Wealden Times | WT230 | July 2021 | Education supplement inside

EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT inside 

Inspirational Interiors • Fabulous Fashion • Delicious Dishes 

PRICELESS 

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6 

JarvisNewHomesWT229.indd 1 06/05/2021 16:51

Contents 

July 2021 

14 

21 

36 

57 

59 

66 

HOUSE OF THE MONTH 

Maggie Alderson selects her 

favourite homes on the market 

NOTEBOOK 

A fresh batch of events and 

exhibitions to look forward to 

CLICK & COLLECT 

Explore a stylish home filled 

with delightful thrift shop finds 

GET THE LOOK 

Shop products inspired by 

the ‘Click & Collect’ style 

WINDOWS OF 

OPPORTUNITY 

Rebecca Cuffe’s selection 

of inspiration and advice 

for perfect windows 

85 

89 

93 

97 

99 

100 

GET THE LOOK 

Add some of Belinda 

Benton’s cool elegance 

to your own home 

LIFE’S A BEACH 

Beachy fashion with a 

quirky vintage flair styled 

by Rebecca Cuffe 

GLOW UP! 

Josephine Fairley’s guide to 

achieving the ultimate fake tan 

LET’S GO WILD! 

Sarah Maxwell on the joys and 

benefits of wild swimming 

NOURISH TO FLOURISH 

Charlotte Lau recommends the 

diets of our distant ancestors 

109 

115 

121 

122 

36 

SEED COLLECTORS 

Learn how to find, store and 

nurture seeds with Sue Whigham 

FRUITFUL 

Enjoy a sweet summer filled with Jo 

Arnell’s round up of delicious fruits 

that you can grow in your garden 

WHAT’S ON 

The world is opening up again 

and we have a list of events to 

mark in your diary this month 

SLOW, GROW, EAT 

Zoë Colville tells us about the uses and 

environmental benefits of sheep wool 

and shares a recipe for Lamb Koftas 

66 

HAVEN SENT 

A peak inside the home of 

Belinda Benton, founder 

of Evernden Interiors 

100 

PURE & SIMPLE 

Get ready for entertaining again 

with Charlotte Butterworth’s easy 

breezy recipes and gorgeous 

table settings from SET 

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

Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF | Call 01580 714705 | Email info@priceless-group.com 

Visit priceless-group.com Copyright © 2021 Priceless Media Ltd. The views of the 

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

EDUCATION 

SUPPLEMENT 

38 pages of 

inspiring school 

news, interviews 

and innovations 

After page 85 

A Priceless Supplement 

sponsored by 

7

47 HIGH STREET 

EDENBRIDGE 

KENT, TN8 5AL 

edenbridge@kesseler.co.uk 

Transforming properties across Kent. Kent, Made Sussex to and measure Surrey. 

for your 

home. Made to Designed measure and for built your in home. Britain. Designed and built in Britain. 

WE’RE OPEN AGAIN 

Call today to book an appointment 

Tel: 01233 556095 

www.kesseler.co.uk/edenbridge 


8

Editor’s 

Letter 

For an exceptional home 

01227 766655 

lenleys.co.uk 

Roper Road, Canterbury, CT2 7EL 

It’s Midsummer Fair time and we can’t wait! We’re welcoming 

back stallholders and shoppers to picturesque Hole Park 

in Rolvenden for four days of countryside retail therapy 

(we’ve added the Sunday to make up for lost time!). Find 

out who’ll be there, plan what you’ll be making a beeline 

for and book tickets online at wealdentimes-fair.co.uk. 

This sunny summer issue is full to the brim with 

home inspiration, with a visit to interior designer 

Belinda Benton’s stylish and characterful home and a 

look round the uniquely decorated St Leonards house 

that’s been boldly transformed by Victoria Fowle. 

I was lucky enough to visit the stunning Wealden garden of 

Charlotte Butterworth (on Instagram as @theneedy.greedy) 

to shoot this month’s food feature, before making her 

ridiculously tasty gateau myself for friends a couple of 

days later – believe me, it won’t disappoint! See how brand 

new dinner party hire company SET have beautifully 

styled all four of Charlotte’s recipes from page 100. 

We’re back with a comprehensive look at all things education 

in this magazine’s supplement, which covers the latest news 

directly from schools, chats to the teachers who keep our 

children inspired and motivated and discusses all the hot 

topics currently affecting schools across the South East. 

As a taster of what’s to come next month in our brand 

new Adding Value To Your Property Supplement, Rebecca 

Cuffe looks at ways to improve your windows from 

page 59 with a run down of contemporary and classic 

designs and the treatments that enhance their style. 

Summer 

SALE 

NOW ON 

Enjoy your Wealden Times! 

INTEREST FREE CREDIT AVAILABLE* 

Wealden Times & Surrey Homes Team 

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

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

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

Design Assistant...........................................................................Phoebe O’Leary 

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

Lisa Gordon-Hughes 

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

Rachel Norrie 

Social Media ......................................................................................Emily Pavey 

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

Events Manager .............................................................................. Liz Copping 

Senior Account Manager, Events ....................................................... Jude Brown 

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

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

01622 753073 

clarkesfurnishers.co.uk 

Sandling Road, Maidstone, ME14 2RF 

*see website for terms & conditions 


LenleysWT230.indd 1 10/06/2021 13:51

Babington House School 

Independent Day School from 3 to 18 years 

Grange Drive, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 5ES 

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

Inspiring Teachers, Inspiring Children 


Open Day 

Saturday, 9th October 2021 

Register Now: 

www.babingtonhouse.com 

10

WEALDEN TIMES 

Alfriston 

• Emmett & White 

Antiques & Interiors 

Ashford 

• Eastwell Manor 

• Hunters 

• Kingsfords Solicitors 

• Northwood 

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• Secret Garden, Kent 

• Waterstones 

• The Wife of Bath 

Battle 

• British Design 

British Made 

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Benenden 

• Village Shop 

Bexhill 

• Sivyers Antique 

Emporium 

• Wards 

Biddenden 

• The Bakehouse 

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• Costcutter 

Boughton Monchelsea 

• The Cock Inn 

Bromley 

• The Glades 

Burwash 

• Londis 

Canterbury 

• Benton Kitchens 

• The Duke William 

• Fenwick 

• Gibson’s Farm Shop 

• The Goods Shed 

• Whitefriars 

Charing 

• Post Office 

Chiddingstone 

• Chiddingstone Castle 

Chilham 

• Bagham Barn 

Antiques 

Cranbrook 

• Ashwal Garage 

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House 

• Hartley Dyke 

Farmshop 

• The Hive 

• Kingsfords Solicitors 

• Pages 

• The Wendy House 

Crowborough 

• Costa Coffee 

Eastbourne 


Eridge 

• Fuller’s Farm Shop 

Faversham 

• Macknade 

Fine Foods 

Flimwell 

• The Weald Smokery 

Folkestone 

• Hunters 

• Loaf 

• Moda 

• Quarterhouse 

• Rocksalt 

• Steep Street 

Coffee House 

Goudhurst 

• Burfields 

House Wealth 

Management Ltd 

• Goudhurst Inn 

• Goudhurst 

Newsagents 

• Furnish & Feather 

Greenhithe 

• John Lewis 

Food Hall 

Hastings 

• Judges Bakery 

• Respire Living 

• St Mary in the Castle 

Find your copy 

Call 01580 714705 to find your nearest distributor of Wealden Times or 

Surrey Homes or to get free copies delivered for a year for just £25 postage 

Our magazines are available in selected railway stations, Cook, Waterstones, 

Tesco, M&S and Sainsbury’s stores, as well as these local hot spots. 

Please check priceless-group.com/wealden-times-distribution and 

priceless-group.com/surrey-homes-distribution for a current list of distribution points. 

• Wellington Centre 

Hawkhurst 

• Kino Cinema 

• Park Farm Butchers 

• Two Chicks 

Headcorn 

• Foodie’s Emporium 

Heathfield 

• Cuculo Deli 

• The Stores 

Horsham 

• Cook 


Hurst Green 

• Eggs to Apples 

• Merriments 

Hythe 

• The Chair Lady 

• The Flower Shop 

• Halcyon Days 

• Hunters 

• Hythe Bay Seafood 

Restaurant 

• Hythe Imperial 

Health Club & Spa 

• Hythe Imperial Hotel 

• Nutmeg Café 

• Oaks Hair & 

Beauty Retreat 

Ickham 

• The Duke William 

Kings Hill 

• Costa 

Lenham 

• Corner House 

Antiques 

Lewes 

• Middle Farm 

• Riverside 

Shopping Hall 

Maidstone 

• House of Fraser 

• Leeds Castle 


Marden 

• Marden Village Store 

Mayfield 

• The Pink Cabbage 

Produce Co. 

Northiam 

• Country Property 

Group 

• Jempson’s Local 

• Will’s Bakery 

and Café 

Nutley 

• Nutley Antiques 

Otford 

• Hall & Co 

Peasmarsh 


Pluckley 

• Pluckley Farm Shop 

Robertsbridge 

• Vinehall School 

Rolvenden 

• KM & JM 

Linklater 

Rushlake Green 

• The Stores 

Rye 

• Adams of Rye 


• Kino Cinema 

• Phillips & Stubbs 

• The Rye Retreat 

• The White House 

Sandhurst 

• Johnson’s of 

Sandhurst 

Sedlescombe 

• Sedlescombe Post 

Office and Stores 

Sellindge 

• Hobbs & Hearts 

Sevenoaks 

• Cook 

• County Clothes 

Sheffield Green 

• Trading Boundaries 

Sissinghurst 

• TN17 Food & Wine 

Smarden 

• West End House 

Gallery 

St. Leonards-on-Sea 

• Shop 

• Who’s Wearing What 

Staplehurst 

• Frankie’s Farm Shop 

Stone Cross 

• Sharnfold Farm 

& Shop 

Tenterden 


• Hunters Estate 

Agents 

• London Beach Hotel 

• Tenterden House 

Interiors 

• Warner Gray 


• Webbs of Tenterden 

• White Lion 

• Woodcocks 

Ticehurst 

• Dale Hill Golf Club 

• Londis 

Tonbridge 

• Cook 

Tunbridge Wells 

• Fenwick 

• Hoopers 

• Maddisons 

Residential 

• Notcutts 

• Poggenpohl 

• Truffle 

Wadhurst 


• Wadhurst Castle 

• Wealden Wholefoods 

West Malling 

• The Swan 

Westerham 

• Costa 

• Nisa 

Whitstable 

• Hotel Continental 

• Tea & Times 

• The Whiting Post 

Winchelsea 

• Winchelsea 

Farm Kitchen 

Wye 

• The Wife of Bath 

SURREY HOMES 

Ashtead 

• Patrick Gardner 

Bagshott 

• Howlands 

Estate Agents 

• Longacres Nursery 

Banstead 

• King of Cotton 

Betchworth 

• Buckland Deli 

• The Community 

Shop 

Bookham 


Bramley 

• Bramley Beds 

Buckland 

• Buckland Nurseries 

Camberley 

• Romans 

Cheam 

• Cook 

Chelsham 

• Knights Garden 

Centre 

Chobham 

• Melita 

• Pasha 

Claygate 

• Trew Art 

Cobham 

• Fego Café 

• Oh So Coco 

Cranleigh 

• Notcutts 

• Roger Coupe 

Dorking 

• Denbies Vineyard 

• Dorking Travel 


• Princess Alice 

Hospice 

Epsom 

• Mayfield Lavender 

Nursery & Shop 

Esher 

• Sandown Park 

Racecourse 

Farnborough 

• Holiday Inn 

Farnham 

• Cook 

• ME Estate Agents 


Felbridge 

• Doves Barn Nursery 

Forest Green 

• Butchers Hall 

& Country Grocer 

Godalming 

• Cook 

• McAllister Thomas 

• Sarah Louise Dix 


Godstone 

• Knights Garden 

Centre 

Gomshall 

• Lavender Goose 

Guildford 

• BoConcept 

• Elm Nursery 

Farm Shop 

• Loaf 

• Neptune 

• Nuffield Gym 


Haslemere 

• Lythe Hill 

Hotel & Spa 

Hindhead 

• Grayshott Spa 

Horley 

• Spire Hospital 

Leatherhead 


• Robert Leech 

& Partners 

Lingfield 


Lyne 

• The Farm Shop Lyne 

Milford 

• Secretts 

Old Oxted 

• Fish Plaice & Grill 

Ottershaw 

• Foxhills Spa 

Oxted 

• Cook 

• Jackson-Stops & Staff 

• Limpsfield Stores 


Oxshott 

• The Bear 

Redhill 

• Priory Farm 

Reigate 



• RDO Kitchens 

Ripley 

• Ripley Nurseries 

Farm Shop 

• The Talbot 

Walton on Thames 


Warlingham 

• Botley Hill 

Farmhouse 

• Rayners Estate 

Agents 

Weybridge 

• The Heights 

Brooklands 

Woldingham 

• Fine & Country 

McALLISTER THOMAS FINE ART 

NEW WORKS 

BY 

JO VOLLERS 

McALLISTER THOMAS 

117 High Street 

Godalming 

Surrey GU7 1AQ 

01483 860591 

www.mcallisterthomasfineart.co.uk 


McAllisterThomasFineArtWT230.indd 1 

mcallister-thomas-vertical-advert-stephen-page.indd 1 

07/06/2021 10:15 

05/06/2021 11:22

The Trusted 

Regional Auctioneers 

Auction 

Sales are 

Safe in our 

Hands 

Selling with Skill, 

Speed & Efficiency 

Entries are continually invited for 

our auctions which are scheduled 

throughout the year. 

Suitable Entries Include 

• Vacant residential 

• Vacant land 

• Commercial investments 

• Residential investments 

• Commercial premises 

• Ground rents 

• Unique and unusual 

• Conversion & development projects 

• Garages/parking spaces 

Our Auction Team has 

Many Years of Land & 

Property Experience 

We are only an email, call or click 

away 

• auctions@cliveemson.co.uk 

• cliveemson.co.uk 

• 0345 8500333 

If you would like to arrange a no 

obligation auction appraisal please 

do not hesitate to contact us or 

complete our form at 

cliveemson.co.uk/selling/ 

Auctions for the remainder of the year will be held during 

July : September : November and December 


0345 8500333 : cliveemson.co.uk 

12 

auctions@cliveemson.co.uk

‘Our Focus Determines Your Reality’ 

HARPERS AND HURLINGHAM 

STAPLEHURST £1,200,000 

CHARMING RURAL DETACHED BARN CONVERSION 

• Entrance hall • Sitting room • Dining room • Family room • Study • Kitchen/breakfast room • Utility room 

• Ground floor bedroom, ensuite • Two cloakrooms • Principal bedroom, ensuite • Three further bedrooms 

• Family bath/shower room • Delightful garden approx. ¾ acres • Double garage • EPC: D 

Cranbrook School Catchment Area 

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

House 

Month 

of the 

£4,250,000 

Action Stations 

Maggie Alderson picks three very appealing houses 

right in the action of towns and villages 

Frant Grange 

The dream: A rare combination of 

a substantial and elegant Georgian 

house with the best of village life. In 

the past ten years the house has been 

substantially updated and renovated, 

so it is in peak condition throughout. 

There is also a new extension 

with a beautiful indoor pool. 

Where: In the very pretty village of 

Frant, with its strong community 

ties – there is a film club in the 

village hall – but just seven minutes’ 

drive from Tunbridge Wells. 

Setting: In the beautiful landscape 

of the High Weald AONB. 

Beds: 8 Baths: 5 

Special feature: The 

stunning indoor pool. 

Pleasing details: The house is 

exceptionally light and airy. 

Outside: Extensive partly-walled 

gardens with lawns, borders and 

mature trees, with a west facing 

entertaining terrace, also accessible 

from the pool extension. 

Time to town: One hour on the 

Charing Cross/Cannon Street line 

from ‘Frant’ station (actually 2.5 

miles away in the neighbouring 

village Bells Yew Green). 

Agent: Savills, Tunbridge Wells 

01892 507000 savills.com 


14

£875,000 

The Strand, 

Winchelsea 

The dream: A very characterful property 

made up of three component parts. The 

three-storey main house dates back to the 

15th century and is partly stone and partly 

tile-hung on the exterior, with beams 

galore outside and in. Two-storey Crows 

Nest Cottage has been linked to the main 

building and Rye Bay Cottage is a separate 

converted coach house in the garden. 

Where: In the Conservation Area in the 

historic Ancient Town of Winchelsea. 

Setting: At the base of the hill on 

the edge of the town, with views over 

adjoining National Trust farmland. 

Meandering paths lead up to the town. 

Beds (main): 7 Baths (main): 7 

Special features: Inglenook fireplace. 

Pleasing details: The cottage offers great 

opportunities for holiday rental income. 

Outside: A pretty garden with lawns, borders, 

a gravel terrace and ornamental water features. 

Time to town: Just over an hour to St 

Pancras, via Ashford International. 

Agent: Phillips & Stubbs, Rye, 

01797 227338 phillipsandstubbs.co.uk 

£700,000 

Marina Court 

Avenue 

The dream: A rare chance to buy one 

of those properties that you always 

notice walking through a town – in this 

case a flat in the terrace of Edwardian 

‘Moghul’ houses right on Bexhill seafront, 

built by Arthur Blackford in 1906. 

Where: Just along from the 

De La Warr Pavilion. 

Setting: Bang in the town 

– right on the sea. 

Beds: 4 Baths: 2 

Special features: A conservatory, so 

the view can be enjoyed all year. 

Pleasing details: Lovely high ceilings and 

large windows, to maximise the sea light. 

Outside: The sea, which can be 

enjoyed from the front garden. 

Time to town: An hour and 45 

to Charing Cross, or St Pancras, 

via Hastings/Ashford. 

Agent: M&W Property, 

St Leonards 01424 420073 

mandwsalesandlettings.co.uk 


MAXIMISE THE VALUE 

OF YOUR LAND 

Have you got a large 

garden or plot of land? 

We are experts at working 

with owners to maximise 

the full value of their land 

Industry leading experts 

We take care of the planning permission! 

The risk-free way to maximise your land 

Zero cost to you! 

Planning laws are changing 

Act now before its too late! 

What our clients say… 

"The team had a huge amount of 

knowledge and every step was handled 

in a professional manner. Their excellent 

relationship with the local planning 

department helped achieve a fantastic 

result for us. We would have no 

hesitation in recommending them to 

anyone who wants to achieve planning". 

Amanda and Robert Petch 

June 2016 

"The cost involved to try and 

get planning on our land 

were just not feasible for us. 

Working with Country House 

meant we didn’t have to risk 

our money as they took care 

of everything" 

Mr C Partridge (Loose, Kent) 

September 2016 

For a free appraisal call 0843 557 4080 

www.maximisemyland.co.uk 

sales@countryhousehomes.co.uk 


16 

“Guy and team at CHH did a fantastic 

job securing planning permission on 

our rear garden plot. Although a fairly 

problematic application (which took 

over 18 months), they kept us informed 

throughout the entire process. 

I would certainly use them again” 

David J (Oxted, Surrey) 

January 2017

Residential Sales 

#TheGardenOfEngland 

Estate Agents 

Sellindge 

Guide £1,450,000 

A stunning barn conversion with annexe/office and 

4 bay car barn. Views to North Downs. 

In all about 2.44 acres 

Little Chart 

Guide £1,350,000 

A Grade ll listed period house with guest 

annexe and car barn. 


Smeeth 

Guide £1,250,000 

A well equipped period farmhouse with holiday 

cottage, outbuildings and tennis court. 


Nr Faversham 

Guide £1,050,000 

A most attractive period house with beautiful 

features and a separate cottage, just minutes 

from the M2. Large gardens. 

Tenterden 

Guide £925,000 

A beautiful cottage in a fabulous tucked away 

location in the town. 

Delightful gardens backing onto fields. 

Appledore 

Guide £925,000 

A charming converted coach house and gardens 

in the centre of the village. 

Hobbs Parker Estate Agents www.hobbsparker.co.uk 

Ashford 01233 506260 Tenterden 01580 766766 


GILL WOOD, 

WADHURST PLACE 

PRICES FROM £685,000 

3 & 5 bedroom homes 

2 & 3 bathrooms 

3 reception rooms 

Situated in an elevated position in an Area 

of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the 

outskirts of the much sought after village 

of Wadhurst in East Sussex, Gill Wood 

is a stunning new development of just 

28 homes set in Wadhurst Place, which 

enjoys spectacular views over the Wealden 

countryside including 47 acres of woodland 

that are private to the development. 

01892 640 316 

TUNBRIDGEWELLS@HAMPTONS.CO.UK 

HAMPTONS.CO.UK/GILL-WOOD 

PLOT OR NOT? 

If you think your land or property has development potential, 

why not give us a call without obligation and in confidence. 

MediaForceWT230-HAMPTONS.indd 1 11/06/2021 13:02 

WE ARE ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR LAND AND PROPERTY WITH DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL 

Many of our clients retain our services and, in the majority of 

cases, pay our fees saving property owners significant costs. 

Commercial buildings for residential conversion, former public houses, redundant 

buildings for redevelopment, buildings for conversion or replacement, houses 

for improvement, large sites on the edge of town, barn conversions, large 

gardens in residential areas and major regeneration projects. 

Contact Stephen Donnelly on 

07739 514350 or 01892 579937 

website: sjd-projects.com 

email: steve@sjd-projects.com 

For regular updates, visit us at 

twitter.com/projects 


18 

SJDprojectsWT227.indd 1 25/02/2021 10:59

Preserving your place in history 

DESIGN & PLANNING | RESTORATION | NEW BUILD | BARN CONVERSIONS | EXTENSIONS | JOINERY 

For a brochure or home consultation call 01797 366895 

www.anthony-hicks.co.uk 


JAMontheMarshWT230.indd 

Make 

1 

the most 

15/06/2021 15:22 

of your visit! 

Hire a bike, grab a helmet and explore the 

delights of Rye and the surrounding area. 

Go further and see more with an ebike! 

01797 229 351 • 07951 688 974 

info@ryebay-ebikes.co.uk 

Electric Bikes - Sales - Servicing - Hire 

Unit G15, Rye Industrial Park, Harbour Road, Rye. TN31 7TE 


20 

RyeBayE-BikesWT230.indd 1 18/06/2021 17:40

Notebook 

What to do and see near you this month 

The Secret 

Garden Live 

New Creations Collective is proud to announce a brand-new, 

original production of The Secret Garden at Lullingstone Castle 

on Wednesday 28 July. This is the first professional dance 

adaptation in the UK, based on Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 

bestselling novel, re-telling the story through classical music 

and dance. Join Mary on her journey to discovering The 

Secret Garden in this family friendly production, guaranteed 

to be an unforgettable experience for audiences of all ages. 

Featuring a brand-new score, composed by Adam Kornas 

and original choreography by Nina Monteiro, the iconic 

story is brought to life like never before, in this high-quality, 

one-hour ballet. The Gatehouse entrance will be ready 

to welcome visitors at 1.45pm and after the performance 

there is the opportunity to enjoy The World Garden 

and grounds until 5pm. For tickets (adults £17/children 

£13) visit thesecretgarden.live and for more information 

on getting to Lullingstone, see lullingstonecastle.co.uk. 

As you like it 

The award-winning Guildford 

Shakespeare Company’s 15th Open 

Air Season continues in July with 

Shakespeare’s gloriously sunny comedy 

As You Like It, from 19-31 July. Full of 

beautiful songs, enchanting characters, 

and a fabulous feel-good story, 

As You Like It is a celebration of human 

nature’s desire to forgive and forget, 

to love and to laugh. To escape the 

tyrannous Duke Frederick’s reign, 

Rosalind escapes with her cousin and a 

cheeky jester into the Forest of Arden, 

a playground of hopes and dreams. 

Away from the stifling court, this 

merry trio discover that the outdoors 

has more to offer than just refuge, and 

where freedom of thought liberates, so 

too can romance flourish for each and 

everyone. The venue for the Forest of 

Arden is Racks Close, a former chalk 

quarry in the heart of Guildford town 

centre. Now a luscious oasis of green, the 

venue has played host to the company’s 

previous shows Robin Hood (2018) and 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2017). 

guildford-shakespeare-company.co.uk 

Shine a 

light 

On 16 & 17 July, no-waste 

warriors Haines Collection 

will be running lampshade 

workshops for beginners. Join Jules 

Haines at her Groombridge office 

to make your very own professional 

looking 30 or 40cm drum lampshade 

in just 3 hours and with half a metre of 

fabric. The course costs £65 and all the 

kit to make your shade will be provided, 

you’ll just need to come along with half 

a metre of your preferred fabric, or look 

online at hainescollection.co.uk to buy 

your fabric to have ready on the day. 


Notebook 

Prize 

Sculpture 

The Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden is thrilled 

to present their inaugural sculpture award, aiming 

to celebrate emerging talent and raise funds 

and awareness for WWF-UK. Students from 

Camberwell College of Arts were invited 

to create a piece of sculpture inspired 

by the Sculpture Garden, embracing 

the theme of sustainability – a core 

focus of WWF-UK. Their work 

will be on display for 4 weeks 

in June to July, culminating in 

one winner being chosen to 

receive the ‘Hannah Peschar 

Sculpture Award’. Amongst 

various events, the exhibition 

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Language 

Visit Watts Gallery Artists Village in Guildford to 

experience a Cornish summer in Compton through the 

colourful paintings of Henry Scott Tuke (1858-1929). 

Influenced by the European avant-garde, Tuke is best known 

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in boats and sunbathing. This exhibition explores the varied 

reception of his most significant works and considers how 

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and exhibition of the body, both in the artist’s lifetime 

and today. Prebooking is essential and admission 

starts at £12.50 

wattsgallery.org.uk 

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LOOK FORWARD: 

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for everyone impacted by the pandemic. GLive.co.uk 


22

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Meet the 

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36

Click 

& Collect 

Words: Maggie Alderson 

Photographs: David Merewether Styling: Victoria Fowle 

Victoria Fowle has created a remarkable family 

home in St Leonards, lavishly sprinkled with fairy 

dust touches and a cornucopia of thrift shop finds 


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Previous pages: The huge sitting room has been broken 

up into two separate spaces through the effective use 

of a contrasting dark and light colour palette 

This page: Victoria updated the existing B&Q kitchen with 

new painted doors, installing deep, open shelves above the floorlevel 

units, to showcase her eccentric collections of objects 

Nobody likes a braggart or a smug bunny – but it’s 

clear from the moment you step over the threshold of 

this lovely spacious Victorian house that the bold and 

imaginative creator of its quirky interior is way too modest. 

Step forward Victoria Fowle and accept your 

status as a super creative decorator! 

And decorator is the term to use here, because 

unlike so many of the lovely houses featured in this 

magazine, which have undergone months of de- and 

then re-construction, one of the biggest structural 

changes Victoria and husband Matthew made was 

changing the doors on the kitchen cabinets. 

Both Hastings natives, they bought the house eight years 

ago, moving west from their former home in quaint All 

Saints Street, in the Old Town. While it is a very special 

spot, with some of the houses Tudor and every era since 

represented, the dwellings are small, garden space limited. 

With their first child on the way they were looking 

for room to spread out – and St Leonards is certainly 

the place to find that, with an unusually ample stock of 

large Victorian and Edwardian family homes. So perhaps 

it’s not surprising that it wasn’t an overly stressful 

 


This page: 

The family’s 

dining room 

seats twenty 

people every 

Christmas as 

well as serving 

as an ideal 

space to enjoy 

vinyl and the 

occasional film 

on a big pulldown 

screen 

property search. “We had only looked at a couple of 

houses, when we found this one,” says Victoria. 

Right away they knew it was big enough for their 

own growing family – and their large extended ones. 

“Twenty people sit down here every Christmas,” 

she says. “Christmas is always here.” 

While a grand dining room is great for that – and 

they use theirs to screen films on a big pull-down 

screen and play vinyl, too – for the other days of the 

year, a kitchen big enough to house a table for the 

family to sit at was the priority. “So the kids can sit and 

do their homework while I cook,” says Victoria. 

Although the house’s restrained décor was not to 

Victoria’s taste when they bought it, the original character 

of the place had blessedly been preserved and needed 

just a few tweaks to make it ready to switch to her vision 

– stripping doors and floors being the first stage. 

New doors, painted black and furnished with smart brass 

handles, was enough to transform the existing simple B&Q 

kitchen to bring it in line with Victoria’s aesthetic. Deep, open 

shelves above the floor-level units, made from scaffolding 

planks, were then installed to showcase her eccentric 


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Above left: Shelves, units and walls throughout the house are 

filled with collections of objects, artworks and conversationprompting 

objects Above right: The downstairs loo is an eyepleasing 

combination of raspberry red panelling and soft peach 

walls Right: Weaving up between the three floors of the house, 

the staircase is flanked by a continually evolving gallery of pictures 

that Victoria has collected from boot fairs and charity shops 

collections of objects, instantly filling the room with character. 

The stuffed seagull – an eBay find – gives it a seaside 

context and shares the top row with a classic Victorian 

china dog, 1970s ceramics, a brightly patterned tin 

tray and some plants. And that’s just one shelf. 

This pretty much sets the tone for the house. There 

is a lot going on in every corner, but because it has 

such generous proportions – and because one very 

specific eye is behind all the choices – it never feels 

cluttered. Rather, it feels rich and rewarding. 

Indeed, at times, I had to stop and let myself 

have a moment to take it all in, there are so many 

lovely things to look at wherever your gaze falls. 

The sitting room brought me to a halt, initially, for 

another reason – it is so properly big. But what could be 

an almost dauntingly large room has been cleverly broken 

up with colour, into two more manageable spaces. 

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Back in the main part of the sitting room, you could spend quite some time 

making sure you have looked at each interesting thing, including two glassfronted 

display cabinets housing shelves of Victoria’s off-beat treasures 

 


Above left & right: With a protective felt elephant’s head on the 

wall above the bed and Moomins, mermaids, donkeys, bunting and 

a badger cushion, it feels like you are inside the illustration from a 

children’s book in daughter Jess’ bedroom Right: For the bathroom, 

Victoria chose a vintage-style basin backed with gold Art Deco 

tiling. An old wooden tea trolley now serves as a storage unit 

black, while the rear extension – about one third of the size 

again, of the first part – is painted white, maximising the 

light pouring in through the wall of glass at the back. 

Tying the two spaces together, Victoria and Matthew 

swapped the white UPVC French doors that were there, for 

more contemporary black metal bi-folds. With those fully 

opened, the sense of space becomes even more extraordinary, 

leading the eye right out to the large south-facing garden. 

A generous paved terrace runs across the back of the 

house, with a dining table and chairs by MADE in the 

section outside the sitting room, next to the big magnolia 

tree, which has a very tempting swing hanging from it. 

Back in the main part of the sitting room, you could 

spend quite some time making sure you have looked at 

each interesting thing, including two glass-fronted display 

cabinet housings shelves of Victoria’s off-beat treasures. Other 

bargain-hunter finds pop up in more unlikely spots. 

There is a lion sitting on top of the frame of a painting 

by Rye artist Matt Hardman, depicting the landmark 

 


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This page: Colour and pattern abound in Benjamin’s room, where red metal gym-style lockers from IKEA stand alongside a clothes rail of 

fancy dress costumes, vibrant prints and lots of toys 

Palace Court building on Hastings sea front. Another 

cavalcade of little figures marches across the top of the 

mirror over the fireplace – with a puppet hanging down 

for good measure. Of course, there is a disco ball. 

With so much going on in the room, it was a clever 

choice to have two identical large sofas – in teal blue velvet, 

from Made. Likewise, a pair of matching candle sconces 

(from Refound Objects, online) above one of the sofas 

and a pair of Chinese paintings on the adjacent wall, add 

a sense of unity to a room, which is a good idea with this 

much decorative action. Stuffed kookaburras, anyone? 

Another clever detail eluded my – somewhat preoccupied 

– eyes, on my first visit into this room. It seemed as 

though they didn’t have a telly, until Victoria pointed it 

out, sitting on a mid-century sideboard in the far corner. 

Against the black-painted wall the black screen 

simply disappears, which is a very clever way to play 

down this most-intrusive of sitting room elements. 

Heading back out to the hall to continue our explorations, 

you head into what is probably the most striking feature 

of the whole house (which is saying something): a French 

hang of what Americans call ‘thrift store’ art, which covers 

the entire extensive wall space in the hall, floor to ceiling, 

and continues right up the stairs to the first floor. 

That US term ‘thrift store’ in this country covers all 

Victoria’s favourite resources of boot fairs, charity shops, 

junk shops and her favourite, Facebook Marketplace, where 

she has gathered these pictures over the years. And she’s 

not done yet – she has plenty more ready to be hung and 

the first-floor landing is going to be galleried with them. 

The overall effect is exciting. The eye and the brain 

immediately start hopping about, trying to take it 

all in – but it’s also interesting to take a moment to 

stop and look a while at individual pieces. 

 


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This page: In the master bedroom Victoria has used clothing as art, displaying fabulous embroidered and sparkly vintage pieces on 

her side, and Hawaiian shirts and baseball jackets on Matthew’s. The contents of the couple’s day-to-day wardrobes are also on display 

on an open rail, with a stack of colourful woolly jumpers on top. The peacock chair was a Facebook Marketplace find – it cost £7 

There is no strict theme – flowers, still life, wild animals, 

birds, beloved pets, landscapes, buildings, bucolic scenes, 

winter scenes, Her Majesty the Queen, and the Virgin 

Mary all feature (and I suspect I have left some genres out) 

– and equally there is no set measure of, er, excellence. 

Some of the pictures – a mix of original paintings 

and framed prints – are lovely things in their own 

right, while others are gloriously bad. There are some 

marvellous examples of amateur home painting-fromphotographs, 

while others are fabulously kitsch, such as 

an early 1960s Woolworths print of gliding swans. 

I was particularly impressed by the hanging on the 

stairs – which I know from experience can be hard to 

do – and when I asked Victoria how she goes about it, 

she was characteristically modest. “I didn’t plan anything. 

I started at the top left and just kept going…” 

Finding myself drawn up the stairs, by looking at 

the pictures (I was particularly taken with those swans) 

we headed past the Room of Doom, which is used 

for storage – presumably a lot of it the collection of 

artworks waiting for the next big hanging session. 

Next to this is the bedroom of little Jess, four years 

old and the happy resident of one of the nicest children’s 

rooms I’ve ever been in. It is the same mix of elements 

as the other rooms – quirky finds and a mini picture 

wall – all specifically chosen for this particular resident. 

With an adorable floral fabric sausage dog on the bed, a 

protective felt elephant’s head on the wall over it, Moomins, 

mermaids, donkeys, bunting and a badger cushion, it feels 

like you are inside the illustration from a children’s book. 

One detail of this room is also reflected in the 

other two bedrooms on this floor – with appealing 

vintage clothes displayed as part of the décor. In 

keeping with Jess’s age, a classic smocked dress, a 

dear little red blouse and a quilted jacket. 

Next door, in seven-year-old Benjamin’s room, where 

two red-sprayed metal gym-style lockers (from IKEA) 

give it a groovy male atmosphere, the clothing/art is 


That US term ‘thrift store’ in this country covers all Victoria’s favourite resources of 

boot fairs, charity shops, junk shops and her favourite, Facebook Marketplace, where 

she has gathered these pictures over the years. And she’s not done yet – she has plenty 

more ready to be hung and the first-floor landing is going to be galleried with them 

two child-sized Peruvian ponchos, plus a clothes rail of 

fancy dress costumes, with Spiderman prominent. 

In the master bedroom the clothing-as-art theme 

reappears, with fabulous embroidered and sparkly vintage 

pieces hanging from the picture rail, on Victoria’s side, 

with Hawaiian shirts and baseball jackets on Matthew’s. 

There is also an open rail of colourful clothing, with a 

very appealing stack of woolly jumpers on top. The sheer 

scale of the house is also apparent in this room, where 

there is space for a large bed with a rattan headboard, 

a full-sized sofa and a truly fabulous peacock chair. 

This was one of Victoria’s most pleasing Facebook 

Marketplace finds – it cost £7. The striking orange egg 

chair in the sitting room was also from there, as was the 

sign of coloured lightbulbs spelling out ‘hello’, in the 

hall and two very special mahogany and glass display 

cases from a jewellery shop in Battle. “I love it,” says 

Victoria. “It’s my favourite place to find things. It’s 

become almost a full-time job looking on there…” 

The last room on this floor is also full of finds from 

that online emporium – and the fact she has managed 

to get so many interesting objects into a relatively small 

bathroom, sums up what is so special about this house. 

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has made it uniquely her own with the addition of 

 


52

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Top: Matthew created a shell mural on the garden wall next to the pizza oven 

Above & right: A children’s play and study area leads out into the garden where a 

generous paved terrace runs across the back of the house 

an old wooden tea trolley as a storage unit and – one 

of my favourite things in the whole house – a pirate’s 

head mug with the family toothbrushes in it. 

Somehow that one thing seems to sum up the happy 

clamour of this lively family home – pulled together by 

someone with the imagination to see how an unexpected 

object used in an unexpected place elevates both the object 

and the room it is in. A super-creative decorator indeed. 

Address Book: 

You can follow victoria and her house 

progress on Instagram @in.the.new.year 

Matt Hardman matthardman.co.uk 

Nadia Field Stylist nadiafieldstylist.com 


West End House 

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56 

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Get the 

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2021 

1 Percy Parrot wall light £100 Homebody Decor homebodydecor.co.uk 2 ‘Phillip, a Somerset Lass’ by Claire Longley £180 ArtSpring Gallery 

artspringgallery.co.uk 3 Crashing wave art frame £300 Jo Downs jodowns.com 4 ‘Spring Flowers’ by Fred Morgan (1847-1927) for sale at Parker Fine 

Art Auctions parkerfineartauctions.com 5 ‘For the Roses’ by Adrian Parnell Fairfax Gallery fairfaxgallery.com 6 Graphite wall paint £21.95/l Annie 

Sloan anniesloan.com 7 Loveage wall fitting £79 Pooky pooky.com 8 ‘Grandview’ by Dion Salvador Lloyd £2,950 Belgravia Gallery belgraviagallery.com 

9 ‘Beaulieu-sur-Mer’ poster by Charles Avalon £420 Pullman Editions pullmaneditions.com 10 ‘Fishing Boats, Sizewell, 1920’ by James McBey 

sold for £360 at Parker Fine Art Auctions parkerfineartauctions.com 11 ‘White Spring Flowers in Glass’ by Annie Waring £480 McAllister 

Thomas mcallisterthomasfineart.co.uk 12 ‘Champagne Celebration’ limited edition by Sherree Valentine Daines £795 Trew Art trewart.com 

13 Tiger Lily showerproof garden cushion £25 Ragged Rose raggedrose.com 14 Meghan yellow cushion £19 Homebody Decor homebodydecor.co.uk 

15 Alma rustic orange velvet chair £495 Ragged Rose raggedrose.com 16 Haresfield sofa in Napoli Airforce £3,584 Sofas & Stuff sofasandstuff.com 


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66

Haven Sent 

Words: Maggie Alderson Photographs: David Merewether Styling: Belinda Benton 

Belinda Benton’s home is as elegantly calm and 

welcoming as the interiors she designs for others 


After 20 years in Cranbrook we have moved to 

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The tapered Stamp 

Duty Holiday may be 

coming to an end in 

September, but with 

many homeowners 

keen to prep their 

houses for a future sale 

to make the most of 

their investment, we 

take a look at ways to 

add that all-important 

value, both inside 

and outside in our 

Adding Value To 

Your Property 

Supplement 

in August’s 


& Surrey Homes 

magazines 


68 

August 2021 adding value to your property ad.indd 1 21/06/2021 15:35

Previous pages & above: The basics of the current kitchen 

were there when Belinda moved in, but she created the 

lovely airy space that it is today with just a few tweaks. She 

changed the worktops to Carrara marble, took down the wall 

cupboards and replaced them with one shelf extending round 

the far corner, and added a classic Victorian clothes airer, 

tucked up in the lofty ceiling of the oak-framed space 

Right: Saltaire fabric by Blithfield greets visitors in the entrance hall 

By the time you have wound your way along the 

almost impossibly beautiful country lane that leads 

to Belinda Benton’s house, you are already starting 

to feel an increased sense of oneness with the world. 

To be so immersed in nature when spring is springing 

forth is a balm to the soul – and this feeling only 

increases when you arrive at the 17 th century former 

farmhouse, which has been her home for seven years. 

From the moment you step into the hall, with a 

view through to the beamed vaulted ceiling of the 

original building and the wall to your right luxuriously 

upholstered with Saltaire fabric by Blithfield, you 

have that sensation of breathing out. Aaaaah… 

I join Belinda in the kitchen, which leads off the 

 


Above: Like the kitchen, the formal sitting room is square, allowing for a satisfying arangement of two sofas, two 

armchairs and a large, upholstered ottoman. Belinda often recovers favourite pieces of furniture to suit a room’s 

changing decor. The chairs – versions of a Nina Campbell chair – have also been enjoyed in three versions, currently 

finished in another bold blue and white William Yeoward fabric, which works brilliantly with the ottoman 

hallway to the left, in a vaulted oak-framed extension 

installed by the previous owners – one of the things that 

made the house appeal to Belinda. “The hard work had 

already been done,” she says. “The kitchen extension 

was built and the oak-framed car barn was there.” 

This structure was perfect for Belinda to convert into a 

home office/studio and to add some extra bedrooms to the 

three in the house – and these were very necessary, for she is a 

mother of six and when everyone comes home, with partners 

and grandchildren, bedrooms are at a premium. “We needed 

a lot of accommodation for high days and holidays and a 

table we could all sit at together,” says Belinda. “But I also 

needed it to be cosy for two people the rest of the time.” 

Amazingly, this is exactly what the house delivers, 

with a lovely big dining area in the vaulted hall – 

where Belinda says the animals would have been kept, 

when the farmhouse was built – a smart sitting room, 

plus a comfy, book-filled snug, perfect for two. 

The other surprising double whammy this house achieves 

is feeling so wonderfully remote, down that long and 

winding lane – but actually being only five minutes’ drive 

from Hawkhurst and ten from Stone Street, Cranbrook, 

where Belinda has had her interior design business, 

Evernden Interiors, for the past eighteen years. 

This is all about to change, however. Belinda 

is moving the business – with herself – to the 

quaint seaside town of Deal, where she has also 

had a second home for the last seven years. 

Her daughter, Hannah, an architect-trained interior 

designer made the big lockdown decision to leave London 

for somewhere she and her partner could afford to buy 

their own house. With mum already having a base in 

Deal – and it being such a lovely place – it was a no 

brainer as the relocation destination – and the chance to 

have Hannah, with her technical skills, on the Evernden 

Interiors team was too good for Belinda to miss. 

There is also the advantage that while it is an exciting 

change for them both, the new location is close enough 

to the current base for them to be able to continue 

to look after their loyal roster of happy clients. 

And they will want her to. Spending time in Belinda’s 

own house, you can see exactly why people return to her 


70

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time-after-time for professional help with their interiors. 

She’s just got ‘it’ – the instinct for what will 

work together to enhance a space. She also has 

an expert understanding of window treatments, 

which I know from a recent adventure in my 

own bedroom is a very complex area. 

Belinda laughs when I tell her about my curtaindecision-hell 

– who knew there were so many choices? 

So many details to pick, on top of the broader decisions 

of blinds/curtains, pole/track, pelmet/not pelmet. 

I bring the subject up, when she takes me into the 

cosy snug, which has two windows finished with Roman 

blinds – one of the many possibilities I considered, while 

having a small nervous breakdown over my bedroom 

arrangement. It’s not like that for Belinda… “I usually 

have a feel for what will work,” she says. And looking 

round the house, you can see it in action, with each 

window perfectly finished for its particular spot. The 

amazing thing is she can do this with no formal training. 

“I learned by doing it,” she says. “I had six children 

“We needed a lot of accommodation for 

high days and holidays and a table we 

could all sit at together,” says Belinda. 

“But I also needed it to be cosy for 

two people the rest of the time.” 


This page: A galleried landing looks down 

into the vaulted dining area 

in 12 years and moved five times… ending up in a big 

old house in Hawkhurst. That was a big project, my first 

experience of working with an architect and I loved it. 

That was the turning point when I realised ‘I love doing 

this’. I’ve had no formal training – I guess if it’s in you, it’s 

in you. Hands on experience is the best way to learn.” 

This decorator skill is particularly in evidence in the more 

formal sitting room. Like the kitchen, this is a square room 

and the windows have classic farmhouse glazing bars, with 

three sets of three horizontal oblong panes. It gives a similar 

effect to the currently fashionable black steel Crittall window, 

but this is the original rustic version, painted off-white. 

There are two sofas, two armchairs and a large, 

upholstered ottoman – furnished with a rattan tray and 

appealing books – all of which have their own lesson 

and story. The ottoman is a recent arrival in this setting, 

moved here from the annexe – hauled over by Belinda 

herself, who likes to switch things up. It’s covered in a 

striking William Yeoward blue and white graphic fabric. 

The soft green sofa was made by Belinda’s upholsterer – 

with whom she has been working for 20 years – and I learned 

that this classic style, with loose seat cushions, an upholstered 

back and small wooden feet, is called a Howard sofa. 

Another great thing to learn from it is Belinda’s 

approach to the seat cushions. I know from bitter 

experience what a pain they can be if they’re filled 

 


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This page: The master bedroom has been papered with wallpaper by 

Colefax & Fowler. Marble surfaces and upstand tie this bathroom’s 

grey panelling together with the crisp white walls and ceiling 

entirely with feathers. You spend half your life plumping 

them up and they weigh a tonne. The rest of the time 

they are trying to push you onto the floor, as they 

deflate to nothing the minute you sit on them. 

Belinda has her seat cushions made with a mix of 

foam and feathers, in a Dacron wrap. So you get a soft 

landing, with enough resistance, and it stays in place. 

The smaller sofa – an unbuttoned Chesterfield – is an 

old trooper. “I’ve had it for more than 20 years. It’s been 

orange velvet, yellow linen, now it’s natural linen.” 

The chairs – versions of a Nina Campbell chair 

 


Above: Burnt oranges picked out from the rug in the velvet cushions add a luxurious twist to a guest bedroom 

– have also been enjoyed in three versions, currently 

finished in another bold blue and white William Yeoward 

fabric, which works brilliantly with the ottoman. 

Which all goes to show how personal this house is. 

Some decorators treat their own gaffs as show cases 

for the business, this is very much a family home. 

The gorgeous curtains in her sitting room, however, 

do display her credentials. “These curtains were a 

client mistake,” she says. “The fabric had stretch in 

it and it kept dropping.” I ask for a professional run 

down on the exact details of them: “Pinch pleats and 

a ruche on the leading edge. Oversized wooden rings 

and reeded polls.” Or to put it another way: heaven. 

Belinda throws in another decorator tip, as we 

are leaving the room and I enquire about two large, 

impressive lamps on a cabinet. “They are by Porto 

Romano. Low seating – so tall lamps…” 

Her light – but very effective – professional touch is 

also apparent in the kitchen. Where the same farmhouse 

glazing is seen on the windows and French doors, here 

painted the same pretty pale grey as the cabinets. 

The basics of the current kitchen were there when she 

moved in, with a lovely cream Aga and Shaker units, 

but Belinda created the graceful airy space – both classic 

and contemporary – with just a few tweaks. She painted 

it – Storm Grey by Zoffany – and changed the worktops, 

to actual Carrara marble. No quartz for her. Don’t you 

worry about the marks? I asked. “They become patina.” 

A more radical change was to take down the wall cupboards 

and replace them with one shelf extending round the far 

corner, stacked with plates, jugs and mugs for instant access 

in everyday use. She also put a cupboard on top of the 

drawers in the left-hand corner, creating the effect of an old 

dresser and echoing the integral fridge in the opposite corner. 

She is particularly delighted with the classic Victorian 

clothes airer, tucked up in the lofty ceiling of the oak-framed 

space – “I couldn’t live without one now” – but for me, the 

detail which makes this room is the wonderful old, gnarled 

kitchen table, which she found in Rye. It ties in beautifully 

with the golden oak of the beams and finished with six 

mismatched French chairs, it packs the room with character. 

With a brand-new table and matching chairs, 

 


78

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80

Above: A twin bedroom is a light and airy space thanks 

to its stripped back beams and pale colour scheme 

Right: At the top of the house, a bathroom is softened 

with just the right upholstered chair for the space 

it would still be a lovely kitchen, but these carefully 

selected unique details – and two lovely original 

paintings – which have travelled with Belinda from 

home, to home, take it up a whole notch. 

There were more expert decorating tips to be gleaned 

across the gravel driveway, past the lovely treehouse and two 

perfect pom-pom potted bay trees, and into the annexe. 

Belinda has clad the internal walls with horizontal 

panelling made out of MDF boards, spaced slightly apart, 

hung horizontally, instantly giving the place a Connecticut 

beach house vibe. The reception room is a tranquil haven 

of linen-covered sofas and wide floorboards, with a big, old 

French armoire – another of her long-term pieces, which has 

worked in many different places – and a lovely dolls house. 

The bedrooms are furnished with old French beds, 

the headboards upholstered with linen, and dressed with 

rugs and cushions. I noted that in one room the bedside 

tables were pleasingly mismatched, giving a relaxing 

informal air – it’s not a boutique hotel, after all. Belinda 

agrees but is quick to point out that while “the tables are 

different – the lamps match…”. Which is how you make 

such a combination work and look pulled together. 

But my favourite detail here is in the window treatments. 

Gorgeous floral print linen, in fabrics by Kate Forman 


This page: The oak-framed car barn provided an ideal opportunity for a conversion, allowing Belinda to add some extra bedrooms 

for family and guests. The internal walls are clad with painted MDF boards and the reception room is a tranquil haven of linen-covered sofas 

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and Vanessa Arbuthnott, thickly padded with… well, 

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It’s nice when you can see it from outside.” So, the 

first thing I do as we leave the annexe is check out that 

effect – and yes, it does look absolutely lovely from the 

outside, to see the cheery grey and white check lining. 

Which leads me to an unavoidable conclusion: 

I need to re-do my bedroom curtains. 

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31 

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23 

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Education Supplement sponsored by 

15 

Contents 

SCHOOL NEWS 

Find out what’s been 

going on 

MEET THE HEAD 

We chat to Tracey 

Fantham, Headteacher 

at Manor House School 

RECIPE FOR 

SUCCESS 

Famous alumni who 

have made a real 

impression 

KEEPING UP 

COMMUNITY 

SPIRIT 

How schools foster 

relationships with the 

local community 

INSIDE OUT 

Dulwich Prep 

Cranbrook’s focus 

on mental health 

MEET THE ART 

TEACHER 

Bansted Preparatory 

School’s Mr Matt Ayling 

shares his inspiration 

A WORLD OF 

OPPORTUNITY 

Claremont explores the 

bonds between schools 

across the world 

MEET THE HEAD 

Spring Grove School’s 

Head Mrs Therésa 

Jaggard discusses skill 

sets, hobbies and school 

values 

15 

26 

29 

31 

33 

35 

37 

38 

SHOW TIME 

A look at Tonbridge 

School’s EM 

Forster Theatre 

WHAT’S COOKING? 

Benenden School’s 

restaurant-quality 

meals offering 

A MOMENT 

OF SCIENCE 

Mayfield School’s 

Head of Physics shares 

his experiences as a 

science teacher 

STARTING SMALL 

Parkside’s Madeline 

McMurdo explains how 

to ease a child into their 

first steps at school 

MEET THE MUSIC 

TEACHER 

Lingfield College’s 

Director of Music 

explains what drew 

her to her subject 

HOW DOES YOUR 

GARDEN GROW? 

Educating Cranbrook 

Primary’s pupils 

about good nutrition 

and nature through 

gardening 

WHICH EXTRA- 

CURRICULAR 

ACTIVITIES WILL 

LOOK GOOD 

ON MY UCAS 

APPLICATION? 

Let’s find out... 

★ Saturday Lunch ★ 

Lamb Masala Curry 

Sweet Potato, Spinach & 

Chickpea Korma 

Basmati Rice 

Poppadums & Chutney 

Garlic Roasted Potatoes, 

Garam Masala Spiced 

Grilled Smokey Bacon Steaks 

Char-grilled Cabbage 

Apple Crumble & Custard 

Cover image: A pupil finds a cosy corner to read in 

the Marlborough House Main Building Library 

marlboroughhouseschool.co.uk 

31 

4 

37 

29 

FREWEN 

Prep 

School 

The Dyslexia School 

Since 1910 

Senior 

• • 

School 

Frewen College, Northiam, East Sussex, TN31 6NL 

www.frewencollege.co.uk 

COLLEGE 

Email: office@frewencollege.co.uk 

Tel: 01797 252494 

Sixth 

Form 

Frewen College is a leading independent 

Day & Boarding school for boys and girls aged 7-19 

with Dyslexia and Dyspraxia. We have private 

students and those funded with an EHC Plan. 

Best GCSE grades and pupil progress 

for 6th consecutive year 

Frewen is the oldest dyslexia school in the UK 

All classroom staff have specialist 

dyslexia qualifications 

Assistive Technology is used throughout 

the school where appropriate 


FrewenCollegeWT230.indd 1 21/06/2021 09:19

Saint Ronan’s has 

been named as the TES’ 

Prep School of Year 2021. 

Saint Ronan’s transformed a 

tumultuous 12 months into a ‘year of 

wonder’. As well as finishing the year with 

excellent scholarship and common entrance 

results, the school also opened a new art, engineering 

and computing centre to inspire pupils’ creativity. 

Lead judge Michael Abraham said Saint Ronan’s showed 

“extraordinary creativity and innovation” and “wonderful 

care of the development of the individual”. He referenced 

the outstanding scholarship results, lockdown 

TV and radio, the mindfulness programme, 

the school farm and cited many examples 

of staff ‘sprinkling fairy dust’. 

saintronans.co.uk 

Babington House School 

is using outside activities, teaching 

and sport to provide much needed 

relief after the lockdown and benefit pupils’ 

health and wellbeing. Children of all ages have 

been enjoying Forest School in Elmstead Woods, 

a DofE expedition of the North Downs, competetive 

rounders matches, and the school climbing wall ( which 

is back in action). Meanwhile, at the sports ground they have 

engaged in football, tag rugby and cross-country and many 

lessons are taking place outside too. Tim Lello, Headmaster 

at Babington comments, “It is refreshing to see our 

pupils enjoying the outside world and just being 

together. We value the mental health and 

wellbeing of everyone in our community and 

pride ourselves on providing an academic 

education with first class pastoral 

support.” babingtonhouse.com 

Marlborough House School has wholeheartedly 

embraced their new initiative ‘The Great 

Outdoors’; a wonderful blend of outdoor learning, wellbeing 

and all things eco. In the first weeks of the Summer 

Term, pupils excitedly completed the school’s project to plant 

over 200 native trees; creating a winding woodland walk and growing 

their busy Forest School. Next on the agenda was the installation of a 

timber outdoor classroom overlooking the lake, creating a focal point to 

further support their outdoor learning activities across the curriculum. With 

both projects completed in April, it has been a fun and active start of term for the 

MHS community, with ‘positive energy’ pretty much summing up the school spirit. 

Marlborough House affirms that while it is the grades acquired in the classroom that will earn 

pupils their scholarships and senior school places, it is the character skills that will prepare them 

for life and their future wellbeing. With outdoor learning a popular option to drive character strengths 

and transferrable skills, such as problem solving, creativity and resilience, ‘The Great Outdoors’ 

aims to encourage children in these areas. Acutely aware of the increased screen time that 

children have experienced over the past year, the initiative also heralds a renewed focus on 

mental and physical wellbeing for the school in 2021. A keen Eco School, having joined 

the scheme in 2019, Marlborough House is also working with the Woodland Trust 

and Wild Kent as it steers pupils towards an appreciation of the environment 

and an understanding of the world, and climate issues, they will inherit. 

Fittingly, the ethos of the school is ‘Enjoying Today, Educating for 

Tomorrow’. The school welcomed new Headmaster Eddy Newton 

in September 2020. In addition to ‘The Great Outdoors’ 

initiative, Mr Newton has announced well-received plans to 

extend the school’s Art and DT building by 40% this 

summer. marlboroughhouseschool.co.uk 

Tonbridge School’s ‘Sleepout’ 

raises £100,000 for Kent charity. 

Tonbridge’s First Years joined together 

in the Summer Term for the School’s largest 

annual ‘Sleepout’ to date. More than 160 boys 

and staff built cardboard shelters and spent a night 

sleeping rough in the Quad. The event teaches boys 

about the issues that can lead to homelessness and raises 

funds for Porchlight, a charity which supports homeless and 

vulnerable young people in Kent. Tonbridge has been working 

with Porchlight since 2011 and in this time the school has 

raised over £100,000 for the cause, making it the charity’s 

largest individual donor. This year’s event has already 

raised more than £17,300. Juliet Burnett, the school’s 

Community Action Manager, said: “All went home 

reflecting on their experiences and on the 

vital role that Porchlight plays in turning 

around the lives of those they support.” 

tonbridge-school.co.uk


Mayfield School 

On Saturday 12 June the cricketers of Mayfield 

girls’ School were delighted to welcome the MCC for 

School 

the first time in their history. The students, ranging in 

age from 11 to 18, played two T20 fixtures against a women’s 

News 

representative side from the MCC, the home of cricket. 

On a beautiful day, the MCC won the toss and elected to bat, putting 

109 runs on the board for their 20 overs. Mayfield started the chase well 

with Dii Dii scoring 25 runs before retiring hurt. However, it wasn’t to be 

for Mayfield and they ended their 20 overs just 23 runs short of their target. 

Following tea, the MCC once more won the toss and chose to bat first 

again. This time they pushed the run rate and ended on 135, despite an early 

breakthrough from Mayfield, with Tilly making an outstanding reaction catch. 

With a higher score to chase than the first game the girls batted fiercely. Lizzie top 

scored with 42 runs, but the girls once again came up shy of their run target. 

Lizzie, one of Mayfield’s captains said, “It was so exciting to play against an MCC side which contained 

players with so much experience. It was a great occasion and one that I will never forget.” Lizzie 

has been playing cricket at Mayfield since joining the school in Year 7 and now represents 

Sussex in her age group and plays in one of the Mayfield village men’s cricket teams. 

Emily Starr, Mayfield’s Head of Cricket said “Cricket was introduced as a major sport 

just 4 years ago and in that time we have established a comprehensive programme 

and now have several girls in their respective age group County squads. We 

have been recognised by The Cricketer magazine as one of the country’s 

top 20 all girls schools for cricket, so we were delighted to be selected 

to play the MCC. It’s a huge honour, and we’re keen to play our 

part in championing women’s cricket. Both games were played 

in the spirit of cricket and huge thanks go to the MCC 

for affording us this opportunity.” mayfieldgirls.org 

Hurst College’s Young Enterprise team, Plants 

with Purpose (PwP) won the Sustainability Award 

at the regional Young Enterprise final and made the 

final of the JA Europe event. As winners of the overall 

county title and the Digital Skills Award, PwP went forward 

to the regional competition against schools from Kent, Surrey 

and Hampshire. There were six teams in total and PwP were up 

against some strong contenders as three of the six teams won awards. 

As well as winning the Sustainability Award, PwP only just missed out on 

going through to the national finals. The Hurst team also made the final of the 

JA (Junior Achievement) competition, the European version of YE, as one of only 

five UK teams selected to take part. Earlier in the year, PwP took part in a Dragons’ 

Den event and won the Business Plan Award and the Dragons’ Den Award. The dragons 

praised PwP for having the best produced video, a stand-out logo, impressive website, good 

market research, cohesive brand identity/packaging/channel marketing as well as a professional 

business plan and presentation. They also commented on their product being perfectly 

timed with people looking for more things to do away from screens. PwP’s product was 

a range of herb planting kits packaged in a reusable fabric bag – with a choice of 

Thyme, Lavender, Mint, Chamomile and Rosemary. The kits include a readygrown 

plant in a ceramic pot, a bag of soil and a mini chalkboard with 

chalk to display a personal message. “This is a phenomenal achievement. 

Covid has made the whole process of building and running a viable 

business more difficult than usual. PwP have achieved financial 

success and been recognised by Young Enterprise, JA Europe 

and Dragons’ Den for the quality of their product and the 

exemplary way they have managed their company,” 

Jan Leeper, Head of Careers, Hurst College. 

hppc.co.uk

ENJOYING TODAY 

EDUCATING FOR TOMORROW 

PRE-PREP & PREP | BOYS & GIRLS 2.5-13 YEARS | DAY & FLEXI BOARDING 

Book a 

private tour 

Email registrar@marlboroughhouseschool.co.uk 

Discover more at marlboroughhouseschool.co.uk 

Marlborough House School, Hawkhurst, Kent, TN18 4PY

BOOSTING CONFIDENCE 

AT MARLBOROUGH HOUSE 

“Marlborough House offers the perfect mix of fun, creativity and 

academic rigour. It’s uplifting to see our child run into school with a 

big smile on their face each day and the warm embrace of the school 

has also helped to build their confidence and capacity for learning” 

Current Parent 

When it comes to education, 

one size does not necessarily fit all. 

For a child to flourish and be able to meet 

life’s challenges with confidence and 

optimism, they need to be happy in their own 

skin and aware of themselves as learners. 

At Marlborough House, we teach children 

how to grow their individual strengths and 

prepare them for an ever-changing world 

through our modern, progressive curriculum; 

educating characters as well as minds. 

With our small class sizes and high staff 

to pupil ratios, we support children in 

unlocking their potential and discovering 

what really inspires them to succeed. 

ISI rated us as “Excellent” in both 

Academic Provision and Pastoral Care. 

MHS pupils achieve fantastic results, but 

more importantly, their experiences here 

help build self-assured individuals who 

are extremely supportive of each other. 

In short, they are good company! 

“The school goes far beyond academic results and prides 

itself on the development of the whole child” 

THE GOOD SCHOOLS GUIDE 2021

SCHOOL OPEN DAY 

Saturday 2 October 

From 10.00am - Register Your Interest 

Pre-bookings only 

“Unpressured (for the most part) and friendly, 

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

with results to match.” The Good Schools Guide 

Celebrating 100 Years in 2020-21 

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


Meet the Head 

Tracey Fantham, Headteacher at Manor House 

School, reflects on her life-long passion for sport and 

many happy memories of her own school days 

What was your favourite subject 

at school? My favourite subject was 

geography as we had an excellent teacher 

and I thoroughly enjoyed going on 

geography field trips to Keswick in the 

Lake District, where I recall climbing 

Skiddaw to gather data for colourful 

soil podzols. The return trip down 

Skiddaw was interesting to say the least! 

Can you tell us about one of your 

happiest school memories? 

I went to a middle school in Sheffield 

which was a 1970s experiment in 

schooling organisation. The whole 

school was open plan and I loved it 

there (although I can’t imagine trying 

to teach in such an environment!). In 

my final year I had Mr Elliott who 

I can still see now; he was also the 

gymnastics coach which I really enjoyed 

and looked forward to every week. 

Why did you choose to go 

teaching? When I transferred to a large 

senior school it took a while to adjust 

and I remember my Mum having to go 

in to speak with the teachers as I really 

didn’t like it. Thankfully I did settle and 

as sport was my passion, I threw myself 

into clubs and sports teams. I could 

be found in the PE department every 

lunch break and it was my PE teacher, 

Mrs Hilton who inspired me to become 

a teacher myself. She encouraged 

me in many ways and introduced 

me to club hockey, which I loved. 

What were you doing before accepting 

the Headteacher position at Manor 

House School? I was Head of a large 

state school which was very different to 

Manor House. I had joined the school 

as a Deputy Head 11 years prior and 

was promoted to Head after six years. 

I learnt so much about both teaching 

and learning and leadership and 

worked with a fantastic team of staff. 

What do you think makes Manor 

House School so unique? 

The atmosphere at Manor House is 

really unique and different to where 

I have worked before. The pupils are 

welcoming, happy and enthusiastic 

about their learning, which adds to 

the friendly and open atmosphere, 

and supportive, family ethos. 

Have your own school days influenced 

the way you will approach your role as 

Headteacher? I don’t recall ever seeing 

my secondary school Headteacher 

and I certainly wouldn’t want that to 

be the case for the pupils at Manor 

House School. I make sure that I visit 

lessons every day and I spend time 

with the pupils, across all ages. 

What are you looking forward to 

this coming school year? Whole 

school assemblies! I have really missed 

the gathering of the whole school, 

singing together and recognising and 

celebrating successes as a community. 

If you could teach anyone – either 

present day or from history – who 

would you choose? Mary Berry. 

My own food technology lessons 

were a disaster so she could teach 

me more than I could teach her! 

manorhouseschool.org 



Recipe for 

Success 

Vinehall School, Brighton College and Reed’s tell us about 

the famous former pupils inspiring the students of today 

Sir Tim Smit KBE 

“ “ 

Sir Tim Smit KBE is a much celebrated member of the 

Vinehall alumni. Sir Tim is known for his work on 

the Lost Gardens of Heligan and the Eden Project, as 

well as the Charlestown Shipwreck & Treasure Centre. 

A pupil at Vinehall in the 1960s, Tim has often reminisced 

about his formative years spent exploring the grounds and 

wildlife at Vinehall. ‘There were several great teachers, 

but I would single out Tom Gilbart, a Cornishman with 

skin like bronzed hide, a moustache with handlebars, 

eyes that flashed and a voice that transported all of us 

children when he read Brigadier Gerrard, King’s Solomon’s 

Mines and Sherlock Holmes. He loved wildlife and 

history and turned all of us into Natural Historians.’ 

We follow Sir Tim’s career keenly and are delighted that he 

has been able to reciprocate his early inspiration for natural 

history whist at Vinehall by supporting us in our recent whole 

school commitment to sustainability. We will be working 

with Tim and his highly recommended associate, Richard 

Dunne of the Harmony Project, to raise an awareness of how 

to live more sustainably within the Vinehall community. 

We aim to empower our children to consider the path they 

want to take and the future they want to create; there are some 

major challenges for them to contend with; however, our aim 

is to spark the change they wish to ignite.” vinehallschool.com 

Brighton College alumna and filmmaker Chloé Zhao 

scooped the Best Director Oscar for Nomadland 

earlier this year. She became only the second woman 

to win this accolade. The film also won Best Picture and 

Best Actress awards at the event, as well as winning four 

BAFTAs earlier on in the year, where she gave Brighton 

College a name check, thanking her teachers there. 

Chloé was a Sixth Form boarder at the school from 1998 

until 2000, where Julian and Alison Withers were the teachers 

responsible for her pastoral wellbeing. Alison is still a teacher 

at the College, and said: ‘Everyone at Brighton College is 

incredibly proud of Chloé. We were her Housemaster and 

Housemistress during her time here, and remember her very 

well. She was always a determined and driven pupil, with a 

wonderful sense of humour and a keen sense of curiosity. She 

liked to question things, and she was always fascinated by people 

and different cultures. She contributed to the life and soul of the 

boarding house, and we are delighted for her in her success.’ 

Renowned for its focus on kindness, Brighton College 

is one of the world’s leading independent schools for girls 

and boys aged 3-18. The College regularly achieves the 

best A-level and GCSE results of any co-educational school 

in the UK, whilst ensuring children enjoy a wealth of 

extracurricular opportunities.” brightoncollege.org.uk 

 


10

Minibus pickups 

available from 

Tunbridge Wells 

Be Yourself 

at Claremont 

Senior School & Sixth Form 

Bodiam, East Sussex TN32 5UJ . 01580 830396 

Nursery & Prep School 

St Leonards, East Sussex TN37 7PW . 01424 751555 

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

2019

Toby Tarrant (centre) with Alec Stewart OBE & Reed’s cricket 

pro, Keith Medlycott at the opening of the Indoor Cricket Centre 

“ 

As far as ‘well-known’ alumni go, Reed’s is very fortunate to 

have a great roll call, including the likes of Tim Henman 

OBE, Sir Simon Keenlyside CBE and Tom Hardy CBE. 

The School is eminently proud of all its ‘Old Reedonians’ and 

what they go onto to achieve. It is our ethos of a values-based 

education which means we nurture the individual, giving them 

the tools to succeed in whatever they want to do. One particular 

Surrey-born Reed’s alumnus might be familiar to younger 

readers, and his father (Chris Tarrant) will be known to many! 

Toby Tarrant started at Reed’s in the Third Form (Year 9); a 

bright, bean pole of a young man. His passion was, and still is, 

cricket. A talented player, with an unorthodox style, he ended 

his school career as Captain of Cricket. Having studied English, 

History and Drama at A Level, Toby was always known as a bit 

of wordsmith with a quick wit, so it was no surprise that – after 

reading History at Birmingham University – he should find 

himself in broadcasting. Toby currently presents a successful 

weekday show on Radio X as well as several sports programmes! 

It’s wonderful that Toby’s mischievous sense of humour which we 

enjoyed in the classroom has definitely served him well in life. 

What’s even more heart-warming is that Toby still has 

time for his alma mater. From being a regular in the alumni 

cricket team to lending his support of our world-class Indoor 

Cricket Centre to keeping in touch with his former teachers, 

Toby and his cohort from 2010 very much represent the 

sense of Reed’s community and fellowship that stays with 

our pupils as they continue on their life’s journey! 

As Toby says, ‘Cut me open and I’ll have Reed’s blue blood, 

tinged with red for my beloved Liverpool FC!’” reeds.surrey.sch.uk 

Day Boarding 

at Benenden 

Now welcoming 

day boarders 

in Years 9 and 12 

Registrations now being taken 

Details at www.benenden.school/day 


12 

BenendenSchoolWT230.indd 1 11/06/2021 11:24

Boys 13 - 18 • Boarding and Day • London 40 minutes by rail 

OPEN MORNINGS 2021 

Saturday 11th September 

Saturday 2nd October 

Scholarships & Bursaries available 

at 11+, 13+ and 16+ 

Admissions: 01732 304297 

admissions@tonbridge-school.org 

www.tonbridge-school.co.uk 

/TonbridgeUK @TonbridgeUK @TonbridgeUK

Registered charity 1101358 

Where are the skills your child will need 

to resolve global conflict? 

Well, negotiation skills are embedded in the 

curriculum at Sevenoaks School, so in theory we need 

look no further. 

Our alumni certainly go on to achieve extraordinary 

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

change the waiting world. 

Stephen Hale for example, mastered negotiation at 

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

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

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

people fleeing war. 

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

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

acquired here at Sevenoaks. 

www.sevenoaksschool.org 

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

critical thinking, creative thinking and complex problem solving; 

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


Keeping Up Community Spirit 

How have schools been maintaining their bonds with the local community 

during a very difficult and isolating year? We find out how a pandemic hasn’t 

stopped The King’s School and Sevenoaks School staying connected 

A brother and sister team from Junior 

King’s has raised over £15,000 for the 

Evelina London Children’s Hospital 

The Charity Commission suggests that The 

King’s School, Canterbury is the oldest charity 

in the country. King’s, and its prep school 

Junior King’s, are therefore very conscious of their 

duty to the wider community. The pandemic has made 

certain aspects of charitable fundraising difficult but 

the pupils have not let this hinder their dedication to 

raising money for both local and national causes over 

the past year. Indeed, the heightened awareness of the 

needs of others has brought about some innovative 

and praise-worthy initiatives from both schools. 

At Junior King’s Year 7 pupil Luke and his younger 

sister Savannah have raised over £15,000 for the Evelina 

London Children’s Hospital, which performed life-saving 

emergency heart surgery on Luke when he was just five 

days old. Together they have completed a 150-length 

sponsored swim, run numerous raffles at the local cricket 

ground, put on a quiz night, made and sold ceramic 

decorations and Mothers’ Day gifts, and more! 

Pupils at King’s have equally raised thousands, both 

individually and as a collective, for a wide range of worthy 

causes including Suicide Prevention Charity Papyrus 

UK, the NHS, Farms for City Children, Hospice UK 

and Rising Sun, a Canterbury-based charity countering 

Domestic Violence and abuse in East Kent. Chair of the 

Charity Committee Millie Lark says: “The past year has 

been very disrupted for everyone, but as a school we have 

continued to make raising money for charities one of our 

main goals with a particular aim to support local causes so 

that we could help make a difference in our community.” 

kings-school.co.uk / junior-kings.co.uk 

 


“ONE WORD: 

EXCEPTIONAL” 

TATLER 

“MOST FORWARD 

THINKING SCHOOL” 

THE WEEK 

“THERE’S A RICH 

VEIN OF KINDNESS” 

TATLER 

BRIGHTON COLLEGE 

WISH YOU 

WERE HERE 

United Kingdom 

School of the Decade 

THE SUNDAY TIMES 

OPEN MORNINGS | COLLEGE SAT 2 OCT | PREP SCHOOL SAT 9 OCT 

BOOK YOUR PLACE 01273 704200 | BRIGHTONCOLLEGE.ORG.UK

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2020/21 hasn’t hindered Sevenoaks School’s plans to 

strengthen its community bonds 

Service and Partnerships are a hugely important part of 

a Sevenoaks education. Even in lockdown we have 400 

students working virtually on 35 projects. These include 

conversation sessions with local Syrian refugees, knitting for the 

NHS, a Poetry Pharmacy and a Primary Schools’ Lego Club. 

Throughout the pandemic, we have worked with local and 

global communities to identify needs and respond. Existing 

relationships have grown stronger, and new friendships have 

sprung up, building upon our historic commitment to service. 

This includes working with the District Council and local 

groups, running collections, providing support for the elderly and 

creating mud kitchens to encourage local children to enjoy the 

outdoors. Our students have been at the heart of our response 

helping communities around the world, from delivering meals in 

Hong Kong to creating hampers for the elderly in Switzerland. 

As part of our education we want to empower students, staff 

and the wider community to drive sustainable and inclusive 

social change whilst reflecting on the impact of everyday actions. 

We have also shared best practice across the education 

sector, holding a nation-wide service conference, 

writing online courses to bring students from different 

schools together, running an online social leadership 

programme and our students have supported the creation 

of a series of Covid community support toolkits. 

sevenoaksschool.org 

ADLLearningWT230.indd 1 14/06/2021 15:05 

Celebrating our four 

expanding Nurseries 

across Kent 

TONBRIDGE 

TONBRIDGE 01732 365188 / tonbridge@juniorsdaynursery.co.uk 

CRANBROOK 01580 713033 / cranbrook@juniorsdaynursery.co.uk 

HEADCORN 01622 891422 / headcorn@juniorsdaynursery.co.uk 

TUNBRIDGE WELLS 01892 341060 / tunbridgewells@juniorsdaynursery.co.uk 

Dan Goldsmith Photography 

FULL AND PART TIME SPACES AVAILABLE 

We are also recruiting experienced, qualified staff across all four nurseries. 

We offer numerous opportunities for career progression and training and 

offer highly competitive salaries. Please contact us for more details. 

O 

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JuniorsDayNurseryWT230.indd 1 16/06/2021 14:26


inside out 

Dulwich Prep Cranbrook 

explains the success behind 

its new PSHCEE program 

As every child’s inner world colours how they approach 

life, we believe it makes sense to start with the inside 

and work out, which is why in September 2019 we 

introduced the iSpace Mental Health and Wellbeing Curriculum. 

We’re happy pioneers of iSpace – a progressive and preventative 

approach to mental health and wellbeing. It’s a curriculum 

designed to make learning about mental health fun using a 

new language, quirky characters and a variety of engaging 

exercises. All our children (Nursery to Y8) enjoy a mix of weekly 

lessons and assemblies based on the iSpace curriculum and 

PSHCEE (Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship and Economic 

Education) topics. As part of a whole-school approach, PSHCEE 

develops the qualities and attributes children need to thrive 

as individuals, family members and members of society. 

When surveyed in December 2020, 94% of our children 

said they’d used breathing to settle their emotions at times of 

anxiety or anger; 85% felt able to talk about their feelings; 94% 

understood how to look after their body and mind; 81% felt that 

they got on better with their family; and 70% felt they’d spent 

less time worrying – quite something, during a global pandemic! 

Our PSHCEE curriculum is the perfect complement to our 

partnership with the leading mental health charity, Place2Be. 

We feel it is very important that conversations around wellbeing, 

from troubles in the playground to more deep-seated issues, 

take place as a matter of course throughout the school. And 

Place2Be’s residency helps make this possible, as well as giving 

all our children easy access to therapeutic support if needed. 

The children at Dulwich Prep Cranbrook are learning the 

link between physical and mental health, and workshops on 

resilience have looked at building a mental health hygiene 

routine – ranging from having a tidy bedroom, to eating the 

right foods, having enough sleep, and the importance of time 

away from screens. Years 7 and 8 use a wellbeing compass to 

gauge how they feel on a particular day. Resilience workshops 

have given the children the language to help them build their 

confidence – exercise the power of YET. Adding ‘Yet’ to the 

sentence ‘I can’t do that…’ helps to create a growth mindset. 

Recent PSHCEE topics have included the Big Legal Lesson, 

where children discussed the rule of law and government, 

Growing Up Talks, Anti-Bullying workshops, Human 

Rights, the US Election, and Internet Safety using SID (Safer 

Internet Day) as a starting point. Our youngest children 

have regular circle time sessions where they talk about 

friendship and kindness. PSHCEE embraces everything 

that helps our children become healthy, independent and 

responsible members of a diverse and tolerant society. 

dulwichprepcranbrook.org 

“Children need to develop the necessary skills and language to express their feelings and emotions. They need to be able to recognise 

and identify the moments that might cause them heightened anxiety and/or distress and to have tools to equip them to manage these 

successfully throughout their life journey. Simple breathing exercises and learning when, and how to take time, are already giving the 

children the ability to manage their emotions more effectively. They are also developing the confidence to discuss their feelings openly.” 

Mrs Alison Eckersley, Assistant Head Welfare at Dulwich Prep Cranbrook 


CO-EDUCATIONAL | 13 - 18 YEARS | DAY & BOARDING 

Under one hour 

from London via 

High Speed 1 

(St Pancras 

International) 

“A thriving academic school in exquisite 

surroundings steeped in history, with 

highly motivated pupils who 

are hungry to learn” 

www.kings-school.co.uk


Meet the 

Art Teacher 

With a BA Hons in Fine Art, Bansted Preparatory School’s Mr Matt 

Ayling has designed and adapted an excellent Art & Design curriculum, 

which makes full use of the school’s fantastic facilities and resources 

When and why did you become an art teacher? I have 

been teaching art for 10 years after studying Fine Art at 

university. I have always had an appreciation of children’s 

art; they exhibit a freedom of expression that is often lost 

in adulthood. As Picasso said: “Every child is an artist. The 

problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” 

Can you tell us a little about the importance and 

benefits of encouraging creativity at school? Where 

do I start! Creativity is certainly not limited to art 

and the key is teaching children that they are all 

naturally creative and to have confidence in applying 

this thinking to everything they do, not just art. 

At Banstead Prep we recognise that creativity and 

problem-solving skills are essential for children’s 

future careers. Our projects, especially in Life 

Skills lessons, are designed to encourage creativity, 

giving children the opportunity to make mistakes, 

experiment and find new innovative solutions. 

Where do you find inspiration for the projects you 

set pupils? I find inspiration everywhere, but mostly 

from established artists and designers, building projects 

that are hands on and allow the children room to 

experiment, apply their own ideas and work through 

problems. Art should be fun and rewarding for all. 

What’s the most rewarding part of your job? It is 

always rewarding to see excited and happy children 

taking part in a lesson that I have designed, but what 

sticks most in my mind is witnessing that moment 

when a child realises that they can do ‘it’, or sees their 

art on display at our annual exhibition. They glow 

with pride, pointing and showing their family what 

they have done. It is an extremely rewarding job. 

Is there an artist who has been particularly influential 

for you? If I had to choose one, it would have to be Henri 

Matisse. His work, particularly the paper cut outs, shares 

similar qualities to children’s art: fusing strong colour, 

expressive marks and bold shapes, whilst using a visual 

language that is deceptively complex and full of beauty. 

What do you like to do in your spare time? I’m 

currently working on a series of pastel drawings, 

mostly displaying imagined interior or still life ‘style’ 

compositions, combining vibrant colour and abstract 

elements. They are certainly inspired by the children’s art! 

bansteadprep.com 



Planning for your 

family’s future 

When it comes to our 

finances, not planning 

for the future can 

result in tens of 

thousands of pounds 

being unnecessarily lost to the UK 

tax office and, in the very worst case, 

costly and unpleasant family disputes. 

Emma Howlett, an experienced legal 

adviser in Thomas Mansfield Solicitors’ 

wills and inheritance planning team 

sets out the steps you can take now 

to protect your family’s wealth and 

plan for your child’s future. 

Write your Will 

Making a Will and updating it when 

your circumstances change is critical 

to ensuring your family is looked after 

following your death. With a Will you 

can appoint guardians to care for your 

children and choose your beneficiaries, 

as opposed to the law determining 

who should benefit from the things 

you worked hard to accumulate. 

Set up a Trust 

A Trust can be a good way to put funds 

aside for young children to inherit 

when they come of age, while also 

helping reduce tax liabilities. If you 

prefer your child to be older before 

taking control of the assets, the Trust 

can continue up to the age of 25. 

Make a Lasting 

Power of Attorney 

By putting in place Lasting Powers of 

Attorney you can appoint someone you 

trust to manage and make decisions 

on your behalf in respect of your 

property and finances and/or health 

and welfare, should you lose the ability 

to make your own choices. An LPA 

can be used to manage your finances 

to the benefit of your children. 

Seek expert inheritance 

tax advice 

Low tax thresholds means that tax 

planning is necessary to prevent 

inheritance tax and capital gains tax from 

being applied to your estate and diverted 

from your loved ones. Even straightforward 

households can have complicated tax 

implications. Add in a business, a second 

property, a trust fund, and inheritance 

and specialist tax advice is vital. 

We help our clients build a detailed 

picture of their assets – your possessions, 

property, money, investments, shares – and 

start to think about passing these on to 

the right people in ways that will retain 

their value and give maximum benefit. 

Speak with a member of our Tunbridge Wells 01892 337540 or Guildford team 

01483 610499 today to find out how we can help you plan for your family’s future 

www.tmfamilylaw.co.uk www.tmwillsandprobate.co.uk


A World of Opportunity 

Giles Perrin, 

Principal of 

Claremont 

School tells us 

how joining the 

International 

Schools 

Partnership is 

broadening its 

pupils’ horizons 

The independent schools landscape 

in the UK is changing. Challenged 

by an increasingly competitive 

market, new school groups up and down 

the land are developing in size and scale and 

creating cutting-edge international learning 

communities, capable of attracting dynamic 

educationalists who are leading the way in 

pedagogy and curriculum innovation. 

Claremont is part of a network of 50 

schools, with over 45,000 students, 7,000 

staff, operating in 15 different countries 

and offering 15 different curricula. It’s an 

amazing network to be plugged into. The 

security, stability and support afforded by 

being part of a schools group, with the 

student learning experience genuinely 

at the heart of its decision making, has 

had a tangible and profound effect from 

the outset. We are part of a learning 

community of enormous scale, with central 

departments dedicated to improving 

student pathways, developing and sharing 

education innovations and technologies, 

and delivering an evolving programme of 

unique international learning experiences 

that we believe set us apart from many other 

independent ‘through schools’ in the UK. 

The ISP Buddy Exchange programme has 

brought a new dimension of internationalism 

to our school; opening up the world to 

our teenagers so they can safely immerse 

themselves in new cultures and the type of 

learning opportunities abroad that are often 

reserved for the pre-university ‘gap year’. In 

its pilot year, Claremont students flew off 

to Malaga, the British school of Vila Real 

in the Castellon region and to Costa Rica 

to stay and study with their buddies, before 

we played host to them back in Blighty. 

Adapting to a virtual model throughout the 

pandemic has certainly got us thinking about 

the scope for enriched learning experiences in 

our modern foreign language departments! 

Model United Nations is a stalwart 

of many Senior School enrichment 

programmes, but for us it is hosted in 

a different ISP school each year and 

sees students travel to countries all over 

the world to meet and work alongside 

their international counterparts. It is a 

dynamic and authentic learning experience 

that enables students to develop their 

understanding of global citizenship 

and international relations in a real 

world setting, whilst also honing their 

public speaking and debating skills. 

The residential Student Leaders 

Conference provides further opportunity 

for students across the ISP network 

to develop communication skills and 

explore leadership styles before presenting 

their findings and ideas back to an 

international audience of their peers. 

Advances in technology continue to play 

a key role in bringing our international 

learning community close together from 

afar. During the pandemic, promising school 

chess teams from across the ISP family have 

had their cognitive and critical thinking 

skills put to the test in the annual ISP Chess 

Tournament, whilst speed and accuracy 

of mathematics fluency is the name of the 

game in the annual ISP Maths Challenge. 

Most recently, the launch of The ISP 

International Film Festival 2021 inspired 

our Performing Artists and over 30 teams 

in the ISP schools group to write, direct 

and produce their own five minute film 

to showcase their talents and creativity on 

the international stage. The standard of 

work was quite remarkable with Claremont 

students’ interpretation of the theme ‘I wish 

I hadn’t done that’ rewarded with the win 

in the Best Production Design category. 

The scope for connecting and collaborating 

with students from all around the world 

as part of the ISP group is so unique. 

A centralised programme of learning 

experiences that enable ISP students across 

the globe to meet, create, share, expand 

their minds and broaden their educational 

horizons continues to evolve. More 

exciting international opportunities await 

Claremont students next year, including a 

programme dedicated to equipping students 

with the knowledge and skills needed 

to address issues of global sustainability, 

a ‘real-world’ STEM research project, 

International Summer Schools and camps 

and new ways for our global community 

to come together in support of ISP’s Street 

Child United Charity Partnership. 

Importantly for us, Claremont remains 

Claremont, with its own distinctive 

character, ethos and spirit. Our partnership 

with ISP has empowered us to continue to 

develop as a progressive, local school but 

with a more relevant and authentic global 

outlook. As such we believe we have found 

the best place for our school and students 

as we press on with the next stage in our 

evolution. We have much to look forward to. 

claremontschool.co.uk 


‘A great place to grow’ 

for boys and girls aged 

2 to 11 years 

Confidence 

Creativity 

Consideration 

Care 

Curiosity 

Contact 01233 812337 for 

more information and to book 

a personal tour 

Wye, near Ashford, Kent 

www.springgroveschool.co.uk


Meet the Head 

Mrs Therésa Jaggard, Head of Spring Grove School, 

chats skill sets, hobbies and school values 

Why did you choose a career in teaching? 

I enjoyed a range of subjects at school 

and thought a career where I could both 

use my skill set and have variety would 

suit. I then worked as a volunteer for 

some youth groups and found sharing 

the skills I had learned with young 

people very satisfying. I am naturally 

motivational and enjoy inspiring others. 

Can you tell us about an inspirational 

teacher from your school days? My Head 

of Music – she took time to recognise 

a talent I had and nurtured it. She also 

noticed when I needed support and 

gave me a lot of encouragement – she 

provided me with many opportunities 

and signposted me to county orchestras 

and choirs to further my skills. She 

always went above and beyond. 

What do you like doing in your spare 

time? Music – I am a violinist, pianist 

and singer and enjoy making music 

with friends. As well as my wide-ranging 

musical interests, I also enjoy a variety of 

sports, particularly swimming and skiing – 

which I adore. I enjoy cooking and trying 

out new recipes, entertaining friends and 

family. I have a dog and two Siamese cats 

who keep me busy in my spare time. 

What were you doing before accepting 

the headteacher position at Spring Grove 

School? I have had experience in both 

the state and independent education 

sectors, and most recently was Deputy 

Head Teacher at Leybourne St Peter 

and St Paul CEP Academy, where 

I led the school through Academy 

conversion. I had experience as Acting 

Head at Leybourne, and was also 

seconded by the local authority as 

Acting Head to another Kent school. 

What do you think makes Spring Grove 

School special? Without doubt the 

strong family feel at Spring Grove, and 

the knowledge that the children are 

at the heart of everything we do. The 

children at Spring Grove are curious 

and friendly – they love learning and 

enjoy living. We deliberately cultivate an 

appetite for adventure and a tolerance 

for error, creating can-do people, 

who are able to act independently. 

Can you explain a little bit about your 

school’s values? Our core values are 

summed up in the words ‘Confidence, 

Creativity, Consideration, Care and 

Curiosity’. Our expert teachers and 

support staff deliver an ambitious, 

broad, knowledge- and skills-based 

curriculum, where there is mastery of 

subjects from phonics through to the skills 

needed to play a musical instrument. 

What’s been your proudest achievement 

so far? Steering the school through 

a pandemic – safely. I’m so proud of 

the team I lead; every member of the 

Spring Grove staff has adapted to 

face the many challenges that have 

been thrown up this year. I drive into 

school everyday feeling it’s my second 

home – which is rather lovely. 

What are you looking forward to 

this coming school year? Having a 

‘normal’ school year! I am looking 

forward to all the things that have 

been restricted recently – having whole 

school assemblies in the hall, inviting 

parents into school, engaging with the 

wider community. I am also excited 

to restart our ensembles and see the 

children making music together again. 

springgroveschool.co.uk 



Show Time 

EM Forster Theatre is at the heart of the Tonbridge community, 

and is delighted to be opening its doors once again 

It is great to be open again. There is nothing quite 

like live performance, and the excitement and 

buzz of that shared experience. The EM Forster 

Theatre is at the heart of Tonbridge School and 

has many uses across the school and the wider 

community. For the boys it is their drama 

classroom, where they have seminars, workshops 

and rehearsals. 

We also produce three large-scale school 

productions a year, as well as many house plays 

and other student shows. On our third attempt, 

with restrictions lifting, we were at last able to 

present Into the Woods, our Junior Play, this 

summer, which was an outdoor, musical show 

held in the school’s Smythe Library Gardens. We 

are so lucky to have such beautiful grounds at 

Tonbridge School and are making the most of 

these this summer with a selection of outdoor 

productions. 

The Theatre is, of course, open to the local 

community and we host a year-round programme 

of professional theatre, dance and comedy. Our 

summer season includes a mixture of indoor and 

outdoor shows, with something for everyone. 

In our amphitheatre, The Handlebards are 

returning with their particular brand of chaotic 

and brilliantly funny outdoor theatre, this time 

with their version of Macbeth. Britain’s Got 

Talent contestants The Noise Next Door will be 

performing comedy for all the family, and we are 

delighted to say that Wicked Productions will be 

back for an open-air panto version of Treasure 

Island, starring local favourites Tom Swift and 

Ant Payne, which is sure to provide the riotous 

fun many of us are in need of this summer! 

This has been a tough year for so many people, 

and while we are restricted to 50 per cent 

capacity, we are committed to ensuring our 

events remain accessible to the local community 

and have kept our ticket prices low. We have 

really missed hosting local companies and, while 

it isn’t possible to have large casts at the moment, 

we can’t wait for LAMPS to be back with Tommy 

the Musical in the autumn, and look forward 

to welcoming back many schools and dance 

companies over the coming year. 

The Society of London has ‘See It Safely’ 

approved us and we have many safety measures 

in place including hand sanitising, socially 

distanced seating, temperature checks and mask 

wearing. Drinks and snacks can be ordered via 

a web app and delivered to your seats, to avoid 

queues at the bar. 

Other season highlights include a screening 

of the classic musical 42nd Street, the graduate 

company from Ballet Central returning for 

an amazing evening of dance, and children’s 

CBeebies favourites Sarah and Duck are coming 

to us for the first time in July. It will be so good to 

see our family audiences back in our auditorium! 

Full details are at emftheatre.com or you can call 

the EM Forster Theatre on 01732 304241. 


26

Dream Big, 

Shine Brighter 

An incredibly nurturing day and flexi-boarding 

school inspiring 3-13 year old boys and girls 

to fulfil their extraordinary potential. 

dulwichprepcranbrook.org 

Shortlisted 

Creativity award 

Student Wellbeing 

dulwichprepcranbrook.org

CO-EDUCATIONAL | 3 - 13 YEARS | DAY & BOARDING 

Under one hour 

from London via 

High Speed 1 

(St Pancras 

International) 

“this traditional prep school 

brings out strengths, both 

academic and creative” 

www.junior-kings.co.uk

Grilled Smokey Bacon Steaks 


What’s Cooking? 

Benenden School describe their impressive food offering 

which has won them a Tatler School Award 

Can you run us through the school’s 

dining offering? Benenden is renowned 

for its excellent food – in fact it won the 

Best Food Award in the latest Tatler School 

Awards. We are able to offer a wonderful 

range for pupils and staff, from home-cooked 

favourites to the most sophisticated dining. 

You can see some typical menus here. 

What do you think makes your school’s 

meal offerings special? The quality and 

variety of our freshly prepared and locally 

sourced food ensures the Dining Room and 

Café are the social hubs of every school day. 

We prioritise seasonal menus, with lots of 

fruit and vegetables to promote good health. 

We were very pleased with Tatler’s 

description of Benenden’s food, in which 

they said: “Fuelling all this enterprise must 

be the incredible food: comparable to 

Ottolenghi’s finest, these girls eat bowls of 

edamame beans, sushi rice with beetroot 

and roasted vegetables and skate fillets with 

tomatoes and caper berries – all finished 

off with the most delicious brownies.” 

Do children have access to snacks between 

mealtimes? With long and busy days running 

from 8.30am into the evening, it is important 

for Benenden girls to keep their energy levels 

up! There are two specific break times 

every day – one in the morning and 

one in the afternoon – and the 

boarding house kitchens are open 

in the evenings for pupils to make a 

light snack before bed if required. Fruit 

is also available throughout the day. 

How often are menus changed or rotated? 

New menus are designed each week. Our 

fantastic team of chefs are inspired each week 

to serve the most delicious food. Enthused 

by regular feedback from the pupils and staff, 

our chefs create innovative and nutritious 

menus, with something for everyone. 

We are always taking into account 

requests from our pupil body – a great 

example being the meatless Mondays 

we introduced last year as part of our 

drive to be more eco-friendly. 

How are reluctant eaters encouraged 

and looked after? A wide range of special 

diets are catered for, safe in the knowledge 

that all ingredients are sourced by the team 

and therefore fully traceable. At Benenden, 

everyone is wonderful at looking out for 

one another and our pastoral team will 

quickly pick up on any pupils who 

are not eating healthily and will 

work with them to help them 

achieve a balanced diet. 

benenden.school 

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a 

moment of 

science 

Dr Darragh Corvan, Head of 

Physics at Mayfield School shares his 

experiences as a science teacher 

the 

fun of 

physics 

Encourage young minds to 

enquire and explore physics 

with these fun gift ideas 

When and why 

did you become a 

science teacher? 

When I was about five years old, my 

uncle bought me an encyclopaedia 

that contained a section on the 

planets. I remember looking at this 

pretty much on a daily basis, and 

being blown away by some of the 

concepts presented there. This first 

piqued my interest in Physics. I've 

always loved talking about Physics 

and, having many friends who 

are non-physicists, I often needed 

to adjust how I talked about my 

work to them. So teaching was a 

no-brainer for me. I eventually 

became a Physics teacher at the age 

of 22, after finishing University, 

and I'm currently Head of Physics 

at Mayfield School. 

What’s the most rewarding 

part of your job? 

Every day is different, and every 

student is individual and unique 

in their interests and challenges. 

I particularly enjoy the moments 

where I see understanding on 

the faces of pupils who had been 

confused about a concept just 

seconds before. It is also really fun to 

show pupils helium as a super-fluid 

running through a glass container! 

What is the most popular part of the 

curriculum amongst pupils? 

This is an interesting one. Each 

student is very individual, so it’s 

really about finding a ‘hook’ for 

each of them in their younger 

years. Certainly, at GCSE the most 

popular topic is space. At Mayfield, 

we have an Astronomy Club, one of 

50 extra-curricular activities, where 

the students get to do fun things 

like observe Mars using a telescope 

– they love it. 

What are the most exciting 

and unexpected careers that 

studying Physics leads to? 

Some of my friends have ended 

up as lecturers in universities 

across the world, some as teachers, 

engineers and some in finance or IT 

sectors. Many went into the medical 

profession operating MRI and 

radiography machines, but perhaps 

more unusually, one went into 

working with Team GB developing 

sports equipment. 

Do you have any advice 

for girls looking to study 

Physics at University? 

Never be afraid to read around your 

subject, it is fascinating! The more 

I read about Physics, the more I 

realise there is to learn. Moreover, it 

is becoming increasingly important 

to be competent in computer 

programming, so get confident 

with ICT. 

Women in Science: 

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Night sky projector 

£15 Natural History 

Museum nhm.ac.uk 


An independent day, boarding 

school and nursery for girls and 

boys aged 2-13 

Vinehall 

ROBERTSBRIDGE EAST SUSSEX 

VINEHALLSCHOOL.COM


Starting 

small 

Deputy Head & Head of Early Years 

at Parkside School, Mrs Madeline 

McMurdo explains how to ease a child 

into their first experiences of school 

Can you tell us a little about your preschool 

offering at Parkside? 

Parkside nursery is a place for children to feel safe, 

happy and nurtured. Situated in a large secure building 

within the stunning Parkside grounds, the nursery has 

spacious classrooms, a library, music room, interactive 

whiteboard and lovely outdoor areas. The children 

are taught by experienced Early Years staff, enjoying 

a rich and exciting learning environment in which 

they are stimulated and challenged through a variety 

of experiences. They all flourish under specialist 

teaching in forest school, music, French, swimming 

and sport with the teachers from the Prep School. 

How many sessions are recommended 

for each year group? 

The 2-3 year olds are required to do a minimum of two 

morning sessions and the 3-4 year olds build up from 

three mornings in the autumn, to four mornings and an 

afternoon in the spring, to the final term of five mornings 

and two afternoons. A morning session is from 8.30am 

to 12pm with the option to stay for lunch until 1.30pm 

in the school salon, which is extremely popular. A full 

day ends at 3pm with wrap around care until 6pm. 

Can you explain the goals of the Early Years 

curriculum and what you focus on? 

At Parkside Nursery, the focus is on teaching core skills, 

independence and confidence to prepare them for the 

transition to reception. With a planned curriculum, 

balanced between adult-led and child-initiated activities, 

children develop enquiring minds, fully explore their 

curiosity and gain a love of learning and questioning. We 

focus on all of the 7 areas of learning with importance 

placed on good listening, kindness, collaboration and 

respect for themselves, each other and the school. 

Parkside School is a boys’ 

school, are girls able to access 

your nursery provision? 

Yes, the nursery is co-educational and 

girls enjoy a full and varied curriculum 

from the age of 2. The ratio of girls 

to boys is 40/60, with many siblings 

of boys in the school. Girls transition 

to local girls’ schools, notably Notre 

Dame, Manor House or Rowan. 

What happens at parent and 

toddler club and who can join? 

Parent and toddler club runs weekly for 

children registered to start nursery after their 

second birthday. It is an opportunity for the 

children to familiarise themselves with the 

nursery environment, the grounds, the teachers 

and the key workers. It’s also a time for the 

parents to meet each other in a relaxed setting, 

as their children enjoy and engage in play. Each 

week there is a planned adult-led activity for the 

children to enjoy and time to explore the grounds. 

What do you think makes the nursery extra special? 

Happiness is the key to learning, which underpins 

the ethos at Parkside. With space to grow and staff 

who care, all the children thrive, feel loved and secure 

and develop a hunger for learning. What can be better 

than being in a nursery within a school, set in 45 

acres of stunning woodland, with extensive facilities: a 

swimming pool, large gym, music room, salon, forest 

school area and much more for all the nursery children 

to use and enjoy. Come and visit to see for yourself. 

parkside-school.co.uk 


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34 

SacredHeartSchoolWT230.indd 1 15/06/2021 16:16


Meet the 

Music Teacher 

Introducing Miss Sophie Brack, Director of Music at Lingfield College 

Have you always been musical? 

Since a young age I just knew I wanted to do something with 

music. My family are all musical, so it was always around me 

growing up. My main instruments are piano, clarinet and 

voice, but I also play the saxophone and ukulele. 

What made you decide to teach music? 

I had a passion for music when I was at school, and I would 

teach friends in my class how to play tunes on the piano. I just 

loved sharing the joy of music, seeing people learn a new skill 

and engage with it when they didn't think they could. I knew 

from the age of 12 or so that I wanted to be a music teacher. 

What's your favourite part of the 

school's musical offering? 

One of the things I'm most proud of at Lingfield 

College is that we offer something for everyone 

musically. No matter what level or instrument a 

pupil plays, no matter what style or genre they 

may enjoy, there is a choir, band or ensemble 

for them to join to perform and be part of 

something and be creative. We are fully 

inclusive. 

Can you tell us about an inspirational 

teacher from your school days? 

Two people stand out from my school 

days that inspired me musically. 

Miss Kutchmy, my Head of Music 

at Surbiton High School, gave me 

confidence in my singing and helped 

shape my voice, and the legend that 

was Sir David Willcocks, who was 

the conductor of The Bach Choir 

when I sang with them for 

several of my school years. 

How do you encourage more nervous pupils 

to increase their musical confidence? 

This is a large part of being a music teacher, and it's vitally 

important we go about it in the right way; otherwise, a student 

can be put off for life. At Lingfield College, we have found that 

smaller 'Informal Recitals' with family and staff are fantastic 

ways to boost our students' confidence with their music. We 

try to provide a warm, nurturing environment where they 

focus on practising their pieces and honing performance skills. 

What music do you listen to in your spare time? 

Oh goodness, a wide variety! If classical, it's likely to be 

Rachmaninov or Mozart but I also adore all Musical Theatre, 

and I'm currently on a roll of listening to anything by Ben 

Platt. I was brought up on all the jazz standards, so I love the 

Ratpack too, particularly Frank. But everyone at Lingfield 

knows my answer is going to be Michael Bublé! 

If you could work with any composer, 

from past or present, who would it be? 

If I really can only pick one, then probably Rachmaninov. I 

adore all his work, particularly Symphony No.2 and Piano 

Concertos No2 and No3. To work with him and write a piano 

piece would be mind-blowing. Not sure my hands would cope 

with some of the chords he writes though! 

If you could see anyone live on stage, anywhere 

in the world, who and where would it be? 

I would have loved to have seen Frank Sinatra at The 

Sands Hotel in Las Vegas back in the day, but as for right 

now? Frankly, any live concert is good for me; I just 

want live music back! It's been such a rough time 

for the arts; I think everyone just wants to see the 

orchestras return, West End theatres open, and 

live gigs come back. I'll be buying as many 

tickets as I can once that happens. 

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How does 

your garden 

grow? 

Cranbrook Primary’s kitchen garden project is revolutionising how their pupils 

look at nutrition, teaching them about the natural world and giving them time 

to enjoy the outdoors, so how do they do it? Judith Caustin explains 

How has Cranbrook Primary's garden 

developed over the last few years? Tracey 

Johnson, our forest school leader, started 

Gardening club about 12 years ago. Since 

then, the garden has slowly evolved and 

it even won an award with Cranbrook in 

Bloom for best school garden. A new poly 

tunnel was added three years ago and with 

the generous help of a financial donation 

from Wealden Times, the school garden 

has developed a lot over the last two years. 

When the founder of Wealden Times, 

Julie Simpson, visited the school, she saw 

the potential in changing the grassed areas 

for a more useable pathway. Gardenscape 

provided the bark donation, and Wealden 

Country Landcraft resurfaced the area, also 

supplying and fitting two new raised beds 

to complement our original four. Now the 

garden is much more safely accessable all 

year round so the kitchen staff and classes 

can make use of any produce available, 

especially salad leaves and herbs. 

How did you get involved? As the school 

cook, I am passionate about where our food 

comes from, how it is produced, eating 

well and food milage. I recognised this as a 

place where children can start to develop the 

same passion. Three years ago, the volunteer 

vacancy for gardening club became vacant, 

I was already running cooking club at the 

time and could see the benefit of the two 

clubs working together. ‘Fork to plate’ 

began. 

How have the children reacted? They enjoy 

being out in the fresh air, come rain or shine 

and are really proud of anything they grow. 

They love our homemade wormery and 

feeding the worms scraps from the school 

kitchen. 

Do parents get involved too? Two parents, 

Kate Reader and Debbie Bell, volunteer 

every Monday to run gardening club and 

Kelly Charge runs cooking club every week 

with me. Their families often visit the school 

out of hours to maintain the garden, water 

the plants, prune apple trees, lay vegetable 

beds and much much more.Our PTA 

also got a community grant from The Coop 

which helped provide cooking and 

gardening equipment to get us started. 

How have you been developing a fork-toplate 

culture? It is a slow work in progress, 

but fast and convenient is beginning 

to lose its attraction in favour of the 

homegrown and tastier, often mis-shaped 

fruits and vegetables. Children are much 

more likely to try a new food if they have 

been involved in its growth or production. I 

serve food from the garden alongside lunch 

in the school hall. We had a food trial at 

school only last week and the children who 

made the ‘green goddess muffins’ (spinach 

and cheese) were saying ‘yuk I’m not eating 

that’ at first, but were soon tucking in once 

the muffins came out warm from the oven! 

How have you kept things going over the 

past year? It was the garden that helped us! 

Cranbrook Primary was open throughout 

lockdown for Keyworker families and it 

was a key part of school life. The children 

helped harvest potatoes and broad beans 

which they then had for lunch on the same 

day. The financial donation from Wealden 

Times helped as we couldn’t sell our produce 

during the pandemic, and Bumbles Plant 

Centre’s delivery service enabled us to buy 

more seeds, plants and flowers. 

cranbrook-cep.kent.sch.uk 



Which extra-curricular activities will 

look good on my UCAS application? 

Just how important are impressive lists of hobbies and copious amounts of volunteer work to universities? 

Dr Kirsten Dickers, Higher Education, Careers and Research Leader at Ashford School explains 

In nine years as an admissions tutor, this was probably the 

question I was asked most often. Busy teenagers who were 

already trying to juggle Sixth Form studies, part-time jobs 

and social lives were worrying about how to cram in voluntary 

work, leadership positions in school, competitive sports, 

music, Duke of Edinburgh and countless other activities. 

I hope that my answer came as a relief: UK universities, 

particularly the more selective ones, don’t base their selection 

decisions on extra-curricular activities. Instead, they look 

for super-curricular engagement, or evidence that applicants 

are exploring the subject they want to study beyond the 

confines of the school curriculum. To be a competitive 

applicant, this is what students should focus on. 

The good news is that it’s easy to do. There are numerous 

ways to research topics that they find interesting – reading, 

following the news, listening to podcasts, watching 

documentaries, MOOCs, essay competitions, olympiads 

and other problem-solving challenges, relevant work 

experience, attending university webinars, taster days and 

summer schools, and many more. In addition, there are 

qualifications such as the EPQ and CREST awards, which 

help students develop valuable research skills at the same 

time as learning more about a subject of their choice. 

Universities stress that quality is better than quantity, 

in the sense that they would rather see a few things done 

thoroughly than a long list of quite superficial engagement. 

I normally advise students to focus on three or four main 

ideas in a personal statement, demonstrating reflection on 

each: What is their opinion of what they have read? How 

does it extend their learning? Has it changed their view, 

and why? What questions does it leave them with? 

Many university websites have suggestions for wider research 

and reading, but bear in mind that these are meant to be 

jumping-off points for a student’s own exploration, not a 

restrictive list of ‘approved’ books. Academia is all about people 

following their own ideas and enthusiasms, and this is what 

they want to see applicants doing. Admissions tutors will 

favour genuine academic engagement over name-dropping and 

prestige. For an Economics applicant, work experience at a 

major investment firm is not ‘better’ or more impressive than a 


38

summer job in a local supermarket. Both offer a chance to see 

economics in action, and the important thing is what a student 

makes of that opportunity. Some of the most interesting 

candidates I interviewed were the ones who ostensibly had 

the least prestigious experience – because rather than wasting 

their energies chasing after CV points, they had taken the 

time and effort to really reflect on what they had done. 

None of this is to say that extra-curricular activities 

aren’t valuable in their own right. They are an excellent 

way of developing skills and qualities such as resilience, 

self-motivation, teamwork and leadership, which will be 

hugely beneficial at university and in later life. But the 

message to students is to do activities because they enjoy 

them and want to develop these skills, not just because 

they are hoping for extra credit in the selection process. 

My advice to applicants is: Think about why you are 

applying for a particular degree course. What excites you 

about it, and which topics are you most looking forward 

to studying? Focus on exploring these ideas independently 

and in depth. Find your own enthusiasms, and that will 

come across in your personal statement and at interview 

– and equally importantly, you will hopefully have a 

more enjoyable and less stressful time in Sixth Form. 

ashfordschool.co.uk 

For boys and girls aged 3 months to 11 years 

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Are you considering a new 

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Beauty 

Up! 

Get that oh-so-desirable sun-kissed look with Josephine Fairley’s 

ultimate fake tan tips (no sun needed – fortunately!) 

To tan or not to tan…? That is 

no longer the question. Because 

today’s fakes – bronzers, instant 

tints and other sun-kissing products – 

are so darned good, you’ll never be able 

to tell the difference. You can literally 

go from pale-and-terribly-uninteresting 

to bronzed goddess, with the swish of a 

fluffy brush or the touch of a tint. And 

since – at time of writing – summer 

really hasn’t made up its mind whether 

we’re going to get so much as a freckle 

by venturing outside, I reckon there’s 

never been a better time to explore all 

the fab fakes and faux glows out there. 

Personally, I have been putting a 

LOT of these through their paces, 

this spring. Slightly reluctantly I’ve 

been closeted inside tying up some 

loose ends on a long-term project, 

with limited opportunities to stroll 

even the few hundred yards to 

Hastings beach, or to attempt a bit of 

gardening before dusk. So, here are 

the products I’ve been reaching for to 

make up for lack of IRL sunshine 

First up: Guerlain Terracotta 

Bronzing Powder, £39, which was 

one of the original bronzing products, 

but which (so far as I’m concerned) is 

better than ever, for 2021 because it 

is – for the first time – composed of 

almost exclusively natural ingredients. 

Same instantly gilded look and finish 

– a whisper of colour which can be 

built up (with a big, fluffy brush) 

to the level of bronzitude you’d like. 

It has the same seamless finish for 

which Terracotta is widely-loved, 

partly thanks to the argan oil in the 

blend – but now, it doesn’t simply 

look 100% natural; the formula itself 

is impressively 96% natural, too. It’s 

available in six shades – and gosh, 

that’s an improvement on the oneshade-suits-all 

bronzers of yore. 

Meanwhile, almost every beauty 

editor we know also swears by the 

easy-peasy Chanel Healthy Glow 

Bronzing Cream, £43. This cream-gel 

bronzer adds a touch of sun-kiss with 

a velvety finish; it comes in possibly 

the most glamorous jar on the planet 

– in fact, it’s all-round gorgeous. It 

has become – no great surprise to 

me – the #1 Prestige Bronzer in the 

UK, but again, from my perspective, 

Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream just 

got better. We don’t all come in one 

shape, or one size, nor (all-importantly) 

one skin tone – so Chanel just added 

a 395 Soleil Tan Deep Bronze to sit 

alongside the original 390 Soleil Tan 

Bronze, which works with deeper skin 

tones, or can be used to enhance a 

deeper fake or natural tan. Touch and 

blend with your fingers (couldn’t be 

easier), or use Chanel’s particularly 

glam version of the kabuki brush. 

In terms of fake tanning, meanwhile, 

I’m a massive, long-term fan of James 

Read’s range – and I’m particularly 

keen on a couple of innovations from 

this tanning brand which really put 

you in the driving seat in terms of 

the shade. It’s clever stuff, because 

GLOW20 is ‘adjustable’. Apply the 

lightweight GLOW20 Facial Tan 

Serum, £25 for 50ml, for instance, and 

simply remove it after 20 minutes for 

a light tan, 60 minutes for a medium 

tan or 90 minutes for a full-on, deep 

bronzed glow. You can of course top 

up whenever you like, and there’s a 

quick blast of skin-boosting ingredients 

while the serum gets to work, too: 

hyaluronic acid and aloe vera, plus 

vitamin C to brighten, leaving skin 

looking perkier and healthier straight 

away. But this facial product also 

has a ‘sister’, for bodies, GLOW20 

Tan Mousse, £30 for 200ml – same 

‘controllability’, also with a blend 


Beauty 

of nourishing ingredients that include avocado oil, vitamins C 

and E, hyaluronic acid, coconut water and honeysuckle flower 

extract. (You just need access to a shower to rinse it off, when 

time’s up – and first time out, I’d stick with the 20 minutes 

so you can assess the effect on your individual skintone.) 

A growing category for facial self-tanning, meanwhile, is 

the self-tan face mist. I particularly like St Tropez Self Tan 

Purity Face Mist, £19.75 for 80ml, which smells a little like 

a tropical vacation (nothing wrong with that, in the absence 

of the real thing), and simply spritzes lightly onto the face 

with no need to blend; it also features hyaluronic acid, so it 

gives skin a bit of a quench, too. (Though I would always 

apply after moisturiser or night cream.) At the affordable end 

of the market, and perhaps foolproof for beginners because 

it gives a subtle hit of instant colour, is L’Oréal Sublime 

Bronze Self Tan Express Mist Spray Face, £12.99 for 90g. 

Very streak-proof, with a lovely, summer-fresh scent. 

It’s one thing to smoosh on a bronzer, add a lip gloss and head 

out the door to an impromptu summer rendezvous, meanwhile 

– and in my recent experience, everything’s all very last-minutedotcom 

on the social life front – but realising your legs are 

pastry-pale isn’t quite so easy to fix. Rather than reach for your 

linen palazzos, I recommend keeping handy some vita Liberata 

Body Blur Instant HD Skin Finish, £30 for 100ml. Powered by 

organic ingredients, it’s fantastic for adding a subtle glow (unless 

you’re naturally fairly dark, I’d choose the Latte Light shade, to 

be on the safe side), but also for evening out imperfections like 

broken veins and other discolourations. It’s lightly shimmering 

(hence the ‘blur’ effect), and can also be used on faces – so 

a good one to pack for going away (is anyone going away?). 

Perhaps my favourite leg tint of all, though, is This Works 

Perfect Legs Skin Miracle, £38 for 120ml, a rich serum with a 

wonderful aromatherapeutic scent (from essential oils including 

frankincense), which is deeply moisturising and very, very 

flattering when its natural, caramel-powered formula is smoothed 

into skin. (Not just legs, either – it’s good for the whole body.) 

For a longer-lasting golden glow, I always recommend 

gradual tanners as the safest option; nobody needs a fake 

tan ‘surprise’. So I’d also put in a good word for some longstanding 

favourite gradual tanners. One is the gradual tanning 

version of the aforementioned product, This Works Perfect 

Legs Gradual Tan, £38 for 150ml, which delivers truly 

streak-free results. Secondly, I like ESPA Gradual Tan Body 

Moisturiser, £37 for 200ml, which has a delicious ‘slippy’, 

properly moisturising texture and is really easy – in fact, I’d say 

utterly foolproof – to apply. Not a hint of hamster cage scent, 

either, in my experience. What I do is apply on two consecutive 

nights and then perhaps every third night, and the colour 

is unbelievably natural. My other absolute favourite gradual 

tanner is Eco by Sonya Winter Skin, £41.40 for 200ml (not 

that easy to find, but I get mine from gloworganic.co.uk). 

It’s a multi-award-winning product and although it’s 

inexplicably called ‘Winter Skin’, it’s summer-perfect for 

a subtle, buildable, golden, can’t-tell-it-from-real look. 

Assemble an arsenal of these, then, and whatever 

summer throws at us – heatwaves, flash floods and 

anything in between – we can be good to glow. 

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

94


Emsculpt Neo ® 

answers to some of your questions 

Following last month’s frequently asked 

questions, we were very pleased that 

so many of you emailed for more 

information. Emsculpt Neo® has arrived 

at the Penrose Clinic in Fetcham Park 

House, so this month Dr Kim addresses 

a few more of your questions about this 

exciting new machine. 

Emsculpt Neo® combines two bodycontouring 

procedures — fat removal and 

powerful muscle toning — into a single 

non-invasive treatment that takes about 30 

minutes. Emsculpt® induces supramaximal 

muscle contractions that cannot be 

achieved during a workout, with the 

equivalent of 20 000 muscle crunches in 

30 minutes. Because of the way the muscle 

pulse patterns work, the treatment feels 

like an intense workout, but is not painful 

and is adjusted to your comfort level. Your 

body rapidly metabolises fat for fuel for 

this workout as well as inducing a process 

which permanently destroys fat cells. 

The Emsculpt Neo® involves the addition 

of radiofrequency to heat the muscles, 

reducing discomfort and enabling greater 

fat reduction, muscle toning and skin 

tightening. A number of clinical trials and 

over 30 scientific publications demonstrate 

an average of 25% more muscle in the 

area, and 30% fat reduction after a course 

of only 4 treatments. 

This is what one patient had to say: 

What areas can be treated? 

Emsculpt differs from many of the other 

body contouring technologies in that it 

treats a wide area in a single treatment. 

You can treat your stomach, buttocks, 

arms (biceps and triceps) and calves and 

thighs (inner, outer, back and front). 

Unlike many of the fat reducing 

treatments, the intense muscle workout 

has also been shown to reduce visceral 

abdominal fat around the organs, 

helping you to manage the effects of 

insulin resistance and inflammation, 

factors which may well be hampering 

your efforts to lose weight. In 

addition, people with abdominal 

separation (diastasis) after pregnancy 

or weight gain, can have significant 

improvement after a treatment course. 

BEFORE 

BEFORE 

I had a noticeable difference after my first treatment but 

by the 3rd treatment, my stomach had totally changed 

shape and was starting to show muscle tone. It’s only 2 weeks 

since I finished my course, but I have gone down 2 jeans sizes, 

with a much slimmer waist. I can work out at a much higher 

intensity and amazingly, my body recovers so much faster. 

Peter, 43 

AFTER 

What will I experience after a 

treatment? 

Emsculpt Neo® has very few side-effects. 

Most people will have redness in the 

treated area for up to a couple of hours 

due to the heating effect of the RF. You 

need to hydrate well before and after your 

treatment, and you may feel a little tired 

with some muscle fatigue, as you would 

after an intense workout. 

How long does it take to see 

results? 

Like all body contouring treatments, some 

patience is key! You will feel the difference 

in strength and muscle tone very quickly, 

and some people have measurable 

changes in circumference during the 

course of treatments. Fat loss – both 

subcutaneous and visceral - continues 

after your course, so your maximum 

results will be seen after 3 months. 

If you have any 

questions, please email 

info@penroseclinic.co.uk or 

call 01372 371201. 

Dr Kim Prescott practices Aesthetic 

and Lifestyle Medicine at the Penrose 

Clinic in Fetcham Park House, in 

Cobham and in Knightsbridge, along 

with lecturing and training in Aesthetic 

Medicine and clinical research work. 

Emsculpt is available in Knightsbridge 

and Emsculpt Neo is available at the 

Penrose Clinic in Fetcham Park House. 

Drkpclinic.co.uk and penroseclinic.co.uk 

@dr.kimprescott @penrosebodyandskin 

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Wellbeing 

Let’s Go Wild! 

Sarah Maxwell takes the plunge and 

braves the chill of wild swimming 

Something which has caught 

my eye over the last year is 

open water swimming, or coldwater 

therapy, gaining lots of media 

attention and there is a good reason 

for it. Over the last year of lockdowns 

I have had many friends telling me 

they have garnered a love of wild 

swimming. I have closed my ears 

many times because I have to admit 

that I have an aversion to cold water! 

I have been known to take 30 

minutes to ease into the local swimming 

pool (inch by inch) and getting into 

a cold sea is a horror to me. This 

being the case, I have turned down 

every opportunity to give it a try. 

However, after a lot of research about 

the amazing benefits to be had I’m 

going to give it a go. Starting my 

practice by turning the shower to 

cold on occasion to at least start to 

gain some benefits and acclimatise. 

Swimming in cold water reaps 

the rewards of cold water therapy. 

Cold water therapy has been used 

for centuries and more recently 

used in injury rehabilitation. It’s 

known for reducing inflammation 

and pain, it’s also a great boost 

for the circulatory system. 

But just why is wild swimming 

in cold water so good for you? 

• It has a positive effect with post 

exercise recovery and muscle soreness 

(I always encourage my athletes to 

have a cold bath or shower after 

training). I so know that after they all 

see this I’m going to have to as well! 

• It reduces body pain and 

inflammation, improves circulation 

and boosts your immune system 

and burns more calories! 

• Immersing yourself in cold water 

and reconnecting with nature is widely 

known to benefit our mental health, 

reducing anxiety, stress and depression. 

• It increases energy levels, improves 

your state of mind and releases 

endorphins, our happy hormones. 

So, combining the therapeutic effects of 

cold water and the benefits of the great 

outdoors you have a winning recipe. 

This is a lovely quote about wild 

swimming from Wild Swimmer 

Sophie Laurimore: “I swam every 

week throughout lockdown and am 

convinced that the adventure of ice cold 

wild swimming helped keep me sane.” 

And here’s another quote that I 

read recently and I thought was a 

very fitting one for current times: 

“It helps slow down time and calm 

the inner monologue.” Anonymous 

A note of caution: 

Please make sure you check with 

your doctor before jumping in – 

cold water is a shock to the body 

and anyone with a heart condition 

or contraindications to this activity 

should make sure it’s safe for them. 

Acclimatisation to the cold is a gradual 

process, take it easy and stay safe! 

In a year when the world has become 

unstable and unbalanced, people are 

looking for new ways to realign their 

physical and mental health and this 

has meant being more creative with 

how we go about it. Wild swimming 

is clearly something that’s going to 

stay and increase in popularity. 

Some essential links to go 

wild in the water: 

outdoorswimmingsociety.com 

wildswimming.co.uk/south-east-england 

healthline.com/health/cold-water-therapy 

And for those who go to the 

extreme, you can download the 

following document from the 

International Journal of Environmental 

Research and Public Health: 

https://res.mdpi.com/d_attachment/ 

ijerph/ijerph-17-08984/article_ 

deploy/ijerph-17-08984.pdf 

Sarah Maxwell is a multiple awardwinning 

Fitness and Lifestyle coach 

and mum of two who juggles a lot 

of balls. Find out more about Sarah 

and her work at sarahmaxwell.com 

Sarah shares her Fitness and Lifestyle tips 

on Instagram @sarahmaxwelllifestyle 


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Nourish to 

Flourish 

Nutrition & Lifestyle 

Coach Charlotte Lau 

explains the benefits of 

eating seasonal whole foods 

The more we learn about nutrition, the more it seems 

we should take a leaf from our ancestors and base 

our food choices around foods that could be either 

hunted, such as meat and fish or gathered, such as fruits, 

plants, eggs, nuts, herbs and spices. It is estimated that 70% 

of the calories that make up a typical western diet come from 

foods that weren’t available to those living thousands of years 

ago. (Think refined cereals, sugars, and vegetable oils.) 

Recent research suggests eating mostly ‘whole foods’ 

– those that are as close to their natural form as possible 

and have just one ingredient – is key to optimum health. 

A healthy and sustainable diet is one that is abundantly 

filled with flavourful and nourishing whole foods. 

Wellbeing 

Give it a go... 

read the ingredients list 

We may all glance at the traffic light system 

on food labels to see if there are more greens 

than reds, but do you ever look at the actual 

ingredients that are in the food itself? Packaged 

food often comes with a long list of ingredients 

that you can hardly recognise, let along 

pronounce and usually contain hundreds of 

different names for what is ultimately, sugar. 

With whole foods such as fish, meat, fruit and 

vegetables, you are basically eating what you see! 

As a general rule, if you choose foods that have 

fewer than 5 ingredients, you will be reducing 

your consumption of highly refined carbohydrates 

and oils. Focus on simple ingredients and add 

colour and variety to your meals. Choose a fruit 

or vegetable that you’ve never cooked with before, 

add flavour with herbs and spices and fill your 

plate with combinations of delicious whole foods. 

Learn to... adapt with the seasons 

Our convenience-driven modern food network includes 

imported foods flown across the world and we can obtain 

most of what we want anytime we desire it; strawberries 

in winter, asparagus in autumn, and apples almost all year 

round. It’s easy to think that seasons don’t matter. 

Eating seasonally encourages diversity (brilliant for 

your gut health), provides greater flavour and improved 

nutrient density and often comes at a lower cost as 

well as being more environmentally friendly. 

July is bursting with colour, flavour and variety so 

head to your local farm shop, farmers market or PYO 

and enjoy the seasonal delights summer has on offer. 

Aubergines, basil, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, carrots, 

chillies, cherries, courgettes, elderflower, french beans, 

gooseberries, mint, new potatoes, peas, rosemary, spring 

onions, strawberries and tomatoes, to name a few! 

Some of my favourite summer memories are walking 

up and down sun-drenched strawberry fields with 

my children, carefully choosing the ripest ones… 

and maybe sampling some along the way! 

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... 

heavily processed foods 

We are surrounded by convenience… food delivered 

to our door, microwaveable meals, and having access 

to whatever food we want, at any time of the year and 

all at the touch of a button! Add to this eye-catching 

offers, ‘buy one get one free’ distractions and carefully 

placed confectionery shelves to lure us, it’s no wonder 

that making meals from scratch can seem like a huge 

effort. However, the difference between home cooking 

and buying highly-processed foods on our health 

and wellness can be huge. Commercial ready meals 

often deliver more calorie dense foods but with lower 

nutrient density. Instead, try something new by filling 

your basket with colour and diversity and build a 

bank of tasty, easy recipes to keep you focused in the 

supermarket. Creating a more positive mindset and 

allowing yourself to add things in, rather than taking 

them out, can often lead to eating more nutrient dense 

meals which automatically suppress cravings, feelings 

of deprivation and ultimately lead to a healthier diet. 



100

Pure 

Food 

& simple 

Recipes: Charlotte Butterworth 

Photographs: David Merewether 

Table settings: SET 

Keen to entertain, but dreading the prep and clean up? Then look 

no further than Charlotte Butterworth’s (aka @theneedy.greedy) 

delicious, easy and healthy recipes that you can whip up super 

speedily. These four seasonal dishes can all be made in advance 

giving you plenty of quality (and calm) time to enjoy with friends 

and family rather than being in the kitchen. All the dishes were 

presented using table settings from brand new hire company, 

SET, to create the ultimate fuss-free dinner or lunch party. 

Hazelnut meringue gateau 

with strawberry Chantilly cream & berries 

Prep time: 15 mins Cooking time: 50 mins, plus cooling time Serves 6-10 

This glorious nutty gateau is perfect 

for entertaining as it can be made a 

couple of days in advance, and simply 

assembled before serving. It is not a 

pavlova, so do not expect a crunchy 

meringue, but something more chewy. 

If you’ve never tried hazelnuts in 

meringues, then you have missed a taste 

sensation. Make the meringue well in 

advance to allow to cook and cool. 

• 3 egg whites 

• 150g golden caster sugar 

• 100g blanched/toasted hazelnuts 

(whizzed in a food processor 

until finely ground) 

• 1tsp white wine vinegar 

• 150ml double cream 

whipped until thick 

• 5-6 large strawberries (I used frozen ones, 

and defrosted them) – whizzed to a purée 

• 1-2 tsp icing sugar 

• berries to decorate 

1 Preheat oven to 170˚C. Line a 

20cm spring form cake tin with 

foil, and lightly oil the foil with a 

flavourless oil such as groundnut. 

2 Whisk the egg whites until stiff 

peaks form, then whisk the sugar in, 

one spoon at a time. Finally, gently 

fold in the nuts and vinegar. 

3 Pop into the cake tin, even the top 

and put in the preheated oven. After 

50 mins, turn the oven off and allow 

to cool in the oven. When completely 

cold, remove from the oven and gently 

peel away the foil. You can keep it 

in the tin overnight if needed. 

4 Add the strawberry purée and icing 

sugar to the whipped cream. Taste – it 

may need a little more icing sugar. 

5 When ready to serve, place the gateau 

on a plate and spread the cream over 

the top. Decorate, using the fruit. You 

can also add a few mint leaves. 


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102

Butternut squash 

with roasted 

Mediterranean 

vegetables & 

goats’ cheese 

Prep time: 15-30 mins 

Cooking time: 60 mins 

Serves 4 

This is a stunning vegetarian 

main course that can be 

made in advance and sat in 

the fridge ready to go in the 

oven. You can even roast 

the squash and veg a couple 

of days before your guests 

arrive, so it’s a great getahead 

dish. It’s very versatile 

– play around with whatever 

Mediterranean vegetables 

you choose, or substitute the 

goats’ cheese for blue cheese. 

For the squash layer: 

• 1 butternut squash – 

sliced into half moons, 

about 1-2cm thick (you 

can buy 350g ready sliced 

which saves on prep time) 

• coriander seeds (bashed) 

• chilli flakes (optional) 

• olive oil, sea salt 

and pepper 

For the Mediterranean 

veg layer: 

• 2 fat garlic cloves, crushed 

• olive oil 

• 1 red onion, sliced 

into thin wedges 

• 1 each of courgette, 

aubergine, pepper – cut 

into 2cm pieces 

• 200g cherry 

tomatoes, halved 

For the topping: 

• 100g soft creamy goats’ 

cheese, crumbled 

into chunks 

• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs 

• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan 

• 1-2 tbsp chopped 

parsley (I use frozen if 

I don’t have fresh in) 

1 Preheat oven to 180˚C. 

Brush a baking tray with 

olive oil and lay out the 

squash moons. Brush the 

squash with oil, sprinkle 

over the coriander seeds 

and chilli flakes (if using), 

season with sea salt and 

pepper. Put in the oven 

to roast for 30 mins, until 

softened and starting to 

brown at the edges. 

2 Put the red onion, 

courgette, aubergine and 

pepper in a roasting tin. 

Toss in a generous slug of 

olive oil, salt and pepper 

and mix. Place tray in oven 

with the squash for 15 mins, 

then add the tomatoes and 

garlic. Mix well and cook 

for a further 10-15 mins. 

3 Mix the breadcrumbs, 

Parmesan and parsley 

in a bowl and add some 

salt and pepper. 

4 When ready to assemble, 

place the cooked squash in 

a layer along the bottom 

of an ovenproof serving 

dish. Add the roasted 

veg on top. Arrange the 

goats’ cheese evenly across 

veg. Sprinkle over the 

breadcrumb mixture. This 

will now happily sit in the 

fridge until ready to cook. 

5 Cook in a preheated oven 

at 180˚C for 20-30 mins, 

until the top in golden and 

the cheese is melting. Enjoy 

with a green salad. 


This one-dish gorgeous 

garlicky fish recipe is 

packed with Mediterranean 

flavours, all prepped in 15 

mins! It can happily be 

assembled in advance on 

the day and sit in the fridge 

until you are ready to cook. 

This serves 4 but can be 

easily scaled up or down. 

• 600-800g cod (or you 

can use haddock), skinned 

and cut into four pieces 

• olive oil 

• 1tsp smoked paprika 

• 2 big handfuls of 

breadcrumbs (ideally 

sourdough – I used panko) 

• 3 tbsp chopped 

flat leaf parsley 

• 2-3 cloves crushed garlic 

• 3 roasted red peppers 

from a jar, chopped and 

diced into small squares 

• 60g crumbled feta cheese 

• 1 courgette, quartered 

lengthways and chopped 

into small chunks 

• 20 cherry tomatoes, 

quartered 

Oven roasted cod with feta & Mediterranean vegetables 

Serves 4 Prep time: 15 mins Oven time: 20 mins 

1 Place the fish in a large 

ovenproof dish and rub 

with olive oil, paprika 

and season generously. 

2 Mix the diced courgettes 

and chopped tomatoes in a 

bowl with olive oil, sea salt 

and black pepper. Arrange 

the courgette and tomato 

mix around the fish. 

3 Scatter the feta 

and chopped peppers 

onto the fish. 

4 In a separate bowl mix 

breadcrumbs with olive oil, 

seasoning, crushed garlic and 

parsley. Sprinkle this over the 

entire dish, spreading evenly. 

5 At this stage, either pop it 

in the fridge to cook later or 

put in a preheated oven at 

180˚C for 15-20 mins until 

the fish is cooked to your 

liking. Delicious with a green 

salad and balsamic dressing. 

 


104

PEPPERBOX INN 

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Sunday Lunches: 12noon - 3pm 

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BullGreenFarmWT223.indd 1 19/08/2020 JumeiraIndianRestaurantWT230.indd 14:14 

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Endive, orange & 

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Prep time: 10 mins Serves 4 

This easy salad is so quick 

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simply add the dressing 

when you are about to serve. 

• 4 small red endives 

• 2-3 oranges, cut 

into segments and all 

white pith removed 

• 1 ball good quality 

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• watercress and fresh 

mint leaves to serve 

For the balsamic dressing: 

These measurements are 

guidelines only – you may 

prefer your dressing more 

oily, vinegary or sweeter 

• 150ml extra virgin olive oil 

• 50ml apple honey 

spiced balsamic vinegar 

(or ordinary balsamic) 

• 1 tsp runny honey 

• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard 

• small clove garlic, crushed 

• ½ tsp sea salt and 

crushed black pepper 

1 Put all the dressing 

ingredients in a jam jar 

and shake like crazy. It 

should emulsify to produce 

a thick sauce. Taste and 

tweak to your palate. 

2 Cut the endives into 

individual leaves. Soak in 

some cold water to clean and 

crisp, then dry thoroughly. 

3 Put some watercress on a 

platter. Arrange the endives, 

scatter over the prepared 

orange and tear the mozzarella. 

Just before serving, sprinkle 

over the mint leaves and 

drizzle over the dressing. 

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108 

GreenBoxRecyclingWT229.indd 1 20/05/2021 13:15

Garden 

Seed Collectors 

Sue Whigham’s top tips for gathering and storing for the next generation of blooms 

Well, today’s been a bit 

of a disaster as I’ve 

just realised that I am 

about to lose another mature 

tree to what I assume must be honey 

fungus. I did an early morning 

inspection and there were a few 

signs of life but not many. 

Anyway, whilst I was in that part of 

the garden I was also looking for snake’s 

head fritillary seeds for a friend. All 

I could find amongst wild tangles of 

common vetch (and myriad feasting 

bees) were two remaining fritillary seed 

heads awash with seeds which looked 

as if they would be dropping to the 

ground in the next gust of wind. So 

as a delaying tactic to sitting typing 

indoors on a glorious day, I’ve retrieved 

them and sown them in a pot of gritty 

seed mix for her and they’re now safely 

tucked in a shady corner where they’ll 

stay until next year (they need a period 

of ‘stratification’ so a cold winter should 

do the trick). The reason for all this 

haste was that these seeds should ideally 

be sown as soon as they are ripe, as older 

seeds develop germination inhibitors. 

Fritillary seeds are dispersed by the wind 

and land on the soil surface so the idea 

is to emulate this by surface sowing. 

It is so interesting to see the myriad 

methods of seed dispersal that plants 

have in their arsenal and to know 

different methods of collection too. I 

was trying to find out when to collect 

seeds of sweet rocket which pop up all 

over the garden in June but failed as 

most of the seed had dispersed before 

I got to them. Hesperus matronalis or 

sweet rocket was described as a ‘noxious 

weed’ on an American website I 

stumbled upon the other day but I think 

it is a glorious plant with its clear white 

or purple flowers which waft a sweet 

fragrance across the garden. 

 

109

White bush vetch 

Silene dioica 

Salsify 

You never know where it is going 

to appear the following year. 

So what seeds to collect in late 

summer? I think that red campions 

would be one thing. They are so 

evocative of our childhood memories 

of the countryside. Campions (Silene 

dioica) provide food for butterflies, 

moths and bees and can be found in 

all manner of habitats but sadly there 

are fewer these days. Let’s hope that 

campaigns to delay the early cutting of 

verges gains strength so that plants like 

these have a chance to set seed before 

having their heads chopped off. If you 

are lucky enough to find a plant which 

has developed its papery seeds, snip 

the seed heads off and shake the seeds 

into an envelope or brown paper bag 

(never a plastic bag) and store them 

until the spring when they can be sown. 

If you cut long stems, the heads look 

good in a dried flower arrangement. 

Another silene or Lychnis coronaria is 

the perfect plant for a start up gardener 

and like the hesperus is a self seeder. No 

effort needed here. The idea is to let 

the plant throw its own seeds around 

and then move the seedlings to where 

you want them – or just leave them 

where they have found themselves. It is 

such a pretty thing with silver woolly 

foliage and shocking magenta flowers. 

I love it. Once it flowers in its second 

year it’ll die away but cleverly it always 

replaces itself and saves you the bother. 

It is exceedingly hardy and you’ll get the 

best colour if you grow it in full sun. 

It’s usually pretty obvious when large, 

hard and greasy coated seeds are ready 

to be harvested. Those of plants like 

peonies can be collected and sown as 

soon as they are ripe. I particularly like 

and covet Peony delavayi, a Chinese 

form of tree peony with single, deep 

red flowers and very attractive dissected 

foliage. Its black shiny seeds take time to 

germinate but they are easy to grow. 


110

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112 

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

Lychnis coronaria (below) is the 

perfect plant for a start up gardener. 

The idea here is to let the plant 

throw its own seeds around and 

then move the seedlings to where 

you want them – or just leave them 

where they have found themselves. 

Hesperus matronalis or sweet rocket 

I remember being in a well known 

local garden a few years ago when I saw 

a senior member of the then current 

Conservative government tuck a seed or 

two into his top pocket. His wife asked 

him what he had and he said, ‘rabbit 

droppings, just rabbit droppings!’. That 

was in the days when we recognised 

the members of the Government. I 

wonder if he got his to grow… 

And then there are the ‘shakers’ – 

flowers like annual poppies whose 

flowers turn into pepper pot seed heads. 

These are fun to collect as once the holes 

in the top begin to open, all you need 

to do is turn them upside down and 

shake the tiny little seeds into a paper 

bag or direct sow them in autumn or the 

following spring. If you sow between the 

end of August right through to October 

you are more likely to have flowers in 

the first season. I love the little pink 

poppy known colloquially as Beth’s 

Poppy which has an extraordinarily long 

name (*Papaver dubium subsp. lecoqii 

var. ‘Albiflorum’) for such a small thing 

but makes such a statement as it weaves 

through the borders. And little treasures 

like ‘Love in a Mist’ too are marvellous 

for spreading around a cottage garden 

with a shake of their dried seed heads. 

Just a thought after a night of thunder 

and heavy rain; collect your seeds once 

the seed heads have turned brown and 

are bone dry. And if there is a heavy dew, 

avoid collecting until everything has 

thoroughly dried out. Any dampness in 

seeds when you subsequently store them 

will just result in them going into a bit 

of a mush and becoming non-viable. 

Keep them somewhere dry and not too 

warm until you want to use them and 

label, label, label. Basic information 

but we all at some time fail in that. 

Finally, we’ve spotted a treasure on 

our daily dog walk – just one vetch with 

soft grey leaves and large white flowers. 

It’s a lovely thing, safely tucked away in 

long grass, so if you see a short bamboo 

cane where you least expect it, perhaps 

you could leave it where you find it. 

Hopefully, the vetch will set seed and we 

can collect a few to sow for next season. 

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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114 

VerdisWT229.indd 1 13/05/2021 FenceHubWT227.indd 14:40 

1 10/03/2021 21:33

Garden 

Fruitful 

Jo Arnell picks the juiciest soft fruit for a 

summer of plentiful natural sweetness 

I 

must grow some more fruit next year. I’m saying this 

as I sow seed and set out yet more little vegetable 

plants. Most vegetables are annuals and have to be 

grown from scratch each year, which is laborious and 

time consuming – in fact the process can be endless. You 

can buy plug plants from nurseries and garden centres, 

which will save some of the work, but in the winter these 

annual plants will die and you’ll have to start again next 

year. Fruit, on the other hand, tends to grow on perennial 

plants, mainly bushes and trees, so once planted, will 

give you a crop year after year without too much fuss. 

So what counts as a fruit? Botanically speaking the foods 

that we might recognise as fruits turn out to be rather 

complicated. Rhubarb, for instance, is really just a stalk 

and tomatoes (and cucumbers) technically are berries. Just 

to add to the confusion bananas are berries too, whereas 

raspberries and blackberries are drupes (or druplets, as they 

grow in clusters) botanically in the same family as peaches 

and plums. Apples, pears, strawberries and pineapples 

are called accessory or ‘false’ fruits because their flesh is 

not derived from the ovary. But however fruit has been 

created, they have all evolved to be delicious – so that 

animals and birds will eat them and then distribute the 

indigestible seeds away from the parent plant (in a ready 

made dollop of fertiliser). Clever plants – and lucky us. 

Where to grow fruit 

You don’t need a huge orchard or dedicated area in which 

to grow fruit. If space is the issue, there are small versions 

of fruit trees such as cordons, espaliers and single stemmed 

versions called minarettes, or ballerinas that will happily grow 

in a large pot. Soft fruit is easily grown in containers, or use 

vertical spaces – vines will climb and figs will grow against 

fences and walls. Blueberries are probably best grown in 

containers, as they like moist, acidic soil and strawberries will 

be happy in pots on a window sill or spilling from a hanging 

basket. Know what conditions they need though. Peaches and 

apricots need to be grown in the shelter of a warm, sunny 

wall, but raspberries will grow quite happily in semi-shade. 


Raspberries like moist, 

fertile, slightly acidic soils, 

but they are easy to grow 

and crop prolifically too 

If you have the space for a fruit garden, then a 

fruit cage will be a worthwhile investment. Fruit is 

scrumptious and if not protected it will be snaffled away 

by all sorts of creatures. Badgers are particularly partial 

to strawberries – and left unprotected, they and the rats, 

mice, squirrels and birds will think that you’ve laid a 

picnic out especially for them. Choose netting for the 

cage that will stop them getting in, but a gauge (hole 

size) that will still allow bees in to do the vital job of 

pollination. Fruit will not form unless it is pollinated. 

Some easy and fruitful crops to try 

Apples and pears – Choose an apple or pear to suit the 

space you have available. It is a good idea to get them on 

dwarfing rootstocks too, so that your tree is manageable and 

you can reach the fruit when it’s ready to harvest. Apples 

are not always self-fertile, so will need to have a pollinating 

partner to ensure a good crop. Check which varieties are 

compatible (they fall into several groups) before you buy. 

It’s also worth having both eating varieties and a cooking 

apple too. Apples and pears will need pruning in the winter 

to keep them in good shape and to promote fruiting. 

Currants – These are very easy to grow, but also need 

pruning – confusingly at different times. Blackcurrants 

bear most fruit on new growth, so can be pruned quite 

hard in late winter/early spring, whereas redcurrants and 

whitecurrants produce their fruit on old wood (growth made 

in previous years), so just need the very old wood removing 

each year and trimming back to keep them compact. They 

will need netting though, as the birds love currants. 

Gooseberries – another really easy crop that can be quite 

prolific. Gooseberries and currants are generally planted 

in the winter as bare-rooted plants. The idea with a 

gooseberry is to prune the young plant carefully in the 

first few years to establish a ‘goblet’ shaped framework and 

then cut back to maintain this framework each year. An 

open shape will ensure air circulation and light to ripen 

the fruits. Gooseberries can be green or red in variety. 

Raspberries – these like moist, fertile, slightly acidic soils, 

but they are easy to grow and crop prolifically too. Although 

they prefer a sunny site, they will also grow in part shade. 

There are two main types of raspberry – summer and autumn 

fruiting. The early varieties produce their fruit on old 


116

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118

“Strawberry plants 

are productive for 

about three years; 

after this they 

should be replaced, 

but replacement is 

easy, as the mature 

plants produce 

new plants on 

runners which can 

be potted up and 

grown on to provide 

future crops.” 

wood – growth from the previous year. After fruiting the old 

canes (stems) are cut out at the base and the strongest of the 

new will then need to be tied onto supports to provide fruit 

for the following year. Autumn fruiting varieties are cut back 

to the ground in late winter, but will produce their fruit on 

new wood in the late summer and autumn of the same year. 

Blueberries – need to be grown in acidic soil, but 

thrive in containers too, providing you grow them 

in ericaceous compost. Blueberries make attractive 

ornamental shrubs and have pretty, scented blossom 

in the spring, followed by small round dark blue-black 

fruits and lovely autumn colour on the leaves. They may 

need protection from birds while they are fruiting. 

Strawberries – can be grown in containers, or directly into the 

ground. To prevent the ripening fruit from becoming damaged 

by mud and wet, growers used to lay a mulch of straw under 

the plants (perhaps they were called mud berries before this?). 

Strawberry plants are productive for about three years; after 

this they should be replaced, but replacement is easy, as the 

mature plants produce new plants on runners which can 

be potted up and grown on to provide future crops. These 

luscious fruits definitely need netting from hungry animals. 

Rhubarb – we can only eat the stalks of rhubarb, as the 

leaves, in particular, contain toxic oxalic acid. Rhubarb 

likes rich, moisture retentive soil, so mulch regularly, but be 

careful not to cover the crowns, as they can be prone to rot. 

Young plants need a couple of years to establish before any 

can be picked – this is to allow the crown to become strong 

and vigorous, so that it will be able to withstand years of 

cropping. Stems are harvested in spring, when the growth 

is new. The most tender rhubarb stalks come from those 

placed under rhubarb forcers (or long upturned flowerpots). 

Figs – will become enormous when grown in the open 

ground, and will need pruning and training. A fig tree 

can also be stuffed in a pot and they don’t seem to mind 

(and we can’t hear them if they do) if their roots are 

constricted. Feed regularly with a high potash fertiliser. 

At the end of the season remove any unripened fruit, as it 

will not ripen over winter in our climate. Leave the tiny 

pea-sized fruits for an earlier crop next year. Figs are a little 

tender, so can be protected with fleece in a hard winter. 

For details of Jo’s gardening courses 

visit hornbrookmanor.co.uk or contact Jo on 01233 861149 


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KITCHEN 

GARDEN WEEK 

13th July every day to 

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Talks with our Kitchen 

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celebrating produce from 

the garden 

Gardens, Café with Terrace, Gift Shop, Sculpture 

Pre-booking required during some events; booking opens 14 days 

beforehand (on other open days tickets sold on the gate on the day) 

East Sussex TN5 7HE 01580 200888 

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Until further notice Pre-book timed entry tickets: dorkinghalls.co.uk 

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Sunday 23rd May | 11am-3pm 

Summer Plant Fair, Myddelton House Gardens 

Lee Valley Regional Pk, Eneld. EN2 9HG 

Sunday 6th June | 12am-5pm 

Summer Plant Fair, Sussex Prairie Garden 

Wheatsheaf Rd, Heneld, W.Sussex. BN5 9AT 

Sunday 22nd August | 11am-4pm 

Late Summer Plant Fair, Hole Park Garden 

Rolvenden, Cranbrook, Kent. TN17 4JA 

Sunday 12th September | 10am-3pm 

Autumn Plant Fair, Borde Hill 

Haywards Heath, W. Sussex. RH16 1XP 

Sunday 19th September | 10am-5pm 

NEW! Autumn Plant Fair, Arundel Castle 

Arundel, W.Sussex. BN18 9AB 

To help create safe and enjoyable events, many venues 

will require you to book timed tickets in advance. 

Check websites for details. 

www.plant-fairs.co.uk 

info@plant-fairs.co.uk 

@plantfairsroadshow @plantfairs 

The House is open for Self-Guided Tours 

From Thursday 1 st July, the House is open for Self-Guided Tours on 

Tuesday and Thursday afternoons between 1.30 pm - 4 pm. Garden 

entry is included in your house tour ticket, so you can enjoy the 

gardens before or after your tour. Pre-book tickets online. 

Meet the Head Gardener - Tuesday 6 th July, 1-3pm 

Join our Head Gardener, Graeme, for a walking tour around our 

beautiful gardens to see some of the many species of plants and 

trees we have at Belmont. £10.00pp, booking required. 

Natural First Aid Workshop - Wed 14 th July, 10am-2pm 

During this workshop, you will be able to gather some of the herbs 

we have growing in the gardens at Belmont. These will then be 

used to make a versatile antiseptic tincture and healing ointment 

for you to add to your own first aid kit. £45.00pp, booking 

required. 

Specialist Clock Tour - Saturday 28 th August, 1.30pm 

On the last Saturday of each month, Jonathan Betts, an expert 

in Horology and formerly of the National Maritime Museum, 

Greenwich, conducts a specialist tour around the clocks of 

Belmont House. £20.00pp, booking required. 

belmont-house.org • 01795 890 228 • events@belmont-house.org 

Belmont House & Gardens, Throwley, Faversham, Kent ME13 0HH 


120 

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1 10/06/2021 16:04

What’s On in July 

gardens 

Sat 3 July 11am-5pm 

Brede, near Rye, East Sussex 

Brede Open Gardens and 

Orchards 

Enjoy seven open gardens including 

two orchards and a picnic area, 

all within short walking distance. 

Wonder at the amazing views of the 

Brede Valley and support Autistica 

and MS Society. Tickets can be 

bought on the day from Shearfold, 

Stubb Lane, Brede TN31 6EH 

Entry: £5, under 16s free. 

Mon 5 – Sun 11 July 

Hampton Court Palace 

RHS Hampton Court 

Palace Garden Festival 

Award-winning designer Tom Stuart- 

Smith, no-dig champions Charles 

Dowding and Stephanie Hafferty 

and former RHS Young Designer 

Will Williams will be amongst 

those designing inspirational 

gardens, whilst Mary Berry, Hugh 

Fearnley-Whittingstall and Chris 

Packham will be providing expert 

tips, advice and insights. The RHS 

Flower Market will also have an 

array of bouquets and everything 

you need to create your own. 

Alongside the beautiful displays, 

visitors will also find plenty of 

plants, tools, sundries and accessories 

for all gardens, big or small. 

rhs.org.uk/hamptoncourt 

LITERARY & music 

July – September 

Chiddingstone Castle 

Chiddingstone Castle 

Literary Festival 

Book lovers can hear from leading 

authors in a spectacular line 

up including Sebastian Faulks, 

Amanda Owen, Hugo Vickers, 

and many more. The talks will 

take place in the castle’s Orangery; 

a stunning loggia set amidst 

sprawling lawns, pretty gardens 

and woodland, with drinks and 

refreshments, al fresco picnicking in 

the grounds and a chance to meet 

the authors during book signings. 

Tickets will be limited to meet 

social distancing requirements. 

chiddingstonecastle.org.uk 

Thurs 8 – Sun 18 July 

Across Romney Marsh 

JAM ON THE MARSH 

Experience live music, openair 

theatre, a sculpture trail and 

exhibitions across Romney Marsh 

by world-famous artists including 

Michael Collins, Lesley Garrett 

and James Gilchrist. Enjoy Saint- 

Saens’ Carnival of the Animals 

played by 4-hands on 1 piano, 

Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, 

Messiaen’s Quartet of the End of 

Time and royal composer Paul 

Mealor conducting Now Sleeps 

the Crimson Petal as sung at 

HRH Prince William’s wedding, 

plus stunning free exhibitions. 

jamconcert.org 

Sport & wellbeing 

Fri 9 – Sun 11 July 

Throughout Kent & Sussex 

HOSPICES OF HOPE’S 

STATELY CYCLE RIDE 

A live event for aspiring cyclists 

in beautiful Kent and Sussex 

countryside with two stopovers at 

Lamberhurst, Kent, and Lewes, 

Sussex, finishing at Arundel, 

Sussex. The route is around 

100 miles and the pace will be 

leisurely. It’s all in aid of Hospices 

of Hope to fund their vital work 

helping sick and terminally ill 

people in South East Europe. 

hospicesofhope.co.uk 

Weds 28 July 6.30-9pm 

Blooming Green, Linton, 

Maidstone ME17 4AG 

A Mindful Evening at 

the Flower Plot 

Learn and experience different 

mindfulness practices in this 

magical ambience with Yvonne 

Fernando, NLP Master Practitioner 

& Life Coach. With valuable 

tips, a private flower-picking 

session, refreshments and cake. 

Entry: £45 

01233 878474 / 

yvonnefernandonlp.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 August issue is 9 July 2021. 

Wood Floor 

Sanding 

- 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 

Ibbett Mosely 

AUCTIONEERS & VALUERS 

Limited Liability Partnership 

The Auctioneer's Next Sale Will Be On 

Wednesday 15th September 2021 

Currently to be held online only at 

clare langdon 

easyliveauction.com/ibbettmosely at 11.00 a.m. 

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

Subject to restrictions, a limited number may be allowed on the premises. 

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 

secondary Primary logo logo & pattern 

IbbettMoselyWT230.indd 1 07/06/2021 14:27 

clare langdon clare langdon clare langdon 

I N T E R I O R S 


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 

C = 20 

M = 15 

Gotham Book Y = 72 

K = 5 

Primary logo 


fonts 

fonts 

clare langdon 

C = 0 

M = 5 

Y = 5 

K = 60 

Caleigh 




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 

Cranbrook, 

House, 

Kent, 

St David’s 

TN17 3HL 

Bridge, 

Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 3HL 

ClareLangdonWT200.indd Free Written 1 Quotes • Fully Insured 

12/09/2018 17:10 

C = 20 

C = 0 

M = 15 

M = 5 

Y = 72 colour palette Y = 5 

K = 5 

K = 60 

Clare Langdon business card 3 heavier font.indd 1 15/05/2018 21:49 

Clare Langdon business card 3 heavier font.indd 1 15/05/2018 21:49 

Office: 01580 713599 

Mobile: 07856 947840 

www.the-wrightway.com 

Gotham Book 

Caleigh 


WrightWayPainters&DecoratorsWT227.indd 1 08/03/2021 13:09

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 tells us about wool and its many uses 

Sheep get sheared once or sometimes twice a year 

depending on their breed. As discussed in last month’s 

catch up, it costs us around £1.50 per head to shear 

which takes their fleece off, hopefully in one piece. The wool 

is most likely then cashed in to a wool merchant or British 

Wool. The past few years the price has been incredibly low, 

one large scale farmer received a cheque for under £20 for their 

entire flock. This is an issue I feel incredibly strongly about 

because fleece and fibre could solve lots of our environmental 

problems that seem to be snowballing. Synthetic materials and 

plastics are rife – fast fashion, hospitality, interiors, everywhere. 

I won’t go down that route or we shall be here all day! 

Anyway, wool has some really handy properties: 

Natural fleece is fire resistant unlike most synthetic materials. 

It is also biodegradable within roughly six months. It can 

absorb 40% of its own weight in moisture without feeling wet. 

Wool can absorb certain toxins out the air e.g. formaldehyde. 

You are probably wondering why it’s not being used more 

commonly, I think the answer is how long it takes to process. I 

once had a fad where I thought I was going to make yarn out 

of our fleeces because my grandma had given me a spinning 

wheel. I managed to wash a few fleeces, which takes two days 

in itself, then dry it in the sun and ‘card it’. Carding is to brush 

the strands so they are all facing the same direction, which 

again takes a huge amount of time. That’s before you even get 

the spinning wheel out, safe to say I handed my clean fleeces 

to a local crafter and gave up on that pipedream... for now. 

Our shipping packaging for The Little Farm Fridge is made 

from sheep fleece and I think insulation is one of its brilliant 

properties that will be explored in the coming years as we 

become more aware of the damage to the environment caused 

by plastics. When people order from us they can then reuse 

the wool liners around the home, in flower beds to protect 

plants against frost, for the local birds to use for their nests and 

also for various crafting projects. One of our customers even 

insulated the little shed they keep their rabbits in to protect 

against the cold! If crafting is something you are into then 

we are always interested in learning of new ways our fleece 

can be put to good use and keeping it local is even better. 

The Little Farm Fridge Recipe of the month 

How to cook it... Lamb Koftas 

• Serves 4. You will need 8 bamboo skewers for the BBQ 

• 500g Little Farm Fridge 

lamb mince 

• 2tsp ground coriander 

• 2tsp ground cumin 

• 1tsp ground cinnamon 

• 1½ tsp rocksalt 

• ½ tsp black pepper 

• chopped fresh coriander 

• chopped fresh mint 

• 2 crushed cloves of garlic 

• 30g panko breadcrumbs 

(For GF don’t add these but will be 

drier and more crumbly) 

1Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix well. 

Split into 8 pieces and roll into sausage shapes. 

2If barbecuing: soak your bamboo skewers in water 

before cooking to help stop them burning. Thread 

the ‘sausages’ onto the skewers. Cook for around 6 mins, 

rotating throughout. If cooking on the hob in a frying 

pan: add a drizzle of oil. They will take around 5 mins 

– continue turning to make sure brown all over. 

3We serve with a fresh salad with plenty of lemon, flatbreads 

and a homemade tzatziki which is natural yoghurt, 

cucumber, fresh mint and garlic (plus plenty of lemon juice!). 

Follow Zoe on Instagram @thechiefshepherdess 

and @thelittlefarmfridge. You can order 

meat online at thelittlefarmfridge.co.uk

0800 58 58 58 THECALMZONE.NET 

UNITED AGAINST SUICIDE 

CALM is a registered charity in England & Wales no. 1110621 & Scotland no. SC044347

JOHN SANKEY 

AT 

S AY E R S L A N E • T E NTE RDE N • 015 8 0 7610 0 8 

WWW.W O O DCO C K S I N T E R I O R S .C O.U K

Wealden Times | WT230 | July 2021 | Education supplement inside

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