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J'AIME OCTOBER 2020

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J’ E<br />

O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0<br />

Y O U R L O C A L L U X U R Y L I F E S T Y L E M A G A Z I N E<br />

Time<br />

to shop<br />

local!<br />

The<br />

coats<br />

edit:<br />

Fall<br />

in love<br />

WITH AUTUMN<br />

INTERIORS<br />

OUTERWEAR<br />

IDEAS ALL<br />

WRAPPED UP<br />

THE LICHFIELD<br />

THEATRE COMPANY<br />

PROVING THE SHOW<br />

WILL GO ON


アパート<br />

夀 䔀 䄀 刀 匀 伀 䘀<br />

䈀 䔀 匀 倀 伀 䬀 䔀 䘀 䤀 一 䔀 䨀 䔀 圀 䔀 䰀 䰀 䔀 刀 夀 ꀀ<br />

伀 渀 攀 漀 昀 琀 栀 攀 氀 愀 爀 最 攀 猀 琀 挀 漀 氀 氀 攀 挀 琀 椀 漀 渀 猀 漀 昀<br />

挀 漀 渀 琀 攀 洀 瀀 漀 爀 愀 爀 礀 ǻ 渀 攀 樀 攀 眀 攀 氀 氀 攀 爀 礀 椀 渀 琀 栀 攀 唀 䬀<br />

匀 瀀 攀 挀 椀 愀 氀 椀 猀 琀 猀 椀 渀 搀 攀 猀 椀 最 渀 椀 渀 最 愀 渀 搀 洀 愀 欀 椀 渀 最 Ⰰ<br />

爀 攀 洀 漀 搀 攀 氀 氀 椀 渀 最 愀 渀 搀 爀 攀 昀 甀 爀 戀 椀 猀 栀 椀 渀 最 昀 漀 爀 アパート 礀 攀 愀 爀 猀<br />

䄀 䰀 䰀 䔀 一 䈀 刀 伀 圀 一 䨀 䔀 圀 䔀 䰀 䰀 䔀 刀 夀<br />

䠀 攀 愀 爀 琀 漀 昀 吀 栀 攀 䌀 漀 甀 渀 琀 爀 礀 匀 栀 漀 瀀 瀀 椀 渀 最 嘀 椀 氀 氀 愀 最 攀<br />

匀 眀 椀 渀 昀 攀 渀 Ⰰ 䰀 椀 挀 栀 ǻ 攀 氀 搀 Ⰰ<br />

匀 琀 愀 昀 昀 漀 爀 搀 猀 栀 椀 爀 攀 圀 匀 㐀 㤀 儀 刀<br />

㔀 㐀 アパート 㐀 㠀 㤀 㐀 㠀<br />

眀 眀 眀 ⸀ 愀 氀 氀 攀 渀 戀 爀 漀 眀 渀 樀 攀 眀 攀 氀 氀 攀 爀 礀 ⸀ 挀 漀 ⸀ 甀 欀<br />

アパート 夀 䔀 䄀 刀 匀 伀 䘀<br />

昀 椀 琀<br />

䈀 䔀 匀 倀 伀 䬀 䔀 䘀 䤀 一 䔀 䨀 䔀 圀 䔀 䰀 䰀 䔀 刀 夀 ꀀ<br />

伀 渀 攀 漀 昀 琀 栀 攀 氀 愀 爀 最 攀 猀 琀 挀 漀 氀 氀 攀 挀 琀 椀 漀 渀 猀 漀 昀<br />

挀 漀 渀 琀 攀 洀 瀀 漀 爀 愀 爀 礀 ǻ 渀 攀 樀 攀 眀 攀 氀 氀 攀 爀 礀 椀 渀 琀 栀 攀 唀 䬀<br />

匀 瀀 攀 挀 椀 愀 氀 椀 猀 琀 猀 椀 渀 搀 攀 猀 椀 最 渀 椀 渀 最 愀 渀 搀 洀 愀 欀 椀 渀 最 Ⰰ<br />

爀 攀 洀 漀 搀 攀 氀 氀 椀 渀 最 愀 渀 搀 爀 攀 昀 甀 爀 戀 椀 猀 栀 椀 渀 最 昀 漀 爀 アパート 礀 攀 愀 爀 猀<br />

Specialists in designing and making, remodelling and refurbishing<br />

ALLEN 䄀 䰀 䰀 䔀 一 BROWN 䈀 刀 伀 圀 一 䨀 JEWELLERY<br />

䔀 圀 䔀 䰀 䰀 䔀 刀 夀<br />

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匀 Swinfen, 眀 椀 渀 昀 攀 渀 Ⰰ Lichfield,<br />

䰀 椀 挀 栀 ǻ 攀 氀 搀 Ⰰ<br />

匀 Staffordshire 琀 愀 昀 昀 漀 爀 搀 猀 栀 椀 爀 攀 WS14 圀 匀 㐀 9QR 㤀 儀 刀<br />

01543 㔀 㐀 アパート 481948 㐀 㠀 㤀 㐀 㠀<br />

眀 www.allenbrownjewellery.co.uk<br />

眀 眀 ⸀ 愀 氀 氀 攀 渀 戀 爀 漀 眀 渀 樀 攀 眀 攀 氀 氀 攀 爀 礀 ⸀ 挀 漀 ⸀ 甀 欀<br />

昀 椀 琀


Welcome to J’AIME<br />

As we tumble into autumn in this most strange of<br />

years, it’s not only the weather which is proving<br />

changeable. With localised lockdowns upon us and<br />

tightening of government restrictions in response<br />

to the Covid-19 pandemic, there’s still very much a<br />

sense of uncertainty in the air.<br />

But here at J’AIME, we aim to look towards the<br />

positive - and this issue, packed with feel-good<br />

stories, is no different.<br />

We chat to brilliant Lichfield theatre company Let<br />

Me In, who aren’t letting things such as global<br />

pandemics prevent them from putting on a show.<br />

Their key to success? Adapt! Their first lockdown<br />

show was a sellout hit, and with another planned<br />

for November we discover how the show will<br />

continue to go on.<br />

On the foodie front, we chat to Lichfield chef Susie<br />

Mandleberg, who has taken up the head role at<br />

Thyme Kitchen, a new brunch restaurant which<br />

opens at Curborough Countryside Centre this<br />

month. She’s got big things planned and an exciting<br />

menu of goodie - including a delicious baked eggs<br />

dish which she has kindly shared the recipe for - so<br />

why not pop over and indulge?<br />

It’s now more important than ever to support<br />

your local shops and businesses, and for those in<br />

Lichfield, the new Visit Lichfield discount card will<br />

enable you to do that while getting a little reward<br />

into the bargain. There are plenty of retailers and<br />

venues signed up to the scheme already, and we’ve<br />

checked out what they’re offering to tempt you to<br />

shop local.<br />

Elsewhere, we chat to Sutton Coldfield veterinary<br />

surgeon Lewis Wescott - aka Dr Chicken - about<br />

how chickens have become one of lockdown’s most<br />

popular pets, and Birmingham artist Kate Jones -<br />

aka The Crafty Brum - about forging a new career<br />

inspired by her surroundings.<br />

EDITOR: AMY NORBURY<br />

EDITOR@JAIMEMAGAZINE.COM<br />

ADVERTISING: JAN ASHLEY<br />

ADVERTISING@JAIMEMAGAZINE.COM<br />

07388 335 931<br />

DESIGN: DESIGN@JAIMEMAGAZINE.COM<br />

CONTRIBUTORS: JENNY AMPHLETT,<br />

SARAH LEEDHAM, ROBBIE SINCLAIR,<br />

DEBORAH MITCHELL<br />

J’AIME IS PUBLISHED BY ASHBURY<br />

PUBLICATIONS LIMITED AND PRINTED BY KEP<br />

LIMITED, TAMWORTH.<br />

Check us out online at:<br />

WWW.JAIMEMAGAZINE.COM<br />

Find us on<br />

/JAIMEMAGAZINE<br />

@JAIMEMAGAZINE<br />

@JAIMEMAGAZINE<br />

SPONSORED BY<br />

3


CONTENTS<br />

InsideJ’aime this month...<br />

6 Dr Chicken - Sutton Coldfield veterinary<br />

surgeon Lewis Wescott on keeping lockdown’s<br />

perfect pet<br />

9 Property - Property of the month<br />

12 Property - A new build journey<br />

14 Interiors - Fall in love with autumn colours<br />

18 Interiors - Quirky statement lighting<br />

24 The Crafty Brum - Sutton Coldfield artist Kate<br />

Jones<br />

26 Food and drink - Reviewing Dishoom,<br />

Birmingham<br />

28 Food and drink - Brunch to love at Thyme<br />

Kitchen<br />

32 Travel - A different side to the White Isle<br />

36 Shop Local - The Visit Lichfield discount card<br />

scheme<br />

40 Let Me In Theatre - The Lichfield theatre<br />

company which is not letting the pandemic<br />

get in the way of a good show<br />

42 What’s On - Pick your own Halloween treats<br />

44 What’s On - A round-up of this month’s<br />

exciting events<br />

46 Fashion - New season coats edit<br />

48 Beauty - Get your beauty sleep with Heaven<br />

Skincare’s Deborah Mitchell<br />

50 In the news - Silver linings from Richard<br />

Winterton Auctioneers<br />

SPONSORED BY<br />

4


Say hello to our<br />

seasonal favourites<br />

4 and 5 bedroom family homes available<br />

Be inspired by our range of homes at Roman Heights<br />

in Lichfield. This new community offers flexible living<br />

spaces, contemporary fittings and a range of layouts<br />

to choose from. With plenty of green spaces and easy<br />

access into Lichfield and Birmingham it’s a great place<br />

to call home.<br />

Roman<br />

Heights<br />

Lichfield<br />

01922 263 001<br />

By appointment only<br />

Search:<br />

Bovis Homes Mercia<br />

bovishomes.co.uk<br />

Internal images may include optional upgrades at an additional cost. Price & availability correct at time of going to print. Ask our sales advisor for details. GDD56212


FEATURE<br />

An egg-cellent idea<br />

IF A GARDEN FULL OF CHICKENS IS ON YOUR WISHLIST THEN LET US INTRODUCE YOU TO A MAN<br />

WHO CAN HELP. JENNY AMPHLETT MET UP WITH SUTTON COLDFIELD VETERINARY SURGEON<br />

LEWIS WESCOTT, AKA DR CHICKEN, TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HIS FOWL LINE OF WORK<br />

LEWIS CURRENTLY HAS 18 CHICKENS<br />

IN HIS FLOCK AT HOME<br />

Fresh eggs in the morning, a hobby that can be<br />

enjoyed without stepping out of the garden gate, selfsufficiency,<br />

environmentally friendly living - there are<br />

so many reasons why keeping chickens has become a<br />

lifestyle choice for so many of us in <strong>2020</strong>.<br />

Lockdown forced people to reassess their priorities<br />

and look for simple pleasures closer to home.<br />

Those who found themselves with more time on their<br />

hands than usual but nowhere to go tackled DIY<br />

tasks around the home, tidied the garden and then<br />

hit on the idea of growing their own fruit and veg.<br />

Keeping chickens is a natural next step. It’s fun for<br />

all the family and, if you’re lucky, results in a steady<br />

stream of a food staple that was rationed by many<br />

shops and supermarkets just a few months ago.<br />

If you can harden your heart enough, it can also<br />

result in a supply of organic, free range meat that<br />

you know has lived the best life possible.<br />

There’s something wonderfully romantic and<br />

appealing about the idea of stepping back in time<br />

to a more innocent age, when our pleasures were<br />

simpler and our gardens were used for growing<br />

useful, usable things.<br />

Lewis Wescott is the man to speak to if you need<br />

convincing that chickens could make your life<br />

complete.<br />

A qualified veterinary surgeon, Lewis, who was born<br />

and raised in Sutton Coldfield, also goes by the name<br />

of Dr Chicken because of his long-held passion for<br />

the birds.<br />

The 28-year-old, who works full-time at a veterinary<br />

practice in Tamworth, still lives and rears his<br />

livestock in Sutton Coldfield.<br />

He was aged just 14 when he started keeping<br />

chickens. While his school friends were exploring<br />

typical teenage activities Lewis was cleaning out after<br />

his animals and becoming an expert in their care.<br />

“I used to work at Ash End Farm, a children’s farm<br />

at Middleton, after doing some work experience with<br />

them. I knew that I wanted to go to vet school so it<br />

was a great opportunity for me,” Lewis said.<br />

“It was there that I was first introduced to keeping<br />

chickens myself, and we started keeping them at<br />

home. My family helped, but the chickens have<br />

6


always been mine.<br />

“If people don’t know chickens then they won’t<br />

realise what brilliant personalities they have. I’ve just<br />

always found it so cool that you can buy an egg, put<br />

it in an incubator and have a chick.”<br />

After graduating with a BSc in animal science then<br />

studying for a further five years to become a doctor<br />

of veterinary medicine, Lewis works as a small<br />

animal vet with a special interest in birds of prey and<br />

poultry.<br />

He works with chickens for his day job but his<br />

interest in them takes up much of his free time as<br />

well.<br />

As part of a degree project Lewis created a red mite<br />

treatment which proved 100 per cent successful in<br />

lab tests and is currently being tested across the UK<br />

in chicken coops.<br />

He’s worked with chicken related companies<br />

including selling chickens, feed and coops and<br />

representing the British Hen Welfare Trust as well as<br />

writing for various poultry magazines.<br />

He’s given talks at The National Poultry Show, BBC<br />

Gardeners World Live at the NEC, The Edible<br />

Garden Show at Alexandra Palace and even ran a<br />

day-long course at the Highgrove Estate, home of<br />

Prince Charles.<br />

If you’re keen to find out more about keeping your<br />

own chickens then Lewis could well be your man.<br />

He runs chicken keeping courses in his spare time<br />

in locations including London, Wales, Warwickshire<br />

and back home in Sutton Coldfield.<br />

He runs one-day introduction courses as well as a<br />

series of follow-on courses, including advice for those<br />

who wish to rear then eat their own chickens.<br />

Some sessions are one-to-one and others, when not<br />

CHICKENS MAKE THE<br />

PERFECT PET, SAYS LEWIS<br />

SUTTON COLDFIELD<br />

VETERINARY SURGEON<br />

LEWIS WESTCOTT - AKA<br />

DR CHICKEN<br />

in the midst of a global pandemic, can involve up to<br />

30 people staying in an eco lodge and taking a simple<br />

butchery course.<br />

“We’ve had chickens for 14 years,” he said. “We<br />

started off with a trio of Belgian bantams and the<br />

flock then grew with the addition of Pekins and<br />

hybrids,” he said.<br />

“We caught the hatching bug when I built my own<br />

incubator from scratch and now breed and hatch a<br />

few birds every year just to add to our flock.”<br />

He currently has 18 chickens in his flock, including<br />

pure breeds, hybrids and cross breeds.<br />

Over the years he has rehomed a number of exbattery<br />

hens through the<br />

British Hen Welfare Trust and<br />

helped them to have a happy<br />

retirement.<br />

He also keeps ducks after being<br />

given some as a surprise present<br />

at his 18th birthday party.<br />

Lewis keeps some of his<br />

chickens longterm - and has<br />

some that are up to 12 years old.<br />

Others are reared specifically<br />

for the table.<br />

He’s noticed a definite increase<br />

in interest in chicken keeping<br />

since lockdown began in March.<br />

“I’m getting an awful lot<br />

of interest in courses and<br />

information and I’ve also had a<br />

silly number of emails this year<br />

7


asking if I can look after chickens for people while<br />

they go on holiday. Holiday cover is fully booked,” he<br />

said.<br />

Lewis says he would definitely recommend chickens<br />

as pets, providing people have done their homework<br />

beforehand.<br />

“They’re the perfect productive pet and the perfect<br />

family pet. Pets can start off being looked after by<br />

children but then they lose interest and the parents<br />

take over, but chickens have a way of holding<br />

children’s interest.<br />

“They just keep on giving back as they keep on<br />

giving you eggs. Some people worry that their<br />

neighbours might not like the idea of chickens in<br />

the garden next door, but you’ll often find they’re<br />

even happy to look after them for you occasionally<br />

because of the eggs.<br />

“We have such a lot of eggs that we keep our own<br />

neighbours supplied.<br />

“As long as you feed and water your chickens and<br />

keep them cleaned out once a week they’ll be happy.<br />

They’re not high maintenance at all.”<br />

To find out more about Lewis’s<br />

work with chickens visit his website<br />

at www.drchicken.co.uk<br />

CREAM CRESTED LEGBAR<br />

LEWIS’S TOP CHICKEN<br />

KEEPING TIPS:<br />

• You don’t need a massive garden to<br />

keep chickens. You need at least a metre<br />

square per chicken, which means it is still<br />

possible to keep chickens in a smallish<br />

urban garden.<br />

• Hybrids are good beginners chickens.<br />

They’re fairly cheap to buy and you get<br />

a lot more eggs from them than you will<br />

from pure breeds. Pure breed chickens<br />

will usually stop laying from around<br />

Halloween to Valentine’s Day, but you<br />

could get one egg a day from a hybrid<br />

chicken all year round. That means you<br />

could get double the quantity of eggs<br />

from a hybrid.<br />

• You don’t need to have a cockerel in<br />

order to get eggs - and you’re less likely to<br />

annoy your neighbours.<br />

8


PROPERTY<br />

Property of the Month<br />

EACH MONTH WE SHOWCASE SOME OF THE BEST PROPERTIES ON THE<br />

MARKET. THIS MONTH, WE TAKE A LOOK AT A BEAUTIFUL SIX-BEDROOM<br />

FAMILY HOME ON THE PRESTIGIOUS FOUR OAKS ESTATE<br />

Acer House, 6D Hartopp Road, Four Oak Estate, Sutton Coldfield: Guide price £2,500,000<br />

On the market with Aston Knowles: 0121 362 7878<br />

THE AGENT SAYS: An impressive six-bedroom family<br />

home, immaculately presented and located on the prestigious<br />

Four Oaks Estate, featuring extensive accommodation and<br />

self-contained two-bedroom annexe.<br />

This stunning and immaculately presented family home is set<br />

back on a private plot of approximately two-thirds of an acre<br />

and offers the possibility for further development.<br />

The extensive frontage leads to the lovely oak front door,<br />

which opens up into the truly spectacular reception hallway<br />

featuring oak flooring, a multi-fuel log burner, and exposed<br />

brickwork and timbers, which are a classic feature found<br />

throughout the home. A mahogany staircase leading up to<br />

the galleried first-floor landing.<br />

The spacious drawing room is off to the left-hand side,<br />

while the formal dining room to the rear of the property is a<br />

lovely space for dinner parties. To the right-hand side of the<br />

reception hallway is the billiards/games room.<br />

The kitchen/breakfast/family area is truly the heart of the<br />

home and has been outfitted to the utmost detail. Leading on<br />

from here is the family area which overlooks the rear garden.<br />

From the billiards/games room the lobby can be accessed. A<br />

utility/laundry is located here. Leading on from the utility is<br />

the gym with view of the garden. Stairs lead up to the first<br />

floor accommodation; two spacious bedrooms, both with ensuite<br />

shower rooms.<br />

The first floor accessed from the main reception hallway<br />

leads up to the master bedroom suite with underfloor heating<br />

throughout as well as dressing room and en-suite bathroom.<br />

The first floor further features a guest bedroom with<br />

en-suite shower room, two further bedrooms, one with<br />

en-suite shower room. A family bathroom completes the<br />

accommodation.<br />

W E L O V E :<br />

THE FLEXIBLE ACCOMMODATION<br />

OPTIONS<br />

9


Chamonix Velvet<br />

Dining Chair<br />

Castle Double Pedestal<br />

Dining Table


O N E O F T H E U K ' S L E A D I N G S U P P L I E R S O F<br />

H O M E , B A R A N D R E S T A U R A N T F U R N I T U R E .<br />

S H O P D O M E S T I C A N D C O M M E R C I A L F U R N I T U R E<br />

O N L I N E O R A T O U R S T A F F O R D S H I R E<br />

S H O W R O O M .<br />

Brittany Velvet<br />

Dining Chair<br />

Windsor Bespoke Double<br />

Pedestal Dining Table<br />

Chamonix<br />

Velvet Dining<br />

Chair<br />

Large Square Dining Table<br />

Unit 6, Ring Road, Zone 2, Burntwood Business Park, Burntwood, WS7 3JQ (Sat Nav use WS7 3JG)<br />

01543 375 872 | sales@peppermillinteriors.com<br />

Peppermill Interiors is a trading name of Peppermill Antiques Ltd.


PROPERTY<br />

A new-build journey<br />

SECOND-STEPPER EMMA LISSMORE IMMEDIATELY FELL IN LOVE WITH HER BOVIS<br />

HOMES NEW-BUILD AT THE STEADINGS IN ESSINGTON - SO MUCH SO THAT SHE<br />

HAS DOCUMENTED THE WHOLE JOURNEY, FROM RESERVATION TO MOVING IN, ON<br />

INSTAGRAM. HERE, SHE DESCRIBES WHY IT’S PERFECT FOR HER FAMILY<br />

Why did you choose a Bovis Homes ‘Spruce’<br />

house type?<br />

We initially wanted a Bovis Homes detached Cypress<br />

house type as we thought the Spruce was a fourbedroom<br />

home. We viewed the Spruce show home,<br />

fell in love and the rest is history.<br />

Why did you choose a new-build home?<br />

I just fell in love with the idea of buying a new-build<br />

home that fits and meets all of our needs as a family.<br />

This home is what we’ve dreamt of!<br />

Why did you choose The Steadings in<br />

Essington?<br />

Funnily enough we only visited Essington to view the<br />

development as we had never heard of Bovis Homes<br />

and were originally interested in the housebuilder’s<br />

Fletchers Rise location in Wombourne. We visited<br />

the development several times and the more we saw<br />

it and the show home, the more it felt right and felt<br />

like it could be home. Not to mention the lovely<br />

countryside and amazing school on the doorstep.<br />

Why did you document your journey about<br />

the buying process?<br />

I chose to document our new-build journey as there<br />

is a lot of negative stigma around new-builds. Our<br />

journey from start to finish has been amazing and<br />

we’ve really built a great relationship with the site<br />

and sales teams! That was the only sad part of the<br />

process: finishing it!<br />

What kind of questions did you have about<br />

buying a new-build home?<br />

I remember the first day we went into the sales<br />

office armed with a list of questions, from the estate<br />

charges to the land the houses are built on. Also, the<br />

leasehold of the house and, more generally, the plots<br />

that would be available. The sales advisor answered<br />

my very long list of questions and that day we walked<br />

out of the sales office, we knew buying with Bovis<br />

Homes was the right move.<br />

How often did you visit your new home<br />

during the build process?<br />

We visited our plot a few times during the build<br />

process as I wanted to document the progress. When<br />

we couldn’t get to the plot, we had updates from sales<br />

and site guys, which was amazing, so we didn’t miss<br />

a single stage. It was magical visiting our plot each<br />

time, watching it change and grow into the beautiful<br />

home it is today.<br />

How long was it from choosing your home to<br />

your moving in date?<br />

We reserved our home on December 9 last year.<br />

Our completion date was June <strong>2020</strong>, but with the<br />

Coronavirus lockdown, it was ready by July 31.<br />

What was the best part of this whole journey<br />

that you will remember in years to come?<br />

My favourite memory will always be that first time<br />

we walked into the sales office – just to have a look<br />

– and walked out having reserved our forever dream<br />

home! I still look at the house now and have to pinch<br />

myself that it’s ours!<br />

12


PROPERTIES SOLD <strong>2020</strong><br />

95.9% *<br />

OF THE AVERAGE<br />

ASKING PRICE<br />

ACHIEVED<br />

£963K *<br />

AVERAGE SALES<br />

PRICE ACHIEVED<br />

ONE IN A MILLION<br />

ASTON KNOWLES<br />

£32m* OF PREMIUM PROPERTIES SOLD IN 12 MONTHS<br />

Our numbers are pretty impressive, just like the properties we sell. That is why we<br />

are the No.1 choice for premium property sales in Sutton Coldfield. Our properties<br />

generate a significant amount of interest and as buyers return to the market,<br />

there is a strong demand for premium residential property in your area.<br />

So, if you are considering selling now or in the future, there is no better time to contact<br />

our expert team for a NO-OBLIGATION FREE MARKET APPRAISAL of your property.<br />

*Of properties sold in the last 12 months<br />

0121 362 7878<br />

enquiries@astonknowles.com<br />

www.astonknowles.com<br />

@astonknowles


INTERIORS<br />

Fall into<br />

autumn<br />

AS we make our way into autumn, warm hues and cosy<br />

colours surround the interior world. From burnt oranges<br />

to luxe reds, rich greens and deep blues, it’s a veritable<br />

feast of nature-inspired shades which dominate the colour<br />

palette at this time of year.<br />

Bring the great outdoors inside with turning-leaf tones<br />

and comforting blue hues reminiscent of the darkening<br />

nights which are upon us, and mix weathered woodland<br />

treasures for rooms filled with true autumn attitude.<br />

Autumnal decor needs to feel cosy too, so opt for an<br />

array of luxe fabrics to create a seriously comforting vibe<br />

around your home. Rich, soft velvet in bold tones makes<br />

for perfect statement pieces, while earthy knits and touchyfeely<br />

embellishments add to that inviting look.<br />

With layers of textures and vibrant, nature-inspired tones<br />

aplenty, all that remains is to arrange your furniture so it’s<br />

conducive to cuddling for the perfect autumnal scheme.<br />

CULT LIVING PALOMA ROUND FOOTSTOOL<br />

IN ORANGE VELVET, £49, CULT FURNITURE.<br />

WWW.CULTFURNITURE.COM<br />

£149.99<br />

REVERSIBLE PLUM RED AND PINK RECTANGLE<br />

VELVET CUSHION, MINT AND MAY.<br />

WWW.MINTANDMAY.CO.UK<br />

£155<br />

ICON LUNA FOOTSTOOL IN<br />

MUSTARD, BAZAAR GROUP.<br />

WWW.BEANBAGBAZAAR.CO.UK<br />

£32<br />

£49<br />

VOGUE FAUX MOHAIR THROW, JADE<br />

GREEN, CULT FURNITURE.<br />

WWW.CULTFURNITURE.COM<br />

LUSH ROUND VELVET WALL CLOCK<br />

IN CARAMEL, CULT FURNITURE.<br />

WWW.CULTFURNITURE.COM<br />

£30<br />

PISA DINING CHAIR IN BURNT<br />

ORANGE, PEPPERMILL INTERIORS,<br />

BURNTWOOD BUSINESS PARK.<br />

WWW.PEPPERMILLINTERIORS.COM<br />

14


discover<br />

Staffordshire’s<br />

best kept<br />

secret<br />

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Closed Mon & Tues Blackbrook • Open Wed Interiors, - Sat 9am London - 5pm. Sun Road -11am (A38), - 5pm Weeford, • London Road Staffordshire, (A38) Weeford, WS14 Nr. 0PT Lichfield WS14 0PS<br />

Tel: 01543 t: 01543 481010 010 • Email: • e: info@blackbrook-interiors.co.uk blackbrook@aol.com • fb.com/blackbrook.interiors<br />

• www.blackbrook-interiors.co.uk<br />

Blackbrook Coffee House now open Friday, Saturday and Sundays.


YASMIN BENCH, £195, AND MATCHING YASMIN CHAIR, £170,<br />

PEPPERMILL INTERIORS, BURNTWOOD BUSINESS PARK.<br />

WWW.PEPPERMILLINTERIORS.COM<br />

£596<br />

FRITZ HANSEN SERIES 7 VELVET DINING<br />

CHAIR, CHAPLINS FURNITURE.<br />

WWW.CHAPLINS.CO.UK<br />

£749<br />

£25<br />

BELGRAVIA THREE-SEATER SOFA IN<br />

MUSTARD VELVET, CULT FURNITURE.<br />

WWW.CULTFURNITURE.COM<br />

MUSTARD GATSBY FRINGED<br />

CUSHION, MINT AND MAY.<br />

WWW.MINTANDMAY.CO.UK<br />

£425<br />

£POA<br />

GREEN VELVET CHAIR,<br />

NEEDWOOD LIVING, ALREWAS.<br />

WWW.NEEDWOODLIVING.CO.UK<br />

LIGNE ROSET FURNITURE SOFA BED IN CLAM .<br />

WWW.LIGNE-ROSET.COM/UK<br />

AMBER LARGE RETRO VASE, £8, RED SMALL<br />

RETRO VASE, £6, GOLD SHIELD SCULPTURE,<br />

£16, KELSO DINING BENCH, £169,<br />

ALL DUNELM. WWW.DUNELM.COM<br />

CLARICE BED IN FOREST GREEN VELVET,<br />

£1,600, SWEETPEA & WILLOW.<br />

WWW.SWEETPEAANDWILLOW.COM


HAMILTON ARMCHAIR WITH GOLD LEGS, £250,<br />

AND HAMILTON SMALL SOFA WITH GOLD LEGS,<br />

£399, NEXT. WWW.NEXT.CO.UK<br />

LOGAN 12 PIECE DINNER SET, £40, NEXT.<br />

WWW.NEXT.CO.UK<br />

BRONTE WINGBACK ARMCHAIR, £249,<br />

CULT FURNITURE. WWW.CULTFURNITURE.COM<br />

17


INTERIORS<br />

Light up<br />

your life<br />

AS the nights draw in, you can’t underestimate the<br />

importance of lighting in your home. It’s the time of<br />

year where low-level, ambient lighting reigns supreme,<br />

from the flickering glow of firelight to the cosy warmth<br />

of candlelight - it’s all about creating a mood with your<br />

lighting choices.<br />

Lighting is the perfect way to change the feel of a room,<br />

to inject a feeling of warmth or to make a real decor<br />

statement. You’ll be amazed at how much difference the<br />

addition of a lamp or two, here and there can make.<br />

If you’re starting a lighting scheme from scratch, invest in<br />

quirky, striking pieces to add some serious style impact. For<br />

larger rooms, complement an oversized ceiling light with<br />

well-placed wall lights to cast a warming glow all around,<br />

while smaller spaces will benefit from a more flexible<br />

approach, such as adding brightness to surfaces with lamps<br />

and candles.<br />

ESPEN OVERSIZED PENDANT, £495, COX & COX.<br />

WWW.COXANDCOX.CO.UK<br />

BLUSH AND BRASS TEXTURED PENDANT,<br />

COX & COX. WWW.COXANDCOX.CO.UK<br />

£POA<br />

£330<br />

£POA<br />

LIGNE ROSET LIGHTING ATACAMA TABLE<br />

LIGHT. WWW.LIGNE-ROSET.COM/UK<br />

IVETE PALM TREE FLOOR LAMP,<br />

ESSENTIAL HOME.<br />

WWW.ESSENTIALHOME.EU<br />

FERM LIVING HEBE LARGE OFF<br />

WHITE LAMP BASE, ROSE & GREY.<br />

WWW.ROSEANDGREY.CO.UK<br />

£POA<br />

£95<br />

ORIGINAL BTC PEMBRIDGE PENDANT SIZE 3.<br />

WWW.ORIGINALBTC.COM<br />

18


BAYLISS<br />

creating bathroom envy since 1929...<br />

Visit our extensive prestigious bathroom and tile showroom....<br />

regarded as one of the finest in the Country!<br />

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T: 0121 362 1800 www.baylisslimited.co.uk<br />

Proud to be a family run business for over 35 years<br />

HOME IS WHERE THE WARMTH IS<br />

“Fantastic<br />

service and<br />

great products.<br />

Thanks Kieran”<br />

Sam McD,<br />

Whitaker<br />

Heath<br />

1/7 High Street, Erdington B23 6RG Next to Highclare School<br />

Telephone: 0121 384 5251 - www.abbeyfirecentre.co.uk<br />

Open: Mon - Fri: 9am - 5pm (closed Wednesdays), Sat: 10am - 2pm<br />

Suppliers of: Contura, Jotul, Gazco, Paragon, Scan, Town<br />

& Country Fires, ACR Heat Products and many more<br />

Installers and suppliers of gas fires, bespoke limestone<br />

surrounds, and gas and woodburning stoves, since 1981.<br />

For your safety and to observe social distancing we are<br />

asking that you telephone or email to arrange a personal<br />

viewing of our showroom.<br />

abbeyfirecentre @abbeyfirecentre abbeyfirecentreltd


EICHHOLTZ SUMMIT CHANDELIER,<br />

SWEETPEA & WILLOW.<br />

WWW.SWEETPEAANDWILLOW.COM<br />

WEAVER PENDANT LAMP IN NATURAL<br />

BAMBOO, WWW.MADE.COM<br />

£1,290<br />

£1,940<br />

£119<br />

EICHHOLTZ MOLECULE CEILING LAMP,<br />

SWEETPEA & WILLOW.<br />

WWW.SWEETPEAANDWILLOW.COM<br />

£35<br />

£290<br />

ETTY WOOD AND METAL DESK LAMP,<br />

HABITAT. WWW.HABITAT.CO.UK<br />

£128<br />

ANTIQUE GOLD PALM FLOOR<br />

LAMP, HOMEBODY DECOR.<br />

WWW.HOMEBODYDECOR.CO.UK<br />

CAIRO CHANDELIER BY MULLAN LIGHTING,<br />

LIME LACE. WWW.LIMELACE.CO.UK<br />

AVILA TABLE LAMP, LIGHTING STYLE.<br />

WWW.LIGHTING-STYLE.CO.UK<br />

£1,999<br />

THE DESIGNER LAMP BY FABIO MELIOTA, £1,295,<br />

LIMITED ABODE. WWW.LIMITEDABODE.CO.UK


FREE no obligation design service with our kitchen specialists<br />

16 -18 Britannia Way Britannia Enterprise Park, Lichfield WS14 9UY • 01543 263340<br />

info@lichfieldkitchensandbedrooms.com • www.lichfieldkitchensandbedrooms.com<br />

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Windows | Doors | Bi-Fold Doors | Garage Doors | Conservatories | Orangeries | Secondary Glazing | Window Repairs


FROSTED GLOBE TABLE LAMP IN BLUSH, £95, COX & COX.<br />

WWW.COXANDCOX.CO.UK<br />

BAMBOO MANTA PENDANT LIGHT, £100, MODISH LIVING.<br />

WWW.MODISHLIVING.CO.UK<br />

FERM LIVING HEBE LIGHTING COLLECTION, FROM £100,<br />

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18


Woodburning &<br />

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t he heart of t he home...<br />

Visit our showroom to be amazed by the choice -<br />

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With such a wide range of fires, fireplaces and stoves<br />

there is sure to be a style to suit you & your home<br />

WE OF F ER<br />

A C OMP LE T E<br />

INST ALLA T ION<br />

SERV ICE<br />

Visit our showroom and be amazed by the choice! With such a wide range from traditional to modern, there’s sure to be a style to suit you!<br />

5 Stafford Road, Lichfield WS13 7BZ - Tel: 01543 263 383 • www.thefireplacelichfield.co.uk • Email: sales@thefireplacelichfield.co.uk<br />

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 9.30am - 4.30pm • Sat 10am - 4pm. Closed Sundays and bank holidays. FREE ON-SITE PARKING.


FEATURE<br />

Crafted in Birmingham<br />

HER ADOPTED CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, AS WELL AS HER AUSSIE HOMELAND,<br />

PROVIDES INSPIRATION FOR THE COLOURFUL WORKS OF ARTIST KATE JONES.<br />

JENNY AMPHLETT DISCOVERS MORE<br />

When Kate Jones set off travelling from her native<br />

Australia four years ago she planned to see the world<br />

for a year then return home.<br />

Little did she know that she’d fall in love with a city<br />

in the centre of England and end up settling down<br />

with a home, partner and a new career as an artist.<br />

Now aged 28, she was working as an early years<br />

teacher in Adelaide, South Australia when she<br />

developed itchy feet in 2016.<br />

“My dad was originally from Birmingham but he<br />

moved to Australia, met my mum and started a<br />

family. I was born and raised in Australia. I have an<br />

aunt in Birmingham but the rest of my family lives<br />

on the other side of the world,” she said.<br />

“I came over to travel and had a lot of Europe to tick<br />

off my bucket list before I went back home again. I<br />

planned to stay here for a year, travel as much as I<br />

KATE’S UNIQUE DEPICTION OF THE<br />

LIBRARY OF BIRMINGHAM<br />

ARTIST KATE JONES, WHO NOW<br />

CALLS SUTTON COLDFIELD HOME<br />

could and work whenever I needed to so that I could<br />

pay for the travelling.”<br />

Other than high school art classes, Kate has received<br />

no formal training in art – which is hard to believe<br />

considering that the pen and watercolour creations<br />

she sells under the name of The Crafty Brum wing<br />

their way to new homes across the UK, Australia and<br />

the US.<br />

“I was working in schools in Australia and would do<br />

art with very young children, but that’s as far as it<br />

went with a career in art at that point.<br />

“I’ve always been interested in art and had an artistic<br />

flair, but it was always just something that I did on<br />

the side as a bit of a hobby.<br />

“It’s only really since I’ve met my partner, who is<br />

British, and settled down that I’ve started to think<br />

about my art more seriously and seeing whether I<br />

could get it to take off as a business.<br />

“We were living in Acocks Green for a couple of<br />

years and have now moved to Sutton Coldfield, and I<br />

wanted to create some artwork for our new house.<br />

“I was very much just doing it for me to begin with,<br />

but then people started expressing an interest in<br />

24


uying my work.”<br />

Kate has been approached with commissions to draw<br />

everything from buildings to weddings dresses.<br />

Her distinctive, self-taught technique features fine<br />

line pen drawings printed onto colourful hand<br />

painted watercolour backdrops.<br />

Every watercolour piece is bespoke, which means<br />

that no two pieces of artwork are ever the same.<br />

The colours are always vibrant and the subject<br />

matter usually includes the luscious houseplants that<br />

Kate is so fond of.<br />

She draws inspiration from both her homeland and<br />

her adopted city, as well as the long walks she’s been<br />

taking during lockdown.<br />

Recent subjects have included The Rotunda, The<br />

Library of Birmingham, The Bullring bull and a<br />

Lichfield coffee shop.<br />

Kate has also drawn British phone boxes and post<br />

boxes as well as Australian birds and plants.<br />

“It’s been really lovely for me to be able to represent<br />

both places that are so special to me, and to have<br />

people in both places buying my work,” Kate said.<br />

“I often include clearly recognisable symbols of the<br />

city, the sorts of places that people would go to see<br />

as a tourist and take photos of. They’ve been a real<br />

inspiration and helped me to reach an audience of<br />

people who have a real pride in their city.<br />

“Things took off quite quickly because I was offering<br />

something new. People that know me started to<br />

recommend me to other people, and that word of<br />

mouth seemed to really work.<br />

“People are being a bit more cautious about money<br />

at the moment, but I’m still being approached with a<br />

steady string of commissions.”<br />

Kate’s future plans include launching her own<br />

website and printing her designs onto T-shirts, tea<br />

towels and items for around the home.<br />

She’s put down roots in Sutton Coldfield and plans to<br />

stay in and around the second city, while continuing<br />

to share her love of Australia through her work.<br />

“I love the contrast between Birmingham and<br />

Australia,” she added. “The architecture here is so<br />

beautiful. The history and all the buildings are still<br />

amazing for me, I haven’t grown complacent about<br />

them.<br />

“I also really love the pub culture in the UK. I love<br />

living in such a vibrant and up-and-coming city.<br />

“There are such a lot of creative people here that<br />

I’ve met through my social media accounts. There’s<br />

a buzz about what’s happening in the city and it’s<br />

exciting for me to be a part of that.”<br />

You can see more of Kate’s work by visiting<br />

her Etsy page at<br />

www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TheCraftyBrum<br />

THE RUNDLE MALL PIGS ARE THE<br />

ICONIC BRONZE PIGS POSITIONED<br />

PROUDLY IN ADELAIDE’S CITY<br />

CENTRE<br />

KATE’S DISTINCTIVE TECHNIQUE<br />

COMBINES FINE LINE PEN<br />

DRAWINGS WITH VIBRANT<br />

WATERCOLOUR BACKDROPS<br />

25


F O O D & D R I N K<br />

From Bombay with love<br />

A LONG-AWAITED OPENING BRINGS AN AUTHENTIC TASTE OF BOMBAY<br />

TO BIRMINGHAM AT DISHOOM, AS AMY NORBURY DISCOVERS<br />

If you haven’t taken a trip into<br />

Birmingham city centre since lockdown<br />

began, you could be forgiven for feeling<br />

a little disoriented when you do.<br />

Take a stroll up from Grand Central<br />

and venture up past Victoria Square<br />

and what was, back in March, a vast<br />

building site in the place of the old<br />

library is now home to the smart new<br />

Paradise development, combining<br />

office, retail, leisure and residential<br />

spaces galore.<br />

The first piece in the Paradise puzzle<br />

is One Chamberlain Square, a vast<br />

office building which overlooks Grade<br />

I listed Birmingham Town Hall, the<br />

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery,<br />

and the Chamberlain Monument fountain and is<br />

now mostly home to professional services firm PwC’s<br />

largest UK regional office.<br />

But nestled on the ground floor of this impressive<br />

piece of architecture is one of the city’s most hotly<br />

anticipated restaurant launches.<br />

Dishoom pays loving homage to the Irani cafes<br />

that were once part of the fabric of life in Bombay.<br />

Opened early last century by Zoroastrian immigrants<br />

from Iran, there were almost 400 of these cafés at<br />

their peak in the 1960s. Today, though, fewer than 30<br />

remain.<br />

These cafes broke down barriers by bringing people<br />

together over food and drink. They were the first<br />

places in Bombay where people of any culture, class<br />

or religion could take cool refuge from the street<br />

with a cup of chai, a simple snack or a hearty meal.<br />

People from all walks of life shared tables, rubbed<br />

shoulders and broke bread together.<br />

With restaurants already in London, Manchester and<br />

Edinburgh, the family’s newest member, Dishoom<br />

Birmingham, was mid-way through its launch when<br />

lockdown struck.<br />

But happily, you can’t keep a good eatery down, and<br />

eager punters flocked to the stylish restaurant when it<br />

eventually flung open the doors in mid-July.<br />

And once the launch frenzy, followed by a packed<br />

month thanks to the government’s Eat Out to Help<br />

Out Scheme, had passed, J’AIME were delighted to<br />

be invited over to sample Dishoom’s Bombay classics<br />

for ourselves.<br />

Inspired by Birmingham’s history as the ‘city of a<br />

thousand trades’, Dishoom Birmingham explores the<br />

unique parallels with the trades and markets of<br />

Bombay and the importance of the city’s commercial<br />

past. The stylish interior features plenty of quirky<br />

26


touches inspired by Bombay’s cafes, while a<br />

spacious wraparound terrace offers ample<br />

outdoor dining.<br />

The menu, meanwhile, is packed with<br />

Bombay comfort foods for any and every<br />

time of day, from breakfast bacon naan<br />

rolls to late-night snacks. Street food<br />

staples, hearty biryanis, rich curries and<br />

the famous grills of Colaba all vie for<br />

space among executive chef Naved Nasir’s<br />

creations - guaranteed to transport diners<br />

right into the heart of India.<br />

Our Dishoom experience started with a<br />

couple of classic dishes, the pau bhaji,<br />

£5.70, and the chilli chicken, £6.90. The<br />

pau bhaji is, according to the menu, the essence of<br />

Bombay in a dish. A spicy mash of mixed vegetables<br />

served with a toasted, buttered homemade bun, this<br />

is simple pleasures at its finest.<br />

The chilli chicken is a prime example of the crowdpleasing<br />

Indo-Chinese cuisine offered up by many<br />

Irani cafes. Our plate, piled high with crispy chicken<br />

strips coated in a sticky combination of garlic, ginger,<br />

soy and chilli was definitely one to order again;<br />

moreish, comforting and packed with flavour.<br />

Each Dishoom has its own signature dish<br />

which reflects the location in some way. And in<br />

Birmingham, home to Britain’s Balti Triangle no less,<br />

it had to be a curry. But rather than trying to flog<br />

baltis to Brummies, Dishoom’s creative chefs have<br />

offered up something a little different.<br />

Think of a korma, and you could be forgiven for<br />

picturing something heavy on the cream and coconut<br />

and light on the, well, flavour. But you’d be wrong.<br />

Birmingham’s signature mutton chaap korma,<br />

£19.50, combines marinated mutton chops with<br />

a rich sauce full of onions and cashews to create a<br />

classically Indian version of the dish - none of your<br />

watered down, extra mild curry here, because at<br />

Dishoom, the korma certainly packs a punch.<br />

The accompanying khamiri roti is beautifully light<br />

and crisp, perfect for mopping up the tender mutton<br />

and luscious sauce. It’s a curry worthy of a place on<br />

Birmingham’s culinary map.<br />

A slow-cooked jackfruit biryani, £12.50, is a<br />

flavourful vegetarian take on this classic rice dish,<br />

with the brightly coloured saffron-infused rice<br />

punctuated with fresh herbs and sweet jewels of<br />

barberries and sultana, the satisfyingly meaty<br />

texture of the pulled jackfruit belying its vegetarian<br />

credentials.<br />

With a bowl of greens, £4.50, on the side - the<br />

tastiest grilled broccoli, snow peas and kale tumbled<br />

with a zingy dressing of chilli and lime - it made for<br />

a sumptuous feast which we devoured with relish.<br />

Dishoom’s impressive drinks menu features a vast<br />

array of tasty cocktails, fine wines and refreshing<br />

beers, but we washed down our lunch with some<br />

signature soft drinks; delectable sparkling passion<br />

fruit sharbats, £3.90, and cups<br />

of house chai, £3.20, made the<br />

proper Bombay way.<br />

With little room for pudding, the<br />

mango and pistachio kulfi sticks<br />

offered the perfect conclusion to a<br />

whistle stop tour of Bombay’s - via<br />

Birmingham’s - finest.<br />

In a year fraught with difficulty for<br />

the hospitality industry, Dishoom’s<br />

introduction to the Midlands may<br />

have been a rather stunted one.<br />

But in a city not short on Indian<br />

dining options, the tantalising taste<br />

of Bombay has certainly found a<br />

most welcoming home.<br />

27


F O O D & D R I N K<br />

Thyme for brunch<br />

THYME KITCHEN OPENS IN LICHFIELD THIS MONTH. WE MET THE HEAD CHEF,<br />

LOCAL GIRL SUSIE MANDLEBERG, TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BRUNCH DINING<br />

When Susie Mandleberg moved to London four<br />

years ago she had no idea that when she finally came<br />

home it would be to a job as head chef at a new<br />

restaurant in her home city.<br />

The 28-year-old, who was born and raised in<br />

Alrewas, had no formal training in food when she<br />

moved to the capital in 2016.<br />

She took a front of house role at a brunch cafe in<br />

West London, quickly switched to working in the<br />

kitchen and discovered her vocation.<br />

“I just fell in love with it,” she said. “I’d always loved<br />

cooking so as soon as I started doing it as a job I<br />

wondered why I hadn’t been doing it my whole<br />

working life.”<br />

That first job in the food industry saw Susie design<br />

her own recipes based on seasonal, locally-sourced<br />

produce and bold flavours.<br />

After four years she moved on to her first position<br />

as a head chef, at a seafood restaurant also in West<br />

London.<br />

Just a few weeks later the country went into lockdown<br />

and it was during the months that followed that Susie<br />

decided to move back home to Staffordshire to be<br />

closer to her family and friends.<br />

She was delighted to be the head chef for the launch<br />

of Thyme Kitchen in Lichfield, a breakfast and<br />

brunch restaurant launched by Beth Toovey of Sauce<br />

Supper Club at the former site of Mabel’s Tearoom<br />

at Curborough Countryside Centre.<br />

“I absolutely loved working in a brunch restaurant<br />

before, so this is the ideal job for me,” said Susie.”<br />

“There were lots of brunch premises in West<br />

London, and it’s quite nice to be able to bring that<br />

sort of vibe here.<br />

“There’s nothing within a 10 mile radius that’s<br />

offering anything similar to what we’re doing. I hope<br />

that people will really appreciate it.”<br />

The eclectic menu will include traditional breakfast<br />

favourites such as the full English alongside new<br />

creations such as baked eggs in a rich tomato and<br />

chorizo sauce.<br />

Susie is also working on recipes including Persian<br />

THYME KITCHEN<br />

HEAD CHEF SUSIE<br />

MANDLEBERG<br />

eggs - which are served with ingredients including<br />

pomegranate seeds, coriander and hummus.<br />

From cakes to sauces, everything possible is being<br />

made from scratch on the premises.<br />

The restaurant will open from Tuesday to Sunday,<br />

from 10am to 4pm, and will serve lunch options<br />

alongside breakfast and brunch.<br />

“We’re really focussed on getting seasonal produce<br />

onto the menu. British produce is absolutely<br />

incredible,” said Susie.<br />

Local suppliers are being used wherever possible,<br />

including eggs from just outside Lichfield and<br />

sausages from Tamworth.<br />

Susie will lead a team of two in the kitchen and there<br />

are due to be four people working front of house.<br />

“We’re currently an all female team,” added Susie.<br />

“It’s lovely to have so many strong women working<br />

together to get this business up and running. It’s an<br />

absolutely fantastic team.”<br />

Thyme Kitchen will open at Curborough Craft<br />

Centre, Watery Lane, Lichfield, on October 1. To<br />

find out more visit www.facebook.com/Thyme-<br />

Kitchen-108316001003356 and follow<br />

@chefsusiemandleberg and @thymekitchen<br />

on Instagram for more brunch inspiration.<br />

28


TOM SHEPHERD HAS CREATED 3 SEASONAL MENUS TO<br />

ENSURE YOUR FESTIVE DINING IS SAFE AND STRESS FREE!<br />

MENUS AVAILABLE TO BOOK ONLINE - DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR<br />

PREPPED READY FOR YOU TO HEAT AND SERVE<br />

*PRICE PER HEAD FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY<br />

December Menu<br />

Christmas Day<br />

New Years Eve<br />

FROM DECEMBER 1ST - 20TH<br />

MENU £45* PER HEAD<br />

BREAD<br />

Cotswold crunch mini loaves with<br />

marmite butter<br />

STARTER<br />

Confit organic Turkey terrine, pressed<br />

with pistachios and sage stuffing,<br />

cranberry ketchup, green bean and<br />

sprout salad, black truffle vinaigrette<br />

(V) pressed celeriac, pistachio and<br />

sage stuffing terrine, cranberry ketchup,<br />

green bean and sprout salad, black<br />

truffle vinaigrette<br />

MAIN<br />

Herefordshire beef, smoked potato<br />

purée, swede fondant cooked in beef<br />

fat, roasted hispi cabbage with chestnut<br />

butter, honey glazed baby carrots,<br />

beef rib roasting gravy<br />

(V) Wild mushroom and truffle<br />

pithivier, smoked potato purée,<br />

confit swede fondant, roasted hispi<br />

cabbage, honey glazed baby carrots,<br />

mushroom and truffle sauce<br />

DESSERT<br />

D.A.H Sticky toffee pudding,<br />

butterscotch sauce, raisins soaked<br />

in rum, clotted cream ice cream<br />

TO FINISH<br />

Mini mince pies<br />

FROM DECEMBER 23RD - 24TH<br />

MENU £60* PER HEAD<br />

BREAD<br />

Cotswold Crunch mini loaves with<br />

marmite butter<br />

STARTER<br />

Herefordshire braised beef rib<br />

tortellini, roasted carrot veloute,<br />

spring onion, aged Parmesan pesto<br />

(V) Tofu and chestnut tortellini,<br />

roasted carrot veloute,<br />

spring onion, pecorino pesto<br />

MAIN<br />

Poached and roasted organic<br />

Turkey, duck fat roasted fondant<br />

potato, smoked bacon sprouts<br />

with chestnut butter, Yorkshire pudding,<br />

cranberry stuffing, pigs in blankets,<br />

honey glazed baby parsnips,<br />

turkey roasting gravy<br />

(V) Winter beetroot Wellington,<br />

roasted fondant potato, sprouts<br />

with chestnut butter, Yorkshire pudding,<br />

cranberry stuffing, honey glazed baby<br />

carrots and parsnips, vegetarian gravy<br />

DESSERT<br />

72% dark Chocolate fondant,<br />

Calvados custard, rum & raisin ice cream<br />

TO FINISH<br />

Mini mince pies<br />

FROM DECEMBER 30TH - 31ST<br />

MENU £60* PER HEAD<br />

BREAD<br />

Cotswold crunch mini loaves<br />

with marmite butter<br />

STARTER<br />

Roast confit duck leg, soy dashi<br />

broth, celeriac purée, Granny Smith<br />

apple, chive oil<br />

MAIN<br />

400g Highland Wagyu rump<br />

cap steak to share, Wagyu beef fat<br />

roasted Jerusalem artichokes,<br />

Wagyu fat confit onion, mushroom<br />

ketchup, bone marrow<br />

and truffle sauce<br />

DESSERT<br />

Banana and vanilla sponge<br />

pudding, chocolate cremaux,<br />

salted caramel ice cream<br />

TO FINISH<br />

Fruit and nut fudge<br />

Note<br />

*This is a celebration of Highland<br />

Wagyu, unfortunately<br />

we are unable to adhere to any dietary<br />

requirements<br />

THESE BOXES ARE STRICTLY LIMITED - PLEASE BOOK EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT<br />

#STAY SAFE #DINEATHOME<br />

T 01543 264050<br />

E beth@saucesupperclub.co.uk<br />

www.saucesupperclub.co.uk


Thyme Kitchen’s baked eggs in<br />

a rich tomato and chorizo sauce<br />

Ingredients - serves 2<br />

1 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil<br />

1/2 bunch thyme<br />

1 red onions<br />

1 cloves garlic, minced<br />

1 tin chopped tomatoes<br />

100g cooking chorizo (or 1/2 a<br />

chorizo ring; you won’t need to<br />

fry this)<br />

4 eggs<br />

To serve:<br />

100g feta<br />

Parsley<br />

Take chorizo out of skin and tear into 3cm<br />

pieces. Fry until it starts to darken at edges.<br />

Drain and discard any excess chorizo oil<br />

and leave to cool.<br />

Thinly slice the red onion. Soften in a deep<br />

frying pan on a medium heat with the<br />

sunflower/rapeseed oil. Add in the garlic<br />

and cook for a further minute. Tip in the<br />

chopped tomatoes and leave to reduce for<br />

20 mins, stirring regularly.<br />

Once reduced, add in the thyme and<br />

chorizo. The chorizo should give out<br />

plenty of smokiness, but if you want to go<br />

a little further, add in a tablespoon of sweet<br />

smoked paprika.<br />

Cook for a further 10 mins, then crack<br />

in four eggs. Take a piece of kitchen foil<br />

and cover the pan. This will help to gently<br />

steam the top of the eggs, leaving you with<br />

a soft runny yolk rather than drying it out.<br />

As soon as the top of the eggs are white<br />

and cooked through, remove from the<br />

heat and leave to rest for two minutes; the<br />

hot sauce will continue to cook the eggs,<br />

so don’t worry if they look slightly under<br />

done at this point.<br />

Eat straight out of the pan and top with<br />

crumbled feta and parsley. Best served with<br />

hot buttered sourdough, or griddled pitta<br />

and hummus.<br />

30


07815 460786<br />

01827 892952<br />

Hand Problems<br />

Be Your Own Hand Detective<br />

Do you feel symptoms of pain, clicking, numbness or tingling in your<br />

hands? Have you noticed any signs of hand lumps, swellings, or<br />

muscle wasting?<br />

Common Hand Conditions<br />

Carpal Tunnel – Common symptoms include tingling and<br />

numbness in the thumb, index and middle finger, with occasional<br />

thumb muscle wasting.<br />

Trigger Finger – Signs of finger locking and clicking<br />

are seen - the finger may flick up from a bent position.<br />

Dupuytren’s Contracture - A thickening of skin in the palm and<br />

fingers are experienced, along with a fixed bending of the fingers<br />

meaning hands cannot be placed comfortably flat on a table.<br />

Arthritis of the Thumb – Signs include a general dull<br />

ache around the thumb base, which may mean sufferers<br />

struggle to open tight jars. The thumb position may change.<br />

The Midland Hand Clinic have been safely<br />

treating patients through face to face or virtual<br />

consultations. We understand that access to<br />

healthcare can be challenging at the present<br />

time but let us help you in the best way we<br />

know how, by looking after your hands.<br />

Midland Hand Clinic lead by<br />

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All patients welcome whether<br />

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Ask us about our self funding<br />

prices for minor hand surgery.<br />

Hand Clinic PA: Pam Dziubany<br />

Email: pdziubany@hotmail.com<br />

Call: 07815 460786 - 01827 892952<br />

www.midlandhandclinic.com<br />

25/02/2019 09:55


T R AV E L<br />

Ibiza: A journey of discovery<br />

TREND FORECASTER ROBBIE SINCLAIR EXPLORES IBIZA ON THE<br />

HUNT FOR HIDDEN GEMS AND ALL-IMPORTANT TIME OUT<br />

ROBBIE SINCLAIR DISCOVERED A MORE<br />

TRANQUIL SIDE TO THE WHITE ISLE<br />

I suppose my job is a little unusual. I am a trend<br />

forecaster, or if we are being pretentious a ‘Futurist’.<br />

To simplify, I do LOTS of research that combines<br />

data with gut instinct to figure out what fashion<br />

trends will be important for the coming months and<br />

even years ahead. Travel plays a huge part in my job<br />

so when Covid forced us into a global pause I had to<br />

rethink my strategy. For the past few months I have<br />

been working with global brands to help them figure<br />

out how to navigate through our current situation<br />

and help them survive this pretty challenging time.<br />

The last time I travelled was March <strong>2020</strong>, right<br />

before the pandemic put a stop to our plans.<br />

It was now time to travel again and my much<br />

anticipated escape was a quick 30 minute flight<br />

from where I live in Barcelona to one of the most<br />

beautiful landscapes I’ve visited, Ibiza. For many,<br />

the White Isle is known for debauchery and dance<br />

music however I was seeking a different side. I’m on<br />

the hunt for fabrics, homewares and any gems my<br />

magpie eyes can find. The plan is to drive around the<br />

island documenting the best stores and places to visit<br />

that will be delivered back to my clients around the<br />

world. I’m travelling and researching so they don’t<br />

have to. This trip was also an opportunity to take<br />

some time out and reflect.<br />

Following my arrival I took a 30-minute scenic drive<br />

to the 7 Pines Kempinski on the north east coast. As<br />

predicted the island was very quiet. A friend who<br />

lives on the island had told me that it would feel like<br />

having the place to ourselves and it did. Although<br />

it was quiet it didn’t lack atmosphere it just seemed<br />

much more relaxed than I had ever seen it before.<br />

I was greeted by two hotel staff who, although<br />

wearing masks, presented me with smiles visible in<br />

their eyes. Walking into the ultra chic reception area<br />

I breathed a sigh of relief and I felt the last knots of<br />

work related tension in my neck ease. I was finally<br />

away from my desk. It felt like my first ever trip and<br />

I was beyond grateful. As I took a sip of my welcome<br />

32


LUXURY AT 7 PINES KEMPINSKI<br />

cocktail and sat back on the sofa, I looked outside<br />

at the cluster of tiny islands in the Mediterranean<br />

Sea and asked myself a question; “What took me so<br />

long?”.<br />

It’s safe to say that the travel industry has taken a<br />

catastrophic beating this year. With the flip flopping<br />

of the government’s rules and confusion around<br />

where we can and cannot travel to, I can see why<br />

many have chosen to stay at home. However, as I sit<br />

in the tranquil luxury of 7 Pines Kempinski I know I<br />

made a good decision in getting away.<br />

My lovely first floor suite had stunning vistas and was<br />

light and airy with the feel of a private apartment. It<br />

boasted a bar area and living room that led out to a<br />

good sized, bright sea facing terrace. Perfect!<br />

After unpacking, I walked an easy five minutes<br />

to Cala Codolar, a small rugged bay with lots of<br />

natural charm. I sat on the rocks in silence watching<br />

the waves roll in and out sloshing around the bay. I<br />

realised that whilst sitting at home waiting for the<br />

world to improve I’d forgotten what it felt like to<br />

relax, phone free, email free, worry free and just stop.<br />

I had finally switched off and it felt great.<br />

It was time for dinner and I put on my favourite<br />

vintage shirt and headed to the Cone Club, one<br />

of the hotel’s bars. It’s 6.45pm and 7 Pines just so<br />

happens to have THE best views for watching the<br />

sunset on the Island. As the DJ plays the island’s<br />

famed Balearic beats I noticed a huge gong situated<br />

behind her decks. 7 Pines is known for its sunset<br />

ritual and as the sun descends an air of excitement<br />

takes over. We have all seen many sunsets but things<br />

seem different here, maybe it’s the island’s historical<br />

hippy energy taking over but I find myself having a<br />

new appreciation for Mother Nature.<br />

The sky begins to glow a deep orange and the<br />

surrounding voices hush, the sun bids farewell for<br />

another day and as the last slither of glow fades, the<br />

DJ bangs the bong. Once,<br />

twice, three times and the<br />

tables erupt with applause. It<br />

was a special moment that will<br />

stay with me forever.<br />

I head upstairs to The View<br />

for dinner which offers<br />

elevated vistas of the resort<br />

and the Mediterranean<br />

Sea. The menu of Spanish/<br />

Asian fusion rediscovers old<br />

favourites whilst lighting up<br />

taste buds all night long. It<br />

was safe to say, my first night<br />

on the White Isle had really<br />

made me rediscover my<br />

love for travelling and the<br />

importance of escaping the<br />

everyday.<br />

Well rested, I head down to breakfast which offers<br />

even more breathtaking views of distant bays and<br />

the nearby Isla de es Verdrá. The waiter explains<br />

that due to Covid the buffet is brought to the table<br />

which actually made the experience feel more<br />

exclusive. Fresh juice and pastries make their way<br />

over along with cold cuts, cheeses, breads and coffee.<br />

Small touches like this make me feel safer and I’m<br />

reminded that the tables and chairs have been<br />

disinfected which again helps me relax further into<br />

my new island life. Along with my many nibbles I opt<br />

for an egg white omelette then quickly change my<br />

BREAKFAST<br />

33


A GLORIOUS IBIZAN SUNSET<br />

mind and order pancakes because…why not?<br />

With my stomach satisfied I jump in the car in<br />

search of some inspiration. Ibiza island is small so<br />

you can see all of its splendours easily making plenty<br />

of time for beaching and pooling. As with all good<br />

researchers I had my “want to go” places arranged<br />

on my Google map.<br />

First up was Marcadillo Sant Jordi, a classic hippy<br />

style market carrying a sumptuous mix of globe<br />

trotting wares from Tibetan woven slippers<br />

to palm leaf bags and Middle Eastern<br />

objects. I would imagine that this market is<br />

usually bursting with people bartering and<br />

pushing to get the best price but today it was<br />

chilled and you could meander around at a<br />

relaxed pace...my perfect kind of market.<br />

Next on my list was Tanis, an ultra-chic<br />

homeware store boasting natural fabrics<br />

and neutral tones that promised to make<br />

your home morph into the most desirable<br />

beach inspired setting. Then, onto what<br />

would be my favourite store of the day; La<br />

Galeria Elefante, a modern bohemian store<br />

with some of the most beautiful objects<br />

and fashions from around the world. The<br />

store was built of room upon room of<br />

hand crafted textiles in rich jubilant bright<br />

tones along with delicate lace and quirky<br />

curiosities.<br />

Finally I headed towards Sluiz; to call Sluiz<br />

a store would be an insult to it’s creators.<br />

Sitting in a giant red and white striped<br />

big top tent, you enter through a strange<br />

walkway of mock Greek statues with neon<br />

pink lips. I knew I was about to enter into<br />

something a little off kilter. This giant<br />

space houses wholesale home decoration,<br />

clothes and accessories. Aisle<br />

upon aisle of larger than life<br />

objects sit in mini themed<br />

stories.<br />

Blown glass cacti in chirpy<br />

neon tones sit next to<br />

fluorescent green mock tribal<br />

masks and life size leopard<br />

statues that deliver a huge<br />

dose of kitsch. This is a bar<br />

designer’s paradise and the<br />

perfect place for inspiration.<br />

Zig zagging around the<br />

‘store’, I stumbled across an<br />

incredible cafe that almost<br />

felt like stepping through<br />

the looking glass. The walls<br />

were littered with pictures<br />

and dolls that even continued<br />

onto the ceiling above in a remarkable vision of<br />

confusion. Deciding that it could get any better I<br />

decided to leave on a high and head for lunch. Sluiz<br />

is an attraction in itself and worth a visit on your<br />

drive around the island to gawp at the vast array of<br />

merchandise and colourful creations.<br />

The following morning I decided on a well deserved<br />

lazy day at the hotel. I found the perfect spot at the<br />

THE MARCADILLO SANT<br />

JORDI WAS ONE OF<br />

ROBBIE’S SHOPPING<br />

HOTSPOTS<br />

34


ENJOYING THE SUNSET RITUAL<br />

AT 7 PINES KEMPINSKI<br />

pool area where the beds were situated so close to<br />

the water that you could almost roll right off into the<br />

pool when in need of a cool down. This area was<br />

possibly my favourite part of 7 Pines with its slim<br />

chill out zones that housed little seated areas that<br />

then moved out into a larger area for swimming. At<br />

the end there was a glass panel that looked<br />

out across the incredible views, it was perfect.<br />

This was mid-September and the temperatures<br />

hovered in the low 30s by day and low 20s by<br />

night.<br />

After a few hours of rotating in the heat like a<br />

pig on a spit I gave my skin a break and went<br />

to the suite to freshen up. I had intended on<br />

heading out for dinner but decided to try the<br />

hotel’s dine in service. Room service was taxied<br />

around the hotel grounds on electric delivery<br />

bikes that gave an added charm and was renamed<br />

‘Home Delivery’. I never usually order<br />

room service, I find that it’s always the same,<br />

mediocre burgers and basic pizzas, but I was<br />

suitably impressed by tonight’s feast. Delicious<br />

thin and crispy pizzas packed with flavour<br />

along with THE best truffle fries I’ve ever<br />

tasted.<br />

After eating long past my stomach told me to<br />

stop, I sat on the terrace looking up at the stars<br />

in my overindulged state, today was perfect.<br />

It had felt like so long since I felt that holiday<br />

feeling of reading a book and switching off.<br />

The past few months have been a series of<br />

hurdles for many of us and it felt good to allow<br />

my mind to shut down and reboot.<br />

The following days were a series of drives<br />

around Ibiza’s beautiful picture postcard coves<br />

and beaches. The aqua blue waters looked like<br />

they’d been Instagram filtered and every view<br />

left me awestruck. I have visited Ibiza twice before<br />

this trip but this time I fell head over heels in love<br />

with the white isle. A friend who lives there told me<br />

the island has her own rhythm, a poetically accurate<br />

description.<br />

On my final morning I headed down to Cala<br />

Codolar, the little rugged beach for one last moment<br />

of solace. I sat on the same rock as my first day and<br />

as I watched the island go about her routine; the<br />

waves sloshing, wind blowing through the trees and<br />

birds flying overhead, I made a vow. It’s true we are<br />

living through a difficult time, we are all doing our<br />

best to get through the current struggles but I made<br />

a silent promise; to never forget the importance of<br />

taking a break.<br />

How to book<br />

Book your visit to Ibiza for 2021 and stay at the 7<br />

Pines Kempinski with RB Collection. Call them on<br />

01543 258631 or email vip@rbcollection.com.<br />

Speak to Nathan who has visited the hotel himself<br />

too. RB Collection will include their own Ibiza guide<br />

to beach clubs, restaurants and Robbie’s shopping<br />

guide too! Visit www.rbcollection.com/ibiza<br />

for more details.<br />

35


LO CA L A R E A<br />

Support local in Lichfield<br />

LICHFIELD BUSINESSES HAVE JOINED FORCES TO BOUNCE BACK AFTER LOCKDOWN AND<br />

ENCOURAGE VISITORS TO THE CATHEDRAL CITY, THANKS TO THE NEW VISIT LICHFIELD CARD<br />

The national Eat Out to Help Out scheme may have<br />

ended but Lichfield has introduced its own campaign<br />

to encourage people to support businesses in the<br />

cathedral city.<br />

A new Visit Lichfield Card will give shoppers, diners<br />

and overnight visitors access to discounts and special<br />

offers at a whole string of venues in the coming<br />

months - and the card is completely free of charge.<br />

Lichfield District Council has joined forces with<br />

attractions and businesses to offer everything from<br />

percentage discounts to a slice of cake and a hot<br />

drink for just £3.50.<br />

Councillor Iain Eadie, Lichfield District Council’s<br />

cabinet member for tourism, said: “The special offers<br />

and discounts are a wonderful way for our district<br />

attractions, shops, restaurants and accommodation<br />

to give something back to their loyal visitors and<br />

customers.<br />

“I hope people will visit their local shops, restaurants<br />

and attractions and help them in turn recover from<br />

the Covid lockdown.<br />

“We’re hoping even more district businesses will take<br />

part by sending us their exclusive special offers.<br />

“In return we’ll help raise their profile on our Visit<br />

Lichfield website, through our social media channels<br />

and regular email newsletters.”<br />

You can apply for a Visit Lichfield Card free of<br />

charge on the Visit Lichfield website, where you can<br />

also find out about the offers and discounts available.<br />

Cards can also be collected in person from Lichfield’s<br />

Visitor Information Centre in St Mary’s on the<br />

Market Square.<br />

All businesses taking part will have stickers in their<br />

window so that passers-by know they are taking part.<br />

Card holders will simply need to show their card to<br />

receive the offer or discount.<br />

Businesses of all types across Lichfield are being<br />

invited to join the scheme and hopefully benefit from<br />

increased trade.<br />

Offers currently available include:<br />

36


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Erasmus Darwin House: Card holders can<br />

enjoy a 10% discount in the shop when visiting the<br />

museum. Access to the museum is available by prebooked<br />

ticket only: www.erasmusdarwin.org. The<br />

offer is available until December 31, <strong>2020</strong>.<br />

Jono’s Tourism: You can enjoy £5 off any prebooked<br />

private history tour of Lichfield with Jono’s<br />

Tourism, with a maximum of five people per tour.<br />

Tours can be booked here: www.jonotourism.co.uk.<br />

The offer is available until August 2021.<br />

Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum:<br />

Cardholders can get 20% off in the museum’s<br />

bookshop when visiting the museum. Visits must be<br />

booked in advance: www.samueljohnsonbirthplace.<br />

org.uk. The offer is available until November 1, <strong>2020</strong>.<br />

Visit Lichfield: You can get a 10% discount on<br />

Visit Lichfield guided tours if you show your card<br />

when booking at the Visitor Information Centre. Find<br />

out more about the tours at www.visitlichfield.co.uk/<br />

tours. The offer is available until December 31, <strong>2020</strong>.<br />

Framework Framing Gallery: The gallery is<br />

offering a 10% discount on all picture and sculpture<br />

sales. The offer excludes the bespoke framing and<br />

ready-made frame services. The offer is available until<br />

November 1, <strong>2020</strong>.<br />

Lichfield Antiques Centre: There is 10% off most<br />

items over £20 at the Lichfield Antiques Centre. The<br />

offer is available until December 31, <strong>2020</strong>.<br />

Ministry: Ministry is offering card holders half<br />

price on all Marc Darcy and Cavani suits. The offer is<br />

available until October 31, <strong>2020</strong>.<br />

Seasalt Cornwall: A 10% discount on full price<br />

items at Seasalt Cornwall based in Three Spires<br />

Shopping Centre. The card cannot be used in<br />

conjunction with any other offers. The offer is<br />

available until further notice.<br />

Queen’s Head Pub: The Queen’s Head has several<br />

offers available for card holders:<br />

• Bottled beer (available all week): Peroni, Budweiser<br />

and Desperados - three bottles for £7.50 or Becks<br />

and Becks Blue – three bottles for £6.50.<br />

• Hardy’s wine (Monday to Thursday only):<br />

Chardonnay, Rose and Shiraz - buy two large<br />

glasses and get the rest of the bottle free.<br />

• Offer on various spirits, double up for £1.50 or<br />

£1.80 depending on the brand.<br />

The pub is running a booking system for tables due<br />

to limited spaces, for more information go to www.<br />

facebook.com/QueensHeadLichfield. The offer is<br />

available until further notice.<br />

The Hub at St Mary’s: Card holders can enjoy<br />

a cake and hot drink for £3.50 at The Hub at St<br />

Mary’s. This cannot be used in conjunction with any<br />

other offers and is not available after 6pm. The offer<br />

is available until further notice.<br />

The Tudor of Lichfield: Card holders can get<br />

10% off their final food and drink bill in the café as<br />

well as 10% off chocolates, biscuits, jams, fudges and<br />

counter chocolates purchased from the chocolate<br />

shop. Cards are only accepted Monday to Friday. The<br />

card cannot be used along with any other offers or<br />

sale items and is not available on takeaway ice creams<br />

purchased at the ice cream counter. The offer is<br />

available until October 31, <strong>2020</strong>.<br />

The George Hotel: Autumn breaks are available<br />

for card holders priced from £129 for two people.<br />

The offer includes a full English breakfast and a three<br />

course dinner. Overnight stay is in a standard room<br />

for two people. The offer is available until November<br />

30, <strong>2020</strong>. Card holders can also enjoy a delicious<br />

afternoon tea with your favourite gin and tonic at<br />

The George hotel for £35 for two (normally £39.90<br />

for two). The offer is available until further notice.<br />

A-Plan Insurance: A-Plan Insurance Lichfield<br />

is offering local new clients with a Visit Lichfield<br />

Card taking out a personal car, van or home policy<br />

for the first time a £50 One4All Gift Card. There<br />

is a minimum premium of £250 on car and van<br />

(excluding additional products, optional extras<br />

and fees) and £200 on home (excluding additional<br />

products, optional extras and fees). Other exclusions<br />

apply. A-Plan reserves the right to change or<br />

withdraw this offer at any time. The card will be<br />

issued subject to the policy remaining in force for at<br />

least 14 days. The offer is available until December<br />

31, <strong>2020</strong>.<br />

For more details and to apply for a card visit<br />

www.visitlichfield.co.uk<br />

38


Why do you<br />

need HR?<br />

Is it because you want everything<br />

to run smoothly, so you can<br />

focus on the business instead<br />

of working in the business?<br />

OPEN<br />

FOR NEW<br />

RESIDENTS<br />

WE<br />

REMAIN<br />

COVID<br />

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If that’s true I can be on your team with you to<br />

achieve that. I translate business strategy into HR<br />

practices which make a great culture, with happy<br />

people who achieve their best.<br />

Let’s find out together how HR can ripple<br />

positively through your business.<br />

Why do you<br />

07771 780 146<br />

jane.galvez@ripple-hr.co.uk<br />

need HR?<br />

ripple-hr.co.uk<br />

Is it because you want everything<br />

to run smoothly, so you can<br />

focus on the business instead<br />

of working in the business?<br />

Rosemary Lodge Care Home for elderly ladies and gentlemen offers a level<br />

of care, community and comfort that is second to none. Situated a short way<br />

from the bustling City Centre of Lichfield and set in landscaped gardens,<br />

Rosemary Lodge is light, spacious and beautifully decorated, offering residents<br />

just the right combination of activity and relaxation. Residents are encouraged<br />

to retain their independence and individuality whilst being fully supported to<br />

live a fulfilled and enjoyable life.<br />

If that’s true I can be on your team with you to<br />

achieve that. I translate business strategy into HR<br />

practices which make a great culture, with happy<br />

people who achieve their best.<br />

Let’s find out together how HR can ripple<br />

positively through your business.<br />

07771 780 146<br />

jane.galvez@ripple-hr.co.uk<br />

ripple-hr.co.uk<br />

A family run concern that has been a highly regarded part of the community<br />

for almost 30 years. Offering 24- hour care, fully trained staff work together<br />

to communicate with residents to ensure that personal care needs are met in<br />

a fully person-centred approach, thus building an important relationship of<br />

trust and friendship.<br />

Two qualified chefs offer a nutritionally balanced and varied menu, catering<br />

for any dietary requirement, using fresh, locally sourced produce, served in<br />

a spacious dining room that offers views out towards the Orangery and the<br />

gardens and fountain.<br />

The Orangery offers the perfect space for residents, family and friends to<br />

meet up, chat enjoy coffee and snacks at any time of the year.<br />

We are a trusted, local family, dedicated to providing<br />

a truly personal service for those who need us<br />

Burials, Horse-drawn Funerals, Bespoke<br />

Funeral and pre-payment Funeral Plans available<br />

All-inclusive Funeral Packages for<br />

Cremation with no hidden costs<br />

Including Crematorium, Doctor and<br />

Religious/Non-religious Celebrant<br />

Simple - £2,300<br />

Traditional - £2,650<br />

(includes family car, service sheets and floral tribute)<br />

16 - 20 North Street, Cannock, WS11 0BA<br />

01543 529813 (Anytime)<br />

Visit our web and Facebook sites to see our reviews<br />

www.omalleyfunerals.co.uk • www.facebook.com/omalleyfunerals<br />

All rooms are en-suite, and are designed to comfortably accommodate<br />

individuals and couples. Full wi-fi throughout to allow residents to keep in<br />

touch with family and friends through video link or FaceTime.<br />

Regular activities and entertainment include movement to music, musical<br />

theatre groups, pet therapy, pub lunches, and visits to local events are regularly<br />

organised. However, privacy and peace and quiet is also ensured. There is also<br />

an on-site hairdressing and beauty salon.<br />

Rosemary Lodge also offers respite care, holiday stay and limited day care.<br />

Rosemary Lodge Residential Home<br />

191 Walsall Road, Lichfield. Staffs. WS13 8AQ.<br />

In the first instance please contact Jane Evans - Registered Care Manager<br />

or Shirley Kent - Administration Manager.<br />

01543 415223 - Email: roselodgehome@aol.com<br />

www.rosemarylodgecarehome.co.uk<br />

CQC RATING GOOD


F E AT U R E<br />

The show WILL go on<br />

A LICHFIELD-BASED THEATRE PRODUCTION COMPANY ISN’T ALLOWING A GLOBAL<br />

PANDEMIC TO STOP ITS SHOWS. JENNY AMPHLETT HAS BEEN FINDING OUT MORE<br />

Many industries have been decimated by Covid-19,<br />

but few more so than the arts. It’s hard to stage<br />

any sort of performance if you can’t open a venue,<br />

assemble an audience or even allow your performers<br />

to stand anywhere near to one another.<br />

Theatres across the world have had to close their<br />

doors, cancel or postpone programmes and, at best,<br />

offer live streamed performances for audiences to<br />

watch from the comfort of their sofa at home.<br />

A handful of brave, entrepreneurial types have<br />

found ways to adapt and continue to offer live<br />

performances safely. Lichfield-based Let Me In,<br />

which was launched just last year by Chris Buckle<br />

and Martin Pritchard, is one of them.<br />

Chris and Martin have already staged one sell-out<br />

production since the beginning of lockdown and<br />

have another planned for November.<br />

The secrets to their success? Being willing and able<br />

to adapt, having great contacts in the industry and<br />

setting out with a passion to deliver live theatre<br />

rather than a passion to make a large profit.<br />

“We were meant to be touring a musical in March<br />

of this year and had to cancel that, but it wasn’t long<br />

before we were thinking of ways to overcome the<br />

challenges,” said Chris, who also works full-time in<br />

the telecommunications industry.<br />

Chris and Martin, whose day job is head of scenery<br />

at Lichfield’s Garrick Theatre, are used to adapting<br />

for different locations for each of their Let Me In<br />

shows. So it didn’t take them long to come up with<br />

the idea of a socially distanced performance - for<br />

actors and audience alike - in an outdoor location.<br />

Their all-female production of Lord of the Flies was<br />

sold out throughout its outdoor run in the grounds of<br />

Woodhouse Farm and Garden in Whittington.<br />

It was Let Me In’s first ever outdoor production - and<br />

the first where they asked audience members to bring<br />

their own seats with them to help with hygiene and<br />

safety precautions.<br />

There was a maximum capacity of 100 people at<br />

each performance, with audience members seated in<br />

LICHFIELD THEATRE COMPANY<br />

LET ME IN STAGED A SELL-OUT<br />

OUTDOOR PRODUCTION OF LORD<br />

OF THE FLIES DURING LOCKDOWN<br />

household bubbles and admission allowed an hour<br />

before the show to help people to take their seats<br />

safely.<br />

Chris and Martin also took the bold step of making<br />

the ticket price whatever people could afford to pay,<br />

or free if they couldn’t afford to pay.<br />

“In the current economy and situation we all find<br />

ourselves in we want theatre to be accessible for all,”<br />

said Chris. “Admission to our production of Lord<br />

of the Flies was free - with donations very welcome<br />

from those who could afford to do so.<br />

“It was a very easy decision to make and one that<br />

we took early on when we thought about the many<br />

things people would have going on in their lives.<br />

We’ve always wanted our work to be accessible, and<br />

particularly so for families.<br />

“It was a bit of a gamble because we still had<br />

production costs to cover, but we decided that it<br />

wouldn’t be the end of the world if we took a bit of<br />

a hit.”<br />

40


It also helped that the cast members, grateful to be<br />

back doing what they love, offered their services free<br />

of charge. They were all from the Lichfield, Alrewas<br />

and Whittington areas so didn’t have far to travel.<br />

“I got in touch with Woodhouse Farm and Garden<br />

because I used to get my fruit and veg from them and<br />

I knew they had a lovely outdoor space,” said Chris.<br />

“Thankfully they liked the idea of what we wanted<br />

to do.<br />

“We’d already planned the production but we had<br />

to adapt it to make it work outdoors and to make<br />

it socially distant for the performers. It was a real<br />

challenge to make sure the actors wouldn’t get too<br />

close to one another.<br />

“Then there was also the challenge of making<br />

sure the actors could project to reach an outdoor<br />

audience that was spread out over a larger area than<br />

you’d usually expect.”<br />

They may have had to stand apart but working<br />

under such difficult circumstances seems to have<br />

brought the team together.<br />

“When resources are limited you’re forced to be<br />

creative,” said Chris. “Creativity comes out of<br />

difficult circumstances. It’s meant even more to us as<br />

a company and a cast. It also meant so much to us to<br />

sell out, that was amazing.”<br />

The audience feedback was very positive after each<br />

performance, with people feeling incredibly grateful<br />

to be able to get out of the house to watch some live<br />

theatre.<br />

Chris, 24, and Martin, 34, met through their mutual<br />

love of the arts and<br />

their connection with<br />

the Lichfield Garrick<br />

where Chris has<br />

performed on stage<br />

and Martin works.<br />

Chris, from Lichfield,<br />

and Martin, from<br />

Rugeley, staged<br />

their first Let Me In<br />

production in April<br />

2019.<br />

Choosing the shows<br />

falls to Chris while<br />

Martin focuses<br />

on making things<br />

work logistically,<br />

often for venues not<br />

traditionally used for<br />

theatre.<br />

Wherever possible<br />

they try to use a local pool of performers and Chris<br />

says he likes the idea of subverting stereotypes, hence<br />

the all-female Lord of the Flies based on a book with<br />

only male characters.<br />

Let Me In works on a profit share basis, with any<br />

profits from shows divided between everyone<br />

involved.<br />

“There was no profit from Lord of the Flies, but as<br />

a company we were happy with that and knew that<br />

would be the case at the beginning,” said Chris.<br />

“We all have other jobs too and do this because of<br />

a passion for it rather than because it’s a vehicle for<br />

making money.”<br />

The next production, People, Places and Things by<br />

Duncan MacMillan, is a play exploring the mind<br />

of a young actor who struggles with addiction and<br />

depression.<br />

It will run from November 17 to 21 in a specially<br />

constructed pop-up venue in the Lichfield area.<br />

Chris said: “We’re lucky in a sense that we can adapt<br />

to the situation presented by Covid-19 because we’re<br />

not based in one place and we’re not restricted to<br />

performing in a theatre.<br />

“We can create our production space wherever we<br />

need to, as that’s something we were already used to.<br />

“If we need to use an old abandoned building for<br />

a performance then we will. We’ve adapted to the<br />

circumstances and we’ll carry on doing that.”<br />

To find out more about Let Me In and forthcoming<br />

productions visit letmeinpresents.co.uk or<br />

facebook.com/letmeinpresents<br />

THE COMPANY USED<br />

LOCALLY-BASED<br />

ACTORS FOR THEIR<br />

SOCAILLY-DISTANCED<br />

PERFORMANCE<br />

41


LO CA L A R E A<br />

Pick your own Halloween treat<br />

WHETHER YOU WANT TO EAT THEM, CARVE THEM OR THEME YOUR HOME<br />

DECOR AROUND THEM, THERE’S NO ESCAPING PUMPKINS THIS MONTH<br />

Here at J’AIME we plan to embrace squash and<br />

pumpkins this October. We won’t be buying one<br />

from the supermarket though - we plan to pick our<br />

own. Here are some places you can head to if you<br />

want to follow suit:<br />

Manor Farm Fruits, Watling Street, Hints<br />

The farm’s annual Pumpkin Fest is back and will<br />

run from October 15 to 31. We can’t wait! Manor<br />

Farm Fruits have grown more than 20,000 pumpkins<br />

of all shapes, sizes, and varieties to help make your<br />

Halloween celebrations extra special. Due to the<br />

ongoing restrictions of COVID-19, there will be<br />

limited activities for children this year, but there<br />

will be a range of spooky merchandise on sale and<br />

a large outdoor seating area where you will be able<br />

to enjoy a selection of drinks and snacks in a safe<br />

environment. Admission is £2 per person and must<br />

be pre-booked at www.manorfarmfruits.co.uk<br />

Beckets Farm, Alcester Road, Wythall,<br />

Birmingham<br />

The annual pumpkin parlour has been cancelled for<br />

<strong>2020</strong>, but the farm shop will still be selling pumpkins<br />

of all shapes and sizes. There’s a free pumpkin stencil<br />

with every pumpkin purchased plus a Halloween<br />

cupcake decorating competition.<br />

cover the additional cost in running the event due<br />

to the extra government regulations. Visit<br />

www.canalsidefarm.co.uk for more details.<br />

Amerton Farm, Stowe by Chartley<br />

You can pick your own pumpkin at Amerton this<br />

year and even carve it on site to save the mess at<br />

home if you wish. If you leave the seeds behind<br />

they may well grow into next year’s pumpkin crop.<br />

Pumpkin picking is available all day on October 17,<br />

18 and from October 24 to 31.<br />

Bednall Farm Pick Your Own Pumpkins,<br />

Bednall, near Brocton, Stafford<br />

An ever-popular event for visitors from around the<br />

Midlands, Bednall Pick Your Own Pumpkins will be<br />

welcoming guests from October 22 to 31 to pick fresh<br />

pumpkins in time for Halloween. This year, to ensure<br />

the event remains safe for visitors, slots will need to<br />

be pre-booked, although tickets are still completely<br />

free. There are two slots each day; morning and<br />

afternoon, and visitors are welcome to arrive at any<br />

point in their slot up to half an hour before the end,<br />

staying for as long as they want in that time. For<br />

more details and to make a booking visit<br />

www.facebook.com/pickyourownpumpkinsbednall<br />

Canalside Farm, Shop and Cafe, Mill Lane,<br />

Great Haywood<br />

The farm’s staff have planted more than 7,000<br />

squash, gourds and pumpkins for you to pick<br />

including unusual varieties and colours from the<br />

Turk’s Turban, Cougar, Corvette, Bently, Secretariat<br />

and tasty Orangita varieties. Pumpkin Fest will run<br />

from October 10 to 31 - and you can also eat fresh<br />

pumpkin in the cafe. This season you will need to<br />

book a specific time slot to pick pumpkins via the<br />

farm’s website (available from October 1) to help<br />

steady the flow of people at any one time. There will<br />

be a £2 charge per person (under 3s will be free) to<br />

42


Jean Lamb Wealth Consultancy<br />

My offices are situated in the historic city of Lichfield and I have been providing personal<br />

wealth management advice to my clients for more<br />

than 25 years.<br />

I specialise in the following key areas<br />

and welcome your enquiry:<br />

• Investment Planning<br />

• InheritanceTax and Estate Planning<br />

• Pre and Post-Retirement Planning<br />

• Care Fees Planning and Funding for Care<br />

Telephone: 01543 417342<br />

Website: www.jeanlamb.co.uk<br />

Email: jean.lamb@sjpp.co.uk<br />

Office: 6A Market Street, Lichfield, WS13 6LH<br />

Jean Lamb Wealth Consultancy is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management Plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority)<br />

for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products.<br />

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WATCHES_OF_SUTTON


LO CA L A R E A<br />

What’s On Local<br />

YOU MAY NEED TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX WHEN IT COMES TO FINDING THINGS TO ENTERTAIN<br />

YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY THIS MONTH. HERE WE ROUND UP SOME OF THE LATEST OFFERINGS<br />

WHAT: EVENT CINEMA<br />

WHERE: LICHFIELD GARRICK<br />

WHEN: VARIOUS DATES THROUGHOUT <strong>OCTOBER</strong><br />

If, like us, you’ve been itching to get back into a theatre again then you’ll be<br />

pleased to hear that Lichfield’s Garrick has event cinema screenings during<br />

October ahead of the return of live performances in November.<br />

The programme includes Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes on Friday,<br />

October 2 and a live recording of Arthur Miller’s A View from The Bridge<br />

on Friday, October 9.<br />

On Friday, October 16 you can watch the film The New Mutants or on<br />

Saturday, October 24 you can watch a live recording of Alfie Boe and<br />

Michael Ball on stage at the 02 Arena.<br />

The Garrick has introduced a string of measures to keep audiences safe,<br />

including air extraction rather than air recycling in the auditorium. For<br />

more details visit www.lichfieldgarrick.com<br />

WHAT: MULTI-SENSORY ART EXPERIENCE<br />

WHERE: BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME<br />

WHEN: <strong>OCTOBER</strong> 8 TO DECEMBER 31<br />

Birmingham Hippodrome is to host the UK premiere of Van Gogh Alive, a<br />

multi-sensory arts experience which is suitable for all the family. Visitors can<br />

walk amongst more than 3,000 huge projections which will be accompanied<br />

by lights, colours, sounds and fragrances. The idea is that people will feel<br />

like they are stepping into Van Gogh paintings - which is intended to be<br />

enchanting and entertaining but also educational.<br />

The Hippodrome’s auditorium will be transformed for the exhibition, which<br />

has been seen by more than six million people in 50 cities around the globe.<br />

The Covid-safe event will be the first time the public has been invited into the<br />

building since March.<br />

For more details visit www.birminghamhippodrome.com<br />

WHAT: MUSEUM AND ART EXHIBITIONS<br />

WHERE: BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY<br />

WHEN: FROM WEDNESDAY, <strong>OCTOBER</strong> 7<br />

Your visit may be a little different for the time being, but from this month<br />

you can finally return to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.<br />

It will reopen from Wednesday to Sunday each week, but you’ll need to<br />

book a ticket and time slot in advance. Admission is free but there is the<br />

option to make a £3 donation towards museum costs.<br />

Capacity has been reduced and there will be a one way system around the<br />

building. You’ll also need to wear a mask for the duration of your visit.<br />

The Edwardian Tearooms will also reopen and you’ll be able to eat at a<br />

table or buy food to take away with you.<br />

For more details visit www.birminghammuseums.org.uk<br />

44


WHAT: OKTOBERFEST AND SCAREFEST<br />

WHERE: ALTON TOWERS<br />

WHEN: DATES THROUGHOUT <strong>OCTOBER</strong><br />

The combination of theme park and beautiful gardens has<br />

always set Alton Towers apart from other tourist attractions.<br />

Now those spacious grounds are even more welcome than<br />

ever.<br />

The resort’s ever-popular Scarefest attraction has been joined<br />

this year by an Oktoberfest celebration, both of which will<br />

include the chance to enjoy rides after dark.<br />

Oktoberfest will include Bavarian-themed live music, food<br />

and a bier keller.<br />

Scarefest, as ever, features spooky fun ranging from gentle<br />

frights for children through to full-on horror for those with a<br />

stronger stomach.<br />

For more details visit www.altontowers.com<br />

WHAT: HALLOWEEN FUN<br />

WHERE: DRAYTON MANOR THEME PARK<br />

WHEN: <strong>OCTOBER</strong> 17 TO 31<br />

The Halloween celebrations at Drayton Manor are set to be<br />

more treat than trick this year.<br />

The theme park and zoo will be decorated with pumpkins,<br />

spiders and other seasonal items to bring some fun to the<br />

occasion but without being too scary for younger visitors.<br />

There will be more than 100 rides and attractions to choose<br />

from and the zoo will also be open to visitors.<br />

Covid-safe measures have been introduced across the park to<br />

help visitors feel confident to return.<br />

For more information visit www.draytonmanor.co.uk<br />

WHAT: VARIOUS FAMILY FUN<br />

WHERE: SNOWDOME, TAMWORTH<br />

WHEN: DATES THROUGHOUT <strong>OCTOBER</strong><br />

From ski lessons to indoor climbing, the SnowDome at<br />

Tamworth has reopened for all manner of family-friendly fun<br />

You can ski without boarding an aeroplane or enjoy a snow<br />

session without heading off to Lapland.<br />

There is also ice skating, climbing, swimming and the option<br />

of visiting the gym.<br />

Covid-safe measures have been introduced across the<br />

attraction to help to keep visitors safe.<br />

For more details visit www.snowdome.co.uk<br />

45


FA S H I O N<br />

The coats edit<br />

TAKE TIMELESS, CLASSIC LOOKS, ADD AN ELEMENT OF COSY AND THROW<br />

IN A DASH OF ATTITUDE FOR AN OUTERWEAR SELECTION WHICH PACKS A<br />

SERIOUS STYLE PUNCH FOR AW20, SAYS AMY NORBURY<br />

IT’S usually one of the highlights of any fashionista’s calendar;<br />

that’s right, it’s the traditional time of year when we’re picking<br />

out the perfect coat to take us through right until spring.<br />

But, as with most facets of life in <strong>2020</strong>, the global coronavirus<br />

pandemic has left its indelible mark on the fashion industry,<br />

and while the seasonal catwalk shows in early March served up<br />

an array of autumnal and winter treats, many fashion houses<br />

and high street brands alike have been forced to slow down<br />

production on their AW20 arsenal.<br />

So it makes sense that the trends which have eventually trickled<br />

through place an emphasis on the classic and the comforting -<br />

with no small amount of attitude thrown in for good measure.<br />

Tough leather, sombre black and timeless heritage checks<br />

abound, alongside all things oversized and, well, that little bit<br />

cosy. And none more so is this evident that among the outerwear<br />

offerings which are slowly cropping up, just in time for the<br />

turning of the seasons.<br />

When it comes to choosing your winter wardrobe hero, opting<br />

for any of these looks will see you right to 2021 and beyond -<br />

that’s if they don’t already have a place in your collection of<br />

classic investment pieces.<br />

First up, the fabrics. We’re talking shearling and teddy-like furs<br />

- faux, of course - as well as buttery soft leather for when you’re<br />

ready to ramp up the attitude. Lengths vary from aviator-style<br />

jackets and blazers to the full-on ‘Keanu Reeves in The Matrix’<br />

ankle-sweeping style, but whichever way you go, leather is<br />

perfect for adding a little polish to your lockdown casuals.<br />

In keeping with the Matrix vibe, as well as oodles of leather<br />

there’s been a resurgence of the fashion world’s all-time classic<br />

hue. That’s right, for <strong>2020</strong> black is the new black. In keeping<br />

with the rather sombre global mood, head-to-toe black was a<br />

huge hit across the AW20 catwalks - so perhaps it’s time to invest<br />

in some stomping black boots to pair with your black coat?<br />

If you’re after something with a little more pizazz than block<br />

colour black, then it’s time to search out the heritage checks.<br />

From houndstooth and gingham to tartan and Prince of Wales<br />

checks, this autumn is all about wearing your squares.<br />

And when it comes to size, the ‘bigger is better’ mantra reigns<br />

supreme. AW20 goes XXL in the outerwear department,<br />

ensuring you’ll stay wrapped up warm whatever winter throws<br />

at you.<br />

CHECK COAT, FROM A SELECTION<br />

AT DOROTHY PERKINS.<br />

WWW.DOROTHYPERKINS.COM<br />

46


£1,975 £247.50<br />

£800<br />

LEATHER MAC COAT, GUSHLOW<br />

AND COLE AT HARVEY NICHOLS.<br />

WWW.HARVEYNICHOLS.COM<br />

HOUNDSTOOTH WOOL COAT,<br />

GERARD DAREL AT HARVEY NICHOLS.<br />

WWW.HARVEYNICHOLS.COM<br />

ANNECY CAMEL WOOL COAT,<br />

TOTEME AT HARVEY NICHOLS.<br />

WWW.HARVEYNICHOLS.COM<br />

£95<br />

£260<br />

CHECK COAT, FROM A SELECTION<br />

AT RIVER ISLAND.<br />

WWW.RIVERISLAND.COM<br />

BLACK FAUX FUR CUFF<br />

SWING COAT, RIVER ISLAND.<br />

WWW.RIVERISLAND.COM<br />

CAMILLE FAUX SHEARLING COAT,<br />

STAND STUDIO AT HARVEY NICHOLS.<br />

WWW.HARVEYNICHOLS.COM<br />

BLACK COAT AND BOOTS FROM A SELECTION AT<br />

DOROTHY PERKINS. WWW.DOROTHYPERKINS.COM<br />

TAN LONGLINE AVIATOR, £65, MISS<br />

SELFRIDGE. WWW.MISSSELFRIDGE.COM


B E AU T Y<br />

Get your beauty sleep<br />

LOOKING AFTER YOUR SKIN BEFORE YOU GO TO BED IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO ENSURE A<br />

GREAT COMPLEXION FOR YEARS TO COME. WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR DAILY SKINCARE ROUTINE,<br />

GETTING ENOUGH SHUT-EYE SHOULD BE A PRIORITY TO HELP KEEP YOUR COMPLEXION IN TIP TOP<br />

CONDITION, SO AIM FOR BETWEEN SEVEN TO NINE HOURS A NIGHT AS STUDIES REVEAL ANY LESS<br />

CAN LEAD TO WRINKLES AND DRIER SKIN. ROYAL FACIALIST AND FOUNDER OF HEAVEN SKINCARE<br />

DEBORAH MITCHELL SHARES HER EXPERT TIPS FOR A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT’S SLEEP<br />

WASH AWAY THE DAY: During<br />

the day your skin comes into contact<br />

with all manner of dirt, pollutants and<br />

environmental factors, and not cleaning<br />

properly at night time means you’re<br />

more likely to suffer constant break-outs,<br />

blocked pores and grease. My New<br />

Edition Cleanser (£37.91, 120ml)<br />

is the first of its kind to contain my<br />

patented ABEETOXIN® formula, so it<br />

not only deeply cleanses the skin but also<br />

controls facial muscles for an immediate<br />

tightening and firming effect.<br />

TAKE A LONG BATH: However stressful<br />

your day has been, soaking in the tub<br />

relaxes your mind and prepares you for a<br />

great sleep. To help aid a relaxing night,<br />

use my Dream Body Wash (£26.20) –<br />

not only does it tighten and firm the skin, as<br />

well as exfoliate and moisturise, but thanks<br />

to the organic grapefruit and sandalwood<br />

it works on a sensory level, making you feel<br />

calm and sleepy.<br />

USE A NIGHT CREAM: By choosing a cream that<br />

is designed specifically for night time, you allow all<br />

those great ingredients to get working on your skin<br />

while you get your shut-eye. My<br />

Overnight Success Oxygen<br />

Cream (£91) releases oxygen<br />

to detoxify and replenish your<br />

complexion. Perfect for dull or<br />

damaged skin, its anti-ageing<br />

properties increase collagen<br />

production and it’s suitable<br />

for all skin types – especially<br />

mature, dry and damaged.<br />

APPLY A SERUM: Serums penetrate<br />

deeper than a moisturiser, due to them<br />

having smaller molecules, which means<br />

they are easier for our epidermis to absorb.<br />

Use my SOS Oil Serum (£55, 30ml)<br />

in tandem with your overnight cream. You<br />

only need a few drops to balance oil levels,<br />

hydrate and feed the skin or you can layer<br />

with another serum to provide a multitude<br />

of benefits in one go.<br />

A MIRACLE MASK: You<br />

might not think you have time<br />

to apply a mask in the evenings,<br />

what with the endless round of<br />

cooking dinner, tidying up after<br />

the family and getting those jobs<br />

ticked off the housework todo-list.<br />

But many of my masks<br />

have been created to apply just<br />

before bedtime then leave on overnight so they can<br />

work their magic. Try Silver Bee Venom Mask<br />

(£86.50) to control the facial muscles and penetrate<br />

fine lines for immediate anti-ageing effect. It can be<br />

left on overnight for acceleration, simply wash off the<br />

next morning.<br />

LOOK AFTER YOUR EYES:<br />

The moisturiser you use on<br />

your face might not be gentle<br />

enough for the delicate skin<br />

around your eyes, so invest in<br />

a cream designed specifically<br />

to tackle this area. My new<br />

Nettle Venom Eyes (£55) is<br />

light enough so that it doesn’t weigh down the area<br />

yet effective enough to really make the eyes glow.<br />

Use daily to target puffiness and dark circles while<br />

relaxing fine lines and wrinkles.<br />

All products are available online at www.heavenskincare.com<br />

48


Silver linings<br />

I N T H E N E W S<br />

SARAH LEEDHAM, SENIOR VALUER AT LICHFIELD’S RICHARD WINTERTON<br />

AUCTIONEERS, TAKES A LOOK AT THE ENDURING POPULARITY OF SILVER<br />

WITH EVERYONE FROM NOVICES TO SERIOUS COLLECTORS<br />

As the saying goes, all that glitters is<br />

not gold – and that is especially true<br />

when it comes to silver.<br />

The wonderful world of collecting<br />

antique and modern silver objects is<br />

an area enjoyed by both the novice<br />

and seasoned professionals as the<br />

breadth, depth and price range on<br />

offer makes it enjoyable for one and<br />

all.<br />

Some focus on one theme, say<br />

Charles Horner hat pins, Nathaniel<br />

Mills castle top card cases, Victorian<br />

and Edwardian pin cushions in the<br />

shape of animals, anything related<br />

to wine such as corkscrews, wine<br />

funnels, claret jugs or decanter labels.<br />

Others may collect anything made by one<br />

silversmith, Hester Bateman of the late 18th century<br />

or the early 20th century work of Archibald Knox<br />

for Liberty’s are just a few examples.<br />

The joy of silver is partly in the fact it is such a<br />

tactile material. Yes, it does require a little work to<br />

keep it shining brightly but modern-day cleaners<br />

are often enhanced with an ingredient to prevent<br />

WINTERTON’S SENIOR<br />

VALUER SARAH LEEDHAM<br />

THIS 20TH CENTURY<br />

CANTEEN OF DUTCH<br />

CONTINENTAL SILVER<br />

FETCHED £2,200<br />

re-tarnishing, something our ancestors would have<br />

greatly appreciated.<br />

One benefit of collecting British silver is the fact<br />

that it carries hallmarks, a series of marks punched<br />

onto the piece which may well be the oldest forms<br />

of consumer protection still in existence, meaning a<br />

mark from the hall.<br />

A brief history of how this system came about takes<br />

us back to medieval England in the reign of Henry<br />

II. Due to the softness of silver in its purest form it<br />

needs to be mixed with an alloy to give<br />

it strength, a mix of 92.5 per cent silver<br />

to 7.5 per cent copper gave an excellent<br />

alloy and the king made a law to say<br />

this was the legal standard and hence<br />

sterling silver was born.<br />

Early on the alloy was used mainly for<br />

coins and the pound sterling was born<br />

from this but as is the want of high<br />

status individuals they also wanted<br />

special items made from silver.<br />

In 1238 King Henry II passed a new<br />

law that meant no silver items could<br />

be made that were not of the same<br />

sterling standard as coins. Eventually it<br />

became apparent that more regulation<br />

49


A SELECTION FROM A FABULOUS<br />

COLLECTION OF SILVER PIECES WHICH<br />

WENT UNDER THE HAMMER AT RICHARD<br />

WINTERTON AUCTIONEERS<br />

was needed and Edward II initiated the leopard’s<br />

head crowned mark which showed it had been to the<br />

Goldsmith’s hall in London to be assayed (tested for<br />

its purity) and only then could it be sold on.<br />

In 1327 The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths<br />

received its royal charter from Edward III and this<br />

wonderful guild survives and thrives today.<br />

The hallmarks have varied over time and city assay<br />

offices have come and gone but fortunately records<br />

have been well kept and it is generally easy to identify<br />

marks.<br />

You should see a maker’s or sponsor’s mark which<br />

are generally the initials of the person or company, a<br />

sterling silver mark which is the lion passant (walking<br />

with right paw raised), the assay office mark (for<br />

example London is a leopard’s head, Birmingham<br />

an anchor, Sheffield a crown or rose from 1975,<br />

Edinburgh a castle, etc)<br />

and a date letter which<br />

indicates when it was<br />

made using a letter of the<br />

alphabet which runs in<br />

cycles of 25 years.<br />

There are variations<br />

including commemorative<br />

marks such as the<br />

millennium and royal<br />

events such as coronations.<br />

The value of silver does<br />

go up and down in line<br />

with bullion prices and as<br />

a recyclable material it is<br />

sadly scrapped, not always<br />

to be remade into another<br />

useful or decorative object for the<br />

home or a piece of jewellery but<br />

for computers, mobile phones and<br />

other electronic devices that we rely<br />

on heavily today.<br />

Collecting silver need not break the<br />

bank and a Charles Horner silver<br />

thimble might cost you around<br />

£10 at auction, a hat pin by the<br />

same maker around £30-40 and an<br />

enamel and silver pendant by him<br />

around £200.<br />

Vinaigrettes, snuff boxes and card<br />

cases are also highly collectable.<br />

At the other end of the spectrum<br />

Georgian and Regency silver by<br />

some of the most famous British<br />

silversmiths can sell for over<br />

£100,000 but there is much more<br />

to be had in the £100 to £1,000 price bracket.<br />

A few months ago, we sold a 20th century canteen of<br />

Dutch continental silver for £2,200 and an Elizabeth<br />

II Mappin and Webb canteen of silver cutlery made<br />

£1,400, to the delight of our clients.<br />

A pair of silver gilt rococo style candelabra – also<br />

Elizabeth II – sold for £1,700.<br />

So whether it’s a canteen of cutlery, a charger or a<br />

vinaigrette, it’s always worth checking with us to see<br />

if you have an antique which could prove to be a real<br />

silver lining!<br />

For more information, contact Richard<br />

Winterton Auctioneers at The Lichfield<br />

Auction Centre on 01543 251081, email<br />

office@richardwinterton.co.uk and visit<br />

www.richardwinterton.co.uk.<br />

A PAIR OF ELIZABETH II SILVER GILT<br />

ROCOCO STYLE CANDELABRA SOLD<br />

FOR £1,700<br />

50


Probate and formal valuations<br />

for inheritance tax purposes<br />

Our reliable and sympathetic<br />

team can assist all executors in the<br />

administration of deceased estates<br />

From jewellery and large collections<br />

to cars, furniture and household<br />

items, we handle everything<br />

Comprehensive, bespoke<br />

clearance service and<br />

downsizing solutions<br />

We handle clearance of an entire<br />

estate from houses, bungalows and<br />

flats to offices and all other buildings<br />

We specialise in:<br />

Antique and modern jewellery<br />

Watches<br />

Gemstones<br />

Silverware<br />

Coins, medals and militaria<br />

Works of art<br />

Whisky and wine<br />

Vintage toys<br />

Stamps and ephemera<br />

Cameras and record collections<br />

Scientific equipment<br />

Antique and modern furniture<br />

Qualified<br />

All members of our jewellery<br />

department are certified<br />

gemmologists and diamond graders<br />

Record-breaking<br />

international sales<br />

More than 3,000 bidders from<br />

all over the world joined our latest<br />

online Fine Arts Sale<br />

Online services available<br />

Virtual estimates, online auctions<br />

and contactless collections.<br />

Valuations and viewing by<br />

appointment only<br />

COME AND MEET<br />

US IN LICHFIELD<br />

Weekly Valuations<br />

Every Thursday<br />

For your Jewellery<br />

and Watches<br />

With Heather Callaway<br />

FIRV FGA DGA AMEA<br />

The Hub at St Mary’s<br />

Market Square,<br />

Lichfield City Centre, WS13 6LG<br />

Thursdays 10am-4pm<br />

Established – Professional – Transparent<br />

The Winterton family name has been synonymous<br />

with auctioneering in Staffordshire since 1864<br />

01543 251081<br />

www.richardwinterton.co.uk<br />

richardwinterton@richardwinterton.co.uk<br />

The Lichfield<br />

Auction Centre,<br />

Wood End Lane,<br />

Fradley Park<br />

WS13 8NF<br />

NAJ A4 ad_Oct_<strong>2020</strong>.indd 1 02/09/<strong>2020</strong> 13:40

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