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01803 505115 

www.chartsedge.co.uk 

The Courtyard 

35 35 Fore Street, 

Totnes TQ9 5HN

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 April weather has 

been…unpredictable, but nevertheless I’m 

hopeful and cheery. 

A Culinary Easter Journey bites through to take you 

27Perfect through Northern the Ireland whole weekend 

Avid readers might remember reading 

about my new year’s pledge in a past 

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! 

We catch up with 

James Martin 

IN THIS ISSUE... 

04 What’s On 

25 

As the weather gets warmer, we share 

our pick of the best family events over 

April and May 

25 James Martin 

We catch up with TV’s favourite chef 

ahead of his appearances at Pub in 

the Park 

27 Easter Eats 

Catering for big occasions needn’t be a 

hassle - we bring together some simple, 

delicious dishes for the weekend 

30 Croatian Glamping 

Camping doesn’t get more lovely than 

on the Adriatic! We check out a luxury 

new glamping site in historic Pula 

33 Luxury Staycations 

If you have put a pause on long-haul 

travel plans, we have some fabulous 

stays closer to home 

36 Renew, Refresh 

A guide to home renovation products 

both big and small, if you are feeling the 

itch for a change this spring 

Spring Home 

Renovations 

36 

52 

Our Flooring 

Guide 

Editor Katie Thomson 

e katie.thomson@minervapublications.co.uk 

Publisher Sally Thomson 

Pre Press Manager Kate O’Connell 

Contributors Rebecca Rose, Matthew Biggs, Kate O’Connell, Lucy Saunders, Angela Cave. 

Key Account Manager Skye O’Hara 

e skye@minervapublications.co.uk 

d/l 01225 613 518 

twitter: @SouthHamsLife 

w www.southhamslifestyle.co.uk 

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. 

Our chef this issue is James Martin, proud 

Yorkshireman and TV legend - we caught 

up with him ahead of his appearances at 

a raft of summer festivals and before the 

release of his new book. 

On the home front we’ve got a big feature 

on refreshing the home for spring, be that 

large-scale changes or little ideas to give 

you and your home a lift! 

We will see you again in June - when we 

will be in full summer mode! 

Katie 

MINERVA PUBLICATIONS 

County Gate, County Way 

Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 7FJ 

t 01225 308128 

w www.minervapublications.co.uk 

visit our website www.southamslifestyle.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.southhamslifestyle.co.uk | 3

Brixham 

Brixham, Devon 

Saturday 2 - Sunday 3 May 

The Brixham Pirate Festival 

The Brixham Pirate Festival is jammed 

packed with wonderful things to see 

and do. They have some of the best 

piratical bands in the world, market stalls, 

a family area, incredible skirmishes and 

reenactments and more! 

Best of all, the festival is totally free to the 

public! This is possible this solely through 

public and corporate support in the form 

of donations and sponsorships, so please 

give generously! 

Coleton Fishacre 

National Trust 

Brownstone Road, Kingswear TQ6 0EQ 

01803 752466 

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/coletonfishacre 

Sunday 26 April, 11am - 1pm 

Step into Spring Walk at 

Brownstone 

Surround yourself with the sight of spring 

on a walk around Brownstone. 

Join the walking team on a free guided 

circular walk from Brownstone car park. 

Taking in the historic gun battery, coastal 

path and Coleton fishacre gardens. 

This walk is approx 5km long. 

Wednesday 29 - Thursday 30 April 

All That Jazz pop-up Dance 

Workshop 

Put your best foot forward and celebrate 

International Dance and International Jazz 

Day this April. 

Drop in to a pop up dance workshop 

to learn the Charleston in the beautiful 

surroundings of the Saloon at Coleton 

Fishacre. 

Monday 4 - Sunday 10 May 

National Walking Month - 

A Week of Walks 

To celebrate National Walking Month 

there’ll be a week of walks in the English 

Riviera at Bradley Manor, Coleton Fishacre, 

Compton Castle and Greenway. 

From countryside rambles to garden tours, 

well-being focused or specialist themes, 

there’ll be a walk for everyone. 

Saturday 23 May - Sunday 31 May 

Nature’s Builders Trail 

This half term follow the trail and discover how 

animals in the garden build their homes. 

From anthills to wasps nests, find out 

which animals have made their home in 

Coleton Fishacre garden. To finish, why not 

have a go at building your own den in the 

wild play area? 

Dartington Hall 

Dartington, Totnes TQ9 6EE 

01803 847111 

www.dartington.org 

Thursday 16 April 

David Attenborough - 

A Life on Our Planet Live From the 

World Premiere 

In Cinemas for one night only April 16. 

In his 93 years, David Attenborough has 

visited every continent on the globe, 

exploring the wild places of our planet 

and documenting the living world in all its 

variety and wonder. Now, for the first time 

he reflects upon both the defining moments 

of his lifetime as a naturalist and the 

devastating changes he has seen. 

Encore - repeat showing Saturday 18th 

April. 

Friday 24 - Saturday 25 April 

Food Fair at The Shops at 

Dartington 

For another fabulous Bank Holiday 

weekend filled with foodie fun for all 

the family. Enjoy exciting cooking 

demonstrations, tantalising tastings, street 

food, a variety of stalls by local producers 

and of course, plenty of local food and 

drink! 

Sunday 26 April 

Dartington Community Choir Spring 

Concert 

Dartington Community Choir proudly 

presents the celebrated baritone Roderick 

Williams singing Vaughan Williams’ 

dramatic “A Sea Symphony” and 

Stanford’s “Songs of the Fleet” with the 

choir, soprano Catherine Hamilton and the 

Dartington Sinfonietta. 

Wednesday 27 May 

David Walliams’ Mr Stink 

You’re invited to celebrate Annabelle’s 10th 

birthday, hosted by everyone’s favourite 

MP candidate, Janet Crumb! (Almost) 

everyone is welcome that is, everyone apart 

from Chloe’s particularly smelly new friend, 

Mr Stink. 

Dartmouth Castle 

Castle Road, Dartmouth TQ6 0JN 

01803 833588 

www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/ 

dartmouth-castle/ 

Sunday 24 - Friday 29 May 

Get Hands on With History 

Expect fun, games and a yo ho ho or two 

this half term. Budding young marauders 

will enjoy musket drills, a smugglers’ quest, 

and tales of dastardly deeds in Dartmouth’s 

swashbuckling past. 

EVENTS GUIDE 

Greenway 

Blampton, Brixham TQ5 0ES 

01803 842382 

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/greenway 

Thursday 2 - Sunday 19 April 

Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt 

Become a wildlife detective and hunt for 

signs of animals in the garden at Greenway. 

Follow the clues and finish your adventure 

with a delicious, Cadbury chocolate treat 

(while stocks last). 

Sunday 5 April 

Step into Spring Walk 

Surround yourself with the sight of spring on 

a walk around the garden at Greenway. 

Join the walking team on a free guided 

walk around the garden at Greenway, 

taking in the Boathouse and battery. The 

walk is approx 2.5km. 

Monday 4 May - Sunday 10 May 

National Walking Month a Week of 

Walks 

To celebrate National Walking Month 

there’ll be a week of walks in the English 

Riviera at Bradley Manor, Coleton Fishacre, 

Compton Castle and Greenway. 

From countryside rambles to garden tours, 

wellbeing focused or specialist themes, 

there’ll be a walk for everyone. 

Friday 8 May - Sunday 14 June 

‘I am the seed that grew the tree’ 

Trail 

Follow the trail of Frann Preston-Gannon’s 

beautiful illustrations from the ‘I Am the 

Seed That Grew the Tree’ poetry book. 

Frann’s delightful and creative drawings 

highlight a poem for every month of the 

year. 

Saturday 9 May, 4.15am - 8am 

Dawn Chorus Walk 

Would you like to join the ranger team to 

listen and identify early morning bird song, 

and take a walk on the Greenway estate in 

the early morning stillness? 

Kingsbridge Food and 

Music Festival 

Town Square, Kingsbridge TQ7 1HZ 

01548853195 

www.kingsbridgefoodandmusic.org 

Friday 29 - Sunday 31 May 

The Kingsbridge Food and Music Festival 

is a free event to celebrate our love for the 

South Hams. 

Join in on the town square in Kingsbridge 

for three days of brilliant live music and 

some incredible food and drink from South 

Devon’s best street food vendors and 

producers. 

continued 

Spring is finally here - check out what 

is happening in the area and enjoy! 

4 | www.southhamslifestyle.co.uk

Fast Rabbit Farm Garden 

42 acre (huge) Garden in sheltered Strawberry Valley alongside the River 

Black including wildflower meadow and extensive woodland planting. 

Ponds, lakes and miles of paths to suit even the fittest visitor. A haven for 

wild flowers, birds and creatures. 

Open every day 11am-5pm 

Admission Adult £5, Child 50p 

Parties/Disabled visitors please 'phone in advance 

Plants for sale • Dogs welcome on leads 

NEW: Wildlife Walks - see website for details 

Signposted from Sportsman’s Arms on Totnes-Dartmouth Road 

Telephone: 07813 504490 

www.fastrabbitfarm.co.uk 

Three Sheets to the Wind 

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• FREE Delivery and Collection 

• Private, Commercial & Holiday Lets 

' 01548 857941 or 07821 376559 

Unit 4-5, Station Yard Industrial Estate, 

Kingsbridge, TQ7 1ES 

www.3sheets2thewind.co.uk 

enquiries@3sheets2thewind.co.uk 

Fishmongers 

With over 40 years combined experience in the 

fish industry, we can prepare for you the finest and 

freshest available fish to your exact requirements. 

As well as superb local fish we offer a large range of 

frozen seafood products to compliment any meal. 

On site producers and suppliers of the famous 

Salcombe Smokies - named Champion Fish at the 

Taste of the West Awards. 

If that wasn’t enough, our shop 

also snatched the Gold status 

at the awards! 

Also supply restaurants and hotels 

and hold the highest award for 

hygiene the Council can give. 

54 Fore Street, Kingsbridge TQ7 1NY 

Telephone 01548 852006 


Overbecks 

Sharpitor, Salcombe TQ8 8LW 

01548 842893 

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/overbecks 

Tuesday 14 April - Friday 17 July 

Rooted in Japan - Family Garden Trail 

Calling all budding plant hunters to explore 

the garden and keep a sharp eye out for 

Japanese plants you’ve been sent to find 

Monday 18 May - Friday 22 May 

Cloud Pruning and Topiary Clipping 

Go and chat to the garden team as they 

work on their Japanese inspired organically 

shaped topiary. 

Palace Theatre 

Palace Avenue, Paignton TQ3 3HF 

01803 665800 

www.palacetheatrepaignton.co.uk 

Thursday 9 - Saturday 11 April 

Dracula The Bloody Truth 

From the awkwardly charming seaside 

town of Whitby to the dark and sinister 

Transylvanian mountains, join esteemed 

Professor Abraham Van Helsing and his 

three idiotic actors as they frantically 

try to uncover the truth behind Bram 

Stoker’s infamous Count... with hilarious 

consequences. 

Thursday 16 - Saturday 18 April 

The Ghost Train 

Arnold Ridley’s classic drama. A very 

silly young man accidentally strands six 

passengers at a small Cornish wayside 

station. Despite the psychic stationmaster’s 

weird stories of a ghost train, they decide 

to stay the night in the waiting room. Soon 

they regret this decision as ghostly and not 

so ghostly apparitions materialize, before 

the young man reveals the true reason 

behind the night’s events. 

Tuesday 21 April 

Day and Night 

The Doris Day Songbook 

A celebration of the life of Doris Day, 

featuring over 24 popular hits from the 

Doris Day songbook, the songs interwoven 

with stories, anecdotes and facts about the 

life of this special lady. 

Friday 24 April 

The Chicago Blues Brothers 

A Night at the Movies 

Join the Chicago Blues Brothers and their 

11 piece band, for a brand new 2-hour all 

singing, all dancing hit parade bringing 

you the greatest movie anthems of all 

time, performed live in concert. 

Staying true to the legacy and style of 

Jake and Elwood, performed in the crazy, 

upbeat and hard hitting style that has 

made The Chicago Blues Brothers one 

of the most successful theatre shows 

touring the globe. 

Friday 1 May 

Choice Grenfell - 

A tribute to Joyce Grenfell 

An evening celebrating the very best 

of much-loved Joyce Grenell in the 

company of one of Britain’s best-loved 

comediennes. A full length show featuring 

some of the best of Joyce’s hilarious 

songs and monologues from Stately As 

A Galleon and School Nativity Play to A 

Terrible Worrier and First Flight. 

Friday 8 - Sunday 10 May 

Cream Tea - VE Day Celebrations 

75th Anniversary - A shared moment of 

celebration. Enjoy a cream tea in Stage 

Left, with music, flags and celebrations. 

Sunday 17 May 

Now That’s What I Call Country 

A laugh and cry, feel good evening with 

a history of country music thrown in, 

Now That’s What I Call Country, The 

Roadshow 2020 is the low down on the 

hoedown - the greatest gig you’ve yet to 

get to. 


Jeremy Vine 

What the hell is going on?! 

BBC Radio 2’s Jeremey Vine brings his 

view of the world to the stage - you’ll 

laugh, you’ll cry! 

He’s been shot at in Croatia and had 

chewing gum placed on his chair in 

Zimbabwe (by one of Robert Mugabe’s 

supporters). But increasingly he finds 

himself asking “What the hell is going 

on?” as information and misinformation 

get mixed together and the sheer volume 

of news that gets thrown at us all is mind 

blowing. 

Powderham Castle 

Kenton, Exeter EX6 8JQ 

01626890243 

www.powderham.co.uk 

Saturday 25 April 

Muddy Dog Challenge 2020 

Visit Powderham Castle and take part in 

the Muddy Dog Challenge 2020, a 2.5km 

or 5km obstacle run that you can tackle 

with your dog! 

Whether you’re a fitness fanatic or just 

looking for a fun day out. Humans and 

their dogs are welcomed to take part and 

raise money to help care for the dogs and 

cats at Battersea. 

You can enter as a dog and human team 

or on your own. Participants must be 

aged 8 years or above on event day, 

and any children aged 8 - 15 must be 

accompanied by an adult, also taking 

part. Dog competitors must be 1 year or 

older on event day. 

You’ll get a Muddy Dog Challenge t-shirt, 

and a bandana for your dog to wear 

on the day. After you’ve completed the 

course you’ll be awarded a medal, and 

your dog will get a rosette to wear with 

pride. 

The money raised by taking part in the 

Muddy Dog Challenge will go towards the 

running of Battersea. 

Friday 1 May - Saturday 2 May 

Toby’s Garden Festival 2020 

Toby’s Garden Festival is a joint 

collaboration by gardening broadcaster 

Toby Buckland and the popular magazine 

Country Gardener. 

The main focus is to bring together the 

best nurseries from the West Country 

and beyond - including many well-known 

Chelsea medal winners and host two 

days of quality gardening talks on a wide 

range of horticultural topics all free to 

visitors. 

continued 

Toby Buckland and friends at Powderham Castle 


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25 May - 29 May 

Alice in Wonderland Week 

Fall down the rabbit hole this May half-term 

at Powderham... 

Keep an eye on your Pocketwatch and 

don’t be late to the topsy-turvy tea party as 

Alice takes a trip down the rabbit hole to 

meet the kooky characters in Wonderland! 

Enjoy a week of exciting interactive theatre 

with the incredible Pocketwatch Theatre 

company as they return for mischief and 

mayhem throughout May half-term, with 

face-painting, themed trails and more! 

Plus, new for 2020, you can wander down 

to the Walled Garden and learn all about 

the care and feeding of the animals with the 

Castle’s friendly team. Have a cuddle with 

their adorable animals and get involved in 

feeding time, whilst learning all about how 

they are cared for. 

Pennywell Farm and 

Wildlife Centre 

Buckfastleigh TQ11 0LT 

01364 642023 

www.pennywellfarm.co.uk 

Sunday 17 May 

Piggy Pilates 

Love to exercise? Love miniature pigs? 

They’ve got just the thing for you and to be 

honest, what’s not to love? 

Piggy Pilates is a huge success at 

Pennywell so book up now to make sure 

you don’t miss out. 

Pilates teacher Faith Taylor will be 

leading the sessions, followed by coffee, 

continental breakfast and piggy cuddles. 

Saturday 30 May 

Piggies and Prosecco 

The ultimate experience for miniature pig 

lovers! 

Everyone loves piglets and everyone 

loves Prosecco so they have the perfect 

ingredients for the perfect evening, just 

for grown up Pennywell Farmers. Limited 

to just 20 people, you’ll have the farm to 

yourselves with plenty of opportunities for 

piggy cuddles. 

South Devon Railway 

The Station, Buckfastleigh TQ11 0DZ 

01364 644370 

www.southdevonrailway.co.uk 

Sunday 12 - Monday 13 April 

Easter on the Railway 2020 

Early spring is a fantastic time to see 

the South Devon Railway, with the buds 

beginning to show on the trees and an 

abundance of wildflowers along the line. 

So, this Easter Sunday and Monday, go 

and savour two days of nostalgia, scenery 

and interest on the South Devon Railway, 

with something for the whole family. 

There will be an Easter Egg hunt and lots 

of other children’s activities and vintage 

fairground attractions. 

Thursday 7 - Sunday 10 May 

Spring Rails & Ales 

A great treat - ride behind Steam & 

Heritage Diesel trains through the valley of 

the River Dart, or sit down and relax whilst 

enjoying a drink or two at the Staverton 

Station beer festival. Real aes, ciders, 

wine and Prosecco, and soft drinks are 

all available. There is plenty of seating in 

the station yard so you can spend the day 

watching the trains go by! 

The Flavel Arts Centre 

Dartmouth TQ6 9ND 

01803 839530 

www.theflavel.org.uk 

Saturday 18 April 

Back to The 80s - Riviera Dogs 

Admittedly the 80s were responsible for 

some truly awful stuff. Neon. Shoulder 

pads. Mullets! But, despite the questionable 

fashion choices and horrendous hair, there 

was some great music. 

Riviera Dogs are a well-known, polished 

and very popular 5 piece band based in 

Torquay delivering fantastic music from the 

decades that taste forgot. 

Friday 24 April 

An Evening with David Dimbleby 

Dart RNLI invite you to The Flavel 

Arts Centre for a relaxed evening in 

conversation with David Dimbleby, as he 

chats about his life in broadcasting and his 

love of the Dart and sailing! 


VE Day 75 

It is remembered as one of the most 

joyous days in history, with vast crowds 

filling central London and street parties 

across the land as Britain marked Victory in 

Europe on May 8, 1945. Now, 75 years on, 

the whole country is preparing to celebrate 

all over again. 

The show, features the Royal Philharmonic 

Concert Orchestra, the Military Wives 

Choirs, special guests, VIPs, members of 

Sir Winston Churchill’s family and, above 

all, the veterans, will be broadcast live to 

more than 400 cinemas on the night. 

Woodlands Leisure 

Park 

Blackawton, Totnes TQ9 7DQ 

01803 712598 

www.woodlandspark.com 

Saturday 28 March - Monday 13 April 

Eggstreme Easter at Woodlands 

The Woodlands Easter Bunny will be joined 

by loads of newand exciting friends! Travel 

through a land of chocolate heaven, take 

in the stunning views and see the magic of 

the world of Easter, then meet the Easter 

Bunny himself and collect your special gift 

in the Chocolate Easter Bunny’s Grotto. 

Enjoy a trip on the South Devon Railway 

4, 5 and 18, 19 April & 10, 30 and 31 May 

Woodlands Dino Days 

Say ROAR to Roary, the newest addition 

to Dino Trek! Set in a world more than 160 

million years ago! 

Roary will roam around, move his head, 

rock his tail and his eyes blink as he opens 

his mouth and ROARS! Are you brave 

enough to take a selfie with Roary? 

Or maybe you are lucky enough to meet 

the Baby Velociraptor, careful the teeth are 

sharp! 

Saturday 23 - Sunday 31 May 

May Half Term 

The park is fully open so you can use all 

the indoor and outdoor areas, rides and 

slides. Enjoy the animal activities and daily 

falconry displays. 

Farmers' MarketS 

www.foodanddrinkdevon.com 

Kingsbridge 

First and third Saturday of each month 

9am - 1pm 

You will find everything you would expect 

from a farmers’ market and more. 

Kingsbridge Farmers’ Market takes place 

in the town square, on every first and 

third Saturday of the month. Showcasing 

colourful fruit and vegetables, tasty 

homemade bakes, delicious cheeses, herbs 

and spices, as well as a mouthwatering 

selection of meats and fish, Kingsbridge 

Farmers’ Market is a cornucopia of luscious 

foods. Enjoy strolling through this wonderful 

market, where the delicious scent of 

seasonal produce inspires you to cook 

something full of flavour later. 

Totnes 

Third Sunday of every month, 

10am - 3pm 

Celebrate the love of food by taking a trip 

to Totnes Good Food Sunday Market. This 

vibrant affair brings some of the best food 

from the West country together in the heart 

of Totnes, at Civil Hall Square. The market 

is getting bigger and better as each year 

passes, with local producers providing 

hearty food that excites the taste buds. 

This popular market hosts something for 

everyone! 

We take great care in compiling the 

listings, however, we recommend that 

you contact the venue in advance as 

events and activities can be subject to 

change. 


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Boarding schools offer unrivalled 

opportunities for learning 

State and independent schools understand 

that a good education is a powerful tool 

and all educators need to encourage a 

passion for learning. We all undertake to 

join the dots together to give our pupils the 

best chance but if all schools are ultimately 

striving for the same outcome, does a full 

boarding school environment have the 

edge? 

Boarding schools have time to prepare a 

young mind, academically and pastorally. 

Longer days and weekends provide the 

opportunity for a whole host of extra 

experiences and support, leading to a wellrounded 

individual. 

Encouragement and facilitation begin in 

the House environment. At Sherborne 

the first wave of support comes from the 

House Team led by the Housemaster. 

Tutors have time with their tutees 

discussing academic progress and pastoral 

concerns, each week. This regular contact 

and rounded view of each boy builds a 

strong relationship to ensure all pupils are 

motivated and engaged. 

Matrons play an integral part within 

boarding schools. Any misconceptions 

by Sherborne boys that matrons will tidy 

their rooms are quickly dispelled and 

self-sufficiency, an important life skill, is 

developed! Our matrons are held close 

to the hearts of the boys and it is a very 

special relationship where these key 

stalwarts of the School have the medical, 

emotional and organisational needs of the 

boys at the forefront of their minds. 

Academic progress is important. The nature 

of full boarding brings a longer school day 

and departments are open beyond the 

working day. Boys can access support but 

there are also opportunities for enrichment 

with boarding schools offering an unrivalled 

range of co-curricular clubs supplementing 

the more traditional activities. Maybe full 

boarding offers ‘an educational experience 

with no limits’. 

The most recent example at Sherborne 

is a Calligraphy club run by new Head of 

Computer Science Dr Wild alongside some 

popular long-standing clubs including Fives, 

Fly Fishing, Sailing and Debating! Boys also 

enjoy a close relationship with Sherborne 

Girls with whom joint activities, subjects and 

social opportunities are well established. 

Boarding schools offer the chance to 

separate home life in the boarding house 

from study time. Our newly refurbished 

School Library offers a wonderful setting 

and with notable alumni including Alan 

Turing, Hugh Bonneville, Chris Martin and 

Jeremy Irons there is a distinct sense of 

purpose at the School. The friendly team of 

library staff is on hand to help with research 

and study skills and boys (and staff) are 

often found having a little bit of quiet time. 

Integral values at Sherborne encourage 

boys to be respectful, confident, 

passionate, independent and curious, while 

PSHE and School Assemblies promote 

a culture of kindness and compassion. 

Mentors, predominately Sixth Form, offer 

an alternative listening service or extra 

academic support. This in turn strengthens 

the community in House and takes the 

‘Sherborne Spirit’ into life beyond the 

School. 

So do boarding schools have the edge over 

their day counterparts? Well, all schools 

work incredibly hard to support their pupils 

academically and pastorally, teachers 

are passionate about their subjects 

and institutions aspire to prepare pupils 

effectively for ‘the world beyond’. 

We believe full boarding at Sherborne 

works, providing an outstanding 

educational experience for our boys. And 

we hope that when boys leave Sherborne, 

they go into the world with a determination 

to do something remarkable with their 

lives… and most of them do just that! It’s 

not always plain sailing, but our community 

has time on its side which is the benefit of 

full boarding. 

By Vicky Clayton, Head of Learning 

Development, Sherborne School 

Sherborne School is an independent 

boarding school for boys aged 13-18 and 

is a full member of the Boarding Schools’ 

Association. Visit www.sherborne.org 

The Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA) 

is the voice of UK independent boarding 

schools. For additional information on 

the BSA please log onto www.boarding. 

org.uk where you can also view a list of 

all boarding schools in the UK. 


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· Work placements 

A state school for Plymouth in partnership with: 

Apply for Year 9 and Year 12 

www.scottcollege.co.uk 

scottcollegeplymouth

Ensuring Success 

for Pupils at 

Trinity School 

ADVERTISING FEATURE 

Trinity School in Teignmouth is 

passionate about taking an individual 

approach to each pupil’s education to 

ensure that all reach their aspirations... 

It is important to recognise that success comes in all shapes 

and sizes, and the school’s approach develops and nurtures 

each child’s unique abilities. The school recognises that one size 

does not fit all. 

There is no set route through and after school, and while all can 

achieve academically, grades can only get pupils as far as the 

interview; the person gets the job. This is what Trinity develops 

in pupils by giving opportunities, mentoring through the years 

and ultimately upholding our school vision. 

The school ensures that a range of pupils can access 

outstanding education by remaining non-selective and offering 

opportunities for a range of scholarships and bursaries to 

current and prospective pupils. 

Scholarships have started to be awarded for the next academic 

year for consistent and exceptional displays of talent in 

particular subject areas as well as for all-round excellence for 

spectacular candidates. These scholarships are awarded at Year 

7, Year 9 and Sixth Form entries with another assessment day 

taking place in March 2020. 

For families who are not able to afford the full fees, Trinity offers 

a limited number of means-tested bursaries to ensure the unique 

education offer is available to as many families as possible. 

For full information on both scholarships and bursaries 

available, and for families with enquiries for immediate 

or September 2020 entry, please contact Trinity School’s 

Registrar Maria Kerr on registrar@trinityschool.co.uk or 

01626 771530. 

Trinity School 

Teignmouth 

01626 771530 registrar@trinityschool.co.uk 

www 

Academic excellence, 

great opportunities 

and outstanding care 

make Trinity School an 

exciting and vibrant 

independent school 

for all. 

www.trinityschool.co.uk 

Day & Boarding. Nursery to Sixth Form. 

Trinity School (Teignmouth) is a company limited by guarantee (registered in England; company number 1399560) and a registered charity (number 276960). Registered Office: 

Buckeridge Road, Teignmouth, Devon. TQ14 8LY. UK

A rainbow of delicious 

sweets, all in biodegradable 

packing, from £2.95, 

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The perfect bunnyhooded 

towel. Available 

for ages 1-3 and 3-6 

years, from £29.99 from 

cuddledry.com 

Turn your little person into a 

bunny with this cute cardigan, 

£34.99, kitandkin.com 

AN EGGCELLENT 

EASTER 

Perfect pressies for all your 

loved ones this Easter 

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 

Give them their own 

bunny to cuddle with 

this cute cushion, £15, 

bizzigrowin.com 

The perfect Easter gift for 

grown ups - a Scottish 

artisanal gin in a stylish 

bottle, £28, caorunngin.com 

Easter Lamb Bowl, £30, 

sweetpeaandwillow.com 

A sweet treat without the calories, 

Gingerbread Chai Tin, 150g, 

£16.65, birdandblendtea.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 

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designs from 

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sophieallport.com 

Bunny Pom Pom Bum 

Easter Name Place 

Cards, £3.99 for 6, 

gingerray.co.uk 


Salcombe Crabfest: 

A 'crab-cracking' 

day to remember! 

On Sunday 3rd May, enjoy an exciting day out at 

the popular Salcombe Crabfest – the town’s annual 

celebration of its famed brown crab... 

Visitors can expect an action-packed 

day out for the whole family, with 

activities for the children, superb 

demonstrations from the likes of BBC1 

Saturday Kitchen’s chef Freddy Bird, 

wonderful food and drink, live music… 

plus shopping opportunities galore! 

Sponsored by Coast & Country Cottages, 

Salcombe Gin and Marchand Petit, 

Salcombe Crabfest is completely free 

to attend and is entirely in aid of charity. 

Over the past five years, the festival has 

raised in excess of £40,000 for local 

organisations. Previous Crabfests have 

helped fund a complementary therapist 

at The Triangle Centre in Kingsbridge, a 

new Community First Responder vehicle 

and defibrillators at Salcombe Fish Quay 

and South Sands. This year, the event 

will be raising funds for Dementia and 

Alzheimer’s organisations locally. 

Organised by the Rotary Club of 

Salcombe, Crabfest takes place in 

and around Salcombe’s Creek car 

park and Island Street. For one day 

only the area becomes pedestrianised, 

lined with market stalls and exhibits 

from local craftsmen. Whether you are 

looking for ornate candles or cashmere 

clothing, locally roasted coffee or 

beautiful artwork, there will be gifts and 

mementos to take home from all over 

this stunning region. 

Be sure to head to the Chef Demo 

Marquee, where you can sit back 

and enjoy top tips from some of the 

fabulous locally and nationally acclaimed 

chefs attending. This year there will 

be demonstrations from the Rick 

Stein Exec Chef Stephane Delourme, 

the Rockfish Group Head Chef Kirk 

Gosden, BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen 

chefs Freddy Bird and Jane Baxter. 

Other returning chefs include the Oyster 

Shack’s Andy Richardson, Ocean’s 

head chef Janey Syrett and winner of 

the 2020 Trencherman’s Award for ‘Best 

Newcomer’, Jamie Rogers of Twenty 

Seven in Kingsbridge. Get there early for 

the best seats, and watch these chefs - 

plus many more - create delicious meals 

before your eyes… you may even get to 

taste some of their dishes! 

The festival offers plenty of opportunities 

to sample locally produced food and 

drink too. Dine on a delectable al fresco 

lunch from one of the many stalls, whilst 

listening to the live music and watching 

the boats bob on the estuary. Looking to 

take something home for tea? Buy some 

fresh crab caught by local fishermen for 

a tasty supper! 

“We are looking forward to another 

excellent event in 2020, celebrating the 

thriving fishing and tourism industries 

we have here in Salcombe.” 

John Sampson, organiser of Salcombe 

Crabfest said, “We are looking forward 

to another excellent event in 2020, 

celebrating the thriving fishing and 

tourism industries we have here in 

Salcombe. Salcombe Crabfest is such 

an enjoyable mix of exhibitors, chef 

demonstrations, locally produced 

food, not to mention live music – the 

atmosphere is fantastic. Come along and 

see for yourself!” 

To find out more 

about Salcombe 

Crabfest visit 

salcombecrabfest. 

co.uk 

*Images courtesy 

of Norsworthy 

Photography 



Meet the 

Foodies and Exhibitors 

for Salcombe Crabfest 

There will be a wealth of fantastic exhibitors at the show and 

here is a few South Hams Lifestyle recommend visiting... 

Barefoot Boy 

Barefoot Boy are really excited to be 

exhibiting at our first Crabfest this year. 

You will find there original range of 

hoodies and tees along with the launch of 

there new products for 2020! 

Barefoot Boy are especially excited 

to reveal there new range of bamboo 

sunglasses! All hoodies and tees are all 

ethically and sustainably sourced. They 

are made from organic cotton, recycled 

polyester and are super cosy! Barefoot 

Boy is a brand with a conscience, 

we support local beach cleans, the 

Salcombe Lifeboat and are passionate 

about supporting teenage mental 

health….why not come and say hello 

and we can tell you more about our new 

products 2020! We’d love you to share 

our plans for our Barefoot Boy - Ocean 

Therapy project! 

Facebook: @barefootboy.co.uk 

Riverford organics 

As the local Riverford delivery team for 

the Torbay and South Hams area we will 

be putting up our shady green gazebo 

and showcasing a wide selection of 

the farm’s lovely organic produce at 

the Salcombe Crabfest. With various 

boxes on show and lovely bits and bobs 

to try we are really enthusiastic about 

“vegucating” any stoppers by on how 

amazing organic vegetables can be. 

Potential customers can see the veg 

boxes as they come in different sizes 

and options, and take a good look at all 

the different types of essentials we offer 

from our dairy and farm shop as well as 

information about the butchery. We will 

even have an example of our increasingly 

popular recipe boxes (includes all the 

ingredients you need to cook inspiring 

seasonal meals for 2 people from 

scratch). See you there! 

www.riverford.co.uk 

Coast & Country Cottages 

Coast & Country Cottages sponsor 

Salcombe Crabfest 2020. British Travel 

Award-winning Coast & Country Cottages 

is delighted to once again be sponsoring 

the Salcombe Crabfest in 2020. 

The team at Coast & Country Cottages 

will be offering free children’s activities 

throughout the day, including shell 

decorating and face painting. They will 

also be on hand to meet current and 

potential property owners to offer expert 

holiday letting advice – visit them on 

Island Street, and enjoy all they have to 

offer! 

Salcombe and Dartmouth based Coast 

& Country Cottages sponsor and 

support various annual community 

events including Hope Cove Weekend, 

Salcombe Town Regatta, Dartmouth 

Royal Regatta, Kingsbridge Show and 

Dartmouth Food Festival. Emily Mercer, 

Marketing Manager, says “It is with great 

pleasure that we sponsor a number of 

worthwhile charity events each year. 

Salcombe Crabfest is a fantastic festival 

with a wonderful atmosphere. 

It really brings the community together 

to celebrate the exceptional commodity 

we have here in the town – our delicious 

brown crab! We look forward to 

welcoming the public to our stand, where 

we will have a host of activities for the 

children to enjoy for free”. 

Following a record breaking 2019 

season, which saw demand for holiday 

homes in the region reach an all-time 

high, Coast & Country Cottages is 

pleased to have expanded its portfolio 

of properties available. The agency now 

markets around 450 holiday homes in 

South Devon - with more properties in 

Salcombe than any other agent! Ranging 

from luxury waterside apartments to 

grand rural farmhouses, chic townhouses 

and modern retreats, there has never 

been a more perfect time for booking a 

break. 

Considering letting your holiday home? 

Contact our New Property Team on 

01803 227990 or visit 

coastandcountry.co.uk to order a copy of 

our free Owners Guide. 

The Wolf Rock Boat Company 

The Wolf Rock Boat Company are the 

home of family leisure boating and have 

the largest display of boats in the South 

West in their undercover showroom 

on the South Hams Business Park in 

Churchstow – just 10 minutes from 

Salcombe! As a local company, we are 

proud to support Salcombe CrabFest and 

for one day only will have on display a 

range of the market-leading BRIG boats 

for you to discover in Whitestrand car 

park – we look forward to seeing you 

there! 

www.thewolfrock.co.uk / 01548 855751 


BORN ON THE BEACH 

Barefoot Boy is about beautiful, quality products. 

Our hoodies and tees are ethically produced and 

designed for all your beach and ocean adventures. 

fi 

barefootboy.co.uk 

The Sportsman’s Arms is a traditional country pub 

serving home cooked food as well as a very popular 

carvery. We care about the quality and provenance of 

our ingredients and use local produce and suppliers as 

much as we can. 

We have a big beer garden with children’s play area as 

well as changing facilities and a rear car park. 

Sportsmans Arms 

Blackawton, Totnes TQ9 7DE 

Tel 01803 712231 

www.sportsmansarmsdartmouth.co.uk 


English Spirit 

We speak with James (Lawrence), General Manager for English 

Spirit about their new distillery opening in Cornwall... 


James (Lawrence) is General Manager 

for English Spirit. He is overseeing the 

construction of the new distillery and 

visitor centre at Treguddick Manor, and 

spends his time exploring the South West 

in the English Spirit Land Rover. 

You came into distilling via an 

interesting route – can you tell us 

more? 

Our master distiller Dr John Walters 

graduated from Oxford with a PhD in 

biochemistry: and was a biochemist for 

many years. One day he was listening to 

Radio 4 when he heard that eau de vie, 

a clear spirit distilled from fruit, could be 

made in France but not in the UK. Not to 

shy away from a challenge, he decided 

to combine his scientific knowledge with 

his passion for cooking and fine flavours, 

and set about applying to HMRC for 

a distiller’s licence. He crunched the 

numbers, picked some grapes off the 

side of his house and distilled a brandy: 

which tasted nicer than any of the French 

cognacs he often enjoyed. Buoyed by 

this success, he decided to have a crack 

at making other spirits too. 

He soon realised that, given the proper 

care and attention, spirits can be used 

to capture alcohol-soluble flavours from 

ingredients in new and exciting ways: 

a new frontier for showcasing the best 

ingredients in England and beyond. The 

potential was massive. Eventually the 

English Spirit Distillery was born, back in 

2011 when the gin boom was just starting 

to take off. Since then, Dr John has 

believed in stopping at nothing to make 

spirits of the very highest quality: and not 

just following the market either. He was 

the first to ever distil and market rum in 

the UK, back in 2012: everything before 

that had been imported from elsewhere! 

Dr John distils vodka, gin, rum, brandy, 

single malt, sambuca, even brand new 

spirits he’s invented: he currently distils 

the UK’s widest variety of different spirits 

and liqueurs. Dr John spends a great deal 

of time making and perfecting each and 

every product, not necessarily because 

they’re the easiest to make or because 

they’re the most profitable (if we did then 

we’d just make lots of different types of 

gin!) but because he loves it, and believes 

other people will too. That’s why all of us 

who work at English Spirit love what we 

do every day: we’re passionate about 

sharing our spirits, made with a genuine 

difference, and showing people just how 

nice spirits can be when you drink the 

best. 

Your spirits are easy to drink – no 

‘deep breath and wait for the burn’ – 

what is the secret to that success? 

Dr John believes “The hallmark of a 

good quality spirit is if you can sip it neat 

without the burn in your throat.” Which 

of course is very rare; but entirely worth 

it; which is why there’s a few reasons 

behind us taking the time to make ours 

that way. I think the chief reason is that, 

in true biochemist fashion, Dr John pays 

detailed attention to every part of the 

production process: including producing 

the base alcohol. 

We are very unusual in that we distil all 

of our own base alcohol: we’re one of a 

handful of distilleries not to buy it in from 

elsewhere, and for a long time we were 

the only people in England to distil rum. 

It’s time consuming and expensive, but 

by tailoring this important aspect, we 

can precisely extract all the good bits we 

want from our ingredients and leave the 

bad bits in the still: including making the 

cut between the heart of the spirit (good) 

and the heads and tails (yuk). 

In our experience you just can’t achieve 

that with someone else’s base alcohol. 

We don’t think there’s much point in 

sourcing and using the finest ingredients, 

if you use a poor quality base alcohol that 

means your only option is to drown your 

spirit with a mixer! Our small batch size 

also helps. We have twenty stills, and all 

of them are 200 litres: a lot smaller than 

many other small batch distilleries. Again, 

this helps with making the exact cut we 

want to grab the good stuff from the still. 

It also helps that Dr John has had a lot 

of practice: rather than turning one giant 

still per week, he’s been turning 10+ 

small stills, six days a week, for nine 

years. That’s nearly 30,000 still turns! 

Add in the fact that rather than just gin 

or whisky, John has been distilling nearly 

every recognised spirit there is: I think 

that makes a strong case for John being 

the UK’s most experienced distiller. And 

when it comes to distilling, practice really 

does make perfect. John says that good 

distilling is 

“It’s about harnessing a dream, and bringing 

new things into reality. It’s easy to copy 

something else, but difficult to make an 

entirely new route altogether” 

- Dr John Walters 

like good 

cooking: 

imagine 

comparing 

the dishes 

prepared by a 

Michelin star 

chef and a 

regular cook. 

If you want 

to make the 

best, you 

need years 

of practice; rigorous attention to detail 

with every single element; and not only 

sourcing the finest ingredients, but also 

exactly how to use them to full effect. 

And like Michelin star dining, the quality 

is evident in every bite: but you don’t 

have to be an expert to appreciate it. 

You have a new distillery opening 

in Cornwall – what will be produced 

there? 

We’re really excited to open our brand 

new distillery at Treguddick Manor, near 

Launceston, over the summer of 2020. 

We’ll have four of our copper pot alembic 

stills, turning out our signature variety of 

spirits & liqueurs. Rum will be a focus for 

us; interest and demand is increasing, 

plus the historical association with 

the South West; so a natural fit for the 

inventors of British rum. I’m especially 

looking forward to us bringing home our 

St Piran’s Cornish Rum, made with water 

from our spring at Treguddick Manor. 

We’ll be doing Cornish editions of other 

spirits too: including vodka, gin, brandy 

and single malt. We already work with 

some great brands in the South West, 

so we’ll be showcasing the production 

for their vodka, gin, rum and liqueurs. 

Plus, we hope to collaborate with more 

local producers, combining our distilling 

expertise with the South West’s famous 

product quality, to present the region’s 

unique flavours in a new light. 

In addition to our stills, there will be an 

exciting visitor centre and experience, 

with something for everyone to enjoy. 

We’ll be hosting daily distillery tours and 

tastings, to show people the process 

behind all of our lovely spirits and 

liqueurs. 

There will be a café and bar, which 

people can visit daily for great breakfast 

and lunch, with the occasional evening 

event. We want to make the place ‘foodie 

heaven’: with great coffee, great dishes 

made with quality local ingredients, even 

some meals cooked with our spirits to 

show them off in a whole new light. There 

will be polytunnel domes showing how 

our ingredients are grown: and more! We 

can’t wait to join the thriving food and 

drink scene in the South West: with great 

ingredients and discerning foodies, we 

hope it will be a natural hit for both locals 

and tourists to enjoy. 

01787 237 896 

@englishspirituk 

www.englishspirit.uk 


The Angel 

Dartmouth 

We speak with Elly Wentworth from The Angel 

Dartmouth about ingredients, great taste 

experience, and fine dining... 

Having grown up in South West, Elly Wentworth has been 

cooking since she was 13 and after studying Professional 

Cookery at City College Plymouth, she first worked at the 3 

AA rosette Tanner Restaurant in Plymouth under Chris Tanner 

and James Tanner. With that wealth of experience, Elly believes 

that accomplishments only come with hard work and she has 

proven that having competed in the prestigious Royal Academy 

of Culinary Arts awards and was one of only four chef’s to be 

given an Award of Excellence and coming runner up in 2016 

Professional Masterchef. Elly became Head Chef of the Angel in 

September 2018. 

You’ve had such great experience in some really top notch 

restaurants – can you tell us more? 

I’ve been very lucky with the opportunities that have been 

afforded to me, straight out of college I worked with Chris and 

James Tanner at Tanners Restaurant and I still speak to both of 

them, they have been great mentors. I also have had the privilege 

to work at 3 one Michelin star kitchens around the country, Simon 

Hulstone at the Elephant, Richard Davies at The Manor House 

Hotel and Spa in Castle Combe and Hywel Jones at Lucknam 

Park Hotel and Spa. I learnt a lot in all those restaurants and I 

wouldn’t be the chef I am today without all those experiences 

and mentors. 

How would you describe your cookery style? I always hate 

that question, I never know quite what to say. I’d describe it as 

classic flavours but with modern techniques. 

And how does that translate into the menu? I come up with 

flavours that would go together in my head, and play around with 

the techniques and textures that I use for each one. For example 

I have Beetroot Tart on the menu with Goats Curd. Goat Cheese 

and Beetroot you see together a lot on menus and it is a classic 

combinations, I choose to have many different textures with 

pickled beetroot, Beetroot Jam and then Goats Curd instead of 

cheese giving a slightly different flavour. 

Food provenance is so important in fine dining – do you use 

local suppliers? I love using Local suppliers where possible 

like our Venision comes from Curtis Pitts Deer Service who uses 

Deers from all over Devon but I also want ensure the quality and 

sustainability of the product, I know where all my products come 

even if they are not local, 

What are your favourite ingredients? I love using Fresh local 

fish from Brixham, but one of my favourite ingredients right 

now is Black Garlic, I am even working with our Front of House 

Manager and a gin distillery to create a Angel Gin featuring black 

garlic as the main botanical. 

www.theangeldartmouth.co.uk | 01803833488 


BOLD COOKING WITH QUALITY SEASONAL 

INGREDIENTS WITH A TWIST. FROM OUR LOCAL 

FORAGER WORKING ON THE MOOR AND THE 

DEVON COASTLINE TO OUR LOCAL FARMERS 

CHAMPIONING LOCAL NATIVE BREEDS. 

WE BRING YOU A TASTE OF DEVON 

The Angel, South Embankment, Dartmouth TQ6 9BH | Tel: 01803 833 488 | www.theangeldartmouth.co.uk

ENGLISH WINE WEEK 

Celebrating our home grown wines by Julia Trustram Eve 

In the world of wine, Great Britain ranks as 

one of the smallest wine regions. Arguably, 

though, it is one of the most dynamic, 

attracting plenty of attention over here and 

making its mark with significant competition 

wins and appraisals by wine experts and 

influencers both here and overseas. 

Great Britain is one of the fastest-growing 

wine regions in the world; area planted with 

grapevines is growing year on year and now 

exceeds over 5,000 acres, having expanded 

by nearly 200% in the last ten years alone. 

Recently the wine industry’s body, Wines of 

Great Britain (WineGB), predicted that in just 

over 20 years’ time, we may be producing 40 

million bottles. 

There are now some 700 vineyards in 

England and Wales, with the majority in 

the south of England and stretching up to 

Yorkshire and in north and south Wales. You’ll 

find large wineries to one-man operations, 

each with a story to tell. Approximately 70% 

of all production is sparkling wine, with the 

remaining 30% delicious still white, red and 

rosé wine. In 2018 the UK produced just over 

13 million bottles. 

Luckily it is easy to discover our homegrown 

wines: English and Welsh wines are 

now readily-available in supermarkets to 

independent retailers; online retailers, as well 

as many restaurants and bars, and of course 

direct from the vineyards themselves, either 

via their websites or by visiting the cellar door. 

The UK wine industry is launching their 

awareness campaign English Wine Week and 

Welsh Wine Week which this year takes place 

from Saturday 23 - Sunday 31 May. Over 

the Week look out for promotions, events 

and activities to shine a light on this exciting 

industry and its wines. 

The end of May kicks off the summer 

season and invites us outside to explore, 

so what better time to visit to the vineyards 

themselves. There are now around 200 

vineyards open to visitors and located in 

some of the most beautiful parts of the 

country. 

Vineyards offer a range of experiences 

from guided and self-guided tours through 

a vineyard to soak up the beautiful 

surroundings, to visiting the cellar door 

for a tasting. Some have a shop, restaurant 

and even accommodation on site. It’s worth 

checking opening times as some smaller 

vineyards are open by appointment or at 

set times. Larger vineyards are open all year 

round. Guided tours are conducted by people 

who are knowledgeable and entertaining and 

in some smaller vineyards you may even get 

the owner or winemaker. Visitors will take 

away a great memory and new experience. 

Some vineyards are now working closely 

together to promote their region and enhance 

other local attractions and amenities. Check 

out Kent’s Wine Garden of England; Sussex 

Wineries; Vineyards of Hampshire; Vineyards 

of the Surrey Hills to name but a few - there 

will soon be a Yorkshire wine trail too. 

So let’s enjoy a summer of English wine 

… in a country that sells one of the widest 

ranges of wines across the globe, the wines 

produced on our doorstep are a noteworthy 

success story and worth celebrating. Now 

surely that is something to raise a glass to - 

cheers! 

For more information on English Wine Week 

and Welsh Wine Week, visit www.winegb. 

co.uk. The website also lists the vineyards 

of Great Britain and provides plenty of 

background information on English and 

Welsh wines. There are now also a number 

of great books and guides for the wine 

enthusiast. 

Wine styles in Great Britain 

Sparkling wines account for about two-thirds 

of the country’s total wine production and 

a style that is leading the UK’s reputation 

for producing high quality wines. Most are 

produced from the same varieties grown in 

Champagne (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and 

Pinot Meunier). Their finesse and longevity 

are proving themselves year upon year 

on the world stage in blind tastings and 

competitions, and even Champagne houses 

are investing in England - proof of the 

confidence in this wine country and its future. 

The UK’s still wines are also worth 

discovering. Grape varieties such as 

Bacchus, Pinot Gris, Pinot and Chardonnay 

are producing styles of wines to delight the 

palate, as well as other aromatic and new 

varieties that thrive in Britain’s cool climate. 

The result is a great range of styles from 

dry to medium dry whites, refreshing rosé, 

luscious dessert wines and fruity reds. 


Walk the vineyard, 

enjoy our wines! 

Devon 

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Walk the vineyard, 

enjoy our Walk wines! the vineyard, 

enjoy our wines! 

10% off all wine 

and tours during 

English Wine 

Week 

10% off all wine 

and tours during 

Teign English Valley Wine 

Week 

10% off all wine and tours 

during English Wine Week 

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Eat fresh, eat artisan 

We can’t be entirely sure what started the near avalanche shift, but it seems we Brits are 

now a nation of self-confessed ‘foodies’. It used to be something our continental cousins 

were known for - they could enthuse about the quality of their produce or the depth of 

flavour they were able to wring out of the simplest of ingredients. But now, owing to our 

buzzing restaurant scene and ever-increasing awareness of our food’s providence, we 

really do seem to care more about the field to plate process. 

What’s so important 

about eating ‘seasonal’ 

food? 

In-season produce is fresher and tastes 

better, sweeter and perfectly ripe. When 

fruits and vegetables are picked for 

consumption that have been naturally 

ripened on the vine or the tree and 

harvested at the right time, it will have 

much more flavour and nutrition. Just 

compare British strawberries available in 

June with their Spanish counterparts - 

there simply is no comparison! 

Seasonal food is also much higher in 

nutrients, especially if it is from a local 

radius. The moment something is picked, 

it begins to lose its freshness and nutrient 

values and some anti-oxidants such 

as Vitamin C, folate and carotenes will 

rapidly decline when stored for periods 

of time. Large markets and grocers may 

buy out-of-season produce that has been 

gassed, irradiated (a burst of radiation to 

kill germs) and preserved in wax to extent 

the shelf life. Buying seasonal food from a 

local farm shop or greengrocer is far less 

likely to have been chemically treated and 

will taste all the better for it. 

Seasonal fruit and veg is cheaper too! 

When something has had to travel only 

tens of miles instead of thousands, 

the whole cost of production and 

transportation is dramatically reduced. 

It’s really important to note that it’s 

not always possible to eat locally and 

seasonally for everyone all of the time. 

It’s more about the importance of making 

decisions where possible that are better 

for you, your wallet and your health where 

you can. 

Why eat fresh? 

This seems obvious, but sometimes it is 

surprising what the supermarket buying 

mentality can do to all of your best made 

plans to buy good, fresh produce. Have 

you ever taken a look at the ingredients 

list on some of the processed foods you 

can buy in the shops? It’s boggling. I 

22 | www.southhamslifestyle.co.uk 

challenge you to take a trip round and to 

find your favourites, and then to see how 

many of them contain eye-watering levels 

of sugar, salt and preservatives. 

Scientists have just confirmed that instead 

of the five-a-day principle we’ve been 

aiming for, ten-a-day is closer to the goal. 

The best way to get this high vegetable 

requirement into your diet is to amp up the 

veg portions in your favourite meals - use 

a food processor to finely dice onions, 

carrot, celery and leeks to add to your 

classic dish bases like shepherd’s pie or 

bolognaise. It’s easier than you think to 

add to a whole range of dishes. 

The same principles apply to buying 

bread and other baked goods directly 

from the baker. Good, natural bread 

shouldn’t last for 10 days, and 

supermarkets pack their breads with 

preservatives and a bucket-load of 

sugar to get that unnatural freshness. 

How about buying bread less often, but 

knowing what you buy is all the better for 

you, rather than a starch and sugar-laden 

quick fix? 

WHY BUY LOCAL? 

We know it is not always possible 

to get your weekly shop from all the 

independent producers in an area - we 

are all busy and sometimes convenience 

wins out. Instead of heading straight 

to the supermarket aisles though, how 

about contacting your favourite local 

producers and asking if you can set up a 

regular order with them? The benefits are 

many-fold. 

1. Local produce has generally 

travelled less far to your plate and is 

seasonal, making it fresher, tastier 

and more nutrient rich. 

2. You are helping to boost your 

local economy by supporting 

independents. 

3. You can order a week’s worth of 

shopping in one go and carefully 

meal plan around it - reducing 

wastage and the likelihood that you 

will make unhealthy choices. 

The Dirty Dozen 

vs the Clean 15 

The dirty dozen and the clean 15 refer 

respectively to the fruits and vegetables 

that are the most and least contaminated by 

pesticides. 

Pesticides are toxic by design! Different 

pesticides have been linked to a variety 

of health problems, including hormone 

disruption, cancer and brain toxicity. But for 

most people, switching to organic produce 

is a gradual process. Because organic 

foods tend to be more expensive than their 

counterparts, making informed choices in 

the produce aisle helps minimize pesticide 

consumption while keeping the budget in 

check! 

All of us have to work within our budgets, 

which is where the dirty dozen and the clean 

15 come into play. The list is a resource to 

help you make the best choices for your 

health and for the earth, whatever your current 

budget or state of greenness. Whatever 

you can afford, remember fresh fruits and 

vegetables are always a healthier choice 

than processed foods. Besides, non-organic 

processed foods are sure to contain a whole 

host of chemicals too! Instead, let the guide 

dictate your allocation of organic vs. nonorganic 

purchases. 

The Dirty Dozen (in order of contamination) 

Aim to always buy these organic 

Apples 

Celery 

Sweet bell peppers 

Peaches 

Strawberries 

Nectarines 

Grapes 

Spinach 

Lettuce 

Cucumbers 

Blueberries 

Potatoes 

The Clean 15 (in order of least 

contamination) less risk buying non-organic 

Onions 

Sweet corn 

Pineapples 

Avocado 

Cabbage 

Sweet peas 

Asparagus 

Mangoes 

Aubergine 

Kiwi 

Cantaloupe melon 

Sweet potatoes 

Grapefruit 

Watermelon 

Mushrooms

fresh from the farm 

Riverford Organics share their delicious 

broad bean fritter recipe with us. These simple 

fritters make a good vegetarian main course 

but you could also serve smaller ones as 

starters or canapés for a summer party (they 

can be made in advance and gently warmed 

through in a low oven). Kids generally love 

them, particularly the dinky-sized ones. 


300g podded broad beans (approximately 900g in their pods) 

125g self-raising flour 

2 large eggs 

2 tbsp crème fraîche 

125ml milk 

200g soft, mild sheep’s or goat’s cheese, crumbled 

small handful of mint leaves, chopped 

small handful of chives, snipped or chopped 

a little sunflower or olive oil & a knob of butter, for frying 

sweet chilli sauce, to serve (optional) 

Cook the beans in a pan of boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain 

and refresh in cold water. Peel off the outer skins and discard, 

leaving the bright green inner bean. In a large bowl, whisk the 

flour, eggs, crème fraîche and milk until you have a smooth, thick 

batter. Crumble in the cheese. Stir in the broad beans, mint and 

chives and season with salt and pepper. Melt a little oil and butter 

in a large frying pan. Add spoonfuls of the mixture (you’ll need 

to cook in two or three batches) and cook on a medium heat for 

2–3 minutes, until golden brown on the bottom (you’ll see small 

bubbles appearing from underneath as they’re ready). Flip and 

cook for 2 minutes or so on the other side, until cooked through. 

Serve with sweet chilli sauce for dipping, if you like. 

Variations 

• Use a gluten-free self-raising flour if you prefer. 

• Use chopped up French or sliced runner beans instead of 

broad beans. 

• Vary the cheese – try a saltier feta-style sheep’s cheese. 

www.riverford.co.uk/recipes 

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. 


EATS, SHOOTS AND LEAVES 

Fantastic vegan recipes from cookwithmands.com 

WARM CRISPY 

TOFU SALAD 

with orange and lime dressing 

SERVES 2 

INGREDIENTS 

lime wedges 

2 spring onions 

1 pack High protein pea noodles 

1 pack Edamame and pea stir fry 

1 pack Lime and orange dressing 

2 tsp maple syrup 

1 tbsp soy sauce 

1 tsp black peppercorns 

1 red chilli 

3 garlic cloves 

15g ginger 

2 tsp sesame oil 

1 tbsp olive oil 

1 tbsp cornflour 

200g firm tofu 

PREPARATION 

Thinly slice the spring onions. Lightly 

crush the black peppercorns. Thinly 

slice and remove seeds if you prefer 

less heat from the red chillis. Crush the 

garlic cloves. Crush the ginger. Drain, 

pat dry and cut into approx. 2cm cubes 

the firm tofu. 

METHOD 

In a bowl, toss the tofu in the cornflour 

ensuring it is well coated. Heat the 

olive oil in a wide-based pan or wok on 

a medium-high heat. Once hot, cook 

the tofu until golden brown and crispy, 

around 5 – 7 mins. Drain on kitchen paper 

and sprinkle with salt. 

Heat the sesame oil in the same pan on a 

low heat. Add the ginger, garlic and chilli 

and cook until soft, around 6 – 8 mins. 

Stir frequently. 

Add the peppercorns, soy sauce and 

maple syrup. Cook for another 2 mins on 

a low heat. Stir the tofu back into the pan 

with the edamame and pea stir fry mix. 

Cook for 3 mins and season to taste.Heat 

the noodles according to the back of pack 

instructions and place in a large bowl with 

the warm stir fry mix and dress with the 


lime and orange dressing. Serve the tofu 

on the noodle salad sprinkled with the 

spring onions. Garnish with lime wedges. 

PUMPKIN TEMPURA 

SERVES 4 

INGREDIENTS 

For the dip - 50g soy sauce 

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar 

1 garlic clove 

1cm piece of ginger 

1 small red chilli 

For the tempura - 1 litre vegetable oil 

1 pumpkin (approximately 1kg in weight) 

150g self-raising flour 

1.5 tbsp cornflour 

1.5 tsp baking powder 

225ml cold sparkling water 

PREPARATION 

Peel and crush the garlic cloves. Peel and 

finely grate the piece of ginger. Deseed 

and finely dice the red chillis. Peel and 

remove the seeds of the pumpkin. Finely 

chop 4 of the sage leaves. 

METHOD 

Make the dip by combining all the 

ingredients in a small bowl, and set aside. 

Cut the pumpkin in half lengthways and 

cut into slices approximately 2cm wide. 

Heat the oil in a deep-sided, heavy-based 

pan until hot. Make the batter. In a bowl, 

combine the flour, cornflour, baking 

powder, ½ tsp salt and chopped sage. 

Slowly whisk in the cold sparkling water 

until the batter has the consistency of 

single cream – don’t worry about any 

small lumps, they will disappear. 

Test if the oil is the right temperature by 

dropping a teaspoon of batter into the 

pan – if it cooks quickly, the oil is ready. 

Dip the pumpkin slices into the batter 

and carefully add to the pan. Cook in 

the hot oil, in batches of 5-6 at a time, 

for 4 minutes or until golden and cooked 

through. Remove with a slotted spoon 

and drain on kitchen paper. Serve 

immediately with the soy dip. 

VEGAN PAVLOVA 

SERVES 6 

INGREDIENTS 

300g blackberries 

1 tbsp icing sugar 

150ml liquid from 400g tin of chickpeas 

0.25 tsp xanthan gum 

0.25 tsp cream of tartar 

225g caster sugar 

250g fresh coconut cream (from chilled 

aisle) 

1 handful basil leaves 

METHOD 

Heat the oven to 120°C/ 100°C fan/gas 

½. In a food processor, blitz 150g of the 

blackberries with the icing sugar. Sieve 

and set aside. 

Whisk the chickpea liquid, xanthan gum 

and cream of tartar for 2 mins, until fluffy. 

Whisk in the caster sugar, 1-2 tbsp at 

a time. Fold in 2 tbsp of the blackberry 

coulis. 

Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. 

Spread half the mix in a circle on one. 

Pipe mini meringues on the other. 

Bake the large meringue for 3 hours 

and the small ones for 1½ hours. Turn 

off heat, and leave to cool in the oven 

completely. Spread the cream over the 

meringue base. 

Top with blackberries, mini meringues, 

icing sugar, coulis and basil.

COOK, SLEEP, 

ROCK, REPEAT 

Katie Thomson caught up with 

chef James Martin ahead of his 

summer festival circuit and 

discussed stellar culinary talents, 

his new book and finding time to 

rock out... 

Katie: We must talk about Pub in the 

Park – we spoke with Tom Kerridge a 

couple of years back, just as he was 

expanding the event out of Marlow 

to include Bath and a couple of other 

areas. In the past few years its really 

become huge, attracting so much 

talent from the food industry but also 

the music industry so it must be quite 

exciting to be involved? 

James: He has roped me into it! He roped 

me into it last year as he had managed to 

double book himself! So now he wants 

me to do it again! He’s probably off on 

holiday! But it’s good fun, and anybody 

who’s been there will know that its unique 

and there’s nothing else like it. 

So you’ll be hosting the Tunbridge 

Wells and Chichester events? 

Yeah that’s right, and I’ll be appearing at 

the Bath one, Tom is hosting that one but 

I’ll be there doing some demonstrations 

and other bits and pieces. It’s a great lineup 

of people that he’s got and I’m very 

pleased to play my part. 

I think it’s really nice that you try 

to reflect the local restaurants in 

each individual area plus there’s 

some serious culinary talent from the 

country as a whole. 

Well the thing about the chefs is you get 

the great and the good from all over the 

place. So for example with Bath, you’ve 

got Paul Ainsworth coming up from 

Cornwall, Atul Kochhar from London, 

Steven Terry from Wales, Angela Hartley 

from London…we’ve got people from all 

over the place! It’s the same with music; 

there’s something for everybody. 

Who are you looking forward to 

seeing if you can steal a little time 

away to enjoy it? 

I’m a wannabe musician, I’ve got a little 

band so I’m looking forward to seeing 

a few of them. I listened to Toploader 

when I was training as a kid working in 

kitchens, so I’m looking forward to seeing 

them. Beverley Knight I’ve known for 

quite a while so it will be nice to say hi to 

her and James Blunt is playing as well! 

So I’m looking forward to chilling out and 

fundamentally seeing my mates! All these 

chefs I speak to on the phone quite a lot 

but I only really ever see them at these 

festivals so three in a year is great for me. 

How does the cookery stage in the 

festival setting compare to live 

TV? I can image you are quite unflappable. 

Well you’ve got a bit more to hand at my 

place when we film at the house, and I 

know where everything is. But they build 

an amazing marquee where we do the 

demos, that almost looks like something 

from outer space. You never know with 

the weather, we might get wet, so the 

marquee is amazing. But the same team 

that work on my show work on Pub in the 

Park, so the industry is big but that group 

is quite small. I’ve known the guys that 

organise Pub in the Park from the twelve 

years of doing Carfest. 

So you are an old hand on the 

festival circuit then? 

I’ve been around it a long time! I do 

certain food festivals, the biggest one 

of its kind is in Bolton and had 400,000 

people last year, and I usually do that 

after Carfest South. I’m Hampshirebased, 

so sort of in between the two 

from Bath to Chichester area. I’m looking 

forward to Chichester because I spend 

a bit of time at Goodwood - so I know 

and love the area. Tunbridge Wells I’m 

interested in going to see because I’ve 

not really been there a lot, and I love 

going to Bath because there’s a great 

guitar shop there that always gets a visit! 

Your show Saturday Morning always 

looks like a lot of fun to film, and in 

particular you and Galton seem to 

have a really great relationship. 

The great thing about the show is the 

chefs that come on I’ve known for years – 

25

a lot of them are turning up to Pub in the 

Park! I’ve known them for years and I’ve 

supported them over the years, and of 

course when I decided to leave Saturday 

Kitchen they supported me since then 

as well. So it’s an accumulation of me 

supporting them and them supporting 

me. So they’re great mates and I think 

that comes across on camera. 

Have you had any guests that have 

been particularly memorable? 

We had Jack Savoretti here recently, 

he was fantastic. He was trying to learn 

from the master baker Richard Bertinet, 

who was attempting to teach him how to 

make bread and he making a right mess 

of it! So he was great fun. You just have 

such a great laugh, and that’s the key to 

doing it here. 

We film it at the house and it’s quite 

chilled out and very similar to this 

festival. Those are the projects I’m 

enjoying these days - and that’s why 

Pub in the Park appeals so much. It’s 

very much a family atmosphere and I 

can just walk around. You go to some 

festivals and you are hidden around the 

back, you aren’t allowed to come out 

and have a wander around. 

Other than a busy schedule of 

summer festivals, have you got any 

books in the pipeline? 

I’ve just finished a book and TV show 

called Islands to Highlands. The TV 

show will be out in April and book is out 

now. We’ve also just taken over a hotel 

at Silverstone so I’m going to be busy 

doing that. Yeah, there’s a few things 

happening and a few more things in the 

pipeline - I should be busy! But not too 

busy to indulge in a bit of music and fun 

this summer! 

Find out more about Pub in the Park here: 

pubintheparkuk.com 

James Martin’s Islands to Highlands is 

published by Quadrille Publishing and is 

available through good bookshops and 

online now. 

“We had Jack Savoretti 

here recently, he was 

fantastic. He was 

trying to learn from the 

master baker Richard 

Bertinet, who was 

attempting to teach 

him how to make bread 

and he making a right 

mess of it!” 

26

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. 

27

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 


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 

28

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 


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: 


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. 

29

SUN, SEA 

& the city 

Victoria Purdon travelled to Croatia’s glorious north 

coast to discover its ancient history, unrivalled 

panoramic coastlines and a new luxury glamping site, 

perfect for a summer family holiday 

Nestled on the idyllic 

Croatian peninsula of Istria, 

with sweeping views of the 

glassy waters of the Adriatic 

and its surrounding lush 

greenery, the Arena Grand 

Kažela campsite in Medulin 

immediately overwhelms my 

usual preconceptions of your 

typical camping ground. This 

was certainly not the damp, 

grey, camping I had grown 

accustomed to in the UK, this 

was a new, luxury venture and 

the perfect taste of ocean-side 

living. 

The design of these pods is very clever 

- taking all the best elements of the 

local landscape and architecture - its 

charming woodland setting, its nods to 

the small Croatian seaside villages which 

dot the coastline here, all packaged up 

30

with the very best luxury conveniences 

of staying in a hotel and the additional 

freedom of self-catering. 

Arena Grand Kažela is the perfect 

getaway for those looking to connect 

with a more authentic Croatia, but 

sacrificing non of the comforts of a 

relaxing vacation. Catering to the ecoconscious, 

sun worshippers, culture 

vultures, and families alike, the Medulin 

site offers something for everyone. 

From brand new facilities including two 

pools, a gym, children’s activity areas, 

beachside water sports and so much 

more, there is little reason to leave the 

campsite during your stay. 

Following our check in to their newly 

remodelled reception area, we breeze 

past the traditional camping crowds and 

head into a lush woodland; the canopy 

offering a welcoming haven and for 

some, a relief from the warm Croatian 

sun. The site’s 164 units sit within these 

woodlands but are only a short stroll to 

the beach front through the beautifully 

“The design of these pods is very clever - taking 

all the best elements of the local landscape and 

architecture - its charming woodland setting, 

its nods to the small Croatian seaside villages 

which dot the coastline here, all packaged 

up with the very best luxury conveniences of 

staying in a hotel” 

landscaped garden. I was pleasantly 

surprised by the variety of camping 

villas from Home Next, Home Green and 

Camping Villa options, ensuring that it 

accommodates a breadth of options for 

all ages and requirements. 

These modern eco-friendly and 

spacious plots are lined with fragrant 

Mediterranean plants and include 

a porch with sea views and brandnew 

amenities for self-catering. Their 

thoughtful design means they are both 

amply equipped for family life, but also 

have that all-important feeling of luxury. 

Waking up to the views of the calm 

Adriatic you with a fresh brew from the 

coffee machine supplied in the villa, 

you can’t help but feel a sense of calm. 

The kitchen is supplied with plates and 

crockery, cooking utensils along with an 

inside dining area. But surely the table 

on the patio calls for alfresco dining! 

Also set outside each villa is a space 

with loungers, a hanging nest chair, 

especially good for curling up in with a 

good book. 

While you’re here, you cannot miss the 

spectacular sea and pool view from the 

rooftop Captains Bar. A perfect spot 

to watch the sunset whilst sipping on 

a cocktail of your choice, toes dipped 

in the pool or chatting to friendly locals 

and other travellers at the bar. If you 

are looking for an even more relaxing 

space to unwind, you have the option of 

another impressive hotspot; the Breeze 

bar, complete with endless relaxing 

beds for some relief from the sun. Here 

31

you can take a dip in the country’s longest infinity pool - 

measuring at 80 metres- and if you dare to swim the length 

you surely have earnt their well renowned Mojitos with some 

bar nibbles. 

If you’d prefer a swim in the mild Adriatic sea, the location 

boasts 2km of beach and full complement of water sports, 

from jet skiing, paddle boarding and banana boating for 

those adrenalin junkies. And for a slice of paradise, hop on 

a short boat ride to Levan island. Approaching this island 

is like something out of a movie scene; crystal blue waters, 

beach huts to lounge in while you gaze out at the vast Croatian 

sea, and the Sunshine Medulin Bar serving cocktails that 

themselves look like works of art. The friendly and welcoming 

bar staff are on hand too to give you the best tips for exploring 

the area like a local. 

During your stay, there is no doubt you’ll enjoy the delights of 

Croatia’s gastronomy, specialising in truffle, cheese, wine and 

lamb dishes. Veggies and vegans, don’t be scared - Istria’s 

fields also supply sun ripened veg and fruits to be enjoyed too! 

With 4 Restaurants and a supermarket on site Arena Grand 

Kažela will cater, quite literally, to all your needs. Food is a 

religion in Croatia, meals are set over many courses of many 

hours, meant for sharing platters and stories to laugh over after 

a day in the afternoon sun. 

If you’re a bit of a culture vulture the nearby city of Pula offers 

a rich history set in a timeline of architectural wonders. Pula’s 

gladiatorial arena boasts to be older than Rome’s Colosseum. 

The Arena is the only remaining Roman amphitheatre to have 

four side towers and with all three Roman architectural orders 

entirely preserved. It was constructed in 27 BC – 68 AD and 

is among the world’s six largest surviving Roman arenas. 

Wandering through the town is like looking at a visual timeline 

of Croatian history, a story told through architecture. The tour 

guides are extremely knowledgeable and painted a picture of 

the city through the ages, up to the current state of affairs. The 

stories of chariots and gladiators are sure the enthral. 

If history or architecture doesn’t tickle you, the Pula market 

is a sight to behold. Mingle with the locals, and soak in the 

atmosphere - picturesquely dappled in sunlight through the 

trees you’ll find stalls filled with lavender, truffle and braided 

garlic. Worth a look next to it is the famous fish market, to 

observe not only the fresh catch of the day, but the pavilion it’s 

set in. Be prepared to have your senses accosted by the scent 

of the sea and the glimmering scales of beautiful fresh fish 

caught be local fisherman that morning. 

If you want to leave the site (although there is little reason to do 

so!) and the city isn’t your thing, then a boat trip from the sweet 

seaside village of Fažana to President Tito’s beautifully kept 

island Brijuni may be for you. Take a swim in crystal waters, or 

a train ride around the island to see Tito’s exotic animals. 

Beautifully designed to allow guests to get closer to nature and 

experience serenity of sleeping under the stars in total comfort. 

With poolside bars, restaurants, water sport and children’s 

areas and activities, there is no doubt there is something for 

everyone before even leaving the site. Maybe camping is my 

kind of thing after all… 

“Wandering through the town is 

like looking at a visual timeline 

of Croatian history, a story told 

through architecture...The stories 

of chariots and gladiators are sure 

the enthral. ” 

Arena Grand Kažela has recently launched brand new luxury 

camping homes, located in a secluded spot in Medulin 

and designed to allow guests to get closer to nature and 

experience the serenity of sleeping under the stars in total 

comfort. For those looking to pick up the tempo, there are 

water skiing facilities on-site, whilst explorers can visit the 

nearby secluded beach, only accessible by boat. 

€90 per unit per night, based on a Camping Home Next unit. 

Valid for arrival in April 2020. For more information and to book, 

visit: www.arenacampsites.com 

32

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 

33

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 

34

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 

35

RENEW 

Refresh 

RENOVATE 

Spring is a time of rebirth and it makes 

sense that it’s a period to think about 

changes we want to make in the home. 

Whether your ambitions are large or small 

in scale, here’s some inspiration to get you 

going on your transformation... 

Ian Snow Dark 

Green Floral 

Velvet Cushion, 

topdrawer.co.uk 

desenio.co.uk 

RENEW your soft furnishings. 

Some strong trends to emerge this 

season are hand-printed monochromes 

and really textural, woven pieces with a 

Scandi-boho vibe. 

Throws and blankets are great to mix 

up the look when seasons change. A 

new rug can really change a space too 

- uniting furniture and making a space 

more cohesive. 

Leopard Velvet Cushion, £50, 

frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk 

Petra Cushion Cover, 

£33 and Floor Cushion 

£109, both with free P&P, 

hauslife.co.uk 

If you don’t want to buy new cushions or 

throws, simply swapping pieces between 

rooms can have a similar renewing effect. 

Clockwise from top left: Electra Block 

Print Cushion, £29.95; Seascape In 

Dusk Rug, 160cm x 230cm, £1288, 

abigailedwards.com; Himmeli Wool Blanket, 

£105,cloudberryliving.co.uk; Herringbone 

Linen Throw, £119.99, truelinen.co.uk 

Lola Burnt Orange Velvet 

Armchair £520; Frau Eule 

Velvet Cushion £65; Chevron 

Sienna Patterned Rug From 

£199; Pink Quartz Side Table 

£262, all audenza.com 

36

Dobbies 

REFRESH your walls with some new 

prints. Never underestimate the transformative 

power of art! Get some favourite posters, 

postcards or even fabrics framed or invest in 

some new, fun eye candy for the walls - it’s cheap 

but effective! 

We love Desenio’s vast range of posters, with 

options for framed, unframed and mounted 

finishes. From £3.95, desenio.co.uk 

RENOVATE by bringing 

the outside in. Try to create connected 

spaces, either by echoing flooring 

choices in the home and the patio, or 

using complementary furniture styles 

as you’ll see in the home. 

Some experts estimate that bi-folding 

doors can add around 5-10% to the 

resale valuation of a property, so 

if you’re thinking about renovation 

changes, glazing is a good investment 

which will also improve the way you 

use the space in the interim. Metal 

Crittall doors also make a fabulous 

statement when paired with other 

black glazing and fixtures. 

Left: Linen Viscose 

Mix Curtains In Denim, 

loomandlast.com and below: 

Plantation Shutters from Just 

Shutters, justshutters.co.uk 

REFRESH your window 

treatments. Whether you add a new 

blind or a new set of curtains, or 

even add new trims to you existing 

dressings, it can make a space feel 

wholly different. If you’re looking 

for a larger-scale change with a 

big impact, shutters are a fabulous 

choice - we love the plantation style 

ones - you can really shut the world 

out come evening! 

37

RENEW your light fixtures 

and room hardware for an instant 

update. Multi-level lighting makes 

a huge impact, as does a new 

pendant light in the centre of the 

room - these are impact points 

and lighting will help guide the 

eye around the room. Matching 

lightswitches and sockets help the 

final feel of the room, making it more 

‘pulled-together’. 

Glass & Velvet 

Lamp, £175, 

coxandcox.co.uk 

Pontoon Picture 

Light, £111, 

darlighting.co.uk 

Juliet Table Light, £69, 

atkinandthyme.co.uk 

Midi 3 Light Bar Pendant 

Black, £84, darlighting.co.uk 

Double Socket, £34.99 and 

Quadruple Toggle Switch, £35.99, 

dowsingandreynolds.com 

Volcano 5 

Light Pendant 

Gold, £594, 

darlighting.co.uk 

MULTI-DIMENSIONAL 

CLEANING 

VAX are market leaders in the cordless cleaning 

industry and their latest releases certainly have 

us excited (and yes, it’s totally ok to get excited 

about vacuums). 

TIP: QUICK WINS 

When you’re feeling overwhelmed 

by mess, try just one of these 

quick wins: 

First up is the Glide ONEPWR Hard Floor 

Cleaner (£249) is a god-send if you have mostly 

hard floors in the home - it vacuums, washes 

and dries at the same time and kills 99.9% of 

bacteria. It’s built-in LED light helps you spot dirt 

and its lightweight design makes it easy to use. 

For carpeted areas and furniture, the new 

ONEPWR Blade 4 (£219.99) is a great choice. 

At only 3.1kg it’s light enough to use all over 

the house and still offers unrivalled suction 

- it outperforms the UK’s top 3 best-selling 

cordless vacuums. 

The main advantage to all of these products 

is the ONEPWR battery that is fully shareable 

across the products, which means you can buy 

two if you like to extend run-time, or you can 

share batteries between ‘bare units’, products 

without batteries - saving money. 

Both available from www.vax.co.uk 

REFRESH with a deep clean. We all 

know how satisfying it is to spring clean and 

being thorough is the name of the game - pull 

out furniture, wipe down all surfaces (including 

skirting boards, light switches, shelves etc), and 

get scrubbing. Brabantia have a great range 

of products to keep you on top of your kitchen 

tidiness game - we love the silcone dish drainer 

which folds away and the food caddy to help you 

keep food waste recylcing tidy and odour free. 

Go through your dresser and 

choose one drawer. Take 

everything out and refold and stack. 

Choose one collection (athletic 

equipment, tools, cleaning supplies, 

etc.) and declutter. Toss or recycle 

anything you no longer use. 

Vacuum your car. 

Install hooks in your garage. 

Use them to hang beach chairs, 

tools, or bikes. 

Declutter the tops drawer of 

your night table. Dust, tidy, and 

purge your night table of anything 

you no longer need. 

Walk around your home and 

gather light bulbs, batteries, 

and stamps. Make sure you store 

these in the same spot so you 

don’t buy more than you need. 

Go through one file drawer and 

declutter. Recycle old papers, 

shred credit card statements, and 

refile anything out of place. 

Store your receipts. Sit at your 

desk, open your wallet, and input 

receipts into your filing system. 

Do a clutter sweep. Sit on the 

couch in your living room and 

notice any distracting piles. 

Declutter. 

Recycle some electronics. Do 

you have an older item (television, 

gaming system, or VCR) that 

you’re not sure how to recycle? 

Find your item, and schedule a 

time to recycle it 

38

TIP: PROJECT SCALER 

Looking to refresh the kitchen or bathroom? 

From simple steps to overhauls, here are 

some ideas: 

RENOVATE the larger spaces - 

these are not small decisions, but transforming 

the bathroom or kitchen will have a dramatic 

impact on the way you feel in your home. 

EASY: 

Repaint the walls. 

Re-tile the backsplashes. 

Change the blinds or window dressings. 

Buy new accessories. 

Replace handles and knobs. 

Hang some art. 

MEDIUM: 

Invest in new flooring. 

Replace door and drawer fronts. 

Replace worktops and surfaces. 

HARD: 

Bathroom or kitchen refurb - new base units 

or sanitaryware. 

Reconfigure space with advice from designer. 

Annie Sloan Paints 

REFRESH with a declutter. 

Streamline your space to 

make an instant improvement and 

thoroughly comb through cupboards 

and drawers, recycling items you 

no longer use and grouping similar 

pieces together so you can find them 

in a hurry. 

Collection from Dunelm 

We love Brabantia’s handy Linn 

Clothes rack (£144). Organize, air and 

dry your clothes in style - perfect in the 

guest room or utility. This free-standing 

clothing rack with solid bamboo rod 

and two adjustable shelves is as 

stylish as it is functional.Combine 

open storage like this with collections 

of decorative baskets and boxes for a 

contemporary take on storage. 

Pom Pom 

Basket, 

rexlondon.com 

REFRESH your walls with a 

change in colour. This is probably the 

quickest way to breathe new life into 

a room - not only could you introduce 

new colour, but even a refresh of 

existing paintwork can eliminate 

scuffs and marks. 

Colour trends this year haven’t taken 

a huge step away from last - expect 

to see vibrant coral and sky blue, but 

also lots of lovely pastels and neutrals 

like camel, olive green, blush, off 

white and sage green. 

Paints, clockwise from top left - Spruce Things Up, 

dowsingandreynolds.com; Dulux Smooth Maple, dulux.co.uk; 

First Light (blush pink) benjaminmoorepaint.co.uk; Polar Bear 

Selfie, dowsingandreynolds.com; Coral Mix Using Tilton And 

Emperor’s Silk, anniesloan.com; Dulux Tranquilty Dawn, dulux. 

co.uk; B&Q’s GoodHome Cincinnati Paint, diy.com 

39

Rust-Oleum 

Slate Satin 

Furniture paint 

750ml, £14 

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paris 

Grey and Old Violet, anniesloan. 

com and registered stockists 

TIP: REPAINTING HANDLES 

We were a little sceptical about this too, especially in 

the kitchen, but we’ve found a good workable solution. 

The key is priming the handles properly - especially 

if they’re metal. We like Rust-Oleum’s All Purpose 

Priming spray followed by your chosen spray paint. In a 

recent renovation, we paired the Satin Finish Furniture 

paint above in Slate with painted handles in Rust- 

Oleum Gold Spray Paint - the end result was beautiful 

and thanks to the priming, the coat was even. 

Extra Tip: to make spray painting easier, stick handles 

into a Styrofoam block 

Clockwise from top 

left: Navy Rye Snuggler 

and Saltdean Portland 

Velvet Rosewood Chair, 

both sofasandstuff. 

com; Muuto Outline 

2 Seater Sofa, £3049, 

somedaydesigns.co.uk 

Rust-Oleum 

Metallic 

Spray Paint, 

£11, diy.com 

RENEW by making unloved kitchen 

cupboards look new again with a coat of 

paint. The beauty of paint is its changeability, 

so you can pick some more ‘trendy’ colours 

without worrying about longevity. Replacing 

the worktops is a great solution too - wood, 

laminate, quartz, granite, marble or composite 

materials all look good against painted units. 

If your doors are past the salvageable 

point, or are too old-fashioned, you 

could save money by buying new doors 

and tops, and keeping the existing 

units. This can have a dramatic effect 

and can look like a whole new kitchen. 

REFRESH your furniture. If you 

still love the frame of your sofa, chairs or 

bed, then look into re-upholstery to breathe 

new life into it. If you’ve moved house and 

the shape doesn’t work any more or simply 

need a change, you could donate your old 

sofa to charity and check out some of these 

fabulous designs... 

Oriental Black Floral 

Headboard, £475, 

rockettstgeorge.co.uk; 

Kingsley Headboard, £550, 

laresidenceinteriors.co.uk 

TIP: SMALL SCALE 

Rather than replacing your whole 

bed, consider just replacing the 

headboard. You can still get that 

new impact you are after, but with 

less upheaval and cost. 

Sofas & Stuff 

40

Nigel Dalton Architectural Design are a professional team focused on 

delivering classic and contemporary design solutions within the South West. 

Nigel Dalton Architectural Design is well placed to offer professional advice 

and guidance in the following: 

NEW BUILD CONVERSIONS & EXTENSIONS FEASIBILITY STUDIES 

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL PROPERTY 

CONSERVATION & LISTED BUILDING WORK 

3-D MODELLING PLANNING CONSULTANCY 

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION 

PLANNING APPEAL 

Unit 4H, South Hams Buisness Park, 

Churchstow, Kingsbridge, TQ7 3QH 

Tel 01548 853458 

www.nigeldalton.com 


Dream Big, £38, 

heykiddostudio.co.uk 

Large Whale (85cm) Toy, 

£22, newbiestore.com 

C an be customised 

with any words 

Cam Cam Garland - 

Natural Leaves, £24.95, 

scandiborn.co.uk 

fourcheekymonkeys.com 

MAGICAL CHILDREN’S 

BEDROOMS 

Children are changeable creatures...so why 

not create neutral spaces to fill with fabulous 

furnishings which can grow with them... 

Lion Print (from £14.95) and 

styling by prettyinprintart.com 

‘Louis Blue’ and 

‘Old Violet’ paint, 

anniesloan.com 

‘Paloma’ and 

‘Antoinette’ paint, 

anniesloan.com 

Simple paint effects 

are the perfect canvas 

for cute details 

OYOY Wallhanger, 

£39.95, 


Ferm Living Safari Cushion Lion, 

£44.95, scandiborn.co.uk 

Decals are a great mess 

free way to quickly update 

blank walls 

Pom Le Bon 

Homme Tree Wall 

Transfers, £16.95, 


Spectrum Droplet 

Garland, £39, 

velveteenbabies.co.uk 

Fabric Bunny 

Basket, £18, 

newbiestore.com 

Flamingo 

Cushion, £25, 

bizzigrowin.com 

Floating Cloud 

LED Light, £8, 

dunelm.com 

Grey Bunny Poster, 

from £5.95, 

desenio.co.uk 


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Tassel Single Garden 

Hammock, £105 

beaumonde.co.uk 

Garden Trading Gwithian 

Round Table, £250 

gardentrading.co.uk 

Coloured leaf embossed 

glass pot, £16 

kinfolkdecor.co.uk 

ALFRESCO DINING 

With lighter evenings and spring 

weather on the horizon, get your 

garden ready for Spring/Summer 

2020. Prepare furniture, revamp your 

patio, and add a finishing touch with 

a fire pit and lights to create a cosy 

atmosphere. 

Hemi 36 Fire Bowl 

with Metal Table Top 

solusdecor.co.uk 

AMAZONAS 

Globo Chair taupe 

Hängesessel 

amazonas-online.com 

Moroccan Moving Flame Outdoor 

String Light, £26.99 

lights4fun.co.uk/ 

BOLGA STORAGE BASKET, 

£35 

lolaandmawu.com 

NEW Porto Dining Set 

£795 

coxandcox.co.uk 

Valverdi Shard Grey 

20mm Outdoor Tile 

£14.27 

londontile.co.uk/ 

Ligne Roset Outdoor Living 

Accessories Citronnella 

Candle Portrait 

ligne-roset.com/uk/ 

Ooni 3 Wood-Fired 

Outdoor Pizza Oven 

£176 

cuckooland.com 

Fab Hab Outdoor Rug 

Chittagong Black 

£49.95 

cuckooland.com 


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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 

visit www.mattbiggs.com 

Price Match 

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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 

elements of the show 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. 

continued

01548 521339 ∙ 07595 914330 

info@mooregardenrooms.com 

mooregardenrooms.com

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. 

Alan will be at BBC Gardeners’ 

World Live on Saturday 20th 

June 2020 

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. Available from the RHS 

Wisley Shop. 

Below, from left: Highgrove, Chatsworth 

and Sissinghurst 


TILES 

FLOOR TILES 

BEST FOR: Kitchens and 

bathrooms - especially if walls also 

need covering. 

A GOOD CHOICE IF: You 

like stylish finishes and the lowmaintenance 

quality of tiles. They 

also conduct heat well for underfloor 

heating. 

TAKE TO THE 

FLOOR 

Time to refresh the flooring in your home? 

We look at four popular materials and 

which areas they work best for... 

WOODEN FLOORING 

BEST FOR: Living spaces like sitting rooms and studies. 

TIPS & TRICKS: There are so 

many finishes available - the trend for 

patterns isn’t abating - we love the 

Boreal Mix Wood-Effect Tiles, above right, and the Grande 

Saltram on the kitchen floor, left, both Original Style. 

TIPS & TRICKS: Take 

time to consider if you 

want hardwood floors or 

engineered wood flooring. 

Engineered wood flooring 

tends to work better in 

moist-prone areas, as 

their base flexes less. Well 

maintained solid wood 

floors will last for decades 

and can be re-sanded 

multiple times. 

WOOD 

A GOOD CHOICE IF: You are looking for a classic 

option which adds longterm value to your home. You do 

have to be mindful of which rooms you choose to use it in. 

Both options provide lots of 

benefits and many colour 

and pattern choices, so it’s 

worth doing your research. 

Image from flooringvillage.co.uk 

LUXURY VINYL TILES 

BEST FOR: These work 

anywhere in the home, but 

particularly well in kitchens and 

bathrooms or high traffic areas. 

They are easy to maintain. 

A GOOD CHOICE IF: 

You want a hard-wearing, low 

maintenance floor with an 

enormous range of patterns 

and finishes. We love the new 

heritage-style collections from 

Karndean and Amtico plus their 

wood and stone effect tiles are 

very realistic. 

Karndean 

LVT 

TIPS & TRICKS: You can 

use these anywhere and the 

way you lay them can create 

some great personal style. 

Amtico 

CARPETS 

BEST FOR: Bedrooms and some living rooms 

- nothing replicates the cosiness of a carpet. Also 

good for noise reduction. 

A GOOD CHOICE IF: You have small children 

- stain resistant blends are available. There is a 

huge choice when you buy carpets - the colours 

can really complement a scheme and the soft feel 

instantly warms up a room and provides thermal 

insulation - perfect for any property. 

TIPS & TRICKS: In 

high traffic areas choose 

hardwearing finishes like the 

stylish 100% wool Berber 

collection from Kingsmead 

Carpets. 

Kingsmead Carpets 

Kingsmead Carpets - 

Berber Traditions 

Luxury Vinyl Tiles are not 

known for their environmental 

credentials (other than their 

long-lasting finish) so we were 

excited to hear about Amtico’s 

new Cirro range which is 

PVC free. At the moment it’s 

a commercial product, but 

it’s good to see the industry 

adapting to consumer demand. 

CARPET 



Do you believe in 

crystal healing? 

Gaia Spa promotes personal natural 

wellbeing in an environment designed 

to transcend the stresses of the modernday 

routine. 

It’s a space created so you are allowed to 

find yourself naturally relaxed with facilities 

and therapies that provide the opportunity 

to nourish mind, body and spirit. Taking 

time for yourself can result in a fresh look 

on life and to gain understanding a balance 

between the individual and the wider world 

we live in. 

Gaia Spa offers a range of treatments 

including the Gaia Crystal Therapy spa 

treatment; a healing therapy designed to 

help you reconnect with yourself and your 

body. The ultimate goal of crystal healing is 

to bring the whole body back to a state of 

pure unconditional love. This treatment is 

very personalised using crystals to douse 

and discover which chakras are blocked; the 

perfect choice for renewal. 

So, what is the Gaia Crystal Ritual? 

The ultimate goal of crystal healing is to 

bring the whole body back to a state of 

pure unconditional love. This treatment is 

very personalised using crystals to douse 

and discover which chakras are blocked. 

It includes a full body, face and scalp 

massage, crystal placement, aftercare, and 

a crystal prescription. 

Where does the concept come from? 

Crystals have been used for over 6,000 

years. They are used to absorb, focus, 

direct and diffuse our energy fields to enable 

an out of balance body to find its natural 

energetic rhythm once again. They have 

designed their own unique treatment using 

the appropriate crystals, they are placed on 

and around the body, in this treatment they 

concentrate on the seven main chakras. 

To give you a treatment full of intention and 

integrity they use their own natural wellness 

brand Gaia Skincare inspired by the ancient 

Greek goddess otherwise known as mother 

nature. 

What is the therapy supposed to do? 

If you know what effect each type of 

crystal has according to its colour, shape 

and mineral content, then you can make 

use of them to initiate a specific effect on 

the energy balance of chakras, meridians, 

energy, organs and emotions. Crystal 

therapy will work on physical ailments 

from headaches to foot pain as well as 

emotional wellness to boost confidence, 

self-expression and ease stress. 

Is there anything you do to enhance the 

effectiveness of the treatment? 

Every crystal therapy treatment starts with 

a foot ritual and meditation with the guest. 

Their naturally powerful Gaia Skincare 

products boost the treatment benefits, 

“The ultimate goal of crystal healing is to 

bring the whole body back to a state of pure 

unconditional love.” 


leaving you either Awakened, Balanced or 

Calmed. Their therapists receive specialised 

advanced training on crystal therapy and 

work with their own personally chosen 

crystal set. 

Is there anything you recommend clients 

to do pre-or post-treatment to get the 

most out of the therapy? 

Guests don’t have to do anything prior 

to the treatment; however they always 

recommend using the facilities or having a 

quiet moment to ensure you have switched 

off your mind from the outside world. They 

offer personalised crystal homecare after 

every treatment, this includes advice for 

health and diet to heal unbalanced chakras, 

as well as a crystal prescription and one to 

take home. 

Is there anyone you particularly 

recommend the treatment for? 

This treatment is fantastic for all. Crystal 

therapy has many benefits and they ask 

those coming for the treatment to have an 

open mind and trust their own intuition. You 

will leave feeling rooted, relaxed and cared 

for as well as taking away ideas for your own 

well-being into 2020. 

The unique ritual includes meditation, 

a full body, face and scalp massage, 

crystal placement, aftercare, and a crystal 

prescription, depending on your needs. 

Gaia Crystal Therapy is from £195 for 120 

minutes. Bookings can be made at 

www.gaiaboringdon.co.uk or by calling 

01752 344455.

It's official, playing golf is 

good for your health! 

But just what are those benefits and how can playing 

the game help improve people’s lives while also stopping 

diseases? 

There have been various studies looking 

into how beneficial a round of golf can be 

to your health and mind. One such study, 

which has been a catalyst for others to 

follow, was carried out by the Swedish 

medical university in 2008. 

The study, produced by the Karolinksa 

Institute in Stockholm, showed that from 

data collected from 300,000 Swedish 

players, the death rate amongst golfers 

was 40 per cent less compared to the 

rest of the population. This equates to an 

increased life expectancy of five years. 

DID YOU KNOW? 

In a nine-hole round of golf, a player will 

walk two to three miles, take over 5,000 

steps and burn over 450 calories. 

In 2016, researchers at The University 

of Edinburgh, led by Dr Andrew Murray, 

conducted the most comprehensive 

study of golf and health. 

is recommended by the World Health 

Organisation for its key role in improving 

life expectancy, helping prevent over 40 

major chronic diseases such as type 2 

diabetes, heart attacks and strokes and 

improving mental health.” 

Golf can provide regular exercise to 

prevent a person’s chances of getting 

type 2 diabetes by up to 40 per cent, 

while studies specific to the game show 

beneficial effects on blood sugar. 

DID YOU KNOW? 

Walking 2.5 hours per week reduces the 

risk of having a heart attack by 30-40 

per cent. 

It is now known to prevent cardiovascular 

disease, which is responsible for over 30 

per cent of worldwide deaths per year. It 

is also considered to be a suitable activity 

for cardiac and stroke rehabilitation 

patients. 

At the 2014 Ryder Cup, more than 20,000 

spectators tagged themselves at all 

checkpoints locations at Gleneagles in 

England, meaning they had walked five 

miles each. 

“It is important to hear that spectators 

not only see some of the best sporting 

theatre on earth, but can potentially 

gain health benefits themselves,” said 

Stephen Gethins MP, Chairperson for the 

All-Party Parliamentary Group for Golf. 

As well as physical and health benefits, 

golf also provides a key social element 

for players of all ages and abilities. 

It doesn’t matter about your age, ability or 

gender, the golf course is a social place 

and provides people with down-time, 

away from the stress of work. 

So, when you’re next out on the course, 

make sure you spread the word; along 

with its many other benefits, perhaps 

most importantly, golf is good for your 

health and well-being. 

The review found that golfers live longer 

than non-golfers, while playing the game 

improves cholesterol levels and body 

composition, while also appearing to 

improve wellness and self-confidence. 

The study also highlighted golf is 

expected to decrease the risk of more 

than 40 major chronic diseases. 

Dr Andrew commented: “Golf provides 

moderate intensity physical activity, which 

Golf is unique in that spectators can 

potentially enjoy the same health benefits 

when they attend an event as those 

playing in them. 

In 2017, it was found that fans who go to 

watch their favourite sporting heroes at 

an event averaged 11,589 steps per day, 

with just under 83 per cent achieving their 

recommended daily step-count (10,000). 


h Devon | TQ7 4BB 

nquiries@bigburygolfclub.co.uk 

evon | TQ7 4BB 

iries@bigburygolfclub.co.uk 

Bigbury on Sea | South Devon | TQ7 4BB 

01548 810557 (opt 5) 

enquiries@bigburyglofclub.co.uk 

Bigbury on Sea | South Devon | TQ7 4BB 

01548 810557 (opt 5) enquiries@bigburygolfclub.co.uk 

THURLESTONE 

GOLF CLUB 

WINTER MEMBERSHIP OFFER 

1st Jan - 30th April 

£349 

Including full joining fee 

Call: 01548 560405 

Email: admin@thurlestonegolf.co.uk 

“ 

An awe inspiring place to play golf 

“ 


Visiting a 

care home; 


the a-z 

of top 

tips 

Dementia expert Professor June Andrews 

gives us her insightful tips into visiting a 

loved one in residential or nursing care... 

When someone with dementia moves into 

a care home, it is often a great relief for 

the family. Many things are immediately 

better. You can get an undisturbed night’s 

sleep and it’s possible to go out and about 

without worrying how your loved one is, and 

whether they are safe. But it is not always 

so simple. You might worry about whether 

the new resident is being looked after 

properly, or whether they are fretting and 

missing you. 

Visiting now becomes an important issue. 

How often should you go and for how long, 

and what on earth do you do when you are 

there? Because people ask me this, I made 

an A-Z of visiting ideas an important part 

of my new book on care home. Especially 

as you know the person you are visiting, I 

expect you will be able to think of variations 

on this theme. 

AAvoid contradicting someone with 

dementia, even for clarification. 

Bring the newspaper or photos to look at. 

Calmly sit and wait. Just being there is 

good in itself. 

Don’t be louder than needed. 

Even if you are in a hurry, don’t appear to 

rush. 

Find conversation-starters apart from ‘Do 

you remember when … ?’ Direct questions 

are like a memory test, and uncomfortable. 

Give a hug (with permission) or find 

appropriate contact like a hand massage. 

Have food to share, or go for a 

cuppa. 

Introduce yourself again every time, even if 

you are sure they know you. 

Just wait after speaking. To give extra time 

for a response, count to ten. 

Keep an eye out for tiredness, and offer 

sips of water. 

Limit the numbers visiting at any one time. 

Make an attempt to get outside, if only on a 

roof terrace or balcony. 

Never forget that the person can read your 

body language. 

Offer to bring your dog or other pet, 

especially if it is calm and affectionate. 

Pick their best time of day. 

Quick visits are acceptable - what matters 

is the quality. 

Read out loud. 

Sing together. 

Try to be in a quiet room. 

Understand, if they are rude, that this is not 

personal. 

Visiting cards or notes let others know that 

you called and are good for reminding the 

resident that they are loved and respected. 

When it is time to go, find a distraction to 

cover your departure. 

XXX is for kissing - only do it if you used to 

do it before. 

Young visitors are always popular, and 

babies are amazing. 

ZZZ is for when they sleep through your 

visit; you were there - that matters - so leave 

a card. Use the time to relax yourself or talk 

to someone else who is lonely. 

Z 

If just visiting the care home starts to be 

hard work for the family, neighbours and 

friends can help. It might be hard to make 

sure someone is there every day, and you 

can work together to fill the gaps. Have fun! 

Professor June’s book, Care Homes: The 

One Stop Guide: When, Why and How to 

Choose a Care Home will be released in 

June. 

It is Dementia Action Week from 11-17 May 

2020. Find out more at www.alzheimers.org. 

uk. You can also call the National Dementia 

Helpline for support on 0300 222 11 22. 


Hyne Town House 

RESIDENTIAL CARE HOME FOR 

THE ELDERLY, SPECIALISING IN 

HIGH QUALITY DEMENTIA CARE 

Hyne Town House is a highly regarded residential 

care home in Devon for elderly people who require 

full time or part time professional care, sheltered 

housing or assisted living in a safe, luxurious, warm 

and welcoming care home near Dartmouth. 

Please call Paula Hounslow on 01803 770011 

or email: hynetownhouse1@outlook.com 

www.southdevoncarehomes.co.uk 

Strete, Dartmouth, Devon, TQ6 0RU 

Quality Care 24 hours a day in an idyllic location 

• 24-hour Person-Centered Care 

• Highly trained, caring and attentive staff 

• Daily stimulating entertainment and activities 

• Home cooked, nutritional and appetizing meals 

• Safe and secure environment 

• Daily visits by District Nurses 

• Regular visits by Chiropodist, Hairdresser, 

Dentists, Opticians and GP’s 

• Beautiful personalized en-suite bedrooms 

• Respite and Long-term Care 

Ermington House, Ermington Nr Ivybridge, Devon PL21 0LQ 

Email: enquiriesermingtonhouse@outlook.com | Tel: 01548 830076 



Need that Lump or 

Bump removed? 

Sentinel can help! 

Sentinel Healthcare has been 

offering a successful skincare and 

minor surgery service since 2016... 

It is for patients who are not eligible for 

treatment in the NHS or for patients who 

choose to go down the private route. 

Patients can refer themselves into the 

service by phone or email or can ask their 

GP to make a referral on their behalf. 

The service offers the removal of moles, 

lipomas, cysts, keratosis, warts and 

skin tags as well as other types of skin 

lesions. Prices are usually half the price 

of other providers with, for example, up 

to 20 skin tags removed for £179. 

Patient feedback over the last 3 years 

has been excellent with 98% of patients 

saying they would recommend the 

service to their friends and family. 

The service is based in Plymouth 

next door to Derriford hospital and at 

Barnstaple at Litchdon Medical Centre. 

The clinics are held each week and all 

“Prices are up to half the price of other 

similar providers...” 

the doctors and nurses are local to the 

clinics. 

Sentinel also offer a Lump and Bump 

check with a doctor for just £35 where 

the doctor will examine the lesions and 

suggest treatment options in agreement 

with the patient. 

Patients can also receive a free 

assessment of their lesion by a 

Sentinel doctor by simply emailing a 

photo to: asksentinel@nhs.net 

Patients can self-refer via the same 

email address or by calling: 

0333 332 2105.

Visit Us: 

Studio Four, Unit 4F, 

South Hams Business Park, 

Churchstow, Kingsbridge, 

Devon, TQ7 3QH 

Tel: 01548 856379 

info@wright-joinery.co.uk 

www.jeremy-wright.co.uk

South Hams Lifestyle Apr - May 2020

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