Wealden Times | WT226 | March 2021 | Interiors supplement inside

INTERIORS SUPPLEMENT inside 

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Contents 

March 2021 

14 

58 

HOUSE OF THE MONTH 

Maggie Alderson selects the best 

properties on the market now 

81 

88 

REFILL, REUSE, RECYCLE 

Jo Fairley’s eco-friendly 

beauty picks 

107 

75 

MEET THE HEAD 

Get to know The New 

Beacon’s Mike Piercy 

29 

34 

54 

58 

71 

75 

NOTEBOOK 

This month’s news and events 

THE SAME, 

BUT DIFFERENT 

Take a look round Susan 

Chester’s characterful 

Victorian terrace 

GET THE LOOK 

Find products to give your 

home a vintage touch 

ISLAND ESCAPE 

We visit Elmley National 

Nature Reserve to explore its 

sustainably decorated cottage 

GET THE LOOK 

Pared-back styling, Elmley-style 

ISLAND DREAMS 

Accessories with the Midas touch 

85 

87 

88 

95 

101 

SET A ROUTINE 

Sarah Maxwell explains how to 

maintain an exercise regime 

NOURISH TO FLOURISH 

Expert advice from 

nutrition and lifestyle 

coach Charlotte Lau 

BE HUMBLE 

Simple egg recipes with 

maximum impact 

FEED ME! 

Jo Arnell’s tips for a 

well-nourished garden 

PESTY PROBLEMS? 

Sue Whigham solves your 

garden invader issues 

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. 

109 

110 

113 

114 

WELCOMING DAY BOARDERS 

Benenden School explain 

their latest offering 

LOCKDOWN LESSONS 

What Spring Grove School 

has taken from lockdowns 

WHAT’S ON 

We take a look at charity 

and mental health events 

SLOW, GROW, EAT 

Zoë Colville gives us the 

latest from the farm 

INTERIORS 

SUPPLEMENT 

22 pages of 

striking and 

imaginative 

interior ideas 

After page 72 

Interiors 

Supplement 

7 

Sponsored by 

Sponsored by

A WINTER’S COLLECTION 

Editor’s 

Letter 

I 

just want to start by saying a big hello to all our new readers! 

You may have noticed that Wealden Times is popping up in 

Tesco and Sainsbury’s stores across Kent and Sussex and we’re 

thrilled to be getting lots of lovely feedback from people who have 

picked up a copy for the first time. We love to know what you’ve 

been up to and what you think of the magazine, so please do get 

in touch with me at lucy.fleming@priceless-group.com to fill us in! 

We hope that WT continues to provide a little light relief 

and inspiration at such a difficult time, and this issue is no 

different with our monthly mix of interiors, recipes, fashion and 

garden advice. This month, we’ve focused in on interiors for our 

Supplement, and my colleague Rebecca Cuffe has been researching 

the most beautiful decor, objets and soft furnishings to create 

a real home statement. Be inspired by her gorgeous mood 

boards and read all about designer dream rooms after page 72. 

It’s easy to say – but sometimes incredibly hard to put into 

practice – that during an unprecedented situation like this we 

all need to remember to take time for ourselves. If you want 

to know how, then turn to our health pages for expert advice 

and achievable goals from personal trainer Sarah Maxwell 

and nutritionist Charlotte Lau. Both explain how to nourish 

yourself mentally and physically and – most importantly – 

why it’s vital to give yourself a break from time to time! 

For the ultimate in escapism, and to regain a little 

control of something, join Jo Arnell and Sue Whigham in 

the garden to find out how to prep your outside space 

for its best summer yet, and make sure you can deter 

the pests who seek to destroy it – the kind way! 

INCLUDING STUNNING NEW WORKS 

BY 

VENETIA SYMS 

Enjoy your Wealden Times! 

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 

Surrey GU7 1AQ 

01483 860591 

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Find your copy 

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Untitled-3 1 05/11/2019 10:54

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House 

Month 

of the 

£2,150,000 

Houses of Character 

Maggie Alderson picks her favourite homes on the market 

Twitton House 

The dream: A meandering ramble 

of buildings, added to the original 

porched cottage over the years, 

creating a spacious country residence 

of great charm, very sympathetically 

renovated to create an ideal family 

home. From the front door, you 

can see right through the house to 

the kitchen and out to the garden. 

Where: Near Otford village, just 

under four miles from Sevenoaks. 

Setting: Agricultural land. 

Beds: 7 Baths: 3 

Special features: In the Georgian 

part of the house, the original 

shutters are still in place. 

Pleasing details: There is direct 

access to the house from the garage, 

via the boiler and utility rooms. 

Outside: A large garden with flat 

lawns, flower beds, a summer 

house, a kitchen garden and an 

ancient mulberry tree. There is 

a large outdoor office, currently 

in use as a yoga studio. 

Time to town: From Otford to 

Victoria, Blackfriars, London 

Bridge, Waterloo and Charing 

Cross, all in under an hour. 

Agent: Maison Partnership 

03332 423292 

maisonpartnership.com 


14

Oak Hall 

£3,500,000 

The dream: A substantial Victorian mansion, 

with a wealth of features from the double-height, 

oak-panelled and galleried great hall onwards. 

The kitchen is big enough to host a small 

ball in and opens onto the conservatory. The 

master bedroom suite has two bedrooms, two 

bathrooms, a walk-in closet and a sitting room. 

Where: One and a half miles from the village 

of Broad Oak, three from the small town of 

Heathfield, 15 south of Tunbridge Wells. 

Setting: In its own parkland and gardens, 

with spectacular southerly views. 


Special features: The library with 

fitted bookshelves and a spiral staircase 

down to the lower ground floor. 

Pleasing details: A legend that the Canadian 

gold-mining magnate who once owned Oak 

Hall hid a stock of gold on the property. 

Outside: Gardens with specimen 

trees and spectacular parkland, dotted 

with useful outbuildings. 

Time to town: Just 10 minutes to Stonegate 

station and then 70 minutes to Charing Cross. 

Agent: Batcheller Monkhouse, Battle 

01424 775577 batchellermonkhouse.com 

Nickle Farm House 

£2,500,000 

The dream: A very appealing tile-hung house of 

great character, with 17th century origins. It has a 

flowing plan, leading to a spacious eat-in kitchen, 

and splendid original beams in the bedrooms. 

The master bedroom has a vaulted ceiling. 

Where: Near the village of Chartham Hatch, 

15 minutes south west of Canterbury. 

Setting: Nestled on the side of a wooded 

hill, with splendid gardens and views across 

an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 


Special features: A particularly 

stunning new kitchen. 

Pleasing details: A private road to the village. 

Outside: Seven acres, including really 

beautiful gardens with specimen trees, with 

a Palladian-style pavilion, a summer house, 

pool with pool house, a paddock and stables 

with a charming clock and weather-vane. 

Time to town: An hour from Canterbury to 

St Pancras, around 90 minutes to Victoria and 

an hour and three quarters to Charing Cross. 

Agent: Fine & Country, Canterbury 

01227 479317 fineandcountry.com 

15 priceless-magazines.com

‘Our Focus Determines Your Reality’ 

HARPERS AND HURLINGHAM 

SUTTON VALENCE GUIDE: £1,325,000 

WELL PRESENTED GRADE II LISTED FORMER WEAVER’S HOUSE, UNDERSTOOD TO DATE 

FROM THE MID 16TH CENTURY. This property is full of period features including timbered ceilings and 

floors, unusually high ceilings, fireplaces and an impressive medieval oak staircase • Four receptions • Kitchen/ 

Breakfast room • Utility Room • Cellar • Six bedrooms (two ensuite) • Two family bathrooms • Garden/grounds of 

approx. 1.6 acres • Spacious outbuilding with scope • Surrounded by the Wealden Countryside 

Convenient yet rural location 

Sales & Lettings Team 

Harpers&Hurlingham 

The Cornerhouse, Stone Street, Cranbrook 

01580 715400 

www.harpersandhurlingham.com 

Jane Emilie Chez Cathy Sara Debbie Debbie S Sharon Caroline Dianne 

Wendy

Retirement living 

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IDEN, RYE 

GUIDE PRICE £1.4MILLION 

With its 100 yards of own private riverside mooring and spectacular views across 

the River Rother this beautiful Grade II listed Sussex farmhouse extends to circa 

4,000sqft with about 3 acres, it is the epitome of idyllic English country living. 

WOODCHURCH OIEO £950,000 

Charming detached 17th Century family home, set in just 4 over acres (tbv) with 

wonderful countryside views, swimming pool, large natural ponds and would 

make the ideal property for anyone wishing to live the good life. 

TENTERDEN 

OIEO £1.1MILLION 

Set back behind a sweeping in and out gated drive, is this fabulous 6-bedroom 

detached residence with circa 3,000 sq ft of accommodation. Lovely mature 

gardens and 2-acre paddock (tbv), detached double cart lodge for parking. EPC E 

LENHAM FORSTAL OIEO £560,000 

Located in a wonderful rural setting along a country lane with stunning views, a 

Grade II Listed attached three bedroom cottage with 0.3 acre of delightful gardens 

with a very useful, well-equipped garden office. 

HIGH HALDEN GUIDE PRICE £699,950 

This Kentish detached converted barn with a contemporary twist has undergone 

an incredibly sympathetic refurbishment to exacting standards throughout. 

Attractive mature garden, driveway parking and a detached garage. 

TENTERDEN GUIDE PRICE £800,000 

Historic detached 4 / 5 bedroom period property dating back to circa 1452, this 

unique home has been in the same family for the last 45 years. Large mature 

gardens provide a haven to escape to, with outbuildings offering potential. EPC F 

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Web: sjd-projects.com 

email: steve@sjd-projects.com 


20 

SJDprojectsWT225.indd 1 08/12/2020 11:29

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Hammer Time 

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34

The same, 

but different 

Words: Maggie Alderson 

Photographs: David Merewether Styling: Holly Levett 

With her eclectic vintage style Susan Chester put 

her own mark on a Victorian terrace house – 

while allowing it to keep its own character 

It never fails to amaze me, that while 26% 

of British houses are terraces – and the vast 

majority of them Victorian, built between 

1840 and 1900 – every single one I have ever 

been into has its own specific atmosphere. 

Susan Chester’s Victorian terrace house, 

in the Clive Vale area of Hastings, up the 

hill from the Old Town, certainly has lots of 

it. Atmosphere, individuality and character 

abound, with nothing here bought off-the-peg. 

Everything in it was sourced by Susan from 

the wealth of junk emporia in the town, on eBay 

and from antique fairs and brocantes in England, 

France and Belgium, as well as all the unique 

items created by herself and her extended family. 

Indeed, I first met Susan when perusing the 

treasures for sale in the lovely little shop she 

had in Courthouse Street, in Hastings Old 

Town. Taking in the interesting and appealing 

things she had chosen for Seapink, as it was 

called, and how well displayed they were, 

prompted me to ask her if she had a house 

as nice as her shop… It turns out she did. 

Like pretty much all these terraced houses 

now, Susan’s has an extension at the back and 

a much bigger kitchen than the original set 

up, plus a fabulous new bathroom, in what 

was a bedroom, but what really struck me 

as she showed me round, was how much of 

the house’s own character was still there. 

Not just in the ‘original features’, such as 

the ceiling cornices, bannisters and old door 

furniture, that we have all come to treasure – and 

it certainly isn’t a shrine to Victoriana – but this 

house somehow has a mood that feels very much 

in keeping with its origins, in the 1880s. 


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Previous pages & above: The sitting room has a real parlour feeling, with a splendid chandelier and wall sconces and a glass-fronted bureau 

Taking me through to the kitchen, Susan explained 

the changes she made. “There was a galley kitchen in a 

flat-roofed extension,” she says. “It was very dark.” 

Susan replaced that dreary corner with a bright 

new extension with a pitched roof and a tongue-andgroove 

ceiling, which she uses as a dining area. Gazing 

down through that vista of fresh white from the 

kitchen and you have a blueprint for the whole house. 

A mix of clever new ideas, with lovely old things. 

The three pendant lights over the table have shades 

made from old metal jelly moulds. The seating 

round the dining table is made up of a church pew 

and church chairs and at the end of the space, by a 

picture window looking over the back garden – also 

accessorised with vintage finds – is a lovely Victorian 

slipper chair, a £40 find in Hastings Old Town. 

 


This page: The dining room is in the extension that Susan 

added. Metal jelly mould pendant lights hang over the table 

which is flanked by a church pew and church chairs 

An old watering can sits under a marble-topped console 

table and there are vintage floral prints on the walls, all 

setting the scene for the segue to the outside space. 

Looking through the window I see there is a lovely summer 

house at the end of the garden and I’m start to imagine the 

very pleasant afternoons that could be spent in it, but Susan 

explains – it’s used as storage for her fabric collection. 

This is a lifelong passion, which led her to study for a 

BA(Hons) in textile design, specialising in prints for interiors 

fabrics, at Winchester Art College, training she uses now 

for projects around her own home – and plans to get back 

to, ere long, in a more serious way (of which more, later). 

Stepping back into the kitchen, which is arranged around 

a central island, Susan explains how she reorganised the 

space when she bought the house 13 years ago. “The hall 

corridor led to a downstairs loo and a huge cupboard, so I 

made it into a laundry cupboard on one side and a pantry 

on the other, with blackboard paint on the doors.” 

The whole kitchen is on a monochrome theme, with 

charcoal grey cabinets – from Howdens – below and a variety 

of fittings on the walls, from various interesting sources. 

The white wall cupboards with glass doors are the 

upper parts of two dressers, which Susan bifurcated, 


38

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Above: Vintage finds are grouped together on a marble-topped table in one corner of the dining room 

very cleverly. “The wall cupboard and central island 

are both made from two old dressers. I put the two 

drawer sections back to back to make the island and 

the upper parts are on the wall. I had glass put in the 

panels of the cupboard doors to display my collections of 

glassware, china and silver-topped cut glass jam pots.” 

A new wooden worktop sits atop the drawer sections, 

bringing them together and extending the island out at one 

end to create a counter, where two black-painted bar stools 

are pulled up. Other kitchen storage includes an old white 

meat safe, sitting on the counter, with a lovely unit of vintage 

industrial drawers, painted black, on the wall above it. 

The kitchen’s smart wooden floor is another very cleverly 

sourced idea. “It’s the old gym floor from Rye College 

school. The stripes of yellow and red are from the court 

markings. I deliberately didn’t have them matched up.” 

Heading from the kitchen to the front of the house, the 

pleasantly time-paused Victorian atmosphere (Miss Havisham, 

but without the cobwebs) gets stronger. The floorboards 

are bare and delightfully beaten up, paint-splattered in 


This page: Susan created the central island from two old dressers 

with a new wooden worktop on top. Storage in this room includes 

an old white meat safe, sitting on the counter, with a set of 

vintage industrial drawers, painted black, on the wall above it. 

The wooden floor used to be the old gym floor from Rye College 

school. The stripes of yellow and red are from the court markings. 

“I deliberately didn’t have them matched up,” says Susan 

places, heading up the stairs with a very characterful central 

‘runner’ of bare wood, where carpet would once have been. 

The sitting room has a real parlour feeling, with a 

splendid chandelier and wall sconces and a fine glassfronted 

bureau that belonged to her parents, displaying 

more of Susan’s collections, including a Shelley tea service 

left to her by an aunt. Adding character are an unrestored 

‘raw’ chaise longue, from eBay and a gorgeously weathered 

French buttoned chair from Adi at Hoof Brocante. 

Susan’s appreciation for the patina of well-used items is 

displayed again on the half-landing with an old painted 

cupboard from a school science lab, topped with a lovely 

flower painting she had bought for the shop (lucky I 

didn’t spot it in there…) and two blue enamel jugs. 

The generous proportions of this house – a feature 

of this slightly later era of Victorian terraces – is 

beautifully apparent on the large first-floor landing, 


42

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Heading from the kitchen to the front of the house, the pleasantly timepaused 

Victorian atmosphere (Miss Havisham, but without the cobwebs) 

gets stronger. The floorboards are bare and delightfully beaten up, paintsplattered 

in places, heading up the stairs with a very characterful 

central ‘runner’ of bare wood, where carpet would once have been 

 


Above: Susan transformed one of the original bedrooms into a bathroom, retaining the fireplace. Fearing the weight 

implications of a stand-alone cast iron bath, she found this claw-foot version for £10 on eBay. “It’s resin. Cast iron would have 

gone through the floor.” 

where Susan has created a mirrored wardrobe area, 

while still leaving plenty of thoroughfare space. 

This generous sense of ease continues into 

the bedroom at the front of the house, where 

light pours in through the bay window, 

enhancing the space and high ceilings with 

their original decorative square pattern. 

Susan has not held back in here with a splendid 

bed, with gold trim, from eBay, a Venetian glass 

chandelier from one of her Belgian missions and a 

wardrobe of particular magnificence, a weathered sage 

green, with more gilt decoration, from Pete Grant, 


46

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Above: Pride of place on the bathroom mantelpiece is a sculpture, carved from African black soap by Susan’s daughter, for her 

degree show at St Martins. Below: An amazing boat on top of the cupboard was made from driftwood and flotsam and jetsam picked 

up on the beach 

when based in Hastings Old Town’s Courthouse Street. 

Another feature in here come from a legend of Hastings 

vintage splendour, Mick, of 20 th Century Funkin’ Junk. 

These are a couple of French 19 th century cloches du 

marriage – 3D collages of decorative objects, such as gilt 

birds, wax flowers, velvet cushions and small mirrors, 

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It has to be said, they would not fit in every 

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powder bowls, grouped on the dressing table. 

Across the hall, is the absolutely splendid new bathroom, 

which was a bedroom; the smaller room next door, which 

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this is a much savvier use of the space – and the bathroom 

itself is another testament to her brilliant curation skills. 

The impressive stand-alone claw-foot bath, was a classic 

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resin. Cast iron would have gone through the floor.” 

The mirrors over the twin basins belonged to her 

grandparents, the curtain is an old lace tablecloth and 

the amazing boat on top of the cupboard was made 


Above: Light pours in through a bay window, enhancing this bedroom’s space and high ceilings with their original decorative 

square pattern. Susan found the ornate bed on eBay, and picked up the Venetian glass chandelier on a trip to Belgium 

by her former partner, from driftwood and 

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Above: A weathered sage green wardrobe was found in a shop in Hastings Old Town’s George Street. With stripped back, bare 

wood floors a feature throughout the house, this bedroom is softened with layers of cosy quilts and plump cushions 

From here, Susan takes me up to see the next two floors, 

which include two more lovely big bedrooms on the second 

floor and two more, plus a shower room, created in the attic 

space – but these weren’t suitable for photographing, because 

they were in the special state of disarray only achieved when 

moving house… Which is exactly what Susan is doing. 

Coming back down to the hall we have to step 

round two large antique fireplaces and a huge mirror 

(from an old Hastings pub again via 20 th Century 

Funkin’ Junk) which are all going to the new house 

– a cottage in the country, with outbuildings. 

The outbuildings are the key thing, as they will 

be the space for Susan to run courses in decorative 

arts – making lampshades and cushions, sewing and 

patchworking, with other teachers coming in to teach 

specialities, such as willow weaving and felting. 

And this enforced year of downtime we have all had, 

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and mental space to mould the new house into a perfect 

setting for such creative endeavours, with originality jumping 

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58

Island Escape 

Words: Maggie Alderson 

Photographs: David Merewether Styling: Holly Levett 

With a focus on sustainability and conservation, Georgina 

Fulton and her husband, Gareth, ensure that Elmley Nature 

Reserve and its working family farm preserves the natural habitat 

on the Isle Of Sheppey, sharing their portion of beautiful marsh 

landscape with guests in the reserve’s unique accommodation 


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Previous pages & above: A huge open downstairs space comprises the kitchen, dining and sitting areas. 

Francesca sourced the kitchen’s industrial-style wheeled trolley from McCully & Crane in Rye 

England is quite a small country and a wellpopulated 

and busy one, so it’s amazing to find 

within it – and not at all far from bustling towns 

and busily farmed land – a pocket of pure otherness. 

The Isle of Sheppey is one of these magical spots. A 

mere 30-minute drive from Maidstone – and only 90 

from Trafalgar Square – it has an atmosphere of complete 

isolation, as though you have travelled days (possibly in a 

coracle…) to the flat landscape topped with huge skies. 

The unique light comes from its watery situation, girt by 

three rivers, with its easterly tip just across the mouth of the 

Swale from Whitstable, the Medway to the west and the wide 

Thames Estuary all along the northern side of the island. 

Adding to the magic, over 3,000 acres of the land 

on the isle is given over to the Elmley National Nature 

Reserve, created in 1992 by Natural England, to preserve 

a wetland habitat of world importance, particularly 

for the breeding and overwintering of birds, which 

migrate there every year from the polar north. 

This was the initiative of pioneering non-intensive 

farmers and conservationists Philip and Corinne 

Merricks, who wanted to protect the unique wildlife 

environment, while continuing to graze cattle on it. 

With the nature reserve – and the cattle – well established, 

the potential of the estate is now being taken on to 

the next stage by their daughter Georgina Fulton. 

Along with her husband Gareth, they have renovated the 

various properties on the site into very stylish and characterful 

holiday rentals, which combine into a stellar wedding venue, 

with room to sleep 38 – and up to 100 in luxury bell tents. 

There is also a group of seriously cool shepherd huts to rent. 

On my visit to Elmley, I met Georgina in the huge renovated 

barn, which is at the centre of the hamlet of buildings. Its 

outer timbers painted groovy black, it has been styled very 

simply inside with all the original beam structure visible 

– and is a dream setting for a wedding should the weather 

get too complicated for an entirely outdoor shenanigan. 

“We deliberately kept it rustic,” says Georgina, as we 

drink coffee from the barn café, which serves lunches 

and dinners for holiday residents, and visitors to the 

Reserve during the day. “We wanted it simple, not 

twee. The star is the view out of the window.” 

She’s not overstating it. This window, filling one end 

of the barn and looking out over the reserve, affords the 

kind of view it’s difficult to pull your eyes away from, 

with murmurations of birds dancing across the vast sky. 

“In January and February it’s spectacular,” says Georgina, 

following my gaze. “There are birds of prey, peregrines, 

merlins, marsh harriers, short-eared owls, lapwings, avocets. 

Arctic wildfowl overwinter here from mid-November.” 

No wonder birdwatchers come from all over to observe these 

gatherings on the two lakes from specially constructed hides, 

which I had great fun exploring, after visiting the houses. 

Indeed, I was so taken with it all, I had been planning to 

book a visit (it is essential to reserve in advance) to go back 

myself this January, with binoculars, but the Reserve is 


XXX 

I swear that view could be prescribed for high blood pressure, you 

can’t help sighing out the tension as you look at it... 

temporarily closed due to Covid restrictions. The website has 

updates on all this and I’m now making plans to go next year. 

The question will be which of the amazing properties to 

stay in. If I were going with my extended family for a special 

occasion we could book out the whole of Kingshill Farmhouse, 

which sleeps 14 – individual rooms can now be booked, too. 

It’s decorated in the very smart, yet always warm and cosy style 

of interior designer Francesca Rowan-Plowden, who has created 

the new looks for this lovely Georgian/Victorian building – 

which had been derelict since the 1960s – and Elmley Cottage. 

Kingshill Farmhouse, with its plethora of velvet, old 

paintings, dark walls and kilims – and a very cool kitchen 

extension with Crittall windows – is heavenly. As Georgina 

says, “We wanted it to feel like a home,” and it really does. 

The home of some very cool and fortunate friends… 

But while I found it quite hard to leave the Farmhouse, 


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“Only the beds and sofas are new in the 

whole house. All the other furniture is 

sustainable finds from antique fairs,” 

says interior designer, Francesca Rowan Plowden 

after my quick tour, for a really chilled, brain rebooting 

stay, I think for me the Cottage might have the edge. 

From the outside – especially when you have just quit 

the Georgian end of Kingshill Farmhouse – it doesn’t look 

like much (although to be fair, it will be greatly enhanced 

by Georgina’s lovely plantings of fig, bay and rosemary). 

Possibly because it arrived at the site on the back of a lorry. 

“My parents bought it as a farm worker’s dwelling in the 

1990s,” she explains. “It’s a wood-framed Scandinavian house, 

delivered as a flatpack on a lorry.” The style of the building was 

chosen for its eco credentials – it’s sustainably built and has 

minimal heat loss due to special insulation and triple glazing. 

But while that might sound like an IKEA version of a 

dwelling, once inside – even beyond the striking Tardis 

effect – it is something a lot more sophisticated than that. 

The first thing that struck me was the dark grey 

painted wood floors in the hall, switching to pale 

grey on the stairs with a navy blue ‘runner’ painted 

up the centre – one of those very simple, but clever 

ideas that tells you a proper designer is involved. 

Continuing past the stairs and round the corner, 

 


This page: The downstairs was originally three separate rooms. 

Francesca redesigned the space and knocked it all into one, putting 

in an RSJ and retaining the central fireplace 

you enter a large space, with a spare New York loft feel – 

with three walls of windows looking out over the nature 

reserve from a slightly elevated position. I swear that 

view could be prescribed for high blood pressure, you 

can’t help sighing out the tension as you look at it. 

The simple kitchen is to the left, the long dining table 

straight ahead, two L-shaped sofas in a sitting area to 

the right – and the space articulated just enough by a 

central chimney, with a woodburner on the sofa side of 

it and built-in shelves for glass on the kitchen side. 

Creating this big square expanse was the big change 

Francesca Rowan-Plowden made to the house. “Georgina and 

Gareth really liked what I’d done at my beach house, which I 

knocked through to create one big open space, so we did the 

same here. It was three separate rooms and the kitchen had 

a big island across it. So we knocked it all out and put in an 

RSJ. The fireplace was already there, in just the right spot.” 

Instead of an island to increase the worktop, the kitchen – 

a short stretch of black-painted plank doors and a splendid 

range cooker – has an industrial-style wheeled trolley, which 

Francesca found at McCully & Crane (in Rye). “I saw it and 

thought it would be great in a kitchen and perfect for this 

house, because when they are hosting things like yoga courses 

and need all the space, they can move it against the wall.” 

If it seems like a smallish kitchen for a house which can sleep 

10 (Covid restrictions pending), the capacity is cleverly 


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This page: Weathered chests and cupboards are a feature throughout the house, many of which are blue. One in particular, on the landing, 

ties the whole colour scheme of the cottage together. “It was that colour when we bought it,” says Francesca. “I thought it might be a bit 

much, but it works so well.” 

extended by a utility/boot room in the back corner of the 

house, which has all the white goods and lots of storage for 

kitchen overflow. 

Next to that is the ground-floor bedroom, with walls painted 

a mid-green (Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke) two thirds of the 

way up, then cream, with the back wall finished with tongue 

and groove panelling. Bringing it all together are Roman 

blinds and a valance in classic ticking, a side table made from 

an old sewing machine base and a print of a wading bird. 

And so, in this one room, we have several of the elements 

Francesca used to fulfil another essential aspect of Georgina 

and Gareth’s design brief: a firm budget with a focus on 

sustainability. “I used mainly ticking and linen, from 

Merchant & Mills. Ticking valances have become one of 

my trademarks. A valance really pulls a small room together, 

but they are expensive to make, so using simpler fabric 

allows you to have the effect and keep the costs down.” 

The wall features were another clever way to give the house a 

pulled-together look. “Tongue and groove gives texture to walls 

and painting them in two tones up to this unexpected height is 

a way of adding interest that isn’t twee, or obvious, like having 

one colour up to a dado rail can be, it’s more contemporary.” 

The table is an example of the sustainable theme – 

antique fair furniture finds. “Only the beds and sofas are 

new in the whole house – and I got the L-shaped sofas 

from Made. I already knew they worked for this kind 

of shared space. All the other furniture are finds from 

antique fairs, ensuring the design remains eco-friendly.” 

The great source was the legendary Ardingly antiques fair 

at Haywards Heath, which is a vintage furniture treasure 


68

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Above left: The simply decorated shower room mixes monochrome tiling for pleasing detail and pattern Above right: The ground-floor 

bedroom’s walls are painted a mid-green (Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke) two thirds of the way up, then cream, with the back wall finished 

with tongue and groove panelling 

trove beloved of home designers in the South East – what 

made this difference was that Francesca took Georgina and 

Gareth with her on the shopping expeditions for the house. 

“I like to take clients with me to antique fairs, to be involved 

with choices, because it’s more efficient – and it means we 

don’t come back with anything they might not like. That’s 

not to say that Georgina and Gareth weren’t sure about some 

of the things I chose at Ardingly, but when they saw them in 

the house, they got it. So that really helps to build trust.” 

One of the items even Francesca wasn’t sure about at first 

has turned out to be an anchor piece for the whole scheme – a 

large chest of drawers painted such a distinctive bright blue, 

I assumed she’d bought something bland and repainted it 

for effect. “It was that colour when we bought it,” she says. 

“I thought it might be a bit much, but it works so well.” 

With two striking vases on the top and a round mirror 

over it, as well as providing very useful storage for linens, 

the chest gives the landing instant impact and character. 

And is also the first sight of what then became another of 

Francesca’s themes for the scheme as a whole. There are 

three more blue-painted chests of drawers in the bedrooms. 

“I just happened to find three more blue chests of drawers! 

They were perfect and I didn’t paint any of them.” 

It makes a tour of the house very satisfying, as you 

keep seeing these lovely blue chests, with interesting 

gatherings of objects atop them – and usually a 

round mirror somewhere in the vicinity. 

Walking around Elmley Cottage, it almost became a 

game for me, to spot Francesca’s clever themes and notice 

how they popped up and changed between each room. 

Round mirrors, bamboo frames, valances, Roman blinds, 

ticking, linen, wall hooks, glug jugs, framed bird prints, 

mustard yellow velvet… With ticking blinds and linen 

headboard in one room, linen blinds and ticking valance 

in another. Another theme is a wonderful striking pink, as 

Farrow & Balls’s Setting Plaster in one bedroom, popping 

up elsewhere as cushions and chair covers. “Having a 

simple palate and some themes as a running thread, makes 

a house flow and makes it seem bigger,” says Francesca. 

Put like that, it sounds simple, but the total 

effect is much greater than the sum of the parts 

and creates a sense of stimulating harmony – the 

perfect complement to this unique setting. 

Address Book: 

To find out more about booking a stay at Elmley 

National Nature Reserve, visit elmleynaturereserve.co.uk. 

Ardingly Antiques Fair iacf.co.uk/ardingly 

McCully & Crane mccullyandcrane.com 

Merchant & Mills merchantandmills.com 

Rowan Plowden Design rowanplowden.com 


70

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perfect tranquil scene in 

quietly beautiful greys. £245 

woodchipandmagnolia.co.uk 

Get comfy 

A comfortable chair can make all 

the difference to your working 

wellbeing. This Enjoy from Mesh 

Office Seating is not only comfy 

with ‘autoflex’ zones for back and 

lumbar support, but also stylish 

enough to gracefully roll into any 

space (especially as the mesh comes 

in eight colours to suit any look). 

Plus our readers can get it at a 

special price of £462 with SitSmart 

(down from £512.40) if you quote 

us over the phone. 01892 510202 

sitsmart.co.uk 

Brighten up 

Dried flowers will boost your 

mood and last years! These 

stems of mustard pompoms 

are on-trend in yellow and 

just £12 for 20 at Rockett 

StGeorge rockettstgeorge.co.uk 


Add a bit of colour to your Home and Life 

RaggedRose 

01622 812897 | sales@raggedrose.com | www.raggedrose.com 

The Smart Solution to 

Home Automation & Cinema 

RaggedRoseWT163.indd 1 13/08/20 

RaggedRoseWT226.indd 1 RaggedRose_GiftwareReview1305.indd 1 28/01/2021 15:53 

09 

Providing bespoke home automation & cinema 

packages to suit your style and budget 

Home cinema 

Home automation 

Home audio 

01732 758985 l info@lakehome.co.uk 

LakeElectrical&LarreHomeAvWT223.indd 1 07/08/2020 11:56

Miniature Secret Garden colouring book 

by Johanna Basford £6.99 Laurence 

King Publishing laurenceking.com 

Copperhurst British 

Romney wool throw £70 

Romney Marsh Wools 

romneymarshwools.co.uk 


Arabella deep emerald 

green velvet cushion £35 

and Bobby taupe bobble 

cushion £20 both Ragged 

Rose raggedrose.com 

Small hanging 

clay planter 

£24 Leaf Envy 

leafenvy.co.uk 

Green Sloth embroidery 

kit £21.50 Paraffle 

paraffle-embroidery.com 

Rosie Anton Photography 

Marigold embroidery 

art £85 Ovo Bloom 

ovobloom.com 

Bees stoneware mug 

£10 Sophie Allport 

sophieallport.com 

“See beauty in every place” 

bookmark £2.50 National Trust 

shop.nationaltrust.org.uk 

Velvet Helmsley 

Snuggler from £1,404 

in the fabric of your 

choice Sofas & Stuff 

sofasandstuff.com 

Dakota bookcase 

in ocean blue 

£399 Housecosy 

housecosy.com 

“No Rain, No 

Flowers” framed 

wall art £45 

Oliver Bonas 

oliverbonas.com 

Bell Song British 

tulips £25 

Smith & Munson 

smithandmunson.com 

Ovala pink 

scalloped chair £500 

Homebody Decor 

homebodydecor.co.uk 

MY 

SPACE 

Give yourself a little haven away from your work space 

to switch off and get some screen-free me-time 

English yew vase by 

Oliver Chalk £70 

Platform Gallery 

platform-shop.co.uk 

FIRE IT UP 

For extra snugglable comfiness and a chic way to divide 

up your space from work space, add a room dividing fire. 

This one from Marble Hill has been developed to achieve 

a perfect view of the flames from every angle and comes 

in a range of sizes. Prices start from £5,400 (not including 

installation and subject to a site visit) marblehill.co.uk 


ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE 

Kitchens – the new normals, 

with Collins Bespoke 

These three 

beautiful living 

spaces reflect the 

trends that have 

been developing in 

kitchen design 

The kitchen has always been the hub of the 

home. But, in 2020, it became the home’s 

lifeline. We have baked, worked, homeschooled, 

dined-in, Zoomed, TikTok’d, 

worked-out … lived, in our kitchens. 

With the prospect of another few months 

staying-home and staying-safe, many of us 

are reworking and redesigning our living 

spaces to accommodate our ‘new normal.’ 

FINALIST 

Show Space 

Design of the Year 

ADDING 

APPLIANCES 

As we do more in our kitchens, we are 

incorporating more appliances. The 

popularity of the double-dishwasher has 

increased, as has that of the integrated 

coffee machine, bringing ease of living 

and a bit of what we are missing into our 

homes. Likewise, our taps have become 

sophisticated appliances. A long-time 

popular choice, the hot water tap seems 

to be a necessity. Those offering chilled 

filtered and sparkling water are in demand, 

giving just that little bit more luxury. 

MULTI-USE 

SPACES 

From breakfast mornings to homework 

snacks, the kitchen provides. But during 

the last year, the island, a 2020 saviour, 

has offered additional worktop (and 

work!) space. Double islands are popular 

in our recent designs, as well as retractable 

doors, integrated desking, hidden offices, 

and many clever storage solutions – all 

highlighting our need to use our kitchens 

for way more than cooking. Charging 

stations and pop-up sockets show homeschooling 

and working-from-home can 

happen in the day, and be out of sight for 

the weekend. 

We aren’t going out, we’re staying in; 

and dividing our kitchens into areas 

reflects this: our kitchens feature drinks 

cabinets and bar areas; spaces for sofas 

and comfortable seating; larger pantries 

and larders; and, just off the kitchen, 

because we want more outside time – in 

all weathers – boot-rooms and utilities are 

warranting a huge amount of attention. 

STYLE 

Kitchen design is becoming increasingly 

elegant yet bold, with a demand for 

slimmer worktops but bolder cabinetry 

colours. We want somthing brighter 

to look at. Greens, reds and yellows are 

becoming more popular than the recent 

greys and dark blues. We’re spending so 

much time in our kitchens, we want to 

enjoy looking at them! 

Old Surrenden Manor, Bethersden, Kent TN26 3DL | 01233 822595 | collinsbespoke.com


Local Loves 

Let’s celebrate and support some talented local makers! 

Rosie Anton Photography 

Left to right, top to bottom: 1 Spalted Elm Burr tray £160 Ash & Plumb ashandplumb.co.uk 2 Bumble bee cushion from £26.99 Gemma Keith gemmakeith.co.uk 

3 Ceramic figurines by Ellen Hayward from £20 each Platform Gallery platform-shop.co.uk 4 Primroses oil on board by Annie Waring £550 McAllister 

Thomas mcallisterthomasfineart.co.uk 5 Large customisable colour block Tamara ottoman from £1,200 Sadie Dorchester sadiedorchester.com 6 Bargehouse 

framed oil on board by Frances Featherstone £850 Instagram @francesfeatherstone francesfeatherstone.co.uk 7 Lavender and wheat stook £18.95 Castle Farm 

castlefarmkent.co.uk 8 Forstum British Romney wool cushion in marsh fern £35 Romney Marsh Wools romneymarshwools.co.uk 9 Hedera helix by Louisa Crispin 

£895 Kevis House Gallery kevishouse.com / louisacrispinart.co.uk 10 Bedside lamp in green £50 Canterbury Pottery canterburypottery.com 11 Large pressed 

British woodland fern £60 Squidgy Glass etsy.com/shop/SquidgyGlass 12 Large Birds empire lampshade £90 on tall painted base £80 Bloomsbury Revisited 

bloomsburyrevisited.co.uk 13 Wire and yarn Monstera leaf £15 etsy.com/shop/LoopyLollipopShop 14 Pea pod tile £19 Angela Evans Tiles angelaevans.co.uk 



Paradisa wallpaper from 

£125 House of Hackney 

houseofhackney.com 

Chinoiserie 

wallpaper £175 

Mindthegap 

mindtheg.com 

Designer Dream: 

Dawn’s Living Room 

We talk to Dawn Rose, founder of Ragged Rose, a British home and gift 

lifestyle concept, born in 2011 out of Dawn’s desire to create a signature 

collection of colourful floral prints and vibrant coordinating plains for 

practical, affordable textile gifts and soft furnishings. Her motto was and still 

is, “Add a bit of colour in your home and life.” Never for the faint-hearted! 

Antique 

bronze palm 

leaf floor lamp 

£365 Audenza 

audenza.com 

Rivington wallpaper 

in Blush Pink £85 

woodchipandmagnolia.co.uk 

Palm table lamp base 

£105.60 där lighting 

darlighting.co.uk 

Cheetah jungle 

velvet cushion 

£40 Ragged Rose 

raggedrose.com 

One of the themes I really love this season is an eclectic tropical botanical feel, 

incorporating shades of green and deep petrol with pink to bring nature indoors. 

I am always inspired by colour combinations using the backdrop of nature. With 

everyone’s focus on the home and garden and getting back to nature, green has 

become an important colour for interiors. Plants such as indoor palms, Sago 

plants and even Aspidistra have become increasingly popular. 

I adore the Regency period of around 1820 when the Prince Regent who 

became George IV developed the Brighton Pavilion with John Nash. This 

truly inspirational building was influenced by The Mughal palaces in India but 

also the decorative chinoiserie style found in China. They used hand-painted 

wallpapers depicting flora and fauna from the East with an exotic Asian twist of 

birds, leopards and elephants and combined this with lush tropical leaves and 

vegetation. The look was quite opulent with gilded pineapples and gold palm 

trees as well as birds and animal themes. The recent TV series Bridgerton has 

also helped to fire people’s imaginations with the glorious setting of that period. 

With this in mind we at Ragged Rose have launched a new animal and jungle 

collection this season, using lifelike digital prints on washable super-soft cotton 

velvet. We are using jungle leaves in shades of lime and emerald green with dark 

petrol, blush pink and a spot of leopard print. Combining this with House of 

Hackney wallpaper and a Loaf love seat sofa in blush pink brings this into the 

21st century. Add a classic Chesterfield in a stunning opulent green velvet by 

Darlings of Chelsea and an unusual table lamp based on animals or pineapples 

and that would be my dream living room! raggedrose.com 

Annona gold 

pineapple side 

table £118 

Audenza audenza. 

comorg.uk 

Mussa And 

Palma – Alma 

Maxima wall art 

£198 Mindthegap 

mindtheg.com 

Royal Crown Derby 

Aves gold teacup £115 

Amara amara.com 

Smithy love 

seat £1,145 

Loaf loaf.com 

Stirling Sofa £2,278.50 

Darlings of Chelsea 

darlingsofchelsea.co.uk 


8

LOVINGLY HANDMADE 

25% off 

a second item* 

H ER E 

I N 

B RI TA I N 

The Estate Yard, Eridge, Nr Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 9JR 

01892 572309 www.sofasandstuff.com 

Helmsley 3 Seater in Antwerp Beige, scatters in 

Fen Plain Beige and Edgar Check Old Blue £3,287 

*Purchase any 2 items, cheapest item 25% off 

SofasAndStuffWT226.indd 1 01/02/2021 12:55 

 

 

 

 

 

Church Street Studio 

INDEPENDENT ARTIST’S STUDIO 

10 Church Street, Godalming, Surrey. GU7 1EH 

+44 7766 545 804 

www.churchstreetstudio.com 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


ChurchStreetStudioWT226.indd 1 03/02/2021 JohnMillerS50.indd 12:09 

1 29/11/2018 16:13

Inglebourne_90x130mm_Press_Ad_SHM.pdf 1 04/02/2021 09:01 

C 

M 

Y 

CM 

MY 

CY 

CMY 

K 

New Studio, 

Dorking. 

Inglebourne 

Interiors. 

For over 30 years Inglebourne has helped 

keep London’s luxury hotels luxurious, 

and its celebrity homes beautiful. 

For more information please get in touch: 

As a special thank 

you for all your 

support, we are 

offering FREE LINING 

ON ALL BESPOKE 

CURTAIN & ROMAN 

BLIND ORDERS until 

March 2021 

www.inglebourneinteriors.co.uk 

IngleborneInteriorsWT226.indd 1 11/02/2021 OohHowLovelyWT226.indd 11:18 

1 05/02/2021 09:50 

Beautiful furniture inspired by our travels around the world 

www.kireihome.co.uk 


10 

KireiInteriorsWT226.indd 1 16/02/2021 16:05


One-off special-order 

chair in vintage 

Designers Guild and 

Tricia Guild fabrics 

£695 Ooh How Lovely 

oohhowlovely.co.uk 

Eichholtz Le 

Sereno mirror £940 

Sweetpea & Willow 

sweetpeaandwillow.com 

Matisse nude 

art print £15 

Abstract House 

abstracthouse.com 

Camilla Again 

in light blue by 

Charlotte Gaisford 

charlottegaisford.co.uk 

Micofibre/cotton 

down feel pillow 

£16.50 King of Cotton 

kingofcotton.com 

Designer Dream: 

Lisa’s Bedroom 

Interior designer Lisa Edwards’ Kent shop, Ooh How Lovely, is a haven 

for colour and pattern lovers. Filled with her bold and beautiful oneoff 

interiors pieces, the shop brings her passion for decor to life with 

upholstery and interior design services alongside creative workshops. 

I love colour and pattern and my dream bedroom is inspired by “Blue Interior” 

1947 by Matisse. I would have a relaxed interlined curtain made from two 

different fabrics with coloured pompoms along the edge and a floppy gathered top. 

I’d have an upholstered French settle in a periwinkle blue floral pattern at the end 

of the bed and a large upholstered, shaped headboard in a contrast fabric to the 

curtains – probably check or stripe. My bed linen would be crisp white cotton, 

with lots of cushions and soft throws in pinks, raspberry and off white colours. 

I love the “cottagecore” and the “maximalist” trends at the moment. I think we 

all have lots of objects that have memories attached to them and I believe it gives 

them more energy to include them in a scheme and allow them to shine. 

A bedroom should be a sanctuary, so I would have deep pile soft rugs on a wooden 

floor with no television but lots of mirrors, patterned wallpaper and a lovely deep 

button velvet chaise. 

I think this quote from Tricia Guild is perfect and reflects my feeling about colour: 

“Vivid, surprising; a sudden jolt of pure bright colour adds drama, accent and 

unexpected sophistication.” oohhowlovely.co.uk 

Kendal merino wool 

blanket £150 The 

Fine Cotton Company 

thefinecottoncompany.com 

Carved mango 

mirror £395 

Kayu Home 

kayuhome.co.uk 

Candles from a selection 

Grand Illusions 

grandillusions.co.uk 

Oxwich Herringbone Coffee 

Strand bamboo flooring £82/m 2 

Woodpecker Flooring 

woodpeckerflooring.co.uk 

Fontaine Mirror 

£1416 Arteriors 

arteriorshome.com 

Mikado curtain, 

Bagatelle armchair and 

footstool, Bagatelle and 

Mikado cushions & 

Solitaire lampshade all 

James Hare 

james-hare.com 

Super King Puffin bed £1,858 

The Headboard Workshop 

theheadboardworkshop.co.uk 


BESPOKE WINDOW TREATMENTS AND SOFT FURNISHINGS 

FOR COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS 

Soft Furnishing | Curtains | Blinds 

Pole & track supply and automation 

01580 241614 | www.lilymatthews.co.uk


5 minutes with... 

Jane Cowdry 

We learn about Jane’s work at her company, LilyMatthews, which produces curtains, 

blinds and soft furnishings for designers and private and commercial clients 

What kind of projects do you do? 

The bulk of our work is for designers 

but we also help private clients in the 

South East. We work on full commercial 

projects such as hotels and restaurants as 

well as residential homes and holiday homes. Large 

projects are a speciality as we have the capacity to 

work on wide width curtains with lengths as much 

as 7m. We also love smaller individual projects 

local to us that we can turn around quickly and 

ensure clients can get on with their lives in a 

finished home or bedroom as soon as possible. 

Can you advise on other aspects of interior 

design? We help with upholstery, paint 

and fabric supply. We can supply beautiful 

headboards and pelmets, too. We also help with 

all the fittings such as good quality basic poles 

to handcrafted ones in bespoke colours. We 

also supply automation for easy opening and 

closing of curtains including voice control. 

How are you liaising with clients during 

the current pandemic? This has been difficult 

but like every company we have adapted. Our 

work for designers has continued fairly normally 

as there is very little face-to-face with this work 

and properties are often empty. We are also 

able to quote from floor plans and elevations in 

the early stages so no site visits are necessary. 

We have strict guidelines for measuring up 

and are keeping appointments to no more than 

twice a week as this allows for testing in between. 

We aren’t carrying out consultations in homes 

but are able to meet with existing clients at the 

workshop showroom at weekends when no 

staff are present and we can keep a distance. 

We can then put together fabric suggestions 

so we can get the ball rolling and these can be 

shown via Powerpoint or, if very local, with mini 

moodboards or packs delivered to the door. 

How can you help a client decide on the 

right fabrics for their home? When I first see 

a client (under normal circumstances) it would 

be in their home. This often isn’t to their taste as 

they will have just moved in, so I have to work 

out what they like, what they want to achieve 

and what makes them happy. I then ask them to 

look at a few books – which is the quickest way 

to see what they love, hate or what they might 

consider once we have pulled it all together. 

The interior of your home should bring you 

joy and comfort, a haven from what is going on 

outside and the fabrics and colours all contribute 

to that and form the backdrop to your home life. 

They aren’t just the accessory. Last year we fitted 

a couple of rooms in the home of a family who 

had relocated from London. Though they loved 

the new house the lady was missing her London 

life and office. I found a lovely fun fabric ‘Berkeley 

Square’ by James Hare (pictured as background) and 

we used it in the playroom, she said it made her 

smile every time she went into the room because 

the Square had been around the corner from her 

office and where she would sit on a sunny day 

with her lunch. When you see how design can 

transform a house to a home it is wonderful and 

our designer clients are amazing at what they do. 

What is the most elaborate and memorable 

project you’ve been asked to work on? 

There have been so many wonderful ones and we 

have worked for famous faces and famous places 

along the way, but two spring to mind. One of 

our designer’s clients had always loved the film 

Gone with the Wind and wanted a bedroom like 

Scarlett’s (if you look it up it’s swathes of peach/ 

pink satin). It was in a Kent manor house and the 

designer brought it up to date by using a soft grey 

satin, but it was fantastic with swags and tails and 

swooping tiebacks and trims. The second was more 

restrained but involved a sizeable Tudor hall that 

was transformed by the designer into a stunning 

seating and dining area with huge windows where 

we made curtains over 5m long in a printed-toorder 

Linwood fabric. They looked amazing and, 

more importantly for us, the fit was spot on! 

Tell us about your Beginners Curtain Making 

Kits... Gosh this was a bit of fun during the first 

lockdown! We have intermittently run curtain 

making courses but they have become more 

difficult as we have grown busier and also the 

pandemic meant they couldn’t go ahead. I had 

the idea to put the teaching into a kit so it was all 

together. There is a DVD, written instructions, 

fabrics, a pencil, tape and it even has pins and 

needles and cotton so you only need your own 

scissors and a tape measure. Of course you couldn’t 

have professionals in last year so my poor husband 

had to shoot the video. Though the continuity is 

a bit jumpy (my hair does some odd things!), the 

instructions are clear and easy to follow and it’s 

taught in exactly the same way as I would on a 

face-to-face course. You make a small pencil pleat 

curtain and then I show you how to easily scale that 

up for your own home. It’s a fraction of the cost 

of the courses and you can go at your own speed. 

lilymatthews.co.uk


Coldharbour Lights fabulous feather light shade 

£420 RockettStGeorge rockettstgeorge.co.uk 

Lasco bar stool in dove grey with 

a brushed stainless steel base £219 

MY Furniture my-furniture.com 

Levone chest of drawers 

£1,580 Sweetpea & Willow 


Midnight bedspread 

£269 BoConcept 

boconcept.com 

it’s all 

GREY-VY 

For those looking for something other than the yellow 

and grey mix which is currently EVERYWHERE, pair 

your greys with navy for a dark luxe look 

Monogrammed linen 

coasters £40 (set of 

4) Initially London 

initiallylondon.com 

Juniper little bee cushion 

£19.50 Homebody Decor 

homebodydecor.co.uk 

Glass candlestick 

£14.95 The Grey Works 

thegreyworks.com 

Deco Martini Midnight 

Gold wallpaper £150 Divine 

Savages divinesavages.com 

Tapestry cushion from £100 

Tori Murphy torimurphy.com 

Charles Dickens 

paper shade £25 

Papershades 

papershades.co.uk 

Keep me warm 

plaid £64 

BoConcept 

boconcept.com 

Waverly 3 seater sofa in Napoli 

Graphite Velvet Sofas & Stuff 

from £3,030 teaandtequila.com 

Hierarchy Pencil Grey 

wallpaper £150 Divine 

Savages divinesavages.com 


14

caza 

Everything Home 

DreamDoorsWT225.indd 1 19/01/2021 12:23 

NEW 

fabric accounts 

upholstery services, furniture & 

fabric, courses & workshops 

and curtains & blinds 

01483 801108 

enquiries@sarahlouisedix.co.uk 

www.sarahlouisedix.co.uk 

020 8050 4347 

www.caza.uk 

Hand Made Solid Wood Furniture 

Stylish designs built to Last 

www.caza.uk | 020 8050 4347 | sales@caza.uk 


SarahLouiseDixWT224.indd 1 27/10/2020 CazaWT226.indd 13:51 1 16/02/2021 14:25

D&S Wealden Times Ads 1-4 (Feb'18)_D&S 1/4 page 17/02/2018 11:23 Page 

CURTAIN 

CALL 

BLIND AND CURTAIN SHOWROOM 

Refresh your home with new curtains and blinds made 

from a wonderful collection of fabrics, including designers 

Sanderson, Harlequin, Romo and more. 

• Bespoke Luxaflex • Blinds including 

SmartHome integration 

Browse and Buy our gifts online at 

www.curtain-call.co.uk 

Please call for latest showroom restrictions 

52 Friars Stile Road, Richmond, Surrey TW10 6NQ 

020 8332 6250 • curtaincall@blueyonder.co.uk 

We create striking interior and exterior doors in the finest solid oak, ranging 

from simple planked doors to intricately carved panels finished in moulded 

framework modelled on the styles and design of the 17th century. 

+44 (0)1580 243331 

www.deaconandsandys.co.uk 

CurtainCallWT226.indd 1 02/02/2021 DeaconSandyWT226.indd 13:10 

3 28/01/2021 14:04 

RUG STORE specialise in a wide selection of new, old and Antique Persian, Turkish, Caucasian 

and Turkmen Carpets. Various antique, old and new Kilims are available. 

We offer a professional hand-cleaning and restoration service. We buy old and 

antique carpets - even damaged rugs. Part exchange and evaluations. 

312 UPPER RICHMOND ROAD WEST, EAST SHEEN, RICHMOND, LONDON, SW14 7JN. 

TEL / FAX: 020 8876 0070 

INFO@RUGSTOREONLINE.CO.UK WWW.RUGSTOREONLINE.CO.UK 


16 

RugStoreS66.indd 1 16/03/2020 16:15


Macramé plant hanger 

made with recycled 

polyester rope £25 

Kalicramé kalicrame.com 

British vintage 

industrial LED lights by 

REVO £1,200 Skinflint 

skinflintdesign.com 

Handwoven recycled cotton 

blanket £45 my little wish 

mylittlewish.com 

Vintage school bench 

£200 Scaramanga 

scaramangashop.co.uk 

Antique 19th century 

frame, sold for £1,500 at 

Parker Fine Art Auctions 

parkerfineartauctions.com 

Upcycled tuba 

side table £449.95 

Annabel James 

annabeljames.co.uk 

Old 

is the 

100% recycled cotton 

tea towels £12 (set of 2) 

Milly Green Designs 

millygreen.com 

new New 

Upcycled silk in Smoked Silver 

and Antique Green (for curtains or 

blinds) £65/m Stiched stitched.co.uk 

You don’t have to buy everything brand spanking new to have 

a stylish home. Previously loved, upcycled, recycled, reclaimed, 

antiques – there are more options than ever for planet-saving 

interiors which also give us a little good-feeling glow 

The Vintage Pimp 

hand-painted wall plate 

£22 Laura Lee Designs 

lauraleedesigns.co.uk 

Reclaimed teak 

chunky coffee table 

£275 Rose & Grey 

roseandgrey.co.uk 

Pink dining set for four made of 

recycled biodegradable bamboo fibre 

£20 Green Tones greentones.co.uk 

Orginal Mid-Century Modern Parker 

Knoll wingback reupholstered in 3 

fabrics including cotton velvet £495 

Sarah Louise Dix sarahlouisedix.co.uk 

Knightsbridge large 

reclaimed oak sideboard 

£1099 Modish Living 

modishliving.co.uk 



WALKS IN NATURE 

Nothing beats the feel of natural flooring underfoot 

THAT’S THE RUG 

Jute. It’s cheap, natural and oh-so-stylish. It’s not the most hardwearing 

of materials, true, but its softness makes it less likely to scratch your 

floors, plus it’s also very environmentally friendly – perfect for jazzing 

up a room and softening a hard wood or stone floor. 

Jute circular rug 

£210 Cielshop 

cielshopinteriors.com 

Carnival oval organic 

jute rug from £32 

Braided Rug Company 

braided-rug.co.uk 

Bloomingville 

Yuri jute rug £214 

Sweetpea & Willow 


IN TILE 

For a natural textured look that 

will last and is eco-friendly you 

might want to consider stone 

tiles. This Salcombe Seasoned 

Sandstone from The Stone Tile 

Warehouse is rustic and stylish, 

with its natural textured finish, 

swirling grey tones and subtle 

vein effects. The neutral colours 

of a sandstone like this mean 

that it will last and last through 

many home makeovers – it can 

be zen and minimalist, a classic 

feature for a character home, or 

anything in between! £55/m 2 

thestonetilewarehouse.co.uk 

WOODN’T IT BE LOVELY 

... to have a gorgeous Wealden wooden floor? We love the golden shades of 

this oak floor by Orlestone Oak for a sense of timeless warmth and natural 

grandeur. It’s a renewable material for your flooring, plus if you go with a 

company like Orlestone Oak you support a family run local business who 

oversees the entire manufacturing process from the point of selecting the 

right trees! They also hand finish all their products and offer textural finishes 

such as distressing and worn edges so you can get a truly natural feel which is 

personalised to your own taste. 01233 732179 / orlestoneoak.co.uk 


18

WAREHOUSE 

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OUR COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF WALL AND FLOOR TILES ARE 

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KITCHEN AND BATHROOM RANGES ON DISPLAY. 

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AND NATURAL STONE OFFERINGS FOR YOUR OUTDOOR AREAS, 

AVAILABLE TO VIEW IN OUR EXTERNAL DISPLAY AREAS AT THE SHOWROOM. 

NATURAL STONE, ENCAUSTICS, PORCELAIN AND MOSAIC KITCHEN AND 

BATHROOM RANGES ON DISPLAY. 

PORCELAIN 

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OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND TRADE 

MONDAY - FRIDAY 8AM TO 5PM | SATURDAY 9AM - 4PM 

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GARDEN, PATIO AND OUTDOOR TILES - 

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20 

EnsorInteriorDesignWT226.indd 1 16/02/2021 15:46


Living in a Fairytale 

We could all use a little escapism right now so we are taking moodboard inspiration 

from two sources: the great outdoors and the world of fairytales... 

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Grandmother’s Cottage 

Get cottagecore cosy with kitschy florals and woodsy touches that Grandmother would be proud of 

1 Macramé feather, handmade with 100% recycled cotton cord £20 my little wish mylittlewish.com 2 Rose Garden fabric in Caramel 

£54/m Jacqueline Milton jacquelinemilton.co.uk 3 Corbell Red fabric £95/m Jane Churchill designs.colefax.com 4 Country Grey chalk 

paint £21.95/l painted using Meadow Flowers stencil £17.95 both Annie Sloan anniesloan.com 5 Milk creamy soft cord £16.99/m 

Yorkshire Fabric Shop yorkshirefabricshop.com 6 Birch Little Leaf linen in Petal £90/m The Linen Ladder thelinenladder.com 

7 Original chalk paint £21.95/l Annie Sloan anniesloan.com 8 Natural Sanday cotton/linen mix (available on selected furniture) Sofas 

& Stuff sofasandstuff.com 9 Coco in Faded Red linen by Sarah Hardaker £59/m Bell House Fabrics & Interiors bellhousefabrics.co.uk / 

sarahhardaker.co.uk 10 Cotton Branch from a selection of dried and fresh stems from £2 each Macknade macknade.com 



The Witch’s Garden 

Dark, magical florals, classic leather and a touch of moody velvet are enchanting and dramatic 

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1 Linwood Nightfall wallpaper £146/roll (10m x 70cm) Bell House Fabrics & Interiors bellhousefabrics.co.uk / 

linwoodfabric.com 2 Orchid Bloom linen £109/m Mind the Gap mindtheg.com 3 Utah 30 leather effect tan soft suede 

£63.99/m Yorkshire Fabric Shop yorkshirefabricshop.com 4 Sienna 10 green faux nubuck leather £25.99/m Yorkshire Fabric 

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Yorkshire Fabric Shop yorkshirefabricshop.com 8 Enchanted Ivy paint sample pot £4.49 Crown Paints crownpaints.co.uk 


22

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74 

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JeremyHobbsWT226.indd 1 15/02/2021 17:34

Island Dreams 

Photographs & styling: Lucy Fleming 

Transport yourself to warmer climes with 

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Mini Lou leather bag in Gold, £75, 

Atelier kika.b Instagram @atelierkika.b; 

1960s rhinestone brooch (on strap), 

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Dreamy pearl mules, £58, 

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brooch, £32, Eclectica 

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dressing undeniable beauty 

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1980s Atwood & Sawyer 

parrot brooch, £115, 

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Beauty 

Refill, Reuse, Recycle 

Josephine Fairley checks out eco credentials to find out how easy it is to switch to a greener beauty regime 

Some stormclouds have silver linings – and we’ve all 

had to find a few of those, over the past heavens-canit-be-nearly-a-year? 

But for me, it is that finally – after 

a lot of green shoots that never amounted to much, over 

the years – we are getting the message about sustainability. 

We’ve all had to think about resources – both personal and 

planetary. And I’ve talked to so many friends and colleagues 

who’ve said that for the first time, they’re really thinking 

about which brands they support, and the impact of their 

shopping. And that, of course, includes beauty shopping. 

You know the beauty landscape is changing, for sure, when 

mainstream brands like Garnier – part of the vast beauty 

empire – start to offer solid shampoo bars (with zero plastic 

waste) and reusable eco-pads for removing make-up, as well as 

shifting the packing of their Fructis haircare to 100% recycled 

and recyclable bottles. A few weeks ago (January 2021), 

Garnier launched their One Green Step report, for which they 

polled 18,000 respondents and heard back that 73% wanted 

to be shop more sustainably in 2021. They agreed that 2020 

was a wake-up call for them, to protect the environment. Over 

half would pledge to make an environmental/sustainability 

reduction in their use of plastic products as their #1 green 

priority, in 2021 – and in fact, nearly three times as many 

resolved to take action to help the planet, than give up alcohol. 

(Because let’s face it, few of us are ready to forswear a steadying 

6pm G&T, after a day of home schooling/Zooming!) 

But where should we start? Of course, we always feel we’re 

doing the right thing when we recycle – and I certainly 

recommend having a recycling bin in the bathroom, so 

that there’s no excuse for not doing the right thing. (By 

using organic all-cotton make-up pads to take off 

make-up, meanwhile, I can just throw them in the compost.) 

But when you consider all the processes involved in recycling 

(collecting, washing, disinfecting, sorting, re-processing, 

and redistribution), recycling isn’t always easy or cheap – 

and incurs its own carbon footprint. (What’s more, only 

7% of plastic waste currently makes it all the way through 

to being repurposed, according to Zero Waste Europe.) 

With that in mind, increasing numbers of brands – The 

Body Shop, Maybelline, DUOLAB (creators of a fabulous, 

innovative skincare device which ‘blends’ and warms your 

skincare before use) are taking matters into their own hands 

by hooking up with TerraCycle, which collects recyclable 

consumer and post-consumer waste, transforming it into new 

products or repurposing as items including watering cans, 

the surface for children’s playgrounds or garden furniture. 

That way you can be sure that your body lotion/shampoo 

really is going to have a second, third or fourth life… 

But generally, reusing – or more precisely, refilling – is 

an even smarter long-term approach; again, it’s something 

skincare, make-up and fragrance brands are all taking on 

board. Some of the exciting ‘disruptor’ names in the scent 

world will simply top up your bottles (when stores are open, 

of course) – The Experimental Perfume Club and Floral 

Street, for instance, while at the mainstream end, Mugler 

were ahead of the eco-curve here, with the launch of ‘The 

Fountain’: bring back your empty Alien or Angel for a topup 

in store. Top-end names like Chanel, Hermès, Le Labo, 

Kilian and Lancôme also now sell refills, too, in plainer bottles 

(in Chanel’s case, just the atomisers, for now) – and I just 


Beauty 

love that idea, because it feels so, so wrong to throw away a fabulous flacon. 

Devotees of bath/body/skincare names already like L’Occitane know 

that quietly, that brand has been producing refill pouches for their 

products for years. But I am also a huge fan of their Divine Harmony 

skincare, from their top-of-the-line age-defying range, which lets 

me slip in a refill into the luxurious ombré burgundy jars, when I’ve 

dabbed my last of the cream or serum. Refills are becoming increasingly 

popular on leading beauty websites: look for upscale brands like Isle 

of Paradise’s faux tanners and OUAI’s shampoos and conditioners. 

On the high street, meanwhile (when it’s back in business), we might be 

able to look forward to a roll-out of The Body Shop’s refill stations, unveiled 

last year – and how my late friend Anita Roddick would be smiling from 

above, because that’s exactly what she started with back in the 70s! Faith In 

Nature has already installed refill stations in natural food stores up and down 

the country (which are mostly still open), allowing us to top up everything 

from hand wash to shampoo – and they also sell the giant sizes for home 

refilling, if you fall in love with a product. Beauty Kitchen have a ‘Return, 

Reuse, Refill’ concept spanning everything from eye cream to body wash. 

(And of course, the bonus with buying refills is that you’re often saving 

quite a bit of cash, too. Not to be sniffed at ever, but especially now.) 

And at a time when many parts of life seem stressful and scary, I really do 

think this is a silver lining moment. Those of us who love beauty have always 

been drawn to it for its feel-good factor: the fact that very often, the time we 

spend on our regime is the only true ‘me-time’ we’re afforded, on any given 

day. But trust me: when you know that your choices are enabling you to 

tiptoe a little more lightly on the planet, that feel-good factor’s off the scale… 

Green & gorgeous: Jo’s five fave refills 

❤ Náu Extra Soft Hand Cream, £15 for 50ml at nau-skin.com. 

The shea butter, macadamia nut and marigold oil salve your 

skin; the recyclable aluminium tube salves your conscience. 

❤ Floral Street Chypre Sublime, £60 for 50ml at floralstreet.com. 

One of my most swoonworthy scent finds of recent years, with 

its rose, violets, geranium and patchouli – and when the store’s 

reopened, I’ll take it back to Covent Garden for a top-up. 

❤ Guerlain Rouge G de Guerlain, £32 for the case, £26 for 

refills at johnlewis.com. As glamorous as refillable beauty gets, here: 

first pick your case – bejewelled, sleek gold, mock croc (there are 

dozens of designs), then choose the formula/shade for the lipstick 

to slip inside – from sheer shines to moisturising mattes. 

❤ Tropic Colour Palette, £68 at tropicskincare.com. This palette 

offers multiple configurations so you can mix and match four or 

five make-up products including eyeliner, contour, bronzer, blusher, 

concealer and more – your entire kit, on the go. (Refill items can 

be bought separately, to switch your palette around seasonally.) 

❤ Gloved Active Hydrate Hand Wash, £19 for 375ml, and Hand 

Lotion, £28 for 375ml at gloved.co.uk. Created by rising star fragrance 

name Tom Daxon, these have been gracing my kitchen splashback 

for months – I’m not sure when I’ll get to the end of the hefty 

jars of wonderfully woodsy-scented products because they last and 

last and last (despite the repeated hand-washing!) – but when I 

do, I can save the (unrecyclable) pump and pop it in a refill. 

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


82

Emerson Park Retirement 

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How you feel tomorrow 

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Wellbeing 

Set a routine 

Sarah Maxwell explains how to keep motivation 

levels high when enthusiasm for exercise is flagging 

How can you convince yourself 

to get up and exercise at 

home when all you want to 

do is lie on the sofa and watch Netflix? 

Pencil it in the diary 

For many of us, our weekly routines 

have been constantly changing since the 

start of the pandemic. So finding time 

to schedule work out sessions into your 

diary at the beginning of the week can 

give you a structure and positive plan 

to keep you on track. You will soon 

appreciate the wonderful feeling of 

accomplishment you get from ticking 

off an exercise you’d planned to do at 

the beginning of the week – and it’s 

infectious, you’ll want to do it again! 

Put on some tunes! 

In the morning if you’re feeling tired 

and not in the mood to workout, one 

of the best ways I’ve found to motivate 

myself and get into a positive frame of 

mind is to put on fun, uplifting music 

during breakfast. I can’t quite explain 

why, but blasting loud music as soon 

as you get up instantly puts you into a 

good mood. Recent studies have also 

shown that putting something on with 

a fast beat, can raise your heart rate and 

release those endorphins (the happy 

hormones). Put on the radio or your 

favourite playlist and it will help you 

wake up, I promise. I don’t think my 

children are overly impressed with my 

Dolly Parton 9 to 5 routine though! 

Get outside 

If you’are lucky enough to be able 

to go outside for a short walk, it 

really has such a great effect on your 

physical and mental wellbeing. Even 

though we may forget it at times, 

we all need fresh air and light on a 

regular basis. Going out for a walk, 

especially on a dull and miserable day 

when it’s easy to feel trapped inside, 

is guaranteed to lift your spirits. 

If you can’t get outside at the 

moment, this is a quick workout I do 

for myself at home a few times a week 

Start by gentle movements, lifting 

shoulders up and down. A general 

dance around for a couple of minutes, 

getting the blood flowing. (This is 

where Dolly Parton comes in.) 

Fast run on the spot (or frantically 

around the kitchen) – 20 seconds. 

Squats x20. 

Press Ups on worktop or floor x20. 

Star Jumps x20. 

Rest for 30 seconds and repeat 

between 3-6 rounds. 

Once I’ve done this, I throw myself 

down onto the floor and do front 

and side planks, holding each for 

30 seconds, followed by some nice 

long stretches. If I can do this three 

times a week it keeps me feeling 

energised and generally a lot brighter. 

As a trainer, you may have this 

idea in your head that I’m constantly 

exercising. I’m not, honestly. I spend a 

lot of time at my desk training clients 

online, planning schedules, it’s not as 

active as you’d think. I have to make 

sure I set aside time to workout too 

because the lure of some great period 

dramas on TV has had me falling in 

love with my sofa. Trust me, I’m not 

an obsessed gym bunny who gets 

excited about working out. I exercise 

to feel good, not to punish myself! 

Lastly, don’t scare yourself with 

setting unrealistic goals and punishing 

yourself if you don’t workout every day. 

I genuinely believe that every tiny step 

you take towards a healthier lifestyle 

is a great one, every little helps! 

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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86 

ForestCareWT226.indd 1 10/02/2021 SpringCareWT224.indd 16:28 

1 20/10/2020 16:18

Nourish to 

Flourish 

Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach 

Charlotte Lau gives her 

recommendations to prioritise 

your health this March 

Ahhhh… sleep. Whether you can’t get enough of it or 

you feel like you can live off four hours a night, there is 

no hiding from the fact that it is critical to our overall 

health and wellbeing. Whilst research has shown 7-9 hours to 

be the sweet spot, our busy lifestyles often view it as ‘optional’; 

where work, socialising, catching up on box sets or scrolling 

take priority. Sleep is vital for re-energising and repairing our 

bodies; it supports our brain, memory and immune system, 

balances our hormones, helps manage our weight and even 

affects our mood. Research has found that just one night 

of disrupted sleep can increase production of the hormone 

ghrelin, which makes us crave those sugary snacks and often 

overeat. As well as prioritising sleep there are dietary and 

lifestyle habits we can adopt to ensure better quality sleep. 

Give it a go... 

eat to promote sleep 

The chemical tryptophan helps to set sleep patterns. 

It is a naturally occurring amino acid that is the 

chemical building block of melatonin. Dietary 

sources of tryptophan include bananas, tuna, turkey 

and peanut butter. When you combine these with a 

complex carbohydrate they can help promote sleep; 

try banana slices on an oatcake or half a wholegrain 

pitta with tuna. Top up on magnesium… it is a 

wonderful muscle relaxant and consuming a little 

more magnesium in the evening can help us to 

physically relax and perhaps drift off a little more 

easily. To build a regular sleep pattern add green, 

leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds, avocado, edamame 

or black beans to your shopping list but avoid refined 

carbohydrates, especially in the evening. Foods like 

white bread, white rice and pasta and sugary snacks 

and drinks send our blood sugar levels soaring and 

can cause a spike in energy and lead to irritability, 

which can make it difficult to switch off. Try complex 

carbohydrates instead like brown rice and pasta 

and wholemeal bread, as they may help with the 

absorption of tryptophan. Avoid caffeine after midmorning 

and limit alcohol, as both disrupt deep sleep. 

Learn to... embrace your natural rhythms 

We all have an in-built body clock, our circadian rhythm, which 

affects everything from our sleep, gut microbiome, metabolism, 

eating patterns and energy levels. Our bodies work best if we stick 

to a day time (activity) and night time (rest) routine. Melatonin, 

often known as the sleep hormone, peaks in the night hours 

preparing our body for sleep. You can support this by maintaining 

regular wake and sleep times (even on the weekends) and 

aim to get at least 30 minutes of natural sunlight throughout the 

day, to help anchor your circadian rhythm. 

Establishing a consistent bedtime ritual, 

signals to your brain that you are getting 

ready for sleep. Simple strategies such 

as creating a cool (optimal 18˚C), dark 

and relaxing sleeping environment 

(free of work, stress and technology) 

and a warm bath or reading before 

bed can often do the trick. 

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... 

Blue light in the evening 

The trappings of modern life, our phones, laptops, 

LED lights and televisions surround us with unnatural 

blue light, which can have negative effects on our 

health. At night, our bodies release melatonin to help 

us fall asleep, however, the huge amounts of blue 

light that we are exposed to keeps our bodies from 

sending the signal to release melatonin. Without 

the melatonin, we won’t get the message to go to 

bed when it’s time and are more likely to skimp 

on sleep. So why not invest in some blue blocking 

glasses, dim your lights when the sun goes down 

and avoid all devices at least an hour before sleep. 


Food 

Be Humble 

Whether you’re new to the chicken-keeping game 

with a glut of eggs, a seasoned poultry professional 

or just looking for a nutrient-rich, protein-packed 

meal option, shake up your egg repertoire with 

unusual recipes inspired by world cuisine 

Recipes: Jenny Linford, Jordan Bourke & Will Torrent 

Photographs: Peter Cassidy, Kate Whitaker 

& Jonathan Gregson 

Menemen 

Serves: 4 Prep time: 10 minutes 

Cooking time: 15 minutes 

A classic Turkish dish, this colourful version of scrambled 

eggs is great for a flavourful breakfast or brunch. Serve 

menemen with rustic bread, a crisp baguette or toast. 

• 200g ripe tomatoes 

• 6 eggs 

• ½ tsp Turkish pepper flakes, such as Aleppo pepper 

• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 

• 7g butter 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil 

• 2 spring onions, chopped 

• ½ green (bell) pepper, chopped 

• 2 tsps tomato purée 

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 

• sea salt and black pepper, to season 

1 Begin by scalding the tomatoes. Pour boiling water over 

the ripe tomatoes in a heatproof bowl. Set aside for1 minute, 

then drain and carefully peel off the skin using a sharp 

knife. Roughly chop, reserving any juices, and set aside. 

2 Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl and season with 

the Turkish pepper flakes, thyme, salt and pepper. 

3 Heat the butter and oil in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan 

set over low heat. Add the spring onions and (bell) pepper and fry 

gently, stirring, for 2 minutes. Addthe chopped tomatoes and cook, 

stirring often, for 8-10 minutes, until the tomatoes have softened 

and form a thick paste. Add the tomato purée, mixing in well. 

4 Pour in the beaten, seasoned eggs and gently stir. Cook, 

stirring gently now and then, until the eggs are to your taste. 

5 Garnish with fresh parsley and serve at once. 

 


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Bibimbap 

Serves: 4 Prep time: 1 hour 

(inc. marinating time) 

Cooking time: 15 minutes 

Served in a steaming hot stone bowl, 

the presentation of this guilt-free dish 

is just as exciting as the punchy chilli 

and sesame flavours inside. The fried 

(or sometimes raw) egg nestled amongst 

the other ingredients makes this dish 

sing. Good-quality ingredients make a 

world of difference for a truly authentic 

Korean taste, and gochujang, 

which is a slightly sweet but 

fiery chilli paste, is well 

worth seeking out in 

Asian food stores. 

• 400g pork 

belly, chopped 

into thin 

2.5-cm/1- 

inch pieces 

• 400g 

short-grain 

brown rice 

(or brown 

sushi rice) 

• vegetable 

(or sunflower 

or rapeseed) 

oil, for frying 

• 2 carrots, cut into thin strips 

• ½ tsp toasted sesame oil 

• ½ tsp dark soy sauce 

• ½ tsp agave syrup 

• 150g oyster (or shiitake) mushrooms 

• 150g beansprouts 

• 3 onions, sliced 

• 200g spinach 

• 4 eggs 

• 2 spring onions, finely chopped 

• sea salt and black pepper, to season 

• black sesame seeds, to serve 

For the gochujang sauce: 

• 4tbsps gochujang paste 

• 4tbsps toasted sesame oil 

• 4tbsps dark soy sauce 

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed 

• 2tbsps agave syrup 

1 To make the gochujang sauce, mix 

together all the ingredients. Pour 

half the sauce over the pork belly 

in a bowl, cover and marinate in 

the fridge for at least 1 hour. Cook 

the rice according to the packet 

instructions and keep warm. 

2 While the rice is cooking, heat 1 

tablespoon of oil in a frying pan or 

wok and stir-fry the carrots until 

beginning to soften. Add the sesame 

oil, soy sauce and agave syrup. Cook 

for 1 minute over high heat, then set 

aside on a plate. Cook the mushrooms, 

beansprouts, onions and spinach 

(which will wilt down) separately in 

the same pan, and in the same way, 

seasoning with salt and pepper at the 

end. It is normal for the vegetables to 

be served at room temperature, as long 

as the rice, meat and eggs are hot, so 

don’t worry about keeping them warm. 

3 Next, stir-fry the marinated pork 

(with the sauce it was sitting in) 

until cooked through. The sauce 

should reduce down a little with the 

heat, intensifying all the flavours. 

4 In a separate frying pan, fry the eggs 

however you like them – it is nice to 

have the yolk a little soft for this dish. 

5 Dish the hot rice into bowls and 

top with individual piles of vegetables 

and meat, finishing off with the egg 

in the middle and a sprinkling of 

spring onions and sesame seeds. 

6 Serve with the gochujang sauce, 

adding as much or as little as you 

like. The Korean way of eating this 

is to mix the whole thing together 

like crazy until all the ingredients 

are combined. If it is not punchy 

enough, add more sauce.

Chilled Lemon Soufflés 

Serves: 4 Prep time: Starts the day before 

Soufflés are one of the most iconic French 

desserts and they can take a long time to master. 

However, this simple lemon mousse made in 

a ramekin and shaped with the help of some 

baking parchment and an elastic band looks like a 

soufflé without any of the fuss. The recipe works 

just as well with oranges and grapefruit, too. 

• 4 leaves of gelatine 

• 6 eggs, separated 

• 500ml whipping cream 

• 300g caster sugar 

• grated zest and juice of 4 

lemons, plus extra zest to 

decorate 

• icing sugar, to dust 

Variation (optional): 

• 8-12 fresh raspberries (or 8 

amarena cherries) 

You’ll need 4 ramekins 

1 Start the recipe the day before 

you want to serve the soufflés. 

2 First prepare the ramekins. 

Measure their circumference and 

add 1cm / ½ inch to the figure. 

Now measure their height and 

add 5cm / 2 inches to the figure. 

Take some baking parchment 

and draw four rectangles: their 

length should match that of 

the recorded circumference; 

and their height should match 

that of the recorded height. 

3 Cut out the rectangles of 

parchment and wrap each one 

around a ramekin. Fasten tightly 

in place with an elastic band 

or some sticky tape. Place on 

a baking sheet and set aside. 

4 Put the gelatine in a bowl 

of cold water to soften. 

5 Put the egg whites in a 

stand mixer or in a bowl using 

an electric handheld whisk 

and whisk until firm peaks 

form. Refrigerate while you 

continue with the recipe. 

6 Put the cream in the stand 

mixer or in a bowl using an 

electric handheld whisk again 

and whisk until soft peaks form. 

Don’t over-beat otherwise it will 

go stiff and grainy and look split. 

7 Put the egg yolks and sugar 

in a heatproof bowl over a 

pan of simmering water (not 

letting the base of the bowl 

touch the water). Whisk with 

a balloon whisk for 5 minutes 

or until light and foamy. 

This is called a ‘sabayon’. 

8 Put the lemon zest and juice 

in a saucepan over medium 

heat and bring to a boil. 

Remove from the heat and 

stir in the softened gelatine, 

squeezed of excess water. 

9 Add the lemon mixture to 

the sabayon, whisking quickly 

until thoroughly combined. 

10 Gently fold the egg whites 

into the lemon sabayon with 

a large, metal spoon. When 

evenly incorporated, fold in the 

whipped cream in the same way. 

11 Divide the mixture between 

the ramekins with a spoon – it 

should reach above the rim of 

the ramekins by about 3cm / 

1¼ inches and be contained 

by the parchment to give you 

that restaurant ‘soufflé’ look. 

12 Allow to set in the 

fridge overnight. 

13 The next day, dust with 

icing sugar and a little extra 

lemon zest to serve. 

For the variation: 

For a hidden little treat, 

add 2-3 fresh raspberries or 

amarena cherries to the base 

of each ramekin before you 

spoon in the mixture. 

These recipes were taken 

from Eggs All Day, published 

by Ryland Peters & Small 

(£14.99). Photography © 

Ryland Peters & Small

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priceless-magazines.com/recipes 

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

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

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Garden 

Pesty 

Problems? 

Sue Whigham gives handy tips to tackle garden pests 

without harming the wildlife that feeds on them 

One of my ancient greengage trees was uprooted 

during one of January’s downpours and so I 

thought that this was a good excuse to buy 

a new self pollinating variety that might be a better 

cropper than my old favourite. However, everyone else, 

cooped up as we all are, has had the same thought and 

our local fruit tree nursery which grows hundreds of the 

most interesting varieties, hasn’t one single gage tree left 

for sale this season. We’ll have to be patient and wait 

until next year. What extraordinary times these are. 

So the answer is to spend these dark days poring 

through seed and plant catalogues and planning 

ahead. I think that the ‘planning ahead’ part is 

essential if the fruit trees are anything to go by. 

And another thing. Having got carried away with 

ordering some wonderful sweet pea seeds, there is now a 

shortage of Rootrainers, my other set having seen better 

days, so there’s nothing for it but to collect loo roll 

holders which actually do just as good a job at starting 

off long-rooted sweet peas, peas and beans alike. Let’s 

hope they don’t run out again as they did during the first 

lockdown and what a long time ago that now seems. 

But I’m digressing because I’m supposed to be majoring 

on ‘pesky critters’ in the garden, and perhaps particularly 

in the vegetable patch. What a lot of them there are. I’m 

not going to talk about chemicals at all because slugs and 

snails and all manner of other creatures are all part of 

the bigger picture and provide food for creatures further 

up the food chain such as birds and hedgehogs. I read 

that British gardeners still use billions of slug pellets 

every year but unless they are organic, the poison enters 

the food cycle and kills creatures like hedgehogs who 

find both slugs and snails a gourmet treat. Interestingly, 

hedgehogs don’t like ‘slimy’ slugs so they use their 

paws to scrape off the slime before they tuck in. 

Slugs are also food for a lot of our favourite garden 

birds especially thrushes, robins and blackbirds – also 

in the thrush family. They are eaten too by ground 

beetles, slow worms and earthworms to name just a 

few, so to do away with them completely will upset 

the natural balance of things and do harm. And of the 

forty species in the UK, only a few are pest species. 

The problem is, I think, that many gardens are pretty 

unnatural situations in which we grow non-native plants 

and remove those native plants that are happy growing 

away there in the first place. And the other thing is 

that slugs and snails eat decomposing vegetation and 

so are ecologically sound. Christopher Lloyd, when he 

was writing his Country Life articles, had a sensible 

piece of advice when it came to pests and that was 


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1 25/01/2018 15:42

British gardeners still use billions 

of slug pellets every year but 

unless they are organic, the 

poison enters the food cycle and 

kills creatures like hedgehogs 

probleM 

with 

Moles? 

to avoid growing monocultures. He suggested that 

a ‘mania for growing roses leads to tunnel vision’ 

as it enables all the pests that roses are prone to. 

A couple of tips for preventing disease such as 

blackspot from developing this season would be 

to think ahead and perhaps drench your roses with 

something like Sulphur Rose before the plant comes 

to life in the spring, remembering to have removed 

damaged leaves in the late autumn and collect and 

burn any left on the surrounding soil as well. Mulch 

the roses with well-rotted lawn clippings from last 

season before leaf growth. Growing parsley and chives 

amongst your roses is, it seems, beneficial too. 

The excellent Green Gardener Catalogue’s No.1 

best seller is Nemaslug Slug Killer. This comes in 

powder form and can be diluted to make up a liquid 

drench. It’ll kill slugs when applied once the soil has 

warmed up (to approx 5˚C) but as it is safe for birds, 

perhaps they could then be fed to the feathered-friends 

that you’ve encouraged into your garden with a wellstocked 

bird table. I’m wondering if you can’t just use 

citrus skins like oranges or grapefruit turned upside 

down or half fill a bowl with beer, bury it up to its 

rim and the slugs and snails will at least die happy. 

Fine gravel or grit is useful too. I’ve rather given up 

with hostas as my garden is excessively dry these days 

but a circle of this around your plants certainly deters 

pests. It’s good stuff too to use indoors if you’ve spotted 

any of those tiny flies lurking around, which I certainly 

have recently as our houseplant collection has expanded. 

These are sciarid flies which, although not particularly 

interested in the plants but more in the compost they 

are growing in, can nonetheless damage young plants. 

Things should be a bit easier in the winter as they 

prefer a damp compost, which is less likely to be found 

in houseplants until repotting and more frequent 

watering takes place in February onwards. Vitax sell 

yellow ‘glue’ strips to catch both the sciarid flies and 

whitefly to which greenhouse plants are prone. 

Basil grown in the greenhouse puts whitefly off 

07778 032968 

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Garden 

British Adalia bipunctata ladybirds are 

voracious predators of aphids. They arrive 

in by 1 st Class post (with food included) 

and can be released into the garden to 

make short work of greenfly and blackfly 

and sends them packing, in the same way that garlic cloves grown 

amongst your beans outdoors repel blackfly. French marigolds grown 

with your tomato plants in the greenhouse have the same effect. 

And save old pieces of soap. These you can boil up and dilute 

three teaspoons to a gallon of water and then spray against 

both aphids and ants. If you have a penchant for perfumed 

and more expensive soaps, the fragrance somehow prevents 

the mix from sticking to the ‘target’ so add a squirt or two 

of Fairy Liquid to your mix and this should do the trick. 

Another of Green Gardener’s best sellers are the adult 

British Adalia bipunctata ladybirds. They are voracious 

predators of aphids. They arrive in by 1 st Class post (with food 

included) and can be released into the garden to make short 

work of greenfly and blackfly. You can also order ladybird 

larvae which eat aphids both whilst in larvae form and after 

they pupate and emerge as fully fledged ladybirds. They arrive 

with ‘release bags’ which can be tied to whichever plant you 

remember being prone to aphid attack. I think that this would 

be fun for children to get involved in, let alone us adults. 

And finally, the scale insect is a really annoying pest and 

unfortunately there are 25 different species in the UK. They have 

a different host and a life cycle specific to their species. They feed 

by sucking sap from their host and obviously this weakens the 

plant considerably. They excrete a sticky honeydew (which in turn 

attracts ants) which leads to sooty mould disfiguring the plant. 

We’ve certainly had it on potted camellias and a friend now has 

it on his citrus plants. They can be controlled by applying Scale 

Nematodes as long as the temperature has risen to at least 60˚F. 

Another idea would be to turn to Neem Oil. This is produced 

from the seeds of a South Asian tree in the Meliaceae family 

known as Azadirachta indica (Indian lilac). In the days of travel, 

I remember these impressive ‘shade’ trees particularly, both 

growing in Southern India and Myanmar. The locals would 

use neem twigs to clean their teeth with. One hundred and 

forty different compounds have been found in parts of the tree 

and have been used in traditional medicine for centuries. The 

seeds though are first dried, then crushed and soaked and made 

into an oil which contains a concentrated compound called 

Azadirachin. And as well as being used in cosmetics, the oil can 

be used as a pesticide against scale insect. What a shame the 

tree can’t be grown in this country – well, as far as I know. 

Sue Whigham can be contacted on 07810 457948 

for gardening advice and help in the sourcing 

and supply of interesting garden plants. 


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GreenBoxRecyclingWT224.indd 1 12/10/2020 11:53

Garden 

Feed 

Me! 

Above: Sweet peas are greedy plants 

Jo Arnell gives her soil-enriching recommendations to ensure your garden plants never go hungry 

Restore, Replenish, Renew 

This is not the beauty page, or an advert for skin 

cream, but I do want to talk about nourishing an 

important epidermis – the soil. The living breathing layer 

of loam – or clay, or sand, beneath our feet. And just as 

our skin relies on a combination of surface treatments, 

good diet and inner balance in order to stay truly healthy, 

so does our soil – a quick spritz with a chemical is not 

enough. We also need protection from the ravages of the 

elements and moisture loss too. Keep your soil in great 

shape and your plants will be healthy, more productive 

and less susceptible to attack from pests and diseases. 

Microbiome 

Soil biology is a complex subject and one that we are only 

just beginning to understand – in fact we know more about 

the cosmos or the deep oceans than we know about the soil. 

We can see the monsters that patrol the soil – the moles, 

earthworms, beetles, slugs, centipedes etc, but all around 

them, and vital to their wellbeing, are the microscopic 

organisms, invisible to the naked eye – the fungi, 

nematodes, protozoa, bacteria and viruses. It is a bustling 

place, alive and richly diverse. Astoundingly – in fact, almost 

unbelievably, there are more microbes in one teaspoon of 

healthy soil than there are people in the world – if Horton 

hears a Hoo, the Hoos can hear their own micro Hoos too. 

There is much talk these days about our gut microbiomes 

and the millions of micro-organisms that teem about within 

us, living in symbiosis with our own cells and helping (or 

otherwise) to regulate our bodily functions. A similar thing 

is happening with plants in the area around their roots called 

the Rhizosphere, where a complex web of many thousands 

of bacterial and micorrhizal interactions take place to help 

feed, hydrate and protect (and occasionally compromise) the 

health of the plant. The exact combinations and connections 

will depend on the plant and the type of soil it grows in. 

Know your soil type 

Understanding your soil will give you an indication of 

which plants will thrive in your garden. If you are growing 

edibles it will also help you to decide whether you can grow 

directly into your soil and what changes might be needed, 

or whether you might be better to construct some raised 

beds and choose the soil that goes in them. There are three 

main types of soil; loam, clay and sand, but yours could also 

be chalky, silty (silky, almost soapy to the touch), or peaty 

(spongy/fibrous). You don’t need a soil testing kit necessarily, 

although this will give you a good idea of the soil’s pH (how 

acidic it is). Simply go outside and take a small trowel full 

of soil from just under the soil’s surface. Take a handful and 

squeeze it, then open out your hand again. If the soil stays 

in a ball, or feels sticky to the touch, it is clay. 

 


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Above: Lupins will help to feed the soil with nitrogen 

If, on the other hand, the handful feels gritty (you 

can easily see the particles) and it won’t stay in a ball, 

even when wet, then it is sandy. The holy grail of 

soil is loam, which, when squeezed will almost form 

a ball and then crumble nicely into a heap again. 

Improve the soil’s structure 

Clay is fertile and tends to be naturally slightly 

alkaline, which many vegetables (especially brassicas 

like cabbage and Brussel sprouts) appreciate. The 

main problem is that it is hard to work and slow to 

warm in spring – if you sow seed directly into cold 

wet clay at the beginning of the season, it probably 

won’t germinate. To improve clay soil, just keep adding 

bulky organic matter and grit. Clay (and silty) soils 

can be prone to forming pans of compacted soil, either 

on or under the surface, leading to problems with 

drainage and poor penetration of plant roots. You can 

help warm the soil by placing a layer of black plastic 

over it in late winter, use cloches, or sow into guttering 

or pots, before planting out when the soil has warmed. 

Sandy soil is nice and easy to work and fast to warm 

in the spring, so the season can start earlier. Crops that 

thrive in sandy soils are roots such as carrots, parsnips 

and bulbs – onions, garlic and leeks. But sandy soil is 

very free draining, so water (and the precious nutrients 

dissolved in it) leaches away out of the soil, leaving 

it parched and dry. Adding bulky organic matter will 

help sandy soil retain moisture and improve its fertility. 

Stones are often the cause of forking carrots 

(together with erratic watering and feeding). It is 

impossible to remove all the stones from your plot, but 

do try to sieve out some of the bigger ones if you can, 

while you’re working in the soil – over time they will 

disappear, leaving you with a better soil for planting in. 

If the site is too stony, it may not be suitable. You may 

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GardenproudWT226.indd 1 09/02/2021 12:12 

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104 

RedwoodTreeServicesS59.indd 1 29/08/2019 11:24

Garden 

Clockwise from above left: Organic matter is the best 

soil conditioner; Dahlias like rich soil; Willow will grow in 

damp soil; Use cloches to warm the soil up in spring 

compost) will improve the soil structure. Soil needs to 

have tiny pockets of air in it – to encourage earthworms 

and beneficial micro-organisms and help the plants’ roots 

penetrate. Plant roots also need oxygen. The addition of 

organic matter also helps the soil to retain nutrients and 

moisture – and prevents weeds. Mushroom compost is 

alkaline, which is good for vegetable gardens. Manure 

and compost are excellent, adding bulk and nutrients. 

Make sure any horse or farmyard manure is well rotted, 

or it will scorch roots and may contain pathogens. 

No digging 

The theory is that digging does more harm than good, 

disturbing the balance of micro-organisms and destroying 

the structure of the soil and releasing carbon into the 

atmosphere. Stop digging and the soil becomes more 

stable, there’s less likelihood of erosion, and you won’t 

need to water it a lot as it will retain more moisture. The 

plants will be healthier, because the soil is healthier and 

there will be fewer pests. There is no need to dig if you 

have good soil and can wait for the worms to incorporate 

organic matter down into the soil – spread a thick layer of 

manure over in autumn/winter and let nature do the rest. 

Feed me 

The three main plant nutrients are: nitrogen (chemical symbol: 

N) for good leaf growth, phosphorous (P) for promoting 

strong root growth and potassium (K) for flowers and to aid 

the ripening of fruit. These key elements are available to the 

plants – dissolved in the soil and are taken up by the plants’ 

roots. Plants can’t use atmospheric nitrogen, but some (legumes 

like peas, beans and lupins) have developed small nodules 

on their roots to house symbiotic bacteria that are able to fix 

nitrogen from the air and make it available to the plant. 

Use chemical fertilisers containing nitrogen sparingly, 

as overdoses of nitrates are very bad for the environment 

and can also cause plants to grow too fast, resulting in 

thin sappy leaves that are prone to pests and diseases. 

Other important nutrients such as magnesium, calcium 

and iron are usually present in the soil in sufficient quantities 

to maintain plant health. The exceptions are acid-loving 

plants that can only access iron from soils with a low pH 

– in alkaline soils they become chlorotic. Grow plants like 

Camellias and Rhododendrons in ericaceous compost. 

Whether your soil is sandy, chalky or unyielding clay, 

it will benefit from a nice thick layer of organic mulch – 

apply right now at the beginning of the growing season. 

This will feed the soil and the soil will feed the plants. 

For details of Jo’s gardening courses visit hornbrookmanor.co.uk or contact Jo on 01233 861149. 


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

Education 

We were right 

to entrust The 

New Beacon 

with these 

important years 

in our child’s 

education. 

Why did you choose a career in 

teaching? It is more a question of 

teaching choosing me! My father was in 

the navy in WWII and it was a career 

which attracted me but, being short 

sighted and limited in scientific brain 

cells, that opportunity was not open. 

PARENT After A 2018 Levels I worked as a gap year 

student in a school while I pondered my 

future. I realised teaching was the career 

for me and have never looked back. 

What was your favourite subject 

at school? I must confess to not 

having been the most ardent student 

– which I have come to realise may 

have given me a genuine empathy 

with children who find academic work 

less appealing! It has to be English 

(which was eventually) my degree 

coupled with drama and theatre. 

Can you tell us about an 

inspirational teacher from 

your school days? Without 

doubt it was Mr. Smithers, my 

maths teacher. No-one else could 

have got me an A Level! He was a 

great communicator, had time for 

everyone and was, above all, kind. 

“ 

Meet the Head 

We chat to Mike Piercy, Headmaster of 

The New Beacon boys’ school in Sevenoaks 

Have your own school days 

influenced the way you approach 

your role as headteacher? We 

all remember certain teachers who were 

powerful, formative influences in our 

lives. I remember Mr. Smithers for the 

reasons already given; my history teacher 

for his passion and story-telling; my music 

teacher for his patience; my Headmaster 

for his wisdom. Yes, they and therefore my 

schooldays have influenced me as a Head. 

What’s been your proudest 

achievement so far? Gosh – I’m 

not sure I could highlight one single 

achievement. A collective achievement 

however might be helping those many, 

many children over the years who struggled 

with reading, writing, learning, complying, 

or simply being in school, to overcome 

their challenges and emerge stronger. 

How are you dealing with the 

challenges that Coronavirus has 

thrown at you so far? 

On a day by day basis! We have been 

most conscious of community – above 

all, our boys’ wellbeing – and have 

tried to adapt where needed. A recent 

example: we have ‘moved’ the last week 

of the Spring Term onto the first week 

of the Summer Term – to cut short the 

challenges of home learning through dark 

winter days hoping for lighter, brighter 

days ahead in April when we feel more 

children are likely to be back in school. 

If you could teach anyone – either 

present day or from history 

– who would you choose? An 

interesting concept: choosing someone 

whose future one might have shaped 

in some way or simply knowing that 

person in childhood? Drawing on some 

New Beacon history it would have 

been fascinating to know the young 

Siegfried Sassoon and his two brothers, 

Hamo and the lesser known Michael. 

What do you think makes New 

Beacon special? It was a joy to have 

a full school last autumn. Life, energy, 

noise and laughter returned. Yet many 

visitors comment on our calm, measured 

learning environment. I think we effectively 

accomplish that balance of achievement 

and purpose alongside a happy, caring 

ethos where kindness abounds – we all 

perform better when we are happy! 

newbeacon.org.uk 


Virtual Tours 

with the Headmistress 

Limited places available 

for Recepon 2021 

Hilden Oaks 

Preparatory School & Nursery 

38 Dry Hill Park Road 

Tonbridge TN10 3BU 

01732 353941 

registrar@hildenoaks.co.uk 

www.hildenoaks.co.uk 

HildenOakSchoolWT226.indd 1 12/02/2021 14:44 

Join us for the Sixth Form 

New fully funded Sixth Form scholarships in 

• STEM • Humanities or Languages 

Fully supported places available for girls to join Benenden 

Sixth Form at 16+ as a day boarder in September 2021 

More details at www.benenden.school/day2021 

registry@benenden.school 

New for 

2021 

Subject to means-tested bursary application 


108 

BenendenSchoolWT226.indd 1 26/01/2021 16:47

Education News 

Welcoming Day Boarders 

Benenden School explains how, from September 

2021, day pupils will also be able to enjoy 

the school’s offering alongside its boarders 

Benenden School, one of the UK’s leading boarding 

schools, is introducing day boarders for the first time. 

In an announcement described as “exciting” by the 

School’s Headmistress, Samantha Price, from September 

2021 Benenden will welcome a small number of day 

boarders – a standard industry term for a pupil who attends 

on a daily basis rather than boarding – in Years 9 and 12. 

Samantha Price said: “We know from families living locally 

that there is a strong demand for girls to join us as day 

boarders and we are delighted to be able to welcome some of 

these girls to Benenden for the first time next academic year. 

“In many ways this is an historic moment for 

Benenden – and a very exciting one for the School. We 

have planned this approach very carefully indeed and are 

confident that our day boarders will integrate seamlessly 

into our wonderful, happy boarding community.” 

The School opened in 1923 in a beautiful 25-acre site 

in the village of Benenden, Kent. It educates 550 girls 

aged 11 to 18 who can enjoy an array of superb facilities, 

including a purpose-built Theatre, state-of-the-art Science 

Centre, swimming pool, all-weather sports pitch and a 

beautiful Eco-Classroom. It is currently constructing a new 

School Hall and Music School, a development which will 

create one of the South East’s foremost concert halls. 

Benenden’s innovative teaching and learning experiences 

include the highly-regarded Benenden Diploma for Years 

7 and 8 and its Professional Skills Programme teaching 

Sixth Formers professional and life skills. It also offers 

a first-class pastoral support programme and regularly 

welcomes high-profile speakers on a range of topics. 

Does you child have a passion for STEM, Humanities or 

Languages? Benenden School is offering two fully-funded 

day places in the Sixth Form to local girls as part of its 

initiative to introduce a limited number of day boarders. 

These will be awarded to girls joining the School’s Year 12 

day boarders in September – one to a girl with a particular 

interest in and talent for STEM, and a second to a girl 

whose enthusiasm lies in Humanities or Languages. These 

places are fully funded by the School for the Scholars’ 

two years at Benenden and are subject to means testing. 

To find out more visit benenden.school/day2021. 

ADLLearningWT226.indd 1 08/02/2021 10:59 

’ 


GriffinTeachingWT226.indd 1 02/02/2021 18:23

Education News 

Lockdown Lessons 

Spring Grove School explains what its families 

and teachers have learnt from lockdown 

One year ago, as we grappled with the startling 

realisation that schools were about to close, 

little did we think that restrictions would 

still be affecting our everyday lives in Spring 2021. 

Faced with lockdown no.1 last March, the first 

priority was to ensure that every Spring Grove child 

had the technology needed for home learning. The 

school provided every child from Reception to Year 6 

with a Chromebook, preloaded with a new SG Home 

Learning website to make the online experience both 

safe and easy. The children quickly got used to ‘meeting’ 

their teachers in Google Classroom, and enjoyed the 

many challenges and activities that took them away 

from their screens in the glorious summer weather. 

Throughout lockdown no.3, Spring Grove has once 

again delivered the full school timetable via Google 

Classroom, including specialist Science, French and 

Music teaching for all years. Forest School projects, and 

creative projects such as Animate Arts’ ‘Art Builders’ 

have allowed the children to spend time away from their 

Above: SG Home 

Learning in action 

Right: Example of 

an Animates Arts’ 

‘Art Builders’ project 

based on the work of 

Anthony Gormley 

screens. Regular school assemblies always bring the school 

community together, particularly the traditional Family 

Assemblies on Fridays which have been co-presented 

by staff and children and live-streamed to parents. 

As we look forward with glimmers of hope, there are 

many aspects of the Spring Grove lockdown experience 

that will be put to good use in the future – innovations 

in teaching and learning, virtual meetings and events, 

the ability to adapt and think on our feet – we will take 

all of these ‘lockdown lessons’ into 2021 and beyond. 

springgroveschool.co.uk 

The more they learn, 

The more they grow, 

The more they know, , 

THE FURTHER 

THEY WILL GO! 

Aspirational academic aims and 

exceptional pastoral care. Speak to us 

about your child's future today. 

Battle Abbey School 

Founded 1912 

Battle Abbey School 

www.battleabbeyschool.com 


110 

BattleAbbeySchoolWT226.indd 1 08/02/2021 10:22

Sutton Valence 

Preparatory School 

Independent day school for 

pupils aged 2 – 11 set in acres 

of stunning Kent countryside. 

With superb facilities and 

specialist teachers, pupils 

achieve excellent academic 

outcomes whilst enjoying a 

wealth of sport, music, drama, 

art and other co-curricular 

activities. 

Quality Mark 

EARLY YEARS 

AWARD 

The only independent school in Kent 

to hold the Quality Mark for Early Years education 

For more information visit www.svs.org.uk 

SuttonValenceWT226.indd 1 28/01/2021 15:31 

GG UU I I L L DD F F OO RR DD 

Open 

Mornings 

2021 

JUNIOR SCHOOL 

Monday 22 22 March March 

Monday 10 10 May May 

Monday 7 June 7 June 

INDEPENDENT DAY DAY SCHOOL FOR FOR GIRLS 4-18 4-18 YEARS 

Take a a CLOSER look and visit our our VIRTUAL TOUR 

www.tormeadschool.org.uk 

Tormead School, Cranley Road, Guildford, Surrey GU1 GU1 2JD 2JD 

@TormeadSchool Registered Charity No: No: 312057 

SENIOR SCHOOL 

Wednesday 10 10 March March 



9.30-10.30 

Girls’ Girls’ 

Schools Schools 

Association Association 


TormeadSchoolWT226.indd 1 15/02/2021 17:05

‘A great place to grow’ 

for children aged 2 to 11 years 

Scholarships available for 

September 2021 entry 

Deadline for application: Wednesday 10 March 2021 

Wye, near Ashford, Kent · 01233 812337 · More information www.springgroveschool.co.uk 

SpringGroveSchoolWT226.indd 1 10/02/2021 13:42 

We simply could not operate our life-saving service 

without the support of people like you. 

Please help us to save lives by donating today. 

Visit: aakss.org.uk/donate 


112 

AAKSS-WT226.indd 1 16/02/2021 13:51

What’s On in March 

Charity work 

Thur 11 Mar 6.30-7.30pm 

VIRTUAL ROMANIAN 

COOKING WITH 

HOSPICES OF HOPE 

Renowned author and foodwriter, 

Irina Georgescu, is hosting a 

Virtual Cook-along. Irina’s latest 

book ‘Carpathia - food from the 

heart of Romania’ has received 

wide acclaim and was recognised 

by the Sunday Times as one of the 

best cookery books of 2020. Irina 

wants to share her excitement and 

fascination for Romanian food 

and will be demonstrating her 

delicious ‘Chicken with baked 

sauerkraut and dill polenta’. All 

proceeds will benefit Hospices 

of Hope which supports hospice 

care in south east European 

countries, including Romania. 

Tickets: £10 (must book in advance) 

01959 525110 / 

hospicesofhope.co.uk/events 

Recycle your bike 

Recycle is a community 

project which provides an 

environmentally friendly means 

of recycling bikes. Their service 

team (a group of volunteers and 

local people looking to gain 

experience and skills) refurbishes 

donated bikes and sells them, 

with all money made reinvested 

back into the project. Recycle 

supports people who live in 

Lewes, Newhaven, Peacehaven, 

Seaford and surrounding villages. 

If you are unemployed or not 

working, managing a disability or 

long term illness, or interested in 

volunteering and aged over 19, the 

project invites you to get in touch. 

01273 516347 / 

facebook.com/ReCycleNewhaven 

MENTAL HEALTH 

From 22 March 

WELLBEING EVENTS AT 

BORDE HILL Garden, 

West Sussex 

So many people rediscovered the 

huge benefits of being outdoors 

in the fresh air over the last year, 

and a series of wellbeing events 

throughout 2021 will make the 

most of Borde Hill Garden’s 

glorious setting. On 22 March, 

22 May and 2 October, women’s 

wellbeing days ‘A Wild Escape in 

Warren Wood’ will use bushcraft 

activities and ‘woodland bathing’ 

exercises to help participants 

regain balance and escape the 

pressures of everyday life. On 12 

May, 16 June and 14 July, visitors 

can enjoy seasonal highlights 

using touch and smell as well as 

sight, on a ‘Nature for Wellbeing’ 

guided sensory walk. Entry and 

some events must be pre-booked. 

bordehill.co.uk 

From 26 April 

DRAMATHERAPY SESSIONS 

Guildford Shakespeare Company 

(GSC) is accepting submissions 

and referrals for their free 

dramatherapy sessions for 

teenagers with mental health 

difficulties and their parents from 

26 April. Now in its third year, 

‘With My Eyes’ is a unique course 

of free workshops for people aged 

12-18, in which parents take part 

alongside their children. Working 

with registered dramatherapists, 

‘With My Eyes’ helps families to 

break the cycle of mental health 

issues in a safe environment. 

guildford-shakespearecompany.co.uk 

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 April issue is 8 March 2021. 

Luxury Bags & Scarves 

www.jenneywren.co.uk 

Wood Floor 

Sanding 

JenneyWrenWT226.indd 1 10/02/2021 08:43 

- Family Business - 

We also restore wooden kitchen tops 

FREE estimates - call any time 

07794953597 gerardgrover@gmail.com 

AllWoodsSandingServicesWT2171/8.indd 1 21/02/2020 12:55 

The Auctioneer's Primary Next logo Sale Will Be On 

clare 

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be held online only at 

I N T E R I O R S 

secondary Primary logo logo & pattern 

IbbettMoselyWT226.indd 1 29/01/2021 11:12 

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Ibbett Mosely 

AUCTIONEERS & VALUERS 

Limited Liability Partnership 

Wednesday 31st March 2021 

easyliveauction.com/ibbettmosely at 11.00 a.m. 

Viewing by appointment only, please contact us for more information. 

Tel: 01732 456731 Web: www.ibbettmosely.co.uk 

125 High St, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1UT 

Registered in England No. 0C341637 Regulated by RICS Registered at the Sevenoaks office as Ibbett Mosely Surveyors LLP 


clare langdon 

secondary logo & pattern 

clare langdon 

Made to measure curtains, I N T E Rblinds I O R Sand soft furnishings 


Showroom by appointment 

clare langdon 


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01580 712209 

colour 01580 palette 

clare@clarelangdoninteriors.co.uk 

712209 

clare@clarelangdoninteriors.co.uk 

www.clarelangdoninteriors.co.uk 

www.clarelangdoninteriors.co.uk 

Association House, St David’s Bridge, 

Association House, St David’s Bridge, 

113 Cranbrook, Kent, priceless-magazines.com 

TN17 3HL 

Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 3HL 

ClareLangdonWT200.indd 1 12/09/2018 17:10 

C = 20 

M = 15 

C = 0 

M = 5

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. This month, Zoë explains 

why spring is now her favourite season on the farm 

The fields are full of newborns, the flowers are 

sprouting, we are just about finishing up in daylight 

and – most importantly – we aren’t cleaning 

mud off the hallway walls daily! My favourite season, for 

as long as I can remember, always used to be summer. 

Feeling the sun on your skin is such a delight and during 

the deep dark depths of winter it’s hard to envisage how 

it feels to not be in 50 layers of waterproofs. Since I 

started farming full time however, I’ve realised summer 

isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It’s just a constant cycle of 

filling water troughs and moaning to ourselves and other 

farmers about the lack of grass. Spring is where it’s at. 

Bringing new life into the world is exhausting but possibly 

one of the most rewarding feelings I’ve experienced. It 

comes with its challenges, of course, but what job doesn’t? 

As long as everyone’s happy and healthy (including us!) and 

has a full belly, then we are doing okay. During lambing 

season we stay on site in a 15 foot caravan, the Compass 

Corona (I’m not even joking). We bought it on a whim 

just before lockdown last year – the rule was no livestock 

in the caravan. Well, two days into lambing and my 4am 

wake up call was Chris plonking 3 hypothermic triplets 

on the doormat inside the door. The adrenaline takes over 

and, first things first, we fire up the fan heater and get them 

warm – when the lambs’ mouths are cold you are in trouble. 

Sometimes you must put them in a carrier bag with just a 

little head poking out and submerge them in warm water 

to warm them up. Once they ‘come round’ a little you 

are able to give them colostrum, either by bottle or tube 

straight into their belly. Colostrum contains vital antibodies 

to set the newborns up to fight any bacteria or illnesses – 

mother’s first milk or ‘liquid gold’ we call it. It’s incredibly 

important they receive this within the first 6 hours of life 

or the lambs can encounter a huge range of complications. 

We managed to save one of the lambs, but sadly we were 

too late for the other two. The mother wouldn’t accept the 

surviving lamb back so I ended up rearing her. Her name 

is Gyoza and she will enter the flock as a breeding ewe. 

She cheered me up during the uncertainty of lockdown 

and it’s safe to say she became a welcome distraction for 

lots of our Instagram followers too – she’s quite the diva! 

The Little Farm Fridge Recipe of the month 

How to cook it... mutton 

This simple, slow cooked stew is perfect for a neck fillet 

• Serves 4 

• 2 Little Farm Fridge 

mutton neck fillets (or 

even better on the bone) 

• 3 carrots, peeled and 

cut into chunks 

• 2 potatoes, peeled and 

cut into chunks 

Follow Zoe on Instagram @thechiefshepherdess 

and @thelittlefarmfridge. You can order 

meat online at thelittlefarmfridge.co.uk 

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled 

and cut into chunks 

• 2 large brown onions 

• a few sprigs of rosemary 

• a few sprigs of thyme 

• 2 beef or lamb stock cubes 

• a generous pinch of 

salt and pepper 

1Cut the neck into large pieces and brown everything 

except the potatoes in a pan with a splash of oil. 

2Put it all in the slow cooker with enough 

water to cover and add the stock cubes. 

3Leave for a few hours – the longer the better 

– until the stew is rich and thick. 

4This dish is best served with suet dumplings 

(of course!) and fresh, seasonal veg. 


114

Beautifully handcrafted, thoroughly bespoke kitchens 

Our new Old Surrenden Manor 2020 Designer Awards Finalist showroom is now open. 

Please call or email to arrange a design consultation. 

Old Surrenden Manor, Bethersden, Ashford, Kent TN26 3DL 

info@collinsbespoke.com I 01233 822595 I www.collinsbespoke.com

JOHN SANKEY, TAMARISK 

AND MICHAEL TYLER AT 

20% OFF ALL BESPOKE UPHOLSTERY 

1 5-17 Sayers Lane | TENTERDEN | KENT | TN30 6BW 

0 1580 761 008 

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