Wealden Times | WT225 | Jan & Feb 2021| Education supplement inside

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Contents 

January / February 2021 

74 

44 

120 

14 

33 

44 

69 

71 

74 

95 

HOUSE OF THE MONTH 

Maggie Alderson selects the best 

properties on the market now 

NOTEBOOK 

We find things to do that don’t 

require you to leave your home 

PRETTY IN PINK 

Tour the feminine and 

fabulous treasure trove 

GET THE LOOK 

Find products to give your 

own home a touch of pink 

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE 

From gifts to cocktails, we’ve 

got all the Valentine’s inspo 

your heart could desire 

THE ARCHIVIST 

A Victorian terrace decorated 

with the environment in mind 

GET THE LOOK 

A guide to becoming an 

archivist yourself 

97 

107 

109 

113 

115 

117 

9-5 IN STYLE 

Shop the best of garden 

buildings for your 

new home office 

THAT’S WHAT SHE SHED 

Pretty pieces to acheive 

your She Shed dreams 

VELVET CRUSH & 

SILKY SMOOTH 

Rebecca Cuffe styles romantic 

fashion in tactile fabrics 

VIRTUAL MAKEOVER 

Give your online beauty 

shopping a tech upgrade 

with Josephine Fairley 

RIGHT ON TRACK 

David Cole of Quench 

Cycles tells us all about how 

to get on your bike this year 

REACHED YOUR LIMIT? 

Sarah Maxwell explains how 

to set attainable goals for 

your health and fitness 

Published by Priceless Media Ltd. Kettle Chambers, 21 Stone Street, 

Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF | Call 01580 714705 | Email info@wealdentimes.co.uk 

Visit wealdentimes.co.uk Copyright © 2021 Priceless Media Ltd. The views of 

the advertisers & contributors are not necessarily those of Priceless Media Ltd. 

119 

120 

129 

135 

137 

138 

NOURISH TO FLOURISH 

Expert advice from nutrition and 

lifestyle coach Charlotte Lau 

HOME COMFORTS 

Enjoy some quality family mealtimes 

with Anna Stanford’s fuss-free recipes 

IN THE NAME OF LOVE 

Jo Arnell’s guide to romantic blooms 

THE GREAT GARDEN TIDY UP 

Get your garden up-todate 

with Sue Whigham 

WHAT’S ON 

Indoorsy activities for this month 

SLOW, GROW, EAT 

Meet our new farming 

star, Zoë Colville 

EDUCATION 

SUPPLEMENT 

38 pages of 

all the latest 

updates from 

local schools 

After page 126 

Education 

Supplement 

7 

Sponsored by

EWA ADAMS 

Editor’s 

Letter 

Looking back to when we signed off our last issue before 

Christmas, I was holding out so much hope that when 

we returned to the ‘office’ in January (in my case, 

working virtually from home) we’d be exiting the tunnel of 

doom and gloom that epitomised 2020, and rocketing towards 

a brighter and happier 2021. Sadly, this has not been the 

case – yet – and we may still have many months of restrictions 

ahead of us before we can get this virus under control. In the 

meantime, I am trying to seize every opportunity to introduce 

a little colour and positivity into lockdown life by focusing 

on the things that my family and I enjoy – we’re spending 

a LOT more time together at the moment, after all! 

Here at Wealden Times, we obviously work very visually 

– exploring interiors, fashion, food and gardens – and we 

are so thrilled to be able to continue to produce our issues, 

filled with all the things we love, which I hope provides a 

little light relief and inspiration at a very tricky time. This 

February magazine is no exception, with beautiful home shoots 

packed with decorating ideas, family recipes to enjoy and a 

rundown of education news in our special Supplement. 

Because many of our favourite businesses – both large 

and small – have sadly had to close their doors for the 

time being and move their offering online, we have had 

a shake-up of magazine distribution points, adding in 

local Tesco and Sainsbury’s outlets to ensure you can still 

pick up a copy when you’re out collecting your weekly 

essentials. For a full list of where you can find yours, visit 

priceless-group.com. Here you can also read the current issue, 

and previous months, with our page turner versions. 

MOMENTS OF SOLITUDE 

Enjoy your Wealden Times and please stay safe! 

Wealden Times 

Midwinter 

Fair 

O nline 

12-15 November 

Wealden Times & Surrey Homes Team 

Editor ............................................................................................ Lucy Fleming 

News & Features Editor ...............................................................Rebecca Cuffe 

Design Director ..........................................................................Anthony Boxall 

Executive Chairman ...................................................................... Julie Simpson 

Managing Director .............................................................. Vivien Cotterill-Lee 

Sales Managers ..................................................................................... Jen Crisp 

Lisa Gordon-Hughes 

Senior Account Managers ............................................................... Maria Hurley 

Rachel Norrie 

Wealden Times Show Director ....................................................... Flo Simpson 

McALLISTER THOMAS 

117 High Street 

Godalming 

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01483 860591 

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Centre 

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& Partners 

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Oxshott 

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Centre 

Weybridge 

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• The Heights 

Brooklands 

Woldingham 

• Fine & Country 

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Internal photographs of similar Octagon Showhouse

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House 

Month 

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£1,800,000 

Village Life 

Maggie Alderson picks her favourite homes on the market 

Cottenden 

The dream: With a very appealing 

Georgian frontage, this Grade 

II Listed house, is both elegant 

and charming, with high ceilings 

and original sash windows. A 

large detached brick outbuilding, 

formerly a dairy, is ripe for 

conversion, subject to planning. 

Where: Just outside the village of 

Frant, near Ticehurst and Wadhurst, 

just 10 miles to Tunbridge Wells. 

Setting: A glorious position in 

the High Weald AONB, with 

far-reaching southerly views over 

the garden to rolling countryside. 

Beds: 5 Baths: 2 

Special feature: All three formal 

reception rooms are dual aspect. 

Pleasing details: The kitchen/ 

breakfast room opens onto 

a flagstone terrace (and 

has a four-oven Aga). 

Outside: Charming south-facing 

gardens with two natural ponds 

and a summer house, a walled 

kitchen garden and a tennis court. 

Time to town: Just over a mile 

to Stonegate station on the 

Hastings/London line, around 

an hour and ten minutes to 

Waterloo, Cannon Street, London 

Bridge or Charing Cross. 

Agent: Savills, Tunbridge Wells 

01892 507000 savills.com 


14

£1,000,000 

Bevenden 

Farmhouse 

The dream: A Grade II listed farmhouse 

of great character with a striking pitched 

roof and accommodation over 4000 sq.ft. 

Inside there are splendid beams, two 

inglenook fireplaces and a galleried reception 

hall, plus a light and airy garden room. 

Where: On the edge of the pretty village 

of Great Chart, four miles from Ashford. 

Setting: At the end of a long 

private driveway, surrounded by 

agricultural countryside. 


Special features: A ground floor 

annexe with kitchen and bathroom 

would be perfect as a granny flat. 

Pleasing details: The master 

bedroom has a spacious dressing 

room, as well as an en suite. 

Outside: Gardens and grounds with 

a large expanse of lawn and mature 

oak trees, and a small lake. 

Time to town: Just 37 minutes to St Pancras 

from Ashford International, five miles away. 

Agent: Hobbs Parker 01233 506260 

hobbsparker.co.uk 

£1,650,000 

Church House 

The dream: This Grade II listed country 

house has a classic Georgian frontage. 

Originally dating from the 17th century 

with Georgian and early Victorian additions 

it has the charm of all these periods, 

enhanced by thoughtful recent renovations. 

Where: In the village of Brede, nine 

miles from Rye and seven from Battle. 

Setting: On an elevated spot near the church 

with far reaching views over the Brede Valley. 


Special features: A lovely cosy inglenook 

in the sitting room and elegant Georgian 

proportions in the drawing and dining rooms. 

Pleasing details: Solid oak flooring 

in the hall and up the stairs. 

Outside: An acre of landscaped gardens, 

with park-like grounds to the front with 

mature trees and walled gardens behind. 

There are several useful outbuildings. 

Time to town: Fifteen minutes to Battle, 

then 80 minutes on the Charing Cross line, 

or via Rye to Ashford and St Pancras. 

Agent: Jackson Stops, Cranbrook 

01580 720000 jackson-stops.co.uk 

15 priceless-magazines.com

‘Our Focus Determines Your Reality’ 

HARPERS AND HURLINGHAM 

CRANBROOK £1,950,000 

GRADE II LISTED FARMHOUSE: • Two receptions • Kitchen/Breakfast room • Utility room 

• Four double bedrooms (two ensuite) • Two attic rooms with pp • EPC: tbc 

DETACHED ANNEXE: • Kitchen/Dining/Sitting room • Two bedrooms (one ensuite) • Bathroom 

Garden and Grounds of Approx 7.6 acres • Cranbrook School Catchment Area 

Sales & Lettings Team 

Harpers&Hurlingham 

The Cornerhouse, Stone Street, Cranbrook 

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www.harpersandhurlingham.com 

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Find or sell your home 

with Wealden Times & Surrey Homes 

property section 

AcornGlasslineWT225.indd 1 30/11/2020 13:04 

Contact Rachel Norrie 

on 01580 714705 

rachel.norrie@wealdentimes.co.uk 


18 

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Are future earnings taken account of in 

a divorce settlement? 

If future earning capacity was to 

be taken into account, this could 

potentially continue for many years 

through a spouse’s working life. This 

would create a lot of uncertainty and 

abandons the key legal principal of 

achieving a clean break. The position 

is now clear, future earnings will not 

be treated as a matrimonial asset. 

What about maintenance? 

If you are contemplating getting 

divorced then your future nancial 

security is likely to be a key concern, 

particularly if you gave up or 

compromised a promising career to 

look after children and support your 

spouse in their career. High costs and 

scarcity of childcare can also make 

it necessary for one parent to give up 

work, and a lengthy break can make 

it very difficult to return to working 

at the same salary level and getting a 

career back on track. 

You might think that having supported 

your spouse in their career, their 

earning capacity is an asset which 

was built up during the marriage and 

therefore you should be entitled to 

a share of it, in the same way as a 

pension. 

But this is not the case, as claried 

in the Court of Appeal dispute 

between Mr and Mrs Waggott last 

year. The court has to consider all the 

circumstances and part of this is the 

legal principle of achieving a clean 

break for the couple, so that each 

person can start afresh. 

The starting point in calculating 

a divorce settlement is that all 

matrimonial assets will form a ‘pot’ 

for division as part of the capital 

settlement. Generally, matrimonial 

assets will be those accumulated 

during the marriage, regardless of who 

paid for them. For example, a pension 

fund paid into solely by one spouse 

will still form part of the assets to be 

divided. 

Non-matrimonial assets may be 

excluded from this sharing exercise 

and tend to be property purchased or 

acquired before the marriage or after 

separation. 

So, what about future earnings? 

The courts considered the issue of 

future earnings in the recent case of 

Waggott v Waggott, when the wife, 

Kim Waggott argued that she should 

be entitled to a share in her husband’s 

future earnings as they were an asset 

acquired during the marriage. 

Kim, who was an accountant, had 

made career sacrices. She had 

stopped working and relocated to 

allow her husband, also an accountant, 

to progress his career. At the time 

of their separation after 12 years of 

marriage, he was earning £3.7million 

per annum. 

The husband, William, argued that his 

future earnings should not be an asset 

to which the usual sharing principals 

apply. The court decided in favour of 

the husband, ruling that future earning 

capacity could not form part of the 

matrimonial assets for division. 

Part of the reasoning behind the 

court’s decision was to enable spouses 

to draw a line under their divorce. 

While future earnings will not be 

treated as a matrimonial asset to 

be shared as part of the capital 

settlement, they could still play 

a factor in relation to calculating 

spousal maintenance payments which 

are entirely separate from child 

maintenance. 

Spousal maintenance is usually 

paid on a monthly basis by a higher 

earning spouse to their former spouse 

following divorce for a set period of 

time. The length of time maintenance 

will be paid should be sufficient to 

allow the lower earning spouse to 

adjust without undue hardship. It will 

therefore depend on circumstances 

such as their earning capacity and 

career prospects, their eligibility for 

benets, their needs and resources, 

and their outgoings. 

We recommend that you speak to a 

solicitor as soon as possible about 

your particular circumstances. 

For further information, please 

contact our family law team on 01732 

747900 or email enquiries@warners. 

law Warners Solicitors has offices in 

Sevenoaks and Tonbridge. 

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Notebook 

What to do and see this month from 

the safety of your home 

Secret 

Gardens 

Gardens have a great power for healing and 

brightening our spirits. Florence Nightingale 

once wrote, “I shall never forget the rapture of 

fever patients over a bunch of bright coloured 

flowers”. During the lockdowns of 2020, garden 

owners created films for the National Garden 

Scheme website so that garden gates could be 

kept open online, continuing to raise money for 

charities including Marie Curie, Macmillan Cancer 

Support and Hospice UK. There are over 180 

gardens to visit virtually, with more being added, 

so that whatever the time of year you can go on a 

virtual garden tour. If you enjoy the films, please 

consider supporting our hardworking nurses with 

a donation. Explore Wealden wonderlands like 

Fairlight End with its wild and windswept views, or 

the original Secret Garden itself – Great Maytham 

Hall. Tour historical masterpieces like Sandringham 

or Hever Castle, or homes of famous faces like 

Miranda Hart and Alan Titchmarsh and learn about 

gardens that would have featured at the Chelsea 

Flower Show. Share challenges with your loved ones 

– ten points for the first to find a statue holding a 

lute, 50 points for a topiary in the shape of a 

mouse, you get the idea. Whatever you choose 

to do with it, this is an organisation which 

deserves any support you can give. ngs.org.uk 

Amazing 

Animals 

Providing a loving and safe 

sanctuary for over one hundred 

furry, cuddly and crawly rescue 

animals, Mark and Jerry set up 

Our Amazing Animal World 

to educate people about the 

importance of animal care 

and welfare but in a fun, nonlecturing 

way that engages an 

audience. Pre-covid, they offered 

their truly amazing animal 

encounters (believe us, we’ve 

been!) on a face-to-face basis, 

but have now brought their meet 

and greets to Zoom. Keep your 

children entertained and learning 

over half term by booking one 

of their sessions and watch them 

marvel at a range of animals (or 

an animal of their choice) with 

lots of facts and plenty of time 

for questions. Find out more at 

ouramazinganimalworld.com 

Bunny 

Love 

The National Trust’s Peter 

Rabbit winter activity trails 

have come to an end, but you 

can still find out more about 

Peter and his friends with their free 

downloadable activity packs to enjoy 

at home. Have fun as a family with 

some baking, crafting and inspiration 

to keep the kids entertained. There 

are five to choose from, themed 

around favourite Beatrix Potter 

characters. Download yours at 

nationaltrust.org.uk/things-to-do

Notebook 

Magic Castle 

Congratulations to Hever Castle and 

its visitors, who raised more than 

£13,000 over the Christmas 

period. Great Ormond Street 

Home 

Learning 

Hospital (GOSH) Children’s 

Charity was chosen to 

benefit from ticket sales, 

as the grounds had a Peter 

Pan themed trail at the 

time (pictured above) and 

JM Barrie, the author of 

Peter Pan, left the rights to 

it to GOSH in 1929. Visitors 

were given the opportunity 

to donate to GOSH Charity 

when prebooking tickets online 

and special Peter Pan or Tinkerbell 

cookies were sold in aid of the charity 

at the takeaway food outlets on site. 

Although Hever is now closed to the public, you can still get your castle 

fix through their new online subscription ‘Inside Hever Castle’. You’ll be 

Surrey Adult Learning has something for everyone 

with all sorts of topics to choose from including 

arts, craft, design and textiles, general studies, 

languages, computer and work skills, healthy living, 

cookery and social sciences. Explore your potential 

by signing up to one of their Spring Term online 

courses which you can put your name down for 

up to 4 working days prior to each course 

start date (subject to availability). To see 

the full range of adult learning courses 

on offer, visit surreycc.gov.uk 

able to see parts of the castle that have never been open to the public before 

and access some of the priceless objects close-up and queue-free! A stellar 

line-up of historians have been booked to appear online too, including Dr 

Tracy Borman, Claire Ridgway, Lucy Churchill, Dr Lauren Mackay, Gareth 

Russell and Natalie Grueninger. Membership starts from £5 a month. 

Find out more and sign up at hevercastle.co.uk/news/inside-hever-castle 

Round & Round the Garden 

A garden isn’t just for summer. So many of us 

dug out the gardening gloves last year, and for 

those looking to keep up their garden pride, find 

inspiration or get advice, Surrey Gardens Trust’s 

Winter Lectures are a great resource that you can 

access from home, over Zoom for just £6 per 

lecture. On selected Saturdays from 16 January to 

24 April, garden experts including Sir Roderick 

Floud, Michael Thurlow, and Susan Campbell, 

will be sharing their wealth of knowledge on 

such topics as kitchen gardens, cutting 

gardens, and houseplants. 

surreygardenstrust.org.uk 

Nourish Yourself 

With many families juggling working from 

home with childcare, it can be easy to slip 

into unhealthy eating habits, especially 

when time is in short supply. With this in 

mind, COOK has created four free balanced 

diet weekly meal planners which mix their 

much-loved frozen meals with suggestions 

for dishes to make yourself at home. Find 

them at cookfood.net/blog/meal-planners 

Look Forward: Mother’s Day 

Let’s forget the doom and gloom and celebrate mums! Their 

doors may be shut for now, but a whole host of boutiques 

across the South East have taken their clothes and accessories 

online. Some of our favourites include Odyl, Cordelia James, 

Duck & Dog, Blue Velvet Shoes and Birdie London, many 

of whom are popping videos of their stock onto social media 

platforms like Instagram for a new shopping experience. 

Handpick some cosy new cashmere or gorgeous jewels to 

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34

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WilsonWilsonHancockWT218.indd 1 03/03/2020 09:36

very day was 

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Pretty in pink 

Words: Maggie Alderson 

Photographs: David Merewether Styling: Holly Levett 

Treasure hunter Cat Ridley knows what she likes – and if it’s 

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Previous pages & above: The sitting room is home to a quilted gold cocktail bar – a vintage 

find from Margate, sourced via Instagram. With a core palette of blush pinks and gold, Cat 

brought many of the room’s decor back from her shopping trips to HomeSense 

My first glimpse of the gloriously 

pink, glittery, neon, petal-strewn 

world of Cat Ridley was when I 

stumbled upon her popular Instagram account 

@pinkhomebythesea, which showcases her 

amazing house in all its candy pink splendour. 

Scrolling through the posts I didn’t immediately 

realise it was in Hastings – the glamour level 

is so high octane, it could be Los Angeles – 

but the moment I figured it out, I knew 

 


“I’m a treasure seeker,” she says, and it’s clear the chase is a large part of the 

joy of it for her, because not only is she brilliant at finding quirky objects 

in her own particular aesthetic, she’s a master bargain hunter too 

I had to meet this icon of undiluted fabulousness 

and see the pink house with my own eyes. 

Befitting a home that is so particular, even getting to 

it was a bit of an adventure. It’s on a road I’ve driven 

past for the last 18 years – but never knew was there. 

Once I found the street, picking out Cat’s house was not 

a challenge… The front door is painted her signature sugar 

pink, with a shiny brass bee (another of her favoured motifs) 

doorknocker and surrounded by multi-coloured pastel faux 

wisteria. There is no missing that you are entering Cat World. 

Inside, her special style is everywhere your eye 

falls, but once you step into the kitchen/living room, 

even after noting the multiple mirror balls, the neon 

sign advising you are ‘Welcome to the jungle’, 

 


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Above: A crisp white interlude between the sitting room and 

kitchen space, the hallway is filled with light Right: Bonbon jars 

and gold highlights on the gleaming white kitchen countertop 

the vintage bar and much more, your attention is 

grabbed by something even more extraordinary (and 

that’s saying something in this space): the view. 

From the bifold doors leading onto a deck on the south 

side of the house is a panoramic sea view that could make 

you think you are in the Hollywood Hills again – which 

must make the open air cinema nights, which Cat hosts 

in the garden in the summer months, something special. 

Even the garden furniture, out on the raised deck, 

is in her bold style. Two deep pink tropical leafbacked 

chairs, by Italian outdoor furniture company 

Urban Balcony, sit alongside a salmon pink bench 

table, with a pink flamingo jug for good measure. 

So much bolder and more fun than the average bland 

garden furniture offering, I ask where Cat found them – and 

she grins as she reveals her secret source: ‘HomeSense’. 

This is the homewares specialist arm of TK Maxx 

and her nearest branch is in the Fountains retail park, 

Tunbridge Wells, just a quick zip up the A21 from home. 

She’s such a regular in the store, the staff there greet 


Above: Cat’s IKEA kitchen is world’s away from the house’s design. She has streamlined the storage cupboards from 26 down to six, with four 

drawers. Cat sourced her ‘Let’s Stay Home’ neon from theneonsign.co 

her by name – as I witnessed when she took me there on 

a shopping expedition the week after I visited her house. 

And there can be few people who are more fun to shop 

with. I came home with armfuls of faux flowers, which 

have added a touch of frothy Cat fun to my own house. 

“I’m a treasure seeker,” she says, and it’s clear the 

chase is a large part of the joy of it for her, because not 

only is she brilliant at finding quirky objects in her own 

particular aesthetic, she’s a master bargain hunter too. 

The white and brass kitchen, for example, cost 

£900 from IKEA – and was then fabulous-ed up to 

Cat standards with pink velvet and brass bar stools, 

statement brass and white pendant lights, and a selection 

of striking glass pots and vases, against blush pink 

walls. Where is it all from? HomeSense, of course. 

Then cranking it up just that extra bit of wow – there’s 

a neon wall hanging saying Let’s Stay Home and even 

the kettle and toaster are fabulous. A limited edition 

between Haden and Margate-based company Poodle 

& Blonde (which is a Cat-perfect brand name, if ever 

I heard one), they are corset pink with a Dalmation 

print. You can see why she had to have them… Making 

breakfast is not any reason to be dull in this house. 

It’s certainly a transformation from the kitchen the 

 


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By moving out of London to Hastings, Cat and Damon were able to buy their first house, a 

big deal for a young couple with one child and another on the way. “It had four bedrooms and 

high ceilings and it was great, but we wanted our forever home. We didn’t know about this road 

until we saw the house advertised in the local paper and we knew right away it was the one.” 


Above: Bifold doors leading onto a deck on the south side of the 

house, with amazing views out to sea Right: Cat has injected 

sparkle into every little corner of the house. Here, oversized 

disco balls are grouped with a decidedly Bowie-esque mirror 

house had when Cat and her family moved in 16 years ago. 

“The house is Victorian,” says Cat. “It was originally a 

farmhouse with land right across the valley, before all the 

houses were built around it. When we bought it, the garden 

was so overgrown, you could hardly see it was there. The 

lady who lived in it hadn’t been upstairs for 20 years.” 

They knocked through downstairs to create a larger space 

and by adding an extension, turned it from three bedrooms 

to five. “The original kitchen had 26 cupboards. We went 

down to four drawers and six cupboards and it’s absolutely 

perfect. We also put in a second bathroom – and I finally had 

a cupboard for the hoover, which was my happiest moment.” 

Cat and her husband Damon had already lived in 

Hastings for six years when they bought this house. “We 

decided to move away from South London after we 

got burgled on Christmas Eve. My parents had already 

moved down to Hastings and we decided to join them. I 

grew up in a tower block and we used to come down to 

Hastings when I was a child and I was always so excited, 

so it was great to move down here when I was 22.” 

By moving out to Hastings they were able to buy their 


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This page: Cat’s youngest daughter’s bedroom has been 

her most recent project. With a brass four-poster bed and 

a wall of pink silk flowers, she chose the room’s decor 

inspired by the interiors of MaMa Kelly’s pink restaurant 

in Amsterdam and the Peggy Porschen cake parlour 

first house, a big deal for a young couple with one child and 

another on the way. “It had four bedrooms and high ceilings 

and it was great, but we wanted our forever home. We didn’t 

know about this road until we saw the house advertised in 

the local paper and we knew right away it was the one.” 

And Cat has fresh plans for the house, starting this spring, 

with another extension to be added on the garden side of 

the house. “That will become the main living room, leading 

straight out onto the garden and then we will have room 

to put a table in next to the kitchen, in the space which is 

currently the sitting room. We are dinner-in-front-of-the-telly 

people, but we really enjoyed sitting round the table in the 

garden last summer, so want a table indoors to sit round.” 

And being Cat, she has big plans for how she’s going 

to decorate this new space, inspired by her love of Art 

Deco style. “I want it to look like Room 202 in The 

Shining – just not with the naked woman in the bath…” 

I can see that she will need more space to play with, 

because even since I visited the house, posts on her 

Instagram reveal lovely new things which have arrived. 

The posh sitting room – which Cat says they 

 


Above: The master bedroom breaks from Cat’s signature colour palette with soft lilac walls and accents of navy 

call ‘the room we never use’ – now has a very 

dramatic new brass and glass side table, with 

legs like octopus tentacles, which looks perfect 

with the quilted gold cocktail bar – a vintage 

find from Margate, sourced via Instagram, 

another of Cat’s favourite shopping resources. 

Like the kitchen, this room is very much in 

Cat’s core palette, with blush pink walls and a 

velvet sofa in a slightly deeper shade, by ELLE 

Décor – £300 from, you guessed, HomeSense 

– round brass mirrors, brass and glass nesting 

coffee tables, and white and brass light fittings. 

The bar is stocked with a brass cocktail shaker and 

Champagne coupes, and the overhead light fitting 

 


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Above: Gold and white orb lamps, found at HomeSense, are a feature throughout the house, this time in the form 

of bedside lamps in the master bedroom. The cushions on the bed are a heron print by Feather & Black 

is an amazing pink glass and brass sputnik chandelier. 

I’m taking all this in, thinking the only thing 

that could improve it would be a cocktail from that 

fabulous bar, when Cat’s husband Damon comes 

home. Very much a man’s man – he drives the butchest 

4x4 I’ve ever seen – I ask him how he feels living in 

a house Lady Penelope would feel at home in. 

Happily, he appreciates having a wife with 

very specific décor vision. “I really like her style. 

I just go with it…” he says, grinning. 

Heading upstairs – with a pause to look out at the 

view, which is even more amazing one floor up – Cat 

shows me her most recent project, her youngest daughter’s 

bedroom, which takes the pink and petal theme up a 

whole notch, with a wall of faux flowers behind the 

(brass, four poster) bed and pink wisteria (bought in bulk 

on Amazon) festooned around the window opposite. 

“I woke up one night and thought, ‘I want to 

 


Above left: Cat’s dressing room houses her extensive collection of quirky bags and shoes Above right: In the couple’s eldest 

daughter’s room, the carpets and walls are predominantly black with accents of pink and floor-length satin curtains 

do this’. I was inspired by the restaurant MaMa Kelly 

in Amsterdam and the Peggy Porschen cake parlour in 

Belgravia. I decided I was going to create it for £200.” 

I’m not sure whether it came in entirely on budget, but 

the fabulous black and white Jonathan Adler vase on the 

dressing table is a Cat + HomeSense bargain classic. It was 

£10 – the most similar one I’ve found online is £600! 

The dressing table and velvet stool were also from 

HomeSense. The dressing table had the audacity to be 

walnut, so Cat painted it pink – and the same treatment 

for the vintage phone on the bare-wood wall, next to the 

bed.“Hotels in Norway and Iceland have wood on the 

walls, so I took the idea. We used acoustic panelling.” 

Her middle daughter’s bedroom is done in a very different 

but equally dramatic style – with black carpets and walls, 

which are decorated with huge oversized flower decals. 

In between these two bedrooms is a smaller one, 

which Cat uses as her dressing room, where there is – 

of course – a Hollywood mirror with lights round it. 

Essential for the daily application of false eyelashes, 

which is one of her grooming essentials. There are 

several truly fabulous turbans to hand, by Julia Clancey 

of LA, to keep her hair off her face while she does it. 

Heading into the master bedroom, it seems quite low 

key – give or take a few brass mirrors, vintage Italian brass 

wall lights, a chaise longue and Feather & Black heron 


64

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Above: The deck on the south side of the house has an enviable 

panoramic sea view. Cat bought the Urban Balcony pink leaf 

chairs from HomeSense. A vivid green balloon poodle sculpture 

and bubblegum pink bench add to the kitch charm Right: Even 

the front door, with its brass bumblebee knocker, has been given 

the powder pink treatment, festooned with faux wisteria 

print cushions – by Cat’s standards, until you look above the 

bed and see another of her many neon pieces. This one was 

specially commissioned to feature one of her favourite movie 

quotes, from Pretty Woman. Nestled in a mass of pale pink 

rose petals, the cursive script reads ‘Cinder - *******- rella’. 

I laughed out loud when I saw it. (If you don’t 

know the quote, Google will reveal it… but please 

don’t blame me for the bad language.) 

For me it summed up the humour, originality and pure 

style of this house – and its resident stylist. She’s a one off, 

is Cat – with a house to match – and it turns out it’s not 

only me who has spotted her amazing pzazz on Instagram. 

She’s been asked to appear in a new house style TV show. 

I wouldn’t be at all surprised if a star is born. 

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Find out about Cat’s interiors projects, both past and present, 

by following her on Instagram @pinkhomebythesea 

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74

The Archivist 

Words: Maggie Alderson 

Photographs: David Merewether Styling: Holly Levett 

Jules Haines set up her online business, Haines 

Collection, to offer leftover stocks of beautiful 

high-end fabrics, preventing them from ending up 

in landfill and providing the chance to snap them 

up with substantial savings. Her environmental 

awareness naturally extends to the decor of her own 

home, where she has cleverly combined fabrics from 

her collection with interesting pre-loved finds 

Left: Pale blues and pinks that 

feature in a corkscrew print 

by London artist Tommy 

Penton in the sitting room are 

picked out in the room’s soft 

furnishings. The cushions are 

from the Haines Collection 

and Fox Murray Home – a 

local lady who makes amazing, 

huge wool cushions 


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Above: The high-ceilinged sitting room features a neutral colourway with bookshelves on either side of the original fireplace painted in 

Farrow & Ball Blazer 

The word that pops into your head when you 

walk into this Victorian terrace house, in central 

Tunbridge Wells, and take in the paint – in a 

refined mid-green, up to the elegant dado rail – the sisal 

runner on the stairs and a vista carrying the eye along the 

hall to a black cabinet and appealing lamp, is: decorated. 

Just as in a boutique hotel, you have the impression of a 

planned scheme, with every detail considered and rendered 

in a high finish. It makes it a space pleasing to be in. 

If you’ve ever watched that Netflix show Dream Home 

Makeover (which I confess I’m obsessed with), it’s the 

polished look the houses have when Shea McGee has 

worked her magic – but with a lot more character. 

Because one of the things that fascinates me about 

that show is the idea of moving into a house where 

someone else has chosen absolutely everything in it, 

down to the last knickknack and quirky object. All 

brand new, box fresh, off the shelf. You almost feel 

there would be cute kindergarten projects already 

magnet-ed to the fridge – pre-made in a factory. 

 


Above: When the couple moved in, the kitchen and dining room had already been opened out into a large family-friendly social 

space. A cosy touch is provided by the woodburner, nestled in an elevated position in the fireplace. The dining table was upcycled 

with the help of WildeWod Creations – a local small business that “does wonders with wood,” says Jules. The walls are painted 

a deep grey, a colour picked out in the graphic pattern of the curtain fabric by Korla, also stocked at Haines Collection 

So how does Jules Haines’ house have the 

finished feel – without the off-the-peg thing? 

Well, the proper decorator standard comes from her 

professional experience, starting off working with a fabric 

designer in Singapore, when she was living there with 

husband Ollie, and segueing to her current business, 

Haines Collection, on their return to the UK. 

This online fabric store is a fantastic resource for anyone 

aspiring to decorator-level upholstery options, but on a 

home-spun budget, offering leftover stocks of beautiful fabric 

designs from a range of different high-end companies. 

“They are ends of rolls, or sometimes seconds, direct 

from the printers,” explains Jules. “Designers can end up 

with a lot of fabric left over, because if they want to be 

stocked by a big retailer, they have to keep 100 metres 

of each design in stock. Some of them just dispose of it, 

but the ones I work with, would rather have what’s left 

sold on for smaller projects than just throw it away.” 

It’s one of those win-win set ups, where the 

designers shift old stock, customers get fabrics at 

a fraction of their full price and – something that 

really satisfies Jules – it’s all ‘saved from landfill’. 

And it is this environmental awareness – aligned with her 

superb taste and style – that gives her house the charm and 

originality so lacking from those Netflix ‘dream homes’. 

Practically nothing in it was bought new and a great 

deal of the most interesting items came from sources 

I am sure would horrify a factory-fresh US interior 

designer: Facebook Marketplace and charity shops. 

Chatting to Jules as we walk around her house – taking 


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Above left: Jules bought the drinks cabinet when they lived in Singapore Above right: Metal pendant lights, grouped above the dining table, 

are from Dwell 

Many rooms feature pretty lampshades, that Jules makes herself using Haines 

Collection fabrics – and the kits she sells on the website. When people can meet 

more easily, she will resume her workshops showing people how to make them 

in details such as the fabric-cutting table she made for her 

workroom, by putting a board on top of a chest of drawers 

(British Heart Foundation furniture shop) and the high stool, 

the perfect height to sit at it (Facebook Marketplace) – I 

start to see that the chase and finding of such re-purposing 

solutions is a big part of the fun of decorating for her. 

And Tunbridge Wells, with its wealth of excellent 

charity shops – particularly in the central neighbourhood 

behind the Royal Victoria shopping centre, where the 

house is located – is the perfect place to do it. 

Jules and Ollie made the move there, out from Balham 

three years ago, when their son and daughter were still 

small and like so many house-finding stories we hear 

for these articles, there seemed to be an element of 

serendipity in it. “The kids were tiny – 6 months and 

2 years old – when I came down to look at houses. 

 


In keeping with Jules’s don’t-bin-it philosophy, they gave the existing kitchen a 

clever makeover, rather than tearing it out and putting a new one in. 

Above: Jules and Ollie decided to keep the IKEA kitchen that was in place when they bought the house, upgrading 

it to suit their taste with the addition of doors made from OSB. To make the staircase child-friendly, Jules used 

red bungie cords, threaded through brass plumbing pipe holders, to create a visually arresting feature 

I had one day, with four appointments – and one of 

them was this house. I cried when I saw it, it was so 

perfect, with the tall ceilings and all the space.” 

As well as having the lovely bones of the early-Victorian 

Tunbridge Wells housing stock, the house was already 

liveable, with nothing structural to do – and very pleasingly, 

the all-important kitchen floor knock through, providing 

the eat-in kitchen of modern requirements, was already 

done. “All we did was put in two new bathrooms – and 

we reinstated the dado rail, which had been taken out.” 

And in keeping with Jules’s don’t-bin-it philosophy, they 

gave the existing kitchen a clever makeover, rather than 

tearing it out and putting a new one in. “There was a 

perfectly good IKEA kitchen in place. So we updated it by 

 


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HarrierGatesS60.indd 1 20/09/2019 11:11

This page: As well as for its eco and practicality credentials, OSB is increasingly popular used ‘raw’, as it is here, showing off the very 

distinctive decorative, golden-brown finish. Jules made handles for the hanging wall cupboard by riveting leather from an old belt 

making open shelves from old scaffolding boards and adding 

new doors made of OSB, because we like the texture.” 

In case you’re not familiar with the term, OSB is short 

for ‘oriented strand board’ formed out of compressed layers 

of wood strands, combined with wax and synthetic resin. 

Rather than randomly mixing it up, each piece of wood is 

strategically placed, for maximum strength and it’s a very 

sustainable material, because the timber is sourced from 

fast-growing aspen poplar and southern yellow pine trees. 

As well as for its eco and practicality credentials, OSB 

is increasingly popular used ‘raw’, as it is here, showing 

off the very distinctive decorative, golden-brown finish. 

Adding an additional feature, Jules made 

groovy handles for the hanging wall cupboard, 

 


Above left: The couple reinstated the dado rail throughout the house Above right: Jules made the fabriccutting 

table in her workroom by putting a board on top of a chest of drawers that she bought from a 

British Heart Foundation furniture shop. The high stool was a Facebook Marketplace find 

by riveting leather from an old belt. 

This is the first of many do-it-herself projects that add 

a bespoke finish through the house. Many rooms feature 

pretty lampshades, that Jules makes herself using Haines 

Collection fabrics – and the kits she sells on the website. 

When people can meet more easily, she will resume 

her workshops showing people how to make them. 

Just outside the kitchen – in a corridor she hopes to 

knock through one day, for extra space – is another example 

of her original ideas. The staircase down from the ground 

floor was left open, with no outer handrail or bannisters 

and, not surprisingly, it made Jules uneasy. “I thought ‘my 

children are going to fall off, I have to do something!’” 

But rather than putting in a standard bannister she used 

red bungie cords, threaded through brass plumbing pipe 

holders, to create a visually arresting feature – that also 

keeps the stairs safe. It’s very original and very effective. 

Heading back up the stairs, we stop in to look at the guest 

loo, which is decorated with framed prints by pop ‘cartoon’ 

artist Lichenstein, part of the large collection of vivid art 

prints in the house, which are Ollie’s special interest. 

At the turn of the stairs next to it, we come to the 

striking black cabinet and very appealing tin lamp base 

that I spotted when I first came through the front door. 

The cabinet is Chinese, one of many lovely exotic 

antiques Jules collected during their Singapore years and 

the lamp gives a hint to the source of her preference for 

‘pre-loved’ homewares – it had belonged to her aunt. 

Heading into the workroom we come to another 

inherited piece, which suggests passing things on for 

another generation to enjoy is a family thread. “The 

desk is very old, it belonged to my great grandmother,” 

she says, fondly. “I revised for my GCSEs on it.” 

Next door, in the wonderfully high-ceilinged sitting 

room, the mindfully ‘decorated’ feeling, combined 

with quirky original pieces, really sings out. 

 


86

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This page: Jules re-covered the master bed’s headboard 

that she bought from Loaf. The bedside tables are 

topped with bronze dolphin lamps, from unwanted 

stock that Jules sells on Haines Collection. The en suite 

bathroom is painted in ‘Ultra Blue’ by Little Greene 

In this neutrally painted room, on either side of the original 

fireplace, book shelves have been picked out in Farrow & 

Ball Blazer, a wonderfully bold brick red, and an oversized 

papier maché stag hangs on the wall between them. 

The curtains are in a fabric from the range Madeaux 

by Richard Smith, which was featured on the site. “The 

colour was slightly off, so it was reduced from £100 metre, 

to £25…” The cushions are also her own and are available 

to buy ready made from the website. The lamps on the 

table behind the sofa were finds from a an unusual and 

brilliant-sounding resource – a warehouse in Singapore where 

unwanted fixtures from refurbished hotels are sold off. 

Up on the top floor, Jules’s making abilities are in 

glorious display in the couple’s three-year old daughter’s 

simply glorious bedroom, where twin beds are resplendent 

with headboards made by Jules and upholstered in palm 

print fabric, set off by splendid circus-stripe canopies. 

The adorable animal light fitting above the beds is another 

Jules special – found in a charity shop and made even more 

special with the addition of some strategic pom poms. 


Above: The family bathroom is an invitingly fresh space, with peppermint green tongue and groove 

panelling below Cole & Sons ‘Secret Garden’ wallpaper. The striped Roman blind is made from a 

Haines Collection fabric and the bath, marble-topped basin unit and taps are by Hudson Reed 

Next door, the family bathroom is beautifully 

fresh, with peppermint green tongue and groove 

panelling halfway up the wall, painted and bold 

Cole & Sons leaf and snail wallpaper above. 

With a round white-framed mirror, a striped 

Roman blind – in a Haines Collection fabric – and 

the basin set into a marble bench top by Hudson 

Reed, it looks completely finished and has that 

atmosphere of being a proper room that is part 

of the house, not just a sterile hygiene zone. 

The same is true of the en suite bathroom 

– which was fortunately already in place 

– off the master bedroom one floor down, 

which is painted the most thrilling intense 

 


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Above: The couple’s three-year-old daughter’s gorgeous 

bedroom features twin beds with headboards made by Jules 

and upholstered in palm print fabric. Canopies reminiscent 

of circus stripes give a playful feel. The animal pendant light 

above the beds was found by Jules in a charity shop and 

customised with pom poms Below: A piece featuring bears 

and CCTV cameras by mixed media artist Sean Alexander 

matt blue, ‘Ultra Blue’ by Little Greene. 

The fittings in here particularly reflect Jules’s 

preferences, with the Moroccan bowl basin found on 

Etsy, set into an old washstand, which was sourced 

via Facebook Marketplace and painted black. 

In the bedroom are many more examples of her vision 

– and ability to bring such ideas into being herself, 

without calling on the pricey services of professionals. 

She has transformed the fitted wardrobe doors, just 

by adding some simple beading to create a panelled 

effect. On the bedside tables – part of the Chinese 

collection from Singapore – are bronze dolphin lamps, 

from unwanted stock that she sells on Haines Collection. 

The bed is from Loaf, but the headboard was re-covered 

by Jules in a beautiful Christopher Farr fabric. 

Thinking back to her daughter’s beautiful palm-print 

headboards, I ask Jules how she went about putting them 

together – a construction she makes sound easy… “You 

buy the MDF in squares and cut them to shape, then glue 

on egg-crate foam cut to the same shape. I buy it in The 

Range. To attach the fabric, you cut it to size, then lay 

 


92

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This page: The guest bedroom is a calm haven, with walls 

painted in Farrow & Ball Strong White and a pleasing mix 

of fabric designs and colours provided by the upholstered 

headboard, soft furnishings and lampshades made by Jules 

– proving that pattern doesn’t always have to match 

it on the ground, place the board on top and staple the 

fabric to the back with a staple gun, pulling it tight.” 

I really want a new boutique hotel-style headboard 

for my bed, but I have a sneaky feeling that my 

attempt to do something like this would end up 

looking extremely wonky and home made. 

But help will be on hand – in hopefully, the 

not too distant future – when Jules hopes to get 

her workshops up and running again. Headboard 

making will be one of them. Sign me up now. 

Address Book: 

To find out more about Haines Collection and 

to see the current fabrics – new stock lands every 

Monday – visit hainescollection.co.uk. You can keep 

up to date with future workshops by following 

Jules on Instagram @haines_collection 

Fox Murray Home foxmurrayhome.com 

Wilde Wod Creations wildewodcreations.co.uk 


94

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This construction and the materials used provides a 

comfortable environment for working year round 

The building pictured is a 5m x 3m oak 

garden office by The Oak Glasshouse 

Company. Specialising in glazed elevations, 

the company created the office structure 

with this feature on two sides. The elevations 

are glazed using 28mm double glazed 

argon-filled units with oak air-dried boards 

on the exterior face of the building. This 

construction and the materials used provides 

a comfortable environment for working all 

year round. The solid walls are a treated 

softwood studwork, insulated between 

the studs and clad in weatherboarding. 

A building of this size would typically be 

completed within 3 weeks of the company’s 

first day on site. The cost of the building is 

£18,000+VAT delivered and installed, which 

includes taking the building to a watertight 

stage i.e. the roof and exterior completed. 

The interior is then taken to plasterboard 

level and the floor structure created. Clients 

then have the final floor finish / electrical / 

plumbing / decorating to complete, for which 

they tend to use local contractors or finish 

the works themselves. 

theoakglasshouse.co.uk

Inside the TG04 7x4m 

shape shifters... 

Design-led and distinctive, the striking TGO4 

garden office features a curved corner detail 

The Garden Office and sister company 

Green Retreats have a range of garden 

office and garden room designs to choose 

from, each customisable to size, style and 

budget. Sizes start at just 4m² and go up in 

half-metre increments all the way to 30m², 

with width and depth choices to suit each 

client’s use. The same materials are used 

throughout the range and are all finished to 

the same high standard, inside and out. Each 

building comes with a 10-year guarantee 

and they’re insulated, weatherproofed and 

heated for year-round-use. Design-led and 

distinctive, the striking TGO4 garden office 

(pictured) features a curved corner detail 

to join the enclosed side, hood and deck. 

A slight overhang on the curve provides a 

sheltered exterior. Choose from graphite 

or black flashing details and decking and 

decide whether or not to upgrade the corner 

window from 500mm to 1000mm. Prices 

start from £18,245. 

thegardenoffice.co.uk / greenretreats.co.uk 


100

Traditional Craftsmanship 

for Modern Applications 

Garages, Outbuildings 

and Garden Rooms 

Quality Buildings at 

Competitive Prices 

Building your dream space, 

whatever your budget 

chartwelloakbuildings.co.uk 

Call for a quote 01959 447477 

Filston Farm, Filston Lane, Sevenoaks, 

Kent TN14 5JU 

We create both fully bespoke and 

off-the-shelf rooms for our clients 

so you can have your dream 

space whatever your budget. 

Surrey 

01883 460998 

Kent 

01732 617910 

greatgardenescapes.co.uk 

ChartwellOakBuildingsWT214.indd 1 06/11/2019 GreatGardenEscapesWT225.indd 11:06 

1 07/01/2021 20:15 


CurveGardenRoomsWT212.indd 1 02/09/2019 10:44

Surrey, Sussex 

& Hampshire’s 

Premier Oak 

Framed Specialist 

Surrey Oak Barns is a specialist 

oak frame contractor offering a 

complete and seamless multitrade 

service, from simple garages 

and garden rooms to fully finished 

buildings, all tailored to meet our 

client’s specific requirements. 

We offer a complete service from 

design, planning and construction 

through to completion, ensuring 

our clients achieve their aspirations 

for oak buildings from a single source. 

Surrey Oak Barns is the only oak 

framed contractor to be awarded 

Chartered Building Company 

status which identifies those 

businesses that are committed 

to quality of product and service, 

integrity of conduct and concern 

for client’s needs. 

01483 420 258 

info@surreyoakbarns.co.uk 

www.surreyoakbarns.co.uk

Build your dreams...enhance your home 

The gallery of images are of recent work we have undertaken. 

These include oak garages, buildings, conservatories and extensions.

AWARD WINNING | LUXURY | SWIMMING POOLS 

Specialists in Indoor & Outdoor Swimming Pools, Cleaning & Renovations 

SPATA Contractor of The Year 2020 

EUSA Domestic Outdoor Pools Silver Award Winner 2018 

39 SPATA Awards 

01233 840336 www.xlpools.com

truly 

bespoke... 

All features of a 

Curve garden room 

are customisable 

with windows, 

doors, electrics and 

decorating specced 

to each client’s 

individual taste 

Curve Garden Rooms Ltd build highly specified, 

bespoke, home-like rooms that are fully finished 

and ready for use. Each unique, creative building 

incorporates a unique long lasting, curved fibreglass 

insulated roof design, and can be customised to 

requirements through the addition of skylights, hardwood 

decking areas, bespoke doors and unusual windows 

(all with 24mm double glazing) which can be used to 

maximise light and make the most of garden views. 

Curve use premium materials, such as beautiful top 

grade western red cedar cladding, to ensure each room is 

built to last for many years. Every project is designed and 

made for each individual client – whether it’s intended for 

use as a smart studio, a cosy office, a gym or a den – and 

their small, expert team pays great attention to details and 

finish to ensure you’re completely satisfied with your new 

room. Each Curve building can be used all year round, 

thanks to the installation of WiFi controlled underfloor 

heating of the engineered real oak flooring (they don’t use 

laminate) making your new space both practical and cosy. 

Furthermore, the rooms have fully customisable electrics 

– a complete bespoke electrical installation is carried 

out and certified by a qualified electrician. You can even 

choose to top your design off with a beautiful sedum roof. 

curvegardenrooms.com 


The Oak 

Glasshouse Company 

Oak extensions, 

sunrooms and 

orangeries 

Restored and bespoke shepherd’s huts, garden antiques and country 

furniture, everything for beautiful relaxed homes and gardens. 

REQUEST A BROCHURE TODAY 

07522 544158 | info@theoakglasshouse.co.uk 

www.theoakglasshouse.co.uk 

ELHAM VALLEY SHEPHERD’S HUTS 

Telephone 01303 840874 

www.elhamvalleyshepherdhuts.com 

We’ve got designs on your garden 

We’ve got designs on your garden 

OakGlasshouseWT223B.indd 1 04/09/2020 ElhamValleyShepherdsHutsWT218Improved.indd 11:00 

1 18/03/2020 17:56 

Tradi'onal or contemporary, large or small, the team at Gardenproud can help you create a garden you’ll be proud 

Tradi'onal of. Established or contemporary, in 2007, we design, large or build small, and the maintain team at gardens Gardenproud throughout can Kent, help you East create Sussex a and garden HerDordshire. you’ll be proud 

of. Established in 2007, we design, build and maintain gardens throughout Kent, East Sussex and HerDordshire. 

See our Show Garden at Corker Outdoor Living, or ask for our e brochure, 

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106 

GardenproudWT225.indd 1 08/12/2020 17:46

Pink geranium hanging basket 

£24.99 Homescapes Online 

homescapesonline.com 

THAT’S WHAT 

SHE SHED 

Sheds don’t have to be mucky places for tools and storage. With a feminine touch, 

and a bit of a glow up they can become a glorious place to entertain and escape 

Dream wall decoration 

£28 Bobby Rabbit 

bobbyrabbit.co.uk 

Cocktail cabinet £790 

Homebody Decor 

homebodydecor.co.uk 

Wild flowers plaque £7.50 

Gisela Graham London 

giselagraham.co.uk 

Bronze bracket light 

£385 Original BTC 

originalbtc.com 

Pink mister £14 

Ella James ellajames.co.uk 

Parley day bed £1,395 

Loaf loaf.com 

Green bottles £15 (set of 3) 

Raj-Tent-Club rajtentclub.com 

Garden decorated with 

Lights4fun lighting including 

bulb drop festoons £16.99, 

Solar tassel lanterns £45.99/3, 

White lanterns with TruGlow 

candles £105/3, Galvanised 

lanterns £69.99/2, Bee print 

fairy light lanterns £21.99, 

Lavender wreath £21.99, 

and Bee micro lights £7.99 

lights4fun.co.uk 

Lavender wreath £21.99 

Lights4fun lights4fun.co.uk 

Bridgman 180cm Henley glass 

and teak dining table with 6 

Richmond armchairs £4399 

Bridgman bridgman.co.uk 

Montague bar stool £265 

Neptune neptune.com 

Half Cut rubber shoes 

£70 Poddy and Black 

poddyandblack.com 

Cane dining chair £225 

Raj-Tent-Club rajtentclub.com 


Luxury Bags & Scarves 

www.jenneywren.co.uk 

Surrey’s Leading 

Occasion Wear 

Boutique 

www.melitaboutique.co.uk 

57 High Street, Chobham, Surrey, GU24 8AF 

Tel: 01276 856308 

MelitaOfChobhamWT225.indd 1 15/01/2021 JenneyWrenWT225.indd 17:42 

1 05/01/2021 17:07 

Come visit us in store 

for a warm, friendly 

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Our store is open 5 

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inthecountrykent.co.uk 

01233 742700 


108 

IntheCountryWT225.indd 1 07/12/2020 15:23

Velvet 

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Bracelet clutch bag 

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crush 

Dark, sumptious and just begging to be touched 

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– our love affair with velvet goes on... 

Plum jacket £119 M&S 

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Sleeveless dress 

£225 Toast toa.st 

Beaded shell pouch 

£25 The Grey Works 

thegreyworks.com 

Lychee Margarita bag £200 

Tea & Tequila teaandtequila.com 

Jenette bow 

barette £241.22 

Jennifer Behr 

jenniferbehr.com 

Burlington Pizza my heart 

flats £102 Yull yull.co.uk 

Anna Etter midi dress £229 Wolf 

& Badger wolfandbadger.com 

Malone Souliers Clara boots 85 £675 

Bernard Boutique bernardboutique.com 

Layo stud embellishments boots 

£1,170 Bernard Boutique 

bernardboutique.com 

Isabel Manns reversable 

palazzo pants £360 

Wolf & Badger 


Liberty Lady Kristina 

tote £125 Jenny Wren 

jenneywren.co.uk 

Leopard embroidered 

headband £35 Orelia 

London orelia.co.uk 

Seville Navy coat 

£295 Welligogs 

welligogs.com 

The Crackle Velvet 

Cocoon dress £95 

Hope hopefashion.co.uk 


Branca Crepe De Soie blouse 

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Triple Rosette 

headband in silk 

faille £265.26 

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Rose face covering 

£36 Holistic Silk 

holisticsilk.com 

The Sofia hair wrap 

£50 Silke London 

silkelondon.com 

Ladybeetle Zimmerman midi 

skirt £775 Bernard Boutique 


Mirage Kimono £220 

Alice Acreman Silks 

aliceacremansilks.com 

Silky 

smooth 

The Sitting Man 

Scarf £65 Mineheart 

mineheart.com 

There’s nothing more romantic than the cool touch of silk 

Fashion hounds silk square £120 

Just Add Style just-add-style.com 

Clea Silk Satin 

dress £425 Joseph 

joseph-fashion.com 

Swinton pleated rib 

skirt £325 Joseph 

joseph-fashion.com 

Kimonos from £75, 

shell huggies £50 & 

pearl huggies £42, 

all Pearl & Queenie 

pearlandqueenie.com 

ARSHYS sheer silk 

organza jacket £174 

Wolf & Badger 


Midnight Rose silk square 

£175 Laslett England 

laslettengland.com 

Virginia bow £114.27 

Jennifer Behr 


Massaging slippers 

£100 Holistic Silk 

holisticsilk.com 

Charm Zimmerman 

sheer floral blouse 

£595 Bernard Boutique 


Quartz April birthstone 

scarf £35 Weston 

westonearthimages.com 


110

The home of contemporary 

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Always one step ahead, 

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Call 020 7376 7442 Visit them at: 174 Kings Road, SW3 4UP Buy Online: www.bluevelvetshoes.com 

BlueVelvetWT225.indd 1 01/12/2020 16:00 

dressing undeniable beauty 

35 High St, 

Cranbrook 

www.odyl.co.uk 

01580 714907 

cordeliajames.com 


OdylWT225.indd 1 12/01/2021 CordeliaJamesWT225.indd 14:31 

1 11/01/2021 13:56

HIRE • BUY • REPAIR 

FREE CLASS & CONSULTATION 

me Pilates 

BREATH. STRENGTH. REFORM. 

A beautifully designed Reformer Pilates studio based in West 

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We offer a free class and consultation to everyone with no 

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about! We look forward to welcoming you at the studio soon! 

Resha McDonald | me Pilates 

Telephone | 07951 579626 

Email | mepilatesuk@gmail.com 

Instagram | @mepilatesuk 

Hawkhurst House 

Hawkhurst Care Suites House 

Care Relationship Suites 

Hawkhurst Centred Care House 

TM 

Relationship Centred Care 

Care TM 

Choice Care 

Suites of Suites carers for 

Relationship help and support Centred Care 

Relationship Centred Care TM 

TM 

Residents have the choice of using either 

the in-house team of carers and Registered 

Nurses, who are available at the home 24 

hours a day, or any other CQC registered 

care provider. All in-house care staff 

undergo comprehensive training and the 

majority hold a vocational qualification 

in care. If a resident wishes to 

purchase their care in-house, there is 

a Care Agreement drawn up prior to 

admission which covers both personal 

and nursing care. 

Cranbrook Road, Hawkhurst, Cranbrook, Kent, TN18 5EF 

Telephone: 01580 239170 

Cranbrook 

Email: enquiries@hawkhursthouse.com 

Road, Hawkhurst, Cranbrook, Kent, TN18 5EF 

Telephone: 01580 239170 


Cranbrook Road, Hawkhurst, Cranbrook, Kent, TN18 5EF 

Telephone: 

Cranbrook 

01580 

Road, 

239170 

Hawkhurst, Cranbrook, Kent, TN18 5EF 

Email: Telephone: enquiries@hawkhursthouse.com 

01580 239170 


There is a full and varied acitivites 

programme open to all residents. The 

social co-ordinators organise an active 

programme of crafts, games and hobbies 

as well as regular social events and 

visiting entertainers. All residents can 

choose the activities they wish to join. 

Care Plans and 

On-line access 

Your own front door 

Home from home 

Entry Requirements 

to a Care Suite 

Residents must be in need of care and 

support and be compatible with the 

social environment. The Manager or a 

Senior Nurse will be pleased to carry out 

a pre-move assessment in the person’s 

home or hospital. 

Computerised care plans are compiled 

for residents covering all aspects of 

daily living and include risk assessments 

whenever possible. To develop and 

Fully fitted en-suites plan a fulfilling care experience the 

input of the family and wider group of 

Thriving social and 

friends is paramount. They can assist 

recreational activities 

with providing detailed information of 

A home for life the for resident’s life those to date, influences, 

in in need need of of care care 

Residents can enjoy a communal lounge aspirations, fears and challenges. 

and dining home area. Meals are for served in life for those in need of care 

This sharing of information builds 

the Nursing relationships care between within all parties. 

Plenty garden space to enjoy 

dining 

new new room or 

style style residents can 

of of elect supported living in Nursing care within 

to have their meals delivered to their 

Nursing a home from care home 

supported A suite. new Traditional style living of cooked food in is Relatives and friends within can register to view 

Kitchenette 

Terms a home 

Dining & Area Conditions from home 

privacy 

home 

and 

for 

security 

life 

a Our 

the home latest with 

for 

spacious 

care from care 

plan specialised 

those in need of care 

suites home and daily 

provide 

reports 

all 

Kitchenette 

supported privacy and living security in 

Dining Area 

residents line through 

with a 

our 

‘home 

website. 

from home’ 

The on-line 

with 

Full details of all financial and legal 

Our spacious suites provide all 

privacy with care 

home 

specialised and nursing 

for life 

security care on the 

system 

benefit hand 

for those in need 

incorporates 

of 24 hour 

a high 

nursing 

standard 

care and 

of matters Choice are available of 

of 

from carers 

care 

A new style of 

Nursing care within 

the for 

residents 

support. a security home to 

Our 

with ensure from care 

a ‘home 

suites 

that home each from 

all have 

resident’s home’ 

en-suite 

with Manager or Lounge can be viewed on-line at 

Area 

KitchenetteEn-Suite 

with and supported nursing specialised on hand care the 

shower 

information benefit 

rooms 

of is 24 

and, 

secure. hour 

in addition, 

nursing care 

they 

and 

offer 

www.hawkhursthouse.com. 

Sleeping 

Area 

A new style 

living 

of 

in 

help Dining Area 

Nursing care within 

and support 

Lounge 

support. Our spacious Our care suites all provide have all en-suite 

Area 

three important features not found in 

En-Suite 

Sleeping 

and privacy To Royal Tunbridge Wells 

Hawkhurst nursing and House security on hand is a purpose a home from shower rooms built home To Maidstone 

and, in addition, they offer 

Area 

Hawkhurst supported House is a living purpose built in 

residents with a ‘home from state home’ of with 

Kitchenette 

traditional nursing Tonbridge, homes: Sevenoaks 

Dining Area 

Hawkhurst 

and M25 motorway 

with three important features not found in Thriving social 

state of the art located just over 

House 

Hawkhurst 

the art 

specialised 

House 

home, 

is a purpose 

located 

care the benefit of 24 hour nursing care and 

built 

just 

Our 

traditional nursing homes: 

a mile from the village of Hawkhurst. · Social over 

spacious 

space a 

care 

so that mile 

suites provide 

residents’ from 

all 

Lounge 

privacy and security support. Our care suites all have en-suite 

Area A typical En-Suitecare suite 

state 

Situated 

of the 

on 

art 

the 

home, 

A229, 

located 

road links 

just 

provide 

over 

families 

residents 

and 

with 

friends 

a ‘home 

can 

from 

spend 

home’ 

time 

with 

Sleeping 

and nursing on hand shower rooms and, in addition, they offer and recreational 

Area 

with the village specialised of Hawkhurst. care 

a mile from the village of Hawkhurst. · Social together the The benefit space in home privacy of so 24 that hour and residents’ has nursing comfort been care and With registered nurses on-site A typical 24 care hours suite 

direct access via the A21 Comfortable to both social Royal areas three important features not found in 

Lounge 

families support. and Our friends care suites can spend all have time en-suite a day, activities 

the suites offer Area a permanent En-Suite 

Situated Hawkhurst 

Tunbridge 

on House 

Wells 

the A229, is a purpose 

and Hastings. 

road links built 

The 

provide traditional 

home 

together Dining space 

nursing 

in privacy so that 

homes: 

Sleeping 

and residents comfort can With 

home 

registered 

where the 

nurses 

residents 

on-site 

do not 

24 

need 

hours 

to 

direct 

offered 

and designed 

has been 

access 

using 

nursing 

designed 

via 

seasonal specifically 

the 

specifically 

A21 

produce 

on hand 

to both 

wherever to offer shower rooms high and, levels in addition, of they offer 

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Royal over enjoy their meals in their own room, a day, the suites offer a permanent 

Tunbridge 

possible. a Our 

Wells 

qualified 

and Hastings. 

chef is happy 

The home 

to 

Dining space so that residents can worry about moving if their care needs 

high specialist 

mile from the village 

levels of specialist care 

of Hawkhurst. 

to older older 

· Social three important space so that features residents’ not found in 

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people if families they wish 

home where the residents do not need to 

has 

provide Hawkhurst 

been 

alternative House is 

designed specifically 

choices a purpose if requested. built 

to offer 

enjoy traditional 

and 

their meals 

with nursing 

friends homes: 

can 

their 

dementia 

spend time 

own room, increase. Care Our residents Plans can and 

Situated on the A229, road links provide 

rest assured 

people with dementia type illnesses and 

worry about moving if their care needs 

high 

Special state of 

levels 

diets the art 

of 

can home, 

specialist 

be accommodated 

located just over 

care to older 

if A 

together 

they kitchenette 

in privacy 

wish so that 

and 

residents 

comfort 

With registered nurses on-site 24 hours 

direct 

or their they have a home for life at Hawkhurst 

with type access 

physical illnesses via the A21 to 

frailty. and both Royal with physical 

guests can prepare 

frailty. 

drinks or snacks 

increase. 

House. On-line Our residents access can rest assured 

people 

where a mile necessary. 

To Hastings 

To Rye 

with 

from 

dementia 

the village 

type 

of 

illnesses 

Hawkhurst. · Social space so that residents’ a day, the suites offer a permanent A typical care suite 

Tunbridge Wells and Hastings. The and home 

· Dining 

A families space 

kitchenette and so 

so friends that residents 

that residents can spend can 

or their time they home have where a home the residents for life at do Hawkhurst not need to 

with has Situated been physical designed on the 

frailty. 

A229, specifically road links to offer provide enjoy their meals in their own room, 

guests together can prepare in privacy drinks and or comfort snacks House. worry With about registered moving nurses if their on-site care needs 24 hours 

high direct levels access of specialist via the A21 care to to both older Royal if they wish 

increase. a day, Our the residents suites offer can a rest permanent assured 

people Tunbridge with Wells dementia and type Hastings. illnesses The and home · Dining space so that residents can 

· A kitchenette so that residents or their they home have where a home the for residents life at Hawkhurst do not need to 

has been designed specifically to offer 

enjoy their meals in their own room, 

with physical frailty. 

guests can prepare drinks or snacks House. worry about moving if their care needs 

high levels of specialist care to older 

if they wish 

increase. Our residents can rest assured 

people with dementia type illnesses and 

· A kitchenette so that residents or their they have a home for life at Hawkhurst 

with physical frailty. 

guests can prepare drinks or snacks House. For further details, 

hawkhursthouse.com 

please call 01580 239170 

MePilatesWT225.indd 1 11/01/2021 HawkhurstHouseWT224-AB.indd 15:21 

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QuenchCyclesWT225.indd 1 11/01/2021 11:33

Beauty 

Virtual Makeover 

Josephine Fairley explains how it’s still possible to try out the latest products and 

makeup looks before you buy – but you’ll need to brush up on your tech first 

No question: the pandemic has taken some of the 

(lip) gloss off make-up shopping. Tester units – so 

useful for letting us play with colours, albeit with 

disposable lip brushes, Q-Tips and throwaway mascara 

wands – have, in almost every case, vanished. Before 

this latest lockdown, some counters offered ‘dummies’, 

while at others, glossy cardboard inserts replaced product 

altogether. And heaven knows when they’ll be back. 

Make-up shopping has been reduced to replenishment of 

tried-and-trusted products we already own, for many. 

But wait. Because there will be fun and enjoyment still 

to be had in make-up shopping – if you know where to 

look. When shoppers are allowed back in-store, although 

dipping and dabbing may remain a distant memory, many 

brands (and store groups like John Lewis) have found a 

way to offer Covid-friendly makeovers. You’ll need, in most 

cases, to book in advance (with the caveat: lockdowns seem 

to come out of nowhere, so if the current one continues, 

between time of writing and you reading this, you’ll just 

have to be patient for a little longer). But in theory, at least, 

it should be possible to have someone whisk their brushes 

over your face again, introducing you to new shades and 

techniques – the opportunity for a new ‘face’ for a stillnew 

year. And if you don’t want a full makeover, trust me: 

in-store make-up artists/sales consultants will be desperate 

to share any nugget of wisdom and skills, after so many 

months spent twiddling their thumbs – and even the 

most ‘independent’ beauty shopper, who generally likes 

to make up her own mind about things, would do well 

to think about tapping into their wealth of knowledge. 

But if you prefer, you don’t need to have any human contact 

at all while finding your next, perfect shade. Because what is 

huge fun and mega-exciting is that beauty is now tapping into 

the world of AI (Artificial Intelligence), via virtual make-up 

try-on sessions that offer a preview of how different shades of 

foundation, lipstick, blusher, or eyeshadow might look on you 

in real life. It’s not a perfect technology, yet (but then nor is 

Zoom, and that hasn’t stopped gazillions of Zoom meetings 

happening over the last year). But it’s worth playing with. 

Basically, you’ll need either to upload a picture (with some 

sites) or, preferably, use the camera on your smartphone, and 

choose the product and the shade you’d like to try on. This 

will then be magically ‘painted’ onto your face, on screen, so 

that at least you get an idea of what it looks like with your 

particular colouring. Personally, I’m finding this seriously 

addictive: it’s actually fascinating to choose one single product 

and try out the whole colour spectrum. I think I first did this 

with a Bobbi Brown lipstick, and worked my way through 30 

shades – and it was really eye-opening to see what pinks and 

beiges and mauves, which I’d normally avoid like the plague, 

would look like on my colouring. (It’s a really good way of 

nudging yourself out of your comfort zone, actually.) 


Beauty 

“ 

Check out the websites 

of your favourite brands 

to find out what’s on 

offer. In many cases, 

the consultations are 

entirely free; others 

require a booking fee 

that’s usually redeemable 

against purchase. 

” 

At MAC, for instance, you can ‘virtually’ try on over 200 

product options, from lipstick and blush to mascara. Again, load 

a photo of yourself – or ‘swatch’ it on a model, if you prefer. 

In fact, the range of brands embracing this new way of letting 

customers try their products spans Estée Lauder right through to 

Maybelline, or (for those who like their make-up ranges a little 

more natural), BareMinerals. But I’d approach all of this the way I 

do a normal makeover opportunity, actually: with some prep. It’s 

fun to meander through cyberspace trying on shades at random, 

but I always like a shopping list, myself. Perhaps a lighter-weight 

foundation, for spring. Some new eye make-up, now that the focus 

has shifted completely from lips – in this mask-wearing world – 

to the eyes. And if you’re craving actual human contact (as I am, 

desperately), you can still do this safely – but at one remove. 

Another online revolution is that savvily, last year, many leading 

beauty brands launched online consultations. My advice is either go 

for a favourite brand, or use this as the no-commitment opportunity 

to try something entirely new; the list of online consultations on 

offer is growing by the week – and this isn’t a temporary thing. 

In the South East, we’re lucky enough to live within striking 

distance of a wealth of standalone beauty boutiques and department 

store make-up counters – but those near John O’Groats or Land’s 

End may be hundreds of miles from a Fenwick or a Harvey Nix. 

Quite aside from being able to enjoy make-up advice while still 

in your PJs and Uggs, if you choose, this also opens up discreet 

opportunities to tap into advice for the ‘trans’ community, 

without a feeling of vulnerability, which I know (from a lovely 

transitioning friend) can be all too real, when balanced on a tall 

stool at a make-up counter in a bustling department store. 

So wherever you are, whatever your gender, you can now enjoy 

a video consultation with Charlotte Tilbury (OK, not Charlotte 

herself, but one of her artists), Guerlain, By Terry, Clarins, Westman 

Atelier, Trinny London – and trust me, by the end of this year, 

they’ll ALL be doing it. (Check out the websites of your favourite 

brands to find out what’s on offer – or use our good friend Google.) 

In many cases, the consultations are entirely free; others require a 

booking fee that’s usually redeemable against purchase. But what I 

know from the services I’ve tried is that very often, the consultants 

– who’ve been recruited from the ranks of their top pros – then 

follow up with a bunch of samples for trialling at home. 

Be aware, meanwhile, that these beauty consultations do go beyond 

make-up recommendations. I particularly enjoyed my Guerlain 

Beauty Masterclass session with Lauren, one of Guerlain’s senior 

pros, which also covered skincare advice and a fragrance consultation. 

(Amazingly – and this was a test for Lauren, on my part – she 

suggested a scent which I’d had recommended during an in-store 

digital fragrance consultation, Angelique Noire, from the hundreds 

in Guerlain’s line-up, and which I’d already been wearing and loving.) 

Lauren followed up our Zoom with a gorgeous pack of samples, 

from which I found a new skincare ‘love’. So all of this really works. 

Do I still look forward to the day when I can go back into a store 

and swatch a (sanitised) lipstick from a tester unit onto my actual 

skin? You bet. But meanwhile, I’m blowing a kiss to the folks in 

Silicon Valley, for enabling me to try make-up on at all, right now... 

Visit beautybible.com for Jo’s daily ‘loves’ and features. 


114

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TownCountryHomecareWT225.indd 1 15/01/2021 17:52 

Concept 

Hair 

salon 

50 High Street, Tenterden 01580 762 564 

Book online at www.williamcharleshair.co.uk 

or through our facebook page 

David Cole from Quench Cycles runs us through 

the cycling experience on offer at Bedgebury 

Can anyone come and cycle at Quench? 

Yes! You can obviously cycle using your own bikes or use 

ours. Whether a leisurely ride on the easier blue graded 

‘family’ route or a more adventurous mud-spattered ride 

on the more challenging red graded single-track mountain 

biking route, Quench’s range of modern, well-specced 

kids and adult mountain bikes – including electric bikes, 

so that you don’t have to struggle up the hills – ensures 

that you have a great time and can explore the forest and 

the amazing habitat that so much wildlife calls home. 

What makes Bedgebury so special? 

Bedgebury is a beautiful and spiritual place, home to 

the National Pinetum and over 20km of dedicated, all 

weather, traffic-free cycling trails and wide-open spaces to 

socially distance. Afterwards, you can get something to eat 

and drink at the lakeside café or have a picnic under a tree. 

Other than cycle hire, what else is on offer at Quench? 

For us, it’s about getting people cycling, be it on your 

bikes or ours. We are a sales, demo and tech centre 

for both Whyte and Transition bike brands and have 

parts, accessories and clothing, bike servicing and 

repairs all on offer to enhance your cycling experience. 

There are a variety of skills and maintenance courses 

and cycling birthday parties to choose from, as well as 

loads of advice and help from a professional team to 

ensure that you make the right choice of bike and kit. 

Can you tell us a little about your bike courses? 

Bedgebury is ideal for novice to intermediate riders. Our 

bike courses are for riders who want to increase their 

skills, speed and flow to be able to ride the trails with 

more confidence. The courses look at bike set up, body 

position, cornering, braking, input and visual performance 

cues and how to break down the trail and line choice. 

Are you still running your Real Spin classes? 

Yes we are. They’re on a Monday and Tuesday morning. 

The physical and mental health benefits of cycling are well 

documented, which is further enhanced if you exercise 

outdoors rather than indoors. The first session is a free 

taster session and then you can buy a book of 10 tickets. 

The classes are really flexible and multi-level. You don’t 

have to be a seasoned biker and can go at your own pace. 

Given the current situation, please call 

Quench on 01580 879694 before you 

visit Bedgebury. visitquenchuk.co.uk 


WilliamCharlesWT216.indd 1 06/01/2020 16:50

Put your best 

face 

forward 

Dr Dr Christine Christine Or Or is is an an Award-winning Aesthetic Doctor, a member of of B.C.A.M. 

& trained in Harley Street. She offers a range of treatments, including: 

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DrChristineWT204.indd DrChristineWT225.indd 1 17/12/2020 22/01/2019 20:06 12:31 

Is your skin facing a cover-up conundrum? Award Winning Doctor and member of the British College 

of Aesthetic Medicine, Dr. Christine Or, explains how to tackle skincare’s latest dilemma – Maskne 

With the Covid-19 

pandemic, wearing a 

mask is becoming part of our 

daily routine, but this often 

brings with it the problem 

of Maskne. We asked awardwinning 

Dr.Christine Or 

of Dr.Christine Medical 

Aesthetics to talk us through 

everything you need to 

know about Maskne. 

What is Maskne? Face mask 

acne, shortened to Maskne, 

is a skin condition caused by 

wearing a mask for prolonged 

periods of time. It can manifest 

as acne, breakouts, a flare up 

of Rosacea or skin redness and 

irritation, usually affecting 

the nose, chin and cheeks. 

What causes it? The wearing 

of masks causes friction 

and a build up of sweat, 

oil, bacteria and makeup, 

leading to blocked pores 

and inflammation. This 

is compounded by the 

trapping of humidity 

within the masked area 

and sometimes a sensitivity 

to the mask material. 

How can we prevent Maskne? 

• Change your mask twice 

a day. It is recommended 

that you should use your 

mask for no more than 4 

hours at a time. After this 

time, disposable masks 

should be thrown away and 

re-usable masks should be 

cleaned in a hot wash to 

remove bacteria and dirt. 

• Cotton masks are preferable 

to masks made from synthetic 

materials, and silk masks 

may be more gentle on the 

skin and more breathable. 

• Cleanse your face before 

and after using a mask. If 

your skin is red and irritated, 

use a gentle cleanser, but 

if you are suffering with 

breakouts and acne choose a 

cleanser containing salicylic 

acid to remove bacteria and 

grease from the pores. 

• Use an antibacterial solution 

designed to be left on your 

skin such as clinisept. 

• Use a moisturiser to ensure 

your skin is not dehydrated. 

Skincare containing sodium 

hyaluronate and niacinamide 

will help hydrate and protect 

the skin barrier. Alumier 

Ultimate Boost serum is my 

favourite. If you are prone to 

breakouts, look out for oil-free 

non-comedogenic skincare. 

www.drchristine.co.uk • 07928 971683 • christine@drchristine.co.uk 

• Avoid wearing make-up if 

possible but if you feel you 

do need to wear make-up 

ensure it is non-comedogenic 

so will not block your pores. 

• Reduce your intake of dairy 

and sugar as this will reduce 

the inflammation in the skin. 

• Avoid touching the face 

and transferring bacteria 

and grime to your skin. 

Dr. Christine offers virtual 

skincare consultations. 

Appointments can be 

booked online at christine@ 

drchristine.co.uk/book-online 


116 

DrChristineWT225-Advertorial.indd 1 12/01/2021 09:45 

Dr Christine Or is an Award-winning Aesthetic Aesthetic Doctor, Doctor, a a member member of of B.C.A.M. 

& trained in Harley Street. She offers a range of treatments, including:

Wellbeing 

Reached 

your limit? 

Sarah Maxwell explains how it’s important to 

set your own personal fitness goals for an active 

lifestyle that’s tailored to your unique requirements 

How far is too far when it 

comes to pushing your 

body? Overdoing exercise 

can lead to injuries and may actually 

end up erasing all of the benefits 

that you have achieved so far. 

Because our bodies are trained 

to adapt as part of our human 

survival instinct, there will inevitably 

come a time when your body 

just starts to coast along and no 

improvement is seen or felt. 

This is called reaching a plateau. It 

is basically your body getting used to 

doing the same thing – it is also telling 

you that you have achieved your body’s 

potential prior to that activity or the 

intensity of the activity. This doesn’t 

mean that you are losing fitness – 

you could still be in great shape and 

maintain your fitness – but if you 

want to increase it, then you will need 

to start changing things. This same 

kind of plateau is seen in weight-loss 

diets and can be very demoralising. 

In order to progress with your 

fitness program you do need to 

put some stress on your body, 

but what is also important is to 

learn to listen to your body. 

I would always recommend that 

exercise beginners gradually increase 

the duration of their activity, rather 

than the intensity, at the start of the 

exercise program. When you feel 

comfortable with a longer duration, 

then you can start to cut that 

down and increase the intensity. 

It is important to remember 

that we are all very different – one 

size certainly does not fit all. 

Some people react very well to 

Hiit workouts and others don’t. 

Some people react well to running, 

some to walking and others prefer 

playing sport or taking part in 

a session of yoga or pilates. 

As a trainer it is very important 

to me that my clients actually enjoy 

what they do, and that they have 

sustainable and realistic goals. 

Above all, I feel what is really 

important is to understand that doing 

exercise that leaves you unable to walk 

on a regular basis means you’re not 

listening to your body. In my many 

years in fitness, if I was in pain like 

that, there is no way I could do my 

job and, quite honestly, if I was that 

obsessed with my body then I would 

have no time to give my clients. 

Time and time again I hear exercisers 

say that a class or session was so 

effective, they couldn’t sit down on the 

loo without pain. In truth, this doesn’t 

help your fitness, and in most cases it 

stops any hope of sustaining a regular 

exercise program. As important as it 

is to push yourself with exercise, it’s 

critical to know your limits. Whether 

you’re new to fitness or a regular 

exerciser, this is vital to your success. 

The key to fitness is balance in 

all areas. Rest, sleep, relaxation, 

nutrition, hydration and goal setting 

(no matter how small it may seem). 

If you listen to your body, respect 

yourself, appreciate all of the smallest 

achievements (this could be something 

as simple as drinking an extra glass 

of water a day) 2021 will be THE 

year you hit every one of your goals. 

Sarah Maxwell is a multiple awardwinning 

Fitness and Lifestyle coach 

and mum of two who juggles a lot 

of balls. Find out more about Sarah 

and her work at sarahmaxwell.com 

Sarah shares her Fitness and Lifestyle tips 

on Instagram @sarahmaxwelllifestyle 


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Nourish to 

Flourish 

Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach 

Charlotte Lau gives her 

recommendations to prioritise 

your health this February 

After a holiday of over-indulgence, there’s nothing more appealing 

than a ‘quick-fix’. With the instant-gratification culture we are 

surrounded by and ambitious new year’s resolutions, it’s no 

wonder that, by February, 80% of us fail to stick to our new regimes. 

Studies repeatedly show that crash and yo-yo dieting can cause 

short term water loss but in the long term actually promote a 

vicious cycle of deprivation, self-blame, failure and in fact, weight 

gain. Instead of wishing for overnight success, consider your path 

to a healthy lifestyle as a journey; where purpose, education, daily 

habits and consistency are key for long-term, sustainable change. 

If there is one thing 2020 has taught us, it is to prioritise our 

health, and for that there are no ‘quick-fixes’… it’s all about 

layering change and building new habits, one step at a time. 

New year… what better time to embrace a new habit? 

Give it a go... 

THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET 

Studies have shown that following the 

Mediterranean diet may benefit heart 

health, protect against type 2 diabetes 

and reduce levels of inflammation 

in the body. Unlike other popular 

diets, the Mediterranean diet focuses 

on including whole foods rich in 

diversity, good-quality and nutrient 

dense, rather than counting calories 

or tracking macronutrients. Healthy 

fats, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, 

legumes, and whole grains are a few 

of the key components. Extra-virgin 

olive oil, moderate consumption of 

fish and poultry, dairy products and 

red wine also feature, whilst lower 

consumption of red meats, processed 

foods and sugar is encouraged. 

Learn to... START SMALL & CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESS 

The key to building new habits is to start small. Even smaller than you think. 

So if you’re looking to increase your movement, start with a 1 minute walk/ 

run, or just 2 push ups. It doesn’t sound like much, but you are more likely 

to stick to this than aiming for 3 gym sessions a week. (…it’s February, it’s 

cold). Set yourself up to succeed… make it EASY and enjoyable. Now decide; 

where does it naturally fit into your day? The consistency of the time and place 

of these habits is important, repetition is what helps it become automatic. 

Emotions drive habits. If you are successful in doing 2 pushups or a one 

minute walk (you may even do more) you will feel good about 

yourself. It is this positive emotion, that rewires your brain 

into wanting to do it again. Celebrate the small steps 

and congratulate yourself on your achievements. 

This creates a ripple effect, making us want to do 

more and helps build long term change. If the habit 

seems unattainable right now, adjust it or try a 

new one. Better to make a tiny habit that you can 

stick to, than a big change that only lasts a week. 

Charlotte runs Plume Nutrition, where she offers support and advice 

for weight management, controlling cravings, sleeplessness, stress 

and increasing energy levels. Find out more at plumenutrition.com 

Step away from... 

ONE SINGLE APPROACH 

A healthy lifestyle is more than just 

the food we eat. Targeting your diet 

alone may not achieve optimal health 

as there are many other factors that 

come into play. Movement, sleep, 

mindset, social networks, knowledge, 

practical skills, our surroundings and 

nourishing food all play a role in the 

jigsaw of health and whilst our goal 

may be to lose weight, the food we 

consume is not the only thing that 

can affect this. Embedding healthy 

habits into your current lifestyle lays 

strong foundations for optimal health. 



120

Food 

Home Comforts 

We’ve all got used to spending a LOT more time together at home 

over the last year. Busy parents – juggling work, home schooling and 

increased household chores – have cooked hundreds of breakfasts, 

lunches and dinners throughout the course of the lockdowns 

and it’s time to change family meals from a bit of a chore into a 

proper treat and something to really look forward to. Our regular 

food writer Anna Stanford’s time-saving recipes are adapted for 

parents and children to enjoy together and offer the perfect chance 

to enjoy quality time together in the tastiest way possible! 

Recipes, Photographs & Styling: Anna Stanford 

Sweet Potato & Spinach 

Samosas with Chilli 

Tomato Chutney 

Makes: 12 Prep time: 20 minutes 

Cooking time: 20 minutes 

When my daughter Mia first decided 

to become vegetarian these samosas 

became a firm favourite. Using shop 

bought filo pastry, they’re really fun and 

simple to knock up. Try them with my 

20 minute chilli and tomato chutney 

which incidentally goes extremely well 

with cheese too! You could add it to a 

cheese board or load it with cheddar or 

brie into a baguette for a quick lunch. 

For the samosas: 

• 500g sweet potatoes 

peeled and cubed 

• 150g fresh spinach 

• 6 sheets filo pastry 

• ground nut oil 

• 1 onion chopped 

• 10cm ginger grated 

• 2 garlic cloves crushed 

• 1 tbsp medium curry powder 

• 2 tsp tomato purée 

• ½ tsp salt 

• 1 tbsp nigella seeds 

For the chutney: 

• 4 red chillis chopped 


• 200g mixed tomatoes – leave cherry 

ones whole, roughly chop larger ones 

• 2 tbsp ground nut oil 

• 2 tsp brown sugar 

• ½ tsp salt 

1 Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Simmer 

the sweet potatoes until soft and drain. 

2 Heat a pan and add 1 tbsp oil. Soften 

the onion then add the garlic, ginger, 

curry powder, salt and tomato purée. 

3 Give the pan a stir then add 

the drained sweet potatoes. 

4 Mash the potatoes into the spice mix 

and add the spinach. Add a splash of 

boiling water so the spinach wilts. 

5 Work with two sheets of pastry 

at a time. Cut into equal triangles. 

Brush one triangle with oil, sprinkle 

over a pinch of nigella seeds and 

lay another triangle on top. 

6 Add 2 tsp of the filling to one side. 

Brush the edge with oil and fold over 

into a triangle. Continue with the 

remaining pastry and filling. Sprinkle 

them all with more nigella seeds. 

7 Place on a baking tray and cook 

at 180˚C for 10 minutes. 

8 For the chutney, add the oil, chilli and 

garlic to a pan and soften for 5 minutes. 

Grind to a paste using a pestle or rolling 

pin. Add the remaining ingredients 

and simmer for 20 minutes. 

 

121 


Bull Green, 

Bethersden TN26 3LB 

Tel: 01233 822463 

Bether 

Tel 

Email: Shop@BullGreenFarm.co.uk 

Email: Shop@BullG 

We are a family-run farm rearing Dexter 

ONLINE SHOP 

cows, sheep and chickens. We believe 

animals should be able to roam free in the 

fields and enjoy fresh air and green grass. 

Free delivery over £100 

We have a nicely stocked shop with fresh 

eggs daily, home grown veg, and a variety 

of local products such as Kentish honey, 

jams, and occasionally freshly baked cakes. 

We also have a freezer packed with locally 

made pies and tasty treats. 











Bull Green, 

Bethersden TN26 3LB 

Tel: 01233 822463 

Email: Shop@BullGreenFarm.co.uk 

NEW FRESH FISH COUNTER 

open Fri & Sat 9am til 12pm 

Farm Shop open 

Tues-Fri 9am til 4pm Sat 9am til 3pm 

01732 761672 

www.chartfarm.com 

We are a family-run farm rearing Dexter cows, sheep and 

chickens. We believe animals should be able to roam 

free in the fields and enjoy fresh air and green grass. 





We have a nicely stocked shop with fresh eggs daily, home 

grown veg, and a variety of local products such as Kentish 

honey, jams, and occasionally freshly baked cakes. We also 

have a freezer packed with locally made pies and tasty treats. 





Bull Green, Bethersden TN26 3LB 

Tel: 01233 822463 Email: Shop@BullGreenFarm.co.uk 



ChartEnterprisesWT225.indd 1 11/01/2021 BullGreenFarmWT223.indd 14:36 

1 19/08/2020 14:14 

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Order the perfect night in for 

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Buy or subscribe call us today! 

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122 

PerryCourtFarmWT223.indd 1 27/08/2020 CocktailHourWT225-Generic.indd 14:11 

1 17/12/2020 20:24

Venison Wellington 

Serves: 4-6 Prep time: 5 mins 

Cooking time: 50 minutes 

Packed with iron, low fat 

and high protein, venison is 

probably the most nutritious 

meat you can buy. It’s a great 

alternative to beef, although 

you could use a beef fillet 

for this recipe and cook it 

in exactly the same way to 

make a Beef Wellington. 

• 800g venison fillet (or 

you could use beef fillet) 

• 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard 

• 30g butter 


• 400g chestnut mushrooms 

finely chopped 

• fresh thyme 

• 3 tbsp red wine 

• 8 slices prosciutto 

• 375g puff pastry 

• 1 egg, whisked 

For the port gravy: 

• 1 tbsp butter 

• 1 banana shallot 

• 1 tbsp flour 

• 100ml port 

• 300ml beef stock 

1 Heat the oven to 200˚C. 

Line a tray with parchment 

and get it really hot. 

2 Season the fillet, get a pan 

hot and colour it all over for 

5-6 minutes. Brush with the 

mustard and leave to cool. 

3 Warm the butter and 1 

tbsp olive oil in a pan and 

add the garlic, mushrooms, 

thyme and black pepper. 

Cook on a low heat until 

all the water evaporates 

from the mushrooms. Add 

the red wine and let it 

reduce. Put the mushrooms 

in the fridge to cool. 

4 Lay out some 

clingfilm and make two 

overlapping rows of the 

prosciutto. Spread over 

the mushroom mixture. 

5 Sit the fillet in the middle 

and wrap the prosciutto 

around the fillet so that 

you have a neat parcel. 

6 Lay out the pastry on 

greaseproof paper. Sit the 

prosciutto-covered fillet 

in the middle and tightly 

wrap the pastry around 

it. Trim the sides, brush 

the edges with egg and 

seal the ends. Brush with 

the egg all over and score 

lines across the top. 

7 Put the Wellington in 

the oven for 30 minutes for 

medium meat. Let it rest for 

15 mins before serving. 



124

Food 

Lobster Risotto with Samphire 

Serves 4 Prep time: 15 mins 

Cooking time: Around 45-55 minutes 

I made this risotto last New Year’s Eve. We all need 

a bit of a treat at the moment, and lobster tails are 

kinder on the purse than using a whole lobster. If 

you’re not a samphire fan (I love it!) switch it for 

spinach or peas. You could also use the biggest fresh 

prawns you can find as an alternative to lobster. 

• 2 small onions, finely chopped 

• 4 garlic cloves, crushed 

• 3-4 lobster tails, shell removed, 

flesh sliced 2 cm thick 

• 300g Arborio risotto rice 

• 150ml white wine 

• 1.4l fish stock 

• 200g samphire 

• 1tbsp butter 

• juice from 1 lemon 

• 1-2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley 

1 Colour the onion in the pan with some oil 

for 10 minutes before adding the garlic. Stir 

for a minute then add the Arborio rice. 

2 After 1 minute, add the wine and let it bubble. 

3 Add the stock one ladleful at a time until 

the rice is cooked (about 25-35 minutes). 

The texture should be creamy. 

4 Add the sliced lobster tails and samphire. 

Stir through a knob of butter and the lemon 

juice and pop the lid on for 5 minutes. 

5 Season and serve with fresh chopped parsley. 

Stuck for daily recipe inspiration? Visit 

annasfamilykitchen.com for a wealth of fussfree 

family meals including dishes for vegans 

and vegetarians. You can also find Anna on 

Instagram @annasfamilykitchen to see what she’s 

been cooking in her own kitchen each week. 



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Contents 

Making your celebrations come true 

6 ADAPT, ADOPT, IMPROVE 

How three local schools have 

adapted in challenging times 

9 THE RIGHT FOOT 

How sport works in the ‘new normal’ 

13 MEET THE P.E. PROS 

Two athletes who became P.E. teachers 

14 MEET THE HEAD 

Will Chuter, Headmaster 

of Cranbrook School 

17 WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT TECH 

How to keep technology safe for students 

18 TAKING RESPONSIBILITY 

Dulwich Prep Cranbrook is teaching 

students to care for the planet 


Jesse R Elzinga, head 

of Sevenoaks School 

24 BEYOND THE STUDENT 

COUNCIL 

How Claremont School is 

prioritising the student voice 

27 ASK THE EXPERT 

We find out the benefits of tutoring 

29 HELP’S ONLY A CLICK AWAY 

Frewen College Prep discusses 

online dyslexia support 


Bryan Nixon, Head of School at TASIS 

33 BURSARIES: WHAT YOU 

NEED TO KNOW 

How to get into a top school 

38 PROFESSIONAL STANDARD 

The story of the local school that 

produced a film during a pandemic 

38 A VERY BRIGHT FUTURE 

A hopeful look at life after the classroom 

Creating and delivering luxury 

bespoke celebration events 

07966 781710 www.slumberboutique.co.uk 

SlumberBoutiqueWT225.indd 1 07/01/2021 12:59 

CRANBROOK 

TUNBRIDGE WELLS TONBRIDGE 

Tunbridge Wells 

Opening February 2021 

juniorsdaynursery.co.uk 

01892 341060 

Opening Ju 

Adjacent to Tonbridg 

Full daycare • 3 months to 5 years • 

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HEADCORN 

www.juniorsdayn 

Dan Goldsmith Photography 

Cover image: Children from 2 to 11 years old take part in 

Claremont School’s Forest School programme where they enjoy 

crafty outdoor activities claremontschool.co.uk 

CHILD SPACES NOW AVAILABLE 

Currently recruiting for qualified and experienced staff at all settings 

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JuniorsDayNurseryWT225.indd 1 07/01/2021 10:36

DEVELOPING CHARACTER 

Preparing children for an ever changing world 

100% Common Entrance Pass Rate 

100% Cranbrook Entrance Exam Pass Rate 

89% Success Rate for Senior School Scholarships 

PRE-PREP & PREP | BOYS & GIRLS 3-13 YEARS | DAY & FLEXI BOARDING

CHARACTER EDUCATION 

AT MARLBOROUGH HOUSE 

“Educating ‘characters’ can have 

an extraordinary effect on a pupil’s 

overall academic achievement, creative 

fulfilment and social confidence” 

Catherine Walker, Head of PSHE, 

Marlborough House 

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY CHARACTER EDUCATION? 

It is more important than ever that we are 

developing in our children key qualities and 

virtues, in order to instil the strength and 

resilience required to enable them to thrive 

in tomorrow’s busy world of change and 

opportunity. 

For a child to go on and flourish, and be able to 

meet life’s challenges with confidence and optimism, 

they need to be happy in their own skin and aware 

of themselves as learners. 

Our well established Character Education at 

Marlborough House helps children to develop 

virtues and practical wisdom that will serve them 

long after they leave us for Senior School. It is 

the reason why children at Marlborough House 

can achieve impressive academic results and 

scholarships, alongside gaining the building blocks 

of life skills. 

With widespread endorsement from Senior Schools 

and parents, Character Education is an integrated 

part of our whole school curriculum. These values 

are further embodied through the Pre-Senior 

Baccalaureate (PSB), our skills-based framework 

built upon character and learning 

virtues, fit for the 21st century. 

‘Excellent’ Academic and Pastoral Care (ISI Rated) 

Small classes with high staff to pupil ratios 

Pre-Senior Baccalaureate for Years 7 and 8 

Virtual School Tour Available 

registrar@marlboroughhouseschool.co.uk 

Marlborough House School, Hawkhurst, Kent, TN18 4PY

ADAPT ADOPT IMPROVE 

The last year has been anything but an easy ride, especially when it comes to 

education, but our schools have worked tirelessly to keep their students engaged 

and maintain a sense of normality – and this is how they’ve achieved it 

“ 

Eddy Newton, Head of Marlborough House School 

Certain things don’t seem so important 

anymore! The key challenge for schools in 

these past few months has been to ensure 

that the children are supported emotionally and 

still feel safe and secure in school. For any remote 

teaching, the challenge has been to make sure that 

they feel part of things while cooped up at home. 

Having a seven year old join a form assembly from home, able to 

see their friends and take part remotely, has been more important 

than worrying about their maths tables or handwriting. 

Schools have become more creative and flexible, traits that we 

are trying to pass on to the children. With no sports matches 

since March last year, games staff have been inventive between 

lockdowns, challenging the older children to coach younger 

ones and varying the sports on offer, bringing in orienteering or 

house events rather than another session of football or hockey. 

In the classroom at Marlborough House, we have already 

tried to ask the children to be more independent in their 

thinking and this has been accelerated in recent months. 

Having all the children back at school throughout the 

Autumn Term was wonderful. Celebrating the normality 

of each day has been valuable – children and adults’ 

appreciation of the simple things in life has been the most 

positive development of all. marlboroughhouseschool.co.uk 

” 

Mrs Katy Joiner, Headmistress, 

Hilden Oaks Prep 

How is your school adapting to new 

ways of learning? When the pandemic 

hit, most conventional teaching methods 

had to be shelved and everyone was 

forced to start ‘thinking outside the 

box’. There is no doubt that technology 

has had a massive part to play and 

enabled Hilden Oaks to adapt to a 

‘blended’ learning approach – a mix 

between face-to-face (when possible) 

and online learning. Last year, children 

were taught in their respective ‘bubbles’ 

and came together for virtual assemblies 

and other whole school events, using 

Microsoft Teams. It has also meant 

that children can now attend lessons, 

virtually, with their peers. The school 

has invested heavily in technology, 

making iPads available for each child, 

and upgraded laptops for every member 

of staff. The staff also receive regular 

Microsoft training in order to keep 

abreast with the latest software. 

How can you support pupils, staff 

and their families during the ongoing 

pandemic? Family is at the heart of 

Hilden Oaks and therefore it is no 

surprise that the school community has 

pulled together to support one another 


6

Education Supplement sponsored by 

Mr David Sansom, Assistant 

Head, Sutton Valence School 

How is your school adapting to new ways 

of learning? Sutton Valence adapted very 

quickly at the start of the pandemic, with 

lessons, pastoral care and co-curricular 

opportunities provided via Zoom, OneNote 

and Teams from the start of the Summer Term. That enabled 

us to have a smooth return to school in September with 

many systems already in place. Our plan for returning to 

school ensured lessons could continue in a safe environment, 

and self-isolating pupils could access live lessons via Zoom 

and stay in touch remotely. Live video links have given 

everyone access to reduced capacity events such as Chapel or 

Headmaster’s assembly and departments such as Sport, Music 

and Drama have worked closely with National Governing 

Bodies to ensure they continue to be provided within the 

current parameters. Unsurprisingly, our pupils have adapted 

remarkably well and have been excellent throughout. 

How can you support pupils, staff and their families during 

the ongoing pandemic? Our established pastoral support and 

communication systems have remained in place and proved 

invaluable throughout the pandemic. Our clear patterns of 

communication with parents – at a whole school level or 

via individual tutors – have ensured high levels of pastoral 

care. Our wide ranging support remains as vital as ever, from 

housemasters/mistresses, matrons, and tutors, to our medical 

team, Mental Health Coordinator and School Counsellor. 

What effect do you think the new normal will have on 

learning going forward? It has accelerated the school’s 

Digital Strategy to launch earlier than planned. All pupils and 

teachers now use digital-link enabled devices for all lessons, 

and Microsoft One Note and Teams applications for work 

and resources, with more digital platforms being developed. 

Whatever may be around the corner, Sutton Valence will be 

more ready than ever, and pupils will continue to have access to 

the highest quality education – either remotely or in school. 

How can you make sure the whole school stays motivated 

and morale is kept high? Our Covid risk assessment enabled 

much to operate as close to normal as possible last term, whilst 

keeping the community safe. Consequently, things such as 

meals, sport, music, drama and co-curricular activities were able 

to be continued in the main, as well as Field Days involving 

school trips and over 100 pupils taking part in Duke of 

Edinburgh expeditions. It is important for pupils to continue 

to have opportunities to explore their talents and interests, 

whilst maintaining our high-quality educational delivery for all 

year groups – particularly those sitting public examinations. 

Have any positive surprises arisen as a result of the 

pandemic? The pandemic has brought to the fore just how 

much plastic is being disposed of with items such as face 

masks. The school community has recognized this and support 

for our environmental endeavours has been galvanized. 

Our Eco Society has been relaunched and over 40 pupils 

have volunteered to sit on the committee to address how 

the school can reduce its ecological footprint. svs.org.uk 

during this extraordinary time. Keeping 

everyone safe has been a priority and 

communicating regularly with our 

families has enabled us to identify and 

support areas of particular need. Our 

small classes and excellent pastoral 

provision ensure that every child has 

a trusted adult they can talk to. 

What effect do you think the new 

normal will have on learning going 

forward? Children have learnt to take 

more responsibility for their learning 

during lockdowns and we saw a greater 

level of independence when they 

returned to the classroom. IT is playing a 

more prominent role in every lesson and 

pupils’ IT skills are highly developed. 

Pupils and staff have shown that they 

are exceptionally creative and hugely 

resilient. They know they can achieve 

anything if they put their minds to it. 

How can you make sure the whole 

school stays motivated and morale 

is kept high? We are really proud of 

our school and particularly proud of 

everything we have achieved this past 

year. Pupils and teachers have adapted, 

created and continued to deliver an 

outstanding curriculum and pupils have 

continued to make excellent academic 

progress. It is these achievements, 

along with our values-based focus and 

family ethos that keeps us motivated 

and looking forward to the future. 

Have any positive surprises arisen as a 

result of the pandemic? We have learnt 

that as a community we are extremely 

adaptable and hugely imaginative. 

Traditional events including Sports 

Day, Prize Giving, Harvest Festival and 

the Christmas Fair have all taken place 

in non-traditional ways. They have 

been different, but equally special and 

particularly memorable. 

hildenoaks.co.uk 


Babington House School 

Independent Day School from 3 to 18 years 

Grange Drive, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 5ES 

Headmaster: Mr T Lello, MA, FRSA, NPQH, PGCE 

Inspiring Teachers, Inspiring Children 

Achieving amazing results 

from Nursery to Sixth Form 

Virtual Open Morning available now: 

www.babingtonhouse.com


The Right Foot 

After a year of home schooling and social distancing, 

sport represents a unique challenge. How will we get 

up and running with a new-normal after lockdown? 

As the winner of the Sporting 

Achievement award in the 2020 

Independent Schools of the Year 

Awards, Hurstpierpoint College set 

a great example of how to resume 

sport in schools after lockdown. 

Director of Sport, Rob Kift tells us 

what measures they put in place after 

returning from the last lockdown. 

How did you encourage the school 

to stay as active as possible? 

This has always been our intention. 

Before the pandemic our programme 

sought to engage every student both in 

terms of participation and performance. 

After the first lockdown, we made it a 

priority for our pupils to be outside in 

the fresh air. We had to be creative with 

what we offered and how we utilised 

our facilities to their best advantage, 

for example we were playing cricket 

throughout the winter months using 

our new bank of outdoor cricket nets, 

which all of the students really enjoyed. 

How did you keep up a sporting routine? 

This was a real challenge, but we have 

very good facilities and a passionate team 

of coaches who were very creative and 

adaptable. The requirement for pupils to 

be in year group bubbles added to the 

problem but we overcame this with the 

introduction of temporary facilities such 

as a golf driving range and a marquee 

to house aerobics and spin classes. 

“Most pupils have mobile 

phones so we urge them 

to aim for 10,000 steps 

as a daily target.” 

Is there anything else you had to 

do differently? 

Social distancing and sanitising 

equipment were two obvious 

adaptations last year and we swiftly 

established a thorough routine to 

deliver sport in a Covid-safe way. 

We scheduled weekly meetings to 

review our provision, often centred 

around new government advice and 

national governing body regulations. 

Were you able to play matches 

against other schools last year? 

We didn’t play fixtures against other 

schools, but we remain optimistic 

that we will again at some point 

this year. Although we could have 

potentially played some sporting 

fixtures last year, the sentiment 

was to try to keep the school 

functioning in as safe an environment 

as possible. We organised more 

house competitions and intramural 

fixtures, which were received most 

enthusiastically by the pupils. 

How did the pupils adapt 

to the changes? 

To their credit, our pupils adapted 

very quickly to the ‘new-normal’, but 

inevitably they will need reminding 

of our in-house rules around 

social distancing, washing hands 

and the like once they’re allowed 

back together. As a department 

we have been keen to liaise very 

closely with our parent body and 

encourage them to reinforce our 

stance on the importance of physical 

activity. We have asked the pupils 

to show resilience in the inclement 

weather and to keep their activity 

levels up. Most pupils have mobile 

phones so we urge them to aim 

for 10,000 steps as a daily target. 

hppc.co.uk 



Sporting Stars 

Hilary Blake, Head Teacher at Sacred Heart, Wadhurst 

explains the changes they had to make last year 

How did you encourage the school to stay as active as possible? 

As we went into the first lockdown, we were finalising plans 

for the installation of a Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) 

at Sacred Heart, reflecting the high profile of sport here, 

and our ambition to offer even more in the future. With 

the MUGA in place, the children could go outside for 

every playtime and PE lesson, whatever the weather. 

How did you keep a sporting routine going? 

At a time when many aspects of school life were 

restricted, we prioritised PE within the curriculum and 

after school too. Although swimming was still off the 

menu last term, the children were able to participate in 

a range of sports from Lacrosse to football. They have 

boundless energy and are always eager to be challenged. 

Is there anything you had to do differently? 

In keeping with government guidance, separate activities 

were arranged for each ‘bubble’; equipment was 

restricted for use within bubbles or sanitised after use 

if shared, and pupils washed or sanitised their hands 

before and after lessons and playtimes. What at first 

seemed complicated soon became second nature. 

How did pupils adapt to the changes? 

As is often the case, the children were very quick to adapt – 

as long as they had sport and playtimes they were eager to 

comply! They were used to additional handwashing, cleaning 

and hygiene measures within the classroom; so continuing 

that into the outside space was a logical extension. 

Were you able to play matches against other schools last year? 

No, but we did train hard and were booking provisional 

fixtures – as soon as restrictions are lifted, we will be 

match ready! We are extending our fixtures list to 

include Year 4 this year as well as Years 5 and 6. 

How have pupils who attend external sports 

clubs in their own time been affected? 

The temporary closure of external clubs was a big 

disappointment for some pupils. We all know how 

important exercise and being outside is for our 

mental health and children are no exception. 

sacredheartwadhurst.org.uk 

When it comes to sport it really helps to have a 

heritage of great former students to look up to 

T 

he New Beacon School is immensely proud 

of its cricketing heritage, and rightly so. 

With a history spanning over one hundred 

years, an archive photograph shows Siegfried and Hamo 

Sassoon in the 1st XI after they won the West Kent Prep 

Schools League Cup in 1901. Skip forward to the present 

day, and The New Beacon has celebrated its success at 

regional and national competitions. The U11 XI has 

reached the final of the Kent Summers Cup every year 

this century, winning for the last nine consecutive years 

(bar 2020 with no play!). The U12 team regularly wins 

regional tournaments taking them through to national 

competition at 13+ often playing against grammar schools 

selecting from at least four times as many players. 

Two former pupils hit the headlines last summer, playing 

for Kent County Cricket Club and England. Sam Billings 

left The New Beacon in 2004 for Haileybury College with 

an all-rounder scholarship. He played regularly for Kent 

from 2014, becoming captain in 2018. Sam played his first 

ODI and Twenty20 games for England against New Zealand 

in 2015. He made his first international ODI century this 

summer against Australia finding more success with the bat 

and is a wicketkeeper-in-waiting for England. Sam returned 

to The New Beacon four years ago to give an inspiring 

coaching session to the boys and to present a bat to one of 

the pupils who had scored a century in a 1st XI match. 

Zak Crawley left The New Beacon in 2011, moving to 

that famous cricketing school, Tonbridge, with a Cowdrey 

sports scholarship. He had captained The New Beacon side 

which was runner up to Millfield in the national final in 

2011. He played for Kent from age 13 and made his senior 

debut in 2017. At The New Beacon, Zak was known for his 

precision and focus on technique with the bat, something 

which has clearly catapulted him to top of the order in the 

England test team. A highlight this summer for all cricket 

lovers was witnessing Zak’s 267 against Pakistan – the 

second highest maiden test century ever for England. 

While the school celebrates the success of these 

extraordinarily talented former pupils competing at 

international level, cricket is enjoyed by all at The New 

Beacon. The school often fields 4 or 5 teams in each 

year group. 58 boys (aged from 9-13) are members 

of local cricket clubs, notably Holmesdale and The 

Sevenoaks Vine. Twenty are playing district cricket, 

with two at Invicta and one on the Kent pathway. 

Sadly, last summer term not a ball was bowled – by a 

team which had the potential to reach the national finals 

once again. In the absence of cricket, the original 1900 

pavilion was refurbished in preparation for next season. 

newbeacon.org.uk 


10

Dream Big, 

Shine Brighter 

An incredibly nurturing day and flexi-boarding 

school inspiring 3-13 year old boys and girls 

to fulfil their extraordinary potential. 

dulwichprepcranbrook.org 

Student Wellbeing 

dulwichprepcranbrook.org

Love Love Learning, 

Learning, 

Love Life 

Love Life 

Open Day 

Our excellent teaching team 

understands 12th March how to draw the best 

from every individual boy; inspiring 

9am-12pm 

confidence, nurturing a love of 

learning and exploring new ideas. 

" 

We were right to entrust 

Prep School is the time to build firm 

foundations, The New Beacon when boys with are happy, 

growing these important in confidence, years enjoying a 

full and fulfilling school life. 

our child’s education. 

newbeacon.org.uk 

PARENT 

" 

“ 

Our excellent teaching team 

understands how to draw the best 

from every individual boy; inspiring 

confidence, nurturing a love of 

learning and exploring new ideas. 

Prep School is the time to 

build firm foundations, when 

boys are happy, growing in 

confidence, enjoying a full 

and fulfilling school life. 

newbeacon.org.uk


Meet the P.E. Pros 

We get to know two P.E. teachers that were once professional sports people – Mark Howell, Director of Sport 

and Head of Rugby at Sutton Valence School and Emily Starr, Assistant Director of Sport at Mayfield School 

Why did you become a sports teacher? 

I am a former Police Sergeant and played rugby 

professionally prior to that. I have always had 

a passion for education and sport and as I 

crept towards 30, I decided the time was right 

to make the change of career. I am glad to 

say I have loved every minute of working in 

education. To do something you love every day 

makes my job the best in the world in my eyes! 

I took up cricket when I was nine, when the 

girls from my football team were short of a 

player for their cricket team. The rest, as they 

say, is history. I went on to represent England 

at the U19 Indoor Cricket World Cup as well 

as Northamptonshire County Cricket Club. I 

wouldn’t have played sport to the level I did if 

it wasn’t for my PE teachers and I wanted to 

be that role model, the reason someone takes 

up a sport or raises their performance level. 

We were right 

to entrust The 

New Beacon 

with these 

How do you keep your 

important years 

pupils motivated? 

in our child’s 

It is highly important, even on the darkest, 

education. 

wettest of mornings, to be positive. I am lucky 

in that I am a positive person and I try and 

PARENT relay that 2018 to my pupils. Some do need more 

motivation than others and once you identify 

this, it is about giving them the opportunities to 

participate, succeed and – most importantly – 

have fun. If pupils can enjoy sport and physical 

activity, then self-motivation will follow. 

The last year has been more challenging, as I 

find a lot of the girls thrive on competition. 

As a school we have focused on ensuring 

core skills are developed. The girls 

have seen the benefit of this when 

we played competitive games 

internally last year. In PE I try to 

make the lessons as enjoyable 

as possible. It is about 

developing a positive 

mindset – once they are 

enjoying PE, you can then 

start to focus on core skills. 

svs.org.uk 

“ 

Who are your two biggest 

sporting heroes? 

They aren’t household names, but nobody 

comes close when I think of those who have 

influenced me. The first is my father, for 

being an amazing role model, introducing 

me to sport and following me all around the 

country when I played rugby. He’s my biggest 

supporter and someone I go to for advice. 

The second is a gentleman called Keith Day 

who was my rugby coach when I played for 

Swansea Under 15s. He led us to winning 

the Welsh National Dewar Shield and taught 

me the power of sport to change lives for the 

better. I made some of the most incredible 

memories working under Mr Day and learnt 

from him a great deal about how to get the 

best out of the pupils I work with now. 

Andrew Flintoff and Charlotte Edwards. After 

watching the 2005 Ashes series I wanted to 

bowl and bat like Freddie – I even copied his 

celebration when I got a wicket. His intent, 

attitude and passion were incredible. Charlotte 

Edwards was England Women’s Captain at 

the time I started taking cricket seriously. 

Her resilience at the crease when batting 

and the way she led the England Women’s 

Team to two World Cup wins and an Ashes 

win was unbelievable. I strive to inspire 

these qualities in the girls at Mayfield and 

encourage them to work hard and aim high. 

What’s the most unusual and 

adventurous sport 

you’ve ever tried? 

Kabaddi – it’s a contact sport played between 

two teams of seven. The objective is for a 

single player on offense (the ‘raider’) to run 

into the opposing team’s half of the court, 

tag out as many of defenders as possible, 

and return to their own half of the court, 

all without being tackled by the defenders, 

and in a single breath. I urge you to watch 

it on YouTube – it’s tremendous fun! 

Tchoukball – it’s the fastest hand ball sport 

in the world! It was invented in the late 

1960s by Swiss biologist Dr Hermann 

Brandt, who wanted to create a sport that 

reduced injuries, wasn’t aggressive, and 

enabled people of all shapes, sizes, genders, 

cultures, and backgrounds to play together. 

What’s been your proudest moment 

whilst teaching at your school? 

In March 2020 our 1st XV Rugby team 

reached the final of the National Schools Vase 

Under 18 final. The final was to be played 

at Twickenham but, due to Covid-19, it was 

cancelled. It was immensely disappointing 

not to play and take the entire school to the 

home of rugby, but to see the cup run catch 

the imagination of the school was quite 

incredible. We had never reached such a 

national rugby final before, and I will never 

forget the 500+ people watching the hardfought 

semi-final win. That match and the 

days that followed were extremely humbling 

and made me unbelievably proud to have 

built something so powerful and positive. 

Cricket was only introduced as 

a sport at Mayfield in 2017, so 

I was delighted when seven 

girls were selected for the 

Sussex CCC programme 

last year. I’m also incredibly 

proud that the school has 

just been named as one 

of the UK’s top 20 all-girls 

schools for cricket by The 

Cricketer Schools Guide 2021. 

mayfieldgirls.org 



Meet the Head 

The Cranbrook School student who grew up to be 

its headmaster, we get to know Mr Will Chuter 

Why did you choose to 

go into teaching? 

I was late to teaching. After university, 

I worked in offices and found it dull. 

I missed my subject, Classics and 

the variety of a school experience. I 

wanted to be challenged and to make a 

difference by developing the character 

of tomorrow’s adults. And I had loved 

my own school days, which helps! 

What was your favourite 

subject at school? 

Ancient History – great stories 

and characters, lessons for the 

future, and fantastic teaching. 

Can you tell us about one of 

your happiest school memories? 

I am an Old Cranbrookian myself and 

could name any point in time from 

my Sixth Form at Cranbrook, which 

was made very happy by my friends. 

We played competitive sports together, 

made music together, revised together 

and challenged each other academically. 

They remain my closest friends. 

Have your own school 

days influenced the way 

you will approach your 

role as headmaster? 

Definitely. I was fortunate to 

experience high-quality teaching, an 

ambitious academic environment, a 

stimulating co-curricular programme, 

excellent pastoral care, and a tolerant 

atmosphere where friendships could 

flourish. I believe these are key 

elements to a successful and happy 

school and the Cranbrookians 

of today deserve them too. 

What were you doing before 

accepting the headmaster 

position at Cranbrook? 

I had been Deputy Head (Pastoral) at 

Gresham’s School in North Norfolk. 

I oversaw the personal development 

and welfare of 520 13-18 year-old 

boarders and day pupils for five years. 

If you could teach anyone - 

either present day or from 

history - who would you choose? 

I always like the idea of learning from 

your pupils, so I would like to sit 

down with the Athenian politician 

Pericles, the Carthaginian commander 

Hannibal Barca, and the ‘First 

Lady’ of Augustan Rome, Livia, and 

spend glorious hours understanding 

their cultures and motivations. 

What are you looking forward 

to this coming year? 

Everything! But especially 

getting to know all the pupils 

and staff and their families. 

What do you think makes 

Cranbrook School special? 

It is unique: a 500-year-old, selective, 

co-ed, state boarding school that strives 

for top academic results while setting 

great store by character education and 

the development of the whole person. 

It has rightly been called the ‘jewel 

in the crown’ of state education. It is 

a privilege to be a small part of it. 

cranbrookschool.co.uk 


14

Co-educational 

selective day (ages 11-18) 

and boarding (ages 13-18) 

in the heart of the 

Kent countryside. 

Open Events 

Please visit 

www.cranbrookschool.co.uk/ 

admissions/open-events 

“Boarding is an integral, 

rich and thriving part of 

the school community. A 

strong sense of belonging 

and esprit de corps 

helps boarders to care 

for each other and take 

pride in their school 

and achievements.” 

OFSTED 

Rated ‘Outstanding’ for 

Boarding provision in 2018 

BOOK YOUR PLACE 

www.cranbrookschool.co.uk/open-events 

01580 711800 

admissions@cranbrookschool.co.uk 

www.cranbrookschool.co.uk

Sutton Valence School 

svs.org.uk 

A co-educational day and boarding School 

for ages 2-18 set in acres of stunning 

Kent countryside 

Little Lambs Nursery 

An award-winning full-time Nursery 

for children aged 2-4 

01622 842117 

Preparatory School 

A co-educational Preparatory School 

for children aged 4-11 

01622 842117 

Senior School 

An independent, day and boarding 

school for boys and girls aged 11 to 18 

01622 845200


We need to talk 

about tech 

In a world filled with more online socialisation than ever, how do parents and 

teachers keep up? We found out with the help of Battle Abbey School 

At Battle Abbey School we 

very much see parents as 

partners in a collaborative 

effort to keep children safe online. 

Smart phone technology and the 

multitude of apps that are available 

for children to communicate on has 

inevitably made it harder to define the 

boundary between our responsibility 

as a school and the responsibility of 

parents. As such, education on proper 

conduct online has become one of the 

cornerstones of our pastoral education. 

Historically, this focused on Key 

Stage 4 pupils, or pupils entering their 

GCSE years, but technology and apps 

are increasingly being picked up and 

used by younger pupils. Now most 

of our efforts are focused on giving 

pupils a solid grounding in Key Stage 

3, from Year 7 and up, though our 

visiting speaker schedule is open to, 

and attracts, parents from our Prep 

School and Key Stage 2 as well. 

The primary way we address these 

issues is through dedicated units that 

form part of the Battle Abbey School 

PSHE programme. This is decided 

annually but tends to be reviewed 

termly as it needs to adjust to which 

apps are trending with our pupil base. 

Luckily the school is small enough 

to be able to move very quickly 

should one of these trends create a 

problem or be of particular concern 

to teachers and parents. Tik Tok 

replaced Snapchat for a while as one 

of our main concerns but collaborative 

gaming has also been a more recent 

focus and the simple WhatsApp 

group always has the potential to 

create problems in peer groups. 

“we pride ourselves on 

giving each pupil a 

strong moral compass” 

Keeping children safe in all these 

arenas is obviously critical and we do 

our best to educate staff, parents and 

pupils alike. Our pre-covid visiting 

speaker programme was not just aimed 

at pupils and we often had visiting 

speakers talk to pupils in the afternoon 

and stay on for an early evening talk 

to parents. 2019 saw Dr Aric Sigman 

visit the Abbey to talk about the 

problem of Screen Dependency, and 

Bill Woodside spoke to parents and 

staff about keeping pupils safe in the 

digital world. In line with our legal 

duties on PREVENT we have also had 

guest speakers in to talk to families 

about the signs to look out for to stop 

children being radicalised online. 

It can be particularly tricky to set the 

line between what online behaviour 

we are arbiters of, and what should 

be managed by parents. Whilst there 

is a clear responsibility if something 

happens on school property, or using 

a school system, things are not always 

so clear cut. A school year or social 

group may have a WhatsApp group 

or similar setup. If offensive content is 

posted on these outside school hours 

and away from school property, who 

has the responsibility for discipline? 

It is challenges like this that mean we 

have to work very closely with parents 

whilst keeping tabs on both social 

trends and government advice. Not 

an easy job, but in a school where 

every pupil is known and we pride 

ourselves on giving each pupil a strong 

moral compass on these matters, we 

find any transgressions tend to be few 

and far between, and of a relatively 

minor nature when they do occur. 

battleabbeyschool.com 



Taking Responsibility 

Dulwich Prep Cranbrook explains how they’re fostering planet-friendly values throughout the school 

The majority of the eco initiatives introduced 

at Dulwich Prep Cranbrook have been very 

much child led, we have found that the children 

genuinely care and want to make a difference. Our Eco 

Club was set up by the children in Upper School. We have 

achieved the Eco Schools Bronze Award, and our goal is 

to achieve the Green Flag Award. The children undertook 

an environmental review of the school and drew up an 

action plan from the results. The three areas they will be 

concentrating on are waste, energy use and biodiversity. 

This year Dulwich took part in Switch Off Fortnight 

to reduce our energy use, and one Year 7 tutor group are 

working on their eco brick project, using recycled plastic 

bottles to make bricks to build houses in Africa. Other 

activities include a new initiative to compost waste at snack 

time during break and personalised aluminium water bottles 

designed in DT lessons. When we realised how many plastic 

bottles were used at school we started a campaign to ban 

them. Half the school now use glass milk bottles from a 

local dairy. We no longer use plastic straws and the schoolproduced 

DVD cases are now cardboard. Nash House (Early 

Years) are now single-use plastic-free, reverting to glass milk 

bottles at snack time and banning plastic wrapped food. 

In the grounds at Dulwich Prep Cranbrook we are 

fortunate to have an area set aside as a nature reserve 

and there is also an area of the grassland which is left 

unmown over the spring and summer. We have a very 

active Gardening Club who grow vegetables and fruit 

as well as flowers. In Little Stream (Years 1-4) Eco Club 

activities range from picking blackberries and making 

jam to creating bird boxes. The children have also given 

up their break to litter-pick in the school grounds. 

Eco Club have asked staff to reduce the amount of 

paper that they laminate as this is difficult to recycle and 

also to reuse and recycle classroom displays. End of life 

computer equipment is collected by an Environment 

Agency registered company for recycling and safe 

disposal. Printing is set to double-sided as default and 

printer and photocopier usage are regularly monitored, 

with high volume producers given advice on ways to 

reduce. We have also collected over 700 pens to recycle, 

and over 3,600 batteries have been saved from landfill. 

dulwichprepcranbrook.org 


18

The more they learn, 

The more they grow, 

The more they know, 

THE FURTHER 

THEY WILL GO! 

Contact us to arrange 

your tour of the school. 

e: info@battleabbeyschool.com 

t: 01424 219674 

Battle Abbey School 

Founded 1912 

Battle Abbey Prep School 

Tel: 01424 219674 www.battleabbeyschool.com/prep

Registered charity 1101358 

Where are the skills your child will need 

to resolve global conflict? 

Well, negotiation skills are embedded in the 

curriculum at Sevenoaks School, so in theory we need 

look no further. 

Our alumni certainly go on to achieve extraordinary 

things; equipped as they are with the skills they need to 

change the waiting world. 

Stephen Hale for example, mastered negotiation at 

Sevenoaks. He left in 1990 to work with Friends of the 

Earth and Oxfam, amongst others. Now he has an OBE 

and is CEO at Refugee Action, a UK charity that supports 

people fleeing war. 

It’s worth considering then, that many of the skills 

your child may need to make a significant impact, can be 

acquired here at Sevenoaks. 

www.sevenoaksschool.org 

Every day at Sevenoaks, students practise negotiation, service provision, team working, 

critical thinking, creative thinking and complex problem solving; 

essential skills our alumni will use to excel at jobs which have yet to be invented and to reshape their world.


Meet the Head 

Mr Jesse R Elzinga reflects on his career so far, how 

Sevenoaks School has overcome the challenges of 2020 

and what he looks forward to in the year ahead 

Why did you choose a 

career in teaching? 

I have always enjoyed working with 

young people. As a teenager, I started 

volunteering during the school holidays 

to help run summer camps for children, 

and in university I started to teach at 

summer schools. I am fortunate that 

I found my vocation in teaching, and 

I still love being in the classroom with 

young people, watching them perform 

in sport, drama or music, or just 

enjoying their company at lunchtime. 

They are full of optimism and hope – I 

often tell them that their generation 

will make the world a better place than 

previous ones, and I do believe that. 

Can you tell us about an 

inspirational teacher from 

your school days? 

I was most inspired by my athletics and 

cross-country coach at school; he was a 

top runner himself, competing in the US 

Olympic Marathon trials. I knew that 

his coaching was informed by the latest 

developments at an elite level, and he 

was much faster than any of us. He was 

also a great English teacher, who loved 

literature and was an absolute pedant 

when it came to grammar: I still think 

of him often, be it on one of my daily 

runs, or when proofreading a document! 

Do you have a favourite children’s 

character from a book or film? 

My favourite character in film is Robin 

Williams in his role as the inspirational 

teacher in Dead Poets Society. I watched 

that film as a teenager and was so inspired 

– it might be the moment when I first 

realised teaching would be for me. The 

best teachers pass on their love for a subject 

and instil a sense of self-belief in their 

students; sometimes quirky antics can help 

in this process, like standing on a desk. 

What do you think makes 

Sevenoaks special? 

Sevenoaks is a vibrant and buzzing 

community. The students are bright, 

purposeful and ambitious, but we are also 

down to earth and unstuffy, unlike some 

other independent schools. We are known 

as forward-thinking and progressive; for 

example, we introduced voluntary service 

projects for students in the 1960s, and 

these are embedded in our curriculum 

so that all students do some service or 

charitable work before they depart. We 

have been coeducational for almost 50 

years, and we’ve taught the IB Diploma 

Programme for over 40 years, and as a 

flagship IB school we attract top students 

from around the world, helping all of our 

students to develop a global mindset. 

What’s been your proudest 

achievement so far? 

Keeping calm and carrying on in the midst 

of the global pandemic is an achievement 

enough! The virus has disrupted all of our 

lives, and it has been difficult for schools 

as well. Keeping the community safe 

and well, whilst carrying on a first-rate 

education, is a significant challenge for any 

Head across the world right now – and an 

achievement of which they can be proud. 

How have you overcome the 

challenges 2020 has thrown 

at you and the school? What 

has being the headteacher 

of Sevenoaks taught you? 

Given that schools were physically 

closed for months in 2020, there has 

been a renewed sense of appreciation for 

the daily routines of school life. I have 

encouraged all students and staff to make 

the most of every day, every lesson and 

every activity that they have in real life. 

To quote my favourite teacher from Dead 

Poets Society, ‘carpe diem – seize the day!’ 

Being part of a school like Sevenoaks is 

a tremendous privilege, and the months 

away during the lockdowns make 

everyone here appreciate it even more. 


to this coming year? 

Relationships bring so much meaning 

and joy to life. I have missed interaction 

with others, including friends and 

family outside of school. Restrictions in 

school have meant significantly limited 

opportunities to spend quality time with 

staff, students and parents. Most of all, 

however, I look forward to introducing 

my baby daughter to her grandparents. 

My wife and I welcomed our third 

daughter into the world in late March 

last year, born at home in the first week 

of lockdown. Due to the pandemic, my 

parents in the USA have been unable 

to meet her. In short, I want to hug my 

loved ones – bring on the vaccine! 

sevenoaksschool.org 


Investing in the future 

Jon Curtis, branch manager 

at the Tunbridge Wells office 

of Charles Stanley Wealth 

Managers, compares the 

challenges of choosing the 

right school and managing a 

bespoke investment portfolio. 

Choosing the right school for your child 

requires both patience and consideration. 

How are these qualities important in 

successful investment management? 

Deciding on the right school and 

growing your investments don’t happen 

overnight. Although long-term investing 

does require a degree of patience, 

the advantages are significant. 

We spend time with each client to get 

a clear picture of their financial goals, 

such as funding school fees. We then 

build a sustainable portfolio that reflects 

those goals, the appetite for risk, and 

(increasingly) non-financial factors 

like socially responsible investing. 

This level of personal consideration 

has helped to make us one of the 

UK’s leading wealth managers. 

What benefits do managed investments 

offer future generations? As well as 

increasing capital, managed investments 

can also offer income, which can be 

particularly important to help fund 

costs such as school fees, weddings 

and, potentially, long-term care, as 

well as creating financial security 

for children and grandchildren. 

How do you, as an investment manager, 

face unexpected challenges such as 

a change in the market? Since the 

Covid-19 pandemic everybody’s lives 

have changed significantly. The full 

impact of the pandemic on markets 

is hard to predict with any degree of 

certainty but w e can mitigate the effects 

of market movements by ensuring we 

build diversified portfolios, which means 

‘don’t put all your eggs in one basket’ and 

investing in a variety of different assets. 

Finally, how do you work with your 

clients? There is no one-size-fitsall 

approach at Charles Stanley but 

something all our relationships have 

in common is that they’re all built on 

trust; we take on your financial goals as 

our own and help you achieve them. 

Find out how Charles Stanley can help 

secure your financial future. Book your 

free consultation with a friendly member 

of our Tunbridge Wells team today. 

01892 883 987 

charles-stanley.co.uk/tunbridge-wells-offi ce 

The value of investments can fall as well as rise. Investors may get back less than invested. 

Charles Stanley & Co. Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

SCHOOL OPEN EVENT 

Saturday 6 February 2021* 

*Subject to national restrictions - Places available for September 2021 

“Unpressured (for the most part) and friendly, 

but this is no soft option ... the girls both work hard and play 

hard, with results to match.” The Good Schools Guide 

Celebrating 100 Years in 2020-21 

www.manorhouseschool.org | 01372 457077 | admissions@manorhouseschool.org


Beyond the Student Council 

Ed Dickie, Head of Claremont Senior School, 

explains how prioritising communication with 

students is key to a school’s evolution 

Experience has taught me that the success or failure 

of new initiatives, designed to transform an area 

of the school perceived to be underperforming 

or outdated, is often defined by the extent to which 

the most important element in the process has 

been consulted and considered: the students. 

Consulting students is a hallmark of a good school, 

something acknowledged by both Ofsted and ISI, 

but the quality of this consultation can vary. At 

Claremont we have been considering the role of 

student voice for some time, and have concluded 

that we want to be an organisation where student 

leadership is at the very heart of what we do; a student 

led school where the role of teachers and senior staff 

increasingly becomes a guiding and facilitating one. 

We have established an ‘Equality Commission’ that 

seeks to shine the light of diversity into all areas of 

the school. Precipitated by student feedback, this 

commission looks into curriculum, school operations, 

HR and much more. We have also redesigned our 

student leadership structure; basing it around areas 

such as Communications and Wellbeing, the students 

work closely with our marketing and pastoral teams 

to identify how best to improve the school. The next 

phase is to bring the student voice into the classroom, 

with students able to give immediate feedback on 

the quality of their own learning, and teachers able 

to shape and adapt their pedagogy accordingly. 

Rules, clear parameters and systems are all vital 

when guiding and developing young people. But 

a good school is also a living thing, able to evolve 

and adapt to a changing environment. Placing our 

students at the heart of the conversation has, in our 

experience, been good for the students and good for 

the school – giving them a voice, allowing them to 

be themselves while also giving them a real sense of 

ownership and pride in their school community. 

claremontschool.co.uk 


24

Be Yourself 

at Claremont 

Home! 

Nursery & Prep School 

St Leonards, East Sussex TN37 7PW . 01424 751555 

Senior School & Sixth Form 

Bodiam, East Sussex TN32 5UJ . 01580 830396 

2019 

enquiries@claremontschool.co.uk . claremontschool.co.uk

‘A great place to grow’ 

for children aged 2 to 11 years 

Open Morning 

Saturday 6 March 2021 

9.30am-12 noon · register on www.springgroveschool.co.uk 

Wye, near Ashford, Kent · 01233 812337 · Scholarships available for September 2021 entry 

SpringGroveSchoolWT225.indd 1 11/01/2021 10:05 

NEW YEAR 

NEW DISCOVERIES 

A hidden gem of a school and 

nursery, just 15 minutes from 

Tunbridge Wells in rural Wadhurst. 

An Independent Catholic primary 

school and nursery welcoming 

boys and girls aged 2-11. 

ISI rated ‘Excellent’ in all areas. 

Individual and exceptionally high 

level of care and education 

Scholarship and 11+ success 

Small classes 

Surprisingly affordable fees 

Contact us to book a personal tour 

01892 783414 admin@sacredheartwadhurst.org.uk 

www.sacredheartwadhurst.org.uk 

TOP 50 PREP SCHOOLS 2020 


26 

SacredHeartSchoolWT225.indd 1 15/12/2020 15:07


Ask the Expert 

Hayley Hobbs, founder of Griffin Teaching, 

explains how your child may benefit 

from out-of-school academic help 

How will I know if my child needs external help with 

their academic work? In this area, where we have some 

excellent schools, your child will only need help if they are 

preparing for a specific exam. Beyond this, it is not whether 

your child needs the extra input, but worth considering 

how high they might fly if you are able to offer it. 

Why choose Griffin Teaching? Experience. Qualifications 

(we all have degrees from top UK universities and years of 

class/subject teaching). Detailed knowledge of the content 

and challenges we prepare children for. Our strategic 

approach. Our huge passion for teaching. Our precise and 

detailed lesson planning. The extra time we spend with our 

parents and children to ensure they are fully supported… 

What services do you offer and what age ranges do you 

cover? My great passion is for teaching writing. Lockdown 

has interrupted children’s education, but many were already 

struggling on paper. We offer a monthly writing programme 

with personal, detailed feedback and encouragement at its 

heart. This is in addition to our Kent Test 11+ and ISEB 

Common Pre-test Clubs, our Year 4 English and Maths 

Booster Clubs and our specific school exam work (Sevenoaks, 

Caterham, Abingdon, Eltham College among others). 

How are you adapting to the new ways of teaching in 

light of coronavirus? The teaching transfers smoothly 

between in-room lessons and on-screen Zoom teaching as 

the government guidelines change. Children are taught in 

clubs of six children, and these are simply flipped online. 

This year we didn’t miss one single lesson and it isn’t 

surprising that we scored our highest Kent Test results ever. 

The same teacher runs the club at the same time of day 

and with their own six students. All work is set up each 

week on our website – and I even add little videos each 

time to allow a second introduction to any tricky content. 

How often should my child be having 

lessons and how much does it cost? 

• Kent Test 11+, ISEB Pre-test and Year 4 English 

and Maths Booster Clubs run for one hour per week 

throughout the year, and cost £84 per month. 

• Individual school exam preparation is for one hour per 

week (usually for only a term) and costs £90 per month. 

• The Writing Club consists of a 5 minute hand-holding 

video to watch per week and a 10 minute writing activity 

completed at home. Children’s work is emailed over to me 

and I tape each one a wonderfully positive and detailed 

individual video to move their work forward step by step. 

The quality of their work is boosted immediately and keeps 

on improving as the weeks go by. This is £39 per month. 

All prices include VAT. There is no deposit, initial payment 

or notice period, we just ask you to inform us quickly if 

your plans change. Find out more at griffinteaching.com 



Supplement 

Featuring in our 

September 2021 issue 

Look out for the second 

instalment of our 

bi-annual look at the 

wealth of education 

opportunities the 

South East has to offer 

View previous articles online at 

priceless-magazines.com/education 

or visit priceless-magazines.com 

to access our full archive of 

digital page-turner magazines

FREWEN 

COLLEGE 

The Dyslexia School 

Since 1910 

Help’s Only A Click Away 

For dyslexic students, learning from home 

can pose a variety of extra challenges. 

Sally Welch, Head of Frewen College Prep in East 

Sussex, explains how they’re easing the pressure 

Helping students receive an accessible education 

in 2020/21 has proved a huge challenge for 

everyone: students, staff and parents alike. And 

for Frewen College’s dyslexic students, learning from home 

is even more difficult than it is for the average student. 

Frewen’s students, who are aged 7-18, like those in all 

schools, have had to adapt to working online. In doing this, 

they have had to embrace independent learning and become 

more self-motivated. Sharing IT devices with family members, 

working with siblings and coping with IT frustrations have 

all required students to develop tolerance and patience. 

The challenge has probably been the hardest for the 

younger students in our Prep School. Many of our lessons 

are multi-sensory, and this is clearly harder in a virtual 

teaching environment. We have continued to deliver the 

full National Curriculum, through creative, virtual teaching, 

and because we know our students very well – we have 

a maximum class size of eight – we have still been able 

to utilise both multi-sensory and hands-on learning. 

Frewen is at the cutting edge when it comes to assistive 

technology, and Microsoft’s assistive technology is used 

throughout the school, in conjunction with other software. 

In the Prep School, to help embed learning for 

our dyslexic students, we teach using the ‘Creative 

Curriculum’, adopting one creative theme for each term 

and then weaving all the different strands of the curriculum 

together, rather than teaching isolated subjects. 

We support students’ learning with additional work, 

above and beyond the mainstream curriculum, as well as 

including opportunities to revisit Key Stage 1 concepts. 

Students benefit from systematic input of ‘Letters and 

Sounds’, daily writing opportunities, individual reading 

each day and a group session of Sound Therapy. 

In non-Covid times, our fully integrated therapy 

team, who work within the classroom, provide 

weekly one-to-one Occupational and Speech 

& Language Therapy where appropriate. 

We are looking forward to the day when normality 

returns, and students across the UK and beyond are back 

in school, and we can re-embrace all the things we love 

and sometimes take for granted about regular school life! 

frewencollege.co.uk 

Prep 

School 

Senior 

• • 

School 

Frewen College, Northiam, East Sussex, TN31 6NL 

www.frewencollege.co.uk 

Sixth 

Form 

Frewen College is a leading Day and Boarding 

School for boys and girls aged 7-19 with Dyslexia 

and Dyspraxia and associated Specific Learning 

Difficulties. We are proud to be different: 

Frewen is the oldest specialist 

dyslexia school in the UK 

Pupil progress & achievement has increased 

year on year over the last 5 years 

All classroom staff have specialist 

dyslexia qualifications 

Assistive Technology is used throughout 

the school to assist reading & writing 

Email: office@frewencollege.co.uk 

Tel: 01797 252494 


FrewenCollegeWT225.indd 1 04/01/2021 17:13


Meet the Head 

Bryan Nixon, Head of School at TASIS The American School 

in England, talks us through his own experiences of school 

What was your favourite subject 

at school? My favourite subject at 

school was history, which is topical 

for me because I’m from Belfast and, 

obviously, we are rooted in history. I 

loved the subject and what it taught 

me about the culture of Ireland 

and about the different perspectives 

that surround historical events. 

Why did you choose a career in 

education? My history teacher called 

Mr Webb inspired me to research, to 

think critically and to take on other 

people’s perspective, which was something 

that I hadn’t done throughout my life 

growing up in Northern Ireland. Ever 

since then, I wanted to project that 

forward to other people and students. 

You’re head of an international 

school – have you taught in any 

other locations across the world? 

I started my teaching career in a town 

just outside Belfast. My career then 

took me to the Bahamas, Germany 

and then to Greenwich, Connecticut. 

I am now here at TASIS England. I 

have also been a Head of School in 

Germany and the United States. 

What are the benefits of 

following an American or an IB 

curriculum? The main benefit is that 

these curricula are significant, relevant, 

engaging and challenging. They provide 

a real world context for learning and 

they provide for individual pathways. 

They allow teachers to be flexible 

and innovative and promote student 

ownership of their learning journey. 

How do you ensure the school 

community celebrates the range 

of different cultures that students 

are part of? TASIS England is an 

international school not only because 

we have over 50 nationalities on 

campus but also because of how we 

purposefully delve into each other’s 

cultures, perspectives, and opinions 

through our curriculum and through the 

exploration of local and global issues. 

Have your own school days 

influenced the way you approach 

your role as a headteacher? The 

fact that I am a Head of School is quite 

a surprise to my family. I think that 

Mr Webb probably had the biggest 

influence on me as an educator. He 

taught me to become a critical thinker 

and to not be afraid to challenge and 

understand different perspectives. 


to this coming year? This coming 

year I hope to have even more time 

to continue to support our school 

community through this pandemic and 

to seize the learning and communitybuilding 

opportunities it presents. School 

is not only about what you learn, it is 

also about how you develop as a person. 

If you could teach anyone – either 

present-day or from history – 

who would you choose? I would 

choose Seamus Heaney, the famous Irish 

poet. It is more about him teaching 

me than the other way around! He 

had a gift of explaining life through 

his poetry and I really connected with 

his work. I would have loved to have 

interacted with him on any level. 

tasisengland.org 


30

Unlock the door to your child's future... 

Virtual Tours 

Available with the Headmistress 

Please call 01732 353941 to book. 

Limited places 

available for 

Reception 2021. 

Hilden Oaks 

Preparatory School & Nursery 

38 Dry Hill Park Road 

Tonbridge, Kent TN10 3BU 

contactus@hildenoaks.co.uk 

www.hildenoaks.co.uk 

GriffinTeachingWT225.indd 1 08/12/2020 HildenOakSchoolWT225.indd 12:23 

1 04/12/2020 16:57 

Day Boarding 

at Benenden 

Introducing day boarders 

in Years 9 and 12 

from September 2021 

Registrations now being taken 

Details at www.benenden.school/day 


BenendenSchoolWT225.indd 1 03/12/2020 13:07

An outstanding independent school for 

boys and girls aged O -18 

Scholarship entry at Year 7, 9 and 12 

A wealth of sporting and extra 

curricular opportunities 

Exceptional academic results 

at 18, A Level and GCSE 

Small class sizes 

Idyllic 80 acre campus with a 

working farm and horse riding 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Kent College 

Canterbury 

KENTCOLLEGE.COM 

For a bespoke tour of the school, please contact: 

admissions@kentcollege.co.uk or call 01227 763231


Bursaries: what you need to know 

Sarah Guri explains how the key to a future at Kent College, Canterbury could be applying for a bursary 

The opportunities that Kent College affords its 

students are special and it is absolutely right 

that we make that accessible to as many people 

as we can. The idea of doing all the good that you can 

by helping everyone that you can is something that is 

interwoven into the history of the school. Today we 

remain committed to providing access to education 

to those whose circumstances may mean they cannot 

afford the full fees, or for those whose circumstances 

may change once their child is a pupil at the school. 

A bursary is a form of financial assistance that is meanstested, 

based on parental income. Bursaries are not 

dependent on academic ability but are awarded to pupils 

who are likely to gain most from a Kent College education 

and who will contribute fully to the life of the school. 

Scholarships may be supplemented by bursary assistance. 

Applying for a bursary 

What is the deadline for applying for a bursary? 

Families considering a bursary application should contact 

the Bursar at the time of completing the registration form. 

How do I apply for a bursary? 

Please contact the Bursar for a confidential Bursary 

Application Form. As bursary funds are limited, we 

strongly recommend an early application to the school. 

How does the school decide who receives a bursary? 

When making an assessment the school will take 

into account some or all of the following: household 

income, savings, benefits, equity in property, other 

income and assets, outgoings. The application process 

may also include a home visit and an interview. 

Please contact Mrs Sarah Guri, Bursar on 01227 813948 

for more information or visit kentcollege.co.uk 

All applicants for bursaries are required to disclose, in 

confidence, their financial details on a Bursary Application 

Form. The application process may include a home visit 

and an interview. Bursaries are offered for the duration of 

the pupil’s education but are reviewed on an annual basis 

and all bursaries are awarded at the Head’s discretion. 

Bursary FAQs 

What is the difference between a scholarship and a bursary? 

A scholarship is an award given to recognise talent 

with a maximum overall remission of 50% of tuition 

fees. It is not means tested. A bursary refers to meanstested 

financial support designed to allow access to 

a Kent College education to children whose family 

circumstances may mean they cannot afford the full fees. 


Discover what makes 

Ashford Prep School 

an exceptional place to learn. 

01233 620 493 | registrar@ashfordschool.co.uk | ashfordschool.co.uk 

N U R S E R Y | P R E P S C H O O L | S E N I O R S C H O O L | S I X T H F O R M | B O A R D I N G


Professional Standard 

Rising to the challenges of running a drama department during a global pandemic, ACS 

Cobham enlisted the help of industry professionals to create a film together 

High school students at ACS International 

School Cobham have created an uplifting 

prom-themed film as an innovative way 

to continue, and evolve, the school’s performing 

arts programme despite Covid-19 restrictions. 

Recognising the importance of the performing arts, 

and as a way to ensure this year’s students were able to 

showcase and develop their drama skills, the film was 

created as an alternative to the school’s annual musical 

production which was not able to take place. 

The film was created by 25 high school students, aged 

14-18, taking drama at ACS Cobham and was managed 

by Georgia Sidell, High School Drama Teacher. ACS’s 

drama department brought in industry professionals 

Bethan Leyshon from BBC Wales as a scriptwriter and 

award-winning production company, Slick Showreels, 

whose crew included a full team of cameramen to capture 

the film, a sound team and director of photography. 

Louis Russell, director of the Slick Showreels team, 

held a Q&A session with students on filmmaking, 

providing them with plenty of insider knowledge. 

The students worked together to create a script, 

choreograph dances, rehearse, act and film the production. 

Bethan Leyshon worked with them to develop a script 

that embedded their own experiences and anecdotes. 

Maxwell, an ACS student who worked on the project, 

said: “Working with Bethan was really cool. It was 

great to have a designated writer because she was able 

to pull our ideas together into something coherent.” 

The crew shot the majority of the film outdoors, 

making use of the open and varied spaces of ACS 

Cobham’s 128-acre campus. On set, the safety of 

everyone involved was of the upmost importance and the 

team worked with a COVID-19 advisor who ensured 

all the necessary precautions were carried out. 

Barnaby Sandow, Head of School, ACS Cobham, 

commented: “The arts are invaluable as a profession, a 

pastime and a form of entertainment – seeing our students 

working on a production that is of equal quality to a 

professional film has been an absolute pleasure. As a result 

of this project, not only were students able to work with and 

learn from high-level professionals in the film and television 

industry, but they now have a film that they can keep for 

many years to come. The students did all of this while 

working together under very tough circumstances and I’m 

looking forward to seeing the final cut of the film in 2021.” 

acs-schools.com/cobham 


DISCOVER YOUR TALENT AT 

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A Very Bright Future 

Headmaster of Babington House School, Tim Lello, explains how the school strives to provide its students 

with the support, advice and expertise needed to secure a successful career when they finish school 

With the news full of “mishandled A Level results” 

and “deficient algorithms,” a variety of university 

experience, or lack of it, and the anxieties over 

how the pandemic will impact university admissions, now 

more than ever our young people need real support and 

well-honed professional guidance in their aspirations to go 

to university. It is no surprise that there is a renewed interest 

in the schools that have small, highly successful sixth forms, 

which because of their size, ethos and professionalism are able 

to give very specific, bespoke advice to their students about 

the plethora of opportunities open to them after school. 

In the best schools, a professional careers advisor will start 

discussing university applications as early as Year 7, when 

the pupils are 11 years old, and students will be given the 

opportunity to discuss with other staff and external speakers 

the many options open to them – from how to choose 

and apply to a university, through to taking a year out. 

In the best ‘pint sized power house’ schools, each sixth 

form student will have two form tutors to guide them 

through the university admissions process. There will also 

be a member of staff whose role is to oversee the technical 

side of the UCAS process and make sure the school is 

completely up to date with the ever changing and complex 

individual requirements of each university course. 

In addition to these things, at Babington we have a Head 

of Seniors who provides leadership and expertise in the whole 

process, as well as keeping a very experienced pastoral eye 

on the pupils, making sure their wellbeing is at the forefront 

of our work, during what can be a stressful time for our 

young people. Furthermore, two members of staff write 

the references with the Headmaster and two staff check the 

students’ own personal statements, also with the Headmaster, 

who meets with each sixth former individually to ensure each 

submission is well-honed and they are very well supported. 

Sixth form students should also be made aware of the 

amazing degree apprenticeships on offer and how to apply for 

them with, for example, the prestigious Thalys Engineering 

degree programme which fully funds the student’s degree 

and accommodation costs, provides them with an income 

in excess of £20,000 per year and guarantees a job for 

them at the end of their course. At Babington we have two 

students going through this programme at the moment. 


38

Funding the university of their choice can be an issue 

for some young people. We find this with those who 

come to us from our outreach program and join our Sixth 

Form on a scholarship, based on an academic selective 

exam, or a bursary based on a means-tested assessment 

of their family’s income. To help these students we have 

set up a small group of local business people to provide 

some additional funding for life after Babington, so they 

can make the most of their university experience. 

The outstanding independent schools with small, excellent 

Sixth Forms are very well run and very well resourced and 

they also really know their students. The secret to their 

success is to provide clear, accurate and targeted advice 

and support to their pupils and parents, mixed in with a 

generous seasoning of aspiration and first class teaching. 

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128 

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Garden 

In the name 

of love 

Jo Arnell tracks down the most romantic 

blooms to treat someone special 

Flowers have, over the centuries, been given poetic 

and celebratory names and many have come to 

symbolise romance in all its forms. ‘A rose by any 

other name’ may well smell as sweet, but I can’t help 

thinking that it might smell a little sweeter if it had your 

own name on it, was given to you by your sweetheart, 

or because its name coincided with a special anniversary 

or event. We’ll gloss over the fact that back in the 

middle ages brides used to carry scented bouquets on 

their wedding day to disguise the fact that they hadn’t 

bathed for months, or that people carried ‘nosegays’ to 

counteract the smells in the street – and concentrate on 

the romance of flowers and the significance of some of 

those wonderfully romantic names and their associations. 

Say it with flowers 

The tradition of giving Valentine’s Day flowers dates back to 

the late 17th century, during the reign of King Charles II of 

Sweden. On a royal visit to Persia, Charles was introduced 

to a trend that was in vogue – the language of flowers. The 

idea centred on a person’s ability to communicate using 

flowers alone – no words need be spoken, as the flowers did 

the talking. The fad bloomed across the whole of Europe, as 

people passed around lists of flowers and their meanings. In 

the language of flowers, giving someone a yellow carnation 

meant they’d disappointed you, handing out purple hyacinths 

meant you were sorry and begging to be forgiven. The red 

rose, of course, was the signifier of deep and passionate love. 

Red roses are the most iconic of flowers for Valentines day. 

The red rose first emerged in Greek and Roman iconography, 

where it was associated with the most romantic of the 

gods, Aphrodite, or Venus, the goddess of love. According 

to Greek mythology (and who wouldn’t want to believe 

this?) rose bushes grew from the ground in a fertile mixture 

of Aphrodite’s tears and the blood of her lover, Adonis. 

There is a Floribunda rose called ‘Faithful’ that is a 

lovely deep red and flowers prolifically throughout the 

summer months – such a long-lasting way to say it with 

red roses. Traditionally planted bare-rooted in the dormant 

season – between November and March, a rose can happily 

be planted around Valentine’s Day. Planting a rose for 

someone is just as romantic a gesture, as sweeping in with 

a bunch of them in my opinion – perhaps a tad muddier. 

February, more practically, is also the time to prune 

shrub and bush roses – any time from around the middle 

of the month until the beginning of March, depending 

on the weather. Prune back fairly hard to an outwardfacing 

bud, so that the bush is clear and open in the 

centre (a ‘goblet’ shape will allow for air to circulate 

around the plant and help prevent fungal diseases). 

A flowery Valentine 

Aptly named plants are fun to give and receive – there 

are plenty around with romance as a theme. Primula 

‘Belarina Valentine’ bears clusters of dark red flowers that 

look sumptuous among its ruffled green leaves. This little 

primrose is perfect for growing in containers or planted 

out in a semi-shaded border, it will pop up every spring. 

The sunflower ‘Valentine’ is not a traditional bright yellow 

giant; it grows to about 5 feet and with delicate, pale lemony 

yellow outer sepals with a chocolate brown centre. They make 

great cut flowers too, each stem bears several flowers – so 

you’ll have plenty to gather and give to someone you love – 

only not on Valentine’s Day, as they flower in late summer. 

129 


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Love-in-the-mix 

‘Kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate’ is a wonderfully 

scatty name for one of my favourite tall annual 

plants – Persicaria orientalis. This amorous giant 

will quickly grow to between 4 and 6 feet tall, 

with multi-branching tiny flower panicles of 

deep candy pink. I’m trying to imagine that it 

got its name because the branches arch over, 

as if leaning down for a kiss. It can be a bit 

promiscuous too, but in the nicest possible way. 

Look closely at the flowers of Salvia ‘Hot 

Lips’ and you’ll see exactly how it got its name. 

It will grow to about four feet tall and is a 

spectacularly long flowering plant, its little ‘hot 

lips’ pouting away long into the autumn if grown 

in full sun and free-draining conditions. 

Annual love-in-a-mist Nigella damascena has 

ferny stems and foliage and self-sows abundantly 

around, creating a ‘mist-like’ haze of blue, pink 

or white. It develops lovely seed-heads too 

that look nearly as pretty as the flowers. 

The flowers of violas, or ‘Heartsease’, were 

used medicinally and thought to be beneficial 

in diseases of the heart, from which the popular 

name Heartsease has been derived. It was 

also a main ingredient in love potions. 

Mahonias are usually known for their spiky 

whorls of evergreen leaves and huge sunburst 

flowers, but Mahonia ‘Soft Caress’ is unusually 

un-spiky, its foliage more like a parlour palm and not 

prickly in the slightest. I can’t say that it is actually 

that tactile or beguilingly soft to the touch, but 

definitely as close as you’ll get from a Mahonia. 

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132 

WCLandcraftWT223.indd 1 28/08/2020 10:20

with white frothy flowers that bloom around the 

spring or early summer. Nearly all of them are called 

‘Bride’ – understandable, but it can get a bit confusing 

when you are trying to specify particular plants. 

First to bloom is the stiffly branched Exochorda ‘The Bride’, 

which has a whimsical and laxer cousin called ‘Magical 

Springtime’. These shrubs are utterly lovely in April, with 

long and pretty white racemes but a bit underwhelming for 

the rest of the year. The same goes for Philadelphus ‘Bridal 

Bouquet’ and P. ‘Bridal Shower’ which are at their best in 

the wedding month of June. Philadelphus has the most 

glorious fragrance too, but it is hard to get it to look elegant. 

If Spiraea ‘Bridal Wreath’ is nicely pruned (i.e. 

not shaved into a weird Mr Blobby shape) then it 

will arch gracefully, each stem covered in a mass of 

tiny white flowers – just like its name suggests. 

Gypsophila muralis ‘Garden Bride’ is a compact form 

of ‘Baby’s Breath’ and can be grown in hanging baskets 

and containers or as bedding, where it will soften edges 

with gently trailing and finely cut foliage. The single 

flowers are also very attractive to butterflies and bees. 

Broken hearted 

The Bleeding Heart flower, has an unromantic Latin 

name of Lamprocapnos spectabilis (once known as Dicentra 

spectabilis), but look closely at the flowers and it does look 

like a broken pink heart oozing a drop of white blood. 

Turn the little flower up the other way and you’ll see where 

it gets its other common name; ‘Lady in the Bath’. 

‘Love-lies-bleeding’, (Amaranthus caudatus) is 

another dramatic romantic. Standing 5 feet tall, it has 

bright crimson tassels over a foot long, followed by 

edible seed heads and blood-red autumn foliage. 

Forget-me-not (Myosotis) is a hardy biennial that carpets the 

ground in early spring with a delicate froth of delicate pink, 

white, and blue flowers. According to a German folktale, a 

knight who was picking flowers at river’s edge fell in the water 

and was swept away by the current. He apparently cried out, 

“Forget me not!” as he threw them to his lover on the bank. 

Romance may be in the air this month but it is 

also to be found abundantly among the flowers, 

if their names are anything to go by. 

For details of Jo’s gardening courses visit 

hornbrookmanor.co.uk or contact Jo on 07923 969634. 

From top: Paeonia lactiflora ‘Bowl of Beauty’; 

Amaranthus caudatus love-lies-bleeding; 

Lamprocapnos spectabilis bleeding heart 


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134 

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Sue Whigham addresses seasonal admin in the February Garden 

Garden 

The Great Garden Tidy Up 

‘From December to March, there are for many of us three 

gardens – the garden outdoors, the garden of pots and bowls in 

the house, and the garden of the mind’s eye.’ Katherine S. White 

I’ve had two conversations recently with people asking 

me what there is to do in the garden, or whether 

there is anything to do in the garden, throughout the 

winter. And of course there are times when it is dark, dank 

and wet when you rather wish there was nothing to get 

on with – but of course it’s wishful thinking, isn’t it? 

This week is going to be a particularly expensive and 

action packed period in this particular garden as one of the 

big multi-stemmed hornbeams that surround the house is 

to be felled and the stump ground out. This is in the vain 

hope that the honey fungus which has ‘done for it’ will be 

stopped in its tracks. It won’t of course. But the tree has 

been deteriorating for the last few years and the disease has 

already spread and killed off a cider apple tree and a couple 

of large orange stemmed willows. What will be next? 

We’ll be more exposed to the lane and to the prevailing 

winds but there’s always a silver lining; one of them being the 

opening up of new vistas and in our case, a view to the sea, 

even if it is only a rather distant line of light on the horizon. 

The other job that we have been putting off is the 

repair of the old stable used for twenty odd years to 

house gardening tools, ladders and the rest. This is 

going to be tackled now before spring arrives. 

Years of unintentional neglect has resulted in completely 

sodden shiplap boards at the back. They’ll be renewed and the 

ivy which has worked its way inside will have a control order 

placed on it. We’ll add guttering and a downpipe and also 

something to collect rainwater. Thinking of that and bearing 

in mind how dry and hot our summers have become, finding 

somewhere to instal new water butts is a bit of a priority. 

And now, whilst we pore over the few catalogues that 

still wing their way through our letterboxes, any seed 

selection needs to take account of climate 

change and what new plants can cope 

best in dry conditions. 

Tools are being 

oiled and cleaned and sharpened and the mower is due 

to come back from a service, rejuvenated and prepared 

for hard work as spring approaches. We didn’t know that 

ours has a mulching facility despite owning the thing for 

over twenty years. That’s quite an exciting revelation! 

So jobs for this month might include: 

Snowdrops. February is a short month but the days are 

beginning to lengthen and as the month progresses, things 

begin to stir and in particular, snowdrops. Some are more 

fragrant than others and the bees will soon be hovering 

around them seeking early nectar. Snowdrops are happiest 

in partial shade which reminds me to move the clumps that 

are at the moment under the old hornbeam as they will 

get a shock when they find themselves in bright sunshine. 

Moving them, once they have flowered, ‘in the green’ is far 

more satisfactory than buying dry bulbs in a packet. Try 

bringing one or two into the house where you have a chance 

to look at them closely AND enjoy their honey scent. 

Staking. Every year I bet most of us wish we had put in 

stakes before our herbaceous plants have begun to take off. 

So this month is a good time to think about this and to start 

collecting appropriate material. Hazel or birch are ideal for 

pea sticks and as the sap is beginning to rise this means that 

the sticks are pretty pliable and can be easily tied in to make 

supportive frames. Put them in around the plants at an early 

stage and by the time the soil really warms up and things 

are on the move, they will be unobtrusive. Larger plants 

obviously need sturdy supports, perhaps decent bamboo 

canes or metal ‘road pins’ which we find very useful. These 

are very inexpensive and can be found online. And of course 

they go on forever. Use black netting round three or four of 

these and any large plant will be standing up pretty straight 

for you by the summer. Galvanised fence mesh forming a 

cylinder and using just one stake works well too. And if you 

are growing say, clematis, over an old tree that has seen better 

days, wrap fencing mesh round the trunk so that the clematis 

has something to attach itself to. 


Garden 

Pruning clematis. Clematis are in different groups 

depending on flowering time. Group 2 includes the large 

flowered clematis which often have two flushes of flower. 

One being in early summer and one later in the season. To 

get the best out of this type, prune in February before any 

new growth appears. Keep a framework of old wood and 

tidy up other stems to above a healthy bud. You can also 

prolong their flowering period by pruning in two stages. 

The easiest clematis group is the one I prefer; clematis like 

the viticellas with their gorgeous and profuse bell shaped 

nodding flowers should be pruned hard as they flower on 

new growth. As soon as you see any signs of new growth, 

cut all the foliage right back to just above a healthy looking 

bud about nine inches above ground level. If we’ve had 

or are having a hard winter any stems that are badly frost 

damaged can be cut down to ground level at this stage 

too. Clematis are hungry feeders so start thinking about 

adding lots of nourishing organic matter around their bases. 

Avoid doing this if the weather is still particularly cold as 

you don’t want to lock the cold in around their roots. 

Wisteria. If it is mild enough, prune side shoots 

to two or three buds from the base. 

Hellebores. These are just beautiful and are gems of the 

winter garden. There are just so many of them to choose 

from and of course they are prolific seeders (although 

their offspring rarely resemble the parent) but that’s what 

makes it fun. You never know what you are going to get. 

Hellebores come into their own in rich soil, preferably 

neutral to alkaline, and in partial shade. Avoid dry 

conditions and again, add a good mulch whenever you 

can. Cutting their leaves back in early winter is an idea as 

by now as the plants flower, you can see them properly 

and new, fresh young leaves will soon begin to appear. 

like Wettable Sulphur. If you start using it in the autumn, 

winter, and the spring you can continue with it in the 

summer at a reduced rate if you see any remaining signs 

of disease. But use it now as a preventative exercise rather 

than wait until the rose is flowering When you are pruning 

rose bushes, cut out dead wood first and any crossing 

branches as well as suckers. Cut these below ground. Aim 

for an open centred plant using your newly sharpened, clean 

secateurs cutting at an angle so that moisture will drain away 

from the outward facing bud that you have cut above. 

Hardy perennials. You can start even splitting large 

clumps of hardy perennials in February. Many plants like 

day lilies and aconites will be showing signs of life and 

this is a good time to tackle them. And finally, if you 

have been tree planting through the winter, keep their 

bases free of turf and competing weeds and add a good 

top dressing of garden compost. Oh, and the base of 

hedges need weeding through now too and then mulching 

with compost and a handful or two of a slow release 

fertilizer like Osmacote. Yew hedges particularly benefit 

from being weed free so yes, there is plenty of admin to 

attend to in February. The list could go on and on... 

Metal ‘road pins’ are very inexpensive 

and can be found online. Use black 

netting round three or four of these and 

any large plant will be standing up 

pretty straight for you by the summer 

Autumn fruiting raspberries. These need to be cut back in 

the winter and if you haven’t already done so, prune them 

before they start sprouting away. They don’t last forever so 

every ten years or so, grub them up and start again. When 

you are cutting them back, don’t leave a stump. The other 

thing you can do is to ‘tip back’ some of the canes. That 

is prune back just the top half of the cane that produced 

fruit the previous year. That should ensure that you’ll get 

raspberries in mid summer and then some later. If you are 

going to plant new canes, they prefer a sandy soil so plant 

them on a slight ridge which will help with drainage. The 

addition of some sharp sand is a good idea too. We seem to 

have them growing up through a flower bed at the moment 

which is fine until they decide to rampage any further. 

Roses. By now you might have reduced the length of any 

whippy growth from your roses so that the winds haven’t 

caught the plant by uprooting any of its roots. So this 

month make sure that you have removed all dead leaves 

from the ground underneath your plants and if you can 

remember which roses suffered from black spot, mildew 

etc. last season, this is a perfect time to spray both the 

plant and the soil underneath with an organic product 

Sue Whigham can be contacted on 07810 457948 

for gardening advice and help in the sourcing 

and supply of interesting garden plants. 


136

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studiojjk.com/draweveryday.htm 

Charity work 

Virtual Fundraising 

Don’t be disheartened if your 

charity fundraising event has been 

cancelled. Mind, a charity which 

works to help people experiencing 

mental health problems, has loads 

of great ideas for fundraising 

that you can do from home. You 

could help in all sorts of fun ways 

– try gaming, hosting a virtual 

pub quiz, completing an exercise 

challenge, or submitting an idea of 

your own. Whatever you do this is 

a great way to get motivated, start 

something new and help out a 

truly worthy charity. 

mind.org.uk 

Learning 

Fender Play 

If you’ve got some extra time to 

learn a new skill, Fender have 

got everything you need to make 

your rock star dreams come true. 

Fender Play is a great way to learn 

to play the electric guitar, acoustic 

guitar, bass guitar or ukulele with 

high quality bite-size lessons 

that track your progress and 

teach you to play some of your 

favourite songs from the likes of 

Ed Sheeran, Billie Eilish and The 

Beatles. Plus you can start off with 

a free two week trial and also get 

discounts on instruments and all 

the gear to go with them. 

fender.com/play 

Outdoors 

Birdwatching 

The RSPB are continuing their 

excellent work on behalf of nature 

and British birds, and have a 

number of great free resources 

online to get you and your family 

outside and having fun. Try their 

handy bird identifier, download 

resource sheets, and learn about 

the wonderful world in your own 

backyard. 

rspb.org.uk 

TheatrE 

Globe Player 

Grab some popcorn and have a 

night at the theatre while keeping 

safe at home. Whether you’re a fan 

of theatre and culture, a parent 

whose child is grappling with 

learning about Shakespeare, or 

you’ve just exhausted Netflix and 

need something new, the Globe’s 

online library of past performances 

is well worth a look. Your options 

include all of the Shakespeare 

classics and feature such famous 

faces as Colin Morgan in The 

Tempest, Jonathan Pryce in The 

Merchant of Venice and Stephen 

Fry in Twelfth Night. 

Rentals £5.99, Purchases £11.99 

globeplayer.tv 

Listings are correct at time of going to 

press but may be subject to change. 

Readers are advised to check with 

venues before making arrangements. 

We can list your event in the next 

issue of Wealden Times or Surrey 

Homes for only £15+VAT. Please 

supply up to 200 words that should 

include date, time, venue, contact 

for enquiries and any entry price to 

whatson@priceless-group.com or send 

with payment (cheques payable to 

Priceless Media Ltd.) to What’s On, 

Priceless Media, Kettle Chambers, 21 

Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 

3HF. Priceless Media reserves the 

right to edit text to fit space allocated. 

If you would like your event listing 

to be accompanied by a full colour 

reproduction (42.5 x 62.5mm) of a 

poster or other pictorial image, the 

total charge will be £95+VAT. Deadline 

for the March issue is 8 February 2021. 


Slow, 

Grow, Eat 

Hairdresser-turned-shepherdess, Zoë Colville farms 

nearly 100 acres of land near Maidstone with her 

partner, Chris Woodhead. With prime focus on their 

animals’ wellbeing, together they rear cows, sheep, 

goats and pigs, eventually selling their meat through 

The Little Farm Fridge. In the first of a new monthly 

column, Zoe shares her experiences of farming life 

– its ups and downs, rewards and challenges. 

After all the festivities are over and everyone’s starting 

their ‘new year, new me’ regimes, we are all fired up 

ready and waiting for the most crucial few months 

of the entire farming calender. We start off by scanning all 

our pregnant ewes and our new enterprise, the goats. This is 

so important as it determines pretty much the success of our 

whole year and its an incredibly exciting few days for us. I 

thought it would be cool to explain about the scanning as a 

lot of people often ask “why do you spray paint the sheep?” 

We gather in all the sheep and, one by one, they 

are pushed up the sheep race where a scanner makes 

contact with the underside of each one’s belly and the 

screen shows the ultrasound picture. They are then 

sprayed accordingly and a tally is taken. We use a blue 

dot for a single lamb, red for twins and an orange 

stripe for triplets. It doesn’t matter how hard I stare at 

that screen I cannot for the life of me work out how 

many heartbeats there are or even if there are any! 

Once everyone is scanned you get a percentage – some 

breeds are more prolific than others, and we have some 

ewes that we would only want to lamb a single, maybe 

because of their size or their age. Then you have the dreaded 

orange stripes. A ewe only has two teats (well except for 

this freaky girl who had FOUR working teats last year!), 

therefore it’s not ideal for us for her to scan with three 

lambs. Over the years we’ve only left a handful of ewes 

with triplets on them. I know it’s messing with nature 

taking a lamb off its mother but it’s the choice we make, 

and judgement calls like that are part of keeping livestock. 

For the lamb that is taken off, usually the largest, we 

aim to match it with a new mother to rear it. Adopting 

techniques are fascinating and have a pretty high success 

rate. If a ewe lost a lamb, or had a single and plenty of milk, 

we would always aim to adopt another lamb onto her. 

Lambing season is the highlight of the year for us. 

New life and the days getting longer and warmer. If 

I could bottle up that feeling and sell it I would and 

entering a new year is one step closer to Spring. 

The Little Farm Fridge Recipe of the month 

How to cook it... diced goat 

Try this warming, slow cooked curry • Serves 4 

• 1½ packs (600-700g) The 

Little Farm Fridge diced goat 

• 4 garlic cloves, crushed 

• 1 scotch bonnet chilli, 

finely chopped (more if you 

like it hotter) 

• 2tbsp Jamaican Jerk spice 

blend (you can buy in 

Waitrose) 

• 4 spring onions 

• an inch piece of fresh 

ginger, peeled and grated 

• rapeseed oil 

• a few sprigs of fresh thyme 

• 1 onion, chopped 

• 1 can chopped tomatoes 

• 1 tsp brown sugar 

• 2 large potatoes, cubed 

• 1 large red pepper, 

roughly chopped 

• salt & pepper 

• half a can of coconut milk 

• juice of ½ lemon and fresh 

coriander, to garnish 

Mix the garlic, chilli, 1tbsp spice blend, spring onions 

1 and ginger with a little oil to make a marinade. 

Pour over the diced goat and allow to marinate in 

the fridge overnight, or for at least a few hours. 

Slowly colour the chopped onion in a pan with a splash 

2 of oil, add the other tbsp of the spice blend and heat 

until fragrant. Add the marinated goat to the mix and gently 

colour, stirring frequently to make sure it doesn’t stick. 

3Add the chopped tomatoes, half a can of water, 

a few sprigs of thyme and a teaspoon of brown 

sugar and simmer on a low heat for 1½ hours (top 

up with a little more water if it looks dry). 

4Add the coconut milk, the potatoes and red pepper 

and continue to simmer for another half hour, until the 

potatoes have softened, adjusting the seasoning to your taste. 

Just before serving, remove the thyme sprigs, 

5 squeeze over the lemon juice and top with 

chopped coriander. Serve with fluffy rice. 

Follow Zoe on Instagram @thechiefshepherdess 

and @thelittlefarmfridge. You can order 

meat online at thelittlefarmfridge.co.uk 


138

• 

• 

•

JOHN SANKEY 

AT 

20% OFF ALL BESPOKE UPHOLSTERY 

1 5-17 Sayers Lane | TENTERDEN | KENT | TN30 6BW 

0 1580 761 008 

w ww.WoodcocksInteriors.co.uk

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