West Dorset Living Aug - Sep 2021

Where there’s a 

Will there’s a way 

Because no one can predict the future, we can help you prepare. You can 

trust our team to give you the best advice, how, where and when it suits you. 

Whatever help you require we will advise you with clarity and efficiency, offer 

value for money and an unparalleled level of personal legal service. 

Call one of our nearby ofices and let’s have a chat 

Tom Mottram 01305 756317 

Tom.Mottram@porterdodson.co.uk 

DORCHESTER 

T: 01305 262525 

POUNDBURY 

T: 01305 262525 

www.porterdodson.co.uk

Contents 

A Note 

from the EDITOR 

12 

Delicious 

A Culinary Journey through 

Northern Ireland 

dishes for afternoon tea 

Our competition 

page returns 

04 

Isn’t it funny how quickly we can go 

from loving the hot weather to doing 

a rain dance - is there anything more 

British? Day one sees us calling 

every available neighbour into the 

garden for a BBQ, making sangria 

and filling up the paddling pool...but 

by day three we are complaining 

about not sleeping in the heat, 

getting sunburnt and worrying about 

the grass dying under said pool. At 

least the garden is looking pretty 

happy though... 

Happy gardens are a theme as 

this edition we were very happy to 

chat to Chelsea seven-time gold 

medal winner Adam Frost about 

his upcoming appearance at 

Gardeners’ World Live. Then we 

are beginning to turn our attention 

to the indoors and this edition that 

means bringing together some easy 

ideas to give your home that little lift 

- you only need to make some small 

changes to give a space a refresh. 

On the foodie side, we are talking to 

chef Mitch Tonks - he’s a passionate 

advocate of British seafood and has 

lots of exciting plans afoot. We are 

also feeling a little indulgent with 

some delicious recipes for another 

British classic - the afternoon tea. 

26 

Editor Katie Thomson 

e katie.thomson@minervapublications.co.uk 

Easy interior updates 

for a quick refresh 

Publisher Sally Thomson 

Pre-press Manager Kate Norris 

Contributors Peter Thomson, Sue Cooke, Matthew Biggs, Angela Cave, 

Front cover courtesy of Steve Haywood 

Key Account Manager Laura Rodney 

e laura@minervapublications.co.uk 

t 01225 984501 

twitter: @WDorsetLiving 

28 

Planning for 

Retirement 

MINERVA PUBLICATIONS HQ 

Paxcroft Farm, Hilperton, Trowbridge 

BA14 6JB t 01225 984 550 

w www.minervamagazines.co.uk 

visit our website www.minervamagazines.co.uk 

Disclaimer: The publishers shall not be held liable for any loss occasioned by failure of an 

advertisement to appear, or any damage or inconvenience caused by errors, omissions and 

misprints. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission from the 

publishers. The opinions expressed within are not necessarily those of the publishers. 

On the later life side, we are taking 

stock, and showing that retirement 

planning is important no matter 

your age. We go through the major 

pointers to help you get your 

financial ducks in a row. 

Finally, we have the amazing 

competitions - last edition we had 

an unfortunate misprint on the 

closing date, so we’ve extended the 

previous edition by another month, 

alongside bringing you a host of 

amazing new goodies to be won this 

time around! 

All that’s left is to wish you a fabulous 

summer of fun and to say we’ll be 

back in October - brace yourself, we 

may just be mentioning...Christm... 

no I can’t, not yet. But be prepared, 

it’s coming! See you then! 

Katie 

www.minervamagazines.co.uk | 3

COMPETITION 

Time 

WIN 

A cashmere 

lounge wear 

set worth 

£500! 

To enter any (or all!) of our competitions, head to 

www.minervamagazines.co.uk/competitions. 

Find the competition and enter on that post, 

using the appropriate keyword. 

T&C’s apply and no cash alternatives available. Winners chosen at 

random - entries made after closing date will not be accepted. 

Look good, feel good and do good. Loop Cashmere is 

dedicated to bringing you feelings of luxury, comfort and 

unparalleled quality with its capsule collection of exclusively 

and sustainably sourced styles. Loop Cashmere is offering 

one lucky person the chance to win a cashmere hoody and 

jogger set from its new SS21 range in ‘midnight’. 

This luxurious outfit is perfect for downtime at home, thrown 

on after a workout, or to embrace weekend athleisure style. 

It will not only keep you cosy but will last you a lifetime as 

Loop Cashmere products are made from the highest quality, 

sustainable cashmere. 

loopcashmere.co.uk 

Closes 05/09/2021 - Competition keyword ‘LOOP’ 

WIN 

3 x £85 

Berkshire 

Gin sets to be 

won 

Berkshire Botanical is an 

artisan spirits collection from 

West Berkshire, which takes its 

inspiration for the local flaura 

and fauna. 

The range boasts an Original 

Dry Gin, as well as delicious 

fruity flavours including 

Rhubarb & Raspberry and 

Honey and Orange Blossom 

which are perfect for 

summer. 

They’re offering three lucky 

winners the chance to try out 

the range with a fantastic gin 

bundle worth £85. 

berkshirebotanical.co.uk 

Closes 05/09/2021 - 

Competition keyword ‘BOTANICAL’ 

From the hero 100% natural multi-use 

Original Nipple Balm which can be 

used as a ultra-thick and long lasting 

lip balm, cuticle cream, brow balm 

and more, to the newly launched BFF 

Balm for all over hydration for the face, 

hands, body & delicate areas, your 

summer skincare needs are taken 

care of with Dr.Lipp! Additive free, 

fragrance free, and of course not 

tested on animals! Simplify your life 

with Dr.Lipp! 

One lucky winner can 

get their hands on 

this amazing bundle 

worth over £250! 

drlipp.com 

Closes 05/09/2021 - 

Competition keyword 

‘LIPP’ 

WIN 

Dr. Lipp 

bundle 

worth over 

£250! 

FIYAH is a 

female-lead, 

online family 

jewellery 

business. 

WIN 

2 x £125 

vouchers to 

spend on 

jewellery online 

with FIYAH! 

The forms 

of their beautiful 

sterling silver and 

gold jewellery takes 

influence from the 

natural world and 

seeks to emphasise 

the human experience 

and connection between 

people – knowing how significant 

and personal jewellery is to the 

wearer. They minimise their impact 

on the planet by only using sustainable 

manufacturing practices and recycled 

materials where they can. 

Two lucky winners will have the chance to win a £125 

voucher to spend online! fiyah.com 

Closes 05/09/2021 - Competition keyword ‘FIYAH’ 

Zoflora, the UK’s number one Concentrated Multipurpose 

Disinfectant, has been keeping homes hygienically clean 

and beautifully fragrant for almost 100 years. To help bring a 

little magic into your cleaning routine, we’re giving four lucky 

readers the chance to win a year’s supply of Zoflora! 

With over 30 fruity, floral and fresh perfumer 

developed fragrances to choose from, there’s a 

scent to suit every room and mood, whether 

you spray it, soak it, wipe it or mop it! 

T’c and C’s: The prize is a year’s supply of 

Zoflora, for 4 winners. zoflora.co.uk 

Closes 05/09/2021 - Competition keyword ‘ZOFLORA’ 

WIN 

A year’s 

supply of 

Zoflora! 

Win a pair of 

unisex, vintage 

Christian Dior 

sunglasses worth 

£99 

4 | www.minervamagazines.co.uk

GIVE A GIFT 

that means a little more 

Dorset Shellfish are a Weymouth fishing family who 

catch all of their own crab, lobster and line caught fish 

in the waters around Portland. They cook, prepare and 

sell their produce which is made into dressed crabs, 

dressed lobsters, pates, crab cakes and more. 

Find them at Sherborne and Shaftesbury Farmers 

Markets and also their premises on Portland. 

sustainable, wellness-based 

gift boxes - customisable and 

beautiful, from £10 

available from hauslife.co.uk 

Check out their social media or website for opening 

hours. 

07881632311 ONLINE SHOP | lfi IS @dorsetshellfish 

NOW OPEN! 

www.dorset-shellfish.co.uk 

Are you getting the most out of your 

holiday home? 

Our local team is dedicated to managing your property with the same care 

and attention you would. Simply get in touch and let us find you guests who will 

enjoy your home as much you do. 

Email newowners@dorsethideaways.co.uk or please call us on 01929 448 708 

www.dorsethideaways.co.uk 


Rain Stop Cycling? 

Cloudbursts of rain with a bit of hail 

and thunder mixed in are hardly 

conducive to an idyllic bike ride 

through the countryside. 

ADVERTISING FEATURE 

But, if you need to seek cover or sprint the last mile home, 

it does give the rider of an e-bike the excuse to advance the 

power setting to “Turbo” and pedal like mad and see the 

maximum you can get out of the bike. Although the power 

may fade away when you speed over 15mph (25kph) (for legal 

reasons), you can still continue pedalling faster and of course 

you can freewheel (or pedal) downhill as fast as you feel is safe. 

But, the real benefit will be going uphill. On maximum power 

and the rider working as hard as possible, you may well 

average 10 or 11mph going on an incline that you would 

otherwise only achieve 4 or 5 mph without the electrical 

assistance. And the motor and battery do not tire as quickly 

as the average rider. 

If you do deplete the battery, making it to a dry haven of a 

pub or café, so long as you have your charger with you, it is 

possible to prevail on the staff to let you plug in and charge 

for the duration of your visit. After all, you will consume only 

about 20% of a Kwh. With most batteries fully charged in 

around 6 hours, a 2 hour plug in may well give you another 

10+ miles of pedal assisted cycling. 

So, when you venture out and brave the weather, be fully 

prepared to dodge the worst. 

Axcess E-Bikes in stock NOW 

Axcess Hunter2 

Axcess Eriskay crossbar 

18” Frame 

26” Wheels 

Disc brakes 

LCD Display 

From £1445 

20” Frame 

28” Wheel 

Full Mudguards 

Lights 

£1495 

Axcess Shetland Folding 

Ampere Deluxe 

17” Frame 

20” Wheel 

Front Disc brake 

Folding handlebars 

£1350 

All bikes equipped with LCD Rider Display, Throttle, Disc Brakes & 36V X 10Ah Battery 

18” Frame 

28” Wheel 

Large Central Display 

Hydraulic Disc brakes 

£1599 

Showroom Open 10am - 5pm Mon – Sat 

Unit 1, Devonshire Court, Heathpark Industrial Estate, Honiton, Devon EX14 1SB 

01404 41692 | www.axcess-electric-bikes.co.uk 

Free 

delivery to 

Standard 

UK Post 

Codes 


DORCHESTER 

CURIOSITY 

CENTRE 

- FURNITURE - ANTIQUES - 

- VINTAGE CLOTHING - RECORDS - 

- COLLECTABLES - TEXTILES - 

We have over 70 traders across 12,000sq 

feet and at the heart is our Curiosity 

Centre Cafe offering a delicious menu of 

tasty delights. 

Enjoy free wi-fi and ample parking as you 

browse beautiful antiques, retro items, 

quality crafted shabby chic, glassware, 

ceramics and thousands of curios & 

collectables. 

Open 7 days a week 

Mon - Sat 9-5 and Sunday 10-4 

The Old Bus Depot, Grove Trading Estate, 

Dorchester DT1 1 ST 

Tel. 01305 251886 

Email: dorchcuriocentre@live.co.uk 

www.dorchestercuriositycentre.co.uk 

www.facebook.com/DorchesterCurioCentre 

lnstagram@dorchcuriocentre 

We also buy items and offer a delivery 

service across Dorset.

Learning through play 

Katie Paynter - discusses 

the value of play in the 

development of children 

Nothing is as natural as a child at play. It is a 

cherished part of childhood. It is important 

to recognise that it is difficult to give a single 

definition of play. It can be defined as ‘what 

children and young people do when they 

follow their own ideas and interests, in their 

own way, and for their own reasons.’ Play 

has also frequently been described as ‘what 

children and young people do when they are 

not being told what to do by adults’. 

Regardless of definition, the importance 

of play cannot be underestimated. It is 

undeniably instrumental in children’s learning 

and development and is particularly integral 

in a child’s early years, given it indubitably 

supports their foundational social, emotional 

and cognitive growth. 

Anyone spending any time with young 

children will understand that providing them 

with opportunities for play provides so much 

more than a few minutes or hours of ‘fun’. 

Many instrumental skills are developed. It 

develops communication and language skills 

and vocabulary, an understanding of emotion 

and empathy, social skills and creativity. It 

also supports and strengthens co-operation, 

collaboration, sharing and problem solving. 

Children will observe those around them 

and mimic language and behaviour. It 

teaches self-expression, nurtures a sense of 

imagination and simultaneously gives children 

a feeling of adventure. 

Dramatic play is absolutely essential to a 

child’s social and emotional development and 

can enhance their physical development too. 

It is also very closely connected to intellectual 

development. This is when children make 

sense of the world in which they live by 

acting out situations before they experience 

them and by mimicking what they witness 

around them. Most children are innately 

imaginative and will happily chat away to 

someone on their toy telephone or pretend 

to travel to hospital in an ambulance made 

from a cardboard box! This creativity must be 

actively fostered! 

Encouraging young children to embrace 

physically active play is extremely beneficial 

and necessary for their development. It 

helps them to learn about the ever-changing 

environment and gives them the opportunity 

to use their whole body and develop their 

gross motor skills. It can meet their multisensory 

needs and will promote significant 

health and well-being benefits. Whether it 

is messy play, creative or role play, it is an 

essential part of learning. 

Play provides a platform through which 

children are not only able to learn about the 

world around them through interacting with it, 

but it also gives them the opportunity to learn 

about themselves. As play is fun, children’s 

focus tends to be over a sustained period. In 

turn, this helps children to develop the ability 

to concentrate. It is important as parents not 

to push your child too hard. Children develop 

in their own ways and in their own time and, 

rest assured, their levels of focus will steadily 

augment. 

It is imperative that children are given the 

time ‘to be children’ and being able to play 

is essential, if the aforementioned physical, 

social, emotional and cognitive skills are to be 

securely embedded. 

Katie Paynter, head of pre-prep and EYFS at 

Lochinver House School and IAPS pre-prep 

and EY adviser 


school summer camps Why send your child to one? 

I think that we would all agree that children have had a very 

disruptive year and more likely one that has been somewhat 

unsettling. 

So to encourage children to enjoy themselves and catch up with 

lost time a visit to a summer camp could be an ideal solution. 

With a summer holiday abroad on hold for many, summer holiday 

clubs are the perfect solution to ensure your child enjoys a time 

away to remember! 

You can choose a club as your child’s summer staycation. There 

are many camps across the country which offer an exciting range 

of activities. 

The main purpose of many camps is educational, athletic, and 

cultural development. A summer camp environment will allow 

children to learn new skills in a safe and nurturing environment. 

Summer camp experience can have a lasting psychological and 

beneficial impact on the development of a child. 

It’s also a great chance to make new friends and discover 

their potential, which has been put on hold with the number of 

shutdowns they have experienced. 

We would recommend that you have a chat with the type of 

activities they would like take part find one that would suit their 

interests will offer your child the adventures they would enjoy. It 

could be horse -riding, crafting, camping and much more.... 


Could 

you be a 

brilliant 

Foster 

Carer like 

Kayleigh? 


Kayleigh left her career 

in banking and is now 

fostering a 15-yearold 

girl. She decided 

to change direction 

and become a highly 

valued Foster Carer for 

Dorset Council because 

she wanted to make a 

difference and 

help others. 

Kayleigh said: “This is literally the 

happiest I’ve ever been. I’ve gained 

another family member for life. My 

foster daughter has integrated so well, 

she is a good kid and just needed a 

fresh start.” 

Dorset Council urgently needs to find 

more brilliant foster carers for Dorset 

teenagers. 

Could you care for a Dorset teenager, 

so they can stay at their school with 

their friends? 

Dorset Council is looking for more local 

foster carers, as without them more 

young people from Dorset will have to 

leave their school, their friends, their 

families and everything they know and 

be looked after far away. 

Please find out more about joining our 

highly valued family of foster carers. 

Visit fosterindorset.com and register 

an interest. 

Kayleigh, who has a four-year-old 

daughter, has never looked back, she 

said: “I’m so glad I made the decision 

to become a Foster Carer. I enquired 

because I wanted to spend more time 

with my daughter and make a difference 

to a young person’s life. 

“My foster daughter is part of the family, 

she and my daughter call each other 

sisters and they have a great relationship. 

Of course, it hasn’t all been easy. We’ve 

been together a year now and there have 

been some challenges along the way. But 

over the past year my foster daughter 

has become so much more confident, I’m 

“My foster daughter is part of the 

family, she and my daughter call 

each other sisters and they have a 

great relationship.” 

proud of her and how she has managed 

everything. I haven’t looked back since 

I started fostering. It’s been the best 

choice I’ve ever made. Dorset Council 

provides support, it is paid, and I have 

enjoyed meeting other carers.” 

We welcome enquiries from people 

from all walks of life 

Dorset Council’s Foster Carers come 

from a wide range of cultures, ages and 

ethnic groups. We’d love more enquiries 

from people from all backgrounds, people 

who are single, LGBTQ+, retired, in a civil 

partnership, living together, have pets, 

rent their homes and so on! All you need 

is love, energy and a spare room. 

Great support and allowances of up to 

£590 a week 

Dorset Council provides support, training 

and fostering allowances of up to £590 a 

week, depending on a child’s needs. 

Dorset teenagers desperately need more 

people like Kayleigh, and perhaps you, to 

take good care of them. Please find out 

more and register an enquiry today at: 

fosterindorset.com or call 

01305 225568 for a chat about fostering. 


Dorset 

teenagers 

need Foster 

Carers

TIME FOR 

tea 

CLASSIC TEATIME SCONES 

You can’t go wrong with a freshly baked 

scone. Simple to master and can be 

whipped up in a matter of minutes! 

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES 

COOK TIME: 12-15 MINUTES 

MAKE 18-22 SCONES 

INGREDIENTS 

450g self-raising flour plus extra for dusting 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

100g cold butter, cut into cubes 

50g caster sugar 

2 medium Clarence Court Hens Eggs plus 

1 beaten 

Milk 

METHOD 

Pre-heat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F/ gas mark 

6. Line two baking trays with greaseproof 

paper. 

Put the flour and baking powder into a large 

mixing bowl, add the butter and rub it into 

to the flour with your fingers until you create 

a fine breadcrumb texture. Stir in the sugar. 

Crack the eggs into a measuring jug and 

top up with enough milk to get to 270ml. 

Make a well in the centre of the flour mix 

and pour in the eggs and milk. Stir using a 

dinner knife to start then use your hands to 

form a rough dough. Tip out on to a lightly 

floured work surface and roll to a rough 

oblong about 2cm thick. 

Use a 5cm cutter to cut out as many scones 

as possible then arrange over the 2 trays 

making sure they aren’t too close to each 

other. Roll out the remaining dough and cut 

out more scones. When all the scones have 

been cut out, brush the tops with beaten 

egg and place the trays in the oven to bake 

for 12 - 15 minutes or until pale gold in 

colour and nicely risen. 

With Afternoon Tea Week 

taking place from 9-15 

August, plus the MacMillan 

Coffee Morning on the 24 

September, there’s never 

been a better time to gather 

your nearest and dearest, 

don your apron and get 

baking! We’ve gathered 

together the best recipes 

from Clarence Court Eggs 

Allow to cool a little on a wire rack and 

serve warm with clotted cream and your 

favourite jam. 


SESAME BRAIDED EGG BUNS 

A mix between a brioche and a pretzel, Nicola 

Millbank’s sesame braided eggs buns are best 

served warm fresh from the oven, slathered in 

salted butter. 

PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES PLUS 90 MINUTES 

TO RISE AND 30 MINUTES TO REST 


SERVES 12 

INGREDIENTS 

175ml warm milk 

2¼ teaspoon fast action dried yeast 


2 Clarence Court Burford Brown eggs, plus 1 

yolk 

60ml vegetable oil 

440g plain flour 

½ teaspoon salt 

1 egg yolk 

1 tablespoon of milk 

1 tablespoon of sesame seeds 

A pinch of flaked sea salt 

METHOD 

The following can be done in either a stand 

mixer with the dough hook attachment or in a 

large bowl with a fork. 

Into the bowl, add the warm milk, yeast, castor 

sugar, eggs and egg yolk, vegetable oil, plain 

flour and salt. Turn the machine onto low and 

mix until the ingredients have come together 

and a sticky dough is formed, completely 

coming away from the bowl. 

Turn out onto a floured surface, kneed for a 

couple of minutes until smooth and form into 

a ball. Place the dough into an oiled bowl 

and cover in clingfilm for 90 minutes until it’s 

doubled in size. 

After 90 minutes, turn the dough out onto a 

floured surface. Cut the dough into quarters 

then each quarter into three. Working on one 

piece at a time, cut the piece of dough in half, 

and roll both halves out into two sausages, 

around 20cm long. Place one down horizontally, 

and the other, over the top vertically creating 

a cross. Then picking up the ends of the 

horizontal sausage, cross them over each other 

and place them back down. Repeat this with the 

vertical sausage, criss-crossing the pieces of 

dough to form a plait. 

Tuck the ends under the bun and place the 

braid onto a baking sheet lined with greaseproof 

paper. Repeat with the rest of the dough. 

Cover the braided buns in cling film and allow 

to rest for another 30 minutes and preheat the 

oven to 170˚C/ 150˚C fan. Uncover the buns. 

Mix together the egg yolk and milk and brush 

evenly over the buns. Scatter with sesame 

seeds and a sprinkle of seat salt. 

Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until a 

deep golden brown. Allow to cool a little before 

removing them from the baking sheet; but these 

are best served warm with salted butter.. 


QUAIL SCOTCH EGGS 

Libby Silbermann, has shared with us her 

perfect picnic addition. These Quail Scotch 

Eggs are a delicious bite size treat, served 

with tarragon mayo, dip and enjoy! 


COOK TIME: 5 MINUTES 

SERVES 4 

INGREDIENTS 

12 Clarence Court quail eggs 

250g good quality British sausages, 

removed from skins 

Fresh thyme 

1 egg beaten 

100g panko breadcrumbs 

100g plain flour 

Vegetable oil for frying 

Tarragon Mayo: 

2x egg yolks 

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, plus extra for 

seasoning 

1 teaspoon tarragon vinegar (or white 

wine vinegar) 

250ml olive oil (or rapeseed) 

Juice of ½ lemon 

Handful of fresh tarragon leaves, picked 

and chopped 

METHOD 

Boil the quail eggs in a pan of boiling 

water for 2 minutes. Then plunge into 

an ice bath - this will stop them cooking 

further and ensure you have a runny yolk 

at the end. 

While they are cooling, make your Mayo. 

Place 2 egg yolks in a large bowl. Add 

the mustard and vinegar and whisk them 

well until they are paler. Slowly drizzle 

in the oil in a steady stream, whisking 

continuously - this will emulsify the egg 

yolk and it will thicken and become 

glossy. Keep slowly adding until you 

have added half of the oil. 

At this stage squeeze in juice of ½ a 

lemon. Then drizzle in remaining oil, 

whisking continuously until all is added. 

Season the mayonnaise with the chopped 

tarragon, salt and some more lemon or 

mustard to taste. Set aside. 

Peel the quail eggs carefully as they 

are delicate. It is quite therapeutic and 

satisfying! 

Time to assemble. Add fresh chopped 

thyme to your sausage meat. Season 

the plain flour well with salt and pepper. 

Place a small amount in the palm of your 

hand and press to flatten, place a quail 

egg in the middle and cup your hand to 

enclose the egg in the meat. Gently press 

the sausage meat around the egg so it is 

completely covered and there are no air 

pockets. 

Next place the egg into the flour and 

coat, then dust off the excess. Do the 

same in the egg, and then followed by 

the panko. Repeat with all the quail eggs. 

Heat vegetable oil in a high sided pan so 

it comes up 2 inches high. Heat until it 

reaches 180˚C. 

Fry the scotch eggs in batches for 2 

minutes until golden brown on all sides 

and crisp. Remove carefully with a slotted 

spoon and drain on kitchen paper to 

remove excess oil. Serve alongside the 

tarragon mayo! 

BERRY AND LEMON 

SEMIFREDDO 

A version of the classic Italian dessert 

(meaning semi-frozen), whipped egg 

whites and cream stop the ice cream from 

setting hard which makes it easy to cut. 


COOK TIME: 4 HOURS 

SERVES 6-8 

INGREDIENTS 

300g fresh or frozen summer berries 

150g good quality lemon curd 

1 tbsp limoncello (optional) 


3 Large Clarence Court Burford Brown 


Zest of 2 unwaxed lemons 

400ml double cream 

50g shelled unsalted, pistachios 

(blanched if you can find them) 

50g good quality shortbread biscuit 

METHOD 

Line a 2lb loaf tin with a long strip of 

greaseproof paper that lines the base 

and goes up the shorter sides of the tin to 

leave overhang, this makes it a lot easier 

to remove or you can fully line the tin with 

cling film. Then place the tin in the freezer 

to chill. 

Place 150g of the berries into a small 

saucepan. Simmer on a low heat for 

around 20 minutes until the fruit has 

broken down, strain through a sieve into 

a bowl and allow to cool. 

Mix the lemon curd with the limoncello (if 

using) and place to one side. Meanwhile 

place the egg yolks and sugar in a large 

mixing bowl and whisk until pale then 

stir in the lemon zest. In a separate bowl 

whisk the cream to soft peaks. Then in 

another bowl whisk the egg whites to stiff 

peaks. Carefully fold with cream and egg 

whites into the egg yolk mixture using a 

large metal spoon. 

Remove the tin from the freezer. Spoon 

half of the semifreddo mixture into the 

lined tin ripple in half of the blitzed berry 

mixture and scatter in some whole berries 

then spoon over the lemon curd mixture. 

Spoon over the remaining semifreddo 

mixture and ripple in the remaining berry 

mixture. Reserve the remaining whole 

berries for serving. Place the semifreddo 

in the freezer uncovered for 4 hours, then 

cover and freeze for at least another 4 

hours or over-night. 

When you’re nearly ready to serve, 

remove the semifreddo from the freezer 

and place in the fridge for 20 minutes. 

In a food processor blitz the shortbread 

and pistachios together to make a crumb. 

Turn the semifreddo out onto a serving 

plate or board and scatter over crumb. 

Slice and serve with the remaining fruit. 

BLUEBERRY AND 

PEACH CAKE 

An impressive-looking but easy to make 

cake, topped with cream cheese frosting 

and lots of fresh fruit with the added floral 

flavours of a little fresh rosemary! Duck 

eggs help keep the sponge light and 

fluffy. 



SERVES 6-8 

INGREDIENTS 

150g baking spread or softened unsalted 

butter (plus 50g softened unsalted butter 

for frosting and for greasing) 


4 tablespoons thick peach puree or 

blitzed tinned or fresh peeled peach (or 

just use 50g extra caster sugar) 

2 Clarence Court Braddock Whites 

150g self-raising flour, sieved 

Pinch salt 

50g ground almonds 

1 sprig of rosemary, finely chopped plus 

extra sprigs for serving 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

4 tablespoons natural or peach yoghurt 

2 x 120g punnets blueberries 

250g icing sugar sifted plus extra for 

dusting 

250g full-fat cream cheese 

1 whole peach 

METHOD 

Pre-heat the oven to 160˚C/ 320˚F/ gas 

mark 3. Grease and line the base and 

sides of a 20cm, deep round cake tin. 

Place the spread or butter in a large 

mixing bowl and add the sugar. Cream 

together well in a mixer or with a wooden 

spoon until soft and fluffy. Crack the 

eggs into a jug and whisk with the 

peach puree. Stir in a little at a time until 

incorporated. Mix the flour, salt, ground 

almonds, chopped rosemary and baking 

powder in a mixing bowl then fold into 

the butter and egg mix then stir in the 

vanilla extract and yoghurt. Scatter in 

half of one punnet of blueberries into the 

prepared tin, followed by half the sponge 

mixture. Top with the remaining ½ punnet 

blueberries and finish with the rest of the 

cake mix. 

Place the cake in the oven and bake 

for 45-50 minutes until golden and risen 

or if a skewer is poked in the middle it 

comes out clean. Remove the cake from 

the oven and place on a cooling rack for 

about 40 minutes. Carefully release the 

cake from the tin and allow it rest on the 

cooling rack until totally cool. 

Place the icing sugar and 50g of softened 

butter in a mixing bowl and mix well until 

soft and fluffy. Mix in the cream cheese 

until you have a whipped, stable frosting. 

Transfer to a small bowl and pop in the 

fridge to chill whilst the cake cools. 

When ready to assemble place the 

sponge on a serving plate or board. 

Destone and slice the whole peach 

into thin slices. Spread the frosting 

over the top, scatter over the remaining 

blueberries and peach slices. Sprinkle 

over a few rosemary leaves and dust over 

a little icing sugar. Serve with a cup of tea 

or a fresh, crisp sparkling wine. 


Man of the sea 

Mitch Tonks 

The Rockfish Boat 

Mitch Tonks, image courtesy Steve Haywood 

Sally Thomson was 

delighted to catch up with 

chef and entrepreneur - 

Mitch Tonks who she has 

known for over 25 years.... 

SALLY: HOW ARE YOU DOING? 

Mitch: We are doing great! We are looking 

forward to finally getting the restaurant 

open. I think we are going to have a nice 

bounce back, but what a strange time. 

I’m one of the people that has benefited 

and enjoyed it to be honest. Getting to my 

age and not really taking any time off, I’ve 

had lots of time to spend with the kids and 

rethink things to make things better. 

I’D LIKE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT YOUR 

BEAUTIFUL BOOK THE DISHES LOOK 

MOUTH-WATERING. MY FIRST QUESTION 

HOWEVER, IS HOW 

HAVE YOU ADAPTED TO THE LOCKDOWN? 

I must say that the first 2 weeks were 

scary; I didn’t really know what was going 

to happen, I knew how much money was 

in the bank and how long that would last. 

I had some truly beautiful and humbling 

experiences where my children took care 

of me, cooked for me and said: “Dad, you 

just concentrate on work and we are going 

to look after you and cook for you.” My son 

Ben is a chef and works in The Seahorse 

and so does my daughter along with Ben’s 

partner who is now the general manager. 

FANTASTIC, WHAT A LOVELY FAMILY AFFAIR! 

It is, and it was lovely being at home with 

them. When we started to think about 

survival, “I thought this is it we are going to 

survive this” We had 274 staff and I thought 

we are going to get through this and I’m 

going to take care of every single one of 

you and come out the other side. 

There was a lot to think about and we really 

took care of people. During the time we 

thought about, “How can we make this 

business 

better” and we started 

pulling apart everything that was wrong 

and thought how can we make it better? 

These are things that we couldn’t do when 

we were open, so we did a whole lot of 

things like shortened inventory, better 

shift patterns, closed the restaurant for an 

hour in the afternoon, went down to a 4 

day week in the winter, all the kind of stuff 

that we didn’t have the foresight to do 

previously. 

WHEN SOMEONE IS SO ENGROSSED IN 

MANAGING A BUSINESS IT’S SOMETIMES 

HARD, THIS MUST HAVE GIVEN YOU THE 

OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A NEW VISION? 

I think it was a bit of that, but I’m always 

very outward looking with my business 

any way but I think one of the challenges 

was trying to get people to go along with 

it as they would be like we’re too busy or 

that’s not the way we do it. Everybody was 

great, and I think I realised that we were 

a lot more capable as I thought we were 

which was great and hugely uplifting, so I 

thought right I’m going to write a book. We 

wrote the book in November after a really 

good summer obviously we didn’t know 

that we were going to be in lockdown the 

first quarter. We were also working hard 

on getting the planning permission for our 

Salcombe restaurant which should be 

ready next year. Then we started sending 


out boxes to people like a seafood meal for 2 

and we suddenly built up to several hundred 

boxes a week which was quite a considerable 

amount. 

What we did was open a fishmongers in 

Brixham just before lockdown, so we ran it 

from there sending out all these boxes. I then 

started to reflect on my own behaviour at 

home, how it had changed and how I was 

buying my toilet roll, my chemicals, my meat 

and things stuff that I had never bought on 

mail order before and subscriptions and I 

was really enjoying it. I started to think about 

how much people had loved our boxes and 

how Sainsbury’s had closed their fish counter 

and I thought why can’t we set up a seafood 

at home business so we completed buying 

our fish supplier, we buy off the fish market 

everyday we have our own boat out there 

fishing so we bought that company and then 

we bought another company that makes 

sauces and things for us but also makes 

things for Fortman & Mason and the big fancy 

retailers. So, we are launching in July a really 

innovated seafood at home business where 

you will be able to buy amazingly fresh fish 

packaged brilliantly, nice and easy recipes 

available nationwide. Hopefully the reputation 

will be great, and people will trust us, they 

can see our fishing boats our restaurants and 

they will want to buy fish from us. 

KNOW YOU ARE EXTREMELY BUSY BUT WHAT 

DO YOU DO TO RELAX? 

I’m a sailor, a big reader so I love to read, 

and I love to cook and entertain at my house 

with the children. I’m a sailor so I love to plan 

voyages I can’t wait to get on the water, and 

we are sailing our boat up to the West Coast 

of Scotland. I’m leaving in 3 weeks and we 

are going to try and live a little bit up there 

and a little bit down here and just take some 

valuable time. 

LETS TALK ABOUT YOUR BOOK WHICH 

LOOKS WONDERFUL. WHEN YOU DO YOUR 

RECIPES WHAT INSPIRES YOU? DO YOU 

DRAW ON YOUR EXPERIENCE OR DO YOU 

LIKE TO CREATE NEW DISHES? 

I think in this book I draw on my love of 

seafood which is really nice and my own 

experiences in the rock fish book there’s quite 

a lot of new dishes things that I mainly cook 

at home. What I really enjoyed about this 

book is there’s no boundaries. This is food 

that I love like Asian food Singapore Chilli 

Crab (pictured top right) and Crispy fried Chilli 

cuttlefish. It’s really great! 

excel in education so when I 

got a doctorate from Plymouth 

University, I was very proud. 

I had to stand up and do a 

speech in front of the students 

and I never imagined that 

I would get to university 

and receive an honorary 

doctorate and it was my most 

personal proudest moment of 

recognition. 

Singapore Chilli Crab 

I’VE NEVER WORKED WITH FRESH CRAB SO 

MAYBE WHEN I NEXT COME DOWN YOU CAN 

SHOW ME WHAT TO DO WITH IT. 

I can definitely do that, and you know when 

you eat a wonderful fresh crab it’s a mindblowing 

experience. 

YOU HAVE SOME FABULOUS ACCOLADES BOTH 

ON YOUR WEBSITE AND IN THE LATEST BOOK 

To be honest it’s not one of the things I ever 

think about but they are very humbling. I think 

the thing I was most proud of was the fact I 

was a council house boy and didn’t really 

THE ROCKFISH COOKBOOK BY 

MITCH TONKS 

PUBLISHED BY JON CROFT 

EDITIONS 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS TERRY 

£18 

AVAILABLE AT ROCKFISH 

RESTAURANTS AND ONLINE AT 

THEROCKFISH.CO.UK 

Rockfish Cookbook 


Canned 

sardines 

on toast 

with capers & red onion 

By Mitch Tonks 

I love canned seafood. It becomes something 

different in the canning process. Oily fish like 

tuna, mackerel and sardines are particularly 

delicious. I have always wanted to can seafood 

caught in the UK. Canning seems to be 

something we don’t do much in this country yet 

in ports across Brittany and northern Spain it 

is quite a craft, and the canned anchovies and 

tuna from those areas are revered the world 

over. They’re even more expensive than the fresh 

catch. 

There is a healthy sardine fishery in Cornwall. 

We bought a tonne of the new season’s catch 

in 2019 and worked with a Spanish seafood 

cannery to have the fish popped into cans. 

We tasted them alongside the very best of the 

Portuguese and Spanish rivals and arrived at the 

conclusion that the Cornish sardines set the bar, 

being fat, oily and delicious. 

I’m often asked what you can do with canned 

sardines. This is how I prepare them at home, 

just a simple combination of ingredients. But the 

sardine mayonnaise we make at the restaurants 

is what transforms the dish. 

SERVES 2 

1 x 140g can sardines 

(I recommend Rockfish brand or Ortiz) 

Sardine mayonnaise (see page 130) 

½ red onion, finely sliced 

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained 

1 tablespoon finely chopped curly parsley 

1 dill pickle, finely sliced 

2 slices of sourdough bread 

salt and white pepper 

METHOD 

Drain the oil from the can of sardines and use it 

to make the mayonnaise. 

Put the sardines in a bowl with the onion, capers, 

parsley and pickle. Gently break up the fish but 

leave nice chunks. Season. Toast the bread, then 

heap the sardine mixture on top. 

Serve the mayo on the side. 



Sea bream 

baked in 

paper 

with garlic, olive oil, 

chilli & rosemary 

By Mitch Tonks 

Cooking a fish ‘en papillote’, or in a bag, is an 

excellent way to prepare it. The fish retains its 

moistness and the other flavours that you add 

really get a chance to develop with the flavours 

of the fish to create something quite magical. 

The combination of roasted garlic, chilli and 

rosemary is a good one, as is thyme, lemon and 

cumin. But you will find your own preferences. 

Look for wild gilt head or black bream, or use 

farmed gilt head bream, which are delicious and 

perfectly acceptable. Ask your fishmonger to 

scale and gut the fish and remove the head. 

SERVES 2 

8 garlic cloves 

100ml olive oil 

2 whole sea bream, weighing about 450g each, 

head removed 

1 small fresh bird’s eye chilli, finely sliced 

4 sprigs of rosemary 

50ml white wine 

finely chopped parsley 

salt 

METHOD 

Preheat the oven to 160°C Fan/180°C/Gas 

Mark 4. 

Place your garlic cloves, with the skin on, on 

a small roasting tray, drizzle with a little of the 

olive oil and sprinkle with some salt. Roast for 

10 minutes or until soft – you should be able to 

squeeze the garlic from the skin. If not then just 

cook a little longer. Set aside to cool slightly. 

Turn up the oven to its maximum heat. 

Cut out 2 pieces of baking parchment large 

enough to enclose a fish. Lay the parchment on 

the worktop and place the fish on it. Sprinkle the 

chilli over the fish and place the peeled garlic 

around it. Tuck some rosemary into the belly. 

Sprinkle with salt and pour over the rest of the 

olive oil. Fold the paper up and over the fish, and 

just before you seal it up completely, pour the 

wine into the corner, then finish sealing. 

Place the parchment bags on a baking tray 

and cook for 15 minutes. Cut the paper open, 

sprinkle the fish with chopped parley and serve 

straight from the bag. 



TONIQ On Demand 


We caught up with personal trainer Arron Collins-Thomas to find out about his new 

online fitness offering, expanded from his very successful gym TONIQ... 

Your gym, with its fully-rounded approach to health and 

lifestyle, has made national news for its incredible client 

results – what will the app offer? 

At TONIQ we recognise that good health is more than just 

regular workouts, it encompasses taking care of every aspect 

of your body. We have created a solution where everything from 

nutrition, mindfulness, amazing workouts, yoga and more is 

available with guidance from fantastic trainers and experts in 

one place. 

Not only this, but as part of TOD you have access to your own 

coach, ensuring that you have someone you can speak to, to 

keep you on track and accountable as well as supporting you 

throughout. 

We have had some incredible results over the past few years at 

TONIQ and we want to be able to bring those results to more 

people. With the app we aim to give anyone, anywhere in the 

world, a taste of the TONIQ-life. 

As a TONIQ On Demand member you get to join the incredible 

community online, have access to our on demand workouts as 

well as live workouts, Q&As and educational talks. We have an 

incredible coaching team with a huge array of skills to bring to 

you including yoga, qigong, nutrition and mindfulness. 

The main workouts are written based on what we are up to at 

TONIQ in any given training block and a new phase of workouts 

launches every 6 weeks on the app as well as regular bonus 

content to keep the training varied and inspiring. 

Can you get a good experience with online coaching? 

Are you accountable and is it personalised? 

With TOD you have a designated TONIQ coach who you speak 

to on a one to one basis. When you first sign up with us you 

will have a call to help you set up your accountability sheets, 

help you curate your workout schedule and set you on the 

right nutrition plan for you. Then every month you get another 

call with your coach to help keep you on track and answer any 

questions you may have. Accountability is key if you really want 

to get results and that is one of the reasons why TONIQ has 

been so successful. 

Are the classes accessible no matter your fitness level? 

Some of us are self-conscious about going to the gym or 

nervous in COVID times. 

No matter what your levels of fitness we can help you. Our 

expert coach will advise what level to start at for you and 

how hard to push yourself in the first consultation you have 

with them. It will be based around your fitness and any health 

concerns, so you can feel secure in the fact that you won’t be 

over training or causing yourself any harm by taking part in our 

programs. 

For people who aren’t ready for the gym again yet or who are 

self conscious TONIQ On Demand is the perfect choice. You get 

personal trainer support and expert written workouts, all from 

the comfort of your own home. 

You also get to join a great online community who share their 

experiences and help support each other to get the results they 

desire. 

TONIQ ON DEMAND 

MORE THAN A WORKOUT 

Join our community from anywhere, at anytime with 

TONIQ on Demand, our app gives you access to: 

Personalised plans developed with expert coaches. 

Nutrition plans based on your needs and goals. 

Monthly 121 check in calls with an expert coach. 

Extensive library of classes including SWEAT, STRONGER, 

BURN and CHILL. 

Visit TONIQLIFE.COM to find out more

IT’S A 

SUSTAINABLE HOUSING 

DEVELOPMENT IN 

GLOUCESTERSHIRE REACHES 

KEY MILESTONE 

GARDENERS’ 

WORLD 

Adam Frost is an 

award-winning British 

garden designer, 

television presenter and 

motivational speaker. 

Best known for his 

successes at RHS Chelsea 

Flower Show, he is 

passionate about inspiring 

adults and children 

alike to create their 

own gardens and watch 

hedgerows spring to life. 

Sally Thomson caught up 

with him to discuss all 

things green... 

WE WERE TALKING ABOUT GEOFF 

BARNWELL? 

It was originally in North Devon Parks 

depart that I did my apprenticeship and 

then I went to work for Geoff when I was 

21 years old and then spent an amazing 

mind blowing, not that I think you realise 

it in your early 20s working 6-7 years with 

Geoff until he passed away in 96. 

AN INSPIRATIONAL MAN I SHOULD 

IMAGINE? 

Yes, looking back I don’t think you 

realised what he was talking about, Peat 

free gardening, Organic gardening, stop 

ripping up limestone pavements and 

destroying the countryside all the things 

that were way before their time really. We 

are now 30 years on and we’ve only just 

decided to ban peat. I think in reality he 

set my gardening moral compass. 

HIS SON HAS GONE INTO THE SAME 

LINE OF WORK ALSO? 

He had 3 sons but Nick the middle son 

was left the garden & nursery, so he’s got 

Barnwell plants and gardens. 

TELL ME HOW THE GARDENER’S 

WORLD EVENT WENT AT BEAULIEU? 

I had a lovely weekend! I’d be lying if I 

didn’t say I was a bit nervous. I had just 

had my 2nd injection It was the first time 

I had done anything in a public arena for 

about 18 months! You realise that all the 

shows are now your general catch up. 

WITH THE PANDEMIC DID YOU FIND 

IT STRANGE NOT BEING OUT & 

ABOUT WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC? 

Definitely, We run a school as well so 

we had to close that. I did some stuff on 

zoom like most people but that’s a very 

strange experience. I’ve never spent 

so much time at home or in the garden 

through the summer months with my wife 

& kids which was a mixed blessing and 

gave me time to stop which I don’t think 

I’ve done since I was 16. 

I BET YOU MISSED THE VIBE OF 

BEING AT CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW? 

I was due to go back and do a garden 

in 2020 so that went but it looks we will 

be able to go back in September and 


do some filming but I’m not building 

anything now. 

HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT BUILDING A 

GARDEN FOR CHELSEA? 

It can be 12 months to 2 years planning 

but at one point I was doing them back to 

back finishing one then moving straight 

onto the next one. But it’s fascinating, it’s 

how I built my career. 

“I think ultimately 

gardens are about 

4 things; People, 

Space, Plants and 

Place.” 

HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR 

FIRST CHELSEA GOLD? 

If I’m honest, I think I was slightly 

oblivious to what they actually meant. My 

dad was a landscaper and he built early 

John Brooks gardens in the early 70s I 

recently met Professor David Stevens 

Garden designer who also worked for 

John Brooks. We were talking about 

Chelsea and he said that my dad would 

have been a few gardens along from 

where we were. David also taught me a 

lot about design in that sense. 

WHEN YOU START A DESIGN IS IT 

FROM A THOUGHT OR ARE YOU 

PLANNING IT IN ADVANCE? 

It depends on whether its for a client. 

I think ultimately gardens are about 4 

things; People, Space, Plants and Place. 

It’s normally one of those that I tap into 

first and it might be a bit of landscape 

it might be an individual picture I’ve 

seen it might be the shape of something 

whatever it is that gives me an insight 

into a person or if it’s a show garden what 

particular design will drive it that’s how I 

start and then create from there. 

DO YOU THINK BEAULIEU WILL BE A 

REGULAR EVENT NOW? 

I think so, I walked in and thought 

what a glorious piece of landscape 

and the moment I walked in the gate it 

had a good feel. People really enjoyed 

themselves and as a setting it had quite a 

lovely intimate feel to it, even the stages 

had an open canopy, and everybody 

was sensible and had plenty of space. 

The standard of the displays was really 

good and Hilliers had gone there and 

built a garden, so it was great that you 

had something there of Hilliers quality. I 

think a positive out of the last 15 months 

is that people have slowed down have 

connected or reconnected with what’s 

outside their back door or in the area. 

I’ve seen a report saying we now have 

3 million new gardeners. Everybody 


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you talk to in the industry says that 

the hunger from last year is still there 

which is great. I just hope in a way that 

stays. I think even the people that knew 

gardening was good for you physically 

and mentally, even for me I don’t think I 

realised how important it was to my life. 

I FIND IT VERY THERAPEUTIC AND 

GOOD FOR THE SOUL 

It’s interesting that we are seeing 

statistics people moving out of cities 

and into the countryside and are wanting 

bigger gardens it wasn’t that long-ago 

people were downsizing and didn’t want 

a big outdoor space and this time has 

now changed that. 

I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE AN 

RHS AMBASSADOR? WHAT DOES 

THAT ENTAIL? 

Yes, I’ve done that for quite a few years 

now. Basically, I help them with stuff 

looking at helping youngsters to engage 

more through events and I did a lot 

of work a while back with Homebase 

creating apprenticeships so that’s how it 

started. I also do a lot of community stuff 

with RHS and I’m just about to start a 

new project which I can’t say too much 

about which will be good. I have travelled 

all over to schools, events for them. I 

was brought up just outside London and 

wasn’t the best behaved, I’m dyslexic 

and obviously I’ve done OK and I think 

that’s why they wanted me to help. 

YOU ARE AT THE NEC IN THE 

SUMMER WHAT WILL THAT INVOLVE? 

I normally go from stage to stage and talk 

all things gardening and there’s different 

themes on different stages from talking 

about Grow your Own, Unusual edibles, 

soil & compost so all sorts really. What 

I love about that show is you have the 

gardens and displays but it also interlinks 

with food and because its at the NEC if 

we do have poor weather people can get 

inside. Because it’s such a large venue 

everything will feel alright. 

DO YOU DO ANY JUDGING IN YOUR 

ROLE? 

I’ve been asked, and I’ve done bits and 

pieces, but I don’t really like to just turn 

up and judge other people’s work. 

SO, AT CHELSEA FOR EXAMPLE ARE 

YOU THERE WHEN THE JUDGES 

COME AROUND? 

You have a 2 minute conversation the day 

before to explain if anything has changed 

or there have been any adjustments 

to the design. They then arrive at your 

garden anytime between 7:30 and 

9:30am on the day and you must be away 

from your garden. Then you have another 

24 hours until you find out the result. 

WHEN DID YOU REALISE THAT 

YOU HAD AN APTITUDE FOR 

PRESENTING? 

I don’t think I did really, I love what I do I 

think it just happened. I was talking to a 

Robert Hillier at Chelsea and he said can 

you remember the conversation we had 

in 2015 where you said the BBC want 

me to do some presenting as they think 

I’m half decent and he said are you sure 

that’s what you want to do and you said 

I don’t know but I’ll give it a go and here 

we are now. 

“I would say to 

anybody there is 

so much glorious 

flower colour foliage 

colour stem colour 

to be had and the 

light is different so 

the atmosphere is 

different you can 

still wrap up and 

enjoy it just don’t 

disengage. Don’t 

chase perfection just 

enjoy the moments.” 

WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE OUR 

READERS TO DO TO THEIR GARDENS 

BEFORE AUTUMN? 

Don’t disengage with the garden, I think 

we get to September the kids go back to 

school and people pack up their gardens. 

I think our environment has changed 

so much that you cant month to month 

garden anymore you have to react to the 

month you are in September, October 

and even going into November we can 

still have some cracking days and only 

have our first frosts going into December 

so I would say to anybody there is so 

much glorious flower colour foliage 

colour stem colour to be had and the light 

is different so the atmosphere is different 

you can still wrap up and enjoy it just 

don’t disengage. Don’t chase perfection 

just enjoy the moments. 

Adam Frost, along with other gardening 

celebrities, will be appearing at the NEC 

in Birmingham from Thursday August 26 

to Sunday August 29. 

For ticket information, please visit 

www.bbcgardenersworldlive.com 


INSTALLATION 

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Image courtesy of cityfarmhouse.com 


Image from Fireclay 

Tiles x Jessica Davis 

Tiles can really reflect your personality, so you 

don’t need to go with trends, but they can 

be inspiring. This season sees a lean toward 

inviting, earthy tones and using floor tiles up to 

half height on the walls. Geometric tiles are still 

hugely popular, and lots of ranges are bringing 

out ceramic versions of en-caustic tiles for 

easier upkeep. 

Fascination kitchen by 

Mowlem & Co 

MIXING 

materials 

1 

4 

TILE 

style 

2 

3 

1 Kyoto Green Wall Tiles, £1.36 per tile 

(304x76mm), www.londontile.co.uk; 2 Kromatika 

Green Tile, £39.95 per sqm, 

www.tilemountain.co.uk; 3 Bella Craquele, 

£35.99, www.tilemountain.co.uk; 4 Priory 

Cross Encaustic Effect, £1.06 

per tile, www.londontile. 

co.uk 

Image from @studiomcgee 

1 

Image from @houselust 

MODERN 

rustic 

3 

2 

1 

INTERIOR 

refresh 

Trends not to be missed... 

1 Zuiver Dendron 

Side Table, £89, 

www.cuckooland. 

com; 2 Cushions from Modern 

Vintage Collection, www.hauslife.co.uk; 

3 Leather Foostool, £1839.50, www. 

darlingsofchelsea.co.uk; 

4 1950s Brass and 

Leather Magazine 

Holder Model 4019 by 

Carl Auböck, Austria, 

£1290.24, www. 

thekairoscollective.com 

This trend combines 

a focus on integrity 

of items (think antiques) 

alongside comfort. It’s a lived-in 

look that envelops - large convivial 

pieces of furniture, paired with lots of 

texture. Hardwood floors are key to 

this style, as is a strong architectural 

framework to the room. 

The colour palette for this look tends 

to be very neutral, focusing on a mix 

of taupes, whites, creams and beiges, 

intermixed with framing black and 

other earth tones, like terracotta and 

wood. Finally, small pops of colour can 

be added in soft furnishings. 

4 

Inventive mixes of different finishes 

have been really evident in lots of 

kitchens this year - choosing surfaces 

which age with a nice patina can also 

add to the depth of the space - think 

about brass and wood, or concrete 

with stainless steel. Natural textures 

should really shine through. 

3 

4 

2 

1 Sione Pendant, £45, 

www.cultfurniture.com; 

2 Raegan Dining Table, £1176, 

www.sweetpeaandwillow.com 

3 Whole Birch Kitchen Door, 

www.thelifeofply.co.uk; 

4 Cement Taupe Concrete 

Effect Tile, £18.95, 

www.wallsandfloors.co.uk 

Image from @amberinteriors 


WE ARE BACK OPEN ON THE 12 TH APRIL 

WE ARE BACK OPEN ON THE 12 TH APRIL 

NEW LIGHTS • NEW DISPLAYS • NEW IDEAS 

COME AND SEE OUR FRESH NEW SHOW ROOMS 


WE ARE ALWAYS HERE FOR OUR CUSTOMERS 

AND NOW OFFER A HOME DESIGN SERVICE, 

JUST CALL OUR SHOP FOR DETAILS 

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APRIL 

We’d like to thank all of our customers for their continued support. 



01305 251543 | www.fusion-lighting.co.uk | sales@fusion-lighting.co.uk 


Transforming the one you have, to one you love 

With over 25 years experience 

in the kitchen industry offering a 

quality service. 

Granite Quartz Worktops • 

Replacement Doors • 

F U S I O N L I G H T I N G Sinks & Taps • 

1 8 a H i g h W e s t S t r e e t | D o r c h e s t e r | D o r s e t | Top D T 1 Brand 1 U W Appliances • 

Kitchen Alterations • 

Complete New Kitchens • 


Design Consultation • 


www.kitchenkind.co.uk 

Unit 10 Ilton Business Park, 

Ilminster TA19 9DU 

01935 250310

RETIREMENT 

PLANNING: 

A GUIDE 

Getting your financial 

ducks in a row for a happy 

retirement... 

Retirement planning is a multi-faceted 

process which evolves over time - to 

have a comfortable and secure future, 

you have to have the means to fund 

it. Fewer people have access to the 

guaranteed income that comes with a 

final salary pension, and with longer to 

wait until eligibility for the state pension, 

it’s pertinent to start planning as early as 

possible for the retirement you want. The 

better prepared you are now, the better 

your retirement will be. 

There are many strands to retirement 

planning, and much of it depends on 

your stage of life. It’s important to seek 

advice from a registered financial planner 

who can help you make the most of your 

unique circumstances. 

There are some handy way points to help 

you get a grasp on where you are and 

what you will need - here’s a checklist of 

things to consider: 

Understand what your retirement 

income is likely to be: 

You will be adding to your pension fund 

during your working life, but it’s important 

you get a handle on your various pension 

pots to forecast the actual figure you will 

have access to. 

Check your state pension: 

The rising state pension age can have a 

real knock-on effect to your retirement 

planning - a state pension forecast will 

help you to gauge how much you’re on 

course to get from the government. 

Get an understanding of your 

expenditure: 

Having an idea of your expenditure will 

help you plan longer-term. Your living 

costs are likely to be a lot lower than 

in other phases of life - you might be 

mortgage-free and you don’t have the 

same costs for commuting, recreation or 

childcare for example. 

You may wish to improve your home 

or go on some amazing trips, so it’s 

important you know you have the 

financial reserves to do this. 

When should you start drawing a 

pension? 

You don’t have to stop working to draw 

down your pension - as long as you 

are over the age of 55 - but be aware, 

the sooner you start dipping into it, the 

sooner the pot will deplete. 

How much will retirement cost? 

This is the golden question, and really 

depends on the level of comfort or luxury 

you are looking for in your autumn years. 

A recent Which? study found that the 

average retired household (those living 

alone or as couples) spent an around 

£2,170 per month - this is covering all 

the basic areas of expenditure and some 

luxuries like European holidays. Those 

looking for a more luxurious lifestyle 

including longer-haul trips and new cars 

every five years would need to allow 

for approximately £3,400 per month, or 

£41,000 per year. 

Once you have a framework for the 

amount you’ll need, and what you are 

on track for saving, you also need to 

consider how you will access your 

pension pots - these might be state 

pension, a final salary pension and a 

money purchase/defined contribution 

pension. 

With your defined contribution pot, 

such as the one you might get in the 

government employee scheme, you can 

draw the entire pension pot in one go, 

but this will mean it’s entirely down to 

you to make the money last and you’ll 

invariably pay a substantial tax bill. Most 

people with these pensions will opt for 

income drawdown or an annuity, or a 

combination of both when it comes 

taking money out of their pension. 

With careful planning and accurate 

forecasting, your retirement can be 

something to really look forward to, but 

it is essential to make an assessment of 

your position as early as possible and 

use the advice of experts to make your 

money work harder for you. 


FAQ - Wills and shared assets 

The times that we are currently living in have shown that life can 

change completely overnight and the future can look uncertain. 

The best way of dealing with this uncertainty is to ensure that 

all your personal planning is in place. Private Client Solicitor 

Chrisine Butterfield discusses how a Will can help dictate what 

happens with shared assets: 

would need to be able 

prove sole ownership, if 

their sole ownership was 

disputed by the person 

living in the shared 

property. 

1)If someone dies with money in a joint bank account, who 

will this money pass to? 

Money held in a joint bank account will normally automatically 

pass to the surviving joint owner. This is because of the legal 

effect of the joint ownership. Such jointly owned assets do not 

pass in terms of your Will. This could be a problem if somebody 

other than the surviving joint owner claims that it is their money 

that is held in this joint account. 

2)What is the difference between ‘joint tenants’ and ‘tenants 

in common’ and how does this affect what you can leave in 

your Will? 

If you own an asset with another person as joint tenants, then 

both of you own the whole asset in undivided shares. Assets 

held under this type of joint ownership will pass automatically 

to the surviving joint owner on death by virtue of the law of 

survivorship and cannot be dealt with in your Will. If the same 

asset was owned jointly but as tenants in common, then each 

owner would own a specified share. You can leave your share to 

somebody other than the surviving joint owner in your Will, or 

your share will pass in terms of the Law of intestacy if you do not 

leave a Will. 

3)Is it possible to leave personal items, such as furniture or 

artwork, to another person in your Will if the item is located 

in your shared property? 

Yes it is possible. The person wishing to leave personal items 

belonging to them situated in a shared property to another 

Battens 

Solicitors 

4)How can a solicitor help 

to make sure the assets 

you leave behind go to 

the right people? 

A solicitor is invaluable in helping with this by drafting a Will 

for you. A solicitor can ensure that your Will is drafted correctly 

to ensure your wishes can be and are carried out. Examples of 

this include identifying assets in such a way that a gift in a Will 

does not fail due to uncertainty. If assets are owned jointly, and 

you do not want your share to go to the surviving joint owner, 

then a solicitor can ensure that the tenancy is severed. If you do 

not have a Will, the Law of Intestacy determines how you assets 

are divided and who receives them. This may not be what you 

would want. 

5)What is a letter of wishes and how can it benefit people 

with shared assets? 

Sometimes, people do not stipulate in a Will who is to receive 

their personal possessions. They leave these items to their 

Executor to distribute amongst family and friends in their 

discretion, but guided by a letter of wishes which a person has 

left. This letter of wishes is not legally binding however, and 

so if you want certainty it is better to leave specified items to 

specified people in your Will. 

To make or amend a Will, discuss trusts and later life planning, 

including powers of attorney, contact Christine Butterfield on 

01305 216205 or email christine.butterfield@battens.co.uk 

Specialist Legal Advice and Solutions 

for whatever life brings - at home or at work 

Battens Solicitors can help you make your next move, 

for you and your family 

From moving home and family matters, to Wills and Trusts, 

we provide services for individuals and businesses 

Contact us today to speak to our expert team 

enquiries@battens.co.uk 

0800 652 8373 

www.battens.co.uk 

Offices in Yeovil, Sherborne, 

Castle Cary, Dorchester, Wareham, 

Bath and London

FRAMEWORK 

COVID- 19 FREE 

• Part of the Alexandra Care group 

of homes. 

• Situated near to the beautiful 

Weymouth coastline. 

• Comfortable with 24-hour care 

and support within 25 en-suite 

rooms. 

• Communal living areas for 

everyone to enjoy. 

14 Alexandra Road, Lodmoor Hill, 

Weymouth DT4 7QH 

01305 775462 | danmorlodge@hotmail.com 

www.danmorlodge.com 

• Two passenger lifts give level 

access to all rooms. 

• 24-hour care and support for our 

long stay clients. 

• 24-hour care and support for our 

short stay respite clients. 

• Day care services including 

social stimulation, activities, 

lunch and a bath or shower by 

request for our day visitors. 

01305 786568 

www.primroselodge-weymouth.co.uk 

Primrose Lodge offers Respite and Residential care 

We are a cheerful, friendly residential home that is particularly popular for its close proximity to the seaside. 

We focus on each person, and tailor care to their individual needs. 

We have a comprehensive activities package supporting people with arts, crafts, 

cooking, gardening, and sewing. 

Please contact Linda Smith for a chat 01305 786568, linda@primroselodge-weymouth.co.uk 

www.primroselodge-weymouth.co.uk 



Get your bathroom ready for 

when you return from hospital 

After a stay in hospital, it’s wonderful to hear the words “you can go home”. But if your 

physical needs have changed, it’s important that you can live at home safely and without 

any struggle. This might mean organising equipment or renovations before you come home. 

At AHM Installations we are used to installing bathrooms for 

people coming home from hospital. 

One of our customers, Mr Simpson, 86, unexpectedly went into 

hospital with Covid-19 last year. There he also had pneumonia, 

a superbug and a stroke and was in hospital for 7 weeks. “There 

was a lot of prayer,” his wife Mrs Simpson, 82, told us. 

Mr Simpson had been due to have a low-level shower installed 

but when he was ready to come home from hospital, the carers 

said that the new shower tray wouldn’t work. They needed a 

wetroom to make sure the new wheelchair could manoeuvre into 

and around the bathroom. 

Mrs Simpson said: “Every time I called Nichola (at AHM) to let 

her know what was happening, she was so good about it. She 

was so calm and accommodating. I felt very comfortable all the 

way through.” 

Here’s our guide to getting your bathroom ready for your return: 

• Take note of what the professionals say. A doctor, nurse 

or occupational therapist may recommend what activities 

you need help with. For example, if you need a walking 

frame or wheelchair to move around, we’d need to know 

what size it is. 

• Know the difference between independent and 

assisted bathing. If your goal is to remain independent, 

we’d need to know whether you can sit down and stand 

up unaided for example, and how your mobility is likely 

to change over time. If a carer is going to assist you then 

products such as bath-lifts may need to be considered. 

• Ask a family member or close friend to help. Take the 

pressure off the decision making and involve someone you 

trust. If the style of toilet or tiles is crucial for you, make 

sure they know about it in advance. 

• Use a bathroom company you can trust. Some 

companies focus on selling 

bathroom products without 

understanding your preferences 

and needs. At AHM our priority 

is quality of life. There’s no point 

having a product unless it makes 

things safer and easier for you. 

AHM has installed thousands of 

accessible bathrooms over the last 

20 years, so we know how to make 

bathrooms safe and stylish whatever 

your budget. We believe everyone 

should have access to safe, affordable 

bathing. 

COVID 19 - SAFEGUARDING 

FREE * 

FREE* 

AND orgia toilet 

COVID-19 - SAFEGUARDING CUSTOMERS & COLLEAGUES 

Georgia toilet 

basin with 

ry bathroom & basin with 

FREE * 

order every Georgia bathroom toilet 

COVID-19 - SAFEGUARDING CUSTOMERS & COLLEAGUES 

& order basin with 

every bathroom 

order 

Bathing a problem? - we can help 

Bathing a problem? – we can help 

athing a problem? – we can help 

• Wet • Wet rooms rooms 

• Grab rails, shower • Disabled seats Facilities & raised toilets 

et rooms 

• Disabled Facilities Grants 

• Walk in showers and baths 

• Discounts for over 60s and 

alk in showers 

• Walk in 

• Waterproof and 

showers 

baths 

and baths • Disabled 

wall panelling • Discounts 

Facilities 

EX Service for 

Grants 

over personnel 60s and 

aterproof • wall Waterproof 

• Slip panelling wall panelling 

resistant safety flooring 

• Discounts EX Service for 

• Charity 

over personnel 

60s 

work 

SSAFA 

and grants 

and Ex Service personnel 

lip resistant • Slip safety • Grab resistant flooring rails, safety shower flooring seats & raised • Family toilets • Charity Run work and grants 

rab rails, shower seats & raised toilets 

Call for friendly advice and 

Call for free our survey friendly and advice, quote 02382 543308 

ll for friendly free advice survey and quote 

info@ahminstallations.co.uk 

and 01935 www.ahminstallations.co.uk 609262 

e survey and quote 02382 543308 

* 

Terms and conditions apply, visit our website for more details. 

info@ahminstallations.co.uk www.ahminstallations.co.uk 

fo@ahminstallations.co.uk * 

Terms and conditions apply, www.ahminstallations.co.uk 

visit our website for more details. 

rms and conditions apply, visit our website for more details. 

Discover 134 x94.indd 4 03/11/2020 08:04 

ver 134 x94.indd 4 03/11/2020 08:04

Our family-owned business has been providing loving and 

professional care to residents of our care and nursing homes since 1986. 

We are delighted to be welcoming new residents to our nine 

Dorset homes. We are also safely accommodating family visits. 

Call us now on 0808 291 3832 to find out more 

or visit agincare.com/care-homes/dorset 

Dorchester Cheriton Care Home 

Weymouth 

Agincourt Care Home 

Weymouth 

Crecy Care Home 

Weymouth 

Trafalgar Care Home 

We also have care homes in the following locations 

Bournemouth • Christchurch • Poole • Swanage • Wimborne 

LIVE-IN CARE | HOME CARE | CARE HOMES | YOUNGER ADULTS

West Dorset Living Aug - Sep 2021

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