Wealden Times | WT248 | January 2023 | Health & Beauty Supplement inside
The lifestyle magazine for Kent & Sussex - Inspirational Interiors, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes
The lifestyle magazine for Kent & Sussex - Inspirational Interiors, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes
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HEALTH & BEAUTY SUPPLEMENT <strong>inside</strong><br />
Inspirational Interiors • Fabulous Fashion • Delicious Dishes<br />
PRICELESS<br />
JANUARY <strong>2023</strong>
MINTERIORS<br />
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JarvisNewHomes<strong>WT248</strong>.indd 1 16/12/2022 16:18<br />
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Contents<br />
<strong>January</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
26<br />
80<br />
50<br />
10<br />
17<br />
21<br />
26<br />
45<br />
46<br />
50<br />
HOUSE OF THE MONTH<br />
Dream homes on the market<br />
NOTEBOOK<br />
<strong>January</strong> events for your diary<br />
THE MUST LIST<br />
Keep up-to-date with the latest<br />
must-see and must-have goodies<br />
THE BEST LAID PLANS<br />
Take a look <strong>inside</strong> WT writer<br />
Maggie Alderson’s Hastings home<br />
GET THE LOOK<br />
Emulate Maggie’s cool style<br />
A MODERN VINTAGE<br />
SEASIDE GEM<br />
Explore a family home in Margate<br />
ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY<br />
Interior designer Jessica Bax’s<br />
farmhouse renovation with<br />
impressive eco credentials<br />
69<br />
71<br />
77<br />
80<br />
87<br />
GET THE LOOK<br />
Be inspired by Jessica’s<br />
effortless sense of interior style<br />
SHOW SOME LOVE<br />
Celebrating relationships<br />
of all shapes and sizes<br />
THE GIRL WITH THE<br />
PEARL EVERYTHING<br />
Adorn yourself with<br />
pearls galore<br />
SUPER BOOST<br />
Charlotte Butterworth shares<br />
her tips for clean, healthy<br />
New Year cooking<br />
CURVES IN ALL THE<br />
RIGHT PLACES<br />
Jo Arnell delves into the<br />
artistic world of topiary<br />
Published by Priceless Media Ltd. Kettle Chambers, 21 Stone Street,<br />
Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF | Call 01580 714705 | Email info@priceless-group.com<br />
Visit priceless-group.com Copyright © <strong>2023</strong> Priceless Media Ltd. The views of the<br />
advertisers & contributors are not necessarily those of Priceless Media Ltd.<br />
92<br />
95<br />
99<br />
102<br />
STOP SEEING MUSIC AS<br />
A ‘NICE TO HAVE’<br />
Benenden School’s Headteacher<br />
Samantha Price makes an<br />
impassioned speech on the<br />
importance of a musical education<br />
SPORTING SUCCESS<br />
It’s a proud moment for Mayfield<br />
School, as it’s named one of the<br />
top 20 all-girls schools for cricket<br />
WHAT’S ON?<br />
Find out...<br />
FARM FABLES<br />
Livestock gossip straight from the<br />
farmer’s mouth. This month, Jane<br />
shares some very worrying news<br />
HEALTH<br />
& BEAUTY<br />
SUPPLEMENT<br />
Top advice for<br />
a happier and<br />
healthier <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
After page 74.<br />
<strong>Health</strong> & <strong>Beauty</strong><br />
5
Grow<br />
with us<br />
We’re expanding to GCSE<br />
Find out more about our forward-looking,<br />
academically ambitious and dynamic curriculum<br />
The Dulwich School<br />
Cranbrook<br />
Contact Admissions on 01580 712179<br />
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Editor’s<br />
Letter<br />
Welcome to the first issue of <strong>2023</strong>. I hope that by the<br />
time you read this you’ll have managed to get a head<br />
start on safely packing away the Christmas decs,<br />
tidying up the house in the aftermath of myriad family visits and<br />
clearing the after effects of New Year excesses. I recently saw on<br />
Instagram that someone packed away a nice bottle of wine (or<br />
other long-lasting festive tipple of choice) with their Christmas<br />
decorations so as to find a lovely surprise when they came to<br />
unbox them the next year – sounds like a lovely idea to me!<br />
This year, I’m certainly going to get into the habit of a little more<br />
self care. Small changes quickly add up, and I think that, in order<br />
to be able to help others, we need to make sure we’re in tip-top<br />
condition ourselves – both mentally and physically. The last few<br />
years have been, and continue to be, hard – so rather than setting<br />
ourselves up for disappointment by filling our to-do lists with<br />
overwhelmingly unachievable goals, let’s aim for something we can<br />
do little and often. Make time to do the things you enjoy, listen to<br />
your body when it’s telling you it’s exhausted (I particularly enjoyed<br />
reading Sarah Maxwell’s insight into perimenopause and menopause<br />
in this month’s <strong>Health</strong> & <strong>Beauty</strong> <strong>Supplement</strong>) and learn how to be<br />
a little kinder to yourself. You’ll find lots more advice – from correct<br />
pregnancy nutrition to how to tackle issues with ageing skin and<br />
hair loss and what to do if your hearing is suffering – after page 80.<br />
There’s nothing like a new project to dig into as a new year<br />
starts. If you’re on a quest to redecorate, turn to our house<br />
features for interior inspiration galore. We’ve photographed<br />
a beautiful farmhouse renovation in the Darent Valley and<br />
a super-cool Hastings home – the creation of our very own<br />
house writer and bestselling author, Maggie Alderson.<br />
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Enjoy your <strong>Wealden</strong> <strong>Times</strong> and Happy New Year!<br />
<strong>Wealden</strong> <strong>Times</strong> & Surrey Homes Team<br />
Editor ............................................................................................ Lucy Fleming<br />
News & Features Editor ...............................................................Rebecca Cuffe<br />
Design Director ..........................................................................Anthony Boxall<br />
Design Assistant...........................................................................Phoebe O’Leary<br />
Sales Managers ..............................................................................Rachel Norrie<br />
Lisa Gordon-Hughes<br />
Senior Account Managers ............................................................... Maria Hurley<br />
Sarah Norwood<br />
Sub Editor/Features Writer ................................................................Emily Pavey<br />
<strong>Wealden</strong> <strong>Times</strong> Show Director ....................................................... Flo Simpson<br />
Events Manager .............................................................................. Liz Copping<br />
Senior Account Manager, Events ....................................................... Jude Brown<br />
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ThomasMansfieldWT240- WEALD (Family Law).indd 1 06/04/2022 09:42
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Ashford&CranbrookRoofing<strong>WT248</strong>.indd 1 30/11/2022 17:50
House<br />
of the<br />
Month<br />
£1,750,000<br />
Damien Pestell picks his favourite homes on the market<br />
Speldhurst<br />
The dream: A charming<br />
16th century home with 17th<br />
century additions and further<br />
modifications in the 1960s,<br />
on the market for the first<br />
time in approximately forty<br />
years. Originally two separate<br />
houses, the current owners<br />
bought the smaller of the two<br />
houses, before selling it and<br />
buying the larger house. They<br />
then made the decision to<br />
buy the smaller house back,<br />
creating one large house.<br />
Where: The quaint <strong>Wealden</strong><br />
village of Speldhurst,<br />
with plenty of walking<br />
opportunities through rural<br />
countryside, just 5 km from<br />
Royal Tunbridge Wells.<br />
Setting: Set in an Area<br />
of Outstanding Natural<br />
<strong>Beauty</strong>, and enjoying a<br />
central village location.<br />
Beds: 10 Baths: 5<br />
Special features: The<br />
spectacular drawing room with<br />
its ornately carved beams.<br />
Pleasing details: Unlike<br />
most farmhouses of the<br />
period, it has high ceilings.<br />
Outside: There is a hidden<br />
garden at the rear with its<br />
own road access and garage.<br />
Time to town: From<br />
Tunbridge Wells station, a 10<br />
minute drive away to London<br />
Bridge in just 44 minutes.<br />
Agent: House Partnership, 0800<br />
917 0447 housepartnership.co.uk<br />
priceless-magazines.com<br />
10
Hunton<br />
£900,000<br />
The dream: A Grade II listed 17th century<br />
farmhouse tucked away in an area of special<br />
scientific beauty, between the Greensand Ridge<br />
and the River Beult. A perfect family home<br />
with a wealth of character, including exposed<br />
beams, low ceilings and a cosy fireplace.<br />
Where: The friendly hamlet of<br />
Hunton, 6 miles from Maidstone.<br />
Setting: Set down a quiet country lane<br />
overlooking beautiful Kent countryside.<br />
Beds: 5 Baths: 2<br />
Special features: The stunning second<br />
floor bedrooms, both with vaulted<br />
ceilings, have far reaching views.<br />
Pleasing details: There is a useful<br />
cellar area off the kitchen.<br />
Outside: The mature plot features a large<br />
gated driveway as well as a number of useful<br />
outbuildings that are currently used as artists<br />
studios, but which have the potential to<br />
be converted for a useful extra income.<br />
Time to town: Marden station, an 8 minute<br />
drive away, to London Charing Cross or<br />
Cannon Street in just over an hour.<br />
Agent: Rafferty & Pickard<br />
01732 905499 raffertyandpickard.co.uk<br />
Sedlescombe<br />
£750,000<br />
The dream: A gorgeous 17th century Grade II<br />
listed barn, sympathetically converted in 1985,<br />
featuring traditional timber-framed elevations with<br />
plaster infilling throughout and an opportunity<br />
to create additional accommodation.<br />
Where: Tucked away in the centre of the<br />
picturesque village of Sedlescombe.<br />
Setting: Ideally located down a private<br />
driveway removed from any passing traffic.<br />
Beds: 3 Baths: 2<br />
Special features: The impressive galleried kitchen/<br />
dining room rising to full ceiling height with<br />
stone flagged floor is simply stunning.<br />
Pleasing details: The beautiful low-pitched<br />
tiled roof adds bucket loads of character.<br />
Outside: The sweeping driveway leads to a gravel<br />
parking area, garage and double carport. The garden<br />
is a very manageable size, with a large south-facing<br />
brick terrace adjacent to the house. There is also<br />
an integral workshop as part of the property.<br />
Time to town: There are regular trains to London<br />
from Battle mainline station, 3.5 miles away.<br />
Agent: Batcheller Monkhouse<br />
01424 775577 batchellermonkhouse.com<br />
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SJDprojectsWT240-AD2.indd 1 08/04/2022 13:58
‘Our Focus Determines Your Reality’<br />
HARPERS AND HURLINGHAM<br />
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Sales & Lettings Team<br />
Harpers&Hurlingham<br />
The Cornerhouse, Stone Street, Cranbrook<br />
01580 715400<br />
www.harpersandhurlingham.com<br />
Jane Emilie Chez Cathy Debbie Debbie S Sharon Caroline Dianne<br />
Wendy
PLOT OR NOT?<br />
If you think your land or<br />
property has development<br />
potential, then give us<br />
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and in confidence.<br />
We are always on<br />
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Many of our<br />
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e majority of<br />
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ersions, large<br />
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email: steve@sjd-projects.com<br />
For more information contact<br />
Stephen Donnelly on:<br />
07739 514350 / 01892 579937<br />
steve@sjd-projects.com<br />
For regular updates, visit us at<br />
twitter.com/projects<br />
sjd-projects.com<br />
SJDprojectsWT245.indd 1 08/09/2022 12:04<br />
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Notebook<br />
What to do and see near you this month<br />
Perfectly on Point<br />
Nerubashenko Ballet presents Swan Lake and The Nutcracker at the<br />
Richmond Theatre this month. Ballet lovers and newcomers alike<br />
will find joy and spectacle in the classical delights of Nerubashenko<br />
Ballet’s presentations. Swan Lake, performing on <strong>January</strong> 12th and<br />
13th, is a timeless tale: Prince Siegfried falls in love with Odette,<br />
Queen of the Swans, but is tricked into the ultimate betrayal,<br />
leading to tragedy. Taking to the stage on <strong>January</strong> 14th and<br />
15th, The Nutcracker is a festive treat for all the family. Clara’s<br />
adventures begin when she is gifted a Nutcracker doll who<br />
magically comes to life. A live orchestra performing the<br />
familiar scores is the perfect complement to these remarkable<br />
ballets. This season the Smirnov-Golovanov productions<br />
will be presented by international artistes hand-picked<br />
by Ukrainian-born Ludmila Nerubashenko, the widow<br />
of the late Smirnov-Golovanov (Honoured Arts Worker<br />
of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and former<br />
Artistic Director of Odessa State Opera and Ballet Theatre).<br />
Ukrainian-born Ludmila is the driving force in schooling<br />
young artistes with the physicality, artistry and creativity to<br />
faithfully interpret the legacy of her husband. She will select<br />
the cream of these young dancers to visit the UK in <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
atgtickets.com/venues/richmond-theatre<br />
Book in!<br />
Fancy a day by the seaside? On<br />
Friday 27th <strong>January</strong> Caroline Fraser<br />
will be returning to Rye Creative<br />
Centre with her popular workshop<br />
Say it with Books. This starter book<br />
making session is designed for those<br />
who would like to learn some simple<br />
book structures that will equip<br />
you with new ways to express your<br />
creative voice. Using the traditional<br />
tools and quality papers provided<br />
you will be guided through a series<br />
of exercises in folding, cutting and<br />
simple sewing to produce four book<br />
structures including a leporello<br />
(concertina book), a sewn pamphlet<br />
book with a decorated card cover and<br />
a folding pocket book for keepsakes<br />
that makes a perfect gift. The course<br />
costs £48 per person and runs from<br />
10am-1.30pm. If you’re not able to<br />
attend in person (her courses are very<br />
popular) you can register for an online<br />
version. ryecreativecentre.co.uk/classes<br />
Raise a<br />
Glass<br />
The Nest in Appledore,<br />
Gusbourne’s tasting room, is<br />
hosting a not-to-be-missed Blanc<br />
de Blanc Vertical Masterclass<br />
and Lunch with master<br />
sommelier, Laura Rys on<br />
27th <strong>January</strong>. The perfect<br />
opportunity to taste<br />
and compare a<br />
variety of vintages.<br />
Find out more at<br />
gusbourne.com
Notebook<br />
Life Craft<br />
Stephanie Weightman’s award<br />
winning Crafting Live show is<br />
coming back to Sandown Park<br />
Racecourse, Esher, and bringing<br />
a whole host of celebrity crafters.<br />
The creative spectacular will<br />
kick off on Friday 27th <strong>January</strong><br />
<strong>2023</strong> with a full day workshop<br />
hosted by Stephanie Weightman<br />
and her crafty friends, and then<br />
continue into a whole weekend<br />
of fun. The show itself is open<br />
on Saturday 28th – Sunday<br />
29th <strong>January</strong> <strong>2023</strong>, from<br />
10am-5pm on Saturday and<br />
10am-4pm on Sunday.<br />
Both days will host an array<br />
of exhibitors with a wealth<br />
of stamps, dies, decoupage,<br />
fabric, ribbon, beads and<br />
much more. You can stock<br />
up on all your craft essentials,<br />
as well as finding inspiration<br />
from brand new products and<br />
watch on-stand demonstrations.<br />
There are also refreshment<br />
options and areas to have a much<br />
needed sit down after all that<br />
shopping! Find out more at<br />
craftinglive.co.uk<br />
Night<br />
Terrors<br />
Crammed full of adventure and mystery,<br />
The Valley Of Fear is Sir Arthur Conan<br />
Doyle’s brilliant final Sherlock Holmes<br />
novel brought to life in a spectacular new<br />
stage adaptation. Book your tickets to see<br />
the adventure unfold at Yvonne Arnaud<br />
Theatre, Guildford from 17th until<br />
23rd <strong>January</strong>. A great way to<br />
spend a winter’s evening.<br />
yvonne-arnaud.co.uk<br />
Branching Out<br />
Join a small group to learn how to<br />
prune apple trees this month. From<br />
new plantings to venerable ancients, this<br />
class will have you master the art of pruning<br />
and then practice on a variety of trees at the<br />
beautiful Standen Street Community Orchard<br />
in Iden Green. The cost is just £25 and will<br />
run on Friday 6 and 13, and Saturday 7 and<br />
14 <strong>January</strong> from 10am till 3pm and numbers<br />
are strictly limited, so book early to<br />
avoid disappointment. For more<br />
information and to book your<br />
place, phone 07977 571 368 or<br />
email guypullen1@gmail.com<br />
Food for<br />
Thought<br />
Nourish is a community foodbank working to ensure that no one in Tunbridge Wells,<br />
Tonbridge and surrounding areas goes hungry. They deliver three days of emergency<br />
food supplies to those in need to provide short term relief in difficult times. Since 2018<br />
they’ve seen a shocking 37% increase in demand. If you can help or know someone in<br />
need of their assistance take a look at their website. nourishcommunityfoodbank.org.uk<br />
LOOK FORWARD:<br />
SNOWDROP WALKS<br />
AT HEVER CASTLE<br />
From the 8th of February onwards, visitors will be encouraged to put<br />
on their wellies, hats and scarves and explore the snowdrop trail at<br />
Hever Castle & Gardens, featuring 115,000 snowdrops.<br />
The self-guided snowdrop walk will take you through the woodland<br />
areas, around the Outer Moat and into the colourful Winter Garden,<br />
which features flame-coloured dogwoods, ‘Early Sensation’ daffodils,<br />
heathers and winter shrubs.<br />
hevercastle.co.uk
CALL YOUR LOCAL TRAVEL<br />
EXPERTS NOW<br />
Tenterden: 01580 764344<br />
Cranbrook: 01580 714411<br />
Lewes: 01273 472466<br />
Maidstone: 01622 762141<br />
Sevenoaks: 01732 458255<br />
Tonbridge: 01732 351223<br />
Tunbridge Wells: 01892 511999<br />
Uckfield: 01825 760488<br />
www.baldwinstravel.co.uk<br />
WINNERS OF THE STAR TRAVEL<br />
AGENCY OF THE YEAR AWARD 2022
How to choose a family law solicitor<br />
Deciding to see a family solicitor<br />
is a very signicant decision. It,<br />
and the reasons for it, mark one<br />
of the major decisions in your life.<br />
If you are thinking about seeing<br />
a family solicitor for advice about<br />
the breakdown of your marriage,<br />
relationship or indeed arrangements<br />
for your children, the notes below<br />
should help.<br />
Choosing a family solicitor<br />
The relationship that you have with<br />
your solicitor is an important one. You<br />
need to have condence in what they are<br />
doing and you need to feel that they are<br />
someone that you can work with.<br />
If you go into your initial meeting with<br />
a solicitor equipped with facts and<br />
gures, they should be able to give you<br />
a general indication of a likely outcome.<br />
Be quite wary of solicitors who refuse to<br />
give advice when presented with facts,<br />
gures and circumstances.<br />
Similarly, be cautious if they appear<br />
reluctant to give specically tailored<br />
advice on your situation and the process.<br />
You are paying for legal advice, not an<br />
administrator.<br />
If you are not feeling comfortable, take a<br />
second opinion, however, be very wary<br />
of continuing to take opinions until you<br />
get the advice you want to hear. If you<br />
have spoken to three solicitors and they<br />
have all said roughly the same thing,<br />
but the fourth says what you wanted to<br />
hear, the chances are that it is the last<br />
one that is wrong.<br />
Before meeting with a family solicitor<br />
Try to think objectively about whether<br />
you are in a proper frame of mind<br />
to seek and digest advice. Consider<br />
whether you need any outside support<br />
in the form of counselling or therapy.<br />
Reect on whether you are in a position<br />
to make considered decisions or<br />
whether you feel inclined towards kneejerk<br />
responses. There can be a lot to<br />
take in at this initial meeting, so it might<br />
be helpful to have a friend or family<br />
member with you.<br />
If you do not want your spouse or<br />
partner to nd out that you have been<br />
to see a solicitor keep the appointment<br />
details secret and unwritten.<br />
Have your details to hand and complete<br />
any forms that are sent to you prior to<br />
the meeting. This will provide context<br />
and will save time at the meeting.<br />
Before the meeting, put together a list of<br />
your principal concerns and the areas in<br />
which you need advice or reassurance.<br />
Write down a list of questions and bring<br />
them to the meeting. At the end of the<br />
meeting make sure that they have been<br />
properly answered.<br />
Think about the psychology of your<br />
situation. Do you think that your spouse<br />
or partner will welcome talking about<br />
matters in an amicable fashion? Do you<br />
trust them nancially? Is there a high<br />
level of anger or bitterness? What are<br />
their motivating factors likely to be?<br />
These, and other considerations, will<br />
very much feed into the advice that you<br />
receive.<br />
Finally, do not think that instructing<br />
a solicitor is a runaway train. You can<br />
change your mind, reconcile and/or<br />
progress matters entirely at your own<br />
pace.<br />
At Warners, we offer an initial meeting<br />
on a very advantageous basis at a<br />
signicantly reduced rate. This can then<br />
be claimed back against our fees should<br />
you go to instruct us to act for you.<br />
Matthew Aves<br />
Head of Family Law<br />
To nd out more contact Warners Solicitors on 01732 747900<br />
www.warners-solicitors.co.uk<br />
The contents of this article are for the purposes of general awareness only. They do not purport to constitute legal or professional advice. The law may have<br />
changed since this article was published. Readers should not act on the basis of the information included and should take appropriate professional advice.
must<br />
The<br />
From must-sees to must-buys and<br />
must-dos, don’t miss this month’s<br />
round up of what to buy, see, do,<br />
and generally get excited about!<br />
It’s Veganuary again! Whether you’re<br />
doing a full month of veganism or just<br />
trying it for a night, Balfour Winery<br />
has just the ticket to do so in style.<br />
Their special vegan six-course dinner<br />
on Saturday 14th will be held in their<br />
fabulous tasting room, The<br />
View, is just £60 per person,<br />
and (if you needed another<br />
reason), there will of course<br />
be plenty of wine! Book in<br />
advance at balfourwinery.com<br />
Sometimes we can get a little down<br />
on ourselves in <strong>January</strong>, which is why<br />
Solvi is a great Kentish brand to look<br />
into right now. Promoting positive bodyimage<br />
and donating 10% of profits to a<br />
UK based mental health charity, this<br />
necklace is full of positive vibes.<br />
solvijewellery.com<br />
Local illustrator Imogen<br />
Partridge’s latest creations<br />
celebrate the quaint shops<br />
and charming community<br />
of Ticehurst, including Buy<br />
the Weigh (pictured),<br />
Greenfinch, and The Bell.<br />
They are available as prints<br />
(£25) or greeting cards (£15 for 5).<br />
Read more at imogenpartridge.com<br />
Ready for a home refresh? Wild<br />
Home Studio’s latest range of<br />
wallpapers and wallcoverings,<br />
Orb, is a fabulously funky way<br />
to add some retro cool flavour<br />
to your home. Designed and<br />
printed to order in house from<br />
their Surrey studios, the new style<br />
combines earthy tones with a<br />
geometric look to gracefully tread<br />
the line of adding real maximalist<br />
impact without feeling too<br />
overwhelming. From £150 for 10<br />
metres at wildhomestudio.co.uk<br />
Brighten up this cold grey winter<br />
with a healthy dose of dopamine<br />
dressing! Our pick to lift your mood<br />
is this cosy knit by Hope Fashion,<br />
an inclusive brand that we loved<br />
having at our Midwinter Fair last<br />
November. Made with soft Italian<br />
yarn in an on-trend bright fuchsia,<br />
it just makes you smile. £135 at<br />
hopefashion.co.uk<br />
Perfino’s beautiful scent<br />
pendants are made with<br />
100% recycled silver or<br />
gold and offer a new way to<br />
wear scents without putting<br />
chemicals on your skin,<br />
or solvents in the air. The<br />
pendant is designed to house<br />
a little lava stone, which can<br />
absorb a drop of essential<br />
oil and have you smelling<br />
wonderful for days. Full set<br />
£100 at perfino.co.uk<br />
Take a trip to the roaring 20s on the 29th, at<br />
Folkestone’s recently opened Brasserie MS. Enjoy a<br />
spectacular Gatsby-style black tie dinner where Chef<br />
Patron Mark Sargeant will be joined by CUT at 45<br />
Park Lane’s executive chef, Elliot Grover, to create<br />
a specially prepared 9-course menu, complete with<br />
canapés and cocktails. the-brasserie-ms.co.uk<br />
21<br />
It’s the year of the rabbit!<br />
Chinese New Year will be on<br />
Sunday 22nd and it’s the<br />
perfect time to get in the<br />
spirit with this adorable<br />
handmade enamel brooch<br />
from Fable England. £21<br />
at fableengland.com
Tel: 01233 630000<br />
www.mageegammon.com<br />
Working WITH YOU, not just FOR YOU<br />
Tax planning<br />
Profit improvement strategies<br />
Business development advice<br />
Inheritance tax advice<br />
Succession planning<br />
Payroll<br />
PMS<br />
3155<br />
<strong>Wealden</strong> <strong>Times</strong> Half page MG Ad.indd 1 15/06/2022 09:33:14<br />
MageeGammonWT242.indd 1 15/06/2022 09:45<br />
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priceless-magazines.com<br />
26
The best<br />
laid plans<br />
The <strong>Wealden</strong> <strong>Times</strong> house writer shows<br />
us round her own home – which didn’t<br />
turn out as she expected, but better<br />
27 priceless-magazines.com
priceless-magazines.com<br />
28
Previous pages: A green and red drum became a fun side table in the sitting room. A graffiti-style piece by Australian artist Patricia Harry<br />
hangs above the sofa. Maggie found the yellow chair on the street Left: Maggie bought the factory chairs in Sydney, where she lived for<br />
eight years. The vintage Formica table was a present from leading interiors stylist Hilary Robertson. The blue painting – called Bondi Walls<br />
– is by another Aussie artist, Gail English. The orange Anglepoise lamp is one of seven in the house Above: With the help of Magnet and<br />
local trades, Maggie realised her graph paper sketches of her ideal kitchen layout. A Crittall-style door leads straight to a suntrap courtyard<br />
When you buy a new house<br />
which is a bit of a project,<br />
you think you know exactly<br />
what to do with it, but the sage advice<br />
from experts is always: live in it first. I<br />
can now attest from personal experience<br />
that this is, indeed, wise counsel.<br />
The first time I entered my<br />
current home, six years ago, I was<br />
too busy screaming ‘Stop!!!’ in my<br />
head to think anything sensible.<br />
I was there on a hot tip from a<br />
friend (thank you, Gail) that the<br />
man who owned the place as an<br />
investment rental was planning to sell<br />
it after a quick strip out and refurb.<br />
I literally ran there, hoping to stop<br />
them at the point where the stripping<br />
had reached a knocked-through<br />
ground floor and bare plaster walls,<br />
before vinyl flooring and cheapo<br />
kitchen and bathrooms went in.<br />
I made it just in time and sealed<br />
the deal on the same day.<br />
Once we owned it, walking around<br />
the space, with its filthy floorboards,<br />
no kitchen or bathrooms and not<br />
even a French window onto the back<br />
garden – because I’d hated the PVC one<br />
they’d put in – I knew exactly what I<br />
wanted to do with it. Or so I thought.<br />
The whole reason we were moving<br />
was to get a ‘social kitchen’ like all<br />
the lovely ones I’ve seen writing<br />
about houses for this magazine.<br />
I longed for the cool set up with the<br />
cooking action right next to the eating<br />
area, with adjacent sofas and room for<br />
guests to waft about chatting with a<br />
glass of something sparkling, while I<br />
threw together a witty weekend supper.<br />
Our last place, which was featured<br />
in <strong>Wealden</strong> <strong>Times</strong> some years ago, was<br />
a very special Georgian town house in<br />
Hastings Old Town. It was a privilege<br />
to live there – but that came with all<br />
the limitations of a listed building.<br />
There was certainly no potential<br />
for ‘knocking through’ there (we<br />
weren’t even supposed to change a<br />
light switch without asking first) <br />
29 priceless-magazines.com
My vision was<br />
that from the<br />
sitting room<br />
you wouldn’t be<br />
able to tell there<br />
was a kitchen<br />
there. It seems<br />
to work, because<br />
often people are<br />
very surprised to<br />
find a kitchen<br />
just behind<br />
the bookcase<br />
and when friends came over I was<br />
stuck in the kitchen on the lower<br />
ground floor, feeling like Cinderella,<br />
hearing peels of laughter from the<br />
drawing room, one flight up.<br />
The only way to get with the<br />
modern lifestyle was to move, so the<br />
Victorian terrace house just round<br />
the corner – so still in the Old Town<br />
conservation area we love, but not<br />
Listed – was the perfect solution.<br />
My plan was very simple. As with<br />
most Victorian terraces, it has a small<br />
one-storey extension at the back for<br />
the kitchen (which was to avoid fires<br />
spreading). In many of the houses<br />
in the street, these have already been<br />
extended across the back to double<br />
the kitchen space and that’s what I<br />
wanted to do. A tiny little extension,<br />
half the size of the back of the house.<br />
Simples, right?<br />
After three months in a rental, round<br />
the corner, we had two lovely new <br />
priceless-magazines.com<br />
30
WINTER SALE<br />
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This page: Maggie made the sitting room curtains out of her large collection of vintage scarves. The painted floorboards<br />
are brightened with a kilim found years ago in Turkey. The vintage armchair was from 20th Century Funkin Junk and<br />
the wooden lightshade was the first thing Maggie bought for the house, from Sideshow Interiors in St Leonards<br />
bathrooms and a temporary kitchen<br />
thrown together from eBay (it cost<br />
£300 in total…) and moved in, but<br />
despite a steady flow of builders<br />
coming through, we were making no<br />
progress on my social kitchen plan.<br />
It was clear the minute they<br />
had a sniff around none of them<br />
wanted to do it – but why not?<br />
Six months later a builder we knew<br />
as a friend finally spelled it out in<br />
words I could understand. It was<br />
a relatively small job, but it was a<br />
nightmare because of the sewage system<br />
of the street. “Why bother?” was his<br />
conclusion, and I finally understood<br />
it was time to find a Plan B.<br />
Two years later, we were still<br />
living with the £300 kitchen and<br />
the hole where the PVC French<br />
doors had been was blocked up<br />
with plywood and cardboard, but<br />
we were very happy… how?<br />
After two summers in the house,<br />
we’d discovered that the sunniest bit<br />
of the garden was exactly where we’d<br />
planned to build the eat-in kitchen<br />
extension. So if we’d steamed ahead<br />
with that, we would have lost the<br />
best spot for a bit of reading and<br />
sunbathing on a summer afternoon…<br />
But having established that the<br />
original plan was a no-go, the temporary<br />
kitchen was getting unbearable. How<br />
could we realise the social kitchen<br />
dream, without the extension? Had we<br />
moved from our beautiful Georgian<br />
house for nothing? Then inspiration hit.<br />
We could tuck a kitchen along<br />
one wall of the back half of the<br />
knocked-through living area, with a<br />
small dining table in the middle.<br />
I got busy with my tape measure<br />
and some graph paper and found it<br />
worked. Along that run of wall there<br />
was just enough room for a sink, a hob,<br />
some prep space and a tall fridge.<br />
Room below for a bin cupboard,<br />
drawers and an oven. Space on the<br />
turn wall at the end for a small<br />
dishwasher and a corner cupboard.<br />
A couple of shelves above – and a<br />
full-length pantry cupboard in the<br />
corner of the opposite wall and it<br />
was just enough for a kitchen.<br />
The lovely staff at Magnet in<br />
Tunbridge Wells drew my plans out <br />
33 priceless-magazines.com
This page: The leopard print lino runner is from Abigail Ahern and the chandelier is another treasure from Sydney. The large monochrome<br />
artwork by St Leonards artist, Adrienne Hunter, fits perfectly with the cool-white theme of the house. The white paint throughout is<br />
Alabaster by Designers Guild<br />
properly on their computer, advised<br />
on gadgets to get the most out of the<br />
space and supplied the carcasses.<br />
Then, the world’s best builder Rob<br />
Lewis (who doesn’t love a chap who<br />
drinks green tea, listens to Radio 4 and<br />
used to be in a successful heavy metal<br />
band?) did the fitting and carpentry.<br />
He also helped me design the exact<br />
shape of the hand aperture in the<br />
doors, because I wanted a very sleek,<br />
clean look with no handles. Having a<br />
wooden worktop, to warm up the black<br />
and white scheme, was also his idea.<br />
When it came to other details, the<br />
light fitting I chose for the kitchen<br />
was inspired directly by a flat I’d<br />
written about for this magazine,<br />
where the owner had an even larger<br />
Serge Mouille multi-armed fitting.<br />
The choice of Crittall-style garden<br />
door (before they became all the<br />
rage…) came from the first-ever<br />
house I wrote up for this mag,<br />
Goodnestone Park, where interior<br />
designer Francesca Rowan-Plowden<br />
had used them to great effect <strong>inside</strong>.<br />
All my own idea is the wall facing<br />
the kitchen run, where there is<br />
a slightly eccentric arrangement<br />
of furniture that came about by<br />
accident, but seems to work.<br />
The mid-century sideboard had<br />
always been planned for that spot<br />
– in my original scheme it was<br />
going to have the stereo on top<br />
and vinyl collection beneath.<br />
That idea had to be ditched, but<br />
then I realised that the six drawers<br />
made it perfect kitchen storage –<br />
without looking like it, which was<br />
ideal, because my vision was that from<br />
the sitting room you wouldn’t be able<br />
to tell there was a kitchen there.<br />
It seems to work, because often<br />
people who have been having a<br />
pre-dinner drink in the sitting<br />
room are very surprised to find a<br />
kitchen just behind the bookcase.<br />
Another bonus of the new plan<br />
is the empty spot where the £300<br />
temporary kitchen had been, which<br />
is now a study and snug. We put a<br />
window in on the back wall, which<br />
brings light in from both ends of the<br />
house, and moved the door into the<br />
garden along, to make room for some<br />
bespoke bookshelves built by Rob.<br />
It was his brilliant idea to tuck<br />
a cat flap for Gonzo at the<br />
<br />
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This page: The space that once housed the £300 temporary<br />
kitchen is now a study and snug. Bespoke bookshelves conceal a<br />
clever cat flap. The walls are painted in London Plane by Mylands<br />
bottom of them, because we couldn’t put one in<br />
the treasured Crittall kitchen door. “I’ll make him<br />
a tunnel…” said Rob and it’s very amusing to see a<br />
furry head emerging from between the books.<br />
Another change of use worked brilliantly on the<br />
half-landing up the stairs, which had a guest loo<br />
on it. My friend Nicki suggested making it into<br />
a laundry and it’s great not having to take all the<br />
washing down to the kitchen and back up.<br />
The first part of the house we finished was also<br />
the smallest – the shower room adjoining the master<br />
bedroom. Because it’s such a teeny space, I chose<br />
gloriously bold hand-blocked wallpaper by Cole &<br />
Son which dictated the darkest navy and orange colour<br />
scheme. It still delights me every time I look at it.<br />
To normalise the tricky proportions of the space, much<br />
taller than it is wide, I added a picture rail and painted<br />
the ceiling the same midnight blue as the wallpaper<br />
background, to create the illusion that it’s lower.<br />
When I couldn’t find tiles marvellous enough to set off<br />
the wallpaper, I bought satisfyingly cheap navy-blue subway<br />
tiles and had them set in a herringbone pattern, with bright<br />
orange grouting, tinted with special pigment found online.<br />
The next space to be finished was the main bathroom<br />
– probably still my favourite room in the house.<br />
I’m a devotee of the Marie Kondo philosophy of <br />
37 priceless-magazines.com
This page: The shower room is papered<br />
in Cole & Son Gondola wallpaper. The<br />
ceiling is painted the same midnight blue<br />
to create the illusion that it’s lower. Marie<br />
Kondo’s philosophy of tidying, where all<br />
toiletries are put away after use, has been<br />
employed in both bathrooms. Maggie<br />
found a small mid-century sideboard<br />
on eBay for £120 which was converted<br />
into a sink unit with masses of storage<br />
tidying, and one of her rules is that<br />
toothbrushes (and shampoo and<br />
everything else) is put away after<br />
use, so I started with storage. How<br />
could I have enough space to stash<br />
everything that also looked nice?<br />
Cupboards specifically made for<br />
bathrooms are weirdly expensive and<br />
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I found a lovely small mid-century<br />
sideboard on eBay for £120… the<br />
plumber made a hole in the top for<br />
the pipe and it was all done, looking<br />
great, with masses of storage.<br />
Storage was also my starting<br />
point in the main bedroom. I had<br />
a walk-in closet at the old house,<br />
so I was nervous about having<br />
enough room to hang all my gear.<br />
My first action was to get into<br />
the Marie Kondo mindset<br />
<br />
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This page: The fish-like object over the bed is actually a<br />
vintage snowshoe. The bespoke bamboo blinds on either<br />
side conceal storage shelves. The bedside tables are classic<br />
plastic pieces by Kartell. The bamboo chair was a junk shop<br />
find and Maggie sourced the dressing table on eBay. The<br />
curtains were made by Vintage Bird in Hastings Old Town<br />
again and prune a lot of it out, but even when I’d<br />
done that I had to be creative – especially once I<br />
found out how much good fitted wardrobes cost.<br />
Stumbling across a lovely Edwardian triple-door<br />
wardrobe in a Hastings junk emporium was the start –<br />
and I also saw it would give me the perfect spot to display<br />
my hatboxes, which I’ve been collecting since the 1980s.<br />
With the wardrobe in the middle, I put hanging rails<br />
on either side and then commissioned curtains to cover<br />
them, made from vintage velvet sourced from a shop in St<br />
Leonards (now gone and much missed). Very satisfyingly,<br />
it perfectly matched the walls painted in Little Greene’s<br />
Rolling Fog, which I chose for its serene quality.<br />
The other bedroom storage is shelves in the<br />
bays on either side of the chimney breast. I didn’t<br />
want more curtains, or more doors to cover them<br />
– there were already enough of both in the room<br />
– so I had to come up with another idea.<br />
After snapping up bamboo window blinds in B&Q<br />
for day-time privacy (the houses opposite are very<br />
close) inspiration struck – I could use the same to<br />
conceal the shelves. B&Q’s brilliantly cheap blinds<br />
come in very limited sizes, so I found a Danish <br />
41 priceless-magazines.com
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Above: The blue cupboard is a vintage<br />
Australian meat safe. The painting over it<br />
is by Maggie’s late father-in-law and the<br />
Tunisian birdcage a gift from a friend<br />
Above right: Maggie found the Edwardian tripledoor<br />
wardrobe in a Hastings junk emporium.<br />
She added hanging rails on either side and<br />
then commissioned curtains to cover them<br />
made from vintage velvet sourced from a shop<br />
in St Leonards Right: There is far less storage<br />
in the kitchen than at their previous home,<br />
so Maggie decided to wall-mount favourites<br />
from her collection of Willow Pattern and blue<br />
and white plates. The baskets and hamper at<br />
the top of the stairs are another obsession<br />
firm who make them to measure.<br />
Everything else in the room just fell<br />
together. It has a bit of an Indochine<br />
theme, with the bamboo blinds,<br />
chair and dressing table, but it wasn’t<br />
a deliberate ‘look’ (although it has<br />
coincidentally become a trend since),<br />
it just came together organically.<br />
Like the whole house, it shows if you<br />
don’t try to plan everything, but go with<br />
the flow of what works for the space,<br />
within your budget and what serendipity<br />
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43 priceless-magazines.com
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A<br />
Modern Vintage Seaside Gem<br />
Natasha and John Lyon<br />
seem to have an instinct for<br />
buying property in upand-coming<br />
areas before<br />
anyone (even they) realize<br />
that they’re up and coming.<br />
They’ve progressed from a<br />
two-bedroom flat in a nowfashionable<br />
part of North<br />
London to a four-bedroom<br />
house in a newly desirable<br />
part of East London to this<br />
impressive six-bedroom family<br />
home in Margate, quickly<br />
becoming the coolest coastal<br />
town on the Kent coast.<br />
For 15 years Natasha<br />
was a handbag designer for<br />
well-known luxury brands<br />
– a job that allowed her to<br />
travel extensively, picking up<br />
interiors inspiration along the<br />
way. She and John bought this<br />
house more than three years<br />
ago and initially tackled the<br />
less-exciting jobs – treating<br />
damp and fixing the roof and<br />
chimneys. They were lucky<br />
that the house already had<br />
a large kitchen extension.<br />
Knowing that much of the<br />
space could be updated<br />
cosmetically, and relying on<br />
Natasha’s talent for styling<br />
her many vintage furnishings<br />
and accessories, the couple<br />
decided the kitchen was<br />
where they would spend<br />
their money. John is a keen<br />
cook, so a well-functioning<br />
kitchen is important to him.<br />
After extensive research on<br />
kitchens from high to low<br />
price points and everything<br />
in between, they chose to<br />
work with a local joiner<br />
who built a bespoke kitchen<br />
to meet John’s culinary<br />
requirements. They sold the<br />
existing kitchen on Facebook<br />
Marketplace and are planning<br />
on reusing the slate floor<br />
tiles for the garden patio.<br />
When the pandemic hit<br />
and work came to a standstill,<br />
the couple decided to<br />
collaborate on a new business<br />
– Appreciation Project, an<br />
online sustainable dried<br />
flower delivery and homeware<br />
brand. Natasha runs the<br />
creative side and John advises<br />
on operations while also<br />
working in technology sales.<br />
Natasha has set up a home<br />
studio in the attic, filled with<br />
dried bouquets and branded<br />
packaging yet also oozing
When<br />
to splurge:<br />
There are times when you<br />
may need or choose to invest in<br />
something new, as was the case in this<br />
kitchen. John is a keen cook and the<br />
open kitchen/dining room is the family<br />
hub. The old units were removed and<br />
sold online, and a local joiner was hired<br />
to build new cabinets, including this<br />
large island, topped with robust<br />
stainless steel and painted in<br />
Little Greene’s Olive.<br />
Colour balance: In the family bathroom (above), the<br />
blingy tub was already in place. Natasha brought it into<br />
line with her style by adding an eclectic and colourful<br />
collection of furniture and textiles. The wooden cabinet<br />
was painted red and adapted to hold a sink, while the<br />
striped curtain is a piece of fabric pinned onto a pole.<br />
The blue walls are Little Greene’s Brighton. In the main<br />
bedroom (below) the walls are painted in Myland’s<br />
Borough Market. On the bed, Natasha has deftly<br />
mixed patterns and colours, with stripes playing a<br />
key role. A piece of unhemmed striped fabric has<br />
been draped over a side table; a simple trick that<br />
can be used to jazz up small tables in any room.<br />
Explore Natasha and John Lyon’s thrifty renovation of<br />
a six-bedroom Edwardian house in Margate, Kent.<br />
style, thanks to her decision<br />
to paint the room a rich shade<br />
of green. Throughout the<br />
house, colour plays a starring<br />
role, with every room except<br />
the kitchen painted in bold<br />
hues. In fact, there was so<br />
much painting to be done<br />
that it took nine months to<br />
complete! Nothing was safe<br />
from the painter’s brush, and<br />
the result is a captivating<br />
palette from top to bottom.<br />
Aside from the kitchen and<br />
armchairs and sofas (which<br />
were bought new from Sofa.<br />
com), pretty much everything<br />
is second-hand. Natasha is<br />
dedicated to vintage and has<br />
a few favourite haunts aside<br />
from the usual online sources.<br />
While there’s no strict<br />
colour scheme for the home<br />
as a whole – something that I<br />
entirely approve of – a splash<br />
of red pops up in almost<br />
every room. Sometimes that’s<br />
all you need to create a link<br />
throughout an interior – a<br />
small pop here and there. The<br />
Lyons have created a joyous<br />
home, lived-in and relaxed<br />
yet filled with mementoes<br />
that tell their story.
Rich hues: The hallway (top, far right) has original parquet flooring and a rich combination of<br />
paint colours; the paler shade is Oval Room Blue while the darker one is De Nimes, both from Farrow<br />
& Ball. In the sitting room (above) the wall and shelf are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue.<br />
Dark & moody: The main bedroom’s fireplace (above middle) is<br />
painted in Myland’s Borough Market like the walls.<br />
Colour clash: The stair runner was created by piecing together vintage rugs (opposite).
Where do you shop for your home?<br />
Do you have a favourite store or<br />
source? We have always bought<br />
sofas and chairs from Sofa.com, the<br />
quality is brilliant. In Norwich we<br />
stumbled across the most incredible<br />
shop called Vintage Mischief; we<br />
have bought a lot from them over<br />
the years. I also have a few treasures<br />
from Vantage Living, including<br />
the wicker elephants and the glass<br />
coffee table in the front lounge.<br />
5 minutes with<br />
Natasha & John<br />
What’s the most important thing<br />
for you at home? It’s important our<br />
home is full of creativity; things to<br />
feed the eyes and the imagination.<br />
I want this for my kids, for them<br />
to grow up around interesting art<br />
and books. It’s also important for<br />
me – as a designer, I want to be<br />
surrounded by objects, textures<br />
and colours that inspire me.<br />
Do you have a decorating/design<br />
philosophy? Colour! Don’t be<br />
afraid to use it. My take on design<br />
is eclectic – each room is filled<br />
with special pieces that have a story<br />
to go with them. I divide large<br />
rooms into ‘zones’ and accessoriZe<br />
each one individually, layering<br />
cushions, blankets, side tables,<br />
lamps and books. Soon the room<br />
starts to feel very cosy and is filled<br />
with lots of detail. I will never be<br />
a minimalist, because I’m obsessed<br />
with colours, textures and objects.<br />
Describe a creative solution to<br />
a challenge you faced with your<br />
home. When I get bored of a piece<br />
of furniture but can’t afford or find<br />
anything to replace it, I cover it in<br />
fabric. I did this to the bedside tables/<br />
nightstands in our bedroom and to<br />
a coffee table in the family room.<br />
It changes the space immediately.<br />
Do you tend to stay in one<br />
property for a long time or do<br />
you prefer to move or reinvent<br />
your home frequently? This is our<br />
third property and we have stayed<br />
in each one thinking we will be<br />
there longer than we have been.<br />
However, this home is different, it<br />
is a true family home. There is a lot<br />
of space and it can evolve; already it<br />
has taken on an office for John and<br />
my office has adapted into a studio<br />
for Appreciation Project. I can see<br />
other rooms changing over time into<br />
a library/homework room and the<br />
boot room becoming a utility room.<br />
There is also a loft space and three<br />
rooms in the cellar. Because there is<br />
still lots left to do combined with<br />
the fact we can grow into the house<br />
we will be here for a long time yet.<br />
However, I’m sure there will come<br />
a point where I will want to flex my<br />
creative interior desires once again.<br />
What’s next for your home? The<br />
next project is the family bathroom,<br />
a shower room and reinstating a<br />
toilet next to the kids’ bedroom that<br />
had been removed. We’re also keen<br />
to put stained glass into the front<br />
door and surrounding windows.<br />
This extract was taken from Create by<br />
Emily Henson, published by Ryland Peters<br />
& Small (£25). Photography by Catherine<br />
Gratwicke © Ryland Peters & Small
Words: Damien Pestell<br />
Photographs: David Merewether<br />
Escape<br />
to the<br />
Country<br />
The refurbishment of an elegant<br />
Georgian farmhouse has been<br />
a labour of love for talented<br />
interior designer Jessica Bax
priceless-magazines.com<br />
52
Previous pages & this page: In the new straw bale extension, picture windows look out onto pretty garden borders, packed<br />
with cosmos. By keeping the wall colour as a neutral base, Jessica has been able to seamlessly mix a variety of artwork<br />
styles, fabric patterns and textures and grouped collections of interesting objects and fresh flowers to create interest<br />
It was Monday morning and I was excited to be travelling<br />
to somewhere with a familiar name. Shoreham village in<br />
Kent is just five miles outside of Sevenoaks and, unlike its<br />
namesake, is nowhere near the sea. Bisected by the panoramic<br />
Darent Valley, running from the Thames at Dartford down<br />
through the Kent Downs and finishing high in the Greensand<br />
Hills above Sevenoaks, it is one of Kent’s best kept secrets.<br />
I was on my way to meet Jessica Bax to talk about her recently<br />
completed refurbishment of the stunning Georgian farmhouse<br />
which she shares with her husband Will and their three children.<br />
Jessica, who swapped her career as an Interiors Journalist to<br />
become an Interior Designer, oversaw the entire project from<br />
start to finish, creating a home which not only displays her<br />
extensive creative talents but also works for her and her family.<br />
Set back from the road and accessed via a discreetly hidden<br />
gated driveway, which you could easily miss, the farmhouse<br />
is part of a larger complex of former agricultural buildings<br />
which previously operated as a working farm. Jessica and<br />
Will bought the house with land and buildings three years<br />
ago, after making the decision to move away from London<br />
and back to the countryside, where they both grew up.<br />
After living in London for five years with small children<br />
and in Paris for four years before that, I assumed a family<br />
life in the country was the obvious motivation for the<br />
change of scene. However, Jessica explained that while<br />
important, there was another reason. Husband Will, a<br />
specialist in building community spaces, had a dream<br />
to create a community focused rural work hub, she<br />
explained, “We bought it specifically for the site.”<br />
This picture perfect farmhouse is set in a hidden valley,<br />
approached via a long gravel driveway which seems to head<br />
nowhere before sweeping round to reveal the building in all<br />
its splendour. Surrounded by rolling countryside with barely<br />
a neighbour in sight, the well proportioned garden is framed<br />
in part by pretty flint walls bordered by late autumn flowers.<br />
The house itself was previously owned by an elderly lady<br />
<br />
53 priceless-magazines.com
This page: The kitchen is a well thought out space, perfect<br />
for busy family life, with plenty of storage in the large central<br />
island and surrounding cupboards, plus breakfast bar seating<br />
and was in need of modernisation before they could move in.<br />
Inside the house the changes that have been made slowly<br />
start to unfold. It’s easy to miss the two original doorways<br />
in the entrance corridor – preserved to mark the passage<br />
of time – which previously led to a kitchen on the right,<br />
now the children’s playroom, and a living room on the left,<br />
transformed into a spacious kitchen/dining room. Jessica<br />
explained why the changes were necessary, “The way the<br />
rooms connected didn’t work, there was no way of moving<br />
through the house without going through all the rooms.”<br />
The solution was to build a new side entrance connected to<br />
a spacious central corridor, linking the smaller rooms either<br />
side to the bright open plan kitchen space and the heart of<br />
the house. This has proved to be a masterstroke, opening up<br />
the whole ground floor to give a greater sense of connection<br />
and space, as Jessica explains concisely, “I wanted to come<br />
<br />
priceless-magazines.com<br />
54
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WindowSanctuaryWT247.indd 1 14/11/2022 09:19<br />
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55 priceless-magazines.com<br />
ThomasHaywoodSolicitors<strong>WT248</strong>.indd ThomasHaywoodSolicitorsWT225.indd 1 01/12/2022 14/12/2020 15:03 12:12
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This page: The large dining table was bought from a local<br />
craftsman in Otford. “He collects salvaged materials wherever<br />
he goes,” explains Jessica, “the top is wood from an old French<br />
railway carriage and the legs are old oak pillars from the central<br />
reservation of the A3!” Surrounding it are colourful chairs<br />
from Anthropologie and some vintage finds from a market<br />
through the door and see right through the house.”<br />
Next to the new side entrance, just off the corridor, is a good<br />
sized study, previously a farm office, where Jessica and Will now<br />
have a desk each for their work. Having personal experience of<br />
sharing an office with a partner, I asked Jessica how they got<br />
on, “Will uses the phone a lot more than me, sometimes at<br />
length, which can be a distraction but otherwise it works well.”<br />
Opposite the study is a generous boot room, which Jessica’s<br />
family have packed with belongings. “A few years ago when<br />
we lived in London we had a few coat pegs, now we can fill a<br />
room!” Looking in I can almost imagine the excitement and<br />
trepidation the children may have had in their new environment<br />
– an endless playground of fields, woods and streams to play in.<br />
Further along, the downstairs bathroom is decked out<br />
in exquisite wallpaper with an old Victorian vanity unit.<br />
A wallpapered shelf presents a lovely collection of vintage<br />
Observers books with their rainbow colours. Jessica discovered<br />
the wallpaper with the intention of using it in one of her<br />
interior design projects, but when the right space for it<br />
didn’t arise, she decided to use it in her own scheme.<br />
Back in the central corridor, which connects the old<br />
Victorian extension with the original Georgian part of<br />
the house, we pay a brief visit to the remarkably tidy<br />
children’s playroom, Jessica quips, “It’s never this neat! I’m<br />
so happy it’s being photographed – it’ll be a souvenir.”<br />
Inside, the walls are painted Farrow & Ball Dix Blue. “It’s<br />
quite colourful but not dark,” says Jessica, “so you get a good<br />
impact from it.” There are splashes of colour from the GP & J<br />
Baker Roman blinds and lots of vibrant artwork – both framed<br />
professional pieces and the children’s own masterpieces, which<br />
are creatively pegged onto a line. Below is an antique desk, <br />
57 priceless-magazines.com
This page: The playroom walls are painted<br />
Farrow & Ball Dix Blue, and the Roman<br />
blinds were made from GP & J Baker<br />
fabric. Jessica has pegged the children’s<br />
artwork onto a line above an antique desk<br />
which she bought on a trip to Dorset<br />
a piece Jessica bought during a trip to<br />
Dorset where her parents live, a reliable<br />
source of quality antiques. I notice the<br />
kids have started to draw on it, but it<br />
doesn’t look out of place. Jessica explains<br />
her process for creating each room, “I<br />
love buying old stuff, I feel you can’t<br />
make a home if you buy everything at<br />
once, it needs to be layered up over time.”<br />
Moving from room to room I begin<br />
to see how the house reflects Jessica’s<br />
style as an interior designer, and note<br />
how the couple have cleverly managed<br />
to reuse a lot of the original materials<br />
in their renovation. Timbers that had<br />
rotted in places and needed to be<br />
replaced were re-employed to create the<br />
retaining wall on the terrace and also<br />
to make a console table in the living<br />
room. “It was a focus of this project,<br />
and is also a key part of the work I take<br />
on, to help clients rethink waste <br />
priceless-magazines.com<br />
58
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MarkScottArenasWT246.indd 1 21/10/2022 15:02
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Top left: One of the children’s bedrooms Above left: The family bathroom is a soothing grey with soft accents of pink. Like the rest of<br />
the house, shelving is used to display interesting artworks alongside family photos Above right: The master bed faces a large south facing<br />
window which overlooks a wildlife pond<br />
from their building projects and design in a way that<br />
is kinder to the environment,” explains Jessica.<br />
The kitchen/dining room is at the end of the corridor<br />
and has been transformed into a glorious open plan family<br />
space with an abundance of natural light from all sides. Neat<br />
navy blue units are fitted along two adjacent walls offsetting<br />
seamlessly with the vibrant white quartz worktops. A good<br />
sized island provides additional workspace with a breakfast bar<br />
for those speedy breakfasts on the run, whilst sash windows<br />
and newly installed patio doors bring plenty of light to a<br />
corner where a fireplace once was. A delightful glass-fronted<br />
cupboard, from Jessica’s trusted supplier in Dorset, mixes<br />
old with new, offering extra storage and some contrast.<br />
Turning 180 degrees, the focal point of the dining area is<br />
the large table, which can seat up to 10 people. This is a piece<br />
with a great story bought from a local craftsman in Otford,<br />
Jessica explains, “He collects salvaged materials wherever he<br />
goes. The top is wood from an old French railway carriage<br />
and the legs are old oak pillars from the central reservation of<br />
the A3!” The beautiful table is balanced with colourful chairs<br />
from Anthropologie and some vintage finds from a market.<br />
Surrounding the table is artwork that Jessica and Will<br />
have collected from various trips over the years. One piece<br />
in particular catches my eye, it’s of waves crashing onto a<br />
shoreline. I ask Jessica about it and she explains, “It’s of a<br />
beach in Alderney, one of the smaller Channel Islands, where<br />
Will’s grandparents used to live. He has been going there<br />
his whole life and we have a close family bond with it.”<br />
Open but not attached to the kitchen/dining room is the<br />
newest part of the house. The living room is part of a modern<br />
extension made from super insulated precision crafter straw<br />
panels that lock together like a giant Lego set, with the master<br />
suite above. “We wanted to create an eco friendly extension<br />
with a minimal use of concrete and artificial materials,” says<br />
Jessica. On the wall a narrow window gives you a view of the<br />
panels behind the clay render, used so that it can breathe<br />
<br />
61 priceless-magazines.com
This page: The children’s bathroom is papered in Jelly Fish Bloom wallpaper by Thibaut<br />
and flex with the weather. Jessica said of the decision to<br />
create a modern extension rather than a period replica, “We<br />
wanted to mark the passage of time rather than obscure it.”<br />
A large aspect window looks out over the south facing garden<br />
with far reaching views of the valley beyond. Behind, a cosy<br />
seating area is huddled around the striking glass-fronted wood<br />
burner and shelving to the left holds a collection of books<br />
with colourful Arabic tiles displayed from a trip Jessica took to<br />
Iran many years ago to visit a friend who was studying there.<br />
It’s not only the new extension that boasts impressive <br />
priceless-magazines.com<br />
62
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Above left and left: Navy tongue-and-groove panelling lines<br />
the staircase with a carefully curated selection of artworks<br />
mounted above Above: A corner of the entrance hall<br />
eco-credentials, “We went to great lengths to design the house<br />
so as to be maximally environmental. This was one of my<br />
main focuses, and is also a major part of my interior design<br />
work,” says Jessica. “The choice of straw for the extension, the<br />
replacement of all the windows, the insulation to all external<br />
walls, breathable wall paint and my never-ending quest to<br />
find old furniture and reuse it… this is all part of our story, to<br />
realise a home that was minimally disruptive to the planet.”<br />
Walking up the beautifully crafted timber staircase<br />
I admire more art on the walls before entering a<br />
brightly lit landing. Upstairs another long corridor<br />
mirrors the one below, with a spare room at the end<br />
patrolled by a sleepy cat, perturbed by my presence.<br />
Gathered around the landing area are the two girls’<br />
rooms opposite one another. The right hand room has a<br />
twin outlook, with an additional window achieved through<br />
the removal of the chimney in the kitchen below. Facing<br />
it, the other room has a four poster bed with another<br />
painting from Alderney, this time of the puffin colony.<br />
Approaching the master suite we enter another more intimate<br />
corridor, this time with integrated wardrobes cleverly <br />
priceless-magazines.com<br />
64
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KarlTerryWT229.indd 1 07/05/2021 BellHouse<strong>WT248</strong>.indd 12:40<br />
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JohnsonsGardenBuildings<strong>WT248</strong>-AD1.indd 1 16/12/2022 14:45
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SmartRangeWT245.indd 1 21/09/2022 12:34<br />
Is Equity Release an answer to the “Interest Only Time Bomb”?<br />
Local adviser, Sarah Ferrell, specialises in<br />
Equity Release and is seeing many more<br />
people considering this as a solution to<br />
their financial problems. Increasingly, plans are<br />
taken out to repay Interest Only mortgages.<br />
Sarah explains more…<br />
What is the ‘Interest Only time bomb’? This<br />
refers to the number of Interest Only mortgages<br />
that are due for repayment over the next few<br />
years where there is no ‘repayment vehicle’.<br />
Essentially, the interest has been paid, often<br />
for many years, but the capital is now due<br />
for repayment. One option for repayment<br />
is to sell the property however, for some, a<br />
more attractive option is to re-finance.<br />
The difficulty is that if the borrower<br />
has retired, or is over 65, the options<br />
suddenly look very limited.<br />
Equity Release/Lifetime mortgages are<br />
often the most attractive solution if people<br />
do not want to, or are unable to sell.<br />
What is the difference between Equity Release<br />
and Lifetime Mortgages? There is no difference!<br />
The term ‘Equity Release’ had got itself a<br />
bad name. As products have evolved and<br />
become much more flexible, the term ‘Lifetime<br />
mortgage’ is a much better description<br />
however, essentially, they are the same thing!<br />
With most of today’s plans, YOU still own<br />
your property, and the lender requires a “first<br />
charge” – just like any other mortgage.<br />
What are the different types of plan?<br />
There are typically two ‘routes’ for Equity<br />
Release. ‘Roll up’ and ‘Pay as you go’.<br />
With a Roll up plan, the interest charged on<br />
the initial release is added to the debt, so,<br />
over time, the debt grows. The original loan,<br />
plus the accumulated interest, would typically<br />
be repaid when the property is sold (either<br />
on death or on moving into residential care)<br />
A ‘pay as you go’ plan also provides an<br />
initial release, but instead of the interest<br />
being added, you pay it (on a regular<br />
or ad hoc basis), meaning that the debt<br />
remains level throughout its lifetime.<br />
Neither is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ and there<br />
are benefits/merits to each depending<br />
on individual circumstances<br />
Regardless of the reasons for considering Equity<br />
Release, Sarah would strongly recommend<br />
seeking advice as to whether this route may be<br />
appropriate for your individual circumstances.<br />
There are many plans to choose from<br />
so finding the RIGHT option is important.<br />
Sarah is keen to ensure that any decision<br />
is not just suitable at the outset, but as far<br />
as possible, remains suitable later in life.<br />
Equity Release can reduce the value of your estate and can affect your eligibility for means tested benefits.<br />
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE<br />
Call Sarah on<br />
01622 631372 or 07789 007447<br />
or e-mail her at<br />
sarah@ferrellfinancial.co.uk<br />
You may find answers to<br />
some of your questions at<br />
www.ferrellfinancial.co.uk<br />
priceless-magazines.com<br />
66<br />
SarahFerrell<strong>WT248</strong>.indd 1 08/12/2022 10:16
This page: Stackable Peach armchairs by Resol provide colourful outdoor seating. Green Sanctuary Anthracite wallpaper by Mind The Gap<br />
in the downstairs loo<br />
camouflaged using Cole & Son wallpaper. On the wall is<br />
a mirror with inlaid glass that Jessica bought from a trip to<br />
Udaipur in India. Entering the bedroom, it feels enormous,<br />
helped in part by the incredible vaulted ceiling which makes the<br />
room feel so much bigger. Behind the bed is a stunning twin<br />
chest of drawers inlaid with mother of pearl, inspired by the<br />
mirror outside and of the same style. The bed faces an almost<br />
floor-to-ceiling south facing window, overlooking a pretty<br />
pond below, Jessica comments, “There is a lovely kingfisher<br />
and herons which you can sometimes see in the mornings.”<br />
Coming back downstairs Jessica kindly hands me a jar<br />
of honey – they have a glut from the bees that Will keeps.<br />
She also offers me some apples grown on the tree outside,<br />
but I admit we actually have so many ourselves I am unable<br />
to help her out. As I start to get my things together, I say<br />
farewell to Jessica and consider everything I have seen.<br />
Jessica’s primary objective in renovating her Georgian<br />
farmhouse was to create a functional house that would work<br />
for her family. She has been hands-on with the entire process,<br />
being involved in the design and build stages to ensure that the<br />
rooms flow harmoniously with the needs of her family. She has<br />
then layered on her own unique style adding colour and flair<br />
to create that thing which is so important to all of us, a home.<br />
Address Book:<br />
To find out more about Jessica’s interior<br />
design services, visit jessicabax.co.uk<br />
For further information on building with straw, visit Barbara<br />
Jones’ site strawworks.co.uk. The company that Jessica and<br />
Will used for their project was EcoCocon ecococon.eu/gb/<br />
67 priceless-magazines.com
WANTING A CREATIVE OUTLET?<br />
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We are open by appointment throughout the year,<br />
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The World of Graham Clarke : 12th November to 7th <strong>January</strong><br />
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GrahamClarke<strong>WT248</strong>.indd 1 20/12/2022 WellsandWhiteWT239.indd 09:18<br />
1 15/03/2022 11:49<br />
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sashwindowheritage.co.uk<br />
Antique Persian Heriz Rug<br />
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• Professional cleaning • Professional repairs • Valuations<br />
• Buying & selling of a variety of handmade rugs, carpets, textiles & flat-weaves<br />
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New Afghan Kazak Rug<br />
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Get the<br />
LOOK<br />
1 Ivor floor lamp base in light oak £118.80 with Innsbruck faux silk shade £49.20 där lighting group darlighting.co.uk 2 Barn Owl by<br />
Night limited edition print (various sizes) from £50 Lime Lace limelace.co.uk 3 Swallowtail butterfly botanical art print (various sizes)<br />
from £20 Lola Design loladesignltd.com 4 Time to Breathe wall art print (various sizes) from £35 Claude & Leighton claudeandleighton.com<br />
5 Curtains in Pavilion Adriatic velvet POA ILIV iliv.co.uk 6 A View from Padstow Beach framed painting (various sizes) from £45 Beach<br />
House Art beachhouseart.co.uk 7 Herbarium Alpium I wall art print (35x50cm) £198 Mindthegap mindtheg.uk 8 Monochrome Eiffel<br />
Tower print (various sizes) from £53 Abstract House abstracthouse.com 9 Marlia accent chair in dark wood and pink £1,030 Ercol<br />
ercol.com 10 Gardenia chest of drawers £1,365 Sweetpea & Willow sweetpeaandwillow.com 11 Montrose cushion in Delph with frill trim<br />
£75 Arley House arleyhouse.com 12 Polka dot lumbar cushion in fuchsia and green £125 Eloise Home eloisehome.com<br />
13 Berkeley Cottage Oak engineered wood flooring £150 /m 2 Woodpecker Flooring woodpeckerflooring.co.uk<br />
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Surrey’s<br />
Leading Occasion<br />
Wear Boutique<br />
Surrey’s<br />
Leading Occasion<br />
Wear Boutique<br />
www.melitaboutique.co.uk<br />
57 High Street, Chobham, Surrey, GU24 8AF<br />
Tel: 01276 856308<br />
The Curious, for for every for every celebration<br />
Tel: 01622 299359<br />
Tel: Tel: 01622 01622 299359<br />
www.thecuriouseatery.co.uk<br />
www.thecuriouseatery.co.uk<br />
Curious Eatery, Albion Inn,<br />
1 Church Curious Street, Eatery, Boughton Albion Monchelsea, Inn, Inn,<br />
Maidstone 1 1 Church ME17 Street, 4HW<br />
Boughton Monchelsea,<br />
Maidstone ME17 ME17 4HW 4HW<br />
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The Family Event:<br />
The Curious<br />
Be it a birthday, anniversary or any<br />
other excuse, a family get together is<br />
a wonderful way to surround yourself<br />
with those you love. For such a day, you<br />
need something deeply personal that can<br />
also please and excite a crowd, which is<br />
why The Curious is our pick.<br />
Taking us through the looking glass,<br />
to a magical world of unique dining<br />
experiences, The Curious still remains<br />
grounded in the values of community,<br />
sustainability and fantastic food.<br />
Over the last seven years, what we once knew and loved as the<br />
eatery with its own allotment has evolved into a multipurpose<br />
event space and catering company. But whether you visit them<br />
for an in-house Supper Club or event, or hire them to cater a<br />
celebration elsewhere, The Curious’s dining experiences are always<br />
immersive and imaginative – from elegantly plated food in the<br />
middle of the woods, to bubbling cauldrons over a wood fire. The<br />
food itself makes use of ingredients from local suppliers, seasonal<br />
produce, and the spoils of their own allotment for menus that<br />
combine the classic, simple elegance of traditional dishes, but each<br />
inspired by a unique story and background for a curious twist.<br />
For your next family feast, you can book The Curious to cater<br />
a special occasion, visit them for one of their own events, or find<br />
their food at a number of other stunning venues including Sprivers<br />
Mansion, Battel Hall at Leeds Castle, Great Budds House, The<br />
Mount Vineyard and Chiddingstone Castle.<br />
thecuriouseatery.co.uk<br />
Show<br />
Some<br />
L ove<br />
Yes, Valentine’s is coming up, but<br />
love comes in so many forms and<br />
they are all worth celebrating! So we<br />
are tallying up three lovely things to<br />
do with whoever is in your heart<br />
The Bonding Opportunity:<br />
Kent Cookery School<br />
One-on-one parent bonding time can be a rare treasure<br />
that children always remember – and making it a learning<br />
experience, too, is a great bonus! So Kent Cookery School’s<br />
adult and child cooking courses are a fabulous option.<br />
Young people from 8-16 years can spend some time<br />
learning to cook with a parent, guardian or other adult<br />
over 18, both gaining valuable skills along the way. These<br />
classes focus on street food based topics including Thai,<br />
Mexican, and Pasta and Pizza. They cost £130 for an<br />
adult and child, and are taught by head chef James, with<br />
room for six pairs per event. The class will teach students<br />
how to pick fresh ingredients, mix flavours and cook<br />
meat and vegetables properly, ending with a delicious<br />
meal to share together. kentcookeryschool.co.uk<br />
The Date Destination: The Ivy Castle View<br />
Whether you are starting out a budding romance or celebrating<br />
decades of marriage, sharing a meal with that special someone is the<br />
classic date idea with good reason. For something special that really<br />
shows the other person you care, we’ve chosen The Ivy Castle View<br />
in Guildford, Surrey.<br />
For a dramatic view, it doesn’t get much better; as the name<br />
implies you can dine like royalty looking out at the historical<br />
Guildford Castle. But you can also feel comfortably enjoying<br />
each other’s company as this sophisticated setting has a very<br />
relaxed vibe. The menus combine modern British classics and<br />
internationally inspired dishes, from traditional fish and chips<br />
and roast chicken to duck liver parfait and lobster linguine (so<br />
you don’t have to worry about your date not finding anything<br />
they want!). Go on a weekday to enjoy two courses for £16.95,<br />
or three for £21.<br />
This one will impress with the view and decor, and then sit<br />
you down and put you at ease for an enjoyable experience,<br />
making it not just a great option for romance but also a great<br />
place to go with friends, family or really any company you choose.<br />
theivyguildford.com<br />
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WWW.CHAPELHOUSEESTATE.CO.UK<br />
01843 881290 info@chapelhouseestate.co.uk Thorne Hill, Minster, Ramsgate, Kent, CT12 5DS<br />
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Country Class:<br />
Chapel House Estate<br />
Country charm at its best, this is the one for<br />
understated luxury. Surrounded by 35 acres of<br />
rustic wildness and beautiful landscaping, this<br />
country estate provides a unique backdrop for<br />
relaxing, entertaining and celebrating in the<br />
most private of settings.<br />
At the heart of the Estate is Chapel House<br />
itself, a converted chapel built in 1290, filled<br />
with charm and character. This holds five<br />
bedrooms and is the perfect restful retreat for<br />
the night of your wedding. Outside, you’ll find<br />
panoramic views, beautiful formal gardens, an<br />
orchard and a secluded walled courtyard with its<br />
own lounge bar and private chefs table.<br />
There are twelve more bedrooms throughout<br />
the estate, between its contemporary Hideaway<br />
Lodges in the sprawling paddocks, and Chapel<br />
Cottage on the edge of the site. For winter<br />
weddings a rustic converted barn, the Old<br />
Malt Granary, is perfect for a ceremony, while a<br />
state-of-the-art Banqueting Barn awaits for the<br />
wedding breakfast.<br />
With all the facilities on the Chapel House<br />
Estate you can create an small intimate<br />
celebration, or fabulously large affair, here.<br />
Register for an appointment to view the estate<br />
online and discover it for yourself!<br />
chapelhouseestate.co.uk<br />
Something New<br />
We couldn’t list places to celebrate love without also looking at a<br />
few wedding venues! These three favourites are each something<br />
a little different, for a big day filled with style and personality<br />
Fabulous & Fun: The Bell in Ticehurst<br />
A venue filled with quirky fun and sumptuous style. Get married in the Big<br />
Room with its hand-painted wallpaper, glamorous chandeliers, and velvet<br />
curtains, followed by a Champagne reception in the garden. And then, in true<br />
Bell tradition, make your big entrance as newlyweds by walking down the<br />
middle of an oak dining table, to the applause and confetti of your guests.<br />
With exclusive use of a suite of rooms, including The Snug, The Stable<br />
and the new Stable Bar as well as the Big Room, The Bell can cater for up<br />
to 90 guests for a wedding ceremony, and 120 for an evening party. The<br />
flexibility and style of the rooms means that it’s also ideal for smaller, more<br />
intimate weddings. The bride and groom can stay in The Bell’s beautiful Love<br />
Nest lodge, or the newly decorated Pour L’Amour lodge, with its stunningly<br />
romantic hand-painted mural by Jane McCall, inspired by Charleston House<br />
and Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant’s love affair.<br />
Visit The Bell on Sunday 26th February for Quirky Wedding Fair to sample<br />
what your wedding could look like at The Bell, with the opportunity to meet<br />
some carefully selected suppliers over bubbles and canapés.<br />
thebellinticehurst.com<br />
Picture Perfect: Dulwich Picture Gallery<br />
This spectacular gallery offers something truly unique – a wedding<br />
surrounded by one of the finest collections of Old Masters<br />
paintings in the world.<br />
Dulwich Picture Gallery is licenced for civil ceremonies in both<br />
the magnificent Soane Gallery and the more sleek and modern<br />
Linbury Room. Entertainment for guests before the ceremony<br />
and after dinner is built right in as friends and family can explore<br />
the permanent collection. And the Soane Gallery is also available<br />
for your reception space, where your guests can dine right beside<br />
Rembrandts, Gainsboroughs and Canalettos, at a long table<br />
running through a series of arches in the gallery.<br />
dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk<br />
Backgrounds: Branch Van Gogh Almond Blossom<br />
Wallpaper £69/roll Bobbi Beck bobbibeck.com
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE<br />
“Playing golf was no fun with agonising<br />
sciatica… but I’m finally pain-free after<br />
IDD Therapy”<br />
After his IDD Therapy<br />
programme, Bill is enjoying<br />
golf with his friends again...<br />
three times a week!<br />
Keen golfer Bill Langan struggled with<br />
back pain and sciatica for six years, all<br />
the while refusing to give up his beloved<br />
sport. But eventually the pain and<br />
immobility began to affect his enjoyment<br />
of the game and he worried that soon he<br />
may not be able to play at all.<br />
Bill explains: “My back pain and sciatica<br />
developed over a period of six months back<br />
in 2012. It started with some niggles in my<br />
back, but after a few weeks I was waking up<br />
in the night in agony with shooting pains<br />
in my leg.”<br />
Over the next few months Bill’s pain<br />
worsened and the episodes became more<br />
frequent. “I’ve always been a keen golfer<br />
and as time went on, I began to feel worse<br />
every time I ventured out for a game. The<br />
mornings were the toughest; I could hardly<br />
move when I woke up and I needed to take<br />
painkillers regularly to manage the pain.”<br />
After expressing concerns to his GP, Bill<br />
was given an MRI scan which showed a<br />
bulging disc in his lower back which was<br />
compressing his sciatic nerve.<br />
“I was half expecting my GP to suggest<br />
surgery but instead I was told there was<br />
nothing they could do for me. I felt deflated<br />
and I didn’t really know what to do next.”<br />
Bill struggled on until early last year when<br />
he saw a local magazine article featuring<br />
IDD Therapy, a targeted disc treatment for<br />
persistent back pain, neck pain and sciatica.<br />
The non-invasive treatment uses gentle<br />
pulling forces to draw apart spinal segments<br />
where discs are bulging or damaged,<br />
removing pressure and irritation from<br />
trapped nerves.<br />
Bill saw that IDD Therapy was being<br />
offered at <strong>Wealden</strong> Osteopaths and Spine<br />
Centre in Goudhurst. The expert team<br />
uses the programme to help patients who<br />
find themselves on a merry-go-round of<br />
painkillers, physiotherapy and GP visits.<br />
“When I read the magazine story, the<br />
person featured in it had gone through a<br />
similar ordeal to me and they were now<br />
pain-free after IDD Therapy. I suddenly<br />
felt hopeful and quickly arranged a spinal<br />
assessment with Clinical Director, James<br />
Pickering. I was very impressed with him;<br />
he reassured me that the treatment would<br />
target the root of my problem, not just my<br />
symptoms.”<br />
IDD Therapy is changing the lives of back pain,<br />
neck pain and sciatica sufferers<br />
Bill was determined to recover his health<br />
and focused on attending regular sessions:“I<br />
knew I needed to be committed to the<br />
programme and it was totally worthwhile:<br />
the sessions were actually relaxing and<br />
even before the course finished, my back<br />
felt the best it had done in years and my<br />
sciatic pain had disappeared completely:<br />
amazing! Nearly two years later, I have<br />
occasional osteopathic treatments to stay on<br />
top of things, but I’m still sciatica-free, I’m<br />
enjoying life… and playing golf three times<br />
a week!”<br />
“After my IDD Therapy<br />
programme, my sciatic<br />
pain disappeared<br />
completely: amazing!”<br />
James Pickering is delighted with Bill’s<br />
progress:.“Bill is a great example of someone<br />
who’s maintained a good level of spinal<br />
health since his treatment with us, and<br />
IDD Therapy was just the start of that;<br />
the springboard, if you like. IDD got him<br />
moving again, by taking pressure off the<br />
spinal joints and nerves, and once he was<br />
moving, his body continued the good<br />
work.”<br />
Don’t let back pain, neck pain or<br />
sciatica put your life on hold.<br />
Call <strong>Wealden</strong> Osteopaths & Spine<br />
Centre on 01580 212833<br />
or email us at: enquiries@<br />
wealdenosteopaths.co.uk
<strong>Health</strong> & <strong>Beauty</strong>
<strong>Health</strong> & <strong>Beauty</strong> <strong>Supplement</strong><br />
Age-defying<br />
<strong>Beauty</strong><br />
Josephine Fairley recommends her top products<br />
for a gorgeously youthful complexion<br />
Call it ‘age-defying’. Or ‘anti-ageing.’ Or ‘positive<br />
ageing’, if you like. There’s a lot of debate right<br />
now about how we label the idea that basically, we<br />
all want to look good for our age. End of. It’s not about<br />
‘trying to look younger’, or chasing impossible dreams.<br />
Almost every woman I know, from about thirty onwards,<br />
just wants to hear the words, ‘Gosh, you look well!’<br />
I’ve learned a LOT over the years about how to make this<br />
happen – and it’s not rocket science. It certainly doesn’t<br />
mean going for endless ‘tweakments’ – though if that’s what<br />
you want to do, I won’t judge, merely wanting to make sure<br />
you’re armed with the right info to maximise your chances<br />
of being happy with the results. (To which end, I<br />
will simply point you in the direction of Alice<br />
Hart-Davis’s excellent book, The Tweakments<br />
Guide: Fresher Face, and the accompanying<br />
website, thetweakmentsguide.com.)<br />
It means choosing the right products,<br />
but also getting into some good<br />
habits. And I’m about to share what<br />
I know 100% works, here.<br />
There’s skincare that really works.<br />
Thing is, you have to USE it. <br />
3 priceless-magazines.com<br />
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Diligently. Twice a day, in the case<br />
of age-defying moisturisers and<br />
‘anti-wrinkle’ creams and serums.<br />
I’ve lost count of<br />
the people who’ve<br />
said to me over<br />
the years, for<br />
instance: ‘Oh,<br />
eye creams don’t<br />
work.’ And it<br />
turns out that<br />
they’ve been using<br />
something once or<br />
twice a week, and<br />
still expecting it<br />
to work miracles.<br />
The sooner your<br />
skincare becomes<br />
a true ritual,<br />
with products<br />
diligently applied,<br />
the better your<br />
skin will look;<br />
approach it as a<br />
pleasurable ‘pause’<br />
in a busy life, rather than a chore.<br />
Don’t chop and change. Give<br />
any new product a month<br />
at least – one skin cycle<br />
– to deliver results;<br />
again, constantly<br />
trying new<br />
products for<br />
a short burst<br />
(and I know<br />
so many<br />
women who<br />
do this) will<br />
never deliver<br />
the intended<br />
improvements.<br />
But what to<br />
buy, I hear you<br />
chorus? I can<br />
tell you that, too –<br />
because having for 26<br />
years run ‘The <strong>Beauty</strong> Bible<br />
Awards’ (the winners of which are<br />
all viewable on beautybible.com), I<br />
have consistently been blown away by<br />
reading comments from real women<br />
about real products that have far<br />
exceeded their expectations. (They’re<br />
divided into teams of 10, and any<br />
Don’t chop and<br />
change. Give any<br />
new product a<br />
month at least –<br />
one skin cycle – to<br />
deliver results;<br />
again, constantly<br />
trying new products<br />
for a short burst<br />
(and I know so<br />
many women who<br />
do this) will never<br />
deliver the intended<br />
improvements.<br />
product that earns one of our Awards<br />
has pretty much wowed all of them.)<br />
We actually have a section called<br />
‘Miracle Treatments’,<br />
setting the bar superhigh<br />
for these categories<br />
and even asking women<br />
to trial them on one<br />
side of the face, for<br />
comparison. (They do!)<br />
2022’s Gold Award,<br />
for instance, went to<br />
the mega-hydrating<br />
Transformulas Marine<br />
Miracle Crème, £95 for<br />
50ml, with the Silver<br />
Award going to Freya<br />
+ Bailey Forte Retinol<br />
Lustre Moisturiser,<br />
£42 for 60ml, which<br />
features 0.5% (the<br />
highest permitted<br />
dose) of retinol.<br />
Now, once upon a<br />
time, retinol – which<br />
works to minimise fine lines,<br />
wrinkles, pigmentation and sun<br />
damage – was something that caused<br />
many users to experience irritation,<br />
but clever formulations tend now<br />
to be gentler and effective. (To<br />
the point where I’ve changed my<br />
mind on retinol completely.)<br />
Add a serum into your regime. This<br />
style of formulation tends to pack a<br />
concentrated punch of age-defying<br />
ingredients – an extra step before<br />
moisturising. I absolutely flipping swear<br />
by serums, loving the glide-y feel as I<br />
apply them. (And the results observed<br />
in the mirror.) They are rarely cheap<br />
– the best serums, in my observation,<br />
tend to be pricey – but if you stick with<br />
one, it can last a surprisingly long time<br />
as only a few drops are needed. <strong>Beauty</strong><br />
Bible identified some impressively<br />
high-scoring serums: Elemis Pro-<br />
Collagen Renewal Serum, £70 for<br />
15ml; de Mamiel First Fix Stress<br />
Response Serum, £135 for 30ml; and<br />
– something different here – OSKIA<br />
Super C Smart Nutrient <strong>Beauty</strong>, £70<br />
for 60 capsules, where you massage the<br />
contents of a pre-dose capsule into skin.<br />
Which neatly brings me to the subject<br />
of massage. To me, this is the oftoverlooked<br />
but incredibly important<br />
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<strong>Health</strong> & <strong>Beauty</strong> <strong>Supplement</strong><br />
istockphoto.com/ jacoblund / Yulia Lisitsa<br />
age-defier. Facial massage brings<br />
circulation to the skin, restoring<br />
glow instantly while also stimulating<br />
cells; I’m convinced it improves<br />
skin’s ‘bounce-back’ factor. Using<br />
the time spent cleansing my face, I<br />
massage deeply (but not painfully)<br />
with my fingers, always in an<br />
upwards or circular direction. But<br />
even more effective, I’ve discovered,<br />
is a gadget that again scooped a<br />
<strong>Beauty</strong> Bible Award, the Opatra<br />
LumiQuartz Rose Face Wand, £499<br />
(sorry, it’s pricey again, but you<br />
can also get amazing results from a<br />
rose quartz gua sha roller or stone,<br />
both of which are readily available<br />
from a wide range of sources for<br />
around fifteen quid). Meanwhile,<br />
a slender tool with a rose quartz<br />
embedded in the end, the Opatra<br />
device offers LED light therapy to<br />
help support collagen and elastin<br />
synthesis, while also relaxing the<br />
face immeasurably as the warmed<br />
quartz buzzes on the surface; I am<br />
frankly completely addicted and use<br />
it with a couple of drops of facial oil<br />
to reduce facial tension at bedtime,<br />
when it’s become a ritual part of my<br />
wind-down routine, before sleep.<br />
Ah, beauty sleep. That’s a whole<br />
other story. Maybe I’ll come to<br />
that next month<br />
because, trust<br />
me: beauty sleep<br />
is NOT a myth.<br />
More is more.<br />
Eight hours really<br />
is ideal, seven just<br />
about OK – and<br />
if you’re skimping<br />
and getting by on<br />
less than that, it’s<br />
going to show.<br />
<strong>Supplement</strong>s<br />
can be useful to<br />
add into your diet.<br />
Fact: it’s just about<br />
impossible to get all the nutrients we<br />
need for great skin in a normal, busy<br />
modern lifestyle, unless we really<br />
dedicate ourselves to that goal. We<br />
need plenty of antioxidants – citrus<br />
fruits, orange-coloured fruit and veg<br />
– plenty of nuts and wholegrains.<br />
We need protein, iron, zinc, and<br />
Book in at a makeup<br />
counter – I<br />
recommend By Terry<br />
or Bobbi Brown –<br />
pick up some ideas,<br />
and I’m pretty sure<br />
you’ll be thrilled<br />
with what you see<br />
in the mirror.<br />
essential fatty acids, found in oily<br />
fish such as sardines, mackerel,<br />
salmon, walnuts, chia seeds and<br />
linseed. And can we all be sure to<br />
get those on a daily basis? Nah.<br />
And beyond that, experts now also<br />
recommend ingesting collagen, too.<br />
My go-to for skin supplements is<br />
always victoriahealth.com, where<br />
genius pharmacist Shabir Daya stays<br />
on top of all the latest research<br />
(translated into easy-tounderstand<br />
articles that<br />
will keep anyone up to<br />
speed), and where you<br />
can find supplements<br />
including veganfriendly<br />
Vollagen<br />
Complex, £16.95<br />
for 50 (with potently<br />
antioxidant rose<br />
hips, matcha green<br />
tea and bilberry);<br />
Ingenious <strong>Beauty</strong><br />
Ultimate Collagen, £60<br />
for 90 capsules; and my<br />
‘desert island beauty supplement’,<br />
their bestselling VH Hyaluronic<br />
Acid Capsules High Strength, £35<br />
for 30 capsules. I’m also convinced<br />
that Manifesto <strong>Beauty</strong> Vitamin<br />
Gummies, £40 for 60, have helped<br />
my hair and nails, which also<br />
suffer through the<br />
ageing process.<br />
Last but not least,<br />
get a makeover.<br />
One of the reasons<br />
we look in the<br />
mirror and feel<br />
ancient is because<br />
we look washed<br />
out and almost<br />
‘faded’. Skin, hair,<br />
even eyes fade with<br />
time. Book in at a<br />
make-up counter<br />
– I recommend<br />
By Terry or Bobbi<br />
Brown – pick up some ideas, and<br />
I’m pretty sure you’ll be thrilled with<br />
what you see in the mirror. Call it<br />
the icing on the age-defying cake…<br />
See beautybible.com for more of Jo’s<br />
tried and tested beauty reviews.<br />
5
Put your best<br />
face<br />
forward<br />
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Wellbeing<br />
Keep in<br />
the know<br />
Sarah Maxwell gets personal with<br />
vital menopause info<br />
istockphoto.com/ Olga Strelnikova<br />
Perimenopause refers to the period of time right<br />
before menopause begins. Actual menopause<br />
technically lasts only 1 day, it is the day a woman<br />
has gone 1 full year without a period. The next day,<br />
a woman would be classed as post-menopausal. If<br />
this sounds confusing to you, you’re not alone!<br />
During the perimenopause phase, your body is<br />
beginning the transition into menopause. This can<br />
last between 4 and 10 years with the average age range<br />
being 45 to 55. This can cause a lot of confusion – for<br />
example, using contraception can make it difficult<br />
to know where you are in this transition, periods can<br />
become irregular, heavier or you may still have regular<br />
periods (you are still able to conceive during this time).<br />
Hormone levels start to fluctuate and, for many, it can<br />
be a real rollercoaster – both physically and mentally. One<br />
of my clients likened her experience of perimenopause<br />
to the ‘Boiling Frog’ parable. If you put a frog in<br />
boiling water it will jump out, if you heat the water<br />
slowly it doesn’t realise the danger until it’s too late.<br />
Unfortunately there is not one stand alone test to<br />
determine where you are in this phase, hormone levels and<br />
symptoms can ebb and flow widely during this time and<br />
this makes it difficult to get a clear and accurate picture.<br />
According to menopause<br />
experts there are four<br />
most common symptoms<br />
of the perimenopause,<br />
known as ‘the core four’.<br />
• Hot flushes<br />
• Disturbed sleep<br />
• Depression<br />
• Vaginal dryness<br />
Perminenopause is currently<br />
associated with around 34<br />
different symptoms such as:<br />
• Hair loss<br />
• Muscle aches and pains<br />
• Burning mouth<br />
syndrome (tingling<br />
tongue, lips and gums)<br />
• Stomach bloating<br />
• Dry eyes<br />
Looking back, I realise I was completely unaware of<br />
what was happening to me. Physically I didn’t feel<br />
different, apart from the odd hot flush and poor sleep<br />
quality. Mentally, it was a different story. I did feel<br />
different, but I couldn’t put my finger on why I felt so low<br />
and not at all myself. It was a gradual process that crept up<br />
so slowly, just like the boiling frog. I got used to it – until it<br />
became way too much. The transition affected not only me,<br />
but everyone close to me, too. I strongly feel that if I had better<br />
information about what the process of perimenopause was, I<br />
would have been better equipped to deal with it at the time.<br />
Every woman will, at some point, go through menopause<br />
with different symptoms and experiences. And often, at this<br />
stage in her life, she may also be caring for elderly parents<br />
and/or coming to terms with children flying the nest as<br />
well as a multitude of other pressures into the mix.<br />
What you can start doing right now?<br />
• Increase good fats and protein<br />
• Keep hydrated<br />
• Exercise regularly<br />
• Relaxation and time for yourself is essential<br />
• Above all, be kind to yourself!<br />
Seeing your GP<br />
Learn as much as you can about your menopause and the variety<br />
of options you have in order to keep you fit, well and sane.<br />
Make a list of your symptoms and keep a diary if possible.<br />
The more informed you are, the better your GP can<br />
help you. This worked well for me because brain fog<br />
is a frequent occurrence and still no better!<br />
Recommended reading<br />
I’m a huge fan of Meg Mathews’ website, Meg’s Menopause.<br />
It’s my one-stop-shop for everything menopause.<br />
megsmenopause.com<br />
A great menopause information site<br />
https://www.benendenhospital.org.uk/health-news/<br />
womens-health/understanding-the-menopause/<br />
A gentle approach to encourage dialogue<br />
with partners and loved ones<br />
healthtalk.org/menopause/advice-to-partners-about-the-menopause<br />
Sarah Maxwell is a multi award-winning weight loss, lifestyle and fitness coach. Find out more about her work...<br />
Facebook & Instagram: @sarahmaxlife Twitter: @sarahmax100 sarahmaxwell.com<br />
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<strong>Health</strong> & <strong>Beauty</strong> <strong>Supplement</strong><br />
istockphoto.com/ ClusterX / baibaz<br />
Nourish to Flourish<br />
Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach Charlotte Lau<br />
explains how to stay nourished during pregnancy<br />
A<br />
mother’s diet is the only source of nutrition for a<br />
developing baby, so it is important to be aware of what<br />
we should and shouldn’t be eating during pregnancy.<br />
During the three trimesters of pregnancy there are many<br />
factors that can have a huge impact on a child’s future<br />
health, including the women’s diet, weight fluctuations, physical<br />
and mental wellbeing, lifestyle choices and environment. For<br />
many, pregnancy can bring with it food aversions, reduced<br />
or increased appetite, reflux and sickness and can prove to be<br />
a challenging time for many women. However, by following<br />
a generally healthy diet and lifestyle, paying attention to the<br />
essential nutrients for a baby’s development and avoiding<br />
risky foods and drinks, you can ensure that you are getting<br />
all the vitamins and nutrients that you and your baby need.<br />
Learn to… EAT A VARIETY<br />
To ensure you and your baby get all the nutrients you need, a<br />
varied and balanced diet is one that we should be focusing on<br />
throughout pregnancy, bearing in mind quality and quantity.<br />
The Mediterranean diet is a great one to base your food choices<br />
around, with a focus on fresh seasonal produce where vegetables,<br />
legumes (beans and lentils), wholegrains and nuts form the bulk<br />
of meals, moderate animal protein from fish and poultry and a<br />
lower intake of red meats, eggs, yoghurt and cheese. (Read on<br />
for exceptions.) Try to think about your diet over the course of a<br />
week, rather than a day, and look carefully at the colour, variety<br />
and the quality of your food sources. Help promote a healthy<br />
digestive system with plenty of fibre, fluids and movement.<br />
Step away from… CERTAIN FOOD & DRINKS<br />
Most of the foods that we are advised to avoid whilst pregnant,<br />
carry a risk of food poisoning from harmful bacteria. UK guidelines<br />
suggest only consuming ready meals that are thoroughly heated<br />
and cooked, avoid pâtés as they may contain listeria, do not eat<br />
raw or undercooked eggs unless they are British Lion eggs (with<br />
a lion stamp on them) as they are less likely to contain salmonella<br />
and avoid undercooked meats. Fish is an important part of our diet<br />
in pregnancy, however eat no more than 2 portions a week of oily<br />
fish, sea bass, sea bream, turbot, halibut or crab as they may contain<br />
pollutants. Also limit your intake of tuna, marlin and swordfish<br />
which contain high levels of mercury. Avoid soft, unpasteurised<br />
cheeses, soft blue cheese, soft goats cheese and mould-ripened soft<br />
cheese, as they can cause listeriosis, unless they are cooked until<br />
steaming hot! Limit caffeine to under 200mg per day, that’s around<br />
2 regular coffees and it is safest to avoid alcohol completely, as it has<br />
been linked to low birth weight, premature birth and miscarriage.<br />
Give it a go… FOOD SUPPLEMENTS<br />
Eating a healthy, varied diet in pregnancy will help you get most<br />
of the vitamins and minerals you need, but when you are pregnant<br />
or if there’s a chance you might get pregnant, it’s important to<br />
also take a folic acid supplement. The NHS recommend that you<br />
take 400 micrograms of folic acid every day, from before you’re<br />
pregnant until you’re 12 weeks pregnant, this is to reduce the risk of<br />
problems in the baby’s development in the early weeks of pregnancy.<br />
If you get little or no sunlight exposure, and especially between<br />
September and March due to limited sunlight, it is recommended<br />
that you take a daily 10 micrograms of a Vitamin D supplement<br />
to help regulate how much calcium and phosphate are in the<br />
body, keeping muscles, bones and teeth healthy. If you are taking<br />
a multivitamin, always read the label and avoid those that contain<br />
vitamin A as too much Vitamin A can be harmful to an unborn baby.<br />
Charlotte runs Plume Nutrition, where she offers support and advice for weight management, controlling<br />
cravings, sleeplessness, stress and increasing energy levels. Find out more at plumenutrition.com<br />
9 priceless-magazines.com
<strong>Health</strong> & <strong>Beauty</strong> <strong>Supplement</strong><br />
Lost<br />
F<br />
& ound<br />
Hair loss in women is often a sensitive subject; a<br />
medical issue that is very much linked to emotional<br />
health – both as a cause and effect. It affects so many<br />
women today and yet really needs more research,<br />
understanding and awareness. We have asked a<br />
couple of experts to shine a light on the topic<br />
Finding the Pattern<br />
Trichologist and multi award-winning hair extensionist<br />
Kathryn Nash CiT WTS, from Harvey-Smith Hair<br />
Enhancement Clinic, tells us about how hair loss happens in<br />
women and what can be done to help<br />
Female pattern hair loss (a.k.a. androgenetic alopecia) is very<br />
common – around 50% of women can be affected. It can have<br />
a significant psychological impact, causing depression and low<br />
self-esteem in some cases, so it is important that those affected can<br />
access help and support.<br />
How it starts<br />
Hair loss can begin as early as the teenage years, although it is<br />
typically noticed more between the ages of 25-50 and can continue<br />
into your 70s and 80s. Women may sometimes notice excessive<br />
hair shedding, but usually first notice that their hair starts to thin<br />
in the parting area. This kind of hair loss follows a distinctive<br />
pattern – the front hairline is retained, while the parting area thins<br />
and widens with the hair appearing ‘see-through’.<br />
Androgenetic alopecia is caused by a combination of genetic and<br />
hormonal factors. It is usually hereditary and can be inherited from<br />
either side of the family. Hormones known as androgens also play a<br />
part – they enter the hair follicle and make thicker hairs (known as<br />
terminal hairs) much finer as the follicle becomes smaller.<br />
Who we can talk to<br />
In the early days, the first person someone will confide in about<br />
their hair loss is often their hairdresser. It is sadly a myth that<br />
cutting your hair will make it grow quicker, but the right cut can<br />
improve how you feel about your hair. Try to avoid thinning out<br />
your hair further with heavy layering, but a regular trim can make<br />
the ends look thicker by blunting the edges. This being said, in<br />
most cases, for any type of hair loss, treating it early is far more<br />
effective. So by all means, go to your hairdresser, but it is also best<br />
to see a trichologist.<br />
A trichologist is a specialist who focuses on the diagnosis and<br />
treatment of hair loss and scalp conditions. At my clinic we<br />
offer extensive consultations in which we discuss hair, lifestyle,<br />
medication and diet, before examining the hair and scalp, using<br />
clinical photos and magnified images from a trichoscope to<br />
understand each case. I always say hair loss can be a bit like a jigsaw<br />
puzzle; you need all the pieces to be able to see the full picture. It is<br />
only then you can make an informed diagnosis and any treatment<br />
suggestions. Most importantly a good trichologist should support<br />
you through your hair journey.<br />
Products to try<br />
Nioxin products support thinning hair and hair loss. Diaboost is a<br />
treatment that thickens each strand, giving you a fuller look.<br />
Hair fibres such as Toppik come in various forms such as powders<br />
and sprays, and can camouflage hair loss. Be mindful to wash these<br />
out properly after use to avoid build up and clogging the follicle.<br />
Mediceuticals’ Advanced Hair Thinning Kit includes a shampoo,<br />
conditioner and topical scalp treatment. There are various kits to<br />
target different hair and scalp conditions as well as male and female<br />
hair loss.<br />
Philip Kingsley No Scent No Colour Shampoo and Conditioner<br />
can be used on any type of hair, even those with sensitive scalps. It<br />
is free from fragrances, parabens, colours, and sulphates and is very<br />
gentle on the hair and scalp.<br />
Lamberts Maxi Hair is a supplement that contains a good spread of<br />
nutrients including 25 essential micronutrients.<br />
istockphoto.com/ Irina Nurtdinova<br />
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10
<strong>Health</strong> & <strong>Beauty</strong> <strong>Supplement</strong><br />
Specialist Care<br />
Consultant Trichologist at Philip Kingsley, Jane Martins,<br />
answers our questions about the many kinds of hair loss and<br />
how to get proper treatment<br />
Have you seen any changes since the pandemic?<br />
Since the pandemic, there appears to have been an increase in<br />
individuals experiencing hair shedding (telogen efflluvium). Some<br />
factors influencing this include having had COVID, changes in<br />
lifestyle and changes in hair care routines.<br />
How much can a topical over-the-counter product<br />
like a shampoo or scalp serum actually do?<br />
This would depend on the diagnosis, the formula of the product<br />
and whether it is suitable for the type of hair loss. Typically<br />
shampoos will not have an effect on hair loss related to telogen<br />
effluvium or androgenic alopecia (male of female pattern baldness)<br />
they simply are not applied to the scalp for long enough and<br />
are diluted under water. Targeted scalp serums or drops are the<br />
most effective at treating hair loss. At Philip Kingsley we have<br />
preventative drops to help slow hair loss and reduce hair shedding<br />
– our Density Preserving Scalp Drops. For active genetic hair loss<br />
(male or female pattern baldness) we offer prescription scalp drops<br />
via our Trichological Clinics upon seeing one of our Trichologists to<br />
assess the correct route of treatment.<br />
Lifestyle Changes<br />
Alopecia simply means ‘hair loss’ and is an umbrella term for<br />
several different types of hair loss conditions. These can be caused<br />
by various factors; some, unfortunately, we cannot control but there<br />
are some that we can. As much as these hair loss types vary, there<br />
are some things we can do generally to support our hair growth<br />
and keep it in good condition.<br />
How can a trichologist help someone struggling with hair loss?<br />
A Trichologist will be able to help to ascertain the causative<br />
factors. Here at the Philip Kingsley Trichological Clinic a thorough<br />
case history is taken, discussing topics including general health,<br />
lifestyle, family history and diet. The hair and scalp are also<br />
examined using a magnifying lamp. Then, following the diagnosis,<br />
any necessary products and blood tests are then recommended if<br />
further investigation is required.<br />
What is the difference between a dermatologist and a trichologist?<br />
A trichologist specialises in hair and scalp disorders, and, although<br />
dermatologists do too, not all of them will be familiar or have<br />
experience with certain hair loss conditions so their approach to<br />
treatment may be different to those of a trichologist. Dermatologists<br />
are experts in skin disorders, not specialists in hair and scalp.<br />
How much help can we get from GPs without seeing a specialist?<br />
Of course, with any medical problem, seeing a GP is much<br />
better than doing nothing. However, GPs don’t have the same<br />
understanding and focus as Trichologists who specialise in hair and<br />
scalp. An example of the difference this can make is blood tests –<br />
when undertaken by your GP they will measure for your general<br />
health, but even if your levels are sufficient for your general health,<br />
they may be much lower than required for healthy hair growth.<br />
This is on a case-by-case basis, but some patients have also expressed<br />
that a visit to their GP left them feeling more negative about their<br />
hair loss. Try not to be disheartened in this way, a specialist may be<br />
able to come up with more hopeful avenues for treatment.<br />
To find out more about Philip Kingsley, or book a call<br />
back with their clinic, visit philipkingsley.co.uk<br />
3. Medication<br />
While many medications are necessary, some can contribute<br />
towards hair loss. If the onset of hair loss coincides with starting a<br />
medication, speak to your GP. If the medication does carry a side<br />
effect of alopecia, they may be able to find an alternative.<br />
1. A good hair care routine<br />
Wash around 2-3 times a week, and brush at least once a day.<br />
Those suffering with hair loss often avoid this because they do not<br />
want to see their hair falling out or feel that these things are making<br />
it worse, but this certainly is not the case.<br />
2. A well-balanced diet<br />
Diet and nutritional deficiencies are one of the biggest causes<br />
of hair loss. Crash dieting or very restrictive diets can have a<br />
detrimental effect on your hair because the follicle is not receiving<br />
enough nutrients. Around 80% of our hair is made of keratin, a<br />
protein formed from amino acids that keeps hair healthy, strong<br />
and elastic. We need these proteins in our diet to keep our hair<br />
growing healthily and the rest of our body functioning properly.<br />
Our tissue cells rely on protein to reproduce new cells for healthy<br />
hair skin and nails! Lean red meats, fish, eggs, nuts, lentils, quinoa<br />
and tofu are all good sources of protein to include in your diet.<br />
4. Stress<br />
Our lives are now more stressful than ever and stress alone can<br />
cause hair loss, so reducing this as much as we can is really<br />
important. Something simple like writing down your feelings,<br />
going for a walk, meditating, gentle exercise or a chat with a friend<br />
or relative, may be all you need to manage your stress.<br />
5. Seasonal Changes<br />
Someone may have low iron or vitamin D for a short period of<br />
time and experience shedding, or they may experience more<br />
breakage than usual in the summer due to sun damage, salt water<br />
and dry hair. Not a lot of research has gone into seasonal hair loss,<br />
and because hair loss has so many contributing factors, it can be<br />
difficult to tell if it is simply seasonal. If you feel you may have<br />
seasonal hair loss, get it checked anyway to ensure that there is<br />
nothing else going on.<br />
For more help and advice visit theharveysmithclinic.co.uk<br />
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Yoga Body,<br />
Yoga Mind<br />
Exercise has many physical benefits but<br />
clinical research supports mind-body<br />
practices like yoga to restore mental and<br />
emotional wellbeing too; JoJo Hancock,<br />
founder of Yoga Creative, explains<br />
Yoga combines mindful movement with<br />
paced-breathing, meditation and relaxation.<br />
These powerful tools increase our sense of<br />
safety, stimulate a relaxation response and<br />
reduce stress.<br />
<strong>Health</strong> & <strong>Beauty</strong> <strong>Supplement</strong><br />
On Your Mind<br />
Christmas is over, winter has well and truly set in and it's time to embark upon a<br />
new year. At this time, it's important to take care of our mental health<br />
What happens in Vagus<br />
Got the winter blues? Kate Munden, a trauma and<br />
embodiment specialist based in Cranbrook, shares 5 simple<br />
steps to manage stress and anxiety through the vagus nerve<br />
istockphoto.com/ Katerina Kuzmenko<br />
Mental stress is an embodied experience, and<br />
yoga teachers can guide awareness to where<br />
we are holding tension and show us how to<br />
release it, breaking down stress hormones and<br />
boosting feel-good ones. The most effective<br />
yoga teachers empower their students to take<br />
these skills off the mat so that they can change<br />
how they feel at any point during their day.<br />
Yoga can have an immediate effect and<br />
just one class can give a sense of mental ease<br />
and wellbeing, but the benefits accumulate.<br />
Over time yoga can be transformational in<br />
not only lifting mood, but also enhancing<br />
immune response, boosting digestion, reducing<br />
pain and stress, restoring sleep, conserving<br />
energy, improving focus and enriching social<br />
connection.<br />
JoJo recommends one or two taught sessions a<br />
week as well as self-practise, starting with ten<br />
minutes daily. If you'd like to try for yourself,<br />
she teaches classes, workshops and retreats at<br />
the Rye Creative Centre in East Sussex. She<br />
is also hosting an Earth Day Yoga Retreat on<br />
Saturday 22 April to celebrate how nature<br />
nourishes and sustains our wellbeing. Space<br />
is limited, so advanced booking is essential.<br />
Contact JoJo at jojo@yogacreative.co.uk or<br />
find her online at yogacreative.co.uk<br />
'Tis the Season<br />
Healing Alternative shares their top 3<br />
tips for beating the Winter Blues<br />
It's <strong>January</strong>. The days are shorter, the nights<br />
are longer and the temperature has dropped.<br />
This can lead to feeling low, anxious or even<br />
depressed. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)<br />
affects many of us every winter, and if you’re<br />
struggling at this time of year, know that you<br />
are not alone and help is at hand.<br />
Try these three simple ways to improve your<br />
winter mental health:<br />
1. Get as much natural sunlight as possible. If you feel<br />
you aren't getting enough, then investing in a lightbox<br />
– which can simulate sunlight – could be useful.<br />
2. Regular exercise such as a daily walk will help<br />
you to manage any excess stress you might be<br />
experiencing.<br />
3. Quality sleep is essential for physical and<br />
mental health. Create an enjoyable sleep<br />
ritual that you can stick to. Start by going to<br />
bed and waking at the same time to regulate<br />
your body’s internal clock.<br />
For aiding sleep, try Healing Alternatives' Sleep<br />
Easy Collection. There is a pillow spray, balm,<br />
roll-on, bath oil and bath salts, all made with<br />
organic CBD and a blend of other botanicals<br />
to encourage a good night’s sleep.<br />
healingalternatives.co.uk<br />
When we become anxious it is often difficult to lift ourselves out<br />
of overwhelming thoughts because primitive responses and stress<br />
hormones take over. They shut down the cortex (thinking brain)<br />
and we simply can’t think our way out of it. But we can use the<br />
body to help us instead.<br />
The vagus nerve is part of our autonomic nervous system. It helps to regulate our stress responses,<br />
and is connected to our eyes, ears, face, neck muscles, vocal cords, heart, lungs and stomach. Our<br />
vagal tone tells us how well the vagus is functioning by measuring our heart rate variability (the<br />
amount of time between heartbeats). Low vagal tone is associated with depression, anxiety and<br />
disorders such as IBS and heart disease. High vagal tone is associated with good physical and mental<br />
health. The great news is that we can take easy steps every day to raise our vagal tone. The following<br />
techniques have all been shown to increase heart-rate variability:<br />
1. Singing, humming, chanting and gargling can activate the throat and stimulate your vagus<br />
nerve. Sing in the shower every morning and gargle after brushing your teeth.<br />
2. Deep breathing with an extended out-breath – keep it simple. Deep breath in, slow gentle<br />
breath out as far as you can go and then repeat.<br />
3. Thymus Thump – just like Tarzan! Make a fist and briskly tap the centre of the chest 7-10<br />
times. Try humming or singing at the same time.<br />
4. Splash the face with cold water to stimulate the branches that come into the face and head.<br />
5. Ear and side of neck massage. Using moderate pressure, massage, move and stimulate the skin<br />
around the neck and also the inner and outer part of one ear. Gently pull the ear lobe away<br />
from the body until you can feel your inner ear. Hold and breathe. Repeat on the other side.<br />
Next time you feel anxious try one of these techniques and feel the difference.<br />
Repeat as often as you can to lift those winter blues.<br />
Find out more about Kate at katemunden.com<br />
Alternative<br />
Option<br />
Helios Homeopathy's Stress Relief<br />
contains Aconite, Arg nit and<br />
Arsenicum. These three remedies have<br />
a long and proven history of relieving<br />
symptoms associated with mild stress and<br />
anxiety. Being natural, Helios Stress Relief<br />
has no known side effects and is suitable<br />
for short or longer term use. For more<br />
information visit their website or speak<br />
to one of their friendly, qualified and<br />
experienced homeopaths in person<br />
in Tunbridge Wells. helios.co.uk<br />
13 priceless-magazines.com
Sweetest<br />
ESCAPES<br />
A good spa break or getaway retreat can be just the boost you need to get yourself through the harsh winter months<br />
Spa Escape: Pennyhill Park, Surrey<br />
Pennyhill Park is a luxury hotel and spa set within 123 acres<br />
of beautiful Surrey parkland with a well-earned reputation<br />
for excellence. A simply fabulous spa, Michelin star dining,<br />
and plush individually designed rooms (with gorgeously decked-out<br />
bathrooms) are all wrapped up in this classic 19th Century house.<br />
The Spa at Pennyhill Park is really a destination in its own right.<br />
It checks all the boxes for an indulgent spa experience, and then<br />
throws in more than a few special extra options – there are 23<br />
relaxing treatment rooms, a nail bar, Pool View Bar, state-of-the-art<br />
fitness suite, hot tubs and a brilliant selection of both indoor and<br />
outdoor pools (this one has underwater music, that one is a bubbly<br />
hydrotherapy pool... you get the idea). With all this to explore, you<br />
can tailor your spa journey to whatever you're looking to gain from<br />
it, be it to unwind, beautify or invigorate, all you have to do is choose<br />
your own spa adventure!<br />
It is a great time of year to visit, too. The Spa is a Mediterraneanfeel<br />
escape in the summer, but in the winter it becomes an indulgent<br />
thermal heaven. Picture lounging in a jacuzzi (indoor or outdoor<br />
of course), warming up in a thermal cabin, or, if you want to try<br />
something different, there's the new Himalayan Salt Ritual treatment,<br />
designed to warm you through while also aiding dry skin and<br />
improving blood circulation – just what you need at this time of year!<br />
Rates for spa days at Pennyhill Park start from £255.<br />
exclusive.co.uk/pennyhill-park<br />
City Break: Four Seasons at Park Lane, London<br />
Does it get better than the Four Seasons for a City Break? Dip into the<br />
excitement and glamour of London luxe at its best with a trip to their Park<br />
Lane branch's spa. Balancing all the highlights of the big city and the relaxing<br />
presence of nature, you can experience the rooftop spa with its views of Hyde Park, head<br />
out to the country's most-coveted shopping streets, enjoy a leisurely meal on the one-ofa-kind<br />
al fresco terrace, and return at night to a room surrounded by greenery.<br />
As far as spa experiences go, there's a list of fabulous options for facials, massages and<br />
body treatments, including the Penhaligon’s Royal Relaxation Massage inspired by their<br />
gorgeous scents. However, at this time of year, the new Winter wellness experience is the<br />
ultimate choice, designed to help escape the cold and nourish the soul. It begins with an<br />
hour to explore the spa’s heat facilities – the Eucalyptus Steam Room, Himalayan Salt<br />
Wall Sauna, and Cooling Vitality Pool. Then, after a snuggle in a relaxation pod with a<br />
cup of tea, the treatments really get going.<br />
A body treatment captures the essence of winter and stimulates blood circulation with<br />
warming oils of black pepper and tangerine. You are then treated to a full-body salt scrub<br />
and natural clay cocoon wrap, and while the clay deeply cleanses and hydrates the skin,<br />
you also get a face and head acupressure massage to ease stress and tension. Finish up<br />
with a 60-minute personalised full-body massage, and as a memento you are also given a<br />
Four Seasons Winter Candle or diffuser to bring that spa serenity home over winter.<br />
The Four Seasons Winter Spa Experience is £350. fourseasons.com/london<br />
priceless-magazines.com<br />
14
Creative Courses: Curious House, Kent<br />
An option for those seeking inspiration and creative energy. Curious<br />
House runs on the belief that learning something new makes us more<br />
in tune with our bodies and engaged with our minds, and engaging in<br />
art in particular can feed the soul to improve our happiness and health.<br />
Curious House's courses all take place at either the lovely Bell in Ticehurst or<br />
Birchwood Studio (both on the Kent and Sussex border), each with inspiring<br />
spaces that are perfect for a relaxed learning environment. You can visit just for<br />
the day, but for a real immersive escape, you can stay at The Bell, which is also<br />
an award-winning historical pub and boutique hotel with fabulous rooms and<br />
scrumptious seasonal food.<br />
This year you could learn to paint, try your hand at pottery, go foraging,<br />
make a sculpture out of willow, master iPhone photography, or become an<br />
expert on peonies (to name just a few upcoming options). Needless to say there<br />
are classes of all sorts, and the teachers are all wonderfully friendly experts in<br />
their fields.<br />
Prices are from £80 for a half day and £105 for a full day including a<br />
delicious lunch. curioushouse.net<br />
Nature's Healing: South Lodge, Sussex<br />
South Lodge is a quintessential West Sussex country escape, and its<br />
spa is a natural haven. Situated within the grounds of luxury fivestar<br />
hotel, South Lodge, The Spa was inspired by the landscape<br />
around it, following the natural contours of the land in its sustainable<br />
design. The idea is to let in the surrounding nature and wildlife as much<br />
as possible, while also showcasing some seriously spectacular views of the<br />
South Downs.<br />
It is home to UK’s first wild, heated swimming pool (slash pond),<br />
which comes complete with reeds and moss, and uses no chlorine or<br />
chemicals but instead oxygenating plants clean the water. There is also<br />
an indoor infinity pool which may be your pool of choice in the winter,<br />
where you can still swim against the dramatic Sussex landscape from<br />
<strong>inside</strong>.<br />
Elsewhere there is also a vitality hydrotherapy pool, sound mood pods,<br />
a private mud room and an infused sauna, as well as marble-lined salt<br />
steam and jasmine herbal steam rooms.<br />
The food has nature at its heart, too – in the spa’s Mediterranean<br />
inspired restaurant, Botanica, the South Downs is drawn on as a larder<br />
for fresh, seasonal ingredients. The menu features all sorts of plant-based<br />
plates including the undeniably delicious Wasted Burger, made entirely<br />
from the pulp from the freshly prepared morning’s juices!<br />
Rates for spa days start from £230. exclusive.co.uk/south-lodge<br />
Get Active: Chateau Lou Casteou, Cote d'Azur<br />
Chateau Lou Casteou is a grand and luxurious residence, set in the<br />
stunning French Cote d’Azur countryside which offers an energetic<br />
fitness-focused escape to feed body and soul. Its three regular<br />
residential retreats provide the perfect balance of fitness classes, Latin dance<br />
sessions and exciting outdoor activities – we're talking coastal treks, tennis,<br />
boxercise, aqua-gym, circuit training, yoga, sea kayaking and beach workouts.<br />
For all those missing Strictly and looking to live out their dance dreams,<br />
Let’s Salsa is just the ticket. Get whisked away to the stunning Chateau, where<br />
European dance professionals will teach Latino and Afro dance styles. If you'd<br />
rather focus on physical fitness, Body Tonic will hit reset on your health and<br />
fitness, to leave you feeling transformed and revitalised. Last but not least,<br />
Lou Casteou’s Tennis Academy is set to sharpen up your serve, with six hours<br />
of daily professional tennis coaching sessions, and a day at the Monte-Carlo<br />
ATP tennis tournament.<br />
Whichever you choose, you can kick back after all the excitement, and<br />
enjoy delicious, nutritious, elegant three-course dinners, a quality open bar<br />
with excellent Provençal wines, plus evening parties and live entertainment,<br />
before retiring to a sumptuous en suite bedroom with stunning views of<br />
either the sea or the mountains.<br />
For more information or to reserve a space contact Morag McLaren Baxter<br />
on +44 (0)7990 573287, email morag@loucasteou.com or visit loucasteou.com
<strong>Wealden</strong> <strong>Times</strong><br />
Midsummer Midwinter<br />
<strong>Wealden</strong> <strong>Times</strong><br />
Fair<br />
Fairs<br />
O nline<br />
1st-4th 12-15 November July 2021<br />
Live Local,<br />
Love Local,<br />
Shop Local<br />
Those of you that have been to our<br />
Midwinter or Midsummer Fair will know<br />
that there’s a burgeoning independent<br />
retail scene, bursting with creative talent,<br />
beautifully designed products and lovely<br />
people who put their heart and soul into<br />
their shops. We find the very best of them<br />
and invite them to our fairs. But once our<br />
marquees have come down, you can find<br />
them either in their hometowns or, if you<br />
keep up with their latest news on Instagram,<br />
at other pop-up locations around the country.<br />
Go and pay them a visit if you can.<br />
Golden Boot<br />
Maidstone<br />
thegoldenboot.co.uk<br />
Chandrika Thomas London<br />
Kew<br />
chandrikathomas.co.uk<br />
Reigate Pop Up<br />
Reigate<br />
thereigatepopup.co.uk<br />
Fires and More<br />
Ashford<br />
firesandmore.co.uk<br />
Bottle Bar and Shop<br />
Catford Broadway<br />
bottlebarandshop.com<br />
SJ Feist & Co Ltd.<br />
St Leonards on Sea<br />
sjfeistandco.co.uk<br />
Organic Village Market<br />
Tonbridge<br />
organicvillagemarket.co.uk<br />
County Clothes<br />
Canterbury, Golden Boot Reigate,<br />
Bexhill-on-Sea, Maidstone<br />
Tenterden, Sevenoaks &<br />
thegoldenboot.co.uk<br />
Tunbridge Wells<br />
countyclothesmenswear.co.uk
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SitSmart<strong>WT248</strong>.indd 1 16/12/2022 TrainLearnGo<strong>WT248</strong>-Hastings.indd 11:03<br />
1 19/12/2022 10:51<br />
Welcome to The<br />
Spa at Green Farm,<br />
a nature-inspired<br />
boutique spa offering<br />
luxurious ESPA<br />
treatments, relaxing<br />
Spa Days and unique<br />
wellness experiences<br />
in the heart of the<br />
Kent countryside.<br />
Quote ‘<strong>Wealden</strong>’ to receive a complimentary Green Farm Gift.<br />
FIND OUT MORE & BOOK<br />
www.greenfarmkent.co.uk<br />
01233 808707<br />
Green Farm, Church Lane,<br />
Shadoxhurst, Kent TN26 1LT<br />
17 priceless-magazines.com<br />
GreenFarmKentWT245.indd 1 15/09/2022 16:18
HAVE YOU<br />
HEARD?<br />
The quality of our hearing can greatly impact our wellbeing and enjoyment of<br />
life, and fortunately the technology of hearing aids has greatly improved in recent<br />
years. So what is involved? To get some answers, we speak to Dr Priya Carling,<br />
AuD, RHAD, Director and Consultant Audiologist at Kent Hearing<br />
How visible or noticeable<br />
are hearing aids?<br />
Generally, hearing aids are far less<br />
visible than most people think.<br />
Their visibility will depend on<br />
the individual needs and ear size<br />
of each patient, but in many<br />
cases they can be completely<br />
hidden in the ear canal.<br />
What is involved in a<br />
hearing test?<br />
A hearing test is a painless<br />
procedure and will include<br />
responding to sounds of different<br />
loudness levels and pitch. It<br />
should also include how you<br />
respond to words and speech in<br />
the presence of background noise.<br />
Can hearing aids do anything<br />
other than help with hearing?<br />
Yes, they can stream sounds and<br />
music from a mobile phone, tablet or<br />
any Bluetooth enabled device. They<br />
can also help treat Tinnitus and may<br />
help reduce the risk of dementia,<br />
depression and social isolation for<br />
those with hearing loss.<br />
At what point should we<br />
get our hearing tested<br />
and how regularly?<br />
You should get your hearing tested<br />
if you have any difficulty in hearing<br />
clearly, or if friends or family<br />
complain that you mishear or that<br />
they have to repeat themselves. You<br />
should also book a hearing test if you<br />
have Tinnitus (a ringing or buzzing<br />
sound in your ears) or if you have ever<br />
been regularly exposed to loud noises.<br />
What are the advantages<br />
of hearing aids?<br />
Well selected, properly fitted hearing<br />
aids improve communication in many<br />
everyday situations, ensuring you<br />
remain socially active and helping to<br />
improve overall quality of life. They<br />
can also help you watch television,<br />
listen to music, and talk on the<br />
telephone with greater ease.<br />
How much money<br />
do hearing aids cost?<br />
This will be entirely dependent on<br />
the quality and technology level<br />
of the hearing aids recommended.<br />
Prices usually start at around £2,000<br />
per pair, while the most advanced<br />
hearing aids may cost up to £5,000<br />
per pair, on average.<br />
For more information or to book a hearing test with Dr Carling, call<br />
Kent Hearing on 01732 525912 or visit kenthearing.com<br />
priceless-magazines.com<br />
18
EARWAX REMOVAL AT<br />
KENT HEARING<br />
Earwax removal using microsuction is now available from<br />
Dr Priya Carling, AuD, RHAD, at Kent Hearing.<br />
We also offer:<br />
• Comprehensive hearing testing<br />
• The latest hearing aids<br />
• Tinnitus management<br />
• Children’s hearing testing<br />
• A personalised hearing<br />
management plan for<br />
every patient<br />
For more information please call us on<br />
01732 525912 or visit www.kenthearing.com<br />
Kent Hearing, Suite 15, 80 Churchill Square, Kings Hill, West Malling, ME19 4YU<br />
KentHearing<strong>WT248</strong>.indd 1 12/12/2022 14:16<br />
The opticians with the personal touch. Thorough, unhurried eye tests. Creative designer frames.<br />
Hastings 01424 421 717 hastings@wilsonwilsonandhancock.co.uk<br />
Rye 01797 223 700 rye@wilsonwilsonandhancock.co.uk<br />
Lewes 01273 472 360 lewes@wilsonwilsonandhancock.co.uk<br />
Tenterden 01580 762 069 tenterden@wilsonwilsonandhancock.co.uk www.wilsonwilsonandhancock.co.uk<br />
75 priceless-magazines.com<br />
WilsonWilsonHancock<strong>WT248</strong>.indd 1 20/12/2022 09:11
Always<br />
in favour<br />
“The pearl is the queen of<br />
gems and the gem of queens.”<br />
Grace Kelly<br />
Reinvent treasured heirloom pieces or invest in some contemporary<br />
new styles – pearls are having a comeback, and we’re glad!<br />
Photograph: David Merewether<br />
Baroque large pearl necklace on a 30” chain £278, pearl and blue topaz gold<br />
vermeil drop earrings £237, pearl double ball stud earrings £90, all Tisan Jewellery<br />
tisanjewellery.com; pearl headband with crystals £33 QueenMee Accessories<br />
queenmee.com; faux coral, from a selection, HomeSense homesense.com
Faille trim Tuxedo<br />
blazer £240 Jigsaw<br />
jigsaw-online.com<br />
Pearl and diamond ring<br />
£2,800 Dominic Walmsley<br />
dominicwalmsley.com<br />
Silver drop<br />
earrings £169<br />
Thomas Sabo<br />
thomassabo.com<br />
Wisdom necklace<br />
£249 Atelier Romy<br />
atelierromy.com<br />
Shooting star<br />
necklace €495<br />
Perle de Lune<br />
perledelune.com<br />
Cashmere blend jumper<br />
£90 Hope Fashion<br />
hopefashion.co.uk<br />
Rosantica Holli<br />
Osiris tote £1,155<br />
Net-a-Porter<br />
net-a-porter.com<br />
Chunky chain bracelet<br />
£165 Coeur de Lion<br />
coeur-de-lion.org<br />
Straight wool-blend coat<br />
£119 Zara zara.com<br />
The Girl with the Pearl<br />
EVERYTHING<br />
For a fresh start to the year<br />
we are channelling the classic charm of the<br />
pearl as pearl-core continues to shine in <strong>2023</strong><br />
Ray Makes Things Leila<br />
drop earrings £120<br />
Pearls and Pomegranates<br />
pearlsandpomegranates.com<br />
Jimmy Choo faux<br />
pearl pumps £675<br />
Net-a-Porter<br />
net-a-porter.com<br />
Pearl drops<br />
£3,050<br />
Budrevich Fine<br />
Jewellery Studio<br />
budrevich.co.uk<br />
Ivory pearl beaded<br />
shoulder bag<br />
£24.50 Accessorize<br />
accessorize.com<br />
Silver ring £59<br />
Thomas Sabo<br />
thomassabo.com<br />
Faux pearl money<br />
clutch bag £65<br />
Oliver Bonas<br />
oliverbonas.com<br />
Baroque pearl necklace<br />
£80 Lily Blanche<br />
lilyblanche.com<br />
Luna freshwater and<br />
Keshi pearl bracelet<br />
£155 Dower & Hall<br />
dowerandhall.com<br />
Wool-blend<br />
tulip skirt with<br />
pockets £109<br />
Zara zara.com<br />
Anika knee boot<br />
£290 Jigsaw<br />
jigsaw-online.com<br />
Villeneuve sequin<br />
dress £2,900<br />
Temperley London<br />
temperleylondon.com<br />
Pearl and coin<br />
bracelet £360<br />
Dominic Walmsley<br />
dominicwalmsley.com<br />
Sister Jane Oyster cream<br />
embellished bouclé tweed<br />
jacket £190 and mini skirt<br />
£110 Harvey Nichols<br />
harveynichols.com<br />
Toggle earrings<br />
£46 Annie Haak<br />
anniehaakdesigns.co.uk<br />
priceless-magazines.com<br />
78
For amazing designer and bespoke<br />
hats and fascinators as well as seasonal<br />
hats, umbrellas and pashminas.<br />
We also stock Rainbow shoes which can<br />
be dyed to any colour imaginable.<br />
The Mad haTTer<br />
12 Castle Street, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3UW<br />
01483 566845<br />
www.themadhattermillinery.com<br />
Bring some of your personality to your wardrobe<br />
with a personally tailored suit or jacket with a<br />
choice of fabrics, linings and trims. Complement<br />
your look with our stylish footwear.<br />
48 London Road, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 1AS<br />
01732 902019 | www.suitsshoessir.com<br />
TheMadHatter<strong>WT248</strong>.indd<br />
County<br />
1<br />
Clothes<br />
14/12/2022 SuitsShoesSir<strong>WT248</strong>.indd 13:27<br />
Menswear<br />
1 05/12/2022 10:56<br />
Canterbury Tenterden Sevenoaks Tunbridge Wells Reigate Bexhill-on-Sea<br />
Beat the<br />
<strong>January</strong><br />
blues<br />
in style!<br />
www.countyclothesmenswear.co.uk<br />
79 priceless-magazines.com<br />
CountyClothes<strong>WT248</strong>-SH.indd 1 12/12/2022 12:55
Recipes: Charlotte Butterworth Photographs: David Merewether<br />
Recipe developer Charlotte Butterworth creates delicious,<br />
easy, healthy recipes that work around real life. Here, she’s<br />
put together a day of healthy <strong>January</strong> meals to start New Year<br />
with a tasty blast of nutrients. Find more of Charlotte’s dishes<br />
and advice on Instagram or Facebook @theneedy.greedy<br />
Super<br />
BOOST<br />
Homemade Nutty Granola with Berries & Greek Yoghurt<br />
Prep time: 10 mins<br />
Cooking time: 20 mins Makes 6-8 portions<br />
This a super delicious healthy<br />
granola, and so tasty you can enjoy<br />
with yoghurt, fruit, milk or even as<br />
quick snack on its own. It is so much<br />
healthier than the shop bought ones<br />
as it has very little sugar and contains<br />
all natural ingredients. It will keep for<br />
at least a week in a sealed container.<br />
Do mix it up with whatever nuts,<br />
seeds and fruit you’d like to use.<br />
• 100g of mixed nuts (I use<br />
pecans, flaked almonds,<br />
walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts)<br />
• 150g jumbo oats<br />
• 1-2 apples grated<br />
• 1 tsp cinnamon<br />
• 1 or 2 tbsp honey or agave<br />
nectar or even maple syrup<br />
• 75g dried fruit (such as chopped<br />
apricots, dates, cranberries etc.)<br />
• 50-75g seeds (I use pumpkin,<br />
sunflower, linseed)<br />
1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C.<br />
Mix the nuts, oats, grated apple,<br />
cinnamon and agave nectar.<br />
Make sure the apple separates.<br />
2. Spread over a large baking tray<br />
or two and cook for 20 mins. You<br />
may need to turn it a couple of times<br />
to make sure it browns evenly.<br />
3. When browned, remove from<br />
the oven and allow to cool.<br />
4. Once cooled, add the seeds and<br />
dried fruits. It keeps for at least a<br />
week in a sealed container. Do play<br />
around with quantities, types of nuts,<br />
fruit etc. according to your tastes.<br />
5. Served as pictured with Greek<br />
yoghurt, blueberries, pomegranate<br />
seeds and mint leaves.
Watercress Soup with Cannellini Beans<br />
Prep time: 10 mins<br />
Cooking time: 20 mins<br />
Serves 2-3 generously<br />
I love the peppery flavour of<br />
watercress, which is also incredibly<br />
good for you. The cannellini<br />
beans, for fibre and protein, create<br />
a warming hearty meal of soup.<br />
This freezes beautifully so it’s a<br />
good one to have on standby.<br />
• 2 onions, chopped<br />
• 2 celery sticks, sliced to 1-2cm<br />
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed<br />
or finely chopped<br />
• 1 tin of cannellini beans, drained<br />
• nutmeg to grate<br />
• 500ml stock (homemade<br />
chicken stock gives it a beautiful<br />
flavour but any good stock<br />
such as Knorr would do)<br />
• 2 bags of watercress<br />
• freshly grated nutmeg (optional)<br />
1. In a large pan, drizzle some<br />
olive oil and a knob of butter.<br />
Gently soften the onions for a<br />
few minutes, adding some salt to<br />
speed the softening process.<br />
2. When the onions are soft, add<br />
the celery and garlic and cook gently<br />
for a few more minutes. Add some<br />
freshly grated nutmeg, drained<br />
beans and the stock and cook until<br />
veg is all tender, about 10 mins.<br />
3. Finally add the watercress and<br />
allow to wilt for a few moments.<br />
4. Using a stick blender, whizz<br />
the soup until smooth. You may<br />
want to add more liquid. Add<br />
some more freshly grated nutmeg,<br />
salt and pepper. Taste and add<br />
more seasoning if needed.<br />
5. Serve with a dollop of<br />
yoghurt, some whipped crème<br />
fraîche or a swirl of cream.
Lemon Roast Chicken with<br />
Pomegranate Molasses &<br />
Cauliflower on a Bed of Lentils<br />
Prep time: 10 mins Cooking<br />
time: 30-40 mins Serves 2<br />
This dish sounds fancy, but it’s so<br />
simple, totally flexible and utterly<br />
flavoursome, filling and feel good food.<br />
Pulses are so good for our health and<br />
longevity. These little lentils vertes<br />
are simply boiled while the chicken<br />
roasts, and then dressed in the delicious<br />
chicken cooking juices. Add some salad<br />
and, voila, easy meal! I used natural<br />
yoghurt for a dressing and roasted<br />
some cauliflower with the chicken for<br />
extra veg, but that is entirely optional.<br />
• 1 pack chicken thighs<br />
(bone in, skin on)<br />
• 50ml pomegranate molasses<br />
(I use Waitrose)<br />
• 15ml olive oil<br />
• 1 lemon, quartered<br />
• 200g cauliflower, broken into<br />
small florets (optional)<br />
• 100g lentils vertes or<br />
puy lentils, rinsed<br />
• natural yoghurt (approx 50ml)<br />
• microgreens, pomegranate seeds,<br />
salad leaves (optional, to serve)<br />
1. Preheat the oven to 190˚C.<br />
Place the lentils in a pan and bring<br />
to the boil for approx 30 mins<br />
(look at packet instructions).<br />
2. Mix the molasses and olive<br />
oil in a largish bowl (you will be<br />
adding the cauliflower to it).<br />
3. Pop some olive oil in a roasting<br />
tin. Add the chicken thighs and<br />
season with salt. Brush the chicken<br />
thighs with a generous amount<br />
of the pomegranate mix.<br />
4. Mix the cauliflower with the<br />
remaining mix, season and add to<br />
the roasting tin, along with the<br />
lemons. Put in the preheated oven<br />
and cook for approx 30 mins until<br />
chicken browned and crispy, and the<br />
cauliflower tender. Halfway though,<br />
squeeze the lemon quarters a little<br />
with some tongs (you will be amazed<br />
how much juice comes out), mix<br />
with the juices and the cauliflower.<br />
5. When lentils are cooked, drain,<br />
add some seasoning and spinach<br />
(allow to wilt a moment). Keep<br />
warm if the chicken is not ready.<br />
6. To plate, put the lentils on the plate<br />
with the chicken and cauliflower. Then<br />
– this is IMPORTANT – pour over all<br />
those incredible juices from the roasting<br />
pan. It makes the most wonderful<br />
dressing for the lentils, which absorb<br />
the flavours. Add a dollop of yoghurt<br />
and mix with the juices. Heaven. <br />
I love using<br />
microgreens in my dishes.<br />
They are a superfood with<br />
very high levels of nutrients and<br />
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Throughout I’ve used microgreens from<br />
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83 priceless-magazines.com
Cod with Smokey Black Bean Cassoulet<br />
Prep time: 20 mins Cooking time: 40 mins Serves 2<br />
This gloriously satisfying but healthy<br />
dinner is so delicious and really easy to<br />
prep. Sweet cod, married with deeply<br />
savoury smokey black beans, is heaven<br />
on a plate. Prepare the cassoulet in<br />
advance if you want – even the day<br />
before – as the flavours just intensify<br />
with time. The cod just takes a few<br />
minutes to cook, and you have a<br />
gourmet dinner on the table. Serve<br />
with a green salad and lemon wedges.<br />
If you’re vegetarian, the cassoulet is<br />
equally satisfying if served with rice<br />
or other grains as a hearty main!<br />
• 2 skinless cod fillets<br />
• 1 onion finely chopped<br />
• 1 large carrot finely chopped<br />
• 1 stick celery finely sliced<br />
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed<br />
• 2 tsp smoked paprika (hot<br />
smoked paprika if you like it<br />
spicy – which I used), or a mix<br />
• 2 red, yellow or orange peppers<br />
• 1 tin black beans<br />
• 200g passata<br />
• freshly chopped parsley<br />
• extra virgin olive oil, balsamic<br />
vinegar, salt and pepper<br />
• lemon wedges to serve<br />
1. Heat the olive oil in a decent<br />
size saucepan and slowly cook the<br />
onions until soft and translucent.<br />
Add the garlic, celery and carrots,<br />
and cook for a further few mins.<br />
2. Stir in the smoked paprika –<br />
this is the key to the dish – let<br />
it cook for a few minutes.<br />
3. Finally add the pepper, black beans<br />
and passata. Give it a good stir and<br />
cook slowly on the hob for about<br />
30 mins (or longer in a low oven).<br />
Keep checking the liquid content<br />
– you don’t want it to dry out.<br />
4. When ready to serve (the carrots<br />
and peppers should be soft), season,<br />
add the chopped parsley, a splash of<br />
balsamic vinegar, taste and season again.<br />
5. Lightly coat the base of a non-stick<br />
frying pan with olive oil then place the<br />
pan over a medium-high heat. When<br />
the pan is hot, season the cod with salt<br />
and place it in the pan. Cook until the<br />
fish has turned a nice golden colour.<br />
Gently turn the cod over and cook for<br />
a further 2–3 minutes, depending on<br />
the thickness of the fillet. The fish is<br />
cooked when the flesh becomes opaque.<br />
If you prefer to oven roast -<br />
then pop in a preheated oven<br />
at 180˚C for 10-15mins,<br />
depending on the size of fillet.<br />
6. Serve with plenty of lemon wedges<br />
– the juice really enhances the flavour<br />
of this dish – and a green salad.<br />
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Garden<br />
Curves in all the<br />
right places<br />
Jo Arnell takes a look at the (frustratingly) skilled art of topiary<br />
There’s something<br />
soothingly barbaric<br />
about topiary. A tightly<br />
pruned tree growing exactly<br />
how we want it to grow – forced<br />
into submission and yet still happy<br />
enough to have green leaves, as alive<br />
as a well-groomed dog show<br />
poodle – is a sign that we are in<br />
control. All is calm. It would be<br />
a freak of nature if a tree grew of its own<br />
accord to look like a squirrel or a peacock,<br />
but somehow the thought of making it<br />
grow into a shape of our choosing – even<br />
if all we can manage is a cone or a lollipop<br />
– is almost irresistible, and the results can<br />
be highly ornamental and attractive.<br />
What I love about topiary is the contrast<br />
it makes with the rest of the plants – a pair<br />
of well trained box or bay trees either side<br />
of a front door looks smart, but tightly<br />
clipped and dense shapes out in the garden<br />
mingling with the more unruly natural<br />
forms can be really effective – they add<br />
backbone and focal points, like living<br />
sculptures in the landscape, bringing<br />
height, structure and form all year round.<br />
In the winter, when everything else has<br />
turned skeletal, or rotted away, and in<br />
the sparkly light of a frosty morning,<br />
topiary becomes a truly magical sight.<br />
The plants to choose<br />
Some shrubs and trees grow tidily, but<br />
don’t like to be pruned (I’m thinking of my<br />
nemesis the Daphne, that seems to wither<br />
under my gaze, let alone the clippers) and<br />
those that are prone to disease – that gets<br />
in through cut surfaces. In the main, any<br />
shrub or tree that will make a hedge can<br />
be topiariarised. Evergreens are best, as<br />
they will provide year round foliage, but<br />
occasionally deciduous plants are used,<br />
especially if they have flowers – dwarf<br />
Lilac makes a pretty and fragrant little tree,<br />
colourful foliage – Salix ‘Flamingo’, or the<br />
autumnal tints of Beech or Hornbeam.<br />
The most familiar plants would be Box or<br />
Yew, and these are traditional, hardy and<br />
amenable, but Box is under threat from<br />
blight and caterpillars, and Yew can be<br />
expensive and slow to establish. Ilex crenata<br />
is a very good substitute for Box with<br />
similar miniature leaves. Some conifers<br />
can also be clipped, but make sure<br />
you get a variety that will grow back<br />
from the old wood. Larger leaved<br />
evergreens, like Viburnum tinus,<br />
Holly, Bay and Photinia can be grown<br />
as standards. You can even use trailing<br />
plants like Ivy, but these should be<br />
trained over a wired frame, rather<br />
than being trimmed back to a<br />
shape. Some small leaved evergreens<br />
and conifers are particularly effective<br />
when cloud pruned – a style of pruning<br />
that originated in Japan that results in<br />
artful bare stems with clipped leaves<br />
just at the ends – in cloud shapes.<br />
The tools to use<br />
There are electric trimmers around<br />
that are not much bigger than<br />
shavers, which are fine for basic<br />
shapes and mini hedges, but a good<br />
87
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WCLandcraftWT223.indd 1 28/08/2020 10:20
Enhance Do you need your shelter outdoor and living shade?<br />
space<br />
A terrace in Pershore with<br />
hanging baskets and topiary bushes<br />
quality pair of topiary clippers (sheep shears are<br />
great) will be an essential piece of kit for more<br />
detailed and intricate trimming. You can use<br />
secateurs, but they are not as effective for<br />
the quick and repetitive clipping action<br />
that will result in a more sculpted and neat<br />
shape. Whatever tools you use it is essential to keep them really<br />
sharp and well-oiled, and, if you are clipping more than one plant<br />
in a session, to clean them thoroughly before you move onto the<br />
next victim. Infections and diseases are easily spread though cut<br />
surfaces and ragged cuts cause die-back and look unsightly.<br />
How to do it<br />
If you are just starting out, it’s a good idea to begin with geometric<br />
shapes like balls, spirals or pyramids. You can use formers – wire<br />
frames that are placed over the plant that you trim to, or if the<br />
shape is straight or diagonal, you can use a string line to cut to.<br />
This is very useful for hedges and for triangular shapes that need<br />
to be symmetrical. In time you will become practised and once<br />
the shape is established, be able to cut to the outline each time.<br />
The more regularly you cut topiary, the denser the leaves will<br />
look and the stronger the outline. If you want to keep your shapes<br />
looking crisp and sharp, or are using a faster growing plant, you<br />
will need to cut more often, but slow growing shrubs like box and<br />
yew can sometimes be kept in shape with just one summer cut –<br />
which is what makes them popular, especially when there is a lot<br />
of it to snip. Evergreens are generally trimmed in the summer, as<br />
this gives them time to recover before the winter weather – and<br />
the damaging frosts that would ravage tender new growth.<br />
More complicated shapes will take practice and an understanding<br />
of how the plant grows. It helps to have a good eye too. I went<br />
on a course once and the Chelsea gold medallist who ran it was a<br />
hairdresser before he turned his scissors to plants. It turns out that<br />
hairdressers are great at styling plants. There is a lot of stepping<br />
back required, surveying and imagining, working out what shape<br />
is going to be made by the absence of a twig before that twig is<br />
removed – and remembering that wherever you make the cut, this<br />
is where the new growth will start from (but there’s no discussing<br />
holidays or dealing with unreasonable client expectations).<br />
Practice makes perfect – as does experience and making mistakes.<br />
You will learn by doing – and by cutting. The great thing is <br />
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Garden<br />
Clipped yew in an English country garden<br />
istockphoto.com/ Michel VIARD / Jennifer Sanerkin / AndyRoland / Sofya Ivanova<br />
that your elephant’s trunk, or whatever<br />
it is you are shaping, will grow back if<br />
you accidentally snip it off, even if you<br />
have to wait a while for that to happen.<br />
Caring for topiary specimens<br />
No plants choose to be pruned – tiny<br />
pairs of secateurs don’t grow out of the<br />
ground as the shoots emerge. Plants are<br />
able to regrow once they’ve been attacked<br />
or cut, because they can’t run away fast<br />
enough from whatever is attacking them..<br />
Recovering from a ravaging is how a plant<br />
manages to survive – and this is also how<br />
we can manipulate them to grow back in<br />
certain ways, but it comes at a cost. Plants<br />
make energy for growth through their<br />
leaves and constantly cutting the foliage<br />
back can weaken the overall plant, so it<br />
pays to look after your topiary specimen<br />
well. This means helping the plant to<br />
replenish nutrients lost – planting into<br />
good soil in the first place, fertilising<br />
appropriately in the spring, watching<br />
out for signs of pests and disease and<br />
keeping it adequately watered, especially<br />
if the plant is growing in a pot. Stressed<br />
plants never really thrive, so try to keep<br />
closely clipped plants in excellent health.<br />
Where to see it<br />
Topiary on a grand scale can look<br />
spectacular – a testament to gardeners’ skill,<br />
imagination and manipulation of plant<br />
material. It can be majestic, breathtakingly<br />
smart and formal, or whimsical<br />
and faintly comic, like the garden<br />
of a fairytale giant or the set of<br />
a Tim Burton film. While we<br />
might not be able to create such<br />
fantasies in our own spaces, there<br />
are several large gardens where you<br />
can visit and wander among looming<br />
evergreen shapes and living sculptures.<br />
Levens Hall in Cumbria is a wonderful place, home<br />
to the most magnificent and massive topiary, Clivedon in<br />
Buckinghamshire boasts peacocks and pyramids as well as an<br />
extensive parterre garden and a maze, no less. Closer<br />
to home in Northiam, East Sussex, Great<br />
Dixter’s huge yew hedges and<br />
topiary dominate the gardens<br />
and meadows like eccentric<br />
characters in a wonderland.<br />
Most public gardens are closed<br />
during the winter months,<br />
but any that do stay open<br />
and feature tightly clipped<br />
evergreens are much visited<br />
– on winter mornings<br />
especially – by photographers<br />
in search of frosted effects.<br />
These places can provide<br />
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our much smaller projects and<br />
encourage us to experiment with<br />
gardening techniques – even if these<br />
are in the end limited to mere admiration without mimicry.<br />
Jo’s <strong>2023</strong> garden design courses are now booking:<br />
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Stop seeing music as a<br />
‘nice to have’<br />
Benenden School’s headteacher Samantha Price is fighting the cause to<br />
prevent musical education being sidelined in our schools<br />
It’s time to stop considering music in schools as a luxury,<br />
Benenden School’s headteacher Samantha Price has<br />
said. Describing music as “transformational” to young<br />
people, she warned that it was likely to face cutbacks<br />
as a lack of funding has left state schools desperately<br />
trying to balance their books. “As a nation we cannot<br />
afford to regard music as a ‘nice-to-have’ when it comes<br />
to the education of our young people,” said Mrs Price,<br />
who has been Headmistress at Benenden since 2014.<br />
As she unveiled her school’s new music facilities,<br />
which <strong>Wealden</strong> <strong>Times</strong>’ Rachel and Emily were<br />
delighted to attend, Mrs Price pledged that Benenden<br />
would do its best to help any local schools that were<br />
struggling to offer music to their pupils, saying that<br />
there were some extraordinary examples of partnership<br />
working between the state and independent sectors.<br />
Mrs Price delivered her speech in front of an audience<br />
of local dignitaries, school leaders and the media in<br />
Benenden’s new Centenary Hall, an 800-seat multiuse<br />
space. It forms part of the stunning new Centenary<br />
Buildings, together with a new music school, The Sir<br />
David K. P. Li Music School, which features more<br />
than 20 music practice rooms, a music tech suite and<br />
a 120-seat Recital Hall for smaller performances.<br />
This year sees Benenden School celebrating its<br />
centenary year, having opened in September 1923, and<br />
these facilities are a fitting addition to the site to lead the<br />
school into its second century. “As a school, Benenden<br />
has long been admired for its musical achievements,”<br />
says Mrs Price. “Our choir has performed in coveted<br />
venues around the world including St Paul’s Cathedral,<br />
Westminster Abbey, St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle<br />
and Notre Dame, while to date we have released two<br />
commercial CDs, each to critical acclaim. Our students<br />
produce stunning music – but they were doing so from<br />
portable cabins and rooms without soundproofing.<br />
I deemed music something worth investing in.”<br />
Mrs Price argued that music had a special place for young<br />
people, citing some of the benefits of music as boosting<br />
wellbeing, community cohesion, academic success and<br />
confidence. She referenced the impact on schools of the<br />
current tough economic times, with cutbacks having to<br />
be made and reports that funds are being diverted to help<br />
feed pupils who arrive at school hungry. “Clearly, against<br />
this backdrop, it is difficult to make the case for continued<br />
investment in Music. And this is a problem that needs<br />
to be addressed. If schools are having to make the choice<br />
between employing an extra chef or offering Music clubs<br />
to their children, then clearly schools are underfunded.”<br />
She pointed out that school per-pupil funding is rising<br />
by 1.9 percent next year, while inflation is currently at<br />
10.7 percent, and that by 2024-25, Government schools<br />
priceless-magazines.com<br />
92
spending is forecast to be 3 percent lower per head than<br />
it was back in 2010. “The new Education Secretary<br />
needs to fight to ensure that education is a priority<br />
for the Government. If there’s no funding to support<br />
essential and transformational subjects such as Music<br />
then I fear that education faces a bleak future in our<br />
schools, which would be a disaster for this country.”<br />
Mrs Price said that the UK’s internationally renowned<br />
creative industries – accounting for more than £116<br />
billion, or 6 percent of the UK economy<br />
– had its origins in venues like Benenden’s<br />
new facilities, which inspire young people.<br />
“I am acutely aware that I am in the<br />
privileged position of being an independent<br />
school headteacher, standing in a stunning<br />
new multi-million pound building, giving<br />
the Government advice on education<br />
spending,” says Mrs Price. “Independent<br />
schools are undoubtedly better funded than<br />
their counterparts in the state sector. The independent<br />
sector is an enormous success story for the UK – our<br />
independent schools are admired across the globe and<br />
contribute £13.7 billion each year to the British economy.<br />
“More importantly, there is no rivalry between the<br />
independent sector and the state sector. We can work<br />
wonderfully well together. For example, there are more than<br />
“In my view<br />
music is not just<br />
important in the<br />
lives of young<br />
people – it can be<br />
transformational.”<br />
11,500 partnership projects between independent and state<br />
schools and here at Benenden we are extremely proud of<br />
our mutually beneficial relationships with local schools.”<br />
Of the Centenary Buildings, Mrs Price said: “We<br />
are proud to have achieved this wonderful facility<br />
and we have managed this through careful borrowing<br />
and the extraordinary generosity of our patrons.<br />
“We have chosen to invest – both in our school<br />
community and in the local community. We have<br />
established one of the foremost concert<br />
halls and multi-use performance<br />
venues in the South East that will<br />
benefit generations to come.”<br />
Mrs Price concluded her speech with<br />
an offer to local state schools, saying: “If<br />
state school cuts do arrive at the door of<br />
music departments locally, I want this<br />
facility and this school to be able to help.<br />
The building we are standing in today<br />
represents a vital community asset so if any local schools<br />
are struggling with their music provision, I want them<br />
to contact us. We will do whatever we can to help.<br />
“This is not just a building for Benenden School.<br />
It’s for the community to use. If Music is worth<br />
investing in, then the community certainly is.”<br />
benenden.school<br />
93 priceless-magazines.com
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Congratulations to Mayfield School, which has been<br />
named one of the top 20 all-girls schools for cricket<br />
The love and<br />
desire to play<br />
cricket is<br />
there and the<br />
girls know<br />
they can have<br />
fun with<br />
their friends<br />
istockphoto.com/ RNko<br />
Mayfield School has<br />
been named as one<br />
of the UK’s best<br />
cricket schools. It features in the<br />
Top 20 all-girls schools in The<br />
Cricketer Schools Guide <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
The award follows an exhaustive<br />
process which saw a huge number<br />
of schools submit entries to be<br />
included in the guide. All entries<br />
were then judged against an extensive<br />
set of criteria, which included a<br />
compelling commitment to cricket<br />
in the curriculum, facilities, fixture<br />
programmes and coaching.<br />
Emily Starr, Mayfield’s Head<br />
of Cricket, who has represented<br />
England (Indoor) at U19 level and<br />
Northamptonshire County Cricket,<br />
said, “We’re delighted that the school<br />
has been recognised as one of the<br />
top 20 all-girls schools for cricket<br />
for the third year in a row. Since<br />
cricket was introduced five years<br />
ago we have reached regional finals<br />
at U13 and U15 age groups. This<br />
year several of our girls have been<br />
selected to represent Sussex in their<br />
respective age groups. But just as<br />
importantly, last summer, every girl<br />
in Year 7 and 8 played a competitive<br />
match. The love and desire to play<br />
cricket is there and the girls know<br />
they can have fun with their friends,<br />
which is what cricket is all about.”<br />
mayfieldgirls.org<br />
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ThomasMansfieldWT246-WEALD (Private Law).indd 1 21/10/2022 10:00
Don’t miss our February issue<br />
Education<br />
<strong>Supplement</strong><br />
Find out what our amazing local schools<br />
have to offer your child in <strong>2023</strong><br />
priceless-magazines.com
the MHS Jubilee Olympics. The school also marked the<br />
occasion by planting a field maple for The Queen’s<br />
Green Canopy. As Marlborough House School<br />
approaches a special anniversary of its own<br />
with 150 years on the horizon, the day was<br />
a chance to reflect on and celebrate<br />
Tonbridge’s upper sixth will be taking up places<br />
at leading universities across the world, including<br />
Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard, later this year. A total<br />
of 16 Tonbridge boys have been offered places to study at<br />
the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, to read a variety of<br />
subjects. Many other leavers have offers from the Russell Group<br />
London. Some will be taking up places at highly prestigious<br />
US universities, including Harvard, Massachusetts<br />
Institute of Technology (MIT), Dartmouth and Duke<br />
University. Headmaster, James Priory, said: “With<br />
competition from national and international<br />
candidates stronger than ever, such highquality<br />
offers are notable achievements.<br />
Well done to all.” tonbridge-school.co.uk<br />
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East Sussex College have had their work selected to<br />
be exhibited in the world’s leading museum of art, design<br />
and performance, Victoria & Albert (V&A) Museum, with<br />
Award for her exceptional work titled ‘Tree of Life Body Sculpture’<br />
which will be displayed at the V&A Museum. Sara Lee, 44,<br />
and Amanda Pattenden, 55, will also have their incredible work<br />
displayed at the V&A Museum with ‘Swimming medals’ and<br />
‘Emergence’ pieces respectively. The works will be shown<br />
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artwork which represented something or someone<br />
who inspired them. Olivia Springer, said: “My<br />
role model is Anne Frank because she is an<br />
inspiration to everyone, and believed<br />
that, ‘The final forming of a person’s<br />
character lies in their own hands’.”<br />
Reed’s School in Cobham are thrilled to<br />
share that, in their recent ISI Inspection report,<br />
they were judged as ‘excellent’ (the highest grading)<br />
in both categories: the quality of the pupils’ academic<br />
and other achievements and the quality of pupils’ personal<br />
particularly rewarding to note that our ethos, values, and<br />
aims were expressed by all members of our community<br />
consistently and enthusiastically. The Reporting<br />
Inspector commented that our parent and pupil<br />
surveys were amongst the most positive she had<br />
ever read!” You can read the full inspection<br />
report using the QR code (below left) or<br />
to have joined the Repton Family of Schools on 17<br />
May 2022. Headmaster Joff Powis, continues to lead this<br />
thriving co-educational boarding school and says: “This<br />
is an exciting moment in Vineha l’s rich history. Whilst the<br />
exciting era as we join a global network of world-class schools.”<br />
Repton has established a growing family of schools,<br />
both internationa ly and here in the UK, that share<br />
an outward-looking, forward-thinking philosophy<br />
focussed on giving children the very best chances in<br />
the world that awaits them. This move wi l enable<br />
• Have a<br />
read of the<br />
latest school<br />
news<br />
sponsored by<br />
• Learn how<br />
schools are<br />
educating about<br />
social media<br />
Education <strong>Supplement</strong> sponsored by Education <strong>Supplement</strong> sponsored by<br />
Jubilee celebrations<br />
Rose Hill School makes<br />
at Marlborough House School<br />
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee was<br />
celebrated in style at Malborough with the<br />
whole school community coming together for<br />
a very British tea party. As the maypole ribbons<br />
flew, the children proudly paraded to parents in crowns<br />
they had made, before taking part in traditional games for<br />
06WT242SUPP 1.indd 1 14/12/2022 16:39<br />
the final of an international<br />
school art competition<br />
A nine-year-old pupil from Rose Hill<br />
School has been named runner up of iart 2022<br />
finalists having competed against 160 entries<br />
from children from over 70 of the world’s leading<br />
schools. iart 2022 asked children to submit a piece of<br />
the school’s ethos and values.<br />
rosehillschool.co.uk<br />
marlboroughhouseschool.co.uk<br />
Award-winning East Sussex<br />
College students selected to<br />
exhibit work at V&A Museum<br />
Three BA (Hons) Designer Maker students at<br />
Busy<br />
Find out the latest news from our thriving education providers<br />
Vinehall joins the Repton<br />
Family of Schools<br />
Vineha l prep school in East Sussex are delighted<br />
two of the students having won City & Guilds national awards<br />
Reed’s School celebrates an<br />
fabric of our school – our dedicated staff, values, picturesque<br />
© Images by Grazzie le Lefranc<br />
with cash prizes. The Pewter Live competition is held annually by<br />
the Worshipful Company of Pewterers. Alice Lawson, 28, won the Targett<br />
‘excellent’ inspection<br />
location, uniform and name – wi l a l remain the same,<br />
becoming part of the Repton Family of Schools marks a new and<br />
From Tonbridge to the<br />
at the V&A’s Whitely Silver Galleries from Saturday<br />
28th May to Sunday 31st July. Find out about the<br />
development. The inspection was led by an experienced team<br />
and their judgements were driven directly from pupil, parent<br />
Vineha l to continue to ensure outstanding<br />
provision, bolster admissions and safeguard<br />
world – Tonbridge School<br />
BA (Hons) Designer Maker Degree course and<br />
the school’s future and traditions.<br />
boys heading to top universities<br />
more from East Sussex College at escg.ac.uk<br />
and staff feedback, lesson observations, work scrutiny and pupil and<br />
staff interviews. Headmaster, Mark Hoskins commented, “It’s<br />
vineha lschool.com<br />
of world-class, research-intensive universities, including Durham,<br />
Edinburgh, London School of Economics and King’s College<br />
at reeds.surrey.sch.uk<br />
priceless-magazines.com 7 priceless-magazines.com<br />
6<br />
06WT242SUPP 1.indd 6-7 14/12/2022 16:40<br />
Independently<br />
minded<br />
Since 1867<br />
Question<br />
the answer<br />
We don’t just teach them to answer<br />
the question. We empower pupils<br />
to question the answer. Grades are<br />
important. So is thinking for yourself.<br />
Join us for our Open Morning<br />
Saturday 8 October<br />
eastbourne-college.co.uk<br />
34267_art_EC_Ad_<strong>Wealden</strong>_<strong>Times</strong>_Education_Section_Main_Magazine_v2.indd 1 10/12/2021 11:30<br />
12<br />
29<br />
9<br />
Contents<br />
6 BUSY BEES<br />
Find out the latest<br />
news from our<br />
local education<br />
providers<br />
Cover<br />
image:<br />
Tonbridge School<br />
taking part in the<br />
RSC Schools’ Analyst<br />
Competition<br />
tonbridge-school.<br />
co.uk<br />
9 MEET<br />
THE CAPTAIN<br />
We find out what it’s like to be a<br />
school captain<br />
11 EARLY DAYS<br />
Explore the early years<br />
of education<br />
15 SUBJECTS MATTER<br />
Top tips on how to navigate<br />
subject selection<br />
19 SPORTING STARS<br />
Let’s celebrate some superb<br />
sporting achievements<br />
23 MEET THE HEAD<br />
Hear from a Head inspired<br />
by the natural world<br />
25 EXTRA HELP<br />
We speak to the<br />
experts on tutoring<br />
27 THE GAME OF LIFE<br />
Modern approaches to<br />
PSHE explained<br />
31 THAT’S A WRAP!<br />
How two top local schools are<br />
handling wraparound care<br />
33 ON YOUR MIND<br />
We hear from a local school that<br />
recently held a conference on<br />
mental health<br />
35 THE GREAT OUTDOORS<br />
How to inspire kids with nature<br />
KILNDOWN<br />
11+<br />
KILNDOWN<br />
CLUBS<br />
11+ CLUBS<br />
TAUGHT BY CLARE<br />
OFSTED TAUGHT 'OUTSTANDING'<br />
BY CLARE<br />
OFSTED 'OUTSTANDING'<br />
BOOKING NOW<br />
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KILNDOWN<br />
11+ CLUBS<br />
TAUGHT BY CLARE<br />
OFSTED 'OUTSTANDING'<br />
BOOKING NOW<br />
Gri finTeachingWT242.indd 1 13/06/2022 12:56<br />
For further informaon or<br />
to book a visit, please contact:<br />
registrar@hildenoaks.co.uk<br />
01732 353941<br />
www.hildenoaks.co.uk<br />
Places available for 3–4 year olds from<br />
September 2022<br />
A springboard to excellence<br />
Hilden Oaks Preschool<br />
3 priceless-magazines.com<br />
HildenOakSchoolWT242.indd 1 17/06/2022 15:38<br />
EastbourneCo 06WT242SUPP legeWT242.indd legeWT236.indd 1.indd 2-3 1 30/05/2022 13/12/2021 12:38 09:20<br />
19/12/2022 10:06<br />
• Get to know<br />
the teachers and<br />
their specialist<br />
subjects<br />
9<br />
21<br />
Extra images throughout supplement: istockphoto.com/ Mar ia Poliakova / Rudzhan Nagiev / thanaphiphat / sabelskaya / Ekaterina Skorik / IconicBestiary<br />
Grow<br />
with us<br />
We’re expanding to GCSE<br />
Find out more about our forward-looking,<br />
academically ambitious and dynamic curriculum<br />
Dulwich Prep<br />
Cranbrook<br />
• Discover<br />
more about<br />
boarding<br />
Contact Admissions on 01580 712179<br />
or admissions@dulwichprepcranbrook.org<br />
Find us at @DPCranbrook<br />
www.dulwichprepcranbrook.org<br />
DSC-Advert-Update-26-04-22.indd 1 27/04/2022 18:33<br />
DulwichPrepWT241.indd 06WT242SUPP 10-11 1 20/05/2022 09:22<br />
Junior King’s<br />
Fun and excitement nurture a love of<br />
learning for life<br />
Tell us about your early years provision.<br />
Our Pre-prep department provides a safe,<br />
caring and nurturing environment where every<br />
child is an individual. We enjoy spending<br />
time getting to know each of them. We lay<br />
down the foundations for a love of learning<br />
during these formative years and provide<br />
a breadth of different experiences to give<br />
children the confidence to be what they want<br />
to be. Our provision is innovative, industrious<br />
and above a l, fun! Our Early Year setting<br />
is exceptional, both Nursery and Reception<br />
classes are fi led with excitement and laughter.<br />
What do you find most rewarding<br />
abou teaching this age group?<br />
The bond that is formed between adults<br />
and children. It is one built on trust and<br />
mutual respect. Playing a critical role at<br />
the start of a child’s learning journey is a<br />
great joy and privilege. Teaching a child<br />
to read must come near to the top of<br />
the list of rewarding experiences too.<br />
How can parents/carers help suppor their child?<br />
Parents are of course their child’s firs teachers,<br />
and we strongly believe tha triangulating<br />
learning between home, school and child is<br />
key to successful outcomes. Parents can play<br />
a pivotal role in preparing their children for<br />
school and making tha transition a smooth<br />
experience. It’s importan to paint a positive<br />
image of school, even if as a child one didn’t<br />
enjoy it much. Schools have changed quite a bit<br />
since then! An ability to carry out some simple<br />
tasks independently will have obvious benefits.<br />
How is it bes to prepare for the first day?<br />
Careful labelling of clothing is always a good<br />
plan. Show your child where you have labe led<br />
their items and pick a nice bright pen or<br />
label font. Try no to fuss your child as they<br />
approach the school building, this just leads to<br />
anxiety. Relax and enjoy your day and it wi l be<br />
more likely that your child will do the same!<br />
junior-kings.co.uk<br />
Education <strong>Supplement</strong> sponsored by<br />
Early Da<br />
We talk to local schools to find out the b<br />
to start out a child’s educational jou<br />
The Granville S<br />
An approach that focuses on an educational start thro<br />
Tell us about your Pre-school.<br />
At The Granvi le School we have a<br />
co-educational Pre-school for ages 3-4.<br />
We ca l it a Pre-school rather than a<br />
Nursery or Kindergarten as we really<br />
focus on giving the pupils a strong<br />
educational start before they transition<br />
to Reception. From 7.30am to 6pm<br />
we have wraparound care which is<br />
great as it a lows our families to take<br />
advantage of a flexible day and to<br />
balance school life with their family life.<br />
What do pupils learn a thi stage?<br />
Phonological awareness, phonics<br />
teaching, early maths and environmental<br />
science a l play a part in the curriculum<br />
and are balanced with child-led, handson<br />
learning opportunities through<br />
play and exploration. Our pupils also<br />
have access to a large woodland area<br />
for weekly Forest School sessions,<br />
where they learn resilience, problem<br />
solving ski ls and co laboration. As<br />
part of a larger prep school, our pupils<br />
also benefit from specialis teaching<br />
in Music, French, Computing, Ba let<br />
and PE from this young age.<br />
11<br />
What is most<br />
teaching this<br />
Every day is a<br />
under 5! The<br />
enthusiasm i<br />
like recognisi<br />
reading them<br />
to do a ‘Show<br />
a Christmas<br />
of ‘firsts’. Ea<br />
precious and<br />
How can pa<br />
children abo<br />
Visi the set<br />
Days to fam<br />
space and s<br />
uniform, an<br />
Talk positiv<br />
they wi l h<br />
on the sch<br />
activities th<br />
the whole<br />
you wi l sh<br />
families of<br />
wi l be frie<br />
granvi lesc
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What’s On in <strong>January</strong><br />
COURSES<br />
Fri 6 & 13, Sat 7 & 14 Jan<br />
10am – 3pm<br />
Standen Fruit Farm Community<br />
Orchard, Iden Green TN17 4LA<br />
LEARN TO PRUNE<br />
YOUR APPLE TREES<br />
Do you have fruit tress and would<br />
like to know more about how to<br />
look after them? Learn to prune<br />
apple trees from expert, Guy<br />
Pullen. From new plantings to<br />
venerable ancients. Join a small<br />
group to learn all you need to<br />
know to gain confidence and<br />
then practice on a variety of trees<br />
at the beautiful Standen Street<br />
Community Orchard, Iden Green.<br />
Numbers are strictly limited for<br />
these sessions to ensure the best<br />
possible experience, so please book<br />
early to avoid disappointment.<br />
Entry: £25<br />
07977 571 368<br />
guypullen1@gmail.com<br />
Wed 11 Jan – Wed 15 Feb<br />
Wednesday Evenings<br />
from 7pm – 9pm<br />
G Live, London Road<br />
Guildford GU1 2AA<br />
6 WEEK COMEDY<br />
IMPROV COURSE<br />
G Live’s Improv Comedy Course<br />
is the next instalment from their<br />
unique comedy programme<br />
where you will develop and<br />
learn key improv techniques and<br />
skills for building responsiveness<br />
and improvisational bravery.<br />
Sessions are delivered in a fun and<br />
supportive environment, where<br />
you will improve your creativity<br />
and focus on your playfulness<br />
and ability to work on the hop.<br />
The course is suitable for both<br />
those new to improv and those<br />
wishing to improve their skills.<br />
Booking link is for the full<br />
6-week programme starting on 11<br />
<strong>January</strong> <strong>2023</strong>. For ages 18+. If you<br />
would like to attend this course<br />
and finance is a barrier, email<br />
glcreativelearning@glive.co.uk.<br />
Entry: 6 week course £95<br />
(transaction fee may apply)<br />
glive.co.uk<br />
Wed 25 Jan 2pm – 4pm<br />
Maidstone Museum, St.<br />
Faith’s Street, Maidstone,<br />
Kent ME14 1LH<br />
MAIDSTONE MUSEUM:<br />
ACTIVELY INVOLVED<br />
Are you over 55 and living with<br />
a long term health condition?<br />
Are you looking for something<br />
different to keep your mind active?<br />
Join Actively Involved to enjoy<br />
the company of other like-minded<br />
people, handle fascinating objects<br />
from the past and share all of<br />
your memories and insights of<br />
them. Plus there’s tea and cake<br />
too! And, if you miss this one,<br />
don’t worry, the sessions will<br />
continue to take place on the<br />
last Wednesday of each month.<br />
01622 602862<br />
museumevents@maidstone.gov.uk<br />
museum.maidstone.gov.uk<br />
Sat 28 Jan 10am – 4pm<br />
The Ceramic Studio, The<br />
Old Workshop, Hononton<br />
Farm, Furnace Lane,<br />
Brenchley TN12 7BX<br />
POTTERY EXPERIENCE DAY<br />
Head to the wonderful Ceramic<br />
Studio surrounded by stunning<br />
views for a thorough and fun<br />
introduction to working with clay.<br />
You’ll enjoy a full day covering a<br />
range of hand-building techniques<br />
and will also have a chance to<br />
get acquainted with the pottery<br />
wheel. The day costs £185 and<br />
includes a delicious home-cooked<br />
two course lunch, as well as other<br />
tasty refreshments throughout<br />
the day. Any work you make, and<br />
wish to keep, will be fired and<br />
can be picked up at a later stage.<br />
Please note that this is a long<br />
process and can take up to four<br />
weeks to be ready for collection.<br />
The studio will get in touch with<br />
you once your work is ready. For<br />
this and many other opportunities<br />
to learn ceramic skills for a day<br />
or over the course of several<br />
weeks and to find out about<br />
visiting potters, see the website.<br />
Entry: £185<br />
theceramicstudio.co.uk<br />
FOOD & DRINK<br />
Sat 14 Jan 7.30pm - 10.30pm<br />
Balfour Winery, Five Oak Lane,<br />
Staplehurst, Kent TN12 0HT<br />
VEGAN DINNER AT<br />
HUSH HEATH ESTATE<br />
To celebrate Veganuary,<br />
Balfour are hosting a special<br />
vegan six-course dinner in<br />
their spectacular tasting room,<br />
The View near Staplehurst.<br />
The evening starts with a predinner<br />
glass of Balfour Wine<br />
followed by an inventive vegan<br />
six-course set meal. The entire<br />
range of Balfour Wines and<br />
Jake’s Drinks are vegan and will<br />
be available to purchase on the<br />
evening from the Cellar Door<br />
bar in addition to alcohol-free<br />
sparkling wine, Wild Idol.<br />
If you require a taxi it is<br />
essential that you book well in<br />
advance for both journeys.<br />
Entry: £60pp<br />
balfourwinery.com<br />
HISTORY<br />
Sat 7 Jan 1pm – 2.30pm<br />
Bourne Hall, Spring Street,<br />
Ewell, Surrey KT17 1UF<br />
TERRIBLE TRENCHES<br />
An interesting time awaits<br />
kids at Bourne Hall Museum.<br />
March back up the line and<br />
prepare to go over the top as<br />
you discover what life was like<br />
in the trenches on the Western<br />
Front for ordinary infantryman.<br />
Were the rats really as big as<br />
cats and why did the men spend<br />
so much time chatting? Could<br />
you tell the difference between a<br />
moaning Minnie and Archie?<br />
Join up and keep your uniform<br />
smart despite the dreadful<br />
conditions. Learn what equipment<br />
and weapons you would be<br />
issued with and how effective<br />
they were. Decide if you could<br />
survive longer than the average<br />
6 weeks lifespan of a second<br />
lieutenant or if you would just<br />
hope to get a Blighty one?<br />
bournehall.org<br />
Every Tues – Fri 10.30am –<br />
12.30pm & 2.30pm – 4.30pm<br />
Every Sat 10am – 12noon<br />
Marden Library and<br />
Heritage Centre, High Street,<br />
Marden, Kent TN12 9DP<br />
MARDEN HISTORY GROUP<br />
Did you have ancestors in<br />
Marden? The village history<br />
group will help you investigate.<br />
They have just launched two<br />
new booklets, Marden at War<br />
and World War Two Women’s<br />
Land Army in Marden. They<br />
can teach you to trace how<br />
and where your grandparents<br />
and great grandparents lived<br />
in Marden, what occupation<br />
they had and much more.<br />
Visit the history group HQ in<br />
Marden Library to get involved<br />
or to book an appointment<br />
to start your research.<br />
mardenhistory.org.uk<br />
THEATRE<br />
12 Jan – 15 Jan<br />
Richmond Theatre, 1 Little<br />
Green, Richmond TW9 1QH<br />
NERUBASHENKO BALLET<br />
PRESENTS SWAN LAKE<br />
& THE NUTCRACKER<br />
Ballet lovers and newcomers alike<br />
will find joy and spectacle in the<br />
classical delights of Nerubashenko<br />
Ballet’s presentations. This<br />
season the Smirnov-Golovanov<br />
productions will be presented by<br />
international artistes hand-picked<br />
by Ukrainian-born Ludmila<br />
Nerubashenko, who preserves<br />
the legacy her late husband,<br />
Smirnov-Golovanov (Honoured<br />
Arts Worker of the Ukrainian<br />
Soviet Socialist Republic and<br />
former Artistic Director of<br />
Odessa State Opera and Ballet<br />
Theatre). Ludmila is the driving<br />
force in schooling young artistes<br />
with the physicality, artistry and<br />
creativity to faithfully interpret<br />
that legacy. She will select the<br />
cream of these young dancers<br />
to visit the UK in <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
atgtickets.com/venues/<br />
richmond-theatre<br />
<br />
99 priceless-magazines.com
What’s On in <strong>January</strong><br />
Thu 19 Jan<br />
G Live, London Road,<br />
Guildford GU1 2AA<br />
GIOVANNI PERNICE<br />
MADE IN ITALY<br />
Strictly Come Dancing 2021<br />
champion and dance heart-throb<br />
Giovanni Pernice invites you<br />
to join him on a journey to his<br />
homeland for his brand new <strong>2023</strong><br />
production of ‘Made in Italy’.<br />
Joined by an outstanding ensemble<br />
of some of the best dancers and<br />
singers from the ballroom and<br />
theatre world, this show promises<br />
to be a fantastic night out!<br />
This Italian themed show<br />
features an incredible sound<br />
track, stunning choreography<br />
and beautiful costumes. But<br />
be warned… in Italy, it can<br />
get HOT HOT HOT!!!!<br />
There are a limited number of VIP<br />
tickets available which includes<br />
a pre-show meet & greet with<br />
Giovanni, a signed print, VIP<br />
lanyard and photo opportunities.<br />
The VIP meet and greet is PRE-<br />
SHOW, 90 minutes before the<br />
performance is due to start.<br />
glive.co.uk<br />
Wed 25 Jan<br />
Churchill Theatre, High Street,<br />
Bromley BR1 1HA<br />
LAST DAYS OF DISCO<br />
So Diva famously championed<br />
by Sir Tom Jones on ITV’s The<br />
Voice UK embark on their first<br />
national theatre tour in a show<br />
with a unique setlist of 80s<br />
dancefloor classics from Irene<br />
Cara, Lipps Inc, Debarge, The<br />
Pointer Sisters, Evelyn Champagne<br />
King, Kool and The Gang,<br />
Stacey Lattishaw, Shalamar,<br />
Stephanie Mills and many more.<br />
Five amazing lead vocalists<br />
complimented by a seven<br />
piece live band - this is the<br />
must see show of <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
Prepare to travel back to the<br />
time of your life and revisit THE<br />
LAST DAYS OF DISCO<br />
Entry: £29<br />
churchilltheatre,co,uk<br />
COMING UP<br />
Dates in Feb, May,<br />
Aug and Nov ‘23<br />
The Small Holding,<br />
Ranters Lane, Kilndown,<br />
Kent TN17 2SG<br />
GROW THE SEASONS<br />
Booking is now open. Learn to<br />
‘Grow the Seasons’ on a series of<br />
new horticultural courses at Will<br />
Devlin’s Michelin Green Starred<br />
farm and restaurant, The Small<br />
Holding. The hands-on courses<br />
are led by Head Gardener Jenny<br />
Huddart and her team, for a<br />
behind-the-scenes experience.<br />
Each full-day course will include<br />
a mix of practical and theory<br />
learning, as guests discover and<br />
share in the team’s knowledge on<br />
seasonal vegetable growing, ‘No<br />
Dig’ principles and how to be<br />
sustainable in their own gardens.<br />
Each course will be relevant to the<br />
season, such as making the most<br />
of Harvest in August, reaping<br />
the rewards of your hard work<br />
and making organic compost<br />
and feeds. In November’s Winter<br />
Planning course learn how to make<br />
the most of the end of the season<br />
by mulching, lifting and dividing<br />
the perennial plants and the last<br />
chance to sow overwintering crops.<br />
The full-day courses cost £125 per<br />
person and will run throughout<br />
the year, in tune with the four<br />
growing seasons and include a<br />
relaxed lunch, using ingredients<br />
from the farm. Find out more<br />
and book now for February, May,<br />
August, and November <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
Entry: £125 including lunch<br />
growtheseasons.com<br />
From Wed 8 Feb daily<br />
Hever Castle & Gardens,<br />
Hever Road, Hever,<br />
Edenbridge, Kent TN8 7NG<br />
SNOWDROP WALKS<br />
AT HEVER CASTLE<br />
One to really provide a welcome<br />
boost to any flagging winter<br />
spirits. From the 8th of February<br />
onwards, visitors to the lovely<br />
Brighter days<br />
all year round<br />
1/3<br />
OFF *<br />
JOIN TODAY<br />
With 5 RHS Gardens and 220 Partner Gardens** to<br />
explore across the UK, you’ll never be far from exciting days<br />
out and endless inspiration. Enjoy unlimited garden visits,<br />
exclusive discounts to our Flower Shows and events, plus so<br />
much more.<br />
Visit rhs.org.uk/bright23 or call 020 3176 5820<br />
Your membership supports our work as a charity<br />
*Introductory offer by annual Direct Debit. Offer ends 31 <strong>January</strong> <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
For more information, visit rhs.org.uk/join or call 020 3176 5820.<br />
**Free at selected periods. Terms and conditions apply. RHS Registered Charity No. 222879/SC038262<br />
priceless-magazines.com<br />
100<br />
MediaForce<strong>WT248</strong>-RHS-MEMBERSHIP.indd 1 21/12/2022 14:56
What’s On in <strong>January</strong><br />
Hever Castle and Gardens,<br />
will be encouraged to put on<br />
their wellies, hats and scarves<br />
and explore the snowdrop trail.<br />
Featuring 115,000 snowdrops,<br />
this self-guided snowdrop walk will<br />
take visitors through woodland<br />
areas, around the Outer Moat and<br />
into the colourful Winter Garden.<br />
You’ll see both single and double<br />
snowdrops, as well as some more<br />
unusual varieties in the Winter<br />
Garden such as the yellow tipped<br />
‘Wendy’s Gold’, a giant Galanthus<br />
called ‘Colossus’, and Galanthus<br />
‘Green Brush’ with its green-tipped<br />
flowers. The Winter Garden<br />
also features flame-coloured<br />
dogwoods, ‘Early Sensation’<br />
daffodils, heathers and winter<br />
shrubs. Frosted topiary on the<br />
walk towards the Castle is another<br />
delight to behold, and over on<br />
the outer banks of the moat,<br />
the crocus will begin to appear<br />
towards the end of the month<br />
too. If you happen to be feeling<br />
adventurous, you can even can add<br />
in a walk around the 38 acre Lake.<br />
hevercastle.co.uk<br />
Fri 17 Feb & Sat 18 Feb<br />
2pm & 7.30pm<br />
Trinity Theatre, Church Road,<br />
Tunbridge Wells TN1 1JP<br />
TRINITY YOUTH<br />
THEATRE’S EVERYBODY’S<br />
TALKING ABOUT JAMIE<br />
– TEEN EDITION<br />
The fabulously talented Trinity<br />
Youth Theatre’s big February<br />
musical is back! Following on<br />
from High School Musicals 1 and<br />
2, and Legally Blonde, they are<br />
now tackling Everybody’s Talking<br />
About Jamie: Teen Edition – the<br />
full-length musical with small<br />
adjustments for a teenage cast.<br />
Jamie New is sixteen and lives<br />
on a council estate in Sheffield.<br />
Jamie doesn’t quite fit in. Jamie<br />
is terrified about the future.<br />
Jamie is going to be a sensation.<br />
Supported by his brilliant,<br />
loving mum and surrounded<br />
by his friends, Jamie overcomes<br />
prejudice, beats the bullies, and<br />
steps out of the darkness into the<br />
spotlight. Sixteen: the edge of<br />
possibility. Time to make your<br />
dreams come true. Book your<br />
tickets soon for this fun musical.<br />
trinitytheatre.net<br />
Sat 25 Feb 7pm<br />
Balfour Winery, Five Oak Lane,<br />
Staplehurst, Kent TN12 0HT<br />
AN EVENING OF JAZZ<br />
WITH JOE STILGOE<br />
Joe Stilgoe is an internationally<br />
acclaimed singer, pianist, and<br />
songwriter. He has created a<br />
fresh sound for jazz and topped<br />
the UK Jazz Chart on multiple<br />
occasions. Over the course of<br />
his varied career, he has become<br />
a true modern-day entertainer,<br />
known globally as a performer<br />
of wit, style, and a level of<br />
musicianship which has seen<br />
him recognised as one of the best<br />
singer-pianists in the world.<br />
Enjoy a glass of sparkling Balfour<br />
Wine followed by a delicious<br />
three-course set meal whilst<br />
you tap your feet to the beat in<br />
this unmissable event. Please<br />
book taxis well in advance for<br />
journeys to and from this event.<br />
Entry: £95<br />
balfourwinery.com<br />
Listings are correct at time of going<br />
to press but may be subject to change.<br />
Readers are advised to check with<br />
venues before making arrangements.<br />
We can list your event in the next issue<br />
of <strong>Wealden</strong> <strong>Times</strong> for only £75+VAT.<br />
Please supply up to 200 words that<br />
should include date, time, venue,<br />
contact for enquiries and any entry<br />
price to whatson@priceless-group.com<br />
or send with payment (cheques<br />
payable to Priceless Media Ltd.)<br />
to What’s On, Priceless Media,<br />
Kettle Chambers, 21 Stone Street,<br />
Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF. Priceless<br />
Media reserves the right to edit<br />
text to fit space allocated. Deadline<br />
for the next issue is 7 <strong>January</strong>.<br />
Wood Floor<br />
Sanding<br />
- Family Business -<br />
We also restore wooden kitchen tops<br />
FREE estimates - call any time<br />
07794953597 gerardgrover@gmail.com<br />
AllWoodsSandingServicesWT2171/8.indd 1 21/02/2020 12:55<br />
Conversational Spanish<br />
for adults, teens & Kids<br />
Join our face to face or online courses<br />
starting in <strong>January</strong> <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
Call<br />
Call<br />
us<br />
us 01622 735292<br />
or<br />
or<br />
email<br />
email<br />
us<br />
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www.spangles.org<br />
info@spangles.org<br />
Kings Hill, Detling, Maidstone, Bexley<br />
101 priceless-magazines.com<br />
SouthEastOpenStudios<strong>WT248</strong>.indd 1 14/12/2022 SpanglesWT247.indd 12:53<br />
1 08/11/2022 16:43
Jane Howard shares her concerns<br />
over trade agreements and<br />
payments to farmers<br />
In so many ways it is a privilege to<br />
farm in this beautiful part of the<br />
world. But as we come into another<br />
year the outlook for all farmers and<br />
especially livestock farmers is looking very<br />
uncertain. So you’ll have to forgive me,<br />
but this month I want to share my views.<br />
Following Brexit, the UK government<br />
announced it would no longer pay farmers<br />
the annual Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)<br />
payment – which in almost all cases represents a<br />
farm’s profit and the farmer’s wage. It is being phased<br />
out and in its place the ELMS scheme will pay farmers<br />
for delivering a range of ‘public goods’ including<br />
improved environment, better climate outcomes and<br />
improved animal health and welfare. All very worthy,<br />
though rather alarmingly no mention of food – but<br />
even before the details of the scheme were clarified, Liz<br />
Truss when PM announced a review<br />
of ELMS. All we want is certainty.<br />
On top of that Ms Truss announced<br />
what I consider to be a dreadful<br />
trade agreement with Australia.<br />
UK farming has worked tirelessly<br />
to build up its reputation for highquality,<br />
high-welfare, climate-friendly<br />
and sustainably produced beef and<br />
lamb. Our production standards are<br />
underpinned by the most robust<br />
regulations which cover everything from<br />
animal traceability, health, welfare and<br />
use of medicines to the environment.<br />
There is no comparison whatsoever<br />
between production methods in this<br />
country and those in Australia where it is all about<br />
scale. Feedlots finishing up to 50,000 head on a single<br />
site would be unacceptable here, both morally and<br />
environmentally. But we know that more than 40% of<br />
Australian beef cattle are finished in such systems and<br />
now much of this will be destined for the UK market.<br />
There is widespread use of hormone growthpromoters,<br />
and while our government has said that beef<br />
from these animals will not enter our market, given the<br />
lack of lifetime traceability in Australia, it’s questionable<br />
We have the news<br />
about the closure of<br />
our local abattoir,<br />
Tottingworth at<br />
Heathfield. This will<br />
be a particular blow<br />
to all the livestock<br />
farmers in the area<br />
who sell quality, grassfed<br />
beef and lamb<br />
how robust these guarantees really are. All of this, along<br />
with the routine use of antibiotics and feed additives<br />
banned in the UK make it a very unlevel playing field.<br />
And it’s not going to be a two way flow of traffic!<br />
And now, much closer to home, we have the news<br />
about the closure of our local abattoir,<br />
Tottingworth at Heathfield. This will<br />
be a particular blow to all the livestock<br />
farmers in the area who sell quality,<br />
grass-fed beef and lamb through<br />
box schemes, farmers’ markets and<br />
farm shops; independent butchers<br />
and, of course, those of you who<br />
seek out locally produced meat.<br />
Tottingworth closed mainly because<br />
of the huge number of regulations<br />
imposed on it. Back in the 70s there<br />
were hundreds of small abattoirs<br />
dotted around the country, but as<br />
numbers fell the government woke<br />
up to the problem and in 2021<br />
set up a Small Abattoirs Task Force to propose<br />
solutions. They gave themselves five years to consider<br />
the problem – and nothing has happened.<br />
It’s just one more issue threatening the future of<br />
farming in the High Weald. Its rolling hills, scattered<br />
farmsteads, small woodlands and irregular-shaped<br />
fields make it one of the best preserved mediaeval<br />
landscapes in Northern Europe. It’s special and let’s<br />
all hope that <strong>2023</strong> sees some good news to encourage<br />
us to keep farming and ensure it stays that way.<br />
Find out more about daily life at Coopers Farm by visiting coopersfarmstonegate.co.uk<br />
priceless-magazines.com<br />
102
Supporting communities<br />
in Kent since 1781.<br />
With offices across Kent and London,<br />
we provide specialist legal services for<br />
individuals and businesses in the Southeast.<br />
+ Contracts & Transactions<br />
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+ Property<br />
+ Tax & Estate Planning<br />
+ Wills<br />
To find out how we can help,<br />
call us on 01622 698000<br />
or email enquiries@wmlaw.uk<br />
whitehead-monckton.co.uk<br />
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Registered office 5 Eclipse Park, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 3EN. Authorised<br />
and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under no. 608279.